Dictionary of Downside Up Beta

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How to Build Next Touchpoint 01
2007-05-07 19:45:00
Below is a real life example of how to build next touchpoint using email. Use it as a starting place for building touchpoint chain. _________ I hope this note finds you in the best of health and spirits. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support, and also for giving me the priviledge of being of service to you. It was a real pleasure to meet you, and please feel free
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Touchpoint Redefined Beta
2007-05-05 20:45:00
Touchpoint is every point of interaction, internal and external, seen and unseen. Although touchpoint is countless, it can grouped under three categories: People (P), Information (I) and Deliverables (D). Why three, but neither less nor more? There is a natural relationship among people, information, and deliverables: people produce/hire deliverables based on information available. In
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Neighbor Beta
2007-05-02 17:17:00
"Love thy neighbour as yourself, but choose your neighbourhood." Louise Beal If relationship is an investment, then invest wisely. Otherwise, it will result in negative touchpoint experience, and eventually end up in touchpoint chain termination. The more the touchpoint, the deeper the relationship. When the chain is terminated, nothing much can be done. First positive touchpoint experience
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Back to Touchpoint... Beta
2007-05-01 03:47:00
Relationship dictates. There is nothing new about this simple fact. But every now and then firm forgets about it. If relationship is fair, then every situation will automatically result in win-win outcome. There is simply no need to craft win-win solutions. Firm and market will both win fairly. By fair, it is not 80-20, but 50-50. Is it possible though? In the win-win formula, firm always likes
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Just Beta
2007-04-30 05:25:00
"They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for." Tom Bodett Just has a lot of meanings. It can be positive, neutral and negative. Just means now, very soon, or very recently. It also means exactly, or equally. Sometimes, it is used to make a statement stronger, but it is also used to reduce the force of
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Impossible? Beta
2007-04-27 02:57:00
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." George Bernard Shaw Everything is possible, so nothing is impossible. Everything is possible when people stop giving themselves excuses. People have to buy in before they can sell to others. If they do not believe themselves in anything, how can they convince others to believe? When
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Cheese Beta
2007-04-20 21:33:00
"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." Jon HammondIt is not always good to be the first. Wanting to be the first is the right attitude, but being there sometimes is not a good idea. Being there enjoys nothing but fame and only fame. Fame, in return, poses an unseen danger to those being high up above all in achievement. Everyone sees the first as his or her only enemy, and will do everything to surpass anyone ahead of himself or herself, so he or she will be the first instead. Conflicts arise between the first and the rest. The root of conflict is comparison. When everything is equal, comparison is impossible, and conflict won't exist.However, winning brings praise, and praise brings laughter, and laughter brings happiness. Nobody wants tears on the pillow.There are two types of smile. One is from the heart, and the other is from the head.Cheese is related to fake smile, or smile from the head. When cheese is said, the cheeks tend to lift, the corners...
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WIIFM Beta
2007-04-19 11:32:00
WIIFM stands for "What's In It For Me." That is the one question everyone needs to answer in order to successfully deliver positive touchpoint experience. Nobody will proceed with anything if that something offers nothing to anyone. This is a simple fact, but almost everyone ignores. Everyone is too busy figuring out what-is-in-it-for-me instead of answering others' WIIFM. Win-win is the best solution, but the first win is win for oneself, then the second win is win for others. Nobody is willing to do anything if he or she has no benefits in the first place. That is the rule - I win first, then you win.If people have the WIIFM mindset, so that the deliverables produced can answer WIIFM, then the deliverables will provide positive touchpoint experience. Else, they either deliver neutral or negative experience, which won't result in win-win outcome.Salespeople usually sell for themselves. They have long forgotten that people like to buy, but don't like to be sold. Buying...
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Self-Talk Beta
2007-04-17 17:24:00
"Relentless, repetitive self talk is what changes our self-image." Denis WaitleyTwo-way communication is always prefer to one-way. Two-way is about mutual respect. It is achieved by listening. Everyone can hear, but not everyone is willing to listen. Listening is actually the willingness to hear. When both parties are willing to listen, two-way communication is formed. Else, it is only one-way communication.In one-way communication, the sender talks, and the receiver listens. This is not communication at all. The sender does not need to listen, because he or she does not want to listen. The sender enjoys talking so much that the receiver's feedback is usually being ignored. The sender can talk a lot without saying anything. Same applies to the receiver. He or she can hear everything but listen nothing. When there is no balance in communication, it produces negative touchpoint experience.There is perhaps one kind of one-way talk that delivers positive touchpoint experi...
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Cold War Beta
2007-04-12 18:49:00
"The Cold War is over but Cold War thinking survives." Joseph RotblatWar is an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities. In diplomatic terms, there are three types of war.Hot War is about actual warfare. All talks have failed and the armies are fighting.Warm War is where talks are still going on, and there would always be a chance of a peaceful outcome. However, armies are being fully mobilised, and war plans are being put into operation ready for the command to fight.Cold War is when both sides are afraid of fighting each other directly. Instead, they fight each other indirectly. They support conflicts in different parts of the world. They use words as weapons. They threaten and denounce each other. They try to make each other look foolish.War brings peace eventually. War itself is definitely negative touchpoint experience, but the aftermath of war is positive touchpoint experience. Everything is given the opportunity to start from s...
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Vocabulary Beta
2007-04-12 10:25:00
"The two most misused words in the entire English vocabulary are love and friendship. A true friend would die for you, so when you start trying to count them on one hand, you don't need any fingers." Larry FlyntSimple is good. However, if simple is good, then why vocabulary?Embroil? Meaning to cause someone to become involved in an argument or a difficult situation. Example: The latest row is typical of how helmsmen of the board are suddenly embroiled in controversy.Grandiose? Meaning larger and containing more detail than necessary, or intended to seem important or splendid. Example: Grandiose offices do not produce better governance.Ostentatious? Meaning too obviously showing your money, possessions or power, in an attempt to make other people notice and admire you. Example: Ostentatious facilities are seldom a positive sign of modesty and efficiency.Pallid? Meaning very pale, in a way that looks unattractive and unhealthy. Example: The local reaction was pallid.Pompou...
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You... Beta
2007-03-27 17:50:00
"If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were." Richard BachWow is an experience, and can be both positive and negative.Positive wow is all about empathy, or the ability to put oneself into other's shoes. Empathy is a translation of the German term Einfühlung, meaning to feel as one with. It implies sharing the load, or "walking a mile in other's shoes," in order to appropriately understand that person's perspective. Empathy is different from sympathy. When one is sympathetic, one implies pity but maintains distance from another person's feelings. Empathy is more a sense that one can truly understand another person's feelings. It implies feeling with a person, rather than feeling sorry for a person. Empathy heals, builds trust, and connects people together.There is no "I" in empathy, but only "you." However, you always rank higher than I in the most commonly used English words. This implies that most people lack e...
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Zero Beta
2007-03-27 14:35:00
"No man should think himself a zero, and think he can do nothing about the state of the world." Bernard BaruchThe number line is a line that starts at zero, and goes to negative infinity on the left and to positive infinity on the right. But why to the right is positive and left negative? Why can't it be the otherwise?In Economics, the graphical presentation of demand is price on Y-axis, and quantity on X-axis. It is not right because dependant should be on X, and independent on Y.People know it, but they still prefer to stick with what they are comfortable with. Comfort zone encourages people to stay lazy. It is actually a wall, or an obstacle to reaching success. Comfort zone then becomes a danger zone.In this danger zone, nothing will be achieved, and everything simply ends up being zero.The reason why people like to stay in comfort zone is twofold. First, nobody likes discomfort. Second, everyone enjoys comfort. It is no uncommon sense.Achieving success requires one t...
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Ditto Beta
2007-03-27 14:23:00
"'I love you Molly. I have always loved you,' says Sam.'Ditto,' answers Molly.'It's amazing, Molly. The love inside, you take it with you. See you,' says Sam.'See you,' says Molly." GhostDitto means the same.When everything remains the same, there is no change. Where there is no change, time becomes an irrelevant factor. Yesterday equals today, and today equals tomorrow. Everything becomes ditto.If people stay the same throughout their lifetime, they will always deliver negative touchpoint experience.Overtime, everyone expects improvement, but not degradation.Improvement is the result of knowledge acquisition, but acquiring knowledge alone doesn't necessarily bring improvement. Knowledge is cumulated in terms of quantity, but improvement requires the quality of people to really bring forward the actual improvement. Quality here refers to the ability to walk the talk, and the willingness to stay humble, learn continously, and share freely.People should acquire and cum...
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Vow Beta
2007-03-26 16:00:00
"Vows made in storms are forgotten in calm." Thomas FullerMost people make at least one vow in life. It is not clear if they really want to make the marriage vow at the moment of truth, but below is the vow people usually make in front of their friends and relatives."I, (Name),Take you, (Name),To be my (wife/husband);To have and to hold,From this day forward,For better, for worse,For richer, for poorer,In sickness and in health,To love and to cherish,'Till death do us part."This is known as the responsive vow, which has a romantic elegance to it. It is more personal when compared to the traditional question and answer vow, where the groom/bride simply responds "I do" to "Do you, (Name), take (Name), to be your (wife/husband)?"Although both vows deliver the same result, customization delivers positive touchpoint experience, and "I do" neutral. Why is that? Customization walks that extra mile.The second type of vow is made in courtroom by those who are less fortunate."Do you sol...
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Okay Beta
2007-03-20 16:29:00
"You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change." Jim RohnOkay is neutral, and is different from want. Want is a positive desire.Consider below 2 answers to the same question: "Shall we meet tonight?"Answer 1: Yes, it's okay to meet.Answer 2: Yes, I want to meet.Which is more positive? Obviously, it is Answer 2. It tells the inviting party that he or she is needed. Everyone wants to be needed, because that means at least they are of value to others. They are important.Although okay means it is not a no-go, there is no desire. It may still get done, but it is for the sake of getting it done. It is something from the head, but not from the heart....
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Pause Beta
2007-03-20 16:29:00
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy." Guillaume ApollinaireIn order to reach success, everyone needs to act just a bit faster than everyone else. Time is a crucial factor in determining who is the winner, and who isn't.Same applies to the learning ability. If A has a shorter learning curve than B, A will produce deliverables faster, and thus possess potentially higher ROI. Given that potential, A will be given more resources and opportunities in order to shorten the success cycle. Why would anyone invest in something that gives slower return, when there is something else which gives faster?Everyone wants immediate deliverables. The quicker, the better. Nobody has the patience to wait. It almost becomes a sin to wait, particularly in the world of information-rich and time-poor.That is very pathetic. Is it "better late than never" no longer true? Is it always "it's now or never?"What is what now?Paus e... please wait a second...T...
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24x7 Beta
2007-03-10 19:10:00
"In my view, what people really want is a time-sharing system of unlimited size and power, with very secure virtual firewalls, which can be available 25x8 (not just 24x7), and where backup and recovery are done automatically and with someone else's money." Jon 'maddog' Hall24x7 means non-stop operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Then there is 24x7x365, meaning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.But 24x7x365 is redundant, because 365 already covers 7. Why 24x7x365 then?People always like to exaggerate in order to create make-believe. They believe more is always better, and less is never enough. Interestingly enough, the opposite of their belief is what everyone wants. More is never better, and less is always more.Positive touchpoint experience is about the willingness to compromise, and this requires mutual understanding. Mutual understanding is all about give-and-take. Give is about providing feedback. Take is about listening, but not hearing. Listenin...
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Dream Beta
2007-03-10 16:45:00
"The questions you ask are too simple, sometimes naive." Jiang ZeminWhen something is changed, it is changed. There is no hope of returning to square one. It is more wrong hoping that by investing more, the good old days will come back. Fact is, the more one continues to invest, the more one is going to suffer. There is simply no point of return, until the person wakes up.Dream ing is always nice. Everything can be done in a dream, but can also be undone in the dream. Nobody has to worry about the consequence of wrongdoings in the dream. Nobody has to bear any responsibility.However, a dream is still a dream. It does not last forever. In fact, nothing lasts forever. When the dream is expired, reality returns. Everything is back to normal. Everyone has feelings again. Everyone feels happy, sad, angry and glad; and all these give experience.To dreamer, dream is positive touchpoint experience, and reality negative. Pencil is positive, and pen negative. Talk the walk is p...
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X Beta
2007-03-08 17:34:00
"If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut." Albert EinsteinX is a very special letter. It is perhaps the only alphabet with many different meanings.According to Cambridge Dictionary Online, there are X number of definitions of X.X is the 24th letter of the English alphabet, and is also the least frequently used letter in the English alphabet. The other twos are Q and Z.X is often used as an unknown in Mathematics. According to legend, a 17th century printer's problem helped X to land its major job symbolizing something unknown. For the many equations in his now-famous 1637 mathematical work La Geometrie, Rene Descartes chose letters A, B, and C to represent any three constants and X, Y, and Z to represent any three unknown quantities. He intended that Z be the first unknown (corresponding to A), and Y second and X third. But the story goes that the printer, while typesetting the manuscript, found himself repeate...
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Wow Beta
2007-02-25 04:09:00
"Being happy is something you have to learn. I often surprise myself by saying 'Wow, this is it. I guess I'm happy. I got a home I love. A career that I love. I'm even feeling more and more at peace with myself.' If there's something else to happiness, let me know. I'm ambitious for that, too." Harrison FordWow is a reaction, and can be positive and negative.When the touchpoint in terms of people, information, and deliverables delivers experience that exceeds expectations, the immediate reaction is "wow!", and it is a positive wow. Negative wow A more powerful wow happens when negative is turned into positive.When everything begins at zero, anything adding to the zero is a plus, since zero is the origin. However, when everything begins from negative, it is not just simple plus nor minus. If adding something to the negative gives a plus, it is going to be a big plus. Why? Because when something is negative, the chance of staying negative is high. People have less e...
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So What? Beta
2007-02-23 02:16:00
"Inches make champions." Vince LombardiWhat is the difference between what and so what?What is to get information for the sake of getting information. "What is your name" is to get to know a person's name. It helps break the ice, and prompts more follow-up questions. People asking "what do you think?" may not be really interested in the answer. They may just not like the dead air, or do not know what to say next."What" is a neutral question. It is used when people are curious about something.So what is also to get information, but it demands more. It goes beyond curiosity. People asking so what questions do not only want to know more, but they are also serious about how they are going to be affected. Are they going to be benefited at the end of the day? What's in it for them? If it has no real benefits, nobody will pursue further. There has to be something in the so what answers. People answering the so what questions have to be prepared in order to move forward. So ...
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Little Things Beta
2007-02-22 08:18:00
"It is the little things that say so much." AnonymousThere are many things that everyone can do to deliver positive touchpoint experience. Yet the most effective involves the saying of just three words."I'll be there." - Being there for others is the greatest gift everyone can give. When people are truly present for others, important things happen. Everyone is renewed in love and friendship. Everyone is restord emotionally and spiritually. Being there is at the very core of civility."I miss you." - Perhaps more marriages can be saved and strengthened if couples simply and sincerely say to each other "I miss you." This powerful affirmation tells partners that they are wanted, needed, desired and loved. Consider how ecstatic the person would feel, if he or she received an unexpected phone call from the better half in the middle of the workday, just to say "I miss you.""I respect you." - Respect is another way of showing love. Respect conveys the feeling that another person i...
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Appreciation Beta
2007-02-20 04:09:00
"I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you." Friedrich NietzscheIt is not difficult to lose control and find a reason to blame, but it is difficult to control and appreciate. One negative touchpoint experience can ruin a thousand positive touchpoint experiences built in the past. People remember pain better than joy, although both may deliver more or less the same impact. Pain hurts. When it hurts, it leaves a deep track in the heart. Joy? People can anticipate joy, like birthday and holidays. People simply plan for joy. But pain, it is unpredictable. It just comes out of the blue, like sudden death. Unexpected events always linger in memory.When people fail, they feel bad. People want to win, and they like to win. They just feel good winning. Winning is about positive touchpoint experience, and losing negative.They shy away from failure by making up excuses to comfort themselves when they lose. They see failure as a lesson lea...
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Footprints Beta
2007-02-19 07:20:00
"One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes of his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. 'Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed You most, You would leave me.'The Lord replied, 'My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints,...
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UPOD Beta
2006-11-25 19:59:00
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." AnonymousEveryone wants to be happy. But how? There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Nothing is free, because everything has an opportunity cost. Even air, the necessity of human life, is not free. Everyone has to spend effort to breathe in and out effortlessly. Healthy life cannot be achieved at no cost. If one wants to acquire cleaned but not polluted air, effort will be enormous.One gets what one pays for. Nobody is nice enough to offer anyone anything for free. Unconditional offering is a smokescreen. Sooner or later, everyone expects at least something in return. After all, who is willing to forever give without ever taking? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!Happiness? Try UPOD.UPOD stands for "under-promise over-deliver." Why under promise? Simple. Set low expectations. When nobody has any expectation on anything, disappointment is distant. Life will be easier. Once expectation is set, e...
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Music Beta
2006-11-19 11:30:00
"There is no noise, only sound." John CageA song consists of two major elements: melody and lyrics. People are easily attracted to good melody, but may not pay much attention to lyrics quality.Melody is just like words. As long as one knows the 26 alphabets, one can create any words using any combination. Be creative, and think out of the box. They don't have to make sense. Play with the notes, and anyone can then be a composer.But lyrics, it's trying to make sense out of nothing. Each word has to form rthyme with the melody. The deliverable is produced within limitation, or a defined framework.Lyrics is more difficult to create than melody.Melody is like outer beauty, and lyrics inner beauty.One may love a song because of its melody. There is "love at first sight", so there has to be "love at first sound."One can have three types of feelings towards a song: positive, neutral, and negative. It is a very subjective feeling. Nobody can force anyone to love a song. Great so...
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Zebra Beta
2006-11-12 17:59:00
"Light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error. It is these mingled opposites which people our life, which make it pungent, intoxicating. We only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash." Louis AragonZebra exists in the form of black and white, similar to panda. The only difference between the two is the color layout. Zebra comes in stripes, where panda is usually white with black patches around the eyes, ears, shoulders, chest, legs, and feet. Although both animals are in black and white, zebra is more complicated. Is zebra is white with black or black with white? This is an unorthodoxical. It is like asking which comes first: chicken or eggs.Interestingly enough, this is human nature. People like to do sophisticated things to either show off or pretend that they are deep. They want to be different. Everyone has the tendency to complicate simple things. If the complications bring in benefits, it at least is ...
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Black Magic Beta
2006-10-30 18:35:00
"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen." Johann Wolfgang von GoetheA is apple, B is banana, C is coconut, what is D? (Answer will be given later.)Black is not white, but it usually represents bad luck. It is just a color. Why is there relationship between luck and color?Is it because the pronunciation of black is similar to bad, so everyone associates black with bad? Or because black is the color of the night, and night is related to rest, and rest is somewhat related to death, so black is the symbol of angel of death?Nobody knows for sure, and who cares? When the majority refers black to bad luck, then the only option for the rest is to follow suit in order not to be isolated. Going with the main stream is the survival of the smartest.Magic is either about making something out of nothing, or turning everything into nothing. Magic creates surprises by not meeting expectations.What is black magic?It is just a name. Everything has to...
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Bye Beta
2006-10-14 19:30:00
"When great love is rejected, something inside a man dies. So all he can do is run away, where he can meet the girl he'll love second most... unless... unless you can get to him before he closes the book on you. But once it's closed, it's closed. It's finished. It's gone, dead. It's crushed. It's beaten. It's buried. It is lost for all of time in a sea..." Cathy in Win a Date with Tad HamiltonChange is the only constant. Nobody has control over anything, and nothing is certain but death, taxes and holidays. When something has changed, it is no longer the same, and impossible to return to square one. Let bygones be bygones, and start everything from scratch pretending that nothing has ever happened? Is that possible, even though impossible is nothing?History is memory. Unless the person is suffered from permanent loss of memory, every little change has more or less some impact. Not only the bygones will not be forgotten, but the possibility of building the yet-to-come is very...
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