Ok, I confess I'm a closet Runner's World newswire junkie, I actually check out their page almost daily. I've never admitted this publically, but I do rank runner's news higher than politics or world news. There. I said it. Sort of like Jodie Foster's declaration at the Golden Globes.

So, with my dark obesssion comes all sorts of news and tidbits. But today, I have to say, I'm saddened to see the design world going down such a dark path.

That is, split toed shoes from Topo. Really? Really. Barf. Like any normal person thinks they look attractive with shoes that make you look like a camel? Let alone reference the unspeakable camel toe. Just sayin'.

So, sadly, as the CEOs at Tobo pat themselves on the back for this "design breakthrough"; I declare a breakdown. Stop making runners look goofier than we already are, stop making shoes that would make my already super long size 9 narrow skinny pads stick out worse than they already do. Stop the shame, and go back to the drafting table.

Amen.

Guest Blogger Sue Henry of Sue Henry Talks shares strategies on selling yourself in speaking roles when you can't. 

Have you turned down “free” speaking opportunities because you weren’t allowed to sell from the stage? A creative speaking strategy can help you turn “free” speaking gigs into profitable, brand-building opportunities.

Here are a few of the tips that have helped me sell thousands of dollars in products at events, even when selling from the stage wasn’t an option.

• Compartmentalize your talk with transitions that set yourself up as the expert. For example, my most requested speaking topic is “Social Media Marketing Success in 15 Minutes a Day… for those who aren’t 20-something anymore!”

I divide my talk into segments. Opening, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs, Twitter, Closing. Here’s how I breakdown the timing of my presentation:

• 4 minutes: Opening
• 45 minutes: Facebook, LinkedIn & Blogs
• 3 minutes: Twitter
• 6 minutes: The door prize (the secret sauce of the presentation)
• 2 minutes: The Closing

As I transition from one topic to the next, I say in a somewhat frustrated tone, “I have so much more to share about this but because of time, (I tap my watch), we need to move on”.  I then go into the next topic. I repeat this process until the door prize section.

Using this method provides an easy transition from one topic to the next while planting the subconscious thought in your audience that you know so much more than you’re able to share at this time. You aren’t holding back – time is! You’ll set yourself up as a credible expert AND demonstrate that your products offer much more than the little bit of information you’ve given from the stage.

• Have a door prize of one of your products/packages. Describe in glowing details what the person is winning and the benefits the package offers (not features of the package) and then drumroll…. Draw the name!  Have the product in your hand so they can see it. Create energy within your audience!

• Get them to follow you to the back of the room. NEVER take questions from the stage!  Here’s what to say as the last line of your close: “I’m sure some of you have questions. If you meet me in the back of the room (or wherever your products are located) and I’ll be happy to answer them.”

Stand next to your product table and position yourself so that the people waiting in line are standing next to your products. This creates curiosity and easy access resulting in “spontaneous” sales. The more people who pick up your products, the more products you’ll sell!  Offer to autograph!  When others see you autographing products, it inspires them to buy the product so they can get it personalized, too.  This creates validation for some people who are having trouble deciding if they want to buy.

• Have someone else behind the table processing orders and handing out the products. Your role is to be the speaker, not the order-taker. You’ve spent all this time building your credibility – continue to build rapport and relationships by engaging with the people who took the time to come back and talk with you.

If you don’t have someone who can travel with you in this role, ask the planner of the event who they would recommend to help you. If you have “fans” in the audience that you already have a relationship with, ask them for help in advance. Offer to pay them or see if they’d like to barter for products.

Your job isn’t to lead the horse to water. Your job is to make the horse thirsty! By implementing these 4 tips into your speaking engagements, you’ll find that your audience will thirst for more information and you can quench their thirst!

Sue Henry Workshop and Training Diva - seminars that do more than teach and inspire, they deliver results and profits!   

A new guest Blog from Traffic Resources International President, Dan Wegner, enjoy.

Using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn are great ways to "shout out" to the world around you. With a little know-how you can reach out to nearly ONE BILLION USERS! That's the approximate total users of all the social networks combined.

Facebook is my favorite because of it's 500 million users and the amount of time the average user spends on it every month (see the facebook stats page). Properly using Facebook requires some planning for those of us who use Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family. Without adequate planning it may be difficult to keep your private life private. Thankfully, Facebook offers at least two ways to reach out without allowing everyone in your audience to know what you ate for breakfast. Facebook Pages allow you to create a public face to your audience while Facebook Groups are a nice way to share outside your inner circle.

Twitter is perfect for the fast-paced among us. There are ways to look like you're always go-go-go even when you're not - like TRI's Twit-O-Matic. So whether you're on the bleeding edge or not, you can make a big splash with 140 characters and Twitter.

YouTube puts all the power of modern communications at your fingertips. $100 can make you famous but $1000 (well-spent) can make you a superstar! But don't forget to craft your message well, learn some audio and video basics - then go hog-wild!

LinkedIn simply isn't optional and if done right can pay off in spades! And while LinkedIn doesn't have a brand like Google, it has a bright future. LinkedIn has hired a lot of brain-power away from Google in the last year and it's really starting to show.

To really make any of these work for you, you need to commit to content creation, whether it's articles, blogs, video or podcasts. Then simply use the above tools to push your content out to the masses.

If you fear all that content creation will put you on the fast track to a repetitive motion injury, check out my next email in this series, Speak Louder #2:Making A One-Time Splash!

Dan Wegner, CEO/President; Traffic Resources International, LLC

Shuttervoice writes their views on website design trends for 2011, here's the recap:

TOP WEBSITE DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2011:

• Flash OUT; JavaScript IN

• Introductory pages of sites made completely with flash are OUT

• Big texts with matching sets of color are IN for any website with proper navigation in the home page

• Typical notebook type or column like designs are OUT and retro or magazine like design is IN

• As the display are more being widescreen with LCD, TFT & LED monitors, single page designs are IN where anyone can scroll their way to find anything interesting

• Less spacy is IN; using your space wisely (banner ads, reference links) is IN

• Browsers play a vital role in web which is racing to be faster and give more features to the customers within accustomed space, lighter designs are IN so that it takes only a fraction of second to load in any standard server, sloppy designs with huge animation or details are going to be totally OUT

• Gimmick or huge animation is OUT and professional light designs with navigations are IN for 2011.

Click on the pictures in this design quiz at Stylish Home to determine your decorating style. Brace yourself— the quiz promises to "delve into your design soul."

My results said my style preference is:

• An intimate home of modest proportions, a kitchen that reflects your passion…large, sweeping - authentic
• A tailored bedroom rewards a hard day's work.
• Like the painter's brush, your composition is done in living color.
• In the eating area, a sense of rolling hills and vineyards surround this table; a lithe and agreeable cab - no meal required.
• Outside, on cobbled streets, character abounds. Fun, yet cosmopolitan - your style abides.
• I score along the lines of Oprah Winfrey, John Kennedy and Michelle Obama.

Wouldn't have guessed that but the quiz was fun. Check it out for yourself and see what you prefer!