I got around all over town for what is normally the quietest work day. The couple over on Ocean Drive have utterly astonished themselves by what they can do with a computer. That is after three of my lessons, of course. They are a case study in the effectiveness of my teaching. I can usually tell when they get that look that says, “So that’s how he did it.”
Florida taxis are all scum, but that is generally the sort attracted to that business in the first place. It is a crooked business run by crooks, the very vision of corruption and license fee kickbacks. Here, they practically run you over, and when you take their picture, they flip you the finger. I hope the second picture looks good in his boss’ email tomorrow. This guy is Mr. Loser. Such a loser he doesn't know this is his 15 seconds of fame.I can’t imagine what his problem is. Other people would swear at bad drivers, while I say you can drive however you like. Just, if you do it badly around me, I take your picture and post it on the Internet. What’s your problem? (The s.o.b. ran out of parking space over the sidewalk without even looking and damn near hit me.)
A shipment of dog wigs arrived via Djakarta. There was some miscommunication, but it can be attributed to the fact that I was not there when the samples were sent. Around a month ago, a new foundation was sent that used expandable material and removed the Velcro because it snagged. The factory interpreted “the triangle shape” to mean something different and thus the sample was not very clearly marked. Still, the product is usable.
Ruth jumped a bit when we ran a pro forma (spreadsheet) that projected the costs of a single order of 18,000 items, the amount required to meet minimum order quantities of each model. Over $100,000. She is planning to sell these by the caseload as a wholesaler. This plan always requires enormous publicity. There is a show up in Orlando where the booths cost $10,000 each (I think). If you seek the reason why I help people start but don’t do the actual legwork, there is your answer.
Then over to Big Al’s. He’s got another venture that has to do with cold call selling of cleaning supplies, biomedical gear and a couple other items. I gave him the rundown on how all the usual scams work but failed to download the sales scripts. The server was on the fritz (I dislike the term “out of service” except for elevators). Too bad, I would like to see them. Al often mentions that he wants something that nets him a few hundred dollars a week and the rest of the time off. You and me both.
It is a telephone sales job. They supply the leads, which they insist are not the leftovers. I explained how to build up repeat customers, the incubation period, what not to give to the head office for free and the value of information. Beyond that, get on the phone and let them hang up on you. He’s agreed to keep us informed.
You know, there is always something I’d like to try with sales these days. I have decent handwriting. Would you read a long-hand letter about something I was trying to sell if you saw it was written by hand? I think some influential people would. Thus, I’d like to see who he is contacting that does NOT buy from him. At least such a letter would be enough of a novelty that it would not likely hit the garbage can right off. Just a random thought.
I’m going to practice some bass as a reward for this full day. Another happy event was I calibrated the bathroom scale, which lives under the dresser in my bedroom. It is a swap meet special I got years ago a buck. Every so often, I hop on the Toledo at the market to compare the readings, and it is bang on. Want another statistic? When I am fully dressed with money in my pockets, my cell phone and a butt pack, I am carrying an extra 9-1/2 pounds of weight.
I’ve decided on a format for the Area Code web page. Fred is doing some incredible designs with the software he’s got, and he already rents the web server from Justin, so I might as well publish there. I’ve described the project before, so this is a repeat for some of you. You know how hard it is to find the location of an area code if you want that information before you dial? There are several bad choices, which are to find a phone book which lists the locations in alphabetical order (duh), a hard to find web page that has not been updated in years and a few locations that want you to “become a member” to get the data.
My plan is not to supply the area codes; that is just a spin-ff of the scheme. I think that people will return to a known site that has the information they need. Yes, I know about the book of lists but what I have in mind is some simple web pages that really do make information free and easy. In the process, they have to at least glance at our advertising to get there, or will as soon as I figure out how to make that compulsory. The interesting part of the Internet is that I think most people are only there to see what they can get for nothing. I say, let them have it.
You click on any area code on my page, they are all listed there, including any “blanks” and it will give you a list of the city or cities serviced. Simple. It can all be done with internal hyperlinks. It will be a ornery setup, but I already have the data and now I have the motive.
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