The Greatest Networker in the World

Why Content Marketing is So Hot Right Now & How You Can Capitalize

2011-11-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you said, "Man, I can't wait to see some advertisements today!"

When was the last time you said, "That's a great article - I'm going to post that on twitter / facebook / LinkedIn."

This is the power of content marketing. If you offer someone information that is truly valuable to them, they will often want to share it with others. The internet - and particularly social media - make this so easy that it's almost the natural thing to immediately share information with your network because hey, if it helped you, then it could help them too.

According to Entrepreneur.com, content marketing has now surpassed search engine marketing (SEM), PR, and traditional advertising as the medium of choice for B2B marketing professionals.

What is Content Marketing?

Put simply, Content Marketing is the sharing of relevant information (articles, resources, links, and the like) to your target audience, usually via social media. This information could have been produced by either yourself, your company, or a third party. As a marketer, the interaction that follows can be incredibly insightful. If done correctly, you will often see a flow-on effect which includes Likes, comments, @mentions, re-tweets, and even old-school sharing via e-mail.

The benefits for a brand can be significant. They include:

Increased interaction with followers, fans, and prospects
Positions your business as a valuable information resource for your industry
Enhances your reputation and credibility (especially if you've produced the content)
Positions you as a Thought Leader with well-considered views and insights
Better results for SEO - rank higher on Google (or Ask Jeeves, whatever you prefer)
Receive feedback and generate discussion with customers

If you're wondering how this leads to sales, the link from content to action could go as follows:

> You post a brilliant article to your blog/website and share it on Facebook

> Consumer's interest is piqued by your headline

> Clicks link to your article and reads content on your website

> Is impressed by what they read, then explores your site to check out your offering

> Has a need / want for your product or service and makes an enquiry

In an ideal world, isn't that a better way to engage with a potential customer than pushing an ad at them which interrupts or even annoys them and competes for their attention?

Become a 'Curator of Content'

If you're an entrepreneur of marketing professional looking to build your company's online audience, and ultimately generate sales from your digital marketing efforts, I would suggest to include content marketing as a key part of your social media marketing plan.

There are essentially two types of content:

1. Content produced by you or your business.
2. Content produced by others.

The beauty of content marketing is that you can utilize both types of content to great effect, and therefore you don't have to spend endless time or effort with producing content. Instead, your goal should be a 'Curator of Content', or someone who deftly balances the production and sharing of your own content with the sharing of content as created by other people. By carefully producing and seeking out quality content, you will have a constant stream of useful information ready to share with your audience.

Best Platforms for Content Marketing

Twitter: A platform tailor-made for content marketing. One of twitter's greatest strengths is the ability to find and share amazing content with like-minded people in your industry.

Facebook: Facebook's Pages application allows you to create a page specifically to attract your fans, customers, and potential customers, and if used correctly, to share information that is useful or entertaining to them.

LinkedIn: A common strategy would be to share links and articles in your status updates. You can also post your articles to Groups on LinkedIn which are related to your market, or even create a Group and invite others to join so that you can share information with them regularly.

Your Blog: A blog can be thought of as a home for the content which you personally produce. I would recommend blogging on at least a fortnightly basis if possible. Blogging is an ideal way to enhance your reputation as an expert in your field. It is also a way to increase your website's search engine ranking, as Google's algorithm loves fresh content on websites.

Frequency

A question that's often asked is, "How much time is this going to take?" Or, "How often should I post something?" Ideally you will be able to maintain a high quality of content, as well as an adequate quantity. How often you post to each platform depends on your goals and what would be appropriate in your industry, however here are some very generic guidelines to start with:

Twitter: Post 2-5 times per day.

Facebook: Post 1-2 times per day, plus interact with any comments from users.

LinkedIn: Post 1-3 times per week. Be sure to post any content which you've personally created - such as a blog post - to any relevant Groups, as people are typically quite receptive to having people contribute valuable insights to their group.

Blogging: I would recommend blogging at least fortnightly. Origianal content as produced by you or your company will carry more weight and enhance your reputation more so than content produced by others and re-posted / linked to by you. With this in mind, the more content you can produce (whilst maintaining quality), the better.

Bonus!

Here are some examples of headlines to get you thinking about what you can write about / how to structure an attention-grabbing headline:

- 7 Non-Traditional Ways to Get Free PR for Your Business
- What the World's Most Successful Online Marketers Don't Want to Tell You
- How to Make Exercise More Fun than Sex*

Until next time, express yourself, start creating and sharing content and most of all, enjoy the sensation.

*Thanks, Jonathan Fields.

When Caffeine Isn't Enough - Taking it to the Next Level

2011-10-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

For most of us, a daily coffee (or three) is a ritual that cannot be ignored.

The growth in the Australian coffee market (and subsequent coffee/cafe culture that has evolved from this) is astounding. More than a billion cups of coffee are consumed in cafes, restaurants and other outlets each year, an increase of 65 per cent over the past 10 years.

As a result, an extremely sophisticated consumer profile has developed. Coffee drinkers are demanding and - at times - unforgiving. Baristas and cafe owners need to deliver an exceptional experience to their customers every time and there are several lessons to be learnt from the coffee business which can be applied to any industry:

1. You need to treat every one of your customers as though they were about to write a review of your business in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Remember when you said you'd never go back to that cafe after they f*cked up your double soy latte? That's what your customers are saying about you when:

You didn't wow them on the first phone call
You didn't bring your A-game to the first meeting; or
That one e-mail went un-answered for more than 2 days

Studies have shown that on average, 5 people hear about someone's good experiences with companies and products, but 10 will hear about a bad experience. Be sure to put yourself on the winning side of the equation by treating every customer with the same enthusiasm as you would if your favourite sports star / movie star came in to buy your product or service.

2. Creating a personalized experience for each customer

This takes effort. It's not easy to remember every regular customer's name, or which type of coffee they drink, but if you do, you may just have a customer for life.

A good cafe will be like a second home, where the staff know your name and make you feel like your business is appreciated. The same applies to all businesses - the more personal you can make your relationship with the customer, the stronger the likelihood of them coming back. We have seen a brilliant example of personalization (technically 'mass customization') recently from Coca-Cola's 'Share a Coke With...' campaign. Take a leaf out of Coke's book and think about how you can create a more personalized experience for your customers.

3. Find out why people aren't buying from you and adjust your strategy

Di Bella Coffee was Australia's fastest-growing company in the period 2006 - 2009. The company's founder, Phillip Di Bella, attributes this success in large part to finding out why people weren't buying his brand of coffee in the early days. After discovering that consumers were buying sub-par coffee brands from supermarkets due to convenience, he started offering same-day delivery on his premium coffee brand and customers responded in droves. Due to simple strategies such as this, the company is now valued at over $40M.

So what can I do about all of this?

Cafe owners have to watch a guy (who was their customer yesterday) walk by today with a take away cup from the vendor down the street who gave him the experience he was looking for. But he's stuck behind the counter, trying to make up for lost ground.

In your business, you probably have the chance to re-engage that prospective client; to bring them some new information; your latest offer; a reason to give you another chance. I would suggest the following steps:

i) Make customer service a genuine priority and train your staff to do the same - Your aim should be for people to be blown away by their experience with you.

ii) Brainstorm 20 different ways you could better personalize your customer service experience. Once you've done that, choose your Top 5 and implement them immediately.

iii) Research your market and find out the Top 3 reasons why your target market aren't buying from you. Develop a plan to win these people over to you.

I think it's time for a coffee. Hold on, it might be too late for that.

**Thanks to @skinnyylatte for the image. You should check out her blog, Skinny Latte Strikes Back.

The Art & Science of Social Media (for bloggers, marketers and vagabonds)

2011-10-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

Someone once hacked into my facebook and posted the following status: "We're having a baby!!" Within 45 minutes I had 14 likes, 9 comments, 2 voicemails and 3 text messages. Needless to say, my girlfriend's mother was not impressed by the false alarm.

Social media has revolutionized the way we communicate not only with our friends but also the way in which companies and brands interact with consumers. Its value to people like myself as a blogger, marketer, or solo-preneur is unquantifiable. The ability for one to utilize social media to self-publish, instantly share with your audience, and to receive immediate feedback and enquiries is almost without comparison to any other communications medium.

I thought I'd share with you a couple of things on this topic:

1. The evolution in my usage of social media and how it has benefited me in my personal and professional life.

2. My thoughts on various social media platforms and how you can use each platform for maximum benefit and enjoyment.

Blogging

If you have not yet started a blog, my best advice is to get onto Blogger or Wordpress and start one today. Initially, blogging will help you to:

Crystallize your thoughts, opinions, and interests
Vastly improve your writing skills
Encourage you to educate yourself in your area(s) of expertise

Once you develop some content and get rolling, you can set your goals higher:

Position yourself as an authority and Thought Leader in your industry
Get noticed by prospective employers and business partners
Give you a means to communicate with potential clients
Have a satisfying creative outlet
Present your valuable knowledge to a global audience and make new connections

At the start, it doesn't matter too much what you write about - I'd suggest to pick something you're truly passionate about - something that you could speak knowledgeably about for days on end with a smile on your face. I can tell you that blogging is immensely satisfying and I recommend it to you.

Facebook

I was an early adopter of facebook in Australia. I remember when I joined (around 2005) - MOST (i.e. 80% or more) of my friends laughed at me, said they'd never use it, and asked why I would use facebook and not MySpace like they did. Seriously. You can't make this stuff up.

For all its detractors, facebook has become not just a way of staying in touch with people, but an essential part of society where one-and-all come to see what's happening in their contacts' lives at any time.

The use of Facebook Places (and the facebook Check-In) has become a right-of-passage on a daily or nightly basis when you're out and about - a whole social etiquette is developing around "Who's going to check us in?" and "What's the status going to be?"

Some tips on facebook use:

It's a social and more relaxed network, so relax, share, and have fun with it
Your facebook is an expression of your personality - the real you - be yourself and talk like you would with your friends (within reason)
Realize that anything you say on facebook can and will be used against you in a court of law (or will be seen by your Manager) - so be selective of the friend requests you accept
If you're going to start a facebook fan page, do it right and load the page up with valuable content, images, and calls-to-action prior to launching (and send out a private message to your close friends first to 'Like' the page so you've got a running start)
Not Going Home is an awesome example of how to build a fan page.

Want to see what I do when I'm not writing blog posts? Connect with me on facebook.

Twitter

As we speak, twitter is far & away my favourite social media platform. Twitter enables users to find their 'voice' extremely quickly. Twitter has long been misunderstood by people who think there is no value in seeing that your friend posted, "I ate Weet Bix for breakfast today". No one writes that. Well, except maybe Metta World Peace.

Twitter is about connecting with people you would otherwise not be able to connect to, or might not normally be able to contact. You can do this because you can follow their twitter feed without them following you. You can also @mention them on twitter and sometimes get a response. Use #hashtags to follow conversations about just about anything and see what people are saying. This can be a great source of consumer behaviour and sentiment. For example, if you're a clothing designer, you can follow the hashtag #fashion and see what's trending. As my friend Apu would say, "Thank you, come again."

The only way to understand twitter is to start using twitter. Start by searching for and following people who are:

In your industry & whose opinions you respect
Share common interests
People you admire; or are
Sources of valuable information (e.g. @mashable for social media news)

Give it a chance and you will come to find that it is an incredibly effective and almost essential source of information and social interaction. Why not follow me on twitter and see what all the fuss is about?

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a more professional network. Think of it as a professional facebook, only this time it's your CV online, as opposed to those pictures of you dancing on tables in Ibiza with a lampshade on your head. It's an extremely valuable tool for building a network of professional contacts.

Some of the many benefits include:

Connecting with like-minded, relevant contacts
Receive recommendations from your previous clients or co-workers and display them on your profile
Get scouted for job opportunities and genuine business proposals*
Join industry-groups which share up-to-date market information
See where your contacts are now working with real-time updates

*LinkedIn operates as a closed network, so for the most part you'll only be contactable by people you know or connected with you through a few degrees of separation.

LinkedIn has well over 100 million users and is one place you want to have a presence online.

A thought on Google+

For the moment, Google+ reminds me of a verse from a favourite quote of mine:

"...the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again..."

Google+ is the gladiator in the arena and the doer of deeds - however it is alone in the middle of the arena - and I fear that it will remain as such for some time. Google is dedicating a lot of resources to the success of Google+, therefore I have no doubt it will make a strong push, however it's tough going trying to out-facebook facebook.

And another thing...

Over the next 4 weeks I'll be publishing a more detailed break-down of each of the the four mediums/networks I've discussed here; for example:

Blog Like You Mean It: How to Win Friends and Influence People Online
How to Build a LinkedIn Profile that Generates Business

... and other yet-to-be-released headlines for posts about twitter and facebook.

Stay tuned and thanks for your support.

My Tribute to Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T03:19:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs has been an inspiration to me ever since I saw his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address a few years ago. To this day I can say with confidence that it has been the most impactful speech I've heard in my life to date.

What I love about Steve Jobs is that you can feel that he cares. He's someone who has found his calling, has taken the punches that life has thrown at him, and came out a winner at almost every turn.

Steve Jobs has transcended business and technology and touched the hearts of millions of people around the world. Never was this more evident than with the pouring out of tributes that followed the news of his passing earlier today.

Here is what I have learned from Steve Jobs:

Independent Thinking

"You can't just ask the customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."

I'm pretty sure no one e-mailed Steve Jobs one day and said, "Hey mate, my laptop is no longer sufficient for my computing needs. You should invent this thing called the iPad."

Steve Jobs' anticipation of what would not only be accepted by the marketplace, but what would be an outrageous, historic success - time after time - is extraordinary.

How to Succeed Against the Odds

Steve Jobs was adopted out of wedlock. His adoptive father was reportedly a working-class machinist.

At the age of 30, he got fired from Apple - the company he founded. He then famously went into the most creative phase of his life. He returned to the helm at Apple and then came the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, and the rest is history.

In 2004, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a cancer he was told was incurable, and that he would have no longer than 3-6 months to live. Think about the Apple products you've experienced and loved in the past 7 years. Now think about how Steve Jobs led and created all of this innovation, wonder and excitement - after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

What's your excuse?

Trust in something.

"Your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road, will give you the confidence to follow your heart - even when it leads you off the well-worn path - and that will make all the difference."

Steve Jobs' life demonstrates that faith in a positive outcome - regardless of circumstances - is crucial to success. Life will beat you up sometimes. When that happens you need to get up, get that dirt off your shoulder, and go again.

Live your life!

"You've got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life - and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work - and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

If you haven't found it yet - keep looking - AND DON'T SETTLE.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

Steve Jobs, Rest in Peace.

Entrepreneurs! 7 Awesome Blogs You Probably Haven't Heard Of

2011-08-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

I read more entrepreneurship blogs than most people I know. Reading Tim Ferriss, Seth Godin and the usual crew is great and all, but we all like fresh meat, right? I've recently came across a whole bunch of inspirational guys who personify what it is to be a Free Agent. Enjoy and spread the good word!

1. Colin Wright - Exile Lifestyle

This guy moves to a new country every 4 months, as voted by his readers. He finances his lifestyle via his successful, independent branding studio. A cool dude who is living the dream: making good money, meeting tons of people (i.e. girls), and stretching the limits of his thinking via travel and continuous learning.

2. Ryan Allis

A 26-year-old tech entrepreneur and founder of iContact - which currently has 300 employees, 700,000 users, and $50M in annual revenues. Oh, he also is a leading advocate for social entrepreneurship and gives 1% of its payroll, equity, employee time, and product back to thecommunity. His 12 Life Lessons is one of the best articles I've ever read. I was fortunate enough to meet Ryan when I attended (and presented an award at) the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) Conference in Chicago in 2008.

3. Steve Pavlina - Personal Development for Smart People

I love this because when you read it you think, "I'm a smart person - let me check this guy out and see if his stuff is any good." It is. One of my personal favourite entries is "10 Reasons You Should Never Get a Job".

4. Jonathan Fields

This guy's stuff is high quality H20. Covers Blogging, Conscious Living, Life Purpose and more.

The 7 Keynote MBA is brilliant - a brief collection of the best TED-style talks you will see for entrepreneurs.

5. Corbett Barr

Simply an awesome lifestyle design blog with dozens of entries with enough useful content to actually get you closer to your dream life - if you choose to implement.

Ever thought, "Should I quit my job?" Here's Corbett's answer:

Hell yes you should quit your job.

This isn’t a dress rehearsal and you aren’t getting any younger. If there’s something you feel deep down that you need to explore and chase, then in my book you need to do that thing.

Read the full entry here.

6. Derek Sivers

The founder of CD baby. If you haven't heard of this guy, look him up. He's probably more famous for the way he sold his business as the way he built it.

A voracious learner, he has a mind-bogglingly (yes I made that word up) impressive list of recommended reading, complete with his notes from each book. Think of it as a must-bookmark: a way to get a synopsis on some of the best books out there without having to spend a cent.

7. Ramit Sethi - I Will Teach You to be Rich

Ramit has over 250,000 readers per month and for good reason: It's the best Gen-Y Personal Finance blog out there. He covers how to earn more money, how to negotiate, and gives dozens of pricing and marketing tips on how to start and grow your own business. This one's great for both intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs alike.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this summary and that you would continue to follow these guys for a long time. If you liked this, please spread the love and share with your friends on twitter, facebook, and even Google+.

Who's Really Driving Your Taxi?

2011-07-31T04:47:00.000-07:00

If you skip past pleasantries about the weather and enquiries about how busy their day has been, you may find that your taxi driver is more qualified and ambitious than you might've originally thought.

I met a taxi driver today on the way home from the airport, whose story seems to be a common one amongst taxi drivers in Sydney and Melbourne.

Highly educated, Jeran had been trained in Singapore and was essentially head of marketing for HP (Hewlett Packard) into Bangladesh, his home country. He was well-regarded, respected, and making something out of himself. Yet the promise of a better future for his family lured him to Australia. His brother-in-law had already immigrated to Sydney, and convinced Jeran's family that opportunity abounded for them here, too.

Upon arriving 7 years ago, Jeran found that his English communication skills were not quite up to the standard required for a corporate marketing role in Australia, such as the one he enjoyed in Bangladesh. After not being able to secure work in his preferred field, he is now working full-time in the produce department of a local Woolworths (as Produce Manager) and in any spare time he is driving taxis, trying to make some extra money to support his young family. He explained to me that he deleted his further education from his CV when applying to the Woolworths role, so as not to raise concerns over why somebody with such a pedigree would be applying to - what was at the time - an entry level role in the local supermarket.

He now faces a choice:

A) Return home in around 3-5 years after working and saving diligently in his current employment. With the strong Australian dollar and exchange rate factored in, he explained that $80-100k would essentially set his family up well in Bangladesh.

B) Stay in Australia and resign himself to a much more humble career, yet one which would enable his children (he has a 3 year-old daughter) to have ample opportunity for a tremendous life here.

Option A would mean a more comfortable life for himself. One in which he could re-gain his lost pride, his status in society, and put his mind to more meaningful work. However he knows that this option also means a less promising life in the long-term for his children.

Option B means sacrificing his personal goals for the good of his family. Eating humble pie, perhaps for the next 20 -25 years when he'll near retirement age, in the hope that his sacrifice will lead to a better life for his kids.

These are the kinds of choices which I would not like to have to make, and luckily my circumstances are such that I probably will not face such a dilemma.

The whole episode made me think about how lucky we have it here. 'We', broadly speaking, meaning middle-class Australians with relatively stable family and social ties, and no language barrier between us and whichever career we choose to pursue.

The prospects for 'upward mobility' within Australian society are clearly not equal for all. I don't have immediate answers to these complex issues.

What I would encourage, though, is that my fellow aspiring or established entrepreneurs keep in mind those less fortunate as we pursue greater and greater levels of wealth.

If you want a good example of how to integrate your venture with your values around contributing to society, check out what Ryan Allis, founder of iContact, does at his company here.

For something closer to home, check out the good work being done by the School for Social Entrepreneurs in both Sydney and Melbourne.

I know this post was more than a slight tangent from my usual content, so thanks for reading it all the way through. I'd love to hear what you think, so please share, comment, and of course, re-tweet!

Get Your Flow On (Book Review)

2011-07-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

Flow is a book that will appeal to the deep thinker within you. Part social commentary, part philosophy, partly a tale of the ills of modern lifestyle, it acts as both an educational read and as somewhat of a handbook for successful living.

The main contention is that whilst it is commonly thought that optimal experience (i.e. happiness) involves leisure, beaches, and all-round good times - the real joy in life comes when we are fully engaged in work that gives us a sense of fulfilment.

I think a good definition of success is 'the progressive realization of a worthy goal.'

In this book, the author seems to agree. We feel most 'in flow' when we are working towards something meaningful to us and to others, not when we're sitting by the beach sipping mojitos.

It was Socrates who said, 'The unexamined life is not worth living." Flow is a book that puts contemporary life under the microscope and finds that a life worth living is one in which we pursue endeavours which stimulate and challenge us. Mihaly is against the wasting of time and potential on passive leisure activities such as watching TV and playing video games. He has found that it is when you commit to the disciplines of a noble way of living, or dedicate yourself to a goal that is more intellectually rigorous, that you find true fulfilment.

There's a fascinating investigation of the struggles that we have in modern culture when we don't have a set routine to follow. Mihaly observes that many people find their flow during the 9 to 5 of work because in a normal working environment it is clear what needs to be done during those hours. On the weekend, no such structure exists, and hence people fall into passive activities that neither stimulate the mind nor provide for any sustained fulfilment.

Flow is an intellectual, somewhat dense read, however it's well worth the investment of time.

Conan O'Brien's 2011 Dartmouth College Commencement Address

2011-06-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Power of Positive Thinking

2011-02-06T04:44:00.001-08:00

Many have heard of this book and this concept, yet few have read the wisdom contained in this classic by Norman Vincent Peale. Consider this observation:

"They do not believe that they have it in them to be what they want to be, and so they try to make themselves content with something less than that of which they are capable."

This is the great tragedy of modern life: settling for less than you are capable of becoming.

The author demonstrates powerfully how an attitude of faith and confidence in one's abilities can make the difference between great success and abject failure in life.

Some brilliant quotes / thoughts to ponder are listed below:

You become what you think about most of the time. Think success and you will bring success towards you. Think failure and failure is certain.

Believe in yourself! Self-confidence leads to self-realisation and successful achievement. Before you can do a thing, you must first believe you can!

Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid.

Do yourself a favour and read this book.

Energy & Enthusiasm = The Cure-All

2011-02-05T03:16:00.000-08:00

I was having dinner in The Rocks with my girlfriend after a big day: 42 degrees, travelling on a train, showing people through our place, and as a result I was dead tired.

As it happened, sitting on the next table to us was a group of 3 Americans, identifiable by both accent and dress. The guy sitting next to me started asking us about Sydney and the conversation turned to my favourite topic: NBA basketball!

It was on. One of the guys was a season-ticket holder with the LA Clippers. The other guy knew the career of Andrew Gaze. We went back and forth spouting opinions on Blake Griffin, the Lakers, and all things basketball. We even taught them about cricket!

One minute I can't be bothered doing anything - the next I feel like I could be out all night!

It's amazing how you can draw on infinite reserves of energy when you're doing something you're passionate about.

$40M in 10 months: What You Can Learn from Spreets

2011-01-30T05:08:00.000-08:00

Imagine starting a company today and selling it for $40M in just 10 months' time?

That's just what Australian group buying website Spreets have done, selling to Yahoo!7 for $40M. So how did they do it? Well, this is not just some cool website with tons of 'users', selling this 'potential' to advertisers.

There is a proven value-add here: intensely viral word-of-mouth marketing via social media. In other words, friends telling friends about a great deal they've just found. As a result, Spreets' clients routinely have hundreds if not thousands of new customers buying from them within 24 hours.

With discounts of 50-60% on highly attractive items such as bungee jumping, massage treatments and high-end restaurants, there is a clear value proposition to the customer as well.

If you're having trouble getting people to buy from you, then you're simply not creating or delivering enough value. Here are some ways you can create more value for your products or services:

1. Examine your offering: Is there truly a market for your product? Does anyone care enough to want to buy from you? How tangible is the benefit? How does it help them save money / make money / avoid something that is causing them pain?

2. Package your products / services and discount the price for buying packages. Would you rather make a $100 sale with $50 in profit or a $300 sale with $120 in profit? I'll take the $120, even if it's at a lower margin.

3. Offer a high-ticket item. Research has shown that 5% of people will buy the most expensive item on offer. Try it.

The Horse Has Bolted

2011-01-24T03:03:00.000-08:00

I was in the bathroom at work this morning and a guy who I see around on our floor started some small talk with me. Today is Monday. It's Australia Day on Wednesday, which means a public holiday for most of us.

With a smile on his face, this guy says, "It's good when you know you've only got a 2-day week at work before another day off."

He went on to tell me that he has already started postponing some tasks because he knows he can put them off until after Australia Day.

I was thinking, "Man. If you hate your job that much, JUST QUIT!"

This guy's situation is like that of many people I come across. Work to make a living, live for the weekend, and generally try to survive another week of toil before another 2 days of freedom. That is no way to live.

Your life is too important to be wasting away in some cubicle pushing papers. If you feel like you're not doing what you were put on this earth to do, then for God's sake STOP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING and find a purpose that is worth devoting your life to.

If you find yourself saying something like my friend above said, then the horse has already bolted.

How to Get an Interview with Bono

2010-10-28T04:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week in my facebook inbox I had a question from one of my mates from the Entrepreneurship program at RMIT.

The subject line was, "I heard that you're the greatest netwoker in the world!"

He wanted some advice on how to score an interview with Bono on his upcoming tour of Australia in December.

My advice is outlined word-for-word here. Let me know what you would've advised him in the same situation.

(Name withheld)

Hey bro,

I really want to do an interview with Bono from u2 when he comes on tour here in December. Do you have any idea how i can do this?!?!

Cheers,

Francis McCarthy October 28 at 9:40am

Mate I would record a YouTube video that has the potential to go viral calling out Bono for a contribution of time to a worthy yet remarkable cause.

He is into philanthropic stuff ala Make Poverty History so maybe along those lines.

You need to find out who his promoter is here and network your way to them / call them directly with a referral from a mutual colleague.

Brainstorm and come up with a list of 20 different ways you could contact them / get their interest. Then once you've done that, come up with 20 new ideas and try all 40.

If you do that you'll be sure to meet / talk to a lot of interesting people and make a lot of contacts, maybe even meet the Big Man Bono himself!

Cheers,

-franny

October 28 at 2:03pm Report

Awesome stuff Franny, thanks mate!

To Uni or Not to Uni? Part II - How Uni Teaches You to Sell Your Soul

2010-08-31T06:38:00.001-07:00

In my last post I outlined the case for completing your uni degree. Something else I neglected to mention was that the younger you are, the easier it is to finish your degree.

Often times I hear the argument that you can always go back to study later. That's cool when you're in your early 20's, however trust me it gets harder once you get past 25, are working full-time or trying to make a business happen.

If you're living at home and in your early 20's, you could do a lot worse than have an absolute blast, meet some awesome people, and finish a degree.

With that said, in this post I'll flip the script and point out some counter-arguments.

i) Uni is not for everyone, and some people would never even want to complete a uni degree.

There are some people for whom uni would be a bad idea. They would simply go crazy sitting in a lecture theatre (even more crazy than most). In business, they are typically the 'natural' entrepreneurs who just have to get out there and do something. Now.

ii) Many universities do not offer truly practical education

I heard one time that the root meaning of education is 'to develop from within'. In other words, to bring out of you all the best qualities that lie within you. It's safe to say probably most uni courses don't do this. Let alone teach you much that will actually help you in the building of a successful business. I was lucky that my course actually had a strong entrepreneurial element to it, and our lecturers were entrepreneurs for the most part, who could teach us from experience, not from a textbook.

iii) Universities often encourage and condition you to work for the rest of your life.

Graduate programs, work experience, careers advisors. They all push you towards selling your soul to a large corporation. Once you have been bombarded by the propaganda of the 'steady, high-paying job dream' for a few years it can be hard to resist. You must maintain your entrepreneurial spirit if you are to come out the other side alive and in a position to start a business in a few years.

I was speaking to Mike Casey of GradConnection fame earlier this year, and he said to me that he basically believes that the best preparation for starting your own business is to work in a successful corporate for a few years to really learn how business works. I tend to agree that this is true for a significant amount of people. At The Entourage, we see many young professionals who are working full-time and getting their business going on the side with a view to transitioning to full-time entrepreneur status. Why not learn on someone else's coin and then put your skills to use in running your own show in a few years with some cash behind you?

What do you think? To Uni or Not to Uni? Comment and share below, I want to hear your thoughts!

Thanks to Nikki for getting the other side of the conversation going!

To Uni or Not to Uni? That is the Question...

2010-08-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

I've been very anti-uni and very pro-uni, and somewhere in between.

Here are a few of my observations which I think may be useful to those who are wrestling with the idea of whether or not to go to uni / finish uni / strike out on their own.

With the benefit of hindsight, having now completed my degree (B Bus - Entrepreneurship) I am immensely glad that I have a degree behind me.
I continue to see many university-educated young professionals who are doing really well in their own business on the back of 3-5 years of experience in the corporate world.
Having a degree adds instant credibility to your professional CV, and if you are looking for a job in professional services / consulting, it is almost a pre-requisite.

As noted in The Pinstriped Prison by Lisa Prior, typically the smartest, most talented people are pushed from high school into university, so by sheer weight of numbers you will develop an influential network by gaining admission to a quality degree program.

I'm someone who values education highly, and I've come to notice that people who are hungry to learn tend to be exposed to the best opportunities and meet the most interesting people.

I am currently seriously thinking about pursuing an MBA at one of the elite schools in the U.S. such as Stanford or Harvard. I actually went to Stanford's MBA Information Session held in Sydney tonight, which was brilliant. The network that they've built there over the years is out of this world. Here is a list of start-ups that have come out of Stanford since 2004. You can read more about the program here. They only accept around 5 Australians per year into a class of slightly below 400 students, so good luck with your application!

I've added a Share feature below, so please spread the word about my blog and I'll be happy to provide you with more awesome content!

The Entourage!

2010-08-20T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hello to the crew at the Entrepreneurs Essentials Program in Sydney!!

For everyone else, head to www.the-entourage.com.au to check out our upcoming event, The Unconvention featuring Siimon Reynolds, Domenic Carosa and Andrew Morello on September 18th!!

http://www.the-entourage.com.au/the-entourage

Don't Stress: Take Advice from Mentors You Trust

2010-08-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Do you have a mentor to go to when you're feeling overwhelmed? If you don't, I couldn't recommend it highly enough. I've come to understand over the past couple of years just how much us younger people (25 and under) can learn from our more experienced counterparts.

I'm fortunate enough to have several key mentors in my life. I consult each of them from time to time to run situations through with them and to get their take on things.

I say their take, because I don't necessarily want their opinion or what they would do in a given situation, I just want their take. That might mean sharing an experience they've had, their unique observations, cautions, encouragement, whatever the case may be.

I invariably find that once I talk through an issue with them, I either find that I come to the decision I wanted on my own accord, or something they say clicks with me to the point where I know I've found my answer.

This is just one way that your network can help you to get to where you want to go. Meeting influential and successful people and befriending them is one of the most valuable possible uses of your time.

6 Simple Rules for Success in Life and Business

2010-07-21T04:26:00.001-07:00

1. Buy for $1, sell for $2. Repeat.

2. Show up on time.

3. Return phone calls and reply to e-mails.

4. Do what you say.

5. Under-promise, over-deliver.

6. Dress for success. If in doubt, be over-dressed rather than under-dressed.

The Benefits of Reflection

2010-07-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

My contention: We spend too much time doing stuff and not enough time reflecting upon the stuff we do.

Think about your day. Is it made up of meetings, making phone calls, answering phone calls, checking e-mails, sending e-mails,attending events, etc?

When was the last time you paused to reflect on your progress? Do you set aside time for planning, preparation, and prevention? One of the key distinctions I've lived by for the past 4 or so years has been the concept of Quadrant II thinking as taught by Stephen Covey in the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.

Covey teaches that when you find yourself too busy to spend time planning and reflecting, that is precisely when you need to do it the most.

It never ceases to amaze me how much anxiety is relieved when I take a step back and reflect.

Some good questions to ask are:

i) What activities am I doing? What is taking up most of my time?

ii) How do these activities move me towards my goals?

iii) What are the 2 most important goals for me to achieve this week?

iv) What are the 2 most important goals for me to achieve this year?

The answers to these questions will help you to re-priortise your activities to ensure you're actually going in the right direction.

If you're feeling overwhelmed this week, my advice is to grab a coffee, take a break, and reflect.

Inspiration from Seth Godin and Worldwide Wes

2010-06-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

I have taken great inspiration in the last 48 hours from two people I consider to be greats: Seth Godin and Worldwide Wes.

Seth Godin is responsible for creating a movement of technology-savvy, thought-leading entrepreneurs who defy conventional thinking to strike out on their own. His thoughts include the following Leadership Manifesto, which I couldn't help but share with you:

1. Leaders challenge the status quo.

2. Leaders create a culture around their goal and involve others in that culture.

3. Leaders have an extraordinary amount of curiosity about the world they're trying to change.

4. Leaders use charisma (in a variety of forms) to attract and motivate followers.

5. Leaders communicate their vision of the future.

6. Leaders commit to a vision and make decisions based on that commitment.

7. Leaders connect their followers to one another.

To see more from Seth, go here.

I'll bring you more on Worldwide Wes soon. For now, suffice to say he is best friends with both Michael Jordan and LeBron James, and is the most influential person in professional sports.

Back on top - #1 on Google for Greatest Networker in the World!

2010-05-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

If you Google 'Greatest networker in the world' you'll find me!

A few months ago I thought I'd hit the number 1 spot for the phrase Greatest networker in the world. My friends told me that I was number 3 or 4 when they searched it.

I met a guy, Stan Relihan, the other day, who is the 23rd most connected person in the world on LinkedIn and told him to Google the phrase "Greatest networker in the world".

Having not searched the phrase myself in a few months, I tried it just to see where it would come up when Stan searched it.

To my surprise, I came up number 1!

Thanks for supporting my cause, if you can comment on this post or link to my blog that would be awesome.

Number 1! Officially the Greatest networker in the world.

IT'S PST - Prime Selling Time!!

2010-02-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

Ever had to make cold calls? I have, and I feel your pain. There are many techniques you can use to make the process as painless as possible, however I believe it's the mindset with which you approach the task that makes all the difference.

You have to enter the conversation knowing that you have something of value that they need and want. You are trying to create a partnership, as opposed to you 'talking up' to the prospect, seeing if you can get in the door.

On a practical note, there are almost invariably certain times of the day that are better to be calling people than others. Here is a guide:

8:30 - 9:30am Best to be working on your own projects. Perhaps planning for the day and week ahead. Sometimes a good time for weekly meetings with your team on a Monday

10:00 am - 12:30pm PRIME SELLING TIME - PST!
The people you call at this time should be your highest priority prospects. When people receive a call at 10:00am, 10:30am, they know that you've prioritised them in your day. This will likely get you a better response.

1:00 - 2:00pm Typically people are on lunch at this time and things slow down.

2:00pm - 4:00pm PRIME SELLING TIME - PST!
Most people get on a roll by this time. They are right in the swing of their day, and calls are going back and forwards. A great time to be calling.

After 4:30 / 5:00pm things slow down, often people are tired, and less enthusiastic about talking to you.

5:30 - 7:00pm This can actually be the best time of day to get to decision-makers because the business owner typically stays later than his or her staff (and receptionist or PA). If you're in a hardcore telesales role, keep plugging away til 6:30pm and you'll get good results.

Most importantly, identify what is PRIME SELLING TIME in your industry and dedicate this time to making calls or meeting with people.

The more time you spend face-to-face with qualified prospects, the more sales you will make!

Building Your Network Pays Off!

2010-02-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

How would you like to never have to look for a job ever again? What would it be like to know that if anything happens with your current business or work, that you could simply pick up the phone, call your friends, let them know you're available and know that you would be snapped up yesterday? Welcome to my world.

I can't tell you how important my network is to me, and how grateful I am to have built it to the point it is now.

I am about to move to the Big Smoke in Sydney, where, amongst other opportunities, my girlfriend lives. My job wasn't suitable for me to transfer from Melbourne to Sydney. For most people I think this might have been a problem. Not for me.

I made a few calls (2) and I now have 3 very solid job opportunities awaiting my arrival in Australia's international city.

Not to give too much away, but one of these potential opportunities is with the fastest-growing company in the history of the world - in case you don't know who that is, just Google it ;)

I'm confident I'll have my work situation sorted within a couple of weeks of arriving, depending on how long the interview process lasts. I actually can't imagine ever having to go through the traditional job application process.

I've outlined in earlier posts many techniques for building your own network, so on this post it will suffice to mention where I met the two gentlemen who have set up these opportunities for me:

MC Tony (not his real name): I met at a Law of Attraction seminar by a Canadian named Michael Lozier. Sure we learned some of the science behind The Secret, but more importantly I met MC Tony, one of Australia's sharpest young entrepreneurs and now one of my best friends.

George Bentleigh (again, an alias): Met at a personal development seminar. I called Mr Bentleigh shortly after and met up with him and his business partner at the time (I was 19) to recruit them into my business. That didn't work out, in fact, by the end of our coffee they wanted me to come work for them! However George is an outstanding networker, and he has stayed in touch with me for the last 5 years. We're good friends, and he has introduced me an esteemed businessman in Sydney who I'll be meeting once I land.

If you're a young person, or at uni looking for a graduate program or work in an entrepreneurial start-up or fast-growth company, start getting out there and build your network!

You need to be seen, meet people, make a great impression, be on your A-game, be interested in people and what they're doing, and above all stay in contact with everyone!

The Importance of Mentors and How to Find Them

2009-09-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Mentors are crucial to success in any endeavour.

In the last few months I've been asked more and more about mentors. Mostly it's along the lines of, "You're so lucky to have found such a great mentor! How did you do that?"

You have to first ask yourself what is it that you really want to do with your life? Imagine you had $1 Million in the bank, and didn't have any work or study commitments, what would you really want to do?

Once you know that, look for people who have done what you want to do, and that's a good place to start when looking for your mentors.

If you're anything like me, you'll find them speaking in front of a room somewhere, or writing a book, or giving an interview. So go to seminars and talks in your areas of interest. Look for my post on How to Meet Key People for how to approach these people.

You should also be conscious of knowing that your goal is to outgrow your mentors. Once you've learned what you can from them, you will find a new one. 'When the student is ready, the teacher magically appears.'

I currently work for one of my mentors, but it took 3 years of building the relationship and demonstrating my capabilities before he took me on board.

I believe Barack Obama is an inspiration to our generation. He makes me think about the impact I can make on the world. You can see his Address to Students here.

Take the opportunity to leave me a comment below, and you will feel good all day long!

Google "Greatest Networker in the World" and you'll find me!

2009-09-04T05:02:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone for your support of my blog.

Thanks to you I am on the first page of Google for "Greatest Networker in the World"!!!

Let's see if together we can take out the Number 1 Spot!

Make your goal not to compete with anyone else but yourself. Be the very best you can be. Be all that you can be, so you can have whatever you want, and make the greatest impact on other people's lives. "You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough."

You can help me win the Google race by clicking on 'comments' below, go ahead and support the team by sharing your thoughts now!

To Your Success,

-Francis McCarthy

3 Brian Tracy Trainings & 2 books in 1 week?

2009-09-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

I've got a big challenge this week!

I've been put into an intensive training for my role as Business Development Manager with Wealth Empowerment Institute (Accredited Licensee of Brian Tracy International).

The courses I've been given to complete by the end of next week are:

Advanced Selling Skills
Strategic Planning for the Sales Professional
High Performance Leadership

and I've also been assigned to read 2 books:

The Psychology of Selling
The Art of Closing the Sale

These programs and books have been written by Brian Tracy, the world's leading authority on
Strategic Selling, Leadership, and Personal Success.

I've read about 20 pages of The Psychology of Selling, and it's been a great read so far.

I've also completed 2 of the 10 modules of Strategic Planning for the Sales Professional.

Will I be able to get through all the material by the end of next week?

It's nothing compared to the 60,000 books that Brian Tracy has read, however I think it will be a challenge with all the work and uni study I have to do as well.

For more information about Brian Tracy's books and programs, visit www.briantracy.net.au

A Week in the Life of The Greatest Networker

2009-07-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

When people ask me, "What do you do?", I often respond, "Depends which day you ask!".

I have so many ventures going on that it's pretty hard to pin it down to one, so I thought I'd just list for you my schedule for next week and you might get some idea of what I do.

Monday 20 July:

8:30am - 5:00pm Certificate III (Sales) Training with Brian Tracy International.
6:00pm Brian Tracy seminar for Bayside Council

Tuesday 21 July:

1:00pm Business Meeting
4:00pm R & D Grants meeting - education Brian Tracy

7:00pm Bryce Perron (of Perth) Telecom Business Overview and Training

Wednesday 22 July

7:00am Business Breakfast
8:45am - 12:30pm Uni - New Venture Creation info session
- Conference Call
3:00pm Bryce Perron (mentor) meeting

Thursday 23 July

9:30 - 10:30am Uni - Social Entrepreneurship
3:30pm Brian Tracy JV meeting
5:30 - 7:30pm Social Entrepreneurship

Friday 24th July

-Consulting meeting
12:30 - 3:30pm Uni - Global Entrepreneurship
2:00pm - 5:00pm ACN International Training - Melbourne Convention Centre.

Saturday 25th July

9:00am - 5:00pm ACN International Training

Sunday 26th July

9:00am - 1:00pm ACN International Training

7 Quotes and Thoughts to Live By

2009-07-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

1. A wise man once said that his goal in life was to be the dumbest person in the room at all times.

If you surround yourself with people who are highly talented, and in some respects smarter than you, then you will always be learning. Don't try to be a big fish in a small pond.

2. Most great leaders were great followers first.

Finding a mentor is one of the smartest things you can do.

3. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

-Proverbs 23.7

4. The 80/20 Rule:

This concept is now thought of as common knowledge, however when you consider the implications of this statement, you will see how profound an impact it can have on your life:

"20% of your activities produce 80% of your results."

Most people think there is not enough time in the day, when really, if 80% of what you're doing is 'filler' - then what you really need to do is to trim the fat! Some people's daily agenda is on the verge of morbidly obese. Focus on the 20% of high value activities and your productivity will soar.

5. "It is better to be thought of as fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

6.

"I believe I am always divinely guided.
I believe I will always take the right turn of the road.
I believe God will always make a way where there is no way."

- Dr Norman Vincent Peale

7. Life is not a dress rehearsal.

Give it all you've got, because there are no re-runs.

Let me know if you need anything.

To Your Success,

-Francis McCarthy

Be Bold: How to Meet Key People

2009-05-18T05:41:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had an opportunity to meet someone who you know could've been beneficial to your career, and not taken it? Kinda chickened out and walked off? That sucks, right? After reading this, you won't let that happen again...

In networking, fortune favours the brave. People of value actually want to be engaged. Successful people love to mentor. So don't be a wallflower. You want to go up to the most important person in the room and introduce yourself. They could be the keynote speaker, professor, winning student at a competition, whatever the case may be.

Remember this when you attend any event: All the money is made in the first three rows. Do not hang out at the back with the cool kids. You'll always find the most ambitious, successful people in the front three rows (or, of course, at the front of the room speaking at the event). Not only that, the speaker is much more likely to notice you there, and you'll have a better chance of asking questions, and making an impression that will actually have them remember you the next day when you follow up. That's because there might have been 50 or more people there, most of whom just go up after the event and say, "Thanks Mr Johnson, that was great, " and grab Johnson's business card.

What you want to do, if the speaker is someone you want to meet with, is tell them in one sentence what you do and what you want (eg. "I'm starting a business and would like some advice) and ask them what's the best way to get in touch with them. Usually they'll say e-mail me at moneyman@thebank.com as they hand you their card. So e-mail them and set up a time from there. Some tips:

In the subject line, you can loosely follow this format, "Their name, your name, event name"

ie. "Brian, Fred Jones, Springfield Uni seminar". Then in the body of the e-mail, write, for example,

Brian,

Thank you for coming out to do the speech for our class at Springfield Uni last night. I really like that you were so open about your experiences as a young entrepreneur.

I am studying Entrepreneurship at Springfield, and have just started a new student magazine business. I would really appreciate it if I could meet with you over lunch to run my ideas past you and get some advice. I'm free from Wednesday - Friday from 11:30am - 1:30pm this week, or alternatively we could meet next week if possible. Please let me know which day would be best for you.

Thank you again.

Regards,

-Fred Jones

This will get a response almost all of the time.

Building 1 or 2 high value, high quality relationships will be worth more to you in the long-term than 30 or 40 low-value / no value associations. So be strategic in your networking. Be bold enough to approach people you look up to. They'll help take you to where you want to go.

Let me know if you need anything.

-Francis McCarthy

How to Be a Great Conversationalist

2009-04-03T04:29:00.000-07:00

Usually when two people are having a conversation , you have one person talking, and the other person waiting to talk.

The best conversationalists listen 90% of the time and talk 10.

It is so uncommon for people to come across somebody who actively listens to what they have to say, that when you do that for people, they will remember you.

When talking to people and building relationships with them, remember that everyone's favourite topic of conversation is themselves.

It is a common misconception that to be a popular person, or a person of influence, that you must be interesting. If you want to Win Friends and Influence People**, always focus on being interested, rather than interesting.

Take a genuine interest in people and let them tell you what they are passionate about - it will likely be the first time in a long time that someone has given them a chance to be heard.

It is better to be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

There is true wisdom in the art of saying more with less.

**How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is the greatest book of all time on people skills, except of course, for the Bible.

Let me know what you think and hit me up with a comment :)

If you have a good idea - write it down!

2009-03-11T23:07:00.000-07:00

It's important to capture your ideas while they're fresh in your mind. Who hasn't experienced having an awesome idea flash into your mind during the night or first thing in the morning, and then lost it?!

In an increasingly technical world, sometimes your best friend can be the humble pen and paper. Some of the greatest thinkers, inventors, and entrepreneurs in history used a pencil and paper to record every useful thought that came into their minds.

Jim Rohn says, "If you're life's worth living, it's worth recording."

I was asked a few days ago, "What does 'Notes 15' mean?" My colleague was referring to the title I'd written on the front of an exercise book I had with me. I told him that's where I make notes. The rest of the story is that that's the 15th book I've gone through in the space of the last 6-12 months. Each book is 140 pages. 15 x 140 = 2100 pages of notes!

Imagine having 2100 pages of the greatest quotes, contact names and numbers, and business ideas that you've come across in the last 12 months - that's gold!

The blog post I'm writing right now is an example of getting your thoughts on paper (or online via your blog) immediately.

With that, I encourage you to become a note-taker and a blog-writer, because you don't wanna let your million-dollar idea slip through your fingers!

You have no competition!

2009-02-24T05:36:00.001-08:00

Do you realise that most people don't believe they can achieve great success, so therefore they never try? There are more people competing for mediocrity than there are competing for greatness!

Most people have suppressed dreams. They have been beaten down by school, their friends, their relatives, who say things like, "Be realistic", "Get a safe, secure job", and "There's nothing wrong with being average". They have been conditioned to settle.

Nothing eats at me more violently than the thought of settling for less.

What we have to encourage us as entrepreneurs is the knowledge that most people are losing the battle for their dreams. To me, that means that there is simply less competition for the big prizes in life. Since most people believe it will never happen for them, they settle for being average. This is great news for the entrepreneur! If you are willing to make the sacrifices and pay the price to make a significant success of yourself and your business, I believe the odds are stacked in your favour because most people are not willing to do whatever it takes!

As Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek, says, "It's lonely at the top. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre."

There's no traffic in the extra mile!

Don't overestimate the competition, and don't underestimate yourself!

Timeless Wisdom, and Benjamin Franklin

2009-02-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

I am a huge believer in timeless wisdom. I believe that success is more easily acquired by living in harmony with principles that have stood the test of time, rather than any new-age quick fix, or time management strategy. Benjamin Franklin lived from 1706 - 1790. I studied his life when I was 16 years old, and found that we have a lot to learn from this super-achiever, and his advice rings true to this day. He lived by 13 classic virtues, all of which are gold:

1. TEMPERANCE: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

3. ORDER: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

4. RESOLUTION: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5. FRUGALITY: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself, that is, waste nothing.

6. INDUSTRY: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. SINCERITY: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. JUSTICE: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. MODERATION: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. CLEANLINESS: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

11, 12, 13: If you'd like to know the 3 final virtues employed by Benjamin Franklin, go out and get yourself a copy of 'Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude', a book by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone, from which this list has been taken.

Often the simplest advice is the best advice.

What do you think?

Expectation Rules the World!

2009-01-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

A lot has been said about the Law of Attraction. If you've seen the movie The Secret, you'll know what I mean. In my experience I have found that one of the greatest ways to get results from using The Secret is by the Law of Expectation.

The Law of Expectation states that, "In life, we don't get what we want - We get what we expect."

This means that if you're looking for a new business partner, closing a deal, or even chasing that special girl, you are stacking the odds in your favour if you truly expect to finish the task successfully.

It amazes me the number of people who go after their goal without actually believing that they will achieve it. After associating with many self-made millionaires and leaders, one common thread they touch on when asked for advice is to believe in yourself.

Once you form your views on how you want something to turn out, practice believing and saying that it will turn out as you have planned.

For Vic Johnson said that, "When we speak something we give power to it - we increase our belief in something when we speak it."

The Good Book says, "...those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

Self-belief comes through practice, and through accepting the greatness that is within you. It is easier to believe in yourself and your ability if you have built for yourself a foundation of personal growth and surrounded yourself with positive people who encourage you to be your best self.

Remember, the difference between where you are now and where you'll be in five years will be decided by two things: the people you meet, and the books you read. So get out there and associate with the people whom you want to be like, and read what they have read.

"I'm terrible with names" and other ways to be unattractive

2009-01-21T04:19:00.000-08:00

I once picked up a girl at a party because I remembered her best friend's name. The best friend was so impressed that after it was obvious there was something on between me and her friend, she literally wouldn't let me leave without, well, you know.

The moral of the story is, if you're bad with names, get better.

Some people wear "I'm bad with names" as a badge of honour, like it's funny. It's not. There is no sweeter sound a person can hear than the sound of their own name, and there's no greater insult to them than getting their name wrong or forgetting their name when you should know it.

A big part of getting better at remembering names is just to make a conscious effort to remember. Pay attention when people introduce themselves or introduce you to their friends. If you focus on doing this one thing for the next two weeks, your interactions with new people will be unrecognisably better. You will be on your way to becoming a person that people like to be around.

It's good to remember people's names, but it's even better to use people's names in the course of your conversation with them. Also, it's easy to do.

"That's a good point, Jeff."

Not "that's a good point." Personalise it.

Spell names correctly. I cannot emphasise this enough. People HATE it when you spell their name incorrectly. There is no excuse for this, because you can ask if you need to. If someone's name is Christina, I would definitely ask how to spell it, not just presume it's a "Ch" and not a "K". People much prefer to be asked how to spell their name than you just taking a stab and then asking, "Is that spelt correctly?"

We've all been in the situation where you should know someone's name, but you forget it. Here's a tip that sometimes gets you out of that jam. When you don't know someone's name, ask how to spell it out of curiosity. This can backfire if their name is Mary though.

I would recommend to anyone wanting to improve their people skills to read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

If you like how I roll, head over to the right and follow this blog for more of the good stuff.

To Your Success,

-Francis

The Four Personality Types

2008-12-22T05:27:00.000-08:00

If you're gonna be a person of influence, you have to know who you're talking to. You have to be able to communicate to people on their level, in a way that they're comfortable with, which is not necessarily the way you're comfortable with. You have to talk to people, not at people.

One of the best ways to know how to talk to someone in a manner that engages them is to be able to tell their personality type. I'm gonna spell that out to you in just a second. First though, if you've studied personality types before, you may have heard of other terms for these, such as Sanguine/Melancholy/Phlegmatic, etc. Forget those. Give me something in English, please!

There are four basic personality types: Whale, Dolphin, Urchin, and Shark. Usually people are one primary and one secondary, so check these out and see where you fit:

A whale is a caretaker. Whales want to save the world! The purpose of a whale's existence is to help people. You'll often see whales volunteering to sell raffle tickets, setting up the room at meetings for your organisation, and generally making sure everyone gets along because whales are peacemakers. Whales are often involved in charitable causes. Whales are great listeners. Whales will drive you to the airport.

Dolphins love to have fun! They will push aside responsibility to have a good time. They are the life of the party. When they arrive everyone knows about it because they light up the room. They're always joking around, and they tend to be very charismatic and charming. It is rare to see a dolphin alone. You also can't get a word in with a dolphin because they love to talk!

Urchins are very detailed-oriented individuals. They want to know all the information. They like to analyse things to death before choosing on the correct course of action. Ask them where you and your friends should go out to dinner on Friday night, and they will ask you, "How many people are coming? Does anyone have any allergies I should know about? Which side of the city are we looking at? Are we driving or taking the train? When was the last time you ate tofu?"

After collecting that data, they will get online and Google all suitable restaurants within a 5km radius, and present you with a 10-point report outlining their recommendations and the reasons that justify their selection. Really.

So urchins tend to be perfectionists. They are gonna take longer to make a decision, but the good thing is that once they've made a decision, they are sure of it because they own it. Urchins are great planners, and they pride themselves on getting things done right, so it always helps to have one around.

Sharks want to win. They're competitive and ambitious. Often you'll find professional athletes tend to be like this. They want to know the bottom line, so get straight to the point because they don't want to hear any fluff. What've I gotta do, when have I gotta do it by, and how much do I get paid when (not if) I get the job done. Sharks are natural leaders. They want to be at the front of the room, they want to be in charge, and they are willing to take responsibility for the victory or defeat of the team that is riding on their shoulders. Think Michael Jordan. He wanted the ball when the game was on the line, team down 2 points, 5 seconds left, he shoots the 3, wins the game. Sharks can sometimes rub people the wrong way because they can come off as arrogant, when this is not always the case. They simply have a strong belief in themselves and they have a white-hot desire to achieve greatly.

So they're the four personality types, and don't let anyone tell you any different (that's a shark joke). To be a great networker you want to be a chamelion. You want to be able to tell what is this person's primary persolity type (i.e. Are they a Whale, a Dolphin, an Urchin, or a Shark?) and present to them in the way they want to hear it.

Basically, leadership is influence. To progress in anything, you need to enrol others in your vision. So whatever your cause is, you are trying to influence that person to join you. In its simplest form, tell the whales how many people they could help by joining with you in your cause, tell the dolphins how much fun it's gonna be, tell the urchins how much information they will be able to obtain by attending your events, and even offer that they can research what you're doing and report back to you (don't be surprised when they do), and tell the sharks they will have the opportunity to be a leader in your organisation and call the shots.

A side note for those of you who want to be speakers or presenters: The best people to have at the front of the room are Shark/Dolphins. This is because they speak with authority and confidence, they can influence people, they are comfortable with all eyes on them, they are funny and engaging, they speak with passion and purpose, they ooze charisma, and they can get people enrolled and on-side.

7 ways to build a network of value

2008-12-15T05:22:00.000-08:00

You've heard the phrase, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." While some may disagree with this, being connected with the right people - people of value - is infinitely better than the alternative. Even at the base level, most people know that the majority of jobs never make it to the classifieds section. They're given to people who are recommended by someone, almost always by word-of-mouth.

Whatever your station in your entrepreneurial journey, your network is one of your greatest assets. So let's get you hooked up.

1. Commit to personal development. People want to know someone who has something of value to share. Leaders are readers. You're either growing or you're dying. Read 10 pages of a good book every day. Who's the first person you know who comes to mind when you think of who's a great people person? If you want to be more like them, and have people enjoy your company, make new friends and contacts easier, read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

2. Get out to many networking events. There are tons of these. Go to www.networkingworld.net.au for a comprehensive list. This is provided for a small fee, but will save you weeks of screwing around looking for good groups. If you're in Melbourne, Anderson Grey Worldwide is a quality organisation. They hold business networking breakfasts every fortnight, ask for Adam.

3. Practice getting people's phone number when you meet them. Ask, "Ya gotta card?"

I hardly ever walk away from a conversation with someone I've just met without getting their card, or at least their phone number and/or e-mail address.

In future posts I'll break down the psychology and mechanics of getting anyone's number, anytime.

4. Be a sociable, interesting person. Get out and do activities, learn a new language, take dance classes, go to the library, meet people.

5. Maintain and advance your relationships. Take care to stay in contact with people. It starts with the follow-up. If you meet someone at a networking breakfast, for example, make a point to contact them by phone (phone is best) or at least via e-mail within 48 hours, no later. When you contact them, be sure to remember something they were interested in (their latest business project, their upcoming holiday, the baby they're expecting in January) and ask them about it. Odds are you'll be the only person who made the effort to remember that. On the second contact, they will go out of their way to meet with you if you want to discuss doing business with them. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

6. Make use of technology to stay in touch. Add people on Facebook, save their e-mail addresses, start a blog (I just did). Don't fall into the trap of being a digital-only presence. The personal touch is always best (i.e. a phone call, drinks, a hand-written letter - yes, post it!), and it's even more so in this day and age where a lot of people can't be bothered staying in touch. It will make you stand out as someone worth knowing and doing business with.

7. Pay attention to your personal presentation. Sounds simple, however so many people kill their own first impression through lack of grooming, personal hygiene, inappropriate dress, etc. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one. Invest in some quality cologne (Ralph Lauren Polo Blue is good), get a nice belt and shoes, and get some business attire FFS. I see so many young entrepreneurs thinking they're the next Richard Branson turning up to business meetings in short sleeved shirts and cargos. As a young entrepreneur you're going to be wanting the cooperation of older colleagues. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by not being properly attired. Guys, ask a girl, men always look their best in a suit. It's always better to be overdressed than underdressed.

Do these 7 simple things consistently and I'd wager within months you'll have made more connections of value and more new friends than you have in the past 2 years.

If you feel like you got some value from this brief post, and would like to get your hands on more stuff like this, be sure to head over to the right and follow this blog so you can get all the latest updates. I'm also open to suggestions, so make your voice heard and comment below...

Security vs. Freedom

2008-12-15T04:57:00.000-08:00

Talking about the choice between a safe, secure job and the life of an entrepreneur, Robert Kiyosaki says that the more security you seek, the less freedom you have. I've heard it said recently that when you have a job that job controls your whole life: when you work, your time with your family, when you eat, how much you make, who you spend time with. Basically a job steals your life and your most precious asset, your time.

I have chosen to deny the job path and focus on being an entrepreneur who can maintain a living and have an enjoyable lifestyle, and not be stuck at a job for 50 or 60 hours a week, 9/10/11 hours a day.

Some of my friends dread starting working life so much they are choosing to go on to further study after finishing their undergraduate degrees at uni. I think this sums up pretty well the fact that what we have in Corporate Australia (a Corporate America Lite) is modern day slavery.

I am here to free the slaves. I will take them to the Promised Land. I am a fisherman and I teach people how to fish.

Further entries will outline ways to replace your employment income with income from your part-time business so you can do what you really want to do with your time.

For those wanting to know more about lifestyle design and escaping the rat race, I highly recommend Tim Ferriss' work. Either buy the book, 'The 4-Hour Work Week" or head to his site and link to his blog at: www.fourhourworkweek.com

What is this?

2008-12-09T17:52:00.001-08:00

This blog is about how to navigate through the world of people.

It's about my experiences, what I'm doing, what I'm teaching to people, and how you can apply these principles to improve your interactions with people, and ultimately become a person of influence and significance.