Posts filed under 'Experience Enhancement'
Europe January 2010
Join Susan and I in Europe in January for the first round of design shows. This is the perfect antidote to get out of the blue business funk some of us seem to be in. For more details visit our sister site. Check out the basics below:
Paris in January 2010
Based on your feedback, we have decided on a longer, Paris-Only trip for this main group. We’ve decided to keep this limited to 12 PEOPLE ONLY, to keep the low-key, non-tour-group approach that most of you have requested.*** We felt that adding a few extra days in Paris will allow everyone to both get the most out of the show(s), which are both very large and very engaging, as well as have enough time to really enjoy Paris.
7 days/7 nights in Paris, January 18-January 26, 2010 includes:
*Airfare to/from JFK or Chicago
*Hotel d’ Aubusson, Four-star, double-occupancy in the heart of St. Germain (Super-convenient location and we’ve stayed in this hotel and love it!) Five minute walk to the subway, direct line to the show. Walking distance of the Louvre, Orsay, Notre Dame, Sorbonne; surrounded by art galleries, restaurants and shops.
*Daily Breakfast at the hotel. Value of $140.00
*Airport transfers Value of $80.00
*7 day all zone metro pass Value of $85.00
*Admission to Maison&Objet and Planet Mueble trade shows. Value of $78.00
*Welcome reception at M&O from show management
*Exclusive M&O trend presentation with Q&A opportunity
*As-you-wish meet-ups for cocktails or dinner to review the day, compare notes, share stories, etc.
*Pre-travel web session(s) with Deb and Susan to preview locations, M&O planning, travel details, our Paris faves and more
*Cruise on the river Seine. Value of $80.00
*Free entrance to the Louvre or Orsay. Value of $26.00
* High Tea one afternoon in the Aubusson’s Grand Salon Value of
* All taxes and service included.
Price per person, air and land, double occupancy based on exchange rates as of September 15, 2009: $2800.00
Guarantee your reservation with a non refundable $150 deposit.
The balance is due as follows:
$1400.00 due October 15, 2009 and $1250.00 is due December 1, 2009
For more info and reservations- email Deb or Susan
Tour does NOT include:
*Any meals except breakfast at the hotel as noted
*Any admissions or fees except for the M&O and Meuble Paris shows and museums as noted
*Any additional transportation fees outside of those listed above (i.e., we’re not bussing you to/from the shows at a specific time, you get there when you want and leave when you want, courtesy of those all-zone transit passes)
When the spots are filled, we’ll present a couple of extremely interesting optional tours to choose from if you’re so inclined…
Again, strictly limited to 12 should this be 16? people for this PARIS ONLY option.
***If you are looking for a slightly shorter, more structured trip to Paris for M&O this January, don’t worry, we’ve got that covered too! Get in touch with us and we’ll hook you up with that option.
Add comment 22 September 2009
More Money, Less Pain
The June edition of Psychological Science published the results from six experiments conducted by psychologists and a marketing professor that tested the power of money in relation to social interaction. In one of the most startling results, they found that merely touching money or thinking about expenses affected participants both physically and emotionally.
In one experiment volunteers were asked to take a “finger-dexterity” test, one group counted stacks of $100 bills, while the other group counted paper. Afterwards both groups were but into a social interaction simulation where they were meant to feel snubbed and isolated. The group that counted out the money before the simulation rated their level of social distress much lower than the group that counted paper.
In another experiment, the same “finger-dexterity” test was taken and then the volunteers were asked to dip a finger in very hot (122 degree) water. Those who counted the money rated their pain as lower than those who counted paper.
The pain test was then repeated but with the volunteers now writing about either their expenses the previous month, or the weather. After the finger dip, those who wrote about spending their money rated their pain as higher than those who wrote about the weather!
“These effects speak to the power of money, even as a symbol, to change perceptions of very real feelings,” like pain, said Kathleen Vohs, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota and co-author of the study.
What does this mean for the designer? It’s just one more thing to consider when presenting the project costs. Clients need to feel comfortable enough with the potential of your work to transform their lives and their interiors to offset the real and psychological pain of letting go some of their hard-earned money! It’s about making sure the client understands the value–both immediate and long term–of investing in their home décor; so that the experiential satisfaction they get from the process and the results more than offsets the purchasing pain.
See more about this on Live Science. Within that article are also links that discuss the value of “experiential” purchases vs. “product” purchases.
Add comment 7 August 2009
The Paradox of Choice
In August Susan discussed Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Choice that Shapes our Decisions touching upon client’s indecisiveness because of too many options. Mark Hurst,a marketer, that I follow recently talked about the same subject with Barry Schwartz, the author of The Paradox of Choice , another outstanding book on the subject. As can be the case, I am in a different business place today than in August and after rereading Mark’s blog; it all came together for me and I am on board.
Schwartz says, “Everyone agrees that having choice is better than not having choice. It seems evident that if choice is good, then more choice is better. The paradox is that this “obvious” truth isn’t true. It turns out that a point can be reached where, with more choice, people are worse off.”
People can’t ignore options. There’s more effort put into making decisions, and less in enjoying them. What’s nagging is the possibility that, if they had chosen differently, they could have gotten something better. Some social science research says that one consequence of leaving your options open is that people are less satisfied with their decisions; if a decision is non-reversible, you’ll make yourself feel better about the choice you made. If it’s a reversible choice, you don’t do that. He refers to it as accepting choices that are “good enough”.
Transfer that thought to your retail business. If you provide sales options in your retail store, SAH or website, you might think the way to attract people is to provide as many alternatives as possible. But that’s wrong. You’ll attract people, but they won’t buy as much as they would with fewer choices.
Schwartz goes on to outline how we should do that:
“There’s no general answer except “restrict options” – though in what way depends on what you’re selling. For example, e-commerce sites and store or your SAH client presentation should be designed so that the complexity is hidden, so that people who really care, or know a lot, can find their way to the complexity, and the rest of us who can’t be bothered to find it, won’t have to.
He cites an example of home furnishing stores -stores that sell things that don’t go naturally together – like clothing and furniture. They’re selling a certain aesthetic. How does a small store sell furniture? It puts a couple of things on display, and then offers a million items in the catalog. You’re not overwhelmed when you walk in; instead, you are in an environment where that’s manageable. If you like a couch, and tell the salesperson you’re interested, and ask if it comes in different colors or fabrics, the salesperson can trot out the catalog and then you can see the infinite number of couches you can get. First you’ve been seduced into wanting a couch by what appears to be the simplicity of the decision. That’s the right way to design things in the modern world, where everything is too complex.
He goes on to discuss Amazon.com’s If you like this.. popup. I have to say that I find it annoying. I don’t find myself buying from those popups and if I do start surfing, I end up losing focus and leaving the site without buying what I intended. So maybe he has a point. Schwartz suggests somewhere in the range of six to twelve options is what most people would be comfortable with, most of the time.
The lesson here is to arbitrarily limit the number of options you’ll consider. My husband I just bought a new TV and it took us over 1 year to decide because of all the options, new models and upgrades coming on the market. I was about to throw in the towel. I should have promised myself that I would go to only two stores and then stop my research and make a decision.
That brings me to a retail trend I have been noticing lately- the limited edition, curated site or store. While this concept plays into several consumer behaviors right now it also is based on the paradox of choice. Gaby Basora, the genius behind coveted line Tucker, just launched e-commerce with a twist. Here’s how it works: Each month, there will be a limited-edition (100-150) classic blouse in a unique print that is available only on the site. That print will not be sold again, which means that if you score one, you will be the proud owner of a Tucker collector’s item, so to speak. Consider Gaby’s take. Cut back on the number of samples books you’re bringing into the house or consider a limited edition window fashion website,
For a “more is better” person like I am; I have resolved to start to editing my options in both my personal life and in working with my clients. If they came to me because I am the so –called expert: then here are the choices I recommend and I can back up. If she needs to see every fabric in every sample book, she’s not the client for me.
Add comment 14 December 2008
Our Attachment to Closing Doors
One of my favorite new business books so far this year is Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely. It addresses all kinds of issues from the motivating power of pain, pleasure and just plain placebos, explanations for why the honor code in the workplace (leaving a dollar in the conference room for your coffee and doughnut) really does work, and more.
But the most interesting examples for me where those where Ariely explores the all too human penchant for keeping as many options as possible open, even when the choice to do so is clearly, obviously, detrimental. Ariely even created a game (try it out for yourself here) where you have the choice to keep options (doors) open or not, all while trying to achieve the highest score. Even knowing what you’re “supposed” to do to win, most people will find themselves clicking to keep as many possible doors open, rather than optimizing their score. Why?
“Closing a door on an options is experienced as a loss,” Dr. Ariely explains. “And people are will to pay a price, sometime a significant price, in order to avoid to emotion of loss.” In the game of course, the trade-off is a lower score for more open doors, but in life sometime the trade-offs aren’t as obvious: wasted time, missed opportunities, lowered creativity, etc. All because we’re afraid to firmly shut the door an option, a project, a colleague, etc.
And flip this to the client side…how much information is too much for clients? Whether they gather it on their own, or we supply it them, the more options they’re presented with, the harder time they have coming to decision. And from Dr. Ariely’s research, this is an ingrained human habit. So don’t get too upset with your clients for dithering…instead think of ways to simplify and clarify the decision-making process for them. Plus keep in mind that they might be willing to pay in order to keep options open!
As for the “option habit” in our own businesses, I’ve been making a conscious effort to truly weigh what keeping certain opportunities “live” costs me, and I’ve found I’m more willing to cut the cord on them than I was before reading this book. But make no mistake, it is an effort, and it often does cause little mental twinges and spasms of doubt and regret…but I also feel less cluttered mentally and emotionally than I have for a while.
As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments!
1 comment 13 August 2008
Overcoming Overwhelm
As solopreneurs we are at a high risk for overwhelm—one missed deadline by a supplier, one mis-shipped material, one mis-placed file—and our carefully planned project schedules are thrown into a jumbled mess. Or somedays it’s the thought of having to be the collections officer, the bookkeeper, the marketing coordinator, the sales rep, the office manager, etc., when what you really got into business for–the design–seems like the last thing you can get to.
And so you slip into that frame of mind, where you’re sure the next phone call is going to be even worse news, the next e-mail will just be more trouble…and your negative feelings become self-perpetuating and self-fulfilling, because when you believe you are overwhelmed, everything seems overwhelming! Your main thought is “I don’t want this, I can’t handle this,” but when anyone tries to offer assistance, the main response is often a childish “I fine, I can do it, just leave me alone.” Nice.
The thing I’ve come to realize is that “overwhelm” is often a great shield to hide behind. We can get so caught up in the drama of everything that needs to be done, of all the problems and issues and concerns, that we can use it as an excuse for missed deadlines, poor behavior, and a wide range of other bad habits. Other people, we think, will realize that these things are beyond our control because there’s just soooo much going on.
And here’s the thing, giving into overwhelm diminishes your responsibility and shifts the “blame” to others: your vendors, your clients, your co-workers, etc. It’s “their” fault you’re in this situation.
So the next time you feel yourself getting caught up in the drama of overwhelm, take just a minute and think about what it gets you. What’s the prize for feeling rushed, stressed, abused, mis-understood, etc. That it shows how much harder you work than anyone else? That you care more? That you’re more committed? Those are the most positive spins to be on it, and if true, surely there are better, more productive, less draining ways to demonstrate your professionalism and commitment! Or is it about sticking it to “them”, you know, the “them” that put you in this situation?
I found that the key to calming the storm of overwhelm is to recognize how self-perpetuating overwhelm is and how much “being the victim” helps me justify not-so-professional behavior. And that’s not what I want to be known for, not what I want to project and not how I want to live. Now I’m not perfect, by any means, and still find myself in that overwhelm state of mind. But now I force myself to be aware of it and think about what trade-off I’m making: overwhelm or ????
Add comment 6 August 2008
Ask For It: Part 2
Yesterday I posted about seven asking strategies you can apply to your business and your daily life, as outlined by Jack Canfield, then I got to thinking about how I have asked and been asked in the past…what makes a question work and what just adds to the confusion.
Some of my clients will tell you that at first, they felt I was asking too many questions and not giving them enough feedback, but with new clients, until you understand better their language, their actual concerns and needs, (as opposed to the ones they often first voice) the project may head off in the wrong direction. Then it becomes very difficult to get it back on track, time is lost, feelings are hurt, money is wasted, etc. Ugh. So here are my suggestions for how to ask.
- Be Specific
Again, my clients (and friends!) will confirm that “Be Specific” is a pet phrase of mine. “I don’t want to spend too much” is not the answer you want when you ask your client about a budget. In order to get a specific answer, you need to ask a specific question: “Do you have a dollar amount in mind for this project?” will get you much closer to the info you really need.
- Be Persistent
You will inevitably hear plenty of no’s and I don’t know’s and all other forms of non-helpful answers. Keep asking. You may need to change your timing, your source, your attitude or the form of your question, but if it’s information that’s important to you, it’s important to keep asking.
- Be Positive
People who know what they’re looking for and know what they want get a much better response to their questions than those who are hesitant, uncertain or uncommitted. Ask your questions with confidence and assurance and even if you don’t receive the answer you’re looking for, you’ll most likely be referred to someone else who may have the appropriate information.
- Be Real
I think the number one reason most questioners don’t necessarily get the information they’re asking for is that there is often no real emotion–interest, desire, need, sincerity, etc.–behind the ask. To get real information you need to be as invested in the response as the “questionee” is in giving it.
- Be Creative
From a personal phone call to a mass web survey; from a customized presentation to a clever postcard, there are hundreds of ways to ask. Don’t get locked into one format or one system. Take time to think about the asking format that works best for your audience and the information you want to receive.
What’s been your best ask? We’d love to know.
Add comment 31 July 2008
Overcoming Your F.E.A.R. Factor
One of the best parts of being a small or solo business is that you’re free to implement any great, crazy idea you think of. But one of the worst parts is that as a small or solo business you often have no one to bounce those ideas off of and get legitimate feedback. Instead, we often let our ideas dissolve under the weight of our own personal F.E.A.R. factors.
What do I mean by F.E.A.R? It stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s the second-guessing and self-doubting most of us of prone to do, fretting and worrying over the what-ifs until that idea just seems crazy and not so great at all.
So the next time you get a brilliant, must-do idea for your business, that you almost immediately start self-editing…take a moment and try this exercise. Grab a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns. In the left column list your fears—the worries, concerns and issues regarding this new idea. In the middle column list the evidence that the specific concern is legitimate and justified. In the right column list the evidence that the specific concern is unjustified, or can be fairly easily resolved.
Give yourself the time and the credit to let your ideas flourish or fail on their own merit, without handicapping them by your own self-doubts. Putting this all on paper and making yourself think through both sides of your fear issues often crystalizes the real reasons we put so many ideas on hold.
For the final step, just think about what would happen if you tried the idea and some of those negative issues actually came true. Would you lose some money? Some time? Some business? Even if the idea is a failure, would you gain something? Knowledge? New contacts? A new skill? Those are the risks you should be evaluating and not letting F.E.A.R. drive your decisions.
Add comment 1 July 2008
Irrational, Unexplainable Happiness
Completely off-topic but trust me, take four minutes and make yourself much, much happier.
“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”
Guilaume Apollinaire
Add comment 24 June 2008
Six Semi-Lazy Office-Keeping Tasks
How difficult is it sometimes to step into your office or studio on a lovely summer day? Even if you’re working on fantastic projects with wonderful clients, there’s just something about wanting to linger over that cup of morning coffee on the terrace, porch or in the garden; or taking a long, leisurely outdoor lunch…and not coming back for the rest of the day! Don’t feel guilty about this, after all one of the best benefits of being your own boss is the ability to set your own schedule. Use some of these lazy summer days to do a little light office keeping and get yourself prepped for the typically busy September-December crunch time.
- Organize your reference and swipe materials
If you’re like me you probably have dozens of past issues with pages flagged for reference, or perhaps you’ve even gone so far as to tear out the pages and tossed the magazine, but the loose pages are still waiting to be labeled, filed or otherwise organized. Just turn on some of your favorite tunes, let the phone go to voice mail for an hour or two and set your computer to sleep, then start tearing, sorting, filing and tossing. It’ll take far less time than you think and you’ll feel so virtuously organized at the end! - Do the same for your computer files
Do you have lots of random .jpgs and other visuals you’ve collected? First, make sure you name them all in a manner that means something to you, not just image544.jpg, because then you’ll just have to open them up again later to know what it is. Once you’ve named them appropriately, sort them into client files, reference files or delete if they’re no longer useful. - Take this chance to clean up your digital inbox
Delete old e-mails, making sure to save the address to your address book if you need to, download the necessary attachments from e-mails and just keep the attachments. Sort your e-mail inbox into appropriate folders and consider taking an e-mail “holiday” on Fridays throughout the summer…It’s a sure-fire e-mail inbox clutter reducer. - Clean up the rest of your computer also
Organize your client and/or project files, archive to a CD or backup drive finished projects, run a defragmentation program on your hardware to organize all those background operating files you don’t even know about (this is good thing to do while working on item #1) and make sure to do a little old-fashioned cleaning. Keyboards get gunky, screens get smeared and, if you’re not working off a laptop, the box can get dusty.One of my tricks for cleaning between the keys on my keyboard is to take a plastic knife and tape a section of nonwoven insti-wipe to the tip, changing it out frequently as it really gross what can build up between your keys without realizing it! Gently though and don’t let the wipe start off too moist.
And, why not give your desktop a holiday…download a new wallpaper for your desktop. Currently I’m loving this great series from Real Simple. Or just try changing your fonts and color schemes around in your preference manager. - Refresh your office or studio
Is there a color scheme or fabric that your currently fascinated by? A designer or project you’ve come across that particularly inspires you? Create a mini-moodboard and place it somewhere in your office for a fun, fresh dose of eyecandy. And summer’s all about light, easy and breezy, right? Clean out your files, clear away the clutter, even if just means sweeping some of it into a box…then give yourself a half-hour a day (say you’re on hold with a vendor) and then work through a layer of the box at a time. There are only three categories: Act On, Toss or File. And if you have a sulky printer, fax or other piece of equipment that isn’t working at 100%, make the decision to either have it repaired or replace it. We all work hard enough…we shouldn’t have to struggle with our own stuff! - Congratulate yourself
By most standards 2008 has been a rocky year for the design industry. Take some time to acknowledge your successes, maybe over that lazy lunch…Write them down and map out what you’d like to accomplish for the rest of year. And then hey, go ahead and take the rest of the afternoon off!
Add comment 23 June 2008
Take A Fresh Look
I wrote in a previous post about several articles in the recent innovation-themed New Yorker issue that I found particularly interesting. The first, which dealt with the Japanese principle of kaizen, can be read here, but now let’s turn to the second article, which is based on the theory that big ideas aren’t as rare as most of us think they are. Titled “In the Air” and written by Malcolm Gladwell, it examines the process of idea generation, the process of multiple discoveries and our romantic notions of “genius.”
As many might already know, there is fairly well documented history of simultaneous discoveries. Marconi & Tesla with electricity; Newton & Leibniz with calculus, there seems to have been at least six different inventors of the thermometer and nine claimants to the invention of the telescope. And this list is just a fraction of the number of significant discoveries all made “multiply” over the centuries.
But what really grabbed my attention was the story of Nathan Myhrvold, a former Microsoft engineer who wanted to create ideas. His thought was that by bringing together clever people from different backgrounds and with different interests, he would assist in the creation of innovation and insight. His goal is ultimately to have develop an idea far enough to patent and then sell the rights to other companies for development. But what struck me was how applicable this approach is for small, independent businesses.
We all struggle with the issue of having to be the sales manager, marketing director, customer service dept., plus dealing with our “real” business–being creative! So how about letting a few outsiders in to take a look at your business; and offering to do the same for them? Go to your favorite locally owned businesses: a restaurant, a clothing boutique, a plumber, etc.–all of whom you admire for some aspect of their business. Explain that you want to start a brain trust–local companies working together to the benefit of all, and see what types of innovations and insights you can generate for each other. Be willing let others into your process and your decision-making, be interested in what they have to say and offer, and able to to offer constructive insights of your own on their issues and concerns.
Because while there are very few true geniuses in the world, there are great many very clever people. And the history of scientific insight shows that a genius is not a person who does what no one else can; he or she is a person who does what it takes many others to do. “The genius is not a unique source of insight,” writes Gladwell, “he is just an efficient source of insight.” So start your own genius sounding board today!
1 comment 22 May 2008
