Not ebrochures again!

I was reading an article in Marketing Magazine about how online classifieds are luring readers away from newspapers and how to date, newspapers have responded (or not, as in most cases). The article interviews a series of executives and media buyers on ‘what will tomorrow’s newspapers look like’. The answers vary wildly however everyone seemed to agree with one particular quote “classified, automotive, real estate and weather as we know them today will no longer exist in the paper versions”. It seems they all agree that the more visual and up-to-date version found online is a better product. This represents a tremendous loss of income for the papers and they’re all struggling with strategy on how to manage change.

More visual and up-to-date is the key lesson here. Wholesalers spend millions in printing brochures that become outdated before they leave the presses. For years we’ve been hearing that the time is quickly coming for print-on-demand and online brochures but…we’re still waiting. Suppliers will tell you that they print brochures because “its good to have it sitting around consumers coffee tables” or “that’s how it’s done” or because “we don’t want to be the first” but the real reason used to be the loss of revenue from the ads hoteliers and other suppliers provided.

Could things be finally changing? Advertising revenue is harder than ever to come by, most hoteliers have adopted a “low rate or ad, pick one” attitude.

So what does this mean to the retailer? Get to the point Frank!

In a previous Blog, I mentioned how in a survey I ran, 23% of agencies “do not or are working on” getting an email client list together and how 48% of hits on my site in September were on dial-up. So if brochures go away and you don’t have a client email list you’ll be sending photocopies of web pages with outdated pricing through regular mail. That’s effective!

Behave,

Frank

PS. Like the new look? 

The World’s Greatest Interview Question

Here’s something that I came across that I think is awfully handy! Richard Sloma wrote “No Nonsense Management” back in 1977. His reputation was that of a man with a knack for distilling complex issues down to one or two key points; here’s a great example!

He had ONE, single job interview question that he used for learning almost everything you need to know about an interviewee’s managerial competence.  Here you go…

“What was the worst mistake you ever made; and what was the worst damage you did to your employer’s P&L and balance sheet?”  

According to Mr. Sloma, you immediately learn four critical things about a candidate from his or her answer:

1. The importance of the mistake directly identifies the level that the candidate had in his employer’s hierarchy.  (people cannot – in most cases- make big mistakes at low levels).
2. The importance of the mistake demonstrates the extent of the leadership exercised.
3. Likely not to be repeated, the mistake provides you with the depth of experience gained by the interviewee.
4. Finally, the depth of the answer reveals character traits — especially the extent to which the mistake was palmed off as someone else’s fault.

First opportunity, I’m using it! 

Behave, Frank