How to do everything better

Entrepreneur, Feb, 1999 by Geoff Williams

... and let nothing stand in your way

From day one, we've been encouraged to do everything better. Our parents taught us to walk instead of crawl. Our teachers showed us that, yes, we really were smarter than we ever believed. And haven't movies, books and songs inspired us to shove aside the status quo and dream - and dream big?

Some didn't heed the call. Some are still living in their parents' basements. But you're different. You went after what you wanted. You did everything better, and that will always be your plan of attack. Good for you.

But almost every day, you lose some of your edge, something that's easy to do in the confusion of e-mail, pagers, memos, political correctness, cash flow analysis and W-2 forms. You lose your edge, and you don't do everything better - and before long, it starts to show in your businesses.

That's why we're here. We're going to show you how to do everything bet ter. Everything. After reading this, you'll be smarter, better looking, and you'll be able to program your VCR.

Well, maybe you already realize we're overpromising. (See, you're smarter already.) Still, the next several pages may serve as a wake-up call that you can do everything better. And if you can't - we'll show you how to fake it.

HOW TO GET YOUR DIRECT MAIL OPENED

Everybody hates junk mail. You do, too, unless it's your own junk mail, in which case you take umbrage at the insinuation that the letters you're sending to prospective clients are anything less than personal, warm, individualized messages - all 300,000 of them.

The rule: Junk mail shouldn't look like junk, according to Christopher Nicholas, president of Eagle Consulting Group Inc., a political consulting and strategic research firm in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Try the following "look at me" strategies.

* Use a laser printer to print customers' addresses directly onto the envelope, instead of onto a label.

* "Vary the size and shape of your envelopes," says Nicholas. "Eight-and-a-half-by-11-inch envelopes with a small, upper left-hand window seem to be in vogue now. I personally like a smaller envelope."

* "Some companies have had success with actual handwritten addresses," Nicholas notes. "There are firms that employ hundreds of people to handwrite addresses."

* Stamps almost always work better than printed indicia - and first class usually works better than bulk mail. Some entrepreneurs experiment with multiple stamps - i.e., a 20-, a 10- and three 1-cent stamps rather than one 33-cent stamp.

The exception to the rule: For those who want their envelopes opened at any cost, consider these suggestions from Neil Griffin, principal of Jam Communications in Washington, DC.

* Create a "lumpy" package that has a loose object (a pen, a day planner or other gift) inside. People's curiosity will force them to open the envelope to find out what's floating around in there.

* Put a piece of Scotch tape over the flap to make it look like it was personally sealed.

* Print a spilled coffee stain on the envelope. Dirty or damaged mail is more intriguing.

* Remove your return address or your company name from the envelope. Prospects will open it up if for no other reason than to find out who mailed it. Hey, it worked for the Unabomber.

HOW TO SCORE PERKS FROM YOUR LANDLORD

In the time it takes to hop in the elevator at lobby-level and go up seven floors to hash out a deal with your landlord, you can review this checklist and decide if you've got what it takes to take what you can get.

First Floor: Is your corporate real estate broker in the elevator with you? No? If he or she were, you wouldn't even have to be here. Brokers negotiate rents and perks with landlords daily. What's more, the landlord pays your broker's fee. Your landlord probably has a broker - why shouldn't you? This isn't Mr. Roper you're dealing with.

Second Floor: Do you have solid credit? If not, get it. Susan Ruby, a broker for Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc., a commercial real estate company in Orlando, says, "The credit worthiness of the tenant plays a big role in what you get from the landlord."

Third Floor: Do you have a comparison list? Ruby advises showing your landlord what the city's other property owners are willing to offer you.

Fourth Floor: Can you sign a lengthy lease? "If a company is serious, they don't need to sign anything less than five years," Ruby says. Moreover, a short-term lease doesn't get you anything. And if you're uncertain your company will want to stay put for five or 10 years, Ruby suggests signing with the right to cancel. You might have to pay a penalty if you leave prematurely, but you'll have some flexibility.

Fifth Floor: What's your attitude like? Bill Beck, a broker for Colliers International, a property management company in Boise, Idaho, stresses that it's important to not appear too eager to move into your new office. It's now, not later, that you're in demand. "You're likely to get perks when you're new," says Beck. "It's human nature. You put your best foot forward to a stranger, and you wear your dirty T-shirt around your wife. Landlords have a tendency to become possessive, thinking, 'This is my tenant, and he's not going to move.'"