Wow! 75 editions of The Baer Facts, which marks the three-year anniversary of this missive. Thanks for your support!
28 Best Tequilas for Margarita
One of the most successful new videos over on my tequila Instagram channel is this list of 28 recommended tequilas for margaritas.
Don't waste money on expensive tequila if you're making margs (especially for a crowd), but also don't buy just ANY tequila, because that bottom shelf can be sketchy if you don't know the brands.
This list includes links to find online, if you prefer.
Also, did you know that 34% (!) of all cocktails sold in America are margaritas?
Today's Burning Question
"What is your favorite pasta dish, and why?"
Back story will be important to victory here. Bonus points if you include a recipe!
High five to Justin Woodward for winning the prior contest, about where you'd most like to live. It was a tough call, as SO MANY of you sent in thoughtful responses.
But over Memorial Day in the USA, I had to pick Justin:
"I'd like to live in the 1940s, to know if I have the courage my grandfathers did."
Amen, Justin. Both my grandfathers served. My step grandfather lost a leg at the Battle of the Bulge. And my great uncle fell on the Bataan death march.
Justin wins tequila, a signed book, and my admiration.
Customers Don't Care About Your Org Chart
Have you ever flown three hours without any underwear?
I very nearly did, on a trip from Dallas to Phoenix two weeks ago.
My flight home was cancelled due to weather in Dallas, so I decided to stay an extra couple days and go right to Phoenix, instead.
Only flaw in that brilliant plan was I had packed for two days, and now would be on the road for five.
Bought a couple items in a nearby store, and then used the laundry service in my hotel (I won't tell you the name but it rhymes with Chariot) to freshen up what I brought with me.
Yes, I know it's astonishing that people actually use the little plastic laundry bag and three-ply order form that is clipped to a pants hangar in the hotel closet, but this time....I was that guy.
Paperwork said "drop off by 8am, returned by 5pm." GREAT!
I made the drop off, early.
And...I didn't get clothes back. Not at 4:30. Not at 5. Nor at 6. And nothing at 7pm, either.
The hotel told me "sometimes THEY deliver a bit later." And then "we're not sure what THEY are doing tonight." And ultimately, "we'll have to call THEM in the morning."
When I mentioned (in my outside voice) that I had a flight to catch, so finding my clothes wasn't a deferrable project, I was told "one of our assistant managers will go see THEM in the morning, on their way into the hotel, and pick up your clothes."
That also didn't happen. At 9am, I received a call. "I am standing with THEM and they can't find your clothes. What did you send in?"
I know now why these forms are three-ply. I grabbed my yellow copy, took a photo of it, and texted it to the hotel rep. She went spelunking through a cavern of laundry and located my items, which were returned to me moments before I had to leave for the airport.
Crisis averted. But crisis of confidence created.
I do understand that the Dallas Chariot Medical Center doesn't have on-site laundry and dry cleaning. I recognize that they contract with a third party to do this job.
But I should never be cognizant of the details of that deal.
I am a guest at the Chariot. The laundry paperwork says Chariot on it. The money I pay for this service is handed over to the Chariot hotel.
But at the first sign of trouble (which became many, many signs) the staff at the hotel instantly (and then, consistently) blamed the third party.
It's not us...it's them.
This happens ALL THE TIME in business.
And it was a major point of my keynote presentation yesterday, in Rome, to the top 100 global leaders of Otis Elevator Corporation.
If a customer has an issue, you need to OWN IT. Not your division? Not your department? Somebody else messed up? Can't fix it without cooperation from someone else? NONE of this matters to the customer.
The customer does not care about your org chart.
Of course there's all manner of relationships and partnerships and processes and procedures in your organization, but ALL of that should be kept behind the scenes, hidden from the customer.
Exposing that hidden internal wiring serves no purpose. All it does is frustrate and confuse the customer, and call into question whether you are at all capable of solving the problem at hand.
Here's a quick guide. Whenever you interact with a customer or client, never use these four words:
Division
Department
Them
They
That's my fully dressed lesson for this, the 75th edition of The Baer Facts.
The Books Report
My friend and former colleague Roger Hurni published his first book, debuting next week. Pre-order now, please.
Outthink. Outperform. Transform Your Organization Through Behavioral Marketing is a timely and useful guide to better understanding your customer, and structuring your brand and communications to resonate with them.
I was fortunate to write the foreword for this book, and here's the juicy bit:
"The new breed of winners in business are the companies who best UNDERSTAND how customers think, feel, covet, and behave.
It’s not about “big data." Data has no inherent value. It’s about “big understanding.”
We all know that consumers have many choices: To ignore. To consider. To buy. To renew. And in these pages, you’ll learn not only WHY they make these choices, but how to INFLUENCE those decisions."
Jay's Faves
This may be the first time I've recommended multiple books in an edition of this newsletter, but I had more time to read this fortnight, with long flights.
I loved Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show.
I'm an unabashed fan of Westminster, and the whole dog show vibe.
Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Tomlinson spent three years on the scene, and created this fascinating and thoughtful examination of the whole "show dog" culture.
It's also laugh out loud funny. Perfect summer read!
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