This Toast Is Just For You

They say it’s the season to be merry

With the holidays on the way

For some it’s empty, some it’s full

And some it’s held at bay

The snow is coming hopefully soon

Them boards are packed and ready

The workload won’t seem to go away

Business is sound and steady

As we look ahead to another year

Our sights with hope and glee

Times are a changing fast

With anticipation we will see

There’s always a ton to be thankful for

Combined with hurt and loss

We all keep charging straight ahead

You have to when you’re the boss

So as we enter winter time

We cherish those we miss

They’re in our thoughts, hopes and dreams

And we seal it with a kiss

So thank you to our clients,

Our friends and family too

We’re holding our glass high and proud

This toast is just for you

Happy Holidays!

Mission Accomplished on Thanksgiving Weekend

There's lots of ways to describe this Thanksgiving long weekend.  An action packed Thanksgiving Day, followed by a debacle at the Apple Cup in Pullman.  Winning is a bonus these days so I didn't go in with many expectations, and there's nothing better than traveling in style.

Traveling in style

I can't think of a better way to go to the game than in a Mercedes Van, especially when you are equipped with a small keg, two big screen TVs on both sides, and plenty of wine.  Not to mention the party cooler I packed with some treats that everyone liked.  It's funny how the littlest things can make the world go round.

A trip to Pullman isn't complete unless you stop at Sonny's in Washtucna for a burger on the way back.   The kind where the grease runs down your forearm.  It doesn't get much better than that.  It's all about sharing on Cougar Football Friday.  I know the two gals that sampled
a bite of my burger sure appreciated it.  It was fun had by all, despite the loss.  There were many sporting a glow on this night.  Football really is a side show for Cougar fans.

Thanksgiving weekend is all about football, spending time with family and friends, and rest and relaxation.

Mission accomplished.

A Special Thank You

This November marks the 9th anniversary of Mooreshots.  This is a perfect time to give thanks to our past and present clients, and employees as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday.  We continually tell our clients and partners there's nothing more powerful than telling your story, so here is ours.

When we embarked on this journey in November 2007, we never had ambitions of being an advertising agency.  We started with an upscale direct mail product called GlossPak, and the next thing we knew we had 12 agency clients under contract.  At that time it was too much to do both, the early mornings, late nights, and long hours were just too much.  GlossPak was put on the back burner and we hit the ground running.

At Mooreshots Direct, we like to consider ourselves a 'boutique' agency.  We believe we can give more value to our clients with one-on-one attention, and be as efficient as possible with their advertising budgets.

What we are most proud of is we have built our business on referrals.   There is no bigger compliment than a referral from a client or friend.  We have never chased business, and don't intend to.  Mooreshots Direct always wants to make sure it's a good fit in the client/partner relationship.

As we approach 2017 many businesses are inundated with many mediums to choose from.  With the resurgence of Digital in the media world, many are feeling pressure to try as many things as possible.   At times it can be overwhelming for the advertiser.  This is where we come in.  Our job and our mission is to provide you the most creative,  and efficient way of utilizing your advertising dollars.  We take great pride in our mission statement, and will continue to follow it every day.

Our BUSINESS is advertising
Our GOAL is gaining market share for our clients
Our MISSION is the constant pursuit of excellence

Mooreshots Direct has helped a wide variety of clients over the past nine years, and will continue to do so.  We will work hard every day and do our very best to brand your product or service in the most resourceful way possible.  Because of our boutique agency approach, we are also timely in every promotion and take great pride that we very seldom miss a deadline.  This gives peace of mind to our clients and one less thing for them to stress about.

I want to personally thank my former employees for their hard work, support, and dedication.  Their loyalty has helped make us what we are today.  I am truly honored and have learned a great deal from each and every one of you.  I also want to thank my former partner Danny Traffas.  Without you I wouldn't be where I am today.

A big thanks and a Happy Thanksgiving,

Tom Moore
Founder-Stakeholder
Mooreshots Direct, Inc.

The Agony of Defeat at the Masters

It was another history making Masters Sunday.  While the Golf Channel was already writing everyone off except Jordan Spieth after day one, it took 72 holes to decide the winner, in one of the biggest meltdowns in Masters history by the world's number two player.

Jordan experienced what all of us golfers go through, only us amateurs do it more frequently, which is why we aren't playing on the weekends on the PGA Tour.

This will be talked about for years and it will be interesting to see how if affects the young Texan.  T.C. Chen was never the same after his double hit chip in the '85 US Open.  Greg Norman never really recovered either after his meltdown at the Masters, eventually falling to Nick Faldo after building a huge lead after day 3.  Doug Sanders earned unfortunate notoriety for taking four shots from just 74 yards on the final hole of the 1970 British Open at St. Andrews, when he missed a 3 foot putt to win--he lost by a single shot the next day in a playoff with Jack Nicklaus.

Enter Danny Willett.  A virtual unknown to many in the golfing world--but those of us that know golf know he had a rhythm going on Sunday and you could feel that he was on his way to something special after Spieth's collapse on 12.

Sunday's final round was a true testament to the game of golf and how hard it can be under pressure. 

It also proves how cruel the sport can be, even to the best players in the world.
  

This is Whistler, and I'm an American Skier

Peak 2 Peak

It has been rated the top ski destination in the world.  Two mountains, unbelievable terrain, a village to die for, and people from all over the world.

It's the home of the Peak 2 Peak, the highest and longest lift in the world.

This is Whistler, BC.

My first trip there was memorable to say the least.  I realized it's a young persons world, but it wasn't stopping us.  We fully embraced what the village had to offer with our ski-in, ski-out condo that looked right out at both gondolas that take you to either Blackcomb or Whistler.

Choose your pain, both are awesome.

The T Bar (right)

Whistler, BC is just a 7 hour drive from our Tri-Cities home and you will find everything you ever wanted in a ski resort, and more.  All levels of skiers and snowboarders were there, some of which probably didn't belong, but that's the beauty of the sport.  My friend fell off the steep T-Bar twice, but it wasn't stopping him.   I still can't stop laughing at the expressions on the faces of the folks in the ski line when it happened.   It was like everything in the world stopped, many of the people looked like they stopped breathing.  It wasn't the first time he fell off that lift, we never saw him again on the hill that day, and I probably don't blame him.  I rode up to the top with a young gal from San Diego,  who was shivering the whole way up the lift.  Many would understand considering the average temperature in San Diego is 78 degrees year round.  When I saw her take a couple turns I was thinking she probably wished she was still there.

But that's the beauty of skiers and snowboarders.  There's no fear when you get up on the mountain, it brings out the tenacity in so many of us.

We ate seafood, Italian, Thai, you name it, we even munched on popcorn with truffle oil while we were enjoying a night cap after a wonderful meal.   We had oysters on the half shell, we enjoyed Poutine, a Canadian comfort food tradition.  We drank wine from all over the world.  We met people from all over the globe.  The world is much better than the media makes it out to be.

The line on Family Day

Canada has a holiday called "Family Day".  The lines that day reflected it after one of the gondolas broke down.  The line stretched all the way through the village.  That was an easy fix, we proceeded to down three bottles of bubbly.  We learned quickly it probably wasn't a good idea for these 50-something legs, but heck, we are American skiers.

Bulldog (Margarita with a splash of Corona)

The weather changes quickly at Whistler-Blackcomb because of its coastal location.  Our final day we were eating lunch at the top of Whistler and when we returned to our skis it was raining.  We took a cruiser all the way to the village to a jam packed Longhorn Saloon.  It was Super Bowl Sunday. We were soaked.  Time for a "Bulldog" to take the edge off the day.  Time to reflect on another great day.

This is Whistler, and I'm an American Skier.

Traits of Great Salespeople

The truly great salespeople do all the small things that become big things in the sales cycle.  Here's some tips that can help you become one of those people.

It's not always about the sale.  To build trust with your clients you need to show them that you aren't always just looking for the sale.  Show some empathy and interest in what they are doing in their lives, and with their business.  Take the time to listen.  Ask questions that can help you down the road.  Show them you care more about them than just getting the sale, or telling them what you think they want to hear.

Have a strong sense of detail in everything you do.  The great salespeople take care of details.  They follow up and solve problems or mistakes, and they do it in a timely manner.  They admit it when they've made a mistake.  They don't make the same mistake repeatedly.  These are just some of the things that build trust and respect with your clients.  To know that a salesperson will take care of things and take accountability when things go wrong helps build trust in the selling process.

Never rip on the competition.  There's a diamond in every rough.  Every organization has its strengths that someone needs.  Don't throw a competitor under the bus thinking it will give you an advantage and a better chance of getting the sale.  It never works in the long run.  In fact, it's a major turn off.

Never hesitate to say thank you.  I see it all the time.  The salesperson that can't even say thank you when you've sent them a nice order.  The salesperson that doesn't even confirm that they have received it.  The salesperson that doesn't appreciate even the small order that in the long run can mean so much.  Don't be one of those people.  If you don't appreciate things, your client will have a hard time respecting you.

Show your longevity.  Salespeople come and go.  The good ones don't.  It's comforting to know that someone will be there when you need something.  There's nothing more troubling than making the call and hearing "he/she no longer works here".  Trust and respect comes when you know someone will be there to take care of you.  Longevity is key.  

Continuous education and learning.  Refresh and change up what you do. Be a trailblazer in your industry, not a follower.  Learn the new trends and don't be afraid to share them.  Go to conferences or seminars introducing new products and services.  Share them with your clients.  Share success stories.  There's nothing more powerful than sharing a success story or new idea with your clients.

Don't be an order taker.  If you think you can just take orders then you need to find another line of work.  Nobody respects the order taker. 

And finally, as Coach Nick Saban said to his Alabama football team prior to the 2016 National Championship Game:

"You deserve to be here, but you are not entitled to anything".

Good luck!