We certainly have had quite a year or two. Political turnover, financial firms collapsing, and one of the worst economic downturns in history...and those are just the highlights.
However, every downturn produces opportunities for personal and professional renewal. I have an opportunity for any company or individual to benefit from the timely launch of our social media/web crawler technology and interactive platforms with EyeExposure...the world's first turnkey, rifle-approach, web marketing firm that is affordable and effective in ways no other firm can claim. Learn more @ www.EyeExposure.com .
We all know more than a few people in need of a boost for their business and/or a career renewal...feel free to forward anyone in your network to me and let me see what I can do for them, as we seek to fill our network of marketers all across North America.
Showing posts with label network. Show all posts
Showing posts with label network. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
What's your elevator pitch?
I'm not sure who first coined "the elevator pitch", but an easy guess would be someone with little patience who was just confined to an elevator with another who just could not explain himself nor his business in a clear, concise manner. The phrase has been historically attributed to pitching a business, investment, or both to any given audience, in one minute or less. I say a lot less. In this day and age, one minute can take forever to pass in a one-way communication. Email is now too slow...text messages and Twitter "tweets" are the new email...short and sweet, just like any given "elevator pitch". God be with the stationary and ink pen manufacturers.
My elevator pitch? Having managed a variety of businesses, including direct-response ad firms and now in the interactive web world...there's too much to explain and most people, frankly, just don't care. Thus, here's my simple and sweet EP:
"I manage and profitably grow businesses for guys who are just tired of doing it themselves."
That's it. No background about my education, the types of businesses I've owned and/or managed, the family and/or emotional exhaustion that typically leads others to bring me in...none of that. Just a short and sweet EP that any target audience can understand.
As opposed to one person and one pitch, think about the potential for something much bigger. How about our national healthcare debate. Here's the elevator pitch that is winning, as evidenced recent polls taken just this past week:
"A government take-over of our healthcare system, like anything the government does, will be a disaster."
Maybe. Why can't we talk about Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in such terms? Why shouldn't our gov just get out of those businesses too, if the government always leads to disaster?
What if the Cheerleader in Chief came back with this elevator pitch/sound bite at every meeting, town hall, press conference, and press interview:
"After decades of ideas and talk, now is the time to make affordable and secure healthcare available to all children and working families in America, which will result in improved educational, career, and economic development opportunities for decades to come"
No mention of "public option", insurance competition, social and class warfare issues, taxes, etc. Just a boiled down elevator pitch that hints at "sick kids cannot learn like healthy kids", "healthier families are more productive families", "pre-existing conditions are not an issue anymore", and "our economic future depends on a healthy, educated, and productive workforce". Most of all, no mention of the enemies of any change or reform of any kind.
Whether you are a CEO, a PR pro, a preacher, Commander in Chief, or Joe Six-Pack, the short and sweet explanation of your mission, passion, or advocacy of any given issue will serve you well, as long as the one you are pitching will give you the time of day.
My elevator pitch? Having managed a variety of businesses, including direct-response ad firms and now in the interactive web world...there's too much to explain and most people, frankly, just don't care. Thus, here's my simple and sweet EP:
"I manage and profitably grow businesses for guys who are just tired of doing it themselves."
That's it. No background about my education, the types of businesses I've owned and/or managed, the family and/or emotional exhaustion that typically leads others to bring me in...none of that. Just a short and sweet EP that any target audience can understand.
As opposed to one person and one pitch, think about the potential for something much bigger. How about our national healthcare debate. Here's the elevator pitch that is winning, as evidenced recent polls taken just this past week:
"A government take-over of our healthcare system, like anything the government does, will be a disaster."
Maybe. Why can't we talk about Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in such terms? Why shouldn't our gov just get out of those businesses too, if the government always leads to disaster?
What if the Cheerleader in Chief came back with this elevator pitch/sound bite at every meeting, town hall, press conference, and press interview:
"After decades of ideas and talk, now is the time to make affordable and secure healthcare available to all children and working families in America, which will result in improved educational, career, and economic development opportunities for decades to come"
No mention of "public option", insurance competition, social and class warfare issues, taxes, etc. Just a boiled down elevator pitch that hints at "sick kids cannot learn like healthy kids", "healthier families are more productive families", "pre-existing conditions are not an issue anymore", and "our economic future depends on a healthy, educated, and productive workforce". Most of all, no mention of the enemies of any change or reform of any kind.
Whether you are a CEO, a PR pro, a preacher, Commander in Chief, or Joe Six-Pack, the short and sweet explanation of your mission, passion, or advocacy of any given issue will serve you well, as long as the one you are pitching will give you the time of day.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
It IS a small world, after all...
In my little world, there seems to be a different surprise, lesson, or person everyday that adds value to what others, and/or this guy, are/is trying to accomplish in one or more corners of our community.
Yesterday was a perfect example. One meeting in the morning and another in the afternoon....each allowing me to make the right introductions, spark initial conversations, and intro multiple business models and projects in need of added-value. Never mind that there were great connections, a la "Making Connections", initialized at each locale...the merging of talent in the business and web savvy worlds was just what was needed yesterday and should provide ample mutual benefits to come in just a few weeks. We shall see.
My point is this. I am thinking everyday about just who is doing what, who knows what, who has talent or not, and just who needs to meet who to help add value to thier given project, mission, or worthwhile cause of helping others. Here's my guess at a Matrix of Benefit from just one day and four hours of effort in meetings:
2 meetings
5 people (total)
6 challenged projects in need of added value
Over a dozen projects/start-up's to benefit over the long-term
How many talented people and org's will be involved....who knows???
That was just one day.
Think about how you approach each meeting, each networking event, and each cocktail hour with those who know you or need to know you. Find your "hedgehog" concept, your mission's elevator pitch, and pinpoint those you can help and connect to bigger and better things to come. Then, you can really forge your path in your current role and, most of all, in future roles where your talent is appreciated even more.
Have a blessed weekend and week to come,
Brad
Yesterday was a perfect example. One meeting in the morning and another in the afternoon....each allowing me to make the right introductions, spark initial conversations, and intro multiple business models and projects in need of added-value. Never mind that there were great connections, a la "Making Connections", initialized at each locale...the merging of talent in the business and web savvy worlds was just what was needed yesterday and should provide ample mutual benefits to come in just a few weeks. We shall see.
My point is this. I am thinking everyday about just who is doing what, who knows what, who has talent or not, and just who needs to meet who to help add value to thier given project, mission, or worthwhile cause of helping others. Here's my guess at a Matrix of Benefit from just one day and four hours of effort in meetings:
2 meetings
5 people (total)
6 challenged projects in need of added value
Over a dozen projects/start-up's to benefit over the long-term
How many talented people and org's will be involved....who knows???
That was just one day.
Think about how you approach each meeting, each networking event, and each cocktail hour with those who know you or need to know you. Find your "hedgehog" concept, your mission's elevator pitch, and pinpoint those you can help and connect to bigger and better things to come. Then, you can really forge your path in your current role and, most of all, in future roles where your talent is appreciated even more.
Have a blessed weekend and week to come,
Brad
Saturday, June 27, 2009
What goes around, comes around again....
This blog is about business. It's about personal character and motivation to source the best mix of reality and hope, as well. I cannot write in words how the past few days really delivered another "that's why that happened", "those stars aligned", "God just pulled off another one"...take your pick.
In an earlier post, I detailed a meeting I attended in the late 1990's with apathy, if not dread. That turned out to be a really special business deal and relationship....not to mention lucrative. The takeaway? Again, respect the relationships and don't predetermine outcomes. That is just foolish.
Now, I have a better one. I worked with one of the most engaging, entertaining, and Zig Ziglar-esque professionals for less than a year or so back in 1995. He was a force of nature. Well, we both found other entrepreneurial opportunities and went our separate ways. Except for one time @ the airport, living in the same town, we never crossed paths again...until this past week.
A mutual friend invited both of us to a meeting, neither of us knowing that the other was coming. This was supposed to be a simple business discussion over coffee and it became quite the reunion. Who knows where it goes from here, but I was reminded again that all of us need to respect every conversation, meeting, and the potential of what may be just a few degrees away from where we think we are headed. As always, keep your eyes and ears open, look for what you can do for the other person as he or she hopefully returns the intent, and then explore the mutual potential past any given conversation, meeting, or gathering of any kind. You just never know where those nano-networking moments will take you, as was reaffirmed for me again today.
In an earlier post, I detailed a meeting I attended in the late 1990's with apathy, if not dread. That turned out to be a really special business deal and relationship....not to mention lucrative. The takeaway? Again, respect the relationships and don't predetermine outcomes. That is just foolish.
Now, I have a better one. I worked with one of the most engaging, entertaining, and Zig Ziglar-esque professionals for less than a year or so back in 1995. He was a force of nature. Well, we both found other entrepreneurial opportunities and went our separate ways. Except for one time @ the airport, living in the same town, we never crossed paths again...until this past week.
A mutual friend invited both of us to a meeting, neither of us knowing that the other was coming. This was supposed to be a simple business discussion over coffee and it became quite the reunion. Who knows where it goes from here, but I was reminded again that all of us need to respect every conversation, meeting, and the potential of what may be just a few degrees away from where we think we are headed. As always, keep your eyes and ears open, look for what you can do for the other person as he or she hopefully returns the intent, and then explore the mutual potential past any given conversation, meeting, or gathering of any kind. You just never know where those nano-networking moments will take you, as was reaffirmed for me again today.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Just launched today...
Here's another tool in the relationship-building, contact nurturing, and nano-networking arsenal:
www.talkfusion.com/1609602
No more clutter...just the personalized video message you want to deliver and that your contact, customer, client, funding source, or even family member prefers over text email or voice mail messages.
See what you think and I appreciate any feedback at ginnyandbrad@msn.com
Have a great Father's Day weekend,
Brad
www.talkfusion.com/1609602
No more clutter...just the personalized video message you want to deliver and that your contact, customer, client, funding source, or even family member prefers over text email or voice mail messages.
See what you think and I appreciate any feedback at ginnyandbrad@msn.com
Have a great Father's Day weekend,
Brad
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