deanladouceur.com

In Praise of Collaboration

2013-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

While Phil Jackson may be regarded as the most successful professional basketball coach, his collaboration with Tex Winter produced the Triangle Offense, which powered these championships. While Duke Ellington is considered a 20th Century Icon of jazz music, his collaboration with Billy Strayhorn produced the Ellington Band sound, and those memorable arrangements. Hum the first few bars of Take The A Train, if you ever doubt me.

Going it alone is a rocky, lonely and uncertain route. In my upcoming series of blogs, I will be introducing to a series of articles on this, In Praise of Collaboration.

Working with a professional collaborator will bring out the best in you. Collaboration brings in resources greater than your own. Collaboration allows others to bring both their expertise, experiences and and contacts.

Here are four quick benefits from working in collaboration:

1. Collaboration ends isolationism. - While one should never be the town crier of a great concept and tell everyone around town, the idea of having someone else who is a part of the process gives this a third party accountability. It also adds energy to the process.

2. Collaboration forces you to hear different opinions. – People with ideas for which they are passionate love to say phrases such as “Everyone needs …” “You’d thing that …” “My experience is that …” Often, this is little more than conjecture. Different opinions can help shape your idea profoundly.

3. Collaboration lets you give and get support and feedback. – In our minds, all ideas sound proud, tall and majestic. Yet, experience teaches us that not everyone has the same ideas we do. In collaborating, we work together to explain something, analyse something and listen as others express their perspectives.

4. Collaboration teaches you what you’re ‘willing to fight for …’ – A certain degree of challenging someone is important. If it doesn't happen in the creation stage, it will certainly happen in the marketplace.

Literature from the New Testament and Think to Grow Rich all champion the ability to work in concert. Entrepreneurs need to be open to the idea of having collaborators to achieve the outcomes which they seek.

All these messages ...

2013-01-13T21:01:00.001-08:00

Between ad's selling us things trying to make us more complete, social media posts trying to justify why someone thinks what they do, news broadcasts capturing our inhumanity to each other and the cold slap in the face of all life's data and details, do you really think you or I need another dose of the so called truth? How about spreading a little bit more hope and inspiration?

January's LinkedIn Seminars

2013-01-02T07:47:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone who have signed up for my conference calls about LinkedIn.

I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to teach what I know, make new friends and empower people.

Start your new year off by improving your profile on this powerful tool for business! Learn real tips, tools and techniques that make a difference in how you come across using this.

Here are the links with all the details and the ability to register for each:

1/3/13: http://linkedin2013.eventbrite.com

1/24/13: http://freelinkedinseminar.eventbrite.com

Holiday Wishes

2012-12-24T05:51:00.005-08:00

I have chosen to share with you a candle this holiday season.

The abundant number of candles above represent for me the great numbers of lives I have been fortunate to touch and been touched by during this past year. The holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa all use candles as part of their respective celebrations. As a Christian, I celebrate Christmas, but acknowledge each holiday which may be celebrated by my associates, friends and contacts.

I believe that the light from candles represents brightness, enlightenment, warmth and radiance. To me, these mean the qualities of hope, wisdom, faith and love.

On behalf of both my family and my companies, my personal wish to you is that your life be abundant with those qualities both now and throughout the New Year.

Best Wishes Always,

Dean La Douceur

FOUR THINGS I'M GIVING UP IN 2013

2012-12-20T12:13:00.001-08:00

FOUR THINGS I'M GIVING UP IN 2013: Mean, selfish people telling me how to treat others. People in poor health with estranged relationships telling me how to live. Self anointed experts who parrot their favorite pundits and don't think for themselves. Toxic business relationships where people want my expertise and skills for free because "I really like you Dean."

A restless soul

2012-12-18T00:10:00.002-08:00

It is a curse and a blessing being a restless soul. You reach for something more, you yearn for something better, you fix things others won't even touch. It comes with a few losses and broken hearts along the way. But the world is far better from your attempts then it is from all the well meant apathy of those who would fight to protect the status quo.

Getting Linked Up With Linkedin

2012-11-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

While many business professionals know they need to be on the social media platform LinkedIn, a majority of users are failing to use this tool to its fullest potential.

Don't miss the opportunity to learn more about using Linkedin to make vital connections, learn about inside business opportunities, prospect and close sales or talk with someone inside a company who can help get you a job.

This 75 Minute FREE Conference Call is your opportunity to learn how to position your profile to take advantage of these opportunities and more.

During the call, you will learn about these key elements:

The one sin where you are making a instant poor first impression - no matter what excuse you make.
How to think about LinkedIn in a different, more effective way.
How to get the people you want to connect to you, even if they aren’t on LinkedIn.
How to make a better first impression when asking people to connect with you.
Techniques to build your creability, leadership and name recognition.

All session participants will recieve our free check list to review against their profiles.

Plus, the first 25 sign ups will recieve an additional one on one 30 minute FREE evaluation call where we review and evaluate your Linkedin Profile.

Online Ticketing for Getting Linked Up With Linkedin powered by Eventbrite

Support Services for Small Businesses

2012-11-22T13:13:00.001-08:00

Vouchers for RTP Services are an outstanding way to achieve your marketing and communications goals and lock in a budget pleasing price.

With one of our vouchers:

You pre-purchase amounts of time in five hour increments.
You purchase them at a discounted rate - Only $50 per hour, instead of $68 an hour based upon our traditional bill rate.
You can budget them for the services and projects you need.
You receive all the time and attention as regular clients.
Each voucher is good for 12 months from date of purchase, with one three month extension if working on a current project.

Possible Solutions

WRITING COACH - Drawing forth your best ideas and helping you put them on paper!

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Design, focus and manage writing projects including books, training modules, campaigns and

EDITING: Objective views of content and continuity. Proofing for correct content.

RETAINED WRITING SERVICES: Some call this 'ghost writing,' but I ain't afraid of no ghosts.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS

NEWS AND SECTOR SPECIFIC PRESS RELEASES: Writing, Distribution and Media Contact.

EXPANDED MEDIA MATERIALS: Creating Press Kits, Media Portfolios and Query Letters to Editors/Producers/Gatekeepers.

TRADITIONAL COPY WRITING: Direct Mail Pieces, Postcards, Print Newsletters and PowerPoint Presentations.

SOCIAL MEDIA COPY WRITING: Blogging, Posting, Tweeting, Web Site Content, Search Engine Optimization.

CUSTOM WRITING: Sales and Business Letters, Policy and Procedure Manuals, Employee Handbooks, Technical Writing, Writing In Collaboration, Writing For Publication, Biographies.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS

COLLABORATION: Retained collaboration on the above areas, marketing and communications consulting, custom research projects.

ON SITE REPRESENTATIVE: Media Liaison, Emcee/Host, Spokesperson or Special Event Coverage Contact.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Production assistance from concept through output.

STRATEGIC PLANNING: Assistance developing and implementing your marketing, media communications strategy.

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS: Who to call, after your lawyer, when 60 Minutes is at your door.

Don't Slam Other Professionals - It's Not Professional

2012-11-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Our hometown online paper recently had an article where a reader was looking for help writing a resume. A recruiter almost instantly responded, "I am a recruiter and always happy to help someone craft a resume. They can message me. Don't ever pay for a resume service...they aren't worth it a d you can easily find free help!"

As a communications professional, I felt the need to say something to her. While many people can write a fine and functional resume, others don't have the interest, skills or time to do such.

I discreetly sent her the following note:
"As a professional writer, I was concerned about your statement in response to the (local newspaper's) inquiry for someone to aid with resume writing. I wanted to share some thoughts with you. Not all resume writers or communications professionals are created equal.

When I work with career changers, I try to be as supportive as I can. My goal is to bring high value to the interaction. Often their resumes read like job descriptions and lack both achievements and activities. I believe that when a job hunter is looking for work, often their lowered self esteem makes it more challenging to talk about their strengths and accomplishments. So, I prompt them often with questions which both give the resume heft and substance, and helps them to see that they did achieve goals. One of my value added propositions is trying to insure their social media profiles sync with their materials so they speak in one voice to both hiring managers and recruiters. I also work with people so when they file an application on an app site, that they have the tools to sell their skills not just type in a job descriptions. This value added time and mentoring is often not billable, but every bit as valuable to these career hunters as they head out with their newly minted resume.

It has been a great challenge in our current economy to be a professional writer and communicator. Many prospects and clients who have a college education feel that they can write resumes, press releases, ad copy, training modules or technical writing with the same level of experience, insights and expertise which I bring. Other times, I meet people who want to pay us $7.40 an hour because the belief is that I really didn’t do anything, despite the fact they were struggling with it. Distilling one’s experience into a series of crisp, succinct statement, formatting the document to be professional and delivering a highly usable end result is often thankless work.

Any blanket statement about anyone in an industry many not come across as professional as I perceive that someone like you would like it to be. That could be akin to saying bankers are cheap, IT programmers are nerds and doctors all think they are Gods.

My experience has been that the good recruiters help many professionals with tightly defined skill sets, such as IT, technical sales, or medical services. But for far too many others, the majority of your peers won't work as hard for a $35K mid level job for a career-changer. The commissions aren’t there as it is for a VP of Finance, Java Beans with Cocoa certified programmer or Neurology Clinic Director/Researcher.

My thought is that you not lump anyone together, be it communications professionals or recruiters. I do sincerely wish you only the best and success serving your clients."

I'm still waiting to hear something ....

One easy step to increase the power, presence and persuasiveness of how you communicate.

2012-10-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the easiest trick when writing to insure that you are clear and accurate each and every time you write. Give every noun (person, place or thing) you ever write on the dignity of calling it by its proper name.

Even using slang or jargon is better than using a word like "things." No matter what you talk about, share the real identification of what something is or is not.

Objects in nature are often major victims of holding back. An evergreen and an oak are very different trees, as are poplars, willows, birches and redwoods. Too many writers opt for trees.

Let's look at this:

Car is so-so. Sports car is better. 2012 Lamborghini Aventador tells you that you better have $380K worth of cash to get all this performance out of the dealer's parking lot.

Cloth is so-so. Fabrics is better. Crisp wool suit that's finished, but not too tight in a look that goes from office to after work tells you just how you look and feel in the outfit. (I'm not a fashionista, so I had to ask someone who is about this one.)

In business, word economy in communications is cherished by most readers. When you focus your words like a red, hot laser beam, your message is clear and accurate ... and hits the target.

Increase the power, presence and persuasiveness of how you communicate - Name names. This will also increase your brain power as well.

Windows 8: Where Are We Going Today?

2012-10-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

The release of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system is only a week away. And, the promises are that this will be the most dramatic change in how the system looks, feels and operates since Windows ’95 replaced Windows 3.1.

Right now, Microsoft appears to be truly reminiscent of an aging pop star. It needs a hit to be highly relevant again. Its greatest successes are in the past, like Journey, Styx and Foreigner. If a UK judge in June can determine that Samsung’s tablets do not legally infringe on Apple’s iPads, because “they are not as cool;” Microsoft needs to really have a breakthrough to be considered "one of the cool kids."

A key to their strategy appears to be ripping a play straight from the Apple playbook. The introduction of the Surface tablet as a proprietary item is one way that Microsoft will challenge Apple. The other key is that Windows 8 is going to be one OS across hardware platforms, unlike Apple who has different OS for their handheld devices and their laptops/desktops.

To Microsoft’s credit, they are always willing to give it a go. At times it's seems like they show up too little and too late to the party with its efforts, but the creatives in Redmond have never been shy about reworking any idea which they feel they can do better. Considering their success rate on products, for every X-Box they make, there’s a Zune. For every MS Office, there’s a BOB, a Bing, a Vista and Clippy the talking paperclip Sure, Apple is not totally immune to failure. Just look at Apple TV, Newton and iWork to name a few. But, right now, Apple is top of the charts as the innovation and style leader. Apple, Inc. is truly the world’s most profitable company. Those who dissed Apple ten or more years ago as a product of the creative class now own several of their products. The world rocks to an iPod and communicates on an iPhone.

Microsoft also has to learn how not to tick off their core corporate clients while coming across as innovative and leading to end users. Any piece of popular culture has the challenge of being either too hip or too hype. With the promotion I've seen in place, perhaps the hype will keep users from trying what promises to be interesting ways to communicate.

There will always be a place for the Microsoft OS. A piece of hardware has to boot up somehow. While the OS is the heart of the computer, it is no longer the soul. With all our online apps, cloud storage and handheld devices; desktops and laptops have become more like Thin Clients, where the core programs are stored and hosted someplace else. Google has attempted to bypass hardware based apps with Chromebooks and Android tablets to only limited success.

But to answer the 1994 question Microsoft asked, “Where do you want to go today?” the overwhelming answer today is anywhere I want to go ... but not just only on this one piece of hardware.

MoreOpens

2012-10-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

"Whether you are an email marketing pro, or a novice, you will find useful information in Dean’s presentation of “How to get MORE readers to open your business email.”

-- Lori T. Williams,

Owner/Managing Attorney,

Your Legal Resource, PLLC

"Packed with useful information. A non-stop flow of good ideas and insights."

-- Dave Biskner

Franklin Hamilton

Two sessions are scheduled for our " How to get MORE readers to open your business email" FREE CONFERENCE CALL.

Join us on Tuesday 10/23 at 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT http://moreopenstuesdaypm.eventbrite.com/

Join us Thursday 10/25 at 11:00 am ET/8:00 am PT http://moreopensthursdayam.eventbrite.com/

Each call is limited to only 30 and they are filling up - Please save your seat now. If you have any questions you want answered specifically answered during the presentation or need additional assistance, you can either email me at dean@roundtablepromotions.com.

A pause this week ...

2012-10-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Pardon me for not sharing a new content post the week of October 8, 2012. With the passing of my dear friend, Charles F. "Fritz" Spademan, I prefer to take the week to heal, reflect and remember the man who so many of us called dear. Thank you for understanding.

What's the rest of the year look like for you?

2012-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to October. What's the rest of the year look like for you?

If you own a business or are a manager, this is a vital question you need to ask yourself NOW.

If your fiscal year is based on the calendar year, you have just over one quarter left to go. For several industries, fourth quarter is the difference between success and failure. Retail has just enjoyed its annual back to school bump. With the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas buying seasons ahead, its make or break time for many sectors.

Fourth Quarter means seasonal changes which can mean the beginning or the end of a sales cycle. Fourth Quarter also means less business calendar days and less business opportunities, due to the holidays. Don't be caught flat footed on December 15th that the rest of the year is just dead time until the start of the new year.

Here's several ideas to insure that when the calendar changes to 2013, you won't just affirm that things will be different in the coming year.

BE YOUR OWN CONSULTANT. Give yourself permission to make a fearless and searching look at this year. Be willing to see things as they are. Don't hide behind could be's or denials? Ask yourself the tough questions.
Take an accurate financial snapshot of your company and look at candid look what it says. If you know your business, it should be easy to see where you're at -- Is their something driving revenue? Is there someplace where you are leaking money? Do you have to make a tough decision for the future or are things better than you imagined?
Talk to your business support team before the end of the year. Ask your lawyer, accountant, marketing people, HR consultant and others on whom you rely ... are their changes coming in the new year that I need to act upon now? Laws change. Tax codes change. Acting now and acting as if could make any sort of switch less painful.
Are their goals, budget items or plans that you made back in the day which are incomplete, part done or you didn't even start?
Can you take this analysis and start to build your 2013 business plan and budgets? Has a new client changed the way you do business? Are there factors which have changed how you look at your operations? Is there something you absolutely need to do, that you need to make a plan to achieve?

Soon enough, we will be turning the page on 2012. Act now while you have the time and ability to make changes which will strengthen your business for next year and beyond.

How to get more readers to open your business email ...

2012-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

In business, good communication with customers, prospects, vendors and stakeholders is critical. Broadcast email is still widely regarded as one of the most cost effective ways to reach an audience today.

How you use email is a matter of individual tactics. Do you use broadcast emails or just communicate specifically with one person at a time? Do you look upon receiving these as spam or direct communication? How does email fit in to the marketing mix of what you do to attract and retain business?

Email use may be trending more towards business and marketing related activity, but it is still the pivot point for all things online. One aspect most social media sites still can not get past - you need an email address to sign up for them and for them to send your notifications such as a lost password. Sorry Mr. Zuckerberg, that's just how you set the system up.

I built Round Table Promotions on the strength of broadcast email. One phrase I hear quite often when meeting someone for the first time is, "I get your emails." In the age of social media, people I come in contact with still want to get the emails I send out, or want to be on the list. My lists may have grown and shrunk over time, but people still appreciate hearing from another business owner they know and trust.

Emerging technologies keep influencing how we communicate, but email in some form is here to stay. Four years ago, mobile marketing ... using text messages to cell phones was supposed to be the next big means to communicate. This has been significantly reduced by Smart Phone Apps, which let users choose when they want to interact with you through a dedicated application. Of course, there is an financial and time investment in developing this technology. Many people push out messages using all number of general and focus specific social media sites.

Here are three quick ideas to improve what you are already doing:

One - Give me a reason to read it from the moment I see it. Treat the subject like like you were writing a newspaper headline. Make it stick out and do so with good word economy, right around seven words if you can.

If it is a newsletter or offering, use something from inside that will pique the reader's curiosity. "How to stop losing money by ... secrets of successful ... How to get more readers to open your business email - I recently used that headline and it attracted your attention. In a broadcast email, action words including FREE, gain, receive, act now to are great attention getter's. Other words that cut through the clutter include: secret, awesome, skills and helpful

When you send out individual emails, the same rule applies. With a subject saying just "Minutes from Tuesday's Meeting," you are less likely to get an open verses "Need you to review these minutes from Tuesday's Meeting." A call to action will get it out of the stack and in front of the receiver's eyeballs.

Two - Have the right mixture of selling and telling. Reward me for opening any email I get by making me fell smarter for having done so. Avoid sending a broadcast business email that only sells, sells, sells. Even if you are promoting something, look for a way to make us aware of something that will help us feel better, smarter or solve a problem. Include a tip, which could spark interest in a different product or service your offer.

For individual correspondence, think back to when people sent actual, formal business letters. Use some of the transitions that you would use back then: Thank you for your assistance with this ... I appreciate the prompt attention you are giving this matter ... I appreciate our most recent meeting and gained a great deal from it. For those of you who are "just the facts" types, you are missing out on opportunities to increase your rapport with this person and bring ideas to the dialogue that they may or may not have thought of before.

Three - Test, test, test what you're doing. Learn from the tests. Pay attention to the things that get you results. If something you did or said gets a quick response rate or a positive rate of interaction, then use that knowledge the next time. Don't stay stuck in three years ago - continue to test and monitor.

For broadcast emails, test your subject lines. There is a rule that if you send out two emails with the same exact content, but change just the subject lines, one will have a superior open rate verses the other. I have found this to be true every time.

I am offering a FREE online conference call for business professionals who design and implement their own marketing programs or those valuable assistants who do this on behalf of an organization.

To better accommodate your busy schedule, we have two sessions from which to choose:
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM EDT*/1:00 PM PDT^ - http://moreopenstuesdaypm.eventbrite.com

Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT*/8:00 AM PDT^ - http://moreopensthursdayam.eventbrite.com

When you register in advance, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to participate. Take the next step towards becoming a more powerful communicator using this tool. Sign up NOW!

Dead Words

2012-09-21T07:52:00.001-07:00

The following words have been officially proclaimed as dead: "stuff," "think," "nice, "fun," "good" and "great."

This news comes to me from my youngest daughter Leelee and her fifth grade class. Her teacher has posted them on the wall of the classroom in an attempt to have her students use more exact language in their speaking and writing. I applaud this.

These are the tired, bland, polite, lifeless words that most kids and far too many adults use in writing, conversations and communicating with each other. Our messages would be more clear and precise if we never used these ever again. Catch yourself ... listen as you speak and look as you proof your writing. Are you keeping these tepid, powerless words alive as verbal zombies? We are now going to be word killers.

"Stuff." - We all have too much stuff. Yet, the word doesn't describe anything we own. If you want an accurate examination of this, enjoy this clip of George Carlin. He makes the point about our slavery to items we own. Let's put this word out of our misery! (DISCLAIMER: This is a classical Carlin clip, so he does use great language and drop in a few swear words to keep it salty. If you are sensitive about this, don't watch it - just keep reading.)

"Think" - I know that "think" needs to be sent a early grave. Too many people begin any information they share with these two words: "I think." When giving an opinion, out will pop the cousin of I think, "I feel." Why not jump right in to your reasons? Do our opinions need a running start to get up to speed? Do we need to tell the world that ideas were first in our brains, and then came from our mouth? Using this dramatically waters down our ideas and insights. Share them direct. We know you can think.

"Nice." - My skin is crawling. The word "nice" tends to be used in rather a wishy-washy sense these days. In general use it tends to mean anything that is satisfactory, but not too strong ... since we don't want to over commit or hurt someone's feelings if they feel differently. Sit near any playground and you will hear a maternal voice over the din of the kids calling out at some point, "PLAY NICE!" Let's grab a stake, stab it in the heart and kill this one now!

"Fun" is done. Again, another bland excuse to hold back how we really feel. If something is truly fun, take us on the journey. Give your communications the full power of what happened. Let us know the full range and then we can determine if your your level of enjoyment. "Fun" is done, in my book.

The twins "Good" and "Great" are last on the list. Good is a tepid endorsement at best. Upon hearing the word good, we want to know the down side. Why wasn't it great? "Great" suffers from a lack of specifics. If I tell you that it was "Great," the question "Why?" isn't far behind. "Great" works for animated tigers promoting breakfast cereal. Take the buffer out of your sentence and tell us that it was the most delicious meal you can recall, a truly memorable vacation, the wisest investment you ever made or your professional recommendation. Maybe we can kill these two with a bank shot?

You have better words, thoughts and insights inside you - I know it! Take the time to post these words at your desk. As you proof your writing or collect your thoughts, take the time to move past these words. Lets call them dead and buried. Rest In Peace!

2012-06-03T10:30:00.001-07:00

2012-05-30T14:49:00.002-07:00

Qualities of A Powerful Networker - Big Picture Thinker

2012-02-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

During a speech for The South East Michigan Entrepreneurs Association, I shared a list of 20 Qualities of a Powerful Networker. The list was quite well-received by those in attendance. Over the next several weeks, I will be taking several of the 20 I shared and expanding upon it.

One key quality of a powerful networker is they are A Big Picture Thinker. It is important someone sees the micro/macro view of what they do and how what they do fits in to that picture.

One of the most successful networkers who demonstrates this is Lori Williams, founder and president of Your Legal Resource. Her business is built on bringing together qualified, competent legal representation with individuals and companies who require such services.

While public speaking and going to the dentist are the top of surveys for activities people dislike, dealing with lawyers would also be in many people's top 10. She has taken steps to ensure the right fit of client and representation and does so professionally, with no out of pocket cost to the client.

Here is someone who saw a greater need and built a business around it. She could have continued upon a successful career as a lawyer, but chose to head in a different direction. The direction involved helping others to have the successful outcomes which they seek.

Williams has also been a champion to aid lawyers and their staffs in using networking and communications to assist them in removing the barriers between them and prospective clients. Her company stages training events and workshops to provide legal professionals an ability to embrace interpersonal skills as well as emerging technologies to get closer to those who need this support. She is an active member in her chamber as well as other groups, not just because it makes sense from a business point of view, but because she feels her service can make a different in an often times complex and litigious world. Her efforts were affirmed as she was named Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year in 2011.

As an experienced attorney herself with over 20 years in the legal field, Williams brings the skilled, intuitive counselor side of the legal profession to both client and attorney. She has made her success by understanding the needs of both sides and provided a format from which each can accomplish their objectives.

For more information, you can find Lori Williams online at http://www.bestlegalresource.com or may call directly at 248-594-4470.

"Lunch N' Learn" To Replace Round Table Promotion's Third Thursday

2012-01-31T20:49:00.000-08:00

Rochester Hills, MI - (February 1, 2012) -- Round Table Promotions has announced that it is jumping back in to the mid-day event business, but gone is the term 'Third Thursday.

"Events will now be known as 'Lunch N' Learn," ' announced President & CEO Dean La Douceur, "It's as if an old friend has come back for business professionals, but after the hiatus ... she comes back with a new name."

La Douceur explains, "The core of the event is the lunch n' learn. While we never want to down play any opportunity for some to build their business, the opportunity to learn and bring ideas and insights to people has been a strong aspect of our event for over six years."

La Douceur also likes not being tethered to one specific date, "You don't know how many speakers and presenters who have wanted to do the event have declined because of a standing obligation on their part on Thursdays in general, or that day of the month. Now, if it works on a Tuesday or Friday, we have more freedom to book people in a more natural order."

Kicking off the series is Kym Johnson, President and Owner of KSJ Marketing Communications will talk on Marketing 911: Quick Fixes and Long Term Solutions to get your message out! "Kym has attended many of our events in the past, and I know that she will bring some great insights and ideas to the event." This session will be held on Thursday, February 16, 2012, from 1:30am until 1:30pm. Other speakers, dates and times will be announced as details are finalized.

La Douceur has been hosting lunch and learn events since June 2005. The roster of speakers has been an A list of Southeastern Michigan newsmakers, thought leaders, authors and experts in their fields. Round Table Promotions is a Rochester Hills-based event management and publicity firm.

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Signature Chiropractic - Wellness and Newtrition

2012-01-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

Click here for our interview with Dr. Michael Lorente from Signature Chiropractic

Have You Reached A Tech Plateau?

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

I find more and more people are hitting a Tech Plateau.

I define this observation as when tech users find a level where someone is in a state from comfortable to saturated with the available technology options and having found a plateau there.

I know tech smart and savvy people who will argue that the best is yet to come, and that many new available options are so exciting and going to create so much ... blah, blah, blah. Its a case of those who like something and can not see that there are those who have issues with it or struggle with it.

Tech plateauing is a passive-aggressive rebellion to not wanting to learn any more technology. Last week, I heard the anger of one radio morning show host with Facebook. He says he will use only Twitter anymore, verses all the other social media accounts he has. Another business owner and entrepreneur says that he sees little if any return on investment for all the drip, drip, drip of building his brand and informing people about him and his expertise, and is going back to more traditional methods like postcards. I read the work a well respected journalist who screams that so much of the content people write is all fire, ready, aim! His concern is that everyone wants to play journalist, without the checks and balances. And, like many shiny objects ... the allure of the New Communications Frontier is starting to wane.

There is basis for all this. Over the last fourteen years, we have had some need around adapting to technology literally crammed down our throats. We have been told back in 1998 that Y2K was going to do is in -- people made the changes needed and it didn't. And from there, it has been a stream of tech warnings, challenges and advisories ... that some virus is going eat their photos and some bad man is going to steal our identity, that our website needs greater SEO and our computers need the latest OS, that we are all yesterday's news if we didn't tweet and post and meme and show that we like things, and all groan at some marginally funny video on some web page that wouldn't make the cut on America's Funniest Videos.

Now, these people on the tech plateau have reached a point where they only want to use functional and relevant technology for their real lives. They don't object to using a spreadsheet to add a column of numbers or order through their kid's video game console the latest on line streamed movie, verses standing in line at the vestibule of the supermarket to get it from a machine. The like having options on their phone, but their are more options there then they would use. They may prefer to tweet over post, but not do both not have an app that makes them the mayor of some restaurant where the main purpose was to enjoy a good meal and not claim some sort of dominion.

This endless stream of technology based solutions has left many of these people feeling some what empty. You think I'm wrong ... how many people are you connected to on a given social media site who were not active in the last 14 days? I listen to teens and twenty somethings, often the initial adopters, who are actually burned out on all this. I talk to peers who just would rather spend their time doing something else. I tell you that many of them have reached their tech plateau.

All this high tech has lead for a need for real touch. This means they need to have contact with people face to face ... not through video cam's, avatars and qwerty keyboards. They want to feel a handshake and a hug, not a smiley face at the end of a post. They want real warm relationships with people, not just lists of so called friends who they couldn't pick out of a picnic at the park. This has become a reverse revenge on the nerds, where the people who thought they were so smart now look kind of shallow to some. They want to have a conversation with someone they know and can count on, not someone who knows of 127 other people that they also know.

Those who are tech advocates and those haven't plateaued in their interest will say that this is nonsense. They frankly have not reached their tech plateau. Some of them will some day and some of them won't. Look at smart phone take rates. Look at users on each social media site - only the nation of China has more people than Facebook. Yet, just because people use, buy and sign up doesn't mean they are fulfilled by the experience. Often, it is that the newspaper is only home delivered three days a week and no longer every day why they log on ... not because they want to log on.

It isn't the end of bigger, higher and faster onset of technology and applications by a long shot. I don't expect to see scores of Christmas iPads and Kindle readers left on the curb by Easter. I doubt that people will want rotary dials on their Android phones. I doubt that IBM selectric typewriters will be replacing HP laptops anytime soon. High tech is here to stay, like it or not. I just feel the fervor that many felt at one point will start to wane. Also like any plateau, there is a need for a killer app where people will engage.

People will still go to the electronics super store, cell phone kiosk, computer warehouse and all the other shopping websites in an attempt to at least know what the Jones are buying, rather then try to keep up with them.

Some tech plateauers will hearken back to a less tech specific age which seems more certain and prosperous, less dangerous and far less invasive. Maybe it will be this rush of nostalgia when people didn't have to check in from everywhere to ask us what we thought about, "Crunchy or Smooth?"

"Technology may be a wonderful servant, but can be a cruel master."

Taking Stock For 2012 Through A Professional Inventory

2011-12-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

I spoke this morning (12/29/11) on the Entrepreneur's Network radio show with Ike Engelbaum. I wanted to just quickly share some thoughts about the idea of a personal inventory.

If you had a storehouse full of half open packages on shelves, sealed boxes on pallets and other unmarked items, you would want to know what you have before you go to market. That is a physical inventory of your business.

As complex people who have much going on both personally and professionally, this is an effective tool to reflect back and look forward. This specific technique is borrowed from the numerous 12-step programs. But you can also see it in several spiritual practices as well.

PLEASE Don't over think this - just sit down and write it. The right things will come to mind. Write down goals, successes and disappointments. Think about what do did right and on what you want to improve. You don't need a specific form or format. Spiral notebooks, legal pads and hardbound journal books all work just fine for it.

The key to this, as is the the key to all writing, is to start. Write as much as you can. Let your hand flow across the page. Don't let things stop you or interrupt you. Write until you have nothing else to say.

If things come out about relationships or other areas of your life, this is OK. We are whole persons. Look for patterns in what you right. If you have a lot of successes listed, but they aren't fulfilling; this may mean you aren't challenging yourself. If you have a lot of loose ends that need tying up; perhaps you start a lot but have issues bringing things to completion or their are barriers between you and completion. Patterns will emerge if you are willing to see them.

If you need help or have questions, you can email me at dean@roundtablepromotions.com or call our offices at 248-383-5793.

Moving forward in 2012 through forgiveness.

2011-12-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

In order to move forward in 2012, I have chosen to work an honest program of working on myself and removing barriers to having the life I choose to have.

I dedicate this blog to a former minister and spiritual adviser I was close to in the early 1990's. I recently saw his profile on a mutual friend's social media site and this memory came back to me.

I went to him then with the idea of writing and publishing a newsletter about business communications and public relations. He did everything in his power to talk me out of it. As I recall it, I hear his voice telling me "Who would read it?" I was privately devastated. But I took his advice and dropped the idea. I suspect that my adviser may have meant it as a gut check to see how much I really wanted to do that, and what I was willing to do to achieve the goal. I also think he may have felt my efforts would be more successful if employed by someone else. I look back to see that I took this to mean that I was incapable of writing successfully under my own name.

If asked, I doubt he would even remember the conversation. I may have buried the details of that day, but at the sub-conscious level ... I know this affected me greatly. I also wonder how this 'realistic attitude' colored the thoughts and work efforts for the projects I took from others. But the realization of what he said and what he did was a painful memory. The world is filled with enough people wanting us to 'just be realistic,' verses supporting our dreams.

As someone who has set the goal of publishing my first self-authored book in 2012, I felt the need to have closure about this. Over the past few days, I have quietly and privately looked at it and prayed a good deal about it. I have two choices: hang on to the memory and give up or forgive him and move on.

I chose forgiveness.

Forgiveness isn't the easier choice. I know that from working with this that I forgive him to free up my energy and move forward. The resentments and anger have been mine to carry for almost twenty years. So, I have chosen to forgive him with my entire mind and my heart. I choose to make decisions about whom and what I am and how I express that. While he may have offered me well-meaning counsel, the ultimate decision here is mine. I wish him only the best and release any perceptions and judgments I have about what he said. I wish him nothing but the best both now and in the future. I also release him and I of any judgments and blame associated with his counsel.

Bottom line: I now forgive that guy and I move on.