I DON’T DO FACEBOOK!

It’s not that I’m a contrarian; I’m too busy. Despite 500 million users and climbing, it’s also too early in the game to know if Facebook, Twitter and other social nets have legs. Legs? Having legs means the business model is so strong, viable and doable that it’s built on a firm foundation—e.g., eBay.

Learn the importance of a business model with legs. Get your copy of How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business from your favorite bookseller. It’s the first-ever interactive printed book. Using your smartphone to scan 2D codes, it instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers where you learn more.

e=mc2

It isn’t possible to appreciate the enormous value of Einstein’s theory unless you’re a math whiz. The same is true for any discipline within every industry. Solutions abound but you have to be listening. And furthermore, you must recognize what you’re hearing. 

Case in point: In searching for a software development answer targeting the book publishing industry, I was referred to a seasoned software expert. The consultation was a wash because this highly trained professional was only experienced in half of what I needed to know. He knew everything about software development but zero about book publishing. 

In everyday talk, how would you respond if I asked you what ingredients go into a good chocolate cake recipe? Would you answer by telling me I first need to go to a grocery market to buy the right ingredients without telling me what they are? And then would you tell me it’s essential to have mixing bowls, a cake pan and measuring utensils along with an oven? 

Does that answer my question or insult my intelligence by providing the obvious?

Learn how important it is to provide your customers with specific, usable answers. Get your copy of How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business from your favorite bookseller. It’s the first-ever interactive printed book that instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers where you learn more.

QUESTIONS FROM A ROUNDABOUT

Our local library has two parking lots. The one adjoining the entrance is a beautifully landscaped roundabout with traffic flowing to the left in order to access the 10 parking spaces. As I entered the lot several days ago, I saw one vacant parking place near the exit of the roundabout. This meant driving around to the left to the empty space. 

Just as I was 3 parking spaces away, another auto, a minivan, came from the right, pulled in front of me and grabbed the space. It was the same minivan that had tailgated me for several blocks on the main road.  It was obvious the driver had seen I was in line for the space. Ironically, it didn’t anger me but the minivan’s actions certainly triggered some questions:

• Was the fat middle-aged woman driving the minivan action's ethical?
• Was it moral?
• Was she fat because she’s a selfish narcissist?
• Why did she chance going the wrong way just for a parking space?
• Was she drunk, high on drugs?
• Had she become so absorbed in our self-serving culture, she didn’t know any better?

A library isn’t an emergency clinic, police station or a funeral home that might cause someone to be in such a hurry.  So what caused her to give up her self-respect in order to catch a few extra minutes? 

Learn how important it is to play fair in business. Get your copy of How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business from your favorite bookseller. It’s the first-ever interactive printed book that instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers where you learn more.

WHAT POLITICAL AD CAMPAIGNS TEACH AUTHORS

If you’re reading this, you already know authors are responsible for their book sales. This means, it really doesn’t make any difference whether your publisher is a worldwide conglomerate or you published your book. There are some differences but not many.

SPEND WISELY: We can learn a lot from political ad campaigns by translating their ad-spend analytics. For instance, politicians in the USA will spend $3 billion in ads campaigns for the November 2010 elections.

This is a lot of money to sell “yourself” yet makes a point. If it takes a multi-million dollar budget to promote one politician’s name, what chance do authors have to get recognition for their books on a very small budget? 

HERE’S HOW: The $3 billion breaks out into an author's doable local exposure! It costs the politicians but is available to you free or a small fee just for the asking.  Break out your budget/time using the same percentages political campaigns used:

LOCAL AD SPEND          WHAT YOU CAN DO
67% Local TV                  Find a hook and contact local producers
22% Direct Mail              Cost share postcard mailings with booksellers  
8% Local Radio               Use the same hook and contact local producers
2% - Web/online ads       Use blogs, twitter, newsletters,social networks

Learn how to become a local business force. Get your copy of How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business from your favorite bookseller. It’s the first-ever interactive printed book that instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers where you learn more.

TO REALLY SEE

By the time we “see,” really see, the next generation comes along and kicks out the “seer”!

Learn how to become a business force and seer. Get your copy of How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business from your favorite bookseller. It’s the first-ever interactive printed book that instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers where you will learn more.

WHAT 3 BUSINESS ASSUMPTIONS KILL OPPORTUNITY?

One of the biggest mistakes business owners and corporate bigwigs make is to formulate assumptions based on their viewpoint and experience! This human fallacy, more than any other, is the root cause of businesses missing the mark or worse yet, failing altogether. The 3 worse assumptions are:

• Assuming everyone is telling the truth
• Assuming everyone is on the same page
• Assuming a market

“To assume,” went a line from a TV show, “is to make an “ass” out of “u” and “me”!

Learn how to become a business force not an assumption junkie. Get your copy of How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business from your favorite bookseller. It’s the first-ever interactive printed book that instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers where you will learn more.

 

THREE COPYCAT WORDS TO AVOID

Business leans on understanding product lifecycles—the word product meaning any and everything we use or sell. When this cycle is fresh it’s almost imperceptible but as it gains momentum, other companies, and people too, produce their own version of the thing.

But, and here’s the rub, too much of any one thing or a type of thing always dilutes its value and produces a has-been. Here are three worn out words at the top of their respective product lifecycles not only in terms of the words but the multiple-variants they represent.

• Green = What "green" exactly? 
• Proactive = An overworked adjective meaning what? 
• Social Media = An unleashed furry of joiner eyeballs because. . .?

Don’t follow. Lead! 

Learn how you, too, can become a business force. How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business is the first-ever interactive printed book that instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers.

THE 3-SUCCESS SECRETS GOOGLE USED

SOCIAL NETS: Sites are only a phenomenon as long as users use them! And users only use sites if they think they benefit in some way. Depending on popularity alone isn’t a long-term sustainable business model, Twitter and Facebook included.


Google, on the other hand, has been a sustainable business phenomenon because it kept its core business model.


What’s that?
• Users have always needed to find something = search
• Users want what they want = simple
• Users want what they want when they want it = fast


Learn how you, too, can become a business force. How to Develop a SMARTPLAN for Your Business is the first-ever interactive printed book that instantly links you to videos, webinars, podcasts or whitepapers. 

HOW TO TURN OFF CUSTOMERS!

I was about to toss a few brightly colored silk flowers but decided to put them in 6-inch container and set them on the balcony. That was easy enough and besides, my workstation overlooks the balcony.

Bright flowers attract birds and if I set the small container in a large dish filled with birdseed, I thought,—ta-da birds! Within an hour a humming bird came to check it out and just as quickly flew away.

Customers are like that. Give them a dud and they’ll fly on to the real thing!

Visit http://www.smartsite.com/ and discover the first-ever INTERACTIVE PRINTED BOOK—SmartPlan with INKandLINK and then "Look Inside" on Amazon. Pick up your Free copy of Lame Brain: A Dictionary for the Technically Challenged while visiting Smart Site.

MILLIONAIRES: WHAT ARE YOUR ODDS?

Harvard-educated, Jeffery Rosenthal, a statistics professor and the author of Struck by Lightning, points out the odds of your becoming a millionaire in 2010 are one in 115! Those are very good odds. Are you ready?

Visit www.smartsite.com and discover the first ever INTERACTIVE PRINTED BOOK—SmartPlan with INKandLink and Look Inside on Amazon.   Pick up your Free copy of Lame Brain: A Dictionary for the Technically Challenged while visiting SmartSite.

GATEKEEPERS FROM HELL

Opportunity knocks everyday but with a gatekeeper from hell you’ll never know. Here are 5 intangibles to look for so you don’t get duped.

1. Lacks experience in your industry 
2. Lacks business maturity
3. Lacks a business frame of reference to evaluate potential
4. Egocentric - thinks "me" most of the time 
5. Controlling - self-serving

Traditionally, companies put the least experienced and most underpaid at the proverbial front desk. And running a close second is the admin sitting outside the decision maker’s office.  

Visit www.smartsite.com and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free copy of Lame Brain: A Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

CUSTOMERS ARE NOT THINGS

Customers are not “things” you pitch. They are prospective-loyalist you benefit! Entrepreneurs need to check their mindset at the front door before they plan to put a key in it. Circumventing business failure is simple with knowhow and the right mindset!

Visit smartsite.com and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free copy of Lame Brain: A Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

DOLLAR SHOCKER!

I was SHOCKED out of my wits when I converted $10,000.00 in constant 1975 dollars to 2010 dollars! In 2010 it takes $40,553 to buy the same thing we bought in 1975 for $10,000.00! And since that’s true, why is $250,000.00 a year considered rich?

If the calculation is reversed, someone earning $250,000.00 in 1975 would have to earn $1,013,838.29 in 2010 to be considered rich! What’s up with the government and their tax initiatives?

How easily we forget to “adjust” our learning curve to “current.” Try it yourself. This currency calculator converts constant dollars from 1913. When our thinking stagnates in the past we shoot ourselves in the foot and then wonder why we’re limping!

Visit smartsite.com and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free copy of Lame Brain 2010: A Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THANK YOU?

Once upon a time, children grew up learning the importance of saying “thank you.” It was more than just remembering to say thank you, it was part of developing character at a deeper level, the kind of character worth having—an ultimate comfort zone of self-respect.

Now, the majority of children are allowed to ramrod through shopping centers pushing everything in their path aside. The so-called character these children are building is called rude, inconsiderate and selfish, a trend promoted by parents with the same mindset—a trend that started slowly in the late ‘70s.

Think on this! What was once an ill-disciplined little kid is now a gatekeeper of sorts convinced the world is here to serve them—not the other way around. They’re takers not givers and hard put to think from any perspective but their own.

When my book was released earlier this month, I wrote thank you notes to everyone who had contributed in some way to its completion; in all, eleven people and their companies. Each of the eleven was recognized on the acknowledgment page. Eight of the companies, along with the person who had facilitated the help, were listed on the back cover and all 8 companies were discussed within the book’s text along with their QR Code® links.

My motive: To help my readers easily learn more without leaving the printed page which each of the contributors had helped me do. Time honored protocol was a given therefore to mail thank you notes to each person along with a free copy of the book and the book’s complementary bookmarks.

I felt excited just thinking about how surprised they would be to see their names and that of their companies promoted in a book! Except for Paul Hynek, EZ Numbers and James Choung, AT&T , my excitement met with a thud. I didn’t hear from anyone despite knowing USPS’s Track and Confirm service had successfully delivered every package.

What has caused this rude mindset to grow out of control? Is it the media that streams nothing but ingratitude while promoting the “poor-little-thing and give-me” as a way of life? What happened to gumption? What happened to get up when you fall down and go on?

What Happened to Thank You?

Visit Smart Site® and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free copy of Lame Brain: A Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

THE HANDS-ON COMMERICAL

Writers often ask me what does an author’s platform look like? The answer is simple. Who’s your audience and how do you reach and sell them? Every genre is different. Let’s start with a simple successful idea. You’ll have to fill in the details to support your genre.

FREE LOCAL SEMINARS PRODUCE SALES: You’ve heard it a dozen times, “Join us for a FREE workshop Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Learn How To….”

A well-known financial planner did just this some years’ back beating his competition at the starting gate. He has since established a successful practice, written several books and become a favorite talk show guest.

HERE’S WHY: This sales-sharp financial planner …

• Respects his audience; no bait and switch sales tactics
• Presents excellent information anyone can use
• Uses lay terms – no jargon or big words few can understand – For example: I recently read, “…generate these iframes with the noindex meta tag so they are not indexed in the SERPs.”

Hmm, I blame the writer who carelessly went into jargon-mode and the editor who allowed this to be published. You not only don’t want to fall into this trap but if you want to get your book published; this isn’t the time to prove how smart you are.

Visit http://www.smartsite.com/ and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free Lame Brain Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

 

RUMBLINGS ON THE GROUND FLOOR

When companies grow into giant corporations, rumblings begin on the ground floor where the front line meets head on with the public, existing or new customers and clients. The rumbling really doesn’t do much until it becomes earthquake size. That is, the giant corporation begins to crumble because an employee in the chain of command opted to change a policy, cheat a little or otherwise was a dumbbell that didn’t know any better.  "Dumb-decisions" are the weakest link.  And you know what always happens next!

A few weeks ago, a writer wanted to have her ebook published on Kindle, a task that isn’t as easy as it looks. Her "want" outweighing everything else in her world prompted her to visit Smart Site were converting mobile ebooks is simple providing the author or publisher was registered with Mobipocket/Amazon prior to August 31, 2009. This is clearly posted on Smart Site – something the writer ignored.

She plunged into a spectrum of publishing she knew nothing about and when it didn’t work out she went – well nuts! Before the hour was out she had filed a complaint with PayPal and left several uncomplimentary messages on our voice mail.

PayPal’s complaint notice along with a notice of payment arrived via email at the same time. It was the first Smart Site even knew the writer had tried to place an order for an ebook conversion. Once we knew, her money was returned IMMEDIATELY minus the $2.27 PayPal charged for the transaction, a policy that is also posted on SmartSite.

You’d think all would be well, she accepted her refund and we capitalized and bolded the August 31, 2009 message on Smart Site. Ha! This takes us back to the RUMBLINGS. Unless you’re prone to punishment and have all the time in the world to waste finding out how to communicate with PayPal – expect nothing.

No matter what we do or what we say or what we transmit to PayPal all we get is canned autobot messages from a brain dead computer that probably was programmed by a (guessing) techno-gatekeeper who does not have a clue about business, how to provide outstanding customer service and keep a company’s success roaring forward.

Prediction: PayPal is cruising for a bruising.
Solution: Delete the canned emails and move on knowing PayPal will trip over its own toes in due time.

Visit www.smartsite.com and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free Lame Brain Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

AuthorsBook: TRIPPING OVER OUR OWN TECHNOLOGY

AuthorsBook: TRIPPING OVER OUR OWN TECHNOLOGY

TRIPPING OVER OUR OWN TECHNOLOGY

In an all out effort to bring the first-ever interactive book to market these past weeks, I tripped over so much insanely stupid answers to my questions used on and by the ground floor, I ended up in an emergency ward – no kidding! I now know the stupid-aspect literally made me incredibly ill with what doctors thought was a brain tumor! Released last Wednesday evening from emergency (it isn’t a brain tumor) however my mysterious illness left the doctor scratching her head.

On Friday July 9, 2010, I felt like coping for the first time in 8 days and then the stupid-aspect began all over. Once again I became lightheaded and nauseated with a sharp pain running through the center of my forehead to the back of my head as I read one human generated email and four computer generated emails—NONE of which had a rats-ass association with my original human email query—NOT EVEN THE ONE HUMAN REPLY.

If I had not heard Ryan Van Cleave’s radio interview about the seriousness of technology-addiction the prior evening, specifically about gaming, I would be in self-reprimand – even apologetic and schedule appointments with a neurosurgeon or psychologist to uncover what’s wrong with ME.

In the interview Dr. Van Cleave pointed out a majority of those less than 30 years of age cannot discern between reality and the world of technology. To varying degrees, based on both age and use, the world of technology is a reality to THEM—their identity, the place where they live! Among his many credentialed research analysis, one case was dynamic.

Several years ago, parents refused to buy their youngster a much wanted video game. Dismayed, the youngster found his parent’s gun, approached them and said, “Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.” They closed their eyes and he shot them both in the head! During the trial, the judge proclaimed that the youngster honestly believed his parents would come back to life—after all, that's what happens in a video game!

Because of Dr. Van Cleave’s personal experiences coupled with his research, he is now dedicated to shining a light on the worldwide problem that technology-addiction is leading to an individual’s inability to discern everyday reality. It is becoming epidemic and a critical concern among human resource departments as well as social services, psychologists and—now me.

After becoming ill this morning, I clearly see my age is anchored in everyday reality. Technology is something I use just as one would use math or any other tool. In order to define this to myself, I recognize I was asking questions in everyday reality.  We'll call that an A-brain wave activity.  I was receiving replies from and by one who is very young that I am going to call techno-addicted or a B-brain wave activity. There is an underlying conflict within the psyches between A and B and no way for them to logically communicate depending upon the depth of their identities in either A or B.

I now know I am 100 percent subconsciously entrenched in A. Under pressure to achieve a specific outcome yet thwarted at every turn, my communication with a B did something to my sense of reason and mental equilibrium during the book processing activity. I kept asking my “A” questions and got her “B” answers. In turn, this escalated to endless frustration that went beyond my psychical ability to cope. I don’t know what happened to “B” and, to be very honest, became so ill I never thought about it.

I can’t define any of this and won’t even attempt to, although I have learned since last Friday, July 9, 2010, some technology classes address techno-addiction—many in depth. I also don't know a solution only that it is physically and frustratingly painful attempting to get straight answers from techno-addicted human robots who guard the front line of their respective companies in today's business world!

What’s the value from this lesson? Now that I am aware of Van Cleave’s analysis, I will deal with those under 30 differently. For each business need, I will first determine the front-liner’s age. Then I’ll anticipate what the canned email responses might be.  As a final step, I'll figure out how to ask the simplest of robotic questions--questions that these human-robots might understand and maybe even answer!  What a waste of time but, hey people, we're stuck.

So, it stands to reason, if I ask 4 or 5 simple questions their replies can easily be grouped together, deciphered and then analyzed to achieve my answer. OR, here's another shot. I can buy stock in the company and make sure I vote my stock to shake up the Board and replace the CEO, COO and VP of Customer Service! Hmm, on second thought, there seems to be something wrong with this picture, but what the heck, I don't intend to end up in an emergency ward AGAIN!

Visit Smart Site and discover INKandLink then pick up your Free Lame Brain Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

UP YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING PUBLISHED

Famous or not, authors are responsible for 90-95% of their book’s marketing program – period. Self-published authors are responsible for 110%. Authors succeed when they have strong author’s platforms, if not, their book sales languish because:

• The majority of authors lack contacts, promotional know-how, time and money
• Solutions for selling their books are scattered among tens-of-thousands of resources – including books, teleseminars, webinars and writing conferences to name a few
• Too expensive to get established - better known authors hire book publicist costing between $600 to over $6,000 per month

Incidentally, writers write but are not authors until they publish a book. And even when that happens , without a platform, fewer than 1,000 books of one title are sold - many times fewer than 250 books; bad news for everyone from the authors, publishers and distributors to the booksellers.

Subscribe to learn more a little at a time.  Visit www.smartsite.com and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free Lame Brain Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.

WHY AuthorsBook?

Sell it too! You are kidding?
It was an electric moment to get my first business book published and an immediate thud to discover I was also expected to sell it! This unexpected kink in the pipeline to my fantasized fame and fortune even came with a job title. It’s called an author’s platform and without one, authors are seldom picked up by a publisher let alone attract a literary agent. I’d simply hit all the right cords to get to the book contract stage and didn’t know it.

Getting published is tough. And although opportunities for self-publishing abound, your need for an “author’s platform” isn’t going away. It will only intensify. It’s been 10 years since my first book signing at Barnes and Noble, a handsome royalty check and--along with it--a learning curve I’d rather pass along versus wishing that kind of learning curve on anyone! AuthorsBook was forged with that in mind and to help other writers master their platforms.  Stay tuned.
Visit http://www.smartsite.com/ and discover INKandLink then pick up your Free Lame Brain Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.