GBLCG.com - Blogs http://gblcg.com/blogs/ Growing community that makes, breaks and shakes world trends. en Tue, 22 May 2012 13:04:05 GMT vBulletin 60 http://gblcg.com/images/styles/ZenHeat/misc/rss.jpg GBLCG.com - Blogs http://gblcg.com/blogs/ Light Travel Time from Earth: 13.7 Billion Years http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/light-travel-time-earth-13-7-billion-years-70/ Wed, 02 May 2012 03:58:14 GMT If there’s anything tangible that teaches us about our significance, it’s the universe. We all know it’s huge, expansive and a largely unknown... If there’s anything tangible that teaches us about our significance, it’s the universe. We all know it’s huge, expansive and a largely unknown ‘something’ in which we happen to exist, to many of us only known as lots of black night time darkness that’s filled with billions of stars.

It’s easy to forget that our little but precious home, which we call Earth, actually swims as a microscopic, minute clump of dirt in an ocean that’s incomprehensively large. Here’s 7 billion of us, living on a cosmological speck of dust, which is the only speck we’ll ever be given in this lifetime to enjoy ourselves on, and we’re treating it as a disposable commodity. I won’t be apologising for being sentimental about this, nor will I offer excuses for the strength of my statement.

This movie isn’t just a technological marvel; it’s a reminder. It reminds us that, in terms of our universe, our senses of importance, superiority and dominance may just be completely inflated. It shows that we ultimately live in a pond which size can only be estimated in Light Travel Time or redshift only, which reduces our own physical size in relation to this to probably less than atomic proportions.


Perhaps it’s time to rethink our self-image, our priorities as a species and our self-proclaimed importance and significance. To us, our dreams and aspirations may appear enormous, but in relation to what’s going on around us, at the most grandiose scale imaginable, what are they really?

As hard as it may be to accept, ultimately the universe nor Earth doesn’t give a dime for our actions and both have been in existence longer than us humans. We must care for Earth not for Earth’s sake but for what it hosts – us, as well as all other species.

And if we learn to do that well – much better than what we’re doing currently – our little planet may just keep it’s good looks for longer times to come..

]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/light-travel-time-earth-13-7-billion-years-70/ Can Occupy Occupy Management Consulting? http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/can-occupy-occupy-management-consulting-69/ Tue, 01 May 2012 11:21:37 GMT Attachment 243 (http://gblcg.com/attachments/f31/243-action-labs-versus-workshops-environmentalists-industrialists_gblcg-com.jpg)The Occupy Movement - what could, should or must we, entrepreneurs and management...
Cartoon showing industrialist versus environmentalist at gblcg.com
The Occupy Movement - what could, should or must we, entrepreneurs and management consultants take from it?

What may have seemed a temporary flare of social insanity to observers seems still very much alive since its inception on September 17, 2011. As with most activism, the movement divided a global audience in five camps: those who don't know, who don't care, who don't understand, who oppose and, of course, those who support.

Not surprising, the two most vocal parties are the two latter, with supporters showing the world what their movement's name actually stands for and, conversely, the targeted establishment turning to mainstream media, law enforcement and judicial means to restore what they may perceive as normality.

The Uncomfortable Conversation

A considerable amount of grey seems to sit between these extremes, occupied - excuse the pun - by a less expressive people who either don’t know, care or understand. I now question whether management consultants can allow themselves to remain in the ‘not knowing’ or ‘not caring’ camps, considering this movement addresses the way corporations operate, among other objectives.

It’s obvious that this movement locks horns with the hands that feed so many of us; the often large corporations that continue to pay our fees and, let’s be honest, gives management consulting a reason for being.

After speaking with some consultants I discovered that the emergence and resilience of the Occupy Movement isn’t an easy topic for discussion. Some admitted ‘not to know much’ about the movement, or ‘not enough to formulate meaningful opinions’ on whether the movement should be supported or opposed.

Personally Supportive – Professionally Opposed

More opinionated respondents admitted to be in two minds about the Movement; personally supportive but professionally unsure or even blatantly opposed.

Speaking from personal perspectives, opinionated respondents saw that ‘things needed changing’ to stop the damaging of our ecologies. The parents among them often connected the long-term welfare of their children with the responsibilities adults needed to take for the preservation of our natural resources. To a lesser degree, non-parenting consultants shared that opinion as well, some of whom declared that it became ’harder and harder to explain their occupation at social events, increasingly facing scrutiny from their friends’.

“It simply becomes harder to explain to people that your profession is about making businesses more profitable” said one respondent, “because nine out of ten, there will be at least one person listening who’ll demonise you for it”.

“Few consultants will be able to explain how they help clients become greener and cleaner whilst working toward the fattening of their bottom lines”.

Then there’s the other side of the equation, which concerns respondent’s views taken on the Occupy Movement through their professional management consulting lenses. Many respondents felt that the Movement made unrealistic demands, particularly in relation to timeframes. Others felt that the Movement failed to ‘sell’ its propositions and suggestions successfully by deliberately creating a widening divide between, in their terms, the 1 and 99 per cent.

Rather than carefully dismantling their opposition in step-wise fashion, following a clearly thought-through strategy and series of tactics, the Movement chose to deploy mass attacks that, eventually, became so unruly and seemingly uncoordinated that the world lost track of who’s right and who’s wrong.

“To no one’s surprise, the confusion the Movement created among corporations – particularly the not-so-large ones – is now fuelling an entirely new type of management consulting that’s still required to help with fatting bottom lines, but this time by ‘greener’ means, which now causes money to flow in the direction of other large corporations that are able to offer these means.

Money, in other words, still won’t flow back into communities as hoped for – certainly not in the short term and in any significant amount.”

Who & What Needs Changing?

“It’s hard to face a board of directors to challenge them on their organisation’s lack of ‘greenness’ when there’s masses of people waiting in droves outside to get their hands on the products it manufactures, markets or sells. No top or senior executive will go tell these people that they cannot longer buy these products, because they aren’t ecologically friendly enough.”

Essentially, what my respondents told me was that it isn’t necessarily the governments, banks, large corporations and regulating institutions that need changing, but the way people think and act. Although often considering it an uncomfortable thought, the majority of my respondents sensed that all the The Occupy Movement had achieved was winning the heart of a group yet far too small to effectively face an alienated and ostracised mass of bystanders and opponents.

Will Occupy Occupy Our Futures..

There’s no doubt that the Occupy Movement has already left some of its intended legacy. And, listening to Occupy supporters among our friends, there’s also no doubt that the Occupy Movement will not cease and desist in the near future. The mass of supporters may yet be too small to effectively face its adversaries, but it’s already proving to be large enough to sustain and regain itself – though it’s unclear to me whether the Movement is growing as fast as its instigators hoped for.

To me, it’s also clear that executives, entrepreneurs and management consultants cannot longer hide behind ignorance for we, too, must play our part in mending the seemingly widening abyss between the 1 and 99 per cent.

Things seldom are either black or white; more often of some nuanced grey, and suggest we should position our opinions and thoughts on the Occupy Movement wisely and accordingly.

Exerting Our Management Consulting Influence

Finally, considering the power and influence we, management consultants, can exert onto our world and the making of its futures, I think it’s our responsibility to formulate clearer opinions on what the Occupy Movement stands for, how it acts and its achievements. Moreover, I think we must be courageous enough to explore answers to the questions we have; to intelligently fill the gaps in our knowledge of what’s actually going on.

If you don’t want to do this for yourself, consider it at least a matter of professionalism. I predict that, sooner rather than later, our clients will expect pertinent answers from us as to how The Occupy Movement will affect their businesses.

Not knowing how to respond won’t help anyone, irrespective their position on the proponent-opponent scale…


- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/can-occupy-occupy-management-consulting-69/ Best Movie Examples of Leadership http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/best-movie-examples-leadership-68/ Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:54:42 GMT Attachment 241 (http://gblcg.com/attachments/f31/241-unfreezing-rigid-patters-assumptions-oscar-2012.jpg)Following the publication of my blog... Which movie or television series character portrays good or even perfect leadership?Following the publication of my blog The Fugitive: Samuel Gerard’s Leadership I received a considerable number of responses from friends and colleagues, either agreeing or disagreeing with my thinking that Tommy Lee Jones, in his role as US Marshal Samuel Gerard, portrayed The Perfect Leader.

I must admit that I made that statement to provoke discussions on what Perfect Leadership actually looks like and, moreover, whether it actually exists. It’s the same statement I’ve made for years now when showing this video at meetings, seminars and workshops on leadership, always to pull discussions that seemed to get stranded in platitudes and clichés back into more ‘original’ waters.

Whilst in the midst of these discussions it recently occurred to me that other movies may portray Perfect Leadership even better. I am now looking for examples, and am asking for your help.

Can you suggest any movies – either theatre feature movies or televised series – in which at least one character portrays a good or even perfect leader?

Ideally, if you can find an example of that character’s acting on YouTube, Metacafe or Vimeo (or any other channel) I’d like to grab a link to that example from you through your response below. It would be great if you could give a short explanation for why you selected this character.

Once you publish your response, I’ll convert that link into an actual video link, showing the video to which you refer.

I’ve opened a full-fledged discussion thread especially dedicated to this topic under our Management & Leadership forum. The thread is called Leadership According Hollywood; click on this link to add your response.

To have your publisher details added automatically to your post, please complete the registration process first. It’s free, and prevents ill-intended people from polluting this thread with spam.

If we receive a good and decent number of responses, I'll send all contributors a link to a downloadable compilation of videos referred to. That may take a couple of weeks, subject to the rate of speed by which entries are made.

If you experience technical issues, don't know how to publish a response or how to include a link to your example video, send me an email through our Contact Us form [select 'Technical Posting Issue']

Look forward to receiving your responses – also hope we can surprise each other by showing examples of movies we may not have heard of.



- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/best-movie-examples-leadership-68/ The Fugitive: Samuel Gerard’s Leadership http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/fugitive-samuel-gerard-s-leadership-67/ Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:35:40 GMT Attachment 240 (http://gblcg.com/attachments/f31/240-about-action-labs-tommy-lee-jones_samuel-gerard.jpg)When the move The Fugitive was released in 1993 I was adamant to see it straight... Tommy Lee Jones' character Samuel Gerard, his leadership style, in The Fugitive [Warner Bros, 1993]When the move The Fugitive was released in 1993 I was adamant to see it straight away. Harrison Ford was one of Hollywood’s hot properties and, moreover, a leading role had been given to Tommy Lee Jones, for whom I had grown a soft spot. Initial reviews were glowing and critics seem to agree unanimously that a potential cult movie had been born.

When I left the movie theatre I wasn’t sure what had kept me spellbound; the special effects, the storyline, Ford’s and Jones’ terrific acting or that I’d actually met one of the actors – Jeroen Krabbè - two or three times in real life. Or, of course, all of the above.

Loving movies, it wasn’t the first time I saw a good production, but this time something else was at play – and, for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what it was. To get my finger on why I stayed in awe of The Fugitive I went out to buy the VHS to watch it again until I could figure out why the movie kept me so occupied.

It's Leadership, Dummy!

A few weeks later, it suddenly hit me. Setting aside all other aspects that make the movie great, there’s one section in the movie that actually showed what good leadership is about. Having stepped into my management consulting career three years earlier, and being still in the throes of learning what both ‘management’ and ‘consulting’ was about, I’d placed the unravelling of Leadership as a high-ranking priority on my to-do list.

To be more precise, I should actually say that I kept that unravelling as a priority on my to-do list, for that quest already started years earlier when serving in the military. When it hit me I realised that my awe stemmed from a few sections in the movie, all specifically featuring Tommy Lee Jones.

Jones, in his role as Samuel Gerard, a US Marshal tasked with capturing the convicted and escaped Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), portrays what could be considered The Perfect Leader. Constantly cool, calm and collected, never missing an investigative beat, self-controlled and clearly considered an authority by his team, Gerard leads his people directly to achieving their primary objective, the capture of Kimble, by leading right from the front.

Developing A Leader - Hollywood Style

When developing Gerard’s character, the script writers – and perhaps Jones as well – went clearly beyond the stock standard attributes Gerard had to have to be considered the type of leader he is. Throughout the movie we learn that he isn’t afraid to take the mickey out of himself, to empathise with his team members, to shut-up when he should, and to occasionally question his own capabilities and thoughts. He knows how and when to listen and is obviously able to quickly blend his own thinking with that of others.

Although humorous at times, Gerard resorts to using few words that pack highest directive punch. All this places Gerard central to a highly effective and efficient team of marshals which, of course, succeeds in finding Kimble eventually.

Words Of A Leader?

One specific section of the movie shows Gerard at his very best; a four minute series of scenes which, I believe, completely sums up Gerard’s character:


It’s this section that makes the movie as good as I think it is. It’s not just the cinematography – the lighting, effects and physical acting – that commands my attention; it’s the strong, punctuated and well worked out dialogue that’s spell bounding. What we actually witness here is a perfectly polished textbook example of leadership 1-0-1.

Here’s the Gerard’s dialogue, starting at 3:20 minutes, and my analysis of it in context of leadership:


  • “Listen Up, Ladies and Gentlemen” – Standing up, facing his audience, Gerard establishes authority immediately by commanding everyone’s attention for the directives he’s about it issue.
  • “Our Fugitive has been on the run for 90 minutes. Average foot speed over uneven ground, barring injury, is about four miles per hour, which gives us a radius of six miles.” - Irrefutable facts presented straight upfront, which clearly explain Gerard’s thinking and why he’s about to issue the directives that are to follow.
  • “What I want out of each and every one of you is a hard target search, of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area. Checkpoints go up at fifteen miles.” – Comprehensive directives, issued in clear terms, specified to a smallest but still meaningful degree of detail.
  • “Your fugitive’s name is Doctor Richard Kimble.” – Making the objective a tangible, living and identifiable thing everyone can recognise.
  • “Go get him.” – Complete summation of directive, condensed to an unambiguous, clearly understandable key phrase, signalling that the objective is valid immediately.


Over the last five years I’ve shown this clip throughout numerous meetings, brainstorm sessions, workshops and seminars to reframe conversations about leadership. That one four minute segment, and the often in-depth discussions on the topic that followed, offered me considerable insight in the way executives think about leadership, how they execute it daily, and about the biggest mistakes they make in their roles.

The Samuel Gerard Within Us

I decided to post this blog to provoke you. Although you may not like the movie, its script or any of its actors as much as I do, it may still be worthwhile to reflect on your own leadership style in context of this clip. Obviously, we’re looking at leadership here through a rose-coloured, carefully scripted and seemingly well-researched Hollywood lens – excuse the pun – which may not fully represent our daily executive lives.

But if this is how researchers, script writers and Jones’ (?) think leadership should be portrayed in its most perfect form to millions of viewers, what should or could actual leaders take from this?

I’d love to know what you’re thinking….


- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/fugitive-samuel-gerard-s-leadership-67/ Visual Military Leadership http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/visual-military-leadership-66/ Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:26:34 GMT Attachment 238 (http://gblcg.com/attachments/f31/238-introducting-functional-domain-information-sas-tactical_visualisations.jpg)After publishing my last blog this morning,... Soldier drawing tactical map in sand with knifeAfter publishing my last blog this morning, Illustrating Organisational Change, one of my friends called me to mention that diagramming has been an instrumental part of the visual leadership in the military. In combat, everything is about interpreting environments – first through tactical maps, then, in the field, through first-hand observation.

He pointed out that “literally, a soldier’s survival depends directly on how well and how quick (s)he can respond to what’s happening in direct environments”.

“One way to understand what those environments will look like, and how one’s presence ‘fits’ in those environments, is to understand maps of those environments.”

Although understanding the tactical maps of the combat environments in which they are to operate is for many soldiers a prerequisite, ad-hoc drawn maps are used in the field to determine courses of action when tactical maps no longer seem accurate. To visualise how environments are behaving – enemy movements, locations of both hostile and friendly artillery and combat ‘hotspots’ – soldiers must be able to communicate through drawing, under any type of circumstance.

“Where drawing in combat doesn’t ‘gel’ with your blog is that they must be as accurate as possible, based on a soldier’s smart and often quick observations. Where the blog holds true for what happens in combat is that such maps must tell the observer’s story effectively and efficiently, so group members can imagine what the observed situation looks like in reality.”

Combining my previous thinking with his input, the following thoughts emerged:


  • Whether it’s used in the military or in business, drawing helps to communicate observations, situations and plans quickly.
  • In combat, senses of urgency differ significantly from those typically experienced in ‘normal’ business, necessitating the selection of most effective and efficient communication methods possible. Huddling around a whiteboard to discuss next actions isn’t an option when you’re copping incoming fire.
  • In combat, drawings are not made for distribution but for instant understanding of what’s happening right there and then. When you’re life is at stake you’ll probably less inclined to discuss whether a particular scribble actually represents a tree, a church or a can of baked beans. Whether a location of a machine gun is given a cross, a circle or a pebble is less important than knowing it’s there, ready to mow you to bits if you’re sighted by its gunners.
  • Whether a map drawn at 14:13 is similar or same as the one sketched twelve minutes earlier isn’t worth debating. I can’t imagine a combat unit organise tea, coffee and biscuits halfway a gunfight to discuss chagrin over the way subsequent maps are drawn. What matters is quick absorption of what seem to be the facts at that very moment – not whether a map should also show a pedestrian crossing ‘because another one did’.


Clearly, this list isn’t comprehensive and there are probably plenty of other things to say about similarities or differences by which drawing is used in the military and business.

If you know of any other worthwhile mentioning here, differences that aren’t as glaringly obvious as the ones above, post them in a comment below.

I challenge you to be original…



- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/visual-military-leadership-66/ Illustrating Organisational Change http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/illustrating-organisational-change-65/ Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:30:30 GMT Is it possible to illustrate Portfolio Management to show executives how Organisational Change and Business Transformation will be managed? I gave... Is it possible to illustrate Portfolio Management to show executives how Organisational Change and Business Transformation will be managed? I gave this challenge a first stab today – and I think I am getting closer to a functional result.

Those who read my blogs regularly will have noticed that I am a passionate advocate for the use of images in business. My clients have learnt that I rather grab pencil and paper to sketch-out the topics we’re discussing; sometimes as a mindmap, and other times as any other type of diagram. It’s not just because I am a so-called Visual Person who absorbs information quickest when its presented graphically, it’s also because clients are more inclined to interact with a drawing that with sentences on a notepad.

Few clients will discuss the quality and content of your note taking, whereas more will be prepared to grab a marker to adjust, modify and complete drawings on a whiteboard.

Taking An Idea From 0 to 100 In 24 Hours

This morning I experienced yet again that drawing can be an effective and efficient way to align thinking when a complex pieces of work need to be undertaken. Take, for example, the development of an Organisational Change and Business Transformation Guide for a client organisation, to be written specifically for its Portfolio Management Team. There are probably as many approaches to undertaking this work as there are business analysts, consultants and change managers, each delivering as many different products.

Here’s how it started for us:

Name: programme-management.jpg Views: 35 Size: 95.6 KB


It’s a rough-as-guts whiteboard diagram, taking no more than fifteen minutes to produce. Discussing the work in detail greater than shown here was pointless, as we first needed to explore The Big Components of our thinking, and how these Big Components interact with each other.

Independently, we continued our thinking, took further notes on printed versions of the diagram, and prepared ourselves for another 15-minute meeting. Consider the image above and the one shown below, which was born after less than one hour of meeting time, and in less than one hour design time:

Simple diagram showing the main elements of Portfolio Management and their relationships


Less than twelve work hours passed between receiving the request and the distribution of this first diagram. What’s more, a workbook was produced in that same timeframe, allowing team members to define each of the diagram’s components.

What could have become a difficult, cumbersome and highly-debated start to a pretty complex job became, instead, an initiative that launched itself almost by itself – merely because one simple, thought-provoking and compelling diagram.

There are a few things you could take from this blog:

Artistic Attributes Aren’t Important

Take another look at the first diagram and see that there’s nothing artistic about it. In fact, it may come across as nonsense; a mere series of coloured lines, boxes and undecipherable text. Truth is that the diagram does what it needs to do; it explains someone’s thought to an audience.

Executives claiming that their lack of drawing abilities prevent them from explaining thoughts visually make meek points - if you can draw boxes and arrows, you can get the job done. Visit a kindergarten and you’ll see why within seconds.

Present Compelling Stories

Much in line with my previous blog, it’s more important to be able to present ideas compellingly as stories than through complete worked-out Rembrandts. Kids drawings come to live not because they depict real life accurately, but because they can bring their artwork to life through narrative; narratives that often go well beyond what’s actually drawn.

Thinking that visuals are only ‘good’ when they are completely self-explanatory defeats the purpose; incomplete and premature visuals allow audiences to step into stories by allowing them to add and change the picture – quite literally. It’s about drawing to engage, not about presenting to convince.

PowerPoints Shackle

Presenters often consider PowerPoints safety nets. Becoming tongue-twisted and lost for words isn’t so much of an issue if the presenter’s text is actually just shown on screen. Even the shyest of persons can walk successfully through any presentation by just reciting what’s projected, which can be considered an upside. However, whilst PowerPoints allow for feedback, they leave little room for input – two different things.

If a PowerPoint is required or expected, use the presentation to introduce the audience to a whiteboard session that follows, aimed to shift audience behaviours from passive ‘latent’ to proactive ‘inclusive’.

Learn From Advertising

Enter the advertising industry; one that employs battalions of highly-paid researchers who know exactly what makes us tick and, more importantly, what makes us buy. Intimately, these researchers know that their lives are bounded by two extremes: Good Ideas Presented Extraordinarily Bad, and Bad Ideas Presented Exceptionally Well. To them, the latter matters most, even if the idea – a service or product – is downright ludicrous.

Reality is that if we’d presented with good ideas only, we wouldn’t need any of these people.

What follows from this in business is that executives don’t necessarily select Bad Ideas out of malice, but because they are given reasons to believe that even the most dreadful of ideas are still better than their alternatives - perhaps because they simply came with better, more promising stories.

Ideas Versus Promises

Because it’s the Promise, not the Idea itself, that determines whether we choose to pursue something new, I suggest we must focus more on conveying compelling stories rather than working tirelessly on perfecting our ideas if we want our colleagues to listen to what we’re suggesting. To expose our colleagues to drawings of our ideas, even when they end-up being rough, quick and dirty, focuses them on our stories, and invites them to start living some of the associated promises.

In business, it’s called the creation of buy-in, one of magical buzz phrases that are revered by management consultants and executives who set out to create change, but that too often doesn’t materialise because there aren’t any compelling stories to believe in.

To change that, start telling stories, and draw pictures that amplify, support and augment these stories. Give people reason to step into your dreams, allow them to co-author your visions, and – literally – start sharing the canvasses of your thinking.

As for the second diagram posted above; it’s now twelve hours later and revision four is already underway – one that’s remarkably better than any of its predecessors, made so also by people who still claim they cannot draw…

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/illustrating-organisational-change-65/ Digital Storytelling For Business http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/digital-storytelling-business-64/ Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:19 GMT Storytelling seems to make a slight furore among creative and innovative businesses as a means to better communicate their purpose, objectives and... Storytelling seems to make a slight furore among creative and innovative businesses as a means to better communicate their purpose, objectives and goals. Rapidly realising that employee attention is becoming harder to gain, forward-thinking executives are now increasingly adopting techniques used by social media platforms to get their messages across their enterprises.

What Hollywood, television and, more recently, YouTube and Facebook have known for years is now finally trickling into corporate minds: put people in front of movies, and they'll be watching.

Big Bucks of Communication

Back in my advertising days – late ‘80s and early ‘90s – I spent thousands of hours putting together ‘visual campaigns’ for clients who could afford the often hefty price tags that hung off such engagements. Although digital moviemaking and photography just started to rear their heads, many creatives considered heresy to use it. Commercials were shot with big tools, teams and budgets, and companies wanting to see their campaigns televised just had to fork-out the money, understanding that more was simply best.

Clever organisations suddenly realised that ‘miniaturisation’ of digital media enabled them to make film making – as it was still called in these days – an in-house capability. Marketing, Public Relations and Graphic Design staff were sent in droves to film making courses, and entire departments were erected around the deployment of one or two still hugely expensive ‘graphic workstations’. Cameras were only put in the hands of those considered worthy and creative enough to handle such expensive equipment.

The ‘Corporate Showreel’

Anyone old enough to remember those days first-hand will recall the birth of Corporate Showreels. Typically packed as a Betamax or VHS, the Corporate Showreel became a standard boardroom feature, to be viewed reverently by those who needed to learn about the company’s greatness. Typically produced at great costs, involving entire film and editing crews to get the job done, the Corporate Showreel wasn’t just about glorifying companies; they also implied wealth.

Invariably, CEO’s opened the production with some uplifting, compelling and often grandiose narration of the company’s strength and uniqueness, after which viewers would be introduced to just about anything that was supposed to make the company ‘great to work for’ or ‘deal with’. Clients had to be mesmerised, awed and convinced – and to have a Corporate Showreel in the first place was impressive enough.

Reading Is Out – Watching Is In

Of course, much has changed over the last two decades. Filming moved back into highly trained individuals, re-establishing itself as a unique and specialised industry. Entire new industries popped-up around Digital Media, and social media platforms are now increasingly considered channels of choice for corporate communication, promotion and public relations. Today, you reveal your age if you still know what VHS stands for and what it did. Now, it’s viral, not mail-out.

What hasn’t changed, though, is the notion that people like to watch rather than read to learn. Things that move are generally more entertaining than things that don’t and, when it comes to effective communication, entertainment never lost its importance.

Here Comes Another PowerPoint..

Ask executives about the importance of visuals, and chances are the conversation embeds itself quickly around the making of PowerPoints, spreadsheet-generated graphs and the knocking-up of posters for Social Events.

I may sound somewhat vicious here, but few executives seem to realise that what they’re doing online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest can also be applied at work. Just about any cellphone sold today has video and photo taking capabilities – capabilities we frequently use in social setting but less so between 9-5 - to get our points of view across to our colleagues. Ask yourself how many of the millions of video and photo apps sold today for mobile devices are used both socially and professionally, and I expect to see surprise.

“A picture is worth a thousand words” we all say, before sitting down at our computer to write yet another email, report or memo, whilst checking our cellphones to see what pictures our Facebook Friends posted in the last 30 minutes.

Rediscovering Digital Storytelling

Realising that the digital capturing media we have in our hands almost 24/7 can also be used effectively at work is one thing. How to use it effectively is quite another. In as much as proficiency with PowerPoint doesn’t make one a good presenter, being able to shoot pictures and video doesn’t make one a better communicator.

Effective communication isn’t about ease of using digital devices but about knowing why, what and how to capture the information we want to exchange which, invariably, requires some forethought and planning – especially when this information cannot be captured spontaneously.

Although exchanging information through digital media may be more entertaining – effective – than having to read about it, the exercise becomes pointless if the end result is considered ‘entertainment’ only by viewers who, after watching your images, still don’t know what your message was about. Unless you can tell your entire story through one single photo or clip, you probably have to put a little more brainpower behind your mini production.

Happens to be that there’s a good amount of information to be found on YouTube, as I discovered this morning before writing this blog. One upload looks particularly promising and, I think, worth subscribing to, especially if you’re prepared to spend more than just a few minutes on learning about digital storytelling:


I Am Not Practicing What I Preach

Finally, you have all rights to come back to me saying that if I’d practiced what I preached, I should have made post a video – not just a written blog. You’d be right on the money. I’ll make an attempt to redeem myself by re-publishing this entire blog visually at some point in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, I’ll be watching a few more YouTube uploads to make it a clip that’s worth your attention, as long as you realise that if I can do that, you can too…

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/digital-storytelling-business-64/ Facebook Fan Pages - An Approach to Design http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/facebook-fan-pages-approach-design-63/ Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:30:11 GMT Since Facebook introduced timelines for pages last month I have done very little yet to spruce-up our GBLCG.com Entrepreneur & Consultant fan page. As a result, the page looks very uninviting and bland – to say the least.

Yesterday I set out to change this by, first, researching how some of the world’s best known brands designed theirs.

Honestly, I wasn’t all that sure on what these Facebook changes entailed, and I am still somewhat in the dark on why the platform insists on introducing them. Understanding that timelines are now here to stay nonetheless I felt it was pertinent to do some background research on designs before implementing my own.

After viewing about thirty pages I selected five designs I liked most – excuse the pun. I dotted down a few notes to guide my own design work, which I publish here to help you on your way as well:

Consider Target Audience(s)

As the name implies, GBLCG.com Entrepreneur & Consultant Network must attract ‘Likes’ from professionals who consider themselves either entrepreneurs, consultants or, of course, both. Whilst I think the page’s name speaks volumes – it blatantly states what the page is about – the banner must emphasise the meaning and purpose of the page in an aesthetically pleasing way. Both page title and its visuals must reinforce each other’s meaning to leave no doubt in the visitor’s mind about what the page is about.

The main question here is: ‘Who, exactly, must Like my page?” Contrary to what seems a common belief, it’s not just a numbers game, and more is involved than trying to hooking just about everyone up.

Especially if you allow others to post on your Fan Page, it’s best to get people involved who are likely to post stuff that’s relevant to what your page is about. Any post that doesn’t relate to your page’s topic dilutes its value. Unless you want to spend considerable time moderating your page, which may eventually cause animosity among your fans as well, start and continue to attract people who are interested in contributing to your page’s mission and objectives.

Because the page name seems clear, people who follow links to my page will expect to be presented with a banner that somehow matches their expectations. In my case, entrepreneurship and consulting is very much about people, so I’ll be looking for an image with people in it.

Second, I want to attract a specific calibre of entrepreneurs and consultants, so I’ll be looking for an image showing people who characterise that calibre.

Third, I want the banner to show men and women, as not to make the page appear gender biased.

Fourth, the banner should include images of junior and senior executives, as not to slant visitor perceptions to any particular age group.

Finally, as the page seeks to attract true global audiences, the people depicted must appear to represent a broadest cultural array possible.

Consider Impact

Banners act as billboards, and some rules apply to make them as functional as possible to stop visitors in their tracks, eager to Like and subscribe. This often involves making trade-offs between message, impact and aesthetics.

Starting with message, your banner should tell visitors your page’s story in, say, three seconds, which is a rough criterion that’s used by advertising agencies to define ‘stopping power’. Showing an attractive bikini-clad girl on a beach may hold the attention of some visitors for that duration, but won’t do any good ultimately if your page is about collecting post stamps – or, in fact, anything that doesn’t really connect to girls in bikini on beaches.

Banners that seem only clever to you but seem vague to visitors won’t do either, which may result from playing it too safe or being too lazy. There are hundreds – if not thousands – of banners in use that display people drawing flowcharts, shaking hands or doing Mexican Waves. Even if your page is about flowcharting, closing deals or Mexican Waving, don’t just settle for mainstream and look further afield for something more unique.

Putting in another hour of effort may just deliver a far more powerful banner, which, I assume, is what you want.

In terms of impact, view the image through the eyes of your audience. Go beyond your own vision and perspectives. Something must hit visitors between the eyes straight away. Don’t try to be too greedy by publishing a banner that signals too many messages, aimed at too many niches, interests and preferences. Trying to be too Technicolor can work against you. Cramming too much info into your image may confuse rather than enlighten visitors, which may drive them away to avoid getting headaches.

Simplicity may be your best policy here, and try to make that simplicity radiant enough to glue visitor attention permanently.

Observe Copyrights & Royalties

Banners can be chosen from the millions of images the Internet offers, or can be designed from scratch by using proprietary visuals – self-shot photo’s or illustrations. If you are not familiar with graphic design software and money isn’t an object, engage a professional designer.

Stick to using a royalty free, ‘open source’ image sourced online otherwise.

When choosing the latter option, I consider it good practice to ask the owner of an image permission for use, especially when it’s unclear if the owner wishes to enforce copyrights. Seasoned users of the internet often know that if you search long enough, commercial and watermarked images can be copied as clean skins from sites that purchased them.

To me, breaching copyrights doesn’t make you a better person, and it’s thus a practice I do not endorse. Just keep your nose clean and do the right things by honouring the creativity and livelihoods of others.

Consider Layout & Placement

Facebook places your page’s logo over the banner, which affects the real estate of its placement. Keep that loss of space in mind when you select or design a banner image, as it may alter the banner’s meaning considerably.

I experimented with seven images, mostly including a bunch of business people, each of which looked attractive, relevant and meaningful to the page’s purpose when viewed by themselves. All of them seem to lose beauty and ‘stopping power’ when placed in their designated Fan Page locations, quite literally because the logo bit off considerable chunks of their layouts. What remained visible struggled to stay meaningful.

To preserve your banner’s impact, ensure its main feature isn’t positioned hard-up left, which is where your logo is placed. Instead, select a design or image that pulls the viewer’s attention to its right side. If your image doesn’t contain text, one solution may be to flip your image horizontally to move features from left to right.

The end result should balance the attention grabbing powers of your logo and the banner’s main feature, whether that is text, a face or an item. You know you’re on the right track when your logo-banner combination seems congruent, balanced, mutually enforcing and pleasing to look at.

Consider Size

Facebook advises to upload a sRGB JPG file that's 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall and less than 100 kilobytes to get the best quality image and fastest load times for pages. This requires you to be discerning when selecting an image from the internet; not to choose a good looking image at random.

Facebook will automatically enlarge images less wide than 851 pixels, which often results in loss of clarity, sharpness and colour intensity, producing the final result in a sub-optimal fashion. This isn’t an option when you want your Fan Page to look professional and attractive.

It’s best to apply the same philosophy for height, although you can work around resizing issues by manually repositioning the image within the space available for your banner.

Consider Facebook Rules

Finally, ensure you observe Facebook’s rules for banner placement exactly as stipulated. Facebook presents these rules through a popup whenever you upload your banner, so there’s no need for me to repeat them here. If you want to view these rules before starting your design work or searches, simply click on the ‘Add A Cover’ button on top of your page.

Once you’ve become familiar with these rules, simply return to your page without uploading anything.

Repeat the process when you’re ready to publish your banner.

Working Toward Banner Launch

As I have not yet found a banner design I am happy with, the space on top of my GBLCG.com Entrepreneur & Consultant Network Page may just remain barren for a few more days. I am known to be discerning, even picky and perhaps too critical at times, but when it comes to selling, marketing and promotion – which is essentially what we’re talking about here – I start to take things very serious.

Of course, you are totally free to apply any rules and criteria you like, and are certainly not required to bind yourself to any advise given – except, of course, Facebook’s. But after viewing a considerable number of pages I am now concluding that only very few Facebook Page owners put sufficient thought into the design and placement of their banners.

If you, like me, don’t want to fall amidst their ranks and want to take the management of your Facebook Page seriously, I hope this article is of use to you.

Good luck!

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/facebook-fan-pages-approach-design-63/ How To Avoid Consulting Contract Termination http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/how-avoid-consulting-contract-termination-62/ Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:45:36 GMT As a contracting management consultant you know that your client engagements are only successful when you deliver on expectations, on time and in... As a contracting management consultant you know that your client engagements are only successful when you deliver on expectations, on time and in full. Your ability to deliver on expectations is the single most important reason for why clients hire you.

Unfortunately, as I rediscovered recently, this principle becomes a sure-fire recipe for failure if it isn’t given the respect and attention it deserves.

Ever Had Your Consulting Contract Terminated?
If you’ve ever witnessed a client terminating your contract prematurely, you may have fallen in that deep ponderous state immediately after, in which one question occupied your mind fully: “What Went Wrong?”

You worked both hard and smart, threw all your change management experience and knowledge wholeheartedly into the mix, and designed, developed and implemented exactly the solutions your client needed.

Due diligently, you stuck to your schedules, liaised with your project’s stakeholders as was agreed, and left no stone unturned to produce nothing but sound and robust advise on how the client could better face his challenges.

Nonetheless, whilst helping your client relentlessly redirect graphs into desired directions, dissatisfaction seemed somehow to have entered your client’s mind. At some vague point, your relationship with the client seemed to have gone south, and you have still no idea what went wrong.

Themes for Contract Termination
Over the last couple of months I’ve dotted-down a number of what seem frequently occurring causes for consulting engagement breakdowns. I worked initially from memory, listing the causes of such breakdowns as I saw them happen throughout my own consulting career. I augmented the list by taking notes from the white papers, journals and reports I read on change management and business transformation.

Recently, to sharpen the point of my research, I discussed my findings with some of the finest consultants I know of, each helping me to refine my work.

Looking at the produce my efforts delivered, I detect commonalities among many of the causes for consulting engagement breakdowns. While some remain truly unique, the majority of them can be grouped or classed into distinct interrelated themes. When sequenced in a specific order, these themes now seem to reveal a seemingly coherent storyline that explains why so many consulting engagements terminate prematurely.

Fifteen Questions to Avoid Contract Termination
Although the storyline holds no news for seasoned and experienced consultants, what could be considered news is that a question can be attached to each of the storyline’s components, resulting in an inter-related list of fifteen questions consultants should see answered to avoid premature termination of their contracts.

The questions listed seem deceptively simple. In isolation, they appear as the type of queries we may already be raising daily as matter of course. Together, they offer a line of questioning probably rarely applied by any of us. The strength of the list doesn’t rely on the complexity or uniqueness of its questions but on the sequence by which they appear.

When applied properly and in sequence, each question produces answers which may amplify the relevance and meaning of their precedents. This produces eventually not just an almost watertight case for change, but also a rock-solid series of rationales for your consulting engagement.

Last but not least, the list isn’t native to any industry, market or sector. I expect it can be applied for any type of consulting engagement; even by clients themselves to determine how the problems, challenges and issues they face can be addressed best.

Fifteen Questions: What’s Next?
Over the next couple of weeks I’ll discuss each step in detail here in my blog. I am considering opening a number of discussion forums to continue discussions on each of the list’s steps online at GBLCG.com.

I am also considering writing a paper on this topic, which Registered Members can download eventually to kick start their own lines of questioning. I think it’s going to be an exciting journey, not in the least because I expect to unravel more insight as these blogs and articles progress.

I sincerely expect this list to become a highly effective weapon in my consulting arsenal, and look forward to increase its might with your input.


- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/how-avoid-consulting-contract-termination-62/ Developing GBLCG.com World Group on Facebook – and more… http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/developing-gblcg-com-world-group-facebook-more-60/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:09:54 GMT We all have our good and bad days, and I am glad to say that the last few ones have been terrific for me. Just when I almost started to convince... We all have our good and bad days, and I am glad to say that the last few ones have been terrific for me. Just when I almost started to convince myself that anything I touched had to turn to custard by default, things suddenly started to fall in place as if governed by some voodoo-like powers.

Click image for larger version.  Name: gblcg_world_group_facebook.jpg  Views: 173  Size: 7.0 KB  ID: 163To be truthful, putting GBLCG World Group onto Facebook wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Each time one feature came to life, another one would stumble, malfunction or simply cease to even be there. On many occasions I had to venture well beyond my experience to solve what seemed very simple 'integration' issues, had to retrace my steps to figure out what had gone wrong - again - and correct mistakes I already had corrected before, chiefly because I kept making the same blunders over and over again.

Fiddling with programmes and code at 1:30AM isn't always a good idea, but try telling that to someone who is as stubborn as I am.

You live and learn - at some point eventually.

That GBLCG World Group now seems to work like a total treat isn't exactly a deterrent for bringing a same almost dogged attitude to the development of the next chapter of the GBLCG story, which involves the making of two mobile apps - an Android and an OSi version - to give you true 24/7 access to GBLCG.com.

The launch of each will be biggies, as it will enable all members to interact with each other from their mobile devices. Contributors will be able to write and publish their materials whenever they want, without having to open and network their laptops first.

Administrators, of which I am one, can continue managing the site from wherever they are, and to upload content much easier than can be done currently. The apps will truly put much of the site straight at our finger tips.

Finally, the development of content will continue from now on. One of the reasons for stalling this development was to learn more about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and to read and listen to the advice experts in that field published.

I decided to invest in some of the best web research tools I could find to help us publish blogs, articles and posts that can successfully withstand the most stringent of search engine criteria.

Once I understood how to get Google on our side, and how to get our publications ranked as highly as possible constantly, I made some last-minute technical changes to GBLCG.com to automate publishing processes in the most SEO-friendliest way possible.

All in all, things are moving rapidly here at GBLCG.com. Thanks to a development group that's become truly global - with technical assistance coming from Europe, the U.S. and Australia - we've now moved the site much closer to a top-notch state.

One of the highest priorities on my agenda for the next 21 says is to further develop a contributors platform, about which I'll tell you in my next blog.

To all of you: thanks for reading this and make sure your day becomes successful and rewarding...


[flash-01]http://gblcg.com/banners/lowerFBbanner_blog60.swf[/flash-01]
- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/developing-gblcg-com-world-group-facebook-more-60/ The Arrival of GBLCG.com World Group on Facebook http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/arrival-gblcg-com-world-group-facebook-59/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:13:38 GMT Attachment 153 (http://gblcg.com/attachments/f31/153-introducing-functional-domains-gblcg.com-imagine-your-future3.png)GBLCG.com now brings your conversations and discussions directly to your Facebook... Click image for larger version.  Name: GBLCG.com Imagine Your Future3.png  Views: 233  Size: 16.5 KB  ID: 153GBLCG.com now brings your conversations and discussions directly to your Facebook account, which means you can continue to interact with other GBLCG.com members without having to leave Facebook.

All this is done by a brand new Facebook application called GBLCG.com World Group on Facebook.

Over the last couple of weeks we went through great lengths to turn this app from a mere idea into reality, and after rigorous testing I now proudly present the fruits of our labour..

About GBLCG.com
Existing members know we’re working around the clock to make GBLCG.com an unique site, where people like you can discuss broad ranges of ideas on what our world’s future may look like.

Judging by what my Facebook Friends post each day I clearly see we’re not just concerned about where our world is going, but have also good ideas on what could change things for the better.

At GBLCG.com we pick many of these concerns up, convert them into stand-alone topics for discussion, and allow others to respond intelligently to tease out, refine and enhance our thinking.

Aren’t We Already Doing That On Facebook?
Yep, we are – but GBLCG.com takes your posts and publications to a much higher level.

Those among you who feel you have a message to spread – one that concerns politics, our environment or poverty, for example – will connect directly with like-minded audiences at GBLCG.com. When posting either a complete new topic in one of our forums, or when responding to an existing thread, you actually tap three audiences at once in one single swoop – at Twitter, Facebook and, of course, at GBLCG.com.

Obviously, you need a Twitter account to have your posts appear on Twitter….

Additionally, we, at GBLCG.com, pick a topic each day and put some very intelligent software at work to identify ‘opinionated others’ and experts on the subjects you discuss. Once we identify a good number of such people, we politely ask them if they’d be interested in responding to your ideas or concerns. That way, we know you’ll receive high-quality thinking within the conversations and dialogues you open.

At Facebook, your messages will have little impact if your Friends don’t fully connect with your ideas, concerns or suggestions on how we can or could go about building better futures for our planet and ourselves. They may be Facebook Friends, but that doesn’t mean they share your interests or concerns.

“OK – Now What?”
Go to GBLCG.com World Group to open this dialogue box:

Click image for larger version.  Name: app_login_screen_002.jpg  Views: 63  Size: 18.8 KB  ID: 149

To gain immediate access, click the ‘Go to App’ button – which you’ll have to do only once – and you’ll enter GBLCG.com World Group straight away.

If you’d entered our World Group today you would have seen this:

Name: app_login_screen_003.jpg Views: 68 Size: 18.4 KB

Obviously, this content changes each time a member adds a new post or comment, after which this page will display a link to that submission. This page – one of three – gives you complete access to all GBLCG.com Registered Member sections. Each section is logically divided into a number of panels with self-explanatory titles. Within these panels you’ll find a number of headers, which act as direct links to the blogs, articles and posts you’d like to read.

Each link also shows the Facebook Profile Picture of a Friend who submitted something new, allowing you to scroll quickly to posts of persons you’d like to follow.

Additionally, you’ll find ‘counters’ next to each header, telling you how many replies a post received, and how many times it was viewed.

How About My Privacy?
Excellent question. As with any membership – whether it’s a club, library or rewards programme, for example – you need to submit some information on who you are. It’s part of keeping things managed professionally. Knowing who our members are enables us to ban ill-intended people and to keep your personalised information safe.

When you enter GBLCG.com World Group you only submit some of the personalised information already known by Facebook – none else. That information is then transmitted through a secure connection to a hosted server, rated as one of the most professionally managed in the world.

In order for us to run this app on Facebook we have to comply with the platform’s stringent and unforgiving technical and legal requirements. In other words: Facebook expects us to manage our app very professionally, in a technically robust and secure manner and in line with Facebook’s own safety and security protocols.

All this should give you piece of mind that we’ll be taking your membership, your personalised information and our housekeeping very, very serious.
Finally, we’re working on publishing our Terms of Use and a very details Privacy Statement. In advance of that, we assure you that we will NEVER share your personalised information with anyone else.

What About Canceling My Account?
Not a problem. Just let us know by email through our Contact Us page and we’ll cancel your account within twelve hours after receiving it.

What If I Have More Questions Before Registering?
Post them on our Facebook GBLCG.com Innovation Group Page and either us or any of our members will get back to you with answers.

I hope this gave you enough information to see you climb aboard our GBLCG.com World Group on Facebook...

Look forward to seeing you there!

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/arrival-gblcg-com-world-group-facebook-59/ Promotional Screen Savers – What An Idea! http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/promotional-screen-savers-what-idea-58/ Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:24:17 GMT Staring at my desk a couple of days ago, trying to get my head around a rather complex issue, I suddenly realised that I could put my 17” laptop... Staring at my desk a couple of days ago, trying to get my head around a rather complex issue, I suddenly realised that I could put my 17” laptop screen to better use than showing it’s standard desk top when I am not using it.

It’s a perfect space for promoting my consulting services!

Strange I haven’t thought of that before.

You know what I am talking about. Whenever you stop using your laptop for a while, the machine locks itself and displays a rather uninspiring standard screen. When my machine locks itself after three minutes ‘untouched’ time, it reverts to a standard screen that shows some futuristic kind of ‘whirlies’ that are, from a promotional perspective, pretty darn useless.

How about it reverts to a presentation about my business instead?

Obviously not much use when I work from home – my family knows what I do and are unlikely to procure my services – but perhaps very useful for when I work at client sites. As soon as you leave your desk, voila, your computer screen runs a promotion movie about the stuff you do for a living.

At first I looked at PowerPoint but decided that this doesn’t quite cut the mustard. If I was about to convert my screen into a promotion channel for my business, I had to do it well.

Happens to be that there are a few products in the market that allow you to customise screen savers. Not just that, some of these products allow you to include RSS feeds and to sell them as apps under license.

This opens a complete new array of possibilities – not only can I develop a promotional screen saver for my own use, I also can distribute it to my team members!

So, I ventured to purchase what may be one of the most expensive products around, but it’s the one that does exactly what I want it to do – and, in fact, much more. Considering I will be home-alone this long weekend I promised myself some fun by putting a first ‘go’ together.

Plenty of ideas running through my head right now on what that first version should include. I may just start reading the 72-page instruction manual first.

How’s that for an idea for your business?

Go take a look at these products by Googling the term ‘Screen Saver’. You and I may just be ‘on’ to something few other self-employed professionals have thought of….

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/promotional-screen-savers-what-idea-58/ Better Selling: Features, Advantages and Benefits Sales Sequence http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/better-selling-features-advantages-benefits-sales-sequence-57/ Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:04:57 GMT Attachment 142 (http://gblcg.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=142)Feature, Advantage, Benefit Sales Approaches are ill or insuffienctly understood by... Click image for larger version.  Name: Funny.Sales.Cartoon.Call.Losing.Focus.jpg  Views: 378  Size: 16.7 KB  ID: 142Feature, Advantage, Benefit Sales Approaches are ill or insuffienctly understood by self-employed professionals. Reasons don’t do – and this is why..

As a management consultant with almost two decades of front-line experience I noticed recently that self-employed and small business owners are still experiencing problems with selling and marketing their services and products.

Considering the influence of the internet, which presents plenty of advice on the subject, and the myriads or DVD’s on ‘How To Sell’ and ‘How To Develop Business” that are commercially sold, this shouldn’t be the case.

At its most basic level, the principles of how to sell effectively haven’t changed at all, principally because we, people, in our wants, desires and perceived needs, haven’t changed. What we desire and think we need may have changed, but not the workings behind our desiring and needing.

We still want ‘more’, ‘better’ and ‘enhanced’ to serve our individual objectives, whatever they may be, as much as that was the case a thousand years ago.

To bring the Features - Advantages - Benefits sales sequence back to the forefront of your mind – or to introduce you to it if you haven’t heard of it before, I’ll give you a synopsis on each of these:

Features
Features are product or service attributes marketers like to refer to on package and brochure fronts. Often expressed in exclaiming keywords, Features aim to get a product’s or service’s unique value proposition across in five seconds or less.

Good Features can only be written or presented by people who know exactly what buyers value, and how the product or service taps both existent latent and existent desires – wants and needs.

Unlike its counterparts, an iron may have a two-meter cord instead of one 150 centimeter long, for example. A car may weigh less, and a mobile phone water resistant.

For an attribute to be a Feature, they must be tangible. Buyers must be able to touch or feel it.

Advantages
Advantages always appeal to buyer’s emotions by making it obvious how the product or service can - or will - contribute positively to their lives. Advantages delete problems, enhance or amplify enjoyment and eliminate risks for the buyer, for example.

Buyers don’t care about the length of the iron’s cord until they recognise that it enables them to escape from the pokey corners in which they have to iron presently. Perhaps they also can iron in different locations, if the extended length of the cord now connects to currently out-of-reach power points. Fifty additional centimetres of cord may now allow them to forget about extension cords, which may make it quicker and easier to get some ad-hoc ironing done.

A lighter car may consume less fuel, which means that drivers can continue to drive longer.

Owners of water resistant cell phones can remain contactable in severe weather conditions, when boating or skiing or at the beach without having to worry about causing corrosion or malfunctions. This may mean that they remain longer ‘in reach’ of colleagues, family and – if needs to be – emergency services.

Advantages convince buyers they can do things faster, safer, better and easier with the new product or service. Less worry, less effort, more satisfaction and reduced risk are all examples of key phrases which could accompany the Advantages a product or service offers.

Benefits
Whereas Features are tangible – qualifiable - and Advantages are emotional, Benefits are always quantifiable and typically expressed in monetary terms.

Benefits explain the economics of a product or service to help buyers understand the value they receive from the investment they are asked to make.
Sales people who ‘sell’ both Features and Advantages well don’t have to be explicit about Benefits. In fact, if the previous steps are compellingly presented, buyers will start to quantify Benefits on their own accord.

A two-meter cord on an iron – instead of the 150 centimetres offered by rivals – may add another ten dollars to its price, but it may help they buyer choose more freely where to iron without the hassle of having to use extension cords.

Although it would be difficult for a sales person to quantify these Benefits, buyers may gain a sense of how much time an extra 50 centimeters of cord could save them. Crack sales people may just hit that thought home by plainly asking buyers “Imagine how much time this iron could save you!”

The car’s fuel economy may help the buyer reduce petrol expenses, as well as shortening travel times. If the car is smaller than ones already owned, another series of benefits may come from reduced hassles with parking, for example. Here, the sales representative may point these Benefits to the forefront to a buyer’s mind by saying: “Imagine how you could use the money you save on petrol could be used otherwise!”

Last: The mobile’s water resistance may help buyers reduce the number of return calls they need to make after returning from environments that could potentially damage to less sturdier devices. Water resistant handsets may offer longer lifespans, provide assurance from being longer connectable and ‘off-road’ access to emergency services, should they be needed in case of an accident.

The Features – Advantages – Benefits sales sequence is to be used in that order. When talking to a potential buyer, first outline what your product’s or service’s features are. Essentially, here you explain to the buyer why your product or service is unique from any other, by pointing-out tangible, noticeable differences.

Once the buyer seems to understand the Features, you then move seamlessly into Advantages. Here you address the ‘So What’ – why the Features should be considered attractive. Here you’ll speak to the buyer’s emotions.

As one very experienced sales person I know once said, here you convince buyers that “it’ll be a shame for them if they walked out of the store without that thing under their arm”.

Finally, you then ramp-up to the close of the sale by talking about Benefits; how the product or service can add true value to the buyer’s life. When possible, that value should always be expressed in dollar-terms. The trick here is to lead buyers to a point where they start to quantify that value for themselves, and start to talk about that. Once you understand what value the buyer assigns to the use of the product or service, the door opens wide to discuss price in a meaningful context.

Although all of this should be Bread & Butter stuff for any self-respecting sales person – especially because the sequence has been taught for decades – it’s hard to find sales assistants who use this model effectively – if at all. Equally surprising is that so few independent professionals and small business owners standardise their sales approaches, clearly hoping that verbalising top-of-head and off-cuff stuff suffices anytime.

I have seen high-ticket item orders go to rookies who know how to present well rather than to their more experienced rivals who know everything about the products they sell, but much less about selling.

Self-employed professionals and small business owners who feel their sales approaches need improvement could start by asking a very simple question: What is the problem clients try to solve when they purchase a service or product from you?

Those who fail to answer this question immediately in an intelligent, comprehensive and succinct fashion have already handed all keys to sales success over to those who can.

All such failure shows is that clients aren’t understood, their behaviours, wishes, dreams and demands are probably just vaguely responded to, and that client loyalty is nothing but a thin silk thread that can be severed at the blink of an eye.

If you are a self-employed professional or small business owners, now may be a good time to sharpen-up your sales processes - not in the least because it's unlikely our current economic climate will change for the better in the near future.

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/better-selling-features-advantages-benefits-sales-sequence-57/ Will Seamless Connectivity Be Our Future? http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/will-seamless-connectivity-our-future-56/ Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:20:50 GMT Gen-i, in association with Alcatel-Lucent and Cisco present us throughout a 2.23 minute video what our future could look like. Considering these are... Gen-i, in association with Alcatel-Lucent and Cisco present us throughout a 2.23 minute video what our future could look like. Considering these are all commercial enterprises it's likely they want us to know that what they have in mind for us - what they are 'visioning' - will be good for us.

But will it be?

Watch the video first:




The clip asks "What if technology was more in tune with your world".
We then move to a woman sitting at what I understand to be a restaurant, offered an electronic menu. It all looks very unassuming - almost sparse - with only a few other diners in the background. So far, all is very 2011 familiar, with nothing out of the ordinary - until she slides-up her sleeve to reveal some floral-looking code on her left-hand wrist.

It's here where things become futuristic and to the point of frightening when the 'intelligent' table analyses her Iron Levels. As means of explanation, we are informed through a text capture that this constitutes 'Nano Body Art - Embedded Mobility Device'.

The term is as new to me as the entire concept. In normal English: It's a log-in process which doesn't require an old fashioned Password-Username combination but merely one's presence, and a mere single touch-screen interaction, evidenced by the table's personalised response: "Welcome Back Charlotte".

Now it's not us who learn the featuring lady's name, we also learn that the 'intelligent table' knows this as well, informing us instantaneously that it's not the first time Charlotte visited the venue. Another text capture narrates this processes as a 'Nearfield Authentication'.

I am not entirely sure what makes 'Nearfield Authentication' different from 'Nano Body Art - Embedded Mobility Device' but we are perhaps thrown some synonymous, made-up and clever-sounding futuristic phrases to keep us intrigued.

All that matters to Charlotte is that she's now presented with a 'Personalised Lunch Menu' that, in addition to what seems the standard daily fare, also offers a selection of somehow graded recommendations, assumingly as a response to Charlotte's iron levels, which the table previously analysed as 'low'.

Apparently, this is called 'Biometric and Social Recommendations'.
Here, I am not clear how 'Social Recommendations' enter the equation, but it sounds terrifically good.

Obviously, our health-conscious and iron-level-concerned Charlotte follows suit by ordering the table's top recommendation, which turns out to be the 'Organic Lamb from The Bourke Farm in Opunake (Taranaki). Charlotte seems delighted with the 'Paddock To Plate Traceability' she's offered, clearly understanding that what comes from Opunake must be good.

We are now presented with a cut-frame interlude, including a text-capture that implies that this technology 'Looks Out For You'. It's another way of saying that all this technology is put at Charlotte's - our - disposal for our own benefit.

Now having made her selection and placed her order, Charlotte turns her attention to business at hand by activating something called 'Context Aware Information Filtering'. In plain English: The table now shows us Charlotte's Schedule, including her News Feeds, today's Weather, her Social and Appointments Schedule.

After a few thoughtful seconds, Charlotte now invokes a 'Proactive Information Management' process which, as I understand it to be, accounts for being an automated alert system not different from today's electronic calendars but presented to us in the future by restaurant tables. A clear-cut frame now tells us that this helps us 'Avoiding Problems', in as much as the table tells Charlotte a problem is coming her way, unless she calls a client instantly.

Of course, our smart Charlotte responds immediately by pressing the pictorial Noise Cancelling button in front of her, assured her action activates an 'Acoustic Cloaking Device' - a 'Cone of Silence' that isolates her instantaneously from her environment, allowing her - I assume - to speak with her client privately.

A little capture pops-up to tell us soothingly in a term we all understand that the blue-coloured bubble in which Charlotte moved herself is about 'Noise Cancelling'.

The presentation now informs us that 'Noise Cancelling' is good because it's Distraction Filtering capabilities, which seems to delight Charlotte no end, judging by the smile of contentment we see appear on her face 12 minutes later, clearly not concerned that her 'Organic Lamb from The Bourke Farm in Poneke (Teriyaki)' hasn't arrived yet.

To keep Charlotte happy whilst waiting for her order, the table now enables her to 'Keep Connected', showing her a Facebook-similar page because of its 'Multi-purpose Interactive Surface' allowing her to stay 'Seamlessly Connected - for Her World.

Hidden Questions
Seamlessly Connected sounds good to if we want to remain constantly in touch with the electronic data and information that helps us manage both our professional and private lives. What this video wants us to see is that future technology will enable us to interact with that information from just about anywhere, at any time, whenever we want.

But it’s the word ‘want’ where things may become dicey.

For one: it’d be safe to assume that cell phones have not made our lives more peaceful. Having a cell phone – and just about anyone in the Western World seems to have one – implies that you can be contacted 24/7, whenever someone wants to contact you.

Being contactable implies you’ll be constantly responsive to another person’s need to talk. Even if you are not contactable, callers effectively shift the responsibility for communication onto you by leaving a message, requesting a return call. The same applies to email.

What this video tells us is that our connectivity isn’t as seamless as it could be, and that technology will see that this will improve. What this essentially means is that we’ll be given fewer opportunities to run from the connectivity we are expected to have.

What would have happen to poor Charlotte if she’d favoured some quiet time at lunch over contacting her troubled client instantly? Go figure.

Last: the video doesn’t explain where Charlotte’s electronic data and information is stored. The video clearly suggests that she can access it from anywhere and, more importantly, through public means – assuming that table isn’t exclusively hers.

By implication, this would mean that this information would have to stream constantly through a large-scale infrastructure, which she probably doesn’t own either.

So, where does all that intelligence come from? Where will it be stored? Who owns all that infrastructure, those storage devices and ‘our’ data and information?

This video implies that if technology will have it ways, our rights to Privacy will have to change considerably. I expect that many cell phone owners wonder what their carriers do with the data they exchange through their handsets but one simple glance at your monthly phone bill shows that these carriers know exactly when you called, how long you spoke during each call, who you called and, very likely, where you called from.

Again, the same applies to email.

What the video’s proposes is that for us to become so wonderfully Seamless Connected we must store more of ourselves electronically in at least one system. Whereas technology will help us become connected, we must tell technology as much as we can about ourselves to make things ‘seamless’.

Because that technology will be owned by others, it’s actually not us telling these systems what we’re up to – but those who own these systems.

Will that be Gen-i, Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent then?

Who else?

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/will-seamless-connectivity-our-future-56/ Facebook – Here’s GBLCG.com! http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/facebook-here-s-gblcg-com-55/ Sat, 26 Nov 2011 10:23:02 GMT What seemed merely a dream a couple of months ago has finally come true – our own GBLCG.com Facebook App has been brought to life! Some of you... What seemed merely a dream a couple of months ago has finally come true – our own GBLCG.com Facebook App has been brought to life!

Some of you already know that we’ve been working tirelessly on building GBLCG.com with a view to make it a preferred online ‘home’ for professionals who want to discuss professional challenges.

In essence, we’re looking to build a unique community of opinionated, forward-thinking and idea-focused people interested in expanding both their online and ‘off-line’ business networks. Rather than emulating, duplicating or mimicking what other business networks offer, GBLCG.com will be about cutting-edge and unbridled thinking on how professional futures can be created or re-created.

To make this happen, our search is on for people who believe they cannot just ideate new futures – but who believe they can play key roles in making these futures reality. A broadest possible array of topics will be introduced due course to give home to each idea or suggestion on what in your view may need or should happen to reinvent and realise new – better – futures for our world.

Although coming from a business angle may seem restrictive in what can or cannot be discussed, it shouldn’t be so. Business, after all, can be defined as wide or narrow as one likes. In our case, we use business not as topical criterion but as a position from which we train our lenses toward to topics that arise due course.

When saying ‘professionals’ I refer to a broad and diverse pool of people who possess burning ambitions to make their professional mark on this world. We deliberately keep our views on what our target audiences may be as open as possible, mainly to keep a sense of ‘adventure’ alive.

Instead of us stipulating who’s ‘in’ and who’s ‘out’ – which is what conventional marketers tell us to do, believing that ‘knowing your audience’ is key to any site owner’s success – we prefer to keep our doors opened as wide as possible.

Due course we hope to see creativity, innovation and perhaps even ‘outlandish’ thinking trump the regurgitation of stale, fact-based and ‘right/wrong’ business paradigms. We hope to see new thinking emerge across members who are courageous enough to push conventional perspectives on business to yet unexplored levels.

As said, GBLCG.com now has a new Facebook presence, one that supplements our GBLCG.com Fan Page and our GBLCG.com Innovation Group.

Within the next few days we’ll be opening what we think will be interesting topics for you to get your teeth into.

Hope to see you soon in and around our brand new GBLCG.com Community!

- ]]> Raymond http://gblcg.com/blogs/raymond/facebook-here-s-gblcg-com-55/