CleverTips: Stretch yourself and Achieve More For Your life

August 22, 2008 Many of us are unable to live our fullest and richest lives because of the FEAR we created for ourselves. If we learn to manage our fear, we will be able to stretch out and achieve much more for our lives.

Following are a few types of fear that many of us experience:
-          Fear of failure
-          Fear of too much responsibility
-          Fear of asking for help
-          Fear of inability to receive help
-          Fear of rejection
-          Fear of change
-          Fear of criticism

The secret is: Never face your fears ALONE and face them all at the SAME time. Handle one fear at the time and tick them off one by one. Write down the worst scenario that could happen and you might be surprised that the fear might not really that big.

One of top techniques to deal with fear is 'Feel the fear and do it anyway!' Susan Jeffers
Another technique is think of this quote and make your own decision:
"You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety." Abraham Maslow

(C) Camtu Pham
Founder, CleverLink
Author, Aim High Fly Fast

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

How to come up with brilliant ideas

August 15, 2008

CleverTips: How to come up with brilliant ideas

• Turn problems into challenges
• Believe that you can come up with brilliant ideas
• Reserve some time every day to do nothing else but thinking
• Share ideas with like minded people
• Play with kids and let the child within you re-emerge
• Experience a new environment. Visit somewhere you have never been to,
  eat at a new restaurant, choose a different path to walk on, etc.
• If you are awake at night and cannot go back to sleep – don’t just stay in
  bed to toss and turn. Get up and experience your creativity juice flows.
  Some best ideas come in the middle of the night
• Keep a journal. Always have a pen and paper by your bed side to catch the creativity of your sub-conscious mind

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

How to conduct a successful teleconference

August 8, 2008

CleverTips: How to conduct a successful teleconference

No technology can replace the F2F (Face to Face) meetings. Especially the ones with a nice hot cappuccino! :-)
However, time and cost that is associated with meetings can become an issue for all of us. That's when tools such as teleconferencing become useful.

Here are 10 tips to assist you to get things done effectively via a conference call:

BEFORE the Call

1. Schedule a time just as you would do for a meeting. Remember to decide on duration and let the other person know

2. Identify the purpose of the call

3. Limit the agenda to no more than 5 items

4. Email or fax the agenda at least 3 hours before the call (2 days before would be better)

DURING the Call

5. Allow at least 2 minutes to catch up on social aspects

6. Decide who will lead the meeting and make sure to stay on the key topics

7. Take notes and identify actions

8. If you invite other parties to join the teleconference - get them to identify themselves before speaking

AFTER the Call

9. Collate the thoughts and write them down. Summarise the actions

10. Email the notes to each other to confirm

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

Visual Communication - A winning tool for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS

August 1, 2008

Visual Communication - A winning tool for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS

Most of us are more focused on our verbal and written communication.

I would like to encourage and challenge you to pay more attention to VISUAL communication skills.

Here are 8 benefits of how EFFECTIVE Visual Communication can help YOU and YOUR BUSINESS:

1. Making a positive impression and holding readers attention: A well laid out brochure or resume WILL get read.

2. Gaining respect: Yes - a good design and layout can convey professionalism.

3. Creating "BUY" emotion: How many of us "get sold" by emotion? Too many!

4. Generating FOCUS: A professional brochure, web site or invitation can make people focus on what you are trying to convey.

5. Creating good memories: A good logo can jump out to get people's attention and can sink into their mind and stays there.

6. Tempting and referring: Badly designed marketing material usually ends up in the bin before it gets read. Good design stays and get passed around.

7. Calling for DECISION and ACTIONS: Visual power is enormous - it can generate desire, call for actions and kill procrastination

8. Achieving your intension: Visual communication can help you achieve the above 7 points and of course - your ultimate goals.

Visit our graphic design services for more tips on visual communication: logo design, brochure design, business card design, banner design, etc

Contact John Chichkan from our office 1300 721 837 or john@cleverlink.com.au  if you like to have your visual marketing materials review for FREE of charge. John can also send you a price list of our design and printing service for your future needs.

About John - CleverLink's E-Business and Branding Consultant

John has a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing, from the University of Wollongong and is currently undertaking a Masters in Strategic Management and Marketing.

John joins our team with a wealth of sales and marketing experience after a career working with both Multinational and Blue Chip Australian companies. His core strengths are in Strategic Marketing, in particular B2B Marketing, and also in business to consumer marketing.  Additionally, the experience he has garnered as a business owner, importer and exporter himself, means he is well placed to help you promote your business. 

John’s knowledge and experience will help you by identifying the most effective strategies for your business in order to expand and improve your sales and your profitability.

Contact CleverLinkon 1300 721 837 or service@cleverlink.com.au to engage John and CleverLink's services

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

CleverTips: How to deal with everyday risks and challenges

July 25, 2008

CleverTips: How to deal with everyday risks and challenges

All of us are facing risks and challenges in our daily life.
How we handle the situations will determine our success in the long run.
Someday we have more than we can manage. Other days we need a "subtle push" to move ahead.

Here are my tips on handling risks & challenges.

1. Ask yourself: "Is it my challenge or is it someone else's?".

Do not pull your hair out if the problems are not yours to solve!

2. Find your tools: Two of the most effective tools to solve problems are a blank sheet of paper and a good pen.

3. Write down all your challenges & risks that you need to handle.

"Download" all your worries onto paper. Create more space in your brain for other useful things

4. Identify if the risks are good risks. If not, forget them

5. List all possible solutions for your challenges and select the most appropriate solution.

6. Write down the worst scenario that could happen.
You may realise that the risks are not that big!

7. Implement a plan and move on. Ask your team, manager, mentor,

your family and friends to help. Invest your energy on positive matters. Not problems.

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

FREE or almost FREE software

July 18, 2008

FREE or almost FREE software

Download Free or almost FREE software from download.com

www.download.com is one the most comprehensive sources of free-to-try software downloads on the Web. The site includes audio programs, utilities, Internet and desktop software and applications for developers and small business users.

You can go to the site and enter what you are looking for in the search function. The chances are – you will find many options of what you are looking for – whether it is software for your business or an application to learn a new language.

Enjoy!

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

How to get more energy and let it help you to create your world of difference

July 11, 2008

CleverTips: How to get more energy and let it help you to create your world of difference

Successful and highly productive people often have many characteristics in common.
One of these is a great level of energy.  Can you imagine a tired, burnt-out person achieving much in life?

Energy is the fuel with which everything is achieved. Increase and conserve your energy and you will increase your accomplishments
and get to enjoy more of the things life has to offer.

Where does this energy come from? How can you have full (or almost full) energy at the end of a busy and productive day?  Let’s look at it in more detail.

There are three main types of energy: physical, emotional and mental

To be highly productive you will need all three types of energy. Here is a simple recipe for making sure you have all three in abundance!

1. Physical energy: How can you increase your physical energy and keep it high?

Physical energy is raw energy and the easiest to acquire. You can build this from quality sleep, eating right, drinking plenty of water and staying active.

And there are simple things you can do to achieve this. Eating fresh, switching off the TV and going to bed just one hour earlier, getting outside and making sure you always have water with you.

2. Emotional energy: How can you get more emotional energy and keep your enthusiasm and excitement high?

You tend to get this energy from having good relationships, beginning with the internal relationship with yourself and
extending to your relationships with others. Emotional energy leaves you feeling happy, positive and fulfilled.

Negative emotion such as anger is the number one enemy of this kind of energy! A few minutes of negative emotion
can drain and destroy all the good energy you built up. Energy that you could have spent working towards positive goals.

Consider your self-talk; are you saying positive things to yourself? Greet everyone with a smile and see the reflection of your own warmth.

Now you on your way to being calm, relaxed and optimistic. Enjoy the reward of high level of emotional energy and all the associated benefits.

3. Mental energy: How do you get more mental energy and let it help you to create your world of difference?

Mental energy is a major determinant in the quality of your life. It is also the hardest energy to get.

This is because mental energy is a refined power made up of both physical and emotional energy.

To have more mental energy, first you need to build up and manage the two other sources.

It is well documented that unsuccessful people don't have great source of mental energy to work with. This is because they burn up their emotional energy through the expression of negative emotions.

Mental energy can make you attractive, creative, productive, happy, fun to be with, sharp and alert, energetic, enthusiastic.  Mental energy can help you raise a happy family, nurture your own talents and create better teams. It can assist you in making sales, solving problems, writing informative reports. It is necessary to conquer the BIG projects in life.

So often, things that seem complex are really so simple. Take care of yourself and fortune will smile on you!

I hope you have enjoyed this week's tip. May you have an abundance of all three types of energy to assist you in all facets of your life!

If you have the energy to send me (camtu@cleverlink.com.au ) a line and tell me how you enjoy my CleverTips - I have plenty of energy to read every single email, don't you worry!  :-)

If you enjoyed this article and think you and your team could benefit from my knowlege, why not buy my book, Aim High Fly Fast, and/or book me to speak at your next conference or training session.

More info on my speaking and training service is at http://www2.cleverlink.com.au/service/training.htm 

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

What's in a Web Title

July 4, 2008 What's in a Web Title

The titles of your home page and individual web pages are of paramount importance.
There are two reasons why you should pay more attention to the title of your Web site:

1. The title of your Web site normally shows up at the top of your browser screen,
and if a visitor bookmarks the page, you want the title to reflect and remind them what your page was all about.
2. Having a good description right in the title will increase the ranking of your Web site in most search engines.

There are 3 key ideas to make note of, when constructing your title:

A) Many search engines are listed alphabetically and computers sort the alphabet in the following order:
symbols, numbers, capital letters and then lower case letters.

B) Add "s" or "ing" to your key words. You can double your hit rate by adding an s or ing.
For example; house become houses and you will now be found by people who type house or
houses because house is part of houses. Similar result occurs by adding ing - buy becomes buying etc.

C) If your company name is an acronym, instead of only having the letters, have the entire name.
For example; NRMA should be National Roads and Motorists' Association Limited - NRMA.
This will mean they would be found if a person typed in any of the key words within their name.

D) Most important keywords are listed first

Action exercise:
Check the title of your Web site, analyse it and take actions to maximise your Internet opportunities.
Contact CleverLinkon 1300 721 837 if you need any help

Your feedback please:
CleverLink is in the process of putting together our e-newsletter.
We would love to hear from you what particular topic may be an interest to you.
Also - how much do you enjoy our weekly CleverTips?

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

How to Manage Online Expectations

June 27, 2008

How to Manage Online Expectations

The "instant" gift of Internet communication brings with it expectations of a rapid response.
In "pre-net" days, a slow response to physical mail was not uncommon.

However, the evolution of the Internet has changed our expectations. If your clients send an e-mail and don't receive a reply within a few days, this can lead to frustration and annoyance.

Our busy schedules make it difficult to reply to every e-mail in a time frame that pleases both sender and receiver. The art is "How to manage the expectations".

My tips are:

1. When you are away from the Office.
   Set in place an auto response system to inform of your whereabouts.
   
   
2. Filter and get help
   Set in place a system that forwards all in-coming e-mails to your team.
   He/she can filter and correspond on your behalf.
   Technology can compliment technology, and help to pacify our eagerness for an instant answer.

If you need assistance with auto responses or similar, please contact our office on 1300 721 837 or service@cleverlink.com.au

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au

Money & You

June 20, 2008

Money & You

Just like a traveller, anyone who is interested in making or saving money first needs to understand where they want to go and how to get there. So, where's the map?

Well, you might be interested to hear that the Australian Government have recently launched a their new Understanding Money Web site. You can access it at http://www.understandingmoney.gov.au/. It has a lot of interesting information that allows the reader to get an understanding of where they are with their money, how to get where they want to be and loads of tips. Enough to help you draw your own map, perhaps? You be the judge.

I found that it's a great site for those who are already good at dealing with money because it has all sorts of budget planners and financial calculators etc. It's also a great source for young people to learn about the value of money, and as a parent, I think this is very important. Even business people can pick up great information on how to grow their business, and mums and dads can learn from it to gain more money and to protect their earnings, etc.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that the education system in Australia is now introducing financial literacy into the core curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 10.

Great news!

Topics you can expect to see on the 'Understanding Money' Web site are:

• Knowing where your money goes
• Growing your money
• Protecting your money
• Preparing money for your retirement
• Information sheets for women who want to build their money skills & to teach their kids about the value of money.
• Further resources for those requiring further advice and so on.

I hope this week's CleverTips will help you save money, enhance your relationship with money and grow more money!

Remember to pass these ideas on to your contacts, especially the young people in your circle of life - get them learning more about money and benefiting from it for a life time.

Warm regards and have a great weekend.

Camtu Pham
Managing Director, CleverLink
camtu@cleverlink.com.au
+61 2 4284 3600
http://www.cleverlink.com.au