A new book by Karl Kapp, called Games, Gadgets, and Gizmos features 3DLanguage - SpainTM, covering its importance as an eLearning tool. The book does a great job describing the difference between the mentality and focus of older learners and newer learners, and practical ways to transfer knowledge between the two groups more effectively.
This issue of bridging the generational divide, and ensuring that we as a society do not lose the collective experience of the Baby Boom generation will continue to be an important topic for educational and enterprise technologists. Expect to see technologies which act the mechanisms for transferring and automating knowledge becoming the center of more discussion.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Quechup Social Networking - Tricky Tactics?
Watch out for the new site Quechup - it employs some interesting tactics a la Plaxo, which many will remember made the mistake of "spamming" new members friends.
I received an email from a very responsible friend the other day, just after an odd and uncharacteristic email from him.
"Some or all of you may have received an invitation to join some "newsocial networking site that's sweeping the nation" from me yesterday. What happened is that I thought it was just checking my contact list to find anyone who was already signed up. I didn't realize it was going to actually send an e-mail to everyone on that list."
While Quechup has many great features, this just goes to show how careful you need to be with these sites - they are not always up front about how they operate.
The bottom of the invite email clearly misrepresented what was happening:
" You received this because [YOUR FRIEND] knows and agreed to invite you. You will only receive one invite from [YOUR FRIEND]. Quechup will not spam or sell your email address - privacy policy. © Quechup 2007."
I received an email from a very responsible friend the other day, just after an odd and uncharacteristic email from him.
"Some or all of you may have received an invitation to join some "newsocial networking site that's sweeping the nation" from me yesterday. What happened is that I thought it was just checking my contact list to find anyone who was already signed up. I didn't realize it was going to actually send an e-mail to everyone on that list."
While Quechup has many great features, this just goes to show how careful you need to be with these sites - they are not always up front about how they operate.
The bottom of the invite email clearly misrepresented what was happening:
" You received this because [YOUR FRIEND] knows and agreed to invite you. You will only receive one invite from [YOUR FRIEND]. Quechup will not spam or sell your email address - privacy policy. © Quechup 2007."
Social Networking part 2 - Where's The Beef?
Yahoo is announcing a new service called KickStart, designed to help college students in pursuit of jobs, much the way LinkedIn works. Of the existing social networking sites, a number focus on one target market (for example Ryze and LinkedIn focus on business folk, Facebook and MySpace seem predominantly focused on the youth/leisure end) - however, this move by Yahoo may signal a renewed interest by mega-players Yahoo and Google (which offers the Orkut service) in the space.
It also seems clear that social networking at this point is in need of both a) consolidation, perhaps under the big players, and b) expansion of the value proposition to the user, beyond sharing video or photos with friends, or other niceties.
Given that the youth will grow up, will need jobs, will get jobs, and will develop more professionally oriented networks, the need for solutions to mature in the next few years seems obvious.
It also seems clear that social networking at this point is in need of both a) consolidation, perhaps under the big players, and b) expansion of the value proposition to the user, beyond sharing video or photos with friends, or other niceties.
Given that the youth will grow up, will need jobs, will get jobs, and will develop more professionally oriented networks, the need for solutions to mature in the next few years seems obvious.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Product Marketing in Second Life, and the Scion
At a time where product companies are questioning the effectiveness of Second Life, one company is expanding.
Second Life and Education's Possible Future
A grant-funded project resulted in this video about Second Life's current use and potential for transforming education.
It touches on the major themes that distance learning advocates, have, for a long time, hit. It lays out the typical logic for immersive education - however, it does little to address the current problems Second Life has with technical performance (which voice can only exacerbate) and audience (Second Life should license the product name Lonely Planet).
It touches on the major themes that distance learning advocates, have, for a long time, hit. It lays out the typical logic for immersive education - however, it does little to address the current problems Second Life has with technical performance (which voice can only exacerbate) and audience (Second Life should license the product name Lonely Planet).
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Storage Costs Continue to Drop (or "OK, Why Not Keep Track Of How Fast My Nose Hair Grows?")
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2176203,00.asp
500GB of storage. For $199. Look for other hardware manufacturers to follow suit, and for service companies like Google to increase free storage levels across the board.
A question to ask yourself is this - "What becomes possible when storage costs approach $0, when bandwidth costs drop, and every consumer is constantly connected via a mobile device?"
500GB of storage. For $199. Look for other hardware manufacturers to follow suit, and for service companies like Google to increase free storage levels across the board.
A question to ask yourself is this - "What becomes possible when storage costs approach $0, when bandwidth costs drop, and every consumer is constantly connected via a mobile device?"
Selling More By Leveraging "Triggers" - Jill Konrath
One of my good friends is fond of an old adage about software developers - "Good developers write great code. Great developers avail themselves of good code."
Jill Konrath is one of a number of sales folks I read from time to time in an attempt to "use good code." One of her recent blog posts offers some important and practical tips on how to leverage disruptive events in your target market to help you sell.
I have to confess, I would rather link to her blog or website (www.sellingtobigcompanies.com), but the article went out via email, and I don't see it posted elsewhere. So here it is - I didn't write it, she did.
Feature Article
Sales Shortcuts: 4 Timely Tips to Slash Your Sales Cycle
by Jill Konrath
What's the fastest and easiest way to increase your sales? Without a doubt, it's triggering events. It still amazes me how few people actually leverage these newsworthy occurrences to crack into new accounts and grow their business.
What are triggering events? They're changes within an organization or in their business environment that have cascading effects throughout the company. Because of these changes, existing decisions need to be revisited and new priorities emerge. Triggering events could be mergers, acquisitions, new leaderships, competitive moves, new legislation, expanding market presence, changing strategic directions or the launch of a new product.
Triggering events also have an urgency or immediacy surrounding them. For example, corporate reorganizations are never done to maintain the status quo. New laws require companies to take immediate action to ensure compliance. New products must achieve rapid marketplace success or heads will roll.
That's why triggering events create opportunities for your product, service or solution.
And, despite your belief that that big companies have everything completely planned out in advance, it's simply not true. Even after announcements about major changes, frequently they only have a skeleton plan is in place to address early stages of the initiative.
Corporate decision makers need your expertise to help them figure out the best way to achieve their newly redefined goals and objectives.
Savvy sellers know this. That's why they leverage triggering events to get their foot in the door. This strategy gets them meetings, shortens their sales cycle and minimizes competitive battles.
Here's what you can do to capitalize on triggering events and ultimately, speed up your sales velocity.
1. Identify factors that create opportunities.
Take a look at your customer base and analyze why they chose to make a decision. If possible, interview various customers to get their insights. Were they trying to achieve a specific objective? Were they facing common issues or challenges?
Pay particular attention to what occurred in those firms where the sale moved quickly. Ask yourself was was happening in their organization or in their external business environment that increased their sense of urgency.
Recently I received an email from a woman who sells to manufacturers. She told me that one of her company's greatest strengths is helping firms who have just received FDA approval maintain compliance, quality and product traceability. This is a perfect example! The FDA approval triggered needs she could address - now!
2. Put your alert system on autopilot.
Once you know the internal and external factors that can create opportunities for your offering, your next step is to automate the process. You can do it yourself with Google Alerts or Yahoo Alerts - free, personalized online search and notification services. After setting up an account, enter in words/phrases that are important and relevant to your sales success.
The woman above could set an alert for: "FDA approval" AND manufacturing. Whenever new information is posted online in that includes her key words, she can be instantly informed of the breaking news. Personally, I have an alert for "New Vice President, Sales" because these recently hired or promoted leaders need to get results quickly.
For even more refined searching with multiple key words, geographies and industry segments, you may want to consider companies such as True Advantage, iLantern or Inside View. These paid services can significantly enhance sales productivity.
3. Track other firms with similar issues or objectives.
After determining the triggering events that created opportunities in your customer base, the next logical next step is to focus your prospecting efforts on companies experiencing similar challenges.
For example, if you just finished a consulting project helping marketers in a financial services firm launch a new product, your understanding of their business can easily be leveraged to get your foot in the door of another financial services firm. If a recent high tech firm used your solution to drive significant costs out of the supply chain, it's reasonable to assume other technology-driven companies would have similar needs.
When approaching these organizations, craft your message so that it builds off your expertise in addressing issues relevant to the triggering event. Prospects respond well - and quickly - to sellers who display an in-depth understanding of their priority challenges and goals.
Identify targeted firms that you want to monitor. Then, expand your alert system to get notified of any pertinent triggering events happening in these organizations.
4. Get the inside scoop from your own networking team.
One of the best ways to get up-to-the-minute information on what's happening in companies you'd like to land as customers is to create your own networking group. If you sell to R&D, determine who else is trying to reach the same people you want to meet.
Or if your primary decision maker is a marketer, think of all the other companies pursuing business with Marketing. Your list may include firms specializing in graphic arts, strategy, list management, web analytics, or trade show displays.
After you pull this group together, plan on meeting once a month to review "what's happening" in specific accounts. Discuss management changes, key business imperatives, competitive moves or any other relevant information that could create opportunities for group members. As a caution, be careful of revealing any proprietary information that could harm your customers or your relationship with them.
In Summary
The biggest shortcut to sales success is to be a keen observer of triggering events and to act on them quickly. Use the "sales intelligence" you uncover to craft customer-enticing messaging that shows your understanding of what's happening in their organization and have ideas on how to help.
When you do, corporate decision makers want to meet with you. You'll quickly land an appointment, positioned to address a challenge requiring immediate action.
And you're positioned as an expert, not a product-pushing peddler. Now that's a formula for success!
Get a copy of this information-rich ebook and four others when you sign up for the new Sales Shebang newsletter.Goody Bag too!
Check out what else is in the
Jill Konrath is one of a number of sales folks I read from time to time in an attempt to "use good code." One of her recent blog posts offers some important and practical tips on how to leverage disruptive events in your target market to help you sell.
I have to confess, I would rather link to her blog or website (www.sellingtobigcompanies.com), but the article went out via email, and I don't see it posted elsewhere. So here it is - I didn't write it, she did.
Feature Article
Sales Shortcuts: 4 Timely Tips to Slash Your Sales Cycle
by Jill Konrath
What's the fastest and easiest way to increase your sales? Without a doubt, it's triggering events. It still amazes me how few people actually leverage these newsworthy occurrences to crack into new accounts and grow their business.
What are triggering events? They're changes within an organization or in their business environment that have cascading effects throughout the company. Because of these changes, existing decisions need to be revisited and new priorities emerge. Triggering events could be mergers, acquisitions, new leaderships, competitive moves, new legislation, expanding market presence, changing strategic directions or the launch of a new product.
Triggering events also have an urgency or immediacy surrounding them. For example, corporate reorganizations are never done to maintain the status quo. New laws require companies to take immediate action to ensure compliance. New products must achieve rapid marketplace success or heads will roll.
That's why triggering events create opportunities for your product, service or solution.
And, despite your belief that that big companies have everything completely planned out in advance, it's simply not true. Even after announcements about major changes, frequently they only have a skeleton plan is in place to address early stages of the initiative.
Corporate decision makers need your expertise to help them figure out the best way to achieve their newly redefined goals and objectives.
Savvy sellers know this. That's why they leverage triggering events to get their foot in the door. This strategy gets them meetings, shortens their sales cycle and minimizes competitive battles.
Here's what you can do to capitalize on triggering events and ultimately, speed up your sales velocity.
1. Identify factors that create opportunities.
Take a look at your customer base and analyze why they chose to make a decision. If possible, interview various customers to get their insights. Were they trying to achieve a specific objective? Were they facing common issues or challenges?
Pay particular attention to what occurred in those firms where the sale moved quickly. Ask yourself was was happening in their organization or in their external business environment that increased their sense of urgency.
Recently I received an email from a woman who sells to manufacturers. She told me that one of her company's greatest strengths is helping firms who have just received FDA approval maintain compliance, quality and product traceability. This is a perfect example! The FDA approval triggered needs she could address - now!
2. Put your alert system on autopilot.
Once you know the internal and external factors that can create opportunities for your offering, your next step is to automate the process. You can do it yourself with Google Alerts or Yahoo Alerts - free, personalized online search and notification services. After setting up an account, enter in words/phrases that are important and relevant to your sales success.
The woman above could set an alert for: "FDA approval" AND manufacturing. Whenever new information is posted online in that includes her key words, she can be instantly informed of the breaking news. Personally, I have an alert for "New Vice President, Sales" because these recently hired or promoted leaders need to get results quickly.
For even more refined searching with multiple key words, geographies and industry segments, you may want to consider companies such as True Advantage, iLantern or Inside View. These paid services can significantly enhance sales productivity.
3. Track other firms with similar issues or objectives.
After determining the triggering events that created opportunities in your customer base, the next logical next step is to focus your prospecting efforts on companies experiencing similar challenges.
For example, if you just finished a consulting project helping marketers in a financial services firm launch a new product, your understanding of their business can easily be leveraged to get your foot in the door of another financial services firm. If a recent high tech firm used your solution to drive significant costs out of the supply chain, it's reasonable to assume other technology-driven companies would have similar needs.
When approaching these organizations, craft your message so that it builds off your expertise in addressing issues relevant to the triggering event. Prospects respond well - and quickly - to sellers who display an in-depth understanding of their priority challenges and goals.
Identify targeted firms that you want to monitor. Then, expand your alert system to get notified of any pertinent triggering events happening in these organizations.
4. Get the inside scoop from your own networking team.
One of the best ways to get up-to-the-minute information on what's happening in companies you'd like to land as customers is to create your own networking group. If you sell to R&D, determine who else is trying to reach the same people you want to meet.
Or if your primary decision maker is a marketer, think of all the other companies pursuing business with Marketing. Your list may include firms specializing in graphic arts, strategy, list management, web analytics, or trade show displays.
After you pull this group together, plan on meeting once a month to review "what's happening" in specific accounts. Discuss management changes, key business imperatives, competitive moves or any other relevant information that could create opportunities for group members. As a caution, be careful of revealing any proprietary information that could harm your customers or your relationship with them.
In Summary
The biggest shortcut to sales success is to be a keen observer of triggering events and to act on them quickly. Use the "sales intelligence" you uncover to craft customer-enticing messaging that shows your understanding of what's happening in their organization and have ideas on how to help.
When you do, corporate decision makers want to meet with you. You'll quickly land an appointment, positioned to address a challenge requiring immediate action.
And you're positioned as an expert, not a product-pushing peddler. Now that's a formula for success!
***
Triggering Events: How to Leverage Sales Intelligence to Crack Into Corporate AccountsGet a copy of this information-rich ebook and four others when you sign up for the new Sales Shebang newsletter.Goody Bag too!
Check out what else is in the
Saturday, August 25, 2007
HTC S621
http://www.htcamerica.net/products/s621/default.html
Another signpost in the convergence of features slowly toppling the laptop/desktop regime, and replacing it with the cell phone.
A truly important feature/software combination here - this phone has solid WiFi capabilities as well as Skype Mobile. When used together, you can make international calls on your cell phone for much less than the average cents per minute.
As WiFi continues its growth, the cost of mobile calling, browsing, and computing will continue to drop as telecom-type entities increasingly have to compete across channels.
And the HTC phone is another example of a successful $500 phone - putting additional price pressure on desktop/laptop manufacturers. Look for more of these phones in the future at much more competitive prices.
Another signpost in the convergence of features slowly toppling the laptop/desktop regime, and replacing it with the cell phone.
A truly important feature/software combination here - this phone has solid WiFi capabilities as well as Skype Mobile. When used together, you can make international calls on your cell phone for much less than the average cents per minute.
As WiFi continues its growth, the cost of mobile calling, browsing, and computing will continue to drop as telecom-type entities increasingly have to compete across channels.
And the HTC phone is another example of a successful $500 phone - putting additional price pressure on desktop/laptop manufacturers. Look for more of these phones in the future at much more competitive prices.
Fake Blogs, Virtual Worlds, and Dopplegangers
Although it is surfacing in a humorous light, "fake blogs" (search Personal Diary of Steve Jobs) are the tip of an interesting security trends.
As you may or may not know, as technology has increased capability, so have security threats. Put simply, the more you can do with technology, the more interesting things others learn to do to you! Tactics change, but the basic thrust is the same.
For example, email campaigns designed to fool unsuspecting account holders into sending personal data to thieves were very much the rage a short while back - at the same time, thieves were calling in to companies, using "social engineering" techniques to obtain just enough access to, for example, hijack company phone lines to make long distance calls.
So imagine a fake blog, fake LinkedIn page, fake Skype account for a long lost friend? Maybe one you had blogged about years ago?
If you received a request for contact from a friend like this, and verified the person's identity through electronic means, might you inadvertently divulge your secrets to them? How about if you met that same individual in Second Life, with an avatar designed to look like them?
Although this is probably won't happen tomorrow, legal emphasis on actual real world identity, and legitimate ways to pretend you are someone else are going to have to emerge.
As you may or may not know, as technology has increased capability, so have security threats. Put simply, the more you can do with technology, the more interesting things others learn to do to you! Tactics change, but the basic thrust is the same.
For example, email campaigns designed to fool unsuspecting account holders into sending personal data to thieves were very much the rage a short while back - at the same time, thieves were calling in to companies, using "social engineering" techniques to obtain just enough access to, for example, hijack company phone lines to make long distance calls.
So imagine a fake blog, fake LinkedIn page, fake Skype account for a long lost friend? Maybe one you had blogged about years ago?
If you received a request for contact from a friend like this, and verified the person's identity through electronic means, might you inadvertently divulge your secrets to them? How about if you met that same individual in Second Life, with an avatar designed to look like them?
Although this is probably won't happen tomorrow, legal emphasis on actual real world identity, and legitimate ways to pretend you are someone else are going to have to emerge.
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