Ed Brill

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1. 1  Christopher Byrne http://www.controloscaddy.com/ | 6/9/2005 11:01:23 AM

   I love it!

   A few years ago I was at the Windjammer resourt in St. Lucia with the kids. We went into the ice cream shop and there were two C-level executives of a company using iNotes to check their mail in Tenessee. Very cool and I talked to them briefly about their experiences.

1. 2  John Baxter www.jnkr-solutions.com | 6/9/2005 11:10:38 AM

   Ed,

   Love the idea, always been a bit aprehensive talking to people when they're working i.e. airport lounges, trains, etc, but this gives a nice genuine reason to strike up a conversation when there's common ground.

   Just let us know when they're available :-)

   JB

1. 3  Eric Parsons startingblockcomputing.com | 6/9/2005 11:15:21 AM

   Love it. Can't wait for the final.

   One comment though. The line...

   "The Business world's most popular email and collaboration system"

   ...conveys a) it's *business's* most popular (good thing) and b) it's email. I'm not sure that you need the email part. What ever happened to the three C's? (and I'm embarrassed to say I only remember Communicate and collaborate).

1. 4  Norm Van Bergen  | 6/9/2005 11:36:32 AM

   Great idea Ed - I'd carry a few of those cards with me and be happy to hand 'em out. Good way for us BPs to make a few new contacts too.

1. 5  Carl Tyler http://www.iminstant.com | 6/9/2005 11:54:32 AM

   @3 Coordinate.

1. 6  Ben Rose http://www.jaffacake.net | 6/9/2005 11:55:09 AM

   Would be cool and the recipients would read it over and over again as each time they looked in their pocket they would find it had made itself become unread again ;O)

1. 7  Chris Whisonant http://cwhisonant.blogspot.com | 6/9/2005 12:14:20 PM

   @6 LOL - you won't give up on that will you? It would be good to give them two cards. One would be the clustered replica and the unread marks may be more sporadic!

1. 8  Eric Parsons startingblockcomputing.com | 6/9/2005 12:26:51 PM

   @5, Thanks.

   @6&7, Nice to know I'm not the only one who deals with that...

   But shouldn't the clustered replica be placed in a different pocket, or at least with Domino, a pocket from a different vendor that uses different material, and operates differently (like a pullover vs a cardigan) :--)

1. 9  Ben Rose http://www.jaffacake.net/bensblog.nsf | 6/9/2005 12:41:56 PM

   @8 - You've not heard about my "fix the unread marks" appeal then? { Link } ;)

1. 10  Hosun Lee  | 6/9/2005 1:01:25 PM

   Any chance you can collect 10 and redeem for a t-shirt?

   I'm serious. People can unsolicited cards all the time. They'll be read for 5 seconds. At least this way you'll encourage them to keep the cards.

1. 11  Bruce Elgort http://www.bruceelgort.com | 6/9/2005 1:09:25 PM

   How about you also issue posters to slap up on light polls and street corners. This sounds like the approach that bands employ. They call it a "Street Team". However, typically the bands give you something in return. :-) Instead of handing them a card why not simply chat with them :-)

1. 12  libby  | 6/9/2005 1:17:55 PM

   I love this idea as a way to start a conversation with someone -- especially for folks who are somewhere more toward the shy end of the spectrum...

   Maybe this is something that could be hosted at lotususergroup.org?

   Libby

1. 13  Maria Helm  | 6/9/2005 1:18:06 PM

   @10

   That's actually a good idea, because it encourages people to be SEEN IN PUBLIC using Notes. Incentive for the users.

   Add incentive to the giver, as well. When x cards with their name have been "redeemed", they should get a shirt or other "prize".

   Of course, Ed's marketing person is going to need an assistant and a really good tracking system to pull this off. Since they've got Notes, I assume they can pull off the tracking. Now to get someone to do the data entry and envelope stuffing!

1. 14  Ben Langhinrichs http://www.GeniiSoft.com/showcase.nsf/GeniiBlog | 6/9/2005 1:45:47 PM

   I like the idea, although I would take off the salesman hat and remove the blurb about Notes 7. That instantly triggers the "he's trying to sell me something" reaction when I see it, and you want the "he's thanking me for being a customer" reaction. Very different feel, and the sales pitch isn't necessary. Feeling thanked is likely to be more effective than an overt pitch, and is less likely to lead to cynical reaction. Just my humble opinion, of course.

1. 15  Tim Latta  | 6/9/2005 2:38:16 PM

   I thought exactly the same thing about it being 'salesy', Ben.

1. 16  Carl Tyler http://www.iminstant.com | 6/9/2005 2:49:24 PM

   Make it, if you're seen using Lotus Notes in a public place, you may win $1,000,000 plus runner up prizes of seadoos, $50,000 of Workplace services for your company etc. etc.

1. 17  Andrew Price www.healthspace.com | 6/9/2005 3:11:27 PM

   I think this is a fine idea, though I concur with @14 & 15 about the salesy part.

   Since the computer software industry is now somewhat mature, and longevity and reliability are valued attributes how about a message along the lines of (for US folks):

   "Thanks for using Notes/Domino, the world's premiere email and collaboration platform, which has been helping keep America secure for 20 years"

   Yuck, well perhaps not quite that text, but you get the idea of working those concepts in.

   :)

1. 18  Richard Schwartz http://smokey.rhs.com/web/blog/poweroftheschwartz.nsf | 6/9/2005 3:21:44 PM

   I think the Notes 7 blurb is fine. But it should come after something like "In order to show our thanks, we'd like to give you some free Lotus Notes tips that you can use right now to help you get the most from our software. We'd also like your feedback. Check out { Link } for great tips and more!" The content of that page could point to articles on Alan's blog (and elsewhere).

   Also, I think the words "most popular" should be expanded to "most popular, powerful, and secure".

   -rich

1. 19  Richard Schwartz http://smokey.rhs.com/web/blog/poweroftheschwartz.nsf | 6/9/2005 3:24:11 PM

   hmmm.... I didn't want that particular URL to be translated to a { Link } :-)

   -rich

1. 20  Niel http://www.revelleweb.com | 6/9/2005 4:06:06 PM

   Do you want to be in the same category of groups/people that approach strangers and strike up conversations in a public place?

1. 21  Geoff Mether  | 6/9/2005 5:18:51 PM

   Nice idea, however I have visions of getting end users calling emailing me for assistance on how to replicate notes. Maybe drop the email address???

1. 22  Hosun Lee  | 6/9/2005 5:34:27 PM

   I'm trying to think of an incentive that would be valuable but wouldn't piss of customers. If you offered $10,000 of Workplace training for getting 10 cards in a row, there'd be situations where people will eBay or steal these cards. And you'd have existing customers ticked off that IBM is giving away something so valuable.

   I think it'll have to be something of nominal value at best. That's why I'm still thinking t-shirts, autographed photos of Ed Brill....some sort of tchotchke. Something where if you get it that's cool, but if you don't no grudges. One hour of on-site IT consultation. Or you get signed up into some beta program for a new product. Or a ticket to Java One or something.

   Or each card enters you into a sweepstake for something valuable. But then you get into inter-state gaming laws and that's a legal headache.

1. 23  Paul Mooney http://www.pmooney.net | 6/9/2005 5:46:47 PM

   I think its a great idea. Design them Ed. We will use em.

1. 24  Bob Balaban http://www.looseleaf.net | 6/9/2005 7:03:48 PM

   Good idea. I'd do it on my cards.

1. 25  Giulio  | 6/9/2005 7:44:12 PM

   @14, Ben you have struck the right tone. Ed, don't get too excited about how to reach people and share the excitement, as it will come across in an "evangelical" tone because most users are not as excited about the technology as the notes community. To the clients/users, Notes it's not their core business, (to be realistic and pragmatic), it's a means to an end, it's a (good) tool to meet their business requirements.

   If anything I think it could alienate the client base. Try putting yourself in the mindset of the client/user receiving such a card from a notes-professional. Most people are suspicious of marketing campaigns, and here is some guy who hands out a card saying "you use notes, thanks, and by the way....", it has cult like feeling to it. It feels just like a mormon knocking on your door at 8 am on Saturday to sell you a free "magazine". I am not saying you are anything like that, but that is a perception the recipient could well take.

   Maybe print it on the back of your normal BP's business card , it would be less overt and still get your message out.

   Sorry for the sour grapes, but I think you risk over-whelming your audience..... Notes sells itself once people start using it. I think Alan Lepofsky is onto the right idea. Passive promotion by creating a user-oriented site, rather than all these developer blogs that appeal to a fraction of notes users.

1. 26  Ed Brill www.edbrill.com | 6/9/2005 8:00:06 PM

   Thanks for enthusiasm so far....

   without trying to respond to all the thoughts, one additional data point. My colleague Jon Raslawski leaned over to me at some point today and said that he verbally does exactly what I'm suggesting -- thanks people who he sees using Notes on airplanes. Doesn't look like he's ever been smacked for it ;) Maybe Jon will chime in with additional thought when he's reading from a PC and not his Crackberry.

1. 27  Bruce Elgort http://www.bruceelgort.com | 6/9/2005 11:48:23 PM

   @25,

   I couldn't agree more.

1. 28  vowe http://vowe.net | 6/10/2005 2:18:13 AM

   Ed, it might work with Americans but certainly not with us.

1. 29  Howard Hess  | 6/10/2005 2:49:12 AM

   Ed,

   The "thank you" aspect is nice. I agree with others that the salesy aspect may be off-putting. Most Notes users I know didn't have a choice in the matter, and any random Notes user at O'Hare is most likely an employee of your customer, not the decision-maker.

   What might make a difference is if these encounters were treated as an opportunity to listen to the user: what is it they like and dislike about Notes. That would require a different level of commitment than handing out a card.

   And it would get you into the business of trying to filter feedback about the product from feedback about customized templates, etc.. And following up in some way with the people who take the time to provide feedback.

   But these things aren't supposed to be easy, are they?

1. 30  Wild Bill http://www.billbuchan.com | 6/10/2005 2:59:51 AM

   Wait. Stop. Something you said earlier in the article. Yeah.

   Lotus has a Marketing department ?

   So when can we expect the lovely IBM ads with the words "Lotus" or "Domino" on them ?

   :-)

   Unsolicited approaches in airport lounges in the US is probably going to end up in either a restraining order or a gunfight..

   Seriously, I've done this in the past. In about half of the cases, I found that the poor users are using a hideously out of date client and/or mail template, because thats "how the IT department" want it. Which means that there's a lot of very lazy and/or underfunded IT departments out there in userland. Its actually a good lead generation system, however calling up the CIO of that company and saying "Hey, I can fix your badly implemented Notes system" never got very far...

   If we're talking about raising market profile, run a few competitions in general trade press and give away free copies of notes and a free iPod/Sony PSP's. That get the geeks racing!

   --* Bill

1. 31  Nathan T. Freeman  | 6/10/2005 3:21:21 AM

   Ed, imagine you were sitting in an airport and Steve Ballmer came up and thanked you for using Windows. Would you A) use the opportunity to chat with him about how powerful Windows is? or B) use the opportunity to air all your grievances about what Windows does or doesn't do? Or even what MICROSOFT does or doesn't do?

   It's not that I think this is a bad idea, but it's an invitation to get verbally assaulted in an airport. As long as you're prepared that at least 50% of the time you're going to hear the recipient of the card start whining about how Notes isn't like Outlook, then I say go for it.

1. 32  David Diehl  | 6/10/2005 7:44:33 AM

   I love the idea, but I also agree with the comments about downplaying the sales angle. When they go to the url on the card you can hit them with as much sales as you want to.

   To add value to card without annoying anyone, you could put a unique link on the back that leads to an "Ask me anything about Notes" form. Each card gets one shot at 15 minutes of time from whoever gives it out. I'd guess that many of the questions would either be very basic or require more tech support than the card giver would be willing to provide, but at least you could point the person in the right direction to get the answer they need.

1. 33  Alan Lepofsky http://www.alanlepofsky.net | 6/10/2005 9:04:05 AM

   @30 A marketing department is very different than advertising. The marketing department works their @ss off creating content for web sites, product collateral, sales guides, product demos, licensing faqs, running live events all over the world, enabling business partners, etc. Please don't put down their efforts just because you are unhappy with the lack of product specific (for any product, not just Domino) IBM advertising.

1. 34  Samuel deHuszar Allen  | 6/10/2005 9:33:10 AM

   As for T-Shirts, I always thought it'd be cool to have shirts that read "My second language is @Formula" or "I speak LotusScript", for those who are into that sort of thing. :P

   You know, setting up a "This email was made with Lotus Notes" footer like Opera did may help raise awareness, too. But again, the risk of this is that people will then go "Falling Down" on you givin their work's outdated, poorly implemented, mess of a network which the internal gossip has laid squarely on Notes as the problem.

   Though if someone does complain about their Notes implementation, perhaps providing a willingness to meet gratis (or at a cheap flat rate based on size the of the business)with the IT dept. This might allow you to offer further services (or hand the job to a local IBM Business Partner) and raise the skill level of that corp.

   Then you have a happy company which may very well update all their licenses and move to 7, or the very least, have a guiding hand to untie their knotted mess of an infrastructure, and then people will then go around saying, "Holy shaazbot! Our Notes upgrade is sweet! I don't have to wait for 5min for my Web Access to load!" Or whatever you're desired behavior shift in Notes may be.

   Not a cheap use of time, but at least it's hands on marketing, whereas with an ad, your fighting with a thousand other companies for 1/3 of a second of the readers time as he/she attempts to tune it out and flip the page of the magazine. And last I heard, marketing isn't cheap anyway.

   But that's what I think will put you ahead of Microsoft. Microsoft's "Partners" (I call them plants or proxies, personally) are calling you on the phone or dropping you emails saying, "get a laptop and get certified in the following Microsoft skills, with a loan through Wells Fargo."

   Now, I think it's a little disingenuous, cause the call I got made mention that I could learn whatever I wanted, and it was only later I discovered that I could learn whatever I wanted from their list of Microsoft's linup, but the point is, they're out knocking on people's virtual doors making the sale. Not the sale of products, but the sale of skills, services, and marketability in the workplace. And THAT will get you a more competent base, cause people want to have skills and certifications on their resume, and the companies using Lotus will be better staffed for it.

   My $.02

1. 35  Greyhawk68 http://greyhawk68.dominohosting.biz | 6/10/2005 9:54:11 AM

   Am I the only one that thinks this is a completely BAD idea? Woo hoo, you thanked me on a business card that I'll throw away in 2 seconds.

   It's one thing to personally just say HI, and thanks for using the product. That would be kind of cool. I just think having cards specifically for the purpose is a bit disingenous.

   Besides, you also have to realize that some of those users you see probably HATE Notes and are using it because they have to... Don't know what a business card will do about that.

   I do kinda like the "be seen in public using Notes, win something" idea, but even then, it would probably only be those of us geeks who would do something like respond to a blog entry :-)

   -Grey

1. 36  Hosun Lee  | 6/10/2005 10:09:57 AM

   @31, @35, good points. This could easily turn into a kvetch-fest. And in thinking it over, if someone came up to me and thanked me for using product XYZ, I'd probably be just as likely to kick them as shake their hand.

1. 37  Chris Miller http://www.IdoNotes.com | 6/10/2005 10:53:59 AM

   I will make this short. I love talking to people that are using the client. But yes, most are just users forced into using it for email.

   The frustration for them comes not from their like or dislike when you talk to them, it is the lack of training on how to do things that makes them unhappy. If you really sit and listen.

1. 38  Richard Schwartz http://smokey.rhs.com/web/blog/poweroftheschwartz.nsf | 6/10/2005 10:57:26 AM

   @31, @35, @36: this is precisely why I'd make the most prominent thing on the card a link to a site where users are told they can give feedback as well as get some useful tips.

   Users might go there to complain, and that's fine! IBM could probably gain a lot by hearing end-user complaints unfiltered by the CIOs, IT directors, BPs, developers, admins and consultants that they usually talk to. And since voluntary registration could be obtained from people who visit the site (in order to qualify for a give-away) IBM might get an idea from this of what companies might be in trouble with Domino and therefore at risk, and word could go out to people who could get in and help. Also, a user who goes to complain might just see some screen shots that look nothing like their own crummy Notes environment and suddenly realize that the fault lies in their own IT department not doing their jobs. Or maybe a user who goes to complain might click one or two of links to useful tips and suddenly become a little bit more satisfied.

   -rich

1. 39  Bruce Elgort http://www.bruceelgort.com | 6/10/2005 11:36:37 AM

   { Link }

1. 40  Dan Wieringa  | 6/10/2005 12:10:29 PM

   I see people using Notes on their laptops on my train commute into Chicago sometimes. I usually ask them what they think of notes, and after they look at me strangely they eventually say they like it, but then come up with some generic complaint that is easily solvable (something like 'I wish this button was in the toolbar') I'll show them, and they're always suprised at how simple it was to do. I'll usually give them my personal card and tell them to pass it on to their IT dept. - never hurts to have contacts in the area.

1. 41  Thomas Schulte  | 6/10/2005 2:09:32 PM

   If someone would come over to me while i'm working with one of their products and give me a card that says thank you for using my product i would throw it into the next paper bin as soon as possible. Ed you are a US citizen and that approach might work in the USA but not in Europe and look at your statistics. how many of your users are european?

   Here are some more biased arguments against that kind of stuff.

   At first. With actions of that kind you reach only people that are using your product. So your target is the wrong group. They do not build pressure on their CTOs CTIs or whoever is in charge for selecting the tool to use.

   The second thing. This is a teacherous approach (in german Oberlehrerhaft and i do not know how to translate that the right way). It comes from the top and is somehow patronizing. I for myself would freeze to an icecube. Because that smelles like forced selling to me.

   The third it delivers no added value to the people you hand that cards out. Well perhaps some if you have a link with some cool tips on it and if these tips are not only in english but also in german, french, russian spanish ...

   and if that link stays there (by the way. where has IBM put the sandbox on the lotus related website).

   In five words. No not a good idea.

1. 42  Kevin  | 6/10/2005 2:11:40 PM

   wow!! Way cool idea. Send me a box!! t-shirt too

   Should be, The Worlds most popular e-mail and collaboration system.

   You should have approached the people in the airport ... you were in the South. We expect everyone to be southern friendly. And if they don't like, they can go back to where they came from .. :-)

   Sorry I missed your Workplace event down here, got stuck playing with SOX

1. 43  Dovid  | 6/10/2005 6:15:23 PM

   Now that everyone's finished talking...

   Me, I'd personally go up and say, hey, wow, I don't see that many people using Notes in an airport. Whaddayathinkofit?

   Now THERE'S a lead generation system. (Though not always for Notes!)

1. 44  Edward J. Fisher  | 6/10/2005 6:25:00 PM

   OK, when you go to Loutsphere, maybe the Houston Workplace thing, you see a bunch of other techno types using Notes in airport.

   But please do not hand a Notes sales card into the hands of one of the Partners\VPs from my Firm. They will not get the whole Lotus community thing and will think it is akin to telemarketing.

1. 45  Jon Raslawski  | 6/10/2005 6:38:44 PM

   @26 -- Ed, I usually just say "Hi", apologize for the interruption and on behalf of IBM and Lotus, I thank them for being a Notes user. I also mention that I'm on the marketing team that helps to launch the product. It's short, not salesie, and open ended. Meaning, I usually shut up and go back to working on my ND7 client. To-date I have not been "smacked" {although I'm usually bigger then they are and after 28 years of ice hockey refereeing I've learned a few tricks regarding "handling" "difficult" people}. What usually transpires is I get a follow-up question. And this gives me the opportunity to educate them on some of the features of the product they're using and to show-off ND7. I should also thank Alan Lepofsky and his blog {{ Link } for creating the perfect go-to place for tips and tricks.

   And Ed -- your 'comment' about my Crackberry -- you can thank your friend Mr Head for pointing me in that direction. I didn't realize I can enjoy the musings of Ed Brill & company from my BBerry. Gives me something more to do while stuck in traffic in Chicago.

   Cheers,

   Jon ...

1. 46  Mick Moignard www.dominopower.com | 6/13/2005 6:40:21 AM

   I have done this. I think its a good idea, even if my experience says otherwise. I saw someone at Schiphol who seemed to be having trouble with his Notes. I gave him my business card and suggested that if he still was having trouble when he got home, to call me. Then found him sitting in the seat behind me on the plane along with a UK IBMer who I knew; turned out it was my contact's boss! Got no response from that one.

   Mick Moignard

1. 47  Maria Helm  | 6/13/2005 1:20:12 PM

   Ok, I definitely see everyone's various points about it being sales-y, about being stuck in a gripe session, about advertising to (in some cases) the wrong people (because end users might not be the decision makers/influencers), and about the person just throwing the card away.

   But I still see and agree with Ed's desire to thank the person, and I think that's a good idea. If it were done right, it makes the person a little happier using Notes. And happier end users aren't a bad thing to have...there's a direct/indirect effect on the decision makers.

   I wonder if perhaps a more instant gratification, that still includes a link for tips, would be better. Can we just give that end user a (keychain,hat,shirt) ...can we come up with a better item to give them...something they'll want to use right then and carry around with them...like a water bottle??? (No water + laptop jokes please.) "Cool" logo items that people *like* and use in public breed brand loyalty, and help visibility. But I realize it needs to be something that Ed can easily carry a lot of with him! :) What other inexpensive items do travelers need, but may not have brought with them?

1. 48  Shoaib Nizami www.corporits.com | 6/17/2005 7:50:06 AM

   Ed,

   I think its a briliant idea! to convey a message to lotus notes users and let them realize what a wonderful groupware they are using...

1. 49  Richard Duffy  | 6/23/2005 3:41:21 AM

   Ed,

   Great concept and I hate to add this but.....

   Message formatting can be an issue and the business card details you show may be lost as some body attachment.

   Have you thought of using hotspot URLs' to point people to central information. Your business card details could be included in this along with the potential to add lots more. This also enable consistent information centrally administered to be sent out from companies etc. We add something like this prior to the e-mail disclaimer.

   Also URL's take up less space :-)

   Hope this helps.