Chicago, it turns out, isn’t so windy. They call it that because when they were bidding for the World’s Fair in the 1800s, Chicagoans were bragging so much, they were "windy."
Which has nothing to do with this: USATODAY.com – Whole Foods goes with the wind but something about stories with windmills in them leads to odd word selections.
Shea Gunther points out that buying wind power is a great marketing story. And he’s right.
As the price of energy (and the side effects its creation cause) increase, the how and where of product origins are going to matter more and more.
January 10, 2006
If you’re a new reader, here are some links to get you started:
There are several years worth of posts here. Here’s last month’s. You can use the archive links on the left to go further back in time.
My lens has lists of some of my most popular posts as well as an overview of my books and such.
This blog is being updated a bit, and we’ll be adding search features eventually.
You can subscribe to this blog for free. Here’s how.
Start a forum.
Ajax is a brand-new suite of programming solutions. Two people independently created non-profit communities where they could post questions, offer expertise and find fellow travelers:
Ajax Camp
Ajaxian
This approach is fast, very inexpensive and pays huge dividends.
January 9, 2006
Dean Johnson wants you to see this chart of average US house size indexed against average US weight. Click on the image for the [big] version, and on Dean’s link for the details.
January 8, 2006
"Does this dress make me look fat?"
People lie to you every day. And it’s most likely your own fault.
"Hi, welcome to our store. Can I help you?"
"So, tell me, what problems does your company face?"
"Why didn’t your VC firm fund us?"
"Can you please blurb my book?"
"When do you think you will be ready to invest in this solution?"
"How am I doing?"
"So, when does the next budget cycle begin?"
"Do you like this product?"
"Would you recommend us to a friend?"
"Did you pack your own luggage?"
Every question represents a choice for the person you are asking. She can choose to take a risk and tell you truth, or she can dissemble, fib or outright lie, and save your feelings or avoid an awkward situation.
The way you ask the question, then, matters.
The easy answer to, "Can I help you?" is, "I’m just looking." On the other hand, the easy answer to, "Do you want to see what’s on sale?" is, "yes."
Most of the time, we ask questions hoping for lies. It’s easier that way.
But what if you really want to know? (and you should).
"What is the best thing about our product? The worst?"
"Now that you’ve read our business plan, if you could change one thing about it, what would it be?"
"Who’s the weakest person on our team, do you think?"
The thing is, once you get someone to tell you tell you the truth, you have no right to argue with them. Punishing someone for giving you honest feedback just guarantees that they’ll never do it again.
And when was the last time you persuaded someone they were wrong about their opinion?
January 7, 2006
Blake points us to: HeightMax, a product few need and one that almost certainly doesn’t work as advertised.
On the same day that it is announced that the American economy has crossed a line for the first time in 70 years. In 2005, Americans spent more than they earned.
Net savings rate: less than zero.
January 4, 2006
From Scott Hampton: unNotified Bodies – Stubborn Resistance to Change.
Sometimes I use this as an example when I’m at client sites. I tell them the moral of the story, too: "If you can’t change the little things in your methods, you’ll never change the big things. Pick something, make it better. Don’t worry if it is just a little thing. If you lather, rinse, and repeat that a few times, you will have made a big difference. BUT if you wait for everyone else to change BEFORE you will, remember that everyone else is thinking the same thing, and so nobody will change anything. Don’t wait for permission, or worry about doing something different, or invent reasons why you don’t have authority. Somebody has to make the first move. It might as well be you. Change your world, today."
If you aren’t doing anything different, how can you expect to accomplish anything different?
January 3, 2006
Radio is going through tumultuous times. This op ed gives you a glimpse of it: Radio Ink – The Voice of Radio Revolution.
I think it’s notable for the exasperation as well as the content. There are very few industries that can simultaneously change their tires at the same time they go 55 mph. The answer almost always seems to be independent action in the interest of the consumer, not tortured compromise that protects the current lineup of players.
