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Monday Morning Motivators – August 4, 2008
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Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“Fortunes gravitate to those whose minds have been prepared to attract them, just as surely as water gravitates to the ocean.”
--Napoleon Hill
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Table of Contents
============================================================
1. Is Your Customer Service Working For You? - Linda Fayerweather
2. Do Not Cut Your Marketing Budget! - Rebecca Booth
3. Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within - Pat Altvater
4. Online Communities Part 2: Writing Recommendations - Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
============================================================
1. Is Your Customer Service Working For You?
============================================================
Customer service is a critical component of business and when handled correctly, it keeps your customers coming back and talking about your great business, even if your product or service is viewed as a commodity.
I overheard a young man yesterday saying “I would have bought another ____ car if the service wasn’t so horrible.” Imagine how you would feel if you were the salesperson that had sold a great car that your customer loved but you couldn’t get a repeat sale because of the service center! It happens all the time.
I personally had a laughable experience with game software I purchased after tiring of playing the free version with commercials. Once purchased, the game would no longer operate. Customer service has NO phone number – only email – and each time you respond to their “try this” email, you get a new service rep. By the time I called my credit card company and had the charge reversed, I had emailed Dearden, Turner, Sara, Duke and Kate. Each time, I would put all the names in the salutation, hoping someone would say “Hey, maybe we should pick up the phone”. The last correspondence asked for my User ID, birthdate, phone number, address and when I purchased the game. Since I had attached the sales receipt each time which included all but my date of birth, I emailed back and asked sarcastically if they wanted my social security number and mother’s maiden name, too?
The point here is very simple:
1. Times are tough meaning new customers may be hard to find
2. Customers kept are golden
3. Customer service means being available
4. Customer service is friendly
5. The company that values existing customers will thrive!
Oh yes, the game software is sold by a very large publicly traded company that Microsoft is trying to buy!
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
Bottled Up Barriers Need Breaking
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
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2. Do Not Cut Your Marketing Budget! Part 1
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Do Not Cut Your Advertising/Marketing Budget – REPEAT – No Budget Cuts to Marketing! For those of you who believe it, there has been a downturn in the economy. Most business owners, when faced with such a downturn, look to axe expenses. One of the first places they start is with the Advertising/Marketing budget. This is a crucial mistake. Why? Because business will keep going with or without you. And all of the good things you’ve put into place – advertising, direct mail, sales calls, etc. - will lose momentum because you’ve pulled out of the game. Instead of reducing your budget, spend your money more wisely. Here are some suggestions on marketing smarter:
• Move prospecting dollars to courting more business from your current customer list. It costs 7 times as much money to secure a new client. Instead focus on re-contacting past clients who already know you, they’ve simply forgotten about you because you haven’t marketed to them!
• Need a constant stream of new clients? Get off your duff and network. It eats up more time than money, but it’s viable to every business.
• Focus on your current client list. (I can’t say this enough.) Divide yor list into ABC clients. A’s buy the most from you; B’s are a great buy, but they might only buy quarterly – bring them up to bi-monthly or monthly purchases. Same with C’s. However you qualify your client list, focus on moving those who don’t buy as frequently or as much into an A or B level.
In summary: Do NOT cut your marketing/advertising budget. Instead market smarter. I’ll share more ideas with you next week!
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
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3. Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within
============================================================
Have you heard about limiting core beliefs and understand how they can hold you back from achieving your goals but have been at a loss to uncover yours? You are not alone! In my coaching practice, I’ve met many people who know they sabotage themselves but don’t know what to do about it.
My new book, Journey to WOW- Ignite the Power Within, simplifies the process of identifying limiting beliefs by reviewing the behaviors of people with perfectionism, instant gratification and scarcity mindsets. You’ll recognize your self-destructive behaviors and be able to easily release those using the Transformations Breakthrough Process™.
Journey to WOW- Ignite the Power Within also introduces an easy to use 5-step Law of Attraction model, which effectively meshes the Law of Attraction and goal setting. There are many written exercises, strategies, and tools to help you gain clarity and attract the outcomes that you desire into your life.
My thanks go to Rebecca Booth, marketing goddess, for designing a beautiful cover, laying out the book, and creating charming, pointed illustrations that enhance understanding.
To find out more about the book and read the first chapter, go to www.ignitethepowerwithinbook.com. I'm celebrating the launch of this book by offering $500 of bonus items, such as eBooks, reports, gift certificates, etc., and holding a drawing with valuable prizes for anyone who purchases a copy of my book between now and 8:08pm on 08/08/08. Visit the website for details about my virtual book launch party!
Pat Altvater
Author, Journey to WOW - Ignite the Power Within
Certified Law of Attraction Practitioner
www.ignitethepowerwithinbook.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
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4. Online Communities Part 2: Writing Recommendations
===========================================================
Dear Readers – In an effort to help you explore and engage on-line communities to increase your networks, I’m submitting an article from my good friend and colleague, Hazel Walker. Enjoy!
Another valuable way to support your network is to write recommendations for each other. Good recommendations are very valuable, you can put a Linkedin badge on your website and people can read what others have to say about you. Well written recommendations are as good as testimonials on your website.
Here are a few tips for writing Recommendations:
Make sure that you write a recommendation that tells what your results were for having done business with that person. "They are nice and have a great attitude" will not build credibility. Instead, let people know, "We saved money and got the best results ever, we realized an 80% increase in profit, while realizing 12% increase in sales." Now that is a recommendation that sells.
Don't ask someone to write you a recommendation if you have never done business with them, or you have never seen any of their work. I am often asked to write recommendations for people whose product or service I have never used. I may know them, but I have no real clue about how well they do what they do. It is impossible to write an effective recommendation.
Be kind, if someone writes you a great recommendation either write one for them or thank them for the recommendation.
Linkedin is a great place to share connections and information. Unfortunately there are a lot of people on the site who collect names for the sake of collecting. Try to stick with people you know or people who have common networks. For instance, I have connections to people in BNI, people from the Referral Institute, and people from the National Speakers Association. I have some common ground with them, and there are opportunities for us to connect in other ways.
While Linkedin has its place in the networking world, it tends to build visibility and some lower levels of credibility, to date, I have not closed a deal because of being on Linkedin, but I have gotten some great material for future articles.
I look forward to seeing more of you on Linkedin!
Copyright 2008 Hazel M Walker, owns three award winning franchise's. She is a 10 year owner of two BNI Franchises where she teaches members how to leverage their time and network to build each other’s businesses. As a member of the National Speakers Association she travels the world speaking to businesses and women's organizations on the topics of networking to create a life you love.
hazel@referralinstitue-in.com .
Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. Paula’s business networking articles have been published nationally. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist!
paula@referralinstitute-va.com.
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5. To Do This Week
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Check to make sure your back-up system is working by trying to restore a file.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
1% Forecasting - Attract - Online Communities
============================================================
Monday Morning Motivators – July 14, 2008
============================================================
Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“Pain is temporary, Failure lasts forever.”
-- Lance Armstrong
============================================================
Table of Contents
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month - Linda Fayerweather
2. Sales Forecasting - Rebecca Booth
3. Attract What You Desire - Pat Altvater
4. Part 2: Adventures in On-Line Communities – Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month
============================================================
Building a lean culture in a small business can be as entertaining as playing Whac-a-Mole®. Impact on the business may be fast and dramatic but just like the arcade game, eventually new problems show up and old solutions get forgotten. The internal challenge for change is to create a culture that strives to apply improvement – even if change is small and incremental. In society, we view culture as the systems that give lasting definition to a group, tribe or family. If your business tribe is embracing change, you have begun a never-ending journey that can best be sustained by small improvements. Targeting 1% change a month means those moles won’t have a chance to rear their furry heads in your business.
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
Planning IS Change
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
============================================================
2. Sales Forecasting
============================================================
There are no tried and true methods for predicting how much you will sell of a new product. Development costs are easy to measure, but the gap between known costs and unknown revenue makes deciding how much to invest in a new or improved product/service is difficult. Here is a step-by-step system for minimizing your risks, thanks to Doug Hall, Business Week Small Business (Feb/Mar 08):
1. Share your idea with 50 potential customers – this can easily be done via email at a trade show or simply by calling them.
2. Ask them on a scale of 0-10 how likely would they purchase this product/service?
3. And on a scale of 0-10, how new and different do they believe the concept is.
4. Next, calculate the simple average for each question and add the two numbers.
5. Multiply the answer by .007. This result is an estimate of what percentage of your prospects will become buyers.
6. To calculate potential sales, multiply this percentage by the number of prospects to whom your company will make at least three sales contacts, and then multiply by the amount an average customer would purchase in a year.
Happy calculating!
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
===========================================================
3. Attract What You Desire ============================================================
In the Fourth Principle, Wayne Dyer says we can attract anything we want when we know and accept that it already exists in the consciousness of our mind (through our visualizations). This principle reminds us that there is intelligence in the universe that is creative and responsive to suggestions from us. We are part of this through our thoughts which are creative; what we think about, we become.
To manifest what you want:
• Use visualization on a daily basis. Picture what you want without knowing HOW it will happen. Then remain in faith and trust.
• Stay consistent with your visualization; don’t keep changing your mind. Picture yourself experiencing what you want to manifest as if it was already happening.
• Stay alert for clues and act accordingly.
• Act as if what you want is already in your life. If you want health, act in a new healthy way. If you want wealth, start thinking abundantly and acting that way also by giving thanks for everything that has manifested in your life.
If you find your conditioned way of thinking, which might be pessimistic or negative, crops up, eradicate those thoughts immediately and return to your new beliefs. When you follow these suggestions, you’ll notice a shift in your life and you’ll begin attracting everything you desire.
Pat Altvater
Chief Wizard of WOW!
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
Author, Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within
===========================================================
4. Adventures in On-Line Communities – Part 2
===========================================================
I recently took on the on-line business community for a second time. Notifications, announcements and invitations ensued. It wasn’t overwhelming this time; though it felt a bit transactional for a referral marketer like me. Part of increasing your “ranking” in an on-line network has to do with increasing the number of people you are “connected” to. Many of the requests to connect made no sense and the information we’d shared on our profiles didn’t indicate that we had anything in common.
And then…I received a notification and message from a leader in the community, the Chairman of Ecademy Morocco. If anyone is trustworthy it should be him! Right? Right! So I replied and visited his profile. I found that many of our beliefs and practices are in alignment:
1. He is a professional coach. Me too!
2. He is a speaker and a trainer in his industry. Likewise!
3. He offers networking workshops. So do I!
4. His business requires extensive travel! Mine too!
5. He is a leader in his industry. So am I!
There was one comment in his message that sealed the deal. He generously wrote - “I am sure there are plenty of things you can do…that I can’t…that I can…learn from you”! As we learn more about each other and our businesses, he will come to know that my day everyday is committed to helping people create referrals for life through developing RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS. That’s exactly what he’d just described!!! Connecting made sense for both of us. So we did!
Lesson Learned: When it comes to establishing on line (and offline) relationships, you’re in control. It’s a matter of identifying criteria for connecting that makes sense for you!
Copyright 2008 Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com
===========================================================
5. To Do This Week
===========================================================
Visit a past customer this week – or just invite them to lunch.
Monday Morning Motivators – July 14, 2008
============================================================
Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“Pain is temporary, Failure lasts forever.”
-- Lance Armstrong
============================================================
Table of Contents
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month - Linda Fayerweather
2. Sales Forecasting - Rebecca Booth
3. Attract What You Desire - Pat Altvater
4. Part 2: Adventures in On-Line Communities – Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month
============================================================
Building a lean culture in a small business can be as entertaining as playing Whac-a-Mole®. Impact on the business may be fast and dramatic but just like the arcade game, eventually new problems show up and old solutions get forgotten. The internal challenge for change is to create a culture that strives to apply improvement – even if change is small and incremental. In society, we view culture as the systems that give lasting definition to a group, tribe or family. If your business tribe is embracing change, you have begun a never-ending journey that can best be sustained by small improvements. Targeting 1% change a month means those moles won’t have a chance to rear their furry heads in your business.
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
Planning IS Change
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
============================================================
2. Sales Forecasting
============================================================
There are no tried and true methods for predicting how much you will sell of a new product. Development costs are easy to measure, but the gap between known costs and unknown revenue makes deciding how much to invest in a new or improved product/service is difficult. Here is a step-by-step system for minimizing your risks, thanks to Doug Hall, Business Week Small Business (Feb/Mar 08):
1. Share your idea with 50 potential customers – this can easily be done via email at a trade show or simply by calling them.
2. Ask them on a scale of 0-10 how likely would they purchase this product/service?
3. And on a scale of 0-10, how new and different do they believe the concept is.
4. Next, calculate the simple average for each question and add the two numbers.
5. Multiply the answer by .007. This result is an estimate of what percentage of your prospects will become buyers.
6. To calculate potential sales, multiply this percentage by the number of prospects to whom your company will make at least three sales contacts, and then multiply by the amount an average customer would purchase in a year.
Happy calculating!
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
===========================================================
3. Attract What You Desire ============================================================
In the Fourth Principle, Wayne Dyer says we can attract anything we want when we know and accept that it already exists in the consciousness of our mind (through our visualizations). This principle reminds us that there is intelligence in the universe that is creative and responsive to suggestions from us. We are part of this through our thoughts which are creative; what we think about, we become.
To manifest what you want:
• Use visualization on a daily basis. Picture what you want without knowing HOW it will happen. Then remain in faith and trust.
• Stay consistent with your visualization; don’t keep changing your mind. Picture yourself experiencing what you want to manifest as if it was already happening.
• Stay alert for clues and act accordingly.
• Act as if what you want is already in your life. If you want health, act in a new healthy way. If you want wealth, start thinking abundantly and acting that way also by giving thanks for everything that has manifested in your life.
If you find your conditioned way of thinking, which might be pessimistic or negative, crops up, eradicate those thoughts immediately and return to your new beliefs. When you follow these suggestions, you’ll notice a shift in your life and you’ll begin attracting everything you desire.
Pat Altvater
Chief Wizard of WOW!
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
Author, Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within
===========================================================
4. Adventures in On-Line Communities – Part 2
===========================================================
I recently took on the on-line business community for a second time. Notifications, announcements and invitations ensued. It wasn’t overwhelming this time; though it felt a bit transactional for a referral marketer like me. Part of increasing your “ranking” in an on-line network has to do with increasing the number of people you are “connected” to. Many of the requests to connect made no sense and the information we’d shared on our profiles didn’t indicate that we had anything in common.
And then…I received a notification and message from a leader in the community, the Chairman of Ecademy Morocco. If anyone is trustworthy it should be him! Right? Right! So I replied and visited his profile. I found that many of our beliefs and practices are in alignment:
1. He is a professional coach. Me too!
2. He is a speaker and a trainer in his industry. Likewise!
3. He offers networking workshops. So do I!
4. His business requires extensive travel! Mine too!
5. He is a leader in his industry. So am I!
There was one comment in his message that sealed the deal. He generously wrote - “I am sure there are plenty of things you can do…that I can’t…that I can…learn from you”! As we learn more about each other and our businesses, he will come to know that my day everyday is committed to helping people create referrals for life through developing RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS. That’s exactly what he’d just described!!! Connecting made sense for both of us. So we did!
Lesson Learned: When it comes to establishing on line (and offline) relationships, you’re in control. It’s a matter of identifying criteria for connecting that makes sense for you!
Copyright 2008 Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com
===========================================================
5. To Do This Week
===========================================================
Visit a past customer this week – or just invite them to lunch.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Slugs - TV - Worthiness - Knowledge
============================================================
Monday Morning Motivators – July 21, 2008
============================================================
Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“It's not your salary that makes you rich; it's your spending habits.”
--Charles A. Jaffe
============================================================
Table of Contents
============================================================
1. Business with the Slugs - Linda Fayerweather
2. Interesting Facts About TV watchers - Rebecca Booth
3. Honoring Your Worthiness to Receive - Pat Altvater
4. Knowledge On Fire!– Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
============================================================
1. Business with the Slugs
============================================================
Ever sat and watched a slug at work? They are slow, methodical, often work under the cover of darkness, and are despised by gardeners. Another fact about slugs is that they like beer! Flat saucers of beer will attract slugs and keep them off the prized hosta. Being that I love to garden, I see many analogies to gardening and business. Currently, the media's constant assault on the economy is in my mind a big slug. There are days I just want to go to a "slug pub" and drowned the drone of the doom and gloom prognosticators. Yes, we may be in a recession, but being proactive is always the better path.
Outwit slow slugs with a positive approach:
1. Focus on necessities your customers may need from your business;
2. Re-read Guerilla Marketing for low cost marketing tips;
3. Review your staffing - outsourcing and part-time are options;
4. Run a tight budget - OR - Get a budget - planned spending is key to thriving in tough times.
When the news gets grim, grab this list and make some notes about your business. Don't let the media slugs drag you off to the "slug pub".
Copyright 2007 Linda Fayerweather
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
============================================================
2. Interesting Facts About TV watchers.
============================================================
I hate to admit this, but I was one of those kids who would rather stay inside and watch TV than go outdoors to play. Smitten early on, I’ve been intrigued by what’s on TV and who’s using TV to sell their products. Advertisers want to know one thing when they are buying airtime: what is their target market watching. Better yet, which shows draw the richer viewers? Rating companies like Nielsen not only tracks who’s watching what but how much they make. Here is a list of the entertainment shows that did the best with upscale viewers during the 2007-08 season, based on median income:
1. The Office (NBC) $78,000
2. Lost (ABC) $73,000
3. Scrubs (NBC); Heroes (NBC); 30 Rock (NBC); Grey’s Anatomy (ABC); Desperate Housewives (ABC) $68,000 and Lipstick Jungle (NBC) $68,000
9. Hell’s Kitchen (Fox); Chuck (NBC); American Idol (Fox); Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles (Fox); The Biggest Loser (NBC); My Name is Earl (NBC); House, (Fox); Saturday Night Live (NBC); Big Shots (ABC); The Apprentice (NBC) ; Cashmere Mafia (ABC) and The Big Bang Theory, $63,000.
It’s interesting to note the vast difference in each shows demeanor. We’ve got shows about geeks, shows about office antics and mysteries that involve lives lost. This just goes to show that American viewers have vastly different tastes in what they seek for entertainment. Remember that, next time you’re trying to connect with your prospects.
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
===========================================================
3. Honoring Your Worthiness to Receive
============================================================
The fifth principle reminds us that we are worthy of abundance. If our thoughts are based on an image of unworthiness for any reason at all, we will manifest what those thoughts impart to the universal mind. “As a man thinks, so is he” is a basic truth of how the universe works.
If you are feeling unworthy or undeserving, here are some things to consider shifting that belief:
1. Accept yourself without complaint. Accept everything about yourself…your hair, body shape, negative behaviors, everything! Just say “I am what I am and I accept it.”
2. Take full responsibility for your life. Never cast blame on others for what you perceive to be missing in your life. Just be responsible without complaining.
3. Do not accept guilt in your life. Forgive yourself, express genuine regret and learn from the past.
4. Stay in alignment. Your beliefs, thoughts, emotions and actions must be in alignment. You must be honest about your own thoughts and act congruently.
5. Practice kindness towards yourself and others. Give up your need to be right and win in favor of being kind. You will create a peaceful life that way.
Every day practice feeling deserving and worthy of all the things you’d like to attract to your life. You are worthy, we are all worthy.
Copyright 2008 Pat Altvater
Certified Law of Attraction Practitioner
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
Author, Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within
===========================================================
4. There’s Nothing More Powerful Than Knowledge On Fire!
===========================================================
I remember when there were only three TV stations (four if you put tin foil on the rabbit ears and switched from VHF to UHF) offering cartoons, soap operas and the news. Families used to sit and listen together as Paul Harvey shared “the rest of the story” on radio waves. You received both the morning and evening edition of the newspaper from young boys on bicycles. Mothers were often the greatest sources of information and some of the best networked people on the planet. They could send a message from front porch to front porch and have you home in time for dinner. Information was directed and delivered to us at a much slower pace and was “shut off” at some point each evening. Those were the days!
If you wanted or needed information you had to be very proactive about it. You could crack open your families’ outdated set of encyclopedias or visit your personal, public or business library for references. Current events were usually clipped out of newspapers and magazines. Microfiche was considered hi-tech. Gone are those days.
Presently we are being inundated with information nearly every moment of every day. Televisions funnel infomercials to us on several hundred channels at one time. Split screen features allow us to watch two programs at a time! Talk radio shows seem to be overtaking continuous music time slots. Electronic billboards flash multiple messages to us as we drive down roads and highways. Even coffee mugs and ink pens, adorned with logos and slogans, have a job to do these days.
Computer technology now ensures that you know what you need to know before you need to know it. You don’t have to surf the net. Pop ups come to you. You can get up-to-the-second news on-line. And these days a phone isn’t just a phone; they are all-in-one smart machines that promise tv, radio, internet, phone, text and GPS capabilities that fit in the palm of your hand.
I find it amazing that with all of these instant resources more people aren’t becoming multi billionaires and leading their industries. There is absolutely no excuse for not succeeding in life and in business with the information we have immediately available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You know what the problem is? It’s simply too much!
I read an article several weeks ago that reminded me of how important it is to apply the most fundamental and essential information that we already have. We go to workshops, watch DVD’s, listen to CD’s, download podcasts, read and take in-depth notes from mountains of books and then we put the list of things we were inspired to do in a file and place the books back on the shelf. All of that valuable data, along with all of our good intentions to actually do something, gets filed away and re-shelved.
One of my mentors, Dr. Ivan Misner, wrote the article that inspired me to go back to some very powerful information and ideas that were literally gathering dust. He says, “Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice but there’s nothing more powerful than KNOWLEDGE ON FIRE!”
What book, article, workshop, CD, DVD or podcast can you dust off to set your knowledge on FIRE?!?
Copyright 2008 Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. Paula’s business networking articles have been published nationally. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com
===========================================================
5. To Do This Week
===========================================================
Relax and enjoy the mid year!
Monday Morning Motivators – July 21, 2008
============================================================
Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“It's not your salary that makes you rich; it's your spending habits.”
--Charles A. Jaffe
============================================================
Table of Contents
============================================================
1. Business with the Slugs - Linda Fayerweather
2. Interesting Facts About TV watchers - Rebecca Booth
3. Honoring Your Worthiness to Receive - Pat Altvater
4. Knowledge On Fire!– Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
============================================================
1. Business with the Slugs
============================================================
Ever sat and watched a slug at work? They are slow, methodical, often work under the cover of darkness, and are despised by gardeners. Another fact about slugs is that they like beer! Flat saucers of beer will attract slugs and keep them off the prized hosta. Being that I love to garden, I see many analogies to gardening and business. Currently, the media's constant assault on the economy is in my mind a big slug. There are days I just want to go to a "slug pub" and drowned the drone of the doom and gloom prognosticators. Yes, we may be in a recession, but being proactive is always the better path.
Outwit slow slugs with a positive approach:
1. Focus on necessities your customers may need from your business;
2. Re-read Guerilla Marketing for low cost marketing tips;
3. Review your staffing - outsourcing and part-time are options;
4. Run a tight budget - OR - Get a budget - planned spending is key to thriving in tough times.
When the news gets grim, grab this list and make some notes about your business. Don't let the media slugs drag you off to the "slug pub".
Copyright 2007 Linda Fayerweather
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
============================================================
2. Interesting Facts About TV watchers.
============================================================
I hate to admit this, but I was one of those kids who would rather stay inside and watch TV than go outdoors to play. Smitten early on, I’ve been intrigued by what’s on TV and who’s using TV to sell their products. Advertisers want to know one thing when they are buying airtime: what is their target market watching. Better yet, which shows draw the richer viewers? Rating companies like Nielsen not only tracks who’s watching what but how much they make. Here is a list of the entertainment shows that did the best with upscale viewers during the 2007-08 season, based on median income:
1. The Office (NBC) $78,000
2. Lost (ABC) $73,000
3. Scrubs (NBC); Heroes (NBC); 30 Rock (NBC); Grey’s Anatomy (ABC); Desperate Housewives (ABC) $68,000 and Lipstick Jungle (NBC) $68,000
9. Hell’s Kitchen (Fox); Chuck (NBC); American Idol (Fox); Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles (Fox); The Biggest Loser (NBC); My Name is Earl (NBC); House, (Fox); Saturday Night Live (NBC); Big Shots (ABC); The Apprentice (NBC) ; Cashmere Mafia (ABC) and The Big Bang Theory, $63,000.
It’s interesting to note the vast difference in each shows demeanor. We’ve got shows about geeks, shows about office antics and mysteries that involve lives lost. This just goes to show that American viewers have vastly different tastes in what they seek for entertainment. Remember that, next time you’re trying to connect with your prospects.
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
===========================================================
3. Honoring Your Worthiness to Receive
============================================================
The fifth principle reminds us that we are worthy of abundance. If our thoughts are based on an image of unworthiness for any reason at all, we will manifest what those thoughts impart to the universal mind. “As a man thinks, so is he” is a basic truth of how the universe works.
If you are feeling unworthy or undeserving, here are some things to consider shifting that belief:
1. Accept yourself without complaint. Accept everything about yourself…your hair, body shape, negative behaviors, everything! Just say “I am what I am and I accept it.”
2. Take full responsibility for your life. Never cast blame on others for what you perceive to be missing in your life. Just be responsible without complaining.
3. Do not accept guilt in your life. Forgive yourself, express genuine regret and learn from the past.
4. Stay in alignment. Your beliefs, thoughts, emotions and actions must be in alignment. You must be honest about your own thoughts and act congruently.
5. Practice kindness towards yourself and others. Give up your need to be right and win in favor of being kind. You will create a peaceful life that way.
Every day practice feeling deserving and worthy of all the things you’d like to attract to your life. You are worthy, we are all worthy.
Copyright 2008 Pat Altvater
Certified Law of Attraction Practitioner
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
Author, Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within
===========================================================
4. There’s Nothing More Powerful Than Knowledge On Fire!
===========================================================
I remember when there were only three TV stations (four if you put tin foil on the rabbit ears and switched from VHF to UHF) offering cartoons, soap operas and the news. Families used to sit and listen together as Paul Harvey shared “the rest of the story” on radio waves. You received both the morning and evening edition of the newspaper from young boys on bicycles. Mothers were often the greatest sources of information and some of the best networked people on the planet. They could send a message from front porch to front porch and have you home in time for dinner. Information was directed and delivered to us at a much slower pace and was “shut off” at some point each evening. Those were the days!
If you wanted or needed information you had to be very proactive about it. You could crack open your families’ outdated set of encyclopedias or visit your personal, public or business library for references. Current events were usually clipped out of newspapers and magazines. Microfiche was considered hi-tech. Gone are those days.
Presently we are being inundated with information nearly every moment of every day. Televisions funnel infomercials to us on several hundred channels at one time. Split screen features allow us to watch two programs at a time! Talk radio shows seem to be overtaking continuous music time slots. Electronic billboards flash multiple messages to us as we drive down roads and highways. Even coffee mugs and ink pens, adorned with logos and slogans, have a job to do these days.
Computer technology now ensures that you know what you need to know before you need to know it. You don’t have to surf the net. Pop ups come to you. You can get up-to-the-second news on-line. And these days a phone isn’t just a phone; they are all-in-one smart machines that promise tv, radio, internet, phone, text and GPS capabilities that fit in the palm of your hand.
I find it amazing that with all of these instant resources more people aren’t becoming multi billionaires and leading their industries. There is absolutely no excuse for not succeeding in life and in business with the information we have immediately available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You know what the problem is? It’s simply too much!
I read an article several weeks ago that reminded me of how important it is to apply the most fundamental and essential information that we already have. We go to workshops, watch DVD’s, listen to CD’s, download podcasts, read and take in-depth notes from mountains of books and then we put the list of things we were inspired to do in a file and place the books back on the shelf. All of that valuable data, along with all of our good intentions to actually do something, gets filed away and re-shelved.
One of my mentors, Dr. Ivan Misner, wrote the article that inspired me to go back to some very powerful information and ideas that were literally gathering dust. He says, “Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice but there’s nothing more powerful than KNOWLEDGE ON FIRE!”
What book, article, workshop, CD, DVD or podcast can you dust off to set your knowledge on FIRE?!?
Copyright 2008 Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. Paula’s business networking articles have been published nationally. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com
===========================================================
5. To Do This Week
===========================================================
Relax and enjoy the mid year!
Monday, July 14, 2008
1% - Forecasting - Your Desire - Communities
============================================================
Monday Morning Motivators – July 14, 2008
============================================================
Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“Pain is temporary, Failure lasts forever.”
-- Lance Armstrong
============================================================
Table of Contents
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month - Linda Fayerweather
2. Sales Forecasting - Rebecca Booth
3. Attract What You Desire - Pat Altvater
4. Part 2: Adventures in On-Line Communities – Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month
============================================================
Building a lean culture in a small business can be as entertaining as playing Whac-a-Mole®. Impact on the business may be fast and dramatic but just like the arcade game, eventually new problems show up and old solutions get forgotten. The internal challenge for change is to create a culture that strives to apply improvement – even if change is small and incremental.
In society, we view culture as the systems that give lasting definition to a group, tribe or family. If your business tribe is embracing change, you have begun a never-ending journey that can best be sustained by small improvements. Targeting 1% change a month means those moles won’t have a chance to rear their furry heads in your business.
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
Planning IS Change
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
============================================================
2. Sales Forecasting
============================================================
There are no tried and true methods for predicting how much you will sell of a new product. Development costs are easy to measure, but the gap between known costs and unknown revenue makes deciding how much to invest in a new or improved product/service is difficult. Here is a step-by-step system for minimizing your risks, thanks to Doug Hall, Business Week Small Business (Feb/Mar 08):
1. Share your idea with 50 potential customers – this can easily be done via email at a trade show or simply by calling them.
2. Ask them on a scale of 0-10 how likely would they purchase this product/service?
3. And on a scale of 0-10, how new and different do they believe the concept is.
4. Next, calculate the simple average for each question and add the two numbers.
5. Multiply the answer by .007. This result is an estimate of what percentage of your prospects will become buyers.
6. To calculate potential sales, multiply this percentage by the number of prospects to whom your company will make at least three sales contacts, and then multiply by the amount an average customer would purchase in a year.
Happy calculating!
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
===========================================================
3. Attract What You Desire
============================================================
In the Fourth Principle, Wayne Dyer says we can attract anything we want when we know and accept that it already exists in the consciousness of our mind (through our visualizations). This principle reminds us that there is intelligence in the universe that is creative and responsive to suggestions from us. We are part of this through our thoughts which are creative; what we think about, we become.
To manifest what you want:
• Use visualization on a daily basis. Picture what you want without knowing HOW it will happen. Then remain in faith and trust.
• Stay consistent with your visualization; don’t keep changing your mind. Picture yourself experiencing what you want to manifest as if it was already happening.
• Stay alert for clues and act accordingly.
• Act as if what you want is already in your life. If you want health, act in a new healthy way. If you want wealth, start thinking abundantly and acting that way also by giving thanks for everything that has manifested in your life.
If you find your conditioned way of thinking, which might be pessimistic or negative, crops up, eradicate those thoughts immediately and return to your new beliefs. When you follow these suggestions, you’ll notice a shift in your life and you’ll begin attracting everything you desire.
Pat Altvater
Chief Wizard of WOW!
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
Author, Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within
===========================================================
4. Adventures in On-Line Communities – Part 2
===========================================================
I recently took on the on-line business community for a second time. Notifications, announcements and invitations ensued. It wasn’t overwhelming this time; though it felt a bit transactional for a referral marketer like me. Part of increasing your “ranking” in an on-line network has to do with increasing the number of people you are “connected” to. Many of the requests to connect made no sense and the information we’d shared on our profiles didn’t indicate that we had anything in common.
And then…I received a notification and message from a leader in the community, the Chairman of Ecademy Morocco. If anyone is trustworthy it should be him! Right? Right! So I replied and visited his profile. I found that many of our beliefs and practices are in alignment:
1. He is a professional coach. Me too!
2. He is a speaker and a trainer in his industry. Likewise!
3. He offers networking workshops. So do I!
4. His business requires extensive travel! Mine too!
5. He is a leader in his industry. So am I!
There was one comment in his message that sealed the deal. He generously wrote - “I am sure there are plenty of things you can do…that I can’t…that I can…learn from you”! As we learn more about each other and our businesses, he will come to know that my day everyday is committed to helping people create referrals for life through developing RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS. That’s exactly what he’d just described!!! Connecting made sense for both of us. So we did!
Lesson Learned: When it comes to establishing on line (and offline) relationships, you’re in control. It’s a matter of identifying criteria for connecting that makes sense for you!
Copyright 2008 Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com
===========================================================
5. To Do This Week
===========================================================
Visit a past customer this week – or just invite them to lunch.
Monday Morning Motivators – July 14, 2008
============================================================
Enjoy your java with an eclectic collection of tips and ideas to use today and to get energized for the week ahead. Subscribing and unsubscribing at www.mondaymorningmotivators.com
“Pain is temporary, Failure lasts forever.”
-- Lance Armstrong
============================================================
Table of Contents
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month - Linda Fayerweather
2. Sales Forecasting - Rebecca Booth
3. Attract What You Desire - Pat Altvater
4. Part 2: Adventures in On-Line Communities – Paula Frazier
5. To Do This Week
6. Fine Print
============================================================
1. 1% Per Month
============================================================
Building a lean culture in a small business can be as entertaining as playing Whac-a-Mole®. Impact on the business may be fast and dramatic but just like the arcade game, eventually new problems show up and old solutions get forgotten. The internal challenge for change is to create a culture that strives to apply improvement – even if change is small and incremental.
In society, we view culture as the systems that give lasting definition to a group, tribe or family. If your business tribe is embracing change, you have begun a never-ending journey that can best be sustained by small improvements. Targeting 1% change a month means those moles won’t have a chance to rear their furry heads in your business.
Copyright 2008 Linda Fayerweather
Planning IS Change
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
============================================================
2. Sales Forecasting
============================================================
There are no tried and true methods for predicting how much you will sell of a new product. Development costs are easy to measure, but the gap between known costs and unknown revenue makes deciding how much to invest in a new or improved product/service is difficult. Here is a step-by-step system for minimizing your risks, thanks to Doug Hall, Business Week Small Business (Feb/Mar 08):
1. Share your idea with 50 potential customers – this can easily be done via email at a trade show or simply by calling them.
2. Ask them on a scale of 0-10 how likely would they purchase this product/service?
3. And on a scale of 0-10, how new and different do they believe the concept is.
4. Next, calculate the simple average for each question and add the two numbers.
5. Multiply the answer by .007. This result is an estimate of what percentage of your prospects will become buyers.
6. To calculate potential sales, multiply this percentage by the number of prospects to whom your company will make at least three sales contacts, and then multiply by the amount an average customer would purchase in a year.
Happy calculating!
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Goddess
Imagine That!
419-855-3399
www.rebeccaboothmarketinggoddess.com
===========================================================
3. Attract What You Desire
============================================================
In the Fourth Principle, Wayne Dyer says we can attract anything we want when we know and accept that it already exists in the consciousness of our mind (through our visualizations). This principle reminds us that there is intelligence in the universe that is creative and responsive to suggestions from us. We are part of this through our thoughts which are creative; what we think about, we become.
To manifest what you want:
• Use visualization on a daily basis. Picture what you want without knowing HOW it will happen. Then remain in faith and trust.
• Stay consistent with your visualization; don’t keep changing your mind. Picture yourself experiencing what you want to manifest as if it was already happening.
• Stay alert for clues and act accordingly.
• Act as if what you want is already in your life. If you want health, act in a new healthy way. If you want wealth, start thinking abundantly and acting that way also by giving thanks for everything that has manifested in your life.
If you find your conditioned way of thinking, which might be pessimistic or negative, crops up, eradicate those thoughts immediately and return to your new beliefs. When you follow these suggestions, you’ll notice a shift in your life and you’ll begin attracting everything you desire.
Pat Altvater
Chief Wizard of WOW!
www.thesecretofpermanentweightloss.com
www.permanentweightlossebook.com
www.transformationsinstitute.com
Author, Journey to WOW – Ignite the Power Within
===========================================================
4. Adventures in On-Line Communities – Part 2
===========================================================
I recently took on the on-line business community for a second time. Notifications, announcements and invitations ensued. It wasn’t overwhelming this time; though it felt a bit transactional for a referral marketer like me. Part of increasing your “ranking” in an on-line network has to do with increasing the number of people you are “connected” to. Many of the requests to connect made no sense and the information we’d shared on our profiles didn’t indicate that we had anything in common.
And then…I received a notification and message from a leader in the community, the Chairman of Ecademy Morocco. If anyone is trustworthy it should be him! Right? Right! So I replied and visited his profile. I found that many of our beliefs and practices are in alignment:
1. He is a professional coach. Me too!
2. He is a speaker and a trainer in his industry. Likewise!
3. He offers networking workshops. So do I!
4. His business requires extensive travel! Mine too!
5. He is a leader in his industry. So am I!
There was one comment in his message that sealed the deal. He generously wrote - “I am sure there are plenty of things you can do…that I can’t…that I can…learn from you”! As we learn more about each other and our businesses, he will come to know that my day everyday is committed to helping people create referrals for life through developing RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS. That’s exactly what he’d just described!!! Connecting made sense for both of us. So we did!
Lesson Learned: When it comes to establishing on line (and offline) relationships, you’re in control. It’s a matter of identifying criteria for connecting that makes sense for you!
Copyright 2008 Paula Frazier is a referral marketing trainer, coach, consultant and keynote speaker. She is an Executive Director for BNI and part of a select team of Master Trainers for Referral Institute. She is also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion – Busting Networkings Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com
===========================================================
5. To Do This Week
===========================================================
Visit a past customer this week – or just invite them to lunch.
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