Look to give

"I broke up before I got posted to Dubai," Jason declared. "When my posting ends here soon, I have no one to go back to."

All of us to some extent are enduring agonies of loneliness and frustrations.

I once asked a psychiatrist friend of mine "How can you teach people to love?" His answer was mildly surprising, to say the least. He answered the question by asking one of his own: "Did you ever have a toothache? Of whom were you thinking during the distress of the toothache?" His point was clear. When we are in pain, even if it be only the passing discomforts of an aching tooth, we are thinking about ourselves.

This is a pain-filled world, and so, a loveless world that we live in.Most of us are so turned-in by our own pains that we cannot get enough out of ourselves to love to any great extent.

"Happiness depends on what we give, not what we get" - Gandhi

Give self recognition

"I learned so much about this business," BeRt glowed. "I am so proud of myself."

When I do something I am proud of, I dwell on it a little, praise myself for it, relish the experience, take it in.

It is up to us to give ourselves recognition. If we wait for it to come from others, we feel resentful when it doesn't and when it does, we may reject it.

Being best friends

"In 1 of the Hindu rites of marriage, the bride and groom make each other a solemn vow: you will be my best friend," Jaya shared with all of us.

People on drugs eventually come down and so do people in love. Romantic love can only last so long as a couple are "high" on one another. After that, things go downhill.

Love is very important, but being best friends is a must. Yet almost everywhere we turn in our culture - movies, books and TV shows - we find romantic love, rather than friendship held up as the Holy Grail of happiness.

With a best friend, we can talk freely with our partners, whine and gripe, if need be; really express ourselves and feel that we are being heard; expose our doubts and fears without fear that this will be used against us.

My young man turns 11

May 6. My small man, ACE, enters adolescence. That's a step nearer to teenage.

Talking to teenagers (or trying to), I heard, is an extreme case of differing worldviews 2 people in the family can have. Teens are beginning to go out into the world - and it's a different world from the one we, their parents know. Because of conflicting assumptions about the world and how it works, conversations, I was told, between teens and they adults they live with can spiral out of control.

I will do my best to ensure that doesn't happen between ACE and I.

Make happy customers happier

"My business in Kuala Lumpur wouldn't have started so well and become so big like it is today without Paul's help," recounted Hisham. "He have be great support and service."

Happy customers might not be happy forever. We can never take that status to the bank. Like spouses, customers can get the 7-year itch.

Even the needs of our happiest customers change as they move through the various stages of business : growth, maturity, decline, restructuring. We have to change with them. One way is to constantly ask "how can we make our customers happier." We should do that even if they are already happy. I let my customers define my business plan. The more contact we have with our customers, the more innovative we'll become.
Hisham (middle), Hawa (left)

Contribute in meetings

"Michelle was the only sales person in our team but when we had to do a sales presentation, she didn't volunteer nor suggested any ideas," Ms Tan gave her feedback.

If you attend a meeting and don't contribute you are wasting your time and everyone else's. Contribute as soon as you can in the meeting to show that you will be a player today.

Who to take?

The Arabian Travel Market starts today.

Since travel budget is limited, we can't take everybody to trade shows. Are we making the best staffing choice for the best return on our trade show investment?

Trade show selling is different than a normal sales call. Behaviour that is appropriate and effective in a traditionsla sales call may just kill sales a a trade show.

I choose associates who are committed (there to meet prospects and sell), knowledgeable, bold (must be able to reach out and talk to people who are initially reluctant to visit) and friendly (can meet strangers and turn him quickly into enthusiastic friends) and last but not least...persistent.

David (left)