No 121: A quick lesson in how to sell:

This week 20,000 plus people are gathering in Chicago to talk about water, sell their wares, and make connections. WEFTEC is one of the biggest water events in the world. There are hundreds of booths, spread across an area the size of Cameroon. Delegates diligently trudge the expo floor, searching for that elusive golden nugget – a technology that they previously didn’t know existed but will solve all those nagging problems they have back in their day job. Like whalers searching the ocean, or desert Nomads seeking a waterhole, so hunts the modern Expo attendee.  

The booths are variously manned with bored fat balding men who try to entice you with brochures, or attractive young ladies who just entice you (I may have been away from Mrs Clark for too long). I am not convinced that this is the best way to sell. The link below highlights a truly jaw-dropping technology. I was sent it by my friend Peter Jensen (CEO, Empire Water), who was in turn sent it by a friendly Buddhist monk (such is the world of water technology). It is a short video with no spoken words, no fancy graphics, no expensive booth…but I so want to buy it. (There are no enticing ladies either. Hmm) .  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iJP7DFt6AU 

It lasts 2minutes and 22 seconds. At 2min 20 it reveals that the technology is British. I feel inordinately proud.

No 120: Have you heard of WhatsApp?

Of course you have. You are a well-connected, ultra-hip, modern day professional. Or are you? Have you heard of Tengi? It is like WhatsApp, but better. You still get the free messaging, free photo sharing and all the other delights of WhatsApp, but with Tengi you also get prizes!

Tengi was launched less than a month ago following a series of trials in Sheffield. Those of you who are not familiar with the UK geography, Sheffield is a dark place about half way up the country where people grow rhubarb and speak in a luxuriously soft South-Yorkshire cadence.


The man behind Tengi is Michael Stein, who I first came across when he was part of the inspirational crowd-funding business Trillion. Michael is one of those mind-blowingly innovative, never-stops-moving entrepreneurs. He is always challenging the norm, always finding new ways through old problems. Like all good entrepreneurs he is impatient and revels in breaking rules. I suspect one of his hobbies is kicking hives.


You can download Tengi from their website (www.tengi.com <http://www.tengi.com> ). Currently it is only available in the UK but give it a few weeks and the international launch will be underway.
 Their website also has lots of photos of recent happy winners, each one holding a 'Tengi Winner' sign. Most look truly delighted. Apart from one, who looks bizarrely pained. I have a suspicion this is because he has broken his arm (it seems to be bent
an unnatural 180 degrees).

 
I trust it goes without saying that I am writing this introduction to Tengi purely out of a love and devotion to all things that my good friend Mr Stein does. That said, should any of you actually win any prizes then I do expect a small payback: in your Tengi winner photo I want you to include in the background to your winners photo something watery (a glass of water, a water bottle, a reservoir...).

Michael might be about to create a whole new Tengi-community but we are going to create a new sub-community of Water-Tengists!

Enjoy.

No 119: A Quiet Night In

There is nothing quite like being invited to someone’s private residence when you are travelling. It gives a unique insight into the local culture. Last night I had such an invitation. I didn’t know my host personally (so will protect his identity). He was a friend of a friend.

Through coincidence there were a number of water-sector professionals passing through Singapore and so, at 8pm last night, four of us arrived at our hosts’ gorgeously beautiful, artifact-filled, residence. Imagine a cross between the good bits of the British Museum and Downton Abbey and you won’t be far wrong. Our host was a major mover and shaker, and very generous with his hospitality. Before us lay an evening of sparkling conversation, fine wine and delectable food.

I love evenings like this. I always come away wiser. Aside from new insights into the world of water I learnt why hotel minibars always have exactly the same contents, and was given a horrific demonstration (on my own iphone) of the NSAs ability to track my every move, every call, every thought. As midnight rolled around I found myself playing backgammon on a solid silver board with my hosts partner and work colleague, without a doubt one of the most beautiful and informed women in Asia.

One of my fellow guests was Trevor Hill, a good friend who has featured in these Notes before. Trevor is a unique beast. A former naval officer who spent the 1980's working out how to get clean water to his shipmates. Today he is the CEO of a water-focused software company called Fathom. I adore the Fathom story: the company was spun out of a water utility in Phoenix, and now provides a specialist software platform to over 5 million customers that both saves water and enhances the end-users experience. Having invested over $50m developing the platform Fathom employs over 150 staff. Many are specialist software developers, people who would never normally have considered the water sector for a career. At Fathom they don’t help us order a pizza quicker, or download a movie faster, they help look after the planets increasingly scarce water resources.

Below is a link to a podcast that Trevor recently gave. It is 38 minutes long. Aside from the Fathom platform it describes why consolidation of the 56,000 US water utilities is difficult (short answer: water is heavy). It is not the most exciting thing I have ever listened to, but I tuned in while sorting through a mountain of expense receipts and Trevor’s gentle Canadian lilt made the task simply fly by.

http://thewatervalues.com/2015/09/01/speeding-technology-adoption-among-utilities-with-fathom-ceo-trevor-hill/

34 minutes in Trevor gives out his personal mobile phone number. I think it’s a test to see who listens all the way through. Save yourself the effort and text him on +1 623 203 8667 to tell him how good he was. It will make his day.

Mention the NSA or tell him to choose a Snickers from his hotel minibar and you will really spook him.  

No 118: #SoNotCrap

Last year East Gippsland Water, the water corporation that serves the community 5 hours’ drive east of Melbourne, held a series of open days across all their 20 treatment sites. Only 40 people turned up. It highlighted the perennial problem water utilities have of how to engage with the communities they serve.

#SoNotCrap is the brainchild of Sue O Connor. Its aim is to initiate a conversation between communities and their local water corporations on how they can work together to protect the local environment. Sue won’t thank me for saying this but if you passed her in the street you might mistake her for an elderly aunt. The sort of person who might fill their days playing bridge or tending their garden. This would be a dangerously wrong assumption. She is an eclectic mix of both fiery, astute, and highly vocal water board director and a vibrant, passionate photo-artist.

With the support of Bruce Hammond, the CEO for East Gippsland Water, Sue developed the #SoNotCrap campaign; an exhibition to highlight how East Gipps Water protects its local environment. The launch event was held in an old water tower in Bairnsdale, with the art-video projected onto the walls of the building. The campaign was a great success, not least due to its quirky title. Radio stations tens of thousands of miles away reported on the story. I particularly loved the fact that the launch event was delayed because a pair of peregrine falcons were nesting in the water tower.

Building on the success Sue now plans to hold a #SoNotCrapAsia event, working with organisations across the Philippines, Korea and China to highlight what water corporations are doing to protect the wetlands vital to migrating birds.

I have been in Melbourne for the annual VicWater conference. This year marks the 20^th anniversary for the Victorian Water Association. I was invited to give the key-note address, which was a quirky hour-long  presentation entitled ‘Be Careful What you Wish For’. I briefly worried my presentation was a little too quirky, but this is Australia. They embrace quirky here.  

For example, at last nights’ gala dinner I sat on the table with the newly appointed Minister for Water (actually the Minister for Department of Environment Land Water and Planning, catchily called ‘DELWP’…which is difficult to say without making the ‘W’ sound silent). As a labour minister she quizzed me intensely on UK water privatisation. And then, between the starter and main course she took to the stage and gave a 20 minute head-to-head interview, flipping comfortably between laddish banter on some local sporting triumph (way over my head, but Aussies do love their sport) and the serious issue of gender equity. Quirky.

This was followed by a Vietnamese magician-cum-entrepreneur (Vinh Giang) who mixed management teachings with jaw-dropping illusions. The night closed with a corporate sponsor managing to combine the charity raffle with the most blatant, confident and amusing self-promotion I have ever experienced. They like quirky here. No wonder #SoNotCrap worked so well.

I love Australia. I love Australians. Type #SoNotCrap into YouTube to learn more.

No 117: A Turnaround Tale, Filipino Style

Of the 120 million people who live in the Philippines, 20 million live in Manila. It is a lively, chaotic, vibrant city with the dubious honour of ‘world’s worst airport’ (and the 5^th worst traffic system). Yet within this glorious sprawling mass of humanity there is a fantastic story of success.

Manila is the home of the Asia’s oldest water utility, dating back over 135 years. The water infrastructure is suffering from old age; crumbling leaking pipework, designed to serve populations far smaller than those of today. In 1997, with less than 50% of the population receiving a reliable water supply and non-revenue water (ie, water lost to leaks or theft) at 60% the government decided to create two new water companies - Manila Water and Maynilad Water. Manila Water was given the west of the city, serving the richer and more prosperous. Maynilad got the poorer east. 90% of the national water debt was held in the Maynilad area. Their job was to turn things around. It didn’t work.

In 1998 the Asia crisis kicked in, compounded by a drought. Rather than dropping, the amount of non-revenue water loss increased to nearly 70%. Things got so bad that in 2005 the water assets were temporarily re-adopted by the regulator. A re-boot was needed.

In early 2007 MPIC, an investor with a track record for turning around tough infrastructure investments (in telecoms and power…. but not water) took on the challenge. Professors in the business classes of the future will refer to the CEOs mantra to his staff for them to ‘Eat, drink, sleep  non-revenue water’. His leadership and example drove a culture change, that led to an incredible performance change.  

In 2013 Maynilad Water was described by the International Water Association as having achieved the ‘most aggressive turn-around in the world’. 90% of the population now have a reliable 24 hour supply of water. Non revenue water is down to below 30%. This has been achieved through exceptional asset management – assessing the system, focusing their investments, applying new technology wisely (this is why Isle has been working with them). Through the newly formed Maynilad Academy the team now proudly share their experiences with other similarly-challenged utilities in Asia.

However, don’t be fooled into thinking the high performing team at Maynilad are resting on their laurels. Their current non-revenue target is 15% (half the current level). And, as if that wasn’t enough, their focus is squarely set on resolving the 90% population who don’t have access to reliable sanitation. I can’t wait to watch how they will perform.

In my 36 hours in Manila I learnt many other things. Firstly, despite the literally thousands of people at the airport begging for your custom, don’t take an unofficial cab. You will be very poor by the end of the journey. Secondly, if you want to show respect then end your sentence with the word ‘Po’ (ie ‘Thank you Po’). Thirdly, Rhubarb Crumble, that quintessentially English pudding, is a popular dessert at the swanky BlueBird Restaurant. It doesn’t however contain much Rhubarb.

This is an improvement. 

No 116: Two New Oxymorons:

Forget ‘Mature Student’. Discard ‘Happy Goth’. Even ‘Honest Banker’ fades into insignificance when compared to my two newly discovered oxymorons:

·         A Good Tobacco Company: Today I travelled to a Central European country which, for confidentiality reasons, I am not allowed to name, to visit a company that I must keep secret lest an army of lawyers descend upon me. Suffice to say that they currently are in the nicotine delivery business (cue pantomime boos). However they are an honest and upfront organisation, acknowledging that their core produce causes harm to its users, but they aspire to evolve. They have identified a range of environmentally-sound business ventures that they want to move into. Water is a key part of this new platform. They have the finances, attitude and ambition to make an impact. I hope they are successful.

·         A Hairy Piers: I attended the above meeting with my good friend Thierry Noel from Amane. Thierry has an air of Gallic dishevelment that only a true Frenchman could pull off. Even his best friends would describe him as resembling an unkempt mop. He has thick luscious locks that remind you of an opulent lion’s mane. I on the other hand look like a bald eagle. To further  confirm his hirsuteness Thierry was sporting a rugged 5-day-old beard. This led our host to comment that I, by comparison,  was ‘tightly shaved’. I chose to take this as a compliment, politely ignoring the look in her eyes that asked how someone who clearly hadn’t yet hit puberty could be quite so bald.

I decided it was best not to tell her that due to the 5am start I hadn’t actually shaved for 24 hours. This was my afternoon-shadow look.