Marketing a business can be fun, exciting and creative. It can also be very frustrating and expensive if one doesn’t know what outcome they are looking for or how to evaluate cost effective methods of marketing.
Over the years people have come to know me for my unique ability to develop low cost and no cost strategies to market and promote a business, product or service. Strategies that have realized incredible returns.
Some of my successes have included:
- Before my last book was published I pre-sold over $8,000 in books
- Over 250 people registered for a recent seminar in less than 2 weeks and the cost to promote was under $25
- One company used my strategies for a career expo and made over $180,000 in consulting fees
- One speaker sold over $23,000 in product sales back of the room at a two hour seminar with strategies outlined in my program
I don’t share this to impress anyone, rather to impress upon you when using the right strategies for your market, you can realize some incredible results.
People have also come to know me as someone who is a stickler when it comes to putting systems in place. My marketing successes are a direct result of the systems I have implemented.
With a bit of forethought, planning and desire, you can successfully market your business in a very effective manner. Below are seven proven strategies sure to increase visibility, leads and sales.
1. Business Cards
Business cards are often one of the most underutilized tools in one’s marketing.
Use the front and back of your business card to gain full benefit. Depending on your market you can put some very valuable information on the back such as a sports schedule, emergency numbers, or special dates people want to remember.
Keep some in your wallet, your automobile, on your desk, and some at home. Be sure to carry them with you wherever you go and be willing to hand them out as opportunity presents itself.
Creatively distribute your card. When you eat out you can leave one with the tip.
If you borrow a library book, use one as a book mark. Hand them to clerks in stores who may know other people who could use your product or service.
When someone gives you their business card be sure to enter their information in your database. Send them a short note or email within 48 hours of meeting them to keep your name fresh in their mind.
2. Send a picture
A great way to keep your name fresh in a customer’s mind is to send them a picture of when they purchased a product or service from you.
Put a picture of a buyer’s auto purchase in a beautiful calendar. Likely, the proud owner of the vehicle will display the calendar for the next 365 days.
For specialty gift shops, when a customer makes a substantial purchase, have a picture taken with the shop owner. Frame the picture and send it to the customer.
Chances are very good the picture will be displayed proudly for friends and family to see.
A dentist who specializes in smile makeovers can easily arrange to have a professional makeup artist and photographer capture the patient’s beautiful new smile. No doubt the patient will be more than happy to show others their new look.
3. Associations
Associations particular to your market are a great resource for marketing. There are associations specific to virtually any industry, job type or business. A quick web search will likely show you how much is available.
A major opportunity within many organizations is the chance to network. Additionally, to make presentations. Along with presentations come publications.
Often, when you do a presentation, you will get a mention in the association newsletter, their Ezine and/or on their website.
In many cases, when an organization has a newsletter or Ezine, they welcome the presenter writing a press announcement for them. It saves them time and often assures you have a better chance of the information making it into the publication.
They may also welcome you writing an article for their publication or website.
This lends itself to pre-presentation visibility. Additionally, you will position yourself as an expert and increase credibility.
Most organizations have the following opportunities that can help you to gain visibility and do some very effective marketing:
-Newsletters
-Internet listings
-Links to you website
-Discounted advertising rates
-Networking opportunities
-Business referral services
-Special recognition events
-Education seminars
-Business and membership directories
In many cases you will need to be a member of the association to take advantage of the multiple marketing opportunities. In other cases membership is not necessary.
4. Committee Involvement
Committee involvement is a great way to give back to the association or community while building visibility for you and your business. In some cases, you may even want to get involved in a committee where you have little experience or knowledge. This will give you an opportunity to stretch yourself and meet and network with individuals you may not have otherwise had the chance to meet.
5. Contests and drawings
Contests are a favorite for many businesses such as restaurants or those that have high foot traffic. Contests are a great way to build your database quickly.
You are generating very hot leads when you have a contest with people who have already frequented your place of business. The key though is to do back -end marketing. Far too many businesses hold contests, get lots of names and do nothing with them. In this case, it is a complete waste of time to hold a contest.
You can advertise a contest to gain new foot traffic in your place of business.
Trade show booths are a great place to hold a contest. Pre-show marketing helps to generate traffic at your booth. Invite people to stop by booth # _____ (whatever your booth is) to enter to win. Creative contests can also generate free publicity.
6. Cross-promoting
Join with other companies who have products or services that compliment yours and promote each other. Let’s say you have a massage business. You could partner with a candle company to sell their candles to your massage clients. They can give out coupons for your massage business. Or the candle company can partner with a gift basket company. Cross-promoting is only limited by your imagination.
This can considerably cut down the cost of business promotion and allow each business to use promotion techniques that might be too expensive to implement alone.
7. Bonuses
Secure special offers from various businesses who want to share a similar market as you. When a customer buys a minimum amount they receive a bonus packet with the various offers from the other vendors. This is a win/win all the way around. The other vendors gain visibility, you have something extra to offer you customers and the customers get incredible value for their purchase.
Be aware of who you cross-promote and joint venture with. You want someone who will be equally committed to a campaign.
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Exactly What to Say When Asked, "How Much Do You Charge?"
A client with a creative business called me one day and asked the following question. It's a question I get asked frequently, so rather than write an entire article, I decided just to tell you exactly what I told her.
Kirstin,
"I never know what to say when a potential customer calls and asks 'How much do you charge? What are your fees?'
I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by quoting something too low, but also don't want the caller to hear a number that they think is too high and hang up.
What do I say to them so I don't put them off, but also don't immediately take myself out of the running to get their business?"
-Ann P., Philadelphia, PA
Ann,
Don't feel compelled to blurt out a number or hand over a price sheet. Calmly and confidently tell the prospect, "It depends." Follow up with, "Let me ask you a few questions...." Then proceed to ask the prospect questions that will help you learn about her needs, uncover her concerns, understand her methods of measuring success, and determine how to show the value of your services.
Without knowing the basic information above, you are not in any position to be quoting prices and fees. Do yourself and your potential client a favor and don't rush into discussing pricing until you have all the facts, m'am.
-Kirstin Carey
http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com
Kirstin,
"I never know what to say when a potential customer calls and asks 'How much do you charge? What are your fees?'
I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by quoting something too low, but also don't want the caller to hear a number that they think is too high and hang up.
What do I say to them so I don't put them off, but also don't immediately take myself out of the running to get their business?"
-Ann P., Philadelphia, PA
Ann,
Don't feel compelled to blurt out a number or hand over a price sheet. Calmly and confidently tell the prospect, "It depends." Follow up with, "Let me ask you a few questions...." Then proceed to ask the prospect questions that will help you learn about her needs, uncover her concerns, understand her methods of measuring success, and determine how to show the value of your services.
Without knowing the basic information above, you are not in any position to be quoting prices and fees. Do yourself and your potential client a favor and don't rush into discussing pricing until you have all the facts, m'am.
-Kirstin Carey
http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Evaluate Your Customer
Evaluate Your Customer
When a customer walks into your office, don’t sell them the first product that comes to mind. Sit them down and evaluate their needs, than sell them the products that meet their needs.
I once worked with a guy in the banking industry, who was one of the best at explaining the benefits and features of our products, the only problem was, he was spending so much of his time explaining, but never selling anything.
He never sold anything because he never took the time to get to know what his customer’s needs were, therefore he was attempting to sell them things that they didn’t really need.
Nobody will buy things that they don’t need.
This is why it is so very important to evaluate your customer.
Start off by making your customer as comfortable as you possibly can, talk about non-business topics such as the weather, sports, or a current event.
Once you and your customer have built a good enough report, start to ask some questions so that you may evaluate your customer’s needs.
You can begin by finding out why your customer came into see you in the first place. Find out what products they already have. Find out if they already deal with one of your competitors. If so, find out all you can about the products and services they have with your competitor, so that you may compare products and fee’s. This is a perfect opportunity to let your customer know how much better your products and services are compared to your competitors.
Find out what it is they need and can afford, than sell them the products you believe to be ideal for their needs.
Once you have evaluated your customer, the chances of making a sale will be very good, because you will now be offering your customer something they need and can use, so they will most likely buy it.
The last thing a customer wants to hear about, is a bunch of stuff they don’t need. They have a reason for coming into see you, so find out what that reason is and do all you can to satisfy their needs.
Don’t waste your time trying to push off all of your products on them at once. This time can be better spent evaluating them.
Get to know your customer, evaluate their needs, than meet their needs with the appropriate products.
By evaluating your customer before you sell, you will find that the sales process will come much easier to you. Good luck.
This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.
When a customer walks into your office, don’t sell them the first product that comes to mind. Sit them down and evaluate their needs, than sell them the products that meet their needs.
I once worked with a guy in the banking industry, who was one of the best at explaining the benefits and features of our products, the only problem was, he was spending so much of his time explaining, but never selling anything.
He never sold anything because he never took the time to get to know what his customer’s needs were, therefore he was attempting to sell them things that they didn’t really need.
Nobody will buy things that they don’t need.
This is why it is so very important to evaluate your customer.
Start off by making your customer as comfortable as you possibly can, talk about non-business topics such as the weather, sports, or a current event.
Once you and your customer have built a good enough report, start to ask some questions so that you may evaluate your customer’s needs.
You can begin by finding out why your customer came into see you in the first place. Find out what products they already have. Find out if they already deal with one of your competitors. If so, find out all you can about the products and services they have with your competitor, so that you may compare products and fee’s. This is a perfect opportunity to let your customer know how much better your products and services are compared to your competitors.
Find out what it is they need and can afford, than sell them the products you believe to be ideal for their needs.
Once you have evaluated your customer, the chances of making a sale will be very good, because you will now be offering your customer something they need and can use, so they will most likely buy it.
The last thing a customer wants to hear about, is a bunch of stuff they don’t need. They have a reason for coming into see you, so find out what that reason is and do all you can to satisfy their needs.
Don’t waste your time trying to push off all of your products on them at once. This time can be better spent evaluating them.
Get to know your customer, evaluate their needs, than meet their needs with the appropriate products.
By evaluating your customer before you sell, you will find that the sales process will come much easier to you. Good luck.
This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Simple Strategy to Increase Profits
In today’s competitive business environment it is essential to find ways to reduce costs and increase revenues while keeping productivity and quality high. One of the best ways to achieve this is through hiring and retention of outstanding employees.
Far too often hiring managers rush through the hiring process due to being reactive rather than proactive when filling positions. With some preplanning in the hiring process and implementation of sound strategies once people join your organization, you will lower the cost of doing business by considerable amounts.
As you prepare to hire consider the following:
• What type of person are you looking for?
• What are the values that drive your company?
• How difficult is the job you are filling?
• Do you have anyone internally who can do the job?
• How long will it take to find the right person for the position?
• What are you willing to negotiate with the potential candidate?
In looking for potential candidates you may want to try more than the traditional employee search. Tap into your network of professional connections. Some of your best candidates may be working for your competitors. Be careful about hiring someone just because they are a friend or family member. Not that friends and family members don’t make good employees - often they can be fantastic. And yet, if you are hiring them only because they are a friend or family member, you are setting yourself up for some big problems. With the wrong choice morale with other employees can go down. With the right choice it is just as likely to go up.
Think through the compensation package. Are the wages fair for the job, industry and market? Make sure your benefit package is competitive for your industry. Find out what other companies are offering as far as compensation and consider matching or beating their offerings.
There are occasions when someone may take a position without thinking through income, benefits or fit. Once they have gotten settled in and are feeling comfortable with the position and the company, they may realize the compensation and the job is not all it could be. That can cause some discontent on their part. To avoid this, do your homework.
Another key to keeping good employees is to make sure they are treated with respect, dignity and appreciation. This may seem like common sense and yet, it often doesn’t happen. I consult with various types of organizations employee retention and how to gain more commitment from the staff. I often will meet individually, in private, with a cross section of the staff. I spend at least an hour with each employee in a confidential meeting to find out their view of the company. Inevitably, the areas that are most lacking for the employee to be fully satisfied are communication and appreciation.
Once the area of discontent has been identified I design programs for the company in which to address the problems. What is amazing is the problem is often on the way to being solved by virtue of the fact the organization has brought me in. A common comment is, “Finally, someone is listening to me.”
Often, a company’s problems can be lessened with some good coaching and training of management. It is amazing how many managers and supervisors were put into their position without any training in interpersonal skills, management and supervisory skills, and how to communicate effectively. Nine times out of ten the people who need the most training are the ones who think they need it the least. And, they are often the biggest obstacle to the success of a company.
In order to stay competitive on all fronts you must keep your entire team on the leading edge. By doing so you will be in business for years to come with a happy, dedicated and productive team. And that will equal profits.
Far too often hiring managers rush through the hiring process due to being reactive rather than proactive when filling positions. With some preplanning in the hiring process and implementation of sound strategies once people join your organization, you will lower the cost of doing business by considerable amounts.
As you prepare to hire consider the following:
• What type of person are you looking for?
• What are the values that drive your company?
• How difficult is the job you are filling?
• Do you have anyone internally who can do the job?
• How long will it take to find the right person for the position?
• What are you willing to negotiate with the potential candidate?
In looking for potential candidates you may want to try more than the traditional employee search. Tap into your network of professional connections. Some of your best candidates may be working for your competitors. Be careful about hiring someone just because they are a friend or family member. Not that friends and family members don’t make good employees - often they can be fantastic. And yet, if you are hiring them only because they are a friend or family member, you are setting yourself up for some big problems. With the wrong choice morale with other employees can go down. With the right choice it is just as likely to go up.
Think through the compensation package. Are the wages fair for the job, industry and market? Make sure your benefit package is competitive for your industry. Find out what other companies are offering as far as compensation and consider matching or beating their offerings.
There are occasions when someone may take a position without thinking through income, benefits or fit. Once they have gotten settled in and are feeling comfortable with the position and the company, they may realize the compensation and the job is not all it could be. That can cause some discontent on their part. To avoid this, do your homework.
Another key to keeping good employees is to make sure they are treated with respect, dignity and appreciation. This may seem like common sense and yet, it often doesn’t happen. I consult with various types of organizations employee retention and how to gain more commitment from the staff. I often will meet individually, in private, with a cross section of the staff. I spend at least an hour with each employee in a confidential meeting to find out their view of the company. Inevitably, the areas that are most lacking for the employee to be fully satisfied are communication and appreciation.
Once the area of discontent has been identified I design programs for the company in which to address the problems. What is amazing is the problem is often on the way to being solved by virtue of the fact the organization has brought me in. A common comment is, “Finally, someone is listening to me.”
Often, a company’s problems can be lessened with some good coaching and training of management. It is amazing how many managers and supervisors were put into their position without any training in interpersonal skills, management and supervisory skills, and how to communicate effectively. Nine times out of ten the people who need the most training are the ones who think they need it the least. And, they are often the biggest obstacle to the success of a company.
In order to stay competitive on all fronts you must keep your entire team on the leading edge. By doing so you will be in business for years to come with a happy, dedicated and productive team. And that will equal profits.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Selling Yourself
Multi-national corporate giants, successful entrepreneurial companies, and all other major conglomerates have one thing in common. No, it is not money, though this is something they all seem to have abundance of. It is something that you will find if you trace the roots of the business back to its origins. It all started with one individual who know how to sell him/herself.
Anyone can sell a product. It’s very simple. What you get is what you see. The prospective buyer can look at it, touch it, compare it to other similar products, and buy it if he/she so chooses. The seller simply talks about it to the customer. A service works the same way. The salesperson makes a presentation, states the pros of the service, what it can do for the consumer, and makes the sale.
Selling yourself however, is a little more involved. No two people are identical in every aspect, so no one really knows what to expect from them. You cannot sell by appearance. At the same time, you cannot sell yourself by experience either. Oh, that will get you a bite, but it will not hook the fish. One might stretch the truth a bit about their experience, and the buyer will know that. So how does one sell him/herself successfully? There are several different methods when utilized simultaneously will produce very positive results.
1) First impressions: First impressions do matter. Actually, this is the most important part of the whole process of establishing a positive relationship. Regardless if your meeting is via email, online messenger, or in person, that first two minutes of your confrontation will be the most helpful or harmful. Make that initial contact work! Do not kiss up, be professional, and be courteous. Act interested in this person in regards to whatever subject they are most fascinated with. Make it about them, not you. People want to be impressive. If you act impressed, but not childish, they will respond positively.
2) Your Client has Priority: You may have two thousand clients and you may only have five or six. Regardless, whatever individual you are dealing with at any given moment needs to feel like they are your most important client.
3) One Hundred and Ten Percent: Of course, there is no such concept. You can only give one hundred percent, as that is all there is. However, you can give one hundred percent of what the individual is paying for and then give ten percent for free. If you are, for example, offering to submit ten websites to a search engine for a client for a fee, do so. Then, submit an extra one for free, just because you care. This brings us to the next topic.
4) CARE! If you are in a business where you are only interested in making money and have no regard for the quality of your work or the welfare of the client, then your business is inevitably doomed for failure. You have to want your client to grow, to excel in his or her own business, for yours to grow. Remember, word of mouth is one of the best, and most damaging, forms of marketing. If you get a reputation for poor quality work, again you are headed for failure.
5) Availability: Try to be available to the customer at least a minimum of 8 hours per day, and even in the evenings if possible. People want to know that they can reach you at a moments notice without having a long wait. Waiting makes people irritable and stressed. This, in turn, puts a lot of stress on a professional relationship.
6) Be Personal: You will get more business out of friends than you will from business associates. The remedy for this issue is to make the business associates your friends. Do not be overwhelmingly intrusive and ask all sorts of questions at your initial contact. However, if the associate mentions an aspect of his life, such as his favorite food, drink, existence of children, etc, make a mental note. Let us take children for example. Let’s say your associate mentions that he has to leave early to take his daughter to the doctor for a cough. Take note of that and next time you speak with them, ask about the daughters health. Is she okay? Then, associate your life with theirs. Something like, “She’s going to be okay? That is great. I know what you are going through. My daughter just got over a stomach virus.” You get to know them and they get to know you. Eventually, a relationship is formed and your business benefits.
7) Take Notes: Nothing will sell you better than the sudden realization that you have noticed your associates’ life. If you find out that your associate has a birthday coming up, send a card and a small gift, such as a box of chocolates, a beautiful pen, etc. If their child has a recital or a game in the near future, send a “good luck” card. Do not go too far and show up at the game; just let them know that you care enough to send a card. If it is special enough for your client to mention, then it should be special to you. Keep up with birthdays, favorite flowers, favorite drinks, television shows, and anything else that your associate is interested in.
If an aspiring businessperson can realize that they are the true product, learn the ins and outs of making themselves invaluable, then the actual product or service will be a successful sell.
Anyone can sell a product. It’s very simple. What you get is what you see. The prospective buyer can look at it, touch it, compare it to other similar products, and buy it if he/she so chooses. The seller simply talks about it to the customer. A service works the same way. The salesperson makes a presentation, states the pros of the service, what it can do for the consumer, and makes the sale.
Selling yourself however, is a little more involved. No two people are identical in every aspect, so no one really knows what to expect from them. You cannot sell by appearance. At the same time, you cannot sell yourself by experience either. Oh, that will get you a bite, but it will not hook the fish. One might stretch the truth a bit about their experience, and the buyer will know that. So how does one sell him/herself successfully? There are several different methods when utilized simultaneously will produce very positive results.
1) First impressions: First impressions do matter. Actually, this is the most important part of the whole process of establishing a positive relationship. Regardless if your meeting is via email, online messenger, or in person, that first two minutes of your confrontation will be the most helpful or harmful. Make that initial contact work! Do not kiss up, be professional, and be courteous. Act interested in this person in regards to whatever subject they are most fascinated with. Make it about them, not you. People want to be impressive. If you act impressed, but not childish, they will respond positively.
2) Your Client has Priority: You may have two thousand clients and you may only have five or six. Regardless, whatever individual you are dealing with at any given moment needs to feel like they are your most important client.
3) One Hundred and Ten Percent: Of course, there is no such concept. You can only give one hundred percent, as that is all there is. However, you can give one hundred percent of what the individual is paying for and then give ten percent for free. If you are, for example, offering to submit ten websites to a search engine for a client for a fee, do so. Then, submit an extra one for free, just because you care. This brings us to the next topic.
4) CARE! If you are in a business where you are only interested in making money and have no regard for the quality of your work or the welfare of the client, then your business is inevitably doomed for failure. You have to want your client to grow, to excel in his or her own business, for yours to grow. Remember, word of mouth is one of the best, and most damaging, forms of marketing. If you get a reputation for poor quality work, again you are headed for failure.
5) Availability: Try to be available to the customer at least a minimum of 8 hours per day, and even in the evenings if possible. People want to know that they can reach you at a moments notice without having a long wait. Waiting makes people irritable and stressed. This, in turn, puts a lot of stress on a professional relationship.
6) Be Personal: You will get more business out of friends than you will from business associates. The remedy for this issue is to make the business associates your friends. Do not be overwhelmingly intrusive and ask all sorts of questions at your initial contact. However, if the associate mentions an aspect of his life, such as his favorite food, drink, existence of children, etc, make a mental note. Let us take children for example. Let’s say your associate mentions that he has to leave early to take his daughter to the doctor for a cough. Take note of that and next time you speak with them, ask about the daughters health. Is she okay? Then, associate your life with theirs. Something like, “She’s going to be okay? That is great. I know what you are going through. My daughter just got over a stomach virus.” You get to know them and they get to know you. Eventually, a relationship is formed and your business benefits.
7) Take Notes: Nothing will sell you better than the sudden realization that you have noticed your associates’ life. If you find out that your associate has a birthday coming up, send a card and a small gift, such as a box of chocolates, a beautiful pen, etc. If their child has a recital or a game in the near future, send a “good luck” card. Do not go too far and show up at the game; just let them know that you care enough to send a card. If it is special enough for your client to mention, then it should be special to you. Keep up with birthdays, favorite flowers, favorite drinks, television shows, and anything else that your associate is interested in.
If an aspiring businessperson can realize that they are the true product, learn the ins and outs of making themselves invaluable, then the actual product or service will be a successful sell.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Self-Employed Jobs
Being self-employed often sounds exciting. The thought of not having to work for anyone else and being able to enjoy your freedom is appealing. Those who decide to take this route anytime soon will find out that this is often not the case and realize that they will actually be working longer, harder hours for a few years as they try to get their business off the ground. The difference in being self-employed and working for someone else is that now everything rests on your shoulders. When you were working for someone else, you didn't have the responsibility of the whole company to worry about, it didn't matter too much if the company was a financial success or not, it was not your concern – it is now. In this article, we will look at some types of businesses that you can have at home.
1. If you are a pet lover then consider a pet-based business from home. You may be one of those individuals that animals of all kinds are drawn to, and if so this type of business is perfectly suited to you. A pet-business can involve everything from pet sitting, to walking and training pets, and providing supplies and toys to the pet owners. More than 60 million American homes have pets and that is a huge market for a home based business on any level.This kind of work can be done world-wide with very little start up costs. Most pet owners will spoil the beloved animals with anything that they find is cute, fun, and practical.
2. Home improvement is an excellent self-employed business opportunity, as homeowners will pay to have items removed from their residence as well as fixing up much needed repairs. This is an excellent source of income for the person who is good at fixing things and loves to clean and clear items from one place to another. During the warmer seasons, this is a great way to make extra income. Obviously you cannot do this type of business with a car so you will need a pick-up truck of some type or a vehicle that is capable of carrying away a variety of items.
3. If you are good at typing and have knowledge of how to work a computer, you may want to consider medical transcription. Transcription can be done at home and if you do not have much medical knowledge you can brush up on medical terminology or even through taking a quick course at your community college or other institutes. This is a demand that will not slow down anytime soon. Doctors offices, dentists, and even veterinarians all need someone to transcribe their records. If you are good at typing and familiar with Word documents and formatting this is a good choice for you.
Home-based jobs are becoming very popular for many families who are looking to increase their income but not necessarily work outside of the home.
1. If you are a pet lover then consider a pet-based business from home. You may be one of those individuals that animals of all kinds are drawn to, and if so this type of business is perfectly suited to you. A pet-business can involve everything from pet sitting, to walking and training pets, and providing supplies and toys to the pet owners. More than 60 million American homes have pets and that is a huge market for a home based business on any level.This kind of work can be done world-wide with very little start up costs. Most pet owners will spoil the beloved animals with anything that they find is cute, fun, and practical.
2. Home improvement is an excellent self-employed business opportunity, as homeowners will pay to have items removed from their residence as well as fixing up much needed repairs. This is an excellent source of income for the person who is good at fixing things and loves to clean and clear items from one place to another. During the warmer seasons, this is a great way to make extra income. Obviously you cannot do this type of business with a car so you will need a pick-up truck of some type or a vehicle that is capable of carrying away a variety of items.
3. If you are good at typing and have knowledge of how to work a computer, you may want to consider medical transcription. Transcription can be done at home and if you do not have much medical knowledge you can brush up on medical terminology or even through taking a quick course at your community college or other institutes. This is a demand that will not slow down anytime soon. Doctors offices, dentists, and even veterinarians all need someone to transcribe their records. If you are good at typing and familiar with Word documents and formatting this is a good choice for you.
Home-based jobs are becoming very popular for many families who are looking to increase their income but not necessarily work outside of the home.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?
Have you ever been at a networking function talking to someone when during the conversation you felt very self-conscious trying to say the right thing? Were you afraid that maybe if you said the wrong thing the person might not find you likeable, and therefore not want to do business with you? If you have, I am about to tell you why you should not worry about it. Like the obnoxious song "Don't Worry - Be Happy" from years ago, I want to share with you the reason why being careful about what we say works against us in the networking environment.
Our goal in business networking should be to establish new relationships and through the process of follow-up develop them over time. As with any relationship, being honest plays a very important role in that development.
When we meet someone for the first time, we want to make a good impression. Often we put on our "party face" so that we do. This can often cause us problems that we do not expect. One problem is that when we try to appear to be something that we really do not feel inside of us, we often have a fear that we are going to be "discovered". This fear causes us to feel uncomfortable about the situation and though we may be smiling, we are really cringing inside.
Most people worry that if they just be who they are, that no one can accept them. I argue that if we do not just be ourselves, sooner or later who we really are will slip out and then we will have to deal with the consequences of being discovered. This then leads to a feeling of distrust between people.
Have you ever been in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex where you did not tell them something important early on and later had to reveal it or even worse it was revealed by accident? It leads for difficult times after that and a lot of shuffling and apologizing.
In my opinion, it is better to risk being who I am up front. To let people know exactly how I feel. People, for the most part, have a forgiving nature. They actually want to forgive. If you make a mistake and say something that can be potentially embarrassing, you can always apologize for it and be forgiven. But if you say something that is not necessarily true and are discovered later, your credibility may be permanently damaged.
If you go into a networking environment prepared to be relaxed and genuine, you will find that it is a lot more fun to be there. If you have a plan of action to really get to know people, you will be much more productive in a shorter amount of time. People will feel comfortable talking to you and you to them. In an environment of truth, more people will want to do business with you and to be around you.
Authentic enthusiasm is contagious. You will always appear to be more attractive when you are excited about what you are doing. When you are not worried about making mistakes, you will appear to be happier. Being happy about the situation will help you to smile more, and the smiling face is a natural human attractor.
So next time you attend a networking function, just be yourself. Your results will improve and you will feel better when you leave to go home. Over time, the difference will be measurable in more ways than just your income. You will find that you have more friends than you had ever imagined possible. When it comes time for the referral, your friend will remember you because friends really do refer friends.
Our goal in business networking should be to establish new relationships and through the process of follow-up develop them over time. As with any relationship, being honest plays a very important role in that development.
When we meet someone for the first time, we want to make a good impression. Often we put on our "party face" so that we do. This can often cause us problems that we do not expect. One problem is that when we try to appear to be something that we really do not feel inside of us, we often have a fear that we are going to be "discovered". This fear causes us to feel uncomfortable about the situation and though we may be smiling, we are really cringing inside.
Most people worry that if they just be who they are, that no one can accept them. I argue that if we do not just be ourselves, sooner or later who we really are will slip out and then we will have to deal with the consequences of being discovered. This then leads to a feeling of distrust between people.
Have you ever been in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex where you did not tell them something important early on and later had to reveal it or even worse it was revealed by accident? It leads for difficult times after that and a lot of shuffling and apologizing.
In my opinion, it is better to risk being who I am up front. To let people know exactly how I feel. People, for the most part, have a forgiving nature. They actually want to forgive. If you make a mistake and say something that can be potentially embarrassing, you can always apologize for it and be forgiven. But if you say something that is not necessarily true and are discovered later, your credibility may be permanently damaged.
If you go into a networking environment prepared to be relaxed and genuine, you will find that it is a lot more fun to be there. If you have a plan of action to really get to know people, you will be much more productive in a shorter amount of time. People will feel comfortable talking to you and you to them. In an environment of truth, more people will want to do business with you and to be around you.
Authentic enthusiasm is contagious. You will always appear to be more attractive when you are excited about what you are doing. When you are not worried about making mistakes, you will appear to be happier. Being happy about the situation will help you to smile more, and the smiling face is a natural human attractor.
So next time you attend a networking function, just be yourself. Your results will improve and you will feel better when you leave to go home. Over time, the difference will be measurable in more ways than just your income. You will find that you have more friends than you had ever imagined possible. When it comes time for the referral, your friend will remember you because friends really do refer friends.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
