Pivotal Business Success

Your flagship product

2009-06-02T14:26:00.002+10:00

What's a flagship product?

A flagship product is a product or service that you and your business becomes identified with. It's something that communicates a concept or a solution that people automatically and favorably associate with you.

What a flagship product does is give you and your business instant credibility. When people purchase your flagship product, they are more likely to buy other products and services from you.

A flagship product should have the following characteristics:

Internet marketing - adwords and membership sites

2009-05-30T12:47:00.002+10:00

This is an excellent video...

http://www.armandmorin.com/72hours/x.php?af=424609

Watch it and you'll learn strategies you can
implement right away to improve your Google
Adwords campaigns as well as how to build
profitable membership sites.

Just be aware that the video will be taken
down on Sunday (so you should watch it now).

Here is the link again:

http://www.armandmorin.com/72hours/x.php?af=424609

Change manifesto - Elegant thinking

2009-05-22T19:58:00.000+10:00

One Million.
That’s how many ideas Toyota implements each year. Do the math: 3000 ideas a day. That number, more than anything else, explains why Toyota appears to be in a league all their own, playing offense on a field of innovation, while their competitors remain caught in a crossfire of cost-cutting.
Here’s the thing: it’s not about the cars. It’s about ideas. And the people with those ideas. But not just any ideas. Mostly tiny ones, but effective ones nonetheless—elegant solutions to realworld problems. Not grand slam homeruns, but groundball singles implemented all across the company by associates that view their role not to be simply doing the work, but taking itto the next level…every day, in some little way. Good enough never is. When an entire organization thinks like that, it becomes unstoppable. Like a number of other market leaders, Toyota recognizes that companywide innovation is a matter of assembling a group of talented people in an environment where innovation is required by everyone at every level. To create that environment, Toyota employs systems and structures that neutralize the typical barriers to ingenuity and release individuals to realize significance through their work.
The cumulative effect is astounding: Toyota has a market value worth nearly as much as all the other carmakers combined. What’s difficult to understand, though, is what Toyota associates have known all along: their vaunted automobiles and assembly techniques are simply visible outcomes

That is an excerpt from Mathew may's latest manifesto: Elegant thinking.

Matthew E. May is the author of The Elegant Solution: Toyota’s Formula for Mastering Innovation (Free Press, October 2006) from which this manifesto is adapted. He is a longtime Toyota business partner, holding a key advisory role with the University of Toyota for over eight years. As a master Toyota instructor and founder of Los Angeles-based management education firm, Aevitas, he partners with management teams to achieve excellence in innovation, working with a number of well known organizations, including Wells Fargo, The Department of Defense, Quadrant Homes, and Los Angeles Police Department. A graduate of the Wharton School and Johns Hopkins University, he lives with his wife and daughters in southern California, where he is an avid cyclist.

You can read the latest manifesto here.

Master the camera to expand your exposure

2009-05-19T18:18:00.000+10:00

with Shawne Duperon

Your speaking, training and consulting career can be helped or hindered by how you come across on camera, whether it’s a media interview, your demo DVD or a YouTube segment. Video media exposure can expand your visibility exponentially to potential customers and powerfully cement your credibility — when you use it well! If not, it can actually hurt your brand.

Using on-camera strategies and tactics, Shawne shares all the inside secrets to become exquisite on camera.
In this content-rich teleseminar, you will learn:

How to avoid on-camera mistakes
How to “dance” in a TV interview
Where to look when you’re on-camera
The best camera-ready clothing to wear
The difference between taped and live interviews
How to talk in 2- to 3-sentence “sound bites”
Why the first question is the most important
When and why you should “parrot” the reporter
How to meet both the reporter’s needs and your messaging goals
After this session with former TV reporter Shawne Duperon, you will understand how to be outrageously charismatic on camera. Over the last 20 years, five-time Emmy award winner Shawne has interviewed presidents, celebrities and sports stars. She’s filmed Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Morgan Freeman, YoYo Ma, Phil Mickelson and Bill Cosby to name a few. She knows what it takes to be great on camera and have reporters, producers and editors coming back for more.

Register or order the CD or MP3 recording. Note: people who register for the teleseminar will get the MP3 recording of the session for free.

14 quick and successful adword tricks

2009-05-16T15:07:00.000+10:00

You'll like this...

Yesterday a course was released showing
people how to get tremendous results with
their pay per click campaigns.

The good news is, you won't have to wade
through thousands of pages to figure it out.

It's just 14 quick tricks that will have an
immediate impact on your sales.

Take a look:

http://www.secretadwordtips.com/x.php?af=424609

The tips are brought to you by someone who's
ads are being shown 7-10 MILLION times a DAY!

...PLUS...

His ad costs are a ridiculously low rate.

How does he do it?

It's revealed in these 14 Secret Adword Tips:

http://www.secretadwordtips.com/x.php?af=424609

Enjoy!

7 fantastic free business card apps for the iphone

2009-05-10T17:46:00.002+10:00

Now that we’ve seen the rise of social media, and we know we can use the Web to go green, isn’t it about time we find a better way to exchange contact information with each other? We think so.

Thankfully the iPhone has become a platform for utility applications that help us do just that. Each of these applications will help you get your contact info, or that of a friend, off your phone and into someone else’s address book. Best of all, they’re all free. Ain’t that grand? more ...

What to Do About Social Media Overload, or How to Network Online and Still Have Time to Run Your Business

2009-05-08T09:07:00.000+10:00

LinkedIn. Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. MySpace. StumbleUpon.

And the list goes on. With so many options available today, it’s easy to experience social media overload.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I’m a big fan of social media and how it can help you generate buzz and develop your business. But it can be overwhelming, even addictive for some. With new social sites popping up every day, how do you make the most of the opportunities social media provides and still have time to run your business?

Here’s my advice:

Creating a Power-packed Headline

2009-05-07T08:24:00.000+10:00

By Clayton Makepeace

Every part of your sales message is important. Your opening is crucial. Your presentation of

product benefits ... of proof and credibility elements ... of the offer and premiums ... of your guarantee ... and of your closing "ask-for-the-sale" copy are all critical.

But of all the things you do to produce a sale, nothing equals your headline when it comes to pushing response through the roof. In my 33 years in this business, I've seen great new headlines produce 25%, 35%, even 45% lifts in response and ROI.

Why are heads so important? Two reasons:

4 Killer Team-Building Tips.

2009-05-06T17:10:00.001+10:00

Legendary Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski told an audience of business executives how he builds winning teams. Here, from a panel discussion at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles Monday, are a few of his pointers.

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

2009-04-27T19:11:00.003+10:00

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

2009-04-26T18:23:00.000+10:00

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

2009-04-17T18:20:00.000+10:00

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

2009-04-15T18:22:00.001+10:00

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

2009-04-13T19:46:00.002+10:00

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

2009-04-08T15:21:00.005+10:00

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?

2009-04-04T15:56:00.000+10:00

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

2009-04-03T17:40:00.001+10:00

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 ...

Crunch Time - 8 cheap Marketing Tactics

2009-03-29T17:44:00.001+10:00

Your business may be on a budget, but you can still pump up your visibility.

These 8 proven tactics will get you noticed on the cheap.

more ....

Video - Seth godin: sliced bread and other marketing delights

2009-03-26T19:50:00.002+10:00

In a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to just ignore the ordinary stuff. Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes to getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones.

Instant Fame: How to Pitch Editors and Producers

2009-03-21T10:52:00.001+10:00

Instant Fame:
How to Pitch Editors and Producers
to Get Immediate Press Coverage
with Pam Lontos, CSP
Wouldn’t it be great if the media called you every day wanting to quote or interview you? You’d never have to pay for advertising. Your name would be in major outlets tied to your expertise, granting you celebrity status and raising your fees. However, most of us have to work to get anyone interested in what we have to say. So how can you propose yourself as a source without alienating key media players?

Pam Lontos has learned from decades of pitching her clients as valuable resources. She’s discovered what works and what doesn’t work. She knows what will help you get in a producer or editor’s database and what irritates them. Her strategies have helped her clients get not only immediate coverage, but long-term exposure as well.

You will learn:

how to start the telephone conversation to interest the editor/producer and what will cause them to hang up
the most common mistake speakers/trainers/consultants/authors make when connecting with the media
what you need to have researched before you pick up the phone or shoot off the e-mail inquiry
how to wrap your expertise around breaking news or current events
how to follow up without being a pest
what TV and newspapers look for that’s different from magazines

Register or order the CD or MP3 recording. Note: people who register for the teleseminar will get the MP3 recording of the session for free.

Slack

2009-03-20T20:16:00.000+10:00

A lot of corporations have seen dramatic decreases in revenue and have cut back projects as well. In many cases, this is accompanied by layoffs, and so everyone is working far harder.

But in other organizations, and for a lot of freelancers, there's more time than work. In other words, slack time.

Assume for a moment you don't have money to develop and launch something new. So, what are you going to do with the slack?

What can you build over the next year that will take time now and pay off later? How can you invest the slack to build a marketing asset that you'll own forever?

May I offer two suggestions:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/slack.html

The Power of Ordinary Practices

2009-03-19T19:51:00.001+10:00

Seemingly mundane things that managers do can have great impact on their workers, says Professor Teresa Amabile. In this conversation with Professor Mike Roberts, she updates her ongoing research on creativity in the workplace by investigating how people's intense inner work lives affect their productivity—and how managers can encourage production.

... more

Become an Industry Expert ... in a Week

2009-03-14T19:23:00.002+10:00

Become an Industry Expert ... in a Week
with Michael Soon Lee, MBA, CSP

“How’s your business in this economy?”

“Really down. I was well-placed in the financial services and auto industries.”

“Ouch. I see. Why don’t you start working in some other industries?”

“You know ... people don’t want to hire you unless you’re an expert, and I’m not an expert in other industries.”

“What if you could become an expert with credibility in another industry in a week?”

“That’s impossible.”

“Michael Lee did it. And he’s going to be in an SNN teleseminar to tell what he did. You should listen. Even if it takes you more than a week, he says that with focus and effort, you can move into a new niche a lot more quickly than you think.”

More details of this session below, then register or pre-order the CD or MP3. Note: people who register for the teleseminar will get the MP3 recording of the session for free.

Red-hot sales negotiation

2009-03-12T18:37:00.000+10:00

:
Everything You Need to Know to Close Deals, Build Relationships, and Create Win-Win Outcome by sPaul S. Goldner, Peter McKeon

Negotiation is more than just closing a sale. It’s the art of continuing a partnership that is successful for both parties. Red-Hot Sales Negotiation provides practical tips and strategies to help salespeople ... more

How to create your own strong economy this year

2009-03-08T13:15:00.000+10:00

“... With Online Information Marketing”

Dear Friend,

Can I share a secret with you? This is actually a FANTASTIC time to start or expanda business.

Why?

Because there is a specific business model that's not only recession-proof but also allows you to control your own income, and it's called online information marketing. Not only is this the model I have used to build my own company up to millions of dollars a year, but hundreds of women and men just like YOU are using this model to either supplement their current business revenues, reinvent their previous business, or start a new business altogether.

Join Ali Brown on this FREE one-time teleseminar during which you'll learn:

The 5 ways you can recession-proof your business... starting today.

Why the Internet is still the BEST way to build a business FAST, and how to get started.

3 mistakes entrepreneurs make when taking their business online... and how YOU can avoid them

How to create easy information products that can generate you passive income while you work or play. (From an extra few hundred dollars a month to thousands a day!)

How you can claim $500 OFF my brand new 2009 Online Success Blueprint System -- featuring DVDs, CDs, and more!

Whether you're a stay-at-home mom who wants to work part-time or a full-on entrepreneur who is ready to break 7 figures, you won't want to miss this important updated information I have to share with you! Sign up now below to reserve your spot on this complimentary call.

http://www.consultpivotal.com/Aali.htm

Repackaging Your Content: Using New Mediafor SEO, Thought Leadership and Sales

2009-03-02T08:08:00.000+10:00

with Albert Maruggi

Speakers, consultants and trainers are constantly creating content.

PowerPoint presentations, speeches, videos, demos.

You’re constantly sharing information online and off. But are you getting as much mileage as you can out of that content?

This teleseminar will help you think about new ways to publish, share and promote your content, your ideas and yourself.

Social media tools are inherently search engine-friendly and help you reach more people. Learn how the power of the Web can highlight the value you provide and solidify your standing as a thought leader in your niche. What would you be able to accomplish with more eyes and ears on more of your content?

You will learn how to:

Put your content in front of more eyeballs by making it “social,” findable and shareable

Use your content to squeeze out more “Google juice”

Benefit from thinking like a journalist

Get started on making valuable connections on the Web

Find influencers and potential clients online

Register or pre-order the CD or MP3 recording. Note our new policy: people who register for the teleseminar will get the MP3 recording of the session for free.

Special Limited-Time Offer:
If you want more information on using social media to promote your business, we suggest the MP3 recordings of two earlier programs to complement Albert’s program:

“Discover New Internet Publicity Strategies to Sell More Products and Get More Engagements” with Dan Janal

“Use Social Media Marketing to Grow Your Speaking & Consulting Business” with Ford Saeks

With your order of Albert’s teleseminar, CD or MP3, at checkout you will be offered these recordings.

Subject Lines: 15 Rules to Write Them Right

2009-02-28T13:57:00.000+10:00

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.

read on ...

How to make 2009 Your Best Year Ever

2009-02-22T13:42:00.001+10:00

Did you know that online spending is predicted to INCREASE by 14% this year?

So despite what you're hearing about the current economy, this is still an EXCELLENT time to start or grow your Internet business!

And I've arranged to get you some FREE help doing it...

You've probably heard of Derek Gehl, right?

He's the Internet marketing guru that's made over $100 MILLION inonline sales as head of the Internet Marketing Center.

Derek's been hard at work, researching and identifying the BIGGEST online trends for 2009, and coming up with strategies that ANYONE can use to take advantage of these trends to make more money online this year than ever.

And now he's turned all of his research, predictions, and strategies into a two-hour online presentation...... and he's given me permission to give you unrestricted access to the whole thing for FREE!

But I know first-hand that, due to the time-sensitive nature of this information, Derek's only going to make it available for a short time, so if you want to find out how to not just survive in 2009, but actually THRIVE, you need to check it our right away:

http://www.internetmarketing.com/2009-goals/1087521

Best wishes for 2009

Leading transition - a new model for change

2009-02-21T15:47:00.000+10:00

Change is nothing new to leaders, or their constituents. We understand by now that organizations cannot be just endlessly "managed," replicating yesterday's practices to achieve success. Business conditions change and yesterday's assumptions and practices no longer work. There must be innovation, and innovation means change.

Read on ....

Simply Solving the Puzzle

2009-02-19T19:36:00.000+10:00

When most young children are given a puzzle to solve or put together that is especially challenging, most will make a good effort at solving it, but if unsuccessful will soon lose interest and abandon it. Some will even become angry at their failure to solve it and may throw a tantrum.
Contrast that with the experienced puzzle player who proceeds to put the puzzle together with an air of certain confidence that they will complete it. They know that they have all of the pieces of the puzzle before them so it is only a matter of finding out which pieces work where and once that's done the puzzle will be complete. Putting a piece in the wrong place is not a cause for concern; it's simply another step toward putting all of the pieces in their proper place.

more

Hiring in the modern world

2009-02-18T19:19:00.000+10:00

Video:

Malcolm Gladwell (author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point”) on the challenge of hiring in the modern world.

39 Resources To Launch a Business

2009-02-17T17:58:00.000+10:00

- Most of Them Are Free! http://adjix.com/cgw9

Small business cost-cutting inspiration

2009-02-15T18:02:00.000+10:00

In this economy, everyone’s looking for ways to cut down, and small businesses are no exception. One of the best ways to save money in business is to examine your annual expenses and consider how you can decrease those costs. Thankfully, there are some pretty amazing resources to help you figure out new ways to do just that. Check out what we consider to be the top 100 blogs for resources and inspiration to cutting your small business costs in 2009:

http://adjix.com/v4g7

7 Tips for leaving the office earlier

2009-02-10T13:11:00.000+10:00

1. Stop participating in the cultural rules. Commit to getting out the door on time. Who decided that you should work until 7:00 p.m.? How much is the time "you're devoting because you're a salaried employee and obligated to do what it takes to get the job done" worth?

... more

Special Report: Marketing Wisdom 2009 - free download

2009-02-07T07:47:00.000+10:00

Download Your Complimentary PDF of Real-Life Lessons Learned

This free copy of the Marketing Wisdom 2009 report comes from Sherpa who produce a constnt flow of marketing case-studies and practical know-how. It features a new collection of some of the best real-life lessons learned last year by marketers worldwide.

Click to download your PDF

Thanks to the hundreds of MarketingSherpa readers who contributed stories on email, search, social media and much more for this seventh annual report. The Editorial team pored over those stories to come up with the "best" test results and practical advice at big and small organizations alike.

And a big thank you to Omniture, which is covering the production costs for this report for the fifth year as a service to the marketing community.

That link again.

They do ask one thing with their reuse policy: Please do not cut, edit or otherwise alter the Wisdom Report in any way when you distribute it. Thanks - and enjoy the wisdom you will receive in this Special Report.

Book - Setting the table

2009-02-04T18:34:00.000+10:00

Pivotal Book:

Setting the Table - the Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

Is the customer always right? According to Danny Meyer, one of America's leading restaurateurs, the answer is no--but "they must always feel heard."

In this landmark book, Danny shares the lessons he's learned while developing the winning recipe for doing the business he calls "enlightened hospitality."

This innovative philosophy emphasizes putting the power of hospitality to work in a new and counterintuitive way: The first and most important application of hospitality is to the people who work for you, and then, in descending order of priority, to the guests, the community, the suppliers, and the investors.

This way of prioritizing stands the more traditional business model on their heads, but Danny considers it the foundation of every success that he and his restaurants have achieved. He hired "genuine, happy, optimistic" people.

They shared their good feelings with customers. And customers felt liked and valued. They became regulars --- and if the secret of a successful long-term enterprise is not Repeat Business, what is it?

more on Setting the Table

Attitude... The key ingredient for success

2009-01-29T14:30:00.000+10:00

Everything begins and ends with your attitude. It is the foundation for our success. In fact, in many companies a good attitude is not only nice, but also essential. It keeps people from getting hired and in other cases it is a reason for dismissal. For example, if you apply for a job at one major hotel chain and you do not smile at least five times in a five -minute interview then your chances for getting hired are almost non-existent. In another instance, one major hardware store has managers who observe employees and if they see anyone with a bad attitude they relieve them of their duties immediately. All this "attitude" stuff may seem fluffy to some, but to attract and keep clients we must project an upbeat, caring and concerned attitude. A recent survey stated it best when they asked clients why they don't go back to a business. The overwhelming response was "an attitude of indifference by the owner, manager or employee."

... more

Earn More and Work Less by “Expertizing” Your Book and Business

2009-01-24T09:14:00.000+10:00

Earn More and Work Less by “Expertizing” Your Book and Business with Fern Reiss

If you’ve written and published a great book, don’t you deserve to see terrific book sales and an increase in your speaking and consulting? It’s time to consider “Expertizing” your book and business.

Expertizing is not only a way to get better media attention from journalists, it’s also a way to get more clients, more speaking engagements, and more sales.

Fern Reiss has Expertized authors, small businesses, large businesses, and nonprofits — everyone from the Hilton Hotels Corporation to the United Methodist Church.

Learn how to Expertize *your* book and business.

You will learn:

...What is “Expertising”?
...How to generate publicity for your book and business — online and off
...The five biggest (and most expensive) pitfalls of book marketing — and how to avoid them
...How to get the media to call *you* for quotes
...how to coin juicy sound bites and get into nearly any publication in the world
...How to get the benefits of a $100,000 PR campaign — while spending 0 to $2400
...How to earn a five-figure monthly income by leveraging your book into an association or subscription Web site

Six Ways to Get People to Say “Yes”

2009-01-23T15:39:00.000+10:00

from Copyblogger by Dean Rieck

Getting people to say “yes” is the goal for any sales message. It’s what psychologists call “compliance.”

However, my first exposure to the idea of compliance was not in a psychology book, but beneath a tree decades ago when my grandfather, in a moment of playfulness, showed me something startling with a stick and a few red feathers.

http://adjix.com/2tn6

Get Free Publicity to Grow Your Business

2009-01-10T10:14:00.000+10:00

with Susan Young

Most entrepreneurs would love to have someone else promote their business. What if you could have dozens of stories touting your services and/or products without your paying a dime? And what if that publicity was designed to make your phone ring with interested prospects calling you?

Many people believe that just writing an “announcement” press release and putting it on PRWire will get their phone ringing. Then they’re disappointed when nothing happens. They don’t understand how to get inside the media professional’s head to want to do a story.

Susan Young, award-winning media expert, will share her inside information learned from being a journalist and media expert. This program is designed for those who want to get “free press” and make more money now!

You will learn:
. how to create news and news releases to promote your projects
. key ways to write press releases and pitches that get covered
. the top 3 complaints of news decision-makers
. the inside mindset of reporters and producers
. top 10 do’s & don’ts of writing press releases that get noticed
. how to develop relationships with reporters so they welcome your contact
. 7 ways to get “free press”

Register or order the CD or MP3 recording
Date: Wednesday, January 21
Time: 7:00 pm Eastern, 6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific
Length: 60 minutes
Cost: $25

Powerful program helps you quickly get targetted traffic

2009-01-09T09:59:00.000+10:00

I just heard about this: http://adjix.com/wsf

It's a slick piece of software which helpsyou get lots of targeted traffic from popularwebsites running Google Adsense.

Have you ever heard of Google Placement Targeting?

That's where you can advertise on otherpeople's websites for REALLY cheap.

This software makes that easy.

Check it out... I know you'll find itvaluable.

P.S If you're already running any kind of ads online, this is an absolute no-brainer:
http://adjix.com/wsf

Critical 2009 Wake Up Call for Your Small Business

2009-01-06T10:43:00.000+10:00

From Kevin Hogan

Pay attention to this and it could be worth more than 100 K in the New Year. (Ignore it, and you DO put everything you own at risk for no good reason)

Yep, really...

I had the "protection epiphany" two years ago and I now have an attorney who after having slapped me silly has my corporate "life" set up the way it needs to be to protect from the looney tunes of the world.

I THOUGHT I had taken care of this 15 years ago.

I was 100% wrong.

I had my business incorporated, but I was not aware of a few small, but very Important things that are VITAL if you are ever sued or challenged. And no one will EVER ask for these things until it is too late. (there are about 7 crucial elements that are required and they should take under an hour a year if you have a system)

Look, you have either created your small business or soon will and man that is a GREAT THING to be on the path to a lifestyle of your own choosing. But there is a hidden predator waiting to attack you and take away your home and savings-- and your corporation is almost certainly not set up to defend against this attack.

(Apparently 95% of small business owners do not understand the simple steps they need to take to protect themselves from being slaughtered).

When you started your small corporation, you did it to get some obvious tax advantages so you could actually keep your money instead of sending it to the nearest bank as a bailout.... and that corporation CAN build a wall of liability protection around your personal assets.

Like the "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" commercials, your Corp. is intended so that "What happens in the Corporation, Stays in the Corporation". But there is a huge gotcha…

So the data shows that 95% of all business owners are living with a false sense of security-- and are one lawsuit or one IRS action away from losing all of their protection, and maybe everything they own. (and you are probably one of the endangered ones, because no one else is telling you this stuff).

You don't want to lose everything in life and have to start all over again, especially not in this economy, with nothing to your name.

Now more than every, people are looking to steal what it yours and they are willing to go to significant lengths to get it when they see a low risk/high reward opportunity for themselves,.

My friend and Platinum Inner Circle member Rob Northrup is the owner of two real corporations and he has spent the last year doing the research and talking with business lawyers.

The result is a Clear, Concise, Step-By-Step system that can take any business owner by the hand and, no matter what condition your records are in, he can show you how to get them in proper order painlessly in under 8 hours, and for less than what one half-hour with an attorney would cost… (to do this the hard way would cost more than 4,000 and take a lot more time)…and not doing it at all, well....you get the idea.

It's the first week of the New Year and it is time to get this done NOW.

If you have a business, you absolutely owe it to yourself and your family to make sure that your business is protecting YOU.,..That's what it's there for in the first place....

Because Rob is my friend, and because I asked him....he is giving an incredible opp for my Readers to help them

Go here to read more and order the Corporate Veil Pro system at this one time price.

Rob is also doubling his GUARANTEE to a full 90 days to remove all the "risk," leaving just the reward of a strong wall of protection for your assets…

The system is 495.00 at Rob's website. We're going to put it in the store for 297 for the public and give you the coupon code "PROTECT" which you can use through January 12, 09 at 11:59 PM CST and take an extra 100 off leaving a miniscule 197.00. Good?

Get this great deal - Corporate Veil Pro System - here

Predictions for 2009

2009-01-05T08:19:00.000+10:00

Mark Anderson, one of the tech industry’s favorite prognosticators, offered at least a glimmer of hopeful news at his annual “Predictions” dinner at the Waldorf Astoria.

http://adjix.com/v63i

7 Top strategies for Making 2009 Your Best year ever

2009-01-04T11:03:00.000+10:00

It’s a new year.

So how will 2009 be different for you?

How will YOU be different?

What will you change, and what will you nurture and cultivate?

To finish the year well, you need to START well.

The first few weeks set the pace for the entire year to come.

How will you plan out and engineer your 2009?

Regardless of how you typically start the New Year, you’ll want to be on our webcast next Thursday.

We’ll give you the 7 Top Strategies for Making 2009 Your Best Year Yet.

I’ll even share with you my own personal strategies I’ll be using for my particular goals.

Being part of this (not cost) event will help you start the New Year with clarity, confidence and conviction.

Register today to be on the call and receive the bonuses we’ll be giving away.

http://SuccessNet.org/2009

Make it a great day–and a great year!
…………………………………………………………………………….
PS: You do NOT want to miss this so register today–phone lines are limited.
http://SuccessNet.org/2009
http://SuccessNet.org

Helping People and Companies Grow and Prosper Since 1995!

47 ways to help you keep your New Year resolutions

2009-01-04T09:53:00.000+10:00

2009 promises to be a year of profound change. Millions of people around the world are having a tough time, but periods of dramatic upheaval are also the best time to start or grow a business. Extraordinary times create extraordinary opportunities.

Now we can’t help you lose 20 pounds or learn to play the violin. But if you want to increase your income, spend more time with your family, finally launch your online business, monetize your blog, or just get in better touch with your inner entrepreneur, here are some of the best Copyblogger posts of 2008 to help you do exactly that.

http://adjix.com/i7x

Navigating the challenges of today's economy - 2009

2009-01-01T20:16:00.000+10:00

2008 Was The Year of The Rat … On To 2009

They don’t call 2008 “The Year of the Rat” for nothing. Although some small businesses will emerge from 2008 relatively unscathed by the financial turmoil, it is likely that most will be affected negatively as we move ahead into a recessionary economy and the perils of uncertainty in the global economy. This period is likely to last at least 1-2 more years and could go longer. Although new and great challenges are always coupled with new opportunities, my feeling is that the best small business strategy moving ahead is to cut your expenses as much as possible, assume the recession could last for several years and seek stability more than growth unless you can grow the business very inexpensively.

Rather than borrowing to grow, consider options where you can effectively monetize your own time and experience towards the longer term goals rather than take on more business development expenses (and thus usually more debt) as one tends to do in a normal business environment. Following are a few examples:

http://blogs.openforum.com/2008/12/31/ten-tiny-things-every-small-business-owner-should-do-in-2009/

In Your Face! 10 Crazy Marketing Stunts

2008-09-08T16:18:00.000+10:00

Say it loud and proud with these funky, spunky, cheap ideas to get noticed.

Marketing is made up of many, many, many things all working to support one another and to touch your customers many times. And yes--I meant to say "many" that many times. Marketing is a process, not an event; you have to think marketing all the time. Read on ...

How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You

2008-08-14T15:50:00.000+10:00

The "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You" leadership system teaches the 48 essential skills needed to be an effective, respected leader.

It starts by helping you to evaluate your own leadership style, and learn to use your strengths and manage weaknesses. It then teaches the key skill-sets needed to lead effectively: Creation of a robust vision of the future; Motivation; Execution and Team member development. This course will give you the skills to be an effective, successful leader, and promises to transform our life.

How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You

"How to Lead" is an incredibly high quality program, developed by true world experts.

Seven Tips for Managing Price Increases

2008-07-26T12:38:00.000+10:00

Consumers get hit with the price-increase hammer every time they drive past a gas station. Harvard Business School professor John Quelch offers tips on how marketers can cope with inflation and consumer sticker shock

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5957.html

Women at the top

2008-07-17T08:22:00.001+10:00

It started, as most discussions of this kind do, with a common lament: "How do we keep highly skilled, talented women executives from opting out of the workforce?" It ended with the four women charged with commenting on this nagging dilemma talking about the need for more flexible schedules. Yes, we hear that a lot, not only in the executive ranks, but in all walks of the work life. We hear it constantly. We hear it from women and we hear it from men.

But yesterday, we heard about it in terms of the executive suite, where some women manage to break through the glass ceiling that continues to exist in our business culture. Co-sponsored by The Week and The Conference Board, "Women in Power: Views From the Top," featured Catherine Kinney, president and COO of the New York Stock Exchange; Dr. Caroline Kovac, general manager, Healthcare and Life Sciences, IBM Corp.; Shelly Lazarus, chairman and CEO, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide; and Suzy Welch, co-author, along with husband Jack Welch of Winning, and former editor of the Harvard Business Review. The discussion was moderated by none other than CNBC's "Money Honey" Maria Bartiromo, who expertly navigated the conversation.

The panelists, guided by Bartiromo, discussed a wide range of topics from corporate scandals and governance issues to balancing work and family, to China, the productivity of the U.S. workforce, and biotech. It was as topical a discussion as you could ever wish for from four women who, while they are in very different businesses, can relate to one another's climb to the top. But what the Minute found most interesting was the work/life balance discussion.

Article continues

The new PR - create experiences and relationships

2008-07-07T14:05:00.001+10:00

PR is now about creating experiences and being a "professional relationship" expert

Robert Scoble

Stop paying your business expenses

2008-06-22T16:07:00.001+10:00

Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of GuerrillaMarketing, has created a report called

“The Guerrilla Balance Sheet”

which claims that businesses can turn their expenses into profit centers.

The idea is that if you profit at everything you do you’ll never run out of cash again…

Jay produced a video at http://www.consultpivotal.com/Afebene.htm

Do you think it’s possible?

The report certainly convinced me some of my biggest business and marketing expenses can be turned into profit centers simply and easily.

In fact, some of it I was almost doing!

This provided the missing piece...

I’ll be able to do a whole lot more marketing now…

So get ready to hear more from me...

Bronwyn Ritchie

PS According to Jay this is a continuation of a trend. It used to cost a lot to send a message to your target market...then came email which was free…and now you can actually profit off your marketing...

See for yourself at http://www.consultpivotal.com/Afebene.htm

Customer Service - Listen up

2008-06-13T15:22:00.000+10:00

Have you ever been sitting down for dinner and the phone rings with a telemarketer on the other end? You might hear: "I'm not selling anything; I just want to ask you a few questions. We are a research firm . . . ."Companies spend millions of dollars each year gathering data from potential customers, yet they fail to listen when an existing customer has something to say. Successful organizations have developed a process of listening to their customers and then doing something with what they hear. There are several ways to listen to your customer.

REad on ...

The Starbucks Experience

2008-06-03T10:26:00.000+10:00

: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary (Hardcover)by Joseph Michelli

From the Reviews

It's important to understand that "The Starbucks Experience" is not, and is not meant to be, an "exposé" of Big Coffee. People seeking that should look elsewhere

What "The Starbucks Experience" is, is a very interesting inside look at the approach to business that has made Starbucks not only a commercial, but also a cultural, phenomenon.

Starbucks is an exemplar of the values-driven business model that will set apart the next generation of business leaders. Joseph Michelli has taken us deeper inside that business model and pointed out some important ways that all of us, whatever our job or station in life, can adopt and adapt "the Starbucks experience" for our own uses.

He explores the various levels on which Starbucks succeeds, from its generous HR policies and lively work environment to its attention to detail and genuine concern for social causes—all of which highlight how singular a company it is. (Michelli throws in the word "unique" as often as twice a sentence.) The genius of Starbucks success lies in its ability to create personalized customer experiences, stimulate business growth, generate profits, energize employees, and secure customer loyalty-all at the same time. With unique access to Starbucks personnel and resources, Joseph Michelli discovered that the success of Starbucks is driven by the people who work there-the “partners”-and the special experience they create for each customer.

The company's practices are undeniably innovative and inspiring, and there's surely something in this book that's applicable to most businesses. It's up to the reader to decide how much of this is relevant and useful, and what the important lessons may be.

Michelli reveals how you can follow the Starbucks way to
· Reach out to entire communities
· Listen to individual workers and consumers
· Seize growth opportunities in every market
Custom-design a truly satisfying experience that benefits everyone involved
Michelli believes that Starbucks is guided buy five principles that make the business successful:
1) MAKE IT YOUR OWN The people who work in the stores, who do the everyday work you see are called PARTNERS, not workers, not employees. The objective is to get a lower level associate functioning in an entrepreneurial fashion. Somehow Starbucks gets it done. Basically, each partner is asked to conduct himself in accordance with what the company calls the "FIVE WAYS OF BEING".

A) Be Welcoming

B) Be Genuine

C) Be Considerate

D) Be Knowledgeable

E) Be Involved

2) EVERYTHING MATTERS There are two fabulous quotes that are used in this section. We should all memorize them:

A) Retail is Detail

B) All Business is Detail

I was floored by these quotes. When you think about it, Starbucks is completely right. You have to get those DETAILS right. If you do that, the mosaic that you are trying to create between store, coffee and customer - it all comes together.

3) SURPRISE AND DELIGHT It might be opening a store an hour early because you see a customer standing outside. Perhaps you had 10 regular customers from the library across the street, and now the library has moved. You run the Starbucks, so what do you do, you visit the new Starbucks where the library moved, and you introduce your old customers to the new Starbucks. Who does this type of thing; what business has such people affiliated with it? The answer is Starbucks. Somehow this company has managed to create these types of dedicated professionals.

4) EMBRACE RESISTANCE Most companies seem to fight off criticism or complaints - not Starbucks. They look upon criticism as an opportunity to learn from the person doing the criticizing. A case in point is a high level Starbucks executive calling up a person who did a radio show flailing against what he viewed as a lack of consistency in the coffee and service at his local Starbucks. The company embraced the criticism as an opportunity to learn on a company-wide basis. This is very unusual to say the least.

5) LEAVE YOUR MARK It's right in the company's mission statement. The company will "contribute positively to our communities, and our environment." From buying environmentally friendly products to constantly worrying about developing a reputation for integrity, Starbucks takes what it does seriously. This is reflected in every nuance of the customer experience

Filled with real-life insider stories, eye-opening anecdotes, and solid step-by-step strategies, this fascinating book takes you deep inside one of the most talked-about companies in the world today.

For anyone who wants to learn from the best-and be the best-The Starbucks Experience is a rich, heady brew of unforgettable user-friendly ideas. We're not all in a position to shape corporate policy, but one of the powerful truths Starbucks teaches is that everyone can have a big -- even a defining -- impact on a customer's experience of your product or service. You don't have to be a Starbucks fan to get a mental caffeine-buzz off an idea like that.

“…as someone involved in the non-profit world, namely a church, I can see how these principles would work for charities, churches, schools, social service agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. The book promotes excellence in a caring, committed, and purposeful way which can change the way corporations can do business and can help nonprofits remain innovative and relative too.”

Business Plan Step-by-Step Outline

2008-05-22T10:57:00.000+10:00

The process of writing a business plan helps ensure that all aspects of your business are focused on the same goal, and that you don't have any major gaps in your business model. And, of course, if you go out to borrow money or get investors, you will need to have a formal business plan in place to present to them. A business plan can also help you communicate more effectively with potential employees, partners and customers.

... more

Creating a Power-Packed Headline

2008-05-10T08:01:00.000+10:00

Every part of your sales message is important. Your opening is crucial.

Your presentation of product benefits ... of proof and credibility elements ... of the offer and premiums ... of your guarantee ... and of your closing "ask-for-the-sale" copy are all critical.

But of all the things you do to produce a sale, nothing equals your headline when it comes to pushing response through the roof. In my 33 years in this business, I've seen great new headlines produce 25%, 35%, even 45% lifts in response and ROI.

Why are heads so important? Two reasons:

Read the whole article

There's still time

2008-04-20T18:31:00.000+10:00

There's still time to sign up for Derek Gehl's FREE "Build-a-Biz" video training series!

The first video is being released next Monday (April 21st). -- but is ONLY available to people who registered for it.

You can still register right now by going to: www.marketingtips.com/xtreme-challenge/t/1087521

In these videos, Derek is going to show you the exactsteps you need to take to build a money-making website in ONE WEEK (or less!).

... How?

By doing it himself -- ON CAMERA, right before your very eyes!

Quite simply, there's no other learning tool like this. Sure, you can buy a bunch of books (as thick as a lawtextbook and just as exciting to read), or watch a bunch of speakers on stage, TELLING you what to do instead of SHOWING you what to do.

But when have you ever seen anyone sit down and physically demonstrate how the entire process WORKS -- from the first spark of an idea, all the way through to the very first sale?

And how would it help YOU to watch something like this?

Finally, those gaps in your understanding would all be filled...

Imagine the "turbo-boost" it would give to your business efforts!

So if you'd like to learn the steps you need to take to build your own money-making website in as little as ONE WEEK (or less!)

...... Reserve your FREE "front-row seat" NOW at: www.marketingtips.com/xtreme-challenge/t/1087521

Thanks,

Bronwyn

P.S. A lot of people are wondering if Derek is going to fall flat on his face

...... But I know he has a "secret weapon" in his corner that's going to make it EASY for him to build a money-making website in less than a week!

To discover what this "secret weapon" is, sign up for Derek's FREE videos at: www.marketingtips.com/xtreme-challenge/t/1087521

Stop Paying Your Business Expenses?

2008-02-23T12:35:00.000+10:00

"Your Frontline Business Guide Book"

2008-02-23T11:35:00.000+10:00

Tactical entrepreneur

Award winning author Brian Hazelgren once again puts his expertise into the hands of the Entrepreneur. In his first books “Your First Business Plan” and “The Big Book of Business Plans” Brian instructed his readers in writing winning business plans

Now in “Tactical Entrepreneur” Brian discusses topics such as

• How to make it in the brutal world of business ownership

• Acquire the TACTICAL abilities needed to be successful

• Creating the FREEDOM needed to reach your goals

• Establishing Calculated Risks

• Learning from others mistakes

• Do you have what it takes?

• Targeting your market

• How to build a successful marketing plan

• Business Planning

• Plus Much More!

The book also contains worksheets, brainstorming techniques, the nine signs of an entrepreneur and a sample business plan. This book is a must for anyone who is just starting out or the seasoned professional who needs a refresher course.

Get your own copy of Tactical Entrepreneur visit http://www.tacticalentrepreneur.com/?afid=2215

"Easy does it" - online business

2008-02-19T16:39:00.000+10:00

Imagine if setting up a money-making Internet business went like this:

Step 1: Click HERE.

Step 2: Now click HERE.

Step 3: Do this (NO, not like that... like THIS.)

Well, thanks to Derek Gehl and his team of Internet wealth experts, it really is that easy!

They've just released the MOST complete online business start-up solution the world has ever seen. And you can take it on a risk-free 30-day test drive for just $2.95!

(Think I'm exaggerating? You can see it for yourself at:

http://www.consultpivotal.com/Areality101.htm )

Not only does this package include the 2008 version of Derek's #1 best-selling course on how to build a money-making online business...

(It's created more six-figure-income Internet businesses than any other resource on EARTH)

... For the first time ever, you can also get Derek's NEW fully-automated business creation software -- which you can use to "point and click" your way through every stage of setting up your own, fully customized business!

**But ONLY if you're one of the first 300 customers!**

So if you've been looking for an easier way to get online fast, try out Derek's new start-up solution for just $2.95 at:

http://www.consultpivotal.com./Areality101.htm

This video will save you $1000's

2008-02-15T16:45:00.001+10:00

"This product is going to REVOLUTIONIZE the Internet!!!"

... Aren't you sick of claims like that?

Lately we've been getting bombarded with products that are being trumpeted as the ONE thing absolutely EVERY online business owner MUST have if they want to make money on the Internet.

I'm sorry, but I find these outrageous claims hard to swallow.

Especially when many of these products will ONLY work for you if your business is ALREADY making money!

If you're just starting out... or if your site isn't getting any visitors or sales... then BEWARE! Most of these products won't give you the answers you're looking for.

(Plus, they'll drain your bank account of $1000s!)

That's why I was so excited to come across Derek Gehl's free instructional video, "Reality 101."

You can check it out here:

http://www.consultpivotal.com/reality_101.htm
In this 30-minute video, Derek explodes a lot of popular marketing myths and tells you exactly what you REALLY need to do to make great money online.

(Hint: It's all about the "bare bones" fundamentals... Not "flash-in-the-pan" trends that are here today, gone tomorrow!)

If you're eager to throw back the curtain and discover the REAL truth about what you need to do to ensure the success of your online business, then I suggest you watch this video now:

http://www.consultpivotal.com/Areality_101.htm

All the best,

Bronwyn

P.S. If you've been searching for a "magic bullet" that will help you set up a profitable online business literally overnight, then you REALLY need to watch this video:

http://www.consultpivotal.com/Areality_101.htm

Your 401k Plan Is a Recruiting Magnet

2008-02-15T08:28:00.000+10:00

Competitive base pay, medical insurance and a 401k plan are the must have benefits necessary to attract and keep talent in your company. According to a study by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, related in The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices Your Company Must Implement, companies that emphasize better benefits and use them to attract and retain high caliber staff add 7.3 percent in additional profit to their bottom line.
Read on ...

Implement a Mentoring Program in Your Biz

2008-02-11T16:57:00.000+10:00

Pick-your-own mentor programs help new employees move ahead.

Scott Allison, 41, knows the value of mentors for recruiting, retaining, developing and motivating his 44 employees. "Every time we've done an employee survey, mentorship has popped up as an interest and a need," says the president and CEO of San Francisco-based national independent communications firm Allison & Partners.

Allison's appreciation for mentoring dates to the early days of the 4-year-old company. Back then, however, the firm didn't have enough resources to establish a formal mentoring program; there weren't enough senior people to supply mentors to everyone who was interested. Allison decided to allow for informal mentoring, where employees got to choose their own mentors. That method, he figured, made the most of the mentoring resources he had. The approach worked well enough that today, even though Allison has enough senior employees to designate mentors, he still uses the voluntary program.

Read the whole article

How Investing in Intangibles -- Like Employee Satisfaction -- Translates into Financial Returns

2008-02-08T21:34:00.000+10:00

Contrary to management theories developed in the Industrial Age, employee satisfaction is an important ingredient for financial success, according to a new research paper by Wharton finance professor Alex Edmans.

His findings also challenge the importance of short-term financial results and may have implications for investors interested in targeting socially responsible companies. The paper is titled, "Does the Stock Market Fully Value Intangibles? Employee Satisfaction and Equity Prices."

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1873.cfm

The Simple Truths of Service

2008-02-05T19:39:00.000+10:00

Customer service is not a department . . . it is an attitude."

How true it is! The video leads with an unforgettable true story about a young man with Downs Syndrome who changes the culture of a grocery store by giving the customers a little more than they expect. Here's a warning: Once you watch it, you'll never
forget it!

Just click on the link below. It takes only 3 minutes to watch it, and I truly hope you'll share it with every person in your organization. I guarantee it will.. Make Their Day!

Click Here: The Simple Truths of service Video

Tips For Developing Your Prospecting Skills

2008-01-31T12:30:00.000+10:00

By Louis Bonaventura

Are your prospecting skills not up to par? Do you keep wondering why you are always getting rejected? Is it your business? Is it your products? Or is it you?

Here's how to hone your prospecting skills to become a better prospector and take your Network Marketing business to new levels!

The first thing you need to remember is that "Professionals Sort . Amateurs Convince."

People can sense desperation. Yes, even over the phone! If people sense that you are desperate and trying to convince them to join your business, they won't join! Think about it; would you join somebody who sounds like they are desperate? I highly doubt it, I know I wouldn't. You don't want everyone in your business either! You want people who are motivated and want something; people who are professional and trainable; people who are looking for change. Prospecting is a fine art and your skills need to be developed.

Repetition is the key. In the beginning, your skill level will be low and you will need to make up for that with the numbers. What I mean is that you will need to speak with more people to get the same results. As your skills improve, you will get the same results while talking with less and less people. I'm not saying to talk with less people, just that it will take less people to obtain the same results.

Prospecting is nothing more than communicating with people. It boils down to asking, listening and collecting. You have to ask questions. You want to ask questions that allow people to open up. This will prompt them to ask you "how" questions and "why" questions. "How" questions qualify for your time, "why" questions do not. The "why" is their reason, not yours. You can tell them "how" but not "why".

Then you have to listen to the answers and collect the information! Listening is a skill that is almost never taught. It's about them, not you. Find out what they want. What is their "why?" Once you find their "why" you have found their hot button. This is what will motivate them. In order to find this, you must learn to listen!

If somebody's "why" is not strong enough, they will either won't join (or buy) or they will and not produce, and then eventually quit telling you that "it doesn't work." This is not true. This just means it didn't work for them because they didn't have a strong enough reason to be doing it!

Also, people will buy from, or join with, somebody who is a leader. You need to be a strong leader and believe in yourself. You need to send the message that you are the leader people are looking for. You've heard the statement "The fortune is in the follow-up." This is so true!

But you have to distinguish who is worthy of your time and who is not and only follow-up with people who deserve your time. Keep in mind that follow-up doesn't mean begging, chasing or convincing. Follow-up means you get back in touch with people who are very serious about changing their lives. Do you think Donald Trump begs, chases and tries to convince people to do business with him. Not on your life and neither should you!

People who have requested information and are interested in looking at it are worth your time. Don't follow-up with people who ask you to call them back in a week or so. Tell them to call you back when they are serious about changing their life.

When making recruiting phone calls, it should take you no more than 30 seconds to find out if somebody is interested or not. Include your name, location and a little bit about why you are calling. For example: "Hi ____, my name is __________ and I'm just giving you a quick call from here in _________. ____, your name came across my desk as somebody interested in owning your own business and I wanted to find out if that is still true." That's it. Don't say anything else until they give you an answer. All you are looking for here is a Yes or a No. If they tell you "No I'm not interested" or "Please take my name off your list" say "Thank you ... have a great day" and hang up. Don't waste your time! Move on to the next call on your list. Don't take it personally, they don't even know you! Maybe this just isn't the right person, or they are having a bad day, or this person simply isn't serious about changing their life. It has nothing to do with you personally! Move on. If they tell you something else that indicates they want to hear what you have to offer then proceed with your script or presentation.

Make sure you ask questions, find their "why" and above all, listen! The decision on whether somebody joins your business with you is yours, not theirs. Maybe they are serious about changing their life, but you have an uneasy feeling with them, or you just don't "gel" with them. Don't waste your time. Tell them that they are not the person you are looking for and move on. It's your business. You decide who you work with and who you don't, nobody else. This is a hard concept for most people to grasp because they are trying to "go to the next level" in their company, or trying to be in the top 10 this month. Taking on everyone who says yes is not necessarily a good thing to do. Be selective and don't waste your time on people who do not deserve it.

Prospecting is about sorting, not selling or convincing. "Professionals sort . Amateurs convince." When it comes to talking with people, get a Yes or a No as quickly as possible and move forward from there. Prospecting is 80% listening and 20% asking questions. Make sure you follow-up with the right people and don't waste your time with the wrong ones. Following these tips and advice will set you well on your way to improving your prospecting skills.

Remember that "practice makes perfect." Keep practicing and moving forward and your skills will naturally develop and get stronger. Don't get frustrated, simple discipline over a period of time will produce results.

About The Author:Lou and Robin Bonaventura have been Professional Network Marketers for 4 years. They attribute much of their success to personal development and continual learning. Visit http://www.SNGBlog.com and http://www.SuccessNetworkGroup.com for more insight into how personal development can benefit you.

Sales motivation

2008-01-28T20:47:00.000+10:00

If you’re in sales, I know you’ll use this often for that “shot of inspiration” to maintain a positive attitude. But, you don’t have to be in sales to love this book. If you like quotes and you like beautiful photos, well...this little book will “knock your socks off!”

Click here to turn the pages of this beautiful little book

Take the Entrepreneurship test

2008-01-24T21:09:00.000+10:00

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/entrepreneurshipquiz.asp

Scorched-Earth Networking

2008-01-12T20:33:00.000+10:00

Are you burning the very people you're trying to impress?

Find out how not to be the networker no one wants to do business with.

By Ivan Misner

In my more than two decades of developing business networks and coaching networkers, I've noticed some very different styles of networking.

One of these styles, which results in the ground smoking wherever these networkers tread, I call "scorched earth networking."

Let's talk a little about this style, so you understand how important it is to avoid this type of networking in cultivating a successful business networking model.

Just what are the hallmarks of a scorched-earth networker? Experience has shown me that this type of networker...

Article continues

Top 10 Business Plan Books

2008-01-07T19:32:00.001+10:00

Many books have been written on starting a business and the necessity of writing an effective business plan. Each book in our list of recommended business plan books, is devoted solely to the topic. Some have forms and outlines, others have sample business plans for you to review.
These are the best step-by-step guides on content, presentation and execution of a business plan still in print today.

Businesses are made by people - Quotation

2008-01-04T17:14:00.000+10:00

Businesses are made by people. We've proven time and time again that you can have wonderful shop, and put a bloke in there who's no good, and he'll stuff it up. Put a good bloke in, and it just turns around like that.

Gerry Harvey

Top tips: Being diverse gets results

2008-01-03T08:01:00.000+10:00

US author and entrepreneur Frans Johansson answers questions about diversity.

Q. What does diversity bring to a business, and how can it make money?

A. Diversity brings the possibility to leapfrog competitors. By leveraging different perspectives, a company can create "Medici Effect", an explosion of groundbreaking ideas. A corporation must first understand the need for diversity and then how to use it. With those two pieces in place, however, it will outperform. This is ultimately reflected in shareholder value. Diversity can make money in several ways. The most fundamental is in how it drives innovation. When Volvo Cars decided to create an all-female engineering team it came up with hundreds of ideas, most of them never suggested before - and many were brilliant. In addition, diversity can help us find unique market opportunities. When the Hispanic networking group at Frito-Lay in the US (part of PepsiCo) suggested the company develop a "Guacamole Chip", the company went for it and made $100 million in its first year of sales. Read on ....

The Price Is Right, but Maybe It's Not, and How Do You Know?

2007-12-31T13:56:00.000+10:00

When Apple dropped the price of its iPhone by a third after only two months on the market, even its most loyal buyers complained bitterly, forcing CEO Steve Jobs to apologize and offer a partial rebate. According to Wharton faculty and analysts, the iPhone episode reflects an evolving marketplace where innovation, fierce competition and globalization are changing strategic approaches to pricing. Meanwhile, pricing is gaining new interest as management looks for ways to increase revenues after years of focusing their attention on downsizing and cost-cutting.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1813.cfm

This video has people curious ...

2007-12-30T16:24:00.000+10:00

Finding the Right Business Partners

2007-12-28T15:12:00.000+10:00

- By Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, D. Marques Patton

One of the major challenges facing entrepreneurs and business leaders is finding the right business partners. Great care should be exercised when selecting associates because the right choice can bridge gaps and assist in the execution of your business plan. The wrong choice can harm the reputation and earnings of your company.

One should consider the following when forming strategic alliances:

FIND BELIEVERS IN YOUR MISSION
No one will champion your cause like a true believer in your vision, products, and services. Align yourself with those who comprehend the magnitude of what you are doing and will offer wholehearted support to your endeavors. Those who align themselves with you solely for monetary gain will often carry a short-term perspective that will conflict with your long-term business strategy.

ACTIVE PARTNER VS. PASSIVE PARTNER

Another consideration is: Are you looking for an active or passive interest holder in your business? Do you seek someone who will be involved in the day-to-day management of the company? Many entrepreneurs opt for passive partners to avoid having them encroach on the management of the business. If you elect active partners, it is important that they share the same vision, objectives, and ethics as your associates.

SMART MONEY VS. SILENT MONEY

When pursuing financial partnerships, you have several options. You can choose investors that will solely provide financing, or you can partner with funding sources that will also offer guidance and help in strategic planning. Silent money could be the right choice if you have a seasoned management team and desire total creative control. However, if in both cases you will surrender the same amount of equity, it makes more sense to partner with investors who are well connected and may also offer advisory services.

COMPLEMENTARY SKILL SET

Your ideal operations partner will have a complementary skill set. They will strengthen your areas of weakness and allow you to compete effectively. Their affiliation will most importantly shorten, or eliminate altogether, the development time necessary in particular areas. Your resources will not have to be spent acquiring expertise in areas where your partner is already adept.

ALLIANCES

Your ideal partner should also be in a position to help you form strategic partnerships. This person/organization ought to be able to help you align yourself with people who can assist in growing your business. Strategic partnerships can also bring about needed political affiliations.

GROWTH AND EXIT STRATEGY

A major point of contention for many partners is the company's growth and exit strategy. Some parties may be content as the owners of a small business, while others seek to franchise or even go public. All parties should be in agreement on how they plan to access the equity of the company, rather it be by salary and dividends, or a substantial liquidity event. The right partner can ease the road and multiply the profits of your business. Whether you're looking for investment funds, advice, a complementary skill set, or helpful associations, choose this relationship wisely.

About the Authors: Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques Patton are co-authors of the acclaimed business and personal finance National Bestseller, THE BARON SON: VADE MECUM 7. Vicky Davis is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Indulgence Jewelry Corp. William Patterson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Warcoffer Capital Group, LLC. D. Marques Patton is President and Chief Operating Officer of The Warcoffer Capital group, LLC. To receive their breakthrough book and over $3,631 in FREE bonus gifts, visit: http://www.baronseries.com

Small Business, Big Clients

2007-12-23T15:06:00.000+10:00

Don't fear taking on giant corporations as clients and business partners. Everyone benefits when Goliath hires David.

Does size matter? It's a cheeky question, but also a valid one.

As a small company, can you take on a large corporate client and serve them just as well as--if not better than--a big vendor can?

Michael Fallone can offer a resounding "yes" to that question.

After all, he and his co-founder, Doug Bartow, 39, and just four employees developed the design and creative foundation and executed many of the elements for the Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows U.S. marketing campaign.

Read On >>>

Conference Networking Tips

2007-12-18T10:10:00.000+10:00

Conference Networking Tips: Make Yourself Useful

9 ways to stand out at an event

Who Owns You? Finding a Balance between Online Privacy and Targeted Advertising

2007-12-13T18:38:00.000+10:00

On November 6, Facebook outlined a strategy to integrate more targeted advertising into its popular social networking website. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg saw the new initiative as an opportunity for users to refer products to each other and allow friends to share information as they shopped online and visited other websites. The system, called Beacon, was also intended to lead to more relevant -- and profitable -- advertising through precise targeting based on a user's buying habits, social circle and geography. But on December 5, after receiving numerous complaints, Zuckerberg issued an apology and changed the way Beacon operates. The whole incident, according to Wharton experts, raises questions about privacy, marketing tactics and what consumers can expect in the future.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/1865.cfm

Current events

2007-10-20T19:37:00.000+10:00

Millionaire Mind Evening

"Money miracles can occur when we get out of our own way," says Eker. "The problem is, by ourselves, we can never see what's holding us back from reaching our full potential. Einstein said it best, "you can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it." The information in this course is extremely powerful! If you learn the strategies and use them, your financial life will change forever."

The next free evening will be on Tuesday Oct 30 2007 at Seattle, WA.

Further Information

For more events, visit the Pivotal Business Events page

Your own Super Niche

2007-10-17T19:48:00.001+10:00

To Find a Niche: Focus!

Many entrepreneurs think that selling to the widest possible market is the likeliest path to success. The problem is that the "take all comers" approach is not very effective as an overall marketing strategy; marketing becomes expensivewhen everyone is a potential prospect.

Today's small businesses share a fiercely competitive playing field. Combined with information overload, this means that it's harder to stand out when you have a generic message. If you are merely a "management consultant," a humble"business coach," or a nondescript "financial advisor," you risk fighting it out over price with competitors who offer identical services to yours. To rise above the fray, you need a compelling business message aimed at the right people. You need to cultivate your own Super Niche.

Read the whole article

Business quote for the week

2007-10-10T20:49:00.000+10:00

Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.

- Peter F. Drucker, 1909-2005, Austrian-born Management Consultant and Author

More quotations on the Pivotal Quotations pages

What's been missing

2007-10-09T18:36:00.001+10:00

The Missing Element in Entrepreneurial Success

What your competitors don’t know that will catapult youto extreme business success

I'd like to introduce you to a leading transformational teacher who is creating enormous success with the life coaches and entrepreneurs she’s working with – her name is Sharon Wilson.

Sharon is on the forefront of teachers today that are sharing what the “Missing Element” is. Her clients report amazing successes beyond logical explanation.. and I know you will agree with us – even now, when we're all recognizing that the landscape of business is definitely changing.

Sharon has agreed to do a complimentary (this means FREE!) teleconference call on this very “Missing Element” – the call happens on Thursday Oct 18th, at 8 p.m. – 9pm ET /5:00- 6:00 p.m. PDT.

She’s calling it “The Missing Element in Entrepreneurial Success.” I know you will be motivated by what Sharon has to say. If you’re looking for elemental strengths to add to your growing business success, I strongly encourage you to get involved in this call.

You can experience Sharon’s powerful coaching and learn an amazing tool that can begin to help you right now to make what she calls “vibrational shifts” to get results beyond logic too! Just register for the free class and you can get access to this amazing session today.

Simply sign up for her free teleconference here:

http://www.coachingfromspirit.com/cfsi/AttractionRevolution/Registration/index.cfm?af=3958
http://www.coachingfromspirit.com/cfsi/AttractionRevolution/Registration/index.cfm?af=3958

We expect at least 1000 people on this call so sign on now! With your free registration, you will also receive an additional gift from Sharon – her 7 day e-course, “Success From Spirit,” which normally sells for $79.95. Sharon Wilson has a lot to share, and I know you’re going to learn something of significance.

Creating a Power-Packed Headline

2007-10-07T19:30:00.001+10:00

By Clayton Makepeace

Every part of your sales message is important. Your opening is crucial. Your presentation of product benefits ... of proof and credibility elements ... of the offer and premiums ... of your guarantee ... and of your closing "ask-for-the-sale" copy are all critical.

But of all the things you do to produce a sale, nothing equals your headline when it comes to pushing response through the roof. In my 33 years in this business, I've seen great new headlines produce 25%, 35%, even 45% lifts in response and ROI.

Why are heads so important? Two reasons:

Read the whole article

Improving Business with Better Service

2007-10-04T12:08:00.000+10:00

By Daniel Kehrer

Some businesses that are clueless on customer service stumble because they remain in the tech dark ages. Customers expect quick answers. You need to provide them online, via recorded phone messages and now more than ever by
e-mail or cell phone. Tech-less businesses can still provide good customer service, but it's a lot more difficult

Read on ...

Just for fun - the Machiavelli personality test

2007-10-01T11:06:00.000+10:00

Machiavelli personality test
Are you a cutthroat or a pussycat? Find out, if you dare.

This item comes to you from the Pivotal Just for fun pages

WHAT ARE YOU COMMITTED TO?

2007-09-28T11:21:00.000+10:00

What do you think of when you hear the word commitment?

Perhaps you picture a loving husband caring for his invalid wife.

Maybe you envision a business owner who puts her resources and reputation on the line to lead her company through a crisis.

Perhaps you see a dedicated teacher who spends hours of his own time tutoring underprivileged children.

Or maybe the scene that comes to mind is one of a group of soldiers who willingly enters harm's way to protect their countrymen.

These are all wonderful examples of commitment. But have you considered the fact that individuals who act in less admirable ways also are committed? People who watch the clock at work are committed to making it through the day so they can go home. People who spend most of their free time in front of the television are committed to taking life easy. People who cheat on their income taxes are committed to beating the system.
Do you understand what I'm saying? When it comes to living a life of significance, the vital question isn't, "Am I committed?" It's, "What am I committed to?"

Click here to read the complete article.

Imagination Engineering: your toolkit for business creativity

2007-09-24T12:03:00.000+10:00

Imagination Engineering: Your Toolkit for Business Creativity (Paperback)
by Paul Birch

One of the most difficult questions facing managers and executives today is how to manage creativity. They must constantly re-create the fundamental nature of their businesses. This book provides an excellent review of some of the best cutting edge creativity technologies, as well as many useful new tools. The authors have outlined their practical processes into stages and each stage provides tools or activity exercise, an explanation of the techniques of the tools, and practical examples.

Coaching Millions

2007-09-20T20:47:00.001+10:00

Some coaches are making millions.

You can make more too.

"Coaching Millions" shows you step by step how to leverage your business growth.

A simple six step process to:-- Help more people -- Make a lot more revenue-- Live your ultimate lifestyleBrian Tracy called "Coaching Millions"

".. the best single book ever written on how to be successful in coaching"

I'm also recommending that anyone not yet using coaching as the ultimate high ticket information product get a copy. Even if you "know it".. this book contains simple explanations you can use in training others and leveraging any business.

I've joined with dozens of others to help author Milana Leshinsky tell the world about this wonderful book. We have each donated a gift.

Do this today.. Go to:
http://coachingbestseller.com/

Why marketing should make the user manuals!

2007-09-19T19:49:00.000+10:00

From Creating Passionate users ......

Why marketing should make the user manuals!

Why do so many companies treat potential users so much better than existing users? Think about it. The brochure is a thing of beauty, while the user manual is a thing of boredom. The brochure gets the big budget while the manual gets the big index. What if we stopped making the docs we give away for free SO much nicer than the ones the user paid for? What if instead of seducing potential users to buy, we seduced existing users to learn?

Read on ...

More on Marketing

How to read a businss book

2007-09-08T08:30:00.000+10:00

For most of us, when we want to improve at something, we read. And this is no less true for those of us in business or in leadership positions in organisations. And, of course, there is a plethora of books to choose from. In fact, according to a report from Fast Company, 5,301 titles "claiming to be about business" were published last year, up 30 percent from three years ago.
And for those of us who are busy, but want the answers NOW, it can be frustrating trying to absorb all of the information available. Fast Company has some answers.

Check out the article How to Read a Business Book.

scarcity

2007-09-06T15:00:00.000+10:00

So what's scarce now? Respect. Honesty. Good judgment. Long-term relationships that lead to trust

Excellent! - from Seth Godin of course - a great post emphasising just how important this side of business has become.

One of the comments added to the list - O
"originality". And, of course, that's where Seth's power comes from!!

The Joy of Budgets

2007-09-03T20:09:00.000+10:00

One of those small moments that transform life happened several years ago when my accountant made the simple statement that "Your budget decides the size of your dreams."

At the time, Rick had no idea what that would mean to me. We were talking about taxes or whatever, and he threw it out, and we moved on.

But I've never forgotten it.

When I teach my class on personal finances (The Road to Riches), I often hear people talk about how "hard" it is to budget at home or at work. Folks, nothing could be further from the truth!

Read the whole article

How much growth is reasonable?

2007-08-26T17:49:00.000+10:00

Here's an UNREASONABLE idea...Paul Lemberg explains how you can grow much faster.

http://unreasonablepromo.com/

In his new book.. "Be Unreasonable" Paul will show why you may not want to do what is reasonable.

Paul uses these strategies to help business get amazing growth results.

Now he will show you how unreasonable strategies can bring you unprecedented success. Real-life case studies of successful and unreasonable business people:

BE UNCOMPROMISING by sticking to your goals no matter what.

BE DEMANDING by expecting more, not less, from everybody.

BE CRITICAL by changing old systems that just don't work.

BE OUTRAGEOUS by creating your own Business Brain Trust.

BE PREPARED for real success on your terms.

-- Our UNREASONABLE offer --I have joined with dozens of other authors to help Paul tell the world about"Be Unreasonable" by giving this unreasonable offer:

http://unreasonablepromo.com/

There is ZERO COST for this offer and thousands of dollars extra

gifts when you order the book today.

It is unreasonably good.

http://unreasonablepromo.com/

PS. When you begin to think about what can happen when you experience this rapid acceleration, you will want to join us in sharing this with the world. Forward this message to anyone that wants to get more out of business and life.

http://UnreasonablePromo.com

Six Sanity-Saving Scenarios to Turn a Massive Breakdown into a Powerful Business Breakthrough

2007-08-18T17:17:00.001+10:00

There I was. Depressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Despite my best efforts to have a smooth running ship and organize my event, I realized I had a significant breakdown in my process. I admit, it wasn’t the end of the world, but come on, I teach this stuff! It was one week before we went live on our new program, we were preparing the workbooks for production, and I realized, no one ordered the right tabs! Yikes!

It got me thinking how a client of mine had shared a great story about their direct mail marketing campaign. A lot of money had been invested in buying a list of qualified candidates. But every step of the way there was breakdown in the process – the guy who formatted the list didn’t set it up right, the assistant didn’t have the proper envelopes, and they had no postage when they needed it. My client laughed as he told me this, but I knew he was frustrated!

Well, I’ve learned over the years that a breakdown means that something very valuable is happening – I have new insight into how I can improve my process, my attitude, or my belief so that problem never happens again.
Let’s look at a few examples of how breakdowns can occur in our business or life.

Read the whole article

Re-imagine

2007-08-15T10:50:00.000+10:00

Re-imagine! (Hardcover) by Tom Peters

"We're in a new business climate and we'd better make some big changes. And what changes does Peters propose--or, shall I say, demand?
Try these on for size:
* Basing all business (from the smallest department to the biggest megacorp) on projects and the professional service firm model, thus increasing value.
* Embracing branding and design--and providing experiences to Clients rather than just products and services.
* Charging after new markets: Boomers, seniors and--especially--women.
* Relentlessly pursuing talent, especially among (again) women.
* Rebuilding education to prepare young minds for the new world they will soon face."

Author, provocateur, and business visionary Tom Peters is recognized around the globe as one of the most influential and revolutionary management gurus of the last century. The author of more than 10 best-selling books on innovative business practices, including the groundbreaking In Search of Excellence, Peters gives more than 100 major seminars each year and serves as the chairman of Tom Peters Company.

Amazon

Find in a Library

Tags: tom peters, business, success

Looking to Make a Sale or Get Promoted? Emotions Will Help Determine the Outcome

2007-08-13T16:50:00.000+10:00

High emotion contributes to great opera. It does not, however, serve us well when making judgments about others. This is the argument advanced in "Feeling and Believing: The Influence of Emotion on Trust," a new paper by Maurice E. Schweitzer, Wharton professor of operations and information management, and Jennifer Dunn, a PhD student in the department.

The two researchers conducted five experiments to determine the influence of emotional states -- happiness, gratitude, anger, and guilt -- on trust. Each experiment confirmed that incidental emotions (emotions from one situation that influence judgment in a following, unrelated situation) affect how willing we are to trust others. For example, our anger over a speeding ticket is likely to affect how we judge someone later in the day.

The researchers conclude that despite feeling we are rational beings who make clear, lucid judgments, in reality we all walk around in a sea of emotions that are likely to influence how we act in both business and social contexts.

The article, recently published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, stems from Schweitzer's ongoing interest in negotiation, where trust plays a critical role.

Read on ...

What Customers Want from Your Products

2007-08-06T19:03:00.000+10:00

Marketers should think less about market segments and more about the jobs customers want to do. A Harvard Business Review excerpt by HBS professor Clayton M. Christensen, Intuit’s Scott Cook, and Advertising Research Foundation’s Taddy Hall.

With few exceptions, every job people need or want to do has a social, a functional, and an emotional dimension. If marketers understand each of these dimensions, then they can design a product that's precisely targeted to the job.
In other words, the job, not the customer, is the fundamental unit of analysis for a marketer who hopes to develop products that customers will buy.

Read on ...

Behind the Magic

2007-08-02T20:13:00.000+10:00

How do stellar sellers work their magic? From the first cold call to closing the deal, discover the top sales secrets of some seriously successful salespeople.

Read on ...

Speech Technology and your business

2007-08-02T09:12:00.000+10:00

Malcolm Gladwell will be speaking at the Speechtek conference.

Speech Technology at the Tipping Point
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Malcom Gladwell, Author - The Tipping Point & Blink

The market for speech technology topped the $1 billion mark in 2006, up 100% from 2 years ago. As adoption of speech systems increases in all parts of our lives, from our computers to our cars to customer relationships, it is clear that speech technology is at the tipping point. Hear from Malcolm Gladwell, who coined this phrase, about how he sees ideas, behaviors, and patterns moving through a population in much the same way as an epidemic. He posits that ideas can become contagious and reach a tipping point, just as a virus reaches critical mass. Learn what it takes to start a social epidemic and create change and how to push speech technology, and your businesses, toward the tipping point.
Malcolm Gladwell has an incomparable gift for generating value by interpreting groundbreaking research in psychology, sociology and neurology and applying it to business. In 2005, Time magazine named Malcolm one of its 100 Most Influential People. He is the author of two New York Times #1 bestsellers. Gladwell’s first book embedded the concept of The Tipping Point in our everyday vocabulary and gave organizations new tools for understanding how and why change happens, and how to create positive epidemics of ideas and behavior. In Blink, Gladwell analyzes first impressions—the judgments we make unconsciously and instinctively—and he explores how we can master this important aspect of successful decision-making.

Branding Ph.D.: The Secret to Becoming the Top-of-Mind Expert on Your Topic So Prospects, Media, and Publishers Call You!

2007-07-30T18:23:00.000+10:00

span style="line-height: 1.2">When you hear “futurist,” who do you think of? What about “marketing expert,” “leadership guru,” “motivation authority” or “customer service specialist”? Would you like to be on the short list for your expertise?What are you known for?

If you’re ready to be one-of-a-kind instead of one-of-many, you’re ready for this teleseminar.

There are hundreds of speakers, authors, consultants and trainers on the subjects of leadership, sales, motivation, customer service, conflict resolution and communication. What are you saying that’s different? What are you offering that hasn’t been heard before? How are you standing out in the crowd of “experts” on your topic?

Sam promises no platitudes. This is not Branding 101, this is Branding Ph.D.

You will learn:

the “Triple A Approach” for mining your experience to identify how and where you're original

how to corner a niche by creating your own niche

the secret to coming up with a trademark-able brand that helps you build a business empire

how to create the Next New Thing by creating a Eureka Moment

Contra-Brand: the power of introducing something that flies in the face of current wisdom

to “ink it when you think it” so you tap into your “Intellition” (intelligence + intuition)

to capitalize on POP! Culture so you are perceived as current and contemporary

Discover for yourself why Sam’s techniques have helped hundreds of infopreneurs catapult their career and income, and why her book on this topic POP! Stand Out in Any Crowd has been endorsed by Jeffrey Gitomer, Ken Blanchard, Mark Sanborn, Joe Calloway, and Seth Godin. As 4-time Pulitzer nominee Fawn Germer says, “You don't have to be a creative genius to use Sam’s techniques; however, using her techniques can make you a creative genius.”

Details:

Date: Tuesday, July 31

Time: 7:00 pm Eastern (6 pm Central, 5 pm Mountain, 4 pm Pacific)

Length: 60 minutes

Cost: $25

Register or order the CD or MP3