Scratch-Off Cards

Everyone likes to win something, especially if it's free to enter or as a bonus. Scratch-off cards get customers involved in the process of playing a game with the chance to win something of value. Cards come in many sizes and even can be used as a post card for mailing to prospects. They have a much higher redemption rate than coupons because everyone wants to claim what they have won, even if it's just a percentage off a purchase. It also increases loyalty because they are having fun doing business with you and could win a big prize. Use them at fund raising events, trade shows and conventions. Scratch-Off cards can be an inexpensive addition and add a boost to your marketing. They will get prople talking about your company and make them take a serious look at your business. You can get samples & info at www.americas-cards.com More ideas in my book "The Jelly Bean Principle"

In Case You Wanted to Know

*A typical lightming bolt is 3 to 4 inches wide and 2 miles long *Any month that starts on a Sunday will have a Frinday the 13th in it *A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time and is 1/100 of a second *Nearly half of all bank robberies take place of a Friday *There are 31,557,600 seconds in a year *There are more than 650,000 restaurants in the United States *The most popular day of the week to eat out is Saturday, the slowest day is Monday

Three Ways to Brainstorm

Getting new ideas through brainstorming can give any business a boost in marketing, sales and growth. Here are three ways that you can take advantage of briainstorming. 1. With employees-many of them have direct contact with your clients and customers and hear what their concerns or wants are to become more loyal. They may not volunteer this information unless you ask them. Have a periodic brainstorming meeting with pizza and pop and get these ideas out in the open. 2. With customers-most customers will have ideas for your business that will make them happier about spending thier money with you. Well, you want to know what these ideas are so that you can act on them if possible. But in most cases you will have to ask them or provide a suggestion box in your store or on your website to get them. 3. With suppliers-Often a forgotten place to brainstorm but maybe one of the more important ways to get new information. They know what new products or services may be coming in the near future and how to prepare for it. They also know what your competitors are doing and can offer new marketing ideas that you can use quickly. Bookmark this blog and check back often for new short article you can use in your business.

The Unresponsive Customer

Some people just want to get their business done and that's it. You and your staff should be able to pinpoint this type of customer right away. Always start with a friendly greeting and if their response is a mumble or nothing at all, get down to business immediately. You don't know, or need to know, what else is going on in their life, so make the sale quickly and professionally. You'll actually make them satisfied by not trying to be friendly and not asking any non-business questions and just completing the transaction. Be happy to accept their business, their money and of course say Thank You. If they are served and treated the way they want to be, you''ll probably have a long term repeat customer. Never force a customer or client to respond to, "How are you today?" question if they don't want to answer. Asking other unrelated questions should also be eliminated as soon as this type of customer is identified in your mind. Give them the respect and service they want. Bookmark this site and check back several times a week for new ideas, they're Free!

Find the Decision Maker

If you're selling saddles make sure you're no talking to the horse! You have just made one of your best sales presentations and when you ask for the order, the prospect says, " I'll have to give all this information to Mr Big, he makes the decision. You have just spent much of your valuable time with the messenger who can't place the order. You now know that when it's presented to Mr Big that it won't have the same impact that you can give it.

Why not find out early in the meeting if the person you're talking to can make a decision. If not, suggest that they bring in Mr Big halfway through if they like your presentation so far. You can then give a short recap of what you've already said and ask for questions right away. Then proceed to close the sale with the person who can really make the purchasing decision. You will also know whom you're talking to and exactly whay their authority is to make a decision. Happy Selling!
More articles like this in the monthly Idea-Letter at www.idealetter.com

Turn Ideas into Goals

As soon as you get a new idea that you want to try out write it down so you don't forget any parts of it. Then set goals for this idea, short and long term and what to do to accomplish those goals. Be sure the new goal is a challenge but not impossible. Your new idea should be opening new doors and opportunities for you.

Plan how you'll reach these new goals but always focus on the end result of this goal. New ideas and goals can and will cause bumps along the way so don't get discouraged. Be ready to change directions and trust yourself, remember you came up with idea in the first place. Passing up a good idea couls mean missing the opportunity you've been waiting and working for so diligently.
Many short articles in the monthly Idea-Letter at http://www.idealetter.com/

Business Street Smarts

If you live in or near a big city, you probably know what street smarts are. Well, in business you have the same thing. Try to describe it and it's difficult but you know if you have it or not. You also get a good idea if the people you are working with or your employees are street smart. It's a definite advantage for people in sales, marketing or those growing a company.

Ever notice how young people graduate from college and start their first job and think they know it all? You can almost hear them say, "We didn't learn it that way in school." When working in business especially small business, the real education is learned on-the-job every day. College teaches logic and the basics of your subject area but just can't teach the abstract things that comes by doing.

Business street smarts is a valuable asset and takes years to acquire. Most of the people that built big companies out of start-ups certainly have it and a lot was learned from failures along the way. But once you have it, you'll probably never lose it and it will guide you to success.
More free longer articles you can reprint at www.idealetter.com

Golf Anyone ?

I can't seem to get enough time to play golf regularly so I usually just go out at the last minute without a tee time. Most non-membership courses will get you out within an hour or so and add you to another group. This has its business advantages because you can meet some very interesting people that you might not otherwise have a chance to, under other circumstances. Make sure you always have business cards with you.

I've met a college dean, an Olympic board member, a TV anchor man and several company presidents that I normally could never get on the phone if I tried. You get to know a lot about the people you play with during the four-plus hours on the course. Especially if there is a wait to tee off on every hole. So don't feel bad about going to play on your own, consider it a business opportunity. Just remember to control your temper if you're not playing well.
More short articles like this in the monthly Idea-Letter at www.idealetter.com

Use Your Ideas Quickly

Sometimes, out of nowhere, you'll get a new idea for your business. If you're not at your business location at the time, jot down a note on anything so you don't forget it. When you get back to your office or store find a way to test your new idea right away to see if it helps boost sales, cut costs or promotes your business. Letting your new idea sit until you have more time will only let it get stale and you'll enthusiasm for it.

You'll probably never find enough time and a great idea will drif off to "Idea Heaven" without you. Some of the best business building ideas were once notes on a restaurant napkin or post-it and grew into unexpected results. Don't just brag and talk about your new ideas, try them out quickly and see how they work. The outcome can only lead to positive energy and more ideas to come.

Famous Last Words

We've all heard these and many will put a smile on your face.
"I'll get a world record for this"
"Yes, it's fireproof"
"He's probably just hibernating"
"What does this button do?"
"It's probably just a rash"
"Are you sure that the power is off?"
"Pull the pin and count to what?"
"Which wire was I supposed to cut?"
"I wonder where the mother bear is?"
"It's OK, I've seen this done on TV"
"I think these are the good kind of mushrooms"
"I'll hold it and you light the fuse"
"Just let it down slowly"
"It's strong enough for both of us"
"This doesn't taste right"
"I can make the light before it changes"
"Nice doggie"
"I can do that with my eyes closed"
"Oh, I've done this before"
"Now watch this...."
Collected by Barry Thomsen, www.idealetter.com

Twist and Shout !

If you have a new product or service that your target market has been looking for, don't just sit back like a proud Papa and wait for everyone to congratulate you. Get the word out A.S.A.P. and start the sales coming in. Capture the new market before your competitors figure out a way to challenge you or undercut your price. Great new products and services only come along once in a while and you have to capitalize on them right away. Or believe me, someone else will!

Plan your best promotion strategy and do it quickly. By being first in your target market, you will become the leader in your new innovative area. And the leader makes the most in sales and profits. So don't sit back and admire your new accomplishment, be the Town Crier and get the word out fast. Get up and Twist and Shout until everyone knows about it!

Your Business Attitude

Did you ever notice how a business takes on the traits and attitude of it's owner(s). If the person in charge wants to be King of the Castle he will order and sometimes demean the employees around them. In return the employees become defensive and their attitude deteriorates and shows with the people they interact with. But those people may be the customers who support the business and soon may shy away. There can be a chain reaction of negative atmosphere everywhere in the business and it spills over to the marketplace and community.

It all starts at the top of the business pyramid and filters down to the people at all levels. The owner(s) have to establish the type of business attitude that everyone will pick up on. You will notice that in a prosperous and growing company the attitude of all the players is postive, they smile a lot and go out of their way to help and please customers and clients. If you meet the people at top you'll see that they are available and don't take that "I'm the boss" attitude. So establish your positive business attitude right from the executive office and it will become the attitude of the entire company.
More ideas in the monthly Idea-Letter, free sample at www.idealetter.com

Fun Promotions for Customers

A great way to keep repeat customers and get new ones is by getting them involved in a fun promotion or game. Many of the big companies do it regularly so you know it must be working. One of the easiest to do is a scratch-off card or pull tab that results in a prize or future discount for the player/customer. People love playing because they have a chance to win something free and maybe even a big prize. If you don't give away cash you will generally not have problems with most of the state laws (it's always good to check).

These scratch or pull cards can be as small as a business card or the size of a post card that you mail to prospects in your target market. Most people will want to know if they won so they will take the action of finding out. If you state that no purchase is necessary you will get more people to play and entice more new customers. People are redeeming less coupons lately but when they win something they want to receive it. A game makes it more fun to do business with you and your company and makes you stand out from your competition.
You can get free scratch-off & pull tab samples and ideas at www.americas-cards.com or email: americascards@aol.com

Finding Customers By Writiing

There are customers out there waiting for your products and services but they don't even know about you. They may never see your advertising, read your direct mail or visit your website. You still need a way to reach them and create interest in your business so why not try giving them some free information about your industry. People love new information or innovative ideas and will consider the person giving them that information an expert in the field or industry.

One way to do this is by writing articles for selected magazines, ezines, newsletters and websites. Articles are usually 1000 to 1500 words and many targeted media are eager to accept these new ideas and information. They may not pay for the article but you can put your name, contact info and what your company offers in the byline at the end of the article. There are many publications that you don't know about and you can find them in Bacon's Magazine Directory and Bacon's Newspaper Directory in your local library reference dept. It's not available online but well worth the trip to the library and investing an hour or two. Once an article is published you can make copies and use it on your website and in mailings. You will reach new prospective customers who never knew you existed.
More ideas like this in the monthly Idea-Letter (since 2002) at www.idealetter.com

Entrepreneurs Hate to Delegate

It's a common trait among business owners that they hate to let go of many tasks and usually overload themselves. But when they start to delegate some of the routine business chores and see how well it works they usually have a change of mind. So delegate to a person you trust and let them do the task to the best of their ability. It will not only free up valuable time that you need to build your business but make the employee feel important and trusted. It's a win-win situation!
More on employee trust in chapter 12 of my upcoming book "The Smart Guide for Business Start-ups" Smart Guide Publishing

Direct Mail Not Working?

Some reasons that direct mail may not be working or produced poor results may be:

*List was not the correct one for target market
*The list was not tested in advance
*List was used too frequently
*Poor quality text or photos
*Inferior headline or attention grabber
*Typos or grammer errors in text
*The offer was not good enough
*No call for quick action
*No clear deadline to respond
*Call center not well trained
More ideas on direct mail in my new book "90 Days to Success as a Small Business Owner" Available in bookstores and Amazon.com

Tight Start-Up Capital

This can be the place that many entrepreneurs and new small business owners arrive at their first hurdle or roadblock. Without the adequate amount of start-up capital a business can struggle right from the beginning. If all the owners/members or shareholders can think about is raising more money for expenses or growth it will take much time away from other important duties. The resources for start-up should be found well before a business starts, not after it's already operating.

Obviously that first thing that needs to be determined is how much you will need. Most business start-ups estimate low so that there will be less pressure to raise funds from outside sources. But going back to the well for more money is even more difficult. A good rule of thumb is to honestly figure what you think you will need and add about 25% to that answer. Keeping a small reserve for unexpected expenses will make your new business get off to an easier start.
More starT-up capital ideas in my upcoming book "The Smart Guide to Business Start-ups"

Keep Your Content Fresh

Whether it's your website, blog, facebook profile or Linkedin changes, additions and updates need to be made regularily. If you are using it for business and networking there needs to be a reason why someone would want to come back. If they revisit every day or week and see the same thing with nothing added, they may decide to stop returning as often. When this happens there's a good chance they might never come back and you will have to earn their interest again from scratch.

Simple changes will do the trick and informative posts that will benefit the reader and tell them something they didn't know. Just moving things around a little will help some but people always want something new and interesting. Even if it's "What's Coming Soon" to keep their attention and maybe even refer others. It only takes a short time each week to get this done and should be part of your MUST DO schedule.
More ideas in my new book "90 Days to Success as a Small Business Owner" at amazon.com

Make a Bigger Impression

When you are a new or growing business here's a few ways to look bigger and more established than you really are. In stead of starting your invoice numbers with 0001 or 1001, try using 5 digits and a starting number like 22001. It makes you look like you have been in business for awhile and had many previous customers or clients. If you have delivery or service trucks and vans , number them van #6 or #12 even if you have just one. It makes you look like you have a fleet of them and get a lot of business.

No customer likes to be a guinea pig when they buy from your new business so give them a feeling of comfort. You are going to provide a fantastic product or service anyway so don't let anyone be hesitant because you may be new. You want everyone to feel that you have had many previous satisfied customers and clients.
Many more business ideas in my new book "90 Days to Success as a Small Business Owner" available in bookstores & amazon.com

Sell the Difference

It's the little things that can make a customer or client choose your product or service over another. The value that the difference adds can make it easy for the buyer to make their decision. Things like color, style, packaging, sizes, ease of use, prestige and even a higher price can sway a purchasing decision your way. A high price (not overpriced) can give an impression of a better value plus pride of ownership.

Make sure your value, quality and after purchase service lives up to it. If it doesn't, you'll probably never get a second chance. So determine the positive difference between your product and the competition and lead with it. If that's what your prospective customer is looking for you'll get the sale and the repeat business.
More sales ideas in the monthly Idea-Letter (since 2002) at www.idealetter.com

Questions Before Buying a Franchise

Since there are no guarantees when going into a franchise you should know as much as possible before investing your hard-earned money. Here are just a few questions that you need answers to:
*Do you believe, enjoy and have interest in the product and services?
*Is the franchise company a leader in it's industry or at least well known?
*Are selling prices competitive in the marketplace?
*Is the startup costs within you realistic budget?
*Do they offer a protected area or territory?
*Do they have company owned stores or services?
*Are other franchisees making money (talk to several of them)?
*Is there a reduced fee if you open additional locations?
*Are there restrictions if you want to resell and get out?
*Is the royalty reasonable for the industy?
*What type of initial training do they offer?
*Do they offer on-site training when you first open?
*Do they regularly offer new and innovative products?
*Do they offer assistance in selecting a site?
*Is the corporate office financially stable?
*Do they have any financing available?
*Do the answer all your questions quickly and honestly?
More on franchising and other small business topics in the monthly Idea-Letter (since 2002) at www.idealetter.com

Your Positive Attitude Wins!

Being in a positive mental state makes everything you do guided toward success. It's not where you start but where you end up that really counts and a positive attitude will get you there. Here are some ideas to keep you on the positive road to success.

.Don't even think about quitting
.Enthusiasm is magic and contageous
.Believe in yourself and abilities
.Focus on the present and the future, the past is over
.Show empathy for another person's view
.Smile often it makes everyone relax
.Customers remember attitude more than low prices
.You won't need a second chance if you succeed the first time
.Appreciate what you have and let your attitude help you achieve more
.Hope and faith becomes habit forming
.Show others that you are really interested in them
.There are no hopeless situations, just hopeless people
.Focus on where you want to be not where you are
.Don't let anger ruin a beautiful day

Barry has a speech called "Your Positive Attitude Wins" which is great for any type of audience. www.idealetter.com

Doing Business in the United Kingdom

Every country and culture has different customs that you need to follow if you want to be successful there. Here are some to practice when dealing the UK.
*Dark suits, usually black, blue or gray are quite acceptable
*Men's shirts should not have pockets or if the do, should always be kept empty.
*Men should wear solid or patterned ties and avoid striped ties
*Women should wear a business suit or conservative dress with low heels
*Decision-making is slower in the UK than the USA and you should not pressure them
*A simple handshake is standard greeting for both men and women
*Privacy is very important to the English, so avoid personal questions unless they volunteer information and don't stare at them
*A signal that something is secret or confidential just tap your nose
*Gifts are not normally expected for doing business
*Loud talking or disruptive behavior should be avoided
*Displaying the V for victory is offensive to people in the UK
*Never say anything negative about the Queen

Unusual March Holidays

Here are some real but unusual holidays in the month of March that you can use in your business for fun and profit:

2 - Old stuff day
3 - Want to be happy day
5 - Stop the clocks day
6 - National frozen foo day
8 - Be nasty day
9 - OK to panic day
9 - Barbie's birthday
11 - Johnny Appleseed day
12 - Plant a flower day
14 - National potato chip day
19 - Poultry day
21 - National flower day
22 - Mational goof-off day
23 - International day of the seal
25 - Waffle day
28 - Something on a stick day
30 - Doctor's day
31 - Tater Day