PostcardPerfect.com/blog

It’s been awhile, so I figured I’d put up a quick post.

I’m all but finished with the new site. Well, I would be - if IE and Firefox displayed things the same way. I, not being the most talented web designer around, am having a hard time getting the two browsers to agree. It’s really annoying me. Hopefully I can get it straightened out soon. There’s a backlog of other things I want to do with the company, but most are on hold until I finish the site.

I have a few blog topics to write about once I get some time. So, once this site is live you can expect some more original content. Until then,  here’s two links where I’ve spent time while I should have been working:

Garr Reynold’s Authors@Google video on Presentations (long, but good)

Interesting post from the Freakonomics blog on unofficial police tactics

Postcard.rar - 29.9MB

As I write this, I am downloading the source code for all of PostcardPerfect’s kiosk and back-end applications. It’s kind of a weird feeling. Knowing how much time, effort, and money went into it all - there’s something unsettling about seeing it all wrapped up into a 30MB file. My mind can’t help but put an obscene dollar amount on each megabyte.

Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Add noodles. Stir for 8-10 minutes. Drain. Mix in cheese, 1/4 cup of milk, and 4 tablespoons of butter. Mix well.

I can now make mac and cheese without consulting the instructions. At $1.25 per box, it’s budget helping dinner. Know how many boxes I could buy for one MB of source code? Of course you don’t, but it’s a lot, a whole lot.

Putting business and personal expenses next to each other is intriguing. The mindsets traditionally used to evaluate the two are worlds apart. However, the value of a dollar is the same regardless. It’s an odd phenomenon.

As some of you already know, I guest posted at the very cool (and immensely more popular) IttyBiz.com last week.

Thanks to some prodding from site owner, Naomi, many of the readers headed over to PostcardPerfect.com to see what we’re all about. A few even checked out this blog and subscribed (welcome!). The end result was two days of traffic roughly 10x what I normally get.

That’s good news, right?

Well, yes - but not necessarily for the reason you’d expect. Order volume didn’t mirror the traffic spike. In fact, it wasn’t even close. (Note: I did, however, get a bunch of nice e-mails, including a few future business prospects.)

So here’s why it WAS a good thing: feedback.

The surge of analytical data, e-mails, and comments all gave me a much better picture of people’s first impressions of PostcardPerfect, and (surprise!) it’s not quite what I want it to be.

Essentially all the traffic highlighted a few current shortcomings of my quickly launched website. For example, the navigation needs some serious work. Also, a lot of people missed the point about custom postcards. Too many still see them as something only for vacations and long distance correspondence. (These babies are much, much more…)

I’m working on fixing both issues, but the real point of this post is to endorse a methodology that I once resisted.

It’s OK to launch before perfecting every detail.

I’m not saying it’s smart to jump haphazardly. Careful planning still plays a very important role in success. However, like all things, planning is subject to diminishing returns (little economic term for you). Meaning, the more you do it - the less additional benefit you receive. I’d even say that you can worsen your position by over-planning, but I’m sure that’s debatable.

A quick, imperfect, launch will cost you less time and money upfront perfecting details that customers may later veto. It will help you get to market sooner (maybe much sooner), and it will make you much more willing to accept constructive criticism later on.

Last time I wrote about it, I was admitting a mistake. This time around though, I think I did it right. That said, I’ve got adjustments to make.

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No planning required: subscribe in a reader.

I think it would be fun to send interesting postcards to D-list celebrities. For example, maybe I’ll send one to Jared of me doing the “five dollar foot-long” thing. Maybe I’ll write my congressman. How about reality TV stars? There are plenty of those to keep me busy.

You get the point.

So, here’s the idea: Each week I could pick someone and create a custom postcard for them. Then, I’ll put up an image of my Celebricard™ (not actually trademarked) on the blog for you all to see.

Wait, it gets better.

What if we made it a game, where the goal is to get the D-lister to write me back? Not necessarily snail mail, I’ll take a e-mail or comment too. Anyway, and and let’s say that if he/she does write in - everyone wins a free postcard!

Everyone? Well, how about the people that commented on the post of me showing off the card I was sending? Yeah, that could work…

Any thoughts? Who would you send one too?

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Elevate me to D-list status : subscribe in a reader

I’m currently reading Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decision by Dan Ariely. Essentially, it looks at common decisions people make that really aren’t rational. I’m about 3/4th of the way, and so far it’s held my attention pretty well.

One of my favorite examples notes that people will drive across town to save $7 on a $25 item. However, given the opportunity to save $7 on a $450 item, they won’t bother. It’s so true, and yet irrational. Saving $7 is saving $7 regardless of the item’s price.

Here’s another one:
Imagine you are walking past someone trying to change a flat tire. How would you you react if they asked for help? How would you act if they offered to pay you $1 to help? If you’re like most people, you would help for free but pass when you were offered low compensation. Is that rational?

If you liked Freakonomics you should check this out. If you never read Freakonomics, but were intrigued by these examples - I’d recommend picking up both books.

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The rational thing to do : subscribe in a reader

I’m pleased to announce that individual card ordering is now available at PostcardPerfect.com. It took longer than expected, but we’re finally live. Yay!

The order process is more or less the same as always:

1) Upload a picture.
2) Type a picture.
3) Tell us where to send it.

Then pay up, and we print and mail your cards for you. Pretty easy.

How much? Thanks for asking. We call it the Postcard Double Deal™ (no, it’s not really trademarked) and it means you get to send two cards for only $3. Each of the two cards can be unique - complete with a different picture, message, and recipient.

For the visual learners out there, it looks something like this:

Before I really start promoting it, I’d like to get some feedback. So…I’m offering to let you give it a whirl on me. Just follow the link at the bottom and go though the process to send your cards. When checking out, use discount code “blog” and your purchase will be free.

Update: This promotion has ended. Thanks to everyone that tried it and provide feedback. For everyone else, it’s only $3 - go make somebody’s day.

Know someone else that may want to try it for free - go ahead and share the code. Three notes though:

1) I may e-mail you afterward to see how it went.
2) The code expires Thursday night (5/15) at 7:00CST.
3) If you’ve never used Google Checkout - you’ll have to sign up.

Fair enough? OK, enjoy.

PS. If you find any problems during the order process, please let me know. David at postcardperfect dot com.

I broke out the clubs and headed to the local golf course a couple days ago. The prices on their sign read as follows:

Resident: $14
Non-resident: $17

I live in the same town as the course so I should pay $14, right? Well, not necessarily. You see, in order to get the resident price – I had to prove I was a resident. Fair enough. Except…

To prove I was a resident, I had to BUY an $8 resident card (good for one year). Know how I proved I was eligible to buy a resident card? I didn’t. I just forked over the cash – no questions asked. Apparently you don’t argue with Lincoln, Washington, Washington, and Washington.

Regardless, now I have to carry this dumb card in my wallet so that when I play golf I can pull it out and show that I’m a resident. Couldn’t my driver’s license serve the same purpose?

The whole thing seems silly. I think it’s the name resident card that annoys me most. I’d resent it less if they called it a discount or loyalty card instead. As is though, it’s just another fee [not so] cleverly disguised as something I don’t really need.

There are a lot of companies that make good money on extra fees. Some hotels charge a $1 per night local phone access charge. It doesn’t matter if you use the phone or not – you have to pay that dollar (which coincidently wasn’t included in the room rate you booked).

Stuff like this is trivial, but frustrating nevertheless. It makes me wonder if the ill-will generated is worth the extra revenue. Considering the money spent building brands, you’d think the answer would be no. I suppose it depends on the circumstance though.

Poll Question: What’s the most ridiculous fee you’ve ever been charged? Did it change your perception of the company?

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No Fees! : subscribe in a reader

First, the end of the story:
On my recent trip to Las Vegas, I, “Mr. actually reads the fine print before signing anything,” pulled out $30 from my wallet and handed it willingly to a guy on the street. And no, he didn’t slip me a baggie of white powder in exchange. In fact, he didn’t give me anything. How did it happen?

Relationship marketing. Thanks for reading.

Oh, you want details? OK, let’s go back to the beginning.

I was standing in line for the Duce (a double-decker bus that runs up and down the strip) when the old guy in front of me struck up a conversation. Given the location and his unsavory attire, I kept my initial answers short and tried to avoid eye contact. “Where are you from?” “How long are you in town?” “First time in Vegas?” My “he’s about to ask you for money” alarm was blaring like a fog horn.

And then mentioned that he was from Boston and headed home that night.

Hearing that put me at ease. I figured if he was a fellow tourist that I could probably let my guard down. So, I did - a little. We grumbled together about the wait for the bus. We talked about our games of choice (his was sports betting – and he lost about 5K this trip) and where we were staying. He told me about how he’d been coming here for 30 years and about the old Vegas.

Then, about 5 minutes into the conversation, he asked if I wanted some comped show tickets that he wasn’t going to be able to use. The scamometer started rising again. However, I sure as heck didn’t want to blow potential tickets to Blue Man Group and David Copperfield – so I played along. He was very insistent that if he gave them to me that I wouldn’t let them go to waste. I told him I would definitely go see those shows for free.

It was a done deal. He said he’d give them to me. I still wasn’t holding my breath, but I couldn’t help but imagine that there was a very slight chance that I had hit the jackpot just for being in the right place at the right time.

Our small talk continued. We talked about some of the new casinos on the strip. I asked him what he did back in Boston. (“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. My brother is the biggest bookie in Boston. I work for him.”) We talked about the recent performance of the Cubs and White Sox.

The bus finally came.

As we rode along, he asked me where I was getting off. I told him I was out wandering, so I’d just follow him back to the Bellagio to get the tickets transferred to my name. He said he had already checked out and wasn’t going all the way back there. So, we got off together in front of the Mirage, and he said he’d just call and take care of it.

My fading skepticism kicked back in – secretly of course. He asked to use my cell phone, but instead of dialing himself - just gave me the number. I dialed, and in an attempt to debunk the scam – put the phone to my ear instead of handing it over right away.

“Bellagio. This is Mary. How can I help you?”

Whoa. It was them! A little surprised (and a little excited that it could all be legit), I handed him the phone.

“Hi. Can you transfer me to John Nicks on the floor?”
“John, it’s me - Mike.”
“Not good at all. I busted. It’s okay though, I’ll be back in a few months.”
“No, I’m done. I already checked out. You can close me out.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, can I have those show tickets transferred to someone else?”
“I want to split them – one and one to Blue Man Group and Copperfield for tomorrow and Thursday night.”
“R-A-U-C-H (he looked to me for guidance at this part). David”
“OK.”
“Yeah, I feel like Santa Clause. Haha.”
“OK. Photo ID and pickup by 5:00.”
“Uh-huh.”
“OK. Thanks. I’ll see you in a few months.”
“Alright. Bye.”

After hanging up, he told me the show times and rows that I’d be sitting in. He told me how important it was that I picked up the tickets by 5:00 the next day.

At this point, he had me. I mean, he hadn’t asked for anything – so why wouldn’t it be real? I thanked him a few times as we continued walking. He continued to downplay it saying he had seen the shows many times and wasn’t able to use the tickets anyway. “It’s no big deal. If you couldn’t use them, wouldn’t you give them away?”

And, just as I was starting to explain how my wife would be jealous of me seeing Blue Man Group without her – it happened.

“Hey, I’m kind of embarrassed to ask, but I busted everything at the sports book today. Think you could spot me a little cash for a cab to the airport?”

The “I just scored $300 in free show tickets” bubble popped.

My mind raced as I tried to figure out how to get out of the situation. I had just chatted it up with this guy for the last 25 minutes. He supposedly just gave me multiple hundreds of dollars worth of show tickets. Did I have the guts to tell him no? What if…what if the tickets were real? If I walked away without helping him I could kiss them goodbye.

I stalled by asking questions cleverly designed to trip him up. I offered to walk back to Bellagio with him. I asked where his luggage was. He had a story for everything – and I couldn’t quite get him to stumble.

So, I admitted my skepticism. “Mike,” I said “I’ve been waiting this whole time for you to ask me for money. The fact that you just did makes me skeptical. Don’t take it personal, it’s just my nature.”

He countered by telling me A) not to be so skeptical, B) he had just given, not sold, me the show tickets, and C) if it was a problem that I didn’t have to worry about it - he’d get it somewhere else.

Ugh, the guilt trip. We strolled on as I thought though my options. Before long I had decided; I was just going to give it to him. After all, I rationalized, I was up $150 at the tables and there still was a slight chance he was telling the truth. And, assuming this was a scam – he earned it.

So, I gave him $30 (for a cab and a pack of cigarettes). We talked a few more minutes about where I should go check out next – and then said goodbye. I returned to the tables and he continued his apparent hunt for someone in the area that owed him money.

Deep down I knew it was a scam, but I couldn’t help but checking the show times online when I returned to my room. Sure enough, one of the start times he told me was wrong. Just to be sure though, I decided to try to claim the tickets the next day. I wasn’t about to walk to the Bellagio to do it in person - so I called the box office. Surprise….nothing.

So what’s the lesson here?

Despite being a lying sack of %@#, Mike’s sales tactic was perfect. He engaged me in conversation and talked about things I was interested in. He invested time in the relationship. He gave me something (supposedly) for free. And, he did it all before asking for anything in return. Then, when the time came, I just handed over my money.

I think we can all take a page out of his book. Not the “focus on dumb tourists and watch the money roll in” page, but the importance of building relationships with prospects and customers. Sometimes you have to give a little up front (non-existent show tickets not recommended) on good faith. People love to do business with people and companies they know, and a solid relationship can often trump a low price or a slightly superior product.

So there it is. Once again, my mistake has become free advice for you. Want to thank me? I’ve always wanted to go see the Blue Man Group…

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Thanks to Redbox’s Free Movie Mondays, last night I brought home the the poker flick All In.

I over paid….by roughly two hours.

The poor acting and cheesy dialog (”Is you in, or is you out?”) - forgivable. The ridiculous yet predictable plot (pre-med student finds herself at the final table of the PartyPoker.com™ All In $5 Million Tournament playing against her cold hearted-scam running-doctor nemesis AND her compulsive gambler-navy seal-supposedly dead since she was ten-father) - overlookable.

Naming the movie after a poker term that the writers didn’t understand - inexcusable. Here’s the scene that put me over the edge:

She had 90% of the chips. Her opponent had 10% of the chips. He calls “all in” (which, for any non-poker players, is just a dramatic way of betting the amount that you have left). She answers with her own “all in.” At this point, the announcer let’s everyone know that both players were “all in” and that this hand would determine the winner.

What? That’s like saying she was putting up $90 to cover his $10 bet. It makes no sense. If he won (which he didn’t…surprise) she would have still had 80% of the total chips.

At this point in the movie I went from being train wreck amused to just annoyed. Clearly, as poker hit its peak of popularity a couple years ago, the producers (probably over a few drinks) decided it would be a good idea to crank out a movie about it. Ugh.

It reminds me of companies that jump on every bandwagon regardless of how well it fits with their product. People don’t buy into these attempts because they clearly lack authenticity. It’s going green just to fit in. It’s starting a Facebook page for your facial wash. It’s the kind of thing Seth talks about all the time.

Customers will excuse a lot of things if you’re sincere. Small businesses especially can get the benefit of the doubt if they treat their customers well and run the company with integrity. When you cross the line though, it’s obvious. The collective wisdom of the crowd is much more than you can expect to fake out. Don’t try it.

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Go all in with me: subscribe in a reader.

I’ve never been a big fan of the “answer these questions in your blog and then tag others to do the same” posts. However, Naomi at IttyBiz put out a home business challenge to answer a few questions about what your business actually does. I probably would have ignored it if I wasn’t due for a post anyway. But I was, so I won’t.

Wait, talk about PostcardPerfect on the PostcardPerfect blog? That’s right. Thaaaat’s right. OK, here we go…

1) What’s your game? What do you do?
Monopoly.

I started PostcardPerfect as a way for people to send real, custom postcards without searching for a stamp. They create cards digitally, and we make them tangible by printing and mailing ‘em.

Each card has a picture on the front (usually one taken by the customer’s digital camera), and a message on the back. They are professionally printed, given a protective coating (to stand up to the USPS), and mailed out first class.

It’s simple. It’s sexy. It’s what we do.

We have self service kiosks that let users create cards on location (tourists, for example), as well as web ordering so that you can play along at home.

2) Why do you do it? Do you love it, or do you just have a knack?
I mailed my wife a short letter every day for the three months leading up to our wedding day. It was partly a countdown and partly just a way to make her smile as she stressed over all the wedding details. She still has them all. She can’t say the same thing about e-mails I sent her during that time.

My sappy attempts of romanticism aside, I mention that only to illustrate that I really believe there’s something about tangible mail that the electronic world can’t touch. It’s personal. It’s thoughtful. It’s unexpected.

That, along with the hope of a financial payoff, is why I do it.

3) Who are your customers? What kind of people need what you offer?
PostcardPerfect has three types of customers:

1) Kiosk – People that run into one of our machines. Details here.

2) Web – People that use our online service to send holiday cards, save the date cards, invitations, etc. These are customers that want to quickly send a bunch of cards (usually 5+) without writing each one out. They send us the picture, message, and addresses – and we take care of the rest. Details here.

(Update: We now offer individual cards online too. Yay! Details here.)

3) Business – Individualized postcards provide a powerful way for companies to let consumers interact tangibly with their brand. I’m looking for companies that want to try something new. This could mean hosting a kiosk and allowing customers to use it for free. It could be integrating with us online. It could mean a lot of things. Details here.

Oh, we can also do direct mail - but that’s not nearly as fun.

4) What’s your USP? Why should I buy from you instead of the other losers?
There are no other losers. Really. If you want to create and mail a custom postcard on the spot (kiosks) - I’m the only loser that can help you. I told you my game was Monopoly.

The UPS (”unique selling proposition” for those not hip to the marketing lingo) varies a little depending on the type of customer.

Kiosk users get to easily share their experience in a personal way. Web customers get the convenience of communicating tangibly from their desktop. Finally, businesses get the ultimate promotional product. Since the postcards are branded AND personalized (read: not going into the trash) they become a unique mix of user generated content and direct mail.

5) What’s next for you? What’s the big plan?
World domination, one postcard at a time.

Learn more at postcarderfect.com. Questions? What to join the postcard revolution? Contact me: David (at) postcardperfect dot com.