Rembrandt’s Blog

Last week, I was on a much-awaited, exclusive teleconference with a well-known and very successful business and marketing consultant. As the call began, the tips and ideas started flowing, and I feverishly took notes and tried to digest all of the information.

Everything was going really well, but then…things started to get ugly.

About half way through the call, the sound got weaker and weaker on my phone.

“What’s going on?!”

I decided to walk around to see if the signal got stronger in different locations. First, I went into the bathroom and closed the door. (How strange it was to be listening to a business call in the bathroom!)

But the sound level on the phone didn’t change so I went outside. Well, the leaf-blower person was out there blasting away so that didn’t work AT ALL.

I ran back into my office. Then, I put an ear plug in the ear that was not connected to the phone. That seemed to help a little, and I continued to listen to the call and take notes.

Problem solved… for now.

Then the big moment came when we could ask questions directly to the speaker.

Woo Hoo! I got through and was able to ask my question. The expert started giving me some excellent words of wisdom, and then… dial tone. My phone went dead!

Ugh! The receiver said, “Battery Low!”

What do you mean “Battery Low”? I just charged the phone for eight hours!

Anyway, it was time to move fast. I slammed the phone back on the charger and quickly picked up my cell phone. I dialed into the conference number. Phew! The call went through and so far, so good.

Then, the recorded voice asked me for my password, and I entered it.

“The password is unacceptable. Please try again.”

I tried again.

“The password is unacceptable. Please try again.”

I tried again.

“The password is unacceptable. Please hold for the operator.”

AHHHHH!

I then put my cell phone to the side and tried my landline phone again. And what do you know? I got through, and the expert speaker was still responding to my question – What luck!

Then, he finished, and said:

“Does that answer your question, Melanie?”

I started to say “thank you,” but he couldn’t hear me. He went on. “Melanie? Are you there? It looks like we lost Melanie. Well, that’s all the time we have. Thanks for joining the teleconference today.”

Ugh! I guess when I called back into the teleconference the second time, I wasn’t patched through to the non-mute function for people asking questions.

Oh well. My phone went dead again right as the speaker was saying goodbye anyway.

Fortunately, I was able to send a note to the teleconference organizers thanking the speaker for answering my question.

And the morale of the story is…

Get a good phone. (I had fun throwing my old one as hard as I could into the trash bin)

No. Well, that’s part of it. The real morale is that after screaming at my awful phone, I learned something from this. We all have “Lucy” moments (as in Lucille Ball in “I Love Lucy”), and I was able to laugh about it.

Do you laugh at your “Lucy” moments?

If not, it’s time to take things a little less seriously and enjoy life. And even if you can’t have a good laugh, think how great it will be to share your story with your significant other at the end of the day, at a party with friends, at the next conference with your peers… or on a blog like this!

With this in mind, do you have a good “Lucy” moment you’d like to share?

Please feel free to share it below or send me a note. After all, we could all use a good laugh and see that we’re not alone when it comes to dealing with all life throws at us.

Who knows, we may learn something about ourselves from your “Lucy” moment!

And if you have questions about boosting sales, awareness and credibility fast with publicity, SEO copywriting and marketing, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Times are tough right now, and the recent earthquake in Haiti really makes us stop and think about our blessings. With this in mind, have you thanked your customers, partners, associates, and media contacts lately?

If not, here are three simple ways to use this six-letter word to improve your relationships – and your business:

1. Just Say It.

Whenever you speak to someone related to your organization, make a special point to thank them for their business. Sometimes, we get so busy that we forget to say “THANKS.” It’s a simple word that can turn a person’s day around.

2. Send a Note.

While e-mail thank-you-notes are always nice, when was the last time you sent a handwritten thank-you to your favorite customer, employee, partner, or media member?

With today’s fast-paced technology, people appreciate receiving a special “thank you” just for them via snail mail. This little note can make a big impression and show that you really appreciate someone’s actions. And if you send a thank you to reporters after they cover you in a story, they will definitely remember you the next time they need a resource!

3. Take Action.

If a customer, vendor, associate, dry cleaner, postal carrier, or someone else does something nice for you, think about taking your “thank you” one step further. Send flowers, offer a special coupon, hand deliver a sweet treat to their door, or just stop by with a personal note of gratitude.

It may take a few extra minutes, but you’ll create a lasting and personal relationship with the people who can help you save time, money and effort in both your personal and business life.

Too Cranky to be Thankful?

It can be difficult to stay positive with all of the negative news out there. When you’re having a day like this, try to think of the top ten things you are thankful for and make a quick, mental list. It will change your attitude significantly.

Everyone likes to be acknowledged for a job well done… so with this in mind, take a few minutes to think about what you are thankful for, and say this six-letter word often to the people who help you. This simple action will help put you in a better frame of mind – and those around you too! And with this, I’d like to thank you for reading…

Do you need help boosting sales, Web site traffic and publicity? Please write to me here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. Thanks!

Over the holidays, I found myself having two, long layovers in Milwaukee’s airport and in need of a good meal. As I walked past several gates, I noticed a lot of people eating and drinking at an Italian restaurant/sports bar. Great! Finally, I’ll get to rest and stop my grumbling stomach.

Then, I opened the menu and was surprised to find some very strange items – at significantly high prices. They also offered their specialty -  pizza. But I just had that the night before so I ended up ordering a chicken and artichoke Panini – not the most filling meal, but I was not willing to pay $23.00 for a fish dinner in the airport terminal!

After leaving the restaurant, I noticed that there were two shops to walk up and buy snacks, pizza and yogurt. No wonder this sports bar/restaurant was busy and able to sell whatever they wanted at any price! It was the only game in town!

Unfortunately, on the way home, I had to stop at the same airport. But this time, I didn’t eat pizza knowing that would be my only choice at the airport. Well, needless to say, their “specialty” pizza was the worst I’ve ever had. It reminded me of cardboard with pieces of chewy rubber on it.

Well, this restaurant got my money, but I can tell you, MKE can do a lot more to build a better image for travelers. It’s a nice airport, but they really need another restaurant that better serves the needs of their hungry visitors. (If you have a restaurant that serves affordable, good-tasting meals for families, I suggest you approach the people at this airport and see if you can provide some competition.)

Pizza or Pizza?

Anyway, this got me thinking. What choices are you offering your customers?

If you provide several price-points for various services, you’ll be able to get new clients in the door (See Fred Gleeck’s books at http://www.fredgleeck.com/fred-gleeck-books.php for more information on this). Then, you can upsell them additional services according to their needs.

Now, it’s o.k. to offer high-end services, but be sure your customers are getting what they pay for and are happy with the results. Otherwise, you may have a blogger like me providing negative publicity. Or worse, your customers will end their contracts, ask for refunds and go to the competition!

Do you need help writing the copy on your Website to provide the right messaging and increase sales? If so, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help! Thanks.