www.bevolw.com

16. Office Stationery & Merchandising Materials

It is extremely important that your website is included on ALL your office stationery so that customers can see it over and over again. That way they are more likely to remember it. If you’ve just had your letterheads printed, you can always add your website address on your wordprocessor, when printing your correspondence. For brochures, business cards etc, consider having small labels printed up. Your office stationery should include not only your website address, but also your email. Consider adding your details to:

- Letterheads
- Business Cards
- Flyers
- Brochures
- Labels
- Packaging
- Merchandise bags
- Catalogs
- Invoices
- Fax headers
- Display units

17. Pay per click (PPC)

Pay per click advertising is when an advertiser (you) pays for each qualified click that sends a search engine user to the advertiser’s web page. PPC requires you to bid on keywords or phrases that relate to your business. The best known pay per click services are Google AdWords and Overture.

Generally you can bid from as little as a few cents per visitor. However, the more you bid the higher up in the search engine your advertisement will appear. Pay per click is a great way to deliver targeted and qualified visitors to your website at a very reasonable price.

It is a good idea to experiment with different PPC search engines to find the one that works best for you. In addition, you will need spend time testing your keywords and ads.

For more information check out:

Google Adwords - https://adwords.google.com
Overture - www.overture.com

18. Visitor Exchanges

There are many websites popping up on the net that are known as Traffic Exchange, Click Exchange, Visitor Exchange or Surf For Hits programs. People become members of these sites with the goal of generating free traffic to their site.

The way it works is quite clever.

You visit another member’s website and in exchange someone visits the website of your choice. Most of these programs work on a 2:1 ratio. This means that for every two sites that you visit, someone else in that same Start Page program will visit your site.

Simple concept, isn’t it?

The great thing about these programs is that you will receive all of this traffic to your website, without having to spend a dime!

One of the biggest benefits from these programs is the ability to develop a downline of people that will generate 1,000’s upon 1,000’s of click thru visits to your site over time! In other words, you receive credits for the credits they chalk up for themselves!

For more information go to:

http://www.web4business.com.au/FreeVisitors.htm

19. Articles

Writing articles is an excellent way for you to get free publicity. Getting an article published is free. The publicity you receive by having your article published in a newspaper, magazine or website can be worth thousands of dollars in equivalent advertising space. Well written articles yield better results than advertisements and earn you respect from customers, who see you as an expert in your field.

The best articles are “tips” or expert pieces. People are looking for guidance and will purchase from the experts who show them how to solve their problems.

Your article should include the following elements:

(a) The Headline

This should be attention grabbing and use power words and phrases, such as “How to ” “10 Ways that “, “Do you want to “

(b) Lead Paragraph

The first couple of sentences should tell your readers why they should read the whole articles. Show them the benefits they will gain or the pain that they will avoid by reading the article.

(c) Body Copy

This is where you inform the reader how to do something that will enrich their business or personal lives. Use short sentences and provide step-by-step directions that they can easily follow.

(d) Conclusion

At the end you will want to summarise the topics you covered and briefly review the main points. Since you have helped your readers they will most likely want to know more. This is your chance to make your sell by making them an offer with a call to action.

(e) Resource Box

The resource box should supply the reader with the following information:

- Your name
- Company name
- Contact information
- Website details
- How to order your product, etc

If writing an article seems too daunting for you initially, you can hire a ghost writer to do this for you - generally at a very reasonable price. If you need someone to help you with this, you may wish to check out:

www.elance.com

Once your article is written you will need to submit it to various publications on-line and off-line. For a listing of Australian printed publications, including the editor’s details, you may wish to buy “The Australian Writer’s Marketplace”, available from most bookshops.

For a listing of on-line magazines (e-zines), visit: www.ezine-dir.com. You can then contact the editor of each magazine and offer them your article.

If you don’t have a lot of time to submit your articles manually, you may wish to consider using article submission services by companies such as:

Submit Your Article - www.submityourarticle.com or
The Phantom Writers - www.thephantomwriters.com

For a small fee they will submit your article to thousands of publications.

20. Webrings

One of the more interesting ways to add some targeted traffic to your site is to join webrings. A webring allows visitors to surf through sites that are related in one way or another. They are free of charge to the owners, members and visitors.

Webrings deliver targeted traffic day after day and once they are set up they tend to stay set up with little further maintenance

Each webring is created and maintained by a person known as a ringmaster. This person accepts site submissions and validates that the site meets the topic of the webring. For more information visit: www.webring.org

21. Ezine Advertising

One of the best, cheapest and most targeted way to promote your product or service is through ezines (electronic magazines). Ezine ads reach people who want what you have to offer. As Ezines are generally based on a theme or particular interest and their subscribers have requested to receive them, you can be sure that they are going to be read.

Prices for advertisements vary depending on the popularity of the ezine and the actual location of your ad. Top position ads generally cost more than those found mid-way or at the bottom. Most ezine publishers will also send solo ads (advertisements about your product/service) to their subscribers. However, this is generally more costly.

To get the most of your ad, ensure you develop a killer title or headline and that the ad is straight to the point.

The best way to get started advertising in ezines would be to contact the editors of various ezines and check their rates, publication dates and number of subscribers - go to www.ezine-dir.com or www.go-ezines.com for a comprehensive listing of ezines.

22. Publishing an Ezine or Newsletter

Whether you are the CEO of a multi-national corporate network or a stay-in-your-pyjamas entrepreneur, one of your primary business objectives should be to develop long-term relationships with everyone you communicate with - website visitors, prospects, customers, employees, suppliers, service providers etc. And one of the best methods of building strong relationships is through your own Ezine (electronic magazine) or Newsletter.

If you’ve been marketing on the Internet, then you know it may take several contacts with a prospective customer before closing a sale. What better way to make those contacts, without spamming… In addition, you can eventually make a nice income selling sponsor advertising and classified ads.

To publish an effective Ezine will take some time to develop and there are thousands of resources on the internet that will help you - simply go to your favourite search engine and type in “ezine publishing” or “ezine publishing articles”.

In the meantime, here are some tips to get you started.

(a) Give your readers quality content - not rehashed or well-worn articles that have been published hundreds of times already.

(b) Write your own articles whenever possible or hire a ghost writer to help you. Talk to your readers as you would normally talk. Be yourself and let your sense of humour and uniqueness show through in your writing.

(b) Ensure the ezine has been properly edited, you have checked your spelling, grammar and formatting. Ensure all the links are working

(c) Personalise each issue for your subscriber. If your email software allows it, include a field so that your ezine is addressed to your subscriber by their firstname.

(d) Don’t publish too many ads or too many affiliate links

(e) Ask for feedback to help you improve your ezine

(f) Stick to publishing a text ezine rather than HTML.

(g) Publish your ezine regularly and on time.

23. Media Releases

Having a story written about you and your business will not only bring you lots of new customers (at no cost to you), but will also provide you massive credibility. Stories about you in the media are far more believable, powerful and attractive than any ads you could possibly run. People will trust and respect you instantly.

A media release (also called press or news releases) should provide enough details to be informative, but it should leave out just enough information to be tantalizing that the media person calls you to find out more.

Your media release should feature the following:

The Headline
This is 90% of your release. Your headline will do almost all of the work in attracting attention to you.

The Summary
This is the first part of the media release and should tell your story briefly.

Credentials & Quotations
Insert quotes from other people and include the person’s credentials

Call to Action
What do you want the person reading this release to do? You want them to call you for an interview. So provide your contact details and write a very brief outline of why you would be an interesting person to interview.

For more information about writing media releases visit:

www.pressrelease.com.au
www.elance.com
www.prweb.com
www.prnewswire.com
www.newsbureau.com

24. Radio advertising

You may have shied away from radio advertising, thinking the cost would be well over your budget and it may very well be if you were to advertise on commercial radio stations. But have you considered community radio stations? There are hundreds of them around and the great thing is that they will reach your local market. For community radio stations in your area, visit your local yellow pages or search on the internet.

25. Print advertising

Writing the Copy
When it comes to print advertising, you have to get to the pointfast. Your headlines should motivate readers to want to read on to learn more about your product, price and offer. Effective headlines address a pressing customer need or desire. The reality is that people care more about themselvesand what you can do for themthan about your business. You’ll get a much higher response rate when your headline quickly answers the question, “What’s in it for me?”

In the body of your copy, offer an incentive for the reader to call you or come to your store. You may want to offer a discount or a free giveaway

Placing the Ad
Newspaper ads are very effective for businesses that market their products and services locally. Not only can you reach a large number of people in a specific metropolitan location, but you can also target prospects via their interests (in the sports, lifestyle and business sections, for example).

Advertising costs depend on a number of factors, including the size of the ad, where it’s placed, the day it runs and so on. Call and request a media kit from the newspaper or magazine so you can determine what advertising steps you can take that will fit with your marketing budget.

Consider placing print advertisements in local publications, national publications,
industry publications, target market specific publications, yellow pages, local directories, special catalogues

26. Postcards

If looking to target potential customers, don’t overlook postcard marketing. Postcards achieve almost a 100% readership, while being simple to use and inexpensive.

Postcards:

- keep your name in front of customers
- generate a high return on investment
- are flexible, informative and creative
- have high impact and low cost

Postcards can be used to:

- generate website traffic and sales leads
- promote new specials or company awareness
- announce new products, websites, store locations
- thank customers
- use as a discount offer /coupon

Repetition is the key to effective marketing efforts and postcards offer an inexpensive way of doing it.

27. Word of mouth / Testimonials

Word-of-mouth marketing truly is one of the best ways to promote your business. The three most important things you can do to start the process of increasing your business through word-of-mouth include:

(a) Diversify your networks by becoming visible and active in the community. Participate in various networking groups and/or professional associations.

(b) Set up a contact list of businesses that are complementary and noncompetitive to you. For example: a lawyer, an accountant, a financial planner and a banker. All of them have clients with overlapping similar needs. They can all work with and refer each other easily. Another good example is a florist, a photographer, a travel agent and a jeweler. A referral for one of them becomes a referral for all of them.

(c) Building your business through word-of-mouth is about cultivating relationships with people who get to know you and trust you. People do business with people they have confidence in. It’s not what you know, or whom you know, it’s how well you know them that counts. If you go into this process understanding this one key point, you will have a better opportunity to build your business through word-of-mouth.

28. eBay

If you sell products (as opposed to services) in your business, one of the best marketing tools you can use is eBay. eBay is a community where individuals and businesses can buy and sell a vast range of new and used items at fair market prices.

The main reasons why you should sell on eBay include:

- You can sell little or lot of practically anything from antiques to cars.
- Gain access to the millions of eBay buyers worldwide.
- Feel safe with policies and protections of the Community.
- Sell as an individual, small business, enterprise, and more!

For more information visit: www.ebay.com for selling globally or www.ebay.com.au for selling within Australia.

29. Viral marketing

On the Internet, viral marketing is any marketing technique that induces Web sites or users to pass on a marketing message to other sites or users, creating a potentially exponential growth in the message’s visibility and effect. One example of successful viral marketing is Hotmail, a company, now owned by Microsoft. Their strategy is simple:
(a) Give away free e-mail addresses and services,
(b) Attach a simple tag at the bottom of every free message sent out: “Get your private, free email at http://www.hotmail.com” and,
(c) Then stand back while people e-mail to their own network of friends and associates,
(d) Who see the message,
(e) Sign up for their own free e-mail service, and then
(f) Propel the message still wider to their own ever-increasing circles of friends and associates.

Some viral marketing strategies work better than others. Below are basic elements you should try to include in your strategy.

(a) Give away products or services
Most viral marketing programs give away valuable products or services to attract attention. Free e-mail services, free information, free “cool” buttons, free software programs etc

(b) Provide for effortless transfer to others
The medium that carries your marketing message must be easy to transfer and replicate: e-mail, website, graphic, software download. From a marketing standpoint, you must simplify your marketing message so it can be transmitted easily and without degradation. Short is better.

(c) Scale easily from small to very large
To spread like wildfire the transmission method must be rapidly scalable from small to very large. Ensure you have enough resources, such as mail servers and staff that will be able to handle the increase in business.

(d) Exploit common motivations and behaviors
Clever viral marketing plans take advantage of common human motivations such as greed, the desire to be cool, hunger to be popular, loved, and understood.

(e) Utilize existing communication networks
Each person has a network of 8 to 12 people in their close network of friends, family, and associates. A person’s broader network may consist of hundreds or thousands of people. People on the Internet develop networks of relationships, too. They collect e-mail addresses and favourite website URLs. Affiliate programs exploit such networks, as do permission e-mail lists. Learn to place your message into existing communications between people, and you rapidly multiply its dispersion.

(f) Take advantage of others’ resources
The most creative viral marketing plans use others’ resources to get the word out. For example, affiliate programs place text or graphic links on others’ websites, authors give away free articles, news release can be picked up by a large number of publications as they form the basis of articles seen by hundreds of thousands of readers.

30. Joint Ventures

A joint venture is an agreement in which two or more businesses work on a project for a set period of time. Joint ventures can be long-term or short-term. With joint venture you can:

(a) Build long lasting business relationships.
(b) Increase your credibility by teaming up with other reputable, branded businesses.
(c) Get free or discounted products and services.
(d) Set up most joint venture deals with little or no money.
(e) Gain new leads and customers.
(f) Offer your customers new products and services.
(g) Get rid of your extra inventory.
(h) Find and create new distribution channels for your products.

To learn more about Joint Ventures, visit:

www.howtowritehypnoticjointventureproposals.com

There are many excellent ebooks on internet marketing. I would strongly recommend you pick up at least one or two and start reading. For a list of some great electronic books and tools, which are available for instant download, visit:

http://www.web4business.com.au/BusinessTools.htm

Ivana Katz is the owner of Websites 4 Small Business, a company specialising in the design and promotion of small and growing business websites. She believes that every business deserves to have a successful website, no matter what its budget is. For more information visit http://www.web4business.com.au or email info@web4business.com.au. To download your Website Plan go to http://www.web4business.com.au/WebsitePlanRequest.htm.

Tags: ad, advertising, internet marketing, internet page, Marketing, promotion, web site, websitead, advertising, internet marketing, internet page, Marketing, promotion, web site, website

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Setting priorities in your business? Your first job is to sell. Selling is - writing the orders; receiving the cash; feeding the beast. If you don’t sell; the beast, (your business), dies. The impact of selling is immediate. You may love it, but it is a beast. You need to feed it and control it.

Your second priority is marketing. Marketing is taming and grooming the beast. Marketing is everything that makes it easier to sell. Marketing is about sending messages - and everything you do or don’t do sends a message. You are responsible for these messages because they impact the perception of your credibility, value and trust. The impact of marketing is long term. The best time to start marketing was yesterday. The next best time is today.

Use these low-budget techniques to build credibility, value and trust on a shoestring.

Be a guest speaker for community groups, schools and associations.

You most want to speak in front of prospects. But sometimes you need to take side steps to get there. There are over 8,000 associations in Canada. Check the directories at the library to find associations that may have prospects. Then contact the local chapters to offer a no-charge seminar or speech. Don’t tell them you speak for free even though you do. Instead tell them that you normally charge, pick a number, but agree to waive your fee as a first time offer. The presentation must be of value and interest to the audience. It can not be an infomercial. Provide a handout with key points from your talk. Include information about your services along with your contact numbers and website on the handout. Ensure your introducer reads the introduction you prepare that establishes your expertise and what you do. But don’t stand up there and sell - instead market by using examples of how you helped previous clients. Ask for a list of all attendees. If they refuse, collect everyone’s business card for a draw. Give away a book, one of your products or 30 minutes of your service. It is more important to collect business cards than to give yours away.

After your presentation ask the organizer to refer you to speak at other associations or other chapters of the same association. Other groups you might speak to are Rotary, chambers of commerce, and various networking clubs. You don’t need to be a member to be a guest speaker. Prepare and rehearse your presentation. To become a better speaker read the book, “Secrets of Power Presentations”, by Peter Urs Bender and visit Toastmasters, a non-profit association that teaches presentations skills. The book is in most stores and you can find a local Toastmasters club by visiting www.Toastmasters.org

Volunteer for a charity, community cause or association.

Budget your time wisely and volunteer for a cause or group in which you strongly support. If you do, then you will work willingly and passionately. You will feel good about your contribution . Others see you at your best. They have the opportunity to know you and like you. And we would rather do business with people we know and like. By volunteering on a committee or charity you contact others who share your beliefs. And we like others who are like us. After working together as volunteers it is easier to discuss business opportunities. In this way you may discover new customers, and suppliers. You might also find partners for cross promotion or referrals. The bonus payoff from volunteering is positive media exposure. This might include photos and interviews that could result from your impact. You could join an established cause or you could simply organize your own event. A dentist donated one day of his time to give free fillings to children of single mothers just before Christmas. He received front-page coverage.

Write and publish articles

We grant tremendous respect to those who have published works. Write a book and that is an invaluable credibility tool. Case in point; before I wrote my book with Peter Urs Bender I was a nobody. After, I was an overnight marketing guru. I say ‘overnight’ because it took two years to write and lots of promotion. Nothing in business happens overnight, neither success nor failure.

You can and should start with something simpler than a book - articles that highlight your expertise. The simplest article to write is a tips list. It could be ‘Three steps to prepare for ______’; ‘Five questions to ask when buying ________’; ‘Seven ways to save money on your __________’; or ‘Ten tips for improving your _________’.

The most important step in writing is to start. The second most important step is to edit and rewrite. Forget about writing excellent copy the first time. I would be so disappointed with myself to find out you can write perfect copy the first time.

Where do you publish? You most want to be seen in the publications your prospects read. These might be trade and association magazines. Members tend to read them cover-to-cover. Of course it is wonderful to appear in a national business publication such as the Globe & Mail, Canadian Business, Profit or Small Business Canada. Copy your articles and send them to your clients and prospects. Post them on your web site and on the wall of your office - for visitors to admire and for you to be reminded that you are an expert.

Feed, tame and groom the beast and it will be your friend.

About The Author

© George Torok is co-author of the national bestseller, “Secrets of Power Marketing”, Canada’s first guide to personal marketing for the non-marketer. He delivers seminars and keynotes to corporations and associations across North America. He can be reached at 905-335-1997. For more information the training programs and more marketing tips visit the web site http://www.PowerMarketing.ca

info@torok.com

Tags: budgeting, Marketing, small businessbudgeting, Marketing, small business

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Irene: Roy, you recently authored an interesting book called “Never Beat the Boss at Horseshoes” - a book that is supposed to help us recognize that life is a game. Tell us a little more insight into your concept.

Roy: Remember how, as a child, you were constantly reminded to “Play by the rules” when you were involved in a game? It’s interesting that The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus lists over five dozen synonyms for “rule”, all of which can apply in one way or another to the daily activities of life. And what about the granddaddy of rules, “The Golden Rule”, that, unfortunately, not enough of us are willing to embrace?
Whether it be directive, order, act, law, decree, statute, canon, commandment, edict, ordinance or injunction, there are plenty of “rules” that, at least nominally, are designed to provide guidance and a degree of order to our lives.

All of the games we play, from the most chaotic “extreme sports“, to the more civilized games like chess, to the more “proper” sports of, say, polo and cricket, are governed, at least in theory, by rules. But do you remember the first time you declared, “Rules are meant to be broken?” And though all games have their dominant players, nobody wins all the time. Games, by definition, will produce winners and losers, and the participants themselves determine which they will be.

In life there are a multitude of rules, some of which we may choose to follow, some of which we may not. There is chaos and there is order. There are winners and there are losers. There is choice. In other words, life is a game, and it’s a whole lot more fun when you’re doing what it takes to win.

Irene: Okay, so I’m a rebel at heart. I don’t like “rules” so yes, I do remember declaring “rules are meant to be broken” and I still declare the same. (laugh) What words of wisdom to you have for me and all the others that feel the same?

Roy: There is a stop light at the end of our street where it intersects with a four lane road, and directly opposite our light is another on the other side of the road. There is probably a half-mile visibility in each direction on the four lane. I am Amazed (with a capital A) when I approach that light at 4:30 or 5:00 on the morning - which happens frequently as I head toward the airport - how often I will see a car sitting there, waiting for the light to turn green before making a left hand turn, when there is not another vehicle anywhere in sight. Making that left turn on red is against the traffic “rules” - sitting there under those circumstances is to me, against the “rules” of logic!

The waiting-for-the-light-to-turn person I just cited also is violating what I would call the “rule” of common sense. I’m not saying he or she doesn’t have any common sense. In fact, they probably have quite a bit, since they’ve obviously chosen not to use much of it! So, Irene, for you and all your fellow rebels, I say, “Go for it!!”

Irene: What inspired you to write this book?

Roy: In 1996 my first book, The Care and Keeping of Customers, was published. It contains over 80 specific things that an organization of any size or type can do to improve its relationship with its customers, both internal and external. It was based upon the over twenty years of hands-on, real life customer service experiences I had up until then. I had a message to share that might help other organizations and I wanted to share it.
Ten years later I realized that I had over five decades of real-life, hands-on experience in life, and that I had a message to share that might help other people and I wanted to share it. Many years ago I committed to paper a statement of purpose for my being on the planet”to use my optimism and enthusiasm to teach and inspire others, so that the world of all those whose lives I touch, directly and indirectly, will be a better one”. Never Beat the Boss at Horseshoes102 Ways to Pitch Ringer after Ringer in the Game of Life is a way to help me fulfill that purpose.

Irene: Your statement of purpose is very dynamic. Tell us about the importance of having a statement of purpose.

Roy: I remember the question and answer section of the “Baltimore Catechism” that for years and years was used in parochial schools. It asked the question “What is your purpose in life?” And I vividly remember the answer - “To know, love, and serve God.” That answer saw me through the formative years, though as I grew older I realized that it wasn’t enough. It remains for me a vitally important component of why I’m here, but it’s no longer nearly specific enough. Indeed, my feeling is that “To know love, and serve God” would be a noble ambition for all six billion of us sharing this wonderful planet. But I also feel that we all have a specific purpose that is not universally shared. Others may have a similar purpose, but our individual reason for being here is for us to discover.

Irene: In what ways could we bring our attention to really finding our purpose in life when sometimes we are scattered or feel defeated?

Roy: Discovering (or perhaps uncovering - it is there - we need only to find it) our purpose is one of the most meaningful activities in which we can engage. It makes setting goals so much easier - we need only ask if a proposed goal is congruent with our purpose. If so, it’s probably a good goal.

In The Power of Purpose, author Richard J. Leider makes this important observation, “Our purpose starts with the acceptance of the basic truth that who we are and what we do does make a difference.” Once that truth is accepted, you can begin to identifying your purpose. Start by listing your unique personal qualities. Are youtolerant, patient, courageous, kind, assertive, persuasive, committed, responsible, responsive, caring, creative, trusting, empathetic, intelligent, decisive, humorous, self-reliant, knowledgeable, kind, persistent, dynamic, wise, organized, honest, resourceful?

This is not the time to be humble - list all your unique positive personal qualities. We call these the “I AM” words.

Now list how you could express those unique positive personal qualities. We call these the “I CAN” words. Can you

initiate, teach, help, show, support, develop, advise, plan, produce, lead, inspire, solve, persuade, create, establish, implement, organize, influence, motivate, care, identify, communicate, guide, promote, articulate, foster, visualize, manage, direct, encourage?

Now take one or two or three “I AM” words and combine them with “I CAN” words to begin to develop your statement of purpose. I’ve already shared mine, and here is a couple more to use as examples:

“My purpose in life is to demonstrate through example and teaching the way a responsible person should live and to influence all those I work with to emulate that example.”

“My purpose in life is to use my life’s experiences and beliefs to help my kids and their kids to become contributing, happy, positive people.”

Irene: You relate life to a game of horseshoes. Why horseshoes and not baseball or football?

Roy: Great question, Irene. Horseshoes chose itself as my metaphor for the game of life! I started my business, Roy Lantz Seminars, in 1986 and in 1996 we signed an agreement to do international contract speaking for a Norwegian company with an Atlanta office. In June of that year we had a company picnic at the wonderful Stone Mountain Park, just outside Atlanta. Everyone was having a great time, but occasionally I’d see a co-worker slink sullenly, or angrily, or confused (but never smiling) from the area of the horseshoe pits. Finally, I stopped one of them and asked him what was going on down there. It seems that the boss, a tall, strapping Norwegian, was badly beating all who dared take him on in a game of horseshoes. And, even more infuriating, his attitude in victory was apparently not as gracious as it might have been.

Now, I’m not the world’s greatest horseshoe player, but I’d been playing in my back yard for twenty years, so I had a pretty good game. Hating to see my friends depressed, and, as a former Marine, ever-cognizant of National Pride, I decided to take the boss on. And take him on I did! Much to the delight of my co-workers, I handily beat the boss at horseshoes. This was on a Saturday.

The following Friday he fired me! Now I don’t know that my unfortunate fall from grace was caused by the horseshoe incident (though he was pretty upset), but I do know that I had the perfect metaphor and title for my book!

Irene: It sounds like getting fired was the best thing that could have happened to you. It gave you the opportunity to go forward in a direction that may not have happened if you didn’t get fired - you may still have been “stuck” doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. Aside from getting “fired,” what other ways can a person redirect their course in life?

Roy: One of the most powerful ways is to do the exercise we just discussed and begin to think in terms of their purpose. Once a person begins to believe that they are here for a reason and then begins to identify that reason, it’s like putting a rudder on a boat that previously had no steering mechanism. Getting fired was only a glitch on my life’s radar screen because I knew what my life’s purpose was.

Irene: Being a motivational speaker, you have traveled the world giving seminars and keynote speeches about universal truths. Please give us some insight what these truths are.

Roy: A couple hundred years ago German philosopher Immanuel Kant suggested that we live our life as if our every act were to become a Universal Law. If I may be so bold, I suggest that doing so is impossible. There can be no new Universal Law or Universal Truths - there are certainly potential new perspectives on them, or perhaps different ways to present them, but the Laws (Truths) themselves are timeless and timely. So my recommendation would be that we live our life as if our every act conforms to, or is congruent with, a Universal Law.

For example, no matter where I go, from Boise to Brazil, the Law of Attraction manifests itself. It says simply that we will bring into our lives people, circumstances and events that correspond to our dominant way of thinking. We see evidence of this all the time - have you noticed how negative people tend to attract to themselves other negative people? And we’re all familiar with the “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Now I’m not suggesting that a good attitude, or “The Power of Positive Thinking”, by themselves will give us the wherewithal to do anything, but they can help us do everything better.

Other Universal Truths we see manifest everywhere include the one Aristotle introduced in 350B.C. Today it is referred to as the Law of Cause and Effect - everything happens for a reason. Neither winning nor losing - in the game of horseshoes, or in the game of life, is determined by luck or coincidence. Another was paraphrased several years ago by popular motivational speaker Zig Ziglar in his interpretation of The Law of Compensation. Zig put it simply this way, “You can have anything in life you want if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.” The caveat, of course, being that selfish gain not be the motivation. Quid-pro-quid does not create winners in the game of life.

Irene: It’s interesting to note Aristotle talked about Cause and Effect, yet 2500 years later we are still struggling with believing that everything happens for a reason. I’m seeing that in your own situation, if you didn’t get fired, this book would not have been written. I know that we both can come up with my situations that prove the Law. Why is it so difficult for some people to believe in this particular Universal Law and attribute situations to luck, bad luck, or coincidence?

Roy: The best definition of “luck” I’ve ever seen is “Luck is where preparation and opportunity intersect.” My wife Bonnie wins a lot of contests and sweepstakes. Friends say to her, “You are so lucky. I never win anything.” Bonnie will frequently reply with,
“Do you ever enter these contests?” and invariably the response will be, “No, ’cause I have such bad luck - I never win.” Bonnie and her friends both have the opportunity to win, but Bonnie prepares to win by entering. And I sincerely believe that expectation plays a role as well. As Henry Ford said, “If you think you can, or if you think you can’t, you’re right.”

And blaming negative situations on coincidence or bad luck is so much easier, not only because no work is required to prepare, but because it’s so much easier to “rationalize” failure. Do you see “rational lies” in that word?

Irene: You encourage readers of “Never Beat the Boss at Horseshoes” to take 100% responsibility for their own success. That’s pretty humbling. How do you suggest we do that?

Roy: Irene, it is very simple. Simple, but not easy! In fact, it can be one of the most daunting challenges we face in playing the game of life. Look carefully at the word “responsibility” - it almost looks like “response-ability”, or “respond-ability”, doesn’t it? Certainly we are not responsible for everything that happens in our lives; I am no more responsible for being fired after that horseshoe game than I am for the tides. But I am responsible for how I choose to view the event. In other words, we can’t always control what happens in our lives, but we can control our response.

Irene: It’s much easier to blame someone else if things aren’t going how we had planned it and not be in touch with being responsible for our own feelings. And, sometimes the response gets us into more trouble. How do we change our attitude when one way of thinking has been ingrained for so long?

Roy: I define attitude as how we see life from within and how we choose to respond.

In our seminars, I frequently ask participants to write the word attitude. No big deal, and they all accomplish the task without comment. I then ask them to put their pen in their other hand and write the word attitude - Wow, what a change in response! Some even say, “I can’t do it.” When I ask why it was so much harder the second time to write attitude, the universal response is “We’ve always done it this way”, or, “We’ve never done it that way before.”

Now think back to our earlier discussion of responsibility - that we can’t always control what happens in our lives, but we can control our response. Couple this with the definition of attitude as a choice, and we have an answer to your question. Attitudes can change the moment we realize that we can control our response to every situation in our lives.

Irene: M. Scott Peck wrote “Sometimes the only solution to a problem is that there is no solution.” Our society is very solution oriented and Peck’s statement is hard to grasp. Mind you, he wrote it many years ago. How do you propose that we accept there just may not be a solution to the problem?

Roy: The first chapter of Never Beat the Boss is entitled “Put It in Perspective”.

Is the “problem” truly a “problem?” Many people employ a concept known as re-labeling when evaluating a problem, and substitute another label. “Challenge”, “situation”, “concern” and “issue” are all words that can help to mitigate certain dilemmas. I don’t mean to sound Pollyanna - certainly there are very real problems we all face that no amount of word-smithing is going to solve. Obviously a terminal illness is a challenge and a concern and an issue, but above all, it is a very real problem.

Several years ago insurance guru A.L. Williams wrote a book called, All You Can Do Is All You Can Do. There is genuine wisdom in that. There are times when we’ve exhausted everything we can do to find a solution, and yet the problem remains. This is when, with M. Scott Peck’s observation in mind, we need to recall my earlier assertion that although we can’t always control what happens, we can control our response.

Irene: You stress clear communication at all times. Sometimes we think we are communicating clearly but the other person just doesn’t seem to be on the same page as we are. Do you have any clear cut suggestions of how we can be sure the other person hears what we are saying?

Roy: In 1979, at UCLA, Professor Albert Mehrabian published the results of his landmark study in communication. It is still the benchmark for understanding how people communicate, and it gives a clear insight into the answer to your question. He found that when we are talking to another person, only 7% of what they hear us say is our words. Fully 38% of what they hear is our tone of voice, and 55% of the message conveyed is our body language! In other words the old saying, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it”, is more than just an old saying. You need only to recall a childhood game of “Simon Says” to know this is true.

With that in mind, there are certain clear cut things we can do to facilitate true communication (The best definition of communication I’ve ever seen, by the way, is “to give and get understanding”)

*always make eye contact

*paraphrase what you think you heard the other person saying

*use verbal support - “yes”, “I understand”, Uh, huh”, etc.

*use non-verbal support - the slight nodding of the head, slightly leaning forward, etc.

*ask questions

*use the “Echo” technique - repeating the last word or phrase they used

*maintain an open body position

*observe their body language as well - are they doing these things?

Let me suggest, too, a great sales technique that works in all one-on-one communication efforts - WII-FM - What’s in it for me? Imagine the other person is wearing an invisible head-set tuned to WII-FM. You must broadcast on that frequency - let them know why it’s important to them to listen to you.

Irene: Thank you so much for a very interesting discussion. Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know about you, and your book?

Roy: Thank you, Irene. This has been great! I really would encourage your readers to visit www.RoyLantz.com for a couple of reasons. One is to experience the QUOTE-avation of the day (That’s a quotation that provides inspiration and motivation - they must provide the perspiration!), and the other is that there are a number of articles there that may be of interest. I’d also like to plug my publisher’s website - www.MagnoliaPinesPress.com to learn about Never Beat the Boss at Horseshoes

Irene Watson is Managing Editor of Reader Views
http://www.readerviews.com

Tags: business, horseshoes, Inspirational, Lantz, Marketing, Reader Viewsbusiness, horseshoes, Inspirational, Lantz, Marketing, Reader Views

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