Five common cliches (done wrong) from Seth Godin

Full details here
(hint, they are ALL wrong)

• The early adapters will use it.
• Half my advertising works, I just don't know which half.
  
• Let's do a focus group, they'll decide
• That's a wacky idea.
• We need a bigger marketing department.

Win a signed copy of "Kiss Theory Goodbye"

Win a copy of Bob's book, Kiss Theory Goodbye.

Answer the following simple question: "What are the 5 attributes of highly profitable companies"

Here are some book excerpts you'll probably enjoy.

Hmmm, what obvious place on the Internet might have this information . . .

Did I mention I love this book (and it seems to be selling like wildfire, at least on Amazon)

Business Blogging/Podcasting (free) teleseminar tomorrow night

Sponsored by my friends the Blog Squad. Come hear me!

Sign up, dial in, and hear us talk about business uses of blogging and podcasting and maybe win a free book too!

What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting ­ How to profit whether or not you blog or podcast

Wednesday, October 18, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET (no charge, registration required)

Guest Expert: Ted Demopoulos, Demopoulos Associates

Blogs and podcasts can help almost any business, even businesses that aren't online! There are plenty of ways to benefit, both somewhat traditional and very innovative, as Ted Demopoulos found while interviewing hundreds of people who successfully use blogs and podcasts for his latest book. Conversely, some people put a lot of effort into blogging with little success.

Ted Demopoulos, author of What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting and co-author of Blogging for Business, will give you practical advice on how to harness the power of blogs and podcasts for your business pursuits.

Ted Demopoulos’ professional background includes over 25 years of experience in Information Technology and Business, including 15 years as an independent consultant. Each year he helps organizations make informed decisions through his seminars, keynotes, and consulting services. His clients have included Cisco, Hewlett Packard, IBM, The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club, Motorola, The Singapore Ministry of Education, The UK Post Office, T Rowe Price, TRW, and The Hong Kong Post. Ted blogs at Blogging for Business and The Ted Rap.

Register: www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line

Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

Win a free book contest #1

A chance to win an autographed copy of What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting at Phil Gerbyshak's Blog, Make it Great!

Free Blogging and Podcasting teleseminar next Wed, Oct 18, 8:30PM ET

Next Wednesday at 8:30PM, the Blog Squad will be interviewing me on Conversations with Experts. You only pay for your phone call

The topic: What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting – How to profit whether or not you blog or podcast

Blogs and podcasts can help almost any business, even businesses that aren't online! There are plenty of ways to benefit, both somewhat traditional and very innovative, as Ted Demopoulos found while interviewing hundreds of people who successfully use blogs and podcasts for his latest book. Conversely, some people put a lot of effort into blogging with little success.

Join Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff (The Blog Squad) and Ted, author of What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting and co-author of Blogging for Business, for an hour-long teleseminar that will give you practical advice on how to harness the power of blogs and podcasts for your business pursuits.

I'll be answering questions like:

• What are we really talking about? What is the big deal with blogs and podcasts?
• So what can my blog or podcast really do for me?
• I don't blog or podcast– how can I benefit?
• What are some of the more interesting and unusual uses you've encountered?
• What kinds of results are possible for bloggers and podcasters, and what are more typical results?
• How do you plan and design your blog for maximum results?
• Can people actually make "real money" from blogging or podcasting?
• How do you track results – whether your efforts are working?
• The future: where do we go from here?

Hope to hear you all there!

Making Presentations for Entreprenuers

At the Great Big Small Business Podcast I discuss four simple tips for delivering great presentations, and orangutangs, this week - full show notes below.

I'm going to go listen now and see what everyone else has to say.


Entrepreneurs are always in the spotlight, always presenting themselves and their company. This week, our small business experts offer their tips for improving your presentation skills.

Laura Allen - Top Three Tips for Creating a Powerful Presentation—That’s ALL YOU!!! and Bonus Hint called: Don’t be like Glinda, the Good Witch

Laura Allen has three terrific creative tips:

STEP ONE: Find an Idol: There are lots of presenters I admire. Right now I really like Karen Salmansohn. She named her website NotSalmon.com because she was tired of people spelling her name wrong.

STEP TWO: Make it EXCITING! Do you remember when Oprah gave away a car to every member of her audience? Well, that was EXCITING!

STEP THREE: Keep it REAL for YOU. My friend Johnny Dapalito has a workshop called “Actors Where Are you Going?” I’m not an actor, but I love going to workshops and Johnny is an INCREDIBLE presenter so I’ve been to two of his seminars so far.

BONUS TIP: Don’t be Like Glinda, the Good Witch; Your presentation doesn’t have to be perfect, Really.

Chris Brogan - Improv Presentations and The Storyteller’s Promise

Chris Brogan knows what it takes to make effective presentations: improvise, entertain, involve.

Ted Demopoulos - Four ways to compete with the Oranutangs

Ted Demopoulos has four simple tips to help you make a terrific presentaiton, even if you have to compete with other outlandish presentations.

1. Relax! The audience wants to like you!
2. Don’t rely on your props.
3. Smile! Act like a friendly human.
4. Have Fun!

Benjamin Yoskovitz - Constructive Criticism for Small Business Owners

Ben Yoskovitz provides 5 steps to giving good constructive criticism, focusing on building people up, criticizing and building them up again.

Download Ben’s handout.

Steve Rucinski - Delivering effective presentations

Steve Rucinski has three keys for delivering effective presentations.

1. Focus on your audience
2. Know your venue.
3. Know your content, and practice!

Download Steve’s handout.

Jon Swanson - Tips for Presentation Chickens

Jon Swanson used to teach this stuff! The Entrepreneurial Chicken shares what truly helps overcome your fear of presentations: really care about getting your information across.

"Kiss Theory Good Bye" Book Review

Kiss Theory Good Bye: Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company by Bob Prosen is a winner.

Starting with the introduction, I found myself underlining, taking notes, and acting on Bob's advice.

I don't read many managment books. Most are full of theory and I just don't care. Managing and leading are not interests of mine; I just happen to do them in the course of normal business and anything that helps me do them better is fantastic.

I found this book hard to put down. Even the parts that don't apply to me today were very engaging. Will it actually change the way I get things done? It already has!

If a book has one good idea that sticks with you it's worthwhile. This one has several that I've already acted on.

Stand by for a chance to win free copies!

Inane Corporate Website Award

So many bad ones, but only one choice.

Here is a Web site that is:

• Pointless
• Probably very expensive to develop
• Barely functions
  
• Simply stupid as well

Check out the Burger King Web site.

What are they thinking?

Another BIG loser: their Subservient Chicken Web site - is there a point to this Web site.
Is this perhaps supposed to make we want to have a BK chicken sandwich??

I don't get it -- and neither does anyone else!
May I suggest they hire someone with half a brain and start anew.