Tips for Writing an Email

Throughout 2017 I attended several webinars on a variety of subjects. For all of these, I wrote notes in my planner.

In today's post you will find several tips for writing a sales email. Even if you are not selling products, often when you write an e-mail, you are trying to persuade recipients to take some action. These tips apply to any email where you want a result.

Tips for Writing an Email

1. Craft a compelling subject line, but do not include the word "free."
2. Identify the sender, for example, "Personal Change."
3. Lead with a big benefit.
4. Summarize the message in the first paragraph.
5. Follow the first paragraph with detailed information.
6. Repeat the offer and call to action.
7. Make the first two response links the strongest.
8. Use wide margins.
9. Minimize use of ALL CAPS and extreme highlighting.
10. Watch the length - short and concise is preferred.
11. Get to the point quickly.
12. Use a friendly, conversational tone.
13. Include opt-out options.

Some Questions from Jesus

Jesus asked many questions to engage his listeners and test the understanding of his followers? He also used questions as a way to introduce a topic of conversation or solicit specific information.

Please read each passage where these verses are located for the context, but by simply reading through this list of questions, I believe you will see several different applications you may also be able to apply as you teach, present, and talk to others.

Questions Jesus Asked

• Matthew 5:46, 47 - If you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
• Matthew 6:25 - Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
• Matthew 6:26 - Are you not of more value than they?
• Matthew 6:27 - Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
• Matthew 6:28 - Why do you worry about clothing?
• Matthew 6:30 - Will He not much more clothe you?

Notes on Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds

This post contains my notes on the book Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The guaranteed way to get your screenplay or novel read by Michael Hauge.

Even though I am not a screenwriter or novelist, I have collected and read several books on the craft of story. The principles of story are applicable in any type of narrative writing, whether it is a business presentation, personal letter, or non-fiction account of events.

Selling your story in 60 seconds

According to Amazon, I purchased Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds in 2011. In a recent review of my planners I came across my notes from my reading of this book. The concept of providing a short pitch of your story is similar to giving an elevator speech.

From the back cover:

• How to design, perfect, and present the 60-second pitch
• The 10 key components of a commercial story
• The 8 steps to a powerful pitch
• Targeting your buyers
• Advice from 40 major screenwriters, novelists, agents, and executives
• Pitching templates for every genre

10 Components of a commercial story

1. Hero*
2. Empathy with the hero by creating sympathy, putting the hero in jeopardy, making the hero likable, making the hero funny, and/or making the hero powerful
3. Setup of the story
4. Opportunity presented to the hero
5. Outer motivation* (desire) consists of one of four visible goals: win a competition or love of another, stop a negative event from occurring, escape from a place or person or situation, or retrieve thing of value
6. Conflict*
7. Hero's arc (character development throughout the story)
8. Deeper issues that tap into universal human themes or issues
9. Antecedents (previous or similar stories)
10. Your passion for the story*

Components with a * are most essential for making a pitch.

60-Second pitch

The best way to introduce your story to someone is to start with "I think the best way to tell you about my story is to tell your how I came up with the idea" or "I've always been interested in ...." Then provide some personal detail relevant to your story.

Next, transition to, "What if ...?" Based on how you arrived at the idea for your story, walk listeners through the scenario you considered, "What if a young man whose relatives were just killed set out on an adventure in the universe?"

Finally, provide a detail about the hero, his or her desire, the essence of the conflict in the story, and one unique element.

Notes on Quick and Easy Guide to Effective Speaking

This post contains my notes on the book The Quick and Easy Guide to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie.

Many individuals are familiar with Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People. The Quick and Easy Guide to Effective Speaking is another book Carnegie wrote based on materials from his highly successful course he started teaching in 1912.

I read this book in 2012, the 100th anniversary of Carnegie's unique and effective method for improving communication. What follows are my notes as I recorded them in my 2012 planning journal.

Made to Stick - Reading Notes

This post is a summary of the book Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.

I first wrote about Made to Stick: Why ideas survive and others die in March, 2011. I later included the book on a list of paradigm-changing books in 2015.

The notes below are from my 2011 journal. I have been reviewing my journals for blog post ideas, and I thought this would be a good follow-up to the initial book review.

Chapter 1 - Simple

• Have one core message stated at the outset.
• Avoid decision paralysis - don't focus on all options.
• The message should be compact - like proverbs.
• Using existing knowledge, add new information with comparison (new movie ideas are compared to other movies).
• Use metaphors.

Chapter 2 - Unexpected

• Get people's attention (surprise) and keep it (interest).
• Expose the part of your message that is "uncommon sense" (surprise, unexpected, twist).
• Create mystery to sustain attention (for example, wherever there are questions without obvious answers, unexpected journeys).
• Curiosity is created whenever there is a knowledge gap.
• Ideas should be provocative but not paralyzing.

Chapter 3 - Concrete

• Life is not abstract.
• Concrete language helps people, especially novices, understand new concepts.
• Teachers take an existing schema and overlay a new layer of abstraction.
• Concrete is memorable.
• The more concrete the illustration, the better (more memorable). If an idea can connect with multiple areas of mental processing, the more "sticky" it will be.
• Simulation is preferred to illustration.
• Use props because they encourage brainstorming and comprehension.
• Use specific examples rather than abstract statements.
• "What the world needs is more fables."

Chapter 4 - Credible

• Anti-authority - tell stories using real people, situations, and examples.
• Remember the power of details - specific details make a claim real and more believable.
• Translate statistics into meaningful, understandable units (1 out of 3 people in the U.S. vs 100,000,000 people in the U.S.).

Chapter 5 - Emotional

• Focus on the individual - not the population.
• When presented with charitable needs in Africa, people who read statistics gave less than those who read about a specific child.
• Feeling and calculating are processed differently with different behaviors.
• Semantic stretch occurs when an idea is overused (the word "unique" is no longer special).
• Get self-interest into every headline or presentation. Spell out the benefit of the benefit. 
• WIIFY = What's in it for you?
• If people can imagine themselves doing something, they are more likely to actually do it.

Chapter 6 - Stories

• Stories provide simulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).
• Stories let the audience mentally test how they would react - the audience is not passive.
• Simulating past events is more helpful than predicting outcomes.
• Mental practice done when visualizing a task from start to finish improves performance significantly. 
• Mental practice produced two-thirds of the benefits of actual physical practice.
• Stores put knowledge into a framework that is life-life.
• "We must fight against the temptation to skip directly to the 'tips' and leave out the story."
• Always be looking for stories to illustrate your content.
• In a study, 63% of participants remembers stories, but only 5% statistics.

If you found this summary to be informative, I encourage you to buy the book and create your own notes.

Write your book in a weekend, Part 2

In a recent post I shared my notes from a webinar on this same topic, how to write your book in a weekend.

This post is based on notes from a couple of different webinars I attended in 2009 and 2010.

Reviewing my notes from several years ago has helped me recognize a couple of weaknesses in my note taking system. First, I realized I didn't always include the source information (like the name of the webinar or who sponsored) it. Second, my notes are not always as comprehensive as I would now find beneficial.

WRITE YOUR BOOK IN A WEEKEND

In this first set of notes on writing your book in a weekend, I failed to record the source. My notes are also brief, so I am using other information I've learned along the way to expand my notes.

Ask in a bookstore, "Where would I find a book on ___?" Traditional (e.g., Books-A-Million) and online (e.g., Amazon) bookstores have specific categories for books. The categories available in a traditional bookstore are also good starting points to further refine your categories online. In both cases, it is essential to have a clearly defined category for your book.

Collect source material. Start an online file and an offline file to save links, print out stories, and collect any type of information that might serve as content for your book. Most how-to books are full of examples, lists of steps, and application suggestions for readers.

What are 10 things readers want to know about? Make a list of the 10 areas of content readers are interested in. For example, a book on building your own house might have chapters on finding a contractor, developing house plans, and obtaining the appropriate permits for building.

Storyboard with bullet points. On a whiteboard, piece of paper, or new document, quickly make a list of points you would like to write about. Expand on the 10 things that readers are interested in.

Over a period of time, clarify, modify, and expand your outline. It is helpful to create "trigger sentences." If someone asks you about one of the chapter topics, what will you say?

Speak the book and transcribe. Once the outline is fully fleshed out, use an app to record the book by addressing each of bullet points in your outline. Find an online service to transcribe your spoken audio.

Theoretically, that's it to writing a book! Of course, there is a lot more detail to each of these steps, knowledge required to self-publish, and effort to write a book.

WRITING QUESTIONS

Use these questions to help clarify the purpose and audience for your book. These questions are also from my 2009 planner.

• What kind of non-fiction book do you want to write?
• Who is your audience?
• What will make your book unique?
• Why do you want to write a book? What is your vision for your book?
• What is your budget for getting your book published?

WRITING A BOOK QUICKLY

Steve Harrison
BestSellerBlueprint.com

Steve Harrison's Bestseller Blueprint is a collaboration between Steve and author Jack Canfield on how to write you book. These notes are from my 2010 planner. It is interesting to see the similarities in the different approaches to writing a book.

• Develop a theme - a big idea.
• Create a table of contents and expand the outline.
• Tips books are always popular. For example, 20 Tips to Retire Early.
• Don't edit while you create.
• Speak your book. 
• Get it out there - version 1.0.
• Commit to a publishing date publicly.

How to give an elevator speech

Use a technique taught by Hilton Johnson to deliver the premise of your business, product, or service in two sentences, also known as an elevator speech.

An elevator speech, or elevator pitch, is a concise summary. This term has been applied to product sales, interviewing, describing a project, and a myriad of other purposes. The central idea is to deliver your message to someone in the amount of time it takes to move from one floor to another in an elevator. 

Elevator speeds can vary from building to building, and the number of floors you are traveling together with a potential boss or customer can also vary. Thus, it is essential to deliver your message clearly and concisely.

Hilton Johnson Productions

Hilton Johnson Productions is the company of Hilton and Lisa Johnson. They describe the company as "the parent company of various specialized coaching and training companies in various niche markets including health coaching, direct selling, personal development and public speaking and training. Our companies include: CoachTrainer, MLMCoach, HealthCoachTraining, HealthCoachingU, MLMU, and GlobalTeleClass."

I subscribe to Hilton Johnson's free business tip of the day. Of course, by subscribing, you will also receive offers for classes and webinars taught by the Johnsons and their partners. These are excellence.

Elevator Speech Script

I learned the technique below from listening to one of the calls sponsored by Hilton Johnson Productions. I have been recently reviewing my notebooks for blog post ideas and marked this one to share. This is from my 2009 notebook.

The script consists of two parts.

1. Do you know how _____?
2. Well, what I do is _____.

For the first part (question), insert the problem that you solve into the blank. For example,

• Do you know how some students struggle with understanding math?
• Do you know how people sometimes feel like they have no energy or are tired all the time?
• Do you know how business professionals need help getting organized?

For the second part (statement), provide the your solution to the problem. For example (using the problems listed above),

• Well, what I do is provide tutoring so students can improve their math grades.
• Well, what I do is share information on high-quality nutrition to feel better.
• Well, what I do is coach professionals on how to be more productive with their time.

Using the script

Always bring the conversation around to this two-part script.

EXAMPLE 1

You: Hello. How are you?

Prospect: Fine. How about you?

You: I'm doing wonderful since I started my own business.

Prospect: What is it?

You: You know how _____? Well, what I do is _____.

EXAMPLE 2

You: Hello. How are you?

Prospect: Fine. How about you?

You: Great, because I've started taking a product that gives me more energy.

Prospect: What is it?

You: You know how _____? Well, what I'm taking is something that _____.

EXAMPLE 3

You: Hello. How are you?

Prospect: Fine. How about you?

You: Great, since I just completed writing my own book.

Prospect: What is it about?

You: You know how _____? Well, my book helps people _____.

Motivators and Worries

In a broad sense, most of us are motivated by one or more of four primary motivators:

1. Finances
2. Freedom (time)
3. Job dissatisfaction
4. Health concerns

However, we also struggle with worries:

• Not enough money for bills, college, retirement, etc.
• Unhealthy lifestyle
• Lack of energy
• Not sleeping well

If you can align your elevator speech with these motivators and worries, you have a better chance of connecting with potential prospects for whatever you are sharing.

Writing for your life - book review and notes

This post includes a summary of Writing for Your Life: A guide and companion to the inner worlds by Deena Metzger. My notes from when I read the book are also included in the post.

Writing for your life

I first came across Deena Metzger's book, Writing for your life: A guide and companion to the inner worlds, in 2009. I have collected a variety of books on the craft of storytelling, and thought this one sounded interesting.

The description from the back cover reads:

Writer and therapist Deena Metzger enables us to heal what is fragmented, injured, or suppressed within us, and experience the wonder of self-knowledge and the joy of creation. In this resource for writers and nonwriters alike, Metzger helps us explain ourselves and our creativity through journals, autobiography, stories, fairy tales, dreams, and myths. She offers stories and suggests numerous exercises to show readers how writing shapes and informs our lives, and how our "silence" hinders us.

The book divided into four parts and an epilogue:

1. On creativity
2. On story
3. The larger story: Archetypes, fairly tales, and myths
4. Writing as a spiritual practice

Throughout the book are numerous writing exercises. Unlike some books with a few numbered exercises at the end of each chapter, the writing exercises in Writing for your life are interwoven between narratives and experiences of the author.

On of my favorite recommendations from the book is "If you have never kept a journal, this may be the time to begin." One of the first exercises is to keep a journal of your normal every-day environment as you might view it from the perspective of visiting another country. This exercise, like many in the book, forms the basis for additional exercises.

My notes on Writing for your life

I first read Writing for your life in 2009, based on my dated notes. There are many exercises in the book, but my notes only included ones from the first few chapters, so I'm not sure what happened. In reviewing the book again now in preparation for this post, I noticed several other exercises I want to try. However, for this post, here are the exercises I liked on the first reading.

1. Write anything for five minutes.
2. Keep a journal writing as though you are visiting a foreign country.
3. Write your autobiography in five minutes. What did you omit?
4. Things I didn't see today.

5. Make a list of things you must not write about because:
★It is not generally important enough from a literary perspective.
★It is too private and therefore trivial from a literary perspective.
★It would embarrass you to speak about.
★It would embarrass or offend your family or associates.
★It would embarrass or offend the reader.

Select the three or four subjects, images, or experiences that made you most uneasy or that hold the greatest emotional charge for you. Set aside your inhibitions and attempt to write on these subjects.

I also included a list of story ideas in a massive list of story prompts.

Questions to ask

Two lists of questions are included in this post. The first is a list of biographical questions when pulling out family history or conducting an interview for historical purposes. The second list is a series of questions to ask when networking with others.

Questions

Many times we meet individuals, but don't know what to say. Whether you are talking to your children about their day at school, to a friend or relative after a long absence, or new acquaintances, asking a question can get a conversation started.

Big Talk

In the video below, Kalina Silverman discusses her experiencing in skipping small talk and connecting with others at a more meaningful level.

Biographical Questions

The questions below are from notes I found in one of my old planners (2009). In an effort to bring new content to my blog, I've been reviewing notes from my journals. For this particular list, I did not include a source or the context for use. However, it would be easy to incorporate almost any of these into a conversation.

1. Where were you born?
2. How would you describe your childhood?
3. What favorite childhood memories do you have?
4. What significant/traumatic events occurred in your childhood?
5. What was your favorite music as a teen?
6. What did you study in college?
7. What career goals did you have?
8. Any adventures as a young adult?
9. How did you meet your romantic partner?
10. What are your favorite qualities about your romantic partner?
11. What are your hobbies and interests?
12. Any regrets/unfulfilled dreams/desires?
13. What are your future goals?

Networking Questions

This list, also from my notes, is from Bob Burg,  speaker and author on business communications. These questions are best suited for meeting fellow business professionals, either at formal network events or casual meet-ups.

1. How did you get your start in ____?
2. What do you enjoy most about your profession?
3. What separates you and your company from the competition?
4. What advice would you give someone just starting in your business?
5. What one thing would you do with your business if you knew you could not fail?
6. What significant changes have you seen take place in your profession through the years?
7. What do you see as the coming trends in your business?
8. Describe the strangest or funniest incident you've experienced in your business.
9. What ways have you found to be the most effective for promoting your business?
10. What one sentence would you like people to use in describing the way you do business?
11. How can I know if someone I'm speaking to is a good prospect for you?

Use Questions Judiciously

Obviously, if you just pepper individuals with questions as though they are in an interview, you may not have a very productive conversation. If you incorporate a few thoughtful questions, you can make an impression as being a good conversationalist. Ask a thought-provoking question and listen as others respond.

Notes on Thinker Toys

This post contains my notes from 2009 on the book Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques by Michael Michalko.

Thinkertoys

I have been maintaining planner journals since 2009. Just recently I started reviewing my notes contained within the pages of each journal to identify content for blog posts. In 2009, I purchased and read Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques by Michael Michalko.

The book contains a variety of techniques and suggestions to improve the output of brainstorming. Alas, I no longer have this book as I sold it back to Amazon. However, a great advantage of taking good notes is that I can still review this content without owning the book.

Rule of 6

I'm not sure if this is from Thinkertoys or not, but it is relevant to the idea of creating a mental attitude of problem-solving:

For every perceivable phenomena, devise at least six explanations to explain it. Many solutions may exist, so coming up with six will sensitize you to the complexity of the universe and the variability of perception. It will prevent you from fixing on the first plausible explanation as the truth. In life, there are so many individuations, that nothing at all, no one thing, can cause anything else.

The psychiatrist Milton Erickson used brainstorming techniques similar to this in his therapeutic sessions. You can also visit my previous blog posts from the book Mental Jogging for exercises in brainstorming multiple possibilities for a specific prompt.

Thinkertoys - Chapter 2 - Mind Pumping

• Idea quota - Come up with a certain number of ideas each week or month.
• Tiny truths - Study an image for ten minutes and then visually recall the experience.
• Dukes of habit - Deliberately program changes into your daily life.
• Feeding your head - Read, take notes, and outline books. Think as much as you read.
• Brain banks - Write down all ideas in a way that you can randomly pull out ideas to generate new ideas.
• Travel junkie - Travel around the country and across town, because visiting new places will generate new ideas.
• Capturing idea birds - Record your own ideas and thoughts.
• Think right - Focus on becoming more fluent (more ideas) and flexible (more creative) in your thinking.

Thinkertoys - Chapter 2 - Challenges

• Keep a journal of problems that you find to be personally interesting and that would be worthwhile to solve. 
• Writing down challenges may trigger your mind to create solutions. 
• Make a list of things that bug you and select one as a challenge.

Challenge statement:

• In what ways might I _____?
• Vary the wording by substituting synonyms for key words.
• Keep refining and narrowing the challenge.

Read the book for more

The remainder of the book is devoted to specific techniques including cherry split, SCAMPER, idea box, lotus blossom, and many others.

If you are looking for new or creative ways to brainstorm, both individually and with groups, I encourage you to check out Thinkertoys. It is available through Amazon.com as a new paperback, e-book, and used paperback.

Jim Rohn on Journaling

The introduction Jim Rohn included in his journal.

Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn (1930-2009) was an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. During the 1950s and 1960s he became involved with a couple of direct selling businesses, eventually resulting in promotion to vice president of one company. After the company closed, Rohn was invited to speak at a local Rotary club. More organizations started inviting him to speak about his personal story and leadership principles. Rohn developed his company, eventually speaking to over 6,000 audiences and 5 million people around the world. He also authored several books and audio training series.

I wrote previously about using a paper-based planner. For 2009 I used a Jim Rohn lined journal for my planner. Unfortunately, this planner is no longer available through Jim Rohn's website. However, the Moleskine line of journals is a great substitute.

The Jim Rohn Leadership Journal

I purchased my Jim Rohn journal in 2008 in my search for a quality blank notebook to use as a planner for 2009. At 220 pages with a bonded leather cover, I felt it would be an excellent quality book for my needs.

In looking through my old planners for blog post ideas, I opened my journal from 2009. Even before I made it to my notes, I came across this introduction to the journal. It is included below word-for-word from the journal.

I have highlighted a few key points in red.

Jim Rohn on Journaling

First of all, let me thank you for the investment of time you have made to continue the process of designing a unique life for yourself. It is my hope that together you and I will open new doors, reawaken the passion and rediscover the magic you already possess. Let's begin the process of gathering the ideas and inspiration that will lead to higher rewards and more happiness than you've ever imagined.

I want to take a moment and share with you some of my thoughts and ideas as to why keeping a journal is so vital to your success.

If you're serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don't trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.

I used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats, on long sheets, narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas was to keep a journal. I've been keeping these journals since the age of twenty-five. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library.

I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, “Fifty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?” The reason I pay fifty-six dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth fifty-six dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn't have to look very far to discover it is worth more than fifty-six dollars.

I must admit if you got a glimpse of my journals, you'd have to say that I am a serious student. I'm not just committed to my craft; I'm committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with the seed, soil, sunshine and rain to turn them into the building
blocks of a productive life.

Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation. In fact, future generations will find these three treasures far more valuable than your furniture.

The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don't be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don't miss the pictures. When you're gone, they'll keep the memories alive.

The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library, the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul, is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.

The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you're a serious student. Taking pictures, that is pretty easy. Buying a book at a bookstore, that's pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and to keep a journal. You'll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. What a treasure to enjoy today! Don't neglect to do the things that will propel you towards the unique lifestyle you desire and deserve!

Enjoy the journey!
Jim Rohn

Start today

This is my 10th year of keeping a journal or planner of some sort. If you have not already started keeping an idea journal, I encourage you to start today.

Poetic Form - Interlocking Rubaiyat

A centuries-old poetic form, the interlocking rubaiyat is a fairly straightforward form used by Robert Frost and others.

AABB

A number of poetic forms exist. Probably the most popular forms - at least seen frequently in the work of poets and in songs (including hymns) are pairs of rhyming lines, presented as ABAB or AABB.

Joyce Kilmer's "Trees" poem (first two stanzas)

I think that I shall never see (A)

A poem lovely as a tree. (A)

A tree whose hungry mouth is press (B)

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; (B)

John Newton's "Amazing Grace" (first verse)

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound (A)

That saved a wretch like me (B)

I once was lost, but now I'm found (A)

Was blind but now I see. (B).

The Rubaiyat

I subscribe to Writer's Digest magazine. A recurring column is "Poetic Asides," written by Robert Lee Brewer. The poetic form featured in the May/June 2016 issue was the interlocking rubaiyat.

The general rules are:

• Quatrains (4-lines) following an AABA rhyming pattern
• Each successive stanza uses the unrhymed (e.g., B) for the rhyme in that stanza. The flow of a three stanza poem would be AABA, BBCB, CCDC or CCCC. In the last stanza, the third line can remain unrhymed or rhyme with the other lines.
• The meter is usually tetrameter or pentameter.

Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" follows the interlocking rubaiyat structure.

Whose woods these are I think I know. (A)

His house is in the village though; (A)

He will not see me stopping here (B)

To watch his woods fill up with snow. (A)  

My little horse must think it queer (B)

To stop without a farmhouse near (B)

Between the woods and frozen lake (C)

The darkest evening of the year. (B)

He gives his harness bells a shake (C)

To ask if there is some mistake. (C)

The only other sound’s the sweep (D)

Of easy wind and downy flake. (C)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, (D)  

But I have promises to keep, (D)

And miles to go before I sleep, (D)

And miles to go before I sleep. (D)

Write your own poem

I encourage you to take a few minutes and write an interlocking rubaiyat. If you do, copy it into the comments below.

Jim Rohn's 12 Pillars of Success

This post contains a brief biographical sketch of Jim Rohn and his 12 pillars of success, based on my notes from a webinar.

Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn (1930-2009) was an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. During the 1950s and 1960s he became involved with a couple of direct selling businesses, eventually resulting in promotion to vice president of one company. After the company closed, Rohn was invited to speak at a local Rotary club. More organizations started inviting him to speak about his personal story and leadership principles. Rohn developed his company, eventually speaking to over 6,000 audiences and 5 million people around the world. He also authored several books and audio training series.

I wrote previously about using a paper-based planner. For 2009 I used a Jim Rohn lined journal for my planner. This planner is no longer available through Jim Rohn's website, which is one of the reasons I began using Moleskine journals.

12 Pillars of Success

In reviewing my notes on Yahoo Notes, my primary app for notes prior to smart phones, I came across a list of 12 pillars of success from a webinar by Jim Rohn and Chris Widener, dated 2006.

1. Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.
2. Live a life of health.
3. Give to relationships.
4. Write down your goals.
5. Control your time.
6. Surround yourself with the best people.
7. Be a life-long learner.
8. All of life is sales.
9. Income seldom exceeds personal development. Work full-time on your job and part-time on your fortune.
10. All communication is the foundation for successful relationships.
11. The world can always use one more great leader.
12. Leave a legacy by teaching others the pillars of success.

You can learn more about Jim Rohn and his products at JimRohn.com.

Best Seller in a Weekend - Webinar Review

Best Seller in a Weekend is the business of Alicia Dunams. This post is a review of a webinar I attended.

Alicia Dunams

The best description of Alicia's business is from her own website:

Alicia Dunams motivates thousands of entrepreneurs around the world to play big to produce the business results and life they want. She’s coached hundreds of entrepreneurs worldwide to write, publish and market their book during her acclaimed live Bestseller in a Weekend program.

I came across Alicia's website while searching for creating a book quickly. I signed up for her mailing list, and subsequently received an offer to attend a webinar: Best Seller in a Weekend. This type of service is targeted towards individuals who want to establish themselves as experts within their fields by writing a non-fiction (how to) book.

Webinar Summary

You can view the full slick deck from the webinar via the SlideShare presentation below.

These are the highlights from my notes
1. Amazon search results - how the algorithm works

• How you publish (CreateSpace, Kindle, and Amazon's own publishing companies receive a high prioritization).
• Higher sales translates into better ranking within a specific category.
• The number of legitimate reviews for a book indicates interest in the book.
• A book title (and subtitle) based on specific keywords enhances visibility.

2. Alicia's basic process

• Identify 6 concepts related to the topic.
• Develop 20 questions for each concept (a total of 120 questions)
• Get a friend to ask you these questions while recording.
• Transcribe the recorded question and answer session.
• The resulting transcript forms the bulk of content for the book. Two hours of recording roughly translates into 20,000 words which is the equivalent of a 100-page book (5x8 dimensions).

3. Establish yourself as an expert
Use this template to establish yourself as an expert:

• My name is ____.
• I help ____ be/do/have (insert your target audience)
• _____ (your expertise)
• so that _____ (results).

You can use this same information to pitch your book:

• My name is _____.
• I'm the author of ____ (title)
• which teaches how to
• _____ (subtitle).

4. Create a title and subtitle

• The title of the book should be a noun.
• The subtitle of the book should be a verb.
• The words "teaches (how to)" should silently connect the title and subtitle.
• Example: Straight A Student (teaches how to) Get better grades today
• Example (Actual book): Blog a book (teaches how to) Write, Publish, and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time

5. Establish bestseller status
A strategy to achieving bestseller status is to select a super niche category for your book. The next step is to use social media to coordinate the follow:

• Set up a book-buy blitz where as many individuals as possible buy your book within a limited time (24 or 48 hours).
• Enlist the help of friends, associates, and bloggers to help promote your book.
• Arrange for bulk purchases through civic clubs and chamber of commerce groups.
• Generate interest through pre-orders.
• Key point: Start promoting while writing via social media (posts, tweets, photos).

Slideshare Presentation

How to Write a Bestseller in a Weekend (Free Webinar) from adunams

Hero's Journey

Hero's Journey Story Structure using The Tale of Peter Rabbit as an example.

 In 1949 Joseph Campbell published a book titled The Hero's Journey. In the book Campbell describes a parallel structure found in all myths that transcends time and culture. While this portion of the book is helpful as a story tool, the book is heavily influenced by the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud.

In the 1980s Christopher Vogler, a script consultant working for Walt Disney Pictures, published a memo in which he described the various structural elements of the the hero's journey, but without the psychoanalytic elements. Vogler later expanded the memo into The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.

The concept of the hero's journey is that every hero - the protagonist or main character of the story - goes through a variety of stages in a journey, starting with leaving home and concluding with returning home as a changed individual.

The steps of the journey

• Ordinary world - the main character in the world as it was before the ensuing adventure began.
• Call to adventure - The main character is presented with a problem, challenge, or adventure.
• Refusing the call - The protagonist is reluctant to accept the call to adventure. People are naturally averse to change, and the character must decide to remain in the ordinary world or begin a journey of adventure.
• Meeting with the mentor - Someone in the main character’s life is older and wiser. This mentor advises the character in the decision to leave the ordinary world, and often offers tools, wisdom, and strategies to the character.
• Crossing the threshold - The main character fully enters the special world of the story. This is usually the beginning of action in a story. In a movie, crossing the threshold typically occurs after 30 minutes. Once the main character crosses into the special world, he cannot return easily to the ordinary word.
• Tests, allies, and enemies - The main character encounters a series of tests in preparation for future battles and to build stamina - whether physical or emotional. The hero also meet allies who will assist as the story proceeds, but the hero also encounters a variety of enemies who assist the antagonist of the story.
• Approach the inmost cave - The protagonist and allies enter what appears potentially to be the end of the story. It is a place of danger.
• Central ordeal - This is the low point of the story, and it appears that all may be lost. Yet, the main character returns to life, physically or symbolically, and reinvigorates the hero.
• Reward - Also referred to as “seizing the sword,” the hero now claims the reward he fought for in the previous steps. Often, a tool or strategy of some importance is obtained which will contribute to a success conclusion of the story.
• Road back - Most antagonists do not want the protagonist to keep the reward and take action to thwart the success of the main character. The most dramatic and intense scenes of a story occur in this step.
• Resurrection - All of the action during the road back culminate in a final scene of life or death. Either the protagonist will defeat the antagonist, or the opposite will occur.
• Return with elixir - Having survived the final battle, the main character can now return to the ordinary world, but now with new experience, reward, or love interest.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

As noted in previous posts, the Tale of Peter Rabbit is a simple story that clearly illustrates the various steps of story structure. For this post, Peter's tale is organized according to the elements of the hero's journey.

• Ordinary world - Peter and his siblings lived with their mother in a sandbank underneath the root of a very big fir tree.
• Call to adventure - Mrs. Rabbit said, "Run along and don't get into any mischief." In this situation, Peter call to adventure is the mischief of which his mother admonished her rabbits to avoid.
• Refusal of the call - Peter's siblings obeyed, but Peter was "naughty."
• Meeting with the mentor - Mrs. Rabbit further warned the warren: "Don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden; your father had an accident there and was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor." In this story, Mrs. Rabbit serves as the role of mentor by providing a specific and meaningful consequence of visiting the garden.
• Crossing the threshold - Peter went directly to the garden.
• Test, Allies, and Enemies - Peter encountered Mr. McGregory - his archenemy. Peter ran away, but couldn't find the way out. In the course of his adventure he was encouraged by the sparrows.
• Approach the inmost cave - Peter was closer to getting caught as he ran away from Mr. McGregor.
• Central Ordeal - Peter was even closer to getting caught with seemingly no way out and hid in a watering can. He  drew attention to himself by sneezing.
• Reward - Peter slipped through the window, narrowly escaping.
• Road Back - While still wandering around in the garden, Peter finally spotted the gate, although the path was obstructed by Mr. McGregor.
• Resurrection - Peter ran for his life towards the gate. He squeezed under it and was out of danger.
• Return with Elixir - Peter made it safely home. The elixir was knowledge gained from his experience. In a later story Peter's cousin Benjamin Bunny wanted to visit the garden, but Peter was very resistant.

I like the hero's journey model. It has more structure than the three-act structure, but a manageable number of steps.

Gettysburg Addess

The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln is probably one of the best known speeches in the history of the United States. Written for the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the speech is only 271 words in length and probably took 2-3 minutes to read.

Abraham Lincoln was preceded at the podium by Edward Everett, a politician and orator. He spoke for two hours. The response to Lincoln's speech was initially less than ideal. A reporter from the Chicago Times wrote, "The cheeks of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, and dishwatery utterances." The London Times article included this assessment: "The ceremony was rendered ludicrous by some of the sallies of that poor President Lincoln. Anything more dull and commonplace it would not be easy to produce."

Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Webinar Review: Micro-Coaching

Micro-coaching takes the successful elements of formal coaching and applies them to situations where a more immediate result is needed.

Micro-Coaching Webinar

The presenter of the Micro-coaching webinar was Ray Jimenez, PhD, the chief learning architect for VignettesLearning.com has been in the learning industry for over 25 years. He is an international consultant and author on e-Learning systems and instructional development. Dr. Jimenez worked Top Fortune 500 companies and medium size organizations - including Cisco, Microsoft, Boeing, Countrywide Home Loans, Dollar Tree Stores and others. - From the Vignettes Learning website

Vignettes Learning company is an e-learning and technology services company which assists clients to develop and convert content to online learning, implement Learning Management Systems and learning platforms. - From the Vignettes Learning website

The webinar focused on micro-coaching, when the formal coaching process may not be effective or expedient.

Formal Coaching Process

Formal coaching consists of four main processes: Identify and define goals, Define strategies to reach goals, Establish timeline and milestones, and Follow-up/Monitor plan for action.

Formal coaching is challenged by:

• Virtual environments
• Event-driven actions
• Rapid change
• Unwilling participants
• Variation from schedule

 

Micro-Coaching

Micro-coaching takes the successful elements of formal coaching and applies them to situations where a more immediate result is needed.

Opportunities for micro-coaching

• Quick assist
• Least effort
• Minimal time
• Most effective

Assumptions of micro-coaching

• Every work situation is a learning opportunity
• Help learners/workers discover answers
• Help learners/workers to self-coach
• Help learners demonstrate work

Scripts for Micro-Coaching

Roger Schank developed a theory that our minds use scripts – routines or algorithms – to rapidly solve problems. The two micro-coaching scripts below are based on these scripting theories. The coaching process should focus on which question is most relevant to the current situation.

Script questions for discovery

• Are you meeting your goals?
• What do you know now?
• What should you know more?
• How to you go about it?
• How do others experience the same situation?

Script questions for fixing & improving things

• What results are you getting?
• What does your customer say (internal or external)?
• What is the history and what are you hearing?
• How efficient are you in the process and production?
• What is the quality and cost of your resources?

Create and Use Object Lessons

This post is a review of the webinar Aha! Some Object Lessons presented by Becky Pike Pluth and sponsored by Training Magazine Network.

Training Magazine

Training Magazine is a professional development magazine that promotes training as a workforce tool. The magazine provides content for the Training Magazine Network website, where you can find an ongoing series of webinars on various topics. By simply joining the Training Magazine Network website, you can register to attend future events and access the archives of past events. From there you can download handouts and watch recorded learning events.

Yesterday I attended Aha! Some Object Lessons. The idea of object lessons is not new, but in this current electronic age, it may be easier to forget about using objects from the world around us to help participants better remember what we’re trying to teach.

About the presenter

Becky Pike Pluth has been working as a training professional for over 15 years. She has written two books, Webinars with WOW Factor and 100 Movie Clips That Teach and Train, and is currently the President and CEO of the Bob Pike Group, which incorporates a participant-centered approach  focuses on the needs of learners.

What is an object lesson?

An object lesson is something that serves as a practical example of a principle or an abstract idea, a lesson taught by using a material object. In infants, senses of sight and hearing are the first to develop. When learning can be associated with already-familiar objects, there is a greater likelihood that the training will be remembered and applied.

Some of the benefits of using object lessons we discussed include memorability, engaging, visual, emotion pull, and effect of curiosity. Using objects also has some drawbacks, including having extra physical items to carry, the possibility that the lesson may be lost, and objects, if not effectively managed, could serve as distractions.

When possible, the strongest associations with learning occur when real objects are able to be engaged by all the senses. I once attended a seminar by Ed Tufte on the effective presentation of data. One of the exhibits he displayed was a 400-year old copy of Galileo’s book. While he wasn’t using it as an object lesson, being able to view the physical book locked this experience into my long-term memory.

If you are training in a virtual environment you can still utilize objects. Photos of objects work well. Our presenter on this webinar suggested that over-sized objects and images of objects are particularly effective.

Our webinar started with the presenter playing a card game. She displayed a card so that only we could see it, and then proceeded to ask us several questions about the card. Of course, she knew the identity of the card (facilitators must remain control), so if we participants did not answer correctly, she would still be able to redirect us.

Three steps to designing an object lesson

Follow these three steps to help find appropriate object lessons.

1. Determine content with a moral, value, or story.
2. Take any common household object and tell how it is used. Does it relate to any value or moral you want your participants to learn? If so, it will work.
3. Determine the logistics of your object lesson: materials, duration, what you will say, and what you will do.

Our presenter suggested to use a template during the planning process when using objects in learning. Create a template with the following columns:

• Topic
• Object
• Do Ideas – how you will utilize the object
• Say Ideas – what you will say to set the stage and guide participants
• Other Ideas

Tips for using objects

1. Utilize objects strategically. Object lessons will have the most impact if they are used sparingly in a training session.
2. Throughout a training session, connect back to the object lesson.
3. Ask reflective questions to help your participants form the connections and applications.
4. Have the objects on hand, either one per table or one per participant. If possible, have one object for each attendee, as this maximizes engagement and ensures full participation.
5. Allow participants to form their own conclusions about the connections between the object and its application to the learning objectives. Once you have heard some ideas from the audience, you can then share your thoughts and/or help them get back on track.
6. Practice your object lesson with coworkers and family prior to introducing in a public forum.
7. The object lesson should harmonize with other learning objectives.
8. Bring excitement to the object lesson.

Emotion and Content

The final point our presenter made was that both emotion and content are important. Most business meetings are filled with content. By adding the emotion and engagement of object lessons, you can reinforce learning objectives and make life-long connections to the content.

Webinar Review: Shortcut to Creativity

This is a summary of a webinar on creativity. The webinar was based on the six thinking hats developed by Edward De Bono.

In my book list review for 2015 I included the book, The Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono. I was surprised when I participated in a webinar on creativity and discovered that the primary content covered was the six thinking hats approach as a way to respond to change.

In a rapidly changing environment, creativity is a key attribute needed to recognize opportunities and be ready to adapt.

What do you see?

In the webinar, we were asked the question, "How creative are you?" After rating our creativity levels, the presenter shared several images to solicit our input on what we saw. Here are the images that we studied:

Perceptions

The presenter used this exercise to introduce the paradigm of different perspectives. Each participant noticed different details, and we could not agree on the number of faces in the third image. How many do you see?

Another exercise was also simple: how many uses can you think of for a paperclip? Obviously, a paperclip is designed to fasten papers together, but it can also be used as a key, to clean out your ears (as more than one person responded), a temporary fastener for clothing, a tool to open CD/DVD drives (and the SIM card tray on your smart phone).

The presenter used these examples to illustrate that each of us is creative and able to see the same situation from different perspectives. This was an excellent transition into the six thinking hats.

Six Thinking Hats

Edward De Bono developed the concepts of hats, probably based on the saying, "She wears a lot of hats," meaning that one person can hold many roles. The six hats approach quantifies perspectives about a particular situation into six hats, each represented by a different color.

Designed for individual thinking and group interactions, the six hats, when taken as a whole, allow a group to think about all aspects of a problem, situation, or opportunity. When "wearing" each hat, consider the situation only from that perspective.

• White refers to the objective analysis of facts.
• Red refers to feelings and emotions. Intuition, exploration of positive and negative emotions should be discussed while wearing the red hat. Especially in business situations, there may be a tendency to minimize feelings, but it is necessary to acknowledge the existence of feelings about a particular situation.
• Black refers to the evaluation of risks and barriers, a critical judgment while keeping a holistic view. Think about the hazards and other negative connotations to identify potential problems before they arise.
• Yellow refers to an optimistic view where opportunities and benefits are explored. Analyze the benefits of options to improve a situation.
• Green refers to new ideas. Brainstorming without censoring ideas helps get additional input from the group. As always with brainstorming, quantity is better than quality. Once many ideas have been generated then they can be reviewed for quality.
• Blue refers to the big picture. Focus on the goal. In the 7 Habits paradigm developed by Stephen Covey, this is Habit 2, "begin with the end in mind."

Whenever you are evaluating an opportunity or problem, take some time to try the six thinking hats approach.

Webinar Review: Talking About Change

Summary of a webinar on communicating about change.

Recently I attended a webinar focused on how to communicate most effectively about change. As you have heard before, the only constant is change. Whether it in business, school, or personal life, something is always changing or in transition. This webinar focused on crafting clear and concise messages about change within a business setting.

1-2-3s of Influence

1 Golden Rule
The 1-2-3s of Influence was the structural model used during the webinar. Step 1 is the golden rule of communication, always focus on the audience. In thinking about who we need to influence, ask the following questions:

• Are the various audiences to whom we need to communicate familiar with the change initiatives?
• What do you want your audience to do differently after hearing your message about change?
• How will the upcoming changes benefit them?
• How well do the various audiences know you?
• Where will you meet resistance?

Write out responses to these questions for each audience you hope to reach. Once you have taken a few minutes to analyze your audiences you can begin to craft your message.

2 Commandments
The two commandments for communicating about change are to (1) create clarity and (2) connect personally. Start by writing out three points that you hope to communicate to your audiences. Next craft a message using analogies and metaphors to help your audiences better remember your message. Ideally, if you can incorporate stories of successful change into your message, you increase the likelihood of buy-in.

3 Powers of Persuasion
While the two commandments focused on crafting the message, the three powers of persuasion are all about the delivery of your message. The three powers are (1) presence, (2) reason, and (3) inspiration. To change the way people thinking and behave you must reach them using both facts (reason) and emotion.

An excellent example that the facilitator showed during the webinar is Martin Luther King, Jr's "I have a dream" speech.



Presentation design expert Nancy Duarte spoke at an independent Technology Education Design (TEDx) conference several years ago. In her talk she presented her analysis of King's speech. She identified an alternating pattern between "as is" and "what if."



Our final exercise of the webinar was to take our metaphor-filled three points and redesign our messages to reflect the pattern identified in Duarte's talk.

Are you undergoing any type of corporate change? If so, try following these steps to create an audience-focused message that will help you talk about change.

Title image created using Canva. Photo credit: Ed Uthman "HSCP 2009 Seminar 078"