I am simply going to recap my NYC business trip by cutting and pasting my work blog here. So, this will probably be the most work-related post you will ever read here. I'm sure there will be some things that just look like aogihaoigh to you below, but next time we talk, ask me about it :) (Start at the bottom of the post.)
Friday 8.22.08In the words of the sometimes great Ozzy Osborne, ‘Mamma, I’m coming home!’
I had the opportunity to get together with my mentor and old boss last night. It was great to see him and hang out. I can’t put into words how much life has changed for the both of us in three short years, but as is the case with close friendships, we picked up right where we left off. It was all very easy.
A couple of observations/thoughts on this, my travel home day:
1. I do not miss NYC anymore. I had to step over a passed-out, homeless guy yesterday on my way into a building. (This building wasn’t in a neighborhood that you would necessarily deem ‘bad.’ It’s not great either, but that’s not really the point.) I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with this anymore. My suburban home in Wylie, TX will most certainly do.
2. I am obsessed with Carrie Underwood. When the f did this country music phase happen? Jeez. But I just can’t stop listening to her. Imagine me walking around the streets of NYC, dodging in and out, jamming to Carrie Underwood. Awesome.
3. I have had a couple of breakthroughs here as it relates to this business. All in all, I have been more passive than I think I should be. I don’t feel like I’m necessarily waiting for things to happen, but I’m certainly not doing everything I can to make things happen. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like I’ve accomplished quite a bit in the last 2-3 months, but if I want this to happen, I have to exhaust every single avenue. And that doesn’t just include exploring and winning business. This is a piece of business that I’m growing so there are many business things that have to be done. And there’s no one else other than myself who will do it right now. I lost the hat I used to wear when Miker and I were making independent films, doing everything ourselves, trying to become the next Coen brothers. I’ve found it again.
4. Plane hopping is for the birds. The only thing more annoying right now is being stuck in the last row in coach next to a guy taking up the better part of two seats.
5. Every time I travel, I pick up a little souvenir for myself because you know, I need more stuff. I have more collections of stupid things – my wife is not amused. So, about a year ago, I circumvented bringing home more useless things by picking up baseball caps from the particular place I visited. This was perfect because I always wear caps and by that alone, it became a useful thing to bring home. I’ve got quite a collection of caps now thank you very much. This trip, I picked up a nice, floppy JETS cap. It’s white and I didn’t have a white cap.
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Thursday 8.21.08I didn't sleep too well last night. My usual turning-into-a-pumpkin-at-10 routine couldn't happen because I didn't get my bag from the airline until midnight. So, I was tired to begin with, but knew I had to stay up and the more I thought about falling asleep, the harder it was to actually fall asleep. Then like clock-work, now that my body is conditioned to get up with crying babies in the middle of the night, I woke up at 2. It didn't take me long to fall back asleep, but it certainly wasn't a restful night.
On one of my street strolls this morning, I ran into one of my old coworkers and we talked for a little bit. It was nice to see her. In 2 minutes, she caught me up on everyone and then the crowds took us away in opposite directions, like they usually do here.
I got into the office pretty early so I could set everything back up and test things until I was tired of testing. All worked well.
I had a contingent of about 30 from the New York office in here for a demo before the pitch. It seemed like everyone thought it was pretty cool. I got some questions about surface computing and in-office detailing (for the pharma crowd), both of which I had solid answers for. We've looked into playing with surface computing and I know enough about it to get myself in trouble. In-office detailing is something that we have quite a bit of experience with and if it made sense for the right client, the application could essentially become the in-office detailing tool.
Then, the pitch. The clients were about 30 minutes late, which condensed the presentation & demo down to an hour. Those who know me know that I can talk, if in the right environment and circumstance. Like really talk. And no more than 6 or 7 slides into the presentation, one of the clients (there were only 2 who came) said, 'can we just see the thing? All of this looks good, but I just want to see it.'
That was a good indication to me that she was really interested in the fun stuff (touch screens and tablets) and wasn't so hot on the mundane presentation. The learning here is something that we've talked about - in order to sell this thing and show off what it can do, we need a video or interactive demo. The deck only does so much. I've gotten away from using the deck lately, but I thought it was needed for today. It's better for the client to tell me they don't want to see the traditional presentation rather than 'where is the traditional presentation?'
I showed them 2 of our apps, both with very different objectives. They really liked the trivia application and were impressed with the look & functionality. I could see a little bit of a smile on their faces when I was walking through that piece. For an older drug like this that has been out on the market for so long with many different perceptions, something like that game - one that engages the audience and gets them to interact with the brand is a solution that seemed perfect. They admitted that they don't do any interactive anything in their booth and the 'big' technology is a looping animation. I didn't have to say anything other than what I'd already said. They got it.
They even got the idea of an 'incremental spend' on top of what they already spend for their conferences. And if they can get the return that we've shown on the applications we've already done, it would be a no-brainer. I think that was the client's subtext when she said, 'this is definitely something we should look at.'
Before I knew it, the hour was up and I didn't get any further into the traditional presentation. But see, they were engaged the whole time. Their attitudes, although mostly cold all the way through, did warm up by the end. And they were thinking about how exactly they could use this. I suppose other than wanting them to sign papers right then and there, this is what I'm going for. Every client and/or potential client who has seen this thinks it is great and wants to use it. For whatever reasons (and I don't think they are good reasons), it just hasn't happened. But the break will come. Maybe it will be with this team. We'll know next week when we're supposed to regroup with them on 'timeline and estimate'.
Now, everyone cross your fingers.
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Wednesday 8.20.08Opportunity is one of those magic words to me. Everything we face, really, is an opportunity. I often have a hard time remembering that. It’s easy to get down into the weeds of what we’re doing and not have the wherewithal or vision to see beyond those things to the opportunities we’re faced with.
My boss told me yesterday that we missed an opportunity. This is an opportunity, I suppose like all of them, that had the potential to be huge. Maybe even game changing. In this case, I just happened to be responsible for missing that opportunity and it just sucks. It’s stuck with me ever since then. But see, if I don’t shake it off, I won’t be able to capitalize on the other opportunities that come my way.
I flew to New York today for a pitch. The pitch, in and of itself is a HUGE opportunity. The fact that I had a chance to come back to NYC, 3 years after leaving it, was certainly a welcome opportunity, too. This is the first time I’ve been back since we moved away that I’ve missed it. I miss being in the mix in a place like NYC. I miss the energy, the busy-ness, the people, the life. I could say that those are the exact things that I DON’T miss either. But today, I missed them. Then, I walked by a guy in a wheelchair, passed out, cigarette dangling out of his mouth, the ash almost as long as the cigarette itself. Tourists were taking pictures. Then I walked by old trash or something on the street or many things that culminated in a very bad smell. I laughed to myself and thought, ‘I’m glad I don’t have to deal with this every day. I do not miss this.’
Other things like learning to set up and configure equipment, strolling the streets of a familiar place in relative peace and quiet (those who know me know that I have 3 kids under 3 at home J), and actually in hopping planes faced moments to exercise simple patience – these are just the notable opportunities that made up my day. (I still don’t have my luggage with all of my clothes and toiletries, but I am not stressing and I have faith in the New York City team that represents the LaGuardia office of US Airways.)
And in checking my emails tonight, I see that a couple of other business-related opportunities have opened up. There is no time to look back and regret those lost opportunities. It takes enough to be of the right mindset each day to recognize and act on those opportunities. Then, take them in your hand and own them.
