Francis Ford Coppola Loses Computers/Back-Up Hard Drive to Theft

Francis Ford Coppola is a man at a loss.

In more ways than one.

When it comes to valuable data, few people would argue that 15 of Francis Ford Coppola’s work, scripts and personal photographs would qualify as having substantial financial and sentimental value.

Coppola recently told an Argentine newscaster that he had lost 15 years of valuable data, including precious family photos, scripts and other works. He pleaded for the return of his computers and back-up hard drive, all of which were stolen when his home in Argentina was burglarized last week.

This is yet another reason why, when it comes to backing up our favorite photos, we need to have two methods IN TWO LOCATIONS for the best possible protection.

We hope his valuable scripts and cherished photographs are recovered and retuned to him soon.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7019644.stm

Does it Feel Like Groundhog Day to You?

In the movie, Bill Murray keeps reliving the same day until he learns a valuable lesson that frees him from the maddening sentence of sameness.

Sometimes we all feel like that.

Our days run together and our tasks pile up faster than turkey leg bones at a Renaissance Festival. Our grand ideas of doing better, doing more and expanding our business are lost under the clutter of everyday tasks.

If you’re looking to break through the rut, consider creating a weekly plan.

For those of you who loathe day planners more than toddlers loathe turnips, don’t panic. All you really need is fifteen minutes, a piece of paper and a pen.

And if you want a margarita, too--well, good on ya.


Step 1:

Spend a few minutes writing down what’s on your mind. No organization needed here and punctuation is optional. What are you worried about? What ideas do you have that you wish you could implement? What nagging tasks really need your attention? Getting all this clutter out of your head and onto paper can do a great deal for your mental clarity.

Step 2:

Write a simple list of five things that must be accomplished in the coming week. Assign one task per day and tackle it first thing in the morning if at all possible. Having a nagging task hanging over your head every day can wear you out; getting it crossed off creates positive momentum that will carry you through the rest of the day.

Finally, choose one new thing that you’ve wanted to work on—such as a new workshop schedule or researching a new product line-and write down your ideas.

Step 3:

Put the ideas in a drawer.

Ignore it for a week and then pick one thing each day that will move that initiative forward. It can be as simple as a phone call or as lengthy as a report. Just pick one thing and give it your enthusiasm and attention for a half hour.

I call this the “Things I Love, Things that Nag Me List.” By getting it down on paper, I can finally break out of my rut and get something accomplished outside of my daily routine. I cross a tricky task of my list and get a new project moving forward.

Now, where’d I put that margarita?

You Can’t Be Serious….

When you’ve got a frustrated customer in your midst, you may feel the urge to duck and cover, pass her off to another employee or placate her with standard company-approved responses.

Maybe she just needs to lighten up a little.

Effectively using humor to bring down a customer’s guard can help repair a relationship that, if lost, would take future sales from your doors. Just be careful that your methods are designed to put the customer at ease and give her the recognition she is asking for.

Consider this exchange:

Anne walked through the door of her favorite retail store with a non-functioning digital camera card and a bad attitude. Her work week had already been interrupted by two doctor’s appointments, one dinner meeting and a shortened deadline; she needed her digital camera to be fully operational for a weekend filled with sports activities and a company-sponsored picnic. Simply put, she had neither the time nor the patience for one more frustration.

She made a beeline for the service counter and greeted the manager with a tight-lipped smile. Placing the card on the counter, she said, “I just bought this card, and it’s not working. I’m here on my lunch hour, and I’m not happy about it.”

The manager looked at her, looked down at the card and said, “You know, I keep telling our employees to stop jumping on these cards before putting them out for sale, but they just don’t listen.”

Anne’s stern features softened and she cracked a smile. The manager continued, “Seriously, I’m sorry you’ve had to spend your lunch hour here. Our food is lousy. Trust me; you don’t want to eat in the break room.” He picked up the card and added, “Let’s see about getting this taken care of quickly for you.”

The manager in this story used humor but did it in a way that demonstrated that he recognized her frustration. He didn’t blame her, tease her or use humor in a cutting way; he used it as a method of getting her guard down so she would be receptive to his offering.

Think of humor as an olive branch you extend to a disgruntled customer. By acknowledging concerns and even being a bit self-deprecating, you can save a souring relationship and keep a loyal customer in your fold.

Just don’t greet her with a knock-knock joke. You’ll lose her for sure.

So, What's Your Story?

If your business were a book, what would the title be?

When a customer walks through your doors, what is that experience like? Does your business say, “I’m a camera store, and we sell frames, too!” or does it say, “Here’s the place you need to be for everything related to your favorite memories”?

Photo retailers understand quite well the importance of helping customers tell their stories through photography, but this expertise isn’t always applied internally.

Like a great photograph, a store’s environment can excite, inspire and compel people to act. Here are a few ways to share your own unique story:

· What message do you want to get across to your customers? Do you specialize in a particular area, or do you have a workshop schedule that gets rave reviews? Don’t rush this step. Think about what you want to convey to your customer and see if you can articulate it in a sentence or two. Ask employees for their input regarding what you’ve come up with and incorporate any ideas that resonate with this vision.

What's Your Angle? When you reach that point, use that ‘story angle’ as a way to evaluate your store displays, your communication pieces and your web site. Begin taking steps to synchronize this vision with your store environment and messaging.

· How long has it been since you’ve given your store a redesign? It doesn’t need to be expensive or elaborate, but if you’ve got many of the same basic displays and messaging you had a year or two ago, consider giving your customers a visual treat by speaking to new issues and inspiring creativity through your messaging.

· Consider getting a secret shopper. You don’t have to employ a company dedicated to providing secret shopping services. In fact, you may want to approach a few people you know and ask them to simply visit your store and give you their impressions of everything from the time they walk in the store until they leave. Just let them know that they aren’t doing you any favors by being polite. Their impressions may reveal some trends you don’t see simply because you’re in the environment every day.

Remember, it’s not just your customers’ stories that matter. By telling a compelling tale, you’re in a better position to help your customers do the same.

Manager’s Quick Tip: Watch Your Language!

It seems that managers and parents have a lot in common.

It is not what we say, but whether what we say and we do are in sync, that affects those around us.

What happened the last time a customer complained to you about poor quality or lousy service? I’m not talking about what you said to the CUSTOMER; what you say ABOUT the customer to your employees afterward is of equal importance.

Did you say something negative? Maybe felt like tossing in some sarcasm to lighten the blow of her complaint? If you did, you can expect your employees to follow suit and not take customer complaints to heart. After all, if the manager belittles the customer, it sends the message that her view really doesn’t matter.

Your cash register thinks otherwise. Her opinion matters a great deal.

This doesn’t mean you have to agree with the occasional outrageous complaint, but always treat the customer with respect, whether she’s in earshot or not.

She may not hear you, but your words are being heard.

What’s the Big Deal?

I have to say this was the first time my doctor actually waited on me for a change.

He had asked me to bring pictures of my kids (he delivered my twin boys) to my next appointment so he could see how they had grown. Tucked in my briefcase was a digitally-created scrapbook, complete with a leather cover and lots of journal entries telling the stories behind the snapshots. It wasn’t a big deal, really. Photo books aren’t new. In fact, we’re so used to seeing them that we take this concept for granted.

I learned that was a big mistake.

When I took out my scrapbook, my doctor was instantly impressed and began asking me more questions—not just about my kids but about the process of creating the photo book. Soon, the office staff were surrounding me, peppering me with questions and passing the book around as though it were a pitcher of fine ale. Then, people in the waiting room were coming up and asking questions. There was so much excitement that I was both encouraged and a bit bewildered.

I mean, these weren’t even their kids!

But, it wasn’t about me and my family. They were envisioning this possibility in their own lives and how they could begin chronicling and sharing their own stories. I simply can’t find the words to convey the enthusiasm in that office.

I learned an important lesson that day.

When it comes to inspiring our customers, we must continue to put these new methods of preserving memories and storytelling in front of them. We need to see these items in the way our customers see them.

It’s not just about the products.

It’s about the possibilities.

Getting Out of Overwhelm

There is a downside to going to PMA.

It seems that all those exciting new ideas and concepts gleaned come with a price. We must return to everyday life, complete with staffing issues, inventory problems and the constant juggling of the countless details of running a retail business. This reality can suck the enthusiasm right out of you.

I discovered something that can help.

It’s called the Kaizen Method, which is a Japanese concept loosely translated as ‘slow and continuous improvement.’ As part of preparing for my Long Term Photo Care presentations at the PMA show, I contacted the author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. Dr. Robert Maurer was incredibly gracious in responding to my email, and his book teaches us how to apply this concept to both our work and personal lives.

The Kaizen Way explains how small steps on a regular basis can bring big results. He delves into topics such as how this method can help our brains circumvent the ‘fight or flight’ response so often activated when any significant change takes place and why small incremental improvements are often better than huge audacious goals (think walking on a treadmill for a few minutes successfully rather than failing at one hour five times a week right off the bat).

Come to think of it, this strategy can also help our customers. If they’re feeling overwhelmed because they don’t know what to do with all their digital pictures, we can offer one small step forward rather than a laundry list of ‘what you should do.’ We can show them that they only need to do one thing right now. It doesn’t have to happen all at once, and this realization can help create lasting change.

It’s all about momentum, baby.