Great Tip Exchange! December 2008

[Sue L Canfield]

At December's meeting everyone brought their best business and speaking tips including:

Books you have enjoyed
Software that makes your life easier
Websites and online resources you love
Processes you have used to improve business

The list below is a compilation of those great tips!

1. Websites: Send Out Cards - upload your signature; PrintRunner.com - make your envelopes interesting with graphics. EZ Phone Recorder - Your One Stop Telephone Recording Solutions. Contributed by Karl Palachuk

2. JingProject.com - The concept of Jing is the always-ready program that instantly captures and shares images and video-from your computer to anywhere. Contributed by Todd Lay

3. Cling Sheets - Give a presentation in any room with Rediform Write-On Cling Sheets using dry erase markers.
Seminar websites: Skill Path; National Seminars; Fred Pryor. Contributed by John Cameron

4. Treat yourself as a legitimate business. Create a business plan and marketing plan. How do you know you've arrived if you don't know where you are going? If you don't know how to create these plans, hire a business consultant. Contributed by Anne Sandler

5. Websites: Avery.com - Custom printing.
Adobe.com - Web conferencing. Contributed by Kevin Hrim

6. The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield - The end of each chapter has action plans. Contributed by MaryBeth Hrim

7. Relax and get a peaceful sleep by taking 6 minutes to soak your feet in hot water and think of nothing. Contributed by Yoshi

8. Readers are Leaders. Read The Answer by John Assaraf
The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
Learn to meditate at www.holosync.com. Contributed by Jerry Kennedy

9. Lylix.net - use VOIP technology. Contributed by Travis

10. Use social networking and Twitter . Build alliances with other speakers. FullCalendar.com. Use email marketing (www.1shoppingcart.com) Squeeze pages.
AudioAcrobat.com (http://www.audioacrobat.com/) Contributed by Rick Cooper

11. The Time Tamer's Holiday Poem. Contributed by Christine Giri

12. Print out or write notes and create a dreaming room. Post your notes up all around you in the room and just be with it. Keep it up for about a week. Contributed by Jenifer Landers

13. SpeakerNetNews.com - 1001 Tips on Speaking Successfully. Their weekly email newsletter is a favorite of Stephanie Chandler. Contributed by John Marchel

14. Networking. After collecting business cards at a networking event, select one to call the next day and set up a face to face meeting. Contributed by Janie Johnson

15. Get back to the basics. Remind yourself of why you went into business in the first place. Book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill . Contributed by Keith Huggett

16. Books: Awakening the Entrepreneur Within by Michael Gerber
Egonomics by David Marcum
Website: www.gotomypc.com; www.logmein.com; PonderPearls.com - online marketing
Build a referral group whether it be with BNI, LeTip, or another.
Contributed by Tim McGinnis

17. Books by Anthony Robbins . Contributed by Kevin Harville

18. Websites: Lulu.com; BuyerZone.com; VistaPrint.com. Contributed by Andrew Rogerson

19. Write and print monthly goals and post where you can see them while sitting at your desk. Create a speaker's binder to include: calendar, checklist, prospects, past fliers, examples of other speaker sheets, evaluations, an intake form, and packing list for things to take with you to your speaking engagement. Contributed by Natalie Conrad

20. EchoSign.com for online e-signatures on documents and Efax.com to receive faxes online. Todd Lay chimed in with another one: www.K7.net. There is also evoicereceptionist.com and gotvmail.com for voice mail. Contributed by Sue Canfield

21. Book by Harry Beckwith: Selling the Invisible about how to sell services. Don't make technical decisions if you don't know about technical stuff. Any business decision you make that is just about money is wrong. Contributed by Joel D Canfield

22. Yoga. Seth Godin's books The Dip and Tribe. Focus on what you are passionate about. Contributed by Bill Walker

23. 10 Sanity-Saving Business Strategies Handout (see separate post with this title for complete article).
Success Principles by Jack Canfield
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Audible.com
Damn! Why Didn't I Write That?
4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
E-Myth by Michael Gerber
Speak and Grow Rich
Success Magazine
PayLoadz.com - sell ebooks online
Contributed by Stephanie Chandler

Thanks again to everyone for contributing these great tips!

[Joel D Canfield]

The energy in the room when we do these tip exchanges is amazing. I almost think we could go longer and still keep it amped; it'd be nice to be able to spend more Q&A time on the ones that really spark interest, but without running out of time.

[Joel D Canfield]

A note on #5—it looks like Acrobat Connect has a free trial, but is not actually free, which was the impression I had last night. Looks like I'll still be looking for a serviceable free web conferencing tool.

Any suggestions?