"Begin somewhere; you cannot build a reputation on what you intend to do."

Liz Smith

The Top 10 Ways to Position Yourself as an Expert Using Social Media

By David Riklan

Let's start by answering a very simple question:

As a small businessperson, entrepreneur, or Internet marketer, why would you want to position yourself as an expert?

The answer is very simple. Everybody trusts an expert. And, as every salesperson will tell you, individuals want to do business with people they know, like, and trust.

It doesn't matter whether you are a doctor, lawyer, accountant, auto mechanic, business owner, or consultant. Being seen as an expert in your niche will help your business and your career.

I have found that the best way to brand yourself as an expert is by using a 10-step strategy that leverages Social Media. This includes LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and blogs.

The prerequisite to using this technique, of course, is to first become an expert in your field. This can be done through education (by getting a degree or getting certified), through experience, or by doing research.

Having a degree or certification is the most powerful approbation you can present to the world. (Just think of how many doctors sell health advice in books and newsletters.) But your personal experience and any studying you've done on your own is also effective in positioning you as an expert -- sometimes more so. Have you gone through bankruptcy? You're an expert in that field. Have you dedicated your off hours to learning search engine optimization? You're an expert.

However you "become" an expert, it gives you with the necessary proof to position yourself as such to your potential customers. And once you have this proof, the fun begins. Because the quickest and easiest way to build your reputation is by using the power of the Internet and social networking. Connections can be made instantly and thousands of people can be reached at one time.

Here's the 10-step process:

Step 1. Determine how you are going to brand yourself or your company. How do you want people to see or perceive you?

Step 2. Create a profile that will match your brand. It can include your degrees or certifications, your experience, your knowledge, and any material you've written or created.

Step 3. Create accounts at all of the major sites where you can brand yourself -- LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, SelfGrowth, and Squidoo. Then post consistent information on each of these sites with proof of your expertise.

Step 4. Get your knowledge out there by participating online. Many social media websites -- including LinkedIn and Facebook -- provide a place for you to answer questions posted by other users. All you need to do is review the questions, post a detailed, informed, and succinct answer, and include a way for people to contact you.

Step 5. Get published on the Internet. The easiest and fastest way to get published is by creating a blog. There are many free tools out there for blogging, including Wordpress and Blogger. The more quality information you publish in your area of expertise, the more you are perceived as an expert.

Step 6. To increase the impact of your social media presence, interlink between the social media sites and have them all crosslink to your website or blog. For example, have LinkedIn link to your blog, have Facebook link to your blog, and have your blog link back to LinkedIn and Facebook.

Step 7. Develop a strategy for enhancing your credibility with simple, informational videos highlighting your area of expertise. They can be as short as 3-4 minutes. Record them with a flip camera or a video cam on your computer and upload them to YouTube.

Step 8. Leverage the power of these sites for search engine optimization. If you follow the steps above, you'll find that your name will come up high in the search engines. Google loves social media websites.

Step 9. Be active on these sites. You need to become part of the community. Social media websites are not just places to post information and broadcast your ideas. They are designed to be interactive. The more you interact, the more people will get to know, like, and trust you -- and respect you as an expert.

Step 10. Finally, become a voice of your industry. You can do this by researching relevant news stories and reporting on them to your followers. You will soon be recognized as a source of great information in your area of expertise.

As you go through each of the above steps, your reputation as an expert will grow exponentially, especially in your particular niche. And as I said at the beginning of this article, that will lead to trust... which will lead to more business for you.

Moment of Truth

How "real" is your life?

Would you say you're a pretty honest person? Of course you would! After all, most of us don't go around making up stories or blatantly lying to a person's face.

But, what about the little white lies we tell? Or, omitting details? Or withholding information? Or, not sharing our true opinions? Or, going with the crowd instead of speaking up? Or, trying to act a certain way because we want people to like us? Or, ignoring a situation instead of facing it?

When we start really examining the areas of our lives when we're not telling "the whole truth", it can add up. The truth is, we all fall short of absolute honesty. And, it's not because we're bad people, or have bad intentions. Most of the time, we're just scared of letting people see and hear our real selves. It's scary stuff. What if I show my "real" self to people? They might run away in horror! Or, at least, not agree with me, or think badly of me, which can seem scary too.

So, while it's normal to try to protect ourselves from truths that might be uncomfortable or hard to deal with, the farther we get from being true, authentic, and honest, the more we hurt ourselves. Think about how it feels to compromise your values or opinions. Or, how it feels to let someone else call the shots when you don't speak up. After a while, your life might feel like one big theatre production, where every day you put on the costume, the wig, the makeup, and speak the lines someone else wrote. It gets tiring and draining after a while, doesn't it?

If you want to bring more truth and authenticity in your life, start by observing where you don't have it. Is it around a certain individual, or certain types of people? In what kind of situations does it show up? Big groups or intimate conversations? Around certain subjects or topics?

And once you start noticing when it happens, stop and think. Instead of going to the old default reaction, ask yourself what the "real you" would do, if there wasn't any fear present. And do it. Once you start seeing that people really don't go running in horror, it gets easier. Once you feel the deeper connection you make with people because they can see the real you, it will be even easier. And, when you are regularly experiencing the power and freedom that comes with truth, you'll never go back to those old habits!

An example from my own life was my realization that I often tried to hide my vulnerability. So, when things were tough or I didn't have answers, I sometimes put on a brave face so I would look like I had it all together. And, I was reluctant to ask others for help, for fear of appearing weak. So, there I was, not taking advantage of other people's ideas, resources, or support just to show how strong I was! Pretty silly, but that's the kind of stuff we do, isn't it? So, I made a commitment to myself: share honestly and ask for help. I've enjoyed a lot of deeper connections, and greater support over the past year with this approach. And, it feels like a lot less work!

So, how can you be more authentic and true to yourself this month? Where can you speak up? What can you admit? What is it that you'd like to come clean about, even if just to yourself? Look for small examples every day where you can express yourself more honestly. Just as the little white lies add up, so do the little moments of truth!

Feb. 19
LEARNING TO FLY

Just like a pilot uses a pre-flight checklist to make sure all systems are go, a sales professional needs to follow a checklist to make sure he or she is ready to make a sale.

Reviewing your checklist after an appointment may also help you reinforce your strengths and identify any areas of weakness. With this information, you can make adjustments to your presentation and constantly improve your sales skill.

By the way, following a checklist will help you make sure you don't fail to ask all the important questions during the meeting, and it will give you all the information you need for appropriate follow up with your customers.

If you are learning to fly, the pre-flight checklist helps reduces the risk of a bad landing. If you are learning to sell, the sales checklist will help reduce the risk of crashing and burning in front of a prospect.

Don't have a sales checklist yet? The time to create one is now!

"Social media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. No one actually knows how."

Avinash Kaushik

Are You Wasting Your Time With Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter?
By David Riklan

Everywhere I turn, I hear about how fantastic social media is. People tell me they are spending six hours a day on Facebook. They are responding to Twitter tweets all day and all night.

Facebook's 350 million users collectively spend more than 8 billion minutes on the site each day. That's amazing.

Many of these people think that social media will help them grow their businesses. They expect to make tons of money by using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as marketing tools.

But the truth is that the vast majority of people are NOT making money with social media and are just wasting their time.

That leaves a very big question. What are they doing wrong?

To get you on the path of profitable social media use, I have identified the top six ways businesspeople are wasting their time with social media. For each time waster, I have included some ways to fix it immediately.

Here they are:

TIME WASTER #1

Many people think that being on social media is, in itself, a business model. They just go out and start building a following. That's a good thing -- but you still need a separate, comprehensive business model. And you need to know how you are going to make money with it.

ACTION STEPS TO FIX IT

• Identify the exact product or service you want to sell through social media.
• Define, in detail, your target audience. Who is your ideal customer?
• Develop a system to close sales on the phone, on the Web, or face to face.

TIME WASTER #2

Another mistake people make is that they don't have a strategy for using social media to achieve specific business goals.

ACTION STEPS TO FIX IT

• Identify your top three goals with social media (i.e., to generate leads, to find partners, to solidify current business relationships).
• Identify time frames for achieving these goals.

TIME WASTER #3

Another mistake is using the wrong tool. Some businesses work better on LinkedIn, some are better on Facebook, and some are better on Twitter.

ACTION STEPS TO FIX IT

• Get familiar with all of the major social media websites.
• Contact your customers or prospects and ask them which one of these websites they visit most frequently.

TIME WASTER #4

Yet another mistake: Social media abuse. You are making too many posts, sending too many messages, and ignoring standard social networking etiquette. You need to know the rules, and you need to follow them.

ACTION STEPS TO FIX IT

• Learn the rules of the particular site you are on. For example, Facebook can ban you for posting unauthorized commercial communications.
• Learn the limitations of the site you are on. For example, Twitter limits the number of direct messages you can send to 250 a day.

TIME WASTER #5

The next mistake is something I call social media fatigue. You are spending too much time on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn -- not all of it business-related. And you get burned out.

ACTION STEPS TO FIX IT

• Put a time limit on your daily social media activities.
• Limit most of that time to activities that could generate business for you.

TIME WASTER #6

Are you failing to measure the results of your marketing efforts on social media websites? If so, you don't know what's working.

ACTION STEPS TO FIX IT

• Set very specific measurable goals. For example, you might want to get five new prospects a week and turn one of them into a new customer.
• Start measuring your results -- and keep refining your strategy until you get it right.

MISS YOU

Believe it or not, some of the customer you've lost are actually hoping you will ask them back.

They thought another provider or solution would be a better choice for them, but they were wrong. They regret their decision to leave you and secretly wish you would invite them to come back.

If you never make an effort to win them back, or fail to stay in touch with them, the lost customer seldom returns on their own. So what can you do?

Send a hand-written card to your lost customers and tell them, "we miss you!"

Or send them a 'sympathy' card to tell them you are sorry they have to do business with someone else.

Explain that you are not sure why they were unhappy or what happened that made them feel they had to buy from someone else. Remind them how well you worked together before, and ask permission to visit with them about their needs today.

Chances are good you will soon get a phone call inviting you to come have a talk.

"People don't want to communicate with an organization or a computer. They want to talk to a real, live, responsive, responsible person who will listen and help them get satisfaction."

Theo Michelson

What the Ethical Culture Society Can Teach You About Internet Marketing
By Bob Bly

There are two kinds of customers you must pay special attention to: (1) the excellent customer, and (2) the extremely unhappy customer.

The excellent customer is someone who can't stop buying your products, has been easy to service, and raves about you to everyone he knows. Only now he's asking for something a bit out of the ordinary -- and has created a special situation that must be handled. Since satisfied customers are your most important asset, you want to go to extremes to keep them happy.

One of my excellent customers, for instance, wanted a substitute for the free report I was offering with one of my e-books -- something we don't give away. But he had bought tons from us, so I happily gave it to him. He was so happy, he immediately bought yet another product.

The other type of customer you want to handle personally and with great care is the extremely unhappy customer. Reason: Unhappy customers tell other people that they're unhappy with you. The more unhappy they become, the more people they complain to -- and the louder they say it.

In the good old days, an unhappy customer complained to maybe 5 or 10 other people. But with social networking, they can tell thousands about you with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks.

I had a problem with a product I bought online, but could get no satisfaction from the seller. He refused to even take my call. So I wrote about it on my blog. Within 24 hours, the seller called, apologized profusely, immediately fixed the problem, and begged me to remove the post from.

Despite this newfound power that consumers enjoy online, many Internet businesses treat their customers poorly. I hear complaints about it all the time. People tell me they bought a product online, but when they called about returning it, the seller became downright opprobrious. Or they tell me about Internet marketers who flat out refuse, on the flimsiest of excuses, to honor their money-back guarantees.

And Internet marketers can be so darn inaccessible!

I mean, if you have a problem with your phone, you can call the phone company and eventually get to a real person, right? But when you want to complain to an Internet marketer, more often than not there is no mailing address or phone number.

And when you send them an e-mail, you get a response from a robot -- an auto-responder -- not a live human being. The e-mail tells you how busy the marketer is. Sometimes it promises a return call from a person... which usually never comes.

I have heard of Internet marketers who blow their stacks at customers who aren't very computer literate and have trouble opening and reading an e-book or downloading and listening to a podcast. Those customers may frustrate you and try your patience, but think about how frustrated they must feel. They just bought great information from you, and now they can't access it.

Is this how you're treating some or all of YOUR customers? If so, something I heard at a recent meeting of the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County can serve as your new customer service policy. One of the speakers pointed out that a precept of the organization is: "Every person deserves to be treated fairly and kindly."

This is great advice, especially if you are an Internet marketer.

"But," you may argue, "I can't personally respond to every complaint. That's why I have an auto-responder or an assistant."

First of all, assuming your products are a good value, you're not getting all that many complaints. Second of all, you probably could respond to all of them, if you wanted to.

SL, a major catalog marketer, writes a personal note of apology -- and sends it along with a small gift -- whenever his company has an unhappy customer. If SL can do it, you and I can do it too.

But let's say you can personally respond to only a fraction of the complaints you get. What should you do?

I hired a part-time assistant to handle all complaints and special requests. She does her job with sensitivity and common sense. However, I see all the complaints first, and I pick certain ones to handle personally. These are from the two types of customers I mentioned at the beginning of this essay -- the extremely unhappy ones and the valuable repeat customers.

Every person deserves to be treated fairly and kindly. Are you treating every customer and prospect fairly? Do you do it angrily or kindly?

One more thing: Add an unadvertised grace period to your money-back guarantee.

If, for example, you have a 90-day money-back guarantee and a customer returns your product on day 92, you give him his money back anyway. Why? Because you want to treat him fairly and kindly... just like you'd want to be treated.

And if you treat your customers fairly and kindly, they will deal with you in the same way.

February 2010

Fast Fact According to the DMA spending on direct mail marketing is expected to increase nearly $1 billion dollars in 2010.

Sales Tip

How many of your clients have a website? Almost all of them I bet. Any company that is trying to conduct business today has to have a presence on the web. But how many of those companies would consider their website their best sales person? Many companies do not begin to leverage the marketing opportunities available on their website. Here are a few tips on integrating the MindFireInc solution into a corporate website:

Almost any website will have a form that captures information about a prospect. Often these forms are integrated with some type of offer, perhaps an offer of a free white paper or recorded webinar. The challenge that most companies face is, once the information is captured on the web there is very little follow up. However, as a MindFireInc service provider you have the ability to create a powerful solution to this. This solution will also generate an ongoing stream of monthly revenue for you.

Let’s examine a possible solution. Imagine that a B-2-B software company wanted to use the web to capture leads for their software products. Prospects from the web come to the website and research the product. When they decide that they would like more information they fill out a form to download a case study. While this form has the look and feel of the corporate website it is in fact a customized profile page that is part of the standard attract blue print. The data that is captured now resides in the LWC (LookWhosClicking) database.

By having the data captured in the LWC system you now have the ability to use the follow up triggers to create a powerful experience for the respondent. Let’s take this example a step further. Let’s assume that the form included a pull down that asked for the respondents industry. After the respondent has filled out the form they are then redirected to a versioned Thank You page where they can download an industry specific white paper. Simultaneously, a lead can be routed to a sales person alerting them to the fact that a white paper has been downloaded. This automated lead routing is far more efficient than a typical website that would only write to a database.

In addition to the ability to create a powerful logic based lead routing system, you can also use the micro-site to begin a lead nurturing campaign. In our example let’s assume the salesperson calls the prospect, but they are not ready to buy. The LWC system can have a series of predefined email follow ups that will continue to educate the prospect. These emails can be created when the campaign is initially developed. From there a series of weekly follow-ups emails can be sent with relevant communication that helps build the companies brand and educate the client.

This process is important because most prospects are not ready to buy when they first hit a corporate website. In addition, by automating the process for the client they can be assured that execution will be flawless. This simple type of nurturing can significantly increase the conversion rate when the prospect is ready to buy.

THE WAITING

Have you ever called a prospect, left a great voicemail message and asked them to call you back? Sure you have!

Ever waited for a return call that never comes? Chances are you are still waiting for a return call from last week, or last month, or even last year.

The moment you rely on a prospect (or client for that matter) to call you back is the moment you give up control of the selling process, which greatly reduces your chance of making the sale.

That doesn’t mean you should call daily to hound your potential customer.

Get an agreement during your first call or meeting for an appropriate follow up time and procedure. Ask them how they would like to be contacted and when, and honor that agreement.

When you do follow up and get their voicemail, leave a message telling them you will contact them again soon, but they can always call you back at your direct number if it is more convenient.

Don’t let the waiting kill your sales.

Start taking charge of the follow up process, and you will close more business than ever before.

Where is the new customer? He's in the new world... are you?

The customer is making a comeback - slow though it may be. And when he (or she) returns, you're going to notice a change. A big change. FAIR WARNING: How you prepare for the new customer will determine your long-term success.

REALITY: While your customers were away, online has officially taken over. It's the new showroom and comparison shopper. You can chat, or phone in a heartbeat. You can see every option and some you never knew existed. It's fast, it's accurate, and anyone can choose anything, any time of the day or night.

Yes, the Internet has been there for a few years, but it has taken a firm hold as a trillion dollar option for consumers and customers every place in the world. Your world.

It's a different world now. We are not going to "recover," per-se. We're going to revive and revise. And you can be in it, or watch it pass you by.

Here are some examples of "different" on the business side. Car dealerships, stock brokerages, insurance companies, banks, homebuilders, commercial real estate agents, residential real estate agents, and mortgage lenders have all revised and restructured their business - and that's the short list.

And the customer is different too. Way different.

Let me give you the details of what the new customer (both business and consumer) looks like: (NOTE: I'm using "he" but I also mean "she.")
* He's going to decide somewhat slower. He's been hesitating for more than a year.
* He's angry about the value of his home, and the value of his investments.
* He will not be doing business the same way it's been done before.
* He will not be banking the same way he banked before.
* He will not be advertising the same way he advertised before.
* He will not be buying a car the same way he did before.
* He will not be buying a home the same way he did before.
* He will not be investing the same way he did before.
* He's online. Checking out your website - and your competitor's website.
* He's socializing. Telling everyone what's happening in his world and the world.
* He's Tweeting, Facebooking, and Linked-In-ing. Social media is still a firestorm.
* He's blogging about his experiences with you, for the world to read.
* He's YouTubing about his experiences with you for the world to watch - by the millions (any questions United Airlines?).
* He's Googling, not yellow-paging.
* He's texting. A lot.
* He's using his mobile device to do damn near everything.
* He's WiFi-ing in his hotel room, on the plane, in Starbucks, and at home.
* IF he's reading a paper, or getting the news, it's online.
* He's as likely to watch The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, or listen to Howard Stern for news as he is to watch a network "news" person read a tele-prompter.
* He's purchasing after midnight. By the billions.
* He's looking for ease of doing business with you.
* He is value oriented, but will look to price as part of the decision.
* He wants a relationship.
* He wants, needs, and expects GREAT service after the sale.
* He does not want to wait for anything or anyone.
* He needs help and expert advice.
* He's looking for ideas and answers.
* He can check your price and your facts in two seconds or less on Google.
* He knows as much about your product as you do.
* He knows MORE about your competitor's product than you do.
* He can pay right now IF you can take a credit card online.
* He expects someone to answer the phone when he calls that can actually HELP.
* He is SICK of off-shore call centers, erroneously called "help desks."
* He is SICK of you telling him how important his call is while he stands on hold.
* He is SICK of your recorded hold message.
* He demands the truth. All the time.
* He no longer trusts the institutions he used to hold sacred.
* He expects you to be as computer literate as he is.
* He needs to be understood and feel your sincere concern.
* While you are qualifying him, he is qualifying you.
* If he needs a referral or recommendation, he'll go to Craig's list or Angie's list or Google or his next door neighbor, or anyone else but you...UNLESS you have video testimonials online.

As you're thinking about (and making excuses about) these statements, you better be thinking about your answers and responses to them. And you better be making the strategic decisions and game plans to make them happen.

The economy is coming back - BUT NOT TO THE WAY IT WAS. Don't take my word for it. Ask any daily newspaper.

After reviewing these statements, ask yourself this BIG question: Will your new customer buy from you, or your competition?

Trust the Current of Life

One of the most powerful stories about stepping into the unknown is the biblical account of the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. As described in Exodus (13:17-15:21), God commands Moses to lead the Israelites from bondage. After a long, grueling pilgrimage, they arrive at the banks of the Red Sea. With Pharaoh’s army barreling down on them, Moses beseeches God for help. God instructs him to raise his staff and ask the Israelites to step into the sea. Moses raises his staff . . . and nothing happens. As panic increases among the tribe, Moses again pleads for divine intervention, and God responds, “Don’t ask me, ask the Israelites to start moving.” It took some strong encouragement, but as they step into the water, the sea parts and they are able to cross in safety.

Sometimes we have to take the first step even if the road is not clearly laid out before us. Given the possibilities available to us, we tap into the intelligence of our mind (what is the most rational choice?) and the intelligence of our body (what feels right?). The greater the alignment between our mind and body, the easier it is to take the first step, and the more likely it is that our intended outcome will manifest. Still, the Bhagavad Gita reminds us that we have control over our choices, but not over the consequences of the choices. Unfathomable is the field of karma. Knowing this, we take a step in the direction that seems to be most evolutionary for us and trust that either we will get what we want or will learn something of great value.

Uncertainty is the ingredient that makes life rich and exhilarating. Our willingness to embrace uncertainty is what allows us to align with evolutionary flow. Step into the river and allow the current of life to carry you home to the sea of eternity.

DON’T GIVE UP

Statistics reveal that, on average, 80 percent of sales are made after the fourth call on a prospect.

Funny thing is, approximately 75 percent of salespeople stop calling the prospect after three attempts. Which is sad, because they are missing a ton of business that is only one more contact away.

In the world of selling, you simply cannot afford to throw in the towel too soon. You have to remain persistent, positive and persuasive until you get the sale. If you don’t, your competition may earn the sale that should have been yours.

The message is clear: Don’t give up!

Remain consistent and steadfast in your efforts because you never know when those efforts will pay off.

5 Steps to a ROCKIN' Relationship!

Finding an ideal mate & creating their ideal relationship. Now some of the folks I help are just starting to date, others in relationships of 1-8 years; while others have 20-25 year marriages, and so on.

Yet there is a common theme, a pattern that emerges that in order to find that love of your life, or create a the relationship you love with the beloved you are with. Yes, just a few simple things you can do... they are these:

1. Know what you want

2. Be the mate you want to have in the world

3. Love often

4. Know your partner is your best teacher

5. Be nice, communicate often, be nice again

"You're not going to do good work if you're not choosing something because it inspires you."

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Get Rich in Your Niche
By Bob Bly

The most important piece of advice I ever give anyone -- whether they are a copywriter, consultant, writer, Internet marketer, or retail merchant -- is to specialize.

Find an under-served niche that needs what you are selling... and become the leader in that space.

When I give this advice, the other person invariably says, "I want to specialize, but I don't know which niche to pick."

The possibilities are endless:

• My friend DK specializes in showing small-business owners how to rank their websites #1 in Google for local searches.

• FG teaches marketing and customer service to owners of self-storage facilities.

• GG sells video training programs teaching optometrists how to better manage their practices.

• Another info marketer, "Mr. Excel," teaches people how to become proficient with Excel.

• DP shows people how to deal with and care for a relative who is bipolar.

• PF creates marketing programs for hearing aid dealers.

How can you identify and select your niche? I've developed a simple process that can help you do it in about 20 minutes.

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• What do I like?
• What am I interested in?
• What am I good at?
• What do I have an aptitude for?
• What do I know?
• What is my experience?
• What have I accomplished?
• Which of the above areas has the least competition?
• Which of the above areas pays high rates?

As you think of answers to these questions, write down as many as you possibly can on index cards, one per card.

When you're done, go through your cards and make a separate stack of those that look like possible niches.

Then go through that stack and pull out the five that are most interesting to you.

Chances are, one or two of them will have something to do with things people routinely pay to learn about or need help with.

Pick one and you've found your niche. As Aristotle said, "Where your passions intersect with the needs of the public, therein lies your vocation."

What if none of your top five choices appeals to you as a niche? Go back to your stack of possible niches and pick five more cards. And repeat this process until you have a niche you are enthusiastic about.

Your niche can be broad or narrow -- though, as a rule, the narrower the niche, the better the business opportunity. Broad niches have lots of potential customers but also lots of well-established competitors. Narrow niches have far fewer potential customers, but little or no significant competition.

We live in an age of specialization, and people want to hire specialists. They prefer products and services that reflect knowledge of what they perceive to be their unique situations and problems.

In information marketing, the more specialized your topic, the more you can charge for your book or report. A report on "designing distillation towers," for example, can command 100 times the price of a book on "leadership."

And don't worry about not having enough customers to support your business. You really don't need that many to make a very nice living.

The desire to have a huge mailing list is a palmary goal, but a huge list is not necessary for success. If you have an e-list of only 10,000 customers who spend an average of $100 a year with you, you'll gross a million dollars annually.

Most experts advise choosing a niche that you are passionate about. I think it's more important to choose a niche you won't lose interest in. After all, you'll be living with it for a long time -- and to me, there's almost nothing worse than sitting down at your PC every day to do work that bores you.

Keep in mind that people buy from people who are like them -- who act the same, believe the same things, live the same lifestyle, or have the same interests. So once you've chosen your niche, become an even more active participant in it than you are now. For instance, if your niche is keeping tropical fish, join and become active in your local aquarium hobbyist club.

When you are an active participant in your niche, you can talk more authentically to your market -- a crowd of people passionately interested in that topic.

Listen to the problems, concerns, and interests of other active participants in your niche. Then create information products that address those areas.

Pinning down elusive sales prospects

Sometimes a sales prospect simply won't make time to meet with you.

So how do you get your foot in the door -- literally and figuratively?

The small-biz counselors at Score Chicago hear this question frequently. Read Bradford thinks he has the best solution: Come up with something that will attract your prospect's attention.

In his "Sell LIke the Pros" workshop at Score Chicago, Mr. Bradford tells of a salesperson who actually mailed a boxing glove to a prospect -- along with a note saying, "I guess I'll have to fight my way in." That salesperson got an appointment.

Mr. Bradford, CEO of custom materials and information management systems company Bradford Systems, suggests that you target your prospect. Your prospect should want the product or service that you offer.

If a prospect asks you to simply send a price, hold off. Suggest that you need to learn more about exactly what that person wants. Additionally, work to understand the prospect's budget before quoting a price. Even if there is a wide discrepancy between the prospect's budget and your price, keep the conversation going. If you can keep the discussion open, there's a chance that you and your sales prospect can meet somewhere in the middle on price.

To Serve is to Sell
By Justin Gittelman

Instead of looking for how to be of service to others, many salespeople are on the hunt for the next commission. Most salespeople have the concept of reciprocity reversed and show up to meetings with “commission breath,” reeking of the essence and sole desire to just close the deal.

Customers can smell it from a mile away.

The key is to start the wheels on the tried-and-true Law of Reciprocity by serving. Earl Nightingale, author and radio host wrote in The Strangest Secret, “If you give - you shall receive.” He was one of the first to apply the phrase to commerce, but the concept carries strength as evidenced by religious text and philosophical doctrine. It’s time we applied it to our day-to-day business.

Here are three steps to take now to create a service provider mindset:
1. Willingness – demonstrating the willingness to voluntarily and ungrudgingly see past selfish needs or the illusion that you “have to make a sale” next time you’re on an important sales call.
2. Gratitude – to positively emote thankfulness and a real appreciation for what you already have. Gratitude is an attitude! It’s also contagious. People like to do business with positive, optimistic people.
3. Desire – To be your very best on every single occasion. Not just when you think it counts. Show the real and authentic you. Give yourself even if there is no commission or immediate sale to be made.

Shifting from “How can I make a commission” to “How may I serve the customer” makes the difference, especially in this economy where penny pinching is the new norm. In this year’s Business Week rankings, based on data from J.D. Power & Associates, more than half of the top 25 brands showed improved customer service scores over last year.

These businesses improved service while cutting costs. JW Marriott cross-trained administrative assistants to step in as banquet servers when needed. Zappos.com launched a VIP program to serve return customers. Ace Hardware consolidated operations and put the savings into longer evening and weekend hours for customer calls. The number one ranking was Amazon, who consistently went above and beyond to help customers with products, even replacing those lost in the mail.

Being a service provider means doing whatever is necessary to fill a customer’s void. Even if it requires not earning a commission or making that sale. Why? Because, either with this customer or another, sooner or later, it will pay off.

While staying at a hotel in Charlotte, NC a friend of mine checked out and attended his last meeting for the business trip. After the meeting, he had a couple hours to pass until his flight. He called the shuttle service that the hotel provided when he was a guest and asked the shuttle driver if he could possibly be picked up and stay at the hotel lounge until it was time for him to go to the airport.

Even though he had already checked out of the hotel, the shuttle driver said, “Sir, our service doesn’t stop just because you’ve checked out.”

My friend was shocked with the level of willingness this shuttle driver displayed. He truly understood the ‘service provider’ mindset. The driver served first, worried about a tip or charge second.

When looking at the bottom line, it is more cost effective to make a good impression and gain a repeat client than market to new customers. According to the Customer Service Institute, 65 percent of a company's business comes from existing customers, and it costs five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one satisfied. Remember, willingness, gratitude and desire will lead to the attitude of service. Take these steps now and you will continue to be amazed at the richness your business will reward for you, your family, your friends, and your community.

Service leads to SALES!!!!

Service leads to sales, if you know how to act and how to ask.

Every time a customer calls it’s an opportunity. The only question is: how are you taking advantage of it?

Answer HELLO! Not a thank you for the call, telling me how important it is while you put me on hold for the next available agent, or to “serve me better” ask me to select from among the following eight options.

Selecting from among the following eight options is not one of MY options – and I have the money – and you want the money – and you need the money – so wise up.

The last things to cut are sales, service, and training. The FIRST thing to cut is executive pay, then management pay, then eliminate middle management as needed. OR MAKE THEM SALESPEOPLE, and have them contribute to the effort.

Meanwhile customers need help, service, and answers. Your ability to help them in a timely manner and serve them memorably determines your reputation and your fate.

HERE’S HOW TO SERVE:
• Start friendly NO MATTER how they act or talk.
• Get off your high (pc) horse.
• Don’t worry about how you feel – worry about how they feel.
• Ask them how you can help them the most.
• Help them with whatever they need.
• Don't tell them what you can't do, tell them what you can do.
• Get them to agree that the solution you offer, or answer they need, is the one they are expecting, and the one they are pleased with (not “satisfied” with).
• Engage them personally during the conversation.
• Make CERTAIN customers are happy as a result of the call.
• Follow through on your promises with action and communication.

Here’s the secret to service success:
• Keep it short - but get the info you need to help them.
• If the customer is angry, keep it real short, but arrange a second call after the resolve. Tell them what will happen in their favor, and tell them fast.

Follow up with the unexpected to set up a sale. I refer to it as: PLUS ONE
• Email thanks. Tell them how much you enjoyed talking to them and how much you appreciate their business.
• Email them back their idea or suggestions.
• Email them back their solution, or your promise to repair.
• Have a salesperson call after the situation was resolved.

CUSTOMER REALITY:
• I don’t want to wait on the phone.
• I especially don’t want to listen to your self-serving messages as I wait.
• I don’t want to wait on line.
• I don’t want to be told no.
• I don’t want excuses about why you can’t.
• I don’t want to hear about your policy.
• I don’t want to donate to your charities.
• I want help, I want YES, and I want it fast.

CUSTOMER REALITY: At the end of any transaction, that’s when the customer STARTS talking about you. They will say one of five things about what transpired: something great, something good, nothing, something bad, or something real bad. And whatever they say leads to the next sale – either at your place, or your competition’s place.

ECONOMIC REALITY:
• When business is down, it’s likely morale is down. Invest in attitude training for every member of the team FIRST.
• When business is down, the best way to get more sales is by creating more friendly and human interaction.
• When business is down, the best way to gain loyalty from existing customers, and get more sales (the surest path to survival and growth), is by making service IMPROVEMENTS, not service cuts.

OK, so now that you know what to do, what are you going to DO about it? What actions are you willing to take? What investment are you willing to make? Do you understand it’s ALL about customer loyalty (not satisfaction)? And keep in mind that no company ever CUT their way to success.

REALITY:
You cut your way to safety.
You have to SELL your way to success.

If you want to win in this or any economy, you must be ready to win. Ready with the right attitude, the right information, and the right service heart. Are you ready?

Motorola invests in bar-code app maker Scanbuy

By: John Pletz Feb. 02, 2010

(Crain’s) — Motorola Inc. is among the investors in a New York company that makes a bar-code application for mobile phones, allowing users to access product reviews.

Motorola led an $11.2-million investment, with several other firms, in Scanbuy Inc. But neither company would say how much Motorola invested.

Shopping tools like bar-code scanners allow users to scan a product with a phone’s camera and find pricing information from nearby stores. They are among the most popular applications on smartphones such as Motorola’s Droid.

Scanbuy incorporates the bar-code technology with social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter.

Crain’s Briefing

Motorola, Inc.

Motorola, Inc. (Motorola) is engaged in providing technologies, products and services for mobile… more

Gregory BrownCo-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer - Broadband Mobility Solutions, Director

Sanjay JhaCo-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer - Mobile Devices, Director

From The Lists

Your resource for everything related to business in Chicago.

#7	Publicly-traded companies (2009)
#14	Employers (2009)

See Full Briefing

“Motorola has looked at this market very carefully and believes that Scanbuy has the best combination of technology and strong ecosystem partners in its space,” Reese Schroeder, managing director of Motorola Ventures, said in a statement.

In addition to making smartphones, Motorola also makes bar-code technology for retailers through its enterprise mobility business.

Paperless Books Come of Age

Paper Trends

A little over 10 years ago, a company called Rocket eBooks introduced an eBook reader device that was, by today’s standards, pretty clunky and limited in its capabilities. Though apparently many of these devices were sold—at a price of about $400 each—the most notable response to them was the hue and cry from book publishers worried about protecting their copyrights. Committees were formed to discuss these protections and to devise standards. Adobe and other software firms proposed solutions.

Yet eBook readers never seemed to catch on with the public. No matter how paper-like, bookmarkable and otherwise adjustable the eBook readers were, the only ones that readers seemed to like were those with teeny-tiny screens, inspiring the question: “How can anyone read anything on a screen that small?”

Some publishers even complied with eBook standards and requirements, including newspaper and magazine publishers, and those in niche markets, such as for scientific and technical reports and information. And wannabe-published writers never gave up the eBook concept. For them, eBooks provided a channel for publication that went around all the hassles of working with traditional trade book publishers.

Several years ago, online book (and everything else) retailer Amazon.com resurrected the whole idea of eBook readers with its Kindle device. The Kindle is sleeker and much more functional than earlier eBook readers. Kindle books are formatted in a way similar to that used for any mobile device, though the Kindle has its own special and proprietary kinks in the software.

Observers claimed that eBook readers had been available for years and few people used them. They were suspicious of Amazon.com’s claims that its inventory of Kindle readers sold out in a matter of weeks and that back-orders for the device were piling up. Since then, Amazon.com has introduced a second-generation Kindle reader—and now it has several competitors.

EBook readers also are available from Sony and Barnes & Noble, and a New York-based company named Skiff LLC launched the Skiff eBook at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas early this month. At the time of this writing, Skiff had just set off its public relations campaign, and the Internet was buzzing about the new reader, which uses a technology described as “a thin, flexible sheet of stainless-steel foil.” This new e-paper was developed by LG Display and offers image resolution of 1200x1600 pixels. It can also show images in color—something that apparently differentiates it from other eBook readers. Another notable feature of the Skiff reader is its size, at 11.5 inches, measured diagonally. And it’s only one-quarter-inch thick.

Most of the other eBook readers employ one variation or another of E-Ink technology, which is, in the most fundamental sense, tiny balls embedded in a substrate, black on one side and white on the other, and turning up the correct side on-demand to form the desired image. Skiff states that its new technology is more durable, and that it has an exclusive agreement with LG Display to use the new foil-based display. At its Web site, Skiff includes a pitch to book publishers, and the company also is working with telecommunications provider Sprint. The two firms have signed a multi-year agreement “to provide 3G connectivity for Skiff’s dedicated e-reading devices in the United States. Plans are underway to have the Skiff Reader available for purchase later this year in more than 1,000 Sprint retail locations across the United States, as well as online at www.sprint.com.”

Sprint’s new Emerging Solutions Business, launched in October 2009, apparently will be handling the relationship with Skiff.

Skiff added, “Besides the Skiff Reader, Skiff is working with major consumer electronics manufacturers to integrate Skiff’s service, digital store and client software into a range of innovative devices.” These will include “major smartphone platforms,” and probably whatever else becomes available.

The Skiff Reader is coming out on the heels of Barnes & Noble’s Nook eBook reader, which was offered just in time for Christmas—and which is now back-ordered for several months. Additionally, Sony’s Reader comes in three different models, including a small, low-cost ($199) version. Finally, unconfirmed rumors hint that Apple Inc. is working on a kind of “iTablet” eBook reader for release later this year. Apple refuses to comment one way or the other.

The question is—Why eBooks now rather than 10 years ago? The answer lies in the popular migration to cell phones, handheld personal assistants and texting capabilities over the past decade. More people are acclimatized to going totally electronic; eBook readers are simply the next new thing. And, even newly released best sellers cost about $10 in an eBook version, compared to more than $25 for traditional hardbound, or $12 to $15 for paperbacks. However, many publishers have announced plans to delay new releases in the eBook format to help drive printed book sales, so it remains to be seen how that will effect the market.

It’s taken a village to fully develop eBook readers and an audience for them, but apparently their time has come.