StevenPlacey.com

Feb 23

Why Most People Say They're Addicted to the Internet [INFOGRAPHIC] -

Why Most People Say Theyre Addicted to the Internet [INFOGRAPHIC]
Are you addicted to the Internet? If so, you’re not alone. Some 61% of people feel addicted to the Internet and are unable to quit browsing, according to an informal survey. Opinion pollster SodaHead surveyed 602 visitors to its site Feb. 16. about whether they experience Internet addiction…

Feb 21

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Jan 23

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Jan 16

SHOOT THE BALL!

Last night we were playing some family basketball. The Teams were my 7 year old son and I versus my wife and our 3 year old daughter (my 3 year old insisted on these pairings). My son is not an aggressive type – more a thinker and planner. He would run to the hoop, I’d pass the ball to him. 9 out of 10 times, he would dribble away from the basket, turn run around, dribble, dribble more, look for a shot, then pass the ball back to me. Meanwhile I’m yelling “TAKE THE SHOT!”. He took a few more shots – but still was apprehensive about just shooting the ball.

Afterwards, I asked him why he wouldn’t take the shot. He said, ”Dad, I wasn’t ready, I wanted to make sure the shot I took was going to GO IN.” After a hug, I explained to him that not every shot you take is going to go in. In fact, I said, if you never take the shot – it absolutely cannot go in. By taking more shots you will increase the amount that go in, because you will get better and better. A head nod for “Yes now I get it” a hug, and off we went to practice.

I see this a lot in the companies and executives I consult with - in all sizes of companies $100k to $700M. People will procrastinate “taking the shot” or “pulling the trigger” on a project because the fear of a “miss”. They will have meeting after meeting, planning session after planning session, read book after book, study, think, ponder – but never take action. Does any of this sound familiar?

Actions create reactions

I know a great innovator – a real dynamite at ideas. She has so much potential, but she has never pulled the trigger on one of her ideas, and made them reality. Why not take action? Maybe because she is great at innovating – but bad at EXECUTING. If this is the case, then a logical step is to GET HELP. Get someone that can hold you accountable, drive the action process and help you move forward. Otherwise many of her (and your?) great ideas – that could turn into millions of dollars – will never have a chance to come to fruition.

At some point you simply have to take action. It’s the ONLY way to create reactions, either positive or negative. If the reactions are negative, then you know what not to do again (see NetFlix). Practice more, study more, but eventually again, you will have to pull the trigger, take the shot and take action. If they are positive, then you can keep building on those actions and produce wonderful outcomes. Either way – NOTHING WILL CHANGE unless you take the shot. Get help – and get moving!

SHOOT THE BALL!

Steven Placey

www.RockYourBusinessNow.com

Rock Your Business® President and Best-Selling Author, Steven Placey is an Innovative Business Strategist, a Big Idea Guy, who has helped hundreds of Entrepreneurs, and CEO’s of 1st and 2nd stage companies develop millions in new revenues, getting their companies unstuck, and growing through Innovative, high ROI strategies. 

Jan 11

CEO Forum

Here with some amazing people at the RYB CEO Forum in Tampa.

Jan 10

Top Business Trends and Predictions of 2012

Jan 09

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Dec 27

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Dec 05

How One Company Transformed Its Boring Products

What color do men paint the Den? CIL Paints is betting it’s not Butterscotch.

 

Recently, the Toronto-based company’s managers looked at the marketplace and saw an opportunity: Paint-color names are all pretty ladylike.

 

If your industry is full of sameness and you’re having trouble figuring out how to differentiate your products, here’s an idea for how to inject something fresh.

 

Sometimes, all a product needs is a new marketing angle. CIL they held a contest on Facebook to rename some of their hues for an Ultimate Man Caves collection aimed at male shoppers.

 

More than 15,000 responses later, Fairytale Green had become Mo Money, and Butterscotch became Beer Time. Plateau Grey was 5 O’Clock Shadow. Juliet’s Potion is now Zombie Apocalypse, Lexington Park is Dirty Socks, and Classic Liberty Red is Rust on my Truck. In all, 27 colors were renamed.

 

CIL then created a manly dream book of bars, bathrooms, bedrooms and media rooms decked out in the new colors to show how they could style up a man’s domain. What do you imagine they can charge for these newly named colors? I’m betting, whatever they like. After all, there’s no other paint being marketed this way, to this customer.

 

This isn’t just a clever marketing trick. This is recognizing a market segment that’s not on your competitors’ radar and getting them engaged and interested in your products. Yes, women make most paint-color choices, but CIL’s research showed men often give the final nod. And if a room is primarily a man’s domain, why should he paint it Bone White when he could adorn it in Beer Foam?

 

In appealing to men, CIL didn’t just man up its colors. It made them funny. It brought a different attitude to a pretty staid industry. The company is betting that will be a hit with younger male homeowners who’re just starting to decorate. This could be a chance for CIL to land them as lifetime customers.

Nov 28

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