Pop Quiz: Is a beautiful smile an investment or an expense? (Don’t call your accountant on this one.)

I heard about a dentist who was very excited about his purchase of equipment that cost $100,000. He explained that this equipment would generate over $1 million in profit in five year’s time. He correctly characterized this purchase as an investment rather than an expense. Plus, he wisely used his bank’s money to purchase the machinery rather than tie up his practice’s cash.

Do you have a Dream?

It is fine to admit it, most business owners go through the entire year without a real clear picture of the goals they have for their business. Just running through the paces, week after week, without a clue whether they are ahead or behind. I think the reason most business owners do this is because if they never commit to a specific goal, then they can not be disappointed when they miss it. It keeps them from feeling worse about their lack of a real plan to succeed.

Get rid of the butterflies and generate applause

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial. But too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:

• Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use personal stories and conversational language, that way you won’t easily forget what to say.

• Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary.

Strategize to find a specific target market

A question I get asked by many people is what is the most important factor when it comes to marketing my business? Is it my unique selling proposition (USP), the offer I provide, or even how impressive my marketing materials look?

Actually it is none of these and the answer is quite simple. It is targeting the market you are aiming to sell your products or services to. When businesses hear this, the usual answer is that “everybody or anyone can use my product or service”. Although they are correct, they are not realizing one important thing. Everybody buys from your business for a different reason, so how do you expect to appeal to all of your potential customers at the same time?

Make your prospects happy with better Bullet Points

What is a piece of copywriting without bullet points?

Bullet points are the magic little lists of lines that sit to the right of a “bullet point” that sum up the benefits and features of the offer you are presenting.

Bullets work because they:

• get attention
• break up the text
• are easy to read
• give the reader the “meat”

Surround yourself with a network of competent professionals and add more value to your client relationships. Joining referral networks like BNI or local chamber groups can be a great way to help you network and generate referrals. The most powerful way to use this strategy, however, is to grow your own.

Almost any business can benefit from having a group of trusted providers effectively marketing your business like a referral sales force. When you build your own private referral network your business benefits in two very powerful ways: you experience an increase in leads and you have additional resource to bring to your client relationships. In some cases, this second benefit may produce the greatest long-term impact of this approach.

Shake on it

“You had me at hello.” Every seller dreams of hearing those exact same words when they approach decision makers.

Unfortunately, the opposite usually occurs. Instead of capturing their prospect’s attention, most sellers create resistance with their opening remarks and blow the opportunity.

Why do bad things like that happen to good people? In short, weak value propositions.

If you are running into trouble getting the attention of decision makers, most likely the root cause is your failure to clearly articulate the business outcomes that customers realize from using your products, services or solutions.

How do you connect with partners?

Any small business owner should know that networking with other small businesses can actually be very productive. After all, networking can lead to methods, with which you can help each other out in the long run.

For example, if one business owner happens to be a merchandising expert, and another happens to be savvy in search engine optimization, you can get all the help you might need for your own business from them. Plus, it is a known fact that small businesses always fall flat when competing against bigger businesses out there. So, thanks to proper business networking, you can actually have a better chance against the bigger competition now.

 

Let us be part of your team

Are you interested in knowing ahead of time how you might benefit from a coaching relationship? Check out the list below. The items listed below are just some of the reported benefits shared with us by individuals and groups actively participating in coaching relationships.

Awesome Increases and Bodacious Improvements in . . .

1. Clarity - Drawing clearer distinctions regarding present connections, situations and future directions
2. Direction - Seeing the possibilities and knowing which path is best
3. Focus - Concentrating on what’s truly important in business, in people and in life

Is your Value Guaranteed?

Do you know what your Value Proposition is exactly? You must know it and be able to deliver it each and every day to add VALUE for our clients and customers.

So, what IS your Value Proposition? Many will say something like “Excellent Customer Service”, or “Exceptional Products and Service”. Others will suggest it has something to do with their reputation or their long standing history of excellent performance. I believe it must be stated in terms of a FEELING that they get when they do business with you.