Just Do It – Spine-Chilling Last Words That Mean Everything to Entrepreneurs

On October 7, 1976, Gary Mark Gilmore was convicted of committing two brutal murders in Utah, USA and sentenced to death. The following year on a cold January morning, he was executed by a firing squad.

Just prior to his execution, he was asked if he had any last words.

“Let’s Do It,” he said.

A decade later, advertising guru Dan Wieden was sitting in on creative meeting, brainstorming ideas for one of his clients. For reasons only known to Wieden, Gilmore’s famous last words came to mind. Though being the creative type, he just had to tweak the wording a tad, to “Just Do It.”

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“Just Do It,” not only became the legendary new slogan for sports clothing giant Nike, but also increased the brand’s popularity so much, it’s footprint in the American domestic shoe business jumped from $877 million to $9.2 billion in just under a decade.

Ever since, the popular catch phrase has been popularized by entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders to inspire and invigorate action.

Either we live in very interesting times, or most don’t know that the catch phrase they love to quote originated from a convicted criminal’s mind, just prior to his execution.

Playboy billionaire Richard Branson has used the phrase “Let’s Do It,” when faced with a potential business opportunity.

And just about every entrepreneur has either read or heard the spine-chilling last words of a killer ringing in their heads, as “Just Do It,” has become the ultimate idea every business textbook, how-to be an entrepreneur self-help book, business professor, business coach, business mentor and successful entrepreneur attempts to plant in those seeking out information about starting their own business.

Eerie. Creepy. Spooky.

“Just Do It.”

Originally, a macho mantra instructing the firing squad to just get it over with, has become the inspiration igniting the fires of those sitting at their desks with amazing ideas, to “Just Do It” and start their business.

Ironic, how the famous last words of a murder, have come to stand for so much to so many.

“Just Do It,” symbolizes the mental madness that entrepreneurs face so well. Most entrepreneurs are perfectionists, we want to get everything just right.

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We plan, we mind map, we do GAP analysis, we conduct market and customer research. Then we plan some more.

The hardest thing – the one thing really – that separates entrepreneurs from those just with a great idea – is action.

Inaction keeps many people from becoming entrepreneurs, because they just want everything to be perfect. They get stuck in the planning phase, and never “Just Do It.”

“Just Do It,” has become the mental kick in the pants that moves wantrapraneurs to entrepreneurs. It’s what separates the entrepreneurs, from everyone else.

Because to “Just Do It,” you have to take a leap of faith.

You have to be bold.

You have to be brave.

You have to “Just Do It,” otherwise all you’ll ever have is just a great idea.

And great ideas don’t make money.

Taking action does.

So, to paraphrase a convicted criminal: “Just Do It.”

Isn’t Social Media Just Shameless Self-Promotion – YES IT IS – That’s Why You Need to Be Using It to Shamelessly Self-Promote Your Business

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We live in a very anti-social, social media world.

No, that’s not a typo – social media is anything BUT social.

Think about it – how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you actually know? And by know, I’m not talking about sharing tweets.

Let’s put it this way, how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you’d invite into your home for dinner? Not a coffee shop, not some sleazy bar, or worse – street corner – your own private residence.

Asking myself that same question, I currently have 4,376 followers on Twitter. Of those amazingly awesome folks following me, I’d guess I probably really only know a couple hundred, when you consider friends, family and business associates.

Of those 200 people, I really only know about 50 that I know well enough to invite into my own, personal, private, living space.

So, out of over 4,000 “friends” on Twitter, I really know about 50 of them. Do the math – I only really know 1.25 percent of my Twitter followers.

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According to statistics, that’s about right. Studies show the average Twitter user only really knows between one to two percent of those who follow them.

One to two percent – that means, on average, 98 to 99 percent of those happy smiling faces that follow you on Twitter are complete strangers.

Doesn’t sound all that social at all.

Twitter is just like walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me.”

BINGO!

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

If everyone is using Twitter, facebook, YouTube, Google Plus, Vimeo, Pinterest, Instagram, even Linkedin to shamelessly promote themselves – then you need to be doing that too.

I know – that’s not very social. Walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me” is hardly the behavior that’ll win you long lasting friends you can count on when you really need them.

But that’s the new world order, thanks to smart phones, tablets, free WiFi, and coffee shops filled with people, none of whom talk to each other -- even at the same table!

Talking?

That’s old school.

Besides, no one cares about you.

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They are too busy taking selfies to show off their new hat, tweeting about what they had for lunch, or posting a really nasty review about the waiter that kept putting his finger in everything he brought to the table.

No one cares about you.

They are busy shamelessly self-promoting their own self interest.

However, the smart social media entrepreneur knows that social media isn’t about making friends, fans and followers.

No.

It’s about doing something that gets you noticed by the most self-absorbed generation since – well okay – there never has been another generation so interested in themselves, that they will walk into on-coming traffic, because they were eyes-down, self-absorbed into their mobile device.

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You have to use social media as a business person to get into the eyeballs of your customers, so in their own self-interest, they share your posts with their friends. And their friends share it with their friends, and so on, and . . .

That’s the real power of social media in business.

Despite it being wrongly named “social” – it really should be called “self interested media” or “anti social media” or anything but social.

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, but that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Lesson Learned from Verizon: Canadian Telecom Leaders are Wimps

There's much to be proud of in being Canadian.

Being a third-generation Canuck, I'm fortunate to live a country free of the oppressiveness of corrupt totalitarian governments, civil war, and anarchy such as the current state of Syria -- for example.

Canada only has three primary wireless
carriers -- Rogers, Bell and Telus.

However, that doesn't mean we Canadians are completely free of the corruption from politicized governments and wealthy corporations.

As murmurs trickled down about American telecommunications giant Verizon's interests in expanding north into Canada made there way up here, our Canadian telecom companies began shaking with fear.

Or more correctly, they began plotting a politically charged, purely self-interested campaign to cry like babies in need of a good spanking.

Aside from the dis-information Rogers Communications, Bell and Telus spread through television, radio and newspaper advertising about the impending doom and gloom for consumers, should their monopolies be finally broken by a foreign competitor, a far more sobering lesson was learned.

Canada's telecom leaders are wimps. 

Leadership.

The word conjures up images of strength balanced by wisdom. 

Great leaders energize their teams by demonstrating the best characteristics of humanity at work -- they lead by example. 

The greatest of leaders inspire not just those who directly report to them, but even those who don't, because they are so great -- we just want to be like them.

American telecommunications company Verizon
was showing interest in coming to Canada.

Great leaders are brave in the face of challenge, running headlong into everything that comes their way, no matter what.

They don't cry wolf.

Which is what Canada's telecom leaders did, when they petitioned the Canadian government to block Verizon's entry into their turf. 

Rogers, Bell and Telus joined forces to fight Verizon before they even landed on Canadian soil, claiming the Canadian government was showing unCanadian favoritism by allocating a highly sought after wireless frequency to a foreign competitor. The big three Canadian telecom companies claimed Verizon's entry into Canada would cost Canadians more money as their wireless bills would increase, and would cost Canadians jobs as a foreign company entered the market.

Ironic, as all three of Canada's telecommunications companies either have or currently do outsource their customer service call centres to non-Canadian companies operating outside of Canada.

Canadian telecom companies either have or currently
do outsource their call centres to "offshore" foreign
countries, which does take jobs away from Canadians.

Rogers, Bell and Telus wimped out. Or rather, their leaders did, by acting on some of the WORST characteristics of humanity -- fear, deception, pettiness, and greed.

Through deceptively worded ads, they tried to scare Canadians into joining their fight to keep their monopolies. Instead of running headlong into a challenge, they ran away from it, hiring an ad agency to do their dirty work.

Good doesn't always triumph over evil, and Canada's wimpy-led telecoms won, as Verizon announced over the weekend they decided not to come to Canada, and all three Canadian telecom companies stock prices rose with the news.

However, Canadians lost as the monopolies held by the big three continue. Canadians lost, as the big three continue to outsource some of their services to foreign contractors. Canadians lost, as the wireless spectrum continues to be dominated by companies which believe in using fear and deception instead of bravery and transparent honesty.

And far worse, Canadian leaders lost, as we are all made to look like fools, by the lack of true leadership of our telecommunication's leaders.