We get in trouble when we forget the basics. We get out of trouble when we remember the basics. We stay out of trouble when we become perpetually "insane" about the basics.
We get in trouble when we forget the basics. We get out of trouble when we remember the basics. We stay out of trouble when we become perpetually "insane" about the basics.
Good morning everyone and thank you for coming today,
Today is a big day in the evolution of blogs as a communication tool for every business in the world. Ironically, today I am here to announce the death of Blogs. (pause for audience gasp)
It's the word "Blog" that has become the problem. It has got to go. Basically, as a word, well.....it sucks. (pause for short gasp) It has caused CEO's and business owners to avoid embracing the medium by a clear majority. Too early in the life of the word "Blog" it became synonymous with people writing about the consistency of their morning oatmeal. Later, big media pushed it into the news as a place where people voice their political rants.
What's worse, "I have a blog...Do you blog?" has become the conversational equivalent of "I went to Harvard, where did you go?"
If we want all businesses to truly embrace the power of this important evolution of marketing and market interaction, we need to give it a name that allows businesses to easily embrace it.
From here forward, blogs will now be called (dramatic pause...scan the audience with your eyes to pull their attention in)..
LIVING WEB SITES
Now, I'll bet you are thinking "I didn't know my web site was dead"... Well, it is. I am sorry. Take a day, mourn, and then you must move on. Your web site would want this for you.
It didn't really promote your purpose, it didn't let people in on your passion, it didn't make them want to come back and see what else your company had to say and it didn't allow you to continually tell the ever changing story that is your business. Now, that sounds dead to me. Dead doesn't sell well.
If your business is alive then why would your web site not be the same?
The question every business owner, entrepreneur, CEO, etc.. has to ask themselves is now a simple one. Do I want a web site that is alive or one that is dead? That is much easier to answer.
Now the conversation is simple. "My web site is alive, is yours?"
their answer.. "Hmmm, I am not sure. But alive sounds much better to me than dead. How do I make my web site alive?"
Much better and far more exciting.
So, in summation, I say to all of you (pound podium for emphasis) go back to your place of business with a new mission... LET YOUR WEB SITE LIVE!
Thank you.
Run, don't walk, and read The First Time CEO's Recession Survival Guide written by Redfin online Real Estate CEO Glenn Kelman. My favorite is #1 "Compete With Your Successor - I often think about what my replacement will do after I’m fired. She won’t have emotional commitments to decisions that I already regret."
Rajesh Setty is giving away his great book "Life Beyond Code. Learn to Distinguish Yourself in 9 Simple Steps!" A very nice and useful Thanksgiving gift to yourself. Download it here.
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Great Harvard Business post on lessons that can be learned by the Obama campaign. Loved this part on the importance on purpose: "Bigness of purpose is what separates 20th century and 21st century organizations: yesterday, we built huge corporations to do tiny, incremental things - tomorrow, we must build small organizations that can do tremendously massive things."
Tom Peters: 100 Ways to Succeed #146: "Obsess On The Basics! Now, More Than Ever!" "....Keep on each other over those basics—and be liberal with the kudos for those who go an extra millimeter to do a "trivial" job especially well."
The VC's are yelling from the roof tops for startups to batten down the hatches. Like I said in my post from the other day, you have to double down AND batten down. What all of this really means is, of course, you need to get back to the business basics that have always worked and always will.
The smart folks over at Behance have launched an online project collaboration tool that follows their Action Method paper system. Watch the online video tour to get an idea of how it works. Looks like a simple and effective ways to track the individual action items for projects and goals.
Tom Peters and Seth Godin on one stage taking questions from Inc. 500 business owners. Priceless wisdom on a wide variety of topics. Click here to watch then sit back and enjoy!
"It’s easy to say that entrepreneurs will create jobs and big companies
will create unemployment, but this is simplistic. The real question is
who will innovate. A 50-year-old company can innovate as well as two guys/gals in a garage." From an interview with Guy Kawasaki discussing the ideas in his new book Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition
Your Business Brickyard will reconnect you to the basics that will make your business more fun to run.
Download the complete Book as a PDF for FREE by clicking here. OR buy the hardcover for yourself, a valued client or a business owner you know that could use a boost. Links: Amazon.com or 800-CEO-READ.
The Little eBook of Business Jokes. 9 jokes to make you laugh and smile. Why? Because business has become a place of too much stress and laughter is still the best medicine.
Download it now and share with anyone and everyone that could use a laugh.
Getting your business to focus on the basics starts with a strong call to action and specific steps that you can take that same day. Howard's talks have been called a one to one mentoring session regardless of the size of the audience. They are highly practical, personal, motivation and fun! Book Howard Mann to speak at your next event or set up a Business Brickyard workshop.
I've mentioned this elsewhere, but to me the word "blog" sounds like something you call a plumber to fish out of the toilet because it's started to stink really badly, and the liquid plumber isn't making it go away.
Brilliant Howard, couldn't agree more. The word blog has become too "cute" people roll their eyes at me when I talk about it. Besides, at some point bloging will simply become the new way of doing things i.e. living sites.
My company site, www.missinglink.co.za is completely driven by a blog engine, but I dont cal it a blog, it's simply a living web site...!
PS. And for fuck's sake can we get rid of "blogosphere" while we're at it?