If you’ve ever attended a social gathering during holiday season or election time, controversy very likely arose. Whether it be the latest political scandal, the definition of marriage, or the meltdown of the US auto industry, if your family or your beloved circle of friends is like most, someone (maybe everyone) is likely to disagree on something (maybe everything).

The common wisdom is you never talk about sex, religion, or politics in polite company. The media gets a pass somehow on talking about these things – and get paid big bucks to do it – but we’re supposed to refrain because we might offend someone.

I’m here to tell you that, in marketing yourself, avoiding controversy is not always the way to go.

I’ve always been opinionated but in a business environment, I’ve tended to not engage in controversy because I was afraid of tarnishing my reputation or perhaps saying the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person. Also, some people are just plain mean when they debate and I didn’t like that. I didn’t want to be mean back, so I stayed on the sidelines, above the fray.

One of my favorites on Twitter, @CoachDeb, asserts that jumping into the hot button conversations is a way to engage your audience, to get noticed. She is very good at engaging her audience on social media sites like Twitter and I feel I am less than good at that, so, with her suggestion, I decided I would go for it. I tried some things, and they worked, so I thought I could share some simple guidelines for you shy readers out there that are interested in giving controversy a try.

1.  Attack the issue not the person

Name calling will fly, but you don’t have to do it. In fact, seek out individuals who argue issues, not attack  you, and reciprocate in kind. There are many people out there who enjoy a healthy debate and it’s a mental exercise rather than an opportunity for a “kick the dog” venting on another human being. It’s fun to them to stretch their mind muscle and they like to see other people’s passion. Find those people and engage on an issue.

If you end up getting attacked by someone aggressively rude, disengage and say why. I would say something like “I’m happy to debate issues, but name calling’s not needed here”.  If they don’t back off, stop talking to them, block them, unfollow them, whatever. Don’t back away just because someone gets passionate, but don’t take the bait to be rude yourself. Remember that in complex issues, sometimes you (or someone else) may feel two ways about one subject. Allow yourself and others the room to be complex, complicated, and conflicted. We all are torn about something – at least the person is admitting it when they express seemingly mutually exclusive views. I’d give them points for honesty.

2.  Show your emotions, speak your logic

It’s ok to express your emotions in your controversy style. Be authentic, but if something peeves you, say so. If you have to couch your irrationality in terms of “My mind tells me this shouldn’t bother me, but __________ really makes me mad!” then do that. Or, you can just say, “_____________ makes me mad.”, without apology or equivocation. It’s your choice on how forceful you want to be. Be honest in your feelings but express them. People interested in engaging on controversy basically need to see your heart. If you have the heart of a lion, let it roar! Don’t let your emotions rule you, but don’t stuff them either.

The other component of this is that you can and probably should include logic. If you have facts, figures, and examples that highlight your point of view, feel free to use them. Many traditional debaters (especially men) expect you to honor logic over feelings and will use logical fallacies to twist the argument. They see an argument as a test of skill on the activity of debating in addition to the actual debate of the topic at hand. If you want to engage with that type of debater, learn some tricks, or find a more gentle debater to engage with in the beginning. Logic only goes so far for me, as I think many things are decided by irrational emotion and I use that as part of my argument. There is enough inconsistency in our world to find examples that are on the opposite side of anyone’s arguments. Statistics are a fools game, as numbers can be applied in many differing ways. Don’t get trapped in logic, but use it as often as you can in your debates.

3.  Take a stand for what you truly believe in

I have had some interesting debates about poverty, unemployment, and personal liberties. Those are things I have strong feelings about and a well-developed personal viewpoint on. I believe that food and shelter are a right that belongs to each and every one of us, regardless of whether we have a job or not. There are many who think you have to earn your right to food and shelter. It’s a hot button issue. Ultimately, no one wants someone to be homeless, but the means toward the end is what is at issue. By speaking up about my feelings on this issue, I have attracted attention from other like-minded people as myself. By broadcasting my own believes and positions, others who want companionship in that same position and lifestyle gravitate toward me. Without revealing my view, those people may not have known that I was one of them.

You will find many who take a “devil’s advocate” point of view, who take the opposite side of an argument, especially the most unpopular side of it, just to get a rise out of you, just to create controversy. They either get juice out of pushing buttons or they enjoy the chase. Regardless, if you decide to do that, keep in mind that it demonstrates a certain personality trait and if that trait is not accurate, don’t engage that way. It’s one thing to be passionate about what your heart tells you, it’s another to be a jerk who simply likes to argue. Who would you hire? Probably not the jerk.

By keeping in mind that we are engaging in the social media environment as a marketing tool, as a way to reveal our truest, most authentic, and transparent self, you will make the best choices on how to conduct yourself. Everything you say speaks to who you are, including your willingness to stand up for what you believe in. Simply staying on the sidelines doesn’t show your fierce loyalty to quality, or your determination to give great service, or your confidence in your ability to make choices. By engaging in honest, human controversy and being willing to show who you are, you are steps ahead of someone who prefers safe to real. Get real and have fun with it. It will reap rewards for you.

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

Follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

As we begin to move into the new year, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to accomplish in 2009. I like to take a few days of relative downtime and reflect on my goals from last year and how successful I was at achieving them as well.

In early 2008, I decided that I would work toward becoming a well-liked, highly regarded, influential maven, a connector of wonderful and varied people doing impactful and interesting things. I committed to move beyond my tendency to be introspective and reclusive, and reach out to develop a social community. I desired to do this because I felt that I needed to facilitate others’ success more actively. I did it because I saw it as a way to deeply enrich my life, both personally and professionally. And, honestly, I did  have a nagging feeling that I “should”. So, I began.

I have made tremendous strides in that arena. I moved SmartWomanGuides.com from a static site to a blog, where I encouraged two way conversation and joint venturing. I have joined a Master Mind group, attended social networking events, become a museum patron, developed a decent network on Twitter, started a radio show, and grew my list. I have met a whole array of amazing people and I am satisfied with my accomplishment toward my goal.

But, there’s another step to my goals analysis. Beyond whether I achieved the goals I set or not, I also like to reflect on how accomplishing those goals made me feel. Did I really forward my business? Did I really find the satisfaction I was seeking? Did I really even need to accomplish those particular goals to be happy? I encourage you, in this current time of outbreath, to ask yourself similar questions.

In my case, my goal of becoming a maven has had benefits that I never even imagined it would. Yes, it has forwarded my business. Yes, it has brought me satisfaction. Yes, it has made me happy. But, one of the surprise benefits is it has helped me see even more clearly my place in this world, in the universe of marketing and entrepreneurship, and the essence of my unique contribution. I needed to see that, truly embrace it. And, it was an unexpected result.

The downside of my blooming mavenship is I’m not very experienced at handling multiple demands on my time. Each offer has its own value, intrinsic to only it, and all are seemingly equally important. How does a maven choose? This is a question I have not answered and is in fact on my dance card for 2009 – how do I successfully manage a growing, ever expanding network effectively? How do I maintain and grow relationships that are worthwhile and authentic? How do I serve my network in the very best possible way? At this point, this is the work ahead for me – I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

As much as I want you to review your year and reward yourself for your successes, I also want you to really be honest about whether the goals you set really gave you what you needed (expected or otherwise). It’s easy to think we want one thing and then when we get it, it’s not really what we wanted. Go deeper into your motivations and ask, as you set resolutions and goals, if the activities that surround your goal are in your highest good. Ask if something new needs to be added, or something old needs to be let go. Be open to change and willing to let the noise fall silent as you explore your purpose and how best to proceed in achieving that purpose.

I thank all of you for being part of my own life and my business. I look forward very much to hearing what you have to say re: your goal setting/achieving experiences. Start or join the conversation below – all are welcome!

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

Follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

Sometimes the environment we see pokes at us. We look around, see liars and cheaters getting bailed out, see unscrupulous (or maybe just lazy) business people getting awards & recognition and we feel burned. We think about the high quality work we do (and the amount of it) and wonder why we even try so hard. We think about the employees we treat with respect while others are cutting wages and laying off.  We aren’t doing as well as we’d like to be, as we need to be to support our families, and we want to just give up. As tempting as it might be to give up, we usually don’t, but our happiness quotient definitely takes a beating. Sometimes the whole thing just becomes too much.

But, even if we don’t give up, one thing we may start doing is playing the Blame Game. We start saying the reason why our business is lurching is because of all those other things – the economy, fear, gas prices, foreign outsourcing, the government – those other people. We quit looking at our processes, our customer service, the quality and relevance of our product offerings, and shift to blaming something else beyond our selves, beyond our control.

I’m telling you now, you need to stop that thinking right away – now – this minute! Not only is it probably not the real reason your business is being challenged but it also is not what a leader would do.  Your family and your employees need you to inspire them to get through this time. You need to be their rock, their light in the storm. You need to step up. Being a visionary is your entrepreneurial duty.

There are real impacts from the economy and from circumstances that you are probably experiencing and I don’t mean to minimize those in any way. But, rather than fall into the deep hole of uncontrollable chaos, here are some tips for you to strengthen your business during these economic times.

1.  Improve your customer service

I’ve been receiving extra services from my insurance company lately.  And, the services they are adding are worthwhile and valuable, things I’d wish they’d always done. That activity is definitely contributing to me not going bargain shopping for another insurance company. Even just getting a letter with tips on how to save money has been helpful and well timed. I intend to stay with them.

So, what services could you be providing that are non-cash or low in cost to you that would provide value to your customers? Would maybe just a personal phone call from you expressing appreciation do the trick? If you haven’t tried it, you don’t know the impact that putting a real face on your business can have on the loyalty of your customer base. But, I’ve tried it and it works.

2.  Ask more questions

Challenging times demand more creativity. Ask your employees what you could do better. Ask them what ideas they have to improve sales and encourage them to take action on their ideas. Ask your customers what they need from you. Ask your suppliers how you can be a better customer. Ask where most of your money comes from and focus on the strong products that are working and diminish the focus on the weaker products. Ask what training you or your employees could gain to take your business to the next level. Ask, ask, ask.

And, once the answers start coming in, listen without judgment or a critical reaction. You might have to shift how you’ve been doing things. By being willing to examine everything and being open to change, you will find what works. If an honest examination reveals that you should shut down your business and move on to something else, that is an answer also. The joy and responsibility of being an entrepreneur is to make those choices. Take heart that you have the intelligence, drive, and personal resources to do whatever it takes to succeed. All of this can shake you a bit, but it’s all worth examining. Ask!

3.  Get back in touch with your passionate purpose

To continue to have the energy and focus to work through your challenges, you need to remind yourself why you do what you do. Think about the lives you’ve positively affected, the families you’ve helped, and the contributions you’ve made to your community by being an entrepreneur. Stoke the fires of passion that led you to start a business in the first place. Take a few moments to feel the gratitude of being in a world that allows you to pursue your dream.

Sometimes you need to step back and take a deep breath to gain a new perspective. Try turning off the doomsday news and doing some volunteer work. Listen to music or sit out in Nature. Take a walk. Where it may not seem that these activities are business related, they are focused on your wellness and balance. And, here’s where you can make a difference, where you have full control. Your balance and ability to stay upbeat even in the face of challenges could very well be the turning factor in your business, especially during hard economic times.

Worry does not solve problems and impulsive actions will more likely exacerbate rather than resolve your issues. By taking time to plug back into your purpose, by asking questions, and improving your customer service, you can begin changing the impact of the real and imagined dangers of being an entrepreneur. And, please, know that you have friends here. Speak up if we can help you in any way – we believe in you.

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

The age of the mega-hit is over. In music, in movies, and in our business product offerings. So forwards the 2004 book by Chris Anderson, The Long Tail. And, based on not only the mountain of factual evidence that Anderson offers, but also the anecdotal observations in my own life, I believe it.

The Long Tail has me thinking I have to change my approach to my business. I come from the era of the mega hit, although fading from its heyday, but an expectation just the same. It feels almost ingrained in me, from the social triggers and the cultural programming, to “Go big or go home”.

But the essence of the Long Tail is this: the market available for niche products, when you combine them together, is larger (and growing rather than diminishing) by far than the mega hit market. A niche product is one that is focused on a small group of devoted fans rather than attempting to appeal to the masses. You can see niche products in the indie music and movie markets, the gourmet chocolate and food business, and even now in sodas. Instead of attempting to make a product that everyone will buy, like Coke or Pepsi has, instead niche marketers look to appeal to a focused, more customized group, like the lovers of ginger tumeric rootbeer. The marketing tactics are different and the approach to growing your business is different.

So how is The Long Tail affecting you? For me, I have readjusted my product development to include more affordable, more focused, and just plain more in quantity offerings. Next week I will be launching the first of these easy to consume snipits. Rather than focusing on that one big mega product, I am developing a really long tail – a library of specialty topic, widely varied mini products. It still feels a little foreign to me, but the idea of offering specific enough topics that people can pick and choose what part of it they need now rather than forcing them to buy it all even if they don’t need a particular part does make sense.

So, what about you? Do you buy into the idea of this? Or, are you still chasing the big hit? Do you think The  Long Tail is a fad or is it actually a cultural shift as Anderson suggests? I’m curious to hear your answers.

Together,  we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twiter: SmartWoman

I have a confession to make – I am a clutter bunny. A pack rat. A really, really questionable housekeeper, to be more than polite. I like being organized and all, it just presents as a challenge for me. That, in and of itself, would be okay, I could live with a personality glitch, but in my heart of hearts I know that it makes my entrepreneur’s life harder. So, I’ve decided to focus on improving it.

Along with some very brave women on Twitter, my favorite social media tool, #CleanUp09, a “Just Say No to Clutter” campaign, is kicking off.

Are you a candidate for this campaign? If you have any of the following symptoms of clutter creep, you are:

• Do you have to search for your keys because you don’t have a regular, easy to find place for them?
• Do you have cars parked in the driveway because you can’t fit your cars into your garage?
• Are your office files (or email box) in shambles, preventing you from  easily and quickly retrieving whatever information you desire at a moment’s notice?
• Do you miss appointments or double book because your schedule isn’t pulled together and organized?
• Do you not invite people over because you don’t want them to see the mess?
• Do you have multiple sized sets of clothing (none of which fit you and all that are outdated) in your closet?
• Do you have any eBooks (yes, even the free ones) on your computer that you can’t retrieve because you don’t remember where the files are?
• Do you have any drawers, closets, or rooms that are not functional due to overflowing stuff?

You don’t have to confess it to me, but at least confess it to yourself.

How, you might be asking, does this have anything to do with being a female entrepreneur? In my travels and conversations with hundreds of female entrepreneurs, one thing has stood out as a problem for all of them - overwhelm. Clutter can come in many areas – physical, emotional, mental, etc. When you’re trying to do so many things in a day, spending your time doing things over, or not finding the tools you need, or having chaos rule your environment, is counterproductive to your success. You lose energy, you are scattered and unfocused, and you are working harder to get less done. And, frankly, it’s no fun, so you aren’t going to enjoy your passionate work. Not cool.

The action starts officially Jan. 1, 2009, but you can start anytime. DON’T clean up anything before you take a picture of it. I  will do my best to get us some prizes too, but at this point, it’s a matter of personal improvement and that has its own rewards. Don’t let your New Year’s Resolution power push come and go without creating a better world for yourself. And always remember, we are together in this – you have friends.

The contest requires some commitment, but the idea is to make it light and fun. So, to be part of Cleanup 09, here is what you agree to do:

• You will be patient with yourself
• You will reward yourself when you do the right thing (especially small steps!)
• You will start small and finish small (break big projects down)
• You will take action.
• You will support each of us as we improve our environments and ourselves.
• You  will remain tolerant, of yourself and others.
• You will be forgiving of your past mishaps and make a new day.
• You will talk about your experience (and post your pictures) so others can learn from your journey.
• You will release your shame and self-flagellation and just get on with it.

Want to play? If so, take a picture of your trouble spot. I recommend you choose a small one (like maybe your kitchen junk drawer). Then, organize it. Throw out the old trash, let go of the “I will need to use this someday” stuff, and set up a system that you can maintain. I have some resources listed below that might be of assistance in deciding what stuff to keep and how to go about doing this.

Next, get on Twitter and tweet out to your followers to invite them to join. Use #Cleanup09 in all of your tweets related to the cleanup so they will be grouped together and we can all find them easily. You can email me your pictures and I’ll post them here, you can post them on your own site, or you can post them on photo sharing sites like Flickr.

Here is my first hot spot – 2 “before” views of my desk area:

I am committed to posting pictures of my messes, before and after, and then celebrating the end of them when I clean them  up. The picture thing scares the devil out of me, as I am fairly certain that the embarrassment will be nearly unbearable, but I am not going to let shame stand in my way of a better life – and neither should you.

Here are the resources I promised. If you know a clutter counselor, invite them here to post their recommendations for helping. All are welcome and the more the merrier!

• ClutterDiet.com – @clutterdiet on Twitter – Lorie Marrero, awesome clutter counselor
• Peter Walsh, Oprah’s clutter expert
• FlyLady.net – @flyladykelly on Twitter – fun and easy tips to spend 15 a day and have a clean, organized envirnoment.

Post below in comments what area you are going to start with and what it would mean to you to be more organized.

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

Yesterday’s Part 1 SEO post got us started, so let’s pick up where we left off and finish out. Here are a few more cornerstone search engine optimization (SEO) concepts for you to understand about helping people find your website via organic search, such as through a search engine like Google.

• Link Building Works

Creating live links that direct back to your site is a great way to promote your site and get more traffic. If you leave comments on other blogs, especially high traffic, relevant ones, you will likely get traffic, and those comments will likely get indexed.  The thing to remember is to engage in the conversation, contribute to the point being discussed, and reveal your personality and purpose in your post comments. Don’t just pitch yourself – Use subtle, keyword rich comments that intrigue people enough to visit you at your site. (I use the free software package  CommentKahuna to find these high ranking relevant blogs. ) You can also trade links, provide articles, guest blog, and do many more things to get links. Get creative and reach out to the meeting places where your target audience hangs out.

• Spiders Don’t Have Credit Cards or Opinions
  

As much as it’s important to implement the suggestions in both Part 1 & 2, it’s even more important to remember that search engine spiders can’t buy anything – nada, nothing, zilch. Regardless of how many keywords you stuff into your copy,  how many links you have coming in, and how many meta-tags you have, it ultimately comes down to reaching people. You have to use full sentences, you have to appeal to human emotion, and you have to be likeable, or at least very compelling. You have to have something to sell, if you’re selling, or have a story to share if you’re working to educate or simply communicate. Don’t forget that the whole purpose of getting more traffic is to affect human beings.

• Traffic Doesn’t Equal Conversion

Another aspect of spiders not having credit cards or opinions is this -Just because you get visitors coming to your site doesn’t mean anything further will happen. You can perfectly design your site to rank #1 in Google for every pertinent word that someone might be using to search for you, but once a person gets to your site, what’s next? Do they sign up? Do they buy? Do they even stay long enough to read anything? Or, do you bore them, make it hard to navigate and click through, or maybe worse still, don’t provide targeted, relevant information that they were expecting to get when they searched in the first place? Become conscious of the limitations of the traffic trap – don’t fool yourself into thinking it’s a “numbers game”. It’s not – it’s an emotions game. Compelling and specific calls to action, moving stories that engage and encourage response, and reasons to return and stay loyal are going to make more of the traffic you do get more likely to benefit you.

• Nobody’s Perfect – Keep Trying!

SEO leads to authority in your marketplace, a great platform, and a solid foundation for your continuing success. It will take time and effort. This two part series is just the beginning. I am an internet marketing fanatic, so we will discuss this again, but there’s so much more to learn. You will find mistakes everywhere, you will find even big players and big companies not doing SEO right, and that’s ok.  Learn what you can and start chipping away at it. You will be in the top percentage if you do and that will set you and your business apart from the people who aren’t doing anything at all. Be patient, keep curious, and get help if you need it. These are some of our articles of faith as smart women and good entrepreneurs, so that’s what we’re going to do. I’ll be with you every step of the way, ok?

As a side note, just wanted to let you know that I am about to launch a SmartWomanRadio talk show, starting December 8th at 2 pm CT.  I’d love to have you join in. Come on over and call into the show!

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

Search engine optimization (SEO) is webspeak for designing your website to be easy to find by search engines like Google. It includes some core foundational ideas that are relatively practical to grasp yet can quickly get very complicated. Gurus galore abound in this arena and it is a changing and esoteric business.

Today, we are going to stick to the basics. Once you get those down, you can keep growing into more intense areas of study if you’d like, but my goal is to start you at the beginning.

To keep it straightforward, here are the top ideas to wrap your head around:

• Content Is Queen

Having sufficient amounts of content – words on your website – is crucial. Flashy graphics can look cool, but they don’t attract attention from search engines. Strive for 250-400 words of direct, meaty content at the top of your website (called “above the fold”). Keep the sentences focused and sensible, not just a string of words that people use to search (called “keywords”).

• Pictures Don’t Talk

Pictures add interest and attractiveness to your site; however, they are like blank cubes to search engines. When you add pictures, be sure to add keyword rich description tags that describe the pictures and add additional content for the search engine spiders to find and index. Depending upon how your website is designed, you either do this through your photo insertion tool or via photo tags upon saving the file. Ask your webmaster or contact me if you have questions. I’ll help you.

• Tags are Helpful

Meta-tags are helpful to your site, but the most important thing to add is a strong description. You usually add this through your CSS style sheets, your template files, or, if you have a WordPress site, you can use a plug in designed to help you add page titles and site tags. Don’t get caught up in learning all this stuff yourself – once you do it, you’ll know it and there are lots of people (like the high school kid down the street) that can help. Get help.

• Relevance Rules

When your site is relevant, it has a concise topic focus and directly related content. If your site is about dogs, you might talk about pets, animal training, various types of dogs, and maybe flea prevention, but not skyscrapers. Not even the Cocker Spaniel Building in NoPlace, USA. Don’t get too cute with words or slap on some other business you have all into one site. It will only water down your relevance and confuse the search engine spiders. Make it easy for them to understand what you mean.

This is just our first scratch at the surface of this deep subject. However, if you implement these few basics concepts, your website is much more likely to get better ranking. Better ranking will lead to more eyeballs on your site, which can then lead to more sales and exposure. And, well, it’s like tying your shoes. You aren’t necessarily going to win a marathon if you tie your shoes, but you’re surely more likely not to finish if you don’t.

Come back tomorrow for Part 2, where we will cover the following ideas:

• Link Building Works
• Spiders Don’t Have Credit Cards
• Traffic Doesn’t Equal Conversion
• Nobody’s Perfect – Keep Trying!

Together, we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

Follow me on Twitter: SmartWoman

Get signed up for blog updates because I want to stay in touch with you!

Here are some of the latest cool stories about women entrepreneurs all over the world. Enjoy!

Can the S&M Chicks pitch way to finals with sales-marketing savvy?
Edmonton Journal – Edmonton,Alberta,Canada
“Basically, the entire S&M Chicks show would be focusing on doing mini-makeovers for women entrepreneurs throughout Canada,” Duke explains. …
See all stories on this topic

Two Pinays win in Cartier entrepreneur awards
Philippine Star – Manila,Philippines
Five women entrepreneurs received the Second Annual Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards during a ceremony held at the Women’s Forum for the Economy and …
See all stories on this topic

Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals of Bangladesh
By Safeen
As women entrepreneurs, we see women are leading in the fashion world. Many of them owning their own fashion house, beauty salons, and also advertising firms. I was really surprised to learn few days back that the managing director of …
The Urban Women in Dhaka City – http://safeen.wordpress.com/

READ IN THIS STORY:
ITWeb – Gauteng,South Africa
This was one of the main questions raised at a recent series of workshops run in three South African cities for aspiring and current women entrepreneurs in …
See all stories on this topic

Talks on blogging, women entrepreneurs at UBD
Borneo Bulletin – borneo,Brunei Darussalam
Wowing the Women: Being Young, Female and Enterprising”, in conjunction with the Global Entrepreneurship Week, which ran from November 17-23. …
See all stories on this topic

Call to improve education of rural women entrepreneurs
IPPmedia – Dar es Salaam,United Republic of Tanzania
By Gadiosa Lamtey The government has been urged to refocus support on programmes geared to improving education service delivery to low-income women instead …
See all stories on this topic

Women empowerment
The Daily Star – Dhaka,Bangladesh
The three successful women entrepreneurs have set an exmaple for other micro-credit borrowers in the country. They had invested the money in some innovative …
See all stories on this topic

The  wheels of commerce are turning all over the world and every day new groups of women become entrepreneurs. We welcome all of our worldwide sisters!

Together,  we are stronger!
Vicki Flaugher,  the original SmartWoman

I have had the pleasure recently to join a mastermind group and intend to join another. It has been a great experience so far and has already helped my focus, determination, and work output. I thought you might appreciate some resources to review this idea, to get you thinking about how you can benefit from joining in with others to build your business.

The articles are short and designed to give you a taste. It won’t take much time for you to plant the seed in your mind and let it grow. When you allow others in to help, the creativity and power grows exponentially. I regret that I have waited so long to do it, and encourage you to take action. I mean it when I  say – Together, we are stronger!

Passion For Business: What Is a Master Mind Group and How to Create?:

MasterMind Group Planning Guide ebook

Some Thoughts and Different Approches to Running a Mastermind Group

Evan Carmichael’s Mastermind Resources Blogsite

Tips by Wendy Maynard at Kinetic Ideas

Meet and Grow Rich: How to Easily Create and Operate Your Own “Mastermind” Group for Health, Wealth, and More Book by Joe Vitale and Bill Hibbler

We learn by story. Marketing is most effectively done with stories. Stories form the basis of many of our life lessons and we all love a great story.

We all know a compelling story when we hear it but it’s more often a visceral reaction rather than a logical one. Some would even assert that a truly brilliant story in inexplicable, at least in part, because of the emotional appeal – basically, there’s no explaining why people feel what they feel. It’s rare that we break down the components of a story and analyze it.

Whereas I can acknowledge that not everything can be approached purely scientifically, as entrepreneurs, I feel we have to reach deeper than a mere dismissal of emotional appeals. It is worth our time to develop and communicate our personal and professional narrative. By understanding how people might respond to our story,  we come closer to reaching those people. And, depth and breadth of reach is imperative in our businesses and our lives.

Your personal and professional narrative will be used in all of your copy, on your website, in your advertising, in your networking presentations, in your speaking. It will reap rewards way beyond the time it  will take you to solidly develop it. It will be what people remember long after you have left them.

How do you develop an effective narrative? Here are some ideas to reflect on to get you there.

1.  You need to present a story that is truthful, heartfelt, and poetic.

Your story has to stand up to reality. Don’t lie and don’t fabricate. People will know it. If for some reason you are so “skillful” to tell a fabricated story and get by with it, when it does come out that you were being dishonest, the trust you garnered through your story will dissolve instantaneously.

On the flip side, being truthful doesn’t mean being pedestrian. Adding poetic flair, eloquence, metaphor, analogy, and archetypical symbolism to your real story creates a bridge between every day life and awe-inspiring impact. It’s not arrogant to couch your story in heroic terms. You are a hero, you are a leader, you are a pivotal figure, so own it and communicate it.

2.  Create a blend of logic and emotions in your story.

Facts don’t convince anyone. They are dry and boring and they remind everyone of school homework. But, some personalities need a certain level of facts to justify their emotional preferences. You need to include information, but only as they pertain to facilitating a decision. You want to inspire not profess.

On the flip side, completely eliminating facts won’t work either. Too much emotion feels manipulative. People don’t like to feel “played”. Effective appeals are transparent, they sneak up on you, they trigger feelings without your realizing it’s happening. They touch you instead of trick you. It’s a delicate balance but it’s one worth finding.

3. Tailor your story to your audience.

Children need to be told stories differently than college professors. The same idea can be communicated but it needs to have different vocabulary, different story landmarks, and even a different speed of presentation of ideas. You need to keep your audience in mind as you craft your narrative.

A reminder and word of caution – even if your audience is a highly educated, scientific sort, your goal is to touch the hearts, not just the minds. In the same way that babies and puppies captivate, so too certain stories touch us all, regardless of our education level. The Kid Done Good, the Underdog, the Hero, the Champion, the Epiphany, the Love Story, are story lines we all know. You might have to tell your story with a different use of analogies and a varying level of vocabulary, but these classic story lines appeal to all ages. Use them.

I found some great resources for you to enjoy about compelling storytelling. Enjoy!

• Telling Compelling Stories
• How To Tell A Great Story
• New Media Storytelling
• Using Storytelling in Design
• Using Storytelling for Make a Compelling Presentation
• This American Life, Ira Glass, on Storytelling and Compelling Content

Together, we are stronger.
Vicki Flaugher, the original SmartWoman

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