Friday, April 18, 2014

15 Things Highly Confident People Don’t Do


Highly confident people believe in their ability to achieve. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else put their faith in you? To walk with swagger and improve your self-confidence, watch out for these fifteen things highly confident people don’t do.

1. They don’t make excuses.
Highly confident people take ownership of their thoughts and actions. They don’t blame the traffic for being tardy at work; they were late. They don’t excuse their short-comings with excuses like “I don’t have the time” or “I’m just not good enough”; they make the time and they keep on improving until they are good enough.

2. They don’t avoid doing the scary thing.
Highly confident people don’t let fear dominate their lives. They know that the things they are afraid of doing are often the very same things that they need to do in order to evolve into the person they are meant to be.

3. They don’t live in a bubble of comfort.
Highly confident people avoid the comfort zone, because they know this is a place where dreams die. They actively pursue a feeling of discomfort, because they know stretching themselves is mandatory for their success.

4. They don’t put things off until next week.
Highly confident people know that a good plan executed today is better than a great plan executed someday. They don’t wait for the “right time” or the “right circumstances”, because they know these reactions are based on a fear of change. They take action here, now, today – because that’s where progress happens.

5. They don’t obsess over the opinions of others.
Highly confident people don’t get caught up in negative feedback. While they do care about the well-being of others and aim to make a positive impact in the world, they don’t get caught up in negative opinions that they can’t do anything about. They know that their true friends will accept them as they are, and they don’t concern themselves with the rest.

6. They don’t judge people.
Highly confident people have no tolerance for unnecessary, self-inflicted drama. They don’t feel the need to insult friends behind their backs, participate in gossip about fellow co-workers or lash out at folks with different opinions. They are so comfortable in who they are that they feel no need to look down on other people.

7. They don’t let lack of resources stop them.
Highly confident people can make use of whatever resources they have, no matter how big or small. They know that all things are possible with creativity and a refusal to quit. They don’t agonize over setbacks, but rather focus on finding a solution.

8. They don’t make comparisons.
Highly confident people know that they are not competing with any other person. They compete with no other individual except the person they were yesterday. They know that every person is living a story so unique that drawing comparisons would be an absurd and simplistic exercise in futility.

9. They don’t find joy in people-pleasing.
Highly confident people have no interest in pleasing every person they meet. They are aware that not all people get along, and that’s just how life works. They focus on the quality of their relationships, instead of the quantity of them.

10. They don’t need constant reassurance.
Highly confident people aren’t in need of hand-holding. They know that life isn’t fair and things won’t always go their way. While they can’t control every event in their life, they focus on their power to react in a positive way that moves them forward.

11. They don’t avoid life’s inconvenient truths.
Highly confident people confront life’s issues at the root before the disease can spread any farther. They know that problems left unaddressed have a way of multiplying as the days, weeks and months go by. They would rather have an uncomfortable conversation with their partner today than sweep an inconvenient truth under the rug, putting trust at risk.

12. They don’t quit because of minor set-backs.
Highly confident people get back up every time they fall down. They know that failure is an unavoidable part of the growth process. They are like a detective, searching for clues that reveal why this approach didn’t work. After modifying their plan, they try again (but better this time).

13. They don’t require anyone’s permission to act.
Highly confident people take action without hesitation. Every day, they remind themselves, “If not me, who?”

14. They don’t limit themselves to a small toolbox.
Highly confident people don’t limit themselves to Plan A. They make use of any and all weapons that are at their disposal, relentlessly testing the effectiveness of every approach, until they identify the strategies that offer the most results for the least cost in time and effort.

15. They don’t blindly accept what they read on the Internet as “truth” without thinking about it.
Highly confident people don’t accept articles on the Internet as truth just because some author “said so”. They look at every how-to article from the lens of their unique perspective. They maintain a healthy skepticism, making use of any material that is relevant to their lives, and forgetting about the rest. While articles like this are a fun and interesting thought-exercise, highly confident people know that they are the only person with the power to decide what “confidence” means.

Sumber: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/15-things-highly-confident-people-dont.html

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Why the Future of Digital Marketing Is Pure PR


Industry commentators have been keen to sound the death knell for traditional SEO in the wake of recent updates (and full-on algorithm switch-outs) from Google.
It's arguable that they have good grounds to make such dramatic claims. In its never-ending battle to have its search spiders behave more like humans, the big G has increasingly moved away from rewarding those who tick the boxes on technical elements and has instead placed a growing emphasis on social signals and quality content.
However, I'm of the opinion that although SEO is here to stay, its evolution will lean toward the more traditional practice of public relations (PR) in the coming years. In this article I'll try to…
  • Back up this claim by looking at industry statistics
  • Put forward a case as to why PR can be highly complementary to SEO
  • And, above all, offer some suggestions about how marketers can capitalize on this trend

Facts and Figures
As I noted, Google wants its robots to behave more like a human when displaying search results. Accordingly, the general consensus among the experts is that more weight is being placed on factors such as inbound links and Google +1s. The way that personalized results are being rolled out to more and more users, and the introduction of Authorship, are further indications of that trend.
Similarly, the changes are aptly summed up in the search giant's recently revised guidance on how webmasters can improve the ranking of their websites: "In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by creating high-quality sites that users will want to use and share."
And that's exactly where PR excels. Once you have the technical elements down, the focus switches to consistently producing valuable, shareable content that appeals to your key audiences—a task that traditional PR agencies have reams of experience in.
But don't just take my word for it. In the UK at least, marketers are plunging more and more resources into bolstering the online profile of their brands via PR. For instance:
  • The Public Relations Consultants Association recently found that 72% of PR agencies are now offering SEO services.
  • The most in-demand services were content creation, outreaching/engaging with influencers, and social networking strategy.
  • More than 60% of agencies have increased their digital marketing budgets, with a particular focus on monitoring, SEO, content creation, and PPC/online advertising.
  • Compared with 12 months earlier, agency revenues from digital sources have increased significantly.
  • Businesses in Britain are increasingly devoting resources to social media; though most of them are keeping this activity in-house, a significant portion are splitting responsibility for social with an agency or completely outsourcing altogether.
  • In the vast majority of cases, responsibility for content creation and social media is handled in-house by the PR and communications team.
  • There's also growing confidence in the ROI gained from social media, with levels nearly matching those of traditional PR activities.

Why PR?
One oft-quoted anecdote about the difference between marketing and PR goes something like this:

"You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: 'I am very rich. Marry me!' That's direct marketing.
"You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: 'He's very rich. Marry him.' That's advertising.
"You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car) for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride, and then say: 'By the way, I'm rich. Will you Marry Me?' That's public relations."
As this unwieldy metaphor demonstrates, "traditional" PR activities are all about emphasizing the interesting aspects of a business and crafting a profile that positions it as a trusted authority in its field and engenders both recognition and trust among target audiences.
Unlike an agency or in-house team focused exclusively on search, social, advertising, or marketing, PR can encompass all of those disciplines, taking a holistic view of a brand's profile and crafting a multichannel campaign designed to positively influence.
Creating content people want to use and share is a given with PR. Activities such as media relations, events, crafting corporate communications, and even drafting press releases with a view to attracting as much media coverage as possible stand as analog versions of modern digital tactics such as blogger outreach, guest posts, and social media networking.
Traditional PR activities map extremely well to digital marketing activities, giving a brand or business something to talk about on the Web and the means to attract coverage in offline as well as online publications.
Link-Building and Press Releases
Google now frowns on aggressive linkbuilding or widespread guest posting campaigns that intend to manipulate page rank.
Fortunately, the time-old media relations tactics employed by PR agencies in generating coverage translate fantastically into the digital arena. Those methods allow companies to earn high-quality coverage from reputable, relevant news sites—many of which happen to have great domain authority and other favorable linkbuilding qualities—enabling sites to ethically gain inbound links while simultaneously bolstering their profile.
Google's updated advice on linkbuilding was forecast to cause something of an uproar in the PR world in regard to press releases and other types of promotional content posted across multiple sites and stuffed with links.
Despite the hyperbole, the death of PR agencies never really materialized. Online press release directories and sites willing to host such content are undoubtedly valuable resources, but if your agency's strategy to attract coverage is to fire these out en-masse, without much thought towards targeting, it's safe to say they're doing it wrong.
Cashing In
So now that we've established just what PR can bring to the digital marketing table, what are the best ways for marketers to put the methodology of public relations to use in the online arena?
1. Offline and online activity complement each other
Content creation is one of the key struggles for businesses branching out into the world of digital. However, by ensuring that offline and online activities complement one another brands can ensure they have plenty to talk about via both channels.
Live-tweeting and sharing goings-on from relevant networking events, industry conferences, and speaking opportunities should be your bread and butter approach to raising your profile within your community, as well as helping you look like you've got your finger on the pulse of your sector.
On the flip side, if you've already secured a guest spot in a relevant print, TV, radio editorial, or speaking event—be sure to capitalize on it via your online assets.
2. Bolster your media relations
PR has long been about quality over quantity. Agencies and individuals are often hired and fired based on their reach within relevant press circles. Digital marketers should attempt to emulate PR practices with a view to building long-term relationships with offline and online publications, bloggers, and journalists that can provide valuable sources of coverage time and again.
However, don't succumb to the temptation to revert to the fire-and-forget methods of days gone by... and so abuse these relationships. Get to know the assets in question, what they'll be interested in, and what they avoid like the plague. In short, be useful to them, and they'll reciprocate in spades.
3. Make the most of your content
By using your site as a hub for quality content relevant to your industry and offering insightful comment on pressing issues, you have the potential to attract social shares, online coverage, and guest-posting opportunities on relevant sites (which will generate more of those precious inbound links).
But the fun doesn't stop there. Promoting your quality on-site content can get you noticed by the people who matter, leading to the possibility of print coverage and participation in real-world interviews, editorials, and events—not to mention the prospect of new business from parties you've attracted through blogs, whitepapers, videos, and the like.
PR itself can also have a direct impact on traffic to your site. HubSpot's Lindsey Kirchoff claims that the company always sees a spike in branded traffic following a concerted campaign. So, in addition to promoting your events online, make sure you're trumpeting your online presence when engaging in real-world activities.
4. Join relevant industry communities and discussions
And if they don't exist yet, get them started. Platforms such as LinkedIn and Google+ are among the best tools for finding and developing relevant communities; they also offer you a chance to showcase your expertise to those looking for advice or guidance.
The Bottom Line
PR is in no way a silver bullet for your SEO woes, or your lack of social media profiles. As with any sustained marketing effort it takes hard work, collaboration, and regular review to realize a successful PR campaign.
However, savvy digital marketers who use the methodologies of public relations in a sustained and strategic manner across the board can reap a potential world of benefits.


Read more: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24859/why-the-future-of-digital-marketing-is-pure-pr#ixzz2yo649THF

Monday, March 31, 2014

5 Things About Owning a Start-Up They Don't Teach in Business School



In college, I did everything I thought would prepare me for owning my own business. I majored in Business Administration and minored in Entrepreneurship, both suitable options for reaching my goal. But when starting my company at the ripe age of 24, I soon realized the reality was far from what I'd imagined within those classroom walls. Don't get me wrong, business school was undeniably worth it and has been incredibly helpful, but there are some things a curriculum cannot teach! I did learn business basics (through hours of reading textbooks and case studies), how to work constructively with others (through tedious group projects), and had my fair share of practical internship experience (which at the time I did to boost my resume and now realize how much they've helped in the long run). However, through the pages of overly highlighted text, inevitable group project drama, and unpaid internships, I wasn't prepared for the non-academic hurdles of how to actually run my own company.

Without any guides on how to mentally handle my new start-up, I dove right in head-first and found myself "doggy-paddling" my way through, trying to keep my head above water. Fast forward nearly two years and I've learned invaluable lessons that have given me a more comprehensive understanding of how to manage a business. For fellow eager entrepreneurs, the following are 5 tips I've learned that I wish were taught to me in business school:

1. Just do it. For the young dreamers out there in your 20s or 30s, there is no better time to take risks because later on in life you may not have the time or energy. Remember that fear of the unknown (like running a new business) gets in the way of possible successes for many people, but once you just do it, you will look back and realize it wasn't as difficult as you imagined.

2. Surround yourself with encouraging people. This is one lesson I've learned that has made a tremendous difference for me. Without the positive, encouraging support from my family and friends, I may not have been able to emotionally get through some difficult challenges. As with any start-up, there are always ups and downs, so having a positive support system is vital.

3. Don't hire a "yes person". I learned this when I hired my first employee, though I was lucky because I didn't have to learn this particular lesson the hard way. My first employee was not a "yes person." Instead, she challenges me to help make the company better. If she agreed with everything I said and did, we wouldn't grow. She has her own opinions and is honest, but still respects me as a boss. Hiring her is one of the best things I've done so far to help my company.

4. Do what you love. Though cliché, this advice is crucial because when working towards a mission you feel wholeheartedly connected with, it doesn't even feel like work! Before starting my current business, I was trying to start my own clothing company, but it didn't take long for me to realize I had no real passion for it. Now with my current company, I love what I do and look forward to helping people build healthy lifestyles and a more sustainable planet.

5. No such thing as failure. Henry Ford said it best: "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." It's not a failure if you learn from your mistakes. The same goes with criticism. Accept all types of it, make necessary changes, and keep moving towards your goal of improving your company.

I would be lying if I told you that owning your own business is easy, but the truth is it's also not as hard as you might think. While I've had the inevitable outbursts of tears and moments when I've wanted to give up, I've also had countless occasions where I've laughed, literally jumped for joy, and done victory dances! It's these ups and downs and obstacles I've faced that have brought me to where I am today; I welcome future challenges as opportunities for me and my company to grow stronger.

Sumber: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hannah-helsabeck/5-things-about-owning-a-s_b_3915035.html

Sunday, March 2, 2014

9 Hal Penting Agar Sukses Menjual

Bisnis adalah menjual. Sebagus apa pun suatu produk tanpa berhasil menjualnya maka bisnis itu tidak akan berhasil. Masalahnya, tak semua pebisnis bisa menjual.

Dalam artikelnya di Entrepreneur.com, konsultan Steve Tobak, menyebutkan, hanya ada sembilan hal penting untuk sukses menjual.

Menjual itu maraton bukan sprint. Jadi, jangan berharap bisa sukses dalam sekejap. Menjual adalah proses yang kadang memakan waktu lama.

Harus terus menjual. Bagaimana pun baiknya respons investor, partner potensial yang akan bergabung, atau besarnya dukungan komisaris, jangan pernah berhenti untuk menjual. Sedikit saja lalai terhadap masalah ini, akan kehilangan peluang terbaik untuk sukses.

Buatlah “ya” pada pilihan yang logis dan emosional. Transaksi penjualan tidak begitu saja terjadi. Di dalamnya ada serangkaian proses yang mendahuluinya seperti menumbuhkan hubungan (relationship), mendengar untuk menentukan kebutuhan konsumen, investasi waktu dan sumber daya untuk membangun keyakinan. Jika semuanya dilakukan dengan benar, mengatakan “ya” menjadi pilihan yang logis dan emosional.

Yakinlah ada kesempatan ril. Cold calling (menelepon atau mengunjungi calon pembeli tanpa perjanjian dulu) sering kali dianggap buang-buang waktu baik bagi penjual maupun calon pembeli itu sendiri. Jika kita mengidentifikasi bahwa calon pembeli itu potensial, maka cold calling perlu dilakukan.

Ketahui lawan bicara kita. Jika akan bertemu dengan prospek, ketahui siapa dia sebenarnya, apa yang memotivasinya, apa perannya, dan sebagainya. Ini penting agar strategi kita masuk akal.

Jangan terlalu keras mencoba membangun hubungan pribadi. Ini boleh jadi merupakan kesalahan terbesar banyak pengusaha kecil. Tentunya kita ingin membangun hubungan, tetapi jika mencoba memiliki hubungan pribadi terlalu cepat, justru akan berisiko karena akan dianggap terlalu bersemangat atau menyerang ruang pribadi mereka. Sebaiknya perhatikan dan bereaksilah pada isyarat, nada, dan bahasa tubuh mereka.

Jangan tunjukkan betapa cerdasnya kita. Sering kali ada godaan untuk menunjukkan betapa kita pintar dan mengetahui banyak hal di hadapan calon pembeli (klien) sehingga seolah-olah kita ingin memenuhi ruangan itu dengan suara kita. Sesungguhnya, konsumen itu tidak peduli seberapa hebatnya kita. Yang mereka butuhkan adalah apakah kita bisa memberi solusi pada masalah mereka. Karena itu dengarlah mereka.

Beri sedikit, dapatkan sedikit. Menjual adalah permainan memberi dan mengambil. Maka berilah sedikit, ambillah sedikit, dan ulangi, ulangi, dan ulangi lagi. Jika kita paksakan agar mereka membeli banyak, begitu mereka bilang “Tak tertarik”, maka habislah kesempatan itu.

Tak perlu berlatih. Alih-alih berlatih saat akan menghadapi seseorang, sebaiknya sederhanakan bahan yang akan dipresentasikan, ketahui siapa yang akan kita hadapi, kemukakan rencana yang masuk akal, ajukan banyak pertanyaan, dengar baik-baik setiap jawabannya, dan sesuaikan dengan kebutuhan.

Sumber: http://m.andriewongso.com/articles/details/12723/9-Hal-Penting-Agar-Sukses-Menjual

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

9 Things Great Leaders Say Every Day

Your words are among your greatest tools. They're a window into your vision, your values and your abilities. So, whether you're running a giant organization or just trying to herd a group toward a certain outcome, there are messages you need to communicate constantly in order to lead effectively.
Start every day planning to say each of these things to at least one person, and watch the results:

1. This is the situation.

People want to know what's going on. Odds are, they'll find out anyway, or worse, fill in the gaps with conjecture. When you keep important things excessively close, you sap morale, rob yourself of your team's insights, and make people feel undervalued. Sound crazy to let them in on everything? Walmart founder Sam Walton did it for decades, and he did okay.

2. Here is the plan.

A leader is supposed to lead. People will offer great suggestions, especially if you're saying and doing everything else on this list, but you need to be able to make decisions and stand behind them. Your team needs to know where you're trying to take them, and how. Also, don't forget the crucial corollary: You need to be able to say "no," especially to moves that would be inconsistent with your plan.

3. What do you need?

This is crucial for two reasons. First, people need to know that you care about them on personal and professional levels, and that you want them to succeed. Second, if you've put together a great plan, you need to leverage every person's abilities to the maximum extent possible. If they are not able to give it their all, you want to know why.

4. Tell me more.

Let people know you're more interested in finding good answers than hearing yourself speak. Give others implicit permission to share their opinions--or heck, invite them explicitly, if you have to. Staying quiet is an invitation for others to offer ideas and insights.

5. Remember our values.

You can't possibly stare over the shoulder of every person making decisions that affect your organization, but you can remind them to make choices that the rest of their team will be proud of. Reminding people of your values requires, of course, that you can actually articulate shared values.

6. I trust you.

If you can't trust the people on your team, then they shouldn't be on your team. You need to trust their integrity, their judgment, their confidence and their passion--and you need to ensure that they understand how much you depend on them.

7. You can count on me.

The flip side of that last point is true as well. If your team can't trust you, they shouldn't do you the great honor of letting you lead them. So tell them you've got their back, and then work like hell to fulfill the promises you make.

8. We can do better.

One of the toughest, most crucial parts of leadership is to push your team to a higher standard than they might set for themselves. That means congratulating them when they do well, but also not coddling them when they don't live up to their potential. It also means admitting when you fail to live up to those standards, too.

9. Let's celebrate!

Don't create a culture in which the only reward for great work is more work. Instead, make it a practice to celebrate your wins, both large and small. This can mean big parties and bonuses, but it can be just as important to call people out for great work and congratulate them for their milestones--both professional and personal.
Sumber: http://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/9-things-great-leaders-say-every-day.html?cid=readmore

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Mulailah dari awal...!!!

Jika harimu terasa panjang dan membosankan,
jika penantianmu tiada kunjung tiba,
jika harapanmu tampak kosong,
jika hatimu gundah gulana, galau,
jika hidupmu tak nampak tujuannya,
jika ...
jika ...


MULAILAH DARI AWAL...!!!

GET START FROM THE BEGINNING....!!!

Monday, July 1, 2013

MAC OS X 10.9 Mavericks USB Bootable



In OS X Mavericks Apple have changed the package you get from the App Store.  It is no longer possible to simply restore the InstallESD.dmg to get a bootable image for USB / Flash drive installation.  However, you can still do it, it just takes a few more steps.  Here’s how…

  1. You are going to need to see some hidden files for this.  So start by opening Terminal.app and pasting in the following (don’t worry, we’ll undo this change when we are done)…
    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
    killall Finder
  2. Download the installer as normal from the app store. (At time of writing this is only possible for those with access to the developer previews).
  3. After download you will have the ‘Install OS X 10.9′ app in your /Applications folder. Right-click it and select ‘Show Package Contents’.
  4. Navigate to the Contents/SharedSupport.  There you will see the InstallESD.dmg file.  Unfortunately, you can’t just grab it and restore it.  Instead double-click it to mount it.
  5. You should now see the normally hidden BaseSystem.dmg file in the mounted volume.
    Tips: If you skip step 1 and still can't see the file BaseSystem.dmg, just launch Terminal and type this command:
    $ open /Volumes/OS\ X\ Install\ ESD/BaseSystem.dmg
  6. Open Disk Utility and restore the source BaseSystem.dmg to the destination of your USB drive.
  7. Now open up the restored USB volume (default name is OS X Base System) and navigate to System/Installation. In there you will see an alias for Packages. Delete this alias.
  8. Copy the full Packages folder from the root of the mounted InstallESD volume (the same place you got the BaseSystem.dmg file) to the USB volumes System/Installation folder. Basically, replace the Packages alias you just deleted with the real Packages folder from the original InstallESD volume.
  9. The USB drive should now be bootable. So simply restart, hold down the Option key (Alt) when booting with the USB drive in your machine, and you should get the option to boot from the USB drive.
  10. Remember, to rehide the normall hidden files just repeat step 1 but change YES to NO.