Fw: Seth's Blog : Sell the problem

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Good Seth as usual... enjoy!

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Sell the problem

No business buys a solution for a problem they don't have.
And yet, most business to business marketers jump right into features and benefits, without taking the time to understand if the person on the other end of the conversation/call/letter believes they even have a problem.
My friend Marcia (we've advised each other on various projects) has a very cool idea for large professional firms. As an architect, she realized the firms were wasting time and money and efficiency in the way they use their space. Roomtag is her answer. 
The challenge is this: if your big law firm or accounting firm doesn't think it has a space allocation/stuff tracking/office mapping problem, you won't be looking for a solution. You won't wake up in the morning dreaming about how to solve it, or go to bed wondering how much it's costing you to ignore it.
And so the marketing challenge is to sell the problem.
(Interesting paradox: a lot of people aren't willing to embrace that they have a problem unless they also believe that there's a solution... so part of selling a problem is hinting that there's a solution that others are using, or is right around the corner.)
Imagine, for example, getting the data and publishing a list of the top 50 firms, ranked by efficiency of space use. All of a sudden, the bottom half of the list realizes that yes, in fact, they have something that they need to work on. If you knew that your firm was paying twice as much per associate as the competition, you'd realize that there's a problem.
When a prospect comes to the table and says, "we have a problem," then you're both on the same side of the table when it comes time to solve it. On the other hand, if they're at the table because you're persistent or charming, the only problem they have is, "how do I get out of here."

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;) RT @BestSellerBob: Believe in yourself. Believe that you have a task on this earth to do that is bigger than yourself.

Business and back-to-school all mixed up together- Yikes!!

'90% of the game is half mental." -Yogi B.

The BK Way

Here's a note that I recently wrote to one of my team members. It's my firm BlueKey's DNA; is it's why business owners choose us to facilitate their sale. Just thought I'd share. It's an internal document, but what the heck...

"I always lead from a position of service and while the money is a personal driver, I never refer to it with a client because it's the obvious elephant. Service is where we differentiate ourselves from other brokers who are just about the money. Clients want their goals met and to be taken care of (buyers to be found, their deal negotiated satisfactorily and a smooth and seamless closing) and if we do that, the money will follow...J"

Julie Gordon White, Principal
BlueKey Business Brokerage M&A
510.812.2233 Direct
License 01347013
http://www.bluekeybma.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/juliegordonwhite
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Seth's Blog: Avoiding momentum

Do you fall victim to your lizard? I know I have in the past... Keyword: past!

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Avoiding momentum

Some days, even the best dentist doesn't feel like being a dentist.
And a lifeguard might not feel like being a lifeguard.
Fortunately, they have appointments, commitments and jobs. They have to show up. They have to start doing the work. And most of the time, this jump start is sufficient to get them over the hump, and then they go back to being in the zone and doing their best work.
Momentum is incredibly useful to someone who has to overcome fear, dig in deep and ship. Momentum gives you a reason to overcome your fear and do your art, because there are outside forces and obligations that keep you moving. Without them, you'd probably stumble and fall.
And yet...
And yet many of us fear too much momentum. We look at a project launch or a job or another new commitment as something that might get out of control. It's one thing to be a folk singer playing to a hundred people a night in a coffeehouse, but what if the momentum builds and you become a star? A rock star? With an entourage and appearances and higher than high expectations for your next work. That's a lot of momentum, no?
Deep down, this potential for an overwhelming response alerts the lizard brain and we hold back. We're afraid of being part of something that feels like it might be too big for us.
Hint: it probably isn't.

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• How big is your red zone?
• The right price the first time
• Resilience and the incredible power of slow change

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First lunch at my new location- The Paragon at the Claremont Hotel & Spa with Julie Merrill CEO of Change Catalyst. I'm liking this...a lot!

EXIT! The book...

OK, I am finally coming clean... The book I have been working on for a year is entering final stages of editing and I am working towards an October release (no promises!).  The title is EXIT! How to Sell Your Business for the Price You Deserve. I will start to sneak peek chapters and tidbits here on the blog, so check back often.  Writing is a lot harder than I thought by the way. When I would get stuck, I would re-group by simply typing as if I were speaking to my fellow business owner Nina Cooper (ninadesigns.com).  Nina has build a multi-million dollar enterprise and is always seeking information about how to improve, grow and position her business for the future- whatever that is- so that's who (Nina's everywhere) my book is written for.  Guys will connect with it too but the voice in the text is for my tribe :).  Stay tuned! jgw.

The Worst That Can Happen Is Someone Says No - You're the Boss Blog - NYTimes.com#more-22529#more-22529

I tweeted this the other day, but I just read it again and am posting it again just in case you missed it... Enjoy!

The Worst That Can Happen Is Someone Says No - You're the Boss Blog - NYTimes.com#more-22529#more-22529

The Economy Doesn't Predict Your Future, Just Ask Your Customers

According to one of my favorite small business voices, Verne Harnish of Gazelles.com:

"Economic Predictions 2011 -- what is a person supposed to believe about the economy -- and predict how one should plan for 2011? My serious recommendation (and one I've given to my own personal clients) -- contact your top ten biggest customers this month, especially if they are large firms, and find out what they are predicting for 2011. In many cases, this is all that matters anyway -- their perceptions will drive their decisions and if they are big customers of yours, it will have an impact on you. And August is the very best time to reach the top guys (they aren't busy and likely not vacationing the entire month) -- ask them "so what are you seeing/predicting for 2011." Then plan accordingly!"

Great advice. Let me know what you find out... J.


Julie Gordon White, Principal
BlueKey Business Brokerage M&A
510.812.2233 Direct
License 01347013
www.bluekeybma.com
www.linkedin.com/in/juliegordonwhite

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My Tribe!

Just back from 2 weeks literally in Paradise (Island). I'm fully recharged and re-committed to my tribe- YOU! More tweets, blog posts and valuable tips en route ASAP!

More on Monday... J

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Fw: Seth's Blog : Getting to scale: direct marketing vs. mass market thinking

You'll like this...

------Original Message------
From: Seth Godin
Sender: FeedBlitz
To: Julie Gordon White
ReplyTo: Seth Godin
Subject: Seth's Blog : Getting to scale: direct marketing vs. mass market thinking
Sent: Jul 21, 2010 3:19 AM

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]
Getting to scale: direct marketing vs. mass market thinking A mass marketer needs to reach the masses, and to do it in many ways, simultaneously. The mass marketer needs retail outlets and fliers and a website and public relations and tv ads and more more more and then... bam... critical mass is reached and success occurs.
Best Buy is a mass marketer, but so are Microsoft and the Red Cross. Ubiquity, once achieved, brings them revenue, which advances the cycle and they reach scale.
The direct marketer, on the other hand, must get it right in the small. That pitch letter can be tested on 100 houses and if it gets a 2% response rate, then it can be mailed to 100,000 houses with confidence. That business-to-business sales pitch can be honed on one or two or three prospects, and then when it works, can be taught to dozens or hundreds of other salespeople.
The key distinction is when you know it's going to work. The mass marketer doesn't know until the end. The direct marketer knows in the beginning.
The mass marketer is betting on thousands of tiny cues, little clues, and unrecorded (but vital) conversations. The direct marketer is measuring conversion rates from the first day.
That's the reason we often default to acting like mass marketers. We're putting off the day of reckoning, betting on the miracle around the corner, spending our time and energy on the early steps without the downside of admitting failure to the boss.
Of course, just because it's our default doesn't mean it's right. Business to business marketing is almost always better if you treat it like direct marketing. Most websites that do conversion as well. Same with non-profit fundraising. As well as marketing goods and services to the bottom of the pyramid, people who live in villages where mass media and mass distribution are difficult and have little impact.
Get it right for ten people before you rush around scaling up to a thousand. It's far less romantic than spending money at the start, but it's the reliable, proven way to get to scale if you care enough to do the work.
• Email to a friend • • More Recent Articles The paradox of promises in the age of word of mouth The new dynamics of book publishing Self marketing might be the most important kind Is everything perfect? The only possible response... Don't want to get this email anymore? Click the link below to unsubscribe.
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It's Always About the Best People

RT @BestSellerBob: True leaders never give up, they eventually became masters at finding and attracting the right people.

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Are you using daily meditation to quiet and calm your thoughts so you can focus on what really matters? Try 5 minutes 3 times a day...

Soccer Love

Cuppa Peet's coffee: $1.75. New Nook eReader in sleep mode on my lap: $199. Mom and keeper-son watching the World Cup together...Priceless!

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My Life In a Nutshell

Excellent manger's retreat yesterday. Find 4 things to focus on and track, track, track. Now off to games, games, games. Call me ExecuMom ;)

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80/20 Rule Tip: Specialize in a very small niche; develop a core skill. Choose a niche that you enjoy and can become an acknowledged leader.

Fw: Sunday Seth: Validation is overrated

Aka: Just do it! Enjoy... J.

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From: Seth Godin <blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com>

Sender: FeedBlitz <feedblitz@mail.feedblitz.com>

Date: Sun, 27 Jun 2010 06:16:42 -0400

To: jegwhite<jegwhite@bluekeybma.com>

ReplyTo: Seth Godin <blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com>

Subject: Seth's Blog : Validation is overrated

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Validation is overrated

If you're waiting for a boss or an editor or a college to tell you that you do good work, you're handing over too much power to someone who doesn't care nearly as much as you do.

We spend a lot of time organizing and then waiting for the system to pick us, approve of us and give us permission to do our work.

Feedback is important, selling is important, getting the market to recognize your offering and make a sale--all important. But there's a difference between achieving your goals and realizing your work matters.

If you have a book to write, write it. If you want to record an album, record it. No need to wait for someone in a cubicle halfway across the country to decide if you're worthy.

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• A bias for scamminess
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Finally a quiet moment in a hectic week. Settling in to begin reading The 80/20 Principle by R. Koch. Remember Pareto? Stand by for more...

USA! USA! Amazing!!!!

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

Gifts

I needed this right about now... Enjoy :)

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From: Seth Godin <blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com>

Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:15:11 -0400

To: jegwhite<jegwhite@bluekeybma.com>

Subject: Seth's Blog : Gifts, misunderstood

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Gifts, misunderstood

What's a gift?

I met a big-shot former Fortune 500 company CEO who explained to me that he used to have three secretaries. One for his calendar, one for his usual work, and one who did nothing but send people gifts.

I think when it's sent by a corporation and chosen by a secretary, it's not a gift. It's a present. Or a favor...

A gift certificate from a rich uncle is a present as well, it's not really a gift.

A favor is something we do for someone hoping for an equal or greater favor in return. (Hence the phrase, "return the favor." No one says, "return the gift.")

A present is something that costs money, sure, and it's free, but I don't think it's a gift.

A gift costs the giver something real. It might be cash (enough that we feel the pinch) but more likely it involves a sacrifice or a risk or an emotional exposure. A true gift is a heartfelt connection, something that changes both the giver the recipient.

The Gift of the Magi is a great story because each person in the story sacrifices to create a heartfelt gift for the other person. And it's gifts--gifts that touch us, gifts that change us--that are transforming the way we interact.

One or two readers asked me why my book Linchpin costs money. After all, they ask, if gifts are a cornerstone of the new era, why not give it away free, as a gift?

Free doesn't make something a gift. Free might be a marketing strategy, free might make a generous present, but free doesn't automatically make something a gift. Gil Scott Heron's new album isn't free, but it's a gift. He's exposing himself. Taking a risk. You listen to the album and you feel differently when you're done... it's not a product, it's a very personal statement. Keller Williams approaches his entire craft as a chance to give gifts, but that doesn't mean he can't charge for some elements of his work. What it took him to create the music is so much greater than what it cost you to consume it that he is giving gifts without doubt.

The way I understand gifts is that the giver must make a sacrifice, create an uneven exchange, bring himself closer to the recipient, create change and do it all with the right spirit. To do anything less might be smart commerce, but it doesn't rise to the magical level of the gift. A day's work for a day's pay is the win/lose mantra of the industrial era. More modern is to view a day's work as a chance to generate gifts that last.

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Fw: Seth's Blog : Hope and the magic lottery

Happy Sunday :)

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From: Seth Godin <blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com>

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:14:36 -0400

To: jegwhite<jegwhite@bluekeybma.com>

Subject: Seth's Blog : Hope and the magic lottery

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Hope and the magic lottery

Entrepreneurial hope is essential. It gets us over the hump and through the dip. There's a variety of this hope, though, that's far more damaging than helpful.

This is the hope of the magic lottery ticket.

A fledgling entrepreneur ambushes a venture capitalist who just appeared on a panel. "Excuse me," she says, then launches into a two, then six and eventually twenty minute pitch that will never (sorry, never) lead to the VC saying, "Great, here's a check for $2 million on your terms."

Or the fledgling author, the one who has been turned down by ten agents and then copies his manuscript and fedexes it to twenty large publishing houses--what is he hoping for, exactly? Perhaps he's hoping to win the magic lottery, to be the one piece of slush chosen out of a million (literally a million!) that goes on to be published and revered.

You deserve better than the dashed hopes of a magic lottery.

There's a hard work alternative to the magic lottery, one in which you can incrementally lay the groundwork and integrate into the system you say you want to work with. And yet instead of doing that work, our instinct is to demonize the person that wants to take away our ticket, to confuse the math of the situation (there are very few glass slippers available) with someone trying to slam the door in your faith/face.

You can either work yourself to point where you don't need the transom, or you can play a different game altogether, but throwing your stuff over the transom isn't worthy of the work you've done so far.

Starbucks didn't become Starbucks by getting discovered by Oprah Winfrey or being blessed by Warren Buffet when they only had a few stores. No, they plugged along. They raised bits of money here and there, flirted with disaster, added one store and then another, tweaked and measured and improved and repeated. Day by day, they dripped their way to success. No magic lottery.

What chance is there that Mark Cuban or Carlos Slim is going to agree to be your mentor, to open all doors and give you a shortcut to the top? Better, I think, to avoid wasting a moment of your time hoping for a fairy godmother. You're in a hurry and this is a dead end.

When someone encourages you to avoid the magic lottery, they're not criticizing your idea nor are they trying to shatter your faith or take away your hope. Instead, they're pointing out that shortcuts are rarely dependable (or particularly short) and that instead, perhaps, you should follow the longer, more deliberate, less magical path if you truly want to succeed.

If your business or your music or your art or your project is truly worth your energy and your passion, then don't sell it short by putting its future into a lottery ticket.

Here's another way to think about it: delight the audience you already have, amaze the customers you can already reach, dazzle the small investors who already trust you enough to listen to you. Take the permission you have and work your way up. Leaps look good in the movies, but in fact, success is mostly about finding a path and walking it one step at a time.

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Fw: Seth's Blog : Cheating the clock

Excellent idea. Try it! J

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From: Seth Godin <blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com>

Date: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:17:08 -0400

To: jegwhite<jegwhite@bluekeybma.com>

Subject: Seth's Blog : Cheating the clock

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Cheating the clock

One way to do indispensable work is to show up more hours than everyone else. Excessive face time and candle-burning effort is sort of rare, and it's possible to leverage it into a kind of success.

But if you're winning by cheating the clock, you're still cheating.

The problem with using time as your lever for success is that it doesn't scale very well. 20 hours a day at work is not twice as good as 18, and you certainly can't go much beyond 24...

What would happen if you were prohibited from working more than five hours a day. What would you do? How would you use those five hours to become indispensable in a different way?

Go ahead, try it. Just for a week. See what happens. Even if you go back to ten, you'll discover you've changed the way you compete.

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Ran 10 miles today at the Marina. Big accomplishment but I'm SO tired! Better rest up for a busy week and tomorrows telemarketing workshop.

Short & Sassy

So I've been rocking my new haircut for a week now. My husband is finally looking at me again. He said he told me he thought it was cute but he needed to get used to it. What's with men and long hair? I feel free, liberated mostly from daily hair "doing" and am proud of myself for making a go-against-the-grain decision to something that I really wanted to do. Of course comments like "Wow! Young and sexy!" Helped a lot too :). J

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

Women Food & God

Reading Women Food and God. Provocative thoughts on life beyond the messages on eating. Most things we seek are hidden in plain sight...

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

Control Your Tail!

Great post from Seth:

The Distraction, the Tail and the Dog

Your business has a core, a goal, a challenge and a deliverable. There is probably one thing that would transform your project, one success that changes things, one hurdle that's tougher than the others. What's difficult, what would respond to overwhelming attention? That's the core. Getting from here to there involves making sales, delivering on promises, overcoming the Dip and shipping. Along the way, there are supporting tasks you can engage in, things you can do to make the goal easier to achieve. A popular blog might gain attention and then trust and ultimately help you sell more widgets. A lot of followers online might give you permission to tell a story that gets you better employees. A vibrant party at SXSW can create buzz that gives your salespeople entree to important meetings. These aren't trivial activities. In fact, they're part of what marketing means today. But...But if they give you and your team an outlet to avoid the difficult work of achieving your goal ("I can't go to that sales call, I'm busy uploading pictures of last night's party to the blog and then tweeting out the url") then you're not building, you're hiding. Rich calls this playing with turtles. The thing is, the turtles are alive, and they're going to demand a lot from you. There's a huge downside here: once your side activity gets going, it will lead to crises (we have an urgent email we have to answer), to feelings of abandonment (hey, you haven't been on the forum lately!), to irresistible offers to have the CEO speak or get people involved. There will always be a feeling of sunk cost, of opportunities missed and of things on the verge because these are human movements, not paid ads. Two choices: 1. find a way to make your goal completely aligned with the tactics you use to achieve it. What's good for your blog is good for your business. or 2. Now that these approaches are working, and working incredibly well, it's time to come up with boundaries so the tail doesn't end up wagging the dog. •

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

A message from your friend Julie White

Hello,

Your friend Julie White has forwarded you an email with this personal message:
I need to take a lesson...

Click here to view the email.

Thank you,
Larrybroughton.com

At a GREAT #vistageallcity presentation on the economy w/Alan Beaulieu of www.ecotrends.org. Bottom line: Sell your business by 2017!!

Watermelon Diet?

Just read that 1 slice of watermelon has a WHOLE glass of water (9.6 ounces)! Tastes yummy, fills you up and makes your skin glow!!

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RT@WomenPresidents: Families are demanding; companies built like families will succeed. Demanding but caring and work better with support.

So true Bob! RT@BestSellerBob: Success is not who gets the bigger piece of pie, but who brings more pie to the table.

RT @IncMagazine: Why LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman loves Facebook's new "like" button. http://ow.ly/1Hlp6

;) RT@8secrets: "In the book of life, the answers aren't in the back." Charlie Brown - Steven Hilferty Blog

To business sellers & buyers: If you put yourself in the others shoes, the best solution for all will magically appear.

Happy Friday :)

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us."~ Earl Nightingale

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RT@BestSellerBob: wealth= money freedom. Freedom of Time, Relationships, Physical Freedom, Spiritual and Freedom to Use Your Unique Genius!

Attitude + Action + Accountability gets it done!

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Congrats to my girls in the game!! RT @WSJSmallBiz: High Fliers: Top 50 Women-Led Companies http://bit.ly/dcfX2G

LOVE what you do, TRUST your gut and have the COURAGE to follow your HEART. --K. S. Steele

Fear is Expensive.

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Outperform yourself!

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Excited about upcoming workshops: How to Buy/Sell Businesses and Become a Business Broker. Watch for dates on posted bizben.com next week!

Abe's Wisdom

I'm a Goalie's mom of course...

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I love Friday!

Friday is a great day to get you 3 priorities of the week complete. Don't waste time. Get focused and get it done. After that, spend the rest of the day dreaming and planning LOFTY goals!

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I had a great time speaking to the women MBA students at Mills College today. Smart bunch of future SheEOs!

I like this! RT@Peekan: RT @DeepakChopra: Coincidences are anonymous gifts pointing to a deeper reality

I like this! RT@Peekan: RT @DeepakChopra: Coincidences are anonymous gifts pointing to a deeper reality

Watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. What a fabulous message for our nation's families. Food is not love and fries are NOT vegetables.

Luv this Bob :) @BestSellerBob: Don't get hung up on the "how to" just learn to follow your hunches, the whispers of greatness within you.

Great talk tonight for WPO @ the St. Regis. John Hamm was so on target as to why businesses scale or not. Are you an entrepreneur or leader?

Get Amped & Execute

Read this great blog post from Outspoken Media. Are you the person she's talking to? I might be. Subscribe to her blog. She always has something interesting to say. Enjoy. J.

It's Your Time. Get Amped & Execute Posted: 07 Apr 2010 07:45 AM PDT

We all talk a bit too much. We talk about the work we have to do, the new things we want to try when we get the time, the obstacles in our way. Sometimes the talk is helpful. It helps us to prioritize and plan and gets things in line so we can execute. But at some point we talk so we don't have to act. We talk so we have something to do when we're not doing the things we're supposed to be doing. We talk as an excuse for inaction. Let's not do that today. Today you should get amped and start executing. Nail down that one thing you've been wanting to do, and go all Nike on it. This is your time. Your competitor's time is over. If you don't believe me, let 5-year-old Joshua Sacco remind you.  He helped the Red Sox earn a 9-7 comeback win from the Yankees on Sunday night. Or if that didn't light a fire under your ass, go read Rae's post on Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda Success. Or maybe watch Gary V's video on why he's gonna spend this year reading, instead of talking and speaking. Imagine what you'd be doing right now if you executed this time last year and didn't just talk about it.  You probably wouldn't be reading this blog post. I'm okay with that. We weren't all born to be baseball players, but that doesn't mean we can't create great things. If you're not the one on your team who has trouble executing, send this to the person who does.

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"Trust is the residue of promises kept." Tom Waller, Chair of Vistage East Bay

RT@BestSellerBob: The avg US corp. operates on a 5 yr planning horizon. The average Japanese corp. operates on a 150 yr horizon. Plan ahead.

WSJSmallBiz: Franchising Your Biz: Anthony Geisler of LA Boxing on how he turned a lone gym into a nat'l fitness chain. http://bit.ly/cJlOsM

BrokerMom

Negotiating offers on Friday... Little League in Albany and State Cup Soccer in Manteca on Saturday. The life of a BrokerMom. I love it!!

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

Excellent advice in this market: @tonyrobbins Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.

Because it's the right thing to do.

BarackObama: Tonight's vote is not a victory for any one party it is a victory for the American people. Tonight, we answered the call of history.

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

Throwing out old Inc. Magazines and realized that I'm quoted in 3 of them! I better start adding value to a bigger audience again... soon!

Interesting! RT @IncMagazine: Weekend reading: The 5 most controversial business ideas courtesy of Norm Brodsky. http://bit.ly/aiqB1Y

"The conversation IS the relationship." -Susan Scott...Powerful!

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

Happy Sunday

"It's how we spend our time here and now, that really matters. If you are fed up with the way you have come to interact with time, change it."~ Wieder Marcia

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

RT BestSellerBob: Most folks never expect to find any value in a problem. Wealth Secret 4: All opportunities are disguised as problems.

Clarity... RT@BestSellerBob: FIVE-STEP SUCCESS FORMULA 1. Determine what you really want.

I want these next year!!

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

Luv this! RT@BestSellerBob: Set big impossible goals and then don't look at the immensity of the goal. Just keep your eyes on the next step.

We Are the World 25... Liked it but didn't feel it like the first time around. Message still resonates- please don't forget about Haiti.

Let your light shine! :)RT@BestSellerBob: In all the world, there's only 1 of you. You are unique and your story matters.

Discover what your most valuable activities are in each of your roles then create the most efficient and most enjoyable schedule possible!

TGIF! RT@BestSellerBob: You must follow your intuition and ignore your critical voice. You must also pull together an active team. You can't succeed alone.

Don't Fail!

If the goals you set for yourself in 2010 are already starting to look out of reach, you need to focus on implementation--not more ideas. Put your focus on action to make this the year you break through your business and personal plateaus. www.horsesmouth.com.

Julie Gordon White, President
Business Team / BTI Group, Inc.
www.business-team.com
www.btigroupma.com
Cell 510.812.2233
License 01347013

If you feel weighed down by a goal, it's the wrong goal. - Robert Allen

Julie Gordon White, Broker 510.812.2233 cell
www.business-team.com www.pinkbizbroker.blogspot.com

Sunday Wisdom from She Godin...See below...

Happy Sunday!

Julie Gordon White, Broker 510.812.2233 cell
www.business-team.com www.pinkbizbroker.blogspot.com

---

From: Seth Godin <blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com>

Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 07:16:18 -0500

To: jegwhite<jegwhite@bluekeybma.com>

Subject: Seth's Blog : Random rules for ideas worth spreading

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

Random rules for ideas worth spreading

If you've got an idea worth spreading, I hope you'll consider this random assortment of rules. Like all rules, some are made to be broken, but still...

• You can name your idea anything you like, but a google-friendly name is always better than one that isn't.
• Don't plan on appearing on a reality show as the best way to launch your idea.
• Waiting for inspiration is another way of saying that you're stalling. You don't wait for inspiration, you command it to appear.
• Don't poll your friends. It's your art, not an election.
• Never pay a non-lawyer who promises to get you a patent.
• Avoid powerful people. Great ideas aren't anointed, they spread through a groundswell of support.
• Spamming strangers doesn't work. Spamming friends doesn't work so well either, but it's certainly better than spamming strangers.
• The hard part is finishing, so enjoy the starting part.
• Powerful organizations adore the status quo, so expect no help from them if your idea challenges the very thing they adore.
• Figure out how long your idea will take to spread, and multiply by 4.
• Be prepared for the Dip.
• Seek out apostles, not partners. People who benefit from spreading your idea, not people who need to own it.
• Keep your overhead low and don't quit your day job until your idea can absorb your time.
• Think big. Bigger than that.
• Are you a serial idea-starting person? If so, what can you change to end that cycle? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person.
• Try not to confuse confidence with delusion.
• Prefer dry, useful but dull ideas to consumer-friendly 'I would buy that' sort of things. A lot less competition and a lot more upside in the long run.
• Pick a budget. Pick a ship date. Honor both. Don't ignore either. No slippage, no overruns.
• Surround yourself with encouraging voices and incisive critics. It's okay if they're not the same people. Ignore both camps on occasion.
• Be grateful.
• Rise up to the opportunity, and do the idea justice.

• Email to a friend • Related • •

More Recent Articles

• Upcoming events
• Ogori (and generosity)
• Strangers, Critics, Friends or Fans
• Finding people who make a difference
• Quieting the lizard brain

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Never quit! RT@zappos: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." -T. Edison

Live your life with purpose. Create a straight line from today's actions, to your goal, to your vision, to your values. TGIF!

RT @BestSellerBob: Most of your growth will come from doing things that are hard to do. #secretofdiamond

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation."~ Arthur Ashe

Word of Mouth Marketing

Enjoying a great word of mouth marketing session with Patrick Galvin of Galvin Communications www.galvincomm.com.

Best Tips:

*Who is your "Director of First Impressions"

*Send an audio email with a wave file attachment or a link to hosted audio (or video)

*50% of all people must be asked before making a referral

*Make your business Googleicious with blogging

Follow Patrick's blog to learn more... Enjoy!

Julie Gordon White, Broker 510.812.2233 cell
www.business-team.com www.pinkbizbroker.blogspot.com

8 days under rubble with the will to survive; siblings ages 8 and 10. Reminds me of my younger two and my tears flow and flow. Give $$ today.

"If you want to make good use of your time, you've got to know what's most important and then give it all you've got."~ Lee Iacocca

Sunday Long Run

Another 6 miler down along the Alameda ferry trail in pea soup and sprinkles. Shaved a minute per mile so starting to get my legs. Glorious!

Julie Gordon White, Broker 510.812.2233 cell
www.business-team.com www.pinkbizbroker.blogspot.com

"Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves -- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today."~ Stewart B. Johnson

Julie Gordon White, Broker 510.812.2233 cell
www.business-team.com www.pinkbizbroker.blogspot.com

Fw: Seth's Blog : The lesson from two lemonade stands

I love this. Which girl are you? Blue Bottle Coffee in Oakland, CA is built on the style of the second little girl and they are going gang busters. Bottom line... Create a delightful experience and the line will wrap around the corner... Enjoy!

Julie Gordon White, Broker 510.812.2233 cell
www.business-team.com www.pinkbizbroker.blogspot.com

---

From: Seth Godin <blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com>

Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:20:27 -0500

To: jegwhite<jegwhite@bluekeybma.com>

Subject: Seth's Blog : The lesson from two lemonade stands

[You're getting this note because you subscribed to Seth Godin's blog.]

The lesson from two lemonade stands

The first stand is run by two kids. They use Countrytime lemonade, paper cups and a bridge table. It's a decent lemonade stand, one in the long tradition of standard lemonade stands. It costs a dollar to buy a cup, which is a pretty good price, considering you get both the lemonade and the satisfaction of knowing you supported two kids.

The other stand is different. The lemonade is free, but there's a big tip jar. When you pull up, the owner of the stand beams as only a proud eleven year old girl can beam. She takes her time and reaches into a pail filled with ice and lemons. She pulls out a lemon. Slices it. Then she squeezes it with a clever little hand juicer.

The whole time that's she's squeezing, she's also talking to you, sharing her insights (and yes, her joy) about the power of lemonade to change your day. It's a beautiful day and she's in no real hurry. Lemonade doesn't hurry, she says. It gets made the right way or not at all. Then she urges you to take a bit less sugar, because it tastes better that way.

While you're talking, a dozen people who might have become customers drive on by because it appears to take too long. You don't mind, though, because you're engaged, almost entranced. A few people pull over and wait in line behind you.

Finally, once she's done, you put $5 in the jar, because your free lemonade was worth at least twice that. Well, maybe the lemonade itself was worth $3, but you'd happily pay again for the transaction. It touched you. In fact, it changed you.

Which entrepreneur do you think has a brighter future?

• Email to a friend • Related • •

More Recent Articles

• Neat resource of vintage ads
• The future of the library
• The victim
• [SOLD OUT!] Last chance for January 15 talk in New York
• Why ask why?

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My New Blog "The Trusted Advisors Collective" Blunders!

Please hang in there with me as I goof up this blog while trying to set up a second blog with my trusted advisor cohorts, Julie Merrill, Cathy Curtis and Elizabeth Whitehouse (a business consultant, a wealth manager and a bookkeeper)! I am still trying to figure out how to have two blogs with two separate profiles, so if my picture and name look different or don't match... it's still me! Cheers! Julie

Great advice! RT@BestSellerBob: Look for opportunities to be perennially profitable. 2010 is the year to do what you've never done before.

You have goals. Your organization has goals. Focus your efforts where the two goals intersect. When the two are combined, everyone wins.

Reflections of 2009 and Hopes for 2010

A very wonderful and smart friend of mine, Elizabeth Becker of Becker Communications, suggested that a group of us find symbols that reflect the previous year and the year ahead.

I chose "White Out" to reflect my desire to correct most of 2009! Last year was a lesson in patience, resilience and letting go. The fact that the title has my last name makes it all the more fitting. 2009, good riddance!

For 2010, I am choosing a bottle of water from the Four Season Las Vegas. This symbol represents easy flowing fun and abundance. I like this!

So...what are your 2 representations? Send me your pics!

Wishing you all easy flowing fun and abundance too in 2010! J.

Julie Gordon White, Broker BlueKey Business Brokerage 510.812.2233 cell
www.bluekeybma.com www.pinkbizbroker.blogspot.com