I get a lot of feedback from readers thru email and most recently, thru Facebook. I really appreciate it when readers take the effort to communicate and share their reactions with me. It helps to know what people are thinking and what their opinions are. It helps me to also define the direction of this column to best suit the reader’s needs. Thank you for that.

I get surprised sometimes by the wide variety of  feedback as well as the different professions and backgrounds of those that do. I have one particular reader that stands out. She works for the Government. Lillian is connected with the Bureau of Internal Revenue. She wrote me once to tell me that she follows my column. Lillian also wrote to ask if she could share her own thoughts and insights based on her readings, which could also help other readers out.

Recently, Lillian sent me an email on the importance of networking in finding a job and for promoting business. I would like to reprint what she sent me, as it is very helpful especially for young people looking for their first job. Here are the Lillian’s tips:

“First, Circulate. Talk to people.  Be where when you can meet a lot of people.  Attend conventions, seminars, meetings which are related to your work. Introduce yourself to many people.  But it doesn’t mean that you will talk and mingle only with people in your line of work.  Mingle with others, too.  You will meet these helpful persons everywhere--- the beach, at the park, in the church, in the supermarket.  The point is to be acquainted with lots of people.  New acquaintances that you meet can open golden chances for you.

Second, Send a letter to the manager of the firm you are interested in.  Make the letters as irresistible as possible.  So you will not be denied the appointment you greatly desire and express admiration for the person you are writing to.

Another clever idea is to stay in touch with people you know.  Let them know you are still around and eager to make the line of communication open.  When you are on vacation, send them card and notes.  When someone gives  you a favor, send a thank-you note immediately.  These gestures will not be forgotten.  Don’t ever disregard that small, nice touch.  It is central to your success.

You may also request referrals.  Referrals play a vital role in one’s career.   Through three referrals, the networking widens, which leads to more contacts.  Remember, no man is an island, you need other people, to survive and succeed.

You may also join organizations where you are sure to meet lots of people.  Give calling cards with your address and phone numbers and state your line of work.

Get rid of your shyness.  Build up that self-confidence, fast.  Sometimes, you fail in an endeavor due to a feeling of insecurity.  Instead of going directly to a prospective client,  you back out due to feeling of inadequacy, to handle that situation.  Smart women know that timidity has no place in effective networking.”

Lillian concludes by writing, “  Networking is reciprocal .  You do things for others and they also do good things for you.  And there is no such things  as  useless contact.  Even if real benefits are not yet apparent, something will crop up sooner or later.  Take good care of all your contacts, everyday of your life,  add more to the network, especially if you are looking for a good job.  Many people get their jobs through this networking, a powerful strategy to reach your goals and dreams.”

Thank you Lillian for caring enough to share with us your thoughts. A lot of us are familiar with the saying, “Its who you know that makes a difference.” That alone shows the value of networking. I want to share what Bob Burg added to that, he thoughtfully said, “It isn't just what you know, and it isn't just who you know. It's actually who you know, who knows you, and what you do for a living.”

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

 For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me at stirspecialist@gmail.com ,  or visit  www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com

 

What do you know about Microtel Hotel? Many of us already have a perception that it is a very good budget hotel. A perception reinforced by many satisfied business travelers. This perception is fuelled by Microtel’s ability to be consistent. Proof of this consistency is evidenced by their winning the J.D. Power and Associates  award for the “Highest in guest satisfaction among economy/budget hotel chains” seven years in a row. Another industry pundit D.K. Shifflet & Associates ranked Microtel Inns & Suites #1 in the Budget and Economy segments in its annual rankings.

 

So it is a given fact that Microtel Hotel is very consistent and predictable in delivering value for money, something that its frequent guests come to appreciate and look forward to. But why do many people and guests end up being surprised by Microtel Mactan.

 

It’s true, I often get that reaction. Surprised! I also used to wonder why until I sat down and thought about it. Microtel Mactan is really unlike any Microtel Hotel I have ever seen or heard of. The easiest difference to spot is the size, it is the biggest of the whole chain, a whopping 161 rooms. But its not the size that surprises, after all , this is still not what you would call a large hotel. But it’s the details that are very different.

 

The Lobby alone is definitely not what you would expect from a Microtel Hotel. It features an airy Ibiza feel, accessorized by designer furniture made by Cebu’s pride Kenneth Cobonpue. The colorful  open air lobby opens out into a infinity pool that brings in the fresh tropical breeze and a glorious view of the Mactan waters. You definitely know that you are on vacation the moment you step into it.

 

The Asian fusion restaurant is another standout attraction as it is run by the ultra exclusive Abaca and its famous celebrity chef Jason Hyatt. The beachfront leaps out at you like a framed postcard, inviting and refreshing. I think the best place for me is dining at the gazebo by the beach. Imagine hearing the waves, having a fantastic dinner, enjoying great company.

 

Microtel Mactan really does not make you feel like you are in a budget/economy hotel.  It has a completely different quality.

 

I was recently reading a column of innovation guru Seth Godin wherein he talks about quality. He wrote that there are two kinds of quality. He describes the first one as "meeting specifications." He adds, “An item has quality if it's built the way it was designed to be built.” But he goes on to describe the second kind, framed in a question, “This is the quality of, "is it worth doing?". The quality of specialness and humanity, of passion and remarkability.”

 

He explains that the first is very easy to do, you just have to follow the specifications. But the latter is very difficult. Difficult because if it does not work, the consequences soon become disastrous. But when it does work, it becomes very very special. That for me is Microtel Mactan. There is something not only very special about it but also very Grand. The owners of this boutique resort hotel went out of their way to innovate a proven concept in order to give Cebu something that we can be very proud of.

 

I think we need to support businessmen who have a bold vision and are willing to go out of their way to innovate and risk, in order to give us something special. The Benedicto family, owners of the hotel, have consistently done that not only in this hotel venture but in many of their businesses.

 

“We want to defy expectations,” Mylene Benedicto said proudly, “With Microtel Mactan, we want to help strengthen Cebu, and Mactan specifically, as a tourist hub. We want to show everyone that we have world-class facilities here. We truly can compete with the rest of Asia.”  It is a vision that Cebu needs to support and encourage. The best part is that Microtel is currently offering a fantastic deal for locals at Php 2500 net or Php 2900 with breakfast, removing any excuse not to get surprised.

 

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

 For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me at stirspecialist@gmail.com ,  or visit  www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com

What are stories?  Are stories fairytales? Are they jokes that we tell each other for amusement or bragging rights? Are they really true or are most of them products of an overactive imagination?

 

I believe, the concept of stories is a fundamental part of what makes us human. It is the ability to tell, remember and learn from stories that define our progress of maturity or lack thereof. It is an everyday part of our human existence, lived out each day, thru every little experience.

 

Just recently, we had a very engaging speaker at our 3^rd PRA retail conference. His name was Jos Ortega, CEO of one of the world’s largest advertising agency, JWT. He had a very engaging and entertaining presentation about building brands. The secret, he shared, was in being authentic, creating and telling your brand story. He said, “Your brand story must be based on your dreams and aspirations for the business.”  He added, “This story must engage customers and enhance their experience in your store so that it will create a desire and passion in them to want your products.”

 

It is a very simple concept that makes absolute sense for many successful retailers. In the conference itself, the story of Goldilocks was one fantastic story told very beautifully by Ms. Pinky Yee. Jos himself cited two very successful Cebuano stories that we are all familiar with and extremely proud of, Penshoppe and Island Souvenirs.

 

But as I was listening to the presentation, I was asked a question by my seatmate,  a starting entrepreneur. He whispered, “what about for us starting retailers and entrepreneurs, why would anyone want to listen to our story?” He innocently added, “Do people really want to know how hard it is to struggle through every day, trying to make ends meet, hoping that tomorrow would bring the necessary fortune that one continuously prays for? Usually, the general public only wants to listen to stories of success, or barring that, spectacular failures.”

 

I was stumped by that question and it dwelled in my mind for several days. I was wondering how does one really tell a story if one is starting out or struggling to make ends meet. Or the better question might be, why would anyone want to listen?

 

Suddenly the answer hit me. And it was provided right there in that conference for everybody to see and hear. The answer was very honestly given by Café Laguna’s Raki Urbina.

 

What would make someone want to listen to your story?

 

For many starting and struggling entrepreneurs, how people feel about your brand is not because of the story you tell them. It is brought about by stories that they tell about your brand. Stories brought about and created by individual experiences with your brand. 

 

The Café Laguna story was born out of  the individual experiences of diners, shared over and over again. Raki said it very simply, “People started to take notice of the good taste and consistent quality of the food my Mom was making.”

 

When Raki’s mother,  Lita Urbina began cooking, she had no grand vision of what Café Laguna would be today, she just wanted people to love her cooking. She did her best with the hope that customers would try, love it, and come back. She prayed that these customers would then tell others, and cause them to also try. In other words, the Café Laguna story was indeed initially created by stories. But these were stories that contented and satisfied diners and customers told to others, encouraging and urging them to try.

 

It was these stories that allowed Café Laguna to become what it is today, an inspirational success story that shows how big things can come out of small beginnings.

 

This is now the story that Raki is humbly honored to tell, of how his mother struggled and how they struggled, and how they persevered. There was no initial grand plan, as Raki himself admitted. He confessed that when he was younger, his ambition in life was to become a San Miguel Beer salesman because “the uniforms  looked cool”. But Raki ultimately understood his role and  became an essential part of the Café Laguna story.

 

Jos said it best when he said, “Nowadays shopping is no longer about the stores but shopping is about stories.” Brands are indeed about stories and the feelings they invoke. These feelings determines our acceptance and perceptions of that brand. But we need to remember that when starting out,  we need do our best to serve and satisfy our customers. We need to turn each one of them into our customer advocates. Let them  be the one to tell their stories.  Turn each customer into a personal storyteller of your brand. If we a do a good enough job and they tell enough people, hopefully we will be then allowed to tell our success story and then maybe people will also sit up and listen.

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

 For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me at stirspecialist@gmail.com ,  or visit  www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com

I’m still on a high from attending last Wednesday’s  PRA Cebu chapter’s 3^rd Regional Retail Conference. I planned to write about my impressions as well as learning’s from the conference, unfortunately I have a mental block. A mental block usually occurs when one does not know what to write. In my case, I have never had this type wherein,  I have so many things to share about it that I do not know where to start.

The conference was very well attended, exceeding the expectations of the organizers. A lot of local retailers are seeing the benefits of not only attending the conference but of joining the PRA. I want to congratulate our very hardworking chapter President Melanie Ng, for a fantastic job. It was an amazing lineup of speakers as well as topics. The panel discussion had a powerhouse cast of panelists led by Ayala Cebu and SM City Cebu’s lady bosses, Clavel Tongco and Marissa Fernan, new PRA National President Bernie Liu, PRA Cebu Chairman Jay Aldeguer and Goldilocks Marketing Director Pinky Yee.

The lineup of speakers was fantastic. Ms. Pinky Yee not only made us proud of Goldilocks but literally made all of us hungry to have some. She passionately described what makes Goldilocks tick and even shared recipes.  Steven Cua , President of Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association , awakened many retailers on the benefits of green retailing as well as sharing simple and cost effective ways of starting a green retailing program.

Ms. Marge Martinez of the Nielsen Company Philippines shared their scientific data on retailing trends as well as tips on how to read and capitalize on them. Honorable Nestor Archival, woke up the audience on the dangers of not recognizing the damage we were doing to the environment. But what really got the audience excited was the last two speakers, Jos Ortega, CEO of one of the Philippine office of one the world’s largest multinational advertising agencies, JWT and Chef Raki Urbina’s sincere and heartwarming story of how Café Laguna was able to creatively succeed in these trying times.

I will be sharing in my future columns the presentations of some of these speakers, most especially of Jos and Raki. Jos was sharing with us that in building brands, it is important to have and tell a story, be authentic. Raki had not only a very authentic story to tell but a truly inspiring one. The Café Laguna story is one that needs to be told and retold many times in order to inspire more entrepreneurs.

Jos told us a fascinating story about the role his little yellow rubber ducky played in his childhood and how he rekindled that relationship recently.  It reminds him of a simpler and better time, a happy time. He recounted that he found his little yellow ducky again while checked in at the ultra exclusive Conrad Hotel. Conrad Hotel prides itself on being the temporary residence of CEOs and power brokers. Because of this, they seek to provide for everything, without being asked. They even go to the extent of printing out calling cards for you, with a private telephone and fax number direct to your room.

What surprises many first time guests is a little yellow ducky sitting on top of the bathtub in the bathroom. What surprised me was the fact that Conrad Hotel had to perpetually replace that little yellow ducky, revealing that beneath every hard edged CEO is a little child that wants to be reminded of a simpler and happier time, just like Jos.

The lesson is that we need to be able to find our own reminders of the happy times of our past in order to be able to remind ourselves of who we are. That reminder is a very big component of telling our story. Brands are all about telling a story. Raki Urbina told his very well and turned us all into fans of Café Laguna that afternoon.

For retailers that want to inquire about how to join the PRA, please contact the PRA Cebu Secretariat at 3462926 local 108 or 09228845243, please look for Charry. You can also email pra_cebu@yahoo.com

Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.

 For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me at stirspecialist@gmail.com ,  or visit  www.stirspecialist.com