1. Phone Greeting. Call any of the 1000+ 24-Hour Fitness stores around the world and they’ll answer the phone with, ‘It’s a great day to get in shape!’ What are the very first words out of your mouth when you answer the phone? Something boring like, ‘Thanks for calling’? Come on. You can do better than that! Have some fun. Say something that reinforces your brand and makes people smile.

2. Phone Goodbye. Take a hint from Disney whose employees (er, cast members) close every phone call with, ‘Have a magical day!’ Or learn a lesson from QuikTrip whose cashiers always say, ‘Hurry back!’ What are the very last words out of your mouth when you hang up the phone? ‘Have a nice day?’

3. Phone Number. Figure out what word or expression your phone number spells. Instead of digits, use the letters on your marketing materials, business cards and in conversations. Imagine telling a potential customer, ‘Sure, just give us at a call at 548-LOVE!’ Quite memorable, indeed. Go to https://www.phonespell.org/ to find out what your number spells!

4. Entrance. At the Mac store by my office, the familiar Apple logon sound chimes every time you walk in the front door. At The Yetti Bar in Leysin, Switzerland (best burgers in Europe) the door handle looks like a Yetti paw! How could you make your entrance memorable AND reinforce your brand?

5. Computer Kiosk. The portable check-in computers at Jet Blue post revolving greetings like ‘Howdy!’ ‘What’s up?’ and ‘Welcome!’ The Continental kiosks show a hilarious image of a passenger carrying too many bags when you’re prompted for your luggage. Is your computer kiosk that cool?

6. Ticket. When I went to see Transformers, I got a free comic book with my ticket. I told everyone I knew about it. What else could you give YOUR customers with their stubs?

7. Waiting in line. When your line is out the door, what if a manager walked around and introduced himself to every customer? He could take an advanced list of customer needs, offer water bottles and play with impatient children. Sure would make the time go by faster! How do you make your impatient customers feel more welcomed?

8. Waiting for a while. If it looks like your customers are going to be delayed for more than 20 minutes, hold a contest. Reward the winner with a free gift. Keep the contest materials in a box, always ready for an emergency situation. It would be fun, cool, remarkable and ease the pain of the wait. TED Airlines did this while we were in a holding pattern. We had to guess the weight of the aircraft, baggage and passengers included. The winner got a free first class upgrade for a future trip!

9. Waiting room. What if, in your waiting room, you had a TV playing non-stop movies and a popcorn machine to offer snacks while people wait? You could even have a schedule on the wall: ‘Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: Comedies. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays: Dramas.’ You could even name it as if it were your own company TV station!

10. Announcements. Southwest Airlines was the first company to actually have fun with their standard PA anncouncements. Instead of saying, ‘In the event of a water landing,’ they say, ‘Should our flight turn into a cruise liner…’ People love it! And they actually listen, too. What’s more, SW has been written up in magazines for this memorable moment! How much fun are you having with your announcements?

11. Welcome in! Every time you walk into a Gates BBQ in Kansas City, the woman behind the counter actually YELLS, ‘HI MAY I HELP YOU!?’ It’s hysterical. And people from around the world come just to experience it. How memorable are your very first words when customers walk in?

12. Desk Greeting. 99% of the hotels in the world greet customers with, ‘Next in line!’ ‘Checking in?’ or ‘Last name please…’ What if you tried, ‘You finally made it!’ ‘I’ve been waiting for you?’ or ‘Welcome to paradise!’ People would talk. And talk about a great first impression, huh?

13. Email. When people ask me for my email address, I say, ‘Sure, it’s [email protected].’ 90% of the time it gets a laugh, a comment or a question. Is your email address cool?

14. Subject Line. Amazingly, some people don’t even WRITE anything in their subject line. Big mistake. This is the perfect place to have some fun and engage your recipient. Consider asking a question like, ‘You wanna laugh your butt off?’

15. Hold Music. My friend Jeffrey has a looping recording of his various speeches as his ‘hold music.’ Not smooth jazz or Muzak. It catches the ear, reinforces his brand and delivers value. What could you say on your customers’ hold time?

16. Next Time. Let’s say you’re a locksmith. What if, every time a customer called about getting locked out of his car, you offered him a free blank key (with your logo on it) to make a new copy so it doesn’t happen again? How are you saving your customers from Next Time Trouble?

17. Voicemail. I met a pastor who changed his voicemail every morning. Each day, he shared a different bible verse. And congregants called all the time, just to hear it! Are people calling YOUR voicemail just to see what it says?

18. Website Counter. Seriously, nobody cares how many millions of visitors have been to your website. Instead, use your Noticeable Number in your counter. Think McDonald’s: 241 billion hamburgers served.

19. Uniform. I once saw a waiter at a bar whose shirt had the signatures of every one of his customers on it! They actually wrote directly on his shirt at the end of the meal! How cool is that? Do your staff’s uniforms encourage customer participation and memorability?

20. Forms. What if your customers signed their names on a graphic instead of a box? For example, if you sold tires, your ‘sign here’ line could be a road or a racetrack!

21. Banners. If you only see a few clients a day, what if you hung up a new banner, welcome sign or dry erase board for each person? Talk about a first impression! Or, what if all your employees wore nametags reading, ‘Welcome, Dave!’

22. Now that you’re here. I once stayed at a hotel in Hawaii. When I approached the desk, a stunning woman wearing a native Hawaiian dress and a flower in her hair offered me free glass of freshly squeezed pineapple juice! When your customers walk IN the door, what welcome gift could you offer that’s consistent with your brand?

23. Wait, before you go! A few years ago I ate lunch at a grill in Chicago. By the door they had a tub of cold bottles of ice water (with their logo on the labels) along with a homemade oatmeal cookie for my walk back across town. Unbelievable! When your customers walk OUT the door, what ‘until next time’ gift could you offer that’s consistent with your brand?

24. Signing bonuses. Once the contract is signed, what congratulatory gift could you offer that’s consistent with your service? My realtor gave me a $100 gift certificate to Pottery Barn after I closed on my condo. I told EVERYBODY about it! OTHER EXAMPLES: car salesmen could offer car wash coupons, clothing stores could offer free lint brushes, kennels could offer free milk bones and shoe salesmen could offer free lotion. The possibilities are endless!

25. Receipts. At my favorite restarurant, Canyon Café, every receipt comes with freshly made white chocolate tamales. They’re incredible! And there’s actually an employee whose sole job responsibility is to make those for customers, all day. Is your receipt that delicious?

26. PR Picture. When the media or a client requests a headshot or PR picture, is it the same Glamour-Shot-suit-and-tie-stuffy-corporate-right-hand-on-your-chin post from 1994 that looks EXACTLY like everyone else’s? Come on. Do something cool. Have some fun. I’ve used my, it’s raining nametags picture, along with my more recent, superhero nametag image. They not only get people talking, but they stand out on a page, brochure or conference guide.

27. Menu. Sydney Street Café, the Zagat-rated #1 best restaurant in St. Louis, doesn’t have menus. They have chalkboards. Each table posts a list of items on the menu, and every night, the servers take ten minutes to explain all the items. Ten minutes! Talk about an experience! How cool is YOUR ordering process?

28. To-Go Package. Tiffany’s doesn’t sell jewelry; they sell really, really expensive blue boxes. What if your To-Go Package was that recognizable?

29. Signage. At Jimmy John’s, signs on the wall read, ‘Your mom wants you to eat at Jimmy Johns!’ ‘Smells are free!’ and ‘Subs so fast, you’ll freak!’ They also print those on t-shits, mugs and boxer shorts. Is your signage that fun?

30. Accessories. At the bar by my office, the coasters have funny lines printed on them like, ‘My best friend is a napkin!’ and ‘Your beer is cold!’ How could you enhance the brand of your accessories?

31. Starters. While most restaurants serve dinner rolls, The Chocolate Bar serves freshly made cookies. Marisol serves pumpkin seeds. Kind of a nice change of pace, huh?

32. Order Process. At Dayton’s Pizza King, each table has a red phone. When you’re ready to order, you call the chef and tell him what you want. It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. How could you make your ordering process unique?

33. Transaction Complete. When you finish telling the drive-through attendant what you want, he usually says something like, ‘Thanks for choosing Hardees.’ What if he said, ‘You’ve chosen wisely!’ or ‘The best burger in fast food coming right up!’ It’s the perfect way to inject personality and remarkability into a boring encounter. How do YOU conclude your transactions?

34. Can I help you? Go to Planet Honda in Union, NJ. Any customer who says, ‘I’m just looking,’ gets a little yellow smiley sticker that reads, ‘Just Looking!’ Salespeople are trained NOT to approach them. And usually, customers who are ready to buy will rip the stickers off and approach a salesperson themselves. Are you giving your customers permission to approach you first?

35. Condiments. At The Schlafly Tap Room in St. Louis, you can order homemade, cumin-flavored ketchup. It’s the most delicious ketchup in the world. It’s the reason I go back there. What side item, condiment or extra could you make unique?

36. Nametags. At Cleveland’s Rock n’ Roll Hall of fame, each nametag includes the employee’s favorite artist or band. Great for striking up conversations and discover the CPI between employees and guests. Are your nametags ONLY sharing your name?

37. Here it comes! At the Ft. Lauderdale Airport baggage claim, island music plays every time the bags begin to dispense! It’s amazing to see customers’ body language and facial expressions alter, especially if they’re having a long travel day. How could you reassure your customers!

38. Price tags. I once went to a thrift store in Portland whose price tags had a fictitious back-story about each piece of clothing. It was hysterical! And many people often left the price tags on, just to tell their friends about it. Are your price tags that cool?

1. Are you contributing something?
2. Are you learning something?
3. Are you aware of your personal bias that gets in the way of listening effectively?
4. Are you granting others space to talk?
5. Are you known as ‘someone who really LISTENS’ or ‘The guy who never shuts up’?
6. Are you listening or controlling the conversation?
7. Are you listening or trying to fix?
8. Are you listening or waiting to talk?
9. Are you listening to the silences beneath people’s words?
10. Are your eyes listening?
11. At what point do you usually stop listening?
12. Can you hear over your own ego?
13. Did you listen twice as much as you talked?
14. Do you know when to be silent?
15. Do you make it easy for others to talk?
16. How can you listen to these silences?
17. How do you demonstrate that you’ve listened?
18. How much time do you spend preparing to listen?
19. How well do you listen to yourself?
20. What can you say that will contribute?
21. What can you say that will make a difference?
22. What could you do to listen non-judgmentally?
23. What is emerging now?
24. What message was sent but not spoken?
25. What type of conversation do you want this to become?
26. When was the last time someone complimented your listening skills?
27. When was the last time you listened, all the way through, to an idea that made you uncomfortable?
28. When you realize it doesn’t apply to you; do you keep listening?
29. Where does your emotional reactivity come from?
30. Will this comment disrupt or contribute?
31. Would YOU be compelled to listen to you?

1. Inquisitive, not protective.
2. Insight, not expertise.
3. Insinuate, don’t impose.
4. Insistency, not loyalty.
5. Intentionality, not manipulation.
6. Interaction, not interruption.
7. Internist, not pharmacist.
8. Invest, don’t gamble.
9. Invest, don’t manage.
10. Investment, not profit.

11. Journey, not destination.

12. Know-when, not know-how.

13. Let, don’t make.
14. Leverage scarce attention.
15. Lift, don’t lean.
16. Light, not heat.
17. Limitations, not rejections.
18. Listen, don’t fix.
19. Listening, not research.
20. LIVE, don’t do.
21. Livelihood, not business.
22. Look, don’t stare.
23. Lunchroom, not boardroom.

24. Mastery, not adequacy.
25. Mold, don’t search.
26. Moles, not peacocks.
27. Movement, not maintenance.
28. Moves, not mouths.

29. Naturally, not normally.
30. Necessary, not possible.
31. Niches, not limits.
32. Not simplistic, simple.
33. Notice ancillary answers.

34. Observation, not judgment.
35. Observations, not accusations.
36. Observe, don’t react.
37. Offer, don’t pressure.
38. Options, not answers.
39. Origin, not echo.
40. Originality, not novelty.
41. Outcomes, not tasks.
42. Own, don’t buy.

43. Paragraphs, not chapters.
44. Partner, not persuader.
45. Partnership, not end-usership.
46. Path, not outcome.
47. People, not projects.
48. Personal, not private.
49. Perspective, not knowledge.
50. Persuasively, not abrasively.
51. Play, don’t practice.
52. Pluralistic, not binary.
53. Possibility, not actuality.
54. Practices, not formulas.
55. Present, don’t hurl.
56. Present, not future.
57. Preserve, don’t prevail.
58. Principle-driven, not money-driven.
59. Principles, not tactics.
60. Process, not product.
61. Productive, not active.
62. Professional, not technician.
63. Professionalism, not prostitution.
64. Progress, not perfection.
65. Promises, not predictions.
66. Proof, not adjectives.
67. Propose, don’t impose.
68. Propose, don’t pitch.
69. Pull, don’t push.
70. Purpose, not mission.
71. Purpose, not profit.
72. Pursuit, not attainment.

73. Questions, not answers.
74. Questions, not lectures.
75. Questions, not statements.
76. Questions, not suggestions.
77. Quick, don’t hurry.

78. Readers, not rules.
79. Reasonable, not rational.
80. Reasons, not revenues.
81. Receipt, not register.
82. Receiver, not broadcaster.
83. Reflect, don’t debate.
84. Reflection, not blame.
85. Remind, don’t persist.
86. Reputation, not advertising.
87. Reputation, not branding.
88. Reputation, not income.
89. Requests, not compliments.
90. RAH-SPECTED, not popular.
91. RAH-SPECTED, not popular.
92. Responsibilities, not rights.
93. Responsive, not reactive.
94. Responsiveness, not omnipresence.
95. Results, not deliverables.
96. Ruminate, don’t worry.

97. Sales, not transactions.
98. Search, don’t snoop.
99. Self-inventory, not narcissism.
100. Service, not servitude.
101. Signals, not noise.
102. Simple, not simplistic.
103. Skepticism, not cynicism.
104. Soar, don’t quack.
105. Solitary, not idle.
106. Solution, not pitch.
107. Specialist, not generalist.
108. Speculate, don’t fret.
109. Spicy, not icy.
110. Springboards, not straightjackets.
111. Strategy, not destiny.
112. Study, don’t read.
113. Suggest, don’t order.
114. Supportive, not punitive.
115. Supportive, not suppressive.
116. Synthesis, not analysis.

117. Tangibility, not magnitude.
118. Tempted, not thwarted.
119. Terrorism is chicken.
120. Thoughtful, not automatic.
121. To-ask, not to-do.
122. Toot, don’t blow.
123. Transactions, not traffic.
124. Trustworthiness, not technique.
125. Truth, not true.

126. Uncertainty, not change.
127. Understand, don’t ‘type.’
128. Understand, don’t respond.
129. Unfolding, not achieving.
130. Unify, don’t polarize.
131. Unique, not different.
132. Unity, not fragments.
133. Urgency, not panic.
134. Users, not partners.

135. Validation, not mission.
136. Value, not fees.
137. Value, not price.
138. Verbs, not nouns.

139. Wag, don’t bark.
140. Walk, don’t talk.
141. Warn, don’ t threaten.
142. Wealth, not stuff.
143. Web-presence, not web-site.
144. What, not why.
145. When, not whether.
146. Whole, not good.
147. Why, not who.
148. Will, not should.?
149. Wisdom, not knowledge.
150. With, not against.
151. With, not at.
152. With, not for.
153. With, not over.
154. With, not to.

1. WRITING things down as soon as you hear them.
Because if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

2. ASKING yourself, ‘What’s the next action?’
Because ultimately, that’s the only question that really matters.

3. LISTING all the steps you need to take to leverage an opportunity.
Because listing is the quickest, most efficient way to organize all of your thoughts. (Ahem…)

4. GOOGLING various elements of your idea as soon you get it.
Because you need to find out if someone else is already doing it.

5. ASKING for feedback from smart people right away.
Because they can ask questions and see things you can’t.

6. REGISTERING domains as soon as you get the name of the idea.
Because he owns the domain owns the idea.

7. EMAILING someone right away with a action-oriented question.
Because initiative is attractive.

8. SCANNING your opportunity radar constantly.
Because now that your mind is fixated, related ideas will be attracted to you.

1. You’re right. This phrase allows you to enter into another person’s reality. It shows an open mindness to different opinions and redirects the conversation into a productive direction.

It also acknowledges someone else’s unique point of view. Ultimately, these four results are empathetic and help diffuse emotionally charged individuals.

2. You may be right. Similar to the above example, this phrase diffuses the energy behind someone’s attack AND avoids threatening the attacker. And by giving an impression of active agreement, not passive acquiescence, it avoids adding fuel to the fire.

What’s more, ‘You may be right’ validates a particular part of someone’s argument. Which doesn’t mean you TOTALLY agree with her. But, it does make it easier for the other person to hear your side of the story by way of reciprocation.

3. I agree with you. Similarly, this phrase ‘agrees with thy adversary quickly,’ as the old scripture suggests. It builds common ground on a point of mutual agreement and aligns you with the other person. That way, you’re both on the same side.

Which is how resistance dissipates.
Which makes moving toward a solution flows a LOT smoother.

4. This seems really important to you. This phrase is especially effective when someone shoots down EVERY idea you suggest. It identifies someone’s motives and challenges them to honesty examine their emotions, which, if they’ve lashed out at you, probably isn’t something they’ve done yet.

5. Wow, you really want to know badly! Similarly, this phrase helps uncover the motivations of someone who seems bit too persistent. Maybe even bordering on pushy.

For example, if a person you’ve just met asks you LOTS of probing questions on the same topic, or constantly asks you the same question over and over again, maybe it’s time to step back and ask why.

6. You must be having a really bad day. Unexpected and empathetic. Demonstrates concern, especially with an irate customer. Also, this phrase assures that you don’t take ownership of the other person’s problem. This ultimately allows them to cool off and approach their situation in a calm, collected manner.

7. I forgive you. When someone is flustered, running late or apologizing profusely, using these three words is almost like a magic tonic. Especially when it’s with a stranger.

See, the peaceful, tender and caring energy of ‘I forgive you’ is incredibly powerful. And, observing the way people respond when you say, ‘I forgive you’ is a GREAT mini-lesson in momentum reversal.

8. Thank you. When someone brings a problem or complaint to your attention, make sure the first words out of your mouth are ‘Thank you,’ and not ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry’ is negative and self-blaming, and people say it WAY too often. Especially when they’ve done nothing wrong. So, responding by thanking someone doesn’t mean you’re evading responsibility. If an apology is in order, say it. Just don’t LEAD with it. Instead, after you’ve thanked (aka, honored) the upset person, only THEN say, ‘I apologize,’ or ‘I’m sorry. You deserve better.’

9. I respect your opinion of my work. If everybody loves your brand, you’re doing something wrong! Likewise, if everybody loves your idea, it’s probably not that good of an idea. So, next time someone expresses a dislike for your work – especially in an attempt to fluster, insult or embarrass you – do three things.

First, pause. Second, breathe and smile. Third, tell the person, ‘I respect your opinion of my work.’ As someone who’s been made fun of A LOT, I can (almost) guarantee you they’ll NEVER see THAT one coming! And as a result, you’ll not only leave them with nowhere to go; but you’ll project an attitude of open mindedness and acceptance. Jerks.

10. Silence. Lastly, sometimes the best way to reverse the momentum of an overly aggressive or hostile person is to say nothing at all. To just shut up and let them vent. See, in many cases, that’s all they WANTED: someone to listen to them. To honor them.

Or, in some cases, that’s all they NEEDED: someone to serve as a sounding board so they could hear how absurd their words actually were! In either case, not responding (at all) to someone’s aggression lowers the temperature of the conversation and allows that person to compose himself.

NOTE: Silence is an extremely challenging approach for both parties. See, we live in a hyperspeed; A.D.D. culture where time is money and the meter has started.

That’s why people are so afraid of silence.

At the same time, however, that’s ALSO why it can be so powerful.

1. Are there any perspectives you haven’t heard yet?
2. Are you sure this employee understands what is expected of him?
3. Did you ask someone WHY he or she wants you to believe something?
4. Did you ask the right questions so you can act?
5. Do you consistently act in a supportive manner?
6. Do you give people a reason to help you in the future?
7. Do you have any personal biases that influence how you ask questions?
8. Do you have reactions or feelings you don’t want the other person to detect?
9. Does this email that you’re about to send demonstrate a deep respect for the other person’s precious time?
10. Does this question have the potential to initiate a breakthrough discussion?
11. Does this statement give you any insight about yourself?
12. How are people responding differently to you?
13. How are you closing the credibility gap?
14. How are you creating a non-threatening environment?
15. How are you creating a question-friendly atmosphere?
16. How are you creating an environment in which employees naturally connect?
17. How are you creating an environment that enables, supports and rewards authentic dialogue?
18. How are you creating an environment where healthy employee participation naturally emerges?
19. How are you visually reminding people of your commitment?
20. How can you focus your questions on the right information at the right time?
21. How can you give this idea away so that the team will own it, develop it further and let it surface?
22. How can you phrase this question to everyone’s advantage?
23. How can you refine your questions, given what you now know?
24. How could this be misinterpreted by various stakeholders?
25. How could you have been of more help?
26. How do you create an atmosphere in the workplace that encourages the generation and application of your best ideas?
27. How do you define the atmosphere needed to ask your questions successfully?
28. How do you demonstrate supportive leadership?
29. How do you diffuse defensiveness?
30. How do you dismantle employee barriers?
31. How do you earn people’s trust?
32. How do you get people to improvise?
33. How do you learn what someone treasures?
34. How do you make employees feel essential?
35. How do you make yourself more desirable to the best employees available?
36. How do you show people that their feelings are legitimate?
37. How do you thank people for their answers?
38. How frequently do you comment on people’s improvements?
39. How friendly are your first words?
40. How idea-friendly is your meeting?
41. How idea-friendly is your office?
42. How is information shared or guarded?
43. How is it possible that this person could think or behave in this way, and under what circumstances would it make perfect sense to do so?
44. How much difficultly will people have in answering this question?
45. How often are you asking questions you don’t know the answers to?
46. How often are you reinforcing your authenticity?
47. How often you overlook people who might offer meaningful ideas?
48. How well do you recognize threats to your ownership?
49. How well do your employees know YOU?
50. How will this impact the questions you ask?
51. How willing are you to disagree?
52. How willing are you to question basic premises?
53. How would you improve your question asking?
54. How, specifically, do you promote discovery?
55. If everybody did exactly what you said, what would the world look like?
56. Is the level of communication adequate?
57. Is there a better way you can phrase that?
58. Was forgiveness expressed or just implied?
59. What are the best possible questions you could ask this person?
60. What are the Potential Silent Dialogues?
61. What are the signs that you haven’t earned someone’s trust yet?
62. What are the three questions is every employee member is asking themselves when you walk in the room?
63. What are the underlying patterns under these conflicting responses?
64. What are you doing to maintain transparency?
65. What can you be more open minded about?
66. What can you do to expand your thinking?
67. What conversations are you avoiding right now?
68. What could you do to listen non-judgmentally?
69. What did this person NOT tell you that you needed to hear?
70. What do you see when you see people?
71. What is the one thing you could say that would totally piss off everybody?
72. What questions are your employees afraid to ask you?
73. What questions must you have answered by the time the meeting is over?
74. What three things are you most defensive about?
75. What three things are your employees most defensive about?
76. When does the feeling of formality keep your employees from communicating freely?
77. When was the last time you apologized for being wrong?
78. When you meet with employees, is your first thought about what they think of you or how you can make them more comfortable?
79. Who taught you to ask questions?

1. What are you going to do with this opportunity?

2. How will this make a difference in the way we do business? Every time you observe a new technology, trend, culture shift.

3. How can we help each other learn about this topic?

4. In what kind of future situations could you use these learnings?

5. How can I use this idea, principle or technique to achieve my goals or solve my problems?

6. What is another use for this failure?

7. What’s the takeaway from this month’s experiences?

8. How do I keep this going?

9. How could this become something great?

10. How can I use this?

11. Where can I use this?

12. What went right/wrong/perfectly about what JUST happened?

13. How can I use this idea, principle or technique to achieve my goals or solve my problems?

14. Does this client represent an organization you would hate to lose?

15. Does this client represent long-term business potential?

16. Does this client serve as a reference or exemplar for other clients?

17. Does this new assignment, project or client allow you to command higher fees than before?

18. Does this new assignment, project or client allow you to learn new skills?

19. Does this new assignment, project or client enable you to leverage more than in the past?

20. Does this new assignment, project or client expose you an important future opportunity?

21. Does this new assignment, project or client increase (not just sustain) an existing relationship?

22. Does this new assignment, project or client lead to future work with the same organization?

23. Does this new assignment, project or client lead you into a new industry?

24. What did you experience today that taught you something about your work or life?

25. Is this a gift or threat?

26. How will this affect those who look to me for leadership?

27. What did God say to me through this message?

28. Have you missed an opportunity to teach and grow others?

29. What action should I take as a result of this message?

30. How will doing this affect me?

31. What coincidences have you recently noticed?

32. What have I seen, read or done today that relates to another idea or theme in my life right now?

33. How can I apply what I’ve learned from the people I’ve encountered today to something I’m already working on?

34. What am I doing or working on right now that would benefit from a new idea?

35. How do the writer’s solutions or ideas relate to my life?

36. Is there a method of thinking or a metaphor implied that I can adopt to my own ideas, life or business?

37. How can I make the most out of this viewing experience?

38. What thoughts have I been having over and over?

39. Is there a way to see this?

40. How can I use reality to my advantage?

41. How can I convert my past experience into __________?

42. What is coming into me now?

43. What are the various ways I can recycle this intellectual property?

44. Now, what is THAT communicating?

45. Is there anyone in my life that I treat this way?

46. What is the one thought, idea or insight that you will take away from this meeting?

47. What else can I do simultaneously, while I’m waiting, while I’m here

48. How can I make writing a part of this?

49. What is this a piece of?

50. Does this represent some reality you can recognize?

51. How did the incident make you better or teach you resilience?

52. What is this a test of?

53. What doors does this open for you? What doors COULD this open for you?

54. How did nature solve this same problem?

55. What happened to me during this experience?

56. What fundamental principles might be at work here?

57. How can you conduct a debriefing?

58. What other event do I have in my memory that is like the current one?

59. What business COULD we be in?

60. What personal skills have you not tapped into yet to build your business?

61. What personal skills have you not tapped into yet to help your customers?

1. They just don’t care.

2. They haven’t been listened to first.

3. They’ve already heard enough lies.

4. They’re just waiting to take the stage.

5. They’re too busy reacting defensively.

6. They’re tuning you out as a defensive device.

7. They’re too busy trying to change you first.

8. They’re too interested in their own minds.

9. There’s too much noise, internally and externally.

10. They’re only speaking just to hear themselves talk.

11. They think they already know, um, EVERYTHING.

12. They’re impatient and want the bottom line, not your story.

13. They’re not open to what the you’re really trying to say.

14. They’ve resigned to the fact that they’re terrible listeners.

15. They have the human urge to be recognized and affirmed, which means they’re too busy TALKING.

16. They’re too eager to appear sympathetic and a good listener.

17. They’ve never been taught (or learned how to) listen properly.

18. They’d rather give advice, since doing so makes them feel important.

19. Their defensive reactions replace understanding and empathy.

20. They’re afraid they might hear things they don’t want to hear.

21. They assume they already know what you are going to say to them.

22. They avoid conflict because they’re too busy protecting themselves.

23. They think they already know what the other person is (trying) to say.

24. They live in a hyperspeed, A.D.D. culture, and they don’t think they have time to listen.

25. They don’t want to lose (or risk losing) control of the conversation or in general.

26. They’re afraid that they might actually come to see something differently, and maybe even change their mind.

27. Their emotional reactivity was triggered by something you said, and it became so loud (internally), that they couldn’t hear your words (externally).

1. Never stop asking, ‘What’s next?’ When you finish one project, activity or endeavor, celebrate and then move on to the next one.

2. In January, ask yourself, ‘How could I spend ZERO money this year?’

3. Recognize that the only person who can make you get up, get out of bed and go to work is YOURSELF.

4. In the customer’s eyes, YOU ARE the company.

5. ASK YOURSELF DAILY: ‘Is what I’m doing right now consistent with my #1 goal?’

6. Speaking of things to do daily, you must market yourself every single day.

7. Ideas are your major source of income.

8. Finish this sentence: I wish there was a _______ so people wouldn’t have to ________.

9. Invest money; don’t spend it.

10. Recognize that most people do not know who you are or what you do. You need to educate them. Everyone who knows you should know what you DO, what you’re DOING and what you’ve DONE.

11. Pioneer in obscure areas.

12. With every new experience or accomplishment, ask yourself, ‘Now that I have this, what else does this make possible?’

13. If you’re the only employee, you need to set healthy boundaries. Because if you don’t set them, other people will set them for you. And then they will violate them. And that will set a precedent that it’s acceptable for other people to do the same. REMEMBER: Boundaries are saviors.

14. ASK YOURSELF: ‘Is this an opportunity, or an opportunity to be used?’

15. Figure out what you know that other people find valuable. Then enable them to buy it from you.

16. Figure out why your competitors get more attention than you.

17. You are not your customer.

18. Don’t be stopped by not knowing how. Knowing why is enough. Just go. You’ll figure out the how later. Launch and learn!

19. Don’t be so in love WITH or so close TO your idea that you can’t see its weaknesses. Ask objective outsiders.

20. When you get stumped, experiment with every known fragment of your answer.

21. Make creativity your daily (er, hourly) practice. Don’t make it something you just ‘turn on’ every once in a while. Creativity is an attitude and a lifestyle.

22. ASK YOURSELF: ‘Is this the most prudent use of my time right now?’

23. Operate on multiple planes of consciousness. Take on various roles of the artist, the mechanic, the CEO, the janitor and the customer service rep.

24. The more you learn, the more valuable you are.

25. The more imitable you are, the less valuable you are.

26. Diversity is equity. Are you a one trick pony?

27. Refuse to discard hunches. Your gut is smarter than you think.

28. Think ridiculously big thoughts.

29. The only way to become more successful is to get BETTER at what you do and/or, to do MORE of what you do.

30. Learn to juggle.

31. Duplicate, clone and multiply yourself. Find a way to deliver value without actually being there. Access isn’t presence.

32. Figure out at what point you’d rather grow your business than make money.

33. Figure out at what point you’d rather make a contribution than grow your business.

34. Ask yourself how YOU can do it before asking how it’s already been done.

35. Study your own discovery process.

36. If everybody loves your idea, you’re doing something wrong. Stop trying to please everybody. Stop trying to be so well rounded. Stop trying to appeal to the masses. Pick a lane, narrow your focus and start polarizing some people. It won’t kill you. There’s a LOT of potential customers out there.

37. If everybody says you’re crazy, you might just be onto something.

38. If you’re not pissing off (some) people, you’re not doing your job.

39. If nobody’s trying to steal, copy or parody your idea, it’s probably not that good.

40. If you can’t explain your idea to a five year old, it’s not simple enough.

41. If you can’t explain your idea on the back of a business card, it’s not simple enough.

42. If you can’t explain your idea in eight words or less, it’s not simple enough.

43. If people aren’t talking about your idea, it won’t spread and therefore, won’t be successful.

44. ASK YOURSELF: If someone was going to pay you $1000 an hour, what are the questions they’ve got to ask you to get their money’s worth?

45. Make sure you are being stretched and forced to grow. Daily.

46. One of the most difficult things for an entrepreneur to do is press The Off Button. To (not) check email at 10:30 PM, for example. What about you? Are you addicted to email?

47. Going solo can become a vortex. So, be careful to walk the line between being immersed and submersed. REMEMBER: Tread, don’t drown.

48. Be the one with the most information. You will win.

49. Tooting your own horn is acceptable and necessary. Blowing your own horn? Not so much.

50. ASK YOURSELF: Are your friendships, relationships, and your emotional life suffering as a result of this task?

51. Everything you do should lead to something else you do. Make sure your ideas have movement value.

52. Continually develop options and answers. This will make the solution easier to find.

53. ASK YOURSELF: How can you do the work once and benefit many times? Yes, yes, yes, YES!

54. It’s a tough road, being on your own. Sustaining ambition, commitment and dedication will be your biggest challenge. So, you better build a solid support system of multiple mentors, mastermind groups, loved ones, colleagues and other valuable relationships.

55. Execution is probably the biggest secret to all successful entrepreneurs. How do YOU turn your ideas into action? And how long will it take?

56. Be careful not to spend all your time talking about your new idea. See, sometimes an entrepreneur will talk the energy out of an idea then and have nothing left for action. Be careful.

57. GREAT QUESTION: How much could you be charging for that?

58. ANOTHER GOOD ONE: How often does perfection keep you from starting? Because there’s never going to be a ‘right’ time. Just when you get there, ‘there’ disappears.

59. Constantly upgrade your qualifications. In what ways are you currently obsolete?

60. State your fee confidently and then shut up. He who talks next loses.

61. Another trait of successful entrepreneurs is the ability to notice things. Trends, patterns, anomalies and the like. This helps you recognize opportunities. What are YOU noticing?

62. What’s your ‘currency?’ Because it might not be money. It could be time with your kids, for example. And you need know what your currency is before undertaking any new endeavor.

63. Your calendar is your inventory. Protect your days.

64. You are what you charge.

65. Listen to everybody or listen to nobody.

66. Find out where you suck. Then decide whether you need to improve in that area or hire someone else to do it for you.

67. Entrepreneurs take risks. Period. And NOT taking risks is an even BIGGER risk. So, you must learn to love your zone of discomfort.

68. Don’t say, ‘That’s impossible!’ Instead, ask yourself, ‘How can I do this?’

69. Think about what you’re BUILDING, not just what you’re MANAGING.

70. Being an entrepreneur is all about freedom. Freedom to be yourself. Freedom from corporate politics. Freedom to work in your PJ’s all day. Freedom to leave work early and go to a movie on Tuesday afternoon. Freedom to do what you want, when you want it and how you want it. So, constantly ask yourself, ‘What am I doing TODAY to increase my freedom TOMORROW?’

71. Don’t accept the same type of assignments and clients you worked with two years ago. That means you haven’t grown much.

72. You aren’t a salesperson, a businessperson or a service provider. You are a resource. An expert. A trusted advisor.
73. Look into the future and examine what the type of people who do what you do often become. Then ask yourself if that’s the type of person you want to become.

74. Deliver insight, not just expertise.

75. Learn the rules so you know how to break them effectively. NOTE: Consider googling the rule first, just to make sure it’s not illegal.

76. Vision, vision, vision.

77. Sell people on YOU first. Then sell them on your idea.

78. There is no finish line. You’ve never arrived. Instead, you constantly expand your skills and abilities to add more value to your self, your services and your products.

79. Be like the sharks, which start dying when they stop swimming. See, they have to ask themselves, ‘What’s next?’ because they can’t eat, breathe or breed unless they stay in motion.

80. Screw up. Like, a lot. Love your mistakes, because mistakes reveal individuality. Also, find a way to incorporate mistakes into your work. Make them mindfully. REMEMBER: Mistakes are springboards.

81. Don’t attach yourself to a business plan. In fact, consider not even HAVING a business plan! You’d hate to limit yourself.

82. Having a MARKETING plan, on the other hand, isn’t a bad idea.

83. Having a cool company name goes a LONG way. So please, for the love of God, don’t use something unoriginal and generic like ‘Daniels & Associates.’ Nobody knows the name Daniels. And you don’t even HAVE any associates. You can do better. Have some fun. Get a cool company name.

84. If you’re the kind of person that constantly needs certainty, your entrepreneurial road will be really, really rocky.

85. Being an entrepreneur isn’t a characteristic or a personality trait. It’s a way of life, a type of attitude, a style of thinking and a pattern of behavior.

86. Learn to kick your own ass, because nobody else will.

87. Focus on creativity, not efficiency.

88. Don’t just think about leveraging what you have. Think also about what else you could do with what you’ve unexpectedly landed with.

89. Figure out what types of people you need to listen to, as well as what types of people (not) to listen to.

90. Criticism comes with the entrepreneurial territory. Learn to accept or discard it; or even sometimes, embrace it.

91. Questions are the most valuable resource you have. Ask lots of them. Daily.

92. As an entrepreneur, you get paid according the amount of value you deliver, not the number of hours you put in. Which means 90% of success isn’t seen. Which means you will work your ass off, and most people will only see that final 10%. Ouch. Better make sure it’s good.

93. Invest your money; don’t spend it.

94. Say no more.

95. Take your core business, build a wall around it and then go be the best.

96. Don’t waste your time dealing with potential customers and partners who (clearly) don’t know how to value you yet.

97. Define your optimal workday and workweek. Stick to it.

98. In a commoditized market, the key differentiator is service.

99. In a commoditized market, customers are just going to pick the best choice. So, if you’re not going to be the best at what you do, why even bother?

1. Blog every single day.

2. Comment on other people’s blogs, especially when they link to your blog.

3. Post at least three videos on YouTube. Make them fun, cool, and most importantly – let the videos show you doing what you do. No more than three minutes each.

4. Post pictures on Flickr of you being yourself, working with clients, doing things you love, and most importantly – doing what you do.

5. Publish at least one article a month on public databases like www.ezinearticles.com. They get AWESOME Google rankings for ya.

6. Write and give away at least one free ebook a year.

7. Any time someone asks to reprint one of your articles, SAY YES!

8. Any time someone wants to interview you for her podcast, blog or newsletter, SAY YES!

9. Post your tour, schedule or travel calendar on your website.

10. Blog every single day.

11. Make use of social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. Just try not to get addicted. Accept friend requests from everyone.

12. Create a lens on Squidoo.

13. Publish a regular ezine. Share 1/2 of the main article in the body of your email letter and then publish the rest of it online to drive traffic.

14. Google your name, company name and tagline every week. It’s a great motivator to boost your web presence, especially if the only thing that comes up is your high school golf team score.

15. Publish your profile on ZoomInfo.

16. Post pictures of your customers using your products. Great testimonial.

17. Post videos of your customers using and talking about your products. Even better testimonial.

18. Don’t have (just) a website. Have several. Create an interconnected network of various sites that all point to your MAIN site. Think octopus, not earthworm. And think destination, not website.

19. Get yourself on Wikipedia. (This is REALLY hard to do, but it’s a great goal to shoot for.)

20. Blog every single day.

21. If you’re an author, make ebook versions of your books available for download. I say give ‘em away for free.

22. Include a Media Room on your website. This builds your credibility and expertise. Which will attract other media outlets to seek you out. Which will lead to more interviews. Which will lead to more hits on Google whenever someone types in your name or your area of expertise.

23. Interview other people and post the transcripts or audio files online. They’ll take ownership of the piece and tell everyone they know to come to your site.

24. Start an online TV network.

25. Just be remarkable.

26. Give more speeches. Even if they’re free. See, what happens is, the organization you speak for will include your name and bio on their website. They’ll also post the conference agenda as a PDF online, which will come up as a hit on Google when people type in your name or area of expertise. Sweet.

27. Figure out what everyone else in your industry is doing and then do the opposite.

28. Post lots of lists.

29. Blog every single day.

30. Post your PowerPoint slides on Slide Share or your blog. (NOTE: don’t do this if your slides SUCK. And most people’s slides suck.)

31. Capture emails and build your list. Create a permission asset. Emails are GOLD.

32. Register misspellings, permutations and variations of your main URL and redirect them to your homepage.

33. I don’t know much about Search Engine Optimization, Google Ad words and Pay-Per-Click, but I hear that stuff works pretty well. Something to think about.

34. Got a book? Cool. Get it on Google Book Search.

35. Speaking of Google, get lots of Google alerts on your name, company name, product name, etc. This will help you stay current with what’s being said about you on the Web. (And if nobody is talking about you on the web, you’re in trouble.)

36. Review books on Amazon.com.

37. Do surveys on your website and publish the results.

38. Do audio podcasts.

39. Do video podcasts.

40. Then post them on your blog.

41. (And of course, blog every single day.)

42. Google the names of the leaders in your industry. Evaluate their search results. Check out their web presence and see what they’re doing right. Then copy them.

43. If possible, get on CNN. That really helped me.

44. Join organizations, non-profits and trade associations. Get listed on their directories. Also, consider taking a leadership position or becoming a board member. They might even give you your own page on the organization’s website! (NOTE: don’t sign up just to get listed. Sign up to learn, grow, give back and make friends. Let web presence be incidental, not a intentional.)

45. FACE IT: you’re not giving away enough free stuff. Give more. The more you give away for free, the wealthier you will be. More on that theory here.

46. Share link love FIRST. People will be happy to reciprocate.

47. Send blog posts to people who would appreciate them. BUT, don’t ask them to blog about you. Just deliver value. Reach out to someone new. I did this once and the guy ended up blogging about me, which led to about 1 million hits in five days.

48. Learn about Digg and get dug. Unbelievably powerful.

49. Every time you meet someone who says, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard of you!’ or ‘Oh, I’ve been to your site before,’ write it down. Keep a Word of Mouth Journal. Notice patterns and soon you will hit a critical mass.

50. Dude: just be everywhere!

51. Leverage your expertise in every possible way.

52. Tell your story and make sure other people are telling it too.

53. Don’t cheap out on your website. It’s worth it.

54. Every time someone comes to your website, make sure they know THE ONE THING YOU WANT THEM TO DO, right away.

55. Blog every single day.

56. Blog every single day.

57. Blog every single day.

58. Blog every single day.

59. Blog every single day.

60. Blog every single day.

61. Blog every single day.

62. Blog every single day.

63. Blog every single day.

64. Blog every single day.

65. Blog every single day.

66. Blog every single day.

67. Blog every single day.

68. Blog every single day.

69. Blog every single day.

70. Blog every single day.

71. Blog every single day.

72. Blog every single day.

73. Blog every single day. (Any questions on this one?)

74. Install Google Analytics. Figure out where people are coming from.

75. Post in forums. Write intelligent, value-added responses. And have a cool signature.

76. Blog every single day.

77. Personally, I think press releases are WORTHLESS. However, many people have had great success with PR Web and other press release websites. Something to thing about.

78. Have some kind of lead-capturing device.

79. Submit your RSS feeds to Feed Burner.

80. Buy lots of domains and redirect them to your main site until you find another use for them.

81. Connect with other like-minded professionals who are ALSO creating a web presence. Have virtual lunches, regular email conversations and listserve discussions to brainstorm ideas and keep each other accountable.

82. SIX WORDS: Send This Site to a Friend!

83. Google the phrase ‘creating a web presence.’ Read up.

84. Email [email protected] and ask me what the biggest marketing mistake made by entrepreneurs is. I’m happy to share it with you.

85. Figure out your Noticeable Number. Quantify the most remarkable aspect about your business and put a counter on your page that encourages word of mouth and revisitability. (Think McDonalds’ Billion Hamburger Counter).

86. Everything you write (articles, blog posts, press releases) MUST have a response mechanism built into it. Your writing becomes persuasive and effective the moment it compels the reader act upon (not think about) something. Here’s a mini-list of different types of response mechanisms to try:

o Go to this website, login if you’re a first time user…
o Email me with your three biggest questions about…
o Call me for your free consultation on…
o Send me a copy of your…
o Post your best story about…
o Link to this post on your blog, along with your list of…
o Leave a comment with your three best techniques for…
o I challenge you to try this for a week. Email me after you’ve…
o Try this on your blog and then send me the link…
o For a free downloadable ebook on this topic, go to…
o To receive my weekly ezine for tips on…
o Send an email with the words ‘I need sales!’ in the subject line…
o If you’d like to know the rest of the formula, fax your letterhead to…

87. As you can see, I’m big on writing. And not just because I AM a writer. Mainly because writing is the basis of all wealth. Writing is the basis of all wealth. Writing is the basis of all wealth. Writing is the basis of all wealth. (GOT THAT?)

88. Speaking of writing: blog every single day.

89. And use Technorati to promote your blog.

90. Also, think about getting Meebo Messenger. Coolest thing on the Internet.

91. Contribute to entries on Wikipedia.

92. Start your own group on Facebook.

93. Use lots of colorful, singing, dancing pop ups on your website. (No, wait, sorry. Wrong list.)

94. Read Seth Godin’s blog. Do what he says.

95. Read Top Peters’ blog. Do what he says.

96. Read Bob Baker’s blog. Do what he says.

97. Evaluate your website’s hit and unique user ratio. Set a goal to double it within 12 months.

98. Evaluate your present newsletter, RSS feed or other type of subscriber number. Set a goal to double it within 12 months.

99. Just google ‘Gitomer.’ Now THAT’S a web presence!

100. Read the book Naked Conversations. Totally awesome.

101. Read the book The Cluetrain Manifesto. Absolutely the best book ever written about the Internet