Category Archives: Creativity

In my blog post from several days ago How Sharp Are You? I asked you to think about your ability to quickly respond to key questions in your area of expertise.  I am enamored by how many I talk with are unable to answer such questions. So now comes my pragmatic advice which I have personally implemented in my business and with many of my clients. Whenever I have the opportunity (quite time, driving, flying, during my walks), I often think about questions my clients have asked me or ones I have read about in various publications.

The exercise is then to attempt and respond with at least three powerful answers to these questions. I do the same when I talk with my clients, prospective clients or colleagues. I ask them for their top key challenges and I use the opportunity to quickly suggest effective solutions to these or I end up adding them to my database of ideas to write about.

This has created a remarkable phenomena that enables me now to quickly respond to any question or challenge I am being asked or face while stretching my mind and helping others and of course  myself.

And as you have probably noticed, many of these become articles and blog posts (such as this one) as I have now stretched my mind to come up with at least 10 ideas for each question.

Do this and I assure you, that your mind will get sharper while helping increase the success of your clients.

© Chad Barr 2012. All rights reserved

I just hung up the Skype call with my dear client, Barb, when she said: “What are the ways Chad that you recommend to enhance our ability to create fresh content?” Here are my answers:

1. Carefully listen to what your clients and prospective clients are saying and asking you. I look at these conversations as a treasure of where to generate ideas for products, services and new published content.
2. Ask your clients and prospective clients to share with you their greatest concerns and challenges. Example: “What are the key concerns and challenges you are currently facing that you wished you could eliminate or reduce significantly?”
3. Same as above but simply ask: “What topics would you like to see me write about that would be of help to you?”
4. In each of your speaking presentations why not pause and ask the audience: “What are some of the key challenges you are facing that you would like me to talk about? The kind of challenge that you would like to see eliminated?” I then suggest you write these on the flip chart, provide your answers, and at the end of your presentation take a quick photo of that page so you may blog about it later or even use it as the new idea for your next product and service creation.
5. I believe it was BASF that said: “We did not invent it but we make it better!” Whether your clients, colleagues, partners, competitors and other innovators, see what they are creating and publishing and push your own envelop to do better and improve. And wasn’t this mindset the start of Microsoft Windows operating system or Steve Job’s key to reinvention?
6. The reason most hire a trainer to work out with them at the gym, is because they need an expert, who becomes their accountability partner, who can push them to do things they can’t do themselves and can bring them to a higher level of success. That is exactly why finding an expert who can challenge you intellectually, in order to pull out of your head the amazing content you never realized is there, is critical to create remarkable content to increase your success.

And finally, if you’d like to further get ideas on where to get fresh new ideas, check out my article I think I’ll invent something new which I wrote some time ago.

So go now and create some great and remarkable content.

© Chad Barr 2012 All rights reserved.

While vacationing in St. George, Utah, back in December, I couldn’t help but notice this creative sign and ashtray:

“Use Your Electricity For More Than Light” said an ad that ran in the Sears catalog in 1917. When talking about Internet strategies in the various speeches I deliver, I refer to the idea of the Internet of today as the light bulb of 100 years ago. It is obvious that we barely are scratching the surface of all the potential that is available. What is even more exciting are the technologies yet be invented in years to come and their enormous applicability to our personal and business life.

One such phenomenon is the popularity and growth of social networking web sites. These web sites are places, primarily for individuals of all ages, who are looking to learn and share their interests and get in touch with people all over the world. What makes the web so perfect for this to work is ease of joining such networks, its availability which is 24 x 7 and the frequent access to great minds.

According to comScore, 155 million users visit such sites each day! Sites such as ClassMates, MySpace, FaceBook, LinkedIn, NewsCorp and eBay to name a few.

My organization has also been involved in implementing and building such communities. One such example, of a very exciting and successful community, is the one we’ve done for Alan’s Forums. It is a place attracting the smartest of consultants from all over the world who join for debate, networking and ideas exchange. The other, Substance & Forum, is a new community we are getting ready to launch which attracts the elite of tax mind in this country.