I admit it; I'm a frustrated Industrial Engineer. I'm one of those people who look for more efficiency in anything I undertake. I try to reduce the amount of steps in a project, the amount of times I handle a piece of paper and even when I'm planting vegetable seeds I analyze how I could do it with efficiency.

To shorten any process whether it's manufacturing magical widgets or streamlining new product development one must reduce the movements. This takes a skill to look at steps in slow motion or freeze frames to determine what is happening throughout any process.

To improve efficiency in new product development observation and foresight are critical factors. These factors allow one to see streamlining opportunities and focus. But, a common struggle with product development teams is to find the best vantage point to separate them from the project and view it without any bias. So much work, dedication and ownership goes into development efforts this struggle is understandable. I know. I've been there myself.

To help alleviate the struggle leading companies often bring in consultant to make those freeze frame observations and offer considerations. It's like having a newborn baby entering the world. The child has no pre-conceived idea or perceptions of how life should be. They look at everything with a fresh outlook.

A new set of eyes can result in:

1. Competitive advantages

2. Greater customer insight

3. Streamlined processes

4. Focused marketing campaigns

By applying this common sense approach to hire a fresh viewpoint via a marketing consultant to product development projects results in practical advice on how to make improvements and makes good long-term business sense.

Thank you for reading and commenting

If you want to let others mold your perspective then go for it. There are those who can lead and those who can follow.

Are you reading the same bloggers as everyone else?

A recent Inc.article titled "19 Blogs You Should Bookmark Right Now" identified 19 bloggers who can "reshape your perspective."

I am not dismissing the 19 blogs listed as people who have useful information or thoughts about business, in fact, I subscribe to some of the folks listed. But if we are all following the same folks then creativity and innovation will falter.

In my specialty of marketing and business development I can do a quick search to find thousands upon thousands of businesses trying to sell on-line products filled with secrets that will quickly gain the purchaser a flood of clients, six-figure sales, and thousands of raging fans. But in looking closer one will find these products are selling the same basic stuff driven only to make the one selling them profitable. The innovation is missing and they are all following one business model perspective.

Because of this business model perspective, the products lack the customization that is required for each individual business. Many business owners who buy the products never use the information or even open the product.

The irony about all of us following the same bloggers is the word "authentic." Authenticity is touted in almost every bit of business medium. If we all follow the same bloggers in order to reshape our perspective are we still remaining authentic? Won't we just become common, unbranded and in time rather boring.

I will continue to embrace my own perspective and to follow bloggers I find creative, unique and useful even though they may not be on the top of any list. I hope you also embrace your perspective.

One final note, since I mentioned the word "authentic" I feel the over-use and mis-use of the word is plasticizing the meaning where it has reached a point of being disingenuous and nauseating whenever it is used. I find it rather sad.

Many businesses tout themselves as having excellent customer service, but what about those that go beyond excellence. How do you know? I recently had the pleasure of experiencing true Premier customer service at a small bed and breakfast in Parkdale Oregon. Innkeeper Mary Pellegrini of The Old Parkdale Inn is a natural when it comes to Premier service which I define as service from the heart, natural and genuine, not forced or scripted.

Mary is one of those innkeepers that you just love. She has a natural gift for making you feel comfortable and she is helpful in a supportive manner that makes your stay a joy. From our fist phone call the service went beyond just a reservation she supplied us with helpful information of must-sees along the way to Parkdale and followed the conversation up with email specifics, website links, directions and easy check-in instructions.

Arriving at the inn and settling into our fun and comfortable room we were welcomed with complimentary local beer and wine to enjoy as we relaxed and sat in awe of the view of Mt. Hood. Our choice of breakfast consisted of recently harvested ingredients from the local Community Supported Agriculture farm Mary is a member of. Plus, we were able to name our time for breakfast. (As I write this I find myself drooling thinking about the omelet, sausage and fresh berries we were served). Both the locally produced beverages and ingredient filled warm breakfast was an extra special surprise for me.

More Help

Since we were continuing on with our travels in the state with some spontaneity we needed a place to stay after the Old Parkdale Inn. We knew we were heading south west to meet up with friends in a few days but in between we were open to suggestions. Mary showed us a map and recommended a town and lodge in Sisters which we booked and really enjoyed. To top of our bit of spontaneity we had sent a package with some ski equipment prior to our flight out that should have arrived in plenty of time at the inn so we could ski Mt. Hood, weather permitting. The FedEx Ground package was not there when we arrived at the inn, but arrived the day we departed, 7 long days after we sent it out. This put us a half day behind schedule as we had to wait for it to arrive (Note to folks at FedEx Ground, you may want to read this entry for an example of customer service). Mary gave us suggestions in the area to explore while we waited for her call to us when the box arrived at the Inn's doorstep.

Premier Service

Mary's genuine caring and helpfulness made the stay that more enjoyable and truly Premier. She went beyond any of the other B&Bs I have ever experienced. If you are ever in Oregon this is a must-stay from beginning to end and to your return (which I hope to have the opportunity to do again).

Tell Us

Where or when have you experienced Premier Customer Service and why did you think it was premier. Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading

Image by Cheryl A. Smith

I believe there are positives that we all can look at doing in our businesses and opportunities to capture in this current global economic crisis which it expected to last another 12 to 18 months. It is necessary to look at ways we do business and what changes can we make.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Talent Pools are Full - If your business is in a position to hire people, now is an incredible time to hire an extremely talented person who can bring systems and processes into your business. Corporations are laying off highly-talented people, some with years of experience who are finding themselves unemployed and in many cases burned and looking for a new focus.

2. Alliances Create Change - Go through your business in detail and find out where there may be gaps or where there could be additional services/products offered. Next, ask yourself what is it that your customers can't get enough of and your core strengths. Then get out and create alliances.

3. Add another Market - Add another market to your focus with one of your products/services, especially if it is patented or proprietary. You may or may not need to tweak it a bit for the specific marketplace but begin to evaluate where and to who it can be offered.

4. Outsource Activities - Look at the ways you and your team are spending their resources. Evaluate if it would be better to reallocate your teams strengths in other aspects of your business like product development or sales. Ask what can be outsourced to free their current workload and is someone from Idea 1 - Talent Pools are Full - that may be willing to do it freelance or is starting their own business.

There will be many start-up businesses created during this time from many who have found themselves in the unemployment pool as we continue to move forward in the months ahead we business owners will find ourselves with many opportunities to capture.

What are ideas and opportunities are you working on now?

Imagine by Cheryl A. Smith

Thanks for reading.

I was at a political event the other day for a candidate I am supporting. This candidate has a rock-solid personal brand:

1. Extremely hardworking

2. Intelligent - does the research and studies both sides of the issues.

3. Honest - no sugar coating, tells you like it is both good and bad.

4. Caring- about all people but especially those the candidate represents.

5. Integrity

During the conversation the candidate expressed great concern that their opponent is getting greater frequency and volume even thought this is primarily due to their input from personal wealth. This concern is justified, but I think there is a lesson here.

Brand trumps Wealth

Just as a candidate wants to know what the competition is doing and saying we as business owners also want to know about our competition - to an extent.

If we expend a tremendous amount of time and resources chasing the competition we take our eye off the ball. If we try to constantly counter their actions then we will find ourselves playing catch-up with no finish line in sight.

If your business has a strong brand utilize your strengths and move accordingly. In this example, I suggest capitalizing on the strengths and reaching out to customers/constituents to help with the frequency and volume.

Rethink Your Competition

I also think the strengths that this candidate has with their brand can master the wealth of their competitor. How? By thinking about the competitor in a different way. As in business, your greatest competitor is your customer's mind. You have to show the customer how you help them and what value you have to them.

A candidate can do the same not by attacking the competitor, but by getting into the customer's mind how they help and what value they bring to them. I will admit there will be some voters this won't work for no matter what you do or say because they are hard-wired to think they way the do, but swing voters will want to know your value to them.

Don't Loss Sight

Know your competition and keep informed of their movements, but take your finger off the competitor's pulse and keep your eyes straight ahead; otherwise, you'll lose sight of your real purpose and passion. Utilize your personal brand.

What do you think?

I have been working on a pricing analysis for a customer who has been struggling with feeling really uncomfortable with her prices. This got me thinking that I should share with you one of the misconceptions behind pricing that can lock our brains into a box.

We often fall into a transactional thinking with setting prices:

Product + $ = Transaction

But, pricing and sales is not solely a transaction there is much more. As an example, think about a time when you have done your best work. How did you feel? Your best work comes form deep inside of you. It is a combination of your wisdom, knowledge, security and caring to name a few. It is that "giving" of your services and products that you are sharing. In return, your customers are "giving" YOU something more than just dollars. They are a provider of generosity and caring.

In the work for the customer we are turning inward at just this level of deep understanding. We are comparing the qualitative aspects that come from within. This has allowed the customer to start thinking about her pricing from that level. She is now realizing her unspoken value of her pricing.

Are you leaving unspoken value out of your pricing? Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading.

Eileen is Gone.

Eileen was my 1988 Ford F150 pick-up truck that has been an invaluable treasure at my home. In 2004, we purchased her for $1,000 USD from a local veterinarian who had purchased her from a local farmer. Eileen came full of chicken feathers in the heating vents so whenever we switched the heat on, the feathers would fill the truck cab like confetti. Her leaf springs were...well...not so springy and the family of mice that made their home in her kept us entertained with sudden appearances on the top of the hood.

Like all good vehicles in New Hampshire, Eileen's time neared the end as the road-salt induced rust wore at her body and engine. She increasingly became a challenge for the mechanics with busted bolts, fraying cables and dry-rotten tires. It was the dying alternator that finally took her life.

Boy, I loved that truck.

Eileen started like a bright sunshine filled day every time I turned the key. She supported the loads of compost, dirt, rocks, woods, trash and furniture in her rotting bed. Whenever I drove her she lifted me back to a place in time: in my grandfathers farm truck bouncing around on dirt roads, climbing up into the truck and hopping on the bed for a spin around the neighborhood.

Over the five years Eileen had her typical repairs, but she was a great during that time. Her average cost per month was about $42 USD. I debated whether to keep her going. Her ability to help with the chores, bringing back fond memories and keeping me entertained was of value. I needed to figure out what was the price of this value.

How could I set a price?

First, I determined how my needs were met with the truck then what would I be willing to pay for the functions and features of those needs. I estimated she worked 6 hours a week at an hourly rate of $25 thus, an annual amount of $7,800 USD. Next, to try to capture the aesthetic value I utilized my cable television bill because of the entertainment of the truck thus, $648 per year.

Eileen's Costs

Evaluating her price + life cycle + risk I used the following data:

Average monthly cost of $42 thus, $504 per year.

Her life cycle began to really suffer the last two years deteriorating at a rate of 60 percent.

Her risk factor increased with the continued rotting of tires and leaf springs.

Comparison

After, the mechanic unsuccessfully tried to revive her alternator and her value as scrap metal increased, her price value became even less. Combining her benefits and her costs allowed me to think of her with the mind of a customer looking at a product. Granted she worked hard and helped with carrying the heavy loads and she was a blast to drive but I had to make this comparison, like a customer does when selecting our products and services.

It was her risk factor that continued to weigh heavily on me. She had begun to make me feel less safe driving her as her squeaks, rattles and rolls got louder. The tire began to split and her reliability the last month waned. I researched her replacement competition finding results that showed it is time. So, like a good customer would determine I weighed the options.

Eileen's New Life

Eileen will be reincarnated in another form as she journeyed to the scrap yard today. Her memory will last with my family and I. She served all her owners well. Now, my search begins for another truck with a good price value. I know I can never replace Eileen, she was unique.

How do you determine the value of your products/services/purchases and compare the risks?

Thanks to Rebecca for commenting on my last post and thanks to everyone reading.

I never lived there! You didn't qualify your lead generation! Really, it's not me.

I received a letter in the mail today from the law firm O'Connell & Aronowitz notifying me that "leads hazards were found at an Albany property" where I once lived and if my child was poisoned I could receive a settlement.

I called the firm and spoke to the attorney who signed the letter. I felt the right person should be contacted in case their child was affected. And I was curious how they found me. The attorney apologized several times and explained they did a computer search and located my mailing address. While it seems this firm did some decent efforts in generating a quality lead they did not do enough upfront work to eliminate me from the list.

A quality lead is important before embarking on any direct marketing, no matter how large or small your campaign. Spending some extra resources on flushing out the futile contacts can make a greater impact on your response rate and overall return. You will convert a lead to a first call at a higher rate, your new sales person will ramp up quicker and your sales team will increase their win rate.

The direct marketing industry estimates that front-end research is only about 15 percent of total direct marketing campaigns. Here are some considerations prior to sending any communication out to your leads.

1. Know your audience. Your lead should want or need your product or service. In the example I gave, a little extra research would have disqualified me from the list. I didn't need their legal assistance.

2. Evaluate other potentials. Don't be too narrow in your market segment approach. As an example, say you have a new internal frame backpack. You may identify a mountaineering organization that would sample the packs for you and give you a good response rate, but they may be too narrow a focus. This small group may not be sustainable long-term, over-night hikers could be contacted as well.

3. Evaluate your message. Spend time developing your copy so pertinent information about how or why your product is useful, improved, necessary, etc. Speak in their voice. The letter I received from the attorney did this very well, no legal jargon- it was straightforward and clear.

Do the homework. Spend the time or have someone do it for you. Resist the temptation to buy a list and blow out your campaign. The effort up front will be worth a quality lead and your investment will have a greater return.

And as always. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks