Personal Brand - SlideShare

Slide Share has also an option of bringing to life your own Brand:

Personal Branding Passport-Gigoing

Companies are constructing their brand identity from day one and evolving by changing the logotype, vision, mission and culture as they grow and achieve more an established status quo. What about each one of us? We should seriously think about promoting ourselves and be able to market our values in a relevant manner.

This idea has been in the back of my mind for a time and was looking for the perfect tool to just do it. Gigoing is a Spanish company that lunch just the products I was looking for:

Moreover, it allows you to create projects and in the future have a viral effect by sharing it with your network

Booking Button and Engine Stromberg Resort Germany

Booking Button from Booking.com

Small and even bigger size properties face the problem of not having integrated a Booking Button or Engine into their own website. I have seen even 4 star hotels that do now have this function and they rely purely on the bookings that come from the online distribution Channels. 

A quick fix solution is having the booking button provided by the biggest player in the market: Booking.com The property is already paying commission when a booking is done directly on the Extranet and also pays the same commission when the booking comes from their website. Ups.... trouble. Yes, you heard it right. The property is investing money in marketing to drive traffic to their own website or just benefiting from positive reviews, that take the client directly to the personal website of the Hotel. 3rd scenario would be a client is looking in the Extranets and then goes to the webpage of the hotel. In the end, again a commission would be paid to Booking.com

Better way to do it is to have an own booking engine that can be linked directly to the Extranet when a booking comes from the personal page of the hotel. See the example of Resort Stromberg

Also, we can look inside once the booking button has been clicked:

What are your concerns when looking for a Booking Engine? Price, integration with Extranet, technical implementation. Hospitality industry has to keep up the pace with the new consumer than is active online, now more than ever

Ebay hotel coupons - Sales, soldes, angebot for Hotels

You are getting deals for meals, cinema or even holidays. What about Hotels? One day a friend has asked via Facebook where can he find attractive offers and coupons for a night in a Hotel in Berlin. Given the network that has been established, I have recommended him: http://www.zuzzu.com "Ebay hotel coupons"

Feel free to have a look and maybe there is something valuable for you as well. Following we will have some highlights from the offers you will have access and also some design hotels. Awesome ideas to keep in mind

Special Offers the Psychological Side

14-days free trial offer for MappingMaster-Channel Management Solution...free ice-cream event from Ben&Jerry...free test drive with a beautiful BMW or 3 months service free. The free offer is perhaps the most effective in all of business. People will always take something for free.




This takes me to an example of an online business owner in Spain that delivered oranges for free. He even let the client decide what, he wanted to pay for the fruits. Many other similar ideas coexist around, like a restaurant that would offer you a high quality service and invite you to pay whatever you think is worth it. Going one step ahead, some online shops offer Free delivery services as a differentiation point.

Now the question comes: are free offers evil? Are we as marketers of online services, scared of 'drugging' our partners with promotions? like in the situation of promotions sold in the supermarket, where we buy because there is something free?

We can not compare apples with oranges, but both of them are fruits :) Let us apply the golden rule, we all like free offers and by extension our partners as well.

There are 2 different Approaches to Selling:

1. Based on value, quality, brand name, recognition, specialized services, price and so on.
2. Based on the psychological need of our partners. Offering something for free, where they are not bound to a contract, in need of providing bank details for a further extension, no automatic extensions, commitments, they are free offers that have the needs of our customers in mind.

I do agree that all of us would like to have a high-end position in the mind of our customers, like in the case of BMW exclusive cars. Just ask yourself, how long have they been in the market? How much do they invest in marketing and advertising? How many people have already bought their cars? Are this people their best advertising? brand ambassadors.

Just one advice, if you are trying to sell based on point number one, when you are not fully established in the market you will eventually be successful. It will take longer, your client portfolio will not very extense and your efforts will be double. In the end you will have a long-term selling process.

As when it comes to point two, selling based on free takes. You will have a short-term selling process, your clients portfolio will be bigger from the first moment, with less effort, energy and time consuming processes.


In conclusion, there is nothing evil in offering free solutions because you have already earned a partner. Now start bringing in all the value you have for them and establish a long term relationship with your customers.

Neuro-linguistic programming - motivational speach

It has been a time since I looked for a motivational speaker with a good modulation of voice and smart ideas( normally the basics and the essence is quite the same) I am talking about something that just flows and makes you feel good when you listen to. So by chance/serendipity I stumbled upon Brian  Tracy http://www.briantracy.com Loved his manners from the first moment, very human and persuasive. No need to go off the wall in order to get my attention.

Moreover, in the same line I one colleague told me about a friend that does flirting counseling ;) that is a cool concept, and he gets paid for it. http://charismacommunity.com

Hanging out with friends I met a person from the south of Germany that practices Art Theraphy... followed an intriguing and interesting conversation on human behavious.

As I am fascinated by neuro-linguistic programming, this are just a few ideas, and the next ones are just to follow. What drives you?

Work for a Startup? 10 Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

In startups especially, job interviews are just as much for the interviewee as they are for the interviewer. Because there is often a lot at stake for a new company, it's wise to ask where you will fit in among founders and first hires — and how you can make a direct impact on the company's success.

That's why I asked 10 entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) what questions they would pose for an interviewer at a startup. Here's what they had to say:

1. What one thing must be done?

I would ask what one thing must be accomplished for the startup to succeed. There are two reasons to ask this: It will determine if they have a clear, focused vision, and it will give you a sense of how your job should be aligned with that goal.

- Seth Talbott, Preferling

2. When is your next funding round?

It's a huge risk to begin work at a startup within months of an upcoming funding round. At that point, you've had very little time to influence the company's viability, so you'd basically be left crossing your fingers and hoping that they've been doing well without the extra manpower, innovation, skill and insight that now makes you so in demand. Investing time and energy to build a startup is a calculated risk to begin with, but putting yourself in a position where your job security rests exclusively on the efforts of your predecessors is an even bigger gamble. Proceed — if at all — with extreme due diligence and caution. Whatever answer they give, deduct two to four months in case they've underestimated their expenses — it happens.

- Manpreet Singh, Seva Call

3. What's your runway?

Startups are almost always on the verge of running out of money. They are dependent on their next funding round or their next big client. You should ask how many months of runway they have left, so you know what you're getting into. You could be out of a job in three to six months after joining.

- Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh Inc

4. How does your product apply to my role?

Startups need people who love to explore and are curious. Do your homework before the interview by signing up for a free trail of the startup's product. Make a list of all the different questions you have about the product based on your experience. Try to tie the best questions back to the role you're applying for, and think of possible solutions to make the experience better. During the interview, bring up the question you had from your experience. This shows the interviewer you care, you’re analytical and will respectfully challenge the startup to be better.

- Brett Farmiloe, Internet Marketing Company

5. What are your founders' goals?

If interviewing with a founder, I'd ask what the founder hoped to gain from the venture. Do they want to create a world-famous product, take the company public or make as much money as possible? Although there isn't necessarily a right answer, the interviewee should be looking for some consistency among the founders. In addition, the prospective employee can decide if his or her goals align with theirs.

- Bobby Grajewski, Edison Nation Medical

6. What's your exit strategy?

Candidates are often so excited about working for a hot, new startup they don't think about their own long-term potential. Before accepting an offer with a startup, ask what their exit strategy is, and make sure you're on board. If they're all about acquisition, ask about time frame goals. If it's not about exit, dig into specific growth plans for the years to come. They may not have exact answers, but you'll get insight into how strong their vision is and how much foresight they have to consider these things.

- Susan Strayer LaMotte, Exaqueo

7. What is the sales strategy?

Startups are often focused on product and user traction first, but it's critical for the company to eventually monetize. While some startups keep operations running from proceeds of fundraising, it's important to understand — before you join the company — how the startup intends to make money from customers or users. Having an intimate understanding of the sales strategy will help you gauge the likelihood that the company will succeed and can be your best position when you're interviewing for a job at the firm because you'll have a great strategic focus.

- Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.

8. What's the focus for the next three months?

This question is a shortcut way to learn about what your job experience is going to be like. For example, if the startup says it plans to launch two new tech features for its product and you're applying to be an engineer, you'll likely have a great first three months. You'll know that you have the opportunity to show your skills and your contributions will be noticed. On the other hand, if you're applying for sales, the startup's plan to focus on product features might mean you're selling a product that might be outdated soon.

- Nanxi Liu, Enplug

9. What is the culture and work environment like?

Culture fit is very important at a startup for both the employer and employee. Each startup is unique, and the work environments can range from wacky to stuffy. Because you are going to be working closely with a small team for long hours, it is imperative the company fits you as much as you fit the company.

- Kevin Tighe II, WeBRAND

10. What is the problem you're solving?

The most important question to ask the interviewer is about understanding the problem the company is solving. If the answer the interviewer gives doesn't excite you and isn't something you'd work on in your free time, then keep looking. It is crucial to find a startup that's solving a problem you feel incredibly passionate about fixing.

- Sarah Schupp, UniversityParent

Signed BY SCOTT GERBER in http://mashable.com