There Are Marketing Lessons All Around You If You Just Look

There's a part of the brain that's called something like The Reticular Cortex. Here's how it work:

Do you know when you buy a new car and then you start to see the same car all over the roads? Did other people just buy the same car OR were they always there but you didn't notice them until you started to focus on them?

Right – the latter.

So… when you start to look for marketing lessons, you'll find them all around you.

And not those institutional ads you see many companies wasting their money on. I'm talking about direct response marketing ideas that you can use to make you some money.

Each week I go to Borders Books and Music near where I live (it's in Springfield, PA USA) (Read About My Borders Books and Music Here!) for what I call DPS Time – Dreaming, Planning, Scheming Time when I can work ON my businesses and not IN them. We spend so much time DOING but we need to spend more time thinking through what we want to do with them.

Last Tuesday I saw a marketing lesson I want to share. They are all around us if we will look.

There is a part of the brain called the Reticular Cortex. Here's how it works:

When you purchase a new car, have you ever noticed that all of a sudden you see LOTS of those cars all over the road? Question: did others just start driving those cars OR did you just notice them because you were focused on your own car?

Right: the latter.

So it's important to be open to marketing lessons wherever you see them.

At my local Borders on Tuesday there was a young woman (I'd say college age, comfortably dressed) walking away from the Seattle's Best counter with her drink and sandwich.

In the line waiting to order was a somewhat older woman: smartly pressed black pants over slow heeled boots, attractive blouse mostly covered by a black suit jacket, modest jewelry, nice red nail polish on well-groomed nails, and her hair looked like she just came from the salon.

Here was the interchange as the younger woman walked back to her table and stack of text books and laptop:

"Wow, what is that? It sure smells good," said the businesswoman.

"It's turkey and havarti. It's really good," replied the other woman.

"I'm really hungry – I think I'll get one."

That was it. Three lines. How many marketing lessons do you see there?

Let me suggest these:

• 1. We Sell What We Show. Having the sandwich right there (and in the display case) made it easy for each woman to purchase it.
• 2. Use As Many Senses As You Can. Notice the SMELL was one of the reasons the businesswoman wanted the sandwich, not just the appetizing appearance.
• 3. Price Wasn't A Factor. The businesswoman had made up her mind she wanted the sandwich before even asking for the price. She never asked the price (ok… so I didn't tell you that part) but even so, she had made up her mind when speaking with the younger woman.
• 4. Let others do the selling for you by using Testimonials. Even if the person behind the counter had said the exact same thing, the impact would not have been as great. Testimonials are KING (well, perhaps QUEEN in this case!).

Here are some other lessons that took place AFTER that exchange. And since I'm always coaching the people behind the counter I paid particular attention to find out what would happen next.

When the order for the sandwich was placed, here's what was said:

• 5. "Would you like a drink with that?" Ahhhh, the upsell… straight from the McDonald's Handbook ("Would you like fries with that?")
• 6. And pay attention here: just as the order was being rung up, the person behind the counter asked, "Would you like a cookie to take with you on the road?" You see, the sale had been made. What would one more small decision be? If the hungry businesswoman had been asked all these questions up front, she might have been overwhelmed, and we all should know that "a confused mind always says NO," so it's great that the person behind the counter waited. "Sure, that's fine."
• 7. Notice that the question about the cookie wasn't "would you like something else" or even worse (which is what I hear most of the time at other places), "Is that all." WHAT? Is the sales person tired? Does the sales person want to get rid of me? Isn't the salesperson there to find out "what I want and help me get it," so why do I hear "is that all" ever? But even "what else may I get you" isn't as good as a specific suggestion. Sure, it's still a close-end question, but at least this way the buyer has some idea of what the options are, rather than the very vague, "is there something else?"
• 8. And notice that NONE of this was institutional advertising. No "make them feel good" about what is going on. No "Frogs Drinking Beer" advertising (that's a phrase I've coined – Go here and click the audio player to learn more. Read About Frogs Drinking Beer Marketing Here!).

So… what else do YOU see going on here? Leave me a comment with the lessons YOU see here, ok?

I'm ready to learn more too!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy
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Special Note To My Social Mania Friends: Can you leave a comment here AND go to my new site (literally just put it up Feb 17, 2009 – NOTHING is there but WordPress and Google Friend Connect) and join my Google Friend Connect THERE too? Ultimate Work At Home Dads – Click Here When You Finish Reading This Post, Thanks!

Think about any attachments that are depleting your emotional reserves. Consider letting them go.
        (Oprah Winfrey)

Dave Pelzer, a New York Times Best Selling Author compared the mind to the digestive system. “We eat something and our digestive system extracts the nutrients and gets rid of the waste. Our minds are not as efficient, we tend to hold on to a lot of mental waste that ultimately drags us down.”

Why is that?

Picture your mind as being like your PC (or Mac). What you see on the screen is what you are currently working on. But in the background, there are all kinds of things going on that affect your PC’s performance. Your PC won’t be efficient when there are all kinds of cookies, spy-ware, and other stuff that I really know nothing about clogging up its short-term memory and operational system. Your PC’s hard drive has a lot to do with its performance.

Your subconscious is like your mental hard drive. It’s what’s going on in the background. Sure, your conscious mind may be at work on a particular goal or task, but if your subconscious is not accepting of the task then it will negatively impact your chances of success.

Your subconscious mind affects your daily life in a negative way by rehashing old negative wasteful thoughts. The problem is that these thoughts stir certain emotions and your emotions tend to affect your mood and more importantly your behaviors.

The next time you recognize that you are dwelling on an old negative belief or thought, yell the word “STOP” (to yourself). Then, replace the negative with a positive thought of future success. It is critically important that you get in touch with the feelings associated with this successful thought. When you are in tune with the feelings, you will then stir up the emotions that will lead to productive behaviors.

I have found that another superb way of banishing negative thoughts is to think about something that Socrates said. It went something like … if we all were to put our problems in a heap so that we may divide them evenly, each person would be content to keep their own.

Your negative thoughts are caused when you dwell on past and current problems. Realize that past problems are now wisdom and the current problems are opportunities for future growth.

There Can Be A lot Of Waste In Your Business Too

Hanging on to old ways of doing things or systems that just are not productive anymore will equal a ton of waste.

It is a great idea to look at your business and see where you can make it more efficient.

Are you producing or carrying too many products? Remember the 80/20 principle – eighty percent of your sales come from twenty percent of your products.

Apply the same rule to your customers or clients. Are some clients actually costing you time and money to keep them?

As we know: Bigger is not always better, or dinosaurs would be ruling Earth.  Are you hanging on to empty space? Is your office bigger than it needs to be?

Do you have inventory that has been hanging around for years that is just not selling? If you have a localized business then you are limited by geography. Perhaps those dusty items should be sold on Ebay? Even at a loss, would you rather have cash or dusty inventory?

Many companies that struggle in economic down-turns are usually carrying a lot of waste in the form of advertising that is not working and operational procedures that are in-efficient and out-dated. Don’t believe me? Study just a few of the companies that stood in line for Government hand-outs in recent times!

Mike Dolpies (AKA- Mike D.) is the author of the forth-coming book: Motion Before Motivation, How to Quickly Create the Life You Want. He speaks for corporations and associations on the topics of Success, Peak Performance and Ethical Persuasion. Mike is also a Consulting Hypnotist and Freelance Copywriter.  You can check out his blog at http://www.askmiked.com   You can get some free persuasion resources at www.revealtheshortcut.com and you can go to http://www.raisingrealwinners.com/nh to get a free subscription to his Parenting Audio Magazine: Raising Real Winners.

Whether we are in economic boom or bust the companies that survive and thrive are the ones that pay attention to detail. These companies realize that in marketing, sales and business, both big and small, everything counts. Every customer interaction, every spoken and written word – everything! Here’s a story of a company that really dropped the ball…

A short while back I had a great experience with a plumbing and HVAC company. But recently I opened a letter from them and was totally disappointed.
 
About a year ago we had a water softener and filtration system installed. It took the Well Company about two days to complete the job. At the end of day to the technician informed me that “All was set!” He told me that it would take about two hours to get hot water as the tank needs to fill up again. Hours later, still no hot water. We opted for heating up water on the stove instead of cold showers. After all, it was winter time.

We wanted to get a plumber to our house right away, but settled on one who could get to us first thing in the AM. They showed up, they were very professional; they put plastic covers over their boots so they wouldn’t track outside dirt on our hardwood floors. Then, they told us what the problem was; the element in the electric hot water heater was “fried.” They said it was “dry-fired.” They took care of it and we got our hot water back. As they were going over the bill with us they offered (and we accepted) a diamond membership. As a side note we luckily hadn’t paid the Well Company, so you can guess who ended up covering our bill. The diamond membership had some cool benefits. But honestly, being a business and marketing consultant, I simply liked their style and the fact that they got the job done! We used this plumbing and HVAC Company a few more times throughout the year.

It’s this “diamond membership” and the way they went about attempting to have us renew it that you’re gonna learn from.

I get this letter from them that looks like an invoice. At first I’m wondering “what’s up” because as far as I know they haven’t been to our house is a few months. I look closer and it’s an invoice for $90.00, the yearly fee for the diamond membership. But here’s the first BIG mistake…

The invoice was all that was in the envelope. No re-explanation of all the valuable diamond benefits. No “thanks for being a diamond member!” And the kicker, a notice that finance charge will be added for late payments! Like I signed some contract to be a diamond member for the rest of my life? Hum, if I did, someone at consumer affairs will hear about it! I also wondered if their dressing up the renewal notice as an invoice was an attempt to fool me – I’m actually a little insulted.

Lesson- Don’t take it for granted that your customers will just “renew” because you said so. This renewal notice should have been accompanied by a sales letter about the benefits of membership along with some irresistible free offer for renewing. Maybe they throw in a check of all systems. Anything of value would suffice. On to the next lesson…

They should be reselling this membership more often than once per year. I don’t associate this treatment with anything “diamond.” Next lesson…

After they apply the first two lessons they’d be ready to implement lesson three. These types of programs are perfect for auto-renew. There’s two ways to do that… They could bill their customers’ credit cards automatically, (As long as the customer agreed in advance). Or, they could make this membership seem less expensive while actually earning more revenue. All they’d have to do is charge eight or nine dollars per month billed to a credit card and their renewals would sky-rocket!

I just couldn’t help myself! These were just obvious improvements that could have been made to this company’s system of taking care of their “best customers.” But I guess they’ll be left to blame their customers or the economy for their lack of care and sloppy work!

Mike Dolpies (AKA- Mike D.) is the author of the forth-coming book: Motion Before Motivation, How to Quickly Create the Life You Want. He speaks for corporations and associations on the topics of Success, Peak Performance, Marketing and Ethical Persuasion. Mike is also a Consulting Hypnotist and Freelance Copywriter.  You can check out his blog at www.askmiked.com You can get some free persuasion resources at www.revealtheshortcut.com

The Economy Hits Rock Bottom As Unemployment Numbers Skyrocket – Worst In 12 Years

I'm no longer shocked by the horrible unemployment numbers – maybe I'm just numb to them by now.

And it's not that they haven't hit close to home: my older daughter recently lost her job in Boston – a job she helped create and for an organization where she helped raise millions for their arts programs. (Her former team will miss her charm, spirit, hard work, and great success.)

Two headlines from today's Business Section of the Philadelphia Inquirer really caught my eye:

• Slim Jobs Hope Draws Crowd
• Dow Sinks To 12-Year Low; Every Sector Took A Hit

Slim job hopes? 12 companies showed up at a local job fair in Center City and 1,800 persons showed up. VERY slim job hopes (and this isn't the only place these companies are looking)

12-year low? Ouch. 24.86% drop since January 1, 2009 and 18.21% in the last four weeks (beginning of February to beginning of March).

Why Shouldn't Work At Home Dads Go Crazy Over These Horrible Economic Reports?

• 1. We're not looking for J-O-B-S – in fact, we want to AVOID them. We want to pour our heart and soul into work we love, not suffer the anguish of working for a large company that has been throwing out its employees like yesterday's garbage. So, keep working – I know a really successful internet marketer (hey, he's not the "typical marketer, I know that) who just had a $4,000,000 sales day. He was selling an information product (books, CDs, DVDs, etc) to people working from home and changing nearly $2000 each. Who said people aren't buying – they're buying what they see will help them!

• 2. As for the Dow (and I've suffered like everyone else – my IRA is down 43.78% over the past year – and that's money I was counting on!), am I the only one who kept wondering a few years back why it kept soaring to new heights? The US was fighting two very expensive wars, leadership from Washington didn't engender great trust and faith that everything was going well… SO, WHY was it going up so quickly? WHY were the kinds of stock prices we were seeing viable? WHY did people feel they deserved Bernie Madoff kinds of returns on their money? I really don't know.

Hey, things are tough out there for MANY people. I see the severity of it all around me.

But those of us working at home need to keep plowing ahead. Keep marketing. Keep getting your name and websites in front of people. Keep sharing your love and support for all around you.

Ultimate Work At Home Dads Will Make Things Happen – NOW!

Those who do, will come out on top when all of this turns around.

And if you don't believe me, let me ask you this?

• Do you want to risk that I'm wrong and find yourself at the bottom of the economic pile when we come out of this?
• OR do you want to have some faith in yourself, in the US economy, and in what I'm saying here and keep moving ahead so that you stand a chance of coming out on top when things turn around. And they WILL turn around because you and I won't stand for anything less!

Keep going! It makes all the "cents" in the world.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

Special Note To My Social Mania Friends: Can you leave a comment here AND go to my new site (literally just put it up Feb 17, 2009 – NOTHING is there but WordPress and Google Friend Connect) and join my Google Friend Connect THERE too? Ultimate Work At Home Dads – Click Here When You Finish Reading This Post, Thanks!

Will Work At Home Dads Take Over More Household Chores Now That They Are At Home?

One of my favorite magazines, The Week ("The best of the US and International Media"), had an article in it's March 6, 2009 edition asking, "Will jobless dads become Mr. Mom?"

My wife and I instantly disagreed about what that meant, and she was right.

Will Dads working at home take over more of the household chores? The article says, NO.

"With men experiencing 82% of the recession's job losses" quoting Emily Bazelon from Slate.com, "we may be on the verge of an 'uninvited cultural shift.' Millions of homes across America now have laid-off dads who, in theory, have more time to pick up the kids from school, start dinner, and assume some of the domestic responsibilities shouldered by working moms.

"But this is only true in theory.

"Men tend to view their jobs as essential to their identities and their masculinity, so losing a job often leaves them depressed and angry.

"Not many of them are likely to become spearheads for feminism's next wave. In fact, time-use studies reveal that unemployed men 'don't do more child care than they did before they lose their jobs.'

"Instead of morphing into Mr. Mom, they sleep, watch television, and look for work.

"So while some feminists may view the husband-at-home syndrome as a 'silver lining' inside otherwise gloomy times, it probably won't lead to more equal sharing of domestic chores. In fact, 'it has backlash written all over it."

Here's How My Wife And I Worked Out The Chores While I Work At Home And She Works Outside Of Our Home

For myself, I told my wife years ago that while I believe she is a super woman, she is not Superwoman. She could not continue to work outside the home and do all the chores. She does the shopping, I do the laundry; I vacuum the upstairs, she cleans downstairs; she cooks a main piece of meat to store in the refrigerator, and she and I then get our own meals which we sometimes eat together.

I work here, she is out of the house for work. I fix my own lunch (quickly eating and back to the computer), and when we're both home around dinner and I break away from the computer in time, we eat together at the kitchen table. (Our daughters are both successful and out of our home.)

One time while traveling I read a book that talked about doing things like the laundry doesn't get in the way of life, it IS life. And doing a good job with the laundry is a small way to show my wife that I love her.

So I think about that every time I'm folding one of her blouses or hanging her pants for her to put away.

And since I generally use Mondays as my administrative day for my work (lining up things for the rest of the week, backing up the computer, straightening up my office), I can be interrupted by the dryer's buzz when a load is finished and waiting for the next.

Tell Me What YOU Do While Working Arom Home

So… leave a comment – tell me what YOU do to help around the house.

We're all in this together – and helping our wives will bring us all closer together as we figure out this economy and how we can best work at home.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

Special Note To My Social Mania Friends: Can you leave a comment here AND go to my new site (literally just put it up Feb 17, 2009 – NOTHING is there but WordPress and Google Friend Connect) and join my Google Friend Connect THERE too? Ultimate Work At Home Dads – Click Here When You Finish Reading This Post, Thanks!

Can Tiger Woods Be The Spark The US Economy Needs?

It's just a thought – and since no one else has figured it out, this economic theory may be as good as anyone else's.

His surgery was in July, 2008. He then missed the next two majors that year. But today he comes back to professional golf with a new baby, a newly refreshened knee, and a new attitude.

Could this be the confidence kick the US Economy needs?

Confidence Is Key To US Economy

If someone threw a recession and none of us decided to show up, how much better off would we be right now?

How many times have you heard that if one political party or another won the World Series, the stock market would go up or down (depending on the win – the "facts" aren't important here, but knowing that people THINK they are is what is important).

So why can't Tiger Woods be the swift kick in the economy's behind that we need?

He's been down, he was taken apart and sewn back together, and he's coming roaring back. So can the economy.

President Obama Makes Historic Speech To Congress

Last night President Obama made a stirring speech to the American public and the joint houses of Congress. He was direct, powerful, and set bold goals.

He is working to turn lemons into lemonade, and asked everyone to help.

If that speech had been made 4 months ago before the economy hit the tsunami of bad news, the President would have been booed off of Capitol Hill. But with the stock market hemorrhaging, corporations shuttering, cars remaining on dealers lots, houses not selling, good honest people being thrown out of work like yesterday's garbage, and families rethinking decisions about college for next year, something dramatic has to be done.

One thing was clear last night – politics continue and no matter which side of the aisle is yours, everyone knows we MUST succeed at turning this around.

Tiger Woods To The Rescue

So that's where my Tiger Woods Economic Stimulus Package comes in – he's upbeat, energetic, works hard, keeps focus, and is a WINNER.

And so must our economy be.

We'll keep working from home or the office or the department store or the factory – and let Tiger rebuild the confidence in America and our economy.

Tell everyone you read about the solution here. And then go preach the gospel of our economic turnaround.

Go Tiger!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

Special Note To My Social Mania Friends: Can you leave a comment here AND go to my new site (literally just put it up Feb 17, 2009 – NOTHING is there but WordPress and Google Friend Connect) and join my Google Friend Connect THERE too? Ultimate Work At Home Dads – Click Here When You Finish Reading This Post, Thanks!

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Opportunities Abound For Work At Home Dads, Even In THIS Economy!

How often do we have to hear it from or read it in the news? The economy is the worst since our parents (and for some of us it's our parents' parents) were young.

All indicators are down. My personal retirement fund has shrunk by about 50%. Unemployment is rising, and if it hasn't touched your family, you KNOW a family it has struck.

And the effect ripples through our town, county, state, country, and world. You can't escape that we're part of a SYSTEM, not a series of individuals. Someone losing a job in Maine doesn't buy as many groceries so the farmer in Texas doesn't plant as much and the family in California has to pay more. And on and on.

And when I was a kid, I remember my Dad talking about the economy (he later ran a major real estate firm and was on the Board of the Philadelphia Fed… so he had learned a thing or two).

And if there was one major lesson I learned from him it's that OPPORTUNITY is as great in any party of the cycle (for indeed, economies are cyclical).

So… that means that there are opportunities abounding right now.

And if you follow Internet Marketing (especially Information Product marketing), perhaps you just witnessed Frank Kern (one of the really good guys) sell more than $4,000,000 worth of CDs and booklets, teaching people how to succeed in today's economy.

But For Many, Where Did The Dream Go?

But for people watching their 401(k)s being drained or their IRAs tumble, it certainly must feel like the sky has fallen. And if you're sitting at home instead of going into that job in an office, store, warehouse, or factory, the pain can be intense.

Or Perhaps You've Been Saying, Take Me From The Rat Race

Or, perhaps you still have a job but are nervous that you might be next to go. Here in the Philadelphia, PA USA area, apartment developer Steve Korman has pleaded with companies (many of which he owns stock in) to remember that firing people leads to more firing. He'd like to see a corporation earn less, but keep all of its people working.

Not many corporations share his thoughts.

Or, You're Already Working At Home And Think, How Can I Turbo Charge My Work At Home

You know how it is to have the freedom of working from home. No commute. No expensive lunches out. No boring meetings that take up so much of your time.

But with the way the economy is now, you really need some help to turbo charge your results. Going back to an office job just isn't in the cards for you, even if the economy had any jobs available.

I've Been There Too

As a Work At Home Dad since 1991 (longer, really, since from 1977 – 1991, I sold $247,368,657.97 worth of Investment Real Estate and though I worked for a large real estate firm, I did much of my work from home), I recognize each of these stories… and each of the opportunities they bring.

Oh, it may not FEEL like an opportunity when you're faced with being fired or the potential of a layoff, but it can be.

So, I've dedicated myself (with the help of some of my very smart friends) to help the Work At Home Dads.

When you search the Internet, there are all kinds of opportunities for Stay At Home Moms, but the Dads have been forgotten. And with the economy the way it is, we Dads can use all the help we can get.

I have created several family-centric sites (RaisingGreatFamilies.com, ILearnedItAllFromMyKids.com, FathersAndTheDaughtersTheyLove.com among them) and my professional photography business was all related to families (Family Portraits, Weddings, Bat and Bar Mitzvahs, Theater).

Over the next few months, I will openly share information to help Work At Home Dads. The site isn't open yet, but if you join my Google Friends Contact here on RaisingGreatFamilies, I'll be sure to let you know when those resources are available.

There's nothing like the power of when creative and hard-working men join together. Hey, not being sexist – my wife would smack me if I did that (to say nothing about my two successful daughters), but it's time for us men to band together to make the family economy work for each of us.

I look forward to hearing from you – hearing your ideas, your greatest concerns about working from home, hearing about some of the solutions you have come up with. Let's share this information to help all of us.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad, succeeding in this economy

Special Note To My Social Mania Friends: Can you leave a comment here AND go to my new site (literally just put it up Feb 17, 2009 – NOTHING is there but WordPress and Google Friend Connect) and join my Google Friend Connect THERE too? Ultimate Work At Home Dads – Click Here When You Finish Reading This Post, Thanks!

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What is the old expression: MANAGEMENT is getting the ladder put up against the wall to see to the other side… LEADERSHIP is getting the ladder put in the correct location. (It's something like that!)

And one of the reason that so many people put the ladder in the wrong location is that they are so busy DOING things that they just don't take the time to THINK.

Each week, I have scheduled in my calendar TWO times I call DPS: Dreaming, Planning, Scheming…. 9 AM – 12:30 PM each Tuesday and Thursday… and I go to my local Borders, get the tallest coffee-chocolate-raspberry drink they make, and THINK. It's MY time for ME. (And thinking is hard work, so I know that when the time is up, I leave… I'll just have to pick things up again the next time if I haven't finished everything.)

It's time to dream about what I want to be when I grow up; plan how I want to get there; and scheme (even with myself) about how I will succeed at what I'm deciding to do. Sometimes my white paper tablet is blank, other times I have a full agenda, but still I THINK…

Right now I have several projects working at the same time. Though one may not be more IMPORTANT than another, their schedules dictate that I must concentrate very carefully on what has to be done NOW, and put off what can be done LATER.

The "Right Now" project is the release of a CD (see http://LizSeymour.com). From August 10 – 17 I was in Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, and the Grand Canyon with my family creating a music video to support this CD's release. We had some family time as well, but I knew that getting the correct images while we were out there was paramount. Taking a few extra moments then would be worth it – having to go BACK, would be VERY expensive.

But I could never have done all of this without having thought it through first.

So… if YOU work at home, schedule some time with yourself. Tell people that you have an appointment – that's true: you have an appointment with yourself and it's a real important one if you are going to succeed.

Spend some concentrated time thinking: you will be VERY glad you did.

Charlie Seymour Jr.
Please leave a comment below: I really DO read them all!

Charlie Seymour Jr is the founder of RaisingGreatFamilies.com, FathersAndTheDaughtersTheyLove.com, and ILearnedItAllFromMyKids.com. He is also working with his daughter, Liz, as she publishes her own website and releases her first solo CD: LizSeymour.com. Charlie is a Social Marketer and Community Builder and often consults about marketing through his site, GetThemOffTheRaftMarketing.com. He's a prolific writer, including blogs on each of these sites, his book Dream Inc (32 Philadelphia-area Entrepreneurs and their Million Dollar Secrets For Success), and articles about Social Marketing for national and regional publications including NSA Magazine (for the National Speakers Association) and Spotlight (for the American Association of Community Theatre). He's the father of two daughters and lives in Wallingford, PA with his wife, Pam.

Beware of Bank and Credit Card Marketing Schemes sent in your credit card statements – they may not be what they seem: they may be MUCH WORSE!

Small businesses including those we run from home need special help at times. Here's a problem you should be aware of.

Banks, like lots of businesses, are hurting. They are looking for money at every turn. I HOPE they aren't working on shady deals with consumers: you decide…

My home equity loan is around 5% so when I saw the offer in my credit card statement from Chase Bank in Wilmington, DE (800-945-2000) to lend me money at 2.99%, it seemed like a good deal.

Over the past few months, the APR in these offers had consistently dropped as our economy grinds to a terrible halt: 4.99%, 3.99%, and then the third month: 2.99%.

The offer seemed simple as I read it: use the top check and get 0.00% for a limited time (only a few months) OR use one of the bottom two checks and get 2.99% "Fixed APR, until balance is paid in full." Seems simple enough, don't you think?

I filled out the bottom check, took it to my bank on July 15, and deposited it in one of my accounts. Sweet!

Chase Fraud Department even called me two days later to be sure that I was the one cashing the check and when I called their automated system, they handled things really nicely: quick, easy, they recognized who I was just from the phone I used to call from, and the approval was set.

That was the LAST pleasant thing to happen with this.

It turns out that the statement that I sent to pay my PREVIOUS bill (sent on July 1) never arrived. The statement I received yesterday showed a penalty of $39 PLUS interest on the unpaid balance. (I had even taken the envelope to the Springfield Mall Post Office on July 1, so I know it was mailed.)

I called this AM and was connected with a very pleasant Ms. Edward who, though not always clear with exactly what interest rate was being charged and who apologized if she hadn't been completely "forthright" with me when I had to ask four times about the interest rate I was being charged, was helpful.

But the news was SHOCKING! See what you think about this:

• After I explained my situation about the statement not arriving at Chase even though I had mailed it, Ms. Edward offered to withdraw funds from my checking account electronically to pay for the previous statement. We did this. That statement is now paid in full. Phewww.
• She offered to negate the $39 penalty fee. Nice. Done… accepted.
• She did NOT offer to negate the penalty INTEREST. I explained that to a CONSUMER, the bank was charging me for not getting money to them on time. She was taking care of a portion of it and though the Bank sees this as two fees, the consumer feels that the bank is taking money from him and it doesn't matter HOW the bank classifies it. She wouldn't negate the interest charge.

It was THEN that the REAL fun began!

• Since my PREVIOUS statement hadn't been paid on time (for whatever reason – didn't matter that I had actually sent it through USPS or not… Chase hadn't received the funds), the 2.99% interest rate promised me (and for which I hadn't even received a bill yet – AND the money was deposited to my bank AFTER the due date of my previous statement) was raised to 16.99%. WHAT!!?
• Ms. Edward said that she would "ask the marketing department" if they would reduce my rate back to the advertised 2.99%. WHAT!!? Ask them? I had been promised this, and though my money hadn't been received by them for a previous statement, they had taken it upon themselves to raise my rate without notice. I asked for a copy of the "fine print" which said that they could do this. I was then told that it would take 8 – 10 business days to get that to me, including the results of the marketing department reviewing my case.
• And to add insult to injury, during those 8 – 10 days, and IF the marketing department in their infinite wisdom and generosity (sarcasm intended) decide to give me the 2.99% that was promised, I'm still charge interest at the 16.99% until they make up their minds to change it. WHAT!!?

And if THAT weren't bad enough, read on:

• Though the bank (assuming they come to their senses and give me the 2.99% interest rate they advertised in the mail piece) is charging me 2.99% on the loan, any other use of my credit card will be charged at 16.99% until the entire loan amount is paid off. WHAT!!?

So what that means is that though I'm charged 2.99% for the loan, all new charges are at 16.99%. There is no way for me to pay off those monthly credit card charges (as I always have – I always pay off my monthly charges when a bill comes in) and get rid of them until the whole loan is paid off first.

Ms. Edwards wanted to be sure to explain that to me since she thought she had heard some confusion in my voice. Confusion? I guess so!

Ms. Edward indicated that much of this was written on the check I used. Well, since I have more of those checks sitting here near my checkbooks and since I can read that NOTHING is written on those checks nor the advertising materials attached to them, I have NO idea how consumers are supposed to know this!

And another thing that makes me wary: When I told Ms. Edward that I had used the check for a loan and asked her to tell me what my interest rate should be, she told me that I had used the 0.00% for-a-limited-time check, which is NOT what the marketing materials told me. I made sure to write 2.99% on the memo line of the bottom check which only the FED can read now I guess, but I sure hope this story hasn't gotten any worse.

(By the way… they announced that they were recording this call, so I recorded it as well and mentioned it three times to Ms. Edward. Just wanted to be sure that if I had to build a case about this, I have proof. Mail fraud and banking fraud are hard to prove, and I wanted to be sure that I couldn't be misquoted later.)

As this problem with Chase unfolds, I'll keep you informed.

Working from home and staying connected to our loving families is difficult enough.

Phewww… what a way to start the morning!

Let me know what YOU think, ok?

Charlie Seymour Jr.
Please leave a comment below: I really DO read them all!

Charlie Seymour Jr is the founder of RaisingGreatFamilies.com, FathersAndTheDaughtersTheyLove.com, and ILearnedItAllFromMyKids.com. He is also working with his daughter, Liz, as she publishes her own website and releases her first solo CD: LizSeymour.com. Charlie is a Social Marketer and Community Builder and often consults about marketing through his site, GetThemOffTheRaftMarketing.com. He's a prolific writer, including blogs on each of these sites, his book Dream Inc (32 Philadelphia-area Entrepreneurs and their Million Dollar Secrets For Success), and articles about Social Marketing for national and regional publications including NSA Magazine (for the National Speakers Association) and Spotlight (for the American Association of Community Theatre). He's the father of two daughters and lives in Wallingford, PA with his wife, Pam.

Do you have your plumber lined up for emergency help when you work from home?

When we work from home, we don't want anything to get in our way of keeping to our schedule.

If the Internet goes down, many of us do too. If the toilet backs up beyond your own capabilities, you could be in trouble. And if your air-conditioning stops in the hottest week of the year (just as you are about to head out of town), what do you do?

That has just happened. It's near 11:00 PM Eastern time, it's still 92 degrees outside and we expect 4-5 more days of heat and humidty like this, and I leave for a church mission trip with middle schoolers tomorrow after church.

Needless to say my wife isn't happy… and neither am I.

She noticed that the A/C fan wasn't staying on as she had programmed it. The house still felt cool enough for me, but Pam is super sensitive to smells, sounds, and now I see to temperature changes (it only took me 27 years of marriage to learn that!).

But she was right… something wasn't working right with the A/C.

So… do you call the A/C folks or the plumber (who, in this case, is good friend and plumber extraordinaire, John Luke of John Luke Plumbing: (610) 328-1110 for the Philadelphia, PA USA area).

Not so fast… this one needs extra care before you decide.

Whole-house air-conditioners take a great deal of moisture out of the air. The water has to go somewhere, and in this case it all drains to a small pump which then forces the water the ENTIRE LENGTH OF MY HOUSE before it squirts it on my lawn. Ridiculous way to construct all of this since the outside of my house is about 12' from the A/C unit in one direction, but the builder took the piping the whole length of the house to evacuated the water near where the A/C compressor is… and that's probably a trip of 100 feet.

It seems that in our area, this water can't be put into the sewer system because our sewer tax is dependent on the amount of water we use, and so if we give the sewer system more water than we pay for from the water company, the sewer system will be over worked and under compensated. (Again, there has to be a better way, but city hall practices aren't my concern right now).

So… I had to clean out this little pump (which gets gunked with the most disgusting slime) and then put it back online. But now after 10 years, the evacuation piping is sooooo clogged up, the pump isn't strong enough to send any of the condensate out of the house, so I either turn off the A/C on this sweltering day OR I figure something else out.

A call to John's emergency number got me the answer. We have rigged a temporary solution (all the condensate is now flowing into a large trash can which we will check in the morning before church) and then John will come arrange another plumbing system to be sure this water safely leaves our house.

No return call from the A/C folks' emergency number… I called them just in case, even though I really felt the problem was one of plumbing and not air handling.

So… I ask the question again: Do you have your plumber lined up. Can you imagine the headaches (and heartaches) this would have caused… and with me 800 miles away for the rest of the week.

Service – TRUE SERVICE – is being there when someone needs you. Are you there for YOUR customers and clients when they need you?

I'm sure glad John is here for me!

Charlie Seymour Jr.
Please leave a comment below: I really DO read them all!

Charlie Seymour Jr is the founder of RaisingGreatFamilies.com, FathersAndTheDaughtersTheyLove.com, and ILearnedItAllFromMyKids.com. He is also working with his daughter, Liz, as she publishes her own website and releases her first solo CD: LizSeymour.com. Charlie is a Social Marketer and Community Builder and often consults about marketing through his site, GetThemOffTheRaftMarketing.com. He's a prolific writer, including blogs on each of these sites, his book Dream Inc (32 Philadelphia-area Entrepreneurs and their Million Dollar Secrets For Success), and articles about Social Marketing for national and regional publications including NSA Magazine (for the National Speakers Association) and Spotlight (for the American Association of Community Theatre). He's the father of two daughters and lives in Wallingford, PA with his wife, Pam.