The Gordon Group, LLC

Are you a victim of “workweek creep”?

Nancy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:05:22 +0000

It’s always interesting to get the day’s word (sometimes it’s a phrase) of the day from the extremely diverse Urban Dictionary. Today’s seems particularly apropos for a holiday as many of us may find ourselves working on a day that is supposed to be a day off from labors and appreciation of the labors of others. For those of us in the communications realm, I actually recommend you check out any words or phrases you may have any question about on the www.urbandictionary.com site as you may be surprised at some of the street/urban meanings for things you thought were pretty innocuous!

Here’s the definition for today:

September 6: workweek creep

1) Constant connectivity via your smartphone and computer blurs the boundaries between your work life and your personal life.

2) Constant connectivity at work via e-mail & chat, results in so many interruptions that you cannot get blocks of time to do any thinking, resulting in you catching up on your work at home on nights and weekends.

Don’t try to boil the ocean… An interesting communications-content grid from Eloqua.com

Nancy — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:12:59 +0000

Here’s a link to an interesting content grid/graphic from Eloqua.com: http://bit.ly/czcccS

It illustrates both centralized and decentralized communications and categorizes them by whether they create/contribute to awareness or consideration while also identifying type, channel, two-way channel, or data rich. As with all communications about your product or service, it’s critical to be clear about not only your objective but the means and language you use to convey it so that you’re differentiating yourself and using language and messaging that is appropriate for your prospective clients. And, as always, remember it’s not just about the words–it’s also spelling them right and punctuating them correctly, too, so you don’t disable your message regardless of the channel!

Eloqua’s Grand Guide premise is simple: Don’t try to boil the ocean. Instead, help marketers overcome one challenge at a time.

Technology tries to save us from ourselves, including ToneCheck that checks your e-mails for tone before you click send!

Nancy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:49:51 +0000

Here’s a piece from The Week featuring six gadgets designed to save us from ourselves, including free software that will scan your e-mail for content that might be considered impolite. It’s often suggested that we should draft our e-mails with no names filled into the “To” line until you’ve written it, reread it/proofread it, and then are sure it’s really what you want to communicate to avoid inadvertently sending something written in the heat of the moment that might be something to regret later. I’ve had clients hire me to create and document e-mail standards for use within their organizations, and adding the recipients’ names at the end is just one of my recommendations, as well. Sometimes it can just help preclude your sending something that is still in draft mode while on other occasions you may just wish to draft it, save and close it, and revisit it with a bit of a time cushion to revisit what you’ve written and how you wrote it to help minimize misunderstanding or other fallout. (Remember, as always, if you are doing a varied distribution, it is more appropriate to address the e-mail to just Undisclosed Recipients [NO hyphen after Undisclosed and Recipients should be plural, by the way--it's often used incorrectly] and have that set up in your address book to go to you and then use the BCC [blind carbon copy--a legacy from typewriting days] feature to click recipients’ names for privacy purposes unless each recipient needs to know who else received it for business purposes.)

Bad Decision Blocker is another product mentioned in the article, and it’s designed to prevent someone from calling a boss or other significant person when fatigued or a bit tipsy. Some of these may be amusing, but the overall look into the melding of technology and emotion-laden communication is somewhat intriguing–perhaps a tad like being your own Big Brother?

Ideas for saving a struggling restaurant that can apply to retail and almost any other industry sector!

Nancy — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:03:51 +0000

I came across a good piece from Restaurant News Resource with some assessment and marketing tips for restaurants having some difficulties–okay, I used a bit of a euphemism there as the article is actually entitled “How to Save a Failing Restaurant.”

I’m putting this out there as I think that a number of the ideas, such as really assessing your clientele’s issues or concerns, e.g., having only 30 minutes for lunch, can spark some new ideas for you in almost any industry sector to help you refresh your service offerings or the way you deliver your product or service. You can read more by clicking through on the link!

The power of a well-managed brand endures even in challenging economic times..

Nancy — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:50:17 +0000

Here’s an interesting piece from AdvertisingAge: http://bit.ly/9GdgTA

“A World of Inspirational Problem-Solving, Savvy Brands and Smart Marketing. Sure, the Global Economy Is Challenging Right Now, but These Companies Have Found Ways to Make Their Brand Messages Work Harder to Reach Consumers”

Seth Godin on “Fear of Shipping” ~ Not wanting to make a fool of yourself or exposing yourself to criticism

Nancy — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:55:56 +0000

Here’s an insightful post from the legendary Seth Godin on Fear of Shipping whether it’s launching a product or sending an e-mail. Here’s a snip; you can click through on the link to read the rest:

“Shipping is fraught with risk and danger. Every time you raise your hand, send an email, launch a product or make a suggestion, you’re exposing yourself to criticism. Not just criticism, but the negative consequences that come with wasting money, annoying someone in power or making a fool of yourself. It’s no wonder we’re afraid to ship.”

This honest assessment addresses a phenomenon that is almost paralyzing to many people both in business and in their personal lives. And I’m guessing it accounts for a lot of procrastination because once you actually follow through and act you ARE exposed. If you don’t “finish the job” and put it or your product out there you may avoid criticism or being vulnerable, but the odds are slim to none that you’ll accomplish your objectives OR even have a chance of staying on track for your business plan.

The phenomenon of “pop-up restaurants” redefines what a restaurant is~Great Ruth Reichl piece

Nancy — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:40:31 +0000

The legendary Ruth Reichl recently wrote a great post entitled “The Meaning of Ludo’s” in which she talks about her experience with the sought-after LudoBites, which transcends the typical excitement associated with a new dining opportunity as it has no fixed location. As the theater and romance of restaurants has always intrigued me and working with clients in the foodservice industry has long been a love of mine, this entirely different perspective on what makes a restaurant a “go-to” has a new level of intrigue.

The success of LudoBites shows that it is often not just about the decor, the setting, the food, table linens, service–as this restaurant picks new locations and on the night Reichl visited it was inhabiting what she described as “a little sandwich shop in a grungy part of town – it is the ultimate statement about the supremacy of food over ambiance.” Read more here:

Helpful Twitter tool and other great resources through Verizon, LinkedIn, Perry Marshall, and others!

Nancy — Fri, 14 May 2010 03:16:55 +0000

Just a quick note as heavily enmeshed in Michael Stelzner’s Social Media Examiner Social Media Success Summit 2010 #SMSS10… One of the participants in the group’s LinkedIn discussion board mentioned having had great success with www.friendorfollow.com in the spirit of reciprocity! There have been so many excellent Webinars and teleconferences lately–some free and some not–but the overall caliber of the presenters and the content has been fabulous.

The power of LinkedIn to connect with fellow professionals, prospective clients, employers, and so much more is impressive, and there’s always more to learn! By the way, there is an active and intriguing group of professional women on LinkedIn under the group name ForbesWoman–very proactive and interested in learning about and supporting each other. And, Verizon’s Small Business Center has had a series of Webinars as well as a forum. Guy Kawasaki just presented last week with some new tools for managing and finding pertinent information to your areas of interest. Perry Marshall has also offered some thorough and helpful content on AdWords. Webinars such as these are a great way for reaffirming your role as a thought leader in your areas of expertise and for building relationships (and mailing lists!). Thanks to all of you who “get it” that giving and sharing your knowledge benefits all of us while enhancing credibility and engendering appreciation! : – )

Check out Trip Advisor’s Top Destinations for 2010, including the best destinations in the world for food and wine!

Nancy — Thu, 06 May 2010 21:22:13 +0000

Check out Trip Advisor’s Top Destinations for 2010, including the best beach and sun destinations, best emerging destinations, and many others–including our favorite picks: the best destinations for food and wine in the world!

There may be some inspiration there not just for travelers but also restaurateurs. BTW, the photo of South Africa’s Western Cape is amazing!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations-cFoodWine-g1

“Like” replaces “Become a Fan” for Facebook pages as of today (4/26/10)~Potentially impacts marketing-material copy, too

Nancy — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:23:28 +0000

According to Facebook, “Starting today people will be able to connect with your Page by clicking “Like” rather than “Become a Fan.” We hope this action will feel much more lightweight, and that it will increase the number of connections made across the site.”

Please note that this may also impact the language in some of your marketing materials where you may have invited prospective followers to become “Fans.”