THE WHITLATCH WEEKLY

Ok, so you have known about the 2017 NADA Show for quite some time now, yet you find yourself freaking out a day before you leave. No worries, we have all been there. Register to Attend here ! FROM THE OFFICE First and foremost, let's think about what you will need to get from the office. Some things will be accessible via E mail , Google Docs, flash drives, etc.  Create a "Note" on your Cell Phone or go old-school and actually write it out on paper. Business Cards / Marketing Materials Laptop / Charger / Back up Charger? Flash drives - power points, presentations, spreadsheets, etc. Email Response - "I will be out of the office..." Who needs to know where I will be during the show?  Last minute tasks I MUST do before I leave? Miscellaneous - headphones, pens, notebook, books, etc FROM HOME Alright, I have my shoes, my jacket, shirt, and tie are on point, where's my belt? My belt! Son of a  $!+@&!!! How many of you have been...

Once upon a time, in a place far from here, lived a beautiful Email.  This Email (or E-Mail) was beautiful, friendly, and essentially harmless.  Sending messages all around the World, the Email began to grow greedy, selfish, and a bit shady.  Soon, the Email began to hang around the wrong crowd - THE MARKETING CROWD !   Those clever, creative minds convinced the Email that it could be more.  More than just a message. More than the exchange of a document.  A tool for Marketing and Advertising professionals far and wide.  A Marketing Email is still just an Email.  And so...the Fallacy of the Email is born. A " fallacy " is  a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief or misleading or unsound argument .  The day that Marketing and Advertising met the beautiful Email was a monumental day for business.  Not so much for the Email.  Think about how many times a day you have to delete an Email that was A...

Nearly 10 years ago this month, I created my first and last Facebook profile. Sitting in my High School Library towards the end of my Senior year, I cluelessly put together a picture, a couple monumental dates and places, clicked on the "Save" button and wa-la.  Piece of cake. Now, if it could have only stayed that simple.  Social Media profiles are becoming more and more of a reliable source for representation of a person, company, or event. The days of uploading some random picture and being ok with it are gone. Establish what you will be using your Social Media profiles for. Business? Fun? Maybe both? Regardless, your audience needs (and wants) to know what they will be getting. Choosing the right Social Media platforms that fit your lifestyle is key. Don't feel that you MUST HAVE certain accounts to make everyone happy. For instance, I don't use Snapchat or Pinterest. It's just not me. Does that mean Could they work for you? ABSOLUTELY.   YOU MU...

So... the Expo, Convention, Trade Show, or Conference is over huh...so now what the heck do you do? First, get some sleep. Monday needs to be productive not nap time.  There is so much effort put into any Business Conference, Industry Convention, Trade Show or Expo, but sometimes we don't make the most of them. Why is that?     WHAT DID YOU LEARN? Throughout your trip, keep track of certain ideas, tips, and any general knowledge you feel may be beneficial to your company or more specifically, your team or department. If you see certain handouts or brochures, don't just grab one, grab a few!  CREATE A LIST OF THINGS YOU TOOK FROM THE CONFERENCE - Keynote Speakers, Workshops, New Contacts and Contact Info, etc. CREATE A LIST OF THINGS TO SHARE WITH THE OFFICE  - General Knowledge or Insight, What are we doing wrong/right, How can we improve, Let's try this, etc. NEXT YEAR - Normally the convention or expo will be held again next year. What can you do ...

I f I had to guess, at some point this year you will be attending some sort of Conference, Seminar, or Event to potentially further your career. With so many other things going on in your life, you might not have time to really sit down and strategize how you can make the most of these networking opportunities. What do you say we change that... First and foremost, you must do your RESEARCH . Before any event or business conference you might be attending, make sure to do a little homework leading up to the event. Once you have RSVP'd or have reserved your spot, let the research begin. Here is your homework. Do NOT procrastinate! 1.) Who will be attending? 2.) Where is it? ( Any clients to visit while I'm in the neighborhood ) 3.) Print and save the schedule of the event, distribute to office before you leave ( Nice to know where you will be at all times ) 4.) Social Media? ( What will be the hashtag for the event, etc. ) 5.) Research the Guest Speak...

          It seems every decade or so, a new "gold" emerges. Oil. Solar energy. Wind. Even silver. All promised to be of similar importance and worth to the little shiny coins and nuggets themselves.  Data is not only becoming this new gold, but unlike oil for instance, data is not a one-hit-wonder type of product.  The value of data, if managed correctly, is constantly growing and improving at the same time. Data is nearly limitless.  This renewable force of information can be used in any industry, at any time, in any place.  Maybe we should be hoping data is at the end of the rainbow these days, and not those shiny little coins...           A major challenge nearly all business owners have and have always had, is specifc insights into their business, and the ability to use that insight to their benefit.  Sales history, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), industry predictions, even competitor insigh...