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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.

When it comes to the AIA Triangle Homes Tour, think showcase -- not parade

2010 marks the introduction of the first AIA Triangle Homes Tour in and around Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, NC. Modeled in part after the AIA Austin (TX) home tour, which is celebrating its 24th anniversary this year, this introductory Tour will feature “Ten award homes, nine featured architects and a clear demonstration in the value of working with an architect on a residential project of any scope and size.” The Tour will be held October 2nd from 10a-6p.

I recently got together with David Fish, Assoc AIA and Committee Member for the Tour, so I could get a better understanding of the Tour’s importance to homeowners in this tough economy, especially surrounding the downturn in new home building, and the resulting resurgence of home improvement and remodeling.

Over coffee, Fish - as David is known to many; he goes by his last name, as often as his first - explained that many homeowners are looking for better utilization of (existing) space in their home; it’s less about adding on to the home, and more about making the home work better for its occupants.

Whereas some homeowners may turn to magazines, a local home improvement store, or trusted contractor for advice and services, others are learning the benefits to employing the services of an architect. Rather than an approach of “I want something like this.” that may come from a magazine, or prior work of the contractor, these homeowners are more interested in something that may be developed from a more unique perspective suited to their needs. As Fish said during our discussion, “Think in terms of architecture as an applied art that brings together vision and systems.”

The customary homeowner who might look for the services of an architect in this situation is a couple without children, or a typical family of four. In both cases, where they may have sought more space in a move-up to another, larger home, they now want to see if a rearrangement or remodel can expand what they already have in place. There is no age limit to this trend, as empty-nesters are as likely to want these changes as those who are in the more typical age bracket of 28-45 years of age.

Today’s architect can bring valuable insight into the selection of materials, living environment, a better work-life balance, and an overall compliment to the homeowner’s lifestyle. This holds especially true for those who work from home, have a home business, or where couples are both managing business demands from home – a well-developed his and her space can help manage the working atmosphere in a more good-natured way.

The AIA Triangle Homes Tour will showcase the rich history of homebuilding in the Triangle and the resulting neighborhoods that grew from a wide variety of architectural styles, landscaping, and the residential community – including multigenerational occupancy -  that occupied these homes over the years. Although education, promotion, and awareness of using an architect for residential design and use is a key component of the Tour, guests will have a chance to see firsthand how these professionals transformed each home with a unique design solution for the homeowner.

In the conversation with Fish, I challenged him with the notion that many see using an architect as an added expense to the job. Fish was confident that in most cases, the cost of the architect is easily offset in the savings that result from better use of materials, more efficient design, reduced complications from the emerging sustainable trends of Go Green, and lower energy (and natural resources) consumption. The Tour focuses on what is not only sustainable from the use of newer materials and products, but what is also obtainable as a practical and affordable outcome for the homeowner, now and in the future.

On the Tour, you will see this put to use. There are four ENERGY STAR Certified homes on the Tour, along with other green certifications in some of the homes. Along with this positive ‘seal of approval’, you will also find positive use of optional materials, better utilization of space and light, and steps taken to reduce consumption of resources that result in lower utility bills. This becomes important as cities and towns wrestle with rate increases and usage fees, e.g., municipal water for residential use, along with recent drought conditions wreaking havoc on supply.

Tickets for the Tour are $20.00 pre-purchase, or $25.00 on the day of the Tour. You can obtain your tickets online at the AIA Triangle Homes Tour website, or at select Harris Teeter locations in the Triangle. The ticket includes each participant’s entrance into all ten homes along with a Guide Book that can be used as a reference in creating your own positive living space. Many of the architects and designers will be available during the day for open discussion at their respective showcase home.

Sidebar: For the aspiring residential architect, what are today’s employment possibilities? Interestingly enough, they are quite good. According to the BLS (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), “Residential construction makes up a small portion of work for architects, so major changes in the housing market would not be as significant as fluctuations in the nonresidential market.” Looking forward, the BLS predicts that “Employment of architects is expected to increase by 16 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. Current demographic trends will lead to an increase in demand for architects.”

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.

Crisis Management – An essential in Public Relations and crisis communication

One of the best books I have read for business - and applied to my personal life as well - is the book “Crisis Management: Planning for the Inevitable” by Steven Fink. Having served on the Three Mile Island crisis management team, Fink takes you through a number of crises in a case study manner that serves as an excellent coaching tool for business owners, managers, and individuals.

Part of the book outlines the need for a clear plan of crisis communications. Where we think in terms of reacting in a time of need, Fink draws out the necessity to be proactive. Many could make the case that the recent event of volcanic eruption in Iceland, and the impact not only to Europe but also around the globe, would qualify for similar proactive planning, especially in the form of crisis communications.

In attempting to monitor the situation, I found the US Media coverage paled by comparison to the coverage overseas. By routinely visiting the BBC Web site, and specific airport sites, I was able to develop a clearer picture of what was going on. Also, staying in touch with business associates and friends overseas via email allowed me a peek into a smaller window of events and activity. I could now get a feel for the impact on both people (stranded travelers) and business – the losses will be staggering when the totals come in.

Having lived in California for seventeen years, I witnessed firsthand the effect of earthquakes, floods, fires, and mudslides. What I felt locally was completely different than what people outside the state thought was happening, or the degree of impact it was having on me.

It was this reflection on California that made me realize I wasn’t taking into consideration the impact to Iceland from the volcano’s eruption. Yes, I saw coverage of the devastation in Iceland, but I had little perspective on what that could mean for businesses and companies that operate from Iceland on a global scale. I was too focused on Europe to even take notice.

In her blog Post “Going with the Volcanic Flow”, Joyce Wady of Connect2 Communications tells the story of one of their clients who utilizes the “natural geo-thermal resources of Iceland to build a green wholesale data center in the country”, and the need for Connect2 Communications to be proactive in order “to help the client message to their customers about the impact of the volcano as well as prepare for any broader stories in the press that may begin to emerge.”

Wady lays out a series of steps and events that other companies could use as a model for crisis communications. Her advice could easily be summed up in her closing remarks, “The key to managing these types of stories is to be prepared and be proactive. Use the current event or industry announcement or regulatory ruling as a means to think about the impact to your company, create messaging that puts the event into the appropriate context for your customers and know when to begin talking to the press. Missing one of these steps could take an opportunity and turn it into a disaster of your own.”

Entrepreneur’s Challenge: What do you do with 6,000 glass plates, prints and film negatives?

If you are one of the longest operating family-owned commercial photography studios in the United States, you bring the collection online and make it available to collectors, advertising agencies, businesses, interior designers, and the public.

No easy task, Brady Stewart Studio spent four years researching, filing, scanning and printing, a wide array of Black & White, Sepia and Color photographs. This significant collection spans most of the 20th century (1901-1990). There’s more work to be done. Brady Stewart Studio will add 25+ images to their web site every week until completed, which they believe will be another few years to finalize the scanning and filing.

That is all fine, well, and good, but how do you turn this into a viable business? Most of us with any semblance of a collection realize the challenge of keeping track of what we have, the value of each item, and whether or not you can turn it into cash. Far from the average person’s ‘Cash Closet’, how does an independent operator like this compete against the likes of Getty Images, and other online image providers?

One answer would be market segmentation. Make an effort to concentrate on those most likely in need of a specific period piece, e.g., local museums, architects, non-profits, locally-owned and historically significant companies, etc. Another market would be period collectors who are looking for something that may add to their own collection, or as a family heirloom. Artists and graphic designers are always on the prowl for something unique and different – what’s old is new again.

Like any other business that wants to draw attention to itself, it looks like  Brady Stewart Studio has embarked on garnering local press and speaking engagements. What else could they do? Enter today’s demand for social media marketing in the form of a newsletter, blog, Facebook page, Twitter, etc. You need to grasp a community of interested parties and turn them into your outbound marketers, a.k.a., “buzz”. Easy for me to say, but when you have the burden of researching, filing, scanning and printing more of the collection, where do you allocate your time, first?

Isn’t this the challenge most small businesses face today? Demand rich and resource poor, you often find yourself asking how to easily grow your business, without the additional staff and expense.

Photos are courtesy of the Brady Stewart Studio.

More about the Brady Stewart Collection:

The collection captures a historically significant period with photographs of Advertising & Products, Building & Churches, Duquesne University, Homesteading in Idaho, Manufacturing & Equipment, Lake Chautauqua and Erie, Lifestyle & People, Niagara Falls & Washington DC, Pittsburgh City Scenes, Sports and Transportation. Available in a wide range of shapes and sizes, the photographs were made by Brady Stewart, Brady Stewart Jr., and associates of Brady Stewart Studio Inc.

Starbucks ‘going Green’ offers a free way to get amped up on Tax Day

Just what someone who has waited until the last minute to file their taxes needs – another cup of coffee. Or, it may be just what you need to keep going after pulling a couple of all-nighters to get your taxes in on-time – it could be you are going the extension route this year and just want a nice break.

In the spirit of going Green, Starbucks has announced “Customers Who Bring a Reusable Tumbler into Starbucks Stores on April 15 Receive a Complimentary Brewed Coffee”.

From the Press Release, here’s what they have to say:

“April 12, 2010 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time  - Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) is giving customers around the world a bold incentive to swap the paper cup for a more eco-friendly option. On Thursday, April 15, the company will reward customers who bring a reusable tumbler into participating stores with a complimentary brewed coffee. This effort is just one of the ways Starbucks is collaborating with customers to reduce environmental impacts. The company has offered customers a discount for tumbler use since 1985.”

Well now, that’s an offer I think I can use – my taxes are done, so it’ll be more like a morning ‘cup a joe’ reward for a job well done. Also, I have been doing the reusable tumbler thing a long time; more so when I got a free insulated BMW tumbler when I bought my last car. It fits perfectly in the cup holders unlike some I have purchased, or been given as a promo – that’s one example of where bigger isn’t better. Before you buy one, you may want to size it to the cup holder, first.

But, what about those walking out of the Starbucks with paper cups? Again, from the release, “In Starbucks latest Global Responsibility Report, now available at www.starbucks.com/responsibility, the company discloses that in fiscal 2009, more than 26 million beverages were served in reusable cups in its company-owned stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. This simple shift in behavior kept approximately 1.2 million pounds of paper from ending up in landfills.”

I’m not going to do the math on this one – the figures of the paper cups not replaced by tumblers must be staggering if tumblers help keep “…approximately 1.2 million pounds of paper from ending up in landfills.”

Well, they are not oblivious to this fact and announced that “As part of Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ commitment to environmental stewardship, the company’s goal is to ensure 100 percent of its cups are reusable or recyclable by 2015.”

Wondering about your own use? They can help you calculate that, too, by going to www.starbucks.com/thebigpicture and use the Impact Calculator, powered by the Environmental Defense Fund. You can even “pledge to use tumblers every day and encourage others to do so through social tools such as Facebook.”

Enjoy your free cup of coffee on Thursday – maybe put a Post-it on the mirror to remind you in the morning. Not! That would be just another scrap of paper tossed in the landfill. Don’t you just wonder how many Post-its are in landfills?

Green building in the restaurant and hospitality industry

By Brent Francese, Lead Designer at Clean Living

The restaurant and hospitality industry is keenly aware of their energy and natural resource use. Not only do they see it reflected in their utility bills, but as a whole, they make every effort to be socially responsible with the products they use and an overall reduction of waste.

Recently, Dennis Quaintance - owner of the Lucky 32 restaurants and the O'Henry Hotel - was interviewed by Frank Stasio, the host of “The State of Things” (WUNC-FM). Quaintance talked about how he became recognized for his green building efforts (as certified by the U.S. Green Building Council) through the design efforts of the Proximity Hotel, in Greensboro, NC. You can listen to the March 15th “The State of Things” broadcast on the WUNC Web site.

In the interview, one of the areas that comes forth is the struggle to find the payback in ‘Going Green’. In some cases it may not be the best overall choice. There will be instances where the better choice may be a traditional use item, or product, over its green counterpart. But, there are ways that today’s restaurant and hospitality veteran can make better, more informed decisions in the choice to go green.

One of the first places to look is energy use. The simple and straightforward options are in lighting; numerous lighting options are available to reduce overall consumption of electricity and often provide a ‘cooler’ operating environment for a reduction in air conditioning use. Also, look for opportunities to reduce the duration of lighting by offering spot illumination, automatic sensors, or more efficient outdoor lighting in signage and parking lots.

When acquiring new equipment, something Dennis Quaintance conveyed in his interview as ‘first use’, energy efficiency should not be the only consideration in your choice of equipment. By combining this purchase with a larger picture of reduction possibilities, you may find that going green in one area can help in the selection of another, e.g., greener landscaping or building material that lowers the overall temperature of the building may help reduce the amount of cooling/heating power needed for the building – you may be able to purchase a smaller HVAC unit.

Another natural resource to consider is water. Our recent drought conditions in North Carolina brought a keen awareness to the patron and server when it comes to a glass of water served at the table. However, when the drought seemed to pass, in some cases, so did the effort to reduce consumption. Some of the good habits learned in the drought can be adapted for use on a permanent basis. Also, this carries over into washrooms and water usage. Beyond low-flow fixtures, and those with automated mechanisms, think in terms of products that can clean more efficiently with less water, as well as looking for a reduction in cleaning agent use. Here again, a more careful selection in building materials and products can make a difference in the way they withstand frequent cleaning and foot traffic.

Consider your building, landscaping, and overall land use. The smaller the footprint, the better. When it comes to landscaping, think drought. Your plant selection will not only weather better, but in most cases you will reduce water consumption from irrigation, require less maintenance of the grounds, and become a candidate for a reduction in landscaping service costs from outside vendors.

New planting that may require more maintenance in the form of trees or other larger plantings may be a means to cool your building naturally while improving the overall appearance. This is where careful planning and a long term view should be taken into account. Other areas to consider are designs that inadvertently encourage abuse of the landscaping from foot traffic, or shortcuts by employees to other areas of the building.

Lastly, think education. You can carry the Go Green movement outside the confines of your establishment by helping your employees to think green. This effort can bring new opportunities for you as employees return to work with ideas and methods that can help you achieve a stronger environmental presence for your business.

Many local resources are available to learn more about green building practices for businesses. The North Carolina Triangle Chapter of U.S. Green Building Council was formed in 2004, and serves the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel-Hill area and eastern North Carolina. You can locate other chapters throughout the country via the U.S. Green Building Council web site.

About Brent Francese (Raleigh, NC):

Known for his work in the field of construction, Brent has served numerous office environments, small and large residential projects, commercial developments, retail developments and mixed use buildings. He is also an accomplished musician and graphic designer.

Clean Living is the collaboration of two architects, Tony Lineberry + Brent Francese – “Our world has become overwhelmed with the "green" label of design and architecture. It is our goal to help shed this label into creating a smart architecture for living our lives. This architecture is an organic one that will become a necessity to our environment and our daily lives.” More information on Clean Living can be found at: http://www.designsforcleanliving.blogspot.com/

Dunkin’ Donuts, the original coworking facility

It’s 1973 and I’ve been promoted to a field sales position. I was pretty excited and looked forward to the new challenge of covering the whole State of Michigan and part of Ohio. Little did I know that would equate to driving nearly 1,000 miles a week. In those days, most business was conducted on a face-to-face basis; outbound calls were to the answering service, or for appointments.

Part of the job entailed sales call reports. You had a pad of pre-printed sheets with a variety of checkboxes and text fields to make notations, add comments, or check an action that was taken as a result of the call. At the end of the week, you would put all your reports in an envelope, along with your expense account, and mail them to your regional manager.

Filling out the reports every night was the common practice; there were those who probably waited until the end of the week (painful – still exists in CRMs today). When staying overnight, it passed the time in the hotel room. It was not a welcome task when you got home. That’s when I decided that I would be more efficient and do a write-up during the day, after a number of sales calls.

Those days in Michigan often found me in a Dunkin’ Donuts shop filling out my sales call reports. For me, it was the original coworking facility. As a traveling salesman, you couldn’t beat a good cup of coffee, a donut, a clean bathroom, and a wall-mounted pay phone. It was our office away from home, and the chance to share some time with fellow salespeople, or local town leaders and businesspeople.

This week I reflected on this era of selling. I stopped at a local Dunkin’ Donuts to purchased a dozen and a half donuts for a group of folks in an office. After selecting the donuts – hey, don’t rush me, I have to think what kind they’ll like – I looked around and saw how much Dunkin’ Donuts had changed over the years.

The old days at Dunkin’ Donuts were a formula of good coffee (no fancy concoctions whipped into a frenzy), a simple service layout (no drive-through back then), tasty treats, friendly service (they had counters back then, and people served you coffee in a ceramic mug), and no digital interruptions either introduced by you and Wi-Fi, or the result of overhearing an unwanted cell phone conversation by others.

In some of the locations that I frequented back then, you would see the same folks about the same time of day. Since today’s ‘always on’ connectivity was nonexistent, we took time to get to know each other and share a good story, or some other news or topic for discussion. In a similar way, coworking facilities are often described as a “shared professional workspace with a community atmosphere”.

Looking back, after this week’s Dunkin’ Donuts visit, I can’t help but reflect on the idea that yesterday’s Dunkin’ Donuts had the same feel as today’s coworking facility. I also realized how much I miss it.

Some straightforward advice on how to get a speaking slot

Although it’s commonly felt that speaking in front of large groups can make most anyone nervous, in business many of us look for speaking opportunities, especially at a conference or trade show event. Whether serving as a keynote speaker, or a breakout session or workshop, a speaking engagement can be good for you, and your company.

In my own limited speaking experience, I have been fortunate to have been actively sought out to speak, i.e., I didn’t have to solicit a speaking slot. But, what about those opportunities that you would like to pursue, but didn’t know how to go about getting the chance to speak?

One place to start is with an abstract (of your topic) to be submitted to the conference organizers, or organization leaders where you wish to participate in their event or activity. In her blog Post titled “Why Didn’t I get that Speaking Slot?”, Lacey Caldwell of Connect2 Communications lays out 5  tips that can help you avoid the rejection of not being considered in the first place.

What stood out for me in her Post was Tip #3, “Don’t mention your products!” What? You have to tell people that? Nothing like the obvious! But, as Caldwell points out so well, it’s the obvious that needs the most attention, e.g., in Tip #5 she points out, “If you can’t bring the CEO, don’t submit the CEO.”

If you are looking for some straightforward advice on soliciting speaking slots, these 5 tips from Caldwell might be just what you need to secure a slot at the next event.