Media News
Chicago firm Kelly Scott Madison recently released its “State of the Media” report—55 pages on the latest trends in advertising and the media. Among its findings: faster technology adoption. It required less than two years for tablets to top 40 million users; smartphones took seven. Data overload and market clutter spell trouble in the current landscape, and advertisers and digital media creators share the challenge of being heard. Both must find the best delivery methods and master the fluctuating patterns of data consumption of today’s audiences. Read the report at ksmmedia.com.
Franchise Wise
Forbes.com recently compiled a list of the “top twenty franchises for your buck.” The study’s methodology was based on average initial investment, total locations, closure rate, recent growth in the U.S. market, and the number of training hours as a percentage of startup cost. The top five: Snap-On, the Wisconsin-based tool manufacturer; Aaron’s, the Atlanta-based furniture and household appliance chain; Servpro, Tennessee’s building clean-up and damage restoration company; and two you’re probably familiar with: 7-Eleven and Panera. Find the complete list at forbes.com.
Retiring Feuds
A Fidelity Investments study found that over half of couples don’t agree on the timing of retirement. Moreover, 73 percent disagree on whether or not they‘ve completed a detailed retirement income plan. The deciding factor of when to retire depends on money, age differences, job satisfaction, gender roles, marital happiness and the prospect of spending more time together. Therapists recommend couples work together on a plan using clear communication and compromise—no surprise to any one in a marriage that’s lasted long enough to plan for retirement.
Dodging Summer Slowdowns
It’s nothing new: summer days have us pining for a leisurely pace, slacking off in sight of vacation, slowing down in the heat. “You hear people say it all the time: business is just slow in the summer,” says Steve Johnson, co-author of Selling Is Everyone’s Business: What It Takes to Create a Great Salesperson. “For many sales organizations, it seems acceptable to slack off, to cut corners, to put off making the tough calls because ‘everyone’s on vacation’ or ‘no one’s in the mood to make big decisions.’ Well, naturally, if you expect business to be slow, it will be slow.” He offers the following tips to prevent your sales team from falling victim to summer slowdown syndrome.
- Allow employees to take advantage of summer weather. Tell your staff they can take off early one afternoon if they come in a few hours early to make up for the time. Focused, early-morning hours with fewer distractions tend to be very highly productive.
- Remind them that summer is a good time to prospect. While many people do take time off, someone is watching the store. Johnson suggests that “someone” is often the head honcho, or the person your rep needs to speak with anyway. Sell this concept to your employees.
- Make use of vacations for sales. It’s human nature to wrap up as many loose ends as possible before leaving for a vacation. Push your salespeople to meet with clients prior to leaving for a trip, or have them use their own upcoming vacation as a convenient excuse to arrange client meetings in a timely fashion.
- Create promotions for short bursts of motivation. Contests can boost office morale and are particularly effective in the summer, when people are already in a fun mindset. Promote friendly competition among staff.
- Give spontaneous days off to employees—when they’ve earned them. Even if you do this very rarely, it’s a gesture that packs a big wallop, Johnson suggests. Employees remember that hard work may result in a day off… and a little goes a long way.
Read more of Johnson’s suggestions at nextlevelsalesconsulting.com.
Artifacts of Another Age
The AARP recently published a list of onceeveryday items predicted to become obsolete over the next 50 years. It seems as society increases in digital suave, these once-essential abilities are falling by the wayside:
- HOME PHONES. Land-line phones continue to decline in favor of cell phones.
- CURSIVE. Four states, including Illinois, have dropped handwriting as a requirement in elementary schools. In the digital age, pen and paper might soon become relics of the past.
- PHYSICAL MEDIA. The CD, DVD and thumb drive will soon join the dustbin of history, next to the floppy disc and VHS tape. But this time, they won’t be replaced by other physical media, but by bits and bytes, as most entertainment will be streamed over the Internet.
- GLOVEBOX ROAD MAPS. Google Maps and other software are transforming these old-school tools into large, ancient treasures.
- SNAIL MAIL. Electric correspondence has already greatly impacted the U.S. Postal Service. Its days are dwindling.
- ANALOG CLOCKS. Satellite-synched cell phones are quickly conquering bedside alarms, dial clocks and wristwatches.
Other items listed as “almost gone:” answering machines, tube televisions, phone books, bank deposit slips, subway tokens, rolodexes, printed encyclopedias, film and incandescent light bulbs. But we’d say the event horizon is far less than 50 years—most of these items are close to obsolete already. Find the complete list at aarp.com/bulletin. iBi
