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Greetings!
Today's world is so busy. Often, we don't think twice about driving 25 miles, spending all day working, going to the grocery store on the 25-mile drive home, arriving home to play with children, cooking dinner and then
going to bed.
But you know what? Just 100 years ago, the 25 mile drive was all the activity that could be done in a single day. Today is very different. Our days are filled with so much.
So revisiting a book is truly a sacrifice for me. There are so many more books to read, so much more to learn-but this week I decided to go ahead and revisit a business classic. I'm so glad I did! I remember really enjoying the book, but I didn't really remember why.
What are you considering revisiting in your life? Will that activity encourage you (by example) to accomplish your to-do list? Will it empower you to approach your tasks with a new enthusiasm?
Time is one of our most valuable commodities. Be selective about your activities, and focus on activities that will help you grow in your personal and professional life. Maybe you need the exhileration of a zipline, or maybe you need to re-visit a former mentor or a book for wisdom.
Live on purpose; intentionally choosing activities, thoughts and friends who will challenge you to be just a little better today that yesterday.
Successfully Yours,
Belinda Ellsworth and staff
www.stepintosuccess.com
www.the-success-express.com
info@stepintosuccess.com
734-426-1075
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Belinda's Bookshelf
Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
 Some books are well worth re-reading. I have a friend who has read How to Win Friends and Influence People over and over again, and I think Harvey Mackay's Swim with the Sharks is one that I can learn something from each time I re-read it.
This time, what struck me was his advice on being a winner. He points out that winners don't just think of themselves as winners, although they certainly do think of themselves that way, they also surround themselves with winners.
Mackay points out that you'll learn thought processes from these positive associations, and I think that can be incredibly important. We all know we enjoy being around positive people, but this book advocates going a step further and purposefully including these positive, winner's-mindset people in our lives on a regular basis. In Lesson 43, Mackay says winners purposefully surround themselves with other winners to learn from them.
I like that concept. I know that when I'm around people who are continually and purposefully striving to grow and get better, I find myself even more focused on possibilities. I love that!
Swim with the Sharks is a very (very!) fast-paced book, but it's easy to understand and you'll find ideas you can begin applying to your professional life today.
What I love about this book is that Mackay addresses so many topics (management, sales, negotiation) without being overwhelming. The information is all in bite-sized pieces, and I'm betting you'll find at least a handful of tips that you'll want to try right away.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book was his tips on giving great speeches. While not everyone is a professional speaker, virtually everyone will eventually stand up before an audience at some point.
Mackay's Swim with the Sharks also gives some great tips on time management and even includes chapters on helping kids succeed. The book, because of its rapid-fire, short chapters, is easy to read. His sense of humor and down-to-earth advice kept me turning the pages, whether I was on a long flight or really just planning to turn the light off after "just one more chapter."
I recommend reading-or rereading-Swim with the Sharks.
You can click here to buy Swim with the Sharks.
Below is the description found on amazon.
This straight-from-the-hip handbook by bestselling author and self-made millionaire Harvey Mackay spells out the path to success for readers everywhere. They will learn how to:
- Outsell by getting appointments with people who absolutely, positively do not want to see you, and then making them glad they said "yes!"
- Outmanage by arming yourself with information on prospects, customers, and competitors that the CIA would envy - using a system called the "Mackay 66."
- Outmotivate by using his insights to help yourself or your kids join the ranks of Amercia's one million millionaires.
- Outnegotiate by knowing when to "smile and say no" and when to "send in the clones."
This one-of-a-kind book by a businessman who's seen it all and done it all has sold almost 2 million copies, and is the essential roadmap for everyone on the path to success.
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The Critical Aspects Of Social Media
And Its Overall Effectiveness
 Social media has established a prominent presence as form of marketing utilized by companies in countless industries worldwide. There are a variety of inherent factors that can prove to substantially increase a company's brand equity and visibility, or possibly victimize a company's reputation. The way in which a social media strategy is implemented and monitored can go a long way in determining its overall effectiveness. Today's market features a wide array of consumers who have certain expectations of brands, products, and services. Discontented and social media savvy consumers are simply awaiting any opportunity to voice their opinions via Twitter, Facebook, and associated social channels. This makes it even more vital for a company to thoroughly research and consider what methods of social media are most appropriate and beneficial to their needs.
There are a number of steps that can be taken in order to avoid the aforementioned social media disasters that occur frequently in today's online marketplace. The first involves being realistic and properly understanding the relationship between conversations on social networks and other types of customer interactions. The next step includes utilizing a multi-channel strategy for customer sales and service. While social media is quite effective, interactions taking place at brick and mortar locations, on toll-free lines, and during online customer service chats are also very important in providing a comprehensive view of consumers' opinions. The following step focuses upon viewing your data and evaluating the technology that is currently in place in order to understand consumer behavior and the voice of the customer. The final measure that can be taken to avoid social media disaster is to have a designated employee that specializes in the customer experience delivery chain.
A company that does not currently possess a strong presence in social media does not have to fear making a huge investment in social media. There are a number of low cost options that can be practiced to make that initial leap into the realm of social media marketing. Starting a blog about relevant industry news, trends, or intriguing applications of your product line is an excellent way to embark into the world of social media. Creating a LinkedIn group, Facebook page, Twitter account, a customers-only discussion forum, or a YouTube channel can provide unique opportunities to present and inform users and fans alike of current company highlights and information.
The key to a company's successful use of social media is all about the results and the ability to properly measure them. Industry analysts are publicizing self-service business intelligence as the so-called "golden child" of 2011. In terms of marketing, one area that could widely benefit from self-service BI is social marketing. There are a number of best-practices that can be employed in order to measure social media effectiveness using BI solutions. Mapping out the ideal marketing process flow that will best transform prospects into quality sales leads is an exceptional starting point. Another practice involves determining the online marketing initiatives and campaigns that will be implemented to attract and engage prospects. Selection of the appropriate outlets to use is quite important in safeguarding the effectiveness of these initiatives.
Each initiative that comprises the marketing plan must then have a pre-established audience profile, outreach, value proposition, and budget that you are willing to spend. The most appropriate set of keywords must then be identified to ensure optimal website content that is designed for those specific keywords. Identifying and adjusting paths on social networks, aligning the website experience with specific landing pages, and setting goals for desired actions are all best-practice techniques in order to ensure continuity. It is also vital to measure all of the initiatives that are being used at a given time to display your activity, outreach, engagement, and outcomes. An even more thorough approach includes tracking all the way through to incremental sales, revenue and gross profit that is derived directly from online marketing. Business intelligence allows insight at the appropriate times during your social media campaigns. It offers the ability to instantly alter campaign focus and direction. Social media marketing can greatly benefit from the use of business intelligence as marketers can produce and exhibit greater value in their social media outreach campaigns.
About the Author:
The Darwin Agency, is a Marketing Company with offices in South Florida. Miami Ad Agencies specialize in developing, executing and advertising campaigns for growing businesses.To know more about Florida Advertising Agencies, please visit http://thedarwinagency.com
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Sincerely,
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