Medical Info

Goals begin behaviour, consequences maintain behaviour!

Introduction

It is ESSENTIAL to set goals, objectives, targets, expected outcomes… throughout the eBook authoring process.
The positive consequences of completing tasks that accomplish the goals you have set is the motivation to keep moving forward.
For ease of communication the term ‘goals’ shall be used to represent all of the synonyms associated with the word.

Big Picture Goals

You must have a general overall goal which is to write and publish your own eBook. This is the BIG PICTURE goal. You need to see yourself weeks or months from now as a published author collecting “passive income” for your efforts. Passive income is income generated forever after you have completed the initial eBook writing.

Updates are recommended but not essential. If you choose to provide your eBook for free you will still receive passive results through your ongoing contribution to someone’s successful use of your work. Better still, you could see yourself writing another eBook.

The big picture goals include some visualizations, some dream fulfillments, some major accomplishment you have always wanted to pursue, some lasting contribution to a body of knowledge.

Working Goals

Besides the big picture goals, you must establish goals for each of the steps in the eBook authoring process. These ‘working’ goals are your nitty-gritty, hard working daily motivators.

Without the big picture goal you won’t get started and without the working goals you won’t keep going.

“You dream won’t come true, it won’t happen to you - unless you have goals to motivate you to begin and continue.”

We all understand the importance of goals but we’re not as good at establish appropriate goals, deciding how to reach them or taking the time to write them down. Even after goals are written, the most important step is often left out - HOW you are going to reach them!

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

Big Picture Goals

February 11, 2002

My goal is to write an eBook titled, Classroom Visits by School Administrators, for use by teachers and administrators in schools where teacher evaluations require classroom visits as part of the supervision and evaluation process. I shall complete the book by March 31, 2002 and be published by the end of May, 2002.

What does this big picture goal have going for it?

It has purpose. It talks about the reason for writing and the target audience.

It is specific. It includes a proposed title and suggests the content.

It is time oriented. It establishes time commitments and completion dates.

Sounds great so far but you should also:

• Write the goal down, preferably in a colourful and dramatic fashion, and post it in a prominent place where you must read it every day. [Bathroom mirrors?]

• Share the goal with as many people as possible but especially with those persons closest to you. This commits you to pursue your goal.

• Enlist the support of 2 or 3 people who may not help you write but will encourage you to keep going during the rough times. This allows you to keeping progressing toward the goal. They act as a mirror of your commitment. They keep you on track.

What next?

Big Picture Goal: to write an eBook entitled, Classroom Visits by School Administrators

Start: Feb. 11,2002 Finish: May 31,2002

Now you must break that goal down into several sub-goals that are very general in nature but more specific than the overall big picture goal.

This step in goal setting involves breaking down your big picture goal into smaller and more manageable goals; establishing a target date for completion of the goal; listing the means to accomplish the goal (your to do list); and recording the actual date when the objective was reached.

Goal

Targeted Finish Date

Actual Finish Date

Means to Accomplish the Goal

To prepare myself to write an eBook

Feb. 20 take the eBook Teleseminar from AwakenTheAuthorWithin.com

Feb. 18 contact 2 colleagues or friends to act as mentors

Feb. 21 write my big picture goals and share them with my mentors and others

Feb. 13 set aside on my calendar a minimum of 6 hours per week to author the book

Feb. 10 talk to my significant other about what I intend to do and why. Ask for help.

What does this format of goal writing have going for it?

1. The big picture (overall) objective is clearly articulated in very specific language.

2. A specific time/date is declared for the completion of each task. THIS IS A MUST!

3. The big picture goal is broken down into WORKING GOALS each one with a targeted completion date.

4. The working goals are also specific and dated.

5. The most important aspect of goal setting and writing is the use of ACTION VERBS to begin each of the means to accomplish the goals. Words such as take, contact, write, gather, set aside, talk…are CRUCIAL to success.

6. The goals use present tense verbs. There is “immediacy” about them!

These goals are your action plan.
Always record the ‘means to accomplish’ goals beginning with action verbs. The more action the better!
Include completion deadlines!
Remember:
“There is doing and not doing. There is no such thing as trying!”
You can’t try to write a book. You have to do something before it really happens.

Working Goals

Let’s take a closer look at working goals. These are the day to day goals leading you to completion of the bigger goal of writing an eBook.

Assume you have started the eBook Authoring Teleseminar Series from AwakenTheAuthorWithin.com and you have received the eBook, Awaken The Author Within - A Definitive Guide to eBook Authoring by Glenn Dietzel and Paul Jackson.

This is your first significant step in the authoring process. You have already begun moving toward your previous big picture goals - you are reading the book and taking the teleseminar series. Using the eBook - A Definitive Guide - as an example of a specific goal leading to completion of your eBook here is what your working goals many look like.

Goal: Read the eBook, Awaken The Author Within - A Definitive Guide to eBook Authoring

The format presented here is only one way this can be done. Do what is most appropriate for you.

Working goals require:

targeted completion date

means to accomplish the goal

actual finish date

Note: For each of these sub-goals you would establish a targeted completion date and record your actual completion date.
Notice how the sub-goals are numbered as they are actually working goals and means to accomplish the goal at the same time. A numbering system keeps you on track and allows for checking off completed tasks as well.

1. Start working with the material in the eBook - A Definitive Guide.

1.1 read the information in the preliminary notes and the eBook

1.2 download and/or print the related information from web site

1.3 re-read information and make brief notes or highlight it

2. Do the work suggested during the Teleseminar Series

2.1 become familiar with the Discussion Board on web site

2.2 post a welcome message and/or questions, comments

2.3 read or re-read two books in Part D of preliminary notes

2.4 visit web sites suggested in notes

2.5 choose and contact my team members

2.6 choose a topic and/or title of my eBook

2.7 gather together any materials readily available to begin writing

2.8 arrange to have someone type my eBook (if necessary)

2.9 begin search and recording of applicable web sites

2.10 record dates on calendar of all 5 eBook Teleseminar sessons

What do these written goals and means to accomplish them have to teach us?

The goals are:

Written in specific detail

Use action verbs

Are positively worded

Have targeted completion dates

Are specific to the bigger objective of dealing with the authoring eBook

In reality, goals are always broken down into smaller goals and smaller goals again which become the action plan for reaching your big picture goal.
They can be added to, revised, have the completion dates altered… so you successfully complete your dream.

BIG PICTURE

The overall goal of writing an eBook
To
STEPS
These are also goals but steps/stages/processes/… along the way
To
WORKING GOALS
Goals specific to each of the steps or stages
To
ACTION STATEMENTS
These are the means to accomplish the goals.

10 Steps to eBook Authoring

The 10 Steps as outlined here are representative of 10 steps/goals to reach the big picture goal of authoring and publishing an eBook. Each of these 10 steps is further broken down into working goals and then into action statements.

For each of the 10 Steps to eBook Authoring, a reflection and writing stem has been provided to get you started with some action ideas of how to accomplish the goal of completing the Step.

Step RaW Stems - Reflective and Writing Stems

I Idea

* I’ve always dreamed about writing a book about _____

* My experience says an eBook about _____ is needed.

* If I wrote an eBook about ____, ____ would be interested in it.

II Reflection

* My primary motivation for authoring an eBook is _____

* Additional benefits to writing it will be _____

* I have a head start on the process because _____

III Commitment

* I will discuss the eBook concept with _____

* I will seek out additional information about eBooks from _____

* I will sign up for an eBook authoring course from _____

IV Big Picture

* In general terms my eBook will be about _____

* Some of the topics covered in my eBook will be _____

* The objectives of the eBook will be to _____

V Chunking

* The general topic will have sub-topics such as _____

* The format(s) I choose to use will include _____

* In terms of portability, interactivity, and versatility I will _____

VI Writing

* The choice of word processor, font, graphics, … will be _____

* My style of writing shall be _____

* In this part of the process, I shall seek help from _____

VII Editing

* After writing with flow and little editing I will be ready to _____

* I will use automatic spell and grammar checking as well as ____

* Since this is a time-consuming and crucial step I shall _____

VIII Publishing

* Among the choices I have for publishing I choose __ because __

* They eye appeal of my eBook is ensured by _____

* The publishing process is _____

IX Marketing

* I shall choose _____ for marketing my eBook because ____

* In addition to the primary marketer I shall ____ to sell my book.

* To track my eBook on the market I shall _____

X Celebrating

* After completion of the eBook I plan to _____

* I shall send thank-you notes and copies of my eBook to _____

* Upon reflection of the eBook authoring process I intend _____

Review your goals on a regular basis

WHY?

A progress report toward your dream

Keeps you motivated and working

Justifies the process of goal setting

Keeps you on track with your time lines

Gives you cause to celebrate

WHEN?

At regular intervals during the process [weekly, bi-weekly, monthly]

At the end of each step along the way

When you need a “boost” by seeing what you’ve already accomplished

When you take the time to reflect on past accomplishments

When you re-write or add goals.

HOW?

Set aside a specific time to review goals

[Sunday morning before the Sunday paper]

Write a journal note about your progress

Tell someone about what you are doing.

Then celebrate again! You can never get enough celebrating.

Establishing a method of recording your goals along with dates and means to accomplish them will ensure that you reach them. There is much that has been written about goals and goal setting. In eBook authoring, establish how you want to proceed toward your Big Picture goal of writing a book.

© 2005 Paul Jackson

Paul Jackson is an eBook author and retired Elementary School Administrator responsible for training sessions for teachers and administrators. Paul uses his educational background to help eBook authors accomplish their goal of writing and publishing a book. At http://www.ebookwritingandpublishing.com
eBook Authoring Services opens the door of opportunity for anyone dreaming of leaving a written legacy of their passion in eBook format.

Filed by admin at 2:49 am under Paperbacks and Others
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eBooks, or electronic books, mean big business for all aspiring writers. Not only can eBooks be sold in their own right as standalone products, but eBooks are fast becoming the weapon of choice for marketing gurus!

Many business owners and webmasters pay writers to write eBooks for them. Writers spend hours, days and weeks researching material and writing the eBook. But for writers, business owners & webmasters alike, there is often little in the way of protection in place that stops unscrupulous operators from stealing eBook content. Shockingly, 4 out of every 10 eBooks offered for sale on the Internet are pirated. Material from legitimate eBooks are taken without the owner’s knowledge, and passed off as original content every single day!

I should know…I was a victim!

I have written and published 5 eBooks on various topics in the past year, the content of which has all been stolen and used as original copy on other people’s web sites. The sad thing is, MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO DO THIS DO NOT REALIZE THEY ARE DOING ANYTHING WRONG!

US Copyright law, and for that matter, most copyright laws around the world state that as soon as a book, e-book or other material is published, the author has immediate & full backing under copyright infringement law. Unfortunately for many writers & publishers, placing a ” © Copyright - All Rights Reserved ” statement on their material affords little in the way of protection these days, unless there is a good team of attorneys and a bottomless pit of cash to back it up with.

So what are your options?

1) Copyright Registration - If you’re serious about protecting your hard work you’ll need to register your e-book through a professional copyright service.

To register copyright, visit one of these service providers -

IN NORTH AMERICA

Click &Copyright
http://www.clickandcopyright.com/

IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Writers’ Copyright Association-UK
http://www.wcauk.com/

Copyright registration though is only worthwhile if you can follow it through with lawyers & attorneys…and the cost can sometimes hurt!

2) International Standard Book Number (ISBN) - If you’re really, really serious about protecting your hard work you’ll need to register for an ISBN number. This will give you a bit more clout when dealing with copyright infringement.

3) EAN Bar Codes - If you’re really, really, really serious about protecting your hard work you’ll need to buy an EAN bar code. This can get expensive but gives your lawyers something to latch onto when taking proceedings against people who have infringed copyright.

4) Digital Content Protection Systems - If you’re really, really, really, really serious about protecting your hard work for a fraction of the cost of other routes then go for a digital content protection system like Virtual Vault. This type of program protects your eBook AT SOURCE, so there’s no need to chase people through court, as they won’t be able to steal it in the first place!

S Jay is a professional writer and owner ofCopyright-Protect.net - http://www.copyright-protect.net

Filed by admin at 8:53 pm under Paperbacks and Others
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Do you know the secret to making money with affiliate marketing?

Many smart affiliate marketers earn revenue by creating free special reports (or ebooks) that discuss a specific topic. These guides contain links to high-paying affiliate products. So whenever someone reads a free ebook and purchases product from an affiliate link, the marketer earns a sales commission.

But what if you don’t know how to find a topic for your free ebook?

If this is the case, here is a tutorial that will help you get started with your free money-making ebook.

As you probably know, affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to generate revenue from an Internet business. Unfortunately, it is hard to get people to purchase from an affiliate link. Many times, they go to your website and check out your information. Then most of them leave without purchasing products through an affiliate link.

The problem is you haven’t had time to explain to them the value of the products you are recommending.

The solution is you can create a guide that discusses a hot topic related to your product. In this report, you discuss the topic and then provide a solution to the major problem that that is experienced by your readers. Obviously the affiliate product will be the solution to their problems.

So how do you write one of these special reports?

In truth, it is very easy to write a 5-15 page special report that is in high demand by readers, while having a potential for a high affiliate income.

The first step is to look for a topic.

One of the best ways to discover a good topic is to explore forums that cater to your niche or product. Then read up on topics that people have posted. Many people will post comments on forums looking for answers to particular problems. All you need to do is find a topic where you can easily create at least five pages of content.

The next step is to find a related affiliate product.

Most of the time, somebody has already created a product that provides a solution to the problem that people are having. All you have to do is look for this product and become an affiliate. The best part is most affiliate programs have marketing material which you can use to help create your content.

After looking at the forum and support material, you can easily create your special report.

In this free ebook, you will discuss the topic in general terms. You will talk about the problem and ways they can find the solution. Your content will focus on the pain they are experiencing from this problem. Then mention the solution to their problem which is your affiliate product. In your special report, you want to provide useful information while gently persuading the reader to check out your affiliate link.

The key is to talk about the benefits of using the product, without being too pushy or salesy. Most affiliate products have a sales page, so you can leave the convincing to the referral site. As long as you do a good job pre-selling your readers on that particular product, they will arrive at the site ready to buy.

Free ebooks or special reports are a great way to earn long-term affiliate income because they can be easily distributed and provide quality value to the reader. As long as you focus on creating good content for your reader, you will see your affiliate revenue increase.

Scott J. Patterson is the author of free brandable ebooks and guides that you can distribute for affiliate revenue. To learn more, www.duncemoney.com/rebrand.html“> check out the following link .

Filed by admin at 11:06 am under Paperbacks and Others
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The quickest way the write you own eBooks is by using the expert interview process. What I mean by this is, approaching some experts in the field your writing the book on and asking them to agree to do an interview.

If you approach these experts correctly, they will provide you with expert responses to all your questions. You will find these experts by checking search engines or related niche forums.

The easiest way to contact these experts, is by email with a list of questions. Before you submit questions or contact your expert, do your research on him/her. You need to approach these experts correctly therefore you need to consider the following points.

Keep your questions short and too the point: You will turn the person off if you are asking long winded questions, long questions lead to long answers and you don’t want your expert to spend too much time.

Give a good introduction of yourself at the start of the email. You will have a better chance of reply because the respondent can evaluate you.

Take care of spelling and grammar: One spelling/grammar mistake could destroy your chances of getting the interview.

Have a deadline: You must have a deadline. This will help you plan your writing better and it will force your respondent to reply quicker.

Object of the interview: You must let the respondent know what the interview is for. For example is it for an ebook to resell or a free bonus to give away.

Appreciate the respondent: Let the expert know that you are a fan of his/her business or website etc. This helps get a much more positive response.

Something in return: The responder has to get something in return. He/She is not going to give time to do the interview for nothing. An example of an offer would usually consist of offering to share the profits of the ebook.

So believe me when I say this, if you approach these experts correctly you could get a huge volume of feedback and enough material to combine a best selling eboook

David Hennebery is the owner and creator of a very successful ebook called ebookprofitmaker. He is regarded as an expert in eBook marketing and selling. To contact him email support@ebookprofitmaker.com. Receive 35% off my ebook for reading this article www.ebookprofitmaker.com/articleoffer.html

Filed by admin at 7:17 am under Paperbacks and Others
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Chachkas (sp)…Freebies…Giveaways. Through the years, promotional items have taken on many names…most not very complimentary. We’ve all been on the receiving end of promotional items, and typically our overall impression is synonymous with throw away, little or no value, worthless, not an essential business tool. If you’re on the giving end, certainly this is not the desired response. Time and money have been spent with the ultimate goal of promoting your product and raising awareness of your brand.

Let’s use a few other terms. This time I’ll pick words that are synonymous with business in the 21st Century. How about runaway competition; skeptical, hard to reach audiences; slow growth; and low price focus? This second set of terms should shed a new light on the use of promotional items as part of an overall branding strategy.

Before you can appreciate how promotional products and branding fit into the solution, let’s expand on the problem. There were more than 33,000 new product introductions in 2004. The more staggering point, more than half of consumers could not name a single product that was introduced. It’s estimated that all of us receive 5,000 messages a day. Think about all the email, voice mail, snail mail, and advertising you receive, not to mention product emblazoned pads and pens, and most people can see how cutting through the communication clutter requires far more effort today than in the past. Actually success is generated more through strategic thinking than just effort.

What can you do about this? First, decide on a brand. My definition of a brand is “the sum total of what makes your business or product unique in the marketplace”. Absolute uniqueness is almost impossible to achieve in today’s world. Even Ipod is not absolutely unique. But they do have relative uniqueness by introducing break through products that are easy-to-use and cool. Their success is based on the fact that everything they do revolves around this identity. The product design, consumer experience, advertising…promotional products…everything reinforces this very focused brand. As a result, you know exactly what they stand for and you want one.

The brand building process is not easy in today’s climate. You have to have an intense understanding of your customer and your competition. You need to be critically objective about your products or services. And, even if you are able to wade through all of this information and decide on a brand that has relative uniqueness, you must determine if it is important to your consumer, and stands out from your competition. And then, you still have one huge hurdle. Discipline.

There is so much temptation to stray. To set short range goals that are too short. To evaluate too soon and abandon strategies too quickly all in an effort to run a marketing sprint that is almost assured of failure. Today’s marketplace demands that you and your organization run the marathon. Decide on a brand and then focus every molecule of your organization on that brand. Build products and services that support it. Relentlessly communicate the same brand message in many different ways and different media.

And that brings us back to chachkas. Once the brand message is established, some basic rules of thumb apply to the actual selection/purchase of promotional items.
o Set a budget and stay within it. Factor in the cost of promotional items into your overall marketing budget.

o Determine the purpose of the promotional products. Promotional products are often used to announce a new product or service; entice a prospective client to make a purchase; thank a customer; improve employee morale and to remind tradeshow attendees of your product or service.
o Once your purpose is defined, develop a program rather than a once and done project. For instance, distribute a series of products to potential attendees at a trade show. Each product can convey a different message enticing the prospect to attend your booth.
o Determine where or how it will be distributed.
o Buy enough, but not too much. Promotional products purchased for one purpose may not suit all needs.

Most important to remember is to develop a program of handouts that reinforce your uniqueness instead of giving away a pen with your logo on it that has little connection to your brand or message. By distributing a series of items your message will have greater impact and memorability. The items should make it easy for your target market to remember your brand, not just jot down their grocery lists.

Follow these simple guidelines and you can change the terms Chochkas (sp)… …Freebies…and Giveaways…into Brand Communicators…Results Generators…or Clutter Busters.

Barry Carbaugh is president of Barry Group, Inc. a strategic communications firm specializing in strategies for competitive differentiation and attitude and behavior change. The agency provides clients with branding strategy development, national, regional and local media planning and buying, creative development for print, broadcast, outdoor, interactive and collateral materials and comprehensive public relations planning. Agency clients include: Kinsley Construction, York County Convention and Visitors Bureau, New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud among others.

Filed by admin at 5:44 pm under Hallmarks
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Earlier this week at Norwich Magistrates’ Court, PMA Systems a building repair company was fined £20,000 after two its employees were left dangling from a gantry they were working on at “The Mall” a Norwich shopping centre.

The Health and Safety Executive took legal action against the company in what it saw as a major breach of regulations in that the company failed to ensure the safety of the two men.

The incident occurred back in June of 2007 when employees John Page and Andrew Hawkins were working on an access system approximately 50 feet above the shopping centre floor.

Two men were balanced on gantry steps, which suddenly overturned leaving them dangling precariously above the polished marble floor some 50 feet below. The court was shown CCTV footage recorded by maintenance staff at The Mall.

The video film revealed Mister Page managing to pull himself out of danger, Mr Hawkins was not so lucky having to wait an excruciatingly long 10 minutes before the fire brigade to rescue him.

The prosecution pointed out that either man could have easily fallen to their death, and that Mr Hawkins suffered a dislocated shoulder, which kept him away from work for the best part of a year.

Accidents such as this can happen in the blink of an eye, make sure that your employees are fully up-to-date with all the latest health and safety regulations by making use of the NEBOSH courses available through Workplace Law Training.

Filed by admin at 6:49 am under Legal Counsel Resources, Markets
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As a franchisor often one will be presented with relatively simple transactions, which on paper have significance but in reality will not change the franchise relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee. Even so such changes could be significant down the road. For instance, take the assignment of the franchise agreement, which is transferred into a newly formed corporation or LLC. A franchisee may do this, to limit its liability, for tax purposes or other legal reasons.

A franchisor must consider how this will effect his operations in dealing with the franchisee and making sure that the new corporation as the same partners and legal entities behind it, because a franchisee might be bringing in monies from a competitor, someone who has not signed the franchise agreement and is not bound by its stipulations or they might be trying to dodge tax laws, and thus jeopardizing the company brand-name if something wrong. It is for this reason that I modified our clauses in our franchise agreement regarding assignments of the franchise agreement to a corporation or LLC. Below is the clause that I came up with for our company;

5.3 Assignment to Corporation or Limited Liability Company

If Franchisee is a partnership or individual and hereafter desires to conduct the Franchised Business in an incorporated or limited liability company form, Franchisor will not unreasonably withhold its consent to the transfer of this Agreement and Franchisee’s interest herein to any corporation or limited liability company formed for that purpose; provided that Franchisee and such corporation or company must, prior to such transfer, satisfy such reasonable requirements as Franchisor shall impose, which may include, without limitation, the following:

(a) Franchisee or its partners will at all times be the record and/or beneficial owner of, and will have, by law or by written agreement satisfactory to Franchisor, voting control of, not less than fifty-one percent (51%) of the issued and outstanding shares or membership interests of each class of the capital stock or membership interests of such corporation or company;

(b) No other person or entity, except members of Franchisee’s or its partners’ respective immediate families or trusts for the benefit of such family members, may own or have any right to acquire any capital stock, membership interests or other securities of such corporation or company;

(c) The form and content of the articles or certificate of incorporation, organization or formation of such corporation or company and by-laws of any such corporation or operating agreement of any such company must contain provisions enforceable under applicable law restricting the issuance and transfer of capital stock, membership interests or securities of the corporation or company to such extent as Franchisor shall reasonably require;

(d) Franchisor must have been furnished in writing the names and address of all existing or prospective shareholders or members of the corporation or company and Franchisee or its partners and (if requested by Franchisor) each such shareholder or member, or prospective shareholder or member, must have guaranteed in writing (in form and substance satisfactory to Franchisor) the performance by the corporation or company of the obligations of the Franchisee under this Agreement; and

(e) Each shareholder or member must have executed and delivered to Franchisor a
non-competition covenant in form and substance satisfactory to Franchisor, containing the covenants not to compete required by Section 3.20.3 hereof. After assignment of this Agreement to a corporation or limited liability company as above provided, or, if Franchisee is a corporation or limited liability company at the date of this Agreement, the sale, transfer, assignment or encumbrance or change in rights of any class or series of capital stock, membership interests or other securities of such corporation or company, whether by operation of law or otherwise, will be deemed a sale by Franchisee or (if a partnership) its partners or its or their interest(s) in this Agreement and will in all respects be subject to the limitations set forth in this Section 5 on the sale of Franchisee’s interests in this Agreement. Any merger, consolidation or reorganization by any corporation or limited liability company having an interest in this Agreement will be deemed a sale of such interest and, unless the prior written consent of Franchisor has been obtained, will constitute a material breach hereof.

— — — — —

It is interesting how something so simple can become so problematic. It is for this reason that I suggest that you consult an experienced and knowledgeable franchisee attorney and ask them how such a clause would best fit your franchise in company. I hope you will consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

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Here’s how to get a blank look from most business owners, managers and branding, marketing executives. Ask them, “What’s your marketing plan?”

You’ll likely get an answer like this: “Well, I don’t really have one of those exactly, but I am doing some corporate branding, direct mail, updating my web site and considering search engine optimization.”

Fact is, just the thought of a “marketing plan” overwhelms many. Mention of projections, studies, demographics and segmentation are returned with blank spacey stares.

Nevertheless, you shouldn’t let the idea of a marketing plan scare you. Think of it, rather, as a marketing recipea mix of ingredients you pull together to create a fabulously tasty result like increased sales, better profits or more market share.

But before you start-throwing ingredients together like a cook gone wild, brainstorm ideas of what you’d like to eventually make with the recipe and educate yourself on the characteristics of the ingredients you might usewhat will each bring to the final product?

And you know what’s cool? After you find a marketing recipe that proves successful, you can use it again and againjust like any recipe.

I have numerous marketing recipes in my repertoire. I’ve got them for networking, getting speaking engagements, adding names to my e-newsletter list, creating a successful online sales letter and for following up with prospects and turning them into clients over the phone.

None of these recipes were especially brilliant. They were simply the results of brainstorming, research and testing. Many came from others, which is one of the best sources for winning marketing recipes. All I did was add my own twist to make it fit my business and market.

I continually tested and tweaked my recipes until I finally came up with something I liked…and that a few of my peers liked. Now, I have an arsenal of marketing techniques ready to tackle any marketing problem I may have. Here’s a look at how I put everything together:

Marketing Activity: What action will you take to accomplish an objective? Focus on one per recipe, such as networking, speaking or search engine optimization.

Purpose: What’s your goal for this marketing activity? What’s the perfect outcome?

Intended results: What do you want to happen as a result of accomplishing your goal?

Target market: Who is it and how can you best get their attention?

Plan: What tactics does your research show will work? What ingredients are needed and how will they best work in?

Message/Attention: What’s your key message? It must be attention-grabbing and memorable.

Marketing materials: Do you need a web page or a printed piece? Perhaps a combination…

Main activity: What is the main line of communication, and how can you best use it to reach your prospect?

Offer and Call to Action: How will you ask them to take action? What can you say or write that is compelling enough?

Follow-up: How will you get back in touch? Whatever you do, don’t forget to do this…it’s what separates marketing from selling.

Time: Give yourself deadlines, and carefully place them in your calendar so you can realistically accomplish them.

If getting results from your marketing is truly important to you, you need to have a recipe like this. Just start with one ingredient and take it slow. Before you know it, you’ll be cooking up a feast of new business wins.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru a leading Corporate Branding and Branding Research firm in Boston, MA

Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.

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Product naming is a key aspect of branding. The name you ultimately choose will reflect who you are, your company’s personality and vision. But more importantly, it must unforgettably embody the promise of your product’s main benefit to your potential customers. It can dovetail generically with your competition, but ideally, it should stand out from the crowd. Where to begin? Here are some basic guidelines.

If the field’s too crowded, be unique

MSN Search, Netscape Search, AOL Search, they all stayed in the same category, so
you could play it safe and go with Stupendous Search or Super-Duper Search. This
works for a time, but as soon as the field gets too crowded, you’ll be lost in the
mush of sameness with ever diminishing name recognition. If you’re in it for the
long haul, better to break away from the crowd with a name like Google, Yahoo, or
even Dogpile (though I’m not a fan of going into the scat category just to be
unique). Even Kinkosthe founder’s nickname (he had kinky red hair in school)is
different enough to be memorable.

Avoid tongue twisters

There’s a little part in all of us that hates to be embarrassed. When we ask for a
product or talk about it with friends, we want to sound literate and not fumble over
pronunciations. So be kind to your potential customers and avoid tongue twisters,
or any name that’s unusually long or foreign sounding. If you can’t find a single-
word name, don’t go over two or three syllables.

Alliteration can help with longer names

Okay, so the president of the company likes all the longer names on your list. You
can make them more memorable and/or easier to pronounce by using alliteration.
Consider Circuit City (originally, the incredibly bland, monosyllabic, Wards). Or
Downtown Disney, Or the most famous brand in the world, Coca Cola. All four
syllables, yet they roll off the tongue with surprising ease.

Avoid abbreviations

Abbreviations lack personality and communicate very little in terms of benefit or
brand character. Sure, IBM, MCI and ABC have big recognition and identity, but they
also spent years and millions in virtually all media to promote their imageusing
images of people and situations that were warm and fuzzy. Even billionaire Bill
Gates chose Microsoft over MS (which has some undesirable connotations).

Convey an implied benefit

If you don’t have a lot of media dollars to spend on name recognition, try for a
name that conveys a benefit or describes content. Snapple started out with a name
that combined two of its original flavors: Spice N Apple. Silkthe soy-based milk
brandcombines soy and milk. Benefit-oriented names include EasyOff oven
cleaner, Miracle-Grow plant food, and Hearthwarmer (a fireplace insert).

Lost in Translation…or worse!

Most of us have heard the story of Chevrolet introducing their “Nova” in Spanish-
speaking countries. The car tanked because ‘nova’ means “doesn’t go.” Fiat found
they had to rename their “uno” in Finland, since “Uno” means garbage in Finnish.
Canadian products require labeling in both English and French, which is why on
some cookie boxes, the English phrase “without preservatives” has been
unintentionally translated into the French “sans preservatives,” which means
“without condoms.” ‘Nuff said.

Avoid fads

The shelf life of a faddish name is short and sweet. It rises to the stratosphere of
recognition then nosedives into obscurity faster than you can say, “radical,”
“tubular” or “outta sight.” Another problem with fads is they’re often limited to one
demographic or clique. In a market as broad and diverse as the U.S., it’s better to
be safe than sorry.

Protect your image

If you’re like most companies, you worked hard and spent some real money creating
the image of your company. So it only makes sense to protect your investment with
a product name that’s consistent with your existing brands and image. Rolls Royce
had to pull the name of its newest addition to the Silver Cloud line, which they
tentatively named the “Silver Mist,” since in German, “mist” means manure. So build
on what you have. A good example: Google’s entry into online shopping with
Froogle. Incidentally, if you’re wondering where “Google” came from, it’s a variation
on the math term googol, a huge number with endless zeros.

Don’t forget legal

Once you’ve settled on a few ideal prospective names, hire a good lawyer to make
sure they’re not already being used and not confusingly similar to someone else’s in
your industry.

Hopefully, this brief overview will help guide you through the subtleties of product
naming. Remember, try to be unique and benefit oriented without being confusing
or offensive. Avoid fads, abbreviations and tongue twisters. And, by all means,
protect your image.

About the Author

Alex Kecskes is a former ad agency Copy Chief who provides a full range of
copywriting services to agencies and Fortune 500 companies. He has created
effective
brand names and copy for brochures, mailers, multimedia, articles, newsletters, PR
and
web content. For samples and more information, please visit:
http://www.akcreativeworks.com

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What do you mean by a ‘brand’?
It’s no secret that most fine chess sets are made by artisans in India. They are nicely weighted, beautifully designed and look/feel great. Some manufacturers are better than others, and quality is an ever present issue to grapple with on an ongoing basis. But good quality can be had - and there are a number of stores, physical and online, that market excellent quality chess sets for good prices that yield a little profit for the operator. How can we make ours distinct? How can we make our version the next Jaques, that will someday be heard on a future incarnation of Antiques Roadshow, where the owner will show that warm glow of satisfaction when the expert tells them that she has a genuine ‘Baron’ as sold by the early 2000 chess retailer ChessBaron? Hmmm, yes, our sights are indeed set high.

Will the brand be genuine?
We don’t want to just call it a Baron, knowing that the same is purchasable elsewhere. We want a real brand. I want to pass my business to my son, and he to his son or daughter, so we want a business that will stand the test of time and have a product that will span that amount of time. Therefore we need to build differences in our product even whilst knowing thatthe same is available elsewhere. It’s done with computers - there really isn’t that much difference between Gateway and Dell, but both justifiably claim adherants to their brand, even fans (no pun intended). Our chess designs need to stand out. How? Easy…!

Domain Name
How likely are customers for a cranial and middle class game like chess to buy chess from a company like ChessShop.com, or CheapChess.com? Some, but not our kind of customers. Our national domains are ChessBaron (BaronDesEchecs in France), and convey, we hope, value, quality and such things. There are many domains that are places for people to buy chess quick and cheefully - which we wish well. But how does BMW react if someone says ‘I would like to buy a cheap car please…’? Well, they’ve obviously come to the wrong place. It’s the same with ChessBaron. Whether in the UK, USA, France, Canada, etc., if customers want to buy good value fine chess sets (and other chess products), they’ve come to the right place. But for Wal-Mart prices, go to Wal-Mart or Asda (who buy in bulk from China where chess manufacture is a business without soul.

Building the brand
We will offer uncompromising customer service. We will not ship defective goods or goods with blemishes. We will work with our suppliers of choice to help them improve their quality control, so that they are trained to provide the best to us. We will work on our packaging - to let everyone along the way know who this customer has chosen to buy from. We will work hard to make the experience of buying from us a pleasure. The internal packaging of the product will have the marks of ChessBaron, just like old Jaques chess sets had the aged mark of Jaques and his signature (still inforce with a manufactured aged look).

Living up to the brand
We’re in business to make a profit, but profit in the long term. To sacrifice a customers good feeling in the name of a small profit now is short term thinking - we want to think long term. As we progress our business through the years ahead, we need to remember our business purpose, our long term goals. Our mission statement must be carefully crafted to convey that goal. We will still be here in 80 years time, so let’s make sure we keep gaining customer traction, momentum by being on the customers side.

A worldwide Distinuished brand? We’re a way away from that still. But we’ll get there!

By Baron Turner of ChessBaron UK for Fine Chess Sets, Boards, Chess Pieces, Chess Computers, Chess Clocks and ChessBaron USA for Fine Chess Sets, Chess Boards, Pieces and Travel Chess. Chess Sets with beauty designed by the worlds finest chess artisans.

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