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Articles by George Torok

• Customer Disservice: Have a Nice Day
  That's what the cashier said to me at the end of my purchase. "Have a Nice Day." I said nothing back. Why? Because I felt that her statement was insincere. From what I saw, her well-meaning statement was delivered because the company instructed her to deliver it at the end of every transaction. She really didn't mean it and she didn't understand why she was saying it
  Published 21Dec2011, viewed 305 times

• Strategic Re-Positioning: Riviera Maya
  How do you compete? Change your name to shift perceptions. In 1999, the area on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula just south of Cancun changed the name from the "The Cancun - Tulum Corridor" to "Riviera Maya" or "The Mayan Riviera".
  Published 21Dec2011, viewed 165 times

• The Branding Fallacy And Why It Might be Killing Your Business
  Beware of the branding zombies. They regurgitate meaningless mantras like "branding is good", "you need a brand" and "we can help you develop your brand." These creatures only want your life blood. Unfortunately these zombies don't look like the ones in Michael Jackson's Thriller video.
  Published 15Dec2011, viewed 261 times

• Can Toastmasters Help You Be a Better Public Speaker?
  I joined Toastmasters to improve my presentation skills. I was a member for seven years. During that time I actively participated in meetings, on the executive, in public speaking contests and in the promotion of membership. I contributed articles, letters and tips regularly to Toastmaster Magazine. I presented at officer training programs, regional conferences and at two international conferences.
  Published 02Dec2011, viewed 289 times

• Seven Pillars of a Powerful Presentation
  Presenters who look and sound weak lose. Winning presentations are delivered by presenters who look, sound and feel powerful. Winners capture attention, exude credibility and deliver more effective presentations. To be more successful with your presentations include these seven pillars in your presentations.
  Published 25Nov2011, viewed 176 times

• Viral Marketing: Infect Your Market
  Viral marketing is about spreading your message through networks. Some networks are more efficient than others. Meetings, family gatherings, community groups, religion, phone calls, peer pressure, media, email and blogs. Viral marketing is by persistence, passion and purpose.
  Published 06Nov2011, viewed 213 times

• Marketing Success: Lead With Success Stories
  Results sell. The purpose of marketing is to make it easier to sell and nothing sells like results. To capture attention and convert more prospects into eager buyers with your marketing - lead with success stories. Feature success stories in your advertising, on your website, in your sales calls, and in your networking. Include them on every marketing channel.
  Published 30Oct2011, viewed 194 times

• Annoy Your Audience: Read Your PowerPoint Presentation Slides
  If your goal is to irritate your audience during your next presentation, read your PowerPoint slides to them. According to several audience polls and business surveys, the number one presentation complaint is "The speaker read the PowerPoint slides to us."
  Published 29Oct2011, viewed 214 times

• Superman Is A Lousy Role Model
  If you had to pick a superhero as a role model who would you choose? If you chose Superman you might be setting yourself up for failure and tremendous disappointment.
  Published 25Oct2011, viewed 183 times

• Strategic Positioning: The Battle for Market Dominance
  The most important question you need to address in your business is "What position do you want to hold - in the market and in the minds of your clients? Why is that question so important to you? The answer to that question will clarify your strategy and direction. And that answer will answer a lot of other distracting questions quickly.
  Published 23Oct2011, viewed 1284 times

• Cheap Presentation Skills Training: 3 Options for You
  Costs for a presentation skills trainer or speech coach can be substantial and you are not ready for that investment right now. You want something cheap. That's understandable. What can you do to start improving those presentation skills? How can you find and arrange some inexpensive training for you or your staff? Here are three simple options for you.
  Published 05Oct2011, viewed 219 times

• Marketing Benefits Vs. Features: Will It Make Me Late For Dinner?
  Don't waste time and money talking about features when you could be promoting benefits. Features describe, while benefits motivate.
  Published 07Oct2011, viewed 212 times

• Sponsorship Marketing: Five Criteria For Success
  Sponsorship is a friendly way of marketing. It's friendlier than advertising. For that reason be sure to include sponsorship in your marketing. But, choose your sponsorships strategically. The next questions are, "What should you sponsor?" and "How do you know if you are getting a good return on your sponsorship?"
  Published 30Sep2011, viewed 200 times

• Presentation Training: How to Select Your Presentation Skills Trainer
  This article will offer you some tips and ideas on the questions you should be asking of your prospective presentation skills trainer when planning a presentation skills training program for your people. Ask these five direct and revealing questions of your presentations skills trainer to help you select a superior trainer.
  Published 11Sep2011, viewed 326 times

• Seven Marketing Myths That Devastate Business
  Where do you start busting marketing myths? Study these seven marketing myths. Understand them and grasp it as bane against those marketing zombies and business blood suckers.
  Published 07Sep2011, viewed 384 times

• Why Are Presentation Skills Important?
  Most people will agree that presentation skills are important. But ask them to explain "Why?" and they are stumped. These folks might mumble something unintelligible and proudly declare "Because - everybody knows that it is". Discover these six practical reasons to explain why presentation skills are important.
  Published 04Sep2011, viewed 327 times

• Customer Service Sucker Punch: How Can I Help You?
  Customer Service Sucker Punch: How Can I Help You? Have you noticed that this phrase does not often mean what the average person might think it means. It's a deception, a feint, a sucker punch phrase wielded by customer service managers.
  Published 31Aug2011, viewed 179 times

• Keep Your Speech Interesting By Being Present Yourself
  You can deliver more interesting and effective presentations by being present when you speak. What does that mean? Your audience must feel that you are there in the room with them - body, mind and soul. They must feel that you want to be there, that you are listening as well as talking and that you truly care about their best interests.
  Published 30Aug2011, viewed 279 times

• Night Light Marketing: How to Outshine the Competition
  You don't need a flood light when a night light will do. Marketing success is not about power. It is about being noticed. It's never about spending more money you're your competition. Effective marketing is about getting better noticed than the competition.
  Published 27Aug2011, viewed 170 times

• Are You Clear On The Purpose of Your Presentation?
  The evening before his presentation, another conference presenter confessed to me that his presentation was boring. He asked for my help to improve his presentation. We chatted over wings and beer while watching the hockey game. Discover what we did to quickly transform his presentation from boring to successful. He was excited to deliver the presentation and ecstatic with the results.
  Published 21Aug2011, viewed 313 times

• Marketing Is In The Details: Sears Catalogue Delivery Disaster
  Smart marketing can make your business. Faulty marketing can break your business. Marketing is about sending messages. Everything you and your people do sends a message. Marketing is everyone's responsibility because every staff member sends messages about your business. Often your unintended messages have a greater impact then your intended messages.
  Published 05Aug2011, viewed 315 times

• Bad Opening Lines to Your Speech: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Opening Your Presentation
  You had me at hello. Imagine if you could deliver an opening to your presentation that was that effective. You can grab your audience with "hello" lines. But first you need to banish these disaster lines from the opening of your speech. Avoid these opening line mistakes in your next presentation.
  Published 04Aug2011, viewed 620 times

• The Van Gogh Syndrome to Marketing Can Kill Your Business
  If you fancy yourself an expert, a genius, or a Van Gogh of your field - wake up before you're dead. Don't base your business model on Van Gogh. Don't get lost in your art. Van Gogh believed that his magnificent art would sell itself. He didn't like to sell. He didn't believe in marketing. Look at what happened to him. He died a penniless man.
  Published 29Jul2011, viewed 440 times

• How To Open Your Presentation With Commanding Attention
  Your opening must do three things for you. Grab attention, set the direction and establish rapport. Without their attention you have a room of non-listeners. Without knowing your direction your audience will feel lost and confused. Without rapport you might have a room of enemies.
  Published 28Jul2011, viewed 396 times

• The Business Transition Crisis - Book Review
  This book is a must read for entrepreneurs and business owners who are thinking about their succession plan or drafting an exit strategy. Every business owner must plan for that transition. Unfortunately not everyone does. If you don't plan your business transition someone else will make the decisions for you.
  Published 10Apr2011, viewed 169 times

• Understand the Professional Speaking Business
  Questions and answers about how to become a professional speaker.
  Published 21Jan2011, viewed 179 times

• Beware of Barketing
  Barketing is a cross between marketing and barking like a dog. Barking is often repetitive, annoying and loud, and always a one-way message. Barketing is marketing gone the way of dogs. You annoy customers with your message attempt, sound like the rest of the pack and display no finesse.
  Published 19Jan2011, viewed 385 times

• 4 Backdoor Secrets to Add More CEOs and Presidents to Your Network
  Do you want to meet more business leaders? Would you like to include more presidents, CEOs, and executives in your active network? Imagine how that would help your career and business opportunities. The first and most difficult step is making first contact. Here are four creative methods that work. I know because I have successfully used every one to connect with CEOs, presidents and senior corporate executives.
  Published 21Dec2010, viewed 288 times

• Marketing in Turbulent Times
  May you live in interesting times. Is that ancient expression a curse or a blessing? I think it depends on how you define "interesting" and more importantly how you adapt to it. If you define interesting to mean unpredictable, challenging and threatening then clearly we are living in interesting times. Business these days is more like shooting the rapids in a rubber raft than canoeing in a duck pond.
  Published 13Dec2010, viewed 266 times

• Spice Up Your Presentation with Quotations
  Add one or a few quotations to your presentation to make it more entertaining and insightful. Your quotation might spur your listeners to think or laugh. Sprinkle lightly like pepper. Use a quotation that emphasizes or clarifies your message.
  Published 22Nov2010, viewed 308 times

• Einstein Inspires Creative Thinking
  Would you like to be a creative thinker like Albert Einstein? You might not discover the theory for relativity but you can learn from Einstein's creative thinking techniques and apply them to your creative problem solving challenges.
  Published 02Dec2010, viewed 552 times

• Creative Problem Solving: Six Key Principles to Better Solutions
  How can you be more effective at creative problem solving? Use these six key principles of creative problem solving. Avoid the common mistakes that are made when attempting to solve problems. Instead understand these six principles and you can find more productive and innovative solutions to the problems that challenge you.
  Published 25Nov2010, viewed 231 times

• Picture Your Audience in Their Underwear
  If you were ever nervous about public speaking, you might have heard that piece of tired advice. It's bad advice. Ignore it.
  Published 26Oct2010, viewed 362 times

• Too Much Information - Not Enough Time
  You have been asked to present a report to management. You have two hours worth of information but only 20 minutes to speak. What a dilemma! How do you get your message across? How will you decide what to leave out? And will management punish you for leaving something out?
  Published 17Nov2010, viewed 374 times

• Creativity: Six Doors to Creative Thinking
  You can be more creative when you want. You don't need to be naturally talented at creative thinking. You can learn the techniques and improve your thinking skills. It starts by understanding the key principles of creativity.
  Published 18Nov2010, viewed 359 times

• Presentation Tips for Political Candidates
  As a candidate for political office you need to do your homework and prepare. Learn the issues, take a position and build a network. One more thing - learn how to present your message well. And do it better than the competition.
  Published 24Oct2010, viewed 529 times

• But We've Always Done it This Way: Top Ten List
  While you bite your tongue or fume at that response consider this Top Ten List of the Real Meanings of "But we've always done it this way".
  Published 26Oct2010, viewed 372 times

• 5 Tips for Introducing Yourself at Your Networking Meeting
  Before you say, "Hello my name is..." read these tips to make a better impact at your next networking meeting.
  Published 09Nov2010, viewed 555 times

• Business Networking: Stop Working the Room
  Relationships Networking is not about working the room or working people. Networking is about building relationships that are mutually productive over the long term. Consider these four principles of smart business networking:
  Published 02Nov2010, viewed 414 times

• Presentation Warriors: Sales & Marketing Executives Versus 12-Year-Olds
  Who delivers a better presentation and why? Recently I listened to a group of senior sales and marketing executives speak at a networking meeting. I also served as a judge at a speech contest for 12-year-olds. These two unrelated events prompted me to compare the presentation skills of each group. 1. Guess who was more engaging, attention grabbing and memorable? 2. Guess who was boring, uninspiring and easily forgettable?
  Published 13Oct2010, viewed 357 times

• Branding Secret: Controversy Sells
  Do want a powerful branding strategy? Take a controversial position. Offend someone and attract your target market. But you have to pick your position and enemies carefully. Don't offend your fans or best customers.
  Published 26Oct2010, viewed 332 times

• How Not to Start Your Presentation: 10 Roads to Disaster
  Start your presentation on the right road by avoiding these 10 errors so you can start your speech in the right direction. You and your audience will be amazed at the difference.
  Published 29Sep2010, viewed 335 times

• Who's Knocking at My Door and What is He Selling?
  As a marketer I am always interested in what salespeople are doing and saying. But I don't have much patience. And I can be more edgy than some. Yet I have some empathy because I knocked on a lot of doors as a sales person, fund raiser and political campaigner.
  Published 19Oct2010, viewed 232 times

• Your Database: Your Most Valuable Asset!
  Some say that information is valuable. Not by itself. Relevant information about your customers is not only valuable but vital to the growth of your business.
  Published 27Sep2010, viewed 731 times

• Is There a Brand in Your Stand?
  Watch out for the branding gurus. Beware of the branding police who focus only on images of brand. Fire the branding consultants who feel qualified to tell you what your brand should be. Ignore the branding zealots who proclaim "brand or die".
  Published 21Sep2010, viewed 281 times

• Marketing Advantage: Small Business
  Small business has powerful advantages over big business when it comes to marketing. But small business often misses using these advantages because they are seduced into emulating the big corporations.
  Published 07Sep2010, viewed 263 times

• Why Are Conference Speakers So Bad?
  It was horrible. I watched the speakers at the conference. Their presentations were bad, very bad. They were boring, annoying and insulting. I left the room several times because I couldn't stand it. What did they do and what could they have done instead?
  Published 09Sep2010, viewed 422 times

• Presentation Crisis: How a Quote, Cartoon and Story Could Save Your Career
  The "Six Blind Men and the Elephant" saved my job. Facts might not be enough to convince people of your message. Use visuals such as charts or cartoons, or physical props such as products or tools. Verbal props come in several forms: quotations from famous people, anecdotes, plays, poems or even questions. I used my new-found communication skills and a combination of props to get me out of hot water with my company's auditors.
  Published 18Aug2010, viewed 408 times

• Marketing Strategy: Fight an Evil Enemy
  Conflict sells. If you want to be noticed fight a powerful and evil enemy. Who or what are you fighting? While planning your marketing strategy pick an enemy. The tougher, the meaner, the more disgusting your enemy - the better for you. That positions you as the hero.
  Published 10Aug2010, viewed 289 times

• Why Do We Fear Public Speaking?
  Public speaking is often rated as the greatest fear that adults have. Yet speaking by itself is not threatening to most. It's the public in public speaking that frightens people. Why is this? Perhaps it's the way that you learned to speak in public. Most of us started speaking when we were around 1 year old. Our first words were enthusiastically cultivated and celebrated by our parents. What went wrong?
  Published 05Aug2010, viewed 325 times

• What Makes an Entrepreneur?
  Entrepreneurs - the fastest growing area of our economy. What makes these strange people, risk takers and wealth generators tick? Why do entrepreneurs take risks, endure pain, fatigue, and embarrassment? What makes them run? Is it money, fame, rock and roll or sex?
  Published 22Jul2010, viewed 667 times

• Business Lessons from Las Vegas
  Study these important business lessons that I learned from Las Vegas.
  Published 15Jul2010, viewed 447 times

• The "One Thing" to be a Powerful Presenter: Pause
  What is the one thing that you can do to make your presentation more powerful and effective? Pause - more often and more dramatically. Discover how to do that.
  Published 30Jul2010, viewed 358 times

• Marketing - Art or Science?
  Is marketing an art or a science? The answer is yes. Marketing is both - an art and a science. Enjoy this point and counter point about the art and science of marketing. Use the strengths of both arguments to better understand and improve your marketing.
  Published 23Jun2010, viewed 323 times

• Marketing Definitions in the Raw
  Marketing has become a cult. It is rife with mysterious terms, magic powder and self-anointed gurus. Use this list of definitions to better understand the terminology and refute some of the ridiculous statements of the high priests. Warning: some of these definitions might offend some people.
  Published 23Jun2010, viewed 304 times

• 10 Tips to Master Questions During Your Presentation with Authority
  If this presentation is important to your success then you need to be well prepared for the questions and know how to handle the questions. It's not only about knowing the answers. It's more important how you handle the questions with authority.
  Published 15Jul2010, viewed 451 times

• 8 Powerful Public Speaking Tips
  When it's your turn to stand up and speak to an audience, whether it is a room of five or an auditorium of hundreds, you can speak confidently and effectively when you use these eight powerful public speaking tips.
  Published 22Jun2010, viewed 472 times

• Marketing Secret: Be a Name Dropper
  Imagine if you had the power of these names promoting your business: Wayne Gretzky, Lance Armstrong, Venus Williams, William Shatner or Celine Dion. Some companies paid millions to associate their products with these names. Why? Because there is something special in a name. A name conveys credibility, acceptance and emotional hunger. I want to be like him or her.
  Published 09Jun2010, viewed 320 times

• 300 Seconds and 7 Steps to Writing Your Speech
  The wrong thing for you to do is to immediately start writing the speech. Yet that is the strongest impulse you will feel. Fight that urge and instead think about what you want to accomplish. Ask yourself the following important questions and then start sketching out your speech. You'll be surprised at how quickly it goes when you follow this process.
  Published 10Jun2010, viewed 404 times

• Five Rules to Building Your Successful Marketing System
  If you want to make money like the Las Vegas hotels apply these five rules in your marketing systems. The fundamentals for a good system are the same in any field.
  Published 04Jun2010, viewed 289 times

• Top 10 Tips on How to Open Your Speech
  The mission of the opening to your presentation is to: 1. Grab their interest 2. Establish rapport 3. Introduce your topic What can you do during those opening seconds and minutes to ensure a powerful launch of your next presentation? Here are 10 techniques you can use to launch your speech more successfully.
  Published 02Jun2010, viewed 825 times

• How to Get Started as a Professional Speaker
  If you are thinking of becoming a professional speaker and you want to know where to start, then I offer you the same advice that helped me launch my speaking business many years ago.
  Published 26Jun2010, viewed 247 times

• How to Speak & Present Without Notes
  Here are three techniques that you can use to deliver your presentation without notes or at least fewer notes.
  Published 28May2010, viewed 503 times

• 9 Simple Tips for Better Presentations
  Do you want to make your next presentation more effective? Use these nine simple yet powerful presentation tips and techniques to enjoy better results when you speak before an audience.
  Published 21May2010, viewed 426 times

• 5 Emotional Marketing Triggers that Determine Why We Buy
  When you understand the marketing triggers that make people buy then you can sell more. And you can find more eager customers. Our emotions trigger us to buy. Don't make the mistake thinking that people buy what they need. People buy what they want. Needs are driven by logic while wants are driven by emotions.
  Published 19May2010, viewed 437 times

• Presentation Secret: Tell a story
  When you tell stories in your presentations you will sell more, persuade more effectively and enjoy greater results from your presentations. You'll also feel better about speaking because story telling is more comforting than giving a speech.
  Published 14May2010, viewed 604 times

• 8 Marketing Truths that Will Make You More Profitable
  Beware of the dangerous marketing myths that can destroy your business. You've probably heard most of them. Many are spread by the marketing mystics who don't understand or don't want you to understand the simple realities of marketing. The challenge for you is to sort the truths from the myths and the mystics from the masters.
  Published 12May2010, viewed 257 times

• 8 Presentation Flaws that Steal Your Money
  Have you ever wondered why some presentations are so painful to sit through and others can be delightful? Here are eight of the presentation flaws that I've witnessed at recent industry conferences. Be aware of them and avoid them.
  Published 07May2010, viewed 382 times

• Guerilla Marketing is Not for the Timid
  Do you want to be a guerilla marketer? Do you have the temperament to be a guerilla marketer? Are you ready for battle? To really understand guerilla marketing we need to examine the concept that it is based on - guerrilla warfare.
  Published 05May2010, viewed 388 times

• Presentation Success: How You Can Own the Room
  A successful presentation starts with the presenter owning the room. When you know and own the room, you will be a more powerful and confident presenter. That leads to more successful presentations for you. What can you do to own the room?
  Published 30Apr2010, viewed 551 times

• Branding: 7 Important Questions and the Straight Answers
  Consider these important questions about branding and the brutally honest answers that could help you sell more and save you lots of money that is typically wasted on branding. If you sell yourself as a branding expert - you might not like these answers. These are frank answers that demystify branding.
  Published 03May2010, viewed 610 times

• Public Speaker: Do Not Think on Your Feet
  Public speakers should not think on their feet. Presenters who try to wing it often fail, and fail miserably. Trying to deliver your presentation by thinking on your feet is an attempt to wing it. Winging anything is like spinning the roulette wheel and hoping for the best. That's not a good approach to anything especially delivering a presentation that might be important to you.
  Published 23Apr2010, viewed 500 times

• Branding Secrets from Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Marketer
  What can a growing business learn about branding from Genghis Khan? He united and ruled Mongolia. Genghis is known as a strong ruler and conqueror. Some might call him cruel and vicious. But he is remembered as a strong, memorable and effective leader.
  Published 22Apr2010, viewed 670 times

• Why are Extraverts Bad Public Speakers?
  What advantage do introverts have as public speakers?Extroverts are often bad public speakers. They can be trained but they need a lot of help. The biggest obstacle is their attitude. They do not want to be trained. They must first overcome the delusion that they are good. This can be very difficult for extraverts to accept because they crave the attention - and believe they receive attention from the admiring masses.
  Published 16Apr2010, viewed 487 times

• First Law of Networking: Scratch My Back and I'll Scratch Yours
  The law of reciprocity says that after you do something for me I will feel obligated to pay you back. Say hello and I answer you back. Ask me how I feel and I respond in kind. Hold a door for me to enter and I will thank you and be more inclined to hold it for the next person. This is the most important principle of networking.
  Published 14Apr2010, viewed 514 times

• Business Speaker is a Thief
  How would you like that to be the news headline after your next business speech? Business speakers and companies need to be more aware of what intellectual property they might be stealing. Sometimes good people steal without realizing it - especially intellectual property. However ignorance has never been a valid legal nor ethical defense. Of course stupidity and arrogance are not acceptable arguments either.
  Published 09Apr2010, viewed 486 times

• 3 Marketing Mistakes That Sink Business in a Recession
  A recession does not mean the end of your business unless you navigate those rough waters blindly. Here are three rocks that can sink your business ship unless you avoid them while navigating the dangerous waters of a tough market. You might get wet but no need to capsize.
  Published 07Apr2010, viewed 375 times

• Presentation Success: The First Question You Must Ask
  Before you deliver your next presentation you must ask yourself one critical question. If you ask yourself this question before every presentation you will create a more effective presentation every time - and you will write it faster.
  Published 02Apr2010, viewed 399 times

• Five Steps to Build a Personal Brand Like Harry Houdini
  What can you learn about personal branding from Harry Houdini? Don't focus on developing a brand! Five steps to develop an overwhelming personal brand without making the typical branding mistakes.
  Published 31Mar2010, viewed 970 times

• Branding Secrets from Death Cigarettes
  How can you create a powerful brand? Follow the advice of UK entrepreneur BJ Cunningham. This is powerful advice on creating a powerful brand.
  Published 26Mar2010, viewed 312 times

• 12 Suicide Pills for the Business Presenter
  How to deliver a career-ending presentation today Do you hate your job and want to be fired tomorrow? One sure way to move to the front of the line for dismissal is to deliver a suicide-pill presentation. Use any one or more of the following methods to deliver your career ending presentation. Use these presentation tips today and say hello to unemployment tomorrow.
  Published 26Mar2010, viewed 434 times

• What Do Your Best Customers Smell Like?
  Seven intimate questions that you must ask about your customers to prove that you really care about them. Discover how these questions will help you focus your business and boost your marketing results. Marketing intelligence starts by asking the right questions.
  Published 25Mar2010, viewed 309 times

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