I'm not very bright. Really, I'm not. Just saying that I’m a product of the New York City school system should be enough to give you some indication of who you're dealing with here.
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Granted... I grew up and went to school with a lot of bright people. Many of them have gone on to become successful doctors, lawyers, and titans of industry. Even the Trophy Wife is a product of Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, NY. As such, you can tell that there was some brain power back there.
I think I was absent that day.
At the risk of sounding like Jed Clampett, book-learning was just never my thing. I figured stuff out as I went. I was (and still am) an observer. Less enlightened people might call me a voyeur. Luckily, the police dropped those charges, but I'm kinda getting away from the point of this column.
I've made a few questionable decisions in my life – some missteps, for certain. I'm relieved to say that none have been fatal.
I'm thinking this way today as a result of the several Throwback Thursday (TBT) columns this magazine has been featuring… republishing some of my missives from the past 20 years. Some of these columns make me appear to be downright prescient.
Look it up… I'll wait. (Note to self… stop calling this a magazine. I believe the correct term is e-zine now.)
My most recent TBT column wasn't much of a throwback at all, a column first published in April of 2011. In it, I'm complaining (who me?) about people's reliance on social media… instead of actually doing research themselves. I said it then, and I still say it today: make an effort.
Clearly I was smarter than the person to whom I referred at the end of that column, who said that people shouldn't "depend on text, e-mail, FB message, BBM message or DM on Twitter." A smarter person (or me) never would have included BBM messages! Then again, he did say NOT to rely on BBM. Never mind.
Could I have known that this problem would continue four years later? No… I'm not that bright.
The prior TBT isn't dated, but it alludes to when I worked for Hilton Apparel. It went out of business (as a stand-alone company) in 2007. As such, the column in question is at least eight years old.
In it, I tell the story of having recently walked a trade show (as opposed to exhibiting), and how indifferent (or uninterested) the exhibitors were. In the column, I mention how rude it is to walk into a booth only to be greeted by someone with a bologna sandwich hanging out of his face. Also: put down the phone. And don't talk to your co-workers when you've got live prospects in the booth.
Still relevant today? No… I'm not that bright.
A couple of the other TBT columns feature me complaining… about this or that or the price of tea in China. I tend to do that. A lot, it seems. My son, Dan, along with his fiancé (who might be his wife by the time you read this), have a Facebook page named Social Media Superheroes, on which they post social media tips. Even prior to starting this page, one of Dan's pet peeves was about people who always post negative or whiny things. Be upbeat and positive – people like to read those things. I could almost feel his eyes burning into my soul, if I had one, that is. Still, he makes valid points.
Does this still ring true? Sure, for other people, maybe. For me, the whining is what I like to call "branding."
In another column, I wrote about a downturn in the economy, and how both distributors and suppliers needed to find new ways to grow business. The old ways weren’t working – you might actually have to start selling again.
"It's also a good time to investigate some sales courses for your staff. PPAI, ASI, even your local trade association; they all offer opportunities to further your professional training. Your local Chamber of Commerce undoubtedly has regularly scheduled training courses, not necessarily geared toward our industry, but these are still valuable to anyone looking to refresh their skills. Believe me: you’re never done learning. When you think you're really done, most likely, you are."
Brilliant, no?
Could have been written a couple of months ago. Instead, it was written in April of ’01. Am I some sort of promotional products savant (or, the Tchotchke Whisperer)? No… I'm not that bright.
Mike Schenker, MAS, is a promotional industry veteran and member of the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) Hall of Fame. He can be reached at mike@mikeschenker.com.