My way

Do you need a boss ?

Some 4 years ago Seth Godin wrote a great post on his blog. I love it back them and I still love it right now. So I will republish it. And NO, is not published just for my people :)

"Do you need a boss?

You don't realize how much you need a boss until you don't have one. Bosses don't always do the following, especially when they're not very good bosses, but here's what we know about good bosses:

Bosses organize your time for you.
Bosses decide what's urgent.
Bosses give you cover when you work on something stupid ("she told me to!")
Bosses pay you even when the client doesn't honor the invoice.
Bosses can be sued.
Bosses create deadlines, and stick with them.
Bosses make sure you show up in the morning.
Bosses pay for the Postits.
Bosses give you someone to complain about.
Bosses carve up the work and give you just that piece you signed up to do.
Bosses give you a role model. (Sometimes one to work against, but that's a different story).

The main thing a boss does, though, is give you the momentum you need to get through the stuff that takes perseverance. The main thing that ends the career of a Free Agent is the lack of a hand pushing on the back, someone handing out assignments and waiting for the deliverables. Who keeps you going when you don't feel like doing it?

If you don't have a boss, you may need to invent one."

You don't realize how much you need a boss until you don't have one. Bosses don't always do the following, especially when they're not very good bosses, but here's what we know about good bosses:

Bosses organize your time for you.
Bosses decide what's urgent.
Bosses give you cover when you work on something stupid ("she told me to!")
Bosses pay you even when the client doesn't honor the invoice.
Bosses can be sued.
Bosses create deadlines, and stick with them.
Bosses make sure you show up in the morning.
Bosses pay for the Postits.
Bosses give you someone to complain about.
Bosses carve up the work and give you just that piece you signed up to do.
Bosses give you a role model. (Sometimes one to work against, but that's a different story).

The main thing a boss does, though, is give you the momentum you need to get through the stuff that takes perseverance. The main thing that ends the career of a Free Agent is the lack of a hand pushing on the back, someone handing out assignments and waiting for the deliverables. Who keeps you going when you don't feel like doing it?

If you don't have a boss, you may need to invent one."

Blestemul succesului.

Este extrem de greu sa ai succes. Dar daca ai succes descoperi ca este la fel de greu sa il mentii sau sa ramii in top. Reactia romaneasca ( si nu numai, dar noi romanii excelam la asa ceva) este delasarea. Un fel de migrare de la "vrem sa fim WOW" la vomitivul "las-o ba ca merge asa".

Desi zilnic vad asemenea exemple ( si destul de des in imediata mea apropiere) astazi m-am lovit de un alt exemplu: Kaufland ( cel putin cel din Sebastian) are un succes mare cu vanzarea de mici, cabanos, thuringen,etc la un chiosc la iesirea din supermarket. Oamenii sunt deja excitati ( la nivelul stomacului) de cumparaturile facute si vor o satisfactie imediata : un mic proaspat. Totul bine si frumos dar pe luna ce trece serviciul devine mai prost.

In prima faza au disparut chiflele rotunde. Apoi au disparut caserolele de plastic din care nu curgea sosul ( da, acum curge). Apoi au disparut servetelele. Astazi insa am aflat o noua regula : poti primi mustar doar daca ai cumparat mai mult de 3 portii ( regula valabila la comanda "la pachet").

Aaaaaaa.... poftim ???? Mici fara mustar. Calcule de manager roman idiot .

Nu fiti asa de rapizi in a condamna Kaufland ( ma rog, puteti sa ii boicotati cumva daca tot tineti mortis) inainte de a gasi o problema asemanatoare in curtea proprie . Nu aveti una ? Think again.

Oricum.. Kaufland started to suck big time. No big marketing lesson over here. Just plain stupidity.

PS: Nu,Kaufland nu va raspunde acestui post. De altfel singura companie care a raspuns unui post al meu ( negativ) este Starbucks. De asta ii iubesc si mai mult.

On marketing

You market when you hire and when you fire. You market when you call tech support and you market every time you send a memo.

Seth Godin

I (really) think you should see this.

Seth Godin ( who else) on :Quieting the Lizard Brain

Marketing stories worth reading 7

Our lesson learned was how to improve email marketing. Our challenge wasn’t so much the opt-in database, but getting the folks in that base to read (open/click on) the newsletter and the stories in it. Our first move was to create a sense of involvement or empowerment for the recipients. We provided them an opportunity (raffle for five) for a discount on a significant service, which many of them already utilized, for those who responded with suggestions/requests for topics about which they’d like to read. We offered the respondents the chance to be credited with the topic suggestion, which would give their business promotion to our audience.
This improved our click through rates on the newsletters by more than 25% (a rate maintained after the second issue with these changes implemented). It improved our click through rates into the stories  (usually two stories per issue) by more than 30%. Our second move was to switch the TO line to be from the company, not an individual. This, implemented two issues after the above change, had an  immediate impact with open rates improving another 15%.
Our third change was to the subject line, changing it to highlight the main story in the following format: NEWSLETTER TITLE: You asked for: TOPIC. From this, we saw another 8% increase. Our fourth change was to follow up more thoroughly with those who clicked through and opened the newsletters and the stories. We were establishing patterns from the recipients that suggested additional services in which they’d be interested. We found that specific and personal emails to these people by email and phone resulted in improved customer service at a minimum. Some of the recipients did not necessarily jump at
new offerings, but many had questions/concerns about existing services or even services they were  getting from other vendors. Now they’re more engaged and more satisfied/impressed.

Michael Beresford, President, NetScope, www.net-scope.com

Great speech. A Guru speech

Benjamin Zander .
In this programme, Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, extols the virtues of positive thinking.

Watch it over here.

Thanks to Bogdan Nastase for sharing this with me.

Ieri la NetCamp...

S-a scris mult despre NetCamp si nu voi insista ( mai ales ca am avut o zi de cosmar in care am alergat in 10 parti si am ajuns tarziu la event...destul de devreme insa ca sa imi fac taskul de moderator). S-a vorbit mult despre antreprenoriat dar am remarcat ca nu este cunoscuta una din cele mai bune carti despre antreprenoriat: Founders at work. O carte pe care o recomand cu toata caldura. Revin la o mai veche idee a mea.... start reading or.. read more. Daca as avea de ales intre o conferinta cu Seth Godin si cartile lui Seth as alege cartile. Daca le-as fi citit pe toate ( well.. in acest caz particular le-am citit pe toate, zilele trecute terminand The Dip) as veni si la o conferinta. Prea multe conferinte. Prea multe vorbe. Prea multe bloguri. Prea multe vorbe la cafele. Prea mult social-networking. Prea multe idei presonale ( ma rog..idei copiate din carti si adaptate, speakerul mizand pe faptul ca audienta nu a avut timp sa citeasca sursele). Prea multe poze. Prea multe interviuri. Prea MULTA barfa. Prea putine informatii. Prea putine studii de piata. Prea putine planuri de afaceri. Prea putina analiza. Prea putina auto-analiza. Prea putine workshopuri. Prea putine nume noi. Prea putina liniste creativa. Prea putina auto-cenzura. Prea putine falimente. Mi-a placut insa prezentarea lui Dragos Manac. Poze are Zoso.