On the road of job search again

Hi there folks,

Long time no witting, I know it seems weird. In the past months I had some tough experiences, one of which connected to a newly found job at an advertising agency called G.I.D. Consult. It should be among the first companies of that kind in Varna. Unfortunately, the working conditions were worse than I expected - again like in Slovakia, bad and arrogant behaviour from my boss, totally stressful emotional environment. I accepted this job because I needed some money but the main outcome I would like to share is - never do this! Money is not all in our lifes so be careful when selecting your work place. The health is absolutely more important!

Meanwhile, I started a new professional blog focused on the 22 immutable branding laws as presented by the all time classic book written by Al and Laura Reis. I describe the Bulgarian business reality viewed from the branding perspective. I may say it's kinda successful as some of the posts rank very well on Google search pages - among the top 10 list! :) It's in Bulgarian language but those of you who speak or understand it will find the articles useful, I'm pretty sure. Branding is all around us no matter if we feel it or not ;)))

These days, I dedicate some time to teaching foreigners my mother tongue. It's susch a great experience that give me plenty of emotional and long-term rewards. Nevertheless, it helps forigners get in touch with the Bulgarian culture. I got to know 2 nice Russian girls via the social network Vkontakte.ru and now I'm reviving my Russian speaking skills which is amazing! And they are so nice, friendly and always careful! :) That's one of the reasns I feel the Russian people very close to my heart - as brothers! The Central, Eastern and South Slavs rule ;))) Poland is my all time specialty but Russia is moving up front :)))

I don't stop reading books on marketing and branding. Currently, I'm on the "Love Marks" written by the advertising creative guru Kevin Roberts. Also, I try to catch up on the ClickZ Online Marketing articles I receive as newsletters in my mailbox every working day. Now I still have around 140 unread but my plan is in the up-coming 15 days to reduce this number to 0 :)))

Well, regarding personal life, I still look for that special blues-rock-hearted lady that will make my days! It doesn't have to be located in Varna or even Bulgaria as for the love there are no boundaries, you know. "If you need some lovin', honey, you must have the blues", as Fleetwood Mac perfectly have written in their classic song "Rattlesnake Shake", performed genuinely by my favourite band Aerosmith. These days I started again listening to all of their albums one by one and bought some new CDs. My goal is to complete the CD collection and move to it from the cassettes. The digital sound is far better :)

That's all for now, dear friends!

See ya in the next post and of any questions arise, feel free to ask in the comments box.

Cheers!

Personal update

Hi there folks,

In the last month-and-a-half I have been involved in the following activities:
- participation in the Organisational Committee of the biggest exchange project of AIESEC in Bulgaria - "The Battle of The East" as responsible for the Slovak team and the leisure activities of the interns;
- looking for my new job (it's been already 4 months);
- reading articles and books in my areas of expertise - marketing, branding, tourism, online marketing;
- traveling across Bulgaria - I visited thanks to the AIESEC project plaaces like Etara, Gabrovo, Dryanovo Monastery, the Bacho Kiro cave, Shipka Monument;
- partying and meeting with a lot of friends.

After getting to know people from 5 countries and 3 continents, I may say that the summer was very nice, relaxing and full of cultura experiences.

The AIESEC project "The Battle of The East" was a huge success and it was an honour for me to have the chance to support it with everything I could do. My personal goal was to show the old school style of interns reception - the one I was tought in my early 3-4 years in AIESEC Varna. I'm sure that together with my colleagues from the OC team we have set very high standard of reception in the minds of all our interns. Their positive feedback just proved it completely!

Very soon I will add in Flickr new photos from my summer adventures as well.

Stay tuned for upcoming updates, guys!

See ya in the next post,

Victor Tomov

Daily Nutrition without Chemical Conservators

Is it possible to eat on a daily basis food without any chemical conservators?

My answer is YES!

Here's my personal diet as an example:

1. Breakfast - rice-rolls (substitute the bread, packed, without salt and gluten) + white brine or yellow goat cheese +/- boiled egg + tomatoes or other vegetable.
2. Lunch - baked or boiled food (lentils, beans, potatoes, rice, pasta) reach in carbohydrates + goat cheese + vegetable salad.
3. Second breakfast in the afternoon - raw nuts + honey or dark chocolate (min. 70% cacao).
4. Fruits between the meals.
5. Dinner - chicken or fish meat stewed on water vapour or baked only with salt and wine / mushrooms filled with cheese, eggs and vegetables + salads +/- rice-rolls +/- wine.
6. 2 hours before sleep - cane of yogurt (2% fat).

As you see, there is no even a single food having chemical conservators as ingredients. It's really possible!

Of course, I can add to this the draft beer or especially the so called "live" beer served in the bar 'Maestro' in Varna. I also eat some food with conservators but this is only during parties and some special occasions :)))

Excluding from your diet the packed and preserved food will save you additional body fat, intoxication, and not at the last place - money. It will help you optimize your budget and focus it on healthier stuff.

See ya in the next post, folks!

Victor Tomov

Branding vs Sales - The case of the Local Business in Varna (Bulgaria)

As mentioned at the end of my previous post, in this one I will share with you my recent observations and thoughts of the local business environment in Varna, Bulgaria.

From employment point of view, it's easy to notice that almost every marketing oriented job is related to or focused solely on sales. What does this mean? The local companies or the Business units of the international corporations are using mainly the 'push' strategies for their interaction with the customers. In the job offers we see usually a sentence like that - "following the process of market growth we seek to hire a motivated person for the position of trade representative / sales executive". Another thing to consider is the very low employees retention rate in these 2 areas. Why is that? Because sooner or later, every individual realizes that nowadays success is not driven primarily by sales but by buys! Then comes the slow but gradual process of motivation decrease and discomfort in presenting the products by interrupting the potential customers. This issue will be speed up by a higher exploitation level.

People become cleverer these days, especially with the wide range of choices and sources of information they have when purchasing. Everybody knows what is the salesmen' intent - to make you buy and then to receive his/her commission and that's all. This is the wrongly arranged reality.

The opposite to selling is buying which correctly gives the power in the hands of the consumers. They no longer just choose the quality but the brands! Marketplace isn't a physical space but a mental one - all the consumers are won or lost by their minds and perceptions. People no longer believe to the sales reps but to the recommendations from their peers and friends. Here comes the cure - the branding! Producing a good with superior quality is the important initial stage of success. Building it as a strong brand - perfectly, developing a completely new category - by popularization is the second phase. The third is to defend by advertising the brand once it reaches the maturity level. Attention should be earned, not bought or forced. The product category associated with the brand should be inside the media stories, not aside of them, especially at the building phase. This is a truth that is a huge pill to swallow for most of the companies. Why's that? Because it challenges and shakes completely their comfortable world-view!

What's the situation in my city? Almost all the businesses neglect their branding efforts and rely ultimately on sales. I know that it's hard to make a shift in the policies but somebody has to start. The one with the highest power and leadership skills within an organization. Be the first or the competition will be smarter and take and advantage. This could be vital, especially in time of a global crisis. Even tough I also apply for sales jobs, I look at them as an opportunity to shift the aggressive approach with more customer oriented and care-driven one. The case with the big companies presented on the local market is similar. Most of them have the marketing units in Sofia and just sales ones in the other cities. This may lead to a business myopia caused by a lack of focus on the local specifics. The sales force at least should provide valuable real time insights apart of executing it's persuasive function but nothing can replace the effect of the local marketing research, product and branding optimization.

Local sales force is usually the cheaper option compared to building a marketing and branding unit which requires longer period for ROI evaluation. Keeping the things short-term oriented will result in an unstoppable brand damage. The decision - focus mainly on branding and customer service to ensure that the awareness and interest stages of the buying funnel are adequately covered by a strong CRM team. No sales needed - if you know how to instill desire and action :)

From a customer perspective - imagine a world with no interruption from irrelevant salesmen but a careful consulting from a customer care reps only when you need it. World with no stupid and annoying ads but funny, useful and engaging brand experiences that can show us also nishes of undiscovered needs and products. Sounds nice, ah? I'll work for that!

Let me know what do you think ;)))

Cheers mates!

Victor Tomov

The Global Financial Crisis Influence on the Employment

Hi there guys,

These days I look for a job and reflect on the recent employment issues that the Global financial crisis has raised. We all can hear and read a plenty of stories with employers (usually big companies) murmuring about cost cuts and staff optimization.

While the economic downturn affects all sectors, the singe most important factor for success and survival are the people within the organization. Thus, attracting the top talents and retaining them is crucial for all businesses. First comes the recruitment and selection processes. From negotiations perspective, the fight for power increase is absolutely vital! Most of the companies try to be clever and use the "empty cellar of mom Hubbard" technique while presenting the remuneration packages to the primary approved job candidates. At this point of the employment negotiations, the following alternatives are available for the career pursuers:
- accepting and believing what the corporate HR reps are telling and decreasing the salary expectations to fit in the "dedicated budget";
- stressing on their individual skills to differentiate among the other candidates and imposing more attention to the fact that quality comes along with its adequate price.

Which option do you think is more likely to be chosen by especially young applicants? I bet the answer will be the first one. Statistically, it will be correct and that's what the companies rely on, more intensively in times of crisis. But all of them perfectly know that the talents are the only thing that can bring them out of the bad situation and lead them to success in long term! It's all about perception and belief in the own qualities (unique mix of knowledge and skills). Lack of self-awareness and confidence is a sure way to exploitation.

What's the decision for the people that are still at the very beginning of their careers? Look at your past experiences - both educational and working. Reflect on them and appoint the milestones. They should be used to increase the belief in your abilities.
What if you are still students? Cool! Look for an NGO to join, especially one that can provide you with enough freedom to practice your knowledge, learn a lot and be successful. Voluntary active membership in such organizations could fill the experience gap that most of the employers set in ther job offers.

My personal story:
In October 2002, I joined AIESEC - the world's largest platform for young people to develop and discover their potential. Now, after working in every possible functional area, taking different responsibilities, I tend to present myself as a young professional and recent graduate with 4,5 years of management experience, with 2 internships realized abroad, strong values and principles and a network of good friends. AIESEC was the thing that made this huge difference in my life.

As a conclusion, believing in my own abilities, I won't let any future employer to exploit my potential by using the cheap tricks of the critical budget constrains related to new employees. Optimizing the business process should start from the staff management. More qualified the people are, less likely they should be fired or encouraged to leave. The only people that can be afraid are the badly educaated and low-qualified employees. They are the ones that could be replaced any time.

In the next post I'll get a bit more local in the business perspective.

Cheers,

Victor Tomov

Nutrition and Stress - the 2 Major Health Factors

In our intensive daily life there are 2 major health factors - the Stress and the Nutrition. As the former is usually out of our control, the situation is different with the latter. While everybody is exposed to a considerable amount of stress factors, nowadays, it becomes far more important to know and leverage the nutritional aspects of our life. Establishing control over the own diet that leads to better health condition isn't an easy process. It requires several elements (note that all of them are equally important):
- information and knowledge;
- technologies available;
- strong will, positive attitude and decisiveness towards all potential life-style changes;
- support and understanding from the closest friends and relatives.

Once all of the conditions set above are present, every individual will be able to make the necessary adjustments, learn what and how to consume the right food according to his/her personal specifics, and take over the control of the Nutrition factor. Fortunately, there are few helpful tools available to everyone in this regard. They provide very important information about all the foods and ingredients that our organism accepts, tolerates (accepts one a week) or rejects when consumed. With this insight in mind, help from specialist and individually gained knowledge, we can start and realize a crucial shift in our lives - to better nutritional habits and health.

The 2 most popular tools are: blood test and vega test. The first one is very expensive, though it gives the correct and most detailed results for all food kinds at once. The second one is far cheaper, requires triple testing and after a period of 18 months gives the correct results for approx. 200 food kinds.

My personal story:

After coming back from Slovakia, almost a year ago, my mom told me about the vega test that she did in april 2008. I got attracted about it and decided to undertake the first test almost immediately. We appointed the date and then the screening showed me the results. "Wow, what the heck!", I said, after seeing that I should not drink beer, eat pastry stuff, milk chocolate and some other widely popular foods. But then, I realized that this is a great possibility to introduce another major change in my life which seemed to be exciting and interesting in the end :) I started to follow strictly the test and the specialist's recommendations and for less than 2 months my weight became normal! I lost 14 kilos and got the primary shape I wanted. Then, it was very easy to continue, already adapted to the new reality. Together with my mom, we realized that our expenditure on food got optimized as we removed plenty of conservant-rich things. So, 4 months later, the time for the second test came. After giving to my organism a valuable break from the unhealthy (in my specific case) food, it responded more correctly in the screening. The results were unexpected - the beer became acceptable, as with the pastry (partially), milk chocolate and some other cool things I liked before. Now, I'm following the test prescriptions and can't wait for the third final one that will show me the real results I should follow for the rest of my life :)) These days, I eat a lot - only the food accpeted and tolerated by my body, don't gain extra weight, feel good and keep myself in a fit shape by exercising.

I think everyone of us can take the control of the Nutrition factor in his/her life. It's not that hard but the consequenses are great! Being healthy is not only a responsibility to yourself but to other people that love and rely on you as well. Realizing this is an important step towards a positive change.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments box below, guys! :) If you like to learn more about the vega testing, don't hesitate to ask me for details.

See ya in the next post.

Victor Tomov

Idealism in the Real World

"Tell me what it takes to let you go...", Aerosmith first sang 20 years ago in one of their all-time favourite hit songs ("What It Takes", Pump Album, 1989). Now the question still remains, although slightly changed in the following way - Tell me what is takes to be an Idealist in today's world of pragmatism and mercantilism.

I strongly believe that the ideals are a driving force for the evolution in the society and the business. Knowing what does an ideal state of a thing or situation mean will enable us to pursue it consistently. Even though it's hard to reach it, having a clear vision will always keep us focused. Compromising the ideals could result in a short-term success but will harm our identity comprising of values, principles and inspirations. This mix unleashes our true creativity, makes us confident and determined.

What does it take to be an Idealist these days? Here are some of the important components:
- strong will;
- consistent set of values and principles;
- supporting cultural environment (friends, family, relatives, partners etc);
- clear vision for success;
- commitment to the pursue of ideals;

Idealism is a good source for inspiration and important behavioural guide. It can add another piece of love and enthusiasm in our work and/or relationships. Though, it's not the panacea for success and should be balanced by the relevant doses of realism and optimism. Otherwise, we will lose our perspective of the present situations. Being idealists means that we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Having along a realistic view will ensure that this light won't blind us on our way. Optimism will nurture our will to walk towards the light but being careful as it may be a coming train ;)))

I like being Idealist, knowing what I want to achieve and what's the state of success. Mixing it with realism and optimism is hard but I can do it. Besides, combining idealism with optimism and realism is an ideal state itself, isn't it? :))) What do you think, folks? I'll wait for your comments and thoughts on this topic.

Cheers,

Victor Tomov

My recent conclusions about the successful salesperson qualities

Hi there folks,

As you know, I'm in a process of finding a new job. Apart from the applications, I have free time to study by reading plenty of interesting articles on online marketing (my current professional passion), branding, customer service and sales management. For everybody interested in the aforementioned topics, I'll strongly recommend subscription for the ClickZ newsletters with White papers on marketing and its online implementation. Just follow this link www.clickz.com/subscribe.

After completing the self-reflection stage based on my previous working experience and getting valuable insights, I've reached the conclusion for the most important characteristics of the successful sales person. Here they are:
- strong in-depth knowledge about the product;
- personal advocacy for the product based on valuable positive experience;
- total focus on the customer's needs - exploration, definition, addressing, caring and loving;
- empathy;
- honest, polite, delicate and gentle behaviour allowing the customer to feel appreciated, safe and in control of the situation;
- ability to match, present and emphasize on the most important product characteristics that may influence and educate additionally the customer in his/her buying decision;
- active listening ability;
- proactive approach;
- confidence and decisiveness.

I'll be glad to hear your comments on the presented salesperson profile. My believe in the concepts of 'relationship building marketing' and the 'customer care' have helped me to establish this vision for a really successful sales that drive long-term results and customer satisfaction. I'm eager to demonstrate my selling and negotiations skills in my next job if it requires it. Therefore, I will prove that this is the right mix of qualities in this area.

See ya in the next post :)

Victor Tomov

Public money raising for charity

Hello there dear friends,

As most of you have already noticed, now in Bulgaria the TV show VIP Brother is realizing one great initiative of raising money for different charity causes. The mechanism uses the means of sms text messaging and calls to a specified numbers along with individual donations. In this case, several parties are equally involved - the TV, the show' producers, the spectators, some rich people and the mobile operators.

It was announced that half of the collected money goes to the 3 mobile operators - GLOBUL, M-Tel and vivatel/BTC. The rest is divided by the producers, the TV and the donations fund. Indeed, a simple calculation may show that no more than 30% of the total sum raised by sms reaches the main goal of the charity campiagn - to help the unprivileged children in Bulgaria. This means that out of 1,20 lv only approx. 0.40 lv go for the cause.

My retoric question is - was it possible for the mobile operators, the NOVA TV and the producer to take a valuable part in this noble initiative by simply waive their shares and ensure that all the money from sms messages reach their intended destination?

It's easy to motivate the normal people that struggle each day for their salaries to donate, but it's far more important to support their efforts by personal example as an organisator.

Now almost 1 200 000 lv are raised. If the operators, NOVA TV and the producer supported the cause, this amount can tripple and a lot of children will receive a great chance to survive, improve their living conditions and involve themselves fully in the society!!!

I think this is possible and absolutely easy. The only thing necessary - these corporate and media big fishes to start walking their social responsibility talks.

What do you think about that? I'll be gad to hear your opinion in the comments field :)

Cheers!

Victor Tomov

Looking for the perfect... job!

Again, I'm on the road - the highway of the professional realization and career development. Looking for the perfect job!

One thing I've found very useful is the self-reflection skill I exercise these days the most. By reading different books, one of them I will recommend to everybody - 'The 80/20 revolution' (by Richard Koch), I crystallize my job seeking approach.

Here are some conclusions about what I'm looking for:
- a company with clear vision and mission towards excellence;
- a strong and socially relevant corporate cause I will be expected to defend and fight for;
- a manager with in-depth specific knowledge and ability to communicate and motivate effectively;
- a job description focused on marketing communications (especially branding), consultancy, analysis, project management and execution, negotiations;
- a friendly environment with no intrigues and back-talking.

When I find this company or entity, I will be more than happy to give all my best to help it achieve the excellent results and sustainable growth. I'm ready to devote my energy and unique mix of values, view-points, knowledge and skills on diverse range of topics - marketing, economics, sustainable development, social responsibility. The ideas, the creativity, the personality, these are the most important components of every successful enterprise. Finding the perfect job is all about matching your passions and skills with certain business needs. It requires patience, will and a little bit of luck :)

I don't believe to any employer that uses the cheap negotiating trick of emphasizing on the global financial crisis when discussing its remuneration and hiring policies. It's not about crisis, it's all about right people for the right job. If I see that a workplace deserves all my devotion, then I will give it and will be motivated to fight against and overcome the critical business situations. Nowadays, no longer the capital rules, it's the talents who do!

Interested in discussing this topic further? Don't hesitate to write your comments, folks :)

See ya in the next post,

Cheers!

Victor Tomov