Only 60 Calories
by Ron Rosenberg
One of the “occupational hazards” of embracing our style of marketing is that you become a keen observer of everything around you. I can’t tell you how many of our members tell me things like:
Yeah, whenever we walk through the airport, I point at the signs on the wall and say, “Hey – that headline is awful! There’s no benefit, and they don’t even have a call to action!” – My wife thinks I’m crazy when I do this…
But this is a really good habit to get into, since it exposes you to a vast collection of “swipe file” material, and is an incredibly effective exercise for sharpening your own creative abilities. Plus, in my case, it provides a never-ending source of stories for this newsletter and for our monthly Inner Circle 12-page newsletter.
And, of course, this week is no exception. Because I saw an ad for a new “Lite ‘n Fit” yogurt that claims to have only 60 calories, less than a normal container of yogurt. That part, of course, is true – it’s hard to make up cold, hard data like that.
Firing Clients: The right thing to do?
by Jane Atkinson
I’m lucky to be in a business where I get paid before I do the work. There’s no waiting 30 or 60 days to receive a check. It’s all arranged up front before coaching is provided.
But this summer I had a new client who really couldn’t afford me and delayed payment for weeks after our initial session. After a lot of rig-a- marole, when the payment did arrive, it was short.
This didn’t feel great to me.
A day later another new client package arrived by Fedex. This client had started the day before. He overnight his book, the signed agreement and full payment.
Now this felt perfect.
Some Helpful Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Business
by Suzanne Falter-Barns
Recently I have been thinking about where I’m going in my business. I mentioned this to a friend who helps people do such visioning work, and she basically replied, ‘Yeah, sometimes I look at what you’re doing and wonder where the heck you ARE going.’
Oh … you mean, I was supposed to have a plan?
Actually, the idea of running my business with a plan is starting to feel REALLY, REALLY good!
Tips for Designing Powerful and Persuasive Slide Presentations
by Adele Sommers
Just about everyone who has spent any amount of time in the corporate world has watched someone give a slide presentation that put the whole audience to sleep. Many of us were taught to follow a familiar model of designing presentations that, unfortunately, does not sustain attention or understanding.
You know the type I mean — the text-heavy, bullet point-crammed slides, often covered with dense charts and detailed diagrams that can’t possibly be read even at close range, much less from across the room. Throw in a heavy lunch, deliver it in mid-afternoon, and voila! You have a recipe for a coma!
