Found this good article on relationship marketing that I thought I would pass on to you.

Hyatt's Random Act of Kindness, from the New York Times and written by Rob Walker (6/17/2009)

Wouldn't it be great if one of your employees went that little extra step for your clients (without you asking them). Like bring in some bagels for a press check or even offer the client's some kind of beverage while they wait. How could you drop a hint that this kind of unspoken act could spread and build your company around your customer service like a Nordstrom or Zappos.

What is the best customer service that you have seen or heard? Come on people, lets get the buzz going. . .

© 2010 Michael Johnson - Inkspot Graphics. All rights reserved.

My studio partner, Jeff White (Radiant Imagery), invited me to go with him to this closeout sale from a company called Icebreaker. It was before Christmas and I wondered if I could get anything interesting. I know that Jeff's taste in lifestyle is a little more expensive than my taste but he always comes up with some dandy deals. The kicker what really sucked me in is that they were giving away free beer. What the hell, I'll give it a shot.

I never heard of this company before but I talked to one of the employees that was assisting at the event and she said that Icebreaker has been around since 1995. She also went on to tell me that they have an office and a retail outlet in the Pearl District (NW Portland) since 2008.  After looking at some of their retail prices and marketing materials I wondered if they were an offshoot from Nike or Adidas. Very polished brand. Their product is made from a New Zealand's sheep wool called, merino fiber, a very insulative material. Products include tight fitting underwear, socks, hats, and coats that you can wear in layers.

What was even more amazing is that I looked around the crowded warehouse and all I saw is men & women in their late 20's to early 40's. They all looked like marathoners with 5% bodyfat. I said to Jeff, "Do you notice that we are very different than everyone else here?" The majority were probably very single, or as we used to call in the Old Days, "DINKS" (dual income and no kids). Their target market is promoted for having luxurious items, trips, food, electronics, and personal services. I guess that I would never of noticed if I it wasn't a big part of my business life.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Learn your target market or who would be your perfect client. I will share mine with you in another blog post.

© 2010 Michael Johnson - Inkspot Graphics. All rights reserved.

This posting was forwarded to me from a good friend of mine.

The question is, "How do you change the mentality of an overweight society that avoids exercise?"

And guess what? The damn idea was thought up by someone in Europe! I would think that we have just as intelligent innovators here in the US. What would it take to motivate someone to pursue this type of creative marketing?

See it here, Musical Motivation!

John Hooley (developer and owner of Blue Bridge Development has taken me to the next level. A lot of my prepress/print business has been slowing down (especially during the winter holiday months). It has gotten pretty lean from November through February. The economy in the last two years hasn't helped any either.

Fortunately, I started marketing a couple of years ago and now have a huge advantage over my competition (I really don't have any competition - I will explain that in my next blog post).

John has helped me strengthen my web design and SEO skills for my clients. I have found that when you get older you tend to not be really motivated to take on new challenges. I have come to really appreciate what it takes for a web designer or developer for that matter. I have learned a lot and feel that I can take the task on confidently. There still are some hurdles but my clients have been very happy to this point.

I found John through a PCC newsletter about some of their business graduates. I met him for coffee to explain how I was trying to grow my business. We have done a tradeout of services for each other and now have him as a strategic partner for my web projects. I bring him in to meet with clients that are potentially interested upgrading their website. Clients really appreciate being having experts in the field offer great solutions to build their business.

John has even sported a couple of the projects that we have been working together on (see his portfolio site here).

Paul had his birthday a couple of weeks ago at the A&L Sports Pub on 60th & Glisan (Portland, OR). I have gotten to know him pretty well and I have to say that he has become my inspiration for living. For a man twice my age (okay, a little less) he has more fight & vinegar in him than I could ever think of. And don't ever think about grabbing his arm to help him down some stairs because he will backhand you something silly. "Shanghai" makes rosaries to give away to those less fortunate and he has his couple of shots of Canadian Whiskey at 4:00 pm (like clockwork). I would strongly recommend that you sit down with someone like Paul just to learn a world of education that you can't get from any university!