Book review of “The ABC's of Building a Business Team That Wins” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

the full title is The ABC's of Building a Business Team That Wins: The Invisible Code of Honor That Takes Ordinary People and Turns Them Into a Championship Team. I was expecting a book on how to pick advisors like accountants, real estate brokers, lawyers, etc. However this book was about creating a team that works according to a "code of honor" that is created by the team.

Essentially the code of honor is a set of rules that the team creates and lives by in order to maintain a high level of accountability and performance. The idea makes sense as teams and people and general need rules by which to live by. Author Blair Singer does a good job of organizing the information and presenting it in an easy to read fashion.

He goes on to say that the team's mission should always come first, then the team members as a group, and then the individual. He discusses a wide range of organizational processes in this context, such as setting goals, selecting team members, developing people, overcoming obstacles, and using pressure to achieve results.

 I found this book can be applied for more than just business; you can also use this for any type of a group that can be considered as a team or even apply it in your family’s daily life

Don’t miss out Go buy this book and use it to become the leader you are meant to be. Click here and pick up a copy.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Book review of “5 Levels of Leadership” for Entrepreneurs' Connection



Buy this book now at amazon!
just click here.

There are many leadership books out there. But none of them can compare to this book. As a matter of fact, John Maxwell’s The 5 Levels of Leadership made it onto the Wall Street Journal hardcover business bestseller list. John Maxwell is an international recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author. He has written more than sixty books. Collectively, they have sold more than 20 million copies and been translated into more than fifty languages. In addition, John routinely speaks to Fortune 500 companies, government leaders, and churches.

This book embodies the core of teaching that Maxwell has been speaking about since I found out about him. It lays out his entire leadership model. If you are new to his work, I would start with this book. In many ways, it is a roadmap to the others.

John starts with the idea that many people confuse having a leadership position with actually being a leader. He makes it clear that this only the entry point to leadership. It is level 1.

The five levels of leadership are:

 1. Position—People follow because they have to.

 2. Permission—People follow because they want to.

 3. Production—People follow because of what you have done for the organization.

 4. People Development—People follow because of what you have done for them personally.

 5. Pinnacle—People follow because of who you are and what you represent.

John describes each of the five levels in detail and has an abundance of real-world examples. He articulates the behaviors that best characterize them. What I thought was great was the fact that he also goes over the downsides that can sometimes keep leaders from going to the next level. For you at the Entrepreneurs Connections group, you might like the part where he explains how to get from whatever level you are now to the next one.

The book is an extremely fast read. You will want to go over it many times because it’s particularly content-rich, the chapters are short and it makes ample use of subheads, bullets, and lists. This book would make a great study for any group wanting to take their leadership to the next level. I heartily recommend it.

Don’t miss out Go buy this book and use it to become the leader you are meant to be. Click here and pick up a copy.
Robert Biro

513-238-0744
rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com
www.WBHomeBuyers.com

Buy this book new for $16.49 or used for $13.92 or Kindle E-book for $12.99

Book review of “All Marketers Are Lairs” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of TellingAuthentic Stories in a Low Trust World . With that provocative title and opening salvo, well known author, marketing expert, and business blogger Seth Godin takes the reader on another landmark journey into the marketing field.

After reading All Marketers Are Liars, your approach to marketing, advertising,

In this book, Seth Godin discusses the practice of telling compelling, attention grabbing stories about a product and gives examples of products that use this approach and shows that this practice is a compelling ways to market a product. The story that is told is the "lie" that he references in his title most.

The author points out that great marketing stories succeed because of the following attributes:

1.    A great story is true. A great story is not based on facts. Its truth lies in a consistent and authentic message.

2.    Great stories make a promise. Great stories promise something to the consumer that is bold and worth listening to. BMW calls their offering "The Ultimate Driving Machine." As someone who loves to drive, when I hear this promise, it makes me feel like going out and driving a BMW.

3.    Great stories are trusted. In the Amazon Kindle story, the story teller is Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon.com in the 1990's with the story of a better way to purchase books.

4.    Great stories are subtle. People like to draw their own conclusions. Consumers will come up with the story themselves. When we see a television ad for the Apple Ipad, does Apple come out and tell us what the story is? No. Instead they show people using the Ipad in cool and different ways, with various applications, and let us draw our own conclusion.

5.    Great stories happen fast. A good story engages people quickly. It gets to the point. One of Kawasaki's commercials for quads and off-road motorcycles immediately shows users ripping through the woods on a Kawasaki Quad, and then switches to a rider tearing through the desert terrain on a Kawasaki dirt bike.

6.    Great stories don't appeal to logic, but they often appeal to our senses. Does Axe body spray really attract hundreds of woman to you all at once, as the commercial portrays? Of course not! But does the prospect of attracting a lot of women by using Axe body spray appeal to eligible men? Of course it does.

7.    Great stories are rarely aimed at everyone. Watering down a story to appeal to everyone, will appeal to no one. The Axe body spray story isn't intended to appeal to a fifty-five year old woman with four children. Rather, the story is intended for a younger, specific male demographic.

8.    Great stories agree with our worldview. The best stories are aimed at listeners with a specific worldview, who will feel better and more secure after hearing the story because it already agrees with what they believed in the first place.

Telling stories about a product is a fairly common and accepted practice in most marketing department nowadays. If the idea that telling stories is new to you, than you might find this book an interesting read because throughout the book Godin gives examples of well-known brands and their stories.

Don’t miss out Go buy this book and use it to create your great story!

Robert Biro
513-238-0744
rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Canon Powershot SX10IS 10MP Digital Camera

i've had 4 video cameras in the last 10 years.. i like this one because it does well in any light, and the audio is impressive. it also has focus-while-zoom which a lot of lower end video cameras do not have. there is a newer hd model available. negative is no interchangeable lenses. here's a sample from earth day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PWTtvnh39A

Book review of “Thinkertoys” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

If you’re looking for a way to increase your creativity or If a significant part of your life requires creativity, particularly creativity that is attached to solving real-world problems, , the second edition of Thinkertoys may just be what you’ve been searching for. this book is tremendous. Thinkertoys is filled with exercises designed to make you think outside the box and help stretch your creative abilities. It offers tons of creative exercises along with a lot of detail on how to really squeeze the juice out of each one. It’s basically a book where you can sit there and try several specific techniques on each page as you read it.

The author, Michael Michalko, prefaces the book by stating that Thinktoys is for “monkeys,” not “kittens.” He defines “kittens” as people who ask for help, but are not willing to make the effort necessary to make changes. “Monkeys,” on the other hand, take the initiative and face challenges head-on. Michalko states that the activities contained within the book must be used, not merely read, for them to make a difference in the reader’s way of looking at problems.

I found this book enlightening. I was surprised over and over by the simple exercises that I couldn’t figure out until reading the explanation. I didn’t even make it into the first chapter before realizing my shortcomings. For example, in the introduction, there is a picture of the word “FLOP.” However, if you look closely, the center of the “O” contains an “I,” so the complete message is “FLIP FLOP.” I’m embarrassed to say that I would never have picked up on that on my own. It gave me an immediate desire to read more and work on my creative skills.

Thinkertoys is the best single collection of quick creative thinking exercises that I’ve found in a single book, ever. It’s not a be-all end-all compendium of these exercises, but many very good ones are in the book, including a few great ones that I knew before reading it and several more that I added to my repertoire after reading it.

Don’t miss out Go buy this book and use it to gain the creative edge. Click here and pick up a copy.

Robert Biro
513-238-0744
rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Book review of “The E-Myth Revisited” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

Book review of “The E-Myth Revisited” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

Do you find yourself overworked, understaffed, or worse have a feeling you’re going broke at your company? Have you felt that if things don’t change you may come to hate the work you do. “The E Myth Revisited” book is a guide to success for small business owners. Author Michael Gerber observed that most small businesses are started by what he calls "technicians", that is people who are skilled at something and who enjoy doing that thing. (For example that can be anything from a computer programmer to plumber to a dog groomer to a musician or lawyer.) When these technicians strike out on their own, they tend to continue doing the work they are skilled at, and ignore the overarching aspects of business. Rather than owning a business, they own a job, and they find themselves working for managers who are completely clueless about how to run a business- -themselves.

The solution, Gerber suggests looking at franchises as a model. In comparison to the dismal rate of ordinary small-business start-ups, 75% of franchises succeed at 5 years. The reason they succeed is that they are set up so that any unskilled person off the street could walk in, buy a franchise, run all operations in the franchise, and have a fairly good chance of success. The product of franchise companies is a business model, not food, hotel rooms, etc. In order to meet this level of success, franchise companies have clear operations manuals, procedures, consistent sales approaches- -every detail of running the business is specified down to dress codes and wall paper.

By asking us to consider the franchise approach, Gerber is not saying to go out and buy a franchise license. Instead, he says to imagine that you want to sell your business as a successful franchise within a finite period of time. If so, what will you need to do regarding your business plan and management in order to meet this goal? That is, if you were going to make your business fool-proof so that any unskilled person could take over as owner after a few years and succeed with it, what will you need to do?

Overall, I found the ideas in this book extremely insightful and incredibly useful. He can be a bit wordy and choppy at times. If you're a small business owner whose business is out of control, stagnant, or worse, this book can be a light in the dark.

Don’t miss out Go buy this book and use it to build your business. Click here and pick up a copy.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Book review of “Dot Boom” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

Another title Dot Boom could be called is “Marketing to Baby Boomers Through Meaningful Online Engagement”  Written by David Weigelt and Jonathan Boehman this book goes with that amazing thought process if we understood the customer more we could sell more to them.  Our job as communication professionals is not to simply market to people. Our job is to move people, to inspire them, and to help them process their lives. We should understand what truly motivates consumers and the need to develop marketing campaigns that proactively engage them in authentic and meaningful relationships.”

They went on to do just that. They formed a company called Immersion Active. Specifically this business was geared to marketing to the “baby boomers.” This 50-plus market is a consumer group that is the web’s largest and fastest growing constituency, yet remains the most underserved by online marketing.

Dot Boom provides insight into the baby boomer markets, their online motivations, online behavior and online preferences,. As you read Dot Boom, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what baby boomers want and need from an internet marketing campaign. You’ll also explore a framework you can use to create these campaigns in a replicable effective manner.

So does it work? Absolutely it works. Best part you don’t need to understand why it does as long as you just follow the framework they outline.  Who wouldn’t want to tap into the 138million people in America who are over 40 and by 2025 another 30 million with cross that threshold?

Not sure if you are savvy enough to design a campaign for the internet crowd.  You happen to be in luck this time.  Several people in our group can help.  Myself, a retired IT professional turned entrepreneur has recently formed a business to address this specific need. I can provide a complete marketing campaign customized for your business from Start to finish, leaving you with the ability to take over future campaigns from there.  Don’t need your hand held through the process?  Chuck Holder and Alice Buchman have a great way to help you.

This book is definitely worth the read. If I had to pick something bad about this book it would have to be it can get a bit technical in some marketing techniques.  But you have to ask yourself, “Do I have the over 50 market buying consistently from my business?” If not go and get this book. Find out if you could be missing out on the largest segment of consumers currently purchasing today.  If you are selling consistently to the over 50 crowds, ask yourself,” are you marketing to them online?”  As you see there are very few reasons to not get this book.

Don’t miss out Go buy this book and use it to build your business. click here and pick up a copy.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Book review of “The Like Economy” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

It’s finally happened. Marketing on Facebook is no longer optional - Facebook users now number over 500 million users. 147million are users here in the United States. Facebook isn’t just a place for kids anymore. Did you know that 5% of Facebook users are over 65, 8% are 55-65, 13% are 45-54.  This book written by Brian Carter will help you understand how to tap into this huge market as he has for companies of all sizes, including well-known entities such as Universal Studios, the U.S. Army, Hardee’s, and Carl’s Jr.

The Like Economy: how to make money on Facebook written by Brian Carter is your complete, start-to-finish plan for making money on Facebook! Brian Carter offers step-by-step techniques and practical lessons drawn from his 11 years of experience helping companies double and triple their revenue online. This revenue-focused book is packed with up-to-date ideas and proven solutions with all the details you need to execute crisply, avoid costly mistakes, and reap big profits. You’ll learn how to identify your best Facebook profit opportunities…craft Facebook programs that reflect your unique offerings, brands, and customers…use Facebook to supercharge your existing marketing programs…attract super-affordable targeted clicks and fans with Facebook ads…repel negative "brand-bashers."…increase visibility…deepen your customer interactions…translate "community" into cash!

This book includes

·         How to leverage the five most direct routes to Facebook profits.

·         Construct your most powerful Facebook marketing mix

·         Transform FaceLookers into FaceBuyers

·         Master the 13 best Facebook sales and influence techniques

·         Avoid six missteps that destroy Facebook marketing programs

·         Learn from the pioneers’ costly mistakes

·         Achieve non-revenue goals while you’re earning bigger profits

·         Gain branding and positioning benefits at the same time as you’re building sales

I can't tell you how excited I am about this book. Almost every book I've read about social media has been either just concepts or too general. Not only is this book focused on goals and profits, but it tells you how to do it step-by-step.  With the Timeline Changeover going into permanent effect in 8 days, this March 30^th. I’m glad that I came across this book this last week, because I’m able to get prepared. But the skills that this book has unlocked will allow me to ride the huge wave that is Facebook.

Don’t miss out Go buy this book and use it to build your business. click here and pick up a copy.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Book review of “The Referral of a Lifetime by Tim Templeton” for Entrepreneurs' Connection



Don't Wait! click here to buy it now at Amazon!

Like Who Moved My Cheese?, this book is a management tome in the form of a simple, readable narrative. In The Referral of a Lifetime, Tim Templeton shares a system for building a business on continuing relationships with customers and "center of influence" referral sources, and referred customers.

This extremely quick read has a handful of business principles woven into the story of a disheartened businesswoman, Susie McCumber, and her desperation to boost her career. Along the way she meets a spiritual and corporate mentor, David Highground, who spews various prescriptions that aren't all that shocking: business is about relationships; create a massive network; "Keep in touch, consistently, personally and systematically"; and so on. Templeton shows how understanding one's type allows one to showcase strengths while improving weak areas in this simple, easy-to-use guide to success in business and in life.

The story follows a simple path. Mr. Highground, introduces Susie to four successful people. They show her how they transformed their businesses and their lives by determining how others view them and how they view themselves as both human beings and businesspeople. Each of the four represents a "type" in this schema - from the "relational/business" type who puts the relationship first but thinks strategically when the talk turns to business, to the "business/business" type, who avoids relationships unless they work to a business advantage.

This is a great book that you can pick up and read in one night. I highly recommend this book  for anyone who has a team they work with and want to relate better or for anyone who wants to improve themselves.

If you would like to read this book then click here and pick up a copy.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

How to Make People like You in 90 Seconds or Less



Book cover for How to make people like you in 90 seconds or less

Book review of “How to Make People like You in 90 Seconds or Less” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

Making people like you in ninety seconds is no big deal if you know how to do it. As a matter of fact, if people don't like you in those first few seconds, it's going to be difficult (Not impossible though, mind you) to make them like you later anyway. So the first few seconds are critical.

 How do you use those first few seconds? Is that really possible? Author Nicholas Boothman, a lecturer and licensed master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming, believes yes! In How to Make People like You in 90 Seconds or Less he introduces a revolutionary approach to face-to-face communication that will help anyone succeed at making meaningful, and immediate, connections.

Boothman breaks down the process of connecting with people into discrete steps--meeting, establishing rapport and opening up communication--and provides simple examples, self-assessments, exercises and sample dialogue. He contends that a key to establishing rapport lies in synchronizing behavior or mimicking the other person's pose, facial expression, gestures, body language and tone of voice. According to the principles of neuro-linguistic programming, Nicholas Boothman recommends categorizing people according to how they take in information (e.g., visually, aurally or by feel) and responding in kind.

Can the book how to Make People like You in 90 Seconds or Less really teach you to form a favorable impression in such a small amount of time?  I would say it’s definitely helped me. Just knowing and practicing some of the steps has increased my ability to get more appointments and sit downs in both my personal and business circles.  Understanding the framework and process alone will give you a better understanding on how or why someone connects with you.

This book is a great read and Boothman’s writing style is very easy to get through. I don't think all of the ideas Boothman suggests could be fully utilized in 90 seconds, but it was still an interesting read. Good tips that I look forward to trying out!

If you would like to read this book then click here and pick up a copy.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Book review of “Questions that sell” & “Questions That Get Results” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

Most salespeople talk too much.

They too often forget that the sales interview isn’t about them or their product or service; it’s about gaining the trust of their customer, learning about the customer’s problems, and educating the customer about how their product or service can help solve those problems.

Salespeople are also afraid to let their customers do most of the talking because they are afraid they will lose control of the interview. They don’t understand or have forgotten that, using questions, you can lead the customer to discover the value of the product or service you are offering and get their agreement to buy.

Questions That Sell is an exploration of how to use questions to lead a customer through the sales process. Although the book focuses on corporate sales, with a little thought and imagination the concepts can be extended to consumer sales or other selling situations.

By using questions to better understand the customer’s situation, the salesperson is assuming the role of a consultant instead of a peddler, which helps to build a relationship of trust with the customer.

Oh and don’t forget,

Most managers talk too much.

Have you ever dealt with an employee, a boss, or a colleague who can’t seem to adhere to pressing deadlines? Or says he’s too busy? Or can’t seem to prioritize what’s important and what’s not?

Despite your best efforts, it’s a struggle to motivate this team member to be more accountable. Yet this person is vital to you and your organization’s success. He or she has expertise and great ideas. If only you can get this person focused, you could eliminate the headaches that get in the way to achieving great outcomes.

Questions That Get Results provides innovative ideas for managers to discover the hidden motivation and potential of their teams and employees who resist change. Questions That Get Results will explain that to be a great manager, you need to ask great questions. Power probing questions that cut through the superficial and dig deep to uncover the real issues to empower, motivate and inspire your team to act.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Book review of Sales Dogs: You Do Not Have to Be an Attack Dog to Be Successful in Sales

Book review of “Sales Dogs” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

 There is no profession in the world that offers more financial reward, more personal freedom and more character development than sales. As a matter of fact nearly all great business leaders, successful entrepreneurs and great investors trace their roots and the core of their success to their sales training and sales experience. If you are concerned by the growth or the productivity of your sales team, your sales manager, or even yourself then this is a must read.

Written by Blair Singer with an introduction from Robert Kiyosaki, and published in 2001, Sales Dogs: You Do Not Have to Be an Attack Dog to Be Successful in Sales is a book which gives advice on how to generate better revenues and become a stronger seller. Blair Singer divides people into five categories of sales dogs, in which there are strengths in each.

Author of this book, Blair Singer, compares dogs with the people (sales people = sales dogs) in a very "sweet" way. He describes five basic breeds of the sales dogs: 1. Pit Bull, 2. Golden Retriever, 3. Poodle, 4. Chihuahua and 5. Basset Hound, as well as their mutations/combinations. Due to the fact that every person is different, there is a need to communicate with them differently. This book teaches the proper communicating styles with each breed. It even provides funny pictures of the each breed that makes remembering the knowledge gained even easier.

Fact - There is no "right" way to sell, there is no "perfect" salesperson, and there is no one-personality characteristic that will guarantee you success.

Fact - Is that we are all individuals and if we try and pour ourselves into a set mold of the perfect salesperson we are doomed from the start and we will do nothing but make the vast majority of us unhappy and spectacularly unsuccessful.

Sales Dogs has taken away the theory, the complexity and the illusion of what it takes to be successful in sales and made it Dog-Simple! It has injected the irreverence and fun that allows you to see the humor in some of the things that you take too seriously and convert those experiences into cash. It simplifies the core elements of million dollar sales strategies so that you can add totally new dimensions of power, wealth and wisdom to your life and relationships.

 Sales Dogs: You Do Not Have to Be an Attack Dog to Be Successful in Sales is a book that teaches you to explore your own strengths and personal skills to maximize your selling potential and place you in the high quality margin of any sales profession. Passing along Leadership techniques that will allow you to “lead the pack” as a true alpha dog and get all the sales you were after.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

Entrepreneurs' Connection Kickoff Event

Help us celebrate the official start of our urban greening project in downtown Reading. Register for Entrepreneurs' Connection Reading Rising Park Kickoff Event on March 29th starting at 5:00 at RACC. To find out more or to register, click on the link below.

http://conta.cc/wby9nu

Book review of “Jeffery Gitomer’s Book Collection” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

Book review of “Jeffery Gitomer’s Book Collection” for Entrepreneurs' Connection

Normally this weekly review has enough time to cover only one book.  This week we have a collection.  If you have anything to do that involves sales or networking this set should be at the top of your list to buy and add to your Knowledgebase.

The Little Black Book of Connections - It’s about how you can climb the ladder without stepping on people's backs. It's about how to earn the respect of a powerful mentor without begging. It's about how to build stronger relationships with customers, bosses, co-workers, vendors, friends, and family. It's about being in the same room with powerful people. It's about how to connect and how to not connect. It's about how to say the right things to the right people in the right circumstances to make the right impression.

The Little Red Book of Selling - If salespeople are missing out on the more important aspect of sales: why people buy. This is "all that matters," and this book aims to demystify buying principles for salespeople. “The Little Red Book of Selling” should be read at regular intervals until it’s ingrained upon your mind. It is not a manipulative step-by-step manual that shows you how to trick and confuse your prospective customer until they are left with no option but to buy, but a manual on how to improve yourself.

The Little Red Book of Sales Answers -Jeffrey Gitomer isn’t reinventing the sales wheel; he’s just showing you how it turns. Whether you’ve been in sales for five weeks or five years, you know what questions you want answered: "How do I make a cold call?" "When do I ask for the sale?" "How do I get referrals?" Gitomer answers these questions and more, succinctly and thoroughly, with a mix of common sense and hard-won experience. He doesn’t provide shortcuts or a magic sales formula.

The Little Gold Book of YES Attitude - A positive attitude is an absolute must. According to Gitomer a Yes! Attitude is better than just a positive attitude as it helps you to formulate your responses in a positive form. The book is intended to be a study guide to help you to develop a truly positive attitude.

The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way - in this volume Gitomer is suggesting how to speak, write, present, persuade, influence, and sell your point of view to others. It’s so accurate it’s the subtitle for this book.

Yes it’s a lot of books and a lot of reading. This about this, Homes worth over $250,000 are designed with bookshelves from the beginning.  The wealthy understand the power of knowledge.

Robert Biro

513-238-0744

rbiro@wbhomebuyers.com

www.WBHomeBuyersLLC.com

toni reece

toni reece is the goto person for telling your story and spreading your presence

highly recommended!

------ toni's words ----------

We are drowning in information. Good stories can cut through the noise.

Stories help people see, taste, feel, and touch your company. Well told stories turn something that is sometimes intangible, into something tangible; creating a connection far greater than any brochure, print ad, or copy on a webpage. So tell your story! It’s good for business. In addition, tell it using the multi channels that will draw your particular audience in and allow you to make that personal connection.

http://associationofyou.org/