<![CDATA[Business growth tips for SMB from author Eric Gilboord - Blog]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 03:37:36 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[FREE Copy of the Whole Book]]>Tue, 08 May 2012 19:09:40 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/05/free-copy-of-the-whole-book.htmlNow get the entire book 'Just Tell Me More' in PDF for FREE. Click Here

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]]><![CDATA[12 Simple Truths We Learn On the Road of Life ]]>Tue, 08 May 2012 09:41:31 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/05/just-a-few-simple-truths-we-learn-on-the-road-of-life.htmlI sent this to my 22 year old daughter today. It seemed like the kind of thinking she could use at this stage in her life. While I was reading and rereading the contents it occurred to me that I could use this as well. You also may find these 12 points worth pondering as you go about your day.

Live with integrity and share with sincerity.
A2E

Just a few simple truths we learn on the road of life…
by MarcandAngel.com

1. The route to our destination is never a straight one. – We take questionable turns and we get lost.  But it doesn’t always matter which road we embark on; what matters is that we embark.  Either way life will likely get a little complicated, and bring unexpected hurdles and changes.  But that’s okay.  Sometimes you have to stumble and feel weak for a little while to realize how strong you really are.  Read Tuesdays with Morrie.

2. Real friends won’t ask you to change who you are. – The RIGHT people for you will love all the things about you that the WRONG people are intimidated by.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be patient, keep being your awesome self, and pretty soon the RIGHT people will love the REAL you.
3. Cheating is a choice, not a mistake, and not an excuse. – If you decide to cheat, and you succeed in cheating someone out of something, don’t think that this person is a fool.  Realize that this person trusted you much more than you ever deserved, and they learned a lesson about who you really are.

4. The past can’t hurt you anymore – not unless you let it. – Forgive and move on!  Forgiveness allows you to focus on the future without combating the past.  Without forgiveness, wounds can never be healed, and moving on can never be accomplished.  What happened in the past is just one chapter.  Don’t close the book, just turn the page.  Cry when you must and push forward.  Let your tears water the seeds of your future growth and happiness.

5. Adversity will come to every person at some point. – How you meet it, what you make of it, and what you allow it to take from you and give to you is determined by your mental habits and personal choices.  In short, you can’t change the cards you were dealt, just how you play the hand.  Read The Last Lecture.

6. Sometimes things fall apart so better things can fall together. – When things fall apart, consider the possibility that life knocked it down on purpose.  Not to bully you, or to punish you, but to prompt you to build something that better suits your personality and your purpose.

7. Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right. – Keep an open mind.  The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know.  We all have our own unique path and feelings.  When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.  It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.

8. Everything has been just the way it needed to be. – In life, we do lots of things.  Some we wish we could take back.  Some we wish we could relive a thousand times.  All of these things, positive and negative, have taught us important lessons and have collectively made us into the person we are today.  If we were to reverse or adjust any of them, we wouldn’t be who we are; we would be somebody else.  So just live, make mistakes, make memories, and take chances.  Never second guess who you are or where you’ve been.

9. Silence is often the loudest cry. – There’s always some truth behind ‘just kidding,’ knowledge behind ‘I don’t know,’ emotion behind ‘I don’t care,’ and pain behind: ‘It’s okay.’  So pay close attention to how people feel, especially those you care for most.  And remember, silence is often the loudest cry.  Sometimes what a person needs most is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

10. The difference between where you are and where you want to be, is what you do. – What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.  Don’t wait until everything is just right; it will never be perfect.  There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.  But with each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more skilled, more confident, and more successful.  So start doing what you need to do today.  Life is a courageous journey or nothing at all.  We usually can’t become who we want to be by continuing to do what we’ve been doing.  Read The Power of Habit.

11. It’s not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you’re not. – Judging yourself is not the same as being honest with yourself.  Don’t sell yourself short!  You are capable of great things.  And don’t ever let someone else make you feel like you’re not good enough.  If they can’t see how amazing you are, then they’re the one who’s not good enough for you.  Their approval is not needed.

12. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. – Smile through the hard times, even though it doesn’t always seem to get any better.  A smile is the first step to fixing things.  The trick is to enjoy life by noticing what’s right.  Don’t wish away your days waiting for better times ahead.  Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.  Right now is life.  Don’t miss it.

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]]><![CDATA[12 Universal Skills You Need to Succeed at Anything]]>Tue, 01 May 2012 09:05:03 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/05/12-universal-skills-you-need-to-succeed-at-anything.html12 Universal Skills You Need to Succeed at Anything
By MarcandAngel.com

There are a lot of skills you don’t need.  You can be happy and successful without knowing how to rebuild a car’s engine, program a web application, or replace drywall.  Sure, these are useful skills to have, but they aren’t absolutely necessary.

There are other skills, however, that can’t be avoided – skills that tie into various aspects of everyday life, that are not only useful, but totally indispensable.  For instance, you can’t get far in today’s world without being able to read or write.  And today the ability use a computer proficiently is simply assumed.

In this article we’re going to skip the super basic skills like reading, driving, and using a computer, and discuss twelve slightly more advanced skills that are woefully under-taught, and universally applicable.  Let’s take a look…

1.  Prioritizing and time management. – If success depends on effective action, effective action depends on the ability to focus your attention where it is needed most, when it is needed most.  This is the ability to separate the important from the unimportant, which is a much needed skill in all walks of life, especially where there are ever increasing opportunities and distractions.

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2.  Keeping a clean, organized space. – Successful people have systems in place to help them find what they need when they need it – they can quickly locate the information required to support their activities.  When you’re disorganized, that extra time spent looking for a phone number, email address or a certain file forces you to drop your focus.  Once it’s gone, it takes a while to get it back – and that’s where the real time is wasted.  Keeping both your living and working spaces organized is crucial.
3.  Critical thinking and information analysis. – We are living in the information age where, on a daily basis, we are constantly exposed to an ever growing and rapidly changing pool of information.  Being able to evaluate this information, sort the valuable from the trivial, analyze its relevance and meaning, and relate it to other information is a priceless skill with universal applicability.
4.  Logical, informed decision making. – Decision making is simply knowing what to do based on the information available.  Being able to respond quickly and effectively with the information you have in your head is essential to accomplishing anything.
5.  Using Google proficiently for online research. – You don’t have to know everything, but you should be able to quickly and painlessly find out what you need to know.  Google is a gateway to nearly infinite knowledge; it has indexed websites containing information on just about everything and everyone.  If you’re having trouble finding something using Google, it’s time to learn a few new tricks.
6. Basic accounting and money management. – It’s a simple fact that our modern society is governed by the constant exchange of money.  Money allows you to maintain a roof over your head and put food on the table each night.  Knowing how to properly manage your money – tracking and recording your expenses and income, saving and investing – is not only an important skill for thriving, it’s an important skill that helps you survive.
7. Effective communication and negotiating. – Give the people in your life the information they need rather than expecting them to know the unknowable.  Don’t try to read other people’s minds, and don’t make other people try to read yours.  Most problems, big and small, within a family, friendship, or business relationship, start with bad communication.  Speak honestly, and then give others a voice and show them that their words matter.  And remember that compromise and effective negotiating are vital parts of effective communication.
8. Relaxation. – Stress leads to poor health, poor decision-making, poor thinking, and poor socialization.  So be attentive to your stress level and take short breaks when you need to.  Slow down.  Breathe.  Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose.  When you’re at your busiest, a brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity.  These short breaks will help you regain your sanity, and allow you to reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.
9.  Proficient writing and note-taking. – The written word isn’t going away; it is used in every walk of life.  Learning to write proficiently so that others can understand you is critical.  Also, using your writing skills to take useful notes is one of the most productive things you can do, regardless of the task at hand.  Writing things down – taking notes – helps us remember what we hear, see, or read when we’re learning something new, or trying to remember something specific.
10. Relationship networking. – In a world dominated by constant innovation and information exchange, relationship networking creates the channel through which ideas and information flow, and in which new ideas are shared, discussed and perfected.  A large relationship network, carefully cultivated, can be leveraged to meet the right people, find jobs, build businesses, learn about new trends, spread ideas, etc.
11. Positivity. – Research shows that although we think that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act.  A great attitude always leads to great experiences.  People who think optimistically see the world as a place packed with endless opportunities, especially in trying times.  Be positive, smile, and make it count.  Pretend today is going to be great.  Do so, and it will be.
12. Self-discipline. – Self-discipline is a skill.  It is the ability to focus and overcome distractions.  It involves acting according to what you think instead of how you feel in the moment.  It often requires sacrificing the pleasure and thrill for what matters most in life.  Therefore it is self-discipline that drives you to succeed in the long-term.
What did we miss?  What are some other useful life skills that are universally applicable?  Leave a comment below and let everyone know.
Written by MarcandAngel.com

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]]><![CDATA[How do you buy Sales or Marketing services?]]>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:23:56 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/04/how-do-you-buy-sales-or-marketing-services.html

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]]><![CDATA[10 Things You Can Learn From the Apple Store ]]>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:12:20 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/04/10-things-you-can-learn-from-the-apple-store.htmlApril 09, 2012
By Guy Kawasaki

10 Things You Can Learn From the Apple Store My friend, Carmine Gallo, has written a book called The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty. The Apple Store is the most profitable retailer in America, generating an average of $5,600 per square foot and attracting more than 20,000 visitors a week.

In the decade since Steve Jobs and former head of retail, Ron Johnson, decided to reimagine the retail experience, the Apple Store not only reimagined and reinvented retail, it blew up the model entirely and started from scratch. In his research for The Apple Experience, Carmine discovered ten things that the Apple Store can teach any business in any industry to be more successful:

1. Stop selling stuff. When Steve Jobs first started the Apple Store he did not ask the question, “How will we grow our market share from 5 to 10 percent?” Instead he asked, “How do we enrich people’s lives?” Think about your vision. If you were to examine the business model for most brands and retailers and develop a vision around it, the vision would be to “sell more stuff.” A vision based on selling stuff isn’t very inspiring and leads to a very different experience than the Apple Retail Store created.

2. Enrich lives. The vision behind the Apple Store is “enrich lives,” the first two words on a wallet-sized credo card employees are encouraged to carry. When you enrich lives magical things start to happen. For example, enriching lives convinced Apple to have a non-commissioned sales floor where employees feel comfortable spending as much time with a customer as the customer desires. Enriching lives led Apple to build play areas (the “family room”) where kids could see, touch and play on computers. Enriching lives led to the creation of a “Genius Bar” where trained experts are focused on “rebuilding relationships” as much as fixing problems.
3. Hire for smiles. The soul of the Apple Store is in its people. They are hired, trained, motivated and taught to create magical and memorable moments for their customers. The Apple Store values a magnetic personality as much, if not more so, than technical proficiency. The Apple Store cares less about what you know than it cares about how much you love people.

4. Celebrate diversity. Mohawks, tattoos, piercings are all acceptable among Apple Store employees. Apple hires people who reflect the diversity of their customers. Since they are more interested in how passionate you are, your hairstyle doesn’t matter. Early in the Apple Store history, they also learned that former teachers make the best salespeople because they ask a lot of questions. It’s not uncommon to find former teachers, engineers, and artists at an Apple Store. Apple doesn’t look for someone who fits a mold.

5. Unleash inner genius. Teach your customers something they never knew they could do before, and they’ll reward you with their loyalty. For example, the Apple Store offers a unique program to help people understand and enjoy their computers: One to One. The $99 one-year membership program is available with the purchase of a Mac. Apple Store instructors called “creatives” offer personalized instruction inside the Apple Store. Customers can learn just about anything: basics about the Mac operating system; how to design a website; enjoying, sharing, and editing photos or movies; creating a presentation; and much more. The One to One program was created to help build customers for life. It was designed on the premise that the more you understand a product, the more you enjoy it, and the more likely you are to build a long-term relationship with the company. Instructors are trained to provide guidance and instruction, but also to inspire customers, giving them the tools to make them more creative than they ever imagined.

6. Empower employees. I spent one hour talking to an Apple Store specialist about kids, golf, and my business. We spent about ten minutes talking about the product (a MacBook Air). I asked the employee whether he would be reprimanded for spending so much time with one customer. “Not at all,” he replied. “If you have a great experience, that’s all that matters.” Apple has a non-commissioned sales floor for a reason—employees are not pressured to “make a sale.” Instead they are empowered to do what they believe is the right thing to do.

7. Sell the benefit. Apple Store specialists are taught to sell the benefit behind products and to customize those benefits for the customer. For example, I walked to the iPad table with my two young daughters and told the specialist I was considering my first iPad. In a brilliant move, the specialist focused on my two daughters, the ‘secondary’ customer who can influence a purchase. He let the girls play on separate devices. On one device he played the movie, Tangled, and on the other device he brought up a Disney Princess coloring app. My girls were thrilled and, in one memorable moment, my 6-year-old turned me to and said, “I love this store!” It’s easy to see why. Instead of touting “speeds and feeds,” the specialist taught us how the device could improve our lives.

8. Follow the steps of service. The Apple Store teaches its employees to follow five steps in each and every interaction. These are called the Apple five steps of service. They are outlined by the acronym A-P-P-L-E. They are: Approach with a customized, warm greeting. Probe politely to understand the customer’s needs. Present a solution the customer can take home today. Listen for and address unresolved questions. End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.

9. Create multisensory experiences. The brain loves multi-sensory experiences. In other words, people enjoy being able to see, touch, and play with products. Walk into an Apple Store upon opening and you’ll see all the notebook computer screens perfectly positioned slightly beyond 90-degree angles. The position of the computer lets you see the screen (which is on and loaded with content) but forces you to touch the computer in order to adjust it. Every device in the store is working and connected to the Internet. Spend as much time as you’d like playing with the products—nobody will kick you out. Creatives who give One-to-One workshops do not touch the computer without asking for permission. They want you to do it. The sense of touch helps create an emotional connection with a product.

10. Appeal to the buying brain. Clutter forces the brain to consume energy. Create uncluttered environments instead. The Apple Store is spacious, clean, well-lit, and uncluttered. Cables are hidden from view and no posters on placed on the iconic glass entrances. Computer screens are cleaned constantly. Keep the environment clean, open, and uncluttered.

The three pillars of enchantment are likability, trustworthiness, and quality. Apple’s engineers take care of quality, and the Apple Store experience personifies likability and trustworthiness. I’ve never left an Apple store without being enchanted—in fact, I seldom leave the Apple Store on University Avenue in Palo Alto without being enchanted and buying something too! Resisting Carmine’s book, like resisting an Apple Store, is futile, so just get it here: The Apple Experience: Secrets to Building Insanely Great Customer Loyalty

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]]><![CDATA[2 Minute Video with Eric - 9 Rules for Thinking Outside the Box]]>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:42:53 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/04/3-minute-video-with-eric-9-rules-for-thinking-outside-the-box.html

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]]><![CDATA[Kelli Anderson: Design to Challenge Reality]]>Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:38:08 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/03/kelli-anderson-design-to-challenge-reality.htmlThis is a 16 minute TEDx Talk by creative artist Kelli Anderson. Really interesting and thought provoking. It's about looking at things differently. Look for the weekly series of TEDx Talks at Bizness Central, coming Spring 2012. www.BiznessCentral.com

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]]><![CDATA[2 Minute Video with Eric - Marketing It's Harder Than It looks]]>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:16:52 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/02/2-minute-video-with-eric-marketing-its-harder-than-it-looks.html
Harder but not impossible. Get answers to your marketing questions here.

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]]><![CDATA[A2E Reader Special eBook Pricing Save 50%]]>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:09:02 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/02/a2e-reader-special-ebook-pricing.html_Save 50% on Eric's eBook at Smashwords. Promo code QK72Y. Pass the savings along.
Picture

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]]><![CDATA[12 Things Highly Productive People Do Differently]]>Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:01:54 -0500http://www.ericgilboord.com/5/post/2012/02/12-things-highly-productive-people-do-differently.html12 Things Highly Productive People Do Differently
by MarcandAngel.com

“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.”
– Bruce Lee

Being highly productive is not an innate talent; it’s simply a matter of organizing your life so that you can efficiently get the right things done.

So, what behaviors define highly productive people?  What habits and strategies make them consistently more productive than others?  And what can you do to increase your own productivity?

Here are some ideas to get you started…
  1. Create and observe a TO-DON’T list. – A ‘TO-DON’T list’ is a list of things not to do.  It might seem amusing, but it’s an incredibly useful tool for keeping track of unproductive habits, like checking Facebook and Twitter, randomly browsing news websites, etc.  Create one and post it up in your workspace where you can see it.
  2. Organize your space and data. – Highly productive people have systems in place to help them find what they need when they need it – they can quickly locate the information required to support their activities.  When you’re disorganized, that extra time spent looking for a phone number, email address or a certain file forces you to drop your focus.  Once it’s gone, it takes a while to get it back – and that’s where the real time is wasted.  Keeping both your living and working spaces organized is crucial.  Read Getting Things Done.
  3. Ruthlessly eliminate distractions while you work. – Eliminating all distractions for a set time while you work is one of the most effective ways to get things done.  So, lock your door, put a sign up, turn off your phone, close your email application, disconnect your internet connection, etc.  You can’t remain in hiding forever, but you can be twice as productive while you are.  Do whatever it takes to create a quiet, distraction free environment where you can focus on your work.
  4. Set and pursue S.M.A.R.T. goals. – These goals must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.  Read more about this here.
  5. Break down goals into realistic, high impact tasks. – Take your primary goal and divide it into smaller and smaller chunks until you have a list of realistic tasks, each of which can be accomplished in a few hours or less.  Then work on the next unfinished, available task that will have the greatest impact at the current time.  For example, if you want to change careers, that goal may be driven by several smaller goals like going back to school, improving your networking skills, updating your resume or getting a new certification.  And each of these smaller goals is supported by even more granular sub-goals and associated daily tasks.  And it is these small daily tasks that, over time, drive larger achievement.
  6. Work when your mind is fresh, and put first things first. – Highly productive people recognize that not all hours are created equal, and they strategically account for this when planning their day.  For most of us, our minds operate at peak performance in the morning hours when we’re well rested.  So obviously it would be foolish to use this time for a trivial task like reading emails.  These peak performance hours should be 100% dedicated to working on the tasks that bring you closer to your goals.
  7. Focus on being productive, not being busy. – Don’t just get things done; get the right things done.  Results are always more important than the time it takes to achieve them.  Stop and ask yourself if what you’re working on is worth the effort.  Is it bringing you in the same direction as your goals?  Don’t get caught up in odd jobs, even those that seem urgent, unless they are also important.  Read The 4-Hour Workweek.
  8. Commit your undivided attention to one thing at a time.  – Stop multi-tasking, and start getting the important things done properly.  Single-tasking helps you focus more intently on one task so you can finish it properly, rather than having many tasks started and nothing finished.  Quickly switching from task to task makes the mind less efficient.  Studies have shown that changing tasks more than 10 times during an 8-hour segment of work drops a person’s IQ by an average of 10-15 points.
  9. Work in 90 minute intervals. – In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Tony Schwartz, author of the NY Times bestseller The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, makes the case for working in no more than 90 consecutive minutes before a short break.  Schwartz says, “There is a rhythm in our bodies that operates in 90-minute intervals.  That rhythm is the ultradian rhythm, which moves between high arousal and fatigue.  If you’re working over a period of 90 minutes, there are all kinds of indicators in your physiology of fatigue; so what your body is really saying to you is, ‘Give me a break!  Refuel me!’”
  10. Reply to emails, voicemails, and texts at a set times. – This directly ties into the ideas of single-tasking and distraction-avoidance.  Set specific time slots 2-3 times a day to deal with incoming communication (e.g. once at 8AM, once at 11AM, once at 3PM), and set a reasonable max duration for each time slot.  Unless an emergency arises, be militant about sticking to this practice.
  11. Invest a little time to save a lot of time. – How can you spend a little time right now in order to save a lot of time in the future?  Think about the tasks you perform over and over throughout a work week.  Is there a more efficient way?  Is there a shortcut you can learn?  Is there a way to automate or delegate it?  Perhaps you can complete a particular task in 20 minutes, and it would take two hours to put in place a more efficient method.  If that 20 minute task must be completed every day, and a two-hour fix would cut it to 5 minutes or less each time, it’s a fix well worth implementing.  A simple way of doing this is to use technology to automate tasks (email filters, automatic bill payments, etc.).  Also, teaching someone to help you and delegating work is another option.  Bottom line: The more you automate and delegate, the more you can get done with the same level of effort.
  12. Narrow the number of ventures you’re involved in. – In other words, say “no” when you should.  The commitment to be productive is not always the biggest challenge, narrowing the number of ventures to be productive in is.  Even when you have the knowledge and ability to access highly productive states, you get to a point where being simultaneously productive on too many fronts at once causes all activities to slow down, stand still, and sometimes even slide backwards.
If you're looking for Sales and or Marketing services or education to help you be more productive please visit: www.BiznessCentral.com

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