How Google got it’s name… and how that can help you name your business/product/service

The name started as a joke about the amount of information the search engine could search, or a “Googol” of information. (A googol is the number 1 followed by 100 zeros.) When founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin gave a presentation to an angel investor, they received a check made out to “Google.”

Source: How 16 Great Companies Picked Their Unique Names, OPENForum

So, if you are naming your company, a new product or program, look to seldom used words that REALLY personify what you offer. Now, does it matter that the word googol has significance, probably not in the long run as most users have NO idea where the word Google came from. It MAY have been instrumental in the startup phase in emphasizing the massive amount of information.

And so what does this teach us, friends? That quite possibly it doesn’t matter what you name a company. Who’s to say however, Google is the most successful search engine so following the example is a smart gamble.

Product names are quite a bit more important, as you only have so much time to impress upon the consumer the need to purchase, so making it something that communicates the message is ideal. Cute or catchy isn’t as important as being benefit laden. People need to know very quickly the benefit they will experience when they make their purchase.

So, how does your product measure up? When a prospect sees your product name on facebook or a website, does it make an instant impact? Does your book title intrigue them and keep them hooked?

C

Wow, what an offer! This guy will write a book proposal for me for $850. Not bad. The hitch? I have to decide and put a downpayment today.

So, I don’t have the need for another book or proposal right now, nor a ghostwriter to create one, however, I think this offer is great. I also love that he only lets you think about it for 24 hours. A great way to get an influx of cash into your business, if you would utilize an idea like this.
Here is some of the email, how could you do something similar in your business?
The keys to success with this type of offer is to make the offer VERY SIMPLE, CLEAR on how to sign up and require a very QUICK response.

( If you are interested in taking him up on this offer, comment here, I will send you his info. I don’t know this guy well, he is just a writer I considered hiring about 5 years ago from a craigslist ad and he contacts me and his list a few times a year, this is one of those times) The copy writing is VERY GOOD!

Hello, hope all is well.

Want an offer “you can’t refuse?”

How about this:

I’ll help you create your book proposal, find the best list of publishers, review each contract offer you receive, and even help you promote your book once it is published!

You only need to make a $450 payment within 24 hours; balance of $400 won’t be due until you sign the book contract and get the advance check from the publisher. (NOTE: Even if you are not ready with any info right now, you can still “lock in” the discount rate by making the payment within 24 hours.)

You can make the payment via Pay Pal, or send a check via overnight delivery.

To pay with Pay Pal, just visit www.paypal.com and click on “send money,” and make the payment to my e-mail address: (his email address was here)

To send a check via overnight delivery, here is the address:

John XXXXXX
(ADDRESS was here)

Be sure to mark the delivery “no signature required,” and e-mail the tracking number to me.

Below you will see a “letter of agreement” that spells out the terms. Just put in your name, date and the amounts from above, and send it back to me, and we can get started on your book project.

Holler if you have any questions.
Thanks!
John XXXXXX

I may use this idea in the near future, maybe offer a very limited time discount on a program or service. .. what about you?

C

Why I hate marketing and sales!

A little over a year ago, in a conversation with a fascinating colleague of mine, I realized that I hate marketing and sales! How it took me so long to realize it, is beyond me and out of my cognitive dissonance I will myself to believe that it is because I am good at it, so I didn’t notice

But, alas, during this heated conversation about why I wasn’t going to fight another consultant for this client, that I wouldn’t create an elaborate layout about why I was THE choice for the client, not the other, I said it. I hate it. I hate monetizing, I hate marketing, I hate selling. BUT, only when it comes to myself. I can sell you, or your product, a certain doctor to go to, a program to purchase, a book that I love! And I will do it well, and I won’t hate it!

I am actually fascinated by marketing, I have read almost every marketing book in existence, I love it, in theory.

I only hate it when it comes to ME!

I have pondered this for the past year and as I realize more that I hate it, I do it less and less, I want to sell less and less, I try to CLOSE less and less. So, how long can you run a sole-practitioner service business without selling? Ah, it’s gone ok so far! And I don’t have to do something I hate. Instead I lay out my best, I give it all, leave it on the table for the prospect to pick up and win or to walk away.

This just feels better to me.

And that makes me happy.

It’s like Patrick Lencioni’s new book, Getting Naked, the Lighthouse consulting company did the same. They just consulted, not sold.

What would happen if all service professionals did this? Especially those that spend the majority of their time selling, what if we just did what we do best?

How many people and businesses could we help? How could we impact the world?

That’s when I am happy, when I am helping people. What about you?

“WAIT!!!! I LIKE selling,” you say. Well, good, then come on over sell my stuff for me and leave the service work (coaching and consulting to those of us that find that our gift!).

What do you think? Do you like sales? Marketing?

How will this change what you do today?

Yours absolutely truly,

C

How To Create Something So Fascinating That People Can’t Help But Be Drawn In

Read this book with me, let me know how you will use these 7 triggers for your business benefit.

Or take the f score test, see which you use naturally and how to do that better! AND find out which you do not use by nature, and determine how to infuse a bit of that so as to grow the potential from that.
See a new video interview from mixergy, here, fascinating!

C

Contest to WIN Tony Hsieh’s Book – Delivering Happiness, before it is even released!!!!!!

Delivering Happiness and the Zappos mentality that I SO adore, is all about delivering happiness to customers, employees and the world!

Obsessed with the subject of Customer Loyalty?

Read Daniel Pink’s book Drive?

Love the Zappos mentality?

I am pleased to announce that I am hosting a Book Club all about Culture Creation and Customer Loyalty AND I am having a contest. Enter to WIN a copy of Tony Hsieh’s book before it is even released!

Join the Book Club and be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Tony’s book! ONE will be given out each week for the next three weeks!

To join, either place a comment here and tell me your #1 struggle/question with creating your company’s culture OR join my LinedIn group called Zappos Insights Mastermind Group OR re-tweet my tweet about this on twitter! My twitter name: christiescott1

Look forward to brainstorming with you on our Book Club calls!

C

TOP TWO Trends in Marketing and Branding!!! Are you WITH it?

WE ARE THE INSTANT GRATIFICATION NATION! THIS IS one of the most important things to remember about branding, marketing, and the delivery of every portion of the sale.

The SECOND most important trend, I believe, is CUSTOMIZATION!

Have you noticed how EVERYTHING is now CUSTOMIZABLE? You can get a customized ANYthing just like you always could, but now, it is to an all new level and at new actually affordable pricing! We don’t want the same ANYthing as ANYONE else! We want to express ourselves, we want to be unique, we want to stand out!

Products and companies that have responded to these needs:

You can buy a deck of playing cards with a different photo on each one!

You can get a different photo and words on every one of your business cards in a pack, rather than having 500 or so, of the SAME old, same old.

You can print “one off” or print on demand books, T-shirts or coffee mugs, not have to buy 12 or more of them.

You can get different initials, words or even photos on M & M candies.

You can put your logo on a plant seed and grow the plant to see the logo on the leaves of the plant!

You can NOW even customize your marketing. This is done with emails and even postcards, where each one has the recipients name on it in the photo or graphic.Going further, you can send the postcard with a customized website with the recipients name in the url!

How much further can this go? Nobody knows, but for now, have fun with it! Over the holidays I saw the office supply company that had a simple way for you to put your photo on a cartoon elf that danced and sang in a video before your eyes.

At Disney they do some similar things on rides and with different activities at their parks as you would expect. But, now they have even gotten on the customized email marketing train. I got an email from them and it talked about their newest marketing “ploy”, oh, did I write that outloud! I mean their newest philanthropic venture

Give a Day, Get a Disney Day

The email had a link at the bottom that said The Muppets have already included you in the volunteer fun. Click to see!

Go on, check it out. Look at how they customized, not only the words on the “newspaper” but also the Muppets actually say my name too!

SOOOO, how can you use this? How can you make people smile? Entertain them? Surprise them? Show them that you care? Get them to feel famous?

My best,

C

www.christiescott.com

Best and Worst Company Names of the decade…

Take note of these BEST and WORST online company names of the decade.

When planning your new plan, program, book, seminar, press release, website, offering, etc. think about what makes the best work and the worst miserably fail. Notice, most that work are catchy, but some that are catchy still made the worst list.

Click here to go to the Best and Worst article!

Want some ideas for you latest “thing”? Let me know, I am definitely an idea person!

C

www.christiescott.com

Amazon’s TOP Selling Products this season, what are people “into” right now, what are the masses are WILLING, very willing to pay for?

You can see trends, understand them and react accordingly, but only if you observe, take note and learn from the data.

Here are the top products from this season, how can you edit what you do, sell, produce, promote in response? Which trends affect your market? What are people “into” right now, what are the masses are WILLING, very willing to pay for?

The top-selling CD during December was TV sensation Susan Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream” and the most-sold book was Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue”.

Amazon’s own electronic book reader, the Kindle, was the top-selling item of the season, with more customers buying Kindle books than actual physical books on Christmas Day.

Here’s a look at the other top products sold on Amazon.com this season, organized by category.

Toys: Scrabble Slam Cards.

Video games and hardware: Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board.

Sports and outdoors: Razor A Kick Scooter.

DVD: “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

Books: “Going Rogue” by Sarah Palin.

Music: “I Dreamed a Dream” by Susan Boyle.

Jewelry: Sterling Silver Marcasite & Garnet Glass Heart Pendant.

Watches: Casio Men’s Waveceptor Atomic Dual-Time Watch.

Beauty: Sephora Brand Color Play Palette II.

Home and garden: Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter.

Clothing and accessories: The Mountain Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee.

Shoes and handbags (Amazon.com and Endless.com): Steve Madden Women’s Bonanza Tall Shafted Flat Boot.

Health and personal care: Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer.

Gourmet food: Bon Appetit Gift Basket.

Home improvement: Black & Decker MSW100 Ready Wrench.

NOW! Whatcha gonna do about it?

My best,

C

www.christiescott.com

Dynamic Pricing Ideas for your product, according to Seth Godin.

Check out these ideas from Seth Godin. Are you releasing anything soon? Book, product, try this:

http://tinyurl.com/seth121009

My best,
Christie Scott