Business-Building Thoughts From Terry Brock

I often work with businesses who are interested in the fast rise of Social Media and how it is making an impact on their businesses. They don’t want to spend too much time on these new forms of Social Media, but they also don’t want to be left in the dark.

Recently I shared concepts from the late, great Peter Drucker that can act as a filter for decision-making. If you filter your use of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or any other business activity through this you will be on the right track.

Drucker’s advice here?

The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer.

That simple phrase sums it up. If what you’re doing doesn’t accomplish either or both of these, it is not worthwhile. Remember the emphasis has to be on “customers” — this means those who are actually paying you money. If they aren’t paying you money, they are not customers. If they have a strong probability of becoming customers that is good. But remember, the emphasis has to be on those paying the bills.

This morning I was talking with a friend who has her MBA from Harvard. We were discussing the fact that she has been on Twitter for about six months now. I asked her what specific business results she has seen from that. She indicated that she had a lot of “followers” (people on Twitter who subscribe to her posts). However, she couldn’t point to any specific business that has come through — yet!

This doesn’t mean that time spent on Twitter is a waste. Far from it. Usually it is like advertising. You don’t always see a direct result immediately. If you’re not there regularly, you could lose business as people don’t know about you. People don’t usually buy on their first exposure to new ideas. It takes time.

I suggested that a business needs to develop a set of “measurable deliverables.” This is where the hard thinking comes into play.

A good tool can be one that was very popular years ago and is still valid today. Management By Objectives, or MBO for short. It was used and taught by people like George Odiorne, George Morrisey and initially introduced by Peter Drucker in 1954. Managing your business (and your life) by objectives has a lot of advantages.

This is a great way to know if Twitter, Facebook, etc. are accomplishing their goals. You, as a leader of yourself and your people, have to think through what deliverables you can measure. In a squishy world of “need to be seen” we have to think hard about what will help to attract and retain customers. You might measure the number of “tweets” sent, the number of followers, the number who visited a site you referenced, the number who purchased an offer, etc. Work with your people to determine realistic goals. This practice eliminates a lot of confusion and bonds everyone to accomplishing the same goals.

Measure what is important. Evaluate by performance within those goals. This will help clarify the business purposes of Twitter and other Social Media sites. Hey, it’s an important way to evaluate any business activity.

Important Point: One of the criticisms of MBO (by people like J. Edwards Deming) was that it failed to take into account a changing environment. This is a reasonable and understandable objection. Of course, the way around this is to build into any MBO system regular, periodic evaluations that allow for changing external circumstances. In other words, “Hey, things are different now and we need to adjust.” Make sure the adjustments are based on real, unchangeable external factors and not just a lazy way to justify missing the goals. Again, this is where wise leadership and judgment are needed.

Twitter is a great tool for communicating. However, it can also be a great time-waster. Do the hard work — the thinking — first. Determine how you’re going to measure success. Filter results through Drucker’s “attract and retain a customer” prism. Use the methodology of MBO to set realistic, stretch goals that help you and your team achieve results.

This system will work in this economy and any economy in the future. MBO is a great way to plan and live your life. MBO is a great way to run your business. Remember to temper it with reviews adapted for changing circumstances and you have a winning combination.

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.

 

 Manage Deliverables For Success [6:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (64)

Here is a special treat for you.  I recently had an interview with my friend and colleague, Michael Tipper.  Michael is a genius who helps many people learn about how to increase productivity in business and tap into the strong powers of their mind.

In this interview, Michael interviewed me over Skype from his home in England while I was at my home in Orlando, Florida.  In this interview you’ll discover:

* The Mindset necessary to use technology

* Specific tools to get you organized and jump-start your productivity quickly

* The Three Essential Elements you need in your life every day (!) for maximum effectiveness

* How to think about making technology work for you and your business.

This interview is packed with loads of tips.  The 42:30 that you’ll spend will be a good investment of your time to learn and discover great things you can do.

Let me know if you have questions or would like more information on how to implement this with your group or in your own life. I regularly speak to business groups around the world to help them move to the next level of productivity and profitability.  Discover the latest in technology tools which can help you and your people.

Listen to the interview then drop a note at the bottom of this Blog so others can benefit from your insights.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Now, on with the interview!

 

 Productivity and Technology [42:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (72)

Thank God It’s Monday might seem like a strange title for a book, but Roxanne Emmerich, CSP, CPAE, CMC is the author of this dynamic read that can help you.  It is about having fun in the workplace and helping that “fun” turn into bottom line profit.

The concepts that Roxanne discusses in her book, are just what I’ve been talking about with Relationship Marketing. Connecting with customers, employees and other stakeholders is a huge part of Relationship Marketing. Listen to what Roxanne discusses in the interview about working with banks and how they are seeing bottom-line and top-line growth by applying these principles of Relationship Marketing.

This book is a fun read and a reall business-building tome.  You want to see the interview I recently had with Roxanne.  She’s a friend I’ve known for years and now this book is #14 on the best-seller business list and growing.  She expresses he enthusiasm on video even better so you want to see this interview.

Pick up your copy today and get your own bottom line boosted!

Business-Building Thoughts From Terry L. Brock

[Note: Here's the article I just wrote for my papers around the country. It is for the serious business person who wants to know why they would use Twitter for business.  If you're just getting into Twitter --- or wondering about its applications in business --- this is for you!  Enjoy!]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard about Twitter.  It is huge.  It is not a fad.  It is here to stay and will be a big part of business.  It already is and is growing more.

In my speeches I give and the coaching I do I find two types of reactions to Twitter.  One group embraces it and is growing their network and their business.  Another has a standard, pat answer they give for why they don’t use it.  If you’re in the later category — get with the program!  The same types of arguments were used a decade ago when people told me why they were not on the Internet.

If you’re not on Twitter, get there.  This is for you bottom-line-oriented, business-focused readers.  This is not something you want to miss.  Dispense with your standard pat answers about why you aren’t there.  Instead, wade into it with a focus on how to generate results.

Here are just a few of the ways serious business-minded people are using Twitter now:
•    Linking with prospects
•    Linking with existing customers
•    Finding resources
•    Finding the right subcontractors for a specific job
•    Getting information on suppliers and their reputation with your trusted peers
•    Announcing upcoming events
•    Finding out about upcoming events
•    Staying current with trends
•    Linking to great websites for information
•    And thousands more uses!

Recently I was meeting with a friend and colleague who is not on Twitter (yet). She is already very successful in her business as an image consultant.  She told me she’s not on Twitter because, “No one cares that I’m at Starbucks right now with Terry Brock.”  Well, I had to agree with her but told her that someone might be interested in a great image consultant to help for an upcoming job interview tomorrow.  If her profile contained valuable information about that, she could get business.

Yes, there are a lot of people using Twitter for non-business purposes and that’s fine.  There are a lot of Blogs, Podcasts, Websites, Videos, Audios and more that aren’t relevant to you.  However, that doesn’t mean all of them are irrelevant.  Your job is to find the relevant, profit-producing sources for you and your business and embrace those.  Don’t worry about those that aren’t helpful to you.

I also told my friend that she might have need of a good business resource.  This can be a quick, “Hey, does anyone know about a good plumber who can.….” This could be just what you need in a bind!   Your network can help you.  And this is the flip side of networking.  As you want people to hire you, when you have a need and contact a range of trusted people, you can find the resources you need quickly.

As you enter Twitter, don’t go in blabbering about your business and trying to sell your stuff. Think of Twitter as a social networking party — which is what it is online.  You wouldn’t think highly of a person you meet at a social networking cocktail party who only wanted to sell you his stuff, hand you his card and blabbered on and on about his ideas.  Instead, think of how you can appeal to the other person and find out what is important to him or her.  Get to know them.  Build a business relationship.  This is where Twitter sparkles!

You build relationships on Twitter much like you do in the offline world.  Be pleasant.  Focus on helping others and have a quality introduction to help people know what you do in business and what you offer.

Start with a strong profile that concisely states how people benefit from working with you.  Don’t tell me you’re an accountant who has been in business for 25 years and you have 15 partners, etc. etc.  I don’t care.  However, tell me how you can help me eliminate the hassle of tax filing so I can do it on time, in full compliance and with minimal aggravation.  Oh, and then, mention how you have your accounting degree and have the credentials to back it up. Then show me your website link for more information.

In addition to that, offer “tweets” —- that’s Twitter speak for the short 140 character max messages you send — which provide value.  One of the best strategies is to offer a terse benefit statement followed by a link to a website.  Use a tool like Tiny URL (www.tinyurl.com) or Snip (www.snipurl.com) to shorten a long URL to something more manageable or descriptive.

Bounce over to www.Twitter.com/TerryBrock and see what I’m doing.  I would love to have you follow me.  I follow a lot of people now and the list is growing.  We create a better network and support system by helping each other.

In the age of digital marketing, important trends come fast.  Those who embrace those trends and think of how to use them in business do well.  Let me know how Twitter is helping you in business.  I look forward to sharing your experiences with other serious, business professionals.

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.

Business-Building Ideas From Terry L. Brock

Relationship Marketing is much like keeping a water bucket filled.  The bucket has holes in it and it is your job to keep the water at the “full” mark. That requires three kinds of activities: 1) Putting water in the bucket. 2) Keeping the holes patched, and 3) Preventing new holes from appearing.  As a Relationship Farmer, it is your job to tend to these never-ending tasks.

You want to keep your business relationships fresh and current.  Stay in touch with important people.  This also means that you have to prioritize among those who are important and others who deter you from your goals.  Those who are a drain on your time, money and effort (TME) should be avoided.  Those who don’t embrace a value-for-value interchange should be avoided.   Spend your TME on establishing, building and maintaining profitable, mutually beneficial relationships.

One way you can do this is with the right tools around you.  One I recently tested is the new Fujitsu S1500 scanner.  WOW!  Installation was fast.  At my office, we installed it on two older Windows machines and it works very well.  Total time for installation was just a few minutes and the scanner was chomping away at massive amounts of paper in a few minutes.

In one test we ran, I grabbed an older copy of the Harvard Business Review which had 106 pages in that issue.  I had my assistant, Natalya, cut out the pages with an exacto knife so that each page was separate.  Then she took the pages about 50 at a time and in 60 seconds (yes, we timed it) the first 50 were scanned — both sides and in color.  The second batch (we did the remaining pages, even though the Fujitsu manual says it only allows 50 each time) and it worked fairly well. We had a little jam on the second batch only because we didn’t put the pages in just right.  However, once it was corrected, everything went well.  Further tests showed that once we lined up the pages evenly the scans were rapid and accurate.

This is a “WOW!” customer experience.  When you find a product that helps you accomplish critical tasks quickly, easily and at low cost, it is a winner.  The Fujitsu S1500 scanner is such a winner.

Now don’t tell the people at Fujitsu I said this, but their new scanner really isn’t a scanner.  Oh yes, it processes paper of all kinds from business cards to hand-written notes to magazine articles with aplomb.  But it really isn’t a scanner.  It is a Relationship Marketing builder.  You can use this tool when you read a great article, see a picture or some other item that can help one of your clients or important contacts.  You can quickly scan it and then attach it as a PDF to an email for someone else.

Also, you can use this to scan copies of hand-written notes taken during important telephone conversations.  That way you can quickly see a collection of all past conversations with important people on important topics. Just keep those PDF documents related to, say, client Jane Jones, in one folder.  Review that folder’s documents quickly before a call or meeting with Jane Jones and you’ll be far ahead of the competition.

This is another way to keep your relationship “bucket” filled.  You’re plugging holes and you’re adding more “water” to the “bucket.”  Think of the water as the feelings and disposition prospects and clients have towards you.  Think of the bucket as the overall relationship you have with them.  You facilitate Relationship Marketing by leveraging technology.  Stay “front of mind” with that important client or prospect in a favorable way and you have a much better chance to do more and better business.

Here’s another suggestion which can help you keep your Relationship Marketing bucket filled.  Plan to send about 5 post card messages a day to important contacts.  I have some postcards that I had printed with my picture and a brief mention of what I do as a professional speaker and marketing coach.  Usually the cards have messages just saying hello and meant to stay in touch with important people in my life.  No, this doesn’t make the sale come through.  However, it keeps the relationship active in the mind of the client or prospect.  It helps to patch holes and fill the Relationship Marketing bucket with the life-giving water of business growth. Since few people do it today, it helps me stand out in a favorable way. See more examples of Relationship Marketing in video and audio, on my blog at www.TerryBrock.com.  You’ll find a lot of information that can help you and your people to build solid, profitable business relationships

By the way, in an era of way too much email, Twitter messages, Facebook postings, LinkedIn and other digital messages, a nice, analog, hand-written note on a letter or postcard can stand out in a very favorable way.  A personal phone call or better yet, personal visit packs a powerful punch to enhance relationships.

Keep your Relationship Marketing bucket filled.  Use key principles and practical technologies to favorably impress important people.  This will not only keep the “water” in your business but it will taste very sweet on a hot day when you’re thirsty.

(Fujitsu S1500 Scanner, US$495.00, http://tinyurl.com/chpgr9
for Windows and Mac)

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.

 

 Relationship Marketing is like a Water Bucket [10:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (200)

This week I have a word of caution — and a big dose of optimism — but you’ve got to keep reading for the full-powered benefit.

Just because you had a particular experience doesn’t mean that everyone is going to have the same experience.  This is very important to remember anytime, but particularly in more challenging economic times.  Be very careful when someone stands up and claims they deployed a certain marketing technique and it succeeded (or failed) for them.  That is interesting.  However, the scientific approach is to be disciplined and examine a wider range of results.  Real discipline requires seeing a bigger picture.  Be leery of the 1 person who is either overly optimistic or overly pessimistic because of his or her own personal experience.

For instance, some have claimed voraciously that raising prices will sell more.  They look to Mercedes and have said in the past that raising prices always generates more sales.  Sometimes that does work as consumers have a greater perceived value from higher-priced items.  However, today, things have changed.  Even luxury goods have seen a decline in purchases.  Wal-Mart makes more money than Neiman-Marcus.

The key is in knowing your market.  You can’t say that lowering prices will always result in more profit (not just sales).   Today, most people are more price-conscious.  You have to find a price point that satisfies your costs (at least your marginal costs) and provides serious value for the consumer to remain profitable in the long-term.

Often add-on packaging and pricing — according to the value perceived by buyers — results in more sales.  If someone sees a combination of air, lodging and rental car all together as a “package deal” then it becomes more compelling than breaking the components into individual pieces.

Dangers of inductive thinking mean that you see one or two examples of something and determine (often erroneously) that it will apply to everything.  I had a friend recently tell me that she felt nothing made in China was good.  Her reason?  She and her husband had two nails that broke when they were doing some repair at home. Her husband checked the box and found they were made in China.  Their conclusion? All products made in China are poor quality.

When I submitted that Lenovo, Chinese cars and other products are good quality, she balked.  When I cited many of the high-quality, breakthrough technologies I’ve personally seen from Chinese manufacturers at the Consumer Electronics Show she dismissed it out of hand.  She “knew” that Chinese products were inferior because she and her husband had experienced two nails that broke and were made in China.

Be Careful.

You can run into problems in business when you embrace inductive thinking.  You see one or two examples and then project that onto all.  A better way of thinking is deductive.  Study the group and then decide from there how individuals will act.  However, even that can be wrong.  Most Americans speak English.  To conclude that all Americans speak English would be wrong.  There are some who do not.

This is important for our thinking when we hear bad news.  I was listening to National Public Radio the other day and they gave a vivid example of ill-founded inductive thinking.  You must know that I enjoy listening to many of the programs on NPR.  All Things Considered, Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me, and Morning Edition remain some of my favorites.  However, when All Things Considered focused on two people who had lost their jobs and followed them around citing how bad things were, they were guilty of inductive thinking.  Not only would our philosophy and logic professors but also psychologists would rail at my dearly-loved NPR for citing only negative cases.  Now, perhaps NPR has offered stories about people who are doing very well (there are many even in today’s marketplace).  I haven’t heard those stories in my personal experience.  But NPR erred on that judgment to talk only about the negative and not give the full picture.

Good marketers today shield their mind by learning about inductive and deductive thinking.  When we see flawed logic, we realize that we have to be cautious before accepting everything at face value.

Yes, close to 10% of the workforce is out of work.  Well, I grabbed a calculator the other day.  If 10% are out of work that would mean that 90% ARE employed!  Yes, times are tough.  But we are not ready to throw in the towel.

And that’s the whole point for you and me.  Succeeding today means that you embrace deductive thinking to be disciplined and see the full picture.  You focus on more than your own personal experience.  Put on an extra layer of “Be Careful” when someone only talks about their own experience.  If you hear the words, “I,” “Me,” or “My” more than is healthy coming from their mouths, let a warning light go off inside your head.

I think we have to be “realistically optimistic.”  We see what is happening.  Yes, we recognize the two people who are out of work cited by my dearly-loved friends at NPR.  However, we also need to recognize others who are doing well.  A doggedly-determined optimist is hard to beat.  This approach works psychologically.  It works in business Most importantly, it works in life.

For you and me, it not only works, but is essential for success in today’s 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 at 407-363-0505, 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.

We can learn a lot from studying those who have successfully achieved greatness. One of the best is from the Founding Fathers of the United States. They were in a period of inflation, dire economic times, turmoil in the streets and a general fear of what is going to happen. Sound familiar?

Dr. Rebecca Staton-Reinstein has written a book where she, as a lover of history and devoted student of the American Revolutionary period, draws lessons for today’s leaders. Not only does she teach us some valuable lessons, that I haven’t heard cited by other authors previously, but she interviewed several current CEOs and leaders to find out what they are doing right.

I read her book and it was a real inspiration to me. I interviewed her (see video below) via Skype video and she had some powerfully educational lessons for us. Invest about 10 minutes of your time and learn some powerful lessons that are both motivational and educational. Not only that, Rebecca, is a fun person who delivers her content with wit and wisdom for an entertaining presentation.

This is one you’re going to love and want to watch a few times. In fact, share it with your staff so they can benefit from it as well.

Terry
www.TerryBrock.com
Terry@TerryBrock.com

To Reach Dr. Staton-Reinstein — www.ConventionalWisdomCenter.com, www.AdvantageLeadership.com

Now We’re All Entrepreneurs

You have to think like an entrepreneur even if you (still) have a job with a large company.  Think Lehman Brothers.  Think GM,  Think State of California.  Ugh!  No job is permanent.  Those who plead and beg for this strange animal called “job security” need a good welcome to the 21st Century.

Today we are all entrepreneurs.  Well, we all have been for quite a while, but many didn’t realize it till they got the pink slip from their (former) employer informing them of the wonderful new opportunities that await them as an entrepreneur.

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Listen to a supplemental audio of this article!  Get even more as I talk with you about this important concept of thinking like an entrepreneur.  You can listen to it streaming or download as MP3 and listen on your favorite MP3 player.  Choice is good!

Leave a comment (at bottom of this page) and let me and others know what you think. I really look forward to hearing from you.  Thanx!  Terry

Right-Click to Download Audio Supplement for We Are All Entrepreneurs Now

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There is no security in any job.  There is only security in your ability to embrace and deploy market-valuable skills so that you solve problems others have.  The more you can solve problems others have and satisfy their wants and needs, the more “security” you’ll have.

This is the way nature works.   The only way you get ahead is by providing value for others to meet their needs.  Always think in terms of what you can do for the other person.

This means that we all need to think like entrepreneurs.  If this type of thinking begins to take place with more and more people I believe our world will be a better place.

An entrepreneur will change practices quickly.  Success is realized when you can adapt to the ever-changing needs of the marketplace.  No job is secure because the marketplace keeps adjusting.  If you try to continue making buggy whips when the horseless carriage comes along your “job security” will fade quickly.

Yet, in the midst of that change, you can do better by thinking of your skills and strengths.  Let’s go back to my mythical buggy whip manufacturer.  If you made buggy whips at the dawn of the horseless carriage era you knew leather.  You knew how to mold that leather and make solid, long-lasting whips to motivate horses.

In an age of cars, that buggy whip won’t be as necessary.  However, you’ve learned how to work with leather and they use even more leather in cars (seats, steering wheels, dashboards, etc.).  By thinking of yourself as a professional in leather, and more than just a “buggy whip maker” you expand your market and would have an ample amount of work head.  Provide different leather products.  Don’t think of yourself in the “buggy whip” industry but in the “providing leather in many ways for customers” industry.

Think like an entrepreneur.  Be on the lookout for new trends.  We are in a decisive shift today.  The world is not like it was — even last year.  This is creating a lot of opportunities for those who can change their thinking, adapt and come up with market-valuable skills.

Yes, you will have to learn some new skills.  You’ll have to go back to “school” to improve.  It might not be a formal education (although I’m a huge fan of that) but it will require more reading, online courses, audio training, hiring coaches, etc. etc.  Do whatever it takes to learn new skills and then provide value in the marketplace.

Remember that an entrepreneur also has to develop “rhinoceros skin.”  I guarantee you will be turned down by potential customers.  I guarantee you will have set-backs.  Learn from these disappointments.  Write down your lessons in your personal journal.  Then adapt, change and get back in the game.

This is how successful people through the centuries overcame problems and the changes they faced.  You can do it also.  In fact, many people say they became much better and got a much better job after a disappointment or temporary setback.

As you learn to think like an entrepreneur, you will grab those skills needed and adjust.  Remember, there is no “job security” today. Actually, there never has been.  You have to create value each day for the marketplace to keep your job.  This means learning new skills continually, helping others and serving them and becoming more business-astute all the time.  Relationship Marketing is all about connecting with others and providing value.

Now is the time to aggressively embrace new opportunities and offers.  This is what being an entrepreneur is about.

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 at 407-363-0505, 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.

By Terry L. Brock

Here we go!  It is a great time for learning and discovering things that we never thought possible.  With these unconventional times we have to be willing to do things in unconventional ways.  This means a big shift in what we were doing, the skills we bring to the marketplace and even how we think.  These unconventional times call for unconventional tactics.

The good news is that we will be better in the long run for having “cleaned up” our style.  However, it won’t be easy.  Some will choose to give up rather than adapt.  However, Darwin was right that we have to adapt and change in order to survive.

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Here’s an audio enhancement of this article (below). This is NOT just reading the text (you can do that) but enhancing and amplifying it as only audio can.  You can listen to it streaming or download as an MP3 file and listen on your own MP3 player.  Listen and Enjoy!  – Terry

Total Time: 7:58

Download File as MP3 Audio Here

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You know, times like these can be exhilarating as it brings out the best in us.  It forces us to draw from resources deep within.  We have to become better people and change.  You know that person you really wanted to become and the things you wanted to accomplish?  Now is a great time to begin anew and make it happen.

Here are some time-honored steps that can help you make real-world, practical change.

1.    Become Different And Better. Become the person that you really want to be and who the market is asking for.  Come on!  You know there are things you should do and you just never made it happen.  Be willing to pay the price now to make it work.  These are “cold water splashed in your face” times.  How you deal with it makes all the difference.  Take matters into your own hands to become the better person you know you really want to be and can become.  Make it happen.

2.    Crave Education. Think about it.  You are not going to get better unless you learn and acquire the skills to be the person you want to be.  This requires work.  It requires a craving, a longing for education and learning like never before.  Devour books.  Absorb educational audio and video.  Take the classes and seminars necessary.  Hire the coaches who can help you acquire new skills.  Pay whatever price is required to become a better, more fully-educated person.  I don’t necessarily mean formal education, although I’m a huge fan of that.  Get to know what is required and get to know your local library.  Getting the right education is no longer optional.  You have to go where the food is!

3.    Stop It Already! In order to bring the good into your life you have to eliminate those activities, habits and people which are holding you back. Turn off the TV!  Unplug your video games.  These mindless activities don’t contribute ultimately to you becoming a better person.  Replace that time with education and being around quality, life-enhancing people.  Think about what you can eliminate from your life that is holding you back. You only have 24 hours each day so you have to eliminate something to replace it with positive, income-enhancing possibilities. Think about those activities that aren’t helping you and put then into your own “Stop doing that!” category.

4.    Be Creative With Your Re-Creation. You shouldn’t eliminate recreation but you must carefully choose how you invest that time.  Instead of mindless TV, bathe your mind with quality, life-enhancing and uplifting quality music.  Spend quality time with wonderful people instead of watching silly actors on TV or emotionally wrenching news coverage.   Read classics.  There is a reason they are considered “classics” and that means it is worthy of the time to read them.  The best part is that this healthy recreation can be dirt-cheap.  A Sunday afternoon with the family by the lake, playing outside or other activity can cost next to nothing.  Yet, the results and benefits can be priceless.  Raise priceless to the power of “WOW!” when you do it with loved ones.

5.    Develop Persistent Optimism. I hear the cynics wailing about this now.  They think that optimism is merely a charade covering reality.  True optimism has a dogged-determination to find the good in whatever situation happens.  It is how things are accomplished.  How many cynics do you see who are really successful anyway?  Make it your purpose and commitment to face life as a “realistic optimist.”  Know what is happening and find a way to improve and make it better.

These steps will help you personally, which is the core for growing financially.  We are in unconventional times.  They call for doing things unconventionally.  Yet, we will prosper in business and personally when we embrace the time-honored principles of learning, growing, serving others and being persistently, pragmatically optimistic.  Look for ways to serve others and help them solve their pain and you will do very well yourself.  This is how our ancestors made it through their tough times.  It is how we will make it through whatever happens to us.

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 at 407-363-0505, 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.

From the Notebook Computer of Terry Brock
Feature in EarlyToRise.com about my interview – “Overcoming Fear of Being Interviewed”
Saturday, 17 January 2009

I was both surprised and delighted to see the feature today on the world’s best newsletter for Health, Wealth and Personal Development, EarlyToRise.com. In that article, the Editor, Suzanne Richardson, discussed the interview I had with her.

Here’s the link so you can read exactly what she said in today’s feature:

Suzanne Richardson on Terry Brock and Video

—or—

http://tinyurl.com/8e5xzr (same link but shorter version)

And here’s a bonus for you as a reader of Achievement Update from me— something the readers of EarlyToRise.com don’t have in their article but just for you— the original video link. I think Suzanne did a very good job but we’ll let you see the full thing.

Original Interview with Suzanne

We had a wonderful time sharing about how they have built their list to over 430,000 subscribers with a 7-day-a-week publication (!). If you want to build your own list, this is a great video to watch. The few minutes you’ll invest will be well worth it and help you build you own list.

Let me know whatcha’ think. I look forward to hearing from you.

Terry
Terry@TerryBrock.
www.TerryBrock.com