By Arlen Busenitz, on August 30th, 2010
Is it possible to write a book in 90 days? Yes. Here is a 7 step plan that will help you get your expertise into book form. I have used it to publish several books on Amazon.
Why write a book? Here are several reasons:
Credibility. Being the author of a book boosts your credibility and helps you get speaking engagements.
Earn extra income. I can speak for free at various events and still make a profit due to book sales at the back of the room. Also, ongoing royalties from Amazon is nice.
Satisfaction. For 15+ years I had a dream of being a published author. This 7 step plan enabled me to accomplish that dream. Do you have a dream?
Help more people. Putting your message in your book will enable you to help more people.
Step #1: Choose a subject you are an expert in and passionate about
What jobs have you been involved in? . . . → Read More: How to Write a Book in 90 Days
By Rob Christeson, on August 27th, 2010
I believe that deciding to focus on a specific customer is the hardest decision you have to make as an entrepreneur. It’s so easy to think that “everybody” will want what you have to offer. After all, you are great, right?
For instance, let’s say you are an expert at decluttering homes. Just like on the reality show when they go in and say “do you need this?”, you are able to help people reduce the clutter and get more space in their homes. You may think, “everyone could use less clutter” and you would be right. But, does everyone need your help (i.e your specific expertise) to do that?
Maybe this is something you do just as a hobby, so your target audience is a bit younger (i.e. in their 20s) and just starting to accumulate that early clutter. Your specialty is to get them back on the right track and using good . . . → Read More: You need a single customer
By Arlen Busenitz, on August 23rd, 2010
As an expert, you’ll likely be taking free and paid speaking engagements to spread your message and build up your credibility. How important is public speaking humor?
The short answer is very important. Sure you can make a great presentation without it, just as you can have a good tasting Ice Cream Sunday without chocolate. However, your speech will be so much more received if humor is intertwined in it.
When I say humor, I am not talking about throwing in several jokes that made their rounds through email. Nor am I referring to adding a couple Readers Digest stories.
Great speech humor is adding in your personal humorous stories and tweaking your existing content so that it makes the audience laugh.
Here are 5 reasons why humor is important in presentations.
Reason #1: Humor connects you with the audience
Laughter draws people together. An audience that is laughing is involved. When they are involved in your . . . → Read More: Public Speaking Humor: Is it Important?
By Rob Christeson, on August 20th, 2010
When I started my first blog, I decided that I would write and post a blog entry every day for a month. Then, as I moved through that month, I decided to add a month to that. I was able to go 80 days with a post each day until I just felt like I had emptied my brain into that blog.
Last week I suggested that you work on developing content about your area of expertise each day. That doesn’t mean you have to post it to a blog every day, but you should create and/or edit content each day to keep your mind working.
Throughout the day, you want to be wary of the 37-second rule. What is that rule? Simply put, based on the way the human brain is wired you only have 37 seconds to capture an idea before it’s lost…possibly forever. If you don’t capture that thought on . . . → Read More: Developing Blog Content
By Arlen Busenitz, on August 15th, 2010
A bridge is only as good as the pillars supporting it. Your business (whether speaking, blogging, coaching, writing, etc) will only be as successful as the pillars it is built on.
I love reading business books, interviewing business owners, and discovering how to grow a business successfully. I’ve discovered there are two pillars that essential for success:
Pillar #1: Deliver Value
Value is what people want and what people need. People buy our products, read our blog, listen to us speak because we provide value. The moment you and I cut corners on providing value, people may go elsewhere.
The road of life is littered with small-business’s, companies, and individuals who failed to provide quality value to their customers.
Pillar #2: Build Relationships
People like to buy from those they know and trust. There are several blogs I follow daily, not just because they have fresh content, but because the author is building a relationship with the . . . → Read More: Two Pillars of a Successful Business
