Through my observations, I have found that the Bohemians, especially in Nassau, are excellent salesmen and women. Everything from dining and merchandise to excursions and activities on the beach, these folks know how to intice you to buy their products and services.

Sales Tactics Learned from B2C Transactions in the Bahamas

• Pay now, services rendered later-When arriving to Freeport on the third day, we found that many of the taxi’s had the same scheme in terms of collecting payments for their services. The way it was pitched to me,”I will take you and your party into the city, 11 miles away. It will be $5 dollars for each person, $10 round trip. You pay $10 up front now, I will pick you up whenever/wherever you want.” I didn’t fall for this, but knew a few folks that bought in ahead of time, and were left with no ride. I think people would feel more comfortable paying a fraction of the full cost upfront (if this was presented correctly) and have better reassurance of getting a ride.

• Compliment the customers- While walking on the beach, Bohemian ladies combed the area looking for potential customers for their hair braiding business. And like true Dale Carnegie’s,  They would walk up to women, throwing out comments such as, ” My, you have the best hair for braiding” and “Hello beautiful-how about some pretty braids to brighten your day?” Being observant during the pitch, is greatly important for any salesmen or women.

• Thin slice and categorize- When we first approached the beach off of paradise island, we heard, “Sir, Jet-ski ride today? We have a great special for couples-going on ONLY today.” I heard this same call out, later on in the day but it was changed and directed towards women. I doubt they had a unique special for my case, but it did make me think for a moment that it was sale item for me and my situation.

• Use Storytelling & Humor- We took a ferry over to paradise island from Nassau. While on the boat we were greeted by our guide- a clever and funny guy. He told us stories about Nicholas Cage’s estate on the island, How to smuggle booze back on to the cruse ship, and Michael Jackson’s suite in the Atlantis hotel. Needless to say, I was more inclined to tip him when the ride was over.

*While these tactics were definitely used in the bahamas, there are not to say- classical methodologies of selling (and I would not reccomend all of these to your business). I would suggest using your best judgment when deciding to apply these tactics.

Thanks for reading,
Taylor

Often times we don’t notice we enjoy the free gifts that come along with our purchases as much as we actually do. Sit back and think for a second. As a kid, it wasn’t about the food in the happy meal, it was about the toy, right? And as businesses we should think about, not only what the customer is paying for, but what the customer is getting for free ( if anything at all).

That brings me to the topic of this post-”Marketing the water cup.” You know when you go into a fast food joint (or any non “table service”-oriented restaurant) and you order food along with a water? They usually give you a clear plastic container that can be filled with 2.2 ounces full of water (if that). Most of the time you leave pissed because 1) you have to fill up multiple times 2) the cup is so cheap it is almost not worth carrying around your chilled H20.

So why doesn’t anyone do anything about it? Well, for one most fast food companies focus strictly on costs. There mentality-” If we give away some plastic for free, that is a loss on our hands.” But let’s reverse the thinking…

Rather than think of the loss in production costs lets think of the loss in Marketing dollars that incurs when people standardize their water cup. So many missed opportunities to get your company name in the hands of users. Besides, I think water cups could be pretty trendy. Why can’t companies make a mockery around the whole, “you-are-a-cheap-skate-so-here-is-a-water-cup”exchange in the first place? Here is a rough example:

*This is not the actual Bojangles cup- merely a Photoshoped
prototype. Hell, it's not even the right color...

Other Examples of Water cup Slogans:

1. I got my FREE water at [Fill in restaurant]. Almost as good as the fire hydrant…
2. The water was almost as good as the meal. But you be the judge at [Fill in restaurant].
3. Or Maybe the bold, “This *-ISH WAS FREE!”

Enough with the craziness. The point is, if you have anything that you give out for free- Don’t shame it by putting it in a kiddy cup, be bold and talk it up. If you are in a service industry- imagine how you can make your free quotes or free 14 day trials more captivating and provide bigger takeways to your customers. It will be worth the few extra cents…

Thanks for reading. Would love to know your thoughts!

We are all granted with it. The ability to communicate on some level with one another to achieve a desirable result, to find more information, to intice…however we see fit. And often times- we get it all wrong.

In the work setting, it get’s even worse. Sometimes, We all can be Communication Idiots. We email, We IM, We hang around people’s desk and talk to the backs of necks– and for what?

Before I get into the more elaborate details, This is what you should take away from this blog post:

1. Choose a Communication Channel Like you choose your daily wardrobe- stick to wearing one thing at a time.
2. Details are just desserts- consume them sparingly.
3. Silence is a big, fat Plague.
4. Does Taylor have to compare everything to inanimate objects? Yes.

•Don’t pay for your meal with plastic, and then tip in Cash•

When forming a new relationship, the channel in which you communicate is grossly important. If you initially email me for something (Business request, Consulting, Personal, etc.) you expect me to email you back, right? Not for me to show up to your house to talk because I know that is not what you want.

Vendors are notorious for screwing this up. They email you, you respond, then they call you four seconds after your last email assuming you want to pick up the phone and talk right that second. Worst. tactic. ever.

Remember: Let the person you are engaging with, pick the medium they are comfortable in using and then STICK to it. If you are not getting the appropriate response from them (perhaps they have not responded to your 10 consecutive emails)- it’s your problem. Craft your pitch better. Here is an example that got my attention.

A vendor, out of 14 messages on my voice mail in the matter of an hour, left this message:

“Good Morning Taylor, I am calling because I recently found out through BuyerZone that you needed [This type of service] of which, we can certainly help with. Now, I know I am not the only vendor that is calling- and perhaps, I might not be the right fit for the project you are pursuing. But, in regards to [This type of service], We have the best technology in the universe… yes the universe. If you are interested in what I am talking about and are willing to hash out some quotes, call me on my personal cell-[# listed]. I can’t wait to REALLY earn your business…Thanks!”

So the guy says he has the best technology in the universe- doubt it. That is not the point– It was those off the wall comparisons-the fact that he truly related to my situation that made me pick up the phone and call him back.

• “Time Killa- Free” Details •

Communicating using every little detail sucks. It is important for others to know all the facets around a centralized idea but adding the sprinkles sometimes doesn’t make the ice cream sundae taste any better. When understanding what is important in back and forth communication, I often ask the other person:

1. What is the ONE idea you want me to execute on- in this given moment?
2. If I walk away, what is the one thing you want me to remember from this conversation?

Using these tactics might be brash but I often find they help people focus on the right things: THE TAKEAWAYS.

• Silence is Golden…Only in Dirty Movie Theaters•

Some of the things I regret most in life are the times I never spoke up. Speaking up in open conversation is easier said that done. When stepping into conversations, many of us have a fight or flight mechanism that causes us to hold still or throw ideas into the wind.

One thing that I find useful in these types of situations is to use the power of listening to your advantage. It may seem stupid, even perhaps rudimentary, but it actually works when you DO feel the need to speak up.  I allow about 2-5 minutes at the start of every meeting strictly devoted to listening. This gives me good timing to know when to communicate the ideas that I find important and also let’s people know that I am willing to listen to you if, in the end, you are willing to listen to me. Try it next time.

Thanks for reading. Don’t be silent- Comment and let me know your thoughts.

Taylor

While I received great feedback from my last version of my website, I decided against archiving all the posts and comments and migrating them over. I have saved them in a backup- if I ever want to refelct on those great times- of which, some are listed below:

• Trips to TechCrunch50, LeWeb in Paris, Toronto, meeting Ashton Kutcher and getting to temporarily own a 2010 Ford Fiesta.
• Launching YoungTechStars, reigniting Social Media Club RDU, and countless other Social Media Stuff.
• Local Happenings- meetups, brewery tours, and Seesmic Meetups!

There are many more memories that I am sure I failed to mention but I think this is a good time to dust off the ole boots, and start anew…

The Breakdown and Directon of the New Site

With new digs, comes new style. I am expanding my content pallet, so to speak, to include  more areas of interest (design,marketing and technology.) In regards to the anatomy of the site, I have included more sections than just blogging. Here are the specifics:

The Design:

Clean. Crisp. Clutter-free. This is what I was aiming for and I think I came close. If not– please email me. I knew that in my last versioned site their was alot of usability issues, people couldn’t find posts, the pictures representing some posts would be cut off and so on. In the new site I focused on three main concepts:

1. Minimalism- of course- Do less with more. I wanted to have less attack of the “word monster” and do more with clean spaces and visuals for each post.
2. Searchable and easy to use- A place to find that one cool post I wrote, or easily find out more about me-quickly. I used more defined categories and sub categories, and utilized page, sub page, and more child hierarchical structures.
3. Supporting Dynamic content. This isn’t 200o anymore. I needed a mass update of supporting lightboxes, new video flash players, and better ways to display multimedia.

The Tone:

With this new web property, I am finding more of my voice. Basically- less flowerly language and more, “Let’s be real- and talk about the points, sans the corporate jargon.” I am also going to give more attention to my blog (a blogger’s last words) and keep things concise and too the point. Perhaps touch on some topics that people are afraid to touch!

The Message:

Plain and simple: “Create stuff that I like and others wouldn’t mind reading.” The hardest thing of any website is to truly capture return visitors and to build a following. I am completely humbled by all the support from others. I hope that I can continue it and gain some more friends on the way!

Thanks for reading.

Taylor