Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise

You work with the database? I want to hear from you...

I'm putting together a little something for a group of technology professionals and need your help.

If you work with your organization's database, what are the biggest challenges you face rolling it out, maintaining it and getting others in your organization to use it?

Leave a comment and let me know...

Thanks for your help!

On your mark...

The Catalyst Conference always delivers a one-of-a-kind experience. I never walk away from one of their events or team members without being challenged, refreshed and motivated. Right now as I type, a bunch of my friends are in Sunny California at the Catalyst West Conference. I'm freezing here in South Bend, Indiana. (Don't let the "south" in South Bend fool you.)

Anyway, have you seen their new site? They just launched it today.

You can ignore the wiggly icons in the middle if you don't have time to play. (Which I don't.) They've kept our busy schedules in mind and make it easy to find the important stuff in the menu.

What's noteworthy and new? For one, they're giving away...

• $1 to a charity of your choice
• A Flip Video every 100 hours

Are you selling walkmans in an ipod world?

This is really good. Found it over on the American Express blog. It's by John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing.

You want to sell what you’ve got to sell, but what if that’s no longer what the market wants to buy. The Sony Walkman (for those of you under 30) was once the thing. Rich kids and cool kids had them and then everyone had them. But, that was yesterday, now it’s an iPod world.

So, the question is, are you still trying to peddle you industry’s version of the Walkman or are you willing to take a look at every aspect of your business, your products, your services, and your processes in an effort to give the market what it demands.

When times are good, people will spend their money on things they don’t really need, but right now, consumers are businesses are pretty darn focused on getting the most bang for every penny spent. Now is the time to make sure that your products align with that kind of thinking.

Let me give you an example of Walkman vs. iPod business models.

Traditional medical practice

Walkman - you make an appointment through your insurance company, mountain of paperwork, doctor makes you wait 30 minutes past appointment time, doctor pretends to listen, discounts treatment options you’ve found on Internet as a hoax, prescribes several medications to treat symptoms without any discussion about prevention diet or exercise.

Neighborhood clinic

iPod - same day appointment, paperwork online, massage therapy and green tea while you wait, appointment on time, discussion about overall health, encouraged to explore combination of traditional medicine and alternative therapies.

So, you’re not in the medical business - whatever industry you are in, I assure you there are standard practices that no longer mirror what the ideal customer is looking for - find out what they tolerate and blow it up.

No matter what you make, fix, ship or sell in this day and age, what you really have to offer to differentiate is the customer experience. You are in the customer exciting business and that comes about only when you can put away everything that you assume about your business and products and focus 100% of your strategic attention on understanding just exactly what the market wants today.

Personal trainer & leadership coaching

I recently finished a busy season where I pretty much was married to my laptop. While finishing a book can be a rewarding accomplishment, the exercise I abandoned and replaced with enormous amounts of comfort food took a toll on me. I emerged from my writing cave unhealthy and sluggish. (Not to mention, no pants left in my closet fit me.) It was time for a new approach, a fresh perspective, a renewed resolve.

So, I hired Brooke as my fitness trainer. Sure, I could have gone to cardio classes. I could read Shape magazine. I could subscribe to exercise podcasts and diet RSS feeds. But, that wouldn't get what I needed at this crossroads. I had reached a place where I needed something more specialized. I needed customized, focused, up close and personal attention where I could be blunt about the challenges I face and get frank, encouraging insight in return. I needed to talk to someone with heart, experience and objectivity. Someone I trusted. Someone who would share what they've learned and energize me for my next phase. It's was the right decision at the right time. Brooke, has refined my strategy and poured life back into me.

Sometimes, we need that same infusion in other areas of our lives. Ministry leadership is tougher than diet and exercise and way more complex to navigate through. Sometimes, instead of a class or a book or a conference, you might feel the need for customized, focused, up close and personal attention where you can be blunt about the challenges you face and get frank, encouraging insight in return. You need to talk to someone with heart, experience and objectivity. Someone you trust. Someone who will share what they've learned and energize you for your next phase.

Leadership Live happens on May 5-6. That's only a couple weeks away. What's Leadership Live, you ask? It's like hiring six Brooke's for an intense 48-hour coaching session with these leaders:

Mark Beeson | Tim Stevens | Rob Wegner | Mark Waltz | Butch Whitmire

Is this the right decision at the right time for you? It may be just what you need to refine your strategy and renew your energy. There are still seats left. But, not for long. Registration includes two full days, ALL meals AND lodging. That's amazing.

Last minute, you can have my ticket to Catalyst West...for free

I can't be two places at once. Since, I'm going to be in Austin, Texas next week, maybe you could take my spot at Catalyst West. It's happening April 22-24, in Orange County, CA.

Seriously...if I could clone myself...I would not be offering you my ticket. I'd give it to the other me. This event is insane.

• Worship by Hillsong United, Steve Fee, Aaron Keyes and Joel Auge
• Speakers include: Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, Rick Warren, Guy Kawasaki, Ravi Zacharias, Francis Chan, Brian Houston, Erwin McManus, Perry Noble, Catherine Rohr, Jud Wilhite, and Luis Palau
• Interactive sessions include talks from Dave Gibbons, Alan Hirsch, Blake Mycoskie (Toms Shoes), Erwin McManus, Eric Bryant, Dan Kimball, Jamie Tworkowski (To Write Love on Her Arms), Margaret Feinberg, Mark Batterson and more.
• BEFORE PARTY on Wednesday, April 22 at 6pm - hosted by Carlos Whittaker. Free food, great entertainment and outdoor lounge.

I told you. Insane.

Here's the deal. If you buy one ticket, I'll give you mine for free. It's that simple. If you're interested... email me to get the hook-up.

15 essential checks before launching your site...

Thank you Smashing Magazine for this handy and necessary check list. (I love it when Daryl finds me articles like this. Thanks, Daryl!)

1. Favicon ... it brands the tab or window
2. Titles and meta data ... for better search results
3. Cross browser checks ... just because it works on one doesn't mean it works on all
4. Proofread ... you're too close to it, have someone else read it
5. Links ... don't assume they all work, click on them to see
6. Functionality Check ... what happens when someone actually uses it, test it to see
7. Graceful degradation ... people often have JavaScript turned off, make sure it works
8. Validation ... make sure you scrub the nasty errors
9. RSS Link ... make sure people can subscribe to your conversation
10. Analytics ... how you know what works and what doesn't
11. Site map ... makes your site easier to index
12. Defensive design ... your 404 page should help anybody who gets lost
13. Optimize ... follow the tips and tricks to speed things up
14. Back Up ... or you'll be sorry
15. Print style sheet ... if you've got great site content, make sure it prints nice

See the full article with screen shots, narrative & how-to's.

Look what else they have for us to download ... The Ultimate Web Launch Checklist.