46 days ago |
It’s January 22, we’re three weeks in and the first major tragedy of the year has hit the people of Haiti. They really do need our help.
I’ve been reading and working with a new book. It’s The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz and I’m finding it very useful. As the name implies it’s for new entrepreneurs and those who’ve been at it for a while. I have certain criteria that I regard as essential in books. They need to be an easy read, they must have important information to convey, and they must require me to act. Mike’s book does all that. The chapters are short, to the point, with useful exercises to complete. They force you to look squarely at reality – in other words you can’t hide or deny what is actually going on. Of particular value are the metrics that Mike suggests you employ on a daily and quarterly basis. I recommend Mike’s book.
I’ve been carefully reviewing my marketing, especially my own websites and their effectiveness and will be working on those sites over the next few months.
For those of you who have to write proposals, or sales letters or reports, you may want to take advantage of the special offer we have on our book How to Write Proposals, Sales Letters & Reports. The cost is just US$9.95 and that includes shipping anywhere in North America. Regular retail is US$16.95 before shipping so it’s great value. Sorry but this offer is North America only as overseas shipping is too costly. However, the E-book is available for US$7.95. For more information go to http://www.howtowriteproposals.com.
I’ll be in Califoria for a couple of weeks in a break from Canadian winter. Hopefully I won’t run into any flooding. In the meantimes, here are a couple of articles recently posted on Ezine articles.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Were-All-Great-Communicators—-Right?&id=3617572
http://ezinearticles.com/?That-Pause-Button-is-There-For-a-Reason&id=3545990
90 days ago |
I went to dinner last with members of the Book Publishers of Alberta. It was good to see many of them again – some I hadn’t seen since last year’s Christmas dinner. It was a cheerful affair but with an undercurrent reflecting the kind of year it had been.
Many of them had seen cutbacks in staff, no new hiring and no increases in funding. Others had experienced book returns greater than normal. The factors involved were the same – governments, business, education cutting staff and funding in times of recession and a public in a more fragile mood, wary of spending discretionary funds in a still uncertain economy.
All of us are looking to ways to boost our respective businesses while continuing to do good creative work and serving our particular customer base. The economic times challenge us, put plans on hold, and force us to look at priorities.
I’m reworking my book for college and high school students – Ten Steps to Help You Write Better Essays and Term Papers – because there’s a section in it that doesn’t work for me and I don’t want to reprint unless that’s done. I’m also looking at doing an ebook on demographics in the developing world since the staggering numbers of young people will have a huge impact on the future of the planet.
I’m also keeping a commitment to help home-based and small business entrepreneurs develop and write better proposals and sales letters with my other book How to Write Proposals, Sales Letters & Reports. Accordingly we’re making a special New Year’s offer with this book through January 31. You can purchase it for US$9.95 including shipping (that’s North America only – overseas customers should email us for rates.)
2009 has been a challenging year for many, many people all over the world. We hope that in this final part of the year you have a wonderful holiday season, and that 2010 serves you well.
Neil Sawers
Edmonton
December 9, 2009
127 days ago |
If you want to take a close up look at what’s involved with Internet Marketing – and there are lots of “experts” out there – you might want to take a look at this new book by Frank Rumbauskas. Its title is The Never Cold Call Again Online Playbook.
Frank has been extraordinarily successful at online marketing. So much so that he was able to quit his regular job and focus online full time.
The Never Cold Call Again Online Playbook is Frank’s answer to those who’ve been wanting him to put out a comprehensive Internet Marketing course.
If you’d like to check this out, this is the perfect time as Frank is offering some exceptional bonus gifts to buyers.
Here’s the link to follow:
http://www.nevercoldcallbook.com
145 days ago |
If you’re in sales and marketing I want to recommend to you Sharon Drew Morgen’s new book “Dirty Little Secrets,” but I warn you, it’s a paradigm shift in the way you look at sales. Author of the New York Times Business Best Seller “Selling With Integrity” Sharon Drew Morgen is the visionary and thought leader behind Buying Facilitation® the new sales paradigm that focuses on helping buyers manage their buying decision.
The traditional selling approach places emphasis on understanding the buyer’s need and coming up with a good solution. The trouble is we never know whether the buyer is in a position to buy.
Sharon Drew takes a close look at what prevents a buyer from saying “yes.” She delves into the overall system in that company. She looks at how the decision to buy will impact that system and the people in it. She questions whether all the decision makers within that system have bought in to having this new product or service. And she asks – how can a buyer make a decision when all these behind the scenes or offline situations are unresolved?
The buyer may in fact be caught between a rock and a hard place; between a salesperson convinced that their product or service is the ideal solution to a particular problem, and a system and its people who may be threatened by the change that new product or service brings about, and are fearful about or resist moving ahead.
Sharon Drew states categorically that before buyers are in a position to buy, they must go through some sort of change management. The catalyst to help this happen is the salesperson who needs to understand what the buyer is faced with and can help facilitate the buyer’s journey through discovery and the underlying issues of the system and its people.
It’s not a comfortable process for a traditional salesperson to learn and undertake. However, once accomplished, this essential pathway opens the potential for more closing and less rejection.
For more information visit www.dirtylittlesecretsbook.com Buy the book before October 29 you’re eligible for some valuable bonus gifts.
305 days ago |
Finally, those of us who live in the northern part of North America are starting to enjoy the weather. We can actually get outside again. Areas that were off limits, such as river banks, lakes, trails through beautiful wooded areas, are accessible again. That can also include favorite eating places, libraries, playgrounds that it was either too cold to get to or simply too much effort.
What’s this got to do with writing? It could mean a lot, depending on whether you think there’s value in writing in a different environment. Natalie Goldberg does and I concur. In her book Writing Down The Bones she suggests that you try writing in different environments because those environments will generate thoughts and ideas that you would not have considered in your regular writing spot.
This practice is particularly useful if you’re feeling stuck and the ideas won’t come. Suppose you’re involved in writing a proposal and you can’t quite finalize that Unique Selling Proposition (USP), getting out to a restaurant, or a park, maybe a bus or rail station, may be just the answer you’re looking for.
In fact, I should do that with my children’s story. I spent an hour and a half this morning in an attempt to have the story flow more effectively. It felt as if I were fighting the words the whole time and I eventually put it aside.
What writing are you fighting with? Or do you just want some other perspectives to explore? Whatever the reason, now that good weather’s here, get out and write. It could be the difference you’re hoping for, or bring clarity to an issue you’re trying to solve.
319 days ago |
Well spring has arrived though you’d hardly know it where I live here in Edmonton with spring flowers at least two months behind Vancouver.
I’m working on a number of things both marketing and writing. I’m discovering new ways to market books which is very interesting. I’m also in the process of revising our book Ten Steps to Help You Write Better Essays & Term Papers. This book for students in first year college/university and high school, is specifically to help them communicate what they want to say more easily and effectively. It’s been well received over the last 15 years.
The revision will take into account any changes in APA and MLA referencing – I’m told the APA has a new edition coming this July and MLA did one just recently. We try and make this tedious but necessary process of referencing your sources as easy as possible.
We now have two web sites, this one, and a newer one at www.how-to-write-proposals.com. This new site has much more information, especially to help small and very small business. It includes a useful template for creating proposals as well as a page referencing articles on many aspects of proposal writing.
The site is still in process but you may find the information pertinent and easy to follow. The information supports that available in our book How to Write Proposals, Sales Letters & Reports which you can buy on this site or from Amazon. (The e-book is only available from this site.)
A brief comment on the current economic situation. This tough economy is likely to last awhile and it’s going to be very competitive. The better prepared you are in terms of producing proposals that work for clients in this economy, the more likely you are to make it through these tough times. We hope we can help you.
From us – good luck.
354 days ago |
For an ex Lehman Bros employee
Nothing changed when he joined A.I.G.
No limits. No onus.
A million buck bonus –
And a license to screw up for free.
