Creating a Memorable Tradeshow Or Event

Are you in charge of an event or tradeshow? Want your attendees to have more fun and provide you with great testimonies? Of course you do well the fastest way to learn anything or generate lasting memories is by creating Intense Emotional Associations (IEAs) with your event. So here are a few ideas that will create a lot of fun emotions and lasting memories try it with your next event or tradeshow.

Nowadays videos are all the rage and most people don’t mind posing for a video bite here and there. Assign a staff or two to take short videos, 1 minute or less, of the attendees and presenters having fun at the event. While they’re in this Intense Emotional Association (IEA) ask them to give a recommendation (sometimes referred to as a shout out or a sound bite) or testimony about the event, a workshop or a presenter, then ask if they would like a copy emailed to them, you know they all will.

By taking advantage of smartphones like G1, iphone, Blackberry, etc., you could upload the videos instantly and then blast emails to the individuals in the videos or even to all the attendees, if possible, if not, make it a priority right after the event. Twitvid.com is a great way to distribute your videos via twitter, however Youtube still the most popular either one is accessible via any smartphone.

The videos will be seen and as always shared with coworkers, attendees, family and friends so now your event grows virally, also these videos can be used for future marketing of events and can be placed on your website as well.

Podcasting your video, well not really, you can however strip or separate the audio from your video and boom! You now can upload the audio to all major podcast distributors like iTunes and it’s free.

Transcribe your video into articles, yep you heard me. Articles are a great way to increase awareness and buzz about your event or tradeshow. Some editing may be required but either way you have an article for almost no time. In some cases a video and the transcription could be on the same page.
Now you have successfully created lasting memories for everyone about your event, congratulations you’re a hero!

Items you might need: A smartphone with good video quality or a video camera, I use and recommend the Flip HD camera they’re inexpensive and very easy to use and have all the software built right in the camera. High-speed internet access and a site to upload your videos like Twitvid.com, Youtube.com or Kyte.com. A note pad for collecting emails.

First-Time Owners Find Management Comes With Headaches

Wall Street Journal | Small Business By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN – FEBRUARY 24, 2010

When Cameron Madill launched Synotac Design LLC in 2003, wiping away tears and giving pep talks wasn’t on his to-do list. But once he began hiring employees for his Web-site development firm two years later, he learned that dealing with people matters comes with the job.

“I was interested in building a company,” says Mr. Madill, a first-time business owner in Portland, Ore. “I never thought through that it meant I would have to hire people, terminate people and do all of the things associated with being a boss.”

It’s common for first-time entrepreneurs to overlook responsibilities tied to managing people when starting out, says Edward P. Marram, a senior lecturer of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. With all the focus on selling a new product or service, “most don’t think about being a boss,” he says.

But at some point, business owners typically need help to grow, Mr. Marram says, and that means hiring staff, delegating responsibilities, and learning to be effective managers. For the inexperienced, those management duties can be challenging, depressing and sometimes plain awkward.

For instance, entrepreneur Lisa Morris last year had to deal with an employee who accidentally copied her on a highly graphic email to a hotel sales manager. “He was saying he’d do certain things to the person’s body for good rates,” recalls Ms. Morris, owner of Road Concierge Inc., a travel- and concierge-services firm in New York. “We’re all about servicing our clients, but not actually servicing them.”

Ms. Morris, who started her business in 2006, says she felt “really uncomfortable” scolding the employee for his behavior because ruling with an iron fist isn’t her style. “I don’t like to be very corporate,” she says, adding that she runs a casual office where employees’ pets are welcome.

Still, while it was clear that the email exchange wasn’t serious, nor was the recipient offended, Ms. Morris says she needed to stress that a repeat performance would be unacceptable. “I hate having to act like a mom,” she says. “But there are times when you can’t be nice. You’re the boss and you have to enforce policy.”

Many first-time business owners struggle with laying down the law because they are in fact former corporate employees who became entrepreneurs in part to escape rigid work environments. The worst situation, however, is having to tell an employee you can no longer keep them on board.

Sandy Sabean, co-owner of Womenkind, pictured center, meets with employees Lara Ngai, left, and Betsy Handwerker, right.

“You feel terrible,” says Sandy Sabean, co-owner of Womenkind LLC, a New York marketing-communications firm with five employees. Last year, she says, she laid off two workers for the first time after the company lost a bid. “When you have to let someone out on the street under those circumstances it’s hard,” she says. “It’s sad.”

Gary Hewing, co-owner of Bert Martinez Communications LLC, a sales- and business-training firm in Houston and Scottsdale, Ariz, says it’s just as rough to fire someone for poor performance. “You know they’ll have a tough time finding a job and that you’re giving this person the last check they may have for months,” he says. “It’s extremely difficult. I do not appreciate that aspect of the job.”

Some inexperienced entrepreneurs are caught off guard by just how significant a role a boss plays within a small company.

Mr. Madill, whose Web-design firm has eight employees, learned that lesson about three years ago when a worker who was hired to do miscellaneous tasks refused to take on a new assignment and subsequently offered her resignation.

A self-described pushover, Mr. Madill agree to let her stay on the company payroll for the next six weeks while she searched for a new employer. “She helped build the company,” he says. “You feel some loyalty to your first few hires.”

But the decision drew resentment from the rest of the company’s staff, says Mr. Madill, particularly because the uncompromising employee did little work from that point on. “It led to an unbelievably toxic atmosphere,” he says. And when the problem worker was finally gone, things changed dramatically. “Productivity suddenly increased,” he says. “You would’ve thought we hired a person the day she left.”

Mr. Madill says he since changed his outlook on business leadership thanks to the advice of counselors at Accelerator, a nationwide support organization for early-stage entrepreneurs. Other support groups small businesses can turn to for advice include Young Entrepreneur, Energizing Young Entrepreneurs and SCORE.

Now Mr. Madill believes that as a business owner, “you only have an obligation to make (your employees) successful to the extent that they give more back to the company,” he says. “And if someone doesn’t understand that, it’s not your responsibility to educate them.”

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com

6 “Must Have” Leadership Skills

Here’s the bottom line: if your in business you must be able to motivate, organize, and inspire others, there are certain skills that you need to make your organization successful. Here are 6 “Must Have” leadership skills.

1) Be able to recognize strengths among your team members in order to work effectively with each one. Being able to see and utilize these strengths accordingly, allows a leader to motivate and delegate on a stronger level for better results.

2) Encourage suggestions and input on procedures from everyone. In order for people to feel motivated to make change or improve, they have to have some ownership of the process and believe their contributions are important.

3) Allow individuals to solve problems. A leader’s job is not to do everything but to grow confidence in others, to grow more leaders, allowing for others to grow through problem solving builds confidence and new leaders. The more people learn, the more they are inspired to learn, and the more they accomplish, the harder they will work toward future goals.

4) Understanding the personal goals of each of the people on my team. Everyone has their own motivations for doing things. By understanding what makes people work, we are better able to find ways to keep them engaged and moving ahead.

5) Provide consistent and appropriate rewards and praise. William James once said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” Here is a real human hunger, and the rare individual who honestly satisfies this great hunger will hold people in the palm of his hand. Even the undertaker will be sorry when he dies. Never forget to be truthful and kind. Remember, everyone needs to be recognized for their efforts and contributions.

6) Motivating the team While each individual’s efforts are invaluable, the team as a whole must learn to work together to make effective change.

7) It’s impossible for a leader to be invisible and make progress. In order to achieve accomplish goals, team members and individuals need a leader who can create a working environment that encourages communication, understanding, respect, and support among the people.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (mention www.bertmartinez.com as the original source – thank you).

Using the Power of Networking for Your Small Business

Networking is one of the most crucial skills any start-up entrepreneur must have. It is an effective and inexpensive way to grow your business by meeting the key people who could become your clients, suppliers and support systems.

In fact, networking is the best marketing device of even the most cash-strapped home-based entrepreneur. It is based on an inexpensive endeavor using a simple skill: talking. As a result, networking is also referred to as “word-of-mouth marketing” because it is based on talking to people about what you do and listening to find out how to serve them. The best networkers do not even know that they are networking – they are simply being good conversationalists; adept at becoming visible; talking and responding, and getting to know people.

However, many people are put-off with the idea of networking. Some view the practice akin to “politicking” requiring an extremely outgoing personality willing to approach anyone who would care to listen. Many start-up entrepreneurs also have a hard time approaching other people – particularly strangers – about their business. It may be the fear of speaking out to a total stranger, or the fear of coming on too strong or aggressive. Others let their insecurities take the better or them, while some people fail to network simply because of laziness. As a result, many formal gatherings and social situations become lost opportunities to spread the word about their business.

Everyone you meet is a potential customer or a valuable contact. Well, maybe not the old lady you met in the library if you are selling shaving cream. But then again, that old lady may have a husband, son or nephew who could use your product. Marketing is simply spreading the word around, and it is a big loss if you continuously pass up opportunities for networking.

Schmoozing pays. In fact, the growth of any business is directly correlated to the number of people who knows about it. Doing more of networking allows you to develop more contacts in your field and to exchange information with your prospects. It can help you find out the concerns of your prospects and who is fulfilling them; what’s happening in your industry; and who needs what and who offers what. It is basically an entrepreneur’s tool for relationship building.

Successful networking entails harnessing your people skills. But it doesn’t happen overnight, particularly for those who are not natural social butterflies. It requires careful orchestration and good manners, too. Here are several steps to help you become an effective networker:

1. Prepare a plan. Networking goes beyond greeting people. You need to prepare a step-by-step plan for how you’ll build relationships and how you can effectively tell your story. It entails getting to know people who will either do business with you or can introduce you to people who will. When people ask you what you do, make sure you have a clever opening line to introduce yourself and your business.

2. Use social networking sites. LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com , Facebook http://www.facebook.com and even the microblogging site Twitter http://www.twitter.com are excellent venues for virtual networking. Whether you are looking for potential partners, web site or blog contributors, or strategic partnership opportunities, these social networking sites allow you to expand and nurture your network in the comfort of your computer screen. LinkedIn, in particular, is most suited for professional networking as you can easily see the work and business background of the person.

3. Learn to communicate more easily. To be a good networker, you need to work on your ability to make small talk. You need to be able to articulate what you do in clear, easily understandable, and memorable way. Imagine yourself in a cocktail party or industry luncheon full of potential prospects. Set a goal of meeting at least two people in one event, slowly increasing the number as you become more comfortable with the art of schmoozing. Once you are at an event, do not stand around with appetizers in hand waiting for other people to approach you. Go out, head straight to people you do not know, and start a conversation. This will help you gain the interpersonal communication skills that you need. You will defeat the purpose of networking if you continuously stick with familiar faces. Get interested in what others are offering or saying without being abrasive. Good networkers are good listeners, too.

4. Identify your prospects. Know your most likely market, and learn where you will find them. Research as much as you can from the ideal prospects for your business. How do they get their information? Do they live nearby? What activities do they participate in? What organizations do they belong to? The more you know about your customers, the easier you can reach them.

5. Start with people you know. Look at your roster of friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and people you have come across in your lifetime. From among your friends, identify whom you think might be able to help you the most.

6. Get involved. A key to successful networking is to get involved and grow your people skills. Participate in organizations, events, professional groups and social clubs that offer opportunities for you to meet and greet. Participate in numerous networking groups, join your chamber of commerce, and attend conferences and training seminars. With the advent of the Internet, you can also network in online newsgroups and discussion boards. The key is to list every opportunity to network and develop win-win relationships with your contacts.

7. Make networking a part of you. Make it a point to meet new people wherever you go – whether you are on the plane, waiting in line at the bank, or fetching your child from school. Be generous in giving away your business cards, it’s an effective selling technique.

An established business has the luxury of satisfied customers spreading the word about the business. Until your business is self-sustaining, you need to start opening your mouth, spreading the word about your venture to all your friends, relatives, acquaintances, then later on, even strangers.

by Isabel M. Isidro Brought to you by DLDESIGNSONLINE.COM

Internal Hires, Referrals Were Most Hired in 2009

Wall Street Journal | By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

Last year, employers filled more than half of job openings with existing employees, a new study to be released Friday shows.

Internal transfers and promotions accounted for an average of 51% of all full-time positions filled in 2009, down from 39% in 2008 and 34% in 2007, reports CareerXroads, a staffing-strategy consulting firm in Kendall Park, N.J. Survey respondents included 41 companies that employ a combined 1.8 million U.S. workers. Last year these firms collectively filled 176,420 positions.

For the 49% of jobs that were filled with external recruits, referrals accounted for the most hires — 27% — and about the same number as in 2008. On average, these yielded one hire for every 15 referrals received. Meanwhile, company Web sites and job boards accounted for 22% and 13% of external hires, respectively.

What the findings indicate, says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, is that networking is the most effective strategy for landing employment. “Job seekers should use job board and corporate sites to find information about openings, but they should use their network to apply,” says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads.

Among the job boards that respondents credited for netting outside talent, CareerBuilder.com came out on top, accounting for 42%, however one respondent claimed a significant portion of these. Monster.com netted 12% of external hires, while aggregate job sites, which advertise openings from multiple job boards, hooked 10%. Classifieds provider Craigslist.org accounted for 2.8% of external hires.

Survey respondents also said outside talent was found via job boards that specialize in advertising open positions in specific categories. For example, Dice.com, a job board for the technology sector, netted 0.8% of external hires, as did TheLadders.com, which lists only positions paying salaries of $100,000 or more. All other niche job sites that employers identified were collectively credited with bringing in 27% of external recruits.

Going forward, the survey found that 48% of respondents expect to increase hiring in 2010 compared with last year, while just 11% predicted they’d reduce hiring. The remainder said they expect to make no changes to their head counts.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported Thursday that there were 2.5 million job openings on the last business day of December 2009. The seasonally adjusted job openings rate increased just slightly to 1.9% from 1.8% the month prior.

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com

Vendors Can Help Financing

Wall Street Journal | THE MONEY HUNT | By EMILY MALTBY – FEBRUARY 18, 2010

Strong relationships are vital in landing financing. That’s why some small business owners have found luck with a group they already know well—their vendors.

Negotiating with vendors to secure better trade terms isn’t new. But research indicates that owners do so more aggressively when they can’t rely on lines of credit from traditional lenders.

According to semiannual surveys from the National Small Business Association in Washington, between 22% and 29% of business owners relied on vendor credit to meet their capital needs between August 2008 and December 2009. That number hovered at about 18% prior to the credit crunch, according to other surveys published by the advocacy group.

Vendors may be open to modifying contract terms, particularly if they are smaller and more flexible operations. To keep customers happy and paying on time, vendors have grown increasingly willing to extend interest-free pay cycles or provide trade credit, which discounts a promptly paid invoice These arrangements can improve cash flow and infuse a business with capital.

Justin Schaldone, chief financial officer of eFashion Solutions LLC, says his regular lender wasn’t willing to extend credit in early 2009, when the Secaucus, N.J., company needed it for more purchases.

In the past year, eFashion has been paying more of its vendors directly, negotiating terms along the way. While some have extended pay cycles to 60 days, Mr. Schaldone says, others offer discounts reaching 5% to 10% for a prepayment. “If we’re paying sooner to get discounts, we have to be careful because that doesn’t enhance cash flow, but we can generate more profit down the road because our margins will be better,” he explains.

Incentives to pay on time benefit both the business owner and the vendor. “We are put on top of their pile,” says Robert Trow, chief executive of Rocasuba Inc., a cosmetics firm based in Mashpee, Mass., that offers a 1% discount to the retail stores, salons and physicians that buy its products and pay the invoice within 15 days.

Not all are willing to negotiate. Unable to find more favorable discount terms with his vendors, Mark DiPasquale, co-founder of Archimedia Solutions Group LLC, a Danvers, Mass., print and copy management provider for architects and engineers, started using an American Express Co. Plum Card, which allows businesses to pay all their vendors on the card and receive across-the-board terms, including early-pay discounts of about 1.5%.

Mr. DiPasquale says his firm, which relies on the card to finance expensive machinery such as printers, plotters and copiers, is saving approximately $1,000 each month by paying early. “Ultimately, that helps our bottom line,” he says.

But spending may need to be significant to make such cards worthwhile. “If you are a first-timer and don’t know how to negotiate, the financial institution or credit card can be beneficial,” says Michelle Dunn, author of several books concerning credit and collecting money, including The Ultimate Credit and Collections Handbook. “But it may not be worth it based on what the fee for the service is.” The annual fee for the Plum card is $185.

One way to persuade vendors is by giving them more business. According to Alice Bredin, small business advisor to American Express’ OPEN division, which offers small business services, paring down vendors to a select few proves dedication and streamlines business operations. “Don’t put yourself with just one vendor, but if you are spread out among many, it makes sense to consolidate,” Ms. Bredin says.

Business owners can enhance their odds of scoring favorable terms by approaching vendors that already have a history of their payment records. “If you can get a discount, or [terms with] no interest, then you can go back to other vendors, and ask, ‘Can you do that for me?’” says Ms. Dunn.

Not all vendors are willing to take the risk of extending interest-free pay cycles to 60 or 90 days, but vendors are seeing that type of request more frequently. “Five years ago, this [negotiating] was an afterthought; now it’s a full time job,” says Mr. Trow.

As a vendor, Mr. Trow scrutinizes his customers’ credit scores and other metrics before extending such terms. “We look at their payment history with us and with other vendors, the number of years they’ve been in business, and our subjective assessment of whether we think they know what they are doing.”

Write to Emily Maltby at emily.maltby@wsj.com

Overcoming Fears in Business

“Your greatest obstacle to success is yourself, it’s fear of failure”.
~Bert Martinez

Every new or struggling business owner wants to know how to manage their fears, particularly nowadays. Check out this list of easy ways to overcome your fears:
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You have to keep in mind that a large number of successful business were started during economic downturns, it drives out your competition and forces business owners to concentrate on keeping cost down and creating a leaner, meaner, more efficient business.
Thank you,
Justin Pesta
Vanguard Financial LLC
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As a recovering alcoholic, I have found that most fear is unfounded and grounded in my brain from childhood. Let me prove a point. Picture yourself hanging from a branch and I ask you to look down. Now I ask you, “How far off the ground are you?” Most people would say anywhere from 20 feet to miles. The point is that you are probably only 2-3 feet off the ground as an adult but your brain still recalls your childhood experiences. Getting over fear requires a strong belief in faith and that no one wants us to fail. Even the odds are against succeeding, who cares? Someone has to win. It might as well as be you.

Jeffrey Taylor
4844 E Andora Dr
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
http://booksbyjeffreytaylor.com
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I have started several high tech businesses in both Atlanta and Silicon Valley. Each time, there was fear and doubt. No amount of education, training, preparation or research will remove the lingering doubt…real entrepreneurs know and come to respect fear of failure. However, fear has to be used wisely and not left to run amok.

Here is the process I have used that seemed to help me overcome fear – I am also counseled other entrepreneurs on this over the years. First, when I am conceiving an idea for a business, I try to see if I can become emotionally involved in the idea – does it excite me, do I think it is something that will benefit people – do some good. This is very important and is the fuel for many entrepreneurs. Second, as I move into the data gathering mode, I attempt to remain completely neutral on the concept – really trying to listen as I do my research (both primary and secondary). I attempt to hear all points of view, get as much hard data as I can and apply as much rigor to the process as possible. Finally, in the final phase, before any commitment is taken on my part, I try to KILL THE IDEA. I spend quite a bit of time in this phase – asking people hard questions, going back over all of my data, seeking counsel from wise friends and business associates – asking them to please help me STOP NOW before I waste money and time. If at the end of this process (and there is no time limit – but as quickly as possible), I am still excited about the idea (or some variety thereof), I will proceed to the strategy development/development/implementation modes. I will also proceed without fear. My experience has taught me that fear has its place in the entrepreneurial process but not once the entrepreneur has made the commitment to move forward – fear at this point is a drag on the effort and hinders the chances of success. Fear is always “in the room”, so to speak but it is not “invited to the table”, once the decision to move forward has been made. Mental discipline and really understanding the entrepreneurial process is required.

Thank You and God Bless.

James D. Grady (Jim)
President/CEO
The Monticello Corporation
makers of The Paper Tiger software
Atlanta, GA
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“Once we drop from fear’s influence, a world of new possibilities emerges.”
Gayle A. Gregory – Author,
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Worry does not affect the outcome. And… nothing happens until you move. So, get a grip on your concerns, conduct the due diligence to determine whether your action is warranted, then take the initiative and move forward. The depression spawned many new movements in this country. Each entrepreneur needs to plan out his/her steps, then work the plan. This may be that person’s distinct contribution, so it is essential that they move.

www.Thrival.com

Paul O. Radde. Ph.D.
Thrival Systems(R)
DrPaul@Thrival.com
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I’m a small business owner, speaker, and author based in Conyers, Georgia. I started my business in 2004 after resigning from a full-time job as a web database developer. I didn’t know the first thing about starting a business or marketing it for that matter. I was very fearful but I didnt let the fear stop me. Instead, I let the fear drive me toward my goal by embracing it. Whenever I wanted to give up, I would read inspirational stories about other successful entrepreneurs who started with nothing and went on to be something such as Fred DeLuca, Truett Cathy, Michael Dell, and others. I also prayed to God a lot and built up my spiritual inner man so that I could not only have confidence in God but also in myself and my abilities. Lastly, I began associating with successful people which made me begin to visualize myself as successful. I began to develop the failure is not an option mantra.

Fear is a good thing but can become bad when we let it paralyze us and stop us from moving in the right direction. I hope that this can help other entrepreneurs as they battle with fear.
–
Lisa Sims
Author, Stretching A Dollar To Save And Make Thousands: An Entrepreneurs Guide To Doing More With Less
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“Do the thing you fear and the fear will disappear.”
David J. Schwartz, American Trainer Author of The Magic of Thinking Big
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During that time I have found ways to turn fear into my finest friend. My current best understanding, since this too is constantly evolving, comes in three parts.

1. Stop and pay attention to your thoughts and fearful thinking. This is called thought awareness. Slow down long enough to see what is really going on inside.

2. Let curiosity guide you. Get excited about learning everything you can about your fears. They stop you. They determine your success. They can be your friend and will teach you everything you need to know in order to engage life in a healthy and successful way.

3. Once seen, acknowledge your fears and limiting thoughts as aspects of who you are. Yes, the fears are present. Yes, they feel uncomfortable. Welcome them without agenda. Don’t play nice in order to get them to leave. Allow yourself to accept that they might stick around forever. Ugh! Yes, even that. Anything less than full acceptance of the fearful thoughts and beliefs empowers the fear and keeps it firmly in control.

We can distract ourselves with visions of a better life. We can envision letting go of the fear in innumerable ways. We can attempt to think only positive thoughts (great idea but impossible to put into practice). All of these tactics appear to work – and then the fear reappears in the same form or another. Or we can meet our fear once and for all, get to know it, and understand its real message. Fear is a gift that will help us heal all the ways we hold each other and ourselves as small. It has a lot to offer.

Gayle A. Gregory
Workplace Evolution, Common Sense for Uncommon Times
www.workplaceevolution.com

Three Best Ways to Improve Your Online Reputation

Great article in The Wall Street Journal | Small Business By RAYMUND FLANDEZ –

These days, a great danger lurks just a few clicks away: the online review. By Googling your company’s name, anyone can read and track your business’s performance – including missteps, poor service or less-than-stellar products.

Protecting your company’s reputation is now a 24-hour vigil. Negative reviews – whether they’re merited or not – can turn away potential customers and vendors, and reflect badly on your company’s brand.

The good news is that small-business owners can be proactive in securing positive reviews by asking satisfied customers to share their experiences. But what if it’s already too late?

Here are the three best ways to improve your online reputation:

1. Reach out immediately to dissatisfied reviewers. Their negative comments don’t need to be the end of the conversation. Small-business owners should attempt a dialogue, experts say, as complainers might improve the review or take down the post. Oguz Ucanlar, president of SpaForever LLC in Chicago, managed to turn around bad reviews on Yelp.com by contacting the aggrieved posters. He apologized, explained the situation and offered the reviewers discounts or a free massage. The result? One bad review was deleted, and the spa’s overall rating went up. “I take it really seriously,” he says. It also helps that Yelp now allows business owners to respond publicly to any customer comment, giving others a window into how the business treats its most finicky customers.

When a bad review surfaces, an apology goes a long way, says Lisa Barone, co-founder of Outspoken Media Inc., a Spring Hill, Fla., Internet marketing company. “Most people just want to be heard,” she says. “They just want to know you’re listening and you care, and that you’re going to try and fix it.”

Keep in mind that a negative review can sometimes be helpful. Case in point: an online customer of Nationwide Candy LLC of Albuquerque, N.M., complained after she received the wrong bubblegum product. Turns out, the candy wholesaler had posted an incorrect image on its site. “It just casted a bad image on us,” says Ken Hanson, its general manager, who immediately corrected the error.

2. Flood search engines with content you can control. Use digital media’s reach to your full advantage, says Evan Bailyn, founder of First Page Sage LLC, a New York search engine optimization company. Mr. Bailyn says he often helps clients put “good publicity on top to knock bad publicity off the first page” of search engine results. To do that, he suggests releasing press releases through prnewswire.com or pr.com and building Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts since these social-media sites show up high on search results. “The overall strategy is inundating the Google results with as much good or neutral content as possible so that the bad seems like an anomaly,” Mr. Bailyn says.

3. Appeal to bloggers to review your company or your product. Getting others to weigh in can be an effective way to generate neutral or positive reviews to counteract negative ones. Influential bloggers in your niche market can bring instant credibility to a company. If you already know bloggers in your industry, read or reach others by simply scanning their blogrolls, a handy list (typically placed in the sidebar) of potential contacts. Alert them to news about your product or service as a first step in building the relationship.

While it’s controversial, some business owners say they’ve improved their reputations through sponsored blog posts. Netfirms Inc., a Web-hosting company in Markham, Ontario, is paying $10,000 to SocialSpark.com, a marketplace for paid reviewers, and to about 60 bloggers to write 200-word reviews of its new Twitter service. “The more positive feedback that we can have, the better,” says Dan Feferman, its product specialist and community manager. Other sites to consider are PayPerPost.com, SponsoredReviews.com and ReviewMe.com, Mr. Bailyn says. Costs can range from $15 to $150 per posting. While some business owners liken sponsored posts to traditional ads, keep in mind you could turn off potential customers. To prevent that, make sure the blog post contains a disclosure that it’s a paid or sponsored review.

Write to Raymund Flandez at raymund.flandez@wsj.com

5 Steps to Creating a Profitable Niche for Your Small Business

Focusing on untapped niche opportunities is often the best approach for a small business. Success is easier to attain if the small business focuses on a more specific and smaller area of its target market, especially during the start-up period, instead of covering the entire spectrum of a particular market. Today’s business environment is so competitive that a cash-strapped small business best bet is to focus on developing niche products where competition from large firms are not nearly as large.

Take the online auction market. With the market dominated by the giant company eBay, smaller start-ups are specializing and concentrating in a specific segment that the big players may not be serving well. There’s Playle.com focusing on the online trading of vintage postcards, stamps and other collectibles. Bid4parts.com is an auction site for automobile, parts and accessories. Bidz.com specializes in jewelry and accessories. PotteryAuction.com deals exclusively with potteries. WineBid.com is an auction site for rare and fine wines.

Why does niche marketing make sense for a small business? You are able to more clearly define what you – and it is easier for your prospects to understand exactly what you know. By having a specialty, you are able to demonstrate a clearer and precise image. The narrower your niche, the easier your chances of establishing yourself as the authority in that niche and for people to perceive you as the expert. Also, the easier it is for clients, prospects and referral sources to remember exactly what you do.

The more narrow your niche — and the more effective your marketing program — the more your business will soar. It’s no exaggeration to say that when you focus on one narrow niche, the sky’s the limit.

Here’s how you can create and profit from your own unique niche:

Step 1. Determine the approach you want to pursue. You can decide on your business approach in three ways: by the services you offer, by the types of customers you want, or by a combination of both providing certain types of services to certain types of clients. It is important to get a clear idea of exactly whom you want to serve and what you want to do for them.

Using the online auction business example above, you may decide to provide person-to-person auctions where you mostly deal with individuals (although some companies are also joining in the auction game). Or you may engage in commercial auctions, which feature companies selling their products in an auction format. Another type you can focus on is real-time Webcasts, which are live auctions that are broadcast to the Internet and participants can bid either from the auction premises or from the Web.

You can also choose to focus on the types of customers you want to serve. Do you want to work with coin enthusiasts? Or do you want to provide auction services for car lovers and users? Do you want to focus on customers engaged in the buying or selling of jewelry? Or do you want to focus on people who want to trade in high-brow art?

Another possible approach is to combine your choices. You can approach your online auction service by providing a particular type of service to a particular types of clients. For example, you can choose to focus on an online auction website for antique traders in the United States, or an exclusive auction website for the high-end wine dealers.

Step 2: Create a new playing field. It is important to define your unique selling proposition that will define your competitive advantage. You need to identify what makes you different from your competitors and emphasize these advantages in your marketing. Avoid the generic trap, where potential customers see you business as just one of these online dating websites.

Differentiate your business. What sets you apart from your competitors? What makes your business special that customers should come to you instead of other sites offering dating services?

Step 3: Describe your niche or area of specialization. After careful thought deciding on your niche, it is time to give it a name. The term you describe your niche should strike a balance between the need to set you apart from your competitors and to accurately describe your marketing process in terms your customers can relate and understand. Use fact-oriented descriptive words, instead of using fluff, hyperbole or combinations of nonsensical words.

The name you choose should describe your niche as accurately as possible, while making sure that the name is broad enough to encompass all the services that you offer.

Step 4. Actively market your new niche. What good is going through the difficult process of creating your own niche if nobody knows that such a niche exists? Get out there and let your prospects know that there is such a thing as your niche. Let them know that this new niche offered by your business is exactly what they need and what they have been looking for. Create the want for your niche.

Be prepared, though, to spend time educating your target market. Given the newness of your niche, your potential customers may not know what your niche is all about. They may not understand that your niche offers everything they need. Be willing to spend time and resources educating your target market.

Step 5. Integrate your new niche in your marketing messages. The last step is to instill validity in your new niche. Your prospects (and even your competitors) should be led to understand that this new niche is for real; that it exists and genuine. They need to take your newly created niche seriously, and not think that the niche is just some made-up fragment of an entrepreneur’s wild imagination.

To achieve credibility, you need to reflect your new niche in all your marketing materials. It should be clearly mentioned, even highlighted, in your brochures, websites, advertising campaigns, and press releases, even in your business cards. Constantly reinforce the message about your new niche, and how it can benefit your target market. Think of your new niche as your sound bite that you need to repeat over and over again, if only to make sure that your audience actually “gets it.”

Your new niche can offer you the strongest competitive position in your market, and paves your road to entrepreneurial success. By creating your own niche, you are able to portray the role of a pioneer and an authority in your area.

So how do you know your new niche is right? Of course, your prospects flock to buy your products or hire your services because you are different from the rest of the pack and you are offering potential customers exactly what they want.

by George Rodriguez. Brought to you by DLDesignsOnline.com

Quick! Tell Us What KUTGW Means

he Wall Street Journal | By STEPHANIE RAPOSO, AUGUST 6, 2009, 6:42 P.M. ET

Kate Washburn didn’t know what to make of the email a friend sent to her office with the abbreviation “NSFW” written at the bottom. Then she clicked through the attached sideshow, titled “Awkward Family Photos.” It included shots of a family in furry “nude” suits and of another family alongside a male walrus in a revealing pose.

After looking up NSFW on NetLingo.com—a Web site that provides definitions of Internet and texting terms—she discovered what it stood for: “Not safe for work.”

Say What?
A sampling of some popular shorthand texting terms.

* UG2BK . . . . . . . You got to be kidding
* GBTW. . . . . . . . Get back to work
* NMP . . . . . . . . . Not my problem
* PIR . . . . . . . . . . Parent in room
* GFTD. . . . . . . . . Gone for the day
* FYEO. . . . . . . . . For your eyes only
* BI5 . . . . . . . . . . Back in five minutes
* DEGT . . . . . . . . Don’t even go there
* BIL . . . . . Boss is listening
* PAW. . . . Parents are watching
* 99 . . . . . . Parents are no longer watching
* PCM . . . . Please call me
* IMS. . . . . I am sorry
* TOY. . . . . Thinking of you
* KUTGW. . Keep up the good work
* CID . . . . . Consider it done
* FWIW. . . For what it’s worth
* HAND . . . Have a nice day
* IAT . . . . . I am tired
* NRN . . . . No response necessary
* 4COL. . . . For crying out loud
* WRUD. . . What are you doing
* LMIRL. . . Let’s meet in real life
* ^5 . . . . . . High five

“If I would have known it wasn’t safe for work, I wouldn’t have taken the chance of being inappropriate,” says Ms. Washburn, 37 years old, a media consultant in Grand Rapids, Mich.

As text-messaging shorthand becomes increasingly widespread in emails, text messages and Tweets, people like Ms. Washburn are scrambling to decode it. In many offices, a working knowledge of text-speak is becoming de rigueur. And at home, parents need to know the lingo in order to keep up with—and sometimes police—their children.

One reason for the surge in texting abbreviations—more than 2,000 and counting, according to NetLingo—is the boom in social-media sites like Twitter, where messages are limited to 140 characters. Text messages, too, are limited in length, so users have developed an alphabet soup of shorthand abbreviations to save time, and their thumbs.

Taking time to learn the jargon may seem like a WOMBAT (“Waste of money, brains and time”). But with over one trillion text messages sent and received in the U.S. last year, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, an industry trade group, you run the risk of feeling out of it if you don’t.

“If a CEO does not appear to be tech-savvy, people may start to wonder, ‘Is the company not plugged into today’s technologies also?’” says Stephanie Grayson, a corporate speech and media trainer based in New York.
Translation Sites

The confusion has given rise to a number of resources that provide English translations for terms like WRUD (“What are you doing?”) and TTYL (“Talk to you later”)—among them independent Web sites like NetLingo.com and UrbanDictionary.com and corporate ones like LG Mobile Phones’ DTXTR.com. Textapedia, a pocket guide to texting terms released last year, is sold in over 4,000 stores nationwide. NetLingo reports a 391% increase in the number of unique visitors over the past five years, while UrbanDictionary says it saw a 40% jump in its unique visitors last June from June 2008.

Both the AP Stylebook and Merriam-Webster Dictionary recognized texting shorthand for the first time in their 2009 editions, which were released in June. The AP Stylebook now includes IMO (“In my opinion”), ROFL (“Rolling on the floor laughing”) and BFF (“Best friends forever”), among others. Merriam-Webster defines LOL (“Laugh out loud”) and OMG (“Oh my God”).
Related

* Texting Truckers, Motorists on Mobiles and Other Reasons Why I Hate Driving
* Cellphones: Better Than Your Spouse and/or Alcohol
* Iowa Teen Wins Text-Messaging Championship
* Beware ‘Cellphone Elbow’
* Its Ovr: Breaking Up by Text Message

“These abbreviations have shown they are very likely to be a part of our language for a long time,” says Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster.

Branding strategist Elizabeth Kanna, 50, maintains a “Mom’s Text Talk Sheet,” a cheat sheet of over 30 textisms created and updated constantly by her three teenage daughters, on her desk at work. Ms. Kanna, who lives in Sacramento, Calif., says she refers to it daily as many of her clients prefer communicating through text shorthand like SWDYT (“So what do you think?”) and WDYM (“What do you mean?”).

Bert Martinez Communications LLC, a Houston-based consulting firm, hired a 20-year-old and two teenagers last fall to help teach texting vernacular to its staff of six. “It gave us the confidence that we could use the lingo and connect with the younger clientele on their level,” says Bert Martinez, president of the firm, which now conducts about 20% of its communication with clients via texting.

Teenagers, for their part, text in code for a reason, says Anne Mitchell, president of the Institute for Social Internet Public Policy, based in Boulder, Colo. “It is usually because they are involved in activities which they don’t want their parents to discover, such as casual sex, drugs and alcohol,” she says. Indeed, parents may be startled by such popular terms as GNOC (“Get naked on camera”), POS (“Parent over shoulder”), LMIRL (“Let’s meet in real life”) and IWSN (“I want sex now”).

OMG!!!! WSJ’s Andy JORdaN witnesses the crowning of AmErica’s top txtr. It’s LOL!

Susan Avery, senior editor at ParentDish.com, AOL’s parenting Web site, says she has observed parents becoming more concerned about not knowing what their kids are talking about. “The best thing is to embrace it and use it as a bonding experience with your child,” she says.

Shannon Snyder, a writer in Vancouver, B.C., uses DTXTR.com to monitor her children. “I don’t want my kid to be the racist or the rude kid because he’s repeating a random composition of letters he heard someone else say in school and thought it was cool,” says Ms. Snyder, 34.

The fact that 15-year-old Jack Beisel’s mother uses texting shortcuts like HBU (“How about you?”) and CIL (“Check in later”) strengthens their relationship, he says. “It makes her seem like she’s a little more understanding about modern culture,” says Mr. Beisel, who lives in Bayport, N.Y.

The consequences of misunderstanding the lingo can be mortifying. Cassandra McSparin, 23, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., knew a woman whose friend’s mother had died. The woman texted her friend: “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother passing away. LOL. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

It turns out she thought LOL meant “Lots of love.”

Write to Stephanie Raposo at Stephanie.Raposo@wsj.com

Are you the victim?

Are you a victor or victim? I’m against being a victim cause victims sound weak. Sales can make anyone turn into a victim easily because sales people to overcome a lot crap. Victims are avoided after a while. Victims are seldom listened to because the have lost their credibility. Victims are never respected. And in general, nobody wants to hang around with victims. Well, except for other victims, of course, because like attracts like.

Just think for a moment about what you say when something doesn’t go your way or rather the way you act it. Review the last experience when you a big sale. Think for a moment about how and what you said to yourself, the body language you used and your tonality. If any of those reactions or responses contain victim like attitude, like whining, put downs, – stop it or you’ll become a victim.

You see the your goal is for you to become a victorious sales person whether or not you close the sale. Victors don’t whine. Victors learn, they overcome, they master themselves. It’s easy to up beat when life is going your way, but guess what the BIG profits are in the problems.

Kicking Your Butt

Kicking you own Ass. It’s one of my favorite scenes from a Jim Carey movie call Liar, Liar. Here’s the lesson  If your harder on yourself, if you demand more from yourself than what is expected life becomes easier. Sales people are always asking me, “Bert, how do I motivate myself?  How do I stay positive Bert?”  Here’s the secret.  How you feel is more important than what you know. Put it simply, your emotions lead to your belief system, your belief system lead to actions and your actions lead to results – good or bad.  The better you manage your emotions, the more positive your results will be.  Good or bad day?  That’s  completely programmable.

Emotions are skills. Your emotions will drive your attitude and if you have the right emotional skills, you’ll act instead of think, develop a emotional skills.