Brainstorm for Great Ideas

Two heads are better than one and five are better than two. Don't underestimate the power of brainstorming for great ideas.
.Invite anyone to the discussion who is familiar with the subject at hand
.When you start, define the problem or subject to be discussed
.Designate one person to write down all the ideas that come up
.Don't criticize any ideas or comments during the session, just accept all of them
.Let people add to other people's ideas
.Encourage any idea regardless of how outrageous
.You want quantity over quality in the early stages of brainstorming
.At the end, group ideas together that compliment each other and re-introduce them to the group
.Great ideas should be rewarded with praise and a small token of appreciation
.Set a date & time for the next brainstorming session

Unusual September Holidays

Here are a few real but unusual September holidays that you can use in your business for fun and profit.

Sept 5 Be late for something day
Sept 6 Read a book day
Sept 9 Teddy bear day
Sept 11 National neighborhood day
Sept 15 Born to be wild day
Sept 17 Citizens day
Sept 18 National play-doh day
Sept 21 Miniature golf day
Sept 23 Celebrate checkers day
Sept 26 National good neighbor day
Sept 27 Ancestor appreciation day
Sept 29 National Goose day

Writing Your First Book seminar

It's been said that everyone has at least one book inside them waiting to be written, what's yours about? I will present a seminar on Tuesday Sept 14,2010 called WRITE-PUBLISH-PROMOTE at my office from 6:30 to 8PM (Colorado Cards, 5585 Erindale Dr #203, Colo Spgs, CO). I have 5 published business books and 1 more in process. You'll learn how to come up with a catchy title, layout chapter outlines, plan for the correct number of pages and words, write the first draft, edit, search for a publisher and agent, submission guidelines and accept rejection. Find out the difference between a mainstream publisher, print on demand, self-publishing, e-books and which one is best for you. Then promoting your book after it's published using many different ways is just as important. Attendance is limited to the first 14 adults at $22.00 per person. Nothing else will be sold at the seminar. The space is limited and past seminars have been selling out so please call 719-268-1322 or email: idealetter@aol.com to reserve a seat.

Reorder Reminders

When you get to know your customers you'll be able to estimate when it's time for them to reorder from you. For them it's easy to reorder from the same business if the last order for products or services met their expectations. You can help them remember by mailing a postcard or sending an email with "Reorder Reminder" in the subject line.

Another reason to send these reminders comes into play when the person who ordered last time is no longer there. The new person responsible for procurement may not be able to find out that you were the previous supplier. Your reminder will tell them because they are probably getting the prior person's mail. Your reminder can also highlight one other product or service that they aren't currently buying from you.

Networking Suggestions

Effective networking is an important part of the marketing mix of every business. As long as you are attending a meeting you might as well get as much out of it as you can. Here are some suggestions to increase the the value of the time you spend at a meeting.
.Arrive at meetings/events early so there is time for networking and getting to know new people
.Print your first name very bold on your nametag with your last name under it
.Say a polite hello to anyone you know and quickly move on to those that you don't know
.Don't try to conduct business, set a future time to get back together
.Move close to a group talking and sort of eaves drop until you're invited to join in
.Keep a smile on your face even if it hurts
.Seek out others standing alone and extend your hand with a hello
.Offer your business card to anyone who will accept it
.If it's open seating select a table where you know less than half the people sitting there
.ALWAYS follow up promptly on any commitments you make

Don't Hide Your Goals

Once you make short and long term goals for yourself, everyone tells you to write them down. Of course that's the correct thing to do but why stop there? Tell your friends, associates and relatives who will listen because they will help you celebrate when you achieve those goals. You may also inspire them to set their own goals and share them with you.

Your business needs goals and objectives also to be sure that growth is going in the right direction. Those goals should be shared with employees, suppliers, customers and even your banker. Make these goals difficult but not impossible and a great feeling of accomplishment will be felt when you reach them. Meaningful goals are for everyone and keep you on the right track in business and in life.

Be a Good Listener

.Make eye contact with the person speaking
.Tilting your head slightly to the side is a sign that you are listening
.Small nods occaisionally lets the person speaking know that you are paying attention
.Ask questions that are pertinent to the subject they are talking about
.Take notes, it show that you are interested and want to remember
.Don't jump in and try to make a different point until they are finished making theirs
.Let them make their complete statement before you start to disagree
.You smile or grin will make everyone more comfortable

Before Your Sales Appointment

.Set Realistic Goals-everyone wants a million dollar sale but every prospect may not have that much to spend
.Check them out-find out about your prospects on the internet before you arrive and speak their industry language
.Prepare materials and literature-present products and services that will be relative to their wants and needs, not just what you want to sell
.Rehearse your presentation-follow an outline and omit all the "ahs" and "ums" in it
.Check their location-use mapquest so you arrive on time and not too early or late. Getting lost is NOT an excuse.
.Mentally prepare-make the sale in your mind by satisfying your new new customer in every way possible
.Practice your smile-it gives confidence so use it often

Pricing Headaches

Pricing your products & services can be a real challenge for the small & medium size business because there is no real set of rules. Here are a few things to consider when deciding how to set your prices.
.What the market will bear
.Your profit or volume goals
.Seasonal changes and demand
.Service and back-up costs
.Your total overhead and expenses
.Equipment maintenance and replacement
.Prestige of ownership
.Actual consumer and business demand
.Display and promotion costs
.Advertising and marketing costs
.Employee costs and benefits
.What competitors are doing
.Storage and delivery costs
.Large quantity discounts
.Payment terms offered
More ideas to make your business different and better than the competition in my book "The Jelly Bean Principle" get at www.amazon.com

Publicity is Free

Publicity to promote your business, your products, your generosity or just you is great when you can it. It's an ongoing task to keep your name in front of the media and social networks. Coming up with new ideas to get that attention is never easy but it certainly can be done. Publicity is valuable because it's a third party giving you recognition and is always more believable. Seek out and go after publicity whenever and whereever you can, then watch it pay off over time.

Speaking Ideas

Speaking well to groups or in meetings makes you an expert in your field and gives confidence to those you are speaking to. Here are some ideas to consider
.Make eye contact with everyone you can for 2 to 3 seconds
.Choose words and phrases to match the level of your audience
.Meet some of your audience before you are introduced
.Always write your own introduction to let people know who you are and what your credentials and background consist of.
.Use vocal variety to accent certain points
.Move away from the lecturn occaisionally
.Add stoies and humor throughout your speech
.Have room temperature water & Kleenex nearby
.Use pauses instead of "ums" and "ahs"
.Take command of the audience, they expect you to
.Rehearse your talk and be sure that it fits the time limit
More on my speaking at www.idealetter.com

A Thought About Advertising

The most important thing to remember about advertising is to test, test, test. Don't put all your quarters in one slot machine if it's not paying off. Selecting the correct media plus testing & monitoring the response will make your ad dollars get the best results. Don't be afraid to cancel an ad or change directions early if the expected returns are not happening. Don't let the media sales people talk you into something that isn't working. It's your business and your advertising money, so spend it wisely; you make the decisions. Advertising can & will work if you put in the necessary time to investigate all the media that works for you and drop the losers as fast as you can. Once you advertise, their sales reps will be constantly calling for reruns and renewals. Don't be talked into continuing with a media that's not working and will not help your business grow. In this tough economy we need to make every marketing dollar work hard and produce results. Follow Barry on Twitter.. BTauthor

Actors Net Worth

For all you would-be movie stars here is the approx net worth of several popular actors according to www.celebritynetworth.com
.Tom Cruise $250 million
.Will Smith $188 million
.Dustin Hoffman $50 million
.Robert De Niro $185 million
.Al Pacino $185 million
.Mel Gibson $100 million
.Jack nicholson $400 million
.Danny Glover $15 million
.Kevin Costner $150 million
.Clint Eastwood $80 million
.Mia Farrow $60 million
.Jim Carrey $150 million
.Simon Cowell $200 million

What's Your Brand?

You want everyone including customers, prospects and future prospects to know your brand and rely on it for quality and service. Once your brand is established in your target market, people will will begin to feel:
.It's their best choice
.It will do what they expect
.Confortable with the quality
.It's worth a premium
.Comfortable with the price
.It is value added
.It has a reliable level of performance
.There is consistent good service
.It's guaranteed and warranteed
.Ownership makes them feel confident
Brand recognition can build long-term business rather than one-time orders. Work to keep your brand in front of your customers so another choice won't be an option. Your don't have to be a Fortune 500 company to establish your brand successfully in your target market.

Sell With Samples

When you put your product or a sample of it in your customers hands it will sell itself in most cases. Would you even consider buying an expensive car without driving it first? When your customer experiences a product first hand the are no longer taking your word for the quality and they can make their own decision. This also eliminates buyer's remorse and less returns and exchanges. If you're selling a service, on your website show a video of someone using it and giving a testimonial. Let people build confidence in you and your products or services by being involved in the selling process and touching samples of the product. Always make samples a part of your marketing mix and watch sales increase. 104 more ideas in my book "The Jelly Bean Principle" Follow me on Twitter.. BTauthor

Thinkers or Buyers

The customers that are thinkers can sometimes be spotted in a minute. This list highlights give-aways to customer attitudes.

.A pipe smoker equals a thinker
.White socks, not worn as sportswear, equals a thinker
.Crew-cut hair equals a thinker
.Jump-suit wearer equals a thinker
.Camera carrier equals buyer
.Loud or flashy clothes equals buyer
.Cigar smoker equals buyer
.Cowboy boots equals buyer

Credit to my friend and sales trainer Ben Gay III 800-248-3555

When Business Gets You Down

The days where everything seems to be going wrong come along for all of us. If you keep your mind positive, it will reduce stress and speed up the time it takes to get through those down days. Your associates and employees will also get in a down mood if you let them see you acting in a negative manner. So it's best to...

.Keep your sunny side outward. try to react in a positive and optimistic way to your down times. Employees will give their best when they see you looking for the "silver lining" to your cloud of despair.
.Set an example by keeping your own productivity up and helping others with their duties. You will see a mirror effect and you'll be closer to getting needed results and a positive attitude.
.Find some humor or lightheartedness in a negative situation. Don't mope around but put a smile on your face and it will be contagious with others. people always do a better job with a grin than a grimace.
.Realize that off days and down times come along for all of us regardless of our position or financial condition. Your goal is to get through them and back on the road to positive growth and satisfaction.
More articles you can reprint at www.idealetter.com

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Direct Mail Still Works

In over 30 years and many businesses I have never failed to use some type of direct mail effectively. Here's just a few ideas to make it work for your business.
.Select the best mailing list possible
.Build your own list from responses
.Use standard mail post cards for consumers
.Use First Class envelopes for businesses
.Have a strong and appealing headline
.Use full color on at least one side or page
.Make a compelling offer to create action
.Have a short deadline for your offer
.Be able to handle a large response if it comes
.Remail the same list in 4 to 6 months
.Change your offer each time you mail your list
.Follow up business direct mail with telemarketing

Don't Stop Marketing

When cash flow is tight, many business owners tend to cut back on marketing to pay other bills. If you need to trim marketing expenses look for the least responsive part of your marketing efforts now but don't stop everything. Start finding "cheap" or "free" ways of promoting your business. You need those new customers to make your cash flow grow and marketing will get them for you. One of my favorite "cheap" marketing ideas is publicity. Get it by writing articles, speaking to your industry groups and being a guest for radio and TV interviews. There are many other ways to market your business with little or no money, use them whenever possible. www.idealetter.com

"Writing Your First Book" seminar

It's been said that everyone has at least one book inside them waiting to be written, what's yours about? I will present a seminar on Thursday August 19,2010 called WRITE-PUBLISH-PROMOTE at my office from 6:30 to 8PM (Colorado Cards, 5585 Erindale Dr #203, Colo Spgs, CO). I have 5 published business books and 1 more in process. You'll learn how to come up with a catchy title, layout chapter outlines, plan for the correct number of pages and words, write the first draft, edit, search for a publisher and agent, submission guidelines and accept rejection. Find out the difference between a mainstream publisher, print on demand, self-publishing, e-books and which one is best for you. Then promoting your book after it's published using many different ways is just as important. Attendance is limited to the first 14 adults at $22.00 per person. Nothing else will be sold at the seminar. Next seminar is Tuesday Sept 14th 6:30-8PM. The space is limited and past seminars have been selling out so please call 719-268-1322 or email: idealetter@aol.com to reserve a seat.

Double-Dip or Not ?

The only place I know of where a double-dip is a good thing is at an ice cream store. It's not good when it's the economy and affects your business. If you learned anything from the first dip, a second one, if it comes, won't be as difficult to weather. You should have learned to keep your expenses low, productivity high and establish a cash reserve when your business is doing well. Let any double-dips in the economy affect those who ignore the signs and fail to plan for it. Hey, let's go get some ice cream!

Don't Fall for This

Our office has been receiving several emails a week with the subject line; new customer, sales order or order. We do get these from our customers so we open them to see what it is. There is no virus but a message that starts, "We want to buy some of your products." Followed by "Please advise if can ship within 24 hours and we can pay by credit card." This is a scam and here's why.

The first tip-off is that they don't know what your products are or they would mention them. Second you will ship to a US address within 24 hours and it's usually a mailbox store with a street address. They pick up quickly and leave no trace of where they went. They will pay you with a stolen credit card number which will be approved because the person doesn't know their number and expiration date has been stolen yet. Within 3 to 10 days the cardholder will know that someone has used their card and call it in. The credit card company will then issue a chargeback and take the money back from your bank account. The money is gone, the product is gone and sorry you lose both. Be careful and know who you are selling to and where they are located.

Give 'Em Something

People like to be remembered and thanked for doing business with you. Giving them a small token to show that you care and remind them where to buy again can pay off. There are 1000's of promotional products available but the most common are pens, magnets, letter openers, key chains and water bottles. They are usually inexpensive and keep your name and image in front of customers when imprinted with your business information.

Check with your promotional products supplier to see if there are any new and unusual products that are unique to your business. It should be something that is useful and would be considered of some value by your customers or prosprcts. If they save it or use it regularly use it, the objective is attained. Kids love almost anything that is colorful or has moving parts. The money you spend on these items can insure some customer loyalty and easily come back to you. Don't overlook the power of promotional products. Check at americas-cards.com