Out of the Blog, Into the Light

Zany Ideas That Increase Writing Productivity And Quality

By Catherin Franz

Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My students keep reminding me of my unusual tools and how helpful they have been for them. I also thank my students for their concept testing and refinement. Now, I feel much more confidant about sending them out into the world.

For the next few minutes let your imagination run amuck. Okay, amuck is a little too far out there, so what about allowing an open mind for the time being. Afterwards, you can let your mind ruminate.

My office has a beautiful “u” shape ash wood desk that I’m proud of. Partially due to its price and uniqueness. It is here, I handle my emails, pay bills, read, coach, and edit there. Yet, I had difficulty setting the ground work for my writing. Tasks like creating first drafts, deciding on the major points, or creating a table of contents. Because of this I usually seek another environment that sparks these efforts.

Probably like yourself, I found my best ideas arrive when I’m in the shower, when I first wake, while driving, or while walking. Just to name a few. Let’s take a short side trip, I want to share with you how I capture my thoughts during these light-bulb moments.

Do The Unfamiliar To Keep Your Writing Going

By Catherine Franz

One of the best ways to blow someone’s winning streak during a tennis game is to comment on how great they are doing. Your comment will kick in their left brain’s inner critic which will zap their flow and change their focus. In tennis this is an underhanded type of gamesmanship.

In life, it happens to each of us all the time. Even writers.

In writing, the same thing occurs as soon as the right side of the brain, the right hemisphere, gets a break, the left side begins editorializing. Even if the left side compliments you on your progress or the time you committed, it still zaps the flow. Flow stops, hiccups, and the writing or idea doesn’t get to the next step.

This is an event that affects us all in more than just writing.

There is not any particular timeframe when this occurs either. It may occur when writing something short, like an article, memo, or email. Or it might not occur until chapter six of your book. This is why the freewriting exercise works so well. It allows your right brain to tell the left side to shut up for particular amount of time.

There is actually only one way to get the writing flowing again. It is doing some thing unfamiliar. When you are doing something unfamiliar the left side doesn’t know how to logically respond. The left side then can’t be its helpful self. Flow, intuition, and ideas naturally return with a renewed rhythm.

Whenever I am trying to describe something, my logic side kicks in and brings the next action to a halt. The self talk begins to say, “How can any words describing this beautiful sunrise?” Since drawing isn’t a familiar item for me, I pull out a few drawing pencils or a water color brush and play. The drawing isn’t something I do often. If I did, it would then become familiar and that self would stop me. It doesn’t take but a few minutes of doing something unfamiliar before the flow flourishes again and I am able to return to the description or writing.

Always remember, all the words we use in our first draft look like ordinary words. It isn’t until later that their appearance changes to extraordinary.

The left self is always telling us that every day scenes or objects are just ordinary.. A mere beer bottle on the side of the road can receive a message, “So what.” When we push the situation we usually ask, “How can I make this come alive?” By doing something unfamiliar in the mind or in some type of action can we release the right side to the freedom to find the words. Do so by seeing the ordinary. Describing the ordinary. At this moment you begin using both sides of the brain. I guarantee that whatever you write will never be ordinary. Extraordinary writing is ordinary writing practiced.

(c) Copyright 2005, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Another place to post your Internet articles

By Catherine Franz

I found a new place to submit articles to this morning.

Here's the info...

You will need to create an account in order to begin submitting. Then submitting is easy.

You also have to create a home page for your articles. The design choices are very limited.

When an article of yours appears, it will appear as the featured article. How long it stays there -- not sure of the answer. I found my disappearing in a day. They drop down below the featured article for another day and then they go to archives.

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best submission site. I give this site only a 6 at the moment. I think it is an up and coming site but they need to still work out some of their kinks.

www.ShermanMedia.com

I think this site is more of a blog then a website. I don't rate this high in submitting because the search feature isn't well done and the articles disappear too quickly.

Only being fair though you will want to try this site out. Let me know of your experience so I can learn too. Four or eight eyes are also better than just two.

Oh, before I forget, they accept in text format and not HTML.

The 10 Cornerstone Principles of Marketing

By Catherine Franz

There are four parts to a marketing system and they rest on
ten cornerstones.

Marketing results are only as powerful as your marketing
systems. To build your marketing system you need to be able
to do four things: attract, convert, leverage and retain.
With these four accomplishments and the practice of the 10
Cornerstone Principles of Marketing, success will come.
Here are the 10 Cornerstone Principles to Marketing Success

1. The Principle of Packaging. The way you package your
product or service is a deal breaker. If you sell a
product, it has everything to do with the packaging, the
colors, the box, the container -- everything. If you sell a
service and offer just one service, there still needs to be
packaging. Just a different time. Packaging for a service
provider resides in their offer. If you offer one solution
which most independent professionals do, like an hourly or
day rate, then you don't have a package. A package is a
combination of items that create an offer that support the
client in accomplishing their goal.

2. The Principle of Differentiation. You want to be the
red crayon in the box of white crayons. You must know how
you are different from your competitors and you must be able
to convey that in all your messages in a way that your
prospects pick it up simply. If you think you don't have
any competitors, you do. If you know you are different and
don't convey it, you lose. You must leverage your
differences.

3. The Principle of Repeat Business. One-time buying is
short-term revenue and requires ten times more work to find
new clients. Keeping multiple, a lifelong paying client is
your objective. If you offer a one-time event, you do not
have a marketing process -- you have a single sale. A
marketing process sells to clients over and over again.

4. The Principle of Frequency. The number two reason
businesses fail is because they don't stay in touch with
previous clients. Frequency builds trust and trust is a
requirement for a sale.

5. The Principle of Multiple Streams. Having many ways for
people to buy from you always provides the desired revenue
results. This requires a combination of active sales (where
you participate) and passive sales (that sells without your
presence).

6. The Principle of Reciprocity. This principle, also
considered an exchange, is about relationships and networks.
If you want to be alone, then your battle is gong to be
long, hard, and it will fail. Build your vendor team, your
Research & Development team, your administrative team, your
strategic alliances, your bartering team, and your
attraction will multiple. This works on the principle: "you
scratch my back and I will scratch yours." It is not just
about relationships, it is about the value of those
relationships.

7. The Principle of Likeability. If people don't know you,
how can they like you? They need to like you before they
will trust you and they must trust you before they buy from
you.

8. The Principle of Communication. This is the most
valuable asset you have. Communication is like your bank
account: when you communicate correctly, you have a deposit,
when you fail to communicate you will have a withdrawal.
If, on balance they get "insufficient funds," that client is
gone. Always ask, "Am I providing value that creates a
deposit?"

9. The Principle of Perception. Your client’s perception
creates the sale. So many business owners think their
service or product is absolutely great and they cannot
understand why it is not selling. It is because they
developed their product or service according to their
perceptions and not their prospects' needs. Perception
begins with what your employees think of their job, so start
with their job responsibilities and titles. If your
receptionist is the main point of contact for your company,
change her perception of her position and your client's
impression will alter. Call her the "Director of First
Impressions."

10. The Principle of Emotion. Eighty-five percent of the
buying decision is made from emotions and then justified
with logic. This means you must first connect with their
emotions and then give them the logic to justify what they
bought. You cannot do one without the other.

Copyright Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Four New Forms in the Forms Section

Client Evaluation Form (pdf format). Measure each of your clients to decide whether they are worth keeping or tossing. Substitute the "needs" list to match your business.

New Employee Checklist for their First Day on the Job (pdf format).

New Employee Checklist for their First Week on the Job (pdf format).

New Employee Checklist for their First Month on the Job (pdf format).

There are 75+ forms now available in the following areas: career, business, health, Internet, marketing, getting organized, Toastmasters, BNI and other personal topics.

To get to the forms section, visit the Abundance Center main page and click on Forms. You will need to sign in to access the section.

The Abundance Center (click here)

Powerful Lessons From A $20 Bill

By Catherine Franz

Just last week I was speaking to a group of 50 women and men. I opened by holding up a $20 and asking who would like this $20 bill. I also mentioned there were no strings attached. You would have thought that everyone would be raising their hand wanting the $20 bill.

That isn’t what happened. Less than half the people raised their hand.

I gave the $20 bill away and stood in silence. It wasn’t a long silence but silence when everyone expects to be hearing you talk is long whether its 10 seconds of several minutes. I was waiting until I saw a few audience members began fidgeting.

Then one women spoke up. “Darn, I could have used that $20 for gas today.” You guessed it, she was one of the hesitant ones.

My topic was on marketing. The exercise demonstrated that even when we market from the truth with no strings attached and even though we totally think of the customer first, many people perceive, assume, that there is going to be a catch to the offer.

This is a powerful lesson when you are expressing your offer, whether its written or verbal, the majority of the people reading or hearing it are going to be thinking with an “it’s too good to be true” mentality.

This means that whenever you are preparing any type of marketing material you need to see your offer from this perspective.

The following day I again spoke to another group. This time the audience was all women. I opened again with another $20. Only this time when I mentioned that there were no strings attached, I said it more powerfully – meaning more vocal variety – repeated it as if it was written in bold print and stated there were absolutely no strings attached. The word “absolutely” was set off with a mild hand slap.

Every hand raised.

The lessons learned…

Whenever you make an offer you absolutely have to make sure you tell whomever you want to buy into whatever your offer is conveying what’s involved on their part. I’m talking about what will they loose out on if they pass on this opportunity. It could be a tank of gas or even lunch with a friend. It doesn’t always need to be something big and bold.

Another lesson learned was that in the first audience, the majority of the people raising their hands were women. This demonstrated that women are more likely to jump on an offer than a man. This also says to me that women are more willing to take a gamble than a man. Hmmm, that’s fuel for thought the next time you make an offer, isn’t it?

What else does this exercise tell you? How would you present your offers differently? Here’s your assignment. Think on this for a few moments and look at one of your offers and then ask the questions that keep your audience’s hands down and make sure you are addressing each one of them.

(c) Copyright 2005, Catherine Franz. www.AbundanceCenter.com

Color Analysis for Websites

M. Anthony sent in a question after reading my post on color psychology. Here is his question, my response and research.

M’s question:

“…Do you have any articles you can point to that show a study of a website or copy that used the different colors and the resulting difference in sales or click-thrus? I'd be interesting in seeing the raw data on this topic.”

Dear M:

I did my own study over the last 11 years – that’s how long the Abundance Center (http://www.AbundanceCenter.com) has been operational. Every six months I change the colors on the site, and watch the numbers and track the comments. As to an official study, no, I haven’t complete that nor written about it.

Instead let me provide you with the research that I did in order to stay up with the latest trends and information about the in’s and out’s of using color on the Net.

Here’s the information…

I reviewed five studies on color analysis on websites. The agreeing factors were: (1) Color was the first item that visitors said build confidence in them being on the site and what kept them there. (2) After color, visitors looked to the grid/navigation structure to indicate belongingness and credibility. (3) Third, were background elements and fonts. Logos, even though they create consistency didn’t fall anywhere in the top 10.

I doubled check my links to make sure the studies were still around but didn’t find them all still active. I’m including the ones I found still to be active below:

http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/default.asp
http://www.aprompt.ca/WebPageColors.html

Here are some great color articles I found today just to answer many of your questions about using color on the Net:

Accurate Color on the Web
http://www.ddj.com/documents/s=2519/nam1012432602/

Website color schemes
http://dianev.com/web-design-help/web_design_basics/website_color_schemes.html

Color Design for the Web
http://www.coolhomepages.com/cda/color/

Web safe colors
http://www.visibone.com/color/faq.html

Color My World (International discussion on color analysis)
http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2000/09/desi/

Here are some color selection tools that can help you select the write color scheme for your website:

ColorImpact is an award-winning Color Scheme Designer for Windows, combining ease-of-use with advanced features. ColorImpact offers superior integration with most popular applications for design, multimedia and web development.
http://www.tigercolor.com/

About.com's Graphic Design Guide, Judy Litt, has put together a wonderful color gallery for web colors, spot colors, and process colors. You'll find so many interesting color combinations (primarily from people submitting them, and Judy encourages that). By clicking on a link with each one: for web colors you'll find the RGB and hex codes; for process colors you'll find CMYK information; and for spot colors you'll find the PMS information. Great source of inspiration for color combinations and ideas.
http://graphicdesign.about.com/library/color/blweb.htm?once=true&

M…I don’t believe all this information will answer your question 100%, however, I think it will help you in your decision making process.

Abundance to you,
Catherine

Quick List of Color Psychology in Marketing

I've received quite a few emails this week on the color psychology in marketing.  Even though in the mist of moving these next few weeks, I thought I would post a quick list to answer these inquiries and assist those of you who haven't thought much on the topic.

The topic is important.  Colors on the Internet or in your marketing materials trigger certain reactions from readers.  It is best to know what they are and not cross them.  If you do, it will cost you in sales.

These work in the US only.  Outside the US, they are different.

Quick List

Red
  Red creates excitement, displays strength, is used to express s*e*x, passion, speed and danger.  Use appropriately and it works extremely well.

Blue
  This is the most popular color.  Why?  Because it builds trust, reminds people of sky gazing/dreaming.  Thus, builds trust, conveys reliability, a sense of belonging, coolness (in the 1980's sense), refreshing and clean.

Yellow
  We think of the sun and sunshine, it's warmth, being cheerful and happy.  Place it together with blue and thoughts of sitting on the beach or looking out over the ocean connect.

Orange
  Orange isn't used much in marketing.  On a computer screen it looses its hue.  When it is clearly visible that it is orange, it conveys playfulness, triggers child-like behavior -- great in workshops if you want to take people to that place, it also conveys warmth and vibrancy. 

Green
  When we think of green we associate with trees and grass.  This brings up associations with nature, freshness, coolness.  It also means growth and abundance.  Money is green and we are automatically associating green with prosperity.

Purple
  Royal purple brings up pictures of royalty.  Conveyed through the centuries from religion and palace decorations isn't going to change any of our associations today.  Purple means spirituality and dignity as well.

Pink
  Usually associated with femininity, it means soft, sweet, nurturing and many times security.  The security of motherhood and all that it represents.   As females mature they sometimes lose their femine side due to business stiffness.  To bring it back in surround yourself with pink for a year.  Pink blouse, suit, watch, and household items.

White
  White and black aren't really called a color but we recognize them as such.  White represents pure, purity, virgin, clean, youthful and mild.  This is why white backgrounds work better than black backgrounds on a website.

Black
  Black can trigger representation of the dark side of things in certain situations.  Usually when black is the dominant color on the page. It can also represent sophistication, elegance, mystery.  Black in clothing is seductive and thus will represent the same thing in many marketing materials -- even though it is only a mindful trigger and not a voiced one.

Gold
  Gold is worth more than silver or copper but not diamonds.  Since we've been taught to associate gold with value, that is exactly what is triggered when we see it in marketing materials.  It can seldom be used in marketing materials though because the color usually isn't duplicated well.  On the Net it gets confused with yellow a lot and what yellow represents.

Silver
  Silver also represents prestige just like gold.  It too, is a hard color to express on the Internet or in printed materials.  It sends signals of cold or scientific.  This is why silver kitchen appliances sell so well.  It also represents cleanness in some instances, especially kitchens.

This isn't all the colors of the rainbow, they are the most important ones in marketing.  Use them wisely and they will make a difference in sales -- or the type of response you are looking for.