I rarely pass along requests like this, but because I respect both Paul and Bob, I’m making an exception…

Start passalong message:

This is a cut-and-paste email I just got from Bob Serling, with a request to pass it along. I do not usually do this, but you’ll see why I’ve made an exception for this one…

—- Begin request —-

Subject: Donate to Haiti relief – and get this free gift

Hi,

I don’t have to tell you that the earthquake in Haiti is
one of the worst disasters we’ve ever seen.

CNN reports that more than 100,000 people are
reported dead, there are bodies littering the streets,
and countless people are trapped in the rubble
in urgent need of being rescued. The situation is dire.
The people of Haiti need our help and they need
it NOW.

So here’s what I’d like to do to help. First, I’m
making a sizable donation myself to one of the
relief funds listed below.

Second, I’d like to ask you to make a donation too,
of any amount. When you do, my friend and marketing
expert, Bob Serling, will give you a free copy of one of
his most popular and valuable reports ever, “The
Marketing Repair Manual”.

I am NOT collecting your name or email address
and will not benefit monetarily from this in any
way. My only objective is to get as many people
as possible to help in the relief effort.

Here’s how this works…

====================================
Step 1: Make your donation to any of these charities
====================================

The following charities have been recommended as
exceptional sources of helping in the relief effort.
Please click one of these links and make a donation
of any amount. And remember, every dollar helps,
regardless of how small or how large your contribution
is.

Here are the links to connect directly to these charities
and make your donation:

Care
https://my.care.org/site/Donation2?5…rm1&df_id=5000

Habitat for Humanity
https://www.habitat.org/cd/giving/do…spx?link=1&r=r

World Concern
Major Earthquake Rocks Haiti – World Concern

AmeriCares
https://secure.americares.org/site/D…&linkid=topnav

IMPORTANT: If clicking any of these links doe not
work, please cut and paste them into your browser
and they will open up.

====================================
Step 2: Download your free copy of “The Marketing
Repair Manual”
====================================

When Bob first sold this manual for $97, he received the
following unsolicited testimonial, which essentially says
it all:

So, as you can see, it’s my feeling that this report
will become one of the most valuable pieces in
your marketing library. And it’s yours free if you’ll
make a contribution of any amount to help out
in this relief effort.

Once you’ve made your donation, just click the
following link to download your free copy. The
only information you’ll be asked to enter is the
amount you donated so we can track how much
we’ve raised for the relief effort.

Power8 Marketing

You will NOT be asked for your name or email
address and you will not be sold anything or
contacted ever based on this. Our only intention
is to help relieve the suffering as much as we
can.

Thanks for your help!

—- End request —-

Feel free to forward this to anyone you think might help. Pass it along to your lists, Tweet the link to this post. Whatever.

Note that the donations are going directly to the charities that are doing the work… No middlemen.

Paul

Popularity: 29% [?]

I’m not much on email chains, and I seldom forward them as requested. I didn’t forward this one, either. Since I don’t forward emails much, I don’t have much of a list to forward to…

So I’m posting it here instead. Feel free to spread the message any way you like – email it, tweet it to your friends, whatever.

—– Original Message —–
From: [Removed]
To: [Removed]
Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 10:57 AM
Subject: Fw: Bagged lunch

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat.

It was going to be a long flight.

‘I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,’ I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me.

I decided to start a conversation.

‘Where are you headed?’ I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

‘Petawawa’.

We’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Afghanistan.

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that bagged lunches were available for five dollars.

It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch.

‘No, that seems like a lot of money for just a bagged lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to the base’

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers.

None were buying lunch.

I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill.

‘Take a lunch to all those soldiers.’

She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly.

Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me.

‘My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.’

Picking up ten bags, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated.

She stopped at my seat and asked,

‘Which do you like  best – beef or chicken?’

‘Chicken,’ I replied, wondering why she asked.

She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

‘This is your thanks.’

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room.

A man stopped me.  ‘I saw what you did.  I want to be part of it.  Here, take this.’

He handed me twenty-five  dollars.

Soon after I returned to my  seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane.

When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, ‘I want to shake your hand.’

Quickly unfastening my seat belt I stood and took the Captain’s hand.

With a booming voice he said, ‘I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.’

I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs.   A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine.

He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane.  Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word.

Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them the seventy-five dollars.

‘It will take you some time to reach the base.  It will be about time for a sandwich.  God Bless You.’

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return.

These soldiers were giving their all for our country.

I could only give them a couple of meals.

It seemed so little…

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to the US of A for an amount of ‘up to and including their life.’

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

May God give you the strength and courage to pass this along to everyone on your email buddy list….

I JUST DID

A nice little reminder of the people who give up so much for OUR freedom….

“WHEN LIFE GETS TOO HARD TO STAND, TRY KNEELING”

Popularity: 45% [?]

When is a gift NOT a gift?

When there are strings attached.

Over the years, my wife has enrolled me in several business’ “birthday clubs”, to get free offers linked to one’s birthday.

I’ve noticed two distinct flavors of these offers, and that I react to them quite differently.

Pure Gifts

The first kind of offer is a pure gift. Print the offer, visit the business, and get something for free. These offers range from free appetizers or desserts to free entrees. One was a gift card that covered the entrees for two.

The thinking behind these offers is to bring you into the business to celebrate a special occasion. Nobody goes out for a birthday dinner alone, right? So even if the gift covers one or two entrees, the business still makes money on drinks, appetizers, dessert and sometimes multiple extra people.

I’ve noticed that even on the occasions we’ve redeemed the free offer only, it’s usually honored graciously.

We tend to go back to those places more often. The gift has accomplished it mission. we feel good about returning to the restaurant and about recommending them to others.

Disguised Coupons

Most of the time the only difference between these offers and the coupons published in the newspaper are the addition of the words “happy birthday.” Almost universally, the offer is a free appetizer or dessert, with the purchase of one or more entrees. They often specify which section of the menu the entrees must come from. “Dine in only” is another frequent condition.

The thinking behind these offers is that the suckers, I mean customers, will be so greedy for the freebie that they’ll come in and buy whatever you tell them to rather than lose a couple of bucks worth of chips or cake.

I’ve noticed that when we do use those offers, the checks are smaller than they are when we don’t have the freebie. We order cheaper entrees, tend to skip the drinks, and forgo the course that isn’t free (either starter or dessert).

Usually the offer is honored without incident, but often must be approved by a manager who acts like the value of the ‘gift’ is coming straight out of his paycheck.

We seldom visit these places unless we have a coupon or freebie of some sort, and rarely refer others.

Over the long haul, I’m guessing that the folks that offer true gifts make out better.

Which would you rather have?

Customers who return, whether they have a freebie or not, and tell their friends? Or customers who have been trained to question motives, maximize value for dollar spent and only return when there’s a special offer, never referring their friends?

Of course, I could be wrong. It has happened a couple of times before…

Popularity: 100% [?]

The Sun Herald newspaper recently took a stand I’d like to applaud…

If one reads the letters to the editor, a common theme starts to emerge each fall when the weather up North starts to cool down. Our seasonal residents, nicknamed “snowbirds”, start to arrive. These folks come down every year to spend part of their year with us as they seek to avoid the snow and cold back home.

One side effect of their migration is a marked increase in traffic on local roads.  Another side effect is increased crowding and wait times at local restaurants.

Local folks, used to the light traffic and slow pace of summer, take to writing letters to the editor complaining about the traffic, the crowding in the stores, and more.

In response, the editor of the Sun declared a moratorium on complaints like these. He wrote, quite accurately, that the seasonal residents and tourists bring an influx of cash each year. Cash which is sorely needed, given the current economy.

Rather than bashing these folks, we should be welcoming them (and their wallets) with open arms.

To the editor of the Sun: Well done!

Popularity: 52% [?]