The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALSstring(32) "The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS"

I’d be really surprised if you haven’t yet heard of the ice bucket challenge which has gone viral in social media and is currently sweeping the U.S. by storm.  The purpose of the ice bucket challenge is to raise awareness and raise research funds for the neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  While the ALS Association’s rules for the challenge require either getting a bucket of ice water dumped on your head or making a donation, many people appear to be doing both and that’s what I have chosen to do as well.

I was nominated to take the ice bucket challenge by Frank De Rafelle, Paula Frazier, and Kimmie Umsheid so it’s something I just couldn’t ignore and, to be honest, I am actually more than glad to do it because I know firsthand what it’s like to get the news that you’ve been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness (I battled prostate cancer and now have a clean bill of health) and I’m willing to do anything I can do to help people in that position.

As the rules for the ice bucket challenge state that you must nominate three additional people, I am nominating Yakov Smirnoff, Lisa Nichols, and Jack Canfield.  Not going to lie, I’m REALLY looking forward to seeing their ice bucket videos!  Although, as the rules state, they can always simply donate $100 to help ALSA research for a cure for ALS if they don’t want to dump ice water on their head (I’m hoping, however, that they’ll choose to do both).

So far, the ALSA has raised over $42 million through the ice bucket challenge and I’m proud to be a part of that.  If you’d like to donate, you can do that by hitting the easy-to-find “donate” button on their website.

If you have taken the ice bucket challenge, or if you have or know someone with ALS, I’d really like to hear about your experience.  Please share your thoughts in the comment forum below so, together, we can help raise awareness.

 

Lisa Nichols: Powerhouse Speaking to Build Businessstring(51) "Lisa Nichols: Powerhouse Speaking to Build Business"

In this short video, I’m joined by my good friend, master speaker and trainer Lisa Nichols, to talk about “Powerhouse Speaking.”  It’s nearly impossible to grow a business without speaking, which is why business owners around the world use speaking to increase their customer base.

The question is, what is the most effective way to build your speaking platform and hone your core message in order to create the most revenue and financially infuse your business?  How do you systematically move your audience to action?  Watch the video now to learn how you can become a Powerhouse Speaker, build trust and rapport with your audience within the first seven minutes of speaking, and increase your closing ratio from 10 to 25 percent.

In what ways, large and small, have you used speaking to grow your business? Have you joined a weekly networking group where you give a short speech about your business to your fellow networkers each week?  Have you made a habit of speaking to community service clubs such as Rotary or Kiwanis?  There are so many ways to use speaking to build your revenue stream and I would love to hear about the particular ways you’ve used speaking and what results you’ve experienced from it.  Please share your stories in the comment forum below and, as always, thanks so much for watching my video blogs and participating by offering your feedback–I absolutely love hearing from BusinessNetworking.com blog readers!

MotivatingTheMasses

For more information, be sure to visit Lisa’s website: www.MotivatingTheMasses.com/Powerhouse.

Want Visibility, Credibility, & Profitability? First You Need One Thing . . . Relationshipsstring(96) "Want Visibility, Credibility, & Profitability? First You Need One Thing . . . Relationships"

I’ve mentioned the VCP Process® time and time again throughout the years on this blog site because we simply can’t achieve success at networking without strategically building visibility, earning credibility, and then ultimately gaining profitability.  The key to all three of these things, however, is found in one thing . . . relationships.

In this short video, my good friend Lisa Nichols and I explain how building quality relationships is the single most powerful thing you can do to position yourself for success and fulfillment in every area of your life.  As Lisa puts it, when you nurture your relationships with good intention, people will innately want to give back to you.  Lisa talks about how she has built her entire business through investing in quality relationships (as have I) and because of this, her business has grown by double digits each and every year.

Lisa and I are a perfect example of how building quality relationships with others can enrich your life and your business in amazing ways.  Over the years since we first met at a TLC Conference, we have developed a deep respect for one another and an irreplaceable friendship through our mutual dedication to helping each other in any way we can.

Watch the video now and think about how you might take specific actions in the coming weeks to invest in building quality relationships with those around you . . . who would you most like to approach and ask, “How can I help you? . . . Is there something I might be able to do for you in order to help you meet your goals?”

I would love to hear your feedback on this video or how you are going to take action in the near future toward nurturing your new and existing relationships.  Please leave your ideas and thoughts in the comment forum below–AND . . . I’ll send a surprise gift to the first ten people who add to their comment the correct answer as to where another of my good friends (Bob) is hiding in this video.  He may not be so easy to spot this time but I promise he’s there just begging to be noticed!  (NOTE: To ensure you receive your gift, you’ll need to send your full name and mailing address to Erin@bni.com after you leave your comment in the comment forum below).  Thanks in advance for your input and participation!

Bob2

Also, Bob says he really recommends that you click here (www.MotivatingTheMasses.com) to read more about Lisa and the inspiring work she does on a daily basis.