Google Conquers the Desktop

	by Jim Garrettson

In case you missed it, Google recently made two important announcements. On Tuesday, Google announced its third quarter results. Based on its closing price of $187.40 and total outstanding shares of 271.2 million, Google's market capitalization was $50.8 billion, compared with $47.9 billion for Yahoo.

More importantly, in the lives of most Americans, Google released its desktop search product, a new application that allows users to search their email files, web history, and chats. After downloading the program and allowing it to chug through my desktop for what seemed like the better part of a day, Google indexed over 16,000 email messages, all of my web activity and my personal files.

Those of you (notice I said "you" not "us") using the pathetically clumsy and painfully slow Microsoft search tool for files or mail messages should rejoice that your searching salvation is at hand. Google has taken the same logical searching ability you use on the internet and put it on your desktop.

Besides making you downright giddy finding lost files, emails and web pages in literally less than a second, think about the improved productivity of your company, co-workers and yourself now that you can throw a huge net across the digital desktop.

The impact on Microsoft and its stock price will be best addressed by the experts. The Potomac Officers Club will have two experts, Charles Schwab and Alan Weber (CEO of US Trust) in town for the long-awaited event on November 9th. POC members, register here for the Nov. 9th event.

The event will be held at the Sheraton Tyson's Corner and has been made possible by KPMG and Richelle Burnett and John Mendonca.

Mark Bisnow

Additional thanks go to Mark Bisnow for securing a new December speaker, Abe Pollin (details). Mark also deserves congratulations for his new weekly column in Washington Business Journal as well as for his CIO Weekly and CEO Weekly newsletters. Mark has brought great speakers to the club because he seems to knows EVERYONE. If you don't believe me, just read his weekly back cover WBJ column.

We hope you will scroll down through our newsletter and read the many columns that will assist executives with running a business. We provide Tax, Human Resources, Legal, and Financial forecasting and much more.

This week's issue will bring you:

• The Redskins have a losing record. Is Joe Gibbs to blame? - See last week's poll results
• How often do you Web-Conference? - Take our survey below!
• Six Ways to Use E-mail as a Marketing Tool for Your Organization - Jeanne S. Jennings
• Workforce Preparation: Reality or Myth? - C. Michael Ferraro
• Hiring for organizational fit! - Kathy Albarado
• Pat Herrity, CFO at Triverity Corporation and XtremeX3 in our Executive Spotlight
• Catch the Events Around Town - ExecutiveBiz events listing

Members, click here to register for the next event.

Question: How often do you Web-Conference per month?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPINION!
Right: Our readers are standing by Coach Gibbs ... he's not to blame for the Redskins losing record.

Six Ways to Use E-mail as a Marketing Tool for Your Organization ... and Three Keys to Success

Jeanne S. Jennings
E-mail Marketing Consultant

E-mail is a communication vehicle, just like direct mail, telephone and radio. It can be used to deliver a variety of messages. Here are just a few ways e-mail can enhance, or in some cases replace, your existing marketing communications with prospects, customers and members.

Customer/Member Acquisition

Every website should be collecting, via opt-in, the e-mail addresses of interested visitors. No smart marketer would ever go to a trade show, set up a booth, provide information on their organization and then expect the people who stopped by to follow-up on their own if they were interested. The key to this type of marketing is providing an incentive to visitors so they will give you their business cards and enough information to allow you to qualify them.

The same is true on the web; you want to collect contact information and do some basic qualification on your website visitors so you can follow-up with them. The most effective way to do this is NOT on a 'Contact Us' page of your website (only a small percentage of visitors usually click on such a link) but prominently on your home page and the other pages of your website.

E-mail can be an effective communication tool with your warm and cool leads. You've probably got sales people working your hot leads, but what about the others? E-mail can be a cost effective way to educate these not-quite-ready buyers/members about the benefits of your products and/or services and keep your company 'top of mind' so that when they are ready to buy, they think of you.

Two good ways to do this:

• a series of auto-responder e-mails, sent in sequence with features, benefits, testimonials and other tools to overcome common objections.
• An ongoing e-mail newsletter, with a mix of editorial geared to help your prospects do their job better and promotional messages about your products and services.

Customer/Member Retention

E-mail can build long-term relationships. And really, isn't that what retention programs are all about? E-mail is less invasive than telemarketing and more cost-effective when you're talking about communicating frequently. E-mail also allows you to segment your list and send targeted messages to appeal to different customer/member groups, even if those groups are relatively small, something that is usually cost-prohibitive with USPS direct mail.

E-mail can help a customer or member feel a personal connection with your organization. The key here is to make the e-mail contact from a person or people within your organization and do it on a regular basis. One organization I work with sends regular e-mails to leads under the signature of their sales representative. They include a personal but business-like note introducing the editorial content, a photograph of the representative and their signature. Prospects from the list often call with an intent to buy and a feeling that they 'know' the sales rep personally, even though they haven't spoken to the rep in months, if ever.

Customer/Member Upsell

E-mail can be a cost-effective way to increase the lifetime value of a customer. Repeat buyers are the life blood of many businesses and e-mail can help you keep in touch, whether the purchases are weeks, months or years apart. These efforts don't have to heavy on content, although they should contain a mix of editorial and promotional material. E-mail newsletters are a good 'long form' choice; but quick tips, news updates and other 'short form' options, which require less content can also be effective.

E-mail can be an effective tool for referrals. 'Viral marketing' is the buzz word; it really just means customers telling their friends about your product or service. E-mails with great editorial content will be passed along – both within an organization and to peers outside. Add in a way for those pass along recipients to add themselves to your e-mail list and you're generating new prospects who want to hear from your organization.

The Keys to Success: Strategy, Quality Creative and Metrics

Success requires a firm strategy, including both qualitative and quantitative goals. Many organizations move into e-mail marketing haphazardly, without a strategy for the e-mail itself, let alone a definition of how e-mail will work with other marketing efforts. Developing a plan with benchmarks and testing will allow you to optimize your e-mail efforts.

Don't skimp on creative. While the offer and list are key, good format, copy and design can mean the difference between an acceptable campaign and a great one. Writing and design are different for e-mail than they are for offline or even for websites; be sure you're working with someone, either your creatives or the marketing person managing them, who has experience in the e-mail realm.

Spending on e-mail advertising is expected to reach $300 million in 2005. But how much of that will be effective and generate a positive ROI? One of the benefits of e-mail over other marketing is the depth of metrics you get. ROI is the bottom line, but reviewing open rates, click-throughs, clickstreams and other metrics from your e-mail give you data to 'fine tune' your efforts and maximize your resulting ROI.

Jeanne S. Jennings (www.JeanneJennings.com), JJ@JeanneJennings.com) is an independent consultant with 15 years of experience in marketing strategy and creative direction, focusing on e-mail and websites. She began her career in the late 1980's with CompuServe and now helps organizations, including Hasbro, Reed Business Information US, The United States Chamber of Commerce and The National Press Club become more effective and profitable online. Jeanne writes a monthly column for ClickZ.com on E-mail Marketing Optimization and publishes The Jennings Report (www.JeanneJennings.com), a free e-mail newsletter for e-mail marketing professionals. She earned her MBA from Georgetown University and still lives in Washington, DC with her husband and their cat.

Workforce Preparation: Reality or Myth?

C. Michael Ferraro
President, Training Solutions, Inc.

Business leaders in our region are hiring again. Unemployment in our region is one of the lowest in the nation. Most industry sectors have seen employment gains. Where are the current workforce shortages? Will there be another (new) workforce shortage soon? What industries will see shortages? Some of us in the "workforce business" think that the next worker shortage will be worse than the last shortage in IT (and when it comes again, shame on us). What can business leaders and company owners do to ensure that they have the right human capital to grow and expand their businesses in our region?

Business leaders have options when it comes to seeking out those who will work in their businesses. They can recruit from each other (as we saw during the tech boom), they can import from outside the area or overseas, (though the H1-B visa are currently gone for 2004-05), or they can recruit graduates from institutions of higher learning. How do the business leaders ensure that their employees and future employees have the skills and competencies needed to be successful in the future business world? How do they ensure that the systems designed and funded by the public are meeting those business needs?

In a recent article in Workforce Magazine, General Mills highlighted a program to send their recently hired college graduates to a summer "finishing school" for business skills. Not a bad idea, though it takes 6 weeks for the training at a cost to General Mills of nearly $7000 per student for the training. Why do corporations feel they need to invest more money into students to "finish" their "workforce preparation" when these students have gone to an institution to prepare them for the workforce? Why are the systems not working that are designed to prepare workers and meet business expectations?

Many business leaders across the country are participating in a new environment of workforce preparation and training. Under the auspices of the federally mandated Workforce Investment Act, many have helped change their workforce preparation and development systems to meet their business workforce needs. All of the systems that prepare and train current and future workers are coming together -- analyzing the needs of the business community and changing systems to meet their industry needs. They are collaborating and cooperating in ways that they never had in the past. Business leaders are also leading the way to establish and operate their local One-Stop Career Centers, ensuring that the centers are offering programs that will lead to better qualified workers for their businesses.

Business leaders need to be advocating that all of our institutions of education and workforce training to participate in one system. This system is to be partly tied to an economic development strategy, and is to attempt to meet the workforce needs of current and future business owners.

In future articles, I will give my perspective on how Virginia is adapting our workforce preparation systems to meet the needs of the business community and how effectively (or ineffectively) we are implementing the Workforce Investment Act.

C. Michael Ferraro is the President and CEO of TRAINING SOLUTIONS, Inc., helping organizations select, train and retain the right employees. He currently serve on the Executive Committee of the Governor's Workforce Council, former Vice-Chairman of the local workforce board in Northern Virginia, Chairman of the federally funded Metro Tech program, designed to offer free customize training for tech workers. He also serves on the Fairfax County Chamber Board of Directors and the Public Policy Council of the American Society of Training and Development.

Hiring for Organizational Fit!

Kathy Albarado
President, HR Concepts, LLC

When we speak to "hiring an exceptional workforce", we do so as if we seek the Holy Grail in our new hire process. It is natural to desire a company of exceptional individuals.

We are all aware that having exceptional employees builds exceptional companies, which only enhances our competitive positioning. How many times have you referred to your employees as "C Players"? Wouldn't you love to have an organization of primarily "A Players"?

How then, do we implement practices that enhance our ability to attract the A Players? Do you and your team screen candidates with the express desire to ensure the right corporate fit?

So many times in the interview process we are so busy selling our company that we fail to listen to the candidate. Initially, the interviewer should listen. Prepare your list of targeted interview questions—hopefully those which are telling of a demonstrated history of achievement relevant to your workplace. Ask a question, then pause and listen to the answer.

The candidate should be doing most of the talking. At least in the beginning. Once you have determined that this applicant may indeed be a candidate for consideration, then you can share relevant company information and sell the candidate on why he/she should work for your organization.

Don't apologize for your corporate culture. When attempting to assess for fit it is important that you be direct and accurate in your description of the culture. Not every organization is for everyone. That's OK. Your goal is not to get every candidate to accept an offer ... Your goal is to get the right candidate to accept your offer.

As an example, if your organization is in a start-up mode, you may expect your employees to work 50-60 hour weeks, taking work home and being readily accessible when not in the office. If a candidate with a great looking resume asks up front if he can work a flex schedule you should explore this further. Whereas it may not be a deal killer alone, it clearly is counter to your current culture. When tenured employees are working long hours, having a new employee set his own hours may send the wrong message—regardless of his skillset. You should consider the impact of such a request. Additionally, a question of this nature should generally be reserved for the final negotiation, and not brought up in the initial interview. Your candidate's action in doing so may imply that he has no concept of working in a start-up environment. Definite red flag.

Another example. You are hiring a front desk receptionist and recognize professional demeanor is important, but you realize they will not have the opportunity to provide much administrative support in this role. You interview a candidate you think is fabulous. She is polished, professional and articulate. In fact, she is so good she was quickly promoted from a receptionist to the office manager in her last firm. She appears ambitious and full of initiative.

Red Flag. She may be a great employee in an administrative capacity, but will she remain with you in the role of receptionist much beyond a few months? And if the answer is "no" and you believe you will have another appropriate position available—then she would be worth considering. If not, then you need to be honest with yourself—as well as the candidate.

I could provide example after example and one or more would most certainly sound familiar to you. Yet the point remains the same. When hiring for your organization—hiring for appropriate corporate "fit" is indeed as important as hiring the right skillset.

Kathy Albarado is President of HR Concepts, LLC. She founded HR Concepts with a commitment to helping emerging companies streamline operations and solidify human resources practices. www.hrconceptsllc.com | (703) 860-3882

Pat Herrity
Chief Financial Officer
Triverity Corp. and XtremeX3

Recently, ExecutiveBiz and Pat Herrity had a chance to catch up. Here is what Pat had to say:

Q. Tell me a bit about your companies, Triverity and XtremeX3.
A. Triverity is an early-stage technology company that delivers real time multi-media, multi sensory data capture, analysis and reporting products in mobile environments for the public safety, transportation, security and defense markets. XtremeX3 is a division of Triverity that delivers these solutions in motorsports.

Q. Can you highlight an interesting application that showcases your technology?
A. One of the coolest things we do is to put the system in racecars for both entertainment and educational purposes – at races and at driving schools. We use this environment primarily as a test bed for our products because of the extreme operating environments. On a regular basis, we get great footage from the multi-camera system of cars going into walls and spinning out at high speeds as well as the drivers doing some really weird things.

Q. Why did you join the POC?
A. I tend not to join organizations where I do not get actively involved. I had heard about POC for many months and finally took a good look. I decided to join because of its unique format – a monthly, high-quality event that's focused on the CXO. POC delivers a great deal of value in a brief amount of time. There is no organization like POC.

Q. There are so many articles written about your father. (Pat's father is John F. "Jack" Herrity, who was Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for 12 years.) What's the best advice that you received from him?
A. He's been such a huge role model for me – it's hard to point to a single piece of advice. Three that top the list would be – standing up for what you believe in -- even when it's not the most popular position; getting all the right people in the room --at the same time -- to solve the problem; and being open to new ideas. Fortunately and unfortunately, I have also inherited his desire for public service and the need to fix our transportation problems. I think our transportation problem is the most significant threat to our regional economy.

There's more! Click here to read Pat's complete article ...

Thanks, Pat! For more information about Pat Herrity and Triverity Corp., visit the Triverity Corp. web site at www.triverity.com.

Here, we recap the week's top stories of POC member companies and other notables in the region. Please include ExecutiveBiz on press releases and we will be sure to keep up with your successes. Email us your company's news at info@executivebiz.com.

• Northern Virginia Tourism Revenue Up 15 Percent in 2004
• Corporate Executive Board is moving to Rosslyn
• Craig McCaw starts new venture with Intel to develop high-speed wireless Internet products
• SAIC to acquire Presearch
• Ventera Named #15 Among Washington Region's 'Fast 50' Government Contractors
• Booz Allen Hamilton Board Votes to Extend Ralph W. Shrader as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
• Gov. Warner outlines Virginia communications plan
• Winners of 2nd Annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards are Announced
• Cogent Acquires Broadband Company

From the Editor

The newsletter is designed to serve the needs of the local business community. Please contact us with your ideas and advertisements or submit columns to be published and reach our distribution of more than 25,000 area executives.

J.D. Kathuria, ExecutiveBiz Editor

jd.kathuria@executivebiz.com