Aran (Eran) Ariel's weblog

a few images the I would like to share

I have not posted anything for a while - here are a few images from the past 6-months that I like...

Rafting on the Jordan river - September 2010

Eilat - August 2010

 

 

Happy Rosh Hashana!

the team

 

border collie

 The breeder also has 2 gorgeous female Shelties.  

It was the first time that I have seen such beautiful Shelties in Israel. I almost changed my decision from Border Collie to Sheltie. Growing up with Shelties, I am very much attached to the breed, however the Border Collie makes much more sense. Perhaps the solution would be to have both! 

Ron with "Chetz" (Arrow)

 And the Shelties....

 

orange sky sunset

 

we see them the way we are and not the way they are…

In relation to the presentation I am giving next week at the University of Haifa to a group of visiting students from the University of Minnesota on the subject of the difference between American work and business culture and that of Israel:

It is all a matter seeing things in their proper context.  As I reflect on my own experiences in Israel, between both cultures, my innate inclination is toward polite and respectful American etiquette, while my being direct and honest is part of that cultural context – and  accordingly subject to misinterpretation…

PR with Passion: What's your 'Elevator Statement?'

www.egpublicrelations.com 

By Stefanie Guzikowski

April 15, 2010 2:00 AM

We've all been there. You strike up a conversation with someone in an elevator, at a cocktail party or networking event and inevitably they ask, "So what do you do?" or "What does your company do?" Even if it seems just like friendly conversation, your best bet is to assume you're talking to a potential prospect — or someone who could give you a great referral — and treat your response as such.

If you've properly prepared, your short reply to these questions (aka your elevator statement) should come comfortably and easily, and should engage and entice your listeners. Do you have a strong elevator statement geared up? If not, you should take the time to develop one.

Every company's key executives should work together to prepare a succinct and compelling message that clearly describes what they do, what they offer and what sets them apart from the competition. The elevator statement must be clear, relevant and concise — you'll need to relay it in 45 seconds to a minute. It should be a well-written description of your company that you can verbally deliver with enthusiasm, confidence, and sincerity. Successful elevator statements immediately capture the listener's attention and demonstrate that your company offers a valuable solution.

Remember, you may only have a minute or less to respond to your listener, so the key is to make your elevator statement brief, punchy, and memorable to make a positive impression quickly. As tempting as it is, this is not the time to immediately launch into a full sales pitch. The conversation may lead to that point, which would be great, but start off with a short, succinct response to capture your listener's attention, maximize impact, and be clearly understood. Emphasize your key points to engage your listeners, and strive for a business card exchange and/or follow-up conversation.

You may think your elevator statement will come naturally and that you don't need to write it down, work with others, or practice. However, it's important to take the time to consider, draft and refine this message carefully, and to gather input from key decision-makers within the organization. Secure buy-in from your leadership team and make sure all employees know and own it to ensure consistent messaging, especially as new products, services or incentives are offered. Once a message is finalized internally, executives should practice their elevator statement on a friend or relative to see how they react and to determine if they understand what you're attempting to convey. If they don't "get it," chances are others won't either, and you should reassess your pitch. Another option is to work with a consultant or other third party to help you craft your message. Third party objectivity can be invaluable in capturing what is most interesting to your target audience in a way that will resonate.

Your elevator statement should include the following elements:

• Who do you work for or what's your business? Briefly describe your product or service.
• What's unique about your company? Briefly describe how your product or service is better than your competitors.
• Who is your target market? Is your product or service uniquely suited to a specific demographic (e.g., lawyers, doctors, restaurant owners) or does it have broader appeal? Why is your product or service appealing to your target audience?
• What makes you most proud? Why do you love working at your company? Be passionate about what you do, and let that excitement and enthusiasm shine through when you talk about your organization.
• What do you stand for? What are the company's guiding principles? What are your values? Are you a green organization committed to sustainable practices or devoted to community service?
• Why do clients enjoy working with you? Is it your exceptional customer service? Your unique products or services? Your commitment to community service? Your extensive experience? What makes your company special?

Once scripted, the final result should be compelling, exciting, engaging and consistent. All members of your organization should be prepared with this elevator statement, and encouraged to use it during and after work hours.

Stefanie Guzikowski is chief passion officer for Portsmouth-based E&G Public Relations, a firm that specializes in strategic public relations counsel, messaging analysis and development, media outreach, news announcement counsel, and more. For information, call 501-0052 or visit www.egpublicrelations.com.

 

field of red poppies near kibbutz shefayim nature reserve

astonishing 

dead sea weekend camping trek - metsukei dargot and nachal oz

We all had a great time this weekend. Here are some photos:

overlooking the dead sea on Friday evening

the camping site 

Carin and Mom  

and we are off...

Calanit in the desert

Water over our knees - pools of water remaining from the last river flow

Carini 

Ima

affection   

kissy kissy huggy huggy

  
 

 

 

a few new images from our design review yesterday

I usually take much better images, however, here are some that I was able to take

 left: Itay  instructing him on the focused crawler mechanism

right: Yaniv taking white-board images with using his Iphone

left to right: Amit, Yaniv and Itay 

contrast of weather

Stef’s backyard in New Hampshire :

 

Uncommonly warm weather on the beach over the weekend here in Israel - Ramat Poleg beach

 

shot on the poleg beach near netanya

 

image illustrating the epitome of happiness

 

my opinion concerning sam vaknin

My opinion is that Sam is not a fraud, however, needs to be taken in proper context. Being that said, he is very intriguing. Under normal circumstances, I would normally condescend upon malicious writing or any pretentious attitude, however, with regard to Sam, it is not the case.

I am not endorsing him, however, there is at least one very well articulated essay he has written that is definitely ground breaking - Inside, Outside Diasporas and Modern States is based on a speech that that Sam gave in Toronto in 1999 revolving around aspects of Israel’s ailing socio-economic transparency in contrast and in relation to that state’s uncanny capability of sustaining impressive social and economic growth.

However, It must be conveyed that since 1999, a significant amount of corruption in Israel has surfaced - note that I have described corruption as surfacing and not as further deteriorating.

No one has ever been capable of being so lucid about Israel’s lack of transparency as Sam has done in his essay. The essay is perhaps analogous to the breaking of Cosa Nostra’s Omertà; a code of silence inherently accompanies corruption and crony capitalism.

I would like to add that Talansky and other American businessmen who surprisingly enough as “those worldly money men” were ignorantly, not to mention illegally funding political parties in Israel and in effect perpetuating the problem. They have made a huge error by turning a blind eye to what was truly happening in Israel and in effect meddled with Israel’s social and economic internal affairs from afar. In a plethora of euphoria reminiscent of the late nineties tech bubble, Sam ends his speech with an overture of optimism. Unfortunately, this is far from the true reality of things in 2010, as Israel has yet to become orderly, transparent, and efficient and forward looking in context to the discussion herein.

I must note that the Israeli legal system has proven itself over the past decade, and I give special credit to former Attorney General Menachem Mazuz for his contribution in bringing parliament members, ministers and even prime ministers to justice – unprecedented in the history of the state of Israel.

As Jewish Diaspora view Israel as THEIR country and will NEVER- NEVER give up – My message to the Jewish Diaspora in this context is to understand that the blue box days are passé, and as Israel is THEIR country, they MUST partake a proactive role in doing everything necessary to clean up its act.   

 

exchange of words between syrian and israeli leadership

 

Quite entertaining: as if our prime minister and their president don’t have anything better to do than exchanging arrogance? Are they bored?  What can I say, it was a good show of each other’s exuberant ego (I’ll keep the paraphrase to myself).

It takes two to tango