If you want to create a positive first impression (... and you most certainly do!), it takes more than one person on the door or front desk. When you only have one person there and the phone rings, what happens to the people who are waiting while the phone call gets handled?

First of all, it is awkward to eavesdrop on somebody else's conversation but it also makes the person waiting feel like a second class citizen. Why should someone on the phone get the priority over someone who cared enough to show up in person?

What happens to the guests who walk in while one greeter is taking guests to their table? The longer newly arrived guests stand there feeling ignored and awkward, the lower their mood gets, the less money they are likely to spend, the more they are likely to complain and the less likely they are to return.

You could cover this by making sure that everyone in the place is alert to new arrivals and takes personal responsibility to be sure that nobody can walk in the door without being warmly greeted, but it is still a worthwhile investment to have dedicated backup on the front line.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

For months, the media has been saying America is very near a recession ... or perhaps we are already there. But whether the economy technically meets the definition of a recession or not is academic. The public is scared and starting to cut back their spending, so the effect on your business is the same.

That's why Joel Cohen and I have planned a special EMERGENCY STRATEGY SESSION in Minneapolis on March 9-10. In these two days we will show you how you can actually be MORE profitable during the coming economic downturn ... even as your competitors struggle to keep their heads above water.

Because that possibility probably sounds crazy, we call the event MARCH MARKETING MADNESS. If you would like to be one of the 56 people in the group, go to www.MarchMarketingMadness.com for more information.

Here is the weekly report on my personal project to lighten up:

Goal: -50  Last Week: -5  Total: -21

OK, that's more like it. In another week I will mark the six-month mark in my year-long quest to drop 50 pounds. I'll be interested to see if I can be halfway to my goal by then. But whether or not I hit the numbers, I am now steadily losing weight and I am not on a deprivation diet. I am just more conscious of what I am consuming.
 
A number of folks have joined me in this audacious venture. I applaud their courage in "going public." Do you have a goal regarding your weight? Do you have the courage to put yourself on record? We all seem to get better results when we are held accountable.

Mary Jo Beniger -- Goal: -25  Last Week: 0  Total: -11.5
Tom Combs -- Goal: -65  Last Week: -1  Total: -17
Chris Corrigan -- Goal: -25  Total: -4  (No report this week)
Trice Micheals -- Goal: -50   Last Week: -2  Total: -12
Steve Ulrey --  Goal: -12  Last Week: -1  Total: +3
Bill Breslo -- Goal: +5   As of 11/21: +3.5  (No report this week)

If you are interested in how it's going for us, scroll down to the bottom of the EHC each week and check out the progress. If you could care less, don't!