Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro

4 Hour Workweek vs. GTD

One of my favorite books in recent years is the 4 Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss. Tim challenges readers to work less and play more, what he calls lifestyle design. Without getting into the details of the book here, I wanted to share a post from his blog.

Responding to a post on Entrepreneur Magazine's blog, Tim writes:

"Despite the disproportionate attention paid to them, personal outsourcing and selective ignorance are just two chapters out of 16 in 4HWW. There is a lot more to information management and intake control in 4HWW (interruption prevention, internal policies, scripts with superiors, etc.) than “batching” e-mail."

This was in response to a comment in the article:

“Timothy Ferriss is focused on outsourcing and not checking e-mail so often. The last time I checked, the amount of e-mail you get is not a function of how often you check e-mail,” [Mark] Hurst says. “David Allen’s approach is a bit of a throwback to a pre-internet age when having complex flowcharts, filing papers and creating tickler items was relevant…”

Eliminate Before You Optimize!

I thought his post was interesting and gives some insight into different methodologies to stay productive.

Seth Godin Offers a Lengthy Email Checklist

Author and Permission Marketing Expert Seth Godin offers a great checklist to review before sending email. It's a little impractical to run through the checklist every time you send a message, but I think his point is to make you stop and think about how you use email.

Here is a short sample from Seth's list:

4. Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it?

8. Aside: the definition of permission marketing: Anticipated, personal and relevant messages delivered to people who actually want to get them. Nowhere does it say anything about you and your needs as a sender. Probably none of my business, but I'm just letting you know how I feel. (And how your prospects feel).

9. Is the email from a real person? If it is, will hitting reply get a note back to that person? (if not, change it please).

22. Is there anyone copied on this email who could be left off the list?

Send Messages to People
Who Want to Get Them

I have to think that some of the items on the list are included for humor's sake alone. But, I think his point comes across loud and clear that people communicate too often through email on things that other people probably don't care about. It's also a great reminder to CYA to protect yourself.

Launched a New Blog Called Attracting Ideal Clients

Want to grow your business? I have launched a new blog called Attracting Ideal Clients. This blog is for small business owners, especially service professionals, who want to grow their business by attracting their ideal clients. More on this in a moment.

If you've read The PDA Pro Blog for awhile, you know that I cover a wide range of topics. I post on productivity, technology, sales and personal development topics. I'm passionate about helping people live productive and effective lives. I just love seeing people in their element, working smarter not harder. That's fun. What's not fun is feeling disorganized and overwhelmed. That's leads to procrastination and avoiding what you need to do.

In my business, I spend much of my time working with home-based service professionals. That includes coaches, consultants, virtual assistants and professional organizers. I love the entrepreneurial spirit. It's fun to launch a business and see it take off. Of course, owning a business is risky. And it can lead to a lot of additional stress.

My value system reflects my philosophy on building long-term relationships. And I've found the best relationships in business come from working with your ideal clients. This is the basis for building a successful referral based business.

Attract your Ideal Clients
and They Will Seek You Out!

And so it's with that concept that I've launched a new blog, Attracting Ideal Clients. There's a push/pull nature to marketing. Marketers often push their messages onto people. And that's effective to a certain extent. But, it's more effective when you can pull or attract your ideal clients to you. They will SEEK you out. That's really powerful!

And it's easier than ever to do this today using the internet. But, it takes a lot of work and you need to know what you're doing. I'm still refining my own approach. But, I have always jumped on top of any opportunity to get my message out there and attract people to what I'm doing.

So, Attracting Ideal Clients, is focused on teaching you how to identify who your ideal clients are, learning where to find them, what to say to them, and how to begin building a relationship with them that ultimately leads them to ask to be a client. But, it's not just about how to use the internet. I'll discuss mainstream topics like writing articles, teaching workshops and teleseminars, making phone calls, sending cards and networking more effectively. It's all of the things you can do to communicate your message and attract your ideal clients.

Yes, you still need to be able to sell. But, focusing on attracting your ideal clients will create an endless stream of leads and referrals. So, check it out and post a comment. The site is pretty slim at the moment, but I will add to it over time. Thanks!

Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro
http://www.ThePDApro.com

Jerry Hart Shares Tips on Using Google Alerts

A good friend of mine, Jerry Hart, CEO of Hart Creative Marketing, recently shared tips on using Google Alerts. Jerry is an Internet Marketing and Social Media Expert. He helps companies craft and deliver their marketing message online through websites, blogs and social media.

Bring it up from your soul and
get it up on the Web

Jerry says:

"Know that commenting on blogs is a big traffic driver for you. So, spend less time getting to deep into any one article and comment on what you’ve read in the first or last paragraph or headline. Then, go back to your email of Google Alert results and click to your second Google Alert result, read only a bit, save that site, blog, or network and move on by going back to your Google Alerts and finding another authority you can save in your www.roboform.com or www.clipmarks.com favorite sites folder. Both are the bomb and will make you feel like a blue angel pilot flying thru sites efficiently who can find content later that you liked today."

That's a great suggestion to use your time more productively. Remember to be authentic and focus on offering value when posting a comment on a blog. Keep it simple until you have had an opportunity to post a few times. Blogs have followings and you need to be aware that people will notice if you are a little too pushy or aggressive in sharing your message. The same is true when posting messages in online discussion groups or through social networks.

Hart also shares advice on how to give accolades to other bloggers when you sincerely feel it.

Do You Have Self-Discipline?

One of the keys to being productive is being self-disciplined. What is self-discipline? It's a characteristic that allows you to focus on your priorities and avoid distractions and interruptions.  It is living your life on purpose.

Success guru Mike Litman posted on his blog:

"For so many years of my life my self-discipline was terrible. This lack of self-discipline kept me running around in circles, procrastinating like a king, and always chasing the ‘latest greatest idea’. Have you ever been ‘there’? I’m glad I’m not ‘there’ anymore and I work daily on bringing more self-discipline into my life."

Mike goes on to say that, "when we don’t have a VISION for our lives, we throw off self-discipline, self-control, and order."

So I ask you, do you have self-discipline? Do you stay on task? Do you commit to do something and then get it done? Or do you find yourself procrastinating? Do you put off till tomorrow what you could do today?

Self-discipline is a challenge because it requires you to get outside of your comfort zone and play big.

We've shared a lot of great information on how to get productive during our teleseminar series, the 12 Days of Productivity. All of calls are recorded and available at no charge to help you increase your productivity.

What steps are you going to take this year to get focused, increase your productivity and develop the self-discipline you need to move forward and achieve your goals?

 

The PDA Pro Records a New Audio Program

I'm excited to be able to share a few details about a current project I'm working on. I'm developing an audio program which will be launching in October. I assembled a team to help support me in this project and we have been working diligently all summer long.

The topic is on Follow Up. This is an extremely critical area in sales and can really benefit from the clever use of technology. I was  surprised to find very little material on the topic. It's almost always covered as an afterthought.

I just returned from the recording studio today where I cut the final audio tracks for the program. I have the good fortune of being able to work with Barbara Beal Lopez from Brightfarm Productions. You can't imagine the amount of work that's required to produce a product. It takes an enormous amount of work. I'll be glad when this is done. Of course, then comes marketing and sales. It's all good.

Check back soon for more details. As The PDA Pro, I will continue to provide tips, strategies and advice on sales as well as PDAs and smartphones. My official definition for PDA is Productivity, Discipline and Action. You can increase your Productivity if you exercise Discipline and take Action. And this audio program will give you tips and strategies to develop the discipline to follow up.

Announcement: University of Masters Interviews The PDA Pro

Archived Call will be available soon - Request the call here

I'm excited to announce my new role of Master Teacher with the University of Masters (UOM). It fits well with the services I provide through The PDA Pro. My new class, Sales Strategies for Entrepreneurs, is designed for the busy small business owner who is responsible for generating sales, but often gets overwhelmed from too many responsibilities.

This continues my commitment toward supporting the business community through services aimed at improving sales effectiveness. My role as a Partner with Conselleo for the past three years has given me an opportunity to serve corporate sales clients through sales training and sales management consulting. Now, I have an opportunity to reach small business entrepreneurs with my own brand of common sense sales productivity through the University of Masters.

One of the unique aspects of my sales philosophy is my emphasis on sales productivity. I specialize in helping people leverage technology tools in their business. I take people step by step through the process of making better use of their email, contact management system, social networking sites, PDAs and smartphones. But, I begin with a focus on learning sales fundamentals. Entrepreneurs have special needs and the University of Masters has gathered over 30 Master Teachers to cover all aspects of personal development.

You're Invited!

You're invited to join us for a call on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 6pm PST. I will be interviewed by UOM Founder Pamela Harper. I'm excited about the opportunity to connect with students/members and offer insights that will help them take their sales game to the next level. Guests are welcome to join us to learn more.

Learn the shortcuts to sales success! Learn how to improve your sales results and increase your sales productivity.

UOM Founder Pamela Harper Interviews The PDA Pro
(F'REE Call)

Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
6-7pm PST

What you'll learn:

• How Rick is helping entrepreneurs achieve outstanding results
• How you can leverage technology in your business
• How you can attend Rick's upcoming classes

Who should attend?

• Entrepreneurs
• Small business owners
• Consultants
• Coaches
• Network marketers
• Professional services firms

Join us for an entertaining phone interview between Pamela Harper, with Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro. Rick specializes in helping entrepreneurs achieve outstanding results. He helps people leverage technology, resources and habits to improve their sales productivity and increase their sales results. This call is guaranteed to be informational as well as entertaining. Learn how Rick is building his company and leveraging technology to reach a larger audience.

Pamela Harper earned the title Master Teacher because of her tireless efforts at educating and empowering groups and individuals on the correlation between Visualization and Manifesting Health, Wealth and Happiness. She is a Registered Nurse, Counselor and Hypnotherapist with 24 years experience as a Motivational Speaker.  Her life-changing audio programs accomplish in weeks what takes years of traditional therapy.  She is especially gifted at conducting interactive groups and hosting celebrated guests. Pamela is a best selling author and media personality.

Pamela and Rick will be joined on the call by Dr. Christina Winsey-Rudd. Both Pamela and Christina host periodic interviews with Masters.

Get notified when the archived call is available

Learn more about Sales Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Biznik - Yet Another Social Networking Site

Have you had enough of Social Networks? Apparently not! Because they keep sprouting up like weeds. Lori Richardson, the Sales Process Diva,  posted about a new site, Biznik, which bills itself as a "Business Networking that Doesn't Suck". Maybe that's a nod to the fact that there are way too many sites out there already and many people are having a challenge navigating them. Lori posts:

"What is great, though, is that this untapped resource will allow you to set up face-to-face meetings with other entrepreneurs (indie biz owners is the preferred term at Biznik) and you can host a meeting on any topic, charge a fee if you'd like, or host it for free to get critical mass.  Biznik even includes video on the site to show you how to use many of the features. I love this community and recently became a paying member, after lurking for free for quite a few months. Check it out, and see how it can help you meet other local business owners to support local business, business referrals, and even new friendships."

For my part, I haven't had a whole lot of time lately to network through the sites I'm currently on: LinkedIn, Ryze, Xing, Ecademy, MySpace, NowLive, HelloWorld, etc. I think you have to be careful about how much time you spend networking online. There is a balance between activity and results. You need to expect a return on your time invested. Also, don't forget blogging itself is a social networking activity.

Will Biznik live up to its billing? Who knows! But, I think the more the merrier. I think sites that clearly define their purpose and their target market and then strive to meet their needs will serve their audience well.

By the way, is Biznik kind of like Beatnik? Hmm.

Personal Development List

I have to give a big kudos to Life Coach Priscilla Palmer for starting her Personal Development List and a thanks for recognizing The PDA Pro Blog. I have decided to publish the list on my site as well for my readers to see and have added my own recommendations to the list (and will update this periodically). I think this a great example of organic social networking in the spirit of sharing resources.

Priscilla says that personal development is a large topic that includes but is not limited to (law of attraction, goals, time management, physical fitness, education, motivation, inspiration, and social skills). Some of my additions to the list feature technology bloggers who have a strong commitment toward personal development and cover at least one topic among the ones listed above.

If I have sent a trackback to your site, just know I'll be back to post a relevant comment at some point to add value to the discussions on your site. Feel free to do the same here. (Thank you.)

Personal Development List:

Aaron Potts at Today is That Day

Adam Kayce at Monk at Work

Alan Torres at Made to Be Great

Albert Foong at urbanmonk.net

Andrea J Lee at Money, Meaning and Beyond (Added by Rick Cooper)

Andy Wibbels at AndyWibbels.com (Added by Rick Cooper)

Ask Lucid at Ask Lucid Spiritual Development

Anita Pathik at Law at Power of four Way

Belle Wong at Abundance Journal

Brian Clark at Copyblogger

Brian Kim at briankim.net

Bob at everyeveryminute

Christine Kane at ChristineKane.com

Craig Harper at Motivational Speaker

Curt Rosengren at Occupational Adventure

Dave Schoof at Engaging the Disquiet

David Rogers at How to Have Great Self Confidence

Dawud Miracle at dmiracle.com

Dean Lacono at Law of Attraction for Beginners

Debbie Call at Spirit In Gear

Des Walsh at Thinking Home Business (Added by Rick Cooper)

Dick Richards at Come Gather Round

Donald Latumahina at Life Optimizer

Donna Karlin at Perspectives (Added by Rick Cooper)

Dr. Hal at Northstar Mental fitness blog

Edward Mills at Evolving Times

Frank Kanu at Frank Uncovers Excellence in Leadership (Added by Rick Cooper)

Guy Kawasaki at How to Change the World

Gleb Reys at Personal Development Ideas

Gretchen Rubin at Happiness Project

Gustav at Success-is-in-you.com

Henrik Edberg at The Positivity Blog

Itzy Sabo at Email Overloaded (Added by Rick Cooper)

Jacklyn Ker at Inspiring and Empowing Lives

Jason Ivers at A Miracle a Day

Jay White at dumb little man tips for life

Jean Browman at Transforming Stress Into Power and Cheerful Monk

Jeffrey Phillips at Think Faster

Jennifer at Goodness Graciousness

Jeremiah Owyang at Web Strategy by Jeremiah (Added by Rick Cooper)

Jerry Hart at Blueprint to eMarketing  (Added by Rick Cooper)

Jerry Lopper at Personal Growth

Joanna Young at Coaching Wizardry

John Place at John Place Online

John Wesley at Pick The Brain

Josh Bickford at Reach For Magnificence and Reach for Magnificence

Julia Rogers Hamrick at Julia’s Blog: Journal of the Journey Home to Eden

Kammie Kobyleski at Passion Meets Purpose

Karen at Journey with Water Learner

Karen Lynch at Live The Power

Kim George at Doing What You Can Do

Kirsten Harrell at Ipopin

K.L. Masina at Be Conscious Now

Leah Maclean at Working Solo (Added by Rick Cooper)

Lee Nutter at bmindful

Leo Baruta at Zen Habits

Life Reflection at Universe in a Single Atom

Lisa Gates at Design Your Writing Life

Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Lola Fayemi at Real World Spiritual and Personal Development

Lorraine Cohen at Powerfull Living

Lyman Reed at Creating a Better Life

Maria Palma at The Good Life

Mark at The Naked Soul

Mark Forster at Get Everything Done

Mark McManus at Build Your Life To Order

Mark W. Shead at Productivity 501 (Added by Rick Cooper)

Martin Avis at Kickstart Daily

Matthew Cornell at Matt’s Idea Blog

Merlin Mann at 43 Folders

Michelle Moore at Happiness Blog

Michael Port at The Think Big Revolution (Added by Rick Cooper)

My Everyday Planner at My Everyday Planner

Nancy Tierney at Unconditional Confidence

Neil Patel at Quick Sprout

Nneka at Balanced Life Center

Organize-It at Organize-It

Pamm Larry at My Spiritual Dance

Patricia Singleton at Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker

Paul at Paul’s Tips

Peter at I Will Change Your Life

Peter Aldin at Great Circle

Phil Gerbyshak at Make It Great

Priscilla Palmer at Personal Development Demands Success

Raymond Salas at Zenchill Powertools

Reg Adkins at ElementalTruths

Rick Cockrum at Shards of Consciousness

Rick Cooper at The PDA Pro

Robert at Compassionate Council

S.J. Yee at Personal Development for the Book Smart

Sam at Aquire Wisdom and Live with Passion

Scott Adams at The Dilbert Blog

Scott Bernadot at Keeping The Secret

Scott Ginsberg at Hello, My Name is Blog (Added by Rick Cooper)

Scott H Young at Scott H Young

Self Pursuit at Self Pursuit

Shauna Arthurs at Breathing Prosperity and Follow Your Path

Sleeping Dude at How to Wake Up Early

Steve Olson at Steve-Olson.com

Steve Pavlina at stevepavlina.com

Susan Sabo at Productivity Cafe

Ted Demopoulos at Blogging For Business

Thom Quinn at Qlog

Tim Ferris at 4-Hour Workweek and Lifestyle Design Blog

Tony D Clark at Success From The Nest

Torlink at You Create Reality

Trevor Gay at Simplicity is the Key

Troy Worman at Orbit Now!

Vickie at Contemplate This

WildBill at PassionateBlogger

and these collaborated sites:

Life Coaches Blog Strategies for a Greater Life

Last Updated by Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro on: 8-24-07

Study Seeks Women in B2B Sales

My colleague Lori Richardson shared the details regarding a study on women in B2B Sales. Please check her post for further details.

The study is being supported in part by Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies.

Rick Cooper Acknowledged in The National Networker

The January 12-20th Issue of The National Networker quoted me, Rick Cooper, as an expert in Networking. It's always nice to be able to share my insights with a larger audience. Back in December, Bette Daoust, Ph.D.  interviewed me on the subject of networking in Sacramento. Much of my experience in business networking came from my involvement as an Ambassador with the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce and then as President of the Arden Lunch Chapter of TNI, a west coast business referral group similar to LeTip. During 2006, we grew the chapter from 24 to 40 members, which is substantial for a group that meets weekly and holds members accountable for attendance.

Much of the information in the article is focused on events available through the Metro Chamber and information on networking groups like TNI. I also provide strategies on networking.

Sacramento is the capital of California, and has traditionally been a big government town. It has also grown to be a nexus for call centers, although the market has somewhat contracted due to offshoring of call center functions to India and other countries. The technology industry in Sacramento has grown and diversified, providing many opportunities. Sacramento also has a diverse population and offers a wide range of cultural and recreational activities locally or nearby.

So, Sacramento is a good place to do business. It has big city opportunities, but a small town appeal. I often hear the phrase, “everybody knows everybody.” I think a better description is the movers and shakers know the other movers and shakers. Once you start actively networking, you begin seeing the same people over and over. Of course, these tend to be more small businesses owners rather than executives of large companies. So, your networking strategy will depend on your target market.

My expertise in networking also comes from my role as The PDA Pro. I am both a PDA Coach and more broadly a Sales Productivity Coach. I work primarily with sales professionals to help them build their sales, networking, contact management and relationship management skills. And I help them leverage technology tools to accomplish their sales goals.

You can read more details in the article Networking in Sacramento, written by Dr. Bette Daoust. You can also read her Blueprints for Success blog.

Keys to Set and Achieve New Year’s Resolutions

Why do we make New Year’s Resolutions? I think for some people, this is the only form of goal setting they have. But, do they really take it seriously? Do they have a process in place to help them set goals? Most do not.

Is there value for you in setting New Year’s Resolutions? What steps should you take if you want to set and achieve a resolution?

I’m afraid that most people do not set goals for their lives. They simply go from one day to the next and take what comes their way. For sure, this is unlikely to lead to any real success in your life. You might get lucky from time to time and an opportunity might fall into your lap. But, if you’re unprepared, it’s not likely you will take action.

In general, sales professionals tend to be goal setters more so than others. But, their goals are usually focused on revenues and income. Life, however, is made of more than money and unless you consider your health, family and spiritual needs, you may not enjoy the money you acquire.

So, for many people, New Year’s Resolutions may be the only goal setting they do. But, unfortunately, they do not take advantage of the tremendous opportunity they represent. For one, their resolutions are often quickly forgotten. Or, they may set unreasonable expectations. They also may not break down their goals into steps that can be easily achieved.

Why are New Year’s Resolutions so powerful? For one, it is the time period. One year fits into the timeframe for a medium term goal. Short term goals are under a year. Long term goals are over five years. One year is a long enough time period that you can take incremental action steps and truly make a difference in your life.

I think another powerful factor is that people tend to be more motivated at the beginning of the year. It often feels to me like we all go into a cocoon over the holidays. We stay indoors and hide out. The days get shorter and it’s more dark, rainy and gloomy. But, as soon as January arrives, there is an instant shift. People leap into action. Unfortunately, unless you have a plan, action alone may not lead you in the right direction.

So, how do you make the most of New Year’s Resolutions? Should you just make a list of goals willy nilly? Or, is there a process you can use to plan your goals and take action?

I have created a simple template you can use to set your New Year’s Resolutions. Please take a moment to download and print the New Year’s Resolutions for Results template. It will take about 15 minutes to complete and will give you a tool to achieve some powerful results in your life. The template is included in a free special report I prepared on New Year's Resolutions.

Would you like some additional accountability? Fax the sheet to me, Rick Cooper, now and follow up at year-end with your results. Check for additional resources and support on The PDA Pro website.

Think of the possibilities of what you can achieve in the next year if you take a moment and set some meaningful goals for your life. Remember to get this FREE report.

Tips to Use your PDA to Remember Birthdays

As a Sales Productivity Coach, I help sales professionals follow up to build personal relationships. One of the simplest ways to do this is to recognize someone's birthday. You can do this by sending a card or making a phone call. But, how do you remember all of those birthdays?

Your PDA is a great place to kepe track of all of birthdays. The best place to store birthdays is in the contact record. Just add the birthdate there. This is simple to do with a Palm, Blackberry or Windows Mobile PDA. For the Palm, go into the Contact record and enter the person’s Birthdate in the Birthday field. I don’t think it’s that important to make sure the year is correct, just the month and date. Otherwise, it can take a while to select the correct date.

ACT! Coach Chris Pumphrey taught me that the contact management software ACT! allows you to easily look up or print a list of current birthdays by selecting LookUp and then Annual Events. It's extremely useful for sales reps wanting to schedule a follow up call to wish someone a Happy Birthday.

Now, if you have added birthdates to your Palm PDA calendar, they may not automatically carry over into the current year. The simplest way to fix this is to schedule them as a recurring event. To do this, go to your calendar, select the event by clicking on the line. Then, click the Details button. Now, look for the word Repeat. Select the drop down menu and choose “Every year”. You will have to do this for all of the birthdates on your calendar.

Thanks to Lisa Brys from Timeworks for this great question. Make a resolution this year to follow up and build personal relationship to grow your business. And start by recognizing birthdays.

For more information on contact management, read my article Simple Contact Management for some great suggestions.

NEWS FLASH: Sales Reps Replaced by iPods!

It sounds like the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but in fact, it's possibly a new trend in sales. According to an article in Mass High Tech, "A Philadelphia video-production business is arming pharmaceutical sales representatives with video iPods for prospective clients. "

The article goes on to say the the iPods "have not replaced sales reps. But they may make selling easier. For doctors, the video iPods are becoming a more cost-efficient training tool. "

It's another case where companies are adapting to new mobile technologies. It may not work for everyone, but it should certainly get the wheels turning in your head. I can imagine it's expensive to produce the videos, but for some companies this may offer a competitive advantage.

Blueprint for Networking Success

Bette Daoust, business networking expert and Founder of Blueprint Books, interviewed me today for The National Networker.  She is the Southwest Bureau Chief for the National Networker, founded by Adam Kovitz. Bette is also a friend and a mentor and I greatly respect her. The topic for the interview was on business networking in Sacramento, California.  The article will appear in next month's issue. I offered suggestions for people interested in networking in Sacramento. I'll post a link when the article is published next month. In the meantime, you can sign up for The National Networker.

We also discussed strategies to remember information about the people you meet. Bette suggests that you remember three keywords for each person you meet. It's simple and effective.  So, the next time you meet someone at a party or mixer, remember three keywords about them. Then, when you have a moment, enter the keywords in your PDA. It's a great tip!

In her blog, Blueprints for Success, Bette addressed the topic of brands in relation to relationships. She writes:

"If you represent a brand, people will generally flock to you. But first, you must take the time to create the brand. A brand is often equated with the product or service provided and it is not that difficult to start in a small way. Because a brand is quite often only a symbol or name, you will need to have one that is easily remembered. Besides being remembered, you will need to find a way to have your name or logo equated with the product or service. "

Great advice Bette. She goes on to give 5 tips to evaluate your brand and its impact.

Getting Sales Things Done

Lori Richardson, the Sales Process Diva, addresses the issue of identifying actions that lead to new sales, new revenues, and that retain existing customers for life.  In fact, she notes that this revolves around time management or personal management, if you will. She writes,

"One of the major issues people in selling (including sales leaders) have is in managing their time. As a former Franklin-Covey facilitator, I spent so many hours talking to people about using their planner, and focusing on what matters most. It was great theory, but the actual steps and process threw people. The planners I gave out in my sessions turned out to be glorified address books and monthly calendars - that's about it. "

She notes that the personal productivity guru David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, gets it. He understands and offers an elegant way to get people universally to take action.

I've said for some time that a PDA is simply a productivity tool. Getting one does not necessarily mean you will suddenly be organized. It's not the device itself, it's how you use it. Only when you understand how to use the tool can it truly increase your productivity.

Secrets of Financial Success

In the Bloglight: Personal Money Tips

I recently read the book The Richest Man in Babylon, written by George S. Clason. The book features a series of parables about ancient Babylon. They teach financial lessons about wealth, investment and living within your means. The stories are compelling. It even features some advice for sales professionals from the perspective of a merchant.

That leads me to our featured blog, Personal Money Tips, from James W. in Malaysia. He wrote recently about understanding financial terms and specifically about the Rule of 72. He doesn't claim to be a money expert, but offers suggestions and tips based on his personal experience.

The ability to manage your money is very critical for sales professionals. The nature of the profession is that you do not have a steady stream of income. You may have a salary, draw, commission, spiffs, and/or incentives. You may have multiple streams of income. So, it's critical to set some money aside to have during lean times.

I highly recommend you check out The Richest Man in Babylon. And, visit, Personal Money Tips for other suggestions. And, be sure to copy your favorite tips into a memo or note to transfer to your PDA. Tips make for great reading when you have some downtime between calls.

James is a member of the LinkedIn Bloggers.

Artists Are Marketers Too

In the Bloglight: The Artsy Asylum

Artists are creative people, but did you also know they are clever marketing and sales professionals too? Susan Reynolds, artist and blogger, says in her bio, "After work with various media outlets and directing art for a manufacturer, Susan shifted her focus to painting and independent projects while raising a family." In her projects, she often looks for coffee stirrers, bottle caps, yarn and just about anything that might make interesting impressions on paper.

She offers resources to artists for getting known. She also shares her strategies for gaining viewers for your artwork, gaining readers for your ezines or newsletters, or gaining any kind of attention for what you do. In her article Get Seen, Get Known, Get Buyers, she asks,

So how do we get our names and our work seen?

One word: Communication

• We can network
• We can blog
• We can send out newsletters and ezines

She goes on to explain how to build a list and offers a definition for viral marketing. I think we can learn best practices from looking at people in other industries. And, artists are certainly unique in their own way. So, check out The Artsy Asylum and let a little art into your life.

Susan Reynolds is a member of the LinkedIn Bloggers.

Online Networking Trends

BusinessWeek Online has an article Socializing for Dollars that explains the financial implications of online networking. Referring to LinkedIn, the article explains,

"...LinkedIn, a subscription-based social-networking site for professionals, has turned cash-flow positive after about three years of operation, co-founder Konstantin Guericke says (see BW Online, 4/10/06, "How LinkedIn Broke Through"). There may be a financial basis for social networking, after all."

If you're not already LinkedIn, then link up or lose out. You never know where your next client, strategic alliance or job or might come from.

Close More Sales Using Online Tools

David Teten and Scott Allen authored an excellent article in Fast Company on closing more deals using online tools. They open the article by stating,

"We are often asked, and frequently see the question come up in various discussion groups, Which is the best tool for closing more sales and connecting with the right people online? Is it blogging, interacting with millions of bloggers sharing their business knowledge, industry commentary, and occasional pictures of their cat? Or one of the many business networks, such as openBC or Ecademy, which offer group interaction and private messaging as well as searchable profiles? Or LinkedIn, the trusted referral system that has attracted some five million professionals?"

In conclusion the authors state,

"So it's impossible to say that one or the other is best overall, and difficult to say that any one is best even for one person. Really, each is best suited for certain tasks. Because most people's business needs are many and diverse, and we're never certain what those needs may be in the future, the master salesperson, like the master carpenter, keeps a full toolbox and knows both which tool to use for the job and how to use it most effectively."

The article offers some helpful insights into the value of each type of online tool for building relationships in sales. Be sure to check it out and upgrade your skills.

Not Everyone Happy with Plaxo

There's an interesting discussion on the use of Plaxo over on TechDirt. The author, Mike, complains about Plaxo spam, which he describes as, "the constant bombardment of emails from new Plaxo users who have you in their address book, asking you to update your contact info. " The resulting discussion offers some interesting insights into the service.

I have been using Plaxo over a year and find it helpful to stay in contact with sales professionals, who have a tendency to move around a lot.

The Power of Approachability

Scott Ginsberg is asking for support in his bid to create a manifesto on The Power of Approachability. Visit his site and vote by 4-20-06. I think this is a worthy effort. At the very least, check out the information available on ChangeThis, which is a source of some great manifestos, many oriented around business topics.

Some Obvious Thoughts on Selling

Lori Richardson, the Sales Process Diva, notes that Tom Peters has released 111 Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts on Selling, a ChangeThis Manifesto. First, thanks to Lori for pointing that out. I was just visiting Tom Peters blog recently and did not see any reference to it. I'm a huge fan of Tom Peters, ever since In Search of Excellence. 

A quick scan of the manifesto revealed a number of timeless truths. I'll have to mention a few of the salient points on another occasion, but I thought a would refer you to it as quickly as possible.

Happy selling!

Observations on Innovation

Guy Kawasaki writes about the art of innovation. He says,

"Don't be afraid to polarize people. Most companies want to create the holy grail of products that appeals to every demographic, social-economic background, and geographic location. To attempt to do so guarantees mediocrity. Instead, create great DICEE products that make segments of people very happy. And fear not if these products make other segments unhappy. The worst case is to incite no passionate reactions at all, and that happens when companies try to make everyone happy. "

This is true of marketing and sales as well. Too often we try to appeal to everyone and in the process appeal to no one. To be successful, this requires knowing your target market intimately. Find out where they hide and join them. Learn more about your target market and their habits. Understand their behavior and you'll learn how to market to them more effectively.