“Yuck makes you stronger.” Michael Scott Karpovich

“The which does not kill me makes me stronger.” Frederick Nietzsche

I was talking with a friend the other day who was going through some tough times. She had moved to a new area. She was not doing well in marketing and was even wondering about the job she had. She also had been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. In a word, things were looking pretty yucky for her.

Yuck is a slang word for all the bad things that are happening. I looked it up on the net at www.dictionary.com (great source!) and found a different meaning. “Yukking” it up is often meant as cajoling, having lots of fun and merriment. However, this word, yuck, is often what children (and those that can have fresh childlike minds) use to describe something that is not pleasant, gross or undesirable.

Like is full of this kind of yuck. It hits us from all over. My friend is going through more than just the yuck. With a life-threatening illness she is wondering about all the basics of living life, making it through and more.

As I was talking with her the other day, I realized that this is a learning experience as well. My buddy Michael Scott Karpovich is certified a professional speaker who helps thousands of teenagers and business people by describing how he was able to grow through the abuse he suffered when in high school. The yuck he went through included the dreaded abuse from high school bullies, simply because he was shorter than them and they perceived him as a bit nerdy. His message is that the “Yuck makes you stronger” as you learn to get over it, deal with it and grow beyond your pain.

Life is full of hard times. We all have varying degrees of yuck. Sometimes it is life threatening, like with my friend I mentioned earlier. Sometimes, it is a traffic jam that will force you to be much later than you had hoped. Often it is from other people that are going through their own yuck and either intentionally or unintentionally try to throw off their own yuck onto us.

There is good news in all the yuck. The way life works, we grow when we conquer certain barriers. We don’t learn when things are going fine, we’re sitting back sipping Pina Coladas, relaxing and taking it easy. That is a nice state to be in, but we can’t live there. We grow by dealing with and overcoming barriers and obstacles.

These obstacles hit us regularly. Don’t be surprised when they come. It is just nature’s way of telling us we need to learn another lesson. We have a lot to grow with and learn from as we progress through this planet.

The quote I used from Nietzsche is appropriate here. If something doesn’t kill you, it is going to make you stronger. I’d also add that it will make you wiser. Next time similar yuck comes at you, you’ll be able to either avoid it or handle it with more aplomb.

So, the next time you have major yuck in your life, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” What lesson can you take from this to grow and be more of the person that you want to be? Next time you’re stuck in one of those infuriating traffic jams, use it as a time to listen to quality audio, make important phone calls or just relax. You can’t do anything about the traffic anyway, so why not use it as a time to learn and grow.

If you’re facing much more than traffic congestion, there are deeper lessons to learn. I wish I had a magic cure for people like my friend with the terminal illness. I told her I wish I could offer a pill that would cure. The medical community is making great strides today against lots of diseases. However, we have a long way to go.

In the meantime, we know we can learn from each of these yuck experiences. It is not always easy. And we try to avoid them whenever possible. But when the inevitable happens, your attitude will determine the person that you become.

That learning through the yuck will help to make you a better person. This is what life is all about.

Terry Brock is an internationally recognized professional speaker, consultant and author in the fields of business productivity, technology and marketing. He is a syndicated
columnist for Biz Journals across America and can be reached at 407-363-0505 , by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com

Learn about cutting edge presentation technologies like Skype for presentations. Discover how you can use your PowerPoint and/or Keynote slides in presentations to connect with your audiences. You’ll see that and more in my presentation. I’ll be in Orlando presenting to Phoenix via Skype. This is one you want to see!

Watch the video and enjoy!

Terry

Okay, okay, okay!  Enough already!  Have you had it with all the “You’ve got to be on social media” advocates incessantly reminding you that “Twitter is the new E-Mail” or how much you need to be on Facebook, Linkedin, etc. etc.?

But what about the rest of us who have real jobs we need to do?  What about those of us who don’t want to spend everyday, all day swapping quotes, “retweeting” cute aphorisms, and “linking” with people we don’t even know?  And hey, Facebook users, I remember a time with being a “friend” meant you actually had MET the person!

Some of us are out there, slaving away in the salt mines, working on such “20^th Century” concepts as producing products, meeting with customers and trying to pay the bills.  Geez, how did this country ever get started without George Washington, wintering at Valley Forge, letting his soldiers send “tweets” to each other just to pass the time?

Okay, I’m being a little blunt but I think you see my point.  What are we to do today with all the deluge of social media “must dos” when we still have work that needs to be done (or at least those who still have a job in this economy!)?  What is the proper balance to get the work done, please customers, bring in money —- and still be up on the social media explosion that really is changing the way we connect and communicate.

As with so many things in life, there is a balance.  And now, the balance is shifting.  Here are some suggestions that can help you manage this tidal wave shift in the way we communicate today.

1. Determine Your Goals.  Have a good heart-to-heart discussion with yourself first, and then with your team around you, what your real goals are in your business.  Connecting with people and building strong relationships is undoubtedly a big part of any successful business relationship today.  Yes, social media is a vital, critical part of the mix.  Just make sure you’ve got your goals firmly in mind before embracing any new do-dad or gizmo that purportedly “boosts” productivity.
2. Start With Baby Steps.  Hey, Linkedin wasn’t built in a day.  Begin with a solid profile for Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin that is other-oriented.  Don’t talk about yourself as much as the benefits your business provides others. Gradually learn about the protocol of each medium and get to know people.  Be a human being first.  The sales will follow if you practice Relationship Marketing properly in social media.  Always remember that social media and social networking are really about Relationship Marketing.
3. Get Tools To Facilitate Your Use.  Don’t try social media at home — alone.  Tools like TweetDeck, HootSuite, Social Oomph and many others really make it easier and much better to use Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.  I’m using these now and they have have saved me huge amounts of time.  Bonus: Ping.fm and Tubemogul.com can boost your bottom line if you use them properly by sending your best material to lots of places fast.
4. Play Well With Others.  The Lone Range was a TV show long ago.  Today we are more interconnected than ever.  None of us is a smart as all of us.  Tie in with tribes that can help you and share common values.  Learn from others as they discover new tools and tricks in social networking that can help.  Even the Lone Range wan’t really alone.  He had Tonto by his side!
5. Relax.  Hey, we’re all making this up as we go.  I’m reminded of the first Indiana Jones movie where Karen Allen’s character asked Jones what he was going to do next in the midst of another white knuckle, teeth-grinding fight.  His response?  “I’d don’t know.  I’m making this up as I go.”  Dealing with Social Media is like that today.  In the midst of all the daily barrage of “new” step back and look at the big picture and focus on those goals you have and the “why” of your use of social media and social networking.

Allocate a specific amount of time to be on the most important social media sites for you.  For professional speakers, YouTube is a key component.  For healthcare professionals, staying up with others through Facebook is important to know about new advances.  For salespeople, learning about the advantages of searching through Twitter can yield real, solid bottom-line results in more sales (a nice concept in the field of selling!).

It is not about to stop.  Plan your strategy and work it.  Then be willing to modify as 1) you see results from your own experience, and 2) technology and the market changes.  I’ll make a prediction here — and I know I’m going to be right on this one.  Things will Change.  Yeah, big deal, Terry, you say.  However, all kidding aside, plan for that and be flexible like never before.  I’m talking “Gumby” kind of flexible.

Yes, it is different today and it can seem overwhelming.  By following these principles you’ll not only survive but your Facebook friends might just become real friends — and customers!

Now, if you’ll excuse me I have a few Tweets I need to send about my new YouTube video and Facebook Fan Page along with the Linkedin Groups I monitor!

Copyright (c) 2010, 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.  Join Terry’s Facebook Fan Page at: http://www.facebook.com/SpeakerTerryBrock

You can’t do it alone.  Business is a team sport, even for the solo practitioner.  You need suppliers, mentors, consultants and customers (!) helping you.  With the right technologies you can get more done in less time and you don’t need to employ as many people.

Here are a couple of tools I’ve discovered recently which can help you in two profound areas of your business.  This is all about getting you a competitive advantage and letting you be more profitable in your business without incurring a lot of expensive overhead.

[Important Technical Note on the Video:  YouTube has changed some settings so be sure you have selected "480p" rather than the "360p" setting.  Otherwise, you'll get "An error occurred, please try again later."  Well, "later" never comes I found so just select the 480p setting at the bottom of the video and it looks very nice in High Definition video.  ]

Verifone PAYware Mobile For Your iPhone

If you’re mobile in your work with customers, you’ve probably had times when you wish you could accept credit card payment right on the spot.  You find out immediately if the card is valid, you process it quickly and you can focus more on the customer.  Today, with a new system from Verifone, you can do that on your 3G and 3Gs iPhone.

It consists of a device and some software you’ll download from the iTunes App store (software is free).  Once you have the App software, you slide your iPhone into the “sled.”   You swipe credit cards through this device (very small) and it gives you the ability to process credit cards anywhere you can take your iPhone.

My first concern was for security. This system uses an encrypted end-to-end system as it processes the card.  Because it uses a swipe method it is more stable from the start than entering a CC number.  The system uses the SSC (Security Standards Council) procedures for the latest security.  It is one of the most secure methods of CC transmission available today.

For convenience, this is ideal.  A small business owner can take it on sales calls and process everything needed for the transaction on the spot.  You eliminate the delay and time-wasters that come from taking paper and other materials back to the office for processing.

Be aware, though, that you need to have a steady stream of business to justify it.  You’ll pay a one-time boarding fee of $49.  Then there is the monthly gateway service fee of  $15.  Plus you’ll have a per transaction fee of 17 cents.  In addition to this you’ll be responsible for normal interchange/discount fees levied by processors and card brands.  Bottom line: This is a great tool if you 1) Have a 3G or 3Gs iPhone and 2) (most important!) You have sufficient business flowing on a monthly basis to justify the on-going monthly and per transaction costs.  For those who qualify, this is a god-send.

Crunch the numbers on your business and see if it is worth it for you.  To get more transactions and process them faster, this can be a most profitable venture for your business.

(Verifone PAYware Mobile, http://www.paywaremobile.com, Fees Apply)

Get The Help You Need On Technology 24/7/365

Technology can be frustrating!  I know this from personal experience and you do to.  Building your team around you means you have to have support for your technology investment.  Either you do it or someone else does.  If you do, it is taking precious time from selling and developing your business.  Getting someone else will cost, however, that cost can be managed better and at a much lower fee than with full-time employees.

I recently used a service called PlumChoice for two problems I had.  One was with my iPhone and the other with my MacBook Pro.  In both cases, I was amazed at the results — and I’m one tough cookie to try to amaze!

The first time it was with the Time Zone setting on my iPhone.  I wanted to set an appointment in Eastern Time Zone (where I reside) for meetings in the Pacific Time Zone (where I was visiting and had several appointments).  I couldn’t get my iPhone to display appointments in the local time zone.  I explained the problem to PlumChoice and they arranged for Josh, one of their support people, to call me back.  After a few minutes of explaining it and working with Josh, the problem was fixed.  That saved me a huge amount of time.

Then yesterday I had a problem with my MacBook Pro operating slower than I wanted.  I explained the issue and PlumChoice set up an appointment.  I got a call promptly at our designated time from Ray who walked me through what was needed to take remote control of my computer.  Then he went to work fixing the problem as I watched in amazement (remember, how hard it is for me to be amazed!).  Well, in about an hour Ray had my computer not only running much faster but he politely and very astutely helped me understand how to fix it in the future.  Yes, I was — and still am — amazed!

PlumChoice support is available for $24.95/month for Windows and $17.95/month for Macs.  This is a smart investment for your small business.  Look at PlumChoice as a part of your support team so you can focus on customers and generating more income.

(PlumChoice.com, 1-888-758-6435, Monthly or One-Time Fees Available)

Don’t try to run your business alone. With tools like these and the right kind of support, you can succeed by focusing on what you do best.  This is the smart way to do business.

Copyright (c) 2010, 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

You can sign up and get $100 discount through my affiliate code here:

http://www.easywebautomation.com/SYS/?m=88312&c=s

Success in business today requires on-going education and learning. Successful salespeople know that today. Fortunately we have an abundance of tools to help with the learning process.

One that I discovered recently is the ER900 Partner from Ectaco. To say this little device takes a quantum leap forward in learning a language is an understatement. It is nothing short of “uber-WOW!” in what it can do.

The folks at Ectaco loaned me a unit and I have been playing with it for a couple of weeks to work on my Russian language skills. The ER900 (Russian-English Talking Dictionary) has 1, 200,000 words in total. It has 25,000 business words, 57,000 finance words, 69,000 law words, 34,000 medical terms, 43,000 oil and gas words, and 24,000 information and technology words.

One of the features I particularly like is the Flash Card section. It not only shows you words you can learn but as you pronounce them the device gives you audible feedback. It will say “Terrific!” or “We’ll come back to that later” or other phrases depending on how you say the word or phrase. You can think of it like having a translator with you on the spot.

Many common phrases used when traveling or at banks, restaurants, shops and other places are packed into the device. “Pictured Dictionary” gives you flashcards with the words. It has different topics you can choose from, and additional flashcards can be downloaded.

Ectaco supports language learning in 190 languages so you have a good chance to find what you need. Once you have one unit you can purchase additional SD cards for specific languages at $39 each. This makes the unit very versatile and flexible for international travelers and businesses who need to communicate with people from different countries.

In sum, this device is an excellent partner to have when learning a language. It is very helpful to learn key phrases in a language. It is also very good to have with you when you need to communicate with others. You can put in the phrase you want and have it translated back in the other language. This is truly the next generation in language learning and communication.

(Partner ER900, www.Ectaco.com, $599.95 Retail)

Other Technology Tools For Learning

Since learning is so important in business, I wanted to share with you some of the other tools I’ve discovered to assist in learning. I’d welcome your ideas and what has worked for you.

To jog your ideas — and remind you of some great technologies for learning, here is a list of helpful learning technologies which can help as you’re expanding your thinking abilities.

Technology Tool Creative Ways It Can Boost Your Brainpower
Digital Voice Recorder Capturing important audio phrases, help with language-learning, recording important conversations, etc.
Camcorder Capturing your unique “How-To” videos, advice from others, etc.
E-Book Readers Ability to have larger volume of resources available. Bonus: iPad combines text, audio and video!
The Right Blogs Educational mind-expanding Blogs
Skype Free access to smart people around the planet (video is a plus!)
Podcasts Find the best for you and listen regularly while in “university of the car”
Scanners Retain important articles for ready future reference when needed

For learning to be effective, it takes pro-active effort on the part of the learner. Make learning and constant growth a vital part of what you do. Embrace it as part of your lifestyle.

As technology continues to evolve and change, we have to embrace an attitude of constant, never-ending learning. Often we’ll want to slow down and stay with what we have. However, that doesn’t prepare us for new ideas and new ways to learn that are developing.

This also means you’ll have to give up something. We all have only 24 hours in the day so we have to be selective. Perhaps turning off the TV for a few evenings could help you find more time for learning.

The Ectaco ER900 is a great technology for language learning. Other tools are available and a creative use of them can help to give you an advantage with extra knowledge. That extra knowledge can help with business and in your personal life.

Copyright (c) 2010, 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

Watch this video and discover what can work for you in your work.

Next, here’s a quick video with Certified Speaking Professional Ken Futch. Ken is known for his story about how he accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun — and lived to tell about it. Ken makes the story surprisingly hilarious about how he overcame this really, really bad accident. Watch this video and see what Ken recommends with problems you encounter.

And last, here is the amazing, brilliant Mari Smith. Mari is known as a consummate marketer who helps people learn about social media and how to use it in business. In this video interview, she shared with me a secret on how to get things done with Social Media —- and with anything else. Follow her strategy and listen to what you need to do to make it happen. The few moments you spend watching Mari’s interview and focusing on what she recommends can help you in business — and in life.

Twitter is already a strong tool for communicating with important people.  More and more business leaders today are realizing this tool is a force for profits today.  Much like we gradually accepted e-mail as a force to be dealt with years ago, successful businesses are embracing today’s new technology.  Business leaders are embracing Twitter and other social media and social networking tools as a powerful force.

You open a new world of possibilities when you embrace the marketing options of Twitter.  The world of business has changed in the past few years and now is the time to see this.  How long Twitter will stay on the scene as a must-use application is open to debate.  For now, we know that those who embrace and learn what it can do are those who succeed today and will in the future.

Here are three of “Terry’s Top Twitter Tips” to help you monetize the effort you put into this marvelous tool for business.

1. Provide Value. Today’s social media culture demands value over hype.  In the past companies could buy ads and blast their message to the world. That was expected.  Today you must provide solid value before people trust you.  We’ve been swamped with way too much advertising and some of it is not always true.  Therefore, we are all at least a little bit skeptical.  We don’t want to trust just anyone who is selling something.  To get around that you can build relationships with your tribe — the people who are your stakeholders.

Build a quality reputation of being a good person first, and then as someone who provides value.  For instance, if you’re a dentist, don’t just tell me you can fill cavities.  Don’t just tell me that I need regular check-ups (all of which is true, of course).  Provide lots of fun, beneficial education with fun and interesting ways to connect with you at your office.  Offer a way to learn more.  Offer ways where you engage me as a person.  This is value.  Think of how you’ll do it in your business providing value (use that Blog you’ve got!). 

Many companies today are providing value by answering specific questions through audio and video.  These companies will start a “tweet” — a message in Twitter — and then link to a page on their website and/orBlog with more information.  A good tool for this is bit.ly where you can shorten a long URL into a much shorter one (www.bit.ly).  Not only does bit.ly shorten the link, but it also provides the ability to track how many people clicked on it. This is a very useful tool for tracking results.  No longer do you have to wonder if you’re providing value. You can quantifiably track the number of people who wanted what you’re offering.

2. Research.  Twitter is a great tool to research what is going on in the marketplace.  There are three areas you want to research regularly: 1) What your industry and marketplace are talking about, 2) What they are saying about you, and 3) What they are saying about your competitors.  A tool like TweetDeck (www.TweetDeck.com) can help you manage all this information.  You are already behind if you don’t research.  Know what is happening and leverage tools like Twitter and TweetDeck to stay on top of it and gain a competitive advantage.

3. Be Accessible.  The days of management hiding behind closed doors is over.  Companies who tenaciously hang onto that are on their way out. Companies who successfully use social media and social networking today are positioned to profit today and into the future.

This means using tools like Twitter as well as Facebook, YouTube and Linkedin (the Big Four) is essential.  In addition to these tools you want to have a physical presence where you connect with people through trade shows, seminars, conferences, personal visits (remember how Sam Walton leveraged this and helped generate billions!), and personal phone calls (remember those?).  More than any specific technology, accessibility today means that you have the attitude of being open to customers, listening to what they say and hearing problems from their point of view.  Develop systems to handle this so you can handle the volume of connections.  However you choose to make it work — stay with it to make it work.  It is a never-ending process.  Social Media and Social Networking are tools that let you connect with others and get to know them.

It is the human thing to do.  It is also the right thing for bottom line business!

Copyright (c) 2010, 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

If you love listening to audio as much as I do, you need to watch this short video about something that can help save your ears. I had an interview recently with my buddy Jeff Koontz from Hearing Components. He talked about some of the foam tip earbuds they have which can help you keep your hearing safe while listening to your favorite audio.

Enjoy this and check out the site at www.complyfoam.com for more information.

Watch this video to get the inside scoop.

Business-Building Action From Terry Brock

In the old days (read, “last year”), many thought of Twitter as just a silly little way for kids to stay in touch and talk about “my cat is sleeping” type of messages.  In other words, it was certainly not for business (at least in the minds of many people in business) and only for kids.

Things are different today. If you’re not using Twitter, you are already not only passed by but you are being lapped on the track!  Twitter is a force to be reckoned with in today’s business environment.  It can give you a decisive edge in connecting with customers, employees and fellow stakeholders.  It can also help you find out the “inside scoop” on what is happening now.

How Businesses Use Twitter Today

Southwest Airlines is using it to let people know about flight changes, conditions and more.  They also use it to find out what passengers are saying.  If a delay or disruption occurs on a given flight, Southwest knows about it as they have dedicated people monitoring Twitter regularly.

Zappos is a great online shoe company.  They monitor what customers are saying and what they want.  They also use it to grab customer feedback — good and bad — and respond accordingly.

Even General (Government) Motors is using Twitter.  They want to keep up with what people are saying about them and (at least in theory) help solve customer problems.

If your business is not using Twitter you are at a big disadvantage.  You don’t have the instant access to what is going on that is relevant to you.  You won’t be able to stay on top of problems and solve them before they become massive.

Filtering Twitter

A big complaint from many is that there is so much information they can’t keep up with it all.  I understand and agree with that.  This is why experienced Twitter users (called “Twitterers”) use tools to process the filtering.

TweetDeck (www.TweetDeck.com – free) is a commonly used tool to monitor key streams.  You can set up a search for your company name or your competitors’ names and receive notifications whenever something is said.  This helps to manage the torrents of information coming through Twitter.  With TweetDeck I can monitor not only important Twitter mentions but also update and monitor what is happening that is relevant for me on Facebook and Linkedin.  This gives me a “command module” to keep up on the important things in my world.

HootSuite (http://hootsuite.com/dashboard – free) is another tool to monitor what is happening.  It is also useful to schedule messages you’ll send to others (called “Tweets”).  This way you can schedule a message to go out a few times a day.  Hey, the cable news networks repeat the same stories because they know their audience changes every 20 minutes — or less.  Yours does too and a tool like this helps to reach more people with your message – when it is convenient for them!

Ways You Can Use Twitter In Your Marketing

There are several ways you can use Twitter but here are some which can help you immediately:

1. Build An Audience.  This is most important as you want to build an audience of followers (that’s the Twitter term for people who subscribe to your posts) who are interested in what you’re doing.  Have a special going on?  Send a Tweet.  Is there an important news event in your industry that you wrote about?  Send a Tweet pointing to that article.  Give lots of value and make conversation, not selling, your goal.
2. Monitor What They Say About You.  Find out what people are saying about you and your industry.  This is one of the best ways to stay on top of what is really happening (not just what you think is happening).
3. Monitor What They Say About Your Competitors.  You need to be aware of what is happening in the world.  Using Twitter is one of the best and fastest ways to keep up with what is going on today.
4. Become A Resource, Not A Screaming Salesperson. One of the cardinal rules of marketing with Twitter and other Web 2.0 tools is to be a resource of information and not an annoying, pest selling stuff.  Hey, there’s nothing wrong with selling and I believe everyone is selling something.  However, today you have to do it in a conversational, problem-solving way.  Provide lots of valuable information (valuable as defined by your market) and people will want to be around you.

This is a beginning.  Twitter is a serious business tool.  Wade into it slowly and get familiar with the territory.  You’ll be glad you did.  And who knows, maybe even your cat will sleep better!

Copyright (c) 2010, 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

Here’s a delightful video to start your week. The Space Shuttle Endeavor successfully launched this (chilly) morning. Watch it from the view I had in Orlando, Florida at 4:14 am as it takes off. This is truly a marvel of what brains can accomplish when focused on a single task.

Endeavor, we wish you a safe and profitable adventure!

If you have further questions, please leave a comment here at www.TerryBrock.com

Watch and enjoy.

Terry

Terry Brock, MBA, CSP, CPAE

www.TerryBrock.com

Gregg Halverson

Carl Larson

Alan Baucom

Capture Vital Information With This Hand-Held, High-Quality Scanner

When you’re in sales (and aren’t we all today?) you need all the competitive advantage you can get. Recently I encountered a technology that can help you in many ways to gather vital information.

Read this article and listen to the audio (8:25) below for more information on how you can use these tools to build your business.

The technology tool I’m referring to is the new Docupen X series from Planon. This is a handheld color scanner that can scan an 8.5 X 11 inch paper. Yet, it is small enough to carry in your coat pocket and weighs only a few ounces.

The people at Planon gave me this scanner to examine and I’ve been very pleased with it. I’ve used this to scan business cards, full-page letters (color or gray-scale) and more. One of the more practical items for me is scanning library books. I read a lot of books from the library and I find it very helpful to scan select portions of ideas for later reference.

It does take some work to get used to the way to scan properly. If your hands are shaky when you do the scan, the ultimate image will be less-than-ideal. I’ve botched up a few scans because I didn’t do it just right.

However, with a little practice you’ll be amazed at how vivid and accurate the scans can be. This is great for accumulating a ready-reference of quotes, ideas, business cards and more that you can accumulate. For the traveling professional, or the professional who just needs to run to a meeting across town, this is an ideal tool.

You can vary the quality from 150 dpi to 300 or 600 dpi. You can choose color, grey-scale or configure it for output to the Planon portable printer, the PrintStik. You can use Bluetooth or a USB cable to transfer to your mobile phone or computer. This handy device will give you a decisive advantage when you need to capture information and you’re on the road — or just in a competitor’s office!

(DocuPen X-series, Prices range from $150-$350, www.PlanOn.com)

Send Your Message With Crystal-Clear Audio

The Internet has provided a powerful way for you to deliver your message. It has made audio delivery something that is available for education, training, promotion and more today.

Yet, too many are using microphones that sound poor in quality. This can affect the perception of prospective buyers. A quick and easy way to project the best possible sound is to get a high-quality microphone, spend a little time learning how to use it, and then let your message resound with brilliant quality.

I’ve been using the new Yeti microphone from Blue Microphones. I do a lot of podcasts and video work so audio quality is extremely important. As an old radio guy from way back, I know how important it is to get a good quality, professional sound when you’re delivering your message.

This Yeti produces sound quality that is nothing short of the high-quality professional sound that you’d expect to pay thousands to achieve. It also has the ability to switch from cardiod to directional and more. I don’t understand all the technical audio terms. But, I do recognize superior sound when I hear it. This microphone delivers — abundantly.

It also has a headphone input with volume control so you can monitor your sound as you record. This one professional feature can help you in your audio messages and podcasts to convey that “extra” to achieve more business results.  It plugs into a USB port for easy installation.  For the $149 price tag it can’t be beat.

The folks at Blue Microphones have loaned me this mic and I’m tempted to abscond with it and run off to Brazil. It is that good. You can hear the difference on a podcast I’ll do about this post at http://bit.ly/DocuPen_Yeti.

If you’re not using a podcast now to promote your products and services, this is something you should consider. Audio is portable. Your customers can listen to your educational message and get to know you more while they are occupied with other activities. For busy, on-the-go people audio is a great way to connect at a convenient time. A microphone like the Yeti can help to separate you from others who aren’t using the same quality.

The unit is designed for studio use more than on the road. Think of this one as the microphone for producing that important audio message to that big, prospective customer. You won’t regret getting a Yeti from Blue Microphones.

(Yeti Microphone, $149.00, www.BlueMic.com)

Copyright (c) 2010, 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

If you’re wondering how you can implement it or take it to the next level for your work, this could be just what you’re looking for. You’ll get the answer in a very short video.

Watch this video (2:39) and let me know whatcha’ think. I look forward to hearing from you.

Terry

www.TerryBrock.com

Discover how you can blend social media into your marketing and make it work. This is serious business and it is how you can attract a following for your products and services.

Listen to this short (11:59) audio where Trey Pennington interviewed me and asked about how Relationship Marketing, or what I call R-Commerce (about Relationships) blends with social media. Discover how tools like Twitter, Facebook, and more can help propel your business forward.

To get more specific information on how you can use Social Media in your work, check into our business help that we offer through the coaching system. You can click on the button at the bottom of this page to get more information.

Enjoy the audio! I look forward to hearing from you.

Terry

Terry Brock, MBA, CSP, CPAE
www.TerryBrock.com

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Mark Chamblee talks about how they have diversified their marketing (good thing to do today!).  He also stresses how they have been “green” for a long time and now the market is accepting that more.

John Allen with Berger talks about how they have incorporated testimonials into their work to maximize marketing. See what he is doing as he explains it here.

John and Gayle Smothers discuss the marketing they are doing through technology and how this is helping them build their business in Lubbock, Texas.

My thanx to all the wonderful people who contributed their time and ideas for these videos. You helped to make TNLA’s Management Conference successful.

For more information on what works in today’s market for marketing, see more videos at www.TerryBrock.com or contact me directly. Just leave a comment below and I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for visiting my site.

Terry

Terry Brock, MBA, CSP, CPAE
www.TerryBrock.com

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And Mobile Professionals To Succeed

Business-Building Ideas From Terry Brock

PlanOn PrintStik

If you are on the road and need to get a hard copy of important information, you know it can be a hassle.  Sure, you can try to send a copy to the front desk of the hotel, then go downstairs to get it, etc.  However, sometimes you just need a quick note printed from some directions or notes.

The Planon PrinStik could be just what you’re looking for.  Recently the company gave me one of these to try out.  It is light-weight (about 2 lbs.) and connects via a USB cable or Bluetooth. Using Bluetooth enables you to print directly from your Blackberry (iPhone soon) and avoid the hassles of cables.

PrintStik from Planon

The unit uses thermal paper.  At first I didn’t like this as I wanted regular paper.  However, for on-the-road use I see the advantages now.  You don’t have to carry or use those pesky ink cartridges.  You don’t have to worry about them breaking and spilling (on the road, this can be a challenge).  You can purchase the rolls at your office supply center.  One roll gives you about 20 pages, which should be enough for most on-the-road trips to print urgent and must-have communication.  Two, maybe three rolls, should be more than adequate for most trips.

The prices for the PrintStik range from $199 to $350 depending on the features you get.  The speed is fair at 3 pages per minute.  For brief, on-the-road printing this will be sufficient.  If you need to print 100 copies of something you’ll be better off at your local print-shop or office center at the hotel.

For today’s mobile professional, this is a great tool to help you when you have to have that printout.  It is easy to carry on board a plane for those 1-2 day trips.

(PrintStik, www.planon.com, $199-$350)

The Printshop 2.0 Lets You Design Without Being A Graphic Designer

I love to see what programs like PhotoShop produce.  However, I don’t have the time to learn that extensive (and wonderful) program. Well, the people at Encore USA must have been thinking about me when they came up with The Printshop.  It is easy to use and comes with several templates for producing fliers, brochures, business cards and other printed material.

In an age when it seems everyone is sending out email and PDFs instead of printed material, you can get an advantage.  Think of how you could send some physical pictures of that last convention to a prospect.  Consider sending them in a nice frame for long-term memories.  Print them on your own card stock using The Printshop and you’ll be able to stand out from the barrage of email that your prospect receives.

You can see an informative video interview I had with Jennifer Smiczek, the Product Director for The Printshop 2.0 at http://bit.ly/theprintshop.

The Printshop comes in three price levels from $29.99, $59.99 and $89.99.  You can start with the entry level and gradually move up if you choose.  Yet, for less than $100 you get a very nice, comprehensive package that can deal with many, if not most, of your printing needs.

I saw the templates and looked at what this can do.  It is a nice product and for a small-business or a large company that thinks flexibility and agility, this is an excellent product to use.  It can give you a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace.

This is also a good product to consider if you have been laid off and are looking for a good way to generate income.  Using the templates they have (particularly in the $89.99 edition) you can develop some nice graphics and help to dazzle prospective clients with what you can do for them.  This is a way for you to innovate your way out of any recession and generate the kind of income you want.

(The Printshop, 2.0, Priced from $29.99 to $89.99, http://ideas.printshop.com/)

Comment about Tech Tools from Terry

I love technology.  You can tell from my website here how I use them.  I believe that the right use of the right tools can greatly enhance what you do in business and in your personal life.  However, the most important aspect of the tools is not the tools — it’s about the people.

That might sound counter-intuitive but it is absolutely true — and vital for your success in business.

I’ve seen many people through the years who focus on the “right technology” and think that just buying the right equipment will make them successful.  Well, if it were that easy, everyone would be successful in business and no one would ever fail.  Unfortunately, you have to do a lot more than just get the right equipment in business.

You have to get the right attitude to support others and help them.  Think of the technology tools as ways in which you can serve customers more.  Leverage tools like those I ilustrate here, the PrintStik and The Printshop, to help people.  For instance, the PrintStik is great to make your commitments more firm with other people.  It is great to remember appointments, important notes and ideas and more.  This is what Relationship Marketing is all about.

Leverage the technology to help people.  As you do that, you’ll be able to increase your business.  Yes, the technology is good and there is always a new gadget or gizmo that we love hearing about.  However, keep it straight and always focus on people first.  That is the key to business success.

Copyright (c) 2010, 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

Recently I had an interview with Trey Pennington on Blog Talk Radio where we talked in depth about the similarities between using Social Media and how it relates to Relationship Marketing.  I’ve talked about R-Commerce (Relationship Commerce) for a long time.  In this interview I was able to share some specific ideas on how this can work for you in your business.

Listen to this audio (32:37) and learn.  You can listen to it streaming or download the MP3 file for your information.

Leave a comment (below) and let us know what you think and what works for you.  This will be a great way to share your information with others who can benefit.  By doing that, you’ll also benefit.  I look forward to your comments!

Terry

Terry Brock, MBA, CSP, CPAE
www.TerryBrock.com

Watch this video interview I did with Jennifer Smiczek, Product Director of The Printshop.