4 Ways to Say No Without Saying No
One of the greatest contributors to ineffectiveness is over commitment. The biggest reason for over commitment is inability or unwillingness to say no. While a candid no is often the best stated no there are other no options. Here I’m going to share four of my favorites.
Clarify
The first is my absolute favorite. You can clarify yourself. To clarify yourself you simply need to state what actually may be obvious. One afternoon last winter it was blowing snow and my son and I were working hard to get some wood split for the night. In pulled a neighbor who briskly walked up o the wood pile where we were working. He asked if I was busy, and proceeded to ask for a favor without giving a moment to answer his first question. So, used the clarify response. “I wish I weren’t so busy today, but I have to get this would split and stacked and that’s going to take me until after dark. Can this wait until tomorrow morning?”
Reciprocate
Another fabulous alternative to no is to reciprocate. When someone asks a favor of you, consider replying something like this. “Actually, if you can help get the rest of this wood split and stacked we could be done in about an hour and that would leave us enough daylight to run by your place. Do you mind?” To reciprocate is to simply ask for something in return when you commit to meeting the request.
Disqualify
It might be that you actually lack knowledge or ability to meet the request. In such a case you simply state that you don’t know how. It might sound like this. “Wouldn’t know where to begin and it would take several days to gather the information just to get started. Do you have that kind of time?”
Refer
Making a referral is a very soft way to say no to a request. It may sound like this. “You know Ron has a great deal of small engine experience and I have found that he is very timely with his work. He could probably get that for you right away. Do you have his number?”
Bill is available for keynotes and seminars. He is a master in communication and loves teaching professionals how to communicate more effectively. You can follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/billthebuilder
His email is charles@charlesspeaks.com
You can learn more about him at www.charlesspeaks.com
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Personal Health Care Reform
This blog post is inspired by an article in the Columbus Dispatch, Wed. 4/22/09 "health Plans Ailing.
Here is some healthfood for thought. The American employee has developed an unrealistic and unreasonable sense of entitlement over many years of excess and prosperity. When economic times were good businesses were spending exponentially for employee incentives like healthcare, bonuses, paid vacation days etc. Now in tougher times employers are trimming the fat and unfortunately employees are in a n uproar.
Because health insurance was so readily available to so many, health costs we able to rise disproportionately while those benefitting remained silent because the money isn’t coming out of their pocket. Those with coverage become dependent on “health care professionals” for what should have been personal responsibility and common sense making perceived need for “health care” higher.
The stats shared with the article represent America’s lack of reason and reasonable expectations. I.e. 52% believe preexisting health conditions shouldn’t stop people from buying insurance, that is an entirely IGNORANT argument. Obviously, a preexisting condition exposes a person to additional risk. Insurance is a business, and as such must reduce risks and increase profits. Insuring high risk clients isn't healthy risk tacking and should not happen. there is no argument in opposition to this position that is even remotely inteligent. Then 67% say responsibility of affordable health care should be shared among individuals, employers, insurers, government and health providers. Again our sense of entitlement shines through.
There was a day when people appreciated the fact that there were highly motivated and intelligent people out there that had the initiative to provide employment opportunities for others. Employment was an appreciated privilege not a perceived “right.” Now these high functioning members of society are not only responsible for providing us with jobs but should also negotiate for our heath care. Where are these unreasonable, entitled individuals with a hand out coming from. Well, I suggest we've created them.
My health care costs are a fraction of what most people “need.” I take responsibility for eating well, exercising safely and regularly. There are some diseases I will never be at risk for because I don’t expose myself to risk. I make educated choices and take responsibility. I should never be asked or expected to take responsibility for other’s irresponsibility employee or not. I work hard an pay taxes, I fight hard against poverty and hunger giving to others. I have no expectation that a government or anyone else will ever be responsible for caring for me.
Here are some novel facts:
My health care must first be my personal responsibility. (smoke, engage in dangerous behaviors YOU pay not tax payers)
I must accept responsibility for building a financial foundation that will support the health care I desire. (if I want to take risks that increase my health care needs I need to do the overtime to pay for the care)
I must take responsibility for negotiating, voting, and communicating what I want from those who affect my health care. (i.e. providers, insurers, politicians)
It is my hope that great communicators like you with access to an audience will find the courage to communicate sound arguments in the fight against ignorance and entitlement that serve as the demise for a civilizations.
OK, I'll stop for now. Thanks for listening but please share.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Understanding Web 2.0 and Making It Work For You
Web 2.0 as a whole would prove an overwhelming subject to master in a short time
or at all. With so many options your first step needs to be clarifying your intent. The
following questions are a good place to start:
• What product or service do you offer that is web compatible?
• How would you provide your product or service via the web?
• Could you provide service or product support via the web?
• Would your customers or end users appreciate sharing ideas or tips about your
product or service with one another?
• What kind of feedback from customers would help you with R&D?
• What kind of customer feedback would help increase future sales?
• What kind of customer feedback would help improve service?
• What other customer needs can you or partners meet?
• What are the common interests of your customers?
Identifying information you need, your customers need and information you have is
only the first step toward identifying what model of web 2.0 solution is best for your
combined needs. Once you understand needs and available information sources you
need to determine what sources to tap into and the best way to do that. The final step is
to determine what method of delivery is the best way to share information.
only the first step toward identifying what model of web 2.0 solution is best for your
combined needs. Once you understand needs and available information sources you
need to determine what sources to tap into and the best way to do that. The final step is
to determine what method of delivery is the best way to share information.
This is an excerpt from Web 2.0 for Newbies http://bit.ly/Bcj2d Please review it and give me feedback.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
I keep hearing whining about “doing more with less,” and “unfair burden.”
What is "unfair burden?"
The biggest problem today's employer must overcome is our national bent toward entitlement. The reason great brands, and corporations are struggling today is that they have been doing too little with too much.
Less than 1/3 of MS Office users have ever had any training. Better than 90 percent of Office users only use 1/3 of it’s resources. Twenty percent or less of employees give 100 percent effort on the job. However, companies have continued to foot the bill because the profit margins were huge. Suddenly, organizations are being forced into a reality check.
We’re discovering that most employers have been overstaffed, over resourced and over paying for a long time.
That being said, “more with less” might be a PC way of saying, get off your lazy butt, annoying iPod, time wasting (non-work related) email, and get to work. Keep in mind, there was a time when: taking care of care of personal business on the clock, smoke breaks on the clock, socializing on the clock, were are considered stealing. Reality is, most workers could get far more done if they were: honest, hard working, fair, committed, trained and trustworthy. Those are facts.
What is "unfair burden?"
The biggest problem today's employer must overcome is our national bent toward entitlement. The reason great brands, and corporations are struggling today is that they have been doing too little with too much.
Less than 1/3 of MS Office users have ever had any training. Better than 90 percent of Office users only use 1/3 of it’s resources. Twenty percent or less of employees give 100 percent effort on the job. However, companies have continued to foot the bill because the profit margins were huge. Suddenly, organizations are being forced into a reality check.
We’re discovering that most employers have been overstaffed, over resourced and over paying for a long time.
That being said, “more with less” might be a PC way of saying, get off your lazy butt, annoying iPod, time wasting (non-work related) email, and get to work. Keep in mind, there was a time when: taking care of care of personal business on the clock, smoke breaks on the clock, socializing on the clock, were are considered stealing. Reality is, most workers could get far more done if they were: honest, hard working, fair, committed, trained and trustworthy. Those are facts.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Take Action on Your Ideas
CGBrummundI totally thought about doing this back in college at the U. Glad someone else with initiative had the same thought. http://is.gd/qxk5
This Twitterer got me thinking:
CG isn’t all that different than the rest of us. He had a great idea and didn’t take action on it. I have been guilty of the same. Of course it’s even worse when someone else ends up making a fortune on an idea you could have capitalized on.
There are a few reasons we fail to take action on a great idea. I’d like to explore three of them and offer some thoughts on doing more with what we have.
I think the first and most common reason for inaction is fear of failure. What if no one else is interested in my idea? What if I can’t______? What if I don’t______? There are a million reasons why a great idea may not work. And the reality is I might very well fail. But, you know what, who cares? So what if I fail. At least, I’ll have an experience from which I will have learned. If later, someone else succeeds, I’ll know I tried. My word of advice is: step out there and try some ridiculous things and see what happens; see what you can learn.
The second contributor to in action may be uncertainty. I may delay or take no action at all if I feel I have little or know knowledge to start with. I may be plagued with questions like, how, who, why, what if, when and many more. Lack of information id the number one reason for all indecision. To over com the uncertainty you should start with the three following questions:
How knowledgeable am I on this topic?
How can I increase my knowledge?
Who do I know with knowledge on the topic?
The third reason for inaction is business. By that I mean being busy with other things, like a full time job for example. How do I find the time for one more thing. Again three questions may help you move beyond your sense of “busyness:”
How will I feel if I never act on this idea?
How passionate am I about this idea?
How can I adjust my schedule and make time for the idea?
In closing here are some final suggestions that may help you capitalize on your creative genius.
Make a plan to take some risks. Start by journaling your ideas. Just write them down and reflect on each for few days. I stated writing my books this way. I had aspired to publish my ideas for years with no action. Then I started writing every book idea down, my idea list evolved into a few outlines. I eventually started researching the publishing industry and finally found my books in print.
A good second step toward healthy risk taking is to commit to taking a calculated risk every month. Determine the amount of money you can budget, time you can spend a resources you can contribute to the idea. Then just do it.
Of course knowledge is the fuel for the action engine. You are far more likely to contribute the resources and time to the idea if you feel informed. Start by learning how to use web resources to research. Google is a powerful place to start. You can improve your Google search results with just a few tips. Watch the video 5 Google Tips at http://www.charlesspeaks.com/ by simply clicking the multimedia button on the right side of the page. Another powerful way to overcome the lack of information is to hire a coach who can help you get your ideas off the ground. You can purchase coaching solutions for as little as $90 at http://www.charlesspeaks.com/LifeCoach.htm and I will step you through the process of planning and first steps toward success. You are far more likely to succedd with support.
Finally, start journaling your ideas today. You can begin by simply starting a new Word document called “my great ideas.” Every day revisit ideas and ad new ideas, write, write, write. Commit to sharing at least one idea every week with someone who can be objective and provide you with feedback. I wonder how many notes lead to Mr. Ford’s assembly line, or Benjamin Franklin’s bifocals, or Thomas Alva Edison’s light bulb.
Follow Bill at www.twitter.com/billthebuilder
CG isn’t all that different than the rest of us. He had a great idea and didn’t take action on it. I have been guilty of the same. Of course it’s even worse when someone else ends up making a fortune on an idea you could have capitalized on.
There are a few reasons we fail to take action on a great idea. I’d like to explore three of them and offer some thoughts on doing more with what we have.
I think the first and most common reason for inaction is fear of failure. What if no one else is interested in my idea? What if I can’t______? What if I don’t______? There are a million reasons why a great idea may not work. And the reality is I might very well fail. But, you know what, who cares? So what if I fail. At least, I’ll have an experience from which I will have learned. If later, someone else succeeds, I’ll know I tried. My word of advice is: step out there and try some ridiculous things and see what happens; see what you can learn.
The second contributor to in action may be uncertainty. I may delay or take no action at all if I feel I have little or know knowledge to start with. I may be plagued with questions like, how, who, why, what if, when and many more. Lack of information id the number one reason for all indecision. To over com the uncertainty you should start with the three following questions:
How knowledgeable am I on this topic?
How can I increase my knowledge?
Who do I know with knowledge on the topic?
The third reason for inaction is business. By that I mean being busy with other things, like a full time job for example. How do I find the time for one more thing. Again three questions may help you move beyond your sense of “busyness:”
How will I feel if I never act on this idea?
How passionate am I about this idea?
How can I adjust my schedule and make time for the idea?
In closing here are some final suggestions that may help you capitalize on your creative genius.
Make a plan to take some risks. Start by journaling your ideas. Just write them down and reflect on each for few days. I stated writing my books this way. I had aspired to publish my ideas for years with no action. Then I started writing every book idea down, my idea list evolved into a few outlines. I eventually started researching the publishing industry and finally found my books in print.
A good second step toward healthy risk taking is to commit to taking a calculated risk every month. Determine the amount of money you can budget, time you can spend a resources you can contribute to the idea. Then just do it.
Of course knowledge is the fuel for the action engine. You are far more likely to contribute the resources and time to the idea if you feel informed. Start by learning how to use web resources to research. Google is a powerful place to start. You can improve your Google search results with just a few tips. Watch the video 5 Google Tips at http://www.charlesspeaks.com/ by simply clicking the multimedia button on the right side of the page. Another powerful way to overcome the lack of information is to hire a coach who can help you get your ideas off the ground. You can purchase coaching solutions for as little as $90 at http://www.charlesspeaks.com/LifeCoach.htm and I will step you through the process of planning and first steps toward success. You are far more likely to succedd with support.
Finally, start journaling your ideas today. You can begin by simply starting a new Word document called “my great ideas.” Every day revisit ideas and ad new ideas, write, write, write. Commit to sharing at least one idea every week with someone who can be objective and provide you with feedback. I wonder how many notes lead to Mr. Ford’s assembly line, or Benjamin Franklin’s bifocals, or Thomas Alva Edison’s light bulb.
Follow Bill at www.twitter.com/billthebuilder
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Qualities of People we Like
Qualities of people We Like
People we like are consistent. No one really likes the moody, temperamental, unpredictable, or plastic person. By plastic I mean mask wearing fake in public and another way in private or with close friends.
We like people with a pleasant face. When people make eye contact with us we perceive them as confident and comfortable. If they smile the comfort seems even deeper.
People who seem interested in us are just likeable. We get this sense of “you’re interested in me” when people remember our name, ask personable questions and remain interested when we talk about ourselves.
We like people who are confident and powerful. Even if we don’t agree we appreciate it when someone has the fortitude to express herself. It is easy to respect someone who does what they enjoy.
When networking be likable by practicing the following:
People we like are consistent. No one really likes the moody, temperamental, unpredictable, or plastic person. By plastic I mean mask wearing fake in public and another way in private or with close friends.
We like people with a pleasant face. When people make eye contact with us we perceive them as confident and comfortable. If they smile the comfort seems even deeper.
People who seem interested in us are just likeable. We get this sense of “you’re interested in me” when people remember our name, ask personable questions and remain interested when we talk about ourselves.
We like people who are confident and powerful. Even if we don’t agree we appreciate it when someone has the fortitude to express herself. It is easy to respect someone who does what they enjoy.
When networking be likable by practicing the following:
Make eye contact
Smile often
Remember names (ask: “How do you pronounce that?” “What does your name mean?” “Where does your name come from?” “How would I spell that?”)
Be consistent. Avoid wearing your emotions.
Ask open ended questions about others and their interests
Keep your posture confident
Express your opinions and get comfortable with being candidly honest
Charles (Bill) Carpenter "the Builder" is a nationally recognized speaker and author. He is a Project Management Professional, bahavioral expert, and respected authority in professional communication with more than 8 years experience in adult education at the University level. He is passionate about "building" people. You can learn more about him at www.charlesspeaks.com
You can follow him at www.twitter.com/billthebuilder
Feel free to twitter any part of this blog as long as you include this tiny url http://tinyurl.com/3extradays
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Three Good Reasons to Twitter
ONE:
Twitter is a great social networking tool that allows you to keep your face, literally in front of your customers and contacts. The more you are seen by them the more comfortable they become with you. On the internet visibility equals credibility. Everyone knows just how vast the web is, and if you come up at the top of search and research results you must be important. Twitter increases the frequency of your name appearance on the web by slashing you across hundreds or thousands of search engine crawled pages.
TWO:
More than ever people want relevant content and access to those who can quickly answer questions. I just had a conversation this morning with a woman frustrated by the unwanted content coming to her via those she followed. The good news is that if you follow someone who is cluttering your screen with unwanted information or “twitfomercials” you can stop following. If you as a professional provide valuable tips, shortcuts, inspiration or even Q&A support you will be followed. If you have provided a wealth of information your followers won’t mind and occasional twitfomercial.
THREE:
Twitter gives you the ability to seek out a much targeted niche group you would like to follow or have follow you. By narrowing your following you can build a solid list of contacts that you can market in little time and at no cost. Again the most important key to success on Twitter is relevance. You must be able to meet the needs of your followers and or be able to inspire your readers.
In closing let me suggest that everyone on Twitter is marketing something. I suggest this for all those who don’t appreciate or respect the professional use of this great web 2.0 resource. If you aren’t selling a product or service your are likely a desperate soul seeking friendship and affirmation in cyberspace because you don’t have a life.
Tuesday April 7th. 2009 I am offering a webinar, “Flying High with Twitter.” We will discuss important how tos and tools you can use to make serious use of Twitter. I will show you how to build a narrowly focused following. I will show you the most important law for building a following. I will show you how to reduce time managing Twitter. I will show you how to get results with twitter in no more than 10 minutes a day. And much more. Plus participants will receive over $100 in free tools and resources.
Learn more at www.charlesspeaks.com/Flyinghigh.mht
Monday, March 30, 2009
Speed Read or NOT
The question: Should I learn Speed Reading?
The short answer is absolutely, actually yes is shorter, but I want you to understand that speed reading can be a great investment. Nearly anyone can benefit from improving reading speed.
However, not everything we read should be speed read. There are at least three times when I avoid speed reading techniques:
- Fictional / Recreational reading
- Editorial reading
- Stretch reading (When I am intentionally reading to expand my vocabulary or knowledge base from a diverse social or cultural perspective, it's just something I do.)
I highly recomend the Speed Reading Monster Course. It is very concise and easy to implement. You could easily finish the book and be on your way to much faster reading in a single day. You can find it at http://www.charlesspeaks.com/
Effective and efficient readers learn to use many styles of reading for different purposes, which include skimming, scanning, and critical reading. Before reading, you need to identify the purpose why you’ll be doing such activity: Are you looking for background information on a topic you know a little bit about already? Are you looking for specific details and facts that you can marshal in support of an argument? Are you trying to see how an author approaches his topic rhetorically?
It is crucial to know your purpose in reading as it helps focus your attention on important aspects of the text. Before turning those pages, take a moment first to reflect and clarify what your goal really is.
More tips fro faster reading over the next few days.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Anything Goes Omelette Recipe
This omelette dish is a great way to use up leftovers. Our Saturdays are pretty casual and this is a great start to the day before everyone heads off to parties, games and whatever. Pass it along. There will be more recipes in the near future.
Anything Goes Omelette
4 Eggs
1 Onion
1 Medium Zucchini
1 Tomato
½ Cup Cheese
1 Head of Broccoli
Salt, Pepper & other seasoning to taste
Preheat a large skillet with olive oil, pat of butter (optional) and seasonings. Add onions and let simmer until aromatic. Add zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes and any other left over veggies you have on hand. Black olives and chopped chili peppers are great. Cover and simmer until the veggies are just tender. Start stirring in scrambled egg. Cover let simmer stirring occasionally until egg is well cooked. Add a little cheese and allow to stand 5 minutes. Ready to serve.
Follow Bill on twitter to catch the next recipe www.twitter.com/billthebuilder
Anything Goes Omelette
4 Eggs
1 Onion
1 Medium Zucchini
1 Tomato
½ Cup Cheese
1 Head of Broccoli
Salt, Pepper & other seasoning to taste
Preheat a large skillet with olive oil, pat of butter (optional) and seasonings. Add onions and let simmer until aromatic. Add zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes and any other left over veggies you have on hand. Black olives and chopped chili peppers are great. Cover and simmer until the veggies are just tender. Start stirring in scrambled egg. Cover let simmer stirring occasionally until egg is well cooked. Add a little cheese and allow to stand 5 minutes. Ready to serve.
Follow Bill on twitter to catch the next recipe www.twitter.com/billthebuilder
Friday, March 6, 2009
It’s Friday morning and the kids have volleyball today. We are a homeschool family and volleyball day is one of the days when our children join others from the homeschool community and an area private school for PE. So today we’re going to go with French toast. This is an easy and fast breakfast that is great for those mornings when you need burst of energy. Here’s the recipe.
Hannah's French Toast
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of nutmeg
¼ cup of sugarwheat or white bread
Beat the eggs, vanilla, sugar and spices together until smooth. The egg and milk should blend well. After sitting for a few seconds the spices will rise to the surface. Now dip a bread slice into the batter flip and dip again and place into a preheated skillet or griddle. Let brown lightly and flip. Serve hot with a pat of butter and syrup. Mmm Mmm good.
Follow Bill on www.twitter.com/billthebuilder or www.3extradays.blogspot.com
Check out www.charlesspeaks.com there will be more fun time saving cooking tips.
Please rate and comment on this video. See you next time
Hannah's French Toast
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of nutmeg
¼ cup of sugarwheat or white bread
Beat the eggs, vanilla, sugar and spices together until smooth. The egg and milk should blend well. After sitting for a few seconds the spices will rise to the surface. Now dip a bread slice into the batter flip and dip again and place into a preheated skillet or griddle. Let brown lightly and flip. Serve hot with a pat of butter and syrup. Mmm Mmm good.
Follow Bill on www.twitter.com/billthebuilder or www.3extradays.blogspot.com
Check out www.charlesspeaks.com there will be more fun time saving cooking tips.
Please rate and comment on this video. See you next time
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Breakfast With The Carpenters
I love people. I love helping people find solutions. I love cooking. So here you have it, everything I love in one blog. I am going to share some of our favorite breakfast recipes.
What better way to make your day great than a great breakfast to start with. So I am going to invite you to join me for breakfast every day for a few days. This first recipe is a real winner.
Country Eggs & Potatoes
4 Eggs
3 Medium Potatoes (you can substitute canned potatoes for speed)
1 onion
Tony Chachare’s to taste (Cajun seasoning kroger has it WOW)
Cheese (optional)
Start the potatoes first let them cook up in a large frying pan with just a hint of butter and oil. (I prefer olive) Add the onions just as the potatoes start becoming tender. Add a few shakes of Tony Chachare’s. Scramble your eggs while the potatoes are browning. When the potatoes start to brown, start adding the scrambled eggs while, mixing with the potatoes. Cook until the eggs are done and sprinkle with a little cheese or salsa to garnish and add interest.
Fast, Easy, hit, breakfast with my five kids. Zesty and flavorful. Also refrigerates well and tastes just as good the next day.
Let me know what you think or comment your variations.
What better way to make your day great than a great breakfast to start with. So I am going to invite you to join me for breakfast every day for a few days. This first recipe is a real winner.
Country Eggs & Potatoes
4 Eggs
3 Medium Potatoes (you can substitute canned potatoes for speed)
1 onion
Tony Chachare’s to taste (Cajun seasoning kroger has it WOW)
Cheese (optional)
Start the potatoes first let them cook up in a large frying pan with just a hint of butter and oil. (I prefer olive) Add the onions just as the potatoes start becoming tender. Add a few shakes of Tony Chachare’s. Scramble your eggs while the potatoes are browning. When the potatoes start to brown, start adding the scrambled eggs while, mixing with the potatoes. Cook until the eggs are done and sprinkle with a little cheese or salsa to garnish and add interest.
Fast, Easy, hit, breakfast with my five kids. Zesty and flavorful. Also refrigerates well and tastes just as good the next day.
Let me know what you think or comment your variations.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Speaker tip 3: Create Hi quality Info products
Start Creating Info Products Easily
Step1: Download Audacity and start using it
If you aren’t familiar with audacity, it is a FREE audio recording and editing software that is fabulous and easy to use. It can export your audio to WAV, MP3 and more. My 5 year old can use it, really. I have used others such as Sony Sound Forge and the high cost software offered no additional benefits to me as a speaker. Those apps are most advantageous to the music industry. You can download it at audacity.com
Now that you have the software to record, start recording everything. Record at all your events. Experiment with the software and get the content into your customer’s hands.
Step2: Download Camstudio and start using it
Like Audacity Camstudio is a truly free screen capture software that allows you to create avi video files of any activity on your screen with voice overs.
Step3: Buy a quality USB mic
A quality mic will improve your audio by 100% really. Just the mic will make a huge difference. I recommend the BLUE snowball mic, this is the best for the money studio mic that will stand up to travel so you can take it with you on the road.
Step3.5 Ask for help
The steps above will get you on your way to creating quality easily sellable multimedia products. You can spend months learning from trial and error or you can maximize you earning potential by hiring a coach. Visit http://www.charlesspeaks.com/LifeCoach.htm Move down the page to the HOPE coaching package, you will notice a limited time offer of $600 I can only accommodate 4 motivated clients before summer so act now. All you need to do is purchase the Hope package, then plan your retreat to Ohio where we will go into my studio office and produce your first info product. When you leave here you will have a product in hand that you can sell again and again.
For more tips follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/billthebuuilder
Step1: Download Audacity and start using it
If you aren’t familiar with audacity, it is a FREE audio recording and editing software that is fabulous and easy to use. It can export your audio to WAV, MP3 and more. My 5 year old can use it, really. I have used others such as Sony Sound Forge and the high cost software offered no additional benefits to me as a speaker. Those apps are most advantageous to the music industry. You can download it at audacity.com
Now that you have the software to record, start recording everything. Record at all your events. Experiment with the software and get the content into your customer’s hands.
Step2: Download Camstudio and start using it
Like Audacity Camstudio is a truly free screen capture software that allows you to create avi video files of any activity on your screen with voice overs.
Step3: Buy a quality USB mic
A quality mic will improve your audio by 100% really. Just the mic will make a huge difference. I recommend the BLUE snowball mic, this is the best for the money studio mic that will stand up to travel so you can take it with you on the road.
Step3.5 Ask for help
The steps above will get you on your way to creating quality easily sellable multimedia products. You can spend months learning from trial and error or you can maximize you earning potential by hiring a coach. Visit http://www.charlesspeaks.com/LifeCoach.htm Move down the page to the HOPE coaching package, you will notice a limited time offer of $600 I can only accommodate 4 motivated clients before summer so act now. All you need to do is purchase the Hope package, then plan your retreat to Ohio where we will go into my studio office and produce your first info product. When you leave here you will have a product in hand that you can sell again and again.
For more tips follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/billthebuuilder
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Speaker tip 2: Branding for the Economy
Branding is an interesting topic in that every expert has a different take on what does or doesn’t work. However there are three things we know to be true about branding.
A good brand is memorable
A good brand is relevant
A good brand is consistent
As a speaker memorable is critical; and there are three easy ways you can make yourself memorable.
Be provocative; be bold with your message.
Be attractive; be bold with your appearance. Of course you should always match your appearance to the audience expectations. Showing up to a meeting of attorneys in a clown costume would be very risky.
Always leave something behind. Resources you can give to the audience keeps you in front of them long after the event is over. I have a template for a great business card alternative. Send an email to charles@charlesspeaks.com with card template in the subject to request it.
Without question, in this economy relevance is the most important brand element you can develop. You marketing materials, presentations and products must be content rich. When the budget is tight decision makers are less inclined to spend on entertainment. They expect at the very least EDUtainment with capital EDU.
One last point to remember is that consistency and congruency are synonymous. Talk quality, dress quality, deliver quality.
I am available to help you with your branding challenges. For a coaching package simply email or call.
937-935-6789
1 of three tips for public speakers
Tip 1: Brand yourself as an expert by writing.
Writing is a powerful second expression for the speaker. When you speak you can sell everything you write. Sign it and they will love you for it.
Writing raises your expert status fast and considerably. While a perfect bound book is a MUST for every speaker, you can easily become published in periodicals and on websites.
Every time your article with your name attached gets published at another website your website rankings at Google improve.
www.ideamarketers.com is a great place to start posting your writing. There editors can find and publish your work as well as webmasters. My articles are all over the web. It's fast and it's easy. When someone searches for me online and finds my content at other websites they feel I must be valuable
To read about the other tips follow me at www.twitter.com/billthebuilder and if you don't twitter you should be.
If you would like help with your writing I can coach you. I can help you with press releases as well.
Maybe you have a book in you. I can have your book in hand, available at Amazon and Barnes & Nobles with an ISBN within 90 days. The best news is, when we’re done you can do it over and over all by yourself. I’ll share all my secrets. Your publishing package is only $795.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Would You Like to have 3 More Leisure Days a Year?
What is you could find just 3 extra 8 hour days per year?
What would that be worth?
What would you do with those days?
What if I told you that by simply saving 5 minutes a day you could have 3 days a year to do with as you please? It’s true. If you could just find ways to save only five minutes a day.
If you could reduce the time you spend in email by 5 minutes a day that would total 3 extra days a year.
If you could reduce the time spent on clutter by just 5 minutes a day that equals three days a year.
What if you could save 10 minutes a day? Now we’re talking about nearly a week of free time.
You see, we think of our productivity and we feel we have to move heaven and earth to make a significant change in our lives.
That simply isn’t true. Just a few minutes a day means making it home in time for dinner with the family, or making that soccer game. A few minutes could be used to stop by the store for that gift that tells your spouse you still care.
I show my clients every day how to reduce wasted effort and how to increase effectiveness with the tools they already have.
I want to hear from you. There are three things I want to hear about.
1. What is one personal discipline that can help me save time?
2. What is one power tool that will help me save time? (i.e.. software or software tip)
3. What is one resource that can help me save time?
Of course, I'll be sharing my ideas as well. Let's grow together. Oh, and make sure you're follwong me on twitter. I'll share ideas there first and in detail here.
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