When opportunity knocks: take a seat and be prepared to listen



This is where I will blog about a buying experience and the lesson to be learned extracted by defining how I want to be treated as either a consumer or a buyer (corporate or entrepreneurial).  Foot for thought on starting at the bottom and working your way up the food chain.

My Editor:  Oscar the Pug is a no nonsense taskmaster who does not heed excuses, nor does he rely on warnings, he wants to be objective and come to his own conclusions.  Thankfully, he reflects many of the qualities I like to think I have or continue to work on.

I did set up a website so that I can help others create their own online social media personality, whether by authentic name or invented character of charm.  It is called www.graFX.online.  I did launch a Blogspot blog for this graFX > see right sidebar link by scrolling.

I have to practice what I preach by setting up, executing and successfully launching a self-sustaining identity.  As always, I share my learning and leanings along the way.  Shortly after I launched this blog 8 years ago [ March 2010 ] I caught on to the numbers that there seemed to be some nibbles on the stories where I used social media experiences and education accumulated from trial and error.






I've used some blog space to opinionate on how current world events are in line with demographic trends based on numbers, which are based on hard facts.  

I've used another to exhume frustration and avoid rantings on meanderingABOUT singularly focus on my generation of inBETWEENers (those born 1960 to 1965/69 inbetweeners born after BABY BOOMERS and faded as GENx boomed and how those hitting 50+ are facing some events unprepared for:  YUPPYdom; family dynamics, blending families, being a mother, wife, daughter, sister.

I started using forwarding technology to customize my relationship with followers as normal day to day life or life threatening crisis happen, tend to interfere and hamper.


BAIT and SWITCH: is NOT the RIGHT way to SELL




Since I began writing this blog 8 years ago (Happy Anniversary to me .... la la la LA LAAAAaaaa) I have written mostly on sales.  That is what I know best and if I had to be honest:  my sweet spot.  I was only good at the whole thing because I could juggle a lot of things at once, more than just multi-tasking.  Juggling rapidly while balance with one foot on a big rubber ball!

The other thing has been honing in my judgement skills.  For the most part, I've been optimistic, naive, and too trusting.  There might be more things others would call me that would ruin the positive spin that I try to churn out:  believable, honest..... to ... will she ever shut up?  To a talent at being able to drown people out (my husband).  

Maybe there is some loneliness that is escaping in bubbles, where every day seems to be like climbing Mount Everest, in slow motion, more tiring the next day than the day before.

For entertainment while I am doing some dreaded chores, I'm releasing a zest of battling so much negativity and worry in my world to a more peaceful and calm one.  



The rollercoaster I knowingly and if not completely willing to the wolves of sales people (my ulter ego) to do a few of the things that Rob would have on his HONEY DO list.  Since he has passed 9 weeks of remarkable progress, I have given myself permission to write a little and express myself so that I don't keep everything up inside or explode!

Looking at the opportunity to purchase things as a responsibility, when you partner is out of the picture in more ways than one, left solo to buy things that I would push and he'd try to push back on his domain.  We'd compromised by having our home tactically divided, evacuated by four, now adult [Millennial] blended family children.  Too big practically for two of us, but easily filled up with our respective and joint treasures.



So I tippy toe into trying to get the roof fixed on my home.  Something that I had thought I had signed off on almost two weeks ago.  Sending an email yesterday after visiting Rob at the hospital, a 6 days a week devotion.  I asked the insuror if their company was taking their business for granted, because to make my life easier, I had said to whomever that had called that I was not going to project manager them, just let me know when they will be here, what do I owe, and when will they be done ETA.  John left a card tucked into my door jam, along with the Census Taker's postcard.  

I took it to meaning that John was from the company that the Insuror had designated and I'd excepted.  It wasn't until halfway that I figured out where both John and I were puzzled:  I explained that I had assumed he was from the contractor to do the roof sent by the insurance company.  John was puzzled, because he usually had really great, efficient records, even able to produce a print out of all the homes he'd done in the area (this was a follow up from his cold call because I thought he was really from the Insuror).



Call it fate.  Regardless.  He sent me his quote.  I sent him my answer, which I am transparently sharing.  I only used John's name .... no privacy was infringed upon.

I'll let you know how it pans out.

/jm



Hi John 

Nice to meet you earlier today.  Apparently, confusion on my part pending completion of our roof stumbled you into the opportunity.  As I mentioned, as a sales gal by heart, I'm a big fan of giving people a shot just by the fact that they do a face-to-face OR telephone cold call - really, a lost art. 

One of my former bosses eventually figured out after a few years when I was in sales, that part of my skill had nothing to do with what was coming out of my mouth (which usually is exhausting enough) or how I was able to configure or negotiate a deal.  I became skilled at reading upside down.  So usually I can remember something that is being said and what had been coming out of my mouth resonated in some way, thus the note.  I just began to read upside down.   

Your whole proposal and Compliance Information is superb and REALLY nicely done - where did you come up with that idea?  I'd love to create one for my brother-in-law's business because when he does well in his business and my sister is happy and he is sending us to Mexico together ..... he has a furnace cleaning business with 15 as an entrepreneur -- you'd actually find value by networking or having a coffee in your MAN CAVE -- I'm pretty certain you'd find synergy and pockets of knowledge each other would learn mostly because of your shared interest of living a quality life and doing what you have a passion for, which is far more rewarding than the baZILLIONs you made a stock broker.  That IS amazing! 

I was wondering ..... I saw you wrote the number of Insuror payable $5600 dollars down and $2600 what my contribution should be for a total of $8200.  Did you factor these numbers into your equation when you came up with your price?

  I did really like the bait and switch technique:  give me comments that hint of a better deal from you with less out of pocket expense and a better product.  I do have a sharp memory when it comes to numbers and the visual of what you wrote down. 

That is why I was wondering why you would come in more expensive or whether this is a negotiation technique of barter ready response? 

Sincerely, Jeannette 

If you want to resend a new estimate, that would be fair for another 24 hours -- it is 1
 a.m. MST Calgary, April 27, 2018.



Who's who in a corporate zoo?



A question asked on QUORA that I answered as follows:


Jeannette Marshall
Jeannette Marshall, Rewards can outweigh risk if you do your homework



I'll throw my hat in, not worrying about titles, except for clarity and consistency.   I recommend you would draw out an organizational chart with core function bullets underneath.

  1. CEO:  Lead:  visionary, investment community face, organization voice
  2. CFO:  Finance budgets, spending, takes care of bottom line, manages growth, HR
  3. Operations:   Execute, Implementation, Customer Service, Customer Retention
  4. Marketing:  Communicate, SEO/SMO, web, Social Media, Business Development/Sales, Customer attention
  5. Technical:  Create, Design, Engineering, Developers


Not all have to be "employees".  There is a lot of talented people that will work on contract.  What is important is based on the strength of the product developed, will determine how many people it would take to:

p.s.  Replace "product" with service, idea, etc.  The basics apply to most offerings.

  • launch the product, (Technical, Vision, Costs, Communicate)
  • maintain the product (Operations, Technical, Financial)
  • promote the product (CEO, Marketing, Business Development, SEO/SMO, Events)
  • manage the product (Operations, Technical, Financial, Customer Service, Education/Training)
  • keep the product going (Technical, Operations, Financial, Education/Training)
  • grow the product (CEO, Marketing, Business Development, SEO/SMO Technical, Operations, Financial)


More times than not, key functions are typically shared by individuals, for example:

  1. CEO:  How it looks:  Vision, Marketing, Product Development, Communication
  2. CFO:  How it gets done:  Financials, Operations, HR,
  3. CTO:   How it works:  Product Creation, Product Development, Engineer, Design


There are numerous examples of successful launches and organizations that start out with only two key people that work jointly that branches from there:

  • FACE of the organization (CEO, Marketing, Design, etc.)
  • BRAINS of the organization (CFO, Developer, Design, Financial, Operations, Engineer)