Write Side of Business LLC

Out of the mouths of babes…as true today as the day someone first said it. My daughter volunteers at a homeless shelter every year, on two consecutive weekends. She hands out blankets to men and women who opt to come in from the cold for a few nights in January, and she sets up sleeping mats on the auditorium floor. Sometimes she talks to the visitors and makes them feel comfortable.

Two years ago, she linked up (at the age of 12, her first year volunteering) with a homeless 19 year-old girl who was left without a place to stay after her boyfriend kicked her out of the apartment they shared. If you looked at the woman, you wouldn’t know she was homeless. She could have been me — or perhaps you. Styled hair, sporting an IPOD, wearing a beautiful eggshell white knitted sweater that looked to be somewhat expensive, and boots that matched her purse in color. Nope, if she passed me by on the sidewalk at noon, I wouldn’t view her as homeless. In fact I wouldn’t view her at all: she fits in with everybody else, at least in appearance, but her life isn’t like ours.

We have keys. That’s how one of my friends who was temporarily homeless put it. Keys make the difference. When you have keys you have a place to go, even if they only open the door to your car.

We have a place to stay, a home with a warm bed, blankets, a furnace that rumbles on and off during the night. She doesn’t. Doors at the shelter open at 7pm and patrons are lined up to get in, particuarly on nights in Michigan with temperatures hovering lower on the scale. Doors open again at 7am to signal everyone must leave.

Fifty degrees isn’t “really”  cold if you’re used to being homeless but when temps dip below 20, or 10 or 5, you feel it — the stinging bite of your plight: no shelter, no place to call home. As that friend of mine put it: gotta have keys — they open doors. We don’t know what happened to the girl my daughter linked up with, but I know the experiences the woman shared affected my daughter then and still does today: my daughter prays for her at night and pictures her in a house, with heat, and a bed — and keys.

Last weekend my daughter met a guitar carrying man at the same shelter. During conversation she found out he came from California, and had a good father when he was a kid, who taught him how to play — and well. In my daughter’s words, “He did scales and melody and chords….he was good.” But that’s not nearly as important as what my daughter took away from the conversation. He was not a drunk; he had not abused himself or someone else; but he was homeless. The kind man let my daughter play his guitar, gave her pointers and played some music for her too. When she returned home and wrote out a reflection sheet for volunteer community service hour credits at the high school, as any mom would do, I took a peek. And it made me smile. Here’s what she said.

” When you work at a homeless shelter you connect with people and they connect with you. You discover that we aren’t all that much different. And you find out, homeless people are not all bad. Many are pretty much just like us.”

You know something? It’s true, but there is one big difference separating us: we have keys.

Employers would do well to remember the “person on the other end” when they reject an applicant for a position. In sales, I was taught that every person you meet has potential to become your customer or client and one mentor often reminded me while pointing a finger to make his words stick, “Don’t forget it. Once you lose them it’s mighty hard to get them back.”

Let’s see. There are 5 million people unemployed or underemployed. And among the ranks no doubt are many who have submitted job applications into the black hole of the online world. After figuring out that a password must have upper and lower case and non numeric symbols, then reformatting their resume credentials after they’ve backfilled wrong into the form, applicants trust the universe to deliver as they launch their resume into the internet ether with simply a handstroke — and hope for the best. Days go by. Perhaps even weeks. But they rest easy in the knowledge that their resume surely has arrived somewhere and is being read by someone — it must be.

How do they know? Well, an email notified them, almost instantly after they hit the send button. Only an efficient, well-run organization with care in their heart would go to such ends, right?

Guess again. And many unemployed I’ve spoken with have reported with anger and sadnes that there’s nothing “human” in the Human Resource profession these days. Some wonder if the entire department has been taken over by robots.

There’s a lot at stake. The firms posting jobs and either ignoring candidates and not “caring” enough to send a thank you email or regular post letter within a reasonable time — even if it’s simply to say “thanks but no thanks”, risk losing a great deal, despite any “gain” they might feel they’ve received by hiring the right candidate.

Those ignored, well, they’ll tell their friends. And those friends will tell others about experiences they’ve heard about. And the firms themselves –odds are they will lose some customers. It’s hard to put a price on it when a company has sales into the millions or billions, but there is a price. It’s called goodwill. And it’s fast getting lost these days. But people talk and they spread the word and some employee want-a-bes voice their opinions on social networking sites. Others see it and yet again it spreads.

Companies would do well to think through their hiring and notification processes, not just to retain the clients they currently enjoy but to show respect for the human beings on the other end. Yes, humans.  With the advent of computers came what some perceive as anonymity.  It’s easy to post commentary, opine about a news organization that doesn’t share your views, or complain about a book purchase on a social networking site without ever being “known” — but when candidates get rejected for jobs: the companies doing the rejecting are known and anonymous or not, consumers talk about them. In some cases the firms are household names with great reputations — but reputations can change, and fast, especially today because of lightning fast computer speeds and access to inexpensive technology.

Never take for granted the opportunity to reach out to the face on the other end — that face might buy from you, and more than once. Turn your back, and they never will. Nor will their friends.

Okay, last Friday night I sat on the sofa and watched Shark Tank with my daughter. Together we opined about whether we could dream up a better mousetrap than those profiled on the show — do we have an idea that could make us millionaires? For the unfamiliar Shark Tank is a show profiling entrepreneurs who seek venture capital from angel investors. The team of funders asks the person or persons making the pitch about details: how long in business, how much capital do they seek, what is their profit and cost of manufacture and on…

What I really like about the show: it profiles what America was built on — ideas, innovation and entrepreneurship. Yet, if you watch the news today you’ll see nothing but bad news, whether it’s murders profiled prime time, rapes on Ann Arbor’s school campus, or a failed budget deal. Rest assured, yes, bad things happen. But there is a lot of good out there in America and Shark Tank is fun to watch — it’s fun to watch someone’s hard work pay off and big.

My daughter recommended that the show start a Minnow Pond series to profile teens who have great ideas and need a little help to get them started. With a little prodding maybe she’ll send the show’s producers a short note encouraging them to consider it.

In Michigan there’s a great PBS show profiling start-ups within the state — success stories about entrepreneurs. One young man, age 24 started Wild Game Soup — it was a light bulb moment at a dinner when he ordered wild pheasant soup and realized he’d never seen it in a can on a store shelf, for sale. Next he found a chef to make wild game soups, the two teamed up, and the rest is history. This is what makes America great. And America is great!

True enough, I don’t need to see the sometimes rude banter between the  Shark Tank show regulars and the entrepreneurs — makes me wonder if bullying in schools is made much worse because of values taught on televsion. Still, it’s a great show and a win for anyone who is on that show, makes me feel like a winner too — because I’m part of the fabric of America and so are you.

Well, I just watched Never Say Never, the Justin Bieber biography – ordered it from Netflix. Though not a “Bieber Fever” family, as a business owner I saw lessons we can all learn from this musically gifted young man and his manager — marketing methods that anyone can apply, whether a gifted musician, a recent graduate from medical school just starting out or the owner of a mid-sized business ready to reach new heights.

First and foremost, I want to share that I found great comfort in seeing a young man not afraid to  pray  — in public. Far too often lately, anything “Christian-based” has been ridiculed or avoided completely on the big screen and I found it refreshing that the movie included prayer before a concert, prayer before a meal and at other times. The movie showcased a person who looks like he has it all, but is smart enough to rely on something bigger than himself –  he knows his gifts are there because of grace given by a higher being — God.

As I watched the movie, I found myself saying over and over…what a great idea! What a great idea. The phenomenon of Justin Bieber obviously started with raw talent — talent not yet discovered. Enter Scooter Braun who became Bieber’s manager and along with Usher nurtured the talent over the course of 3-4 years  — producing the product we see today.

It looks easy on screen. It looks like anyone can be a superstar given the right circumstances and mix. What is your mix? What are your circumstances? What needs to come together for you to be a success?

Watching the movie I mulled these questions — and many more over in my mind. And then I hit that aha moment, when it all seems clear. No, odds are we won’t all be able to earn $53 million in a year — as Bieber did, but what are we capable of?

There were valuable lessons in the movie that  we can all benefit from. What are they?

1) Hard work. Show up at the plate every day and work to perfect your skill. Maybe you can’t practice an instrument 4 hours a day or work on public speaking if that’s your “thing” 4 hours a day, but you can do something. Tenacity is the key. Are you tenacious enough — persistent enough to never give up, or in Bieber’s own words, to “Never Say Never.” Are you?

2) Work simple.  It doesn’t have to be fancy. The Bieber movie wasn’t fancy. Much of the footage looked amateurish and that was part of its appeal. It stayed organic for the audience, not filled with special effects. The  website www.kahnacademy.org teaches math, science and a host of other subjects to youth in 10 minute snipets — with simply a blackboard  set-up and voice but no fancy graphics or “human” video content and has been a great success, in part I believe because it sells you on simple. The content matters, not how fancy the graphics are. Yes, it’s true  people do make snap judgments when they see a report or visit a website and decide whether you or your firm have the  ”professional look” — but you can pack a lot of professionalism in being simple — on target, and to the point.

3) Connect with your audience. A few words here. Bieber is a pro at using social marketing to the ultimate advantage to grow his brand — through Twitter by announcing to fans which radio station he’d be at when he first got started marketing his content, then through Facebook, YouTube and other portals. And he did a lot of ground work — hitting up every radio station around, turning nobody down if they would listen to him, interview him and talk to him, regardless of whether they played his songs on their radio station or not. He planted seeds of success and it took about 4 years before it really paid off. It looks easy. We see the success story — the guy makes millions, plays to huge crowds and enjoys fame and all it brings. But it didn’t start out that way. And people forget about the humble beginnings. And his beginnings were very humble. But they were nurtured.

4) Get Nurtured. Find someone or a group that can support you in what you are trying to accomplish, whatever the profession. If there isn’t a group you can find — start one! If it doesn’t work out, start another. It’s how you become successful, by finding the right groups and professionals who can nurture you along your career path and help promote you and your business — hopefully while you promote theirs in return.

5) Don’t give up! It only takes one success. It might be preceeded by 50 or 500 or 5000 failures. It doesn’t matter. Bieber’s manager Braun said something in a blog post along the lines of …”What would have happened if I hadn’t found Justin’s videos online or his mom didn’t post them online on YouTube? Where would he have ended up? Where would he be now?” Good questions — and I think most of us know the answer — probably in high school like most teens his age. But he’s not. Yes, he has talent, very special skills, but so do you and I and we need to cultivate them and continue to find our own audience for them. Like Braun said, ”It only takes one success, but to get it you have to be willing to fail.”  Are you willing?

http://new.pivtr.com/en/hosts/lillian-cauldwell/

Radio interview with Lillian Cauldwell of PIVTR - an Ann Arbor Internet Radio Station, fast gaining popoularity. We talked about my book My Teacher’s Name is Grief on 2/17/11 and about the self-publishing business for book writers on 2/22/11. Scroll down the page at the above link and look for “Madeleine Miehls” under Lillian’s February 2011 radio show guest list to listen and to learn more.

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I wrote a book about grief and loss called, My T eacher’s Name is Grief . It shows us what “lessons” we learn from grief as we move through it. It has been written up in the Oxford Leader, Lake Orion Review, Goodrich and Clarkston News. You can check out the article here:  http://www.oxfordleader.com/Articles-i-2011-01-26-239674.113121-sub14475.113121-My-Teachers-Name-is-Grief.html.

Grief really is a good teacher, but like a bad storm, it’s no fun when you are in the middle of it. It’s only with distance — time, that you get the opportunity to view what you’ve been through from a different angle. And our attitudes make a world of difference in terms of what we see. You can look at life as opportunity filled with hope, no matter what your age, or you can see it as nothing more than an ageless struggle filled with despair. It’s about choice. A choice we each make. When someone dies we’d all like to be able to “go back” in time and fix what is suddenly broken into pieces. But we can’t. Moving on is the only option.  Moving is what helps us get through grief. Sitting life out won’t do it. Running away won’t do it. Nope, simply moving is the key — short little steps in a direction, any direction at all, but you have to move! It’s the only way change happens. And when we start to change “little things” through “little steps” we begin to see that we can make “bigger changes” and impact both our lives and those around us in positive ways. Then with time we find that it’s not so hard to risk a little more, and then a little more, and then a little more.  And one day hopefully you’ll look back and see  what you’ve accomplished and be filled with wonder and awe at the beauty that is you.

So, if you know someone who is grieving and having trouble getting  a move on, someone who needs a nudge to look at what tomorrow holds in its hands…send them to the links above or order the book yourself and give it as a gift. It was written by someone who fell into the trenches and climbed out!

What do you want? Happiness or the other option. That second one didn’t work for me.

You can order the book through B&N Online here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Teachers-Name-Is-Grief/Madeleine-Miehls/e/9781456714536/?itm=1&USRI=my+teacher%27s+name+is+grief.

Or through Amazon online here: http://www.amazon.com/Teachers-Name-Grief-Madeleine-Miehls/dp/1456714538/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297951952&sr=8-1

The research proposal will address at least three things — it will state the problem, it will tell readers what the research objectives are, and it will discuss what methods someone will use to conduct the research. A good proposal should also “tell” how long a project will take and discuss some $$ — how much it will cost.

In defining the problem try to address what you see as some of the possible causes. Also discuss who key players are  — what role do they play in the research process.

What is the objective — what is someone hoping to get from the research? For example, do you want to know which students age 13-18 liked your product best, or why hotel guests seem to prefer two double beds in the room even if staying alone?

Test Methods: How will you measure it? That second part is important. Will there be a scale with 1-10, 10 being most likely and 1 the least? Will you use simply yes/no questions? Get to the core of what you are looking to measure — what are you after. If you can answer these questions clearly, it will definitely help as you move forward into the details of writing the proposal. More on the proposal later…

Welcome, I have restarted the Marketing Communications blog. We disappeared for almost a year. If you are looking to learn the “hows” of marketing, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll keep you abreast of the latest in marketing and social media ideas and offer tips and insight into Internet Marketing and E-commerce, Marketing Research, Technical Writing and Marketing Copy.

Periodically you’ll see a post that doesn’t seem to fit one of those categories….but it just might be something you need to read.

Enjoy.