Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Help Needed with New Item
I have been thinking for quite some time that I should make laptop sleeves and totes. What I decided today was to make and sell them in sets. Since laptops come in all sizes now, I had no idea how big I should make them. Enter my Twitter friends! Thanks to their help and advice I have decided to make sets for iPads (since it was suggested they need a harder cover to protect the screen), a size for 10"-13" laptops and a size for 14"-17" laptops. Now, here's where it gets fun! What I need is exact measurements of the different sized laptops. I have a 17" laptop, so mine actually measures 15 1/2" wide x 11" high when closed. So, the favor I need is for you to measure your laptop (when closed) and let me know the measurements :) And if you also have any suggestions for options, etc for the sleeves and covers (such as pockets--make it padded, etc) please feel more than free to let me know! I want these to stand out from all the rest so anything you may add or suggest to make mine different will be very welcome advice! And who knows--maybe I'll just give one of these away :)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
What To Do?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar
No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey
He handed me a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'
Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal,Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed me another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' Harvey asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?' Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'' 'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers weren't friendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you.....The ball is in our hands!
He handed me a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' I said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'
Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal,Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed me another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' Harvey asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?' Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'' 'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers weren't friendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you.....The ball is in our hands!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Losing Confidence
It hit me today: I'm totally losing confidence in my creative ability. Just when I think I've come up with something original that would be a best seller, it doesn't seem to happen. I may sell four or five of my great ideas, but that's all. I'm not sure what the problem may be. Is it the fabrics I'm using? My workmanship? Pricing? The economy? What? I receive a lot of compliments on my new creations, but no sales.
And sometimes, I see another seller with a similar item that may or may not be up to par with mine, but they seem to be doing quite well at selling. I'll also admit that it irritates me a bit when I see they're selling them at a higher price. I've tried raising my prices, lowering my prices...nothing I do seems to matter. I'm just not sure what I will have to do to boost my sales. Is there something about my products that needs changing? Do my prices need adjusted? Please, if any other sellers, or buyers, out there have any tips or ideas, I would really love to hear them and would greatly appreciate any feedback you may have. Of course, if anyone even reads this blog and decides to respond to it that is. I seem to have a problem with getting responses also, so I'll just wait and see.
Ho hum.
And sometimes, I see another seller with a similar item that may or may not be up to par with mine, but they seem to be doing quite well at selling. I'll also admit that it irritates me a bit when I see they're selling them at a higher price. I've tried raising my prices, lowering my prices...nothing I do seems to matter. I'm just not sure what I will have to do to boost my sales. Is there something about my products that needs changing? Do my prices need adjusted? Please, if any other sellers, or buyers, out there have any tips or ideas, I would really love to hear them and would greatly appreciate any feedback you may have. Of course, if anyone even reads this blog and decides to respond to it that is. I seem to have a problem with getting responses also, so I'll just wait and see.
Ho hum.
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