May 26, 2006

Well, I tried to buy DSL

- Mary's Blog

Methinks the phone companies wouldn’t have to lobby to charge premiums for Internet access, if they simply understood basic customer service. They not only leave money on the table, they drive customers away from the table. As regular readers... ›››

Category: Marketing | Mktg. Troubleshooting | Ramblings | customer service | marketing troubleshooting

May 19, 2006

Are Customers Necessary?

- Mary's Blog

I’m finally getting around to reading Maureen Dowd’s Are Men Necessary? It’s, as you might expect from Ms. Dowd, pithy, amusing and intelligent. In reading about the evolution/regression in dating rituals, it got me to thinking about delicate dance... ›››

May 18, 2006

Those lazy employees

- Mary's Blog

I got this email today (it somehow made it past my spam filters) “Free Special Report on FMLA Intermittent Leave” which opens with this cheery, upbeat paragraph: Do you feel anxiety over employees who take advantage of your FMLA... ›››

Category: Ramblings | business development | human resources

Really big bird spam

- Mary's Blog

I seldom simply pass along a post or something just for the sake of silly. But this one from Seth Godin is too good not to share. Here’s his “spam of the day” unedited. dear sir or lady, farm... ›››

Category: Pet Peeves | Ramblings | mind candy & brain food

May 15, 2006

Market Scans: The Usual Suspects

- Mary's Blog

This week, Harvard Business Review talks about Scanning for Threats and Opportunities”’All managers scan, but they often do so passively,” say the authors of Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals that Will Make or Break Your Company.’” In defense... ›››

May 12, 2006

Friday Irrelevance & Irreverance

- Mary's Blog

Seems like just yesterday I wrote a Friday’s martini post. (Anybody else feel like we’re living in some sci-fi story where time has speeded up? Or am I just getting old?) This has been a very hectic couple of... ›››

May 10, 2006

Sales Versus Marketing

- Mary's Blog

(The poor guy on the ground is the customer, by the way) Tom Peters got a bunch of us all riled up with his recent My Shtick post. Here’s the intro: “I’m on a new campaign. (Old campaign, really,... ›››

May 04, 2006

Act NOW to Save the Internet

- Mary's Blog

This isn’t a partisan issue (really); it’s about fair and equal access to the Internet. I’m all for being fair to big corporations (even Comcast and Verizon, despite my service problems with them). After all, they are in business... ›››

May 03, 2006

"So, people don’t like you."

- Mary's Blog

This was the response I recently received when I explained what I do with my “entrepreneur sanity checks.” I tell people what they need to hear, not necessarily what they want to hear. So, sometimes I make people uncomfortable,... ›››

May 02, 2006

Cut the clutter

- Mary's Blog

This past weekend, I did a blitzkrieg house hunt, all over the city. Apparently, many home owners don’t watch HGTV’s real estate shows (or take their realtor’s advice). I saw messy bedrooms, crammed closets, and tons of clutter. And,... ›››

April 28, 2006

Finally, It’s Friday!

- Mary's Blog

Another week, another TGIF post and it’s past my martini starting time. So let’s go for a quick ramble through reality and surreality. Olives are waiting! Why I love blogging. I don’t write much about blogging since that can... ›››