I’ve always been a huge fan of super heroes ever since my parents bought me X-men #5 to stimulate my interest in literature.

I’ve even interviewed Stan Lee (the creator of Marvel) during my BBC radio days.

Strangely enough, 20 years ago, only the geekiest among us knew what an exclusive that really was.

Like the rest of those kids, I’ve waited a life-time for CGI to catch up enough to do justice to those stories.

Superheroes are the modern day Roman/Greek mythology.

That’s why the stories work so well.

Years later with a business and a family, the superhero mindset is still active.

Watch this and find out everything you need to know…

We also have in Joss Whedon’s Marvel’s Avengers Assemble (or The Avengers outside of the UK) one of the best selling films of all-time.

Others are enjoying the ride too.

I’ve recently noticed some useful business tips too.

That’s why I wrote this.

So that’s my geek origin, how can The Avengers help your business?

Here’s 7 ways…

Marvel's Avengers Assemble

To understand this best you have to remember that The Avengers are exciting because they are completely conflicting characters with personality types but each one has a special skills set.

They also bring with them a great deal of emotional baggage which makes their outside achievements all the better because you understand their back story.

And they like to blow stuff up.

So here we go…

The Avengers - Earth's Mightiest Mortals

7 Super Business Tips To Turbo Charge Your Success

1) Technology

Iron Man is the technology king but each one embraces science with a new set of eyes knowing that this may give a ‘life and death’ edge over their adversaries.

Iron Man - Are you using the best new technology for your business?

Do you use tech the same way? Are you embracing social media, the internet and integrating them with you business? Do you outsource the hard work and build a virtual team (like Jarvis the computer butler) who can do all the heavy calculations so that you don’t have to?

Things to do?

i) Give your business a technology makeover.

ii) Get internet savvy.

iii) Hire a virtual assistant

2) Origins (Life long struggle)

Whether you are born rich (like Tony Stark, born to nobility (like Thor) or coming from nowhere (like Captain America), you have something useful in your background to rebel against.

Thor - Sometimes it's tough to be a god

Tough upbringing, difficult childhood, cruel boss etc  The circumstances are all yours but the BIG question is – What are you going to do about it?

No more ‘boo hoo’ – winners take action and overcome all odds. Even if you have a comfortable life, find something discomforting to change.

Your company may need to implement a CSR or you may need to discover your own noble goal.

Without throwing down the gauntlet, you will never be able to judge how far your adventure has progressed.

Things to do?

i) Get a coach or a mentor

ii) Set your business/noble goals

iii) Go get them

3) Assemble Your Team

You don’t have to be able to buy everything. You can also charm, persuade, cajole,  invite, joint venture, trick, bribe, blackmail etc your way into getting your group together.

The strength in any team comes from their difference in skills and temperaments. You can use the best tool for the job. Sometimes you just need a Hulk to batter things, other times a super spy (like Black Widow) or a marksman (like Hawkeye) are the right person/instrument to get the job done.

Nick Fury may be the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D but he’s also the make with the plan.

Nick Fury - Assembling the best team

He’s getting a team together and then sending them in to battle his problem.

Captain America is NOT the most powerful team member BUT he is the strategist and the one able to command them in action. Base your team around you and recruit from your network to find the best players.

Captain America - handy to have around

These may be employees, a mastermind group or a business club.

Do you need to improve your website, increase your sales or take a fresh look at your monthly expenditure. If they are not the best use of your time – get someone else in to do it.

Some may be occasional participants, others may come back every time by sheer popular demand.

Like the Avengers, the team roster can change accordingly depending on the challenge ahead.

Things To do?

i) Create/check your business plan

ii) Discover what’s missing

iii) Network and recruit

4) Stress Management

Get to grips with your ‘real enemy’ – it’s yourself, the rest is all window dressing.

Regardless of deadlines, financial obstacles or limited resources YOU are the only one who can make a difference and therefore you are the most important part of your business.

Sometimes you should 'just smash'.

Understand emotional intelligence (EQ – do a course), meditate to get clarity, use hypnotherapy to get rid of your inner demons and employ a life or business coach to help you focus on achieving all your goals.

Sometimes becoming The Hulk and blowing your top IS the best solution to the problem – as long as you know that throwing weight and confronting the issue head on has consequences. It can prove that you have a side that shouldn’t be taken lightly and sometimes it’s just nice to hit something.

Things to do?

i) Go on an EQ/NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) /Hypnotherapy study course

ii) Learn to relax

iii) Take more breaks

5) Focus (on the goal)

Regardless of what happens, the Avengers are there to ‘get things done’. This could be sending aliens back home, making vengeful Gods think again before attacking our planet or preventing World War Three.

In every case, they will do ‘whatever it takes’  to achieve that end result. Anything less means global disaster and the end of life as we know it.

Whilst the consequences for failure might be slightly less dramatic in your own case, it helps to keep yourself at a competitive pace.

Aim for the stars and you’ll hit the moon.

So set some ambitious goals for your business and throw everything you have at making them a reality.

Also when you focus sometimes the best way to get results is to become a sharpshooter rather than a shotgun.

Hawkeye might not be the Avengers most powerful member but he’s awesome at what he does best. Firing arrows and hitting stuff.

Hawkeye - laser focused

6) Sacrifice

Be prepared to lose a few friends, family members and teeth to get the end result.

Every hero becomes ‘super’ because of the efforts they make and the tough experiences which they have to go through.

Tony Stark has to keep metal shards from piercing his heart, Thor has family issues and Captain America has lost EVERYONE he has ever known and loved.

The Black Widow has to live with her dark past as an assassin and everything she’s ever done.

Black Widow - more than lycra jumpsuits in her closet

They have to make difficult decisions accordingly.

So do you.

The ‘power of 7′ dictates that the average of your wealth and happiness throughout your life will be an average of the 7 people closest to you.

Therefore, if some of your friends are jobless, so at some time will you be.

On the other hand if you socialize with multi-millionaires, the odds are, their contacts list and money making techniques will be available to you too.

If this is to mean something then prepare to lose the negative influences in your life. They could be staff, friends or even a partner.

You may have to work overtime or hold back on holidays to get your business up to speed.

It’s all part of the job description.

Things to do?

i) Make a list

ii) Prioritize the order list

iii) Finish one thing before moving on to the next 

7) Faith In Yourself

Regardless of what is happening around them, in spite of all evidence saying that the battle is already lost, The Avengers never give up.

The Avengers - Trust me - don't argue

Neither should you.

Sports stars get better results when they have faith in a higher spiritual power (or religion) the same is true for any high achievers. It creates conditioning, it helps you to form a thick skin against painful limiting beliefs and it also allows you to perform ‘superhuman’ feats against all odds.

It’s during the darkest moments when true heroes are created and it’s never about the circumstances at hand but only about how you deal with them.

Quite simply NEVER GIVE UP.

So how does this work?

Things to do?

i) Discover your real motivators (reasons for doing what you do)

ii) Create a vision board

iii) Create a ‘support network’ (friends, family, colleagues, partners, hired help)

Can you really produce superhuman results by shifting your mindset and challenging the impossible?

Judge for yourself.

Watch one of my stage hypnosis shows and you decide…

Good luck with your business…

Best Regards

Dave

My life just went full circle.

I met and interviewed Jack Canfield.

He rocks.

Want to know what he said?

Read on…

Jack Canfield - America's Number 1 Success Coach (and me),

http://turbochargeyourbrand.tv/turbo-charge-your-brand-tv-episode-21/

You might know of him.

• Author of ‘The Success Principles’
• Co-Author of the ‘Chicken Soup For The Soul’ series.
• Star of ‘The Secret’ movie.
• He’s known as America’s number 1 Success Coach.
• He’s sold over HALF A BILLION books.
• He recently sold one of his businesses for 63 million USD.
• He’s one of the most recognizable faces in business and personal development.

The key to self-development is very simple…

Have you ever woken up and wanted more?

• More cash.
• More cool friends.
• More appreciation for what you do.
• More rewarding challenges.

Basically more from anything in your life?

If so, you have probably experienced a similar need for LESS…

• Less complex problems.
• Less financial debt.
• Less stupid people in your life.

Basically…

Less stress.

We have all had it tough at some point regardless of our initial position.

Ever since we were little babies

I used to look like this…

Me aged 0 and a half (ish).

Since that picture was taken, I spent the next 30 odd years busily chasing my own tail around the world.

Then I stopped.

I hit a brick wall and everything I believed was important truly ceased to be.

(I will tell you the full story another time).

Took a deep breath and reinvented myself.

I went from DJ to healer in one day.

This is true.

I remember when I’d just started launching myself as a hypnotherapist in Dubai.

I felt very lost and directionless until my friend Jorn bought me a copy of Jack Canfield’s  - ‘The Success Principles’

Jack changed my life!

I’d been one of the countries best known DJ/radio personalities and realized that if I wanted to establish myself as a motivator and really help others, I’d have to distance myself from my old image.

No-one trusts a guy who gets them drunk to cure their childhood issues.

With that one book I found the courage to start my new adventure.

I felt a new wave of confidence I’d never had before.

I threw away all the things that used to mean everything to me.

That meant playing down winning Blind Date on national British TV

Winning Blind Date - many many years ago...

It meant dumping all the perceptions of a rock and roll lifestyle…

Onstage with Muse, Iron Maiden and Kanye West

It meant distancing myself from all the cool interviews I’d ever done in radio…

All the premium events and launches I’ve hosted…

With Bruce Willis at the opening of Planet Hollywood Dubai.

and all the cool superstars I’ve worked with…

With Enrique Iglesias

In short, it was a complete reinvention of everything I’d ever worked towards.

But it was worth it.

I replaced my interest in music with talking books.

I devoured the training materials of my heroes and peers…

With Ormond McGill, the grandfather of hypnosis.

Many of them household names…

With NLP and Hypnosis expert and author Paul McKenna.

And business gurus…

With Raymond Aaron and Vishen Lakhiani

Until I felt able to create and launch my own products.

Just some of my own motivational product range.

Some became my clients and many my friends…

With Hritik Roshan and Simi Garewell

It all comes full circle…

Jack Canfield with my 'Now That's What I Call Hypnosis Vol 1' CD

It’s all come full circle.

I have my own weekly web TV show ‘Turbo Charge Your Brand TV‘ watched by thousands in 86 countries…

You can see the full Jack Canfield interview here…

http://turbochargeyourbrand.tv/turbo-charge-your-brand-tv-episode-21/

So here’s what I have learned…

10 Things Jack Canfield Taught Me About The Secret Success Principles

1) Be authentic and genuine. There is only one you because everyone else is already taken.

2) Be happy. It makes even the bad days seem like fun.

3) Be passionate. It’s addictive to others too.

4) Get a mentor. It will take too long and hurt too much on your own.

5) Get a plan. Without one, how will you know you’ve got there?

6) Dream big. There is enough for everyone.

7) Get accountable. Mastermind group, partners, coaches whoever will hold you accountable.

 Share the wealth. However large or small, give to others and it comes back even bigger EVERY TIME.

9) Take it easy on yourself. Reprogram the self-talk so you love living in your own skin whatever the face staring back at you in the mirror might say.

10) Never give up. The breakthrough you are looking for is getting closer with every step you take. This is a fact. Just keep on stepping!!!

Whoever you are, wherever you live and wherever you are going, I’m so glad you stopped by here and said ‘Hi’ as part of your journey.

Let me know how I can help you.

Please leave a message of encouragement for all the others on their journey at the bottom of this page…

Have an awesome day.

Dave

I thought I’d just ‘shake the tree’ for a change…

Bill Gates - smarter than the average billionaire...

I loved this picture and decided it was time to share it with a few close friends.

Here’s my own guide to life…

So here we are…

21 Rules Your Kids Did Not And Will Not Learn In School

Rule 1: Life is not fair – get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.

Give it anyway...

Rule 3: You will not make $60, 000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Deal with it...

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you messed up, it’s not your parents fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes. Learn from them.

Don't get me started...

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills. Cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet on your own room.

Unless you really, really, really want them...

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers. But life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.

Wasn't your school life just like this?

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

If only real life had a 'laughter track'.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds, chances are you’ll end up working for one.

AND NOW I WANT TO ADD ANOTHER 10…

Rule 12. Nobody instantly loves you, but your family (and that’s not guaranteed) every one else bases the relationship on what is in it for them and when the answer is ‘nothing’, they will be gone.

Of course, you will find them again. On Facebook.

Rule 13.  You should outlive your pets and your children should outlive you. Any other order is a tragedy.

The Truth About Cats And Dogs.

Rule 14. It’s better to live life as a lion than a sheep, unless you like long winters doing nothing and wearing woolly jumpers.

Rule 15. You are allowed to do as many naughty/bad things as your want to, UNTIL you find out that they are naughty and bad. Then your  conscience will spoil all enjoyment from that moment on.

The famous 'Good dog, Bad Dog' dilemma.

Rule 16. Only one person will be present at every stage of your life until the very end. Be true to yourself first as  the negative voices will sound like your best friend instead.

Rule 17. Banks are bad for you. They DO NOT have your best interests at heart.

• If you are in debt they will make money.
• If you take a load they will make money.
• If you are using credit cards they will make money.
• If you are struggling with mortgage repayments, car commitments and growing utility bills they will make money.

BUT If you are making money and have lots of cash in the bank, you are not the kind of customer they truly want because you won’t be making them any money.

Ooooooohahaahahahaahahahahaha!

Rule 18. Death and taxes are the only things guaranteed in life UNLESS you become an expat in which case you will only have to work on living forever.

So far I’m doing fine…

No longer guaranteed?

Rule 19. Happiness comes from the adrenalin/endorphin rush caused by a combination of being tested and emotionally, physically or spiritually stretched to capacity and still managing to win. It’s called being ‘in the zone’ and athletes use it to win gold. Chocolate comes a close second when you are not so fussy about the quality of your happiness.  

And don’t want to move.

SMILE and you're already winning!

Rule 20. If you don’t think you have anything interesting to add, nobody else will either. So say it anyway, it’s the best way to find out for sure.

Too subtle?

Rule 21. Never ask for permission. People are trained to tell you ‘No’. Instead, just do it and apologize later (if still required or if you can still be bothered).

Welcome to your new life...

I don’t necessarily agree with or advocate ALL the above statements.

There may be more completed versions available and there will always be detractors. But if they have made you think and question a few ‘home truths’ they did the job that was intended.

Feel free to share it with friends and those who need to step outside their comfort zone once in a while.

Laters.

What Life Is Really All About.

Dave

P.S.

Check out http://www.dubaimotivationalspeaker.com

Was 2011 a tough year for you?

95% of the people I have talked to said ‘Yes’.

The other 5% are either financially independent, very savvy or just lying to keep up appearances.

Luckily for you,  I have the solution.

Watch this…

Remember to sign up for the freshest coolest new shows

EVERY SINGLE WEEK…

http://www.turbochargeyourbrand.tv 2012 is looking rosier if you understand and implement these essential 12 things…

12 Top Tips And Upgrades You Must Make For Your Business in 2012

1) Stop Talking About The Recession

No more recession. This is the new economy...

I’m sorry to burst your bubble. There is no recession.

THIS is the NEW ECONOMY!!! Money is tighter. Competitors are more cutthroat.

Everybody wants full value and doesn’t want to pay full price for it.

Got that?

Cool, well carry on now…

2) Understand Businesses Must Make Money

Do you have the right business tools?

If it doesn’t make money,  it’s a vanity project.

Even if a charity is ‘not-for-profit’,  they have to something to cover overheads.

Without a generous benefactor to bail them out, they are doing a gross disservice to their dependents.

Start making money.

3) Recognize the new ‘currencies’.

Despite the cash elements of previous point#2, people are willing to pay for influence, introductions and barter services.

It’s war-time again.

Swapping a chicken in exchange for medical services may yet make sense again.

And then there’s Facebook credits…

Facebook Credits. The biggest bank you never knew about.

4) Get Online (and then back offline again).

Make a strategy.

Talk to an expert.

Attend courses and implement social media marketing.

Then turn up at networking meetings and press the flesh.

Leads for business, introductions to new friends and fascinating insights can happen through Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and You Tube, but the really hot deals will be made face-to-face.

People like to post, but they also like to watch TV, listen to the radio and read magazine.

For now at least. Build both into your future plans.

5) Declare Yourself To Be An Expert (In Something).

Get a business title.

Write a book, start speaking at industry events, keep a blog etc.

Whatever the options available work to rise above the ‘white noise’ and clutter of Google.

The competition will be doing the same as you. Until you tell everyone how you are the best in your niche.

Once you have their attention, prove it’s true.

6) Get Your Voice

Pay for public speaker training.

Want To Get Your Voice Too?

An expert (like me) will help you overcome fears, sharpen your message and teach you how to deliver it to anyone at anytime.

Learn as early as you can. Communication is everything in a socially based economy.

It is currency in itself whether you are a student attending job interviews or a CEO hosting them.

It will also add +30% to your annual salary FOR LIFE!!!

7) Get A Mentor

Everyone needs something.

Everyone Needs A Mentor.

You need guidance.

The expert needs to share and teach.

i) Find the guru.

ii) Approach them politely (get introduced, offer to help their charity, stalk gently).

iii) Request occasional brainstorming advice.

iv) Pay for their coffee.

Get one for each road map which your career needs.

Get Mental.

Your mindset is the benchmark by which the outside world will judge you.

Get Some Positivity.

It’s also the only thing that will keep you being successful. Become a life-long learner and get a life-coach.

If you are waiting until you ‘need’ one, you already do.

So Sell it first, create brochures afterwards.

9) Become A Publishing House

You have a product, service or message, tell the world about it.

Publish. A Lot.

Social media is a very good way to start.

Industry magazines, newspapers and other media are the next step…

You’d be surprised how much your individual message will carry and will be passed on as long as it is about ‘What people want to hear’ rather than ‘What you want people to hear’.

One way communication is dying (if not already dead).

10) Start Contacting the Dead

How Many Dead Contacts Do You Have?

Well not quite. Contacting the dead leads, former colleagues and acquaintances that you’ve ignored for years.

Let them know you care and offer your services again. In a fast moving business world, buying from someone you know, like and trust hasn’t changed.

How many pre-converted clients are you ignoring? How many are in new jobs? how many would just love your advice and would be willing to connect you with people who could actually pay for your services?

Dig out the Rolodex, invite them to LinkedIn and start chatting again…

11) Ask.

Ask questions, do surveys and gauge client feedback.

Ask Big Questions.

Your good old ideas about great business sense might still be as good as they ever were, but your clients might have changed their way of thinking.

If everyone is bartering, what can you do to give value whilst costing you less?

Always Seeking Knowledge is a smart way to re-evaluate anything and one you know the results, reinvent your business, trim the fat and step back into the breach.

There’s always cash, you just have to know where to dig.

12) Let Off Steam

Learn to ‘chillax’.

Work Hard - But Enjpy It Better.

Rome wasn’t built in a day and nor will your business. Meditate, study NLP or attend yoga classes but start reducing stress and stop worrying.

We are all a long time dead and when it finally does happen, you won’t have to care anymore anyway.

Any questions?

Ask me anytime… info@thelifedesigners.com

Enjoy the show.

It's Going To Be An Amazing Year...

Happy Hunting.

Dave

Happy 40th Birthday UAE.

I have been here 17 years in Abu Dhabi,Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain, and I have much to celebrate as a British expat, life been good.

We are here…

The UAE

And here’s why…

40 Reasons Why I Love Living In The UAE

1) It’s bright every day (you can tell it’s morning when you wake up).

Good morning Dubai.

2) It’s warm. Sometimes too warm, but never cold enough to need a coat.

3) The Police are nice. They know you are not armed, on drugs or stealing something. If you are they WILL find you. Then you WILL leave.

4) I watched the Gulf wars from both sides. I have lots of American, Iraqi, Iranian and Afghan friends. None are idiots. Nor did they see anything but the real truths.

5) I can now get everything I need here. No more excess baggage fees.

It's nice to travel.

6) I don’t get upset over politics anymore. Nobody asks, nobody cares what I think. It’s sometimes better.

7) The streets are always clean. It makes a difference.

Petrol is very very cheap. I couldn’t afford to push my Land Cruiser in the UK.

Home please.

9) I’ve got fatter on 5 star hotel food. It was awesome on the way in.

10) I have run a radio station.

11) Here,  I’m British NOT black.

12) There is very little crime (or at least we don’t live in fear of hoodies).

13) They look after their own people. Benefits, great wages and free villas. Good for you.

14) They let you celebrate Christmas. Not the ‘festive season’.

Happy Xmas All.

15) And Eid.

16) And Diwali.

17) And Chinese New Year … etc

18) You can go camping 60 minutes drive from your house.

19) You can have friends from 200 countries.

20) You can have free holidays in 200 countries (see above).

21) I met and married my wife in the UAE (well we met in Bahrain).

22) Our daughter Maya was born here.

My girls.

23) My best friend from Redcar, Paul Foreman now lives in Abu Dhabi and we get to play PS3 like kids again.

24) Every year something amazing and world beating happens.

25) We have the Burj Al Arab.

Nice.

26) We also have the Burj Khalifa.

New Star Wars poster?

27) Tom Cruise filmed Mission Impossible 4 on it.

Tom. Very happy.

28) I worked with James Brown and loads of other megastars.

JB Got Soul

29) I performed sell out hypnosis shows.

30) I became a corporate motivational speaker.

31) My best friend always end up coming back (Jeff Price, David Swain, George and Tracy Hopkin etc).

2) You get to enjoy all concerts really close to the stage.

Desert Rock Festival.

33) I’ve met some of the world’s biggest internet stars. They all want to come here.

Internet gurus

34) Famous footballers, reality TV stars and soap celebrities aren’t famous over here because we don’t watch so much TV.

35) They love their Royal family and vice versa.

36) Everything looks fab (night and day).

37) I got to entertain for 11+ years at Dubai Rugby Sevens.

38) Plus one World Cup.

39) It feels like home to me. For now.

My place in sun.

40) The UAE rocks. Happy birthday to everyone who lives here.

Thanks for everything to UAE’s first president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, his eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Supreme Council of Rulers, Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan,  Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and all those who made the last 40 years possible and my last 17 years incredible.

I hope I have contributed as much as I have received…

Shukran.

Dave

Are you planning a company event soon?

It’s the season for celebrations of every kind.

• Annual staff parties.
• MICE events.
• Gala dinners.
• Awards ceremonies.
• Team building days.
• Client rewards evenings.
• Family fun days.
• Shareholder get togethers.

Etc

Did you know the recession has recently just revealed some diamonds in your back yard?

Do you know what you are looking for?

It’s true.

PLUS these are great opportunities for making money, boosting morale and creating measurable ROI!

So what are those gems I mentioned?

Well, according to influential business magazine Inc.com, one of the 18 biggest growth industries in 2012 is self-improvement.

See the full list here:

http://www.inc.com/ss/best-industries-for-starting-a-business#17

Everybody really wants it.

Lucky for me, this is also my line of business.

That’s why I wanted to help you discover what you need to do before hiring a speaker for your big gig.

The Jump And Grow Wings Motivation System

http://www.jumpandgrowwings.com

This makes sense as people need an extra lift, a new direction and an innovative way to deal with a tougher playing field.

People need more from their lives.

That information has huge potential (50%+ ROI), but used wrongly you could lose a client, get a bad reputation OR even worse, have to refund everything.
Here’s how you can get it right first time…

10 Mistakes Most Event Organizers Make When Booking Their Speaker:

1) Not Identifying client’s meeting/event objectives.
What do they want? Are there other options available that they haven’t yet considered? Is the speaker’s presentation 100% of the solution or do they need to be return with other programs to share over a 12 months period? Negotiate with both parties on that.

Ask the client what they want.

2) Not selecting the right speaker/entertainer for the function.
Google them and ask people you trust in the industry. Do they have a proven track record of doing exactly this kind of thing before? Are they easy to work with.

There are a lot of dodgy speakers out there.

3) Not engaging and starting work with the prospect list in advance.
Your speaker should have digital materials (videos, audios and books) that can be used to start the motivational process before and after the event as well as during. The client will appreciate this added value (and often pay for it) PLUS you are guaranteed a bigger turnout because people now will be curious to see the speaker in person.

Let the audience be your judge.

4) Not optimising a high impact event.
Keynote address, team building activities, workshops and cabaret entertainment. A great speaker can do provide all 4. Ask them then tailor the event to the strengths of the speaker with branding, materials and a schedule all in place BEFORE they even speak.

Your speaker needs to bring something for everyone

5) Not using social media.
Any good speaker is already a minor celebrity online. Invite the client, the attendees and other potential future corporate event organisers to connect with them through Facebook, Linked In and Twitter. Take a look at their You Tube channel and help to build up the reputation and expectancy of the attendees. Remember this is free for you and great for everybody.

Your speaker should be connected

6) Not paying their expected fee.
This is his/her job. They get paid high wages and work far less hours than you. But they are 24/7 100% researching and honing their craft and reputation. Would you like a plastic surgeon to operate on the cheap?

Don't go cheap when you want the job done properly

7) Not doubling the speaker as MC/host too.
Many speakers have great entertainment skills which extend to hosting the entire evening AND presenting the keynote speech. Many will do both roles for one fee. This saves you extra cash and makes the success of the overall event more likely as there are fewer ‘X factors’ now involved (like a well meaning CEO with no stage presence but a big ego).

Choose a speaker who can also entertain.

Not getting the contact details of all attendees.
If everyone signs up for your/ the speaker’s newsletter and recommends it to a friend, you will double the potential referral numbers. Put collateral on the tables, at the entrance, as a business card draw or on exit. A good speaker will have potential prizes to incentivise.

Utilize every networking single opportunity

9) Not remembering to create back end sales.
Each speaker will have a book, CD, DVD, training system or coaching practise to sell. Strike a commission deal and make it easy for them to sell at the back of the room after their performance. Set up a table and member of staff to take the cash.

Create new ways to 'print' cash.

10) Not talking to me first…
I provide everything above. I have a shortlist of the best suppliers and that 10 minute chat could save you a small fortune both in getting the event mix right AND not losing market share and customers from getting it wrong.

Now please watch this…

Let’s talk…

My mobile is +971 505524316

My email is info@thelifedesigners.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Plus one or more of the following:

1. Please share this article with those looking to hire a speaker.
2. Please consider the points and upgrade your own presentation if you are a speaker.
3. Please ‘Like’ and ‘Comment’ if you liked reading my article.

Have an awesome day.

Dave

The new battle ground for events has moved from ‘the experience’ to ‘the engagement of the customer’.

Are you evolving to meet this?

Take a look…

- That was my message LAST YEAR!!!

Now, in a world where information is virtually free, enlightened relationships are worth their weight in gold. The best business ones are based on emotional connection rather than just finances.

Once you understand how effectively emotional involvement can become your key currency, it makes sense to have fewer deeper ones than many that are shallow, otherwise they won’t respond or get involved.

Think about the difference between spamming a list of 1 million people from a phone book or contacting 300 paying members from your chess club.

Which person is most likely to give you an immediate reply?

Plus like you, they are focused, you probably share lots in common and get especially passionate when it comes to a good game of chess.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s not meant to be either.

That’s the secret.

10 Reasons Why You Must Choose Engagement Marketing To Evolve And Grow Your Brand

1) People WILL Talk Anyway.

Once upon a time all advertising was one-way communication.

Very simply, the radio, TV, magazine, newspaper or billboard would tell you what to think.

If the advertiser was canny enough and the sales image, slogan and message were strong enough this translated into dollars for the brand and kudos for the advertising agencies.

People will talk whether you get involved OR NOT.

Nowadays people talk back online.

They also talk to each other.

If you’re not listening they will make a community decision about your brand, service, product or promotion and destroy it before it’s even had a chance to breathe.

2) People Want Solutions

When your brand comes up in conversation, these are the starting points that people will use to begin their observations.

Ask yourself 3 questions…

i) Are you providing solutions that help solve problems?

ii) Do others know that you do?

iii) Are you engaging with them yet?

Are You Talking To Enough People?

If you don’t help them someone else will.

So, it might as well be you.

3) People Like An Easy Life (To Join Your Tribe).

Are you creating hurdles (financial, time, age, location, qualification etc) which limits your new customers, clients, followers, friends and fans?

Make a simple and easy way to start your relationship.

1) You find out what they want.

2) They sign up for what they want.

3) You give them what they want.

There are plenty of easy and cost effective to automate this, leaving you free to get on with creating value and not ‘bogged down’ worrying about your administrative skills.

Give Them Whatever They Want.

As my great friend Ernesto Verdugo says ‘Once done, you can set it and forget it’.

4) You Can Always Find Your Customers (Once You Know Who They Are)

THIS DOES NOT MEAN SPAMMING! Instead, you should take the time to find out who actually likes and uses your product, service or promotions.

Discover more about them and their interests then find out where they hang out. If this was the jungle, you’d be talking about a ‘watering hole’. In your town it might be a club, bar or society. Online it may be a website, fan page or community.

Engage DON'T Judge.

Find out where they are and take out an ad campaign. Or just say ‘Hi’.

Strangely enough, your customer probably wants the same as you from their life. Happiness, a full tummy and a sense of belonging. Respect to that.

5) The Technology Is Already Available

No reinvention of the wheel is necessary.

I find it’s best to use an online and offline combination.

i)  Blogs

ii) Social media

iii) Webinars (online broadcasts)

iv) Emails

v) Videos

How Are You Communicating With Your Customers?

vi) Live events (meet and greets)

vii) Conventional advertising that drives new customers to connect with you at any of the above.

6) Everything Can Become Viral

Everything you create should be easily spread through a third party – however unsophisticated they are.

Make a message.

Keep it simple, emotionally appealing and consistent.

Think of what people would want to share about you, then produce that.

A virus become self-sufficient and finds new hosts through exposure to them.

Let your promotions enjoy the same objectives.

You may have to find that secret sauce ingredient yourself.

Gratuitous Hot Chick Pic (Proving Sexy Does Sell).

Remember SEXY SELLS.

Start watching You Tube…

7) Events Are A Perfect Opportunity For Engagement Marketing and Brand Building

Most events are run as follows…

• Treat it as a ‘one-off’ experience
• Spend a fortune on lots of random media advertising (flyers, radio, TV, magazines, videos) and interviews
• Hope the sponsors see a realistic (yet intangible) ROI
• Pray for a feeding frenzy of last minute ticket sales
• Suffer from sweat and panic attacks aplenty

There are so many random factors involved that only a genius or an idiot would attempt to make a living from it.

Dubai Rugby Sevens- Guys Keep Coming Back!

However consider if…

• You had a ready made group of guaranteed attendees
• You never had to spend on random media advertising
• You could show cash sponsors the demographics (and contacts) of the attendees IN ADVANCE
• You could drive sales automatically months in advance
• You never got stressed because you knew each event was guaranteed to be more successful than the last one.

Wouldn’t that be useful to you?

Once People Are At Your Event, They Are On Your Side Already

You can do anything and they have nothing better to do than join in.

But you have to be engaging AND entertaining…

9) Most Organisations DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO IT!!!

As the internet becomes more available, every day there are more so-called experts who cross over from a career in PR and marketing and claim mastery. The truth is that most are not.

Having a Facebook account isn’t enough to create a powerful following for your events or your brand.

All social media will punish you for spamming or sending unsolicited and unwanted messages.

"Why Isn't My Marketing Plan Working?"

Getting it wrong is almost worse than NOT doing anything at all.

Getting it right can reduce your marketing and advertising budget by at least 50% and allow you to use that cash on better things (like a wonderful holiday afterwards).

10) By Reading This Article You Have A Head Start On The Competition

Share it with colleagues, friends, sponsors and anyone who is trying to advertise and engage their customers.

The Art Of Communication

They will become MORE emotionally engaged with YOU as a result.

Make sure to ‘Like’ it, Google+ it, leave a comment below and share it with Facebook friends, Linked In connections and Twitter followers.

This gives you more clout and positions you as someone that others want to know more about.

Remember the term is SOCIAL media.

It’s about 2 way communications.

I have just started yours.

I am hosting a training seminar for UAE based event managers on Saturday 1st October from 12pm to 3pm at the Pavilion Downtown Dubai.

I will be taking their hand and walking them step by step through advanced strategies in engagement marketing.

If you’d like to come too, let me know…

http://on.fb.me/engagementmarketingseminar

The Pavilion Downtown Dubai

Saturday 1st October 12pm- 3pm

Strictly RSVP

(There are very limited places available).

You can also contact me at dave@thelifedesigners.com

Or +971505524316

Let’s get engaged!

Laters.

Dave

Quick One…

Something super cool is  coming up…

Here’s the entire scoop…

Discover How YOU Can Make OVER $1,000 In The Next 2 Minutes…

-       This Video Will Blow You Away!!!

http://www.lifedesignbootcamp.com

On Saturday 20^th August, business sales expert Dariush Soudi and I will be training 21 people to Make Lots And Lots Of Money.

Period.

No catch.

No ‘buy my stuff first and then’…

Just 6 hours of SOLID GOLD CONTENT to give you a business edge that will fill your bank account and make your business self-sufficient for life.

http://www.lifedesignbootcamp.com

After attending the Guaranteed Success Boot Camp,

I guarantee YOU will be a master of the following:

Or more specifically…

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It’s taking place here…

Here’s How You BOOK YOUR SEAT…

You Can Either…

1) Go To http://www.lifedesignbootcamp.com

2) Connect with me  on FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/davecrane

(and follow my instructions there)

3) Email us info@thelifedesigners.com

4) Call Us On +971505524316 (Dave) Or +971506905321 (Dariush)

How Cool is that?

AND to make it EVEN COOLER…

There is a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE if you don’t know how to make serious cash after attending!!!

If you around in Dubai (and haven’t run a way for the summer), I’d love to see you there…

Laters.

Dave

10 Reasons Why Education Makes You Stupid

Got your attention?

Good.

Well, by the time you have finished reading this article 3 things will have happened.

1)      You will have serious doubts about everything you thought was true.

2)      You will want the answers to questions you didn’t know existed 2 minutes ago.

3)      You will have all the answers you need in your hands.

Intrigued? You should be.

Watch This First…

Join The Tribe

You Can Join The Tribe here:

http://www.thelifedesignerstribe.com

Cool?

Now, let’s start by revisiting that statement.

The education system now.

Education Makes You Stupid  OR EVERYTHING YOU LEARNED IN SCHOOL WAS WRONG!

You might agree in part or even be nodding  (or shaking) your head profusely.

Regardless, I believe I owe you an explanation.

I’d like to do this with a history lesson.

If you’d like greater detail on any of the next historical facts please feel free to Google it.

Here are the basic stages of western evolution (each region has it’s own version of the issues below)

1) Agrarian (Agricultural) Age (7,000 years ago).

Communities evolve into societies with rules, religions etc.

The Agricultural Age

2) 1750 – Industrial Age (200 years ago).

Factories and automation boost trading and create stability (guaranteed food and shelter) for the workers.

Pink Floyd Got It Right!

N.B. In order to keep levels of expertise high, schooling and education was introduced.

3) 1950 – Information and Technology Age (40 years ago)

Man on the moon, washing machines and information overload.

4) 1990 – Knowledge Management Age (17 years ago).

Too much information leads to expertise, specialization and consultancy.

5) 2007 – Intelligence Age (7 years ago).

We can get access to any information and so we can now focus using it better to improve how we think.

The Intelligence Age

6) 2010-Now Wisdom Age (1 year ago)

We want the smartest solutions, people and successes in our associations.

What Do We Do Now?

The problem is that because our entire educational system was created in the industrial revolution and hasn’t really been updated since then.

It actually breeds factory workers for businesses that closed down over 50 years ago.

Therefore it’s completely out of date and doesn’t have any relevance to the mindset and skill sets that we need for modern day successes.

Want proof?

Here are…

10 Reasons Why Education Makes You Stupid (and is making your kids stupid too).

Think about it…

1) We Are Categorised On Our Date Of Birth – NOT Our Interests

Look at your office, your closest friends and your social networks. Are you all the same age? Of course not. But you DO have the same interests in common.

I guarantee the key things you were interested in up to the age of seven are EXACTLY the same type of things you are interested in right now. The problem is you probably don’t get to enjoy those experiences anymore. If you did, you would be much happier and if you could add those basic pleasures to the daily mix of your business day (or even get a job that allows you to get paid for doing elements of it) you’d never have a bad day again.

2) We Are Forced To Learn EVERYTHING – NOT How To Learn Anything

Why did you need to recite so much stuff ‘parrot-fashion’? The ability to adapt and learn new skills quickly is far more useful to you than trudging through years of difficult calculus and trigonometry. You will probably never use them again for the rest of your life. Instead, if you need that expertise, you’ll Google it or hire a specialist (who actually enjoyed it at school).

Wrong Again!

3) We Were Humiliated For Asking Stupid Questions.

Nowadays those ‘stupid questions’ are called ‘Out of the box thinking’. They are worth a fortune to every company on the planet and almost impossible to get your trained and educated workforce to do. Well, at least, now you know why.

4) We Were Punished For Cheating

Time is money, short cuts are generously rewarded (they’re called ‘efficiency’). Nowadays, we call cheating ‘reverse engineering’ and that’s why the China and India are dominating the planet with cheaper productivity, new innovative solutions and ROI.

5) We Were Taught To Fear Differences In Others

The most powerful person in any group is the most flexible. Any country that operates a culture of isolated superiority will fail. The smart players are breeding global citizens with multiple language skills and an interest in travel and adapting to new cultures. One day you will actually meet that new friend from the other side of the planet on Facebook.

Spot The Difference?

6) We Focused On Our Weaknesses

It’s wrong. When you have a strength and are interested in something, you become better at doing it. The better you become, the more you’ll find success breeding success. With that comes confidence as you outstrip the competition and begin to start your own niche. Choose to focus on your weaknesses and someone will always be naturally better at it than you. You will at best be average, frustrated and desperately unhappy watching dullards with less talent getting better results with less effort. Sounds familiar? Unless YOU change, this pattern will keep repeating itself as it has been since your first childhood test results all the way up to your last appraisal.

Strengths Vs Weaknesses

7) We Were Taught NOT To Question Authority

Remember that the teacher/boss/government/system knows best. That’s why, we’ve just experienced the biggest cultural revolution that the middle east has ever seen. Social media has allowed a platform for the conversations that make people realize that the status quo needs rebalancing. Regularly. In a world where presidents ask boy billionaires for advice, the rest of us have to sit open mouthed and wonder why we never got the same ‘lucky breaks’ as those we admire on TV. We probably did, but we’re told to ignore then by people who ‘knew best’. They didn’t. I bet you now feel guilty about even thinking this way.

'What Did You Say?'

We Were Scared To Fail

We were taught a simple paradigm. If you get good exam results, you’ll get a great university and a good job. If you get bad results, you’ll be cursed to accept an average life in an average job forever. We are so paralyzed with a fear of failure we won’t even contemplate opportunities just in case it all goes wrong. The successful people know it’s a numbers game. That’s why Richard Branson, Donald Trump and Steve Jobs lead their field because they know ‘risk=life’.

Richard Branson NEVER fails.

9) We Worry About Making Mistakes

99% of us remember the classroom laughing at our ‘foolishness’ and can’t bear the idea of the same treatment in the corporate world.

When you understand that you actually make the right decision at the time of making it (we don’t have hindsight) you can have more confidence in your own informed calculations. Success comes to those who take action and are prepared to learn from their ‘mistakes’.

10) We Don’t Believe in Our Own Abilites.

Wake up call…

No-one else cares about you as much as you do, nor do they know you as well as you do.

No-one else is likely to be around you from birth to death either.

With only one guaranteed witness who will also double as your primary cheerleader, why is it we have to care so much about what others think? We know that they too have their own agenda from playground survival to driving a Mercedes Benz, so maybe it’s time we cut ourselves a little more slack and stopped listening to others opinions. You can only read your life properly when you look at it backwards so a wayward exam result or scolding needs to be put in context of your whole life. Basically, it didn’t matter then and it matters less now.

This is why most of us will spend most of our adult life searching for a new way to reinvent ourselves, make sense of our past and hope we can find the formula to happiness before it’s too late.

OH BY THE WAY, here’s an 11th reason…

11) We Didn’t Learn How To Make Money

Amazing isn’t it. Nothing about wealth creation, handling credit card debt, buying a house, pensions, insurance and keeping cash under your bed in a biscuit tin! Without Robert Kiyosaki’s ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ series  to bail you out, you’d still be in the dark ages.

We should have been taught this at school, but nobody there knew either!

Wow. That was a bumpy ride wasn’t it?

• Angry?
• Confused?
• Feeling more than a little shortchanged for the last 20, 30 or 40 years?

Well, I promised to give you a solution to help with your current confusion.

Here it is…

So what’s the answer?

Simple. Join or form a tribe.

‘Tribes’ is the new buzz-term for communities in the internet generation.

But this just is the beginning of things to come.

My own tribe is The Life Designers Tribe.

Welcome To The Life Designers Tribe

You need to join The Life Designers Tribe.

http://www.thelifedesignerstribe.com

Imagine a community of life-long learners dedicated to helping each other become leaders, industry experts and high achievers in their business, personal and spiritual life.

That’s what we do.

I invite you to join the tribe and look forward to hearing all about your aspirations.

Your re-education starts here and now…

http://www.thelifedesignerstribe.com

Laters

Dave

Since marketing my services over the last month or so I have been inundated with work AND offers of coffee/lunch for a chat/ picking my brains/ sharing my thoughts.

Here’s 1o reasons why I am politely saying ‘No’ and if you’d like to be a credible consultant, YOU MUST SAY ‘NO’ TOO!

I was inspired to write this article after reading an awesome blog post from Adrienne Graham for Forbes Magazine’s online blog.

http://blogs.forbes.com/work-in-progress/2011/03/28/no-you-cant-pick-my-brain-it-costs-too-much/

I wanted to harness this perspective to enhance our relationship and also give a voice to other entrepreneurs who ‘sell their time’ so that they can just ‘share’ this article without losing their clients.

Whilst my story is different from anyone with expertise, the essentials are always the same.

Time is cheap, if you are a corporate executive and your company salary always covers yours, plus bonuses plus overtime. Time can also be cheap if you have no product, service or value to offer anyone.

The biggest issue is most of us (until reading this article) don’t realize that time is the most precious commodity we have and when mixed with the giving of information (as a consultant) we are both our biggest advocate and enemy depending on how we position ourselves.

Read on and I will explain…

Actually, BEFORE you read the rest of this post, YOU MUST WATCH THIS VIDEO.

Consultants will understand why immediately, and my potential clients will have 99% of their questions answered…

1) Get An Expert In And Don’t Cut Corners

I am a lousy plumber.

Guess what? I don’t care.

I pay for good to great plumbers to come in and fix my pipes.

I also pay for electricians, painters, carpenters, car repairs etc etc etc. I also pay them full price because I want to hold them accountable if they do a lousy job. I DON’T want to learn their job. My hourly rate as a speaker is about $6,000. My plumber may charge $150 per hour.

I fix companies.

He fixes leaks in my kitchen.

My time is better spent looking for more speaking events, consultation contracts and networking opportunities than it is standing over the plumber to see  if I can save $50 by doing some of the work myself next time.

Get an expert in, pay them and let them do their stuff.

End of story.

2) You Want The Best Use Of Their Time

I have somewhere else to be. It’s true.

I work because

a) I love what I do.

b) I am one of the best in the world at what I do (helping industry experts to find their voice and  brand themselves both online and offline).

c) The money I get paid helps me to make a better life for my beautiful wife Azizah and our gorgeous baby daughter Maya.

The reason why I work - Azizah and Maya Crane

I am not short of friends, nor am I unable to buy my own lunch or coffee. It’s 100% in my interests to give you my very best service, get paid what I deserve and leave you with an amazing experience and a million times better off than before you first met me.

When you start raving about how amazing my work was, you will create referrals and automatically start my phone ringing with new excited clients.

I will do everything in my power to give you everything you need for the success you want.

I also know how precious your time is too.

Neither of us wants to re-edit, rethink, reschedule or regret. A truly great consultant will give you a hard time if you don’t know this and will also fight ferociously to make sure that your time is respected by others too.

3) Look For The Evidence And Check The Calibre Of The Consultant

Nobody wants to go to a horse race and put their money on a donkey. Neither do you. Any consultant worth their while has evidence from plenty of satisfied customers that what they do will rock your world.

Check out a few of my testimonials:

4) They Must Be Able To Ease Your Pain

When you pay for anything there is a simple exchange of energy, money, product or services. It must balance from both sides.

They must be able to:

a) Save you time.

b) Save you energy.

c) Lift most of your burden (learning a skill, producing a product, contacting relevant suppliers etc).

d) Give you a substantial return on investment.

Money, like time or energy is a very important currency. Whilst not every transaction brings back instant cash, it must leave you free to concentrate on finding better ways to use your time.

Your Time Is Everything

The pain must go away. Yours NOT theirs.

5)  There May Be Freebies  Too

I have written hundreds of articles, made dozens of videos and finished 4 books on self-improvement.

Many of my products are free because

a) They introduce people to my brand with zero financial barrier to entry.

b) They solve a problem remotely that otherwise would take me valuable time to fix.

c) They allow me to spend more time working with the people who value my work enough to actually pay for my best materials AND me.

When you read my blogs or watch my videos you can see how much evidence is available to prove that I can really help you when we work together. That’s why I created it.

Nowadays information is almost 100% free. Google any subject and you’ll find the suggested answers. The truth is you’ll only find the best related key words to the phrase you entered. You can then spend days sifting through enough clutter that you’d wished you’d hired an expert in the first place.

Google is the world’s biggest search engine.

You Tube comes next.

More people go to websites through recommendations of friends on Facebook than either of the above.

It's ALL out there FOR FREE!!!

A friend isn’t an expert. Their advice is free because they don’t promise accountability. I do.

6) Someone Has To Invest To Become An Expert

Malcolm Gladwell in his groundbreaking book ‘The Outliers’ stated that talent is the least likely factor involved in someone’s success. Above that are persistence and practice. Ruthless, disciplined and accountable practice. You have to be stretched at practice so it’s always difficult and many times you don’t get the results you want.

You also need to spend 10,000 hours practicing your craft before you can be anywhere near an expert.

Bill Gates worked on computers from the age of 13.

The Beatles spent the required time working 10 hour shifts for 3 year in Hamburg.

David Beckham was the only kid in the park practicing his spot kicks from his early childhood.

Similarly, I have spent the last 3 years learning internet marketing, over 20 years before that I was helping individuals and businesses to find their voice too. Since I began my current line of work, I have invested over $100,000 USD in my education (including BBC journalism training) and amassed a network of the highest calibre experts and practitioners on and off the internet.

How much have YOU invested in YOUR education?

My CV reads like no other in my niche.

You Are In Great Company.

I believe that what I know as a life-long learner will be able to change your life within 15 minutes of talking business. Make it an hour and we will have a road map for  success. Extend that to 90 hours and you will call a halt because you need to start taking action immediately rather that forget anything we’ve discussed.

Nowadays, we can all buy our own coffee.

If you could promise me that, how would you feel if I offered YOU a coffee and a sandwich in return?

7) You Don’t Pay For Someone’s Time

There is a very simple equation for how you, me or anyone else gets paid.

It’s not time spent, sweat poured or dollars for your nice smile, six-pack stomach or sexy perfume.

You get paid because of 2 factors:

a) The job you do.

b) How easily you can be replaced by someone who can do the same job cheaper.

That’s it.

This is the reason why certain jobs drain every ounce of energy for lousy pay and others give specialists the ability to name their price, take long holidays and drive the best car in the parking lot.

Remember this fact. It’s not personal.

It’s just life. Communism didn’t work because some people are more equal than  others.

How many times can you afford to cut corners and risk losing everything because you didnt want to pay the full price?

Good luck with the repairs.

Just Because It’s Information Does’nt Make It Worthless

When James Bond ends up fighting for his life because of a micro film or Ethan Hunt sees his boss swap sides for cash they will do anything to prevent that vital information getting into the wrong hands. Even kill.

Information IS Power.

Similarly, the ‘other side’ will pay anything to set their beady eyes or get their clammy hands on that information (forgive the dramatic effect).

The amount of information readily available on the internet on any subject is doubling almost daily, but so is the mis-information and the clutter. When someone can decipher the coding, laser focus your targeting and bring everything into the right and relevant perspective THAT information is worth paying for.

9) People Don’t Value Free

When you give something for free, people are grateful but will never pay for it the next time you meet. They will probably tell others about the great service you provided gratis and then they won’t want to pay either. If you run a charity, this can be a big issue.

‘Not for profit’ organization means that bills still need to get paid. Many charity organizers also have a full time job that pays THEIR bills, once that is taken care of, their time is free and that’s what gets unpaid.

You can’t reset free.

The Life Design Systems

A nominal fee (not a sandwich) means that the client takes you seriously and will also start the subconscious process of  valuing your time and paying for it.

10) The Oxygen Mask Lesson

You have a lot to give the world. That’s why you are in the business of helping others, but take a hint from the universal message given at the beginning of every flight. If the oxygen mask pops out, tend to yourself BEFORE looking after any of your dependents. Simply put, if YOU pass out, your kids may not be strong enough to carry you from a burning plane.

Your customers want you to be successful and in business for a long long time. If your stuff didn’t work, they wouldn’t want to talk to you. Remember that when you prioritize how the potential cash sitting on your table could best be spent. Allowing you to study and get better at when you do because you are not desperate to cover bills, or back in the pocket of your client to give to other suppliers who don’t work for free and have a simple ‘Don’t pay – Don’t get it’ policy.

McDonald’s won’t give you an IOU no matter how hungry you get, or how much you promise to bring other customers in next time!

So What Do You Do To Avoid Being Taken For Granted?

1) Send them this article.

2) Chat on the phone instead.

3) Offer to barter information(what can they offer you).

4) Don’t give all those solutions at the meeting (just teasers).

5) Tell a story about a ‘hypothetical friend who gave away all their information for free and went out of business.

6) Send them some free information online.

7) Show them your testimonials/qualifications.

Make them promise not to talk work during your lunch break.

9) Bring a friend.

10) Limit the time of the meeting.

OR…

PAY FOR YOUR OWN DARN COFFEE!!!

Laters.

Who Values My Time Now?

Dave

P.S.

Please SHARE and LIKE this article so others get to see it too.

Then join The Life Designers Tribe

http://www.thelifedesignerstribe.com