One of the products I love on my Windows computers is PDF Creator/Convertor. It gives me the ability to read PDF books and articles quickly and easily. I can also annotate them and more.

But the real advantage is in the marketing you can do. You can create multiple PDFs, stitch them together into one document and send to others. This is one you’ll want.

Recently I was able to get an interview with Mike Angelo, the product manager for PDF Creator/Converter at Nuance Software. Watch this video interview to learn the inside tips on what he, as product manager, thinks are the best for this new product. You’ll want to check this out.

Business-Boosting Actions From Terry Brock

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” – General George S. Patton

Personal Responsibility.  It’s a concept that we don’t hear much today — particularly from politicians.  Yet, it is critical in your business and personal life to achieve anything worthwhile.  If something is going to happen, you have to take the steps to make it happen.  Don’t depend on others to do what needs to be done.

This is so important in the area of Relationship Marketing and getting bottom-line results.  You can’t wait for your boss to provide what you need.  Successful people take responsibility for your their own on-going education and training.  This is critical for today’s professional.  Regular, daily learning is imperative to stay ahead today.

A very important part of personal responsibility is knowing what is not your responsibility.  It is not your responsibility to solve the political problems of the world.  Instead of focusing on that — as we hear so many so willing to argue about — why not spend that same amount of time, money and effort on becoming better at marketing, selling and your business?  Instead of watching yet another TV show about politics take that same time and effort to read classic books which will help you become more of the person you want to be.  The current news has a way of taking care of itself.  Classic, skill-enhancing ideas from legendary greats will help you for the rest of your life.  The insights you gain are far better than knowing the “latest news” on some topic that will be irrelevant next week, let alone in years to come.

By accepting the challenges of personal responsibility, we are then able to enjoy the fruits of victory from our efforts — to paraphrase General Patton.  Taking responsibility for the relationships in your life will help you to reap rewards far better for you than reading about some editorial opinion on a current news topic.

Here are five practical steps you can take to enhance your personal and business life now and into the future:

1. Realize Your Success Is Up To You.  An old saying sums this up very well: “If it is to be, it’s up to me.”  You can’t depend on others to get results for you. You’ve got to muster whatever it takes for action from within you.  Find what motivates you to achieve greatness and implement it.
2. Take Responsibility For Relationships.  Winners don’t wait for others to make the call, write the letter, or extend contact.  Winners proactively reach out to others.  Even if that other person rejects you or is non-committal, you can thank them as you gain skills and education on how to initiate interaction with others.  If it begins a mutually-beneficial relationship, you win.  If the other person rejects you and you gain knowledge, you still win.  Either way, you gain by taking responsibility.
3. Take Responsibility For Your Learning And Education.  Successful people today are reading voraciously.  They listen to quality audio for instruction and learning.  They attend seminars.  And here’s a key point— Successful people don’t wait for their company or their boss to pay for their education.  Your company is not responsible for your professional growth — you are.  Take matters into your own hands and get the education you need on a daily basis.  If they are willing to pay something towards it, that is nice, but don’t wait for them to act.   Don’t leave this important aspect of growth in the hands of others.
4. Take Responsibility For Helping Others.  You gain huge amounts of learning and growth by helping others.  No one achieves success alone.  You become a better person by being with others and helping them.  I’ve always smiled as I realized you can’t out give this principle.  Usually the return doesn’t come to you from the person to whom you give.  However, there is some mystery in the universe that makes sure you get paid back in some way.  I can’t explain it, but I know I have experienced it over and over.  Perhaps you have as well.
5. Don’t Take Responsibility For Matters That Aren’t Yours.  This is equally important.  Don’t assume responsibility to solve the world’s political problems.  Don’t take responsibility for those who refuse to take responsibility for themselves.  Know your limits and do what you can to be better yourself.

Accepting the challenges will earn you the right to enjoy the victories.  Begin today by accepting responsibility for your own development and improvement in business.  Make three new contacts today and refresh three existing relationships.  Provide value for them first and you’ll become the better person you want to be.

Somehow, I think General Patton would agree.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

Achieving success in your business requires more than just the technology.  Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Patrick Taylor, the CEO  of Oversight Systems.  Patrick has worked with successful high tech companies for many years including Oracle, ISS and Symantec.

You’d think that a techie guy like him with education from Georgia Tech and Harvard Business School would tout the importance of technology.  Well, Patrick is a big fan of and helps a lot of people with technology.  But that’s not his emphasis.

Listen to this interview and you’ll gain a lot of insights into how you can build your own business to success.  This is one you want to hear and enjoy!

Terry Brock
www.TerryBrock.com

Patrick Taylor
www.Oversightsystems.com

 

 Patrick Taylor of Oversight Systems in Business Success [7:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (106)

Business Building Action Steps From Terry Brock

[Note: Be sure to listen to the Russian podcast of this at the bottom of this article]

Today’s economy requires innovative ideas to generate more revenue.  That comes from creating dazzling customer experiences that bring customers back again and again.

Recently I had the opportunity to hear Cathie Black, the President of Hearst Magazines, make a presentation at a Harvard Business School Alumni Club meeting in Atlanta.  The insights she had about running a media business amidst today’s economy and the morphing change of paper newspapers has a lot of wisdom for you and me in our jobs as entrepreneurs and in running a small business.

Here are some insights which can help as we build experiences for those wonderful people called customers, clients and/or buyers who pay the bills for us.

1. Get A Different Attitude About Skill Sets.  Today’s marketplace calls for new skill sets which are often different from what worked previously.   Hearst magazines still sells millions of copies of good ole, paper-based magazines.  However, they are also expanding into digital as never before.  You and I need to embrace what still works —- and is profitable — from the old way of doing business.  In addition, we must also acquire the necessary skills for success in the future.  For today that means getting acquainted with and using Social Media skills with tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and others.  Have an attitude of constantly learning and growing.  Make it your goal to learn something new every day (yes, every day!).
2. Focus On Customer Experience, Not The Device.  Much talk is bantered about today concerning electronic E-Book readers.  Personally I love reading good ole’ paper books.  But I have to admit that I have found a lot of joy reading books through Kindle for iPhone.  I can digitally download books (usually at substantial discounts) from Amazon and carry many books to read while on the road.  This gives me a new experience in reading and I love it.  Focus on the experience as it relates to your customer — not the device.  Make it a pleasant experience doing business with you, regardless of the technology you use.  Once you’ve focused on making the customer experience delightful, you can monetize both the device and the experience for your bottom line.  As Cathie Black said, “It is not about the device but about the business issues that go into the device.”
3. Don’t Let The Negative Bleed Into Your Business.  It would be very easy to be distraught when we hear negatives about the economy or our business.  Think of the negatives bantered about concerning newspapers.  As a writer for paper-based newspapers I feel they have a role but it has changed.  They are no longer the fastest way to deliver.  This was resolved long ago. However, they provide a reading experience that is pleasant and still enjoyed.  I talk about this in my seminars and it is applicable in many businesses.  Blend the best of the old with the new digital approach.  Stop the negative aspects of your industry and business from overshadowing the realistically positive aspects for the future.  Be strong with a “realistically optimistic” approach.  This positive mental attitude was a strong component of serious business growth for greats like Napoleon Hill and Norman Vincent Peale years ago and the principles still apply today.  Understand the realities of what is happening but have a dogged determination to find the good.  This is not Pollyanna but a hard-core pragmatic approach that works!
4. Be The CEO — Chief Encouragement Officer.  People do best when they are in an environment where they feel valued and accepted.  It is your job to encourage others around you to be their best.  As Steve Epner says, business is not about a supply chain as much as a supply team.  Be the person who finds the good in others (and yes, sometimes you have to look hard).  By accentuating positive aspects even in the midst of challenges, you bring out the best in people around you and ultimately help the bottom line.
5. Carefully Allocate Your Resources For Maximum Results.  Today you can’t afford to waste any time, money or effort on projects or efforts which don’t generate a strong ROI for you.  Time is the ultimate resource.   To create dazzling customer experiences and build strong Relationship Marketing, you want to focus on those areas that yield the maximum return.  Fortunately, many of the best uses of your time cost little or nothing.  A quick phone call.  A nice hand-writtern card.  A kind encouraging email or “tweet” on Twitter can mean a lot to people.  Make it realistic and not puffery.  Allocate your resources so that you maximize your Relationship Marketing and you’ll enjoy favorable relationships with customers and your bottom line will be stronger.

Cathie Black demonstrates how to live life and do business successfully.  She is a person who commands respect not just because of her position but because of what she does.  We can all learn from these principles in our own businesses.  Building quality, value-for-value relationships in business is the best way to create those dazzling customer experiences.   This will work today or in any economy.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

 

 Russian Version - Dazzling Customer Experiences [4:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (93)

Business Building Actions From Terry Brock

Today we are overwhelmed with fake.  We see fake Rolex watches, fake Mont Blanc pens and even fake body parts (we won’t go there right now!).  Yikes!  In business it is almost at an epidemic level.  We see way too many people touting the hype of their business and no substance.

I’ve seen way too many Internet Marketers whose “free teleseminar” is only about how much money they are supposed to have made with some “new technique.”  If all they do is talk about how much money they made —- or their really cool lifestyle — I don’t know about you but for me the “hype alert” warning sounds and red lights are flashing.

Yes, this is frustrating but I see a lot of good in it.  Yep!  I really do.  I think it gives the honest Internet Marketers a chance to separate themselves from the sleavy and fake Marketers.  When you share honest-to-goodness great ideas with people — as many good marketers do — prospective clients want to get involved with you.  Yes, it’s nice to hear about someone’s successful lifestyle.  However, there has to be substance backing up that form or it is like a house of cards.

Today people want real, not fake. Today, we need more substance and usable ideas than ever.  You grow your business by being real with prospects.  This is what Relationship Marketing is about — being real and offering serious value.

Twitter is a good example of the contrast.  Many people on Twitter are offering genuinely helpful information.  I’ve enjoyed the many benefits of watching the flow of “tweets” as they come across my screen.  There are, unfortunately, many who don’t use their real names and try to hide behind a bunch of hype.  The marketplace will eventually sort these out as it always does.

It is important today to be real vs. hiding behind a fake Internet identity.  Be real with customers and let them know how you can help them.  This means not only helping when you have problems delivering what you promised (obvious) but even more being real initially in what you can offer them to solve their problems.  Education is the key here and the Internet is ideal for that.  Use your Blog to write articles about key industry topics.  Use audio to create honest talks with customers about issues going on in their business (interviews work great here!).  Use video to illustrate solutions on how to solve problems and how your customers can generate more business.

One of the reasons that we’ve seen serious business interest in Social Networks like Facebook and Linkedin is that people use their real identity.  It is a people-to-people connection more than just signing up for a bunch of spam email.  The marketplace has demonstrated that it wants real human connections vs. the fake connections.

Here are some steps that can help as you build your business and stand out from the fake and the hype on the Net:

1. Be Reachable. This means using your real name and being real.  You’ll attract more customers.  Yes, you’ll also get some pesky, bothersome types but it is worth it to connect with serious, real people. It is worth some spam in order to let customers connect with you.  So many companies hide behind their Net presence and refuse to connect with others.  Okay, let them do that.  I just hope they are my competitors.  People today want to be with people.  We see right through the silly little games of using some goofy fake name.
2. Be Real On Social Networks.  This means being a human being, not just a sales machine always talking about selling.  Reach people at a human level first and then business will come from it naturally.  This is the way to build solid, long-term business vs. the transaction of a sale today and nothing tomorrow.
3. Avoid The Fake.  Watch out for the way-too-hypey Internet Marketers who promise the world both online and offline.  Hot Tip: Here’s the way you can find out if they are real.  It’s a real simple test but works very well.  Can you connect with a real, live human being?  Anyone can send an email or an autoresponder.  The genuine, real people connect with others at a personal level.  Before you buy from someone, make the attempt to talk with a live, real human being.  If you can’t, then you might want to move along to someone else.  If you can’t connect with a real human being, welcome those red flags and beeping alarms going off in your “hype detector” and stay away from them.

The answer of course is for serious Relationship Marketers to connect in many ways to people.  Use the Social Networking tools properly.  Use email to stay in touch and provide serious value to others.  Design your website and Blog to provide value in a way that helps customers solve their problems.  And don’t forget the importance of a real, live phone call and/or personal visit to key customers now and then.  This is what makes serious Relationship Marketing work and what positions you far ahead of those who embrace the fake.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc.  Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results.  He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.  Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

Intro to iTunes (Beginner Level)

For those of you who have asked about iTunes and what it is, I created this quick video video to help.

On this short video you’ll see iTunes and learn a little about what it can do for you with Podcasts, Music, Movies and even appl

And while you’re watching it, sign up for my Podcast on iTunes to hear some of the latest and best in marketing ideas and technology developments.

Enjoy!

Terry

Terry@TerryBrock.com
www.TerryBrock.com

Business-Building Steps From Terry Brock

I love Social Media and Social Networking! In my audiences where I speak, I see more and more serious business people are devoting time, money and effort to learn how to use these tools. Social Networking tools provide the ability to connect with others in ways that we never would otherwise. By using Twitter, I have connected with people that I would never have met in my normal life. I love Facebook as many “friends of friends” connect where we find common interests. I love YouTube as I’ve posted over 100 videos about various marketing topics and attract people around the world to see them.

Yet, I hear a conversation that is emerging more and more about the importance of being with real people in real places. Some say that they want a “real” contact. Hey, I understand. When it comes to Relationship Marketing, being available for paying customers and interacting with good people is always important. I personally find that I cherish more and more the quality, non-rushed times when I can be with friends around the world breaking bread, sharing a few drinks or just visiting and catching up with them.

Does this mean that we should throw away our Twitter accounts, “De-Friend” all our Facebook Friends and get rid of YouTube?

Not on your life!

I see it as not “either or, but both and.”

When you can connect with new customers at a level of interest and help them, that is great. Each of the social media tools has a unique advantage. I find that focusing on the “Top Four” — Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube — help to provide a reasonable connection with others for core business use. Then I use my WordPress Blog to be the focal point to provide value. This strategy is working for many today. It’s working for me.

You connect with others in the real world through good old-fashioned meetings (remember those?). Participation in real-world meetings is as essential today as it ever was. We like to meet with people, see them in action, watch their reactions to various events and get to know them. Social Media is never going to replace that and it never tried to. 200 years ago people would get together face-to-face and discuss business and other aspects of life. When the printing press was developed and words could finally be communicated without the use of verbal-only communication, it made human connections better. A few years ago, email was derided as a tool that would diminish human communication. It has been used to enhance connections with people but it has to be used properly.

That is the key for marketers today. The tool is not the issue. We often like to make it about the tool. The issue is about your ability to connect with real paying customers in a value-for-value way. As you provide help to them you are able to establish, grow and nurture the relationship.

Whether in person or using the latest, greatest technology tool it is most important to connect with customers. Focus your business efforts on 1) Generating new business and 2) Keeping current customers giddy with glee because they are working with you.

Use current technology to serve customers, but don’t ever give up on live, direct connections with others. This happens through phone calls, hand-written letters (yes, they stand out in today’s world very well!) and physical face-to-face meetings. As new technologies come and go, it is the people connection that matters more than ever.

Constantly enhance your “people connecting” skills. Go to the networking meetings, seminars, conventions and other gatherings with the mind-set to help others. Contribute value first. After the meeting follow-up using the various tools of communication focusing on the preferred medium of your buyer (phone, email, Twitter, Facebook — whatever!). This combination of the human touch and leveraging technology is a sure-fire winner in any economy!

As a Relationship Marketer, you’ll be able to help others —- and your own business — the more you focus on being there for other people to meet their needs. Use the tools for what they are meant to be. Focus on people and you will not only do well in business — but also in life.

Copyright © 2009, Terry Brock and Achievement Systems, Inc. Terry Brock is an international marketing coach and professional speaker who helps businesses generate profitable results. He can be reached by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com. Join the Twitter adventure with Terry through his Twitter address: TerryBrock

 

 Social Media vs. Real Life Connections [7:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (96)

 

 Russian Version - Social Media vs Real Life [3:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (32)

Watch this video interview I did with Dr. Brian Alman on his method of combining the human touch with technology to help his clients achieve lasting weight loss. I was very impressed with Dr. Alman when I talked with him on a recent trip to California. He is a Psychologist who studied under the famous Dr. Milton Erickson. Dr. Alman presents his ideas in a fun, entertaining way that is backed up with the evidence of real world research.

It is more than just the standard “diet and exercise” to achieve lasting weight loss. Dr. Alman discusses this in the video and you’ll benefit from it.

You can leave a comment here on this website to share with others how this approach has affected you.

With all the hype about social networking and social media it is easy to lose track of what is most important. That is connecting with people.

Recently I had the opportunity to be interviewed by Anne Bachrach, The Accountability Coach. Click here to visit her website. In this interview we were able to cover a wide variety of topics about social media, the skills you need to get ahead today and what business and social media are all about.

Listen to the audio podcast and enjoy.  This is not your average “Social Media” presentation.  We go much further dealing with the practical, business nature of how to use it, how to determine the right amount of time and more.  This is one you want to hear!  It goes in-depth on a number of items that will benefit you.  Length is 30:45 so you might want to download this one to your MP3 player of choice to listen to while working out, driving or in other ways.  You can listen to the audio via streaming or via download.  See the icon below to do that.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you’d like to leave a comment on this page, please do so in the comments.  Your opinions can help many others as they learn about you and your ideas.

For more information, contact Terry at www.TerryBrock.com or send an email to Terry@TerryBrock.com.

Enjoy!

 

 Practical Social Media for Business [30:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (117)