The Art of the Apology: I’m SO SORRY!!!
Use Caution When Sending a Big E-mail Blast!
Do you work with a DATABASE? I do – and in my attempt to UPDATE my newsletter list, I made a mistake that upset a LOT of people! Lauren Bloom, attorney, author, and speaker, wrote a book called “The Art of the Apology,” and I think I need her help!
As you may know, I have a wonderful, FREE, e-mail offer called “7 Steps to Networking Success” which I set up years ago at Robin Jay.com. If you sign up on my home page, you will receive the best of my networking tips that will support my status as a Business Relationship Expert! I get great feedback from it and I know it has helped a LOT of people!
Order Lauren Bloom's Book: The Art of the Apology - You never know when you might need to apologize!
Okay, Robin…cut to the chase! I imported 2500 names (from my list of about 3,000) to new database software. WHILE I was on the phone with the guy from the software company, he asked, “Is this campaign ready to go?” I said, “YES … but I need to modify the first page.” Can you believe that between the “YES …” and the “But” – he hit SEND!!!?!?
Needless to say, my “Welcome to my new newsletter” went out as “Thank you for signing up for my 7 Steps to Networking Success program!” Many people were upset – understandably – as they had NOT signed up for a new, 7-part email program!!!
Oh Lauren – I can’t take it back! Of course I sent customized notes to EVERYONE who was upset, sent them a FREE e-book, and apologized profusely. The LAST thing I EVER want to do is annoy people with unwanted e-mail! But the people on my list are ALL people who had given me their card! Either they have heard me speak, met me at an industry event, or somehow “opted in.” It’s been so long since I’ve been in touch, I can see why they might not remember me! They had been getting my newsletter (the last one went out in JANUARY!) I was just trying to switch over things to expedite my mailings. Ay-yi-yi!
It has become glaringly apparent that people are WAY TOO STRESSED! The feature I LOVED about my software is that it has a “double opt-in”system. If you receive something from me and you don’t want it, just do nothing. You won’t hear from me again UNLESS you click the link that says “OKAY!” But people did not read down far enough to see that. It also offers a huge UNSUBSCRIBE link at the bottom of every e-mail. I would think professionals would be savvy enough to know that! Instead, they took the time to send me ugly e- mails! (When all they HAD to do was NOTHING – simply nothing.) Wow – I’m so SORRY! My only crime is wanting to stay in touch and keep my contacts updated.
Apparently, many of us have have lost our sense of humor along with our tolerance. I URGE you – if you are so stressed that you are snapping at someone that you know – even vaguely – when they are TRYING to help you to become more proficient at networking – PLEASE take a break! Sip a latte, enjoy a night out, or have a massage!
I get so much e-mail I don’t want – and I hit the JUNK folder or the DELETE key. Life is really so much simpler than we make it! I apologize again! I hope you are enjoying your day. And, if you need to apologize to anyone for anything, tell Lauren I sent you. 
Hybra Bluetooth ORB: Captain Kirk – Eat Your Heart Out!
MUST HAVE!!! I want an O.R.B. NOW!!!
My friend Phil Robertson, owner of Common Sense Consulting (Phil@PJRobertson.com), turned me on to this company whose new bluetooth product captivated him at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Phil has great taste, as this product won the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2010 Best of Innovation winner in the wireless handsets accessories category.
If you believe in synchronicities, this story won’t surprise you. Phil heard from a friend today, Trish, who lives in Michigan. She asked him some questions about marketing. So, what was she up to? She works for this incredible company that is manufacturing the Bluetooth ORB – or “Orbital Ring Bluetooth,” pictured above. Yes…this is the exact same product that had Phil drooling last month.
Imagine this scene: I’m out to lunch with an important client. The ring on my finger actually starts to ring. I can view an “EInk” display that tells me who’s calling. I slip the ring off my finger and with a slight twist, the ring opens to an “S” shape and I set it on my ear and start talking. Okay – I admit I’m the one who said never talk on the phone during a business lunch….but C’mon!!! This is wild!!! What a conversation piece! I would love to get a call while at a networking event!
So – want to know more? According to the company’s site at www.Hybratech.com, here are some key details on the ORB:
The ORB with Digital Read Out - MUST HAVE NOW!!
- Harnesses bone conducting technology from NXT Sound to deliver high-quality sound without the discomfort of placing a device inside the ear.
- Delivers Class 2 Bluetooth (~30-ft range) in multiple ring sizes.
- Offers vibratory alerts of incoming calls and messages.
- The base model features an E Ink display that shows caller ID, text messages and calendar reminders.
- The deluxe edition features a FOLED (Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode) screen for full-color display of caller ID, text messages and calendar reminders.
Hybra plans to start selling its first base model ORBs in early 2010, at a suggested retail price of $129 USD. (I’ll wait until I get MINE before telling them they are CRAZY! That is a DEAL!!!)
A deluxe edition is planned for launch later in 2010, at a suggested retail price of $175 USD. Limited edition models featuring decorative gemstones, to be priced based on the value of the gemstones, will also follow. Oh – this goes well beyond WANT – this is entering NEED!!! One of these gems with gemstones is better than Botox to put a happy glaze on your face!
Voice activation? Gemstones? Chic as all get out? Fitted to your finger? RING, RING, RING! I swear, I may start having myself paged. Kudos to Hybra – it’s about time someone invented something from the ground up. This Bluetooth device is innovative, chic, sexy, and will decimate the competition. We are used to paying $100 and up for a great Bluetooth product. Seriously, what’s a few more dollars?
I want one in EVERY color to match my wardrobe. But I’ll start with the silver. Holy smoke – what an era we live in! Do the toys get any better than this? Wii, GPS, smartphones, iPads…there is so much help to be had! The only thing I can’t figure out is why I’m STILL blogging at 9PM! Time for dinner. It’s a shame, though – I could go on about these ORBS for hours!!!
Thanks, Phil…you not only know marketing – but you know an amazing product when you see it! How exciting!
The "REAL" Reason a Marketing Plan Fails
Casinos Work to Attract Players
I had a business lunch this past week with my friend, Phil Robertson (Phil@PJRobertson.com), who is an incredible marketing consultant. I always learn SO MUCH at a business lunch – especially when I’m talking to an expert in their field!
Phil and I were talking about a recent casino promotion. As a marketing expert, Phil could easily see why this particular promotion was a failure. As a former advertising sales executive I, too, could see the obvious flaw. Had I sold this casino their advertising to promote this event, I would have been mortified – as I’m sure the “Monday Morning Reconciliation” would have indicted the promotion was a failure. So, what caused the failure of what SHOULD HAVE BEEN an incredible promotion? My guess is it all came down to one employee with bad judgment.
Phil joined a slot club at a casino near his home. If you’ve ever joined a slot club, you know that the casinos in Nevada offer gifts as incentives to get you into their casino in the hopes that you will play. If a gift costs them a dollar or two – or even twenty dollars, and the average player drops $10, $20, or $200 on their way to pick up their “Free” gift, then guess who the REAL winner is! The casino – of COURSE!
It wasn’t long before Phil discovered that this particular casino’s slot club offered some incredible, upscale gifts to their members. And, while those of us who live in Las Vegas are less enamored with casino-logo’d casual wear, t-shirts, six-pack coolers and such, our friends and family from across the country are MUCH LESS jaded about such items. As it turns out, my friends and family, as well as Phil’s, absolutely ADORE watches that say “Boyd Gaming,” T-shirts from Stations Casinos, golf shirts from local courses, and baseball caps that feature casino logos.
Phil got a notice this past week that this slot club was giving away CROCK POTS on Friday night at 6PM. Smart – as they were looking to create some traffic and excitement in their casino on a Friday evening. He didn’t have a crock pot so he thought it would be worth it to swing by on Friday night to pick up his free gift.
Since Phil knows a lot about marketing, it was easy for him to see the situation (and what was wrong with it!) clearly. Rather than have the customers walk through the casino to claim their gifts – and hopefully gamble a bit while they were there – the casino had the big boxes of crock pots set up in a room right at the Valet entrance.
Phil said people were coming in, getting their crock pots, and promptly leaving – with their gifts. The valet is not even on the same floor as the casino! NO ONE WAS STOPPING TO GAMBLE! Why would they – when it would take extra effort to even visit the casino? Apparently, the casino employees in charge of this promotion were offering to hold your crock pot while you went to the casino; they could give you a claim check to assure you your crock pot would still be there when you were ready to leave…but none of the “players” were interested. This casino made it SO EASY for the players to pick up their gift and be home in time to watch Jeopardy!
They should have had the crock pot giveaway on the casino floor. People would then be more likely to gamble, thereby making the casino’s cost for the crock pots justified. The gambling wins would outweigh the expense of the promotion. So – where did this promotion break down?
My guess is that ONE executive at the resort probably balked at the thought of schlepping all those heavy crock pots down to the casino, and thought how easy it would be to hand them out from the valet location. The whole purpose of the giveaway was to drive traffic to the casino – and it failed miserably!
Look at your business closely and make sure that whatever you decide to do to promote it will be executed perfectly. Don’t waste your precious resources by allowing one bad decision to ruin your well-laid plans. Where was the management? Where was the marketing genius who thought up this promotion? Poor executive – he or she will have to defend the expense and might never know WHY the promotion failed to generate casino revenue.
Welcome to RobinJay.com Version 2
Robin Jay with fellow author, Keith Ferazzi
Thanks for visiting the updated rendition of RobinJay.com. You’ll notice that the website and blog are now incorporated within one site. Very cool!!
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Robin Jay
Business Relationship Expert