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1). Adventures in Xtreme Marketing and Networking There are some things in life that are sure to happen. Yesterday was March 21, the Spring Equinox. On this day of the year there is a strange phenomenon that occurs. It is the same every year, on this day you can stand an egg on it's end for several hours. Every year for many years, I have been able to count on this as I have amazed people by doing... 2). Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot? Have you ever been at a networking function talking to someone when during the conversation you felt very self-conscious trying to say the right thing? Were you afraid that maybe if you said the wrong thing the person might not find you likeable, and therefore not want to do business with you? If you have, I am about to tell you why you should not ... 3). Beware - Borders and Boundaries Have you ever had someone get right up in your face when they are talking to you? So close in fact that a letter "S' results in an unwanted shower? Often when we are out networking, we find ourselves in a loud environment as people try to talk louder to be heard over people trying to talk louder to be heard. This results in a roar that makes regula... 4). Business Networking and Marketing Ups and Downs The last couple of days have been beautiful, the weather near perfect and some of us are suffering from spring fever while others are simply struggling with the pollen levels. This time of the year reminds me that summer is coming and things are about to slow down – in networking. I would like to take just a moment and discuss this trend and what I... 5). Community Vs. The Loner I am sure that you have heard the phrase "safety in numbers" before. In the animal world, creatures travel in groups because they instinctively know that, when there are many of them, predators have less of a chance of being successful during an attack. In most cases, if a predator is successful, its victim is usually a sick or weaker member of the... 6). Did You Remember To Ask? Remember what it was like when you were a child and you wanted something? What did you do? I am willing to wager that you simply asked for it. In fact if you wanted something bad enough, I would bet that you asked and asked and asked. In fact you may have even claimed it when you were asking. If you have children now, I would like you to notice wha... 7). How Well Do You Know Them? It is often said that it is not who you know that matters, it is who knows you. Well I would like to extend this statement by saying that it is not only who you know and who knows you, but how well do you know them and they you? In business, networking is the ultimate form of promotion. It can help you to obtain new clients, a new job,... 8). If I'm Not Satisfied, What Do I Want? Customer service is all about the customer. As business owners or employees, we have all at one time or another had to deal with an upset customer. What happens when the upset customer is us? Being in business does not guarantee success. The last thing a business owner wants is to lose our business, so when something goes wrong and we ... 9). Is The Customer Always Right? Last week I made an early morning trip to a seminar/book promo breakfast to promote my web site. After putting out flyers all over the place I took a moment to step in to the facility and caught a few moments of a morning with Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE. As I stepped through the door, a question and answer session was in progress... 10). It's A "ME TOO" World After All Have you ever come up with an idea for an exciting new business? If you have or if you ever do, you are going to experience the ME TOO phenomenon that is the basis of competition. What do I mean by ME TOO? Well they say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery. If you create something that is successful or something specifically... 11). Lead By Example Have you ever read any good books on leadership? Maybe something by John Maxwell? What stands out in my mind when it comes to the information contained in these books is the technique for effective leadership. One of the biggest is leading by example. Throughout history some of the greatest leaders were people of vision, people who saw... 12). No Dollar, No Client? You are now a business owner, congratulations! You have everything you need right down to the business plan but one thing is missing. Customers. As you sit in the darkness of your living room at night, you wonder how you can afford to advertise and where. The next morning you drag out the Yellow Pages looking for a company that specia... 13). No News Is Good News Did you watch the news on television today? Did you hear it on the radio? Did you happen to listen to your favorite talk radio show today? Watch a movie? A television show? Do you feel good because of it? What effect do these things have on us in our daily lives? Do they invoke a positive mental attitude? Probably not. The problem with... 14). On Networking Groups ( Part Five ) Online networking web sites. Are they really networking and are they really working? They have been springing up all over. They are based on contact management. They are direct in messaging, emailing, and even in the six degrees of separation. They go by many different names and have various methods of finding people. The problem with ... 15). On Networking Groups ( Part Four ) What is a leads group? Leads groups seem to be the most popular form of networking judging that comment by the fact that there are more leads groups in existence that have been around for a long time than most other types of groups. Leads groups are often referred to as closed groups. This means that there can only be one type of a bus... 16). On Networking Groups ( Part Three ) I am about to share with you something that I talk to people about a lot. It is focused networking. In each business, we have a target market or the perfect prospect. If you have been in a particular business for any length of time, you should know what type of person or business owner falls into this category for you. If not, it is ti... 17). On Networking Groups (Part One) I have been trying to think about how I can talk about this subject and address it in a way that would be fair and balanced without injecting too much personal opinion and have decided to first talk about the types of groups and then later on be more specific. It is important to remember that you will have preferences that may not align with mine, ... 18). On Networking Groups (Part Two) In "On Networking Groups - Part One", I spoke briefly about the four types of networking groups. Now, let's take a look at a category of networking groups. One category that most people are familiar with is the Chamber Of Commerce. Chambers serve a long standing role in the business community. It is a role of development and support. A... 19). Should We Admit Failure? Failure is something that none of us ever plans for but it is a part of the human condition. As we go through our lives there are few if any who have never experienced this phenomenon. So as we experience failure, how do we accept it and move on if we are unable to admit it? I am not suggesting that when we fail that we broadcast our f... 20). Swarm Your Market One thing is for sure, termites will be around forever. Here in the south especially they are quite heinous. I just spent an hour killing a family as they came out of the ground and began raining down on my house. How do I spell satisfaction in this example? B-U-G-S-P-R-A-Y! So what can termites teach us about business? Proliferation. ... 21). The Myth of Link Exchange If you have a web site that is getting much traffic, you will sooner or later be approached by someone who will want to link to your website and have a link from yours to theirs. It has been widely reported that this will help you get better positioning in search engines. This is and is not true. While having someone link to your site ... 22). The Politics of Scrabble Friday night while some people were going out to dinner or the latest movie, Susan and I finished dinner and settled into a raucous game of Scrabble. Yes, I said raucous because when we play Scrabble, it is an intense challenge trying to beat Susan at this game. She is really good. When I was a kid and played Scrabble, I always felt th... 23). When Fear Comes Calling What happens when you want something really bad? Sometimes it feels like an ache or a hunger. We find that we are not satisfied until we have gotten whatever it is that we desire. What happens when we finally get what we want? Are we finally satisfied or do we find that our desires have moved on to bigger and better things? Have you ev...