Sleep apnea (or sleep apnoea in British English) is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low breathing event is called a hypopnea. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram, or "sleep study".
There are three forms of sleep apnea: central (CSA), obstructive (OSA), and complex or mixed sleep apnea (i.e., a combination of central and obstructive) constituting 0.4%, 84% and 15% of cases respectively. In CSA, breathing is interrupted by a lack of respiratory effort; in OSA, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite respiratory effort and snoring is common.
Regardless of type, an individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening. Sleep apnea is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body (sequelae). Symptoms may be present for years (or even decades) without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance.
Diagnosis.
The diagnosis of Sleep Apnea is based on the conjoint evaluation of clinical symptoms (e.g. excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue) and of the results of a formal sleep study (polysomnography, or reduced channels home based test). The later aims at establishing an "objective" diagnosis indicator linked to the quantity of apneic events per hour of sleep (Apnea Hypnea Index(AHI), or Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI)), associated to a formal threshold, above which a patient is considered as suffering from Sleep Apnea, and the severity of his sleep apnea can be then quantified. Nevertheless, due to the number and variability in the actual symptoms and nature of apneic events (hypopnea vs apnea, central vs. obstructive...), the variability of patients physiology, the intrinsic imperfections of the experimental setups and methods, this field is opened to debate . Within this context, the definition of an apneic event depends of several factors (e.g. patient's age) and account for this variability through a multi-criteria decision rule described in several, sometimes conflicting, guidelines . One example of a commonly adopted definition of an apnea (for an adult) includes a minimum 10 second interval between breaths, with either a neurological arousal (a 3-second or greater shift in EEG frequency, measured at C3, C4, O1, or O2) or a blood oxygen desaturation of 3–4% or greater, or both arousal and desaturation.
Classification.
Obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common category of sleep-disordered breathing. The muscle tone of the body ordinarily relaxes during sleep, and at the level of the throat the human airway is composed of collapsible walls of soft tissue which can obstruct breathing during sleep. Mild occasional sleep apnea, such as many people experience during an upper respiratory infection, may not be important, but chronic severe obstructive sleep apnea requires treatment to prevent low blood oxygen (hypoxemia), sleep deprivation, and other complications. The most serious complication is a severe form of congestive heart failure called cor pulmonale.
Individuals with low muscle tone and soft tissue around the airway (e.g., because of obesity) and structural features that give rise to a narrowed airway are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea. The elderly are more likely to have OSA than young people. Men are more likely to suffer sleep apnea than women and children are, though it is not uncommon in the latter two population groups.
The risk of OSA rises with increasing body weight, active smoking and age. In addition, patients with diabetes or "borderline" diabetes have up to three times the risk of having OSA.
Common symptoms include loud snoring, restless sleep, and sleepiness during the daytime. Diagnostic tests include home oximetry or polysomnography in a sleep clinic.
Some treatments involve lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol or muscle relaxants, losing weight, and quitting smoking. Many people benefit from sleeping at a 30-degree elevation of the upper body or higher, as if in a recliner. Doing so helps prevent the gravitational collapse of the airway. Lateral positions (sleeping on a side), as opposed to supine positions (sleeping on the back), are also recommended as a treatment for sleep apnea, largely because the gravitational component is smaller in the lateral position. Some people benefit from various kinds of oral appliances to keep the airway open during sleep. "Breathing machines" like the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may help. There are also surgical procedures to remove and tighten tissue and widen the airway.
As already mentioned, snoring is a common finding in people with this syndrome. Snoring is the turbulent sound of air moving through the back of the mouth, nose, and throat. Although not everyone who snores is experiencing difficulty breathing, snoring in combination with other conditions such as overweight and obesity has been found to be highly predictive of OSA risk. The loudness of the snoring is not indicative of the severity of obstruction, however. If the upper airways are tremendously obstructed, there may not be enough air movement to make much sound. Even the loudest snoring does not mean that an individual has sleep apnea syndrome. The sign that is most suggestive of sleep apneas occurs when snoring stops. If both snoring and breathing stop while the person's chest and body try to breathe, that is literally a description of an event in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. When breathing starts again, there is typically a deep gasp and then the resumption of snoring.
Other indicators include (but are not limited to): hypersomnolence, obesity BMI >30, large neck circumference (16 in (410 mm) in women, 17 in (430 mm) in men), enlarged tonsils and large tongue volume, micrognathia, morning headaches, irritability/mood-swings/depression, learning and/or memory difficulties, and sexual dysfunction.
The term "sleep-disordered breathing" is commonly used in the U.S. to describe the full range of breathing problems during sleep in which not enough air reaches the lungs (hypopnea and apnea). Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, diabetes, and sleep deprived driving accidents. When high blood pressure is caused by OSA, it is distinctive in that, unlike most cases of high blood pressure (so-called essential hypertension), the readings do not drop significantly when the individual is sleeping. Stroke is associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea sufferers also have a 30% higher risk of heart attack or premature death than those unaffected.
In the June 27, 2008, edition of the journal Neuroscience Letters, researchers revealed that people with OSA show tissue loss in brain regions that help store memory, thus linking OSA with memory loss. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the scientists discovered that sleep apnea patients' mammillary bodies were nearly 20 percent smaller, particularly on the left side. One of the key investigators hypothesized that repeated drops in oxygen lead to the brain injury.
Central sleep apnea.
In pure central sleep apnea or Cheyne-Stokes respiration, the brain's respiratory control centers are imbalanced during sleep. Blood levels of carbon dioxide, and the neurological feedback mechanism that monitors them, do not react quickly enough to maintain an even respiratory rate, with the entire system cycling between apnea and hyperpnea, even during wakefulness. The sleeper stops breathing and then starts again. There is no effort made to breathe during the pause in breathing: there are no chest movements and no struggling. After the episode of apnea, breathing may be faster (hyperpnea) for a period of time, a compensatory mechanism to blow off retained waste gases and absorb more oxygen.
While sleeping, a normal individual is "at rest" as far as cardiovascular workload is concerned. Breathing is regular in a healthy person during sleep, and oxygen levels and carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream stay fairly constant. The respiratory drive is so strong that even conscious efforts to hold one's breath do not overcome it. Any sudden drop in oxygen or excess of carbon dioxide (even if tiny) strongly stimulates the brain's respiratory centers to breathe.
In central sleep apnea, the basic neurological controls for breathing rate malfunction and fail to give the signal to inhale, causing the individual to miss one or more cycles of breathing. If the pause in breathing is long enough, the percentage of oxygen in the circulation will drop to a lower than normal level (hypoxaemia) and the concentration of carbon dioxide will build to a higher than normal level (hypercapnia). In turn, these conditions of hypoxia and hypercapnia will trigger additional effects on the body. Brain cells need constant oxygen to live, and if the level of blood oxygen goes low enough for long enough, the consequences of brain damage and even death will occur. Fortunately, central sleep apnea is more often a chronic condition that causes much milder effects than sudden death. The exact effects of the condition will depend on how severe the apnea is and on the individual characteristics of the person having the apnea. Several examples are discussed below, and more about the nature of the condition is presented in the section on Clinical Details.
In any person, hypoxia and hypercapnia have certain common effects on the body. The heart rate will increase, unless there are such severe co-existing problems with the heart muscle itself or the autonomic nervous system that makes this compensatory increase impossible. The more translucent areas of the body will show a bluish or dusky cast from cyanosis, which is the change in hue that occurs owing to lack of oxygen in the blood ("turning blue"). Overdoses of drugs that are respiratory depressants (such as heroin, and other opiates) kill by damping the activity of the brain's respiratory control centers. In central sleep apnea, the effects of sleep alone can remove the brain's mandate for the body to breathe. Even in severe cases of central sleep apnea, the effects almost always result in pauses that make breathing irregular, rather than cause the total cessation of breathing.
* Normal Respiratory Drive: After exhalation, the blood level of oxygen decreases and that of carbon dioxide increases. Exchange of gases with a lungful of fresh air is necessary to replenish oxygen and rid the bloodstream of built-up carbon dioxide. Oxygen and carbon dioxide receptors in the blood stream (called chemoreceptors) send nerve impulses to the brain, which then signals reflex opening of the larynx (so that the opening between the vocal cords enlarges) and movements of the rib cage muscles and diaphragm. These muscles expand the thorax (chest cavity) so that a partial vacuum is made within the lungs and air rushes in to fill it.
* Physiologic effects of central apnea: During central apneas, the central respiratory drive is absent, and the brain does not respond to changing blood levels of the respiratory gases. No breath is taken despite the normal signals to inhale. The immediate effects of central sleep apnea on the body depend on how long the failure to breathe endures. At worst, central sleep apnea may cause sudden death. Short of death, drops in blood oxygen may trigger seizures, even in the absence of epilepsy. In people with epilepsy, the hypoxia caused by apnea may trigger seizures that had previously been well controlled by medications . In other words, a seizure disorder may become unstable in the presence of sleep apnea. In adults with coronary artery disease, a severe drop in blood oxygen level can cause angina, arrhythmias, or heart attacks (myocardial infarction). Longstanding recurrent episodes of apnea, over months and years, may cause an increase in carbon dioxide levels that can change the pH of the blood enough to cause a metabolic acidosis.
Mixed apnea and complex sleep apnea.
Some people with sleep apnea have a combination of both types. When obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is severe and longstanding, episodes of central apnea sometimes develop. The exact mechanism of the loss of central respiratory drive during sleep in OSA is unknown but is most commonly related to acid-base and CO2 feedback malfunctions stemming from heart failure. There is a constellation of diseases and symptoms relating to body mass, cardiovascular, respiratory, and occasionally, neurological dysfunction that have a synergistic effect in sleep-disordered breathing. In some cases, a side effect from the lack of sleep is a mild case of narcolepsy (EDS) where the subject has had minimal sleep and this extreme fatigue over time takes its toll on the subject. The presence of central sleep apnea without an obstructive component is a common result of chronic opiate use (or abuse) owing to the characteristic respiratory depression caused by large doses of narcotics.
Complex sleep apnea has recently been described by researchers as a novel presentation of sleep apnea.Patients with complex sleep apnea exhibit OSA, but upon application of positive airway pressure the patient exhibits persistent central sleep apnea. This central apnea is most commonly noted while on CPAP therapy after the obstructive component has been eliminated. This has long been seen in sleep laboratories and has historically been managed either by CPAP or BiLevel therapy. Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) modes of therapy have been introduced to attempt to manage this complex sleep apnea. Studies have demonstrated marginally superior performance of the adaptive servo ventilators in treating Cheyne-Stokes breathing; however, no longitudinal studies have yet been published, nor have any results been generated that suggest any differential outcomes versus standard CPAP therapy. At the AARC 2006 in Las Vegas, NV, researchers reported successful treatment of hundreds of patients on ASV therapy; however, these results have not been reported in peer-reviewed publications as of July 2007.
An important finding by Dernaika et al. suggests that transient central apnea produced during CPAP titration (the so-called "complex sleep apnea") is "…transient and self-limited." The central apneas may in fact be secondary to sleep fragmentation during the titration process. As of July 2007, there has been no alternate convincing evidence produced that these central sleep apnea events associated with CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea are of any significant pathophysiologic importance.
Research is ongoing, however, at the Harvard Medical School, including adding dead space to positive airway pressure for treatment of complex sleep-disordered breathing.
Treatment.
For mild cases of sleep apnea, a treatment which is a lifestyle change is sleeping on one's side, which can prevent the tongue and palate from falling backwards in the throat and blocking the airway. Another is avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills, which can relax throat muscles, contributing to the collapse of the airway at night.
For moderate to severe sleep apnea, the most common treatment is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, which 'splints' the patient's airway open during sleep by means of a flow of pressurized air into the throat. The patient typically wears a plastic facial mask, which is connected by a flexible tube to a small bedside CPAP machine. The CPAP machine generates the required air pressure to keep the patient's airways open during sleep. Advanced models may warm or humidify the air and monitor the patient's breathing to insure proper treatment. Although CPAP therapy is extremely effective in reducing apneas and less expensive than other treatments, some patients find it extremely uncomfortable. Many patients refuse to continue the therapy or fail to use their CPAP machines on a nightly basis. The CPAP machine assists only inhaling, whereas a BiPAP machine assists with both inhaling and exhaling and is used in more severe cases.
In addition to CPAP, dentists specializing in sleep disorders can prescribe Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT). The oral appliance is a custom-made mouthpiece that shifts the lower jaw forward, opening up the airway. OAT is usually successful in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. OAT is a relatively new treatment option for sleep apnea in the United States, but it is much more common in Canada and Europe. Its use has led to increasing recognition of the importance of upper airway anatomy in the pathophysiology of OSA
CPAP and OAT are generally effective only for obstructive and mixed sleep apnea which have a mechanical rather than a neurological cause.
For patients who do not tolerate or fail nonsurgical measures, surgical treatment to anatomically alter the airway is available. Several levels of obstruction may be addressed, including the nasal passage, throat (pharynx), base of tongue, and facial skeleton. Surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea needs to be individualized in order to address all anatomical areas of obstruction. Often, correction of the nasal passages needs to be performed in addition to correction of the oropharynx passage. Septoplasty and turbinate surgery may improve the nasal airway. Tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP or UP3) is available to address pharyngeal obstruction. Base-of-tongue advancement by means of advancing the genial tubercle of the mandible may help with the lower pharynx. A myriad of other techniques are available, including hyoid bone myotomy and suspension and various radiofrequency technologies. For patients who fail these operations, the facial skeletal may be advanced by means of a technique called maxillomandibular advancement, or two-jaw surgery (upper and lower jaws). Technically, this is accomplished by a surgery similar to orthognathic surgeries addressing an abnormal bite. The surgery involves a Lefort type one osteotomy and bilateral sagittal split mandibular osteotomies.
Illustration of surgery on the mouth and throat
Other surgery options may attempt to shrink or stiffen excess tissue in the mouth or throat, procedures done at either a doctor's office or a hospital. Small shots or other treatments, sometimes in a series, are used for shrinkage, while the insertion of a small piece of stiff plastic is used in the case of surgery whose goal is to stiffen tissues.
Possibly owing to changes in pulmonary oxygen stores, sleeping on one's side (as opposed to on one's back) has been found to be helpful for central sleep apnea with Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSA-CSR).
Medications like Acetazolamide lower blood pH and encourage respiration. Low doses of oxygen are also used as a treatment for hypoxia but are discouraged due to side effects.
Surgery.
CPAP is the most consistently safe and effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea but it is not a cure, and people are less likely to use it in the long term. In contrast, although not well known, surgery is more expensive and can directly treat the causes of sleep apnea: The Stanford Center for Excellence in Sleep Disorders Medicine achieved a 95% cure rate of sleep apnea patients by surgery. Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) is considered the most effective surgery for sleep apnea patients, because it increases the posterior airway space (PAS). The main benefit of the operation is that the oxygen saturation in the arterial blood increases. In a study published in 2008, 93.3.% of surgery patients achieved an adequate quality of life based on the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ). Surgery led to a significant increase in general productivity, social outcome, activity level, vigilance, intimacy and sex, and the total score postoperatively was P = .0002. Overall risks of MMA surgery are low: The Stanford University Sleep Disorders Center found 4 failures in a series of 177 patients, or about one out of 44 patients.
Several inpatient and outpatient procedures use sedation. Many drugs and agents used during surgery to relieve pain and to depress consciousness remain in the body at low amounts for hours or even days afterwards. In an individual with either central, obstructive or mixed sleep apnea, these low doses may be enough to cause life-threatening irregularities in breathing or collapses in a patient’s airways. Use of analgesics and sedatives in these patients postoperatively should therefore be minimized or avoided.
Surgery on the mouth and throat, as well as dental surgery and procedures, can result in postoperative swelling of the lining of the mouth and other areas that affect the airway. Even when the surgical procedure is designed to improve the airway, such as tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy or tongue reduction, swelling may negate some of the effects in the immediate postoperative period. Once the swelling resolves and the palate becomes tightened by postoperative scarring, however, the full benefit of the surgery may be noticed. Individuals with sleep apnea generally require more intensive monitoring after surgery for these reasons.
Sleep apnea patients undergoing any medical treatment must make sure his or her doctor and/or anesthetist are informed about their condition. Alternate and emergency procedures may be necessary to maintain the airway of sleep apnea patients. If an individual suspects he or she may have sleep apnea, communication with their doctor about possible preprocedure screening may be in order.
Alternative treatments
A 2005 study in the British Medical Journal found that learning and practicing the didgeridoo helped reduce snoring and sleep apnea as well as daytime sleepiness. This appears to work by strengthening muscles in the upper airway, thus reducing their tendency to collapse during sleep.
Epidemiology.
The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study estimated in 1993 that roughly one in every 15 Americans were affected by at least moderate sleep apnea. It also estimated that in middle-age as many as nine percent of women and 24 percent of men were affected, undiagnosed and untreated.
The costs of untreated sleep apnea reach further than just health issues. It is estimated that in the U.S. the average untreated sleep apnea patient's annual health care costs $1,336 more than an individual without sleep apnea. This may cause $3.4 billion/year in additional medical costs. Whether medical cost savings occur with treatment of sleep apnea remains to be determined.
History
The first reports in the medical literature of what is now called obstructive sleep apnea date only from 1965, when it was independently described by French and German investigators. However, the clinical picture of this condition has long been recognized as a character trait, without an understanding of the disease process. The term "Pickwickian syndrome" that is sometimes used for the syndrome was coined by the famous early 20th century physician, William Osler, who must have been a reader of Charles Dickens. The description of Joe, "the fat boy" in Dickens's novel The Pickwick Papers, is an accurate clinical picture of an adult with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
The early reports of obstructive sleep apnea in the medical literature described individuals who were very severely affected, often presenting with severe hypoxemia, hypercapnia and congestive heart failure. Tracheostomy was the recommended treatment and, though it could be life-saving, postoperative complications in the stoma were frequent in these very obese and short-necked individuals.
The management of obstructive sleep apnea was revolutionized with the introduction of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), first described in 1981 by Colin Sullivan and associates in Sydney, Australia. The first models were bulky and noisy, but the design was rapidly improved and by the late 1980s CPAP was widely adopted. The availability of an effective treatment stimulated an aggressive search for affected individuals and led to the establishment of hundreds of specialized clinics dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. Though many types of sleep problems are recognized, the vast majority of patients attending these centers have sleep-disordered breathing.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
FR: couple of makeouts, crotch grinding and a bathroom pull!
I intend to end the year with a bang.
I went to 3 different venue and got rejected like tons... whole lot more than I had within 2010 let alone any previous years. Thanks to ock's FR which really drives me in. Even gunwitch still got rejected.
First one I got a PR that helped me... she came to me and rub her breast all over me when she talk to me.
I drag her to the dancefloor and I lifted her up in front of everybody... every possible eyes there are focusing on me.
After couple of bantering and she loled her fucking ass of like idiot I went to the sets. This time no luck at all. And I still have some slight mixed set approach anxieties.
Just 1 mixed set but I got blown off anyways. Danced with couple of waitresses and attempted to open other girls-only sets... still no. Perhaps I went too agressive and too sexual... also very touchy. But you don't fuck up you'll never learn right?
Second venue was damn crowded, like it's all hot and damp in there tho it's airconditioned with all those people in it. I can't barely move at all. So this doesn't look good.
about perhaps 10 sets later I spotted girls only set of 4. I went to the first girl... she was like pulling herself away and got freaked out.
I drag her by her shoulder... and attempted to talk to her anyway. I'm rather tired and emotionally drained somehow, to the point I almost got really pushy with her.
But this specific set... I went shielding up my persistence. Reward : everything seems went very smooth.
The target wasn't really complying to me... but her friend is kinda cute aswell. So I ask her to introduce me to all of her friends then went in to the second target.
I got the cute friend dancing with me... so I escalate her. I lifted her up and she slapped my chest. Her hands stood there for couple of minutes while she's dancing around blushing.
I rub her back hands and drag her to the bar. Thanks for the compliance test somebody posted in this forum. I just read it yesterday or so. I never realize this is really important. Back at the bar I drag her back to me we were hugging.
I brush her hair and I look deeply into her eyes. I said nothing for a moment. Just pure couple of seconds of silence. And then I said to her "would you like to kiss me?". Thanks guys for the awkward silence things
She said nothing so I went in and she don't resist at all. My hands moved from her waist... slowly to her breast.
Not much of a resistance, but when I got to her lower breast she push my hands away. So I back off and lift her arms so she spin and I can hold her from behind.
All I do is smell her hair... bite her neck and lick her shoulder, rub her back arms and scrub her belly.
I told her "I want to talk with you clearly Let's go someplace quiet."
This is gold : I drag her by her waist and clear out the path for her. I never done this before, usually I just drag them around by hands and not caring how she bumped into alot of people
So we went to the hall and I went in to the kissing again. "Let's go to your place"
"I can't. My friends in there and she got period"
"That's allright. I've been known you for couple of minutes. I don't know you... but I'm willing to spend my whole life to findout about you"
She's blushing like... hell. My hands are squeezed hard and she giggled alot.
She asked to go back inside with her friends. Same thing. Drag her by her waist and clearing the path for her.
I stop her somewhere and move in closer.
"I want to kiss you again". This time SHE went in for it.
"Listen... I can't stay too long. What's your number" I pull my cell and give it to her.
She typed in and I ask her "do you know my name?"
She laughed and I said to her "you kiss alot of guys you don't even know their name arent you?"
She slapped my chest again.
So I brought her back to her friends. And I told her friends... "I like your friend. Doesn't matter if I kidnap her right?"
they were like
"you have to pay some amount of money for us" Laughing and all that stuffs.
"Oh come on. She deserve to have fun too right"
I went back to her and said "I'm gonna call you tommorrow, k?"
We kissed goodbye and I went.
Next venue was a disaster. Everythings too dark. I can't see anything.
But on my way in... spotted an obvious AI from a girl. I stood there a moment looking at her and smiled. For couple of slight seconds I hesitated... and since it was dark I have to make sure she's worth it or not. Not bad for my taste.
I went in and drag her by her waist and touch my crotch to her.
She rub hers on mine really slowly and sometimes really fast.
Turn out she's with bunch of guys... they just stood there doing nothing
"Who are you with?"
"these guys"
I went in and give em all hi-five
But. Later she asked me for a drug.
I said "I don't like people whos using drugs"
She laughed... almost like she regret she asked for it.
"Aren't you drunk tonite?" she asked
"Nope, I don't drink I don't do drugs"
she laughed again.
"Come on, just one"
"Okay... you have fun then" and I went out of the set and smiled.
I went circling around... looking for good sets. Then I went to the dancefloor where I saw this tall girl and a chump attempting to pick her up.
He was dancing in front of her... and grinning like an idiot.
I move in and drag her by her waist. The hero saved her day!
"Is he with you?"
"No"
and all the usual bantering stuffs. I can't really remember the whole convo.
Name, who's she's with, where she's from etc.
And I went drag her out to get less noisy spot so I can talk to her. I cornered her and went to "would you like to kiss me?"
She went in. We make out for couple of minutes and I drag her hands to my dick.
She went rubbing it slowly and squeeze it. I pull out my condoms from my wallet and bite it in front of her while grinning. And drag her to the ladies room.
There're bouncers there. But they don't do anything about it. It was hilarious seeing all the chicks went in to the bathroom surprised seeing me there with this chick
I spin her around and cornered her at the wall. I look at her and went to the "awkward silence moment"
I went in for a kiss but she threw her face away.
I my hands went up to her ass and she push it away.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't"
She said nothing else. Looking down. She's not sobbing or anything tho. I'm not ready to confront rape charges yet so I pull myself back.
"I understand."
Then I just left her there and went home instead.
Happy new year guys.
oh yeah. While the mens room are really fucking dirty with all puke on the floor, cigs everywhere and those graffitis and such. I almost throw up when I pee in there. The ladies room are sooooo fucking clean like... very higiene and everything's shiny and it even smells gooood. Just... amazing.
1 more... just remembered... got a girl sitting alone with bunch of guys surrouding him. They don't do anything but just hovering.
She was like very gorgeous and classy dressed. But she looks depressed and doing nothing but just playing with her cell. I went in and somebody pat my back. It was the bouncer. "Don't. She's someone's wife".
She looked directly to my eyes tho and her eyes are still following me around when I ejected from her.
How would you guys confront this kind of situation? I had the chance... I dunno... probably she's a wife of loaded boss or mafia or something. I don't really sure. But would you guys still went in anyways?
I went to 3 different venue and got rejected like tons... whole lot more than I had within 2010 let alone any previous years. Thanks to ock's FR which really drives me in. Even gunwitch still got rejected.
First one I got a PR that helped me... she came to me and rub her breast all over me when she talk to me.
I drag her to the dancefloor and I lifted her up in front of everybody... every possible eyes there are focusing on me.
After couple of bantering and she loled her fucking ass of like idiot I went to the sets. This time no luck at all. And I still have some slight mixed set approach anxieties.
Just 1 mixed set but I got blown off anyways. Danced with couple of waitresses and attempted to open other girls-only sets... still no. Perhaps I went too agressive and too sexual... also very touchy. But you don't fuck up you'll never learn right?
Second venue was damn crowded, like it's all hot and damp in there tho it's airconditioned with all those people in it. I can't barely move at all. So this doesn't look good.
about perhaps 10 sets later I spotted girls only set of 4. I went to the first girl... she was like pulling herself away and got freaked out.
I drag her by her shoulder... and attempted to talk to her anyway. I'm rather tired and emotionally drained somehow, to the point I almost got really pushy with her.
But this specific set... I went shielding up my persistence. Reward : everything seems went very smooth.
The target wasn't really complying to me... but her friend is kinda cute aswell. So I ask her to introduce me to all of her friends then went in to the second target.
I got the cute friend dancing with me... so I escalate her. I lifted her up and she slapped my chest. Her hands stood there for couple of minutes while she's dancing around blushing.
I rub her back hands and drag her to the bar. Thanks for the compliance test somebody posted in this forum. I just read it yesterday or so. I never realize this is really important. Back at the bar I drag her back to me we were hugging.
I brush her hair and I look deeply into her eyes. I said nothing for a moment. Just pure couple of seconds of silence. And then I said to her "would you like to kiss me?". Thanks guys for the awkward silence things
She said nothing so I went in and she don't resist at all. My hands moved from her waist... slowly to her breast.
Not much of a resistance, but when I got to her lower breast she push my hands away. So I back off and lift her arms so she spin and I can hold her from behind.
All I do is smell her hair... bite her neck and lick her shoulder, rub her back arms and scrub her belly.
I told her "I want to talk with you clearly Let's go someplace quiet."
This is gold : I drag her by her waist and clear out the path for her. I never done this before, usually I just drag them around by hands and not caring how she bumped into alot of people
So we went to the hall and I went in to the kissing again. "Let's go to your place"
"I can't. My friends in there and she got period"
"That's allright. I've been known you for couple of minutes. I don't know you... but I'm willing to spend my whole life to findout about you"
She's blushing like... hell. My hands are squeezed hard and she giggled alot.
She asked to go back inside with her friends. Same thing. Drag her by her waist and clearing the path for her.
I stop her somewhere and move in closer.
"I want to kiss you again". This time SHE went in for it.
"Listen... I can't stay too long. What's your number" I pull my cell and give it to her.
She typed in and I ask her "do you know my name?"
She laughed and I said to her "you kiss alot of guys you don't even know their name arent you?"
She slapped my chest again.
So I brought her back to her friends. And I told her friends... "I like your friend. Doesn't matter if I kidnap her right?"
they were like
"you have to pay some amount of money for us" Laughing and all that stuffs.
"Oh come on. She deserve to have fun too right"
I went back to her and said "I'm gonna call you tommorrow, k?"
We kissed goodbye and I went.
Next venue was a disaster. Everythings too dark. I can't see anything.
But on my way in... spotted an obvious AI from a girl. I stood there a moment looking at her and smiled. For couple of slight seconds I hesitated... and since it was dark I have to make sure she's worth it or not. Not bad for my taste.
I went in and drag her by her waist and touch my crotch to her.
She rub hers on mine really slowly and sometimes really fast.
Turn out she's with bunch of guys... they just stood there doing nothing
"Who are you with?"
"these guys"
I went in and give em all hi-five
But. Later she asked me for a drug.
I said "I don't like people whos using drugs"
She laughed... almost like she regret she asked for it.
"Aren't you drunk tonite?" she asked
"Nope, I don't drink I don't do drugs"
she laughed again.
"Come on, just one"
"Okay... you have fun then" and I went out of the set and smiled.
I went circling around... looking for good sets. Then I went to the dancefloor where I saw this tall girl and a chump attempting to pick her up.
He was dancing in front of her... and grinning like an idiot.
I move in and drag her by her waist. The hero saved her day!
"Is he with you?"
"No"
and all the usual bantering stuffs. I can't really remember the whole convo.
Name, who's she's with, where she's from etc.
And I went drag her out to get less noisy spot so I can talk to her. I cornered her and went to "would you like to kiss me?"
She went in. We make out for couple of minutes and I drag her hands to my dick.
She went rubbing it slowly and squeeze it. I pull out my condoms from my wallet and bite it in front of her while grinning. And drag her to the ladies room.
There're bouncers there. But they don't do anything about it. It was hilarious seeing all the chicks went in to the bathroom surprised seeing me there with this chick
I spin her around and cornered her at the wall. I look at her and went to the "awkward silence moment"
I went in for a kiss but she threw her face away.
I my hands went up to her ass and she push it away.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't"
She said nothing else. Looking down. She's not sobbing or anything tho. I'm not ready to confront rape charges yet so I pull myself back.
"I understand."
Then I just left her there and went home instead.
Happy new year guys.
oh yeah. While the mens room are really fucking dirty with all puke on the floor, cigs everywhere and those graffitis and such. I almost throw up when I pee in there. The ladies room are sooooo fucking clean like... very higiene and everything's shiny and it even smells gooood. Just... amazing.
1 more... just remembered... got a girl sitting alone with bunch of guys surrouding him. They don't do anything but just hovering.
She was like very gorgeous and classy dressed. But she looks depressed and doing nothing but just playing with her cell. I went in and somebody pat my back. It was the bouncer. "Don't. She's someone's wife".
She looked directly to my eyes tho and her eyes are still following me around when I ejected from her.
How would you guys confront this kind of situation? I had the chance... I dunno... probably she's a wife of loaded boss or mafia or something. I don't really sure. But would you guys still went in anyways?
Accidental Branding. The perfectionist: julie aigner-clark (baby einstein).
Our one-year-old son had gone to bed and we started talking about Baby Einstein. We had two couples over who didn’t have children and they didn’t understand why it was such a big deal. But kids are just amazed by it. So we pulled out the video and showed it to them, and then another. Then we realized that six adults had just spent over an hour watching baby videos. Mark Klienman, Philadelphia.
My first glimpse of Julie Clark comes unexpectedly on television. I am watching the State of the Union address. It’s the sixth year of George W. Bush’s presidency and things are not going well. As a result, the speech lacks the jaunty, boisterous tone that entertains me whether or not I voted for the guy on my screen. The president meanders through the economy, education, health care, immigration, and energy in the first 40 minutes of the address. Just as I am about to flip to a rerun of CSI, he begins talking about the contributions of individual Americans who are sitting in the box with the first lady, Laura Bush. This part of the speech is akin to human-interest report on the local evening news (“Fireman Saves Cat From Tree. Cat’s Owner Marries Fireman. Story at 11!!”) and it perks me up. President Bush first singles out Dikembe Mutombo, the famous Congolese NBA basketball player who has recently donated $15 million for the completion of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Teaching Hospital near Kinshasa, the first modern medical facility in the Congo. Then he introduces Julie Aigner-Clark, saying:
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So, she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children’s videos in her basement. The Baby Einstein Company was born. and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales.
In November 2001, Julie sold Baby Einstein to the Walt Disney Company, and with her help Baby Einstein has grown into a $200 million business. Julie represents the great enterprising spirit of America. And she is using her success to help others. producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new project: “I believe it’s the most important thing that I’ve ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.” So tonight, we are pleased to welcome this talented business entrepreneur and generous social entrepreneur.
Clark is an attractive blond woman with straight hair and frosted lipstick. Her teenage daughter Aspen sits next to her, just behind the first lady. In addition to Mutombo, Clark is surrounded by Wesley Autrey, a man who recently threw himself in front of an oncoming subway in New York to save the life of a stranger, and Tommy Rieman, a U.S. Army sergeant who has been awarded the Silver Star for bravery under fire in Iraq.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Clark tells me later, “and it was this huge secret, so I couldn’t tell anyone until literally moments before it happened.” What was she thinking while she was sitting there and wondering if the president might mention her among the dozen or so people sitting in the first lady’s box? “The whole time during the speech I was , Well, as a mother of a teenager, all I could do is keep poking Aspen and whispering ‘Don’t pick your nose, quit pulling your hair, stop touching your knee. don’t kick the first lady in the head!’” Clark’s appearance in the State of the Union address creates some controversy. The next day Timothy Noah, writing for the Web zine Slate, titles his account “Bush’s Baby Einstein Gaffe. The President Lionizes a Mountebank.” He argues that Clark is a charlatan who has defrauded other women with the videos by playing on their neuroses.
Clark is surprised by the attack and, like other entrepreneurs I’ve encountered, she is particularly vulnerable and thin-skinned. “I was upset. I guess it was because I was being attacked really personally by someone who didn’t know anything about me. The fact that he totally neglected to mention anything about The Safe Side really annoyed me.” The attack on Clark seems unfair to me as well. Noah’s key points are that Clark hasn’t done anything more significant than enrich herself, that recent studies suggest television viewing is not good for children, and that Baby Einstein is the leading edge of a movement that makes untrue claims to women so they can feel safe about ignoring their children.
The first point is not true. Since selling Baby Einstein in 2001, Clark created a program, called The Safe Side, whose videos instruct children about the dangers of using the Internet and talking to strangers.
She persuaded America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh to join her effort, and they donated a video to every school district in Texas. The presidential nod was for this as much as for Baby Einstein. Noah’s second point. about the possible danger of showing videos to babies. is possibly true, but not relevant to Clark. The studies suggesting dangers to babies from television exposure were published only after Clark had sold Baby Einstein to Disney, and none addressed the baby video phenomenon directly. Finally, whether or not the baby video industry preys on the insecurities of new parents, ordinary parents believe that there is some good in exposing their babies to classical music and foreign languages while watching slowly moving, pleasing images. Assuming that these consumers are all chumps just because of two unduplicated medical studies doesn’t seem fair either.
Even if the attack on Julie Aigner-Clark seems mean-spirited, something in the critique resonates with me. Watching Clark on television, I cannot help but have the feeling “Why her? What makes this woman so special?” She looks like an ordinary person standing up there in front of the entire nation, like just another soccer mom. But that is also her appeal. Julie Clark was never a marketer or a businessperson.
She was an English teacher and then a stay-at-home mom. The evil motives assigned to her are off base. Clark wasn’t trying to swindle anxious mothers. she was one. “I was a real, honest-to-God stay-athome mother and I wanted this for my child,” Clark says, “and I was lucky that other mothers felt the same way.” In other words, Baby Einstein was an Accidental Brand.
The Julie Clark I meet a month after the State of the Union address in suburban Denver is an entirely different person from the one I have seen on television. The early March day is the warmest on record in Denver, the temperature already topping 75 degrees when she greets me at her door. Clark is casually dressed in sandals, torn jeans, and a David Bowie concert t-shirt. Her shoulder-length, golden hair hangs loose over angular features. She is wearing no jewelry except for a slender wedding band (no diamond) and a small gold Rolex watch that might pass for a knockoff. A pickup truck, parked in the circular driveway directly in front of the front door to her house, is splattered with mud. I’m late, having crawled along in Denver traffic to reach her, and she hustles me into the pickup because we are running late for school.
As I have met more accidental entrepreneurs, I’ve found that they fall into two categories. The first group, which includes Gary Erickson at Clif Bar and Gert Boyle at Columbia Sportswear, sees the business as a lifelong pursuit. These folks become so attached to their creation that they hang on through the difficult transition from running a company where everyone knows each other to masterminding a true corporation with hierarchy and lots of bright-faced people they don’t recognize. The second class of entrepreneur never really wants to run a corporation at all. When the business gets to the size where being in charge means doing more administrative than creative work, these founders get out. Clark falls into the second category.
When Julie Clark sold Baby Einstein to Disney in 2001, it had exactly 8 employees responsible for the $22 million in revenue it produced that year. Julie and her husband, Bill Clark, who was COO of Baby Einstein, netted about $40 million on that sale. Even if it put them in the same league with minor investment bankers and successful law firm partners rather than the Bill Gateses or Warren Buffetts of the world, there was enough money for Clark to do whatever she wanted.
So it is revealing that in the sixth year of her retirement, she has come full circle to where she started out before meeting her husband, having children, and starting Baby Einstein. Julie Clark is once again teaching English.
The private middle school where Clark teaches is a model of progressive modesty. Classes are extremely small, with 15 students on average, and from what I can tell, the level of the teaching is excellent.
The physical structure of the building is decidedly modest, however.
The building is a two-story affair with institutional fluorescent lighting and cinderblock walls. A recent renovation has brightened things up by adding multicolor tiles to the floor and bright yellow paint to the walls.
If there is irony in a multimillionaire and famous entrepreneur teaching poetry to sixth and seventh graders, none of the kids in Clark’s class see it. They shuffle in with the ragged steps of teenagers, looking curiously at me sitting in the back of the class. One of the last students to arrive is Clark’s daughter Aspen, the older child who accompanied her to the State of the Union address. Aspen is goldenskinned and confident, with an unusually upright bearing for a 12-year-old. Unlike some of her classmates, she makes direct eye contact with me when her mother introduces her.
Clark starts the class out by reading a poem. It is “Hurt Hawks” by Robinson Jeffers, about a man who kills a wounded hawk out of mercy. It could be a parable of adolescence, but the reason it delights the class is because it plays to the adolescent obsession with death:
He is strong and pain is worse to the strong, incapacity is worse The curs of the day come and torment him At distance, no one but death the redeemer will humble that head, The intrepid readiness, the terrible eyes.
The wild God of the world is sometimes merciful to those That ask mercy, not often to the arrogant.
What I notice first about Clark during the class is how well she listens. Any student who speaks has her full attention. her entire body is still. Like great entertainers and politicians, she completely focuses on the person in front of her. In my experience, this is a very unusual quality in an entrepreneur or a CEO. She also has a natural affinity for children. They speak to her both familiarly and respectfully, which is a difficult balance to achieve with young teens.
They also joke. when a student mentions the odd name of a friend, Clark says, “It’s just amazing what parents will name their children. I mean, you have them naming their kids after a tree. Wait. I actually did that.” She deadpans the last bit as Aspen smiles, and it’s clear that one of the main attractions of teaching for Clark is the opportunity to spend time with her daughter.
Teaching is a luxury for Julie Clark. After graduating from Michigan State University in 1988, she took a job teaching adult education in East Detroit because she couldn’t get a day job teaching children. It took her two years to finally get that day job, and it was teaching English in middle school, just as she does now. After four years, the strains of supporting herself on a teacher’s salary persuaded Clark to seek other employment and she found a job working for a company called Optical Data Corporation.
Optical Data was founded to bring a new technology from the 1980s (the laser disk) into the classroom. The ability to store vast amounts of visual data on a single disk gave schools in this pre-Internet era new options for teaching and helped eliminate carousels of slides.
Julie was paired with a salesperson at Optical Data and her job was to show schoolteachers how to use the technology. The company was losing money and Julie was laid off after just a year, but it was a pivotal moment in her life for two reasons: First, because Julie met her husband Bill at Optical, where Bill was CEO. Second, because helping middle school teachers use laser disk technology planted the seed in Julie’s mind that video could be an effective teaching tool.
After leaving Optical Data, Julie moved in with Bill and into “The Hills,” a nondescript, sprawling condo complex in Bedminster, New Jersey, south of Morristown. She took a job working on child assault prevention for a nonprofit. In 1994, Julie became pregnant for the first time. She left her job after delivering Aspen and became a stayat-home mom. A year later, Optical Data was sold to Cox and Bill moved Julie and their newborn daughter Aspen to the Atlanta area.
Even in New Jersey, Julie had begun to think about the sights and sounds that babies are exposed to every day. Julie didn’t like a lot of the media influences that surround a child’s life. from advertising to music videos. and wanted to give Aspen a strong foundation in the things that were important to her. This meant classical music, art, poetry and foreign languages. Clark found that some of this existed for young children, but virtually none for babies. And there were no baby videos to speak of. She was looking for something that did not exist. a way to stimulate her baby’s mind with images and sounds that were important to her. She didn’t have time to do anything about it while she was apart from Bill, but the idea did not leave her mind.
When Clark moved to Georgia, she and Bill bought a house in Alpharetta, “otherwise known as purgatory,” in Julie’s words. As Aspen passed her first birthday and Julie was able to sleep through the night, her thoughts turned back to the idea of a learning video for a baby.
She decided to make a video. I ask Clark what made her take this step, the step that so few people with good ideas take. “I’d seen Bill do it at Optical Data, so I wasn’t intimidated. At first, I treated it like a hobby.
That took a lot of pressure off.” Julie was lucky that she had a friend who owned video equipment and let her borrow it for an entire year. She also had a mostly empty basement that became her office and production studio. A black velvet drop cloth was the entire “set” for the video. Since coming up with the idea for a baby video when Aspen was born, Julie had carefully watched what her daughter was attracted to. She noticed that slow movement, such as that of a diorama, was endlessly fascinating to Aspen. She also saw that certain colors and objects were more compelling than others.
Clark didn’t convene a focus group of mothers or conduct research to see what she should put in the video. she just put in what she knew her own daughter liked. She also had another motive for completing the video; midway through production, she became pregnant again.
In all, it took her a year to complete the first Baby Einstein video and cost Clark and her husband $17,000 in personal savings.
The first video is called Baby Einstein Language Nursery. Julie provides the narrative voice, as she did in all the videos produced while she owned the company. The video is incredibly simple. The background is black. It starts with the music from “Pop Goes the Weasel” playing as Julie’s manicured hand pushes the button to a simple popup toy. which pops up. Julie says, “Hello.” Then the Baby Einstein logo and the words “Language Nursery” slowly draw themselves on the screen. Next we see a fish tank. a straight-on image that looks real enough to send a Siamese into conniptions. Then a second woman’s voice, speaking in German, reads a poem while different shapes appear slowly, one after another, on the screen. For an adult watching without the presence of a lovable tyke, the video is enough to induce restless leg syndrome. It is like Blue’s Clues in this sense. what seem like painfully slow, disconnected images to us can hold endless fascination for babies.
Or so parents tell me when I ask them about Baby Einstein. “Our son loved them,” one tells me. “As soon as we’d switch it on, he’d just stare at them for 25 minutes. It was really helpful because he never drank enough formula, but he would drink more when he was watching the videos.” What is so fascinating about this video to me is the way in which it subverts adult expectations. Instead of being presented with a narrative flow, characters, and action, we see still images and set pieces with a mostly unrelated soundtrack. In other words, Baby Einstein is the video version of a storyboard book. It works more or less the same way that a baby book does. giving the baby stimulus and allowing the parent to point and narrate. The idea is simple, but powerful. It is also very different from anything that existed before, including standouts for slightly older children such as Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues. This is another reason that the criticism of Baby Einstein and the genre seems a bit off target. Studies warn against letting young children watch television in general, but none have tried measuring the particular effects of baby videos, still a new genre. Baby Einstein moves a lot slower than other children’s television, really no faster than the pages of a book turning.
Just as with John Peterman’s venture into catalog retailing, Julie Clark was gifted with a complete lack of knowledge about the “rules” of video. Baby Einstein Language Nursery breaks them all. It doesn’t have a catchy theme song, doesn’t feature high production quality, doesn’t even use sets or always keep the pictures and soundtrack in synch. Above all, it doesn’t move quickly to keep children entertained and it doesn’t try to appeal to adults. One nice element is the presence of Clark and her children. “There’s a certain quality to them,” one parent tells me, “and we’ve seen quite a few other videos. Part of it is that you can see Julie Clark and her kids. The youngest one is a baby in the earliest videos. Then you see her get older. It’s almost like watching them grow up.” Clark enjoyed making the Baby Einstein Language Nursery video, but selling it was a nightmare. “I had literally never sold a product in my life,” she says, “and I didn’t get a lot of support outside my own house. When I would go to a playgroup and tell other women, they didn’t jump all over it and say, ‘What a great idea!’ They were like, ‘Well . . . . okay.’” Still, she persisted, driven by her strong belief that the video would be good for babies. Clark sent copies of the video to Toys “R” Us and other big retailers she located online, but she never heard a word from any of them. She also sent the Baby Einstein Language Nursery video to a variety of magazines. Here she had more luck. Parenting magazine wrote a positive review of the video. Suddenly, Julie Clark found herself in business.
Running a business meant dealing with issues Clark had not considered before. “I realized that I had to accept credit card payments.
How do you do that? Getting the tapes duplicated and having boxes made and shrink-wrapped wasn’t hard, but what about shipping? It wasn’t a lot of volume but suddenly I was the order entry person, warehouse manager and mailroom clerk at the same time.” Clark was initially selling the videos direct to consumers, operating from her basement. The garage became her warehouse. Still, Clark kept looking for retail distribution for the Baby Einstein video. A friend told her that she should go to a trade show. something Julie did not even realize existed. The industry show for children’s videos is called Toy Fair and takes place every year at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Clark could barely scrape together the money for the Toy Fair entry pass from her meager earnings, so there was no question of exhibiting.
The Javits Center is an awkward, unlovely structure on the West Side of Manhattan, near the Hudson River. It is laid out like three large shoeboxes with holes cut in the sides, linking them. The convention space incorporates 10 separate exhibition halls on two levels, with over 300,000 square feet of floor space. Although small by modern standards and unable to host massive events like the Consumer Electronics Show (held annually in Las Vegas), Javits can still be confusing and intimidating for first-timers. Visitors may enter the Javits Center through one of a series of glass doors on different levels for their show only to realize that they’re a good quarter mile from their show.
ToyFair had over 20,000 attendees, and Julie felt completely overwhelmed by the hubbub in the main exhibition hall. But she had a mission. She had identified a small, upscale retailer called The Right Start as the best possible place to carry her video. She spent two days wandering the halls and looking at name badges, trying to find someone from The Right Start, until she literally ran into a group of eight women from the retailer.
“They must have thought I was crazy, but I was able to convince one of the women, named Wendy, to take a look at the video. That’s all I got. her first name. I didn’t hear anything for two and a half weeks, so I finally called their headquarters and asked to speak to Wendy. The receptionist told me that she had left the company and gave me the name of the woman replacing her. When I got through to her I told a white lie. that Wendy had loved the videos and was going to pass it on to her to look at. This woman paused for a moment and I could hear her shuffling things around. They she said, ‘Okay, I see the video on the desk here, but I don’t have a note from her or anything.’ But she agreed to take a look at it.” The new buyer called Clark back the next day with an order for 60 videos. All 60 sold out in a single day and The Right Start reordered. Then they asked for another title in six months. And this is where fate intervened for Baby Einstein.
The second video Clark produced was called Baby Mozart. She had toyed with calling it “Baby Einstein: Mozart” or some other combination of words, but in the end decided that simpler was better.
This video hit store shelves in February 1998, and just two weeks later, a scientific study was released that appeared to prove that listening to Mozart could improve brain functions in babies. The story quickly reached the national headlines. They called it “the Mozart Effect.” Baby Einstein exploded, with sales jumping from $100,000 in 1997 to $1,000,000 in 1998.
As we leave Clark’s middle school, I get a clear look at the Rockies.
They’re omnipresent on a sunny day in Denver, hovering over the background like a pipe organ in a church. The snow-capped peaks look unreal to my New Yorker eye. It’s more like a painted backdrop on the set of a colorized Hollywood movie. And it seems out of place against a backdrop of Best Buys and Bed, Bath & Beyonds. We pull into a shopping mall where we are meeting Julie’s husband, Bill, and their longtime collaborator, Jeff Mettais, for lunch. The restaurant is P.F. Chang’s. It is one of these new, upscale casual-dining behemoths that seem to have sprung up everywhere in the past few years. We walk in and are greeted by a terminally perky hostess. The interior of the restaurant looks to me like a ski lodge that has been decorated by Pottery Barn.
Bill is older than Julie by nearly 13 years and he complements her personality. Where Julie is energetic, impulsive, and demanding, Bill is calm, measured, and flexible. One of Bill’s biggest roles was as a professional mentor for Julie. Even before he joined Baby Einstein, Bill was an entrepreneurial role model for her. The company he was running when the pair met, Optical Data, was partially funded by ABC. The concept of using laser disks to bring vast amounts of information and images to the classroom seemed revolutionary when it launched. Unfortunately, it blossomed just in time to be outmoded by the DVD and then the Internet. When I ask Bill about the company, he smiles. “We made a lot of history and lost a lot of money.” Baby Einstein was clearly something different. Just as the first video was nearing completion, Julie and Bill moved from Alpharetta to Denver. Bill took a job with a nonprofit specializing in the needs of entrepreneurs in the Denver area. A year later he left when it became painfully evident that Baby Einstein was growing faster than Julie could handle on her own. The division of labor at Baby Einstein was straightforward. Bill took over operations and began to put together a strategic plan for the company. He helped Julie think through the intellectual property issues for Baby Einstein and was able to secure strong trademark protection for the company’s branded products.
He also helped think through the life cycle of the consumer and was instrumental in getting Julie to launch a line of videos for children 1 to 3 years old to complement the offerings for newborns. Julie was CEO and had complete control over the videos (and later, books), the brand, and the creative process. “Baby Einstein videos and books were really handcrafted products with Julie’s fingerprints all over every single one,” Bill says, as he sips at a bowl of soup.
It is this intimacy, this handcrafted authenticity, which gave the Baby Einstein brand its extraordinary strength. As with most of the other brands in this book, the success of Baby Einstein hinged on Julie Clark’s ability to persuasively tell her own story. that of a stay-athome mother who created a product that she wanted for her own baby.
This “by us, for us” mentality, along with a strong story, is what sets Accidental Brands apart from corporate brands. Nobody likes buying things from nameless, faceless corporations. A brand gives a company a face. An Accidental Brand has a clearer face and a stronger story.
Whether it was during her appearance on Oprah or the back cover of a Baby Einstein book, Julie Clark knew how to tell her own story.
Accidental Brands tend to be very careful about hiring. A bad hiring decision can pollute the corporate DNA and bring down the morale of the entire organization. Thus, most companies who experience the kind of explosive growth Baby Einstein enjoyed between 1998 and 2000 (which increased tenfold as sales went from $1,000,000 to $10,000,000) hire in proportion to their sales. Not so with Baby Einstein. In total, the Baby Einstein Company had just eight employees in 2001 when it was sold to Disney. Sales results for that last year were $22 million. a staggering $2.75 million in revenue per employee. I asked Bill Clark at lunch about the small size of the company and he characterized it as a lifestyle choice. Managing a huge group of employees changes the nature of the workload for the CEO and COO.
Hiring any faster would have ruined family life for both Bill and Julie.
And they really considered employee members to be family as well.
Of the eight employees in Baby Einstein at the time of the sale in 2001, seven are working on one of the Clarks’ two new ventures, namely The Safe Side and Memory Lane.
In 1999, Disney Publishing approached Julie and asked her to license a series of books under the Baby Einstein trademark. Clark was intrigued because she had always wanted to write and thought that books were a natural complement to the Baby Einstein videos. She agreed, with the caveat that she be given complete creative control, and began to produce a series of books that numbered 20 by the time of the company sale, contributing significantly to Baby Einstein revenues.
By 2000, Baby Einstein had attracted a great deal of competition, and both Bill and Julie felt that the company needed additional capital in order to stay on top of the industry it had spawned. Their workdays were getting longer and longer, making it harder to have a normal family life, and the company was testing their personal values. Baby Einstein was producing video, Julie was creating books for Disney to sell and produce on a licensed basis, and Clark had also introduced a Little Einstein line for small children. The complexity of the growing operation was enormous, and it was clear that major investment was needed to take it to the next level. Faced with a fundamental life decision, the Clarks agreed quickly on what to do. They elected to sell the business. It was a simple decision, Bill says. “This thing’s going to eat our lives up, and we just asked ourselves, ‘What’s more important, our kids or our business?’ ” Julie nods emphatically. “We never ran a single ad and we never did any marketing. Baby Einstein was all word of mouth. We knew that we would have to sell it eventually because we wanted to spend as much time as we could with our kids. The surprise. what we never anticipated. was that we would have this tremendous success with the business.” So Julie and Bill called Disney. The couple’s experience with Disney Books had been positive and they liked the fit between the two brands.
Julie says she told Disney, in effect, “We like you and we’re calling you first. We’re selling the business and we want to know if you are interested.” They were interested. Ten months later, Julie and Bill Clark sold Baby Einstein to Disney for $40 million.
Of the entrepreneurs profiled in this book, only two. Clark and Roxanne Quimby. have sold their businesses outright. For both, the loss of control seems to have been like watching a child go to college.
Buying a brand from the founder is a delicate business and Disney was clear about the endgame. At one point during negotiations with the lawyers, Disney’s point man put his hand on Julie’s and looked at her sharply, saying, “You understand we’re buying the right to run this business the way we want to, right?” Julie understood. and didn’t. When the sale was completed and Julie had the customary title of “retained consultant,” she expected to hold on to creative control over the product. Instead, she was gradually pushed aside. Then she reached a breaking point. “I thought it was really going to be great to work with Disney, but then it wasn’t. So I finally said, ‘That’s that and it’s done, and I’m really proud because this would never have existed without me.’ ” Disney even brought in another mother to run the business. but this one had an MBA. “She said something like, ‘We’re going to make this thing slick,’ and I knew it was trouble right then,” Bill says.
After some further frustrations, Julie says, “In the end it became impossible for me to work with Disney. I couldn’t let go and it didn’t work out.” On the revenue side, Disney has done a remarkable job growing the brand. By 2006, in just four short years after the acquisition, Baby Einstein revenue grew nearly tenfold, to over $200 million. And Disney has resisted the impulse to “Disneyfy” the brand. The same logo Julie drew at her dining room table in Alpharetta, Georgia in 1996 is still the one on Baby Einstein books and videos; the Disney logo, while there, is small and subdued. But in another sense, Bill’s comments about the Disney attitude to the brand ring true. Professional actors have replaced the Clark family (Aspen and Sierra used to be regulars) in newer Baby Einstein videos, and the videos’ look and feel is no longer handmade. In addition, much of the revenue for the Baby Einstein brand now comes from licensed toys, baby toiletries, baby gear, and party supplies, among other items. In short, the Baby Einstein brand is not as authentic as it was under Clark. It is no longer the loving result of one mother’s efforts for other mothers.
As we leave lunch, I ask Clark when she realized that she had actually become successful. that she had made it. She laughs, and points to a DSW store in the mall we’re driving out of. “It was right there, actually. I can literally remember being at that store and having two pairs of shoes in my hands, trying to decide which pair to buy and then thinking, ‘Wow, now I can buy them both.’ ” It says something about the intimacy of Clark’s dreams that everything she values in life. from her children to the first (and last) corporate offices of Baby Einstein to the people who help her build that company. can be found within an arm’s reach in her original neighborhood of Denver.
I am curious about Bill’s comment about “Julie’s fingerprints” being all over every one of the products of Baby Einstein. The phrase suggests an obsession with detail that I haven’t yet seen from Clark.
Unrelenting attention to the small things is common among Accidental Brand entrepreneurs, but Julie seems far too relaxed to be obsessive. As we drive to the home studio of Mark Burr, who edited all of the Baby Einstein videos for Clark during the independent run of the company, Clark almost has to divert to a Wal-Mart to buy a Baby Einstein video, as she is temporarily without a copy, but Mark has one. Burr lives in an unremarkable townhouse development a few minutes’ drive from Clark’s old neighborhood, where he has turned the first floor into a full video production studio, with a converted bedroom featuring a full AVID video editor.
Julie is working on a speech she will be giving to Microsoft a week later and it quickly becomes clear that she has something very specific in mind. To an outsider, the process of video editing is tedious, but Clark is plainly no outsider. She relishes the chance to paste the perfect story together with video bits from the Baby Einstein and Safe Side tapes. She also seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of her own work. When Mark is looking for footage to fill out the music from an edited line, she knows exactly the single scene from among a dozen videos to pull. They talk by shorthand, completing each other’s sentences and thoughts. I later ask Clark about the Microsoft talk and she says, “I loved it because I was standing in front of this roomful of Harvard MBAs and really, really brilliant people and sharing my story. And I realized they were actually learning something from me.” The video-editing session reinforces my feeling that Baby Einstein was a labor of love for Clark (and it also reinforces my growing conviction that I will never direct feature films). And perhaps that is the secret of the brand. For Julie Clark, Baby Einstein was a child no less than Aspen or Sierra. Julie’s entire focus is family, and it has been consistently so for her entire adult life. As long as Baby Einstein was part of the family and brought the family together, Clark handled it brilliantly. When the business threatened the balance and sanity of her family, she gave it up. When Disney took control of Baby Einstein, Clark could no longer contribute. She couldn’t be a foster parent to her own child.
Mark chuckles when I ask him if Clark is obsessive. “Well, Julie is unusual because she is not only creative but very detail oriented. She knows exactly what she wants.” Julie smiles, and reminds Mark that he had once. after margaritas apparently. told Clark that she was difficult to work with. Mark shakes his head and changes the subject.
He won’t be baited. But it is easy to see that Burr has worked so well with Clark because he knew how to surrender ownership to her and focus on becoming intuitive at knowing what she might want.
Letting go was difficult. By the end of 2002, Julie Clark was completely done with Baby Einstein. she was no longer consulting for Disney. So she channeled her effort into a new endeavor. This one came from a new anxiety she had acquired as the mother of two girls.
She was not confident that they were getting the right instruction in school on how to protect themselves from strangers and the pitfalls found on the Internet. In 2003, she founded a company called The Safe Side to address the dangers of childhood. She decided to use the familiar tool of instructional videos in a new way to show kids good practices with strangers and with people who were not strangers but might still pose a danger.
This time around, Julie’s celebrity from her Baby Einstein success gave her a leg up. She had capital and a great deal of support. In late 2002, Clark was asked to appear on The John Walsh Show. This was the same John Walsh who hosts America’s Most Wanted, and Clark saw an opportunity. She said she’d appear on the talk show only if she got an hour of Walsh’s time to tell him about The Safe Side. The gambit worked and Clark got Walsh to sign on with her to support The Safe Side. Clark spent an entire year shooting the first Safe Side video, investing $400,000 of her own money to produce it. a hefty step up from the $17,000 the first Baby Einstein video had cost her. In January 2004, the video was ready for editing. Then, a few days into the editing process, disaster struck.
“I had worked out the night before and lifted and I was sore. I was sitting in the editing studio, rubbing under my arm and I felt this tiny, tiny bump. I didn’t think about it for a couple of days and then I decided to try to find the spot again. It took awhile but I finally found it. Then I took a permanent marker and put a dot on the spot.” Clark went to see her doctor, who was conscientious enough to send her for more testing. The next few days were a whirlwind. “On Wednesday morning, I had a mammogram. They looked at the films and sent me back to my doctor. I knew that wasn’t good. I had a biopsy on Thursday, and by Friday I was diagnosed with a carcinoma, an invasive cancer.” I ask Clark about her reaction to the diagnosis as we sit outside her new house, overlooking her pool and the mountains. She peers into the distance as she answers me. “Your whole life kind of goes black and all you think about is your kids. they were 9 and 7. I had them spend the night at my best friend’s house. On Saturday, they came home and we sat them down at the kitchen table and I told them, ‘Mommy got some bad news. I have cancer, but I don’t have the kind you die from.’ That’s what I told them, because I needed to tell them something but I didn’t want to terrify them.” Over the next several days, Clark did what most people do these days when they learn they have cancer: she used the Internet to read everything she could find about the disease. And she came to a firm resolution.
“I decided that I wanted to get it out and never have it happen again. I decided to have a double mastectomy, which was a radical choice. I saw five oncologists that first week and none of them recommended a double mastectomy. All of them said chemo, a lumpectomy, and radiation. But the thing is, all of these oncologists put you in a group. They have a standard path that they follow with all breast cancer patients. But my cancer was my own, it was unique. I didn’t want it coming back. Ten days after the cancer was diagnosed, I had a double mastectomy. I had no chemo and no radiation.” Here, she sighs and allows herself a smile. “I had my three-year anniversary on Saturday. three years with no signs of recurrence. That’s a big deal.” After recovering from the surgery, Julie’s first reaction to the cancer was to plunge back into work. She returned to The Safe Side with a vengeance and shifted her strategy away from retail sales towards schools. With Bill’s help, Julie championed an effort to donate a free video to every school district in the state of Texas, which is what got her noticed by one of President Bush’s West Wing staffers. She continued working at a blistering pace for almost three years, until everything caught up with her.
By 2006, Julie and Bill had left their first Denver neighborhood, and the basement that had seen Baby Einstein exceed $5 million in revenue, and moved to a dream house further out in the Denver suburbs. The stunning, 10,000-square-foot contemporary sits on a hill overlooking Denver with a clear view of the Rockies. As we walk through the house I get a sense of the vast scale that money buys in the suburbs these days. The ceilings are 25 feet high and it looks like it might take scaffolding to change a light bulb. Downstairs, Bill has put in a home theater that seats 10 in front of a 75-inch, highdefinition TV, just past the requisite pool table and around the corner from his office. The kitchen is modern and marble and there is a full dining table outdoors as well as the one indoors. The backyard pool is landscaped with stone and sits next to a cushioned basketball court. Julie’s office is on the main floor and looks airy. and slightly uncomfortable. In fact, the whole house seems a bit intimidating, somewhat larger than life. The feeling I get from Julie is of the slightest bit of buyer’s remorse. “It’s a lot of house. sometimes we wonder if we need it,” she says as I crane my head up to see some of the mementos from the early days of Baby Einstein.
Finally, in 2006, Clark began to change gears. “I decided ‘I just don’t want to work this hard.’ The cancer was a big wake-up call; it just took some time to get the message. I thought, ‘You’ve been given this wonderful gift. You had this super-successful business; you’ve got more money than you ever thought you’d have in your life. You were a teacher, for God’s sake!’” She pauses and laughs. “I mean, I was making $25,000 a year. My kids are still young enough that they like me and I can enjoy them. I was ready to just shelve The Safe Side, but Bill and I had talked a lot about the school opportunities, and he decided to jump in and take it over. I decided to go back to teaching.” So in the fall of 2006, after a hiatus of nearly 15 years, Julie returned to teaching, and in the same private middle school where her daughter was in sixth grade. She came back to teach poetry and English and to spend more time with her children. She is also training to teach a humane education program. geared to teach children how to care for animals, around the Denver School system. If she has any regrets, they are impossible to detect. As the light begins to drain out of the Colorado sky, I sense that Julie Clark is finally exactly where she wants to be.
My first glimpse of Julie Clark comes unexpectedly on television. I am watching the State of the Union address. It’s the sixth year of George W. Bush’s presidency and things are not going well. As a result, the speech lacks the jaunty, boisterous tone that entertains me whether or not I voted for the guy on my screen. The president meanders through the economy, education, health care, immigration, and energy in the first 40 minutes of the address. Just as I am about to flip to a rerun of CSI, he begins talking about the contributions of individual Americans who are sitting in the box with the first lady, Laura Bush. This part of the speech is akin to human-interest report on the local evening news (“Fireman Saves Cat From Tree. Cat’s Owner Marries Fireman. Story at 11!!”) and it perks me up. President Bush first singles out Dikembe Mutombo, the famous Congolese NBA basketball player who has recently donated $15 million for the completion of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Teaching Hospital near Kinshasa, the first modern medical facility in the Congo. Then he introduces Julie Aigner-Clark, saying:
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So, she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children’s videos in her basement. The Baby Einstein Company was born. and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales.
In November 2001, Julie sold Baby Einstein to the Walt Disney Company, and with her help Baby Einstein has grown into a $200 million business. Julie represents the great enterprising spirit of America. And she is using her success to help others. producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new project: “I believe it’s the most important thing that I’ve ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.” So tonight, we are pleased to welcome this talented business entrepreneur and generous social entrepreneur.
Clark is an attractive blond woman with straight hair and frosted lipstick. Her teenage daughter Aspen sits next to her, just behind the first lady. In addition to Mutombo, Clark is surrounded by Wesley Autrey, a man who recently threw himself in front of an oncoming subway in New York to save the life of a stranger, and Tommy Rieman, a U.S. Army sergeant who has been awarded the Silver Star for bravery under fire in Iraq.
“It came as a complete surprise,” Clark tells me later, “and it was this huge secret, so I couldn’t tell anyone until literally moments before it happened.” What was she thinking while she was sitting there and wondering if the president might mention her among the dozen or so people sitting in the first lady’s box? “The whole time during the speech I was , Well, as a mother of a teenager, all I could do is keep poking Aspen and whispering ‘Don’t pick your nose, quit pulling your hair, stop touching your knee. don’t kick the first lady in the head!’” Clark’s appearance in the State of the Union address creates some controversy. The next day Timothy Noah, writing for the Web zine Slate, titles his account “Bush’s Baby Einstein Gaffe. The President Lionizes a Mountebank.” He argues that Clark is a charlatan who has defrauded other women with the videos by playing on their neuroses.
Clark is surprised by the attack and, like other entrepreneurs I’ve encountered, she is particularly vulnerable and thin-skinned. “I was upset. I guess it was because I was being attacked really personally by someone who didn’t know anything about me. The fact that he totally neglected to mention anything about The Safe Side really annoyed me.” The attack on Clark seems unfair to me as well. Noah’s key points are that Clark hasn’t done anything more significant than enrich herself, that recent studies suggest television viewing is not good for children, and that Baby Einstein is the leading edge of a movement that makes untrue claims to women so they can feel safe about ignoring their children.
The first point is not true. Since selling Baby Einstein in 2001, Clark created a program, called The Safe Side, whose videos instruct children about the dangers of using the Internet and talking to strangers.
She persuaded America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh to join her effort, and they donated a video to every school district in Texas. The presidential nod was for this as much as for Baby Einstein. Noah’s second point. about the possible danger of showing videos to babies. is possibly true, but not relevant to Clark. The studies suggesting dangers to babies from television exposure were published only after Clark had sold Baby Einstein to Disney, and none addressed the baby video phenomenon directly. Finally, whether or not the baby video industry preys on the insecurities of new parents, ordinary parents believe that there is some good in exposing their babies to classical music and foreign languages while watching slowly moving, pleasing images. Assuming that these consumers are all chumps just because of two unduplicated medical studies doesn’t seem fair either.
Even if the attack on Julie Aigner-Clark seems mean-spirited, something in the critique resonates with me. Watching Clark on television, I cannot help but have the feeling “Why her? What makes this woman so special?” She looks like an ordinary person standing up there in front of the entire nation, like just another soccer mom. But that is also her appeal. Julie Clark was never a marketer or a businessperson.
She was an English teacher and then a stay-at-home mom. The evil motives assigned to her are off base. Clark wasn’t trying to swindle anxious mothers. she was one. “I was a real, honest-to-God stay-athome mother and I wanted this for my child,” Clark says, “and I was lucky that other mothers felt the same way.” In other words, Baby Einstein was an Accidental Brand.
The Julie Clark I meet a month after the State of the Union address in suburban Denver is an entirely different person from the one I have seen on television. The early March day is the warmest on record in Denver, the temperature already topping 75 degrees when she greets me at her door. Clark is casually dressed in sandals, torn jeans, and a David Bowie concert t-shirt. Her shoulder-length, golden hair hangs loose over angular features. She is wearing no jewelry except for a slender wedding band (no diamond) and a small gold Rolex watch that might pass for a knockoff. A pickup truck, parked in the circular driveway directly in front of the front door to her house, is splattered with mud. I’m late, having crawled along in Denver traffic to reach her, and she hustles me into the pickup because we are running late for school.
As I have met more accidental entrepreneurs, I’ve found that they fall into two categories. The first group, which includes Gary Erickson at Clif Bar and Gert Boyle at Columbia Sportswear, sees the business as a lifelong pursuit. These folks become so attached to their creation that they hang on through the difficult transition from running a company where everyone knows each other to masterminding a true corporation with hierarchy and lots of bright-faced people they don’t recognize. The second class of entrepreneur never really wants to run a corporation at all. When the business gets to the size where being in charge means doing more administrative than creative work, these founders get out. Clark falls into the second category.
When Julie Clark sold Baby Einstein to Disney in 2001, it had exactly 8 employees responsible for the $22 million in revenue it produced that year. Julie and her husband, Bill Clark, who was COO of Baby Einstein, netted about $40 million on that sale. Even if it put them in the same league with minor investment bankers and successful law firm partners rather than the Bill Gateses or Warren Buffetts of the world, there was enough money for Clark to do whatever she wanted.
So it is revealing that in the sixth year of her retirement, she has come full circle to where she started out before meeting her husband, having children, and starting Baby Einstein. Julie Clark is once again teaching English.
The private middle school where Clark teaches is a model of progressive modesty. Classes are extremely small, with 15 students on average, and from what I can tell, the level of the teaching is excellent.
The physical structure of the building is decidedly modest, however.
The building is a two-story affair with institutional fluorescent lighting and cinderblock walls. A recent renovation has brightened things up by adding multicolor tiles to the floor and bright yellow paint to the walls.
If there is irony in a multimillionaire and famous entrepreneur teaching poetry to sixth and seventh graders, none of the kids in Clark’s class see it. They shuffle in with the ragged steps of teenagers, looking curiously at me sitting in the back of the class. One of the last students to arrive is Clark’s daughter Aspen, the older child who accompanied her to the State of the Union address. Aspen is goldenskinned and confident, with an unusually upright bearing for a 12-year-old. Unlike some of her classmates, she makes direct eye contact with me when her mother introduces her.
Clark starts the class out by reading a poem. It is “Hurt Hawks” by Robinson Jeffers, about a man who kills a wounded hawk out of mercy. It could be a parable of adolescence, but the reason it delights the class is because it plays to the adolescent obsession with death:
He is strong and pain is worse to the strong, incapacity is worse The curs of the day come and torment him At distance, no one but death the redeemer will humble that head, The intrepid readiness, the terrible eyes.
The wild God of the world is sometimes merciful to those That ask mercy, not often to the arrogant.
What I notice first about Clark during the class is how well she listens. Any student who speaks has her full attention. her entire body is still. Like great entertainers and politicians, she completely focuses on the person in front of her. In my experience, this is a very unusual quality in an entrepreneur or a CEO. She also has a natural affinity for children. They speak to her both familiarly and respectfully, which is a difficult balance to achieve with young teens.
They also joke. when a student mentions the odd name of a friend, Clark says, “It’s just amazing what parents will name their children. I mean, you have them naming their kids after a tree. Wait. I actually did that.” She deadpans the last bit as Aspen smiles, and it’s clear that one of the main attractions of teaching for Clark is the opportunity to spend time with her daughter.
Teaching is a luxury for Julie Clark. After graduating from Michigan State University in 1988, she took a job teaching adult education in East Detroit because she couldn’t get a day job teaching children. It took her two years to finally get that day job, and it was teaching English in middle school, just as she does now. After four years, the strains of supporting herself on a teacher’s salary persuaded Clark to seek other employment and she found a job working for a company called Optical Data Corporation.
Optical Data was founded to bring a new technology from the 1980s (the laser disk) into the classroom. The ability to store vast amounts of visual data on a single disk gave schools in this pre-Internet era new options for teaching and helped eliminate carousels of slides.
Julie was paired with a salesperson at Optical Data and her job was to show schoolteachers how to use the technology. The company was losing money and Julie was laid off after just a year, but it was a pivotal moment in her life for two reasons: First, because Julie met her husband Bill at Optical, where Bill was CEO. Second, because helping middle school teachers use laser disk technology planted the seed in Julie’s mind that video could be an effective teaching tool.
After leaving Optical Data, Julie moved in with Bill and into “The Hills,” a nondescript, sprawling condo complex in Bedminster, New Jersey, south of Morristown. She took a job working on child assault prevention for a nonprofit. In 1994, Julie became pregnant for the first time. She left her job after delivering Aspen and became a stayat-home mom. A year later, Optical Data was sold to Cox and Bill moved Julie and their newborn daughter Aspen to the Atlanta area.
Even in New Jersey, Julie had begun to think about the sights and sounds that babies are exposed to every day. Julie didn’t like a lot of the media influences that surround a child’s life. from advertising to music videos. and wanted to give Aspen a strong foundation in the things that were important to her. This meant classical music, art, poetry and foreign languages. Clark found that some of this existed for young children, but virtually none for babies. And there were no baby videos to speak of. She was looking for something that did not exist. a way to stimulate her baby’s mind with images and sounds that were important to her. She didn’t have time to do anything about it while she was apart from Bill, but the idea did not leave her mind.
When Clark moved to Georgia, she and Bill bought a house in Alpharetta, “otherwise known as purgatory,” in Julie’s words. As Aspen passed her first birthday and Julie was able to sleep through the night, her thoughts turned back to the idea of a learning video for a baby.
She decided to make a video. I ask Clark what made her take this step, the step that so few people with good ideas take. “I’d seen Bill do it at Optical Data, so I wasn’t intimidated. At first, I treated it like a hobby.
That took a lot of pressure off.” Julie was lucky that she had a friend who owned video equipment and let her borrow it for an entire year. She also had a mostly empty basement that became her office and production studio. A black velvet drop cloth was the entire “set” for the video. Since coming up with the idea for a baby video when Aspen was born, Julie had carefully watched what her daughter was attracted to. She noticed that slow movement, such as that of a diorama, was endlessly fascinating to Aspen. She also saw that certain colors and objects were more compelling than others.
Clark didn’t convene a focus group of mothers or conduct research to see what she should put in the video. she just put in what she knew her own daughter liked. She also had another motive for completing the video; midway through production, she became pregnant again.
In all, it took her a year to complete the first Baby Einstein video and cost Clark and her husband $17,000 in personal savings.
The first video is called Baby Einstein Language Nursery. Julie provides the narrative voice, as she did in all the videos produced while she owned the company. The video is incredibly simple. The background is black. It starts with the music from “Pop Goes the Weasel” playing as Julie’s manicured hand pushes the button to a simple popup toy. which pops up. Julie says, “Hello.” Then the Baby Einstein logo and the words “Language Nursery” slowly draw themselves on the screen. Next we see a fish tank. a straight-on image that looks real enough to send a Siamese into conniptions. Then a second woman’s voice, speaking in German, reads a poem while different shapes appear slowly, one after another, on the screen. For an adult watching without the presence of a lovable tyke, the video is enough to induce restless leg syndrome. It is like Blue’s Clues in this sense. what seem like painfully slow, disconnected images to us can hold endless fascination for babies.
Or so parents tell me when I ask them about Baby Einstein. “Our son loved them,” one tells me. “As soon as we’d switch it on, he’d just stare at them for 25 minutes. It was really helpful because he never drank enough formula, but he would drink more when he was watching the videos.” What is so fascinating about this video to me is the way in which it subverts adult expectations. Instead of being presented with a narrative flow, characters, and action, we see still images and set pieces with a mostly unrelated soundtrack. In other words, Baby Einstein is the video version of a storyboard book. It works more or less the same way that a baby book does. giving the baby stimulus and allowing the parent to point and narrate. The idea is simple, but powerful. It is also very different from anything that existed before, including standouts for slightly older children such as Sesame Street and Blue’s Clues. This is another reason that the criticism of Baby Einstein and the genre seems a bit off target. Studies warn against letting young children watch television in general, but none have tried measuring the particular effects of baby videos, still a new genre. Baby Einstein moves a lot slower than other children’s television, really no faster than the pages of a book turning.
Just as with John Peterman’s venture into catalog retailing, Julie Clark was gifted with a complete lack of knowledge about the “rules” of video. Baby Einstein Language Nursery breaks them all. It doesn’t have a catchy theme song, doesn’t feature high production quality, doesn’t even use sets or always keep the pictures and soundtrack in synch. Above all, it doesn’t move quickly to keep children entertained and it doesn’t try to appeal to adults. One nice element is the presence of Clark and her children. “There’s a certain quality to them,” one parent tells me, “and we’ve seen quite a few other videos. Part of it is that you can see Julie Clark and her kids. The youngest one is a baby in the earliest videos. Then you see her get older. It’s almost like watching them grow up.” Clark enjoyed making the Baby Einstein Language Nursery video, but selling it was a nightmare. “I had literally never sold a product in my life,” she says, “and I didn’t get a lot of support outside my own house. When I would go to a playgroup and tell other women, they didn’t jump all over it and say, ‘What a great idea!’ They were like, ‘Well . . . . okay.’” Still, she persisted, driven by her strong belief that the video would be good for babies. Clark sent copies of the video to Toys “R” Us and other big retailers she located online, but she never heard a word from any of them. She also sent the Baby Einstein Language Nursery video to a variety of magazines. Here she had more luck. Parenting magazine wrote a positive review of the video. Suddenly, Julie Clark found herself in business.
Running a business meant dealing with issues Clark had not considered before. “I realized that I had to accept credit card payments.
How do you do that? Getting the tapes duplicated and having boxes made and shrink-wrapped wasn’t hard, but what about shipping? It wasn’t a lot of volume but suddenly I was the order entry person, warehouse manager and mailroom clerk at the same time.” Clark was initially selling the videos direct to consumers, operating from her basement. The garage became her warehouse. Still, Clark kept looking for retail distribution for the Baby Einstein video. A friend told her that she should go to a trade show. something Julie did not even realize existed. The industry show for children’s videos is called Toy Fair and takes place every year at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Clark could barely scrape together the money for the Toy Fair entry pass from her meager earnings, so there was no question of exhibiting.
The Javits Center is an awkward, unlovely structure on the West Side of Manhattan, near the Hudson River. It is laid out like three large shoeboxes with holes cut in the sides, linking them. The convention space incorporates 10 separate exhibition halls on two levels, with over 300,000 square feet of floor space. Although small by modern standards and unable to host massive events like the Consumer Electronics Show (held annually in Las Vegas), Javits can still be confusing and intimidating for first-timers. Visitors may enter the Javits Center through one of a series of glass doors on different levels for their show only to realize that they’re a good quarter mile from their show.
ToyFair had over 20,000 attendees, and Julie felt completely overwhelmed by the hubbub in the main exhibition hall. But she had a mission. She had identified a small, upscale retailer called The Right Start as the best possible place to carry her video. She spent two days wandering the halls and looking at name badges, trying to find someone from The Right Start, until she literally ran into a group of eight women from the retailer.
“They must have thought I was crazy, but I was able to convince one of the women, named Wendy, to take a look at the video. That’s all I got. her first name. I didn’t hear anything for two and a half weeks, so I finally called their headquarters and asked to speak to Wendy. The receptionist told me that she had left the company and gave me the name of the woman replacing her. When I got through to her I told a white lie. that Wendy had loved the videos and was going to pass it on to her to look at. This woman paused for a moment and I could hear her shuffling things around. They she said, ‘Okay, I see the video on the desk here, but I don’t have a note from her or anything.’ But she agreed to take a look at it.” The new buyer called Clark back the next day with an order for 60 videos. All 60 sold out in a single day and The Right Start reordered. Then they asked for another title in six months. And this is where fate intervened for Baby Einstein.
The second video Clark produced was called Baby Mozart. She had toyed with calling it “Baby Einstein: Mozart” or some other combination of words, but in the end decided that simpler was better.
This video hit store shelves in February 1998, and just two weeks later, a scientific study was released that appeared to prove that listening to Mozart could improve brain functions in babies. The story quickly reached the national headlines. They called it “the Mozart Effect.” Baby Einstein exploded, with sales jumping from $100,000 in 1997 to $1,000,000 in 1998.
As we leave Clark’s middle school, I get a clear look at the Rockies.
They’re omnipresent on a sunny day in Denver, hovering over the background like a pipe organ in a church. The snow-capped peaks look unreal to my New Yorker eye. It’s more like a painted backdrop on the set of a colorized Hollywood movie. And it seems out of place against a backdrop of Best Buys and Bed, Bath & Beyonds. We pull into a shopping mall where we are meeting Julie’s husband, Bill, and their longtime collaborator, Jeff Mettais, for lunch. The restaurant is P.F. Chang’s. It is one of these new, upscale casual-dining behemoths that seem to have sprung up everywhere in the past few years. We walk in and are greeted by a terminally perky hostess. The interior of the restaurant looks to me like a ski lodge that has been decorated by Pottery Barn.
Bill is older than Julie by nearly 13 years and he complements her personality. Where Julie is energetic, impulsive, and demanding, Bill is calm, measured, and flexible. One of Bill’s biggest roles was as a professional mentor for Julie. Even before he joined Baby Einstein, Bill was an entrepreneurial role model for her. The company he was running when the pair met, Optical Data, was partially funded by ABC. The concept of using laser disks to bring vast amounts of information and images to the classroom seemed revolutionary when it launched. Unfortunately, it blossomed just in time to be outmoded by the DVD and then the Internet. When I ask Bill about the company, he smiles. “We made a lot of history and lost a lot of money.” Baby Einstein was clearly something different. Just as the first video was nearing completion, Julie and Bill moved from Alpharetta to Denver. Bill took a job with a nonprofit specializing in the needs of entrepreneurs in the Denver area. A year later he left when it became painfully evident that Baby Einstein was growing faster than Julie could handle on her own. The division of labor at Baby Einstein was straightforward. Bill took over operations and began to put together a strategic plan for the company. He helped Julie think through the intellectual property issues for Baby Einstein and was able to secure strong trademark protection for the company’s branded products.
He also helped think through the life cycle of the consumer and was instrumental in getting Julie to launch a line of videos for children 1 to 3 years old to complement the offerings for newborns. Julie was CEO and had complete control over the videos (and later, books), the brand, and the creative process. “Baby Einstein videos and books were really handcrafted products with Julie’s fingerprints all over every single one,” Bill says, as he sips at a bowl of soup.
It is this intimacy, this handcrafted authenticity, which gave the Baby Einstein brand its extraordinary strength. As with most of the other brands in this book, the success of Baby Einstein hinged on Julie Clark’s ability to persuasively tell her own story. that of a stay-athome mother who created a product that she wanted for her own baby.
This “by us, for us” mentality, along with a strong story, is what sets Accidental Brands apart from corporate brands. Nobody likes buying things from nameless, faceless corporations. A brand gives a company a face. An Accidental Brand has a clearer face and a stronger story.
Whether it was during her appearance on Oprah or the back cover of a Baby Einstein book, Julie Clark knew how to tell her own story.
Accidental Brands tend to be very careful about hiring. A bad hiring decision can pollute the corporate DNA and bring down the morale of the entire organization. Thus, most companies who experience the kind of explosive growth Baby Einstein enjoyed between 1998 and 2000 (which increased tenfold as sales went from $1,000,000 to $10,000,000) hire in proportion to their sales. Not so with Baby Einstein. In total, the Baby Einstein Company had just eight employees in 2001 when it was sold to Disney. Sales results for that last year were $22 million. a staggering $2.75 million in revenue per employee. I asked Bill Clark at lunch about the small size of the company and he characterized it as a lifestyle choice. Managing a huge group of employees changes the nature of the workload for the CEO and COO.
Hiring any faster would have ruined family life for both Bill and Julie.
And they really considered employee members to be family as well.
Of the eight employees in Baby Einstein at the time of the sale in 2001, seven are working on one of the Clarks’ two new ventures, namely The Safe Side and Memory Lane.
In 1999, Disney Publishing approached Julie and asked her to license a series of books under the Baby Einstein trademark. Clark was intrigued because she had always wanted to write and thought that books were a natural complement to the Baby Einstein videos. She agreed, with the caveat that she be given complete creative control, and began to produce a series of books that numbered 20 by the time of the company sale, contributing significantly to Baby Einstein revenues.
By 2000, Baby Einstein had attracted a great deal of competition, and both Bill and Julie felt that the company needed additional capital in order to stay on top of the industry it had spawned. Their workdays were getting longer and longer, making it harder to have a normal family life, and the company was testing their personal values. Baby Einstein was producing video, Julie was creating books for Disney to sell and produce on a licensed basis, and Clark had also introduced a Little Einstein line for small children. The complexity of the growing operation was enormous, and it was clear that major investment was needed to take it to the next level. Faced with a fundamental life decision, the Clarks agreed quickly on what to do. They elected to sell the business. It was a simple decision, Bill says. “This thing’s going to eat our lives up, and we just asked ourselves, ‘What’s more important, our kids or our business?’ ” Julie nods emphatically. “We never ran a single ad and we never did any marketing. Baby Einstein was all word of mouth. We knew that we would have to sell it eventually because we wanted to spend as much time as we could with our kids. The surprise. what we never anticipated. was that we would have this tremendous success with the business.” So Julie and Bill called Disney. The couple’s experience with Disney Books had been positive and they liked the fit between the two brands.
Julie says she told Disney, in effect, “We like you and we’re calling you first. We’re selling the business and we want to know if you are interested.” They were interested. Ten months later, Julie and Bill Clark sold Baby Einstein to Disney for $40 million.
Of the entrepreneurs profiled in this book, only two. Clark and Roxanne Quimby. have sold their businesses outright. For both, the loss of control seems to have been like watching a child go to college.
Buying a brand from the founder is a delicate business and Disney was clear about the endgame. At one point during negotiations with the lawyers, Disney’s point man put his hand on Julie’s and looked at her sharply, saying, “You understand we’re buying the right to run this business the way we want to, right?” Julie understood. and didn’t. When the sale was completed and Julie had the customary title of “retained consultant,” she expected to hold on to creative control over the product. Instead, she was gradually pushed aside. Then she reached a breaking point. “I thought it was really going to be great to work with Disney, but then it wasn’t. So I finally said, ‘That’s that and it’s done, and I’m really proud because this would never have existed without me.’ ” Disney even brought in another mother to run the business. but this one had an MBA. “She said something like, ‘We’re going to make this thing slick,’ and I knew it was trouble right then,” Bill says.
After some further frustrations, Julie says, “In the end it became impossible for me to work with Disney. I couldn’t let go and it didn’t work out.” On the revenue side, Disney has done a remarkable job growing the brand. By 2006, in just four short years after the acquisition, Baby Einstein revenue grew nearly tenfold, to over $200 million. And Disney has resisted the impulse to “Disneyfy” the brand. The same logo Julie drew at her dining room table in Alpharetta, Georgia in 1996 is still the one on Baby Einstein books and videos; the Disney logo, while there, is small and subdued. But in another sense, Bill’s comments about the Disney attitude to the brand ring true. Professional actors have replaced the Clark family (Aspen and Sierra used to be regulars) in newer Baby Einstein videos, and the videos’ look and feel is no longer handmade. In addition, much of the revenue for the Baby Einstein brand now comes from licensed toys, baby toiletries, baby gear, and party supplies, among other items. In short, the Baby Einstein brand is not as authentic as it was under Clark. It is no longer the loving result of one mother’s efforts for other mothers.
As we leave lunch, I ask Clark when she realized that she had actually become successful. that she had made it. She laughs, and points to a DSW store in the mall we’re driving out of. “It was right there, actually. I can literally remember being at that store and having two pairs of shoes in my hands, trying to decide which pair to buy and then thinking, ‘Wow, now I can buy them both.’ ” It says something about the intimacy of Clark’s dreams that everything she values in life. from her children to the first (and last) corporate offices of Baby Einstein to the people who help her build that company. can be found within an arm’s reach in her original neighborhood of Denver.
I am curious about Bill’s comment about “Julie’s fingerprints” being all over every one of the products of Baby Einstein. The phrase suggests an obsession with detail that I haven’t yet seen from Clark.
Unrelenting attention to the small things is common among Accidental Brand entrepreneurs, but Julie seems far too relaxed to be obsessive. As we drive to the home studio of Mark Burr, who edited all of the Baby Einstein videos for Clark during the independent run of the company, Clark almost has to divert to a Wal-Mart to buy a Baby Einstein video, as she is temporarily without a copy, but Mark has one. Burr lives in an unremarkable townhouse development a few minutes’ drive from Clark’s old neighborhood, where he has turned the first floor into a full video production studio, with a converted bedroom featuring a full AVID video editor.
Julie is working on a speech she will be giving to Microsoft a week later and it quickly becomes clear that she has something very specific in mind. To an outsider, the process of video editing is tedious, but Clark is plainly no outsider. She relishes the chance to paste the perfect story together with video bits from the Baby Einstein and Safe Side tapes. She also seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of her own work. When Mark is looking for footage to fill out the music from an edited line, she knows exactly the single scene from among a dozen videos to pull. They talk by shorthand, completing each other’s sentences and thoughts. I later ask Clark about the Microsoft talk and she says, “I loved it because I was standing in front of this roomful of Harvard MBAs and really, really brilliant people and sharing my story. And I realized they were actually learning something from me.” The video-editing session reinforces my feeling that Baby Einstein was a labor of love for Clark (and it also reinforces my growing conviction that I will never direct feature films). And perhaps that is the secret of the brand. For Julie Clark, Baby Einstein was a child no less than Aspen or Sierra. Julie’s entire focus is family, and it has been consistently so for her entire adult life. As long as Baby Einstein was part of the family and brought the family together, Clark handled it brilliantly. When the business threatened the balance and sanity of her family, she gave it up. When Disney took control of Baby Einstein, Clark could no longer contribute. She couldn’t be a foster parent to her own child.
Mark chuckles when I ask him if Clark is obsessive. “Well, Julie is unusual because she is not only creative but very detail oriented. She knows exactly what she wants.” Julie smiles, and reminds Mark that he had once. after margaritas apparently. told Clark that she was difficult to work with. Mark shakes his head and changes the subject.
He won’t be baited. But it is easy to see that Burr has worked so well with Clark because he knew how to surrender ownership to her and focus on becoming intuitive at knowing what she might want.
Letting go was difficult. By the end of 2002, Julie Clark was completely done with Baby Einstein. she was no longer consulting for Disney. So she channeled her effort into a new endeavor. This one came from a new anxiety she had acquired as the mother of two girls.
She was not confident that they were getting the right instruction in school on how to protect themselves from strangers and the pitfalls found on the Internet. In 2003, she founded a company called The Safe Side to address the dangers of childhood. She decided to use the familiar tool of instructional videos in a new way to show kids good practices with strangers and with people who were not strangers but might still pose a danger.
This time around, Julie’s celebrity from her Baby Einstein success gave her a leg up. She had capital and a great deal of support. In late 2002, Clark was asked to appear on The John Walsh Show. This was the same John Walsh who hosts America’s Most Wanted, and Clark saw an opportunity. She said she’d appear on the talk show only if she got an hour of Walsh’s time to tell him about The Safe Side. The gambit worked and Clark got Walsh to sign on with her to support The Safe Side. Clark spent an entire year shooting the first Safe Side video, investing $400,000 of her own money to produce it. a hefty step up from the $17,000 the first Baby Einstein video had cost her. In January 2004, the video was ready for editing. Then, a few days into the editing process, disaster struck.
“I had worked out the night before and lifted and I was sore. I was sitting in the editing studio, rubbing under my arm and I felt this tiny, tiny bump. I didn’t think about it for a couple of days and then I decided to try to find the spot again. It took awhile but I finally found it. Then I took a permanent marker and put a dot on the spot.” Clark went to see her doctor, who was conscientious enough to send her for more testing. The next few days were a whirlwind. “On Wednesday morning, I had a mammogram. They looked at the films and sent me back to my doctor. I knew that wasn’t good. I had a biopsy on Thursday, and by Friday I was diagnosed with a carcinoma, an invasive cancer.” I ask Clark about her reaction to the diagnosis as we sit outside her new house, overlooking her pool and the mountains. She peers into the distance as she answers me. “Your whole life kind of goes black and all you think about is your kids. they were 9 and 7. I had them spend the night at my best friend’s house. On Saturday, they came home and we sat them down at the kitchen table and I told them, ‘Mommy got some bad news. I have cancer, but I don’t have the kind you die from.’ That’s what I told them, because I needed to tell them something but I didn’t want to terrify them.” Over the next several days, Clark did what most people do these days when they learn they have cancer: she used the Internet to read everything she could find about the disease. And she came to a firm resolution.
“I decided that I wanted to get it out and never have it happen again. I decided to have a double mastectomy, which was a radical choice. I saw five oncologists that first week and none of them recommended a double mastectomy. All of them said chemo, a lumpectomy, and radiation. But the thing is, all of these oncologists put you in a group. They have a standard path that they follow with all breast cancer patients. But my cancer was my own, it was unique. I didn’t want it coming back. Ten days after the cancer was diagnosed, I had a double mastectomy. I had no chemo and no radiation.” Here, she sighs and allows herself a smile. “I had my three-year anniversary on Saturday. three years with no signs of recurrence. That’s a big deal.” After recovering from the surgery, Julie’s first reaction to the cancer was to plunge back into work. She returned to The Safe Side with a vengeance and shifted her strategy away from retail sales towards schools. With Bill’s help, Julie championed an effort to donate a free video to every school district in the state of Texas, which is what got her noticed by one of President Bush’s West Wing staffers. She continued working at a blistering pace for almost three years, until everything caught up with her.
By 2006, Julie and Bill had left their first Denver neighborhood, and the basement that had seen Baby Einstein exceed $5 million in revenue, and moved to a dream house further out in the Denver suburbs. The stunning, 10,000-square-foot contemporary sits on a hill overlooking Denver with a clear view of the Rockies. As we walk through the house I get a sense of the vast scale that money buys in the suburbs these days. The ceilings are 25 feet high and it looks like it might take scaffolding to change a light bulb. Downstairs, Bill has put in a home theater that seats 10 in front of a 75-inch, highdefinition TV, just past the requisite pool table and around the corner from his office. The kitchen is modern and marble and there is a full dining table outdoors as well as the one indoors. The backyard pool is landscaped with stone and sits next to a cushioned basketball court. Julie’s office is on the main floor and looks airy. and slightly uncomfortable. In fact, the whole house seems a bit intimidating, somewhat larger than life. The feeling I get from Julie is of the slightest bit of buyer’s remorse. “It’s a lot of house. sometimes we wonder if we need it,” she says as I crane my head up to see some of the mementos from the early days of Baby Einstein.
Finally, in 2006, Clark began to change gears. “I decided ‘I just don’t want to work this hard.’ The cancer was a big wake-up call; it just took some time to get the message. I thought, ‘You’ve been given this wonderful gift. You had this super-successful business; you’ve got more money than you ever thought you’d have in your life. You were a teacher, for God’s sake!’” She pauses and laughs. “I mean, I was making $25,000 a year. My kids are still young enough that they like me and I can enjoy them. I was ready to just shelve The Safe Side, but Bill and I had talked a lot about the school opportunities, and he decided to jump in and take it over. I decided to go back to teaching.” So in the fall of 2006, after a hiatus of nearly 15 years, Julie returned to teaching, and in the same private middle school where her daughter was in sixth grade. She came back to teach poetry and English and to spend more time with her children. She is also training to teach a humane education program. geared to teach children how to care for animals, around the Denver School system. If she has any regrets, they are impossible to detect. As the light begins to drain out of the Colorado sky, I sense that Julie Clark is finally exactly where she wants to be.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Referral Appendix. Highground’s Principles of Business.
This appendix is designed as a reference to help you implement the principles and concepts of The Referral of a Lifetime. The appendix contains the following material:
Highground’s Principles of Business Highground’s Principles of Business Questions Letter of Introduction to Past Clients Confession Letter Highground’s Principles Goal Pages Three Magic Questions for New Contacts The Four Business Personality Windows Keep in Touch Suggestions Web of Appreciation Pledge and Policies Sample Highground’s Twenty Next Steps Highground’s principles of business.
These are the four foundational principles of the system. To find out more, return to chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6.
principle 1: The 250 by 250 Rule. It’s not only who you know that counts, it’s who your clients know that is important.
principle 2: Build a database and ABC it.
principle 3: Just Let Me Know. Educate your clients about how you work and your value to them through regular, tangible actions performed without fail.
principle 4: Keep in touch, consistently, personally, and systematically.
Questions.
These reflective questions are the starting point for deploying the system. To find out more, return to chapter 1.
question 1: Do you like yourself?
question 2: Do you believe in your product and company?
question 3: Are you willing to “stay the course”?
Letter of introduction to past clients.
This letter can be used to assign existing clients to a new sales or customer service person. To find out more, return to chapter 4.
Ken and Sue Turek.
1007 Pacific Coast Way.
Rancho Benicia, CA 92117.
Dear Ken and Sue:
I want you to know how much I appreciate the fact that you chose our dealership to purchase your new BMW from.
I, along with the members of our team, want you to know that if you have any questions, any problems, please feel free to call us directly.
It is to that end that I asked our new manager, Paul Kingston, to work with you personally in the event you have any questions or needs. Paul is a proven professional and we are proud to be associated with him. He always puts the relationship first with everyone he serves.
Paul will be contacting you in the near future simply to personally introduce himself and answer any questions you might have.
Thanks again!
Warm regards, P. J. Stoddart.
President.
Rancho Benicia AutoGroup, Inc.
Confession letter.
This letter can be used as the first mailing to those you have neglected to keep in touch with and now want to communicate with regularly. To find out more, return to chapter 5.
Robert and Carole Rusch.
119 Heath Terrace.
Rancho Benicia, CA 92117.
Dear Bob and Carole:
Recently my staff and I have taken the time to review our business and have come to the unanimous conclusion that the most important assets we possess are the relationships we have developed to date,just like the one we have developed with you.
I also confess that we have not been as proactive in our personal communications as we would have liked. It’s to that point that I want you to know we have taken appropriate steps to start communicating more frequently. Be it a newsletter, personal card, or follow-up telephone call from our office, please consider it the tangible evidence that we are putting our relationship with you first in our business.
In the near future, we will be communicating with you personally. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or we can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to call us!
Sincerely, Philip Stackhouse.
Highground’s principles goal pages.
These goal sheets can be used to plan your personal program. To view completed goals, return to pages 54, 56, 76–77, and 98.
Goal 1.
Goal: Finish my 250 by 250 list and then organize the names. Begin to put my new mind-set into action.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Goal 2.
Goal: Have my 250 by 250 database ABC-ed and in use.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Goal 3.
Goal: Professionally brand this system with my own style, then begin a proactive program to use in all that I say and do with all those I know.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Goal 4.
Goal: Have in place the next twelve months of my Keep in Touch and Web of Appreciation programs.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Three magic questions for new contacts.
These simple questions will help engage you immediately with new people you meet. To find out more, return to chapter 3.
1. What is it you do?
2. What do you like most about that?
3. If you could start over, knowing what you now know, what would your day look like?
Bonus follow-up statement to use whenever you choose:
“Tell me more.” The four business personality windows.
The four personality types are expressed in two words. The first word, on the left of the hyphen, represents how people see you and who you are naturally. The word on the right of the hyphen represents your natural tendency in business relationships.
Relational-Relational.
Relational-Business.
Business-Relational.
Business-Business.
Relational-Relational.
The relational-relational person is one who only thinks of relationships with others,how to help them and how to be liked or even loved. These people rarely think of the business ramifications of their actions, or if they do, they will justify them immediately in some relational way. So the second word has to be “relational,” too.
Relational-Business.
When meeting people, the relational-business person is truly interested in the relationship, but when the talk turns to business, this person will begin to think strategically.
Business-Relational.
The business-relational person doesn’t seem at first glance as interested in a relationship as much as in pure business, but this person will develop deep relationships after the business is established.
Business-Business.
This trait is simply the opposite of relational-relational.
Business-business people normally have a hard time with relational principles and the concepts of this system until they justify in some purely business way the time spent with those they’ve affected,which they always do.
Keep in touch suggestions.
January New Year’s Greeting Card.
February Item-of-Value Letter.
March Personalized Newsletter.
April Springtime Greeting Card.
May Item-of-Value Letter.
June Personalized Newsletter.
July Fourth of July Card.
August Item-of-Value Letter.
September Personalized Newsletter.
October Item-of-Value Letter.
November Thanksgiving Card.
December Personalized Newsletter.
Web of appreciation pledge and policies sample.
We pledge to show tangible evidence of our appreciation for our clients, associates, vendors, and colleagues,regularly, without fail. We put the relationship first!
All frontline employees are given a budget of $2,000 to utilize as they see fit to say thank you to clients and for customer service relation-stressed situations that require immediate attention.
The company and its team members recognize all standard gift-giving days throughout the year but pledge to go above and beyond the call of duty to become creative and produce lasting impressions through extraordinary customer service and “outlandish” tasteful items of value.
Every referral given is recognized immediately, tangibly, and personally the day it is given.
Every referral that produces business for the company is recognized immediately with more tangible and personal items the day the referral is consummated.
Extraordinary service by vendors and associates is recognized immediately, tangibly, and personally with appropriate recognition.
All team members pledge to recognize each other immediately, regularly, and tangibly when character, integrity, and excellence have been demonstrated.
Highground’s twenty next steps.
This list of next steps can be used as a checklist to implement your personal system.
1. Finish the list of initial names. Call and verify addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.
2. ABC all names.
3. Select a contact manager or CRM system. Make sure you have the ability to set ABC fields.
4. Research and select a trusted contract database professional with mail and print service.
5. Research the Internet for different communications you can develop for your Keep in Touch program. Check with those in your industry to see what they use. Outline a twelve-month program.
6. Select an on-line service to help you develop and deliver an immediate Web of Appreciation. Make sure you can access your database for ease of use with standard selections that can be processed without difficulty.
7. Purchase personalized thank-you notes. Immediately send them after every meeting upon gaining permission to add the person to your database.
8. Finalize a twelve-month Keep in Touch print program for your database. Select the items and choose the dates when you will send them. Commit the plan to paper and make it visible. List the program tasks needed each month to deliver without fail.
9. Finalize a Web of Appreciation program. Set an appropriate budget for frontline personnel, referral gifts, and standard holiday gifts in addition to your Keep in Touch program.
10. Send a confession letter to your database.
11. Follow up by calling everyone you have sent a letter to. Ask for birthdays (not years) and anniversaries if appropriate. Enter them into your database.
12. Set personal meetings with your As and explain your new philosophy. Ask for referrals during the meeting.
13. If needed, make a commitment to a set number of personal appointments or telephone calls to add more potential clients to your database. Utilize the three magic questions.
14. If you want a larger sphere of influence, adopt a database. Call everyone on your newly adopted list and ask permission to start communicating.
15. If you want a larger sphere of influence, select a direct-mail list. Customize the list and call each person using the qualifying question Sheila Marie used to build a relational farm (see pages 31–32).
16. Educate everyone on your staff about how the program works. Incorporate the principles into your culture.
17. Call all the people who “make money when you make money”,primarily your vendors. Explain how your program works, ask what you can do for them, and then ask for referrals.
18. Incorporate into your sales presentation how you put relationships first and what the value is to your clients. Share your new philosophy with everyone appropriate who will listen. Then ask for referrals.
19. Use your newfound ‘hall pass’ and make a scheduled call to everyone in your database at least once a year. If you have developed a birthday card program, make the call after you have sent out the birthday card, calling to say “happy birthday.” Ask how you might help the person and ask for a referral or an appointment if appropriate.
20. Always, always ask what you might do for the person you call and always, always remind the person that your business is built on the good opinion of others. Then always ask for a referral, just like Philip did.
About the author. Tim Templeton is an internationally recognized authority in sales processes, systems, presentation, and productivity. He has lectured, trained, and consulted for organizations in multiple industries and countries. His products have been translated into numerous languages.
In 1991, Tim began his training career, contributing to the book The Entrepreneurs Handbook by James C. Ray (Irwin Professional Publishing). In 1995, Tim incorporated and cofounded Providence Seminars and served as CEO.
Throughout the ‘80s, Tim successfully launched and represented dozens of products both nationally and regionally throughout the retail industry.
Tim serves on the national board for The Center for Faithwalk Leadership, a nonprofit organization cofounded by Ken Blanchard. He is a certified facilitator of Leadership Encounter, a two-day, faith-based workshop for businesses and individuals developed by The Center for Faithwalk Leadership and based on Leadership by the Book by Ken Blanchard, Bill Hybels, and Phil Hodges.
Tim resides in the San Diego area with his wife, Maria, and their daughters, Sara, Sheila, and Susie. They are his “delight and the center of his universe.” Services available.
Tim Templeton is available for executive consultation or to motivate and train your group or organization. In addition, Always Positive customizes and institutes Keep-INTouchTM programs and the Web of AppreciationTM for its clients as well as develops incentive programs for companies and individuals who desire to incorporate the principles of this book into their business.
For more information contact Always Positive Marketing Director Toll free: 877-321-6500 E-mail: info @alwayspositive dot com Web sites: www dot alwayspositive dot com www dot realtyempowerment dot com.
Book comments: comments@alwayspositive dot com This page intentionally left blank About Berrett-Koehler Publishers Berrett-Koehler is an independent publisher dedicated to an ambitious mission: Creating a World that Works for All.
We believe that to truly create a better world, action is needed at all levels,individual, organizational, and societal. At the individual level, our publications help people align their lives and work with their deepest values. At the organizational level, our publications promote progressive leadership and management practices, socially responsible approaches to business, and humane and effective organizations. At the societal level, our publications advance social and economic justice, shared prosperity, sustainable development, and new solutions to national and global issues.
We publish groundbreaking books focused on each of these levels. To further advance our commitment to positive change at the societal level, we have recently expanded our line of books in this area and are calling this expanded line “BK Currents.” A major theme of our publications is “Opening Up New Space.” They challenge conventional thinking, introduce new points of view, and offer new alternatives for change.
Their common quest is changing the underlying beliefs, mindsets, institutions, and structures that keep generating the same cycles of problems, no matter who our leaders are or what improvement programs we adopt.
We strive to practice what we preach,to operate our publishing company in line with the ideas in our books. At the core of our approach is stewardship, which we define as a deep sense of responsibility to administer the company for the benefit of all of our “stakeholder” groups: authors, customers, employees, investors, service providers, and the communities and environment around us. We seek to establish a partnering relationship with each stakeholder that is open, equitable, and collaborative.
We are gratified that thousands of readers, authors, and other friends of the company consider themselves to be part of the “BK Community.” We hope that you, too, will join our community and connect with us through the ways described on our website at www dot bkconnection dot com.
Be Connected.
Visit our website.
Go to www dot bkconnection dot com to read exclusive previews and excerpts of new books, find detailed information on all Berrett-Koehler titles and authors, browse subject-area libraries of books, and get special discounts.
Subscribe to our free e-newsletter.
Be the first to hear about new publications, special discount offers, exclusive articles, news about bestsellers, and more!
Get on the list for our free e-newsletter by going to www .bkconnection dot com.
Participate in the discussion.
To see what others are saying about our books and post your own thoughts, check out our blogs at www dot bkblogs dot com.
Get quantity discounts.
Berrett-Koehler books are available at quantity discounts for orders of ten or more copies. Please call us toll-free at (800) 929-2929 or email us at bkp.orders@aidcvt dot com.
Host a reading group.
For tips on how to form and carry on a book reading group in your workplace or community, see our website at www .bkconnection dot com.
Join the BK Community.
Thousands of readers of our books have become part of the “BK Community” by participating in events featuring our authors, reviewing draft manuscripts of forthcoming books, spreading the word about their favorite books, and supporting our publishing program in other ways. If you would like to join the BK Community, please contact us at bkcommunity@bkpub dot com.
Highground’s Principles of Business Highground’s Principles of Business Questions Letter of Introduction to Past Clients Confession Letter Highground’s Principles Goal Pages Three Magic Questions for New Contacts The Four Business Personality Windows Keep in Touch Suggestions Web of Appreciation Pledge and Policies Sample Highground’s Twenty Next Steps Highground’s principles of business.
These are the four foundational principles of the system. To find out more, return to chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6.
principle 1: The 250 by 250 Rule. It’s not only who you know that counts, it’s who your clients know that is important.
principle 2: Build a database and ABC it.
principle 3: Just Let Me Know. Educate your clients about how you work and your value to them through regular, tangible actions performed without fail.
principle 4: Keep in touch, consistently, personally, and systematically.
Questions.
These reflective questions are the starting point for deploying the system. To find out more, return to chapter 1.
question 1: Do you like yourself?
question 2: Do you believe in your product and company?
question 3: Are you willing to “stay the course”?
Letter of introduction to past clients.
This letter can be used to assign existing clients to a new sales or customer service person. To find out more, return to chapter 4.
Ken and Sue Turek.
1007 Pacific Coast Way.
Rancho Benicia, CA 92117.
Dear Ken and Sue:
I want you to know how much I appreciate the fact that you chose our dealership to purchase your new BMW from.
I, along with the members of our team, want you to know that if you have any questions, any problems, please feel free to call us directly.
It is to that end that I asked our new manager, Paul Kingston, to work with you personally in the event you have any questions or needs. Paul is a proven professional and we are proud to be associated with him. He always puts the relationship first with everyone he serves.
Paul will be contacting you in the near future simply to personally introduce himself and answer any questions you might have.
Thanks again!
Warm regards, P. J. Stoddart.
President.
Rancho Benicia AutoGroup, Inc.
Confession letter.
This letter can be used as the first mailing to those you have neglected to keep in touch with and now want to communicate with regularly. To find out more, return to chapter 5.
Robert and Carole Rusch.
119 Heath Terrace.
Rancho Benicia, CA 92117.
Dear Bob and Carole:
Recently my staff and I have taken the time to review our business and have come to the unanimous conclusion that the most important assets we possess are the relationships we have developed to date,just like the one we have developed with you.
I also confess that we have not been as proactive in our personal communications as we would have liked. It’s to that point that I want you to know we have taken appropriate steps to start communicating more frequently. Be it a newsletter, personal card, or follow-up telephone call from our office, please consider it the tangible evidence that we are putting our relationship with you first in our business.
In the near future, we will be communicating with you personally. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or we can help you in any way, please don’t hesitate to call us!
Sincerely, Philip Stackhouse.
Highground’s principles goal pages.
These goal sheets can be used to plan your personal program. To view completed goals, return to pages 54, 56, 76–77, and 98.
Goal 1.
Goal: Finish my 250 by 250 list and then organize the names. Begin to put my new mind-set into action.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Goal 2.
Goal: Have my 250 by 250 database ABC-ed and in use.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Goal 3.
Goal: Professionally brand this system with my own style, then begin a proactive program to use in all that I say and do with all those I know.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Goal 4.
Goal: Have in place the next twelve months of my Keep in Touch and Web of Appreciation programs.
Goal Date:
The date is and I have:
I have already experienced:
I feel:
I am excited about:
My associates and colleagues are:
I am determined to:
Three magic questions for new contacts.
These simple questions will help engage you immediately with new people you meet. To find out more, return to chapter 3.
1. What is it you do?
2. What do you like most about that?
3. If you could start over, knowing what you now know, what would your day look like?
Bonus follow-up statement to use whenever you choose:
“Tell me more.” The four business personality windows.
The four personality types are expressed in two words. The first word, on the left of the hyphen, represents how people see you and who you are naturally. The word on the right of the hyphen represents your natural tendency in business relationships.
Relational-Relational.
Relational-Business.
Business-Relational.
Business-Business.
Relational-Relational.
The relational-relational person is one who only thinks of relationships with others,how to help them and how to be liked or even loved. These people rarely think of the business ramifications of their actions, or if they do, they will justify them immediately in some relational way. So the second word has to be “relational,” too.
Relational-Business.
When meeting people, the relational-business person is truly interested in the relationship, but when the talk turns to business, this person will begin to think strategically.
Business-Relational.
The business-relational person doesn’t seem at first glance as interested in a relationship as much as in pure business, but this person will develop deep relationships after the business is established.
Business-Business.
This trait is simply the opposite of relational-relational.
Business-business people normally have a hard time with relational principles and the concepts of this system until they justify in some purely business way the time spent with those they’ve affected,which they always do.
Keep in touch suggestions.
January New Year’s Greeting Card.
February Item-of-Value Letter.
March Personalized Newsletter.
April Springtime Greeting Card.
May Item-of-Value Letter.
June Personalized Newsletter.
July Fourth of July Card.
August Item-of-Value Letter.
September Personalized Newsletter.
October Item-of-Value Letter.
November Thanksgiving Card.
December Personalized Newsletter.
Web of appreciation pledge and policies sample.
We pledge to show tangible evidence of our appreciation for our clients, associates, vendors, and colleagues,regularly, without fail. We put the relationship first!
All frontline employees are given a budget of $2,000 to utilize as they see fit to say thank you to clients and for customer service relation-stressed situations that require immediate attention.
The company and its team members recognize all standard gift-giving days throughout the year but pledge to go above and beyond the call of duty to become creative and produce lasting impressions through extraordinary customer service and “outlandish” tasteful items of value.
Every referral given is recognized immediately, tangibly, and personally the day it is given.
Every referral that produces business for the company is recognized immediately with more tangible and personal items the day the referral is consummated.
Extraordinary service by vendors and associates is recognized immediately, tangibly, and personally with appropriate recognition.
All team members pledge to recognize each other immediately, regularly, and tangibly when character, integrity, and excellence have been demonstrated.
Highground’s twenty next steps.
This list of next steps can be used as a checklist to implement your personal system.
1. Finish the list of initial names. Call and verify addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.
2. ABC all names.
3. Select a contact manager or CRM system. Make sure you have the ability to set ABC fields.
4. Research and select a trusted contract database professional with mail and print service.
5. Research the Internet for different communications you can develop for your Keep in Touch program. Check with those in your industry to see what they use. Outline a twelve-month program.
6. Select an on-line service to help you develop and deliver an immediate Web of Appreciation. Make sure you can access your database for ease of use with standard selections that can be processed without difficulty.
7. Purchase personalized thank-you notes. Immediately send them after every meeting upon gaining permission to add the person to your database.
8. Finalize a twelve-month Keep in Touch print program for your database. Select the items and choose the dates when you will send them. Commit the plan to paper and make it visible. List the program tasks needed each month to deliver without fail.
9. Finalize a Web of Appreciation program. Set an appropriate budget for frontline personnel, referral gifts, and standard holiday gifts in addition to your Keep in Touch program.
10. Send a confession letter to your database.
11. Follow up by calling everyone you have sent a letter to. Ask for birthdays (not years) and anniversaries if appropriate. Enter them into your database.
12. Set personal meetings with your As and explain your new philosophy. Ask for referrals during the meeting.
13. If needed, make a commitment to a set number of personal appointments or telephone calls to add more potential clients to your database. Utilize the three magic questions.
14. If you want a larger sphere of influence, adopt a database. Call everyone on your newly adopted list and ask permission to start communicating.
15. If you want a larger sphere of influence, select a direct-mail list. Customize the list and call each person using the qualifying question Sheila Marie used to build a relational farm (see pages 31–32).
16. Educate everyone on your staff about how the program works. Incorporate the principles into your culture.
17. Call all the people who “make money when you make money”,primarily your vendors. Explain how your program works, ask what you can do for them, and then ask for referrals.
18. Incorporate into your sales presentation how you put relationships first and what the value is to your clients. Share your new philosophy with everyone appropriate who will listen. Then ask for referrals.
19. Use your newfound ‘hall pass’ and make a scheduled call to everyone in your database at least once a year. If you have developed a birthday card program, make the call after you have sent out the birthday card, calling to say “happy birthday.” Ask how you might help the person and ask for a referral or an appointment if appropriate.
20. Always, always ask what you might do for the person you call and always, always remind the person that your business is built on the good opinion of others. Then always ask for a referral, just like Philip did.
About the author. Tim Templeton is an internationally recognized authority in sales processes, systems, presentation, and productivity. He has lectured, trained, and consulted for organizations in multiple industries and countries. His products have been translated into numerous languages.
In 1991, Tim began his training career, contributing to the book The Entrepreneurs Handbook by James C. Ray (Irwin Professional Publishing). In 1995, Tim incorporated and cofounded Providence Seminars and served as CEO.
Throughout the ‘80s, Tim successfully launched and represented dozens of products both nationally and regionally throughout the retail industry.
Tim serves on the national board for The Center for Faithwalk Leadership, a nonprofit organization cofounded by Ken Blanchard. He is a certified facilitator of Leadership Encounter, a two-day, faith-based workshop for businesses and individuals developed by The Center for Faithwalk Leadership and based on Leadership by the Book by Ken Blanchard, Bill Hybels, and Phil Hodges.
Tim resides in the San Diego area with his wife, Maria, and their daughters, Sara, Sheila, and Susie. They are his “delight and the center of his universe.” Services available.
Tim Templeton is available for executive consultation or to motivate and train your group or organization. In addition, Always Positive customizes and institutes Keep-INTouchTM programs and the Web of AppreciationTM for its clients as well as develops incentive programs for companies and individuals who desire to incorporate the principles of this book into their business.
For more information contact Always Positive Marketing Director Toll free: 877-321-6500 E-mail: info @alwayspositive dot com Web sites: www dot alwayspositive dot com www dot realtyempowerment dot com.
Book comments: comments@alwayspositive dot com This page intentionally left blank About Berrett-Koehler Publishers Berrett-Koehler is an independent publisher dedicated to an ambitious mission: Creating a World that Works for All.
We believe that to truly create a better world, action is needed at all levels,individual, organizational, and societal. At the individual level, our publications help people align their lives and work with their deepest values. At the organizational level, our publications promote progressive leadership and management practices, socially responsible approaches to business, and humane and effective organizations. At the societal level, our publications advance social and economic justice, shared prosperity, sustainable development, and new solutions to national and global issues.
We publish groundbreaking books focused on each of these levels. To further advance our commitment to positive change at the societal level, we have recently expanded our line of books in this area and are calling this expanded line “BK Currents.” A major theme of our publications is “Opening Up New Space.” They challenge conventional thinking, introduce new points of view, and offer new alternatives for change.
Their common quest is changing the underlying beliefs, mindsets, institutions, and structures that keep generating the same cycles of problems, no matter who our leaders are or what improvement programs we adopt.
We strive to practice what we preach,to operate our publishing company in line with the ideas in our books. At the core of our approach is stewardship, which we define as a deep sense of responsibility to administer the company for the benefit of all of our “stakeholder” groups: authors, customers, employees, investors, service providers, and the communities and environment around us. We seek to establish a partnering relationship with each stakeholder that is open, equitable, and collaborative.
We are gratified that thousands of readers, authors, and other friends of the company consider themselves to be part of the “BK Community.” We hope that you, too, will join our community and connect with us through the ways described on our website at www dot bkconnection dot com.
Be Connected.
Visit our website.
Go to www dot bkconnection dot com to read exclusive previews and excerpts of new books, find detailed information on all Berrett-Koehler titles and authors, browse subject-area libraries of books, and get special discounts.
Subscribe to our free e-newsletter.
Be the first to hear about new publications, special discount offers, exclusive articles, news about bestsellers, and more!
Get on the list for our free e-newsletter by going to www .bkconnection dot com.
Participate in the discussion.
To see what others are saying about our books and post your own thoughts, check out our blogs at www dot bkblogs dot com.
Get quantity discounts.
Berrett-Koehler books are available at quantity discounts for orders of ten or more copies. Please call us toll-free at (800) 929-2929 or email us at bkp.orders@aidcvt dot com.
Host a reading group.
For tips on how to form and carry on a book reading group in your workplace or community, see our website at www .bkconnection dot com.
Join the BK Community.
Thousands of readers of our books have become part of the “BK Community” by participating in events featuring our authors, reviewing draft manuscripts of forthcoming books, spreading the word about their favorite books, and supporting our publishing program in other ways. If you would like to join the BK Community, please contact us at bkcommunity@bkpub dot com.
Referral. Chapter 8. The Referral of a Lifetime.
It was another perfect morning at the California Coffee Café and Bistro as the regulars, including Susie McCumber, lined up for their morning cups of “the usual” before starting their day.
There was a monumental difference in the Susie McCumber of today compared to the Susie of six months prior.
This Tuesday morning, like every Tuesday morning, Susie had her team of five employees seated out front for their weekly meeting. Her business had exploded, prompting the hiring of two additional salespeople, another customer service person, and a personal assistant. Susie had a relaxed air of confidence about her,not boastful, just confident.
Every month, every person in her company database received an outstanding monthly communication. They were so impressive, Chuck started pinning them up on his bulletin board. She became well known for her flair for business referral thank-yous that were always offered in appropriate yet memorable ways. Susie had quickly discovered she was a business-relational and developed her strengths around that fact. She was truly free to be herself and her business showed the results.
Philip walked into the busy shop, grabbed a copy of the Wall Street Journal, and stood in line directly behind Susie.
Tapping her on the shoulder, he said, “Good morning.” Glancing at the size of Susie’s team assembled for her meeting, he smiled. “It appears you got past your concern about people telling you no since your growing team suggests that you have gotten a lot of yeses.” “It’s been a great experience, Phil. I’m the same person.
I just got comfortable with the gifts I was given and learned to run with them,with a little help from my friends. I found with the momentum I built through the help of the system, I could really get past the tension of having to make a sale. You know what I mean,I could focus on my clients’ needs instead of mine. As soon as I started doing that consistently, putting the relationship first, invoking the golden rule daily, business started coming to me. That philosophy removed the dollar signs from my forehead. And you were a great resource, Phil.” The phone behind the antique oak bar rang and Chuck, in the middle of preparing a double cappuccino, no whip, stopped, grabbed it, talked a second, then turned and looked at Susie. “It’s for you.” Susie frowned, confused. After all, she hadn’t had her coffee yet. “Who is it?” Chuck handed her the phone and returned to his coffee creation. “A friend of yours.” “Hello?” Susie said tentatively into the receiver.
“Susie! Highground here. How are you? It’s been six months.” That woke her up. “I’m just great, Mr. Highground.
How are you? I’ve loved getting your postcards from all over. You’ve been on the move.” “Just helping out a few friends. I’m back in town now.
And I’ve been hearing good things about you. I just want to thank you for keeping your promise about staying the course. It sounds as if you are doing fabulously, and I’m really happy for you.” “Oh, thank you. It has been fabulous. Absolutely! I can’t wait to tell you the whole story.” “Well, I can’t wait to hear it. Which brings me to why I called. I do have a favor to ask of you.” “Anything.” “I have a new friend that needs some help and I wanted to know if you could meet us tomorrow and,” “Talk about one of the principles and share where I was and where I am now? You bet. It would be my utter pleasure. I’ll be here.” Susie handed the phone back to Chuck with one hand and took her hazelnut coffee with steamed milk from him with the other.
“Everything okay?” he asked, hanging up the phone.
“Better than okay,” she answered with a grateful shake of her head. “And all because of you.” Susie took a few steps away, then stopped, turned back to Chuck, and said, “You know something, Chuck? He really was the referral of a lifetime.” Appendix.
There was a monumental difference in the Susie McCumber of today compared to the Susie of six months prior.
This Tuesday morning, like every Tuesday morning, Susie had her team of five employees seated out front for their weekly meeting. Her business had exploded, prompting the hiring of two additional salespeople, another customer service person, and a personal assistant. Susie had a relaxed air of confidence about her,not boastful, just confident.
Every month, every person in her company database received an outstanding monthly communication. They were so impressive, Chuck started pinning them up on his bulletin board. She became well known for her flair for business referral thank-yous that were always offered in appropriate yet memorable ways. Susie had quickly discovered she was a business-relational and developed her strengths around that fact. She was truly free to be herself and her business showed the results.
Philip walked into the busy shop, grabbed a copy of the Wall Street Journal, and stood in line directly behind Susie.
Tapping her on the shoulder, he said, “Good morning.” Glancing at the size of Susie’s team assembled for her meeting, he smiled. “It appears you got past your concern about people telling you no since your growing team suggests that you have gotten a lot of yeses.” “It’s been a great experience, Phil. I’m the same person.
I just got comfortable with the gifts I was given and learned to run with them,with a little help from my friends. I found with the momentum I built through the help of the system, I could really get past the tension of having to make a sale. You know what I mean,I could focus on my clients’ needs instead of mine. As soon as I started doing that consistently, putting the relationship first, invoking the golden rule daily, business started coming to me. That philosophy removed the dollar signs from my forehead. And you were a great resource, Phil.” The phone behind the antique oak bar rang and Chuck, in the middle of preparing a double cappuccino, no whip, stopped, grabbed it, talked a second, then turned and looked at Susie. “It’s for you.” Susie frowned, confused. After all, she hadn’t had her coffee yet. “Who is it?” Chuck handed her the phone and returned to his coffee creation. “A friend of yours.” “Hello?” Susie said tentatively into the receiver.
“Susie! Highground here. How are you? It’s been six months.” That woke her up. “I’m just great, Mr. Highground.
How are you? I’ve loved getting your postcards from all over. You’ve been on the move.” “Just helping out a few friends. I’m back in town now.
And I’ve been hearing good things about you. I just want to thank you for keeping your promise about staying the course. It sounds as if you are doing fabulously, and I’m really happy for you.” “Oh, thank you. It has been fabulous. Absolutely! I can’t wait to tell you the whole story.” “Well, I can’t wait to hear it. Which brings me to why I called. I do have a favor to ask of you.” “Anything.” “I have a new friend that needs some help and I wanted to know if you could meet us tomorrow and,” “Talk about one of the principles and share where I was and where I am now? You bet. It would be my utter pleasure. I’ll be here.” Susie handed the phone back to Chuck with one hand and took her hazelnut coffee with steamed milk from him with the other.
“Everything okay?” he asked, hanging up the phone.
“Better than okay,” she answered with a grateful shake of her head. “And all because of you.” Susie took a few steps away, then stopped, turned back to Chuck, and said, “You know something, Chuck? He really was the referral of a lifetime.” Appendix.
Referral. Chapter 7. A Brand New Attitude.
The next morning, Susie woke far too early again. She got dressed, grabbed her notebook, and took the long way to Chuck’s café, savoring this new feeling and this moment in her life. It still felt like a beginning. And it felt good.
At 8:00 A.M., she walked into the café. And there was Highground chatting with Chuck behind the counter.
They both greeted her with big smiles, and Highground strolled over, waving her to a table up front where they could see the water.
“How are you doing this morning?” Highground wanted to know as they sat down.
“Oh, Mr. Highground. Great, just great! ” That pleased Highground tremendously. “I can see the transformation happening before my eyes. You are hardly the same woman I met three days ago.” “Thanks to you.” “No,” Highground corrected her. “No matter how much knowledge you gain about the system, it only works if you stay true to the three questions I asked you. And I think you will.” “That’s my plan.” “Let’s get out your notebook.” Susie zipped out the notebook and plopped it open to the Goal 4 page she had filled in the night before.
Highground examined it and nodded approvingly, patting the notebook. “Susie, what I’d like for us to do this morning is to review all you’ve experienced the last couple of days and then talk about your plans for the future,your newfound plan of action. Okay?” Susie sighed. “I have to tell you, Mr. Highground.
Philip called you a perception changer, and that is exactly what you are. You change perceptions, which changes attitudes. I have often told people to cheer up or look at the bright side of things, but there’s no way to do that when we are dodging falling trees, as you put it. A person’s attitude can only change when his or her perception changes, and that’s what you, along with your friends, have done for me the past couple of days. For that I am very appreciative.” That seemed to please him deeply. “Thank you. But, as I said, it’s really up to you now.” “But now I know the combination!” Susie said, pointing to the notebook page before them. It was the “Right Combination for Success” drawing of Principle 4 that showed all four principles and the lock popped open. “You know, I smiled when I saw that last lock open on Principle 4 the very first day you gave me the notebook, even before I knew about the power of putting a Keep in Touch program in place. Now it makes me smile even more.” Highground cocked his head at the picture and smiled, too. “The combination can unlock a whole new world.” Highground flipped back to her goal sheets. “And from the looks of these goals, you’re halfway there. You have projected yourself into the future several weeks for each goal and done it admirably. And your tasks are simple and achievable, which makes each goal reasonably attainable.
Good for you. My bet is you’ll attain them.” That made Susie beam.
“You know where I’d like us to start?” he suddenly decided. “Why don’t you explain to me where you were two days ago and where you are right now.” Susie laughed. “Do you realize I almost didn’t call you because I was concerned about my cell phone bill? That’s where I was. My biggest frustration was that I had no plan for who I talked to about my business or what to do with them after I made contact. I was either coming on too strong or I simply couldn’t connect with them at all, so how could I develop a relationship?
“I thought I needed some grandiose marketing or advertising plan that would save me. I was continually looking toward tomorrow and hoping the perfect plan would just appear. When it didn’t, I hit the wall and that’s when we met.
You know,” she realized, “strangely enough, what I had been hoping for did appear,when Chuck referred me to you.” That’s when Chuck appeared at her elbow carrying her usual hazelnut coffee with steamed milk and a biscotti, just like the one he pushed toward her three days earlier to coax her into telling him her problems. He pushed it, ceremoniously,across the table toward her.
Susie loved the gesture, laughing out loud.
“It’s amazing what seventy-two hours can do for a person, isn’t it?” Chuck said, patting Highground on the shoulder before going back to his work.
“How long ago did he begin your system?” Susie asked Highground, gazing appreciatively back Chuck’s way.
“About five years ago. And it may not surprise you to know that he was referred to me by a friend of his, too.” “No, that doesn’t surprise me at all,now.” She dunked her biscotti into her coffee and took a big bite out of it.
“So go on. You left off at the point Chuck referred me, I believe.” “Well, you know what happened after that. Now I have a proactive plan that fits me. I don’t feel the need to try to imitate someone else,” she said.
“And I understand and appreciate the old saying that it’s eleven times more expensive to find a new client than to keep an existing one,” she added, enjoying her biscotti. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying everything more this morning.
“My problem was I didn’t have a system in place to keep my existing clients by communicating with them regularly enough, let alone ask them for referrals. But I now have your system, the system that puts the relationship first and is based on the golden rule and that can demonstrate my consistency and earn me the right to ask and receive, hopefully, referrals from my special people.” “As soon as you begin to live it, Susie, it is your system.
You will experience the success of staying the course.” “And I’ll be proud to claim it because it seems to me that the beauty of this system, especially the Keep in Touch program, is the way it communicates. So many people talk about communicating with their database, but few do, other than an occasional mailer trying to sell something else or brag about themselves. But I truly believe that when I tell my client to just let me know if I can help them, I will be prepared to. And then when I ask if they have any friends or associates that could use my services and promise to treat them as I have treated the client, it will mean something. Because I’ve proved myself through consistency, right? Through staying the course, by staying in touch.” Highground sat back and shook his head. “That is such a nice way of putting it.” He looked proudly at his new student. “It’s obvious you have come into your own now, Susie.
This is always such a high point for me.” But Susie wasn’t finished. “You know, before I met you, if someone gave me a card, I put it in a file and never did follow up appropriately. When I finally got around to calling about something I was offering, so much time had passed since the last time I’d made contact, I felt like a fake, a counterfeit, calling and acting as if I were interested in the relationship. But both of us knew the only reason I was truly calling. I was acting like an opportunist, and the way that made me feel was what was holding me back. My stomach kept turning. I know that now.” Susie smiled. “But everything is going to change. Now, I will be doing things the old-fashioned way,I will earn the right to ask for a referral. I understand these great principles and how they apply to business. I will be in touch with the people in my life on a regular basis, and I now know how to actually do that, communicating with them and consistently offering them items of value. And I have a sneaky feeling that many of them will be impressed for the sole reason that they have always wanted to do this kind of communication themselves but never knew exactly how.” Highground lifted his coffee cup in a toast to Susie.
So Susie lifted hers, too. “You should be proud of yourself, Susie. I salute you.” “Thank you,” Susie said and clinked her coffee cup with his, then dunked the last of her biscotti and popped it in her mouth. “You can’t imagine how proud I am of myself.
1 But I’ll be more proud once this whole system is up and rolling and I’m living it every day.” “Exactly. You have an excellent grasp of the system.
Now I encourage you to stay the course for four months.
Work at it, Susie. Do it. Because if you do, you will settle into a routine that will be unique to you.” Highground placed a piece of paper on Susie’s notebook. “Put this in your notebook. It’s what I call my ‘Next Steps List.’ It is simply a list of the twenty most important next steps, events to schedule into your day to get this process going. Once the system is set, you have an instant relational gateway into every new contact you make, and you have the special ability to touch everyone regularly, without fail. Just set it into motion and stay the course. Remember, after you have demonstrated consistency with clients you already have relationships with, you will never have competition again. You will own the relationship in the same wonderful way that you can claim a friend.” Susie looked excitedly at the Next Steps List and immediately began to make notations on it, thinking ahead to when she could get started on everything.
Next steps list.
1. Finish the list of initial names. Call and verify addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.
2. ABC all names.
3. Select a contact manager or CRM system. Make sure you have the ability to set ABC fields.
4. Research and select a trusted contract database professional with mail and print service.
5. Research the Internet for different communications you can develop for your Keep in Touch program. Check with those in your industry to see what they use. Outline a twelve-month program.
6. Select an online-service to help you develop and deliver an immediate Web of Appreciation. Make sure you can access your database for ease of use with standard selections that can be processed without difficulty.
7. Purchase personalized thank-you notes. Immediately send them after every meeting upon gaining permission to add the person to your database.
8. Finalize a twelve-month Keep in Touch print program for your database. Select the items and choose the dates when you will send them. Commit the plan to paper and make it visible. List the program tasks needed each month to deliver without fail.
9. Finalize a Web of Appreciation program. Set an appropriate budget for frontline personnel, referral gifts, and standard holiday gifts in addition to your Keep in Touch program.
10. Send a confession letter to your database.
11. Follow up by calling everyone you have sent a letter to. Ask for birthdays (not years) and anniversaries if appropriate. Enter them into your database.
12. Set personal meetings with your As and explain your new philosophy. Ask for referrals during each meeting.
13. If needed, make a commitment to a set number of personal appointments or telephone calls to add more potential clients to your database. Utilize the three magic questions.
14. If you want a larger sphere of influence, adopt a database. Call everyone on your newly adopted list and ask permission to start communicating.
15. If you want a larger sphere of influence, select a direct-mail list. Customize the list and call each person using the qualifying question Sheila Marie used to build a relational farm.
16. Educate everyone on your staff about how the program works. Incorporate the principles into your culture.
17. Call all the people who “make money when you make money”,primarily your vendors. Explain how your program works, ask what you can do for them, and then ask for referrals.
18. Incorporate into your sales presentation how you put relationships first and what the value is to your clients. Share your new philosophy with everyone appropriate who will listen. Then ask for referrals.
19. Use your newfound ‘hall pass’ and make a scheduled call to everyone in your database at least once a year. If you have developed a birthday card program, make the call after you have sent out the birthday card, calling to say “happy birthday.” Ask how you might help the person and ask for a referral or an appointment if appropriate.
20. Always, always ask what you might do for the person you call and always, always remind the person that your business is built on the good opinion of others. Then always ask for a referral,just like Philip did.
When she finished scanning the list, she noticed that Highground had stood up. “You are going to do great, Susie. Make sure you check off each one after you complete it, then list these steps in your planner with your goals and stay true to your promise to me and yourself. Stay the course.” He smiled. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know you. If I can help you in any way at all, just let me know.
And if you have any friends that can benefit from the concepts I shared, pass them on. Share them, and you will be personally blessed by doing so. It’s the good stuff,it’s the golden rule!” “Do you have to leave?” Susie said, suddenly rather sad.
“See you, old friend!” she heard Chuck call from behind her. She looked around at Chuck, and when she turned back, the mysterious Mr. Highground had disappeared yet again.
She could only shake her head and smile after him.
Chuck walked up and began picking up their dirty dishes.
“Quite a guy, huh?” Susie could only shake her head again. She picked up her notebook and the Next Steps List that Highground had given her, then got to her feet, too. And with a big smile for Chuck, she said, “You know, the day is young and I’m ready to get going. See you later, Chuck.” Chuck watched Susie leave. She had a confidence in her step that was missing a few days ago. “The high ground will do that for you,” he murmured, picking up the last of their dishes and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction at his role in the drama. Susie McCumber’s professional transformation, he thought to himself, enjoying the sound of it. He liked Susie, and he had no doubt the high ground was for her.
Besides, he realized with a happy smile as he headed back behind his antique oak counter, it didn’t hurt that even though there were other coffee places in town, there would be only one that Susie McCumber would continue to frequent, not to mention tell all her friends and clients about,and that was the California Coffee Café and Bistro.
At 8:00 A.M., she walked into the café. And there was Highground chatting with Chuck behind the counter.
They both greeted her with big smiles, and Highground strolled over, waving her to a table up front where they could see the water.
“How are you doing this morning?” Highground wanted to know as they sat down.
“Oh, Mr. Highground. Great, just great! ” That pleased Highground tremendously. “I can see the transformation happening before my eyes. You are hardly the same woman I met three days ago.” “Thanks to you.” “No,” Highground corrected her. “No matter how much knowledge you gain about the system, it only works if you stay true to the three questions I asked you. And I think you will.” “That’s my plan.” “Let’s get out your notebook.” Susie zipped out the notebook and plopped it open to the Goal 4 page she had filled in the night before.
Highground examined it and nodded approvingly, patting the notebook. “Susie, what I’d like for us to do this morning is to review all you’ve experienced the last couple of days and then talk about your plans for the future,your newfound plan of action. Okay?” Susie sighed. “I have to tell you, Mr. Highground.
Philip called you a perception changer, and that is exactly what you are. You change perceptions, which changes attitudes. I have often told people to cheer up or look at the bright side of things, but there’s no way to do that when we are dodging falling trees, as you put it. A person’s attitude can only change when his or her perception changes, and that’s what you, along with your friends, have done for me the past couple of days. For that I am very appreciative.” That seemed to please him deeply. “Thank you. But, as I said, it’s really up to you now.” “But now I know the combination!” Susie said, pointing to the notebook page before them. It was the “Right Combination for Success” drawing of Principle 4 that showed all four principles and the lock popped open. “You know, I smiled when I saw that last lock open on Principle 4 the very first day you gave me the notebook, even before I knew about the power of putting a Keep in Touch program in place. Now it makes me smile even more.” Highground cocked his head at the picture and smiled, too. “The combination can unlock a whole new world.” Highground flipped back to her goal sheets. “And from the looks of these goals, you’re halfway there. You have projected yourself into the future several weeks for each goal and done it admirably. And your tasks are simple and achievable, which makes each goal reasonably attainable.
Good for you. My bet is you’ll attain them.” That made Susie beam.
“You know where I’d like us to start?” he suddenly decided. “Why don’t you explain to me where you were two days ago and where you are right now.” Susie laughed. “Do you realize I almost didn’t call you because I was concerned about my cell phone bill? That’s where I was. My biggest frustration was that I had no plan for who I talked to about my business or what to do with them after I made contact. I was either coming on too strong or I simply couldn’t connect with them at all, so how could I develop a relationship?
“I thought I needed some grandiose marketing or advertising plan that would save me. I was continually looking toward tomorrow and hoping the perfect plan would just appear. When it didn’t, I hit the wall and that’s when we met.
You know,” she realized, “strangely enough, what I had been hoping for did appear,when Chuck referred me to you.” That’s when Chuck appeared at her elbow carrying her usual hazelnut coffee with steamed milk and a biscotti, just like the one he pushed toward her three days earlier to coax her into telling him her problems. He pushed it, ceremoniously,across the table toward her.
Susie loved the gesture, laughing out loud.
“It’s amazing what seventy-two hours can do for a person, isn’t it?” Chuck said, patting Highground on the shoulder before going back to his work.
“How long ago did he begin your system?” Susie asked Highground, gazing appreciatively back Chuck’s way.
“About five years ago. And it may not surprise you to know that he was referred to me by a friend of his, too.” “No, that doesn’t surprise me at all,now.” She dunked her biscotti into her coffee and took a big bite out of it.
“So go on. You left off at the point Chuck referred me, I believe.” “Well, you know what happened after that. Now I have a proactive plan that fits me. I don’t feel the need to try to imitate someone else,” she said.
“And I understand and appreciate the old saying that it’s eleven times more expensive to find a new client than to keep an existing one,” she added, enjoying her biscotti. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying everything more this morning.
“My problem was I didn’t have a system in place to keep my existing clients by communicating with them regularly enough, let alone ask them for referrals. But I now have your system, the system that puts the relationship first and is based on the golden rule and that can demonstrate my consistency and earn me the right to ask and receive, hopefully, referrals from my special people.” “As soon as you begin to live it, Susie, it is your system.
You will experience the success of staying the course.” “And I’ll be proud to claim it because it seems to me that the beauty of this system, especially the Keep in Touch program, is the way it communicates. So many people talk about communicating with their database, but few do, other than an occasional mailer trying to sell something else or brag about themselves. But I truly believe that when I tell my client to just let me know if I can help them, I will be prepared to. And then when I ask if they have any friends or associates that could use my services and promise to treat them as I have treated the client, it will mean something. Because I’ve proved myself through consistency, right? Through staying the course, by staying in touch.” Highground sat back and shook his head. “That is such a nice way of putting it.” He looked proudly at his new student. “It’s obvious you have come into your own now, Susie.
This is always such a high point for me.” But Susie wasn’t finished. “You know, before I met you, if someone gave me a card, I put it in a file and never did follow up appropriately. When I finally got around to calling about something I was offering, so much time had passed since the last time I’d made contact, I felt like a fake, a counterfeit, calling and acting as if I were interested in the relationship. But both of us knew the only reason I was truly calling. I was acting like an opportunist, and the way that made me feel was what was holding me back. My stomach kept turning. I know that now.” Susie smiled. “But everything is going to change. Now, I will be doing things the old-fashioned way,I will earn the right to ask for a referral. I understand these great principles and how they apply to business. I will be in touch with the people in my life on a regular basis, and I now know how to actually do that, communicating with them and consistently offering them items of value. And I have a sneaky feeling that many of them will be impressed for the sole reason that they have always wanted to do this kind of communication themselves but never knew exactly how.” Highground lifted his coffee cup in a toast to Susie.
So Susie lifted hers, too. “You should be proud of yourself, Susie. I salute you.” “Thank you,” Susie said and clinked her coffee cup with his, then dunked the last of her biscotti and popped it in her mouth. “You can’t imagine how proud I am of myself.
1 But I’ll be more proud once this whole system is up and rolling and I’m living it every day.” “Exactly. You have an excellent grasp of the system.
Now I encourage you to stay the course for four months.
Work at it, Susie. Do it. Because if you do, you will settle into a routine that will be unique to you.” Highground placed a piece of paper on Susie’s notebook. “Put this in your notebook. It’s what I call my ‘Next Steps List.’ It is simply a list of the twenty most important next steps, events to schedule into your day to get this process going. Once the system is set, you have an instant relational gateway into every new contact you make, and you have the special ability to touch everyone regularly, without fail. Just set it into motion and stay the course. Remember, after you have demonstrated consistency with clients you already have relationships with, you will never have competition again. You will own the relationship in the same wonderful way that you can claim a friend.” Susie looked excitedly at the Next Steps List and immediately began to make notations on it, thinking ahead to when she could get started on everything.
Next steps list.
1. Finish the list of initial names. Call and verify addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.
2. ABC all names.
3. Select a contact manager or CRM system. Make sure you have the ability to set ABC fields.
4. Research and select a trusted contract database professional with mail and print service.
5. Research the Internet for different communications you can develop for your Keep in Touch program. Check with those in your industry to see what they use. Outline a twelve-month program.
6. Select an online-service to help you develop and deliver an immediate Web of Appreciation. Make sure you can access your database for ease of use with standard selections that can be processed without difficulty.
7. Purchase personalized thank-you notes. Immediately send them after every meeting upon gaining permission to add the person to your database.
8. Finalize a twelve-month Keep in Touch print program for your database. Select the items and choose the dates when you will send them. Commit the plan to paper and make it visible. List the program tasks needed each month to deliver without fail.
9. Finalize a Web of Appreciation program. Set an appropriate budget for frontline personnel, referral gifts, and standard holiday gifts in addition to your Keep in Touch program.
10. Send a confession letter to your database.
11. Follow up by calling everyone you have sent a letter to. Ask for birthdays (not years) and anniversaries if appropriate. Enter them into your database.
12. Set personal meetings with your As and explain your new philosophy. Ask for referrals during each meeting.
13. If needed, make a commitment to a set number of personal appointments or telephone calls to add more potential clients to your database. Utilize the three magic questions.
14. If you want a larger sphere of influence, adopt a database. Call everyone on your newly adopted list and ask permission to start communicating.
15. If you want a larger sphere of influence, select a direct-mail list. Customize the list and call each person using the qualifying question Sheila Marie used to build a relational farm.
16. Educate everyone on your staff about how the program works. Incorporate the principles into your culture.
17. Call all the people who “make money when you make money”,primarily your vendors. Explain how your program works, ask what you can do for them, and then ask for referrals.
18. Incorporate into your sales presentation how you put relationships first and what the value is to your clients. Share your new philosophy with everyone appropriate who will listen. Then ask for referrals.
19. Use your newfound ‘hall pass’ and make a scheduled call to everyone in your database at least once a year. If you have developed a birthday card program, make the call after you have sent out the birthday card, calling to say “happy birthday.” Ask how you might help the person and ask for a referral or an appointment if appropriate.
20. Always, always ask what you might do for the person you call and always, always remind the person that your business is built on the good opinion of others. Then always ask for a referral,just like Philip did.
When she finished scanning the list, she noticed that Highground had stood up. “You are going to do great, Susie. Make sure you check off each one after you complete it, then list these steps in your planner with your goals and stay true to your promise to me and yourself. Stay the course.” He smiled. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know you. If I can help you in any way at all, just let me know.
And if you have any friends that can benefit from the concepts I shared, pass them on. Share them, and you will be personally blessed by doing so. It’s the good stuff,it’s the golden rule!” “Do you have to leave?” Susie said, suddenly rather sad.
“See you, old friend!” she heard Chuck call from behind her. She looked around at Chuck, and when she turned back, the mysterious Mr. Highground had disappeared yet again.
She could only shake her head and smile after him.
Chuck walked up and began picking up their dirty dishes.
“Quite a guy, huh?” Susie could only shake her head again. She picked up her notebook and the Next Steps List that Highground had given her, then got to her feet, too. And with a big smile for Chuck, she said, “You know, the day is young and I’m ready to get going. See you later, Chuck.” Chuck watched Susie leave. She had a confidence in her step that was missing a few days ago. “The high ground will do that for you,” he murmured, picking up the last of their dishes and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction at his role in the drama. Susie McCumber’s professional transformation, he thought to himself, enjoying the sound of it. He liked Susie, and he had no doubt the high ground was for her.
Besides, he realized with a happy smile as he headed back behind his antique oak counter, it didn’t hurt that even though there were other coffee places in town, there would be only one that Susie McCumber would continue to frequent, not to mention tell all her friends and clients about,and that was the California Coffee Café and Bistro.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)