Being Aware Of The Ides Of March

A Question To Consider:

“Beware The Ides of March?” 

Today’s the day: March 15. 

Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar made it famous in our “modern” age – the soothsayer cautioning the great Roman emperor against what turned out to be the day his opponents planned and did assassinate him. 

And the play’s historically accurate in that regard.

But do you know what the “Ides” are? 

Turns out there are “Ides” each of month. The Romans organized their calendar around three days of each month, each of which served as a reference point for counting (in Roman numerals – think about it) the other days. 

The “named” days were:

• Kalends (1st day of the month)
• Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months)
• Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months) 

The remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or Ides. And the backwards counting included the named day. 

No wonder the Roman Empire eventually declined and fell.

One more factoid: If you lived in ancient Rome (c. 220 – 153 BCE) you'd have been aware that March’s Ides marked the beginning of the consular year, since the two annually elected Roman consuls took office on the Ides. By Julius Caesar’s time the consuls took over on the Kalends of January which we now call New Year’s Day.

So “Beware?” Well, as co-creator of the Best Year Ever! Program with my buddy Eric Taylor, I’m fond of pointing out –

 

A New Year can begin any time. And it pays to Be Aware – not just “Beware” -- of the opportunities to rethink and begin anew those behaviors you’d like to “resolve” to change or improve.

So today’s a particularly significant and good a day to do so.

Happy New Year! Friends … Romans …Countrymen. 

If these Catalyst Collection blog posts and TGIM tidbits awaken you to new or enlightening experience … if even one helps you see what might otherwise go unnoticed in your day … cool. 

If just one post suggests a change in your routine that stimulates a different point of view with the potential to lead to breakthrough thinking … excellent.

As the Shakespearean version goes, after Caesar hears the prophecy he responds:

Caesar: The Ides of March are come.

Soothsayer: Ay, Caesar; but not gone.

I agree:

 

How many ages hence

Shall this our lofty scene be acted o’er,

In states unborn, and accents yet unknown! 

Geoff Steck

Chief Catalyst

Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631

201-569-5373

 

tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. In Julius Caesar Act 4, scene 3, 218–224, Shakespeare has Brutus make this Catalyst-Collection-worthy observation:

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat,

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #399

FIT FOR A WIZARD

So this Wizard of Oz prequel that opened in movie theaters this past Friday has probably turned in a multi-million dollar first weekend.

I hope it proves to be a worthy addition to the canon. As you have undoubtedly learned if you’ve been anywhere near the popular media in recent days, there’s a long history of Oz-iana on stage and screen, dating back to some of the earliest successes – and failures -- of the L. Frank Baum empire.

But did you know: It’s a world that almost wasn’t. Baum’s achievements in the world of children’s literature came long after struggles and failures in a variety of other endeavors. 

 

Case in point: If you wanted to be a collector of the complete works of L. Frank Baum, you would need to own his first book, published in 1886:

 



The copy pictured here
is a 20th Century reproduction,
collectible in its own right.

The Book of the Hamburgs: A Brief Treatise upon the Mating, Rearing, and Management of the Different Varieties of Hamburgs which sprang from years of experience writing for The Poultry Record, a monthly trade journal he created in 1880.

 

There’s plenty of interesting Baum biographical material just a mouse click or two away if you want to dig deeper into his celebrity “prequel” story and the difficulties that followed him throughout his life.

But for today --

 

What I really wanted to share is a story that becomes “top of mind” for me almost every time I see the “classic” 1939 Wizard of Oz movie will be aired. It’s a tale that originated with the studio and was popularized by the master storyteller, Paul Harvey.

 

It goes something like this:

Of all the major players in the film, the one viewers are least likely to be able to name is Frank Morgan, although he played several roles in the movie.

• The first was Professor Marvel, the traveling sideshow man Dorothy encounters in the early black-and-white sequences of the film.
• Other secondary roles in which Morgan appeared were as the Emerald City Coachman/Soldier/Guard at the Gates
• Finally, and most notably, he was the Wizard himself.

The role of Professor Marvel required Morgan to wear a particular kind of coat, one reflecting a shabby gentility, a grandeur gone to seed.

MGM's Wardrobe Department was notified and they gathered 50+ coats from secondhand shops around Los Angeles. Morgan and movie director Victor Fleming met to select one coat from the collection. The one they decided on was tired with age: a Prince Albert coat, made of black broadcloth and flared at the waist with a nap-worn velvet collar.

It fit Frank Morgan perfectly.

The scenes involving Professor Marvel took about a week to shoot. On one of the filming days, particularly warm and made warmer still by the hot studio lights, Morgan was perspiring profusely under the weight of this coat. Between takes he turned the sweat-soaked coat pockets inside out to air them out. When he looked down, he saw the label of the Chicago tailor who made the coat, followed by the name of the original owner written in indelible ink.

MGM contacted the tailor and the identity of the original owner was confirmed. 

After the movie was completed, Professor Marvel's coat was presented to the widow of the former owner.

Yes, she said, the coat had been her husband's.

L. Frank Baum
in his more affluent days

Q: Have you guessed the owner? 

The well-worn garment had been selected because it was right for the part and because it fit Frank Morgan.  But, perhaps with a touch of the magic that makes The Wizard of Oz movie of 1939 so enjoyable and memorable, Professor Marvel wore a coat originally made for author, L. Frank Baum.

Q: Cool, right?

Sure it is. 

But does it have application in our not-necessarily-skipping-down-the-yellow-brick-road-to-a-happy-ending lives?

Sure it does.

TGIM TAKEAWAY #1: Coincidence happens. Don’t make too much of it.

While the coat connection seems somehow magically ordained, we attribute that ability to it because we want to endow it with special power and, I suspect, hope for similar moments of wonder directly in our lives. But the underlying facts are that Baum, who went to Hollywood to parlay his luck early in the days of Oz-iana success, did not enjoy unmitigated financial success there and had to declare bankruptcy.

Maybe he even hocked that fine coat he brought from Chicago.

Not much magic in all that.

 

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Still Baum persisted and there were many highs among the lows of his life. The tale of the coat exemplifies that. Once elegant, then “reflecting a shabby gentility, a grandeur gone to seed,” then coming alive again in a tale of wonder linked to another difficulty executed but astoundingly successful theatrical execution of, well, a tale of wonder.

 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Work for the highs; work through the lows. It’s not magic; it’s life. We should: Follow our chosen path … Persist with grace … Survive the down times … Compromise if we must … Have the success of knowing we did our best and touched others in a meaningful way … Be grateful that we may be forever associated with some classic life-affirming deed or occasion.

On the other hand …

Not to be too much of a spoiler of the magic: Baum biographer Michael Patrick Hearn disbelieves the accuracy of the coat connection tale, maintaining it had been refuted by members of the Baum family, who never saw the coat or knew of the story. Paul Harvey, who has vocal detractors as well as avid fans, did have a tendency to be less than rigorous in his “reporting.” And, actress Margaret Hamilton – the 1939 movie Wicked Witch of the West -- considered it a concocted studio rumor.

TGIM TAKEAWAY #2: Sometimes a good story is just a good story. Proceed through life accordingly.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Dig for the truth when it’s important. Dig deeper if it’s really important. Then choose your facts and truth for a justifiable reason, but be ready to accept additional authoritative evidence that might alter your position. It’s OK to waffle or change your stance.

 

I’ve known the coat-connection story since maybe the mid-1980s. I really like the story just on the face of it, no takeaways or philosophizing. But I’ve also always been a bit skeptical and reluctant to share it as much more than a nod to a good tale, well told. More than a dozen years ago when I last shared it in any kind of publically published way I drew no conclusions for my readers but I also shared none of my reservations about its authenticity.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Now I have, because the evolved digital information age makes it even easier to do due diligence. I’ve done mine, as much as I feel is necessary for our TGIM moments together. And I ended up with a second lesson I think was worth sharing.

Hope you agree.

Wishing you courage, brains, and heart.

Geoff Steck

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. You almost can’t do an Oz story without acknowledging it. “Over the Rainbow” was very nearly deleted from the 1939 classic movie. MGM felt that the song made the Kansas sequence too long, as well as being far over the heads of the target audience of children. The studio also thought that it was degrading for Judy Garland to sing in a barnyard. (But Baum might have liked the chickens in the scene.) Producer Mervyn LeRoy, associate producer Arthur Freed, and director Victor Fleming fought to keep it. Eventually they got their way. 

 

The song went on to win the Academy Award for Best Song of the Year. And “Over the Rainbow” was ranked #1 in the American Film Institute’s “100 Years…100 Songs” list in 2004.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #398

HOW TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK

Straight talk – I hope that’s part of what most folks who work with me expect to get as part of the bargain.


"I am Gunnery Sergeant Hartman,
your senior drill instructor.
From now on you will speak only when spoken to,
and the first and last words out of your filthy sewers
will be 'Sir'.
Do you maggots understand that?"

Actor R. Lee Ermey
giving "constructive feedback"
in the movie Full Metal Jacket.

Ermey is, in fact, a retired U.S. Marine and
an honorary Gunnery Sergeant.
During his tenure in the U.S. Marine Corps,
he served as a drill instructor. 
 

Because they’re going to get it.

It goes something like this:

 

• I’ve got experience and opinions, as you do.
• I gain insight and information when you share yours without holding back.
• And I can best serve our mutually beneficial purpose if I can act, and we can talk, in the same respectful-but-unencumbered way.

So it can be the classic “Win-Win” when we keep the feedback constructive.

The only trouble is, feedback can be mishandled and become –

 A double-edged sword. When it comes across as harsh, one-sided criticism, it can make others defensive. Rather than listening and learning, people will try to defend themselves or discount what they’re hearing -- with dire consequences.

So, jumping into defensive mode: I’ll confess right now that I can (often) be a bit too sarcastic or ironic in tone and manner … sound a bit acerbic and opinionated … come across as adamant and insistent, thereby defeating my own good intentions.

But, dammit, I’m usually right. (That’s a joke, folks. Really. Well, sort of.)

Of course I sometimes need to be reminded that my rightness ain’t always so and/or that I’ve been too blunt in stating my case. And in that spirit I’ve worked up some get-back-on-track guidelines for myself when I’ve gone astray. I’m going to share them here as today’s – 

TGIM ACTION IDEAS: Follow these guidelines for giving more effective and constructive critical feedback. And as part of the feedback process, consider sharing the guidelines with others so they can apply them in their interactions with others, including you.

Guideline #1: Double-check your attitude. Check (as in “assess”) your attitude, then check (as in, “rein in”) your response if you’re angry or upset. Make sure your motives are right. When you can’t be sure you’re objective, wait until you cool off, otherwise others will pick up the emotions and respond defensively.

Your move: Never use feedback as a way to assert superiority or get back at someone. At least in your own mind, forgive a mistake before you try to address it. 

Guideline #2: It’s all in the timing. Generally the sooner you give feedback the better. But choosing the absolutely right time is a bit of a judgment call.

Your move: Be considerate of the feelings of others. While you may want to react close to the incident, acting too soon – especially to a difficult event or glaring error – may have a negative impact. At best, a person who is upset won’t be attentive to what you have to share. So proceed with caution when the road looks rocky.

Guideline #3: Ask permission. Does it seem a bit odd that adults working together would need to ask permission to be critical? It shouldn’t. Your asking can certainly be disarming and spark some curiosity. (And, in fact, it’s quite an effective power play on your part.)

Your move: Simply ask, “Are you open to some feedback on this?” By asking you let others determine when they’re ready, willing and able to receive constructive input – “able” being the most important piece of the equation.  When they say the “ready, willing and able” time has come, they’ve committed themselves to being receptive to what you have to say.

Guideline #4: Establish the common ground first. For a more effective exchange of feedback, establish or reestablish this is as a Win-Win state of affairs. Focus on shared values that relate to the situation. Make clear how you see the other party will benefit.

Your move: Begin on a positive note. Start with a sincerely affirmative statement of a particular strength that relates to the feedback you intend to give. As long as it’s not B.S., affirmation not only encourages the other person, it confirms your perceptive nature and adds weight to your observations.

Example: “Karen, I can’t help but notice how you always maintain such a professional demeanor. May I share something that may help you become even more effective?”

Guideline #5: Be specific. Don’t slip into saying things like, “You need to work faster” or “Can’t you get the work done on time?” This kind of feedback doesn’t tell the person what specific behavior needs changing and it doesn’t point to a path to improvement.

Your move: Be direct with your feedback, not too general or vague. Get to the point; avoid giving hints. Link your comments to a specific incident to illustrate your concern. Focus on what to do rather than what not to do.

Guideline #6: Offer suggestions. Good feedback not only informs, it instructs. Don’t just point out what needs to be done differently; offer ideas and suggestions on how to improve.

Your move: Go the extra mile. Don’t just lecture. Ask if you can help. Provide guidance while also allowing that yours is not necessarily the carved-in-stone “only way.”

Guideline #7: End on the upbeat. Do not belabor the point or carry on too long. Say your piece … listen objectively to what the other party has to say … then get back to your routine.

Your move: Keep control of the end.  Communicate your concern and belief that the other person can and will triumph. Turn your closing comments into a challenge for the future.

So in that spirit, we’ll not belabor the subject matter and will end with this observation and -- 

TGIM Challenge:  Most people want to know how they’re doing and will, eventually, appreciate an effort made on their behalf. 

Remember: Failure to provide feedback is actually a kind of feedback – THE WORST KIND! It can lead people to conclude that what they’re doing isn’t consequential and important or that everything is OK when it’s not.

So have at it. Feel free to provide feedback, on this or any other topic we’ve touched on in TGIM. We’d love to make this an even more mutually beneficial Win-Win exchange.

(Just play by the rules, please.)

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. “How’m I doin’?” Is there any more of a feedback-ready approach to life than the practically trademark greeting of three-term New York City mayor Ed Koch (1924 – 2013)? 

Perhaps best of all: His query wasn’t strictly a political ploy. It was understood as his truly interested request for feedback on his leadership as mayor. And in terms of that feedback he also quipped, “I'm the sort of person who will never get ulcers. Why? Because I say exactly what I think. I'm the sort of person who might give other people ulcers.”

Thank Goodness It's Monday #397

 

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF INCOME TAX

Yup, you read that right: Celebrating! 

The Federal Income Tax as we know it has its 100^th birthday this month. The origin of the modern day income tax on individuals is generally cited as the passage of the 16th Amendment, passed by Congress on July 2, 1909, and ratified in February of 1913.

The New Man on the Job

Artist:John Scott Clubb

Date: 1913

With precious few fans of the tax (especially in our nation’s capital) there are not likely to be many candle-covered cakes and parties.

 

But I’ll be celebrating -- for a slightly curious reason.

And maybe you can, too. The Income Tax Centennial provides me with a timely “hook” for sharing (once again for anyone who knows me even moderately well) one of my favorite Life Lessons.

In fact, I’ve told and retold, repurposed, e-blasted, blogged and whatever the core story I’ll be sharing today many, many times before. So I apologize in advance if you find it old news dressed in a new outfit for this Centennial Party. 

• But even if I’ve accosted you with it before, please read on. I hope you find “tickler” value in its repetition and maybe new insight for dealing with all manner of challenges in today’s economic conditions. Thanks for your patience in reviewing it again.
• If it turns out to be a new item for you, I hope you can take it to heart and use it to make these “taxing” times easier to weather.

Here’s the 100^th Birthday version, starting with -- 

Some basic info: As you may have noted by now, I like acronyms, TGIM... FYI… BYE... DREAMS… JDS. 

Certainly they serve as convenient "shorthand." But they are also a powerful and valuable tool for reinforcing important concepts and bringing the full force of the underlying principles quickly to mind.

So, although it’s a centennial birthday for the dread acronym IRS, that leads my thinking to the origins of perhaps the most important acronym in my mind – 

EHFTB

EHFTB stands for –

Everything Happens For The Best

Here's the tax time story behind it: Richard Prentice Ettinger, the co-founder of the publishing giant Prentice-Hall, discovered EHFTB as he started in business as a publisher. 

In the earliest days of the company, the pages for his second book, about the new-in-1913 Federal Income Tax Law, had just come off the press. 

However: Congress, then as now, couldn’t settle and fiddled about with ongoing last-minute changes in the law. 

This made many of the already-printed pages inaccurate. Stuck with a huge printing bill and pages of worthlessly incorrect information, it appeared the new publishing enterprise was doomed.

But RPE, as he was known (more initials), thought hard about what he HAD.

He realized many of the pages were NOT adversely affected.

Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. He concluded that he could salvage the unaffected pages … print some new, correct pages ... punch holes in the whole batch ... and put them all together in a loose-leaf binder.

Bonus payoff: He could sell not just one book but also sell replacement pages on a continuing basis as the Tax Law continued to evolve.

That was in 1913. The forward-thinking author of Brave New World, Aldous Huxley, noted at the time that Ettinger had done with the loose-leaf page something equivalent to what Guttenberg had done with moveable type. 

Such subscription publishing became a cornerstone of a highly successful enterprise; proof indeed that EHFTB -- Everything Happens For The Best.

 “A nice, but slightly Pollyanna-ish, sentiment,” you say?

Wait! There's more. 

In fact, the “more” is, perhaps, the most important part. 

Richard Neill, RPE’s protégé who was entrusted with the ongoing publication of that first tax tome, passed along this history lesson for many years. 

(I was a Dick Neill protégé and was fortunate enough to have also known RPE. And yes, he was referred to as RN and I was GS.) 

But in the telling and reminding, RN added the crucial element that makes the difference between an interesting bit of business history and –

-- a principle which any of us

can take to heart and apply

TGIM ACTION IDEA: When appropriate, and especially if some problem needed confronting or remedying, Richard Neill would annotate the margin of a memo or report with a handwritten reminder -- EHFTB. 

And under those initials he would write –

FTWMIH

The importance of this second thought, and the principle behind the phrase these letters represent, is THE KEY to making EHFTB work.

Richard Neill's FTWMIH reminder is that –

Everything Happens For The Best

For Those Who Make It Happen

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: You must take action for anything to turn out “for the best.” You must be ever alert for opportunities to triumph in the face of adversity. 

And it’s not easy. You can’t be a passive bystander. You must be constantly and consistently preparing for the future. And when challenges arise you must rally that preparation and confront them. 

It isn’t enough to want the best. Continually challenge yourself to know what you’re going to do to get to where you want to be. Effort makes achievement. 

Make the effort. Make it happen – for the best.

Then celebrate along with me. 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. Return with us now to those taxing times of yesteryear: Here’s a thumbnail earliest-days-of-the-Federal-Income-Tax time line.

1909 - President Taft recommended Congress propose a constitutional amendment that would give the government the power to tax incomes without apportioning the burden among the states in line with population. Congress also levied a 1 percent tax on net corporate incomes of more than $5,000.

The first Form 1040 -- 1913

 

1913 - As the threat of what would be known as the First World War loomed, Wyoming became the 36th and last state needed to ratify the 16th Amendment. The Amendment stated, "Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration." Later, Congress adopted a 1 percent tax on net personal income of more than $3,000 with a surtax of 6 percent on incomes of more than $500,000. It also repealed the 1909 corporate income tax. The first Form 1040 was introduced.

1918 - The Revenue Act of 1918 raised even greater sums for the World War I effort. It codified all existing tax laws and imposed a progressive income-tax rate structure of up to 77 percent. (For 2013 the top marginal rate is 39.6%.)

 

"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.'' — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) said that.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #396

CASHING IN ON HONEST ABE

The acclaimed film “Lincoln” leads this year’s Oscar race with 12 nominations. Since its release in November, it’s grossed roughly $250 million worldwide at the box office by my rough and quick to-date tally.

So, if you don’t mind, I’m going to cash in on that popularity.

While it’s been a bit of a TGIM Tradition to commemorate Presidents Day by acknowledging that the Federal holiday is supposed to be inclusive of all the holders of the office, today I’m concentrating on the 16th president –

Abraham Lincoln



The Lincoln statue at the foot of the Essex County NJ Courthouse steps

in Newark, NJ was created by the world-renowned sculptor

Gutzon Borglum.

Portraying a weary Lincoln during the darkest hours of the Civil War,

the bronze statue is one-third larger than life-size.

Theodore Roosevelt attended the statue's dedication ceremony,

held in 1911.

 

Borglum's most celebrated work – or is it works? -- are his 60-feet tall carvings
of the heads of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt
at Mt Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

►Honest Abe

►The Rail Splitter

►The Great Emancipator

►The Liberator

►The Sage of Springfield

►Father Abraham and Uncle Abe

►The Uncommon Friend of the Common Man 

His enemies called him The Ape. 

His White House staff fondly called him The Tycoon and insiders called him The Ancient One for his wisdom.

Speaking of his ancestry, Lincoln once remarked: I don’t know who my grandfather was, and I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.

Of course, we know the notable and noble fulfillment of this “concern” of Lincoln’s.

In addition to the February birthday of our Founding Father and first President, George Washington, it’s primarily Lincoln (also a February birthday, February 12, 1809) who provides the basis for observing a rounded-off-to-Monday federally prescribed Presidents Day holiday today.

And since it is a holiday – I’m not going to tie up too much of your time. And I’m giving myself a break as well. I’m not going to write too much more “original” for this TGIM. 

TGIM ACTION IDEA: I’m defaulting to Lincoln’s own words in the expectation they can provide guidance and inspiration suitable to our challenges in our times. I’m going to try to avoid what my aging memory tells me are commonly known quotes or those that are most directly to the issues of the Civil War and share with you Lincoln thoughts that will lead to new personal insights.

Let’s start with a standard Lincoln clearly set for himself:

… men should utter nothing for which they could not willingly be responsible through time and eternity.

And –

I am very little inclined on any occasion to say anything unless I hope to produce some good by it.

Likewise for this TGIM. So let’s continue:

If we could at first know where we are, and wither we are tending, we could better judge what we do, and how to do it.

Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.

I have never had a policy. I have simply tried to do what seemed best each day, as each day came.

I have not willingly planted a thorn is any man’s bosom.

Reputation is like fine china: Once broken it's very hard to repair.

Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.

I say “try”; if we never try, we shall never succeed.

Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.

Half-finished work generally proves to be labor lost.

I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.

I shall try to correct errors where shown to be errors, and I shall adopt new views as fast as they shall appear to be true views.

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing.

When I am getting ready for an argument, I spend one third of my time thinking about what I am going to say, and two thirds about what my opponent will say.

 

Every man has his own peculiar and particular way of doing things, and he is often criticized because that way is not the one adopted by others. The great idea is to accomplish what you set out to do.

Let us dare to do our duty as we understand it.

I consider my TGIM duty for today done.

Inspired by the spirit of “The Uncommon Friend of the Common Man,” please do your duty – this Presidents Day and daily -- likewise.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com



Several days after the state convention,
the Republican Party held its national convention
in Chicago and nominated Lincoln for president.
Lincoln did not actively campaign for office (as was the custom),
but his supporters staged a lively campaign.
An unknown artist created this mythical, life-size portrait of
Lincoln the Railsplitter to be used at public rallies. 
Note that there’s an image of the White House
on the distant horizon.

P.S. On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected sixteenth president of the United States. He won as “The Railsplitter” candidate, a nickname acquired the previous May when Illinois Republicans convened at Decatur to endorse a favorite son for president.

Lincoln was the likely choice but his supporters felt he needed a catchier nickname than “Old Abe” or “Honest Abe.” Thus, Richard J. Oglesby and John Hanks, a first cousin of Lincoln’s mother, located a split-rail fence supposedly built by Lincoln in 1830. When they walked into the hall carrying two of the rails—decorated with flags, streamers, and a sign that read, “Abraham Lincoln/The Rail Candidate”—the crowd went wild.

 

Although Lincoln claimed he could not say for certain that he had split those particular rails, he said that “he had mauled many and many better ones since he had grown to manhood.” By now, Lincoln was a prominent lawyer, not a backwoodsman. But, he had split rails in his youth, and the image held enormous appeal to voters (all male) who shared similar backgrounds and cultural beliefs about the merits of hard work and self-reliance.

Valentine's Day 2013

She Tells Her Love While Half Asleep

Robert Graves
(1895-9185)

She tells her love while half asleep,

    In the dark hours,

        With half-words whispered low;

As Earth stirs in her winter sleep

    And puts out grass and flowers

        Despite the snow;

        Despite the falling snow. 

Many scholars contend that this is the “best” love poem by poet, novelist, mythographer, critic & historian Robert Graves (1895–1985). As a Graves fan I’m not sure I agree, but it seems quite appropriate for the February observance of Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy celebrating.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #395

HOW TO REACTIVATE

LONG-DORMANT ACCOUNTS

Now that prosperity appears to be stirring anew in many parts of the economy, it’s a good time to take a look at old “dormant” accounts. These are the customers who once did a greater volume of business with your company than they do now. 

Watch this: Some business people tend to ignore dormant accounts, treating them as a lost cause. Others, who have power over such things, succumb to the urge to reassign the accounts to the most novice players on the team. 

Big mistake. No matter where you stand or how you feel about the subject, here’s how to turn the enterprise’s inactive/barely active historic clientele into bigger sales dollars and profits.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Consider dormancy as hibernation – a prolonged period of sleep – at least as far as your business is concerned. Since the “official” observance has only just passed, take a “Groundhog Day” approach.

 

 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Initiate a great reawakening. Be aware that, although it’s asleep with you, an account may still be doing a lot of business with competitors. If you (or the folks you lead and/or manage) want to revive the full potential of the dozing previous purchasers and  get them back on the track to more sales and profits, try these steps:

● Become a detective. Find out all you can about the current state of the accounts. Perhaps start in accounting and review old records. 

Some Qs to review:

Q: What was the account buying and why?

Q: Is it clear why the account is dormant?

Q: What was its annual volume?

Q: Who in your organization had last contact?

Q: Has anyone got “exclusive” responsibility now?

Q: Is the account’s industry moving up or down?

Q: Has growth been evident?

● Narrow your list. Fire up the computer and start searching. Pick up the phone and start dialing for dollars. Your primary objective at this early stage: Eliminate (or postpone pursuit of) accounts that don’t show promise. And put the balance in descending order of 2013 potential. Then go after the top of the list.

● Develop an action plan tailored to each account. If the account was yours and you once knew their hot buttons, push them again and see what happens. If they don’t click, default to the “We’ve got something new that may be beneficial for you” approach. (Just be sure you can back it up.)

● Try the old contact first. If the account went sour because of something that went wrong on your side and an apology is in order, issue it on behalf of your company. Or recognize that there were differences that you feel can be easily resolved. 

Bad news: Expect some rejection and be ready to respond to: “We’ve got new sources we’re quite happy with.”

Good news: You won’t always get rejected. Some accounts will welcome you back with open arms, especially if you’ve apologized. That may be all some of them have been waiting for.

● Ask for an “update” appointment. If you feel you don’t really understand them or their needs at this point, say you’d just like to be brought up to speed during this interview. If you have something new to share, tell them you’d also like to keep them updated. 

Emphasize that it’s an “information sharing” call, not a sales pitch. That takes the pressure off and makes the first reconnection easier to get.

● During the appointment listen, listen, LISTEN. Go with the intent to learn anew. Be interested. Take notes, it shows interest. Don’t overstay your visit unless asked. Be prepared to share your own “what’s new” but don’t press and insist on leading with it or even revealing it until you’ve got a clear picture of the account’s current state of affairs and interests. 

● Before leaving -- Seek to determine what your potential competitors are offering (best price, easier terms, faster delivery, etc.) that holds the biggest appeal to your would-be-revived account. Then --

● Ask for permission. To continue the dialogue … connect with more specifics … to work up a proposal. At the very least, if you determine to go forward, lock down a precise “who will do what” and “when” – specific date and time -- you will reconnect. 

● Deliver on your part of the bargain – and then some.

Wrapping it up: Why look backward to and invest so much time and energy in clients who have faded and all but abandoned a working relationship over time? 

TGIM Takeaway: Because it’s still at least one step closer, and at least one step easier than starting from scratch, zip, zero, zilch and cold calling a total stranger. 

Even if the last contact with the long dormant account was totally acrimonious, at least you have that acrimony in common.

And that’s a great starting point for progress.

 

It doesn't matter what the shadow revealed. Get digging for those Groundhogs NOW!

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

 

P.S. “Let’s take this opportunity to honor the movie Groundhog Day and pretend everything I did the last time we saw each other never happened.” That’s an unattributed quote floating out in the blogosphere. It appears to be referring to personal relationships. But it also seems also like a pretty good mindset (and maybe even opening line for someone with a wry movie-wise sense of humor) for reestablishing long-dormant business relationships.