As I walked to work, I blinked, squinted and obsessively compared the vision of my left and right eye, surely looking like a lunatic. Upon arriving at my desk, the blurriness had still not improved. So, I googled “sudden loss of vision in one eye.” Unwittingly, I had opened the floodgates of fear and promptly learned that sudden vision loss can be the result of a stroke, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, brain aneurysm and/or tumor (the list went on and on).

In a mere 10 minutes, I read countless tales of woe on message boards, WikiAnswers and merck.com, all of which began with sudden unilateral vision impairment. I diagnosed myself with one of the less scary scenarios: a detached retina. I would need laser surgery or cryotherapy (freezing), which the Internet promised would be painless.

I called VisionWorld and explained my symptoms. The receptionist sounded concerned, and fit me into the doctor’s schedule right away. At this point, my co-workers overheard the conversation, and looked at me with apprehension. I quickly walked over to VisionWorld, my shoulders heavy with my new self-diagnosis. I filled out the paperwork, and was escorted to the exam room. Prior to entering, I was asked to remove my contacts. After I took out my left contact, I blinked, and sure enough, I could see perfectly! And then it all became clear. Too clear. I had put two contacts in my left eye.

I turned to the doctor, and explained my inane move. Laughter ensued, and I sheepishly left, my shoulders now heavy with embarrassment. But as I walked back to work, relief began to shower over me. I would not need eye surgery! (Brain surgery, maybe.) Overall, this nerve-racking morning reinforced what I already knew: 

Do not try to diagnosis yourself on the Internet. Had I gone straight to the doctor, I would not have wasted an hour worrying. Laughter and clarity would have come much sooner!

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-Joy Wagner

A company like Apple that has a reputation for quality products and a large (and devoted) fan base can get away with saving money on traditional marketing and advertising campaigns because Apple fans know they listen to their users and take their ideas into consideration. As usual Apple listened to their fans’ praises and concerns and have added higher demand features to the iPod Touch 4G that have been discussed on blogs, forums and social media channels. (In particular, the addition of not one but two cameras to the 4^th Generation is causing a buzz.) Apple has been known for quality so the initial reviews should be good and I predict sales will be high even in a struggling economy—good news for Apple that hopes the iPod Touch 4G will reignite iPod sales across the board.

For most companies, removing traditional advertising during a product launch is unrealistic. Apple relied (and still does for other products) on traditional advertising to build and reinforce trust and loyalty in their customer base in order to be in the position they are today. Now they can rely on word-of-mouth to generate excitement about new, upgraded products that are extensions of successful lines. But in this struggling economy it is even more critical that brands get their name and products/services in the public eye. And for the majority of brands, a strategic infusion of advertising is the most effective way to do this.

While all brands strive to have a reputation like Apple, most brands need to spend more time advertising. Could your brand be the next Apple?

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-Chad Breske

The evening started without a hitch. We arrived at the restaurant for our early reservations, were seated on time, and eagerly listened as the server described a delicious menu as a courtesy since we were first-time patrons. The appetizers we ordered were served promptly as tables began filling up with the bustling dinner crowd. Impressed by our first taste from the menu, we anxiously awaited our entrees. And waited…and waited. As we looked around the restaurant, we noticed that several other tables that had been seated long after ours were already halfway through their meals. Some had already even come and gone.

Before we knew it, 7 p.m. was fast approaching and the show was scheduled to begin in 30 minutes. After alerting our server (who seemed to have gone missing since our appetizers were served), we waited for another 10 minutes while he spoke with the manager about the delay. The manager finally stopped by our table after another five minutes passed and proceeded to shower us with excuses. We walked out utterly disappointed, stomachs growling.

Dissatisfied with the server’s lack of responsiveness and the manager’s ill attempt at handling the situation, we thought it would be beneficial to inform the general managers about what went on in their restaurant. After sending a stern yet cordial email about our experience, we resigned to put it all behind us and move on (and to never go back for another meal).

The next day, each of us received a pleasantly surprising email response that was very apologetic and included an invitation back for a complimentary dinner in addition to tickets to another show. The general manager said he would personally ensure we would be taken care of. Thanks to the timely response and going above and beyond what we expected (a complimentary dinner at best), Sea Change earned another chance to impress. Hopefully when we return next time, we’ll walk out groaning from eating too much delicious food.

-Mary Nhotsavang

I’ll admit, the first thing my suspicious, former reporter mind wondered was if the church is attempting to pave the way for conservatives’ acceptance of Mitt Romney in 2012, which could make him the first party endorsed Mormon presidential candidate in America’s history. Apparently, I wasn’t alone—Fox News leapt to that same speculation early in the ad campaign. Then I began to mentally cycle through American history and we elected Nixon (a Quaker) and the first-ever Catholic, JFK, to our highest office. And current conspiracy theorists have falsely convinced almost a quarter of Americans that we’ve now elected a Muslim. So a political candidate’s religion might be a non-issue after all.

But seriously, from a purely marketing standpoint, I think the ads are quite good. They feature very relatable (aka: normal) Mormons engaged in a variety of activities and pursuing diverse professional and personal interests while talking about their faith. The ads are well done, convincing (if normalcy is the messaging objective) and intriguing. Apparently, I’m not alone in my interest either. According to Scott Swofford, director of media for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, traffic at mormon.org is up 300 percent since the campaign launch. In test markets like the Twin Cities, traffic has spiked 400 to 800 percent above typical levels since the ads began to run. That’s an unequivocal success, from a campaign measurement standpoint.

With such positive metrics behind its efforts so far, I would expect The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to expand beyond these initial middle American test cities: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Baton Rouge, Colorado Springs, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Rochester, NY, Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Tucson. So, don’t feel neglected if you don’t reside in one of these test markets. “I’m a Mormon” TV and radio spots, billboards, and public transit and internet ads may soon become part of your everyday consciousness. If you can’t wait, discover what all the buzz is about by visiting mormon.org or find them on Facebook and YouTube.

What do you think of the new “I’m a Morman” campaign?

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-Steph Haugan

Researching what was available, I had a few requests. I would still like for there to be just one number for someone to call the Nolte family instead of choosing who to call—my wife or I. And what about those other things that rely on your home phone number? I don’t want give my cell number and risk getting sales call on my cell. I also would like voicemail transcribed and emailed to me, and choose when and I want to choose where to have calls go. Too much? Oh and just one more thing… I want it for free!

Well this is where Google came into my life again, with their service called Google Voice.

The first thing you’ll need to decide is whether you’d like to use the full version of Google Voice with a brand new phone number, or add some Google Voice features (like voicemail) to your existing mobile phone number.

The basic differences between these options are:

Google Voice with a Google number

• Use one number to manage all your phones; your Google Voice number is tied to you, not to a particular device or location.
• Voicemail is like email: Save voicemail messages for as long as you’d like, star important ones, and search through them.
• Voicemail transcription: Voicemail messages will be automatically transcribed to text and sent to you via email and/or SMS.
• Customize your callers’ experience (custom voicemail greetings, decide which of your phones ring based on who’s calling, send some callers straight to voicemail, etc.)
• Works with mobile phones, desk phones, and work phones. There’s nothing to download, upload, or install, and you don’t have to make or take calls using a computer.
• International calling: Make low priced international calls from the web or from your phone.

Google Voice with your non-Google phone number:

With this option you won’t get some features (i.e. call forwarding, screening, and call recording), but you get plenty of others, including: voicemail like email, voicemail transcription, custom voicemail greetings and international calling. For a complete list of the features with each option, click here. You can also check out a video about Google Voice’s set up options.

With that choice made, you can start the FUN part, picking out your new phone number!  You can even choose your area code and search for specific alphanumeric options, like 612-GO-NOLTE (not really my number).  

Since switching over to Google Voice, I haven’t missed my landline once—or missed a call from my mom or uncle. So thanks Google, for not only thinking of great ideas, but for making them work and providing them for free.

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-Trevor Nolte

Art Sobczak, owner of Business by Phone and producer of the weekly TelE-Sales Tip suggests that anyone attempting to create leads by phone should make every attempt to gain commitment from the prospect instead of asking for permission. You can read Art’s article here. 

Essentially what Art is saying is that instead of asking a prospect for permission such as “Can I send you a proposal?”, gain commitment by asking “If I send you a proposal will you look it over and we can discuss it in more detail on Wednesday? Generating leads using this method, as we do at SCG’s Perfect Pitch Contact Center, allows you to more quickly move the prospect towards trial.

Many sales people mistake activity for accomplishment. If you’re calling someone just to “stay in touch” you won’t accomplish much more than making another call. The goal of prospecting is to move the prospect from unaware to trial as quickly as possible. This is done most cost effectively by setting goals for each call and gaining commitment to take appropriate next steps on future calls incrementally moving forward towards a trial of your product or service. The benefits of a prepared phone conversation was a topic for my blog earlier in the year.

Have you been guilty of calling for just the sake of calling?

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 -Randy West

Well, I am happy to announce that Dairy Queen has finally launched the new Mini Blizzard. The roughly 6-ounce treat is about half the size of the small blizzard, but still full of flavor. You get just enough of your favorite treat to satisfy your craving, but you don’t overindulge. So now I don’t feel so guilty when I break down and run for the nearest Dairy Queen.   

Have you tried your favorite Blizzard flavor in the new Mini size?

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-Jane Tomassetti