“There’s an elephant in the room… so it is hard to get around it. Yet we squeeze by with “How are you?” and “I’m fine…”   And a thousand other forms of trivial chatter.  We talk about the weather.  We talk about work.  We talk about everything else… Except the elephant in the room.  We all know it is there…”  Excerpt from “The Elephant in the Room”  by Terry Kettering

Many online entrepreneurs mistakenly leap into action and rush to build their web sites – without giving it sufficient time, thought and planning – enticed by the gobs of money they’ll earn and the relatively low cost of entry.  They falsely believe that they can create a profitable business even though they lack the vital information and tools to carry them through successfully.

And although most of them are smart, passionate, hardworking and innovative people – ones who share dreams similar to your own – they nevertheless learn, and ultimately live, a hard and often unspoken truth:  the majority of online businesses fail.

So why do so many e-commerce businesses fail?

The obvious answer to the first question is that companies unexpectedly cease to exist for a multitude of reasons. However, despite common lore, businesses seldom go under due to one shattering event (even though it’s often cited as the official cause).  Rather, online businesses (and all others) go bust because many mistakes – most seemingly small – were made over an extended period of time.

While it is beyond the scope of this blog post to go in to all the key reasons businesses fail, the following was illuminated by my friend and business guru Michael Gerber, author of the E-myth and it is essential to understand.

Myth: Believing that being a good “craftsman” is all that’s needed to run a successful business

These folks erroneously believe that being an exceptional “craftsman” (e.g. financial advisor, quilt maker, therapist, coach, fund raiser, speaker, etc.) makes them qualified to operate a business that specializes in that work.

They spend most of their time performing “the work” of the business rather than leading, planning, organizing, systematizing and/or marketing their business!

Most of us know people like these … those who must be at work everyday in order to conduct business.  They do it all: pack boxes, write invoices, make sales calls, answer the phone, fix equipment, design their own web sites, write their own ad copy, troubleshoot problems, empty the trash, meet personally with every client, and so on.

They have no written procedures, documented processes or automated systems for doing anything.  Rather, their valuable knowledge, innovative ideas and sound methodologies remain only in their heads.

You also won’t find them outsourcing work, forming beneficial strategic alliances, delegating tasks to employees or seeking wise counsel from other professionals.  Why?  Because many entrepreneurs believe they already know what they need to know – AND they don’t want to know what they don’t know!

“If they don’t fail outright, most businesses fail to fully achieve their potential. That’s because the person who owns the business doesn’t truly know how to build a company that works without him or her… which is the key.”

Michael Gerber

So what happens? They try to go it alone. They get sick. They get sick and tired. They spend half a day at the Department of Motor Vehicles. They get stretched too thin. They feel rushed and overwhelmed. They worry that they can’t do it all.  They worry that others won’t do “it” right.  They know that they should let go, but can’t.  They worry about what it might cost them to let go. They fail to fix serious flaws. They ignore their customers. They have a short term, “put-out-the-latest-fire” mentality. They miss golden opportunities. They feel like they need to get away. They take a much-needed vacation. Their businesses come to a screeching halt…

And when they return they discover that the work has piled up and they’ve lost money, frustrated customers and missed golden opportunities.

What You Can Do…

• Realize that being good at “something” does not mean you’ll succeed at running a business that does that work.
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Objectively assess your business/marketing skills and knowledge… Begin by taking a Self Assessment.  Answer the questions honestly so you can identify your business strengths and weaknesses.
• Play to your strengths, passions and skills. Do what you do best and let others help you. Build a team of people – employees, consultants, strategic partners, and the like – who are more skilled than you in key areas.
• Seek, and offer, support from others outside of work… family, friends and colleagues. Take advantage of the vast resources available on the internet.
• Automate! With all of the affordable technology available today – software, phone systems, online automation, etc. – there’s no excuse for going it alone.  It’s never been easier to communicate with prospects, troubleshoot problems, and stay in contact with customers and the like, even when you’re not there.

For more on this topic read chapter one of Mastering Online Marketing by Mitch Meyerson and Mary Eule Scarborough

by Craig Valentine, 1999 World Champion Of Public Speaking.  He is the co creator of the World Class Speaking book and Certification Program.   Get Your Free World Class Speakers Audio Toolkit

If you want to drastically improve your very next presentation, it is important to understand 4 of the pitfalls that keep most speakers in a ditch out of which they can never seem to climb. If you see where these traps are, you can easily avoid them. As a result, you will clear your pathway to a powerful and persuasive speech.

Here are the 4 costly mistakes:

They close their speech with the question and answer session

Never close your speech with the Q&A session, because people remember best what they hear first and what they hear last. If you end with the Q&A, you lose control over the last message your audience receives and much of your hard work is undone. It is still a good idea to have a Q&A session, but it is not a good idea to end your presentation with it. Instead, hold the session about 80-90% into your speech and then close the speech in your own powerful way.

They open their speech with a whimper

Most speakers open with statements like, “I’m so glad to be here. Thank you for inviting me to speak at this prestigious occasion. First I’d like to thank Bob…” What is wrong with that kind of opening? Frankly, it’s boring. It’s boring because it’s expected. Instead, come out in an unexpected way by jumping right into your message. Take the “sitcom” approach and start the show first and then transition to the opening theme song.

One good way to do this is to immediately dive into a story. That will catch your audience off guard and you will have their attention. Another effective way is to ask a question. For example, I start some speeches with the following question: “What do you think is the number one thing that stands in the way of most people living their dreams?” This immediately gets my audience’s attention and prompts them to think and to get involved with the speech. Questions work extremely well because they take your audience members from passive spectators to active participants and that definitely raises the energy. Once you finish your planned opening, it is then fine to go back and thank the people who brought you there.

They lip-synch

I once had a CFO of a biotech company say, “Craig, we need you to coach us with our presentation. We already have the presentation, but we just need to know what to say.” That might seem confusing but I knew exactly what he meant. He meant that the company already had a slide presentation but they needed to know what to say between those slides. Once I worked with them, they came to realize that they had to look at their major points first and then determine if slides were even needed to reinforce them.

Most presenters who use slides simply verbalize the same points that are made on the slide. The key to understand is this; if you say the same thing as your slides, then one of you is not needed! You are doing the equivalent of lip-synching your presentation. The best time to use slides is for real visuals such as charts, graphs, and diagrams that help clarify what you say verbally.

They don’t master the essence of public speaking

Bill Gove, the first President of the National Speakers Association, once said that public speaking is being able to “tell a story and make a point.” That indeed is the essence of public speaking. If you want to become the kind of speaker others line up and sign up to see, then make an effort to master storytelling. People make decisions with their emotions backed up by logic. Stories reach those emotions and get people in a frame of mind to take action. When you become a master storyteller, you help other people see new stories unfold for their own lives. Like the old saying goes, “Facts tell and stories sell.”

If you avoid the 4 pitfalls that trap most speakers and you work on the suggestions above, you will find yourself far ahead of most of the people who ever stood up to say anything.

Craig Valentine is  starting a brand new Coach Certification Program for Speakers and Entrepreneurs September 21 For the Full Story–>  World Class Speaking Coach Certification Progran

If you are like me you have heard about the 80/20 rule for years. You know it, it’s called the Pareto Principle – 20% of your activities account 80% of your results.

Well as Bob Dylan said about 40 years ago, “the times they are a changing”. In my opinion the more accurate reality of this notion is the 90/10 principle. Why?

Simply this… Technology has seduced us all into many new activities that didn’t exist a few years ago (creating websites, watching videos on I pods, viewing webinars on our computers). It’s endless and very very addictive.

While cool and exciting, it has also turned us into culture of multi-taskers. I think we are developing what I call “technological ADD”. You know it — you live it. You listen to teleconferences while you are checking your email and IM’s, scan through hundreds of channels on your TV while eating and talking, talk on the phone while cleaning, text while driving (I hope not) …this list goes on and on. You may even get restless just doing two things at once because we are so addicted to these new forms of stimulation.

How Does This Affect Your Business?

Big time. Your audience is distracted too and they are hardy even listening when you talk (remember they are multi-tasking). And with Twitter and other social media platforms thousands of people are all talking at the same time!

So if you want to get results you must be more specific and strategic than ever about what you focus your time on. I propose we change the 80/20 principle to the 90/10 principle.

What does this mean for you? Become much more intentional with how you spend your work time. Ask yourself: What 10% of my activities account for 90% of my results? Then focus on these everyday and learn to say no to distractions!

It isn’t easy, but as they say in the recovery world “one step at a time”. If you do you will be surprised at the results.

Place a comment and let me know if you agree or not.

by Mitch Meyerson, Founder of Guerrilla Marketing Coaching

www.MitchMeyerson.com

Commitment is the attribute that divides winners from losers, and keeps some people moving when others stop dead in their tracks. It is the characteristic that keeps successful people optimistic in the midst of crushing disappointments. It is the quality that allows champions to learn from their losses and move on. Commitment keeps victors energized when the newness wears off.

How do you recognize committed souls from others? Simple.

People who are committed keep their promises. They do what they say, long after the moment they said it in has passed.

People who are committed are in it for the long haul. They are willing to exchange short-term luxuries for a brighter future.

People who are committed have their eye on the finish line, but enjoy the ride there.

People who are committed demonstrate a minute-after-minute, day-after-day, month-after-month, and year-after-year attention to ensuring that “mundane” tasks are accomplished, because they know that excellence isn’t in the details, it is the details.

People who are committed don’t build walls, they learn how to surpass them.

Yet, while most businesspeople agree that commitment is an admirable trait, they may not know exactly what it means to put into action – especially as it relates to Internet marketing. If you don’t believe this, go online and take a look. You’ll find gobs of abandoned and/or poorly maintained websites and blogs all over the place. Then, consider how much time, energy, know-how, and money their owners wasted, because neglected websites and blogs do not generate income!

Unfortunately, this is and all-too-common fate for entrepreneurs – who by their very nature, are generally much more action-oriented than others. So, why do some many well-intentioned and intelligent small businesspeople lack the commitment needed to grow and maintain a profitable business? If you’re assuming that the answer to this question is that these folks lack solid work ethics, you couldn’t be more wrong. Rather, it’s usually just the opposite. That is, many entrepreneurs become paralyzed because they’re overworked, over committed, and overwhelmed!

For example:

They’re eager to take advantage of new opportunities, so say “yes” to more than they can handle.

They’re reluctant to delegate tasks to employees or outsource work because they’re convinced that their product or service quality will suffer – or it will cost them a fortune.
They grossly underestimated how much time and energy it would take them to run their businesses smoothly.

They fail to document key processes and systems, which makes it very difficult for them to train others to take over.

And the list goes on… Yet, even if you don’t identify with entrepreneurs who suffer from these, your plate is probably still full and you haven’t a clue where you’ll find the time to add more responsibilities to your burgeoning to-do lists. All of us have times when we want to shout, “Will somebody please help me?!”

That’s just the point. You can’t. And even if you think you can, you shouldn’t try. Yes, guerrillas accomplish many things using only their time, energy, and know-how, but they also know when and how to get help.

Are you a Guerrilla?

The preceding excerpt was from Guerrilla Marketing On The Internet by Jay Conrad Levinson, Mitch Meyerson and Mary Scarborough

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Become a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach.  Get the full story here:

Mitch Meyerson

In 2008  I co-wrote four books:  Mastering Online Marketing, Guerrilla Marketing On The Internet, World Class Speaking  and Guerrilla Marketing On The Front Lines.   Sound like a lot?  Yes it is but I couldn’t have accomplished this with out the following five principles.

I hope you can apply these ideas  to your business so you can get more done in less time as well.

1)  Develop A Clear Strategy

Know exactly what you are trying to accomplish and why.   For example, if you want to have a financially successful business it is very important to focus your time on your most important revenue-generating activities. This could be teaching group tele-courses like my Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program or create or resell  products that people really need like an online shopping carts or e-books.

My online sales strategy has two essential parts. 1)  encouraging visitors that come to my website   2) converting subscribers into paying customers with an irresistible offer.

Do you have a strategy and system  for building your mailing list?   Do you  sell something people really need in this environment?  If not  it is time to look at your strategy and improve it.

2) Leverage  Your Time and Intellectual Property

To work less and make more  it is critical that you create, repackage and repurpose your content.   If you’ve written an article, consider re-purposing it as an audio, video, live  presentation or mini course  that you can deliver in the real world and online.

You can also leverage your time  by teaching courses to groups instead of just single individuals which of course will allow you to make more money per hour and also create a lively interactive environment.

What can you do today to leverage your time and existing content?

3) Develop Powerful Partnerships.

Find people who are energetic, focused and positive.   I have  had the  good fortune to partner with some of the top names in our industry  through Guerrilla Marketing,  Traffic School, Product Factory, and World-class Speaking Programs.
Each of my books and programs  had an excellent proactive partner and saved me a lot of time.

Working with great partners can inspire you,  get you thinking out of the box  and of course allow you to increase your  exposure by marketing to multiple mailing lists.  You may find someone who has a following in a niche  that would be perfect for your product or service.   You can offer them a commission or affiliate fee and you can both share the profits.

Ask yourself:   Who your industry would be a great partner  for you?  What do they bring to the table?  What do I bring to the table?  Be specific. What  is a win-win partnership?   If you don’t have a large list  to offer,  be a  guerrilla  and see what you can offer in terms of time energy and imagination.

4) Implement Consistently.

The key to success in any business is not only having a great strategy  for finding powerful partners  but  taking action on a consistent basis.  The challenge with being an entrepreneur  is that our time is largely unstructured, which means it is up to us to stay proactive.

To create systems of structure and support,  I like the concept of the “accountability partner” and have one myself.   This is someone you can check in with on a regular basis to see if you are staying in action with your goals.   With my guerrilla marketing students  we are starting to set up  buddy systems and  accountability days were people check in on the hour  on the completed tasks.    Who can you enlist as an accountability partner?

5) Automate and Delegate

This is probably my favorite of all  because allows me to get my website to work for me  when I’m not even paying attention!   Consider this: There are people all over the world constantly visiting websites.   If they come to your site wouldn’t you like them to join your mailing list?  If so  set up an opt in box with an irresistible offer and  increase your visitor to opt in conversion dramatically.  Here is an example.   My Easy Web Automation system  not only  makes this optin easy  but allows me to sell products on my website and have the money funneled right in my bank.   What can you automate on your website?

Now more than ever,  it is essential that you use your time wisely,  develop a sound strategy,  build powerful partnerships,  automate  and take action on all these ideas.   If you do, you will be in the 15% that not only has a growing business  year after year but you will get a lot more done in less time!

Interested in our next Guerrilla Marketing Coach Certification Program. Learn Low cost, high impact marketing strategies perfect for challenging times.

Get the full story here: www.GMarketingCoach.com

With all the competition and endless chatter on the Internet you may be wondering the best ways to get new business. The answer has many parts including developing your marketing and sales skills, but the one that may be the most important is this…

Connect with your prospects and customers on a personal level.

“The highest form of public relations is human relations. People buy from friends, so it’s crucial to make the human bond before you can make a lasting business bond”.  Jay Conrad Levinson, author of Guerrilla Marketing

Always Develop The Human Bond Before The Business Bond

Have you ever been left on hold just a little too long and vowed to never patronize that place of business?

Ever felt uncomfortable because someone was “selling” you their service before listening to what you really want?

Have you ever been greeted in an indifferent manner?

Well if you’re like most of us, it doesn’t take long before you start thinking about another place to do business.

It’s amazing how many businesses spend a fortune on advertising not realizing that a key to turning a prospect into a client may depend on something as simple as the way the receptionist answers the phone.

Keys To Remember:

• Good marketing is about building relationships.

• It’s always about listening to what the customer wants and needs.

• It’s the small things like smiles and greetings.

• The outrageously good service you give

• And the  close and personal follow-up with your clients and prospects.

Why Do Customers Choose One Business Over Another?

Consider the research done by the Forum research corporation. They have analyzed 14 major service companies in terms of customer satisfaction. Their results follow:

*15% of customers switched to another business because of
quality problems.

*15% left because of price

*70% departed because they didn’t like the human side of doing business with the prior provider of the product or service!

Building the human bond means treating clients and prospects with the utmost respect, offering the most valuable information and always giving them the very the best service. If you do they will become customers for life and your very best sales force.

Are you Ready To Become a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach?   Next program is starting soon.

www.GMarketingCoach.com

by Lou Bortone, Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach & Video Whiz

As a former television producer and video editor, I’ve got some deep-seated beliefs about video quality. After 20 years in TV, old habits die hard. To me, a “jump-cut,” or video where the scene or frame “jumps” or cuts without a smooth transition, is the cardinal sin of video. In traditional television, jump cuts or bad transitions are simply unacceptable. That’s why we use devices like cut-aways and B-roll (background footage)

But online video is totally different. Anything goes. Quality takes a distant back seat to content. Even those dreaded jump cuts seem to be tolerated. I can’t fight back the tide any longer. I give up! I guess I was wrong to insist on broadcast quality when it comes to online video. After all, sometimes I just use a $35 web cam. And my only “real” video camera is a cool, little $150 “Flip” cam. (OK, so my video partner has a professional $15,000 camera!) Still, I’m finally willing to drop the quality argument and join the online video masses.

The thing about web video is that it’s easy and accessible – so anyone can play! The medium is the message, as sixties scholar Marshall McLuhan once said about traditional television. And when it comes to online video, only the message matters.

It’s not easy for a former TV producer to say this, but don’t worry about the quality of your online video. Just fire up your web cam and join the party. Jump in. Upload to YouTube. Put your face on facebook. Online video is guerrilla marketing at its core: Fast. Easy. Inexpensive. And driven by imagination more than technology.

Want an even cooler, easier way to send and receive video postcards at the click of the mouse? Stay tuned and watch this space for a really big announcement about a new environment that leverages the best of Web 2.0 innovations like online video. It’s going to change the way we collaborate and communicate!

Lou Bortone is an author and entrepreneur with extensive experience in marketing, branding and promotion. Before starting his own company, Lou was an award-winning marketing executive in the media industry. Lou served as National Promotion Manager for E! Entertainment Television, and later as Senior VP of Marketing and Advertising for Fox Family Worldwide, a division of Fox, in Los Angeles. Today, Lou helps entrepreneurs and solo professionals navigate their online businesses with services such as copywriting, video production and creative services. Sign up for Lou’s free mini audio course about using Online Video at http://www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com.