“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self” – Cyril Connolly
Are you struggling to meet your writing goals? Do you have difficulty consistently writing articles, blog posts or reports that you can confidently publish for others to read? Or are you one of those who repeatedly applaud others for publishing theirs, even as you wonder why you cannot get yours started or completed?
If you answered yes to any of the above queries, there are certain important things you may not be doing enough of.
Yes, I’m sorry to tell you this, but 9.9 times out of 10, you may be struggling to write because you are not doing something(s) right. And not because writing is too difficult or you are not born or destined to be a writer!
In this post, I discuss ONE possible reason why you never seem to be able to get your writing done according to plan. This “reason” is an obstacle keeping you from consistently achieving your writing goal, and I offer practical strategies you can use to overcome it
Universal Principles:Before I begin, let me point out that the ideas I share in this write-up apply not just to writing, but also any area of human endeavor. So, if you are struggling to achieve valued goals, in any aspect of your life, you’ll find the information provided here of immense practical benefit.
Lack of a Magnificent Obsession is a major reason I have found responsible for many people’s inability to meet their writing targets.
Without overcoming this obstacle, I honestly believe your chances of achieving long term success in writing will be quite slim. So, you’ll need to really pay attention as you read this post.
People who achieve success often do so by getting totally absorbed in its pursuit i.e. they become obsessed with it. Historical evidence supports this. It’s called having a "Magnificent Obsession".
This is your "raison d’être", your life purpose…or reason for existing. Something that literally dominates your daily thoughts, and which when achieved, would make you feel fulfilled…that you have lived your life well. As a writer, you need to focus your efforts on topics related to your magnificent obsession.
If you don’t know what yours is, the following questions and tips can help you:
What would you gladly do for 24 hours a day for any number of days – even if you did not get paid to do it? What gets you excited and eager to engage in it, every time you think about it? Whatever answer you come up with, is most likely to be your magnificent obsession.
Some people take a few minutes to a day to discover theirs. Others could take a year or longer. The path to self-discovery is not always straightforward. If you listen to your intuition, you will be pointed in the right direction faster.
The following narrative illustrates the importance of having a magnificent obsession:
In response to a question about how he managed to build what was quite a small start-up into a multi-million pound business, Simon Woodroffe (billionaire co-founder of the Yo! Sushi restaurant chain in the United Kingdom), gave what should be a re-assuring answer to anyone aspiring for success.
Simon said he did not consider anyone who achieved success – himself included – to be "clever". The problem, according to him, is that many people are (to use his exact words) "just lazy and stupid". He added that anyone who can get obsessed with something can do anything.
Giving a personal example, Simon revealed that there was never a time after he started his business that he woke up wishing for riches. He recalled that he always got up in the morning, because he was either obsessed with achieving his goal, or scared that his plans would fail.
In case you missed it, the point I’m making is that this gentleman provided an answer that effectively demystifies "success achievement".
Success is not reserved for "clever", "talented" or "gifted" people. Anyone can succeed in achieving her goal(s). What is important is that you identify clearly what you want to achieve – and why. Then get obsessed with pursuing it.
What do you think of the above message? Do you have any personal experience to share on this subject? Are there some other points you feel can be added, to help persons looking for answers? Share your thoughts below.
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Do you know anyone who might benefit from reading this post? Why not share it via your social media channels. Thanks in advance.
The habit I describe in this post is a silent weapon used by smart thinking salesmen and business owners to record highly profitable sales even when they are dead broke (especially then).
Its successful use is based on the practicing individual’s self-belief. It does not matter what line of business you are in or how many years you’ve been in it. Once you can display unshakeable self-confidence in relating with others about what you do, you will attract people who will gladly reward you handsomely for your product or service.
You will discover that the clients, who come to you through the use of this strategy, will often not even try to negotiate your fees or prices. That’s how “sold” they would be.
Note that the clients may come via offline and/or online channels. I would say – based on my personal experience – that smart use of this thinking habit in your online marketing can yield greater returns.
But What Is This Amazing Thinking Habit?
What can make seemingly heaven sent clients come your way as described above? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s the ability to habitually hide your need, and show your skill in marketing your products, services or yourself.
I’ve used the concept for over a decade. But a simple yet powerful quote credited to the late business philosopher – Jim Rohn – puts it quite eloquently in words:
“Learn to hide your need and show your skill” – Jim Rohn
Mr. Rohn’s admonition is simple common sense isn’t it? But the human mind is such a stubborn creature. It can be so difficult to tame – and control – if you’ve let it do what it likes for most of your adult life. That’s why some competent service professionals find themselves getting literally pulled around by the nose by unappreciative clients.
How Difficult Can This Be To Practice You Wonder?
Well, when we’re all together in our cosy meeting point talking about it in a relaxed manner, it rarely sounds difficult to do. But what about when you’re short of work – and you’re looking for new clients? Especially during those periods when your pockets are almost empty – or your bank account balance is hovering dangerously close to zero?
Do you feel confident at such times? Be honest now!
There are many people who – when feeling fairly financially safe – would confidently say NO to a client offer they find less than adequate. But these same people can be surprisingly willing to work for next to nothing (out of sheer desperation), when they find themselves going through a rough financial patch.
Like I wrote in an article about six years ago, never let your bank balance determine the level of self-confidence you have at any point in time. It’s a sure to damage the credibility and respect you have before clients. If you harbour such a weakness, it will be eventually uncovered by a client – who may readily play on it, to his own advantage.
Become Skilled At “Strategic Management” Of Your Personal Information
In war, opponents play mind games, and never let the other party know the true condition of things in their respective camps. Why? It’s common sense. Hiding your true situation puts you in the best position to compete effectively.
When your forces are depleted, the last thing you want to do is announce it – otherwise the other camp may change their battle plan to exploit your resulting weakness. Strategic deception has been used by war generals for centuries. And the same principles have been successfully applied in business for years as well, by the most successful companies.
A good book that teaches the importance of using strategy in war, in a way that is applicable to business is Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”. Get yourself a copy of that book.
It’s filled with nuggets of wisdom that can help you win battles without breaking a sweat. I should know. It helped me do just that less than three months ago with an old client.
(Most) Prospects/Clients Won’t Show Their Need – So Why Should You?
This is the one that I feel too many struggling (and desperate acting) entrepreneurs forget too often. While you’re busy thinking you need the money the potential client you’re meeting with is offering, how can you be sure s/he is not desperately in need of YOUR services as well? How can you be sure she’s not pretending so you won’t be able to tell that she badly needs your help to solve the problem she’s having?
The answer is you may never be able to tell. And in the same vein, she will also never be able to tell about you, unless you show your need to her.
In other words, quite often both of you may need each other equally – or the prospect could even need you more. However, when you go to her acting subdued or being too eager to please, she will naturally assume the opposite is the case i.e. you need her more than she does you!
See how a slight change in mindset can dramatically affect how much you earn as an entrepreneur? In just a few seconds you can sell yourself short to win a new client by presenting yourself approaching the client from a position of weakness.
What You Can Do: Develop a System to Hide Your Need & Show Your Skill
I have tried to be flexible, in response to pressure from seemingly well meaning clients. Guess what I found out? The more “flexible” I tried to be, the more they demanded that I try even harder – and the less willing they became prepared to pay to have that?
It did not take me long to realize that kind of relationship made no sense whatsoever. I asked myself some hard questions and I realized that I’d actually done what they asked NOT because I felt they were right, but because I wanted them to see how cooperative I was, so they would give me the job.
Unfortunately, what I failed to realize was that if I was going to make any decent profits, I could not afford to let my clients see that I was prepared to bend over and even break to have them hire me.
From the day I stopped working like that, and began relating with both clients and prospects more self-confidently and professionally, something wonderful began to happen. I suddenly found that I got what I asked for more often.
And the clients in many cases went on to give me more work. For instance, some initially hired me to build an automated spreadsheet application, later called me in to build another, or to develop a web marketing system for them.
TIP: Decide How You Work, and Stick With It
To achieve the progress described above, I (among other things) developed my own documentation spelling out how I did business (including payment options, terms of service, standard delivery durations and conditions for handover). Once I send it to prospective clients I rarely have difficulty getting them to pay for work I do.
There’s something magical about putting something down in writing or print – even if it’s digital i.e. in form of a PDF document. Add your logo to it. State the name, job title and contact details of the client. Indicate advance payment required; delivery duration (where applicable stating conditions e.g. “Assuming there are no strikes or other delays etc”).
But even more important were the conversations I had with potential clients/customers.
Like I’ve said elsewhere, I began asking prospects to pay a specific fee 100% in advance if they wished to meet/speak with me (after reading my stuff online), to discuss their project. I made it clear that the money was 100% deductible from my fees if they went on to hire me.
This singular strategy helped me get rid of people who were simply curious, and at the same time attracted those who were looking for a reliable provider. My insistence of such an unusual condition, in spite of the risk of loss of business apparently inspired confidence in most of those who really needed my help.
When you have good systems setup to present you from a position of strength to prospects and clients, it can be a great confidence booster – for both parties!
However, the best way to build your own self-confidence is to ensure that you know your stuff inside out. Be competent, and strive perpetually to stay on the cutting edge of new developments in your field. When you meet a prospect or client that will show through. And your need will never show its ugly face to a prospect or client again!
This is the fourth and final post in the series I began on the 6th October 2012. The first post argued that you need to determine if your blog needs comments to succeed – instead of worrying about what others say. Note that I refer specifically to blogging for business purposes, with emphasis on earning income via sales of products and services.
The second post discussed five questions you can ask yourself, to decide if your blog type needs comments to succeed (especially in financial terms). Going by my personal experiences and observations, if you avoid needless sentiment, these questions WILL help you choose right. In the third post (preceding this one), I discussed six different measures that can be used to evaluate the performance of a blog.
Now, this final post returns attention to the point I’ve made all through this series that my focus is on the use of blogs to earn income – directly or indirectly – for the owner. It explores what my checks suggest are three relatively underutilised strategies for making money with the help of a blog, which ANYONE can take advantage of.
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Blog Comments Multi-Post Series – Table of Contents
Why this series? There’s a lot of debate surrounding the value of comments.Many blog owners are not sure what to think or do as a result. This series offers ideasto help interested blog owners decide if their kind of blog needs (or does not need) comments to succeed – and steps to take in either case.
Introduction
All through this series, I have made it clear that my focus is mainly on blogging as done by persons engaged in business to enhance their ability to make money.
Making money from blogs is a fairly hot topic going by what the search engines reveal. And the topic has been quite thoroughly treated by many well qualified and accomplished blog owners. Most use conventional and popular strategies (E.g Adsense, adverts, affiliate marketing, information products, membership sites etc) to make hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
It would therefore be a waste of time to attempt discussing any of the methods they’ve already touched on. (See the Reference/Further Reading list at the end of this post, to read some of them).
My purpose in this post is to suggest relatively uncommon – but highly effective – strategies through which a blog can be used to make money (or facilitate the process).
First Establish Authority Status
For best results in using the techniques described in this post, I suggest you aim to establish authority status for your website or blog. Very rarely, especially in a field that involves writing to build credibility, will a total newcomer be able to instantly command authority status. It will take some time.
However, your commitment to relentless creation of unique and original content on your blog; and to syndication of your content (e.g. via guest posting, social media marketing etc), will gradually get you there.
Begin by building a distinct and recognisable blog presence. Add to that a no-nonsense commitment to regular publishing of high quality content on a carefully chosen subject area or theme. And you’ll eventually have a good foundation on which to launch your income generation efforts.
You need not however wait to become THE king of the (blogging) ring to get started. Once your efforts have begun to yield decent traffic results and possibly some level of return visits, it would be time to explore ways to reap some financial rewards.
What follows below are three relatively little discussed strategies that ANYONE can use to make money through (or with the aid of) his/her blog
1. Making Offline Sales
Did I hear you say “Huh?”. Well, that’s understandable. Like I said this post is about little used strategies. So, bear with me as I explain.
The idea is to use your blog to facilitate making money offline. All you need is to be quick thinking and a smart sales person, to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. If you run a brick and mortar business, explore ways to turn potential clients or customers’ attention to your blog e.g. when one walks in to make enquiries and appears to be in a hurry.
If you’ve diligently created content to make yours an authority blog, you’re likely to find something s/he says that you can relate to your blog’s content. Refer him/her to a PDF report or blog post you wrote to address a similar concern to the one s/he is raising.
If you have an Internet ready laptop within reach (which you could make a permanent feature on your premises) use it to show him/her what you mean. This can boost your credibility in the eyes of that individual. Sometimes that alone can convince an undecided buyer to place an order right there and then.
Even though I work from home, I’ve made this happen many times in the past, while in a client’s office, and using his/her laptop!
One example: Few months ago, I visited the office of an old client for a meeting. In the course of our discussions, she complained about poor service from her internet provider. This made me mention that I’d written a new report on my blog, about a massive cost-saving method I discovered, which involved using my smart phone as a modem on my laptop. 24 hours later she had paid for the e-book, and I’d sent the PDF to her.
In some cases, apart from getting paid in cash for a $40 PDF report I showed a client on my website/blog, I also got hired on the strength of that showing, to do the major project we originally came together to discuss!
I hope you see what I mean. This is about using your blog to facilitate the marketing and sales process in offline, one-on-one or group situations. And why not? Not everyone is a freelance writer who blogs for a living. Some business owners run blogs for use as marketing tools, to build market place credibility.
It only makes good business sense to “talk up” their high content quality blogs to prospects they meet, in a way that generates sales leads and ultimately income. Of course this may not happen often, or the same way every time. But if/when it does, the benefits can be multiple, and would come with minimal effort.
If you sell products, the fact that your store is online should not stop you from making sales if you physically come across people who need them. You (and members of your team) should be prepared for all possibilities – within reason.
In my part of the world, that’s not an unrealistic thing to do. Even in developed societies, a blog setup with this kind of mindset could be used to generate sales during say, a 3 day conference, if the owner provides a purchase processing equipment (e.g. credit card swiper) for dealing directly with interested attendees.
That’s better than asking them to place their orders when they get back to their homes or offices(which can result in some forgetting, or even changing their minds)!
If the product is physical and you have it on you (or in a sales truck at the venue) many people who meet you in person are likely to place orders, knowing the “shipping/handling” expense and waiting period will be eliminated.
Depending on the level of interest you perceive, a sales terminal linked directly to your blog’s payment processing system could be installed in a strategic location. Visitors to your premises would then read signs announcing such blog based offers and if interested simply make their purchase at that terminal.
That’s how a strategy of selling information products related to your business can make customers and clients who come in to place orders for them. It will earn you extra income without the overheads. And you’d also have the email addresses of buyers added to your mailing lists etc.
In summary, the fact that you display products online should not stop you from ALSO taking orders offline. Depending on what part of the world you’re in, NOT all your potential buyers will own PCs or have Internet access. So, when they visit your physical premises, or run into you in person, if you’ve prepared yourself as explained above, both you and such buyers will be happier at the end of your interaction!
If the product is electronic, they’ll get it in their mail boxes as soon as they complete payment right there and then. And YOU would get home with money in the bank. No need for follow ups or reminders.
How Do You Accept Credit Cards Offline?
To really make the most of this strategy, especially when dealing with large numbers of people in a physical location, you’ll need a purchase processing device. This tends to be a bit more complicated than the online system. But once setup, it can bring useful flexibility to your ability to make sales anywhere you are.
Thankfully, with advancements in technology, today’s providers continue to offer improved options. It is now possible to use a standalone credit card swiper linked to your mobile phone to take orders from offline customers. Other variants exist. Even Pay pal offers an offline merchant account option. If you are willing to do some creative thinking, it’s likely this strategy can yield some useful financial rewards for you. Read “this ehow article ” for useful details.
Here in Nigeria, Interswitch and other prepaid card swipers are increasingly becoming available in physical stores and business premises. The problem I see is that most owners fail to think beyond the conventional use these tools were setup for.
If you already use such a device on your premises, what stops you from encouraging customers or clients to use the card swiper to purchase information products from your blog? Basically, you could use your smart phone to email the download link (or file attachment) to the customer while s/he stands right in front of you AFTER making payment with his/her card. That would be passive income earned – which can add up over time.
2. Generating Pre-Qualified Leads For Sales of Your Products/Services
You can be more deliberate when you write posts for your blog – with the aim of getting potential buyers for products and services you offer, to contact you.
As I’ve explained on the About This Blog page, THIS is a multidisciplinary blog. I decided to focus all my content publishing in one central location on my domain, to ease the process of promoting different products and services I offer different audiences. Some of the these groups share similar overlapping interests – and that’s what makes it possible for me to do this. For instance a number of my web marketing clients have at one point or the other ordered a custom spreadsheet solution or PDF information products from me.
So, when I write new posts based on my blog publishing schedule, I’m actually doing so with deliberate marketing intent. And it works. Indeed, I have found that my newsletter subscription rates have risen since I launched this blog.
You could setup a separate contact form for each area of service you offer. The forms should be customizable – and must work with a script that will send auto responses with download links to needed documents etc. The script should also send YOU custom email messages that let you know which products and/or areas of your service are being requested from the SUBJECT line alone. This can make you well informed about your most in-demand product or service.
But what’s really important is the useful information the above setup can help you gather. In my case, the reports help me determine much more accurately, what those who contact me are looking for. That guides me to better tailor subsequent posts published in each blog category.
A good example of how I write posts with deliberate intent to generate sales leads for a product or service can be seen in my recent post(based on a pre-existing article) in the public speaking category titled “I Flopped Badly At The National Finals! (A True Story About How NOT To Prepare For/Deliver And Important Presentation). Note the 3D ebook cover(shown below) of a special White Paper inserted at the post’s bottom. That FREE download offer links to a squeeze page offering an additional FREE PDF report download. In the PDF white paper, this one page flyer announcing Burt Dubin’s speaker mentoring service is included.
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Write posts with timeless useful content, that can help potential buyers gain insights to address needs they have. They’ll come to regard you as a competent authority. And when they see an offer to get more content from you in form of a report or book, there’s a good chance some will take up your offer. If you go on to play your cards right, say through your newsletter and e-mail marketing, some will eventually take buying action.
3. Subscriber Web Contact Form Data Mining:
This strategy builds on what happens in 2. above. Success in the latter implies you’ll gradually build a mailing list of potential buyers. That mailing list CAN then be “mined” for three key purposes:
a. To gain insight for new post titles and website content you can create that will interest visitors
b. To understand the demographics of those who make enquiries e.g. job titles, occupation, area of interest, etc.
c. To determine the frequency of enquiries relating to a specific product or service: It was this that helped me discover an overwhelming majority of visitors to my Farm Biz Ideas website were keenly interested in learning about Livestock Feed Formulation. And this has been reflected in the repeat sales I’ve made of my Feed Formulation Handbook and also via one-on-one coaching of clients on the subject.
Each time a request form on my website is used, the script that is executed auto-updates a text database with the information submitted by the prospect.
Whenever I need to do a comprehensive review, I simply download the text database from my website’s cgi-bin and import it into Excel.
Each database field is placed in a separate spreadsheet column. This makes it easy to access what you want. Basically, I use a small MS Excel app I built to review enquiries sent in by visitors over time, to get ideas for new topics to write on. And since the enquirer is already on my mailing list, whenever the resulting new content is published, s/he gets to know as well.
The point being made here is that you can analyze the visitor contact information collected from 2. above, and use it to refine your content marketing efforts via your blog. That’s where the “mining” of your data comes in. Believe me, when you put that data into a spreadsheet it can really open your eyes to useful trends in the requests and “characteristics/profiles” of those who respond to your content.
For instance from “studying” my form data, I’ve discovered that over 80% of sales I’ve made of my Farm Business products and services have been to people from a specific region of the country. It’s so uncanny that I’m planning to visit that location to see if I can understand why that is so – and possibly make it happen more often!
Final Words
The strategies I’ve described above provide potentially viable complementary alternatives a blog owner can adopt. They would probably appeal to people just starting out or at least in the early stages of running their blogs – until they can build enough recognition/authority to facilitate access to more popular channels.
Having said that, even blog owners who already enjoy financially rewarding returns from using the popular strategies may find it beneficial to ADD these strategies to boost their blogs’ ability to generate financially rewarding returns.
In this post I mention the case of a teacher who told her pupils to stop watching Tom and Jerry cartoons for the above mentioned reason. If you’re surprised that a teacher could make such a misleading assertion, know that you are not alone. And it is because such things can happen that I believe more parents need to show more interest in knowing who their kids’ teachers are, on a personal basis. Our kids spend over six hours exposed to "teachers" – on weekdays for months. That’s enough time to pick up all kinds of ideas from their teachers. We therefore need to be sure of the quality of thinking our child;s teacher indulges in, to avoid having our kids wrongly oriented As the original title I used for this article in 2008 states: "Don’t Let "Wrong" Teachers Make Your Child A Thinking Pigmy!"
(First published online: 29th January 2008)
Preamble
This is a subject I am especially passionate about. I have written about it previously, but some weeks ago I heard about a teacher in a school who said something that really upset me, to kids she was teaching that I decided to do this additional feature on it.
What do you hope to achieve by sending your kids to school? Do you aim to make a status statement each time your kids step out in their pretty school uniforms, board their air-conditioned bus to head to/return from your idea of a befitting school? Or is your intention to have them equipped with the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to make a success of their own lives as adults?
I hope the latter is your preference. But going by what I sometimes see, there appears to be a pre-occupation on the part of certain parents with "creating impressions", and keeping up with the Joneses. Those who do this proudly announce they are sending their kids to the "best" schools in xyz area.
Unfortunately, high fees and pretty school buildings do not guarantee your child a quality education. And please note that by education I do not mean the ability to score all A’s in the final school certification exams. Being educated goes way beyond that. It includes being conversant with what it takes to do more than just survive in the real world.
"Let early education be a sort of amusement. You will then be able to find out the natural bent" – Plato (346 BC).
Kids Are Not Afraid To Show Surprise/Excitement When They Discover NEW Learning
Furthermore, being educated in my opinion involves having the understanding that there is nothing wrong in allowing yourself to "act excited" and "be surprised" when you discover new learning! And that is what makes kids so special in my opinion. You see they are so willing to believe what they are taught and they rarely act unexcited when they do.
A quick example:< My kids once discovered a butterfly pupa hanging in the corner of a wall in the compound, and all came screaming into the house to tell my wife and I (then they literally dragged us out to see it). Prior to that time, they had only been seeing caterpillars(butterfly larvae) which seemed to drop on to the ground from the next compound which was filled with tall grasses. And I had been using a set of colored pictures illustrated flip charts to show them the life cycle of butterflies and other insects. So they had seen pictures of the pupa but never seen a live specimen - until that day. And they did not hide their excitement.
On another occasion, after pestering us futilely to get them a pet cat, my kids teamed up to use wet sand to mould a cat (or more accurately, something they meant to look like a cat!). They then sent my wife and I reeling with laughter when they informed us that since the Bible said we were all made from earth/soil they intended to pray to God to turn their sand statue cat into a real-life version they could keep as a pet. We told them this was unlikely to work, but they insisted that it would.
We were particularly glad they did not succeed, because the resultant live cat would have been so grotesque, and its looks would probably have caused visiting friends/relatives to have nightmares!
But let’s not lose sight of the point being made – kids have so much capacity to believe and to display such belief and wonder without embarrassment. Any schooling they are exposed to must be checked to ensure it does not kill this quality in any child. The problem is some schooling systems teach kids to be the opposite of what I have described above.
Do you think kids who behave like those mentioned above will have difficulties describing the life cycle of a butterfly if they are ever asked, after having had such experiences? Not likely. Research has shown clearly that people tend to learn best/recall more successfully what they are taught when the learning they undergo is experiential(i.e. practical/experience based and therefore real-world relevant).
When Learning Is Fun, Learners Look Forward To It
But what is even MORE pertinent is to note how giving kids an exciting learning experience stimulates their thinking and makes them more interested in learning. In other words, kids who enjoy their learning will not be bored – neither will they need to be forced or coerced to study daily(You will not believe the way my kids keep coming to me with books and pictures on the things they learn about daily which I and my wife try to show them examples of in real life).
And that’s where I come to the matter of the teacher who (reportedly) told the kids she was teaching that they should not watch "Tom & Jerry" cartoons because the cartoons make kids act like they were "retarded"! Incroyable!!! (like the French would say). Wonders will just never end. That’s what you sometimes get when you send your kids to schools without checking for the quality of manpower such institutions have.
Do You Know Who Your Kids’ Teachers Are?
Which is why I ask these questions: WHO ARE YOUR KID’s TEACHERS??? Do you know them? I mean have you met them in person? Do you have an accurate assessment of what they can offer your kids?
Our society is failing its kids because the best of us are too busy trying to stay the best, and are willing to spare little or no time to pass on what we know to the next generation. We therefore end up leaving that very important teaching job to the "less than best" rest of society. The quote below captures this point quite well.
"In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less" – Lee Iacocca, Chairman & CEO, Chrysler Corporation
I know it does not sound nice, but it’s true! Some people settle for teaching jobs after looking without success for what are considered by the majority to be "better jobs"! At the risk of exaggerating, these kind of people tend to be "frustrated" and in certain cases could transfer their frustrations in many forms to the kids they have to teach.
These kinds of people generally tend not to be up and doing in improving themselves, and so may not to be in touch with latest developments/trends. That mental attitude could make them lack insight into the true nature of certain things e.g. Tom and Jerry cartoons! And yet we leave our kids with people who may have these issues for six to eight (8) or more hours daily!
I know for a fact that Tom and Jerry cartoons do wonders for the imagination of kids – and the many adults(like me) – who watch them. I can remember watching that cat and mouse cartoon series without getting bored from well before my tenth birthday, and have NEVER once been bored. And I certainly never suffered any negatives effects from watching them. So where did that teacher get her ideas about the effect of the cartoon series on kids from?
"The value of a liberal arts education is that it trains the mind to think" – Albert Einstein
Summary
The best gift you can give your child is the ability to think for him/herself. Make sure you send him/her to a school that does not "kill" that instinct/ability. Don’t let the wrong teachers make your child a thinking pigmy. Don’t let them turn him/her into what Robert Kiyosaki called a "mindless parrot" or robot. Get actively involved in your child’s formal schooling – and education today.
"Education has produced a vast population able to read, but unable to distinguish what is worth reading" – George Macaulay Trevelyan, 1942.
Final Words
By way of interest, the expression "Thinking Pigmy", is not original to me. I came across it in a book by Colin Wilson titled "The Occult" Copyright 1971, Random House Inc. (New York & Canada).
The lessons I share in this article are based mainly on a true-life experience I had, in 1997, at the age of 27. I was delivering a management research paper at the National Finals of the (now repackaged) Young Managers Competition, organized by the Nigerian Institute of Management(NIM). I provide graphic details of how my inexperience made me take certain important preparatory steps for granted.
You will learn how that eventually led to a botched presentation that earned me considerable embarrassment, and a 5th place position that I would have bettered on a good day.
Ironically, the “equivalent benefit” of that adverse experience came to my rescue about 5 years later (in 2002) – during my first year in self-employment as a Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist.
Then I used the lessons from my failed presentation to deliver a successful presentation at the Center for Management Development(CMD). This, despite being told midway through my presentation to finish in one (1) instead of two(2) hours. And in spite of the fact that a power cut occurred that forced me to fall back on my printed speaker notes to finish my presentation.
Read this article. It provides a comprehensive summary of useful learning points, and also offers very practical ideas about what can go wrong. Plus, how you can improvise to STILL deliver a successful presentation.
Background: It all began in November 1997, while I was observing my annual leave from work(as a 27 year old brewer in Guinness Benin Brewery)
After coming across the call for entries in a national daily, I wrote and entered a paper titled “Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Target Setting” for the 1997 edition of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s Young Manager’s Competition.
Invitation letter – After coming across the call for entries in a national daily, I wrote and entered a paper titled “Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Target Setting” for the 1997 edition of the Nigerian Institute of Management’s Young Manager’s Competition.
The paper was based on work I had done(mostly in my free time) in setting up various process control/reports computerization systems in departments(Production/Brewing and Packaging/Bottling) where I worked.
The paper discussed the use of CUSUM(Cumulative Sum Deviation) charts, and other simple Statistical Process Control(SPC) tools that I had used in real-life projects I had carried out at various times during the course of the year(1997).
Entry form for the competition – insideEntry form for the competition – outer side
One of them was ” Total Waste Unaccounted For(TWUF)™” – a statistical process control index I developed by myself…
Regarding TWUF™, I had returned to the brewing department from another secondment as Packaging Shift Manager to the Packaging (bottling) department in February 1997, when I was recalled on the request of the Packaging Manager – Alex Okorodudu.
He asked me to carry out a beer waste investigation on one of the bottling lines.
In the course of that investigation, I developed the concept of TWUF™, which through mass balancing made it possible to quantify beer losses that could not be traced to a known waste point.
Eventually, I used TWUF™ to identify the startup and shutdown operations at the bottle filler machine as being responsible for creating an apparent(i.e. false) beer waste situation. Modification of the mentioned filler procedures led to an immediate normalization of waste values recorded.
I intend to publish a formal paper on TWUF in a few weeks from now. It’s a concept that can be used in ANY process.
Deciding To Enter For The Competition…& Getting Approval From Management…
My decision to enter for the NIM competition was influenced by a need I felt, to share the experiences I had gained in the practical application of statistical tools for useful purposes in a business.
Prior to entering that paper for the competition, I had given out copies of it to senior managers in the company’s Lagos office, like Alistair Reid(then Operations Manager, Lagos), and Abiola Popoola(Head of Human Resources).
Apart from seeking their input, I did this to get their consent and be sure it was okay to use the company information I had included.
Important Note. If you plan on using any data from your current workplace in an activity outside the company, it is imperative that you consult competent officers of the company to advise you on how to go about doing it. Play safe by getting the responsible person(s) to give you the go-ahead, before you send out any information or material regarding the company’s activities. That way, you are unlikely to make the mistake of giving out sensitive information that could get you into trouble.
You may not have plans to enter a paper for a competition like I did, but you might want to send out an article for publication in a newspaper or other media.
Check with those concerned to be sure that all you have put into your write-up is “safe for public consumption”.
Presenting The Paper At The Zonal Finals In Ibadan, Oyo State
On 15th November 1997, I presented my paper before a packed audience in Kakanfo Inn (Ibadan, Oyo State) at the Western Zonal finals. By the end of the day, I was announced as runner up, which meant that I had qualified for the Lagos national finals along with the winner of the zonal competition.
Looking back, I recall feeling very confident during the delivery of my paper on that day.
Not long after I resumed work from my annual leave, I informed my boss – Greg Udeh – of my outing at the NIM zonals, and the fact that I would have to travel to attend the National Finals in Lagos.
He was naturally pleased to learn of my initial achievement at the zonals and the next day, announced my achievement at the brewery meeting for departmental heads.
I soon found myself – midway through conversations – getting asked about the competition and being wished best of luck etc. Maybe all that attention got to me, and made me “forget” to at least mentally rehearse my presentation.
Traveling from Guinness Benin Brewery, in Benin City, Edo State to Lagos For The National Finals
Due to limited number of brewers available that day, I had to cover afternoon shift duty on Friday (2.00pm till 9.00pm) before I could take off on my journey to Lagos.
It was nobody’s fault really – just one of those unexpected developments that shift workers have to deal with.
The finals were scheduled to hold from 9.00am prompt on the morning of Saturday December 13th 1997. So I knew I had to get into Lagos before 7.00am, in order to pick up a cab in time to reach the Victoria Island “Management House” of the NIM – venue of the finals.
Within thirty minutes of arriving at the ever busy Benin city’s Iyaro motor park, the Peugeot station wagon I boarded took off with six passengers for Lagos.
This was at about 10.30pm(Yes – at night).
Some four hours later, we arrived at Ojota park in Lagos. All the cabs and buses had retired for the day by this time(this was approx 2.30am Saturday morning)
So there was nothing else to do but plead with a taxi driver to let me catch up on some sleep in the passenger front seat of his cab.
Suddenly I heard the loud chanting of a bus conductor calling passengers for Palmgrove.
The time was about 5.45 am.
I quickly thanked my “sleeping companion” and picked up a taxi heading towards Pedro/Shomolu. Arriving at my parent’s house in Gbagada Estate, I hurriedly took a shower, changed my clothes, and explaining to my surprised mother that I had little time left, jumped back into the taxi, which sped off towards Victoria Island.
At about 7.30 am, the taxi dropped me off in front of the NIM Management house on Idowu Taylor street.
Feeling relieved, I quickly went in and confirmed that start time was 9.00am. That was when it dawned on me that I had not eaten anything since the night before.
One of the security men at the gate kindly directed me to a “quick-snacks corner”, where I “quickly” downed some, with a bottle of soft drink.
Returning to the NIM premises, I found a place to sit that enabled me observe preparations being made for commencement, while I opened my folder and began studying the paper copies of my presentation (projector) transparencies.
Presenting At The Lagos Finals – The Unthinkable Happens!
My fellow contestants
Not long after, following some welcome speeches/opening remarks and introductions, the competition commenced.
When the 3rd (of eight) finalists – Mitchell O. Elegbe – finished presenting his paper (titled “Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Information Technology In Emerging Economies”), I heard my name being announced. Minutes later, I was standing in front of the packed auditorium introducing my self and paper.
Waiting for my turn to deliver my paper
Based on hindsight, I now realize that the unavailability of a projector at the zonal finals (which caused the organizers to ask us to dispense with our transparencies and speak freely referring to any speaker notes we had) probably blinded me to the need to rehearse for the National finals with a projector.
As “luck” would have it, the projectors had been made available at the National Finals and I found myself having to pause intermittently to slot in the appropriate slide for the next set of points I wanted to make.
This went well initially, but since I had not really taken time to rehearse since the zonals, especially following from the fact that I had found no need to use the slides back then, I struggled quite a bit.
I cannot be certain, but it is possible that THAT also contributed to my not thinking “clearly” when I later experienced a little setback during the presentation.
To cut the long story short, about ten (10) minutes through my presentation, I turned to pick a slide containing charted data depicting the use of the CUSUM concept, but found it was missing.
Feeling my heart skip a beat, I lifted the other slides up by the edges to see if the CUSUM chart was there but it was not.
Speaking into the microphone, I apologized to the puzzled audience, explaining that I was missing a slide. One of the judges, after some seconds had passed, said “Mr Solagbade, your time is fast running out”.
I nodded, but kept on looking – convinced I could still find it in enough time to use it and finish the presentation!
Unfortunately when it was about 1 minute left (out of the 15 minutes allowed) I still could not find it. I had wanted so badly to impress the judges and audience like I had done at the zonals, that I could not help feeling at this point, that the mishap would have killed any chance I had of getting anything better than last place!
I felt so bad about my blunder, that I declined to take up an offer from the judges to allow me three(3) extra minutes to do a decent round up of my presentation.
Instead, I told the audience – in a very serious tone – that I was convinced the paper had a lot of useful information for companies in the manufacturing industry.
Then I encouraged them to take time to visit the NIM library and read through it in future.
Dropping the microphone, I returned to my seat as muffled applause/murmuring from the audience continued.
Surprise! Despite My Blunder, I Still Get Placed 5th Overall
But I was in for a shocked when the judges announced the final results later in the day.
They pointed out that the verbal presentation(which I had flunked) only carried 20% of total marks, while paper’s “quality” carried 80%!
However, before they announced the results, they also read out other criteria for rating the contestants, one of which they defined as “the confidence demonstrated by a contestant in his/her paper”.
Looking back, I believe it was the confidence with which I had recommended my paper to the audience, that led the judges to award me enough points to place 5th, despite my bungled presentation.
So it happened, that despite an aborted presentation, my paper which was adjudged to be of high standard (with the concept of Total Waste Unaccounted For – TWUF™ – being singled out for mention) eventually placed me 5th out of eight(8) finalists.
Speech and announcement of winners by a management representatieve of the sponsoring company – makers of NESCAFE…I think NESTLE.Dignitaries present (and I think the judges too)
As the results were being announced, my mind went back to what one of the judges had said to me during lunch after the last contestant – Friday E. Eboh – had completed his presentation(titled “Public Relations In Management: Issues and Challenges”).
He had said “Solagbade, you should have simply continued with your presentation when you could not find the slide quickly enough. You were doing well up to that point, and to be honest, I don’t think anyone would have noticed if you did not show THAT particular slide.” I realized he was right. I alone knew the slide existed – they did not! So, if I had chosen to skip it during my presentation, they would not have known better!
Receiving my gifts
I learnt a painful but useful lesson that day, to always rehearse my presentation well ahead of time, no matter how well I think I know it.
The experience also impressed upon me, the importance of running through a checklist of all the items I need to take with me for a presentation so as to avoid missing out any important ones – like I did the CUSUM charts slide.
Final positions of the contestants at the National Finals
Finalists – we took a picture together at the request of the media photographers who were present, AFTER the event ended.
Back At Work – A Senior Manager Tells Me Where I Went Wrong
When I returned to work the following week, I sent a little note about the outcome of the finals to one of the senior executives in Lagos: Ian Hamilton – who had been particularly supportive.
In it, I told how bad I felt for not having done better etc. He sent back a post-it note attached to my note, on which he wrote:
“Tayo, 5th place overall in NIgeria! You should be proud of yourself “
Then regarding the mishap during my presentation, which betrayed inadequate “practice” on my part, he wrote: “Even the members of the (Guinness) board rehearse their presentations many times before they have to deliver them!”
I took his correction to heart and used it to drive myself to become proficient in delivering presentations subsequently.
I believe an indication of how proficient I had become was evident during a presentation I was invited to deliver at the Center for Management Development, in Lagos.
This event took place in September 2002, about 9 months after I had voluntarily resigned my appointment with Guinness to go into business for myself. (Read my article Should You Quit Your Job Or Start Your Business Part-Time? to learn why I decided to quit my job despite the promise of a bright career future in the company.)
On that day, less than 15 minutes after I was introduced/began delivering my paper, the following happened within about 5 minutes of each other:
a. The center’s Training Manager slipped me a note asking that I “Please finish in 1 hour” (instead of the two hours I had been originally told I would be making the presentation in).
b. An electric power cut suddenly occurred!
Both potentially disturbing/unexpected “changes” however did not bother me.
When the lights of the PC projector went out that afternoon in the CMD’s main auditorium, I was fully prepared in every way.
I simply picked up the printed power point speaker notes I had put on the table while preparing to start my talk, and flipped to the page containing the points I was making before the lights went out.
Then, after making a joke about the loss of power supply – continued, and eventually concluded, my presentation well within the revised one hour time slot.
At the end of the day, over 100 attendees who returned my speaker feedback form to me, scored me an average rating of approximately 4.0 (on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 = Excellent).
Three of the many notable comments on speaker evaluation feedback forms returned to me by members of the audience read as follows:
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“Good insight for the much needed human revolution to drive creativity in this nation”
Oma Williams O.W. – Director, Center For Management Development, Lagos.
“A very worthwhile exercise. The package can however be improved by making it organization specific”
C. I. Okeke – AD/Research & Consulting, Center For Management Development, Lagos.
“The Speaker, Mr. Solagbade is an authority in his field. The Speaker is an achiever who is able to carry his audience along with him in his message/speech”
Confidential Secretary, Center For Management Development, Lagos.
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Letter of Appreciation from the Center for Management Development (in response to one that I sent them AFTER the event).
Useful Lessons You Can Take Away
Choosing to go for this competition enabled me connect with top managers in my workplace, on an informal level – and I got noticed/establish potentially useful relationships. If nothing else, my actions got them thinking of me positively, and probably played a role in many career advancement opportunities that later got sent my way.
Another benefit was that I got considerable attention across the brewery for getting that far in the competition. All of these would have made me get noticed by a larger number of decision makers – which would NOT have been the case if I had not gone for that competition.
I say the foregoing in light of the fact for instance, that a year later, in 1998, I would be nominated twice – first time for four weeks, and the next time ten weeks – to relieve the substantive Technical Training & Development Manager(TTDM) – on a management grade one-step above that which I belonged to.
The point I have tried to make above, is that you can intelligently create opportunities to showcase your unique abilities to decision makers, by engaging in activities that afford you the desired exposure.
However, it might be wise not to make impressing your superiors the main objective of venturing into such an activity as the one I took up for instance.
Towards improving your presentation skills, and taking needed actions/precautions, you may find the following lessons I learnt of some use:
1. Get Adequate Pre-Presentation Time:
I should have sought the support of my boss/brewery management to get away from work earlier so as to be able to travel for the event and arrive on time. This might have helped to get myself organized and I could have discovered the absence of the slide BEFORE the presentation.
2. Practice, Practice, Practice!
I would have fared better if I had made conscious effort to rehearse my presentation well ahead of the finals. The achieved familiarity with my presentation might have made me more confident to carry on despite being unable to find the slide.
3. Coaching Tips From Experienced Others:
I could have sought tips about handling hitches or problems during presentations. Experienced speakers – like many of the company’s senior executives may have been able to share their personal ideas about how to prepare with me.
Some may have prompted me to be ready for when things go wrong – drawing on their personal experiences.
For instance, today, if I have to coach anyone on making presentations, one of the most important topics I would cover is “What Can Go Wrong, And What You Can Do – In spite Of Setback(s) – To Ensure You Still Deliver A Good Presentation“.
4. Quitters NEVER Win:
If I had remained calm, and carried on with my presentation without letting on that something was wrong, I could probably have earned enough additional points to eventually do much better than winning 5th place.
Instead I let myself get upset upon discovering that my slide was missing.
You will want to avoid making the same mistake if/when you find yourself in a similar situation.
Final Words: Adversity ALWAYS Comes With Benefits …Which We Can Harvest If We Pay Attention!
Overcoming temporary defeat(i.e. failure) or adversity; recovering from setbacks, or correcting and learning from mistakes we make, will ALWAYS make us improve in our abilities to do what we do.
It is for this reason that I end this article by saying:
Even if you DO have a bad presentation outing, know that the experience presents you with a potential learning opportunity to become BETTER at delivering presentations.
Simply make up your mind to identify where you went wrong, and learn what you need to do differently in future, to make your presentation successful.
Do this as/when necessary, and you will eventually achieve your desired goal of being able to deliver successful presentations repeatedly and consistently.
Are you in paid employment, and eager to advance up the position ladder or corporate hierarchy? If yes, there’s a good chance you’ll have to confront the above challenge at least once in your career. Most people would agree that going against laid down operational guidelines (especially those affecting product or service quality/delivery) is wrong. Examples would be bypassing standard procedure in manufacturing a product (i.e. cutting corners) for personal gain; or giving or receiving bribes etc.
If you are asked to do wrong along the lines mentioned above, however, how you tackle that challenge may depend on a number of factors such as:
1. Your position in the company
New entrants or lower ranked employees tend to be at the receiving end of instructions and orders most times. If you’re still at the bottom of the pecking order, getting asked to do what you consider to be wrong, could put you in a major dilemma
Take the case of Andrew – a junior line manager. He was asked by his boss to use a procedure that had been expressly forbidden in a memo by the company’s management. Everybody knew it was an outlawed “practice”. Yet, his boss verbally instructed him to do it, so they could recover lost time to meet the week’s target volume output.
As a junior line manager, Andrew knew he could not hope to convince anyone that this really happened, if he chose to report it. But he also knew that if he went ahead and did as he had been asked, his boss could deny telling him to do it, if anything went wrong!
So, he was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea – figuratively speaking.
After thinking about it for a while, he recalled having a conversation with some of the veteran managers. They had worked with his boss many years before, and shared a valuable lesson they picked up:
If you boss asks you to do anything you’re not convinced he’ll back you up on when it comes to the crunch, get him to put it in writing. Politely request a memo from him instructing you to do it. Once you have that signed document stating explicitly his instructions to you, go ahead and do it.
Even if you’re not new (or young) in the company, you can still use the above strategy.
But in your case, an even better line of action would be to call your boss’ attention to the fact that what he’s asking you to do is against company policy.
Politely point out the implications. Depending on how far apart you are in “rank”, and the degree of seriousness of the issue, you may formally advise him that you’ll have to put in a formal report if he insists on going ahead. This would not be a selfish move on your part – especially if the company’s management is not in the know. You could be doing the organization a big favour they would appreciate on finding out about it. And THAT would be a good way to do YOUR JOB – which is what you’re being paid to do.
2. Your boss’ position in the company
This is another factor that can influence how you deal with a boss’ request for you to do wrong.
If your boss is the owner of the company (say it’s an SME), then it gets easier for you either as a new employee or a veteran staff.
Since s/he owns the company, if the issue has to do with bypassing standard procedure for instance, and you are in charge of Quality Control, voice your professional opinion.
Whether or not you decide to do what s/he asks will now depend on what implications doing it will have – on you, and others, including the larger society.
Lets say s/he asks you to arrange for dumping of contaminated byproducts from the plant or factory in a nearby lake at night, to save scarce funds. Your sense of responsibility, professional obligation, and of course your conscience should come into play here.
If you worry about losing your job if s/he fires you for saying no, consider the possibility that you could join him on a trip to jail (or some severe form of reprimand), if the authorities discover your abuse of environmental protection laws.
What’s more, the impact on other people – to the extent that their health could be damaged should concern you. Draw courage from those considerations and tactfully try to persuade your boss to pursue a different line of action. If s/he won’t budge, consider more serious lines of action e.g. saying NO, and/or reporting to the authorities.
Sometimes the request may not have such serious consequencies as the above. For instance, as the owner of the company, your boss could ask you to delay payment of salaries till the 10th of every month, instead of paying it on the 30th day as required by law.
Maybe you’re the accountant or administrative manager in the company. How far would you go in obeying orders if it means doing wrong to innocent others?
On the one hand it’s not your company. On the other hand, those being denied their pay when due, would be made to suffer needlessly after fulfilling their end of the employee-employer agreement.
Would you just go ahead and every month delaying people’s salaries till they have to borrow from relatives and friends to keep coming to work? Or would you summon the courage to gently but firmly get your boss to do the right thing?
I know someone who successfully took action to correct this kind of behavior by taking on an entire company’s management team. And he did it without starting a big fight, but instead by using the Socratic technique.
By the time he was done, it was obvious to his superiors that they could not justify continuing the practice under the guise that it would ensure people stayed committed to their jobs!
3. The part of the world you’re in
In discussing points 1. and 2. above, I deliberately did not bring up the matter of the level of “development” of the socio-economic environment in which your company operates.
The realities of life are different in some parts of the world. The opportunity to be able to leave home and say they’re off to work every morning, makes some people willing to put up with almost anything – including inhumane treatment from employers.
The employers know this, just as well as the employees do. And that creates the basis for the latter to get away with what they want – sometimes, and often. But not all the time.
Working in a company under such socio-economic conditions could influence your disposition on such a matter as deciding what to do about right or wrong.
A married man for instance, who works as accountant would probably be wary of being too diligent in pointing out his boss’ error in delaying payments, for fear that an eager replacement can be quickly found to do what is being asked!
Having said that, some individuals do not let such realities cow them.
In fact, a useful defence to adopt in such situations would be to hone your skills on the job so well, that your boss would literally dread the thought of having to replace you. You can make yourself so valuable – an asset not to be joked with – that when you express an opinion, those who matter will often listen. You would then use that to your advantage.
On the other hand, if you’re based in a developed society, so many laws and rules already exist to keep most bosses in line when it comes to doing right or wrong in their companies. But that does not stop some people from trying. Find out more about what the laid down guidelines entail, and use that knowledge to guide yourself in taking up your boss as/when the need arises to stop him/her from making you do wrong.
On a final note, it goes without saying that your conscience will never fail you if you listen to it. So, pay attention! Not doing so in the short term may seem a wise thing to do. However, in the long run, letting yourself get used to do wrong will be a decision that will come back to haunt you later on.
The use of the word “smart” is deliberate. It’s meant to represent anything you do to boost your business’ marketing performance which does NOT make running your business more cumbersome or expensive.
In this write-up I discuss six steps you can take, to create an online presence that can attract high profile bulk buyers for your farm products.
In applying the ideas offered, I propose you explore agreeing short to medium or long term contracts with intending buyers as your products are available.
1. Build A Smart Website
It costs very little today, to get a domain name and website hosting account setup. And making your website “smart” will cost you next to nothing, if you’re willing to DIY.
Use A Content Management System (CMS): Either Joomla! or WordPress is recommended based on their relative popularity, and availability of support communities. It’s likely the hosting account you already use is CPANEL powered. That means you have INSTANT access to the aforementioned open source software – just login to your CPANEL account and click on the Fantastico De Luxe link in the panel located towards the page bottom.
WordPress is easier to learn. Joomla! has a fairly steep learning curve. Both are CMS – they allow even a non-technical user easily update her website without the help of a web designer. And the CMS come with plugins that add extra functionality.
Have your website setup to offer standard information about your farm business (About Us, Products, Services, Contact us etc).
2. Setup Smart Social Media Marketing Channels
People on Linked In already have a mindset to do business. Unlike Twitter and Facebook enthusiasts who just congregate in a marriage of multiple unrelated interests.
Having said that people belonging to the latter group can still be your potential customers. This is because some are CEOs, and others may be event planners or hosts that could need bulk supplies of your kinds of farm products.
Build a "professional" profile for yourself on Linkedin.com. Add a page for your company. Then setup accounts on Twitter and Facebook as well.
There’s little to lose since they’re free to use. But DO NOT do so if you are not prepared to keep them updated with new and relevant content. Integrated automation tools like RSS Graffiti can help with updating multiple media simultaneously. Add social media share buttons, including Facebook comment boxes etc to your website.
On social media, your regular publishing of useful information will attract attention from people who fit your target audience profile, but do not know you. Since they belong in the network of those who do know you, they’ll get intermittently exposed to your stuff.
Over time, they’ll come over to see more. And may signup or contact you via your request form. But you will have had no conscious involvement in making it happen. These kinds of people often end up being more profitable to do business with.
3. Use Smart E-mail Newsletter Marketing
Setup a smart e-mail newsletter subscription system. Mailchimp.com offers a good one that has a free starter level account suited to the needs of most SMEs.
You’ll need to capture prospects’ email and phone details. That requires an aggressive content creation strategy that will keep your website constantly brimming with new content considered valuable/useful by those who belong to your target audience.
When people visit your web presence i.e. your website/blog and social media pages, the trail of your content should lead back to your subscriber recruitment system.
Getting them to signup when they arrive can be induced by offering incentives like contest prizes, or say free reports on eating healthy farm products or even a special educational publication on caring for/rearing farm animals.
As your list grows, nurture it. Build your brand. Make a statement by launching and sustaining at least monthly newsletter broadcasts to subscribers. People will pay attention only if they see that you take yourself seriously.
HINT: Tell stories, or describe case studies based on occurrences in your farm business. Tell them how you solved a problem. Describe how you developed a better process.
Relate it to your ability to consequently produce greater output or better product quality. Be generous with pictures that present your farm enterprise in a way that builds credibility for you, in the minds of the readers. Delight them with exceptionally useful content on a regular basis. Do it so well that they come to look forward to it.
Monitor their interests by using an automated system (e.g. Mailchimp) that lets you know how many open the emails you send; which of your links they click on etc. That insight will help you understand what interests them, and guide you in creating additional content..
As you do all these, sprinkle special offers to supply farm products in bulk to hotels, bars, restaurants and even social events. Use images and pictures showing your live or dressed farm products to demonstrate their appeal.
Over time, you’ll notice how your readers begin to make enquiries. It works, I tell you!
4. Join Smart Online Local Directory Listings
A local example is www.nigeriagalleria.com. You can greatly increase the chances of getting your farm business discovered online, by getting on as many similar high profile listings as possible. This is a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned.
Important Note: Even if you have to pay, it’s always smarter to signup for a package that allows you display you website URL and email address.
That way, interested persons can follow up with you by going to your website. And from there, your carefully orchestrated web marketing system would take over.
5. Streamline Content Updates Using Smart RSS Feeds
When you publish new content on your website, syndication tools like RSS Graffiti can immediately display it in your social media channels. That’ll save valuable time and money. You’ll free your mind up to monitor results, and also think up new strategies.
Proceed as follows: Setup RSS feed for your blog via Feed burner, so you can monitor the number of subscribers. Then use your Feed burner URL to setup your RSS Graffiti account. That way, anytime you publish a post on your farm’s blog/website, your social media channels are instantly updated.
6. Adopt 80% Smart Phone Based Content Update
I don’t care how cash strapped you think you are. As a business person in the 21st century, to implement this kind of web marketing plan, a smart phone can help you.
You should be able to manage 80% of your website content updates from your mobile. It’s the key to your web marketing success.
Over 90% of the content updates and even site changes that happen on my websites happen right from my smart phone. And that includes highly useful insertions of quick HTML code enhancements to my blog posts.
You may not need to go that far, but at least know how to add new posts and quickly post links to your social media channels using smartphone apps.
Respond promptly to web based enquiries, and requests that the systems you set up are likely to generate.
In doing my work, I’m able to make things happen wherever I am – including sending out my newsletter broadcast from my mailing list manager account. While visiting with relatives or attending an event, I can finish editing a new article and publish it on Ezinearticles.com.
Just this evening, I sent a non-print PDF version of my Feed Formulation Handbook to a farm business owner in Ogoja, Cross Rivers State. This was after he’d paid the required fee in full upfront.
He never had to meet me to make this happen. A Google search had brought my website to his attention. He’d read the sales page, submitted the request form, and subsequently followed the instructions in the auto-response.
Only after he had done all that did he need to get in touch with me. And I have since fulfilled my end of the bargain – all from my Blackberry smart phone. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve done this.
TIP: Get a smart phone with web connectivity enabled. If possible, use it as a modem on your PC, for those times you may wish to work on a larger terminal.
What If It’s Not Working?
Oh, it will work, I assure you. You just do your bit as spelt out above. If you follow those guidelines, you WILL get the results I’ve specified. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
And that’s where your business passion and conviction comes to play. Do you enjoy doing what you do i.e. running a farm business?
If yes, then nurturing what will become a self-sustaining viral marketing system will not feel like a chore. I can tell you from my experience selling farm business related information online, that it won’t take long before those potential buyers start knocking.
However, not everyone can implement this kind of plan, while running a farm. So, if you find yourself struggling, stop and make changes e.g get an employee to do it? If that does not work outsource it.
Don’t start this if you’re not prepared to do what it takes to keep it going.
Can a competitor (e.g. the “friendly” chap next door, who just launched a similar outfit to yours) harm your website or blog rankings using the rules set by Google and other engines? If you said NO, you’re in danger of getting a rude shock one of these days, because it could just happen to you.
The Internet generally provides a level playing field for competition to happen. Those who use it must however play by the rules for the benefits to be consistent.
A good example is the very important matter of achieving search engine visibility. Too many occurrences of manipulation by naughty SEO specialists have recently created the need for an overhaul of search algorithms used.
Sadly, Innocent High Quality Content Websites – Like YOURS – Can Now Get Wrongly Penalized!
With Google’s Panda (content quality) and Penguin (links quality) algorithm updates, so much has changed in terms of what works in getting a website to appear on Search Engine Results Pages(SERPs).
Websites that used to dominate top positions in first pages of search results now languish way down on other pages.
But the annoying thing – and my reason for writing this piece – is that not all of those websites are guilty of wrong doing. This implies that other innocent high quality content websites are probably getting hurt too!
This has led me to a conclusion that may be at variance with what so-called experts will say about SEO that: No one really knows what will happen next. No one is really sure what will continue to work and what will not. NOT EVEN THE EXPERTS! The only people who seem to be able to consistently make headway towards their own goals these days, seem to be those willing to break the rules as they are re-written by Google!!
And this is why (if you are not already aware) I’d like to impress upon you the importance of dedicating quality time, effort and resources to monitoring your website.
Monitor your web logs etc to see what’s being done by “visitors” who stop over. Also stay on top of what’s happening in terms of back links to your website: This is important because Google now ranks websites based on the perceived quality of websites linking back to your website.
Why It CAN Happen To Anyone – Even YOU!
Can you imagine what would happen if someone got say hundreds of porn (and similar low quality) websites to link back to different pages on YOUR website? (Keep in mind that you would NOT be aware this was happening.)
Actually, don’t bother to imagine it. It’s already happening. In other words, Google’s efforts to punish bad guys (the ones I call SEO Provider Scoundrels) has created a line of business for them called NEGATIVE SEO!
And some dirty minded business owners do not mind hiring such individuals to apply negative SEO techniques against their competitors. But these guys may not even need to get hired to implement negative SEO against a client’s competitor.
I have a hunch that they profit from doing it in other ways:
For instance, they could choose a specific website or blog to DO IT to, and let the drop in search engine visibility persist for a while. Then they would contact the owner to offer their paid services in helping to get into the top of SERPs. Sound unbelievable? I say, you never know! Anyway, it’s a theory I have. I cannot prove it. But careful reflection on my recent experiences suggests I could be right.
NB: Those I believe operate in the above manner typically send their offers via gmail and yahoo email addresses, and NEVER offer a website address you can check them out on. But better established providers who lack ethical restraint could also choose play dirty out of greed.
But you could ask, “Why would ANYONE want to do that to MY website? After all, I haven’t done anything to offend anyone!”
My response: In a recent post titled “Six Potentially Useful Measures of Your Blog’s Performance” (see item no. 2) I mentioned that my website has already been a victim of negative SEO. And I’ve been forced to embark on specific corrective measures prescribed in certain quarters. Hopefully, by the time you read the rest of this piece, you’ll have learnt why it CAN happen to you, and that if it does, it won’t be about YOU!
Preventive Steps You Can Take
Like I stated earlier, I honestly do not believe anyone knows exactly what to do to achieve consistently stable visibility under the new search engine dispensation.
I’ve done a lot of reading up on this subject. At the end of this piece there’s a list of hyperlinked articles and blog posts that you can explore for further reading.
The strategies I outline below (based on my research) have stood the test of time as valuable ways to simultaneously win share of mind, and attract search engine “favour”. You therefore have more to gain, than lose, by putting them to use – like I’m doing already
I believe it is reasonable to expect that a competitor or two may decide they need to "fight" you for search engine visibility. Some may choose to fight dirty. Others may not.
Whatever happens, be prepared to defend your turf.
1. Aggressively Create Quality Content
Aim to establish yours as an authority website/blog via aggressive content creation and multiple back links building on high profile websites in your niche or market. That will minimize any negative SEO impact.
If competitors who turn to Negative SEO lack in-house expertise, they’ll outsource to SEO Provider Scoundrels – and most of the latter can be quite cheap.
So, you must commit to a rigorous new content publishing schedule by way of new posts/articles, videos, slideshows, special reports, white paper, and even pod casts.
Believe me when I say your creativity/passion is crucial to defeating negative SEO!
Everything I say here is from personal experience. Resolve to turn your website or blog into a relentless content publishing machine that Google and other engines will be unable to resist – even if negative SEO is done by competitors. Work hard at it now, and you’ll be able to rest easy later
I now publish at least ONE new post per day on my blog – apart from my weekly newsletter on Public Speaking Ideas. My email subscription rates, website traffic have grown over time as a result. And that’s apart from sales leads for products I offer.
A minimum of one 500 to 1,500 word quality content article per week is good. But MUCH MORE (like four per week) can dramatically attract useful interest from people and friendly search engine bots!
Decide who’s going to be responsible for researching new topics or for publishing content on your website or blog. Your posts or articles, as mentioned above, must capture the attention and interest of potential clients.
Without good quality new content produced regularly, this strategy may not work for you.
Work towards achieving "critical mass” to feed the search engines with good "index-able" material. The results won’t happen overnight, so you must apply tenacity.
2. Diligent Search Engine Optimisation & Backlinks Building
Proper keyword research, and use of meta tag descriptions can get your website/blog found/visited by more of your target audience. Backlink profile building is also another. As you successfully guest post on decent ranking websites, your domain’s backlinks status will be further enhanced. Quality content will also eventually get other sites to link to your posts or pages on their own, over time.
Google’s webmaster tools offer a useful starting point to coordinate your efforts. Do a search to learn how to carry out keyword research. Then apply what you learn to publishing new content on your website and/or blog.
Make sure to read the most recent articles that come up in your searches to be sure you are up to date. I used to be lazy about this before, because I saw a trend in which it seemed not to make much difference for small players.
But with recent developments from Google and others, keyword research has become much more influential in dictating where one ends up in search results. One hint I’ve gotten is to find a niche that’s not as actively competed for, as others, and dominate it.
Search engine results are not static. The reality is that you’ll continually have to work hard to maintain your position or improve on it for keywords you choose. It’s a learning process. But like any other skill, if you keep at it long enough, you’ll get the hang of it.
If/When You Discover Negative SEO Against You
We all hope to be spared the agony of this nasty experience. But just in case it does happen (and with the due diligence advocated, you should detect it early enough), here’s one powerful step you can take where it matters most i.e. with the search engines:
Use the DISAVOW services provided by Bing.com, and more recently (due to popular demand) by Google.com.
5. Can Competitors Harm Rankings? – Google.com (According to a post on Seoroundtable Google initially said “there’s nothing a competitor can do to harm your ranking or have your site removed from our index”, then later updated it to read “Google works hard to prevent other webmasters from being able to harm your ranking or have your site removed from our index”. And now, it offers a special DISAVOW service to help you fight such attempts. I believe that’s enough to show how REAL the danger is! Don’t you?
Preview: I want to tell you a story. A real-life experience that I had very, very recently. At the end, I simply ask YOU to be the judge as to what really happened.
It was a Friday morning. I had gone out with my 3 year old daughter to make a few purchases at the computer village. On my way back to the car, I ran into a gentleman who managed a financial institution I periodically visited(let’s call him "Triks").
We exchanged pleasantries for a while, then the following conversation ensued:
Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP)Newsletter Date: Monday 22nd October 2012 No: 60 Title: Should Your Market Something You Won’t Deliver? Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [234-803-302-1263] Blog URL:http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog Archive (For E-mail only version started 14th May 2012): Click here to view Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011):Click here
Hi,
Following last week’s hacker attack, I’ve decided to (for now) host the web version of this newsletter on the SD Nuggets blog, and link to it from the non-WordPress based Speaking IDEAS blog via a preview.
Please find below the latest issue of my weekly Public Speaking Ideas page for 2012.
No. 60: Should Your Market Something You Won’t Deliver?
I want to tell you a story (names, location etc changed for privacy). A real-life experience that I had very, very recently. At the end, I simply ask YOU to be the judge as to what really happened.
It was a Friday morning. I had gone out with my 3 year old daughter to make a few purchases at the computer village. On my way back to the car, I ran into a gentleman who managed a financial institution I periodically visited (let’s call him "Triks").
We exchanged pleasantries, then the following conversation ensued:
Triks: You know I’ve been thinking of inviting you to an event for some time now, but it’s always skipped my mind. We have a business meeting male members of our church normally hold on Saturdays that I really want you to attend. You know we all need to network to take our businesses to the next level.
Me: You’re right about that. Where’s your meeting taking place?
Triks: Oh, it’s at the popular Ikeja guest house over on Allen Avenue. I’m sure you’ll know it.
Me: Yes, I do know it. (Then sensing the details were incomplete, I asked) Are you sure it’s just a business meeting? Or is it one of these Business Men’s Fellowship things that many church organisations out here often hold?
Triks: Well ( that was actually more like "weeellllll") yes it’s a Business Men’s Fellowship, but actually we meet for mostly business – very little religious stuff happens. It’s not a service or any kind.
Me: Are you sure about that?
Triks: Of course. You just come and you’ll see what I mean
Me: Okay. What time does it start?
Triks: It starts at 2pm prompt. We are very strict on time. And it ends 3 hours later, by 5pm
Me: Alright then, no problem. I’ll be there. (I switch my daughter who I’m carrying, to my left arm, so I can shake his hand with my right. Then I start to leave).
Triks: Just a moment. Let me give you an invitation card. He fills my name, email address and phone number on to a bottom section that he tears off for himself. Then he hands me the upper part which has the venue address, and date/time printed on it.
Business Men’s Meeting Becomes Business Men’s Religious Service
The event day arrives, and as is my usual habit, I pick on one of my sons to go out with me, just to see what my world is like. This time, it’s my second son, E. We arrive at the guest house venue at 2.05pm.
Right at the double doors, a well dressed young man is seated behind a desk. He smiles warmly at us and pushes a form across the table for me to fill. After that he hands my son a gift pen, and offers me one as well. I politely assure him the one for my son will do for us both.
We are ushered into the meeting room, which has seats that I quickly estimate would take about 30 to 40 persons. As we take our seats close to the front of the room, I note the time is 2.15 p.m.
A casual look around the room indicates that Triks, who invited me, is yet to arrive. But I soon realize there’s something to while away the time with, as a young pretty lady with an amazingly powerful voice begins singing song after song (church type), accompanied by a pianist/vocal support chap.
Time flies by quickly – thanks to the excellent singing by the duo mentioned above. When check again, it’s 3.05p.m!
I decide it may be time to leave, because no serious business meeting could be that delayed without any formal announcement. All I had seen from our arrival was some strange obsession by most of the few people present (including some officers) to take photos of us as we registered, and then as we sat down. Not just of us – but we got a decent share. And that had me wondering for a bit…
So, I whisper for E to follow me, as I get up and walk briskly towards the door. Out of the corner of my right eye, I see a figure quickly approach, and tap me on the shoulder. It’s Triks.
Me: Oh, so you’re here at last.
Triks: Yes, I’m sorry I came late. Something came up last minute. We’ve not started the meeting because we’re actually waiting for the pastor…
(As he spoke, I could not help wondering what the pastor’s absence had to do with starting a supposed "business meeting" organized for members of his church. And then again there was the issue of a total disregard for time keeping by either him or the meeting planners or both. We were over 1 hour behind schedule – judging from the start time printed on the card I was given and NOT ONE WORD had been said about it!).
Me: You told me the meeting would start at 2 pm, and now it’s after 3 pm and nothing.
Triks: Well actually, we start at 3 pm. We only print the 2pm on the card to provide time for the musical interlude etc, and allow people to get here.
(Even as he said this, the seats were far from half filled, and members were still trickling in. If anyone was concerned about keeping to time, they certainly were not showing it! "What manner of business men are these exactly?" I asked myself)
Me: Look, I came because I gave you my word, and did not want to break a promise. But I’ve actually had a long day, and really need to get back home for some rest. Your meeting looks like it’s running late, and I don’t think I can wait anymore.
Triks: No, no, no! Please wait. I’m sure we’ll start soon. Sorry about the delay.
Me: Okay, let’s wait another 30 minutes. (By this time it’s already 3.30pm – 1.5 hours lost!)
As I return to my seat with my son, I notice heads turned in our direction, with people nodding politely at us in greeting. I respond accordingly, and we finally get seated again.
Thankfully, a flurry of activities commences, ending with a plump looking middle aged man stepping up in front of the room. The first confirmation of my suspicion that the event may not be what I think it is comes when he raises a massive looking Bible in his hands and shouts "Men, praise the Lord!"
Ten minutes later, I’m wondering to myself "Where did the business meeting go?" – because I discover I’m in the middle of some kind of fellowship pre-Sunday sermon delivery. In fact the closest thing to business I noticed anyone had with them were Ipads – but even those featured electronic bibles and not business related stuff.
It’s Time To Leave
Turning to E, I ask "Does this look to you like a business meeting?"
He replies "No."
"Let’s go", I tell him, and we once again head for the door. Not surprisingly, Triks is seated right at the exit (or for my purposes, "the escape"…lol!).
Triks: Oh, you’re leaving. Well I know you’re tired as you’ve said. So you need to take a rest. Thanks for coming in all the same.
Me: Yes, I really do need to get that rest. But the main reason I have to leave is that you told me this was to be a business meeting, Triks. What I see happening is a sermon or fellowship of some sort!
Triks: Yes. Actually we always start with this kind of quick service and then towards the tail end there is a short session on business.
Me: Oh, really. Well I guess I’m going to have to miss that then. Maybe another time.
We smile, shake hands and separate.
Trickery Kills Trust!
Now, like I promised at the start of this piece, let me ask: what is YOUR impression of what happened? Do you think that Triks was sincere, candid, direct, open and honest in the way he got me to attend his event?
Did he give me an accurate picture of what the event was about? Or was he economical with some aspects of the truth, possibly to make me more willing to attend?
Whatever conclusions you draw, my main reason for sharing this story is to encourage the reader to act with honesty and integrity at all times.
This becomes even more important when you are a speaker marketing to prospective or potential clients.
Marketing and sales go together. You can have multiple products or services. But you need to focus on delivering the specific ones a potential buyer expresses interest in AFTER you’ve shown him ALL you have to offer for instance.
To me, that implies that if someone phones me for 2GB flash drives, and I only have 1 GB flash drives in my computer store available at that time, I should tell him THAT. And not tell him I have 2 GB flash drives that he needs, then when he arrives try to pressure him to buy them saying "It’s the same thing. You only need to use two instead of one to get 2GB capacity you need."
Why not let the intending buyer decide that? Why not tell him/her the truth so s/he can decide whether or not to buy what you have, or move on.
Why risk having someone resent you for using "trickery" or deception to waste his/her time???
As A Speaker, Deliver What You Promise
Which brings me to my message for this week. Let me ask you this question:When you market your products and services as a speaker, what do you PROMISE to deliver? And how does that compare to what you eventually deliver?
If you are profess to being a change management speaker, how much of your content/material delivers satisfactory change management education EXPECTED by your client’s audience. Do they leave your events wondering where all those promises went? Or do they emerge raving about how you exceeded their expectations?
I have attended an event where a speaker spent over 80% of the time quoting bible passages, instead of sharing quality experiences/insights about SPECIFIC steps he took to achieve success as an entrepreneur. And yet, the latter was what the event topic promised. Personally, I left that event feeling disappointed!
Here’s A Real Life Example Of How Not Meeting Expectations Can Cost You:
I will never forget how a former expatriate boss of mine told me to suspend a particular external training service provider. He had examined handouts the consultant gave out to the brewery engineering tradesmen on maintenance of pipes used for beer transfer, and he discovered the manual bore the name of the oil company it was originally prepared for!
Get this: Pipes used to transfer crude oil are COMPLETELY different from those used for beer (consumable beverages!) transfer.
For a consultant to promise to provide training for maintenance operatives in a food processing company, and then turn around to use training materials from a crude oil processing outfit was unpardonable. Ethically, and in any other sense. And it was a breach of trust that could not be over looked.
In an environment where merit and quality performance are valued, using trickery to market yourself will only hurt you in the long run. You will look bad, lose face, lose people’s trust – and ultimately lose relevance.
So, even when others seem to be getting away with it, don’t do it. You’ll build a rock-solid reputation of integrity that WILL eventually lead to multiple rewards later on, from those who appreciate it.
Final Words: The Need To Keep An Open Mind On Religion
Just in case anyone’s taken offence (though I doubt it), please sheath your swords. This is NOT an anti-religion piece. I simply use it to offer clarity of thought to those who may need it.
All who know me, and who read my writing, will likely know I am NOT religious. I do not attend church, mosque or any religious meetings in order to worship the creator. But despite that, I keep an open mind. I honour invitations when I can. But not to have myself "sold" on what to believe.
For decades since my third year in the university, when I stopped attending church (more on that in a future write-up), I have found keeping an open mind this way to be beneficial in many ways.
You learn so much more because you are not blinded by some baseless need to promote (or defend) your religion as being better or preferable to others. I mean, does God really need anyone to defend (or fight for) him. Really?? I doubt it.
A few years back, I attended an interesting anniversary programme organized by the Rosicrucian church (AMORC), at the Airport Hotel in Lagos. I was invited by a friend – AK – who had returned from the US with his Austrian wife. They had both told me about their interest in meditation, and other related spiritual stuff.
When AK discovered I was not a church-goer he began to refer to me as a "Seeker". And he would get books of all kinds on spirituality, astrology etc, for me to read and "discover truths". I did read them, but nothing I read swayed me enough to "join" their group in order to feel closer to the creator. I had established my own way of doing that many years ago, and only sought to improve on that method.
Proof of this is reflected in the confidence with which I readily entertain others who choose to engage me based on their beliefs. I never feel threatened or fear that they will "convince" me to go against my beliefs.
The only way that can happen to anyone is if you do NOT know or are not really convinced of what you believe. Once you have conviction, nothing that comes your way can shake you. You will handle ALL with ease.
Sometimes we’ll agree. Other times we won’t. In the latter case, we would simply agree to disagree
Leaders like the Dalai Lama understand the need to maintain this kind of mind set. It’s therefore no surprise that they enjoy the respect, and followership, of millions of people worldwide who individually nurture wide ranging religious beliefs and preferences.
I refuse to accept that the creator needs a particular religious sales and marketing campaign to sell him to others. God is NOT for sale. And God does not practice or advocate a religion. All human beings are equal and the same before the creator. Your actions or inactions are not measured based on the religion group you belong.
This is an entirely spiritual process – not subject to human biases. It all happens between each human spirit and the creator’s. More people need to understand that THAT is why they must find their own way to connect with their maker.
Going around trying to trick others to join your movement will only make those who are well grounded in their own beliefs stop trusting you.
Let me end by paraphrasing the late Gani Fawehinmi based on what he once said about a certain contemporary leader:
Certain people have such a bad reputation for being deceptive, that when they say ‘Good Morning’ to you, it’s wiser to look out the window and check FIRST that it is really morning, BEFORE you respond to their greeting!
Comments?
What do you think of the above message? Do you have any personal experience to share on this subject? Are there some other points you feel can be added, to help persons looking for answers? Please share your thoughts – click here to post a comment on the blog!
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All three will get you to your desired destination of "speaking success-ville" – so long as you meet the requirements/play your part well (your fare, abide by the set guidelines etc). During the "flight", the seat you have will determine how much personal service attention and preference the provider will accord you. It’s that simple
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Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade– works as a Multipreneur, helping individuals/businesses develop and implement strategies to achieve their goals, faster and more profitably.
Visit Tayo’s Self-Development Nuggets™ blog to find out how you can get your FREE copy of his new Practical Guide to Important Feed Ingredients (with high resolution pictures, prices, nutrients, uses etc). When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Cost-Saving Farm Business Ideas website, and the Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent).
Depending on his availability, Tayo accepts invitations to deliver customisable talks and keynote speeches on topics relating to his areas of experience based expertise and interest. Visit http://www.tksola.com to learn how you can invite Tayo, to speak at your next meeting/event.
For over 25 years, Burt Dubin has provided a variety of speaker mentoring products and services to clients worldwide. The following links lead to pages describing products and services that can help you attain professional mastery as an expert-who-speaks (from the comfort of your home):
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This is a reprise of the historic presentation that launched the Speaking Success System.
No copy of this 2 CD program and 50 page Learning Guide has ever been returned.
What fears or doubts are keeping you from (a )taking up Burt Dubin’s monthly speaker mentoring, or (b) buying his products ?
You can choose to purchase Burt’s mentoring at any of the three (3) levels listed below:
Burt’s three mentoring packages can be likened to the seating options offered by airlines: Budget Delight (Economy); Mid Range (Business); and Top Shelf (First Class).
At least that’s how I like to think of them!
All three will get you to your desired destination of "speaking success-ville" – so long as you meet the requirements/play your part well (your fare, abide by the set guidelines etc). During the "flight", the seat you have will determine how much personal service attention and preference the provider will accord you. It’s that simple
Send me an e-mail with your questions via tayo at tksola dot com. In the meantime, why not get started by subscribing here to get his 7-Part Course (How To Succeed And Get Paid As A Professional Speaker) . . . and receive his monthly newsletter (Speaking Biz Strategies Letter) at no cost.
If you need help purchasing ANY of Burt’s products and services, call me on 234-803-302-1263 or email tayo at tksola dot com with details of the assistance you require.
…a multi-disciplinary blog for people passionate about reaching their goals!
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