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?
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Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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 …
Visit http://www.smartsite.com/ and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free Lame Brain Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.
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.”
Visit http://www.smartsite.com/ and discover SmartPlan with INKandLink then pick up your Free Lame Brain Dictionary for the Technically Challenged.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, July 05, 2010
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:
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.
- 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
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.
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