Mark's Highway  

Welcome Back Fiends! - April Fool!

Welcome back to E-Zine Street! Did you play a trick on someone?

It's still not too late. Send that memo/email out about the new 30 hour work week! Mess with your bosses/employees minds and tell them about the mouse recall and they'll just have to use their computers without mice for two weeks. (Have you ever tried to run windows without a mouse?)

Real friends are those who, when you feel you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel you've done a permanent job.  ~Author Unknown

 AVE-A-NEWS

Somehow this doesn't sound that far fetched, but 11 years today a major soda pop company announced that it would be offerings a lifetime discount on company products to any teenager who tattooed the company logo on their ear. Response was said to be brisk. April Fool!

In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station's technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that thanks to a newly developed technology, all viewers could now quickly and easily convert their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their TV screen, and they would begin to see their favorite shows in color. Stensson then proceeded to demonstrate the process. Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of people, out of the population of seven million, were taken in. Actual color TV transmission only commenced in Sweden on April 1, 1970. Not to pick on the Swedes because I'm sure the Norwegians have a similar story.

April 1.  This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.  ~Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, 1894
 

 Watch "The Road" Buddy!

Matteson Avenue has much to offer and it changes and grows all the time. Here are some of the places to visit and find out what's new:

Mark cleans up his act in a Special Report on Clutter

Many articles in "Gratis".

Monumental sites on the Links page.

Momentous great books are at the "Reading List".

Road Improvements

"Wanna Buy Some Cookies?"

It was a beautiful sunny day in Seattle. I was headed to Starbucks attached to the local grocery store. March Madness and Girl Scout Cookies are everywhere. I was thinking about the days activities ahead. Two young merchants, 11 year old girls and their moms where just setting up a TV tray to display their wares. I immediately looked away. If I don’t make eye contact, they won't see me!

As I stood in line for coffee, I began to question my attitude about buying cookies from Girl Scouts. Why am I such a Scrooge about helping out these young entrepreneurs? Answer? My wife always buys a box or two. Hey, I sure don’t need the empty calories. I had a hundred excuses but not one good reason. Right then and there, I changed my attitude. I went back outside with my Venti drip coffee in hand.

"So, why should I buy some cookies?" I asked with a mock sarcasm. I was having a little bit of fun and testing their sales acumen. The most assertive of the two girls said, "Cause they taste good," in the meekest, most quiet voice I have heard in a year. "Why else?" I asked with a grin. The other girl chimed in, "Because we are raising money for a trip." Now in both responses, they were telling me about what I like to call "Company Centered Features." Features never inspired me to buy anything. Benefits that matter to me on the other hand capture my attention and inspire me to think about parting with my hard earned cash.

I looked up the moms and asked, "If I share some ideas with you that will help you sell a lot more boxes of cookies, would you apply them today?" Their mothers leaned forward and nudged them as if to say, it’s okay. "Yes," the girls scouts replied with a furrowed and skeptical brow.

Now I was in full throttle mentor mode. "I want to tell you about the 'Six Magic Words,' that is, how to turn a feature into a benefit." They were leaning forward to listen. "What That Means To You Is..." Without taking a breath, I continued, "Let's take what you said to me already. 'They taste good.' What that means to me is, 'They'll taste good WITH MY COFFEE!' Now that's a benefit that matters to me."

Picking up on the principle, they applied it to the other feature they shared; 'Raising money for a trip' was transformed into 'What that means to me is 'You'll feel good about helping a worthy cause'. It was clear the mom's were grateful.

"One more thing," I said in a more serious tone. "From now on instead of asking 'Would you like to buy some cookies (or not)?' you are going to ask, 'Would you like four boxes or two, which would you prefer?' " They processed all I had to offer, paused about four seconds and piped up with, "Would you like to buy four boxes or two?"

Guess who walked away with two boxes of mint flavored, chocolate Girl Scout Cookies?

I came back for a refill an hour later to find the two girls and their moms laughing and talking in the Starbucks. "How come you're not selling cookies?" I asked a little surprised. "Oh, we sold them all, 46 boxes. Now we are going to go help the other girls in our troop!"

The sunny day seemed just a little brighter. Now the only problem I had was what to do with 100 cookies I didn’t need. This experience just re-confirmed what I have known for some time, women (and girls) are smarter than men. I'm gonna need a lot more coffee.

 

One for the road

This month is another must read "One for the Road" book. "How Full is Your Bucket?" by Tom Rath & Donald Clifton. Donald Clifton is know as the grandfather of positive psychology. Tom Rath is his grandson. As yourself this - How did you feel after your last interaction with another person? Did that person "fill your bucket" leaving you more positive or did they "dip in your bucket" leaving you more negative than before? Grounded in 50 years of research, this book will show how to greatly increase your positive moments in your work and life while reducing the negative.
 

The Boulevard

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