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Impact Improver Archives
We regularly email our free Impact Improver tips, techniques, or strategies about "the business of speaking".
Impact Improvers are short, to the point, and cover a wide range of subjects. Use the sign-up form on the right to subscribe to Impact Improver tips. We value your right to privacy and we will never sell or share your email address with others, nor will we ever send you spam. Unsubscribe instructions are included with every email.
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Proposals that secure relationships (Impact Improver, Vol 2, issue 24)
The first title I came up with for this week's Impact Improver was "Proposals that win business". However, I realised pretty quickly that this was in direct conflict with the first point I wanted to make - which was that proposals shouldn't win business at all - you should have won the business long before sitting down to write the proposal. So just what is a proposal for and how do you write a good one? . . . keep reading
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Being the Best in the World (Impact Improver Vol 2, Issue 23)
This week I'm returning to 'Good to Great' by Jim Collins. I've read more of the book and had a few interesting debates with friends and colleagues, one of which I reference later. I like the constituent parts of what Collins calls the 'Hedgehog Concept' and in this article I suggest how this could be applied to micro and small businesses - including speakers, of course. . . . keep reading
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Getting more money through the door (Impact Improver, Volume 2, Issue 22)
Last week I kicked off with 'part one' in a series of articles based on the outstanding book 'Good to Great', by Jim Collins. I'll continue with this series, but not necessarily in a contiguous sense. This week I want to interrupt the series with an article on 'getting more money through the door'. There's a very limited number of ways to do this - something which I believe many people either don't recognise in the first place, or simply loose sight of during the daily grind. . . . keep reading
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Good to Great - Part One (Impact Improver, Vol 2, Issue 21)
I have been reading "Good to Great" by Jim Collins (see side bar for details). I know that many people have already read it and that many people believe it to be a great book - and so do I. However, I've come across quite a few micro-businesses whose owners say, "Too corporate for me - can't apply here - we're way too small", or "Very American and not culturally relevant to a European business." I accept that the evidence base for the book is (a) corporate and (b) North American; however I believe the messages can be applied across the board - and here's my (first) stab at that - I'll be writing more on this next week too. . . . keep reading
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Impact Improver (Vol 2, Issue 20) How to test your business strategy?
How good is your strategy? This week's Impact Improver looks at a simple method of assessing the effectiveness of your business strategy. It relies on discovering whether your strategy provides the answers to six fundamental questions about you and your business. Prior to introducing these questions, I want to define what I mean by (business) strategy and state a precondition to using the article. . . . keep reading
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Tips on Special Character Codes (BB Volume 2, Issue 18)
A more techie Business Booster this week, however one that contains information that's proved useful to me, so I pass it on in the hope that you'll find it useful too. Special characters are those extra little 'bits and bobs' you find yourself needing from time to time, for example, ©, ®, ™, ‰, @. This Business Booster tells you how to find them and insert them into your documents. . . . keep reading
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Dealing with Q&A sessions (BB Volume 2, Issue 17)
Once you have become a recognised expert in your field, people inevitably want their 'unfair share' of your expertise, knowledge and advice. No matter how complete, compelling and engaging your address, there will always be doubts, issues, points of clarification that audience members want to raise with you. The event organiser commonly offers a Q&A session for this purpose - this Business Booster is about getting the most out of that session. . . . keep reading
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Two wonderful examples of REAL authenticity (BB Volume 2, Issue 15)
This week's Business Booster naturally follows on from last week's, although there wasn't any prior intent in this regard. I want to draw to your attention two recent performances by amateur entertainers that are outstanding illustrations of what can be achieved if you really know what your core talent is and you're prepared to work hard at perfecting it. . . . keep reading
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How to be authentic and why it really matters (BB Volume 2, Issue 14)
Authenticity is critical to 'grabbing' an audience and having them hang on your every word. The topic of 'authenticity' has been kicked around the speaking profession so much in the recent past that the bruises are being to show. People have been expounding all sorts of theories about it, and I even agree with some of them - to a point. Nobody though, it seems to be, has satisfactorily got to the crux of the matter. Here's my tuppence worth: . . . keep reading
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If Branson can do it, so can you (BB Volume 2, Issue 12)
I'm fortunate enough to have part of the vast Virgin commercial empire as a good client. I'm also a good customer of theirs, in that I use Virgin Trains extensively for business travel within the UK. Being both supplier and customer has given me visibility on "both sides of the fence" -- not something ordinarily available to customers. I can honestly say that I'm hugely impressed with how Sir Richard Branson seems to have got his personal values and business beliefs into very nook and cranny of Virgin -- if you cut his employees in half you'd find the cursive script of "Virgin" written right through the middle of them, just like a stick of Brighton (or Blackpool) Rock. They are utterly delightful people with whom to do business -- either as supplier or customer. . . . keep reading
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Eights ways to make your clients love you (BB Volume 2, Issue 11)
It is true to say that people own their own emotions and in that sense are free to respond to you however they wish -- you can however, make life easier for them -- and when you're making a sale it's really important to make the whole process as easy as possible. This article gives you eight things you can do to enhance your reputation with your clients. . . . keep reading
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