Get Out of My Way, I'm Going Somewhere! - La Grange, IL Patch

Get Out of My Way, I'm Going Somewhere! - La Grange, IL Patch

Success Is Everything You Do

Don “The Idea Guy” Snyder

 

You don't achieve success by doing one thing.
You achieve success by EVERYTHING you do.
But you achieve it by doing one successful thing at a time.

You achieve success by showing up.
On time.
Prepared.
(See? That's three things right there.)

You achieve success by handling the tough customer call; by resolving the issue of a complaining customer who posted on your Facebook wall... the same one who tweeted that 'your company sucks.'

You achieve success by connecting with your current and happy customers (even after they paid you for their last order and their check cleared.) Bring THEM a new lead or a referral (and maybe they'll have one for YOU.)

You achieve success by connecting with new prospects. Learning about them online and then meeting them in person. You achieve success by positioning yourself so well in your area of expertise that your prospect is thrilled to meet you because they know you possess the information and value they want to access.

You achieve success by preparing today - for the next day. Don't waste time searching for phone numbers and business cards and project files. Everything is where you need it to be to make sure tomorrow is as successful as today - because if you string enough successful days together in a row, you will have a successful week; a successful month; a successful year. A successful life.

The Desire for Freedom of Body and Mind By Napoleon Hill The desire for freedom of body and mind. The basic wish in everyone's heart is the desire to be free and unfettered. Ask the average man you meet and he will tell you that someday he's "going to be his own boss and nobody is going to tell him what to do." This elementary expression of a basic urge does not go beyond a mere idle wish in most cases, and sometimes it is just plain laziness that prompts it, rather than a definite desire to be free. In fact, working for oneself does not necessarily mean freedom. There are men who own their own businesses who work early and late to make ends meet while their employees work their eight hours and go home. But these are unusual situations. It is true that owning your own business is one way to be self-determining. This great country of ours affords more opportunities for personal freedom than anywhere else in the world. It is up to the individual to take advantage of the opportunity by having a definite idea of what he wants which will make him free, and a definite plan by which he can obtain his purpose. Freedom of body and mind requires very careful planning to achieve and "few there be that find it." Many persons, even with money, bind themselves to too many things and fail to be really free. As long as you are willing to let life push you around, it will.

Five health-enhancing foods that don't even seem like health foods: Mustard, cole slaw and more

Five health-enhancing foods that don't even seem like health foods: Mustard, cole slaw and more

Starbucks Perks Up Mobile Payments Program - eMarketer

Starbucks Perks Up Mobile Payments Program - eMarketer

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." William Penn

Techniques for Controlling & Manipulating Stress By Brian Tracy   Successful people are those who continually think and talk about the things they want.  Unsuccessful people are those who continually think and talk about the things they don't want.  When you think and talk about the things you want, you are calm, positive, purposeful and self-directed.  When you talk about the things you don't want, you are angry, frustrated, disappointed, and depressed.  And the choice is always up to you. Make a List! There is an old saying, "Feeling listless, make a list!"  The starting point of eliminating stress in your life is for you to make a list of goals, of the things you want to accomplish in the next 12-24 months.  The very act of making a list focuses your mind on the things you want and takes it immediately off of anything else.  You cannot write down your goals and think of something else at the same time.  One cancels out the other. Organize your goals in order of priority and pick your most important goal.  On a separate piece of paper, write your most important goal at the top of the page and then make a list of 10-20 things that you could do right now to begin moving toward your goal.  Then, select one item on that list and start on it immediately. This little exercise is so powerful that it will amaze you.  The very act of writing out your goals, organizing them by priority, selecting your most important goal, making a plan to achieve it and taking action on your plan will cause your negative stress to disappear and will fill your life with the kind of positive stress that energizes you and drives you forward. Focus and Concentration The antidote to stress is contained in the two words, "Focus" and "Concentration."  When you focus on the most important thing that you could possibly be doing and concentrate all of your time and energy on doing that one thing and getting it completed, all your stress evaporates.  All your positive energy begins to work in a forward direction. Here's my simple formula for generating positive stress:  It is for you to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, and to stay with it until it is 100% complete. In fact, sustained, concentrated effort on a high value task releases energy, enthusiasm and motivation in the direction of achieving that task or goal. When you discipline yourself to work single-mindedly on a high value task and you stay at the task until it is complete, you actually get an endorphin "rush" that energizes you and gives you an overall sense of well-being and personal power. Successful people have learned this little trick to keep themselves operating at the very peak of their potential.  They insist on working on big tasks that really make a difference.  As a result, their mental, emotional and physical energies are all harmonized and they feel terrific about themselves.  They are positive, motivated and creative in everything they do. Look for the Good You turn stress into success by looking for the good in every situation.  An attitude of positive expectations, constantly expecting something good or beneficial, even a valuable lesson, to be contained in every situation you face, is a major source of positive energy.  And because of the Law of Substitution, you can't be looking into a situation for something good and simultaneously feel negative for any reason. The major forms of negative stress in your life revolve around blame, anger, resentment, envy, jealousy and other negative emotions that preoccupy the great majority of mankind.  The wonderful discovery is that you can short-circuit or de-wire all these emotions by refusing to blame anyone for anything and instead accepting complete responsibility for everything you are and everything that happens to you.  Repeat the words, "I am responsible, I am responsible" over and over to yourself whenever you face any problem or difficulty at all.  These words give you a tremendous sense of personal power and control.  They make you feel that you are on top of your life and the situation rather than having the situation determining how you think and feel.

LT students hope ‘Flight’ takes off in telling veterans’ stories - The Doings LaGrange

LT students hope ‘Flight’ takes off in telling veterans’ stories - The Doings LaGrange

Become a 'Why'se Guy

Next time, at a networking event, hotel lobby, airport, or anywhere prospective customers roam, try opening the conversation with a 'why' question.

Sometimes, you don't have time to waste on small talk. 'Why' questions help you open conversations quickly.

Why are you here today? Why are you sitting there alone? Why did you buy that iPad? Why did you choose that title for yourself? Why do work for Acme Insurance? Why did you get into marketing?

Bold by nature, 'why' questions lead to 'reason' answers, which are often more meaty than what you get back from 'how' or 'what' questions. 'Why' questions are excellent for building real connections quickly. And connections, as we all know, can lead to sales.

Need any more reasons to try a 'why' question? How about, "why not?"

5 Secrets + Bonus to Get People to Take Action on Your Prospecting Emails

Is there anything more frustrating than getting no response — nothing — from customers and prospects? Apply these 5 secrets from Power Sales Writing: Second Edition and only your competition will be saying:
"He won't answer my email."
"She won't agree to an appointment."
"No matter what I do, I can't get them to respond."
1. Be more appealing. There is a huge difference between writing, "I can help you with XYZ," and "you can be more successful with XYZ." Do you see it? The first statement focuses on what you, the sales person, can do, and the other on what the buyer gets. This is way more than nuance —- it's proven to work! Most sales professionals are so passionate about what they sell that they think they're being appealing when they write: "Here's what I can do for you," "I'd like to introduce myself," "How can I earn your business?" Each of those statements is about the writer, not the buyer! Be passionate about the other person's success. Make it clear that you're writing about their success and not about what you want. Make this one simple change and you'll transform your emails into revenue-driving machines! Want examples you can use? Keep reading.
2. Don't make them work.When things are (mostly) equal, buyers choose the path of least resistance. The easier you can make the next step for them, the more likely you are to get the business. Make them work — even something as simple as asking them to "Please let me know when it will be most convenient...," and you lessen the likelihood of ever hearing back from them (and you also lose control of the sale). Don't make them work. Instead, tell them exactly what the next step is, how you'll take it and why they should want to be a part of it.
Here's a quick example: I'll call you Tuesday morning to talk about innovative options to help your team achieve X and Y.
See how easy you've made it for your buyer? Your reader doesn't have to do a thing. There is no doubt about what the next step is or who is taking it. Even more, you've made it clear to the prospect that you're a professional sales person; when you call they can expect to talk about how their team can successfully achieve X and Y, rather than having to deal with a sales person who thinks the way to sell is to feature dump.
3. Help your buyer feel safe and smart. One of the worst things you can do in a sales email is to end with a procedural next step such as: I'll call you later this week to see if you would like me to email the sales agreement. Buyers want to feel confident that they've made the right choice and they need you to help them feel comfortable with that choice. Help them feel safe and smart about their decision. In the just released Second Edition of Power Sales Writing, I call this statement the "delighter." End every email with an authentic delighter, a sentence that reminds your buyer how or why she will be delighted taking that next step toward full commitment.
Here are 3 examples of "delighters" you can use:
• You'll be delighted with your choice. (Will they be? Then tell 'em!)
• Your team will thank you for giving them the tools they need to _______. (Will they? Point it out to them!)
• You can count on a great result. (True? Then, say it!)
4. Get your head clear. When I ask my sales training workshop attendees what they want to achieve in their emails, invariably they shout, "Close the sale, book the business, convert the lead, get the agreement." And though that is eventually true, in thinking about it, they agree that not every email can or will do that.
Example: Right now, do you have an email you have to write to a prospect or customer? What exactly — specifically — do you want to get them to do when they read your email? Do you want to persuade them to take your call? Call you back? Email you? Sign and fax an agreement? Click on your website? LinkIn with you? Figure out exactly what you want to get as a result of the email before you write. Then, write to make it happen.
5. Skip the parts they won't read anyway. If it doesn't matter to them, don't bother them. Save time and show respect by writing a sales message that is brief and to the point. The more you write, the less they read. Be brief (not blunt) for best results.

How to Catch Fish with Strawberry Shortcake

By Bob Serling

Can you catch fish with strawberry shortcake?

Apparently not.

Dale Carnegie was quoted as saying that while he loves to eat strawberry shortcake, when he goes fishing, he does not use it for bait. Instead of using the food that he's obsessed with for bait, he chooses to bait his hooks with something he'd detest eating - worms. Why?

Because that's what the fish love to eat.

So how does this bit of whimsy translate to better marketing and more sales for your business? Two ways:

1.     If you want to make more sales to more customers, one of the most effective ways to do this is to use a bait piece.

2.     In order to maximize your results, your bait piece should focus on the kind of bait that "tastes best" to your customers

So let's dig a bit deeper into how you find the best tasting type of bait and use it to create a bait piece that results in an optimal increase to your sales.

First things first - what exactly is a bait piece?

A bait piece is something you give to prospects or customers in exchange for them giving you some type of information. With prospects, this usually means a free report, white paper or video packed with highly useful information that they feel is valuable enough to willingly trade their contact information for.

With customers, a bait piece is typically used to convince them to take a look at a new product or service. For example, you might offer a free report, white paper or video in exchange for the customer taking a demo of your new software.

What makes the use of a bait piece so effective?

In the first point above, I stated, "If you want to make more sales to more customers, one of the most effective ways to do this is to use a bait piece". But the logical question is, Why is a bait piece so effective?

The answer is actually quite simple. By offering your prospects or customers compelling information in the form of a free report, white paper or video, you fly beneath the radar and get far more response than you would with a direct offer for your product or service.

As long as the bait piece focuses on information your prospects or customers value, because there is no fear of being pressured to buy something, response will always be far greater than when pitching your product or service. In fact, the response can be as much as ten times higher.

In addition, a strong bait piece allows you to further bond with your prospects and customers and become known as a source of valuable information, not just another vendor asking them to buy, buy, buy. So you increase your credibility and gain additional trust and respect.

How to determine what bait "tastes best" to your prospects and customers

In order to get the greatest response to your bait piece, it should feature the kind of information that your prospects and customers find to be the most valuable.  While that might sound obvious, if you look at many of the white papers businesses are using in an attempt to generate more sales, most are self-serving and focus on topics that are of marginal interest to the majority of their target prospects or customers.

Why does this happen so frequently? Primarily because these bait pieces are little more than thinly disguised promotional pitches. But don't kid yourself. These days, people have very finely tuned "b.s. radar detectors". And they can smell a disguised sales pitch a mile away.

If you choose this approach for your bait piece, you're practically underwriting your own failure. Fortunately, there's a highly effective alternative and it's easy to create.  All it takes to create a riveting bait piece - based on those topics that are of the highest value to your prospects and customers - is to ask the following "ultimate bait piece" questions:

1. What is the single greatest problem the majority of my prospects and customers are experiencing right now?

2. What is the single most important goal the majority of my prospects and customers would like to achieve right now?

Pull out a sheet a paper for each question or open a document for each question. Write the question at the top and then list as many answers as possible for each of these "ultimate bait piece" questions.

Next, let them sit for a few hours or overnight and then review all of the answers you've listed. Pick the single most compelling answer from either list and you have the ideal topic for creating a powerful, compelling bait piece.

How to avoid strawberry shortcake disguised as real bait

One of the biggest mistakes I see companies making with their bait pieces is holding back. You see, when you use the "ultimate bait piece" questions to identify the most compelling topics, it may be tempting to avoid the best topics for fear of giving away too much valuable information. So instead of going with the best topic possible, you choose a secondary topic - but that secondary topic can't touch the ideal topic in terms of drawing power.

By holding back this way, you severely depress the response to your bait piece. And this takes a toll on increasing your sales.

The truth is, by focusing on the ideal topic and giving away far more than your prospects or customers would have expected, you don't kill your chances of doing further business at all. You actually increase it.

While this may seem counter intuitive to give so much away freely, what actually ends up happening is that your prospects and customers read or view your information, benefit from it substantially, and either consciously or unconsciously come to the conclusion, "Wow, if Joe is giving away this much for free, I can only imagine how great his stuff is that I'd have to pay for."

That type of conclusion can only lead to a greater number of sales!

What length should your bait piece be?

There really is no set length for a great bait piece. The guideline to use instead is, "How long must my bait piece be to deliver the value I've promised?"

Many years ago, when I was a freelance copywriter one of the most effective bait pieces I used was a 4-page report called, "The 'Heart Attack' Secret for Writing Great Headlines." Four pages was all it took to cover this topic in complete detail. And the report was so compelling that it was passed along many times by just about everyone who saw it, creating a strong viral buzz and blowing up the response.

On the other hand, the most successful bait piece I'm currently using is an ebook called "10-Minute Business Success", which features interviews with leading experts sharing short but powerful business building insights. That ebook currently clocks in at over 150 pages and because I regularly add more interviews with additional experts, the size will continue to grow.

So bottom line, the length of your bait piece is always determined by the space required to deliver the value you've promised your prospects and customers.

How your bait piece translates to actual sales

Generating actual sales with your bait piece couldn't be easier. At the end of your report, white paper or video, include a short "About Your Company" blurb. Give a bit of information about your company and the products or services you offer.

Follow that with a way for the prospect or customer to get more information on a specific product or service, such as, "To find out how to take five strokes off your golf game, be sure to check out our "Putting Skills" DVD by Jim Fenstermeister, three time putting champion. You can get all the details at ThisWebsite.com"

However, it's critical to keep this very low key. If you make a hard pitch, your prospect or customer is likely to feel tricked. And that's never good for business.

The moral of the story

You may not be able to catch fish by using strawberry shortcake as bait. But you can catch a lot of prospects and customers - and substantially increase your sales – by using the right bait piece.

Endless Referrals: The Go-Giver Way

Endless Referrals: The Go-Giver Way

THE 7 TIMELESS VIRTUES OF ENLIGHTENED LIVING

The fable shines light on these “7 Timeless Virtues of Enlightened Living”:

1.      Master Your Mind

2.      Follow Your Purpose

3.      Practice Kaizen (constant and never-ending improvement)

4.      Live with Discipline

5.      Respect Your Time

6.      Selflessly Serve Others

7.      Embrace the Present

INVEST IN YOURSELF

“Six hundred and seventy-two hours of inner work to profoundly improve every waking moment of the rest of your life is quite a bargain, don’t you think? Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.”

Brilliant.

Invest one month to truly LIVE the ideals you’re studying. Six hundred and seventy-two hours to affect the REST of your life and EVERYONE in it. Seems like a great investment to me. You?

So...To what do YOU need to commit a month? Is it getting up early? Making time for your kids? Making time for your self in the morning? A meditation practice? Working out? (All of the above? :)

You might say: “Ah, shucks. I’m just way too busy to invest time in this stuff.”

Where will I find the 15-30 minutes for meditation? The 30-60 minutes for exercise? The time for journaling? For scheduling my priorities into my days?

Robin likes to say that suggesting you’re too busy to slow down and invest in yourself is like saying you’re too busy driving to stop for gas. It makes no sense.

Your car needs to be re-filled with gas. YOU need to re-fill your soul with mojo.

So: Commit to living your ideals. One month. Rock it.

BLUEPRINTING

“All I’m saying is that to liberate the potential of your mind, body and soul, you must first expand your imagination. You see, things are always created twice: first in the workshop of the mind and then, and only then, in reality. I call this process ‘blueprinting’ because anything you create in your outer world began as a simple blueprint in your inner world.”

Blueprinting. Love that. Reminds me of Stephen Covey’s Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind.

As Sharma says, EVERYTHING is created twice: FIRST in your mind, then in your reality. Think about it: that place you live in? Check.

The computer you downloaded this on? The glass you drink your water from and the chair you’re sitting in? Check. Check. Check.

The challenge is that too often we spend all of our energy thinking about things we DON’T want and then we spend all the spare time thinking about and blueprinting our vacation so we can escape the stress!

Imagine gaining control of your mind, developing your imagination and ability to envision your ideal life, and blueprinting THAT into your consciousness then into your journal and then into your life.

And then DO IT! (For at least a month, please.)

THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS

We’ll get right to the point here: What do you truly love? And what % of your energy are you putting towards it?

I truly love

_________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________
I dedicate ____ % of my energy to doing what I truly love. How’s it looking? Do you know what you love?

If you do know what you love, how much of your energy are you investing in it? Do you need to take more risks and give yourself more fully to the world? What can you start doing NOW to invest more energy where it needs to go?

Remember Goethe who advised us: “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” (See my Notes on The 80/20 Principle for full chat.)

And Maslow who said: “What you CAN be, you MUST be.” AND: “If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you’ll be unhappy for the rest of your life.”

If you don’t know what you love, DISCOVERING it is your primary job. Figure it out. Passionately and joyfully seek to discover your Highest Calling. Read, journal, meditate, contemplate, discuss ideas, take a sabbatical. Whatever you need to do.

KNOW THYSELF. Know who you are, what you love, what you’re here to do.

And... DO IT!

So, what will happen when you put all your energy into that which you love?

Per Robin: “You will wake up every morning with a limitless reservoir of energy and enthusiasm. All your thoughts will be focused on your definite objective. You won’t have time to waste time. Valuable mental power will, therefore, not be wasted on trifling thoughts. You will automatically erase the worry habit and become far more effective and productive. Interestingly, you will also have a deep sense of inner harmony, as if you are somehow being guided to realize your mission. It is a wonderful feeling.”

So, get on that. (Pretty, please.)

Healing Your Heart

by David Simon, M.D.

We are all part of an infinite ocean of vitality, love, and joy. Yet when we’re caught in the turmoil of an agitated mind or heart, our access to that unbounded source is obscured. While it’s natural for our emotions to ebb and flow, if we are consistently feeling depleted, stuck, depressed, or even “comfortably” numb, then it’s very likely that we are holding onto something that is no longer serving us. We might be hanging onto a painful memory, a toxic relationship, or a negative belief that drains our life energy and prevents us from experiencing our inherent happiness.
The classical psychoanalytic description of depression is “anger turned inward.” Someone caused you pain but you were unable to express your feelings because the consequences of showing your hurt and anger seemed too great. A caregiver neglected or abused you but you feared that showing your distress would provoke further abuse. A lover betrayed you but you were afraid that setting an appropriate boundary would lead to abandonment. You tolerated your supervisor’s demeaning behavior because you were worried about losing your job. In all of these scenarios, you were unable to find an appropriate outlet for your legitimate emotions, so you most likely turned them against yourself.

Finding Emotional Freedom

Inherent within any problem is its own solution. By taking some time to tune into your inner wisdom, you will find the guidance that will help you release your stored emotional toxicity and rediscover happiness – even if you have been carrying your burden of pain for quite some time. Here is a simple but powerful process that you can use:

Tune into Your Inner Wisdom

Begin by taking a few minutes to quiet your mind, then ask the question What am I not dealing with in my life? Consider each of your important relationships and listen to the messages of comfort or discomfort your body is sending.
If the message is one of distress, ask yourself What do I need to do to reduce or eliminate this distress? The answer usually lies close to the surface and will rush into your conscious awareness simply by asking the question. For most non-nourishing relationships, you have three choices: change it, release it, or continue to suffer. Once you’ve made your choices conscious, it is much more difficult to choose to suffer.

Gain Clarity

The next question to ask yourself is What is preventing me from making the changes I know are necessary to restore my balance, energy, and joy? Listen to the responses that occur to you and be aware that this is the point at which excuses and rationalizations tend to come up. The voice of justification tends to use the word but – “I know I need to set clear boundaries with my neighbor but . . .” I would be better off ending this relationship, but . . .”
You can always find plenty of reasons to stay with the known rather than exploring the unknown, yet if your current choices aren’t bringing you happiness and fulfillment, it’s time to change your direction or accept the consequences. Envision the event lines that flow from the choices you’re considering. Remember that as the author of your life, if you don’t like the old script, you can write a new one.

Release and Forgive

Release the burdens that are constricting your heart. While you can’t change the past, you can reinterpret it and use what you’ve learned to move towards greater expansion. Stop torturing yourself with recriminations and resentments. Instead, begin forgiving anyone whose actions have created pain for you – including yourself.
As we’ve experienced at many of the Chopra Center’s emotional healing workshops, creating a release ritual can be profoundly beneficial. You can write a letter, draw a picture, or choose an old photo to serve as a container for the toxic feelings you are going to release. After expressing your emotions, tear up the object, burn it, or flush it down the toilet, consciously letting go of the noxious energy that has been limiting your happiness and creativity.
Feelings of pain and disconnection are warning signals from nature that something needs to change. If you fail to listen to the message that the pain is carrying, it will likely get more intense until you are forced to pay attention. I encourage you to listen carefully to the signals your inner being is sending and trust that your soul is guiding you to greater truth, wisdom, love, and peace.
With love,
David

Scientists find Gulf War veterans have chronic abnormal blood flow in brains

Scientists find Gulf War veterans have chronic abnormal blood flow in brains

Is there a place for your B2B (business to business) company in a social media world?

Recently, after I had sent out an email about our upcoming social media conference, I heard back from one of my contacts. He was curious to learn more about social media, but wondered if it offered any benefit for his B2B company. It's not the first time I've heard this concern.

I find this attitude surprising, in part because we're a B2B business ourselves. Soccer dads aren't hiring us to  design websites nor are NASCAR moms looking to get themselves  search engine optimized...unless they are doing so for their business.

We use social media every day to market our business and services. We post videos to our  YouTube channel, engage with fans on our Facebook page, and connect with other business people on LinkedIn.  

The entire flyte crew has Twitter accounts that we use to varying degrees, including one for flyte, and we do our best to keep our three blogs fresh: flyte blog, our web marketing blog , our  Maine SEO blog and our newest Florida SEO blog.

And I would argue this is not just for "geeky" industries like web design and Internet marketing; I see plenty of CPA firms, commercial real estate agents, and corporate event planners engaging with their customers on the social web.

So how do you create a social media campaign for a B2B company?

Each company is unique with its own products, services, audiences and goals. So, there's no one size fits all.

Some companies need to deal with the fact that their best customers aren't active on social media during the work day, or may even be prevented from visiting these sites by a corporate firewall. Other businesses are in a heavily regulated industry and need to tread carefully on how they engage with customers. Still others have products or services that have been traditionally sold in person (um, like books or shoes. I mean, who would buy those over the Internet?)

With that major caveat aside, here's how I'd start creating an effective, sustainable social media campaign for a B2B organization:

Content Creation
Some businesses will have difficulty reaching their target audience using social networking, at least for the time being. For those businesses I recommend focusing on education through content creation.

Your audience is most likely still using the web, searching for solutions to their problems. You should create blog posts and videos that address your ideal customer's biggest concerns. If you've been in business for long enough, you probably know many of the problems that already vex them. Start there. You should also invest in a  keyword analysis which will uncover other similar searches that your audience is Googling.

In reviewing flyte's YouTube statistics, 9 out of 10 of our most popular videos of all time include the phrase "How-To." What does your audience yearn to know how to do? Save money on corporate taxes? Plan a large company picnic? Comment on their Facebook business page as themselves? Then you need to start blogging and creating videos that answer these questions in order to get in front of them and grab their attention.

Social Networking  

While I think that B2B companies can use Facebook business pages to their advantage, I'd start with LinkedIn. In fact, I'd argue that LinkedIn is one of the most important online tools businesses can use for growth. (For more on LinkedIn, check out  LinkedIn Power Tips for Growing Your Network, an interview I did with Lewis Howes, published at FastCompany.com.)

Everyone in your office should be on LinkedIn with completed, compelling profiles. You should join groups and connect with people in your industry, your customers' industries, and your local community. Just answering a few questions in these groups in a non-salesy manner can generate leads and business for you. You should also check out the Answers section for another way to establish your credibility and connect with people who need your business's services.

And although not appropriate for every business, there are plenty of networking opportunities on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms. Many of our prospects cite Twitter as how they first discovered us. I once landed a job from an old friend after we reconnected on Facebook.

And don't underestimate the power of social networking to put a human face on your business. People like doing business with people they like, and an active social networking presence from you and your co-workers can help tip the scales in your favor when competing for a contract or getting a word-of-mouth recommendation.

I'm not arguing that any B2B company should put all their eggs in the social media basket. Advertising, direct mail, email marketing, SEO, pay-per-click advertising, webinars, and a good sales team are all important ingredients for success. However, adding social media to your marketing mix will pay huge dividends both now and in the future.

So, what are you waiting for?

If you'd like help developing a social media plan for your business, or a personal trainer for your social media marketing to help you stay with it, we can help. 

The ONE Thing You Should Focus On For Your Business

By Joe Polish

When I talk to people who are starting a business (or have a business), I get asked THIS question a lot...

"What Is The One Thing I Should Focus On To Build A Successful Business?"

Well, I wanted YOU to get my BEST ideas on building a business, so here's my thinking on building your business as if you were starting from scratch.

The first thing you should focus on is identifying what it is you know how to do that you have the ability to get paid for. In fact, ask yourself these 2 simple questions...

1. "What is the skill I know how to do, or what area of expertise do I have?"

2. "Who is the most likely group of people that would pay me for those particular skills?"

If you answer these 2 questions (and you ACT on your answers), it can change your financial future forever.

For example: In my particular case, when I cleaned carpets, the most likely thing was to sell carpet cleaning services. And the question became: "Who do I sell carpet cleaning services to? Who are the most likely people to purchase carpet cleaning services?"

If you're a consultant with knowledge of management, the question is: "Who is the most likely clientele or niche to avail themselves of my management skills?"

If you're really great at playing the guitar, the question is: "Who is the most likely person to hire me to teach guitar lessons (and how do I find them)?"

And if you're starting from square one...those are the exact types of questions I would (and did ask) when starting out.

Once you have a group of people who are paying you money for the thing you're offering that's valuable to them, you want to set it all up in an AUTOMATED way that supports your current (and desired) lifestyle. And the way to do that?

Create an ad.

Here's a great (and profitable) exercise for you:

Remember the person, group, or niche you identified that are most likely to pay you for your skills?

Create an ad or a sales letter that explains what you do and why it should be of interest to that person or group.

In fact, go ahead right now and put yourself in the mind of your prospect and ask yourself: "What would I, as a prospect, need to know in order to buy?"

For example, imagine someone was seeking out guitar lessons. What would they need to know in order to hire you? If you were a dentist, or a carpet cleaner, or even a consultant, what is it people are looking for and don't know that they don't know that YOU could educate them on?

The bottom line is that you want to create a way to educate people about your business. Now, some people might think they need a website. And yes, a website is useful...but only useful to the degree that it can communicate effectively what it is you're offering and why someone should hire you and do business with you.

What you want to put together is a fantastic educational communication piece about your business, service, or product ... and the key is:

You want to talk about it from the standpoint of what's in it for the person using it! Because the difference between Features and Benefits is that a Feature is what a service or product is or what it does. On the other hand, a Benefit is what it does for the person that is using it. (This is a key distinction in how you communicate what's in it for them.)

Look at what it's going to do for the person that you want to buy from you. If you can get that down it makes everything infinitely easier. If you at least have a sales letter or an ad that explains what it is you're offering, you have a starting point on then deciding what different forms of media to use whether you use a website, social media, advertising, word of mouth, television, radio, or public relations, just to name a few. You have to promote your business somehow. 

You now have your educational piece bringing in educated customers who understand the value you're offering to them (and, plus, they're giving you money). So now you want to sustain this business engine you've been building that can support your lifestyle, your family, the people you care about in your life and anything else that's important to you. The way to do that is to think about the relationship instead of transaction on a consistent basis.

You see, instead of selling something once, always look at how you can deliver what you sell to people over and over again. For example, instead of doing guitar lessons just once, ask yourself this question: "How can I sign someone up on a SERIES of guitar lessons?"

(And while you're doing that, set the stage for them to introduce other people to your business along the way so you're building a relationship instead of having a transaction. You want to build continuity instead of a singular sale.)

In fact, here's a great strategic question to ask yourself right now:

"If people get value from my business, how could I set this up so I have people thinking right from the get-go that I build and grow my business through the referrals of other people?"

Because here's the thing: It's better if you can break up the offering so you can have a continuous RELATIONSHIP with the people that can give you money over and over again instead of having just a single transaction.

Even if you're in the business of selling something like a car with a low frequency of purchase, automobile dealerships also have repair centers and service centers. Not only does it service the clients, it's another revenue center.

Listen, no matter what business you're in there are other services you can recommend to people and you can get paid referral fees.

For example, if you were a locksmith someone may only hire you when they lock the keys out of their car. So the best thing you could do with those people is to let them know about all the other additional services they could use so that you're positioned when they need you again. In fact, if they trust you, you could also recommend security systems or you could recommend a company that installs windows or you could recommend a company that installs fire alarms.

The action step for YOU is this: Think of other related products, people, and services you can recommend.

(Think about it: An interior designer has the ability to recommend lots of other businesses from house cleaners, to painters, to people that sell furniture, to carpet cleaners. Who could YOU recommend? And WHAT could you recommend?)

Always try to closely link what it is you sell to other services and products so you can maximize the relationship with your customers.

If you're in the information publishing or technology business, think about all the other services or relationships that you're aware of that would be of value to your clients and prospects. The same logic applies.

You know, the reason this is so important is because the most expensive cost in business for most people is Client Acquisition (also known as 'getting a customer'). And that's why out of ALL the things you can focus on in the beginning, one of the most important is AVOIDING expensive overhead.

Listen, do NOT go creating expensive overhead. Put your initial money into just getting clients. Why? Because the sales will support the growth of your business. Stay lean in the beginning. Don't go buying expensive furniture, don't lease buildings, don't buy expensive copy machines, unless it is absolutely, unequivocally necessary. Instead, rent or borrow things that are not critical to the success of your business.

What IS critical to the success of your business? Customers. The people that will buy what it is you're selling. You have to focus on communicating a great sales message to them. Once those people give you money the first time, you have to focus on having them give you money over and over and over again.

That's why when people buy from you, make sure you acknowledge them. Make sure you thank them and make sure you continually send them e-mail newsletters, videos, audios, blog posts, snail mail newsletters, and things like that. You're seeing it in action RIGHT NOW, the very same things I'm recommending you do with YOUR prospects and clients.

Focus on the RELATIONSHIP with your customers.

EDUCATE your customers.

BOND with your customers.

Let us know your success stories.

La Grange Gets Artsy this Weekend - La Grange, IL Patch

La Grange Gets Artsy this Weekend - La Grange, IL Patch

Rocktoberfest to feature trio of bands, brats, beer and bags - The Doings Hinsdale

Rocktoberfest to feature trio of bands, brats, beer and bags - The Doings Hinsdale

Passion Vacuum - The #1 Reason Sales Suck

Friday, September 2, 2011 at 4:34PM
Andy Horner

I observe salespeople. It's my job. I search for traits in those who are successful, then share them as improvement tips with those who struggle. The attribute that fuels success more than any other isn't work ethic, brains, charisma, product knowledge, or raw talent.
It's passion!
You need those other characteristics too. But passion is the X-factor. Its presence enables salespeople and business people to make big things happen. Customers come running. Trust is granted. Obstacles are overcome. Excitement explodes. Wallets open. Proposals are signed. Competitors scribble notes. Followers amass. Leadership is bestowed. Dreams are realized. Lives are fulfilled!
Passionate people don't sell. They listen. They share. They smile. They ask questions. They care. They vibrate with energy and radiate enthusiasm. They go the extra mile. They love what they do. They enjoy themselves. They see the bright side. They look for the best in people. They shake off bad news. They celebrate good news. They have fun. And when they do, people line up to buy!
Does this describe you?
Life. Soaking it in? Or is it being sucked from you?
Do you have a "Passion Vacuum?"
If so, you're not alone. Many others are right there with you. Empty. Tired. Bored. Frustrated. Painting on smiles. Wondering how they got here and wishing they were anywhere else.
It's time to fill the void with meaning, direction, vision, hope, and the passion that's been missing.

Read "5 Ways to Encourage Customers To Share Your Content" to learn how to:

1. Increase the Payoff When People Share More
2. Give Them Something Exclusive
3. Appeal to Their Altruism
4. Let Fans Help Create the Offer
5. Identify, Recognize and Reward Superfans

“Whatever your methods, find a way to incorporate a social element into every marketing campaign you run by finding compelling reasons for people to share. That’ll make every dollar you spend on marketing look like two.”

Dear Readers, Energy is the invisible fuel in our bodies that enables us to carry out the daily duties, processes and functions that result from our desires. It is stated that energy cannot be destroyed, however its form can be changed in order to achieve certain end results. Being positively minded, we should always be about achieving the picture perfect end result for whatever it is we are striving to achieve. It is energy that causes the seed to sprout, the flower to blossom, and the faded blooms to return to the soil to initiate the process all over again. Energy surrounds us and is imbedded within us, but the purpose of energy and its application is determined by us through the use of our free will. Our time is limited by design, and what projects we undertake in this lifetime require us to calculate how we will use our talents and gifts wisely. If we are to put concrete foundations under our castles in the sky, then we must begin to locate the cement, activate a cement mixer, and get the entire process underway - otherwise our castles remain figments of our imaginations, sons and daughters of our daydreams. Getting to the point, we must direct our limited energies to what we want to achieve and not dissipate them on things of no consequence. Time can be wasted in years, months, days or even seconds, and before long the sands in the hour glass have run out and we have nothing to show for the time we were given. Repetitive actions can only achieve the same results, so select actions that are worthy of your dedication of time, your most precious commodity. By focusing on what we want to achieve or do that will create a lasting impact, we are directing our energies to what is truly important to us. First you acquire the dream and then you work to bring that dream to reality through transmuting or directing otherwise wayward energies to the accomplishment of daily goals that enable you to move forward. You can't do this by whittling away your hours in bed, in front of the TV, socializing, or just dealing with life with a devil may care attitude. To achieve greatness, you must be ready to focus, specialize, and deliver the goods on a schedule that you create and master every single day. Nothing is more valuable than our time, and when that runs out all the wishing in the world won't bring back even a second more of living. So spend your time wisely, use it to express your personal talent on this planet, and leave a visible, lasting legacy for others to follow, that will insure your energies were well-used and well-spent. Our goal in the end to paraphrase Erma Bombeck is to return to our creator with every single talent and gift given at birth entirely used up and ready to be refilled with the Spirit from which we came. Be Your Very Best Always, Judy Williamson

Cross-media Marketing

Are your customers responding to your marketing? No one likes "talking just to hear themselves talk." The same goes for your marketing communications. AlphaGraphics can help you apply cross-media tactics to your marketing strategy, so your customers will listen, and respond. By integrating online elements like: Personalized URLs QR Codes ePublications Social media Websites

...into your printed collateral, you'll motivate your audience to travel from one medium to another-making it easier for them to talk back. Your customers will be excited to see what the next chapter holds, and you'll create a memorable experience that will make them think of you the next time they need to make a purchase. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics' cross-media marketing solutions can get your customers listening, contact Bill Neyen today at 708-482-4488 or by email at ag375@alphagraphics.com

To learn more about how AlphaGraphics can help with your marketing and printing services visit us at our website: www.us375.alphagraphics.com

Social is Sales Caffeine! Get Bold! « Social Media to Social Business

Social is Sales Caffeine! Get Bold! « Social Media to Social Business

The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook" ~ Julia Child

The Calorie-Burn Myth By Dr. Al Sears, MD   One of the worst myths I hear is that if you want to drop weight, you have to first cut calories. Actually, if you want to lose weight and one of the first thing you do is restrict calories, your body will fight you every step of the way, and you'll never see results. Your body is an intelligent system which is why I like to think of changing my body as a coaching job. Don't try to force it. Try to get it to cooperate. This means that the first thing is your body needs to lose weight is to be in a safe and plentiful environment. Not to be deprived.  Then, the natural metabolism we evolved with for thousands of years will begin rebuilding the naturally lean body you were designed to enjoy. I've spent over 25 years researching this topic, studying the science and history behind metabolism and weight gain and have been able to apply what I've learned at my clinic on both myself and thousands of my patients. I feel fortunate that my books and videos have helped thousands of people in the real world. Yet, I've been able to have a kind of success working individually with clients that I haven't always been able to get through books and DVDs. You see, the order you do things matters if you want to coach your body to make the changes you need to maintain your ideal body weight and shape. Doing things in order lets what you do first have its effect, and sets up the environment so that what you do next can benefit you more. Over time working with my clients in my clinic, teaching people what to do first, second, third and so on, has reinforced my theory about the benefit or sequencing. And, it turns out that sequencing is what addresses the underlying environmental issue very effectively. Go back to the "cutting calories first" myth as an example (this is the first time I've revealed this sequence to anyone but my clinic patients). Remember, I think of my approach as coaching my body? Now consider what effects the modern, Western diet has on your body. The modern diet mimics starvation, and teaches your body it needs to store fat. Up until now, you've been warned that you have to stick to this diet that mimics starvation. And the harder you try to follow this, the more your body is convinced that it needs to slow down metabolism, shut down repair, and store body fat. Every choice you were given in our Western diet has come from misinformation. Your entire life you've heard that steak and eggs are bad, and bread and cereal are good. That's a radical departure from thousands of years of humans eating. What's worse is that the newest directives from nutritionists and dieticians want you to depart even further from our native way of eating. Today, you're told that the healthiest things you can eat are nutritionally worthless and processed grains, corn and soy. The problem is, your body is designed to treat these foods as more evidence that you're starving. And when you're starving, your body thinks it has to store fat. To reverse this process, you have to show your body that its environment is stable and plentiful. (You see how this brings up the issue of doing things in the right sequence?) Then, your body will cooperate in your effort to become lean. In fact, it will take over, and you'll see how easy it becomes. Because your body is simply rebuilding its naturally lean and fit state. Notice how this has nothing to do with counting calories. If you take the typical American diet and you restrict calories, you convince your body that the problem has worsened. It then puts everything you have into storing fat. You'll direct all systems toward building fat at the expense of everything else. That's why restricting calories from the beginning will make you feel tired, and shut down repair functions, your antioxidant system, your immune system, and long term maintenance. You need to precede eating fewer calories by telling your body that the environment is good - that the hunting is good and that it doesn't need to store fat. So how do you convince your body that the environment is good? It's simple. Your body knows how to interpret macronutrient intake so it knows whether there is famine or feasting because of thousands of years of past evolutionary experience. So the most important thing you can do is increase your protein first. Because eating excess protein helps throw that metabolic switch and tell your body times are good. If you restrict calories after you've given your body excess protein, it interprets it differently because your body now knows that the environment is good. Remember the coaching analogy: You're leading your body to make the right "decision." Why would your body need fat if you're going to eat well tomorrow? Your body will then melt stored fat instead, so you can accomplish things like repair, long-term maintenance and immune surveillance. The second thing you need to do in order to return your body to the strong, lean-muscled state you were designed for is to change the way you exert yourself. Most people will do your typical boring "cardio" exercise routines, throw in a little weight training focusing on individual body parts, and grunt away with some crunches to help their "core." They think this does something useful for their body. Then they become frustrated because they're getting no results, and wonder where they went wrong. The problem here is the long-duration workouts like "aerobics" and cardiovascular endurance exercise. Your body was not designed to plod away slowly for hours at a time. In your native environment, that kind of exercise would have been the exception. It would send the signal that there's trouble... that you have to go very far from home because the environment isn't good. Long duration exercise sends the same signal to your body as the unnatural modern diet does: "Store more fat." Long periods of exercise like aerobics also make your body use fat as fuel. This reinforces that same message to store fat. And you can be sure that your body is going to store plenty so you have it for the next grueling "cardio" workout. What you need is the opposite. You have to get your body the message that what you need is not stored body fat. By working in sequence, you progressively increase the intensity of the challenge you give your body in small steps, teaching your body to rebuild itself. And, when you accelerate, or shorten the time it takes to reach that challenge, you coach your body to store energy in your muscles not fat.   This is where the sequence of not only what you do, but when you do it makes all the difference. That's why, at the same time you're signaling your body to dump fat by eating protein, you start to apply the concepts of progressivity and acceleration to your workouts.

One in Ten Mobile Users Redeem Coupons - eMarketer

One in Ten Mobile Users Redeem Coupons - eMarketer

low-cholesterol diets | Lower Cholesterol without Pills? Study Shows It's Possible | Rodale News

low-cholesterol diets | Lower Cholesterol without Pills? Study Shows It's Possible | Rodale News

The truth and profit behind your service.

  

I'm in Las Vegas, where nine of the ten largest hotels in the world reside. Each hotel competes against the other for huge contracts. Business meetings. Conventions. Super Bowl. New Year's Eve. High rollers.

Las Vegas is a one-of-a-kind destination.

Then the economy crashed. And everyone's business significantly dropped.

Slowly, the economy is rebounding and Las Vegas is experiencing a spurt in business. But the competition is still fierce.

So what are these big hotels doing about it? And the answer is pretty much nothing. Bidding wars. Price reductions. And other concessions are being made in order to differentiate themselves from one another and woo the big customers.

Each hotel offers amenities and attractions that are unbelievable. Broadway shows. Rock concerts. Prize fights. Great food. And accommodations, the likes of which you have never seen.

So what's the difference? I believe every hotel is overlooking THE difference. The difference is service - and the perception that someone cares - memorable service and service recovery.

REALITY: These big hotels have policies. They have to in order to deal with thousands of people every day. These big hotels have procedures. They have to in order to deal with thousands of people every day.

REALITY: There's a severe lack of friendliness. There's a severe lack of sincerity. There's a sincere lack of attitude.

REALITY: The employees take very little pride in serving. They're just "doin' their job for their pay."

So much for Las Vegas. Let's talk about you.

YOUR REALITY: If you employ people that sell, serve, and talk to customers on the phone or in person, the key to their success is their attitude, their desire, their friendliness, their sincerity, and their love of their job.

So, the first question any employee has to ask is: How do I feel about myself? If they don't feel good about who they are, the rest of their tasks will be executed somewhere between poor and mediocre. Their expressions, their interactions, and their casual talk will all be based on negative feelings.

Not good.

The answer is simple, but not simplistic. Every company (yours included) needs to change the way they look at training their people.

Most companies have training programs all about how to do a job and circumstances regarding the business (your business). There's zero about serving with pride, having a great attitude, and feeling good about themselves, first.

In order for your company to surge past your competitors and be perceived in your market (and by your customers) as the best, here are the 6.5 internal actions you must take starting now:

1. An ongoing positive attitude course. Something that each person perceives is for their life, not about their job.

2. A course in personal pride, and ongoing events to support it. Teach your people the difference in pride between owning and renting. Encourage them to take ownership. KEY IDEA: Recognition. Make certain that achievement and improvement is rewarded in public.

3. Benchmark "how to respond" to 25 specific situations. Write down the most common customer interactions and create (collaborate to uncover) "best responses" for each. Train these responses to everyone so that there is a common positive language.

4. Create specific empowerment. When you have finished the common language answers, empower every employee with these answers and other specific recovery options and actions they are allowed to take.

5. Establish a positive workplace environment. Replace old, worn out stuff. Fix broken stuff. Serve free food and drink. Celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Make your workplace positive so that your employees can be positive.

6. Total company involvement. Leadership must embrace the process and take the training too. This sets the example, and the environment.

6.5 The understanding that communication starts mentally. Create an awareness that each person holds the key to company morale - and that a positive atmosphere STARTS with positive thought.

BIG SECRET: For the past 20 years, I have espoused the philosophy and strategy of, "Tell me what you CAN do, not what you CAN'T do." This one strategy will change your responses from negative to positive.

I am willing to bet that your company could stand an injection of "positive." Go to www.gitomer.com and enter the words ATTITUDE STARTERS in the GitBit box for a few more ideas on what you can do right now.

Happy people create positive results and vice versa. Happy people create loyal customers and unlimited profit opportunities. How happy are your people? How positive are your people?

These are the five elements that make up a person of strong character. And I believe these characteristics work together - you must have all five.

Five Crucial Characteristics Every Employee Must Encompass

• Kindness - The quality of being warmhearted, considerate, compassionate , and sympathetic. This means being pleasant and tender and having a genuine concern for others.
• Honesty - A facet of moral character that denotes positive, virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness as well as the absence of lying, cheating, or theft.
• Integrity - When your actions are congruent and consistent with your values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcome.
• Urgency - Understanding that the task at hand is important and deserves immediate action.
• Passionate - An intense enthusiasm for or desire to engage in the work at hand.

I can look around at the men and women I am fortunate enough to call my colleagues, team members, and mentors, and 99% of them possess all five of these characteristics. If they don't, I usually don't give them my valuable time.

Remember - if you do not respect the person you are working with, their skill set is meaningless.

Now, you can look through hundreds of resumes without getting a good sense of whether a potential employee, partner, or vendor possess these characteristics. That's why I always recommend giving anyone you may work with the "Human Test."

Have a brief phone call with a candidate first. Then, bring him or her in for a meet and greet. You can talk about the position and your industry and get a sense of which of the above characteristics your candidate possesses. I also always recommend a trial period - a few weeks or months during which you can see how well you work together and take note of that person's true character.

Just remember that a strong character is more important than any other quality a potential employee, partner, or vendor can have. If you surround yourself with people who have strength of character - built around the five elements I mentioned above - you will always feel confident that your business is moving in the right direction.