Toni emphasized the importance of a business' "touchpoints" with its customers. They can be common things like signs or business cards. But broadly, touchpoints are any opportunity to influence a future buying decision. Collectively we scrambled up our grey matter and came up the the following as ways to potentially influence a future buying decision (we couldn't believe how many of them there are; remember, some are off the wall but that is the kind of thinking we need to encourage if we are to be not just better, but different):

Roadside signs, posters, cheques, Christmas cards, thank you cards, complementary passes, staff clothing, sky writing, stationery, carry cases & folders, vehicles, napkins & placemats, landscaping, sponsorships, badges, flowers, music, smiles (!), jingles & slogans, charitable donations, shopping bads, furniture, reading material, traditional media advertising, websites, email signature, youtube videos, other social media, business reception area, decor, customer washrooms..... the list goes on.

There are so many points at which you can "touch" a customer. If one of them is not up to snuff, there is a disconnect and customers are likely to remember that one disconnect more than all the other successful "touches". Toni gave an example of a fabulous spa experience she had at a top ranked resort, but then found the cheapest, grittiest toilet tissue imaginable in the washroom! Guess which "touchpoint" gets remembered and commented upon..... 

Toni Newman showed us how we can get in the mindset of thinking more creatively, of seeing new possibilities. We divided into groups and she passed out a different ordinary objects to each group. We were challenged to come up with 20 (yes, twenty!) purposes each object could serve as under different circumstances.

Our group was given a roll of masking tape as our "ordinary object". Our first challenge was to imagine purposes for the object if we were a 5 year old child. Then we looked at it from the perspective of an alien visiting from another planet. Then from the perspective of a blind person. Sound hard? The amazing thing is that we came up with 20+ responses for each situation, except for the alien one, where we fell short by a few.  

It may sound silly, but it really opened up our minds to possibilities and to a type of creative thinking. It set the groundwork for our next exercise, which had more practical applications...

"Professional catalyst" Toni Newman informed us that there are now 32 versions of Tide detergent available. That's right - thirty two. In today's marketplace, being better than your competition is a given, but to be truly successful a business needs to be different from the competition, and in that Tide has succeeded. They are offering to the consumer products that no other company is offering.  Toni stated, "If you're not at least getting better, close up shop and do something else".

To get to the top of the ladder (and Toni brings a bright red ladder to her seminars, frequently ascending and descending on it to illustrate her points), a business has to aim for HIGH SPEED TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE, vs. simply "tweeking" their products/services/operations.

As she climbs to the top of the ladder, Toni states, "Teach yourself to see what others don't see, and you will know what others do not know".

Toni Newman, a professional speaker on innovation topics, recently spoke in Halifax at InnovatioNS, a workshop for the tourism industry. However, she refers to herself as a "professional catalyst", and indeed she lives up to that moniker, inspiring attendees to come up with new ways of thinking, of examining every possibility as a potential opportunity.

She divides businesses into those run by people who ask "Why?" and those who ask "Why not?" The "Why" people tend to be traditional thinkers who rely on past practises to move forward, as in "Why would you change things?". The "Why not?" people tend to think "Why not? Let's think it through and then let's give it a try - we just might be on to the next big thing!".

It all ties into the need to not just be better - being better is a given in business today - but to be DIFFERENT from your competition.

Step into Bear River Vineyards and enter a cooly authentic ambiance replete with stone walls, an old world feel and a warm welcome from co-owner Peggy Hawes, who will proudly show you around her winery. Its distinctly European feel is combined with an emphasis on "green" energy techniques, including a gravity fed winemaking process, photo voltaic solar panels and home made bio-diesel fuel. They even offer "Greener Energy Workshops"! Of course, no visit would be complete without a taste of their  2008 Black Fly Pinot Noir, which won a bronze at the Professional Sommeliers Atlantic Chapter Awards. Another regional gem! Check out the winery's unique green practices at: http://www.wine.travel/green_energy.html. They are located at 133 Chute Road in Bear River.

Annapolis Highland Vineyards' retail outlet in Bear River East is a delight. Artfully decorated in terra cotta tones, it features not only their gold medal wines, but a fine selection of Nova Scotia condiments, craft items and collectables. Karen or Brendan Enright will be happy to take you on a tour their winery, which has produced vintages that were awarded 2 golds, a silver and a bronze at the All-Canadian Wine Championships earlier this year, a first for an Atlantic Canadian Winery! The winery and its wines are regional gems, not to be missed by ourselves and our visitors. They are located at 2635 Clementsvale Road. Preview the experience here.

In every mall, shopping centre or community, there is generally a business designated as the  "anchor tenant", which serves as the entity's main attraction or "anchor". You will note that every mall has a Sobeys, Sears, Superstore or Zellers to attract customers. From there, buyers fan out to other stores to complete their shopping experience. 

For Bear River, consultant Roger Brooks states that the anchor tenant is the renowned gallery, Flight of Fancy. Brooks went so far as to say that it is one of the finest commercial galleries he has ever visited, and coming from someone who makes their living traveling the world assessing tourism destinations, that's saying a lot.   

Recently I checked out the gallery's new arrivals, and was awe-struck, as always. On display were works by a Bear River area artist specializing in elegant carved wooden shoes less than 2 inches high, each crafted from one perfect piece of yew. Meticulously laquered and laced, an individually framed set of nine pieces forms an incredibly sophisticated arrangement. World class offerings, courtesy of a Bear River business.  

During his presentation last year, one of the things Roger Brooks kept telling us we needed to do was "take it up a notch". By so doing, we would put ourselves on the same tier as provincial icons known for their successful beautification, such as Mahone Bay.  

Myrtle & Rosie's Shoppe in Bear River was one of the businesses mentioned in the Brooks Report, in which he said of them, "Great job. Good sign". Many businesses would have been content to receive such praise and would have left it at that. But Myrtle & Rosie's Shoppe took it up a notch (or two!), as you can see in their 2010 photo as compared to 2009. More planters and the addition of two delightful, welcoming wooden figures in period costume add to the business' charm and increase "curb appeal". Well done! 

A few buildings in Bear River have recently been transformed from drab to fab! The Cherry Brook Grocery looks shiny and new thanks to a paintjob and some planters. The Rusted Bucket now welcomes patrons with attractive signage and welcoming flags. Kudos to these businesses for helping to make the Village of Bear River a more beautiful place to live, work and visit.

Back in mid-May, the much beloved Bear River Windmill was demolished due to safety concerns. Regrets were more than sentimental. After all, the windmill had housed the Bear River Visitor Information Centre, and the 2010 summer season was fast approaching. Another venue had to be found and prepared, and quickly.

Volunteers stepped up to the plate. A portion of the Oakdene Centre was renovated to house the new VIC. Inside, an impressive counter area was constructed from recycled old doors, a small gallery area featuring local art and handicraft items was created, a display featuring Native Mi'kmaq items has pride of place in the centre of the VIC,  and attractive stands for brochures and rack cards were installed. This is an amazing story of successful community adaptation, and a lesson in what can quickly happen when committed volunteers work together.