VivaNews™ – July 2007 Issue

Welcome to VivaNews™ - Vivacity’s EZine!

In this issue:

• A Jumping-Off Point – This month: Ask and It Shall Be Given
• Vivacity Products and Events
• Vivacity Recommended Resources
• Other Outstanding Women-Led Businesses and Resources of Distinction
• Our Advertisers

A Jumping-Off Point™

“Ask and It Shall Be Given”

“You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” – Zig Ziglar

Recently, I had the honor of speaking for a group of teens who were part of an anti-violence peer mentoring group.  What an impressive group of young people they were… intelligent, fun-loving, and full of life.   And they were committed strongly enough to being of great service to others to spend two hours of their evening at a monthly meeting - part of it listening to me - and many more hours in the field.

Because I wanted to give back to those teens who were giving of themselves, I decided to use a strategy I had heard of that is often used at executive conferences.  I wanted to ensure that these young people would come away from my talk feeling valued and appreciated for all their efforts, in addition to getting the information on the topic I was presenting on “9 Success Strategies For Life: What It Takes To Make It In This World”© (2007 VivaPublishing™).  I asked the woman in charge of the group to give me each of the members’ names (what they liked to be called) and to ask each member to list what his/her favorite beverage and snack food was.  I went a step further and asked that each member supply me with the names of his/her favorite singers and singing groups.

The next step was to buy the items that were on the list they had given me.  Some were very easy to find, some were a challenge but no request was considered too much trouble.  At the presentation there were tented name cards for each of the members.  And alongside each of the name cards were the asked for favorite beverages and snacks.  A few extra universally liked goodies accompanied their favorites.

As each teen began to take his/her place, I heard a lot of wows and whoops.  I heard “I can’t believe she got us what we asked for!”  I received some really nice “thank you’s”, mostly in teen vernacular. (Yes, on occasion, I do indeed rock.)

As for the music they most liked?  I featured their favorites at the beginning of my Power Point Presentation where I go over the “Top Ten Reasons I Named My Business Vivacity” (based unapologetically on David Letterman’s Top Ten List) and later in one of the Success Strategies.  In the Top Ten, I took out the references to people the teens wouldn’t relate to (e.g., “Reason # 1 why I named my business Vivacity:  The name Oprah was already taken”) and added the names of their favorite music artists. 

Finding all these artists took some researching online - I found CD covers, the artists’ pictures on sites that sold their music and on their official sites.  I took time to listen to some of the 14 artists mentioned.  I have to admit, there were even several I liked…I especially loved the uniqueness of the individual and group names.  Every time one of their favorites was mentioned during the presentation, there were cheers and claps.  Everyone loves to hear his/her favorite mentioned….whether it’s a sports figure, recording artist or whoever/whatever makes us feel good.

A lot of work, sure…but it was well worth it.  When I talked about the strategies of “people and relationships first” (“Everything in the world we want to do or get done, we must do with and through people” - Earl Nightingale) and “putting great service to others first and the rewards would follow”, I had them stop and think about what it felt like when they realized that they had been listened to and received what they asked for.  I asked them to remember this when they were going to work in their careers and would be serving others.  The look on many of their faces as the realization dawned on them of how this truly felt was priceless.

My other goal in asking them to give me their lists was to impress upon them the importance of asking for what they wanted…not now as teens when the sense of entitlement is at its peak, but later as adults when accumulated rejections, losses and disappointments make us forget the power of asking for what we want. 

Helping others to get what they want and asking for what we want…great jumping off points for our growth and success.

Vivacity Products and Events

I want to extend my gratitude to the wonderful speakers who presented at Vivacity’s 2006-2007 VivaNetworking™ Events.  I highly recommend their services as speakers and workshop leaders and their books, services and products.

Vivacity Recommended Resources

The EZine is the Most Important Tool for Your Business’ Growth!

Would you like to get famous as an expert in your field, build a massive mailing list of prospects, and sell TONS more of your products or services using the Internet?  My friend and mentor Alexandria Brown, “The Ezine Queen,” has taught thousands of small business owners how to do just that.

And she’s doing it again with the brand new Version 4.0 of her “Boost Business With Your Own Ezine” system. It tells you step-by-step how to publish, grow, and PROFIT from a simple Ezine that you can send out as little as once a month!

Learn more and get her *F*R*E*E* Report, “The 3 Simple Secrets to Publishing an Ezine That Makes You Money,” now at http://www.mcssl.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=540045

What a Difference a Year…and Having the Right Information…Makes!

In the weeks leading up to Vivacity launching its website last July, my former web designer gave me the directive to write copy for my site’s pages.  OK, how hard could that be?  Plenty, it turns out!  I wrote like I did for the curricula I had developed and for articles and papers I had done…all of which was met with a resounding THUD!  Back to the drawing board several times!  I found out was I was doing wrong, but never learned how to do it right (and hiring a web copy writer was so not in the budget…and now I realize so not necessary!). 

Thankfully, I was introduced to the work of Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero and Red Hot Copy!

As I prepare to rework Vivacity’s website, I now feel better equipped with the skills to write copy for its pages, as well as for my sales letters, free reports, etc.  Thanks Lorrie for demystifying the process and giving a step by step guide to writing copy that gets attention and makes sales!

To learn how to write copy for all your business needs, go to:

http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=584920

Other Outstanding Women-Led Businesses and Resources of Distinction

Spend Columbus Day weekend at Canyon Ranch in Tucson

You will receive accommodations, three healthy, gourmet meals daily and a $450 allowance toward spa, sports and integrative wellness services.  (If you attend a group orientation session on October 5, you'll receive an additional $110 allowance).  Limited space is available. Call Hazel Boone at 410-624-2168 or email her at hazelboone@somedayvacations.com for additional information.

Sylvia Mallonee of The Transcription Place Has Announced Her Exciting New Website!

To learn more, go to www.thetranscriptionplace.com.  Enjoy the benefit of having the valuable messages of your audios converted to text so they will “Leap Into Print”. Sylvia is a Professional Transcriptionist who will quickly and accurately transcribe your already recorded audios or new audios into a professional transcript. Handwritten or rough typed drafts are also accepted for transcribing.  To learn more, contact Sylvia at Sylvia@TheTranscriptionPlace.com

Sylvia is one of my newest resources and virtual assistants.  Her work is excellent!  Sylvia’s services will be a valuable asset:

• to your product line by adding value to your existing products e.g., in addition to the audio files or CD’s, you can offer a printed transcript
• as an added bonus item for your special promotions – (everyone loves to receive a free bonus!) – Kate

An Organization of Distinction: The Light of Truth Center

The Light of Truth Center, a residential and educational facility for women recovering from addiction, will present a short documentary film at its annual fund-raiser to be held on August 10, 2007. The film was created to give guests an intimate look at the lives of women overcoming addiction.

“We want everyone who attends this event to make a strong connection with the women they are supporting,” said Light of Truth Center Founder and Director, Vaile Leonard. “We want them to witness our mission in action and to share in the hope and joy that comes when a woman is supported in a way that allows her to truly turn her life around.”

Tickets to the Light of Truth Center’s fund-raising event cost $50. To attend the event or make a donation, contact Constance Mann at 410-496-5862 or cl.mann@comcast.net.

For more information about the Light of Truth Center, visit www.lightoftruthcenter.org.

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Motivational Quote of the Month

"In every success story, you find someone who has made a courageous
decision." - Peter F. Drucker, Management Consultant and Author

Thanks for reading VivaNews™

Committed to Your Success,

Kate

Kate Sanner is CEO and Founder of Vivacity®.  She can be reached at kate@vivacitynow.com or at 1.888.285.4038.

©2007, VivaPublishing™, Frizzellburg (Westminster), MD