DESPERATE to loose WEIGHT?

You've tried all the diets, followed all the advice, with no results, so now you are desperate to find something that works?

Willpower is your "Stop System". It applies the brakes to actions that are begun by the "Go System". It may help you eat less, but maybe not so much when it comes to moving more and burn calories.

You can reach your goals, but do it the right way. Focus on what you will do, not what you want to accomplish. The final accomplishment comes as a result of what you have done, not as a result of setting a goal.

On our site for our next generation functional drink, Bodyshield, you can read more about weight loss and how to reach your goals.

Good luck and Merry Xmas!

sorze4 as

Calendar SPAM

Well, I guess it has been out there for a while, but until now, I never had a problem with it. Now when the Google calendar is synced with my Outlook and my Android phone, it became one. Getting invitations to meetings, both on the phone and the computer, from people I never heard of, it became annoying.

Fortunately it was fixed with a setting in the Google Calendar, because that's where it all came from.

In order to correct this problem, I had to go to the Calendar Settings and change "Automatically add invitations to my calendar", selected "No", and clicked the "Save" button.

Now it remains to see if it solved the problem :)

Christmas PRESENTS

It's not uncommon that suppliers give Christmas presents to their customers, but we think that most of our customers already have what they need, or get it from someone else, so this year, we will give a present to someone who need it.

We think the Barefoot Foundation deserves our support and when we start our distribution of the Amazon Secret, in Colombia, we will make sure they get more than a few dollars as a Christmas present.

If you can afford it
It's a financial crisis in many countries, but if you can spare a few dollars, we recommend that you go tohttp://gs.dympol.com/d/4Cso and give your support. How much is up to you.

Happy holidays!

Does it matter, the name of the product?

Of course, a products name is important. A good name is the difference between failure and success. There are many examples to prove it.

Blood Orange or Red Orange

One example; A Norwegian fruit distributor changed from Blood Orange, what these red oranges are commonly know as, to Red Orange and increased the sales 70%

Same fruit, different name. It proves that the name is important.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_orange 

sorze4

Fighting for your ATTENTION

There are millions of web-sites on the Internet, and getting attention, to spread the word, is not the easiest thing. Especially if you're not a popular blogger or have a web-site with one of the popular  issues, like fashion  sex, celebrities, etc.

For us, who mainly target importers and distributors, ranking is difficult, so for us it's more about getting response from those who visit us. Something we can convert to business.

It should not be the focus
but it's an indication. Higher ranking tells us if we reach out or not, so we have to compare ourselves with our competitors, not the most popular sites out there.

Being the most visited Norwegian site, promoting Coffee, is an issue for us and we have accomplished that goal. Maybe the next should be to have our Norwegian market share up from 1% to a number with 2 digits.

Content is important
Since Google no longer use keywords, the quality of the content is important, so that would be our best advice to those who want to increase their online ranking. Google focus on bringing quality, so to have a good result, you have to do the same.

Well, there are many ways to get a good result and we don't have all the answers, but if you want to see how we have done it, you may visit our web-site; http://sorze4.com/en

Turn Customers Away

When you start a company, it feels like you have to take every order a customer is willing to give you, no matter how small. But when you start getting $10,000 orders, you should be turning away the $1,000 ones. 

Do the same thing with the $10,000 orders when you start to get $100,000 contracts. 
Making a small sale generally takes as much effort as making a big sale - except that the small one pays a lot less.

Coffee at 40-60 US$/Kg

The price is actually half of that, Ex-Works, when it's roasted and packed. On the doorstep of the packing plant, but with transportation, import taxes, sales profit, etc., the price is 40, if not 60 US$/kg.

The question is; is it Value for Money?
If you flush it down, cup after cup, without paying any attention to flavor and aroma, probably not, but if you sit down with good company and enjoy it, probably it is.

If you can open Google Maps on your cell phone, and see the exact location of the Fazenda where it was grown, probably it will make the coffee even more interesting.

If you know there is only 3.000 kg's available for the whole world, of the coffee you are drinking, and that you may have to wait one year to enjoy the same coffee again, I think it is value for money.

Is it a market?
When I go to a coffee shop, I never go to the ones having the plain, boring coffees. I don't know how much you pay for a cup, in a coffee shop, but when at home (that is in Norway), I pay US$ 5,30 for a 200 ml cup of coffee (sometimes I get a free refill, unless I bought the coffee in a convenience store like 7-Eleven).

To make a 200ml cup of coffee, it would be normal to use 12 grams of coffee. The cost is, if the price is 40 per kg, 0,48 US$ per cup. If I don't include the 25% sales tax, the cost of the coffee used is around 11% of what I pay.

For a coffee shop it is probably better than marketing, to use some cents more on the coffee.

To use at home?
If I get visitors, which I do, sometimes, it's always interesting to serve a new coffee and let them enjoy the history, not only the coffee itself.

The most important ingredient when you want to enjoy a good cup of coffee, is good company!

Delicious medium roasted Gourmet Coffee. Medium Roast, Washed Arabica from Minas Gerais in Brazil. In my opinion, The World's best Coffee.

Exhibition Participation

The success rate of new product launches currently remains limited: around 7 products out of 10 have disappeared from the shop shelves three years after being launched! How can this phenomenon, which isn’t a new one and which manufacturers are struggling to turn around, be explained?

Innovations need time to become established, to convince consumers and find their ‘audience’ / target, but they do not always have the chance to do so.

The result is that manufacturers have started proposing to retailers purely tactical innovations. Although these innovations have the advantage of injecting dynamism into the range in the short term and occupying extra shelf space thereby hampering the competition, they do not generate sufficient incremental sales (no cannibalization)  in the long term.

This is because consumers’ real expectations have not been put at the center of product development in these innovations.

It is also sometimes the case that the innovation is born of a specific know-how that the manufacturer wishes to ‘impose’ as it stands on consumers,without consumers having really expressed the need for it.

Exhibitions
It's possible to see the same thing at exhibitions, but there the main problem may be that most want to ride the wave, or copy the success of others. Most exhibitors with this strategy have lonely days at the exhibitions where they participate.

For the (at least) 5-6 years, many manufacturer have wanted to ride the energy drink wave, without offering anything new to the market. Except for a new label. A new label don't give much attention, even though pretty girls with wings might convince someone to try a product.

Our products at SIAL 2012
What did we do different and what new did we bring to the market? Amazon Secret are functional beverages and our company are (according to SIPPO) one of few that focus not only on the products, but also on sustainable use of the rainforest.

More than 100 big distributors visited us, from more than 50 countries, and they where all very interested in our products and concept. The only reason for this was that we brought something new to the market. Something unique.

What we liked most was that the young people, students, understood the concept and the benefits of the products that are targeting people from 15 to 25 and are a healthier alternative to energy drinks and soft-drinks. The products has viscosity like soft-drinks and vitamins and minerals (natural) like a fruit juice or a smoothie.

You can see more photos from SIAL on our Facebook page for the product, or read more about it on www.amazon-secret.com

The not so hot markets

In many Western Europe countries it may get worse before better.

Egypt offers long term potential, but should be avoided until political and economic stability return.

Argentinian government policies restrict imports of many food products.

1. Spain
2. Portugal
3. Egypt
4. Argentina
5. Hungary

Top Ten Hot Markets

The 2013 Hot Markets list for food and beverage manufacturers contains many of the usual high growth countries, including three of the four BRIC giants. Not China, because many brands are already there and frustrated by the difficulties in converting consumers to new eating habits associated with international brands.

The USA tops the list as a hot market. The USA grew by 35 million people since 2000, an increase equivalent to the size of Canada.

Top Ten Hot Markets

1. United States
2. India
3. Brazil
4. Mexico
5. South Africa
6. Saudi Arabia
7. South Korea
8. Colombia
9. Russia
10. Poland

Achieve Preferred Supplier Status

A natural goal is to achieve “Preferred Supplier Status” with retailers and your distributors. Satisfied trading partners generate superior results.


“Vendor of the Year” does not mean “Spender of the Year”.

sorze4.com

Market Share Expectations

The road map should be adjusted based upon the market share expectations for a selected market.

Generally, there are three scenarios for a brand to pursue.

• Leader: Brand investment and innovation to become #1 in the category.
• Player:  Brand plans to compete effectively, obtaining a market share of 5% -20%.
• Participant:  Niche. Brand objective is incremental shipments with little/no investment.

Calibrate expectations to investments in brand support and management oversight. 

Everyone wants to be a category leader or player. 

To achieve this status, it is necessary to conduct local market research, innovate, maintain competitive pricing, invest in marketing, and align with a strong sales team. 

Projects fail when brands want category leadership but invest only to “niche” levels (Opportunistic Strategy)

Define the focus and change it

For many years, one of Norway's airlines (SAS), fighting with another Norwegian discount airline (NAS), advertised with, "You do not pay extra for luggage when you travel with us."

This because travelers with the competitor had to pay extra, if they had more than hand luggage.

It is a good example of competitor focused strategy.

Of course everyone knows that you have to pay the costs, but we like to think that we get as much as possible for the money we pay, so subconsciously we conclude that it is okay to pay a little more when you get something extra for free.

Always consider the consequences of your strategy and make sure that there is no reverse side.

Low-cost airlines have a lower price as strategy, but charge extra for anything that gives them extra expenses. The competitor use this business model as an advantage in their advertising.

The negative consequences of the strategy (free luggage) appears when low-cost company say: "With us, you do not pay extra when you only travel with hand luggage."

Then the statement: "You do not pay extra for luggage" is pointless. Now everyone think they are paying for it, having luggage or not.

Someone forgot that the 2'nd order consequences always must be considered. Maybe they did, but didn't do it good enough.

The competitor changed the focus to their own advantage.

sorze4.com

Can you win the fight and is it worth winning?

You get what you tolerate, and sometimes it's better for you to tolerate less. It's easier to solve a problem before it's critical, so if you are in a position to have an opinion, let everyone know it before it's to late.

When it's too late, disagreements tend to end up in big fights.

Consider your position. Can you win the fight and is it worth winning? If not, don't waste your time fighting. You don't need to be right if you don't benefit from it. You wouldn't fight to get a broken glass, so don't fight for something not worth keeping. Being right doesn't always put you in a better position.

If you go for a confrontation; remember that Gandhi once said:

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

What is INNOVATION?

Perfection can only be accomplished by using old knowledge in new ways.

Robert Sutton, professor of science and technology, Stanford University

Explore the links between clarity and creativity!

Seek solutions outside your own existing parameters. It may be the most important contribution to your company.

• Eliminate blame
• Encourage people to share their insights
• Recognize and reward creative contributions
• Support winning ideas with the right resources.

Leadership

• Learn from the people
• Plan with the people
• Begin with what they have
• Build on what they know!

Lao-tzu, Chinese sage

Competitor focused STRATEGY

If you're new in the market, you will meet competitors who are; much stronger, more focused and are market leaders. Usually they have a traditional approach to the market and are mainly focused on their consumers, customers and their own products.

Understand the competitive environment.

Create a more competitive edge, together with greater confidence and awareness of how the competition could be beaten. Understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of your own strategy. Highlight what needs to be changed and adjusted.

Focus on "hot spots"

The most important aspect of a successful strategy execution is focus.

The right focus get people engaged. 

The UPSIDE and the EXIT

In a new project, it is more important to manage the downside, than to speculate in the upside and the exit. Most people understand why.

Upside and exit implies success 

The upside is subject to sales and market acceptance of the products or services you offer. An exit implies that the company has a substantial rise in value, which depend on the same; market acceptance.

Investors will usually ask about the upside and the exit. Don't give any promises you can't keep. If you do, you will be using more time talking to investors, than actually doing business.


Always consider the downside

There is always a potential downside, no matter what you invest in and usually for what you do. Be sure you can live with it!

How to prepare for NEGOTIATIONS?

"The first thing to decide before you walk into any negotiation is what to do if the other fellow says no"

Ernest Bevin

Then the second must be; how to react when the other "fellow" have terms and conditions you can't accept. Because you always get what you accept and knowing what that is put you in control of the situation. If you don't know, it may be an expensive experience.

It's better not to sell, than to sell and loose money!

You will not win if you don't get a profit. Be smart and prepared. Focus on what you do better than the competition. Find out what your customer want. The only way you can do that is to ask them!

Let them talk and you listen.

Remember 2 ears and 1 mouth. It's better to let the customer talk and for you to listen to what they want. Then give it to them! They buy what they want, which is not necessarily the same as what you want to sell, so be flexible. Find out what they want and explain how what you have is exactly what they want.

SUCCESS or FAILURE?

We don't see things as they are. We see them as we want them to be.

Sometimes there is a fine line between success and failure. It's only small details, right or wrong decisions  that separate one from the other and it's hard to take all the right decisions, because we are humans and because it's human to be influenced by emotions.

All problems started as a good idea.

That may be true, but most because we failed somewhere on the way. Wrong decisions, trusted the wrong people, didn't have goals and most important, didn't have a plan.

Be realistic and patient.

Unless you're betting on your luck and win, it takes time to succeed, so be realistic and patient and on the way, you have to do some things right, not everything, to succeed.

We know, but forget:
(So I have this list as a reminder for myself.)

1. Set goals without defining where you are as bad and the goal as the only good. It may take time to get there.
    
2. Study the success formula and remember it, always.
    
3. Avoid obsessions with your product or service. Remember that others don't see things through your eyes.
    
4. Have a business plan.
    
5. Don't expect instant gratification. If you swing for the fences (Home run) without practice, you only succeed if you are lucky. If you are lucky, pick some numbers and play the lottery.
    
6. Avoid irrational exuberance.
    
7. Don't be afraid of failure, but limit the consequences. Do risk analyzes. If you can't live with the consequences  don't do it.
    
8. Have a budget and follow it. Out of cash is out of business.
    
9. Plan how to find customers. Be realistic. Selling to friends and family only work until a certain point.
    
10. Avoid investors, unless you really need them. They may promise you heaven, but don't be surprised if they give you hell. If you can't avoid it; have them sign an agreement.
     
11. When you make agreements, have them in writing. You may have intentions to follow it, but you shouldn't expect the other part to do so, if something goes wrong.
     
12. Have patience, it always take more time than you think.
     
13. Avoid shiny pennies. Commitment means stop looking!
    
14. Successes and failures are events. Yesterday ended last night.

Most important: Don't expect others to do the job for you!

sorze4.com

Find your WEAKEST POINT

Treat it like an advantage, not a problem. Don't hide it. Your competitor told them about it.

You know you will get questions, so if you start by explaining it, your way, instead of defending it when the questions are asked, you are ahead. You will be more believable.

Find the benefits of your weakest point and emphasize the good with what is considered a problem.

Then you talk about the advantages with your product and end the presentation positive, instead of negative.

sorze4.com

Accentuate the POSITIVE

Find out what's right about your product (or service) and then dramatize it, like a cartoonist exaggerates an action.

Providing there is a basic truth in your idea, you can dramatize it to infinity.

The Label becomes the Experience

What does it mean? It means that you decide what is good or bad and when you have labeled it, it is what you have decided.

What's a SHINY PENNY?

On your way to your goal, you will see many shiny pennies that leads you away from the goal you have set for yourself. Shiny pennies are what seems like good opportunities, when you see them, so you go from the path to the goal you have.

If you're smart you're also curious. In other words, your strength may be your weakness.

On your way you will see many shiny pennies. You run for it, look at it, but after a week or two, you decide it's not it. It's not what you want, so you go back to your path.

It's OK to be curious, but not to be too curious.

The solution is to have a long term perspective.

Use one day every month as a "learning day" and look at shiny pennies. Then you get back in line and continue towards your goal.

sorze4.com

When is Nudity in Advertising Sexist?

There’s nudity in advertising that is sexist and degrading and there's nudity that isn't. What’s the difference? Probably it's in most cases a matter of opinion, and in most cases the opinion isn't objective.

Some questions may determine whether an advertisement with a naked woman is sexist or not. Below is an example of how a wallpaper for our brand Bodyshield could be done.

If you don't know anything about the product, it may appear to be a sexist advertising.

If you see more than a naked body, you may conclude that it may have a purpose that the woman is naked. Or it may not. It's up to you to decide.

So the questions, to determine whether the wallpaper is sexist or not:

1. Why is she naked?
   Most agree that vitamins and antioxidants protect the body, but it's not something you see with your eyes, so the purpose is to illustrate that the body has an invisible protection, when you consume the product. Even when you're naked. It is the purpose of the product.
    
2. Does her body obey the basic laws of physics?Those with a little awareness know that all ads are photo-shopped  Something is cropped out, colors are fixed, but deleting a stomach or re-size breasts so there is no way that breasts that big can be physically supported by a waist that tiny. Women are made to look illogically skinny, but we all know that most women don't look like that way. The woman on the wall paper is more curvy than those used in advertisements, whether they are with clothes or without. She's not fat, nor skinny. The body does very much obey the basic laws of physics.
    
3. What is she doing (while naked)?
   A naked body is a natural thing, a human thing and all humans must be afforded some level of dignity. The woman in the picture has a lot of dignity. It's what she does. Have dignity.
    
4. Would we do the same to men’s bodies?
   Sure, why not, but women may enjoy a different kind of wall paper on the PC, so it might be a waste of time to create it?

People have different opinions, so we will probably feel more secure if we choose an different approach to our advertising.

For some, perhaps the wallpaper is sexist?

If you want to download a 1900 x 1200 wallpaper, it's available here (click).
(Sorry, no other sizes available. It was made for illustration purposes only)

DESTINY - What is it?

Is it just an excuse to wait for things to happen instead of making them happen?

The Kabalarian Philosophy reveals that names given at birth create an energy field of intelligence from which individuals draw and around which their lives revolve.

Does this mean that two people with the same name have identical destinies?

If you change your name, will you change your destiny?

If I analyze my name, which you can do with yours on this page (click), I get this result:

• The name of Jan gives you a very individual, reserved, serious nature.
  (May be true, but I'm not convinced it comes from my name)
   
• You prefer to be alone with your own thoughts, rather than in the company of others.
  (Sometimes)
   
• This name restricts spontaneity in association and the fluency of your verbal expression.
  (Not sure about that, but most people may benefit from being more spontaneous and I think I'm OK when it comes to verbal expression)
   
• When you are required to express yourself in personal matters requiring finesse and diplomacy, you feel awkward and embarrassed.
  (Diplomacy is required in many situations and it's more natural than awkward)
   
• Although you realize perfectly well what is expected of you, you are unable to find the right words, and hence you end up saying something inappropriate in a candid way.
  (Only when I want a confrontation).
   
• You can express your deeper thoughts and feelings best through writing.
  (As most people. Writing gives a chance to do some editing and second thoughts)
   
• While the name Jan creates the urge to be creative, independent and original, we point out that it limits self-expression and friendly congeniality with a tendency to be moody.
  (Guilty - I have an urge to be creative, independent and original. Moody? My wife may agree!)
   
• This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses heart, lungs, bronchial area, and tension or accidents to the head.
  (I think we have covered most of it here, except that I've only seen a doctor 2 times the last 15 years, so I don't know if I have a bad heart, lungs, bronchial area. I only know that I've never had any accidents to the head, but of course, it's never too late, so it might be true.)
   

 

The only thing that is unavoidable, is death and the tax collector, so maybe we all have the same destiny!

Have a business plan

Starting a business with no set plan on how to get customers is like diving into a swimming pool without water. It's impossible to swim without water and it's impossible to run a business without customers.

If you start your business, the customers will come!

If you have a lot of time and a lot of money, that may be true, but in most cases it's not.

It's not what you do, it's how you do it!

You need to find your customers. To do that you have to go out and talk with them. Remember, they may not need what you want to sell. It's you who have to adjust to the customers and give them what they need.

Take a look at the success formula.

Present on Tuesday

• Monday - Great meeting, great products, nice people.
• Tuesday - Great meeting, great people, nice products.
• Wednesday - Good meeting, very fresh products, lovely young people.
• Thursday - Yet another great meeting, nice people, fine products.
• Friday - Another meeting, I don't know.

The odds are that the customer will pick what was presented on Tuesday, if all are competing suppliers, because he/she was clear-headed then.

Monday was too early, nothing to judge by.

Wednesday and Thursday were like eating too much chocolate.

Friday, feeling sick.

Present on Tuesday!

How to improve your strike rate

Lines (slogans) win business

Repeat the line. Repeat the line. Repeat the line.

Instead of covering the walls, presentations, flyers, etc., with different ideas, placing your slogan as an afterthought in the bottom right hand corner of the advertisement, make it an integral part of the headline.

Every advertisement is an opportunity to print your idea or concept in the customers mind.

Don't try to impress your customers with too much information. The message may be too complex and too long.

Repeat the line.

'CREATIVE', what does it mean?

It means something completely different for each and every individual  For one it may mean; 'The same as the competitors have, but different'.

To others it may mean; 'The same as we've had for the last twenty years, but not quite'.

99% will want something they recognize from experience.

It has been alleged that Procter & Gamble's maxim is 'Creativity with a Precedent'.

Only one in thousands will really mean; 'Give me something I haven't seen before'.

If you need to be creative for someone else, find out exactly what they mean by the word 'creative'.

It's probably different from your definition.

www.sorze4.com

Do not try to win awards

Who doesn't like to win awards? Awards create glamour and glamour generate income, but beware.

Awards are judged in a committee by consensus of what is known. In other words, what is fashion.

Be true to your subject.

You will be far more likely to create something that is timeless.

That's where the true art lies.

www.sorze4.com

Get out of advertising

90% of advertising inspiration comes from other advertising.

Certainly, a knowledge of the techniques and the tricks of advertising can be very useful, probably essential. People do look for something new, but sometimes it's something new to copy.

To be original, seek your inspiration from unexpected sources!

www.sorze4.com

Don't give a speech - Put on a show

How many speeches have you heard? How many do you remember?

Words, words, words...

In a song, first we remember the melody and then we learn the words.

Instead of giving people the benefits of your wit and wisdom (words), try painting a picture.

The more visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it.

More important, they will remember you!

www.sorze4.com

Out-of-cash = Out-of-business

This is the most important thing! You need cash to be in business.

• Always control the cash flow.
• Good marketing (not advertising, that's something different).
• Execute intelligent management (intelligence before emotions).
• Have leverage.
• Measure the scoreboard (analyze the results)
• Have no irrational exuberance. 
• Have no expectations of instant gratification.
• Avoid obsessions.
• Know the success formula.

Accept to pay the price!

The price is hard work and commitment!

www.sorze4.com 

It's right to be wrong

Start being wrong and suddenly anything is possible. There's now way knowing what can happen, but there's more chance of it being amazing than if you try to be right.

Of course, being wrong is a risk!

You don't suggest stupid things because you worry what others will think.

Risk are a measure of people. People who won't take them are trying to preserve what they have.

People who do take them often end up by having more.

Some risks have a future, and some call them wrong, but being right may be like walking backwards proving where you have been!

Do you want to move backward, or forward?

It's wrong to be right

Being right is based upon knowledge and experience, something that is often provable.

Knowledge comes from the past, so it's safe. It is also out of date, so it's the opposite of originality.

Experience is built from solutions to old situations and problems, which probably are different from the present ones, so old solutions will have to be bent to fit new problems, and possibly, it will fit badly. Also the likelihood is that, if you've got the experience, you'll probably use it and it's lazy!

Experience is the opposite of being creative!

If you can prove you're right, your mind is closed and you are not open to new ideas. You are rooted in your own rightness.

You can choose to be right or you can choose to be successful!

Precondition of success

Failure is a major contributor to success and success without failure is a lousy teacher.

Benjamin Franklin said; "I haven't failed, I've had 10.000 ideas that didn't work."

Thomas Edison said; "Of the 200 light bulbs that didn't work, every failure told me something that I was able to incorporate into the next attempt."

They understood that failures are a precondition of success.

Experiments may fail, but you have not failed before you give up!

www.sorze4.com 

Solving problems

If you can't solve a problem, it's because you're playing by the rules!

Think out of the box!

If you can't solve a problem, forget what you learned in school, it's more than one answer, and more than one way to solve a problem.

It's all your fault!

If you are involved in something that goes wrong, never blame no one but yourself.

If you accept responsibility, you are in a position to do something about it, unless you are an apprentice working with Mr. Trump. Then you're, in most cases, fired!

The point is that, whatever other people's failings might be, you are the one to shoulder the responsibility.

There are no excuses!

Do not seek praise. Seek criticism

It is quite easy to get an approval if we ask enough people, or if we ask those who are likely to tell us what we want to hear.

So if you have done an acceptable piece of work, you will have proved to yourself that it's good simply because others have said so.

Probably OK, but probably not great either.

If you, instead of seeking approval, ask what is wrong, how you can make it better, you are more likely to get a truthful critical answer.

You may even get an idea, how to improve.

Still you are in a position to reject the criticism, if you think it's wrong.

Can you find fault with this?

Energy

is 75% of the job. If you haven't got it, be nice!

Don't promise what you can't deliver

When selling it is very easy to over-promise, imagining how it will be, but it leaves no room for failure. The result may be disappointing, maybe not disastrous, but a little less than expected.

Maybe no one  will say anything, they just won't trust you quite as much next time.

If instead you undersell, pointing out the possible weaknesses and how to resolve them, should they occur, you are not only building a trusting relationship with your client, you are also able to solve any problems.

If it turn out the way you hoped, it is a bonus.

Our web-site: sorze4.com 

Irrational exuberance

Some of the big mistakes we do is:

• Allowing emotions to influence our decisions.
• Having inability to listen or ask.
• Ignore risks.
• Need to be right - You can be right or you can be successful.

Nothing is more stupid than running enthusiastic in the wrong direction.

The solution:

• Put intellect before emotions.
• Think
• Ask the risk questions

The risk questions are:

1. What is the upside?
2. What is the downside?
3. Can you live with the downside?

Remember that all problems comes from good ideas!

Discomfort makes changes

When it comes to business, politics or private life, discomfort is what drives us toward changes.

When someone says that you should not complain, or ask for changes, because everything is very good, it is wrong. When you're Sitting in a comfortable chair, you know that sooner or later you will have to move to find a more comfortable position.

Ask your customer, or those you live with, what they feel could be better.

Ask what you can do better!

Find out what they want!

Instant Gratification

is something that rarely occurs if one wants to start a new business. Hoping for a home-run in the first attempt is not a good strategy.

Long-term perspective is what you need.

Know that it gets worse before it gets better.

Anyone who is first in line today started last in line. Hold your place in line. It will soon be your turn and you have time to get better at what you do. Practice to get better.

Good is not exceptional!

Obsessions

Mothers love their babies and we can probably assume that no mother thinks she have an ugly baby, but some babies are ugly, so where do they come from?

Likewise; no product developer think they have bad products, and no service providers think they offer a bad service, so where do all the bad products and bad service come from?

Obsession with the products.

This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when doing business, assuming success is the result of a product's quality.

Many people have made themselves rich by selling bad products.

McDonald's sells more hamburgers than anyone else in the world. Does that mean they have the world's best hamburger?

It's never what you do, it's how you do it!

Success formula

The success formula I like most is the one learned from Keith J. Cunningham, one that matches our own ideas.

It is easy to understand and easy to deal with and you understand why it is the correct one:

SUCCESS = FOWTN + GAGI + GITT

Now, you might ask the same question that I asked myself when Keith wrote this on a flip over? What is the FOWTN, GAGI and GITT?

1. FOWTN: Find out what they need (ask them)!
2. GAGI: Go and get it.
3. GITT: Give it to them.

In combination with Albert Einstein's success formula, you will be on the right track:

1. Work hard.
2. Play hard.
3. Keep your mouth shut.

Einstein's no.3 is what you use with Keith J. Cunningham's no.1. When you ask them what they need, you listen. You don't talk. 

It's not about what you need to sell. It's about what the market (customer) need to buy!

Visit our web-site: http://sorze4.com/en/ 

Setting Goals

When setting goals for yourself, or your company, you should avoid defining where you are as BAD and your goal as the only GOOD. The label becomes the experience and you may put yourself in a bad position, even when you're not.

Goals are a good thing, but don't declare failure if you don't reach them as soon as you expect. A long term  perspective is what is needed and you should know that ordinary things consistently done gives extraordinary results.

Why our Prebiotic fibers may be good

What is it?

Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the digestive system in ways claimed to be beneficial to health.

The prebiotic definition does not emphasize a specific bacterial group. Generally, however, it is assumed that a prebiotic should increase the number and/or activity of bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria. The importance of the bifidobacteria and the lactic acid bacteria (LABs) is that these groups of bacteria may have several beneficial effects on the host, especially in terms of improving digestion (including enhancing mineral absorption) and the effectiveness and intrinsic strength of the immune system. A product that stimulates bifidobacteria is considered a bifidogenic factor. Some prebiotics may thus also act as a bifidogenic factor and vice versa, but the two concepts are not identical.

Read more on Wikipedia.

Significant possible effects related to consumer’s satisfaction.
Improve Calcium Absorption: The prebiotic fiber is a natural way to help you increase the absorption of calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Improve Magnesium absorption.

Helps to maintain a strong immune system by building a healthy lower intestinal tract which enhances the absorption of nutrients and helps to maintain proper digestion. Makes it easy to enjoy better-for-you food choices as it also enhances flavors and improves textures.

Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the digestive system in ways claimed to be beneficial to health. Reduction of colorectal cancer risk, inflammatory bowel disorders (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).

Read more about our Prebiotic beverage, Bodyshield and more about Prebiotic fibers on sorze4.com.

Creating the ultimate Functional drink

What is a functional drink? Obviously some kind of mixture or beverage with a noticable function for the consumer and in some ways it's possible to claim that there are no beverage (or food) that isn't functional.

If this is the correct definition, it's not possible to fail making a functional drink.

One of the most functional foods are beers, with an immidiately noticable function, but it's not really what we have in mind when we speak of "functional drinks".

Good-for-you functional drinks
Our product line; Bodyshield®, is the next generation of functional drinks, for the intellectual consumer who are searching for smart functional products. A product for people with above average awareness about the products they buy.

The most significant possible effects of these products are:

Helping increase the absorption of calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Improves Magnesium absorption. Helps to maintain a strong immune system by building a healthy lower intestinal tract which enhances the absorption of nutrients and helps to maintain proper digestion. Makes it easy to enjoy better-for-you food choices as it also enhances flavors and improves textures.

Maintains the strength of connective tissues in the joints. Clinical studies report that it decreases joint pain and a daily intake increases bone mass density.

You can read more about Bodyshield on our web-site.

Illusions

It happens that you sometimes realise that your expectations doesn't quite match the realities. This usually happens when someone do a great marketing job.

I admit; before visiting Niagra Falls, I did have expectations. I expected that I would be really impressed, because I have heard a lot about it and some said it was one of the wounders of the world.

Great or not, I think it's a matter of opinion and what you have as a reference. In this case I think the marketing people did a great job.

Growing your Social Network

For some, growing a Social Network is more about numbers, more than a two way communication. The goal, "document" popularity by having many followers, is a strategy many have, so buying followers or follow, hoping that the user will follow back, is common.

Even this strategy may have a value, besides the illusion of being popular. A small percentage will always see a tweet or a Facebook post, but being realistic, quantity instead of quality have one purpose only.

So, what's the best way to do it, if you want to become "popular"?

There are many tools if you want quantity, many followers. Tools where you, in a way, buy followers, or get paid by others to follow them, paid with credits (points) you may use to buy your followers by offering the same back to others.


So, if you still want to use the quantity strategy; where can you find a site that let you buy followers, or get paid to follow others?

Twiends.com
The best known may be Twiends.com - It used to be possible to get both Twitter and Facebook friends, but now it is Twitter only.

Offering 2 seeds (what they call a credit on Twiends), is usually enough to grow your network. Offering more than 2 will give you followers faster, but of course, not that many. 2 seems to be OK if you have a little patience.

Buying credits : 1250 seeds / US$ 29,95
Followers/US$: 21 (offering 2 seeds)

YouLikeThis.com
This site seems to have more users than Twiends. Maybe because you can get Facebook "Likes" also. Not only Twitter.

If you also want traffic to your YouTube videos and web-site, which may be a better idea than just collecting followers, you can get it from YouLikeThis.

Offering 2 points seems to give a new follower every 30 minutes, so it's a question of time or as many as possible at a lowest possible cost.

You can claim 50 credits daily, if you log in an claim the credits.

Buying credits : 1250 points / US$ 17,50
Followers/US$: 36 (offering 2 points) - (24 - if offering 3 points)

Friendrise
This site seem to work better for Facebook than Twitter, but I'm not sure it works better for Facebook than YouLikeThis.

The system is a little different when it comes to credits. You get more credits, for following, but you have to offer more to get followers.

A daily bonus of 50 credits if you log in and claim the credits.

Buying credits : 1000 credits / US$ 17,50
Followers/US$: 6 (offering 10 credits)

It might be that the cost using Friendrise is due to a low number of users, so a long term strategy offering 2 credits may be better and of course more value for money.

Conclusion:
Which one is the best? It's between Twiends and YouLikeThis, but only if you want only Twitter "friends". Twiends will give you friends faster, but at a higher cost. If time isn't in focus, YouLikeThis is a much better option since it will give 50% more.

If focused on Facebook, then, without a doubt, YouLikeThis is what you should choose.

Kaffe og diabetes 2

Forskning viser at den som drikker mye kaffe har lavere risiko for å utvikle type 2 diabetes. Nå har forskere i Kina kan ha oppdaget hvorfor.

Tidligere undersøkelser har vist at folk som drikker fire eller flere kopper kaffe om dagen har 50 prosent lavere risiko for type 2 diabetes, og at hver ekstra kopp kaffe reduserer risikoen med nesten 7 prosent.

Forskere fra Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University og Wuhan Institutt for bioteknologi i Kina har funnet de beskyttende fordelene med stoffer i kaffe som hemmer et stoff som kalles human islet amyloid polypeptid (hIAPP), noe som har vært knyttet til diabetes, i flg. vitenskap og helse nyhetsnettstedet Science Daily. Studien finnes i siste nummer av Journal of Agricultural og Food Chemisty.

I fjor fant en Harvard University studie at de som drikker kaffe, enten koffeinfri eller vanlig, kan avverge risikoen for dødelig prostatakreft. En annen fersk studie fant at hos kvinner som drakk fem eller flere kopper kaffe om dagen var det 57 prosent mindre sannsynlighet for å utvikle østrogen reseptor-negativ brystkreft.

Flere gode nyheter for kaffeelskere? Kaffe har også vist seg å forbedre hjernens funksjon i mus studier og  forskere ser på muligheten for å bruke kaffe som behandling for personer med Alzheimers sykdom.

Likevel, helseeksperter anbefaler ikke for mye kaffe. Den USA-baserte Mayo Clinic antyder at man ikke bør drikke mer enn 2-4 kopper om dagen, siden mer enn, kan forårsake søvnløshet, urolig mage, og angst. Har man ikke problem med det er det kanskje bare å fylle på.