June, 1999 Volume: 2 Issue: e/5

~~~AWARD-WINNING CONCEPT EXECUTED WITH AWARD-WINNING STYLE ... Synchronist Business Information System^® received the "Best Economic Development Software Award" (Best of Class and Special Judges' Award) from the American Economic Development Council, June 2, 1999 in Phoenix. The concepts behind the Synchronist System were described in the article, "Lost in the Twilight Zone: Business Retention Fails the Strategic Value Test!" which received the Roepke Award - The most significant contribution to economic development in 1996 - from the editors of Economic Development Review, June 1997. 

~~~Knowledge ... is the ultimate replacement for capital. "It reduces the need for raw materials, labor, time, space, and capital. Knowledge becomes the central resource of the advanced economy." How is your organization leveraging its knowledge card? Quote: Alvin Toffler, "Power Shift," Bantam Books, 1990.

~~~Too professional...With reference to selling in economic development, an attendee of our marketing course in Charlotte, NC shared relevant experiences of being on the road with a major site selection consulting firm. "I've seen everything touring prospects through communities like yours - slick, professional, dull, poorly prepared, and home spun. But, after the fourth community in two days, the ones I remember and the ones the prospects often selected were those who projected energy, enthusiasm, commitment, and emotion. The personality they imparted gave the prospect something to remember - frequently the deciding factor."

Thanks Tonya Christ in NC! No one could have said it better. So, next time you have a chance to present to a prospect, remember to build in the "Tonya Factor."

~~~Human touch ... "When I got my first television set, I stopped caring so much about having close relationships." This situation is aggravated yet again by computers. Computers bring speed and efficiency to our work, but distance us from the individual. The individual will make the final decision to fund our organization or invest in our community. Sales and marketing is about building personal relationships, not exclusively electronic ones. What gives your marketing a human side? Quote: Andy Warhol

~~~It's a male thing ... this numbers mania. Guys are competitive. They like stats, winners and losers. Knowing who's up and who's down. Marketers need numbers, but that doesn't tell the full story. Numbers are history. To bring the numbers up to date and project into the future requires skilled use of soft information. Or, a solid blend of ying and yang to be effective. Look back at your last target industry study -- all ying we will bet.

~~~Info request ... We are currently conducting research on prospect proposals. Send us a copy of your "best" prospect proposal or written responses to the "long" list of questions site selection consultants ask for. All submissions will be treated as confidential. All participants will receive a personal copy of the findings and any recommendations we formulate. Research a few years ago resulted in the award winning article "Locked in the Twilight Zone: Business Retention Fails the Strategic Value Test!" ED Review, Summer, 1996 and "Rocketing Out of the Twilight Zone: Gaining Strategic Insight from Business Retention. "Economic Development Journal of Canada, January 1999. Please send your "best" proposal(s) to Blane, Canada Ltd., 1506 Cadet, Suite 100 Wheaton, IL  60187-7380. Thanks. Questions, try us at 630.462.9222 or ecanada@ix.netcom.com

~~~Growing community ... of interest continues to build around our Economic Development Marketing Letter. Over 70 new subscribers this month alone. Thanks for your positive comments and for sharing our work with your colleagues. Eric & Nancy

~~~"Overwhelmed ... with information and you've got to make quick decisions, how do you make those decisions? You make them on the basis of intuition. How do you develop intuitive decision making skills? You have to know a lot more about a lot of different things... You have to be extra sensitive to little pieces that to other people may not mean a lot, but... could be the dawning of a major thread of opportunity." Jim Crupi, Futurist, American Way Magazine, 8/98, interview.

~~~Collaboration ... "Manufacturing Extension Centers (counterpart to ag extension offices) share the same goal as economic developers: to strengthen the economy by helping companies succeed. To fulfill their mission, manufacturing extension officers "assess" individual companies to identify companies that recognize their need to modernize." On a larger scale, economic developers conduct retention surveys for similar reasons. This creates an opportunity to collaborate. In this vein, the Lake County (IL) manufacturing extension office is an integral part of the business retention process, benefitting both partners. The extension officer is leading the initiative by having just selected Blane, Canada Ltd.'s Synchronist Business Information System^® software to support their new retention program. Quote: Tucker Kennedy, IL

"Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong."  Peter T. McIntyre

~~~Group process … the facilitator of a planning meeting is responsible for the structure or process. If the facilitator is connected to your industry, he/she can also provide educational content. This has been particularly valuable to our economic development clients. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for the content.

~~~User friendly ... can mean international friendly Web sites. International-level problems include sites that are poorly translated, without internationalized time, dates, phone numbers and other basic details. For info on the European market, look at the following site by Suzan Nolan, President, Bluesky International Marketing <http://www.blueskyinc.com>

~~~Speaking of friendly ... here are some additional insights we have gained from perusing MANY web sites and want to share with you.

 A number of otherwise good/effective sites are too large for the screen. It makes reading any copy or table a challenge. All copy and tables should be developed so that the reader doesn't need to continuously move the cursor.

Include the option to acquire the e-mail addresses and/or locations of the parties which visit the site. Plan this up front with your designer and service provider. Understanding the number of "hits", by who and from where are all important in evaluating your site's effectiveness.

~~~"'Explorer' is not a job title you find on everyone's business card, but increasingly, exploring is everyone's business. Work today involves traveling in uncharted territory, navigating the unfamiliar terrain of a new economy for which no maps exist." As Robert Ballard (discoverer of the Titanic) noted, "We're all in pursuit of fundamental truths. That's what exploration is all about."  Fast Company magazine

~~~Rapport is important ... Discovering something that you have in common with a prospective client builds confidence and establishes a nucleus for trust. After a few minutes of exploring and discussing common links, concentrate on identifying the prospective client's true needs. Pinning down selection criteria is easy. To separate yourself from competitors, concentrate questions on the company's strategic issues, e.g. marketing, production, and  growth. Source: Maximizing Results! Advanced Marketing and Complex Sales," Eric Canada's newest marketing course. [Next dates: Sept. 28-30 in San Antonio and Nov. 9-11 in Tampa. To register, contact Rhonda Daniel at AEDC 847-692-9944.]

~~~Leadership ... is prized among corporate executives. A recent survey reported in "Success Magazine" identified the most important managerial attributes: 47% leadership, 35% communications/interpersonal skills, 9% team orientation, 5% organizational skills, 4% decisiveness. Are you working to improve your leadership and communications skills?

~~~CMO ... among the latest trends in corporate America is the bragging right of having a newly minted CMO - Chief Marketing Officer. Invest in those marketing skills if history repeats itself. In four years EDC will have CMO's.

~~~Looking ... for the perfect employee? Hire for attitude. Pay for enthusiasm. Train for skills