Hello:
This past Friday, 8/4/06, I took part in a very unusual advertising and marketing seminar. Knowing how we need to assit each other to succeed, I wanted to stop by and share the information and relay my experiences.
The fun part was the networking. Instead of on line communcations, this seminar was held here in Baltimore, Maryland at a nationaly known Hotel and in person. I had to make two trips to my room to put away all the those business cards I accumulated. The people and the knowledge we shared were terrific.
In the afternoon we had a guest speaker that had four young adults bring out two large mesh containers filled with ballons. I, like the others in the room were asking ourselves and each other, " what does this have to do with advertising and how is this going to apply to marketing."
One thing we did realize was that our mentor had our undivided attention.
As she moved up onto the staging area she began to speak about our responcilbilty to focus on the needs of the client, the product and or service, and how to best grab onto the opportunity of placing both before the consumer.
Her presentation and the information was well worth all the notes everyone jotted down. During the end of class, she walked over to the mesh containers, placed her hand on one and asked, " do you have too many ballons ? "
Like my peers I thought, " okay, she's lost me. What in the world is she talking about ?! "
Thats when she took a bunch of ballons out of her jacket pocket and one by one stated filling them up with the air from her own lungs.
" Here's your first client, " she explained. " Then she tied off the ballon and let float gnetly down on the stage floor.
" You need to focus on their needs. "
Five minuntes later she had ten ballons at her feet and telling us the very same thing about each one.
" You can not take care of them all with the same attention and passion you devoted to your very first client, product or business venture ," she explained.
" You are too diversified now and the outcome will be complete burn out."
What I took away from that part of the seminar was how important it is focus on one product and or service and not over extend my time and energy.
" How many ballons can you really handle to become a success without all of them eventually deflating into being no longer productive or profitable ? "
That was the last statement she shared and that I wrote down in my notes. In fact I typed it up and put it in a frame and am looking at it right now as I type this.
So, there you have have it. How many ballons do you have around you ? Are you " too diversified " to the point of not getting anything accomplished ?
Would it be better to walk away from many of these " deals " and just focus on making one sky rocket you into success ?
This Radio Station I operate here on the web depends on our family of advertisers and affliates. We don't actually communciate to each one as we would in off-line domestic Radio.
In that arena, you have to litterly meet with the client, get their ad copy ready, have the announcer produce the on-air presentation and hope the client gives you a thumbs-up on finally placing it on the air waves ten times a day for 13 weeks.
Yikes ! I remember those days.
Here on the Internet we can place a banner ad in our Mall, read copy about the client to our proactive global audience while directing them to visit all that we offer, and as a safe and entertaining Internet experience. Internet Radio for TGAMM is a tad bit more intence too. As in any business, communcation is key and have a permission based email listing is a God send. That's why I asked everyone at the seminar that handed me their business card if it was okay to place them into our email account.
Okay, I'm finished now. I have to go program more music, read the clients copy over the air (live) and check our stats to see how many of those 3,684 visitors we had yesterday between 10am and 3pm brought their friends back with them.
Thank goodness I have a phobia over ballons !
All the best,
Joe Buccheri,