One of the worlds most respected authors, “Og Mandino” http://www.ogmandino.com/ has had his ideas and insights quoted and referred to by almost every other motivational speaker, personal and business development coach on the planet. In his book ” The Greatest Secret In The World ” (available from Amazon.com) he talks about the importance of continually increasing your value and raising your goals and standards, in order to reap ever increasing rewards. (see page 114) . This book is well worth the time spent reading it, and we highly recommend you get a copy for yourself. Here is a small quote from the book regarding Value…….

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

And just as the warm wind guides the wheat to maturity, the same winds will carry my voice to those who will listen and my words will announce my goals. Once spoken I dare not recall them lest I lose face. I will be as my own prophet and though all may laugh at my utterances they will hear my plans, they will know my dreams; and thus there will be no escape for me until my words become accomplished deeds.

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

I will commit not the terrible crime of aiming too low.

I will do the work that a failure will not do.

I will always let my reach exceed my grasp.

I will never be content with my performance in the market

I will always raise my goals as soon as they are attained.

I will always strive to make the next hour better than this one.

I will always announce my goals to the world.

Yet, never will I proclaim my accomplishments. Let the world, instead, approach me with praise and may I have the wisdom to receive it in humility.

Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold.

One grain of wheat when multiplied a hundredfold will produce a hundred stalks. Multiply these a hundredfold, ten times, and they will feed all the cities of the earth. Am I not more than a grain of wheat? Today I will multiply my value a hundredfold. And when it is done I will do it again, and again, and there will be astonishment and wonder at my greatness as the words of these scrolls are fulfilled in me.

To order the book from Amazon, please click the book cover below….

 

 

This article is a guest post by Joe Pulizzi, founder of Junta42 Match, a free resource to help businesses find expert content providers. Joe blogs regularly at blog.junta42.com.

 

One of the most frequent questions I receive while traveling is about blogging. The questions revolve around how to get started, what to talk about, and what software to use.

I usually reply to these people with questions of my own, which startles them, because so many start thinking about blogging in terms of what they want to say, instead of what their target audience needs to hear. 

Here are 10 questions I frequently ask bloggers just getting started:

1.  Who are your primary and secondary targets for your blog?

2.  What do you want to tell them?

3.  Do you understand what the key informational needs of the audience are?

4.  Are you reading other blogs on that topic, and ones targeting your customers and prospects?

5.  If you are reading, are you leaving comments that add to the online conversation on the blogs you cover?

6.  Do you have a firm grasp on the types of keywords to focus on that would be relevant to your blog?

7.  Do you follow those keywords on Technorati and Google Blog Search?  Do you have alerts set up around those keywords at Google Alerts? (or possibly even use a reputation management system?)

8.  Can you commit to blogging at least two-to-three times per week? (consistency is key, based on the expectations you set with your audience)

9.  What is your ultimate goal in starting a blog?  In one year from when you start blogging, how will your life be different?

10.  Are you looking at blogging as a challenge or something that could be fun?

Of course, I don’t ask all of these in fear I would scare them off, but these are the general starter questions.  These questions should be the same for individuals as well as businesses.

The majority of blogs out there don’t make it.  The worst thing you can do as a business is start a consistent dialogue with your customers and then stop.  Better not to do one at all.

Remember, blogging is just a tool.  Some businesses aren’t ready to commit resources or change their culture (full transparency) to adapt to a blog.  That’s okay.  But all businesses must understand the power of blogging.  Your brand is what people read about and talk about online. You have to decide if you want to be a part of shaping that conversation around your brand.

 

 

This article is a guest post by Joe Pulizzi, founder of Junta42 Match, a free resource to help businesses find expert content providers. Joe blogs regularly at blog.junta42.com.

 

One of the most frequent questions I receive while traveling is about blogging. The questions revolve around how to get started, what to talk about, and what software to use.

I usually reply to these people with questions of my own, which startles them, because so many start thinking about blogging in terms of what they want to say, instead of what their target audience needs to hear. 

Here are 10 questions I frequently ask bloggers just getting started:

1.  Who are your primary and secondary targets for your blog?

2.  What do you want to tell them?

3.  Do you understand what the key informational needs of the audience are?

4.  Are you reading other blogs on that topic, and ones targeting your customers and prospects?

5.  If you are reading, are you leaving comments that add to the online conversation on the blogs you cover?

6.  Do you have a firm grasp on the types of keywords to focus on that would be relevant to your blog?

7.  Do you follow those keywords on Technorati and Google Blog Search?  Do you have alerts set up around those keywords at Google Alerts? (or possibly even use a reputation management system?)

8.  Can you commit to blogging at least two-to-three times per week? (consistency is key, based on the expectations you set with your audience)

9.  What is your ultimate goal in starting a blog?  In one year from when you start blogging, how will your life be different?

10.  Are you looking at blogging as a challenge or something that could be fun?

Of course, I don’t ask all of these in fear I would scare them off, but these are the general starter questions.  These questions should be the same for individuals as well as businesses.

The majority of blogs out there don’t make it.  The worst thing you can do as a business is start a consistent dialogue with your customers and then stop.  Better not to do one at all.

Remember, blogging is just a tool.  Some businesses aren’t ready to commit resources or change their culture (full transparency) to adapt to a blog.  That’s okay.  But all businesses must understand the power of blogging.  Your brand is what people read about and talk about online. You have to decide if you want to be a part of shaping that conversation around your brand.