The Barber Shop Bookstore Clippings

As I was cleaning out some old files the other day, I came across a handout that I had prepared for a Meet the Pros session at the 1997 Annual Convention of the National Speakers Association — “Your Own World Wide Web Site: Powerful - Yet Inexpensive - Marketing”. It’s astonishing that a little over 10 years ago, people had to be convinced of the marketing power of the Internet. It’s even more astonishing how up-to-date that 10-year-old handout remains.

For example, here are the five points that I listed on my handout (remember, this was back in 1997… this was cutting-edge advice back then) —

1. Keep your web site valuable to your readers.
2. Keep your graphics small and pertinent.
3. Update your site frequently.
4. Consider getting your own domain name.
5. Personalize your graphics.

The details have changed, of course, so I’ve omitted the discussion on each of these items. Back then, you accessed the Internet via 28.8K modems. Most people didn’t have a website — and they had no idea why they’d want one. And as suggestion #4 indicates, having your own domain name was rare.

But as the late, great Ira Hayes maintained, “Details change, principles stay the same!” These suggestions may seem obvious now, but look around the web and see how many people are still violating them today. (Especially #1!) Better yet, examine your own web site(s) with a critical eye. Are you violating any of these principles?

The Internet remains — as it was then — a powerful and still relatively inexpensive marketing tool. But any tool only works well if it’s used properly.

Do yourself a favor. Take a long, hard look at your website(s)… and do the things you know need to be done to them.

– jim

I recently attended a planning retreat of the South Florida chapter of the National Speakers Association. As part of the planning exercises, we were asked to list the opportunities and challenges facing the association. I raised a few eyebrows when I listed “the economy” under “opportunities.”

Now I’m not delusional. I’ll grant that I’d prefer to have a healthier economy than the one we’re currently facing here in the U.S. — it’s certainly easier to run a successful business in a healthy economy.

But that’s no reason to ignore the wonderful opportunities that appear, disguised as “problems”. As far as the chapter is concerned, I pointed out that lots of people are looking for new careers, and NSA/FSA is ideally positioned to help them make the move to professional speaking!

But the same principle applies to pretty much all businesses. What about you? Is your business in the toilet? If so, give yourself a few minutes to hold a pity-party… and then settle down and explore the new economy, and see what opportunities have appeared that weren’t there a little while ago.

After all, some people are going to make a lot of money in the months to come. Why shouldn’t it be you? The ones who succeed will be the ones who see opportunities where everyone else sees obstacles. So work on changing your mindset.

Success is all in your mind.

— jim

www.thebarbershop.com

Wow, I thought I was creative, but Alicia Blain certainly showed me! I had originally developed VIP as an enhancement to websites, to involve visitors in a “website experience.” Then Alicia asked if she could run VIP off her laptop instead, to use in her training programs. That hadn’t occurred to me, but I couldn’t see a reason why it shouldn’t work.

To make a long story short, she did it… and it worked. She emailed me after her first training program using VIP: “[The audience] loved it.  They were engaged and thinking about the questions and sharing what they remembered about the presentation. Not only were they talking about the topic with each other but you could tell they were having fun.”

I hate presentations where speakers inflict “Death by PowerPoint” on their helpless audiences, so I’m delighted that Alicia thought of a way of using VIP as a creative alternative to commonplace PowerPoint tedium. Thanks, Alicia!

The VIP (Visitor Involvement Program) website enhancement package is more powerful than ever. Specifically, I’ve added 2 new capabilities to Version 1:

• First, the VIP package can now be used as an assessment tool. Formerly, it operated only as an entertaining quiz; now it can be used either as a quiz (with correct and incorrect responses) or as an assessment tool (where there are no incorrect answers, just degrees of correctness). (Please note that the VIP package is designed to offer your website visitors an entertaining and engaging experience. It is not designed to be a serious assessment tool. There are other assessment tools available that will work better for conducting serious assessments, if that’s what you’re looking for.)
• The original VIP package was English-based, which unnecessarily limited it. Version 1 of the package can be set up to run in any language, so you can engage your customers and prospects around the world.

Of course, since the VIP package is an Evergreen^tm resource, people who purchased the earlier version can upgrade to Version 1 at no charge. Just log in to your account and download the new version. Quick. Easy. Free.

I am delighted to re-open the Internet’s longest-running website dedicated to professional speakers, the new-and-improved Barber Shop Bookstore. (In May 2000, PC World magazine raved “Jim Barber has infused his Barbershop website with good vibrations and down-to-earth tips for better speeches.”) These improvements aren’t cosmetic. Every resource has been completely rewritten. Audio and video resources will be coming soon. And I have a really nice shopping cart designed to make your shopping experience even better.

The best thing about the NEW Barber Shop Bookstore is its Evergreen^TM philosophy! Because an Evergreen resource is downloadable, you can start benefiting from your investment immediately. (You save time.) And there’s no shipping or production costs. (You save money.) But here’s the “wow” part — when you purchase an Evergreen e-port today, you have full access to all updates to that resource for the next year… at no charge! (You get the latest information without paying for updates or upgrades. You save even more money.)

Of course, The Barber Shop Bookstore has always offered a money-back guarantee of complete satisfaction. I continue to stand behind that guarantee, so you have nothing to risk by purchasing resources from The Barber Shop Bookstore.

As the song goes, “we’ve only just begun.” Lots of new e-ports and other exciting additions to The NEW Barber Shop Bookstore are coming soon. Let me know what you’d like to see.

I’m SO looking forward to helping you achieve your full potential!

jim

Well, Chase’s rejected me. (Or actually, they rejected my latest “day” submission.) I’m tempted to say that I was hoping they’d reject my submission so that I could write about why they rejected me… but to tell the truth, I’m crushed. Nobody likes rejection.

So why did they reject my submission? In their own words (a form-email, but that’s better than no explanation at all)…

Your event may have been turned down for the following reasons:

1. It is not of national or international interest (too small).

2. It is a craft show and thus not a “special event.”

3. It is too similar to an existing event.

4. It already exists from a different sponsor. Check a current volume of Chase’s before submitting events.

5. It doesn’t exist yet. An event must already “exist” before it can be listed in Chase’s. We do not create or sanction events.

6. It is a workshop or seminar.

7. It is a thinly veiled advertisement for a book or service (professional speakers, motivational coaches, etc).

To soften the blow of rejection, they offered some suggestions that will improve my chances of being accepted —

1. Get local or state investment in your event through proclamations, special notices, etc.

2. Always review a current volume of Chase’s and be certain that your event does not bear similarity to something that we already list. Also, be certain that the concise description you write conforms to our style.

3. Keep a file of any publicity that your event receives. Be sure to let us know of any special attention, attendance figures, etc. that make your event of greater interest to a national and international audience.

4. If you include a website in your contact information, we assume that you intend to use that website to promote your event. Be certain that your event is prominently featured on your site’s main page, and that a description of the event contains specific information, details on attending, suggestions for others in how to “celebrate” the event, etc. If we can’t find the event on your website quickly, we definitely won’t list the website, and are less likely to accept the event for publication at all.

So there you have it. Maybe following these suggestions will help you with your submissions…..

One last point. Even if Chase’s “rejects” your brilliant submission, you need to remember that you can still have your day (or week or month). Chase’s isn’t the “authority” on days, it simply reports them. Granted, getting your day listed in Chase’s makes your marketing easier — but you can still go ahead without them!

(For example, my submission that November 9th is “Quit Fondling the Elephant’s Ass Day” is still valid. 11/9 is QFTEA Day, whether Chase’s recognizes it or not.)

So go ahead — Make your day!

jim

In my previous post, I described how useful it can be to have a day of your own listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events. However, I neglected to say how you can find out which days are already listed in Chase’s.

Your local library might have a current copy of Chase’s. But you can also purchase your own copy of 2008 Chase’s Calendar of Events from Amazon. Here’s the cool part — you not only get the book to read, you also get the complete calendar listing on a CD. Just pop it in your computer and you’ll find what you’re looking for in seconds! (It beats spending hours pouring over small-type printed material.)

Einstein’s Theory of Profitability says that “Time is Money” (mathematically, that’s T=$). So if you’re interested in saving lots of time (and so lots of money), I recommend you get your own copy of Chase’s — complete with searchable CD!

Wishing you every success!

jim

Do you like marketing opportunities that are both effective and inexpensive? Then you’ll love this —

Journalists, newscasters, and other media people rely on Chase’s Calendar of Events to tell them what’s significant about a particular day, week, or year. For example, if you’re a reporter and you’re writing a story about retirement, you’d be delighted to discover that, according to Chase’s, March 1 is “ReFired, Not Retired Day”. You’d also be delighted to discover that there’s an official contact person you can call for further information about ReFired Not Retired Day and about retirement in general. (In this case, it’s the author of the book “ReFired, Not Retired”, Phyllis May.)

It’s obvious how much journalists and media people value Chase’s. It’s also obvious how important it is to be listed in Chase’s as the “official contact person” about a particular area.

So the crucial questions are… how do you get listed in Chase’s, and how much does it cost? The answer to the second question is “nothing”. You can get listed in Chase’s for free! It doesn’t cost you a thing. Nada. Zip. How cool is that?

The answer to the first question is “it’s surprisingly easy”. More specifically, here’s what you do:

1. Go to Chase’s official web site at www.chases.com.
2. Provide the details of your day (or week or month), like when it is and what it commemorates.
3. Provide the “official contact information” — that’s your phone number, email address, etc.
4. Click the “submit” button.

That’s it! It couldn’t be much easier, right?

Of course, there’s a catch. Chase’s doesn’t accept every event submission they receive, and if they reject your submission, they don’t tell you for weeks or months, and they don’t tell you why. So here’s how you handle that….

1. Submit several different suggestions, with different dates and perspectives. It doesn’t cost anything, and it increases your chances of at least one of them being accepted. (I’ve submitted 6 suggestions and they’ve accepted 2 of them. Your odds may be different.)
2. Chase’s seems to like creativity and uniqueness. So submitting a “Retirement is Good Day” might not work because Phyllis already has “ReFired Not Retired” Day. But suggesting a “Retire in Your Twenties” Day just might work because it’s a different spin on the idea.

One other thing. The cutoff date for inclusion in the 2009 edition of Chase’s Calendar of Events is April 15, 2008. That means that, at the time of this posting, you’ve got about a month to submit your ideas. Any submissions accepted after this date will go into the 2010 edition. But why wait a year if you don’t have to?

So here’s your challenge — come up with a day / week / month whose listing in Chase’s will benefit your marketing activities. Then submit it to Chase’s ASAP!

This brings entirely new meaning to the phrase “Have a great day!”
jim