Mail

Technology for Everyone

I am blind, and I just finished reading the February issue of Inc., not with the hand-held scanner that Ray Kurzweil and the National Federation of the Blind recently developed ["How to Predict the Future," February] but with older software and a flatbed scanner. I particularly liked your article about Anna Bradley and her company, Criterion 508 Solutions, which helps companies make their websites accessible to the blind ["Anna Bradley Picks a Fight," February].

It seems to me that it would behoove more businesses to make their online stores accessible to the vision-impaired, considering that the baby boomers are aging and the price of gas keeps rising. I've been shopping online for three or four years now.

Juanita Martin
Gladewater, Texas

Sell, Sell, Sell (or Don't)

I read with great interest the sales techniques used by the four pros ["Putting the Performance in Sales Performance," February]. Here's my tactic: Don't sell. Just be yourself, explain things with genuine enthusiasm, and exude confidence.

George Fencik
President and CEO
GFA Marketing Group
Point Pleasant, New Jersey

I was enjoying your story about sales presentations until I read a statement by Selina Lo, the CEO of Ruckus Wireless. She said that "being able to outdrink your customers is a big plus." I guess that was meant to be funny, but I found it disappointing and tasteless. It was out of place and should have been omitted.

Kathy Jordan
President
Jordan Marketing
Wilmington, Delaware

A Diet of BlackBerrys

David H. Freedman's article on folks like me, who always have at least one eye on the PDA, was great ["Taskus Interruptus," February]. There is not a 15-minute span in the day when I don't gaze at that screen. Thanks for making me laugh at myself and consider new approaches.

Derek Mabie
Director of administrative services
Logos School
St. Louis

About Mess and Success

David H. Freedman starts an interesting discussion about the value of mess, but there are several flaws in his theory ["Go Ahead, Make a Mess," December 2006]. He makes the common mistake of equating messiness with disorganization. Organization is not about appearances. It's about being able to find what you need, getting to the important stuff faster, and being ready to handle the opportunities, ideas, and crises that come up--without being stuck looking for your keys.

Mr. Freedman claims that professional organizers insist there's a "right way" to do things, which they impose on their easily shamed victims, and that this rigid insistence kills creativity. The best-selling books I write about organization are based on the philosophy that systems must be custom-designed to work for the individual. Rather than stifle creativity, this approach helps people and companies tap into it.

I know it's tempting to buy into Freedman's premise that clutter is the way to go, but ask any of my clients who have significantly increased revenue, saved millions, or trimmed work hours while gaining productivity, and they'll tell you that upon close inspection, Freedman's theory falls apart.

Julie Morgenstern
CEO
Julie Morgenstern Enterprises
New York City

We were flattered to have been featured as a success story in David H. Freedman's article, but we feel we need to set the record straight. His suggestion that the New England Mobile Book Fair has been able to beat Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS) and Borders (NYSE:BGP) and withstand Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) in the important New England market without order or planning is preposterous. We have been able to effectively compete as a result of many factors, including unsurpassed book knowledge, better recruitment and commitment to employees, a demonstrated ability to adapt in this changing industry (which by definition demands order and planning), and a retail environment that has great character and atmosphere. It is worth noting, too, that while nontraditional, there is indeed a strategic and purposeful order to the way books are stocked at New England Mobile Book Fair.

Steven H. Gans
COO and general counsel
New England Mobile Book Fair
Newton, Massachusetts

Correction

Athena Schindelheim contributed reporting for "The Eco-Advantage" (November 2006). Her byline was mistakenly omitted.

To alert us to an error, send an e-mail to corrections@inc.com. To submit a letter, write to mail@inc.com or Inc. Letters, 375 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Letters may be edited for space and style. Submission constitutes permission to use.