2008 is over. Looking back, it has been in unbelievable year.

But looking ahead, it is going be be even more interesting. Everyday ahead is going to be more exciting than the one before.

To help us move on positively, Vivienne has shared this interesting post on “Completing 2008, Creating 2009” which really is food for thought as we wait to greet 2009 on New Year’s Eve. OK, even if you are jumping and partying, these are still cool questions to ask!

Happy New Year everyone!

Yes! I am off to my Christmas Party! See you guys after my hangover week!

This post is not about marketing, good leadership, customer service or any of the usual stuff we talk about. It is about survival.

My friend Vivienne over at versacreations.net has written a post, almost an appeal, over at her blog about Achieving a Better Bottom Line.

I think, if you are in the area, you might want to give some serious thought about attending THE BOTTOM LINE. I took a peek at some of the testimonies, and they seem pretty genuine to me. Not quite the polished, almost perfect presentations that you would be used to seeing in many online “testimonials”. They look like real folks to me.

Go see.

I read a really excellent article over at Marketingprofs.com and it really struck a chord with me. I have always like the idea of a Product Experience, or a user experience tied to the use of a product. But many companies seem to miss the point.

They focus on “userability studies” and have a slew of technical tests. But these are simply technical measurements that does nothing for the user unless there is an overall experience tied to it.

The article was about “How Packaging Your Offering Enhances Your Brand” by Anthony Cirillo and it really is about why some companies are able to sell their products/services at a “higher price”.

Those who understand the concept of “selling the experience”, understands that when you purchase a product or service, it is not just the here and now or the physical product that you hold in your hands. You see, when you buy an ice cream, it is not just the brand you are buying – Is it the flavor? How about because you liked the kid behind the counter?

As you walk down the street, which ice cream stall would you stop at on a hot summer’s day? Heck, which one will you stop at in winter?

As Anthony mentioned in his short article, the overall experience that a user has with your product will determine his overall satisfaction. You may have the best brand, the best flavors, the most attractive booth and the lowest price; but if your staff give service with a snarl, how long do you think your ice cream stall will be there?

It is no longer enough to talk about Product Marketing, but we need to be aware of Experience Marketing and how the overall user experience factor into your product. I know of companies who rest on their “product excellence” laurels and fail to understand this. Don’t be one of them.

Here is an interesting one for all leaders and followers to consider – is there such a thing as leadership by consensus?

I mean, if you had consensus, do you need a leader? Or look at it another way, do you call a person a leader if he needs the ratification of others?

Think about this. You select some one as your leader. He is going to be your guiding light and bring you across the desert. You celebrate your new leader. Then the party is over and the journey begins. What happens? If this were a democracy, then the leader proposes a direction, say, north, and everyone votes on it. If it were Moses, he just ups and moves on and everyone follows.

One is a leader, the other is a coordinator.

Do you own a car that is red on the front and polka dotted pink behind? You would if you allowed your 3 year old girl to decide on half the colors. If you did not paint the back polka dotted pink, she will be unhappy. At some point, a leader has to take responsibility for his decisions. If some says, the color of your car is ugly, do you then say “Oh, my wife chose it…”?

That statement in itself could be a truth. Yes, the wife chose it, but you made the decision to go with it. The true leader will say “Oh, my wife chose it, and I agreed. You don’t like it?”.

Everyone will have their own opinions. A good leader understands and accepts that. To insist that everyone shares exactly the same opinion and everyone to have the same decision, is not true leadership. We are humans, not robots. Even if you do not agree with the leader, you still follow, believing that he can lead you where you need to go. If you no longer believe that, you leave. Or, you try to change the leader. There are many possible dynamics, but we are not going to discuss them here.

What we want to put down clearly is this – leadership by consensus is BS. OK, let me spell that out – b.u.l.l.s.h.i.t. OK, that should get me censored somewhere, I guess. But then, let’s call a spade a spade. Either you are a leader, or you are not.