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Thursday 31 January 2013

8 core trends in Customer Experience for 2013


The Customer Experience

At the last TACK conference we had the pleasure of hearing one of the country's experts in the Customer Experience , Gillian James from TMI UK.

Gilliam James of TMI  in full flow
 I took some notes of her brilliant presentation and have made some reflections of my own to what Gillian brought to us .

Take a look at an Apple store and although it will still have Harry Selfridge’s edict about let the customer 'touch' and 'experience the stock' unlike the  Edwardian store they have done away with the cash till.

The thinking being “ Why do we need a checkout ? A checkout adds no value”

We have returned to a world where we are allowing the customer to buy emotionally. It’s all about 'love' as Gillian of TMI says.

Well that may be fine for retail but what’s that got to do with B2B?

Here are some thoughts:-

·       Relationships are even more important in B2B because as often as not we are charging a price premium.

·       The commercial world is blurring distinctions between customer, consumers. There is a an invisible connectivity going on.

·       Our company’s need to be less ‘corporate’  and appeal to people more.

·       Clients are demanding a full end to end experience. How Amazon delivers and services complaints is as important as just having the stock at a price.

·       Business has more stakeholders and they have much more knowledge

·       Business is more competitive.

·       Customers are looking increasingly for thought leadership.


Apple don’t benchmark against others in their own industry but rather compared against Four seasons and their Genius bar.

The devil is in the detail.

Evening unwrapping the packaging is designed as an experience.

There has been a move away from pay wall , charging for licencing to taste and see for free. Look at the approaches of Software companies such as Mail Chimp, Base camp etc.



Typical spectrum of responses to recession





Recession and the new normal has also seen changes in markets  such as grocery. According to Kantar Worldpanel (30th Jan 2013)

The high end quality Waitrose growth of 8 %  4.6% market share and the lower end  value  LIDL 10%  growth market share 2.7% have done best recently and the bigger boys not so well e.g. TESCO still 30.4% market share in the last three months but a growth of only  3.3%.








Gillian gave us 8 trends to look out for in 2013 /4

I have changed her model into an octagon so let's see how the trends roll !



















1. Rise in Community

Have you noticed how stores are changing. There are becoming a space within the neighbourhood. Not only a store for whatever but a coffee shop.



This estate agent make is front of house
 look like a wine bar or restaurant






 






This estate agent has made their office
 front look like a drawing room



2. Importance of Peers

Some of us could spend 2 1/2 hours planning a trip but much of the time is now reading reviews by peers and following their recommendations.
Crowd sourcing is also to be seen other industries

In finance there is now over £0.25 BILLION lent in unsecured loans  in this way.


3. Co-creation

Customers are now involved in the creation of product. For example airline KLM got customer to suggest sandwich fillings for flights.

Sainsbury responded to a letter from a child quote wrote in asking why their Tiger bread was so called when it looked like the coat of a giraffe. The subsequently renamed it Giraffe bread ( formally known as Tiger bread)


4. By People

Customers want to relate and by related to by people even at web site. They want to feel they are dealing with a human being. We need to move away from impersonal corporate speak.




5. Transparency

Customers are demanding straight forward transparency. So MacDonald's now declare how many calories in a their burgers.
They expect Coffee stores to contribute to Corporation tax.
They dislike complicated tariff pricing for phones, texts etc.





6. Newism



We all like new !



7. Kindness- my cuppa tea

Random acts of kindness work.


Random acts of kindness can help businesses grow in surprising ways.

On the above link Peter Day talks with one woman who explains how the generosity of others has made all the difference to her company. Henrietta Lovell, the Rare Tea Lady, started her firm just before becoming seriously ill.
Through the kindness of strangers she has managed to return to health and run a prosperous company. She is now a great advocate for spreading the idea that kind gestures are an important force in the way we conduct our personal and professional lives.

8. Imagination

Use your customer’s imagination. The big idea that will revolutionise your market space is already in your customers’ minds. All you need to do is empathise — see the world and imagine the future through your customers’ eyes.



Related Links:
TMI   http:/www.tmi.co.uk/



BYOD How will Selling tackle BOYD up behaviour of Salespeople?

How will Selling tackle BOYD up behaviour of Salespeople?

Bring your own device (BYOD) is helping sales teams increasingly.  To attract the talent they need to prosper increasingly graduates and early career folk will select an employer on its flexible working arrangements and the freedom to connect to work away from the conventional sales office base.

Sales organisations that permit employees to use their own tablet or phone to work remotely will not only attract new and diverse talent but will also gain from less space more cloud usage and therefore less costs.

BOYD  and remote working also provide employees with a great sense of freedom and independence. This can result in salespeople who are more engaged in their work and could well help with staff retention. They can often feel more emotionally connected with what they do and thus give the business a competitive edge.

Security Concerns

Many believe that distributed working poses a clear and present risk to data protection.

Others argue that if the correct  procedures and processes are put in place corporate security can be stronger. In the future employees need to ta responsibility for adhering to procedures and policies.

Businesses will need to overcome the IT complexity that comes with flexible and remote working. Governance and controls will have to be intensified.

The mobile connected salesperson is already here. Sales management will need to embrace it. Technology’s main advantage to Sales is its ability to create freedom in the workplace, breaking   down internal barriers and allowing salespeople to cooperate more effectively and efficiently.

Yesterday some in the UK commemorated the ending of England’s civil war in 1649 with the execution of King Charles 1 who believed in the divine right of kings.

One of his ancestors a Saxon called Canute 1016-1035 allegedly  showed his fawning courtiers that some powers ( like the Divine right of Kings)are not in the power of the executive. He demonstrated that the ocean’s tides did not respond to his commands.

Likewise today’s executive will not be able to stop the tide of BOYD and remote mobile sales teams?

Monday 28 January 2013

Selling workplace learning , Learning and Skills -Learning Technology Exhibtion 2013



Sally Moore of  TACK International demonstrates
 a new fun literature piece from TACK.
TACK launched their new LMS at the show
 Stand 297 West Hall
Day Two of the show.

Met lots of old mates and made new friends as well

Second day was as busy as the first

Well done to all at Learning Skills Show and thanks to Natasha at the Organiser's office










Some photos from Day Two of the Show

Left: Reed Learning stand had a Lichtenstein appearance in keeping
with the exhibition in London at Tate Modern
Right : Magician Sean Heydon sheydon@aol.com



No. 2 How to attract visitors to your exhibition stand :Magician Sean Short video clip of Sean doing quick tricks




Colin Hurst , Pinnacle Performance based communication skills

















Alex Robertson , Director of Sales C.B .Learning
Bookaxis.com part of C.B.learning














Support your Institute
Don't delay sign today
Institute of Sales and Marketing Management


















Some photos of the expo on day one of Learning and Skills Show 2013 Olympia 2 London
Learning and Skills Show 2013

Very busy day. If you are visiting on Wednesday29 I suggest you use the West Hall entrance round the back. It less of a scrum and has a cloakroom for Coats etc.

The Beaconsfield Kensington Olympia is also close by for lunch if you want to go off site but nearby and want a 'nice pint'.







Plenty of fun and good humour to catch
and entertain the eye and draw one into the expo stands.
Mr Qube got top marks for working in restricted movement costume.
I hope he does not have to run the London Marathon!


No 1.How to attract visitors to your exhibition stand: Animal Characters always amuse Who can resist this purple bear character
 

No.3 How to attract visitors to your exhibition stand Mr Qube Look no arms ! Short Video clip of Mr Qube






Good to catch up with Dave Rowan, Actor,
 Script write and events manager at People deliver change



















Left: Video Arts CEO Martin Addison gave a great session on
Learning for the You Tube generation Right:  
http://www.differentdynamics.com
Great eye catcher

Madame Tussaud like bendy mirrors- Leaders come in
 all shapes and sizes including short photographers!







 In his 'Rethinking the future' Alvin Toffler advocated
 “ The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write but those who cannot learn , unlearn and relearn
Acquiring new selling skills knowledge or skill set is usually achieved through formal instruction whether through instructor led or e-learning.
For example
When learning selling skills for the first time, in induction and foundation level sales programmes
or
When wanting to learn more  those more experienced salespeople realise their need to refresh and update their selling skills in the VUCA world ( Volatile, Uncertain, complex and Ambiguous)
Performance support on the other hand is increasingly considered  through application and maintenance of the sales knowledge to date.
For example:


When sales learners are trying to remember or apply learning in skills in for example in long time lined projects and account management relationships encountered some while after a 'course' or infrequently used skills, e.g. Prospecting if that has had a lower priority, networking events or working an exhibition stand, Big scale pitch presentation to large audiences.

Performance support and maintenance  may also be called upon when things change e.g. Change in legislation, economic conditions, change of personnel in procurement relationships , take overs , mergers or acquisitions  in Procurement.

Similarly support may be  required when something goes wrong e.g. Complaints, delays, product failure or mismatched expectations.

One of the ways to unlearn, relearn and learn new stuff is to go to  The Learning and skills and learning Technologies show now in its fourteenth year at Olympia.

 It's  the opportunity to view technology supported workplace learning all in one place.

With more than 120 free seminars, over 230 exhibitors, the   London’s Olympia 2 exhibition centre showcases the latest learning technologies, innovation and best practise .

Learning professionals have access  to join the free Learning and Skills Group on line L&D community at www.learningandskillsgroup.com.  

The Learning and Skills Group, an international community comprises of 6,000 learning and development professionals interested in organisational learning and learning technology.

Membership provides access to on line resources and events, collaborative tools and knowledge sharing opportunities - and enables one to interact with other conference delegates and L&D professionals throughout the year.

In addition, the Learning and Skills Group Members Area at the event is a place for members to meet in person and is  a great chance to explore the topics and issues most important to them.




Tack International are to be found at stand 297


http://www.differentdynamics.com 

Saturday 26 January 2013

Selling ,Shopping and Mr Selfridge - Book Review


Title of Book:            Shopping, Seduction & Mr Selfridge


Author            Lindy Woodhead

Publisher       Profile books

ISBN               978 - 178125087

 Rating 4 ****        A page turner,  easy on the mind and a fun read


Genre:            The history of 20th  century retailing  - popular history/ biography 

Style:              Well written and detailed but easy to read

Contents page:                     14 Chapters

Index: Comprehensive          15 pages two columns per page

Flick through eye appeal:    Easier enough to dip into but really has to read in sequence on first reading

Time for a breather Stops : Take a break at each end of chapter and reflect

Golden Nuggets:                  virtually every page – it’s a gold rush

Topic Summary:                   Biography of Harry Selfridge and the foundations of modern retailing.

Illustration:                            Visual in the form of photos 17 pages black and white portraits , fascinating old ads etc.

Quotes:                                  “The customer is  right” and many many more

Summary
From Napoleon Bonaparte describing Britain as a ‘nation of boutique owners’ to modern day popular historian Andrew Marr who described in his “History of Modern Britain”  as a “ story of the defeat of politics by shopping” retail is important to what Britain is about.
As you read this book have a pencil or highlighter to hand, since it is stuffed full of great stories, and many ideas that are just as pertinent today and back in the day.
Today’s Apple store has many of the principles of browsing , playing and touching of the stock that Harry Selfridge would have recognised.
The ITV  10 part series "Mr Selfridge" was fine but the book is so much more.
As the UK high street takes a battering from both triple dip recession and loss of trade to the Internet,  big store retailing will need to go back and reinvent itself to survive and differentiate itself from commodity shopping to the pleasure and fun of  the real shopping experience.
   

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Selling the next step ,Obama and Lincoln 2nd Inauguration Speeches Preserving protecting and defending the constitution by strengthening, perpetuating and extending the USA.

[This is a long posting so feel free to scroll around to find what interests you]

Officially the inauguration takes place on 20th January but since this year it was on a Sunday President Obama took part in a short ceremony on Sunday with the public one on Monday.


The 2nd inauguration speeches was President  Lincoln’s was short and succinct compared to President Obama's of 18 minutes. Lincoln's is worth reading both for its great elegance and that in no small way it was the harbinger of the day that a black man who became president also won a second time.

I have put some photos of Uk connections which might interest readers.

I have also marked up and highlighted some important techniques used . Quotes , Patterns of three, Use of metaphor etc

For those who have to speak in public there is much to study and learn from in both speeches.

Lincoln successfully led the United States through its greatest constitutional, military, and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union while ending slavery and promoting economic and financial modernisation

Lincoln is back in the news also because on the new film (movie) shortly to be released in the UK. It is tipped to be serious Oscar contender. I understand that an extract of the speech is used at the end of the movie.

Second Inaugural Address. Delivered at Washington, D. C. March 4, 1865.    He was assassinated on April 15th  1865

“Fellow-countrymen: At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement, somewhat in detail, of a course to be pursued, seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.
Medieval Tower of All Saints church , Fulham
which Granville Sharpe 1713-1813 abolitionist  would have known.
 He is buried in the Churchyard

 
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded itall sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.
One-eighth of the whole population were coloured slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localised in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it.

Granville Sharpe and early campaigner for abolition of slavery
 in the famous Zoffany Portrait of the Sharpe family,
All Saints Church Fulham in the background ( below the words Zoffany)
Poster form Summer 2012 Royal Accademy, London
 

Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes his aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered—that of neither has been answered fully.

The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh." If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offences which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through his appointed time, he now wills to remove, and that he gives to both North and South this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to him? Fondly do we hopefervently do we pray—that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."


With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations”

Drawing on Bible  Pattern of twos  Pattern of threes

 
Barak Obama’s 2nd Inauguration Speech

(Resting his hand on a bible used for many years by his wife's family, Mr Obama vowed "to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States")
 





 
Many expert speech writers would have worked on this speech that President Obama delivered. Why not use its structure as a  template for all leaders who wish to appeal to the team members . Who have to appeal for change and  who must convey they are in it as much as everyone.
I have highlighted skills such as pattern of threes, subtle appeals to resonances to history , the constitution, the Declaration of rights.)
The transcript also mentions the applause breaks which is impot for speakers to know how to work. ]
 
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Vice President Biden, Mr Chief Justice, members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens, each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colours of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. [Statement with of core values of speech]

OBAMA: What makes us exceptional, what makes us America is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.  {History attention getter and quote from the Constitution ‘self evident’  ‘created equal’]
(APPLAUSE)
That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today we continue a never ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they’ve never been self-executing. That while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by his people here on earth. { Declaration of Rights – will resonate with American audience]

OBAMA: The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few, or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a republic, a government of, and by, and for the people. Entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. And for more than 200 years we have. Through blood drawn by lash, and blood drawn by sword, we noted that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half slave, and half free.
OBAMA: We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.

Together we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers. Together we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together we resolve that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.

Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all societies ills can be cured through government alone. Our celebration of initiative and enterprise, our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constants in our character.

For we have always understood that when times change, so must we, that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges, that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.
For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future. Or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. r, [ Some may remember one of the TV debates where Obama scored over Romney]
OBAMA: Now, more than ever, we must do these things together as one nation, and one people.

(APPLAUSE)
This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled (ph) our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending.  [resonance to Lincoln’s second inauguration  War and Civil war]  { The language of metal working works well with tested and has Biblical resonances]

(APPLAUSE)
And economic recovery has begun.
(APPLAUSE)
America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive, diversity and openness, of endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention.
My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it, so long as we seize it together. { Carpe diem appeals to audience]
(APPLAUSE)

For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it.  [Resonance of Declaration]
(APPLAUSE)
We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work, when the wages of honest labor will liberate families from the brink of hardship.
OBAMA: We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.

(APPLAUSE)
We understand that outworn (ph) programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. So we must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work hard or learn more, reach higher. 
[re words remake, revamp and reform]
                                                                                                   
But while the means will change, our purpose endures. A nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American, that is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed.

We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit.
(APPLAUSE)
But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. [You can cut and eat the cake]

(APPLAUSE)
For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative.
OBAMA: They strengthen us.
(APPLAUSE)
They do not make us a nation of takers. They free us to take the risks that make this country great.
(APPLAUSE)
We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations.
(APPLAUSE)
Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But American cannot resist this transition. We must lead it
(APPLAUSE)
We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries. We must claim its promise. That’s how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure, our forests and waterways, our crop lands and snow capped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared. [ emotive inclusion of many things that make up the country – Your company department]
OBAMA: We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.
(APPLAUSE)

Our brave men and women in uniform tempered by the flames of battle are unmatched in skill and courage.

(APPLAUSE)
Our citizens seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty. The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace, and not just the war. Who turn sworn enemies into the surest of friends. And we must carry those lessons into this time as well. We will defend our people, and uphold our values through strength of arms, and the rule of law.

We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully. Not because we are naive about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear.
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe. And we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad. For no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice. [Global appeal]

OBAMA: Not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes; tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice. We the people declare today that the most evident of truth that all of us are created equal -- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth. [Christian resonance in the season of Christmas / epiphany the guiding star – pioneering spirit]
(APPLAUSE)
It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began, for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. [Gender quality]
(APPLAUSE)
Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal, as well.
(APPLAUSE)
Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote.
(APPLAUSE)

Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity, until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our countr
(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.

OBAMA: That is our generation’s task, to make these works, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American.

Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. It does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way or follow the same precise path to happiness.
Progress does not compel us to settle century’s long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time.

(APPLAUSE)

For now, decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate.

(APPLAUSE)

We must act. We must act knowing that our work will be imperfect (ph). We must act knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.  [ Declaration]
OBAMA: My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction.

And we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream.

My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride. They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope. You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course. You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time, not only with the votes we cast, but the voices we lift in defence of our most ancient values and enduring ideas.
(APPLAUSE)

Let us each of us now embrace with solemn duty, and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom. [ Appeal close]

Thank you.
God bless you.
And may He forever bless these United States of America.

END
Related Links to study
Victory Speech Novemebr 2012
Conservative UK Party Conference Speech Autumn 2012
Transcript from Washington Post.