Executive Talk

I was in a private meeting this week where some of Oklahoma's top CEOs told us about their problems. They whined mostly about the high expense of workers' comp insurance, medical insurance for their employees and the poor state of Oklahoma's highways and bridges. One CEO pointed out that he operates factories in several states and the workers comp costs him more in Oklahoma than in any other state except California. "You can't fight it", said another guy in a Brooks Brothers suit, an owner of a beverage factory. "The deck is stacked against you by the state and there's no way to fight back."

"I tell you what the real problem is," said a graying agricbusiness exec, "it's the tax-free competition from the Indian tribes. They have gone way beyond the smoke shops and the gas stations and are setting up hotels, golf courses, and buying up the best urban restaurants and operating tax free! You should take a look at their financial statements - they're getting fat by taking business away from those who have to pay taxes." There was general consensus around the table. A lady executive in the oil business pointed out that the Indian tribes were big contributors to Brad Henry's campaign and he is now wanting to renegotiate the compacts that former Governor Keating had done. "Henry's going to make this a lot worse. He owes the trial lawyers and the Indians."

I overheard this story at a Denny's today:

"When I go, I want to go like my granddad did - peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming and pissing like the passengers in his car."

Internet Corporation Listing Service

In the mail I received what looks exactly like a bill with an AT&T-like logo and it comes from something called the "Internet Corporation Listing Service" in San Jose, California. The "bill" is for $35 for "annual website search engine listing". What is this? I thought. I don't remember signing up for this!

A thorough reading led me to the following verbiage amid all the other verbiage, "THIS IS NOT A BILL. THIS IS A SOLICITATION. YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO PAY THE AMOUNT STATED ABOVE UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THIS OFFER". So, why make it look exactly like a bill then? Could it possibly be that the Internet Corporation Listing Service has done some research and found that 2-10% of recipients just pay what they think is a bill? I don't know what the real percentages are but you can bet this company wouldn't be doing this if it didn't work. I can imagine that some clerks in businesses get this bill-like paper, think "must be some advert the guys in marketing did" and just pay it without reading the whole thing. Then some people are just so stupid or paranoid they pay - hoping to stay out of trouble.

The Search Engine Marketers are not too happy about ICLS either.

I've noticed this type of misleading direct mail a lot lately. Disguising your advertising as a bill - hoping to fool some people - is dirty. May you, Internet Corporation Listing Service, receive your karma.