Keep Chasing the Ball!

Persistence is one of those little mentioned qualities that adds so much to one’s ability to succeed in business.  We often hear about doing seminars, networking, writing, speaking and so on, as great ways to get your name out there.  But know one tells you that you have to do those things over and over and over and over again to finally reach success.  Persistence is one of the primary things that will get you noticed.  Why, because persistence means that you might be the last guy standing when someone needs your services.

Let me give you an example of persistence that gets the point across.  We are “dog-sitting” a little grey schnoodle who has been teaching us a lesson in persistence.  You see we have three dogs of our own who are always vying for our attention, and sometimes they get it and sometimes they don’t.  But this guy gets it every waking moment.  Why, because he came with a little red ball that he chases incessently.  He will bring it to you and you must throw it or he will poke you, prod you, grown and jump until the little red ball goes flying through the air for him to chase.  He love the ball.  And when we tire of this behavior we put the ball away, he will sit and stare at the ball until someone brings it down again.  He gets up in the morning and sits and stares at the ball until one of us brings it down and throws it.

Now our dogs love to chase balls too, but if we are busy and say no, they simply drop the ball and go lie down or pick a chew toy and happily chew or even better they find a sunny spot on the floor and just sleep.  Good for us, but they rarely chase balls.

But our little visitor chases balls all day long, why, because he refuses NOT to chase balls.  For him there is no other activity, but ball chasing.  So who do you think gets to chase the ball.  You guessed it!  The guy who persistently reminds us that ball chasing is a noble activity that everyone should engage in.

So how long have you been chasing your goals?  Have you told everyone you know about what you are trying to achieve?  Have you talked with everyone you know about the value you can bring to them with your product or service?

Summer time for many business owners can be very slow.  My business often slows in the summer, and that is when it is just hard to keep focused on your goals and plans for your business.  Discouragement can set in and deflate your plans for your business.  Don’t let that happen.  It has been said that the difference between a successful and unsuccessful person is that the successful person just hung in there longer.  Be successful, and hang on just a little longer.  Now if you will excuse me, I have a little red ball to throw!

The Likability Factor

Have you ever found yourself buying something from someone you didn’t know very well but they just seemed so incredibly pleasant?  She didn’t seem like she was selling, talking about her kids, her pets, your kids, your pets.  Even though you looked at the product previously and rejected it, there is just something about the lady that makes you feel like you need to give her product a second chance.  You believe what she says and you buy her product and are happy to do so.

One of the best ways for anyone to be better at sales and marketing is to just relax and be more likable.  People really are attracted to folks who are genuinely likable.   Showing interest in others, listening to their concerns about the product or service, understanding their needs all add up to you being someone your clients or customers might actually like.

Keep in mind this does not work unless you really are interested in people.  The really good marketers and sales people are successful because they have an interest and a concern for the welfare of others.  This comes naturally for some, but others have to cultivate their likability factor.  If this is a challenge for you, it is important that you recognize the problem and start purposely taking an interest in the people around you.  It can take practice, but you can become more interested and involved in others’ lives.

Let me be very clear, being likable is an excellent way to increase sales and business connections, but it must be sincere and not an act.  Most people can quickly see through those who are just manipulating them to get a sale.  So how likable are you?

Are You the Expert?

I am a huge fan of the Animal Planet program Dog Whisperer.  I love how Caesar can take any dog, and just “fix” her so she does what the owners want.  Caesar has established himself the expert – the dog whisperer! It is a reputation that he worked hard for many years to establish, but what dog-owner would not love to spend a little quality time learning some tricks and tips from him?

It can be exactly the same with what you do.  No matter what your profession, if you can establish yourself as an expert in your field you are going to just be more successful.  Experts or perceived experts always get more business and make more money.  You didn’t think Caesar works his magic on those little pooches for free did you?

So how do you to be the perceived expert?  Well first of all, make sure you know as much as you can about your chosen profession.  Get all the certification and education you can to do what you job well.  Read, read, read, and become the subject matter expert.  Don’t try to sell yourself as the expert if you really are just flying by the seat of your pants!  Be the best you can be!

Next you need to establish your expert status.  Write articles, blogs and newsletters, give seminars, lead groups, do round table events.  Research the kinds of problems your prospective customers have, and then become the solution.  Get yourself in front of people and answer questions and show them that you are their solution.

Establishing your expert status takes time and energy, but it is very rewarding.   Once people know that you have the solutions they need, they will begin to look to you for help.  If you treat people well, and give solid solutions to problems, your reputation will spread and people you don’t know yet will begin to call you.  That is when you know that you have established your reputation as an expert.

Creating an Action Plan!

Many times in business it seems like we have so much to do and our “to do” list just gets longer and longer and we never seem to get ahead.  Often our days are made up of a lot of jobs and projects that we just can’t get to.  When we have several small projects we need to get done, we can create a lot of stress for ourselves as we carry that burden around with us.  Projects hanging over our heads can really keep us from doing the things that actually build our business and make us money. An affective way of getting some of these projects done is to create an Action Plan. An Action Plan is a simple list of all of the tasks that you need to carry out to achieve an objective. It differs from a to do list in that it focuses on the achievement of a single goal or project.

These may not be major projects, but by creating an action plan to complete each one we often feel better just knowing we have the plan in place.  Enlist others to help if you can, that will make the project go even faster.  Plan when you will do just one project and create the steps needed to complete it.

To draw up a working Action Plan, simply list the tasks that you need to carry out to achieve your goal, in the order that you need to complete them. If you can, try and estimate how long each project might take, so that you can allot future time for achievement.  Repeat this for all those projects that remain outstanding.  With the action plan in place you can set small amounts of time aside every week and pick a project and complete it.  You can even do steps one or two at a time, and finish the project over a few days.  However you attack the project, you have a plan in place to complete the job.  This is empowering and helps you focus the things that propel your business forward.

Narrow Your Focus!

Do you ever feel like you are running all day long and not really accomplishing much for your business.  You go to any networking group that will have you and spend a lot of time having coffee and lunch with anyone who can fog up a mirror and you are exhausted and often discouraged by your results.

If this describes you, it is a good idea to slow down and take a deep breath.  Then ask yourself “who is the best client I have every had?”.  What made that client perfect?  Write down the ways you were able to help him/her, assess where you found that client and all the details about that client.  Now it is time to think about how to attract more of that person.  As weird as it may sound, the more specific you are about what your clients look like, the more you develop a niche and the more clients you can attract.

When I first heard this concept I was just starting my business and my coach asked me “have you determined your niche yet?” and I pretty much felt as though I would work with anyone who wanted my services.  I really didn’t see the value of narrowing my focus and eliminating paying customers.  However, the more specific I have become with my clients, the more success I have had finding them.  It has also allowed me to be better at working with my niche group.  I concentrate on understanding what they need and am careful to be well versed in those particular services, making them like me even more.

Although there are many products and services that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone, we are all individuals and we work better with certain other individuals, finding them, and understanding them makes you uniquely capable.  And that is a great position to be in!

Be the Rising Tide!

Like most small business owners I am a member of a lot of networking groups.  I rarely go to such a group where I don’t meet wonderful people.  But I also rarely go to a group where I don’t find people who are just looking to help themselves.  You know what I mean, as they approach you they have a fist full of business cards and eagerly tell you what they do and why you need to do business with them.  I usually listen politely, take a card and move one.  Why?  Because these people are takers.  They want all the names in my data base and never build relationships with their clients.  I don’t want to subject my friends, clients and associates to those kinds of business people.

I subscribe to the “rising tide” theory of doing business.  The “rising tide” theory says that a rising tide lifts all ships and I want to lift everyone in the room to new heights in their business and personal life.  As Zig Ziglar used to say (and probably still does),  “you can get everything in life you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want.”  We don’t necessarily need more networking groups, sales techniques or business tools, as much as we need to practice the idea of helping other people achieve their goals, and in so doing we capture their hearts and their loyalty.  If you want more people to do business with you, practice building them up.  Learn about what they do, and spread the word for them, book them solid and your book of business will grow as well.  Sound too good to be true?  Why not try it at your next networking group?  Pick someone whose business you know, and speak well of them to the group.  Not only will you make their day, you now have someone on your sales team, singing your praises.  Givers always gain, and there is no better way to do business.

Multiple Streams of Income – Making Them Work for You!

As I network and work with many types of business owners I am struck by just how many people have several businesses.  And although in a networking setting I always recommend that a business owner pick just one to talk about, I have recently come to see the wisdom in diversification.  A friend of mine was working very hard in a business selling a product that she enjoyed and the producer of the product closed its doors without warning.  She did not have anything to fall back on and is starting over, whereas her up-line manager had “other things” going on to concentrate on and said she would be fine.

With the economy in some turmoil, gas prices rocketing, and uncertainty in the housing market, being diversified as a small business owner is a good idea and not just for your retirement portfolio.  Even though friends and family may condemn you for “not sticking to one thing” or being “easily sold” on new things, it is always a good idea to do things that make money that can help offset the set backs of your other interests.

Whatever you do to diversify your business interests it is important to make sure that you choose other interests that don’t oppose your main business.  Many business owners will choose other streams of income that actually interface with their main business.  Chiropractors or fitness trainers often sell vitamin supplements or other health related products that will help their clients.  That is a great synergistic effort.

Another way to choose another stream of income it to base it on another interest.  No matter what you do you may have a hobby that you love and scan sell a product related to it.  I know many people who sell Creative Memories products because they are hooked on scrap booking.  It helps to fund their hobby and can even give them a second income.  Some people may even find a product that works for them with no intention of selling the product, but will start selling the product to offset the cost of their own use.

Getting involved in multiple income streams can be a great way to insure success as a small business owner.  When one business is up another may be down.  The thing to remember is not to spread yourself too thin and make sure you choose extra businesses that don’t require too much additional effort. Insure that you can talk about your additional businesses in conjunction with what your customers already associate you with doing.  You don’t want clients to feel like they don’t really know what you do.  Make a distinction between your main business and your “extra interest” business.

The bottom line if you have other interests and can capitalize on them with an additional income stream, go for it!

Be Authentic!

We have all experienced the salesperson who has done his/her best to sell us a product because you just know that the commission is at stake.  Or with a network marketer who are completely uncomfortable asking for the sale, because they are just out of their comfort zone.  Another problem sales folks can have is selling a product based on some technique or formula they were taught by their manager or sales training program.  Although techniques and scripts are helpful, what makes a sales person good at their job is when they are comfortable with their own approach to the job.

The best sales technique out there is to sell using your own authentic personality.  For those who are around me for any length of time, they know that I am all about personality; understand it, tame it and embrace it.  It doesn’t matter what your personality style, if you are you in a sales setting, people will buy from you, if they need your product, and sometimes if they don’t.

A mistake that many sales people make is that they sell according to some formula or script, instead of learning their product and selling its features and benefits in a way that is authentic to them.  People will buy from someone who is real, someone they feel really wants the best for the customer.

Sales is a wonderful profession, it gives one the opportunity to help people make buying decisions, some minor and some large.  If a salesman approaches his/her craft with an understanding that the job is just to help people, they will never go hungry.

What’s in it for Me?

Like most business owners I spend a lot of time at networking events and I hear lots of 30-second commercials.  I also know that a lot of business coaches spend much time on coaching their clients on the perfect elevator speech.  So much so, that many people I coach tell me that they are the least comfortable with their elevator speech (ES), in spite of all the information available to help them.    I believe it is important to sound articulate, but it is equally important that you dp not allow your lack of finesse with you ES to keep you from networking your business.

When preparing a good ES, there are only two things to remember.

1.  Who are you – most of us can remember our names  AND

2.  How will what I do solve a problem for my listeners?

It really is tht simple.  In a networking setting, with everyone vying for the attention of everyone else, most people won’t rmember what you said if you just list all the things you do.  However, if you can think of one or two problems that most people in our target market might have that your product or service can solve, you can create an ES that catches the attention of your client.

For instance, I am a small business coach, so my target market is small business owners (dah!) so I would say something like, “my name is Sharon and I help small business owners, entrepreneurs, and network marketers understand how they can create a system that will attract clients to their business or service.”   I have engaged my target and addressed a common problem small business owners have in common.  Now that is not the only thing that I do for them, so I could freshen up my ES just by thinking of a new problem I can address for them.

If I own a product related business, I would simply address a problem that my product may solve for my audience.  It is just that easy.

Why is this so effective?  Well to tell the truth, it just helps your listener cut through the clutter of everything your service or product can do.  It keeps them from having to think too much.  And let’s face it, most of us really just want to know “what’s in it for me?”  Let them know that and you will get their attention.

Confidence Sells!

When I walk into a room of networkers I am always amazed at how people network.  You have the folks who gather all their friends together for a good visit, then you have the “movers and shakers” handing out their marketing materials and business cards and of course there are the power networkers trying to meet everyone in the room and the “glad handing” networkers trying to make a quick impression on everyone in the room.  Finally, there are the new people who had the audacity to come to the meeting to build relationships and get business, standing in the corner trying to figure out how to insert themselves into one of these groups.

It is not hard to see from this picture why networking is such hard work, especially if one is new to the “game” and has not identified the group’s key players.  That is why it is very important to go to any networking group confident of several things.

1.  Know what you want to tell the group before you get there.  Don’t wait until the elevator doors open to formulate your elevator speech, know who you are and what you do.  Believe me there are groups that will make you forget your name if you are not confident in these facts.

2.  Confidently approach people like you belong in that group.  Since it is human nature to size each other up in that first sixty seconds, be sure to give the impression that you have something the group needs.  Chances are you do, so confidently reflect that.

3.  Practice shaking hands assertively and confidently.  I know this is a “Dah” these days but you would be surprised at how many limp fish I have shaken.

4.  Smile.  Yes I know another “dah” but still worth a mention.

5.  Be confident enough to ask about others and listen.  I know that the idea of letting others tell you what they do seems counter intuitive to your purpose for joining the group, but it will net you more interest when they have to be asked for information rather than just blurting it out.

6.  Be a giver.  Even if you have to jump through a few hoops before becoming a member, be ready to refer to people in the group.  This lets the group know you are serious about connecting and sharing business.  Confident people are always good givers.

7.  Don’t join the first party you go to just because they invite you.  There are many networking opportunities out there, so make sure you understand the kind of groups that will benefit your business the most.  Really, there is no point fishing for bass in a school of salmon!  Know what you need before you join.

Right now you are asking, so where do I get a dose of confidence you speak of?  Confidence comes from belief.  If you believe you are the best at what you do, your confidence will show.  Don’t pretend, be the best you can and that message will come through.   You can’t  “fake it  ’til you make it”, you must be the genuine article.   So together now with feeling “let the networking begin!”