Is News Affecting Your Success? News, News and More News Anyone with any sense of sanity wants to live a successful life. What is success? Well, each person will have their own interpretation of what success is and what it represents for them. But whether it means economically solvent, a happy marriage, an affluent company or all of these points, few people understand that in order to create and fulfill these dreams it will all start with your positiveness. What do you do when you first wake up in the morning? Read a newspaper, watch the news? The constant interruptions and distractions of our society are the opposite of the path to success. Getting caught up in minutiae. Getting caught up in things that don’t matter. Getting caught up in things that are designed to exploit and antagonize us and our emotions, and more so, to manipulate us to think a certain way. Most of the news is completely irrelevant to our lives and goals. So why bother? It won’t make you any happier. It’s just noise, noise and more noise. By the end of all the bad news consumption for the day you have your mind surrounded of negative feelings, ideas and there too goes your creativity and focus on what really matters: future and goals. This quote sums up what is behind the news: “If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, it is now possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing it.” -Edward Bernays, Father of Public Relations Limit your intake of Social Media, turn off the news, concentrate on your goals and fulfill your dreams.
The Amazing Power of Branding We have heard the word “Branding” and how a company should have a “brand,” or it should be “branded.” But very few business owners really understand this concept. Because it in fact goes beyond a “logo” and the name of the business. Branding is the most key factor of businesses that succeed even in bad times. While we cannot cover the full subject of branding in this newsletter, it is our suggestion for you to fully understand what this encompasses and how to use this to leverage your company’s expansion. So, what is branding exactly? Unfortunately, most dictionaries will give you a very small definition which omits the most important part of branding. Branding: “Is the marketing practice in which a company creates a name, symbol or design that is easily identifiable as belonging to the company. This helps to identify a product and distinguish it from the other products and services in its field. Branding is the impression from the client’s or customer’s perspective of who you are and what you stand for: it includes your company values and culture.” People choose a service or buy a product because of an emotional response. If your branding aligns with their views their will emotionally chose you over others. Think of this as an example: This is not just a logo, it has significance which creates an emotional response. This is probably why, you get an iPhone every year or two. Whether you are an Apple customer or PC customer, you have a significance attached to this symbol. Perhaps this is why you might want to consider hiring branding experts over “logo designers.” Branding creates a memorable impression on customers, and it allows them to know who you are and what to expect from your company. We hope this information helps with the expansion of your company.
How to Be Financially Safe in 2019 Don’t Use Debit Business or Personal Debit Cards for Purchases “A debit card is certainly and truly the worst financial tool ever given to the American consumer.” – Frank Abagnale, Jr. Every year, nearly 7% of the US population are victims of scams and fraud. In 2017 the number of fraud victims reached 16.7 million, with 16.8 billion lost. If you ever watched the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie “Catch Me if You Can”, you might remember the name “Frank Abagnale, Jr.” who was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio. Frank Abagnale is a former professional impostor and the author of the best-selling memoir, “Catch Me If You Can.” He is one of the world’s most respected authorities on the subjects of fraud, forgery and cyber security. Trusted by the FBI for more than four decades, Frank also lectures at the FBI’s Academy and field offices. In a recent article of CNBC Frank advised against the use of debit cards. He stated: “Want to avoid identity theft? Never, ever use a debit card. I don’t own one. I never have and I never will. I don’t recommend them to anyone — not my family, not my friends, not you. “As I said at the Google talk, a debit card is certainly and truly the worst financial tool ever given to the American consumer. Why? It’s simple: Every time you use one, you put your money and your bank account at risk. “Instead, use a credit card. I use one for practically all of my purchases, even when I’m traveling abroad. With credit cards, federal law limits my liability if there’s an unauthorized use of my card. “When I use a credit card, I’m spending the credit card company’s money every day until I pay my bill at the end of the month. Meanwhile, my money is earning interest in a bank account.” “If there’s a large data breach (and you know that there will be) and a criminal does somehow get my credit card number and charges $1 million on it, I’m protected and my credit card company will cancel the card and send a new one within the next couple of days. “I won’t be responsible for any purchases made. If the same thing happens and the criminals get my debit card information, however, I could lose the money in my bank account and have a difficult and lengthy time recovering it. “Also, keep your check-writing to a minimum and be vigilant about examining your bank statements frequently.”
7 Steps to Effective Public Speaking Speaking is one of the most critical assets to getting yourself, your company, and your ideas into the marketplace. The more persuasive and effective your speaking skills are, the more effective you will be at selling your product or idea. This applies not just to speaking in front of thousands of people, but also for when you are speaking to just one customer. Here are seven tips I have learned over 30 years of speaking to audiences all over the world that I guarantee will make a difference for you 1) Own the Stage- When you take the stage own it and project yourself to everyone in the room not just the front few rows. Assume the position as the authority on the subject you are using. Rather than moving around a lot plant both your feet firmly and present from one point to give a sign of assurance and confidence. 2) Big Claims- Open your presentation with big claims to get the audience’s full attention from the beginning. Get attention early. 3) Inspire, Don’t Preach- Not even a church sermon goes over well when the audience feels preached to. People want to be moved and inspired. Always seek to inspire rather than teach or preach. When your audience feels good they will respond positively to your message and to you. 4) Bang One Message- Bang away on one simple message or theme that people can remember and use. Avoid covering too many things that will be lost and forgotten. People will typically lock in on one theme anyway and you want your audience walking out with one basic line or message or action banging away in their head that they will align with you as the presenter. This is what gets passed on when your speech is over. If your presentation is one hour push one theme, not many! 5) Relate- Relate with audience that you understand the problems and challenges they experience by sharing your own. It seems that people can relate more easily with people’s struggles than they can with their successes. That is not to suggest you would not share successes but the successes will be even more valuable when compared to your mistakes. While it is critical to come off as a credible authority it is also vital that you come off as realistic. The experience of failing and persisting is credible, believable, and appealing. Ie. Tiger Woods could tell his audience how he missed a two foot putt to put him behind a stroke on the 16th hole in the final day and then later came back to win the Open on the 18th. This story of success would be more powerful when told against the backdrop of the failure. Think about music: without some periods of silence music would not be as effective. 6) Definitions- Defining commonly used words is one of the most powerful ways to awe an audience. Take the words that are commonly used in the subject matter of your speech and define those words. You will be shocked to discover that the audience does not fully understand the meaning of the words involved in the subject matter they consider themselves professionals in. 7) End with a success story or message of hope and inspiration- This is where you wrap your entire speech together and give the audience an overview of what they have gotten, how they can use it, and how it will effect them. Do so in a manner that they will leave your speech inspired and moved to a new level of hope and ability. Speaking is one of the most powerful assets you have available to you in conveying yourself, your value, and your ideas. The more effective you are at speaking the more effective you will be in life!
Speaking is one of the most critical assets to getting yourself, your company, and your ideas into the marketplace. The more persuasive and effective your speaking skills are, the more effective you will be at selling your product or idea. This applies not just to speaking in front of thousands of people, but also for when you are speaking to just one customer. Here are seven tips I have learned over 30 years of speaking to audiences all over the world that I guarantee will make a difference for you 1) Own the Stage- When you take the stage own it and project yourself to everyone in the room not just the front few rows. Assume the position as the authority on the subject you are using. Rather than moving around a lot plant both your feet firmly and present from one point to give a sign of assurance and confidence. 2) Big Claims- Open your presentation with big claims to get the audience’s full attention from the beginning. Get attention early. 3) Inspire, Don’t Preach- Not even a church sermon goes over well when the audience feels preached to. People want to be moved and inspired. Always seek to inspire rather than teach or preach. When your audience feels good they will respond positively to your message and to you. 4) Bang One Message- Bang away on one simple message or theme that people can remember and use. Avoid covering too many things that will be lost and forgotten. People will typically lock in on one theme anyway and you want your audience walking out with one basic line or message or action banging away in their head that they will align with you as the presenter. This is what gets passed on when your speech is over. If your presentation is one hour push one theme, not many! 5) Relate- Relate with audience that you understand the problems and challenges they experience by sharing your own. It seems that people can relate more easily with people’s struggles than they can with their successes. That is not to suggest you would not share successes but the successes will be even more valuable when compared to your mistakes. While it is critical to come off as a credible authority it is also vital that you come off as realistic. The experience of failing and persisting is credible, believable, and appealing. Ie. Tiger Woods could tell his audience how he missed a two foot putt to put him behind a stroke on the 16th hole in the final day and then later came back to win the Open on the 18th. This story of success would be more powerful when told against the backdrop of the failure. Think about music: without some periods of silence music would not be as effective. 6) Definitions- Defining commonly used words is one of the most powerful ways to awe an audience. Take the words that are commonly used in the subject matter of your speech and define those words. You will be shocked to discover that the audience does not fully understand the meaning of the words involved in the subject matter they consider themselves professionals in. 7) End with a success story or message of hope and inspiration- This is where you wrap your entire speech together and give the audience an overview of what they have gotten, how they can use it, and how it will effect them. Do so in a manner that they will leave your speech inspired and moved to a new level of hope and ability. Speaking is one of the most powerful assets you have available to you in conveying yourself, your value, and your ideas. The more effective you are at speaking the more effective you will be in life!
Home Office vs. Professional Office If you are an entrepreneur and own a small business, working at home has its advantages. But it is always good to know your options and a few of the pitfalls of working at home.
Postcards: Small but MIGHTY Think about it. You get promo letters and postcards in the mail. Most likely, you will look at the postcard first. Am I right? It’s quicker and easier to turn over than opening a letter.
Surround Yourself with DOERs Whether employees or co-workers, friends or family, surround you with positive people. They will prop you up, spur you on, and keep you going. Choose the best players for your team and win the game!
“Hello.” Answer Your Phone! Aargh!! We have all been through the long and complicated maze of automated phone robots, telling you to press this and that before you get a live person who can help you.
