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Remember: Get Involved, Get Loud!
Hump Day News Day: Florida’s education system receives $700 million in “Race to the Top”, BP’s redemption, the election primaries and more: Malcolm’s take on the news of the week. Wednesday August 25th – 4 pm EST
Isn’t it time to invest in our infrastructure? Can infrastructure investments help us get our economy growing again? What are the priorities? Thursday August 26th – 4 pm EST
Should we ditch the Queen? The British government is drafting a 5-year austerity plan and taking the public’s suggestions on how to cut spending. How about ditching the Queen? Can the US get any good ideas from how the U.K. is reigning in their spending? Friday August 27th – 4 pm EST
Roger Clemens indicted for lying to Congress about his use of steroids. Who will hold politicians accountable for their actions? A fact-check and a discussion worth having in light of the mid-term elections. Monday August 30th – 4 pm EST
5,000 Channels and Nothing to Watch, Ma!
Is the media facing a “content crisis”? How much can viewers handle? Tuesday August 31st – 4pm EST
The Election 2010 Primary season has delivered more than a few surprises, or has it? Negative campaigning had become the norm and CHANGE is a word that is often used as an adjective, noun and a verb and sometimes all in the same sentence. The talking points all sound the same. It’s the same for rookies and veterans alike – taxes are too high and spending is out of control. Education is a concern and congress must be overhauled. You’ve heard it all by now.
The Promise of Change can always be heard throughout elections in America. Change is the common platform. After all, if you liked the incumbent – there would be no reason to change. Politics is a sales job no matter what state of mind the country is in. This is not to underestimate the need for real change in this country. But the question remains: Which candidate can you count on to bring the level of change that the country needs at this time?
This is still the greatest country on the planet.
Elections in America. Let’s be thankful we have them!
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The hard truth about outsourcing. Pick a side and stick to it: the tough implications of outsourcing overseas.
Wednesday August 18th – 4 pm EST
Innovation that clogs your arteries: Introducing the doughnut burger: What is wrong with food today?
Thursday August 19th – 4 pm EST
Are ethics for losers?
The elections are upon us. Who will it be: The seasoned veteran or the bright eyed and bushy-tailed that gets our votes? In all seriousness, how do you decide on a candidate? Friday August 20th – 4 pm EST
The primaries are August 24th- before you vote, watch 2 new special shows with candidates for U.S. House in Florida District 11
Eddie Adams Jr. Thomas Castellano
Monday August 23rd – 4 pm EST
Watch past shows with their opponents
Tony Buntyn Part 1 and Part 2
Tune in daily on www.MalcolmOutLoud.TV for new shows.
Remember: get Involved, Get Loud!
HumpDay NewsDay This Week’s News – Out Loud: from the latest on the economy to Bill Ford’s latest big paycheck, and from the immigration debate to Julie’s lemonade stand. Wednesday August 11th – 4 pm EST
An Out Loud Interview with Mike Prendergast, candidate for U.S. House FL district 11. Can he defeat Kathy Castor? What is he planning to accomplish if he makes it to Washington? A special 2-part show Thursday August 12th – 4 pm EST
A New Kind of Economic Stimulus: fixing the USPTO. Isn’t homegrown invention the only chance we have to create jobs in the U.S.? The US Patent and Trademark Office is severely backlogged: how funding it properly may be a great tool for economic recovery.
Friday August 13th – 4 pm EST
Amendment 14th: What it means to be an American.
Among talk of disallowing birthright citizenship granted by Amendment 14, Malcolm gives a healthy and inspiring reminder of what it means to be an American. Inspired by Markus Pierson’s Free at Great Cost. Monday August 16th – 4 pm EST
Brandon Jones, DeskofBrian.com: the power of citizen bloggers. How Brandon and the bloggers behind www.deskofbrian.com are making an impact on the political landscape.
Tuesday August 17th – 4pm EST
A customer service experience that doesn’t leave you gritting your teeth.
Representatives that believe in the product and the process.
People who actually solve the problem and do it with a smile.
Great customer service – what a novel idea.
Purchased a Lexmark wireless printer just two weeks ago. Had setup the printer to test the connection from my home study. When I moved the printer this week to another office in a different city, I ran into some problems with resetting the wireless printer backup. It confused the printer and it would not except the router connection. Long story short, needed technical assistance. I made the dreaded call to the manufacturer to tap into their knowledge in setting up the printer. Was I ever surprised. A company that was actually a pleasure to deal with. I connected with a technician named Verna. Verna went to work quickly and was most efficient. She took remote access control to troubleshoot the problem. Once she isolated the difficulty, she had it fixed in no time. It wasn’t just the point that she fixed the problem, but it was her attitude that made the difference.
I’ve often said, we need the right people in customer service roles. All too often we get people attempting to service us that clearly don’t want the job. It’s all about enjoying what you do and treating people with respect.
Wow, great customer service – what a concept! I’d buy Lexmark again in a heartbeat.
Tune in daily on www.MalcolmOutLoud.TV for new shows.
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A news roundup: from the economy and Spirit Airlines to Bill Cosby and the chinese economy, expect an Out Loud commentary on what made the news this week. Wednesday August 4th – 4 pm EST
Will you be BP’s next spokesperson? Malcolm outlines some of the requirements of that position and BP’s strategy for an image overhaul following the spill. Thursday August 5th – 4 pm EST
4 dead in a drunk driving accident. The number of fatalities keeps rising day after day. What will it take to end this? What prevention strategies are more effective than others? Friday August 6th – 4 pm EST
Best Buy’s Consumer Scam-athon: Product warranties. The enlightening information Malcolm got from a store employee with a conscience that could not bear to see another consumer get ripped-off. Monday August 9th - 4 pm EST
CEOs are ripping off the system. How do you stop the Tony Hayward, AIG and Merrill Lynches of the world from rewarding failing executives? Tuesday August 10th – 4 pm EST
Tune in daily on www.MalcolmOutLoud.TV for new shows.
Remember: get Involved, Get Loud!
BP Ceo Tony Hayward is leaving: let’s send him off right! We are having a party!
Will it ever be possible to fix BP’s image? in the meantime, say with me: “see ya!!!!” Wednesday July 28th – 4 pm EST
40 million Americans are on food stamps, 21% of kids live under the poverty line and it takes an average of 35 weeks to find a job
How the recession is tearing apart the middle class. Thursday July 29th – 4 pm EST
Homelessness is on the rise- How do communities deal with the problem?
Hawaii is offering plane tickets to homeless people to go back where they came from. Is that right? Friday July 30th – 4 pm EST
Obama telling voters things could be worse: is this how you inspire a country?
Some helpful pointers as we struggle to make significant progress on job creation. Monday August 2nd- 4 pm EST
I have known Ned Roberts for a few years and am pleased to see him launch his own business. I asked him to share with us some of the things he learned during his first 6 months into this new venture. Malcolm Out Loud
Guest Post by Ned Roberts, founder of RoofRx Tampa Bay
————————————————
As I gear up for next month’s launch of Roof Rx Tampa Bay (www.RoofRx.com), Malcolm asked me to share some thoughts on starting an entrepreneurial endeavor. Here are three:
Double Time
Even the best laid plans may get delayed – you can plan on it. Do you need approval from a governmental agency? Take the worst-case time frame estimate, and add more time. Especially in this economy, with cutbacks in government services, approval times may be even further delayed.
Cash is King
That’s true for any business at any stage of the game. But it’s critical at start-up. With limited cash resources every penny counts. Always question the way you are “supposed” to do something. Often the tried and true path is best, but there are opportunities to save money by taking other routes: Is there a quality piece of equipment that can accomplish the same task just as well as a new one? Can a local vendor provide a better price than a national chain? Might it make sense to finance certain capital expenditures? Trading a so-so interest rate to preserve cash reserves may be a smart choice in the early going.
Eyes on the Prize
There’s a lot to do before depositing the first dollar. It can be overwhelming. Assuming you’ve done your due diligence and are executing your plan, make sure to remind yourself every now and then that it will all pay off. There is power in positive thinking!
Roof Rx is the first and only national roof services brand. We are solely focused on repair – not re-roofing. Leveraging a centralized customer service center, a proprietary database, and satellite technology we are able to provide price quotes over the phone and schedule same-day repairs. Our repair services are completed by skilled technicians trained and certified in the Roof Rx system. We also offer a Roof Warranty product which is a far superior rooftop risk-management solution than what is currently offered in the home warranty market. The Roof Rx Home Warranty is sold through Realtors as well as through an exclusive agreement with American Home Shield – the largest home warranty provider in the country. Please visit www.RoofRx.com to schedule service or learn more.
Tune in daily on www.MalcolmOutLoud.TV for new shows.
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Steinbrenner, Baseball and Life Lessons: What baseball taught me in life and business. Malcolm explains why passion for baseball is worth years of business experience.
Tuesday July 20th – 4 pm EST
The Building and Destruction of a Brand: the iPhone. If you have the new iPhone you probably don’t want duct tape on it. How much damage did the iPhone antenna fiasco do to the Apple brand? Can it recover? A marketing view.
Wednesday July 21st – 4 pm EST
U.S. Airliners Crash and Burn: Will we ever see the return of good customer service? What you did not know about the history of air travel.
Thursday July 22nd – 4 pm EST
Malcolm Tears Apart the Talk Show “Formula“: If you tune in every night to the political talk shows, you know the mix of controversy, alarmist statements and partisan venom they dish out daily. Is this the best kind of dialogue we can have?
Friday July 23rd – 4 pm EST
Free Speech in an Online Society: tear down the Great Firewall of China! Something to remember next time you want to voice your opinion or disagree with someone.
Monday July 26th – 4 pm EST
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I grew up a Red Sox fan with frequent visits to Fenway Park and McCoy Stadium. Red Sox fans hated George Steinbrenner. We hated the fact that he was always in the limelight. We hated the fact that he wouldn’t hesitate to fire a player or a manager if the were slacking or lacked the desire to win. We hated the fact that he had the money to buy the talent that propelled the New York Yankees to the top of baseball history. We hated the fact that the New York Yankees were always the team to beat. Yeah – we sure hated George Steinbrenner!
The truth of the matter is we were jealous of Steinbrenner and his drive to be the best he could be. He demanded excellence from everyone around him. The man knew how to win and that drove Red Sox fans crazy.
Steinbrenner became infamous for firing and hiring managers, making 20 managerial changes in his first 23 seasons as owner, including hiring and firing Billy Martin five times. His penchant for firing and berating employees became so notorious that he became known as “The Boss”. Steinbrenner also became baseball’s leading player in the new era of free agency, enticing superstars such as Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, David Winfield and dozens more with some of the richest contracts in baseball history at the time. Throughout Steinbrenner’s ownership, the Yankees typically had the highest payroll in Major League Baseball.
Steinbrenner put winning first and that drove people wild. Let’s face it, most people don’t want to see the next guy win – they want it for themselves. The biggest compliment we all gave to George Steinbrenner is the fact that we were jealous and despised him for his winning ways.
This Red Sox fan is sad to see George go. He knew how to SMASH the Competition and did it with class and style. Baseball will never be the same again, he is a true icon. The truth of the matter is – I loved George Steinbrenner – big persona and all.
Let’s face it, customer acquisition is far more expensive than customer retention. Survey after survey, industry after industry, the facts remain the same: it cost 5 to 7 times more to obtain a new customer versus keeping an existing customer happy. Wow! Do the math people. If it cost $75 to keep an existing customer happy and $450 (6 times) to find a new customer – why are the scales so unbalanced when it comes to customer retention and satisfaction?
Now on to this blood on the sheets business. I was staying at the Aloft Tallahassee Downtown property in - you guessed it – Tallahassee, Florida. This is no small operation as it’s owned by Starwood Hotels, and they proudly state that they are “A vision of W Hotels”. The hotel has a very European style look and feel to the property. Contemporary, straight lines, upscale appearance are its upfront attributes. What they don’t provide is service. Granted you might overlook a couple of details, we might even forgive the occasional blunder. In fact, I had already overlooked their very slow service at the front desk and the attendant on the fourth floor who insisted three times that someone would bring two door stoppers to hold the adjoining doors to the kids room open. I might also overlook the fact that I took a wet towel to wipe down the tile floors to remove the previous spills from the previous guest. But what we won’t forgive is sloppy, disgusting and filthy accommodations – especially when it comes to the bed. The reason you stay in a hotel – is the bed – hence the importance of a clean one. Well it appears that this hotel does not take much pride in their housekeeping services. There is truly no excuse that would be acceptable to finding a blood stain about the size of a half-dollar on the white sheet/comforter set. This stain was not even hidden, we didn’t have to remove anything to discover it – there it was in full view on the top of the bed. The only way to miss it was if the housekeeper was totally blind.
What’s even more ridiculous is that when I called to the front desk with this horrible news about the blood, the front desk person stated that she didn’t have anyone to come up to the room to change the sheets, as they were a “limited service” facility and they were short on help. I was told the only person she might be able to charge this task with didn’t speak a word of English and she was uncomfortable with sending her up. So, she found someone else (a bartender I believe she said) to take her place for a few minutes. She came up, apologized and explained that this is the chief reason as to why her last day with this hotel was this upcoming Sunday.
What amazes me most about the hotel industry is the tremendous effort and cost they expend to attract new customers; when what they really need to focus on is customer retention and clean rooms. I continue to teach the world the importance of details and the execution of those details. Those businesses who can deliver on the details will SMASH their Competition the right way. There is no short road to get to the top of the class. Deliver on the 5 Rings of Gold Medal Service and you’ll make your competition eat their lunch!
When I checked out the following day… sit down you’ll love this one! On the exit card attached to the bill – their closing statement said the following:
“Thank you for choosing an aloft adventure!
We can’t wait to amuse you next time you’re in town”
Adventure it was. Amuse they did. At least they delivered on their promise after-all!
Where would you rather spend your vacation? on an oil-polluted beach or on a beach where glistening beauties lounge around? Yes, the answer is obvious and Spirit Airlines is betting on it.
This ad campaign for the carrier Spirit Airlines has been posted on their website a few days ago and quickly pulled down after a media outrage: is it really wrong to use a major event such as the deepwater oil spill to generate buzz? What would you do if you were Spirit Airlines’s CEO?
The latest music video from Katy Perry is based on the CandyLand game that children from 3 to 9 just love to play. The video shows Snoop Dogg as a pimp, gummy bears as his army and women as eye candy. Perry has whip cream shooting out of her boobs, naked on a cloud and wearing cupcakes on her breasts.
One of the comments summed it up in a most interesting way:
“like omg, is this trying to sexualise children?
I mean with the colorful candy land, and the cute little jelly bears, and the large bosoms squirting whipped cream, and the over-sized sweeties, and the colorful gingerbread man, and a naked woman pouting suggestively on a cloud…
and knowing that a major demographic that buy into Katy are under 12…
Why can’t you just let kids enjoy being kids, instead of sexing them up, making them think they’re cool adults, for profit essentially.
shameful”
The sad reality of the Katy Perry music video and her version of CandyLand, Dancing Gummy Bears, Pimps and the humiliation of women; is the fact that it is shaping up as a mega-hit for Ms. Katy. What does this say about our culture? We reward those artists who cross the line with record sales and immense popularity! And this artist more than crossed the line. The Ms. Katy video was sent to me to preview. When I turned it on to watch, my two little ones were in the room – Jordyn 8 and Logan 6.5. They thought it was silly and funny, it was catchy and cool to my two children. Sad, sad, sad, if that’s what it takes to become a success in your chosen field – then it’s a very sad and unfortunate day in America.
Breaking through the boundaries of an ordinary life. Being overweight and severely depressed, Robert Gray knew that he had to make change in his life. Having sunk so low, suicide became an alternative to living. Robert was in attendance at my keynote speech “Avoiding the 4 Human Ailments: the pitfalls that hold us back”, at the 18th Annual Sterling Conference at Grande Lakes. How did Robert turn his life around to become the Brink Thinker that he is destined to become?
The first message I received from Robert outlines his struggle: “It was indeed a pleasure to see you and chat with you during the conference. I felt a connection with you and wanted to seek you out to learn more from you. I truly enjoyed your check-writer story. Perhaps someday I can share some of my story with you. As I think back to where I’ve been, I truly am feeling joy to see where I am now and how much I want to learn from others and teach others. Few people know this about me – in 1998 I was suffering from severe depression and was hospitalized because I became suicidal. I did nothing all day but breathe and obsess about how terrible
Recession, double-dip, housing crisis, plummeting values, terrorism, wall street collapse, bailout, out-of-control deficit, dysfunctional politicians, unemployment, health care reform, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, etc. and now throw in a major oil-spill just to keep you off balance. It’s no wonder people are depressed and trying to hide from their daily struggles.
It’s about impossible to hide these days from the barrage of bad news heading your way. That is unless you find your way into a theater to watch Toy Story 3 – be prepared to be entertained and mesmerized with these characters and their journey. That is exactly what happened when I took my two children Jordyn (8) and Logan (6) to see the film last night. The folks at Pixar Animation Studios understand true genius. This is likely the best Toy Story from the series, unlike all sequels – they just keep getting stronger. Movie experts are predicting this may very well be film of the year. The reason so many movies and most sequels fail to entertain today is that they have such poorly written scripts that are meaningless with no story-line to follow. So how did Pixar do it?
Pixar took Toy Story 3 and broke through the typical boundaries of an average script and took it all the way to the absurd point of your imagination – right to the Brink! The people at Pixar are dedicated to their craft just like you and I. The fact that they didn’t let a multitude of questions and self-doubt get in the way to producing a brilliant movie – made all the difference. You also are capable of those Brink Thinking moments. The more you connect those moments together, the more fulfilling your life will be as a Brink Thinker.
Don’t settle for a good idea, even when those around you do
Remember that your boundaries are (self-imposed)
Begin to think of alternatives to break through the clutter
Question everything, the obvious and the not so obvious
Make your two new favorite words: What if?
Don’t panic when the idea seems absurd
If everyone else if doing it, then don’t
Take the idea all the way to the Brink
Knowing you’re at the Brink – is instinctive and genius
Beautiful blue skies, the Baltinglass Abby in Ireland, what more could one ask for? To be able to read SMASH the Competition, the right way… of course! What a wonderful review from Chet Hall. As an author, nothing is more rewarding than feedback. Especially when it’s as terrific as this one.
From Smash Reader Chet Hall , CIO for FBMC
“Malcolm
I just finished your book and I want to tell you what a great read it was. I have a MIS degree from the FSU business school and have been working in my field for more than 25 years. This book put it all together for me. I feel like I just earned a marketing degree that came with the necessary experience to make it all work.
Currently I am vacationing in Ireland…and I can’t wait to get back to work so I can get started. I have so much to do!”
Chet Hall reading Smash the Competition… The Right Way during his trip to Ireland. Here pictured in front of the Baltinglass Abby.
The world is clamoring for “Leadership” now more than ever before. Although our challenges maybe significant – our opportunities are many. Most people will never see the opportunities because they have blinders on. They’re so indulged in their own world of problems, that they’ve completely lost sight of the big picture. We’ve all become traumatized by a media-spun negative blitz of bits and pieces of daily doom and gloom. It’s like we’re spinning out-of-control and nobody knows quite how to stop the pain and suffering.
The time has come to take our world back. We need some profound ideas that can shake up the establishment. Eyes must be opened and wounds need closing. Beyond the normal boundaries and restraints, into the minds of absurd genius, lie the Brink Thinkers of Tomorrow.
If the airlines would simply service their customers (you and I) with the respect that good paying customers deserve, then just imagine the money they could save on their advertising. They haven’t come close to realizing the true benefits of building their brand through properly servicing their customers. They still believe that brand building is done through how many ad impressions they’re able to put out on the street. I wish we didn’t need the airlines and could teach them a lesson. I for one am fed up with their shenanigans. They are the lowest of low. That’s my OutLoud Commentary: read on and then send me your own airline story.
My wife and six-year old son are flying to Birmingham, Alabama for a medical emergency. Long story short, my son Logan is in an advanced medical study to treat a disease he has. These trips are essential and part of the best and only hope we have right now in fighting this disease. We pay the customary fee of $300+ per ticket and the extra costs for baggage fees that have now become part of the industry. The doctors were able to successfully finish a day earlier than was previously planned. Anxious to leave and get back home, my wife calls Delta to see about an earlier flight. Well, they have earlier flights alright, and if you’re willing to pay the piper again – they’ll give you a seat on one.
The bottom line is another $300 fee to change the seat to another plane that was leaving 18 hours earlier. A similar experience happened last month as well, but that time it was on Southwest Airlines. They also wanted another $300 to change the flights to a plane that was leaving 5 hours earlier. Even with a medical letter from the doctors stating the medical situation – it changed absolutely nothing. The sad part of all of this – is that the planes have empty seats on them and it would take no effort whatsoever to change a flight to a few hours earlier. My wife explained the situation to them, offered the letter, which all fell on deaf ears. Pay the fee or suffer!
It never ceases to amaze me! How some people get the concept of service and the execution of details, while others have no clue of what service or details are. Often the only differentiators are the level of service and the proper execution of those little details – especially when the product or service is not too much different than the next guy.
This is a true story of a visit to two bakeries in two days with two different results. I should first tell you that all of this was for an upcoming event for a new home builder. It was explained upfront that there was a fair amount of business attached to this visit. Not only a large order for the event, but an ongoing parade of orders for this builder – so there was a great deal at stake folks.
The first (no personality) bakery chef offers no suggestions, even when prodded on cake styles and design ideas for the event. The chef brings out a Styrofoam plate with the frosting, filling and cake samples on it. She suggests we do our thing, try whatever combinations we like and report back to her – she then leaves the room, not to be found for the next 20-30 minutes.
The second (personality oozing) bakery chef brings out a large attractive platter with many variations and much more pleasing to the eye. This chef needed no prodding, and suggested we follow along. Dip into this, take a bite of this, swirl into this, try this combination, you can do this, or you can try that – you get the picture. This chef never left our space, offered many suggestions, delivered on every level. The staff was most entertaining, including the realization that we might want to wash all this cake down with a nice glass of water.
It’s obvious to see what bakery we’ll go with. Surely the first bakery could have earned the business, had they delivered on the details. I offer you…
7 tips on closing new business:
Smile, bring your best personality to the meeting
Offer suggestions, ideas, explore the possibilities
There is only one method in building a brand for your organization, and that is through execution of the details folks. Details really can be a piece of cake, when performed properly.
