All annoying,  all unnecessary, even if you work on commission. My good buddy, international sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer said it best, “People don’t likes to be sold, but, they like to buy.” You know who I’m talking about, it’s likely one of your relatives, I know it’s one of mine. They are always pushing food on me, try this, eat this, have some of this. The more I say "no thank you", the more they push, the less I want it. Does it make me want to try the food? Hec no. It aggravates...

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Seemingly in every business category today, more businesses are being commoditized by the sheer abundance of choices customers have. It’s customers who decide who leads and who fails. How competition-proof is your business right now? When customers have abundant choice, competition is always fierce. How do you differentiate your business in ways that matter to your customers? How do you command premium prices and greater profit margins when everyone else is discounting prices fighting to break...

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Does your brand need a face lift? Is your brand got a case of the brand blues? The deadline for Oddpodz first annual brand makeover is right around the corner. All entries must be submitted by September 30th. There is no cost to enter and the winning company or individual will receive a complete brand makeover including: a brand strategy, brand identity, touchpoint plan, news release blast and more. See details here. ...

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Jump in your customer's shoes today, and you can. If you have a marketing role as an entrepreneur or a professional, you'd better be able to get in those customer shoes or you are in big trouble. Today's marketers of the most successful companies have a special skill.  Call it enterprising empathy—an astute ability to walk in the shoes of customers, see the world like they do, own their values and feel their most important needs, desires and pain. This week, I'm in Aspen CO, a very...

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Sorry I can’t help you. 9 reasons why passing on cash and new business will make you richer. This blog post is important to every business owner. And it’s a really  fun one for me to write, since I recently cruised on an Amtrak train to Aspen from Denver (77 bucks and a priceless experience). No we can't do lunch either. originally posted 9.2.10 This is way cool! I’m in an awesome, relaxing environment and working too. Plugged in, computer on my lap,  beautiful views of the mountains...

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5 convincing reasons rituals can put you on a winning track. Rituals are one of the most important tools you can use to achieve balance, mental toughness and your goals. Repetition of habits creates an awareness of your values and what's most meaningful. Disciplined patterns of thinking and acting can enhance your ability to respond to pressure, recover from mental and physical depletion and concentrate on your goals. In Jame E. Loehr's New York Times bestselling book, Stress for Success, Jim...

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For all the workaholics who believe the only way to create success is to work really hard for it, this may be a challenging idea for you. It simply goes against the grain of conventional wisdom – people who don’t work hard will achieve very little in life. At first glance, you're probably thinking how can one achieve more and work less? It seems counter-intuitive, and it goes against the grain of conventional wisdom-people who don't work hard, achieve very little in life. All...

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None of the above will change your business or your destiny.  Sure these things will help move your butt along and provide some superficial joy, but the only thing that can really make some serious stuff happen is YOU. And if you are like most humans, this action or radical change will come only after YOU feel enough pain (in your check book, on your happy meter) or you experience "in-your-face fear "about something (a big uncertainty that scars the crap out of YOU) before you initiate any...

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Today the Miami Herald ran an article on free tools and quoted me on how you can monitor your brand online and in social media. See full article here Some of these tools are still in beta testing. BackType Co-tweet divr.it Thoora I've signed up for all them and will post updates after some history with them. Let us know if there are others you use. ...

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In December 2009, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey announced his new company, Square, will allow merchants and individuals to accept secure payment from credit (and other) cards using a mobile phone. The idea is to accept payment through your cell phone in 10 seconds. Basically, it’s a little square dongle that plugs into your smartphone and allows you to swipe credit cards. Square may be exactly what you need for your growing business.  Not only is it convenient and portable, but the startup costs...

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What makes your business different from others offering the same services? If you can’t answer that question than what are you doing? New business owners need to clearly and quickly point out what is so special about the way they are doing business. If you don’t know, your customers sure the heck aren’t gonna know -- which means they aren’t spending money with you. We are in the age of going green. Any company worth their salt is considering their impact on the triple bottom line and consumers...

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Guest blogging is a great way to optimize your blog/website’s SEO. According to SEOMoz Search Engine Ranking Factors, links back to your site on external sites are what boost your SEO. Since guest blogging is about writing a quality article which links back to your website, guest blogging is a great way to create external links. Easy enough! Guest blogging is win-win relationship between bloggers and blog publishers because the publisher of blog gets fresh and free content for their blog, helping...

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