Thang Nguyen 555

Cultures on Collision Course

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With some short-term relief work in Asia/Africa and long stint in Telecom, Thang also earned a B.A. at Pennsylvania State University. M.A. in Communication at Wheaton Graduate School, M.A. in Cross-Cultural Communication at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Boston. In addition, he earned a CELTA – classes taken in Hanoi for cultural re-immersion.

Author: Thang Nguyen 555

  • Where have all the salesmen gone?

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Algorithm rules. Pop-up ads and SEO. Sales automation. Who needs a firm handshake, the smell of splash perfume and sincere eye contact! Users know everything about the product and the industry anyway. There is no need for more information. Only the recommendation part, which they rely on friends and…

  • Palm Beach to Palm Springs

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: I blogged once about “Dakao vs Dalat”. Today, it’s about Palm Beach to Palm Springs. Mirror image of each other, and located on the opposite side of the country: palm trees, professional golf and private resorts. Places exclusive. Unlike Dakao where even after a relief bridge was finished, traffic and…

  • buy-in behavior

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Ambivalence is a sign of maturity, the study concluded. But an ambivalent buyer produces anxiety and uncertainty. Here are the gist of a recent study, as published in the N Y Times. PEOPLE WHO SEE THE WORLD AS BLACK AND WHITE TEND TO… Speak their mind or make quick…

  • Human ingenuity

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: When you see population growth which doesn’t equate with starvation, it’s a testimony to our human ingenuity. The US has less than 2 percent of its labor force in agriculture, yet no one is without a hamburger (even when it’s thrown out by McDonald). From Malthus to Moore, we…

  • FICO and self

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: For a small fee, we can take a look of our credit worthiness. But it takes a long time to realize  self-worthiness. None among us has the future vantage point to look backward. We often hear about the magic power of MLM. In good times, yes. In bad times,…

  • The only advocate you need

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Hillary Clinton once campaigned on “It takes a village” theme. Within a village, you need to find the Chief  Influence Officer. Our village CIO . The technology broker who can diffuse the innovation you seek to introduce. Two-step flow. 80/20 rule. One example is to “diffuse” EMR which helps…

  • Here’s my card

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: You have heard that line in movies, at the bar, or convention hall. The Post had an article about the survival of the card in our digital age. Maybe because it’s so small, so humble, and so obvious. Google was thinking big i.e. “organize the world’s information”, thus, overlooked…

  • Third life

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: As recent as 60 years ago, a businessman could let his hair down (or hat off) at home, smoke a cigarette or pipe, and watch the news (in black and white). In fact, at the U of TX Austin museum, an exhibition is underway to show you just that:…

  • Our VHS future

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Beta was more superior. Yet VHS won out. The market (in this case, movies on tape) dictates the terms. At the present time, it wants all things mobile. In other words, our knowledge and skill set need an upgrade (But I thought technologically, Beta gave crisper resolution!?!! Sorry Sony.)…

  • Telcom’s waste in Vietnam

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: From beepers to printers, from pay phones to city-phones, Vietnam was in a hurry to leapfrog to latest in Telecommunication. After all, there are a lot of territories to be covered, even now, with 3-G. But some attempts stick, others faltered according to an article in Labor newspaper. http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=538113…