Am away from my usual fast (?) dsl link connection - and on a painfully slow dial-up connection.  Was browsing through my news aggregator and i saw a piece by John Porcaro, Group Marketing Manager, Microsoft.  We've connected many times through our blogs and i sense he's a marketing guy who believes in not just listening to his customers, (a lot of marketing guys do this) but in really hearing them and engaging them in conversations (and my guess is not all do).  

I suspect John is one of those who really does.  And tells us how blogging helps him do this.  At his blog, John shares his thoughts and own personal experiences on how blogs help companies.  Where he describes how his blog helps him in his job, by allowing him to have conversations with customers and hearing their views. 

I like the piece he's written.  A lot.  Especially the parts i have highlighted in bold font.    

"I started my blog because I really believe in the clarity that comes from really listening to customers. Marketing really comes down to understanding customer needs, and creating products or services that meet those needs. The best way to understand what customers really need is listening to them. And I’m convinced that really listening (and appropriately responding) leads to a more trusting relationship.

Blogs offer a way to start a conversation. I’m amazed at how much more involved I am in customer issues from the hour or two a day I spend blogging. Most of the time is spent reading what our customers are writing. Because the best blogs are so current, and because they link to other blogs, I find I can follow a thread easily, and get a great deal of information about what everyone’s buzzing about.

Perhaps more importantly, blogs offer a great way of aggregating comments, asking questions, and addressing issues. I’m often amazed at the insight I get on a topic I’m pondering when someone posts a relevant comment.

As a company, I think Microsoft is doing some great things by encouraging technical blogs. Even though we’ve never really hired anyone to blog, we’ve seen blogs grow organically because it makes it easier for people to share ideas. MSDN blogs are a great way for the tech community to share ideas, tools, even code.

One of the key benefits of blogs is that they connect people as individuals, rather than rely on thinking of customers as an indefinable mass of “users.” Robert’s blog has helped me understand the issues our customers are concerned about (good, bad, or otherwise!). And putting a “human face” on Microsoft helps build trust, and hopefully helps customers know that we’re listening."

John ends by asking his readers ... "how are blogs helping your company?"  I'm hoping he gets tons of responses - share them with us John !

11:13:17 PM    comment []  trackback []

Surreal dreams and total immersion.

Imagine being able to design your own dreams.  Sounds fascinating ...  maybe another form of Creative Visualization :

Whatever you ardently desire,
Sincerely believe in,
Vividly imagine, and
Enthusiastically act upon,
Must inevitably come to pass.

- Sybil Leek, Diary of a Witch

Only here a gadget does it for you.  Yet a little scary ... what if the dream doesn't come true ... or on the other hand, starts governing your life ?  

I remember seeing a sci-fi movie many years ago on a similar theme - i forget the name now - where the main character had lost his girlfriend in an accident - and was able to re-create a life with her - through a gadget.  Photographs of his dead girl were fed into the gadget, and sounds, visuals, scents and touch were built in.  And he started to live his life with her in a small cubicle in a corner of his home, with the gadget and a headset ... and his dreams and fantasies with the dead girl.  So much so that he completely lost touch with reality ... and almost died - by physically stopping eating and sleeping, losing all ties with his family and friends, etc - you get the picture !  

'New toy makes your dreams come true'

"TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese company that came up with the hit "BowLingual" device that translates dogs' barks into human words has now come up with a dream product -- literally. Takara Co says its Yumemi Kobo, or "dream workshop", gadget gives stressed out people a chance to go on a holiday or find their ideal partner -- at least in their dreams.

Before nodding off, the would-be dreamer is supposed to look at a photo of what he or she wants to dream about and then record the story-line on the $140 (77 pound) machine. Using the voice recording as well as lights, music and aromas, the machine stimulates sleepers during periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and helps them direct their own dreams, the company says. After eight hours, it wakes them up gradually with music and lights that simulate sunlight, avoiding any shock that could destroy fragile memories.

The manufacturers caution, though, that not all users of the gadget achieve exactly the dreams they hope for ..."

A search on Google on this gadget led me to Josh Rubin's blog - Cool Hunting ... its neat ... he talks of "stuff from the intersection of design, culture and technology".

2:00:53 PM    comment []  trackback []

Thought for the Day - from my daily dose of guruisms : 

"Mindfulness means moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness. It is cultivated by refining our capacity to pay attention, intentionally, in the present moment, and then sustaining that attention over time as best we can. In the process, we become more in touch with our life as it is unfolding."

-- Myla & Jon Kabat-Zinn

Why do we want to become more aware?

If we remain unaware, we:
- repeat the past
- remain stuck in relationships
- live superficial, literal and one dimensional lives
- lack experiences of love and beauty, and
- have limited connection to others and the universe.

With awareness, we are fully involved with life. Awareness is sensing deeply and sensitively for what really is. To do this, we need to approach the present as totally new. When we can be open and attentive in each moment, we begin to free ourselves from the conditioning of the past and the suffering that it so often brings.

"If moment by moment you can keep your mind clear then nothing will confuse you."  - Sheng Yen

12:28:28 PM    comment []  trackback []

Got this in Connection Advantage - the newsletter from Spoke Software. 

'Using the Language of the "Old Brain" to boost the impact of any message'

By Christophe Morin & Patric Renvoise, authors of "Selling to the Old Brain"

New research in neuroscience reveals that the human brain is divided into three separate parts that act as separate organs with different cellular structures and different functions. Knowing how these separate parts work can help you in your efforts to reach and influence customers.

Three Parts of the Brain

The brain stem, formed during the earliest stages of evolution, sits atop the spinal column in the base of the skull. This is the "Old Brain" (also referred to as the reptilian brain, because all vertebrates have one, from vertebrates to reptiles), a.k.a. the "Survival Brain," because it's responsible for fight, flight and feeding functions.

The Old Brain also oversees such important functions as breathing, sleeping, reproduction, circulation of the blood, and contractions of muscles in response to external stimulation.

The two other parts of the brain include:

1. The "New Brain." The New Brain thinks. It processes rational data and shares its deductions with the other two brains.

2. The "Middle Brain." The Middle Brain feels. It processes emotions and gut feelings and also shares its findings with the other two brains.

Since it is responsible for our survival, the Old Brain plays a central role in all decisions. It takes input from the other two brains, but it alone controls the final decision-making process.

What Stimulates the Old Brain?

We've found six proven stimuli that influence the Old Brain. If you use these to speak to the Old Brain in a language it can understand and relate to, you'll significantly improve your ability to influence any audience, anytime.

1. Self-Centered. The Old Brain is a selfish entity. General considerations about what others think don't reach it. The Old Brain is the center of me. Don't assume that it has any patience or empathy for anything that doesn't immediately concern its survival and well-being.

2. Contrast. Before/after, with/without, slow/fast all allow the Old Brain to decide. Contrast is a safe decision engine. It enables the Old Brain to make quick and safe decisions. Without contrast, the Old Brain enters a state of confusion, which ultimately results in delaying decision.

3. Concrete. Numbers work for the New Brain, but the Old Brain won't decide based on numbers alone. The Old Brain constantly scans for what's familiar and friendly, what can be recognized quickly, what is tangible and immutable. The Old Brain can't process concepts like "flexible solution," "integrated approach," or "scalable architecture," without efforts and doubts.

4. First and last. The Old Brain forgets most everything in the middle. This short attention span has huge implications on how to construct and deliver powerful messages. Placing the most important content at the beginning is a must, and repeating it at the end is an imperative. Keep in mind that anything you say in the middle of your delivery will be mostly overlooked.

5. Visual. The Old Brain is visual. Neuroscience demonstrates that when you see something that looks like a snake, your Old Brain warns you instantly of danger – so that you react even before the New Brain physically recognizes it's a snake. This implies that visual processing enters the Old Brain first, which can lead to very fast and effective connections to the true decision-maker.

6. Emotion. The Old Brain is strongly triggered by emotions. Neuroscience has clearly demonstrated that "emotional cocktails" create chemical reactions that directly impact the way information is memorized and processed by the Old Brain.

To maximize sales efforts you need to craft your message to appeal to the Old Brain. Having insight to the point of view of the person you are meeting with will enable you to create a message honed for the Old Brain. By implementing this model you can positively influence the sales cycle."

I spent some time looking around the SalesBrain website too - there are useful pointers not just for 'sales persons' but more for communicators in any field - market researcher, educationists, advertisers and marketers.  There's a little test to gauge how adept you are at Selling to the Old Brain -  I scored 118  - a healthy score i think :). 

I noticed that many of the questions borrow from the field of NLP - techniques we have been using for a while now as researchers and communication consultants.  

Has anyone read the book ?  Views ?  

11:55:58 AM    comment []  trackback []

New York Times alerts us to watch out for a new worm : Bagle-A.

..... Users who suspect their computers may be infected with the virus should look for a file called bbeagle.exe in their Windows System directory. The file disguises itself with Microsoft familiar calculator icon."

Afterthought : could this be a hoax ?  I haven't really verified this - just went with it because i trust the source. 

9:13:47 AM    comment []  trackback []

Richard MacManus offers a different way of looking at motivations for blogging and studying blogging patterns - through his article "that drafts guidelines for a Fractal Blogosphere, and suggests that it be used as a measure of scale in the weblogging world. The goal is to help bloggers, particularly new ones, easily fit into a suitable blogging pattern." [link via emergic.org]

Read the whole piece - and his lead-in post - Fractal Web Applied to Blogging, where he summarises Chris Lydon's interview with Tim Berners-Lee, explaining the idea of the fractal Web, and a follow-up post on the Meaning of Fractals - in which he says : "the main point of my Fractal Blogosphere post was to try and suggest a new approach to blogging. You don't have to blog just to become popular (as is the only option if you live by the Power Law); you can derive just as much if not more pleasure from writing at the scale or level that fits your situation. Each level has different challenges and rewards. My idea says that there are gradations of motivation for blogging, which the power law in it's black/white harshness does not recognize (it can't, because it's a law not a social prescription). In the end, all blogging is pretty much the same - self-similar - but in reality there are differing levels of scale at which people can participate in the blogosphere. Why not embrace that?"

I quote an excerpt :

"I believe the Fractal Web concept is a better guide to living on the blogosphere than the power law, because it gives bloggers (and new bloggers in particular) more options on where and how to focus their writing efforts.

My Fractal Web concept for the blogosphere outlines 5 levels of involvement. These 5 levels are defined by audience quantity, but you can also think of it as gradations of motivation. The aim when using this system is not to become popular, which is by definition the only way you'll succeed if you measure yourself by the power law. The aim of my proposed Fractal system, which I'll call the Fractal Blogosphere, is for bloggers to find the level of structure that they feel most comfortable in. So without further ado, here's my draft 5 Fractal levels for bloggers:

10 - Personal Blogger. Your blog is designed to communicate with a very small and highly targeted group of people. Examples: blogging to keep in touch with your family; friends blogging personal things amongst themselves; a project team. The word 'personal' isn't quite right - but I want to convey that the people at this level personally know their readers.

100 - Social Blogger. Your audience is 100 or less, you have a core group of readers who share your interests and who tend to blog about the same topics as you do. Your writing is personal and conversational and your group sometimes leave comments on your blog or trackback you. You may not know your readers in real life, but you share a an affinity of interests with them.

1000 - Community Blogger. There are a number of options at this level. Maybe you're a Citizen Blogger who is writing for a community of readers - e.g. a Howard Dean blogger. Or you could still be basically a social blogger, with an increased audience - but you don't converse with all of your readers because there are now too many of them. At this level, your writing output needs to be adjusted to take into account the less conversational nature of your relationship to your readers.

10,000 - Broadcast Blogger. I'm not sure 'broadcast' is the right term, but I'm using Clay Shirky's term for a blogger who has a large network of readers and who therefore cannot interact with them as on the 100 or 1000 levels. Typically this is what is currently known as an A-List blogger, who publishes their ideas knowing that a large audience will consume them.

100,000 - Celebrity Blogger. This is someone whose every single idea or meme will be picked up by their readers and analysed. I'm thinking here of (for want of a better word) famous people whose blog output will be subjected to a large amount of scrutiny - people such as Howard Dean, or Tim Berners-Lee, or David Bowie if he ever decided to blog (and wouldn't it be great if he did!).

I'd like to see this list of Fractal levels expand out to 10 to give it even more breadth and scale, but right now - at short notice - I can only think of 5 levels. Also the audience numbers may not match up entirely, but the point is each level is defined by quantity of readers."

I like this idea -  it offers another way of examining why you blog.  I'd guess that there may well be more than 5 levels.  I seem to fall somewhere around the Community blogger fractal.  Interesting when you introspect on your own motivations to blogging, the type of blogger you'd like to be, the sorts of conversations and dialogues you want with your audience.   

10:02:32 PM    comment []  trackback []