I get such an energy boost from going to New York City, professionally and personally.
I am fortunate enough to belong to two great networking groups there and have met people involved in levels of their professions that are truly inspiring. That rubs off on me in very profound ways.
It's a benchmarking opportunity for me.
Many are trusting enough to refer me to others, even if it means a leap of faith in that they don't know from personal experience exactly how I work. Not to worry-I will never disappoint them or their contacts!
But the train ride home allows me an hour or so to reflect on the aspects of these relationships and how I can make them more meaningful and reciprocate.
An example: I try to bring the best-of-the-best I know to lead private seminars for my clients here in Connecticut. This has been successful. I refer them whenever possible.
It's the pay it forward concept. What goes around comes around. It's better to give than receive.
I have always believed in this and thank my colleagues who have referred me without concrete experience of how I can help their clients.
Thanks for letting me expound a bit. More like gush...
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Fly with me
I had a Brazilian banker a number of years ago who tried to help me understand the vagaries of financing in Brazil (during my previous incarnation as a corporate treasurer). When explaining something particularly creative, he said, "Marc, Fly with me. Let's see how we can make this work together."
I always remembered that.
When I see a potential client, as happened yesterday, who knows conceptually what she wants but not necessarily how to bring together all the mechanisms to accept online donations and sell items in a shopping cart, we "flew" together. I left feeling she really "got it" and she was all smiles as I left. I think she was experiencing the natural high of an executive director imagining more donations in a brand new way.
Tune in next week to the continuing saga of "Fly with Me."
Thursday, January 29, 2009
It's what we do
From time to time we get an email thanking us for what we do best: support the client....a radical concept in this world of outsourced customer support and just plain poorly run business!
We were actually surprised this week when we emailed a complaint to Suncast about a snow shovel that wasn't wearing well and they replaced the item with a brand new one in 2 business days--unusual. But we are digressing...
Such outstanding customer support can lead to referrals to new clients or to additional business with existing clients down the road. (Buy Suncast!)
This was one such week of satisfaction:
1) a compliment from a new nonprofit client for our recently completed project,
2) the offer from a client to use him as a reference at a later time,
3) a client referred us to someone starting a new e-commerce business,
4) and the best was a client supplementing the existing work we do with them with a brand new donation/shopping cart to support their product sales and new online fundraising and event planning needs in the early spring.
It feels good. My client feels good. The latter is more important than the former.
We were actually surprised this week when we emailed a complaint to Suncast about a snow shovel that wasn't wearing well and they replaced the item with a brand new one in 2 business days--unusual. But we are digressing...
Such outstanding customer support can lead to referrals to new clients or to additional business with existing clients down the road. (Buy Suncast!)
This was one such week of satisfaction:
1) a compliment from a new nonprofit client for our recently completed project,
2) the offer from a client to use him as a reference at a later time,
3) a client referred us to someone starting a new e-commerce business,
4) and the best was a client supplementing the existing work we do with them with a brand new donation/shopping cart to support their product sales and new online fundraising and event planning needs in the early spring.
It feels good. My client feels good. The latter is more important than the former.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
cool website
Go to www.interesting.com
It literally caught my eye when a friend sent some holiday cards a month or so ago.
(Thanks Ellin!)
You can customize fine art work on an e-postcard and it really catches the recipient's attention.
I sent some to recent University of Phoenix graduates that I had taught and I think I will start using this to thank new clients for their business. Today I have someone to send a thank-you to.
It literally caught my eye when a friend sent some holiday cards a month or so ago.
(Thanks Ellin!)
You can customize fine art work on an e-postcard and it really catches the recipient's attention.
I sent some to recent University of Phoenix graduates that I had taught and I think I will start using this to thank new clients for their business. Today I have someone to send a thank-you to.
Monday, January 26, 2009
LinkedIn is a gift
If you aren't already optimizing your use of LinkedIn, you are missing a great opportunity. This is a relatively underutilized tool, as we are finding from the great people we already know and are actively linking to.
The LinkedIn site is easy to navigate and work. There are presenters who will come to your group (ask us about one guy in NYC in particular) and books (ask us about a great book that you can purchase online), so no matter how you prefer to learn about LinkedIn, there is a method out there for you.
Start at www.linkedin.com and create a profile.
Add your Linkedin profile URL to your email.
You can even post a PowerPoint presentation describing your business right on your profile! On Sunday a guy in California linked to our slide presentation. Still not sure why, but perhaps we have a prospective client on the West Coast...
Open yourself up to this online networking gift.
We already have new business directly attributable to our profile (http://www.linkedin.com/in/marchalpert)on LinkedIn and the great people we are connected to.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Fear of the unknown
Franklin Roosevelt in his 1933 Inaugural Address said
"...The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
Fear of the unknown, the comfort of the old way, retard progress and make us fearful of change. This familiar quote (at least the first part of it; I find the second part of it much more intriguing) was printed on the wrapper on my free Starbucks coffee yesterday, free because I pledged to spend 5 (only 5!) hours to helping a community nonprofit organization.
A small commitment by each of us pays off in mighty ways, if more than just a few people make this promise. Go to http://www.starbucks.com/default.asp. Make a stand to make a change in someone's life that needs your selfless help.
Community groups and nonprofits have been hammered by the economy, Madoff, unemployment and malaise. I hear this everyday from my old and new nonprofit clients.
Stand up. Make a daring change to help for more than 5 hours, or even just 5 hours! It's more than about the free coffee. Sign up in any Starbucks store until January 25th. Do it now, because YES WE CAN make a difference, one by one.
"...The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
Fear of the unknown, the comfort of the old way, retard progress and make us fearful of change. This familiar quote (at least the first part of it; I find the second part of it much more intriguing) was printed on the wrapper on my free Starbucks coffee yesterday, free because I pledged to spend 5 (only 5!) hours to helping a community nonprofit organization.
A small commitment by each of us pays off in mighty ways, if more than just a few people make this promise. Go to http://www.starbucks.com/default.asp. Make a stand to make a change in someone's life that needs your selfless help.
Community groups and nonprofits have been hammered by the economy, Madoff, unemployment and malaise. I hear this everyday from my old and new nonprofit clients.
Stand up. Make a daring change to help for more than 5 hours, or even just 5 hours! It's more than about the free coffee. Sign up in any Starbucks store until January 25th. Do it now, because YES WE CAN make a difference, one by one.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Upsetting
It's upsetting that some people out there purport to be helpful in givng you the ability to accept credit card payment, when in fact they are charging outrageous prices. Namely, (well, I won't really name names...)
1) There is a .com doing so at 5.5% on each transaction. That's DOUBLE what it should be!
2) There is another.com doing this for nonprofits alone, at 4.75% (a bargain, huh?)and they mail you a paper check once a month. That's not fair! They are earning money on the nonprofit's donations!
I am sure there are more.
Questions? Ask us.
Caveat emptor!
1) There is a .com doing so at 5.5% on each transaction. That's DOUBLE what it should be!
2) There is another.com doing this for nonprofits alone, at 4.75% (a bargain, huh?)and they mail you a paper check once a month. That's not fair! They are earning money on the nonprofit's donations!
I am sure there are more.
Questions? Ask us.
Caveat emptor!
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