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Articles by Mark Silver
Does The Cutting Edge Of Social Media Really Pay?
So someone asks you: "What's your Twitter name?" And you look at them like they are a loony. Twitter? Huh? And then the next person asks you, "You blog, right? What's the URL?" Hold it. What happened? In the seeming blink of an eye, suddenly there's all this new so-called 'social media' on the web, and you know nothing about it. What's worse, is that everyone else seems to be there already.
Handling Complaints Without Making Things Worse.
The email comes, or the phone rings, and there's an absolute flood pouring right at you. "Hey, you didn't do what you said you would do. This didn't work as advertised. You goofed!" Yup, a complaint. Ahhh! A complaint?! But you poured your heart and soul into it, how could they complain? Then you take a breath, and you read what they're asking for, and you realize... they were right. You DID make a mistake.
How Productivity Contributes To Global Warming And Debt.
There was an edge to my voice as I asked the question: "And so why haven't you finished what you promised to do?" I meant for it to come out nicer, more reasonable. But, it didn't. This is so often where we land, kerthunk, in business: are you getting it done, or aren't you? In the western world, we call this 'productivity' and we think it's a good thing.
How To Avoid Reader Fatigue In Your Subscribers.
There's some buzz I've been reading about in forums and on blogs about what's known as 'reader fatigue.' This is the condition that happens when you, as an individual, are confronted with sixteen hundred gazillion blogs, email newsletters, forums, and pdf downloads and you just get fed up with it. I can relate. Unfortunately, when you switch hats to being a business owner, suddenly you don't want to relate.
Why Giving Clients More Choices Means They'll Never Buy.
You're really wanting to be thoughtful and accommodating. You want to make your clients and customers comfortable, so they can have things the way they like it. So you start making up offers, each with different options and flavors. Eventually you have a menu of ten options. And no one's buying. Is it your marketing? Or your menu?
How To Avoid Being Trapped In A Niche.
Bang! Bang! Bang! The hammer comes down again and again, nailing those wooden planks in place. Finally, it's done: you're trapped. No windows, and the only door nailed shut. Those business gurus told you to pick a niche, and so you did. And now you're stuck there, for the rest of your days. G'bye creativity. G'bye freedom. G'bye.
When Networking Events Feel Like A Drag.
Going to networking events is kinda one of those things you are 'supposed' to do for your business. Some people love'em, some people hate'em. But, the truth is, especially for a new business, making face-to-face and heart-to-heart contact with people is incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, networking events can seem like pretty gross, low-energy, artificial affairs, with people glad-handing left and right.
Deciding Whether Or Not To Publish Your Prices.
Your website is up, your services/workshops/products page is finished. So... do you publish your prices along with it? If you do, won't that scare people away? If you don't, won't people think you're hiding something? It's a lose-lose situation, it would seem. So, do your clients need to see your prices, or not?
Losing Business For Want Of "The Nudge."
Our friend Erica called my wife and me to invite us to a holiday dinner. We couldn't go, because we already had plans that evening. But, when we hung up, we remembered that weeks and weeks ago we had decided to go to a show that her husband was involved in producing, but had never bought the tickets. We went online right then and bought 'em. This was an example of "The Nudge" even if it was inadvertent.
How To Punish Assistants For Catastrophic Mistakes
You finally did it. You decided to hire an assistant, or a virtual assistant, or even a full-on employee, with payroll and everything. Yahooey! You've hit the big time now. You're business is sure to take off. And then your new assistant sends you an email, or leaves a voicemail, or comes to your office. "Uh... I made a bit of a mistake. I hope it's not too bad." But it is. It's a big mistake.
Is It Okay Not To Give All Your Profit Back To Your Clients?
You finally made the leap and are getting paid a price that feels good. Except that it's itching the back of your neck, the back of your heart. You're uncomfortable. Next thing you know, you're working twice as hard, putting in extra hours, doing all kinds of extras for your clients. You're exhausted. And you only raised your prices 20%-- why is it that you feel like you're working -harder- than you were before you raised your prices?
How To Be Consistently, Creatively Productive.
our business depends on your creativity. Your creativity in your marketing, in your product and service creation, and just in how you show up for your customers and clients. Without creativity, everything grows stagnant, you are unable to produce to meet deadlines, yours and others, and you begin to feel lifeless. And so does your business. And so do your profits.
If You Resist Marketing, Then You Can Be Great
"I've tried to market myself for years. I've worked with coaches, counselors and healers of all stripes. They all tell me I need to work through my resistance to marketing, and yet I still hate it." My heart was breaking. I was speaking with someone who had the seeds of an amazing business, one that had been limping along for years, never expanding beyond a small handful of dedicated and raving fan clients. Is this you?
Giving The Awkward News That You're Raising Your Prices.
The time has come- you've been waiting for it and dreading it at the same time. The time when you must, absolutely must, can't avoid it. You've got to raise your prices. You're sure about it, 100%, and it feels good when you think about it all on your own. Except... How DO you tell your current clients that your prices are going up, up and away? Your belly is flip-flopping, and your palms get cold and sweaty...
When You Feel So Pressured To Make Money You Can't Think.
Your marriage falls apart, you or your partner is laid-off, or your spouse gets ill and you lose half your household income. The financial pressures sweep in like a sudden high tide, and as one of my clients wrote me, "I feel so pressured to make money I can't think." What do you do in a situation like this? "Forget about the bladdy-blah-blah of patience and organic growth, man! I need to make the rent like, yesterday!"
How To Use Systems Without Turning Into A Heartless Zombie.
You can tell as soon as you pick up the phone before the other person has even said anything. That little silence, the clattering in the background, tells you that it's a telemarketer on the other end of the line, and there is nothing they have to say that is worth your precious time. With those experiences, it's easy to have strong opinions about using systems, and to avoid them like the plague in your own business.
How To Avoid The Funeral After A Big Breakthrough.
Okay, forget all this organic growth stuff. Let's say you hit the big time, and suddenly dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people are flooding towards your business. Exciting, isn't it? Sure, exciting as a funeral. If your business isn't ready, this could be The End. It's easy to want to hit it big. But, the truth is, rapid expansion is the most dangerous time for any business.
What Moses Knew About Getting Ready To Teach.
There's a class you've been thinking about offering for some time now. But, you're not quite ready. A little more research, a little more thinking, and you're sure you'll finally be ready. But, despite your passion, it's flat. Even practicing it in front of a friend or colleague, it still feels flat. Oh no! When will you ever be ready to offer this to people? There is a missing ingredient, and Moses knew what it was.
How To Choose A Business Name.
As far as making first impressions go, it seems like your business name is right up there. So you've spent a lot of time soul-searching, brainstorming, sweating up the perfect business name. And then, when you do, what happens?
Why Less Passion Is Better For Business.
I just googled 'Passion in Business' and came up with 82,900,000 hits. And, according to the first several pages of hits, everyone says that you must have passion to succeed in business. 'Fuel your passion' is the watchword. Why this quest for passion? Of course, passion can feel wonderful, but do you really need it to succeed in business? What happens when you don't have it?
The One Project Missing From Your Strategic Plan.
It's a given for your business: you want next year to be different than this year. And so all kinds of projects and tasks end up on your to-do list. Marketing, office structures, product/offer creation, client care, technology. Very important, this doing of things. Without action, very little manifests, no matter how clear your intentions are. And yet, will next year look different? What gives? Is it too much action?
How Your Friends Destroy Your Marketing Message.
A lot of blood, sweat, and tears goes into crafting your 'elevator speech' (I hate that term). You've probably agonized over it, striving to catch just the right tone and wording. Finally, you're (hopefully) finished. For the final blessing, you turn to your friends and colleagues, and test it out. They respond: "That's great! I love it. Go for it." They've just killed you with kindness.
The True Measure Of Money In Your Business.
Shiny new cars. Big mansions. The good life. Even if you're not a particularly material person, it's easy to be caught by those images, and to wonder: "Why don't I have that? Is there something wrong with me?"
How Being Outnumbered Will Gain You Raving Fans.
You're sitting in class, and the teacher at the front has just said something that doesn't entirely make sense to you. "You see, the world is flat. It's always been flat. And it always will be flat. Flat, flat, flat." The year is 1400 A.D., and you're thinking, "But, what if it isn't flat? What if it's round?" Do you stick your hand up and tell the teacher?
Repeat After Me: "I Have Only One Business."
Imagine you're ten years old, and there are huge stacks of cardboard boxes towering over you. It's a maze. It's a fortress. And you're allowed to climb all over them. Inside every single one of those boxes is a dozen bottles. Fine wines, liquor, you name it. It may sound like a caterer's dream, but I was just hanging out in the warehouse of my grandfather's wine store. My parents worked with him, and so I kinda grew up there.
The Real Reason Success Is So Elusive (Hint: It's Not Fear Of Success.)
I'm guessing you spend a certain amount of time daydreaming... Daydreaming of what it will be like when you hit 'the big time.' When your finances are really abundant. When you become well-known in your field. When you make that next big step, whatever it is. Dreams of lolling around on silk sheets with peeled grapes and fizzy drinks. Dreams of giving away as generously as you've always wanted to. Dreams coming true.
How To Keep Mistakes With Clients From Turning Cancerous.
Don't you hate it when a client emails you: "You know, I feel really ignored. Why haven't you responded to my last email?" Or how about: "This class isn't working for me. I'm in a completely different place with my situation from the other participants, and you aren't following me at all." You make mistakes with them all the time. Really heartening, ain't it?
Why Your Business Needs Two Types Of Accountability.
The tide's coming in, fast. Your kayak is there on the sand, starting to get gently nudged. Meanwhile you're flat out on a beach towel. Hot sun. Cool breeze. Iced tea. Are you going to get up in time to save your kayak from floating out to sea? Your business may be calling, all kinds of important things to get done. But who can lift a finger when the sun is so bright?
How To Chop Days And Hours Off Your Article Writing.
Ready to write an article? You even made the big step of scheduling time to do it. So here it is, and you're sitting at your desk, staring blankly at the screen. Just like you've been doing for the last two weeks. And still no article. Despite the fact it was supposed to go out 10 days ago. Ugh.
When Innocent Questions Turn Into Hours Of Unpaid Time.
Someone calls you up and is interested in your offer. So, they start asking questions. And more questions. And more questions. Suddenly, you've been on the phone for over an hour. And, when you hang up, they still didn't sign up for your offer.
Are We There Yet?" How To Create "Overnight Success" In Your Business.
A person I admire has a very successful business. He's sharp, personable, funny, smart, and helpful. And, the products and services he provides are top-notch. He's sold thousands of them, and his business is operating at a level much higher than mine. Then he announced that he was celebrating three years in business. What! Only three years? How'd he get so far, so fast?
How The Silent Treatment Creates Customers
Sooner or later you will have to ask someone to buy something from you. Whether you have a retail store, and a couple has been admiring an expensive couch for the last 20 minutes, or you are a consultant or coach who has just finished an initial conversation with a potential client, the question is waiting to be asked. "So, are you ready to buy?"
Grief- Your Surprising Tool For Momentum
Business momentum is when a series of "events" build upon each other, and multiply their efforts. It's when your business starts to have some steam of its own, and you get carried along for the ride. For instance, we had some February sunshine here in Portland, and I went bicycling. Each time I pedalled was an "event." But, that pedaling only creates momentum that carries me forward when I'm not peddling IF...
Why Strangers Are Worried Your Business Is Stalking Them.
There you are at a party, and you notice someone you'd like to get to know. So, you start staring at them. And staring. And staring. You're hoping that your googly-eyed stare is communicating your interest in them. No surprise what happens next. He or she gets up, crosses the room, and whispers to the host, "That weirdo in the corner keeps staring at me... I'm worried... is he a stalker?"
Are We There Yet? How To Create "Overnight Success" In Your Business.
A person I admire has a very successful business. He's sharp, personable, funny, smart, and helpful. And, the products and services he provides are top-notch. He's sold thousands of them, and his business is operating at a level much higher than mine. Then he announced that he was celebrating three years in business. What! Only three years? How'd he get so far, so fast?
When To Get Business Help And When To Go It Alone
It's a sorta no-brainer when you need help in business: flummoxed, bewildered, stuck. But what kind of help do you really need? It's a big question. Without the right support and education, everything you're working for can fall apart. But, the wrong support can be expensive, time-consuming and overwhelming.
What You Need To Do To Avoid Burning Money On Advertising.
Advertising. Curse? Money hole? Or powerful venue? It seems so obvious: where else, for a few hundred dollars, could you get in front of thousands of people? And it's true that many of them are really wanting what you're offering. Unfortunately, the vast majority of advertising ends up being good to wrap fish in, and not much else. People cry up "But it's getting me exposure," and that's true, to a point. Is it really increasing sales?
Offering A Guarantee Without Losing Your Shirt
You may be offering a guarantee, but nervously, or perhaps not offering one at all. What if a bunch of your clients ask for their money back? Sluuurrrrrpppp... there goes your business, down the drain. What makes a guarantee safe for you?
Why The Practical Always Beats Up On The Sacred In Business.
When you're doing your best work with your clients, it's magical, sacred. There is almost something holy about what you do, like you aren't there at all. And that's what your clients love most too- those moments of transcendance. Yet, when you try to talk about this sacredness in your marketing, it doesn't make an impact. It gets swallowed up in the marketplace, like an insignificant cotton ball swept away in a hurricaine. What gives?
Is It Okay To Cancel If No One Responds?
You've planned the class. You've marketed it like all git-out. The early-bird deadline has come and gone. You're five days out, and you've got 3 people registered. The big question: Do you cancel?
"How Long Does It Take To Get A Business Going?"
Question: What would you think of someone who said this to a five year old? "It's about time you start earning your keep! I want you to get out there and get a job so you can pay your share of the mortgage. And, while you're at it, here's the keys to the car". Doesn't make sense, does it? This person is either cruel, crazy, or out to lunch on the next planet over. This is exactly what many folks do to their new businesses.