Friday 28 September 2007

What does your brand stand for?

Is your brand remarkable, i.e. “conspicuously extraordinary”?

The latest technological craze is Apple’s iPhone. As I understand it there are better functioning phones yet Apple sells because of their branding. Apple stands for style and design and currently this is what people are buying ahead of functionality. What does your brand stand for? Builders of our new world know what they stand for and demonstrate whatever it is in their branding.

I stand for discovering and sharing insight people and planet profit from.

Be remarkable
Ian
Insightprenuer™

Wednesday 19 September 2007

Cultural Intelligence™

I have just read the latest issue of Cultural Intelligence™ a great newsletter that is always full of really good stuff about building workplace cultures that matter. The editor Steve Simpson is a friend and colleague who I have had work with my clients with remarkable results. Steve is another who is bringing our new world to life. Check out the newsletter here

Be remarkable
Ian

Tuesday 18 September 2007

Delivering on our promises

This morning I conducted a workshop for members of the board of Meeting Professionals International(MPI)chapter and some of their members. The event was held at the Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park whose tag line is “a genuinely unique venue”. The venue is true to this line. The room I worked in is so well designed it generates its own acoustics, and the staff were simply brilliant. I have spoken at 100’s of different venues, only a few have the design, ambience, and staff, that encourage a memorable and productive learning experience. All this combined to make it easier for myself and participants to be as good as we can be. People building our new world deliver on their promises. Are you a builder?

Be remarkable
Ian

Sunday 16 September 2007

Whenever you can buy fair trade products

I have been working in the United Kingdom for the past two weeks. My previous post was written after reading an article in The Times newspaper. It was about one of my hero's Anita Roddick who sadly passed away a few days later. In honour of Anita's huge and positive impact on better business practice I went and drank a fair trade coffee at another iconic business Marks and Spencer. I reflected on the great strides business has made to be fairer and my own priviledge this year to work with another seller of fair trade coffee, the fine folk of Oxfam Trading in Australia. Community trade is one way of eliminating poverty. In our new world there is no poverty. Whenever you can, buy products from places you know are involved in fair trade. This is one way you can play your part in building our new world. And when you do remember you are standing on the shoulders of people like Anita Roddick.

Be remarkable
Ian

Monday 10 September 2007

Anita Roddick - role model

L’Oreal and The Body Shop are household names. At one time it would be fair to say they were enemies. Since last year L’Oreal has owned The Body Shop. Many were horrified at the time of the sale and accused Anita Roddick of not just selling out of her company, but also the principles on which it was built. Seems this is far from the case if an interview with Roddick published in the Daily Telegraph recently is anything to go by. My view is this: Anita Roddick has made a difference. She proved businesses driven by a cause and not profits is the way of the future and she has influenced and is influencing a giant like L’Oreal. It will take a lot more Anita Roddick’s to build our new world. Which part of our new world are you building?

Be remarkable
Ian

Wednesday 5 September 2007

Emotion and logic when aligned are a powerful team

I spent much of the past two days traveling from my home in Australia to London. On the trip I read Al Gore’s latest book ‘The Assault On Reason’. It is a magnificent, common sense book about what we must do to ensure real democracy in our world and a future for us all we can be certain of, and proud of. I highly recommend you read it even if you are not an American citizen as I am not. Al Gore may not ever be President of his country (it’s not too late!) however I am in no doubt that he is a builder of our new world.

Be remarkable
Ian

Saturday 1 September 2007

How well we pitch is a key to turning possibility into reality

One of my business partners Kevin Ryan is widely known as the ‘Professor of Pitch™’. If you want to revolutionize your sales and communication ability then engage Kevin as your coach and watch your sales skyrocket. The way most of us try is sell is outdated and unfriendly for our customers and is in fact driving people away rather than attracting them to us. Kevin is one person building our new world in the areas of service and sales.

Be remarkable
Ian