Are you in charge of an event or tradeshow? Want your attendees to have more fun and provide you with great testimonies? Of course you do well the fastest way to learn anything or generate lasting memories is by creating Intense Emotional Associations (IEAs) with your event. So here are a few ideas that will create a lot of fun emotions and lasting memories try it with your next event or tradeshow.

Nowadays videos are all the rage and most people don’t mind posing for a video bite here and there. Assign a staff or two to take short videos, 1 minute or less, of the attendees and presenters having fun at the event. While they’re in this Intense Emotional Association (IEA) ask them to give a recommendation (sometimes referred to as a shout out or a sound bite) or testimony about the event, a workshop or a presenter, then ask if they would like a copy emailed to them, you know they all will.

By taking advantage of smartphones like G1, iphone, Blackberry, etc., you could upload the videos instantly and then blast emails to the individuals in the videos or even to all the attendees, if possible, if not, make it a priority right after the event. Twitvid.com is a great way to distribute your videos via twitter, however Youtube still the most popular either one is accessible via any smartphone.

The videos will be seen and as always shared with coworkers, attendees, family and friends so now your event grows virally, also these videos can be used for future marketing of events and can be placed on your website as well.

Podcasting your video, well not really, you can however strip or separate the audio from your video and boom! You now can upload the audio to all major podcast distributors like iTunes and it’s free.

Transcribe your video into articles, yep you heard me. Articles are a great way to increase awareness and buzz about your event or tradeshow. Some editing may be required but either way you have an article for almost no time. In some cases a video and the transcription could be on the same page.
Now you have successfully created lasting memories for everyone about your event, congratulations you’re a hero!

Items you might need: A smartphone with good video quality or a video camera, I use and recommend the Flip HD camera they’re inexpensive and very easy to use and have all the software built right in the camera. High-speed internet access and a site to upload your videos like Twitvid.com, Youtube.com or Kyte.com. A note pad for collecting emails.

Wall Street Journal | Small Business By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN – FEBRUARY 24, 2010

When Cameron Madill launched Synotac Design LLC in 2003, wiping away tears and giving pep talks wasn’t on his to-do list. But once he began hiring employees for his Web-site development firm two years later, he learned that dealing with people matters comes with the job.

“I was interested in building a company,” says Mr. Madill, a first-time business owner in Portland, Ore. “I never thought through that it meant I would have to hire people, terminate people and do all of the things associated with being a boss.”

It’s common for first-time entrepreneurs to overlook responsibilities tied to managing people when starting out, says Edward P. Marram, a senior lecturer of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. With all the focus on selling a new product or service, “most don’t think about being a boss,” he says.

But at some point, business owners typically need help to grow, Mr. Marram says, and that means hiring staff, delegating responsibilities, and learning to be effective managers. For the inexperienced, those management duties can be challenging, depressing and sometimes plain awkward.

For instance, entrepreneur Lisa Morris last year had to deal with an employee who accidentally copied her on a highly graphic email to a hotel sales manager. “He was saying he’d do certain things to the person’s body for good rates,” recalls Ms. Morris, owner of Road Concierge Inc., a travel- and concierge-services firm in New York. “We’re all about servicing our clients, but not actually servicing them.”

Ms. Morris, who started her business in 2006, says she felt “really uncomfortable” scolding the employee for his behavior because ruling with an iron fist isn’t her style. “I don’t like to be very corporate,” she says, adding that she runs a casual office where employees’ pets are welcome.

Still, while it was clear that the email exchange wasn’t serious, nor was the recipient offended, Ms. Morris says she needed to stress that a repeat performance would be unacceptable. “I hate having to act like a mom,” she says. “But there are times when you can’t be nice. You’re the boss and you have to enforce policy.”

Many first-time business owners struggle with laying down the law because they are in fact former corporate employees who became entrepreneurs in part to escape rigid work environments. The worst situation, however, is having to tell an employee you can no longer keep them on board.

Sandy Sabean, co-owner of Womenkind, pictured center, meets with employees Lara Ngai, left, and Betsy Handwerker, right.

“You feel terrible,” says Sandy Sabean, co-owner of Womenkind LLC, a New York marketing-communications firm with five employees. Last year, she says, she laid off two workers for the first time after the company lost a bid. “When you have to let someone out on the street under those circumstances it’s hard,” she says. “It’s sad.”

Gary Hewing, co-owner of Bert Martinez Communications LLC, a sales- and business-training firm in Houston and Scottsdale, Ariz, says it’s just as rough to fire someone for poor performance. “You know they’ll have a tough time finding a job and that you’re giving this person the last check they may have for months,” he says. “It’s extremely difficult. I do not appreciate that aspect of the job.”

Some inexperienced entrepreneurs are caught off guard by just how significant a role a boss plays within a small company.

Mr. Madill, whose Web-design firm has eight employees, learned that lesson about three years ago when a worker who was hired to do miscellaneous tasks refused to take on a new assignment and subsequently offered her resignation.

A self-described pushover, Mr. Madill agree to let her stay on the company payroll for the next six weeks while she searched for a new employer. “She helped build the company,” he says. “You feel some loyalty to your first few hires.”

But the decision drew resentment from the rest of the company’s staff, says Mr. Madill, particularly because the uncompromising employee did little work from that point on. “It led to an unbelievably toxic atmosphere,” he says. And when the problem worker was finally gone, things changed dramatically. “Productivity suddenly increased,” he says. “You would’ve thought we hired a person the day she left.”

Mr. Madill says he since changed his outlook on business leadership thanks to the advice of counselors at Accelerator, a nationwide support organization for early-stage entrepreneurs. Other support groups small businesses can turn to for advice include Young Entrepreneur, Energizing Young Entrepreneurs and SCORE.

Now Mr. Madill believes that as a business owner, “you only have an obligation to make (your employees) successful to the extent that they give more back to the company,” he says. “And if someone doesn’t understand that, it’s not your responsibility to educate them.”

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com

Here’s the bottom line: if your in business you must be able to motivate, organize, and inspire others, there are certain skills that you need to make your organization successful. Here are 6 “Must Have” leadership skills.

1) Be able to recognize strengths among your team members in order to work effectively with each one. Being able to see and utilize these strengths accordingly, allows a leader to motivate and delegate on a stronger level for better results.

2) Encourage suggestions and input on procedures from everyone. In order for people to feel motivated to make change or improve, they have to have some ownership of the process and believe their contributions are important.

3) Allow individuals to solve problems. A leader’s job is not to do everything but to grow confidence in others, to grow more leaders, allowing for others to grow through problem solving builds confidence and new leaders. The more people learn, the more they are inspired to learn, and the more they accomplish, the harder they will work toward future goals.

4) Understanding the personal goals of each of the people on my team. Everyone has their own motivations for doing things. By understanding what makes people work, we are better able to find ways to keep them engaged and moving ahead.

5) Provide consistent and appropriate rewards and praise. William James once said, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” Here is a real human hunger, and the rare individual who honestly satisfies this great hunger will hold people in the palm of his hand. Even the undertaker will be sorry when he dies. Never forget to be truthful and kind. Remember, everyone needs to be recognized for their efforts and contributions.

6) Motivating the team While each individual’s efforts are invaluable, the team as a whole must learn to work together to make effective change.

7) It’s impossible for a leader to be invisible and make progress. In order to achieve accomplish goals, team members and individuals need a leader who can create a working environment that encourages communication, understanding, respect, and support among the people.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (mention www.bertmartinez.com as the original source – thank you).

Networking is one of the most crucial skills any start-up entrepreneur must have. It is an effective and inexpensive way to grow your business by meeting the key people who could become your clients, suppliers and support systems.

In fact, networking is the best marketing device of even the most cash-strapped home-based entrepreneur. It is based on an inexpensive endeavor using a simple skill: talking. As a result, networking is also referred to as “word-of-mouth marketing” because it is based on talking to people about what you do and listening to find out how to serve them. The best networkers do not even know that they are networking – they are simply being good conversationalists; adept at becoming visible; talking and responding, and getting to know people.

However, many people are put-off with the idea of networking. Some view the practice akin to “politicking” requiring an extremely outgoing personality willing to approach anyone who would care to listen. Many start-up entrepreneurs also have a hard time approaching other people – particularly strangers – about their business. It may be the fear of speaking out to a total stranger, or the fear of coming on too strong or aggressive. Others let their insecurities take the better or them, while some people fail to network simply because of laziness. As a result, many formal gatherings and social situations become lost opportunities to spread the word about their business.

Everyone you meet is a potential customer or a valuable contact. Well, maybe not the old lady you met in the library if you are selling shaving cream. But then again, that old lady may have a husband, son or nephew who could use your product. Marketing is simply spreading the word around, and it is a big loss if you continuously pass up opportunities for networking.

Schmoozing pays. In fact, the growth of any business is directly correlated to the number of people who knows about it. Doing more of networking allows you to develop more contacts in your field and to exchange information with your prospects. It can help you find out the concerns of your prospects and who is fulfilling them; what’s happening in your industry; and who needs what and who offers what. It is basically an entrepreneur’s tool for relationship building.

Successful networking entails harnessing your people skills. But it doesn’t happen overnight, particularly for those who are not natural social butterflies. It requires careful orchestration and good manners, too. Here are several steps to help you become an effective networker:

1. Prepare a plan. Networking goes beyond greeting people. You need to prepare a step-by-step plan for how you’ll build relationships and how you can effectively tell your story. It entails getting to know people who will either do business with you or can introduce you to people who will. When people ask you what you do, make sure you have a clever opening line to introduce yourself and your business.

2. Use social networking sites. LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com , Facebook http://www.facebook.com and even the microblogging site Twitter http://www.twitter.com are excellent venues for virtual networking. Whether you are looking for potential partners, web site or blog contributors, or strategic partnership opportunities, these social networking sites allow you to expand and nurture your network in the comfort of your computer screen. LinkedIn, in particular, is most suited for professional networking as you can easily see the work and business background of the person.

3. Learn to communicate more easily. To be a good networker, you need to work on your ability to make small talk. You need to be able to articulate what you do in clear, easily understandable, and memorable way. Imagine yourself in a cocktail party or industry luncheon full of potential prospects. Set a goal of meeting at least two people in one event, slowly increasing the number as you become more comfortable with the art of schmoozing. Once you are at an event, do not stand around with appetizers in hand waiting for other people to approach you. Go out, head straight to people you do not know, and start a conversation. This will help you gain the interpersonal communication skills that you need. You will defeat the purpose of networking if you continuously stick with familiar faces. Get interested in what others are offering or saying without being abrasive. Good networkers are good listeners, too.

4. Identify your prospects. Know your most likely market, and learn where you will find them. Research as much as you can from the ideal prospects for your business. How do they get their information? Do they live nearby? What activities do they participate in? What organizations do they belong to? The more you know about your customers, the easier you can reach them.

5. Start with people you know. Look at your roster of friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and people you have come across in your lifetime. From among your friends, identify whom you think might be able to help you the most.

6. Get involved. A key to successful networking is to get involved and grow your people skills. Participate in organizations, events, professional groups and social clubs that offer opportunities for you to meet and greet. Participate in numerous networking groups, join your chamber of commerce, and attend conferences and training seminars. With the advent of the Internet, you can also network in online newsgroups and discussion boards. The key is to list every opportunity to network and develop win-win relationships with your contacts.

7. Make networking a part of you. Make it a point to meet new people wherever you go – whether you are on the plane, waiting in line at the bank, or fetching your child from school. Be generous in giving away your business cards, it’s an effective selling technique.

An established business has the luxury of satisfied customers spreading the word about the business. Until your business is self-sustaining, you need to start opening your mouth, spreading the word about your venture to all your friends, relatives, acquaintances, then later on, even strangers.

by Isabel M. Isidro Brought to you by DLDESIGNSONLINE.COM

Wall Street Journal | By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

Last year, employers filled more than half of job openings with existing employees, a new study to be released Friday shows.

Internal transfers and promotions accounted for an average of 51% of all full-time positions filled in 2009, down from 39% in 2008 and 34% in 2007, reports CareerXroads, a staffing-strategy consulting firm in Kendall Park, N.J. Survey respondents included 41 companies that employ a combined 1.8 million U.S. workers. Last year these firms collectively filled 176,420 positions.

For the 49% of jobs that were filled with external recruits, referrals accounted for the most hires — 27% — and about the same number as in 2008. On average, these yielded one hire for every 15 referrals received. Meanwhile, company Web sites and job boards accounted for 22% and 13% of external hires, respectively.

What the findings indicate, says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, is that networking is the most effective strategy for landing employment. “Job seekers should use job board and corporate sites to find information about openings, but they should use their network to apply,” says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads.

Among the job boards that respondents credited for netting outside talent, CareerBuilder.com came out on top, accounting for 42%, however one respondent claimed a significant portion of these. Monster.com netted 12% of external hires, while aggregate job sites, which advertise openings from multiple job boards, hooked 10%. Classifieds provider Craigslist.org accounted for 2.8% of external hires.

Survey respondents also said outside talent was found via job boards that specialize in advertising open positions in specific categories. For example, Dice.com, a job board for the technology sector, netted 0.8% of external hires, as did TheLadders.com, which lists only positions paying salaries of $100,000 or more. All other niche job sites that employers identified were collectively credited with bringing in 27% of external recruits.

Going forward, the survey found that 48% of respondents expect to increase hiring in 2010 compared with last year, while just 11% predicted they’d reduce hiring. The remainder said they expect to make no changes to their head counts.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported Thursday that there were 2.5 million job openings on the last business day of December 2009. The seasonally adjusted job openings rate increased just slightly to 1.9% from 1.8% the month prior.

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com