Creating a contribution to Comwol

(some hints, tips and suggestions……….)

Recycling Commercial Wisdom

• Hopefully you know that the idea of Comwol is to impress others by recycling your commercial wisdom

• Comwol allows you to demonstrate:• Specialist knowledge and expertise• Empathy (understanding of what other people

probably do not know)• Communication skills (how to explain the things that

people don’t know!)

Why is this important? • Being able to demonstrate expertise, an awareness

of customer needs and good communication skills gives you an advantage in business – these traits set you apart.

• Comwol can be used as a directory of “helpful experts”. – Contributions can be “rated” by others in order to boost

your profile on the website.

• Traditional business directories only tell you that a company exists in a certain location.

• Comwol allows you to find companies according to their expert knowledge and attitude to others

OK! I’m convinced, how do I start to recycle my experience?

• The Website has a number of features that allow you to recycle your wisdom (please check out some existing examples)

• You can: – Answer interview questions on your profile page– Offer to answer questions in the “Explain” feature– Contribute video or slide presentations– Devise multi-choice “Tests” or “Think” questions.

General principles:

• Interview questions and the “Explain” forum are self-explanatory

• Contributions to the “Test” and “Think” categories require you to understand the limitations of the technology– Multi-choice means devising question patterns that

produce Yes / No type answers– Your expertise shows through best when you supply good

levels of introduction and explanation for the benefit or others (anticipating what they don’t know)

General principles (continued)

• No direct advertisements!• But, an opportunity to promote your services,

products or company name as detail in your “narrative”

• Please watch the Think Colour Capital Expenditure video to see this in practise (via the search box).

• The choice of story, event or anecdote to make your point is entirely up to you.

Financial Data• Your credibility as a business expert is enhanced if

you can tell your story with reference to financial data.

• Business revolves around numerical data presented in financial accounts…….

• …….so if you can, make your point accordingly.• Warning - Use of fictitious data is preferred, we don’t

need (or want) secret or sensitive information.• Use generic figures that represent relationships or

patterns in the “real” data.

Some example topics you could use for a contribution…….

• What does the “X” industry do? (your choice of industry)

• How does the “X” industry make money?• How much does it cost to employ someone?• What does a bankruptcy look like on paper?• How much does it “cost” a company to have late-

paying clients?• What is the total cost of sending Junk Mail?• How does arbitrage work? • Can you put a price on quality?

More topic suggestions……..

• How can you calculate the financial benefit of a specific business event (eg. sign-writing a vehicle)?

• How to calculate the market size for a specific product? • What does a (insert your job title) do? • What does “X” activity look like in annual financial records? • How long will business decision “X” take to “pay back”?• How can you measure the financial affects of a business

decision? • Describe an everyday task or skill from your industry that

could help someone else in a different industry.

Also, you could use your modern business skills to take inspiration from the past……..!

• By the accounting standards of today, what might we see on the Profit and Loss account for Christopher Columbus (1492)?

• Where did the money come from to build Hadrian’s Wall? What did the balance sheet look like?

• How many times over has tourist revenue into India exceeded the construction costs for the Taj Mahal?

Summary• Comwol offers you a chance to recycle business

stories in order to promote yourself.• Comwol could be used by your prospective clients to

“find” helpful experts (you!!)• Publishing your expertise on a website can help you

to reach many times more customers than an equivalent “time investment” offline

• Whichever website feature you choose, and whichever business event you describe, remember to explain your business wisdom in such that you can’t be forgotten.

Any questions?

• If you have any questions, please contact us at:

» contributions@comwol.com