Happy New Year everyone!! What a great year it was for Team HALO last year. We experienced an explosion as we traveled many states and spoke to so many of you about selling the dream – the experience – to your customers.

Well, this year is already booking up strong, and we’re so excited about meeting more of you and sharing the small business and community marketing message – what works and doesn’t and how to do it all on a dime (well, relatively speaking of course).

In case you are reading this blog via news feed of any sort, I just want to encourage you to click through to the real thing because we’ve updated our calendar for the first part of 2008 with speaking engagements in Atlanta, Georgia; West Virginia; Michigan; Mississippi; and Pennsylvania – just to name the first couple of months activities. If we’ll be in your area, we’d love to add you to our stops while we’re there, so speak up, and we’ll try to fit you into our schedule as a "piggy-back" to an existing date.

Stay tuned – there are exciting things in the works around here – and most importantly, they can help you have an exciting year around your business or community as well.

So, ring in the New Year – and let’s get down to the business of experiencing a Results Revolution in 2008.

(Warning, this post may be perceived by some as shameless promotion – I didn’t mean it that way, but…)

Well, I’ve been telling you this for a while, having a plan and then working your plan really works. I’ve read and recommended lots of books – and tried to apply strategy, goals, systems, timing and tactics that really work to your businesses and to my own. I live what I preach – HALO has a strategic plan (a darn good one, too), I revise it each year. I measure my marketing, my spending, my margins, my feedback… I have an advisory board – and I listen to them. The list goes on.

Why am I surprised then, that it happened to me? But I am. I suppose it’s a pleasant surprise we all face when our businesses do well. We’re humble – you have to be to lower yourself to the place of becoming a business owner. Because there are some less than glamorous aspects involved in the startup process.

This week, my kids have been sick. It’s the last week of school, and there were obligations at my son’s school every day. Then, low and behold, the kids got sick with strep on Monday. At that point, I gave the week up as a loss.

But it hasn’t been. On the client side, I’ve had opportunity to exchange emails with quite a few clients and have gotten great feedback in and advice out despite a week off from regular meetings. On the sales side, I’m shocked that a couple of key deals have closed with no real "closing" effort on my behalf. The plan is working. I did the background work, worked the plan, took care of my existing customers and now… work is coming in from web site referrals, speaking engagements all over the country and clients calling me asking for a coaching slot. I’m happily surprised. And humbled that you all think so much of me – and entrust me with your businesses and your communities. It’s a great job. I just can’t believe it’s happening to me.

I have gotten dozens of calls and emails asking about my trip to Seattle to speak at the 2007 National Main Street Conference, so I decided I would give you all the scoop here – and if you still need more details, continue with the emails and phone calls – I love to hear from you!

Camille and I had a fabulous trip to and from Seattle – American Airlines earned my business back, so I was pretty happy about that. We did have time to tour and do Seattle things like shop the Pike Place Market, ride a ferry and ramble all over Bainbridge Island. But back to the real question at hand – the conference.

Honestly (now that it’s over, I can admit the truth), I figured no one but Mississippians would show up. Not that  this is a problem. I’m not sure it would have been the same without Rebecca Davis in the audience to cheer for me or Bernice Linton to give me her proud smile.

But in reality – a few other folks showed up, and it was a total blast to speak to each and every one. I had a fabulous audience of about 275 with standing room only and overflow into the halls. I had great interaction and friendly comments afterwards. I was really humbled by the reaction of the audience, the invitations and inquiries that followed and the folks that told me the next day that my topic was their dinner discussion that night. I talked about strategy and tools to market successfully to Generation Y – to gain their long-term loyalty and your piece of their spending power. (If you’d like the notes – ask me, and I will be happy to oblige.)

So, for those of you who are such wonderful loyal friends and clients, I am so thankful that you gave me the time off from our regular meetings to experience Seattle, attend the National Main Street Conference, and speak to that fabulous group of folks. I can’t wait to go back next year!

Wow – it seems like AGES since I’ve chatted it up on this blog. I did take a week off after Christmas – and boy was it nice. But I returned to a schedule that’ll make anyone’s head spin. I’m full swing into a four month speaking tour that, by the way it stands right now, will take me to about 24 destinations around the state and country between now and April.

My first stop of the tour was McComb, Miss. I have to say that they kicked off my year with style. Brooke Leblanc is their fairly new McComb Main Street manager, and she is a real winner! From my visit with Brooke, I can tell that she really has an eye – and a heart – for downtown revitalization. She has already adopted McComb as her home, and she is passionate about her work. I was pleased to tour a diverse downtown that really stood out to me as a place that is positioned – both by geography, layout and building inventory – to really be a unique and special downtown destination. This will not be "any downtown" USA – McComb is coming to the map, and it will be making a big splash in the future.
Already there are some really stellar shops – including a terrific art gallery and another terrific gift and accessory shop – both in renovated homes in the downtown district. A scrapbook shop and an antique shop cluster round out a mix in the main downtown streets.

There was a standing room only crowd for the seminar. Rumor was that I bashed newspaper advertising, so I heard that this misunderstanding got Brooke in a bit of hot water. Well, for you naysayers out there – here’s the deal (and what I said):

"People ask me all the time, ‘Should I advertise is my local newspaper?’ I say ‘NO’ immediately. I say this because they asked the wrong question. It is imperative that before you identify any media to use, that you identify the experience that you are selling. Next you should identify the message that will explain concrete realities within your experience (ie. concrete things that happen as a part of your experience, are memorable, worth talking about and will create additional buzz). Then, and only then, should you seek out media – both traditional and non-traditional that will deliver your message to the appropriate target market. The experience and the message should FIT the media. It MIGHT fit with the local newspaper – and often it will. But it might now. This is not a conclusion that can be made before the experience or message are determined. However, doing things in the ‘right order’ as described here will improve the results you receive when you do use the local newspaper – exponentially – which is a benefit to them, too."

McComb – I can’t wait to come back – to help or see your progress. What a beautiful town full of progressive, energetic and passionate community members. These building blocks are just what you need as the foundation for a great revitalization program that will support your entrepreneurs successfully.

I am so honored to have been chosen to speak at the 2007 National Main Streets Conference this upcoming March in Seattle, Washington. This annual conference is put on by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is a terrific networking and learning opportunity for any small town business owner or local revitalization project. We here at HALO Business Advisors are huge advocates and supporters of this fabulous program for downtown revitalization. We provide that the Main Street program provides the key to survival for many small towns – jewels on the American landscape. So, I can’t wait to share our insight with this outstanding group – the topic will be "Finding Your Niche in the Gen Y Market." See you in Seattle!

Lots of folks have been asking me about my speaking topics. Here are a few of the most requested:

• Twelve Steps to Revolutionize Your Business: Eliminate Waste and Improve Profits Using Lean Marketing – this is the flagship presentation of the Results Revolution where we outline the steps in the lean marketing program.
• Customer Retention: The Key to Business Success – How to reconvert past customers and make them evangelists for your business.
• Finding Your Niche in the Gen Y Marketplace – Learn the importance of relationship with Gen Y, their value, characteristics, and the three communication tools they require.
• Learning. Leadership. Legacy. – A motivational most often requested for keynote presentation addressing personal leadership development.
• Effective E-mail Marketing – The tricks every small business should know to make the most of Web 2.0 today.

I am happy to speak across the U.S. to national, regional and state level organizations. I’m also happy to speak to local community development or business groups in Mississippi.

I am currently booking speaking engagements for Fall, Winter and Spring 2006. My calendar is filling up quickly (so quickly that I haven’t had time to update my web site yet!). Contact me as soon as possible to inquire about my availability and to request more information. (I have a brag packet full of impressive references and other good information if you just ask.)

I want to thank the International Cemetery and Funeral Association for hosting me in Las Vegas last week. I enjoyed our session together where we discussed ways to "Revolutionize Your Business through Lean Marketing."

This group of at least 200 session attendees were generous in their hospitality and acceptance of the information I shared. We had an interactive session, and I was so pleased with the feedback.

I have to make one commendation to this group. Let’s face it – this industry is one you either work in or stay miles away from. It’s not a comfortable subject for most of us. However, this is an industry that understands their challenges. Besides that, they are the FIRST group that I have ever spoken to (and I speak multiple times per month) that understood what they were selling. When we got to the "Know What Business You’re In" portion of the presentation, this group already knew they were selling an experience or emotional level of service. I’m not saying there is no room to improve, but I must commend this organization and the members for their dedication to their customers and to providing an appropriate customer experience.

Thank you again to the ICFA for a wonderful session and for your wonderful hospitality!