Odd Holidays for January

Here are some real but little known January holidays that you can use for your business for fun and profit.

 1 Get a Life Day!
 2 National Science Fiction Day
 4 National Trivia Day
 5 National Bean Day
 7 Not Going to Take It Anymore Day
 8 National Bubble Bath Day
 10 Volunteer Fireman Day
 13 Blame Someone Else Day
 15 National Hat Day
 18 Winnie the Pooh Day
 19 National Popcorn Day
 20 Basketball Day
 21 National Hug Day
 23 National Pie Day
 25 Opposite Day
 27 National Toilet Day
 28 National Kazoo Day
 29 National Puzzle Day
 30 National Croissant Day

Offer a Seminar

Bringing prospects from your target market is one key to increasing sales and acquiring new loyal customers. Here are some ideas to make it successful.

*Make it free - no cost to attend
*Keep the time limit under 2 hours or people will lose interest
*Make it educational - not a sales pitch
*Try to get trainers and speakers from outside sources
*Send a formal invitation about 3 weeks in advance
*Make follow-up calls to any who have not responded
*Allow invited people to bring others with them
*Have an open door policy for anyone else who wants to attend
*Ofeer to pick up anyone over 25 miles away
*Ofeer a light refreshment but nothing too heavy
*Be sure a restroom is nearby
*Select your carefully from your customer want list
*Give them something when they leave, literature, small gift etc
*Try to set a follow up date or appointment
*Have a question & answer session at the end
*Thank each one personally for coming

Barry is a business coach/consultant by the hour and speaker at conventions

Essential Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Starting your own business means wearing tons of different hats and facing endless challenges. The entrepreneurial journey is filled with peaks and valleys. It can be difficult to stay motivated, remember your vision and stay on course, especially during tough economic times. As an entrepreneur who's in the trenches every day, here are the top five lessons that have best served me along my journey:

Stay Focused
When you're starting a new venture, it's easy to get pulled in a million directions. The most important thing you need to remember is to focus on your end goal. But that doesn't mean having tunnel vision. Concentrate on the finish line, but always be open to new and different ways of getting there. Keep your eyes on the prize and know where you want to go.

Build the Right Team
No one's perfect and I've definitely learned from my own mistakes when it comes to hiring the right talent for the right position. The most important lesson I've come away with is to work with people you trust. Lots of people might have the right skill set you're looking for, but do they share your enthusiasm, emotional intelligence and values? Don't just look at their credentials, look at how they're going to fit in personality-wise. Remember, they're going to be working in a team, so everyone else needs to get along with them, too.

Don't Be Afraid of Change
Many roads can lead to the same destination, so stay flexible. People often think veering off from the original plan is a bad sign, but in truth, it's important to recognize when something's not working or could be evolved for the better. That way, you have the chance to turn a setback into a positive. A successful entrepreneurship is a long road and often, tweaks and pivots are needed. It doesn't have to mean there's an issue; it just means you're keeping an open mind to methods you haven't tried before. The capacity to evolve signals adaptability and leads to progress.

Ensure Proper Funding
Proper funding and resources are key. Funding is essential to the survival of any new venture. Consider self-funding if possible. The advantage is that you retain more ownership. It also ensures a level of commitment on your part and can appear more attractive to investors. After all, how can you expect others to want to invest if you won't? If you do opt for outside funding, be realistic about your needs. Don't seek big bucks just to get them. If you take money you don't need, you end up looking reckless. Think carefully about how much you need and then self-fund or seek it from the right sources.

Believe in Yourself
It sounds trite, but it can be tough to stay positive when dealing with the unavoidable ups and downs of starting and running any business. You must believe in your vision, even in the face of detractors and naysayers. They will always be there, so it's crucial to rise above the noise. This doesn't mean to ignore critical feedback given by sound advisors - consider all feedback thoughtfully. What's important is to stay positive at all times and don't be afraid of failure. Any failure is just one of many stepping-stones on the way to success. Keep your eyes on the prize and focus on your ultimate destination- not the bumps in the road.

by Monica Zent

Finding Retail Employees

If you don't want to use (and pay) the newspaper to find employees for your retail store here are a few other ideas:

*Current employee referrals - offer an incentive if you hire a person that stays at least 6 months.

*Craigslist - this usually draws a lot of response so you might ask them to email a resume or list of experience first. If you include a phone number it will ring all day.

*High school bulletin board - Most high schools have business classes and you can let the teachers know you are looking to hire and ask for their recommendations.

*Internet Help-Wanted sites - Many are free and some charge a fee to list you jobs.

*Colleges - Just like the high schools you can let class instructors know you are looking to hire. Also send announcement to the business office and ask them to post.

*Customer referrals - Have a sign in your store or restaurant and hand out applications when someone inquires.

*Local unemployment office - they have people available but be sure to specify the qualifications you want or they will send many unqualified applicants.

Wherever you get applicants from be sure to interview many and check references.

Barry is a business advisor that only works by the hour, no contracts, to help you grow your business.  www.idealetter.com

Gift Card Bonus Deals

Applebee's: Buy $50 in gift cards, get a $10 gift card for free
Bonefish Grill: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card for free

NEW Boston Market: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free

NEW Buca di Beppo: Buy $50 in gift cards, get a $15 gift card for free

Buffalo Wild Wings: Buy $25 in gift cards and get a free Mystery Gift Card worth at least $5
California Pizza Kitchen: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card for free

NEW California Tortilla: Buy $25 in gift cards, get an entrée for free

NEW Capriotti's Sandwich Shop: Buy $50 in gift cards, get a 9" sub for free

NEW Caribou Coffee: Buy $25 in eGift cards, get a $5 eGift card for free

Carrabba's Italian Grill: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card for free

NEW Chili's: Buy $50 in gift cards, get a $10 gift card for free

NEW CiCi's Pizza: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a free buffet meal

Del Taco: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a free combo meal, or buy $100 in gift cards and get 5 combo meals for free

NEW DSW: Buy $50 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free

NEW Famous Dave's: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free

NEW Fandango: Buy $50 in gift cards, get a movie ticket for free

NEW Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free

NEW Hooters: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 Santa's Bucks gift card for free

Jamba Juice: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a small smoothie for free

L.L.Bean: Spend more than $50, get a free $10 gift card

Lawry's: Buy $125 in gift cards, get a $25 gift card for free

NEW Ledo Pizza: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free

LongHorn Steakhouse: Buy $25 in gift cards, get $5 off 2 adult entrées

NEW Maggiano's Little Italy: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card and a Food & Wine Magazine1-year subscription for free

Morton's Steakhouse: Purchase $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card for free

Olive Garden: Buy $50 in gift cards, get $10 off 2 adult entrées

Outback Steakhouse: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card for free

P.F. Chang's: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card for free

Panera Bread: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $10 eGift card for free

Papa John's: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a large 1-topping pizza for free

Pei Wei: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a small entrée for free

NEW Pinkberry: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free

Qdoba Mexican Grill: Buy $30 in gift cards, get an entrée for free

Red Lobster: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 off coupon for use on a future purchase

Red Robin: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free, or buy $250 in gift cards and get 20% off

NEW Rita's: Buy $10 gift card, get a treat certificate for free

NEW Romano's Macaroni Grill: Buy $25 in gift cards, get 2 $5 gift cards for free

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $20 gift card for free

Ruby Tuesday: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free, or buy $50 in gift cards and get a $15 gift card for free

NEW Smith & Wollensky: Buy $100 in gift cards, get a $25 gift card for free

Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes: Buy $50 in gift cards in-store, get a meal pass for free

Taco Bell: Buy $20 in gift cards, get two Doritos Locos tacos and a drink for free

Texas Roadhouse: Buy $30 in gift cards, get a $5 eGift card for free

NEW TGI Friday's: Buy $50 in gift cards, get a $10 gift card for free

The Cheesecake Factory: Buy $25 in gift cards, get a free slice of cheesecake

The Children's Place: Buy $40 in gift cards, get a $10 off coupon for use on a future purchase

NEW Tropical Smoothie Cafe: Buy $20 in gift cards, get a 24-oz. smoothie for free

NEW Yogen Früz: Buy $20 in gift cards, get a $5 gift card for free

UPS Absence of Service

October 28, 2013 | David Lazarus

It's pretty much expected that everyone knows everything about you in today's privacy-free world. But it's still freaky to see how easily a business can crawl into your life. Elaine Miller, 61, recently was expecting a package from UPS. She called the company and asked whether she could find out a rough time frame for the delivery in case her signature was required. A rep said the package would arrive at Miller's Mar Vista home at some point between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. - not the most customer-friendly arrangement.

How to Value Your Business

What is my business worth? It's a question I've asked myself hundreds of times over my 40-year long ownership career. And valuing your business, as an exercise, is a great thing to do from time to time -- it gets you thinking and dreaming, which is not a bad thing. But it wasn't until I started buying, expanding, and selling my own businesses that I really got a feel for what valuing a business means. And now, after completing more than 100 buy/sells for myself and others, my understanding of value has become very clear.

When you start to value a business, whether you're doing it because you're selling or buying, there are three essential Facts of Business Life you need to bear in mind.

• The best time to sell a business is when you don't have to, because that's when it has the greatest value.
• If you don't pick your own time to exit a business, regardless of why you're doing it, something or someone else will, and that's a value killer.
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- that is, the buyer -- and the buyer's banker.

These three issues have an overriding effect on your business's value, and if you don't understand their power it can be terribly costly.

In addition to these, however, there are a number of other important realities you must take into consideration when you begin to value a business:

1. There are only two ways to sell, or value, a business -- an asset sale or a share purchase -- and the more you know about these alternatives the better you will understand the business's market value. An asset sale takes place when one party sells and the other party buys the assets of the business, free and clear of liens, so the seller is responsible for paying all income taxes, outstanding debts, etc. In other words, one business winds down and another begins. Most sales and business valuations are done this way. In a share purchase, or valuation, a buyer assumes both the assets and the obligations (liabilities) of the business. This is not a popular way to buy or value a business because there may be financial obligations that the buyer is unaware of, which can raise the cost of the purchase considerably. This method can, however, provide benefits for both the seller and the buyer and, if done skillfully, can raise the business's net overall value.
2. There are only three things to value in any business -- goodwill or blue-sky, assets, and real estate. Goodwill is anticipated profits over a certain period of time, usually measured in years. Assets are those things, such as equipment, that can be valued at replacement cost, book value, or some combination, which is usually decided on during goodwill negotiations. Real estate is the value an appraiser puts on the land and buildings. And these are something every bank looks at.
3. Accurate financial statements are a must for everyone concerned, including any bank considering lending money to a buyer. But your financials are not the only indicator of your business's value. There may, for example, be more (or less) demand for your products in the future, and this will weigh on the business's value. Similarly, if you are a big part of the business's success, with you gone it may be worth less.
4. Supply versus demand may have a significant impact on a business's valuation. For example, my friend Charlie Thomas owned the Houston Rockets and sold them in the mid-1990s. He told potential buyers that if they brought their accountant or lawyer with them to a negotiation they would be wasting everyone's time, because the price he was asking didn't make any economic sense. Even so, he got what he wanted, because Houston was the only viable NBA franchise for sale at the time.
5. It's important to learn as much as you can about potential buyers and their motives, because not all buyers are created equal. Some may be willing to pay more than others, which affects value. For example, buying your business might give a competitor market dominance, which would certainly make it more valuable to that buyer than others. Similarly, one competitor might pay more just so you won't sell your business to someone else. In other words, you can increase your business's value by studying the value "landscape" just as you studied the marketplace, and identify your best buyer -- the one who will pay the most -- even if he or she doesn't realize it yet!

Whenever you're valuing a company -- whether as an exercise or because you're thinking of either selling or buying, it's a serious business. And, if you're new to this area, you will need help. The first steps are finding a business lawyer who knows the rules of the road and is willing to explain them to you, getting an accountant who can tell you about your tax consequences.

Plan Now ?

The end of the year holidays are the time of year to spend with family, friends and worshipping the real reason for the holidays. But the time you have alone during this period can also be used to plan your goals and strategy for the new year ahead. Just forgetting about your business and marketing until January 2nd will keep you behind all those who didn't wait to plan. Some of the best ideas can come to you when you are away from your business, office or store.

Think about what you want to accomplish next year and jot the goals down on any paper and save it. Also write down something new you want to try that you have not done before. Contact other business people or join a networking group in early January to exchange ideas and potential new target marketing ideas.  You will be ready to challenge the new year and add that sales growth you will need to advance your career and business.

 Barry is a business coach and consultant that works only by the hour, no contracts.  www.idealetter.com

Staffing Tips for Start Ups

The kind of staff a startup chooses to support its organization will be critical to success in the early game. Startups have limited cash, which means hiring decisions are often made by executives instead of human resources. The job ad and interview process are crucial to the hiring process. Before you begin the hunt for the perfect candidate, consider the means of the business and the role of the person.

Hire vs. Contract
The core functions of your business are duties you want carried out in-house. These are people you need face time with, like developers and systems administrators. This is why companies hire for UI/UX positions and outsource the actual coding of the system to others. There are skilled coding positions that are done in-house, but these are usually management-level positions. Contract out low-level tasks that require little skill. Empower project managers to hire their own work force remotely and hold meetings to check the progress of those tasks and make suggestions on removing roadblocks along the way.

Facility Costs
When you’re relocating, or even if you’re settled, the upkeep of your facility takes time and energy. Small duties like taking out the trash or making coffee can be shared among the office, but ordering supplies is a bit more involved. There are intern positions that can help with this, but you should consider a person to manage resources as your company scales. You can designate an office manager and hand those responsibilities to that person.

Allow Devices
Allowing employees to bring their own devices to work lowers the cost of your hardware, but it can cause a need for IT staff. You can contract positions out while you grow familiar with candidates by posting engineering staffing IT job openings with recruitment firms. This saves you the time of sorting through applications and leads to more qualified candidates. These firms often prep you ahead of time, with information about the candidate. Once you’ve hired a candidate, you can work out a more permanent contract with the employee and handle most IT concerns in-house.

Hire Slowly
Remember to hire for your most critical positions first. It’s easier to explain to investors that you didn’t meet a goal because you were understaffed than overstaffed. Make a list of the duties you can’t do yourself and start small. For individuals, use contractors to augment the work you’re already doing. Once you have a viable product, scale with a partner and your first few hires. This gives you time to refine your pitch and practice the important beats. Once you have a working product supported by a small staff, you’re ready to get more funding and do some hiring.

Hire for Cost
Everyone wants the best, but talent is expensive. Remember that you need to work within your means as you launch, replacing your group with better people as your business scales. Be sure that you reward your ground floor employees with positions that fit their performance, but hire people you can afford until you can show that your product will grow and make money.

Network for Hires
The best hires are people you meet through others. These are contacts that may know your fellow professionals and can offer some recommendations for people you should work with. If you don’t have the money to pay a staffing firm to qualify hires for you, and most startups don’t, you need a more efficient way to meet people. Job fairs also get you some face time with employees, and provide an outlet for branding.

Budget Time
The most valuable asset you have is your time. As important as hiring can be, you can only sacrifice so much time toward finding the right candidate. Delegate as much of these duties as possible to your administrative staff, and leave the review process to you or someone equally technical.

You Target Market

We all have an idea of who are best type of customer is and sometimes we get too comfortable and stop looking for new ones. There are several way to increase sales, growth and find new target customers for more sales. The first one is to see what else you can market and sell to the customers you already have. There may be related products and services that you can present to your current customer/client base that will increase sales. If you are not sure what those are just ask customers what they would consider buying if you offered them.

Another way is to start looking for other target customers that you were not sure would be interested in your products and services. These could be related industries that you can reach by possibly changing what you offer a little. You can also hire a marketing coach or consultant to help you find these new customers. They work with many clients and have ideas that you may not think of yourself. However you do it, you must keep trying to expand your target market so your company can grow.

Barry is a speaker, author and business consultant that helps businesses by-the-hour, no contracts.  www.idealetter.com

No Holiday Sales?

As we get closer to the holidays that seem to take over everyone's lives at this time of year, do not forget that your business must survive and stay on track. Not every business benefits from holidays sales and if yours does not use the time to plan for the post-holiday business period. There are some products and services that will start to pick up sales in January and February and you need to be ready. Just because you don't see competitor's promotions doesn't mean they are not silently planning for the near future.

The main thing to remember is not to waste the time and just give up because your business does not particpate in holiday sales. Be ready for the New Year and plan  something new and innovative that will catch your competitors off guard (before they do it to you). Some of the best new ideas come when business is slow and you can concentrate on the future of your business. Don't take too long of a holiday vacation and you will be ready for customers and clients next month.

Barry is a business coach and consultant by the hour only, no contracts. www.idealetter.com

Little Known December Holidays

You can use these real holidays in your business for fun and profit.

 1 Eat a red apple day
 2 National fritters day
 4 Wear brown shoes day
 7 National cotton candy day
 8 National brownie day
 9 National pastry day
 10 Human rights day
 12 Poinsettia day
 13 Violins day
 13 Ice Cream day
 15 National lemon cupcake day
 16 National chocolate cover anything day
 17 Underdog day
 17 Wright brothers first flight day
 18 Bake cookies day
 19 Oatmeal muffin day
 20 Games day
 21 National flashlight day
 21 National Hamburger day
 21 National fried shrimp day
 23 National date nut bread day
 25 National pumpkin day
 28 Card playing day
 29 Pepper pot day
 31 Unlucky day

Christmas Family Show

Peoples United Methodist Church is presenting it's annual Christmas family concert and show on Sunday December 15th at 3 PM. It will be preformed at the larger Central SDA Church at 1305 N Union Blvd in Colorado Springs. It is Glory in the Highest, the story of Christmas in music and there will be 2 chiors (PUMC Chior and Celebration Multi Cultural Emsemble) and featuring 4 special guest soloists. Free Admission, no reservations needed and donations appreciated. Don't miss this Christmas musical special for the entire family. Light refreshments (no cost) after the performance and meet the stars. Questions? 719-596-0368.

What's New ?

For a business to grow it needs more customers buying more things more often. When business is good is not the time to sit back in your comfort zone and count the profits. It is time to invest some of those profits in marketing to expand your target market or find new products or services for your existing customers. This means doing some type of marketing ALL the time not just during slowdowns. It takes time for some marketing to work so never stop doing something to promote or expand your customer base.

With all the new technology happening all the time there may be additional products or services that you can offer to those valuable customers you already have. Test new ideas or ask customers if they would buy something new that you are thinking about adding to what you offer. Every idea for a new product or service will not work successfully but don't give up and keep trying. When something works out it could end up being a big seller and give you an advantage over competitors.

Barry is a marketing coach and consultant who has started and operated about 20 businesses, several at the same time.  www.idealetter.com

What is Happiness?

Happiness is: 
1. Falling in love. 
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts. 
3. A hot shower. 
4. No lines at the supermarket. 
5. A special glance. 
6. Getting mail. 
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road. 
8. Hearing your favourite song on the radio. 
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside. 
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer. 
11. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!) 
12. A bubble bath. 
13. Giggling. 
14. A good conversation. 
15. The beach
16. Finding a 20-pound note in your coat from last winter. 
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Eye contact with a hot member of the opposite sex.
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours. 
20. Running through sprinklers. 
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all. 
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful/good looking. 
23. Laughing at an inside joke. 
24. Friends. 
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you. 
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep. 
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner). 
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones. 
29. Playing with a new puppy. 
30. Having someone play with your hair. 
31. Sweet dreams. 
32. Hot chocolate. 
33. Road trips with friends. 
34. Swinging on swings. 
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger. 
36. Making chocolate chip cookies (and eating them...!). 
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies. 
38. Holding hands with someone you care about. 
39. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change. 
40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you. 
41. Watching the sunrise. 
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day. 
43. Knowing that somebody misses you. 
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply. 
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

- Unknown

Customers Want to Trust You

When someone decides to buy from your business or use your services they usually feel some trust that you will provide the best value you can for the money they are paying. That trust can increase or decrease based on what they receive and how satisfied they are after the transaction. If that trust decreases because of a shortfall on the value They Perceived you will probably not hear from them again. Plus you will not get any referrals from them either.

Trust is always slow to get, especially in business, but it can be lost quickly as a result of a dumb act or situation. A new client or customer will be watching very closely to how you treat them and serve their needs. They are the most vulnerable when trust comes into the picture. You job is to make it easy for them to trust your business by making every sutuation a positive one. Trust from customers may be the most important thing that can build your business.

 Barry is a marketing speaker & author. www.idealetter.com

Don't Lie to Prospects

Being straight with your clients is essential as we all know. Being honest as to whether we can help new enquirers is also vital.

When we start in business there is a temptation to try to grab every customer who comes through the door or sign up every client who is interested ion our service. We have to be honest with ourselves. Can we deliver what they want, and can we make a good profit in doing so?

Experience tells us that some of our customers want too much for the money they are prepared to pay, or cost us too much to service them. Sometimes we know that we are not best suited to help and that another business we know would be a better fit for them. We should be honest and say so, and we will get greater respect from the prospect, who may praise us for our integrity and refer us to others.

On the other hand, sometimes a business owner will say they will help when they do not want to. Recently, my family has had two incidents where we were let down. My wife was quoted for some work on curtain tracks but the person who said she would fix them never came to see us despite several calls to her. Maybe the work was not worth doing or she was too busy, but we now think of her as unreliable and might say so if asked.

We also need some building work, but the person who quoted and whom we would have engaged then said he could not carry out the work for quite a long time as he was too busy. Why did he not say so? Again he will end up potentially damaging his reputation whereas he might have enhanced it by being honest and up-front and not wasting our time.

• If you want the work and can deliver promptly, sign up and do it.
• If you cannot deliver profitably or the task is not really in your niche, be honest and maybe refer a friend who can deliver.
• Do not say you will do something and never turn up to do it.

Be honest when your new enquirer first gets in touch; can you deliver, and do you want to? If not say so, because your reputation is your most important asset.

By Jon Stow

Sales Tips From Dale Carnegie

Here are nine sales tips based on the principles Carnegie outlines in the book.

Tip 1: Smile. Carnegie called it “a simple way to make a good first impression.” Every business encounter — across the desk, at the customer’s front door, and even on the telephone — should begin with a smile. “Actions,” Carnegie noted, “speak louder than words. And a smile says, ‘I like you.’”

Tip 2: Listen. Customers and clients want to hear what you have to say, but they want you to hear what they have to say first. Beyond that, consider this: How can you, as a sales rep, know what customers need if you don’t give them chance to tell you?

Tip 3: Arouse an “eager want.” It almost sounds poetic. Carnegie cited Harry A. Overstreet as the originator of this idea. Overstreet said, “Action springs from what we fundamentally desire.” If you own a bait store, understand that customers do not desire night crawlers; they desire catching fish. Pitch accordingly.

Tip 4: Use names. Learn the names of your employees, your customers, and your prospects as they enter your sphere of business. After you learn those names, use them. Carnegie’s principle here is simple: A person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

Tip 5: Avoid arguments. This would seem to be almost a “given,” but far too many salespeople, perhaps in their zeal, engage in arguments with a customer who shows resistance or says he or she likes another brand. Carnegie said, “The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.” Be respectful of the customer’s opinion. Do not argue, criticize, or condemn. You will have an opportunity to brag about your offering soon enough.

Tip 6: If appropriate, apologize. If, at any point in a sales transaction or pitch, you discover you have made an error, don’t make excuses. Say you are sorry and do so emphatically, Carnegie said. Then move on. You may be surprised at how quickly the whole incident is forgotten. If you insist on building a case for why you erred, you’ll only drag things out.

Tip 7: Let customers sell to themselves. In general, people do not like to be told what to do or what to buy. Provide information and be helpful, but let customers make the decision. You do this by asking questions and steering the conversation until customers realize that your product or service is the solution they’ve been looking for.

Tip 8: Ask what’s in it for customers. When discussing your product, put it in terms that speak to your customers’ interests. You may have the biggest, fastest, and most reliable product on the market, but unless customers see how it benefits them, you won’t make sales.

Tip 9: Dramatize your ideas. This has less to do with human interaction and more to do with a flair for the dramatic. Do not be afraid to engage in a little showmanship, as long as it is honest and doesn’t mislead people. For example, Carnegie tells the story of a cash-register salesman who told a grocer that the registers his store was using were so old that he was literally throwing money away. With that, the salesman threw a handful of coins on the floor. He got the sale.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, a sales transaction is a conversation between two people — whether in person, on the phone, or online. One person wants to buy; the other wants to sell. 

Finding New Clients and Customers

Most businesses will reach a point where new business slows down and growth comes to a standstill. Although tou should be searching for new target customers all the time it has become more important now. It  will get your buiness back on the way to growth and increased profits. Start looking at all the possible ways to market with the budget you have and begin to step out of your comfort zone and go after new business. There are many short articles on this blog that will point you in the right direction but you have to start doing it. Not every idea will work for every business but you will need to test several to find the best for you.

Look at where your customers and clients are coming from now and see  if you have reached out to that sector recently. Maybe you have sat back and just fed off repeat business for longer than you should have and not gone after new business. Past customers will leave for many reasons and you need to replace them before they leave. Those replacements are out there but you must pursue them and entice them to buy from you.  And when was the last time you asked your best customers for referrals?

You can also use a business coach or consultant to help you seek new target markets that you either forgot about or didn't realize you could sell to and grow with. It's best to use a coach that will only bill you by the hour and not lock you into a long term contract. They have experience with many businesses and can use ideas they find elsewhere to assist you. Also be sure that the coach/consultant has actually owned a business or two themselves so they have experienced what you are going through. However to do it, always be looking for new customers and new markets and watch your business grow.

Barry is a coach and consultant that helps new and existing businesses start, grow and solve problems. www.idealetter.com

The Working Dead

Many stars and celebrities keep on earning for their estates long after they have left this Earth. Below is the latest top 13 working dead. This list has their name followed by the year they died and their earnings in the past year.

 1 Michael Jackson  2009  $160 million

 2 Elvis Presley  1977  $55 million

 3 Charles M Schulz  2000  $37 million

 4 Elizabeth Taylor  2011  $25 million

 5 Bob Marley  1981  $18 million

 6 Marilyn Monroe  1962  $15 million

 7 John Lennon  1980  $12 million

 8 Albert Einstein  1955  $10 million

 9 Bettie Page  2008  $ 10 million

 10 Theodor Geisel  1991  $9 million

 11 Steve McQueen  1980  $9 million

 12 Bruse Lee  1973  $7 million

 13 Jenni Rivera  2012  $7 million

Source  Forbes Magazine 11-18-13

Networking Meetings

Every city will usually have many meetings monthly where you can meet other business people and network. Some people call these leads groups but I like the term networking because you are sharing ideas first and exchanging referrals second. These meetings allow you to learn more about the other people, what they do and if you want to refer business to them. Just because they are at the meetings does not mean they are best contact for someone you want to refer. Ask questions before and after the meeting to see if you are comfortable with them and if they will provide the value you want for the person you refer.

There may be more than one person for a specific industry or business type (some groups are exclusive) and that will give you a choice as to which one is the best for your referrals. Just because someone is a member or attends meetings does not automatically mean you have to give them any referrals, decide first if it's best for each person. If you attend several different meetings, as you should, you will have more choices in each business group to select from. Make a file for literature and business cards and put notes on them for future reference.

I like meetings that don't have dues or very small ones and meet in restaurants where you just need to order something for breakfast or lunch. Some groups like BNI have high dues and send most of it to some home office out-of-town and the local group gets no benefit from it. They also discourage a member attending other networking meetings and you must attend all of their meetings or send a substitute. This limits the networking you can do and to me is not the going to get the best results. Try to attend 3 or 4 different groups monthly and always give referrals when you have them. The more you give the more you will receive to build your business.

Barry is a speaker, author and business coach & advisor.  www.idealetter.com

Using a DBA

As a business owner, there may come a time when you determine that it is in your best interest to do business under a name that is not your company’s legal name. In such a case, you may need to file a ‘Doing Business As,’ or DBA. Also known as an assumed name, trade name or fictitious business name, a DBA filing is an official and public registration of a business name with either the state or local jurisdiction. When you use a DBA you are not changing your name. You are just going by a different name. For example, ABC Inc. may do business as Joe’s Shoes. Joe’s Shoes is the DBA but the corporation is still ABC Inc.
Who can file a DBA?
C corporations, S corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships (LPs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), sole proprietorships and general partnerships can file DBAs.
As a sole proprietorship or general partnership, many banks will require a DBA in order to open a business bank account. Because owners of sole proprietorships and general partnerships are legally considered the same as a business, without a DBA owners must transact business using a personal name.
As a corporation or LLC, business owners should file a DBA registration if their company plans to do business under a name other than the legal name that appears on its state-approved formation documents or foreign qualification documents. In most cases, the corporation or LLC is required by law to register its assumed name and is subject to penalties for failing to do so.
Why file a DBA?
The reasoning behind the decision to file for a DBA may vary by business type:

• Sole proprietorships and general partnerships:
  • To transact business under a name other than under a personal name.
  • To open a business bank account.
  • Corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLPs
    • To transact business under a name that is different from your company name in your state-approved incorporation or foreign qualification documents.
    • To transact business under a different name in addition to your official company name.

Under most circumstances, an individual or business is required to file a DBA if they choose to transact business under a name different from the owner’s or owners’ personal names, for sole proprietorships and general partnerships, or the name used on the company’s incorporation documents. Before transacting business with a different business name, file a DBA.\
Other DBA details:

• The typical time for DBA Filing Service is 4 to 6 weeks.
• There are no state or country restrictions as to the number of DBA names you may register.
• Some states protect assumed names, but in some cases registering a DBA will not reserve the name against future use by another party and someone else will be able to use your DBA name. Depending on the circumstances, consider registering a trademark if you want to protect your business name.
• A DBA filing is generally required in each state where business is being transacted under the assumed name.
• By Biz Filings

Dominate Youtube

Allow me to take a moment to share with you what works on YouTube. I’ve found that these 20 tips will turn your videos into overnight sensations and capture the attention of the masses. Granted, it doesn’t happen overnight and a fair amount of work is required, but the phenomenal results––if you follow all of these ideas––will bring tremendous attention to your brand.

1. Keep it Short. Brevity is key. Online video viewers’ attentions spans are relatively short––good videos get the point across in three minutes or less.
2. Video Quality. Be conscientious of your lighting and get crisp imagery and sound. Nothing will make a viewer click off faster than a video filled with static and mumbled speech.
3. Edit Your Videos. You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your videos Robin Thicke-superstar quality! Enhance your uploaded videos, and take advantage of YouTube Video Editor for free. Try www.youtube.com/editor. Also check out www.virtualdub.org as well as Microsoft’s MovieMaker and Apple’s iMovie
4. Brand Your Videos. Make a name for yourself—get noticed by branding your videos with either your name or logo and a catchy signature song or jingle. When viewers like your content, they will associate your product or service with your logo and tune. Then, they’ll be more likely to take notice the next time.
5. Include Background Music. Music will really draw in an audience. Whether it’s something familiar or just a cool beat, it will grab attention and keep people’s interest. Try www.jewelbeat.com or www.royaltyfreemusic.com for starters.
6. Research Your Keywords. YouTube’s keyword tool is absolutely essential when you’re focusing on your video SEO (search engine optimization). You want to rank high, so knowing what keywords and phrases occur most often is fundamental.
7. Put a Link in the Description. The best way to drive traffic to your website is to include your link in the description. In the box, put the link address and then input any other information. Take notice that the description will be hidden after 27 characters. To get your link recognized, be concise and start with http://.
8. Put Keywords in the Description. Your description should be comprehensive, strategic, and keyword rich. This is another element that will rank your video higher in the search.
9. Pick the Right Title. Don’t just settle for any boring or rehashed title. Take the time to be creative. Be interesting and relevant while trying to squeeze your keywords into the title.
10. Pick the Right Thumbnail. When choosing a thumbnail image, be sure to pick one that’s engaging and makes people want to stop and click on your video.
11. Make Playlists. Creating a playlist is simple. Click on the playlist tab while you’re in the Video Manager and then click + “New Playlist.” Your playlist will give you yet another opportunity to show up in searches and overall grow your audience.
12. Create Interactivity with Annotations. An annotation is a new way to add interactive commentary to your videos. You are able to link other YouTube videos, channels, or search results right in the video.
13. Use Captions. Adding captions to your video is another trick to ranking higher in the search results because of the text you provide. It’s also awesome for the hearing impaired or if the viewer misplaced their earbuds.
14. Promote with Social Media. Promote your video across all of your social networking platforms. The more you promote your video, the more likely it’s going to get picked up.
15. Post Regularly. Post often, say two or three times per week. Be sure you are posting quality, not just posting for the sake of posting.
16. Encourage Community. The more interaction you can drum up online, the greater your community reach will be. Encouraging viewers to comment or offer suggestions and tips will increase your presence and drive more interest to your website.
17. Become a Partner. There’s money to be made when you allow YouTube to put advertisements in or alongside your video. Google AdSense provides a free, flexible way to earn money. It can help to grow your business with relevant, user-friendly advertising. To find out more, click “Settings” and select “Monetization.”
18. Respond to Popular Videos. Video responses can reach a whole new level. One surefire way of promoting your video is getting it on somebody else’s YouTube page. Simply find the video that’s dominating the channels, leave a positive response, and on the right-hand side, click “Attach video.” Don’t forget to add tags.
19. Contact Bloggers in Your Niche. When a blogger puts your video on his or her site, Google recognizes it and begins to rank the video higher in its searches. Reach out to bloggers and ask them to feature your video on their site—it’s a win-win for all. If your project is relevant to their blog, it will add value and attract more fans.
20. Create a Blog Post. Boost your video’s reach by joining (if you haven’t already) the blogosphere and post a blog about each video that you create. Again, link it all back to your website for ultimate domination.

By Adam Toren

Ways to Keep Employees Motivated

Have you ever stopped to consider that your employees probably aren’t motivated exclusively by money. Would you be surprised to learn that they actually care more about doing satisfying work, and being appreciated. Seriously.

Employees are happiest when they’re engaged, recognized, excited, and kept in the loop. And it’s not just them. We’re all happier when we feel appreciated. And here’s the great news: a happy employee is a motivated employee.

Motivated employees are more productive, and also more loyal. The benefits of that are clear: lower turnover rate (which saves you money), more consistency, and a better finished product.

Start using these tips today to keep your employees motivated.

1. Keep Them In the Loop

One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is not keeping their employees in the loop. When employees are asked to work blindly, it’s difficult for them to see the big picture. It’s hard for them to know why what they’re doing matters. You can’t just expect employees to understand on their own. Keep them up to date on goals, progress, and achievement, including important news, and growth direction.

Adapt a culture of openness and transparency. You’ll be surprised at the results. Your employees will jump on board if you let them. And they may prove to be more valuable than you thought.

2. Recognize Their Achievements

When your staff does something great, let them know. When they work hard (even if the product isn’t great) let them know! Positive reinforcement is much more effective at motivating than negative punishment. If you want them to keep doing what they doing – thank them. Tell them how valuable their work is and how much you appreciate it.

We all love the feeling we get when someone else recognizes our achievements. When we know how to get it, we’ll go out of our way to get it again.

3. Notice When They’re Struggling

As managers we tend to get so caught up in our work that we don’t notice when our employees are struggling. When an employees needs help they usually won’t tell you. This is because they don’t want to disappoint you, or get in your way.

If your staff has been distant or less engaged — do some probing. It could be they have something personal going on and you reaching out will mean a lot. It could also mean they’re struggling with a challenge at work. Offer to help them through it. If you can’t help, match them up with someone who can.

Showing your employees that it’s OK to have challenges. By helping them get through it and grow professionally, you’re showing them you care. There is no greater way to breed loyalty.

4. Share Your Excitement With Them

This is more than just keeping your team in the loop. When something great happens in your business, let them in on the excitement — even if you feel like the achievement was all your own. So much of our time at work is spent working through challenges, putting out fires and doing the impossible.

Not only do you need to stop and celebrate progress from time to time, but your team does too. Remind them of all the great things that are happening and why what they’re doing is important. Who doesn’t love to be part of a positive work environment?

5. Value Their Input

Your employees may not know as much as you do, and they may not fully understand your goals (they should if you have a transparent culture), but they have ideas. Some of them won’t be that useful but some of them will be great. Front-line employees understand a different side of the business you may not have thought about. Truly, they have value to add. Get their input.

What’s more, when employees feel like they’re opinion is valued, they have been given the best compliment possible. They will feel important and they will rise to that standard in the future.

By Casandra

New Business Idea

I recently heard about a new type of business that fills a need for insurance companies. This new business searches the internet, newspapers, radio, TV and all social media sites for people that their insurance company client wants information about. These are people who are receiving long term diability payments and the insurance company wants to make sure they are still disabled. The search business tries to find stories and photos of these people doing things that they should not be able to do in their condition. If they are no longer disabled they should not be receiving the insurance payments.

These search companies have discovered "disabled" people who have photos posted of finishing a marathon, skydiving, playing hockey and other sports events that they should not be able to do. This saves the insurance company millions once they confront the insured. There are many opportunities out there for needs unfilled and all a smart entrepreneur has to do is come up with a solution that has not been offered. Many of these ideas are simple and overlooked so you don't have to be a PhD to think of them. Simple ideas sometimes solve long time problems and make a new business a real success.

Barry is a marketing and customer service speaker and author.  www.idealetter.com

Little Known November Holidays

You can use these real holidays in your life and business for fun and profit.

 1 National Author Day
 3 National Cliche Day
 6 Saxophone Day
 7 Hug a Bear Day
 8 Dunce Day
 9 Sadie Hawkins Day (some celebrate the 16th)
 12 Chicken Soup for Soul Day
 13 World Kindness Day
 17 Take a Hike Day
 17 Homemade Bread Day
 19 Discovery Day
 20 Name Your PC Day
 21 World Hello Day
 23 National Cashew Day
 29 Square Dance Day
 30 Stay Home & Be Well Day

You can mail, email and post on social media for your freiends, relatives and customers and make a special offer for your favorite holiday above.

Reasons for Exhibiting at a Trade Show

It is expensive to be an exhibitor at one of the thousands of trade shows yearly in the world so you need to know what your goals are before you commit. If you are new  to trade shows you may want to start with smaller, less expensive local and regional shows to be sure you are getting all that you expect. It also gives you a chance to test what you will offer and how to attract attention and visitors. Trade show visitors love to see all the new industry products and ideas and you can be part of it. Plan well in advance and you may get some early bird special discounts on booth space and extras. Here are some reasons why you may want to be in on all the trade show action.

 *Increase sales and profits by reaching new prospects who may not know you exist.
 *Meet and entertain existing customers you may not have met. You must promote the event in advance to let them know you will be there.
 *Introduce new products and services and try to get some publicity while doing it. Trade shows are where you see all the big guys announce new products and free news coverage.
 *Get sales leads from people you have not contacted in the past. You must follow up within 2 weeks after the show or they quickly forget you.
 *Find new distributors who supply products that you can add to your line and offer to current and new customers.
 *Have show specials to entice customers to commit to a purchase right now. This can fill your machinery that is running way under capacity and get repeat business.
 *Build a mailing list from a fishbowl drawing for a few nice prizes (make it so they don't have to be present to win).
 *Get media publicity by standing out when the media comes though or doing something outrageous.
 *Check out what you competitors are doing (they will be checking you) and meet them. You all want to promote your industry and increase sales for all of you.
 *Hire sales reps who know your industry. They may stop at your booth or meet them in the food court and let them know you may be interested in growing your marketing force.
 *Conduct seminars and workshops which will establish you as an expert in your indistry. People want to associate and purchase from an expert.

Barry is a trade show speaker on marketing and customer satisfaction.  www.idealetter.com

Are You Using Publicity?

Many small businesses think that publicity is only for the big guys and famous people. But this is not true and can be used by anyone who has something interesting and newsworthy to say. This means that you can send emails to the media (find them on the internet) and let them know you are an expert in your field or industry. Most will file your contact information and call you when they have a story or event that needs expert commentary.

Publicity is free and you should look for it whwnever you can. There are many publications that need article on a regular basis that will give you a chance to put contact information in the byline. The reference department at you library has directorys that will let you find those targeted publications. Just send them an outline of what you want to write to see if they want to publish it. Don't give up after one try it may take a few attempts to get it done.

Barry is a business speaker & coach.  www.idealetter.com

What Would Your Customers Say?

If someone took a survey of all your customers or clients and asked them questions about their experience when doing business with you, what would they say? Maybe that survey isn't happening but that's what they are asking themselves unconsciously every time they spend money with your business. They are mentally deciding whether to ever to come back again or to rave about you to their friends. Once they leave your store, office, hang up the phone or exit your website you can't change that impression they have on their mind.

Remember that old saying, "You only get one chance to make a first impression" and it's true. Except with customers that first impression comes every time they you are in contact with them. They will learn to expect a certain level of service from your business and if they don't get it, maybe they will try elsewhere. Let's face it, customers are fickle and you are only as good as your last successful transaction. You need to keep earning their trust and loyalty Every Time.

Don't ever assume that your front line staff is doing the job you expect of them as they interact with customers and clients. You must observe, train, supervise and remind them the importance of customer contact. Ask customers periodically what you can do to improve their satisfaction with your business and ALWAYS say Thank You after every transaction. Your business will grow with an
outstanding customer experience that generates loyalty and referrals.

Barry is a Customer Experience trainer, coach and speaker. www.idealetter.com

Considering a Franchise?

If you know someone who is considering buying a franchise please have them contact me or another franchise coach before they sign any agreement and pay any fee. There are many things in those agreements that can be changed and if not, will cost the franchisee thousands of dollars they don't have to pay in many cases.  We can also see if the they have selected the correct franchise for their goals. I have 28 questions that we will discus to help them make the right decision.

 

Buying a franchise can be a great decision or not-so-great decision if you do your due diligence and research first. You will have to operate the business by the rules that the franchisor has put in the agreement plus pay a royalty to them based on sales. The royalty has nothing to do with whether you make a profit or not and a profit is never guaranteed. Do not go into it blindly, get an advisor who can guide you to the best chance for success. The money you pay them will be minimal compared to what you can lose on your own.

 

More info at www.idealetter.com, click on the franchise coach link.

Top 15 Golf Teachers 2013/2014

The votes are in and the results of the Golf Digest survey are below. Their fee for teaching follows their name. In case you want to learn from the same ones that your favorite golf pros use, Tiger uses Sean Foley, Phil Mickelson uses Butch Harmon, Brandt Snedecker and Nick Watney use Todd Anderson and we see Michael Breed on the golf channel.

  1 Butch Harmon  $1000/hour
  2 Sean Foley  $250/hour
  3 Jim McLean  $2500/half day
  4 Mike Bender  $300/hour
  5 David Leadbetter  $3500/3 hours
  6 Chuck Cook  $300/hour
  7 Jim Hardy  $500/hour
  8 Todd Anderson  $375/hour
  9 Mike Adams  $250/hour
 10 Martin Hall  $200/hour
 11 Hank Haney  $15,000/day
 12 Bob Toski  $250/hour
 13 Michael Breed  $500/hour
 14 Stan Utley  $1500/3 hours
 15 Mike Malaska  $250/hour

So hurry up and get your lessons scheduled before they raise their fees!

Don't Waste Your Networking

I always thought that the time spent at networking meetings was to help you get more business and promote your brand. Whenever I got a lead or was told of someone who may be interested in my service, I tried to contact them the same day or no later than 24 hours later. But I guess that everyone does not feel that way and they just want to occupy a seat.

 Recently I had a friend who needed to change their business internet service from ATT because they kept getting interruptions in service. At a Business Alliance meeting a week ago I met a sales rep from Comcast Business and told her about the person who needed new internet service soon. She said she would contact them (it was the perfect lead for her) and tell them the advantages of Comcast and help them change. But she never showed up or even called my friend and 3 days later he changed to Century Link. Why would someone throw away a sure sale because they did not follow up?

My wife needed health insurance before the Obamacare dealine and I met another lady who sells insurance at a different networking group and told her to contact my wife. She was from Prudential but said she could also check out other health companies for the best deal. She never made the contact and my wife bought health insurance from someone else a week later. What's happening here? Is it because these two people worked for a big company and were on salary, not commission, so they didn't care if they got a sale? Or were they just too lazy to make the effort?  Why bother going to a networking meeting if you are just wasting everyone's time.