Print 4A Purpose

What I Found Out About Gratitude in 15 Days

(Please note that I do not own any of the "big things" listed below. But I'd be grateful if I did.)

I came up with the idea of The Gratitude Project over Thanksgiving. I imagined how cool it would be to have everyone I know rallying around this powerful emotion of Gratitude for 30 days in December. The possibilities? The ripple effect? A Facebook group would be perfect. We would all inspire one another and remind each other of things we had forgotten we should be grateful for.

But what I found out is that Gratitude is a personal thing.

I had imagined everyone going to the page daily and posting SOMETHING they were grateful for. But it was just me.

Because I'm the only one grateful? Certainly not!

Here is what I found out:

It IS very personal. It's ok to be publicly grateful for the family, kids, friends, job, sunshine, etc.

But even though you may be genuinely grateful for the "big" things, it's weird being publicly grateful (like on Facebook) for:

• The new "media" room in your $350M home; when there are so many foreclosures.
• The neat gadgets in the new $50M SUV; when many can't afford $2.50 + per gallon
• The beach house
• The 4^th trip to Cancun
• You get the idea…

One can and should be grateful for those things, but never feel guilty or ashamed of attaining those goals.

But I can understand how being publicly grateful would "seem" like boasting instead of showing gratitude.

And on the other hand, it also seems weird or sappy to be grateful about the simple, little things like:

• Watching your child sleep
• Tearing up over a letter to Santa Claus
• Watching puppies play at the pet store
• Colorful sunrises
• Greasy cheeseburgers

So GRATITUDE is a very personal thing. Something that should be accounted for everyday but maybe not publicly.

The most powerful affects of a grateful heart take place on the inside…not on a Facebook page.

A Father’s Leadership

Ephesians 5:1 (NIV) : Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.

As we make our way through the book of Ephesians at my church, one of the key memory verses includes Ephesians 5:1. And it made me focus on my leadership responsibilities as a dad. A few weeks ago I sat there with my 11 year old daughter to my left and 16 year old son to my right, I had a mental flashback of their growing years and how my actions have influenced and "led" them, both good and bad.

My first memory was of my son. For the first few years of his life, I played golf almost every day. He was with me for some of that as a passenger in the golf cart with his baby seat strapped in beside me for a quick nine holes after work. Sometimes I would hit shag balls while he was watching from with the back door of the Ford Explorer lifted open. When my son was about four years old, he would go with me at night to the lighted driving range near the house. He would bring his plastic clubs and hit balls with me. At that time, I also had another "practice" of chewing tobacco. I only did it on the golf course or hitting practice range balls. Ask any golf pro and one of the keys to success is a good "pre-shot" routine. My "pre-shot" routine was: 1) line up the shot, 2) SPIT, 3) hit the ball, and 4) repeat. I would do this over and over, nearly the same way every time. Of course, "Jr." was hitting his balls and watching me the whole time.

And, by the way, the chewing tobacco thing was our little "secret". I never really thought about the effect until…

One day out in the front yard with a few friends, we all were watching and admiring an adorable four year old boy "hit the golf ball like daddy". We all laughed (and I burst with pride) as my son would line up his shot from behind the ball, move in to take his stance, and then take a powerful swing. As he did this a few times, a strange quirk was noticed. After lining up his shot, you guessed it; he would spit on his way to address the ball. His mother asked, "What are you doing?" The innocent answer was "Spitting like Daddy". I was busted.

Another time, the same little fella wanted to play a game or wrestle one night while I was watching one of my favorites, "Baywatch". I told him to "give me 30 minutes and we'll play later". I was busted again.

But today, in church, you can see this same dad taking copious notes during the message. And today, you will see his daughter try to copy every word he writes on her own notepad. A much different leadership example.

It doesn't matter if you have a title, YOU ARE A LEADER. The question is: Are you a GOOD leader or a BAD leader? And just as we are called to be "imitators of God" as His children, you can bet that your children will be imitators of you. What kind of leader are you right now? What kind of example are you giving your kids to follow?

I have had a major transformation in my leadership over the past 12 years. I wasn't a very good example to follow 12 years ago. But the change didn't happen overnight and it wasn't always easy. Here are a couple of steps anyone can take to improve their leadership skills:

1. Learn from the greatest leader of all time. We have a Heavenly Father. Whatever he does, we should do. If you don't know what that is, I can recommend a good book!
2. Surround yourself with leaders you admire. Build relationships with guys you respect. You might learn something, but more importantly, they'll hold you accountable.
3. Read about or listen to leaders who have done it right. With a resource like Audible.com, you can listen to books while you drive, workout, or mow the yard.
4. Spend more time with your kids. Sounds obvious, but use the simple stuff like quick trips to the hardware store or to get gas. Make it a point to take one child with you and you can deepen those relationships 10 minutes at a time.
5. Small group studies. There is tremendous value in studying parenting topics in the small group setting. In the Q&A, you'll find wisdom and plenty of ideas to help you improve your leadership.

And all of this is well and good, but it took years for me to recognize there was a problem in my leadership example. Once I admitted that things needed to change, good things began to happen. And the journey is not complete. The old worn out phrase, "Success is a journey, not a destination", is true here as well. We can always improve. We always have blind spots. But if you are plugged in to the suggestions above, you will quickly get right back on course if you stumble.

But ultimately, your results depend on one thing: Your desire to be a father worth following.

 

Great Resources:

Growing Kid's God's Way – Gary Ezzo and his wife have a DVD series for every family. Fantastic series for young parents.

Dr. Kevin Leman – This guy is a riot. Very funny, but he is spot on in his advice. Real solutions and suggestion for real life questions.

Men's Fraternity – Small group studies by Robert Lewis, author of Raising a Modern Day Knight. The best fathering book on the planet!

 

Advantage Printing is a commercial print and marketing service provider serving small to mid-sized businesses, nonprofits and churches.

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidamoore

 

 

 

 

 

 

REJECTED! Price vs. Trust

About a week ago I learned that I had lost out on a significant piece of business. What hurts the most is it was a high potential customer in a key market and the printed items were right in our "sweet spot". But get this…I lost the business and my price was CHEAPER.

When it was time to follow up on my proposal, I was told that I lost the business. I was told who got it. I already new the competitor's price was a little higher than mine. Hmmmm? At the end of the conversation, I asked if I could stay in touch and if the buyer would mind me sending my email newsletter a couple times per month. NO.

What? This really doesn't make sense. I lost the business to a higher price and now and I can't even send my newsletter? What's up with that? This bothered me very much initially, but over the next several days I have learned to appreciate it.

Here are the benefits of this rejection:

• I learned a great deal about the printing needs and potential of this prospect.
• I know for a fact that PRICE is not the most important decision factor.
• This buyer is very open and honest. She could have strung me along for weeks by telling me that a decision had yet to be made. How valuable was that?
• She gave me the competitor's price! How lucky was that!
• I know that when she accepts my newsletter, she will READ it.
• I also need to rethink my initial approach, presentation and follow up. Did I drop the ball? Did I offend in some way?

Winning or losing new printing business comes down to TRUST. Price is important, especially in this economy. But price never trumps TRUST. When a buyer wants to look good and can't afford to make the wrong decision, he/she will pick a printer they can TRUST before they pick the cheapest printer.

If you're looking for a printer that will "make you look good", contact me or my staff. I have member of my team that have been doing this so long they are embarrassed to say how long. But I have also tapped into creative talent for fresh, bold designs.

Advantage Printing is a commercial print & marketing services provider serving small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits and churches.

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidamoore

Would You Buy Your Cell Phone from a Kid?

Over the last four to five years, I have enjoyed a very good relationship with my cellular phone store. I use U.S. Cellular because of the excellent coverage in eastern North Carolina but I have a wide range of choices of wireless retail stores. Anything from U.S. Cellular company-owned stores to some "Jack-leg" selling phones out of his trailer (mobile home for those that aren't Southern). And when the time and the vendor of choice was my decision, I chose Imagine Wireless in Kinston, NC.

Why did I choose Imagine Wireless? Why else? I had a relationship, an acquaintance with the owner, Kim Weeks. I didn't know Kim that well at all, in fact, but like so many other products and buying decisions, I will usually make my choice on a person, not a product. Don't you do that? All other things being equal, why wouldn't you make a choice based on a relationship? And, most of the time, I don't mind paying a little more (within reason) to do business with someone I know.

That's the reason I chose Imagine Wireless, but that's not I've stayed and am so pleased with them. In fact, I rarely see Kim. She has a crew of several high school age "kids", both boys and girls serving customers like me. There are a couple of them that have been there for a while and I know their names, but several I don't know. The amazing thing to me is that they are all great kids and super customer service people. I don't know how Kim does it, but she does an outstanding job in the hiring process. Every single "kid" that has helped me over the years either knew his cell phone technology inside and out. Or, and this is the best part, if they didn't, they knew how to handle the situation. They didn't "fake" it if they didn't know the answer, they admitted they didn't know and took whatever steps necessary to remedy the situation.

All of the staff, young and "old", have great people skills it seems. They've always been there for me to fix the occasional "problems" with any wireless service but they have been great in making suggestions so that I get the most out of my cell phone and service plan. They never try to "up sell" me into something I don't want or need. I'm able to drop in the store at anytime, ask a stupid question, and be on my way. So "Thank-you": Justin, Chip, Jesse, and the other "kids". How lucky Kim is to have such a quality group of staff.

So there you go, in what could be one of those situations where bad service is a necessary evil you have to put up with, the "kids" at Imagine Wireless make my cell phone experience better than I could, you guessed it…Imagine!

(Advantage Printing is a commercial print & marketing company serving small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits and churches.)

Your audience deserves excellence

Today is the National Day of Prayer and I attended a community prayer breakfast. Several hundred attended with several community and church leaders speaking briefly and showing PowerPoint slideshows. I've been to tons of these type functions and this had to be the worst presentation I have ever endured. To be such a great cause and something that should be glorifying to God, it fell far short of the excellence that He calls us too. All due to the 4 P's: piss poor pitiful planning.

It was a breakfast and was supposed to run from 7:00 to 8:00 to accommodate folks getting to work on time. It started a little late and went downhill from there. The major problem was the technical difficulties with the PowerPoint presentations. Not starting properly or the wrong presentation running. Music from one presentation playing so loud you could hardly hear the speaker. There were many awkward dead spots due to equipment malfunction and not prayer time. The "tech" guy was constantly moving his mouse around the computer screen for all to witness his struggle. It was painful to watch.

The lesson: If you are going to require the valuable time of an audience, you had better spend the proper amount of preparation to do a proper presentation.

So here are my 4 P's:

Plan – The organizers of this event are all well-meaning, hard-working people with full-time jobs. But everybody knows well in advance when the National Day of Prayer is. This presentation didn't sneak up on anybody. Plan your timeline working backwards from your presentation. "Plan your work and work your plan." Give yourself plenty of time to do it right or don't do it at all.

Prepare – I once heard a rule of thumb about putting in 1 hour of prep for every minute of a speech (30 minute speech = 30 hours plan/prep/practice). Depends on the speech and depends on the person. But the pastor who told me this was a phenomenal orator. If you want to present, you must prepare. The amount of preparation will be directly proportional to the quality of the presentation.

Practice – This may be the hardest part. After putting in all the effort to develop and design your presentation, you feel like you know it inside and out. And the last thing you want to do is practice your delivery. On top of that, it does feel a little silly. But it matters. The greatest comedians in the world are great because of their impeccable timing and delivery. Practice, practice, practice.

Please – Please your audience. Just a pet peeve of mine. If the speaker hasn't Planned, Prepared, and Practiced…the audience most likely will not be Pleased. An audience is giving a very valuable asset called "TIME" in exchange for the information in the presentation. It is the speaker's job to make sure they are Pleased and satisfied when they leave.

Advantage Printing (davidamoore) is a commercial print & marketing company serving churches, nonprofits and small businesses and is not participating in the current economic recession.

What do “The Cosby Show” and church have to do with each other?

Nearly two-thirds of Americans planned on attending an Easter church service according to a poll conducted by Knights of Columbus-Marist. What does that mean for your church?

My church was like many of those churches, we were packed. Many of us "regulars" actually got there a little earlier than usual to get "our" seats. You know how it is, after you have been going to a church for a while, you tend to sit in the same area every Sunday and, many times, the very same seat. So I got there in plenty of time to save "my" seat and chit-chat before the service. We had many new visitors. I'm sure some of them were extended family of current members who were just visiting for the weekend. But many, I hope, were checking out a new church home.

How does your church handle new visitors? Do you keep your visitors or does a high percentage just pass through, never to be seen again? As somebody who used to want to hide on church visitation nights, let me make a couple of suggestions to put the percentages in your favor:

Don't put a new visitor on display. I remember years and years ago, when my wife and I visited a church and we were paraded around like a prize catch. There was an actual greeting line at the front of the church after the service. Let the visitor ease into the new surroundings. No shock treatments needed here.

Gather contact information covertly. Let the visitor fill out a card with as much or as little information as they want to provide. They can then drop it in the plate or designated location. The card will have their preferred method of contact. Honor their requests. If they don't want to be contacted, then don't.

Don't ambush the new guys after the service. In a close knit body, new people will be noticed. If the new guys are already involved in a conversation, don't huddle around. A simple "hello" will do, but don't gang up on them. One meaningful conversation with one person or couple is better than meeting 50 people and not remembering any pertinent details.

No surprise visits. I hope these days are gone. Again, this was years ago, but the church I attended (and that was the full extent of my involvement at the time, attendance only) would do "visitations" on Thursday nights. Thursday nights at 8:00 to be exact. In the mid-to-late 80's, one of the greatest shows of all time was televised on Thursday nights at 8:00: The Cosby Show. I could see the visitation team coming. They would drive up in the driveway and I would hide! I would have to turn off the T.V. so they wouldn't hear and, in doing so, I would miss part of my favorite show. Did that endear me to the church? No way! Finally, after about 3-4 attempts, they gave up on me. But I did stay at that church. That's when church was more for the religion than the "Relationship". Now if a personal visitation is indicated as the preferred contact method, you of course have the green light. But you obtained permission first. Just don't divvy up the new visitor cards and head out. And make sure visits aren't during "24", "Lost", "Survivor", "The Apprentice", "American Idol", "Dancing with the Stars", "Amazing Race",…you get the idea.

It's a big hurdle for someone to walk in the doors of a new church. Best case scenario, they were invited by a current member and are met at the front door by friends. If that's not the case, most likely lots of other things are going on in the individual's life. If they are visiting new churches or attending church for the first time, be sensitive, empathetic and all those other mushy-type feelings and things. Bottom line: something bigger than you is at work here, be a tool and not a roadblock.

Advantage Printing – The Church Printing HQ, specializes in printing for churches and nonprofits.

Follow @davidamoore on twitter

Paid “Volunteers” to Evangelize

I received the following on twitter today from @courageous, The Courageous Church in Atlanta.

Wow! What is your reaction?

At first, I was appalled. I thought, "Man, I am all for a church marketing itself, but this crosses the line." And I do believe in church marketing. I think most people believe in church marketing. I think the big hang up is in the definition of "marketing." Richard Reising spends about 30 pages defining marketing from a biblical perspective in his book Church Marketing 101. If church leaders would read that, just the first 30 pages even, I think all would agree that your church IS marketing whether you know it or not. Your church IS making an "impression" (i.e. marketing) either good or bad.

Churches market themselves for what reason? To reach the unchurched or get new members, however you define your objectives. So, in the case of The Courageous Church, they are trying to reach the unchurched and get new members, correct?

So why was I so taken aback by the approach? To me, it would motivate the Courageous body in an improper way. But then I asked myself if I would feel differently if the "prize" had been a nice dinner with your spouse or a family night out valued at $100. And, yes, I did feel differently about that. But not sure I should have. I felt a different emotion, maybe wrongly so.

I checked out The Courageous Church website. They have a couple sites so check all the links if interested. You have to hand it to these guys, whether you agree with them or not. Creativity and boldness abounds. They are not afraid to offend. Personally I don't think that can always be called courageous, sometimes it's just stupid. But take a look at some of their ideas. I really like the FREE BREAKFAST CHURCH. Where they serve free breakfast every Sunday right there at the church. It's timely, relevant and fills a need of many hurting people. And I'm certain that lives may be changed along the way. Look at SERVOLUTION! A week devoted to simple acts of kindness through serving. Then you have Pastor Shaun King's blog with posts such as Weed Smoking Volunteers and Banning Women from Ministry is Sin. Controversial to say the least.

Shaun King and Courageous Church, to me, are almost like a "shock jock" on the radio. He certainly got my attention with the tweet above. Do I think it's right? I've stated my mixed emotions. I felt my opinion shifting as I wrote this post. Shaun is offering $100 bucks to encourage people to focus on evangelism. But when you really think about it, isn't a pastor paid to do the same thing? I realize it's much more complicated than that. But when I first started, I wanted to criticize and bash Courageous for its methods and now, I don't feel so critical. Not a method I would use. But is it biblical? Would love to hear some feedback here or on twitter @davidamoore. I bet @courageous would jump in as well.

David Moore is managing partner of Advantage Printing – The Church Printing HQ

50% of Churches should not be Marketing themselves

Back to Church Marketing 101.  The Starbucks video presents a church in all the wrong ways.  It’s humorous and we can see a lot of ourselves and others in the video.  But the sad truth is: a lot of well meaning churches are spending a lot of time, effort and money promoting themselves when they are not ready.

Richard Reising makes the bold statement, “that over 50 percent of the churches in the United States should not promote themselves.”  It’s a shocking statement and he expects to shock people.  Sometimes that’s what it takes.  His belief is that if the church members aren’t actively inviting new people to come to church, there is a hidden reason.  The internal health of the church might be failing if existing members aren’t excited about bringing friends and neighbors.  And worse, if a church isn’t prepared for new visitors, it may damage their ability to grow in the future.  Imagine a visitor coming, getting a terrible first impression and then spreading the news.  And this isn’t the “Good News”.  As Reising says, “All they are doing is inviting the outside world in to see why no one wants to invite people to their church.”

This is not a book promo, but Reising says his book “deals with the heart of marketing.”  And I plan on addressing that in detail.  But what I like so much about the book is the heart of Reising.  You really get a sense of his calling in the first 30-40 pages.  His professional training is blended with his passion to see the church really get it.  To get it right and get people in the doors for the right reasons and keep them there because they connect with not only other people/members, but they connect with Christ.  Why else market?

So for those reasons, over 50% of churches need to do a lot of things BEFORE they begin marketing themselves.  We’ll look at some of those.

If you haven’t already, do check out Richard Reising's blog.  The Starbucks video is there as well.

6 Super-Duper Marketing Blogs you’ve got to read everyday

I have to admit it, I'm hooked. Hooked on blogs mostly. They have helped me so much and yet they might be the end of me. I learn so much from other bloggers that I just can't get enough and then I can't find the time to put into practice the valuable things I just learned. Does that make sense? Does anybody else find the same thing happening to them?

The addiction started slowing and quietly. I would slip in a quick read here and there during the day. Then I would block out some time for some serious "extended" reading. I said I was doing some "research". Then I started staying late after work and reading blog after blog after everyone one else had left. That's when I admitted I had a problem.

I am David Moore and I am addicted to blogs. All kidding aside, I am not addicted to the reading of blogs. I hate reading and, unfortunately, so does my 16 year old son. But I am addicted to the wealth of knowledge that can be gained by reading blogs. It's limitless. There is always something new and powerful. It sounds like a drug doesn't it. But it can be good for you.

So, I listed 6 marketing blogs to help you get started on your habit:

1. Unfair Advantage – I know that was a cheap shot and shameless self-promotion. I would love to be listed on a super-duper list one day. Most of the lists that I get myself on these days are lists that start with a "b" like "black list" or an "s" like " ___t" list. But that's another blog post.
2. Seth Godin – If you could just read one blog a day for the rest of your life, this blog just might be it. Insightful, thought-provoking, and kick-in-the-butt moving.
3. Hubspot – Hubspot is actually an internet marketing software vendor. Please don't let that stop you from visiting. Packed, packed, packed with info every day. It will lead you down many valuable paths to feed your own blogging addiction.
4. Duct Tape Marketing – Duct tape? Yes, duct tape can solve everything, including your marketing problems. John Jantsch is wonderful. I have sat in on some webinars and podcasts and for the small business owner; he speaks directly to your needs, issues and challenges. Tons of resources as well.
5. Groundswell – These guys don't post every day, but when they do, it's worth it. Josh Bernoff is the writer and it's really practical stuff. Also, get the book Groundswell to read or listen to the audiobook.
6. Mike Volpe – I really hesitated on this one because I don't want it taken the wrong way. But Mike is VP Inbound Marketing @ Hubspot. I have already listed the Hubspot blog. I am not on the payroll at Hubspot, but Mike just gives very personal, practical touch to the marketing advice. Just say he puts a face on the strategies.

Are these the top six marketing blogs of all time? Certainly not. And everyone on that list could list 5-6 blogs off the top of their head and never think of putting their own blog on the list (like I did). These are just some of my favorites. They are widely read and a great start for any wanna be junkie.

If you want to help my blogging habit pay off so I can justify my time online…please visit my websites OBX Advantage and Advantage Printing. (That's my "Call to Action" in marketing terms. I learned that reading a blog.)

5 Tips for a Thriving (Small Business) Economy

Printers Closing due to Poor Economy  (but read the rest of the post anyway!)

Must print the bad news along with the good.  This story was in the Triangle Business Journal on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009.  I know these printers and we are members of the same printing association, Printing Industry of the Carolinas.  One of the companies closing was actually on our board. 

The point I want to make is this: Do business with your friends.

This economy is hurting some industries more than others and the printing industry just happens to be one of the weakest spots.  If you have a friend that is in the printing business, do business with him.  Don't go online to save $5.00 on 500 business cards! 

Let's keep all business local.  Support the small businesses in your hometown.  Whether it's a printer or home security company, buy local.  We can help change the economy on a local level one purchase at a time.  Even books.  Amazon is great, but starting now, buy at your local bookstore. 

It may cost you a few dollars more.  But what will the cost be to you long-term if your local economy sinks into not only a recession, but a depression?

5 Tips for a Thriving Local Economy

1. Check your Chamber Directory.  If you are a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, shame on you for not buying from other Chamber members.  Admit it, when you joined the Chamber it was partly because you thought other members would use your products or services. 

2. Buy from your buddies.  They may not admit it too you, but they NEED your business.  They might try to appear more successful (and profitable) than they are, but they need you and YOU need them.  (Hint to all my buddies reading).

3. Quit asking for FREE stuff.  Local businesses truly want to support local causes but we can only give away so much FREE stuff.  Settle for reduced prices instead, but at the very least consider the small business owners position.  Most likely the business is not absorbing the donations, the owner is "eating" them. 

4. Spread the word.  If you are happy with a local business or you can help a friend in small business, spread the word.  Word of mouth advertising is not only FREE, it is proven to be the most effective form of advertising.

5. Money isn't everything. As I said earlier, don't let $5.00 stand between you buying local vs. online.  In fact, don't let $50.00 prevent you from buying local.  The macro-economic effects of ignoring your local economy for personal gain may not hit next week or next month, but what would happen to your home value if local store fronts were boarded up over the next year or two?

Speaking for all small local businesses:  We need you.  We are in business for you.  Our American Dream is to serve you and provide for you.  The door is open, the lights are on.  Welcome, how may we help you today?