Month: March 2011

Letting Go: How Saying “No” to Clients Can Have You Saying “Yes” to Success

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date March 25, 2011

Article Contributed by Lisa Cherney

In today’s day and age most people would say it’s crazy to turn down business. Don’t we all need the money? And isn’t work so scarce that it’s better to take a “so-so” job than to hold out for the “yay” job that has you excited when you get out of bed?

I can definitely relate. For a long time I held onto a lot of clients who didn’t excite me and weren’t a great fit for me because I felt it was what I “should” be doing. But then I stopped – I let go – and it made such a difference not only in my business, but my passion for what I was doing.

I needed to let go because I wanted to create a place in my business for a new level of service. I created a way to work closely with a small group of people for a year and I’m giving this group my all. And I could not have done that by not getting rid of everything else.

Focus on services in your business that you love, and let go of the rest. Yes, it can be really scary. So many of us have a mentality that says, “I need to take what I can get.” But I can tell you from my experience and the hundreds of clients I’ve worked with that it’s much easier to start by saying yes to the right opportunity than it is to change later or turn around the Titanic. You don’t want to get stuck with negative momentum.

A recent client of mine was a chiropractor who had 400 patients a week. And he was miserable. Almost all his patients were workers compensation claims and personal injury. All of his marketing efforts were bringing these people in and he was getting ready to quit.

I helped him gain clarity of his ideal client, and while it was pretty detailed, he mainly wanted to work with folks focused on wellness. He started offering wellness and educational seminars and it totally transformed his business. He was able to raise his rates because people focused on wellness really valued what he was doing and he was working in line with his mission of being a chiropractor and healer.

Until he was willing to say “no” to the clients who weren’t working for him and do something different, he wasn’t seeing a change and he was getting really burnt out.

Don’t worry that the clients you say “no” to won’t be served. Refer them to trusted colleagues — your “no” is somebody else’s “yes.” (And everybody is probably much better off!)

There are so many of us holding onto things because we need the money, or this is what you’ve been doing for 20 years. But they are out of alignment with what you really should be doing. You need to create a vacancy. And when you do, the universe will find something to fill it with. But first you have to say “no” and let go.

About the Author:

Lisa Cherney, a.k.a. the Juicy Marketing Expert, founded Conscious Marketing 12 years ago to help small business owners find their authentic marketing voice, attract their ideal clients and increase their sales. Following her own Stand Out & Be Juicy program, which centers on owning your unique self and laser-focus marketing, Lisa has tripled her income while working part-time.

Prior to Conscious Marketing, Lisa worked with many Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, Lipton, Nissan, Blue Cross and Equal. She is a highly sought after speaker and often shares the stage with experts such as Jack Assaraf (The Secret), Jack Canfield and Jill Lublin. Learn more about Lisa at www.consciousmarketing.com or call 887-771-0156.

How-To Guides

How To Improve Sales Negotiation Skills

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date March 24, 2011

Article Contributed by Jeremy Ulmer

“My father said: You must never try to make all the money that’s in a deal. Let the other fellow make some money too, because if you have a reputation for always making all the money, you won’t have many deals.” ~Getty, J. Paul

Here are 17 quick sales coaching tips to improve your negotiation skills:

1. Create An Agreed Upon Agenda. Determine the following: What needs to be resolved? Who is involved? What are the major issues? What are the time frames?

2. Resist Committing Too Early. Do not lock in your pricing or commit to other items until everything is on the table and negotiated.

3. Resolve Any Major Issues Early. If the prospect has some major concern about your organization, it is best to uncover this early, so that it is not brought up at the end of the negotiation which will weaken your position and you’ll be tempted to give in to more concessions.

4. Determine What Can Be Shared. Determine the information you will disclose or not disclose with the prospect. Also, consider what types of information they are open to sharing and the information they are keeping from you.

5. Focus On Needs & Requirements. Don’t get caught up on the price alone. Ask to put price aside for a moment and address all other obstacles to find a solution.

6. Establish Value For Your Service or Product. Understand needs, challenges, goals, and then provide a solution.

7. Throw Your Ego Out The Window. If you view the negotiation as a personal victory or loss, your ego is involved and can make it difficult to remain objective during the negotiation process.

8. Buy Yourself Some Time If Needed. Be upfront, but if you can’t approve something yourself and you need a sales director to approve it for you, let the prospect know you need to check with your manager before making the change to the agreement.

9. Plan Ahead. Come to the table armed with where you are willing to give and where you simply can not make any changes.

10. Know When To Walk Away. You and your sales management team should have clear guidelines for what is profitable business and what is not. Be sure to know when you need to end the negotiation if it will be a loss to your company.

11. Be Patient. If you are in the middle of negotiations and significant decision are being made, don’t rush to finalize a decision in that meeting. Consider requesting a break to think it over and discuss with members on your sales team and schedule a follow up meeting.

12. Look At The Negotiation From Various Perspectives. Think about it from your prospects position and request the opinion of your sales manager or sales peers.

13. Make Sure You Are Talking To The Decision Maker. As sales professionals know, if you are not working with the decision maker, especially when it comes to negotiating the final deal, you are wasting your time.

14. Close Your Mouth. Learn to talk less and listen more. The more you listen and ask questions the better you will understand and be able to position your company effectively.

15. Provide Case Studies. If the prospective client has never worked with you before they may have some concerns. Bring written case studies of similar clients that your organization has helped. It will build credibility and help you initiate the partnership.

16. Remember To Give & Receive. If you are offering concession after concession without any commitments in return you are going to get run over in the negotiation. Remember that for each concession you make, there should be some commitment or concession made on the other side.

17. Be Optimistic, Confident & Positive. Expect more and receive more. Think big and aim high. It is easier to negotiate down, than up.

About the Author:

Jeremy Ulmer is one of the most dynamic and requested sales experts in the country. His company specializes in working with sales management, individual sales performers, and sales organizations to transform their sales results. They deliver customized sales coaching programs and corporate sales training.

Technology

ABB – A Better World

Post author By Pamela Swift
Post date March 23, 2011

ABB takes pride in their technology and innovations which allow companies to reduce their energy usage and increase product efficiency without compromising productivity. The environment and renewable energy is top priority at ABB. Therefore they sponsored a survey of energy professionals that have been asked to comment about the various issues concerning energy usage, the environment, and the government’s role in enforcing environmental rules on utility companies. The survey was conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek and concluded that most energy professionals agree that a change is needed to encourage companies to use their energy more efficiently. ABB believes that a better, cleaner future relies on smart technology that uses renewable energy.

ABB is a company specializing in creating innovative technologies that use the world’s energy in a more efficient way, while decreasing environmental damage. ABB sponsored an energy survey, conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek, to increase awareness about energy usage by various companies and renewable energy. The results can be seen in the video. Most energy professionals agree that utility companies should use more renewable energy sources, and that energy should be distributed more efficiently. Furthermore, companies should reduce their energy usage, and move towards the direction of renewable energy.

ABB is striving for a better, cleaner future by developing innovative technologies that increase energy usage efficiency. ABB have sponsored a survey, which was conducted by Bloomberg Businessweek. The survey illustrates the expressed concern that the majority of energy experts have about renewable energy. Energy officials believe that immediate changes must take place. The video shows the survey results which could lead to effective solutions for energy usage efficiency. ABB believes that by creating a smarter energy system we can protect the environment and aim for a brighter future.

Communication Skills

3 Keys to Getting Your Message Out into the World So You Can Make a Difference

Post author By
Post date March 22, 2011

If you’re one of the thousands of heart-centered and conscious entrepreneurs, getting your message out into the world in a big way is important to you. In fact, it might even be the reason why you started your business in the first place.

The problem, of course, is how. How do you get your message out into an already crowded marketplace? How do you make sure you’re getting your message in front of the people who so desperately need to hear it?

That’s what I’m going to walk you through today — the 3 main keys to getting your message out into the world in a REALLY big way so you can make the difference you were put on this Earth to make.

1. Make sure your message is crystal clear. In fact, the clearer and more specific the better. The more general it is, the less impact you’re going to make.

Consider this — “I am a healer” versus “I provide spiritual healing to entrepreneurs as they step into their own power as an entrepreneur.” Do you see the difference? The first one could be for nearly anyone and because it could be for nearly anyone it has no meaning. The second one is far more juicy and it gets much of that juiciness from being specific.

Now, you might be thinking to yourself “I don’t want to be too specific because I may turn some people off from my message.” First off, if someone is turned off from your message, they probably aren’t open to it in the first place. And second of all, even though it sounds counter-intuitive, the more specific you are, the more you’ll stand out. (Don’t believe me? Go back and read those two statements again.)

2. Make sure you’re crystal clear about who you’re trying to reach. Again, the more specific you are, the more likely you’ll cut through all the clutter and reach the people who really need to hear your message.

You don’t have to reach everyone — just the ones who need your message. In fact, trying to reach everyone is a determent. All you’ll end up doing is NOT cutting through the clutter and not making the difference you’re meant to make.

Believe me, there’s more then enough of your ideal clients to keep you very busy for years to come, so just focus on them and don’t worry about the rest.

3. Make sure you’re consistent with your message and you repeat it frequently. You’re an entrepreneur. Which probably means you’re a little (or a lot) ADD. Which also probably means you’re going to get tired of your message long before you’ve made an impact in the marketplace.

Look, your ideal clients, the ones who need to hear your message, are not going to get tired of hearing it because:

A: They aren’t living in your business so even you’re most rabid fan is only going to hear your message a fraction as much as you are

B: Your ideal clients are busy people and won’t hear your message unless you repeat it often.

So you need to do two things — resist the urge to “tweak” your message as you get bored with it (and especially resist the urge to redefine or remake yourself every six months or so, that’s the fastest way to cause serious confusion in the marketplace). And make getting your message out there one of your top priorities. You should be marketing yourself and your message as often as you can and in as many different media as you can. That includes social networking, articles public relations, direct mail, speaking, etc.

Above all, don’t give up. It may take awhile to penetrate crowded marketplaces and make the difference you’re meant to make, but it IS possible — just as long as you follow these 3 keys and stay persistent.

Branding

Own Your Greatness: Market What Makes You As An Individual Unique

Post author By Ethan Theo
Post date March 21, 2011

Article Contributed by Lisa Cherney

To stand out in today’s busy marketplace, you need to capitalize on what makes you as an individual unique. In other words, you don’t need to focus on the product or service, but on YOU, the owner, the CEO, the practitioner.

Your business is a direct reflection of you and you need to own your greatness and have that come through in your marketing. Even if you have 15,000 employees, you founded the company. It was your vision and your juice, so your energy needs to come out in your marketing.

So how do you capitalize on your uniqueness? Start by asking yourself this question: What do clients, friends and family compliment me on? This has nothing to do with testimonials; it’s a whole other layer. It’s capturing the essence of what people compliment you on and respect you for.

Why is this important? Because people want to know you and who they are doing business with. And your ideal clients have certain things they want to know about you.

I’m not just talking about your biography here. It’s more than that; it’s your story and what makes you unique and has you doing the work you are doing.

Here’s an example: If I’m looking for an acupuncturist, and I have a child who is dealing with asthma, and I read someone’s story who says something about that or something along those lines, I’m much more likely to give them my business.

One of the things I’ve really started to own and share is that I work part-time and spend Mondays and Fridays with my daughter being mom. And I’ve had the best year yet, tripling my income. That really resonates with a group of my ideal clients out there. They are moms and dads and think, “I want to work part-time and do that too.”

Think about how you can translate more of who you are into your marketing. If you are a small business owner and you’re not adding in the juicy layer of who you are, you are missing an opportunity. In this culture right now, it is more important than ever to own your greatness and stand out.

About the Author: