Hey , 

 

Thanks for opening this email. With a thousand newsletters vying for your attention on what seems like a daily basis, I appreciate you taking time. If you're a regular reader, you've probably noticed the frequency of the newsletter has decreased. For the past several weeks, I've been publishing only every other Monday instead of weekly. Still, I hope to show up consistently and offer good information, good interviews on the podcast and worthwhile articles on the blog.

 

Speaking of which, there are a few new things to note this week: a short video on the blog on how to solve a bad tradeshow booth location, and a new article on the various kinds of meeting rooms you can create in an island exhibit. Loads of ideas there. And in a podcast/vlog just posted, a fun and informative interview with author, speaker and customer service expert Shep Hyken. Shep has a new book in the works, set for release in a few months.

Soundtrack for this week's issue: Slade: "Slayed?" I knew Slade was a pretty big UK band, but I had no idea how big. They never really broke through that huge in the states, but with over 50 million records sold, British Hit Singles and Music calls them the most successful British group of the 70s based on singles sold. So yeah, they're big. I don't own any Slade records, but as a young Top 40 Music Director I ran across them few times in the late 70s but for some reason they didn't connect with me. I'm listening to their 1972 release - their third album - and it has a handful of great recognizable songs on it. Worth a listen if you like to dip into the early days of Glam Rock! And if you need a little encouragement, New Musical Express called "Slayed?" 'one of the greatest rock and roll releases ever.' So there's that.

James Clear:

 

"Saying no saves you time in the future. Saying yes costs you time in the future. 

No is like a time credit. You can spend that block of time in the future.

Yes is like a time debt. You have to repay that commitment at some point.

No is a decision. Yes is a responsibility."

 

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Mark Shaefer: 

 

I knew I would be doing a lot of interviews about the book but I didn’t know what questions people would ask me. Cumulative Advantage isn’t a long book but it covers a lot of ground. To be prepared, I had a friend ask me questions in a practice interview so I could get a feel of what I could expect.

After just 3-4 interviews I had a feel for what people wanted to know and I could tell how my stories were being received. It didn’t take long to become comfortable … after all, I did know the material very well!

My favorite interviewers:

1. Were prepared. They were extremely familiar with my previous work and my book. I appreciated their preparation!
2. Explored the curious edges. They wanted to know how my ideas worked in a practical way in this world. The best interviewers asked me questions only I could answer. That’s what makes a great show.
3. Created a conversation. One interviewer spent the first 10 minutes of our time together talking. Why was I there? It was unbalanced. I loved it when a show became a relaxed and balanced conversation.
4. Surprised me with new takes and questions I have never had before. That always assures a unique show!
5. Respected my time. In some cases, the hosts went way over our allotted and agreed-upon time. I was in a vulnerable situation — how do I end their show? This had a domino effect, making me late for the next meeting or interview.

 

Getting to the Truth. You can't move forward without know exactly where you are. Which means, being candid about how things are really going.

 

What About Those Tradeshow Results? Related to getting to the truth, remember, you can't control the outcome but you can control your behavior.