I don't usually get a chance to watch Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday nights, but I do record it and watch it later in the week. Last night I had a few quiet hours so I got caught up!
Two things in particular jumped out at me in Episode 4. Firstly the importance of doing what you do best is likely to ensure success. Brian McKnight is a great performer and Kotu made him the focus of their presentation and wow did the audience love it. Meanwhile Team Athena seemed to have no focus other than to depend on Joan Rivers (who was missing for the planning stage) to do what she does best and carry the group in the process.
The task at hand was to 'launch' a new videophone to a team of salespeople at ACN. Should the emphasis have been on the product or the presentation? In my opinion the guys won because they focused on putting on a big show. (One of the women commented that it wasn't about the product). Guess what - the audience was star struck and that's all they remember, and rightfully so. The product training comes later - for now the objective was to inspire and motivate, create a feel-good feeling. Kudos to Kotu on that one.
Secondly, Donald himself mentioned that even celebrities get nervous in front of a large group. Donald Trump - nervous - who would have thought? His point? Performers perform. Sometimes that is what we all have to do - put on a performance to get the job done.
What do you do best? Are you using your talents & skills to develop your business? I hope so!
PS Sometimes it is hard to see a show like this as anything other than reality TV (after all it is edited to make 'good TV'), but there are a lot of useful lessons to be learned. Check out the Lessons Learned section on the website for more insights.
Monday Mornings
Do you hop out of bed on a Monday morning excited and looking forward to the day/week ahead? Or do you wish you could pull the covers over your head and stay there warm and cozy for just a bit longer?
This morning I was more of the latter, partly due to the cold and the fact that we have more snow forecast today. But then I remembered it's Monday Morning with Michael Fletcher @ Neworld Coaching. Now there's a reason to get out of bed early on a Monday.
For his inaugural session, Michael chatted about last night's Celebrity Apprentice (which I dvr'ed, will view tonight), looking for inspiration in different places and being empowered. And he managed to squeeze in a few tips from his Shameless list. Whew! What a start to a Monday, eh?
If you haven't come across Mike & Dawn yet, check out Neworld Coaching and tell them I sent you! Click here for info on how to join the morning crew. I promise you Monday mornings will never be the same if you do :)
This morning I was more of the latter, partly due to the cold and the fact that we have more snow forecast today. But then I remembered it's Monday Morning with Michael Fletcher @ Neworld Coaching. Now there's a reason to get out of bed early on a Monday.
For his inaugural session, Michael chatted about last night's Celebrity Apprentice (which I dvr'ed, will view tonight), looking for inspiration in different places and being empowered. And he managed to squeeze in a few tips from his Shameless list. Whew! What a start to a Monday, eh?
If you haven't come across Mike & Dawn yet, check out Neworld Coaching and tell them I sent you! Click here for info on how to join the morning crew. I promise you Monday mornings will never be the same if you do :)
started the morning with a mental work-out, now getting ready for the physical w/o with personal trainer Christina
Blogging for Business
Another successful workshop - a great group; some of the regulars and some new blood! Blogging is something I have been doing for 2 years now and personally I think it is a great tool for keeping in touch - with friends & family and with clients & prospects. With 100+ million blogs out there, alot of people would be dubious about adding another.
Mind you after 2 hours of discussion - we talked about the What (types of blogs & what they incorporate), Why (Reasons & Benefits) & How (from choosing a name & platform to Topic Ideas, Etiquette and a step-by-step set up on Blogger.com) - I think I have converted a few newbies.
All the attendees at the workshop are business owners and - though a lot of them were too humble to admit it - experts in their fields (including Chiropractors; Realtor; Mortgage Specialist; Kindermusik Maestro; Remote Reception Services; Framing Specialist). And I do believe they all left pondering the idea of how they could fit a blog into their existing Marketing plan . . . . . and how they could make money blogging! (That will be the basis of the Blogging Level 2 workshop - Making Money from Blogging).
Less than an hour after the workshop ended, one of the attendees emailed me with his new blog address - all set up and ready to go. Now that's what I call taking Action! Check out the Smiledog Blog.
If you attended the workshop and want to share your feedback, please post a comment below. If you didn't attend, let me know if you are interested in the next one.
PS Those who did attend the workshop will have their blog addresses posted on this blog - my way of saying Thank You for attending!
Mind you after 2 hours of discussion - we talked about the What (types of blogs & what they incorporate), Why (Reasons & Benefits) & How (from choosing a name & platform to Topic Ideas, Etiquette and a step-by-step set up on Blogger.com) - I think I have converted a few newbies.
All the attendees at the workshop are business owners and - though a lot of them were too humble to admit it - experts in their fields (including Chiropractors; Realtor; Mortgage Specialist; Kindermusik Maestro; Remote Reception Services; Framing Specialist). And I do believe they all left pondering the idea of how they could fit a blog into their existing Marketing plan . . . . . and how they could make money blogging! (That will be the basis of the Blogging Level 2 workshop - Making Money from Blogging).
Less than an hour after the workshop ended, one of the attendees emailed me with his new blog address - all set up and ready to go. Now that's what I call taking Action! Check out the Smiledog Blog.
If you attended the workshop and want to share your feedback, please post a comment below. If you didn't attend, let me know if you are interested in the next one.
PS Those who did attend the workshop will have their blog addresses posted on this blog - my way of saying Thank You for attending!
Online Networking 2 - LinkedIn
Last week I started this topic with Facebook. This week's Online Networking subject is LinkedIn . . . . LinkedIn.com is a private firm operating an Internet web portal to foster the development of social networking for professional development and career enhancement in the business community. As of December 2007, it had approximately 3.2 million visitors per month and an annual growth rate in visitors of about 485%.
The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections.
Connections allow people to build up their networks through direct connection (people you know) and 2nd & 3rd degree connections (people your people know!)
The Six Degrees of Separation Theory refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person he or she knows and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth . . . . . hence the expression "small world, eh?"
Why Connect?
To find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one's contact network. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates. Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.
So much more than finding out what ‘mood’ your friends are in or what they did on Saturday night last, LinkedIn provides info on Who is Hiring (Worldwide) and the aim is to get Introduced to people to extend your Network to build your business as opposed to your social scene.
My Experience
I looked at this a couple of years ago and I did invite people in, however some did not keep up the connections and hence I have quite a few connections with only a couple of connections. NO problem there, maybe it tells me I need to broaden my horizons and connect to new people, after all that’s what Networking is all about. Mind you the objective (in my opinion) is not to build numbers but to build quality. . . . . having said that I am now only 2 steps away from over 14,000 people – including Hilary Clinton!
Maybe it’s time to investigate a few new connections and recommend those I have been working with. Give to get seems like a good plan.
I welcome your comments about LinkedIn & about Online Networking in general. Please post a comment below. Thanks!
BTW Next week’s topic is Xing!
The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections.
Connections allow people to build up their networks through direct connection (people you know) and 2nd & 3rd degree connections (people your people know!)
The Six Degrees of Separation Theory refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person he or she knows and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth . . . . . hence the expression "small world, eh?"
Why Connect?
To find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one's contact network. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates. Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.
So much more than finding out what ‘mood’ your friends are in or what they did on Saturday night last, LinkedIn provides info on Who is Hiring (Worldwide) and the aim is to get Introduced to people to extend your Network to build your business as opposed to your social scene.
My Experience
I looked at this a couple of years ago and I did invite people in, however some did not keep up the connections and hence I have quite a few connections with only a couple of connections. NO problem there, maybe it tells me I need to broaden my horizons and connect to new people, after all that’s what Networking is all about. Mind you the objective (in my opinion) is not to build numbers but to build quality. . . . . having said that I am now only 2 steps away from over 14,000 people – including Hilary Clinton!
Maybe it’s time to investigate a few new connections and recommend those I have been working with. Give to get seems like a good plan.
I welcome your comments about LinkedIn & about Online Networking in general. Please post a comment below. Thanks!
BTW Next week’s topic is Xing!
Online Networking 1 - Facebook
This is a topic I have been paying alot of attention to recently and every week I find something new! Taking a leaf out of Molly Gordon's book, I am experimenting to see which ones work best. . . .
My aim here is to educate; pass on the benefit of my research; be a human Google if you like. So, I plan to enter a weekly piece about Online Networking and review a different site each time. Interested? I would love to hear your comments and feedback too, so please join in. Some may be familiar and some new, so take what you like out of it and remember the best way is to try it yourself.
So, first up - Facebook!
The origins of a facebook are as “a reference book or electronic directory made up of individuals’ photographs and names”. Also described as “A college publication distributed at the start of the academic year by university administrations with the intention of helping students get to know each other better.”
Initially “The Facebook” (now simply Facebook) was a networking tool the membership of which was restricted to students of Harvard College. On September 11, 2006, Facebook became open to all users of the Internet, prompting protest from its existing user base. Membership now exceeds 58 million active users (including non-collegiate members) worldwide, with US, Canada & UK being the countries with the largest number of users.
So what is the attraction and how can it benefit business owners?
Apart from the fact that it is a very successful business in its own right which raised millions in VC & Investment (Investors include Angel Investors, Microsoft, and others too numerous to mention) and is valued around US$8 billion – you have to admire that!
In addition to the social aspect of it - you can keep in touch with your multitude of college mates (without ever having to talk to them); update your status; publish your political & religious views; post photos; poke people; send cards and gifts . . . . I could go on – there is a true Networking aspect which many are now seeing the advantage of.
By joining (or indeed forming) GROUPS people can connect with like-minded people, share interests, ideas, discussions and more; connecting with people in all parts of the world and all walks of life. . . . how cool is that ;)
Seriously, I personally avoided it for quite a while thinking it was a generational thing, but I now see the benefits of it for social & business. I have reconnected with old school friends; discovered a friend was getting married; see pictures of my friends kids more than if I was living back in Dublin; made new friends and learned from people I have yet to meet face-to-face (and likely never will!) And it will even let my 'friends' know when I have posted this (and other) blog entries.
So, if you have been thinking about it, check it out and experiment with it. You never know what you will learn.
A final word - on a more cautious note – a colleague at a business meeting echoed the concerns raised on the BBC's Watchdog programme (Oct 2007) when Facebook was shown to be an easy way in which to collect an individual's personal information in order to facilitate identity theft. So, don’t post your full birth date (or make it up!!)
Feedback welcome – good, bad or indifferent – what is your experience of Facebook ?
My aim here is to educate; pass on the benefit of my research; be a human Google if you like. So, I plan to enter a weekly piece about Online Networking and review a different site each time. Interested? I would love to hear your comments and feedback too, so please join in. Some may be familiar and some new, so take what you like out of it and remember the best way is to try it yourself.
So, first up - Facebook!
The origins of a facebook are as “a reference book or electronic directory made up of individuals’ photographs and names”. Also described as “A college publication distributed at the start of the academic year by university administrations with the intention of helping students get to know each other better.”
Initially “The Facebook” (now simply Facebook) was a networking tool the membership of which was restricted to students of Harvard College. On September 11, 2006, Facebook became open to all users of the Internet, prompting protest from its existing user base. Membership now exceeds 58 million active users (including non-collegiate members) worldwide, with US, Canada & UK being the countries with the largest number of users.
So what is the attraction and how can it benefit business owners?
Apart from the fact that it is a very successful business in its own right which raised millions in VC & Investment (Investors include Angel Investors, Microsoft, and others too numerous to mention) and is valued around US$8 billion – you have to admire that!
In addition to the social aspect of it - you can keep in touch with your multitude of college mates (without ever having to talk to them); update your status; publish your political & religious views; post photos; poke people; send cards and gifts . . . . I could go on – there is a true Networking aspect which many are now seeing the advantage of.
By joining (or indeed forming) GROUPS people can connect with like-minded people, share interests, ideas, discussions and more; connecting with people in all parts of the world and all walks of life. . . . how cool is that ;)
Seriously, I personally avoided it for quite a while thinking it was a generational thing, but I now see the benefits of it for social & business. I have reconnected with old school friends; discovered a friend was getting married; see pictures of my friends kids more than if I was living back in Dublin; made new friends and learned from people I have yet to meet face-to-face (and likely never will!) And it will even let my 'friends' know when I have posted this (and other) blog entries.
So, if you have been thinking about it, check it out and experiment with it. You never know what you will learn.
A final word - on a more cautious note – a colleague at a business meeting echoed the concerns raised on the BBC's Watchdog programme (Oct 2007) when Facebook was shown to be an easy way in which to collect an individual's personal information in order to facilitate identity theft. So, don’t post your full birth date (or make it up!!)
Feedback welcome – good, bad or indifferent – what is your experience of Facebook ?
Getting Your Message Across
What a great workshop last week - a great group; lots of energy and some excellent ideas were floated around the room (you couldn't put a price on some of the ideas that were generated!)
We discussed reasons why people don't always 'hear' us; looked at different forms of messages; did a bit of work on our Core Marketing Message and finished up with some Marketing/Communication tools - including some great ones I learned from Andrea J Lee & Tina Forsyth in their new book Money, Meaning & Beyond.
My challenge when I am training is getting ALL of the Message Across! I always have so much I want to share . . . . as do others, which always leads to great interaction.
If you attended the workshop and want to share your feedback, please post a comment below. If you didn't attend, let me know if you are interested in the next one and/or the possibility of purchasing the e-version of the course.
We discussed reasons why people don't always 'hear' us; looked at different forms of messages; did a bit of work on our Core Marketing Message and finished up with some Marketing/Communication tools - including some great ones I learned from Andrea J Lee & Tina Forsyth in their new book Money, Meaning & Beyond.
My challenge when I am training is getting ALL of the Message Across! I always have so much I want to share . . . . as do others, which always leads to great interaction.
If you attended the workshop and want to share your feedback, please post a comment below. If you didn't attend, let me know if you are interested in the next one and/or the possibility of purchasing the e-version of the course.
National Saleperson's Day
Did you know November 23rd is National Salesperson's Day? Who do you know that is a hard-working salesperson? Let them know you appreciate them - give them a call or send a card.
What about you? Some people say we are salespeople of some sort or another. Especially if you run your own business, like it or not, we are constantly selling our business when we talk to people and especially when we are networking.
What are you selling? Do you know who you are selling to? It is so much easier to sell when we know what we are selling and and who we are selling to.
What about you? Some people say we are salespeople of some sort or another. Especially if you run your own business, like it or not, we are constantly selling our business when we talk to people and especially when we are networking.
What are you selling? Do you know who you are selling to? It is so much easier to sell when we know what we are selling and and who we are selling to.
You can get anything you want
Zig Ziglar said “You can get anything you want out of life, if you’re prepared to help enough other people to get what they want.”
Isn't that what Networking is all about? I have been thinking about this alot due to a couple of recent events.
Growing up, I always knew what I didn't want, but ask me what I did want and the answer was "I don't know". My Mum used to say to me, "If you don't know, who does?" Wise words, eh? So, I have been working on that over the years and I thought I was getting better at it. I mean, we packed up and left our jobs, businesses, home & friends in Dublin to live in Canada - because we wanted to, right? Right!
But then what? Then I took a year off - because I wanted to. So far, so good! Then I decided to go back into the business that I wanted to do. Still good. Mind you I didn't put much thought, effort, passion into what I want to do with my life now that we are living in Canada and I am starting up my Coaching practice. So, I have come to the realisation that even though I am doing what I want to do - I was thinking so small that it is not what I want/need it to be. Wow! That's a big thing to admit!
So, for the next few days my goal is to Think Big and . . . . . . I'll report back in a few days :)
Isn't that what Networking is all about? I have been thinking about this alot due to a couple of recent events.
Growing up, I always knew what I didn't want, but ask me what I did want and the answer was "I don't know". My Mum used to say to me, "If you don't know, who does?" Wise words, eh? So, I have been working on that over the years and I thought I was getting better at it. I mean, we packed up and left our jobs, businesses, home & friends in Dublin to live in Canada - because we wanted to, right? Right!
But then what? Then I took a year off - because I wanted to. So far, so good! Then I decided to go back into the business that I wanted to do. Still good. Mind you I didn't put much thought, effort, passion into what I want to do with my life now that we are living in Canada and I am starting up my Coaching practice. So, I have come to the realisation that even though I am doing what I want to do - I was thinking so small that it is not what I want/need it to be. Wow! That's a big thing to admit!
So, for the next few days my goal is to Think Big and . . . . . . I'll report back in a few days :)
Can you describe your Ideal Customer?
Of course you can, or maybe not!
I pose this question to my clients once in a while and the responses I get are interesting, ranging from "That's a hard one!" to long descriptions that sound good but really only describe the characteristics of a prospect and do not tell me how I could identify that type of person, never mind where I would be able to find them.
If you don't know who they are, how can anyone else refer them to you? How do you know where to spend your Marketing budget? Is your advertising reaching the right people?
One way to create a picture of your Ideal Customer is to look at your current customer database. Ask yourself
No-one says you can only sell to them but you sure can fine-tune your activities and grow your business.
Other factors to consider are demographics - age, sex, income, net worth, position, availability - and geographics - where are they located?
Someone I know recently described her ideal client, only to discover that while she thought she knew who they were, they probably couldn't afford her service . . . . her homework was to review her Ideal Customer description and adjust her Marketing plan accordingly.
Can you describe your Ideal Customer - it may not be as easy as it sounds!
I pose this question to my clients once in a while and the responses I get are interesting, ranging from "That's a hard one!" to long descriptions that sound good but really only describe the characteristics of a prospect and do not tell me how I could identify that type of person, never mind where I would be able to find them.
If you don't know who they are, how can anyone else refer them to you? How do you know where to spend your Marketing budget? Is your advertising reaching the right people?
One way to create a picture of your Ideal Customer is to look at your current customer database. Ask yourself
- How did you get their business?
- Why did they choose you?
- What do they buy from you?
- How much do they spend monthly/annually?
- What do you like most about them, and what do they like most about you?
No-one says you can only sell to them but you sure can fine-tune your activities and grow your business.
Other factors to consider are demographics - age, sex, income, net worth, position, availability - and geographics - where are they located?
Someone I know recently described her ideal client, only to discover that while she thought she knew who they were, they probably couldn't afford her service . . . . her homework was to review her Ideal Customer description and adjust her Marketing plan accordingly.
Can you describe your Ideal Customer - it may not be as easy as it sounds!
Workshops
I'd love your feedback on this - regardless of your location!
I am putting together a schedule for a number of workshops and as usual I have more information that I want to impart than is physically possible. So, I have to choose!! My dilemma is which ones first?
Below is a list of workshops titles that I am considering and I do hope to run all of them at some point depending on the demand for them. What I would like you do to is tell me which ones you think would be of interest to you or people like you i.e. entrepreneurs and home-based business people.
Please comment below if you have any thoughts on the specifics of the list or even the main headings or any other suggestions to add to the list. Thanks
I am putting together a schedule for a number of workshops and as usual I have more information that I want to impart than is physically possible. So, I have to choose!! My dilemma is which ones first?
Below is a list of workshops titles that I am considering and I do hope to run all of them at some point depending on the demand for them. What I would like you do to is tell me which ones you think would be of interest to you or people like you i.e. entrepreneurs and home-based business people.
Please comment below if you have any thoughts on the specifics of the list or even the main headings or any other suggestions to add to the list. Thanks
NETWORKING
- The Whys, Hows & Wheres of Networking
- How to Craft an Effective Elevator Speech
PC APPLICATIONS
- Ways to Ease Email Clutter
- Spreadsheets for New Business
- E-Commerce – how to use your PC to help your business?
- An Introduction to Blogging
- Set up a Customer Database
MARKETING
- Marketing for Small Biz
- Marketing on a Shoestring
- Do your Research
- E-Mail Marketing
FINANCE
- Finance from a Business Planning Point of View
- Price & Pricing Strategies
- Preparing a Cash Flow
OTHER
- Presentation Skills
- Goal Setting
- Work-Life Balance
- Mind-Mapping
Networking Tips - Say Thank You
Thanksgiving is a time when alot of us turn our thoughts to what we are grateful for. Last year, as we dined at our local restaurant, we quietly gave thanks for our beautiful new home, and our new life in Canada. This year was not so quiet, we are very grateful to have family & new friends around our dinner table - even if we did entice them with promises of Irish chocolate!
A great networking tip is to Thank People Properly. At the very least, thank people who have referred you in a handwritten note. Some people send flowers, or take them out to lunch. Remember to reward the behaviours you want to have repeated.
Take that one step further and tell people you appreciate them - again a handwritten card (or an electronic one - check out Jacquie Lawson for some great ones) is a lovely gesture and sure to be appreciated!
A great networking tip is to Thank People Properly. At the very least, thank people who have referred you in a handwritten note. Some people send flowers, or take them out to lunch. Remember to reward the behaviours you want to have repeated.
Take that one step further and tell people you appreciate them - again a handwritten card (or an electronic one - check out Jacquie Lawson for some great ones) is a lovely gesture and sure to be appreciated!
Welcome
If you are reading this page, you are possibly one of my first visitors! Welcome.
Over the next few days I will be adding information that I have been preparing for quite a while. But, like all good things, I don't want to rush it, so a little at a time and we'll see how it all comes together. Plenty of room to adapt if necessary.
I would love to hear/see your comments regarding this Blog and what you would like to see on it. For example, if you have worked with me in the past, I would be happy to post a link to your website (see LINKS: Friends in Business).
I plan to offer tips & hints regarding Getting Started in your Own Business, and how to keep going! And along the way, I'll share a few stories about where I am at and where I have been. So, please offer any suggestions and post comments as we grow.
Looking forward to your support
Have a great Day!
Eleanor
Over the next few days I will be adding information that I have been preparing for quite a while. But, like all good things, I don't want to rush it, so a little at a time and we'll see how it all comes together. Plenty of room to adapt if necessary.
I would love to hear/see your comments regarding this Blog and what you would like to see on it. For example, if you have worked with me in the past, I would be happy to post a link to your website (see LINKS: Friends in Business).
I plan to offer tips & hints regarding Getting Started in your Own Business, and how to keep going! And along the way, I'll share a few stories about where I am at and where I have been. So, please offer any suggestions and post comments as we grow.
Looking forward to your support
Have a great Day!
Eleanor
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