How do you keep referrals coming into your business?

There are a few people that are simply must-reads. John Jantsch is one of them. It has been a while since his book the Duct Tape Marketing came out and this one is worth the wait. Pick up a copy and pump up your referrals today...

clipped from referralenginebook.com Download a free chapter – Chapter 1 The Realities of Referral Marketing expert John Jantsch offers practical techniques for harnessing the power of referrals to ensure a steady flow of new customers. Keep those customers happy, and they will refer your business to even more customers. Some of Jantsch’s strategies include: Talk with your customers, not at them The sales team is the most important part of your marketing team. Educate your customers The secret to generating referrals lies in understanding the “Customer Referral Cycle”—the way customers refer others to your company who, in turn, generate even more referrals

Do you doodle?

I am one of those not-so-rare types that like to doodle. It has nothing to do with attention deficit, drawing skills or boredom. OK, sometimes it has to do with those things for me but as you can read below, it may have a greater reason too... Do you doodle? Leave us a comment, link or tweet.

clipped from www.creativity-portal.com What do you think when you see someone doodling during a class lecture or a department meeting? Are they paying attention or mindlessly daydreaming? Do you ever wonder if doodling helps them in their learning process? You may be surprised. Here's the old thinking and new wisdom Wenner shares about doodling: Old Thinking: "Scribbling circles on a notepad while your company's chief inspiration officer drones on about synergy means you have trouble focusing." New Wisdom: "Doodling can boost your mind's ability to notice and remember mundane information by nearly 30 percent, according to research from the University of Plymouth. The theory is that the act of drawing makes use of visuospacial processes in the brain that might otherwise be used for daydreaming, thereby preventing your mind from wandering."

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Is your brain operating at its creative best?

Image via Wikipedia

This article sounds like the old left brain/right brain discussion that has been around for a long time. I guess it is still of interest to everyone in trying to increase personal and professional performance. Take a look at the book for more in-depth exercises and creativity tools.

clipped from www.problogger.net At a recent conference, Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson spoke on harnessing your brain state for optimum creativity. Carson is an expert on creativity research and the author of Your Creative Brain: Seven Steps to Maximize Imagination, Productivity, and Innovation in Your Life (aff). The Deliberate Pathway The deliberate pathway handles problem solving, planning, reasoning. You use this pathway when you’re actively focused on a problem or task. For those interested in brain anatomy, this pathway primarily uses the prefrontal cortex, the most frontal portion the brain. The Spontaneous Pathway The spontaneous pathway, on the other hand, comes into play during idea incubation, immersion, and free association. You’re in this brain state when you defocus your attention: when you’re sleeping, in the shower, in a boring meeting, etc. The spontaneous pathway uses posterior portions of the brain.

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How do you define beauty?

The best line in this article is "people tell me that I have captured the persons inner beauty. This is not about inner beauty, this person is beautiful!' Watch and read on...

How do you define beauty?

clipped from www.psychologytoday.com Most of us feel that we aren't photogenic. But what if you have a genetic condition or physical trait that really makes a difference in how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you? Maybe it sounds counterintuitive, but photography actually can be the cure for a broken self-image. We humans have a common response to other people who look different. We turn our gaze away from individuals whose physical appearances make us feel uncomfortable; just think of your reaction when you see those ubiquitous television ads asking for donations for children with cleft palates. Or some of us may even stare, mesmerized by what we have been conditioned to view as physical deformity, defect, or disability. But what if a photograph could change those reactions

What is the worst icebreaker game you have had to do?

I am guilty of making my staff and people in my seminars do all kinds of teambuilding games. Why today I used duct tape on four people...it's a long story. Anyway, what is the worst icebreaker or team building game you have had to do? Share with us by leaving a comment or sending us a tweet @thirstyfishinfo

clipped from www.howstuffworks.com ­It's your first day at a new job and you're ready to make a solid impression. You walk into the office and you're handed a card with an animal on it, you're instructed to take off one shoe and you're told to put on a funny hat. Huh? You've walked into an office icebreaker, and you can kiss your dreams of a professional first impression goodbye. In the spirit of fighting fire with fire, corporate icebreakers fight awkward with more awkward. Not surprisingly, this tactic often fails. Icebreakers are games intended to encourage strangers to connect. Although they are most commonly used in teen groups or religious retreats, businesses have begun to adopt them to get their employees to interact and to increase teamwork. But many people feel meeting co-workers for the first time is hard enough without being forced to play a ridiculous game concocted by over exuberant group leaders.

10 Ways To Use Linkedin In Your Business

Guy Kawasaki, my fav blogger, asked for some cool ways to use linkedin in your business. See how many you are using...

clipped from www.openforum.com now there are over twelve million small-business people on LinkedIn, which is roughly 20 percent of its total user base. LinkedIn recently provided me a list of ten additional ways small businesses can use LinkedIn: Acquire new customers through online recommendations and word of mouth. Keep in touch with people who care most about your business. Find the right vendors to outsource services you’re not an expert on. Build your industry network—online and in person. Get answers to tough business questions with a little help from your real friends. Win new business by answering questions in your area of expertise. Raise funding. Network with peers in your industry for repeat business referrals. Convince potential customers of your expertise by sharing unique blog content. Keep your friends close and your competition closer.

Classic Marketing Techniques to Increase Conversions

Sometimes the best things are the oldest and simplest things. Read some of the old-fashioned sales ideas below. They have worked for generations and they will work for you to help you increase conversions on your website or with your product/service.

clipped from www.wilsonweb.com But when it comes to your sales pages and most landing pages, some good, old-fashioned sales techniques still apply. Here are some of the classics: Urgency. Give people a legitimate reason to buy immediately. Offer ends soon etc. Scarcity. Let people know that supplies are limited (if they are). New. People always pay a little extra attention to something that's new. Free. An old one, but a good one. Is there something free that you can include with the purchase? Save. People love to save money. Risk-free. People hate to take risks, particularly when buying from an online company they don't know very well. Take a look at your current sales pages, whether you are making a direct sale, generating a lead, asking for a registration or selling a subscription. Try adding one technique at a time. Try bundling two or three. Then track the results until you have maximized your conversion rates for the page.

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