James Plotnik's Blog

This blog has moved

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 04:54:00 +0000

This blog is now located at http://blog.jamesplotnik.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://blog.jamesplotnik.com/feeds/posts/default.

Marketing Integration

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:07:00 +0000

Social media and online communities are taking off like a hot Italian sports car with 500+ horses under the hood... 0 to 60 in 3 seconds flat (I'm an automobile fanatic). The possibilities and value added that these tools provide are quite diverse and limitless. However, a lot of businesses tend to leave other marketing efforts on the side of the road instead of in the passenger seat.

Integration of marketing channels and efforts has a synergistic effect that is too important to ignore. They build off of one another, improving effectiveness and reach. Often times businesses don't integrate traditional marketing with new social media marketing. You are asking a lot of your customers (or potential customers) by assuming that they will seek you out in the social media world. The need to be told that you have a social presence and that you do inform, promote and interact with them there.

Some ideas for accomplishing this:

Include twitter and facebook links in your traditional advertising such as print, TV and radio ads.
Put twitter and facebook on your business cards.
Post signs in your store.
Announce your online community at events held at your business or events that you and your customers attend.
Have employees ask customers that they interact with if they follow you on twitter or are a fan of your facebook page. If they don't, recommend they do and why they should!

Comments, additional ideas and your experiences are welcomed and encouraged!

My Take on the Automaker Bailout

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:33:00 +0000

The proposed bailout of the major three US automakers has been all over the news lately. For those of you who may not know about it, they are proposing to give Ford, GM and Chrysler 25 billion dollars to mitigate cash flow and operational problems. I am strongly against the bailout for reasons that I shall discuss here.

What proponents are arguing is that these three automakers are essentially the entire US auto industry and if they fail there will potentially be 5 million people out of work. They need to realize that this is not the case. If one, some or all of these automakers declare bankruptcy they will be required to restructure and make operational changes under supervision of the courts. Will some people lose their jobs? Yes, however it will not be all 5 million as I can guarantee their operations will continue. Bankruptcy would be a good thing because it will trim up their workforce, make it more efficient, release them from the strong grip of workers’ unions and promote the much needed innovation that they have been severely lacking.

US automakers have been behind the times for quite some time now. Foreign automakers have surpassed them in sales and reputation. The CEOs and executives of our country’s automakers have been too hung up on their pride and the idea that American’s are all about the bigger is better philosophy by producing big, gas guzzling cars instead of investing in new technologies and alternative fuels. If they receive this bailout then it will be looked at as a slap on the hand and they will continue as they always have. If they are allowed to fail (as they should) they will be forced to trim the fat and innovate in order to remain competitive.

Our government should not in any way compromise innovation in our economy and industries by bailing everyone out. First a $700 billion bailout for the financial industry and then a $25 billion bailout for the automakers. Who is next? Where does it stop? I should not be responsible for bailing out poorly managed companies, you shouldn’t be either and neither should the taxpaying American public. Let these companies learn from their mistakes and better themselves. If they are unable to do this, then there is no place for them in the competitive marketplace.

What are your thoughts and opinions on this matter? Please post comments here or email me at james.plotnik@gmail.com.

Consistency

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:07:00 +0000

Picture this: You talk with a customer service representative over the phone and confirm that everything is ready to go for you to upgrade your cell phone. Then you go into the actual store to get your fancy new phone only to be severely disappointed that you are not eligible for an upgrade due to using the upgrade option nearly 2 years ago for a phone that you returned within one week of purchase. What’s worse, you were ensured upon returning that phone (almost 2 years ago) that your upgrade option was reinstated.

Now here you are ready and willing to give a company you have a great, long-term relationship with more business and you’re being denied due to their mistake. A mistake that you were told would never be an issue. Well, you take it upon yourself to call customer service while standing in the store to clear things up and they tell you they have to process a special request that will take 7 days. Are you serious?

This was an experience I recently had with AT&T Wireless when I wanted to upgrade to the new iPhone 3G. Needless to say, it left me very frustrated and unhappy with AT&T Wireless and I’m sure it would do the same for you. Oh, and I should mention, that I have yet to upgrade to the new iPhone simply because I don’t want to deal with that hassle again.

So, what is the biggest issue here? Lack of consistency. You’re told one thing and here another from someone else. One customer service rep notates your account about your conversation, and others do not.

My point: Be consistent! When operating your business, working in your place of employment and living your personal life, be consistent. Inconsistency degrades your credibility and frustrates people so that they will no longer want to continue a relationship with you. If you’re a business you will lose customers. If you’re an employee, your employer will not give you the projects or responsibility you want.

In order to be consistent you must set policy and procedures that promote consistency and then enforce them. Make consistency fun by promoting it in creative ways. Just be consistent.

Feel free to share comments and stories about your experiences with consistency (or lack there of). You may also email me at james.plotnik@gmail.com if you like.

Reignite a Long-term Job Search Podcast Tonight

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:32:00 +0000

The Savvy Jobseeker Blog & Podcast is presenting Reignite a Long-term Job Search this evening at 6pm (Eastern). The show is about the job search process and will involve a panel of speakers discussing their experiences. I will be one of the panelists and my goal is to present how I have been conducting my job search so that others may be able to make their searches more effective. My other goal is to learn different ways to jumpstart my search and get better results from the panelists and guest expert, Annemarie Segaric.

I recommend checking this podcast out if you are currently looking for a job or are considering looking for a job. And... let's face it, with today's economy and ever evolving job market, you should always be informed about job searching because you never know when you may be the one needing to do it yourself.

So go ahead, just click here at 6pm to listen to the podcast. It will also be archived so you can listen to it whenever you want.

Your Shopping Habits...

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:10:00 +0000

There is a shift happening in the way we do our grocery shopping and it has to do with the bags we use. More and more cloth shopping bags are popping up and I would like to gather a little information about them.

Do you use cloth shopping bags to do your shopping? If you do, what is it that you like about them? What do you dislike? What would prompt you to use them more often? Would you use them for shopping outside of the grocery store? If you do not use cloth shopping bags, why don't you? What would cause you to use them?

Feel free to answer these questions in the comment section of this post. Thank you for your participation!

zenhabits: Top 20 Motivation Hacks

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:03:00 +0000

I recently began following zenhabits, a blog with fantastic posts about motivation, productivity, achieving your goals and more.

The post Top 20 Motivation Hacks - An Overview presents a great deal of value in helping you keep on track to reaching your goals. And for that reason I would like to list the Top 20 and encourage you to click the link to visit the actual post.

20. Chart your progress.
19. Hold yourself back.
18. Join an online (or off-line) group to help keep you focused and motivated.
17. Post a picture of your goal someplace visible - near your desk or on your refrigerator, for example.
16. Get a workout or goal buddy.
15. Just get started.
14. Make it a pleasure.
13. Give it time, be patient.
12. Break it into smaller, mini goals.
11. Reward yourself. Often.
10. Find inspiration, on a daily basis.
9. Get a coach or take a class.
8. Have powerful reasons. Write them down.
7. Become aware of your urges to quit, and be prepared for them.
6. Make it a rule to never skip two days in a row.
5. Visualize your goal, clearly on a daily basis, for at least 5-10 minutes.
4. Keep a daily journal of your goal.
3. Create a friendly, mutually-supportive competition.
2. Make a big public commitment. Be fully committed.
1. Always think positive. Squash all negative thoughts.

Investment & Commitment

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:53:00 +0000

I started reading Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson last week. Now I’m only on chapter three but I feel like there are already some things worth discussing. What really grabbed my interest so far were two of the 16 guerrilla secrets; commitment and investment.

A reoccurring theme in my work experience and throughout my MBA program has caused me some concern. That reoccurring theme… shortsightedness. In my experience management looks for and expects instant results and if they don’t see those results they scrap the marketing initiative. I blame this on the overarching financial reporting requirements here in the United States where companies are required to file financials on a quarterly basis. A company’s stock price is affected by those financials which is ultimately what consumers and investors use to gauge that company’s performance. Of course it is top management’s concern to increase performance and value for shareholders which is why they constantly push for short-term results.

What people need to realize is that marketing is an investment and requires commitment in order to produce fantastic results that may show further down the road. Of course the timeline for seeing results varies on many factors including what brand equity the company already has established, marketing budget, etc…

Marketing efforts should not be confined to producing results within a financial timeline. You must focus on building customer confidence and trust, things that may take longer than one, two, three or even four reporting periods. Marketing is a long-term investment that requires commitment to a well conceived plan that is adaptable and manageable.

Marketing vs. Sales

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:29:00 +0000

I love how a lot of people confuse marketing with sales. I have my resume posted online (just as every professional should whether or not you are in the market for a new job) and I am tired of all the emails I receive from insurance and financial service companies stating that I should come work for them in marketing when in actuality they are all sales jobs. I also have to clarify with people that I speak with in casual social situations as to what I mean when I say that I am seeking employment in the marketing field. Almost everyone responds with the proverbial, oh, you want to do sales. No, I don’t want to be a salesperson and no, marketing is not sales… but… sales is marketing. I will explain.

Marketing Defined

Marketing is understanding your customers (internal & external) and ensuring that your organization adds value to those customers while generating revenue for the organization. Now the world of marketing is much more complex than this, however, this is the fundamental meaning behind marketing that all those other complexities stem from. Such things as market segmentation, branding, the 4 P’s (product, place, price and promotion), PR, advertising and product development all fit under the marketing umbrella, but their purpose boils down to understanding customers and adding value while generating revenue. My goal is to use my blog to clarify and discuss the complexities and intricacies of marketing.

Sales Defined

Sales is the delivery of value to customers in return for money or other compensation.

Marketing vs. Sales

One would argue that a salesperson’s job is to do precisely what I defined marketing to be. They get to know the customer and understand their needs, illustrate how their product or service meets those needs (ensure value added) and then deliver the product or service to the customer in exchange for payment (revenue). Exactly! This is why I stated that marketing is not sales, but sales is marketing.

However, sales is a marketing tool and one that cannot be used until the marketing department of an organization does some legwork first. They must create an image for the organization (branding). Research must be conducted to determine market segmentation and product attributes. A value proposition must be created. A strategy must be developed to distribute the product or service to the target markets. After all of this is said and done is when sales can step in and begin selling.

Communication must not flow one way from marketing to sales. In fact, communication between marketing and sales MUST be a two-way street. Salespeople are on the frontlines with the customer. They get to know them intimately and understand their needs and how they evolve. Therefore sales needs to communicate information back to marketing so that they can make the necessary changes to the overall marketing campaign as well as make appropriate product changes to maintain their competitiveness in the marketplace.

So when someone is talking about marketing, says that they are in marketing, or are looking for employment in marketing don’t assume that they are referring to sales. There is much more to marketing.

What do you think marketing is? How do you describe the relationship between marketing and sales? Please share your comments by posting a comment, linking back to this post or sending me an email.

What are you doing this Saturday?

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:35:00 +0000

My friends who own and run The Gourmet Grape (an amazing wine store in Lakeview) are celebrating their store’s 5 year anniversary this Saturday, May 17th, from 2pm to 6pm. The celebration is also a fundraiser for Imerman Angels, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization that connects a person fighting cancer today (cancer fighter) with someone who has beaten the same type of cancer (cancer survivor).

I recommend that you and your friends stop by, check out their wonderful store, taste some wine and help out a great not-for-profit! A $20 donation will get you 20 tastes and 10% of all sales will be donated to Imerman Angels.

The Gourmet Grape is located at 3530 N Halsted St.

9 Tidbits of Business Advice

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:10:00 +0000

1. Avoid the naysayers. There will be a whole lot of people who will tell you what you can't do - don't listen to them! (Guy Morgan & Aaron Rasty of BlueStar Energy Services)

2. Make business decisions based on more than just financials, because a decision based solely on money will prove to be a bad decision. (Jack McClurg & Lou Hutchison of Health Trans LLC)

3. You can't sell anything if you can't sell yourself. If you do not believe in your business and your success, no one else will. And when you're putting all you have on the line, you'd better believe in what you're doing! (Hany Girgis of SGIS)

4. Always make decisions based on long-term effects, not short-term results. (Michael S. Eisenga of First American Funding Co.)

5. Listen to the customer and listen to the market. Mind share equals market share. (George Nediyakalayil of Gas Depot Inc.)

6. Think like your customer. Put yourself in their shoes. (Scott Sanfilippo & Joseph Palko of Solid Cactus Inc.)

7. Know your strengths. Stay focused on your core competencies. Don't try to tackle everything in one market. (Roger J. Hendrick of Hendrick Construction Inc.)

8. Plan your work and work your plan. (Tim Williams & Craig Woerz of Media Storm LLC)

9. Don't let your fear stop you. (Rob Hannah of TSG Real Estate)

All of the above tidbits of advice are from the May 2008 issue of Entrepreneur magazine. A publication that I read regularly and recommend that others read.

More on Leadership

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Sun, 11 May 2008 21:25:00 +0000

I was at the GLAAD Media Awards last night in San Francisco. Judith Light (who currently stars in Ugly Betty!) presented an award and in her presentation she said something about leadership that I really liked. She said: "A good leader shows the way. A great leader becomes the way." I thought this was appropriate to post since I posted about leadership just yesterday.

Leadership

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:33:00 +0000

I was on the plane to San Francisco this morning and I read an article in the NWA World Traveler magazine on leadership. There was one thing that really stood out for me. The article stated that "the ability to find meaning and strength in adversity distinguishes leaders". I really believe this is just scratching the surface. An effective leader not only needs to be able to find meaning and strength in adversity, they need to be able to communicate those findings in a meaningful and useful way to those whom they are leading. A good leader finds meaning and strength while a great leader motivates, teaches and leads their team to greatness from those lessons.

A great leader is also able to assist the individuals on their team identify and grow their strengths. They do not force, they simply nudge them in the right direction toward self fulfillment and ultimately team success.

Here are 6 Tips for Leaders from the article:
• Don't assume anything about a situation; you'll likely be wrong if you rely on your first impression.
• Leaders need to ask questions as often as they give answers.
• Be aware of the lenses you bring to a situation; a leader needs to question himself or herself.
• Learn to rely on others; a leader needs to be able to trust other people.
• When you're new to a leadership situation, find common ground by telling stories and getting people to share theirs.
• Remember that sometimes events can conspire to make you a leader.

After writing those 6 tips I thought of another trait that makes a great leader and that is the ability to make decisions. A great leader can not be wishy washy when it comes to making decisions as this makes others doubt their abilities. They need to be able to make a firm decision based on the information they have available to them.

"Candyland Couture"

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:18:00 +0000

Chicago House is holding their 20th Annual Spring Brunch & Fashion Show this Sunday (5/4/08) at the Harold Washington Library from 11:30am to 3:00pm. I encourage all of you that would like to attend and benefit Chicago House reserve your spots soon! (www.chicagohouse.org/event_1.html) My friends and I will be there enjoying the food and checking out new fashion trends. Come join us!

Paper or Plastic... or Cloth?

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:46:00 +0000

I just read an email that my friend Mary K. forwarded to me about the dangers of using plastic shopping bags. The PowerPoint presentation that was included was quite informative and disturbing!

Consider the following facts:

Between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
Plastic bags have been found floating north of the Arctic Circle and as far south as the Falkland Islands.
Over time they break down into smaller, more toxic petro-polymers which contaminate our soil and water.
Plastic bags kill wildlife everyday.
If we use a cloth bag we can save 6 bags a week, or 24 bags a month, or 288 bags a year, or 22,176 bags in an average life time.
Many cities and countries are banning the use of plastic shopping bags.

I started using cloth shopping bags a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely love it! Plus, some of the grocery stores that sell them donate a portion of the proceeds to charity or another deserving cause (at least they do in Chicago). I urge you all to consider this and take action!

Great Quote

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:07:00 +0000

I'm looking at cards at Two Sided, this great shop here in Chicago, and one of the quotable cards grabbed my attention. Here is the quote:

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away." ~anonymous

Imagine what life & the world would be like if we all focused on experiencing more moments that take our breath away!

Cadillac TV Commercials

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:39:00 +0000

I really don't watch TV that much, but that past few times I've been watching while working out at the gym and the new Cadillac commercials have really grabbed my attention. Cadillacs have always stuck in my mind as being the old person's car, one my grandfather would drive. Not any more! They have really hit the mark with their current marketing campaign and targeted a younger demographic. The product design itself is phenomenal. The new models are edgy and sporty, yet sophisticated and refined. All of which are very appealing for young to middle-aged professionals such as myself. I find the artistic production of the commercials to be captivating. All the way from the blurred out lights from other vehicles as the Cadillac speeds through to the crisp clear voices of the spokes models telling us how the cars turn them on. Cadillac has certainly done a good job of selling their cars through sex appeal and the identifiers of the younger professional demographic. I'm even considering driving a Cadillac over the BMW I've always wanted.

You can view the Cadillac commercials for their different models on their website: www.cadillac.com.

Dining Out for Life

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:48:00 +0000

HIV and AIDS are very serious issues that affect many of our lives either directly or indirectly. Many restaurants in cities across the United States and Canada will join together on April 24, 2008 to benefit and support the HIV/AIDS community by donating a portion of their proceeds from this special night of dining. I request that you participate in this event. Make it fun! Go out on a date or get a group of friends together to celebrate good food, companionship and a good cause. Go to http://www.diningoutforlife.com/ to learn more and find a list of participating restaurants.

Fish!

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:30:00 +0000

I read Fish! by Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul, and John Christensen over the last couple of days and found it to be very enlightening. The book tells you how to learn to love what you do even though you may not be doing exactly what you love.

This is something I take to heart because I am still discovering my life's purpose and what I love. It has been a rough journey. A journey that has endured many bumps and detours that often include things that I do not enjoy or love doing. This has created a lot of uncertainty, aversion to risk and change, as well as that going no where while my tires are spinning thing.

For me, the biggest takeaway from this book was the four ingredients: choose, play, be present and make their day. I think the two most important ingredients are choose and be present.

What the authors mean by choose is that you have a choice about what attitude you bring to the table. I believe this is of the utmost importance because your attitude sets the tone for how you approach the other three. Its simple, you can choose to be happy and excited or hateful and miserable. Once you choose to be happy and positive you must stay the course. It is all too easy to let little things throughout your day get you down and change your attitude. This is what I find to be most difficult. My cure is to just remind myself that this too shall pass. What is the importance of something that upsets me in the first place? I adopt the philosophy that it isn't important if it makes me unhappy.

I believe that be present is the second most important because it is what I struggle with the most. I am constantly distracted from the present moment. I'm always concerned about the future. Do I have enough money for this? Do I have enough time to do that? What will so and so think of me if I choose this course of action? Blah, blah, blah... I also tend to focus on the past and dwell on my mistakes. How can I move forward if I continue to let my past mistakes make me feel bad? The answer is simple... I can't! It is best to learn the lesson from your mistakes and move on to be a better person. This inspirational reading from the book is what I will use to assist me in overcoming my lack of being present:

The past is history
The future is a mystery
Today is a gift
That is why we call it the present

The present truly is a gift that is meant to be enjoyed!

Fish! is a quick read that will help you discover ways to boost your morale and improve results for you personally and professionally. It will also give ideas to help improve the work environment. I definitely recommend checking it out.

Dinner In The Sky

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:21:00 +0000

I received an email with pictures of this restaurant and thought I would post it here because it is such a COOL concept! This would be especially fun for those members of your team who are afraid of heights. I sure hope a stiff breeze doesn't come along! The link to their website is http://www.dinnerinthesky.com/.

First Snow in Chicago for 2007

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 06:35:00 +0000

We just had our first snow here in Chicago, IL and I couldn't resist sharing some of the pictures I snapped of a beautiful clock tower by the lake. The pictures aren't the greatest since I took them with my phone, but you can still get the idea. Enjoy and Happy Winter!

How to Avoid Thinker's Block

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:36:00 +0000

I found a post on Scott Ginsberg's blog (HELLO, my name is BLOG!) to be interesting and enlightening.

I know that for myself, I have difficulty with over organizing and over analyzing in such a way that it hinders my thought process. Scott suggests that you stop organizing and just get everything down. I can see the benefit in this, but I still think there needs to be some sort of organizational structure to recording your thoughts. If there isn't then you'll have to search through massive lists of ideas and thoughts to find one specific one that you may be looking for. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to overcome this? I think one way may be to keep your thoughts and ideas in a MS Word file so that way you can perform a search for keywords.

Here are the 15 ways he suggests to avoid writer's (thinker's) block:
(click here to see the entire post)

1. You need to read everyday.
2. Copy your notes.
3. Write everything down.
4. Everything communicates something.
5. Soften your eyes.
6. Think on paper.
7. Capture, capture, capture.
8. Write morning pages.
9. Exercise everyday.
10. Easy does it.
11. Perpetually hunt for insight.
12. Prime your brain.
13. Stop organizing.
14. Ask and you shall receive.
15. Punch yourself in the face.

Is Going Green a Fad?

james.plotnik@gmail.com (James Plotnik) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:54:00 +0000

I hope this post will spur further discussion on this topic.

A friend and I had a conversation over the Thanksgiving holiday that centered on going green. I felt that his argument was quite compelling, but I believe it needs further investigation. He asserted that going green is just a fad that is over -inflating the values of green companies (including their stock price).

I tend to agree that going green is a trend with fad like qualities as more and more people are discussing it and jumping on the green bandwagon. However, going green is not going to go out of style like a fad does. I argue that having a green mentality and utilizing green products and services will become the norm. Once the general population realizes the importance of the benefits behind going green enough momentum will be built that this concept will survive on its own inertia.

There is so much potential for the green market. Marketing hasn't even begun to target the many different segments based on race, class and geographic location. Look at China and the other Asian countries where there are billions of people and millions of automobiles. It wasn't until just the other day that I saw a story on the news where automakers are pushing the sales of more Eco-friendly automobiles that are more fuel efficient and/or run off of alternative fuel sources to people in China. With a population as large as China's, they have a real opportunity to reduce greenhouse gases by utilizing more fuel efficient automobiles. This is just one approach though, think of the opportunities to market, sell and help the environment with products like energy efficient light bulbs, recycled materials, green development, etc...

What about citizens in the U.S. that are considered to be lower class? They should be educated as to how going green benefits the environment and future generations, but can they really afford to do so? They are too focused on living day-to-day that paying the small premium for going green does not produce immediate tangible results for them and is therefore out of their reach.

Something that I question about green products is whether or not they are truly green. Another friend and I had a conversation in which she told me that it actually takes more energy and resources to manufacture a hybrid automobile than that hybrid saves in it's lifetime as compared to a standard automobile. I therefore wonder if all green products are held to some type of measurement standard where their manufacturing process is weighed against their benefits as a green product as well as the manufacture of current products.