The Last Shopping Mall? New Jersey Awaits Xanadu By Sean Gregory (Time Magazine, Monday, 09 March 2009 East Rutherford, NJ). It’s easy to fall victim to the mood of the moment and immediately jump into Mr Gregory’s (half-empty) pool of skepticism. But let’s hold that thought for the moment and try to see the light.

It’s true, the shopping landscape is saturated with me-too chains, cookie cutter malls, etc. Was there really any difference between Linens & Things and BB&B? Or what about Circuit City and Best Buy? Borders continues to struggle, etc.  Needless to say Xanadu is attempting to make their destination about more than just shopping. They want to build an experience that stands out from the typical. Something that inspire people to take a 25 minute train ride out of the NYC to come visit.  Have they put a lot of money down to test their theory? Obviously, yes. But their vision is their brand and their brand is their vision. It’s not going to be easy – it never is – but it beats being a developer who just finished up yet another strip mall and is now trying to find tenants. Just like every other developer in that same boat.

Bottom line… The last thing the world needs is just another run of the mill guest experience.

From communications guru Mr Steve Adubato (www.Stand-Deliver.com) comes a tight piece titled “Memo slingers should use bullets wisely“.

As a supplement to Mr Adubato’s thoughts we’d like to mention that a good thumb is to use numbers for up to 5 or 6 bullets, and letters for anything above that. Why? As the article mentions, going to 10+ can be a bit
overwhelming for the receiver. The obvious exception being a Top 10. On the other hand,  letters can be a sort of psychological loophole. In other words, people are far less conscious of the fact that J = 10. Obviously, if the list is going to be part of an ongoing conversation lack of a reference identifier is a no-no.  Bullets not only bite-size the thoughts the sender is needing to be received but numbering / lettering them makes it easier to refer to them as the conversation moves forward.

On the other hand, there is an exception. Sometimes numbers / letters can come across as too authoritative in a I-told-you-these-three-things sort of way. If the communication is of a sensitive nature  then a simple dash might be best.  Written communication can be difficult under such circumstance so be sure to choose your words and tone wisely.

While we’re on the subject of clear communication, now is yet another  good time to recommend  the book “Words That Work (It’s not what you say, it’s what people hear)” by Dr Frank Luntz. If you can’t spare the time to consumer the whole book that’s understandable. But Chapeter 1 is a must read. Chapter 12 is probably worth the investment as well.