Ask Uncle Marty™ Live

I had the privilege of doing a live version of Ask Uncle Marty™ during the speed rounds at the 2016 Retail Shippers Expo last week in Vegas.

The speed rounds are cool. Experts from across the retail shipping, mail, and business center industry host eight-minute round table discussions with Expo attendees on topics ranging from shipping freight, large format printing, and gift wrapping tips to small business accounting, maximizing point-of-sale software, and marketing with Pokémon Go. Speed rounds are billed as the "retail shippers' version of speed dating," and are a favorite part of the week's events.

My table, I'm honored and grateful to say, was full for most of the sessions. People had questions! And they were good ones! We tackled store design, maximizing traffic patterns with smart layouts, where to start with small business social media, how EDDM from the USPS works, and so much more!

I encouraged everyone to write to me. My favorite letters and responses get published bi-monthly in MBC Today, as they have been for a couple of years now, and others will soon be shared on my blog.

I'm seriously encouraged and profoundly grateful that people from all over the country are reading and enjoying Ask Uncle Marty. What started as a humble tongue-in-cheek Dear Abby-style industry advice column has grown to encompass marketing and image tips and consultations for businesses and organizations of all sizes (though the amazing small businesses in the retail shipping, mail, and business center industry will always be my BAE).

Here's to a fabulous future!

#AskUncleMarty #AMBC4ME #RetailShippersExpo2016

The Frog Got Toad, and Other Lessons from Delta

Bottleneck

I got to McCarran Airport on time. 

I had checked in and checked my bag early this morning, so all I had to do when I got to the terminal was drop my extra suitcase at the baggage drop.

Rarely do I check a bag. But I had lots of stuff from the 2016 Retail Shippers Expo--supplies and swag for my Marketing with Marty™ seminar, samples and swag for a practical packing breakout session, signage and swag for my Ask Uncle Marty™ Live speed rounds, and of course a top hat and wig to make co-hosting Employees vs. Bosses: The Ultimate Showdown with my cohort Fahim, of the famous #FahimFix, as ridiculously fun as possible. But I digress…

I soon found myself in the baggage drop line. At a quick head count, there were 50ish passengers winding through a maze of ropes, just to drop off prepaid checked luggage with a single Delta employee at the counter. With each painfully slow interaction at the counter, exponentially more fliers poured into the accordioned line. There was little recognition or empathy for the winding throng of passengers and their anxious, panicked, astonished stares.

After about 20 minutes of barely moving, another agent came out and called the flights that were about to take off. She let passengers trying to catch them skip to the front of the line. She was treating a symptom, not the cause.

Meanwhile, someone a few dozen suitcases behind me realized that there was no line at the curbside check-in and sent his son to check it out.

When the curbside team realized the bottleneck inside, one of their agents came in and announced that, "If you're not paying cash and not flying internationally, come and drop your bags with us at the curb. We're much faster at processing them (throwing serious shade at the counter rep we were all frustrated with) and there's no line."

I ducked under the rope, out of the maze of annoyance, dropped my prepaid bag at the curb, and booked it up the escalator, down the hall, through security, down another hall, to the tram, and all the way down Terminal D  to my gate near the end. (Why is it always the gate near the end?)

The Frog Got Toad

I made it to gate D38 with five minutes to spare. As I plopped and sighed into a seat, the gate agent made an announcement.

"Today is National Tell a Joke  Day. If anyone would like to come up to the mic and share a joke, we'll give you two free drink vouchers. You'll probably need to get a little toasted on your flight to Detroit anyway."

Was this Delta!? Could this moment of

levity be from the same formal, traditional, scripted airline that I'm so used to?

One passenger felt inspired, stepped up to the podium and proclaimed, "A limerick, a play on words, and a riddle walked into a bar. No joke." A few people looked up and grinned.

Another gave it a shot with, "What happens when a frog's car breaks down? It gets toad." A collective chuckle rose from the impatient passengers. Smiles broke. Tensions eased.

Laffy Taffy

As I boarded, the gate agent gave out Laffy Taffy. Yes, Laffy Taffy in honor of National Tell a Joke Day!

The agent, while making my phone go "bloop" on the scanner, told me that her favorite flavor is banana. There was one banana taffy left, and we both spotted it at the same time. So I picked sour apple, leaving the banana for her.

As I sat in seat 18D--on the aisle as us tall, gangly folks tend to prefer--announcements came that one more passenger had to be taken off the flight to reduce the load for safety. Per usual, a $400 travel voucher was offered. No one bit.

Then my new gate agent friend came on board. She upped the ante to a $500 travel voucher "and a banana Laffy Taffy." We had a volunteer; the problem was solved.

Little Things Are Big Things

While some were just doing triage, consequently getting farther and farther behind, other Delta team members saw the root cause of the problems and did what they could to loosen bottlenecks, put the customers first, and brighten the collective mood.

I suspect that Delta marketing peeps had a hand in the taffy idea. But I know that their empowered, personality-driven curbside check-in and gate agents were the crucial make-or-break link that calmed frustrated passengers and brought a little humanity back to air travel.

Delta has taken little steps toward improving the customer experience and embracing the millennial mindset--valuing individuals and fostering a personal connection with clients. Here's to many more … and a couple more agents at the baggage drop counter.

#Delta #LaffyTaffy #NationalTellaJokeDay #AskUncleMarty

Branding, Baltimore, and The Lifetime Millionaire

I had the privilege this past weekend to present a Marketing with Marty™ seminar at PC Synergy's PostalMate regional training event in Baltimore, Maryland. It was an honor to be asked to speak, and I was overjoyed to oblige!

The Marketing with Marty™ session I led was my newly revamped Inside Out Marketing 3.0. The class focuses on brand and image, and the essentialness of supporting your brand through the design, layout, atmosphere, and attitude of your brick and mortar store. We learn how to market our businesses from the inside out, getting it right at the core--inside our stores--so customers' experiences when they visit reinforce the positive feelings of the external marketing messages that they initially responded to. It's a fun class, and I love sharing it!

I drove to Baltimore, which gave me a few hours to catch up on my backlogged podcast queue. One of my favorite podcasts that I listen to faithfully and habitually is Lewis Howes' The School of Greatness. It's just plain inspiring.

I don't know how Lewis and his team vet his guests, but they have a knack for coming up with the most engaging, uplifting, and turn-your-life-upside-down-in-a-good-way humans that really make you think about your walk and expand your dreams of what could be … in business, relationships, health, wellness, and more.

One of Lewis's most recent episodes is a solo show titled "The Lifetime Millionaire," and it captivated me as I crept along the construction-laden stretch of I-81 called "Pennsylvania." The focus of the episode was branding.

Lewis shared how, on a recent trip to Buenos Aires, he noticed a pair of Coca-Cola branded shoes being sold alongside Reebok, Nike, and Adidas. He marveled at the intensity of the Coca-Cola brand that has such loyalty and power to put their logo on shoes--a place a soft drink brand should never be--and get a prime price for them!

Throughout the episode, Lewis mentioned brand and design as an investment with an invisible return. We can't measure the dollars we put into design with metrics, like we can with many other ventures. But the return is absolutely there, even if we can't wholly define it.

Branding is never final. Periodically, it needs to be revamped and recharged. Logos, slogans, and taglines don't last forever, and need to be updated to stay current and relevant. Websites and social media profiles need to be constantly tweaked, and completely overhauled from time to time. Each time we upgrade, we see more visits, more shares, more engagement, and more opportunity springing forth. Investment--both money and minutes--in photos and quality artwork will set us apart and above. As Lewis says, "The premium goes up when you invest in premium design."

As I idled through traffic, I listened, learned, and marveled at the simple, sensible, salient message that gave me a clearer understanding of branding--both for the necessary work I need to do on my own and for helping others with theirs. I strongly encourage you to listen to The Lifetime Millionaire episode, and subscribe to The School of Greatness podcast on iTunes. You'll be glad you did!

I had a blast in Baltimore, networking with others in our unique industry, learning, growing, taking stock of what we have, imagining what could be next, and thinking in new directions. Thank you, PC Synergy and attendees, for inviting me to be part of such a worthwhile weekend!

I look forward to presenting Inside Out Marketing 3.0 again in a few weeks at the Retail Shippers Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. I hope to see you there!

#SchoolofGreatness #Branding #LifetimeMillionaire #LewisHowes #AskUncleMarty

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To listen to The Lifetime Millionaire and learn more about Lewis Howes and The School of Greatness, please visit lewishowes.com/podcast/the-lifetime-millionaire/.

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Originally published on the AMBC blog on July 19, 2016.

Team Cancer Crushers

I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the fall of 2012.

By God's grace, my cancer was detected in its early stages and treatment was expedited. With the help of a brilliant local oncology team and consultation from top specialists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, we attacked the beast with heavy ammunition and intrepid optimism. 

In March of 2013, scan results declared "complete resolution and response to chemotherapy" and I transitioned from cancer patient to cancer survivor. I've been blessed with a favorable recovery journey ever since.

Without the miracle of modern medicine, exceptional caregivers, precious family and friends, and interceding prayers, I would never have fared through this episode as I have. Encouragement is simply receiving courage; for it, I can’t express my gratitude as fully as it needs to be. 

I'm very happy to once again participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life as a co-captain of the Cancer Crushers: superheroes fighting for more tomorrows! 

The American Cancer Society does wonderful things for cancer patients, their caregivers, families, and friends. They help with screening and prevention, support survivors, and invest considerable amounts into research (something that is critical as we work together to beat cancer).

Please visit our team page to join Cancer Crushers, join another team in your neck of the woods, dedicate a luminaria, contact us to become one of our team's sponsors, or donate if you’re able. 

Thank you so very much for your support!

#CancerCrushers #AmericanCancerSociety #RelayforLife #CrushinIt #AskUncleMarty

The Importance of Back-End Customer Service

My brother has been working with me for a few weeks, helping me out during my busy season. And during the last few weeks, he's spent a lot of time on countless calls to the company from which he recently bought a custom computer.

This company, which shall remain nameless, is the best of the best in custom computers. When my brother was shopping around, their customer service was top notch. They even called him after he'd had the computer for a week or two, just to make sure everything was as it should be.

But now there's an issue, and the situation has been flipped around completely. My brother has spent hours on the phone, on hold, trying to reach someone who can help. A couple of times he's reached someone who couldn't immediately help, but took his number and promised to call him right back … and never did.

The computer is still under warranty--a warranty that my brother paid an extra $300.00 for--yet he's had a nightmare of a time getting anyone who can help him. All he needs is an RMA number, and for them to arrange for shipping so his computer can get the service it needs. It shouldn't be complicated.

Customer service is not just front-end. In fact, back-end customer service is even more important, yet it's often overlooked because it's not considered marketing; it's not considered visible.

But it is visible. A customer with a positive resolution to an issue will be much more likely to tell people about their experience, and negative outcomes exponentially more so. It's word-of-mouth, and it's your reputation; it's everything.

Reputation is no longer contained to our zip codes. In our social media age, reputation is global. It's reflected in our communications, in our recommendations, and in our reviews. And sometimes the best reviews are the results of resolutions to bad situations.

Stuff happens. Maybe you overlooked something on an order, had a shipping claim, guaranteed something that requires service, or failed to fully explain a policy up front. This stuff can lead to a concerned customer. How you handle that concerned customer is what will set you apart, and what will allow you to soar or to cause you to crash and burn.

Unfortunate events, handled correctly, can show your customers your level of professionalism, care, and admirable intentions. In the same token, unfortunate events, handled incorrectly, can be detrimental.

So next time a situation arises where you need to take action, show your best back-end customer service. Work with your customer to make it right.

Making it right is never wrong.

#MakeItRight #CustomerService #AskUncleMarty

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Originally published on the AMBC blog on May 31, 2016.

A Cat, a Bucket, and a Snow Shovel

This piece was originally written on August 12, 2015.

I had one of the most terrifying experiences of my life last night.

Usually, when I get home from work, Comet (my cat) is full of excitement. He meows uncontrollably until I open the door, then he purrs and rubs up against my legs, and then lies down on his back so I can rub his belly and snuggle for a while. He follows me from room to room all evening and, if for some reason he wanders, I just call his name and he comes bolting to wherever I am. He and I are pretty tight.

But last night he wasn't there. I called for him and got no response. I went down into the basement and called again, and soon heard his cries coming from underneath an old dust-collecting weight bench. He just stared at me, meowing, but wouldn't come to me.

I crouched to see what was wrong, and found that he had cornered a snake under the bench and was guarding it, calling for me, not really knowing what to do next.

Now, you should know that I have a very stark, inexplicable fear of snakes. I can't even look at a picture of a snake without my heart racing and my breath shortening. They're at the very top of my phobia list, followed closely by chain saws, aggressive bees, drowning, haunted houses, and most lizards.

So, naturally, my first reaction was to scream--no, shriek. The grown man that I am suddenly turned into a little child throwing a tantrum. I screamed, jumped up and down, whimpered, and even yelled for my mom (who was, of course, miles away at her own house). I spun my wheels in panic so much that Comet started to forget about the snake and looked at me with his head tilted, curiously.

Now, I should also explain that this was a little itty-bitty snake. It was probably 12 inches long, perhaps a young garter snake. I don't know. I didn't look closely; I couldn't look closely. But small snakes actually petrify me more than big snakes. They can sneak into your room, under your sheets, or pop out of the toilet without warning. They're terrifying!

After a few deep breaths, I tried to figure out how to get that scary serpent out of my house.

I found an old bucket and then got a snow shovel out of the garage. Then I scooted the snake to the middle of the floor with the shovel, scooped it up, and dropped it in the bucket.

But I missed.

The snake fell half in and half out, and quickly slithered back onto the floor and made a beeline toward the washer and dryer. But I headed it off at the pass! Scooped up again, my second attempt at bucket snake dropping was a success and then the lid quickly snapped on.

Now what? What do I do with this thing!?

I have a couple of creeks in my back yard. So I ran, bucket held out as far away from my body as possible, squealing a little under my breath, stopped on the first creek bank and opened the bucket lid. Then I reared back and launched the snake as far as I could. It landed on a little island in the creek and slithered away.

I went back inside, thanked Comet profusely for saving us from a snake invasion, and then took one of the longest showers of my life.

Comet's demeanor as we went to bed was one of a proud, homestead-protecting, hero guard cat. It was adorable. He got lots of treats and a little kitty massage.

For most people, this experience would be no big deal at all. In fact, it could possibly be quite routine. But I'm not most people. I'm sure there are a lot of things that you couldn't handle that I'd be totally okay with. Phobias are funny like that.

If you ever have a snake in your house, please don't call me. But if you do, I'll send Comet over, along with a bucket and a snow shovel. Then you're on your own.

#PrinceComet #Phobias #CatsRule #AskUncleMarty

May the Schwartz Be with You

This piece was originally written on July 15, 2015.

Tonight, the FAO Schwartz flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York closes its doors.

There are few things in this world that give warm, fuzzy feelings like a visit to this New York landmark. Now its presence will just have to remain in our memories--our fond, fond memories.

When I was young, my grandmother would often take me there as a special treat. She and I would have a city day, take the train in, people watch, and inevitably stop at our favorite toy store to get the latest He-Man toy to keep my Masters of the Universe collection complete. She spoiled us--individually, so we felt incredibly special--in any way that she could.

A few years ago, I worked with Banana Republic on the visuals team at their flagship 5th Avenue store. We'd create window displays and in-store displays. Because we primarily worked at night when the store was closed, I'd often walk up 5th Avenue during our 3AM "lunch" breaks, look in windows, and take inspiration from other shops. Rarely could a display rock it at the same caliber as FAO Schwartz!

I believe there was an unspoken contract that your mind signed when you walked under that big ol' red and gold awning:
- Leave your worries on the street.
- Eat as much candy and ice cream as you want, guilt free.
- Be a kid again, no matter how old you've become.

As a business person, I completely understand this incredibly difficult decision that had to be made to close those grand doors. However, as that little kid that still gets giddy when he sees a giant pile of stuffed elephants, I have a hard time imagining the greatest city in the world without its cherry.

Rest in peace, big piano.

#FAOSchwartz #NewYork #FifthAvenue #BigPiano #AskUncleMarty