Rants

A response to marketing SPAM…

Do you get unsolicited and unwanted canned emails touting how they can “help” your business? If so, here is a response I borrowed from fellow engineer and long time direct marketing consultant/copywriter Bob Bly.

Most of the time I simply delete the offending emails, but when Bob mentioned this in one of his email newsletters, I decided to have some fun.

Here is the response I sent back for the next unwanted email:

Borrowed from highly successful direct marketer Bob Bly:

  • I don’t recognize your name.
  • I don’t know who you are.
  • I don’t have any evidence that you can help me.
  • I don’t know who your clients are.
  • I don’t know what results you have gotten for them.
  • I have no evidence that you are different or better than all the other firms sending me emails like yours every day of the week.
  • You don’t know anything about me, our business, our goals, our priorities, our needs, and our most pressing challenges.

Now… what was it you wanted to sell me?

Full disclosure: I “stole” … er, I mean adapted this copy … from a famous and successful ad McGraw-Hill ran many years ago.

PS – If you want professional direct marketing help, I suggest you contact Bob at www.Bly.com. But be prepared to buy his services, not sell yours.

I plan to continue. Is this unkind? Probably, but if it results in even one change, it is worth it.

BTW, do NOT send out unsolicited emails for your marketing. Rather, spend your time and money to understand both your target market and your offer, and then craft a focused approach. Use a rifle, not a shotgun!

And if you are a marketing consultant, do NOT suggest this to your clients. In a future post I’ll share my story of the “Put a Dollar in Every Direct Mail” fiasco from years ago. Not my idea, but forced upon me by a boss who was swayed by a local advertising firm. Don’t.Be.Stupid!


P.S. Here is another email option from this grumpy old engineering consultant 🙂


 

© 2022, https:. All rights reserved.

A COVID Update from Minnesota…

No, this does not contain bad news. But it does contain some perspectives from the medical community (professional consultants,) and more. Warning — Rant to follow.

Last week, my wife fell down and broke her hip in a freak fall. The result was a trip to the local emergency room, followed by emergency surgery. The good news is all went well, and she is recovering nicely in convalescent care. Hope to have her home soon.

Fortunately, this happened in Minnesota (where we spend the summers) where COVID is low, thanks to people with common sense who have been vaccinated. At least in the Twin Cities — not so much in rural Minnesota where our older son lives. And certainly not so much in Arizona, where we reside the rest of the year.

During her eight hours in the ER, I asked several ER nurses how they were doing with COVID. The usual response was a sigh, followed by a sad story or two. The same was true of the hospital nurses and even the convalescent facility. Fortunately, the latter has been COVID free for several weeks.

Personally, I am beyond disgusted with the self-centered clowns who refuse to get vaccinated. This is not about politics — this is not about “rights” — this is not about lame excuses — this IS ALL ABOUT about keeping yourself along with your neighbors and communities safe!  The sooner everyone does this, the sooner we get this behind us.

In addition to the nurses, our doctor (another consultant) in Arizona has been very outspoken on all this, even challenging our governor. Our doctor filled in numerous times at an ER, and sadly watched too many die. He is back doing that, only now the dying are unvaccinated.

Unfortunately, AZ Governor Ducey is more concerned about pandering politics than leading. Under political pressure last spring (or maybe it is just what he is) he closed down late, opened early, refused mask mandates, and then disappeared for weeks at at a time. Even the local news stations could not find him.

As a result, Arizona had a high death rate, and at one time was the worst place in the world. I guess this is what happens when you elect a failed businessman (neither a professional nor a consultant & kicked out of an ice cream company he co-founded.) Unlike another Arizona politician I admiredSorry if you are politically offended — I warned you this was a rant. 

Finally, a long time friend (an engineer who should know better) recently told me he decided not to get vaccinated. In his late 70s, probably not a good idea. His motivation is political.

But another old friend (same political affiliation) did get vaccinated and still suffered a break through infection. It was ugly, and had he not been vaccinated he probably would have died. Even with the shots, his advice was “Do not get COVID…”  End of rant.

In closing, please stay safe and stay healthy. And if you are still not vaccinated, please do so today — if not for yourself, for the rest of us!

P.S. Check out my earlier COVID posts below.


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© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

Tired of political “hate-mails?” Here is a solution…

This post was prompted by a particularly obnoxious political email (which I’ve dubbed “hate-mails”.)  When asked to delete me from future mailings, that just escalated things. Some people are just plain rude.

With all extreme political polarization, you may have received similar unwanted missives. The simplest approach is to block the offender’s email, but in a wicked moment I decided to have some fun and take it one step further.

So I created the SH*T-list. Thanks to autoresponders, you can send an automated response. Here is mine:

Congratulations. Due to your recent “hate-mails” you are now on my personal SH*T list. It is not easy — very few people make it.

It helps if you are bigoted, arrogant, or narcissistic. Political “hate-mails” are perfect. Just being controversial is not enough, as I welcome diverse ideas and opinions when offered in a mature way.

Your message was not read, but sent to my SH*T folder. If/when the stink gets too strong, I may look at the SH*T folder to see if anyone landed there by mistake. At that time, your SH*T will be sent where it belongs — into the sewer.

I hope you understand. Feel free to wallow in your own SH*T. My life is richer and better without your SH*T in it. Have a nice day.

The precipitating “hate mail” went way beyond political humor or satire. Among the vitriol, it accused several Muslim Congresswomen of supporting genital mutilation. You can’t get much more disgusting than that.

After being asked to delete my name from his mail list, a follow up “hate mail” implied those who did not agree with the author were Nazis. Nice, huh? All this from someone I thought was an old friend.

Upon reflection, I decided NOT to proceed, and blocked the offender and moved on. If you decide to use my example, however, do so with caution as it may sever friendships or worse. But those who won’t treat people with respect are not your friends anyway. Similar to bad consulting clients. 

Peace — Uncle Daryl


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© 2021, https:. All rights reserved.

VOTE… It is your right and your duty…

Time for a Mini-Rant…

In 1968, my wife and I were denied our right to vote. I am still annoyed.

We were married in June that year, and moved to a new state for both of us. Thanks to a Catch-22 were were not allowed to vote in November, as we had not met an arbitrary six-month residence requirement. Nor were we allowed to vote in our previous home states, as we had moved.

A letter to our new congressman resulted in the typical politician’s bulls*t response. We left the original state two years later, taking our skills, careers, and a half century of future tax dollars with us.

But we voted in every election since. We donated to and worked on campaigns for those we supported. And unlike too many today, we voted the person — not the party — for people and policies in which we believed.

No straight tickets – no blind partisan politics for us! We simply voted our conscience…

With an election tomorrow, I urge each of you to vote if you have not already done so, and I ask you to vote YOUR conscience — and to VOTE for decency and fairness for all.

Thank you… Like consultants, together we can make the world a better place.

End of Rant


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© 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

No guarantees of success in business…

Time for a harsh reality check from Uncle Daryl. No, it is not all peaches & cream starting and running a consulting practice… or any business.

But for me, it still beats working for somebody else.

This post was inspired by an almost constant barrage of human interest stories on the news about people losing their businesses to COVID-19. Please know I am very sympathetic and understand the pain. It hurts — I’ve been there myself.

But nothing in business (or life) is guaranteed. You need to consider that from the start. Statistics show 20% of small businesses fail in the first year, and 50% in the first five years.

So before you even start, ask yourself the following:

  • What if this doesn’t work? It might not.
  • What is Plan B (or C…)? Be ready to pivot.
  • How can I minimize (but not eliminate) risk? Be bold, but be prudent.

On a positive note, I love the quote from Bob Parsons (GoDaddy Founder and now a billionaire), “Remember, if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you…”

Now for some encouragement. Things change – sometimes suddenly. The real test is what YOU do about it. Wishing things were different does not solve problems. Creative thinking does.

It is often said a real measure of an entrepreneur is how many times they failed — and then picked themselves up and moved on. Each failure – no matter how painful – is an opportunity gain experience and learn. It also builds resilience.

One of my favorite examples of resilience is Abraham Lincoln. His mother died. His first love died. His first business went bankrupt. He lost elections. He lost children. He eventually became a successful attorney (consultant), and of course went on to save the Union as the President of the United States.

Just for the record, here are some of MY business setbacks – and how they eventually turned out:

–Laid off from my first engineering job with a very pregnant wife. (Started the wheels turning to escape the corporate rat race and become independent.) But not ready to go on my own, I sent out 50 resumes – and got two responses. Ended up in a group specializing in Electromagnetic Interference, the Technical Speciality on which I later built a successful consulting practice.

–Suffered numerous losses as a Sales Engineer –but still won more than I lost. (Became an SE to learn about sales and marketing.) It always hurt to lose a sale after investing much time and effort, but the Sales experience was invaluable as a consultant.

–Fired from a startup I helped found. (Joined the startup to learn about small business.) Should have seen it coming. Feeling ready to liberate my self, hung out my consulting shingle. Fell flat on my face, and crawled back into the corporate womb. Ended up in a Marketing group, which was a big help later as a consultant.

–Lost out on a few other jobs over the years, but in retrospect glad they did not work out. They might have taken me in a different direction, and I would have missed out on the Joys of Consulting.

–After making it as a consultant, still took four times to get the training side our business right. Ultimately made millions.

–There were a few more setbacks —  for which I still have the scars 🙂

But I kept on plugging on, mored determined that even to have my own business. And eventually I did.

So what can YOU do, if  faced with a setback?

–First, don’t mope and blame. OK, maybe for a day or two — have wine or a beer  — but then get over it.

–Second, assess your financial situation. Marshall your resources. Figure out how long you can go before you need to grab a lifeline, and (shudder) find a job if need be. Trust me, it is not the end of the world – I know – you can always try again later.

–Third, consider new opportunities. When our primary markets (personal computers and military systems) suddenly dried up in 1992, we shifted our emphasis to medical electronics. We wrote targeted articles in medical magazines, joined a medical industry committee, and contacted key people at the FDA. Within six months, we were back in the saddle. We used the same approach later to expand into several other industries.

Remember, consultants solve problems. And they help achieve dreams. If you run into setbacks, just apply your skills to your own situation.

Stay safe, and turn those setbacks into NEW business success!


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© 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

A COVID Update from Arizona…

We are still hunkered down in Arizona due to COVID. Several have written asking about our status, so here is an update.

We are doing fine. We self-isolated in early March, and have not been in a store or restaurant since then. We order groceries on-line, and we walk the dog in a local park. We finally ventured out for some take-out. Otherwise we stay at home.

Not all bad though. We gave our first on-line class two weeks ago. Two and a half days spread over four days of four hours each. In went well, and we now have two more classes scheduled. More planned.

No doubt COVID has had an impact on consulting and training. So if you are worried, be ready to pivot. The good news is the technology is there to support you. Time to learn new ways of doing business if you are not already doing so.

What we thought might last a month now looks like it may last much longer. Arizona is now a COVID hot spot — thanks to closing too late, opening too soon, and a lack of political will to do what was needed.

Our governor assumed Arizonans would act responsibly. They clearly did not. Bars and night clubs were packed, and three weeks later there was an explosion of COVID cases. No great surprise.

And no masks, of course, which were finally mandated. Thanks to political games, the governor can overrule local mandates. So our governor chose to do just that. On Friday, a clearly frightened governor changed his tune, allowing cities to require masks.

Here is a letter I just wrote to our governor:

We were pleased to see you finally changed your tune on masks, and allowed cities to proceed. Not being snarky — we thank you. It is a good start.

It was obvious from your press conference that you were scared, as you should be. This is serious. This not about politics — this is about protecting the people of Arizona — in some cases from their own arrogance and stupidity.

The next step should be to again close night clubs, bars, and inside seating in restaurants. None of these businesses are essential. You assumed Arizonas would show common sense — it is obvious too many owners and patrons did not do so.

Keep them closed until the cases are well under control, both for health reasons and to drive home the seriousness of COVID.

May I suggest you be less defensive when pressed for answers?
—There is nothing wrong with admitting past errors and taking responsibility.
— There is nothing wrong with changing direction with new data, or when the present approach is not working
—Work on crafting new solutions, rather than placing blame.
Those are the marks of leadership.

Finally, stop listening to Trump, and trying to impress him. Do you think he really cares about you, or about Arizona, or about any of us? Time to be your own man and lead.

Good luck — from a business leader (owner/founder) and community leader who has stood in the fire…

If I stepped on toes with my Trump comment, get over it. As an aside, Trump will be in Arizona this week for a rally. I am appalled at this behavior in the middle of one of the largest COVID spikes in the country!

As consultants, sometimes we need to speak up. Particularly when we see problems that should and can be solved.

Time to put politics aside, and do what consultant are supposed to do — make the world a better place.  

P.S. Coming up — a return to regular programming, starting with some questions from the mailbag.  


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© 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

How a simple technology can help stop COVID-19…

Warning:  This is a quick rant combined with a lesson on troubleshooting.

No, this post is not about some quack fix like drinking Clorox or Lysol — the simple technology is MASKS! But in order to work, EVERYONE must use them. The generic masks are not meant to protect YOU — they are meant to protect YOUR NEIGHBOR.

A recent model predicted that if 80% wore masks that were 60% effective, the COVID Ro parameter would drop below 1, which means the spread is no longer exponentially increasing, but actually exponentially decreasing!

Or as we say in the engineering world, the response is now over-damped. The model further predicts that with a 14 day incubation period, within 28 days new cases would be WAY down.

Models are nice, but what about the real world? Well, we have solid data there. Both Hong Kong and Taiwan are religious about masks. They acted quickly, and have almost 100% mask compliance. As a result, Hong Kong (population 7.5 million) has had 4 deaths, and Taiwan (population 23.8 million) has had 6. And businesses and schools are open.

At these rates the US would have between 100 and 200 deaths, not closing in on 100,000!

Of course, this is not new technology. In the 1918 pandemic (the one that killed my grandmother) masks were mandatory in many cities. Those that enforced mask wearing had much lower death rates. While they did not have the benefits of modern science back then, they did have the benefits of common sense. Something that seems be badly lacking today.

Why the resistance to masks, anyway? Like so much in our society today, it has been politicized. Polls show the “Blues” are much more likely to wear masks than the “Reds.” The difference being, the Blues are concerned about their neighbors, while too many Reds are concerned only about themselves. (If I stepped on toes, get over it & start wearing a mask.)

A quick question for those who want to “assert their constitutional rights.” I would ask “So show me where it says in the constitution that you have a right to infect others.” Self-centered, indeed.

Now, some consulting engineering thoughts — specifically on troubleshooting. For the last 30+ years, my late business partner and I worked to “identify, fix, and prevent” Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) problems in electronic systems. Much of our time was spent troubleshooting while trying to better understand the problems at hand.

Like small town doctors who identified illnesses, fixed broken arms, and prevented disease through shots and vaccines. It was gratifying work, and surprisingly lucrative.

As a first step in identifying (diagnosing) a problem, we used a simple model of “Source – Path -Victim.”  All three elements are needed for an interference problem, but only one needs to be eliminated or controlled.  So which one is the best?

The source, of course. One does that through suppression (for COVID, coughing in your elbow or straying at home when sick,) or containment (such as a mask.)  In the EMI world, the containment is often a simple metal shield, which when properly applied is often cheap and very effective.

The containment need not be perfect — even reducing the unwanted EMI emissions (spread) by a factor of 2 (aka 6 dB for you geeks) is sometimes enough. But with just a little care, achieving 1000x (60 dB) to 1,000,000 (120 dB) reductions are economically doable. When everyone wears masks, the COVID source reduction is believed to be at least 100x (40 dB).

For you non-geeks, the deciBels (dB) are exponential, just like the unchecked spread of the COVID. Scary, huh?

If controlling the problem at the source is not possible, then we move on attacking the “path.” For COVID, this is either through the air, or through contact with infected surfaces. Solutions include (once again) masks and sanitation/hand-washing.

The last method is protecting the “victim.” Because the potential victims can well outnumber the sources, this can get complex and expensive — think ventilators and ICUs. Thus, drastic measures like shutting down businesses and stay at home orders.

We often needed all three for solving EMI problems —  but the source suppression was and still is far and away the most effective when it can be applied. Works for COVID too.

That concludes today’s rant/consulting engineering lecture.  Now — START WEARING A MASK — to PROTECT THOSE AROUND YOU — and to HELL with self-centered politics!

Stay healthy everyone!

Uncle Daryl

P.S. Enough with the rants for a while.  Next up will be a couple of posts where I share some ideas with those not yet consultants, but harboring the “itch.”  We will start with the mailbag. Stay tuned…


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© 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

Sequestered in Arizona due to COVID19…

A quick update from the head shed. Along with a mini-rant…

In 1918, my 25 year old grandmother died of the Spanish flu. She left behind a toddler and an infant. The latter was my mother.

Several weeks ago, my brother self quarantined as the result of a chance encounter with the first confirmed case in Omaha. He is doing fine, but the infected person was very critical. She survived thanks to the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s bio-containment unit.

Both examples remind me how serious this threat is. Not one to overreact, Mary and I decided to minimize contact a month ago, and are washing our hands a lot. Not just for ourselves, but for the community at large, hoping to slow the spread.

It just seems the responsible thing to do.

While many have only mild symptoms, this old engineer worries about the Cost of Failure. Ignoring the latter is the reason I am extremely unhappy with our government response, at both the national and state level. I am also extremely unhappy that ignorant politicians are not listening to the real experts (aka consultants?)

My consulting business mantra has long been “Plan for the worst — Hope for the best — Roll the dice and see what happens.”  The planning was clearly not there — critical infrastructure was cut — and nobody wants to take responsibility or provide leadership.

AZ finally closed barber shops, hair salons, massage and tattoo parlors just two days ago, after whining for weeks about lost tourism. Were these really essential? Or was it profits over people? Even now, the golf courses remain open – absurd but not unexpected from a former ice-cream CEO. Way to go, Governor Doug Ducey!

I hope everyone Remembers in November. This is not about politics — this is about ending arrogance and incompetence, and holding those responsible accountable for all the unnecessary suffering they have caused.

To end on a positive note, I remain confident this will eventually get better. However, it appears too many unnecessary deaths will have occured.

Please stay safe –for yourself, for your community, and for your loved ones.


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© 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

Gratitude… or Resentment?

Time for a Thanksgiving rant. I, for one, am weary of the whining and complaining that seems to be taking over the country, and even the world.

While I try to stay politically neutral on this blog, too many of today’s political leaders (if you can call them that) seem more focused on manipulating emotions rather than solving problems. Sorry if I stepped on toes, but as consultants we must call them as we see them.

The hot button the manipulators like to push is labeled “Resentment.”  To counter that, I suggest we try pushing the button labeled “Gratitude.

Trying to understand what happened in the last presidential election, I read several books analyzing the underlying conditions. A common theme was resentment, amplified by the political rhetoric. Thinly disguised as populism, it occurred on both sides –  the right with “Lock Her Up” and the left “Occupy Wall Street.”

One of the books was The Politics of Resentment by Catherine Cramer. It started as a small research project at the University of Wisconsin to better understand how the university might better serve rural Wisconsin. Thus surprising outcome was the level of rural resentment against the “city dwellers.”

Many of the resenter’s assumptions were false (money spent on roads and other rural services), yet that did not stop Scott Walker and others from using that resentment to manipulate voters. Meanwhile, problems went unsolved. It also helped explained the Wisconsin swing to Trump.

So, do YOU like being manipulated? Emotions are powerful, but they often defy logic. Emotions do NOT solve problems, but they CAN divide and obstruct, making them a favorite tool of politicians.

Maybe it it time to step back, reflect, and show some gratitude. Maybe it is time to stop listening to the manipulators, and start thinking for ourselves. Maybe it is time to focus on solving problems and working to make the world a better place, as good consultants do!

In the spirit of Thanskgiving, here are five things I am grateful for:

  • Living in a country where I am free to pursue my own dreams (such as starting/running a consulting firm.)
  • Living in a time in history where exciting changes happen (instead of resenting those changes.)
  • Living in the midst of abundance (food, clean water, health care, safety, and more.)
  • Living relatively free of financial concerns (thanks to my consulting business and years of “selective frugality” and saving)
  •  Living with a spouse who supported me for over fifty years (Thanks, Mary!)

And five more reasons to be grateful:

  • Clients who put their trust in us
  • Colleagues and advisers who supported us
  • A business partner who was a joy to work with (Rest in Peace)
  • Parents who cared and encouraged (in spite of hard times)
  • And a wonderful family (two sons, their wives, and six extraordinary grandchildren.)

How about you? What are YOU grateful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Uncle Daryl 


 

© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

Don’t be an e-mail pest…

Time for a mini-rant.

In recent months, I’ve received numerous unsolicited e-mails that follow this format:

  • The first e-mail offers some unwanted service, like updating my website, increasing my leads, or even handling my HR hiring or payroll needs. (The latter is amusing as I am a one person firm, which simple research would have uncovered.)
  • The second e-mail, two days later, asks if I’ve read the first email (already deleted) and wants to set up an appointment.
  • The third e-mail, nine days later, gets a bit snarky. By that time I’m so annoyed that even if I did need the services I would NOT use this person.

Here is a specific example. It is thinly disguised, but if you have received the same email, you will recognize the perpetrator.

On Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 6:28 am, CW wrote:

Hey Daryl,

Curious if Kimmel Gerke Associates is on an older payroll/HR system, like ADP or Paychex?

If you are, Ripoff can easily save your team 50+ hours of admin work (and, likely, thousands of dollars) every year. How, you ask?

Unlike older platforms, Ripoff integrates all (not just some) of your employee systems — blah, blah, blah…

Do you have any interest in a quick demo to see how we compare?

Thank you!

CW
Account Executive
Ripoff| CA License #999999


On Wed, Jan 23, 2019 at 9:53 am, CW wrote:

Hi Daryl — any thoughts on my email below?

Let me know if you (or someone on your team…) would like to connect this week.

C


On Feb 1, 2019, at 8:02 AM, CW wrote:

I’m not sure if this changes anything, but not only can Ripoff connect your current HR systems together, it can connect Kimmel Gerke Associates’s IT systems together, too.

You can manage your team’s computers, software licenses, user accounts and passwords — in addition to their payroll, health insurance, 401k, etc. — all in one dashboard.

Are you able to manage all of those things in one place today?

CW
Account Executive
Ripoff| CA License #999999

By the third unsolicited piece of spam (possibly illegal) I have NO interest in working with Ripoff on anything — ever!

Normally I just ignore this kind of foolishness, but feeling ornery, I sent the following note back. Feel free to use it yourself. If enough of us do so, maybe we can at least slow down these marketing idiots.

Please remove me from your list and all future mailings. I am a one person firm, and not in need of your services.

Had you done any research you would know that, and would not be sending repeated unwanted spam.

Which begs the question — why would I do business with someone who does that? Food for thought from a successful business owner of 32 years.

My suggestion – find a way to attract business to come to you.  Don’t be a pest!

If YOU are a marketing consultant recommending this approach, please STOP. If you are thinking about this approach, DON’T do it!

Instead, set up a program to ATTRACT business. Marketing guru Seth Godin calls this permission marketing. Uncle Daryl just calls this common sense.

You can do this many ways — here are 20 ideas from an early post (with detailed follow on links) on JumpToConsulting. The twin goals are establishing credibility and visibility – having clients come to you – not being just another e-mail pest!

End of Rant. 


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© 2019, https:. All rights reserved.

Rest in Peace… Senator John McCain…

As an Arizona resident, John McCain has been my Senator for 22 years. I did not always agree with him, but I always had great respect for him.

I was greatly annoyed by the smear by “W” against him in South Carolina in 2000, when the story was spread that he had fathered a black child. I was in South Carolina at the time on business, and saw the local news stories.

The truth is he and his wife had adopted an infant with a birth defect from Bangladesh. She was their youngest daughter. In spite of the racist lie, he was gracious in the resulting loss of the primary.

Although I never met Senator McCain, his office responded quickly and politely whenever I wrote about an issue — even when we disagreed. Not always true of other politicians.

Here is a favorite personal McCain story:

Shortly after moving to Arizona from Minnesota, I found myself sitting behind the late Senator Paul Wellstone (MN) on a flight to Minneapolis. BTW, we were both in coach. Wellstone, like McCain, was not pretentious.

As we were retrieving our bags from overhead, I told Senator Wellstone I was a former constituent, as well as an admirer of his willingness to fight for what he deemed right.

He asked where I now lived, and I replied “Arizona — where the politics are clearly not the same as Minnesota.” I’d already seen enough of Arizona politics to make me question my move.

Wellstone thought a minute, and then replied, “You know, you have a good man there in John McCain.” Political opposites, both often worked together with mutual respect.

As I soon learned, Wellstone was right. McCain spoke truth to those in power. He condemned torture, spoke out against racism (No ma’am, Senator Obama is not an Arab…), and criticized dirty politicians.

He was truly an officer and a gentleman, an increasingly rare breed.

Rest in peace, Senator McCain.


P.S. Sorry if I stepped on any political toes (no, not really…) As consultants, we often need to “call them as we seem them” … just as John McCain did.


 

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An epiphany on financial priorities…

Time for a mini-rant…

While walking the dog (Sami the Shih Tzu) a few nights ago, I was struck with an epiphany of sorts. It involved a neighbor and his vehicles.

Parked in his driveway were a new Cadillac Escalade and a new Audi, along with a pretty nice Harley motorcycle. Nothing wrong with that, except he has complained in the past about not being able to retire.

That is when it struck me. For the cost of those vehicles, he could have bought a rental property, which would increase in value with time (rather than decrease) and throw off cash in the meantime. He would own a cash producing asset, rather than cash sucking liabilities.

Which is what we did several years ago. We bought a rental property, and continue to drive two old vehicles instead (a 10 car old truck, and a 20 year old sedan.) I could care less about impressing the neighbors.

The cash flow is great — the property has increased in value — and we enjoy the tax advantages of being a landlord. It has outperformed many of our other investments.

Not bragging or criticizing here. Just sharing an observation.

Maybe my attitude came from starting and running my own business – or maybe it was a reason I was able to do so in the first place. Hmmm…

Too many people have told me they would like to start their own business (including consulting), but can’t afford to do so. Yet they drive fancy cars and more.

It is often just a simple case of financial priorities.

End of rant…


P.S. Remember – Uncle Daryl want YOU to find your freedom too — financial, occupational, and more.


Read more here:

© 2018, https:. All rights reserved.

Bigotry and business don’t mix…

Time for a mini-rant… While I try to stay politically neutral, this seems particularly appropriate these days… 

Don’t mix business with bigotry!

Last year I read about a pizza place that was under fire for saying they would not serve at a gay wedding. Then they whined that the press was out to crucify them. Really?

What if they had refused to serve Blacks…or Jews…or ??? Didn’t we get over that in the last century? (Based on recent events, maybe not…)

Furthermore, how foolish! With the country equally divided on so many social issues, why alienate half your potential customers?

But let’s be positive.

What would have happened if they said they WOULD serve such customers? Let me share the Pittsburgh Willy story.

In 2012, I wrote about Randy’s success as a successful Arizona hot-dog entrepreneur. Yes, he is not a consultant, but I love his hot dogs… and his stories.

One of my favorite stories was how Randy became a preferred vendor in the local gay community. Sorry to say, Arizona is not the friendliest place for gays. But when asked to support the Gay Rights parade several years ago, he readily agreed.

He and a friend even carried a banner. He joked they were a minority — perhaps the only two straight guys in the parade. Later he served gourmet dogs from his hot dog cart to a hungry crowd – the only hot dog vendor to do so. Pretty good business decision, huh?

In addition to being a good businessman, Randy is an very friendly and funny guy. So when asked to support a gay event in Bisbee AZ, once again he agreed. He was the only hot dog vendor invited to the event. As an aside, one of his gourmet hot dogs – the Big Willie – was a huge hit 🙂

Randy graduated from the hot dog stand, and has since opened a restaurant in Chandler, AZ. The dogs are great, and EVERYBODY is welcome there. Just good business!

So as a consultant (or any other businessperson) I suggest you do not tolerate discrimination or hate of any kind.  DON’T add bigotry to the mix! 

<End of rant>

P.S. If this post offended you, don’t consult. If you can’t look beyond your own views, you don’t have what it takes to succeed as a consultant.

(More here from folk musicians Peter, Paul, and Mary.) 

© 2017, https:. All rights reserved.

On Competitive Advantages and other Buzzwords…

Time for a mini-rant, against advice often promoted by those wanting to sell you something.

For years, it was very popular in marketing circles to identify your USP (Unique Sales Proposition.) Large management consulting firms and their MBAs loved the term.

Later, that morphed into the UBP (Unique Buying Proposition) as the marketers realized the focus should be on the customer, not the product or service. At least it was a start.

Today, I read yet another marketing blog post that emphasized more buzzwords. (Be Unique, be the Thought Leader, blah, blah, blah…) The post segued into Positioning, Differentiation, Branding, etc. It even offered a comprehensive course on the topics.

But does all this apply to the small consulting firm? Often not, in my opinion. In fact, I suspect the overemphasis on buzzwords may prevent some considering consulting from actually jumping in. Paralysis by analysis.

Consider a surgeon. Does he/she need to be unique — the only specialist in the field or the most highly renowned surgeon in the world? Of course not. The surgeon simply needs to be able to help the patient. Isn’t that what consulting is all about?

Like the overworked Thought Leadership term, these attributes are not be necessary to start a small consulting firm. All you really need is Visibility & Credibility. These can be easily achieved with a bit of effort and some simple lead generation techniques.

So don’t let the fear of not being Unique, Differentiated, or Positioned stop you. While the buzzwords may apply to large consulting firms, they may not apply to you.

Pick your niches, start your marketing, and jump in. Time better spent than mastering another buzzword.

<End of rant>

P.S. Still not sure? Jump in part-time as a side-hustle. I did that for almost ten years, which greatly facilitated my full-time JumpToConsulting thirty years ago.

© 2017, https:. All rights reserved.

Saving for retirement…

Time for a financial rant – based on a recent news article.

One of the first things to do upon making your JumpToConsulting is to set up a retirement account. Trust me — years later you will be glad you did. I am!

According to a recent on-line article by CNBC, about half of US families have ZERO retirement savings. Nearly 70% of adults have less than $1000 in retirement accounts. Not good…

So take this important step right away, even if you are moonlighting. You can do it as part of setting up your business bank account, with automatic transfers to savings.

Better yet, set up automatic transfers to an IRA with Fidelity or Schwab.

We did this soon after starting EMIGURU. We first set up Fidelity IRAs. Several years later, our accountant suggested a Keogh, which let us put aside up to 25% of our income.

The best part is that 25% is tax deferred. In the meantime, compounding does its magic.

We use a financial planner with who manages the Keogh (and other investments) through Schwab. Fees are based on a per-centage of the portfolio, which in my opinion is the only way to go. As such, he is a fellow consultant and fiduciary, which means (unlike a broker) he puts my financial interest first.

Why not do it yourself? You can, but I prefer having a professional manager, letting me concentrate on making more money at what I do best. The same reason I use an accountant, lawyer, and other professionals.

Here are some savings guidelines/suggestions from the article:

  • By age 30, have your annual salary saved.
  • By age 35, have twice your annual salary saved.
  • By age 40, have three times your annual salary saved.
  • By age 45, have four times your annual salary saved.
  • By age 50, have five times your annual salary saved.
  • By age 55, have six times your annual salary saved.
  • By age 60, have seven times your salary saved.
  • By age 65, have eight times your salary saved

Fidelity simply recommends salary saved by age 30, and ten times your salary by age 67.

When younger, I must confess I was lax about this myself. Fortunately, my business partner insisted we do this. We started at age 45 for me. Never missed the money, and after 25 years at 25%, we both ended up with nice nest eggs.

Now at age 70 and starting to draw on the Keogh, I’m so glad we did this!

It is never to early (or late) to start. Do it TODAY – whether you are consulting or not!

End of rant. Remember, Uncle Daryl wants YOU to find your freedom too!

P.S. Stay tuned. The long promised Newsletter is about to launch, along with a free white paper based on a recent magazine article. If you have not done so, sign up now.

© 2017, https:. All rights reserved.

A Thanksgiving Day Rant…

Time for a rant. This post was precipitated by a hate inspired event in my hometown – no doubt a direct result of the recent election.

Last week, fellow AZ blogger Pam Slim was a victim. READ HERE. It sickens me.

Then I asked myself why?   

Some say the election was economic backlash, but I don’t buy that. Maybe for some in the Rust Belt, but that doesn’t explain the rest of the country – particularly the affluent suburbs and the more prosperous rural states. No, something else is going on.

We live in one of the richest countries in the world, in one of the richest times in history. Ours is the land of opportunity – if you are willing to pursue it.  But you must be willing to work for it yourself – not blame others – particularly those different from you!

Maybe the reasons lie here. Too many people want “jobs”, but they don’t want to work. Or they live beyond their means, and suffer the consequences. Rather than take responsibility, they want to blame others for their failures. 

So when a demagogue comes along and tells them what they want to hear (not what they need to hear), they rally behind him. History tells us the same thing has happened before.

Sadly, this give rise to violence. Acts of hate are way up. Swastikas appear on churches and synagogues. White school children taunt their immigrant playmates. Little kids playing soccer hurl insults they don’t even understand to people they don’t even know.

But let’s be positive. What can WE do? As Pam put it, we can combat the hate with love and compassion.

  • We can work together to build community, as she and her Navajo husband Darryl are doing in Mesa with K’e, a place of kinship to nurture small businesses – and souls. Bravo, Darryl and Pam!
  • We can teach our children (and grandchildren) to show compassion. To love, not hate. To respect each other, and treasure our differences – not exploit them.
  • We can teach our children (and grandchildren) to show gratitude for what they have. To be satisfied –not constantly wanting more, and more, and more. To appreciate what is enough.
  • Finally, we can create our own success (consulting or otherwise) if we are simply willing to try… to work hard… to share… and to care.

So as you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner this year, forget the narcissistic jerks. Rather, give thanks for those in our communities who DO care!

Peace — Uncle Daryl

P.S. Sorry –I promised myself I wouldn’t go political, but the incident with Pam Slim was too much. Now, back to our regular programming…

© 2016 – 2020, https:. All rights reserved.

A political rant and “thought experiment”…

‘Tis the political season, and all the mudslinging, lies, outrageous proposals. Not sure about you, but it makes me weary, and even a bit concerned. What really scares me is that so many blindly buy into all the political BS.

Maybe it is time to put this in perspective with a little rant. Allow me to share a thought experiment from an engineering consultation twenty seven years ago.

It was 1989, and I was doing an engineering class for the Kuwait National Petroleum Company. It was in between the Iran/Iraq war and the invasion of Kuwait. I worked with a great bunch of Kuwaiti engineers, and I hope they all survived.

Another US company was teaching a class at the same time at the same training center. Since we were housed together and shared many meals, I got to know my colleagues. As veteran travelers, they shared their insights and perspectives.

One of the trainers grew up in the Netherlands, and emigrated to the US as a child right after World War II. He told chilling stories of the Nazis rounding up Jews, not realizing at the time that he would never see his childhood friends again.

He had been a naturalized US citizen for many years, and one evening over dinner he posed this interesting thought experiment:

Suppose I take 100 unconditional US visas to any city in the world. I stand on a corner and offer them to anyone who is willing to return in an hour with only a suitcase and their family. In return for giving up their current citizenship, they will become US citizens.

How long will it take to get rid of those 100 visas?

Now, suppose I take 100 unconditional visas for any other country in the world. I stand on a corner of any city in the US, and make the same offer. Give up your US citizenship to become a citizen of another country.

How long will it take to get rid of those 100 visas?

This is not meant to wave the flag or brag on the US, as there are many other fine countries in the world, and many people change their citizenship.

But it does serve to put in perspective what we have here in the land of opportunity. I’ve known many immigrants who took advantage of those opportunities, with the US much better off as a result. Some are even consultants.

So maybe it is time to stop bitching, and start showing some gratitude. And maybe it is time to start acting like adults in the voting booth!

End of rant.

 

© 2016, https:. All rights reserved.

Avoid snarky political comments…

Time for a mini-rant.

With the political season in full swing, the snarky comments flow on the Internet. But as a consultant, not a good idea to publicize your views, no matter how tempting.

This post was inspired by a recent comment on a popular business blog. One guy took a cheap political shot totally unrelated to the discussion. Not only did it contribute nothing, it made him look like an immature fool.

Just out of curiosity, I visited his web site, thinking it might explain things. The site (a book store) was not political, so he unnecessarily alienated half his prospective readers/buyers.

As a strategy, leaving snarky comments might make sense if you were trying to attract those who share your views. For example, if you were selling a political book or raising political funds. Or perhaps as a political  “consultant”…

But if not, why take the risk?

Best to avoid politics, religion, and other volatile topics. And just good manners not to dump on another person’s website.

End of mini-rant.

P.S. I considered commenting on this breach of etiquette, but decided not to feed the trolls. Suggest you not feed them either 🙂

© 2015, https:. All rights reserved.

Thought Leadership – Is is really necessary?

The short answer — NO! 

But you DO need to be able to help your clients. Time for a mini-rant.

If you are like me, you are probably weary of hearing about how you MUST become a though leader to succeed in business. Unless, of course, you are pitching books or programs on thought leadership.

But let’s back up. Just what is thought leadership, anyway? Wikipedia says a thought leader is “an individual or firm recognized as an authority in a specialized field, and whose expertise is sought and often rewarded.” Gee – that sounds like a consultant to me.

My big concern is the concept may hold people back. As in, “If I’m not a thought leader, how can I break into consulting?” Don’t let this business jargon bamboozle you.

Think about it. You doctor has specialized expertise that can help you. But do most doctors consider themselves thought leaders? I doubt it. Most just consider themselves professionals doing their jobs — helping their patients.

Now some doctors, such as specialists, may be considered thought leaders. When my wife had an unusual kidney condition, we consulted with one of the world’s experts at the Mayo Clinic. He fit my definition of a thought leader. Even then, he was modest to a fault. (Incidentally, he quickly diagnosed the issue, while ruling out any serious problems.)

There is nothing wrong with aspiring to and becoming a thought leader. But it doesn’t happen overnight, and you DON’T need it to get started as a consultant.

You DO need to identify your niches, and you DO need to be competent and experienced in those niches. In certain areas, you may need to be licensed.

OK, so I don’t need to be a thought leader to start, but how can I eventually become one anyway? Writing and speaking are two good avenues.

Magazine articles and white papers are a good start. A book is even better, preferably published by recognized publisher.

Speeches and seminars also good avenues. All these take time, however, so don’t expect to be vaulted overnight into a thought leadership position.

But don’t overlook just doing a good job for your clients. Experience is a big part of becoming a thought leader, and the only way to get experience is to  DO it — over and over.

Malcom Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours to really master a subject. Some pundits dispute the numbers, but the fact is it takes time and effort to become an expert – or a thought leader.

As an example, we started Kimmel Gerke Associates almost 30 years ago as a couple of reasonably competent engineers. To market ourselves, we started writing magazine articles and doing technical presentations. At that time, we did not consider ourselves though leaders.

Over time, this eventually led to 200+ articles, three books, hundreds of consultations, and training 10,000+ students through public and in-house seminars.

At some point, I suppose, we became thought leaders in our field – not that it really mattered to either of us anyway. But that came later, not right away.

NO, you don’t need to be a “thought leader” to make your JumpToConsulting. But the sooner you do make the jump, the the sooner you can become a thought leader – if that is even your goal in the first place.

© 2015, https:. All rights reserved.

How to piss off a prospect…

Time for a rant. This was precipitated by an unsolicited phone call early one Sunday morning, from a so-called “marketing firm” run by a so-called “consultant.”

Too bad he is giving consulting such a black eye.

Normally I’d let the phone ring, but for some reason I decided to answer. Actually, I was kind of curious as to what kind of jerk would call early on a Sunday morning.

Here is a short summary of the conversation:

Who is calling please? –Mumble, mumble, mumble.

Who? –RKX Research. (Not the real name*)

And who are you? –David.

David who? –Sorry, I can’t give you my last name for confidentiality purposes.

OK, David. And just where is RKX Research located? –Sorry, I can’t give you that for confidentiality purposes. But you can Google it.

OK, David. Then who is the CEO of RKX Research, and what is his number? –Sorry, I can’t give you that information for confidentiality purposes. But you can Google it.

OK, David. Did you know we are on the DO NOT CALL list? –(Haughtily) We’re a market research firm, and we are excluded from the FTC rules on DO NOT CALL requirements.

OK David. So does that give you the right to call a complete stranger on a Sunday morning?
— Well yes, legally we can call…

OK David. I don’t really give a damn about your legal interpretations  For your information, I consider your call legal harassment. — Uh, would you like to talk to my supervisor?

Sure, put him on. — Pause

Who is this? –Yohan.

Yohan what? –Yohan K…

Well, Yohan, if that is your real name, I just talked with David, if that is his real name.  I explained that I don’t really like getting unsolicited phone calls on a Sunday morning.
— Well this is a marketing research call, and we are exempt from FTC rules..

OK Yohan.  As I explained to David, I consider your calls legal harassment and will take legal action if you ever call again.  Are we clear? –Do you want me to remove your name from our call list?

Sure – you go ahead and do that. One more thing. Who is the CEO of RKX Research, and what is the address? — Sorry, I can’t give you that information …. but you can Google it.

END OF CALL…

So, I decided to Google the mysterious RKX Research.  Here is what I found:

  • RKX Research is located in New Hampshire.
  • The owner is KM. Had to hunt a bit to find this, but yes, you can Google him.
  • The web site is self aggrandizing. No list of owners or executives.
  • The FaceBook page has not been updated since January 2013
  • The Twitter feed has one tweet in 2012.
  • LinkedIn. Forget it. At this point, didn’t feel like paying LinkedIn to learn more.

Kind of interesting. If this company is a legitimate marketing company, why so little Internet presence? Why so evasive about ownership?  Perhaps they are not proud of what they are doing?

So what can we as consultants glean from this? Lets look at it upside down.  Imagine you want to break into market research consulting, and you really want to piss off prospects. Here are seven quick ways to do that:

(1) Ignore common courtesy. Call complete strangers at odd hours. Sunday mornings are particularly effective.

(2) Hire snotty kids to make the calls. Then teach them to be obnoxious and patronizing.

(3) Prevaricate. Tell people you’re just doing “market research” even if not completely true. This lets you hide behind a technical loophole.

(4) Be difficult to reach. Hide your identity and personal email address.

(5) Don’t monitor/upgrade social media for years at a time. This has the added benefit of showing how (in)competent you are at marketing.

(6) Ignore common sense.
After all, most people are just waiting for a thinly disguised sales call from some stranger – particularly early Sunday morning. Their time or privacy are not nearly as important as you are.

(7) Brag about what a great outfit you are on your website. Who knows? Maybe your mother will believe it. Or maybe not.

Would YOU hire these clowns to piss off your customers or prospects?

Finally, I’m not opposed to market surveys.  I regularly participate in those sent by email from companies and organizations I know and trust. I do NOT respond to fishing expeditions from strangers, particularly on a Sunday morning. Nor should you.

End of rant.

* Decided not to include the real info on RKX Research as originally planned.  No need to hurt or humiliate anyone – even though they might deserve it.  Rather, decided to share this rant as a lesson on how NOT to act as a professional consultant.


© 2015, https:. All rights reserved.