All Posts Tagged Tag: ‘Innovation’
Controversial rapper pitches ice tea
How do you get a celebrity rapper like Eminem to advertise your brand? Frankly, I have no idea. But somehow Lipton has figured a way. They persuaded the world’s most controversial rapper to star in their Lipton Brisk ad.
Brisk video commercial is receiving rave reviews on YouTube and nearly 400K people on Facebook like the ad. It’s interesting how they got those ‘likes’ … Here’s how. The page says…
“Tell us your Brisk story in 110 characters or less for a chance to win prizes or even have your story animated as a brisk puppet that looks like you.”
All you have to do is click the ‘like’ button to get started! Sounds like an irresistible offer, doesn’t it? Well, nearly four-hundred thousand people got hooked and clicked the like button.
But there’s is more to this commercial as it offers many interesting marketing lessons in connecting with your marketplace using clever story-telling…
Read More5 easy ways for boosting your creativity
Without new ideas you are unlikely to generate the breakthroughs that produce real business success.
Yet, in my experience, most business owners simply fail to take the time to exercise and develop their creativity and imagination… and, as a result, they work way too hard in their businesses.
Today, I want to share several simple yet highly effective creativity building techniques I use to be able to produce innovative and effective sales copy, sales letters, ads and powerful pieces of communications for clients – on time and on budget.
I guarantee you that these simple techniques will help you to become more original in your thinking, channel your creativity more effectively and be able to differentiate your business in ways that make you stand out from your competition and are meaningful to your customers…
Read MoreCareful… you may have missed your checkpoint!
One of the most common factors keeping people from really succeeding in business is setting UNmanageable goals.
How many times have you set a goal that was never achieved? Where would you be today had you achieved all your major and important goals in your business?
If the “smart” formula never quite produces the results you want…
…then the “NBA secret” you learn about in today’s post could give you just what you need to be able to achieve your wild and ambitious goals with less effort… and more certainty!
Read MoreWalking your fish…
I thought this was hilarious…
It’s amazing what you can do when you start thinking outside the box.
Like walking your fish … if you thought that wasn’t possible before then go ahead and check out this funny picture.
It should stretch your mind a little and hopefully give you a good laugh…
We need it from time to time 
Click below to see the picture -
Read MoreAttract more business without appearing desperate!
Being able to think outside the box can help you to attract more business with less effort…
Most business people do all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons when looking for new business. Some hope and pray for business to come. Others run and ad or two, send out a bunch of emails, or build a website, and expect to be flooded with cash-in hand customers.
Sometimes all it takes to attract more business and boost your sales is to give something of value to people who are most likely to buy from you. Here’s a real-life example…
A local HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) car dealership figured how to attract crowds of qualified buyers to their showroom. How did they do it?
They organised a Show and Shine event where car enthusiasts could enter their car to win an award. Result? Over 32 lightning-fast cars entered. Not only that but also the event attracted CROWDS of people, the dealership got a chance to showcase their brand new HSV E2 (really fast car by Holden) car for free, and the event received TONS of free media publicity = MORE EXPOSURE!
If you’re too desperate about finding new business you probably won’t see what other fun and creative ways are out there to help you achieve your objective. Sometimes you need to go left to turn right or start thinking outside-the-box a little more often.
At other times you need to start asking yourself BETTER questions. Here’s a handful of business-attracting questions you may find useful:
- What can you give away for free that has real value to other people?
- Who can give away my product or service as a premium?
- How can you repackage your product/service and appeal to a different market?
- What organisations, associations and clubs serve my target audience?
The idea is to first figure out who is 10 X most likely to buy from you then offer something of value to those people. By helping others you’ll be helping yourself. It’s the ultimate WIN-WIN. Have fun!
Use creativity for fun and profit!
If you think that you’re NOT creative enough, this short video could be just what you’re looking for. It should explode your ‘creativity muscles’ in just a tad over 6 minutes. You’ll also learn a thing or two on advertising/promoting your product/service in a new, unique and memorable way.
This mindset-shifting, fun-to-watch vid will stretch your mind and help you use creativity for fun and profits more effectively. Enjoy!
If you’ve enjoyed this YouTube vid, here’s another one that’s just as entertaining:
http://www.fastprofits.com.au/blog/?p=296
Cannibalise Your Clients For Higher Profits.
FOCUS. You need focus to win in business. If you have too many products and services, in too many combinations, being aimed at too many customers in too many markets, you’ll probably have a harder time succeeding at what you do.
That’s why, I think, you need to identify the type of clients you want to serve, and focus on. In particular, you want those clients that are most profitable for your business. If you don’t, I believe, you’ll work TWICE as hard for HALF the money you deserve to be making.
So, it makes sense to narrow your focus. How can you do that? Keep in mind that every company, big or small, serves one or (goodness forbid) all four of the following categories of clients:
Client Category #1: Performance-demanding clients. This group of people is very time conscious. They hate to wait. They hate bad mistakes and bad surprises. They are willing to pay a little more as long as you deliver and perform. You need to stay at the forefront of your industry and technology to satisfy this group.
Client Category #2: This group loves attention, personalised service, and advice. So, can you offer that to them? If your client base is too big, then you probably won’t be able to provide the care and attention this group expects from you. Price is not the driving force behind their choice of product or service. They don’t mind paying more as long as you look after them. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t price conscious. They are. But, service comes first, and cost second for this group.
Client Category #3: Cost-conscious clients. This group should forgive you if you are a tad late for your appointment, or are too busy to answer their phone call, as long as you keep your prices low or lower. For this group, the cost of a product is the primary consideration.
Client Category #4: I call this group “customers from hell” because they want and even demand top performance, super-personalised service, and the cheapest rates. Your business will go broke soon if you try to appeal to those loonies.
So, which group of clients should you sack first? If you think it’s pretty obvious, then think again. Sacking the last group immediately should be your first priority unless you’re just starting out and clients are scarce. Having said that…
If you want to dominate your market you must narrow your focus. Ask yourself: If I want to rise to the very top of my field, who should be my customer? Category 1…? 2…? or, 3? Because you won’t appeal to every group all at once successfully. Hmm… food for thought.
What keeps you awake at night?
What’s your biggest, baddest, meanest, scariest business problem you are struggling with right now? Albert Einstein, one of the world’s greatest thinkers, said that you can’t solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it. So, your own knowledge and experience is probably not enough to help you get to the next level – solve your problem. You probably need the help of other people. Here’s a simple solution…
If you’re already part of the LinkedIn community, you can simply post your question (problem) and get tens, hundreds and thousands of business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals to help you for free . If you aren’t a member yet… where have you been?? Seriously. Your LinkedIn network could provide you with a fresh perspective or a different way of looking at your problem. Oftentimes that’s all you need.
Also, don’t forget your own personal network of friends, colleagues and associates. And, what about your past clients? As you can see, it makes no sense struggling with your problem, when there are so many people who could help you.
Keep in mind that while some people can offer relevant knowledge or experience, others can give you a fresh perspective – both very valuable. When seeking help, your positioning is very important . But, don’t get into paralysis by analysis problem. All you have to do is say something like: “I’m currently working on X, and I’m curious, what would you do if you were in my position?” Easy.
More often than not, solving a problem is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle – you do it piece by piece. All you need is the next piece to move to the next level. Your network could provide you with the next big piece that could make your life a lot easier. Give it a go.
What’s holding you back…? Find out in less than 7…
If you’re too close to the trees, you won’t see the forest. I can bet you’ve heard that one before.
The thing is that we all want to grow, get to the next level, and achieve better results whether it’s in business or life. So, we buy the latest book, listen to a “mindset-shifting” audio program, and if we’re really, REALLY daring, we actually step out of the office and attend a seminar. It can be pretty scary when you walk into a room that’s full of strangers. But, that’s what we do in the name of “personal development”.
Then, as soon as we cram our head with cool new things and ideas, we get very excited… and, then what?!? Ah… that’s right. Life gets in the way. It just happens. It’s so sudden, and the moment we realise what happened, we’re in that big scary room attending another seminar again.
Seminars can be great, if they help you make progress. But, they can be pretty expensive and even frustrating if you don’t. So, why is it that sometimes we don’t make the progress we want to be making? Hopefully today’s post will help you answer that question…
Often times, we get stuck in our old behaviour, or ‘outdated’ patterns of thinking. Many times we can’t see what we’re doing wrong no matter how hard we try. And, in my experience, you will never get to the next level unless and until you see what’s holding you back. As you can see, it can be quite tricky…
Our brain is a fantastic device. But, it also has some limitations (I bet you didn’t know that!). One of them is that the brain is always seeking patterns learned from previous experiences or activities. That is not always bad, but it can be unless you learn how to use it to your advantage.
That’s why it’s good to keep a Daily Journal – so, you can look back at what you have and haven’t accomplished during the week. If you keep doing this on a regular basis, PATTERNS will begin to emerge. Now, you’re getting close…
You see, throughout a typical week there are different situations in your life. See, if you agree… There can be scary situations … exciting situations … joyful situations … problem situations … stressful situations … “I wish I was dead” situations… and, because your brain is a pattern-seeking device, you will continue to REACT the same way as you always have to any particular situation.With me so far? Good -
That’s why keeping a Daily Journal makes so much sense. It will help you to observe yourself and become aware of those situations you want to do something about. Or, that you really should do something about… The key is to SEE what you’re doing wrong or at least what you could be doing better – the next time around.
Your Daily Journal will help you to see the BIG PICTURE of your “behaviour” or life. In time you will see what limiting thinking, or negative assumptions you tend to make every time when (fill the blank) happens.
If you already do have a Daily Journal, give yourself a hand. Seriously! But, don’t stop there. Try to identify what PATTERNS are still limitng you. The moment you are aware of your limiting thoughts and behaviour, you are empowered to do something about it.
Don’t get into “paralysis by analysis” – simply try something different. If your previous approach hasn’t produced the result you wanted – try another one. Have fun!
P.S. – It’s a good idea to use different COLOURS for EACH role you have during a typical day. If you don’t already know this, everyone has different roles or responsibilities. Without getting into the details, you probably have a role as a business person/entrepreneur, father/mother, partner/husband/wife, friend, etc. For easy future reference, you could write everything to do with your role as a business person in green, your role as a father in blue, and so on. I think you get the drift.
Develop Your “FLOW” Zone…
Stress affects performance. If stress is too high or too low, performance is poor.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a University of Chicago philosopher, has identified a state of mind that he calls “flow” (1990). When you’re in the flow work is a delight. Your concentration levels are very high. You’re totally focused. Your abilities are stretched but not overwhelmed by the challenges. Your goals are clear. You feel a sense of control over your actions. This is where your both brains work in total harmony together. Time is altered: minutes seem like hours, and hours seem like minutes.
Mr. Csikszentmihalyi identified two factors that influence the flow state. One is your skill level. The other is the level of difficulty of the activity you’re engaged in. When the skill level and difficulty level are in balance you achieve the flow state. If your skill level is too high for the activity, you risk getting bored. On the other hand, if your skill level is too low, you’ll probably feel stressed.
For optimal productivity, you need to find your own optimal flow zone or channel – so, the challenges are just balanced with your capacity to act. Here’s a simple (updated) diagram that illustrates the relationship between the two zones or channels:
If you’re in the ‘frustration zone’ you’ll feel out of control, nervous and scattered. If you’re in the ‘boredom zone’ you’re more likely to feel overconfident, lethargic and sluggish.
- If you’re bored by an activity, it’s probably because your skill level exceeds the demands of the situation. You need to raise the level of difficulty. Try to challenge yourself by setting yourself a goal to complete a task or finish an activity faster than usual. Keep in mind that if you set your goal too high, you’ll feel like giving up, and if you set it too low you’ll get bored quickly.
- When an event makes you feel anxious, or it frustrates you, it’s probably because your skill level is too low for the situation. You have two choices: one) increase your skill level, and, two) reduce the level of difficulty. If you don’t do anything about it, you risk becoming over-stressed, and flip into the panic zone. Not a great place to be in!
If you’re constantly frustrated and stressed in your business, chances are that you need better skills, more knowledge or experience to help you be more in control, and start achieving better results. Or, perhaps you just need a break from the everyday grind of running the business.
You need to identify what stress is involved in your work. Then DO something about it. Remember to chunk things down – break large projects into smaller tasks. Also, don’t forget to delegate responsibility (like those important copywriting projects). That way you should achieve better results in your business with less stress and less effort.