An education derived from TV, Magazine, and Bill Board advertisements.

It’s a concept (an art, perhaps) that I think you’ll be exposed to and see a lot more of in the future. Teaching sells. Not only does it sell, but it spreads too. You’re more inclined to pass along an ad to your friends that teaches them something cool, more so than just any ‘ol regular ad.

Look at this JC Penney ad in the June/July 2011 issue of Esquire Magazine:

Rather than just saying “Hey, check out this suit…buy this suit.”, they included a teaching element in the ad…a pocket guide to playing blackjack. This does a few things for them.

For one, it makes the ad more memorable. It stands out because unlike most of the other ads they aren’t just saying “Hey, check out this suit…buy this suit.”

They’ve also given you, the reader, something of value. This is the Law of Reciprocity at work – I give you something, you feel more compelled to give me something.

There’s also something to be said for putting the reader in the right frame of mind, picturing themselves in a casino perhaps with that suit on.

Now, I think they could have made the ad a little better by showing the model actually in a casino. And if that were the case, maybe a darker color suit would have been good too. I think these two slight changes would have been a better fit with the blackjack guide, but hey, somebody’s getting paid the big bucks for a reason. What do I know.

But all in all its a great example of aducation in the wild. Everyone wanting to get more clients and customers should find ways to employ the art of aducation.

I grabbed a number and had a seat. Because I’m at the post office so often, I know most of the employees. But yesterday an employee I’ve only seen a few times approached me and said that instead of waiting I could go use the automated postage machine in the lobby if I wanted.

I politely declined and told him I didn’t mind waiting. He seemed surprised but said “o.k.” and went on his way.

Some Things Are Better With Humans

This encounter got me thinking about how some things are inherently better when humans are involved. Now, before you go and call me old-fashioned, I must tell you that I’m right up there with the best of the technophiles. I’m a natural introvert, so in many cases I prefer email over a phone call or in-person chat.

But its important enough to me to know that my books are handled with care and sent on their way properly to spend the extra time it takes to wait for a place at the counter to open up. Plus, again because I’m there so often, I’ve come to know most of the counter postal workers and I look forward to the brief interactions we have.

Another place where I actually like the fact that humans are involved? Starbucks. Today I saw an article about how Starbucks is asking their baristas to slow down, and take more care in making each drink, even if it means customers are waiting longer. I’m happy to see this because I think that the Starbucks experience has become a little too technical, and needs to go back to being an artful experience. Only humans can make that possible.

I’m taking these cues and applying them to my work life as well. We’ve recently begun helping small and mid-sized businesses send direct mail postcards. One of our key differentiators is that we bring the human element to each campaign through our consultative approach.

Most companies that facilitate direct mail postcards for customers avoid actually having to speak to a customer at all costs. The entire process including design, list selection, and execution is completely automated. I think there are a lot of business owners out there who would welcome a little personal interaction with the company that’s helping market their business.

Over to you

What do you think? Do you prefer human interaction in business or avoid it at all costs in favor of tech driven transactions?

Photo credit: Starbucks Portage Place by emples on flickr

Home, Sweet Ow! My Head! Home
Wham! Ouch! *&%#!

You’re seeing birds and stars flying around your head. You’ve just been the victim of what I like to call “small housing”. Anyone over 6’8” who has tried to walk through a doorway without ducking – and missed – knows just what I mean. Fortunately, many advances have been made in the way of new home construction and remodeling that can be implemented to provide more comfort at home to those of us who have been vertically blessed.

Think it might be a bit vain to expect your home to be a better fit for your tallness? Nonsense, we all deserve to be as comfortable as can be especially in the confines of the place we call home. It has been reported that Shaquille O’Neal, 7’1”, who was recently traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Miami Heat, purchased the former home of ex-Heat center Rony Seikaly, 7’2”. I’m sure the fact that the house was ready to accommodate someone of great height was a key factor in his decision. Join me as I highlight several ways you can design your new home, or even remodel your current home to be more height friendly.

Doors Let’s start with the doors. Many homebuilders are already offering 8’ front doors as standard. If your builder isn’t, it shouldn’t be too expensive of a request. The next step is to upgrade all of your interior doors to 8’ as well. Again, some builders may be including this as standard. If not, this one may cost you a bit more to accomplish, depending on the amount of doors in your home.

Ceiling Space Ceiling height is also an important issue when designing your new palace. Shoot for at least a 10’ or 12’ volume ceiling or vaulted ceilings. A good rule of thumb is if you can touch the ceiling with your arm extended upwards standing on your tiptoes, your ceiling is too low. These changes are easiest applied in new construction. Changing the height of your current ceiling and doorways is not for the faint of heart. Just ask your contractor.

Room To Cook Depending on how well you cook, the kitchen may be the place you spend the most time in or the least amount of time in. Even if your culinary specialty is an open-faced grilled cheese in the toaster oven, these tips can make your time in the kitchen more palatable. The first item is the wall oven, a definite must. These are already pretty popular, but perhaps one appliance you don’t have yet is a raised dishwasher. These two appliances can save you from the repeated bending up-down motion when working in the kitchen. Raised outlets are becoming ever more popular to have in the kitchen and rollout pot and pan shelves are becoming a standard request. Of course if your building a new home these will be easy to implement, but kitchen remodels are very common these days and these changes can be applied fairly easily there too.

The Most Important Room Ah, the bathroom, our sanctuary from the outside world. The first item on the list for your bathroom should be a raised toilet, which also goes by the industry name, comfort commode. These are common in homes for the disabled or elderly, but they can make a world of difference in the way of comfort for tall people as well. These are typically anywhere from 3” to 6” higher than a normal commode and make getting on and off much easier. Raised vanities are also fantastic. Again the height difference is only about 6” between normal height and raised height, but that half-a-foot will put a smile on your face when brushing your pearly whites.

Showerheads We’ve all been in that hotel shower where you have to get on your knees to get your belly wet. Shouldn’t happen in your house. If yu are building a new house or remodeling an existing one, be sure the showerhead is at least six inches higher than you stand. Showerhead extension arms are also available at most home improvement stores and might save you the cost of raising the actual plumbing.

Once you implement the above design changes into your home, you’ll find you are well on your way to enjoying home life that much more. No more doorframe concussions or showerhead bruises for you. Also, keep in mind that several of the above mentioned changes are helpful to people with disabilities. So when you get ready to sell your home down the road you will be able to meet the needs of a whole other market, enhancing the resale value of your home. The final step to take will be to outfit your new tall friendly home with furniture designed with height in mind. You can find several furniture makers to accommodate your needs in this magazine.

Image credit: AndreaTX on Flickr

We were staying at Royal Pacific (gotta love the upgrade to the King Suite) and had dinner at The Palm which of course involved a couple cocktails, so we decided to take a cab to the concert. Getting a cab to the concert was no problem…after the concert not so easy.

So we ended up getting a ride in a van that had been rented by these two guys headed to Portofino, next door pretty much to Hard Rock where we were going back to. It was by far the funniest cab/van rides we’ve ever experienced. (Audio below)

“I referred like four people to you already. I’m networking for ya buddy. What’s that? Well they haven’t called you yet because they can never get ahold of you. Your a buuuusy man!”

Apparently they were flying out Monday to go to NYC for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The one guy was on the phone with his ticket broker Michael (who was skiing in Aspen) trying to get some balcony seats, limo, etc. I wish I had caught more of the conversation because there were some other funny parts involving Madonna and private jets but this is still pretty funny:

Clapton Van Ride

But we do have to be careful of doing things strictly for the money. Doing a job just for the money can often have detrimental long term effects.

In a recent article in Entertainment Weekly, Chevy Chase is quoted as having done Fletch Lives just for the money. The outcome? What could have been a long lasting movie franchise met a swift end when Fletch Lives bombed.

Think twice about your motives when mulling over that new job offer or considering taking on additional projects. Taking the money now could cost you even more money down the line.

Sometimes it pays to hold off and put a couple things on the Underhill’s account until an opportunity you’re more passionate about comes along.

In Belgium, a Grand Cru is typically a rich, bold beer brewed to celebrate the holiday season or another special event. Following the traditional Belgian style, Blue Moon Grand Cru — inspired by Blue Moon Belgian White — is brewed with small-batch care, while providing a unique twist on the classic Grand Cru. Read more.

I might go try to snap up a few more bottles before it goes away/sells out. If you see it out and about give it a shot. If you are also a fan of Blue Moon they have a new facebook page.

Finished off the night at our favorite restaurant, The Palm. We’re now at over 1,000 points in the Palm 837 club. Only 99,000 points to go before we can get something worth wild