I read Robert X. Cringley’s columns. That said, I don’t forward or refer many of them. So this is an exception.
Are you tired of being broke? Are you tired of email spam asking if you are tired of being broke? Are you tired of everyone trying to make money by trying to sell you a way to make money?
Then check out this parody.
(Depending on your browser security settings, may need to click twice to start the video. If you are receiving this via email, or want to open the YouTube page with the video, just click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPsUmhqncAg)
I’d barely finished my post about my favorite computer store (MicroCenter, www.myephemerae.com/my-regular-computer-store). I’d explained why it’s my favorite: the staff knows their stuff.
Then, I discover this InformationWeek article titled Clueless Circuit City Scrooges Itself Out Of Christmas Sales (http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/ 2008/01/clueless_circui_1.html).
In summary, last March, Circuit City decided to fire 3,400 people who worked there and knew what they were doing and replace them with cheaper, and much less knowledgable, sales clerks.
Sorry, but when you are trying to make a wazillion dollars selling stuff that consumers don’t really understand, like PCs, cameras, and televisions, you need staff that knows their stuff.
What happened? Well, their 3rd quarter and Christmas sales tanked.
In contrast, their competitor, BestBuy, trained its staff on their high tech products so they could actually help customers and what do you know … BestBuy’s 3rd quarter profit went up 54%.
Seems I’m not the only one who values staff who know their stuff.
Having posted about a New Computer Store (www.myephemerae.com/a-new-computer-store) it only seemed appropriate to mention my regular store as well.
I live less than one mile from the Dallas location of MicroCenter (www.MicroCenter.com).
I love this store for one huge reason … the sales staff know their stuff. Not only do they know where stuff is (which is a huge accomplishment in many retail stores today), they understand me when I don’t use the right words, and know what I should have asked for when I make a mistake.
(My personal computer is a PowerSpec (their house brand) and I’ve been very pleased.)
While visiting the Escape from Cubicle Nation blog (www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog) I visited the Blogads blog (weblog.blogads.com) where I saw this recent post …
After seeing a $25 price-tag for a simple USB cable at Staples, I went around the corner to Intrex and bought a longer cable for $4. Hope I’m sufficiently scarred to never again buy anything wired from Staples.
That intrigued me enough to visit Intrex and check it out. I’m impressed.
A recent edition of Roy William’s Monday Morning Memo discusses the ads for the Mac. You know the one. It features the Mac and the PC in a conversation.
The article links to a clever picture of what that ad would have looked like 11 years ago.
No, that’s not my personal philosophy.
It is (was) the text on a large outdoor sign put up in Chicago by lawyers Corri Fetman and Kelly Garland.
According to the AP (Toronto Sun) the sign came down, not because it caused an uproar (which it did) but for technical reasons.
Apparently they didn’t have a permit.
Imagine that. Lawyers failing to get a permit.
Apparently it worked, though. “Since it went up last week, the two lawyers said calls to their law firm have gone up dramatically.”
One of the Marketing Gurus I “know” is Sean D’Souza.
He operates PsychoTactics, 5000BC, and SpiderSecret.com (also called Attversumption). If you “do” marketing, particularly website marketing, I’d encourage you to drop by those for a visit and a sampling of his freebies.
In addition, Sean teaches a Website MasterClass. I particularly want to encourage those of you who are website “doers”, to drop by his marketing page for that class … even if you can’t attend his course.
If you will trade Sean some of your personal information (like your name and email address) on his information sign up form, he’ll send you some great information in the form of PDFs and MP3 downloads. Even without the masterclass, I believe they are worth the effort.
