Be sure to build your personel network before you need it. (Keith Ferrazzi)

Last week, Dan and Chip Heath, authors of the best-selling book, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, wrote a great article for Fast Company. Click here to read their Three Secrets to Make a Message Go Viral.

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” John Bingham

Are things getting tougher? Are you wondering what to do? Tom Peters shares his thoughts:

I am constantly asked for “strategies/’secrets’ for surviving the recession.” I try to appear wise and informed—and parade original, sophisticated thoughts. But if you want to know what’s going through my head, read the list below:

You work longer.
You work harder.
You may well work for less; and, if so, you adapt to the untoward circumstances with a smile—even if it kills you inside.
You volunteer to do more.
You always bring a good attitude to work.
You fake it if your good attitude flags.
You literally practice your “game face” in the mirror in the morning, and in the loo mid-morning.
You shrug off shit that flows downhill in your direction—buy a shovel or a “pre-worn” raincoat on eBay.
You get there earlier.
You leave later.
You forget about “the good old days”—nostalgia is for wimps.
You buck yourself up with the thought that “this too shall pass”—but then remind yourself that it might not pass anytime soon, so you re-dedicate yourself to making the absolute best of what you have now.
You eschew all forms of personal excess.
You simplify.
You sweat the details as you never have before.
You sweat the details as you never have before.
You sweat the details as you never have before.
You raise to the sky the standards of excellence by which you evaluate your own performance.
You thank others by the truckload if good things happen—and take the heat yourself if bad things happen.
You behave kindly, but you don’t sugarcoat or hide the truth—humans are startlingly resilient.
You treat small successes as if they were Superbowl victories—and celebrate and commend accordingly.
You shrug off the losses (ignoring what’s going on inside your tummy), and get back on the horse and try again.
You avoid negative people to the extent you can—pollution kills.
You eventually read the gloom-sprayers the riot act.
You learn new tricks of your trade.
You network like a demon.
You help others with their issues.
You give new meaning to the word “thoughtful.”
You redouble, re-triple your efforts to “walk in your customer’s shoes.” (Especially if the shoes smell.)
You mind your manners—and accept others’ lack of manners in the face of their strains.
You are kind to all mankind.
You leave the blame game at the office door.
You become a paragon of accountability.
And then you pray.

The networking that matters is helping people achieve their goals, doing it reliably and repeatably so that, over time, people have an interest in helping you achieve your goals. (Seth Godin)

This quote comes from Seth’s interview with Debbie Weil (click here to see interview)

“Meaning is not something you stumble across, like the answer to a riddle or the prize in a treasure hunt. Meaning is something you build into your life. You build it out of your own past, out of your affections and loyalties, out of the experience of humankind as it is passed on to you, out of your own talent and understanding, out of the things you believe in, out of the things and people you love, out of the values for which you are willing to sacrifice something. The ingredients are there. You are the only one who can put them together into that unique pattern that will be your life. Let it be a life that has dignity and meaning for you. If it does, then the particular balance of success or failure is of less account.”

— From a speech John W. Gardner delivered to the Hawaii Executive Conference in Kona, Hawaii, in April 1993 and published in Stanford, an independent publication of the Stanford Alumni Association, March 1994.

Small Business Marketing Lessons By Harvey Cramb (Aged 4)

The Scene: Harvey was given a chocolate Easter Egg that came with lollies and icing that can be used to decorate the egg yourself. Harvey decided to draw a face on his. Then came the time to eat his creation:
Me: OK, Harvs, you can eat some of your egg.
Harvey: Great! I’m going to eat the eyebrows first. You don’t really need eyebrows, do you dad?
Marketing Lessons: Things viewed as non-essential are the first things cut.

What have you dropped from your budget recently? Either personally or in your business, you’ve probably looked to save some costs. Maybe you didn’t renew a magazine subscription, bought cheaper stationery supplies, are eating out less or maybe you’ve sold your car and bought a scooter. If you have reduced your spending then ask yourself why you chose to drop the things you did.

I’m guessing that they were things that won’t greatly reduce your quality of life i.e. they are non-essential or discretionary spending.

So, how essential is your business to your clients? Are you needed?

Are you on the chopping list or the shopping list?

Now is the time to demonstrate to your clients how valuable you are to them. Don’t just cross your fingers and hope that they don’t cut you from their budget. Take your message to them and use plenty of case studies to illustrate the value and benefits that your products and services offer.

[Click here if you can't view the video clip]

I’m not sure if this guy is serious, but while you’re watching it and having a good laugh, ask yourself the serious question “What does your business card say about you?”.

“Do you want to be safe and good, or do you want to take a change and be great?”
Jimmy Johnson

A bit of Tom Fishburne humour to take you into the long weekend