Christmas is for giving!

This is our tree. Loaded with presents for our loved ones. In fact, our tree is a little depleted of presents because we had a party on the weekend and people took theirs for the big day.

As I was thinking about Christmas (one of my favourite times of the year), I considered what I have been told as a kid, that Christmas is for giving. It was only when I wrote that sentence down that I noticed the truth of it.

"Christmas is for giving" or possibly "Christmas is forgiving".

What a cool thing!! Christmas is forgiving. What a gift to give yourself and others this year!! Forgiveness!

Who are some of the people and institutions you could give the gift of forgiveness?
Yourself - Is there anything you blame yourself for that you could now let go of?
Your family - Do you still hold any grudges for things that your family members said, did, didn't say or didn't do?
Your friends - Do you have any friends you need to forgive?
Institutions - Are there any companies (banks, post offices, utility supplier, ISP's, online services etc) who have crapped you off this year that you need to forgive?

You know the best thing about forgiveness? You are the one that benefits the most. By forgiving others you get freedom from baggage that you have been carrying around all this time. You get to lighten you load and focus on being the real you, not someone driven crazy by the weird and wonderful people in your life.

Give it a try!! You may be surprised at the results and you don't even have to use gift wrapping!!

Enjoy!


Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com
www.getmoreblog.com
www.getmoreshowsuccess.com

Social Networking

I Twitter.

In the course of my Twittering I have come across Paul Warren from Warcom. He has had some success with social networking in its positive impact on his business – www.warcom.com. So I thought it may be interesting to hear about it.

So without further adieu – here we go!

Part 1: Social Networking with Customers
Since the infancy stages of my business journey, I have always been a strong believer in the adage that ‘there is no better form of marketing than social networking’. Over the past few years, however, the majority of my 'social networking time' has been concentrated towards contributing to online forums. Until recently, the likes of Facebook, and Myspace, were rather limited in their social networking scope, especially in relation to Warcom’s core business.

So where do I spent my time?

Whilst having been a long-standing member of the hugely popular forums Whirlpool and Overclockers Australia (OCAU), it is quite clear by the number of posts I have racked up, that I spend considerably more time on Whirlpool (16,000+ posts) than OCAU. Both forums have their positive and negative aspects.

Whirlpool is a bit too 'regimented' in my opinion, where its members must adapt to the Whirlpool style in order to fit in. While ensuring that I cross all my T's, and dot all my I's, I give potential customers the time they deserve, and the benefit of my industry experience. It is only when armed with intelligent answers, can my potential customers make informed decisions. Mutual respect goes a long way, but do not forget to watch out for the trolls!

On the flip side, when we look at OCAU, their member base is much more free and easy going, pretty much being themselves, and you can let your hair down and just 'hang out with the boys' so to speak. Whilst I do not condone over use of expletives and vulgarity, they are allowed on OCAU, and even the occasional ‘skin pic’ seems to float past the admins from time to time!
And then there's Bigandy.... Do not get me started on this fella!

I do, however, believe that neither of these forums are overly useful (for me) in terms of 'business networking', only 'customer networking'. I will explain what I mean by this towards the end of the article.

So what is my point? What is my plan? Why so much time on forums?

Simple – I am building a ‘Presence’!

From time to time, I jump into the help ticketing system and help my staff out with questions that our customers email to us. Without a doubt, almost every single time, I am told by a customer, "Hey, you're that warcom guy! I love your posts, they were helpful to me!"

So, with comments as straight forward as that being thrown at me, I can see that my ‘presence’ in those forums, has contributed the following:

• I am building my public online image - customers get to know me.
• I am building my company’s public image - customers get to know who we are, understand what we stand for, and how we view them.
• My contributions in online forums are leading to sales - $$$ is important to stay in business!
• I am utilizing the power of NLP with would be customers! Whilst my presence might not lead to a sale immediately, customers will remember me!
  

Part 2: Social Networking With Business People
As I previously opined, I believe Facebook and MySpace are next to useless for Warcom pertaining to Social Networking.

Twitter on the other hand - I now believe Twitter is amazing! (it has taken a while!) I have managed to strike up some very mutually beneficial 'business networking buddies'' using Twitter. Notably, the likes of Warwick ‘Mr Get Energised’, Glenn ‘Copyman’, and our resident ‘Energiser Bunny’ Sam from thinktankmedia. If not for Twitter, our paths would have neither crossed, nor afforded us the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other.

So, taking all of the above mentioned into consideration, Social Networking is fantastic for doing the 'meet and greet' with customers, and keeping in their good graces, and to meet new faces.
As an example, the speed at which the Internode 'Social Scene' has developed is staggering, and if companies fail to jump on board now, they may as well take their bat and ball, and go home right now.

Social Networking is a very powerful tool when done right, however, just like a precision instrument, it is the skill of the engineer behind it that dictates whether it works in perfect harmony with others, or falls dead flat.

Paul Warren.

What are you listening to?

What are you listening to right now?

Not what is on the radio, not what is on TV, not what others are saying but what is it that is in your head? What is the endless loop of self talk saying?

So many people hear "You probably won't get that sale", "you won't look very good in that out fit", "Who are you trying to kid with that idea", "Better be scared of where the economy is heading" and a vast array of other negative things.

STOP IT!!!

Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits.
Your habits become your beliefs and
Your beliefs set your destiny.

Choose the positive thoughts. Use words that show those thoughts. Take action to reflect your words and you will ensure your habits, beliefs and destiny are on the course to success.

So.........

what are you listening to now?

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
http://www.warwickmerry.com/
http://www.getmoreblog.com/
http://www.getmoreshowsuccess.com/

The Survival Trap

Just a quick blog for you.

A good friend of mine, and brilliant sales and marketing guru has just released a free ebook on "The Survival Trap". It is not a "get this free and then you can buy other stuff" kind of offer, it is simply him giving to other small business owners who may be starting to panic in tight economic times.

To get the ebook, visit his website http://www.survivaltrap.com/

Check out what he has to say, I am sure you will find it worthwhile.

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
http://www.warwickmerry.com/
http://www.getmoreblog.com/
http://www.getmoreshowsuccess.com/

Don't Get Lost Following Your Intuition

There has been a lot written over the years about following your intuition. Many people have been on some weird, wacky and wonderful journeys over time. But while a lot of writing, blogging, texting, reading and listening has been done, I still get asked time and time again "How do I follow my intuition?" What I propose is not THE answer, more it is AN answer. It works for me, give it a try because it may work for you too!

First up, what is your intuition? Some think it is your subconscious talking to you, some say it is a gut feel and others talk about laws of attraction suggesting a course of action. Here is how I see it. For those of you who know me you will know that I am a hippy in a suit. I have worked in the corporate world for 20 years and I have a strong spiritual life as well. By spiritual I don't mean religion as they are different. In my life I have a Higher Power who I call God. You may call it fate, destiny, the angels, the universe, Buddha, Christ, the Force - I don't care, what you call it is your decision. I believe because my life is better for it and it gives me strength.

How this relates to intuition is this, I believe that Prayer is when I talk with God and Meditation is when God talks to me. I have asked God many times to just send me an email, a text or even a Twitter message as they are clear, but God doesn't. God prefers to communicate in a different manner, God does it via my intuition. While I meditate to listen, I also keep the channel open by following my intuition.

When I first became aware of my intuition, I found I ignored it. I even heard myself say later, "If only I had done what I thought I should." After awhile, making mistakes gets boring!! So rather than saying "if only" when it didn't work, I started listening. For me, my intuition is like a muscle. The more I use it, the stronger it gets. It helps me see things I would have missed, do things I would not have done and sense opportunities that would have passed me by.

So, when you are thinking "How do I follow my intuition," start by listening. The voice or sense will be there. It may be faint, but it will be there. It is a slow but steady feeling that a certain course of action is the best one for you to take. It is not an overwhelming sense of urgency but a solid and constant force for positive results in you and your life.

My coaching/mentor clients sometimes say that they can't hear it. That's when you fake it 'til you make it. Ask yourself the question, if you could hear your intuition, what would it say - and then do that! Act as if and you will reap the rewards.

The best thing is that there is no wrong answer. You are the only one who can hear your intuition. Act with the best intent and you can't go wrong!

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com
www.getmoreblog.com
www.getmoreshowsuccess.com

Get Closer by Moving Away

Web 2.0 amazes me. I mean, not like a magician making your Aunt levitate but in its appeal to the masses. In one way it is drawing us closer together but in another it seems we are moving further and further apart. We are getting closer by moving away.

Let me explain.

As a country lad (that's why I speak slowly!), I grew up in a town of about 2,000 people. We didn't have many people to speak to so you spoke to everyone. Everyone knew what everyone else was doing. There was even the local paper (that came out once a week) which updated you if you didn't know. The Australian comedian Hughsey recently gave a rant about the town.

Things are different in the city. You are surrounded by people and are always alone. People don't talk to their neighbours. We rarely acknowledge passers by. Technology has made it even worse. Protected by the cocoon of our iPod or MP3 player we blissfully ignore the rest of the world. We sit behind our computers or play our video games minimising human contact.

In fact, we have disconnected so much that we are challenged in communicating difficult news. We end a relationship via Text, resign from our job via email, have sick days via text or leave voice mail messages so we don't have to face the person we are talking to.

Along comes Web 2.0.

All this time we are alone builds our desire to genuinely connect - but we can't handle the rejection if it doesn't work. The technology can act as a great barrier and we can connect without risk. You can Twitter someone on the other side of the world, have a couple of short 140 character jokes and all is good. You can post things on Facebook, MySpace and you Blog to let the world know what you think (hey I have two blogs!! This one and the Trade Show one - double the nerd!) You can link with people on FaceBook and Linked in. You may even have thousands of connections, friends, affiliates, followers without realising it is more than the population of my home town!! You may even break out of the 140 character restriction and email your new friend.

Want to surprise someone? Offer to meet them in person! If they agree to meet, you will find one thing. To be more precise, I found one thing. People will be more open via technology then face to face. We don't like putting ourselves at risk. We can't delete the post, change the blog content or take back what we said.

My challenge and one that I issue you is to be authentic. Just be you. People will love it and will love (or at least like a lot) you for doing it. The other challenge is to talk to your neighbours. Tweet them in real life. Chat to the people on the train. People down the street. You don't have to be deep and meaningful but while technology is great, NOTHING beats human connection!

Enjoy.

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com
www.getmoreshowsuccess.com
getmoreblog.blogspot.com

Check Your Facts

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get all fired up about what I think and not what I know. Let me explain.

Out the front of our house are about 10 large pine trees. The previous owner planted them about 15 years ago thinking they would be a nice 1.2 metre (4 foot) hedge. Being trees rather than shrubs, they grew (and grew and grew and grew and...) and now they are about 6 metres (20 feet) high and skillfully blocking all of the sunshine that could be shining into our house.

When discussing getting them cut down my wife and guessed it was going to cost about $5,000 - $10,000 based on an old quote from a few years ago. Being a little financially conservative, naturally I allowed more for the $10,000 than the $5,000. So we didn't worry about them. They are not a priority and we could get them cut down at a later date.

For some reason last week, I had the feeling to find out how much it would cost to get them removed. There was a firm who I had seen around a bit and I knew them to be reputable and will full insurance coverage. I rang and booked for a quote (and then promptly forgot about it!)

When they came around today, I was pleased to find out it was on $2,500 to get all the trees and stumps removed. We will still probably defer it as it is not a priority, but it is good to know the facts.

How many times have you or your company made decisions without the readily and easily available facts? Guesses, ideas, feelings, vibes, intuition and plucking it out of the air can not compete with facts. Don't get me wrong, sometimes these things are good enough or even essential, but sometimes it is the facts that make the difference.

So for this week, my challenge to you is to channel your inner Joe Friday (from Dragnet) and ask for "Just the Facts".

I guarantee it will make your decisions a lot more clear cut.

Enjoy


Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
http://www.warwickmerry.com/
http://www.getmoreshowsuccess.com/

Some Imponderables!

I was sent this by a friend and thought that some are worth the time to ponder!!

• If you take an Oriental person and spin him around several times, does he become disoriented?
• If people from Poland are called Poles, why aren't people from Holland called Holes?
• Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?
• If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
• If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
• Why is it that the man who invests all your money is called a broker?
• When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?
• Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist but a person who drives a racing car not called a racist?
• Why are a wise man and a wise guy … opposites?
• Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things?
• Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?
• "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
• If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?
• What hair colour do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
• I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks so I wondered what Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?
• Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the postmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?
• You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.
• No one ever says, "It's only a game" when their team is winning.
• Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.50 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards: NAIVE
• Isn't making a smoking section in a restaurant like making a peeing section in a swimming pool?
• If 4 out of 5 people suffer from diaorrhea, does that mean that one enjoys it?

What is it that has you pondering today?

Enjoy

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

Happy Anniversary

It is a month of anniversaries!

Today my lovely wife, Sam (see the picture for her loveliness), and I celebrate our first wedding anniversary. That 12 months has gone soooo fast yet also it has taken ages. During that time we have had many experiences and achieved some great things.

Later this month her parents celebrate 40 years of marriage!! Crikey!! That is something to aim for.

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, we went out to a lovely little Mexican restaurant, had some yummy food and considered the last 12 months. What were the highlights, what were the key learnings and what were our favourite moments. We then looked at the 12 months ahead. What sort of things did we want to achieve, where did we see ourselves in 12 months, how would life be for us. Granted it wasn't totally "romantic" but it was fun creating plans and ideas together.

When did you last do a review? May be it is time for one now.

Luckily I have an out line for you - sort of, here's one we prepared earlier!! Visit my website and on the resources pages you will see the regular results review. Download this and follow the instructions. You will be surprised at how much you have achieved and what you are capable of.

Consider it my anniversary gift to you!

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry

The Get More Guy

http://www.warwickmerry.com/

Get out of your road!!

I have been Twittering with @AlohaArleen and @TheDailyBlonde about the the joys of Australia. They are both from the USA and said they would love to visit one day.

It got me thinking.

So many people get in their own roads for doing things. Rather than focusing on reasons while they can do something, they look for reasons why they can't:

• It's too far
• I don't know anyone there
• What would I do
• Where would I stay
• They speak funny
• I don't think I can afford it
• I don't want to go by myself
• What if I need to get back in a hurry
• I don't like flying

... the list goes on!

That is not just for a frivolous trip half way around the world. I have also heard:

• What about the economic crisis
• I've never done that before
• I have other responsibilities
• You can't be spiritual and rich at the same time
• People wouldn't understand
• It's too hot
• It's too cold
• It's too hard
• It's too easy
• I could never do that
• People will laugh
• What will my husband/wife/kids/parents/friends/counsellor/postman think

... and the list goes on.

Get out of your own road!! If you really want it, go for it. Go for it with everything you have. Don't let what you can't do get in the road of what you can do.

So what are the reasons you WILL be doing what you have always dreamed of?

Enjoy

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

How to Get Up when you're feeling down

Ever had those moments?

Everything seems to be cruising along nicely. Relationship is good (if not getting better and better), friends are good (still get invites to go out), hobbies are good (love cruising on the motorbike or doing what you do), health is good (could always do more exercise and eat less but on the whole it's good), work is good (love what you do and do what you love), weather is good (sunny day after a bit of rain) so basically, life is good!!

Then it hits! Wham! You feel like crap!

It has no obvious source or reason, you just feel bad. Self doubt kicks in, your self esteem crumbles little by little. Arrrrrggghhhh!!!

Ever had one of those moments?

We all do. They will pass. The secret is to look at ways to help them pass faster. Here are a few that my clients have found very successful:
Music - play music that works for you, something that makes you feel more powerful
Exercise - any form of exercise will help endorphins start flowing and give you some of natures "happy juice"
Location - change your physical location. It could be just going outside, it maybe going to the beach, something that gives you different perspective
Talk - chat with a friend or colleague about what is happening for you and more importantly, what is happening for them. It takes the obsession off ourselves and turns it into caring for others
Write - ink what you think. This will get the never-ending tape out of your head and on to paper. By the way, typing doesn't count, the physical act of writing is required

There are plenty of other ways to get a sense of reality and move through the downer. Work out what is best for you and have it on standby for when these times hit.

If nothing else, follow the words of the late great James Brown.
"Get Up, get on up!"

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy

Clean Feed or Internet Filters?

There has been a lot about clean feeds and internet filters that has come across my radar this week.

In summary, the Australian Government wants to filter the internet so that "naughty" sites will not be accessible. Different community groups and user communities have been expressing their opinions for and against the ideas. There are technology issues such as any filter is quickly made redundant by the people is was supposed to protect (the same way Dad used to bring me the headache drug bottle with a child proof lid because he couldn't open it and I could - I was in primary school!). Filtering will slow the internet down - the technology tests have proven it but commonsense does too. Look at any pool filter and you will see the water does not flow freely, it has to be pumped or sucked through, why should internet be any different.

There are issues in administering the filter. Who decides what is black listed and what is not? Who has input to the decision making? What guidelines will be used? Who creates the guidelines?

There are issues in the ethics of the internet filter. Should this be done? Does it impact our free speech? It it for the greater good? An extreme case of this can be seen in the film Serenity (that I have watched a couple of times this week). For the good of the whole the government meddles and causes a disaster. I know it is fiction, but how does the meddling start?

The thing that gets me is not whether the government should or should not have an internet filter , but why are they getting involved. Is it because parents are too lazy to do it for themselves? Many teacher friends of mine comment on how parents expect the teacher and school to teach EVERYTHING to the student. Not just reading, writing and arithmetic, but manners, ethics, social behaviours and a myriad of other skills. Granted the internet and technology is rapidly changing and it is hard to keep up, but surely it can't be too difficult to have them use the internet in a room where they can be supervised or limited in the number of hours they are on the internet? Heaven forbid that parents have a discussion with the child about pitfalls of the internet!! Next thing you know I will expect parents to listen to children read aloud to them!

The bigger issue that I see happening is one of responsibility. It is becoming rarer than ever in our society. Yet the people who take responsiblity for their actions and their lack of actions are the ones that move ahead in their life. They are not looking for an easy way out, a person to blame, someone to handpass the problem to, they look at what is their part in this issue.

In my life and in my presentations, I share with people what I call the "Two Killer Questions."
They are:
What is my part in this?
What can I do differently?

It means that as an individual I can look at what is my responsibilty. So with Clean Feed and Internet Filters, what is it that I want for my kids, myself or my workplace? Has this situation come about due to some action or inaction on my behalf? Maybe I have no part in the current situation but I want it to be different.

What action must I take. Do I need to supervise people, limit certain sites in the workplace, communicate an internet policy, write to the government and let them know my wishes?

Responsibility means that I have the ability to respond. I can take action to get the results I am after.

Beyond the internet filters, beyond the clean feed, beyond raising a family but in life as a whole, I strongly urge you to take FULL responsibility. It doesn't mean you have to do everything, you can ask for help (I am here if you need me!!) but do take responsibility for your choices, your actions and your lack of actions.

Remember the two killer questions:
What's my part in this?
What can I do differently?

Once you have done that, it's easy!!

Have a great weekend

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

Yes, you can say No

This comes up time and time again in my workshops, with my coaching/mentoring clients and even with my friends. So I wanted to clarify this.

It is OK to say No.

You may not feel that way, you may feel that if you don't do it no one else will. Or maybe you can't say No because you "should" say Yes. You have a rule that family members, friends, colleagues, bosses, workers "SHOULD" perform in a certain way.

From my own bitter experience, I have found out that saying Yes all the time is great for everyone else, but really bad for me! They get everything they want and I get exhausted and resentfull. But the really kicker is that they want you to say No. They may not think it, but they do.

Your boss will continue to ask you to do things and when you are at full capacity, they want you to say no. Your friends will keep asking for favours and expect that if you can't do it, that you say no. It may not seem it at the time but they would much prefer you to say No up front than get to their deadline and have you inform them that because you have too much on that you couldn't do it. Your family would much prefer you say that you don't want to go along to the family trip versus whinging and moaning about it for months afterwards.

Yes, the short term is painful. Letting people know that you can't or won't do, say or be what they want is challenging. But the long term payoff is so worthwhile. Once you have established the boundaries of what you will and won't do, each party has a far better understanding of each other. Their are fewer assumptions and expectations and fewer opportunities for mixed messages.

So start practicing today! What do you need to say no to it? How can you say no respectfully and with care? Maybe you could start with smaller things and work your way up once your No muscle has had a bit of a workout?

But don't forget to practice the otherside of the equation also!! If someone says No to you, don't hassle them or berate them. Allow them the courtesy of saying what they need to for them. As we know, saying No is not always easy, but it is always worthwhile.

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

Accidentally Famous

You never know who reads your site, blog, twitter, facebook or whatever else you do.

While "Famous", as referred to in the title, is a bit of a stretch I was pleased to find out that my ex-Poodle was referred to on an English TV series. He was a chocolate toy poodle and his name was Burma. So full of energy and life but unfortunately he burst a disc in his back and I had to put him down - a very difficult and heart wrenching decision.

Thanks to the internet, he will live forever (well at least until he gets archived!!)

Stephen Fry was the host of a BBC program called Quite Interesting where they would chat about obscure facts and look for funny questions to challenging questions. After talking about the country Burma and getting ready to go to the ad break, Stephen looked to camera and said:

"Actually, interestingly, while double-checking this information on etiquette and Burma on the Internet, we came up with the extraordinary information that it's considered polite to express joy by eating snow and to send unwanted guests away by biting their leg, and normal behaviour to wipe your mouth on the sofa. This is actually true, the researchers were writing this down with great excitement about Burma, only to discover in the end that Burma turned out to be the name of a poodle belonging to the author of the website. "

I found the quote on the TV guide here http://tinyurl.com/BurmaBpy

The show is very funny. Check out the middle of the episode on You Tube. Burma is on at 3:19

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=KOfRIGO6jtQ

The point is, yes there is a point, you never know who will see what you write and where it will be. That page of my old website is long gone, it went with Burma, but it has had an impact!

What sort of impact will you have?

Enjoy

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com

Are you sure it's not funny?

Life is pretty serious. I mean, just look at the people on public transport, people walking down the street, strolling through the supermarket, huddled around the stock market numbers, watching over kiddies, driving cars...... How serious is everyone!!

I don't get it.

People seem to have so much more fun when they laugh, or even just a smile. Wouldn't you think they would want to do it more? Wouldn't you think that every situation has to have at least some fun part to it, some element that could at least bring on a smile? Even a boring board room meeting?

I know what I did. I focussed on having a smile as my default expression. Not an easy thing to do but with practice it works. So when I walk down the street, go on a train, ride my motorbike, talk with strangers, I smile. It makes me feel good and others join in.

Wanna join me to? Today, put a smile on your dial. I DARE YOU!!!

Enjoy!

Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com