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Mark Silver's Articles in Business Entrepreneur Small Business Ezines Personal Articles Web Design Sales Marketing Management Service Advertising Business Show All|Display Category|Title|Newest|Oldest Can Branding Ever Be Heart Centered? Sometimes the world delivers up vocabulary words that are just plain wrong. Painfully wrong. Words like "branding," which the world of marketing seems to love, but regular folks and cows just seem to hate. And it's because of how branding has often been used. Companies have done psychological studies on how to craft an environment that gets you to react in the way they want you to. It's like herding cattle into the searing-hot iron--ouch. Cookie Grandma's Secrets to a Unique and Powerful Business. Your business probably seems like many others. There are billyuns and billyuns of therapists, consultants, retailers, and healers. Yet, in order to make an impact and deeper connection with customers that is so necessary for a sustainable business, you need to distinguish yourself. However, just 'finding your voice' and 'developing your uniqueness' aren't often helpful strategies. Does the cutting edge of social media really pay? So someone asks you: "What's your Twitter name?" And you look at them like they are a loony. Twitter? Huh? And then the next person asks you, "You blog, right? What's the URL?" Hold it. What happened? In the seeming blink of an eye, suddenly there's all this new so-called 'social media' on the web, and you know nothing about it. What's worse, is that everyone else seems to be there already. Giving the awkward news that you're raising your prices The time has come- you've been waiting for it and dreading it at the same time. The time when you must, absolutely must, can't avoid it. You've got to raise your prices. You're sure about it, 100%, and it feels good when you think about it all on your own. Except... How DO you tell your current clients that your prices are going up, up and away? Your belly is flip-flopping, and your palms get cold and sweaty... How being outnumbered will gain you raving fans You're sitting in class, and the teacher at the front has just said something that doesn't entirely make sense to you. "You see, the world is flat. It's always been flat. And it always will be flat. Flat, flat, flat." The year is 1400 A.D., and you're thinking, "But, what if it isn't flat? What if it's round?" Do you stick your hand up and tell the teacher? How Do You Be Unique When What You Do Isn't Yours? You come off the freeway exit ramp, and bam, you're stuck behind a long line of cars at the stop sign, all wanting to turn left, the same way you want to go. Slowly, one by one, they go through the stop sign. You inch imperceptibly forward. Suddenly one of the cars peals off and goes right, instead of left. You're bored by this time, so you figure, what the heck--let's try it out. How productivity contributes to global warming and debt There was an edge to my voice as I asked the question: "And so why haven't you finished what you promised to do?" I meant for it to come out nicer, more reasonable. But, it didn't. This is so often where we land, kerthunk, in business: are you getting it done, or aren't you? In the western world, we call this 'productivity' and we think it's a good thing. How to avoid being trapped in a niche Bang! Bang! Bang! The hammer comes down again and again, nailing those wooden planks in place. Finally, it's done: you're trapped. No windows, and the only door nailed shut. Those business gurus told you to pick a niche, and so you did. And now you're stuck there, for the rest of your days. G'bye creativity. G'bye freedom. G'bye. How to avoid the funeral after a big breakthrough Okay, forget all this organic growth stuff. Let's say you hit the big time, and suddenly dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people are flooding towards your business. Exciting, isn't it? Sure, exciting as a funeral. If your business isn't ready, this could be The End. It's easy to want to hit it big. But, the truth is, rapid expansion is the most dangerous time for any business. How to be Consistently, Creatively Productive our business depends on your creativity. Your creativity in your marketing, in your product and service creation, and just in how you show up for your customers and clients. Without creativity, everything grows stagnant, you are unable to produce to meet deadlines, yours and others, and you begin to feel lifeless. And so does your business. And so do your profits. How To Create An Overnight Success In Your Business A person I admire has a very successful business. He's sharp, personable, funny, smart, and helpful. And, the products and services he provides are top-notch. He's sold thousands of them, and his business is operating at a level much higher than mine. Then he announced that he was celebrating three years in business. What! Only three years? How'd he get so far, so fast? How To Get Fear Off Your Business' Back You want to know a secret? My clients and class participants all trust me to hold confidentiality with the most intimate details of their business, but I'm going to go public with one detail I know. I'm going to tell you the straight-up fact, the one that no one tells anyone else. They all get scared. Gut-clenching scared. Scared witless. (And me, too.) How to Keep Big Opportunities from Tearing Down Your Business. "I love what you do. I want you to do project X, so we can reach a 1,000,000 people (or build that retreat center, etc.)" A few days ago I was reminded of this dynamic, when one of the current participants, using his newly-developed marketing message, started getting some pretty amazing results saying it to people. One of those results was a successful entrepreneur who shared his dream, and wanted to support him in "going big time." How to stop being a piranha when you really need clients In a recent Opening the Moneyflow class, we were discussing the balance between working on foundations and systems, and the need to get clients, like, now. As in 'now' thank you very much. Now, please? Clients? The need for cashflow in your business through having enough clients is profound. Paying the bills, keeping food on the table, and a roof over your head is no joking matter. How to use systems without turning into a heartless zombie You can tell as soon as you pick up the phone before the other person has even said anything. That little silence, the clattering in the background, tells you that it's a telemarketer on the other end of the line, and there is nothing they have to say that is worth your precious time. With those experiences, it's easy to have strong opinions about using systems, and to avoid them like the plague in your own business. Losing business for want of "The Nudge." Our friend Erica called my wife and me to invite us to a holiday dinner. We couldn't go, because we already had plans that evening. But, when we hung up, we remembered that weeks and weeks ago we had decided to go to a show that her husband was involved in producing, but had never bought the tickets. We went online right then and bought 'em. This was an example of "The Nudge" even if it was inadvertent. The Curse of Professionalism in Your Business Have you ever received (or written) an email like this one? "Thank you for your correspondence. We appreciate your desire to contact us, and someone will get back to you shortly." Kinda cold and stale, eh? I'm used to seeing things like this from corporations, and from the back of our refrigerator, but how about us teensy business folks? The one project missing from your strategic plan It's a given for your business: you want next year to be different than this year. And so all kinds of projects and tasks end up on your to-do list. Marketing, office structures, product/offer creation, client care, technology. Very important, this doing of things. Without action, very little manifests, no matter how clear your intentions are. And yet, will next year look different? What gives? Is it too much action? The true measure of money in your business Shiny new cars. Big mansions. The good life. Even if you're not a particularly material person, it's easy to be caught by those images, and to wonder: "Why don't I have that? Is there something wrong with me?" What Moses knew about getting ready to teach There's a class you've been thinking about offering for some time now. But, you're not quite ready. A little more research, a little more thinking, and you're sure you'll finally be ready. But, despite your passion, it's flat. Even practicing it in front of a friend or colleague, it still feels flat. Oh no! When will you ever be ready to offer this to people? There is a missing ingredient, and Moses knew what it was. When you feel so pressured to make money you can't think Your marriage falls apart, you or your partner is laid-off, or your spouse gets ill and you lose half your household income. The financial pressures sweep in like a sudden high tide, and as one of my clients wrote me, "I feel so pressured to make money I can't think." What do you do in a situation like this? "Forget about the bladdy-blah-blah of patience and organic growth, man! I need to make the rent like, yesterday!" Why You Shouldn't Handle More Than Three Projects As I write this, my wife Holly, myself, and our assistant Kate are planning to meet in a couple of hours. And why? So we can put a bunch of absolutely amazing and wonderful ideas on the back burner, and do nothing about them. It's probably not such a surprising idea for you, that you're supposed to prioritize your projects, and only focus on a few things at a time. Why your business needs a peer-led Mastermind group Every time I teach a class, and build in the buddy system, people are blown away by how much -easier- everything is, just from not doing it alone. And not just getting stuff done, but the insights, the perspective shifts. Everything changes when you aren't solo.	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