swimming deeper...

Beginning to feel I am swimming deeper into the deep sea and it is a risk I am taking. No turning back and leaving behind a story and a personal legacy. Of late that is the way I feel about life, my life. Events move faster and so are my brains and my thinking. Have to think fast and little calculation can be done on where to go and what to do. The other day I was seated next to Dato Prof Dr Nasauddin Othman, Vice Chancellor UiTM Student affairs. No chance to say it all but the event creates an impact of a kind. The very same day history seems to repeat itself particularly in thought and feeling. I met old personalities sparking a sweet memory of my career growth and development at UiTM. Yet time is running faster. Now swimming down deep into the depth of the ocean swimming a life of a true risk-taker. I have no other choice but to swim deeper and deeper into the unknown...

Loyalty program..

SEREMBAN 16 Mac - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak hari ini melakukan pecah tanah pembinaan kilang pembotolan pertama syarikat Coca-Cola di Bandar Enstek, Nilai dekat sini dengan jumlah pelaburan AS$285 juta (RM1 bilion) bagi tempoh lima tahun akan datang.Pembinaan kilang ini juga akan memberi manfaat kepada lebih 100,000 peruncit di negara ini serta memenuhi keperluan kehendak 27 juta pengguna terhadap pelbagai jenis produk Coca-Cola.Dipercayai kilang baru itu mampu mengeluarkan minuman sehingga 50 juta karton setahun di dalam pelbagai kapasiti pengeluaran dengan penggunaan empat barisan pengeluaran.

Coca Cola sudah lama bertapak di Malaysia. Mengapa hanya sekarang pebinaan kilang dilakukan? Ini kerana persoalan `loyalty' terhadap coca-cola di rantau ini sudah tidak dipersoalkan lagi..

Marketing is basically putting loyalty program in place. On top of everything in the loyalty program must be the product itself. Certain basic questions on the product must be addressed first before the rest of the elements in the 4P's are being looked into. As an analogy, the success in growing a rambutan tree is not when the trees bear fruits. The success is being determined when the volume of sales cover the cost of growing it. It is not just mere saying I have everything and now see what happen the moment the product is being launched. That can be suicidal. In fact marketing concept proposed that the loyalty program should be first being looked into before anything else.. Needs must be studied in the context of loyalty meaning question should be asked: `would there be a repeat buying'? Thus the role of selling is critical in order not to misjudge the presence of loyalty elements in the prospect. So long as the customer has `fire in their belly' and they will remain loyal. How? By putting a loyalty program befitting with the current needs and the wants of the customers.

Mental picture...

No more heart, emotions, and feeling. No more pain and sorrow. It has all being reduced to a solid mental picture. So why the joy, fear and the tears.The fun of yesterday has become the anguish of today. The anguish of yesterday has become the joy and the pride of today. Today is the day to reckon with. In all its form and spirit. It is a just mere picture of the mind that holds no fear of the moment. It is just a solid mental picture of yesterday. So be it.

Rapuh..

Rapuh. Mari kita amati istilah rapuh ini. Apa yang sebenarnya memiliki ciri rapuh ini? Kerapuhan sesuatu itu hanya cepat pada hati dan perasaan. Jauh sekali dari sudut fizikalnya. Hanya semalam aku telah dihubungi oleh seseorang yang membawa pengertian rapuh ini. Walaupun sudah beberapa lama tidak berhubung, kerapuhan hanya dirasa pada hati. Tetapi apabila dia menghubungi saya semula, amat dirasai sekali kehadiran dia dalam bentuk fizikal ini. Lantas perhubungan itu tetap utuh, unggul dan mantap apabila satu satu pihak mengambil inisiatif menghubungi seseorang semula. Inilah merupakan sebahagian dari rahsia kehidupan manusia berekonomi dan bermasyarakat. Tak kenal maka tak cinta. Alam semesta adalah amat utuh sekali struktur kejadiannya. Tetapi di sudut pemikiran dan perasaan, ianya amat rapuh sekali. Ini kerana kita tidak pernah berkomunikasi dengan setiap elemen dalam alam semesta ini. Kita hanya pandai pandang dan lihat, tak kiralah apa. Yang ghaib mahupun yang tidak. Pendek kata, kita tidak memiliki pengetahuan yang jitu terhadap setiap kejadian elemen tersebut. Jadi bagaimana hendak menyelesaikan masalah rapuh dan perhubungan ini? Bacalah. Dan anda menjadi orang yang lebih mengetahui. Bertanyalah. Dimanakah terletak kerapuhan pemikiran dan perasaan aku?

Aku...

Tak tahu mengapa. Asyik memikirkan sesuatu yang tiada ada kaitan dengan diri. Tapi bila fikiran berjalan jauh, seakan akan ia bertaut pula dihujungnya. Aku masih mencari. Tapi mencari apa ya? Kelihatan ramai yang berjalan berdua dua dan ada yang berkelompok sifat fikirnya. Bila dilihat apa yang ditulis, mereka akan mengaitkan dengan sesuatu yang mereka sangat pasti. Tidak aku. Tidak dirasa aku berjalan dengan sesiapa. Aku tidak pandai membahasakan kehadiran mereka. Sangat bersendirian sifatnya aku. Tidak terasa sentuhan hati dan tidak terasa sentuhan budi. Lantas dirasakan aku dikelilingi dengan kejadian yang penuh dengan misteri. Aku tidak bertanya siapa mereka. Ini kerana jawapannya tidak merupakan satu kepastian. Jadi apa yang penuh dengan misteri itu? Kalau bukan mereka sudah tentu aku...

Concept in presentation..

Information. Persuasive. Reminder. Those are the three strategy types of presentation that are being presented by text book in selling. Viewing from customer positions, the types can be very justifiable. A customer might not buy because he does not know, nobody tries to urge him, and nobody tries to make him remember of the brand he has been buying. In other words a customer is a customer who does not really in need of a product until a situation force him to think of one. Traditions die hard. He has already a brand in mind. Ironically, the brand he has in mind is the brand he has been buying for the last 20 years! Despite the recent introduction of new products and new brands, why still pick the old ones? This is because the company that has been selling the product and brand has been practicing those three types of presentation. So if you try to sell something, try to practice those marketing concepts. It works every time and over time for your product! In life, do you have a friend who works over time for you? Have you ever ask him or her why?

Real, active, and deadly...

It is not a preset stage anymore. The stage is set for their real needs. All now are in active form. Can't afford to make mistake. Can't afford to be wrong. It is my job, it is my work, and it is my skill. What has happened to me all this time? I guess I have been in heaven. Haha. And now I am facing the real thing, active, and deadly. I am facing their real feel and their real emotions. They smile and they laugh. They come from all corners of the world. And they mean business. They are real and they are very active with their needs and you have to provide with what they want. Can you? And on top of that, you too have to be real and active. If not it would become deadly...

Time frictions...

So difficult to find a day when I am really on my own in terms of everything. What about when I am doing this writing? What causes me to write? Myself or others? I have yet to understand the kind of thoughts I am holding on to when doing something or talking to someone. For example the kind of thoughts I have when giving a lecture. In terms of basics, I am still having that kind of a dream, feeling and fear when I am a small boy. At times I am still being possessed! And thus in things I do I can never be totally free from my pasts. Good or bad? That old feeling still become the basis many of my interactions with others. And worst, others whom I have been interacting with from the past still possessing and maintaining their big ego. I do felt overpowered sometimes. And I am struggling fighting it and successfully breaking myself free from the past. Does that cause the time friction?

unnecessary tensions..

Life is energy. But the nature of energy is different when comes to releasing it. It can create unnecessary tensions or it can create a heavenly atmosphere of positive living. This evening I am caught in a situation where energy is released that tries to zap my energy away. Thus far I am a person with positive outlook on everything. But with the bad energy released in various forms, I have to be selective in places to go and people to meet. I must also be firm with behavioural tendencies that tries to make me diminished into the thin air. Fortunately, my indulgence in writing makes me stronger than ever.

Just a little bit of Sunday..

and I would set myself free. Strolling the Sunday `pekan sehari' and dance myself to the work I love to do. What about driving to somewhere? What about golfing? Just a little bit of Sunday and I don't do both of that. Just relaxing myself and let the day take over my thought and my emotions. What about thinking and planning? That is the work of tomorrow. As of today, I am just enjoying a little bit of Sunday. Haha.

serious to the skin..

The principle of repetition is a critical principle in getting things done. It also a principle to get things detached from what it has being held to for so long. I see no more the same Saturday and the same Sunday. If I continue repeating this kind of remarks then I would be without a day to look forward to. Even I don't have anybody to be really closed to. As a matter of fact I don't. The names of individuals that I used to mention seems to take advantage of me. They see it as my weakness. They see it as their opportunity and thus they are only serious to their own skin and not to their true thought of learning. Thus I have been cast aside when things are getting tough and out of control. This kind of writing has become the feature of my struggle. Am I struggling to be out of myself and see the world differently? I think I do. Beside being serious with my skin, I am also serious in being a new me.

A loose footing..

Feel being pulled out from some deep hole and now I am home free with less concern of what is going to come, tomorrow or the day after. It is a sight, sound, and memory without high thoughts and high feeling and emotions for my students and the rest. Just plain me now facing tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. What is going to come next? I don't know. But that sense of detachment is really wonderful. Now only I find myself standing on a fair ground. Above all injustices.

Defections...

I belong to the old school of thought on defection. Defections of member of political parties are common in Malaysia now. In those old days of cold war, defections that are well reported were citizens of the communist countries defected to the west. What about defections of senators of democratic party to the republican? I took the course of American political science when I pursue my degree over there. Topic of defection? Never heard of it. Allegiance, integrity, loyalty are all part of a person in pursuing some kind of good life for the people. They belief in certain ideology and principles which they belief can bring about change to the masses. If those are the reasons for the defections, then it is acceptable. Anyway, political scenario in Malaysia is quite different from other countries. If it is different, then what are the true reasons for the defections? Anyway, in the Malaysian context I see it as agreeable to the Malaysian way of peaceful life. Can we ask for more? I see no other alternative.

Unusual individuals...?

It has been an unusual nights for me. And so were my dreams for two nights. It is unusual to meet someone of importance in a dream. But for the last two nights I dreamt of Pahang Menteri Besar giving directions to his aide on how to convene a branch meeting at his hometown. After he is done, I saw an unusual words scribble on the wall where the meeting takes place. The words are none other than his life wisdom for the people. Unfortunately for this man, his grip and tenure seems not to be that strong as he used to be. He has tasted and experience what he has dreamt of when he first hold a political post at his branch level. He dreamt of a post that command respect from the people. He got what he wished for. And now he seems to be on the foot loose with events and people. Is it time to go? For some it is unusually scary. But not for him.

As for my dream last night, I dreamt of Rafidah Aziz, Malaysian's former Minister of International Trade. I saw her climbing a stair after `someone' gave her back her foreign mission. The rest are all blurs.

What an unusual nights! I am hoping to meet Obama in my next dream. A very unusual wish! Anyway, nothing is impossible. So anything unusual happen to you lately? Love to hear your story.

indexes of pain...

Pain is subjective. It varies with different cultures. The indexes of pain are different. Malaysians are noted with indexes of pain that is being regarded as no pain at all to other cultures. I have to be real careful when dealing with the Malaysians, so to speak. Only recently, I was penalised just because of what I said seems too painful to accept by that particular individual. Ironically, I have been echoing the same remarks to another individual of different culture. To my surprise, he just throw me a smile. Haha. What about my analysis of my student's indexes of pain then? I don't care what constitutes pain to them. As far as my indexes of pain is concerned, no pain no gain.