Video: How Twitter's spectacular growth is being driven by unexpected uses

In the year leading up to this talk, the web tool Twitter exploded in size (up 10x during 2008 alone). Co-founder Evan Williams reveals that many of the ideas driving that growth came from unexpected uses invented by the users themselves.

Backlash: How Early Adopters React When the Mass Market Embraces a New Brand

A well-established principle of product development holds that a small group of early adopters can spur mass-market acceptance of a new product. What is less well understood is how those early adopters react when that product or its brand is accepted by the mass market. As Wharton marketing professors David Reibstein and John Zhang explain in this video, the company could experience a backlash as early adopters move on to other new products. A case in point: Porsche saw a decline in sports car sales after it entered the SUV mass market. Research by Reibstein and Zhang discusses reasons for the backlash and suggests a strategy for dealing with it.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/2189.cfm

Subject lines - 15 rules to Write them Right

Fifty characters could be all that stands between you and success in your next email campaign.

Fifty characters is all the space you have in a typical subject line to catch your reader's eye and entice him to open your email and take the action you want.

How could something so small make or break an email's success? Because many recipients use the subject line to decide whether to open or delete an email.

Subject lines are tricky devils, however. A good one can get your email opened in a flash, while a bad one could spell oblivion in the trash or junk file.

Because so much is riding on your subject line, we came up with 15 rules for crafting a good one. Be sure to review them before you send your next email campaign. >>>

Time for a Data Diet? Deciding What Customer Information to Keep -- and What to Toss

Heartland Payment Systems, a credit card processor, may have had up to 100 million records exposed to malicious hackers.

Payment processors CheckFree and RBS Worldpay, and employment site Monster.com have all reported data breaches in recent months, as have universities and government agencies.

Experts at Wharton say that personal data is increasingly a liability for companies, and suggest that part of the solution may be minimizing the customer information these companies keep.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/2186.cfm

Marketing your business with your mouth

Promote yourself to the masses by becoming an expert speaker at your target market's events.

It's always amazing to me that when I speak at an association meeting, conference or breakout session at a convention, people always come up to me afterwards to inquire about hiring me. It doesn't matter what the audience size is--it always happens.

Which got me thinking: When I make a sales call on a prospect or customer, I'm really making a similar presentation--with one exception: The audience size is one. So speaking in front of any larger audience is basically a mass sales call. And the best part of that is, you're able to make your pitch at one time to an audience made up of dozens or even hundreds of potential customers. >>>

Simply Irresistible! How to Sell More From the Stage … Easily, Effortlessly, and Authentically

We’re fed up with all the B.S. being taught on how to speak to sell. Listen to the girls in the know on how to make the dough… you CAN be yourself, have integrity, have fun, and sell a TON! (And we’ve got BIG paydays to prove it.) Our step-by-step formula will show you how...

• Do you enjoy speaking in front of audiences and sharing your message, but wish you would make more money from it?
• Are you confused exactly HOW to make an offer without being salesy or pushy?
• Have you spent thousands on “train the trainer” courses on how to sell from the stage, but their methods feel completely inauthentic and uncomfortable?
• Do you get through your pitch on stage OK, but feel gross afterwards – like you need a shower?
• And, most importantly, are you starting to think the ‘old boys’ model of speaking to sell is OVER, and you’re looking for the way that WORKS?

Well, you’re in the right place. And we can’t wait to help you!

From this program, you’ll discover…

• Lisa’s simple, no-cost ways to DRAMATICALLY increase your sales during live presentations by 20-50%... or more.
• Ali’s TOP 3, must do, simple sales techniques that will cause the stampede of on-the-spot, back-of-the-room SALES you've been looking for…and they cost nothing to implement!
• The #1 mistake most new speakers make when outlining their presentation that KILLS their sales – and what to do instead.
• Our secret formula on how to “reverse engineer” your talk based on the RESULTS you want! (Once you learn this, you’ll never again doubt what to put in your talk… and what to leave out.)
• How to avoid “springing” your offer on your audience, and instead gently EASE them into not only HAPPILY expecting it, but looking forward to it!
• 3 easy ways to CONNECT with your audience that will have them with you for the entire ride.
• Our secrets to BEING YOURSELF and in complete authenticity and integrity – and still make a ton of sales on stage!
• Simple tricks to using NOTES if you want to! (We both do, but we’ll show you how to do it without looking foolish.)
• Why you DON’T need to script your entire talk like some trainers would make you believe. (But there are some parts you need to know inside and out – otherwise you’ll likely blow it.)
• How to tell if you’re TEACHING TOO MUCH and SELLING TOO LITTLE, or vice versa. (Our simple formula will take all the guesswork out of figuring out this very fine line!)
• MAGIC WORDS that -- when used in your talk title, products, and offer -- will have your audience members lining up to buy! (You’ll be amazed at what a difference changing a few words will make.)
• EASY BONUSES you can offer that cost little or nothing but have HIGH perceived value to your prospects and push them over the edge to buy.
• How to PACKAGE what you have… so that it’s a solid offer (no fluff) that’s simply IRRESISTIBLE! (They’ll feel foolish NOT buying.)
• What PRICE POINT sells BEST? It depends on your offer, audience, and venue. You’ll discover our simple formula to it.
• Should you offer one item, a menu of items, or a total package? We’ll tell you how to pitch each, and how to decide which one will work BEST for you.
• The BIG DIFFERENCE between selling at small events versus larger ones – how you sell is critical, and we’ll go through our guidelines for each.
• How to not BOMB during a lunch presentation.
• Should you offer PAYMENT PLANS? The pros and cons, and how to not have these backfire on you.
• How to avoid RUSHING your offer and feel GOOD about taking your time to explain it all to your audience.
• Why you should never use PRESSURE with your audience, but instead use __________.
• ORDER FORMS: How to design them, what to put on them, and what to leave off them. WHEN to hand them out, HOW to hand them out, and to WHOM.
• 3 OFFERS you can make to your audience when your event host will not let you sell! (You’ll love these easy tricks that feel good for everyone, and you still walk away with prospects in the bag.)
• Easy ways to use any presentation to also help BUILD YOUR LIST – even when you can’t sell.
• THE SECRET to closing “DELAYERS”. This is a great no-pressure way to close those folks who tell you they need to "sleep on it, ask their spouse, move some money around, etc." (We will give you the MILLION-DOLLAR TIP on how to interact with these people while honoring them and WITHOUT BEING PUSHY!)
• What NEVER to do right before you make your offer – this seemingly feel-good gesture will KILL your sales!
• How to motivate your prospects to take action and buy NOW. No more "thinking about it." (They'll be ready to buy your offering today!)

Step-by-step, how to make BIG money as a platform presenter. You'll be guided through a plethora of ways to boost your sales, all spelled out for your simple implementation.

You’ll learn exactly how to structure and present truly IRRESISTIBLE OFFERS that close sales EFFORTLESSLY -- on the spot!

Click and we'll get you all the information you need to get started...

What Does It Take To Be A Successful Freelancer?

Making the move to working for yourself isn’t always easy, regardless of how prepared you are. And if you’ve become self-employed as a result of circumstances beyond your control, it can be even more difficult. Being successful at freelancing takes a combination of freelance-friendly personality characteristics and an ability to face and conquer challenges. Here’s a look at the benefits, challenges and some must-have characteristics and traits that make a freelancer successful. ... more

To build up innovation, break down your networks

I recently had the pleasure of attending a conference with quite a few interesting entrepreneurs and innovators. Several contrasts between innovators from large companies and those more accustomed to working within independent startups caught my attention. The starkest was the relative fluidity and ease with which the startup crowd circulated, made new connections, and exchanged ideas.

Entrepreneurs believe in the power of networking. Many are very good at it. They become good because they recognize that most people with interesting notions usually have only one piece of a puzzle. Often unexpected combinations of ideas, or chance meetings of people with complimentary perspectives, ignite genuine breakthroughs.
Read more ...