The Challenge of Segmentation

Segmentation is a difficult thing to wrangle sometimes. When internet-based sales starting picking up steam ten years ago, people weren’t sure how to respond, though the thought process really shouldn’t have been much different than for catalog sales. The main difference is that the catalog was now online and accessible to anyone who [...]

Paperwork and Legalese

Sorry about this, but I have yet another issue concerning moves. Following on yesterday’s complaints about our electric company, today I take issue with the real estate industry.

We sat there in the room with a stack of papers two inches thick in front of us to sign. The closing agent explained briefly what [...]

A Valid Picture ID

OK. So we buy a house in Phoenix, having relocated from New Orleans. In preparation, my wife starts contacting the various services—electric, gas, telephone, cable. For almost all of them, it goes as you would expect. They confirm the address, check the cancel order from the previous owner, and agree to [...]

Let Me Shop

I was out shopping (browsing, really) at some shops this weekend. In one of the stores, I was particularly interested in a couple of shirts. As I am checking out one of the shirts, deciding whether to buy, one of the salespeople walks up to me and points me to a table of [...]

Management by Karma

A situation came up at work the other day that was eerily similar to others I have experienced or witnessed several times in my career. The basic premise is that two or more organizations that work together come to so sort of a crucial decision point. The final outcome will result in either [...]

Find a Middle Ground

Many companies approach managing their brand in one of two ways. Some will take a conservative approach, wanting to stay true to the brand and not take too many, if any, risks. Others focus on shiny new objects, looking to use the latest and greatest or the next hot thing.

For a company’s long-term [...]

Understanding What You Really Sell

I am working on a new project that started with one purpose but morphed into another because of one “little” question: What is it we are really selling? At first glance, the answer may be obvious, but as you dig deeper and talk with your customers, you’re likely to find there’s more to it [...]

Passion and Lessons Learned

On Monday, I wrote a piece focusing on what Apple is doing from a business perspective to out maneuver PCs. My intention was to stay out of the PC versus Mac debate. In fact, I wanted to take a neutral position. Instead, my statement that “neither one is truly better than the [...]

Baggage Options

Well, we knew the time was coming when airlines would start charging us for darn near everything. Now they’re going to charge us for the first bag we check. Forget the fact that most travelers will attempt to cram everything into a carry-on bag too big to fit in any overhead compartment. [...]

High Switching Costs

I’ve never really gotten into, nor understood for that matter, the ongoing fight between PC and Mac users. Each has its own features, benefits and drawbacks and caters to two distinct audiences. Neither one is truly better than the other. As things progress, each one is nudging closer to the other, blurring [...]