Dissecting The Conversion Funnel [Infographic]

Nothing. Thinking about nothing, focusing on nothing of importance and switching your mind “off”. And it is precisely that “void” we could use more of. Some people reach the void through meditation; others completely empty their mind by staring at a wall. I run. My friend trains T’ai chi ch’uan. There is no universal way to make your train of thought derail. The point is that you should turn your mind off once in a while.

Waste of thoughts, waste of time?

You might consider this a collossal waste of time. Afterall, there is a high opportunity cost, right? By doing nothing you forego the benefits you could be reaping from another more meaningful activity like improving your GTD system or writing an article for your blog. It’s not as one-sided as it seems. Leaving the tried and true cognitive paths relaxes your mind and opens it to new perspectives. It may seem insignificant, but the opposite is true.

Innovation springs from the void

Consider this argument. In the world requiring constant innovation, fresh perspective unladen with the burdens of routine is the currency of the day. Doing the same things and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity. And yet a lot of people use the same assumptions, hoping to get a different conclusion when coming up with a business plan, writing a resume or designing a pension reform. Turning your mind off for a while is an incredibly powerful tool, because it momentarily changes the way you see the world.

I cannot account for processes taking place in the brain as a neuroscientist could. However, the results of leaving some space for void in your life are astonishing. Problems that seemed uncrackable are not so tough anymore. You can see the direction in which you want to take your story that seemed to go nowhere. Data that made no sense reveal patterns unseen before. Make no mistake, merely emptying your mind for a couple of minutes per day won’t be an instant wellspring of innovation. It will only give you a fresh start, so you can look at the world with different eyes. The rest is up to you.

The paradox of productivity

On a closing note, let me point out  how we still look at productivity. You need to work hard, get your team to muck in, put in an egregious amount of time and effort, and finally get to the root of the issue to solve it. To what extent do you consider this valid? It is difficult to grasp that we can become more productive by doing less of that, but it’s worth a try.

Image credit

You can also check out bigthink.com for more interesting articles and videos. They’ve got Richard Branson, James Randi, Elizabeth Gilbert, Helen Fisher and even Penn Jillette.

I’ve been commissioned to write up a foreword of the annual report. Needless to say that the voice and tonality thereof must reflect client’s CEO’s convictions and vision. After writing up the first draft and some editing, I fired it off to his mailbox, knowing there will surely be some amendments and revisions.

The next day I get summoned in his office.

Client [C]: I’ve looked at the foreword, and it will need some revisions. Fast.

Frustrated freelancer [FF]: All right, what’s wrong?

[C]: Factually, you are saying what needs to be said, that’s perfect. The tone, however, does not fit at all. Could you sit down and completely remake it?

[FF]: Well, I was expecting some changes, but I feel stuck. I talked to the CEO twice in my life and I don’t think I know him well enough.

[C]: That shouldn’t matter. Try to take another look at the text and empathise with the CEO. I know it’s difficult, but it can be done.

[FF]: All right, I’ll give it a shot. You need it by tomorrow, right.

[C]: By today. Preferably in three hours.

Three hours later, a new version of the foreword was ready. I spent almost two thirds of the time reading the CEO’s interviews and listening to his statements in TV or radio.

I wrote the following e-mail.

Another try. I cut it, read some more CEO’s quotes and interviews. Even so, I’m not sure that I got it right.

And got this response:

Yeah, I’m going to have considerably less work with this. Thanks!

Clearly, there are three important lessons to be learnt from this.

1) Good managers don’t attack your soft spots

Notice that during the initial feedback, the client did not call my professional integrity into question. He never said that my writing sucks or that I am an inadequate communicator.

Those who work in creative industry know how damaging and stifling for a project can the words “You are a lousy writer,” have. Knowing how to give constructive feedback is critical.

2) Good managers collaborate

Writing is collaborative effort. You can’t get everything right on the first try, for the text is a living and breathing material. The good managers know it and give you their perspective (assuming they know what they are talking about). This doesn’t apply only to writing; it applies to all areas of communication management.

3) Good managers push you (but not over the edge)

Whenever you get constructively criticised, it’s your shot at skill improvement. The manager is implying that you can do better and that he is giving you a chance show him how good you are at what you do.

The really good managers are able to recognize when they are pushing you too much and you can’t take it. They let you live to fight another day.

Conclusion

It’s all about people. As much as it sounds like a cliche, it’s true. Joining an organization with a great communication team and learn about the company’s business from scratch makes sense. Joining a great brand, knowing it has a dysfunctional communication team, is madness. When seeking employment, look for great managers, not just for great brands.

In spirit of full disclosure, I admit the man in question is a client of mine.

What is Psychometric Testing?

Psychometrics is the term used to describe an area of study that specialises in taking psychological measurements such as a person’s attitude, ability to coordinate with others, knowledge and personality. The usual method of assessing these values is by asking a series of questions during an interview, by giving a test, or by giving a questionnaire to be answered. Some employers may say up front that there is a psychometric test section of an interview, whilst others may simply slip the questions in. The questions or tests will have been specifically designed in order that the answers can be evaluated to put people in different categories. The results of a psychometric test are only as good and as meaningful as the questions themselves.

Why Do Employers Use Psychometric Testing?

Employers use psychometric testing as a way of seeing if a potential employee will be able to fit into the workplace and perform as expected once there. In a way, this is of course what any job interview is really about anyway, but psychometric testing takes it a step further by applying a science behind the process. An employer may know the type of person that they wish to fulfil a role, and then questions will be designed in order to evoke answers which will expose those character traits.

Can Psychometric Testing Be Gamed?

This is a hotly debated subject, both for academics and job applicants alike! Arguably, a psychometric test can be gamed, but only if a candidate knows for certain which answers an employer is looking for. Of course, the fact that a person may be seeking to game the test probably says a lot more about their personality than simply taking the test genuinely!

Should I Prepare For Psychometric Testing?

People should prepare for any job interview, regardless of if there is a psychometric test involved or not, and most of this preparation will cover any psychometric section present in the interview process. Knowing what sort of employees are already working for a company will give an idea of what sort of person that they are looking for, and being aware of the basic sorts of questions that will be asked will remove an element of nervousness. At the end of the day though, an employer is looking for genuine answers that will assure them that they have found the right candidate.

Do the Results of a Psychometric Test Matter?

Again, this is another hotly debated subject. It is important to remember that people are not hired or fired solely on their psychometric tests alone, and that they are just one more factor that contributes towards a final decision on employing someone. If a candidate only does averagely on a psychometric test, but has an outstanding sales record, for example, they will be more likely chosen than someone who has no sales record at all. Being knowledgeable in a chosen profession, having good contacts and a proven track record are just as important as scoring well in a psych test.

Nick Anderson is a writer for How2become; a leading career and recruitment specialist. You can also connect with How2become on Facebook

As a Czech blogger Tlamiczka pointed out, Google might be in process of killing off all platforms that don’t offer advertising. Although this is pure speculation, there might be a grain of truth in it. After all, company’s primary purpose is to create products that sell. 

At the moment, I have between one and two hundred feeds there, so exporting them doesn’t pose much of a problem. The question is where to import them? Here are my top two contenders.

The Old Reader

Similar to Google Reader. Conservative, slick and offering a possibility to import your Google Reader feeds via OPML feature. This service actually started as a protest to Google’s innovations in Reader. I guess fate has a sense of humor.

Netvibes

Once you disable that odd widget-like mode, content actually becomes readable. The site offers a lot of new services in addition to browsing through your RSS feeds.

You might figure out that RSS has been really boring you and does not fulfill your needs. In that case, look at Pocket (hat tip to Honza for letting me know about it).

Image credit

When I had met him and had a chance to glance at his work, his portfolio impressed me, even though ATL and film are not really my areas of specialization. There is some TV work, some 3D, some illustration and he even ran his own studio in Buenos Aires.

All in all, he is a well-rounded graphics artist and designer, who can help out your agency regardless of its size.

Check out his CV!

If you would like to invite him for an interview, review his CV and give him a call. I’m sure he would love to hear from you!

What is your business model?

Starting an e-commerce site just because you think it’s a neat idea and it might work is like jumping naked into a shark tank with paper cuts all over your bottom. Not a good idea. None of the up and coming entrepreneurs had done any analysis let alone added numbers to the decision-making mix.

Always have a clear idea about the business you want to run. If your analysis looks like this, you will weep once you start sinking money into that project.

On the other hand, if you do the research, go through the motions of quantitative as well as qualitative analysis and manage to emerge with an idea like this…

It doesn’t matter what kind of a model you decide to bet on, as long as it is profitable, ethical and has the potential to grow sustainably. For what it’s worth, here are some examples of business models future prospective e-shop owners may think about.

• Arbitrage – buy cheap goods on one market, sell them expensive on another market.
• Manufacturer – create something from scratch, charge a premium.
• Sales on-demand – lower your overhead by producing only what you have already sold.
• Brick and click – have your e-shop complement an already existing product selection you are selling in your shop.
• Auction – begin with a lower starting price and sell to the highest bidder.

The list is by no means definite and these models work better on tangible products than on services. If you are thinking of selling a service, head over to TNW – they have a great overview.

The next step is to conduct a feasibility study. Let’s talk about this some other time. In the meanwhile, what business model for starting an e-shop you think works the best?

Image credit

• It’s got lean and flexible programming.
• Sites running on Thesis rank higher in search engines.
• Customizable to no end, as I have heard.
• Emphasizes content over design.

The only little flaw I found about Thesis is a steep learning curve. It simply takes time to learn how to work with it. On the other hand, once you do… One day, I might turn it into a full-fledged portfolio site.

At this point, it is still in the essential version with no cool skin on it. In case you know someone who designs for Thesis and could give me an affordable quote, I’ll be delighted to talk to him / her.

Let me share several random observations that might help you to begin your week with a smile on your face or a provocative thought inside of your head.

1) Pope and senility

How do Pope’s advisors manage to make him say the right things even when the man is senile? Why don’t we ever see the holy man at the St. Peter’s Square saying “Everybody gets free pudding!”? Do they drug him? Do they brainwash him momentarily? I don’t know, but I’d surely appreciate your perspective…  Hat tip to Robin Williams and his show.

2) Opportunity cost

Shopping for food is a bizarre exercise, during which you run around the city like an idiot to get the best prices on raw materials. It takes a half a day and empties your wallet. Then you arrive home and spend even more time to turn those resources into a good meal. Why not save the extra time and go out for lunch instead? You can invest the time spent on cooking into your work and earn more than enough money to cover your lunches with people you like for a month.

3) Female promiscuity

This social stigma infuriates me. If a man says “I slept with five women last weekend,” he is considered a macho and will probably get a couple of pats on a back. If a girl says “I slept with two guys last weekend,” she gets to be ostracized and called a slut. Where is equality in this regard?