Friday, August 29, 2008

If It Flies, It Dies

Duck Update: The Gaggle Has Arrived

We're getting ready for SMB Nation over in the palacial offices of SMB Books. The week started off with a bang, so to speak:

Duck
Boxes of Ducks

More Ducks
A Tableful of Ducks

and the week concluded with the arrival of weaponry.

Ducks with Guns

Fair Warning on Duck Shooting

To shoot a duck, you will need one of two things. Either a real, printed business card, or a duck hunting license.

If you come to the booth and do not have a business card, we'll send you off to print your own duck hunting license.

Why not just let people shoot ducks? There are three reasons for this.

First, MOST people who are paying thousands of dollars for a booth have no idea why they're at the show. Ask them. They'll tell you that they're "getting the word out" or "having a presence" or some such nonsense. Take "presense" to the bank and see if they cash it.

SMB Books has specific goals. Harry has promised 600-800 attendees. We want everyone who is not on our mailing list to join the mailing list. So, to shoot a duck, you need to give me info that puts you on the mailing list.

Second, you need real, printed business cards. Even if you have to get them free at Vista Print and have someone else's logo on the back. There are only a handful of things that every business person must do. One of them is to have business cards. For roughly three hundred years, this is how business people have introduced themselves to one another.

Third, we're not worried about alienating people who don't have business cards and won't give us a valid email address (via the duck hunting license request). If you can't spend $5.95 at Vista Print for professional business cards, then I don't think you'll spend $25 or $50 or $100 for a book to improve your business.

- - - - -

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pack a BIG box of ducks and ammo for shipping to Seattle.

See you Oct. 3rd for the big SMB Pre-Day Show with Erick Simpson.

and Oct. 4-6 on the floor of the vendor hall at SMB Nation.

:-)

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