To be successful in business you need more than just one thing. I see people stumble in business all the time who have many of the elements but not all.

In this issue, I interview noted international business strategist, Niki McCuisition. She is a person who helps businesses around the world develop the right strategy to reach customers and increase profits. She has done a lot of video work in the Middle East. In this interview, she shares some experiences she had in Israel and the lessons she learned about helping doing more than the sound bite, yet how important it is.

Niki is a very successful woman entrepreneur who can teach all of us. Be sure to leave a comment here (below) with your reaction to making a good sound bite.

To reach Niki you can send an email to:

Nikin@NikiMcCuistion.com

or visit her website at www.nikimccuistion.com

By Terry L. Brock

Yikes! The headlines are scary. The financial melt-down continues as I type this article. You have the advantage from this publication to see what is happening since my original thoughts were penned (okay, typed on my computer). You have access to the latest, cutting edge news and “This breaking news just in…” information that is spewing out from Blogs, Cable News, podcasts and more.

[Be sure to check out the video below.  It is an interview I did with Bill Lampton, PhD about adapting to change in the midst of crises going on in the world.]

Many on Wall Street have suddenly discovered, and soon many on Main Street may soon discover, that the past doesn’t equal the future. Grand and glorious ideas of a “new way” of doing things which are not embedded in the rock-solid principles that work just seem to fizzle when facing the real world. Doing stupid stuff still doesn’t work, no matter how we dress it up. To borrow from a current theme in politics, lipstick, no matter what color or how pretty, still doesn’t keep the pig from being a pig. Making bad loans to unreliable borrowers is a bad idea no matter how it is dressed up with pretty language.

However, in the midst of this current crisis-of-the-moment, there are some sound principles that will not only help you in this current financial crisis (and it is a doosey!), but into the future as there will be more crises coming. No, I’m not a psychic, but I can predict — with high levels of accuracy — that there will be further crises in the future. Oh, I’m also predicting that Winter will be cold followed by a thawing in the Spring and warm weather next Summer!

But you see, that is just the point. Predictions are easy when you base them on time-honored principles. Sure we don’t know the specifics, but if we can spot the trends and take advantage of these trends, we’ll always do well.

Ken Lewis is CEO of a little country bank. He is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Okay, his “little country bank” is that of a real country — Ken Lewis is CEO of Bank of America. He followed important principles by stepping up to purchase Merrill Lynch when the crisis offered that opportunity. He adapted to the situation. He seized the day and made the most of what was, and is, a most difficult situation. Some would deride him as an opportunist. Throughout history, many have complained about those who purchased assets when “blood is running in the streets” as being ruthless and cold-hearted.

I would say this is just following key principles that work. Many millions were made in the Great Depression in the 1930’s as assets plummeted in value. Those who stepped in and wisely made purchases of value were able to realize great profits later. Successful people focus on the long-term and how to create value. This works in any market. Focus your attention on how to create value for others and you’ll do remarkably well in any market.

This past weekend I read Herbert Spencer’s classic, “The Man Versus the State.” He raised many good points about the encroaching power of government to squelch individual initiative and growth. The principles he cited in the 19th Century continue to resonate today. He was the person to coin the phrase, “Survival of the Fittest.” He was paraphrasing Charles Darwin’s work. I find it intriguing to think about that as well as what Darwin originally said,

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

These words were never more true than today. The world is different today. We have to prepare ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually to adapt to the new environment.

Of course, this has always and will always be true. Prepare yourself mentally by studying and learning. Even more important, learn to unlearn. Learn to get rid of what doesn’t work. Feed your mind with good quality, timeless information. Yes, the crisis of the moment and “This breaking news just in…” gets our immediate attention. However, what matters long-term is the rock-solid principles of creating value, helping others meet their needs and doing what is right. At any given moment, it could appear that the laws have changed. But rest assured that as we lock into time-honored principles we succeed. Build your own future on a solid foundation.

In the midst of locking into solid value, we must remain flexible to adapt. Learn new technologies. Learn new procedures. Adapt your tactics to fit new realities. Thomas Jefferson said it well, “In matters of style, swim with the currents…. In matters of principle, stand like a rock.”

In the field of technology, we see Microsoft fading and not as important as it once was. Google and Apple are the current rising stars. A new way of dealing with technology is upon us. However, this too, will change. Lock into serving customers and helping them with practical technology and you’ll go far.

Read the classics. Understand the time-honored principles, which help us to be more adaptable — whatever is coming. Great minds have gone before us and faced their own crises. Some succeeded. Some did not. Learn what worked and adapt to today’s environment. True, the past does not equal the future. At the same time, key principles remain and will always be true.

Napoleon Hill told us long ago that each failure or setback carries with it the seeds for even greater rewards and benefits in the future. Look for the opportunities amidst the calamities we hear on TV. Consider turning off the TV and reading some good books instead. You’ll gain more relevant knowledge — and your doctor will probably be pleased with your dropping blood pressure!

This would be an excellent way to adapt in the midst of the current crisis.

Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and columnist who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

By Terry L. Brock Get Juiced Those of us who use Apple’s iPhone find it increasingly useful for many applications.  I use mine for phone calls (of course) along with checking the Net for messages on a regular basis and more.  I can get a lot done from just about anywhere I am using it. However, my objection to the iPhone initially was battery life.  If I use it for listening to music, surfing the Net, reading books, etc. etc. that is going to drain the battery.  Then making those late-in-the-day phone calls when I can’t get near a charger (think airplane rides and walking around a new city) won’t happen. Well, that problem is in the past.  Mophie has released a simple, easy to apply and fun to use battery charger for the iPhone.  I’m using it now on my 1st generation iPhone and it works like a charm.  From their spec sheet it gives a standby time of up to 250 hours, audio playback of up to 24 hours (nice when listening to educational podcasts on those long days), talk time up to 8 hours (that should take you through the midnight hour on those extra-long business days), video playback of up to 7 hours (for training videos) and Internet use of up to 6 hours (I like it!). What the spec sheet doesn’t say is the intangible, business benefit.  If you think your battery is going to go out, you will naturally refrain from making calls.  You tend to ration your remaining battery life.  For an aggressive, successful salesperson, this could mean not making those important calls because you don’t want the call cut off in the middle of the conversation.  With the Mophie Juice Pack (love that name!) you just slide your iPhone into the pack and voila! You’re back, ready to go with up to 8 hours of talking time remaining. If it produces one extra sale in a year, you’ve probably paid for the $99 unit. Be sure to watch the video of this I produced (available at www.TerryBrock.com) so you can see it in action. This illustrates an important technology for iPhone users.  Even more important, what Mophie has done is vital for successful business today.  Find a real need in the marketplace, make it easy (important!), fun (very important!) and cool (welcome to the 21st Century!) to use.  Make your product affordable and something that your target market can embrace easily. If you use an iPhone (1st Gen or new 3G), you need to check out their site and see what all this Juice can do for you.  I’m certainly juiced about it! (Juice Pack, www.mophie.com, $99.00) Portable, Personal Home Theater I love learning.  I love to watch video educational material and produce a lot of it.  When I first saw eye-wear available for watching a DVD or other video from your personal eye shades I knew it was going to be good. But I had not seen the Vuzix AV920 yet. To describe this device as incredible, awesome and outstanding would be an understatement.  I recently got the Vuzix AV920 and got it hooked up to my iPod classic 80GB player.  I was able to watch several video sales podcasts on a recent cross-country flight.  Unfortunately, the flight only lasted about 2 minutes (at least it seemed that short!). When you get the AV920, you might want to do what I did and that is to remove the earbuds which are attached to the unit. They have poor sound quality and can even hurt as they poke you in the ears.  Instead, use your regular ear buds. I use my Able Planet headphones (luxurious!) and drift into my own relaxed, cushioned world of enjoyment with the help of the AV920.  To call it merely an “enjoyable experience” would be like a stark-raving thirsty man in the desert saying that the refreshing, clear bottle of water was “adequate.”  You’ve got to try the AV920 yourself with one of your favorite videos to understand the dazzling experience. Recently I demonstrated this to an audience where I was speaking and asked one of the participants to try it out.  Yes, he loved it and those around were amazed how he was also engulfed into his own world of relaxation and amazement somewhere in the heavens watching video.  When he finally came back to Earth (we had to drag him back!), he was delighted.  He talked about the business benefit this would have.  You can have a video of your product or service and show it to a client.  They will be totally immersed in your message on video and you will have their undivided attention.  It would make good business sense for a company to have several of these with accompanying video players to allow all key customers the thrill of your new video of your product or service.  Better than a stand-alone video, it engulfs the prospect into your pre-designed message. The business benefits of this technology are outstanding.  You capture attention in an age of ever-expanding attention grabbers.  This way you have your prospect’s complete attention.  That can generate more sales by using this creative, unique approach. And who said you can’t have fun while selling and making money? (AV920, $349.95 retail, Vuzix.com) Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and columnist who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology.  He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools.  He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

By Terry L. Brock

Small Recorder Gets Results

Recently I had the opportunity to review the H2 Handy Recorder from Zoom.  This diminutive professional recorder is designed for on-the-go professionals who need studio-quality audio.   It is used a lot with recording artists and capturing group singing (think choirs, social gatherings, etc.).

However, this device has some serious capabilities for mobile professionals who want to tap into the power of the Net for Relationship Marketing.  Today, you can record audio of satisfied customers and then post those testimonials to your website.  You can use this to record instructions.  Remember, you can speak faster than you can type!  Dictating responses to employees announcing new products or discussing company issues can help personalize messages.

A nice feature about the H2 is that is has the ability to do a two-way interview.  The microphone has the ability to record on both sides, front and back. This way an interview can be conducted quickly and easily so that both interviewer and interviewee are recorded clearly and with rich, full-body sound.

I was pretty impressed with the quality of sound — and this ole radio and now Internet audio guy is hard to impress.  The quality generated was nothing short of full professional quality.  Think NPR Radio quality.

It runs on either the included AC adapter or 2 AA batteries.  This is nice when you’re on the road and don’t have access to electricity.  This is also nice that you can carry extra batteries and don’t have to rely on a proprietary power source.

The recording process took me a little time to figure out but once I did, it was easy to use.  The unit can record with the internal microphones (plural) built in or with an external microphone.  The external microphone must be self-powered.

I wish that the larger microphones would convert to speakers on playback.  You need to play back through the included ear buds or other device.  You can also play the sound from the SD card loaded into a computer.

Speaking of the SD card, they include a 512K card with the unit which is nice.  Many manufacturers don’t do this and it requires an extra step or extra trip to get it.  You can also use an SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) card up to 16GB with the updated software available from Zoom.

All in all, this recorder is great for producing no-excuses, professional quality recordings for business or other use.  Consider audio on your website and podcasts and this could be a handy tool to generate more customer response and interaction

(H2 Handy Recorder, Zoom, www.zoom.co.jp, $334.99, Support available in the US through Samson Technologies Corp, www.samsontech.com)

Discover Your Baggage Weight Before You Leave For The Airport

It is yet another hassle of flying today.  You know what it is like.  You rush to get to the airport.  Traffic is a nightmare.  Then you get to the ticket counter to check in your luggage and find out it is 10 pounds overweight.  Ugh!  If only you knew before leaving, you could have left that sack of potatoes home!

Well, good news is on the horizon for you.  The folks at Balanzza have come up with the Balanzza Ergo.  You can use two hands to life those heavier bags and see the weight in pounds or kilograms.  The device beeps to you to lock in the weight of your luggage.

It works when you wrap the strap around your luggage and lift it.  Up to 100 lbs. can be used with the device.  For most of us lifting more than 100 wouldn’t be advisable anyway!

I travel a lot so I’m familiar with the challenges of the new weight restrictions.  I’ve had to move items around in that embarrassing display of packing and unpacking with anxious fellow travelers watching the charade!  Now, when you’re leaving from your hotel back to the airport to come home, the Balanzza Ergo comes to your rescue and tells you the weight.

Since weight is becoming more important in the ever-challenging travel world, this is a handy tool to have.  It can also work in many situations where you need to know the weight of an object you are going to lift.  Just make sure you can connect the strap around it!

(Balanzza Ergo from www.Balanzza.com, $24.05)

Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and columnist who helps businesses market more effectively, leveraging technology.  He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their days using time-honored rules and practical technology tools.  He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.