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Sunday, April 27, 2003
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"I'm not so interested in products," my partner explained to a mutual protégé. "Products change with the times. I'm interested in developing a sophisticated understanding of how our market works."
As someone who spends a good deal of time inventing new products, this comment shocked me. But it didn't take me very long to realize he was right.
Products -- good products -- are things that meet certain needs or solve particular problems. The same can be said of services. But what solves today's problem is not necessarily what will work tomorrow. The endless need to refine, reinvent … to make our products "new" … is evidence of that.
A common mistake a lot of entrepreneurs and executives make is becoming very knowledgeable about the product without knowing as much (or more) about how to market it. Product knowledge gives you the illusion of being in control because you can answer all your colleagues' questions and correct the technical guys when they are wrong -- but in the long run, it isn't as important as knowing how, when, and why your customers buy.
Having market knowledge means that you understand the attractiveness of the product rather than the product itself. It means that you understand its benefits, not just its features. It means that you know your customers' wants, needs, and desires so intimately that you can reinvent the product even before they realize it needs to be reinvented.
If you want to be a prime mover in business -- someone who can move your company forward when it has stalled and the person who can come up with that sorely needed blockbuster promotion -- become an expert in your market.
Being a market expert implies having a very good understanding of the selling process. How it's done. Why it works. What is essential and what is not.
Rate yourself by answering these questions:
1. What is the most important psychological benefit your product offers?
2. What is the most common mistake other marketers make when they sell it?
3. How have your customers' needs and desires changed in the recent past?
4. What changes have you made to accommodate those changes?
If you answered those questions quickly and confidently, you are doing the right kind of thinking. If you are hesitant about some of them, you've got to spend more time with your marketing hat on. If you have spent little time asking and answering such questions, you need to start from scratch. [ via www.earlytorise.com ]
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10:00:00 AM 
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Asking for help and support is what networking is all about. But to save yourself -- and your contact -- time, you should always know exactly what it is that you want before you pick up the phone.
In his e-book "Creating Opportunities by Networking," Jeffrey J. Mayer suggests three phrases that will help you be clear and concise:
1. I need ... Do you have any ideas where I could find it?
2. I've got a problem and thought you might be able to help me with …
3. I'm looking for … and thought you might be able to tell me where to go.
Editorial note: If you're tired of calling the same people over and over again- and don't have enough prospects - you probably need to improve your networking skills. Jeffrey J. Mayer’s "Creating Opportunities by Networking" eBook teaches you how to become an expert networker. [ via www.earlytorise.com ]
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9:51:22 AM
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In a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, researchers compared the exercise habits and the number of colds for 547 adults aged 20 to 70. They found that both men and women who were active had as much as one-fourth fewer respiratory infections. We already know that exercise has many benefits -- preventing colds is an added bonus.
(Source: Dr. Al Sears' Health Confidential for Men newsletter)
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9:48:20 AM
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Wednesday, April 16, 2003
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The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. -- Albert Einstein
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9:07:43 AM
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Saturday, March 29, 2003
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"Massage in essence is a relationship between two people who share equally
with each other in order to faciliate change.
That is why it is important to find a Therapist thats suits you.""
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9:54:04 AM
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Thursday, March 27, 2003
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"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." -- Albert Schweitzer
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7:36:45 AM
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Thursday, March 13, 2003
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"A person experiences life as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. Our task must be to free ourselves from this self-imposed prison, and through compassion, to find the reality of Oneness."-- Albert Einstein
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9:15:52 AM
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Wednesday, March 12, 2003
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No matter how hard my mom tries, every plant or flower she has attempted to grow seems to wither and die an untimely death under her care. But she never gives up hope. While she was visiting home recently, my sister nudged me and pointed to a line of new plants placed by the kitchen window.
"Look," she whispered, "death row."
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6:48:09 AM
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Tuesday, March 11, 2003
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During periods of stress, the effectiveness of the body’s immune system is reduced. Research indicates that massage can increase the immune system’s cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body’s natural "killer cells") and decrease the number of T-cells, which improves the body’s immune functioning overall.
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6:48:47 PM
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According to a pilot study conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, massage therapy reduces pain and muscle spasms in patients who have undergone heart bypass surgery when patients are treated at the hospital after their surgery. Because of its effectiveness, 60 percent of the massage group expressed a willingness to pay for massage therapy out-of-pocket.
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6:46:41 PM
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Research shows therapeutic massage is an effective complement to traditional medical care for women suffering from the trauma of undergoing a lumpectomy, mastectomy or breast reconstruction. Pre-surgery, massage relaxes muscle tissue and increases the flow of lymph. Post surgery, women who use specialized lymph drainage techniques from a well-trained massage therapist as part of their treatment for lymphedema may experience less pain and swelling, as massage helps disperse build-up of lymphatic fluid. Although the physiological benefits are important, many women who’ve undergone breast cancer treatment report that the emotional benefits of massage are paramount. Women report that massage helps them reconnect with their bodies after this invasive surgery.
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6:46:04 PM
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A study conducted by Beth Israel-Deaconess Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education and the Center for Health Studies in Seattle concluded that therapeutic massage was an effective treatment for providing long-lasting benefits for patients suffering from chronic low back pain. In fact, researchers hypothesize that massage might be an effective alternative to conventional medical care for persistent low back pain. Researchers hope to continue their research to determine which components of the massage therapy experience contribute to its effectiveness.
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6:45:34 PM
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According to a recent report by the American Massage Therapy Association®, the massage therapy profession and the public's use of massage continue to grow in quantity as well as quantity. The most significant growth is in medical practitioners' and consumers' interest in and appreciation for massage therapy as an effective integrative and complementary modality. Mainstream acceptance of massage therapy continues its strong trend. Since 1997, the number of adult Americans who say they had a massage from a massage therapist in the previous 12 months jumped from 8% to 18%…Among people who had experienced severe back, neck or shoulder pain, the rate of use of massage therapy increased from 14.6% in 1996 to 19.4% in 1999. The massage explosion can be attributed partly to the growing population of tired, aging, not-quite-as-limber-as-they-once-were baby boomers, partly to an increased awareness of the effects of stress and of the physiological benefits of "pressing the flesh." Doctors and consumers are turning more and more to massage as an adjunct to regular health practices. More working-class professionals are using massage therapy to relieve stress and treat sore muscles. Massage therapists that once served only elite professionals or athletes see a wider range of clientele…[In addition,] an increasing number of corporations, small businesses and municipalities have found on-site massage to be a low-cost benefit with high payoff...By including 15 minutes of free massage therapy once each week, the Calvert Group, an investment firm in Bethesda, Maryland, reduced its turnover rate to 5% in an industry where the norm is 20%. Among emergency room patients, 31% report they have used massage in the past for painful conditions...Of the 14% of adults who spoke to their doctors or other healthcare providers in the past 12 months about massage therapy, 76% report that the conversation was favorable about massage…With this increasing demand, the number of massage therapists in the United States, including students, is [now] between 260,000 and 290,000. For the full report, including sources, visit the www.amtamassage.org news room.
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6:43:27 PM
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Late one night in the Washington, D.C. area a mugger wearing a ski mask jumped into the path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs.
"Give me your money," he demanded.
Indignant, the affluent man replied, "You can't do this - I'm a US Congressman!"
"In that case," replied the robber, "give me MY money!"
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12:44:44 PM
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Thursday, March 06, 2003
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By Alan R. Gaby, MD
Healthnotes Newswire (March 6, 2003)—A team of researchers has developed a set of guidelines to help doctors advise their patients about the safety and efficacy of various treatments for cancer. Their report, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (2002:137:889–903), evaluates a wide range of therapies, including dietary modifications, nutritional supplements, herbs, acupuncture, massage therapy, and exercise.
Massage therapy may help relieve anxiety associated with cancer. A specific massage technique, called manual lymph drainage, was found to be beneficial for women with chronic swelling and pain in the arm (lymphedema) after surgery for breast cancer. Several precautions were suggested in relation to the use of massage in cancer patients. The therapist should avoid the area directly over known tumors (in order to minimize the possibility of spreading the tumor), should not massage over areas of bone that might be affected by the cancer (in order to reduce the risk of fracture), and should avoid deep massage in people who are prone to bleeding.
According to the report, acupuncture can help control chemotherapy-related nausea and may also be useful for the treatment of cancer-related pain.
Of the nutritional supplements evaluated, vitamin E in relatively small amounts (approximately three times the Recommended Dietary Allowance) was found to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Vitamin A and beta-carotene, on the other hand, showed little evidence of benefit; in fact, taking beta-carotene actually increased the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Vitamin C was judged to be ineffective as a treatment for cancer; moreover, taking large amounts of this vitamin could potentially increase the risk of bleeding. Consequently, it was recommended that the use of vitamin C as a treatment for cancer be discouraged. No evidence was found to indicate that shark cartilage is an effective treatment for cancer.
The authors of the report reached their conclusions after reviewing a large body of published research. They relied mainly on randomized clinical trials, when they were available, and gave less weight to intervention trials that lacked a control group and to observational (epidemiological) studies.
While this report will help practitioners and the public to make wiser and better-informed choices regarding the prevention and treatment of cancer, its recommendations are by no means the final word. Many cancer treatments have not been well studied, and recommendations concerning their use will be updated as additional research is done. Furthermore, some of the conclusions reached in this report appear to have been based on a superficial analysis of the evidence.
For example, one study suggested that taking large amounts of vitamin C (10 grams per day) can prolong the lives of terminal cancer patients by more than five-fold. In that study, 8 of 100 terminal patients experienced dramatic improvement, and were still alive an average of 3.5 years after starting vitamin C supplementation. That study was not considered in the new report because it was not a randomized trial. However, the negative research that was reviewed had serious flaws. In the most widely publicized negative study, vitamin C supplementation was given only for a few months, rather than for the rest of the patients' lives, as in the positive study. Second, vitamin C therapy was abruptly withdrawn during the study, and the patients were immediately put on chemotherapy. Abruptly discontinuing vitamin C may result in "rebound" vitamin C deficiency, and giving chemotherapy in the face of acute vitamin C deficiency could increase the toxicity of the drugs. Third, there was evidence that the patients assigned to placebo were able to identify which treatment they were receiving, and that some patients in the placebo group were taking large amounts of vitamin C on the sly.
Concerning the alleged risk of bleeding from high-dose vitamin C, that side effect has never been reported to occur, even in people taking enormous quantities of vitamin C.
Despite its weaknesses, this report provides a great deal of useful information regarding the prevention and treatment of cancer. However, it also underscores the fact that a great deal remains unknown and that additional research is urgently needed.
Alan R. Gaby, MD, an expert in nutritional therapies, testified to the White House Commission on CAM upon request in December 2001. Dr. Gaby served as a member of the Ad-Hoc Advisory Panel of the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine. He is the author of Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis (Prima, 1994), and co-author of The Natural Pharmacy, 2nd Edition (Healthnotes, Prima, 1999), the A–Z Guide to Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions (Healthnotes, Prima, 1999), Clinical Essentials Volume 1 and 2 (Healthnotes, 2000), and The Patient’s Book of Natural Healing (Prima, 1999). A former professor at Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, in Kenmore, WA, where he served as the Endowed Professor of Nutrition, Dr. Gaby is the Chief Medical Editor for Healthnotes, Inc.
Copyright © 2003 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of the Healthnotes® content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Healthnotes, Inc. Healthnotes Newswire is for educational or informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or provide treatment for any condition. If you have any concerns about your own health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional. Healthnotes, Inc. shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Healthnotes and the Healthnotes logo are registered trademarks of Healthnotes, Inc.
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4:49:07 PM
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Tuesday, March 04, 2003
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It could be argued that all leadership is appreciative leadership. It's the capacity to see the best in the world around us, in our colleagues, and in the groups we are trying to lead. It's the capacity to see the most creative and improbable opportunities in the marketplace. It's the capacity to see with an appreciative eye the true and the good, the better and the possible.
--David L Cooperrider, HR.com: Interview with David Cooperrider by David W. Creelman
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5:44:56 AM
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Monday, February 17, 2003
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In a study of 60 schoolchildren traumatized by Hurricane Andrew, Tiffany Field, director of the University of Miami’s Touch Research Institute, found that depression dropped in kids who received 30 minutes of massage twice a week for a month; kids who watched a relaxing video showed no improvement. And cortisol levels, the body’s marker for stress, declined significantly in the massage group compared with controls. [ via MSNBC ]
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7:35:53 PM
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A key, researchers said, is to add elements of touch, taste, sound and smell to the story.
In the Bugs Bunny study, Loftus talked with subjects about their childhoods and asked not only whether they saw someone dressed up as the character, but also whether they hugged his furry body and stroked his velvety ears. In subsequent interviews, 36 percent of the subjects recalled the cartoon rabbit.
In another study, Loftus suggested frog-kissing incidents that 15 percent of the group later recalled.
"It is sensory details that people use to distinguish their memories," said Loftus, who has conducted false memories experiments on 20,000 subjects over 25 years. "If you imbue the story with them, you'll disrupt this memory process. It's almost a recipe to get people to remember things that aren't true."
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11:38:40 AM
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Thursday, February 06, 2003
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Wednesday, February 05, 2003
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If vegetarians love animals so much, why do they eat all their food???
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2:56:34 PM
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Tuesday, February 04, 2003
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© Copyright
2003
Rick@Leaders.net.
Last update:
4/27/2003; 10:00:22 AM.
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