Brainstorming with a Twist

In this Issue

1. Brainstorming with a Twist
2. Increasing Referral Business
3. Help This Brainy Marketer
4. Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
5. Quote of the Week
6. Join Our Forum
7. A Little Fun
8. Smell the Coffee

PLEASE TELL OTHERS!
Please forward this to anyone who wants to attract more customers, close more sales, get more website traffic, and find resources to help them compete more successfully in today's market.

Guess what?
Sue Cunningham of Senior Resources Group says,
"As always, your ezine is great."

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1. Brainstorming with a Twist

See this related information:

 

Have you ever had a business problem that was quite perplexing and you weren't sure what should be done? So you called all your staff together to see what they thought? And
then this happened:

• Suzie sat there like a bump on a log, never saying a word.
• Johnny monopolized the conversation and threw out so many ideas that everyone began to tell him to shut up.
• Timmy said, "That's a stupid idea" after anyone presented an option, but never offered one of his own.
• And Molly got mad and left the room.
  

Here's one way to avoid all that. Bring everyone together and ask them to write down every solution to the problem that they can think of...WITHOUT TALKING. Then, STILL
WITHOUT TALKING (except for the person whose turn it is), the facilitator points to people, one at a time, to offer their suggestion. The idea is added to a growing list at the
front of the room. No one may ask questions or offer comments, and the facilitator makes sure no one does.

Then, everyone is given five index cards, numbering 1 to 5. On card number 5, everyone—again without talking—writes down the idea they think is the best or
the most important. They write ideas in order of their priorities on cards 1 through 4, (second most important on card 4, third most important on card 3, etc.).

When finished prioritizing the top 5 issues individually, each person goes to the complete written list and puts the numbers 1 to 5 next to their top five issues. So, on one idea, my number 5 might be Suzie's number 1, Johnny's number 4, Timmy's number 3 and Molly's number 5.

Then add up the numbers next to each issue. In the example above, this would be 18.

The issues with the highest sum are then listed as the top five priorities. Once all the scoring is done, everyone is free to discuss the issues that were chosen. It's a great
way to get everyone involved in an equal and fair way, speed the process, and build consensus.

In "Getting Creative: Methods to Your Madness," a special report from Marketing Idea Shop, you'll find lots of great ways to increase your creativity and make better decisions.
Get it now for just $9.

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2. Increasing Referral Business

Last week, Julie Taylor, a mortgage loan officer, asked, "I am currently the main bread winner in my family and sometimes it seems to overwhelm me. I am great at retaining
customers but unsure how to approach people about new business. I have lucked out to so far with keeping my business going by referrals but I would like to step it up and increase the amount of business I do to make life easier and so I will have money invest to give me more freedom from my career."

Lois says....

People do business with folks they know, like and trust. So the best way to increase your referral business is to get to know people who can use your services. Make it known what
you do for a living, always be at-the-ready to help the people you know, and make sure they know you are looking for business.

It seems I am forever recommending that people join a resource and referral network, like Business Networking International. Members of BNI focus on helping each other get more referrals. Membership is limited to just one person per industry so there's no competition. I have found that often BNI is populated by people who are not necessarily decision makers or top executives in companies, so sometimes that's a problem. But there are similar groups that attract the top executives and you should concentrate on those. If
you have a general women's networking group or a women business owners group like the National Association of Women Business Owners in your community, this would also be a good group to join as an associate member or sponsor. Joining a diverse group of organizations will get you known by many people. But don't just JOIN the organization, get active. Because when you get involved, you get to know the committee members better...and they get to know, like and trust you.

I suspect you're often in a very competitive situation, too, and could use a little help with selling techniques and strategies. In the ebook I co-authored with Jim Wilson of Selling Strategies, Inc., "Sales Success! Strategies for Women" one chapter discusses "How to Beat Brand X." It reminds you to never knock the competition. Instead tell you prospect about your product or service, using examples of how your customers have benefited from it. By showing how your competitor's weakness is your strong point, you can easily make the sale. Let your prospect poke holes in the competition for you.

To read more about "Sales Success! Strategies for Women" or order it an be reading it in minutes, go here.

Or, pick up Jim's two-CD audio set called "Upfrontational Selling" for just $37. You'll be amazed at how much you'll learn about selling!

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3. Help This Brainy Marketer

Sue Cunningham of Senior Resources Group says:

"As always, your ezine is great. I have a question that I'd like to "put out there" if appropriate. I am currently writing a "tips" booklet (thanks to your teleconference...I
now have the courage and the guidance!). The booklet will provide tips to seniors and their adult children. I am looking for input from folks who have senior concerns and
issues so that I can suggest tips that hopefully will help them solve that particular concern.

"For example, someone recently asked how to approach a parent about their driving skills ( or lack thereof.) Another asked how to help their parent make new friends after the death of the spouse. That type of thing..."

Sue wants to know if we have any ideas for her tips booklet or feedback to share with her. What do you think, Brainy readers? What questions are important to you? Is there a
need for this type of booklet? How can Sue use it once it is completed?

I can think of several options, but I know our Brainy readers will have lots of great ideas for you, too. How about it, readers? Send me your ideas and I'll post the best ones next week.

To learn more about creating tips booklets for your business, read about the teleconference I conducted with Paulette Ensign called "How to Promote Your Business and Expertise with Tips Booklets" -- it's available as a recorded CD, downloadable MP3 or written transcript -- at our Success Secrets of Women Entrepreneurs website.

 

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4.Resources for Entrepreneurs & Marketers

• Need a Mentor?
  
  A mentor can keep you on track, give you ideas, point you
  toward resources and get you to the next level. You'll get
  personalized attention, discounts on our products and
  f~ree membership in our Success Secrets Forum. Learn more
  about the Marketing Idea Shop Mentoring Program and
  sign up now.
  
• Thinking of Starting Your Own Ezine?

  Let the Ezine Queen show you how to do it right. Alexandria Brown answers every question you can ask in her ebook, "Boost Your Business With Your Own Ezine: 301 Secrets Revealed." Read about it or download it and be on your way to your own profitable ezine.

• Thinking of Adding a Shopping Cart to Your Site?

  Don't do ANYTHING until you read this FREE informative ebook by Tom Antion: How to Pick a Shopping Cart System That Makes You Money

• Networking Secrets Revealed Now Available
  
  Bonnie Lowe has just released a new ebook, "Networking Secrets Revealed," in which she asked networking experts to "tell all" so that YOU can learn how to improve your business with networking. And guess what? I'm one of the experts she tapped for quotes and free stuff. Check it out here.

• Google AdWords Confusing?

  Google has a system that makes it possible, for the first time in the history of the world, to deposit just five bucks, write a couple of ads, and instantly get access to over 100 million people—in less than 10 minutes.

  It's called Google AdWords and it's hot. In fact, it may be the first and best thing to do to get traffic to your site.

  But it's not always as easy as is sounds—AdWords has some nuances, and most people have a rough time at first.

  My colleague Perry Marshall has written a very helpful e-course called "5 Days to Success with Google AdWords" and there's no charge for it. You can find out about it and sign up here.

• Want Better Search Engine Rankings?

Then get more traffic coming to your site! You can learn how with John Reese's all-new "Traffic Secrets" course. Read how LOTS of people jumped to number one after following John's advice!

• Is Your Business Suffering From a Lack of Capital?

2004 Venture Funding For Women Entrepreneurs is available. Need to grow? Not enough capital? No angels in your family? Find them with this 400-page downloadable ebook, where you'll have all the contact information for 200 venture capital firms and people who recently invested in companies that are women-owned or women-led. You'll also have access to all contact information for the 671 women-led companies
that received funding. This is a wonderful tool for you. Read more about 2004 Venture Funding For Women Entrepreneurs or buy it here.

• Another Way to Master Pay-Per-Click Advertising

If you don't have your own website, or your own products, you'll want to consider affiliate marketing. By promoting other people's products YOU can cash in on online sales,
too! And no -- it's definitely not too late to start.

You'll want to check out the latest Guide—titled GOOGLE ADWORDS 123—by Greg Heslin. On his site he says, "The following charts will show you an example of what I have
earned, as an affiliate marketer, in 1 day, using the revolutionary insider techniques I reveal in Google-Adwords-123." A must read! Once again, you don’t need a
website to earn big money.

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5. Quote of the Week

"I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better."

~Sophie Tucker
Singer and Entertainer
1884-1966

What's your definition of success?
Email your comments to me.

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6. Join Our Forum

It's time to start talking! Let's get some conversations going. The Success Secrets of Women Entrepreneurs Forum now has over 100 members. You don't want to miss out, do you?

Learn how other successful women have created and built their companies. Chat with them in our Success Secrets of Women Entrepreneurs forum. Ask a question, find a resource, or help someone else analyze their business idea.

Join our forum and with your membership, you'll get:

==> 9 terrific bonuses valued at $491.00
==> Attendance at all our teleseminars at half off. ($449.00 value)
==> The ability to network with successful women entrepreneurs. (priceless!)
==> The ability to post classified ads F~REE. (priceless!)
==> Free access to my large library of audio seminars (priceless!)

All for just $12.95 per month. Read more about it and subscribe to Success Secrets Forum now!

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7. A Little Fun

More "Unspoken Graphic Design Rules" from Biz Community:

1. Proof raeders are useless.

2. Global search-and-replaces aren't.

3. The index entry you leave out will be the first one the client looks under.

4. Optical Character Recognition(OCR)is good comedy.

5. If three designs are shown to a client, your least favorite will be chosen or the client will choose any combination of worst components of each.

6. If two designs are shown, a third will be requested. If provided, then one of the first two will be chosen.

7. If you ask for more copy, it will be sent as a Jpeg. If you ask for images they will send powerpoint presentations.

8. Clients don't have their company logo in a usable print-ready format so don't bother asking.

9. Blueline proofs reveal previously invisible errors.

10. The best designs never survive contact with the client.

11. You will misspell the name of the client's spouse.

12. Your best idea is already copyrighted.

13. The best way to find errors in your code is to show a client "a new feature."

14. There is no stock photo ever made that matches the image you have in your head

15. Creative inspiration flows in inverse proportion to the distance from the studio.

16. Time allowed to complete work is inversely proportional to time taken by client to work out what to complain about.

17. Doctors, astronauts, and plumbers need training to do their jobs, but anyone with a computer is a graphic designer.

18. No matter how detailed the tech support FAQ is, nobody has ever heard of your problem.

19. The number of colors in a client's design will equal the number of colors in the original bid specs, plus two.

20. Everything has to be done immediately; deadlines are incredibly important unless client has to provide materials or approve your work.

Be sure to visit our past jokes and trivia at:
Marketing Jokes and Trivia and Fun Stuff

Take a look. You'll have fun!

Help keep the smiles coming...please send me your marketing, PR or sales jokes. I'll be happy to give you credit and list your website! Email me.

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8. Smell the Coffee...

Well, here it is, Tuesday again. Last weekend is a blur. I worked so hard I could barely stand up. But I finished painting the sitting room that's adjacent to our family room. AND I cleaned almost all of our carpets. So the lower level is looking pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. the walls are a beautiful butter yellow color and it looks SO much better than the dark maroon and olive green that was there previously. The stage is gone from the family room and it seems so much more spacious.

I watched so much HG TV (Home & Garden) while I was painting that I began to notice several reruns! I don't know why they replay the same shows in one weekend. I had to switch to "What Not to Wear" to be entertained instead, and one of them was "What Not to Wear" Double Crossed with "While You Were Out," so I got a twofer. :-)

Have a good and profitable week. And please have a safe holiday!

Peace & Light,
Lois

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