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7 Real Ways Writing Increases Expertise

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Each morning, I greet the Internet with my coffee and a clear purpose. I say “Good morning, Twitterville!” share the view in the harborhood, and check in with my friends. I find lots of opportunity — information, ideas, and input — offering itself.

If I’m not focused my head fills with thoughts, energy sparking and flaring in every direction.

Fast and fun, but too shallow to be satisfying in the long hall.

Real conversation offer more than a sound byte. Real ideas are worth more than a passing thought.

It’s one reason Twitter never will win out over my blog.
Of course, Google is another.

7 Real Ways Writing Increases Expertise

Writing is one way to share thoughts with many folks efficiently. Publishing makes the connection more natural and accessible. The words stay available through time for anyone who wants to access them.

Sure we get visibility and offer value when we write, but we get a huge payoff ourselves.

By recording our thoughts we make them more.

Here are 7 real ways that writing increases our expertise.

  1. Writing clarifies what we know. If you know something and can’t explain it, do you really know it? We tell ourselves that we know what we know how to do laying it out. Writing won’t let us do that. We have to find words to articulate our ideas.
  2. Writing moves become familiar with degrees of difference. Want to be more fluent on a subject? Write about it. Every time we write we choose words to express a thought or an idea. Writing teaches us how words communicate meaning. The more we practice the more we learn which word choices connect people to what we mean.
  3. Writing leads us to explore different answers. Leave ideas in your head and you can shut them down before you’ve fully considered their possibilities. Writing brings us to see what we think. When we find words to articulate what’s on our mind, we take the words out of our heads. We make them more real, more transportable, and more memorable. When we put ideas on the page they take form –we can shuffle them, change them, improve them.
  4. Writing helps us develop a voice that is natural and consistent, strong and confident. Talking to yourself might not be … um … acceptable, but write and you’ll know your and how to express them. Even when we write for ourselves, we go back to read, listening to what we wrote. We question. We consider. We critique our choices. We start to recognize what’s our own way of saying things.
  5. Writing challenges us to set fear aside, yet maintain discipline. A clear sentence requires structure. A sentence that moves people is expression. Once we find our voice, we see how expression needs structure, and that structure without expression is listless and boring. Over time writers learn to value our thoughts and hold the editor quiet until feedback is useful. The act of writing builds thoughtful integrity. Putting thought into words builds confidence.
  6. Writing offers us opportunity to share our expertise. Everything we write has an audience. Every time someone shares something that we write they add value to our ideas — when they change them and when they don’t. Writers get the space of mind to show what we know in ways that can help people we’ve never met.
  7. Writing makes us more thoughtful readers and more aware responders. Write for a while and you’ll find you bring the insights and appreciation of a writer to what you read. You’ll start to notice that the way a writer writes makes a message stronger, weaker, more meaningful to you. You might even begin to recognize their *voices* in what they write. Writing gives us understanding of nuance and a sensitivity to what we read. We ask better questions.

As efficient as Twitter is for conversation, it’s not enough for working out ideas. 140 characters can’t express a full-on deep thought. A soundbyte might get attention, but it doesn’t show depth of knowledge.

Writing is clear thinking made visible. — Bill Wheeler

We meet more people in print than we can ever possibly meet face to face. Many people will know our written voice as well as they know our names. Writing is a huge opportunity in a noisy world to share what we know and to learn from the best of the people we meet.

What sort of thinking have you shared today?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Buy the ebook. Learn the art of online conversation.

Is Layoff a Precursor to Running Your Own Business?

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With the endless string of layoffs that hit American businesses the last few years, many workers were left to fend for themselves, wondering how long it may be in between jobs. For some, however, a job lost is an opportunity gained.

Whether it was a lifelong dream or born out of necessity, countless individuals have taken those layoffs and turned them into the opportunity to start and run their own small businesses. In doing so, however, they are oftentimes left with myriad of questions, both from themselves and from family and friends.

Prior to striking out on your own with what could be your dream of a lifetime, keep several things in mind about how to start a business.

On the positive side:

  • Individuals find themselves with the opportunity to make their own decisions for a change, something that can prove very refreshing;
  • Individuals are able to set their own hours. It should be noted, however, that run one’s own business oftentimes involves a lot more time and energy, especially if there is a family involved. The days of the 9 to 5 routine may very well be gone in such a situation;
  • Individuals can earn more money running their own business as opposed to working for someone else, but keep in mind that there are also more expenditures when being self-employed;
  • Individuals will likely have to find their own health insurance coverage since they are no longer under a company’s employ. There are also things to consider like employing others, providing workers comp coverage, having business insurance and more.

On the negative side:

  • Individuals are required to make all their own decisions, meaning more time and effort must go into planning things out not only today, tomorrow, next week and next month, but the next year or two;
  • Individuals may be scraping the barrel when it comes to finding all the necessary funds to not only start the business, but keep it afloat early on. We all know that many small businesses fail within the first year to three years, so make sure you have a financial lifeline available if you need it;
  • Individuals should they choose to hire employees essentially become psychologists. No two employees are alike, so expect to have to oversee an array of personalities. Running a small business is hard enough, don’t let those under you become a major distraction;
  • Individuals will have a ton of paperwork to deal with. While a small business owner can and likely will hire someone to do their books and may even have legal counsel at their disposal, there is still a paper trail that leads back to them. You need to make sure you’re an organized individual who can respond rather quickly to any customer issues, financial audits, potential lawsuits and more.

The downtrodden economy of the last few years has in turn opened up a number of doors for people who otherwise would likely still be with their employer or another one.

If your dreams of opening a small business still remain important to you, take the time to weigh the pros and cons of such a move.

Remember, it is your business to get it right the first time around.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items obtaining phone systems, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

How to Leap from Taking Directions to Professionally Presenting Ideas

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In order to move up the professional ladder, a person must not only prove to be an excellent worker, he or she must also be a leader. After years of doing what others tell you to do, the only way to get to the next level professionally is to assume the role of a leader – an idea man or woman.

In order to assert yourself and make a bigger impact within your company or with clients, you will need to take that leap from following directions to suggesting a whole new set of directions to follow. Furthermore, it is not good enough to have a great idea – you need to be able to present it successfully as well.

Here are some tips to get your ideas not only heard, but also to gain respect as you learn what appeals most to the audience you want to influence and persuade.

Know Your Audience

If you are going to impress your audience, know who you’re addressing. In many cases, you are not pitching these ideas directly to the “boss.” Make sure you’re bringing your idea to the people who have the power to put it into motion or take it to the next step.

Once you have chosen the right audience, get to know what makes those people tick. Find out what appeals to them and what benefits you need to stress in order to capture their interest in your idea. Once you know who is in the audience, you will be able to perfect the presentation of your idea for them.

Perfect Your Presentation

Sharing ideas is not something that should be taken casually. If you really want to show that you are serious about an idea, it’s best to plan it out and present it immaculately. A simple mention of your idea beside the water cooler just won’t do in most cases. Prepare your presentation and if the venue allows, enrich it with visual or multimedia aids. It’s much easier to keep interest when your presentation is multifaceted and includes more than you speaking while your audiences imagines what you’re proposing.

Don’t shy away from rehearsing your presentation either. Just like you wouldn’t sing a song at a talent show without practicing, you shouldn’t be presenting a serious idea without practicing your talk. The better prepared you are, the more confident you will be, and that can make all the difference in the world.

Be Ready to Answer Questions

Whenever you are presenting an idea in a business setting, you may be met with questions about the downside of your idea. People will want to know how to fund it, what resources it requires and any and all weaknesses that might get in the way of success.

Think ahead about the parts of your presentation that could be unclear to your audience, and address them beforehand. Consider questions that good business people ask and objections that are common in your business and from your audience. Have a proper justification and reason for everything you suggest. Be prepared to explain the reasoning behind every aspect of your idea and plan.

Bring Variations

It helps to be flexible going in. Know which facets of your idea that can be changed or altered without sacrificing the core of the plan. Bring some suggested alternatives with you in your initial presentation.

Use Rejections Constructively

If and when your idea is turned down, see it as an opportunity to learn more about the goals of your audience. If you always quit on your idea after one rejection, you’ll never gain the respect of the people you’re trying to convince. Think through the feedback as you listen to it. Is the problem the idea or the execution of it that you suggested? If you’re not sure, find out. Sometimes the people you’re addressing have information that you didn’t have.

Be Ready to Go Back to Work

Find out whether the idea is dead or can be revised. Some ideas are too expensive, too labor intensive, or make more work than they’re worth. That doesn’t mean that parts of those ideas aren’t worth exploring further. If you hear that there’s still a chance, go back to the drawing board and apply what you’ve learned. Implement changes in your idea to address the objections that were voiced during your presentation. When you’re confident in your new plan, ask for a meeting to share the revised plan.

Remember, the goal of setting out an idea in business is to enlist support for a project you believe will help the business grow. People will be looking for how well you listen as much as how well you present. If you’re truly interested in the goals of the audience and what works for them, you’ll get noticed as someone who is not only interested in his or her own success, but in the success of the business as well.

What advice do you have for enlisting people in your ideas?
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Author’s Bio:
David Lazar is a blogger at CometDocs.com. With a background in journalism, he enjoys writing about and following a variety of topics, including careers, technology and new media.

Thank you, David!

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Book Marketing Expert Liz Marshall to Guest Host March 15 #SOBCon Chat on Getting Your First (or Next) Book Published

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Is 2012 the year you FINALLY get your book published and message out to the world?  That’s a big step in your business and career, especially with ALL the different publishing options and all the ways you can package, publish and promote your idea.  But how do you know when the timing is right?  And, how do you know the right path for YOU – and your message, your business and your goals? [Read more…]

Do Your Homework, Listen, and Don’t Buy It Back!

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A curious thing happens during the first two months of a new year.

Whatever the cause, for the first few weeks of the new year, I find myself restating boundaries because a subtle sort of bad behavior starts showing up. Let me explain what I see at this time every year that I’d like to see less often …

  1. my string of “talk at me,” inappropriate email pitches increases.
  2. more strangers act as if I work for them — as if it’s my job to review their book, their blog, their strategy for free — and they act out “feelings” if I mention that my time is committed to projects and my family.
  3. more people try “clever” tactics to get me to buy in — Do they really think the subject line “Following Up … ” will earn them points when I find that they’ve simply tricked me into opening their email?
  4. more people waste time trying to convert me long after I’ve made it clear that I declined their offer.

    5. And saddest of all

  5. more people who have my attention keep on pitching and selling even after I’ve said a definitive YES!

Maybe it’s a rebound response to all of that holiday generosity. It could be simply that we’ve depleted our resources contributing to the celebrations and now as bills come in, we’re tired, feeling poor, and “peopled-out.” Or perhaps it’s just a new resolve to “hit the new running” that gets people starting off on the wrong foot.

Do Your Homework, Listen, and Don’t Buy It Back!

All five groups don’t believe in what they’re “selling.” So they use words to override the objections they’re expecting. And to keep safe from the possibility of rejection, they make sure to keep pushing the offer.

Here are three things to keep in mind when you’re about to make an offer.

  1. Do your homework. They say it’s a game of numbers and that you have to work hard. Yet, the successful people would rather spend their time identifying 5 people who have a high probability of wanting the offer than blanketing 5000 in hopes of capturing a few more. They like the confidence of knowing as they go in what the person is about and why that person might want what they’re offering. Those successful people also know that it takes time and is often embarrassing to set things straight when someone hasn’t done their homework — if the offer is a business success program and I just sold my last business for billions, more talking isn’t going to change that situation.
  2. Shut Up and Listen Successful people understand relationship can only strengthen the transaction. Saying hello and establishing a conversation lets people know you have confidence in them and in what you’re saying. Pushing through to the pitch before you’ve made that personal connection allows the person you’re talking to (or at) the latitude to also not consider you a person. More words, longer emails, sent to the wrong person won’t get anyone the right connection. Clever tactics that get attention soon backfire — people don’t “buy in” to ideas from someone who tricked them. Talk some. Ask questions. Then listen. You may hear some reasons your offer is a great match for your audience. If you’re using email, try an email or two to get to know the people you’ll be making offers to in the future.
  3. Don’t buy it back! When someone says, they want what you’re offering. Stop talking. Start listening. Let the person tell you why they’re buying. Don’t continue explaining how great the offer is — even if you didn’t get to your favorite benefits. Start making it easy to get the offer going. If you keep talking, you’re likely to “buy it back” by talking so much that person decides that you love the offer more than getting it going.

Luckily by spring, these behaviors settle some, though they never fully fade away. So be aware of them. We all could do with a little more homework and planning. We all could be a little better at listening instead of talking. We never want to be buying back what we’ve already successfully sold.

What behaviors would you like to less often?

Be irresistible.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Invest or Pay off Debts in Today’s Economy?

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While the stock market seems to have settled down, many individuals can’t help but question whether it is best to invest while there are some good stocks available or should they pay off debts, especially credit cards?

Even though there is no set answer, individuals need to realistically look at their own situation to see which financial decision is more prudent for their case.

Issues to Confront

In the event you are weighing which road to travel, you need to determine the larger number, the return on investment or the interest you are currently paying for your credit cards. For those people who are paying greater interest than they could earn, they are advised to pay down their debt first.

When it comes to paying down debts, some financial experts will advise you to place your debts in order, from those charging the largest interest rates to ones charging the least.

On the flip side, others will advise placing them from smallest to biggest, paying off the smallest one first and making at least minimum payments on the others. Some view this as not only getting a debt paid off, but giving a consumer something to feel good about when the debt is removed.

Know the Tax Implications

With tax season here for the next few months, another factor for individuals to consider is what tax implications will befall them.

Individuals should look at whether the interest on their investment is taxable, along with if the interest on their debt is tax-deductible. When investing in items like traditional IRAs and 401 (k) plans, you can decrease your taxable income, so those investments can assist you.

Individuals should also take into consideration that investing is best done when finding returns that significantly top the interest on their debts.

Over time, individuals will be able to pay off high-interest obligations, while likely tracking down save investments that offer a better return on their money as opposed to paying more on their lower-rate debts.

Preparing for the Future

Finally, while credit card and other debts are something you can’t run and hide from, remember that your future financial picture is even more important today, given the questions about the strength of Social Security when you retire down the road.

If you’re able to eliminate high-interest consumer debt, start saving as much as possible. The best place to kick things off is a 401(k). The next best choice is an IRA.

Along with placing money in a retirement account, you will need to have a “rainy day” fund that’s readily available in an emergency so you do not rely on credit cards.

You should put aside enough funds to hold you over for three months if your paycheck suddenly ceased. If you have less-than-steady income, think about putting aside six months of income, potentially through a high-yield savings account or money market fund monthly basis until reaching a desired amount.

As noted earlier, each situation will warrant its own analysis, but paying down debts and investing in your future are both win-win scenarios.

Do the Math

If you’re still not sure about the best avenue to take regarding your financial situation, consider this example:

Let’s say you’re behind $15,000 on a credit card and your savings account contains some $15,000. Throw in a credit card interest rate that is at 10 percent and the bank is compensating you less than 2 percent on your account.

While your first inclination is to pay off the credit card and move that debt behind you, make sure there are no investment opportunities that could arise. Yes, investing in pretty much any product or brand is a risk, but the rewards can be great.

Should you come across an investment option or find some stocks or bonds that are providing good returns, you may think twice about putting all that money towards the debt, rather doing some investing. Perhaps you should do both?

As someone who has had to deal with debt due to a divorce and job layoff, I can tell you from firsthand experience that paying down a debt is a great feeling, even if it takes some time to do it.

In the event you’re still having questions as to which road to take (debt or investments), consider a few questions:

  1. What if the proposed investment does well after you’ve paid off your debt?
  2. What happens if you postpone paying down the debt and put the money towards the investment and the investment tanks? Where does that leave your psyche?
  3. What if you put half the money towards your debt and half towards your investment? Can you live with not fully paying down the debt and continuing to carry a balance?

As you can see, there are a number of roads to travel when deciding on paying down debt or investing those dollars.

Whichever road you head down, map out your plans ahead of time so you don’t get lost.

Dave Thomas, who covers topics such as starting a small business, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.