Million Dollar Brand Magazine Issue V

In This Issue…

10 Branding Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs

(and worth teaching your kids!)

Publisher’s Page Essay…

50 Things Under $50 to Promote Your Book by Penny C. Sansevieri…

Getting to Know BOB BURG… What We Believe…

And More (Nah!)

October 29, 2012 www.MillionDollarBrand.com

‘MILLION DOLLAR BRAND’ Magazine

“Waiter! Two Bowls of the ‘Life Changing Soup’ Please!”

Okay, we admit it, we are helplessly compulsive foodies. We love dining out, and do it all too often. We love the food, the décor, the music, the ‘scene’… and we really love good service from a great waitperson.

The first time there we are shown to our table, and within a minute our drink order is taken, and then minutes later we’re given our menus, all perfectly timed. And we’re sitting there looking at the menu, we spy the Soup of the Day… which is $12. Now, this was a few years ago… and this wasn’t the French Laundry… so $12 seemed somewhat steep.

“Life Changing!”

How’s that for great salesmanship?

How’s that for not apologizing for price? How’s that for being prepared to answer to a price challenge?

We turned, looked at each other, turned back and said the only thing we could say: “Two bowls of the Life Changing soup, please.”

After all, how do you not order the life changing soup?

-R&A

So when our waiter came over (his name was Mark, and we were already on a first-name basis) we couldn’t help but ask: “So, Mark, what can you tell us about the soup of the day?

Mark did not stall… nor did he ‘hem

Andrea Waltz & Richard Fenton, Publishers/Editors www.MillionDollarBrand.com

Copyright © 2012 by Courage Crafters, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Disclaimer Statement: Our definition of a ‘Million Dollar Brand’ is any brand that has generated one million dollars (or more) in gross revenue. Additionally, while this publication is made FREE to subscribers, please be aware that we do maintain affiliate relationships with many of the advertisers and content contributors contained within, from which we may receive monetary compensation. However, we only recommend products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. With this said, neither we as publishers, nor Courage Crafters, Inc., are responsible for the success or failure of any investment and/or purchase decision any subscribe elects to engage in with affiliates Or advertisers.

One of the dining experiences we’ll never forget was the time we were in Los Angeles and we went to a restaurant in West L.A. called La Boheme. Besides great food, they are known for their somewhat eclectic atmosphere, which could best be described as ‘gothic’ in nature; black walls, red drapes, low-lit chandeliers – and waiters dressed in tuxedos that made us think of Lurch from the Adam’s Family 1960’s TV show.

and haw’… nor did he stammer or clear his throat. Instead, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath – inhaling as if the most exquisite aroma had just wafted past – and placed his hand over his heart as if suggesting the next words he uttered would be the truth, the whole truth, and the entire truth, and said: “What can I tell you about the soup of the day? Two words,” he said…

is published weekly by Courage Crafters, Inc., specifically for professional speakers, trainers, authors, coaches and infopreneurs.

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Features 2

This Week’s Publishers Page with Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz

4-7 10 Branding Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs (and worth teaching your kids!)

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by Penny C. Sansevieri

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10

Branding Lessons from the Life of

Steve Jobs

(and Worth Teaching Your Kids, Too!) Lesson 9: Time Is Precious

“Your time is limited. Don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

-Steve Jobs

10 Branding Lesson from the Life of Steve Jobs (and Worth Teaching Your Kids, Too!) First, let’s get one thing out of the way: Steve Jobs was, without a doubt, one of the most unlikeable and polarizing figures to ever walk the planet, with the people who knew him best often describing him as an unbearable, self-centered, perfectionistic, egomaniacal tyrant. Oh, and don’t forget ‘control freak.’

So why feature a man who was so grating to so many?

Because, even with all his unlikeable personal traits, Steve Jobs was a visionary thinker and brand genius who changed the world we live in.

With that said, here are 10 lessons that anyone who wants to build a million dollar brand should take to heart (and teach their children, too):

Lesson 1: Do Less When Jobs returned to Apple in 1996, after an 11 year absence, he walked through the company headquarters on a mission to identify specific products that were in various stages of production for the express purpose of eliminating them. Because Jobs knew that doing too many things was part of why Apple had lost its way, and the only way to return Apple to its former greatness was to focus efforts on just a few products that would propel the company to success.

Perhaps one of the key lessons we should learn from Steve Jobs (and teach our kids), is to focus on

fewer things, and do them well. Yes, sometimes less really is more. Or, as Steve Jobs taught us: “Destroy your own products, before someone else does.”

Lesson 2: Keep It Simple Of all the negative things one can say about Steve Jobs, lazy wouldn’t be one of them. But while Jobs worked tirelessly to ensure the perfection of everything he created, it’s important to understand that the extra hours were not for the purpose of adding “bells and whistles” to Apple’s products. To the contrary, Jobs focus (and a major part of this genius) was his tireless dedication to removing bells and whistles. In a world fixated on increasing the number of options available to consumers, Jobs showed us there was a better… and simpler… way to go. A stroll through an Apple store tells the story by not telling too many stories and inundating visitors with visual clutter. Instead, what you get is a clean and simple experience. And if you’ve ever bought something at an Apple store, you come away

just as impressed at how easy the process is – not by accident, but because it was designed that way.

Perhaps the ad copy for the Apple II says it best: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

Lesson 3: ‘Good Enough’ Isn’t Part of the Steve Jobs legend was his undying commitment to creating ‘insanely great’ products – not just great, but astonishing. And the word ‘compromise’ wasn’t in his vocabulary, because to Steve Jobs the only thing that was accomplished via compromise was the eventual dilution of excellence.

Compare this to Apple’s competitors, who routinely (continued on Page 7)

10 Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs put out mediocre or unfinished products, thinking they were ‘good enough’ and the market wouldn’t notice. Well, in a pre-Apple world, the market may not have noticed. But in a post-Steve Jobs world, everyone knew the difference. And though creating a great product brand was a painstakingly tedious process, to Jobs it was a process with results worth fighting for.

Lesson 4: Trust Your ‘Gut’

(continued)

Lesson 6: Image & ‘Design’ Matters According to Jobs, the creation and delivery of a great brand experience began with product design, not as an afterthought, but as the first (and sometimes only) thought. He cared not only about a product’s ability to function, but he also agonized over the look, feel, colors, texture and subtle edges. In Steve Jobs world, functionality was merely an

Steve Jobs trusted his vision and instincts, not the ‘top two boxes’ on consumer surveys. In fact, it could be said, that the primary reason Apple was successful was because Steve Jobs understood that the future could not be created via a focus group. Because customers don’t always know what they want, especially when it comes to cutting edge products they’ve never seen or heard of, like, say, the personal computer! So, while brand consultant ‘gurus’ touted their ‘listen to your customer’ advice, Steve Jobs was listening to his heart. As Henry Ford quipped, “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.”

Lesson 5: Surround Yourself with Great Talent Steve Jobs was a genius, a man who trusted his gut often to the chagrin of those around him. So, if he was so damn smart, why bother hiring great talent? You could say that was part of his genius. Even with his infamous bad-boy behavior and reputation for talking ‘down to’ and belittling of people, Jobs went out of his way to hire people who were in many ways superior to him, from Jony Ive to Ron Johnson to Tim Cook, who now runs the Apple in the post-Jobs world. Because, as with runners in the Olympics, world record’s usually fall when competition is the strongest, not weakest, and Steve Jobs surrounded himself with the best who he knew would push him to be his best.

expectation, a place from which you started, not finished. To Jobs, it wasn’t just important that an iPod delivered great sound or stored 1,000 songs, it was equally important how cool you felt just holding it in your hand… even with the power turned off.

Lesson 7: Don’t ‘Fit In’, ‘Stand Out’ Apple’s famous 1997 TV ad, narrated by Richard Dreyfus, said it best:

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits.

The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.”

(Continued on Page 8)…

From the ‘NEVER QUIT’ Files…

“If I told you that there's a million dollars if you talk to all these people, and one of them is going to tell you, ‘Yes,’ you wouldn't care how many people you had to hear "No" from, because that million dollars is so much stronger than them all of them telling you, ‘No.’ So, I think a lot of us live without understanding our bottom line and true, ‘why.’ When we don't live in that ‘why’ or sell with that deeper purpose, ‘No’ becomes much more difficult, because we don't have something stronger than that that pushes us beyond it.

-Mark Heerema, author of The Sacred Privilege

10 Lessons from Steve Jobs (continued) Lesson 8: Don’t Quit There was a time that Steve Jobs was described by major magazines and newspapers as a ‘Silicon Valley has-been.’ Apple was ‘dead’, the pundits declared, when the stock hit a low of $3.23 in 1996 – and even at that price they couldn’t give it away. Oops.

Lesson 9: Time Is Precious People routinely say that ‘time is money.’ Maybe Steve understood a greater truth… that ‘time is life.’ As he so eloquently said during his now-legendary 2005 Stanford commencement speech: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

Lesson 10: Do What You Love In the same 2005 Stanford commencement address, Jobs told his young audience:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Steve Jobs loved what he did, and not because of the money; the money was a result of his passion, not the passion itself. Sure, being a billionaire is probably pretty cool, but Steve Jobs didn’t set out to be a billionaire – he set out to create exceptionally cool products – and the money simply followed.

Perhaps that’s the greatest message we can give our children – to encourage them to pursue their dreams, not ours – and then sit back and watch the magic unfold.

-MDB

In the December 3th Issue of

IF JESUS COULD TWEET! Today’s Top Social Media Experts Weigh In (in 140 characters or less)

Our Final Issue of 2012!

Fifty Things Under $50 to Promote

by Penny C. Sansevieri Your Book These days it seems like everyone's book marketing budget is a little tighter. If you're feeling the pinch, or if you're just looking for some great free stuff to do on your own, here are some tips that could help:

11) Send thank you notes to people who have been helpful to you.

12) Send your book out to 10 book reviewers.

1) Buy your domain name as soon as you have a title for your book. You can get domain names for as little as $8.95. Tip: When buying a domain always try to get a .com and stay away from hyphens, i.e. pennysansevieri.com-surfers, rarely remember to insert hyphens.

2) Head on over to Blogger.com or Wordpress.com and start your very own blog (you can add it to your Web site later).

3) Set up an event at your neighborhood bookstore.

Do an event and not a signing, book signings are boring!

4) Write a few articles on your topic and submit them onto the Internet for syndication. You can submit them to sites like ezinearticles.com and articlecity.com.

5) Check out your competition online and see if you can do some networking.

6) Do some radio research and pitch yourself to at least five new stations this week.

7) Ready to get some business cards? Head on over to Vistaprint.com. The cards are free if you let them put their logo on the back, if you don't they're still really inexpensive.

8) Put together your marketing plan. Seriously, do this.

If you don't know where you're going, any destination will do.

9) Plan a contest or giveaway. Contests are a great way to promote your book.

10) Google some topic-related online groups to see if you can network with them.

13) Do a quick Internet search for local writers’ conferences or book festivals you can attend.

14) Create an email signature for every email you send; email signatures are a great way to promote your book and message.

15) Put the contents of your Web site: book description, bio, Q&A, and interviews on CD to have on hand when the media comes calling!

16) Submit your Web site to the top five directories: Google, MSN, Alexa, Yahoo, and DMOZ. 17) Write a great press release and submit it to free online press release sites like: • • • •

www.prlog.org www.1888pressrelease.com www.i-newswire.com www.prfocus.com

18) Write your bio and have someone who can be objective critique it; you’ll need it when you start pitching yourself to the media.

19) Schedule your first book event!

20) Start your own email newsletter; it’s a great way to keep readers, friends and family updated and informed on your success. (continued on Page 10)

(continued) Fifty Things Under $50 to Promote Your Book

21) Add your book info or URL to your answering machine message.

22) Start a Twitter account and begin tweeting. If you don't think Twitter is significant, think again; it's been a major part of our marketing strategy for over 2 years now (before anyone even knew what Twitter was).

23) Develop a set of questions or discussion topics that book clubs can use for your book, and post them on your Web site for handy downloads.

24) Start a Facebook Fan page.

Fan Pages are much better than groups because they're searchable in Google.

25) See if you can get your friends to host a “book party” in their home. You come in and discuss your book and voila, a captive audience!

26) Find some catalogs you think your book would be perfect for and then submit your packet to them for consideration. If you're unsure of what catalogs might work for you, head on over to http://www.catalogs.com/ and peruse their list.

27) Go around to your local retailers and see if they’ll carry your book; even if it’s on consignment, it might be worth it!

28) Add your book to Google Book Search.

29) Research some authors with similar subjects and then offer to exchange links with them.

30) Start a Squidoo page and make sure it's linked to your Twitter Account and Facebook Fan page.

31) Make sure your blog is connected to Amazon via their Amazon connect program (yes, it's free).

32) Ask friends and family to email five people they know and tell them about your book.

33) Leave your business card, bookmark, or book flyer wherever you go.

(continued)

Fifty Things Under $50 to Promote Your Book 34) Subscribe to Google Alerts and make sure that you are getting alerts under your name as well as your book title(s), brand, and keywords.

35) Pitch yourself to your local television stations.

36) Pitch yourself to your local print media.

37) Work on the Q&A for your press kit. You’ll need it when you start booking media interviews!

38) Pitch TV talks shows.

in buying some promotional copies to give away at company events.

46) Don’t forget to add reviews to your Web site.

Remember that what someone else has to say is one thousand times more effective than anything you could say!

47) Trying to meet the press? Search the Net for Press Clubs in your area, they meet once a month and are a great place to meet the media.

39) Is the topic of your book in the news?

Check your local paper, and write a letter to the editor to share your expertise (and promote your book!).

40) Stop by your local library and see if you can set up an event. They love local authors.

41) Do you want to get your book into your local library system? Try dropping off a copy to your main library; if they stock it chances are the other branches will too.

42) Go to Chase’s Calendar of Events (www.Chases.com.) and find out how to create your own holiday!

43) Going on vacation? Use your away-from-home time to schedule a book event or two.

44) If your book is appropriate, go to local schools to see if you can do a reading.

45) Got a book that could be sold in bulk? Start with your local companies first and see if they’re interested

(continued)

48) Want a celebrity endorsement? Find celebs in your market with an interest in your topic and then go for it. Remember all they can say is no.

Check out the Actors Guild for a list of celeb representatives.

49) Ready to get some magazine exposure? Why not pitch some regional and national magazines with your topic or submit a freelance article for reprint consideration?

50) Work on your next book. Sometimes the best way to sell your first book is by promoting your second.

-MDB Penny C. Sansevieri is a book marketing and media relations specialist who coaches authors on projects, manuscripts, marketing plans and promotion. Her most recent book, From Book to Bestseller, was released in 2005 to rave reviews and is being called the “roadmap to publishing success.” To learn more about her promotional services, visit her website at: www.amarketingexpert.com.

To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: subscribe@amarketingexpert.com

Looking for ways to increase your brand’s popularity?

Maybe you should be doing less!

Author Erika Napoletano

Available NOW at: www.UnpopularBook.com www.Amazon.com

Interested in Contributing?

If you have content that you believe would be of interest to our readers, we’d love to hear from you!

Write us at: Publishers@MillionDollarBrand.com

Bob Burg

“

I am…

Best Know for… being a relationship builder, being someone who engages with people rather than simply broadcast at them, and I think I’m someone who is known for focusing on providing value over and above what I promise.

Currently Reading… ‘The CharacterBased Leader’ by The Lead Change Group (and it’s very good!).

Passionate about… Free market capitalism, not to be confused with cronyism or crony-capitalism or corporatism. You know you hear people talk about crony-capitalism, it always bothers me because it confuses people, because it has the word capitalism in it, when actually crony-capitalism is to capitalism what Chinese checkers is to checkers; there’s absolutely nothing about it that has anything to do with the other. I’m passionate about sharing the message of what true free enterprise, free minds, and free markets what it really is.

A Big Fan of… Entrepreneurs who put themselves out there and take a risk and do what it takes.

A Firm Believer… Persuasion rather than force.

Turned-Off by… People who feel the need to be ‘disagreeable’ when they disagree about something rather ‘respectful’ disagreement.

Working on… Oh, easy, a new book scheduled for an October 2013 release, but I can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet!

”

To learn even more about Bob Burg, visit him at: www..Burg.com Watch for our upcoming Cover

Stay tuned!

Story on Bob Burg in the January 21, 2013 Issue of Million Dollar Brand!

He said all men were created equal.

He never said anything about brands.

Links to take you where you want to go‌‌

October 29, 2012

We Believe... #13…

There must be something to ‘fishing’ since so many people do it, but we simply don’t get it.

#14…

The most perfect song ever recorded to be the 1985 hit ‘Life in a Northern Town’ by The Dream Academy. If you can listen to this song and not be moved, go see your doctor and have your vital signs checked.

NOTE: To see the rare first video version: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YablrXxFCc

#15…

If you’re ever feeling down, go to Facebook and do a search for ‘LoveMeow’

And we REALLY believe that every American should support the Wounded Warrior Project® For more information or to donate, visit: www.WoundedWarriorProject.org

Okay, we’re not on TV, but we are in your inbox.

Every Monday morning.

For Even More Great Content & Brand-Building Resources, Visit Us at: MillionDollarBrand.com