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George Torok - EzineArticles.com Expert Author  

George Torok is a marketing expert, presentation skills specialist & a creativity catalyst. He is the co-author of the bestselling book, Secrets of Power Marketing – the first guide to personal marketing for the non-marketer. It is published in at least seven countries. He is often described as a motivational business speaker because of his inspirational and entertaining delivery. Yet he presents practical business principles and techniques. He has delivered over 1,000 professional presentations. ... [More]

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  • Who Wants a Mentor?
    [Self-Improvement:Success] What is mentoring about? Mentoring is a special relationship between a master and an apprentice. You can find good examples in modern culture: Obi wan Kanobee and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars and Cane (David Carradine) from the old Kung Fu TV series. In centuries past this was the only way to pass on critical knowledge of a craft. The mentor's role was to teach, coach and encourage.


  • How Not to Start Your Speech - 10 Roads to Disaster
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Preparing a speech can be like sculpting. You keep removing the excess clay until you have your work of art. If you want to start your presentation with a bang instead of a bust avoid these ten mistakes. These tips will show you how not to start your speech.


  • Leadership - Change What You Do
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] January is named after the Roman god, Janus who had two faces - one looking back and the other looking forward. Now is a good time for you to do both. Review the past year to list and celebrate your accomplishments. Also review your setbacks armed with hindsight to crystallize the wisdom you gained. Looking ahead - set your goals and map your path.


  • Personal Marketing - Relationships Trump Branding
    [Business:Marketing] Stop branding and start building relationships. Small business is falling prey to the branding epidemic. We see big business spending so much money on branding and we are hypnotized to follow the herd chasing the branding grail. Stop right now. Stop that foolish branding. Small business has a far better tool than branding. That tool is building relationships.


  • Marketing Tip - Create Your Top Ten List
    [Business:Marketing] Create a top ten list to answer this question. Print this list on a postcard or flyer. Publish it on your website or blog. Memorize the list but never say all ten at one time. Tell people one or two then give them the printed list to read on their own. Reading the printed list will be more believable and convincing than you droning on. And very few people can deliver a top ten list as entertaining as Dave Letterman.


  • Do You Make Your Clients Feel Safe?
    [Business:Marketing] If your clients don't feel safe - they won't buy from you. And they won't tell you why. It's not enough to be safe. You must make them feel safe. When they don't feel safe fear kicks into gear.


  • Problem Solving - Don't Ignore the Nudges
    [Business:Change-Management] You will encounter two types of problems, acute and chronic. They have two distinct warnings signs and different methods of solving them. You need to be aware of both types of problems and how to solve them. You may already know about the first type. But knowing how to identify and solve the second type will provide greater benefit for you and your organization.


  • Branding - Death Cigarettes
    [Business:Branding] How can you create a powerful brand? Follow the advice of UK entrepreneur BJ Cunningham. This is so good. BJ created a company called The Enlightened Tobacco Company in 1991, selling a cigarette called "Death Cigarettes". It was presented in a black package emblazoned with a white skull-and-crossbones logo. Just imagine how this might appeal to the rebels.


  • Mentors and Protegees - How to Make it Work
    [Self-Improvement:Coaching] A mentor is someone - perhaps a family member, friend or business associate - who is more experienced in the business who is willing to give you some of their time, advice and support. Mentors never do this for money. They enter into the relationship because they want to help you. They see some potential in you and maybe a little of themselves in you. They want to help and you must be ready.


  • Presentations Tip 02 - Begin With the End in Mind
    [Business:Presentation] Begin with the end in mind. Stephen Covey offers this advice in his book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". The book is a guide to develop personal leadership. You can apply the first habit from Stephen Covey to your presentation in three ways. Public speaking and presenting are more effective when you start with the end in mind.


  • Leaders Invent Themselves
    [Self-Improvement:Leadership] Look at the mess we're in. Why doesn't somebody do something? When was the last time you heard or even thought that? Look! Up in the air, it's Superman! We're saved. What a hero. If only I had his powers I could be a hero. If only I was born a leader. Wrong! The big myth is that leaders are born. The reality, in the words of Warren Bennis, author of On Becoming a Leader, is "Leaders Invent Themselves".


  • Does Your Presentation Pass the Google Test?
    [Business:Presentation] Presentation tips. Learn from Google. They know something about the presentation of information. They took the chaotic information soup of the Internet and presented the information in the way that people want. Google didn't invent this but they are the number one search engine.


  • Marketing is in the Details - Sears Catalogue Disaster
    [Business:Marketing] Marketing can make or break your business. Marketing is about sending messages. Marketing is everyone's responsibility because each staff member sends messages about your business. Often your unintended messages have a greater impact then your intended messages. Look at this on the street report of a Sears catalogue disaster.


  • Presentations Tip 02 - Begin With the End in Mind
    [Business:Presentation] Begin with the end in mind. Stephen Covey offers this advice in his book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". The book is a guide to develop personal leadership. You can apply the first habit from Stephen Covey to your presentation in three ways.


  • Networking For Entrepreneurs - 7 Questions Answered
    [Business:Networking] Networking is a powerful personal marketing strategy. Many entrepreneurs have built their business on networking. A smart networking strategy can pay off big time for you. A lousy networking plan or execution can be hugely frustrating. What is the difference? How do you get your networking to pay off for you? The following questions and answers can help you enjoy more profit from your networking plans and activities.


  • Seven Marketing Myths That Devastate Business
    [Business:Marketing] What marketing myths have you "learned" or are you being fed? Marketing has its own dogma - outdated beliefs and mumble jumble all intended to protect self-declared marketing mandarins. Marketing should be helping you get your key messages out - so you can grow, sell more and win more business.


  • The Van Gogh Syndrome Can Kill Your Business
    [Business:Marketing] If you consider yourself a professional, technical expert or artist, learn from the mistakes of Van Gogh - quickly - if you want to grow your business. When I research and work with these folks I often find that their business is suffering because they are reluctant and uniformed in marketing their business. They mistakenly believe that being good at their craft is enough. Poor fools.


  • Presentations Tip 01 - It's Not About You
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Presentations Tip 01: It's not about you Your presentation is not about you. It's about your audience. How can you create a presentation that is about your audience?


  • Secrets of Power Marketing - Promote Brand You
    [Business:Marketing] Don't get me wrong. You still have to be good at what you do. But today it is more important "how" you are perceived by others especially your customers, employer, or colleagues. And it is your responsibility to influence how you are perceived.


  • What a Difference a Decade Makes to Marketing
    [Business:Marketing] Imagine that you could continue to market successfully the same way for ten years. Do you like that thought? Well delete that daydream because it just isn't so. Welcome to marketing 2008.


  • You Cannot - Not Market
    [Business:Marketing] Everything you do - or don't do sends a message and marketing is about sending messages. You can market well or you can market poorly, but you cannot - not market!


  • Power Marketing Tips 01 - Warning - Marketing Can Be Fun
    [Business:Marketing] Marketing can be fun - but don't be fooled by that aspect Marketing can be fun or it can be boring. In either case it is the results that count not your enjoyment level. You should enjoy your business but don't judge the value of your business investments by your enjoyment. Creating new ideas and holding special events can be fun. However the boring side of marketing might pay off more for you in the long run.


  • Sponsorship Marketing - Five Criteria For Sponsoring
    [Business:Marketing] Sponsoring is perceived as a good thing. When you sponsor an event, community group or cause that your prospects like - they are more likely to like you. And they are more likely to trust those that they like. Trust makes it easier for prospects to buy from you. You don't need to say a thing about yourself.


  • How to Kill Your Restaurant Business Fast - Four Eulogies
    [Business:Marketing] One of the biggest mistakes that restaurant owners make is to believe that they are in the food business. Big mistake! Grocery stores are in the food business. Restaurants are in the experience business. The experience at McDonalds is very different from that at Boston Pizza from TGI Fridays from Ruth's Chris Steak House. Yet they are all in the same business - just different segments of it. Why do restaurants fail? It's usually not the food. Here are four restaurant failures that I witnessed recently in our neighborhood.


  • Build Relationships
    [Business:Marketing] Personal marketing makes it easier to sell, by building relationships nurtured on awareness, value and trust. Make your relationships more fruitful by making them personal.


  • Systems For Success
    [Business:Marketing] What does it take to succeed? How many times have you asked that question of yourself and others? You may have heard many different answers. I have found one thing that successful people have in common. They use systems.


  • How to Write Your Speech in Five Minutes Or Less
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Follow this sure-fire process to write your speech in five minutes or less. Write your speech quickly and make it more focussed when you know how.


  • How to Write Your News Release
    [Business:PR] Follow this step-by-step process to write and expose your news. Format - Call it a 'News Release', 'News Bulletin' or 'Announcement'. 'Press Release' sounds like propaganda.


  • Cool Hand Luke - Cool is Not Enough
    [Business:Entrepreneurialism] Every entrepreneur should watch this movie at least three times. I watched Cool Hand Luke on TV the other night. It is an old movie (1967) starring Paul Newman in the lead role along with George Kennedy.


  • Opening Your Speech
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] The mission of your opening is to 1. Grab their interest; 2. Establish rapport; 3. Introduce your topic. Here are 10 techniques you can use to launch your successful speech.


  • Build Credibility, Value, and Trust on a Shoestring
    [Business:Marketing] Setting priorities in your business? Your first job is to sell. Selling is - writing the orders; receiving the cash; feeding the beast. If you don't sell; the beast, (your business), dies. The impact...


  • Build Your Network Faster With Smarter Questions
    [Business:Networking] Networking can be a waste of time or it can be very profitable. What determines the difference? You - and how you approach the science of networking. To build a more profitable network you need to understand and master the power of questioning. Networking without good questioning is doomed to failure.


  • Marketing Benefits Vs Features - Will it Make Me Late For Dinner?
    [Business:Marketing] Stop telling your customers about horsepower (feature) when they are concerned about missing dinner (benefit). One of the biggest marketing mistakes is to talk about features like horsepower when your customers only care about benefits like getting home for dinner. What are you marketing - Benefits or Features? Wake up and talk about what's important to your customer. Your engineers care about features like horsepower. Don't worry about hurting the feelings of your engineers. They are not your customers.


  • Cycle City Declares Bankruptcy
    [Business] A lot of bargain hunters were picking up deals. I noticed one of the owners behind the parts counter dispensing friendly advice to a customer. At least he didn't seem bitter about his failed business venture. While browsing about the store I heard at least one person comment on the bankruptcy that "it was a sign of the times." I couldn't help but wonder what this bankruptcy might be really a sign of.


  • Business Lessons From Las Vegas
    [Business] If you haven't been to Las Vegas recently - you must go. When you visit take good notes. Las Vegas is an inspiring business model. Las Vegas is a place to learn how to run your business. It might be called the sin city. But the real lessons of Vegas are not about gambling. It's about how to run a successful business.


  • Keeping Your Business Alive
    [Business:Small-Business] As long as you eat and breathe you will stay alive. But is that really living? In a crisis that may be enough. If your business is in crisis - deal with it. But the secret to keeping your business ...


  • Presentation to the Seven Dwarfs
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Every member of your audience is different. You can't treat them the same and expect the same reaction from all of them. You must be prepared to connect on different levels and receive different reactions to your presentation. Consider this challenge. Imagine that you are presenting to the seven dwarfs.


  • Presentation Power Does Not Come From PowerPoint
    [Business:Presentation] How do you present yourself with power? Don't be fooled by the name. There is no implied power in PowerPoint. Have you noticed how many presenters use PowerPoint and do not have power? That should be your first clue. PowerPoint is easy-to-use software. It seduces you into believing...


  • Get More Impact From Your Annual Conference
    [Business:Marketing] How can you get more publicity and credibility for your association conference or convention? Use these Power Marketing tips and ideas. It won't cost much. You just need to take a creative approach. The payoff can be huge for your event and your members.


  • The Yukon Spirit - Nurturing Entrepreneurs
    [Business:Entrepreneurialism] What defines the entrepreneurial spirit? Drive, focus, innovation, can-do attitude, self-determination and the desire to be different. If you demonstrate these qualities you might have the entrepreneurial spirit. It doesn't matter whether you run your own business or if you work for someone else.


  • Motivational Speaker - Boxing Legend George Foreman
    [Self-Improvement:Motivation] When George Foreman was a boy his sister taunted him, "You'll never be anything." He skipped classes and slept during the day. But that taunt hurt him. It angered him. It awakened the fighting spirit within him. He wanted to change but he didn't know how. George Foreman became heavy weight boxing champion of the world. Today he is a preacher, entrepreneur and the spokesperson for the George Foreman Grill with over 1 million units sold. And yes a motivational speaker.


  • Networking Or Sweatworking
    [Business:Networking] Yes, networking can be frustrating - even when you are doing the right things. Too many business professionals make the mistake of sweatworking instead of networking. How can you avoid that mistake and get more from your networking? Stop sweating and start smart networking now.


  • Marketing is a Long-Term Investment
    [Business:Marketing] Two key points here. Advertising is only one narrow form of marketing. Marketing is about sending messages. You send messages in a plethora of avenues; advertising, customer service, by association, quality, public relations, sponsorship, awards, etc... And the second point; marketing is a long-term investment.


  • Boardroom Presentations - Sweat Like a Horse
    [Business:Presentation] Maybe you heard that horses sweat, men perspire and women glow. But in the boardroom everyone who presents sweats - some more than others. If you are in management or want to be, you will need to present in the boardroom. This is the worst place to present. First understand why it is that way. Then use these techniques to be more successful when you present in the boardroom.


  • The Fire Alarm Rings During Your Presentation
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] What do you do when the fire alarm rings during your presentation? I've witnessed this disaster happen to two other speakers and this week it was my turn. It's a lot easier to think logically about it after it is over. It might never happen to you - but perhaps you should be prepared for the fire alarm to ring during your presentation.


  • When You Have Something Important to Say
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] How to emphasize the key points of your presentation so your audience hears, digests and remembers it. Tips to emphasize the most important points in your presentation.


  • Networking: Five Myths and Realities
    [Business:Networking] Networking has gotten a bad name. Ever visit one of those networking events? You’re told, “Arrive with a pocketful of business cards and don’t leave until they’re all gone.”


  • Secrets from David Copperfield
    [Business:Customer-Service] David Copperfield - live at the MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas! You might be fascinated to know what I discovered behind the curtain.


  • Creating, Recognizing & Measuring Value
    [Business:Marketing] Price is what you pay - value is what you get. Warren Buffett, Chairman of Berkshire Securities


  • The Advertising Scam: New Entrepreneurs Beware!
    [Business:Entrepreneurialism] Imagine that you are a new entrepreneur. You have a great idea; you did your research, you're feeling optimistic and you just registered your company name. Experienced business people might call you naive.


  • 10 Power Tips for Presentations with Computer Projection
    [Business:Presentation] When was the last time you sat through a terrible presentation using computer projection? When was the last time you gave one?


  • Did You Market Yourself Today?
    [Business:Marketing] "If you build a better mouse trap - the world will beat a path to your door." "Go to school; get a good job; and the company will look after you."


  • 20 Power Marketing Tips
    [Business:Marketing] Use this powerful yet simple checklist of 20 hard hitting marketing tips.


  • Market Yourself as the Expert
    [Business:Marketing] As a small business how do you compete with the big guys and their big budget advertising campaign? The big guys don't read this magazine so we can share these low budget yet high-impact marketing secrets with you.


  • Handling Questions with Authority
    [Business:Presentation] At some point in your presentation you will be expected to answer questions from your audience. They might have some burning questions that need to be answered before they buy into your message. Hand...




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