Those of you who have read our book Money, Meaning and Beyond, know that we are die hard fans of doing the opposite of the traditional. We call it Pulling a Costanza.

And today I'm excited to introduce you to a new way of thinking about how to build your business along these lines.

These days, we're all in sales. You sell, I sell, we ALL sell for a living. So, what's the best way to sell without
selling out and to reach today's customer in today's market?

Hint: It's not what you've been taught to do...

That's right. The typical sales tactics no longer work. Cold calling gets you nowhere and closing techniques don't work on today's savyy customers.

That's the core message of the new book, The Contrarian Effect: Why it Pays (BIG) to Take the Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite, written by my colleagues Michael Port and Elizabeth Marshall.

You'll get to hear me talk with Elizabeth and Michael later this month on a teleseminar about specific strategies I've used to take the typical sales shtick and do the opposite (more on that later). You won't want to miss it! But, first...

Today, I encourage you to do TWO THINGS:

1) CHECK OUT THEIR BOOK CAMPAIGN (I'm giving away something special!)

Michael and Elizabeth have put together a never-been-done-before (and totally contrarian) book launch that is something quite special. In fact, I think it's so creative I've offered TWO gifts to support the cause:

* Coaching by Example 9-CD Audio Program (worth $347)

* $100 Gift Certificate to use in the Kiva.org Store

Does either of these sound intriguing? Check out their campaign here:

http://www.contrarianeffect.com/auction <---- GO HERE

In addition to your chance to grab these gifts, be sure to look at all the good stuff that's yours for the taking,
including:

* two tickets to the Inc. 500 Conference in Washington, D.C.

* a seat for Michael Gerber's Dreaming Room Workshop (worth $3000)

* premium business software from Mindjet, Daylite and iThemes

That's just a taste of all the cool items available, so visit the link above for the full scoop.

2) BUY A COPY OF THE CONTRARIAN EFFECT

If you're not interested in the gifts in the auction, not a problem. Grab a copy of the book ($13 at Amazon) to learn how to sell more than ever before:

http://snipurl.com/contrarianeffect-866 <-- GET THE BOOK

It's definitely an irreverent business book that will change the way you think - and encourage you to do the opposite, especially when your business is stuck.

OH, I almost forgot. Be sure to save you seat for the teleseminar I'm doing with them later this month.

http://www.contrarianeffectbooktour.com <-- SAVE YOUR SEAT

(1) Leadership on the 'Edge' and (2) [No more] Hating Presentations

Speaking of superb big ideas, at long last...Bea Fields' much-anticipated new book, EDGE! A Leadership Story, is out. Bea is one of those very special individuals worth paying attention to, in my opinion.

Using a provocative approach, the book delivers a powerful message about authenticity, courage and human development through the engaging story of a modern day leader, Mitchell James, his team and his executive coach, Kate Nelson.

Those of you working in corporations AND interested in innovative ways to convey an intellectual message in an emotionally impactful way, click the cover to the right and have a look at the book more closely.

Or, click here to view the punchy video Bea's team has created in celebration of the book launch:

Congratulations to Bea for another great addition to the coaching compendium of tools.

Presentations continue to BIG problem for people in the workplace today. Translation: this comes up in coaching with clients quite a bit. Are you ready? For that matter, do YOU still dislike the making of a presentation?

I Hate Presentations is a new book by James Caplin that takes a radical approach to presentations. It makes preparing and doing them easy. The method in the book is easy to coach – your clients will love this!

Special Offer from Author James: From now until Wednesday August 13, 2008, purchase the book from Amazon by clicking the link above or the cover at right, and follow up by sending James an email with 'BOOK OFFER' in the subject line along with your purchase receipt.

Every 'Creating What Matters' reader that does this by Wednesday will be empowered by James to use a set of handouts on this topic to run your own workshops. This is a serious offer of the handouts James himself has used to earn thousands of dollars in his corporate workshops.

Want his email address so you can get your mitts on these? Thanks for the reminder. Here 'tis: james@jamescaplin.com. Thanks James...and congrats!

The audio recording of this great 'thinking' call on the topic of 'New Marketing' is just in.
Click here to download.
It was a pleasure to spend this hour with NY Times best-selling author Seth Godin, along with fellow interviewers Mitch Meyerson and Keith Ferrazzi.

My favorite part of the Meatball Sundae call? This idea that all of us are in the 'Tribe Management Business' or deciding to get into that business.

And...the very interesting more personal comments about succeeding in New Marketing. How people who succeed 'aren't trying very hard.' Have you noticed that? Listen for the ease (or not!) you hear in the voice tone of the folks on the call. See what you think.

Does it lessen your anxiety to hear encouragement to 'find an elegant way' to 'do' new marketing, one that suits your strengths?

I say it on the call but I'll excerpt it here - it can be easy to confuse newness with 'hard'ness. New Marketing may feel difficult or hard at first simply because it's new. But I think you'll agree with the gentlemen on the call - there is an opportunity to discover an easy path through 'new marketing territory.' Seth gives a great example of the alternative 'old marketing' way of life which makes the distinction clearer.

So post questions to continue the discussion. Reading the book first will make for good context for the audio, but you can listen without having read it and it will make sense.

On that note, I've found multiple copy purchases best at 800-CEOREAD. And single copy purchases from Amazon or your local bookstore. Enjoy!

--- begin Soni's rant ---

Here's my question:

There are all kinds of tricks, tips and tools for getting your website, your ebook, your telecourse or your blog into the top spot at Google. And some of them even work, no question about it.

But (and that rustling sound you hear is me dusting off and donning my coaching hat), let's reframe this issue for just a second and ask:

Does your content actually DESERVE to be #1?

Is it, really, the most relevant information on the topic a person could find if they went searching for those keywords and phrases? Is your product, site or blog really what they're hoping to find?

» Continue reading

"Resistance is about believing you are vulnerable or susceptible to something not wanted

and holding a stance of protection

which only holds you in a place of not letting in the well-being
that would be there otherwise.

There is nothing big enough

to protect you

from unwanted things -

and there are no unwanted things big enough

to get into your experience."

-- Abraham-Hicks

When you get that palpable sensation of having one foot on the gas, and one foot on the brakes in your life, where do you turn, what do you do?

The Maui Writers Conference last week was...

Delightful - A full 10 days in an environment of bright and shiny, creative thinkers from hundreds of walks of life, not to mention sweetly-scented air and ocean all around, made for a multisensory feast of an exeperience. It was also extremely...

Fruitful - Two literary agents and one editor are interested in seeing two book proposals. Two other agents are willing for me to stay in touch on behalf of clients who have books coming up themselves. And one editor was tolerably encouraging of the idea that I might hang up a shingle as agent in the new year, and call him with a couple of pitches. "If you think you have an eye for recognizing talent, that's a gift that separates regular agents from agents I want to work with." Excellent!

For those of you who'd love to 'piggyback' on this immersion experience, I'd be delighted to share an infusion. If you'd like to know more about:

- the big picture of the publishing world as I've been learning it the last several months...
- the little picture of the players in that world (what do they wear, eat, read?) after 'living' with them for a week...
- what's occuring with the 'new media' revolution and what it means...
- the distinctions between publishing and self-publishing, and...
- which projects I'll put on the mainstream publishing track - which ones I'll self-publish, and why...

Of course, post-conference life is terribly interrupted now, by design. And I'm grateful. Like a big trunk full of toys collected over the years, sometimes you have to dump all the pieces of your life on the ground in a mess in order to decide what to play with next.

Interrupting life this way means it will be impossible to put all the toys back the way they were before. What a perfect relief!

On a personal note, two things:

Snorkelling and swimming has freed me from residual body-fear. 10 weeks after my surgery and that's a good thing. Yes, I am smiling!

Well actually make that grinning from ear to ear because my hubby Mike had an even more incredible time than I did at the conference. Of the 3 tracks at the event, Mike took part in the most intensive - Screenwriting with Director Michael Palmieri (Chico's Angels, Michael P is on the right, my hubby at left), featuring Bobby Moresco (Crash), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) and others. Among 29 attendees in the group, only two wrote in the romantic comedy genre - you know that genre where the movies are either fabulous (When Harry Met Sally, French Kiss) or really really horrible (names omitted to protect the innocent)?

Well, my Mike took the screenwriting track's prize for best screenplay. Even better, his writing met with - in his words - "laughs basically right on cue, pages in a row" which had him the ultimate Cloud 9. Then, an agent asked if he had a manager and invited him to take next steps.

Let's just say that with a free ticket to next year's conference, $1000 in prize money, massive validation and a ton of new questions (Will we move to LA as hinted would be wise? Of all the new ideas, which screenplay will Mike tackle next? Is this really real, pinch me/us/him!)....... this is life - perfectly interrupted - for us at this moment.

With that...perhaps a little of this energy can be turned around to good use for you. That is after all, the point right? Will you join us for an energized fall? Why do I think you have a ruckus you're itching to create, underneath your skin? Or maybe its something you're spinning, silky and smooth?

I think of Fall as such a great non-new-year non-cliche time for refreshment and renewal...a counter-culture overachiever's fantasy. So while no one else has noticed the January 1st that's looming yet - what will you do with your life and business next? Will you solidify the road you are on? Will you try something new? What will feel good and feed you energy? What will you whittle away?

I'm looking forward to reading whatever's useful to you to share, and hearing you on the Open House call, once again, registration details above. More Maui stories to come...

Use the player below to listen to the recording of this call or click the link below the player to download the mp3:

"Andrea, I always know we're onto something big when you say something and I hate your guts."

LOL, love that honesty, C! Your courage and growth are inspiring and it is a true a privilege to be your coach.

Side note to anyone considering hiring a coach, maybe even for the first time: Laughing happens often in great coaching sessions because the truth (especially our own) is usually pretty funny.

[More coaching quotes like at right, here.]

In a world full of information and stimulation it can be oh so easy to think you have nothing to add. Nothing to offer. Nothing of value.

Ugh. How depressing.

And yet, sometimes it's exactly that fact - the noisy-busy-overwhelmed state of the world - that can be your best advantage. Sometimes, *removing* something is exactly what is needed - and people will celebrate your ability to get to what's important. Sometimes, going *simple* is the real gift. Let me correct that - the real gift *usually, not sometimes* has something to do with simplifying or clarifying.

Case in point from the Globe and Mail's August 2nd paper, on page L6:

Child's Play

From a review of Unplugged Play: No Batteries, No Plugs, Pure Fun by Bobbi Conner:

"If you and your child don't know what to do with a cardboard box or a laundry basket, Conner does. In most cases, she advises parents to jump-start the action and then back away... The book also - charmingly or depressingly, depending on your point of view - offers tips on playing with dolls and blocks, skipping through mud puddles, rattling the kitchen pots and scribbling with crayons."

Original Source: USA Today (end excerpt)

My observation: Even without seeing it first-hand (my copy is still en route), I'll hazard a guess that some of Conner's 710 games and activities would be just as valuable as creativity exercises for rogue entrepreneurs seeking to break out of the "I-sound-exactly-like-everyone-else" box.

Exercise:

Step One: Imagine. Adult you has magically been given 30 unrushed minutes in the body of 8-year old you. You are face to face with a mud puddle and no one is looking. What will you do?

Step Two: 30 minutes are up. You are back in your adult body - lucky you, no laundry! And you've managed to bring your mud-puddle-jumping energy with you, bubbling and intact. Breathe in deeply and connect with that energy even further. Now, carefully applying mud-puddle energy as though stepping gently on the gas pedal of a powerful car... think about, or do something, in your adult world. Continue.

Later: Observe. What, if anything, of interest happened? What do you know now that you didn't before?

Oh what a lovely word from C.S. Lewis, especially good for information marketers, coaches, teachers, and anyone else who finds themselves passing on knowledge, wisdom or just plain facts:

"Think of me as a fellow patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier could give some advice."

For the rest of us, perhaps this quote is a lens through which we can look (anew) at our gurus/mentors...

There is always someone ahead and someone behind, each and every one of us. Such wonderfulness in that!

Coaching Tip: Never give away too much of your own power. Learn from and respect but never give too much power away to your mentor or coach, no matter how good they are, no matter who they are. Alway reserve what you need energetically, psychically and emotionally, to continue thinking for yourself. *No one else will.*

Question for you - a deeper one that may not call up answers right away, but - fingers crossed - may pop its head up at a later time.

How might you be giving too much power away to others? Do you try to 'be like' someone, model yourself on someone or someones, a little too much?

It's fine to follow footsteps but not with your head down. When you're taking a walk in the woods, if you don't lift your head, it doesn't matter if you've arrived at a beautiful meadow, does it?

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought." -- Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)