Is Your Bio Doing You and Your Business Justice?

"Is Your Bio Doing You and Your Business Justice?"

If Not, Don't Miss this Timely Opportunity to Do Something About It.

Hey all,

I want to tell you why I will likely not be helping anyone redo their bios anytime soon.

This connects with me wanting to tell you about a limited time deal on the coolest new ebook I've seen in a while.

(If you are an independent professional such as a coach, consultant, solopreneur, aspiring and thriving author, speaker or infopreneur - pay attention - Even if you aren't this could me more relevant than you might think)

It's about your bio.

But to rewind . . .
I was just in California for a pretty amazing meeting of some of North America's top business and marketing coaches.

I'll tell you about it sometime. Pretty cool.

While I was there I met a lady who has been referred to as a "bio whisperer".  She helps people take their mediocre bios and make them 'wow' worthy. In the last year I've come to understand how our bios are one of the most overlooked and undervalued parts of our marketing. So, a few months ago I totally redid my bio.

And, since she was sitting next to me, I pulled out my laptop and I showed it to her.

I thought it was really good!

She did not.

Within five minutes, she had given me a whole new understanding of what my bio could sound like. She lovingly, expertly and yet ruthlessly eviscerated, critiqued, took apart, reworded and re-imagined my life story.

I was sold. You need to check her out.

Her name is Nancy Juetten, and she is the author of the popular and well-reviewed "Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide".

I just bought it. It kicks ass. It's one of the most practical, high value ebooks I've ever read.

If you want to jump right to buying it - you can go here:

CLICK HERE

But before you do - let me give my pitch on why your bio matters. A lot.

Why your bio matters more than you think:

We live in a day and age where people are more skeptical than ever about advertising, marketing and business. Cynicism is rampant. Dealing with faceless corporations in the age of facebook is losing its luster.

In the age of social media - relationships matter more than they ever have. People are no longer buying from 'companies' they are buying from 'people'. And the beginning of the relationship is them being clear about who you are and what you're all about.

Relationships matter. So does authenticity.

People smell bullshit faster than ever before.

And attention spans are shorter than they've ever been.

To sum it up: we live in an age of A.D.D. cynics

So you have to capture their attention FAST. And they need to get that you're 'REAL' extremely quickly too. Within seconds of seeing your marketing materials (e.g. brochures, business cards, websites, posters) they will decide if you are relevant to them and whether or not they like and trust you.

Harsh but true.

Your bio is the place they look to learn about who you are and what your story is.

Your story is what they will or won't connect to. If they connect to your story - they will overlook a lot of marketing gaffes.

There are three possible scenarios with your bio:

• SCENARIO #1: No Bio. This is terrible. Suddenly your business feels cold. Bureaucratic. Antiseptic. A bit too clean.

• SCENARIO #2: A Bad Bio. This might even be worse. I have read bios that come across as resumes, or too quirky and no substance - some that make the person seem incredibly arrogant. If you're making reference to your "extraordinary capacities" as a "prodigy" and citing your "exemplary achievement" - I might consider cutting those bits out. Regardless of 'how' it goes wrong - a bad bio will lose people faster than anything. After all, if you're they're going to be getting the support from you but they don't connect with you . . .

• SCENARIO #3: A Great Bio. When you have a great bio people's hearts will leap. It will become immediately clear whether or not it's a fit. They will feel your humanity and already have warm vibes towards you - before you've ever met. A rockstar bio will also share your story in such a way that you earn expert status and media attention. More and more people aren't buying products or services - they're buying stories. They want to feel a connection with what they're buying. Your bio is central to that.

And there is no product on earth that I know thatcan help you create an inspiring, clear and powerful bio like Nancy's ebook.

When people ask me for help with their bio I will send them to her ebook.

Why is it so good?

Her ebook (and I think this is the best part) is paaaaacked with examples of real life bios that work. It's one thing to hear the concepts and hope they work - it's another to read a bio and feel the impact of it.

It's also packed with step by step instructions on how to craft your own.

So, go check this out and let me know what you think:

CLICK HERE

warmest, 
tad

Four Keys to an Inspiring Bio

"Does your bio have all four of these critical elements in it? (Most bios don't, but the three below do)."

Hey all,

Since I sent out the promo for the spring sale  of my colleague Nancy's kick ass bio ebook "Bye Bye Boring Bio!", I've had a few people ask. "What about youuuuur bio Tad?"

Uhhhm . . . I'm working on it? Will totally share it when I'm done.

Perhaps we can all work on ours together? (high fives)

If you want to check out the special deal Nancy is offering right now, just go to the link below:

CLICK HERE

The Four Critical Elements of a Kick Ass Bio:

So, today, I thought I would share with you what Nancy (The Bio Whisperer) considers the four 'must have' elements of a homerun bio (you may have never considered some of these before).


CRITICAL ELEMENT #1: Stunning Results

Your stunning results are the most compelling benefits you deliver for your ideal client.

Here are a couple of quick examples:

- Bette James Laughrun's Isagenix nutritional supplements business was the #12 income earner in the company for much of 2008.

- Patricia Fripp is an award-winning speaker, sales presentation trainer, and executive speech coach who delights audiences, electrifies executives who speak, and transforms sales teams.

- Marci Shimoff is the woman's face of the biggest self-help book phenomenon in history, Chick Soup for the Soul.  Her six best-selling titles in the series have met with stunning success, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide in 33 languages and have been on the New York Times bestseller list for a total of 108 weeks.

CRITICAL ELEMENT #2: A Succinct Story

This is a short, concise story that gets to the heart of your passion for
your business and grabs attention in a compelling, memorable way.

Here are a couple of examples:

- Even as a young child, Dennis Conner was aware of his environment.  He noticed that by pushing furniture and accessories around, he could affect
how his space felt.  This passion for three-dimensional space has been a driving force behind his career and life choices ... If you've looking for help in selling your home, wanting to make your home or office feel and look better, or need assistance with holiday space planning, call Dennis Conner at Design Dialogue.  After all these years, he's still pushing furniture around.

- Publicists need to be able to keep a secret.  Publicist Nancy Juetten often tells her clients that as a nine year old, she figured out how many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop, and she'll never tell.

This is a memorable, compelling, and engaging way to build trust and invite new opportunities to be of service.  It works very, very well.

CRITICAL ELEMENT #3: A Sassy Sound Bite

This is a memorable, compelling, engaging way to build like, trust, and
respect with your ideal client.

- Kim Duke of www.salesdivas.com believes that cold calling is best left in
the freezer.

- Credible quotes from the media can also serve as sassy sound bites.   For
example, Meetings and Conventions magazine calls Patricia Fripp "one of the country's 10 most electrifying speakers."

CRITICAL ELEMENT #4: Social Information to Help Your Clients Know, Like and Trust You Immediately

Don't keep your bio strictly business.  Add a comment or two to help your
ideal client like you on the spot.

For example:

- Emmy Award Winning TV Show Host John Curley can make balloon animals and grow a beard in less than a week.

- Viva Visibility Blogger Nancy Marmolejo is fun, friendly, smart as a whip and prone to creative outbursts.

- DIY Publicity Expert Nancy Juetten's son Kyle says that if there were Olympic medals for cleaning, she would earn the gold.

So, those are the four key elements.

But, what do YOU do with them? And how do they work together?

It's probably easier to show than tell.

Three Real Life Kick Ass Bios . . .

A while ago Nancy did a radio interview with Michael Ray, host of Dresser After Dark. He invited her to his talk show to workshop his bio on the air.   Live. Listen in and see how she offered some compelling upgrades to transform his bio from OK to really great in short order using the four elements above.

Holy gutsy.

Would YOU put your chops on the line like that?

Give it a listen by clicking here.


But to jump right to Michael's redone bio . . . Check it out below.

Bio Makeover #1: Michael Ray, Radio Host

Four words that describe Michael Ray's life and business philosophy:

"OK. I Can Do That!"

Michael Ray, host at Dresser After Dark, is a talk show host with passion, skill and talent for coaxing outstanding content from guests whose messages shine with confidence, clarity, and relevance.  His engaging interview style sets the stage for authors, experts, and trainers worldwide to captivate, inform, and inspire action.

His 27-year career in radio and media skills training got its start when he sat down behind a microphone at a radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska in January of 1983.  Since then, he's interviewed thousands of radio guests from stations all across the Midwest and beyond, and he can't wait to meet who comes next.

Ray is a sought-after media skills trainer serving clients such as X, Y, and Z around the globe with his proprietary media skills training system. His new book - "The Link to Connection: Techniques for Getting What You Want Out of Any Media Interview On or Off the Air" is coming soon and will guide experts the world over to achieve winning results through the power of compelling and engaging conversation.

Guests such as (important name, important name, and important name) on Dresser After Dark describe Ray as engaging, thought provoking, and gracious.

Michael Ray lives in the Milwaukee area.  His passion for conversation is rivaled only by his enthusiasm for living an engaged and vibrant life.  Something about him that might surprise you is that his biceps are impressive enough to turn heads and stop traffic.  He is often mistaken for being decades younger than his XX years.

Bio Makeover #2: Larry Kaminer Personal Safety and Security Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, and Expert to the Media

"Within a very few minutes of listening to me answer her very specific
questions during our initial call, it was apparent to me she understood the
nature of my business and the unique vertical we are in. It then became
abundantly obvious to me that she had nailed down one of our target
audiences when she referred me to the editor of a magazine focusing on
international corporate relocation. Within a month my article on
international travel safety for those relocating was published. Now that is
what I call a tangible result. I am very excited to see where Nancy's
excellent talents and entrepreneurial instincts will take me this year!"

Larry Kaminer, President of the Personal Safety Training Group
www.personalsafetygroup.com
Seattle, WA

* * *

"Don't wait to be on the receiving end of gunfire or to have a knife at your throat before you learn essential strategies and tactics that can save your life and the lives of people you care about."

Saving Lives & Bringing Peace of Mind,
One Spell-Binding Presentation at a Time:

Larry Kaminer's passion for saving lives - including his own - began one night as a teenager growing up in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pinned down by gunfire during an attempted home invasion, he struggled to think his way through the chaos of the moment as the bullets whistled by. In that instant, Larry resolved never again be caught off guard without a personal safety strategy.  Today, he is president of Personal Safety Group, based in Seattle, WA.

Larry's Riveting, Memorable, and Practical Advice
Saves Lives & Inspires Change:

Today, Larry's "man on the street, from-the-trenches, pull-no-punches" approach to teaching crime avoidance is what sets him apart and makes his message riveting, memorable, and practical. Believing that the mind is your best weapon, Larry teaches audiences to think like criminals, understand the victim selection process, and learn how to eliminate the elements that contribute to being an easy target.  These are lessons learned over three decades of travel in high threat environments in Southern Africa.

Since 2006, Larry and his team of experts, trainers, and consultants from the Army Special Forces, Naval Special Operations, SWAT and Executive Protection arenas have inspired thousands of people to craft personal safety strategies that have the potential to save lives all over the world. At the same time, he and his team bring priceless peace of mind to all who benefit from their compelling and empowering message.

What Larry knows for sure is that no matter how we make our ways in the world, we are all ultimately responsible for our own personal safety.

Audience members and meeting planners from leading Puget Sound corporations, non-profits, county governments, safety councils, and law enforcement training events rave about the impact Larry's message brings to their audiences as personal security earns top-of-mind awareness and inspires new, life-saving behaviors.

Whether he is addressing relocating executives en route to new countries, college aged kids on their way to enjoy campus life, corporate employees or offering provocative media perspective in response to a breaking news story about personal safety, Larry's commentary always packs a powerful punch for personal safety empowerment in perfect timing.

* * *

Bio Makeover #3: Vicki Draper, Energy Healer for Treasured Pets
Vicki Draper says, "Nancy is nothing short of amazing.  She can take good information and turn it into great information in a very short time. My bio is now something that really portrays me and I am proud of sharing it.  For anyone having trouble expressing the right words, Nancy is your best resource.  I am so grateful to have benefited from Nancy's service and expertise!"

Energy Healer Vicki Draper is passionate about ensuring vitality and pain free lives for pets and the owners who love them. 

She discovered her unique talents at an early age.  When Vicki was just 11 years of age, her kitten was diagnosed with distemper. Rather than accept a tragic diagnosis, Vicki intuitively began visualizing a long, healthy life for her beloved pet.  The kitten lived a happy and active 16 years more.  Since 1999, Vicki has worked with thousands of happy and loyal pet owners and their veterinarians to bring to life similar stories for their own pets.  With Vicki's healing touch at their sides, anxious animals are empowered to be calm.  Fearful animals are empowered to feel safe.  Abused animals are empowered to release the old and embrace the new with comfort.  Many pets and their loving owners enjoy more joyful years together as a result. Happy clients cry tears of joy to watch the quick patter return to the steps of pets who are touched by this angel.   Customers from around the world also purchase Vicki's line of essences that invite healing.

With extensive training and clinical experience from leading institutions including the Northwest School of Animal Massage, Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, Bellevue Massage School, Acupressure Institute of Berkeley, and Upledger Institute, Vicki has invested thousands of hours to learn the best ways to apply her special gifts with animals for their physical and emotional benefit.  Pet owners and their veterinarians have come to trust and rely on Vicki to solve the unsolvable.  She brings to light the right way to proceed in concert with conventional methods and how to apply new approaches to best serve each pet's unique circumstances in perfect timing.

Vicki embodies a remarkable combination of Sherlock Holmes-inspired investigative skill, Dr. Doolittle-like communication and connection with animals, and Fairy Godmother-like oversight and compassion.  Giving back to the animals in ways to facilitate both healing and peaceful passages is how Vicki's work makes the most crucial difference.  This is her passion and what compels Vicki to serve the animals and their owners every day. Vicki's God-given and inspired intuition, healing gift of touch, and heart-centered commitment to make a difference give pet owners and their pets relief, healing, and peace of mind.    Her phone number enjoys placement on the "speed dial" function of many cell phones across the Puget Sound region as clients engage with Vicki in a variety of ways:

1)    Engage by the hour for energy healing;
2)    Purchase her popular line of essences that invite healing;
3)    Enjoy new information products that support their commitment to lovingly care for their pets throughout their lives.

Vicki also welcomes invitations to speak to pet loving groups and teach about her methods.   Visit this link to see Vicki's healing gifts in action and see happy "Client Tales" in progress.  Get in touch by calling her at 425-785-4232, sending email to vicki@vimiere.com, and visiting the website.

If you like what you've read, I can't recommend Nancy's ebook, 'Bye Bye Boring Bio' enough.

Check it out:

CLICK HERE

warmest,

tad

Tad Got Interviewed

To listen to a recent interview with me about the emerging green and conscious economy just:

CLICK HERE

Tell Them the Ugly Truth! (how to write a compelling bio)

By: Suzanne Evans, Helping Professional Expert

http://www.helpmorepeople.com/

I teach my clients the power of telling their own story as they start their own businesses, with this phrase: Your Truth Will Set Them Free. This is one of the biggest neon light mistakes that I see helping professionals make.

They believe that this has nothing to do with them. "I need to focus on the clients and what the clients need. I need to make sure that I'm looking at their problems and their struggles and I'm working towards it." They don't tell their stories.

There's nothing that I hate more than going to someone's website or reading their marketing materials and reading a bio. Everybody goes, "But I'm supposed to have a bio on my website. I'm supposed to have an 'About Me' on my website."

Bios are credentials and, for the most part, pretty boring. What is fascinating, what enables you to connect with someone and enables you to really care about someone and discover empathy, is when you tell your story. This is so vitally important when you are building relationships with potential clients.

Don't tell the Cinderella version, tell the ugly step-sister, the warped version. It is your mistakes that really are going to leverage your clients to their own success.

For example, I'll share that I did some things in the beginning of my business that, had I known what I know now, I certainly would have done them differently.

I worked way too hard in the beginning. Way too hard! I put in a lot of hours that were not necessary. I will admit to that. I also took on every client that came my way. If I could nab them, I took them. That was something that didn't serve me well in the long run.

I also followed the marketing "gurus". I believed that if I just do everything exactly their way, this would work for me. The result was that I was exhausted, a little bit confused, and really frustrated. What happened was I didn't have a core message.

I thought, "I've got to have a name. It's got to be cute. It's got to appeal to people. It's got to be as big as Pepsi and Coca-Cola."

That only made me exhausted. It came to the point where I really stopped trying to create this business that seemed like a 24-story building in some imaginary business land. I just said, "This is who I am. The best thing that I have to offer is me."

Your truth will set them free. Your journey, your mistakes, how you overcame obstacles and your conclusions, this is the insight your clients are looking for.

You know that your bio is about everything that you've accomplished. Maybe you have 67 credentials and maybe you talk about where you went to school. Maybe it's talking about your kids or your family - and those things are important as well. People like to hear about them.

But what's most important is: Why you? What's your story? If you're going to work with parents having difficulties with their kids and you're going to be a parenting coach, what's your story in that? Why are you coming to this area? What do you have to bring to other parents?

Was it that you struggled as being a parent and now you really made a turn and now you can share this with other people? Was it that you had an extraordinary parenting situation that maybe wasn't so pleasant but taught you a lot that you can now share with others?

If you're a health coach, what's your story around health? You wouldn't be drawn to something that you don't have a story about or that you don't have a stake in or something in your life didn't bring you to it.

If you answer, "Oh, I don't know what my story is," I ask you to really dig deep. It's there. It may be covered up or it may be something that you're afraid to share, but it's definitely there. Share your story. It is what opens people up to wanting to work with you.

Top 7 Reasons Why This Recession Is a Great Time to Start a Green Business

An article from Scott Cooney (author of Build a Green Small Business: Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur (McGraw-Hill)). He hopes that someday the green economy will simply be referred to as...the economy.

While counterintuitive, a recession is actually a terrific time to start a business. Sure, credit is tight, and venture capital is definitely hard to come by, so startup ideas requiring large amounts of up-front capital are perhaps best left to the drawing board for the moment. But for many entrepreneurs with a dream, startup capital requirements are small, and other elements of the economic outlook are very favorable.

As far as timing, for most businesses, it simply takes time for their product, service, or brand to become recognized, trusted, and sought after. Estimates vary widely, but it is simply a truth that average customers have to see your product or company several times before they make a purchase. This makes a recession a great time to get your name out there while most other companies are cutting back and the competition for people's attention is less. Your company will be in good shape when the economy rebounds.

So while recessions can be a good time, and historically have been a good time for businesses to get their start, this particular recession is a great time to start a green business. Here's why:

to continue reading this article CLICK HERE

To Beat Recession, Indies Launch Buy-Local Push

Business week online

Small business owners are banding together to encourage consumers to
shop nearby independents. Would such a campaign help your business?

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2009/sb20090226_752622.htm

Ten Steps to Sustainable Marketing in an Uncertain Economy | GreenBiz.com

January 29, 2009

Here’s a terrific article from GreenBiz.com that deserves repeating, and your time to read:

There’s a standard journalistic trope that abounds during times of crisis: take the hot topic du jour, mash it up with something you know about, and you’ve got an instant article. For example: “Peanut Butter Preferences during a Global Recession,” or “Sparrow Migration Patterns during the 2008 Wall Street Collapse.”

Now, after nearly a decade of build-up, sustainability and “green” were the issues du jour for much of 2007 and 2008; but with the recent market crash, the national dialogue has turned more toward keeping a roof over your head than keeping a green roof over your head. So what’s a sustainable brand to do? Here are a few strategies to keep you afloat during these tumultuous times.

TO READ MORE CLICK HERE

Should I use online video?

Online video is becoming the new website.

Pretty soon every business will be using it (or desperately exploring how to).

Should YOU use it?

Well . . .

My basic suggestion is: yes.

You might not need the level of quality Erica Ross has in her video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDxM9IAe4eU&feature=channel_page

but consider this . . .

I'd be willing to bet that when people meet you they like you.

I'd be willing to bet that your marketing materials will never be as powerful as meeting you in person.

Sure, your website and brochures and ads might sound good, but people are going to doubt them - after all - you have a vested interest in them buying.

I'd be willing to bet that when you really have a chance to explain how you do what you do and tell your story - that people are impressed and far more likely to do business with you.

Isn't there something about meeting someone - and getting to read their vibe - that matters a lot?

How many times have you heard of people meeting celebrities and telling their friends, "Wow. He was so down to earth. He wasn't pretentious at all."

I doubt most celebrities are that pretentious.

But most people are naturally suspicious.

And, sad to say, they're suspicious of you too.

Which is a shame.

After all, you're nice. You have integrity. You'd never try to lie, cheat or steal from them. But, until they meet you in person, they just aren't really going to trust you.

People trust their experiences, not your rhetoric.

I can't tell you how many times I've had folks come to my free intro sessions and come up to me afterwards to tell me, "You know, I've been to so many marketing sessions and I thought, 'Hmm. This sounds good but maybe he's just another hype filled marketing ass****.' But you weren't. You were really down to earth. I like you and I think I'll be coming to the weekend."

How can you create this personal connection?

This can mean:

1) Teleseminars
2) Speaking at events
3) Running free intro sessions
4) Meeting with people one on one

But all of the above are very time intensive. You have to actually be there in person.

What if there was a way for people to 'meet' you that required almost none of your time?

Wouldn't that be useful?

I recon it would.

Before I tell you what I did - let me come at this from another angle and then tie it all together.

Word of Mouth is powerful, right?

But, why?

Because, instead of people having to take the time and energy and risk of meeting you in person (and being trapped in a two hour seminar that ends up sucking) they can hear about your experience. And since you're someone they trust and since you're independent of the business you're recommending - you can be trusted.

But sometimes, this isn't enough.

After all, can't you think of times when you have recommended some workshop or seminar or restaurant to someone only to have them never act on it?

Of course you have.

Why?

They hadn't experienced it for themselves yet.

They weren't sold on the relevance or value or the product or service for themselves (and maybe you aren't as credible to them as you thought you were - owch).

Imagine you're at an ice cream shop with a friend.

You want them to try the Mango Tofulatti. They shrug. You tell them it's the most delicious thing you've ever tasted. They seem unimpressed.

"Think I'll just stick with strawberry."

You keep trying to convince them but you are afraid to push it too far. After all, if you push them too hard they might decide to never try it just out of principle.

So, why don't they try it?

Well, if they spend five bucks on the cone and they don't like it, they're out the money and they know they could have spent that money on something they know they would have liked. Right?

But, what if you said, "Here, try this little pink spoon."

They do. They're curious after all, they just don't want to have to commit their whole five bucks.

Pink spoon marketing is powerful.

You give people a sample - not enough to satisfy - but enough to let them make an informed decision about whether or not they want more.

Do you have any of these for your business?

What are YOUR pink spoons?

Your pink spoons should fit a few critical criteria.

1) It should contain enough to let them know if it's a fit.
2) It should be something that your existing clients will actively WANT to pass on to their friends.
3) It should be low risk (or ideally NO risk) for people to try out.

Now, there's lots of different things you can do:

- Offer people a free buyers guide or special report on a critical topic
- Free downloadable audio files
- A Blog

etc.

But there's a relatively new medium that's available to you now - for almost NO money.

Online video.

It's a powerful way for people to learn about you, who you are and how (and why) you do what you do.

Instead of simply reading words - they can see you, read your body language and get a sense of who you are.

Again:

I'd be willing to bet that when people meet you they like you.

I'd be willing to bet that your marketing materials will never be as powerful as meeting you in person.

Online video fits the criteria below extremely well.

1) It should contain enough to let them know if it's a fit.

An online video can give them a chance to get as much or as little information as you want.

2) It should be something that your existing clients will actively WANT to pass on to their friends.

A link to an online video is incredibly easy to send. Youtube.com has made it brainless. And it's becoming more and more common to do. People are sending each other videos all the time. Remember: your clients probably love you. They want to support you. They want to spread the word - but you almost certainly haven't given them the tools to do so.

And your website likely isn't exciting or novel enough to warrant them sending it to folks.

But a cool online video?

Why not create one about your business.

I know - you don't know how. I'll address that in a second.

But, imagine the email from your client to a friend of theirs . . .

"You remember that organic restaurant I was telling you about? Check this link out."

"You remember that practitioner I was telling you about? Check this link out."

"You remember that eco-friendly house cleaner I was telling you about? Check this link out."


3) It should be low risk (or ideally NO risk) for people to try out.

Is there anything less risky than watching a video on your computer? No pushy salespeople. Nothing to print off. You can stop it (and restart it) anytime you want. No obligation to buy.

And it doesn't have to be perfect.

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars. It can be a quick 7 minute video shot on a friends camera of you giving a tour about your restaurant or your clinic.

The point is that people get to meet YOU before they take the risk of meeting you in person. And, right now, YOU are likely the critical piece to your businesses success. People are likely buying YOU as much as they are your product and service.

Online video gives YOUR clients an easy way to introduce you to their friends.

It gives you something you can send to someone you meet briefly so they can 'get to know you better'.

**How can YOU put up your own online videos?**

To be honest, I have no idea.

But Gurbeen Bhasin from Meow Films does. She made Erica's video.

Why not drop her an email to see if an online video might be a fit for you?

gurbeen (at) meowfilms (d.o.t.) com

www.meowfilms.com

And feel free to drop me a line with any questions you might have.

--
warmest,

tad
radical business

P.S. Please consider the environment before printing this email - Thank You!



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Offer Makeover – Case Study Summary #2 - Hayley Rothenberg - http://backyardclothingcompany.com/

CORE FOCUS OF THIS MAKEOVER:
Making your business an authentic expression of who you are.

This makeover is hard to summarize – you really need to read it to ‘get it’.

To read your free copy of Hayley’s 17 page Offer Makeover go to:
http://www.tadhargrave.com/backyard.pdf

Hayley came to a recent weekend workshop I did in Edmonton.

She had this idea of starting a clothing store – all second hand – but collecting the particular kind of clothes that she loved to wear. She wanted to create a collection of clothes that was wild, eclectic, colourful and fun. Clothes she usually had to spend hours searching for herself.

What became immediately clear was that Hayley had a great idea. Whenever I shared it with women their eyes widened. They just ‘got it’. And, in marketing, the most critical piece is the core concept. Is it a good idea? Sometimes you’ll hear an idea and, for some reason you just know it’s good.

But where could she sell them? How could she find a space?

In the end, she made the brilliant decision to sell out of her backyard in women’s only clothing events – and the name of her company was born. “The Backyard Clothing Company”. The name captures a lot of who she is. And it invites her story. It raises the question, “what’s the backyard piece about?” And that allows her – whether or not she continues to sell from her backyard – to tell her story of being a scrappy entrepreneur with a good idea but a shoestrong budget trying to make things happen.

The ‘backyard’ element also speaks to her desire to make shopping a fun, intimate, social experience for women – not just some sterile process in a chain store. She’d grown up in the markets of London and wanted to bring that experience – in some small way – here.

In marketing lingo – the ‘backyard’ is her USP. It’s the heart of her story. It speaks to her authentic self. And by bringing that to her business – it’s infinitely more attractive.

Before this name, she was playing with “Perfect Fit” (i.e. these clothes will fit your style perfectly). It’s a good name – but, ironically, it wasn’t a perfect fit for her.

Another issue raised by this makeover is really clarifying what people are buying. What’s the result they want?

Every business must identify this. And it’s always something simple like, “more money” or “live longer” or “better communication”. There’s always something simple at the core of it.

Consider these examples:

FEDEX – When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
DOMINOES – Hot, fresh pizza to your door in 30 minutes or it’s free.
CLEARASIL – Visibly clearer skin in three days – guaranteed.

And I think we captured hers well in the headline below:

psssst - Eccentric Edmonton women - revealing one of Edmonton’s hidden gems:

“Everything on the rack screamed my name.”

How you can snag more fabulous, wild, eccentric, outrageously colourful and inspiring clothing in one hour than you did all last year (and at a fraction of the price you’d expect to pay).

To read your free copy of Hayley’s 17 page Offer Makeover go to:
http://www.tadhargrave.com/backyard.pdf

Candid feedback from Hayley on how the process was for her:

How valuable was the process from 1-10?
The process was a great big 10 that is how much I got out of it. The process gave me confidence to go for what I wanted with Tad standing on the other side of it cheering me on. If you have any doubts, contact me at: hayleyrothenberg@gmail.com or 780 819 4636.

What would it have taken to make it a 10?
An even bigger 10 would have been to understand the questions in more depth to begin with. This would have helped me a lot because I spent hours trying to understand what the questions meant! Although none of this was really a waste because it becomes part of the process in becoming clear, it was very time consuming within a very short time frame. I suggest having a guideline for the questions, a guideline to the offer, make it even clearer that it is a lengthy process to get it all clear. That there will be a lot of back and forth’s, which is a lot of work with amazing, results at the end.

Roughly how many hours did you invest?
Not sure, as we went back and forth for at least 2 weeks! Perhaps have time sheets available to note how long we spent on this process.

If money were no option - what would you like to have paid for this?
Wow what a question, the back and forth’s were worth their weight in gold, without that process I would have not got to where I am today so quickly. Tad deserves the going market rate for his consultations in the back and forth’s.

What was hardest?
The questions and defining those questions with my answers.

What was most valuable?
Becoming very clear that I had something to offer which I did not need to change to fit into what is considered normal for success. But most of all it was that Tad believed in me which helped me in moving forward and NOT holding back. Part of the back and forth’s is you get to really see where you could be resistant to moving on and I loved that Tad would stretch me by asking a bit more of me, which is ultimately what I wanted.

What did you think it would be like before and how does that?
Compare to how it actually was? I had no idea what it would be like, I had only the willingness to go for it , a vision and Tad’s enthusiasm. In reality what it is actually is, is a lot of good wholesome work and the more you put in the more you get out of it, to me that’s the key.

When you look at what you first sent me vs. what we created in the end - how do you feel?
Its great, I love it, when we first started it was all an idea which became a reality, one of the things that struck me the most in the process was the more I dived into tads back and forth’s the more I became clear and could define my vision. One of the things that also startled me the most is that I started to remember as a child being involved in a lot of bargain shopping experiences, going to Markets etc, I forgot most of this which is what gave me the natural ability that I have today in what I do!

Was there a good balance of loving encouragement and honest challenge?
Absolutely, that was the best part for me

To read your free copy of Hayley’s 17 page Offer Makeover go to:
http://www.tadhargrave.com/backyard.pdf

The Small-Mart Revolution Talking Points

The Small-Mart Revolution Talking Points
- Michael Shuman


• The Small-Mart Revolution represents a major new trend that thus far has largely escaped public notice. Local businesses in the United States suffered setbacks during the era of globalization but still make up more than half the economy—and they are now on the verge of a huge comeback.

• More than a half dozen trends are increasing the competitiveness of small business. The rising price of oil, for example, makes local production and distribution more competitive against Wal-Mart production in China. Local businesses are enjoying advantages in mastering local markets, delivering the best services, and bypassing inefficient global distribution systems. The imminent decline of the U.S. dollar also will benefit local business.

• This is good news for communities that have been told by their economic development departments that “there is no alternative” (TINA) to attracting or retaining global businesses by paying millions in incentives and reducing labor and environmental standards – policies which studies and experience are
• showing to be dead-ends.

• A growing body of evidence shows that local businesses are the best promoters of good jobs, high environmental standards, economic stability, smart growth, the “creative economy,” social equality, and political participation.

• Local businesses actually have improved their competitiveness in recent years, but these improvements haven’t registered yet, because public policy has foolishly favored of global business. Global businesses get more than $113 billion in subsidies each year, while local businesses get almost nothing. And a variety of other laws – such as banking, trade, tax, securities, and antitrust – increasingly disfavor local business.

• These policy biases mean that for the Small-Mart Revolution to take hold, waiting for the “invisible hand” of the free market is not enough. Instead, concerted actions by consumers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and organizers are necessary.

• Consumers should buy local wherever possible. By shopping smart, they can localize most of their expenditures at no increased cost and even realize significant savings. Replacing the use of nonlocal oil with local energy efficiency measures can save a U.S. household several thousand dollars per year. Around the country are directories, labels, campaigns, and local money systems that help consumers to buy local effectively.

• Even though most of the competitive economy is made of local small business, it receives very little equity investment. Even Americans who are committed to buying local have no way to localize their pension funds. One reason is that securities laws have effectively kept small businesspeople separated from small investors. A new generation of securities laws are needed that promote local stock markets, local hedge and venture funds, and local mutual funds.

• Local businesspeople are pioneering a number of strategies to beat global competitors. They are tapping consumers’ growing interest in local goods and services. They are working together through small-business associations, small-business emporiums, producer cooperatives, and flexible manufacturing networks. They are launching successful local businesses that promote local purchasing, local investing, and local entrepreneurship.

• Public policymakers are beginning to realize that smart reforms of their economic development can save millions by ending incentives, bribes, and payoffs to nonlocal business. Some of that money can wisely be spent instead to support municipal programs to buy, invest, hire, or train local. Also urgent is to press national policymakers to remove the vast number of imbalances facing local business.

• Around the country communities are organizing residents to develop comprehensive strategies for localization. Local First campaigns can be found in three-dozen cities, from Bellingham (WA) to Philadelphia (PA). In upstate New York and Maine, organizers put together hundreds of community members to envision a local economic future, to assess unnecessary imports and dollar “leakages,” and to create new local businesses that could replace those imports and plug the leaks.

• The Small-Mart Revolution is not just for the United States – it’s actually happening throughout the world. It has a new vision of globalization—to protect the local, globally. Communities are giving away technology, policy ideas, and technical assistance to increase the self-reliance of their partner communities. Global networks of communities are forming to promote fair trade, corporate responsibility, global small-business networks, global funds of local funds, and global exchanges for local currencies and barter.

• The Small-Mart Revolution offers communities worldwide a fundamentally new approach to reducing poverty, solving global environmental problems, preventing conflicts, and reducing uncontrolled immigration.

• The politics of the Small-Mart Revolution are inherently multi-partisan. Conservatives like the focus on small business, free markets, and local government, while progressives like the emphasis on community empowerment.

Free "Offer Makeover Executive Summary" #1

** Offer Makeover – Case Study Summary #1**

Renaissance Life Coach, Katie Curtin - www.katiecurtin.com

CORE FOCUS OF THIS MAKEOVER:
The Importance of Clarifying Your Niche and Being True to Your Own Voice

The core lesson of this makeover was about the importance of a clear niche or target market.

Katie came to me needing help with her offer.

She was feeling confused, frustrated and helpless

She knew that she needed to focus - to pick a niche. She couldn’t very well go around saying, “My coaching can help everyone.”

But she couldn't seem narrow it down.

"Tad, there's so many target markets I’m interested in. I don’t want to have to give any up! There's activists, artists, social entrepreneurs . . . I hardly know where to start."

After a few minutes, I suggested that, "Maybe your niche is people like you who are struggling to weave together all the parts of their life. People who don't want to live the mono-cultured existence that we're sold. Modern day renaissance people and 21st century nomads." And I encouraged her to dial UP to volume on her political views – instead of toning them DOWN out of fear of offending people.

Something clicked in her. She loved it. And that became the basis of articulating her work.

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To read your free copy of Katie’s 31 page Offer Makeover go to:
www.tadhargrave.com/katie.pdf

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- KATIE’S CANDID FEEDBACK
ON THE ‘MAKEOVER’ PROCESS -

KATIE GAVE THIS PROCESS AN OVERALL GRADE OF: 10/10

HOW DOES SHE FEEL WHEN SHE LOOKS AT THE BEFORE AND AFTER VERSIONS: "It’s so much clearer who I am orienting to, and what exactly I have to offer. I just love the end result. It feels very ‘me’. I was actually nervous about sending it to some of my clients, as I wasn't sure how they would react to my whole spectrum of opinions on the politics, spirituality, activism and the world etc.

But the response was so heartfelt and enthusiastic from some of my most treasured clients and friends. I feel reassured that I can be my most edgy self and have a fulfilling and thriving practice-- in fact being daring and "out there" is the key to this!"

WHAT DID SHE THINK ABOUT THIS PROCESS BEFORE IT STARTED: "I thought the process would be faster and involve less work on both of our parts. And I had no idea I would be able to unite so successfully my diverse ideas for my niche."

TIME SHE SPENT: 25 hours.

AMOUNT OF MONEY SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO SPEND: "I would love to give the market rate for people at your level of expertise. I am not sure what that is, but probably well in the thousands, given the amount of time you spent with me.”

WHAT WAS HARDEST FOR HER?: "Getting away from jargon and vague wording, and really addressing in detail the problems of "modern nomads" and "renaissance souls". Also in a sense honing it down to a subniche among this group, of people who were both creative, spiritual and social activist types who really want to make change both personally and globally."

In a sense this experience was not just about "marketing" (a word I don't particularly like) but about really identifying in what ways I can serve others and the planet, going to the edge of what is safe, and expressing in my own voice how I see things and what my personal vision is, and through this attracting my ideal clients, those creative, versatile souls who want to make a difference.

WHAT WAS MOST VALUABLE FOR HER? "Getting crystal clear on my niche and what their needs and problems were. Articulating what I had to offer which could help them with these challenges. It makes everything I do for my business, so much clearer now, not just the promotion of my services and products, but how I design what I have to offer, and what my clients needs are."

WHAT KATIE HAD TO SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH ME: "Tad’s a wonder-- every time I work with him, I’m delighted with the results, as I find he’s on the same page as me, warmly guiding me to find my authentic voice in promoting my services as a coach. Last, but not least, in my books, he’s a fun caring guy to work with, has a great sense of humour and a very creative approach.

I highly recommend his workshops and consulting services to my clients, and to any socially conscious practitioner, or business owner whose looking to market their services and products. If you have any questions about Tad’s work - I’d be happy to take a few minutes to answer them - you can call me at 416-656-6455 or email me at katiecurtin@mac.com." - Katie Curtin, Life and Small Business Coach, Toronto, Ontario, www.katiecurtin.com

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To read YOUR free copy of Katie’s 31 page Offer Makeover go to:
www.tadhargrave.com/katie.pdf