Life is turn by turn!

May be you don’t believe in that statement; I know that the best is yet to come! Are you worried that it does not look like it yet? Scripture said that it has not yet appear what we shall be like but when He, the Christ is come, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He really is. ..Although His last appearance will be at the last day when He shall come to judge the earth but there are ways He has been appearing in a “micro-gradual” unexpected blissful ways to men today. When this glorious appearance happens, your story will change in a twinkling of the eye. And men will know that God is ever faithful. However, you cannot just be sleeping, dreaming emptily and waiting passively for your story to change. You have to believe, you have to work out your salvation with trembling and fear, you have to work on your vision, and you have to work on your relationships with people. You have to strive to do your very best and even improve upon your best because there are times that your very best may not be enough.

There are different kinds of levels or seasons of greatness and appearances in life… There is a time you talk and people contend, and argue violently with you over what you say. It may be because you are the only right person in the group.  They’d chastise you because you are minority. what you have got to say, may mean nothing to them today because there is little result, or no power at all backing your words; but when the grace of God show up; when mercy answer wherever your name is called. Then your story will change… There is a place called there. And we shall get there. We are still going farther. We have not reached there yet. And there is nothing the devil can do about what God is set to do in our life; because this glorious work has been completed in Christ Jesus before the foundations of the world. We are only acting out the script… That is why there is no amount of the weight of blessing a man may see; once s/he feels that this is all that God can do for him or her; s/he will miss God’s best by limiting Him… There is another level or season when what you say becomes a reference. You are reckoned with as authority. And the third level is the highest level wherein whatever you predict becomes active almost immediately because corresponding actions are taken without you having to struggle over it or lobby for it…because having said it; it’s done deal! You are a principality on your own. Case closed! It is what you say that the Government, the society believe and go to work upon… your words carry weight. You’re influential beyond measure and everybody knows that you will definitely be right; even if you were wrong. So they line up on your side irrespectively.

 If you are at any point in life journey where people are disproving your words; if they’re contending all you’ve got to offer and despising your ideas. You just keep heading on with focus in the direction of your dreams. As long as you are diligent; there will be a season and a day; when you will be proven and vindicated by proofs and positive results. You will become honorable. You will be proven right. In their presence, you will become a celebrity. I tell you; whatever your hands find to do; do it diligently with all your heart.  There is something about people; when they cannot see physical “things” they have nothing to believe in you but that is because, man was not designed to see ahead of time. Nobody can tell where God can lift a man, any time. If they have known, they would never underrate or despise anyone. Because if the devil had known, who would not have crucified the King of glory. But the fact that the devil did not foresee the future of Jesus, he conspired and helped to fulfill the plan of God. Whatever level or season you may be right now; it is turn by turn; just believe that your turn and time is coming. Don’t allow your present situations to make you disbelieve God and self doubt yourself. If nobody believe in you because of where you are presently, get down to work. Believe in your vision; believe in God; who has the power to call those things that be not as though they are. Believe and you will see the glory of God. You will realize the potency of the power that can bring the living out of the dead is still alive.

  

Sales intelligence:how to sell more with less product return.

Recently I was at one of the outlets of Future shop to buy a laptop. While I was there, i went through the products on display. There was a product expert called Nicole Dewar . She was an exceptional salesperson in that she was not concerned about just selling a product “anyhow” rather she was much more concerned about selling products and value. The value is the intangible aspect of a transaction process. A customer may buy or not based on that alone. And selling a product in today’s market require sales intelligence that can carefully combine both together during the course of a transaction. Nicole listened attentively to what customer had to say. She focused 100 percent on a customer per time. She gives a sense of respect and utmost importance to what the customer has got to say? She try to understand why s/he wants to buy and why s/he want want to buy? By giving utmost attention to customers, she was charming them, bonding them and giving them more reason to consider buying right away . That was the way  i felt. I felt like buying all the product she was having in her section in that mall.

What most salespersons don’t learn to figure out fast, while mastering their product knowledge is people’s skill. Ability to bond with people first before scheming to get money out of them. What they fail to master as well was their concern for what will make the customer come back again and again to buy from their company. This is actually beyond cramming the vision and mission statement. It is the ability to enter into customers world, to peek through their mind, to understand the psychology surounding the customers intention of buying. This require spending qualitative time with the customer/clients to see what exactly the customers’ needs are? Converse to these, most of the sales people we see around daily are more concerned about getting rid of their products, dumping it on you. They are “pushy” and more eager to sell you “stuffs”. Little wonder that many products are later returned days after their purchase. To minimize such occurence the sales process must not be shortcircuited. Every transaction should be executed  with value.once these are no longer missing in the course of a transaction, sales will rise greatly.

The Silly escape from Recession!

This writing is all about providing simple solutions to recession. Most of the concepts discussed here has been published in my book: The Jawbone of an Ass: secrets to gaining financial freedom and getting out of life’s messy situations. [Feb 2008; iuniverse], I have warned my readers ahead of time about the present recession. I said it there that the tide could change, that the table could turn. I said it earlier that life is full of uncertainties and several unpredictable changes do occur. Slaves do become princes and princes do become slaves. And it can happen at any time. When home owners begin to lose their homes, when landlords, farm owners begin to lose their properties, assets; when mortgage owners begin to sleep in the streets without a shelter any more; then it is already happening.  It takes strategies, wisdom and a miracle to turn around a situation of scarcity.

Miracle in time of old is experiencing new thing, new happening, and newness. It’s when something that has never happened before happened .innovation means the same thing. There is a similarity between miracle and innovation. The stimulus package that Barack Obama’s administration is introducing is like a miracle. It is a miracle for those who have no way out of their financial mess. Somehow, a ray of hope has finally come at last; but there is more to it than that. It will only work if the right principles are adopted with it. If the same principle that Joseph used in Egypt was followed doggedly; if productivity culture, saving culture and investment culture is reintroduced with proper inspection; keen monitoring and much more constant feed backs are adopted. If consumerism is truly reduced in the people’s lifestyle, the end has come to recession.

It should be noted that God is not happy about scarcity. Through men, God will be bringing miracles into workplaces, communities, neighbors, et.al that will put an end to recession. God had made provision for this time ever before it happened. If nations facing recessions can go back to their foundations on God, and in God; there will be great turn around for them. For instance, I observed that a part of the Canadian’s Anthem said: “O Canada… we stand on God for thee”. And the American dollars have an inscription that said: “In God we trust. A part of Nigeria’s anthem has this: O God of creation, direct our noble path…”  We all seem to have forgotten where we were coming from. The founders of our land believe in someone, in some certain principles. They are divine principles. They were dependent on supernatural power. They believed in God.

Today, we have a distorted concept of God. It is so sad that an average North American does not have a religion. If s/he does; s/he does not believe in sovereignty of the God of heaven. God can be anything to some people. He is not a buddy but a bad boss. Some do not even believe in anything. Little wonder; where we are finding ourselves. The provider of life and the creator of everything have been removed from the picture. Our lives and economy is falling like pack of cards. One of the truest ways to recession proof ourselves is to start thinking of going back to God. It is time to start asking the right questions, redefining what are the bases of life? What do we believe in? Who did the forefathers trusted in? Who was their help in times of old? God is His name. He is the help of the helpless. He is our help in the ages past; He is our hope for the years to come.

Another secret to getting out of recession is to ask ourselves these questions: what are we inventing now? What are we contributing to the world? What are we giving back to the society? What new concept, what new brand are we introducing? Barack Obama’s concept of Bio-generating plant for energy production is an invention, which will make a whole lot of difference in the America’s economy. If it is whole heartedly embraced, without some people somewhere planning on how to frustrate this noble project. It will be one great way to surviving the present economic scarcity in USA. The secret is to become inventors. It is to become more creative. It is to look within for what is available as a leverage with which one can navigate the season of scarcity. It is by becoming more enterprising that recession is ameliorated.

An average individual needs to become more enterprising. Develop entrepreneurial spirit. Start your on business. Do not depend on one source of income. The fact that you are an employee does not stop you from having a trade on the side. You can use a part of your home for business. Then your home business can relieve you of the amount of tax that is being paid to the government. At your leisure, you can even make some crafts, arts, weave and paint to make some more money, rather than just wasting time playing away opportunities in guise of a time wasting game. Time is a valuable asset. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Once you become resourceful. You would have recession proof yourself. You will be difficult to sack during downsizing.

In bid to be retained during downsizing, some staffs in some companies, try to hide information from colleagues so as to be the indispensable staff that will be retained at workplace. The point is this that is a crap way of becoming indispensable. You are insecure because you know you don’t have what it takes to be retained. If you develop yourself, acquire multiplicity skills, you will be more resourceful to the company you are working for. And you will be confident about who you are where you are. We must try to be valuable anywhere we find ourselves. We must be the solution to the system. And this can only happen if we work on our selves. If we don’t sit on our laurels; if we continue to strive to become better citizens of the state we live in.

Recession is not new. It has happened before. It has happened in the time of Joseph while in Egypt. The bible recorded how they dealt with it back then. They went into production of more goods. They also saved more than they consumed. I talked about the importance of becoming a “positive human octopus” in my book, as a way of getting out of financial mess. A means to overcoming unpalatable financial scarcity is to acquire multiplicity of skills to the end of becoming so indispensable and resourceful such that you are ever needed irrespective of whatever happens. This self development principle needs to be adopted by every individual. The next age is going to be filed with uncommon things, new concepts, innovations and more. More of these will come through people who are prepared and whose minds have been developed. What we will be experiencing will be astounding. Brands will be seriously redefined. Corporations will be diversifying at the speed of light. Individuals will be loaded. Industries all over will improve, expand, increase to what we can not but pause and ponder over. There will be true miracles in guise of innovation in all sectors, all walks of life. There will be results that systems, nations will come and study as a program is being studied in the institutions. All these and more will work as the antidote to the present scarcity and the future recession once we start doing them. Once we start contributing our individual parts right now.

INTERNATIONAL STUPIDITY:Social networking site abuse [Part Two]

International stupidity is a display of folly, crudeness and infantile behaviors in one way or the other on a larger spectrum, in which people are disappointed concerning the ways in which the behavior is being exhibited. This can be easily observed on social networking sites like Face book. There are people who don’t care to say anything or post anything on a website, no matter how unreasonable it may be. Most common example is the display of pictures of nudity, ridiculous actions, rude comments, racist comments, rude statements and so on. Other examples can be found in several other areas in the way some people appear as a group, in the way they pose in their pictures, in how they talk about what they don’t know, write or blog about topics, discuss about certain issues, subjects or something which  they don’t fully understand .

Although, I am not a human behavior expert, I have observed that it does not require more than a level of common sense to weigh whatever you are sending out to the public before doing so. Stupidity springing from boredom, idleness, laziness, and so on; these in turn spread in time through idle moments into Social networking sites and blogs all over the internet. It later transform into abuse. The abuse could come in various forms. An abuse could go beyond a mere abuse of privilege, abuse of access, an abuse of people, abuse of human rights and son on. The display of stupidity in general can go to a larger scale from mind level into an international scale. All in the name of doing something “weird”; some people have become internationally stupid. They do some things ignorantly which they may never have realized that may be stupid in form. Pictures, comments, articles could be posted on the internet which could infringe on the rights of others. When they should actually be what will add values, teach morals and entertain other people irrespective of the distance or region they are on the planet earth. When stupidity moves to an international level it is catastrophic in that the whole world now seems to know how much of wisdom the fellow needs to live through life. Most comments and posted videos are bizarre such that you tend to laugh uncontrollably at times when you read from people you feel should know better.

So here is the point,if you don’t want to be an international fool who uncovers his her nakedness in the public to the disgrace of his person; i will advise you ask God for wisdom to live life. You can live a life of impact through addition of value to others rather than being an internationally stupid person. Pray for grace to relate with other people wherever they are irrespective of race, distance, affinity or closeness of ties. The writer of the book of James in the scripture says “if any man lacks wisdom let him ask from the Lord who gives liberally without denying or withdrawing his gifts.

Analyzing Trends

Have you ever seen a tattoo on someone? Or do you have any tattoo on your body as you are reading this? Have you ever asked yourself, what is so trendy about a tattoo? What is so special about making some kind of body marks, drawings and/ or paintings? This writing is about some new trend called tattoo making and ringing body parts. A justified case study on tattoo, nose rings and lips rings may not be easily made in just a simple writing; however, I will try to do justice to this and still make it concise. Just before I continue, let me digress a little by saying that having had a diploma in General Agriculture plus another Bachelor degree in Agricultural Economics; I know to a large extent about branding and the essence of branding. To a large extent, It is solely for identification purpose…Among several other reasons. It is so that the farmers don’t misconstrue or mix up the breeds of flocks, so that they don’t make mistake in overdosing the same animal in the course of administering some form of treatment or the other. Also, it is for the farmer to be able to recognize the particular animal that has been mated on the farm. It is to also distinguish which animal has undergone artificial insemination from the ones that has naturally mated and so on. Right from the olden days up to now, farmers have engaged in branding their livestock so that they won’t get lost, mistakenly mixed up with another farmer’s flock, or get stolen or missing. Cattle are painted in ink. Some livestock and even dogs are hooked with rings in noses, ears, necks, et.al.

Enough on Agrology class! We are analyzing the common trends such as tattoos, nose and lips rings. Somehow it seems to me that we are really in the age of paradox. I mean, an age where what used to be contempt is now being celebrated. Slaves used to be branded with marks and rings in times of old. The slave masters do so in order to prevent their slaves from running away. Masters may design the ring in a way that will make it easy to see each slave from afar such that such slave becomes known, distinguished from the rest of the other slaves on sight. Today, what used to happen to slaves and beasts has become fashionable to man. The trend has begun where men are freely dressing up as slaves and beasts were compelled to appear in times of old. The reverse angle is that animals no longer have branded materials as the case was in times of old. There is no more slave trade yet we have the reminders of these experiences around us today. There is now such thing as Animal rights. So, men and women are now feeling the pains those animals used to feel. The rights of men to live a dignified life are now exchange for animals. Men are now taking on the experience which was once “animalistic”, animal-oriented and slavery oriented. Men and women are now branding their bodies like animals bodies used to be branded. They are now painting their bodies as animals used to be painted, ringing their bodies as slaves and dogs would have been ringed. We are stooping so low all in the name of being trendy through tattoos making and body ringing. What does it really mean to be fashionable? Is it only through tattoo fashion and body ringing that true trends can be quantified?

It’s now becoming “normal” and fashionable to have a ring in the tongue, nose, lips, and so on. There is always a difficulty identifying a man who dressed like a lady with so many rings in his ear, nose, and mouth, all in the name of trend. Those crazy trend pioneers who make people insert pins in the mouth, lips, tongues and some other parts of the body; were not dully informed about what they are doing and so can not inform other concerned people that there could be some dangers of infection or some possibilities of cancerous growth resulting from such holes that were made as a result of rings or tattoo designs. In asking why they do it in the first place. Some do these tattoos because they wanted to gain attention from other people. Attention seeking individuals could have resulted from having been a child without enough care. Such childhood programming arising from abandonment from parents which a child may be trying to reconcile, resolve as adult, could lead to tattoo and ring fashion endpoint. The worst scenario is this, that some folks don’t actually have any reason for painting themselves in tattoos. Some do it in order to blend in, out of peer pressure, and to have a sense of belonging. On the other hand, there are those who do not even know why they are doing what they are doing. I understand that there are new businesses arising from this trend. These businesses are devoted to making these tattoos for those who want to have it on their body. It’s regarded as a fashion business because some people believe that it beautifies them, and if it looks good on others, why not try it on. Hence, there is a need for someone to make it for those who want it on. There are some forms of competitions surrounding it. Somehow, whose tattoo is the best? The most pronounced tattoo? Which is the most complex tattoo? There is a group or the other on social networking websites which has emerged from tattoo fashion and trends.

As more and more people tend to celebrate how much branded they are. What do we see tattoo resulting into? Will more people begin to behave in part as animals? Will there be more slave mentalities? Or men and women would rise up to live a life of decency, moderacy, dignity and integrity? Will men live as men and dress like we want to be addressed? Think on these things.

Social networking site abuse…[Can this be a joke?]

Let me tell you a joke. There is nothing people cannot do to get money in this life. Since, the advent of social networking sites, a lot of sad, lonely and depressed people are finding solace. There is a place [website] to while away time. But is time supposed to be wasted? There are various forms of abuse of time and chance. Some abuses are in guise of pasting indecent pictures, videos, articles, links and more. The abuse is becoming more and more rampant by the day. One of these abuses is in guise of people wanting to create a group or the other for the purpose of just starting one.

Recently, some folks were planning to start a forum on a social networking site like “Facebook”. They thought of what they could call their new group. When they could not arrive at a reasonable conclusion, since it was a purposeless group they resulted to call it anything. At their wits end, they had a funny idea. It was with an ulterior motive of raising funds for personal purpose. So they created their social networking site group. It was such that were on “Facebook”. This group was named: “More money”. Their new group is for those who need some money. I couldn’t stop laughing when I heard their story. “Hurry! Join this new group on “Facebook” for those who want some more money?”

Alas! That is ridiculous! Who doesn’t want money for Christ sake?! And the funniest aspect of it was that if you are interested, all you need do is just click on join this group icon. And then you are a member and you can share the money also. But then, you must invite more people to that group. And then the money will not go round the group members any more since a lot of people are involved. In order to solve the problem; everyone who joined had to pay for membership and registration identity .And then, some money was raised again. And the Admin of the group got “richer”! They duped poor people!

Actually, this sound too exaggerated to be true. The fact is that some groups are not necessary at all on social networking sites. There are some irrelevant causes whose activities don’t transcend the internet. So why waste precious time on such? Here is the moral lesson: Don’t just join groups without participating in it. It’s a waste of time and an abuse of Social networking sites. Don’t start a fabricated fund raising group. You will soon be caught up with! And don’t give your money to causes you are not sure, which you have not thoroughly investigated

THE GREAT GAMEPLAN OF GREATNESS

In asking who is the next icon of change? The answer can be found in the words of a great woman: “One can never consent to creep, when one feels an impulse to soar!” - Helen Keller

Everyone must aspire to be the next icon of change. Live beyond the trend. Maximize change. Amidst pressure of various kinds of daily lives; it could become challenging. Amidst numerous challenges, we want the edge…topping the career ladder, getting mortgage, changing homes as we change diapers, settling down, raising kids among several. Generally, our priorities differ. Considering what we face daily, amidst normalcy of daily routines, in the race for survival, there is that dilemma to be successful achievers. We want to be better, to be more. With every desire comes the will to win, to get financial secure, to become richer. And lurking secretly is the ambition to be known and famous. We want to matter in our generation. Beyond the routine of feeding our hungry stomachs; and more; becoming significant and getting better is another goal for so many. Therefore when faced with the daily decadence that looms at us; we ask how we will be able to reconcile them all. Nevertheless, we choose our path in it all. Our life moves in the direction of our heart. We chose to die or thrive in it all.

It’s a new move in the New Year and the slogan says: The change we want. If you are asking how far can you go in life? You are asking for a change. It is no longer how far you can go. It is why not go there? If you have been thinking of becoming significant; what will you allow to stop you from reaching those places this year? Haul all the fight against mediocrity! Aspire and desire the peak! Be the best you can! And if you are ready for the top; then the top is calling for you. Self-ask: how can I get there? Yes! The top is good but what is my strategy? What is my plan? How much can I give for it? What will it cost or take me? What am I giving up? Where do I love to be? And when will I like to be there? What am I giving up for it? What new move am I making daily? That is pushing me upwards? What deliberate steps? What drastic measures are my making? Somehow you must understand that you need people to get there. And that means not just ordinary people. You need to meet or make extraordinary people to reach the height you see. How do I mean? Read on.

There is a strategy to bonding with greatness. You deliberately meet people of timber and caliber, you are loved, and you are invited into their fraternity. Oh! It’s not that simple. I know. On the other hand, you can make ordinary everyday people into the ladder you climb through your influence. You can make something out of them if you are ready to give them all the resources for development, confidence they need. There is a law called the law of influence. It is an art of winning. This taught how to persuade people. There is a place for staying in, staying put and staying there throughout the process of their learning. Involvement cannot be separated from requirement for part of what qualifies you to lead. There must be a role play, a contribution, a support or more; for you to be respected and permitted to lead. There must be some inputs, some values, something you’ve given or you are giving, or you have given in time past for us to believe you are qualified to really lead. And we believe that you have to give such support, concern; tangible or intangible things all the way through leadership era and beyond. Sacrifice and leadership goes and in hand. Authority actually means responsibility according to God’s word.

Somehow, there are people who know how to relate well with other people in such a way that, through their relational skills, leadership skills; some people just like them, opportunities arise for them and through that they are able to leverage to the actual top. We must learn from such people. When you intentionally cultivate a habit of networking with people; following up with newly met guests, you are becoming a “human octopus”…someone who is able to strategically draw a team, a following, an association or a community of people. You are like a positive and healthy ganglion, spreading your self upwards. You have wings to fly to the top. Your influence is extending and it can get you somewhere. It is by being able to influence people, businesses and more. By being able to develop community of people that can surround a noble cause. That is when a society is said to have been taken. It is the responsibilities of leaders to take over communities, societies and nations for a positive reason and motive. It is not for mere men. Today, as policies, laws are changing and bills are being passed daily at each nation’s senates. We are either losing territories or gaining them.

Due to the fact that it is costly to raise a people through influence route and the processes described above; the tendency to cling to power is more rampant in today’s leaders who want authority without responsibility. In capturing a society, you cannot use force, brute methods. You will become an oppressor, a tyrant and that way, you are not really fulfilling purpose. You can never change a society by showing that society the dysfunctional it possesses. You can only change the society through models. Showing the model of what the society ought to be. The principle is still the same. In order to conquer a people; you must capture the commerce, reshape the people’s philosophies, affect their education , change their orientation, change their laws, their way of thinking, indoctrinate them in a new paradigm, lead them out into a desired culture and do everything to change their lifestyle. That is why there is a measure of assertiveness to this thing. For a people to change, it will require influence. And if the change agent is not celebrated and accepted, it will be oppressive. Sometimes, tactical compulsions or imposition may be required in the process of changing leadership. That was the way changing of kings and governors of old was done. It might be barbarous but it was result oriented. Since, it seems to me that there is no point where there will be no more war in the world. As in those days, so it is in our days. How do we then capture societies in our day without learning from history? In taking over a society; we need right strategies. Model Leaders must be detailed, thorough and result oriented. To achieve that, they need to be tutored in decision making, policy implementation and plan evaluation. They must master the art and science of team management and more. We need to measure our progress per time, per value added to the system. We must measure civilization by what we have been able to add to people’s lives beyond the city terrains. We must adopt policies that will advance our nations at grass root level upwards. The essence of our leaders’ attempting second term in office must be to benefit the society. Their coalition into new political parties must never be for recycling dysfunctional leaders. True leaders will respond more to issues in a timely manner so that things will change.

Descent culture, right values don’t just jump on people. These things don’t start overnight. It evolves in process. It takes a period of time for culture to be. It takes a true leadership and a willing followership. Our traditional clothes, music, and dressings are not all what it means to appreciate our culture. Neither is clinging to heritage and freedom which some people fought for, and for which they even laid down their lives. There must be a kind of spirit. A kind of attitude; and it has to spring from a core, not just a superficial “thing”. When people see that, they know it, they can identify who we are by mere seeing these things. In the way we live, in how we view issues and respond. And it says a whole lot about us.

Achieving successful innovation management

Innovation management is managing innovation from raw state into finished forms. Innovation could be in guise of strategies, know-how of product and services, business development, plans, predictions, prophecies, forecasts, information technology, ideas, et.al. To live on the cutting edge is to be able to evolve some of these. Innovation management is therefore a hub of business branding. It will continue to bring the market edge in 21^st century businesses and beyond. That is what is prevalent in business development; as managers strategize through creative intelligence towards realization of idea implementation. Businesses that will win in the present world economy must be innovation conscious and employ innovation managers deliberately. For a business to be relevant they must pay the price for innovative intelligence. The ability to provide the irrefutable, practicable answers that has not been but which has the potential and capacity to be proven is certain through these people.

Some successful organization may have at their core, some project managers among their executive who operates with valuable ideologies and team up to bring increase which justifies their annual budget and expenditure throughout the year. The implementation of their innovative business principles may have yielded great turnover at year end such that they may not mind the cost of retaining, retraining such staffs. It may never happen that way forever, if what they work with his basic project ideologies rather than futuristic projections. Reason is that project has already been done but innovation is yet to be executed. It is a question of that thin line between what is yet to come and what we are already seeing. On the other hand another business may reach their year end, evaluate and discover skyrocketed costs. They may decide on employing creative intelligent staffs by replacement method. They may choose to downsize, turn back on their vision and mission statements unconsciously. They may subtly violate policies and corporate promises. Rather than going through the season and coming out wet, but better on the other side. They may bow out, lose business integrity and more.  Corporate teams must be re-trained to enable them embrace innovation in thoughts and actions. The training may be intangible in value. It will prevent refusal of creative ideas and insights.  It will avoid unyielding attitude to authority with innovation edge. If it threatens their comforts; they may not be braced up for it. They may see it as obstacle and prefer to avoid it out rightly by continuing reinventing the wheels. They must see possibilities and advantage for them not to quit on innovation. It’s like; the next “mad rush” will not be like “gold rush” but it will be towards actualization of stable business economic environment through intelligent outsourcing. And just as in days of gold rush, most business will be madly securing their market share by determining their “business gold” which is the capacity of their corporate teams. Through outstanding idea managers, employers will deliberately expand and the cycle will begin again for a search for indispensable employees who possess outstanding profiles; capacity, result-oriented and track experience attributes and more.

Connecting innovation, change, and business

In the religious organizations, it is called prophecy. In the science world, it is predictions, in research, it is called forecasting techniques, in commerce world, its called innovation. In this writing I call it innovation edge and it requires creative intelligence to see it. The world has been looking for managers, bankers, stock brokers and employees who can master the art of innovation management. The bookshops are filled with variety in titles but rarely will you see any shelve committed to innovations. We have been searching for value in personal lives as well as in business sectors for several years. Corporate bodies, business experts in the market called it different names but it is the same thing we are likely looking for. It is for significant economic worth for our invested efforts and time. To some it is one or more of the following profit, turn over, customers’ retention, volume, possibilities. And to some others it is the combination of all and much more. The word is value. The answer lie in innovation intelligence and the end is innovation edge.

Since the beginning of time, change has been, the race has been a matter of adapting to change. The world has seen enormous, thrilling and mind blowing revolutions. Although some of this transformed our minds, some numbed us. Most transformation has brought advancement. To stay abreast, alert, attuned, competitive with edge amidst psycho -cataclysmic changes occurring at light speed is by continuing to innovate and not attempting to master uncertainties and instabilities that could run one crazy. It is no longer a question of being current or being informed rather it is of leadership edge that is able to bring out an innovation edge through a system of management that can predict and adjust, forecast and fine tune as it goes.  It has to be able to analyze impending happenings, events before they occur; and then go ahead to position the business rightly in the future for it. Their innovation does not have to be famous or even celebrated to sell inside the organization. It has to follow healthy business ethics, corporate integrity with her team to succeed. It could come in form of promise to stakeholders of their job security through consistent implementation of trade policies and corporate decisions made. It should protect their rights and interests. It may bring dividends, bonus or a raise much later, but it will not navigate to recession. In essence, corporate bodies may not necessarily have to promise a bonus, give a raise, or even declare dividend in the immediate but they are able to salvage their business from decline. They are committed not to stoop to downsizing for the sake of their stakeholders.

Moreover, older businesses and organizations understand that by being able to hold the decision making power through timely information, they can bond with stakeholders; determine the market determinant forces. For new companies, it’s in being able to assure the stakeholders. It is being able to appreciate employees. It is bonding through acquisition, mergers with shakers and movers of the market. It’s the ability to take the market by surprise through innovation. It is by introducing indispensable product brands that relates to the needs of their customers at the moment and in the future. It could be the corporate capacity to grow and develop unto one that is able to secure future value, market share through intelligent marketing and monopolistic edge.

Ending Idea rut.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.”                                                                                                        -Harold Whitman

It is not how big you are, it is how bigger you want to be? It is not about how great you are presently. It is how greater you can become? Could it be that; it is not just that it is too expensive to pursue and reach our dreams but that it is a matter of whether or not we are ready to die and go bankrupt for it. We are afraid because we are parochial and paranoid. We are under-achieving because we jointly suffer from a disease called idea paralysis… Which causes idea rut or innovation decay. On an island of doubt where dreams are buried, we pass through and also offer ours for penny.  We didn’t take time out to ask soul-searching questions like: Where we could possibly reach through our single contribution of innovation? What growth we may possibly attain through personal creativity? Who our idea could possibly influence and rescued? Where our businesses could grow to? What we can become because of all these? Some other question is how will we know when we’ve had the best innovation or idea that the world is expecting, which the world has never known? When will it occur that we have reached there? What will the idea look like?  When we are scared of being jeered at, when we are afraid of failure; how do we possibly try? How do we get to test our ideas?

The question is do you want to be an innovator or not? The other option is to be some grumpy feet dragging frustrated folks, who hanker after life guessing and cursing, waiting for what is coming next. If you want to be an innovator, who will change the course of history; it is not why but when?  You want to reach those laudable and beautiful goals and aspirations and feel you have labored for something that mattered which will transcend you. So, I dare to what have you ever dreamt of? What are you scared of dreaming of? Where does your thinking stop and why have you stopped dreaming? Whatever happened to your creative mind? Do you feel that since your creativity does not yield monetary value you should stop? Where do you tend to conceive creative idea the most? What have you ever wished in your mind which has never been? Why will you want to stop even when it appears as if it is stupid wish dreams, and no one is appreciating it? Why are you discouraged of dreaming when no one is supporting you? What is the mental barrier against your cognitive and imaginative abilities?

It is not that some of us are not dreaming or that we are lazy dreamers; rather we all at one time or the other probably got overwhelmed. We count the cost and avoid the hard work involved with our dreams wherein what is required of us is more than the best we could to offer. There is fear inside and out. It is tough to maintain consistent patterns of creative thought which is required for the discovery of innovation. It’s like some imaginary lines are shut down. Lines of beautiful thought patterns that evolve into downloadable, scientific compact system of thoughts. These lines may be inkling associated with solution processes that brings positive, creative thoughts. Innovative intelligence therefore cannot come through haphazard thinking. It does not arise from worry or a thinking pattern, that merely take long walks, deep pauses, sits quietly somewhere beside lake, on sofa indoor; Imagining some fairy tales. Could it be that, it is in asking certain soul-searching questions that imagery of innovative thoughts are provoked towards the end of positive results. It always ends in desired destination without removing people from the big picture. Therefore it is not about where you really are? Because, every innovation often shows the mind and the perspective of the innovator and innovation location is in the mind and faculties of the innovator, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. The end of every innovation edge will therefore partly reflect the mind, its beliefs and core values. It will reaffirm the whole creation from coast to coast as connected and beneficiaries. The actual test of innovation intelligence may not be in eloquence of innovator or in certifications, not in all the years wasted in laboratories discovering nothing, not in many long pauses or breathe taken, rather in it may be in this: the mind-color, the motive, the vision, the strength of idea, the beneficiaries, the nature and features of innovation and more. This is how it connects us. This is all what it meant.

Innovative marketing

Shopping could be time consuming, I was at the mall once, where an attendant at a fabric store, smiled at me as I entered. I frowned in return. She sobered out of disappointment. She had expected me to smile back. She was being “herself”, a sales person. I was being myself, a typical cranky customer. May be she has invited some customers and retained them by smiling. It was good enough charm that won some; but not enough on me.  Stressed, angry due to the fact that I didn’t want to be at the mall, save for necessity. I was frustrated about the long search through various shelves, corner, color, and departments of the mall. Some items could come with specificities that demand walking stores, checking shelves, asking attendants. When I glanced back to steal a look on that sales lady who I frowned at, her glow was gone! It may be terrible of me. But the fact that she lost her glow was actually a proof of her hollowness and insufficiency. To force employees to smile by the reason of job description is not an innovative marketing. It only creates more gaps for them to overcome in marketing process. If it was not in her personality to smile, what happened unveiled it. It proved customer service skills as something that may be almost impossible to feign. Whether or not, she was appreciated, the smile was expected to be on. If it was not in core value, any charm put on to win people over will fail.  Some customers know this that it can work if it is genuine. It will only last if it is intrinsic. As leopards never changes skin as in chameleon. Appearing in environmental color is untrue which reveal instability, falsity and self doubts in actual sense.

Therefore, it’s not that some of us don’t know what it entails to market or sell. What frustrate us mostly is paying that very price for innovative marketing- the expensive price of authenticity. The challenge may not be in our weak networks or failure of multilevel marketing; rather it may be in the futuristic advantages of our product or call it our product edge and our being genuine. Once we can figure that out; we already have what it entails to sell successfully. We can hang on; hang in there till we meet customers who prefer seeing the future value of product, value for money and quality in whatever they purchase. For most of us, innovative marketing is like innovation hunt. It’s a feat, some fight we don’t understand, unable to identify. It’s like a marketer aiming at target. He searches for the elusive. He chases the unstable and invisible customers. But they are just hard to pin down. It seems they don’t really need what the marketer has to offer or they don’t want to have any encounter with him. If he must market successfully, then he must be able to visualize the resourcefulness, of both now and the future of his product. That product worth may persuade customers successfully. Many times, it is uncertain that the customer will be willing to buy. Knowing ahead may bring some anxiety but it also brings the chance for rehearsing some persuading techniques. Consequently there may be a convincing result.

In order to hit on trade target at any point; whoever salespeople are selling to; they should made to see the relationship as something that transcend sales process. oftentimes these customers want to be seen as humans, as brother and a sister who should not be defrauded. So to sell to a blood tie people, is to be considerate. Since, they have fears, reservations; there are specific requirements, impending wants, and relevant needs on the line in different categories that must customer must address in their individual lives; which does not give room for time wastage or trial and error in their transactions. They don’t want to part with their money and later regret. They wanted good advice on the state of products. That is why sales must be done intelligently out of thorough preparation. From an understanding of customers’ model and profiles. In order to beat through fogs of resistance then, a marketer must bond with customers firstly by understanding, them and explaining the features of the product how they have future value and could meet relevant needs. Understanding customers, product’s outstanding qualities, marketer’s persuasive strength, authenticity and negotiation skills are quality factors required for innovative marketing.

It’s not a case of showing product price tags; flashing those discounts as “on sales”. It’s not about flexibility in how customers are allowed to pay for product through several credit cards, debit cards, or cash. The problem is, with what to pay as the medium of transaction? The exchange is unaffordable? Most customers want more than rebates; they want some extra value from every business transactions. Inadequate money restricts customers’ purchasing power. And a mere smile is not the answer. A sales person’s pleasant attitude may count but there is more to business transactions than all that. Little wonder most people give up on marketing; because they found out early that the stake is not just too high to attain innovative marketing and achieve marketing edge but it tends to soar higher.