All the posts have been transferred, but all new posts will be published in Global Marketing Insight.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Have I got a deal for you..!! You may have heard me talk before about this incredible product “Vision Board Studio (VBS)”, easily the most powerful goal setting and motivation package on the market. I think it is a MUST to have on your computer, I look at my personal one each and every day.

I just got the news that the team at OrangePeel have raised the bar yet again and are now offering their absolute BEST deal EVER!

Check out their website here for the details.

Just to remind you: Vision Board Studio enables you to visualize your goals and dreams in unique and dynamic ways on your computer screen, mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, photo frame, on your office wall, personal website and so on, using your personal dream images, affirmations and even your chosen audio. VBS combines effective software with superb educational material and ongoing encouragement.

For the first time ever, OrangePeel will complement this fantastic system with a live coaching Webinar, FREE of CHARGE!

** Incredible Offer***: During the month of MARCH only, you can download the complete VBS package for over 50% off the normal retail price!! It gets even better: they will also throw in a VIP invitation to their brand NEW “6 Week Vision Board Challenge” Webinar, featuring Peak Performance Business Coach & Digital Marketing Strategist Dotti Berry and OrangePeel’s Co Founder and Visualization expert Linda Boertjens. This Webinar will launch you straight into creating the most powerful Vision Board ever, assisting you to create the life you desire.

I urge you to have a good look at this and Make sure you don’t miss out and make this dynamic Vision Board Studio part of your daily goal achievement TODAY! It will support you all the way on your journey, assisting you in making 2011 your most successful year EVER!

Check out their incredible DEAL here.

Again, I was very happily surprised to see their deal, as up until now, they have never before offered such comprehensive, valuable personal coaching that will help you maximize your Vision Board Studio and put your life into overdrive from the word “go”!! I strongly recommend to check out their website right now and grab that amazing deal before it runs out. Don’t waste another minute. Make the dynamic Vision Board Studio part of your daily goal achievement TODAY at over 50% discount PLUS receive your VIP invitation to this exclusive Webinar Series totally FREE of CHARGE!

Click here to learn more right now!

Have a great day!

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Yellow® Invoice for unwanted business listing

My earlier post “Why Yellow® made me see red” came from “mild frustration” at being sent an invoice for $0.00, with a Reply Paid Envelope and Direct Debit Form for good measure.

This post comes from anger at being sent an invoice for a chargeable entry in the 2011 directory that I did not order. For those not familiar with the sporting jargon, the referee shows the red card to a player that has committed a foul that warrants being sent off.  This invariably leads to victory by the other side that then has an advantage of one more player on the field.

I phoned the 0800 number and expressed my frustration – politely as I try and make a distinction between the company and the unfortunate employees who have to deal with disgruntled customers.

I was told that the 2011 directory had already gone to print and I had to pay the invoice.  I could cancel for 2012, which I did my email directly after the phone call. I challenged Yellow® about sending an invoice for a service I had not ordered.  Yellow® has a policy of “auto-renewal”, which means if you don’t change or cancel your listing, you get charged the same as the previous year.  This may be part of their standard terms and conditions, but the company might as well have a declared policy of offering poor service and charging without consulting their customers.

The response was quite amusing: “it is difficult for us to contact all our customers” was the excuse. Well, Yellow® had not difficulty in sending me an invoice!  Before the company was sold, the policy and practice was to send an Advertising Order that the customer had to sign. It is ironic that the company that has a business directory as its business claims to have difficulty contacting the businesses listed in the directory!

The printed Yellow® directory may still be the right choice for businesses that have a retail presence and target consumers. Plumbers would be one example.  Every business should track how new customers heard about them and if possible what led to the decision. It is also important to track the results of all promotional activities.

Ask yourself the question “when did I last use the Yellow® directory?”

Consider if a paid listing in a printed business directory is a good way to spend part of your promotional budget.  It is not right for my business and I should have cancelled this additional listing last year.  You have been warned!

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Greg Shanahan is founder of Technology Investment Network, the publisher of the TIN100 Report. This annual report is the leading reference on the state of New Zealand’s globally focused technology export sector.

Greg will present a summary of the findings of the 2010 Report released last October.

TIN100 companies have shown themselves to be remarkably resilient in the face of the Global Financial Crisis. Although affected by the downturn, the sector continues to grow in strength and maturity.

Inclusion in the list of NZ’s list of 100 largest (by revenue)  tech exporters required a turnover of over $12M in 2010, compared with $2M in 2006. 75% of companies now have revenues of over $20M  and 17 companies have  revenues of over $100M.

Come along to be inspired and pick up some useful tips! The break-out groups will give you the opportunity to share your experience and learn from others.

 Go to the Auckland ICT website or more information and to RSVP.

Simon Fawkes
Auckland ICT
Business to Markets Ltd

This page was launched last week as a way of making people all over the world aware of the tragic earthquake that struck Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February.  It is also a forum for people to express their solidarity.

At the time of writing this post, the Facebook page had over 92,000 followers.

This is a great example of Social Media. From what I have gathered from the TV coverage , it was started by a local newspaper as a means of getting the stories about the earthquake to its readers. It quickly became went global.  This is a non-commercial venture and one to be applauded.

So do you bit and “like” Rise up Christchurch.

Do look at the “before and after” aerial photographic view of Christchurch from ABC News. Thanks to Jock Freemantle of Hulme Supercars Ltd for sending me this link.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Yellow Invoice Jan 2011

Yellow Pages Group® , commonly called Yellow®, surprised me with the three zeros on this invoice!

This invoice  was dated  21 January 2011. There was no need to send an invoice with ”Total Amount Due” of $0.00.  The payment received on 20 January should simply have been recorded in the February invoice. 

 Because obviously, it is a waste of:

a.paper

b. printing

c. postage

d. time & effort

The company was dominant in directory and business search in the days of printed Yellow Pages. It has expanded its business to the internet as well.  And just recently, the lawsuit of NZ Post’s subsidiary Localist,  made me think more closely about the company’s credibility. If you’ve heard the news, the Yellow Pages Group® bought internet domain names which were almost identical to the Localist web address. Computer World  called this “typo-squatting”.  I was pleased to read in the NZ Herald that Yellow® has since agreed to hand over these domain names to Localist. Such behaviour does not go down well with me. Other customers may feel the same way.

Now back to the invoice for $0.00 as Total Amount Due.  Yellow® were kind enough to include a pre-paid envelope and a Direct Debit form to make it easier for me to pay $0.00.

If this is sort of their standard procedure, regardless of the value that appears on such bills, then to me this actually:

1. Makes the company look stupid
2. Undermines confidence in the company

It literally makes me see red!

My Tip: Combine efficiency with good customer service, as the two can go hand in hand.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

1. 10 Tips To Get the Most From Social Media in Your Business
2. Opportunities To Fund Increased Business Growth in 2011
3. Three key ideas for Business Success in 2011.

I hope these articles are of interest and l look forward to getting some feedback.

Please let me know if you would like to discuss any aspect further.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

Tips on creativity

When I first started writing, I fell for this externally oriented language of creativity line, hook and sinker. I have so many ideas running around my mind; one comes after another, or so back again, or with another. I sat down in front of the computer and waited for the surprising muse to visit me, a brilliant idea to strike, or some other kind of external inspiration. It usually didn’t work instantaneously. I just ended up going out for a walk to get away from the empty screen and the blinking cursor, still looking for my ‘inspiration’.

Everyone is creative: we can all innovate given time, freedom, autonomy, experience to draw on. But there are times when even the most creative person starts going round in circles, lacks aim, gets bored or hits a dead end. And instead of running around the bush, a few strategies hit me while scanning around to get me on with what I wanted to do (and found myself rather motivated):

Fast Forward Time

Think about your lives like ten years from now, and you’ll become more insightful! When you think of creative ways in both time & space, it cues the mind to think more abstractly & generate more creative solutions into solving problems. A.Einstein & B.Gates were not exactly 101% genius, they just -think ahead!

Make Use of Bad Emotions

Use the drama of your life into positive work of art! While positive emotions are generally more conducive to creativity, the opposite pole of it also has the power to boost such creativity -especially if you find ways how to use them! You might be surprised by what happens. Countless abstract painters & rockstar musicians have long proven that.

Be Stimulated Absurdly

The absurd, the eccentric, the unconventional & the extraordinary always present the world with some sense of humor. And humor is creativity, so is absurdity! The famous Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story or any other absurd masterpiece will surely get yourself thinking & smiling at the same time.

Resist, Insist

Most resistance can lead to more creative solutions. Try off-road, mounting climbing perhaps; and see the results! Who would’ve thought Lady Gaga’s fashion resistance & weird appeal is such an art!

Combine Opposites

Set up impossible oppositions and try ridiculous combinations, and it’s going to be original! Multiple simultaneous opposites usually produce integrative ideas, which are usually not always obvious.

Re-conceptualize

People often jump to answers too quickly before they’ve really thought about the question. Spend time re-conceptualizing the problem. Forget the solution for now, concentrate on the problem. Now, are you asking the right question?

Take a break

Now is the time to separate from the real world. Travel through time, walk on water. No, what i mean is -try imagining your creative task as distant and disconnected from your current location, and see what other ideas or imagine could come up. This encourages higher level of thinking. Be surreal!

All of these methods can be applied to everyday life, each day as creative as the other.

Each or altogether can help you in unleashing your skills, talent & gifts (which could’ve been hidden all along). Choosing a gift for someone, conceptualizing how to market your products, thinking of ways to upbeat your career, sewing your own clothes, making a flower garden outside, changing your room furniture arrangement, editing your photos online, creating a video with a storyline, or simply putting a different make-up on from what’s usual –are just some of the many things you could do once innovation & creativity strides in..

Whoosh, I just did! Try and you’ll get by…

And by the way, never forget that notebook, instant thoughts might swing by..

Karen Dominguez
Business to Markets Ltd

Click on the graphic to get started. The on-line diagnostic should take just 10 minutes.

Take a look at the YouTube video to see how to fill out the GPS Diagnostic.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Simon Fawkes
Business to Markets Ltd

This month we have two international presenters and one of the most prestigious venues in Auckland.

We are delighted to welcome Gordon McKenzie, Managing Director of Microsoft’s Global Government Solutions Team, as our main speaker.

Citizen Service Platform Ver2- Innovation and Industry

“Governments and citizens are looking for new paradigms and new ways to doing things to meet the challenges of the “New Normal”.

And innovation is at the heart of that search. It is now central to the policy objectives of any country, state or city.

It is no longer just discussed in the CIOs Office, but the Oval Office (or PM’s, Governor’s, Mayors office – localize)

Because …

• Using public resources wisely is no longer just important … it is imperative (“when Governments  are laying off teachers, police”, etc – localize)
• Governments need to find new ways to extend the reach of quality Education and Healthcare
• Innovation is a foundation for Economic Growth and competitiveness for any country– hear how Industry can work with Local and Regional Governments to deliver on high value services and develop applications that both benefit the customer and grow industry.

The growing importance of technology to the Public Sector is matched by transformative ways to harness the benefits of technology .“

Gordon McKenzie is the creator of the Microsoft Citizen Service Platform, which is designed to help governments serve citizens and businesses more effectively using the standard Microsoft platform and tools.

Following this he has now taken on leadership of Microsoft Government Solutions team, enabling scenarios like Gov 2.0, Cloud computing, Citizen Service and Data Driven Government to be delivered through Microsoft’s platform.  Gordon and his team have just published the whitepaper on CSP “2.0 strategies for Government in the 2.0 world”, which addresses the cloud opportunity and how it can transform government services.

Applying Social Media in Your Business

Our second presenter is Fergal Coleman, director of Symphony3, a  Melbourne based IT and business consultancy. Since setting up and running a dot.com business in Ireland in the late 1990′s, Fergal has been preaching the benefits of embracing the web to business leaders ever since. He has worked with businesses across a wide range of industries assisting them with web and more recently social media strategies. Watch the short YouTube video.

Go to the Auckland ICT website or more information and to RSVP.

Simon Fawkes
Auckland ICT
Business to Markets Ltd