I enjoy reading articles. And over the years, I would estimate, I've read thousands and thousands of articles. And even though I've also read my share of books...generally, because I'm so busy, I prefer quick-reads - and articles meet that criteria perfectly. I also enjoy writing articles. It gives me great pleasure to create information that has the potential to help thousands of people. And just like my articles have the potential to help people, many of the articles I've read have had an impact on my success.
Following are select excerpts from 13 Thought Provoking Business Articles That Will Alter Your Thinking:
1. Procrastination
"What is YOUR biggest wish, YOUR lifelong dream ... and what's keeping you from going after it? Are you waiting for "everything in your life to be right?" Waiting to have "all your ducks in a row?" It'll never happen. You're never going to "have it all together." That's like trying to eat once and for all.
Follow Robert J. Ringer's advice; "Action today! Develop the habit of living in the present. The best day really is today, so get started now, no matter what your problems are and no matter how long you've already procrastinated."
Here's the best recipe I know for getting rid of procrastination. It's two words: DON'T WAIT!" - Don't Do What The Pizza Man Did by Daniel G. St-Jean
2. Write Articles That Actually Succeed
"The idea of submitting an article to as many publishers as possible is obviously contrary to what a publisher is looking for. At the same time, though, it is also contrary to what you should be looking for. The secret to writing successful articles starts with a simple concept: you want to control who publishes your article, and you want to help promote that article. If an editor chooses to publish an article and sees that it was well-received (and brought in a lot of new traffic), they will be more inclined to publish future articles from you." - The Misunderstood Marketing Methodby Mark Daoust
3. The Truth About Multi-Level Marketing
"The MLM business model, as it is practiced by most companies, is a marketplace hoax. In those cases, the business is primarily a scheme to continuously enroll distributors and little product is ever retailed to consumers who are not also enrolled as distributors.
In general, MLM industry claims of distributor income potential, its descriptions of the 'network' business model and its prophecies of a reigning destiny in product distribution have as much validity in business as UFO sightings do in the realm of science.
Financially, the odds for an individual to achieve financial success under those circumstances rival the odds of winning at the tables in Las Vegas." - The 10 Big Lies of Multi-Level Marketingby Robert Fitzpatrick
4. What's Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)?
"Time and time again, I’ve told many aspiring copywriters and marketers that a USP is what distinguishes you from the pack. It increases perceived value, expertise, and credibility — without needing to state it outright.
Just by being 10% different, unique, original, or special is enough to make you stand out like a sore thumb in an overcrowded, hypercompetitive marketplace." - How to Hook (More) Copywriting Prospects by Michel Fortin
5. Are You A Forum Addict?
"Since the early 1990s, I've participated in many different online forums, message boards, and newsgroups and have experienced many of these positive and negative effects at various times. I ran a popular game developer forum for almost two years, so I've had experience both as a participant and a forum operator. On the positive side, I've learned many great ideas, made valuable new business contacts, and even met my wife on a local computer bulletin board system. On the negative side, I found excess participation to be a huge time drain (and very addicting as well)." - Effective Online Forum Usageby Steve Pavlina
6. Your Unpaid Sales Force
"People do business with those they know, like, trust and respect. In other words, they want to build a relationship with you before they invest their hard-earned money in your solutions and services.
Referrals are often the most powerful way to expand your business requiring little marketing spend and providing you with immediate credibility through the reputation of the person referring you.
But how often do you miss the opportunity to ask for a referral? Do you have a specific strategy and action plan to manage your referral process? Are you leveraging the support of your unpaid sales force - your clients who already know, like, trust and respect you?" - Are You Leveraging Your Unpaid Sales Force? by Krishna De
7. Advertising Is Manipulative
"ADVERTISING IS MANIPULATIVE! We manipulate people's
thoughts. That's what it's all about. It's not EVIL, unless
you're selling junk and your claims are misleading or downright
false.
It's all about sales, George. And there are degrees of selling.
Hey, let's face it: you can call yourself a SELLER if you simply
have something you'll exchange for money. Or, you can be a
SKILLED seller and incorporate those things that have been PROVEN
to encourage people to buy. It's your choice." - How Powerful Ad Copy Can Make You Drool Over a Bar of Bath Soap by Drew Eric Whitman
8. Sell Yourself
"Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
If you spend your time promoting Product A and then you
discontinue the sale of Product A, you will suddenly find
yourself starting over from scratch with nothing to show
for all of your previous work!
For as long as you remain on this planet, you will always be.
No matter the course of your product or service line, selling
yourself first and then your products will give you the
leverage to remain flexible in your business journeys." - Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Servicesby Bill Platt
9. What Am I Selling?
"What am I selling? This question sounds naïve, but it's surprisingly deep. For instance, if your company develops and sells a tangible product such as software or fountain pens, it seems obvious that these things are your products - right? ...Well, that's partly right. Your true product or service goes far beyond software, fountain pens, loan processing services, or chocolate chip cookies. In fact, if such easily defined items were all had to offer, you probably wouldn't be in business very long.
Your true product or service is: How you solve customers' problems or expand their opportunities." - Before You Spend a Cent on Marketing: Answer These Three Questionsby Judy Murdoch
10. LinkBait
"With the rise of the blogosphere and social bookmarking sites, all it takes is one person to notice an interesting page and link to a site. Once a link is passed around once, it becomes easier for it to spread further.
Bloggers around the net constanly use linkbait to encourage other bloggers to mention them or to get their content passed around the blogosphere. However, many traditional web masters have not quite latched on to this powerful technique.
The benefits of creating quality, unique, or even controversial content go way beyond what one might first imagine. When a web site offers true value to the visitor, they can create hundreds and even thousands of backlinks without even asking." - Why Aren't You Using LinkBait? by Kim Roach
11. The Hype Train
"What exactly is the 'hype train?' It's a term I coined to
describe the ride taken by people getting pumped up (excited)
about every great product they read about. They haven't yet found
that product that's making them incredible riches. They jump from
product to product searching frantically for that one product.
They jump from car to car on a train that's taking them nowhere!
You need to be aware of how the hype train works so that you
don't get on for the most futile ride of your life!
The success of the hype train is fueled by a number of human
faults. The biggest one that I've noticed is what's termed the
"herd mentality." - All Aboard The Hype Train by Willie Crawford
12. The Home Business Trap
"The success of your home business is entirely and
completely reliant upon you and the decisions that you make.
You had your reasons for deciding to start your own home based
business. You must always keep your reasons in the forefront
of your mind. You must always be able to rely upon your own
self and your dedication to the success of your business.
Your friends and family might be annoyed that they cannot come
visit upon their own whim, but when success comes to you and
your business, they will better appreciate you for putting
your foot down when necessary." - How to Stay Focused on Your Home Business Goals by Stone Evans
13. The Big Tease
"Publishing and broadcasting professionals know that teasers tap
into a deep, primal emotion that exists deep inside all of us.
A teaser bypasses the brain and speaks directly to your...
Curiosity!
Yup, whether you want to admit it or not, we're all "cats" at
heart when it comes to curiosity. Our whiskers start twitching
and we have to start investigating whatever it is that has
caught our interest. We want to know... we HAVE TO KNOW... more.
And where curiosity goes... sales are soon to follow!" - How To Use The Most Powerful Force In Selling To Magnetize Customers To Your Product Or Service! by Dan Lok
Conclusion
People read articles for a variety of reasons...Information, enjoyment, entertainment, enlightenment, practical advice, self-improvement, escapism, etc. But all of those reasons nothwithstanding, articles also have the power to significantly alter our thought processes - the way we perceive and do things...
...And ultimately, the course of our lives.