Nicholas Bate

Fearless Friday

Great past week; here's how your week went:

1. top three priorities for the week hit;
2. 25 excellent strategic telephone cold calls leading to four quality appointments for next few weeks;
3. margin up by 2 points which helps support lower turnover;
4. local news-paper journalist agreed to do article about you;
5. all 60 minutes meetings changed to 45 minutes; 
6. two of team coached on presentation skills;

Fantastic coming week-end; here's how it's looking:

1. Blackberry off from 5pm today until 7am Monday morning;
2. Two great books to read. One on the Civil War and the other pure romantic stuff;
3. Loads of time with your loved one/s;
4. Football with the kids Saturday morning;
5. Loads of cooking lined up; 
6. Music, music, music. 

Why We Love The Beatles: 68 of 100

It was 1965 (1960/61/62/63/64 here):  Filming Help! ; Northern Songs goes public; May: last BBC radio session; June: awarded MBEs; August: Shea Stadium with 65000 audience; August: meet Elvis; December: last UK tour. 

Meanwhile: Death of Churchill in January at age 90/Cigarette advertising banned on TV in February/July: Johnson sends 50000 more troops to Vietnam.

"Songwriting is a thing we can't stop-it's a habit, almost"

Paul McCartney 1965, Anthology

That's another reason we love The Beatles

PowerPoint: the Truth Revealed

from a smart guy here who I hope you are reading regularly.

How to Write a Non-Fiction Book, version ii, Part 3

One big difference between fiction and non-fiction writing at the proposal stage is that unless you are very well established, you will need to write your novel before pitching. But with non-fiction theoretically you can pitch an idea and if you have enough of a track-record or reputation in the field then the deal will be done on that. But for the rest of us you'll probably need to write a chapter or  two so that your potential publisher can see that (1) you can write well enough (2) you can produce to deadlines (3) the idea is more than 'a chapter'. That latter point is critical. Increasingly the world of bloggers is generating books: good news in that blogging get you developing the writing skills. Bad news in that many blog ideas are only a paragraph or two of real material. Before getting too excited, test that you produce at least 60K words on the subject; your first book will set your reputation. Make it a great one.

And what about generating the words? In our previous discussions we’ve mentioned the importance of having passion for your topic. The following ideas are based on that premise i.e. that you want to write and that you know your topic. You believe you can add value. So what’s the problem? Busy lives that block us. Here are some ideas for getting the words appearing:

Draw up a timetable and make it visible. Decide when and where you will write and turn up. Even if you feel low, distracted and have got a cold (or all three) turn up and write. Out of quantity you can get quality.
Just write. Get the fingers to the keyboard or pencil to paper and write. Even if you are writing: this is rubbish , I don’t know I ever thought I could produce anything useful on garden design…., you must break the barrier of perfection. Of staring at the paper/screen and waiting for the perfect sentence.
Read about writers for inspiration: start with Stephen King’s excellent biography.
Just write.
Set targets. 1000 words before the next coffee break. Proof two pages before the next cigarette.
Just write.
Write a lot, write regularly. You love it, so why have the weekend ‘off’?
Just write.
Quit themelodrama. You are not blocked: you are simply not writing.
Just write.
Write without expectation of being judged or wanting to appear smart. Many critics have written little else apart from their criticisms.
Just write.
Coming soon: on structuring, marketing and selling

Eclecticity reminds us to

love reading and love the world.

Beat the Recession: 25 clusters of five; number 3

A recession often means: delays in decision-making, lost budgets and disappearing project requirements. More than ever it is important to build momentum to the sale, to convince your DM/DMU (decision maker/decision making unit) to make a decision sooner rather than later. How? By:

1. quantifying the reasons for going ahead: make benefits (they answer the question so what?) measurable. Monetary terms is perfect.
2. quantifying the cost of not going ahead: what is the cost to them of not proceeding? Make it painful to not go ahead.
3. making it easy to buy by responding rapidly to queries.
4. by creating difference through company benefits x product benefits x you benefits. They do not need to procrastinate looking at other offerings.
5. by closing regularly not just to get agreement but also to flush out objections.

Rowan Manahan...

...on getting that CV looking great.

Don't be Part of The 5%

Even at Complete Conglomerates Inc, 730 am was a relatively quiet time. Tom Widewolf left the elevator at floor 6 and headed down the long corridor to the Inner Sanctum where his team had been hard at work since around 530am. His hand-made Church’s shoes were perfect to support him through what would be a trying day, his Jermyn Street tie reflected the perfect degree of consternation about what was happening. And the hand-brewed Indo-Malay Java…well, you’ve got to have some pleasures at this time of the morning!

The 5% room, as it had affectionately become know, already had that stale feeling. Too many doughnuts, too much coffee. And who drinks Red Bull at this time in the morning?

Tom Widewolf: morning team. All done?

Sally Sidedross, head of Team 5%: absolutely Tom. All departments have been reviewed and all staff costs reduced by 5%. Significant savings all round.

John Largepress: Tom, just to get it consistent when I do the press review this morning, may I just get your take on why it is a 5% cut?

Tom: absolutely John, It’s 5% because that is what everyone else is doing so it seems a sensible and ‘in-line’ decision and doesn’t reveal any real problems. It’s 5% because I won’t forget that figure when I am asked. It’s 5% because it’s quite small, so it doesn’t seem too bad, but on the other hand won’t seem odd when we make repeated 5% cuts in coming quarters. What you say to the press though is “it was taken after a great deal of heartache and is the minimum we can do to both preserve the business for the greater good and also maintain the livelihoods of our people."

John: and on that sir, one or two people have asked why no cuts are being made at senior executive and director level

Tom: that's irrelevant to this project, John.

John: got that sir. Fine.

Tom: Ok, great job, everybody. Launch Plan 5%!

Tom grabbed his coffee and left; he had a manicure appointment to make at 815am. Boy, he thought to himself. I love the smell of java in the morning.

Make sure you are not one of the 5%

1. Do an extraordinarily good job. If for no other reason, do it for yourself.
2. Don't ignore the rumours. Don't talk about them or fan them. But do interpret them.
3. Have a Plan B well before you need a Plan B.
4. Keep asking: what make me more essential, more difficult to let go? Avoid commodity roles and commodity performance,
5. But, remember: 8h work+8h sleep+8h play. Otherwise, what's the point?

Ten Reasons to be Cheerful

1. You can’t afford to run your Blackberry anymore;
2. Your iPod is stacked with great music: 3.25 days worth;
3. Don Winslow or Charles Kennedy or both will help you escape for a few hours via their great novels;
4. It’s chorizo, lentils and rice for supper. Just 4$: the meal. For four. Cool;
5. Somebody loves you. And you know it;
6. Running in the park is free. So is walking, drawing, the library, writing, sex, hugs, hugs and sex, thinking, writing poetry, discussion, walking on the beach plus a whole lot more...
7. It’s all atoms anyway;
8. It’s stopped you externalising your worth to a ridiculous job tile and your future to a dodgy pension plan;
9. You’d always thought they were bulls*it*ers anyway;
10. You’d forgotten about Ian Dury and his marvelous lyrics.

Why We Love The Beatles: 67 of 100

"The Beatles were, and still are, the best friends this planet ever had"

Donovan

That's another reason we love The Beatles