Book Rapper

Web Line 16: How to Assemble an Online Army

2010-03-11T10:02:00.005+11:00

Web Line 16: How to Assemble an Online Army

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
Web Line 15: Online Etiquette Tips

RAP 7: Assemble An Army
PROFIT : Alone you can make so much difference. With the right army you can change the world.

Your New Look Army
The army we’re talking about may be diverse in it’s make-up...

Mastermind Groups : Napoleon Hill suggested we align with like-minds 50 years ago. Form your face-to-face and/or online group today.
Aggregators : Creating a way to collaborate is key. Google Docs, Google Wave, Wikis, Twitter... the tools are out there waiting for you.
Automation : Your army can be software and machines to fill the gaps between the jobs humans do better.

Actions: Spread ‘EM
Here’s some tips for spreading your ideas further and faster:

Choose one thing to focus on.
Simplify the process for spreading the word. Make it dead easy.
Why bother? Create a powerful reason for others to take action.
Find people who are aligned to your cause.
Create an incentive or benefit for those who play with you.

Actions: Scaling Up
Here’s some tips for managing a large scale army:

Simple gestures matter - it’s not how many words you write.
Visit others and add a comment or two...
Give something back to your community.
Promote others - raising other worthy people will raise your stakes too!

Actions: A Leg Up
Here’s some tips for giving your ideas the legs they need to inspire others to grab them, use them and shout about them:

Write blog posts that give others the tools and strategies they need to succeed.
Sharely generously with social news and bookmarking sites like Delicious, Google Reader, etc.
Contribute to Flickr and YouTube - great places to be reposted.
Share your thoughts on platforms eg Twitter, Facebook
Create and distribute free ebooks that enable others to use your ideas as their own.

Download the full Book Rapper issue: WebLine

Web Line 15: Online Etiquette Tips

2010-03-10T22:41:00.005+11:00

Web Line 15: Online Etiquette Tips

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
Web Line 14: How to Spot the Digital Natives

Online Etiquette
To make friends online and off there are some gentle rules to adhere to...

Your friends are not prospects offline and neither should they be online.
We all like to be listened to. Listen to your friends online too.
If unsure, ask for etiquette advice when joining a new group.
Contribute by commenting on blog posts, tweets and status updates.
Look out for trolls. They’re nasty people who don’t follow the cultural rules.
Also discern between a constant complainer and someone with a complaint.
Marketing is likely to result in being ‘unfriended’.
No one wants more email so rethink the way you keep in touch.

Are there any others you'd like to add?

Actions: Twittergy
Here’s some tips to strengthen your Twitter strategy...

Get a @username that’s similar to your name.
Add some content before expecting people to follow you.
Having others following you is the social proof that will attract others.
Have more followers than your followings.
Interact, respond and @reply to other people and their tweets.
When you follow others send them an @message.
Read our Book Rapper issue: Twittergy

What works for you on Twitter? What doesn't?

Actions: Linking In
Here’s some tips for connecting on LinkedIn:

Update your profile to reflect your current activities
Add a honest photo, not an old one or a corporate headshot
Find colleagues and connect
Answer questions to display your expertise
Crossover your invitations with Twitter, Facebook, etc.

What's your best tip for Linked In?

Download the full Book Rapper issue: WebLine

Web Line 14: How to Spot the Digital Natives

2010-03-09T14:50:00.006+11:00

Web Line 14: How to Spot the Digital Natives

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
Web Line 13: 6 Tools for Managing Your Reputation and Competitors

RAP 6: Be Helpful

PROFIT : You may know how to interact with people face-to-face. Online, the intent is the same : be helpful.

The Next Revolution
Companies were in charge from 1950 to 2005.
They not only controlled the major communications channels, they were the only ones that could afford to play their message on them.
Now, consumers are in charge of communication.
On the net you can’t buy mass impact - there’s simply too many channels.
With your channel you can have your say.
With fans and followers your voice can be amplified.

The web was built for decentralized communication.
Commerce was added later.
This is the golden rule for being online.

How to Spot the Digital Natives
Digital Natives know how to interact online.
It’s the rest of us that need to learn.
Here’s what they look like:

They’re not stupid, they just have short attention spans.
And, they’re probably multi-threading - doing several things at once.
If you’re message is not engaging, they’re not interested.
They won’t tolerate one-way monologues. They expect interaction.
And, remember they’re people too!

PS: I'm clearly NOT a digital native. I bought a book, yes a BOOK, to help me learn how to use my iPhone! LOL!

The Lay of the Land
When joining a new group or platform, listen to reveal the culture of the place.
For example:

LinkedIn : Reputation building for business people.
Facebook : Easy connections for people, mostly personal.
Twitter : SMS on steroids or like a huge conference call. Everyone gets a say!
Blogs : This is your home base. Treat it like home and be a good visitor for others.

Download the full Book Rapper issue: WebLine

Web Line 13: 6 Tools for Managing Your Reputation and Competitors

2010-03-08T09:46:00.005+11:00

Web Line 13: 6 Tools for Managing Your Reputation and Competitors

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
Web Line 12: Five Keys to Maintaining Your Network

Actions: Managing Your Reputation/Competitors
Part of leveraging your time and effort is to use the web tools that are now available.
Here’s some for keeping an ear tuned for what people are saying about you online...

Google Alerts : Each time a keyword is searched or mentioned, you get mail.
Rank Checker - Firefox Plugin : Checks your Google ranking.
Technorati Blog Links : Check the number of links your blog is getting. Alternatively use Google Blog Search.
Compete.com : Compare your web traffic to others in your field.
Twitter Grader : Who are the twitterati in your industry/area? How do you compare?
Search.Twitter.com : What’s being said online on any topic right now?

Download the full Book Rapper issue: WebLine

Web Line 12: 5 Keys to Maintaining Your Network

2010-03-07T09:21:00.006+11:00

Web Line 12: 5 Keys to Maintaining Your Network

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
Web Line 11: Five Steps to Building Your Network

Actions: Maintaining Your Network

Touch Regularly : Simple personal messages count.
Calendar Reminders : Use technology to alert you to birthdays and other special events.
Service Levels : Know the limit of what you can provide. Don’t over promise or build false expectations.
Sort Your Network : Some people are simply more important to you than others. Identify your friends and keep in touch with them as your priority.
Build Armies : When you build trust you build a platform to make requests. An army can help you get things done.

Actions: What do I put on my Business Cards?
Yes, you still need them!
As a minimum you want your name, mobile, email + blog URL.
Plus add any other ways you want to be contacted.
For instance, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, LinkedIn.
You choose which ones are most important to you.

Download the full Book Rapper issue: WebLine http://www.bookrapper.com/

Web Line 11: Five Steps to Building Your Network

2010-03-06T09:12:00.005+11:00

Web Line 11: Five Steps to Building Your Network

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
Web Line 10: The Almost Obvious Secret to Web Success

RAP5: Build Relationships
PROFIT : The key to building powerful networks is to build relationships through being helpful. And, the wider your net the greater your opportunities.

Building Networks
Building powerful networks follows five steps that involve both online and offline efforts.

Awareness : Increase your network strength and reach by leaving a trail of web evidence - comments, connections, blog posts, status messages...
Attention : Attention is a scarce resource. Start with the online channels that appeal eg blog or tweet. And remember face-to-face meetups.
Influence : Attract evangelists not customers. Build the relationship and the sale will occur soon enough. Links are 21st Century name-dropping.
Reputation : Be aware of what people say when you’re gone. Your web debris is part of your reputation. There are no blind dates anymore.
Authority : Become the one people think of when your category gets mentioned. When you offer opinions rather than facts the level of trust you engender is crucial to your authority. Build social proof through recommendations, testimonials, friends, links...

The New Rule

The old game was ruled by quid pro quo. I’ll give you something as long as I get something in return.

In the digital world, once a product is created, the cost of production and distribution is essentially zero via the web. This sets up new ways to work. In particular, share your best work freely and don’t ask for anything in return. In other words, if you can help enough people get what they want, they’ll think of you when opportunities arise.

Actions: Three Keys to Connecting
The key to building awareness and visibility is to connect with other people.
Here’s how:

Touch Lightly : Make a comment, respond to a tweet and spread their word.
Meet Them : Ideally meet them face-to-face.
Keep in Touch : Sustain and enhance the relationship by keeping the conversation flowing.

Web Line 10: The Almost Obvious Secret to Web Success

2010-03-05T08:38:00.005+11:00

Web Line 10: The Almost Obvious Secret to Web Success

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
Web Line 9: 6 Ways to Use Leverage to Multiply Your Results

RAP4: Use Leverage, continued

Community Protection
No, we’re not suggesting you create your own mafia.
This unusual form of leverage is contrary to traditional business.

Don’t sell to your community.

Be their gatekeeper instead.
Protect them.
And, let the good stuff pass through.
And, they’ll love you even more.
Ultimately, they’ll look after you with indirect sales.

The Almost Obvious Secret to Web Success

Stop telling people!
Stop trying to get people to read your blog!
Stop chasing people!
Web success is an attraction process.
It’s all in the design of your message.
Create sticky content that gets people talking.

Leveraging Social Media
The web makes it easy to make direct relationships.
Use this to your advantage.
Complement one-to-one customer service like call centres with one-to-many social media.
A question answered online can satisfy many people.
Build a wiki, tweetstream or Facebook page to answer your customers questions.

Leverage Your Time
The single biggest way to leverage your time is to delegate your workload.
Get clear about what must be done and do what you do best.
Outsource or delegate everything else.
Crowdsourcing is delegation on steroids.
Once you attract your community, think about how you collaborate to build things together.
Remember, Wikipedia was created by a team of online volunteers.

Actions: Think
Plan your Leverage.
Strategic thinking is the leverage of the mind.
Create a plan to make the most of your opportunities.

Web Line 9: 6 Ways to Use Leverage to Multiply Your Results

2010-03-04T15:58:00.008+11:00

Web Line 9: 6 Ways to Use Leverage to Multiply Your Results

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
RAP3: Belong (2)

RAP4: Use Leverage
PROFIT : How much influence can one person have? If the web is one giant lever then we have the tools to change the world. It’s time to multiply our results by working smart.

Leverage is not new.
Every piece of technology is a form of letting us do more with less effort. Eg. your car lets you travel further and more easily than riding a bike or walking.
The Web gives us new tools and new opportunities to make more of what we have.

6 Ways to Leverage Online
Leverage has a number of guises on the web.

Trust : It’s the glue for our relationships. The greater the trust the greater potential to work on bigger things.
Relationships : If you help people because you want to, your network will become a resource to lever for far bigger results. .
Time : It’s scarce. Use web tools to automate repeated actions, RSS feeds to draw content to you and listen to podcasts whilst walking, driving and cooking.
Reuse : Take one advantage and apply it elsewhere. For instance, when you build a community in one area, you can easily extend it into another.
Arbitrage : This is buying something at one price and selling it a higher price. For instance, buying traffic on Google to enable more sales.
Infrastructure : Use the tools and platforms to work for you. For instance, Ning provide a pre-built community tool. It saves you building your own from scratch.

Actions: Identity Leverage
Follow Gary Vaynerchuk’s lead to multiply your online identity:

Be bold about your purpose. If you let others know your goal they may be able to help you achieve it.
Be everywhere - share your content and expertise freely on the web and be seen.
Be relentless - keep going regardless of the circumstances.
Be gracious - be thankful of your fans.

Read the Book Rapper Review of Gary Vaynerchuk's book Crush It

Web Line 8: RAP3: Belong (2)

2010-03-03T08:42:00.007+11:00

Web Line 8: RAP3: Belong (2)

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
RAP3: Belong (1)

Joining Communities
Today our communities are online - spread around the globe. This makes it much easier to hang out with people with similar interests. Here’s how you can join, engage and belong to online communities:

Listen first : How do people interact here? Eg: LinkedIn is different to Facebook. What’s good behaviour? What’s bad?
Take small steps : Be friendly, add to the conversation. Notice who’s who in the zoo.
Start something new : Become a doer and offer to lead something for the community.

Local Communities
Previously our communities were based on geography. If we got lucky there might be some people like us in our local neighbourhood. Otherwise, you had to move to be closer to your tribe.

Making Friends

Join communities eg. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.
Find people you already know.
When making contact with people you barely know leave a personal message to introduce yourself.
Listen and learn about others. Search for subjects that appeal.
Then connect around mutual interests.

Making Comments
One of the ways to build your online presence is to write comments on other people’s blogs.

Leave your name and company name without being spammy.
Don’t directly mention your stuff. Remember, your comments are meant to add to the existing conversation, not subvert it.
Be yourself and one of us.
Add value. Nice comments do little to bolster your credibility.
Leave 10 comments a day to build a web presence.

Web Line 7: RAP3: Belong (1)

2010-03-02T09:07:00.005+11:00

Web Line 7: RAP3: Belong (1)

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously
RAP2: Stand Out Part 2

RAP3: Belong
PROFIT : In you’re not one of us, we’re not going to listen. Game over. Be helpful, be human and be a good citizen to belong to your communities.

Building Trust
How we do it online may have changed. However, the foundations of trust have stayed the same. It’s built on:

Credibility : Are we who we say we are?
Reliability : What can we expect in the future?
Intimacy : Do I know them? Are they aloof and distant? Or, open, honest and human?
Self-orientation : The less you focus on yourself the better we’re likely to trust you.

Rehumanizing Business
Not so long ago, mechanical intrusive marketing was acceptable. It was kinda nice for someone to want our attention. Now we’re all busy. And, we’d rather eat our dinner than answer a call from someone we don’t know and don’t care about.

How to Be Human

Ask how others are doing.
Take the time to understand the culture of your community. What are the rules and standards?
Promote others.
Show a picture of yourself - show others you’re real.
When you mess up, Acknowledge it, Apologize and Act to clean it up.
Be a person first and a professional second. Share both sides of you.
Build relationships not campaigns.

Online Trust Signals
Now that we’re living in the virtual online cyber world, the signals of trust have changed. Here’s some online signals of trust to look out for...

Design : First impressions count. A basic and terrible design can be a turn-off compared to a chic one.
Longevity : Are they a fly-by-night or have they been around for a while?
Productivity : Consistent output is a guide they’re playing for the long haul.
Comments : If no one is commenting, perhaps they’re not part of a community.
Links : How did you find this site? Who recommended it?
Domain Name : An ‘official’ domain name carries more weight than a free one from Blogspot or Wordpress.
About : What does their About page tell you?
Cross-channels : Check them out on Facebook and Twitter. Are they consistent across multiple channels?

Actions: Trust Check
Now that we’ve just listed some of the online signals of trust, review your operation to see how others may see you. Put a plan in place to overcome any trust weak spots.

Web Line 6: RAP2: Stand Out Part 2

2010-03-01T09:28:00.008+11:00

Web Line, Part 6: RAP2: Stand Out Part 2

Derived From: Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website: www.trustagent.com
Previously: RAP2: Stand Out Part 1

RAP2: Stand Out - Part 2
PROFIT : To be a Trust Agent you need to be noticed. Playing by the old rules is no longer enough. With new tools and new channels you can now create your own rules and your own game.

Make Your Own Game
If you’re following the rules, you’re playing catch-up to those already out there doing it. To stand out and be the trusted expert:

Create a new category, Eg Timothy Ferris and Lifestyle Design
Define the rules and standards
Be different
Start small and play a new game
Get there first

How to Play Games

Playing : Learn the rules and know how to tweak them to increase your fun.
Cheating : When you have an unfair advantage on the game, you’re cheating.
Hacking : The popular definition of hacking focuses on destroying something. A more potent definition is to ‘find another way’. Seek alternatives and modifications to enhance the system. Check out life hacking, work hacking and game hacking.
Programming : When you create the rules, you’re programming the game. You’re creating a new angle and a new everything.

Actions: Learn Fast
To learn fast, get feedback. Here’s how...

Links are currency on the web. When someone links to you they recommend you and this is an indirect way to get paid.
Quality comments add social proof to your content value and your expert status. Lots of comments tell others it’s the place to be.
Revenue can range from Google Adsense, Affiliate income or sales of your products or services. Consider this direct feedback.
Indirect Sales are valuable feedback too. For instance, at Book Rapper we offer free content and you might pay us by hiring us to write/design with you.
Test with a range of web tools to see how you’re doing. For instance, Google Analytics or Hubspot.

Actions: Below the Web Line

Collecting friends or followers in social media is low level feedback. It might stroke your ego. And, quantity is not the game here. Better to build a smaller army of fans than a flood of indifferent followers.
Press Coverage is generally of lower value today than the credibility you can gain on the web. Adjust your strategy accordingly.

Three Online Rules

When you treat people well, they treat you well back.
The bigger your network, the easier it is to get things done.
The more personal the relationship, the more direct you can be.

Actions : Content
Build a Content Marketing blog around a product.

Web Line, Part 5: RAP2: Stand Out 1

2010-02-28T09:09:00.007+11:00

Web Line, Part 5: RAP2: Stand Out 1

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents
Book Website
www.trustagent.com
Previously:
RAP1: Trust Has Changed

RAP2: Stand Out - Part 1
PROFIT : To be a Trust Agent you need to be noticed. Playing by the old rules is no longer enough. With new tools and new channels you can now create your own rules and your own game.

Actions: Gate Keepers
Define the Gate Keepers in your industry AND your organization.

Who are they?
What are they owning, controlling or protecting?
Define the rules they play by.
How can you jump over them?

Actions: Gate Jumpers
Search for these Gate Jumpers on the web :

Arctic Monkeys
Perez Hilton
Huffington Post
Radiohead
Gary Vaynerchuk
Robert Scoble

How did they break the rules? What results did they get?

Web Line, Part 4: RAP1: Trust Has Changed

2010-02-27T09:00:00.007+11:00

Web Line, Part 4: RAP1: Trust Has Changed

Previously
Book Rapper Review of Trust Agents

Derived From
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, Trust Agents

Book Website
www.trustagent.com

RAP1: Trust has changed
PROFIT : Who we trust has changed. Previously we trusted TV, the news, PR, Advertising and even politicians. Now we don’t. We do trust our friends. And, online we have Trust Agents.

What’s a Trust Agent?
They’re digital natives, non-sales oriented, genuine, transparent, connectors of people and power users of the new web tools.
They experiment with new things, humanize business and they help us make sense of the world.
They’re likely to have multiple online channels: a potent blog, a website, be active in social media, post videos on YouTube, have a photostream on Flickr and recommend stuff on Digg and Delicious.

And, you don’t call yourself a Trust Agent. It’s a title others defer to you.

Why is Social Capital Important?
Capital is any form of wealth capable of being employed for generating more wealth.
Social Capital is the power we generate from knowing and working with other people.
It could be in the form of a referral, collaboration, advice, keeping up with what’s hot or just chilling over a cold beer.
Think of your network as a resource for getting things done.
And, for spreading your ideas.
And, remember your social capital is built on trust.

Human Business
Business was, is, and always will be about human’s interacting with each other.
And, sometimes it’s more human than before.
Now, with two-way conversational marketing and personal media channels through blogs, etc. the human touch has just got stronger.
We have the power to connect with many and still keep it personal.
It’s time to leave the supermarket and head back to the corner shop!

One-way marketing and BIG media meant the mass approach lightened the personal touch. We were all treated the same. Did you feel less human?

Trust Agent Qualities

Stand Out : If you’re not outstanding you won’t stand out.
Belong : Be ‘One of Us’ to gain credibility and trust.
Use Leverage : Do more with less with the new web tools.
Build Relationships : Be at the centre of a wide social network.
Be Helpful : Use your soft skills to help, understand and partner.
Assemble an Army : To create massive results inspire others.

Actions: Start Here!

Listen : What are people saying about you? To listen get a Gmail account and start an RSS feed of your name and key words via Technorati.
Blog : Start blogging or post more. This is your main channel! See Book Rapper issue We Blog
Comment : Read blogs and value-add with comments.
FAQ : What does your audience want to know? Start answering their questions. Instant expert!

Web Line, Part 3: Book Rapper Review

2010-02-26T16:45:00.007+11:00

Web Line: What You Need to Succeed Online, Part 3
Previously: Web Line, Contents, What's New

Book Rapper Review: Trust Agents

Précis
The internet has changed the way we do business. The info sources we used to trust, well, we no longer do. Trust, like attention is now at a premium. And, building it is the key to your success online.

Features

A neat 6 part model for becoming a Trust Agent
Clear and concise commentary on what’s happening by seasoned experts
Oodles of actions for you to take
New York Times best seller and one of Amazon Best Books of 2009.

Benefits
Learn the new rules and the new actions you need to take to make it happen online.

Who’s It’s For
Any expert, thought leader and leader wanting to be successful in today’s world.

Chris Brogan (Co-Author)

One of the world’s most popular bloggers
13 year veteran of social media
Conference speaker
President of New Marketing Labs
Co-founder of Podcamp
Founder of Dadomatic
For more check About on his website
http://www.chrisbrogan.com
Twitter: @chrisbrogan

Julien Smith (Co-Author)

Podcast Pioneer
15 year veteran of online communities
Started out with Bulletin Boards
Then with Flash Mobs
Now the social web
http://inoveryourhead.net
Twitter: @julien

Book Rapper Thinks...
This book’s got more action than Die Hard 8! Plus some essential frames and perspectives for winning on the web. From rapping this book Book Rapper is changing it’s approach to the web. Consider changing yours!

Book Website
www.trustagent.com

Web Line: What You Need to Succeed Online, Part 2

2010-02-24T16:45:00.004+11:00

Web Line: What You Need to Succeed Online, Part 2
Previously: Web Line Speed RAP and Intro

The Web Line
The Web Line gives you a benchmark of what the top web performers, like Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, are doing for their online success.
What it takes to succeed in life is constantly changing - particularly on the internet and with social media.
To reflect this it’s a floating line.
And, to achieve your mission in life you’ll need to stay above the Web Line.

The Plimsol Line
The Plimsol Line is also know as the waterline or the International Load Line.
It displays the legal load limit a ship can carry.

Contents to Follow

BR Review : Trust Agents
RAP1 : Trust Has Changed
RAP2 : Stand Out
RAP3 : Belong
RAP4 : Use Leverage
RAP5 : Build Relationships
RAP6 : Be Helpful
RAP7 : Assemble An Army
RAP8 : Trust Rules
Companion Pieces
BR Context : Plopportunity

What's New!
Chris Brogan's New Book: Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Develop Your Business Online
Released 22 Feb, 2010

Design Thinking Super Links

2010-02-23T10:27:00.005+11:00

The Web Line: What You Need to Succeed Online, Part 1

2010-02-22T08:54:00.003+11:00

The Web Line: What You Need to Succeed Online, Part 1

The Book
Chris Brogan & Julien Smith, Trust Agents

Speed RAP
The web and social media is re-humanizing business and our interactions with each other. Gone are the days of interrupting, talking at and selling to gain attention. Today we need to build trust, be helpful and converse with other human beings.

The Big Idea
The command and control military style leadership and in-your-face selling of the past is dead on the web. To succeed online using social media you need to lead from behind. Build trust, develop credibility and if you help enough people the sales will come.

Your Challenge
Stay above the Web Line! Build a followership. Become a lighthouse leader. Attract people to you, help them avoid the rocks and give them something to look out for.

Twit Rapper: Four Hour JOLT! - The Movie!

2010-02-21T22:22:00.004+11:00

Twit Rapper: Four Hour JOLT! - The Movie!

Here it is… our Twit Rapper video/slideshow summary of Book Rapper's Four Hour JOLT! and all derived from Timothy Ferris' The Four Hour Work Week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkx0zTPgLyk

Twit Rapper: Four Hour JOLT! - Part 2

2010-02-20T22:58:00.008+11:00

Twit Rapper: Four Hour JOLT! - Part 2
Twit Rapper: A Book Rapper Book Summary in 26 tweets…
Numbered tweets, 1A= first book, tweet A.
Read all 26!

Back to our first half of these Tweets and our previous post.

Here's the second half and remaining tweets from Book Rapper's Four Hour JOLT!

2K TIM’s DEAL: DEFINE what you want, ELIMINATE everything extraneous, AUTOMATE income streams & LIBERATE yourself - live your way

2L DEFINE the rules you’re living by. Want a new life? Live by your new rules.

2M ELIMINATE anything that doesn’t contribute to your dream. Time is limited. Time wasting is your archenemy.

2N AUTOMATE your cash flow. Put it on autopilot and stop turning up to earn it. Start a business to reap your income rewards.

2O LIBERATE yourself! If you weren’t chained to your current location where would you live? Be mobile to be free!

2P Dear Boss, I know you want to hide this book. Don’t be an ostrich! Help me achieve my goals and I’ll help you get yours.

2Q Retirement is your worst-case scenario. Keep planning for this AND have some fun along the way.

2R The New Laziness: work smarter rather than for work’s sake.

2S Information Underload: Eliminate your futile attempt to keep up to date with too much stuff. TV, newspapers, web surfing, twitter…

2T Don’t manage your time. Manage your focus. Only do the things that impact. Eliminate the rest.

2U What’s your time worth? Outsource anything that can be done for less per hour by someone else – anywhere in the world – virtually.

2V One of the simplest ways to autopilot your income is an online product. Pick a niche. Select a product. Test. Roll out. Automate.

2W Get out of the office! Start with a trial one-day per week. Keep adding a day until you’re in total remote control.

2X Stop taking vacations! Start taking 3-6 month mini-retirements every year. Earn dollars, live where it’s cheaper. Asia, South America…

2Y WANT MORE? Get the complete Book Rapper issue: Four Hour JOLT!

2Z Want even MORE? Follow @tferriss and buy his book! It’s the real DEAL! New Expanded Edition: #FourHourWorkWeek

More

Visit TwitRapper.com
Previous Twit Rapper issue: Design Advantage: Roger Martin, The Design of Business
Tweet with us http://twitter.com/twitrapper
Read the Book Rapper Issue: www.bookrapper.com
Read Timothy Ferris's The Four Hour Work Week

Twit Rapper: Four Hour JOLT!

2010-02-19T20:47:00.004+11:00

Twit Rapper: Four Hour JOLT!
Twit Rapper: A Book Rapper Book Summary in 26 tweets…
Numbered tweets, 2A= second book, tweet A.
Read all 26!

Here's the first half of the tweets from Book Rapper's Four Hour JOLT!

Four Hour JOLT!

2A The Four Hour JOLT! – Derived from: @tferriss #FourHourWorkWeek, Vermillion, London, 2007. Newer edition now available.

2B Big Idea: Our live-to-work culture is obsolete. The Industrial Revolution’s 40 hour a week Deferred Lifestyle has reached retirement age

2C Speed RAP: The Three currencies of this global, digital revolution are: TIME, INCOME and MOBILITY. Tim’s TIM! LOL!

2D Your Challenge: JOLT the way you think about work and metamorphose the way you live.

2E Book Review: Tim’s Deal may not be your deal. It’s action-filled. And, it’s the best selling JOLT you need.

2F Book Rapper Thinks... OMG! I’ve been doing it all wrong! Working to get by, working to die. Time to rework my work!

2G The 3 Keys to #LifestyleDesign: TIME, INCOME and MOBILITY. Design your life around them! Got it?

2H In terms of Time, if you’re still working 50-70 (or more) hours a week, then you’re doing no better than they did in steam driven England

2I What if you cancelled your retirement? Or dropped dead before you got there? What are you working for?

2J Is your lifestyle scalable? Time’s limited. How are you going to do more in less time? Solve this to win your prize.

2K TIM’s DEAL: DEFINE what you want, ELIMINATE everything extraneous, AUTOMATE income streams & LIBERATE yourself - live your way

More

Visit TwitRapper.com
Previous Twit Rapper issue: Design Advantage: Roger Martin, The Design of Business
Tweet with us http://twitter.com/twitrapper
Read the Book Rapper Issue: www.bookrapper.com
Read Timothy Ferris's The Four Hour Work Week

Design Thinking Organizational Audit

2010-02-18T18:15:00.013+11:00

Design Thinking Organizational Audit
Are you ready for the future?
To find out if your organization has the right balance of Design Thinking rate yourself with these nine questions.
Colour in the circle of the response that best fits your view of your organization.

This Design Thinking Audit was presented at the Ideas Lunch.
It's derived from Book Rapper's Design Advantage.
Which is derived from: Roger Martin's The Design of Business

How does your organization rate?
1 How flexible are we? Are we highly prescriptive about how things get done? Or, does our culture allow multiple ways to achieve the same end?

2 How do we organize our work? Are the majority of tasks tied up in continuous work performed by the same person everyday? Or, a lot of shorter, highly focussed projects?

3 How visible is design in our organization? Is design missing in our organization? Or is it something that is championed as vital to our future?

4 How is our staff balance? Do we have an abundance of analytical people and few designers? Or do we have a good balance of designers and analytical people?

5 How do we reward & provide incentives for our team? Is it based upon meeting reliability targets for sales or production? Or, do we promote & reward innovation and new ideas?

6 How do we select and approve new projects? Is it based on what has worked in the past? Or is it based on ‘what could be’ in the future?

7 How do we generally make our decisions? Do we rely on statistics, analysis and automated systems to decide? Or, are we open to subjective decisions?

8 What types of training do we provide for our teams? Is it mostly technical skills or more knowledge? Or, are we providing training to promote creativity, innovation and design?

9 Who has the ultimate say in our organization? Is it the sales department? Production? Marketing? Or, is producing high-quality design the most important thing?

Scoring

What did you notice about your responses?
What might you do differently?

Get the full Book Rapper issue: Design Advantage
Download the worksheet from our Ideas Lunch http://www.ideaslunch.com.au/docs/Design_Thinking_Audit.pdf

IdeasCulture interviews Book Rapper

2010-02-17T12:57:00.004+11:00

IdeasCulture interviews Book Rapper

On Monday night I presented at National Speakers Victorian Chapter Meeting.
During the break NSAA Vic President, creative thinker and ideas expert Yvonne Adele did a quick interview with me on her flipcam. Here it is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbCb6p8UnIg

Check out Yvonne's cleverly creative crowdsourcing on her site: www.IdeasCulture.com
And, follow her on twitter, she's a twizard: http://twitter.com/IdeasCulture

Twit Rapper: Design Advantage, The movie!

2010-02-16T15:20:00.005+11:00

Twit Rapper: Design Advantage, The movie!
Here it is… our Twit Rapper video/slideshow summary of Book Rapper's Design Advantage and all derived from Roger Martin's The Design of Business.

This is our first Twit Rapper video.
Love to hear your thoughts on how we can improve it for future issues.

Twit Rapper: Design Advantage, Part 2

2010-02-15T15:57:00.005+11:00

Twit Rapper: Design Advantage, Part 2

Twit Rapper: A Book Rapper Book Summary in 26 tweets… Numbered tweets, 1A= first book, tweet A. Read all 26!

Here's the second half and remaining 13 tweets from Book Rapper's Design Advantage.

1N: Opportunity 1: Your business solves a problem. Change the way you solve this problem.

1O: Opportunity 2: Take the knowledge out of your employee’s heads and put it into a system for others to run.

1P: Abductive Logic asks ‘what could be’. Dilemma! Cannot prove or disprove a new idea in advance.

1Q: Design Thinking blends creativity and business. It relies on Abductive Logic. Crucial for optimal business performance.

1R: Employing Design Thinking aims to offset the bias toward Reliability and make room for Valid alternatives

1S: Adding Design Thinking to organizations is like rebuilding a new house from the inside. It’s a cultural change.

1T: Continuous work is consistent. Design work is different work. Create projects to fuel collaboration and innovation.

1U: The best way to learn about Design Thinking is to do it. Design something, anything. Logo, holiday, wardrobe... Make design a habit.

1V: If leading for reliability is like training a dog, then leading designers may be closer to training a cat.

1W: To enhance your design impact, see the world differently. Core driver = create the future. See obstacles as opportunities.

1X: Knowing how to work with non-designer analyticals is crucial to designers who want to make an impact. Learn their language.

1Y: WANT MORE? Get the complete Book Rapper issue: Design Advantage: http://www.BookRapper.com

1Z: Want even MORE? Buy Roger Martin’s book: The Design of Business. It’s designful!

More

Visit TwitRapper.com
Tweet with us http://twitter.com/twitrapper
Read the Book Rapper Issue: www.bookrapper.com
Read Roger Martin's The Design of Business

Twit Rapper: Design Advantage

2010-02-14T14:45:00.006+11:00

Twit Rapper: Design Advantage

Twit Rapper: A Book Rapper Book Summary in 26 tweets…
Numbered tweets, 1A= first book, tweet A. Read all 26!

Here's the first half or 13 tweets from Book Rapper's Design Advantage.

1A: Design Advantage: The Secret to Creating Long-Term Value. Derived from Roger Martin, The Design of Business.

1B: Speed RAP: Key to value creation lies in the development of knowledge. Solve problems. Turn them into business systems.

1C: The Big Idea: Design Thinking is the new competitive advantage. Think both analysis for efficiency AND creatively for innovation.

1D: Your Challenge: Add Design Thinking to your life and your organizational culture. Explore, experience and exercise design.

1E: Book Review: A business strategy book. Why Design Thinking is important. And a key model for making it happen

1F: Book Rapper Thinks: Roger Martin’s my new design hero! He’s put design back in the centre of business conversations!

1G: Business Paradox: Now or future? Be efficient to exploit now. Be innovative to explore the future. Exploirt both!

1H: Example: McDonalds is an efficient system – big scale, big $$$. Artist typically explores – small scale, small $$$.

1I: Move down the Knowledge Funnel: Mystery= solve a problem. Heuristic= rule of thumb. Algorithm= fixed formula

1J: Examples: Mystery= Artist, Scientist, Architect. Heuristic= Trainer, Lawyer, Sales. Algorithm= McDonalds, MLM, Software

1K: Solve a mystery. Use your new knowledge to create new opportunities for you to exploit.

1L: Turn your hunches into rules of thumb to create an innovative service business.

1M: Simply your rules of thumb and create specific step-by-steps for anyone to implement. eg software.

More

See the video at TwitRapper.com
Tweet with us http://twitter.com/twitrapper
Read the Book Rapper Issue: www.bookrapper.com
Read Roger Martin's The Design of Business