The 12 Days of Entrepreneurship

To celebrate the holidays, here's my rendition of a holiday classic.

The 12 Days of Entrepreneurship

On the first day of entrepreneurship,

my angles gave to me,

ONE totally new direction for the company.

GULP!

On the second day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

TWO contradictory marketing strategies.

YIKES.

And one totally new direction for the company.

On the third day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

THREE disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

On the fourth day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

FOUR new complex SWOT analysis.

Oy Vey!

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

On the fifth day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

FIVE Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Uh-OH!

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

This is going to hurt.

On the sixth day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

SIX Useless Overpriced Consultants.

Don’t just charge it.

Five Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

Does it ever end?

On the seventh day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

SEVEN slick marketing slogans, using the old branding.

There goes the graphic artist! Right out that door. He looked pissed.

Six useless overpriced consultants.

Five Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

Where’s my Tylenol?

On the eighth day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

EIGHT equity investors each wanting 50 plus one of the business.

Something just doesn’t add up!

Seven slick marketing slogans, using the old branding.

Six useless overpriced consultants.

Five Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

Those golden handcuffs are starting to look pretty good now.

On the ninth day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

NINE outdated web articles.

Do they even know what we do?

Eight equity investors each wanting 50 plus one of the business.

Seven slick marketing slogans, using the old branding.

Six useless overpriced consultants.

Five Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

Where’s Sir Richard Branson when you need him?

On the tenth day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

TEN Silicone Valley rejected interns.

That’s a lot of nerd trash.

Nine outdated web articles.

Eight equity investors each wanting 50 plus one of the business.

Seven slick marketing slogans, using the old branding.

Six useless overpriced consultants.

Five Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

Business school never said it was going to be like this!

On the eleventh day of entrepreneurship,

my angels gave to me,

ELEVEN mad scientists hell-bent on taking over the world.

I didn’t think it would end like this!

Ten Silicone Valley rejected interns.

Nine outdated web articles.

Eight equity investors each wanting 50 plus one of the business.

Seven slick marketing slogans, using the old branding.

Six useless overpriced consultants.

Five Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

What’s that smell?

I smell burning?

MONEY on fire!?!?! 

OMG the mad scientists are lighting up thousands like they are brickets! 

That’ll kill our burn rate.

On the twelfth day of entrepreneurship, 

my angels gave to me,

TWELVE wanna-be CEOs.

Follow the leader? Which one?

Eleven mad scientists hell-bent on taking over the world.

Ten Silicone Valley rejected interns.

Nine outdated web articles.

Eight equity investors each wanting 50 plus one of the business.

Seven slick marketing slogans, using the old branding.

Six useless overpriced consultants.

Five Venture Capitalists in fowl moods.

Four new complex SWOT analysis’.

Three disagreeable patent lawyers.

Two contradictory marketing strategies,

And one totally new direction for the company.

Tell those mad scientists they are on their own.

That’s it!

I quit.

I’m going to work at McDonald’s.

Happy Holidays to all our friends, fans, followers and anyone else we have had the pleasure of getting to know over the past year and previous years.

P.S.

We’re only joking about our angels. We love everyone that works with us, for us and with us to make the world a better place. Now go out and hug a Silicone Valley rejected intern today.

SEX -- Now That I Have Your Attention -- Personal Branding is All About Sex Appeal

Once the domain of corporations and their slick marketing campaigns, branding is no longer limited to just that -- but encompasses you too.

You are a brand -- and if you aren't -- you better create your own personal brand because everything depends on that personal brand.

Perception, whether true or implied, is how we accept the world.

So how you present yourself, even when you aren't there to do so in person, is how others see you.

Think about anyone you know, and you'll develop a mental picture of that person. That's their personal brand -- or rather -- that's the personal brand they are representing to the world.

It wasn't always like this, we used to accept people on their face value and a handshake.

But since the explosion of the social media universe, when our images, our thoughts, even our voice can speak when we aren't there, now we base our decisions about liking, unliking, or despising someone completely on the way they appear to us, even before meeting them.

Human Resources professionals have been doing this for years. Statistics show that over 80% of those responsible for hiring people, Google job applicants BEFORE calling them for a phone screen interview.

So those pictures of you drunk dancing on top of the bar at your friend's party might actually prevent you from getting your next job. Unless drunk table dancer is the job you want.

Is this fair?

Hell no!  We all make mistakes. Just so long as we learn from those mistakes and move on, instead of hitting our heads against the same brick walls every time.

However, creating and managing your personal brand -- the way the world sees you when you aren't around -- isn't hard. You just have to always be aware of how you present yourself to the world, and you have to have sex appeal.

No, I don't mean taking it all off and flashing the cameras.

PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!!!

The first step to creating a personal brand, is making you appealing to others, usually by wrapping a catchy descriptive slogan around who you are, what you stand for, and why anyone should pay you any attention.

Coke is it, and Timex takes a lickin' but keeps on ticking, and you -- well -- you . . .

PSST. . . this is where you insert your catch phrase that tells us in as few words as possible who you are.

Personal branding is all about asking yourself questions, to dive deep into who you are, and creating the message that you want to convey to the world when they hear your name.

Some key questions to ask yourself to help you build your personal brand:

• How do I make people feel?
• How do others benefit by having me around?
• What words do others use to describe me to their friends? 
• What industry am I in?
• What's my job or ideal job?
• Who are the people you want to respect your personal brand the most?
• What can you do best for those who you want to respect you?
• Why me, instead of everyone else? What makes me special/different?

Ask yourself these questions, and create a short catch-phrase which sums up your answers. That's your personal brand. Or at least, the start of a great one.

Voice Mail: The Art of Getting Someone to Call You Back

Ever since the first telephone call decades ago, people have come up with imaginative, and annoying ways to get others to return their calls.

Telephone folklore tells us of the Legend of Tim. Tim got a new job selling advertising in the phone book. He spent a week making phone calls to hundreds of potential clients, only to get absolutely zero calls back.

He left his name, number and a detailed message, but still no success.

He even tried smiling when he left messages, because that's what everyone says works.

No luck.

So Tim, started getting creative with his voice mails -- he said just by returning his call, he'd buy you lunch at one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in the city.

Soon, Tim's phone was ringing off the hook, as everyone wanted a free lunch.

Problem is, Tim just started this job, so he couldn't afford to take everyone out to lunch, let alone at one of the most expensive and exclusive restaurants in the city!

Lesson learned, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

At least Tim left messages. My biggest pet peeve is when someone calls but doesn't leave a message. Sure, I may know who called, because of my call display, but that doesn't tell me WHY you called, how urgent, or anything else.

So, we have two extremes, making radically false promises in voice mail, or simply not leaving a message at all. Neither are the best way to get someone to call you back.

No one can guarantee you a system to get people to call you back, but here are four tips which I find useful:

Keep It Brief

Don't you hate going through someone's long rambling voice message? I tend to zone out or even fast forward or skip messages longer than 30-seconds. Chances are others do too. So keep your voice-mails under 30-seconds, unless you want to be ignored.

Be Polite, Friendly, Energetic and Appealing

If you're tired, down, upset, angry, or just don't sound like you care, why should I call you back? Yes, everyone says to smile when you leave a message, and it does work. But there is more to it than that -- be polite, friendly, energetic and appealing -- out of all the voice mails you want yours to be the one that the person WANTS to call back.

Leave a Specific Actionable Item

If you say "call me when you can," you'll never get called back, because I'm always busy. But if you say "let me know if you're free on Friday by noon today so I can book time with you," then you are being VERY specific on why you are calling and more importantly WHAT you expect them to do. 

Always Leave Your Callback Number

Sounds obvious, but with call display, often we assume people know what number to call us back on. But sometimes those displays don't work, or sometimes they display the general switchboard number instead of your specific one, or for any of a dozen or more reasons -- if you don't leave your call back number, you may never get called back. I always repeat my number at the end of the message, so that it's clear, and if they are writing it down, they have it repeated again to confirm they wrote it down correctly.

How to Get Everything on Your To Do List Done

I'm a big time planner. I even schedule lunches and breaks, otherwise I get so busy with work, I simply forget to eat and rest.

Using my iPhone, I tried out Apple's Reminder's app that comes built-in to my mobile device. I didn't find it all that practical, or useful.

It wasn't very configurable, and it's kind of bland. Which is surprising coming from a company where design is usually so well thought out.

Then I stumbled upon Wunderlist -- an amazing -- repeat -- amazing -- task managing app, available for most mobile devices, and it has a web interface for using on a PC or a Mac.

With Wunderlist, I can create different lists, from everything for daily to-do's, to specific one-off tasks.

Wunderlist On the Desktop

And within each primary task, I can create sub-tasks, so those of you -- like me -- that feel a sense of accomplishment from checking off numerous items will get your reward.

The best thing about Wunderlist, aside from it being a FREE app, is it's simplicity.

Simply open the sliding panel if it isn't already expanded, to display your lists, and those the program creates for you by default -- called "Smart Lists." These Smart Lists automatically populate with the tasks you set by type, for example "Today" shows you all the items you've created that are due today.

You can create your own lists, add tasks to these lists, prioritize them, create due dates, even set reminder alarms via push, email or desktop notification.

My favorite feature is that Wunderlist syncs my lists across all my devices using the cloud, so it doesn't matter if I'm in front of my work or home PC, on the road with my iPhone, or anywhere for that matter -- I'll still get reminded of my to do's and be able to check them off as I complete them.

Wunderlist Mobile App

Wunderlist is clean and very easy to use -- the learning curve for me was less than the time it takes to order a pizza.

You can customize the background, the notifications and the names of the lists, as well, to make it fit your own personal preferences.

If you're like me, and get satisfaction from checking off items from a to do list, Wunderlist is worth a try.

Follow this link to get a FREE month of their Pro version: https://wunderli.st/1ZPL1j

Can We Talk? It's the Biggest Problem Facing All Businesses

Can we talk?

Comedic legend Joan Rivers is known for her brash one-liners, but perhaps she's known most for her famed catch-phrase: "can we talk?"

When I was a kid, I had a handful of jobs in call centres where all we did was talk. Well, sort of -- they crammed us into a giant room, with paper thin cubicles barely wide enough for you to sit in without bumping elbows with those on either side. In between calls, supervisors would run up and down the narrow rows, yelling: "no talking to your neighbors! Just keep dialing."

It was like being in a school classroom, and having the teacher slap your wrist for passing notes to the cute girl in the corner.

Over the years, I've learned that the most successful teams, departments and ultimately companies, are the ones where everyone talks freely to everyone else.

Lack of communications is the single biggest problem affecting every company I have ever worked with and for.

Passing a note to the cute girl in class.

Makes sense, because although we think "company" equals "big faceless entity" in reality all a company really is, is a collection of people.

And the only way to get that collection of people to work together for the good of the company, is to have those people talk.

Talk isn't a distraction as the supervisors in that call centre wrongly believe. Talk brings ideas together, allows people to discuss problems, and work out solutions.

Though talking also creates politics, in-fighting, envy, suspicion, angst, and other negative things to the office.

Which is why many don't talk in the first place -- they FEAR the possible ramifications of their openness.

Communications in business is the biggest challenge
for all companies.

Seems like a paradox, on one hand people don't talk enough to each other in the world of work. On the other, talking openly can bring about more problems, simply by the very act of sharing what goes on in our heads.

It's not a true paradox, in that we can't ever solve this.

It's a two-fold solution, both from the top -- down.

Leadership within the company must first set out to create a corporate culture of inclusion, openness, honesty, and trust. From the president on down, every leader within the company must buy-into the concepts of good, honest and open communications.

And the second part, also stems from the leaders of the company -- hiring practices. Don't just hire people that can do the job, hire people that fit into an open, honest and trusting environment. 

In order for any corporate culture to work, you have to be careful to only bring into that environment people that fit into that corporate culture.

Often it comes down to hiring the right people
for the corporate culture.

All too often I've seen people brought into a company that just don't fit in. And in some cases, I've felt I was that person that didn't fit in too.

It's one thing to be able to do the job, but if everyone at the company is dancing to the tune of a different drummer, it's not a good fit.

It's up to a company's leadership team to develop the corporate culture which fits their leadership style, while creating an environment where communications is not only encouraged, it's mandatory.

And through the creation of that corporate culture of mandatory communications, you determine at the outset the key characteristics your staff must have, to ensure the continuation of that communications-friendly corporate culture.

And of course, as with all good companies, those in charge lead by example, demonstrating how talking to each other really is the best way to do business.

So You Want to Start Your Own Business? What's Stopping You? Maybe This...

What's holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur?

So many people tell me: "one day, one day, Jordan, I'm going to start my own business."

Why not today? Because "one day" never seems to come.

We are indoctrinated into society, thinking the normal way of life is to go to school, get an education, and then get a job.

And that was a decent way of life for most, up until the past decade or so, when jobs -- good jobs with real benefits, job security and a decent wage -- disappeared.

Yet for most of us, we still hold on to outdated beliefs, thinking we got our education, so finding that good job won't be hard. Everyone can find work.

Looking for work these days is like picking through stale leftovers. Big businesses continually cut costs by axing good jobs, and replacing them with project-based hourly temporary contracted gigs.

The biggest thing holding people back from being their own boss is this misconception from days long since gone. 

For those that were lucky enough to get -- and still have -- a decent good job -- fear is the next big stumbling block to entrepreneurship. 

Everyone knows someone looking for work.

Years ago, I started going to meetups to grow my social network. When you first meet someone new, one of the most common questions you ask, or are asked, is: "what do you do?"

We tie so much of our identities to what we do for a living, it has become another stigma in society -- because if you don't work, you don't exist.

When I first started going to these meetup events, everyone had a job. Now, more than half -- I'd even guess over 70 percent -- are unemployed or underemployed.

Big business has cleaned house to the point where: "I'm in between jobs," has been replaced with the more direct: "I'm looking for work," as a standard response to: "what do you do?"

So those who have a decent job, and see their colleagues, friends, even family members, be let go, and replaced with temporary contractors, they fear leaving their decent job to make their own way in the world.

But that fear works two-fold, not only do they fear leaving, they are in constant flux, fearing that they will be next -- that one day they will be replaced by a temporary contractor.

Fear is a funny thing, in a so unfunny way.

Science tells us fear is a natural instinctive response we all have as human beings, to preserve and safeguard our lives. The fight or flight instinct -- our fear response -- kept our ancestors from being eaten by a bear, keeps our kids from sticking their tongues to frozen street poles (or not!), and keeps us from quitting our secure day jobs.

However, the later isn't so much a fight or flight response, as it is in our heads.

And this brings us to the biggest roadblock to entrepreneurship -- our own attitudes, mindsets, and ways of thinking.

Anyone can be an entrepreneur.

Anyone.

Your boss, your best friend, your ex, even you.

However, the first step in any journey requires you to open up your mind, and make that first step.

If you tell yourself: "I can't do this, this is crazy!" Then you never will be an entrepreneur, or do anything else that you think is crazy.

However, if you put all doubts on hold, take a deep breath, and take that one giant leap, you'll be on your way to conquering crazy, overcoming fear, and learning that our society's misconceptions of going to school to land a decent job are false.

Congratulations! You are ever closer to making your own way in the world, rather than depending on others to constantly employ you.

Because there is no greater dependency in life, than having to depend on someone else to write your paycheque.

Don't Just Tell Me About Your Product/Service -- SHOW ME

This past weekend I went to the Delicious Food Fest in Toronto, held at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds.

The Delicious Food Show in Toronto.

A three-day long convention, where foodies munched on zillions of samples of everything from organic burgers, free-range cookies, and wine that won't hurt your liver.

Well, maybe not quite the last two, but everywhere we went, we kept hearing how everything was organic, gluten-free, all natural, free-range, herbal, holistic, and sugar free.

Obviously, these are the trendy buzz words when marketing food stuffs today.

And for the most part, the people peddling these ultra healthy foods looked to be in great shape themselves.

Maybe the show should have been called the Good Food Fest, instead of the Delicious Food Fest? 

Oh, wait, they have that show too. I think it's held later in the year.

My biggest problem with the Delicious Food Fest is one I find common among entrepreneurs -- if you are going to say something -- show it.

Tossing trendy buzz words about is impressive, but show me how your food will make me a healthier person, don't just tell me.

Free-range cookies?

If I cut gluten out of my diet, what will I look like?

Ah -- there lies the problem of saying something without showing it. Unless you have a real medical condition, like celiacs disease, cutting gluten out of your diet doesn't do much for your health.

Gluten is a protein complex in wheat products, and is the only known treatment for celiacs disease, where people lack the enzyme to break down this complex protein.

Despite all the health hype about gluten-free diets, there isn't any scientific, medically sound evidence to support those diets in those that don't have celiacs disease.

Makes it hard to show me how gluten-free cookies, cakes and even pasta will make me a better person.

As most of us our visual people, if we can't be shown something, we won't buy into it, which means we won't whip out our cash and pay for it.

And if people don't pay for your product or service, good luck making any money out of it.

The key is to find something within your products that you can show. I tell people pushing products to me all the time -- don't tell me -- SHOW ME.

Show me how your healthy cookies will cut my waistline. Show me how your new fangled gizmo can save lives. 

Show me -- and then show everyone else.

Because end of day, the companies that excel are the ones showing us how their products and services benefit us in some way.

So don't tell me -- SHOW ME.

Passion Needs a Hungry Audience

The other day, someone asked me: "So Jordan, how do you turn your passions into profits?"

They were referring to one of my self-branding taglines used in social media, which says that I turn my passions into profits, and then asks what's your passion?

Then I heard someone describe just that, on one of the many podcasts I listen to -- passion needs a hungry audience.

People are passionate about coffee.

We're often told to follow our passions, and the rest will come.

That is true, so long there is a need for that passion, and a history of people paying for the fulfillment of that need.

Some people are passionate about coffee, so much so they call themselves coffee connoisseurs. And it doesn't hurt that the active ingredient in coffee -- caffeine -- is highly addictive too.

Ask any self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, and they will boast how they aren't addicted to the brown brew, they love the various tastes and smells -- or pardon me -- I mean aromas -- as they like to say.

Regardless of whether these coffee connoisseurs are addicted or not, they are so passionate about coffee, they are willing to pay for it -- big time. 

Coffee beans are grown in over 70 countries, and it is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Over $4 USD billion was spent last year importing coffee into the United States, to serve the 100 million daily coffee drinkers of that country. It's estimated that over $18 USD billion was spent by Americans alone, just on speciality coffees -- lattes, cappuccinos and mochas.

Clearly, coffee connoisseurs are passionate, hungry and willing to pay to feed that passionate hunger.

Coffee art -- don't know if it makes it taste better
but it sure is pretty.

Coffee shops are turning passions into profits -- and one would hope that those who own those shops are just as passionate about their products as their customers.

Because that's part of the equation too. If you aren't passionate about whatever it is you are peddling to the world, those who are will quickly catch on, and you'll lose customers.

Pretty faces must
be passionate about
what they sell,
or they'll cost
you money.

When I was at the Business Franchise and Investment Expo a few weeks ago, I talked to many people trying to sell me on becoming one of their franchisees. A well known fast food restaurant chain had these gorgeous women, handing out brochures to lure in potential franchisees. Whenever someone stops me with paper, I always ask questions -- I'm just weird that way I suppose.

The young lady simply flung her long hair back and said: "I dunno, ask him," as she pointed to her "pimp," -- the company had hired a bunch of models which weren't passionate about the product, the company or anything else other than getting paid, from what I could tell.

I politely thanked the young lady, and kept walking. 

And it wasn't because fast food isn't nearly as addictive as coffee. You don't have to have an addictive product to guarantee profits.

People are passionate about their pets. There are almost 75 million dog owners -- and 88 million cat owners -- in the United States. These pet owners on average spend between $150 to $250 USD annually on vet bills. Last year, American's spent over $53 billion on their pets -- healthcare, food, and yes, even pet clothing and accessories.

People passionate about pets are a hungry audience, and have a history of spending to feed that hunger.

Cute puppies decked out for a stroll.

Just that model wasn't passionate about what she was representing.

Passion needs a hungry audience -- and those feeding that passion must have it too. Passion is just as contagious as a lack of passion is.

And if you are passionate about something which people are willing to pay for to feed their own passions, that's how you turn passions into profits.

So, what are you passionate about?

Crowdfunding is Great at Marketing, But Sucks at Raising Real Cash

According to a Canadian news outlet, more Canucks are raising funds using social media's crowdfunding to start their businesses.

Even your best friend will think twice about
funding your project if it doesn't look successful.

That may be true, but real money comes from actually selling a needed product or service to those that want it, not giving away swag online to convince people they need your product or service.

Most crowdfunding projects succeed based on the "gifts" you provide in exchange for people -- called "funders" -- donating to your project.

It's a loss leader from a marketing point of view, because you have to give away something to get something in return.

Loss leaders don't raise capital -- that's why it's called a "loss" in the first place.

And you have to often spend your own money to get others to fund your project. Most crowdfunding websites recommend having launch parties, or creating media stunts, or other costly events to get your friends funding right away.

After testing out crowdfunding, I learned to raise any money this way, you first had to spend a great deal of your own money, and it forces you to rely far too heavily on your friends and family to spend their money.

It's all part of "greenbar syndrome."

All crowdfunding websites have a progress bar, telling potential funders how much of your crowdfunding goal you have reached, and how long you have to keep trying.

No one wants to fund something that doesn't look like it will be successful. So if your progress bar indicates you are very far from reaching your goal, few will click the button to donate to your cause.

The Kickstarter Greenbar will make or break any project.

Failure to get that progress bar to move in a positive way is called "greenbar syndrome" -- as most of them are green, and it's a very common problem -- if not the MOST common one -- which kills over 60 percent of crowdfunding campaigns.

Yep, on average, only 40% of the people that try to raise funds through crowdfunding are actually successful.

That's not bad, because raising any money for anything is a challenge -- money doesn't grow on trees.

However, if you rely on crowdfunding to actually raise money, you'll either fail or lose more than you were hoping to raise in most cases, all because of greenbar syndrome.

To get that green progress bar up to a level where strangers will feel comfortable donating, you have to spend much of your own money.

It's like going to a bank, asking for a loan, and being told you have to put up 40-60% of the initial funds yourself -- those are the typical numbers the major crowdfunding websites recommend you get your progress bar up to, if you want to avoid greenbar syndrome.

Crowdfunding isn't great for raising funds, but works
to grow a loyal and dedicated following to your brand.

In the real world of business, if you were to put up that much of your own personal cash to start your business, you'd be broke before you even began.

Crowdfunding sucks at raising capital.

But it's awesome at growing friends, fans and followers to your company, it's brand, and and it's channels.

If you see crowdfunding for what it really is -- a marketing tool -- then you can create a budget for how much you are willing to spend on it, and the remaining funders that follow, will become loyal fans of your brand.

Then follow-up with those new fans, as they are key prospects to target, because they've proven they love your brand, so they'll be easily converted into paying customers.

But don't try to raise serious coin using crowdfunding.

It just isn't practical.

On the Entrepreneurial Journey -- Choose Your Advisors Carefully

Billy Mays, one of the most popular
TV Pitchmen ever.

I was at the Business, Franchise and Investment Expo in Toronto this weekend, at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds.

It's a two-day affair, where franchises hunt for franchisees, and business people can network and possibly gain some valuable tips and tricks towards success.

What I was interested in were some of the over 40 workshops on entrepreneurship, running and managing a business, even on investments and investment opportunities.

I wasn't there to become a slave to a franchised company. Not everyone is capable of grabbing the bull by the proverbial horns and being completely 110 percent their own boss, I get that. However, being a franchisee isn't for me.

When we first walked into the expo, a sign right at the entrance boldly warned people that selling anything was prohibited at the show. Violation would get you kicked out.

I didn't think anything of it at the time -- I was there for information, not a sales pitch.

What I got, although inspiring and even entertaining, were pure sales pitches.

The first workshop I sat in on was titled: "Learn What Every Small Business Owner Should Know About Marketing on a Zero Budget."

Marketing on a zero budget? Marketing is one of the key expendables of any business period. If no one knows you exist, you don't. So I was curious and went to the workshop, hosted by one of the keynote speakers of the show, Paul Tobey.

Tobey told a very inspiring story about hitting rock bottom, when he was so broke he couldn't even give a handful of change to a boy scout selling apples.

He then went on to describe how that experience changed his life, and he's since made it his mission to help others achieve the great fiscal success he says he has.

Then he offered to speak with 10 people -- and 10 people only -- for a brief amount of time at the show, for free!

Imagine, being able to talk with someone about their success and how they may be able to help you for free.

Reminds me of when comedian turned actor, Robin Williams was in Toronto a while back, and you could purchase a five minute one-on-one session with him after the stand-up show for $500. That's $100 per minute for you mathematically challenged-types, just to say hello, maybe introduce yourself and hear him do some of his uncanny impersonations, and hilarious jokes.

Although Tobey says he wasn't selling anything, he was the consummate pitchman. Show how green the grass is on the other side, and tell people how it could be theirs -- for a price.

In Tobey's case, he was selling tickets to another event where motivational speakers such as himself, were going to be. Naturally they were offering these "limited quantity" tickets at a special show price -- buy one get one free.

Would you buy a car from this man?

I still don't know how to market my business without any dollars -- that too me just sounds like poor budgeting.

Later, another workshop caught my eye -- "10 Keys to Taking Your Business Over $1 Million," hosted by Doug Vermeeren.

Vermeeren is another amazingly inspirational speaker, talking about his rags to riches story, and he handed out lots of free books and CDs which continued his inspirational message.

But at the end of his talk, he handed out carbon-forms to subscribe to his inspirational service -- but don't worry, your first month was free -- even though you have to give your credit card number on the form to sign-up, and sign a waiver authorising his company to charge your credit card forever thereafter the free month.

I guess that sign prohibiting people from selling anything at the front of the expo was pretty meaningless, because everywhere I went there was pitch after pitch.

One young woman came up to me while I was sitting at  table resting my weary feet after a long day, and tried to convince me that her business of purchasing a condo with the purpose to grow medical Marijuana in was a good idea.

What was she smoking?

Ironically, the best information I took away from this conference was given by yet another one of these supposed self-made millionaires selling advice: "be very careful who you take advice from."

That's actually really good advice -- just because someone appears successful, talks like someone who is successful, even inspires you with their slick spiel -- doesn't mean they know anything about you and your entrepreneurial journey.

Paying someone just because they think they've made it to advise you, is like buying the first car you test drive without looking under the hood. You'll probably end up at the side of the road in a pissing rain storm, waiting for roadside assistance.

Lesson learned, the best advice in the world is usually free, has no strings attached, and comes from people that know you.

Tobey, Vermeeren and the rest were inspiring, energizing and I'm glad I had the opportunity to sit in and hear them.

However, inspiration is only part of the journey towards success. The rest depends largely on acting on that inspiration.

And just as the old song says, the best advice is free.

Five Practical Tips for Creating a Winning Elevator Speech

Imagine you are running out of a burning building, and you see a stranger outside. You want to tell them to call for help, but no matter how excited you are about getting out alive, you can't bombard a complete stranger with tonnes of information.

An elevator speech in an elevator -- imagine that!

You have to condense it to about the amount of time you'd take to talk to a stranger in a crowded elevator as it went to the next floor.

Elevator speeches are condensed stories about you and your business, but hopefully no fire is involved.

Last month I wrote about lessons learned to succeed at giving a great elevator speech. Based on numerous emails in response to that post, here are five more important tips to creating a winning elevator speech.

1. Hook 'Em

The best advertisements don't immediately indicate what they are selling -- they make you wonder what they are all about using a hook. Something that draws you in. 

I have a friend that used to sell Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) which protect electronics from dying during a power failure. He'd often start his elevator speech with: "I sell peace of mind."

Be creative, it's okay to be a bit vague and confusing -- that's part of what hooks us to want to know more.

2. Silence is Golden

The golden rule in sales, once you've delivered your pitch, shut-up. Really. In sales, the first person to speak after the pitch loses -- if the sales person tries to beef up the pitch right after giving it, they appear weak, and unable to stand by their product or service. If the customer speaks first, they show interest or at least, say right away that they aren't interested.

Give your listeners time to think about what you just said with the hook. Wait for their response -- in a group setting, this would be confused facial expressions -- or in person -- they may ask you "what are you talking about?"

You have to be quick to tell it all -- without selling for success.

3. Reel 'Em In

After their response to your hook and silence, here's your shot to reel them in -- don't sell. It's important to explain the hook, but you don't have their permission to sell to them. Yet.

The whole point of reeling them in is to explain what you do, and how you help people. If you tell someone how you make other people's lives easier, they may be more inclined to seek your help.

4. Offer to Help

After you explain how you help others, offer to help them as well -- but don't sell. You provide a service which they or those they know, may need. Offer to help them and those they know.

Listen to their feedback to determine if they are interested in your services. If not, offer to help them promote their services. If they share your services with their friends, you've still given a great elevator speech.

By offering to promote them, you are opening the door for you to get your message out to their circles, and that's never a bad thing.

5. Contact Info

Always wrap up leaving them with a way to contact you. Give them a business card, mention your Twitter handle, or tell them how they can reach you by phone or any of the other social media.

If they don't know how to reach you, regardless of how they percieved of your elevator speech, you'll never hear back from them!

Why BlackBerry Failed -- And It's Not What You Think

Last Friday BlackBerry announced the axing of 4,500 jobs and that they were taking the company private to restructure the troubled smart phone maker.

We've seen, heard and read about the ongoing problems sinking the once golden child of Canada's tech industry.

The Ottawa-based company just can't seem to get it right, every new product they release is ripped to pieces in the press.

Recently, news broke about how the company purchased a private jet, despite lagging sales and constantly falling stock prices. The story shocked us -- who goes out and spends millions on a private jet, when your company is tanking?

We shake our heads upon another sob story in the press about BlackBerry, and instantly blame that company's leadership team. It must be all their fault. 

To a degree, the leadership team is to blame. To a degree.

Whenever a company fails or succeeds, part of that failure or success can be directly attributed to the decisions at the top.

But there is more going on here than bad management -- there's a whole lot more which is actually well beyond the leaders, the managers, or even the staff.

It's public perception, driven by a media machine which is designed to kill successes.

Our news media loves a great story, and many successful stories are sexy enough to sell ad spots as they scream their successful headlines.

But those success stories aren't very common and don't have legs. Once you report on a company's success, it becomes stale news. Who wants to keep hearing about the millions Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made, or the wonders coming out of Tesla Motor's Elon Musk mind?

BORING!

But tell the world about a tech giant's fall -- that's hot! That story can be spun for weeks, months, and even years.

Think about it -- what draws more of a crowd -- a crane hauling metal up to the floors of a building being built, or a man counting down the detonation of a building about to be blown to pieces?

We like watching things blow up. Watching things go "boom" is fun. It's part of our DNA.

SO when the vulturous media gets hold of a story about a company that's about to go "boom" they drop everything and feed that destruction.

No one wants BlackBerry to fail. But because things that go "boom" are more exciting than anything else, once a company enters that slippery slope towards doom, the media will continue the push down that slope.

BlackBerry has come out with some remarkable pieces of new tech over the past few months, but not if you read the reviews of their new tech.

Every tech reviewer has biasly slashed the wrists of the once popular smartphone company, even if their new tech is pretty good, by harping on the tech's failings.

BlackBerry itself was rebranded -- it was originally known as Research in Motion or RIM -- in an attempt to distance itself from it's negative about to go "boom" image.

But once labeled a problem child, it's hard to unstick that label, and the media continued to focus on the newly minted BlackBerry's troubled past.

And so regardless of what BlackBerry does, it will fail.

It can't win.

Which is really unfortunate, because BlackBerry has been working hard to change things around.

But perception is reality.

Even it it isn't.

The Five Most Powerful Words In Business

Business is all about people and problem solving. 

It doesn't matter what your business, it's made up of people, solving problems. Be it a doctor healing the sick, a burger joint feeding the hungry, or a bicycle courier getting your product to the customer, all businesses are made up of people solving problems. 

It's all about giving others a hand.

So it makes sense that the five most powerful words in business are:

How can I help you?

These simple words, when strung together as above are more powerful than any supercomputer program.They are more powerful than anything you'll ever Google. And they are more powerful than anything anyone else tells you.

Because all business is about people problem solving. 

I was reminded about the power of these five teeny-tiny words when I was at a networking event and after the usual small talk, my new connection asked me:

How can I help you?

I'm always looking for help from friends and colleagues, but when someone you just meet says those five little words, they powerfully resonate louder than anything you've ever heard before. 

Because hearing them from a complete stranger isn't common in our inclusive individual universe. 

At first I was in a state of delighted shock. Then I remember reading how the best way to network in business, is to offer to help wherever you can. 

Being bewildered.

Even if it means offering to help the competition.

YES -- even the competition.

Before his death, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became friends, yet they both ran highly competitive companies against one another.

Though you don't have to be networking with the competition to see the power of these five extremely powerful words.

Try it for yourself the next time you meet a potential customer, client or colleague. Ask them

How can I help you? 

At first they may look uncertain, bewildered even. The look of bewilderment disappears quickly to that of joyous understanding and warmth, as your offer -- if genuine, as it should be -- is warmly accepted. 

The request won't be rocket science, and will be something which forges and strengthens your working relationship. Which is the whole point -- to build a stronger relationship with those you work with -- or against -- or want to work with or against. 

And remember, what goes around comes around. 

So if you can help, do. 

You'll WOW the person you helped, and they will reciprocate back tenfold. 

That's human nature. 

All just because of five little words.