Karmaback goes Free to Try!

Karmaback has now gone “Free to Try” for all of our powerful tools and services.

Why? Because we listen. Our customers have told us that they LOVE using Karmaback for Sweepstakes, Coupons, or Feedback Applications, but would LIKE to try before they buy. It’s a simple request. We know you’ll like the results that Karmaback delivers so much, you’ll come back again and use us at our very affordable pricing.

So, don’t delay, try Karmaback Free today!
http://karmaback.com/platform/pricing/

Your idea sucks… analytically speaking.

Does your idea suck or rock? If you want to try something more than “my friends like my idea”, “my teacher likes my idea”, or “I know I would buy it”… consider an analytical approach to opportunity analysis. Why not say, this idea is a 25. Then you can compare that to what you are doing now (probably a 12). Or compare it to another idea (wow, a 38!)… If you ever wanted to know if your idea is good, from an analytical perspective… read on.

There are 2 Acronyms that Harvard MBAs (and UT MBAs) learn: POCD and SWAT. They both boil down to “Pro and Con” type thinking… but they both also add something useful.

POCD = People, Opportunity, Context, and Deal.

P – Are the people likely to be able to succeed (the right people)

O – Is the opportunity big… (how big is it)… (how much money might be made?)

C – What is happening in context of the world at large that is or MIGHT effect this opportunity?

D – How much money will it take to get to success, and what are the terms and risks?

I often use POCD to look at 2 different opportunities, I use a 1-10 scale to compare them… here is an example:

Karmaback

P – 9 (my team rocks)

O – 7 (its tough to make money in social right now)

C – 10 (Social is heating up and people are looking for our solution: how to make money with Social Marketing)

D – 8 (not a lot of funds needed)

SCORE: 34

— vs. —

Making my own social game (something I’d like to do someday)

P – 5 (I have no artistic talents)

O – 4 (hard to make money with just 1 game)

C – 7 (social games are hot)

D – 7 (not a lot of money needed to make a social game)

SCORE: 23 (better than I thought it would be)

SWOT is very similar, and does add a valuable concept (that POCD doesn’t directly address)

SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

I don’t directly use SWOT, but I do like the thought of “threats” as part of the “Context” in the POCD framework.

So, the next time you are asked, is this a good idea?

Give them a POCD score. It’s fun.

Painful/Scratchy Toilet Paper, Reduces Consumption.

I’m not trying to be vulgar, but consider: would you use MORE or LESS Toilet paper when it is painful/scratchy cheap kind vs. the nice soft good stuff? Business owners, consider this a lesson: don’t make it painful/scratchy/awkward! If your sales-people/staff are not friendly, then its painful (less consumption). If your product is ugly, unwieldy, or difficult, then it is painful (less consumption). If your food makes people sick, or your bathrooms are not clean: painful, less consumption. And for goodness sakes, buy the soft TP!

The Socratic Method in the Modern Age

What has changed since Socrates first developed the method of debate known as “The Socratic Method“? Are we more or less patient as a society? Are we more or less narcissistic? Do we even talk face to face with each other at length? Are people more or less willing to engage in debate? Much has changed in 2,400 years, but the Socratic Method can still be an incredibly useful tool in business and in life.

Benjamin Franklin (my hero) first turned me on to the Socratic Method of debate, finding great joy in frustrating his friends with continually asking questions to almost any debate posed. However, even in Ben Franklin’s times, I believe people were more patient, less narcissistic, and engaged in Face-to-face debate far more often.

Here is Harlan’s revised Socratic Method for 2010, based on real world examples:

Find something worth debating. – This can be the hardest step. Time is so precious in our narcissistic fast-paced society, and not everything should be debated.
Find someone worth debating – If the participant is not willing to explore the topic in an open debate forum, and relegate the results to logics fine conclusion, then you are wasting your time. NOTE: They do not have to be willing to engage in Socratic Method. Only that they are open to debate and change.
Set aside a preset time period (at least 30-minutes). – Unlike the days of Socrates, we cannot simply cavort on one topic for an entire day. Our MTV minds are simply not accustomed to such concentration. A preset time period is not so that you can stop when the time is up… it is a minimum for how long you should explore. The temptation is to concede the point after the first hole in logic. This would be a gross error on both parties, regardless of which side you are arguing.
Begin with a statement – just like normal Socratic method, we must choose sides… pick a side and explore with questions… its that easy!
Ask any question but “Why” – Why questions are an example of opinion questions. In the Socratic method we must explore facts, logic, and assumptions (and foundations of all these in society, prejudice, culture, etc.). Avoid Why type questions whenever possible. It is OKAY if you are the only one asking questions. If you are the only one asking questions, you must ask on behalf of BOTH SIDES of the debate.
End with 2 statements – no-one likes to feel as though time was wasted. When the time is up (or when you both agree to stop), both parties should make a summary statement to capture how far (or how close) both parties have come along the path to enlightenment and truth.

Here are some real-world examples I’ve recently engaged in:

Sales Call. I often have sales calls and sales meetings.. and based on one of my favorite sales books, I try hard to use questions to help sell. The hardest part was “opening with a statement”, and then being willing to be “moved from my own position”. Here is what worked:

Statement: “You need Karmaback to help your company grow.”
Sample Questions: “Does your company want to grow?”, “Do you know what Karmaback is?” “Do you believe Karmaback can do what it says?”, etc.
Closing Statements: “COMPANYX needs to grow, and Karmaback can help.” vs. “COMPANYX needs to grow, and has bigger problems than what Karmaback can solve”
My openness… In order for this debate to work, I (as the salesman) had to be open to change… I had to be open to the fact that maybe MY STATEMENT was false.

Family Dispute. My kids are great test subjects. They are active, willing, and can easily handle 30-minutes…. not. (10-minutes was the best I could do. More would have been better)

Statement: “You need to learn to throw the football like a pro.”
Sample Questions: “Do you like football?” “Do you know what football is?” “Do you know what a pro is?” “Can one learn to throw a football?” “Can one learn to throw like a pro?” “Which pro?” “What is a need?”
Closing Statements: “I want you to learn to throw a football so I can play with you and get some exercise.” vs. “Papa wants me to learn to throw a football”
Kids: Sometimes, it’s good enough to get to the “intention” of the idea…

In almost every case I’ve used the Socratic method, it has been helpful.. it usually changes “me” more than “them”. And this is not a bad thing!

The other magical thing. Asking, and being open to being wrong, often wins business!

Why companies MUST dedicate themselves to design… or die.

We live today in a renaissance of design. There is no Scarcity of information. There is no Scarcity of bandwidth. There is no Scarcity of choices. The most Scarce resource for the modern company is design. Design requires 2 very disparate groups to be completely aligned: engineers and creatives. Products, Services, Brands, and Everything in between now compete using the last scarce resource: design. Here are some examples:

Would you buy an “ugly looking” candy bar?
Would you shop at a grocery store with an “ugly” sign?
Are you going to spend money at a website that is “hard to use”?
Do you enjoy “waiting in line”?
Does processing power matter more or less than operating system?
Are you likely to “keep using” a complex application when a simpler one exists for the same price?

My story of how I became “an Apple guy”:

I used to be a MAC hater. I loved my PC because it could play games (and I love games). I hated MAC because it was popular, it couldn’t play the “best” games, and because I had to “pay” for all of my software. iPhone changed all of that! First, it has games (so I had to get one). Second, the games are cheap (Free – $0.99)… and they are good. But what really “got me” with iPhone was its incredible user interface design. I “FINALLY GET” why people love their Apple Computers (Mac, iPhone, Powerbook, or what have you). It is exactly because Apple does not rely on “the mouse and keyboard” for its UI, that it’s UI works.

I recently bough my first Macbook Pro. … and I’m starting to “get it”. Apple has infused in its UI guidelines and very strict application approval process, the notion that “design matters”. In many cases design matters most. Interestingly, some of the elements of Apple design should be considered for ANY platform:
1.) Clutter: There shouldn’t be any.
2.) Organization: There should be good.
3.) Automatic Mode: Should always be on.
4.) Configuration Options: Should usually be hidden.
5.) Function: Should be intuitive and should have as few as possible.

Companies will soon realize that if they don’t compete on design, they will consistently lose.

Giving back. Karma->back: Karmaback now turns points into charity donations!

In Eastern Philosophy, Karma is that earned thing which leads to something you deserve (good or bad). Karma comes full circle when it is shared… it gets amplified back upon itself. It is this “circle of Karma” which my company Karmaback, Inc. now offers to both businesses and end users. We have just announced our “Donate points to charity” program. This program allows users to donate their points to charity, which Karmaback turns into cash donations to that charity. The circle starts with businesses who use Karmaback services. Users interact with those companies, and EARN points (Karma). Then those points can be spent on “stuff“, including Charity, completing a circle of Karma!

To learn more about Karmaback Points for Charity and how to turn your online activity into cash donations or to become a participating charity, please visit karmaback.com/charity.

Non-profits participating in the Karmaback Points for Charity program include:

The Bob Woodruff Foundation: The vision of the Bob Woodruff Foundation is to provide resources and support to injured service members, veterans and their families — building a movement to empower communities nationwide to take action to successfully reintegrate our nation’s injured heroes-especially those who have sustained the Hidden Injuries of War-back into their communities so they may thrive physically, psychologically, socially and economically.
Learn To Be Foundation: Learn To Be was organized on the principle of using the World Wide Web as a medium for people of all ages to grasp their educational potential. The Foundation fosters free online tutoring services that are driven by a community of users dedicated to teaching and mentoring those in need.
Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society: The mission of the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society is to improve the lives of equines by educating and helping owners, assisting law enforcement agencies, rehabilitating abused and neglected equines, and placing them into safe, permanent homes.

Got a business? Check out our Social Platform to learn how you can get MORE FANS/FOLLOWERS, MORE VIRAL SHARING, and MORE SALES for your business… by giving Karmaback points, running Karmaback Sweepstakes, and Karmaback Coupons and Feedback.

Karmaback Pricing… and new services!

A lot of our customers really liked the fact that Karmaback was “Unique” in that we only charge when we successfully grow new Fans or Followers for our partner companies’ Facebook and Twitter pages. Well, great news! We have brought back the “purely variable” pricing again, and now have a “Cap” on fees so you know your maximum possible fee up front! Just $0.25/New Fan we bring you with a max fee of $99/month. Check it out: http://karmaback.com/platform/pricing/

While you are there, check out our new “Customization” and “Software Engineering Services” offerings… we’d love to build customized Website/Social Applications for you!

Extroverts, plan your Introvert time. Introverts, plan your Extrovert time.

Seth Godin (and many other business authors) agree, growth comes from “stretching” your discomfort. DO the uncomfortable and you will grow. Don’t want to grow? Stop reading blogs for goodness sakes! Want to grow, here are some tips for HOW to Stretch and Exercise your “discomfort zone”. (Extroverts and Introverts both)

Extroverts (like myself) prefer to think “outside their head”. We like to draw on white-boards, engage in debate, and generally “talk & interact” with people. The problem is this: if all you do is extroversion, you miss out on deep thinking, attention to detail, and most of all quiet focus. For an extrovert, it is “uncomfortable” to have quiet, work alone, or focus on details.

Planning your introversion and “forcing yourself” to spend time alone, focusing on details, is the best way to stretch that uncomfortable muscle. It will grow from there (or at least you will minimize the effects of lacking introversion).

Each day, plan out 2 x 1-hour blocks where you will DO something introverted.
(fix bugs, add comments to code, handle accounting, submit expense reports, research competition, develop formalized strategy/documentation)…
most important do it ALONE, and make sure you force yourself to do it for the whole 1-hour block.
Because you set an “end-time” for the discomfort to end, you will find it less dis-comfortable to do it (just for 1 hour).
I find the best time for me to do it is 1st thing in the morning, and then again right before I leave work.

Introverts (like my wife) prefer to think “inside their head”. They prefer to work alone, to think deeply on problems, and to focus on details. In many cases, they fear (and are VERY uncomfortable) engaging “with people”.

Planning your extroversion is even more important! Unlike extroverts, you have to make plans that involve other people. Here are the tips:

Each day, plan out 2 x 1-hour blocks where you will DO something extroverted (WITH others).
(brainstorming session, lunch hour, happy hour, coffee, phone call)…
most important do it WITH someone.. preferably NOT someone you know really well.
Because you set an “end-time” for the discomfort to end, you will find it less dis-comfortable to do it (just for 1 hour).
Lunch hour and happy hour are the best times.
THE ADAGE: NEVER EAT LUNCH ALONE comes to mind… that can be one of your hours!

just invite people you are connected with on LinkedIn or Facebook to lunch… be sure to say “dutch, just to catch up”.

GO to those events you hate (the happy hours, etc.)… but just spend 1-hour there… for the whole hour set yourself a goal:

talk to x people
pass out x business cards
whatever

Then…. next time, try to improve on the target #!

You may find it turns into quite a “game”.. or you may continue to hate it… but at least…

You are out there!

Motivation to “Like” Company or Brand on Facebook
Facebook Motivations	% of Respondents
Receive discounts and promotions	40%
Show support for the company	37
Get a “freebie”	36
Stay informed about company	34
Get updates about products	33
Get updates on upcoming sales	30
Fun and entertainment	29
Access to exclusive content	25
Recommended	22
Learn about company	21
Source: ExactTarget, August 2010

Harlan T Beverly, PhD

Blog, Consulting, and More