BWPrice's Marketing U

Happy Monday

I now this guy.  He is the real deal and if you are a committed, yet comfortable, Christian, his message and his life is an example and a challenge.  Matthew 25:31-46.

Happy Monday!

Thanksgiving Facts you may not know.

• It was not until 1941, that congress declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday. It was declared to be the fourth Thursday in November.
• The first known thanksgiving feast or festival in North America was celebrated by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and the people he called "Tejas" (members of the Hasinai group of Caddo-speaking Native Americans).
• Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.
• Turducken, a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, is becoming more popular in Thanksgiving (originated in Louisiana). A turducken is a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture (although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird). [BW Price: these are yummy]
• Fossil evidence shows that turkeys roamed the Americas 10 million years ago.
• 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
• There are regional differences as to the "stuffing" (or "dressing") traditionally served with the turkey. Southerners generally make theirs from cornbread, while in other parts of the country white bread is the base. One or several of the following may be added: oysters, apples, chestnuts, raisins, celery and/or other vegetables, sausage or the turkey's giblets.
• Thomas Jefferson thought the concept of Thanksgiving was "the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard."
• Every President since Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day. But in 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November to lengthen the holiday shopping season. This upset people.
• Fifty percent of Americans put the stuffing inside the Turkey.
• The North American holiday season (generally the Christmas shopping season in the U.S.) traditionally begins when Thanksgiving ends, on "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving); this tradition has held forth since at least the 1930s.
• On the West Coast of the US, Dungeness crab is common as an alternate main dish instead of turkey, as crab season starts in early November.
• Corn is one of the popular symbols of thanksgiving. It came in many varieties and colors - red, white, yellow and blue. Some Americans considered blue and white corn sacred. The oldest corns date 7000 years back and were grown in Mexico.
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey.
• Several people wanted to have an official day of thanksgiving, including George Washington, who proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. Several people did not want it including President Thomas Jefferson.
• The first Thanksgiving was not a feast, but rather a time when Native Americans helped Pilgrims by bringing them food and helping them build off the land.
• More than 40 million green bean casseroles are served on Thanksgiving.
• Turkey is the traditional dish for the Thanksgiving feast. In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. There is no official reason or declaration for the use of turkey. They just happened to be the most plentiful meat available at the time of the first Thanksgiving in 1621, starting the tradition.
• Twenty percent of cranberries eaten are eaten on Thanksgiving.
• The preliminary estimate of the number of turkeys raised in the United States in 2005 is 256 million. That’s down 3 percent from 2004. The turkeys produced in 2004 weighed 7.3 billion pounds altogether and were valued at $3.1 billion.
• Turkeys were one of the first animals in the Americas to be domesticated.
• Columbus thought that the land he discovered was connected to India, where peacocks are found in considerable number. And he believed turkeys were a type of peacock (they’re actually a type of pheasant). So he named them “tuka”, which is "peacock" in the Tamil language of India.
• The 'wishbone' of the turkey is used in a good luck ritual on Thanksgiving Day.
• The cranberry is a symbol and a modern diet staple of thanksgiving. Originally called crane berry, it derived its name from its pink blossoms and drooping head, which reminded the Pilgrims of a crane.
• The Plymouth Pilgrims dined with the Wampanoag Indians for the First Thanksgiving.
• The different nicknames for Thanksgiving Day: “Turkey Day” (after the traditional Thanksgiving dinner), “T-Day” (an abbreviation of either “Thanksgiving Day” or “Turkey Day”), “Macy’s Day (this is exclusive to New York City – it is a reference to the Macy’s Day Parade), “Yanksgiving” (Canadians sometimes call the Thanksgiving in the US as “Yanksgiving” to distinguish it from the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday.)
• The First Thanksgiving lasted for three days.
• Contrary to popular belief, Native Americans did not eat cranberries. They did, however, find them extremely useful for dying fabric and decorating pottery.
• The Native Americans wore deerskin and fur, not blankets.
• A spooked turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. They can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds.
• Turkeys are first documented over two thousand years ago in Central America and Mexico.
• In October of 1777 all 13 colonies celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time; however it was a one-time affair commemorating a victory over the British at Saratoga.
• There are three places in the United States named after the holiday’s traditional main course — Turkey, Texas; Turkey Creek, La.; and Turkey, N.C. There are also nine townships around the country named “Turkey,” with three in Kansas.
• Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, campaigned to make Thanksgiving a National Holiday in 1827 and succeeded.
• Wild turkeys, while technically the same species as domesticated turkeys, have a very different taste from farm-raised turkeys. Almost all of the meat is "dark" (even the breasts) with a more intense turkey flavor. Older heritage breeds also differ in flavor.

Praying that everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday.  As I know you will, please remember and help those in need during this holiday time.  God bless. (Psalm 95:2)

Steve Jobs Can, So Why Can't I?

I am manning an exhibit booth at a tax conference in Nashville.  One of the interesting things about being behind the exhibit table is people watching. (Before you jump all over me for "watching" instead of "engaging," I do plenty of both.  That's just part of the gig.)

The people I am watching are CPAs and/or attorneys.  Some come dressed in suits.  Some come in wrinkly jeans and ill-fitting polo shirts.  And then there is everything in between.  Certain people, by their dress and demeanor, draw others to them.  Some, again by their dress and demeanor, seem to build a wall around themselves. 

Folks, if you are in professional services, dress and act the part.  Even if you are with peers, how you present yourself is important.  For what it's worth, here is my advice:

• "Business casual' is the dress code for all conferences now-a-days.   Universal rule: when in doubt, focus your dress on "business" and not "casual." 
• The younger you are, the more formally you should dress.  Why?  To give yourself a better chance at being taken seriously.  At a professional conference, you don't have to wear a suit (especially if no one else is); however, your clothes should be professional, well-tailored, and pressed.  Don't forget about your shoes.   
• If you are young and female, I suggest dressing more formally and more conservatively.  Again, the point is to be taken seriously.
• If you think these suggestions mean being boring, no.  You can dress professionally with style, flair, and color.  The point is to keep it professional.
• Concentrate on your posture at all times - when standing, sitting, or walking.  As I watch people mull about in the exhibit hall, I notice few people who stand straight or walk with confidence.  This is an easy way to stand out from the crowd.  
• Smile and say hello to people and look them in the eye when you do.

That is really all there is to it.  Only Steve Jobs is Steve Jobs.  There are always a few people in the professions that can get away with dressing more casually (and, maybe, like Steve Jobs, their dress is part of their brand), but for the rest of us, old-fashioned rules still apply. 

25 Ways to Use Google That You Have (Likely) Never Heard Of

Rasmussen College has posted "25 Ways to Use Google (That You've Never Heard Of).  I suppose I am happy to report that I was aware of several of these but certainly not all of them.  Some might be quite useful.  Take a look here.

What Type of Social Media Animal Are You?

Scott Blatchley of the blog, Toothbone, challenged his readers to add to his list of eleven "social media animals."  From his blog:

"The idea is to get people using the animal descriptions to reflect their current moods/purposes or demonstrate their personality – for example sblatchley(bee). How ubiquitous can we make this if we all use our networks?"

Here are a few of my favorites from the list:

• Owls – good sources for advice and wisdom.
• Parrots – only pass on links or repeat what others say.
• Meercats – self-appointed police, they report abuse & online dangers.
• Puppy Dogs – desperate for any kind of friends or online connections.
• Otters – Swims in conversation. Jumps ashore. Observes. Jumps in again for more (the runner-up answer in the competition).
• Hummingbirds – known for their quiet energy – natural pollinators, vibrant and resourceful whilst spending adequate time at each flower they visit.
• Sloths – hangs around, watching and eats leaves. They move slowly.
• Fleas – professional networkers looking for business people to bleed.
• Kitty cats – social network on their terms, watch and playfully engage, then go back to sleep again. Occasionally engage in fights.

Take a look at the full list here.  What type of social media animal would you say you are now?  What type were you 3 months ago, 6 months ago?  And what do you aspire to be?  Currently, I am probably an Otter.  I aspire to be a Hummingbird.

On a related note, our CEO, Chris Mercer recently authored a LinkedIn primer.  In it, uses the animal metaphor as well to describe different types of LinkedIn users.  The primer is free.  You can download it here and please tell me what you think.

Business Valuation Pros and Twitter

Business valuation professionals can never be mistaken for early social media adopters.  While a few have figured out LinkedIn and some are trying to, most are oblivious.  I cannot gauge participation on Facebook but I suspect most folks there are there for entirely personal reasons.  Other social media platforms fare just as poorly.

I have been interested in the possibilities of Twitter and have wondered if the business valuation community has any presence there at all.  From a bit of research, the answer seems to be "no."  As an example, as I type this post, the AICPA is having its 2009 annual business valuation conference in San Francisco.  Attendance is between 500-600 (not verified).  Their meeting planners have done a good job creating a social media platform and one of the things they did was create and communicate a hashtag for the conference (#bval09).  It is Monday morning and the conference is in full swing and after search for the hashtag, I see two uses of it by one person (Jan Davis, a friend and smart research professional).  Jan is speaking at the conference.

So, Twitter is not on the radar of most business valuation professionals.  I am not surprised.  Maybe that is an opportunity for us.  Hmmm.

Happy Monday

I have no idea why one would want to do this, however, it is interesting nonetheless.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "How to Hollow a Book 80 in Easy Steps" (complete with pictures). This is not for the faint-hearted nor those who consider the defilement of a book sacrilege but, on second thought, might be a nice way to hide valuables around the house in plain sight.

This is, I believe, the result from step # 73. 

Rory Sutherland: Life lessons from an ad man (TED Talks)

Happy Monday

Wake up!  It's Monday.  Time to begin a new week!!

Happy Monday

Facing the Fear

Fear often hinders us. This is especially true in these slow economic times.  Many of us have a real fear of losing our job.  Therefore, we keep our heads down and focus exclusively on billable work.  While that seems the safe thing to do, I have my doubts.  Because what suffers is strategic thinking (and personal growth, although I realize that personal growth is now much lower on the priority list for many. Staying employed is job #1 for most). 

It does seem counter-intuitive yet I believe that now is the time to think strategically and step out to try new things.  I know that this is a scary proposition for some.  It feels safer to stay off the radar screen of the seniors in the firm rather than risk bringing attention to yourself with what some might think is a crazy idea. 

One way to deal with this is, if you have an idea you believe has merit, discuss it with someone whose opinion you trust.  Then, bring it to the attention of the seniors in your firm if the idea has legs.  In these times, great risk can generate great rewards.  The video above, while a bit corny, is true.  If we understand what makes us afraid, we are better able to manage the fear.  Let's take the risk and cast our eyes up from our billable work and attempt to be part of a solution for our firm.

Make It Easy

During a recent speaking engagement to a group of business valuation professionals, I was asked about e-mail addresses on websites and the resulting spam if those addresses are hot linked. 

The questioner asked me if it was acceptable to "disguise" the addresses (i.e., priceb at mercercapital.com) on their website because that is what they had done.  The reason was because when they were hot linked from the website, firm employees got too much spam.

My answer to the question -- get a better spam filter.

My philosophy is make it easy for people to contact you.  That means hot link your professionals' e-mail addresses, put individual contact information on your professionals' CVs, and put your firm's phone number on your home page.  

Have an e-mail address and put your e-mail address on your business card. I saw my first business card in a long while that did not list an e-mail address.  I was frankly stunned.  An e-mail address is as important and vital as a phone number in today's world.  

Also, make sure that your website appears first on Google when a user googles your firm name.  I am irked when I google a firm and that firm's website does not appear on the first page of results.  It happens far too often.

Are you making it hard for people to contact you or are you making it easy?  Making it easy is easy to do so why aren't we all doing it?