Johnson Khoo & Johnson Khoo

Old photos

2010-10-27T17:43:00.003+08:00

Just received an email this morning from Nenci Ang - my ex-colleague from Oracle. She sent back some old picture that was used for some presentation before.

Boy... I was really young - looks like I didn't change much ...

Developed facility in Developed state?

2010-10-27T17:11:00.004+08:00

Guess what is this?

A rubbish container?

A bus?

It is actually the drive through kiosk at MBPJ - what a shame!! Such a facility in a developed state...

I am sure that with all the budget, we can have better structure.

Interesting Bangkok

2010-10-15T13:05:00.005+08:00

I was in Bangkok last week and saw 2 events that will never happen in KL
...

"This is a mobile cocktail store that can be found on the street. This is so cool... "

This foreigner or "farang" took out his shirt and pants to his underwear... as he went up to do a pole dance. Just a note - this is not event a go-go bar. Just a normal bar with a live band!

This is Thailand where fun is just a way of life. Maybe Malaysia needs it, too... Everyone just have to relax!

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

2010-10-11T14:30:00.005+08:00

I recently stumble upon The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs – How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience at KLIA. My first thought was – “what – another one of these ‘How to’ book…” Upon enquiring further, I was told that this is apparently a best seller and I decided to buy a copy to read.

It has been an interesting read and it is not meant to be used just as a presentation tool – it fact it has many key sales technique that I find refreshing – from Steve Jobs angle.

“A person can have the greatest idea in the world – completely different and novel – but if that person can’t convince enough other people, it doesn’t matter.”
- Gregory Burns

There is no doubt that Steve Jobs is the most captivating communicator on the world stage. No one else comes close. In fact, a Steve Jobs keynote presentation is an extraordinary experience. Some people go to great length just to hear him, even spending the night in freezing temperatures to ensure the best seat at one of this presentation.

This book captures the best of Jobs’ presentations and reveals for the first time, the exact techniques he uses to inspire his audience. Best of all, you can learn his skills and adopt his techniques to blow away your audience, giving people a high they will crave again and again. It is authored by Carmine Gallo, Columnist – Businessweek.

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is structured like one of Jobs’ favourite presentation metaphors : a three part play. In fact, a Steve Jobs presentation is very much like a dramatic play – a finely crafted and well-rehearsed performance that informs, entertains, and inspires.

In keeping with Job’s metaphor of a presentation as a classic story, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs is divided into three acts :

Ø Act 1 : Create the story
The seven chapters – or scenes – in this section will give you practical tools to craft an exciting story behind your brand. A strong story will give you the confidence and ability to win over your audience.

Ø Act 2 : Deliver the Experience
In these six scenes, you will learn practical tips to turn your presentations into visually appealing and “must-have” experiences.

Ø Act 3 : Refine and Rehearse

The remaining five scenes will tackle topics such as body language, verbal delivery, and making “scripted” presentations sound natural and conversational. Even the choice of wardrobe will be addressed. You will learn why mock turtlenecks, jeans, and running shoes are suitable for Jobs but could mean the end of your career.

Gallo also mention three other CEOs that have been inspiring – one of them is Cisco’s john Chambers. I have personally met with Chambers during my time in Cisco as the Country Manager, a few years ago. Chambers does not sell routers and switches that make up the backbone of Internet. What Chambers does sell is human connections that change the way we live, work, play and learn.

Act 1 : Create the story
Creating the story, the plot, is the first step to selling your ideas.
Most people fail to think through their story. Effective communicators plan effectively, developing compelling messages and headlines, make it easy for their listeners to follow.

There are seven chapters – or scenes – in Act 1.

I will not go through all the scenes - but I would like to share some of the key techniques that I have found to be useful.

The first step is to plan your story. Most of us spend a lot of our time developing the powerpoint. However, as Gallo mentioned, start planning before you open the presentation software. Sketch ideas on paper or whiteboards. According to Nancy Duarte – the genius behind Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth you should spend two third of your time planning your presentations and only one third building the slides.

“You’ve got to start with customer experience and work back toward the technology – not the other way around.”
Steve Jobs, 25 May 1997 WWDC

Part of creating the story is to answer the One question that matters most. The listeners in your audience are asking themselves one question – “why should I care?” Another pointer in creating the story is to have a road map. Steve Jobs makes his argument easy to follow by adopting one of the most powerful principle of persuasion : the rule of three.

An example was on 9 January 2007, Jobs delivered an electrifying announcement using the rule of three. Before revealing the iPhone, he announced that Apple will introduce not one but three revolutionary products. He identified the first one as a wide-screen iPod with touch control – then a mobile phone – later a breakthrough internet communications device. Jobs continued – so three things… “These are not three separate devices. This is one device, and we are calling it iPhone.” The crowd went wild!

Act 2 : Deliver the experience
Steve Jobs does not deliver a presentation. He offers an experience. Simplification is a key feature in all Apple’s designs. Jobs applies the same approach to the way he creates his slides. Every slide is simple, visual and engaging.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Steve Jobs, quoting Leonardo Da Vinci

Simplicity is one of the most important concepts in all Apple designs – from computers to music players, to phones, and every to the retail store experience.

“We have sold four million iPhones to date. If you divide four million by two hundred days, that’s twenty thousand iPhones everyday on average.”
Steve Jobs, 200 days after the iPhone was launched

Another key technique that Steve Jobs deploys is in dressing up the numbers. This does not mean presenting a fake number but on the contrary explaining the numbers in its context. When the numbers are presented in the proper context – you are helping your audience understand the message and making it relevant.

Act 3 : Refine and rehearse
The whole book on The Presentation Secret of Steve Jobs has finally come down to earth when Gallo reveals that even Steve Jobs spends plenty of time refining and rehearsing. You may ask – “What? Steve Jobs has to rehearse his slides?” Yes, he does. Now I feel much better…

Jobs can make solid eye contact with his listeners because he practices his presentations for weeks ahead of time. He knows exactly what’s on each slide and what he’s going to say when the slide appears. The more Jobs rehearses, the more he has internalized the content, and easier it is for him to connect with his listeners. The majority of presenters fail to practice and it shows. In fact, the practice regime does not apply only to Jobs but to others such as Chambers of Cisco – it is a fact that Chambers’ confidence is the result of hours of relentless practice. He knows every word on each of his slides!

Most people are amazed at Jobs’ presentation as he seems to make his presentation look effortless. Again, the secret is that Jobs rehearses for hours. To be precise : many, many hours over many, many days. Jobs considers his keynote a competitive weapon.

In concluding the book, Gallo mentioned that we must have fun and genuine passion for our message. Find the one thing you love to do so much that you can’t wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again.

“Stay hungry, stay foolish”
Steve Jobs

Job’s speech reveals the secret to his success as a business leader and communicator : do what you love, view setbacks as opportunities, and dedicate yourself to the passionate pursuit of excellence. Whether it’s designing a new computer, introducing new gadgets, running Apple, overseeing Pixar, or giving a presentation, Jobs believes in his life’s work. This is the last and most important lesson Jobs can teach – the power of believing in yourself and your story. Jobs has followed his heart his whole life. Follow yours to captivate your audience. You’ll be one step closer to delivering insanely great presentation.

JUST ONE MORE THING
This is my first attempt is writing a book review and I hope I have managed to inspire more Malaysians to read. Reading is a habit that needs to be inculcated in all of us. This will equip us to compete more effectively with others.

Malaysian Chinese New Year

2010-02-17T23:33:00.007+08:00

This year's Chinese New Year has turned out to be quite special for me.

I was in Muar for the Chinese New Year holiday and on the 2nd day of CNY, I "bumped" into one of my old school friend - Gilbert Chan, while I was taking a walk around town. He told me that some of our old classmates will be at his house that same afternoon. That to me was a rather normal get-together until he told me that some of our old Malay friends are actually coming down from KL.

I was actually very excited to have the chance to see them again after almost 29 years!! At 3 pm, I made my way to Gilbert's house in Jalan Daud and guess what - I actually met about 10 of my old classmates that I have not seen for almost 3 decades.

What made it so special was the fact that, this group of Malay friends made a special trip down to Muar - they car-pooled - to visit us during the Chinese New Year celebration.

We were literally enjoying each other's company for the following 3 hrs - sharing our current status and remembering the good old school days ...

I am just wondering why the politicians are playing up all the race issues - emmmm ...

Looks to me that it is all about making an effort to reach out.

In this picture, Sabar is seated on the left and Adib is on the right. among the rest are Bahar, Lufti, Firdaus and more.

Gilbert, our host ...

That's me with my old friends - everyone has either gain weight or lose hair!!

Also, we are planning to meet again in June - hope to see more friends.

HDS - moving to a bigger office

2009-11-24T15:37:00.005+08:00

Last week, 16 Nov 2009, we moved to a new and bigger office in UOA Bangsar. This is the 3rd office for me in the last 3 years. We moved largely because we have consolidated more operations in KL.

Besides, the sales team, we have the Deal Operations Center (AP & EMEA), Internal Audit, IT, HR and the Shared Services Center (AP)... and more to come.

In April 2007, we moved to Chulan Tower to accommodate the DOC.... from Bangunan Getah Asli.

I must say now that, HDS is a very significant entity in Malaysia.

This Is it

2009-11-14T23:44:00.005+08:00

Last Sunday, I went to watch the movie "This Is It" - a recording of Michael Jackson's rehearsal of his to-be last concert. I must say - this guy is a perfectionist - literally!!

I thoroughly enjoy it, not because of the songs but because of MJ's commitment to perfection and to be the best. In spite of the fact that he is a star, he continued to rehearse and rehearse and rehearse...

I hope this can be said of all of us.

16 years ago, I was down in Singapore to watch MJ's live concert - his Dangerous Tour on 29 Aug 1993. I am proud to say that I have seen Michael Jackson in person. He is truly a superstar and "The King Of Pop".

MAS - is there hope?

2009-10-31T02:39:00.007+08:00

Yesterday, I made a trip to Singapore and my experience with MAS is getting from bad to worst.

I was booked on MH605 at 16:30 that departs at Gate H04 at the main building. On the way to get the boarding pass, I stopped by the KLIA information counter - the lady had actually informed me that the flt was cancelled.

Feeling a bit disappointed, I went to the MAS check-in counter to enquire if the flt was indeed cancelled. I was assured that it wasn't. To my relief. The check-in counter told me that she had already checked in 55 other passengers - so it can't be cancelled. So far, so good.

Just as I was going into the immigration level, I noticed at the departure screen that flt MH605, has indeed been cancelled!! I went to the check-in counter again and this time was told that they have just received the information "abt 2-3 mins ago"... ?? What are they talking abt when the KLIA staffs are able to tell me about the cancellation earlier than the MAS staffs?

I was then issued another boarding pass for flt MH613 at 17:30 that departs from gate H08. I thought, "what to do?" - this is after all MAS... Hence, I went over to the premium lounge just to pass some time while waiting for the flt. The premium lounge is at satellite building C.

At about 16:45, I took the train over to gate H08 - while on the way, the announcement came and it mentioned that flt MH613 now departs from gate C22! Realising that I was at a different building - I quickly rushed over to satellite building C. Initially, I was having an easy stroll and then suddenly - I had to make a dash to the gate for fear of missing the flt!! Looks to me that, for MAS, change is the only constant - or rather inconvenience is the only constant.

MAS - what a way to treat your passengers!

MCA - getting irrelevant FAST

2009-10-31T02:10:00.005+08:00

Looks like the MCA's crisis is getting worse by the day.

First, you have Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat who wanted to call for another EGM to determine if a fresh election for the CC is indeed needed - after failing to get all the CC to resign - as a sign of collective responsibility over the loss of the EGM resolution on 10 Oct 2009.

Secondly, you have the unity plan between Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek that was supposedly brokered by the PM.

Thirdly, you have Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who has now requested for an EGM to call for a fresh election.

What a joke!!

First, we have an EGM but you don't honour the result.

Secondly, you then tried to have a work-around.

Thirdly, you try to have another EGM...

At this moment, MCA is getting irrelevant to all of us since all they are interested is themselves!! Isn't it obvious??

Hole-In-One

2009-10-14T01:07:00.005+08:00

Today I collected my Hole-In-One cheque of RM1,500 from Kurnia Insurance.

This is my first Hole-In-One and could probably be my only one (considering the standard of my game now...).

It happened at Saujana Golf and Country Club on 27 August 2009 at the 5th Hole on the Palm Course. I was playing with Alex Loh - Datacraft, Loo Chong Peng - Sun and Mun Loong - HDS.

After teeing-off at the 5th hole, the caddy shouted that the ball went into the hole. At first, I didn't believe it but the rest of the guys seem to confirm that the ball actually went into the hole. As we were driving towards the green, I can feel my heart beating faster and faster - hoping that the ball goes into the hole instead of the slope..

True enough - it is my first Hole-In-One. Wow!! What an experience...

MCA - Restart FAST

2009-10-12T16:43:00.004+08:00

Now that the MCA EGM is over and Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat has been given the vote of no-confidence by a margin of 14 votes (1141 vs 1151), this is an unusual situation in MCA. Even though, technically, the president can only be removed by a two-third majority - this is no longer the issue since they have decided to put this matter to a vote and the latest decision should take precedent.

My view is that the entire CC - Central Committee, should resign and have a fresh election.

The most important issue is not about who is the president and the deputy president - the most important thing that we have to consider is the type of leaders and government we want to have as we move forward.

In fact, with the rumours about the "third force" coming into play - it looks to me that the party may not be all that serious about helping the country to move into a transparent and corrupt-free era. Looks like the warlord s are still running the party and vis-a-vis the country, with other warlords.

Really, is MCA still relevant?

Really, is the MCA really serious about the people or themselves?

Really, do we even care?

Disappointed by happy

2009-10-08T14:58:00.007+08:00

Last week, I received a call from Rahman - HDS pre-sales Manager telling me that one of his engineers, Daniel Ooi is resigning. He sounded a bit disappointed. When I heard that, I was disappointed, too.

Daniel started with us abt 2 years ago - coming from CA. I have seen him grown and he is beginning to be a strong contributor for us. I am, at the same time happy as he is leaving us for Springlab (our distributor) as a Sales person. He will be selling HDS. He had wanted to move to sales but I didn't have an opportunity for him due to the timing and our need.

I met with Daniel a few days ago and the first thing that he asked was for some advise that he can take with hm... I told him that as a sale person, he has to just " focus on the numbers" and I told him why :

"if you have the numbers, and no politics

- no one can touch you, but

if you have no numbers but only politics

- no one can save you"

Below is a picture taken during our recent successful HDS Malaysia User Conference

that was held on 18 Aug 2009. Daniel is fourth from the left.

On the HDS Malaysia User Conference - it was a very successful event that was spearheaded by our Marketing Manager, Pooi Fong. We had more than 2x the attendees as compared to last year and 12 sponsors as compared to 7 last year. Starhub (Singapore) and JPN, spoke at our event. Overall, I am very proud of the team that I have at HDS Malaysia!!

MCA - get real FAST!!!

2009-10-04T19:01:00.003+08:00

Was just going through my old blogs and I noticed that I have posted some comments on 25th October 2008 about the MCA's just concluded election. It was just interesting that I suddenly felt that I was able to "predict" the future - or rather, the state of affairs in MCA does not need any prediction - they are just going down all the way.

To even have an EGM this coming 10 Oct 2009, is even mind boggling. What is it for?

Is it to :

o redeem Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's sex scandal? - There is a cost for everything including public office

o to confirm that Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is the right candidate? - I thought MCA just had their election last year on 18 Oct 2008

Are the MCA folks still living in the glory of their past and do they clearly understand the aspiration of the community and the nation.? Is anything going to be changed as a result of this election??

I seriously think that all they need to do is to get down to helping the people and the nation before we turn out to be a laughing stock of our neighbours....

In a recent seminar that HDS organised, we have invited a few speakers from our regional office and customer in Singapore - to my amazement, most, if not all the speakers are actually Malaysian - working in Singapore!!

The way things are going - I am not surprised if we have more bright Malaysian looking for greener pastures in Singapore, Hong Kong or even China, in the future.

Papa John's Pizza

2009-10-04T17:43:00.006+08:00

I just got back from Phuket where we had our HDS Asean Partner's Summit for 2009. It was a well organized event where our partners were exposed to a variety of new and exciting solutions. Most importantly, those solution help to save cost and streamline operations eg. Hitachi Content Archiving Platform (HCAP) and Hitachi Dynamic Provisioning (HDP)... More of these later.

When I came back, I received the latest copy of the Fortune Magazine - 28 Sept 2009. I have been an ardent fan of Fortune Magazine for many years as I have learnt a lot from their articles. One of the articles strike me and I thought I should post them in my blog so that I can remember them.

It's a story of how Papa John's got started... John Schnatter - founder, shared that we should :

1. find something that comes easy to you

- it is true that all of us aspire to do big and great things but very often the best talent that we have is just around the corner. At HDS - we spend a lot of time planning and building the business with what we have.

2. put the ideas to work

- dreams will remain as a dream until we test it. This is what we have done especially with our HCAP product where Malaysia is the main contributor to Asean's revenue this year.

3. be willing to take on the big guys

- we I joined HDS in 2007, our marketshare was just abt 4% when we closed 2006. However, we have a marketshare of 12.5% for 1H09! We have come a long way but what John said is correct - you must take on the big guys. So IBM, HP, EMC and Netapps - here we come.

What a historic moment!!

2008-11-05T13:45:00.007+08:00

I am currently in Cebu in the Philippines attending the Hitachi Data Systems CIO Conference. While waiting for the event to start this evening - I am in my room watching the acceptance speech of the US President-elect Barack Obama... What an historic moment this is.

Here are some excerpts of his acceptance speech that he just gave at Grant Park, Chicago awhile ago....

"This is our moment. This is our time -- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth -- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can"

"As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, 'We are not enemies, but friends ... though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.'

"Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long"

America has matured!! They have decided that the "American Dream" is more important than their personal, vis-a-vis race or religion agenda. They understand that the survival is dependant on how they can work together as a nation.

This really goes to show that for Malaysia to succeed, we must work as a nation and not just for a particular race.

I was just having breakfast with a few customers and we all agreed that the main issue in this country is not the Malays, Chinese or the Indians in Malaysia but rather the Chinese from China, the Indians from India, the Singaporean, the Aussies, Japanese and other. We must not divide among ourselves.

I hope the politicians understand this... Sighhhh

New MCA Leadership

2008-10-25T02:52:00.003+08:00

I was following the recently concluded MCA election quite closely and had some thought about the election of Ong Tee Keat and Chua Soi Lek to the position of president and deputy president. To them I want to offer my congratulations.

They talk about change and about the need to be bold in speaking up. Why only now when Karpal Singh, Kit Siang, Guan Eng and many others have actually gone to jail for advocating change and speaking up boldly all these while.

Is this real or just another bunch of political rhetoric that fits the time? We will see...

Phua Chu Kang and me

2008-10-21T18:16:00.006+08:00

Had the opportunity to have a photo with Gurmit Singh - I must say, he is very obliging as there are many other who requested for photos, autograph or just want to shake his hands.

Phua Chu Kang

2008-10-20T23:34:00.008+08:00

Last Sunday, I had the privilege of attending a "Friendship Lunch" featuring the star of PCK Pte Ltd - Gurmit Singh aka Phua Chu Kang. I call it a privilege as I discovered that Gurmit Singh is actually a very talented person - even though most of us know him only through the "Phua Chu Kang" sitcom. However, the most amazing part of his rise to stardom is his dedication to the work of Jesus. I was personally touch and realised that there is much more to live then what we see and touch everyday. Here is a bit more detail of this "funny" man.

Gurmit Singh, a famous star for the TV show PCK Pte Ltd, says that he does not take God or his faith lightly. His experience with God and life experience have strengthened his faith.

During Gurmit’s late teens, he learned that his mother was diagnosed with advanced-level cancer in 1984, and had no more than six months to live. God was the last thing that was on his mind and he even slapped his sisters when he learned that they became born-again Christian and brought a pastor to pray for her.

The pastor shared, letting his whole family know that Jesus was not ‘Santa Claus’ that came and granted their desires. In addition, Gurmit learned that only by submitting and trusting Him will they receive healing. Gurmit’s mother accepted Jesus Christ. However, Gurmit did not believe that Jesus could heal his mother.

It was around that time when Gurmit had his first encounter with God. His sisters brought him to a Christian Rally held by Reinhard Bonnke and that was when Gurmit accepted Jesus Christ. Gurmit Singh read the Bible and saw the verse Matthew 7:7. The verse speak about: Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. After that, he prayed to God to let his mother live longer to see him get married and play with her grandchildren. Gurmit’s mother continued to receive chemotherapy and one day after a medical checkup, she was completely cured and no traces of cancer cells were found in her.

The miraculous healing of Gurmit’s mother increased his faith. However, after 16 years of healthy life, his mother was down with cancer again. Gurmit was angry with God but the Holy Spirit reminded him that his mother had lived long enough to see him get married and played with her grandchildren. In addition to that, Gurmit’s mother passed away knowing that Jesus is her personal Lord and Savior.

What kind of leaders do we have?

2008-09-16T01:09:00.005+08:00

This is Tan Hoon Cheng, the Sin Chew reporter that was arrested under ISA on 12 Sept for 18 hrs.

Her arrest has sparked an uproar in our country over her reporting of a racist comment by Datuk Ahmad Ismail, the Chief of Bukit Bendera UMNO division.

On 15 Sept, she wrote of her experience under detention where she clearly detailed the entire 18 hrs of her journey with the police - it was a series of moving, interrogation, recording, travelling and trying to get some sleep...

Yet, we have our Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that "she was arrested as there was a threat on her life".

Firstly, who in their right frame of mind would arrest a reporter whose job is clearly to report on what they hear of see.

Secondly, what kind of a protection is this, when you try to protect someone "by arresting them".

From this simple 18 hrs exercise, I am just wondering what kind of leaders do we have in this country?

The Interview with God

2008-06-19T12:22:00.002+08:00

Someone send me a short clip on The Interview with God... Must view.

Strategy vs Execution

2008-06-12T17:33:00.003+08:00

Forecast Review

Today I have my weekly forecast review with the sales team and I noticed some potential issues for the coming quarters. Our funnel have definitely improved by leaps and bounds over the last 18 months. However, I also noticed a tendency to only look at the "big" picture of each deal. The team have moved from a "detail engagement" method to a "macro engagement" mode.

I am of the opinion that the successful sales person are those that can literally control the account.

Singtel story

This reminds me of a story that was told to me by Bill Chang - my previous manager in Cisco and now an EVP in Singtel. He asked me about the difference between Singtel, TM, AIS, KT, China Telecom and other incumbent telcos. I was rather curious about the difference. He told me that from strategy perspective - there is none as everyone uses the same group of consulting firms such Boston Consulting, Accenture, Booz Allen, McKinsey, AT Kearney and others.

The difference lies in the execution - that really open my eye.

Likewise, the difference between a successful sales person and others - is in the execution. Thanks, Bill.

Stagflation - What is It?

2008-06-10T12:43:00.005+08:00

Oil price

The world oil has been going up rapidly over the last 12 months but we, in Malaysia do not seem to be feeling the impact until last week when there was a 40% increase in the petrol price to RM2.70 per liter. Oil price went to a record of US$139.12 last Friday and it is expected to go up to US$150 - US$180 by the 2nd half of the year before adjusting downward. Personally, while we have been watching CNN and CNBC about the oil price future - there was no immediate impact. Now that the impact is here - we have to ask ourselves this question - what do we do and how do we move forward?

1997, again...

Rewind 10 years ago - we have a fairly similar situation 10 years ago when we have the Asian currency crisis - prices were going up everyday, no one was buying anything, no government tender - most purchasing activities come to a stand still for about 6 - 9 months. Will the same scenario happen to us in Malaysia, again? I would say that the next 6 months will be challenging time for many of us. We are moving into a phase of stagflation - stagnant growth with inflation.

What then?

Like 1997, while it is a tough period, it is also a good time for the forward looking people to plan, consolidate and prepare for the future. For the sales people like us, companies who are serious about their future will be a "qualified" opportunities for us to call upon.

"Tough times don't last but tough people do"

Dr. Robert Schuler

For the individual - we must take advantage of this situation to strengthen and build ourselves - growth and self-development should be a priority during this period. As for me, I hope to ride out this period stronger and more resilient.

HDS Malaysia gains Marketshare

2008-06-09T16:09:00.021+08:00

The Last 5 Quarters

I received the IDC tracker from our marketing last week and did some analysis to the data presented and was pleasantly surprise that we have actually grew our marketshare in the "External Storage Segment" even though there's more opportunity for us. At a glance against another competitor :

Quarter...2007Q1.. 2007Q2.. 2007Q3.. 2007Q4.. 2008Q1

EMC....... 24.5%...... 27.1%..... 21.8%..... 17.9%..... 17.9%

HDS....... 3.0%........ 2.6%....... 5.5%...... 6.2%...... 7.7%

Looking at the data, it showed that our team in HDS is moving in the right direction. I am proud of them as we have been able to forward positively, inspite of the many challenges that was in our way. I am sure we will see a stronger set of results in the coming quarters.

Back after 2 months

2008-06-09T15:11:00.004+08:00

Time off

I decided to take some time off after noticing that a lot of blogs and bloggers are very involved in political comments - about any issues or non-issues. In my view our country is getting into the path of "too much politics". What we all need is not about politics but about "what makes sense to all of us" - it's the economy.

Areas to Focus

People are talking about Pakatan Rakyat, Barisan UMNO, MP crossover, the demise of Gerakan, the snoop squard of MCA and so forth. Do I really care?? I don't!! In my blog, I will be focusing my attentions to areas that I really care about...

Getting Out of Line

2008-04-04T12:43:00.005+08:00

Shocked

I was completely shocked to read in The Star today with the headline that states ‘Punishing non-Muslims for khalwat against Constitution’.

"...Syariah Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Mohd Asri Abdullah said the seminar had proposed that non-Muslims committing khalwat with Muslims be likewise sentenced, but in the civil courts..."

As a fairly objective person all the time, I decided to really read through the entire article. At first, I was shocked that such a recommendation would even appear. Then, I felt disappointed that those purportedly to be knowledgeable and educated would have no clue to the real issues at hand. Lastly, I am sad, as this nation is in dire danger of going into oblivion if we have such individuals leading major social institution of the country.

Let's Get It Right

We must understand that we are a multi racial and multi ethnic country. For the record, we are not the only multi racial and multi ethnic country in this world. The only ingredient that will ensure continuous peace and success, is for everyone to have RESPECT for each individual. I guess we do not have to be academic about this issue - RESPECT is a very simple thing - it is from the heart. To impose your view and believe on another person is out right wrong!! We don't even have to have the court to decide on this.

Learn, please

Everyone knows the outcome of the recent General Election and the reasons for the result for the Government. They are arrogant and apathy. Looks to me that, those in the government are not learning from the recent experience. I dare to say that, if this attitude continues - the support for the government will definitely erode further.

Rahman's Promotion

2008-03-24T15:17:00.004+08:00

This morning, I was pleased to announce Rahman's promotion to the team as the new SE Manager. Rahman has been with Hitachi Data Systems for more than 7 years as our System Engineer for GSS and Pre-sales. He has demonstrated his strong technical skill to both internal and external customers. Customers are very comfortable with Rahman's knowledge and expertise in the storage field. I am personally looking forward to Rahman's continuous contribution to the company and in managing the pre-sales engineers. Congratulations, Rahman!!

Xian is Getting Stronger

2008-03-22T23:26:00.002+08:00

Visited Xian just now and noticed a significant difference as compared to the last few days. He now sits upright - without bending his head and moves his hand very well. His left hand and leg needs more work.

Considering the fact that he was just discharged about a week ago - his healing is nothing short of remarkable... Praise our Living God - Jesus.

He smiles, speaks more and raise his eye brow - at least his mischievous part is back albeit, slowly...

The above is Xian now - very different from 1 month ago, when he was admitted to the hospital (18 Feb 2008).

We Did It!

2008-03-21T23:27:00.005+08:00

As mentioned yesterday in the "Tenacity In Selling", we were supposed to close the 1 significant deal for the year and quarter.

Well... we did it! We closed the deal - a government order and with that we have a chance to achieve a growth rate of more than 65% Y/Y - contingent on our ability in shipping all the goods before year end ie. 31 March 2008.

It has been an excellent year for many of us. First of all, most of us made more money than previous years. Secondly, our business is on a better footing than before - with our funnel positioned strongly in the next 1 -2 quarters. Thirdly, we are clearer in what we need to do as we move forward.

We have a 3 years plan :

Year 1 (2007) : build a strong infrastructure - we convert our business into a 100% channels model

Year 2 (2008) : building solution content and knowledge - we must position solution selling in our business both for ourselves and our partners

Year 3 (2009) : focus in market share building - no business can grow and sustain itself if market share growth is not part of the plan. We will grow market share in Year 3.

Xian Is Recovering

2008-03-21T23:21:00.002+08:00

Was really glad today as I received a positive sms from Frank on Xian's condition. Jeng Xian went for a follow-up check up this morning and here is an sms from Frank,

"PTL, thanks be 2 our God. Blood test shows everything stable n progressing well for Xian. Doctors are amazed at Xian's recovery. Prayer works. All glory be to God."

I am looking forward to Xian's full recovery soon. Halelujah!!

Tenacity In Selling

2008-03-20T20:14:00.000+08:00

A Good Year

This month marks the end of Hitachi Data Systems financial year for 2007. As usual there is a rush to complete the orders that have been committed for the quarter and year. We are having a good year thus far. Up to Q3, we are having a 50% growth Y/Y and potentially 65% growth Y/Y for the full year.

For Malaysia, we have 1 significant deal that is almost 20% of the year's budget. We are close to wrapping it up but... not yet. This deal is managed by one of my Sales Manager - Ghaffar. He has done relatively well this year. With this order, he would have hit more than 140% of his year's quota.

The Issue

Here is the issue... he has decided to go on leave this Friday - the day when we have our final nego. Early this week, he told me that he would like to go on leave on Friday, since Thursday is a public holiday. As usual, I told him that, I am ok so long as he wrap up the deal before hand. It wasn't done.

My thought

I was just thinking about the situation that I have and realised that - the difference between a successful sales person vs a mediocre one often lies in their tenacity for success. In my view, while there are priorities in our life, to achieve what we want - we must have the tenacity to make it happen. Mere words in this competitive world is no longer enough.

We will see the outcome of our discussion tomorrow.

Jeng Xian's status

2008-03-20T19:50:00.001+08:00

We went to visit Jeng Xian at home today. It has been a week since he was discharged from SJMC.

It has been a miracle in many ways, considering the condition that Xian was in 2-3 weeks ago. Then he was just lying in hospital with a lot of tubes going in and out of his body. With a lot of prayer and support from everyone and the doctors, Xian was moved out of the ICU early last week and left the hospital on Thursday. I am very happy for Xian's recovery.

He is now resting at home and undergoing physiotherapy. He was not able to move a big part of his body, yet. When I saw him early this week, he can speak a few words and move his fingers. Today, he spoke more words. I can see that he was glad to see his friend, Nicholas (my son) - when he smiled. I also noticed more movement from him.

With more prayer, I am sure that we will see Xian fully recover soon.

My experience at the 12th GE

2008-03-18T00:28:00.000+08:00

This is the first time that I am involved directly in the Malaysian General Election. It all started during a dinner that a few of us (Frank Lim) had with Dato Lee Hwa Beng at Super Tanker Restaurant in Damansara way before the parliment was dissolved.

Playing a Role

Most of us have been talking about the election and issues that have been affecting us. However, I realised that what we have done so far has been to talk only. Hence, when Dato Lee asked us to help, Frank and myself, felt that it would be good for us to support a friend and at the same time... be involved. We were to be coordinators for the polling center during the polling day - seems easy.

Most of the volunteers are from the churches around Subang Jaya and Sunway. There are a few churches that are outside of the township that just wanted to help. In fact, Dato Lee received tremendous support for various Christian groups, judging from the initial meeting that was organized in late Feb.

When we asked David Loo (election agent) as to why Dato Lee engaged the churches to be observers during the polling day, instead of those "paid agents" - David's answer was just plain simple - "Dato Lee can count on you guys to be there and be committed to complete the task". I am really proud of that comment.

The Action Begins

Initially, I thought that organizing election was just "chicken feet". Little did I realise that it is actually a rather complicated matter. They have to look at the ceramah, crowd control, food and drink, electricity, posters and etc...

Frank and myself began the task of mobilizing the members for about 35 polling centers, which will need about 240 members. All our volunteers are just that - volunteers. I thought it was quite simple - with my experience working in MNC the last 20 years... It wasn't that easy, coupled with the fact that they are just volunteers. We then enlisted Frank's eldest son - Jeng Chee, who was a tremendous help to us.

In the midst of all the action, Jeng Xian (Frank youngest son) was admitted to SJMC at the ICU for virus infection of the brain. Suddenly, we have other more urgent matters other than the election... Ah Xian, (as Jeng Xian was known to us), was particularly close to us. We were in a spot. I shared Ah Xian's situation to a few leaders of the volunteers (such as Mdm Lau Guat Hoon, Chu Seng Wah, Pastor Moses and Ong Hock Siew), their immediate reaction was - let's pray for him. Pray we did, individually and with all the volunteers.

Then I received a call from Dato Lee exactly 1 week before the election - in the call he asked if I could handle the entire coordination on my own!! This will allow Frank to focus completely on Xian - with his thoughtfulness, I could not say no.

The next 1 week was really hectic. I could not let 2 person down - Dato Lee with his election in a week's time and Frank, with Xian in ICU. On the surface I acted cool - I guess, that is how I normally am at work - even though I am peddling like mad below the water!! With 2 days to go, we were 95% ready. The other 5% is to convince some people to go over to Seri Setia @ Kg Medan and Kg Lindungan - which seem tougher than I thought. With God's grace, we were at 100% 1 day before the election.

The Election Day

It started off rather uneventful. All observers were at their centers on time @ 7:30 am. As mentioned by David Loo earlier - these guys are committed. We passed the 10 am mark, then 12 pm, and then, we were almost closing at 5 pm... We begin to monitor deployment for the counting process - other than a few minor confusion, most centers were taken care of by our observers. My initial thought were for the entire process to be completed by 7 pm, at the latest - a bit ambitious, on my part - also, due to my inexperience...

I was at the SMK USJ 12 to have a first hand look at the counting. I was excited. This time around, the counting was done at the room ie. each saluran. What followed was really shocking for me... There seem to be more "crosses" for Loh Gwo Burne and Hannah than for Dato Lee and Mdm Ong. In my heart, I knew that there will be a swing but what I saw that evening was not a swing - it was more like a pendulum moving the other direction. My heart was pounding faster and I was literally stunt.

I thought that was probably due to the residents there. I then decided to check out other centers. I drove to SK SS14 to have another look. What I saw at USJ 12 wasn't a unique situation - it was probably a trend. A major trend. I stayed until the counting was over at SS14 - then I felt that Dato Lee had probably lost the election.

It looks to me that everyone is just very angry with the BN government and it was nationwide.

Back at the service center, the mood was sombre and I can see Dato Lee feeling dejected. Su Su (Dato's wife) was there , too. I empathized for them. They have put in their heart and soul the last 12 years, and yet the voters "rejected" them. Granted that Dato Lee is not perfect - almost everyone that I met said that this man has done a lot for Subang Jaya... maybe not enough.