This is not an easy review to write. Not because I don’t like or recommend the movie–I enthusiastically do! But because I don’t want to give away any of the plot, and because even two days later as I write this, the movie still haunts me.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is based on a book by the same name. I have not read the book, although I’m going to look for it now. I was only peripherally aware of the movie’s theme, the Holocaust, when we attended. Last year my wife and I attended a play by the name of “A Shayna Maidel” which was also about the Holocaust. It is one of those profoundly important pieces of history about which, just a generation later, we do not know enough. This movie will definitely educate you.

The movie (and presumably the book) takes a unique approach. It shows us the Holocaust through the eyes of an 8 year-old German boy named Bruno. His father is a Nazi officer who has received a promotion, and along with the promotion comes a move to the country and a new posting. The family moves to a house not far from a Jewish internment camp, and Bruno, being a curious 8 year-old, finds his way to the edge of the camp where he befriends another 8 year-old boy (a Jew) on the other side of the fence.

There are a lot of themes skillfully woven into this movie: Like how adults (and society) tell us one thing, but sometimes the things we’re being told don’t line up with truth and the reality we know. Sometimes there’s a disconnect. Yet, we play along anyway. We also see the internal struggles some of the German families must have had in dealing with what was happening around them. And the results of speaking out against accepted societal norms. We experience that tension. It’s as if we’re a member of the family ourselves–we are “in the picture.”

The cinematography is excellent, the dialog well done. The characters are fully developed–people you really care about (especially the children). And the subject matter, well, what can one say? Tragic, unsettling, horrific. But important. I think if you go and see this movie, at the end you will come away as moved as my family and I were.

If you live in the Greater Binghamton area, this movie is currently (and only) playing at Regal Cinemas. It’s a shame that nationwide it’s only brought in $2.6M after 3 weeks in the U.S. This is a movie everyone needs to see. Go and see it before it’s gone from theaters.

One note of caution: We took our 12 year-old boy with us to see it. If I had known more about the content and plot, I would have elected not to take him. I would say children no younger than 13-14 years old be allowed to watch it–at least not without a parent seeing it first to judge its appropriateness. I am, however, strongly recommending to my older children (19 and 17 respectively) that they should go and see it. You should too.

I’ll be teaching a “major morning class” on blogging—90 minutes for four days, Monday-Thursday. We’ll cover the following:

Day 1: Blogging 101 – Introduction to Blogs & Blogging
A brief overview and history of blogging and its roots. A look at the variety of blogs published today, from personal blogs to professional blogs (similar to online magazines) to corporate blogs, and the numerous opportunities that await writers in the electronic medium. A look at microblogging (Twitter, Facebook and others). And a very practical step-by-step method for how to track and read blogs, and how to interact with other authors and with readers (via blog comments). Day one provides a foundation for understanding the broad range of blogs and will answer the question, “Just what is a blog anyway?” And more importantly, “Why blogs are definitely in your future if you’re a writer.”

Day 2: Blogging 201 – Attracting a Publisher via Your Blog
This day is devoted to establishing a blog that showcases your talent to capture the interest and offer from a publisher to take your writing into print. Some people today refer to this as establishing a personal brand, and some call it creating an author platform from which to showcase your writing. It’s similar to an online portfolio. Your blog IS your website, and we’ll show you the steps to set up your very first blog (if you haven’t done so already). And we’ll give you suggestions for what to blog about, how often to blog, how long each post should be, and loads of other practical tips for how to write blog posts.

Day 3: Blogging 301 – Freelance Blogging
Did you know there are networks of blogs similar to magazine publishers with multiple titles–and they will pay you for freelance submissions? Freelancing for blogs is similar to freelancing for magazines–only there’s a far better chance you will get published. There is also a developing market and need for corporate blogging. PR departments often do not have the time nor talent to devote to blogging. This day will explore the blogging marketplace, where to find opportunities, how to make submissions, how much the markets pay and more.

Day 4: Blogging 401 – Professional Blogging
In the final segment, we’ll discuss the great opportunities that await if you want to blog professionally. What is a problogger? How do you make money from blogging on your own? What markets should you consider? What technology should you use? Yes, there are people making a comfortable living from blogging! Come and find out how.

In addition, I’ll be teaching two afternoon workshop classes (45 minutes):

Ebook Explosion
There is no doubt that 2010 is the year ebooks are going mainstream. More than 3 million Amazon Kindle ebook readers have been sold since 2007. Sony, Barnes & Noble and a dozen other manufacturers have or are introducing ebook readers in 2010. And the 800-pound gorilla, Apple, introduced the iPad in April, with sales already exceeding 3 million (it took Amazon’s Kindle  three years to reach that number!). Macmillan and other publishers are playing hardball with Amazon over ebook “agency” pricing. Google has digitized some seven million books! Today, authors can elect to go direct to e-print with Amazon and earn a 70% royalty. The entire industry is undergoing tremendous change. This session will explore the latest developments and give writers some ideas about how to think about, negotiate, and deal with electronic publishing.

Online Tools for Writers
From outliners to word processors to email to calendars to note taking and everything in between, writers have a smorgasbord of free and low cost online tools at their fingertips. Google and other software manufacturers have made “cloud computing”—software delivered via the web browser—a reality. This session will explore and recommend some “best of” tools that writers will find handy to have in their virtual toolbox. It’s time to start living in the cloud.

I’d love to see you in Montrose!

I attended grade school in New Berlin, New York. For the uninitiated who don’t live in Chenango County, New Berlin is pronounced “new-BERL-in,” and most definitely not “new-ber-LIN.” In grade school one of our favorite field trips was to nearby Hunt’s Pond State Park. By state park standards Hunt’s Pond is small. It’s a wooded area with a 20-acre pond in the center and just 16 campsites scattered around it.

In the fourth grade we went on a field trip to Hunt’s Pond. Fishing and fossil hunting were two of our favorite activities. Following that trip, all fourth grade students had to write an essay detailing our experiences. Although I no longer have a copy, my essay along with one other, was chosen by my teacher to be printed in the local weekly newspaper, The New Berlin Gazette. As you can imagine, for a 10 year-old boy having your words printed in the newspaper was about the biggest deal in the world. Although other events would come along to influence my path to writing, my Hunt’s Pond essay was the fork in the writing road for me.

So it’s with some sadness I noted recently that a number of New York State Parks, including Hunt’s Pond State Park, have been closed because of state budget shortfalls. I won’t wax political in this post, but it seems to me there are many other places the state could save money other than closing parks.

Regardless of whether it’s open or closed, Hunt’s Pond will always have a special place in my heart.

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

Written by Boston surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto takes us on a journey to save lives by using checklists. Dr. Gawande headed an initiative with the World Health Organization to figure out how to reduce the number of deaths occuring from avoidable mistakes made during surgery. The problem: What could they do to save lives, yet be relevant for diverse surgical procedures in any country or language, and cost next to nothing to implement? The solution: A checklist.

Gawande and his team developed a practical, life-saving checklist easily adapted for use in operating rooms anywhere in the world, under any conditions. The results since the WHO issued Gawande’s checklist are in: Thousands of lives saved and unnecessary suffering prevented for many thousands more.

In his quest to create an effective checklist, Gawande sought out best practices from major building companies to airline manufacturers. Among the gems in the book is advice from Daniel Boorman of Boeing Company.

Boeing’s tips for creating an effective checklist:

1. Define a clear pause point when the checklist will be used.
2. Decide whether the list is READ-DO (read and performed in order, like a recipe), or DO-CONFIRM (perform tasks from memory, but at a pause point, run the checklist to make sure everything was done).
3. Identify only the most critical and important steps–don’t try to list everything, five to nine items is a good rule of thumb.
4. Use words that are simple and exact.
5. Format the list so it fits on one page, is free of clutter and unnecessary colors, and uses upper and lower case.

Those who yearn for examples of checklists will not find them in this relatively short (209 page) but excellent book. Dr. Gawande takes the 30,000 foot view. However, the book provides more than enough clues and inspiration to guide you in creating your own effective (and life-saving!) checklists.

The Checklist Manifesto (Amazon)

I’ve worked in the publishing industry in one capacity or another (currently as vice president of marketing at www.A-TeamGroup.com) for the past 20-odd years. Some of those years were spent at a science and technical ebook publishing company (www.Knovel.com). So it’s no surprise I’ve had my eye on electronic books, or ebooks, for some time. Years ago I dabbled with reading ebooks on my Palm Zire, and more recently with my iPod Touch, but the screen is too small and changing pages too cumbersome on either device. I’ve tried reading ebooks on the computer, but who wants to spend more time at the computer when your professional life is parked in front of one! It’s hard to balance a laptop or netbook in bed at night for reading purposes. And running a power cord into the bed is also not a bright idea.

I’ve had my eye on the Amazon Kindle ebook reader for some time, but the price was too high at $359, and without seeing the screen and the E Ink technology used to display text, I wasn’t convinced I would like it. Early reviews of the Kindle were generally good, but mixed. Very recently Barnes & Noble, my favorite bookstore, started advertising their own soon-to-be-released ebook reader called the Nook, which also uses E Ink technology. I figure we’ve reached a tipping point and it’s now time to get a reader. So I started researching. The Nook will not be available widely until early 2010, not in time for my recent trip (nor in time for Christmas), which was a small consideration for me. In my research, I found that the Amazon Kindle is now second generation having corrected a lot of early design flaws. And Amazon has lowered the price of the Kindle from $359 to $259. Competition is a good thing!

Head-to-head and feature for feature the almost-here Nook is about equivalent to the Kindle 2 according to the reviews I’ve read. While toting the Nook to my local B&N for free download specials is appealing, a gut instinct said I ought to go with the Kindle, which is what I did. In the end, here’s my line of reasoning and a look at why I made the decision I made: In the early days of MP3 players, Apple came along and introduced the iPod and changed the game. Other MP3 players that were similar in features did well for a time. But ultimately, the iPod–the game changer–dominated the market and developed into the clearly superior choice and has remained so to this day. I can’t even find my early MP3 player now having owned iPods for years. In fact, we have iPods of various kinds for every member of the family (five in all).

In my humble opinion as a long-time participant in the publishing industry, we’re in the early stages of a major change away from print to electronic publishing and reading. The Amazon Kindle was the game-changing device, and now everyone, including the Nook, compares themselves to the standard set by the Kindle. The Kindle is like the early iPod. So why not buy the best, and the original, instead of a copy? That ultimately is why I chose the Kindle over the Nook. I expect Amazon to continue their innovation with both technology and business models. It is in their own best interests to do so. It is less in the interest of B&N to innovate because they have thousands of bricks and mortar locations where they like to sell books. Amazon’s DNA is online and electronic. B&N is not. Lest I get an email or comment from B&N, don’t worry, I still love you! And I’ll continue to frequent your stores. Not every book is available electronically by a long shot, so I’ll still be renewing my B&N membership and visiting to buy books. But I’ll be purchasing less and less in the bookstore as I purchase more and more on my Kindle.

So what’s next? Who knows! Apple is rumored to be launching a tablet style device that is something between a Kindle and a computer, with a full color screen (Kindle and Nook both have monochrome screens right now). And when Apple enters a space, like ebooks, you have to take it seriously. But so far it’s a rumor, and no one has any pictures of the device itself. So who knows what it’s really intended for? There are flexible display technologies coming along–screens that you can bend like a piece of heavy paper and it doesn’t break. And other very cool technologies coming down the pike in the near future. If you want to stay on top of it all, read this blog: http://ireaderreview.com. I love what this guy writes. By following that blog you’ll also be tuned in to the latest free ebooks out there that you can download to your computer, or your ebook reading device, if you read ebooks.

One thing is for sure: I won’t be using the Kindle 2 I just purchased in 3-4 years’ time–maybe sooner. Something better will come along to replace it. But I’m equally sure the vendor of that new device will be Amazon, and B&N (and maybe Borders with Sony and even Apple). So although I’ve just invested in technology that will be obsoleted in a few years, I’ll save money on my books in the meantime–ebooks are typically 30-50% cheaper than hard cover copies. And I won’t need a bigger house to store my books!

Now, back to Clive Cussler and his latest novel, The Wrecker, purchased for $11.98 on my Kindle, available at the local Sam’s club in hard cover for $16.67. I’ve already saved $4.69 on just one purchase!

We’re facing the first snow of the season today. According to the wizards of the weather, if you live above 1500 feet elevation, you may get anywhere from 3 to 7 inches of snow! Which got me to wondering, not for the first time, “How can I find the elevation of our home?” We moved to West Windsor, NY a little over a year ago and immediately noticed (in October), when the forecasters say “trace amounts of snow in the valleys, but several inches on the hilltops” that we most often fall into the later category.

So when the forecasters today said significant snow above 1500 feet, I started searching, determined to finally figure out what our elevation is. And I found out how to do it:

1. Go to: www.trails.com/maps.aspx
2. Scroll down the page to the section titled, “Search for Topo Maps by Location” and enter an address in the box provided, then click search.
3. You may get a screen asking you to join Trails.com (the website hosting this nifty feature). I clicked to “continue without joining” and viola. My address’ particulars appeared, including elevation. Neat.

Oh, our elevation is 1309 feet above sea level, which means we’ll get some snow, but hopefully not the 3 to 7 inches predicted.

—–

Woishnis Eulogy

My name is Jim Willis and I had the privilege and pleasure of working with and for Bill from April of 2000 until September of 2006. I would like to take a few minutes to share with you a few of my memories about the man I came to cherish as a good friend.

One of my earliest memories of Bill is when I first started working at William Andrew Publishing (before I changed seats to work for Knovel). The first week I started, Brent Beckley and I traveled to Norwich from the Chenango Bridge office to have meetings. Brent and I went to lunch with Bill and Chris Forbes. I remember in the car on the way to Fred’s Inn that we talked about how William Andrew and Knovel had wound up being in the little city of Norwich. Bill loved Upstate New York and Norwich, but in the car that day he said, “You know, Norwich is a nice town, but it’s too darned white and it’s too darned Republican!”

For those of you who don’t know me, my Republican roots run deep, and I grew up in Norwich! I remember thinking at the time, “Oh man, what I have gotten myself into?” Bill was a confirmed, liberal Democrat. And I, a confirmed conservative Republican. But over the years and the many political discussions we had, Bill and I became good friends. You know why? It was because of Bill. He didn’t let political philosophy get in the way of business or friendships. Bill was one of the most open-minded people I’ve ever known–always ready and willing to hear an opposing viewpoint. Never quick to criticize or judge. Willing to try and see things from someone else’s perspective. That was Bill Woishnis.

Bill, like all of us, was a complex person. Sometimes he was passionate and would argue and debate vigorously. I recall some of those debates and no doubt you who worked with him do as well. One time our marketing team had a meeting in which Bill was in his passionate mode. In an email the next day to Leslie Lees and Delores Meglio, two of our colleagues in the meeting, he said this:

Dear Leslie and Delores:

I apologize for letting my passion get the most of my normally tempered reaction (at least I like to think this is the case) to things this morning.  Better communication of my positions and vision is something that I owe you and will do my best to deliver.  Please know that I think the world of both of you and highly value the experience, high level thinking and perspectives you bring to me and Knovel.

Sincerely,
Bill

Other times Bill was a quiet peacemaker and very affirming. I recall being quite upset about a few matters at one time and I sent Bill a rather terse email about it. This was his response:

Jim,

Thanks for raising these issues. Let’s talk more about these and other things that affect you personally in person next Tuesday. It is important to me, and always has been, that you find your proper home at Knovel – from the perspectives of both personal satisfaction and contribution to Knovel. You have so much to offer and I know the road has been a little bumpy at times for you.

I hope you read this message in the positive light it is meant.

Thanks,
Bill

Bill was sometimes passionate, sometimes a peacemaker, often affirming…and he always cared deeply about William Andrew Publishing and Knovel. I found an email a customer once sent to Bill following his presence at the National Plastics Exposition trade show in Chicago. The subject line says, “We love your service” and said this:

Bill,

I just wanted to touch base with you and let you know that as a result of your presence at NPE, a lot of us here at GE Plastics, Mt. Vernon, IN are happily using your service.

We met briefly, and you showed me your website at the trade show. I was happy to learn that our company is a subscriber (through our technology center in India). I sent out a mass e-mail to the other folks on site, and I have heard a lot of response from people who had no idea that we had access. So, even though you did not gain a new corporate subscriber per se, you increased the hit rate quite a bit from our company. Hopefully we will continue the subscription.

Thanks very much,
Donna Bossman, Ph.D., GE Plastics

Bill was also contemplative. I recall on many occasions in one of our (it seemed never ending) meetings, Bill would often put his head down, sometimes propped in his hands with his elbows on the table, and just listen as the rest of us would yammer on and on jockeying to share OUR insights with the other people in the room. And then, suddenly from nowhere, Bill would offer a comment or opinion, and it was inevitably brilliant. Bill had the habit of letting others talk more than he did–a habit far too many of us have not yet mastered.

Other things I remember…I can’t tell you how many times over the years, when recounting how William Andrew Publishing got started, Bill would say that he was an “accidental publisher.” That when the company first started by offering in essence “printed databases” he didn’t even realize they were in the publishing business. “It just kind of happened,” he would say.

Another thing Bill would often say when we were talking about mobile technology, and ebooks and the like, “You know, if paper were invented today and not a thousand years ago, it would be heralded as the greatest invention in mobile technology ever!” And you what, he was right! Bill thought deeply about publishing and the business we were in. He cared passionately about it. He understood it like few others. And he was brilliant, truly talented in so many ways.

But Bill Woishnis was also deeply, deeply personal and thoughtful. He connected with people on a personal level. And he kept people first and foremost as his priority. Here’s just one example, taken from an email when one of our marketing people, Jeri-Anne, got married…The subject line was “A newlywed amongst us”:

A newlywed is amongst us in Knovel’s marketing group. In Jeri-Anne’s honor, there are pastries and fudge (for those who don’t eat wheat) in the kitchen. But before you partake, it is required that you first congratulate Jeri-Anne and wish her a life of connubial bliss. Congratulations Jeri-Anne!!!!

William Woishnis
Chairman, Knovel

Bill brought the fudge specifically for Jeri-Anne because she was newly diagnosed as having a food sensitivity to wheat gluten, which is found in almost all pastries and breads. That’s the kind of person Bill was…personal and thoughtful.

But perhaps above all, Bill Woishnis was about family. There was NOTHING more important to Bill than family. Jeri and Aidan were tops to Bill and he made that clear to anyone who knew him. He put high value on not only his own family, but other families too. Let me read you a short series of emails back and forth between Bill and myself from 2005:

Hi Bill,

If you have no objections… Ben [my son] is playing in a basketball game today at 3pm. I would like to leave after the management meeting to watch him. (It’s one of the few home games I can get to during his season.)

Thx,
Jim

Less than an hour later came back his response:

Jim,

In my opinion, nothing is more important than for you to attend your son’s game. If you need to leave the management meeting early, this is fine.

Bill

A few days later I sent this:

I want to thank you again. It’s a pleasure working with you Bill. By the way, Ben’s team won–quite handily. And Ben made a basket! Very special for me to have been there.

And Bill’s reply:

To have your young son get a basket – what a great feeling!

What a great feeling. Bill Woishnis, it’s a great feeling to have known you, my friend.

Someone once told me something I’ll never forget: You know who your true friends are when you leave a company…they’re the ones who stay in contact with you after you’re gone. Bill was that kind of friend. After he and I had both moved on from Knovel in late 2006 we stayed in contact. In fact, he and Brent Beckley and myself, and later Russ Richardson and Sasha Gurke would get together for lunch every few months. At either Zazous or the Lost Dog Cafe in Binghamton. You don’t have to guess who picked up the tab every time we had lunch. That’s right, it was Bill.

I cherish those lunches we had together. You can ask my wife Judy and she’ll tell you how I looked forward to them. Usually the first thing Bill would ask me about was my wife Judy and our children. And he would name them: Amanda, Ben and Zach. As our conversation would turn to work, he would ask how my job is going. And we would discuss the publishing industry…trends, what’s new and hot? Websites and search engines. Marketing of all kinds. We had some great discussions, but mostly we just enjoyed each others’ company.

I remember at one of our lunches earlier this year he recounted the Caribbean cruise he took this past winter with Jeri and Aidan and his in-laws. He told us about Aidan and him taking off and seeing the sights on the islands they visited because Aidan’s grandparents wanted to visit the shops and of course there was adventure to be had for a 12 year old! So Bill and Aidan would take off and have those adventures. Aidan, I can you tell you, he had a great time.

Lest I leave the wrong impression, Bill was human and he had his struggles as we all do. I’m not trying to make him out to be a saint. But you know, I consider Bill Woishnis about the closest thing you get to a saint on this earth. He really was that kind of man. Bill was the kind of man I aspire to be, the kind of person whom, just by being around him, you find yourself becoming a better person. That was Bill Woishnis.

In thinking about today, one of the questions I asked myself was this, “In the time I knew Bill, a little over nine years, what would I consider his greatest accomplishment?” I’m sure we all answer that question in different ways, but here’s how I answer it: Bill’s greatest accomplishment is sitting right here. If it were not for Bill Woishnis, for his life, for the way he loved people and put people first, we would not even know each other. We would not be here today honoring this great man’s legacy. Bill’s greatest accomplishment, his greatest contribution, is that he has bound all of us together. We are friends with each other because we were friends with Bill. We and our friendships with each other…are Bill’s legacy.

Below is his obituary. Rest in peace my friend.

In Memoriam

William Andrew Woishnis

Bill Woishnis, of Gilbertsville, New York, passed away suddenly on August 2, 2009.  Bill was born on September 27, 1958 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Jean (Biergel) and Joseph Woishnis.  He attended Cathedral High School, and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).  He studied acting briefly, while pursuing a career in science.  He worked as a plastics engineer for Hewlett Packard in the early nineteen eighties and then founded his own company, William Andrew Publishing, based in Norwich, N.Y., in 1990, with its seminal applied-science series, the Plastics Design Library.

A visionary whose innovations largely shaped today’s electronic publishing industry, Bill co-founded, in 1999, Knovel Corporation ,a groundbreaking data driven science and engineering information service.

Throughout his years with both companies, Bill worked with his wife Jeri Wachter, and a team of devoted publishing professionals, who together produced many applied science books, series, and databases by and for scientists around the globe, in fields such as environmental remediation, wild animal preservation, electronics, plastics design and, most recently, nanotechnology.

Bill was a devoted husband, and a “dreamingly wonderful father” according to his son, Aidan Arthur, who at the age of thirteen is a beautiful reflection of Bill’s true self. He will be missed greatly by his family, friends, and colleagues, who spoke of him as a kind, gentle, and devoted man.  Bill is survived by his wife Jeri, his son Aidan, by his parents Jean and Joseph Woishnis, as well as one brother, Joseph, and six sisters;  Jeanne Gavrin, Barbara Moriarty, Mary Lee Bertrand, Carol Mentos, Beth Chianciola,  and Mary Beth Sutton. He is also survived by nephews and nieces: Jeanne, Monica, and Andrew, Aaron, Eli, Ian, Kiri, David, Daniel, Tommy, Billy, Christina, Brian, Brittany, Benjamin and Yeecel, all of whom he loved dearly.  Bill was also a wonderful son-in-law to Arthur  and Lois Wachter, and a caring brother-in-law to Jan’Ann and Greg Liberman.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Catskill Area Hospice or the S.P.C.A.

A private service for family will take place on Wednesday. Condolences may be sent to P.O. Box 289, Gilbertsville, NY, 13376.  A memorial service will follow at a later date.

Let me share a bit of brilliant marketing with you. The Binghamton, NY area has been without a bigbox electronics store since Circuit City went bankrupt and closed their local store earlier this year. So when it was announced that a new Best Buy was coming to town, more than a few hallelujahs could be heard around these parts. Fast forward a few months, and the new Best Buy building located on the Vestal Parkway is now almost done. I don’t know when the official opening is scheduled, but every time I pass by the store, it looks more and more like it will open very soon.

Imagine my surprise a few days ago when I got a “follow” on my Twitter account by @VestalBestBuy, the official Twitter account for our soon-to-open store. Let me tell you why this is brilliant and savvy marketing. Someone at the Vestal Best Buy (either headquarters or perhaps the local manager) searches for people who use Twitter in our area, and “follows” them. When you “follow” someone on Twitter, the followee receives a notice via email that you have followed. Most people will check the profile of the person following to see if they are legitimate, and if so, will follow them back as a courtesy. By doing this, @VestalBestBuy has, in essence, tapped people like me on the shoulder (in a non-offensive way) to say, “Hey, notice me.” If people follow back, Best Buy then has a way, with permission, to present their messages to the people following them. One of the most important messages for @VestalBestBuy will be the grand opening!

If I were the savvy marketers at the Vestal Best Buy, I would feed my Twitter stream with special offers–maybe even a Twitter-only reception prior to the grand opening. It would be a fascinating experiment to see how much word of mouth Twitter could drive in a local market. My guess is that such a reception would be mobbed.

Using Twitter to Generate Sales

Here’s an easy action plan for businesses, large or small, or even for individual salespeople, to leverage Twitter in generatating sales:

1. Create a Twitter account if you haven’t already. It’s easy to do: Twitter.com

2. Start “tweeting” (posting short messages, no longer than 140 characters). What should you post? Link to articles and web resources that your prospects and customers will find useful. Not necessarily items from your own industry. Think about your prospects’ pain points, needs, problems and passtimes. Do not post things like “Heading to the shower.” TMI folks, TMI.

3. After (and only after) you have at least a dozen good tweets, start following people. Where do you find them? To locate people in your geography, use http://search.twitter.com. Click on Advanced Search, input a ZIP code and adjust how far from that ZIP you want to search for users. Viola! You’ll see a list of tweets and twitterers (the people who authored the tweets). You can now click and subscribe to peoples’ Twitter streams, which is called “following.” Many of them will follow you back, and when they do, you will have established a community or “tribe” as Seth Godin calls it.

A few more ideas on finding people to follow: If you’re in retail, have a signup form at the checkout counter, ask people to leave their Twitter name and perhaps their email address. If you’re a salesperson, ask your prospects and customers for their Twitter name when you talk with them. And any time you receive an email, check the signature block of the person sending it–sometimes they will insert their Twitter name.

Once you have a Twitter tribe receiving your brief messages, in time those messages will inspire confidence and familiarity, and eventually, trust. People buy from people they like and trust. Become a person other people trust by using Twitter, and you’ll generate revenue for your efforts. The Vestal Best Buy understands it–which is why their use of Twitter is brilliant.

Confession: My computer is long in the tooth–a Dell Dimension E310 (4+ years old) running Microsoft Windows XP, Media Center Edition, Version 2002 Service Pack 3. The chip is a Pentium 4, 2.80 GHz with 2 GB of RAM. But enough of the tech talk. My senior citizen computer ran the previous version of Firefox just fine.

I have now had two really lowsy experiences with Firefox upgrades. The first was more than a year ago when Firefox went from 2.x to 3.0. The new Firefox, for a long time, caused major problems on my system. Eventually they ironed out the bugs and it started working fine, but it took a good three months or more for things to return to normal. But they’ve just gone and done it again. This time the upgrade was from version 3.0 to version 3.5. And it is a DOG (speedwise). When I click to launch the browser, it takes at least a full 60 seconds before it opens. Then, when typing in the address bar, or clicking links to new sites, I experience major delays where the keystrokes stop and have to catch up. Not good.

I did a search and found this advice from one of my favorite blogs, Lifehacker: Speed Up Firefox 3.5 Start-Up on Windows. It seems Firefox, for security reasons, does a lot of random checking of files on your hard drive. I don’t profess to understand the technicalities involved–all I know is that whatever they’ve done to the newest version, it simply does not work for me. The delays I now experience with Firefox 3.5 have driven me to use Google Chrome 95% of the time. Yes, I really miss the add-on programs I used with Firefox, but day by day I’m learning shortcuts and workarounds to minimize my pain. Too bad for Firefox. They’ve now blown it twice, and if, as predicted, Chrome releases add-ons too, it’s bye bye to Firefox for me.

I sincerely hope Mozilla can turn it around before it’s too late.