Articles by GihanPerera on ArticleSnatch.com

The Day I Visited Every Web Site in the World

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Did I ever tell you about the day I visited every Web site in the world? It was at the end of 1995, when I was working in the U.K. on contract. I had no immediate work to do that day, but my boss needed me to hang around in case something came up. So he told me to "surf the Web" while waiting. I didn't know much about the Web at that time, even though I'd been using other things on the Internet for 8 years. I found Yahoo!, which was the world's only search engine at the time. It was just one big long page of links. There were only 168 of them, so I clicked them all ... and visited every Web site in the world! Of course, that was back in 1995! In November 2006, a report estimated there were 100 million Web sites (Too many to visit in a day ). And of course, the numbers have gone up even more since then. Somewhere between 168 Web sites and 100,000,000 Web sites, something changed. And it changed the face of Internet marketing. Here's the key ...** End Summary**

About the Author:
Gihan Perera is the author of "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Most Web Site Owners Make - And How To Avoid Them" and "Spin: Turn One Idea Into Hundreds of Information Products". Visit www.gihanperera.com and get your complimentary copies now.

Top Ten Internet Tools For Experts For 2008

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

I'm sure you've heard of "Web 2.0" and tools like Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. But you might still be wondering exactly how to use them in your speaking / training / coaching / consulting business. Fair enough. After all, if you don't know how these can help you, it's difficult to get the motivation to find out more about them, isn't it? In this article, I'm going to list what I think are the most important Web 2.0 tools for information experts. But I won't just tell you what they are. I'll also show you ways you can use these in your business. I've deliberately chosen practical examples for experts like you. These are in no particular order, but they are all important. 1. Blogger Blogger is Google's no-cost blogging service. You can have a blog up and running in 10 minutes, and join the tens of thousands of other bloggers world-wide. Practical application: Create a blog that answers the most common questions you get from clients, audiences and colleagues. In other words, it's a "FAQ" site, which demonstrates your expertise as it grows. 2. Flickr Flickr is one of the world's leading photo-sharing sites.** End Summary**

Are You Making a Truly Personal Connection?

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

If you're looking to add one new technology tool to your marketing suite next year, it should be a regular podcast. I recently heard Graham Jones, who calls himself an Internet psychologist, give an excellent presentation at the PSA conference in London. One of the points Graham made was that the secret to sucess on the Internet today is to provide high-value content, and lots of it. I agree (Maybe that's why I thought it excellent ). The trouble is, when I ask people why they don't create content, they usually say they don't have the time. Writing seems too difficult, publishing is slow, and videos are too fiddly. I don't necessarily agree with all this, but it's what people are telling me. That's where podcasting comes in. Podcasting is a natural tool for speakers, trainers, coaches, facilitators, consultants - in fact, anybody who makes money from the words that come out of their mouth. A podcast is an audio newsletter. It's what we would all have been doing all along if the technology had been good enough. The technology now is good enough. So what are you waiting for?** End Summary**

What Are YOU Worth?

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

My area of expertise - the Internet - is constantly changing, so I have to keep up with what's happening. As soon as I produce an audio program about Google advertising, Google changes its rules. I write an e-book about outsourcing through Elance, and Elance changes its Web site. I talk about the difficulty of publishing video clips that most Internet users can see, and YouTube becomes a household name. It's hard work to keep up! But if I don't, I fall behind. Then again, maybe it's EASIER for me. I'm lucky, because I know my area of expertise is changing rapidly. So it's an easy decision for me to invest in learning. And not just learning about my topic area, but also learning about marketing and business development. It might not be so obvious to you. If you're not working in an area that seems as dynamic as technology, it's easy to fall into the trap of not investing enough in your professional development. Even if your topic area isn't moving very fast, just consider the impact of technology ...** End Summary**

How to Negotiate The Best Speaking Fee Every Time

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

On a forum for speakers, one of the participants raised the question about whether to stand firm on fees or whether to reduce them under certain conditions: "Over the past 5-6 years that I have been speaking, I have read articles, heard tele-seminars and listened to speakers talk about standing firm on fees. I've heard things like, "Quote your fee and then keep your mouth shut." "You're worth every penny." "Don't negotiate." .... I do agree that we will get our full fee more often if we do a better job standing firm. But in the real world, when you're trying to get established, and at the same time working as a professional speaker, it's not as easy as it sounds." (That's not the entire question, but it's enough to make the point) This is my response ... I'll quote my response in full here, because I think it has some value for any information expert - whether or not you're a "speaker". "One of the biggest mistakes speakers make is to position themselves as speakers. I know that seems like an odd statement, particularly in "a community for speakers"! So let me explain ...** End Summary**

Spread Like Wildfire

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Every message has three components: 1. An idea you want to convey; 2. An audience you would like to reach; 3. The delivery of that idea to that audience. This is obvious, right? In marketing, you'd call this product / market / medium; in a presentation, you'd call this content / audience / delivery; and so on. But it's one thing to understand these things exist; it's another to use them whenever you deliver a message. How do you turn your message into something they listen to, act on, and remember long after you've gone? In high school physics, I learned that the gravitational attraction between two planets depends on three things: the size of the first planet, the size of the second planet, and how close they are to each other. The bigger they are, the greater the gravitational force between them; and the closer they are, the greater the force. The same applies to your messages. Your success depends on three things: 1. The quality of your idea 2. Your understanding of your audience 3. How well you deliver that message to that audience. How good is your message?** End Summary**

The Keynote: A Humorous Interlude

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Let me tell you a true story ... I was walking along the beach one day, feeling lucky. My life was good. I had all my ducks lined up in a row. Whatever I had believed, I had conceived and achieved. And when the going had been tough, I'd got going. As I walked, I saw a starfish lying in the sand. I picked it up and asked him, "What are you doing?" He replied, "I'm building a cathedral." But he clearly wasn't. So I threw him into the ocean. Suddenly I felt a force in my back, and I was thrown face first into the sand. I turned to see a group of monkeys aiming a large hose of jet-cold water at me. "What did you do that for?" I yelled. They stopped, and looked at each other, puzzled. "Err, there's no 'I' in team," one said haltingly, and then added, "Although, now that I think of it, there are two in 'schizophrenia'." "Ummm ... We were just shifting your paradigm", said another. "No, no", said a third. "We moved your cheese.** End Summary**

Sell Umbrellas When It's Raining

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

During my recent trip to Europe, I spent four days in Rome. Unfortunately it rained pretty much all four days I was there. I noticed an interesting thing about the street vendors. The centre of Rome is full of street vendors and hawkers. When the sun is shining, they sell handbags, jewellery, and religious artefacts. But as soon as it starts raining, out come the umbrellas. Here's the guy who sold me an umbrella (on the right). He was a bit surprised I asked him for a photo, but hey - there's no accounting for some tourists! Anyway, my point - and I do have one - is that I was impressed by the way they switched products so quickly, depending on the weather. Hmmm ... Selling umbrellas when it's raining, and not selling them when it stops raining. Not exactly a marketing breakthrough, right? In fact, it might seem obvious to you. But wait - not so fast! I wonder whether you are as smart as these hawkers? Nothing personal, but I see a lot of people who don't follow this simple marketing principle. Let me point out five mistakes that many businesses make ... 1.** End Summary**

Opportunity Lost

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

If you're in Australia, you probably know that we're currently going through a huge economic boom, and you probably know it's mainly due to the mining and resources industry in Western Australia (where I live). Practically every day, our local newspaper talks about the growing economy - how property values have shot up, wages in the mining industry are at a record high, and businesses supplying that industry are also making money hand over fist. But not everybody is happy. Every few days, somebody writes to the Letters to the Editor column of The West Australian complaining that not everybody benefits - and in particular, that the boom is passing them by. A few days ago, somebody wrote that public servants aren't getting their fair share of the booming economy. Now I'm not in any way suggesting that she is wrong. In fact, she's right. But it does indicate a curious way of thinking. She thinks a booming economy creates wealth. It doesn't. It creates the OPPORTUNITY for wealth. And that's a different thing altogether. The economy is booming. Property prices are booming. The Internet is booming. All true. And all incredible opportunities for massive success ...** End Summary**

About the Author:
Gihan Perera is the author of "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Most Web Site Owners Make - And How To Avoid Them" and "Spin: Turn One Idea Into Hundreds of Information Products". Visit GihanPerera.com and get your complimentary copies now.