by Steve Livingston on November 12, 2010
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Idea generation is at the cornerstone of all successful marketing and strategic thinking.
Mark Levy has written a truly brilliant and fresh book on effective idea generation called Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content
. In this book, Levy encourages readers, in essence, to write faster than your conscious mind can think – no time to stop and ponder – in order to get all your ideas, thoughts, concerns etc on paper / screen. In doing so you effectively empty your mind. He suggests you aim for 10 or 20 minutes non-stop ‘free writing‘. You should then pause to pick through and organise important stuff, links, ideas and concerns by highlighting or bolding key sentences or thoughts. Once you’ve sorted key points you can then set off on further 10-20 minute bouts of free writing to dig even deeper.
I’ve found free writing exercises to be extremely helpful in unleashing more creative and productive ideas which have turned into really interesting plans and actions. It is so easy to get caught up in endless thought-loops and free writing can help unblock these frustrating dead-ends by getting everything out of your head. Once in full flow I’ve found myself (or subconscious mind) willing and able to dig far deeper and, only by finding channels such as this, can potential new openings and ideas be unlocked.
I recommend you get hold of this book and give it a try – especially if you’re looking for that elusive creative breakthrough or killer idea.
by Steve Livingston on September 3, 2010
As business owners, we sometimes struggle to clearly convey our business message to potential customers e.g. exactly what benefits we can bring or what pain we can alleviate?
In a noisy marketplace we can’t afford to miss selling opportunities – which makes effective communication skills increasingly important.
Fortunately, Andrew Thorp has come to the rescue in the North West with his series of Speakeasy events which aim to help entrepreneurs and business owners hone their business message.
Andrew released a short free ebook fairly recently called The A-Z of Persuasive Communication which is a good incisive read capturing many of the key learning points.
Armed with these tips you’ll feel more focused, confident and ready to get out there to speak to potential new clients and targets.
