How Apple evolves and develops it’s Brand!

They do as Seth Godin says, they take a cliché and do the opposite. THIS is one way we can INNOVATE, like I have been encouraging you to do. As Tony Robbins has pointed out for the duration of this “recession”, you must innovate during this time or you will suffer, because some of your competitors WILL!

To quote Seth:

The effective way to use a cliché is to point to it and then do precisely the opposite. Juxtapose the cliché with the unexpected truth of what you have to offer. Apple does this all the time. They point out the cliché of a laptop or a desktop or an MP3 player and then they turn it upside down.

Richard Branson takes the expected boredom of a CEO and turns it upside down by doing things you don’t expect.

There is power in opposites like this, very often, in that, you can turn a negative into a positive. If your product competitors are very similar to yours (or at least seems that way to prospects), with time, there is a commoditization, that will squeeze any profit out of the venture.If you don’t change the game, it will change and you will pay the consequences.

Like I talked about yesterday in my post, a negative objection from a prospect can be a positive. You can use it to create more success in the future: If competitors chose someone with more “experience”, saying you are younger than your competitors, then build a plan to show that as an advantage. This won’t help for this prospect in particular, but for future prospects, you can be ready. Brand messages for your youth could be:  “Uses the latest breakthrough technology.” “In it for the long haul” (for 30 years instead of the competitor is already 60 so he will retire soon).

What negatives do you see that could be positives?

What we believe shapes our thoughts, our thoughts shape our actions, our actions shape our experience/lives.

What do you believe that could be shaping your life into what you do not want in your future?

C

www.christiescott.com

Part 2 Thrive in the Current Economy according to TONY ROBBINS… and get rid of your business turned J-O-B!

Continued from the previous post about the Tony Robbins/Chet Holmes UBMS event…

Of course, we would all choose to innovate, setting ourselves apart from the competition and make more money, right? The challenge to being able to innovate in our present business situation. The dilemma: You’ve created more of a J-O-B than anything else. Are you thinking, “How can I innovate when seeing fewer patients is not an option, with bills to pay?”

The problem? We are running our business from a place of unnaturalness and stress. Tony recommends that first, we must know WHO we are as a business owner, then, when that we plan to take advantage of that strength; in this way we can begin innovation with a clear mind and more free time.

When you identify WHO you are as a business owner, you will be able to find people of other types; a combination which will result in more free time to be innovative which will lead to brilliant business success.

The three types of business owners Tony describes are; the Artist, the Manager/Leader and the Entrepreneur.

With which of these do you identify the most?

The Artist – You have an extraordinary talent or skill that sets you above the rest.

The Manager/Leader – You love to manage people, watch those systems, monitor, make it happen on a daily basis. That’s what you live for.

The Entrepreneur – You live to create a start-up, to put a system together. You love to pull together a team of talented people and you take the big risks.

Remember, functioning everyday in your business in a way that is not your nature, results in a lot of unnecessary stress.  You become very reactive and create an atmosphere in which innovation cannot thrive, which is in this “season” a prescription for failure.

Solution? Seek out persons that fit into these other areas of brilliance. Then, focus on what you do well. Innovate!  Set yourself apart.  Do more than just survive.  Thrive in this “winter season” and enter “spring” at the top of your game!

SO, WILL YOU TAKE TONY’S ADVICE? If so, you ARE going to thrive because you are the type of person that puts into action what you learn.

If not, that also speaks for WHO you are? Is that who you want to prove yourself to be?

C

www.christiescott.com

Part 1 Thrive in the Current Economy according to TONY ROBBINS… and get rid of your business turned J-O-B!

Listening to TONY ROBBINS at the Ultimate Business Mastery Summit last week was, as always, fantastic, humbling, and exciting. Tony energizes everyone.  The momentum is ongoing.  You dance, jump, shake, whoop and scream! At one point we were so roudy that the chandelier crystals literally started to fall off! I sat to have a sip of water during one jumping session and I felt that the floor was actually rippling; the water in my cup I was sipping was sloshing around!

If I could bottle the experience I’d send it to you all! (If it could be bottled, I guarantee, Tony would be selling it

Amongst all of the hoopla though, Tony shows brilliant business sense.  Notably, he talked about some issues that would be detrimental to your business in this economy if you fail to pay attention and make changes.

So, here is some of what Tony shared, maybe this can shake and excite you into action and you can make 2010 a great year of business growth!

He points out that this is the “winter” season for the economy. He fervently encouraged us to take note of the economical “season”, to see the opportunity and innovate! Take it to the next level!

‘It is,’ Tony says, ‘during the winter season that true innovation happens, and THIS innovation determines whether a company thrives or dies’.

Do you innovate?

Why not? No excuses, really, why not?

Or if you do, does it work to set you apart and allow you to thrive? If not, why not?

More on Tony’s advice on this subject soon, till then, get honest with yourself about what is holding your business from getting to the next level!

C

www.christiescott.com

How many people follow you? THAT may determine your income, ya know!

Thank you Seth Godin for:

Pointing out the obvious.

Making it undeniable so that we then, all concede and hopefully, JUMP into action.

The latest blog post from Seth Godin talks about the POWER of 1,000 people. You probably do not have a thousand people following you, on your list or who have purchased from you, but, look at how powerful this can be:

“I think the ability to find and organize 1,000 people is a breakthrough opportunity. One thousand people coordinating their actions is enough to change your world (and make a living.)

1,000 people each spending $1,000 on a special interest cruise equals a million dollars.

1,000 people willing to spend $250 to attend a day-long seminar gives you the leverage to invite just about anyone you can imagine to fly in and speak.

1,000 people voting as a bloc can change local politics forever.

1,000 people willing to try a new restaurant you find for them gives you the ability to make an entrepreneur successful and change the landscape of your town.

Even better, coordinating the learning and connections of this tribe of 1,000 is not just profitable, it’s rewarding. If you can take them where they want to go, you become indispensable (and respected).

What’s difficult? What’s difficult is changing your attitude. Instead of speed dating your way to interruption, instead of yelling at strangers all day trying to make a living, coordinating a tribe of 1,000 requires patience, consistency and a focus on long-term relationships and life time value. You don’t find customers for your products. You find products for your customers.”

So, what could you do to start, one-by-one bringing people into your world?

How could you keep “talking” to them, so as to keep them involved, paying attention, growing in respect of you?

Is it worth the effort? Obviously YES.

Like Tony Robbins says, “Make a plan, then follow through”.

Whether you decide to use Twitter, Facebook, or some other way of pulling people towards you and then continually marketing to them or some other way, I would love to hear about it,

Christie Scott

www.christiescott.com