Are you blogging yet?

Tom Peters says it's the "best darn marketing" he ever did. Seth Godin says it makes you think better. It's free, and you have all the resources you need to do it.  Are you blogging yet?

You can blog about work-related things (discussions you have with clients are always great thought-starters, although because my clients sometimes read my blog, I never use their real names or even real examples without protecting their names and organisation).

You can blog about cooking or fishing or breeds of cat.  I have a blog on

• manhole covers photographed in my travels
• day-by-day account of training programs I've been in
• the improvised show I produce. 

I also keep a private blog I keep to remember things I want to blog about!

You can use blogspot (just click up on the Create Blog link on the top RHS of this page). You can use wordpress. You can probably use a ton of others, but don't let choosing one stop you - the sooner you start, the sooner you'll have something.

Of course like anything, numbers don't mean much. If your clients read your blog, then you're ahead!

Social Media is coming to get you... come find me on Google+

If you're thinking you've been left behind by social media, try these 10 LinkedIn Strategies for Independent Professionals. It may tip you to action.

Meanwhile why not join me on Google+? I just read What the Plus over the weekend, and am curious to see what Google+ becomes. It seems to be mixing together the best of twitter (following people you don't know, seeing world wide trends) and Facebook (private conversations between friends). And I'm yet to try it, but a "hang out" where you essentially video conference from within Google+ sounds like a real winner.

So find me on Google+ and circle me. Let's see what we can do with this thing!!

Email overwhelm: getting over it

I love this Michael Bungay Stanier post on ways to deal with email overwhelm. It's practical, and even if you do one of the 19 tips, you'll be ahead.
Read it. Do it!

Stay Cheerful: 89 things to do between consulting assignments

In my ongoing quest to serve the consulting community, I've been asking people when they join my newsletter what they want to know about.
Much of it (how much do I charge, what does an invoice look like, how often can I bill my client) I've covered either in the Australian Consultant's Guide and its fellows.
But one subscriber made me think.

Judith Himstedt asked how to keep cheerful between consulting assignments. Such a meaty topic. I wrote an answer which ended up being 10,492 words (62 pages).

For a limited time I'm giving it away for free. It's called Stay Cheerful: 89 things to do between Consulting Assignments. At the moment it's in pdf format, but a kindle version is on it's way.

If you'd like a copy, you can get it by signing up below.
Oh, and if you have any good questions to ask, who knows, I may well write another one for you.
Send me your questions!

Free Ebook

Enter your details for your free copy of Cindy Tonkin's new e-book Stay Cheerful: 89 things to do between consulting assignments It's 10,492 words in 62 pages. There are ideas to bring you business, develop your systems, and keep you cheerful!

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Outsider sells!

The value of being an outsider is something many consultants talk about but cannot describe always so well.
In this video, Jonah Lehrer talks about the psychological benefits of being an outsider for solving problems: If people are told in a lab environment that puzzles are invented in a far-off place, they solve more puzzles than if they are invented here.
So put one up for the "not invented here" thing: in Australia promoters find it easier to promote overseas speakers than Australians - perhaps this is why?
Add this to your sales pitch for something new and different!

Why Ditching The Office Could Help You Be More Creative | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation

If you are working from home as I do, this applies - go out to find a little distraction and ironically concentrate better: Why Ditching The Office Could Help You Be More Creative

You can help me: Webinar this week

Maybe you can help me: I'm starting a new thing: webinars for Consultants.
As you know, the technology for these things is sometimes tricky.

It's my first one next week, on Thurs 22 March 2012 at 8pm Sydney Time (GMT+10)
and I need your help to make sure I have a number of people to try out the technology and give me feedback.

Because it's my first one I'm offering you a deep discount - I anticipate that there may some technical difficulties, and I figured you could help me iron them out!
There's an agenda of sorts below and you can add items by emailing me.

So you save $75 on the session if you buy now: you pay only $20.
Pay by paypal by clicking here - the price will change at check out.

Any questions, just email me or call me on 0412 135 426.
Thanks for your help in advance!

Cindy

p.s. And because I'm not perfect, and I'd like to offer you a smooth experience if you buy one webinar now at this price you get another one in the next year.You choose the date.

An Agenda for 22/3/12
based on what people have asked for in the past few weeks:
You can add things to the agenda by emailing me.

• keeping cheerful between consulting gigs
• setting up - what are the big things I need to know?
• how to charge for Overseas gigs
• what an invoice looks like
• generating leads

Anything else you might want to talk about, just take advantage of the special and we'll speak next week!

Once you're enrolled I'll send you the details for the webinar.