The Works of Marketing with Ray INDEX
Aug 26, 2003 • Volume 3 Issue 11
All the Marbles!
Most often the article in this location is pure marketing and sales.
This week it's people.
Much of what gets passed along from the web is not worth the read. This one is.
If you know the message, you just may enjoy it again. If it is new, as it was to me when Granddaughter #1 passed it along, read it through. Slowly.
Here goes; "The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings.
"Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.
"A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the basement ham radio with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.
"I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whomever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.
"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital he continued, Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities.
And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."
"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years. Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime.
"Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part. It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail" he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy.
"So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the sack next to my gear.
"Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focus more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.
"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.
"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is 75 Year Old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!
"You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids.. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles..."
"A friend sent this to me, so I to you, my friend. And so, as one very smart bear once said, 'If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.' - Winnie the Pooh"
... a loose thought
This fun collection is about "old". Which, as I re-read the opening to Marbles above, I feel is in order in this location.
So, if you're old, young, in the middle or don't know (or care!) ... EnJoy!No matter your age You know you're getting older when...
- You need your glasses... to find your teeth!
- You walk with your head held high trying to get used to your bifocals.
- Your little black book contains only names ending in "M.D."
- You wake up feeling like the morning after, and you haven't been anywhere.
- You look forward to a nice quiet evening.
- Your mind makes contracts your body can't meet.
- The 'gleam in your eyes' is from the sun hitting your bifocals.
- You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions.
- All your children look middle aged.
- A dripping faucet causes that uncontrollable bladder urge.
- Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work.
- You get winded playing chess.
- Your favorite part of the newspaper is "25 Years Ago Today."
... and one more Idea
An eon ago Burt Dubin came into my life. And has stayed. We continue to swap ideas.
One area of common ground is we're both speakers. And, Burt is a "teacher" ... working with professionals helping them grow to masters - as well as new comers just breaking in to the speaker business.
To learn more about what Burt might offer you, visit his exclusive resource and most interesting web site. Plus, you may wish to opt-in for his FREE E-zine. It's easy - surf to www.SpeakingBizSuccess.com and take a tour. Or send an E-mail to burt@speakingbizsuccess.com.
"It IS What's Next!"
It's become known as "the story".
I've shared it with a number of health care organizations, a database marketing business, a direct marketing firm, a publishing organization, a DM association - and several others. And I'm ready to bring it to your group. (Visit It IS What's Next!)
When you have a need for a 40-60 minute program, I'll give you this different, interesting, meaningful, warm and true action presentation. If you want a half-day interactive seminar, that can happen, too. For your club. Your company. Your organization. Your association. Your school or University. Any group you have. At any place. At any time. For any reason.
It IS What’s Next! is available to you as a Keynote Address. As a special program. As an opening or closing presentation. As a different / unique session.
Interested? Visit the web site @ It IS What's Next! And E-mail me Ray@RayJutkins.com and let's make it happen. I look forward to hearing from you. Soon.
Thank you!
... another Idea
New business friend Gerry Sacks of Houston, Texas sent me here. It turns out this leading information resource from the financial world offers a collection of marketing & sales ideas. Still, no matter your business, you will find good material here. Offered by 80+ experts (including me!) ... visit ProducersWEB.com
Ray's Product Offers
BONUS: when you invite me to speak at your special event,
conference, corporate meeting or association gathering, you get your
choice of 100 FREE copies of either my book, or the audio/booklet
direct mail package titledMagic Marketing Minutes!
Everyone can learn.
And those of us who've been in business more than a day and half ... well, we can learn, too. Many times I find myself being reminded of things I know ... and forgot. Or at least forgot to use. Knowing and doing are two completely different things.
Well, just maybe my collection of products is something you - or some of your team - can learn from.
For details on every product, and to place your order,OR to book Ray to speak and thus get your BONUS!, visit Marketing Products at www.magicmarketingminutes.com/. Or fax 1+810+815-2520. For questions on quantity orders phone Ray at 1+928+785-9400.
More Speaking of Speaking
Thursday evening, September 26 Ray kicks off an annual event for the Los Angeles Direct Marketing Association.
His opening night topic for this 9-week school is 40-30-20-10 ... Blast Off with Direct Marketing into the 21st Century.
You can go to the web site (Los Angeles Direct Marketing Association) for the complete schedule, or E-mail coordinator Bob Hughes (BHughes@bertco.com).
In November Ray will be back in Central Europe, teaching DM to those formerly behind the Iron Curtain. Watch this space for details.
Anonymous
The Marbles story above leads to this thought from Anonymous.
"If you go through life with a clenched fist,
nobody can ever put anything
in it."
"Quotes with Direction" has been a part of my web site collection from day one. If you like quotes visit the archives ... www.rayjutkins.com/quotes/. There's a new batch up every 4 weeks.
Magic Marketing Minutes
Segmenting Your Market
One of the key benefits of Direct Mail is its ability to segment a marketplace, in order to reach it more effectively with your message.
Here are a series of 6 directly related marketing concepts. They will help you segment your market...they will help you analyze your prospects and customers...they will help you understand their behavior towards you and your products and services. They are the who, what, why, when, where and how of direct marketing:
What - the product, which is defined as what is purchased. In other words, what does the prospect buy!
Why - the objective, which is the reason why the product is purchased. Why does this prospect buy this product?
Who - the organization or individual who makes the buying decision. Who actually buys the product? Who are you selling to?
How - the method of operation, which is how the product is purchased. What is the process your prospect goes through to buy from you?
When - timing, or when is the product bought? Is it time-sensitive? Is it a long or short buying process? Are there a number of committees or others you need to go through during this time frame? When equals timing.
Where - the channel of distribution, which is where the product is bought. Is there more than one place that your prospect can go to become your customer? Do you have a number of options on where you sell your product or service to your marketplace?
Getting answers to even some of these questions will help you reach your customer base with a greater level of success for your next Direct Mail program.