Long live the Radio

Swissotel Berlin has a stategering 46 radio channels: Radio Courtoise, BBCW Service, WRN, France Culture, Medi 1, RCI Sat, RFI Multilingue, BBC Arabic, Beur FM, RCJ/Shalom, Radio Alfa, Radio Notre-Dame, Ado, Oui FM, Voltage, Cherie FM, RFM, Radio Latina, Contact FM, Vibration, Radio FG, Nova, Le Mouv', Fun Radio, Skyrock, RTL2, Virgin Radio, NRJ, Jazz Radio, BFM, Nostalgie, TSF Jazz, MC Doualiya, Sud Radio, Rire & Chasons, RTL, RMC, Europe1, Radio Classique, RFI Int, France Bleu IDF, France Inter, France Info, FIP, France Musique, Canalsat Radios.

Even with all the new media, radio is still a valuable marketing tool. It informs, educates,is flexible, targetable and intrusive.

Radio's unique strength is that it triggers the imagination. It is far, far more powerful to "think" of an image you hear being described than to see the actual image.

There were those who predicted radio's decline and fall when TV and then again, when the internet arrived. What really happened: TV became the mass messenger and radio became the marketer. Our customers pick, choose and listen to the type of radio format they like.

What we're doing when we choose the station to work/advertise with: we are customising our message...and there's always someone listening, somewhere, sometime.

Hand-in-hand contact

The March issue of Midnight magazine reports: "Romanians love a pretty mild handshake. Not as strong as in the US, Australia or Western Europe, but much stronger than in the Arab world or in Southern Europe."

Given the unanimity of positive opinions regarding the firm handshake, I wonder why many people nonetheless persist in offering the lifeless paw.

Similarly, I have learned long ago that the double-handshake is as phony as a S$3 note.

Our handshakes should not only convey our friendliness toward others, but make them feel friendly towards us.

Experience is a great help

Bulgaria Air Flight 1805 was cancelled and we had to taxi for 6 hours to get from Sofia to Bucharest. . Boutique Hotel Carol Parc turned out to be kind of a tiny inn.

Experience is a great help - you know what to expect and there are few, if any, surprises left, but you surely will figure out a way to cope.

The dedication comes naturally

"You don't give up, do you?" BeRt said. "You keep going on and on about it. You are so persistent."

People I've worked with say the word that best describes my management style is persistent. I don't think of it as persistence at all. Once I pick something I really care about, and it's a worthwhile thing to do, then I just work at it. The dedication comes naturally.

Anything good takes time

"I will be going to study my masters in Dubai in September," Illiyan said.

"I have just started on my Finance studies," Ms Nga told me. "I have been a cabin crew for a decade. I have been invited to go for my promotion interview at the end of this month."

I know that anything good takes time. Just as it took several years of learning and hard work to achieve my spot in career and finance status, there is a learning curve that needs to be mastered in the next 10 years of my life.

We are being examined

The King's Speech is Best Picture. It is about the suddenly and newly crowned King George VI, plagued by a dreaded stammer and his increasing need to speak at public functions.

Similarly, everything we sales leaders do - or don't do - is examined in all quarters. People examine evrything about me - from the way I dress to my speech patterns to what pictures and books are in my office.

That makes some leaders uncomfortable but if we are leaders, people are going to follow us.

Equal footing

"Talking to your kids can sometimes be difficult,"reported familyeducation.com

Studies have found that there are fewer than 20 minutes a day of conversation between parents and children if you subtract talking that has to do with a command or criticism.

For that matter, I am more like a friend rather than a parent to ACE because I believe communication can actually be fun for both parties - if it's seen as playful, occassionally suspenseful and surprising (in a good way) and if both parent and child are on "equal footing."