By Michael Massey
It’s happened time and time again. You find a show you love. And you love everything about it; the characters, the story line, even the marketing that goes along with it. And then, just when it will be revealed if the demise of the bitchy main character was murder or suicide, the show is cancelled. The proverbial axe has fallen and killed off the show. With the short little span of attention of the consuming public these days, writers better wow them and if they don’t, it’ll be nothing more than a bad romance and over quickly. But on the other hand there is some pretty useless content making it on to the screen and I have to wonder how that happens. I thought it would be at least moderately entertaining to take a look back at some of the losers.
Cancelled after one episode:
'Co-Ed Fever CBS 1979 Imitation of National Lampoon's Animal House
'Emily's Reason's for Why Not' ABC Jan 2006 A single career woman unlucky in love
'Quarterlife' NBC Feb 2006 Myspace series
'Lawless' FOX March 1997 Brian Bosworth stars as a private eye.
Top 10 Cancelled Shows:
"The Tick" (FOX)
Premiered: November 2001
Cancelled: January 2002
"My So-Called Life" (ABC)
Premiered: August 1994
Cancelled: January 1995
"The Ben Stiller Show" (FOX)
Premiered: September 1992
Cancelled: January 1993
"Sports Night" (ABC)
Premiered: September 1998
Cancelled: May 2000
"Firefly" (FOX)
Premiered: September 2002
Cancelled: December 2002
"NewsRadio" (NBC)
Premiered: March 1995
Cancelled: July 1999
"Family Guy" (FOX)
Premiered: January 1999
Cancelled: 2001
"Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC)
Premiered: January 1993
Cancelled: August 1999
"Freaks and Geeks" (NBC) / "Undeclared" (FOX)
"Freaks" - Premiered: September 1999
Cancelled: July 2000
"Undeclared" - Premiered: September 2001
Cancelled: March 2002
Mr. Show with Bob and David" (HBO)
Premiered: September 1995
Cancelled: December 1998
Of course I could go on and on with this list as I’m sure you could. And I’d like to hear from you. Send along your cancellation favorites or others that you’d like to see gone! michael@youradherethebook.com or tweet us at @youradheremedia or facebook us at http://www.facebook.com/youradheremedia
Friday, November 18, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
Not a Match? Maybe it Is!
By Chrissie VanWormer
Right now I find myself dating. I’m not particularly thrilled with the process at this point in my life but I’ve made the decision to soldier on and soldiering on is what I’m doing. Anyway, a few of months ago I met a guy who initially seemed very nice. But as the evening wore on, he pushed every button I didn’t know I had. I was honestly surprised and a bit puzzled since it’s rare that anyone can do that, but at the end of the evening, I declared us “not a match” and walked away. As time has gone on, I’ve gotten to know the button pusher a bit and realized that he’s a real good guy. So what does this have to do with business? Everything!
Starting a business is kind of like dating. You have to go out, do the dance and hopefully you’ll find a good match for the goods or services you’re offering. As I look back to when I first started my business, there were definitely occasions that I jumped to a conclusion and declared a prospective client “not a match”. There were several who tried to beat me down on my price and I was very sensitive about that at the point. When I turned them away, I felt my reasons were solid and I knew I was justified in my decision. Then there were several other prospects that didn’t have the money to pay but were willing to work out an arrangement that was beneficial to both parties. At the time when I was working so hard to get something going, I felt like they wanted to buy a hamburger today that they’d surely pay for on Tuesday. It was frustrating but in a couple of cases we did move on to the second date and I brought them on as clients. Several offered payment on the back end of a project and others have offered equity in their companies. Of course I really couldn’t justify taking money on the back end considering I needed to eat in the meantime, so I had to carefully pick a couple I could provide that service for. The others were once more declared “not a match”.
For those I felt there was a “possible future” with, I continued the dance. For them I did whatever I could to help out by offering advice, networking opportunities and referring them to websites or experts I believed could assist. I was always happy to take their calls and applauded their successes.
Some of the companies who approached me during that period of time didn’t make it. In those cases I knew my assessment had been correct. It can be tough out there without resources and I have a pretty good gut. But several have made good and are continuing to grow. What I’ve noticed is the groups that I was willing to assist in whatever way I could have come back to me and are now paying clients. They were grateful for the help and are happy to refer me on to their business associates and colleagues. What I’ve noticed is for those I too quickly labeled “not a match” even a “congratulations on your success” email goes unanswered. Of course, I might handle that differently, but that’s for a different blog entry!
The bottom line here is to take each opportunity you get and treat it gently. Be careful to think beyond next month and continue the dance in whatever way you can. Of course it’s not necessary to continue “dating” a prospect you know will never be a fit, but don’t judge too quickly. What might at first glance not feel like a match, could end up being one of your best clients.
Right now I find myself dating. I’m not particularly thrilled with the process at this point in my life but I’ve made the decision to soldier on and soldiering on is what I’m doing. Anyway, a few of months ago I met a guy who initially seemed very nice. But as the evening wore on, he pushed every button I didn’t know I had. I was honestly surprised and a bit puzzled since it’s rare that anyone can do that, but at the end of the evening, I declared us “not a match” and walked away. As time has gone on, I’ve gotten to know the button pusher a bit and realized that he’s a real good guy. So what does this have to do with business? Everything!
Starting a business is kind of like dating. You have to go out, do the dance and hopefully you’ll find a good match for the goods or services you’re offering. As I look back to when I first started my business, there were definitely occasions that I jumped to a conclusion and declared a prospective client “not a match”. There were several who tried to beat me down on my price and I was very sensitive about that at the point. When I turned them away, I felt my reasons were solid and I knew I was justified in my decision. Then there were several other prospects that didn’t have the money to pay but were willing to work out an arrangement that was beneficial to both parties. At the time when I was working so hard to get something going, I felt like they wanted to buy a hamburger today that they’d surely pay for on Tuesday. It was frustrating but in a couple of cases we did move on to the second date and I brought them on as clients. Several offered payment on the back end of a project and others have offered equity in their companies. Of course I really couldn’t justify taking money on the back end considering I needed to eat in the meantime, so I had to carefully pick a couple I could provide that service for. The others were once more declared “not a match”.
For those I felt there was a “possible future” with, I continued the dance. For them I did whatever I could to help out by offering advice, networking opportunities and referring them to websites or experts I believed could assist. I was always happy to take their calls and applauded their successes.
Some of the companies who approached me during that period of time didn’t make it. In those cases I knew my assessment had been correct. It can be tough out there without resources and I have a pretty good gut. But several have made good and are continuing to grow. What I’ve noticed is the groups that I was willing to assist in whatever way I could have come back to me and are now paying clients. They were grateful for the help and are happy to refer me on to their business associates and colleagues. What I’ve noticed is for those I too quickly labeled “not a match” even a “congratulations on your success” email goes unanswered. Of course, I might handle that differently, but that’s for a different blog entry!
The bottom line here is to take each opportunity you get and treat it gently. Be careful to think beyond next month and continue the dance in whatever way you can. Of course it’s not necessary to continue “dating” a prospect you know will never be a fit, but don’t judge too quickly. What might at first glance not feel like a match, could end up being one of your best clients.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Service and Value: Two Things That Go Great Together
By Michael Massey
Service and value. Have you noticed a severe lack in these qualities lately- coupled with no integrity. I'm not advocating that we go back in time to an era where men were men and dungarees (my granfather's term) were 25 cents at Monkey Wards. However, attention to servicing customers and providing MORE than your money's worth would be a welcome change. It's not all doom and gloom however; two companies come to mind that embody service, value and integrity with no expectation of immediate return.
Southwest Airlines is a as a company that lives and breathes it's corporate culture and isn't afraid to make mistakes and expose it to the public through multiple communication channels. In flight magazines, social media and a TV show aptly named Airline share notbonly triumphs, but miss steps as well.
Consumers are accepting of errors in judgment; so long as they are informed promptly and resolved quickly. I had to contact Southwest regarding a true lapse in communication several years ago on a flight out of Chicago. The flight was delayed for hours with no notification as to why. Once we finally boarded, passengers were hostile, aggravated and hungry and the cabin crew provided no explanation. Calling customer service the next day was an oasis in a sea of no answers- not only did I find out what happened (it was a fuel to passenger ratio issue) but I also received a comp ticket without ever being asked. True customer service. Interested in finding out more about how they do it. Pickup a copy of 'Nuts' the story of Southwest Airlines.
Starbucks is another company that goes out of their way to make customers happy. Not crazy about that latte? No problem, we'll make you another one. Sorry about the long wait in the drive through- please accept a FREE drink on us. Every action they take is built to deliver a positive impact on the customer experience. You might be hard pressed to find a barrista that is unhappy.
What can YOU do in your profession or business to bring value and integrity to the table?
1) Take charge of the situation and don't pass the buck
2) Offer a creative solution to a problem
3) Be proactive.
4) Get more face to face time with clients. The digital age makes communication easier and faster. But there's nothing like a sit down conversation.
5) Think about your customer's business and be aware of their challenges
6) It's about THEM, not YOU
7) Be accessible but not on call
8) Read
9) Play
10) Unplug
There's an old saying: treat others the way you would want to be treated. Service and value will flow naturally if you keep that mantra in mind the next time you have to solve an issue or develop an idea.
http://www.southwest.com
http://www.starbucks.com
Service and value. Have you noticed a severe lack in these qualities lately- coupled with no integrity. I'm not advocating that we go back in time to an era where men were men and dungarees (my granfather's term) were 25 cents at Monkey Wards. However, attention to servicing customers and providing MORE than your money's worth would be a welcome change. It's not all doom and gloom however; two companies come to mind that embody service, value and integrity with no expectation of immediate return.
Southwest Airlines is a as a company that lives and breathes it's corporate culture and isn't afraid to make mistakes and expose it to the public through multiple communication channels. In flight magazines, social media and a TV show aptly named Airline share notbonly triumphs, but miss steps as well.
Consumers are accepting of errors in judgment; so long as they are informed promptly and resolved quickly. I had to contact Southwest regarding a true lapse in communication several years ago on a flight out of Chicago. The flight was delayed for hours with no notification as to why. Once we finally boarded, passengers were hostile, aggravated and hungry and the cabin crew provided no explanation. Calling customer service the next day was an oasis in a sea of no answers- not only did I find out what happened (it was a fuel to passenger ratio issue) but I also received a comp ticket without ever being asked. True customer service. Interested in finding out more about how they do it. Pickup a copy of 'Nuts' the story of Southwest Airlines.
Starbucks is another company that goes out of their way to make customers happy. Not crazy about that latte? No problem, we'll make you another one. Sorry about the long wait in the drive through- please accept a FREE drink on us. Every action they take is built to deliver a positive impact on the customer experience. You might be hard pressed to find a barrista that is unhappy.
What can YOU do in your profession or business to bring value and integrity to the table?
1) Take charge of the situation and don't pass the buck
2) Offer a creative solution to a problem
3) Be proactive.
4) Get more face to face time with clients. The digital age makes communication easier and faster. But there's nothing like a sit down conversation.
5) Think about your customer's business and be aware of their challenges
6) It's about THEM, not YOU
7) Be accessible but not on call
8) Read
9) Play
10) Unplug
There's an old saying: treat others the way you would want to be treated. Service and value will flow naturally if you keep that mantra in mind the next time you have to solve an issue or develop an idea.
http://www.southwest.com
http://www.starbucks.com
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