Standard: Under Promise, Over Deliver.

Everyone in business knows this is supposed to be the name of the game. I have a prime example of one place that didn't deliver.

As a woman I become very excited about the prospect of going to the salon and "pampering" myself with what is typically an expensive haircut and sometimes some highlights -- keeping the mane in check. Instead of every two to three months as some do, I find myself waiting six at times because I have a hard time coming to terms with the extravagance of a $50 haircut and $150 color. Many people do.

So I make at appointment at a premier location for mane maintenance in Seattle. When I get there I find a bumping club-like atmosphere, complete with a DJ and barrista stand. All beauty consultants are dressed in sheik black and bopping around like models of their own hair genius. Upon changing into my robe a coffee order is taken. Nice. But then the coffee isn't delivered until well after my cut begins and I'm not made aware of it until the final stage of my appointment.

Misstep #2: I'm finally drinking my luke-warm beverage and the hair dresser decides to (without warning) point the hair dryer into my lap to blow all the little cut hair pieces to the ground. Given the direction of her sloppy aim all that happens is that the hair flies in my face and little micro bits get stuck to my lips and face, making me itchy. So she tries again. Same result. Now I'm pretty frustrated.

And finally: After I had made my appointment for a cut and color and gone through the process of discussing the color I wanted done to my hair (note that this in my mind confirmed the fact that we were going to be doing a color treatment) my newbie hair dresser finishes styling my hair and the whips off the smock noting that the appointment was completed. What?! So I ask..."Are we not doing color today?" She is stunned and bewildered because the person who scheduled the appointment has only set aside time for a haircut. I sit quietly and she comes back with, "It's too nice a day for you to sit inside anyways." Oh really? Were you aware that I was actually very excited about getting my hair updated after SIX months and that I rearranged a busy schedule to make this happen?!

The hair cut was average but nothing spectacular. I've had cuts that were WAY more stylish done in half the time and nearly half the cost.

All this and I endured a product lesson about each product she was putting into my hair (brand name of course) so she could up sell me at the end of the appointment. I'm sure this was based on a company policy of "added value" to the customer. Yes, I'm in marketing but no, I don't like being pitched when I'm relaxing.

I don't buy it. Literally. I'm so thankful to my amazing boyfriend who honored me with a GC to this place that I had so badly wanted to try but I feel awful that he spent his money on a place that apparently under delivers so badly.

Let's be fair though. Had they not promised a nice, hot coffee upon arrival, touted a world-class staff and had they let me sit back and enjoy the hour (supposed to me more) of pampering instead of assaulting me with product knowledge and making me thus aware that I was going to need to make an awkward refusal of expensive product at the end...then they would have delivered a relatively WOW package.

But they made the classic mistake in marketing of over promising and now I am deeply disappointed in my experience.

The Write Way (Not that the other is wrong)

Many thanks to a Facebook post made by a friend the other day, which inspired the plan for this post.

Handwritten correspondence and thank you notes are priceless. It is an art that is quickly dying, only to be replaced by brief 140-character or less phrases of witicism that are published publicly for everyone to see. Handwritten notes are private, intimate windows into some person's thought process and are to be treated respectfully as such.

I learned years ago that my grandparents shared a trunk full of written correspondence that no one ever had the privilege of seeing. They wanted it to be kept private and I respect that, despite the burning curiosity to know what history those letters contained.

For someone who loves words as I do, it's a treat to read someone's handwriting and try to decipher their mood as they were drafting the correspondence. It's even more exciting to open an old box and drag out a piece of notebook paper written in bubble script -- a note passed in class 15-odd years earlier. I've kept many more pieces of written correspondence than I should have in my life time.

My hope for you all is that you have a box of equally precious words stashed away for reading on a rainy day. These slices of time, like a vivid scent, can transport you instantly to a moment you scarcely remember. Similarly, I hope this inspires you to take pen to paper on occasion instead of clicking what you have to say out on the keys. For the sake of he/she that wrote it: privacy is key.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for writing. I like what this blog had to say. http://blog.handwrittenresults.com/

Sunless Seattle

Sunny optimism is failing here. It's June 20th, 50 degrees and rainy in Seattle. The news stations have resorted to dedicating precious air time to entire segments aside from the weather report on the gloomy summer weather. Over our last margarita in Mexico before flying home yesterday to return to this state of vitamin D deficient being Mike and I decided a move south was in order. Goose-bumpy legs in summer no longer!

We don't know how...or when...but it has been decided. Seattle can not be a forever home. Warmer options will be tabled. I will only miss the lush greenery and the near access to skiing in the winter.

Shit or Get Off the Pot

My dad used to say sometimes you need to "Shit, or get off the pot."
It's not eloquent, but it's a phrase that resonates with me, especially now as I enter my 29th year of life wondering why I'm having career constipation issues. Bare with me -- there is a business analogy here but it's going to take a little story telling to get there.

I had a conversation with a friend last night who is potty training her daughter. Her take on the process was one of reflection, patience, unwavering resiliance in the face of a very tricky concept.

You feel the urge, you sit and go, right? Not so. First you have to know what that urge is and what it means, in addition to calculating timing issues. It all takes awareness and practice and that's where the potty training comes in. No wonder there is a considerable learning curve involved!

So I tell myself (note: I am a dreamer with a new plan at every turn and very little practice implementing my plans): Kate, "shit, or get off the pot." What will it take to put my visions into action? How much time will it take, how will I know when it is right to act, and how many false starts will be required? How do I make business happen when I want it to happen?

I'm at a loss. But frankly, I'm starting to think that approaching career development like potty training might yield more successful results. It's a necesesary function after all.

Thoughts? Am I totally crazy?

Write Your Way Into Someone's Heart

This is my territory. I am a believer. For most people there is one good, well-crafted message you can relay in which you write your way into their heart. Case in point:

“We smuggled this salsa across the border. It would have arrived sooner had we not stopped in Tahoe to hit some fresh powder.” – Barracuda Taqueria Menu, Seattle, WA

My state of mind when I read this: Oh, God, I’m desperate for some good friggin’ tacos with really good salsa! Desperate as in…I am going to move back to Texas and go on a month-long taco binge if someone doesn’t help me out here. Does no one in Seattle understand the importance of a good taco?!

But alas, someone does. This someone even understands exactly what I needed to know about their product that makes it so special. Translation:

The salsa is fresh, it’s fiery and we would be shot before adding catsup, sugar or anything that mildly resembles Pace. Also, it’s bold and it takes its time to marinate. Good things are worth the wait. Please note that this brazen menu statement would not have meant anything if the restaurateur couldn’t deliver on the promise.

Some thoughts while writing your way into someone’s heart:

• Engage me, entice me, enchant me, and even infuriate me if it will make me remember you.

• Don’t worry if they don’t get it. They weren’t the ones you were targeting anyways.

• Write fearlessly as if you suspect someone will try to edit you for too much sass.

• Be brief. I’m constantly working on this one. It’s a doozie.

• “Be bold, be bold, and everywhere be bold.” – Herbert Spencer

I studied to be a copywriter then I studied the art of the scripted media message. None of it felt right. If I couldn’t generate the heart to put into it how could I expect to produce authenticity? I find authenticity in the post-it messages I leave on my bathroom mirror…and hope they find their way into someone’s heart.

Nature's Impressive Marketers

It's the first legitimately warm week in Seattle this year and the flush of warmer air has me all excited. It also has me thinking dotingly on the flowers and herb garden that Mike and I have started on our patio. Me, a gardener? Hardly! I give Mike 95% of the credit. But I also keep an all-too-keen eye on these little seedlings that have grown into full blown adults to make sure they are getting their daily TLC.

Why should you care, and what does this have to do with marketing and business potential? Everything. It dawned on me when I was watching Discovery Channel's "Plant" edition of "Life" yesterday evening.

Plants are the ultimate marketers and survivalists, just like a good business. They find crazy ways to defeat the odds and come out on top and in shining, radiant color. (Now I sound like Oprah narrating "Life".) Here's the way it translates in my little business mind. Plants as marketers are:

Entrepreneurs - Making a livelihood of starting lots of smaller offshoots and nurturing them to adulthood.

Weather the Seasons - Knowing when to lie dormant and conserve resources, and when to grow like hell!

Climbers - No mercy for anything that might stand in the way. Stretch and grow or be leapfrogged by the stronger branch and find yourself entangled in their mess.

Enticing Marketers - Knowing how to put out out a beautiful "flower" to entice your target market. It's like entrapment, but in a good way. There is usually a win-win, unless you happen to be a Venus Fly Trap.

Strategic Developers - Sun-seeking and opportunity-seeking are one in the same. You have to grow toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

Internal Promotion Buffs - Understanding that the strongest and most active rise to the top but EVERYONE starts at the ground level (There are no shortcuts by the way. You may think there are, but jumping to the top without putting in the work yields weak roots.)

That said, I'd like to introduce you to a few garden stores in and around Seattle that helped provide the raw material I needed to see this lesson come to life.

• City Peoples (http://www.citypeoples.com/) 
• Bellevue Nursery (http://www.bellevuenursery.com/) 
• Sky Nursery (http://www.skynursery.com/)  

 Happy gardening...whether it is your business on which you are working or your flower bed. Grow like hell!

Gretzky: Take the Shot

“You will miss 100% of the shots you never take.” – Wayne Gretzky

This week I really want to throw this post out to you. I want to understand what thing(s) you have done that seemed like an absolute “failure” or misstep at the time. In retrospect was this thing as big a monster failure as you thought? Did it lead you in a different direction that put you right on path for where you want to be now, or was it a missed shot that brought you closer to your goal? I want to hear your comments on this.

In actuality, this is an issue of embracing two P’s— positioning and perspective.

As marketers (for ourselves if not business purposes), positioning requires making constant adjustments. Which means, taking an endless number of shots and fine tuning until you hit the sweet spot. Knowing the goal is key; otherwise you end up shooting at air. Sometimes, you shoot and miss the target by a long shot. When all is said and done though, the stats chart your attempts just as much as they credit your successes, right? We bank on the fact that that trial and error leads to greater successes over time.

As people, perspective drives us forward when we otherwise feel our efforts might have been in vain.

My intention for this post is not to restate the obvious; it is to entreat people to share stories that reveal potentially life-changing shifts in perspective that lead to a repositioning which may have brought you to exactly the place you never knew you wanted to be.

Go ahead: let me know what that event was and where it landed you!

A Quote That Will Blow Your Mind (Hopefully)

Growing up my parents always taught me that if I was going to do something, I needed to do it right. I needed to put all my efforts into whatever that thing of the moment was. Belive me, there were quite a few "things of the moment." Looking back I can't believe they tolerated my hopping around and indecision.

I had brief affairs with everything from clarinet and saxaphone playing to tennis, theater, ballet, tap dance and who knows what else. While I was tap-dancing my way to understanding what made me tick, my parents were right there behind me giving 100% support--leading by example. Amazing.

This must be why I enjoyed the following quote by Jonathan Fields .

"The goal of a business, product or experience should never be to 'effectively serve' a market. It should be to blow peoples' minds."

Take from that what you may. I look around and find myself frequently frustrated by all the people who seem to be okay with doing a half-ass job. In the end however, consumers are aware and undercredited. People who operate on the "75% is close enough to 100%" mentality will ultimately find themselves at the mercy of those who won't settle for less.

Women + Entrepreneurs = Upward Curve

It seems that everywhere I turn right now there are reasons being argued for new business startups. The economic downturn has provided an upturn opportunity for some savvy people who know when to jump on a business idea and have the guts to do it. While devouring this month's Entrepreneur magazine I happened across a very inspiring article by staff writer Jennifer Wang. This one was worth sharing with you (and archiving for my own sake).

Apparently, not only did the unemployment rate of men recently surpass that of women. We (women) are are jumping on the entrepreneur bandwagon at twice the rate of men. Wang cited an study by Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute that estimates, "women-led companies will account for as many as 5.5 million new U.S. jobs by 2018".

That's not to say there's no glory in falling in line with a company. These are interesting times and I predict (as do many other people) that they will only become more and more interesting in the next couple of years. Personally, I just find it exciting to know that gutsy gals might end up being one factor toward leading the way out of the current downturn.

So, that being said - lead on...women and men!

New Home Needs New Visitors!

We've moved from the 'burbs into Seattle. You know what that means? Yes--it means we want to see some visitors knocking on our front door. Let me tempt you with some perks:

• Only blocks from the Space Needle (www.spaceneedle.com)
• Walking distance from Downtown Seattle & Pike Place Market (www.pikeplacemarket.org)
• Awesome restaurants and sights to be had everywhere - check out a few of my new faves: (5 Spot - www.chowfoods.com/five/index.aspx, Peso's Kitchen - www.pesoskitchen.com)
• Rooftop patio with a view of the Puget Sound (ideal for wine sipping)
• Only a couple of short hours from a hop over to the San Juan Islands (www.sanjuanisland.org)

Come and rest, relax and let us show you around the Pacific Northwest. First shrouded in fog, cold and an irritatingly steady rain, it's now quickly blooming into summer and it doesn't get better than that. Well, okay...Barton Springs, BBQ and Austin in the summer is nothing at which to scoff!