Categories
Business Ideas Sales & Marketing

3 Crucial Elements Every Money-Making Website MUST Have

I’m about to make your life so much easier.

Putting up a money-making website can be as simple as 1, 2, 3 — just as long as you have these 3 crucial elements in place.

(And, if you don’t have a website, I’m going to share just how easy it can be to get one up TOMORROW. Yes, it really can be that simple — so no more excuses about “I need to get my website finished before I can do X,Y,Z.”)

Let’s get started.

1. Have a place for people to opt-in and download a special free gift from you. This can be as simple as a box located at the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Why do you want to do this? Because having a list of prospects you can build a relationship with is crucial to your business success. People buy from people they know, like and trust. A website, no matter how extensive, is only going to take you so far. Relationships are built over time and through communication — which is why publishing a regular ezine can be such a great marketing tool.

Now, I want to point something else out — notice how I said “a special free gift” I did NOT say that opt-in box should say “subscribe to my ezine.” No one wants more email — what they DO want is solutions to their problems. If you give them trusted solutions to their problems, they WILL take the time to read your emails.

2. Post a photo of yourself. People want to do business with people. They want to build relationships with people. Why do you think major corporations pay big bucks for spokespeople? Sure part of it is benefiting from the spokesperson’s credibility, but part of it is also putting a face on an otherwise “nameless, faceless” corporation.

Folks, this is where YOU have the upper hand from the corporations. You really CAN reach out and build relationships personally with your ideal clients. So proudly post your photo — you’re a real person, let your ideal clients see you’re a real person.

Now, I’d prefer a professionally shot photo if at all possible. And I would also prefer for all you ladies to get your hair and makeup done (yes, it’s worth it). It really does make a difference to your professional image. However, if you’re going to use that as a reason to not get your site up, then put up the best photo that you have RIGHT NOW.

What if your goal is to build a big business where people would be working with your team or your employees? Should you still put up a photo? Well, that depends on where you’re at in your business development. If you’re just starting out, it is easier to build momentum and get the ball rolling if you put yourself out there. If you’re already established, you probably still do (because, remember, people do want to do business with people) but there will probably be other changes you’ll need to make to your site so it’s clear there’s a team involved and not just you.

Bonus tip — you could use a video instead of a photo. Video is a great way to increase your conversions (i.e. turning prospects into paying customers or encouraging your visitors to give you their email address) but again — if you’re going to use video has an excuse to not more forward, then just get a photo up.

3. Make it VERY clear what the next step should be if they want to move forward working with you. Now, I’m a big believer in getting the opt-in, so if you look on my home page you’ll see I do encourage people to move forward by getting my free gifts. But I also give them very clear instructions on what they should do if they want to move forward as a paying customer.

Now, how do you get started if you don’t have a website? Just put up one page that has your photo, a description of your free gift and a place for people to give you their name and email address. (This is also known as a squeeze page).

That’s it. Yes it really CAN be that simple to get started.

Categories
Customer Service

World Class Customer Service

As more and more businesses find themselves fighting against the tide of commoditization, it is becoming increasing difficult, (if not impossible, depending on the product and services) and significantly more expensive, to differentiate from the competition.

I believe the least expensive way to do it is developing true differentiation in customer service. But it has to be truly, exceptionally, noticeably unique and different. How can a company with limited resources and with its products and services continually fighting commoditization differentiate itself with “world class” customer service?

By creating an initiative that among other strategies combines customer service training and employee engagement. But neither in the way companies traditionally try to do those 2 things.

I thought of this approach after being reminded recently about a former client whose company leadership preached to employees about providing “world class” customer service.

Yet, when I asked many of those same employees to define “world class” customer service and how they were expected to deliver it, I received mostly blank stares.

The great thing about employees is that they are also customers. Every single one of them has experiences organizational leaders should be tapping into. Most do not.

Instead of bringing in a “customer service expert” to take employees through a training on customer service, there is an alternate solution.

Imagine if you were holding an internal customer service symposium that would tap into the collective genius and life-long experience of the people in your organization. Doing a program like that would:

  1. Allow you to engage your best advocates in solutions to improve your company from the bottom up;
  2. Make every one of your employees feel valued because their input was requested and the ideas they provided or contributed to were actually seen to be implemented;
  3. Improve motivation and morale;
  4. Give employees ownership of the ideas and strategies making it easier to hold themselves and their teammates accountable for the implementation;
  5. Improve customer service, customer relationships and customer retention.

Here’s how it would work:

1. Get as many company leaders and employees together in one room as possible.
2. Pair up people at different levels, President-Receptionist, Board Chairman-janitor, etc.
3. Give each group 30-minutes to share one story of the BEST example of customer service experience they’ve ever experienced; a time when someone truly exceeded their expectations.
4. Create a forum/format for capturing the best ideas from each of those experiences.
5. Brainstorm additional ideas that your company can add or build on the ideas captured from the stories.
6. Vote on the 10 best ideas that are a fit for your company that you are not already doing.

Now you have a list of 10 hot ideas for improving your customer relationships, but you are not finished as 2 key steps remain:

1. Identify and list all past, present and future obstacles (excuses) to implementing these ideas
2. Commit to strategies for eliminating those excuses that are the highest priority items so you can begin implementation of the ideas within 30-days.

These final two steps are what a colleague of mine calls “the secret sauce.”

Without attacking those final two steps, the entire effort will not just be wasted, but it will undermine and sabotage morale and motivation moving forward and you can forget about people contributing their ideas again in the future.

One final note is that you don’t have to necessarily be able to eliminate all the obstacles identified to implement a particular strategy, but you do need to give people reasons for why it’s not possible, or not possible at this time. The feedback and loop closing is key so people feel heard and valued.

But if the item is on your top 10 of “Customer Service Strategies we should implement” I’d jump through a fiery hoop to eliminate those obstacles to make it happen and set yourself apart from your competition to create a killer gap between yourself and your competition.

Often, because of emotional connection to the topics and situations, certain relationships in the room and unintended positional intimidation, it is difficult and less than effective to have an internal person facilitate these types of sessions and it can be more effective to have an external facilitator experienced in bringing groups to consensus on ideas such as these.

About the Author
Skip Weisman is The Leadership & Workplace Communication Expert. He’s the author of the white paper report titled, “The 7 Deadliest Sins of Leadership & Workplace Communication: How Leaders and Their Employees Unknowingly Undermine Morale, Motivation and Trust in Work Environments.” The white paper is available as a free download for a limited time at www.HowToImproveLeadershipCommunication.com . If you’d like to learn how you can improve your work environment by improving communication contact him directly with any questions, or for a complimentary Strategy Session at 845-463-3838 or e-mail to Skip@WeismanSuccessResources.com

Categories
Finance & Capital

Why do you need a surety bond for your new business, anyway?

Article Contributed by Kristen Bradley

Starting up a new business is never easy, and it would be nice if you could just skip to the part where your business begins to turn a profit. However, if this were the case then entrepreneurs would miss out on the valuable experience that comes with building their company from scratch. During the first few months, you’ll have to overcome a number of obstacles if you really want to succeed.

Unfortunately, some of these obstacles include legal regulations that seem to be nothing more than arbitrary government-mandated requirements. One such task entrepreneurs often know little about is the need to purchase surety bonds. Being bonded is a legal obligation for businesses in most industries, yet professionals often find themselves asking, “Why do I even need a surety bond?” There are more than a few answers to this question, but the following are some of the most important.

Surety bonds are required by law.
The basic goal behind most surety bond requirements is to guarantee industry regulations are met. Mortgage brokers, auto dealers and contractors are a few professions for which surety bonds are necessary as a business license requirement. Failing to purchase and maintain any necessary bonds can result in heavy fines and license revocation.

Surety bonds provide legally binding financial protection.
Each surety bond functions as a legally binding contract that involves three parties:

  1. the principal that purchases the bond, which is the professional or business
  2. the obligee that requires the principal to purchase a bond, which is usually a government agency
  3. the surety that sells the bond, which is typically an insurance company or a special surety agency

So let’s put this into action. If a contractor leaves a publicly funded construction job mid-project, the government agency overseeing the job can file a claim on the professional’s contract bond. The contractor either has to finish the project according to contract or pay financial reparation so another contractor can take over. If the contractor cannot afford to do so, the bond’s financial guarantee covers the losses.

Customers feel safe working with bonded businesses.
Business owners can also choose to purchase additional surety bonds as a sign of their well-intentioned business practices. Promoting your company as “licensed and bonded” allows customers to feel more confident about your professional reputation. By purchasing a bond you give customers an alternative to the courtroom if an unfortunate situation should arise.

Surety bond premiums are low relative to their coverage.
A surety bond’s cost depends on a number of factors such as your personal finances and credit score, as well as the specific bond type you’re seeking. Premiums typically cost just one to three percent of the total bond amount. This means a surety bond that provides $10,000 worth of coverage only costs $100 to $300.

Getting a surety bond might seem like a hassle at first, but a basic knowledge of the process makes it easier for those looking to get bonded for the first time.

About the Author
This article was provided by Kristen Bradley of SuretyBonds.com, a nationwide surety bond producer that offers assistance to entrepreneurs and new business owners. SuretyBonds.com maintains the Surety Bonds Insider, an online publication that provides an in-depth look at developing policies in the surety industry.

Categories
Networking

Does Your LinkedIn Profile Summary Soundike a Lame Author’s Bio At the Back of a Book?

Article Contributed by Kristina Jaramillo

Many LinkedIn professionals simply copy their bios from their website or the back of their book.  And believe me you can tell.  For example, I recently spoke to Ted Gee about changing his LinkedIn profile.  I told him that his summary read like a back flap of a hard cover book.  His exact response was, “You nailed it!  That is exactly what I did”.

Why Your LinkedIn Profile Should Not Sound Like an Author’s Biography…

Your profile should not sound like an author’s bio because it is and old and over used format.  Do you remember anything you have read from a bio?  No, that is because there is never anything interesting or memorable in an author’s bio.  Your profile needs to entice your audience to want to learn more about you.  It needs to have strong and engaging copy.  It had to make the individual who is reading it scroll down further and eventually visit your website.  But none of this can ever happen if your profile is dull and average.

Here are 5 Secrets to Making Your Profile More Exciting and Enjoyable to Your Readers…

1) Make your profile summary in 1st person not 3rd person.  LinkedIn is a virtual networking platform for business professionals who want to do more business. It is the first step in building a relationship with someone. You wouldn’t introduce yourself in the third person if you met someone at a networking event. – would you?  Then why would you introduce yourself on your profile in 3rd person when writing in first person gives you a more genuine and personal touch.

2) Speak to your audience’s desires, wants and needs. For example here is part of the introduction we created for the summary for PRLeads Founder Dan Janal:

Imagine being featured on the front page of USA TODAY — and then being able to double your speaking fees immediately just like PR LEADS client Patrick Snow of Creating Your Own Destiny. Imagine the website traffic and sales you can generate if only you can find a way to get more publicity so you can speak to millions for free!

Now, small business owners, solo PR firms, speakers, authors and entrepreneurs can get name-brand publicity tools and publicity coaching they can afford. I’m talking about the same top-tier publicity tools that major corporations use to get mega media placements – but you can get it at a fraction of their cost.

Do you see how Dan’s intro speaks to the needs, wants and desires of a small business owner looking to attract media attention?

3) Reveal mistakes your target audience is making and how you are the solution to their problems.  For example, in Skip Weisman’s profile summary we revealed how one of his clients admittedly lost 5 million in ten years before working with him.  By showing your audience the types of mistakes they are making (that they don’t even realize they are doing), you will stop prospects dead in their tracks. They will automatically want to see if they are making costly mistakes themselves. The key part of this process is to provide reasons how you can help members of your audience and why they should work with you.

4) Show client results. For example, on Help My Website Sell founder Adam Hommey’s profile we included results like:

* Ross Jeffries (Founder of Speed Seduction) – For every dollar he spends on internet marketing consulting, he earns several dollars back. In fact, with one of his promotions, he made more than $60,000 in less than 24 hours!

* MaryPat Kavanagh – Saved thousands of dollars after Adam reviewed her  website and internet marketing systems. He showed her how she’s wasting money on complex solutions that are actually costing her money.

5)  Use LinkedIn profile templates.  When you use templates like the ones found at http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com, you get the structure, format and organization you need to create a more audience-focused, exciting profile.   Here is just what one user had to say about LinkedIn templates:

Kristina, I wanted to thank you and recommend your products for LinkedIn Profiles. I purchased them and followed your templates and my LinkedIn profile went from completely empty to completely professional. I have had testimonials, been published and still didn’t know how to use those tools to my advantage. Your tools gave me that. Since then I have had more connections, more recommendations, and more conversations with potential customers. Always remembering to use the call to action skills I learned from your templates.

The next time you login to your LinkedIn account read your profile and see if it appeals to you as a reader.  If it does not, you definitely have to follow some of the tips you just read to improve upon the copy.

Remember you have to entice the reader to learn more about you and what to work with you or purchase your products.  One way to guarantee this is to make sure your profile does not read like an author’s biography.

About the Author:

LinkedIn marketing Expert Kristina Jaramillo, the creator of the first LinkedIn marketing templates at http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com helps business professionals network more effectively on LinkedIn so they can get more website traffic, prospects and profits. Now, with her free special report, you can uncover how you can become “the trusted source for your industry on LinkedIn” by avoiding her top 14 mistakes. Get this information for free at: http://www.GetLinkedInHelp.com

Categories
Business Ideas

Do You Even Need a Website or Blog Anymore? A Simple Assessment

It’s official. Social networking is here to stay.

Forget using it just as a business tool. It’s everywhere. You can’t get away from it. (And we’re not even talking about, ahem, inappropriate uses of it such as sending nasty pictures of yourself over Twitter when you really ought to know better)

Anyway, I digress. The point is social networking is so prolific and so everywhere that websites and blogs are starting to look like something your grandpa used to market himself. After all, now you have gurus proclaiming Facebook fan pages are the absolute MUST HAVE little black dress and you are seriously behind the times without one. (Here’s an example of a fan page if you want to check it out: http://www.facebook.com/michelepwkaching — feel free to “like” it once you’re there too. J )

So are websites and blogs even worth it? Should we just throw all our chips in the social networking pile and not spend any more time or money on websites or blogs? And what if you don’t have a website yet — should you even bother?

Okay. Let’s all take a deep breath here. Feel better? Good — now let’s look at the facts.

Social networking is still in its infancy.  I know, I know. It feels like it’s a rebellious teenager. But honestly — this is still very, very new. It’s really only seriously caught on in the past few years. And let’s look at what happened during those few years:

* MySpace was THE place to be if you were an entrepreneur (Does anyone else even remember MySpace? Anyone?) Facebook was this weird, red-headed stepchild. In fact, when I first opened an account, when you sent out a friend request, you had to indicate how you knew the person and one of the options was (I kid you not) “hooked up.” Yeah. I think there was only one option, something like “know from a group or an association” that was safe for business purposes. Linked In was basically for “corporate only” or if you were looking for an actual job (I had an account and I really had no clue what to do with it.) Twitter was still being programmed in someone’s basement.

To put this into perspective — this was 4 years ago.

* Then came the huge “MySpace migration into Facebook” revolution. Everyone was on Facebook. MySpace was SO last year.

* Then Twitter exploded onto the scene. EVERYONE was on Twitter. And a bunch of other social networking platforms suddenly popped up out of nowhere — plurek, plaxo, etc. Suddenly there were HUNDREDS. Yee gads.

Fast forward to today. Twitter is declining in popularity as a tool to grow your business. (Although it remains tops on the list as the best tool to embarrass yourself.) Facebook is back on top. Linked In has rediscovered a new surge of popularity — thanks to never getting away from its roots (keeping it a more formal platform, which serves its core customers) but still adding new bells and whistles (like groups). Many of those other social networking platforms have fallen by the wayside.

And what will the future look like? Who knows? I certainly don’t. For all I know, Facebook fan pages could be as popular as yesterday’s newspaper — heck, Facebook could be as popular as yesterday’s newspaper. MySpace could be back on top and something called “Yowzer” could be the hottest thing.

Which is why those old-fashioned websites and blogs still have a place in your marketing.

You see, you control your websites and blogs. You’re not subject to whims of playing in “someone else’s sandbox.” You don’t have to worry if the rules change, if Twitter decides it doesn’t like your picture and shuts your profile down or whatever. You have your own online real estate that you can do what you want to with it.

So the question is — do you want to have control over your business, your message, your visibility? Do you want to have a hub for your online activities — your “online home” to invite your ideal clients to if they want to learn more about what you do?

Or not?