Sales is more than just a numbers game...

Kids 4 the Planet - a new Indiegogo project from PeopleTowels

Mary Wallace, the Co-Founder of PeopleTowels, thinks one of the best ways to plant the seeds of sustainability and a lasting good habit with a younger generation is their new Indiegogo project: Kids 4 the Planet.

PeopleTowels is introducing kids to the idea of using personal hand towels rather than paper towels. They plan to give away thousands of FREE PeopleTowels along with an interactive lesson plan on the critical role that trees play in our eco-system. Children will also learn what other countries and their cultures are doing to help develop sustainable habits and practices.

What can you do to help them with their Kids 4 the Planet project? The simple answer is to support their project on Indiegogo. Then, put your foot down on the social media throttle and get the word out on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter with some good old-fashioned GTWO communication to friends, family, and business associates. 

p.s. If you have some media contacts at the ready, encourage them to put some coverage toward the emerging “Kids 4 the Planet national art contest ” (fall of 2012 for kids ages 8-18).

Update for Tow-N-Stow: Arnie Wolfe, CEO of DCN, responds to customer and dealer complaints

Our official comment:

I, Arnie Wolfe, CEO of DCN, am the inventor and lead designer for the project Tow-N-Stow. I am extremely sorry for the lack of action taken by our former product licensee who is responsible for producing our product with so many problems and for failing to resolve the many end user customer and dealer complaints.

Our product was licensed for manufacturer to Lippert Components Inc (LCI) in Goshen Indiana, and who were to be co-developers of a final, marketable product. We report that Lippert Components failed to manufacture the product according to our specifications or to follow DCN's improvement recommendations. LCI's management and engineering team largely ignored almost all of our mandated list of improvements (that proved to be critical for this consumer product) in favor pushing them out the door for sales. True to DCN's prediction, many problems were soon reported and sales soon dropped like a rock. LCI response was to exercise to terminate their licensing agreement despite our best efforts to convince them to fix the issues and repair the damaged customer relationships. Unfortunately for all past Tow-N-Stow buyers, LCI is no longer providing warranty or spare parts in their efforts to abandon the product.
 

Benefit Concert ‘comfort set’ – imprinted ear plugs from Brand Fuel

Danny Rosin is a very outgoing and sociable kind of guy. For those familiar with Band Together, whose “mission is to raise funds and awareness for select charities through events that showcase and support musical talent.”, you are likely to find him active within the organization as President and Co-founder. It goes without saying, he loves music, too.

So when I wanted to know how you pull off a Benefit Concert for a nonprofit fundraiser, I turned to Danny for some sage advice. My thought was to combine a concert, drinks, and possibly a silent auction as an all-in-one event.

There is little question I asked the right guy. He not only offered up his own experience, but made some suggestions as to how to make this work best. In the process, we talked about the difficulty in talking/networking in the presence of a concert – the bands could possibly drown out the conversation.

As the band members are likely wearing ear protection, the audience is probably not. We want to take advantage of the full effect of the music; a kind of ‘turn the volume up’ atmosphere. But, that may not be wise for all.

That’s where the ‘comfort set’ for Benefit Concerts comes in. Whereas the larger concerts and tours have big corporate sponsors, with giant billboards, what can the smaller venue look for in rewarding their hosts? Why not offer imprinted ear plugs?

Just think of all those people walking around with your giveaway in their ears; we’re talking eye level branding, folks. And, this is not a one-use item that gets tossed. They are likely to take it home and use it around the yard while mowing the lawn.

Okay, so maybe that’s a stretch, but I can attest to the fact that I have plenty of sets from numerous seat miles on airplanes, courtesy of the airline – I know what you’re thinking, they charge for those, now. See? I was right after all; you probably will find another use for the imprinted ear plugs.

Where can you get them? Well, Danny is also the co-founder of Brand Fuel, one of the top-ranked promotional products companies in the nation. Who better to sell you the right Benefit Concert comfort set than a guy who knows concerts, and printed promotional products. Follow the links here to his company, and learn more about Band Together at one of their upcoming events.

p.s. Danny also did a book review for us, “Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time”

Book Review - Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time

Competitive Selling: Out-Plan, Out-Think, and Out-Sell to Win Every Time
by Landy Chase, founder of Landy Chase Incorporated

A book review by Danny Rosin

Out-plan. Out-think. Out-sell. Powerful words are emblazoned on Landy Chase’s book, “Competitive Selling.” With a title like that, how could a salesperson not feel compelled to at least read a few pages? I did, and having put what he preaches into action, we are winning more deals, albeit learning some hard lessons along the way.

Want to learn the tricks of how to beat your competition and retain crucial margin integrity? In what truly is a new business climate, selling styles must adapt to the market’s condition. In fact, selling right now is downright hard! It takes a lot more thought and strategy. It takes networking skills, vision, and patience.

In our office, we have a saying, “Prepare and Prevent rather than Repair and Repent.” This is easy when said aloud but to make this mantra actionable, it takes a plan. Chase’s book will help you with a time-tested plan; his easy to understand AND executable step-by-step process truly should help you close more business. Beyond that, you get to look like a pro and act like a predator along the way.  

So, what is it that is in his secret sauce? Without giving too much away, here are a few bright-line takeaways that are helping my company:

a. Identify key players/inner circle, conduct needs analysis and access the person who controls decisions,
b. Be able to persuasively demonstrate what you have in terms of value,
c. Drive the meeting with effective/enjoyable presentations and agendas,
d. Research the hell out of your prospect and ask really good questions and let them elaborate,
e. Recognize and address the “games people play” in bid situations,
f. Do not proceed with a proposal until you are able to meet with everyone, 1:1, who has a vested interest in the outcome, and
g. Do not build a proposal around the given budget. Build a solution around the needs of the customer. Give two proposals – one with budget and one based on needs of the client.

Along these lines, RFPs (Request for Proposals) are a sales activity that can offer exciting business potential because it may reward you with significant new business generation. However, they often act as the biggest ‘resource suck’ in your company. Spending time and energy on an RFP often ends up as a letdown, because you did not do your homework in advance of the RFP and failed to offer a solid proposal to the customer. Often risky, most organizations abhor them despite the fact that RFPs are the gatekeepers to winning the bigger deals for your company.

The book comes with some suggestions that are a bit too cheesy for my taste, like the personal bio sheet with mug shot and list of credentials – I see that as a possible turn-off for some decision makers. But overall, Chase identifies and understands the host of personalities involved in a decision-making process, and he shows you best the approach for each. 

My recommendation to you, after reading Chase’s book, is to make the necessary changes in your plan to garner new business, so your company can be high-fiving rather than passing around the Kleenex(R).

Danny Rosin is the President of Brand Fuel, a full-service promotional products agency that helps its clients elevate their brand. Brand Fuel is consecutively listed in the Top 100 Promotional Agencies (out of 26,000), and is also recognized in the top 2% of the industry in revenues. Rosin's responsibilities include managing sales and marketing, employee recruitment, and providing tactical counsel to clients.

Outside of Brand Fuel, Rosin is President and co-founder of Band Together, a 100% volunteer organization that raises funds and awareness for local charities through live concert events.

How you can start your own, Take your PeopleTowels to Work Day

There are all kinds of celebrations and events with a name like “Take your [insert your own] to Work Day”. My recollection – which I will gladly admit may be at risk - is the first such day was “Take your Daughter to Work Day”. This effort has evolved into a number of lookalike events; there are probably enough of these now that you could/should bring someone or something to work each week.

What I can say with confidence, there is only one PeopleTowels. As a People4PeopleTowels’ Ambassador, you now have the opportunity to start a new work day celebration and help the environment, too.

People4PeopleTowels’ Ambassadors are “… preventing deforestation, decreasing waste and reducing pollution with their friends and families.  It is estimated that each person who switches from paper towels to PeopleTowels will save 1/4 of a tree, reduce landfill waste by 23 pounds and conserve 250 gallons of water in just one year.”

You may recall the post I wrote on PeopleTowels as a great Holiday gift idea for 2009: “Innovation: Forget about a Homer Hanky, ask for a PeopleTowels this Holiday Season”. Regular readers and subscribers also know how much I enjoy reading about, or having the opportunity to interview, small business owners and entrepreneurs. Anita Crook’s story reflected in “Innovation: Pouchee – Clever Christmas gift with inspiring back-story” shortly thereafter struck me the same way. These are women business owners and entrepreneurs, who want to make a difference in the world with their clever ideas and entrepreneurial spirit.

Linda Lannon, and co-founder Mary Wallace, of PeopleTowels knew that Word of Mouth Marketing (WOM) was going to be crucial to their early success. They have enjoyed the fruits of viral marketing in a number of ways, but especially in their ability to get people who use their product to tell others (of their satisfaction). Recognizing this valuable consumer was an ambassador for their product, they recently launched the People4PeopleTowels’ Ambassadors Program to offer a reward for both the ambassador and their friends and acquaintances.

It’s simple and straightforward - Ambassadors are automatically enrolled in the PeopleTowels’ Rewards’ Program, after a registration process. In turn, they earn points towards PeopleTowels’ products, special discounts, and cash rewards, as they recommend it to others. Offering a friend a purchase code, the Ambassador earns points for every order placed by their friends and family on the PeopleTowels’ website, and the friend becomes eligible for a limited time discount on their purchase. You can see what happens next; the friend becomes a People4PeopleTowels’ Ambassador, and ‘the beat goes on’.

To enroll and begin your celebration of, Take your PeopleTowels to Work Day – for the record, I made this up, there really isn’t such a work day (yet! Hey, Mary and Linda, I may be onto something here) – follow this link to the registration form and you’ll soon see your location on the People4PeopleTowels’ Ambassadors’ map on their website.

Law enforcement says "No" to texting -- GM and OnStar say "Yes" to Facebook?

A favorite phrase of mine, that I am often known to utter, seems to fit here; “Help me understand this.” We’re not supposed to text while driving, and many believe that even hands-free conversation on a cell phone is a risk – something about distraction and multitasking don’t mix well with driving. There are a few insurance company television commercials trying to point that out, too. That said, check out this recent news release:

[15-Sep-2010 – General Motors Global] With over 500 million members, social media networks like Facebook have become a part of daily life. To meet society's growing desire to be connected at all times, "OnStar is: unveiling a new social media interactive program for the car." The OnStar Facebook application will enable drivers to verbally dictate a message to update their status. With only a push of a button, the service will also allow subscribers to listen to their most recent news feeds. Other new technologies will include voice-based texting, which allows customers to send and receive texts using Bluetooth. In addition to the introduction of innovative car apps, the company is improving on its tried and true services like Automatic Crash Response. The latest version is being enhanced with a new service called First Assist which provides important life-saving instructions to occupants until first responders arrive.

Really, how important is it to update your Facebook status from within your car? Taking it one step further, I can only imagine some of the "voice-based texting" I might see from drivers who are recording the message as someone cuts them off in traffic -- I don't recall if those words are in my T9 predictive text.

If you are a BMW driver who wants to experience "Joy is BMW", or you are one who appreciates the handling of your brand of driving machine, I think you will be a little too busy to do the social media thing.  What do you think?

Would you please ShareThis

I have a t-shirt with a picture of a well-known milk chocolate candy bar on the front and a caption below that reads, “Sharing is overrated.” I get my fair share of chuckles and comments when I wear it; sadly, it’s beginning to show its age, just like me.

When it comes to the Internet and Social Media, some may think that sharing is overrated, too. But for those who do share, companies are eager to learn why, and with whom. Today’s The Wall Street Journal carried an article titled “Sites in Like, Not Love, With Facebook Link”. Buried in the copy was some background information about ShareThis, a company that helps publishers share content and websites between users and subscribers, which translates into a growing community of influencers.  It’s as simple as sharing what you like with others in hopes that they, too, will find it useful and interesting. Influencers drive more (in ShareThis terms) “traffic, engagement or monetization”.

In our own case here, the insight gained from the ShareThis reports, along with other analytics and reporting, helps me better understand what posts or categories you find most interesting, and what you are willing to share with others. The ShareThis button you find at the end of every post is a convenient way for you to pass along that post’s information, ideas, product information, or opinions, which I hope encourages others to read or subscribe to our blog.

When it comes to the content I put before you, “Would you please ShareThis”.

If the rest are smart phones, what's mine--dumb?

The news release hits my desktop with “Verizon Wireless' Samsung Haven: A Sanctuary Of Features And Simplicity” I react with “Yessss!” That’s how I see my older Samsung HUE II, “A Sanctuary Of Features And Simplicity.” 

No reception problems to speak of no matter which way I hold the phone. Native, bare bones case means no rubber sleeve to contend with, and with no apps on the phone – other than the stock Celltop choices – I don’t put money into a data plan. I use the camera sparingly, so I can appreciate the idea that you could have a phone without one. Text messaging?  I would not want to be without that; it seems Samsung and Verizon thought to enable it on this little charmer.

Price? They hit that on the mark – easy affordability. And how about the easy-to-read display? For those of a more youthful age who may be chuckling at this point, just wait until you get your first pair of bifocals; you will welcome big numbers on a phone when you can’t find your glasses. Also they describe the keypad as a “Large, Tactile Keypad with One-Touch Access Keys”.

But what really got my attention from this announcement was not the new Samsung phone. It was more about the drawbacks of maybe we expect too much from a phone in the first place.

Not long ago, US car manufacturers were accused of taking potshots at Toyota’s problems in their advertisements.  Besides the media jumping on the iPhone 4’s recent troubles with the term “death grip”, today's  The Wall Street Journal ran a full-page Motorola ad titled, “No Jacket Required” – the ad is for the new DROID X™.

Further on in the ad copy – truth be told I was laughing at this point – it reads, “…a customer shouldn’t have to dress up their phone for it to work properly.” and it goes on to say, “…allows you to hold the phone any way you like to make crystal clear calls without a bulky phone jacket.” For those of you about to defend your recent iPhone purchase – how’s that online purchase and reservation thing working out for ya – surely we can agree this is a clever ad.

Back to Samsung. Whereas Consumer Reports told folks they may want to take a pass on the iPhone 4, the Samsung Haven earned the prestigious Good Housekeeping Seal. Where other phones may have more sophisticated apps, the Samsung Haven bundles a couple of simple and useful applications, calling them “Lifestyle features”:

• Well-Being and Health Tools – A reminder alarm with up to five alarms, a fitness trainer that offers 15 unique stretching techniques, four different healing music selections to help relieve stress, and a medical information application that lets users make medical notes and stores their information such as allergies and medications
• Personal Organizer and Tools – Calendar and scheduling assistant, calculator with currency converter, world clock, and stop watch

I imagine your reaction right now is, “Hello, Baby Boomers!” Maybe. But, not a bad market to chase, and with a smart (phone) approach to a market segment, too. It’s not all about features and functionality in wireless apps – the recent Citigroup security flaws on their iPhone app come to mind. Sometimes simplicity offers greater peace of mind; or as Samsung says, “A Sanctuary”.

Product Review: Trailer hitches are not exactly rocket science. Or are they?

After our review of the Tow-N-Stow™ trailer, Greg Hopper, VP, Marketing and Product Development, Williams Innovations, LLC, extended an invitation to me to visit their Corporate Office & Technology Center in Durham, NC. At this research and development facility, Greg gave me a walking tour of how theTeleSwivel™ hitch became “the fastest, easiest, and safest way to connect a trailer”; he also put together a hands-on demo of their full line of products for military applications.

No sooner had I left my car, the folks at Williams went right to work with a demo trailer of military hitches and landing leg products. The hitch and landing leg combination work like an Erector set, running in high gear. It was like watching a Monster Truck competition – big, powerful, a few bumps and grinds, and fast-moving machinery running a rugged course. Watching their videos made me think about the need for speed and safety when serving in harm’s way.

The trailer stability and support technology of the TeleSwivel™ hitch all work in concert with each other; it reduces the strain of aligning heavy equipment, helps minimize potential injury to the operator(s), and speeds the transfer of trailers from resting state to mobility; release is just as fast and efficient as the hookup. Fewer operators are required to perform the work, and the amount of lift and release is greatly reduced in the task at hand. You can see safety as paramount in the entire operation; both in design, and in the use of the product.

It’s from this foundation of strength, safety, and design that the TeleSwivel™ for consumers and commercial businesses came to be. An evolutionary step of sorts, Williams discovered the same time-consuming task of lining up the vehicle with the trailer existed for businesses and consumers, too. It would be a matter of downsizing the heft of the military hitch to meet the needs of these markets.

The TeleSwivel™ Model 200 (MSRP: $349.00) is rated for consumer and commercial towing up to 10,000 lbs. The Model 300 (MSRP: $799.00) is well-suited to a commercial operation that requires a rating of 14,000 lbs GTW. From the average homeowner towing recreational trailers or boats, to the commercial operation like a rental equipment dealer, the obvious advantages to the TeleSwivel™ is the potential of a one-person operation. Rather than having someone guide the alignment of the ball to the trailer mount, or get in and out of the vehicle a hundred times, you can aim in a general vicinity with your mirrors, then adjust the hitch to the proximity of the trailer. The other benefit is you can avoid the sore back syndrome from feeling perky enough to manhandle the trailer onto the more traditional, rigid mount hitch, only to find yourself bent over or not moving well for weeks to come.

The mechanism for moving the TeleSwivel™, whose movement can be categorized as an articulating or proximity hitch, is simple enough. Assuming you have inserted the adapter into any 2” receiver (the Model 300 will fit a 2 1⁄2-inch receiver with an adapter sleeve), you back up in the general range of your trailer mount, release the hitch’s extension plate by pulling on a lever, telescope and swivel the hitch and ball to the trailer’s connection, then back up your vehicle to ‘lock’ back into the position for your journey.

No more waving of hands, second and third attempts, or yelling and shouting “left, right, or stop” – or the occasional, “Oh, no!” (some other, stronger phrases come to mind, too). If ladies are smiling at this point, I am guessing it’s two-fold: they are either smiling as a reflection of the experience they’ve had with men and boat trailers at the lake, or at the notion that now they have an easier way to hook-up trailers on their own, without having to deal with moving the trailer - or another back-up attempt. The TeleSwivel™ is a great gift idea for both men and women!

Product Review: Tow-N-Stow™ - Ready, Willing, and Able

Whether low to the ground and on the go or upright and grounded, Tow-N-Stow™ is ready, willing, and able. This is one of those products you probably thought about, but weren’t quite sure how it would all fit together. The Tow-N-Stow™ is a hauling and storage system wrapped-up into one compact unit that serves double-duty as a trailer or storage unit.

Originally presented to me by a loyal reader of this blog, I wasn’t too sure about whether you could actually put durability, quality, design, and function into a single unit that could haul 1,000 lbs. of ‘whatever’, then convert to an attractive storage unit on your property.

At first, although the lines of the Tow-N-Stow™ are sleek and very sculpted for its size, it didn’t strike me as robust enough as a trailer – I did have to admit to myself that the fender skirts were a nice touch, and do hide the wheels when converted to the storage unit. The storage side of it was just the opposite impression; it looked much more attractive than the average resin storage unit in the home improvement center parking lot.

Curious, I checked out the videos and pictures on their Web site. Low-slung to the ground, even the picture with the ATV didn’t fully convince me – the people looked too neat and tidy for the kind of DIY jobs I find myself getting into on the weekends.

What finally put me in touch with the folks at Tow-N-Stow™ was the routine trips around my neighborhood; I would bear witness to the cornucopia of small utility trailers put to use on the weekends, then left idle most of the time. The idea of taking the trailer, setting it upright, and being able to use it as an attractive, locking storage unit – outside the house, or in the garage – made too much sense.

Sold on doing a product review, I decided to call on some local ‘experts’ to help me kick the tires and slam it around a bit. Although the weather was not cooperative, in the end the demonstration got underway without a hitch (pardon the pun). Four of us gathered together in my garage for Ian Ming, Sales Manager for Tow-N-Stow™, to take it through its paces.

A brief introduction to the experts:

Scot Finch, Client Executive, TriSure Corporation, whom I would describe as an avid DIYer with a keen eye for innovative tools and homeowner equipment.

Kent Zotter, President of Blue Moon Builders, a builder/remodeler who provides contractor services for home additions, new construction, kitchen remodels, and historic restoration work.

Greg Hopper, VP, Marketing and Product Development, Williams Innovations, LLC, home of the TeleSwivel™ - the fastest, easiest, and safest way to connect a trailer.

…and, me. As an aside, we all live in the same neighborhood, so little or no warm-up was required for frank and open discussion.

I gave the experts a form I put together to tally their thoughts and rate (on a scale of 1-5) the Tow-N-Stow™ in the following categories: Strength, Stability, Versatility (or function), Appearance and Workmanship, and Recommended modifications or optional accessories. Within each category, I put a number of criteria you may use to rate a (purchase) comparison attribute of a trailer, or storage unit. That formality died in minutes; these guys were all over the unit, firing questions and suggestions at Ian, who not only kept up with us, but kept swinging away with answers and nods like a batter in a batting cage. What can I say; Ian made the experience of converting the unit from trailer to storage unit, and back again, more like child’s play, than work – when upright, it’s a slight of hand trick and “Look, Ma! No wheels!”

All of us seemed to agree beforehand that we were prepared for a lesser quality storage unit, and a moderately capable trailer. I had given the experts links to the Tow-N-Stow™ Web site in advance and encouraged them to come with some preconceived impressions.

What we discovered was a very sturdy unit, well-made, with high attention to detail. Comments were made that the unit was “very stout, well designed, good aesthetics”, as well as “better looking than the Web [site]”. Overall construction received high marks for welds, framing, resin materials, and safety (i.e., pins, stops, levers, etc.). Lighting was good, with LEDs for the taillights, side mounted lighting, and even a light for the license plate (a recessed area in the tailgate). Throughout the unit, recesses, indents, and design incorporate the need for flat surfaces when standing erect as a storage unit.