A few days ago I posted on this subject. This is a continuation of that post...
I had already discussed the first of Esther Derby's 6 steps. (Again, I am trying to discuss something different from what she was going at, so naturally there will be differences.) For her 2nd step...
2. Determine what’s important to the person who makes the decision.
First. decide who you think the decision-maker should be. Try to arrange things so that the right decision-maker is involved, or the right group of people is involved. Often, hearing intangible benefits from multiple people will make the benefits more real to the decision-maker.
Second. One model is a single decision-maker and multiple advisors. Another model is a loosely defined decision-making team. Think through what the model really is in your situation.
Third. Consider what you think ought to be important as decision criteria. If what you think is important is not congruent with what the decision-makers think is important...consider a short or long campaign to influence their thinking. Say something like "I consider A, B, C, D, and E as the decision criteria, and I weight them as 10, 7, 3, 2, 1. What do you all think?" A campaign can be that simple.
3. Ask that person who they consider credible sources related to the issue.
Esther's advice here relates to hard-to-measure benefits. At a higher level, you are asking: "What kind of information would it take to get you to approve my proposal?" Esther's hypothesis (generally valid) is that absent conclusive hard data, most decision-makers will accept one or a group of "expert" opinions.
In her post, Esther describes multiple things that the decision-maker valued, so naturally (and normally) no one person could be an expert in all those areas. Thus, you need a set of experts' opinions.
More generally, sometimes success is in finding a disparate set of information that, taken together, gives the decider confidence in making a reasonable decision. Maybe: (a) benefits, (b) risk reduction, plus (c) no better alternate course of action. Imagine how you would think making a chess move. Often business can be even more complex than chess in the number of factors that come into a decision.
Remember that you want the decider to feel you are helping her (or him). You want to checkmate the decision; pinning the decider might gain a different and more emotional reaction to your request than you are looking for.
4. Create a short interview protocol.
Again, Esther's advice is appropriate for her case. A more general step is "figure out how you will collect the information", whether by one method or five.
More general advice here is also not to make data collection too onerous. Ask the decider "if I collect this and that info, would that be enough to convince you? I don't want to get into a bigger effort if something smaller would be enough."
Often the decider will say "collect what you can in X days, and come back and show me what you have". Some remember how hard it is to come up with good data.
5. Interview the people the decision maker identified as credible.
Here the general advice is...collect the information. If you haven't done it already, make sure the information is credible to the decider. Or say "here is the info I have collected so far, this is what I feel the information says...but do you feel it is credible?" Be ready to receive input that is it not (yet sufficiently) credible. If you asked in the right tone, she won't be thinking "well, I can't trust the info he brings me anymore."
6. Summarize and present the results.
Sometimes it seems you only get to present once to the decider. Maybe true for one decision. But as mentioned, I am proposing that you not worry about one decision. You are trying to influence for many decisions. And you are trying to learn "how does this manager make decisions? And in what ways can I influence her?"
Esther's point is, of course, well-taken. Every time you present to the decider, think about the kind of presentation that appeals to her. Example: Is it summary first and then selected details? Or build and build details, and then look at the summary? (And lots of other variations of this.) Almost every decider wants a summary. Almost every person wants a summary that has no more than 3-5 bullets. And there are lots more aspects to "presentation" than this.
As a last suggestion. Each person has different kinds of information that they will find convincing. Decisions must be made even if the ideal data is not available. Sometimes a combination of harder data and softer data is convincing. Sometimes you only have 1 to 3 expert opinions. Sometimes you can get a decision if you say "Why don't we try this as an experiment, and see if it works?"
Let me repeat a key point: Costs should never be looked at in isolation. Always consider the benefits and costs together. (And if you want to consider risks as something different, then the upside and downside risks as well.)
Where there is a will, there is a way. You can get more business decisions to go your way.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Revival. False Christian Doctrine Has Got To Go
In the coming revival, we are not only going to see signs and wonders but I believe we will also see a revival of doctrine. All kinds false christian teaching is presently floating around out there. I believe Jesus is abruptly bringing it all to an end.
Just in case you thought Jesus isn't concerned with this you may want to consider some of the discussions he had with the Pharisees when he said " you whitewashed tombstones" or " you brood of vipers" when they tried to promote their own religion and put words in God's mouth.
Ever wonder why we have all these different denominations that have different beliefs about the scripture. It's because we have drifted away from the teacher. THE HOLY SPIRIT! The Holy Spirit always backs up Jesus and everything he did. There aren't 52 different ways to interpret any given scripture there is only one. God's interpretation. After all there is one God, one baptism, one saviour and one divine truth.
The Holy Spirit is not confused about what the Bible says. He was sent to lead us into all truth. The problem is that most denominations would rather hold to their little church doctrines. Most of the time they are trying to exclude vitally important principles of God. God has tolerated this in the past but I believe this will change in these final days.
"Well Brother, we just don't believe in that speaking in tongues thing. We think that passed away with the disciples. We don't accept that here in our church".
Is that so? I guess you'd better rip a few pages out of the Bible then. I have a problem with that because Jesus said this at the end of Mark 16:17 "and these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and they will drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well."
As you can see Jesus clearly says if you are a believer you will speak in new tongues. Paul said " I thank God I speak in tongues more than you all". Speaking in tongues is actually the Holy Spirit in you praying the perfect will of the father on your behalf. You can either believe the scripture or you can hold to church doctrine and be politically correct among the church.
If you aren't speaking in tongues presently you are missing out on hearing from God. It has been my experience that the more you speak in tongues (not knowing what the spirit is praying) the quicker you begin to hear God in English (or whatever your native language may be) in your spirit. Detailed specific instructions will begin to come forth for your specific call. God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.
This natural body we live in was not meant to understand the things of God as they are spiritually discerned. Our flesh is constantly warring against God. Even after we get born again we still have to learn to put to death the ways of our flesh.
In the second chapter of acts we see that God sent the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After this all the disciples moved in power and were able to lay hands on the sick and even raise the dead.
In these last days, in the coming revival, we will see this happening more frequently. It will come through those who are bold enough to step out of false doctrine and believe God for power to do the same things Jesus did and even greater things. Those who spend long hours speaking in tongues in their prayer closet. Those who put to death their fleshly ways and embrace change towards Christ. Every revival is always first birthed in the spirit by prayer. This is an exciting time we live in.
Just in case you thought Jesus isn't concerned with this you may want to consider some of the discussions he had with the Pharisees when he said " you whitewashed tombstones" or " you brood of vipers" when they tried to promote their own religion and put words in God's mouth.
Ever wonder why we have all these different denominations that have different beliefs about the scripture. It's because we have drifted away from the teacher. THE HOLY SPIRIT! The Holy Spirit always backs up Jesus and everything he did. There aren't 52 different ways to interpret any given scripture there is only one. God's interpretation. After all there is one God, one baptism, one saviour and one divine truth.
The Holy Spirit is not confused about what the Bible says. He was sent to lead us into all truth. The problem is that most denominations would rather hold to their little church doctrines. Most of the time they are trying to exclude vitally important principles of God. God has tolerated this in the past but I believe this will change in these final days.
"Well Brother, we just don't believe in that speaking in tongues thing. We think that passed away with the disciples. We don't accept that here in our church".
Is that so? I guess you'd better rip a few pages out of the Bible then. I have a problem with that because Jesus said this at the end of Mark 16:17 "and these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and they will drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people and they will get well."
As you can see Jesus clearly says if you are a believer you will speak in new tongues. Paul said " I thank God I speak in tongues more than you all". Speaking in tongues is actually the Holy Spirit in you praying the perfect will of the father on your behalf. You can either believe the scripture or you can hold to church doctrine and be politically correct among the church.
If you aren't speaking in tongues presently you are missing out on hearing from God. It has been my experience that the more you speak in tongues (not knowing what the spirit is praying) the quicker you begin to hear God in English (or whatever your native language may be) in your spirit. Detailed specific instructions will begin to come forth for your specific call. God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.
This natural body we live in was not meant to understand the things of God as they are spiritually discerned. Our flesh is constantly warring against God. Even after we get born again we still have to learn to put to death the ways of our flesh.
In the second chapter of acts we see that God sent the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After this all the disciples moved in power and were able to lay hands on the sick and even raise the dead.
In these last days, in the coming revival, we will see this happening more frequently. It will come through those who are bold enough to step out of false doctrine and believe God for power to do the same things Jesus did and even greater things. Those who spend long hours speaking in tongues in their prayer closet. Those who put to death their fleshly ways and embrace change towards Christ. Every revival is always first birthed in the spirit by prayer. This is an exciting time we live in.
Recruiting new AdWords Seminar Leaders
Since their introduction in September 2006, AdWords Seminars have helped advertisers across the US learn how to get more out of their AdWords accounts. Many seminar attendees have told us that what made the experience valuable were the knowledgeable, enthusiastic seminar leaders who were able to teach them ways to use AdWords more effectively. Now, due to a high level of advertiser interest, we'd like to expand the program -- and we're looking for more great leaders to help lead future sessions of AdWords Seminars in the US and Canada.
Although the Inside AdWords blog is designed to educate AdWords advertisers, we know that some of you are also veteran AdWords users and client managers who may have some AdWords best practices of your own -- if you have deep, hands-on, and up-to-date knowledge of AdWords, a knack for explaining how things work, and are interested in training and empowering others to use AdWords, be sure to apply to become an AdWords Seminar Leader. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, and be a Qualified Individual in the Google Advertising Professionals Program. Please note that applications for this recruiting wave are due by April 30, 2007.
If you're not really interested in becoming a Seminar leader, but are simply interested in attending a future session to learn more about using AdWords, you can find more information on the AdWords Seminars site, on which the new schedule for the next round of seminars will be announced in a few weeks.
Although the Inside AdWords blog is designed to educate AdWords advertisers, we know that some of you are also veteran AdWords users and client managers who may have some AdWords best practices of your own -- if you have deep, hands-on, and up-to-date knowledge of AdWords, a knack for explaining how things work, and are interested in training and empowering others to use AdWords, be sure to apply to become an AdWords Seminar Leader. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, and be a Qualified Individual in the Google Advertising Professionals Program. Please note that applications for this recruiting wave are due by April 30, 2007.
If you're not really interested in becoming a Seminar leader, but are simply interested in attending a future session to learn more about using AdWords, you can find more information on the AdWords Seminars site, on which the new schedule for the next round of seminars will be announced in a few weeks.
Top Ten Innovations from the Top 20 Innovators
The Innovation Index tracks and reports on the Top 20 Innovators in North America. Here are the Top Ten announced innovations for the week ending March 28, 2007.
Innovator: Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO)
Innovation:
Strategic partnership with McClatchy providing access to global news and views; Strategic partnership with Virgin Mobile to provide Yahoo's mobile services available to Virgin Mobile's more than 4.6 million customers; Yahoo! Mobile Publisher Services, a suite of services designed to enable publishers to increase the discovery, distribution and monetization of their content on mobile phones.
Summary:
Yahoo! and McClatchy: Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) signed a deal to feature foreign news from McClatchy Co. (NYSE: MNI) towards a project to be called "Trusted Voices”. This will put traditional news and feature stories as well as exclusive blog reports from McClatchy foreign correspondents based in places like the Middle East, China and Latin America on Yahoo's news portal, the most visited news site on the Internet.
Yahoo expects McClatchy's content to help satisfy that reader appetite, particularly by providing perspective on the news beyond breaking-news coverage from wire services, now the backbone of its "World News" section. World News is consistently among the site's three most-visited categories, he said.
McClatchy, which owns 31 daily newspapers, including The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee and The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, should benefit from a significantly wider online audience. -- Dow Jones Newswires
Yahoo! and Virgin Mobile: Yahoo! Mail and Yahoo! Messenger will be available through Virgin Mobile's Email & IM offerings in early April 2007. These applications will be available for download on several of Virgin Mobile's handsets including the Switch_Back and Cyclops and will be preloaded on selected future phones. Yahoo! Mobile Web will also be prominently featured in Virgin Mobile USA's Surf the Web service beginning in April 2007. Finally, additional mobile services from Yahoo! will be available on Virgin Mobile handsets in the coming months, including Yahoo’s range of SMS services such as search and messaging.
Yahoo Mobile Publisher Services: Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network, Mobile Content Engine, Mobile Media Directory and Mobile Site Submit.
- Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network
The Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network will allow mobile publishers to have syndicated advertising served on their mobile content and services. Publishers will be able to select the ad formats they want to have run, such as display, sponsored links, video or in-game placements. - Yahoo! Mobile Content Engine
The Yahoo! Mobile Content Engine will enable publishers to bring their content to Yahoo’s mobile audience. It will also help enable publishers who do not have a mobile site or only have a limited mobile offering to distribute their content to consumers on their mobile phones. - Yahoo! Mobile Media Directory
The Yahoo! Mobile Media Directory will allow publishers to make their mobile media content accessible directly through Yahoo! oneSearch. Publishers could submit a catalog of their content such as ring tones, games, video and applications. - Yahoo! Mobile Site Submit
The Yahoo! Mobile Site Submit will allow publishers to provide information about their mobile site, such as a description and relevant tags, to ensure that their sites are accurately indexed and available to consumers through Yahoo! oneSearch.
Insight:
Yahoo's World news content expansion beyond breaking news, providing global news to global audiences; Yahoo's mobile expansion in the youth and young adults markets where Virgin Mobile primarily caters to; Yahoo's expansion in mobile market by enabling publishers to grow their own mobile businesses through Yahoo Mobile Publisher Services.
Opinion:
McClatchy partnership: Yahoo News is the most visited news site on the Web with 36.2 million visitors in February 2007, up 37% year over year, according to research firm comScore Networks Inc. McClatchy's also has 6.6 million online news visitors, almost triple a year ago, before McClatchy purchased and began operating most of Knight Ridder's newspapers.
This partnership will further entrench global readers to World News on Yahoo News. It will also bring a cross-section of new newsreaders to Yahoo. It will not only further Yahoo News' leadership position, but also generate incremental revenue from global advertisers as well. McClatchy also wins through royalties that Yahoo will likely pay for "clicked readership" which in turn will fund McClatchy's foreign news division.
Virgin Mobile partnership: Yahoo! is consolidating and solidifying it's mobile leadership and strategy; Yahoo possibly won this partnership wherein both Google and Microsoft competed. Did Yahoo! pay Virgin Mobile to get included on the Virgin Mobile handsets, or did Yahoo! and Virgin Mobile create a win-win partnership wherein both companies are working towards shared revenues and shared risks? Yahoo gets a potential market of 4.6 million users, which is small compared to AT&T or Verizon's market of cell phone subscribers. Yahoo will need to create larger deals with the market leading wireless carriers in order to gain a solid footing in the mobile market of e-mail, messaging, search and more.
Yahoo! Mobile Publisher Services: The Yahoo! Mobile Publisher Services went live across 19 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, US and Vietnam. Yahoo! seems to have scored a home run with the Yahoo Mobile Publisher Services. Will Mobile content providers embrace Yahoo! Mobile, and begin converting their content on Yahoo Mobile? Yahoo! is providing everything a mobile content owner can ask for: a ready ad network to monetize the content (first ads go live in Q2, 2007), a content engine to convert their content to mobile, and mobile directory and site submit. Yahoo! has partnered with MobiTV, the global leader in mobile and broadband television and music services, Opera, the leading provider of Web browsers for mobile devices, and go2, the leading location-enabled mobile content network in the U.S. By bringing together the global audiences of Yahoo’s popular mobile services with those of participating publishers, Yahoo! will create a combined pool of valuable inventory. Yahoo! wants to sell this valuable inventory to leading advertisers through its proven ad-serving technology...Yahoo is playing the right cards; now its a matter of time before the mobile content, search and ad business takes off.
Innovator: IBM Labs
Innovation:
An outsourced "Innovation Factory" that accelerates the innovation process from ideas to commercialization, and cuts process time from years to days.
Summary:
IBM (NYSE: IBM) opened its "Innovation Factory," a Web 2.0 solution that manufactures ideas and new products and services for business growth.
Innovation Factory uses a blend of Web 2.0 social networking technologies including blogs, wikis, social tagging, surveys and polls, to help companies rapidly conceive and test new products and services, accelerating a launch process that often takes years down to mere days.
IBM Innovation Factory for Telecom is designed to capture the innovation process from ideas to commercialization, speeding up co-creation (link) among employees, partners, software developers and subscribers through online communities.
Innovation Factory for Telecom can play a central role in the launch of new service trials, provide online documentation and support for the trials, and capture feedback about the trials from the innovation community. This process brings service providers closer to their subscribers by more accurately creating products that meet subscriber needs and spotting market trends through early and direct subscriber interaction. -- IBM press release
Insight:
A new product (service) "Innovation Factory" and a new process for Innovation that could find adopters in industries being commoditized
Opinion:
IBM announced that Sprint Nextel is among the first Telecom clients piloting the "Innovation Factory." Although the concept of "Innovation Factory" and Web 2.0 technologies sound great on paper, and IBM has found an early adopter, it remains to be seen whether a larger segment of the Telecom industry will begin calling IBM for this. IBM needs to perhaps take a page from its own book, and showcase how the "Innovation Factory" is helping IBM and its key partner using co-creation and Web 2.0 technologies.
Innovator: Microsoft
Innovation: Product and Business Model Innovation - Xbox 360 Elite, a premier new model of the video game and entertainment system; Xbox Live: TV series and movies from A&E Network, ADV Films, National Geographic and TotalVid.com will add to the more than 1,500 hours of downloadable entertainment content in the U.S.
Summary:
Xbox 360 Elite:
Distinguished by its black finish and signature metallic detailing, Xbox 360 Elite will come packed with components and accessories for the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience:
-- Xbox 360 Elite console. The console is equipped with a premium black finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in HD entertainment (up to 1080p), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, HDMI output and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.
-- Xbox 360 120GB hard drive.
-- Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black). This features the Xbox(R) Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music, range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries.
-- Xbox 360 headset (black).
-- Xbox 360 HDMI cable. New to Xbox 360, HDMI allows consumers to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multi-channel surround sound, all from one cable.
-- Xbox LIVE Silver Membership.
-- One-month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold.
Xbox Live:
Paramount Pictures, for the first time on Xbox LIVE, will offer its feature films for download in high definition. Available titles will include "Braveheart," "Team America: World Police," "World Trade Center" and "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut." Also, for the first time, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will be releasing its direct-to-video movies exclusively in high definition on Xbox LIVE simultaneous with their availability on DVD, starting with "Sublime" and later "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales." Also:
-- A&E Network. "Dog the Bounty Hunter," "King of Cars," "Gene Simmons
Family Jewels," "Driving Force" and "Criss Angel Mindfreak"
-- ADV Films. Top offerings from the No. 1 producer-distributor of
Japanese animation ("anime") outside Japan
-- National Geographic. The television series "Is It Real?" and "Taboo" as
well as programs such as "21 Days to Baghdad" and "Air Force One"
-- TotalVid.com. A broad action-sports offering including extreme skiing
and snowboarding, skateboarding, motocross, surfing and mountain biking
Insight:
Creating Product Innovation for the high-end market, and competing against the latest Sony PlayStation with Xbox 360 Elite; Expansion of premium content on Xbox Live furthering Xbox's strength in the living room.
Opinion:
At an estimated retail price of $479.99 (U.S.), Xbox 360 Elite is well equipped to compete against the high-end Sony PlayStation at a time when Sony is trying to establish ground with its latest product. Xbox 360 Elite will find a market of gaming buyers who want the best there is within the Xbox line; also ten to twenty percent of existing Xbox owners will upgrade to the Elite version. This is solid strategy by Microsoft Xbox team to go after the high-end market.
Xbox LIVE community has grown to more than 6 million people comprised primarily of gamers; with more content and movie downloads, more gamers will use Xbox 360 for their movie and TV entertainment programs. Another fact is that downloads on Xbox LIVE have grown in double-digits, month-over-month, with a 400 percent increase since the service began offering TV shows and movies late last year (as per Microsoft). Free content is adding to the growing viewership on Xbox LIVE. For instance, Comedy Central recently offered the first-ever high definition episode of the No. 1 show on its network, "South Park." "Good Times With Weapons," available for a limited time on Xbox LIVE, has been downloaded more than 380,000 times to date. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment offered promotional clips from the blockbuster hit movie "300" that have been downloaded more than 477,000 times. Can Xbox Live compete well against iTunes, or Amazon's Unbox and CustomFlix? Netflix has also begun offering movie downloads. And even Wal-Mart. AppleTV just got launched last week. The biggest thing going for Microsoft is the growing number of Xbox 360 gamers; the key to success for Microsoft though would be to convert these gamers to TV, Movie and music show viewers, and find a cross-section of the consumer segment who will buy Xbox 360 for entertainment, and not just gaming.
Innovator: P&G (Proctor & Gamble) (NYSE: PG)
Innovation:
Product Innovation through Strategic Partnership: Duracell(R), a P&G company (NYSE: PG) to Offer New Portable and Backup Power Products for Consumers On-The-Go created by Xantrex Solutions
Summary:
Duracell will introduce a new line of Duracell-branded portable power products including inverters, power packs and battery chargers to meet the needs of a rapidly developing mobile culture that relies on power anytime, anywhere. The new line, which will be introduced through a business alliance with Xantrex Technology Inc. (TSX: XTX.TO) beginning in June 2007, will provide retailers and consumers with high quality portable power products from one of the world's most recognized and trusted brands.
An innovator in portable and backup power products, Xantrex solutions allow customers to operate and charge mobile electronic devices such as laptop computers, PDAs, cell phones and more, so they can stay productive when on the go. The new line of Duracell-branded products will be available in June 2007 in North America and in 2008 in Europe at mass retail, consumer electronics, automotive and specialty retail chains.
Insight:
Launching new product innovation delivered by an outsourced supplier, and leveraging strong brand and distribution presence.
Opinion:
According to the Consumer Electronics Association, approximately 54.1 million people own a portable digital media device, making the demand for portable power stronger than ever. In addition, electrical outages due to extreme weather conditions and grid instability have increased consumer awareness of the value of backup power products, while reinforcing the need for a brand that consumers can trust to keep them connected during emergencies.
Duracell is matching an unmet need of its customers globally: backup portable power. Duracell is a brand that most customers trust because of its high quality; Duracell also has a massive, worldwide distribution network. This partnership is a win-win-win: Xantrex Technology will now be providing its innovative products to Duracell, albeit under strict quality requirements; Duracell will be able to launch the new portable power product line with Duracell brand in a matter of months (as opposed to years if Duracell had to create this product from scratch); Duracell customers will finally get portable power backups from a brand they trust and buy. If the new portable power products are successful, Duracell will likely buy Xantrex within a couple of years. P&G is not shy about meeting the growing customer needs through outsourced innovations.
Innovator: Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM)
Innovation:
Product innovation: New BlackBerry API's to support growth in mobile applications
Summary:
Research In Motion (RIM) is adding additional Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to the BlackBerry(R) Java Development Environment (BlackBerry JDE) to enable the next wave in mobile application development.
The new APIs available for BlackBerry smartphones are:
- Mobile Multi-Media API for Java (JSR 135) allowing developers to embed custom audio and video content into applications; invoke the BlackBerry Media Player to play video or audio content; record audio or voice and save recorded files to the handset or send it over the Internet
- Camera APIs that allow developers to invoke the camera application and access pictures taken with the camera; support for registering listeners with the Camera application that enable an application to be notified when a new picture is taken
- Support for MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC and AMR audio formats with support for routing audio playback to the external speaker, connected headset and Bluetooth(R) headset
- XML and Web Services support to help simplify communications with existing Internet applications
- BlackBerry Messenger APIs allowing access to presence and contact information and the ability to send peer-to-peer messages
- File System Access APIs (JSR 75) to provide access to documents and other files stored locally on the smartphone or on the microSD expansion memory; support for registering listeners with the file system that enable an application to be notified when a new files are added or removed
- GPS APIs (JSR 179) that provide access to location information from local GPS chip or external GPS receiver connected over Bluetooth
- BlackBerry Maps API providing access to the map application to display an address or a route with BlackBerry Maps providing all of the geo-coding and mapping data for free
- Wallpaper and Ringtone Customization Java APIs to enable custom applications to add new wallpapers and ringtones to the smartphone
- Planned support for 3D Graphics API (JSR 184) and SVG API (JSR 226) to enable more powerful gaming and rich-media content
- Planned support for MMS Java APIs (JSR 205) to complement the existing SMS and Phone APIs which enable third party applications to listen for incoming phone calls and SMS messages, invoke the phone application to place a call, and compose SMS messages for peer-to-peer messaging
Insight:
Potential expansion of mobile applications on Blackberry in areas such as Social Networking, Multi-Media, eCommerce, News and Information Services, and Location-Based Services
Opinion:
Over 500 software organizations have joined the BlackBerry(R) ISV Alliance program offering hundreds of business solutions and thousands of lifestyle applications. Blackberry has 8 million subscriber accounts, 100,000 BlackBerry Enterprise Server installations, and broad availability on over 225 networks in over 100 countries around the world. More than 125,000 registered developers have downloaded the BlackBerry JDE, which exposes thousands of Java APIs that developers can utilize to create powerful and innovative applications on the BlackBerry platform.
Can Blackberry give Apple's announced iPhone a run for the money in the consumer segment? Would the Blackberry ISVs and registered developers create new applications that make the Blackberry a "cool" mobile phone for the high-end or suave consumer? RIM is now providing the necessary APIs and support. Whether the ISVs and developers can go about creating cool apps for the Blackberry remains to be seen. One thing is certain: RIM is going to make a play versus Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone strategically to defend its own turf and customer base, as well potentially expand into the high-end consumer segment. Perhaps RIM may actually create a new wireless phone to compete head-on versus the iPhone and launch it this year.
Innovator: General Electric Company (NYSE: GE)
Innovation:
Product innovation, Green innovation, Strategic partnership: Development and commercialization of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) devices for lighting applications in a partnership with Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc., Konica Minolta Technology Center, Inc. (collectively KM) to be launched within 3 years.
Summary:
OLEDs are thin, organic materials sandwiched between two electrodes, which illuminate when an electrical charge is applied. They represent the next evolution in lighting products. Their widespread design capabilities will provide an entirely different way for people to light their homes or businesses. Moreover, OLEDs have the potential to deliver dramatically improved levels of efficiency and environmental performance, while achieving at least the same quality of illumination found in traditional products in the marketplace today.
KM has successfully developed a white OLED with a world record power efficiency of 64 lumens per watt at 1,000 candela per square meter--a brightness which is appropriate for lighting applications. Prior to this development, KM developed its own highly efficient and long-life blue phosphorescent materials. Applying these material technologies, along with multi-layer design technology and innovative optical design technology, KM succeeded in developing an OLED having a practical light emission level of approximately 10,000 hours.
In addition to material technology and optical design technology, KM has been developing the ultra-high barrier film fabrication technology to enable high productivity. Superb coating technology nurtured through the development of photographic film and display materials also plays an important role in the development of highly productive OLEDs. Currently, research and development for its commercialization is under way.
GE, as part of its ecomagination initiative, has made substantial investments in OLED research that have resulted in world records for OLED lighting device size and efficiency. In 2004, GE researchers were able to demonstrate an OLED device that was fully functional as a 24 inch by 24-inch panel, which produced 1,200 lumens of light with an efficiency on par with today's incandescent bulb technology. This was the first demonstration that OLED technology could potentially be used for lighting applications. Since then, GE has more than doubled the level of OLED efficiency using device architectures that are scalable to a large area and can be produced cost-effectively.
In addition to increasing efficiency, GE has focused on developing all the requirements--ranging from plastic film substrates, ultra-high barrier coatings, and fabrication processes and equipment to enable the high speed, cost-effective "roll-to-roll" manufacturing--required to produce large-area OLED lighting.
In the coming months, KM and GE will further accelerate research and development of OLED lighting by sharing technologies and knowledge. KM's technology center will lead the research and development activities for KM. GE Global Research, GE's centralized research and development organization, and GE's Consumer and Industrial business division will lead research and development for GE.
Insight:
OLED lighting, coming to your homes within three years or less, through product innovations created by strategic partnership between GE and KM.
Opinion:
GE Consumer & Industrial Vice President Michael Petras said, "In a world demanding higher standards for energy efficiency and environmental performance, OLED lighting has the potential to become a major lighting source on both fronts. And because OLED lighting is soft and diffused, it will create some exciting application opportunities for designers and specifiers. The applications are numerous, ranging from ceiling lighting for office and residential applications to interior automotive and aircraft lighting to many specialty lighting applications such as task lighting, sign and various forms of interior retail lighting."
In ten years or less, OLED lighting will become commonplace, and GE will be lighting our homes with OLED innovation. GE is once again leading the world in creating innovative lighting solutions through global partnership with another innovator, Konica Minolta.
Innovator: Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)
Innovation: Product Integration through Strategic Partnership: LG Handsets to integrate Google Search, Google Maps for mobile, Blogger Mobile and Gmail for mobile
Summary:
LG Electronics, South Korea's global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications, and Google announced a global collaboration to pre-install Google's services on millions of LG mobile phones. Mobile users around the world will now be able to easily search for information, find locations, update blogs and manage email while on the move.
Select LG handsets, pre-installed with Google™ products and services will be shipped globally including North America, Europe and Asia starting in the second quarter of 2007. These handsets will create a more dynamic user experience, including one click access to Google search through an icon in the application menu. More features of LG-Google handsets include:
Google Maps™ for mobile, an application that enables users to view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses, and get driving directions
Gmail™ for mobile, a Java-based application that brings more speed, convenience and functionality to the mobile Gmail experience
Blogger™ Mobile, an application to upload/download images and text to blog from mobile devices (www.blogger.com), keeps avid bloggers upwardly mobile.
Through this new partnership, LG and Google will jointly market LG-Google handsets, then further extending their collaboration to develop digitalized home in the future. LG plans to launch mobile handsets pre-installed with Google and products and service for the next few years with at least ten new handsets in 2007.
Insight:
Google has found a solid global partner in LG to befit its mobile strategy and expand its mobile market share. By embedding Google Search and key applications such as Maps, Gmail and Blogger into LG mobile phones, Google and LG are going to provide mobile phone users easier ways to access the applications they use most often and care about. Mobile phone users want simplicity and ease of use when it comes to searching, e-mailing, locating and blogging - Google applications provide one click access to these apps, and ease of use. This partnership and product integration is a win-win-win for LG, Google and mobile users.
International Trade Spurs Global Economic Development
Most people may know that international trade affects their
daily lives, but many have a sense of unease. They do not
understand how international commerce can enhance everyone's
life or what action to take when it does not.
Only when the public comprehends the power of international trade,
for both themselves and for others, will support begin to move
towards a pro-trade agenda.
In daily conversations, people discuss worries about inequality
or unemployment, or about immigration or the brain drain, or
about environmental damage or regional conflicts. What most
people do not understand is how international trade can be part
of the solution these problems.
International trade can create new industries and jobs for poor
marginalized communities. Freedom to trade across borders helps
expand entrepreneurial opportunities with the drive and
innovation to succeed.
Where opportunities for development are few, international trade
weighs even greater in the struggle against poverty.
InternationalTrade gives poor localites the capacity to purchase
the services they need and want.
A good example is in India, where there was a fear that
telecommunication liberalization would bring a loss in services,
specifically in poor rural areas where there are few
big-spending customers (long-distance national callers and
international and commercial clients). To their surprise,
liberalization improved telecommunication access in rural areas
and helped lower rates drastically because of increased
competition. Improved services helped both education and
community development. Development of infrastructure by new
companies resulted in creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs
in new industries for business process outsourcing.
For the full story, visit:
http://www.tradeforum.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1100
daily lives, but many have a sense of unease. They do not
understand how international commerce can enhance everyone's
life or what action to take when it does not.
Only when the public comprehends the power of international trade,
for both themselves and for others, will support begin to move
towards a pro-trade agenda.
In daily conversations, people discuss worries about inequality
or unemployment, or about immigration or the brain drain, or
about environmental damage or regional conflicts. What most
people do not understand is how international trade can be part
of the solution these problems.
International trade can create new industries and jobs for poor
marginalized communities. Freedom to trade across borders helps
expand entrepreneurial opportunities with the drive and
innovation to succeed.
Where opportunities for development are few, international trade
weighs even greater in the struggle against poverty.
InternationalTrade gives poor localites the capacity to purchase
the services they need and want.
A good example is in India, where there was a fear that
telecommunication liberalization would bring a loss in services,
specifically in poor rural areas where there are few
big-spending customers (long-distance national callers and
international and commercial clients). To their surprise,
liberalization improved telecommunication access in rural areas
and helped lower rates drastically because of increased
competition. Improved services helped both education and
community development. Development of infrastructure by new
companies resulted in creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs
in new industries for business process outsourcing.
For the full story, visit:
http://www.tradeforum.org/news/fullstory.php/aid/1100
Five Ways to Make Your Home Business Advertising Work Harder
One of the sharpest minds in the direct response marketing business is fond of advising potential advertisers that creativity is not a positive virtue for an advertising copywriter. Whether it is a print, on-line or broadcast ad, the worst response experts say people should give is to think an ad was exceptionally creative. Instead, the person should respond by wanting to buy the product.
Here are five ideas advertising writers may use to help make their home business ad copy more effective.
1. Proof. Let people know how good your home business product or service is by offering proof that it stacks up better than its competition, or that it has met or exceeded certain tests or specifications. When stating numbers, such as how much faster one medicine works when compared with another, round numbers are less effective. Therefore, try to use uneven numbers like 23.7% rather than round numbers like 25% and your message will be more believable.
2. Identification. Do not be afraid to let people know who you are, where you are located and what you think and feel. Rather than appearing to hide behind a post office box number, tell people that your office is located at 1234 Elm Street in the red brick Smith Building, which was constructed in 1916. This not only makes you seem more interesting, but also more believable and trustworthy.
3. Guarantee. People will always be more willing to buy from you if they trust you will refund their purchase price if they are not satisfied. Yes, you may have to incur some expenses paying for refunds, but your increased sales will more than make up the difference.
4. Accessibility. Similar to identification, it always is best to be easy to reach, so do not omit your contact information from your ads, especially ads in print and on-line messages. Whether it is your phone number, Internet URL, email address or all three, make sure they are correct and working properly before you publish the ad. For example, if you are publishing a toll-free number that only works from the USA, if you also include your regular telephone number with area code, potential customers from other countries may also buy from you.
5. One more thing. Every sales letter for your home business should have a PS following the signature. This part of the letter will most likely be read more closely than some other parts, so utilize it to reinforce your most important point, or offer an extra bonus to motivate the reader to act immediately.
By making sure your advertising message has met the above five criteria, you will ensure the next ad you write will help make your cash register ring even more loudly.
Here are five ideas advertising writers may use to help make their home business ad copy more effective.
1. Proof. Let people know how good your home business product or service is by offering proof that it stacks up better than its competition, or that it has met or exceeded certain tests or specifications. When stating numbers, such as how much faster one medicine works when compared with another, round numbers are less effective. Therefore, try to use uneven numbers like 23.7% rather than round numbers like 25% and your message will be more believable.
2. Identification. Do not be afraid to let people know who you are, where you are located and what you think and feel. Rather than appearing to hide behind a post office box number, tell people that your office is located at 1234 Elm Street in the red brick Smith Building, which was constructed in 1916. This not only makes you seem more interesting, but also more believable and trustworthy.
3. Guarantee. People will always be more willing to buy from you if they trust you will refund their purchase price if they are not satisfied. Yes, you may have to incur some expenses paying for refunds, but your increased sales will more than make up the difference.
4. Accessibility. Similar to identification, it always is best to be easy to reach, so do not omit your contact information from your ads, especially ads in print and on-line messages. Whether it is your phone number, Internet URL, email address or all three, make sure they are correct and working properly before you publish the ad. For example, if you are publishing a toll-free number that only works from the USA, if you also include your regular telephone number with area code, potential customers from other countries may also buy from you.
5. One more thing. Every sales letter for your home business should have a PS following the signature. This part of the letter will most likely be read more closely than some other parts, so utilize it to reinforce your most important point, or offer an extra bonus to motivate the reader to act immediately.
By making sure your advertising message has met the above five criteria, you will ensure the next ad you write will help make your cash register ring even more loudly.
Navigation Powered by Search
Not surprisingly, we’re big fans of emphasizing the search box on websites and intranets, as search puts the entire contents of a site at the visitor’s fingertips. That is why we are pleased to highlight the City of Virginia Beach, a Google Search Appliance customer, who redesigned their website around search. So whether you are looking for info on parks or parking in
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Welcome to Osteoporosis Foundation Inc.
Dear Friends, Family and Well-wishers:
I welcome you to the launch of the Osteoporosis Foundation Inc. non-profit organization and the website at:
http://www.osteofoundation.org/
I look forward to your comments about our new website, our vision, bold mission and goals. Please take some time to browse the website, and tell us what you like, what you don't, and where you would like us to improve.
The blog for the Osteoporosis Foundation is located at: http://blog.osteofoundation.org/
I am excited about the launch of the new non-profit Osteoporosis Foundation, and our overarching mission to stop Osteoporosis before it begins.
I look forward to your support and help towards advancing and promoting strong bone health, reversing bone loss and preventing Osteoporosis, especially in children, tweens, teens, young adults and adults before Osteoporosis strikes.
Here's to "A Lifetime of Strong Bones".
Sincere regards,
Sanjay Dalal
Founder and CEO
Osteoporosis Foundation, Inc.
This entry was posted on 3/27/2007 9:44 PM and is filed under Launch
References:
Launching A New Osteoporosis Foundation
My Story and My Fight against Osteoporosis
I welcome you to the launch of the Osteoporosis Foundation Inc. non-profit organization and the website at:
http://www.osteofoundation.org/
I look forward to your comments about our new website, our vision, bold mission and goals. Please take some time to browse the website, and tell us what you like, what you don't, and where you would like us to improve.
The blog for the Osteoporosis Foundation is located at: http://blog.osteofoundation.org/
I am excited about the launch of the new non-profit Osteoporosis Foundation, and our overarching mission to stop Osteoporosis before it begins.
I look forward to your support and help towards advancing and promoting strong bone health, reversing bone loss and preventing Osteoporosis, especially in children, tweens, teens, young adults and adults before Osteoporosis strikes.
Here's to "A Lifetime of Strong Bones".
Sincere regards,
Sanjay Dalal
Founder and CEO
Osteoporosis Foundation, Inc.
This entry was posted on 3/27/2007 9:44 PM and is filed under Launch
References:
Launching A New Osteoporosis Foundation
My Story and My Fight against Osteoporosis
Set Goals to Achieve Success In Your Home Business
Despite your best intentions, you will never achieve the success you are looking for if you never set goals for yourself and your home business.
Ask yourself, "What goals have I written down for myself and my business?"
Most people never set goals for themselves or their business. One day leads to another and the days continue to disappear without success. How can you get to where you want to be if you never know where you are going?
The biggest roadblock to goal setting is YOU. Setting goals require you actually to write down your dreams and put a date of accomplishment to them. Do not get in the habit of working your business without goals. This leads to apathy and an empty checking account.
Goals are the lifeblood of your business. Statistics have proven over and over that small businesses fail within the first five years. You do not want to become a statistic, you want to become a success.
How do you become successful at setting goals?
The first step you should do is to write down your dreams. What dreams do you have for your life and your home bawsed business? Write them down. When would you like to achieve these dreams? Put a date of accomplishment to your dreams. Get a pad of paper and start writing. Be bold and write them all down. Your dreams are now your goals.
You now have goals with deadlines. Your first step is accomplished.
Your goals will either be short term or long term. In order for your goals to become a reality you will be required to take steps that will ultimately lead to accomplishment. Look at your list. What actions will you need to take to reach your goals? Write those steps down on your pad of paper.
You now know what steps are required to achieve your goals.
Remember that steps are not huge, but small. Daily steps toward your goals will bring you to the accomplishment of your goals.
Armed with your list of goals and the steps required to achieve them, you can now start each day as a challenge to accomplish those goals. But wait, there is something else you need to be aware of.
"Where did my day go?"
Have you ever reached the end of the day exhausted and asked yourself that question? You look at your goals and realize that you did not accomplish one step toward them.
"Time Wasters" are everywhere. Time wasters have their own agenda: to stop you from achieving your goals. Do not let them win. To achieve your goals you must learn to recognize your "time wasters".
Keep a log for every hour of your day for an entire month. Write everything down that you do. It is easier if you break your day up into fifteen-minute increments. Do this for one month and you will be able to identify your "time wasters". Use the information to learn how to better use your time. The better you get at effectively using your time, the better you will become at achieving your goals.
Success doesn't happen to the uninvolved. Success happens to those who are persistent in reaching their goals. Review your goals daily and modify them as needed.
You should never be without goals. Dream and make goals to reach those dreams. Keep your goals before you. Continue to add goals to you life. Your passion will keep you focused as you accomplish each step toward your goals. Dare to be successful.
Ask yourself, "What goals have I written down for myself and my business?"
Most people never set goals for themselves or their business. One day leads to another and the days continue to disappear without success. How can you get to where you want to be if you never know where you are going?
The biggest roadblock to goal setting is YOU. Setting goals require you actually to write down your dreams and put a date of accomplishment to them. Do not get in the habit of working your business without goals. This leads to apathy and an empty checking account.
Goals are the lifeblood of your business. Statistics have proven over and over that small businesses fail within the first five years. You do not want to become a statistic, you want to become a success.
How do you become successful at setting goals?
The first step you should do is to write down your dreams. What dreams do you have for your life and your home bawsed business? Write them down. When would you like to achieve these dreams? Put a date of accomplishment to your dreams. Get a pad of paper and start writing. Be bold and write them all down. Your dreams are now your goals.
You now have goals with deadlines. Your first step is accomplished.
Your goals will either be short term or long term. In order for your goals to become a reality you will be required to take steps that will ultimately lead to accomplishment. Look at your list. What actions will you need to take to reach your goals? Write those steps down on your pad of paper.
You now know what steps are required to achieve your goals.
Remember that steps are not huge, but small. Daily steps toward your goals will bring you to the accomplishment of your goals.
Armed with your list of goals and the steps required to achieve them, you can now start each day as a challenge to accomplish those goals. But wait, there is something else you need to be aware of.
"Where did my day go?"
Have you ever reached the end of the day exhausted and asked yourself that question? You look at your goals and realize that you did not accomplish one step toward them.
"Time Wasters" are everywhere. Time wasters have their own agenda: to stop you from achieving your goals. Do not let them win. To achieve your goals you must learn to recognize your "time wasters".
Keep a log for every hour of your day for an entire month. Write everything down that you do. It is easier if you break your day up into fifteen-minute increments. Do this for one month and you will be able to identify your "time wasters". Use the information to learn how to better use your time. The better you get at effectively using your time, the better you will become at achieving your goals.
Success doesn't happen to the uninvolved. Success happens to those who are persistent in reaching their goals. Review your goals daily and modify them as needed.
You should never be without goals. Dream and make goals to reach those dreams. Keep your goals before you. Continue to add goals to you life. Your passion will keep you focused as you accomplish each step toward your goals. Dare to be successful.
The AdSense API: All grown up and ready to play
If you're a web developer or host, you may remember that we introduced you to the AdSense API last May. With the AdSense API, your users can create their own AdSense accounts on your site, and display ads alongside the content that they have created. They can also manage their accounts and view ad performance and earnings reports, all on your site.
In addition, you can enhance your customers' user experience by helping them to make money from their content and by giving them the ability to perform many AdSense functions without ever leaving your site. For example, they can:
Today, we're pleased to announce that the AdSense API is now open for all developers, with the release of our open development sandbox. This is a replica of the live service with some additional support to help you test and debug your applications. Once you implement the AdSense API in the development sandbox, we can go live with your implementation.
So now it's easier than ever to integrate AdSense into your website or online application. It took the folks over at Hubpages.com less than a week. We’ve expanded our developer’s guide and added more sample code to make seamless integration even easier.
Were you ready to start developing yesterday? Check out our Getting Started Guide and our FAQ. You’ll also find that the AdSense API Developer Forum is a great place to discuss the API and get answers to common questions.
To learn more about the AdSense API and how it can make your users happier while increasing your income, surf over to the AdSense API site.
In addition, you can enhance your customers' user experience by helping them to make money from their content and by giving them the ability to perform many AdSense functions without ever leaving your site. For example, they can:
- Create and manage AdSense accounts
- Customize and implement AdSense for content ad units and link units, AdSense for search boxes, and referrals for products such as Google AdWords and Firefox
- Generate URL and custom channel reports
Today, we're pleased to announce that the AdSense API is now open for all developers, with the release of our open development sandbox. This is a replica of the live service with some additional support to help you test and debug your applications. Once you implement the AdSense API in the development sandbox, we can go live with your implementation.
So now it's easier than ever to integrate AdSense into your website or online application. It took the folks over at Hubpages.com less than a week. We’ve expanded our developer’s guide and added more sample code to make seamless integration even easier.
Were you ready to start developing yesterday? Check out our Getting Started Guide and our FAQ. You’ll also find that the AdSense API Developer Forum is a great place to discuss the API and get answers to common questions.
To learn more about the AdSense API and how it can make your users happier while increasing your income, surf over to the AdSense API site.
Pay-per-action beta -- your questions answered
Last week, we announced the launch of our pay-per-action beta test for selected US advertisers. Since that post went live, we've received a number of questions -- and wanted to answer the most popular ones (paraphrased for brevity) in a quick follow up post:
Do pay-per-action ads show on Google.com or on sites in the search network?
No. Pay-per-action ads are not eligible to show on Google.com or in the Google search network. They're only eligible to display in the Google content network.
I am an advertiser using My Client Center (MCC) and am interested in the pay-per-action beta test for my clients, as well as for my own business. What are my sign up options?
We're only adding individual AdWords accounts to the beta test, so if you are an advertiser managing multiple accounts with an MCC, you can add the individual accounts that you believe will benefit from pay-per-action, including your own.
Is it possible to set a cost-per-action (CPA) value (i.e. the amount I'd like to pay for a specific action) as a percentage of the amount of the purchase rather than as a fixed amount per purchase?
We don't currently offer the option to set a CPA value as a percentage. The cost-per-action value must be a fixed amount.
I am also an AdSense publisher and would like to participate in this test. How can I sign up?
Please visit the AdSense referrals beta site, on which you'll find a 'Sign Up' link.
I am not a US advertiser, and wonder when pay-per-action will be available in my country?
Although we plan to extend the pay-per-action beta test to advertisers outside of the US in the future, we don’t currently have a date for when this option may become available in other countries.
Although I am not a US advertiser, my campaigns do target US customers. Can I participate in the beta?
At this time, we're only accepting advertisers who have a billing address located in the United States.
Want to learn more? Please take a look at our frequently asked questions regarding the pay-per-action beta.
Do pay-per-action ads show on Google.com or on sites in the search network?
No. Pay-per-action ads are not eligible to show on Google.com or in the Google search network. They're only eligible to display in the Google content network.
I am an advertiser using My Client Center (MCC) and am interested in the pay-per-action beta test for my clients, as well as for my own business. What are my sign up options?
We're only adding individual AdWords accounts to the beta test, so if you are an advertiser managing multiple accounts with an MCC, you can add the individual accounts that you believe will benefit from pay-per-action, including your own.
Is it possible to set a cost-per-action (CPA) value (i.e. the amount I'd like to pay for a specific action) as a percentage of the amount of the purchase rather than as a fixed amount per purchase?
We don't currently offer the option to set a CPA value as a percentage. The cost-per-action value must be a fixed amount.
I am also an AdSense publisher and would like to participate in this test. How can I sign up?
Please visit the AdSense referrals beta site, on which you'll find a 'Sign Up' link.
I am not a US advertiser, and wonder when pay-per-action will be available in my country?
Although we plan to extend the pay-per-action beta test to advertisers outside of the US in the future, we don’t currently have a date for when this option may become available in other countries.
Although I am not a US advertiser, my campaigns do target US customers. Can I participate in the beta?
At this time, we're only accepting advertisers who have a billing address located in the United States.
Want to learn more? Please take a look at our frequently asked questions regarding the pay-per-action beta.
Qantas In-flight Entertainment: Stranger Than Fiction
You will recall from yesterday that I was set to fly Qantas today, domestic long-haul to Perth. I genuinely went with a fresh mind and non-critical heart. Enjoyed a great breakfast in the lounge, had happily checked-in online and passed smoothly through the gate with a stack of free lounge acquired newspapers under my arm.
15 minutes into the flight the CSM/Pursar starts the usual announcements
- welcome aboard etc
- you may now move about the cabin etc
- we will soon be serving breakfast etc
AND OF COURSE...
I could not have planned ths story better. Quoting the movie temptingly advertised in the inflight magazine but desparately unavailable - Stranger Than Fiction.
15 minutes into the flight the CSM/Pursar starts the usual announcements
- welcome aboard etc
- you may now move about the cabin etc
- we will soon be serving breakfast etc
AND OF COURSE...
we apologise but the audio/video system on this flight is not working and has had to be shut down
I could not have planned ths story better. Quoting the movie temptingly advertised in the inflight magazine but desparately unavailable - Stranger Than Fiction.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
How Joining A Forum Can Be Beneficial To Your Home-Based Business
Online forums are a fantastic reminder of the influence the internet has had on society. Using forums to connect with your home business market is a natural progression.
Forums are online communities where individuals can discuss topics ranging from fly fishing to breast feeding to internet business. Discussions are conducted by posting notes to the forum. A single discussion is called a 'thread' and most forums have several - even hundreds - of threads going at any time.
What is truly remarkable about the use of forums is the personal quality of the discussions. Read some of the posts on forums such as ivillage.com and you'll soon see that the members become more like neighbors (and even friends) than strangers connected only by the keyboard and monitor in front of them.
Where brick and mortar businesses used to prosper based on their involvement in the community - online businesses now have a neighborhood all their own - online forums.
How can participating in a forum help YOUR home-based business?
NETWORKING:
Online forums are a fantastic place to connect with others who are knowledgeable about your business. You probably cater to the same audience and share a common interest. If your businesses compliment one another you might just find a highly profitable partnership or joint venture.
Even if you don't find a working relationship you may find the referrals or discussions highly beneficial.
TRAFFIC BUILDING:
Along with the referrals you may get when you've developed a trusted online presence with other members of the forum, you are also likely to attract targeted visitors to your home business website.
If the forum permits you to post a signature (your website URL) onto the posts then you can be sure that some of the members and quite likely some of the 'lurkers' (people who view but don't post) will come check out your site.
EDUCATION:
Using the forums wisely can open you up to a great education. Whether it is from fellow entrepreneurs in your field or experts and other posters - you are participating in an 'inner circle' type discussion that may open your eyes to new developments and opportunities in your business.
ADDICTIVE:
The only downside is the highly addictive atmosphere. With members posting from all over the world it can be difficult to reign in your viewing time on forums.
On the flip side, other members are hopefully as interested in what you have to say and you may quickly develop a reputation as a reliable source for information.
Be very cautious to follow forum rules. Never spam a forum - your aim should be to participate in a conversation, not interrupt it. Have fun and watch your home based business grow!
Forums are online communities where individuals can discuss topics ranging from fly fishing to breast feeding to internet business. Discussions are conducted by posting notes to the forum. A single discussion is called a 'thread' and most forums have several - even hundreds - of threads going at any time.
What is truly remarkable about the use of forums is the personal quality of the discussions. Read some of the posts on forums such as ivillage.com and you'll soon see that the members become more like neighbors (and even friends) than strangers connected only by the keyboard and monitor in front of them.
Where brick and mortar businesses used to prosper based on their involvement in the community - online businesses now have a neighborhood all their own - online forums.
How can participating in a forum help YOUR home-based business?
NETWORKING:
Online forums are a fantastic place to connect with others who are knowledgeable about your business. You probably cater to the same audience and share a common interest. If your businesses compliment one another you might just find a highly profitable partnership or joint venture.
Even if you don't find a working relationship you may find the referrals or discussions highly beneficial.
TRAFFIC BUILDING:
Along with the referrals you may get when you've developed a trusted online presence with other members of the forum, you are also likely to attract targeted visitors to your home business website.
If the forum permits you to post a signature (your website URL) onto the posts then you can be sure that some of the members and quite likely some of the 'lurkers' (people who view but don't post) will come check out your site.
EDUCATION:
Using the forums wisely can open you up to a great education. Whether it is from fellow entrepreneurs in your field or experts and other posters - you are participating in an 'inner circle' type discussion that may open your eyes to new developments and opportunities in your business.
ADDICTIVE:
The only downside is the highly addictive atmosphere. With members posting from all over the world it can be difficult to reign in your viewing time on forums.
On the flip side, other members are hopefully as interested in what you have to say and you may quickly develop a reputation as a reliable source for information.
Be very cautious to follow forum rules. Never spam a forum - your aim should be to participate in a conversation, not interrupt it. Have fun and watch your home based business grow!
Carnival of the Agilists
We are honored to have been selected for the Carnival of the Agilists, in the latest "issue". See Pete Behrens's blog and Agile Alliance for the other blog entries selected. Agile Alliance has all the previous Carnival selections.
"Carnival" I hope suggests the joyous creative side of Agile. And the variety of opinions that are voiced. For some of you, there may be an association with "too rowdy" or unbridled behavior (think of a Southern city that is also famous for a hurricane). Some people under the banner of Agile do things that provide a minor bit of support for that negative image, but, in my opinion, that is not what Agile is about at all.
Anyway, enjoy this selection of blog entries.
"Carnival" I hope suggests the joyous creative side of Agile. And the variety of opinions that are voiced. For some of you, there may be an association with "too rowdy" or unbridled behavior (think of a Southern city that is also famous for a hurricane). Some people under the banner of Agile do things that provide a minor bit of support for that negative image, but, in my opinion, that is not what Agile is about at all.
Anyway, enjoy this selection of blog entries.
Maybe they're born with it -- or maybe it's labeling
In our 20 months of blog existence, we've published more than 270 posts geared towards AdSense publishers. There are a lot of useful updates and tips buried in our archives, and we want to make sure that you're able to find all of this great content once it no longer appears on the blog. So we're excited to tell you that we now feature labels at the bottom of every post and in our sidebar to better organize all of the blog's content.
If you’ve just joined AdSense, for instance, you can click the ‘Newbie’ label to find information about getting started with your account. Are you looking for information about how to understand your reports? Just visit the 'Earnings/Reports' section of the blog. You can look forward to categories like:
AdSense features
Case studies
Earnings/Reports
International
Newbie
Optimization
Other
Other Google products
Payments
Program Policies
We’re currently in the process of adding labels to all of the posts in our archives, and we appreciate your patience while we finish updating. Finally, if you're interested in adding labels to your own Blogger blog, feel free to visit Blogger's Help Center for instructions.
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Back on the blog April 2
As mentioned am off to Perth for business trip - a busy schedule will keep me off the blog. Will be back with more news Monday.
Trade Me vs Wotif
Nice little battle (maybe) about to emerge in New Zealand between online auction giant (by NZ standards) and Fairfax subsidiary Trade Me and regional online accommodation super star Wotif.com. Trade Me have announced (according to Stuff.co.nz) a tie up with travel tech firm Vianet to
UPDATE - Stuff.co.nz have an update on this story. Including:
1. 1,000 hotels already signed up
2. Trade Me parent Fairfax Media has acquired a 12.5% stake in Vianet International the company building the software behind the product (hey...Vianet are one of the few using a .travel domain)
My general warning for Trade Me is do not assume that ecommerce traffic from one style of business (in this case auctions) will always translate into sales in another category (travel). For example eBay have never been able to achieve the results in travel that their brand would indicate. On a more local level, Hotels.com has never been able to shift the demand it generates in hotels into air sales despite efforts to incorporate Expedia's dynamic packaging technology.
to build a tourism website where people can book rooms in New Zealand's hotels, motels, campgrounds and other accommodation.There is some blahblah in the press release about how this will be different to Wotif because it will target "ordinary kiwis" while Wotif is focused on businessmen. Don't believe it. Assuming the site is launched this will be an old fashioned battle between an established brand leader (Wotif) and a new entrant that hopes to push traffic from one form of ecommerce to another. At this stage it is clearly - advantage Wotif.
UPDATE - Stuff.co.nz have an update on this story. Including:
1. 1,000 hotels already signed up
2. Trade Me parent Fairfax Media has acquired a 12.5% stake in Vianet International the company building the software behind the product (hey...Vianet are one of the few using a .travel domain)
My general warning for Trade Me is do not assume that ecommerce traffic from one style of business (in this case auctions) will always translate into sales in another category (travel). For example eBay have never been able to achieve the results in travel that their brand would indicate. On a more local level, Hotels.com has never been able to shift the demand it generates in hotels into air sales despite efforts to incorporate Expedia's dynamic packaging technology.
Expedia continues a trend of Pay Per Kick Marketing
Expedia AU is now the "official online agent" for the Sydney Swans (who - for my international readers- play a type of football only played in Australia). Part of the deal is Expedia branding on the football at home games introducing almost a world online travel first of pay per kick. Is not the first time Expedia AU boss Arthur Hoffmann (seen here with Sydney coach Paul Roos) has been active with an offline branding campaign (you will recall the lovely ladies in lemon). It is also not Expedia's first foray into kick based sports 
sponsorship. For a period around 2002 (and maybe longer) Expedia was a mat sponsor of the brutal sport of Ultimate Fighting Championship. As you can see from the image, left that was pay per kick, smack, wack, hack, twack and break your back marketing at its finest.football photo courtesy of expedia.com.au UFC photo courtesy of UFC
UPDATE- See also the video on Kevin's Travolution blog that has a [lost for words] video of dancing Expedia suitcases for more on Expedia's global branding drive.
UPDATE 2 - Expedia AU have now appointed a local PR firm - Sefiani Communications Group - to help with Australian marketing and profile building (according to B&T magazine). No word on plans.
Am I too tough on Qantas?
Am travelling to Perth tomorrow for work. My first time to Perth and my first long haul Qantas flight in economy for a very long time. Was talking through this with a friend last night from a travel start-up that I am helping with fund raising when he commented on his own experiences with Qantas economy long haul. As a reader of my blog he was aware of my almost non-stop barrage of negative commentary on Qantas, especially around its customer service and VOD system. His summary -
So maybe I am being tough on them because they do offer a great product and I will continue to consume it but I re-issue my warning to them (and any potential new owners) that when/if they lose the duopoly on the Pacific Route or the anti-competitive deal with BA on the Kangaroo route their will be a flood of high end customers like me for whom a "great product" will not be enough to retain our custom.
Will let you know how I go with them to Perth.
"The VOD was working perfectly, the seat was great, the product is not that bad"It turned me to thinking about why I am so tough on Qantas and a realised the answer. It is not because I do not want to fly them. In fact the contrary is true. I have previously and would again rank them as my number 4 preferred long haul carrier (though I have not flown Emirates or Virgin Atlantic). They have a very good product. The seats good, the food among the best in the sky and the lounges great (especially the showers). My problem is not, "do they have a good product", it is "the product is not as good as they say it is". Service industries are about delivering to the expectations you set. I am annoyed and angry with Qantas because they say that their seat is the biggest in its class, the VOD system the best, the service the friendliest, the pillows the fluffiest, that devaluations of frequent flyer miles are in my best interest and that their focus is purely on its customers when the truth is that Cathay, Singapore and BA beat them on all those functional fronts and that cost cutting and efficiency are the number one thing on their mind not service.
So maybe I am being tough on them because they do offer a great product and I will continue to consume it but I re-issue my warning to them (and any potential new owners) that when/if they lose the duopoly on the Pacific Route or the anti-competitive deal with BA on the Kangaroo route their will be a flood of high end customers like me for whom a "great product" will not be enough to retain our custom.
Will let you know how I go with them to Perth.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
How To Target Your Internet Advertising For Your Home Business Niche
So you got your home based business website up and running. You hired an excellent web designer to craft a perfect home page and satellite pages that will really draw in the visitors and inspire them to buy. You have a beautiful catalog of products with detailed descriptions. You have a section dedicated to the services you provide with praises from past customers. And you have the best online shopping cart service out there so that you customers can buy from you with no hassles and next day shipping. That's great! Now where are your customers?
Driving traffic to your home business website is a much discussed and much misunderstood venture. There are a million theories out there that claim to drive tons of new visitors to your site daily. There are services that say they will increase your traffic by an enormous percentage if you will only pay them their small fee over a period of fifty years. There are so-called experts who will place your pages on all the best search engines on the net. They claim that with this kind of blanket exposure, your traffic numbers will explode within days.
But the only sure-fire way to draw productive traffic to your home business website is through targeted marketing. The important word to notice here is "productive." You can draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to your site every year by hosting a giveaway of some kind. Services that search the internet for freebies will have people clicking a link to your site like crazy. But these people are not there to buy anything from you ... quite the opposite. They are empty clicks. There is nothing productive about this kind of traffic. People looking for free stuff will rarely make you any kind of money. And that's what you're after, right?
So target your marketing to the people who really want to buy what you have to offer. How? Start by trying these basic steps...
* Hire an experienced copywriter. The copy that is on your site makes a world of difference in the sales you garner from the internet. Most important to targeted marketing are the keywords found in your title and the metatags in the website's code. An experienced copywriter will know how to determine the most effective keywords and place them strategically in your site's copy. If you cannot afford a copywriter, do some research and talk to your web designer about inserting metatags.
* You can enroll in pay per click search engines. Obviously, google.com is one of these, but most of the most popular keywords are already taken. If you can think of some original phrases that people use to search for your products or services, you can post your ad next to the text that comes up when people search for that phrase. Every time someone clicks on your ad to go to your site, you pay google.com a nominal fee.
* Submit articles to free ezine sites. This is especially helpful if you are a service provider. You can write, or hire someone to write, an article for you about your area of expertise. Give some free tips, offer your experience, and be accessible in the text. Then at the bottom of the article, you get a link to your home based business website advertising your services. Every time someone publishes your article in their ezine or newsletter, they must use your web address at the bottom.
These are just a few of the many ways to ensure you get "productive" traffic. Empty clicks are just that ... empty... and your wallet will stay that way, too!
Driving traffic to your home business website is a much discussed and much misunderstood venture. There are a million theories out there that claim to drive tons of new visitors to your site daily. There are services that say they will increase your traffic by an enormous percentage if you will only pay them their small fee over a period of fifty years. There are so-called experts who will place your pages on all the best search engines on the net. They claim that with this kind of blanket exposure, your traffic numbers will explode within days.
But the only sure-fire way to draw productive traffic to your home business website is through targeted marketing. The important word to notice here is "productive." You can draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to your site every year by hosting a giveaway of some kind. Services that search the internet for freebies will have people clicking a link to your site like crazy. But these people are not there to buy anything from you ... quite the opposite. They are empty clicks. There is nothing productive about this kind of traffic. People looking for free stuff will rarely make you any kind of money. And that's what you're after, right?
So target your marketing to the people who really want to buy what you have to offer. How? Start by trying these basic steps...
* Hire an experienced copywriter. The copy that is on your site makes a world of difference in the sales you garner from the internet. Most important to targeted marketing are the keywords found in your title and the metatags in the website's code. An experienced copywriter will know how to determine the most effective keywords and place them strategically in your site's copy. If you cannot afford a copywriter, do some research and talk to your web designer about inserting metatags.
* You can enroll in pay per click search engines. Obviously, google.com is one of these, but most of the most popular keywords are already taken. If you can think of some original phrases that people use to search for your products or services, you can post your ad next to the text that comes up when people search for that phrase. Every time someone clicks on your ad to go to your site, you pay google.com a nominal fee.
* Submit articles to free ezine sites. This is especially helpful if you are a service provider. You can write, or hire someone to write, an article for you about your area of expertise. Give some free tips, offer your experience, and be accessible in the text. Then at the bottom of the article, you get a link to your home based business website advertising your services. Every time someone publishes your article in their ezine or newsletter, they must use your web address at the bottom.
These are just a few of the many ways to ensure you get "productive" traffic. Empty clicks are just that ... empty... and your wallet will stay that way, too!
AdSense Help Forum in Traditional Chinese
If you speak Chinese (or if you're an avid blog reader), you may remember that we launched an AdSense Help Forum in Simplified Chinese back in September 2006. We're happy to announce that the AdSense Help Forum is now also available in Traditional Chinese. There are over 1 billion Chinese speakers in the world, and we hope these two forums will allow our Chinese publishers to communicate in the most convenient manner.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Did You Get All Your Home Business Tax Deductions This Year?
In any home business you definitely have more tax advantages than if you were self-employed. The tax advantages become substantial when you consider how you can improve the profitability of your home business by declaring all of the deductions you are entitled to.
You may be missing some very important deductions. You must itemize your deductions for your home business operation on a separate schedule just as you would for your personal deductions. Knowing which deductions you are entitled to can save your home business hundreds of dollars a year.
Here is some background information on how your income tax amount is arrived at by the IRS.
The U.S. taxation code states that almost all income is subject to federal income tax. The way that you, as the owner of your home business, arrive at the final amount of income tax is as follows:
Gross Income - (All Expenses + Miscellaneous Deductions + Depreciation on Assets) = Taxable Income.
Taxable Income X (Your Tax Rate) = Income tax for the fiscal year.
Here is a quick definition of the terms in the above taxation equation:
Gross Income = The total of all income for the year after the cost of the inventory has been paid for.
Expenses = All costs of doing business during the fiscal tax year. Examples include payroll, materials, supplies and interest on business loans, etc. To find out if an expense qualifies as a legitimate business expense, consult your accountant or the IRS.
Depreciation = This is the way of spreading out the deductibility of an asset over a period of more than one year.
The IRS has certain different depreciation schedules for different business property. This is done for assets like real estate, equipment and other assets with a long economic life. This method of taxation write-off has certain advantages. Be sure to talk to your accountant regarding proper depreciation rules. These rules are subject to change by the Congress and the IRS.
Miscellaneous Deductions:
This is an often misunderstood and overlooked way to save a lot of money on taxes. Remember that these types of expenses must be totaled up and declared on a separate schedule of your income tax forms.
Always track your expenses and be sure to save at least one copy of every deduction. You will be asked for proof of every transaction that is declared as a deduction if you are audited by the IRS!
Here is a list of some of the things you can deduct from your income taxes:
Business related expenses include:
1. Air fares
2. Auto expenses
3. Books and Magazines
4. Educational Expenses
5. Home Office Space* + a portion of utilities, telephone, and maintenance costs
6. Office Furniture
7. Cleaning Expenses
8. Meals with Business Clients
9. Laundry Expenses (When Traveling)
10. Advertising
11. Impairment-related Expenses
12. Licenses and Regulatory Fees
* If you own your home you must use the IRS depreciation rules to determine this deduction. If you rent you may also deduct a portion of your rent.
Check IRS Publication 535 to find out if you can deduct any or all of the above.
As you can see there are many deductions that are allowable for your home business. The best way to get more information on tax deductions and related information on income taxes is to go online to www.irs.gov. There you will find a helpful search engine containing thousands of government publications that you can research and print out if you need to.
Now you have a good idea of the deductions you are entitled to take. So do your research, keep track of your expenses and take all of the deductions you can for maximum profit every year.
You may be missing some very important deductions. You must itemize your deductions for your home business operation on a separate schedule just as you would for your personal deductions. Knowing which deductions you are entitled to can save your home business hundreds of dollars a year.
Here is some background information on how your income tax amount is arrived at by the IRS.
The U.S. taxation code states that almost all income is subject to federal income tax. The way that you, as the owner of your home business, arrive at the final amount of income tax is as follows:
Gross Income - (All Expenses + Miscellaneous Deductions + Depreciation on Assets) = Taxable Income.
Taxable Income X (Your Tax Rate) = Income tax for the fiscal year.
Here is a quick definition of the terms in the above taxation equation:
Gross Income = The total of all income for the year after the cost of the inventory has been paid for.
Expenses = All costs of doing business during the fiscal tax year. Examples include payroll, materials, supplies and interest on business loans, etc. To find out if an expense qualifies as a legitimate business expense, consult your accountant or the IRS.
Depreciation = This is the way of spreading out the deductibility of an asset over a period of more than one year.
The IRS has certain different depreciation schedules for different business property. This is done for assets like real estate, equipment and other assets with a long economic life. This method of taxation write-off has certain advantages. Be sure to talk to your accountant regarding proper depreciation rules. These rules are subject to change by the Congress and the IRS.
Miscellaneous Deductions:
This is an often misunderstood and overlooked way to save a lot of money on taxes. Remember that these types of expenses must be totaled up and declared on a separate schedule of your income tax forms.
Always track your expenses and be sure to save at least one copy of every deduction. You will be asked for proof of every transaction that is declared as a deduction if you are audited by the IRS!
Here is a list of some of the things you can deduct from your income taxes:
Business related expenses include:
1. Air fares
2. Auto expenses
3. Books and Magazines
4. Educational Expenses
5. Home Office Space* + a portion of utilities, telephone, and maintenance costs
6. Office Furniture
7. Cleaning Expenses
8. Meals with Business Clients
9. Laundry Expenses (When Traveling)
10. Advertising
11. Impairment-related Expenses
12. Licenses and Regulatory Fees
* If you own your home you must use the IRS depreciation rules to determine this deduction. If you rent you may also deduct a portion of your rent.
Check IRS Publication 535 to find out if you can deduct any or all of the above.
As you can see there are many deductions that are allowable for your home business. The best way to get more information on tax deductions and related information on income taxes is to go online to www.irs.gov. There you will find a helpful search engine containing thousands of government publications that you can research and print out if you need to.
Now you have a good idea of the deductions you are entitled to take. So do your research, keep track of your expenses and take all of the deductions you can for maximum profit every year.
AdWords Editor's "Top 10 Favorites"
Have you wondered how to make the most of AdWords Editor? Or, if you haven't used the desktop application, are you interested in learning about its most popular features?
Annie Hsu from the AdWords Editor team spoke with users and compiled a list of the top ten reasons they love this campaign management application:
The AdWords Editor folks are always interested in hearing your feedback, so email them at adwordseditor@google.com if you have any comments or suggestions. If you haven't already downloaded AdWords Editor, you can get started now.
Annie Hsu from the AdWords Editor team spoke with users and compiled a list of the top ten reasons they love this campaign management application:
Whether you're just learning about AdWords Editor now or you've been with us since the beginning, we hope you'll find the following list of favorite features useful.
10. Find duplicate keywords in your account with just two clicks of your mouse.
9. Copy or cut and paste between ad groups, campaigns, or even across accounts.
8. Make bulk changes to destination URLs using the Add/Update Multiple tools or Advanced URL Changes.
7. If you need to edit your keywords or ads in a spreadsheet, copy the items to edit from the data view and paste them into a spreadsheet. Make your changes, then paste the contents of the spreadsheet directly into the appropriate Add/Update Multiple tool.
6. Undelete and activate previously deleted text ads.
5. Search your account quickly. Perform simple word searches, or do an Advanced Search to find items that meet the multiple criteria that you specify.
4. Easily find and edit bids, destination URLs, and text for ads, keywords, or sites.
3. Submit multiple exception requests at once.
2. Automatically organize your keywords into ad groups based on common themes.
1. Save a snapshot of your account for archiving or for sharing. Later, you can import the archive file to restore your prior account settings.
The AdWords Editor folks are always interested in hearing your feedback, so email them at adwordseditor@google.com if you have any comments or suggestions. If you haven't already downloaded AdWords Editor, you can get started now.
Import Export Business Agent Value
The following question was sent to me over the weekend, I thought it was about time for an update to the blog and this would be a good question to answer here.
Here is the inquiry:
If your job is to find buyers for your sellers (or sellers for your buyers) and you ask for commission when you set up the connection, is it reasonable to expect commission on every shipment from the point forward? After all, the two businesses are now in contact and they don't need you anymore. Surely it'd be less of a hassle (and cheaper) to deal with each other directly.
My Answer:
The question touches on a common misconception and undervaluing of one's efforts in obtaining new business for a company.
The first part asks if it is reasonable to expect a commission on every shipment from the beginning point forward.
My immediate answer is yes, it is reasonable. Consider an insurance company agent. In most instances the agent brings new business to the insurance company in the form of a new customer and in the case of life insurance, auto insurance, homeowner's insurance and just about every form of insurance, the agent continues to receive a residual commission for many years into the future (often 10 or as long as the agent is active and the policy is active).
Often in the case of insurance, an agent does little in the way of future work to maintain that policy other than to contact the insured periodically (usually to try and sell them something else), but there is a small amount of servicing most do provide, but the large amount of service comes direct from the insuranc company.
The insurance company is very appreciative to their agents and understand who butters their bread or puts the food on the CEO's table. Without that agent bringing that new business to the table, no one eats.
Getting back to the import export business, if a manufacturer or supplier did not hear from an agent/broker with new business, they would not have that business. Thus, if an agent brings $10,000 in new business to the manufacturer each year or each month, that is $10K or $120K or more they "would not" have without the work of the import export business agent/broker.
Everyone is different when it comes to assigning the value of one's services. Some, expecially owners of small to medium size businesses recongnize the value of having new business brought to their table while larger corporations are less likely to see that long term value.
In reply to the last part of the questions about having the supplier deal directly with the buyer, the assumption is correct, the more direct, the better. The value of the import export agent/broker still resolves back to the conclusion that this direct business relationship would never have happened had it not been for the work of the agent/broker.
Affixing that value is often interesting. I personally have been offered 20% commission to perform as both agent/broker in bringing new business to a company and acting as a laison for that relationship.
I countered with 10% and the company handle the one on one relationship and the residuals are paid on all business, both new and future purchases. In another similar situation, we accepted 20%, have no follow up responsibility and receive 5% on all future sales for one year (hey, we all have to be negotiable).
Still another company sends us a check about every quarter for work that we performed in 1997. It is a family run business doing over $10 million a year but they understood (and still do) the value of the new business we brought to their table.
So the bottom line is, in my opinion, one of how much does a company value new (and ongoing) business?
If you are a finder, import export business agent/broker and you are developing new business, always shop around for the best deal for both you and your potential referrals to a supplier. Remember that without you and your efforts, the manufacturer/supplier will most likely never get the new business you are bringing to their table.
Ron Coble
Coble International Marketing Services
Here is the inquiry:
If your job is to find buyers for your sellers (or sellers for your buyers) and you ask for commission when you set up the connection, is it reasonable to expect commission on every shipment from the point forward? After all, the two businesses are now in contact and they don't need you anymore. Surely it'd be less of a hassle (and cheaper) to deal with each other directly.
My Answer:
The question touches on a common misconception and undervaluing of one's efforts in obtaining new business for a company.
The first part asks if it is reasonable to expect a commission on every shipment from the beginning point forward.
My immediate answer is yes, it is reasonable. Consider an insurance company agent. In most instances the agent brings new business to the insurance company in the form of a new customer and in the case of life insurance, auto insurance, homeowner's insurance and just about every form of insurance, the agent continues to receive a residual commission for many years into the future (often 10 or as long as the agent is active and the policy is active).
Often in the case of insurance, an agent does little in the way of future work to maintain that policy other than to contact the insured periodically (usually to try and sell them something else), but there is a small amount of servicing most do provide, but the large amount of service comes direct from the insuranc company.
The insurance company is very appreciative to their agents and understand who butters their bread or puts the food on the CEO's table. Without that agent bringing that new business to the table, no one eats.
Getting back to the import export business, if a manufacturer or supplier did not hear from an agent/broker with new business, they would not have that business. Thus, if an agent brings $10,000 in new business to the manufacturer each year or each month, that is $10K or $120K or more they "would not" have without the work of the import export business agent/broker.
Everyone is different when it comes to assigning the value of one's services. Some, expecially owners of small to medium size businesses recongnize the value of having new business brought to their table while larger corporations are less likely to see that long term value.
In reply to the last part of the questions about having the supplier deal directly with the buyer, the assumption is correct, the more direct, the better. The value of the import export agent/broker still resolves back to the conclusion that this direct business relationship would never have happened had it not been for the work of the agent/broker.
Affixing that value is often interesting. I personally have been offered 20% commission to perform as both agent/broker in bringing new business to a company and acting as a laison for that relationship.
I countered with 10% and the company handle the one on one relationship and the residuals are paid on all business, both new and future purchases. In another similar situation, we accepted 20%, have no follow up responsibility and receive 5% on all future sales for one year (hey, we all have to be negotiable).
Still another company sends us a check about every quarter for work that we performed in 1997. It is a family run business doing over $10 million a year but they understood (and still do) the value of the new business we brought to their table.
So the bottom line is, in my opinion, one of how much does a company value new (and ongoing) business?
If you are a finder, import export business agent/broker and you are developing new business, always shop around for the best deal for both you and your potential referrals to a supplier. Remember that without you and your efforts, the manufacturer/supplier will most likely never get the new business you are bringing to their table.
Ron Coble
Coble International Marketing Services
"Expedia's Dead" Michael O'Leary
UPDATE 15 October 2008 - looks like the deal (described below) is dead
Back in November you will recall the announcement that needahotel and Ryanair had terminated their long standing hotel sales relationship under which needahotel powered Ryanair Hotels. I found this strange as even though Ryanair are renowned for being a hard and demanding client, the volumes were so significant that everyone wanted that account. It was especially strange given that Cendant's whole pre-Travelport days reason for buying needahotel was to gain this business. Needahotel itself was basically a reseller of Octopustravel. The greatest part of the story was that despite Ryanair's whole business and brand being based on being the cheapest there is, the needahotel/Ryanair Hotel prices were normally 6% plus more expensive than the rates on Octopus to enable three players to be fed from the commission available on a hotel booking.
That said Jeff Clarke of Travelport described the Ryanair relationship as an "under-performing affiliate" in the Q3 earnings call, so I assume that in the post-Cendant world the huge commission cheques to Ryanair could not longer be justified.
Not surprisingly there was a queue of suppliers lined up outside Dublin airport clamouring to take over the business - with Expedia's WWTE emerging as victorious. The question that arises from this is whether or not Expedia had to "drop their pants" for Ryanair. The struggle that most competitors had in trying to steal the business from the needahotel/Octopustravel combo was the huge commission that Octopus is able provide given its operator margin inventory. On a raw dollar for dollar basis Expedia does not have the margin to offer the same to Ryanair unless it effectively makes a loss. My interest is definitely piqued as to whether or not it was Expedia taking loss here to gain the volume or Ryanair took a hit and finally realised that the needahotel margins were unsustainable for all.
I am also reminded of a panel that I found myself on with Michael O'Leary (Ryanair CEO) back in boom time 1999 when I was working for Expedia. I spoke before Michael and in his opening moment he said words to the effect of
Back in November you will recall the announcement that needahotel and Ryanair had terminated their long standing hotel sales relationship under which needahotel powered Ryanair Hotels. I found this strange as even though Ryanair are renowned for being a hard and demanding client, the volumes were so significant that everyone wanted that account. It was especially strange given that Cendant's whole pre-Travelport days reason for buying needahotel was to gain this business. Needahotel itself was basically a reseller of Octopustravel. The greatest part of the story was that despite Ryanair's whole business and brand being based on being the cheapest there is, the needahotel/Ryanair Hotel prices were normally 6% plus more expensive than the rates on Octopus to enable three players to be fed from the commission available on a hotel booking.
That said Jeff Clarke of Travelport described the Ryanair relationship as an "under-performing affiliate" in the Q3 earnings call, so I assume that in the post-Cendant world the huge commission cheques to Ryanair could not longer be justified.
Not surprisingly there was a queue of suppliers lined up outside Dublin airport clamouring to take over the business - with Expedia's WWTE emerging as victorious. The question that arises from this is whether or not Expedia had to "drop their pants" for Ryanair. The struggle that most competitors had in trying to steal the business from the needahotel/Octopustravel combo was the huge commission that Octopus is able provide given its operator margin inventory. On a raw dollar for dollar basis Expedia does not have the margin to offer the same to Ryanair unless it effectively makes a loss. My interest is definitely piqued as to whether or not it was Expedia taking loss here to gain the volume or Ryanair took a hit and finally realised that the needahotel margins were unsustainable for all.
I am also reminded of a panel that I found myself on with Michael O'Leary (Ryanair CEO) back in boom time 1999 when I was working for Expedia. I spoke before Michael and in his opening moment he said words to the effect of
"There is no place in the world any more for travel agents....Expedia's Dead" (in a fantastic Irish accent)I assume the Dead pay cash....
Sunday, March 25, 2007
How to Advertise Using Safelists for Your Home Business?
As one who is operating a home-based business, your whole business is basically whittled down to one thing. That one thing is to get as many people as possible to your site in order to make sales.
If your home business is based on you promoting an affiiate product, you have no need to worry about writing ad copy, creating a new product, finding a niche or any of the other mundane tasks that go into product creation because they have already been done for you.
On the surface this seems like a no brainer. Easy money!
The problems arise when you stop to consider how many other affiliates in the same home business niche you are in are out there with the same goal in mind. What goal is this? Promoting the exact same product as you are with the exact same promotional material.
If you have been into internet marketing for any time at all you most likely have looked into many of the free advertising avenues available today. Safelists and traffic exchanges are probably the most prevalent of these.
Personally, I like to use safelists as a list building tool because they are populated with internet marketers. My target audience. I like the new lists that are credit based because it requires anyone wishing to use the list to advertise to actually view the site to get enough credits to mail their own ads.
Now think about this for one minute. How many times have you clicked on a link from a safelist and been taken to the exact page that you have seen ten times already that day?
Come on people! Do you really believe that if someone out there sees the same site over and over again that they will eventually break down and buy, join, opt-in or whatever else your cookie cutter affiliate page is trying to accomplish?
No!
If I see one of those pages after the first time I simply go back to checking my email and wait for the timer to reach zero so I can just close the browser.
On the other hand if I see a good page, with compelling copy, that is giving away a free report I am much more likely to read what the site has to say and give my name and email address to get the report.
Most of these marketers also will have their autoresponder set up to lead to a one time offer after capturing their prospects information. This is an awesome money making tactic.
Now that marketer has my name and email address and they can send me more offers for the same product or other related products. Most likely they will have a few messages already in the queue to go out at intervals of two to three days.
This is how to use a safelist effectively for your home based business. As your own list building tool. The people who opt-in to your list have showed themselves to be interested in your offer. They have set themselves apart from the crowd.
The money is in the list.
Use safelists wisely and they can still be effective affiliate marketing tools.
If your home business is based on you promoting an affiiate product, you have no need to worry about writing ad copy, creating a new product, finding a niche or any of the other mundane tasks that go into product creation because they have already been done for you.
On the surface this seems like a no brainer. Easy money!
The problems arise when you stop to consider how many other affiliates in the same home business niche you are in are out there with the same goal in mind. What goal is this? Promoting the exact same product as you are with the exact same promotional material.
If you have been into internet marketing for any time at all you most likely have looked into many of the free advertising avenues available today. Safelists and traffic exchanges are probably the most prevalent of these.
Personally, I like to use safelists as a list building tool because they are populated with internet marketers. My target audience. I like the new lists that are credit based because it requires anyone wishing to use the list to advertise to actually view the site to get enough credits to mail their own ads.
Now think about this for one minute. How many times have you clicked on a link from a safelist and been taken to the exact page that you have seen ten times already that day?
Come on people! Do you really believe that if someone out there sees the same site over and over again that they will eventually break down and buy, join, opt-in or whatever else your cookie cutter affiliate page is trying to accomplish?
No!
If I see one of those pages after the first time I simply go back to checking my email and wait for the timer to reach zero so I can just close the browser.
On the other hand if I see a good page, with compelling copy, that is giving away a free report I am much more likely to read what the site has to say and give my name and email address to get the report.
Most of these marketers also will have their autoresponder set up to lead to a one time offer after capturing their prospects information. This is an awesome money making tactic.
Now that marketer has my name and email address and they can send me more offers for the same product or other related products. Most likely they will have a few messages already in the queue to go out at intervals of two to three days.
This is how to use a safelist effectively for your home based business. As your own list building tool. The people who opt-in to your list have showed themselves to be interested in your offer. They have set themselves apart from the crowd.
The money is in the list.
Use safelists wisely and they can still be effective affiliate marketing tools.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Either hotels and operators in Europe are still out to lunch on the Internet or the EC is
Guest Editor Post from Michael Potts of e-interactive
I noticed today that AFP put out an interesting press release on the back of the ITB 2007 Travel Fair held in Berlin earlier this month called “Internet becoming indispensable to European travel industry”. Related to the use of internet by European travel retailers, it mentions that the European Commission (no reference dates provided) has published data on the proportion of European travel suppliers and intermediaries providing the ability for customer to booking online.
According to the figures only 36% of tour operators provide online booking services, whilst 40% of package operators (the difference is subtle between these two, perhaps too subtle for the end consumer who wouldn’t notice a difference) and 62% of hotels allow booking online.
Only 36% of tour operators? Wow….! 38% of hotels don’t have a website? I’m in the right business it seems! I have tried to find the full version of this research and failed, however these numbers do feel incredibly low for a mature market.
Given that in the US, online travel revenue will exceed offline revenue in 2007 (PhoCusWright's U.S. Online Travel Overview, Sixth Edition, 2006), I would imagine that the percentage of suppliers and intermediaries providing online services is much higher. Is this a great opportunity for worldly wise 3rd party sellers and OTA’s like Expedia to offer a web development service for these 1000’s of hotels? And is this why so many of these 3rd parties are being allowed to advertise on European hotels brand names?
I noticed today that AFP put out an interesting press release on the back of the ITB 2007 Travel Fair held in Berlin earlier this month called “Internet becoming indispensable to European travel industry”. Related to the use of internet by European travel retailers, it mentions that the European Commission (no reference dates provided) has published data on the proportion of European travel suppliers and intermediaries providing the ability for customer to booking online.
According to the figures only 36% of tour operators provide online booking services, whilst 40% of package operators (the difference is subtle between these two, perhaps too subtle for the end consumer who wouldn’t notice a difference) and 62% of hotels allow booking online.
Only 36% of tour operators? Wow….! 38% of hotels don’t have a website? I’m in the right business it seems! I have tried to find the full version of this research and failed, however these numbers do feel incredibly low for a mature market.
Given that in the US, online travel revenue will exceed offline revenue in 2007 (PhoCusWright's U.S. Online Travel Overview, Sixth Edition, 2006), I would imagine that the percentage of suppliers and intermediaries providing online services is much higher. Is this a great opportunity for worldly wise 3rd party sellers and OTA’s like Expedia to offer a web development service for these 1000’s of hotels? And is this why so many of these 3rd parties are being allowed to advertise on European hotels brand names?
Friday, March 23, 2007
How to Promote Your Home Business by Speaking in Public
As an entrepreneur, public speaking has to be one of the most effective ways of marketing yourself and your home-based business. There are countless opportunities out there for you to get yourself in front of your target market. There is no better way to have a captive audience full of prospects. It is the fastest way of establishing yourself as an expert.
You don’t have to be a professional speaker to speak in public. Just doing a reasonable job is better than not doing anything at all.
Prospects are much more likely to engage your services if they’ve seen you speak. Let’s look at the following example. Say you were looking for an accountant. Would you be more inclined to trust someone you had found in the Yellow Pages, or someone you had heard speak knowledgeably at the local Chamber of Commerce?
Look into opportunities in your local area where you can offer to speak for free. Professional associations, networking groups, Chambers of Commerce, educational bodies and Rotary Clubs are all potential public speaking venues. They often look out for speakers for their events, meetings and workshops.
Also research the audience of your home business niche that is going to be at your talk. For example, what industries are they likely to represent? Are they from large or small companies? What would interest them? What angle should your presentation take?
When it comes to finalizing your speech topic, be sure to make it sound enticing and interesting. People often decide whether to attend a talk based on just the title so put some serious thought into this.
Practice is key to coming across in a professional manner and reducing nerves. Write your speech out in full, but never read it verbatim. Have an outline prepared and available for you to refer to.
Check with the event organizer how long you have for your talk. Include timing in your practice runs. There is nothing worse than having a speaker run over time.
Get the most mileage out of your presentation by having some promotional material at the back of the room, for example some business cards, flyers or brochures that people can take with them if they wish.
You can be even more proactive and set up a newsletter before starting to give speeches. At the end of your presentation you can encourage your audience to sign up for your newsletter in exchange for a promotional gift or free e-book. That way you have also added valuable contacts to your database.
Many entrepreneurs swear by public speaking as a way of building and maintaining a steady stream of clients for their home based businesses.
You don’t have to be a professional speaker to speak in public. Just doing a reasonable job is better than not doing anything at all.
Prospects are much more likely to engage your services if they’ve seen you speak. Let’s look at the following example. Say you were looking for an accountant. Would you be more inclined to trust someone you had found in the Yellow Pages, or someone you had heard speak knowledgeably at the local Chamber of Commerce?
Look into opportunities in your local area where you can offer to speak for free. Professional associations, networking groups, Chambers of Commerce, educational bodies and Rotary Clubs are all potential public speaking venues. They often look out for speakers for their events, meetings and workshops.
Also research the audience of your home business niche that is going to be at your talk. For example, what industries are they likely to represent? Are they from large or small companies? What would interest them? What angle should your presentation take?
When it comes to finalizing your speech topic, be sure to make it sound enticing and interesting. People often decide whether to attend a talk based on just the title so put some serious thought into this.
Practice is key to coming across in a professional manner and reducing nerves. Write your speech out in full, but never read it verbatim. Have an outline prepared and available for you to refer to.
Check with the event organizer how long you have for your talk. Include timing in your practice runs. There is nothing worse than having a speaker run over time.
Get the most mileage out of your presentation by having some promotional material at the back of the room, for example some business cards, flyers or brochures that people can take with them if they wish.
You can be even more proactive and set up a newsletter before starting to give speeches. At the end of your presentation you can encourage your audience to sign up for your newsletter in exchange for a promotional gift or free e-book. That way you have also added valuable contacts to your database.
Many entrepreneurs swear by public speaking as a way of building and maintaining a steady stream of clients for their home based businesses.
A few notes to American Airlines
Have given American Airlines a hard time recently
- complained in the past they do not have a seat anywhere on its aircraft that Seatguru would give a green light to;
- have joked that the new AA business class is now good enough to be only one generation behind the market behind the market leaders; and
- have added my voice to the blogger revolution complaining about extended and unrepentant delays and customer stranding.
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