…is Jack’s coffee.  So very good.

I took that right from Jerry Colonna’s most recent post, Board Meetings that Suck.  There’s an entire list of reasons why board meetings (and really, meetings in general) suck, along with a nice list of suggestions to combat the suckiness of these meetings.

The first one in this second list, “Set and KEEP to the agenda”, hit me over the head a few months back.  After doing a few meetings, both virtually and in person, I quickly came to realize that it wasn’t my time that mattered, it was the time of those in the meeting that mattered.  I needed to get my pitch across to these folks in the time allotted, and according to the agenda I set.

I would make one change, from “Set and KEEP to the agenda” to “SET and KEEP to the agenda”.  Setting an agenda gives you guidelines on how to keep the agenda.  Paying equal attention to both makes the agenda worth it, not only for this but for future meetings as well.

By the way, if you haven’t picked up on Jerry’s posts yet, you should do so.  Now.

Apple released it’s latest cure for today’s global economic ails, and I want one. Yes, it’s called something else, but I like ApTab better than the alternative.

I was on a conference call, but was madly refreshing the NYTimes Bits blog to get the details.  For someone who has a Mac laptop and an iPhone (hey, that’s me!), I can see the value of the ApTab, especially if you travel for both local and remote events.  10 hours (ish) of battery life?  Yes, pleaae.

My first things I think I like:

• Hardware – The size and weight is nice.  Yes, it’s somewhere between a laptop and an iPod Touch but there seem to be so many places the ApTab can be used.  Add a cover or jacket, and it likely won’t be much different than the Mac laptop.
• Software (O/S) – Seems snappy and basic, which also seems perfect for this type of device.  If this is a “transition” device (somewhere between a desktop/laptop and a smart phone), there isn’t much need for all the crazy code that goes into a full-blown operating system.
• Software (Apps) – There are lots, and lots more coming.

Realistically, you are investing in the hardware at this point.  Can you do without USB inputs or external monitor ports or a camera?  Of these, I think the camera would make the most sense to include for video conversations.

I recently bought a pair of bluetooth headphones, which the ApTab will be able to use.  Yay!

The other thing I was hoping for was a native handwriting application.  You know, to use it like a, um, legal pad?  How cool would it be to actually jot down notes using your own stylus/finger/pointy object?  I could take this to a meeting and actually use it to capture notes – I could use that.  I found a few apps in the store, so that’s good news, and I imagine some young whipper-snapper will create an app that can dump the handwriting notes into an email/calendar/contact/to-do list.

The nice thing is that Apple has a few more weeks and months to tinker with the final product.  I’m not sure about dropping a camera in at this point, but there might be some additional bells and whistles that could accompany the real thing.

But I think that’s the point here.  If I can do with out the hardware things for the next 18-24 months and can find away around the screen-based keyboard, I’m interested.

In fact, I want one.

Another early morning, another Economist.com podcast down. In this one, from Harry Mintzberg (“A consistently contrary Canadian academic…”), talks about leaders versus managers.

It certainly is a different and interesting view (I’m planning to listen to it again and give it a bit more thought), and he even pokes holes at the folks heading the MBA Oath (which I support).

Speaking of, there’s nearly 1,800 oath signers. Wow!

A few recent and fun posts to read about the challenges and successes in dealing with email.

• Some Thoughts On Email After Dealing With 500 Emails
• Taming Email Overload

Not too long ago, our team attended a conference in San Francisco, CA. As a vendor, we were tasked with putting together a booth, materials, etc, which kept us plenty busy and since most of us were arriving from out of town, timing and communication became critical.

While the conference provided a terrific venue to meet current clients and customers, as well as develop relationships with new ones, I wanted to take advantage of being in a geographic location that I’m not in all too often.

So, I made a plan. Then chatted with some folks about it. Then tested it. Then tweaked it. Then tested it. Then let it loose.

Fundamentally, this was an exercise in communications and time management. However, it was pitched as a sales and marketing outreach initiative intended to accomplish the following goals:

• A direct marketing push to those clients in specific geographical areas
• A direct sales opportunity to clients needing additional services and products
• A direct marketing opportunity to introduce company to potential clients
• A direct sales opportunity to introduce services and products to potential clients

I don’t think this will work for everyone, but it was a great experience for me. Once I had the concept nailed down, I began using the same process in and around my office in New York, NY.

Feel free to download the paper (PDF) with no restrictions from the link below. After your review, I’d enjoy hearing your comments.

Excellent post by Seth today, with a terrific template for responding to a “wronged” customer (or employee or friend or partner…):

I have no problem acknowledging that you’re unhappy, upset or even angry. Next time, I’d prefer to organize our interaction so you don’t end up feeling that way, and I probably could have done it this time, too. You have my attention and my empathy and I value you. Thanks for being here.

Full Post Here

Ever screw up beyond belief and had to figure a way to apologize? Whether it’s professional or personal, it’s a tough thing to do – but it needs to be done to put it behind you, move forward, and learn from it.

Here’s a very public apology that I thought was a good one. Yeah, it doesn’t answer all the issues, but it certainly addresses the issue at hand and attempts to move forward.

This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our “solution” to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we’ve received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.

With deep apology to our customers,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Amazon.com

Reference

What would you prefer – something that is flashy and graphically enchanting, or something that is plain? In Entourage talk, would you prefer Vincent or Eric? I think most of us would prefer the enchanting route since we’d like to enjoy doing something while we’re actually doing it.

Seth Godin talks about whether we move towards what is good for us or what we think is good for us. Over on VerticalResponse, the focus is on ensuring a text-based email is delivered along with the HTML version – the “E” version vs. the “Vinnie” version.

As marketers, I think we’re always trying to find a happy medium between these seemingly opposite-ends-of-the-spectrum options – We want our message to be noticed, so we aim for the the flashy message. As customers, we don’t always purchase what we need, but rather what we think we need, maybe buying into the flashy message.

So, where is this happy medium? For me, I think it’s built into what our goals are: if we’re looking for short-term winnings then maybe the flashy approach is best. I mean, we’ll probably get more eyeballs moving towards an image and away from the actual message/text.

But, if we’re in it for the long haul, with both ourselves and our customers, then perhaps dialing down on the images and whiz-bang approach is the right way to go. If a customer buys our services because they think it’s what they need, only to realize they actually needed something different, it might cause more work for everyone in the big picture (and possibly some ill feelings).

Certainly, the message isn’t always the defining point in an interaction, but it’s likely the first step in setting up a relationship.

Great news from Jenn’s winery at the 3rd annual Ramona Valley Wine Competition…

• 2 golds (Seduction and 06 Est Syrah)
• 1 silver (Indian Princess)
• 3 bronzes (Merlot, Sangiovese, Cab on Fire)

6 wines entered, 6 winners!

Congratulations!