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Sam Horn's "Take Action" Newsletter In This Issue: April 2007  •   Want a Name That Gets Your Business Noticed?   •   Report from Maui Writers Cruise   •   Thanks to all  Amazon.com 5 Star Raters   Want a Name That Gets Your Business Noticed? Several attention-grabbing names caught my eye this morning. Today’s WSJ featured an article about people who have taken advice from spouses about work-related issues only to have that advice backfire. What are those spouses called? Badvisors. This morning’s USA Today reviewed Christopher Buckley’s, (Thank You For Smoking), latest satire about what’s going to happen when 77 million baby boomers start wanting their Social Security checks instead of their MTV. Its name? Boomsday. Brilliant. The good news is, anyone - with a little brain power and the Alphabetizing technique described in POP! – can come up with their own stop-em-in-their-tracks name to help their priority project break out. As many of you know, I used this technique to create my trademarked topic of Tongue Fu!® – the verbal form of Kung Fu. Want to learn how to create a name that gets you and your ideas noticed?     Read more at http//www.SamHornPOP.com   Report from Maui Writers Cruise Who says you can’t have the best of both worlds? What fun it was to combine several of my loves – writing, meeting interesting people, exploring new places, and learning while having fun. A favorite experience was getting off the ship in Cozumel and just taking off, not knowing where the day or my feet would take me, a surprise waiting around every corner. My non-fiction retreat class consisted of a delightful, eclectic mix of projects ranging from Sex and The Single Grandma to Get Out of my ER! The third day brought an important epiphany to the group. We were working on our proposals and I was emphasizing that humility is not a virtue when it comes to getting a book deal. Having a “platform” of national name recognition, respected expertise, and frequent media exposure is key to attracting interest from publishers because of today’s crowded marketplace. I asked the members of our group, “What is a credential only you can claim? What is something in your background that is unique to you?” Geri Burdman casually remarked that she had the privilege of being mentored by Victor Frankl. Our conversation came to a screeching halt. We all looked at Geri, mouths agape. The Victor Frankl? The visionary who wrote the classic Man’s Search for Meaning as a result of his experiences in German concentration camps – a book declared one of the ten most important ever written by the American Library Association? Yes, that Victor Frankl. Geri then modestly shared the rather stunning news that she would be speaking at that year’s Global Congress on Logotherapy and receiving their Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts in modeling and perpetuating Frankls’ work. Oh. Why hadn’t she mentioned this before? She didn’t want to boast. A similar thing happened with my retreat group at last year’s Maui Writers Conference. Three days into the retreat, we divided into groups to give each individual an opportunity to clarify and craft their “platform.” I pleaded for everyone to be more forthcoming about any notoriety they may have achieved. All of a sudden, there was a screech from the corner of the room. “You have what?!” gasped a member of the group. Turned out that Dr. Richard Lippman had neglected to tell us he had: 1) been nominated for the Nobel in medicine 2) been awarded the only patent for an anti-aging product Why hadn’t this come up before? Rich was from Hawaii, where, as he explained, it was considered vain or conceited to go around “talking big” about your accomplishments. A reluctance to brag, lest one be considered arrogant, is understandable, even laudable. However, when it comes to proving you have the potential to break out as an author, it is crucial to understand that agents and editors need to know everything that could help you be one-of-a-kind instead of one-of-many. The same is true when it comes to developing a speaking career, applying for a job, competing for a contract or differentiating your business. What can only you offer? What out-of-the-ordinary experience could position you as the go-to resource? What first-of-its-kind achievement can you claim? What tangible awards or honors show you’re respected by peers and the public? What is a signature story that sets you apart? Figuring out the answers to the above questions is part of the agenda in our One-of-a-Kind, In-Demand Speaker Weekend (April 27-29) and Sam’s Book Camp (May 4-6), both in San Francisco. The focus of these weekends is to clarify how you’re unique and then craft proprietary intellectual capital around that so you become a topic expert that meeting planners, media, publishers and potential clients seek. Once you know how you’re singular, you’re well on your way to building a speaking career, business or book that stands out from the crowd. What’s special about my approach? Dan Coughlin said, “As an executive coach who’s had the privilege of working with Toyota, Coca-Cola, Marriott, McDonalds, Boeing, and the St. Louis Cardinals, I know a master teacher when I meet one. Sam Horn provides coaching on how to write a book on both a macro and micro level that is off the charts. She has guided me through dramatically improving two books, multiple articles, and a twenty-page manifesto. She is simply the finest writing coach I’ve ever known. Dan authored Accelerate: 20 Practical Lessons to Boost Business Momentum  (Kaplan), featured in the New York Times and Investors Business Daily. By the way, now that Geri and Rich are capitalizing on their unique credentials, their newly commercially viable projects have caught the attention of literary agent Susan Crawford whose client list includes Muhammad Ali, John Travolta, and Stan Lee. Congratulations! For more information about Sam's retreats, click below, then choose the One-of-a-Kind Speaker button or the Sam's Book Camp button.     Click here to save $500 for early registration and to find out how participating in these fun weekends can fast-forward your success.   Thanks to all 32 Amazon.com Five Star Reviewers What a treat it was logging on to Amazon.com yesterday and finding 32 Five Star reviews for my latest book POP! Thanks for taking the time to let me and other readers know you’ve found the book interesting and useful. A few excerpts are featured below. By the way, by popular demand, we’re offering quantity discounts on POP! If you’d like to gift your staff members, marketing department, advertising team, or convention audience with their own copy, call Cheri Grimm at 1 800 SAM-3455 to inquire about our volume discounts. If you want to hear POP! in person, I’ll be sharing its techniques in a variety of cities the next few months including Harvard Business School alumni in Silicon Valley (the country’s largest chapter), Professional BusinessWomen’s Conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, Laguardia Airport Borders, and Florida’s meeting of the American Society of Association Executives. Click here to see if there’s a POP! program scheduled in your area. Linda Abraham (Los Angeles, CA): “I have rarely enjoyed a book as much as this one. It is well-written, to the point, and full of practical advice and techniques for original and clever use of words, whether in writing or in an oral presentation. 5 stars aren't enough.” Laura A. Cardone (Virginia Beach, VA): “One of the hardest things for a business owner to do is to package their services in a clear, concise and compelling manner. This book shows you how to do that - in a way that feels authentic but is also attention-grabbing. I think this is a must read for every business owner. Sam Horn is really a pro when it comes to out-of-the-box branding.” Loren Ekroth (Las Vegas, NV): “An engaging "how to" book for anyone seeking to create a title for a book, presentation or press release that has that elusive WOW! factor. A brilliant wordsmith and author of many best-selling books, including the classic "Tongue Fu!," Sam has harvested - and dispensed - years of accumulated insights for the edification of all us infopreneurs.” Jill Konrath (St. Paul, MN): “You don't have to wait for the muse to strike. Sam Horn shows you how to deliberately play with your relevant key words to create eye-popping, highly memorable titles. This book is like bottled creativity.” Eric Eisel (Huntington Beach, CA): “Looking for a light, fun read? Sam has much to say about branding, marketing and selling "You." Her book is a cornucopia of tips to "hook" people before you say "hello." I will recommend this book to my "Toastmasters" group, where a lot of great speeches are given, but not much thought is given to creative titles or intros. If you give speeches, write short articles or a blog, get this book immediately.” Meryl K. Evans (Plano, Texas) “A person or a business can do everything right and still struggle to move to the next level simply because it doesn’t stand out from the crowd. Sam Horn opens with a great example of this from American Idol. Judge Simon Cowell told an eliminated contestant, ‘You have a good voice and you're a nice guy. You just didn't do the one thing necessary to go through to the next round. You didn't stand out from the crowd.’ How does an average, hard-working person stand out? POP! answers that with plenty of ways to help you be purposeful, original and pithy (notice this makes up POP?). I've read many articles on this topic. Horn introduces creative ways to brainstorm names and slogans I hadn't considered before. We can use these strategies almost anywhere in our personal and professional lives.”     Sam lives and works from her office in Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. Cheri Grimm works in Sam's California office. Contact Sam, in care of Cheri, at: PO Box 6810 Los Osos, CA 93412 805-528-4351 Info@SamHorn.com www.SamHornPop.com  Click here for information about Sam's other books and services.

 

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