13 Ways to Network without Being a Nuisance

Holiday Season also means Networking Season.

This is a good thing – as long as you’re prepared.

In the next six weeks, you will no doubt run into old friends, colleagues and perhaps ex-spouses.

So, when you’re giving them the update on your world, remember these thirteen ways to network without being a nuisance:

1. Stop asking people, “Do you remember me?” This question immediately makes them feel defensive, embarrassed and on the spot. Plus, you’re setting yourself up to be insulted when they tell you they DON’T remember you. Don’t challenge people’s memories. Odds, are – they don’t remember you. Just tell them who you are. Are your questions making people feel defensive?

2. Speak with passion and people will listen. Find a way to get on the topic of passion. Yours AND the other person’s. Excavate it, then embed people’s passion into the pavement and you will lead the way to meaningful, engaging conversation. Ask Passion Finding Questions (PFQ’s) like, “What keeps you busy when you’re not working?” or “How do you incorporate your passion into your work?” Do you really care what people “do,” or who they ARE?

3. Capitalize on every encounter. That doesn’t mean money. It means identifying what your “currency” is at this particular networking event. Maybe it’s leads. Maybe it’s visibility. Maybe it’s sharing referrals. Maybe it’s capturing emails to build your permission asset. Maybe it’s having fun. Maybe it’s practicing your new elevator speech. Whatever your currency is, there’s always a way to leverage every conversation. What’s your #1 goal at this networking event?

4. Identify why you’re there. Is this an opportunity for you to meet people, or is it an opportunity for them to meet YOU? This simple attitudinal change will alter your business forever. Are you framing your networking brain positively?

5. Be The Observed, not The Observer. Put yourself in a position of value. Lead the conversation. Invite new people to join your table or conversation. Better yet, be the guest speaker or sponsor of the event. You might also consider being a volunteer, people-mover or association leader. All positions of value. All Observable. How could you position yourself in way that people have NO CHOICE but to meet you?

6. Remove the threat of rejection. If you’re afraid of starting conversations with strangers for fear of looking stupid or being rejected, approach people who HAVE to be nice to you. Leaders, volunteers, hosts, bartenders … these encounters are perfect opportunities to achieve small victories that will build your networking confidence. Whom could you speak to without the threat of rejection?

7. Gently introduce, don’t unnecessarily sneak. Get to know people on a personal level FIRST. Lead with your person; follow with your profession. Values before vocation. Individuality before industry. Personality before position. Realness before roles. Then, when the time is right, find a way to gently introduce how you deliver value. Don’t force it. People can tell. What are you leading with?

8. Stop asking people, “So, what do YOU do?” Again, nobody cares. Not to mention, not everyone has a job. Nor are all people defined by their work. Instead, ask questions that enable the person to take the conversation in whatever direction makes them feel comfortable, i.e., “What keeps you busy all week?” “What’s your role here?” “What’s been the best part about your week so far?” What are you assuming about people that might cause Foot In Mouth Disease?

9. Beware of compartmentalization. As much as I love nametags, beware of unconsciously using someone’s nametag to size that person up. Whether they’re a board member, first-timer, president or guest speaker, treat everyone the same. If possible, use hand-written nametags with first names only. That levels the networking playing field. Wait: You ARE wearing a nametag, right?

10. Typing is dangerous. Throw out everything you learned about personality types, learning styles, Meyers Briggs or any of those other ridiculous assessments. They’re worthless. Stop typing people. Typing blocks listening. Instead, harmonize with people. Stop calling them “INTJ’S” or “Extroverts.” They’re just people. That’s it. “Human Being” is the only label that means anything. What mental labels are preventing you from networking effectively?

11. “Identifying” with people is overrated. It’s one thing to discover the common point of interest. It’s another thing to pretend you’re just like the person you just met. SO: Tell the truth. Tell it all. And tell it now. Tell them you’re NOT one of them. Tell them you don’t know the first THING about BEING one of them. Tell them that you know NOTHING about who they are and what they do – but would like to learn. Does your candor and authenticity shine?

12. Friendliness is underrated. I know it sounds dumb, but just be friendly. That doesn’t mean, “be everybody’s friend,” it just means BE FRIENDLY. Friendliness is so rare; it’s become remarkable. Use it. Do it. BE it. In the end, it’s just easier. It actually takes more mental energy to avoid people than to just say hi. How many people did you go out of your way to ignore yesterday?

13. Be The Only. Attend events where you’re the only one of your kind. If you’re a man, go to women’s events. If you’re a salesperson, go to management events. If you’re a doctor, go to accounting events. Not only will people notice you; they’ll also seek you out. After all, you’re an Outsider. Everyone will be interested in hearing your fresh perspective. Sure beats having the same old conversations with the same old people. What out-of-place networking event could you attend to guarantee your memorability?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you networking without being a nuisance?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “26 Ways to Out BRAND Your Competition,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

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ZOINKS! The customer actually came to ME! Now what?

Do you remember the first time you were asked out on a date?

It probably caught you a little off guard.

Holy crap. You really want to go out with ME? Like, you came up to MY locker and asked for MY number? Oh-boy-oh -boy-oh-boy! Hot dog! This is so exciting! Someone was seeking ME out for a change! What time should I pick you up?

Wow. Can you imagine what the prospective date would think if you said that out loud?

Des-perate!

Nice move, Casanova.

LESSON LEARNED: Don’t telegraph neediness.

Businesspeople do the SAME THING all the time. They get an email out of the blue from a prospective customer. And, just like that nervous, awkward adolescent, they respond the same way:

Wow! You really want to work hire ME? Like, you came to my website and now you actually want to pay me money for my services? Oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy! Hot dog! This is so exciting! A customer seeking ME out Where do I sign?

And the same principle applies.

If you act surprised when customers come to YOU, they might start to question your professionalism. To wonder about your busyness. And the silent dialogue becomes, “Wow, sounds like this guy REALLY needs my business…”

So, if you want to project confidence and coolness when YOU’RE the one being pursued, follow these three guidelines:

1. Just relax. Play it cool. Respond as if this happens all the time. Forget about the fact that if this client doesn’t hire you, only ONE of your daughters will get to go to college.

Give the impression that you’re in high demand. That you’re used to customers pursuing YOU for business. Yep, just another day at the office.

FOR EXAMPLE: If someone wants to book you for their upcoming corporate event, one of the most liberating responses you could offer is, “What year?”

2. Watch your emotions. Sure, it’s exciting when a new prospect calls out of the blue. But it’s also a stroke to your ego. So, be careful that your emotions don’t cloud your response. Strive to maintain emotional objectivity.

A few years back, I was asked to give a speech in Jamaica. And I got SO excited and felt SO honored … that I charged the wrong fee! Woops!

REMEMEBER: Overreacting can lead to under charging.

3. Understand your position. Because the customer came to YOU, you’re in a unique situation. First of all, it’s a position of strength, since you’re not the one threatened by rejection. And the ability to walk away from a sale is a tremendous advantage.

Secondly, it’s a position of choice. Since the buyer is pre-qualified, the next question isn’t IF she should use you; it’s HOW she should use you.

THE GOOD NEWS IS: The more this happens; the more you will normalize your routine. Patterns will emerge, encounters will become more predictable and you will develop an unconscious competency for handling unsolicited requests.

And eventually, YOU will become the selector – not the selected.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you respond when customers come to YOU?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the #1 way to (actually) get prospects to come to YOU, send an email to [email protected] and I’ll share the secret!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 6 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

Build a Permission Asset, Part 3

NOTE: be sure to read part 1 and part 2 of this post series before continuing!

– – –

Welcome back!

Today is our final post in the series about Building a Permission Asset.

Just to recap: we’ve already learned about what a permission asset is, how to asset your current status and tools for building it.

Now we’re going to talk about the two most difficult challenges: PATIENCE and PROTECTION.

Yes. Building a permission asset takes time. LOTS of it.

See, notwithstanding our instant-gratification culture, your permission asset isn’t something you just “get.”

You can’t download off iTunes. Or find it on Craig’s List. Or buy it from some random college kid in your neighborhood.

It takes time. Work. Maintenance.

And most of all, patience. Because some people won’t want to give you permission asset right away. And some people won’t want to give permission EVER.

With that in mind, let’s wrap things up with several patience and precautionary measures to protect your permission asset during the long haul:

1. Privacy. While giving their email address to you is technically “free,” customers are still concerned about getting spammed. So, make certain people understand your intentions at the onset. Let them know you will NOT be sharing their information. Respect always wins.

REMEMBER: Attention is the most powerful form of currency.

2. Get it early. Whether it’s in marketing (or a one-on-one conversation) you can never get permission too early. The biggest regret you will EVER have in marketing is, “Damn it! I should have been collecting people’s emails sooner!” It’s not too late – you can start TODAY.

REMEMBER: Broadcast your uniqueness, make the mundane memorable, turn strangers into friends, friends into FANS and fans into word of mouth. Now!

3. Think long term. Look upstream. Consider the lifetime value of ONE fan. Think about how many friends they could potentially tell. Most importantly, think about how valuable your relationship with them could potentially grow.

REMEMBER: There are no one-night stands with your permission asset.

4. Consistency. Whether your permission asset is supported by an ezine, podcast or blog, you MUST deliver value. So, remind your fans WHY they follow you. Also, ask for their input, ideas, feedback and comments. Maintain a continuous dialogue with them. Because:

The more involved they are, the more ownership they take.
The more ownership they take, the more people they tell.
And the more people they tell, the bigger your permission asset (and, ultimately, your following) grows.

REMEMBER: Consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness.

5. Gratitude. Because your permission asset is so valuable, and because a following is NOTHING without followers, make sure you regularly thank your fans how much you value their loyalty (aka, permission). Offer them specials and discounts. Go out of your way connect with them via email, phone, or if possible, in person!

REMEMBER: Practice proactive gratitude. That which you appreciate appreciates.

6. Leverage. Once your permission asset hits a critical mass (1,000, 5,000, 10,000, for example) you will earn more opportunities to leverage it. The bigger your permission asset is, the more you can ask people for.

REMEMBER: Some people on your list may buy at a later time, simply because you stayed in front of them. Leverage your increasing momentum.

7. Respect. A few years ago, I emailed the aforementioned permission guru, Seth Godin. I asked him what he thought the most important word in marketing was. His answer was, “Respect.”

So, when it comes to your permission asset, never, ever, ever, ever, E-V-E-R disrespect or violate the trust of your fans. If they want off your list, respect their choice and gracefully remove them. Don’t take it personally.

REMEMBER: R-E-S-P-E-C-T!!!

8. Value. Your content – be it text, audio or video – needs to be relevant, interesting, focused, smart, concise and remarkable. Most importantly, it needs to be delivered in a unique way. You need a voice. A lens. A thing. A philosophy.

I think author and blogger extraordinarine Guy Kawasaki said it best, “It’s impossible to build community about mundane writing.”

REMEMBER: YOU. ARE. A. WRITER.

9. Patience. Don’t expect to get 500 subscribers in your first week. Have patience. Boost your list one fan at a time. The good news is, once you get past a certain number, you’ll begin to grow exponentially.

But, the (sort of) bad new is, building your permission asset never ends. You’re in it for the long haul. Better be passionate!

REMEMBER: There ain’t no finish line.

– – –

NOTE: Even with all the tips, suggestions and ideas you’ve read in these past three posts, there’s still one additional challenge to recognize: What if, no matter how hard you try, some people just WON’T give you permission?

Unfortunately, that IS going to happen. No matter what business you’re in, no matter what type of permission asset you’re building, some people just won’t give it up.

AND MY THOUGHT IS: Respect that. All you can do is your absolute best to deliver value and be yourself.

If someone is hesitant to give you permission, persistently (but not annoyingly) remind them about the security, privacy and respect of doing so. Educate them about the value of giving you permission. Don’t sell too much or too often and don’t annoy or bother them.

If that doesn’t work, back off. Don’t take it personally. Perhaps YOU are not the right person to convince them. Perhaps, over time, they will be convinced or evangelized by an existing member of your permission asset.

“You still haven’t subscribed to Janet’s weekly ezine? Man, you’re missing out! Last week’s article saved me thousands of dollars!” says one of your raving fans.

If that (still) doesn’t work, maybe it’s time to let that person go and move on.

There are plenty of other fish in the Permission Sea.

– – –

So, as we come to the end of our three-day discussion, I wanted to share one final example.

This is my favorite illustration (no pun intended) of the power of building a permission asset.

Scott Adams.

You know, the creator of Dilbert!

He runs the most successful, most widely read and highest syndicated comic strip in the world.

o His comic strips are read by millions of people every day.
o He gets 200-300 comments PER POST on his daily blog. (Holy Technorati Batman!)
o He’s published dozens of bestselling books.
o His line of Dilbert merchandise makes millions every year.
o His scores of fans rearrange their schedules just to come out to his book signings and events.
o His speaking fee is $50,000.
o He is the CEO of Scott Adams Food, Inc., maker of the Dilberito & Protein Chef.
o He won the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award and Newspaper
Comic Strip Award.
o He received the NCTE George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language.
o He’s been in the rankings of the “50 Most Influential Management Thinkers” placing 31st in 2001, 27th in 2003 and 12th in 2005.

But here’s the best part.

Scott Adams was the first syndicated cartoonist who published his email address on all his cartoons.

Initially, he did it in the hopes that people would email jokes to him.

Which they did.

Eventually, he started asking these people who emailed him if they wanted to occasionally hear from him via his an ezine.

Which they did.

WHICH MEANT: they gave Scott Adams permission.

WHICH MEANS: he built (and continues to build) his permission asset.

WHICH PROVES: he who has the biggest list (and, the best relationship with that list) wins.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many people art anticipating YOUR marketing?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Seriously, you need to read Seth’s book.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 21 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

Build a Permission Asset, Part 2

NOTE: be sure to read part 1 of this post before scrolling down!

– – –

OK guys, let’s continue our discussion on building a permission asset.

Today we’re going to explore a list of 18 questions to help you assess the status of your current permission asset.

(Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer them all right away!)

But, some are yes/no, some are VERY penetrating, and some of these questions are going to make you grin, shake your head say, “Damn it!”

But that’s good. That means there’s (still) room to make your permission asset even stronger!

Here we go:

1. Are you being selfish with your knowledge?

2. Do you get the email of every customer?

3. Do you have customers or fans?

4. How do you provide a value message to your customers every week?

5. How are you building a following?

6. How are you measuring your permission asset?

7. How are you staying in front of your fans?

8. How do you collect email addresses from the people who come to your website?

9. How do you get permission from people to market to them?

10. How many people are anticipating your marketing?

11. How many ezine subscribers do you have?

12. How many RSS subscribers do you have?

13. How quickly do you get permission from strangers?

14. If you were your customer, what would you LOVE to have from you next?

15. Is your marketing interrupting or interacting?

16. Is your marketing making music or noise?

17. When was the last time you sent out a newsletter or ezine?

18. Whom are you recruiting?

– – –

So, how’d you do?

Any of those questions impossible to answer?

Good. Because the next action is to start building (or continue building) your permission asset.

Here are (what I believe to be) the five most common, easiest and cheapest ways to do so:

1. Ezine. Make it consistent. Make it short. Make it valuable. Make it clean. And don’t sell too much. Don’t send it out too often or to too sparsely. Most importantly, be sure your “unsubscribe” button is easy to find. (Mine goes out to 10,000 people every other Tuesday. It has videos, articles and blog posts about approachability. If you would like to subscribe, go to my website!)

2. Blog. Post every day. Write passionately. Take a side. Discover your authentic writing voice. Have a Call to Action or response mechanism at the end of every post. Don’t quit after two months. Use lots of lists. Use short sentences. Use one-line paragraphs. And of course, have fun!

3. RSS Feed. For your products. For your articles. For your tour schedule. For your upcoming events. For your blog posts. For your podcasts. For your videos. For your new ideas. For ANYTHING the people in your permission asset might value.

4. Videos. Post short, fun, cool, remarkable and slightly silly videos on YouTube. Get people to watch, subscribe to and tell their friends about you them. Think viral. Here’s a good example.

5. Social Networking. Use MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Squidoo and the like. Be an octopus, not an earthworm. Post pictures, videos, blogs, comments, stories and experiences. Connect with other like-minded professionals. Consider starting your own group, cause or club within your social networking platform. Or, if you’re ambitious, start your own platform.

OK! We’ve covered a lot of ground on building a permission asset so far.

Hope you’re still with me.

Because in our final segment of this post series, we’re going to talk about PATIENCE with and PROTECTION for your permission asset.

See ya then!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many people are anticipating your marketing?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
If you haven’t read Seth’s book on permission marketing yet, DO IT TODAY.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 22 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

Build a Permission Asset, Part 1

How many people are anticipating your marketing?

Odds are, not many.

And why should they?

Most of your customers have been screwed over, sold on, marketed to, argued against, targeted, annoyed, persuaded, dishonored, pitched, pressured, bothered, interrupted, threatened and manipulated by too many companies too many times.

And they’re tired of it.

So, this means four things for your company:

1. Customers are in charge, not you.
They don’t have to listen to you if they don’t want to.

2. Customers are working extra hard to avoid and ignore your marketing.
Just think about the last time you skipped the commercials on Tivo. Then multiply that times 300 million. That’s the posture of the masses.

3. Customers are not afraid to (quickly) pick someone else.
Especially since there are infinite numbers of other options instantly available.

4. Customers are controlling how much attention they (choose) to give to you.
Because they live in a hyperspeed, ADD, instant gratification culture, and they’ve got better stuff to do.

SO, IN SHORT: Customers are calling the shots.

Not you.
Not the media.
Not your company.
Not your marketing machine.

The customers.

For that reason, you need to ask yourself ONE vital question:

How are you building a permission asset?

Bestselling marketing author Seth Godin, in his book Permission Marketing, explains it like this:

“A permission asset is the privilege (not the right) to deliver anticipated, personal and relevant ideas to the people who CHOOSE to get them.”

Wow. So, people are actually proclaiming, “Yes, I hereby allow you to market to me whenever you want.”

Glory hallelujah!!! (And all the angels sang. Amen.)

Permission. It’s the marketing word of the millennium.

IT MEANS…

o You’re building a following.
o You’re the bulls-eye, not the arrow.
o You’ve become the selected, not the selector.
o You’re working in the name accumulation business.
o You’ve earned the right to market to your customers.
o You’re worth more next week or next month than you are now.
o You’re finding products for your customers, instead of customers for your products.
o You’re accumulating, delivering value TO and maintaining respect FOR a group people who admire and support you and your ideas.

That’s permission.

So, now that you have a better understanding of the culture in which your customers live – AND what permission looks like – the next step is to assess your current permission status.

We’ll tackle that tomorrow with a list of 18 questions; then finish up this post series on Friday with one final list and example.

See ya then!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many people are anticipating your marketing?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Go to www.gitomer.com and subscribe to Jeffrey’s ezine. Watch and learn.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 23 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

95 Things I Learned from Seth Godin’s “Meatball Sundae”

So, I’m on vacation for the next two weeks (my couch).

However, I wanted to keep last week’s tradition alive since the feedback from the Ridiculously Long Lists was so positive! As such, I came up with five more lists. This should hold you over until I return on January 7th.

See ya in ’08!

Oh, and don’t forget to read all the lists from last week:
101 Lessons Learned from 2007
101 Ways to Create a Powerful Web Presence
123 Questions Every Marketer Must Ask
69 Mini Philosophies on Just about Everything
49 Ways to become an Idea Powerhouse

But now for today’s list:
98 Things I Learned from Seth Godin’s “Meatball Sundae”

Which, by the way, goes on sale TODAY. And if you don’t buy it here, your 2008 might be DOOMED!

1. An inbound email is an opportunity.

2. Appeal to the reachable.

3. Are you telling people about me?

4. Assume that every chamber is loaded, that every interaction is an interaction with a critic.

5. Be customizable, upgradeable and discussable.

6. Be on the lookout for everyone.

7. Being well rounded is totally overrated. (Actually from The Dip.)

8. Blogs validate our three desires: to hear our own voices, to be heard by others and to hear what the crowd thinks.

9. Build a permission asset.

10. Build the foundation of your idea around your marketing.

11. Bundling isn’t necessary. It slows people down from finding specifically what they really need.

12. Businesses grow because customers tell other customers.

13. Capture the attention and commerce of the people who truly care.

14. Create a story that spreads from person to person, from blog to blog that moves through a community and leaves an impact as it goes.

15. Create art not to please a gallery, but to please yourself and to please the people who are attracted to your vision?

16. Customers are saying, “I’m not a hostage any longer.”

17. Customers are working overtime to ignore you.

18. Do you quit when it’s HARD or quit when it’s RIGHT.

19. Don’t find 100,000 people, find 10 people each of whom know 1000 people.

20. Don’t hype it up. Just appear.

21. Don’t send users away from your site, claim them as your own.

22. Embed the idea into the experience itself.

23. Embrace the chaos of your industry and figure out how to weave it into a long term asset for the future.

24. Enter the public square and enable conversations.

25. Every interaction with a customer is a make or break proposition. You don’t get a chance for a learning curve. You don’t have the opportunity for the user to overcome initial discomfort.

26. Everyone can be the best in the world at something, they just need to figure out what that is.

27. Everyone picks the best one when given a choice.

28. Find a market that hasn’t been found yet. Create something so remarkable that people in that market are compelled to find you. String together enough of those markets so you can string them together as a business.

29. Given the choice, people want the choice.

30. Going through all the trouble and time to get halfway there is a waste.

31. Humans hate to make commitments because commitment is risk and risk is frightening.

32. Ideas that spread through groups of people are far more powerful than ideas delivered at an individual.

33. If it doesn’t cost your life, it isn’t a quest. (Also from The Dip.)

34. If it doesn’t sound perfect after a sentence or two, it’s easy to glance down at the next ad.

35. If you can’t see a curve, how dare you go into that field.

36. In a free market, we reward the exceptional. (Also from The Dip.)

37. In a transparent world, people avoid the deceitful.

38. In a world of choice, compromised solutions rarely triumph.

39. In a world of choice, nobody picks something that is good enough.

40. In a world of networks, few pick the isolated.

41. Instead of how well you use a paintbrush, success in the world of art is how compelling your idea becomes.

42. Instead of racing around trying to find attention, stand around and allow attention to find you.

43. Instead, focus on creating an environment where other people could have a conversation, work hard to offer enough value that people will choose to have the conversation in your place – and make it from you from time to time.

44. Invest what it takes to be seen as the best in the market you choose to compete in.

45. It’s easier than ever to sell something.

46. It’s not us and them, it’s us and us.

47. Live a story that matches the story you want people to tell other people.

48. Make something worth talking about and make it easy to talk about.

49. Make sure the architecture of your idea is viral.

50. Make sure the FIRST group of people you share your idea with are open to big ideas and have big mouths.

51. Most people, most of the time, want to be like most people, most of the time.

52. Movements are at the heart of change and growth. A movement – an idea that spreads with passion through a community and leads to change – is far more powerful than any advertisement ever could be.

53. Movements come from out of nowhere, from small companies or impassioned individuals.

54. No dip = no scarcity = no value. (Yep, from The Dip.)

55. No dips = begging to be frustrating. (Yep, from The Dip.)

56. Nothing deserves to be viral, it becomes viral if the selfishly motivated consumer spreads the word, and if they’re not spreading the word, there’s something about the idea that makes them NOT CHOOSE to spread the idea.

57. People have control over the attention they give marketers.

58. People who are perceived as the best get rewards that DWARF the people who are third and fourth and fifth.

59. People who really care will find you.

60. Practice a calm and patient approach to permission marketing.

61. Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers. (Best line of The Dip.)

62. Quitting is winning.

63. Realize that you’re not in charge.

64. Satisfy people who can best leverage your ideas.

65. Selling is about a transference of emotion, not a transference of facts.

66. Settle only for mastery.

67. Some external force has to make you a safe choice, i.e., media, book.

68. Speaking fee range is based on what serves the needs to the person who made the decision.

69. Starbucks offers 19,000 different beverages.

70. Stuff that stands on its own tends to be more remarkable. They have to be, the creators figure, because without a helping hand from a wealthy partner, that’s all they’ve got. It’s their only chance.

71. That’s why being a doctor is worth something – because not everybody’s a doctor.

72. The average length of video is five minutes, but the average length of viewing time is ten seconds. Ten seconds is all you get to prove to the viewer that it’s worth it to invest another ten seconds, and if you get someone to stick with you until the end, you’ve hit a homerun.

73. The distance between the brain of the designer and the ear of the consumer is shorter than it ever was before.

74. The internet doesn’t forget.

75. The Internet has nothing to do with what the movement is; the Net merely makes it easier than every for a movement to take place.

76. The moment your message ceases to be anticipated, personal and relevant, you cease to exist in your customer’s world.

77. The question isn’t, “How do you get Dugg,” the question is, “How do you make stuff worth Digging?”

78. The Web is like Santa Claus, but without the gifts.

79. The world is competitive, and you can only pick one, so why not pick the best.

80. The world now acts smaller and works faster.

81. There isn’t a mass market anymore: you’ll do great if there’s a niche, if your customers have natural peers.

82. There must be something about it that makes the people eager to spread it.

83. There’s not a lot of reason to persist with something that isn’t engaging.

84. Things become viral because the AUDIENCE wants to be viral, not because of you.

85. Today’s spoiled customer is willing to pay almost anything for the exclusive, noteworthy and indulgent.

86. Track attention and monetize interaction.

87. Treat every interaction, service, product and side effect as some kind of media.

88. Trust comes from repeatedly delivering insight and truth.

89. We don’t need to look for things to use our spare time because we don’t have any.

90. We feel safe and secure and validated when we choose the popular records.

91. When you get to the end of the dip, compounding your activity works, but once you’ve earned the respect, keep getting better at the craft, but stop promoting yourself because it takes away from the story – get out of the way so the people who are in love with you can talk about you.

92. Who knew? The Web knew.

93. Within you world, whatever world that is, you can see who is winning.

94. You can buy tiny slices of attention for a fraction of what it cost a decade ago.

95. You can harness the power of thousands of people for very little money.

96. You don’t have the money to command people to listen to you.

97. You’re always on the record, everyone is a critic, and the Web remembers forever.

98. Your people want to be heard

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