So, here are some tips of how I sometimes start the conversation:

1. When people ask me where I am from:

I am from the land of Chocolate and I live in the city of Diamonds.

Then I wait a couple of seconds while they are thinking. Most people get it right and start smiling, especially women

Oh, for those who don’t know : Antwerp, Belgium

OK, I admit, sometimes they say Switzerland as well, but the diamonds are pretty convincing…

Anyway, what I am saying is : start with something different, original or funny. If you can make people smile and/or teasing them with the first thing(s) you say, you are already halfway!

When I was in New Zealand, I often told people I am from “Old Zealand”. Then I saw them thinking again and so I grabbed their attention…

So, what can you do with your location? Have fun!

2. When people ask me what I do:

I make people happy!

The first thing people do is either smile, show interest and ask me how, because they could use some happiness…or they just want to know more details. Their attention becomes interest! That’s exactly where I want them to be.

I am hacking away frustrations in people’s lives…I am a lifehacker

When I use this sentence, I also make a gesture of really hacking away stuff from their shoulders or backs. Some people are rather visually oriented and it helps them. Most people have never heard of the word “lifehacker” and find it ‘creative’ or ‘refreshing’. Of course, some think about negative stuff when they hear ‘hacker’ and they do ask. So the next bit positions it well:

Most people are looking for the easy way or the shortcuts, right? That’s exactly what I do : Genius Shortcuts! Examples are learning people how to write a 100 mails in 1 hour or if you are looking for a perfect picture in your presentation : how to scan 200 images in less than 20 seconds? You see, challenging stuff at first, but by using Genius Shortcuts you’ll see how easy it really is.

I share my Genius Shortcuts through keynotes, workshops and coaching.

Now it is time to really explain what it is that I do. I start with bringing in my own flavour of lifehacking (and for those negative people moving away from that negative feeling): Genius Shortcuts. Since I already gave them several pieces of info that might be new to them I share examples immediately after. It makes it more tangible. Now they get a clear understanding what it is that I do. Of course, I adapt the examples to their context!

I also advise you to give at least 2 examples, just in case 1 is not relevant for them (exceptions do exist ).

Finally, I tell them how I add value and how I share it…through keynotes, etc. Now they know how they can hire me, right?

So, what exactly is it that you do?

3. Satisfy their needs

Isn’t it frustrating for a xyz (fill in their occupation) like you to loose so much time on abc (an activity they find frustrating)?

Think about one of your big frustrations that consumes a lot of your energy. Now, how would you feel if you got rid of it?

Imagine how it would feel if you have 2 hours extra every day?

These are just example sentences, which I am using depending on how well I already know the other person(s). Now, I get them thinking and feeling how it would be when they hire me. Definitely fueling their desire and showing them that I can deliver (or really hack away their frustrations). Yes, one of my signature workshops guarantees that I save people 2 hours/day! Yes, I do have references

Which needs do you satisfy? Use them in your Elevator Pitch!

4. Call to action

Hold on to that feeling and …

any sales person can tell you that this is important. Ever wondered why you have to sit in a car when they sell it to you? Or why they give you the product in your hand while they sell it? Exactly, so you can experience how it really feels…how real it all is. I do the same. If people feel how it would be without this particular frustration, how their lives would look like, they will get in a good (great?) mood. that’s exactly where I want them, right?

come and talk to me afterwards and I’ll share some free Genius Shortcuts with you, so you can actually be happier!

when I am on stage giving my Elevator Pitch. People who got triggered come and see me afterwards. Sometimes the response is a bit overwhelming

enroll for my free ecourse at my website and start enjoying some free Genius Shortcuts, so you can actually be happier!

If it is in a 1-to-1 conversation, I am handing out my businesscard and show them where my website is. By giving away added value to them, I am already solving some of their frustrations. And a lot of people actually sign up for this free ecourse…

If there is more time I could invite them to read my blog, where I have written a number of articles on lifehacks and Genius Shortcuts. Or I even tell them about open workshops. Occasionally ( I am not a hardseller) I might ask them if they would be interested in an inhouse training or keynote and what the next steps would look like.

You probably get it by now. My Elevator Pitch has different moments where the other person can/will be triggered and will ask for more details. The more they ask, the more I can give. I am convinced it is also paramount to give them some added value right away. This means that in most cases I will share one (or more) of my Genius Shortcuts on the spot (or when they come and see me afterwards).

Note: Most (marketing/sales)people are familiar with the AIDA-model (no, not the Opera ) and will have recognized it. In step 1 I aroused Attention. In step 2 I really got their Interest. During step 3 I give enough info to go to their Desire and finally in step 4, if they really want a taste of Genius Shortcuts, they are called for Action. Needless to say that it often works like a charm. I invite you to develop your own story! And share it with us…

Final tip: Avoid too many technical terms! People will not understand you or it might take you too much time to explain it. Search for easy-to-understand synonyms.

We all have our own routines, and habits we take for granted. Some even call it rituals. Some of these might be draining our energy and distracting us from the truly important things in life. Would eliminating them free up time, energy and money?Really? Of course it would! The question is which ones do you consider to let go? Is it your daily Starbuck’s coffee on the way to the office or your afternoon snack? Is it your quest for the perfect car, the latest blockbuster DVD or that extra pair of designer shoes? Is it that after work drink with colleagues or your habit of eating out every day? Can it be your mobile phone upgrade to the next gadget or hype? What about those take-out meals or overrated posh vacations?

Indeed, we can certainly live with less, but what are we prepared to let go? Are all these things really what we were longing for? Let’s be honest here. Some things were bought because we felt the social pressure from our peers, friends, neighbours, etc. So, are you living their lives or your own? Let’s imagine you could choose again. What would you leave out? Probably a lot that you own right now. That’s exactly what we are looking for!

Oh, by the way, I bought a book recently (“Give It Up!” by Mary Carlomagno) about giving up a certain habit for 1 moth. She eliminates unnecessary facets of life, in order to determine what she could live without. You need examples? Think about alcohol, chocolate, television, dining out, elevators or cell phones. Isn’t that a great challenge? I dare you…

Let me finish with a great Buddhist saying (yes, I read it daily, because it hangs on our wall, thanks for asking!) that gives me a lot to think about:

“In the end what matters most is:
How well did you live
How well did you love
How well did you learn to let go”

So, just out of personal curiosity, what are you prepared to let go? And how well did you learn to let it go?

Wie wordt niet dagelijks overspoeld door allerlei soorten informatie. Hoe kunt u er nu voor zorgen dat u overzicht houdt en voorkomt dat u gaat lijden aan informatiestress? De kunst is de informatie op te sporen, te organiseren, te filteren en te delen. Dat is waar lifehacking over gaat, over meer doen, in minder tijd op een leukere en slimmere manier. Tijd overhouden om te creëren en u te richten op zaken die u echt belangrijk vindt. Lifehacking wordt daarbij geïnspireerd door het boek ‘Getting Things Done’ van David Allen. Een handige en complete manier om prettig en efficiënt te werken zonder stress.

Voor wie is dit boek bedoeld? Voor iedereen die in zijn werk gebruik maakt van een computer, maar geen idee heeft hoe je met een kleine inspanning een hoop dagelijkse taken veel makkelijker voor elkaar krijgt. Voor iedereen die veel op het web werkt, maar nog nooit van RSS gehoord heeft. En voor mensen die de schoonheid van een slimme vondst kunnen waarderen, en er hun voordeel mee doen.

Op lifehacking.nl schrijft een team lifehackers over deze vondsten, en dragen de lezers bij in onze zoektocht naar slimme hacks in deze wereld.

Om het jullie makkelijk te maken, volgen hier een aantal antwoorden.

Ja, dit is de intro van het nieuwste boek over lifehacking:
150 Lifehackingtips, om slimmer en efficiënter te werken

Ja, het is de update van het vorige boek 100 Lifehackingtips, om prettiger en efficiënter te werken (nog steeds gratis te downloaden)

Ja, Bert Verdonck heeft ook een lifehack in dit boek geschreven.

Ja, Bert schrijft af en toe ook op lifehacking.nl

Ja, je kan het boek “150 Lifehackingtips” ook bij mij bestellen.

Ja, het staat op #1 bij managementboek.nl

Ja, je krijgt dit boek in april 2010 GRATIS bij bestelling van een of meer boeken uit een speciale actie met Van Duuren Management. Meer informatie over deze speciale actie vindt je hier.

You can write your book in 100 days!

With the right mindset, motivation, guidance and determination to succeed, you will write an excellent book that will help you achieve your goals. “Your Book in 100 Days” is a practical and friendly book and it shows you how to tap into the power of your mind and bring your best ideas to life. You will write your book in much less time than average first-time authors take, and you will have more fun doing it! You will discover the answers to the big questions, such as

• What is your dream, for your life as well as your book?
• Who will benefit most from reading your book?
• How can you structure the book in the best way for your reader?

Follow the advice of two authors who have helped hundreds of people create their books and see your book come to life in just 100 days!

About 1.5 years ago, I wrote a blog on how to publish a book in 1 month (in Dutch, on Lifehacking.nl). When I met Mindy at a Blackstar event (Ecademy), we talked about the possibilities on setting up a partnership by writing a book together. As a bookmidwife, Mindy specializes in delivering people’s books. For me as a lifehacker and life coach,  I am helping people to get clarity on what it is they want to achieve in life (and whether a book fits into that ). On top of that, I suggest different tools and exercises to actually achieve these dreams in less time. So, it was a natural fit for the two of us to create this book. After all, we are two coaches who both believe passionately that if people want to do things in life, they should find a way to do them and they can do them quickly and easily. Did you know that 83% of people interviewed said they dreamed of writing their own book? The problem is that most people never even start, much less finish their book…

So, if you have “a book” in you, it is time to think about how you’d start writing it. Buy this book now at Amazon, Ecademy Press or directly through us and start reading first. Have fun with the exercises and create your own book. We want to hear you shout when your book is in print and we want you to see you reaping all the benefits that a good book can give you!

Did you ever had that moment where you are sitting in a room full of people and some contest was going on? Then suddenly the crowd’s attention goes up and the speaker on stage says: “And the Winner is…” a couple of seconds filled with extra silence…and then your name pops up! What? Was that my name? Sure? People start to look your way and spots find a way to you. You get up and slowly move towards the stage. Almost there, you realize this is actually happening! And you start to smile

This is exactly what happened to me a couple of days ago! Where was I and what was going on? Let me start from the beginning. As you know, I am a public speaker and share my message regularly on stage. Several friends asked me if I would join the Professional Speakers Assiociation (PSA). I am already a member of so many organisations that I intended to decline. People from all over the world suggested me to do that, some insisting more than others So, finally, last tuesday, I decided to join PSA Holland, the Dutch chapter (no Belgian yet!) of the Global Speakers Federation (GSF). One of the goals that I made that day was to be on stage for them on their next convention (honestly I was thinking of 2011!). And I enrolled for the PSA Holland 2010 Convention immediately afterwards. This convention took place last weekend.

So, upon arriving, I registered and started to network a bit. Jan Vermeiren was also present and he introduced me to some of the people he knew. One of them was Christine Morlet, negociation expert and organizer of the “Elevator Pitch”-challenge. She asked if I where interested in joining a game and of course I said yes, actually not sure what I said yes too Anyway, she explaines that at this PSA convention they are holding an “Elevator Pitch”-contest. The only thing I need to do, is present myself on stage in less than 120 words and less than 2 minutes. Most participants enrolled for it before the event and some backed off and so she was a couple of contestants short. So, I volunteered. Was that smart? I’ll answer that later on…

I presented my “Elevator Pitch” and was already satisfied that I got the visibility, let alone the feedback from the jury. It was well organized and they had a life voting-system (Sendsteps for more info). Because I was sitting behind the camera-man, I wasn’t really paying much attention to the scoreboard. But you know what happened next, right? Exactly! Before I knew it, I was on my way to the stage and jumped right on it! With a big smile, because I had won! And the Winner is Bert Verdonck with 52% of the votes (Can you believe it?)! Yes, the first price is a relax weekend in the Provence (France), thanks for asking

What just happened here?

Let me share you my personal “Elevator Pitch” according to the above rules and share some of the feedback that I got, from the jury and other participants.

“Most professional speakers are always looking for an audience, right? How fast can you be on stage before your target audience? We all want a shortcut! As the newest PSA Holland member, I did it in less than 3 days to be here in front of you! That is exactly what I do. Shortcuts! With Genius Shortcuts I teach you practical tools and tips to save you 2 hours/day or hack away other frustrations. I am a lifehacker and I help people through keynote speaking, trainings and workshops. So, think about how you would feel if one of your biggest frustrations disappeared forever? Come and see me afterwards and I will share free Genius Shortcuts so you can feel happier!”

Some of the feedback that I received:

• Relaxed, great & pleasant voice, to the point, looked at the audience and the jury, great timing, radiant, great connection with the audience, fully present on stage, you walk your talk: you speak easy & simple, very good pitch, clear message from the start, well developed pitch, great impact, engaging, surprising opener, good pause and excellent posture.
• Points to improve: wear your jacket (I forgot to put it on before walking on stage!), take more time (I only used 1 min instead of 2, so more room for extra details), not always clear what it really is about (lifehacking?), start smiling before you get on stage, explain better, give more examples, can be more confident, a bit too vague and explain more who your target audience is.

I am really thankful for all the feedback that I got and I am looking forward to sharpen this elevator story even more.

Why do I tell you all this? So you know how important it is to know your own Elevator Pitch. And to look for your Genius Shortcuts to find an audience or clients faster. Of course, it is also proof that you don’t have to be a longtime member to get the necessary visibility. Finally, it is important to receive feedback from other professionals, so that you improve. If no one ever tells you what you could do to improve, you don’t move forward, let alone become better at what you do…

The reason for me to blog about this is that I am one of the 4 certified LinkedIn trainers worldwide! No, I am not a LinkedIn employee, but as a member of Jan Vermeiren‘s team (Networking Coach) I had the privilege of being at the right place at the right time. As you know, I am giving lectures and trainings on Social Media regularly and of course LinkedIn is always included.

So, do you want to better use LinkedIn? Do you want to meet other LinkedIn users? Enroll for one of our inspiring sessions (in Dutch) now!

These 4 types of events are organized through LinkedIn-Training.nl (the official site):
Link & Learn: get an introduction about the practicalities of LinkedIn and meet other LinkedIn users “live” through facilitated networking.
Boost Your Business: discover how LinkedIn can help you attract additional customers, suppliers, employees & partners and experience the real power of networking through a networking auction and dinner.
Catapult Your Career: understand how LinkedIn can help you find your dreamjob and give and receive help during the networking drink.
Dive In Deep: follow a hands-on computer training in a small group with personal guidance allowing LinkedIn to unleash all its secrets to you.

To be honest, I sometimes hesitate about what to do next. Why? On the one hand it is rather tempting to turn my back on everything and start all over again. I am dreaming of a simple life on a sailboat and exploring the world, traveling all over the place or residing on a tropical island, away from civilization. Not the way Tom Hanks lives in Cast Away, but rather a modest beach shack in Samoa or Tonga, like “Big Z” in Surf’s Up.

Palms line Lalomanu Beach in Western Samoa. Photo:lonelyplanetimages.com

On the other hand, it’s probably easier to follow the hurdle and give in to the world of excess. And it’s probably true that a century ago it really was easier to step away from civilization and live in the woods or in some remote location. On top of that, in our modern society, it becomes harder to say “NO!” to all these great restaurants, luxury shops, new cars, gadget hypes, second homes, etc. The need for more is winning more supporters everyday. Even in remote locations they are dreaming of our western lifestyle.

Is it really possible to choose for less and to simplify our lives?

Yes, it is possible! Although I admit I sometimes even like the excess and luxury, it is a conscientious choice to choose less. For me it’s about Living Simply and Less is More. I know we can change in different ways and that one of my goals is to Slow Down. It is also clear to me that choosing less is not about plunging into poverty. What I am really longing for is a better quality of life. Remember, eat the chocolate first

I want to focus more on the fun in life, rather than on being inspired by the “More is Better” way of life. I deliberately choose simplicity and more meaning in life instead. And you know, saying “no” to some of the excess, means saying “yes” to other opportunities that have more and lasting value. Or to put it in the words of John C. Maxwell: “Learn to say ‘no’ to the good, so you can say ‘yes’ to the best”!

- Henry David Thoreau -

What if I would invite you to a “Walden”-vacation, where you recreate Thoreau’s world famous 19th century retreat? You’d have to survive without your mobile, computer, internet, tv, car, Twitter and to make it worse also without electricity or indoor plumbing (sic!). Of course, you’d be carrying your own luggage, preferably a backpack. The planned excursions include starting a camp fire, sleeping in a tent, enjoying the beautiful scenery around you, getting closer to nature, creating friendships for life, contemplating on your life, setting up an action plan and doing nothing. Also enjoying the silence is an all-time favorite!

Would you sign up? Thoreau did. And he enjoyed it. When I walked my camino to Spain, I enjoyed it too! I came a lot closer to nature those days.

Anyway, all this to tell you that Thoreau longed to simplify his life, free himself from distraction and find more meaning in life. He believed that by changing his environment, he would change something inside of him. A couple of weeks ago I changed my environment also. And it worked! More flow, more results and I started 2010 as a happy camper

As you know, we sold our house and we’ll change our environment again. I am looking forward to it!

So, are you ready to simplify your life? What are your next steps to change your environment?

During these last months Tonia and I had several discussions on where our lives are going. Especially during her walk to Santiago. We came to the conclusion that we are making it too difficult for ourselves. Our lives are too complicated. There must be a simple way to change all that. Where is the Genius Shortcut here?

So, it all changes now! We are committed to simplify our lives. How do we simplify the details that make up our lives? And aren’t those details important? Not anymore…We are thinking in a different kind of abundance now. We are downsizing and reorganizing our lives towards a continuous process of joy, freedom and contribution. To give you one example: with the extra money we are saving on our (new) house, we can travel more, explore more cultures and enroll for extra trainings. We are spending the same amount, but in an optimized way. Another example: some of the extra money we make on our house will be donated to a charity. Third example? While our monthly running costs are downsized, we can easily take another time-out or sabbatical when we feel like it. We no longer need months of savings to cover for us, while we are somewhere else enjoying more.

You see, we are looking at things in a different way now. We are living simply and at the same time achieving more. Less is more!

So, what could you do to simplify your life? Have you thought about that? Now would be a good time

Life is complex if you want it to. Can we make it simple again? Sure! Just let go of some of your activities and luxurious materialism. Easier said than done? Probably. So, what can you do to make your life simple again? Simply give up more!

To set an example, my wife and I decided to sell our house. We are moving to a smaller house. Of course, we can make a lot of excuses for not doing it. At the same time, we did create a list of what it can and will bring us instead. The most important one for us is freedom! We want to create more freedom, so we can travel more, invest more in personal growth and help more people. By downsizing we can actually save a significant amount extra every month. Of course, we’ll be happy in our new home too! And this doesn’t mean we’ll buy a dump

So, how does it work? Here is a fictitious example :

Value of the house : 300,000 €

Mortgage : 150,000 €

Net : 150,000 €

New House : 180,000 €

New Mortgage : 120,000 €

Own Means : 60,000 € + costs notary, energy documents… 20,000 € = 80,000 €

Net Profit : 70,000 € (=300K – 150K – 80K)

With 70,000 € you can buy yourself quite some freedom And yes, I know, it’s just a fictitious example, just fill it in for your own situation and be amazed how much “extra” freedom you can get by downsizing.

On top of that, if you invest this at a 20%/year rate (ask me how), you’ll double it after 4 years! Of course, you can also spend 10,000 € this year and gain 12K € next year (@ 20%), of which you can spend another 10K € to enjoy your freedom. And you could do this every year. In my world spending 10K € on extra freedom is fantastic! Oh, by the way, you could repeat it yearly. And you might consider giving away 10% to your favourite charity too : 1,200 €! The remaining 800 € will probably cover extra costs, taxes and partially inflation, right?

So, now that I’ve shown you how to do it, what steps are you taking to simplify your life? Sure, it takes courage and it doesn’t have to be the same plan we are executing, but I am sure you can downsize easily too. So, let me know which actions you are taking…

PS : if you are interested in buying our house, have a look at Immoweb (Dutch).