Sales is more than just a numbers game...

Entrepreneurs’ Challenge: PhRMA Code prohibits promotional item distribution

If you are in the promotional items business, i.e., those who produce and sell items that are imprinted with company logos or slogans, what would you perceive to be the market impact when an industry trade group’s decision may prohibit your sale as part of a revised code of marketing ethics?

Recently (July 10, 2008), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) announced a newly revised PhRMA Code: “Revised Marketing Code Reinforces Commitment To Responsible Interactions With Healthcare Professionals”. In part, it states:

“Prohibits distribution of non-educational items (such as pens, mugs and other “reminder” objects typically adorned with a company or product logo) to healthcare providers and their staff.”

This decision has a cascading or trickle-down effect on the promotional items companies; their customers are being asked to voluntarily cease the practice of distributing these items in a promotional manner, or reinforcement of their brand “…to healthcare providers and their staff”. I would think this could have a significant impact on the promotional item business, and the industry-at-large. But, maybe not; PhRMA Code compliance is noted as voluntary, and it seems carefully worded to only include “healthcare providers and their staff“.

That’s the Entrepreneurs’ Challenge to you. How will you react to a development like this in your industry? What adjustments will you make in your business? Since compliance and adoption is voluntary, how much of an impact will this have on the business, or the industry-at-large? Will distribution continue under the guise of another premise or venue?

p.s. If you know of examples like this in other industries and markets, please offer them up as well.

Innovation – Wagner’s DeckMate with Deckmaster™ patented brush and pad system

During one of our Small Group meetings – as featured in the Small Group Wisdom series here in this blog – one of our members was talking about better ways to stain her deck. She was looking for a tool or innovation that would solve what she believed was a common problem; there must be an easier way of getting stain in the crevice or gap between the boards.

While looking for some new finishing ideas and tools for the infamous paint job – featured here in the blog and talking about the BEHR video on faux finishing - I caught a glimpse of Wagner’s DeckMate finishing tool with the Deckmaster™ patented brush and pad system.

What really got my attention was the small bristle brush that hung down from the pad like a daggerboard on a boat. There was an overlapping pad area on either side of the brush, so you can neatly overlap the adjacent boards and hit the cracks between the boards in one pass. It includes a 1/2 gallon tank for supplying stain or sealer with a flow control valve for proper application and coverage (suggested to be 175-250 sq. ft. per fill).

As the Summer wears on and the sun takes it toll on your deck, this may be the perfect solution for the refinishing job next Spring, or sooner. The DeckMate has a 53-inch telescoping pole to ease the strain on your back, too. Here are the specs and a handy purchase link for the DeckMate:

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Internal gravity feed
• 1/2 gallon tank
• 4-1/2" sturdy aluminum pole
• Variable flow control
• Wide mouth fluid cap
• Deckmaster pad system with brush for getting in to the cracks between the boards
• Deck groove guide
• Covers 175-250 sq. ft. per fill depending on wood texture
• Latex and oil-based stain/sealer compatible

Decisions with limited options still need deliberation

It was a dark and stormy night with rain pounding on the windshield. Since it was our wedding anniversary, we weren’t going to let this storm cancel our dinner plans. Looking forward to the evening out, the causal conversation was soon broken by a loud noise, and an abrupt, BAM!

You just know hitting a pothole at most any speed is not good news; had I seen it coming, I certainly would have steered clear of it. The tire alert did not go off, and I couldn’t feel any change in the car’s handling characteristics. As soon as I could, I pulled to the side of the road and took a look around. Everything seemed to be in good shape. Since it’s difficult to get under my car, I would have to wait until Monday to have the mechanic put it on the rack.

Looking things over, we didn’t see any obvious damage. But, some time later it surfaced in the form of a small bulge in the tire – which only showed up on the rack - and a now, more obvious bent rim. It’s the hidden and surprise problems that come back to bite you; I would be faced with a decision that would have limited options.

Since this pony has only four shoes – there is no spare at all in this car – I was forced to take some time to think it through. I saw three scenarios: 1) replace the rim with a new one, 2) replace it with a used one, or 3) see if it could be straightened. The tire would be a much easier outcome; it has road hazard insurance, so it would be replaced for a small fee. But, the rim decision needed to be made, first.

What to do about the rim? A new one would be very costly, need to be ordered, and would outshine the other three. A used rim would be half as much, look more like the other three, but have an uncertain past. Getting the rim straightened would carry the uncertainty of whether it could be done, and at what cost.

Normally I would consider this ‘easy’ on the scale of 1-10 for making decisions; in my mind, there were only three choices. Each carried a fairly obvious risk to reward ratio. But, what I found was that I put more thought and consideration into this than other similar situations. Why?

Where some may make a quick decision with such limited options, I chose the longer route. I found that other factors began to creep in; things like safety, performance, and durability. Calls, emails, and some more thought led me to deciding on straightening the rim at a recommended specialty shop.
 
So it is in business. We are often faced with what appears to be an easy decision with limited options. But, if we put a little more thought into it, would that still hold true? Acting too quickly brings about more mistakes and questionable decisions in business. When challenged, I find the response I get from others usually paints a picture of, “There were limited options, and all I had to do was just pick one.”

Has the speed of business and everyday lifestyles contributed to a false sense of urgency in decision-making? Is the ease of response through cell phones, email, and instant messaging a contributing factor? Do you give all decisions the same consideration, weighing (or seeking out) all the available facts?

The simple lesson for me in this event is not to rest with the notion that all is well after an experience that would normally dictate more attention. Just because I didn’t see any immediate damage, and the tire alert didn’t go off, didn’t mean that a problem wouldn’t surface later. And, when the problem does surface, take the approach to good decision-making by gathering all the facts surrounding each option, then reach out to others for their advice.

BEHR How-to paint video falls short of expectations during playback

The weekend brought about the larger painting projects. There are many brands and colors to choose from for interior painting, so once the color was selected the rest appeared to be smooth sailing from there. I must have wished success on our work too soon.

Once the painting project was completed, my wife suggested that adding a faux finish of some sort would add a special touch and appearance to the rooms. That brought on a whole new challenge of finishing choices like sponging, ragging, frottage and more.

Not having done this before, it was off to the Internet for some discovery and lessons. In the process, I found many useful utilities and tools on the Web sites of the paint manufacturers. But, wanting something more than a YouTube short video, I was attracted to the advertised BEHR videos on CD that were available at The Home Depot. As an aside, we chose another brand of paint for the base color.

Around $6.00 out-of-pocket, and I am headed for home with my new instructor. It’s a two (2) CD set with what appeared to be more than ample topics. I didn’t pay attention to the instructions on the back of the case (for playback) and put it in my home DVD player, fully expecting the TV screen to light up with a colorful menu and choices. What I got was an error message that the CD was not compatible with my DVD player. I should have looked at the system requirements, first; it’s computer playback, only.

I’m sure this works for many people; but, I found watching it on my laptop less than optimal for the intended purpose. I would have much preferred to see it play on a larger screen in the comfort of the den. Beyond the playback issue, the instruction was adequate. Here again, I had higher expectations. I didn’t find a significant difference in presentation on the BEHR CD than from some of the short clips I had viewed on YouTube.

After the finishing techniques, I had hoped to take advantage of the section on color selection. Truth be told, each time my wife asked me what I thought of the color choices she was showing, I would tense-up debating which answer to give her. In the CD, I was desperately seeking a mediator. I found that the individual manufacturer’s Web sites were more helpful than the video. So, again I was disappointed in the results.

I guess it boils down to the fact that I see this video from BEHR as an excellent marketing tool. But, when it moves to something I have to pay a nominal fee to watch – with so much being free today - then my expectation of quality and results rises significantly. I believe that accounts for my disappointment as much as the overall viewing experience. It was the letdown in shelling out the cash and feeling like I could have learned as much by simply spending more time on the Internet.

Of the two CD set, we watched four videos. That barely scratched the surface of what was shown in the menus. I am left wondering if they, and the rest of the consumer public, would have been served just as well, if not better, by making these free on their Web site.

In my mind, it would have the same marketing value-add, without the larger distribution costs to The Home Depot. Add the ease of updates and additional content delivered over the Web, and I see further gain for both BEHR and the consumer. BEHR does offer this over the Web with their video clips of BEHR Exterior Wood Care products. So is the driving force here to bring customers into The Home Depot?

What do you think? Does an experience like this change your purchase or brand preference in a manufacturer’s goods or services? What are your expectations for availability and viewing surrounding How-to videos? Should they be free on the Web, or purchased in a pre-packaged multi-CD set? As a manufacturer, how do you know where to draw the line between free and pay-to-view marketing materials?

Letter Writing – A sentence, a paragraph, and no more than a page

With all the digital communication tools at one’s fingertips these days, it would seem that letter writing is a lost art. The reality is that good letter writing skills are still important in business communications.

It’s not unusual for me to resort to sending a letter by regular postal mail. I even get some added satisfaction as I consider more carefully my choice of wording and structure than if I were sending an email. Signing the letter with pen in hand adds another touch to the experience.

Early in my business career – in those days, electric typewriters were considered high-tech – it was a time-consuming process to compose a quality letter. Fortunately I had some good coaching along the way. Here are two suggestions I still follow to this day.

The first is, “Say it in a sentence, say it in a paragraph, and say it in a page.” The idea was to keep each line short, and to the point. Sentences should be brief, and paragraphs should consist of as few sentences as possible to make the point. Lastly, the letter should never be more than a page. This guideline has proven useful beyond just letter writing. A good Press Release can be composed in 400 words, or less. That’s usually less than a page with a reasonable font size.

While I am on the topic of page size, one of my current ‘hot buttons’ is the ease of variable font sizes in a letter. 10 pt. font is a good all-around size for a letter; using something less to squeeze more words per page is self-defeating if the reader has to struggle just to read it. Jumping up to 12 pt. font in an effort to fill a page, and make it look like more content, is not much better. Stick with easier read font styles, too; I find Arial my font of choice.

The other good advice I learned early on was to outline the key points of the message before composition. Although computers make this a breeze, it’s sometimes just as easy to scribble some notes on paper. Add some time for reflection and you will probably spend less time in the actual writing or composition of the letter.

Speaking of reflection, I believe that the setting in which you write the letter, or compose your work, can help set the tone. When I want to write a more personal letter, retreating to a peaceful surrounding is helpful; here’s where wireless access on the deck - early in the morning or before the sun sets – pays off handsomely for me. But, if it’s ‘all business’, I find I can really crank it out in the confines of my office.

There is much to be said for brevity in this exercise. But, it doesn’t call for the shortcuts learned from instant messaging or email. I would encourage you to take a few minutes to consider your own communications needs. Are you spending adequate time in preparation before you compose? How many rewrites before you consider it a quality piece; or is it more like, running with your first draft? Does your sense of urgency to get something out interfere with the quality of your work? If you have some additional advice on effective letter writing, please share it with the rest of us.

p.s. I applaud those of you who send hand-written notes as a “Thank You”. I wish my handwriting were such that others could easily read it. When I send these, I have to resort to printing if the recipient has any hope of reading it. When was the last time you sent a hand-written Thank You to a customer or business associate?

BuilderLink™ puts material control and inventory into the hands of the building contractor

Much has been written about the creative and innovative talent of today’s CIOs. For some, their in-house work can turn into a commercialized application for sale to others. So it is with BuilderLink™; the exception here is that the driving force behind this launch was a seasoned lumberyard manager with a penchant for computer systems and software.

What began years ago as an in-house ‘green screen’ software application called M2L – short for “Modem to Load ‘em” – has evolved into a more robust, browser-based commercial application called BuilderLink™. Having been familiar with the initial launch of its predecessor, M2L, I welcomed the invitation to experience a new-user training session, and the offer to feature a product review here in the blog.

Some History

M2L offered a simple, character-based means for building contractors, architects, and other commercial builders to access the inventory at a local wholesale lumber and building materials dealer, Truitt & White Lumber Company (Berkeley, CA). Early PC and Mac users could use their modem to login to the Truitt & White Lumber database and perform a lookup of items and pricing. They could even build an order, and in most cases, fax it in for shipment or pickup, thus bypassing the traditional phone inquiries, or visits.

With the early success of M2L, Mark Pearsall, General Manager of Truitt & White Lumber, recognized that the underlying architecture of their custom in-house systems could help other wholesale building materials dealers. The sale and support of these systems and software would necessitate a spin-off company. Soon thereafter, Softwood, Inc. enters the picture with Mark assuming a dual-role with Truitt & White and Softwood, Inc.

"Having been a lumber dealer for decades, I kept my ears and eyes open to changes that have been happening in our industry," says Pearsall, a lumberyard manager for twenty years "The new generation of builders and contractors want immediate, accurate information at their fingertips whether they’re on the job site or at home in their living room.” With the growing interest in Internet applications, Softwood embarked on a migration path to take M2L into a browser-based application and additional functionality. Renamed BuilderLink™, the new graphical interface simplified use and added an opportunity to incorporate pictures and graphics into the otherwise plain-vanilla text, previously available in M2L.

Fast Forward to Today

In addition to the new graphical interface and platform independent nature of BuilderLink™, additional features and functionality have been incorporated from the user community wish list. Contractors can now build an “assembly”, or an “estimate”, as well as export their work into other business software applications like Sage Master Builder. The previous inventory lookup mnemonics have been replaced with a combination pull-down and free-form text search box. Many of the products incorporate additional material detail, pictures and graphics, with some incorporating hyperlinks to the manufacturer’s Web site.

Building an assembly in BuilderLink™ is a simple, yet powerful feature of the software application. Here a builder or architect can assemble common materials into a named “Assembly” and save it for later use. It can be modified over time, or adjusted for individual jobs or estimates. A good example of this would be a common deck project on a home. Various assemblies would make up the average job and individual projects could be adjusted accordingly.

Blockbuster and Bear Rock Cafe; Out – Apple and Bruegger’s; In

Is poor customer service an early indicator of impending doom for a company? When it comes to Blockbuster, I am beginning to think so. Over the last couple of months, I wonder how long Blockbuster will remain in business. A recent experience at Bear Rock Cafe could cast a similar level of doubt in my mind.

I frequent the local Blockbuster in my neighborhood for a larger and more spontaneous selection of movies. But, if a movie is available as pay per view on my local cable provider, I will gladly save the extra $1.00 in rental fees, lost time, and gas. Where I used to enjoy the cheerful ‘hello’ from employees as I entered the store, I now experience a less enthusiastic welcome. As customers stack up in the queue waiting to be served, employees can be found playing the game "Guitar Hero" in a demo area.

When they recently charged me $0.99 as an overdue fee – I missed the deadline by hours - I decided they have completely lost touch with the customer; even the local library cuts you slack on fees. Somewhere along the line I missed the part about no more Rewards Card for you; they used to give me 7 days past due, free. I think it’s only a matter of time, and they’ll be history (closing two stores near me is another good indicator). BTW – Redbox, if you happen to be listening, I know a couple of good locations for you – maybe that’s why it looks like Redbox will be filing for an IPO in the near future.

On to Bear Rock Cafe. Readers and subscribers of this blog may recall that Bear Rock Cafe has been featured as the “Entrepreneur’s Conference Room” in the on-going series, “Small Group Wisdom”. Well, it was that time again for the group to go to the conference room. The only problem was, the conference room lost sight of the objective. We thought they opened at 7 a.m.; we discovered it was 7:30 a.m. – you would think the hours of operation would be on the Web site; not. This seems rather late to me for a coffee and muffin experience. Oh, well; let’s wait outside for 30 minutes. Upon entering, no coffee was brewing; in most restaurants, you bring staff in early to be ready for opening. The server told us it would be ready in 5 minutes. Ten minutes later, after calling out for someone – they were in the back someplace – we discovered it still was not ready, and the plastic wrap remained as a tent over the pastries. Sorry, I couldn’t take it anymore, and we headed off to another conference room; there’s a Bruegger’s not far from here.

I am beginning to think that we have reached a point in customer service where those who do it well surprise us. In reading Greg Hopper’s recent experiences reflected in his blog - Time Warner Cable vs. that of Apple - I share his sentiment about Apple. I had a delightful telephone order experience with the Apple Store. Unlike those who answer with, “If you would only go online, you could …”, the Apple customer service rep was more than happy to answer questions and place my order. Why the phone? Well, it’s easier for me to multitask; I am accustomed to being ‘on-hold’, so I plan to type on my computer in the background. With Apple, it backfired; they got my full and undivided attention – good sign of excellent customer service.

How about the Bruegger’s folks? As we bounded through the door, looking left and right for a line, we headed straight for the cashier. Efficient service eliminates wait; there was no line. She was more than happy to take our order, and we were able to get right to work. Looks like we have moved to new digs when it comes to calling for a meeting.

So, I am left wondering, “Why doesn’t a company, or their employees, understand the importance of good customer service?” It seems so obvious to me. From the company perspective, there’s plenty of competition to keep all of us on our toes. From the employees’ perspective, it only seems natural that they would want to treat customers, as they would like to be treated by others.

p.s. I would encourage you to read Greg’s Time Warner Cable experience; it’s priceless. Not just from the perspective of we’ve all been there at some point, but look at the company response; think of all the companies that have multiple lines of business. Is this any reason for poor service?

Post-it® Notes go digital, and onto your desktop

The local coffee shop can be an ideal gathering place for the discussion of business ideas and endeavors. When a former co-worker and I started our respective companies, around the same time, we would get together at least once a month to commiserate and compare both success and failure.

I would normally arrive before our agreed upon time, and he was often late. It got better over time, but that was his style long before this. When we worked together, you would often find him spinning through the doorway with a cloud of dust settling behind him. He was a guy that seemed dialed-in to the redline, pushing his engine to the limits; I often wondered if he was responsible for the static electricity in the room.

Where some of us quickly gravitated to the organizational tools in software like Microsoft Office, he was the Post-it® king. They were everywhere. I have no idea how many pads he went through over the years; if there were frequent flyer miles for each one used, he would have been able to take trips around the world on his awards.

Moving forward in time and back to the beginning of this story, he hadn’t lost his style at the coffee shop; bouncing through the door – thank goodness they have limits on the travel at the doorframe – he would sit down in a whirling motion. Sure enough, sprinkled across some papers and notes, there was his ample selection of Post-it® Notes. As I would open up my traditional daily organizer, with neat index tabs and note sheets, he would begin laying down the Post-it® Notes like a dealer working the tables at a casino in Las Vegas. It was a bit like playing Jeopardy as we would compare notes and stories.

 

Recently my daughter brought her ailing laptop to me to see what I could do to bring it back to health. She is a very organized and thorough person making use of anything that would come under the heading of “Organizer”. As I worked through the machine’s hiccups, every reboot would bring a ‘bell’ sound from her Post-it® Digital Notes. I had never seen these before. She loves them, and uses them sparingly enough across the desktop so she can still enjoy her scenic wallpaper. 

I quickly thought back to my Post-it® Notes-heavy business associate and former co-worker. What would his desktop have looked like had he used the Post-it® Digital Notes? No matter. The idea of Post-it®  Digital Notes as a useful business tool has begun to set-in with me. I haven’t quite sorted it out as to how I would put them to use. You can use them in a variety of ways and “make lists and reminders, key-code them with colors and photos, sort them by category, and set alarms to remind yourself of projects and appointments.”

She is keen on Microsoft’s OneNote capability in Office 2007, too (whose user interface is too much ‘eye-candy’ for me). How about you? What digital tools and information technology do you use to better organize and manage your personal and business lifestyle?

Flexing sales numbers is one way to sidestep the question

As the AIM message hit my desktop, I knew I would answer, “No, I haven’t gotten to it, yet.” The question was related to whether I had read the latest “All Things Digital” in Monday’s (June 9th), The Wall Street Journal. It was in reference to the interview with Jeffrey Bezos of Amazon.com Inc.

Having put this section aside to read as short stories, I had read the article on Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Interesting history and I enjoyed the forthright discussion on passing the baton of leadership from Gates to Ballmer. But, I can’t buy into the notion that using XP is a “downgrade” in the choice of operating systems over Vista (“Is Vista a Failure?”).

Encouraged by the instant message to read the article on Bezos, I picked up The Journal Report expecting to read something visionary or as yet undiscovered in their business model, Amazon.com the company, or Bezos himself. Sorry, unless I missed something, most of it was old news to me. But, what did catch my attention was the discussion of sales results surrounding the Kindle.

When asked how many of the Kindles were sold, Bezos declined to answer the question directly. However, he did respond with “a new stat” to demonstrate the trend. According to the article, he stated that there are “125,000 book titles available for Kindle” and when compared to the “physical book sales of those same titles (at Amazon.com), the Kindle sales are now more than 6% of those total sales.”

So, what does that 6% mean? I assume he is talking about sales revenue. Or, is it the number of units sold, i.e., volume of books? Either way, without knowing how much of the “physical book sales of the same titles” was sold, in the same period, I am at a loss for what that 6% represents in revenue to the business. Assuming the average Kindle user buys multiple titles, that doesn’t tell me much about the installed base of Kindle users. You could probably go on from here with other like questions in search of the answer. I left with a shrug and moved on to the next article on Yahoo – which seemed like another numbers dance.

When it comes to sales forecasts and looking at projections, it’s usually not long before you hear me utter, “Anyone can hide under a 90-day forecast.” I don’t see where it is to anyone’s benefit to twist numbers into something believable in an attempt to make it look good. It usually comes to the surface sooner or later. Another favorite phrase of mine, “Bad news doesn’t get better with time.” – it’s normally expressed by me when talking about Public Relations (PR) – seems to hold true when it comes to projecting sales results that are going to fall short of the goal.

I won’t pretend that I haven’t been a party to this activity myself. As a salesperson, sales manager, and sales executive, I was always optimistic that we could hit the numbers. And, when the clock began to count down to the looming Forecast deadline, I would scramble to find some reassurance that the numbers would support my optimism, or at least build confidence in others. Nothing beats ‘positive spin’ when a bit of ‘need to feel-good’ is in order.

Now older, and hopefully a tad wiser, I take a more pragmatic approach to Sales Forecasts. I use the same posture as when my children were growing up and it was report card time at school. They would hear me say, “Just give me the news. I don’t care whether it’s good news or bad news, just give me the news.” As adults, they laugh about it now. But, they still hear it on occasion when they ask my advice that seems begging a response of, “What ‘really’ happened?”

I’m not attempting to dispute any of the aforementioned numbers, or question how/why they were presented; quite frankly, I think the Kindle, Amazon's new wireless reading device, is a good idea. See this as a plea to encourage all sales professionals to adopt the posture of solid sales forecast reporting. You owe it to yourself, your boss, and your company.

White Noise in computing: Change channels, mute, or turn it off?

I finally reached the breaking point last week. How many times can I press “Send Report” in Internet Explorer 7 and expect different results? After a couple of times, I opted to use Safari for Windows instead – the problem went away, but I had to change gears in thinking when it came to shortcuts and multiple “tabs”.

This is a good example of what I call the “white noise” of daily computing. It cancels out the otherwise practical logic I might apply to troubleshooting situations, i.e., my tolerance for this seems higher than it might be under different circumstances.

I am finding that my way in dealing with this constant banter is to follow one of three paths: Change the channel and use something else, Mute it and remove the distraction, or Turn it off completely. Let me give you some recent examples.

Change the channel – The move from IE7 to Safari is a good example. I didn’t like what I was hearing so I changed the channel and the noise went away.

Mute – AIM, Skype, Outlook, or any other messaging program fits this nicely. You can use your Away message, or an Out of Office message to attempt to mute the disturbance of inbound communication.

Turn it off – Although the obvious choice, I see more folks who routinely “Exit” some level of social networking or instant messaging applications even though they are at their desk, or computer. It’s their way of getting away from it all and seeking some peace and quiet. The same strategy can apply to cell phones and pagers.

But, all is not well with my three choices of dealing with the noise on the channel. Where the squelch button can help, it can also backfire. Using the above examples, here are just a few of the squeals I heard in the past week.

We were using a GoToMeeting (GTM) webinar to show some technical issues across three remote locations. The concept was to record the session for later playback to be sure we caught any of the issues that may surface. Using the GTM conference call utility, the assumption was made that the audio was being recorded along with the video – we all know about ‘assume’ and breaking it down into the mule it made of all of us. Only one side of the conversation was being recorded, i.e., the host, only. No other audio was heard. It turns out you need to use a microphone and speakerphone to capture all callers – whoops, missed that one.

In another case, the move from IE7 to Safari produced great results until we attempted to use an online service for graphics creation and multimedia distribution. When we went to the normal ‘Preview’ (button), we were given an error message that said the online application only supports Internet Explorer and Firefox. The message told us to close out this browser session and use one of the supported browsers. Bummer!

How about Skype? Perfect plan for being away from a group meeting, yet be able to participate in some fashion. Since I was going to miss one of the Small Group Wisdom sessions while being out of town, Greg was willing to use the local community connection to ‘dial me in’. As the meeting start time progressed, he was quick to ‘text me’ on my cell phone to say they were having connectivity problems. Taking it a step further, he kept me updated via SMS on some of the Q&A. Once the network came up, I felt like I hadn’t missed too much of the meeting.

How are you dealing with the white noise of your computing or communication platform? Do you have some stories or suggestions to offer the rest of us?

p.s. I ask but one small consideration; let’s not turn this into a Windows vs. Mac discussion.