Untitled from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
Archive for the ‘Approach’ Category
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
My Teeth For A 3Muskateers Bar
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Trust Your Gut Instinct
Gut Instinct from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
You Might Want To Sleep On It
The term power nap has taken on new meaning. A recent Harvard study shows that sleeping can directly help you learn new information.
100 volunteers took a test on a computer, requiring them to navigate a maze. They took the test a second time after a 5 hour break, some having taken a nap, and some not. The group that had remained awake improved their test time by 26 seconds, and the group that napped improved their test time by an average of 188 seconds. And the most interesting thing was that four students from the second group had dreamed about the test, and their test time improved 10 times as much as the non-dreamers.
So what does this mean, exactly? It means that sleep helps us process and integrate new information, and our dreams sort of super-charge the process. So if you are trying to solve a business problem, do some basic research and then get a little sleep. You may wake up with the answers you’re looking for.
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Take The First Step
Take The First Step from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)
If you have to put it on a credit card, or borrow the money in any way, don’t attend that seminar or sign up for that year long coaching program. There are so many courses and seminars out there. Some are great, some are good, and others are nothing more than snake oil. And only through good, old-fashioned research will you be able to know what’s right for you. Once you have an understanding of what’s being offered, you’ll be able to make better decisions about training and coaching investments.
If you are a brand new business owner, then I highly suggest steering clear of the programs that cost thousands of dollars. Instead, read blogs and books and attend free/inexpensive seminars & webinars. Don’t pay a lot (or at all) for information that is readily available. As you start generating income, you may want to consider making a slightly more significant investment in seminars and coaching programs. And if your business is pretty solid, but has plateaued, then one of the pricier coaching investments may make sense for you.
You want it to fit your budget, and match where you’re at in your entrepreneurial life. Beyond that, you should also analyze your return-on-investment.
If you are going to attend a weekend workshop for $2,500, will the knowledge you gain allow you to earn your investment back? If so, can you make an informed guess as to how long that will take? Do you know if you’ll be receiving actionable information? Or are you paying to listen to an inspirational keynote speaker? There’s nothing wrong with that, but can you really be inspired $2,500 worth? If so, and you can afford it, enjoy! But don’t get caught up in the hype surrounding the latest “guru”. You don’t want to still be paying off that credit card charge, long after they’ve become yesterday’s news.
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Knowing something and assuming something are two totally different things. And when we make decisions, we need to make sure we are responding to facts, not past experiences or gossip.
Just because someone rants on Yelp about the bad service they received at a local café, doesn’t mean that café has bad service. Maybe it was true just for the reviewer because they were rude to the server, or maybe the server had the beginnings of a migraine. Or maybe the reviewer just likes to bash others on the Internet to feel better about themselves. Of course, the service may be bad. But you’ll never know if you don’t find out for yourself.
And just because someone cuts you off in traffic doesn’t mean they’re a rude, selfish jerk. Maybe they’re going through a personal crisis and are unfocused, or they could have been momentarily daydreaming (we all unintentionally do it, sometimes).
We all make assumptions, but be clear about when you’re doing it. Just being aware that you are assuming can change your perspective, and cause you to consider things a little more carefully.
You don’t want to fire a trusted vendor if they make a minor slip up, just because 3 years ago another vendor left you high-and-dry, without so much as an apology. And you don’t want to pass on a new client because a friend of a friend heard that she was a royal pain. Maybe it’s your friend’s friend who is a royal pain. Or maybe no one is a royal pain, but there was a huge misunderstanding.
When making decisions about your business, make sure you are dealing with the facts. I’m not saying to ignore your gut instinct, but really make an effort to separate the facts from assumptions. Gather your own information and clear the way for your impressions. When you make decisions about your life and your business, make sure they are your decisions.
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
It’s Time To Go Back To School
I've written about this before, but I think it's time to go over it again. When you are just starting your business, or running a very small business, you need to get a lot done with very little cash. In this situation, your best options are Do-It-Yourself, or semi-DIY (learning a lot, then hiring help to get the job done). But many of the things you need to handle will be outside your realm of experience. In order to make this work you will need to dedicate some time to learning the tasks at hand. Imagine you are going back to school, and create a focused plan so you won’t be wasting your time.
First, you need to get as much information about your subject as you can from books, blogs, free/inexpensive seminars, etc… Then create a schedule, committing 30-60 minutes a day to reading and studying your material. Write down any questions that come up, so you can research them during your next session. Make sure this “class time” is uninterrupted so that you can really focus. And understand that the first day (or three) may be frustrating, because you won’t feel you’re progressing. But know that if stay with it, you will start to get it, whatever “it” is.
So, if you’re ready to start marketing your company, want to create a PR campaign, or need to handle some other aspect of your business, it’s time to hit the books.
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Desire & Commitment
Desire & Commitment from Beth Andrus on Vimeo.
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
The Power Of Humor
Using humor in your advertising and marketing can be very successful. Humor is defined as the quality which makes something funny or amusing. But, what one person finds funny, another may find offensive, and yet another may not get, at all. So you must understand your target audience. But that’s a topic for another day.
Today I want to talk about why humor is so effective. There is, of course, the obvious reason, that people enjoy laughing. So they’ll warm up to a company that is good at being funny.
But the persuasive power of humor goes beyond that. It also lies in the incongruity or absurdity of the event. This is obvious in the example of when you are having a heated discussion with someone, and something unexpected and amusing occurs that makes both of you laugh. When you resume your discussion, frequently you will both be more accepting of the other person’s position.
This happens because during that split second of “unexpectedness” our brains are open to suggestion. The attention is grabbed by the unforeseen occurrence, and the brain’s cognitive function is disabled for a very brief moment. And during this moment the brain reframes how it perceives what’s in front of us. And this applies not only to funny events, but to any moment that we're caught off guard.
Use this knowledge the next time you’re putting together an ad campaign, or having a disagreement with a vendor. Humor may just give everyone the right perspective.
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
The Benefits Of Confidence
In many ways, confidence is the foundation of success. When you are confident, you are certain of your abilities. Experience and knowledge go a long way in building your confidence. Every time you survive a “failure”, you learn that set backs are inevitable if you want to grow. This is one of the few times that I believe in the “fake it until you make it” approach. The more you act with confidence, the more you will become confident.
When you are confident, you are more likely to persevere, try new approaches, and remain positive when things go awry. But beyond this, confidence sends a message to others, not just consciously, but subconsciously.
In a 2008 experiment, bottles of the same wine were tagged with either $10 labels or $90 labels. Volunteers rated the $90 bottles as more drinkable, which is not surprising. But what was unexpected is that during subsequent MRIs, unlike the "cheaper" wine, the “expensive” wine generated increased activity in the part of the brain that responds to pleasurable experiences.
If you chose language and appearance that transmits confidence, your product or service will be perceived as more valuable. When we “recognize” quality, confidence is one of the things our brain is picking up on. And it does not matter if the confidence is real or not, the brain will receive the message that “This is the right choice.”
