“L.L. Bean expects to ship 50 million MORE catalogs this year than it did two years ago” claims The New York Times on November 25, 2006. So what does this mean for online shopping?

The answer … it only helps to increase online buying habits.

Why … because consumers still LOVE to hold, feel and flip through colorful pages of catalogs while they’re lying in bed, reading in the bathroom, sitting on a bench in a park, or basking in the sun at the beach.

The operative word is convenience, relaxation and having a wonderful moment AWAY from computers.

Let’s face it, 99% of all work is done in-front of a computer while at the office. Most people spend between 8 – 10 hours in-front of a computer while at their offices. It’s a pleasure and a feeling of “something different” to browse through Catalogs.

Same concept applies for books. Just last night as I’m tucking my daughter into bed, she told me she doesn’t have anymore books to read, and said, “Mom, someday, will they stop printing books so that we can just read them on the computer?”

I emphatically said that will NEVER happen. Just as Rich Donaldson, spokesman for L.L. Bean said, “It is the best way for us to get lasting impressions in front of our customers. Most customers hang onto the catalogs for weeks, using them for reference, making catalogs far more valuable than television, radio and Web-based marketing and advertising, all of which Bean also undertakes."

The Direct Marketing Association projects catalog sales will grow roughly 7.5 percent to $144 BILLION for the year. Overall catalog distribution has grown from 16.6 billion in 2002 to 19.2 billion in 2005.

The future of catalogs … According to the NY Times, “The days of people questioning the future of catalogs are long gone, and more and more companies are using them. Even bricks and mortar stores like Toys R Us and online auction house eBay have begun shipping out catalogs in recent years. Those who predicted the demise of catalogs as online sales took off a few years back overlooked a key fact: You can’t make sales if you can’t reach your customers.”

Posted by Melody at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lately I’ve notice my co-workers eyes have been avoiding me. I walk over to the refrigerator, and silence overcomes the room after it was once a buzz. I reach for the bite-size snickers candy and quietly sneak two into my mouth. Once again, a few heads shake in disgust.

10:30 pm last night, my hair is pulled back in a ponytail, no make-up, all the kids are in bed and my husband hears me grunting and sighing as I stand in my closet, attempting to zip a stunning floor length evening gown which I purchased 1 year ago. The tags still dangling on the dress. The side zipper beneath my armpit remains 1 inch apart.

Fast forward to this morning, frantically, I’m at the office searching for a crash diet. Of course I know this will not permanently be the answer for me to keep 10 – 15 pounds off, but I’m desperate. Our youngest, most immature (yet probably the most physically fit) employee tells me “try the cabbage soup diet, all the movie stars use it.”

Hence, 1 day before Thanksgiving, and I’m planning my crash diet. I figure, the day AFTER Thanksgiving will be my start. I’ll keep you posted. I weighed in, today (and there is NO WAY I’m revealing my true weight on this blog) but I will keep you posted as to the weight loss.

In the meantime, hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Melody at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One and a half hours doing my hair and my make-up. Carefully cutting the new tags off an exquisite black velvet skirt with a buttoned blazer of brilliant lotus flower blossoms against a rich velvet background. I wore my Stuart Weitzman Black linen with Swarovski crystals new shoes. I had received both my packages in the mail only days before the event.

I looked and felt like a million bucks, until … my husband says, “You look like you’re going to a funeral.”

What? Is he blind, dense, or just plain uncouth? Does a girl always have to wear a sexy silk top? What’s wrong with looking elegant and sophisticated? Why not let men “imagine” what’s underneath, rather than showing it all up front?

Posted by Melody at 01:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just like Barbara Walters is the guru of interviewing, I consider myself a guru of entertaining. Having said this, I have been to probably 50+ luncheons and can firmly state the good, the bad and the ugly of a ladies luncheon.

How to throw a memorable ladies luncheon is truly an art (and most people invariably don’t get it right)!

I just attended a rather expensive luncheon just last week. It was a charitable event, and I had to pay $75.00 for the luncheon, and still commit to a whole lot of money towards the charity. My experience last week has prompted today’s blog content:

The Do’s and the Don’ts of throwing a ladies luncheon:

1. Greet the guests with champagne mimosas with floating strawberries.
2. Attempt not to hire clumsy waiters that spill an entire tray of mimosas at the front registration desk as glass and orange juice splatter onto guests.
3. Have knowledgeable staff in crisply ironed white serving attire pass trays of hors d'oeuvres. Staff should be well groomed and should not look as though olive oil were dripping from their hair.
4. The hors d'oeuvres should be decoratively arranged on platters with paper doilies and silver trays.
5. Do not serve “messy” hors d'oeuvre that require dunking, dipping or cutting.
6. Offer an open bar with wine, soft drinks and iced tea.
7. Know your audience and who is attending. If the majority of women are “working woman” who have to scurry back to the office, then forego separate 1st course and main course dishes. Have the main plate and the first course on the table as you enter.
8. If the majority of women are NOT pressed for time, then have the 1st course on the table as you enter the main dining area and allow the waiter staff to serve the main course later.
9. Cold gazpacho served in martini glasses is really getting old and stale. Force your caterer to come up with more original 1st courses.
10. Have interesting breads, lavash and an assortment of specialty rolls and bread (certainly NOT plain white rolls that could crack a window if thrown)
11. Select table linen that is season and time appropriate. For a ladies luncheon, go with something in the pastels, floral patterns, light and tranquil colors. Do not select table linen that looks heavy or better suited for evening functions.
12. Think of centerpieces that directly help the charities, such as baskets of food, diapers, or clothing. No one really cares if the table has gorgeous flower centerpieces … most would prefer to see $$$$ being spent for the charity.
13. Timing is critical … get the speaker up to the podium quickly and don’t loose your audience.
14. Of all things… get the tables cleared quickly and efficiently so that dessert is served PRIOR to people leaving. As soon as the speaker finishes, 75% of your room will vacate even if the dessert has not been served.

Posted by Melody at 01:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Memorable baby gift

Imagine receiving a huge box from FAO Schwarz? The name, alone, instills a sense of specialness, a sense of uniqueness, a sense that this in no baby gift from Target!

It is vital that a memorable baby gift be given to parents who have their first child. And FAO Schwarz has the perfect gift … Charlie Caterpillar Rocker deserves my #1 rating.

Posted by Melody at 02:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I looked Jesús Díaz Jr (ex-CEO of the Miami Herald Media Co. and publisher of The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald) straight in the eye and told him I “HATE ACCOUNTING” after he had informed me that he was a senior managing partner of Ernst & Young in his early days. Now that takes guts (and I promise… that was before all the Tanqueray gin and tonics I drank). Then I went on further and told both him and his lovely wife that if it weren’t for my loathing of accounting, and my inability to grasp credits and debits at the young age of 18 … that I would never have met my husband. You see, I met my husband ONLY because I needed help studying for an accounting test and I saw this cute hunk in the college library ... studying the same chapter I was.

A few minutes later, I casually strolled up to the CEO and President of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Adam Goldstein and listened intently as Adam boasted with pride at his own son’s compassion and tenderness. You see, Adam explained to me that while he was traveling to get the newest Freedom of the Seas ship ready, that he took his son on travels to parts of the world where poverty, sickness and famine were prevalent. He allowed his young son to be exposed to the “real world” and he instilled core values of helping others in need, and how most people don’t live a lavish lifestyle. Interestingly, our career accomplishments are so vastly different (Adam being the CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises ) and me, well. . . However, though our income level must be vastly different, we are both concerned parents who are trying to teach our children right from wrong. In some respects, Adam and I have a lot in common.

What a wild and fun Saturday night! My husband and I just cruised up and down Biscayne Bay in Miami Beach, Florida on a 135' foot luxury yacht -- a dinner cruise with VIPs. We were among Miami’s elite, on a marketing extravaganza that puts all other marketing vehicles (16 page glossy brochures or TV commercials) to shame.

A party yacht in Miami … what better way for the owners of the Carrousel Yacht to promote and advertise their product? I asked my friend (whose name also is Leslie) “why are you throwing such a lavish party?” and she confidently explained, “What better way to get 25-30 CEO’s of major South Florida corporations under one roof with no phones and no means to leave early, other than jumping ship!” She delivered a 10++ party, amazing 5 star cuisine (including lobster, shrimp, duck, beef tenderloin), sexy girls in red leather jumpsuits and black fishnet stockings, dancing, and an incredible Russian vodka bar with 3 foot high martini glasses filled with raspberries and blackberries.

And at the end, Leslie tactfully thanked all her guests and allowed her Vice President of Sales to give a quick but concise pitch as to why your next event (bar/bat mitzvah, wedding, corporate gathering or celebration) should be on only the Carrousel Yacht.

Her sales message was heard loud and clear, and the lasting memories will be discussed among many a board meeting and business meeting to come. Smart marketing! My hats off to her.

Posted by Melody at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When Marc Orchant answered my question “What kind of title is a storyteller?” it intrigued me to read more about him. It’s odd how our backgrounds are so incredibly different, yet we’ve both ended up blogging in the Internet world. Marc “has been building, testing, and sometimes breaking hardware and software for 25 years. A recovering graphic designer, Marc is currently the Storyteller at VanDyke Software, a co-host of On The Run With Tablet PCs, a weekly podcast, and a self-admitted "productivity maven, gadget freak and software addict". Marc was named a Microsoft MVP (Windows - Tablet PC) in January 2006. “ WOW … these are impressive credentials.

In a nutshell … he’s a pro at computers, programming, and must be a creative sort of guy to have had a graphic designer’s background. I admire and respect this greatly. I think I respect these credentials so much because I recognize that in the rapidly changing field of Internet and technology, it is better to be savvy and computer literate than not.

Me … I’m not (I just bought my first laptop and couldn’t figure out where the power button was)! I’m constantly calling our IT guys and asking them to help me.

I think that in running a business, it is vitally important to recognize your strengths, as well as your weaknesses. I purposely surround myself with men and women who know MORE than I do in their particular area of expertise. I don’t pretend to be the best at everything (heck, I’m still trying to figure out what I AM good at???). Being a good storyteller and getting across important information in an interesting and captivating way is truly an art. So if Marc is able to tell a provocative story and capture the attention of his audience and move his audience along a path that is carefully plotted, that is an art among itself.

Posted by Melody at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I recently have posted several blogs about Executive Titles – strange and unusual business titles for executives.

But recently I received corresponsdence from an executive at Harry’s Shoes, who signed his letter as

VP of ENELD (Everything Nobody Else Likes Doing )

I can totally relate to this title.

Marc Orchant, of Foldera, commented on my previous blog that his old title was “Storyteller.” I wonder how and what THAT title means?

Posted by Melody at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I’m so excited; tomorrow I will have my first meeting with a “potential” consulting firm who specializes in integrating QuickBooks with existing databases, with the hope of eventually streamlining Catalogs.com’s accounting practices.

Personally I HATE accounting, invoicing, collections, credit memo’s, credit card merchant services, etc. The only part I really enjoy about QuickBooks is when we “receive payments.”

Other than “receive payment” just give me sales and marketing … my true passions. Of course, all business owners and entrepreneurs must be intimately involved in the financial and accounting practices of a company, but what I’m really looking forward to in tomorrow’s meeting is how we can
1. Become more efficient
2. Integrate QuickBooks with our existing database of clients with the goal of automating monthly billing
3. Putting in place more checks and balances
4. Allowing ME more free time to blog, be creative, and talk with our customers

All too often, executives get buried in excruciating detail. We get buried in the non-important day-to-day problems and fires to be put out, and we often forget to “step back” look at the big global picture, strategize about making huge differences in revenue, operations, customer service. Instead we worry about the graphic image of a banner, rework the image 15 times until we think it’s perfect, and then loose sight of the big goal … drive qualified traffic, achieve increased sales, improve our service.

I’ll let you know how our meeting went.

Posted by Melody at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)