Thanks, but no thanks!
A friend of mine, Richard David, sent me a picture he took on New Year's Day. I am walking at 2,700 metres in Bever, Switzerland with the temperature at minus 18!
Richard's message with this picture read - "The following needs to be read in a loud voice, deep base and a bit of echo:
'And God sent down a little sun-beam to warm those who are pure at heart.'
I can't understand why he missed!"
Richard, nor can I.
But missed I did, in the Sales Article of the Year competition, that is. As many of you will know, the article "Tough times call for tough training" finished 2nd in the public voting poll with less than 0.50% margin to the winner.
The article came second in the public vote and nowhere with the judging panel (there were three runners-up), so it was disappointing. It doesn't help much when the rules are changed half-way through the competition. In 2007 it was purely on public vote. This year, when it looked like a non-sales article might win, they suddenly added a panel vote which makes up half of the total score. The chief panelist, Jonathan Farrington (who started the site and the competition and is a POM to boot) wrote in his blog midway through the contest:
Today's News: The Aussies are absolutely panning the Yanks over at Top 10 for the Top Sales Article Of 2008 - absolutely creaming them - you have no idea how much pain that causes me as a Brit: Don't get me wrong, Bob is a great guy, and it is a superb article - but it is in my genes to rally against "The Oz"
So how can you win against that? Not happy. I do take solace in the fact that the article (although far from what I consider my best) to be at least the equal of the other finalists. The striking thing for me (and I feel another article coming on) is that all of the sales articles are about the individual salesperson - there is nothing about team work and sales teams (an oxymoron, by the way).
So there you have it.
A big thank you!
Many thanks to everyone who voted for the article and especially to all of you who went to extraordinary lengths to garner other votes.
Collaboration and team-work
One of the very pleasing aspects of this competition was the collaboration and support I received from people worldwide. In all, people responded from more than 25 countries, which was truly amazing. I now have so many more friends around the world who are ready and willing to support one another.
I wish you all the best for 2009 and if I can be of any assistance to all my friends, colleagues, relatives and new-found friends, please let me know.
Bob
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Bob,
Found the comment about being a pom meant for that Pom that he had it in his genes to be anti-OZ...very fluffy (albeit in
the context also unfair).
The original (Latin) meaning of compete which has been greatly modified by usage - actually had more to do with collaboration as it was more about striving together (as in an atheletic training squad) in order to achieve (individual) excellence than about beating each other.
The whole human endevour is surely about improvement - striving to be our best and it is woeful to read the feeble "it's my genes" excuse even if it is true.
The consolation is we (in the land of OZ) are and always will be well in front because that is the way it is organised per GMT!
There are two Australian words that we must contue to educate others in - "fairgo" and "fair-dinkum". It is a hard slog.
Cheers
John Loty
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