Why you didn’t get the business

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Mary Schmidt (“Business Developer, Marketing Troubleshooter”) explains why you didn’t get her business. Her original list grew so long she’s posting these little goodies in three parts. Here are a few of my favorites from her first batch:

4. Your web site looks abandoned. (Copyright 2004? Are you even still in business?)
5. Your web site doesn’t tell me how to call you.
6. You never, ever answer your phone. It always go to voice mail.
7. You did more talking than I did in our first meeting.
8. You insisted on going through your entire sales presentation, slide by slide, line by line – even when I said, “I already know that” and “Yes, I already saw that.”
9. You talk about “solutions” but never tell me how you’re going to solve my problem.
10. You’re “invisible.” Like it or not, showing up in a Google search (or not) is a credibility factor these days.
11. You only call or email when you’re trying to sell me something.
12. You think having my business card with my email address is the same as having my permission to flood my inbox with junk.
16. Your “free education seminar” was nothing more than a sales pitch

This should be required reading before every sales presentation. Thanks to David for the pointer.

KBOA, Studio A

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I’m fortunate to have many photos from the early days of KBOA (Kennett, MO). This one of John Mays, cueing a record in the control room, was taken by Johnny Mack Reeder or Bob Miles. Probably in the early 50’s.

You can see into Studio B which served a number of purposes over the years. Live newscasts and commercials orginated from Studio B. Later it house a large “disc cutter” used for recording spots.

I’ll never forget the pleasantly musty smell of these ancient rooms with their massive doors

John Mayer on Sheryl Crow

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John Mayer and Sheryl CrowSheryl Crow and John Mayer recently toured together and during the next-to-last date, John Mayer come onstage during SC’s set, dressed as a bear. The following night, Ms. Crow interrupted his set, wearing a bikini and waving around a baton (I’m pretty sure she was a twirler in high school). Based on this post from Mr. Mayer’s blog (10/12/06), they had a good time:

“Sheryl – I hope you realize, even if for a fleeting moment just once a day, that everything you’ve ever hoped you would be, you are. I’ve never heard you sing a sour note, your record collection could freeze a Lower East Side hipster dead in his tracks and you have one of the hardest to find traits in a musician; you believe that nice isn’t the opposite of bad-ass. Add to that the great people you surround yourself with, and it’s no wonder I walk away from every conversation with you feeling like I expend twice the energy but say half as much as you do.”

Ms. Crow looks pretty good (for any age). There’s no permalink to the specific post on the Mayer blog.

ESPN launches local podcast network

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ESPN is launching a local podcasting network. Sounds like they’re starting with shows from their five owned-and-operated stations while inviting affiliates to be part of the podcast network.

For more than a year, ESPN has been offering about 20 podcasts of national ESPN programming through PodCenter and selling advertisers two spots, one 15-second spot rolling prior to the content and a 30-second post-content spot. The new local podcasting network provides advertisers the opportunity to buy a local podcasting network or target individual markets or regions. Participating affiliates will get a share of the network revenue sold.

The local stations could (and may be) podcasting on their own but I have to believe this approach (whole greater than sum of parts) makes sense. Once clearance becomes a non-issue, there might be an explosion of such podcast networks. [Mediaweek via Radio and Records]

Scott Adams on The Future of Voting

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“I’d also want to see the list of experts lined up on both sides of every argument, along with their political affiliations. If 90% of economists favored one fiscal policy over another, that would sway me. If 90% of recently retired generals supported one method of fighting a war, that would sway me too. I’d also like to see opinion poll results that are limited to independent voters above a certain IQ range who have passed a knowledge test on the specific issue. It doesn’t help me to know that 80% of the ignorant, brainwashed masses support something. I want to know what the well-informed, bright, independents think. That way if I don’t have the time or interest to study an issue, I can still decide to vote with the bright, informed people.” (Posted 2006)