We Can Do Better
I’m going to take a break from the string of Edward Deming posts in order to tell you about an experience I had recently.
I was riding home from my day job when I saw a sign on a neighbor’s lawn that read, “Want a painter that shows up? Call xxx-xxx-xxxx.”
That’s it. That’s all it said. It didn’t even have a company name. At first I thought, “How does that person expect to find work advertising with a tag line like that?” After further consideration, though, I came to the conclusion that it’s probably very effective.
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doing better
I used to have a system for getting work in theatres.
Previously, I had worked as a motorcycle courier, and still had my old bib. I would make up a fake trip sheet, showing a few jobs that had already been completed. Then, I would write my introduction letter, addressed to 'The Stage Manager, such and such theatre'. The letter was nothing special. I then put it in an envelope, wrote the same thing on the envelope, then also wrote, 'By Hand - Wait & Return' on it.
I would then get on my bike, ride to the theatre, round to the stage door. I would march up to the door keeper, tell him I had a parcel for the stage manager. When they said, 'ok, I'll sign for it', I would show them the letter, and say 'By hand mate, I have to give it to him personally, sorry'. Then, when the stage manager had come down, I'd give him the letter, get him to sign the trip sheet.
Then, as he was walking away, I would say 'scuse me mate, I have to get a reply from you, it says wait and return'. This meant that he had to open the letter there and then. I had added, on the bottom of the letter, a ps, that usually went something like 'By the way, to show you how keen I am, and to show that I have initiative, you should know that I am the courier standing in front of you'.
That had about an 80% success rate when trying to get crewing work. Most theatres generally have a core of crew that they use on a regular basis, and a list of names that they may call if they need extra hands. This usually got me to the core crew straight away.
ColinÂ
Better
I like both of those examples. It reminds me of an add I saw on a sugar sachet in a restuarant.
It said: "We do not say we are the best, but you will hardly find anyone better around." and it was an add for the company that produced the sugar ....
So coming back to the example, it is perfect for me - it is honest and saying things how they are, and it also shows confidence of the people who placed the add.Does not pretend to be better then the real thing.
Jan