Do you feel like you’re ‘saved’ by coffee every morning? Read this story, then!

If you’re like many people, you feel like that first cup – or pot! – of coffee is a life-saver in the morning, especially if you’re getting up earlier than you’d like.

Well the guy who was the station manager back when I was the public affairs director at WSUW (that was before I began my newspaper career), he has are more harrowing story to tell, where coffee may have quite literally saved his life!

Microsoft has continued to live up to its reputation, in this case in a way similar to how people expect its operating systems to be prone to virus attacks.

To my knowledge, this information is a world exclusive and you’re hearing it here first!

(I used to be a newspaper reporter for six years and assistant managing editor for four, so getting the scoop has been ingrained in my psyche.)

You know how Microsoft just re-engineered its distant third-place search engine, “Bing”?

If you have your own products or services, you’ve probably put considerable effort into naming them before you release them.

And you appreciate how important that name is.

First of all, what does “Bing” make you think of?

When I first heard of it, I thought, “Bing Crosby? Bing cherries? It’s not a very attractive name.”

The thing is, it is memorable.

Maybe Steve Ballmer and company knew they needed something memorable because the online world had forgotten Microsoft even had a search engine… except for something like 7% of online users.

Just a little piece of advice if you’re planning on making a big launch, or even a small one… you might want to do a careful search of what your *proposed* name means in other languages.

Before you spend millions upon millions of dollars to get as many people as possible to know what that name is.

Particularly if you did not do that process and you end up looking extremely foolish because of this huge oversight, and blunder!

So what did some of the brightest minds and most successful marketers out there anywhere miss?

First of all, people have been talking for years about how China is the emerging global force and we’re all going to need to learn Chinese to reach its billion-plus market and exponentially grow our businesses.

It’s an important culture. It’s an important country. It’s an important economy. And the Chinese language is important.

Especially -BEFORE- you go name your search engine after the Chinese word for *disease*!!!!

(No, I am not kidding, in fact.)

Ever since Microsoft announced it was going to rename its search engine Bing, millions of Chinese-speaking people probably had a big laugh. And maybe it was even a source of great humor for them.

Or maybe they thought, “WTF?”

Now you’re in on the “joke”, too. Except I’m guessing Microsoft won’t think it’s very funny.

Now that the damage is done and they’ve named their search engine, “Disease” -

(No jokes, please, about how fitting that is considering how vulnerable Windows has always been to diseases, requiring everyone to buy anti-virus programs to protect their computers.)

- What’s the “ill” search engine to do?

Change it’s name again? That would be a PR disaster.

Maybe they’re just hoping no one finds out about the ‘Big Bad Bing Blunder” (if Microsoft is even aware of it!)

And they’re just biding their time until the deal with the No. 2 search engine goes through and Yahoo cures “the Disease”.

It won’t be long after that until the world forgets….. and people go back to their daily routine of cursing Windows and looking forward to Google’s operating system arriving.

(Actually, I’m joking about that. I use Vista, and I like it.)

Dan Klatt is president of the Internet Marketing Organization and founder of the CarnegieCentre, which empowers people to Think and Grow Rich.

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Jim Rohn’s guidance can still make a huge difference to your life, even by reading the tributes people have posted about how he inspired their lives. What about this tribute is most valuable for you?

My friend Jason was really influenced by Jim Rohn, and in this great blog post, he shares the sage advice that meant a great deal to him.

Click on that link and read his post.

I replied to it, with this:

Thanks for inspiring me with this wisdom, both yours and his. I forwarded your link to a client, asking him which section was most meaningful to him.

For me it was “Wishing”, the point about being a successful person to attract success, rather than striving for it or chasing it. ‘

Thanks much! Warmly, Dan

What inspired you the most from Jim Rohn and Jason Fladlien’s wisdom?

How will you act on that inspiration?

I’m going to set aside the time I’ve wanted to spend each day on becoming a better copywriter. This will be through my CopyU.org or CopyU.org sites. (Join me if you share that goal or desire that you’ve known you need to improve, as well.)

Because as great as my Think and Grow Rich wisdom and trainings are, I know I can benefit from presenting them in a way that hits more people the right way, allowing me to fulfill my dharma (life purpose) that much more effectively.

Another tangible action I’m going to do is make it a higher priority to continue my own studies, also every day. I’m going through “Talks with Ramana Maharshi” and the last two days did not take the time to do my daily reading because my work day was compressed while my girlfriend was staying here. (I don’t mean to make an excuse. She went back to her house and realistically I know I could have carved out the time while she was hear. Also, related to that, to take less time for movies or the few favorite TV shows, like Monk, Star Trek, South Park, Merlin. And to spend less time looking for new marketing materials and products to buy and more time to learn from the ones I already bought.

How about you?!

Warmly,

Dan Klatt,

“Think And Grow Rich Guy”

Founder of the CarnegieCentre,

President of the Internet Marketing Organization