"Hi, I'm Tom and I'm in SALES..." 

Last week we attended the two-day Microsoft Solutions World Event in NYC. 

11 Times Square (Microsoft) is 33.7 miles EAST of my home in BOONTON USA. Well, technically Boonton Township. 41 minutes by car or bus. I can jump on the bus, sit in the last row (center seat, maximum leg room) use my Lenovo laptop the entire time as I go from BOONTON USA > THE BIG APPLE > BOONTON USA. There have been times where I would actually wish for traffic, as I was getting so much done from Seat 55 on the Lakeland Bus. Round trip: $14. I'm not too proud to take the Senior Discount. 

I have been on the 6th Floor of Microsoft 11 Times Square several dozen times over the years. First things first: Microsoft is an amazing NYDLA.org vendor and sponsor. It would be hard to find a more generous telecom or technology company than Microsoft, full stop. 

The event was very well done. Around a dozen Microsoft partners presented, and the speakers were solid. Now, being in 'sales' since 1983, my mind always is thinking sales, marketing, prospecting, lead generation, etc. You know - REVENUE. At 64 years old, I am older than Microsoft. I remember being at PURDUE when the first microcomputer was shown to the world. "Why would ANYONE ever need a computer at home?" 

I have a very simple business card: front of the card is my contact information. Back of the card: JoinNYDLA.org  

That's it. That is the call to action. JoinNYDLA.org is the money shot. If I can get them to go to www.JoinNYDLA.org my work is done. And that just begins the work for my staff. Follow up, Follow UP, FOLLOW UP! Nurture, nurture, nurture. Grow the global DLA COMMUNITY. 

Years ago, with a tip of the hat to Willy Wonka, we made 'Golden Tickets' to give out at trade shows, events, meetings, Lunch 'n Learns, Sunset Seminars. If we can get people to engage, if we can convert their attention into engagement into adoption into utilization, life is good. Then along comes Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn and Instagram (and...and....and....) and the power of the cloud. TomCapone.com goes to my LinkedIn. TommyCapone.com goes to my new Bluesky account. And ThomasCapone.com goes right here - to my Sunday Blog.  Over the years, we figured out how to make a 'virtual' Golden Ticket: just send them to NYDLA.org/GoldenTicket and save a tree. Also, you can just put a picture of the Golden Ticket up on the big screen in the front of the room. There is ALWAYS a big screen these days, right? At Microsoft, there are many big screens...  QR codes have changed the game of course. Paper Business Cards have never gone away, but they usually have a QR or quick-response code on the card. Outside, on the street at 11 Times Square there are MASSIVE big screens. Just begging for a QR code. (mine) 

From the Google: a QR code, short for Quick Response code, is a type of two-dimensional matrix barcode that can be scanned by a smartphone camera or other digital device to access online information. It uses a grid of black and white squares to encode data, typically a website address, but it can also contain other information like contact details or payment information. Invented in 1994, we are now 'expecting' to see a QR code on everything. 

Microsoft vendors who had booths on the 6th floor of 11 Times Square were keen to engage with the folks that attended the 2-day summit. Being 'old school' I did use the bingo card, get a signature at each booth. Yes, I DO want to receive additional information on the product | service thank you very much! In fact, the millions of members of the NYDLA.org would ALSO like to receive information on these products | services. Looks like these are the folks that make all things 'remote' possible. You cannot do distance learning, or DIGITAL learning, or DIGITAL LIVING without proper technology. 

All the vendors at this Microsoft event (via TD SYNNEX) were responsive, professional as they all had great 'Brand Ambassadors' at the event. One vendor (Logitech) kind of made me pause: they hosted the Happy Hour after day one - and they gave out ONE HUNDRED of their ZONE WIRELESS 2 headsets to all who attended Happy Hour. I got mine and it is amazing. As a business owner (Selling CEO) I did the math in my head: 100 x $200~ = $20,000 give or take. Not a bad goodie bag, right? Hey Lenovo, how about some laptops??? Just kidding. Hmmm.... am I kidding? 

OK, so the big lesson that I learned was this. Room Capacity on the 6th Floor of 11 Times Square is around 350. So, how many of the 350 were from the vendors, and how many were people like me? By my math, figure that there in total around 200 people physically in the room who could purchase something, buy something, use something - or go back to HQ and say "Hey Boss, I just saw this and that (or I just tested this or that) or learned about this or that.... and we NEED IT." 

It always goes Attention > Engagement > Adoption > Utilization. I can't teach you anything if I don't have your attention. I can't sell you anything if I don't EARN your attention. Ah, hey Logitech... you HAVE MY ATTENTION. And thanks for the ZONE WIRELESS 2 - I love it! Me personally, I'll be watching to see who follows up with me from my 'bingo card' as I do indeed want to learn about (checks notes...) all of them. 

I want to see if their products | services would be 'a fit' or a value-added member benefit for the millions members of the NYDLA (now GlobalDLA.org). We expect to be at 10M+ DLA members living all around the world, by 2026. It is amazing what you can do, it is amazing how big you can grow when you have been selling *7 days a week for 40+ years. 

When you have been... A 'SELLING CEO' every single day. For 40+ years. 

*just not in a row.  

www.TomCapone.com

www.GetLogitech.com