Out of the Blog, Into the Light

Clearing the old and bringing in the new energy – book review

The Key: The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want by Joe Vitale

I have the not for sale version that Joe gave me before it was published so a few things like the foreword is missing. But I don't mind. The main content has transformed my life and my attraction. This is a MUST read. I've read this book so many times in the past few years and never get tired of it. It really never goes on my main book shelf. It always sits in my sacred stack next to my reading chair so I can constant re-read when I need to realign my energy. On a scale of 0-10, this book is a 100! View all my reviews >>

 

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Book review: How to Sell When Nobody’s Buying

How To Sell When Nobody's Buying: by Dave Lakhani

My rating: 3 of 5 stars Just finishing this book up. For a expert marketer like myself, I found a few good chapters that provided a little bit of information that would expand my thinking. If you're new to marketing, then this would be a good book to read at this time. Otherwise, I advice checking it out at the library or reading the two chapters in the bookstore but not necessarily buying it. View all my reviews >>

Free Membership Building Information

I promised in my Week in Review post on Saturday I would be writing about Yaro Starak's free membership building site 72-page report arrived in the next review.

After spending 4 hours reading it and taking good notes I felt it needed it's own post.

If you'd like your own copy, click here to register. You'll need to give your name and email and wait about 20 minutes for the email with the link to appear in your inbox. Yaro gives you the choice to read it in PDF or listen in audio.

Attached is a copy of my notes—PDF, 6 pages. Since I already know all the marketing information he includes towards the end, I skipped some details here. If this is something you're interested in, I recommend getting the eBook and looking in my notes as to where this section begins.

Summary: Rating: 8 (out of 10)

Don't recommend unless you're are working on or getting ready to set up a membership website. It's well worth the reading time if you are working towards building a membership now or in the close future. I say close future carefully. Keep in mind, he's giving this away to sell you his Mastermind product. Nonetheless, it's good information once you get past the many pages he talks about his journey with the process (I think the word quest is better) of going through various services and software and learning their pros and cons. This part will save you hours of time and money in the long run.

Download Catherine's Notes

15 Tips For Dealing with the Dip

Last month I read Seth Godin'sbook again – The DIP. It's a fantastic book. I took some notes, more like take away points; I'd like to share with you today:

1. Zapf's Law – Winners win big because the marketplace loves a winner.
2. Everyone looks for the best choices. So be the best choice for them.
3. Don't compromise. Refuse to settle.
4. Get good at answering the questions "I don't know" your competition isn't answering.
5. The DIP is the long slog between starting and mastery. Nevertheless, it's actually a short cut. It's a combination of bureaucracy and busywork. It's the expert approach. It's the stretch between beginner's luck and real accomplishment.

Book review: The Celebrity Experience by Donna Cutting

The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red Carpet Customer Service by Donna Cutting

Read my full review on Goodreads

 

rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading so many books over the last 30 years on improving customer service, I really didn't think I could stomach another one saying the same thing.

This book is different because it gave living examples, I should say samples, from which you can choose. Samples of real life situations you can relate to and use.

Best of all, now only half way through the book, I find myself thinking differently about my customer service and how I've had limited thinking with it.

Changing to the "yes" and "how" mentality is the purpose of the book.

And I love not just thinking about how to think outside the box but to (paraphrased), think on top of the box, under the box, on the side of the box and then to crush the box.

View all my book reviews.

What I'm currently reading -- from Goodreads

Often Wrong, Never in Doubt: Unleash the Business Rebel Within by Donny Deutsch

Read my review on Goodreads

This book has been sitting on my "to read" stack for some months now. This morning it got my attention and began reading.

The first impact on me was his philosophy, "Why not me?" I couldn't agree more. Why not me?

The second impact was reading about his "getting to this point" historical information. How he struggled with being a misfit in the boxes our environment wanted him to fit in and how eventually he did find his path in his father's company.

Catherine's book review of "Creating a Mllion Dollar A Year Sales Income" by Paul McCord

Creating a Million-Dollar-a-Year Sales Income: Sales Success through Client Referrals by Paul M. McCord

My full review on Goodreads

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Currently scanning this book. It's about referral marketing. I particularly liked the accuracy of Chapter 12 and 13 -- Creating Referral Partnerships and Networking for Referrals. I wish I had this advice years back, it would save me a lot of time doing the BNI and Chamber circuit for 8 years and getting nothing from it. What he says in the book is so "right-on." It's a reality check point I 100% support.

Dear Ms. Dixon…here’s an evaluation of your email invitation

Here's an e-mail invitation I received and evaluated from Ms. Dixon along with my suggestions following the email.

The PDF file attached has arrows to point to what I'm suggestion and why.

You will need Adobe Reader to open the file.

Download Email_Invitation_Evaluation

Don’t do this on your blog or in your writing

Blog posts need to move the reader forward. You want to do this to honor the relationship between you and them. To honor their time for stopping by. Not just to place the reader in a cul-de-sak so they have to turn around and figure out what's going on.

I've attached an evaluation of only one post from Small Business Trends blog. Unfortunately, many of their posts are the same. Out of 15 I read, only one was any good. I find that percentage too small to remain a subscriber.

If you have a blog, you write posts for a blog, or you're thinking of starting a blog, this evaluation will help you understand what not to do and what you do want to do.

I did a different approach this time. I let you hear my inner chatter (in red) as I read the post.

The post never got me to want to know more about this guy he's introducing, nor watch the video.

My recommendations for the blog may seem a little harsh at first but they are from my experience and expertise of writing blog posts since 2002 and also from reading hundreds of them a week.

Here's the evaluation (pdf) -- Download SmallBusinessBlogEvaluation

Web site critique of www.choosingyou.org

I don’t necessarily like the word critique because I feel what I’m offering only my opinion.  Yes, it is a very experienced and knowledgeable opinion.  However, an opinion none-the-less.

The web site URL is:  www.choosingyou.org

I met Liz at one of the greatest workshops I’ve attend this weekend.  This is her site.  She has no clue I’m doing this (but will after this I’m sure). 

I’m offering this free of charge because I want more people to connect with her and her gifts and sometimes it’s the little things that hold us back from getting the word out.

When you open the attached document (PDF file and you must have at least Adobe Reader to open), you will learn to understand:

·        How the eye travels

·        Ideas on how to control a visitors reading

·        Ideas on how to improve some little things that will make a big difference

·        “Be careful” notes not necessarily for this web site but for all web sites

Enjoy the learning lessons.

Download ChoosingYouCritique (PDF)