I’m reading Referral Engine by John Jantsch (coming out next month) and the part that asks a lot of questions has me soul searching.

He asks if:

• you’re easy to communicate with
• your value/marketing messaging is easy to understand
• you’re easy to network with, trust, buy from, work with, etc.

It triggered a lot of self-evaluation for me. It talks about making it easy to do business with you. Businesses that get referrals do this well. The problem is making it easy is actually hard. At least it is for me.

Some people I know do not have a voicemail message or they don’t have a professional voicemail message. Sometimes the message is – I don’t answer voicemails so try another way to reach me. In other words, more work for the caller. I think it’s sort of a hoop to weed out people who aren’t determined to reach them.

There are many different ways to communicate and for people to reach you – it can be overwhelming. Messages can come from different phone lines (home work, cell), Facebook, LinkedIn, IM, Skype, text message, Twitter, various email addresses (personal, business, etc). It gets confusing to remember where they are coming from.

The biggest thing I see in internet marketing that makes me not buy after a recommendation or a search engine refers me to you is your web site makes it hard to do business with you. It’s tough to see what you’re selling. I want to buy something from you but I can’t figure out if it’s worth the price you’re asking. There’s not much of a description or I cannot see sample content. When you write articles or press releases I think, that’s nice and move on. You don’t tell me what you want me to do next. You don’t offer to take me further into your sales process. So I never go.

On my own sites I struggle with this too. So I guess I’m saying that I realize the problem, but the solution? not so much. This book has made me realize that if making a referable business is important to me I have a lot of work to do.

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Referral Engine (800ceoread.com)
• Are You an Active Business Blogger? (ducttapemarketing.com)
• Weekend Reading: The Referral Engine, by John Jantsch (Preview) (readwriteweb.com)
• Start Your Voicemail Messages Without a Gasp [Voicemail] (lifehacker.com)
• Twit2Tel – now receive voicemails on Twitter (twi5.com)

I wrote a review of the Kindle recently. Here’s a quick follow-up. Despite all the hype about free, charging for something I’m used to getting free elevates the value. I’m more selective. So on my feed reader I subscribe to hundreds of blogs but on my Kindle I don’t. I subscribe to three. Three blogs that I haven’t read as much as I meant to. But now that they’re are only a few I value them more. I didn’t expect that.

I also find myself wanting to request some bloggers add their blog to the Kindle because I would rather read them there. Somehow reading them on a Kindle I go slower and skim less. I’m not sure why. My favorite so far is Problogger. I have learned so much from him in just an hour, including:

• Create a blog alliance (I must do this!) includes the idea of keeping a blog journal
• Reuse blog content for SEO and sales
• Tips for making money as an Amazon affiliate and part two of Amazon affiliate tips for making a six figure income

I know it sounds romantic to curl up with a good book in bed, but I slept with my Kindle next to me this morning. I use it as much as my computer already. I read something then go to my computer to blog about it or try something I learned about. It separates my reading and makes it more enjoyable than sitting at a computer to read. This really makes a big difference! Better for my posture. It’s a good way to mix up my routine.

But most of all I can take my entire library with me anywhere I go. The gym. The car. The Love Sac. The Lazy Boy. Outside. That’s probably the best part. I will probably carry it with me in my purse.

Check out the Kindle on Amazon

My much-anticipated Amazon Kindle arrived yesterday. I promptly tore off the hip packaging and plugged it in. Ever since then I’ve been trying to learn how to use it (where did they say I could access the help section?!?).

After the wow factor of the design and elegance of the Kindle, what struck me most is that things I’m used to getting free aren’t free on Kindle. So after the steep purchase price I see a never-ending list of things I want to buy, including books I already own. And blogs I already read. This is daunting.

Here’s my review of the Kindle.

What I’ve done on my Kindle so far:

• Sent ebooks and a document from my computer via email for 62 cents down to 15 cents depending on the size of the file (but I could’ve used a USB connection free)
• Added both of my blogs to Kindle
  Note: you don’t set the price. You get 30% of what Amazon charges.
• Went to my Kindle page on Amazon and added tags.
• Signed up for free trials of Mashable, PR 2.0, and Problogger
• Noted which of my friends or industry blogs are available (way to go Jason at Jibberjobber!). There are over 2,400 right now, bigger than many of the other lists.

What I’ve purchased or subscribed to on my Kindle so far:

• ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging your Way to a Six-Figure Income ($14.99)
• Putting the Public Back in Public Relations by Brian Solis ($9.99)

My Kindle To Do List

• Add screenshot of my blog to my Kindle listing
• Buy other books including the one for book club
• Look at this post that tells me all of the things I can do with my Kindle (and overwhelms me just a bit)

Things I don’t like about the Kindle

• I don’t think I can watch video
• Paying to read blogs ($1.99 a month can add up when you read as many as I do)
• Clicking to see the next page (wishing it were a touch screen)
• I miss color
• I don’t think you can read it in the dark (no backlight)
• Not enough books available on the Kindle yet (mine will be though!)
• The price tag (ouch)
• Can’t read blog comments or make them

Things I like about the Kindle (besides the obvious like how lightweight it is)

• I can enlarge the font (but the screen is pretty small so you’re going to have to click A LOT to read things)
• I can put in notes
• I can save my place
• Don’t need the internet to read blogs or access ebooks (handy when you spend time in Wendover where there is almost no wifi anywhere)
• Portability (I love to read in the car)
• Saves me a lot of book shelf space and time waiting to get books

And did I mention that you can subscribe to Newspapergrl on the Kindle? Also, my OnlinePRBook blog (just search “online PR” on your Kindle to find it.

If you buy a Kindle please consider using my affiliate link below. It will help me feed my addiction by purchasing the equivalent of 3 book downloads.