Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

Business Rule 5: Never Underestimate the Power of a Voice on the Telephone

Filed Under Business Book, Strategy, Successful Blog, Tips | 27 Comments

What I Learned from the Black Box

Business Rules Logo

I was working for a company just outside of Boston. I was living just outside of Laguna Beach. The job was a great fit. At 13.5 hours door-to-door when the weather gods were on my side, the commute was not.

I was part of a team hell-bent on turning around a company in crisis. They had lost 10% for three years before I got there. About six months earlier, the staff had been cut from 200 people to 40. The culture was hurt. Everyone had ideas about what went wrong, but no one was sure about what to do right. The process models had fallen apart.

It’s so easy to talk about negatives in a situation like that.

Because of my circumstances, I attended two executive meetings each month via telephone — a black box on the table. I’d say hello to the group. They’d place the food of the day near the phone, and the meeting would start. They would forget I was there. I got to be the proverbial fly on the wall.

Three important things happened over that telephone.

It was the absence of the visual that made our words so powerful. We actually heard each other better and valued each other’s words more.

The difference was that we had to listen.

The common wisdom is that we lose more when we lose the visual. In this case we gained. Learning to listen wasn’t the only lesson that I learned that day.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you think Liz can help with your PRM, check out the Perfect Virtual Manager on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Related
Business Rule 4: You Know Your Truth — Listen to Yourself
Business Rule 3: In PRM, the First Test Always Outweighs the Final
Business Rule 2: How to Do What You Want

Bloggers Fighting? Oh, If You Must . . . Do It Right

Filed Under Business Life, Great Finds, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog, Tips | 23 Comments

I agree
I saw and article called How to fight with other bloggers, on Paul Boutin’s blog Sunday. It’s advice he offers to bloggers about arguing, “if you need fight, do it right.” Doing it right means following three rules.

    Rule 1: Fight only with bloggers bigger than you.

    Rule 2: Stick to the arguments you know

    Rule 3: Don’t talk about the fight.

If I might add a few of my own,

    Liz’s Rule 1: Make sure it’s worth fighting about.

    Liz’s Rule 2: Keep personal talk out.

    Liz’s Rule 3: Don’t kick a guy who’s down or a horse that’s already dead.

    Liz’s Rule 4: Always leave the other guy a place to stand.

    Liz’s Rule 5: Remember your future boss and your heirs will be reading whatever you write a long time after your feelings have cooled off.

If a cause is worth supporting, it gets more traction from positive interaction. ;)

The blogosphere doesn’t need any of us to make it work.

Liz's Signature

SOB Business Cafe 11-17-06

Filed Under Basics, Business Life, Great Finds, Motivation/Inspiration, Successful Blog, Tech/Stats, Tips, Trends | 2 Comments

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are



Steve Farber wrote the handbook on being extreme.

the Extreme Leader's Online Interactive Handbook



SuccessCREEations has something fresh to say about business blogging. Don’t let the title fool you . . .

Business Blogging 101 [2]



Make It Great! has a question for you about Raj Setty’s book.

Want to Win a Book



Howard Lindzon explains how brave and shameless work in the world of Web2.0

Borat and Paris Hilton have something in common



Innovation Zen starts the year end with the first list of cool stuff.

Best Office Inventions 2006

Related ala carte selections include



Blog Chalk Talk demonstrates how to get through an in-box like a surgeon.

Chilly Morning Blogger Email Autopsy Slash Vivisection



The Zero Boss serves the tip of the day with attitude. Be sure to capture the URL for Ice Rocket, if you’ve never been there.

Blog Tip of the Day UTW

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

If You Want Me to Care, Tell Me Who You Are

Filed Under Basics, Branding, Customer Think, Marketing, Successful Blog, Tips | 32 Comments

Identity, Credibility, Humanity

New Blogger Logo

It happened twice last night. I was reading a new blog and got interested. I went to the About page and there was none. . . .

Most blogging templates come with an About page — a page ready for the blogger add a bio and background. Here at Successful-Blog the About Liz page is so often visited, the page itself has a Google Page Rank of 5!

Why is that?

It’s not because I am so particularly fascinating. It’s because people want to know who’s talking to them.

When I study my referral logs, I check the visitor paths. New readers come. They read a while, and then, go to the About page. It’s not unusual for visitors who read several posts,to return to the About page more than once in a visit. I see that happen daily.

A well-written About page offers asset value and provides a service to readers. It begins a relationship on three levels.

Write an About page that introduces you. It’s sets up your brand and starts our relationship. It makes that first connect between us as writer and reader. We’re all so busy and anonymous sources are unreliable at best.

I want to care about what you write. Please tell me who you are.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
How to Code Links for Sidebars and Posts
Getting Customers to Stop by to See You
Blog Promotion Basics [for Everyone]
New Blogger Page

SOB Business Cafe 10-13-06

Filed Under Business Life, Great Finds, Marketing, Productivity, Successful Blog, Survival Kit, Tips | 23 Comments

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are



Lorelle at WordPress has Gary Larson remind us to take care of our children.

Copyrights and the Blogger



Another Blogger wonders whether the music industry’s loss is an omen for publishing.

Bye Bye Tower Records, Are Bookstores Next



Finding the Money shows a way to put your music to work for you legally.

Earn Money by Sharing Music



Converstations provides a quick overview of a popular new Google offering and offers a link to a deeper review, if you want even more.

Google Docs and Spreadsheets



Working at Home on the Internet has tried (and maybe succeeded) at foiling the bad guys, but wouldn’t mind our tricks to add to his protection.

7 Steps to Stop Email Hacking

Related ala carte selections include



Life Coaches has a mind-changing secret that they are willing to share.

Secrets of Changing Minds - The Most Important Key



Zulit lets us in on how to reach our blogging goals by staging our how we handle them.

What Is Your Motivation-How Many Blogs Can You Handle

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

« go back — keep looking »