JephMaystruck.com » Business

Lottery Kiosk Choice Architecture

Jeph — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:56:22 +0000

I love reading about choice architecture over at the Nudge blog, I just happen to find a local example.

There are hundreds of lottery kiosks in Saskatchewan. Pretty much every gas station and convenience store offers lottery tickets. You wouldn’t think any of these places where you buy your lottery tickets differentiate at all but I found one.

At Superstore on Rochdale blvd. the lottery kiosk offers a small incentive to come check lottery tickets there. Usually when you check a lottery ticket and it isn’t a winner you throw it in the trash. At the Superstore lottery kiosk you put your name on the back of it and enter a draw for a prize. Doesn’t seem like much does it? But would you rather have no chance at winning the draw or at least a small chance? I know I’d take the latter.

In an industry that offers a commodity (something you can find anywhere for the same price) this lottery kiosk has created an incentive to become a repeat customers. Choice architecture is underrated and growing in importance.

What small incentive you could offer your customers so they’ll want to come back again and again?

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Free Prize Inside….a Wine Bottle?

Jeph — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:06:19 +0000

How come wine company’s never offer a contest where you could win something on the bottom of a cork? Ok, you’re right, people who buy $50-$100 bottles of wine do not care about whatever it is under the cork, as long as it smells like fine wine. I’m talking about the cheap inexpensive wine, you know the bottles that no one is aging in the cellar, the ones that you buy for the weekend and if they last till Monday you’re having wine with supper.

I see an opportunity here. You could develop a classy contest, partner with the New Yorker or Napa Valley and offer a prize people will talk about around the water cooler.

Creating an incentive for customers to look for your wine at the store can be a powerful tactic. With whatever excuse you come up with as to the reason why wine company’s don’t do this, ask yourself, why? And why couldn’t they? I am open for a discussion.

Photo Credit: Gary Tamin

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Your Company Should Not Have a Newsletter

Jeph — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:25:18 +0000

Many company’s have an e-newsletter and I believe the majority of those company’s should not or need to take a lesson from the masters. Here’s why.

How many e-mail newsletters do you subscribe to? Out of those, how many, when you see it hit your inbox are “drop everything you’re doing to read the newsletter”? Very few I bet. On the flip side, how many were you subscribed to that when you received it, there was nothing of value to you whatsoever? Probably a lot more.

The best example of how to do an e-mail newsletter is from Chip and Dan Heath. They do not have a schedule they publish on, they only send it when they have enough content that they are satisfied that the newsletter provides exceptional value to the reader. It delivers value.

Granted, they are authors of two best selling books, and write a column in Fast Company magazine but they offer a lot of free content on their site and the newsletter is no different. The best part about it is that you don’t feel like they are bragging about their work in the newsletter, nor are they trying to sell you something, they genuinely want to fill your appetite of useful knowledge. Because I get this feeling from them I remain as a subscriber.

If you don’t have enough content that provides value the solution that I would recommend is quite simple; DON’T SEND THE NEWSLETTER!

Now it’s your turn, do you have an example of a great newsletter? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

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What is strategy?

Jeph — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:52:34 +0000

“Management plan or method for completing objectives; plan of procedures to be implemented, to do something.” – Answers.com

“Strategy refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal.” – Wikipedia

“A mental tapestry of changing intentions for harmonizing and focusing our efforts as a basis for realizing some aim or purpose in an unfolding and often unforeseen world of many bewildering events and many contending interests.” – John Boyd’s

“Strategy is about knowing where your company is today, where you want to take it, and how you are going to get there.” -Peter Drucker

However you define it, all strategy really means is focusing on a certain objective and determining how to achieve it. Have you ever brainstormed ways of revamping your company or product to ensure a more competitive stance in your market? Have you ever wondered what may happen if there is a large shift in your industry?

Too many industries are facing large changes in how business is conducted with the majority of organizations ignoring it. What used to be safe is now risky. If you’re not exploring where you industry is headed, where your competitors are expanding to and what your customers are talking to each other about, you may be missing the most valuable information about your industry.

The best part about this ever changing business landscape of the future is that the internet, if used effectively, can become your most powerful tool to explore your options. It is never to late to start learning, you’re already on the right track by reading my blog .

The choice is yours, either start learning and exploring or take the “safe” alternative and do business as usual believing you’re industry is immune to change.

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What Would You Do? a case study

Jeph — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:33:21 +0000

When I was 18 my brother bought me my first beer kit at Harvest Brewing, we transformed a part of the basement into a brewery, beginning a life long hobby. A couple years later I switched to wine and never looked back. Over the course of roughly 5 years I have made well over 100 kits (3000 bottles) of wine.

I have always patronized Harvest Brewing, one of the managers there would always go out of his way to ensure I was taken care of. For the store his attitude paid off, I was loyal, never buying from anywhere else and telling everyone interested that Harvest Brewing was the place to go. It wasn’t just the staff, I think Harvest Brewing’s wine kits are better, a couple months back I made a kit from a different store (it was for a lovely gal I make wine for, not myself) and the instructions alone were enough to make me quit drinking altogether.

So they have a great product, the employees go out of their way to help customers, what could possible be wrong at Harvest Brewing?

I went there last week to pick up a kit and chat about attracting new clientele and possibly helping begin a “You Brew” program in the store or in homes. The response I received was don’t even try, it isn’t worth your time. The owner is unreachable.

The store that has kept me there so long told me that the owner doesn’t care, he doesn’t have the time of day to listen. If you don’t care about your company at least fake it to your employees so they don’t pass that on to your customers.

Immediately I felt shameful for being a long time customer of a store who’s owner doesn’t care about his employees or store and is just trying to make a quick buck. Yes I’m over reacting and I know there MUST be more to the story but I’m not sure what I should do.

Would you pursue the owner and let him know the message his employees are conveying? Change stores immediately? Not do anything and keep helping a store who’s owner doesn’t care? Please help.

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31 books you need to read

Jeph — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:38:39 +0000

31 books you need to read on the topics of entrepreneurship, creativity, psychology of advertising, strategy, motivational, psychology, sociology & economics, new media and general business. Let me know what you think and add one in the comments if I missed one.

Entrepreneurship:

Creativity:

Psychology of Advertising:

Strategy:

Motivational:

Psychology, Sociology & Economics:

New Media:

General Business:

Again, if there are any you think should be on the list please comment below and leave the link.

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Marketing a Super Hero

Jeph — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:52:48 +0000

If your job wasn’t to market your company anymore but to market a Super Hero instead, what would you change? What would you do differently? Try for a minute as a thought exercise to put yourself in the shoes of a Super Hero marketer.

Pick one, Batman, Ironman, Superman, Wonder-women or Wolverine, which ever you like, you are now their marketing manager. What does the super hero want out of this? (What is their goal?) Who’s your target? How can you get to them? How do you tell people about a Super Hero?

This shouldn’t be that difficult; after all it is a Super Hero right? The storey’s already “sticky” all you have to do is encourage it, right?

If all businesses were like this then we wouldn’t need to market them to the extent we do today. If the story’s good enough it will spread won’t it? Thus saving money on advertising. One could come to a conclusion that maybe you shouldn’t be focusing your efforts on marketing so much but on transforming your business into a Super Hero.

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Defying All Logic

Jeph — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:30:05 +0000

Sasktel, one of our local telecommunication companies introduced a new feature they called ebill. I’m sure you already took a stab at what “ebill” is, an online way to look at your monthly statements thus saving postage, paper and the company money in the long term. Great idea right?

It was a great idea until two months down the road my ebill account had been deactivated. Deactivated? Why? What reasoning did they go through to come to the conclusion that after 35 days of access to this online account they would need to deactivate it?

The first time I gave them the benefit of the doubt, maybe it was a security issue. I called and asked for them to reactivate my ebill account, they did and when I checked, it said “Expires in 35 days”. WHY? This defies all logic. Researching further I found that I need an “activation” code to activate my account, an activation code? I just got off the phone with the help desk guy and he didn’t think to tip me off about this activation code I’m going to need? I know it’s not his fault, someone has made a process that defies all logic.

I really would like to understand why they deactivate accounts after 35 days because as of now they give me no option but to assume that this protocol defies simple human logic. So I guess we’ll just add another one to Seth’s list.

Seth Godin talked about things that are broken a few years back that you must watch to understand why these things happen in our world. If anyone finds the answer to this ebill conundrum please do share, I don’t want to have to call Sasktel every 36 days to reactivate my ebill account.

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Fight Club for Business

Jeph — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:48:29 +0000

We have all heard about “the breakfast of champions”, Wheaties for most, but for some like my friend @rayderge prefer a Redbull and a cigarette. Regardless it is difficult to pin point what a breakfast “of” champions would consist of so I say try a breakfast with champions. (I couldn’t call this post “Breakfast with Champions” because in my opinion I think it is far too cliche and has probably has been done before, Fight Club for Business, now that sounds much better)

Where you live there are many budding young businesses and business people out there doing the same old week in and week out. So focused on the business they forget what is going on in the community and the businesses around them. In today’s market collaboration is so prevalent it is amazing that this kind of thing has not spread more, but like they say “Fight Club wasn’t built in a day”.

I propose to you to start a breakfast Fight Club for Business. Once a week get together for breakfast and talk about what matters to your company. It doesn’t all have to be serious but it’ll give you a chance to understand what other businesses around your city are doing. All right, this isn’t Toastmasters or Kinsmen club, this is different and there some rules so listen up:

Rule 1. Don’t talk about Fight Club for Business unless the person you wish to talk to can benefit from what you are about to tell them.

Rule 2. To join the Fight Club for Business you must sign up for a presentation on your own company.

Rule 3. Presentations must not be completely serious and should be around the 10 minute range

Rule 4. If you are caught stealing ideas or trying to sell too much or if you’re just flat out annoying, the group reserves the right to kick you out.

It will be interesting to see this come to fruition and I’ll be sure to update on the one we’re starting in Regina. Please let me know if you have done this before or any feedback on the idea, I would love to hear from you.

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Rule Number 36

Jeph — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:27:06 +0000

In Alan M Weber’s Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self, rule number 36 is: Managing your emotional flow is more critical than managing your cash flow. I had to write about this because I see and meet with entrepreneurs all the time that do a poor job of managing their emotions. Cash was king until I understood what an entrepreneur goes through, and if an entrepreneur really made cash king they would not succeed.

As a small business owner you must focus on your goal, your vision of where the company is going. If you don’t do everything in your power to get there (and that may be going into a pile of debt) you may never achieve your goal. There are a thousand and one things an entrepreneur needs to manage but without keeping your emotions in check everything else falls apart.

Tips on keeping your emotions in check:

Hire a coach or get a mentor and talk about it
Identify your emotional triggers and be aware when you may be susceptible to an outburst
Ensure you have some “you” time in a day (Workout, play a sport, get a hobby) do something that will make your mind relax where you won’t think about work
Have fun at work, it’s the easiest way to put yourself and those around you in a great mood

Finally I believe Van Wilder said it best; “Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair, sure it gives you something to do for a while but it doesn’t get you anywhere”.

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