A Note From The President

Avil Beckford, President

What are you reading this month? Does your reading list primarily consists of business books or is it filled with other books? I find myself reading a lot less business books, however I am striving to read one every month. I am finding that most business books do not engage me, or really make me think seriously. And yes, there are exceptions. I recently finished Get Smarter by Seymour Schulich and I found some nuggets of wisdom there, but it took me over a month to finish reading it. In that same time period I read several other books in record time, so why did it take me so long to read Get Smarter? A few months ago I read Cashing in With Content, another business book, and I practically devoured it.

I won the book The Outcast by Sadie Jones, and though the story was a bit troubling, I really enjoyed it. It's a story about love, loss, betrayal, redemption and the courage to walk away. In fiction, we often find lessons to apply to work and life. Have you ever suffered betrayal from a colleague, perhaps a colleague took credit for your hard work. How about staying on a project when you know that the fit isn't right and you are killing yourself in the process? Lessons are all around us.

The New York Times article CEO Libraries Reveal Keys to Success, by Harriet Rubin, reveals that most successful business people do not read many business books. Books mentioned, include Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Death of a Salesman, Stranger, The City of God, and Seminary Boy. In the 34 interviews with people in Canada, The United States, Switzerland, Sweden, Jamaica and South Africa for my book Tales of People Who Get It, I found that people aren't impacted by business books.

In this month's issue of Ambeck Edge we include an interview with Glenn Porter and review of Cashing In With Content.

So again I ask, what are you reading this month? Also, please email me the name of a book that had a profound impact on your life - that's one of the questions I asked when I interviewed people for Tales of People Who Get It - and I will include the list in a later issue. Please respond and don't say to yourself "I won't respond to Avil's request because others will" because with that thinking no one will. I really care about what you have to say. From my desk to yours!

P.S. Like this newsletter? Will customize for medium-sized firms that want to distribute it to their staff. Contact me at avil.beckford@ambeck.com and let's talk!

Book Review

Cashing In With Content by David Meerman Scott

Cashing In With Content is a practical book that is filled with useful information and strategies that readers can immediately implement on their websites. The book provides case studies of 20 organizations - some well known and others not so well known - that are using the content on their websites to achieve their goals whether it be to sell products, get donations, subscribe to an ezine or join something. They all use content to drive action. To get people to take action you have to educate and create an experience for them.

Scott suggests that a website should be designed from the perspective of a publisher since you are dealing with content. Before you design a website, you should answer the following questions:

1. Who are my readers?
2. How do I reach them?
3. What are their motivations?
4. What are the problems that I can help them solve?
5. How can I entertain and inform them at the same time?
6. What content will compel them to purchase what I have to offer?
   
   

Certain best practices are unique to organizations that use their content to drive action - they start with a comprehensive needs analysis before they launch the website, speak with one voice to create a consistent website personality, dedicate editorial resources to create consistent and informed content, encourage browsing by using appropriate self-select paths, push content to users to pull them back to the website, use global content when they serve a global market.

If you are not getting the results you want with your website, you are sure to get some tips from Cashing In With Content. I recommend it.

May/June's Book List

Cashing In With Content by David Meerman Scott

Survey Results

Did you know that research by PopCap Games found that:

• The current trend toward banning personal internet use in the workplace could be costing British businesses up to £4 billion every year due to a resulting decline in staff productivity
• The rise in popular social networking, news, dating, gaming and shopping sites has resulted in 57% of workers shunning the traditional tea-break in favour of an office e-break to unwind during the 9-5
• 47% of employees surveyed felt that taking a five minute cigarette break during work hours was deemed more acceptable by their boss than spending time surfing online
  
  

Source: http://tinyurl.com/5anvyu

How Did They Do That?

Interview With Glenn Porter, Managing Director, Dolphin Nextgen, LLC

Challenge: I have faced many challenges in my life and the important thing in resolving them is persistence. My mantra is that if you want to get something done you have to be persistent.

Lessons Learned

1. I have learned from my many challenges that you are only as good as your network – the friends that you have
2. You don’t know everything so it’s important to be able to find people with the expertise you need
   
   

Describe one of your biggest failures. What lessons did you learn, and how did it contribute to a greater success?

Early on I wanted to be a Navy pilot and I didn't get into aviation but I ended up in electronics and technology, which I think worked out better for me because all my friends who are pilots are going through a difficult time with all that the airlines are going through. I have had a very fulfilling career and my education got me into sales.

What’s one of the toughest decisions you’ve had to make and how did it impact your life?

Many decisions have been made for me as things change in life and you have to adjust. There is no consistency or corporate loyalty. Information technology changed and companies came in and out of favour and normally that meant that you had to change companies.

What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

1. Get up in the morning and go to work
2. When you make decisions, make them based on facts
3. Take time out to laugh every day
4. Take care of your health
5. Don’t be afraid to try new things.

How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

You always have to have fun and my family is very important to me. I work hard but do not think of myself as a workaholic. I am not a Type A personality and I recognize that life is short and your family and friends add value to your life.

What's a major regret that you've had in life?

I always wanted to work for a company that had offices overseas especially in exotic areas where they would send me to work there for a period of time. I have never had that opportunity.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you?

I would rather take books by specific authors with me - Agatha Christie, Barbara Tuchman, Thomas Cayhill, C S Lewis, and William Shakespeare.

What Can Ambeck Do For You:

Ambeck Enterprise provides diverse business research and analysis services to senior executives, through the relevant distillation of diverse facts and data.

Formula for Success

Having a level of freedom from anxiety and clearly it isn’t all about money. It’s about having the time to enjoy the things that are important to you.

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