WebLog!
Doing Windows, Filling Pockets And Reading Palms, Making Software That Works!
For Health, Home And Office
775.346.8185 skype: FutureWareSCG
Archive for the ‘Potpourri’ Category
Friday, January 28th, 2011
Trite but still true, there’s no second chance to make a first impression. Odd that those peddling social network expertise seemingly ignore this and, perhaps, much else besides.
(more…)
Tags: first impressions, losing sales, marketing, social media
Posted in Potpourri, Software That Works | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
Selling complex products ‘as is’ and unwarrantable was not invented by the software industry. This technique is now being adopted by old line manufacturers that built their reputations the old fashioned way, and are now losing those once stellar reputations the new fangled way. Moen kitchen faucets illustrate the caveat emptor wisdom of the ancient Romans.
(more…)
Tags: caveat emptor, customer alienation, manufacturing decline, moen, software design failures
Posted in Potpourri, Software That Works | No Comments »
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Because real money is involved, the Build or Buy decisions are made close to the business case. There’s another level of procurement below this that the business seldom knows about.
(more…)
Tags: free software, managing developers, open source
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Everything useful has plenty of competition, making purely objective choices difficult. A small thing can have a disproportionate effect on a decision. Here are two examples of a tipping point around a small thing, one that resulted in a replacement and the other in a new acquisition. (more…)
Tags: attention to detail, overcomming inertia, product differentiation
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
The day’s news always seems to redline any current cycle that’s in vogue. A contrarian approach helps keep things in perspective and recognize turning points. (more…)
Tags: bubbles, contrarian, creative destruction
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »
Thursday, August 14th, 2008
Oil companies don’t want to be in the credit card business, which they farm out to financial companies on various consignment basis. Here’s a good example of bad things that happen when the two companies’ customer information gets out of sync. Bogus late charges are bad enough; wanting to verify SSNs without any verifiable security is beyond the pale. (more…)
Tags: customer service, information security, late charges, oil companies, SSN
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
Good sales presentations take a lot of thought, planning, practice, and focus on the customer. Sales 101, been there, done that, tell me something I don’t know. Here’s one that really stood out by concentrating on customer benefits, supported by a well designed campaign.
(more…)
Tags: customer focus, McCormick and Schmicks, sales presentations
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Sales calls are like first impressions: No second chances. It certainly pays to do some research before walking off the cliff, and you can never do too much of it. Here’s a case that illustrates the point nicely.
(more…)
Tags: sales bloopers
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »
Sunday, July 13th, 2008
The dog days of summer are not here yet, but an old construction oversight make it seem that they have arrived early and will stay longer than normal. Here’s one way that cooled things off quickly, for under $40, took less than 30 minutes to build and deploy. Parts list, drawings, step by step DIY instructions, and installation photos that you can download. Topics: Background; A Small Heat Problem; Tiptoeing Through The Attic; Found It; Some R & D With A Dash Of Procurement; You Can Have It Too; Conclusion
(more…)
Tags: dog days of summer, home air conditioning, home improvement, Lowes, summer heat
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »
Thursday, June 19th, 2008
There’s always someone who knows exactly how you can get from A to B, and is ready of offer you the roadmap for a very reasonable fee. Make sure the scenery doesn’t get boring. Topics: Employing Part Time Expertise; Staying Out Of The Briar Patch; A Marvel Of Efficiency; and Recognizing When The Lesson’s Finished
(more…)
Posted in Potpourri | No Comments »