November 4, 2009

Act Professionally and Get the Results You Want... The
Remedy for Procrastination... How to Give Yourself a Leading
Edge... Saving Tips Every Info Marketer Should Know... and More.

Has this happened to you? You hear about a perfect opportunity, whether it's a "can't-miss" job opening or a chance to secure an investor in your company, and yet the opportunity passes you by. You have all the qualifications and resources; but, when it comes to "closing the deal," you can't seem to make it happen.

In my experience, I've met with several people who walk through my door with stellar credentials, yet, in a face-to-face meeting, disappoint -- all those impressive stats on paper get thrown out the window because they don't know how to handle themselves in a professional manner.

Believe it or not, most of the time, it's how you present yourself that will close a deal for you, not your experience or your resources.

To put it bluntly: the way you present yourself to others may be keeping you from success!

Here are some tips that I've picked up that could increase your chances of success:

Make Eye Contact: Always look the person you are talking to in the eye. Never look down, start glancing around the room or look at someone else. The person will think you're disinterested in them, and they will become disinterested in you.

If you have a problem looking someone in the eye, here's a tip. Focus on their eyes, not their entire face. This may dull your phobia of looking at them face to face.

Speak Clearly: Mumbling, long pauses, and hemming and hawing are sure-fire ways for you to get dismissed out of an important person's office. Think about what you are going to say before you say it, and be prepared to answer questions.

Limit Hand Gestures: Try to limit your hand movements. It's okay to gesture a few times when emphasizing a point. Other than that, you should keep your hands folded in front of you. If it helps to hold something in your hand (like a pen), then do so. Just don't fidget with it!

(Did you know that Hugh Hefner was given a pipe by a TV director because he thought that his constant hand movements were distracting? Now that very pipe is a main part of his image!)

Don't Let Illness Stop You: If you're feeling sick, chances are you look sick. And if you look sick, chances are whomever you are trying to sell yourself to will want you out of their office as quickly as possible. So, if you've got a red nose, pale skin, and you're coughing like a coal miner, reschedule. Note: try to reschedule for as soon as possible.

Know Your Etiquette: If you're in an important meeting, let's say with someone who is interested in investing in your new business, try to be as "classy" as possible. Hold the door open for them. Guys, wait for women in the room to sit first, and always stand when they stand. In fact, you should always stand to shake hands with anyone.

If someone offers you a drink, don't ask for a non-fat cappuccino with four sweeteners on the side! If you need a drink, ask for water. Not only will it help you when you're speaking, but it will always be on hand. There's no need for someone to have to brew coffee for you.

Another trick I've learned is, when the other person starts walking towards the door, follow them. This is because they want you out of the office. This doesn't mean they aren't interested. It may just mean they are busy and need to get back to work.

Follow up. Wait for two days. If you haven't heard from the person yet, call them. If they aren't in, leave a detailed message. If they don't call you back within a week, consider them uninterested.

We have all experienced it -- putting things off, not doing what we believe needs to get done. Finally, we commit to the process and leap into getting our stuff done, and we are amazed at how simple and how energizing it was to complete all our tasks.

This top-seven list will keep you in action and out of procrastination.

So, what's stopping you? Nothing except you. Don't just stand there! Do something!

1. Be vision-directed in the tasks before you. If your tasks do not match your values or purpose, naturally your heart will not desire to check that particular task off your list. Bring your task into congruence or take it off the list.

2. Begin and end each day with a solid foundation. Before you end your day, spend five to 10 minutes reviewing your day. Take a moment to craft a plan for the next day. When you begin the following day, spend five or 10 minutes reviewing your plan and revise as necessary. Also, be sure to spend some foundational time either in quiet contemplation or reading inspirational or motivational material.

3. Release yourself from perfectionism. One of the biggest challenges is believing everything has to be just so...therefore, we don't do anything if we can't be guaranteed perfection. "Either/or thinking" such as this is guaranteed to lead to stagnation. Practice saying, "Oh, well!" After all, what is the absolute worst thing that would happen from taking action?

4. Dream big while creating it one step at a time. With each step, you get closer to the dream. With no steps at all, you will be stuck in procrastination and you will never reach your dream. Break your "to-do's" into smaller, non-intimidating chunks.

5. Balance planning and creating or doing. Keep your basic plan simple so you do not spend so much time planning what you want to do that you never get to do what you want to do. If you find yourself leaning into the frenetic planning place, stop, take a break, and do a reality check. What is up with using planning as another method of procrastination? What is underneath the over-planning? Are you vision-directed? Is there congruency in your plan and your purpose? Are you expressing your gifts as a part of your vision, or is there an overwhelming sense of "should" on your list?

6. Delegate those tasks that are not invigorating to you. Either barter them, hire someone to do them, or make a request of a friend or colleague to assist in exchange for your assistance somewhere else. In this way, you will be able to check something off your list. It will invigorate you.

7. Join with a friend or a colleague as an accountability partner. Schedule a regular time to check in either daily or weekly. Create momentum and watch as both your business and your dreams flourish right before your eyes!

These days, the term "anything is possible," may be truer than ever. Consider this: you can get a university education -- heck, you can get an Ivy League university education -- for absolutely, 100% free.

You're probably saying to yourself, "Sure, Mike. But it's only a matter of time before the security guard kicks me off campus!" But you've got to trust me. These days, you can get an education that would cost tens of thousands of dollars for nothing.

You see, many universities are now publishing their lecture notes online, which can be viewed by anyone, anywhere, absolutely free of charge. Schools like Yale, Wharton, MIT and Berkeley are all publishing course material on their web sites. Additionally, you can also download various lectures from iTunes to your computer to listen to. You can stay as current as the students paying thousands of dollars to sit in classes and write papers.

The main difference, of course, is that by getting the information for free, you won't be able to achieve your diploma or MBA. You will, however, be able to utilize the information you've learned to help you get a job in this tough economy.

How so? Well, for starters, if you're in a job interview you can express an elevated intellect. You can show you are up-to-date on current issues and theories and possibly display a greater understanding of the job you may be interviewing for. After all, the more you know, the more valuable of an asset you become.

Furthermore, if part of the interview process requires a test on management techniques, your business knowledge from the university lectures could greatly help you. The lectures can introduce you to new, innovative concepts you -- or your interviewer -- may not be familiar with.

What's even better is that most of these Ivy League schools aren't trying to churn out a bunch of followers; they're trying to produce the leaders of tomorrow. That means that they are giving students the information they need to run their own business or lead a company. If you're looking to start your own business, this can be extremely valuable. After all, you don't need an MBA to get hired if you're the boss!

If you want to give yourself an edge, consider looking into different lecture availability on the Internet. You never know what you can learn!

** Saving Tips Every Info Marketer Should Know
By James Burt, Online Marketing Expert

Some of my close family members were divorced some time ago. It was a difficult situation for everyone involved.

But, on the bright side, there was a little humor in one specific situation. Seriously. And it came with some good info marketing tips in the process.

I stayed close with both of the people I mentioned before who got divorced over years after they broke up. I was having dinner at the wife's house and, after a few glasses of wine, she started griping about her ex (as many do after a few glasses of wine). There were many complaints, but it was her vocabulary on his ability to be the "super money-saving man" that he was that made me laugh to myself. She was pretty descriptive and used such words like "cheap," "tight wad," and "penny pincher."

The thing was: it was absolutely true. The husband, Steve, really was a penny pincher. But, in my opinion and despite his other lesser qualities that she mentioned over and over again, he had at least some good reason for it. Why? He was an independent publisher. Later, I visited Steve and got to see his business up close. He operated everything on his own and did run a tight ship on a very limited budget.

I won't comment anymore on the divorce matter, but I can pass on some good tips I learned from him. As info marketers, especially ones starting out, you are going to have to learn how to save. It's tough, but, as I learned from Steve, there is a way to do it, especially if you need equipment and facilities, and are on a tight budget starting out.

The first thing Steve pointed out was his computer. He had quite a rig, and one that was pretty current. Back when he started his independent publishing business in the mid-90s, computers were changing pretty quickly and were still pretty expensive. You bought one with the expectation of not buying another for a long time. Now things have changed and computer gear is in surplus. You can buy them up cheap and get repairs or updates lightning fast these fast, just like Steve had done to build his Star-Trek-grade machine. He recommends that you go looking around your local computer store for fliers and notices about deals on computer gear. Also check local classified ad web sites like "Craigslist" for the best computer deals.

On that note, Steve also re-exposed me to some other things that I had forgotten about since my teenage days: the local "recycler" newspapers. We used to look through these things in my high school days for cheap car parts or sports accessories. These papers, which you can buy at just about any newsstand, carry info on cheap furniture, tools, and just about anything that you might need for your info marketing business. Steve scored some old lithograph gear for some special pamphlets and print material. Often, you can get a good printer or fax machine from these things.

I was also advised by Steve to keep an eye on reposition centers, overstock outlets, and second-hand book shops for any info source material I might need. Books and info material, especially recently updated almanacs and compilation publications, are like clothes: they are made in surplus. As a result, many retailers can't sell it all and the products wind up in overstock outlets like shopping mall spaces. This is perfect if you are looking for a hard-to-find books and print materials, either new or out-of-print. Repot outlets also have cheap, only slightly used gear that you can acquire with no trouble.

Saving in this day and age is almost vital to the success of your business. It's true that just about everything is very expensive these days. But that doesn't mean you have to pay the new retailing price. If you go scouting around, you can find just about anything you need that won't burn a hole in your wallet. Steve did it and you can do it, too. It's that simple.