The Three Best Things I Learned In 2010

I have been known to ask customers and associates, “What was the best thing you learned?” at regular intervals. Jack Gates asked me what I would post as the best thing I had learned in 2010 as we were setting blogging goals for next year. Here are three.

Many Landing Pages - When I figure out something to add to a landing page like my Google Profile, I should think about adding it others, like the Dick Davies Website. People join the conversation from all over.

Browser Hypnosis – There is no substitute for the incredible bandwidth of face-to-face contact. Not every touch, but often.

Best Practices – Real best practices are either blindingly obvious or they are probably not best practices.

What were the best things you learned in 2010?

The Next New Businesses

Entrepreneurs, investors, dreamers, and others spend a lot of time trying to figure out the next new businesses.

Will Rogers said investing was simple. Buy low, sell high. If it doesn’t go up, don’t buy it.

This week I’ve seen several indicators of where profitable businesses are growing, in a stagnant economy with  uncertain capital markets. Filling in existing niches.

The web, especially social media has roughed in some great new service areas. Now is the time to add the supporting services that make them even better.

John Battelle explains why Groupon is such a great idea. Reading the post, I realized there is plenty of room for other offerings that serve the same target market, a rich area for new business.

Edmund Lee in Advertising Age reports about AdKeeper, a new service building off of what we already use. Taming the frontier, making it friendlier for the risk averse, new ways to use what already exists. The Telegraph Road. 

Little new technology, just making what we have better, faster, cheaper. Seeing what is needed differently. These companies bolster existing, better funded companies, an intelligent acquisition strategy in a poor IPO market.

Do you see a pattern here?

Platform or Conversation?

Bloggers are looking to get their message out. After creating a blog, the repeating tasks become posting new and attracting readers.

There are many platforms that have already attracted the readers you covet. They probably want some content that will satisfy their current readers and attract more readers.

I have watched new managers on previously successful platforms and foundering founders try to enforce their idea of intellectual purity. That usually leads to an empty space except for the suspect webinars and multi-level marketing “opportunities,”and occasionally suspect webinars FOR multi-level marketing “opportunities.”

I have reached the conclusion that anything I write gets more meaning from reader comments. I am often surprised and frequently enlightened by what the readers see.

The big question is, “Do you want to control the platform or the conversation?” You can make some powerful decisions after answering that question.

Your thoughts?

Where’s The Payoff?

Bruce is a longtime friend and a now a blogger on Sales Lab Posts.  He has a unique and useful way of looking at the world, read here, here, and here.

We were celebrating his most recent post, when he said, “You know, I don’t feel anything when I post. When I make a great (tennis) shot or a great sale, I get a rush. With a blog post, I’m mostly glad it’s done.”

I feel the same way. I mostly have questions about whether each post is any good. And maybe I’m relieved I’m closer to my two-a-week goal.

But there are some awesome rewards.

I like it when I see an idea becoming real over successive blog posts.

I like when a post links to good stuff.

I like when I learn something I hadn’t considered before.

I like that I am cultivating some patches of thinking. Going back over time on a blog shows development.

And I like best when someone comments and adds to the knowledge.

Mike Sansone thinks a blog post is like A Taste On A Toothpick. You need a few to make a full meal.

What taste of this did you like best?

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Catch A Meme And You’re Sittin’ On Top Of The World

How does a blogger find a rich vein to write about?

When I was building an open source software company, Dana Blankenhorn, the open source blogger, was my mentor. Time after time he would post something that was exactly what I needed to know.

I read and met people he identified, went to meetings he recommended, and used concepts, resources, and methods he introduced. After the project was over, I sent Dana an email thanking him for being a wonderful guide and teacher. He sent me his latest book.

Dana writes at least a half a dozen blog posts every day on a variety of subjects. I know, because we are linked on Buzz, so I’m happy to get ’em all.

Sometimes his posts are wonderful, enlightening, they move the species forward. Sometimes they are poignant and show truth. Sometimes they are so unbelievably bassackward, my toes curl…and cramp.

What I have noticed is that other readers have different opinions about those same stories. The ones I think are amazing, other commenters think are offensive. Posts that are bitter in my mouth are brilliant in their eyes. Often a comment will take the original post in a whole new direction. Dana just keeps serving up his wares.

And herein lies the story. Dana has just defined a new meme, the energy device revolution. I’m excited I’ll be learning about that. Come join us. I’m sure Dana can get you a great seat.

Your Comments?

Share The Gift Of Knowledge. Please Join Us At:

Talk Your Business – How to make more and better sales right away!

Tuesday, December 7th, 7:30am to 9:00, Intelligent Office, Alexandria

http://holidaytalkyourbusiness.eventbrite.com , and

How to Scale Your Organization – When to Build, Borrow, or Buy

Thursday, December 9th, 7:15am to 8:30, Intelligent Office, Rockville
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