Scheduling a number of people for a face-to-face meeting is getting tougher and tougher. And the cost of traveling to a client’s location to make a presentation is also on the rise. There’s little more disappointing than getting there and finding that half the people scheduled have been called away by other priorities. Of course nothing beats face-to-face for making the deal, which is why recession or not, business people continue to travel to their customers in order to close escrow. But for introductory presentations intended to gauge interest, my partners and I are finding web-based presentations are a pretty good way of making a pitch and seeing if there is interest to pursue further.

We’ve tested a number of on-line presentation services such as Go-To-Meeting, SlideRocket, and WebEx. They’re all very good with a huge portfolio of options and tools such as highlighters, cursor swapping, etc. But regular readers know that I’m a “less-is-more” kind of person, as I find that 99% of options (in anything) usually distract from the task at hand.

Up until now, the sheer complexity of setting up an on-line presentation has kept me from using such a service at anytime other than a real emergency. Not to mention the cost…all of the services named above ask  for pretty hefty monthly subscription fees (around $50) regardless of frequency of use. Since we do about 6 of these types of presentations a year, an annual subscription of $600 seems rather steep.

Then there’s Glance. We’ve just started using this ultra-simple, uber-fast, and inexpensive service ($9.95 per use) and really love it. It offers virtually nothing…and that’s it’s greatest strength. You email the meeting attendees your Glance URL, they click on it and are immediately connected to your presentation. Whatever you see on your computer screen, they see. For audio, we find the simplest way is to just call in on a land-line and get put on speakerphone at the client’s location. That’s it. Worth a look if you are in a situation where you would like someone else to share your screen.

As the Copenhagen environmental summit threatens to fall apart, the main area of contention appears to be the willingness of developed nations to pay emerging nations to not pollute. Emerging nations on the other hand appear unwilling to submit to external third-party validation of their efforts to clean up the environment, even if they are being paid by us to do so. So let me get this straight:

We’re going to pay you with tax dollars to not pollute. But with a nod and a wink you can continue to pollute in order to keep supplying us with all the low-cost shit you make on behalf of North American companies. In the meantime, we no longer make anything because we can no longer do so profitably enough for those same companies. So we will continue to create jobs and profits for you and a handful of corporate shareholders, while at the same time paying you with public money to not kill us with your products. Huh? So I buy your low-cost shit and then pay you extra to not pollute. So in reality, the low-cost shit is really high-cost shit that we could just as well have made here with local jobs????? Am I missing something? No. Just follow the money…it will always tell the real story.

Poor Tiger Woods. His sponsors are threatening to leave in the wake of his recent scandals. Not to worry though, a new market has opened (my mother used to say…”one door closes…another opens”). From archaeologist daughter earlier today over lunch at Dillalo’s Burgers…”Tiger should start courting  lumber and renovations businesses. After all the slogan is ready-made: Got Wood?”.

It seems that every time I travel by air (and it’s about twice a month these days), there is yet another new rule one has to obey in order to avoid confrontation and possible arrest (zero tolerance for any display of frustration or disagreement).

Here’s a new one. Pay attention next time the announcer comes on to advise the various cautions regarding the use of electronics on board. It now appears that only ear-bud type earphones are allowed. If your earphones have a metal band over the top…you’re out of luck! I asked the flight attendant about this (she appeared to momentarily be in a good mood, so I thought I’d chance getting tasered and asked). Apparently the powers that be have determined that traditional type earphones are a grave danger in an evacuation since they have a longer cord than ear-buds and that plus the metal band could trip people up in an emergency exit.

Here’s another one. I was sitting in the emergency exit row. The flight attendant came over to give us our “special” instructions. My earphones were off my head. She insisted however, that I must unplug them from my iPhone before she could proceed with her instructions. Kooky, huh? No explanation, and since she didn’t appear in a good mood, I didn’t dare ask her the raison-d’etre for this requirement. I can only assume it’s because I might not be able to pay full attention to these critical instructions if I were surreptitiously trying to hear the music from the earphones in my lap!

I’m looking forward to my next flight. there will probably be a new requirement that all men wear briefs instead of boxer shorts since the latter might get bunched up in the crack of one’s ass and make it more difficult to exit the plane in an emergency.

I think the nanny-state gets its greatest expression in the skies.

I just caught Bob Blumer’s 2005 documentary, Thirst for Life, on the Discovery Health channel. This is a must-see if you are interested in eating well, living well, and enjoying life. It explores the French Paradox, the phenomenon whereby the French (and many other cultures) achieve outstanding health and longevity by eating and drinking close to their cultural roots rather than attending to the guidelines of Nutritionism (the focus on specific components of food such as Omega-3’s, fiber, fat, etc.).

The funny thing though is that we call it the French Paradox, rather than the American Paradox. The real paradox is how Americans (and Canadians) pay so much attention to diet and yet have the highest obesity and heart-disease rates. I think that we are on the verge of uncovering perhaps the greatest “conspiracy” of all time: Driving an entire nation into obesity and ill-health so that we can offer them a vast array of services and products to “cure them”. Now that’s a great business!

“Advil has been clinically proven to reduce the pain of migraine headaches”. “Danon probiotic yogurt has been clinically proven to improve digestive health”. It seems these days that every ad for health-related products carries the “clinically proven” add-on. You may be surprised to know that this is however, a completely bogus statement that has little meaning outside of marketing-speak. Most of us might well envision that the “clinically-proven” claim is somehow backed up by well-controlled and peer-reviewed research. That would not be an unreasonable expectation. But the world of marketing doesn’t tick along on the same clock as the rest of us. In fact, “clinically proven” can mean as little as surveying people who took a certain pain-killer for migraine and seeing if any of them experienced relief…even if the relief came as a result of other factors such as time, rest, etc. Or it may involve a small, company sponsored study, done by the company’s own researchers, and unpublished for peer review in any credible journal.

Often, the “clinically proven” designation doesn’t even relate to the product itself, but to research done on one of its components, e.g. “Spinach has been clinically proven to prevent anemia because it contains iron”  (iron has been proven to prevent anemia, yet the iron in spinach is generally not bio-available because it is usually bound to oxalic acid). Many studies use specially selected populations that have a specific disease and then the results are extrapolated to the rest of us. For example, probiotics are used to repopulate the intestinal bacteria of people who have been on long-term antibiotic or chemotherapy treatment. But the specific cultures used and the amounts given are completely different from what is commercially available in food products. Nevertheless, this doesn’t stop cunning marketers from making the claim that probiotics can contribute to intestinal health.

So beware the “clinically proven” statement…it’s right up there with “part of a healthy breakfast”, “your mileage may vary”, “a good source of…”, “limited time offer”, and my all-time favorite example of marketing speak: “Real”.

I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels during my business career. When I was a corporate “honcho” I tended to stay in so-called “luxury” hotels, either because they were where various conferences were being held, or simply because those making the travel arrangements felt that they were somehow commensurate with my lofty position. But one thing you learn as an entrepreneur, when it’s your money and not some faceless corporation’s, is that so long as there’s a firm bed, a working TV, and a strong shower, there is little to justify the extra money between luxury and mid-level hotels. What there is however, is a world of difference in the psychology of how each of these are operated. I had a chance to be reminded of that this past week-end when my wife and I stayed (for free, cashing in a promotional voucher) at the Westin Ottawa.

Mid-level hotels (Sheraton 4-Points, Holiday Inn Select, etc.) have seen a major transformation in recent years. In the past these exemplified the old adage…”for very little, you get next to nothing”. But nowadays, mid-range hotels are a very attractive battleground, where even the loftiest luxury chains must sully their hands in serving the legions of mid-level managers and entrepreneurs who flock to them in search of corporate responsibility or just plain good value. As a result, it’s now pretty hard to find one that doesn’t offer free internet access, free local calls, free parking, free breakfast, free gym access, etc., etc. Most even offer upscale “poofy” beds with thick duvets, linen linens, and quite attractive furnishings. I would even say that these hotels have even surpassed what I remember from luxury hotels say 15 years ago. And all this for between $85-125 bucks a night.

Luxury hotels on the other hand have also seen an interesting transformation from “you get what you pay for” to clip joints. The psychology here is based on the belief that the people they cater too either have so much money they don’t care what they spend, or more likely, that the business people who stay there are so empowered by other people’s money (the shareholders) that they equally couldn’t care less about what anything costs. The experience of staying at the Westin (and others in recent years) can best be described as constantly having someone’s hand in your pocket from the moment you pull up to the front door. Parking? Sure…$32….but that gives you “in and out” privileges (I think I know what the “in and out” really means!). Internet access? “Yes Sir….$19.95 for 24 hours”. Local calls? Sure…that will be two bucks each.

Breakfast is an eye-opener (and I don’t mean the coffee). Not being a buffet fan (especially at $21.95), I chose a bagel and smoked salmon for $10.95. I didn’t however anticipate that coffee, juice, and everything else that normally comes with it at mid-range hotels, were “extras” here. Final bill for two? $57 (my wife had the pancakes)!

And then of course, there are the legions of ass-lickers expecting a handout every time they say “good morning”. I just paid $32 fu#*ing dollars for parking and I’ve got to give you a tip for handing me my keys?!!!

All I can say is, it’s a good thing I’m not interested in taking up another GM position in a corporation. Pity the poor managers under my watch!

Ultra Fast – Do The Dew – The best bloopers are here

Man, some commercials are just so good, they qualify as entertainment in their own right.  Funnyplace.org is a web site that features the best commercials from around the world. Most are hilarious. It’s amazing to see what the Europeans and others get away with….even commercials by American companies are far more risqué than they could ever be here. Check out this Burger King ad.

So you’ve got an interview! Congratulations. This is where Steve’s First Axiom kicks in: “You will always get the jobs you don’t want.” Why? Simple. Desire is the biggest barrier to getting the job you really want. Sounds counter-intuitive doesn’t it? It also goes against everything you’ve probably read about making a good impression during an interview…like emphasizing that you really, really, want this job.

Think about this. If you went to buy a car, would you really tell the salesman that this is your dream car and you absolutely must have it…regardless of price. Wouldn’t you instead play it cool, ask a lot of questions, and tell him that you need to think over what he’s offering? Basic negotiation: Forget about how much you need this car, widget, or job, and focus instead on what he or she needs.

The reason you will always get the jobs you don’t want is because you are cool, relaxed, and don’t reek of desperation. You ask a lot of questions. You don’t bullshit about yourself. You answer questions straight and honest. People almost always want what they can’t have. If the interviewer senses that you are coming at this job from a win-win perspective rather than one of need or want, he/she will be more likely to respect you and see you as someone who can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Only weak managers and leaders want yes-men. And frankly, you don’t want to work for them because they will make your life miserable. Great managers and leaders look for people who are better than them at the specific job at hand…otherwise, why do they need you if they can do the job themselves?

So here’s the first interview tip: Approach every job opportunity as if you don’t really want it so much!