Odd Times

For those of you who are old-school marketers, you'd be reading something from Don Libey right now. He'd be yelling about two things today ... most likely about more than two things, but two things for sure.

1. He'd tell you that you can't trust China, and would be critical of twenty years of globalization that resulted in an untenable situation. Go read his old newsletters for proof.
2. He'd tell you that you can't trust anybody trying to blow up the USPS from the inside, and would have choice words for the individuals who would defend such a plan. Go read his old newsletters ... he had no patience for fools.

In other words, 90% of his readers would absolutely hate him right now based on reader political views.

But he didn't care. He wanted you to be successful, and he didn't need to be loved for you to be successful.

We do know this ... you better darn well have a plan in place for Q4 this year that is wildly flexible.

1. Push as much business out of Christmas and into September/October as is humanly possible. Get your business now. 
2. Do you think if UPS is charging you a $4/package surcharge that your customers will gladly allow you to pass along that cost to the customer? It's not the customer's fault you chose an unprepared vendor, now is it? And if you decide to eat the expense, describe how you plan on doing that?
3. You might not be able to trust the USPS for the next 4-5 years. If you rely upon them to mail catalogs, time to rethink catalogs. If you rely upon them to deliver packages, time to ... oh, wait, nevermind ...
4. You've now seen a world where Amazon pre-thought what "could" happen, was fully wrong and as a consequence was 100% right and now have their own delivery brand. That's what happens when you pre-plan. How are you going to cope with instability from the USPS, UPS, and FedEx partners who are telling many of you to cut back on marketing?
5. A good customer is a customer who is alive and healthy and safe. The fact I even have to say that is sad. A good employee is an employee who is alive and healthy and safe.
6. Your future product/merchandising plans will require a sophistication of sources. You already know this and are likely acting upon it. Act faster!

I care about your business, and because so many of you are clients I care about you. I want to see you succeed.

Have a flexible plan for Q4, ok? Nothing will be normal/predictable about what is coming over the next twenty weeks.