November 2009

This month we ponder on the challenges of dealing with foreigners, sheep … and the boss.

• Authentic?
• Lost In Translation
• Twitterings
• Packaging
• Location, Location, Location
• Get Out Of The Box
• We Like Sheep
• Subscribe
• And Finally

Authentic?

What does authentic mean? I was listening to an ‘original’ recording of Maria Callas. Original in that modern technology hasn’t been applied to ‘clean up’. The result is a sound that has so much snap, crackle and pop that it is unimaginable to the I-Pod generation. But is it authentic when I’m listening to it on CD? For all I know they may even have added a bit more crackling to make it sound ‘original’.

A few years back I was talking to a French musician who had heard Callas making her final performance in Paris. She was way past her best and yet she still had an extraordinary charisma according to Michel. Maybe authentic is when the appeal is still there even when the world has moved on. Another word often used is ‘iconic’.


Lost In Translation

Now that we are all good Europeans one would have thought that any company selling in a foreign market would take the trouble to seek out a native speaker to do their translations. Apparently not so. I’ve succumbed to my penchant for white Burgundy and bought a case of the stuff (it’s a bit pricey so don’t tell the management). Much to my surprise the label is in English … well, almost.

It explains that high quality (well, actually it says ligh quality) wines are lightly filtered so may have some sediment. Then there is a stark warning: “If it were eliminated there would be a risk of killing.” ! I rather assume they mean that the wine would be spoiled but there is a lingering doubt that this might be the punishment for any vineyard worker who might have the temerity to do a bit of additional filtering.


Twitterings

Regular readers will know that I have been Tweeting for some months now. After an initial surge of enthusiasm my activities became more sporadic, mainly because it can become an addictive time-waster and there’s a lot of garbage on there. But my faith has been restored (to some extent). Stourbridge Speakers Club was given a small grant to host a Speaking In Public Taster Evening as part of the Department of Business, Innovation & Skills’ inspired October Festival of Learning. Club president Sue Davies Tweeted on the subject and this was picked up by a presenter on the local radio station. From there he visited the club’s website and that resulted in a phone call to me as the club’s communications officer. As a result we were able to obtain publicity for the event on the radio.

I have also been able to build relationships with a number of people through Twitter and so have become quite sure that it can be a valuable business tool. Although I accept that I still have a lot to learn to enable me to get the best from it.


Packaging

Is packaging important? What is packaging? Arguably packaging is everything except the product itself. Sometimes it’s there for protective reasons but often it is more about the way the product is presented. A study of a perfume counter will demonstrate what I mean. In many cases I suspect that the perfume bottle and the box in which it is packed cost more to produce than the perfume itself.

But I believe that packaging goes beyond a box or fancy bottle. It is about everything related to how we deliver the product to the customer. That could be our website, our shop, even our advertising. For a while I bought wine and shirts from apparently premium online suppliers. In reality their products were not much different from anyone else. But what caused me to kick both into touch was being bombarded constantly by advertising material of both paper and electronic variety. Their advertising strategy was at complete odds with their supposed up-market position. And lost them both a customer.


Location, Location, Location

I’m sure that all Ramblers are familiar with estate agents’ top three criteria when buying a property. However, the style of property is equally important for many people. If logic prevailed we’d all live in modern square or rectangular houses. But many choose to live in old properties, often anything but a regular shape, and requiring a great deal of upkeep. So, many of us are not logical, we buy on emotion.

Several times recently I have been torn between whether to attend one event or another, or indeed whether to attend at all. There are various considerations: the ‘product’, the location (ease or otherwise of getting there) and the building itself. Yes, I know what some of you are thinking, but for me at least, the building in which the event is held has a not insignificant influence on whether I will attend.

The product is important. Very important. But making it easy for the customer to want to buy it is equally important. In other words, removing obstacles, even emotional ones and creating compelling reasons for the purchase.


Get Out Of The Box

Think outside the box – draw outside the lines – write on the walls – forget MS Project - switch off the PC - use a pencil and roll of wallpaper (plain) to plan projects. Technology is good for recording, not for creating.

Gosh, I feel better for that outburst!


We Like Sheep

Several weeks back this Rambler made a brief appearance in the Sunday Times Business Supplement. The article related to the challenges of working alone. The article headlined Heather Bestel of A Little Bit Of Me Time (http://www.alittlebitofmetime.com/) and had a picture of Heather standing astride two boulders on a hill near her Scottish home.

Apparently the ST photographer had been keen to include some sheep in the picture because that’s what people associate with the country. The full story of this mountainside escapade can be read on Heather’s blog (http://www.heatherbestel.com/page/2/ 19th October), but it set my mind off in a different direction …

Recently I was at Birmingham’s magnificently restored Town Hall for a performance of the Messiah. As I’m sure you know, this wonderful work was written by George Frideric Handel, a German who came to live in England. There are suggestions that his less than perfect English accounted for the line: ‘All we like sheep have gone astray …’

That might seem perfectly reasonable for 18th Century English. The problem is that it is sung as:
All we like sheep.
All we like sheep …
have gone astray.

Now was this because of Handel’s imperfect grasp of English or his ignorance of quaint English country customs?! Either way, again it emphasises the need to employ local knowledge when venturing into foreign fields.


Circulation List

If you would like to receive Random Ramblings by email, click here to be added to the circulation list. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Privacy Policy - It's very simple! We don't pass your details on to anyone.


And Finally

Does the boss know what he is doing? This is the question posed by this item lifted from John Niland’s http://www.success121.com/ newsletter:

A young engineer was leaving the office when he found the Acting CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the Acting CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary is not here. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly," said the young engineer. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, excellent!" said the Acting CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine, "I just need one copy."

Lesson: Never, ever assume that your boss knows what he's doing!


I trust that you will avoid the shredder until we meet again,

David