Know-How Exchange : Just for Fun

hey Jo- this is a great post because i keep seeing some key active members like you, randall, kathy etc and clicking on your profiles just doesn't seem to do it.

Am a Mktg professional currently stuck in a lacklustre sales job for the last 10 months- which is my reason for hectic activity on this forum. Just to keep my creative juices flowing and so that i do not lose touch with Marketing, I love being active on this forum.Hope my marketing job appears soon!

Frankly I do not know whether its special or not- but i love solid backbreaking analytics- models, deciles etc as much as evaluating a campaign or thinking of a tagline- the creative along with the analytics.

hello jo!

interesting post :D

ive only been a member here for two weeks, i think. and its great to be around people who are experts in the field. like they say, the best learning environment is when you surround yourself with guys who are better than you.
im currently a senior student, majoring in integrated marketing communications. my friends call me ian, but at home im jojo. im into frogs. i love frogs. ive a closetful of frog stuffed toys, key chains, notebooks, anything frogs. i realized my love for frogs when i dissected one back in high school. it was just so much fun. i love fried frog legs too. they actually taste like chicken.
i hate politics. but for some weird reason, i always end up with people who love talking about it. i live in the philippines by the way. and this is a country where politics is like showbusiness. i believe things are starting to get better though. or maybe its just me ;p
anyhoo, if anyone of you decides to visit my lovely country or would just pass by, id love to probably show you around.
so there.. thats me, partly :)

jojo

I'm persistent, and professional, and provide turn-key marketing services for small specialized firms.

If you want to maximize short term ROI, and need an immediate miracle, call someone else. On the other hand, if you have a high margin product or service, and want to maximize your penetration of a defined target market over time, on an affordable budget, call me.

Darcy Moen checking in.

My profile usually works (but I see the MP techs shortened it again).

Niche market marketing expert breaking out of my niche into new and interesting fields. My team and I have been developing multi-media communication strategies using direct mail, email, and web sites.

I've also been creating online customer panels and focus groups for conducting Quality Assurance systems.

Thanks for the stage. Going to work now. :-)

Darcy Moen
Customer Loyalty Network

Jo,

Interesting question--because to a large extent I've thought of myself as something as an odd man out in this forum because I'm not from the marketing side of the fence, per se. And then to top it off, I suspect like many here, my job description changes constantly during the course of the day.

My "real job" is as a sales trainer and sales management consultant. I work primarly in the areas of training sales teams in lead development, building client relationships, and personal marketing; and with companies in creating or recreating sales departments, regions or territories, recruiting top sales and management talent (I'm known as the anti-recruiter guy), and developing sales manager training programs.

But I'm also an author, my most recent book, Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons) has just been released, so a fair amount of my time is spent being a publicist.

But I'm also a speaker at company, association and organization events, so I have to spend time promoting my speaking.

And I am in the process of writing my next book on creating a real, workable, effective personal marketing plan for salespeople and professionals.

All of these are related and work together, but none are really what I'd consider to be from the marketing side of the business (assuming we're talking corporate marketing). Don't know how many other "sales" side folks there are here, but I'm learning a lot from the suggestions and comments to questions. And, every once in a while I actually get to answer a question because it relates either to sales or personal marketing.

I am a representative of a company called BusinessTalk360.

Here is a link to a 2 minute video about our company: [URL deleted by staff]

As of right now our company is only in the USA and Canada, but we will be interring Africa in the first quarter of 2007 and then to China. The reception we are getting is outstanding!

Melysha,

May I suggest you contact my literary agent. Sammie Justensen of Northern Lights Literary Service. Her email is sammie@northernlightsls.com. Since Sammie is the only agent I've dealt with I can't give you a comparison to other agents, but I can tell you that when I presented my book to her she sold it within 30 days to the first major publisher she presented it to and with a much bigger advance than I had hoped for. Consequently, I'm a believer in her. She did a heck of a job for me and I know she is always looking for good material and isn't afraid of looking at first time authors.

Hello Jo,

I am trying to develop my own view of the word – by now being 23 years old I have been a student in education institutions in Europe and the States – have two high school diplomas – one from Bulgarian high school and another from Fryeburg Academy in the United States – in addition my bachelors degree is in International Finance and Trade from University of Portsmouth UK.

Recently I have been asked to become a partner in a newly marketing consultancy company. I accepted and from now on will concentrate my efforts on becoming more and more knowledgeable in the field of marketing and sales (especially the ones related to the service sector).

I am considering a master degree in Asia – but this is just one of the goals written down on my list.

GKrastev

Hi Jo,
What a refreshing post!

I'm also the marketing manager for a small software company in Florida called Modus Operandi. It's quite a change (short for challenge) after being in a 30-person marketing department of a Fortune 500 IC manufacturer. Our company mostly works on government contracts, but soon to cross the chasm to going commercial with our product!

I use this forum to keep my creative juices going. I miss having several people around to bounce ideas off and that's what this forum serves.

I have an MBA and a creative mind. I like to read, scrapbook and swim.

I really enjoy the comraderie of this forum too.
Thanks and enjoy the season.
Judy

Jo,
What a great question! I get to talk about ME, and what I love to do? And I get points for it?! Swell!

I don't know that I really fit into any puzzle, or maybe I fit in a lot of them. I believe I have a unique background of vocal performance, athletic performance, television performance and general geekdom that makes me scary good at my job. In college, I had to decide whether or not I wanted to major in math, or something a little less strenuous to accommodate my involvement in athletics. Soooo, my background is public relations, and my first "real" job was at a newspaper (and soon found that journalism is a bit cynical for my taste). I think that I really started my professional marketing career as an Events Manager at a university Athletics Department, and then I never looked back. Learning how to create and sell corporate sponsorship packages, promote events, implement new and better ideas all the time ... Long story short, I was good at all of it, but really I found my niche in the publications realm.

I am a Ham Radio operator (though not currently operating), a member of ARRL for life, as I was the youngest female (at the time) to earn an extra class license. Bonus Geek Points to anyone who even knows what ARRL is! My callsign is NE0M, and although I could copy Morse code at 22 wpm back in the day, I'm probably down to about 5 (if I'm lucky).

I was an all-american volleyball and basketball player in college, and regularly sing the national anthem at local sporting events as time allows. I coach volleyball camps in the summer, and enjoy playing the sport any time I can. I would play basketball too, if I knew that after a couple of trips up and down the court that my lips would not turn blue and I would not pass out. Maybe as my kids get older, I will trade out the stroller for a pair of running shoes.

I can't finish a shower without picking up the shampoo bottle and looking at the copy and the layout of the package. When I find a typo I have the irresistible urge to contact the company to let them know. My husband gives me a hard time, because we can't even go to a movie without me weighing in on the font choice or usage. And billboards? Well, that's a whole other story!

Through my work as director of publications at ENMU, I found I had an amazing ability to help people feel good about me having to tear up their work to make it better fit in our branding and marketing efforts. (It makes me feel good that they are still using copy that I wrote for their recruiting publications and website.) I know I have a talent for explaining things so that many can understand them. (This talent is especially helpful when you're trying to teach a group of 13-year-old volleyball campers the 6-2 serve receive options.) I think, generally, I care about the people I'm working for, I care about the job that I'm doing and it shows in my interaction with them.

I will never fully understand how people could talk about their job like it's only a job. Like they don't spend 8 hours a day, seven days a week (some of us, way more than that) on something and then not care about it. I have had so many people tell me that I should work to live, not live to work. How can you not care about something that you spend more than half your waking hours on?! I will never do just enough to get by, and it will never be “just a job” to me. On of my favorite sayings is “There is no traffic at the extra mile.” I never liked traffic anyway.

(Another favorite is “Making the decision to have a child–it's momentous. It is deciding forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Quote by Elizabeth Stone)

As far as Marketing Profs goes, I really enjoy reading everyone's answers on these real-life, real-time questions. In some cases, it challenges my assumptions, and in others it reinforces what I think, and how I would approach certain situations. I’m thrilled to be a part of this community, and to have all these mentors (even if you don’t know you are!), and have access to the resources that Marketing Profs provides. I recommend it to the players on my husband’s college volleyball squad who are majoring in marketing, and pretty much anyone else who I think would be interested. Marketing Profs hasn’t let me down yet!

I absolutely LOVE my company [URL deleted by staff], and the team I work with. I feel so blessed to be doing my hobby and getting paid for it. And what's so great is that all my teammates feel the same way. My company, XPRT Creative specializes in creating publications and assisting with branding efforts. Most of our clients are primarily web oriented, but we have other clients for whom we create all their publications, including any marketing or advertising materials. Our programmer writes web applications like none other, and our designer is a creative genius. We do AMAZING work, and we have a strong ethical code we live by. We are all Christians and do our best to follow those principles in every part of our lives including our business.

This might sound mushy, and it probably is, but we really, really care about what we do and the people we do it for. We are still a baby company, two years now, and we definitely see blue skies ahead.

Of course I hope my involvement with Marketing Profs will lead to providing publication consultation or partnership opportunities to some of you pros, but I know eventually our work will speak for itself. Our new website will be online this spring and will better highlight our portfolio, so keep XPRT Creative on your list if you’re looking for design or programming services. Our customer service and product is superb.

As Always,

Jennifer
XPRT Creative

P.S. I am enjoying reading the more personal answers on this question– it’s nice to see what others passionate about (besides marketing, I mean!). …

wow.. this place is fantastic. everyone's.... so professional and very friendly (two words i dont always see in a sentence together). its nice to know that i get to actually interact with people that i am inspired by.

maraming salamat sa inyong lahat :)
(thanks so much to everyone)

Hello people!

My name is Bojidar, but you can all call me Boby, since I have somehow feel you all close - you have helped me answering some difficult questions regarding sales and management and marketing, therefore I can only be grateful and happy to be able to talk to you. I want to thank the administrator(s) of this forum as well.

I am 23 years old, a managing partner in a newly set-up company for marketing consultations. I am now finishing my Bachelor's degree in Business Administration in the University of Portsmouth - UK. I have done many joibs in my life - I started when I was 14, translating a document for a regional NGO in my hometown and when I gpt paid for it (quite a good rate) I was the happiest person ever. For 10 days I made more than my mother did for over a month! :) Ever since that day I have been translatin - for NGOs, for the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance, for Customs Agency, for Crown Agents, for VIPs, ambassadors, for government structures and big companies; I have worked in construction one summer, last summer I worked at the seaside (Bulgarian Black Sea), I have been the director of the International Affairs Dept. of an Information Agency in Sofia, also I have participated in the publishing of two newspapers, and there are so many other projects (also related to ethnic minorities and the Roma community especially) that I am not sure exactly how many things I have worked so far...
The only good thing from this is the experience that I have obtained, which in fact, may turn out to be quite an asset - I have worked in a few countries in different continents, and I am open to the world and its crazyness...:)

Write me whenever you need something that you think I may have: [email address deleted by staff]

All the best: SILLBODD Inc.

I was 18 and before I knew it I was 62.

In between I joined the US Air force, spent 2 years in Vietnam, was a medical photographer researching Leukemia, got married and had two children; a boy and then a girl.

I started a business event company when I was 25 sold it 12 years later, moved to Atlanta and started an event and marketing company. 8 years later my son graduated college as a clothing designer and I helped him start his business. One year later he opened his first clothing store and he now has 4. My daughter started working for him out of school and still does as his GM. My wife joined his company as well.

My Grandfather died before he got to meet my wife. My Grandmother died 2 weeks after my daughter was born. My Dad died in 1985 when visiting us with the rest of the family and I wish we had talked more. My mother (Florence) died when she was 87 and I am thankful we had her that long. I am happy we got to talk, at least on the phone, every week. Unfortunately she had to experience the loss of my sister when my sister was only 61. I miss and think about them all very much. And I am thankful that my older brother is doing well in New Jersey with his family. I also miss and often think about several family pets that have crossed over.

I had a joint venture with Caribiner Communications for the development of an interactive company. They didn’t understand the value of interactive media in 1996 so in 1997 I started an interactive production company. I sold it in 2006 (a big mistake) and worked for a year for someone else. The first time in 35 years I had not been CEO of my own company. Got out of that and started a consulting company in 2006. I am CEO again. 

My son got married (www.billhallman.com/wedding) to a fantastic women and they had a baby in 2004. Ava Florence Hallman. She is incredible, as incredible as my kids were when they were that age. (www.avahallman.com).

I went from being raw and green at 18 to being married 41 years at the age of 62 and still raw and green (I hope) in what seemed like a wink of the eye. (:-)

Oh yeah! During that time I learned a lot about running a business, getting the most out of people and a whole lot about marketing. And now I have a whole lot more to do. I have two new businesses in the works. I hope to see my daughter married and experience the joy of several more grand children.

Work is what you do so you can experience life. You must do it well, but it should not make you miss the truly memorable moments in your life.

Harry Hallman