When in doubt, do the opposite…

Those of you who have read our book Money, Meaning and Beyond, know that we are die hard fans of doing the opposite of the traditional. We call it Pulling a Costanza.

And today I’m excited to introduce you to a new way of thinking about how to build your business along these lines.

These days, we’re all in sales. You sell, I sell, we ALL sell for a living. So, what’s the best way to sell without
selling out and to reach today’s customer in today’s market?

Hint: It’s not what you’ve been taught to do…

That’s right. The typical sales tactics no longer work. Cold calling gets you nowhere and closing techniques don’t work on today’s savyy customers.

That’s the core message of the new book, The Contrarian Effect: Why it Pays (BIG) to Take the Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite, written by my colleagues Michael Port and Elizabeth Marshall.

You’ll get to hear me talk with Elizabeth and Michael later this month on a teleseminar about specific strategies I’ve used to take the typical sales shtick and do the opposite (more on that later). You won’t want to miss it! But, first…

Today, I encourage you to do TWO THINGS:

1) CHECK OUT THEIR BOOK CAMPAIGN (I’m giving away something special!)

Michael and Elizabeth have put together a never-been-done-before (and totally contrarian) book launch that is something quite special. In fact, I think it’s so creative I’ve offered TWO gifts to support the cause:

* Coaching by Example 9-CD Audio Program (worth $347)

* $100 Gift Certificate to use in the Kiva.org Store

Does either of these sound intriguing? Check out their campaign here:

http://www.contrarianeffect.com/auction <---- GO HERE

In addition to your chance to grab these gifts, be sure to look at all the good stuff that's yours for the taking,
including:

* two tickets to the Inc. 500 Conference in Washington, D.C.

* a seat for Michael Gerber's Dreaming Room Workshop (worth $3000)

* premium business software from Mindjet, Daylite and iThemes

That's just a taste of all the cool items available, so visit the link above for the full scoop.

2) BUY A COPY OF THE CONTRARIAN EFFECT

If you're not interested in the gifts in the auction, not a problem. Grab a copy of the book ($13 at Amazon) to learn how to sell more than ever before:

http://snipurl.com/contrarianeffect-866 <-- GET THE BOOK

It's definitely an irreverent business book that will change the way you think - and encourage you to do the opposite, especially when your business is stuck.

OH, I almost forgot. Be sure to save you seat for the teleseminar I'm doing with them later this month.

http://www.contrarianeffectbooktour.com <– SAVE YOUR SEAT

Recommended Book for Meaningful Times

Leap Before you Look, 72 Shortcuts for Getting Out of your Mind and into the Moment
by Arjuna Ardagh

Now that I’m part of TEDglobal and accompanying book club, I’m getting all manner of interesting far-flung books. This one isn’t one of TED’s selections! But it is a goodie and has been a little companion of mine this summer.

If you read my above article on Planet Andrea, you’ll have noticed I’m inquiring lots into the mind and the body as gateways to personal growth. I’m asking questions like – could it be true there is no mind-body connection because the body is the mind and the mind is the body?

What about the notion that every cell in our bodies thinks and feels? Or that the body is a printout of the mind?

What if coaching breakthroughs could be facilitated through the body, much as body therapies currently do BUT in a manner that is even more integrated with the mind?

Leap Before You Look is a book that has helped tease out these questions and give them air. It has actual exercises in it titled ‘Explore Hunger’ ‘Cradle Negative Feelings Like a Baby’ ‘Make Love to Everything’ and ‘Make Yourself into Live Entertainment.’

In short, a book after my heart, and a top pick from the summer, for both clients and readers – yes that means you. Do check it out. I’m thinking it’ll make a great gift for clients in the coming silly season – a still pool of thoughtfulness. Enjoy.

Coaching skills mentor group…starts September 17, 2008

Barbra Sundquist’s New Mentor Coaching Group

Which movie was it where someone said “Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in…”

Never was a celluloid moment more applicable to Mentor Coach Barbra Sundquist, although of course, she isn’t a gangster, at least the last time I checked. :-)

After a summer off practicing retirement, Barbra has been pulled back in by the strength of increasing numbers of coaches seeking certification. This is very lucky for a small group of coaches because – truly – there are not that many mentor coaches actively mentoring at any given time. It’s a little like fine wine, there are never many bottles of the best vintages. 

I’ll be updating you on my own path to certification in a future issue of ‘Creating What Matters’ but let me assure you that when I get those letters, I’ll be crediting Barbra for sure.

Could the fall be a perfect time for you to add some mentoring to your coaching mix? Are there some things occurring in your coaching sessions that you’re uncertain of, but you don’t know what else to do? Do you feel as though your clients could be getting where they want to go, faster, and more elegantly?

Consider the mentor coaching group at the following link, and if the time is right for you, be sure to register by this Friday, September 12, 2008 to receive the early-bird discount rate.

This is a rare opportunity to work with the best…

“Barbra, I’ve finally received word that I’ve passed!

My scores were extremely high (99% and 97%) on the submitted tapes, and I want to thank you for your huge contribution to my success.

I believe that you expedited my certification by a minimum of six months, not to mention catapulting my coaching skills to the next level!”

– Kerri Laryea, Certified Coach IAC-CC and Founder of iKlarity.com

Get your message across with a light-hearted touch

Cool F’ree Tool from Slide.com: FunPix makes it easy to tell a story in comic-format

At first glance this tool may seem childish. A parlor-trick in the home we call the internet. But there are several business applications that you can claim as an excuse to try it. Good thing too, because it turns out FunPix is one of those guilty pleasures. Very fun and easy to use.

Here’s a ‘funpixed’ photo of my family and I this summer, celebrating my Dad’s 70th. The captions will mean nothing to you unless you read Taiwanese, a feat unto itself especially when I tell you Taiwanese is an oral language and on the endangered languages list. Suffice to say though, the photo is a source of great hilarity to my Taiwanese family and the students of conversational Taiwanese that we’re gathering together, and will likely become the backbone for a printed text.

You can also use Funpix for:

• presentation slides
• direct mail advertisements – excellent for attention-getting postcards, especially
• seasonal greeting cards that highlight your own coaching wisdom
• tailored inter-session messages for printing by clients who respond well to printed reminders
• power of intention or dream boards
• spicing up your blog photos, newsletter articles, and more…

If nothing else, send the link right now to your favorite graphic designer. You can bet they’ll be happy to keep it in mind for your next website design. Say, what else will you use this tool for? Comment below to share yours…

Only read this if you’re oddly :-) curious about me…

If life is a journey, here are trip details for Planet Andrea at the moment

As a creative person, do you wonder what to do when you’re ready to move on from one set of ideas and go to the next?How will you take care of what you’ve created before? When will you decide to definitively leave something behind?

Will you lovingly tend to all your old ideas, patiently talking about them afresh, every time you’re asked? Or will you be like the renowned author and psychologist Daniel Goleman who, at a Q&A session soon after the launch of his new book, Social Intelligence, said “I’m not answering any questions about Emotional Intelligence. Ask me something else.”

If marketing gurus are people you listen to, they are the ones that say “The moment you are bored of the message you present is the very moment your market is starting to listen. Persist in milking the cow.” Ugh.

In my opinion, these are the moments creative entrepreneurs like you and I feel most put upon. Would Alexander Graham Bell succumb to always (only) pontificate about the phone? If we are to create what really matters, we must find ways to clean the slate, secure a good retirement for our previous works, and continue to create and evolve.

It’s always fun when the answers aren’t clear. I mean, you can read one book and decide to sell an old business. You could read another and be admonished to just drop what you created last year and move on. What do you think is the answer, for you? Coaches have been around for long enough now to really need to talk about this…

Without much fanfare, here are details from Planet Andrea for your curiosity. Continue reading for more.

Read more

For the road warrior in you, a way to make the details easy

Don’t Hire a Trip Coordinator – Use Tripit.com instead

This friendly tool seemed either too good to be true or a bit ho-hum until I put it to the test in August. I had a three-part trip involving business, pleasure and coordinating with many others through Honolulu, Seattle and Vancouver. Rental cars, tours, recording studio appointments, presentations and more. I don’t know about you but these are the kinds of details that drive me batty in that wild-eyed kind of way. T’aint pretty.

It turns out that TripIt (in beta launch) adds surprising value, especially in the weather, traffic and directions areas, and most of all in the peace of mind department. It will hold all your confirmation details in one place and allow things to be coordinated while you’re in the air and disconnected. Very nice!

As fall is high travel season for many a conscious business owner, check out the site by clicking here. As for the curious who aren’t going on the road, you may enjoy the site as a demonstration of excellent use of video. Pitch perfect and well integrated. Rare, in my book. Enjoy.