Are you good at dealing with change? You’re not? I’ll make you feel better. The number one reason companies hire me is to help their teams deal with change…because a merger or acquisition is disruptive. A change in management is disruptive. Too often, team members don’t know what their jobs are anymore…or even if they still have a job.
In this How to start a small business series, I’ve talked about cash flow management, how to find your customers, and today I’ll describe how to KEEP your customers coming back. It’s one thing to do clever marketing to attract customers but you want to sustain your business so you need return customers Here’s the First tip.
You want to start a small business but you don’t want to blow your life savings doing it. Good. I want to talk to those of you who are dying to start your own business…but you’ve heard that 50% of all small businesses fail within five years.
Are you an OK…but not a great negotiator when it comes to making a business deal? I can help you learn How to Negotiate a purchase whether it’s real estate…another business…or better terms on an existing deal…how do you get what you want?
Do you get intimidated when you have to make a pitch to the Big Client? This week I want to talk to you about overcoming the feeling of being intimidated when you’ve finally landed a meeting with that major client. You want a sale but you don’t want to look – or sound stupid. Lets say you’re trying to convince a BIG retail chain or a major distributor to do business with you.
Ah I know what you want. You want Instant credibility with your clients and customers. Today, I want to talk about how you can achieve instant credibility…even in a business where you have no experience or track record. I was at the Natl. Portable Storage conference this week and I met an enterprising woman I’ll call Emily.
I want to talk about people who were on top of the world…but got knocked down hard…and THEN came back stronger than ever. Today, I have a bounce–back story of resilience that will surprise you..and hopefully inspire you. I should tell you I’m doing this story from my room at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas – where I just interviewed actor and activist Alec Baldwin. We talked for an hour, in front of 2,300 people.
Are you insecure about an area of your life? Are you trying to keep your insecurity a secret? I might have some insight for you. This week I want to talk about your insecurities…and more specifically how to “manage” them. The fact is, you might not fully conquer your fear of not being smart enough, not skinny enough, not wealthy enough, or not talented enough. However, I would argue that regardless of what YOU think are your shortcomings, you can still be an inspiring leader or parent. I can say that because I’ve met a lot of successful people…with low self-esteem.
Does your brand have a strong enough “story” that your product or service sells itself? A strong brand story stirs emotions in people…gives people a compelling reason to buy. And the story has to be simple and powerful enough so that you can’t wait to repeat the story to your friends. If a brand causes you to “feel something” there is a good chance you will become an UNPAID salesperson for the brand.
You know how we’ve been told, “Never Judge a Book by Its cover? Well THAT’s wrong and I’ll tell you why. Sometimes a book or product doesn’t sell because you haven’t communicated the purpose well enough. It’s marketing that I want to talk about today. How do you get people to pay attention to YOU. First, what you sell has to be in high demand…and quickly communicated. I love old newspaper ads that get to the point. Headache? Instant Cure.