Gallup Sales Personality Test Part 2 by Tony Green

I have now completed the Gallup test but did not earn myself an interview. It is something you can not prepare for but not for the reason I had originally thought. The difficulty is not that you do not know the questions. (I got coached by my recruiter) The problem is that you do not know the correct interpretation of your answers. Case in point one of the questions was,” Are you a perfectionist?” Depending on what answer you are looking for the correct response could be “No” if they are looking a realistic person who realizes that no one is perfect or a “Yes” if they are looking for someone who strives to do the best they can. Lots of people could go both ways on that one, including me. After more thought, if you read Part 1 of this blog the idea of using this test to identify candidates seem even sillier.

Marketing Thought by Tony Green

A few weeks ago, I attended the SVAMA’s first annual Marketing Thought Conference. The conference was created to promote the ground breaking thought in the field of marketing. The keynote speakers were Guy Kawasaki (Art of the Start) and Andy Sernovitz (Word of mouth).
During a break in my duties as a volunteer I spoke to a gentleman who worked the semiconductor industry who remarked that the Chinese in high-tech based in China did not understand marketing.

It caused me to begin to think how that could marketing not be understood because in my opinion provided the backdrop for the large upswings in high tech. Did the technology provide the fuel for that growth? No, it was the benefits that the technology could provide the parties who were using the technology. In short, the adoption of these benefits is made by consumers like you and I. Furthermore, technology that is not available to provide a benefit will have no growth. Or revenue.

Marketing in its simplest form is providing a demand for a product or a service. High tech defined by innovative products and services being sold with rapid product life cycles. Since adoption of the benefits provides the growth how can one function without the other?

After the conference one of the attendees contacted our president and requested a workshop on this topic. I debated whether to go forward, however, I thought about the SVAMA’s motto “Stay Connected, Stay Informed”. How else could we better advance our motto by promoting and conducting a workshop on this topic?

Gallup Sales Personality Test Part 1 by Tony Green

I was contacted recently about an open Marketing Manager position in the Bay Area by a military recruiter. Before I could speak to the company I would need to discuss the Gallup Personality test before speaking with the company. At first I wondered how relevant it was. But if the recruiter was taking almost an hour to walk me through it that it must have some importance. Honestly at first though, it seems kind of silly to me. I will add my additional thoughts once I complete my Gallup test and hopefully earn my self an interview.

Feeling the Aloha Spirit by Tony Green

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to attend a going-away party for one of my wife’s Halau (School) members who was moving back to the big island of Hawaii.
The purpose of the party was to wish them well in their future endeavors as the invitation specifically requested no presents other than your presence. The entire Halau were gathered with their families and friends to celebrate the spirit of Aloha.
As expected, everyone there was friendly and supportive in true Aloha style and was the Hawaiian band played melodies that added to an already relaxed atmosphere. The warm atmosphere was a refreshing way to spend a Sunday afternoon before a hectic week of work in Silicon Valley. After I thought about it was not the first time I felt touched by the Aloha spirit. I recalled noticing the first-hand about the spirit of Aloha while I was stationed in Hawaii.
During my time in Hawaii I met many warm people who imparted the ways of the islands more. After examining its rich history and the so it was clear why Hawaii is such a special place. One of the major things I noticed on this afternoon was how many peoples of different ethics backgrounds could come together and fellowship as people.
It gave me some hope for the future that my children and their children could live in world where that could be judged for the type of people they are and not their racial heritage. I wish that the warmth and openness of the islands could make more appearances on the mainland.