The biggest shift you can experience is to realize that your emotions are just trapped energy inside of you. When this energy sits around and festers, it tries to do anything possible to get out. Unfortunately, you can deceive yourself into thinking that eating will be one of those ways.
Instead of turning to food, here are 3 other activities that can help you shake up that energy and avoid eating that you'll feel bad about.
Take A Long Relaxing Bath
Calming warm water can do a lot to ease a troubled spirit. Immersing yourself in the water while using some aromatherapy treatments can do a lot to help you find peace of mind. Make it one of your absolute stress free activities that you turn to. I also suggest listening to a relaxing audio book such as the Tao Te Ching or other spiritual work to help you make the experience even better.
Dance It Out
There have been times where I've been on the brink of complete sadness and needed to do anything to stop it. What do I do? I turn on the iPod, blast some of my favorite songs, and shake up all the pent up energy that I have inside. Dance until you feel the emotion flowing out of your body. Move and get inspired. If you cry, don't worry -it's just a sign it's working.
Drink A Cup of Tea
Whatever your emotion is, just sit with it for a while. To make sure you're not alone, have a cup of tea as you do this. Imagine the warmth of the tea melting your emotions away. Close your eyes each time you take a sip. Stop and do whatever it takes to get the emotion to flow out of you. Choose an herbal tea without sugar or caffeine as you want to silence your thoughts, not create more of them.
I'm pulling out all the stops and letting loose my FREE report "The Ten Mistakes That Sabotage All Your Efforts To Heal Your Relationship With Food" out in the world.
Just imagine what it would be like to be free from all the junk, misinformation, and lies that have surrounded your relationship with food in the past.
From Jeffrey Harold - The Eating In The Now Teacher
Wednesday
Work Can Be Fun
Work is fun when it is part of our mission, our quest. Work however, loses some of its luster when it becomes part of the routine with little long-term value. Residual income opportunities have the ability however, to provide lasting financial security and keep work fun!
It took me many years to understand a teaching of my parents that "work is fun." It was a teaching that went well beyond my childhood imaginings in both concept, and reality.
As I pursued a career, I had a mission and accomplishing this mission became the quest. A game of persistence, tenacity and ultimate achievement. There were certainly hard times but these were blended with a mixture of fun times and moments of exhilaration as the mission was accomplished.
What comes next though?
Is life a constant pursuit of one mission, only to achieve another mission? This mindset can wear the soul down and limit your ability to really "smell the flowers" and soak up the sunrays. So, with our careers achieved... many settle into "the routine." A time where the adrenalin rush subsides and a relative constancy in life is achieved.
However, inflation keeps climbing... kids come, dinners are more expensive, yearning to travel creeps in and the weekly paycheck remains constant. Then... our belief system tells us that the company owes us more for doing the same thing. A feeling of being trapped settles in and the fun disappears.
The problem though is not in the career that we chose, not in the company that provides our income... but the subdued reality that we get paid for what we do today, and tomorrow we will get paid for what we do then. If we want to pause, take a breather, take an extended vacation, our income stops. We feel trapped, there is no fun.
A few individuals have however, found a way to perform a task today... work hard and do it well... and continue to be paid for this very same task tomorrow, next week, the following month and the coming year(s). These people are all around you and in this type of work environment... you can really have some fun. After all, isn't it nice to be on the beach, or relaxing in your own backyard knowing that you are still reaping the fruits of your past labor?
Actors, musicians, insurance agents, landlords and business owners are just a few of these individuals. Now, the income these individuals earn in the beginning is usually a modest sum but as they persevere in their chosen field the earnings climb AND these earnings compound what is already being earned from past work. At some point in time, they have Multiple Streams of Income (MSIs) that will outshine any standard routine job these individuals have had as their Primary Source of Income (PSI). This is when they may choose to remain in their current job... because they have financial freedom (and security), they like what they do and get satisfaction from their chosen tasks.
Some however, opt to take a year long sabbatical and think of new ventures, some pursue the next challenge with greater vigor and others find ways to help others; after all, Abraham Lincoln once said... "you cannot help the poor by becoming one yourself."
If you are looking for financial freedom, you should contemplate supplementing your PSI with one, or more, MSIs. MSI opportunities are many and most can be generated from the comfort of your own home on a part-time basis. Do a search on the Internet for passive income, residual income or home business opportunities and become a small business owner.
With the right system, the right dedication and a sincere passion for building financial security... you can become independently wealthy. This combination of identifying proven systems and putting a residual wealth building formula in place means that you are working for yourself today, but you too will soon start to see your labor bear fruit more, and more, as time goes by. My parents were right... work is fun!
Rick Ruiz, Writer
Articles of interest regarding home business opportunities, residual income, money, debt, inflation, millionaire trivia and the attainment of a positive mental mindset.
It took me many years to understand a teaching of my parents that "work is fun." It was a teaching that went well beyond my childhood imaginings in both concept, and reality.
As I pursued a career, I had a mission and accomplishing this mission became the quest. A game of persistence, tenacity and ultimate achievement. There were certainly hard times but these were blended with a mixture of fun times and moments of exhilaration as the mission was accomplished.
What comes next though?
Is life a constant pursuit of one mission, only to achieve another mission? This mindset can wear the soul down and limit your ability to really "smell the flowers" and soak up the sunrays. So, with our careers achieved... many settle into "the routine." A time where the adrenalin rush subsides and a relative constancy in life is achieved.
However, inflation keeps climbing... kids come, dinners are more expensive, yearning to travel creeps in and the weekly paycheck remains constant. Then... our belief system tells us that the company owes us more for doing the same thing. A feeling of being trapped settles in and the fun disappears.
The problem though is not in the career that we chose, not in the company that provides our income... but the subdued reality that we get paid for what we do today, and tomorrow we will get paid for what we do then. If we want to pause, take a breather, take an extended vacation, our income stops. We feel trapped, there is no fun.
A few individuals have however, found a way to perform a task today... work hard and do it well... and continue to be paid for this very same task tomorrow, next week, the following month and the coming year(s). These people are all around you and in this type of work environment... you can really have some fun. After all, isn't it nice to be on the beach, or relaxing in your own backyard knowing that you are still reaping the fruits of your past labor?
Actors, musicians, insurance agents, landlords and business owners are just a few of these individuals. Now, the income these individuals earn in the beginning is usually a modest sum but as they persevere in their chosen field the earnings climb AND these earnings compound what is already being earned from past work. At some point in time, they have Multiple Streams of Income (MSIs) that will outshine any standard routine job these individuals have had as their Primary Source of Income (PSI). This is when they may choose to remain in their current job... because they have financial freedom (and security), they like what they do and get satisfaction from their chosen tasks.
Some however, opt to take a year long sabbatical and think of new ventures, some pursue the next challenge with greater vigor and others find ways to help others; after all, Abraham Lincoln once said... "you cannot help the poor by becoming one yourself."
If you are looking for financial freedom, you should contemplate supplementing your PSI with one, or more, MSIs. MSI opportunities are many and most can be generated from the comfort of your own home on a part-time basis. Do a search on the Internet for passive income, residual income or home business opportunities and become a small business owner.
With the right system, the right dedication and a sincere passion for building financial security... you can become independently wealthy. This combination of identifying proven systems and putting a residual wealth building formula in place means that you are working for yourself today, but you too will soon start to see your labor bear fruit more, and more, as time goes by. My parents were right... work is fun!
Rick Ruiz, Writer
Articles of interest regarding home business opportunities, residual income, money, debt, inflation, millionaire trivia and the attainment of a positive mental mindset.
Tuesday
Isn’t It Interesting That You Are Never Bored When Your Head Is In The Refrigerator?
We all know the secret of staying slim is not to eat yourself into oblivion! But if you stay at home and do the same things everyday, you’re going go be bored to tears. Monet Robier, a dancer/choreographer said, “Everyday there must be something I can't do, otherwise it's boring.”
At the age of 70 I retired. Happy days were ahead. I could do what I want, when I want and if I want to do nothing that’s okay too. I watched daytime TV, did the crossword puzzles, read the newspapers, and kept in touch with friends and family through email. I played some games on the computer and checked out the internet. Of course, I ate a lot because the food was there. When I did wander out, it was the mall or the supermarket where I could buy lots of goodies to keep me happy. When you’re retired, wandering aimlessly through the stores, spending money foolishly is not what you want to do. So what do you do? I didn’t want to be one of those old people sitting around waiting to die. I could see myself falling into a depression. Would you say I needed a new challenge in life!
The day of awakening came with a phone call from a friend. “The Parks Department has a Community Center nearby; they have all kinds of classes; let’s go check it out.” Now, I thought, what could I possibly do there? What I did find there was a low impact aerobics class that would help me take off the weight I had managed to put on. I joined the class, had a good time and met some really nice people. They were all discussing the line dance class they had joined and what fun it was. When I was about 10 years old, my brother who was five years older than I, used to practice his jitterbug on me and I grew up dancing during the wonderful era of the big bands. I didn’t get to dance much later in life and forgot how much I enjoyed it,
With a bit of trepidation I joined the line dance class. It wasn’t just country music anymore. They taught Mambo, Cha-Cha, Waltz, and I was in heaven. The only problem, since I was sure I knew how to dance, was thinking this was going to be soooooo easy! It turned out that I was the only newbie in the class and I also realized there’s no partner to lead me around the floor. At first I thought I must have turned stupid in my old age, but then realized that line dancing is mostly memory and my memory was not too sharp anymore. I was going to stick with it! The dances are a number of sets that are repeated during the dance and you have to be aware of the sequence, what steps come next. Fortunately, I did not take myself too seriously. Someone once said “dance as if no one is looking” so that’s exactly what I did. I laughed a lot, persevered and promised myself I would not give up. I finally did it! It all fell into place.
The moral of the story….. dance class is much less expensive than doctors and psychiatrists; it gives you a natural high! I lost weight; I lost inches; I started to eat healthier when I saw the weight loss and my memory has improved tremendously. I’m exercising my brain by learning something new with each dance. I learned so well, that at the age of 75, the Parks & Recreation Department offered me a job teaching line dancing. My students always compliment me on my youthful looks and demeanor; something I don’t mind hearing.
I just read that Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected. Isn’t it funny that with all the aches and pains that come with age, I don’t feel a bit of pain when I dance? It must be that ‘natural high’.
About the Author
Helen Robinson is a Line Dance Instructor for the Parks & Recreation Dept. and has become a healthy eating and exercise devotee since she lost 40 lbs. Visit her website http://www.healthy-cooking.ideatreasury.com for tips and recipes free copy of "What to Eat When You Are Sick". Learn more about increasing your energy levels, how to alleviate your pain and speed your recovery.
At the age of 70 I retired. Happy days were ahead. I could do what I want, when I want and if I want to do nothing that’s okay too. I watched daytime TV, did the crossword puzzles, read the newspapers, and kept in touch with friends and family through email. I played some games on the computer and checked out the internet. Of course, I ate a lot because the food was there. When I did wander out, it was the mall or the supermarket where I could buy lots of goodies to keep me happy. When you’re retired, wandering aimlessly through the stores, spending money foolishly is not what you want to do. So what do you do? I didn’t want to be one of those old people sitting around waiting to die. I could see myself falling into a depression. Would you say I needed a new challenge in life!
The day of awakening came with a phone call from a friend. “The Parks Department has a Community Center nearby; they have all kinds of classes; let’s go check it out.” Now, I thought, what could I possibly do there? What I did find there was a low impact aerobics class that would help me take off the weight I had managed to put on. I joined the class, had a good time and met some really nice people. They were all discussing the line dance class they had joined and what fun it was. When I was about 10 years old, my brother who was five years older than I, used to practice his jitterbug on me and I grew up dancing during the wonderful era of the big bands. I didn’t get to dance much later in life and forgot how much I enjoyed it,
With a bit of trepidation I joined the line dance class. It wasn’t just country music anymore. They taught Mambo, Cha-Cha, Waltz, and I was in heaven. The only problem, since I was sure I knew how to dance, was thinking this was going to be soooooo easy! It turned out that I was the only newbie in the class and I also realized there’s no partner to lead me around the floor. At first I thought I must have turned stupid in my old age, but then realized that line dancing is mostly memory and my memory was not too sharp anymore. I was going to stick with it! The dances are a number of sets that are repeated during the dance and you have to be aware of the sequence, what steps come next. Fortunately, I did not take myself too seriously. Someone once said “dance as if no one is looking” so that’s exactly what I did. I laughed a lot, persevered and promised myself I would not give up. I finally did it! It all fell into place.
The moral of the story….. dance class is much less expensive than doctors and psychiatrists; it gives you a natural high! I lost weight; I lost inches; I started to eat healthier when I saw the weight loss and my memory has improved tremendously. I’m exercising my brain by learning something new with each dance. I learned so well, that at the age of 75, the Parks & Recreation Department offered me a job teaching line dancing. My students always compliment me on my youthful looks and demeanor; something I don’t mind hearing.
I just read that Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected. Isn’t it funny that with all the aches and pains that come with age, I don’t feel a bit of pain when I dance? It must be that ‘natural high’.
About the Author
Helen Robinson is a Line Dance Instructor for the Parks & Recreation Dept. and has become a healthy eating and exercise devotee since she lost 40 lbs. Visit her website http://www.healthy-cooking.ideatreasury.com for tips and recipes free copy of "What to Eat When You Are Sick". Learn more about increasing your energy levels, how to alleviate your pain and speed your recovery.
Fired? The Interview Solution
So you were fired? Now what? How will you explain it when you interview?
There are many questions that plague job seekers. “What salary are you looking for?” is a big one. “Why should we hire you?” is another. And “Why did you leave your last job?” can leave you spluttering if you were fired and don’t know how to answer.
And most people don’t! After they’ve stumbled through a few answers—trying in vain to phrase it in an acceptable way—and are not invited back for a second interview, their fears are confirmed. No one will hire them because they’ve been fired.
Except that’s not what’s really happening. The problem is not that they were fired, but how they answered the question.
We don’t stay at a job our entire lives like most of our grandparents did. Not only is it common to change jobs, some believe it's the best way to leverage salary and career. While most of the changes may be of your own volition, odds are a few will involve being fired or laid-off.
Companies are bought out, merge, and consolidate, which means inevitably there’s a duplication of staff. It can be as simple as the new president wanting to bring in his own team. He probably didn’t even look at your capabilities, He just decided you were …outta there.
These departures aren’t as difficult to explain. You can say:
o “Our company was bought and the entire department was eliminated.” (It’s not me; a bunch of us were asked to leave.) Safety in numbers.
o “The new president wanted to bring in his own guy. I lasted about a week.” (It’s not me; the president didn’t even take the time to find out if I was good at what I do.) A prospective company can’t possibly hold something against you that’s so… impersonal.
o “The company was losing money and downsized.” (It’s not me; if the company had been profitable, I’d still be there!)
The common thread is, “It’s not me.” Therefore, I am not flawed, unwanted, performing poorly, or any other reason you can think up or worry about. But these types of partings, while they seem impersonal, can still have a detrimental effect. We’ll get to that in a minute.
The instances that cause real damage feel very personal, even when they aren’t. You are the only one who was dismissed, and what’s more, you know they’ll replace you. You’re caught off guard, angry, and frightened, too. In an instant, you’re on the defensive, which is usually where people remain. And that’s exactly what causes the problem.
Firing isn’t always about the individual, even though that’s who’s impacted the most. Sometimes it’s about the boss—especially bosses with issues. It might be about poor performance, but that’s not always negative. It could be the result of having different philosophies. For instance, the company may value those who work weekends, nights and holidays. You prefer to balance your life.
Once you’re fired, you can’t change the circumstances. But you can control how you view them. While departmental or companywide layoffs are easier to explain, they can also cause damage. You wonder, “If I’d been really good, wouldn’t they have found another spot for me?” In addition, you’re in an insecure place that sometimes is difficult to adjust to.
Take time to clear some tears or anger. If you’re tempted to recoil, rehash, threaten revenge or otherwise communicate with your previous employer, don’t. Remember one word: reference! Don’t burn your bridges. Leave the company gracefully.
Most importantly, detach yourself from the event and honestly examine what happened. That’s the only way you’re going to get any insight and begin adjusting your thoughts and perspective.
There are hundreds of reasons for dismissal, so no pat answer will suffice. The unequivocal rule is to tell the truth. If they discover you lied, you’ll be wondering for a long time how you’ll pay your bills. So when you’re asked why you left – tell them you were fired. Forthright brevity is best. It’s all in how you phrase it. The trick is a shift in perspective, which is easier when you’ve purged the defensiveness and shame.
Don’t give a long, rambling story or blame the company, your boss, or anyone else. Were you –even partially- at fault? Take responsibility. Did you learn from the experience? Say so. Are you completely at sea as to what happened? That’s okay.
Not every job is right for everyone. There are philosophical differences, chemistry problems, tough spots, and bosses who are difficult and self-absorbed.
Regardless of the reason, it wasn’t your perfect job or you weren’t quite what they needed. The great thing is that it was recognized (in whatever form) and everyone is moving on. The goal is to be real about what works for you and why the firing took place.
The first step, as trite as it sounds, is to look at it as a blessing. It may take some time to see, but no matter how bad it looks or feels, something good will come of it. Maybe it will be a better job, a chance to grow, or the realization that you hated your career – who knows?
But if you’re too busy being angry and defensive, not only will you miss the chance to capitalize on the positive outcome, but you’ll also keep experiencing negative consequences. When you're in a victimized frame of mind, you'll miss recognizing an opportunity and continue to perpetuate your unemployment.
Let’s examine two answers to the question: “Why did you leave your last job?”
HOLDING-ON HENRIETTA: I don’t know. I was doing my job. Everyone liked me. They always came to me for advice instead of our boss. When the other manager left, they promoted the assistant. She’s maybe about 28. I guess they thought she’d be good just because she’d been there a long time, but she really was a shrew. I think she hated me. She was always talking down to me. One time she took credit for one of my projects. She’s the one that should have left! I’m glad to be out of there.
OBJECTIVE OLIVIA: I was fired, actually. The assistant manager was promoted to manager because she had seniority and she was very good at her job. Unfortunately, she was young and perhaps she thought respect was automatically accorded instead of earned, because when everyone else began coming to me instead of her, it didn’t seem to sit well with her. Despite that I excelled in my responsibilities and met my goals, she let me go. I’m sorry to have had to leave the company. I learned a lot there.
Can you spot the differences? As the interviewer, what would you think?
You must work out a comfortable response. Rewrite it, rephrase it, and test it. Be able to say it calmly and sincerely. If you notice hesitation or discomfort, your words, your attitude—or possibly both—need adjustment.
There is no good or bad. There’s only perspective, which is your choice. Firing is considered “bad,” but what’s bad about being fired when a boss has issues? What’s bad about protecting a customer or not compromising your ethics? What’s bad about being asked to leave because the position description changed and doesn’t fit your job preferences or skills? What’s bad about being fired from a sales job for lousy numbers when you hate selling (and realize later that you’re relieved to be gone)?
When you’re comfortable with what happened, you’ll be comfortable with your response, and it will be much easier to look someone in the eye while you answer their question.
About the Author
Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator.
There are many questions that plague job seekers. “What salary are you looking for?” is a big one. “Why should we hire you?” is another. And “Why did you leave your last job?” can leave you spluttering if you were fired and don’t know how to answer.
And most people don’t! After they’ve stumbled through a few answers—trying in vain to phrase it in an acceptable way—and are not invited back for a second interview, their fears are confirmed. No one will hire them because they’ve been fired.
Except that’s not what’s really happening. The problem is not that they were fired, but how they answered the question.
We don’t stay at a job our entire lives like most of our grandparents did. Not only is it common to change jobs, some believe it's the best way to leverage salary and career. While most of the changes may be of your own volition, odds are a few will involve being fired or laid-off.
Companies are bought out, merge, and consolidate, which means inevitably there’s a duplication of staff. It can be as simple as the new president wanting to bring in his own team. He probably didn’t even look at your capabilities, He just decided you were …outta there.
These departures aren’t as difficult to explain. You can say:
o “Our company was bought and the entire department was eliminated.” (It’s not me; a bunch of us were asked to leave.) Safety in numbers.
o “The new president wanted to bring in his own guy. I lasted about a week.” (It’s not me; the president didn’t even take the time to find out if I was good at what I do.) A prospective company can’t possibly hold something against you that’s so… impersonal.
o “The company was losing money and downsized.” (It’s not me; if the company had been profitable, I’d still be there!)
The common thread is, “It’s not me.” Therefore, I am not flawed, unwanted, performing poorly, or any other reason you can think up or worry about. But these types of partings, while they seem impersonal, can still have a detrimental effect. We’ll get to that in a minute.
The instances that cause real damage feel very personal, even when they aren’t. You are the only one who was dismissed, and what’s more, you know they’ll replace you. You’re caught off guard, angry, and frightened, too. In an instant, you’re on the defensive, which is usually where people remain. And that’s exactly what causes the problem.
Firing isn’t always about the individual, even though that’s who’s impacted the most. Sometimes it’s about the boss—especially bosses with issues. It might be about poor performance, but that’s not always negative. It could be the result of having different philosophies. For instance, the company may value those who work weekends, nights and holidays. You prefer to balance your life.
Once you’re fired, you can’t change the circumstances. But you can control how you view them. While departmental or companywide layoffs are easier to explain, they can also cause damage. You wonder, “If I’d been really good, wouldn’t they have found another spot for me?” In addition, you’re in an insecure place that sometimes is difficult to adjust to.
Take time to clear some tears or anger. If you’re tempted to recoil, rehash, threaten revenge or otherwise communicate with your previous employer, don’t. Remember one word: reference! Don’t burn your bridges. Leave the company gracefully.
Most importantly, detach yourself from the event and honestly examine what happened. That’s the only way you’re going to get any insight and begin adjusting your thoughts and perspective.
There are hundreds of reasons for dismissal, so no pat answer will suffice. The unequivocal rule is to tell the truth. If they discover you lied, you’ll be wondering for a long time how you’ll pay your bills. So when you’re asked why you left – tell them you were fired. Forthright brevity is best. It’s all in how you phrase it. The trick is a shift in perspective, which is easier when you’ve purged the defensiveness and shame.
Don’t give a long, rambling story or blame the company, your boss, or anyone else. Were you –even partially- at fault? Take responsibility. Did you learn from the experience? Say so. Are you completely at sea as to what happened? That’s okay.
Not every job is right for everyone. There are philosophical differences, chemistry problems, tough spots, and bosses who are difficult and self-absorbed.
Regardless of the reason, it wasn’t your perfect job or you weren’t quite what they needed. The great thing is that it was recognized (in whatever form) and everyone is moving on. The goal is to be real about what works for you and why the firing took place.
The first step, as trite as it sounds, is to look at it as a blessing. It may take some time to see, but no matter how bad it looks or feels, something good will come of it. Maybe it will be a better job, a chance to grow, or the realization that you hated your career – who knows?
But if you’re too busy being angry and defensive, not only will you miss the chance to capitalize on the positive outcome, but you’ll also keep experiencing negative consequences. When you're in a victimized frame of mind, you'll miss recognizing an opportunity and continue to perpetuate your unemployment.
Let’s examine two answers to the question: “Why did you leave your last job?”
HOLDING-ON HENRIETTA: I don’t know. I was doing my job. Everyone liked me. They always came to me for advice instead of our boss. When the other manager left, they promoted the assistant. She’s maybe about 28. I guess they thought she’d be good just because she’d been there a long time, but she really was a shrew. I think she hated me. She was always talking down to me. One time she took credit for one of my projects. She’s the one that should have left! I’m glad to be out of there.
OBJECTIVE OLIVIA: I was fired, actually. The assistant manager was promoted to manager because she had seniority and she was very good at her job. Unfortunately, she was young and perhaps she thought respect was automatically accorded instead of earned, because when everyone else began coming to me instead of her, it didn’t seem to sit well with her. Despite that I excelled in my responsibilities and met my goals, she let me go. I’m sorry to have had to leave the company. I learned a lot there.
Can you spot the differences? As the interviewer, what would you think?
You must work out a comfortable response. Rewrite it, rephrase it, and test it. Be able to say it calmly and sincerely. If you notice hesitation or discomfort, your words, your attitude—or possibly both—need adjustment.
There is no good or bad. There’s only perspective, which is your choice. Firing is considered “bad,” but what’s bad about being fired when a boss has issues? What’s bad about protecting a customer or not compromising your ethics? What’s bad about being asked to leave because the position description changed and doesn’t fit your job preferences or skills? What’s bad about being fired from a sales job for lousy numbers when you hate selling (and realize later that you’re relieved to be gone)?
When you’re comfortable with what happened, you’ll be comfortable with your response, and it will be much easier to look someone in the eye while you answer their question.
About the Author
Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator.
Monday
How To Make Boring Businesses Exciting
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone got as excited about your company as you are? Unfortunately some businesses just aren't very sexy; in fact, some businesses are downright boring. As a consequence, companies that sell commodity products and routine services tend to rely on presentations that load-up on features, specifications, and statistics that may be relevant to anal-retentive types, but hardly compelling to the vast majority of your audience.
There is no reason why every company can't deliver an exciting image to its audience; one that generates the kind of buzz and excitement usually associated with companies like Apple, Victoria's Secret, Benetton, Absolut Vodka, and Sony.
It may seem impossible to produce a whole lot of steam for things like sand paper, accounting services, and facial tissue, but thanks to the Web and it's extraordinary ability to deliver multimedia content, even the most mundane offerings can get hearts racing and the blogosphere blogging.
Emotional Experiences Connect
Let's take facial tissue as an example; it is one of the most common, boring everyday products you can imagine. There is just not much you can do to sell this stuff other than telling people yours is softer and cheaper than the other guys, but then the other guy is saying the same thing; the result, consumers buy whatever is on sale. But wait, the clever fellows at Kimberly-Clark instituted a brilliant website campaign for their facial tissue, called "Kleenex - let it out."
The campaign zeros in on the emotional experience associated with why people use facial tissue: to wipe away tears of joy or sadness or maybe to clean-up cute little runny noses - in each case the result of some moving event.
Tapping into this emotional association is key to the Kleenex campaign and key to your new thinking on how to make your boring stuff, exciting.
Video - The Best Way To Tell A Story
The Kleenex campaign features prominent videos of articulate people telling their personal stories, all resulting in the need to use a facial tissue.
A pregnant woman discusses the emotional impact of having a child and as her eyes begin to tear, the interviewer hands her a Kleenex. A second video features another well-spoken woman talking about her return to New Orleans after the devastation of hurricane Katrina. Again as the woman becomes emotional and begins to cry, the interviewer hands her a tissue. Nothing more needs to be said, this is very powerful story telling that connects to the audience and delivers an image of the brand as caring and sensitive; the exact kind of impression the company wants to portray.
Even companies that aren't exactly dead-from-the-neck-up boring can benefit from this approach. The Home Depot ran a series of advertisements with a husband showing his wife a series of power tools that he wanted. Rather than try to convince his wife, and by association all the wives in the audience, that he needs another expensive toy, the husband points to each tool and states, "this is your new shelving unit" and "this one is your new kitchen" - a far more dramatic and effective way to make the case for a new purchase.
You can deliver the same kind of powerful marketing messages for your own company by presenting Web-based videos that follow a few very simple guidelines.
Six Steps To Turn Boring Into Exciting
1. Use People to Sell People
There is no substitute for people. Human beings are capable of communicating with an enormous degree of nuance and subtlety, using voice, expression, body language, and gesture; no animation, avatar, or artificial substitute can take the place of a real person for communicating meaningful, memorable marketing messages.
With relatively easy-to-use production tools anyone can create a video, but not necessarily one that delivers the message or image that your company wants to present. We have seen far too many poor quality efforts both on the Web and even on local television, where company presidents with bad haircuts and ill-fitting suits, uttering nonsense-riddled scripts in zombie-like performances expose themselves to audiences expecting more, much more.
Skilled performers communicate in very subtle ways to an audience, and only the well-practiced professional has the experience and capability to deliver the intended experience. The cost of saving money by doing-it-yourself or with amateurs can result in delivering an unintended message that may undermine the impression and image you are trying to create.
2. Perception Is Reality Use Scripted Professionals
You will notice that I described the women in the facial tissue videos as articulate. Now I cannot tell you if these women were actors or not, or that their powerful presentations were scripted, but if I had to guess, I would say these very effective videos were about as carefully produced and constructed as the latest episode of 'Survivor' that by no means makes them any less effective.
The point here is that perception is reality, and the professional filmmaker knows how to tell a story and communicate a message; and that is not the same thing as being able to turn on a video camera.
3. Tell A Memorable Story
When we talk about companies telling their story, it is important to distinguish between the company's history and the emotional experiences generated by the product or service.
Company histories can make for interesting videos and can produce a sense of trust associated with being in business for a considerable length of time, but that sort of presentation does not speak to the underlying emotional and psychological factors that actually trigger a sale.
It is difficult but imperative that businesses understand that marketing is not about you, or even the product or service, it's about the audience.
Like the Kleenex videos and the Home Depot commercials, every product and service that is purchased from your company represents an experience, a story that relates to your audience's aspirations and needs. It is the audience's story that demonstrates credibility, clarifies purpose, penetrates memory, and makes the message compelling.
4. Create An Emotional Experience
The vast majority of decisions we make are colored by the emotional relevance associated with those decisions. No doubt rational factors figure into our decision-making process, but the pivotal factors that attract the use of one product over another are emotional.
If you're not connecting to your audience on an emotional level, then you are left with a commodity that can only be sold on price and features, and unless you're a monopoly, there will always be some competitor willing to offer your customers more for less.
When presenting your product or service it is important to tap into an emotional element that your audience can relate to as its key purchasing decision factor. When people purchase boring accounting services and software, what they're really buying is an improved life style for their families. It really doesn't matter what you sell, if you look hard enough, you can find the emotional benefit that should be the central element of your marketing message.
5. Create a Believable Relevant Personality
Part of the process of connecting with your audience is creating an appropriate personality for your company. Many corporations today believe in the cult of management personality but this is a dangerous game. Your company needs a personality of it's own, one that is distinctive and that will stand alone and not be dependent on senior management's ego and self-promotion.
Web-video marketing campaigns provide a vehicle that allows companies to create appropriate personalities that engage, inform and entertain your audience in ways that establish your identity and create the basis for a prosperous business relationship.
Clever marketing can create a corporate personality but it is imperative that you follow through and deliver that personality in all aspects of your relationship with your audience. Producing a campaign that promises one thing and a website, staff, and product that delivers another is one of the easiest ways to alienate customers.
6. Deliver A Critical Hot Button Moment
Web-video presentations need to focus on single issues that are driven home by the addition of a hot button moment or punch line. Remember you are telling your audience a story that needs a beginning, middle and end. That story should build to climax and deliver the point in a single memorable moment.
The era of point form slide presentations is dead, along with the laundry list of benefits approach.
Creativity, personality, and the ability to communication and develop an emotional connection to your audience through the use of Web-video campaigns has the potential to turn even the most lackluster company into a vibrant and exciting marketing business.
Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Visit http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads, http://www.136words.com, and http://www.sonicpersonality.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.
There is no reason why every company can't deliver an exciting image to its audience; one that generates the kind of buzz and excitement usually associated with companies like Apple, Victoria's Secret, Benetton, Absolut Vodka, and Sony.
It may seem impossible to produce a whole lot of steam for things like sand paper, accounting services, and facial tissue, but thanks to the Web and it's extraordinary ability to deliver multimedia content, even the most mundane offerings can get hearts racing and the blogosphere blogging.
Emotional Experiences Connect
Let's take facial tissue as an example; it is one of the most common, boring everyday products you can imagine. There is just not much you can do to sell this stuff other than telling people yours is softer and cheaper than the other guys, but then the other guy is saying the same thing; the result, consumers buy whatever is on sale. But wait, the clever fellows at Kimberly-Clark instituted a brilliant website campaign for their facial tissue, called "Kleenex - let it out."
The campaign zeros in on the emotional experience associated with why people use facial tissue: to wipe away tears of joy or sadness or maybe to clean-up cute little runny noses - in each case the result of some moving event.
Tapping into this emotional association is key to the Kleenex campaign and key to your new thinking on how to make your boring stuff, exciting.
Video - The Best Way To Tell A Story
The Kleenex campaign features prominent videos of articulate people telling their personal stories, all resulting in the need to use a facial tissue.
A pregnant woman discusses the emotional impact of having a child and as her eyes begin to tear, the interviewer hands her a Kleenex. A second video features another well-spoken woman talking about her return to New Orleans after the devastation of hurricane Katrina. Again as the woman becomes emotional and begins to cry, the interviewer hands her a tissue. Nothing more needs to be said, this is very powerful story telling that connects to the audience and delivers an image of the brand as caring and sensitive; the exact kind of impression the company wants to portray.
Even companies that aren't exactly dead-from-the-neck-up boring can benefit from this approach. The Home Depot ran a series of advertisements with a husband showing his wife a series of power tools that he wanted. Rather than try to convince his wife, and by association all the wives in the audience, that he needs another expensive toy, the husband points to each tool and states, "this is your new shelving unit" and "this one is your new kitchen" - a far more dramatic and effective way to make the case for a new purchase.
You can deliver the same kind of powerful marketing messages for your own company by presenting Web-based videos that follow a few very simple guidelines.
Six Steps To Turn Boring Into Exciting
1. Use People to Sell People
There is no substitute for people. Human beings are capable of communicating with an enormous degree of nuance and subtlety, using voice, expression, body language, and gesture; no animation, avatar, or artificial substitute can take the place of a real person for communicating meaningful, memorable marketing messages.
With relatively easy-to-use production tools anyone can create a video, but not necessarily one that delivers the message or image that your company wants to present. We have seen far too many poor quality efforts both on the Web and even on local television, where company presidents with bad haircuts and ill-fitting suits, uttering nonsense-riddled scripts in zombie-like performances expose themselves to audiences expecting more, much more.
Skilled performers communicate in very subtle ways to an audience, and only the well-practiced professional has the experience and capability to deliver the intended experience. The cost of saving money by doing-it-yourself or with amateurs can result in delivering an unintended message that may undermine the impression and image you are trying to create.
2. Perception Is Reality Use Scripted Professionals
You will notice that I described the women in the facial tissue videos as articulate. Now I cannot tell you if these women were actors or not, or that their powerful presentations were scripted, but if I had to guess, I would say these very effective videos were about as carefully produced and constructed as the latest episode of 'Survivor' that by no means makes them any less effective.
The point here is that perception is reality, and the professional filmmaker knows how to tell a story and communicate a message; and that is not the same thing as being able to turn on a video camera.
3. Tell A Memorable Story
When we talk about companies telling their story, it is important to distinguish between the company's history and the emotional experiences generated by the product or service.
Company histories can make for interesting videos and can produce a sense of trust associated with being in business for a considerable length of time, but that sort of presentation does not speak to the underlying emotional and psychological factors that actually trigger a sale.
It is difficult but imperative that businesses understand that marketing is not about you, or even the product or service, it's about the audience.
Like the Kleenex videos and the Home Depot commercials, every product and service that is purchased from your company represents an experience, a story that relates to your audience's aspirations and needs. It is the audience's story that demonstrates credibility, clarifies purpose, penetrates memory, and makes the message compelling.
4. Create An Emotional Experience
The vast majority of decisions we make are colored by the emotional relevance associated with those decisions. No doubt rational factors figure into our decision-making process, but the pivotal factors that attract the use of one product over another are emotional.
If you're not connecting to your audience on an emotional level, then you are left with a commodity that can only be sold on price and features, and unless you're a monopoly, there will always be some competitor willing to offer your customers more for less.
When presenting your product or service it is important to tap into an emotional element that your audience can relate to as its key purchasing decision factor. When people purchase boring accounting services and software, what they're really buying is an improved life style for their families. It really doesn't matter what you sell, if you look hard enough, you can find the emotional benefit that should be the central element of your marketing message.
5. Create a Believable Relevant Personality
Part of the process of connecting with your audience is creating an appropriate personality for your company. Many corporations today believe in the cult of management personality but this is a dangerous game. Your company needs a personality of it's own, one that is distinctive and that will stand alone and not be dependent on senior management's ego and self-promotion.
Web-video marketing campaigns provide a vehicle that allows companies to create appropriate personalities that engage, inform and entertain your audience in ways that establish your identity and create the basis for a prosperous business relationship.
Clever marketing can create a corporate personality but it is imperative that you follow through and deliver that personality in all aspects of your relationship with your audience. Producing a campaign that promises one thing and a website, staff, and product that delivers another is one of the easiest ways to alienate customers.
6. Deliver A Critical Hot Button Moment
Web-video presentations need to focus on single issues that are driven home by the addition of a hot button moment or punch line. Remember you are telling your audience a story that needs a beginning, middle and end. That story should build to climax and deliver the point in a single memorable moment.
The era of point form slide presentations is dead, along with the laundry list of benefits approach.
Creativity, personality, and the ability to communication and develop an emotional connection to your audience through the use of Web-video campaigns has the potential to turn even the most lackluster company into a vibrant and exciting marketing business.
Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Visit http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads, http://www.136words.com, and http://www.sonicpersonality.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.
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