Observed

Newt Gingrich's campaign for the GOP presidential nomination seems undeterred by his campaign to sell his books. He and wife Calista often drive their handlers crazy by spending time signing books instead of stumping for votes. Or, are those the same things?

Doesn’t it make perfect sense that 2011 holiday book sales are strong…despite the growing popularity of electronic reading; or, perhaps, because of it?  Or, despite the loss of bankrupt Borders’s 650 stores from the retail mix?

Books — real books — are tangible.  All the better to put under the Christmas tree or hand to someone special as a gift.

And, to show that you care. Really care.

Retailers and publishers report, by the way, that sales of non-fiction titles are the strongest sector in their industry.  In addition, big, expensive books seem to be a niche unaffected by the recession or worries about online competition.

George H.W. Bush understood the importance of superficial impressions. In 1988, he used this picture of a hapless Michael Dukakis to win the presidential election. Bush's fabled campaign ads featuring escaped felon and murderer "Willie Horton" drove the final nail in his opponent's coffin.

We’re hard-wired to judge others.  And situations.  Some of us (e.g., parents of young children) seem to acquire this urge under the right circumstances.

Judging others factors into how much we trust and feel safe.  This is one reason why chemistry and even small, tangible details seem to figure into the hiring choices clients make and whether they remain satisfied with a vendor’s performance.

So, too, it seems when picking presidential candidates.  A recent story in The New York Times vetted several Republican favorites with an eye toward how they present the qualities it takes to win as opposed to govern. (more…)

"Another virtue is simplicity. Typewriters are good at only one thing: putting words on paper. 'If I’m on a computer, there’s no way I can concentrate on just writing,' said Jon Roth, 23, a journalist who is writing a book on typewriters. 'I’ll be checking my e-mail, my Twitter.' When he uses a typewriter, Mr. Roth said: 'I can sit down and I know I’m writing. It sounds like I’m writing.'” -- The New York Times, March 31, 2011

“It’s about permanence, not being able to hit delete,” he explained. “You have to have some conviction in your thoughts. And that’s my whole philosophy of typewriters.”

That’s what Louis Smith, a 28-year-old hipster from Brooklyn had to say about laying out 150 bucks for a refurbished typewriter that was nearly twice his age.

He and others are [re-]discovering the beauties of keys, ink and paper, according to an article in this morning’s New York Times.  About how having something to touch affects humans in ways that the abstract or digital cannot. (more…)

Does anyone care to speculate why phone sex is (was?) popular? Is there something *special* about aural (ahem) stimulation? Something for which humans are hard-wired?

All hat and no horse.  That pretty much describes the feature piece in today’s New York Times about the demise of the phone conversation.

Yeah, I know that phone time is trending downward and that texting is trending up.  But the author’s anecdotal musings do little to advance insights into why, who and the like.

I don’t know about you, but I still spend a LOT of time on the phone, including time with clients, vendors and other colleagues.  Mostly, it’s for the sake of efficiency.  It’s also because there aren’t many better ways (other than face-to-face) to create a sense of personal connection and I-care-about-you trust.

Judging from the frequency and number of clients who want to talk with me on the phone, I’m not alone. (more…)

Here’s a brief clip with five questions to help you weigh the relative benefits of analog and digital marketing communications. It’s a companion to an article published by my editorial home, MarketingProfs.com — http://xrl.us/BeforeSend.

John Kralik's book -- 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life -- extols the virtues of the tangible...and how it benefits all of our relations, including the one with ourselves.

On NPR this morning, there came a story about John Kralik, a product of the Midwest (born in Cleveland and educated in Ann Arbor, Mich.) and now a superior court judge in Los Angeles.  It was about the fruits of writing — and receiving — hand-written notes.

As he puts it…

“In this day and age, a handwritten note is something that people really feel is special.”

Kralik says he is often moved by how many people have saved his notes: “It’s up on their wall,” he says. “It’s like part of you that’s there.”

So, check out what else Judge Kralik has to say and let me know if this speaks to you.  Give me your mailing address, and I’ll write you a note.

An article about cabbies in New York City reminded me of the importance of the tangible.

It ought to be pretty obvious.   I mean, really.  Do you tip based on the tangible appearance of your cab’s interior?  How about whether your server bothered to bathe before their shift?

What makes an attorney or other professional service provider any different?  Do we give them a pass when they…

• Don’t return phone calls promptly?
• Consistently show up late to appointments?
• Add someone new to a case without discussing it with you first?

Do we give them a pass because they say that they really, really, really care about client satisfaction?

Of course we don’t.  Or, do we?

Study after study reports that we make lasting impressions based on small details.  Small, tangible details.

If you’re Who cares, don’t bother reading further.  If you think newsletters are a good way to communicate with clients and prospects, I can tell you how to do that better:

1. Be really brief.
2. Use lots of pictures.
3. Make it about someone or something other than you.

I’ll tell you what these look like in the next few posts.  Plus some other things to think about.

Stick around.

When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he realized he needed help while he was away.  So, Odysseus asked his friend, Mentor, to be in charge of his son, Telemachus, and his palace until he returned.

While the meaning has changed a bit, we still seek and offer mentoring.

What’s the best platform for such a trusted relationship?  According to my friend, Nick Gargala, Ed.D., the best results occur when the mentoring happens face to face.  In interviews for his recent dissertation, Nick found that over the phone is a distant second, and e-mail mentoring is the weakest.

Where trust is important to a relationship (e.g., in business development), the more personal the better.

Seth just posted a thought about the importance of relationships and how to build/maintain them.  “The experience I have with you as a customer or a friend is far more important than a few random bits flying by on the screen.”

My advice?

• Be tangible.
• Be tangible.
• Be tangible.

So, touch somebody.  Do something tangible.  Any questions?