Choc.O.Late

I was on a conference call with a client today who just happens to be a Baby Boomer.

We were preparing for a presentation at TS2, 20-23rd July in Chicago. As we were discussing the presentation, he kept mentioning chocolate, asking if we should include chocolate in this presentation… I continue with the preparation, but he keeps repeating it, finally I stop and ask… what are you referring to?

He explained “when we were talking to a fellow presenter at TS2 a few weeks ago, you were discussing chocolate with her in depth”  I thought a while… and finally it clicked…”Do you mean Del.ic.ious”, I asked, “oh yes” he said “to me they are one in the same”

So from now on in my mind Del.ic.ious will forever more be called Choc.O.Late

Hope this makes you chuckle as much as me!

PURE Recognition, it can not get better than that

The CARA Group, a leading consulting firm specializing in custom learning and performance solutions, announced the recipients of its PURE Service Award for the first quarter of 2009, and I Emma King, independent consultant was over the moon to be told that I was a winner!

CARA’s PURE Service Program sets it apart from other firms by providing a unique way to measure success and evaluate how well their consultants’ service client needs. The firm’s entire recruitment process is based on the PURE Service philosophy and consultants are reviewed quarterly based on how well their work-ethic aligns with the PURE Service criteria: Professionalism, Understanding, Responsibility and Excellence. CARA’s staff selects the recipients after careful consideration of candidates nominated through client feedback, team observations and proven results.

Last week I went to an award’s luncheon and was presented with a wonderful trophy with management from Cara and the company I’d worked for,  such kind words were said about the work that I do, and the dedication that I give to my clients.  It was heart felt, and it truly made me so appreciative to work on behalf of The Cara Group, and proud of the quality of work I give to my clients.

When we are surrounded by difficult times, this goes to show that every cloud has a silver lining.

Read more about The Cara Group and my award here. http://www.caracorp.com/document.php?Id=285

How to deliver a software demo

I am on a rant today!

In recent weeks, I have been witness to a number of software demonstrations that have lacked the grandeur of perfection.  It has been evident that there is a level of complacency, a considerable lack of research, and an overall disrespect to the prospects needs.  And I’ve been scratching my head to understand why vendors aren’t delivering the best demos of their lives in this economic climate.

Having spent a number of years doing software demonstrations day in and day out, I can assure you that there is no room for complacency and the client does know when you are rushing through a demo to get out of the door.  As soon as complacency, clock watching, arrogance or egotism is part of your demo script, you can kiss any sales goodbye!

Vendors need to be attuned to the prospects needs.  This can be achieved with a correctly qualified lead and a demo tailored to their key business requirements.  Your demo should not be generic, it has to be personalized.

When I present a vendor to a client of mine, I want to be sure that my clients, value the product that I present to them.  I want to know that the vendor respects the opportunity given to them, and has done everything possible to represent their product effectively.  Unfortunately personalities do go hand in hand with the product.  Your product may rock but if your personal delivery of that product is not respectful to the client’s needs, you will waste your time even presenting.

Some humility, humor and honesty will go along way… here are a few other pointers!

1. Research your client. Yes!  Learn about what the prospect does, Google them, if they are part of a large organization, call your prospect and ask some questions about their initiative and MAKE NOTES!  Learn about their sales process, understand their culture, and ask about specific business needs and focuses.  I can assure you they have them, even if they haven’t put it down on paper to you.  They exist!
2. Use your resources As a consultant that researches solutions for clients, I am often contacting vendors with their qualified lead.  For each vendor I offer them the opportunity to have several meetings with me prior to the demo, even a dry run of the demo, to ensure that they are meeting the client’s needs.  USE ME!  Don’t say thanks for the demo script, we are good!  Never turn down an opportunity to learn more about your prospect so that you can ace the demo.  Allow consultants to guide you to a successful sale!
3. Get directions. Write down directions and cell phone numbers of your contact so that you can call them if you are delayed, ask for directions to the office by the client, do not rely on a GPS or MapQuest.  Turning up late for a demo, rushing in and not being prepared is NOT a good start!
4. Test and Backup your technology. Never turn up to an onsite duplication of equipment. Expect everything to break the night before you’re on stage, so bring two laptops, test your virtual conference links, have copies of your presentations on multiple thumb drives, whatever you’ll use in your demo. There is zero slack for equipment failures at a demo other than the projector and audio (which is the responsibility of the prospect).
5. Be Prompt. You should never fuss around in a demo–for example, looking for folders and files on your hard disk, or sign in late to your virtual session. You have had time to prepare for this demo; so ensure that you are on time and ready to go when you are given the green light.
6. Reduce the factors you can’t control. Should you assume that you’ll have Internet access during your demo? Yes, but have a back up anyway.  Yes, the hotel has a broadband, but several hundred people are accessing it.  Arrange with the client internet access, or have your own mobile broadband connection.  Better yet, simulate Internet access to your server by using a local server. You don’t have to show the real system. This is after all, a demo.
7. Focus. You are told you have 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 30 minutes.  Use those minutes wisely.  Introduce yourself briefly, STOP blathering START demoing. Nobody wants a 20 minute presentation on the origins of your company or that you have a daughter in law that once worked for a division of their company in Nova Scotia.  They organized to see a demo of your product, not hear your life story.  Show your software!
8. Follow the suggested demo script. If the client has gone to the time and expense to highlight key issues and use case examples of their business activities they wish to see reflected within your software demonstration.  FOLLOW THE SCRIPT!  Don’t follow your routine demonstration, follow the guidance of the client, and show them what they want to see.  I can assure you, even if your software could deliver the best solution eer, as well as reduce the countries debts, if the prospect can’t see how your product works in association to their business needs; you are on a hiding to nothing!
9. Show the “how” As you are following the demo script, either theirs, or your own customized demo, don’t just refer to how you could meet their needs – show them a working example, and show them “how” the system can meet their objectives.  What’s happening on the screen should impress the audience, not what you’re uttering.
10. Cut the jargon. The Demo audience thinks that it is very sophisticated and tech savvy. It may well be, but in our corporate worlds, your acronyms may not match those used in the company you are presenting to.  The ability to speak simply and succinctly is always the best way to go. You may have the world’s greatest software product, but if the prospect can’t understand your demo, you aren’t going to be seeing the purchase order!
11. Define Question Time. Define clearly s you carry out your demo, when questions should be asked.  We all want to sound receptive to questions, but you never know what you’ll be asked–it could take you down a hole so deep that you’ll never come back up. The upside of showing that you can answer any question in real-time is an ego trip that doesn’t justify the downside of getting derailed.  Define a time for questions and stick to it.  Be in control, yet respectful!
12. Be prepared to adapt and be honest. All the preparation in the world, and practicing of a demonstration, can never prepare you for a curveball that the prospect may throw you, during your question time.  “So you mentioned in your demo that you were able to show multiple pricing per learning object based upon the geographic region and job role that the learner resides under.  Can you show how a learner in Italy could purchase a course that she wants to take whilst on vacation in China, using her native currency?”  If you have a working example that can show how that can be done, of course demonstrate it, however if you don’t have the ability to demonstrate such an example, and customization would be required, don’t attempt to lie about the capabilities of the product, highlight it’s a customization (which if you are good presenter you would have already mentioned), and offer to provide a working prototype or screen shot mock up within a defined time period.
13. Don’t argue with the client! We’ve all been there, and had the nightmare prospect, who knows everything about your software, and wants to try and trip you up; Or the prospect who is part of a stakeholder team but clearly has his favored vendor, and you aren’t it.  DO NOT retaliate or start to argue with the client, or disrespect the competition, stand with pride behind your product and smile sweetly, and disguise your gritted teeth!
14. Show Interest Nothing annoys me more than listening to a vendor who does not interact with the prospect and just delivers a stereotypical demonstration without considering the audiences understanding.  Impersonating a parrot and moving through your demonstration in record speed, does not endear your product to the client.  As pointer 11 states, define question times, and interact with your clients and show respect.

Let me state again, there is no room for complacency, no room for egos and certainly no room for over confidence!  If you stop listening to your prospects and only present a demonstration that is tailored to your knowledge set, then I will guarantee you will crash and burn!

Know your product inside and out and always be prepared for a curve ball!  I want you to succeed and I want to sit back and learn more about your products as you deliver a demonstration where you hit it out of the ball park!

Cybercriminals and Social Networking

I received this email from PCTOOLS yesterday and thought I’d share with readers the potential threats we face as we network.  It’s sad but true that no matter what technology is developed, some sickos will find a backdoor and a way to potentially disrupt & exploit us.

Looks like cybercriminals have turned social networking into a minefield of threats where one wrong move may have very serious consequences. Long gone are the days when you could avoid being scammed simply by using antivirus software. The more aware we are the harder bad guys are working on fooling us. And let me tell you, their techniques are getting more and more sophisticated! Have a look at some examples of the latest cyber criminals’ creations and how to avoid them.

1. Koobface (social networking worm). It gains access to Facebook profile pages and directs you to view a video that then encourages you to update your Flash player. Malicious files such as flash_update.exe and bloivar29.exe are being downloaded and installed which results in a range of visible problems, including modifications to your Facebook profile, with the immediate result being an error message to contact support. There is also the very real potential for your identity and finances to be compromised!
2. Picture files carrying malware are “planted” on social networking websites and instant messaging programs. Hackers try to convince you that your friend has sent you a message or IM to view pictures.  Legitimate looking URL when clicked on sends you to an illegitimate website hosting malicious files and executables, which have been modified to appear to be genuine picture files (jpg, gif or bmp). When you download and open those “pictures”; the malware unknowingly runs on your computer. It allows hacker to take control over your operating system as well as the information in it and exposes you to identity fraud and financial loss!
3. UPS Delivery Threat, also known as Zbot. It delivers an illegitimate file when you are visiting a counterfeit UPS delivery site. Zbot has been known to distribute via email phishing and instant messenger.  Upon informing you that you have missed a UPS delivery, the message urges you to view the invoice online, which in fact sends you to the counterfeit website which downloads a malicious program designed to bypass the firewall and then steal banking and personal information.

So how do we protect ourselves against all this and more?

1. Be wary of unexpected IM messages and emails urging you to open or run an attachment or download
2. Run up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software with behavioural protection – such as Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus. Keep it running in the background at all times.
3. Ensure you run Smart Updates and Microsoft updates regularly.
4. If you are asked to update to a new version of a flash player or any other program go to producers’ website and download the update directly from it.
5. Organisations usually contact you by phone or mail, so when you get an email call them back instead of clicking on any links or attachments.

The Moral here is NEVER let your guard down, no matter what technology we use.   It is better to be too cautious than sorry!

What is your Technology Age?

Generational Learning is a challenge that training organizations struggle with regularly.  How do we effectively and efficiently provide learning with all of the different learning and generational styles?  The honest answer… we struggle!

The problem we face: finding a course structure (either online or classroom driven) that meet the expectations of the four different generations in our workforce today.

Looking at the years that span these four generations, we are facing more of a challenge than just learning styles. Understanding each generation and how they embrace technology is critical when creating content.

Here is how each generation looks at technology.

I was born in Generation X, but my adaption to technology as a self confessed geek underlines my technology age as that of a Millennial.  But my willingness to adapt doesn’t apply to all Xers in the workforce.  To provide adequate training within your organization, it is necessary to provide levels of training that can cross the generational divide.

If you want to know how old you really are, look at the technology/media you use rather than the generation you were born into.  Penelope Trunk created a quiz to evaluate your age… see how you do?

1. Do you have your own web page? (1 point)
2. Have you made a web page for someone else? (2 points)
3. Do you IM your friends? (1 point)
4. Do you text your friends? (2 points)
5. Do you watch videos on YouTube? (1 point)
6. Do you remix video files from the Internet? (2 points)
7. Have you paid for and downloaded music from the Internet? (1 point)
8. Do you know where to download free (illegal) music from the Internet? (2 points)
9. Do you blog for professional reasons? (1 point)
10. Do you blog as a way to keep an online diary? (2 points)
11. Have you visited MySpace at least five times? (1 point)
12. Do you communicate with friends on Facebook? (2 points)
13. Do you use email to communicate with your parents? (1 point)
14. Did you text to communicate with your parents? (2 points)
15. Do you take photos with your phone? (1 point)
16. Do you share your photos from your phone with your friends? (2 points)

Scoring

• 0-1 point – Traditionalist
• 2-6 points – Baby Boomer
• 6- 12 points – Generation X
• 12 or over – Millennial

Generational labels are important in the discussion of the changing workforce?  Did you score within your birth right generation? Somehow I doubt it?  Did you due to technology get branded as a much younger generations?

A lot of these questions were personal but as trainers we need to be asking our workforce who they are and what they do with technology, to understand the levels of social media, scaled assessment testing, interactive mediums, virtual classrooms, ILT classes, Performance Support we can supply to our workforce plus evaluate the level of feedback junkies we are working with.

For  in order to create platforms that can teach four generations that exist in our workforce, we need to understand their technology capabilities to effectively deliver training using mediums that make sense to the workforce, and not just the technology geeks (me included) that want to push out the latest and greatest authoring tools and social media platforms because they think its cool!

This blog article is written in collaboration with  Jen Tolbert (Learn.com) check out her insights at jentolbert.blogspot.com.  In her newsletter Jen

focuses on how to develop a business case that has teeth, looks at serious games and how to use them in learning, and understanding the generational learner.

Conversation at the Local : You’re NOT on Facebook???

Last night had the rare treat of going to my local.  For those not familiar with the English phrase “local”; “local” = “pub”. Despite piles of work, it was Free Beer Night for Beer Club Members at Emmetts, and I for one will never turn down the chance of free beer!

The place was packed (Hello…FREE beer!) and I conversed with people I haven’t seen for a while, and drank McCarthy’s Red my mind was taken away from the pressures of my day, a friend who I consider close, said to me, “It’s so good to catch up, I was asking after you the other day, and was told that you were doing great, according to your Facebook Status Updates, Em I don’t have Facebook,!” “You don’t … well you  get an account” I said.  She questioned why, because it’s convenient I said!  [Fact]  Facebook affords me the convenient pleasure of being able to announce, report or comment on my life, whilst still focusing on my everyday tasks.  I realized that if you don’t follow me on Facebook, you’re not really going to know what’s going on with my life, because thanks to Twitter/Facebook/Linkedin I’ve stopped conversing in any other way!

It must’ve been 20 minutes later when I looked down to the Winter 2009 Newsletter that sat propped up against the salt n pepper, and I was drawn to the owners editorial.  He was talking about a report written by a British non-profit company that studies social issues. The report was titled “The Enduring Appeal of the Local.” sponsored by Greene King (English Brewer) The report studied social networking in the pub and examined whether web based social networking sites and “virtual” communities might encroach on the importance of the pub. I took the newsletter home, what synergy!  After a few Tylenol this morning, I read the article…

As the article continued to discuss the merits of the local in conjunction with online digital communities, I too focused towards  social networking tools.  When you add a friend, colleague or family member to Facebook or Twitter or follow them on Twitter, you are participating and in turn socializing just as you would in your local.  Add a virtual cocktail, and it’s a global pub without the hangover!   Bravo! one says, however as human beings, social physical interaction is also key!

The article rang true about understanding what pubs, and locals in particular, are all about and why people still need them in the age of age of online communities, texting and other forms of ‘instant’ communication.  To me this is not rocket science.  At the end of the day we are social beings, and despite virtual communities being fun and convenient, nothing can replace the value of face to face communication and a good cold/warm beer! 

So while we enjoy the convenience of Facebook and Twitter and join Facebook groups setup by our favorite breweries, don’t forget the value of face to face interaction. So to use the words of Andrew Burns, CEO of Emmetts  I encourage you to “Send your friends an email, call them on your mobile phone or send an evite and then join them for a good old fashioned session at your “local” 

CHEERS to my local and to social networking “where everybody knows my name”!

Go Granny – Social Media spans generations

There has been alot of press this past week regarding the Terms of Service of Facebook.  If you haven’t followed the news or the endless comments on MSN you will have missed what all the comotion has been about, so I will fill you in… 

Facebook backed down late Tuesday on policy changes that tens of thousands of users complained would grant the social-networking site the ability to control their information forever, even after they cancel their accounts

Now my interest lies not really in the Policy Changes but in the age groups of the people who made such an outcry regarding the information being ‘held’ by Facebook.  Naivety has to come into play for anybody to believe that anything you publish on the web would be validated as being your PRIVATE property? Erm..? Hello!!!

Observing the comments however I started to see a trend regarding some of the respondents, based upon writing styles… I was sure that a trend was appearing regarding generations (this is my observation, unfortunately nobody clearly stated their age).  Those, it appeared, most affronted were NetGen/Gen Y, who have grown up so ingrained using social media that they didn’t realize the implications of their mass information exchange, whilst us more seasoned GenX and Boomers, are a little more cautious regarding what we share, though still indignant at Facebook!

However in a week where Forester presented a report by Jeremiah K. Owyang  entitled “How to Reach Baby Boomers with Social Media” I was encouraged to see that in 2007, the percentage of Boomers consuming social media was 46% for younger Boomers (ages 43 to 52) and 39% for older Boomers (ages 53 to 63). By 2008, those numbers increased to 67% and 62%, respectively. 

Facebook is social media on a world scale, as members rise towards the heights of 200 million users worldwide , as Jessi Hempel states in “Is Facebook taking over our lives“, the arrival of an older, less web-centric crowd suggests that Facebook has succeeded in making the site easy to use. 

This was underlined to me just yesterday as a close friend changed her Facebook status to read “super proud of her Grandma for figuring out Facebook all by herself. )”  Granny is 88 in September, why did she join?  “all 4 of her grandkids are on there and 2 of her 3 kids, so she figured she should get with the times”  Way to go Granny!  In line with Granny joining Facebook, the fastest-growing demographic on Facebook is women 55 and older, up 175% since September 2008.

Foresters’ statistics indicate that with percentages rising within the boomer workforce in the adoption of social media tools, that it is now high enough to target our workforces with a customized version of a social media applications. Social media can provide a collaborative version of Performance Support, and enable us to direct our learners to job specific, role specific, application specific support as required, with the ability to collaborate with peers as needed. 

Social Media is now a tool that can interact and collaborate and train across generations. But I don’t believe for one moment Jay or Harold that we need to close down the training department, repurpose maybe, but not close it down.

Oh… if you have any comments, please leave your age

Is Facebook suitable for Training?

I recieved an email from Elliot Masie, as part of my subscription to LearningTown.

As we explore the role of Social Learning in organizational development efforts, I would like to invite you to join me (if you have an account) in a new Facebook group:

 

http://www.masie.com/ext/facebook

Having a Facebook account, I followed the link, and was staggered to see a new group (3hrs later) already have 350+ members.  There were two discussion groups plus 15 wall posts.  I’ve just logged back in, there are now 497 members 3 discussion forums and 22 wall posts.  The predominate message that exists on the wall are comments regarding Facebook’s inability to act as a learning tool.  A comment I agree totally upon, but still the viral effect of joining a group continues.

I originally joined Facebook for business purposes, joining various learning groups to promote my business, as well as share information between my peers.  As the phenomenon grew, long lost friends, past travellers, friends, exes, former colleagues, family members alike, all wanted to connect to me.  It was great to have a social place to share selective information about my life (selective as I was also sharing information with clients and colleagues alike) but found that I was less likely to delve into my groups to follow information, and far more likely to Super Poke a friend, send them a virtual drink on a tough day, and update my status with work related information inadvertently via Twitter that caused a non technical friend to make a comment regarding my sanity “Em, Nice to Tweet you too – WTF???”.  I don’t think I am alone.

 

The power of Facebook to microblog on your day, get snippets of info about your ‘friends’, without picking up the phone, or emailing them directly, enables an aloofness that resonates with a younger generation.  Connecting with fellow travellers, getting virtual postcards and being able to show your allegiance to your political party, local brewing house, Marmite and of course your sports team, is a wonderful way to network, but with the current applications that exist within Facebook, they are going to have to implement something v. special to enable anybody to truly learn anything, informally or otherwise.

 

Barack Obama recognized, as described in Barack Inc by Barry Libert/Rick Faulk the power of the Facebook product and utilized an application to show support of his campaign, by joining a group entitled, Voting for Barack.  However he also recognized the power of a platform that enabled social interaction for a common cause, in Facebook’s case its social interaction, but for his campaign he needed a common platform to spread information about his policy, call for campaigners, volunteers and so much did he believe in Facebook’s power that he encouraged entrepreneur Chris Hughes to leave his highly paid job at Facebook and work for his campaign writing my.barackobama.com.  He utilized the power of Facebook and created his own plaform for social interaction to connect and focus on a single point – his road to the Presidency.  However it is my personal opinion if he had just left it to chance that a Facebook Group would enabled him to pave the way to the White House, targeting the younger generations of voters - GenY and Millenials, then he may have been a few votes short. 

I left my comment on the LearningTown Group

Very interested to see how this experiment works out, I feel that Facebook has so many groups and so many applications, that are ‘entertainment’ based that there is too much distraction for any constructive training to be carried out.

If you have a Facebook account, go and check out Elliots group, I’d also love to hear what you think about Facebook as a training medium.

In response to Tony Karrer (100 Questions)

 

 

Top 10 Time Saving Tools : #10 : Twitter

When Janet Clarey told me I needed to get myself on Twitter, I grumbled.  I thought to myself why would I want to maintain yet another account? Why would I want to share snippets of info about myself, in only 124 characters… I’m English born and bred, I can’t say what I need to stay in 124 characters!   Returning from a conference where everybody was twittering away on their PDA’s I realized that I needed to get with it…  so I bravely typed www.twitter.com and signed on in, and started stalking, well that’s how it felt initially, I felt like I was virtually psychic, reading the minds of my peers.

However, after others started to follow me, like a huge game of tag, I started to think about the thoughts that I put out on Twitter, and the responses that I got back, and I realize what an effective tool I was using.  Just like many others, in this virtual world, I work from home, and use, to coin the phrase of many, Twitter as “my watercooler or coffee machine”.  I share what I’m working on, get comments back and if I need some information on a specific topic, I just have to ask in 124 words or less (ok that still stumps me) and before too long an answer or 10 will appear.

While some may say that Twitter is time consuming, I find it to be an effective and efficient way for me to step outside of my office, converse with like minded folk and regroup my thoughts.  Instead of wading through books or internet articles to find an answer to my question, I ask my peers.  Twitter to me is a Performance Support Tool.

So Twitter concludes my Top 10 Time Saving Tools.  Name one of yours?

This has been fun!  Come on … follow me on Twitter lets get tweeting: emmaking_escp

Here are my followers to date : Provided by Twitter Mosaic

Get your twitter mosaic here.

Top 10 Time Saving Tools : #9 : iGoogle Activity Tracker

I have found that it is really  important to track my daily activities to make sure that I’m using my working hours towards productivity not procrastination…  So I took some time to find a new activity tracker, and Google provided me with “Activity Tracker“, and of course because its Google, its free. 

It has really helped me move through the clutter in my head as I’ve launched headfirst into 2009, having reasonated with Michele Martin in her blog post “Reducing Mental Clutter: Identifying the Problems” I knew I had to do something… there is also a version for your desktop within Vista Gadgets

Track all your daily activity and find how you spend your time with this cool little punchclock gadget. Print cool graph and get a log or timesheet of all your activities. Punch-in when you start and punch-out when done. Let the gadget alert you when you forget to punchin or punchout. Use it – for improving productivity, as a recorder, as stopwatch, to jot down all tasks, for project management, for time management, as a counter, timer,simple tracker, to track todo list, to simply track your progress, to find time spent in meeting and appointments, as a graphing tool. Be productive and effective with this gadget. Perfect for anyone – student, consultant, employee, employer.