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In This
Issue:
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Nov. - Dec.
'09
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"Reality
leaves a lot
to the
imagination."
- John
Lennon
Imagine
learning how
to:
* contribute
on a global
scale with
Premal Shah
of Kiva.org
* catapult
your
e-commerce
income with
Yanik Silver
* improve
your
relationships
with John
Gray
*
fast-forward
the
completion
of your
goals with
Brian Tracy
* motivate
yourself
every day
with Les
Brown
* grow your
wealth with
T. Harv Eker
* apply
insights
from Fortune
500
executives
with Alan
Webber
You can do
all that and
more on Nov.
6-8 as Ric
and Liz
Thompson
host the
first-ever
virtual 3D
business
conference -
featuring 33
leading-edge
experts on
how to
create
Sustainable
Prosperity.
It's called
YOOvolution
- and it is
indeed a
revolutionary
idea.
Imagine
participating
in a
conference
via avatars
-- and
receiving
specific
how-to's on
how to
catapult
your
personal and
professional
success --
without
having to
walk out
your front
door.
Ric and Liz
understand
fewer people
can afford
to travel to
meetings
these days.
The expense
of airfare,
hotels and
on-the-road
meals add
up.
They
thought,
"Why not
bring the
experts to
you? Why not
collect some
of the
brightest
minds in the
Success
industry and
arrange for
you to
benefit from
their wisdom
-- without
having to
leave home?"
There is a
lot of
excitement
about James
Cameron's
new 3D movie
Avatars
which is
supposed to
be the
breakout
film of the
year.
You don't
have to wait
until Dec.
to
experience
the wonder
of avatars.
You can
experience
this "yoovolutionary"
way to
learn, for a
fraction of
what it
would cost
to attend a
program
featuring
just one of
these master
minds.
This virtual
3D
conference
concept has
worked
before. In
fact, if
you're a
Trekkie,
you're
probably
familiar
with
co-producer
W. Vito
Montone. He
created the
first-ever
Official 3-D
Star Trek
convention
that
gathered 1.4
(!) million
visitors.
Participants
spent an
average of
4.5 hours
online
attending
live video
programs,
interacting
with
presenters
via
celebrity
chats,
networking,
shopping and
having fun
into the wee
hours of the
morning.
You can do
the same
Nov. 6-8.
Imagine
hanging out
with
infomercial
pioneer Joe
Sugarman,
fitness
entrepreneur
Ryan Lee,
tele-seminar
king Alex
Mandossian,
internet
marketing
guru Joe
Polish, eBay
expert Alan
Ginsburg,
and
corporate
strategist
David
Meerman
Scott.
I'll
be sharing
best-practice
tips on how
to POP! Your
Business and
Brand and
Create an
Elevator
Intro that
Opens Doors
and Closes
Deals.
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"A hunch is
creativity
trying to
tell you
something."
- Frank
Capra
My sons and
I were
talking
about the
concept of
serendipity
one night.
I was
sharing my
belief that
serendipity
- happy
coincidences
-- happen
when we
honor our
hunches.
I could tell
they were
intrigued.
Later that
evening,
Andrew came
up and said,
"Mom, I
really like
that concept
of . . .
SerenDestiny."
Out of the
mouths of
teens.
Ever since
that night,
I've
explored
this
fascinating
concept and
interviewed
hundreds of
people about
this
fortunate
phenomenon.
Questions
include:
1. Do you
ignore or
act on your
hunches?
Why?
2. What is a
hunch? How
do you
define this
internal
nudge? Where
does it come
from?
3. When is a
time you
honored a
hunch and
something
wonderful
happened?
4. How would
you define
SerenDestiny
- is it what
happens when
you follow
your gut or
listen to
your
intuition
and set in
motion a
beneficial
string of
events?
What?
I am working
on a book
about
SerenDestiny
and would
love to hear
your answers
to those
questions.
Please send
your
insights and
stories to
info@SamHorn.com
They can be
"anonymous"
or
attributed,
whichever
you prefer.
If I use
your idea
(with
permission)
in the book,
you get to
select a
free CD.
Submit your
SerenDestiny
definition
by Nov. 15
and I may
even share
them from
the stage at
TEDx.
You've heard
of TED -
riveting
talks by
remarkable
people? Bill
Gates, Sir
Ken
Robinson,
Bill Clinton
and Bono are
just a few
of the
intriguing
individuals
who have
been
featured in
this unique,
18 minute
format to
give the
"presentation
of their
life."
http://www.TED.com
TED is
expanding
and NASA
will be
hosting
their own
TEDx on Nov.
20 in
Newport
News, VA.
I am honored
to have been
asked to
speak at
this event
and will
share my
passionate
belief that
we set
SerenDestiny
(our best
future) in
motion when
we honor and
act on our
hunches.
NASA's TEDx
program is
free and
open to the
public.
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"I'm
starting a
business and
everyone
keeps
telling me I
need a
strong USP.
I don't even
know what a
USP is.
Help?"
- Ed from
Oklahoma
They're
right, Ed.
The success
of your
business
depends on
whether you
provide a
clear
advantage
customers
can't find
elsewhere.
Looking and
sounding
like
everyone
else is a
prescription
for blending
in. And
blending in
is for
Cuisinarts,
not for
companies.
A
USP is a
Unique
Selling
Proposition.
It means,
"Why should
customers
choose you
over your
competitors?
What's a
specific
benefit you
offer no one
else does?"
I've
developed 7
ways anyone
can develop
a strong USP.
Here's Tip
#1:
Sam
Horn's Tip
#1 on How to
Develop a
Strong USP:
Give your
Business an
Easy-to-Say-and-Remember
Name
Have you
ever burned
your fingers
on one of
those really
hot cups of
coffee at
Starbucks?
Do you put
one of those
“cardboard
insulating
sleeves”
around the
cup so your
fingers
won’t get
burned?
If you were
in that
business,
it’d be hard
to stand
out,
wouldn’t it?
After all,
people don’t
really
notice them;
they all
look alike.
Plus, it's
hard to
pronounce
"cardboard
insulating
sleeves" and
we tend to
forget
difficult-to-pronounce
names as
soon as we
hear them.
What to do?
If your
product is
similar to
competitors';
POP! it out
of its pack
by giving it
a fun,
easy-to-pronounce
name.
That’s
exactly what
Jay Sorenson
did. He
created a
multi-million
dollar
business by
giving those
cardboard
insulating
sleeves a
clever name
–
Java Jacket.
Sorenson
says, “Java
Jacket has
such
dominant
market
awareness,
people who
meant to
call our
competitors
call us
instead . .
. because
they can’t
remember our
competitors'
name.”
You know you
have a
strong USP
when people
who meant to
call your
competitors
call you
instead
because
your
name is the
one that
comes to
mind.
Want to know
how to
create an
easy-to-say-and-remember
name that
POP!s your
USP?
Use
alliteration.
Alliteration
is when
words start
with the
same sound.
Alliteration
makes our
language
lyrical and
gives
people’s
mind a hook
on which to
hang a
memory.
Test it out.
Say Dunkin
Croissants.
Good
Purchase.
Dirt Vacuum.
They sound
clunky,
don’t they?
They don't
have any
music; they
don't
resonate.
They're easy
to forget.
Now say
Dunkin
Doughnuts.
Best Buy.
Dirt Devil.
Hear how
alliteration
makes those
names easier
to say and
repeat? The
harmony of
the words
gives them a
rhythm that
makes us
enjoy saying
them.
Ed, if you
are looking
for a USP –
Unique
Selling
Proposition
– that helps
your
business get
noticed and
remembered
for all the
right
reasons —
give it an
alliterative
name. It
will help
keep YOU
top-of-mind
which will
help grow
your
bottom-line.
Want more
ways to
develop a
strong USP?
Over the
next two
weeks, I'll
be sharing 6
more ways to
create a USP
that gives
you a
competitive
advantage on
my blog.
Check it out
if you'd
like to know
how to lead
your crowd,
not follow
it.
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"Enough
about me.
What do you
think about
me?"
- Bette
Midler in
the movie
Wings
In October,
I had the
distinct
honor of
speed-judging
pitches at
USA Today's
Perfect
Pitch
Conference
at the Ritz
Carlton in
Marina del
Rey, CA.
The
conference
featured Sir
Richard
Branson as
the keynoter
and dozens
of venture
capitalists
sharing what
it takes to
get their
attention.
In our
speed-judging
session, I
shared the
panel with
C. Bryce
Benjamin of
Tech Coast
Angels, Tom
O'Malla,
USC's Chair
of
Entrepreneurship
and Karen
Klein,
columnist
for Business
Week and Los
Angeles
Times.
In our two
hours, we
had a chance
to hear more
than 20
pitches.
Kudos to
these
entrepreneurs
for
positioning
themselves
in a place
of
opportunity
to get their
start-ups
noticed and
funded. If I
could only
give one
piece of
advice, it
would be
this:
ASK
FOR THE
ACTION._____
Many people
ran over
their
allotted time
and were cut
off so they
didn't have
a chance to
wrap up.
Some spent
all their
time
explaining
their idea
and never
even
mentioned
money.
Others
trailed off
with a weak,
"Thank you
for your
time."
Argghh.
Remember,
the purpose
of a 1, 2,
or 10 minute
pitch is not
to tell
everything.
The purpose
of a pitch
is to
favorably
impress us
and
sufficiently
intrigue us
so we want
to know
more.
Create a
close that
focuses on
the venture
capitalist -
not you. Why
will it be
worth THEIR
while to
follow up
with you?
As I
explained to
one
start-up,
"Imagine
your company
provides
electricity.
Your goal
isn't to
explain how
electricity
works. It's
to convince
investors
that
investing in
your
electricity
company has
the
potential to
make them
money."
Couch your
close in a
maximum of
2-3
sentences,
"I'm Mark,
CEO of Cuter
Scooter. If
you'd like
to invest in
a company
that was
just written
up in the
Chicago
Tribune
as 'the next
new thing,'
come see us
at our booth
at the next
break. We'd
be glad to
give you a
copy of our
financials
which show
how we will
scale this
venture to
profitability
in the next
12 months."
Practice
your
less-than-15
second close
until you
know it cold
and can say
it clearly
and
confidently
at the end
of any
pitch.
You'll stand
out because
you'll be
the rare
person who
actually
ASKs for the
ACTION
instead of
trailing off
. . . .
After
writing
POP! Create
the Perfect
Pitch, Title
and Tagline
for
Anything,
(which Ken
Blanchard
calls "a
lively guide
for getting
heard,
getting
remembered,
getting
results");
serving as
Official
Pitch Coach
for
Springboard
Enterprises
(which has
helped women
entrepreneurs
receive $4.5
billion in
funding),
and serving
as Emcee of
the
world-renowned
Maui Writers
Conference;
I've seen
thousands of
pitches.
I've
distilled my
observations
and
suggestions
about what
works (and
what
doesn't)
into an
e-book
"10
Tips for
Designing
and
Delivering a
Profitable
Pitch."
Seventeen
years of
knowledge
about how to
develop a
winning
pitch for .
. . $27.
Such a deal.
Following
the ideas in
this e-Book
could make
the
difference
in whether
you get the
funding to
launch your
venture.
To order the
"Profitable
Pitch"
e-book,
contact us
at
info@SamHorn.com
Or, if you
prefer to
listen to
these ideas
while
commuting or
working out,
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Check the
engagements
below to see
if Sam will
be speaking
in your area
in the next
few months.
Perhaps you
can
coordinate
an in-person
consulting
appointment
or
presentation
for your
group while
Sam's in
town.
When:
Sunday,
November
6-8, 2009
Where:
From the
comfort of
your own
home
or office
Who:
Ric and Liz
Thompson
Host
YOOvolution
What:
Experience
the first
Live Virtual
3D Business
Conference
focused on
Sustainable
Prosperity.
The world’s
largest
online
personal and
professional
development
conference
featuring
renowned
speakers
ranging from
Brian Tracy
to Les
Brown.
Interact
with
attendees
and
presenters
live as 3D
avatars. Sam
speaks on
how to
POP!
Your
Business and
Brand and
Create an
Elevator
Intro that
Opens Doors
and Closes
Deals.
Register
Here :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When:
Nov. 12
Where:
Players Club
in Gramercy
Park , New
York
Who:
Entrepreneurs
Organization
What:
Sam gives
the opening
keynote at
this program
with Kevin
Daum (Inc.
500 winner),
Matt Holt,
head of the
Business
Division of
Wiley,
literary
agent Laurie
Liss (who
got Richard
Paul Evans
$4.4 million
for his
self-published
book The
Christmas
Box and
several
other
experts who
will be
showing
participants
how to POP!
their
business by
becoming a
highly-visible
expert who
speaks,
writes, and
does media
in their
area of
expertise.
Contact:
This is a
private
event.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When:
Friday,
November 20,
2009;
10:00am-7:00pm
Where:
Christopher
Newport
University
’s Ferguson
Center , VA
Who:
TEDxNASA -
Conference
Theme: Space
to Create
What: You've
heard of the
TED - often
called the
world's most
fascinating
conference.
This event -
which
features
pioneering
thinkers
sharing
their most
passionate
dreams and
best-practice
tips - is
described as
"Riveting
Talks by
Remarkable
People."
Previous
speakers
include Bill
Gates, Jane
Goodall,
Bill
Clinton,
Paul Simon,
Sir Richard
Branson, Sir
Ken Robinson
and Bono.
TED is
expanding
their reach
around the
globe with
events being
sponsored in
dozens of
different
countries.
NASA is
sponsoring
their first
ever TEDx
event on
November 20
of this
year, and
has asked
Sam Horn to
be one of
the featured
speakers.
Sam will be
speaking on
SERENDESTINY
which is
based on the
premise that
Frank Capra
was right
when he
said, "A
hunch is
creativity
trying to
tell us
something."
Sam will
share her
belief and
dramatic
story of how
honoring the
Three A's of
Hunches sets
Serendestiny
(the life
you were
born to
lead) in
motion.
Contact:
http://www.TEDx-NASA.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When:
Tuesday,
December 8,
2009; 8:45am
-11:45am
Where:
Chicago, IL
Who:
IL NSA
Chapter
What:
What good is
talent if no
one notices?
Make
yourself
POP! out of
the crowd at
NSA-IL's
Special
Event with
Sam
Horn.
Sam will
present a
special
POP!
Workshop:
Create
the Perfect
Niche,
Brand,
Pitch,
Title, and
Tagline for
your
Speaking
Business.
Contact:
http://www.nsa-il.org/special-events-samhorn.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When:
Saturday,
January 16,
2009;
8:30am-6:30pm
Where:
Washington
DC area -
location
details
given upon
registration
Who:
NSA-DC
Chapter
What:
In this
hands-on,
Fast-Forward
Your Book
workshop,
you’ll
brainstorm
and
strategize
how to
develop
attention-grabbing
topics,
titles, and
approaches
that help
your book
break out.
Craft
compelling,
page-turning
content that
keeps people
laughing and
learning.
Get your
book done in
months, not
years.
Brainstorm
how you’re
going to
leverage
your book
into a
national
brand that
attracts
speaking
engagements,
consulting
work and
e-commerce
revenue.
Learn how to
market your
book and
drive sales
via
traditional
and social
media.
Discover for
yourself why
Sam is
thanked in
the
Acknowledgments
of hundreds
of books
(really!)
from
grateful
authors who
say, "I
couldn't
have done it
without
you."
Immerse
yourself in
your project
and receive
guidance
from the
17-time
Emcee of the
world-renowned
Maui-Hawaii
Writers
Conference
and author
of POP!
(which Seth
Godin calls
"revolutionary"
who has
helped
thousands of
people
finish
quality
books that
catapulted
their
reputation,
respect and
revenue.
Cost: $99
for NSA
Members and
$149 for
Non-Members
Contact or
Register
at
http://www.nsadc.org/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When:
Saturday
January 23,
2010 8:00 am
- 8:30 pm
Where:
Orange , CA
Chapman
University ,
The
Leatherby
Center for
Entrepreneurship
and Business
Ethics (
Beckman
Center )
Who:
Center for
Innovation &
Humanity
Summit
What:
Innovation
and Humanity
Summit
represents a
collaboration
of the
brightest
entrepreneurial
minds in
academia,
business,
non-profit,
and
community
sectors. The
summit
objective is
to teach,
guide and
embrace
positive
social
changes
through
ethical
innovation.
Featuring
Sam Horn as
a panelist
speaking
about
“Why
Innovation,
Opportunity
and Positive
Social
Changes
Become
Abundant
When You
Have The
Courage To
Live and
Trust Your
Brand”
Contact:
http://www.innovationhumanity.com
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Want to
expedite the
successful
completion
of your
priority
project?
Whether
that’s
coming up
with a
one-of-a-kind
brand,
polishing a
presentation,
crystallizing
your
signature
message or
designing
and
delivering a
venture
capital
pitch -
contact us
to discuss
your needs,
find out
more about
our
consulting
packages,
and explore
how we can
work
together to
achieve your
goals and
get record
results in
record time.
Info@SamHorn.com
Sam
Horn,
America's
Intrigue
Expert,
has helped
thousands of
people POP!
What does
that mean?
She works
with
entrepreneurs
and
organizations
to develop
one-of-a-kind
ideas,
products and
services
that
monetize
their
business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sam lives
and works on
a lake near
Washington,
DC's Dulles
Airport.
Sam's Office
Manager,
Cheri Grimm,
operates out
of
California.
Contact us
at:
1-800-SAM-3455
Info@SamHorn.com
Sam's Blog
http://www.SamHornPOP.wordpress.com
Sam’s main
website
http://www.SamHorn.com
Follow Sam
on twitter
Check out
Sam’s
Sam’s
Did
you find
these ideas
interesting
and useful?
You are
welcome to
forward this
newsletter
to other
people you
think might
enjoy it by
clicking the
"forward"
link at the
bottom of
this page.
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