My Speaking Engagement @ Ignite Baltimore #2

It's important enough to break my lower-case style rule for headlines.

Why? For two reasons. One, I'm honored to have been a part of this event. Each speaker brought something interesting to the table, and all in all it was the kind of event that reminded me why I'm happy to live here.

Two, I'm happy with the talk itself and it's my hope that you might find value in it. So without further ado, here it is (or, direct YouTube link):

And here are the slides (or, direct Slideshare link):

Ignite Baltimore #2 - Neal Shaffer

This is a talk I'm hoping to give again in a more expansive setting, and it's something I intend to write about in more depth. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment and/or contact me if it piques your interest.

Beyond that, enjoy.

customers and clients: what's old is new

It's time to sweat the small stuff.

I've been fascinated lately by David Armano's work on what he calls "micro interactions," and his theories on how they influence our relationships with brands and businesses. For example (from his outstanding slideshow):

We live in a world where the little things really do matter. Each encounter no matter how brief is a micro interaction which makes a deposit or withdrawal from our rational and emotional subconscious. The sum of these interactions and encounters adds up to how we feel about a particular product, brand, or service."

On a basic level what Armano says here has always been true, but I'd add this: it was more true years ago when people did their buying locally and face to face; it became less true as the culture shifted towards chains and big business; and it will be the most true in years to come as our options expand to functional infinity (owing largely to the internet and new technology).

When everything is available to anyone -- often instantly -- the only thing that separates one outlet from another is the experience. How does this store/restaurant/lawyer/auto repair shop make me feel? If the answer is anything less than "great," someone else will steal that business.

It isn't enough anymore to be the biggest, the most convenient, the cheapest, etc. The reason that I like Armano's micro-interactions concept in particular is that it levels the playing field. It plays into everything from the success and failure of local shops to Comcast's recent attempts to revitalize their damaged brand.

It's a very powerful concept, and one that I suspect we'll hear a lot more about in the coming years.

(image via the Drugstore Museum)