How A Strong Brand Identity Helps Overcome Customer Reluctance

How A Strong Brand Identity Helps Overcome Customer Reluctance
How important is it for small and mid-size businesses to
have a strong brand identity and why?

Very important! To see why, let's look at the typical way
that a one-person business starts up.

Many small businesses, especially one-person businesses,
don't see the point in investing the time, work and money
in creating a brand identity. After all, they're very good
at whatever it is that they do, and they should be able to
make more than "just a living" by simply putting up a
website, being themselves, and delivering a high-quality
service, right?

Unfortunately, it doesn't usually work out that smoothly.
And that's because of customer reluctance.

What Is Customer Reluctance?

Most of the one-person businesses that I work with are
service businesses. They charge a fair amount for their
services - an hourly or project amount that allows them to
pay the rent/mortgage, to put gas in their car (which is
not a laughing matter in today's economy in the United
States!), to eat and have fancy coffees, etc. Which means
that when a customer wants to work with them, it usually
means that they have to hand over a not-inconsequential
pile of money.

Many people are just plain reluctant to hand this amount of
money over to a person they've just met - no matter how
nice their suit is, or how well their resume reads. They
may have had a bad interaction with someone who "took the
money and ran" in their past, or with vendors who behaved
less than professionally.

How To Counteract This Reluctance

Designing and using a brand identity - a logo, marketing
materials and website - can help to counteract this
reluctance.

Your brand's main job is to act as the face of your
business. What this means is that instead of you being the
main focus when your customers go to pay you, the brand
takes some of the weight off your shoulders. Instead of
giving their pile of hard-earned money to "Sue", they make
their check out to "Trust-Worthy Consulting, LLC". And,
your brand identity gives them another visual connection to
make with your business aside from your face. This is a lot
easier for many customers to deal with.

A brand also has many trust-building characteristics - by
having business materials that look professional, you're
basically reassuring your potential customers that you're
not planning to take their money and run off. In other
words, a brand identity makes your business look
established and stable, and less risky to do business with.

----------------------------------------------------
Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big
visibility for small businesses. As the owner of elf
design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stand
out in front of their competition and attract more clients.
Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will help
you with your brand definition - the most important step in
the logo design process.
http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html

Is there a Future in Working at Home When You Have Children?

Is there a Future in Working at Home When You Have Children?
Many people these days are either working at home or
contemplating leaving their jobs in order to do so.
Additionally, many stay-at-home moms are seeking at-home
work to earn extra income to help with household expenses,
or to provide for the family's future, either for
retirement or for their kids' education. If you are
thinking of seeking at-home work or even starting a home
business so you can spend more time with your kids, beware-
working at home can be a dicey proposition. However, by
planning ahead following some simple guidelines, it is
possible to do work from your home with children in the
house.

The first rule of working at home is, make a schedule and
stick to it. If your children are older, they will
understand that Mommy (or Daddy) needs them to be quiet
during certain scheduled hours. It is helpful to have
designated breaks when you can spend time with your kids.
If the kids are school-aged, plan to do your work while
they are in school. If they are younger, you may seek your
future employment with a company that allows home workers
to schedule evening hours, when your spouse can be at home
to watch them.

The second rule is, have a designated work area. It can be
a spare room, a corner of a bedroom or even the dining room
table. Just make sure your children know that when Mommy
(or Daddy) is in the "office", they are not to disturb you
unless there is an emergency. This is especially important
when your work-at-home job or business requires you to be
on the phone a lot. Having a noisy child in the background
is unprofessional, and can jeopardize your future
employment, or ruin relations with potential customers or
clients.

The third rule of work-at-home employment is, distract the
children. If they are quiet types who can entertain
themselves, you may want to give them their own "office"- a
small desk or table with toys, crayons and paper, or, if
the child is old enough, a second computer so that they can
"work" with Mommy or Daddy. You may even have older kids
help out with some of the simpler tasks. If this is not
feasible, try to arrange for older neighborhood children to
come over and play in an area away from your home office.
You may have to resort to hiring a sitter. If your finances
do not permit this, you can connect with other stay-at-home
or work-at-home parents and start a babysitting pool.
Keeping your children quiet and out of the way is vital to
your future as an at-home worker.

Working at home when you have children can be tricky, but
if you follow these guidelines, it can be done. If you are
planning to seek at-home work in the near future, make sure
you prepare in advance. A consistent schedule, a designated
work area, and activities to keep your kids busy while you
work will help to keep your family happy and allow your
work time to be more productive.

----------------------------------------------------
http://www.Trade4Net.com/blog/
http://www.Trade4net.com/wpblog/
http://www.ioannismitrou.blogspot.com

7 Tips to Speed Your Long-Distance Job Search

7 Tips to Speed Your Long-Distance Job Search
Looking for work long distance can be challenging! These
seven tips for effective long-distance job searching will
help.

Tip #1: Looking for work can be difficult. Looking for work
long-distance is even tougher! Fortunately, the Internet
makes long-distance job searching easier than it has ever
been before. Using a job search engine is a great way to
find and apply for job openings in the geographic area of
interest. Job search engines like Monster can usually be
searched by state or zip code.

There are also many websites dedicated to job openings in a
particular locale. A well-constructed Google search should
find many of these sites for you. You can also find leads
for good sites to use in your search through various
directory sites. For example, here is a directory listing
of job search sites categorized by state:
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/statejobslist/Jobs_by_State_Li
st.htm

Tip #2: Modify your resume to avoid looking like an
outsider or to give the impression that it would be costly
or time-consuming for a company to move you. If you have
not yet moved, and your resume still includes a phone
number and address from your current home, your resume will
almost always be overlooked for an equally qualified local
candidate. When you are targeting a particular geographic
area, it is often in your best interest to list a local
telephone number on your resume. A very affordable way to
do this is to sign up for one of the many VoIP telephone
services and request a number that will be local in the
area you are moving.

There are also various mailbox and mail forwarding services
that will allow you to use an address in the local area to
which you are moving, before you actually move there. With
a quick Google search, I even found services that will scan
and email your postal mail to you, no matter where you are
in the world. You may also want to remove the locations of
the companies you have worked for from the resume. Just
list the company name, your job title, and the dates of
your employment to further reduce any red flags that may be
raised due to your current location.

Tip #3: Be proactive. Locate and proactively target the
companies in the area that interest you. You should
certainly post your resume on sites like Monster.com, but
don't rely on this technique. It is far too passive.
Proactively go after the companies that interest you rather
than waiting for them to find you. Try contacting the
Chamber of Commerce in the area where you will be moving.
They are often an invaluable source of information about
companies in the area. Here is a directory of Chambers
through the U.S.
http://www.uschamber.com/chambers/directory/default.htm The
Verizon Yellow Pages is another great source for finding
local businesses that you may want to target:
http://yellowpages.superpages.com/ Once you have a list of
companies that interest you, research each thoroughly and
begin networking to get a referral to each.

Tip #4: Subscribe to and read local newspapers. You can
also read many newspapers online:
http://www.newspaperlinks.com/home.cfm. Besides giving you
an insider's view on the local area and the business
climate, and giving you a great source of information on
local job openings (the classifieds) reading the local
newspapers can give you leads on companies you may want to
contact or individuals you should be networking with.

Tip #5: Connections will make all the difference! It can be
a daunting prospect to network long distance, particularly
in an area where you know few people. But, don't let that
stop you! Ask everyone you know for names and introductions
to people in the area where you are moving. Networking
sites like http://www.linkedin.com are another great way to
solicit introductions and make connections. Shift from a
strategy of sending out resumes to an all-out effort to
network and conduct information interviews with people at
target companies. Plan a trip to the area and line up a
series of informational interviews while you are there. Ask
for information, not jobs. Your goal with networking is to
gather information, get introductions, and make
connections. Networking is the single most effective job
search technique and this definitely holds true in a
long-distance job search as well.

Tip #6: If you have already moved or are especially anxious
to move and need some income immediately, working
temporarily as a consultant at a company while you job hunt
is a good way to make money, make connections in the local
area, and prove your worth. If you have the luxury of
taking your time in your job search, you may want to
consider doing some volunteer work in the community you
have moved to. This is another excellent way to establish
the connections you will need to network your way to your
next job.

Tip #7: Use a salary calculator to understand the
cost-of-living differences. You should be familiar with
salaries in the area in which you are looking for work and
be aware of how cost-of-living differences might impact
your salary negotiations.

----------------------------------------------------
Nationally certified resume writer and career marketing
expert, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive
Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com

Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of 101
Before-and-After Resume Examples
http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com

11 Free and Low Cost Marketing Strategies to Turn Around a Cash-Strapped Business

11 Free and Low Cost Marketing Strategies to Turn Around a Cash-Strapped Business
This past weekend I received a disturbing message from a
dear friend. His business wasn't generating all the income
he needed. He's exhausted all savings, started depleting
credit card reserves and badly needed money to pay this
month's mortgage... Ouch! I wish I knew sooner...

Whether it's pride or just human nature that keeps
professionals from asking for help sooner, it's just plain
silly to keep "toughing it out" when there are so many
strategies for generating new business fast. You see, there
is really no shortage of new business; there is only a
shortage of knowledge how to get this business. So if you
are one of those professional folks who could use a few
hundred bucks to help out with this month's mortgage, here
are a few strategies to get your business buzzing with new
customers or clients:

1. Get on the phone! Pick up the phone and call everyone
you know. Contact all clients, prospects, friends and
family. Make sure they all know what you do, who you are
looking for as a client, and how to "give you away."

2. Get out and meet people! Sitting in the office,
shuffling paperwork and piddling around with emails will
not take you far enough fast enough. You need to be talking
to people who can buy your product or service. Set a goal
of how many people you want to see in person every day and
find ways to meet that goal!

3. Stop competing and start leveraging! Instead of being
mad at your competitors for stealing all your business,
approach them and offer to help out. At times we all get
projects that are too big, too small, or too "whatever" for
us to take on. Contact your competitors and ask if they
would be willing to outsource their "too whatever" jobs to
you - so that you can both make some dough. (Yeah, I know,
it sounds like eating some humble bread -- but hey, I think
it beats living under a bridge.)

4. Ask for referrals! You should be doing this anyway. Have
a conversation with all clients (past and current) and help
them think of people they can introduce you to right away.
Oh, and don't forget -- just because a prospect says "no,"
it doesn't mean he or she doesn't know someone who would
gladly say "yes."

5. Crank up your follow-up! Do you have a stack of cards
from people who turned you down once before? Maybe it's
time to resurrect them. Reach out to your "old" prospects -
even if you previously gave up on them. Give them a call,
send them a postcard or an article, and give them a special
reason to say "yes" now!

6. Forgive your ex-clients! Frequently ex-clients realize
they made a mistake by getting involved with another vendor
-- but they are too embarrassed to admit it. Give them a
way to gracefully come back to you and many will do it.

7. Catch a COI! Form an alliance with Centers of Influence
who can introduce to a large number of prospects at once
and give you instant credibility. Well thought out and
carefully executed strategic alliances with COI can infuse
your business with all the new sales you can handle.

8. Educate, educate, educate! Regardless of what business
you are in, you can always find things your clients and
prospects would appreciate learning from you. How-to tips,
informative case studies, industry reports -- those are all
great tools that can easily attract prospects hungry for
your "stuff."

9. Start thinking strategically! If you are having trouble
attracting enough new business, the marketing tactics above
should help you get things hopping, but to achieve a
long-term sustainable success you'll need to address your
marketing on a strategic level. Identify or re-evaluate
your ideal target market, clearly describe the benefits
your product or service provides, create a compelling
marketing message, re-evaluate your business model and
re-define your methods of delivering your product or
service, etc., etc.

10. Stop getting and start giving! When you are in the "how
I can GET a client" mode, you are focused on you -- and
that doesn't make you very attractive. Shift your thinking
to "how I can GIVE clients more VALUE" and you'll become an
irresistible client magnet!

11. GET HELP! When you are in the midst of a demanding
situation, you cannot always have the clarity needed to
creating solutions. Collaborate with a successful
associate, start your own board of advisors or a mastermind
group, or hire a marketing mentor to pull you out of the
quicksand. Remember, when time and money count -- you can't
afford the expensive "trial and error" learning curve!

Oh, and one final thought -- now that you are done reading
- get busy implementing!

----------------------------------------------------
The author, Adam Urbanski, teaches service professionals
and business owners how to develop better marketing
strategies to increase sales and profits. His website
offers more how-to articles and free tips to create a
winning marketing action plan at
http://www.themarketingmentors.com

The Attitude that Attracts Global Clients

The Attitude that Attracts Global Clients
About a year ago, I made an important discovery. I realized
I could organize my life, my business, and my income at any
level I wanted. In other words, I realized I could earn the
money I wanted to earn, working with the ideal clients I
wanted throughout the world, for however long I wanted, or
not. I realized I alone had total and absolute control over
this business I created. I discovered I didn't have to do
all the work, but instead I had choices that would help me
lead it all.

And, it all began with an attitude to determine where I
wanted to attract clients. This attitude had to recognize
the full spectrum of my life as an entrepreneur, wife and
mother of a toddler. I had to have a conversation with
myself, that went something like: Kim, what do you want?
Geographic expansion outside of Michigan? More clients?
More money? More time for myself and my family, without
sacrificing revenue? More acknowledgement? More sleep?

I had to build an ideal vision of success in my mind, that
took into consideration a lot more than just money. You
see, I chose to have more fun with my family. I made time
to get back massages. I chose to enjoy the clients that I
work with as they reach towards higher levels of success. I
wanted an office, where I could experience joy and freedom.
I was determined to experience a lot more out of my every
day, then just making money globally. And, I suspect that
you and I have the same goals.

Want to know the recent trend that I've noticed in
attitudes? So many self-employed professionals that I work
with deny themselves the pleasure that comes from building
their business strategy around what they really want:
having fun, having purpose, working when they feel the most
energized. They haven't uncovered their personal "why".
And, the best part is, when all these personal "why"
factors come together, they can multiply the levels of
success and fulfillment within your business.

I'm totally convinced that when you answer the "why" behind
your attitude, you'll find that you're being the best
person you could possibly be to your local and global
clients. So, let's do a little searching shall we?

- Why do you believe that your company deserves to succeed
locally or globally?

- Why do you choose to work with foreign nationals?

- Why do you believe in your ability to help other people?

- Why do you choose to be the best at what you do?

You and I both know that it takes more than just exporting
strategies to succeed in a global marketplace. You need to
understand your personal "why" and you need to understand
cultural values. You need to understand how to build
high-trust relationships with other cultures so that you
not only get the first sale. But all future sales.

----------------------------------------------------
Kim Schott, your Global Client Communication Mentor, is the
author of the Keys to Client Communication System™,
the step-by-step, paint by numbers client communication
program help self-employed service professionals to attract
more clients in less time. To receive your weekly how-to
articles on consistently attracting more local and global
clients in less time, visit
http://www.SchottCulturalConsulting.com

Home Based Business Opportunities

Home Based Business Opportunities
Are you looking for some business opportunities where you
can work from home? There are actually a great deal of
business opportunities available to you. However, you must
start looking and find out what is out there. Believe it or
not you have some skills that you can turn into a business.
You simply need to sit down and brainstorm what skills you
have and what companies might need this skill. The
following are a couple areas where people are able to take
skills they have and turn them into business opportunities
for themselves!

Translation

Do you speak more than one language? In this day and age
many people speak at least two languages if not more. If
you speak more than one language fluently then you will
find no end to the need for your translation services. With
more and more companies trying to market to the entire
world they are in need of having their websites translated
into multiple languages, their marketing content, and much
more. As a result, if you are fluent in several languages
you will find you can easily work from home translating
various documents, websites, and the like, and command a
great rate of pay as well as make your own work hours.

If you are interested in translating you need to market
yourself. Consider advertising on websites like Craigslist
and forums, create a website of your own, and before long
you will find people are using your services and
recommending you to others!

Telemarketer

With VoIP becoming so popular many people are able to work
as telemarketers right from the comfort of their own homes.
There are many business opportunities available where
telemarketing is concerned and all you need to do is have a
computer, high speed Internet connection, and a headset. As
long as you have these items then you will be able to make
and receive phone calls. You can find business
opportunities in this area if you simply search the web.
Once you find some openings simply apply for them and see
what happens! More than likely you can work from home and
enjoy doing so.

Blogger

If you like to write then you can easily blog from home.
There are many blogging business opportunities out there,
but you can also blog for yourself and sell advertising and
reviews on your site. As long as your blog has a high PR
ranking there are many other websites willing to pay good
money for a short review and link on your blog. You can
make good money working from home blogging and be in total
control of your life and schedule.

You certainly have some skills you can use to work from
home. You just need to begin searching for business
opportunities that are in need of your skills and then you
will be all set. Take your time and focus on what you want
to do and what you are qualified to do. In time you will
find the perfect work from home opportunity for you.

----------------------------------------------------
To learn more about home based business opportunities and
how you can become successful in the home business
industry, please visit our website at
http://www.homebasedbusinesst.com to learn more how you can
start today with a work from home job!

Relocating To Thailand? Tips On Choosing A Real Estate Agent.

Relocating To Thailand? Tips On Choosing A Real Estate Agent.
Having relocated hundreds of expatriates to Bangkok,
Thailand, I've discovered that majority of them do not know
what to expect or know how the property rentals market
works here. The good news is, it's a renters market. How so?

1) The agency commission is paid by the landlord. Aren't we
off to a good start already?

2) There are hundreds of real estate agencies to choose
from in Bangkok alone and the number is growing by the day.

3) Real estate agents offer their services for free, so you
can engage as many agents as you want!

4) As an expat, you pay the same rental rates as a Thai
national. In fact, majority of landlords prefer an expat
tenant and go the extra mile (sometimes) to get you to sign
on the dotted line.

Now that you know all that, here's what you wouldn't
normally know unless you are an agent here in Bangkok!

In Thailand, anyone can be an agent! There is no governing
body or an association (with authority) that regulates the
activities of agents in Thailand. Walk into a bar and tell
someone, anyone that you are looking for an apartment, and
chances are there'll be a "freelance agent" somewhere in
the midst to help you out. I don't think there is any real
harm in that as long as they don't ask you to pay them for
their services, but you may be limited to inferior housing
options since these are not professionals who can show you
an array of places that best suit your needs or budget.
That said, I do occasionally hear of some lucky fellow who
found a great deal through a friend's friend who happened
to be a "part time agent." You'll realize in time that
anything is possible in Thailand!

Here's how I see it. A real estate agent's job is pretty
much like a match maker's. He/She needs to match you to the
"right" property, and preferably within 8 selected options.
I don't know about you, but I do not believe in seeing
every property available in order to make a decision. 6 - 8
well selected choices seen within a day or two, is much
more gratifying than spending days stuck in the infamous
Bangkok jams trying to hit the 25th property-viewed mark.
Fact is, people don't usually have an array of favorites to
choose from (since not all the best ones will be available
at one time) and I don't think there is a "perfect"
apartment or house when it comes to renting. You'd be lucky
to have 2 top choices to choose from, but most of us
usually settle for the place that feels most like home in a
foreign country.

The other thing you should know before you line up a dozen
agents for your showing is that all agencies have access to
the same apartment buildings. Condo and house listings may
vary from agency to agency but landlords often contact more
than one agency to promote their property so nothing is
exclusive to an agency here. Or should I say, rarely. Just
surf around and you'll find similar properties listed on
multiple agency websites. Thus, arrange your viewing with
one agency at a time. That way, if you feel that your
appointed agent does not understand your needs, switch
agency but tell them what you have already seen with your
previous agent. It is only fair that only one agent
represents you for each property. Bangkok is a small town,
and many agencies practice co-broking to provide as many
choices for their clients as possible, so your name will
get around, especially if you've been agency shopping.

Another thing I've encountered is that some companies have
what they call a "preferred agent" which they strongly
encourage their expatriate executives to use. More often
than not, these are agencies with relations in the HR
department who may understand what HR wants but not
necessarily what you want! What you and I call "Western
standard" can be a totally different concept to some of
them, so be sure to explain your requirements and needs to
your appointed agent as thoroughly as possible to avoid
wasting your time. You have the right to choose whichever
agency that best understands your needs. You'd usually find
that agents not appointed by your company tend to try a lot
harder than these "preferred agents" because they don't
think you are obliged to use them. They work very hard to
make sure you choose them over your company's preferred
agent!

There are also many real estate agencies in Bangkok that
are run by foreigners and these are generally where the
majority of expats go to. It makes a whole lot of
difference when you have an agent who understands your
needs, and knows exactly what you mean when you say "I want
something spacious, modern and bright" versus trawling
around day after day going from one cruddy apartment to
another thinking "there has to be better choices than these
in Bangkok!"

All apartments and agencies have pretty standard contracts.
Should you decide on an apartment, they will provide their
own contract, whilst the agency will prepare the contract
for private owners i.e. condos and houses. Multinational
companies usually require a diplomatic clause, and if your
company is paying your deposit, then they would also
require an additional clause that states that this deposit
will be returned to the company at the end of the lease
term. All of which may be added to the lease, and it's your
agent that needs to sort this out between your company and
the apartment/landlord. It's utter nonsense when someone
tells you to use a particular agent because they comply
with the company's policies. It's just a matter of working
out what each party requires in the lease agreement, which
I believe is the same all around the world and any
experienced agent should be able to do that.

Thailand is a great place to live and Bangkok, in
particular has many superb housing choices for expats that
are reasonably priced compared to neighboring countries
i.e. Singapore and Hong Kong. Choose an agent who takes the
time to understand your needs and house hunting becomes a
fun and exciting experience! Feel free to drop me an email
should you have queries.

----------------------------------------------------
Maddy Barber helps hundreds of expats relocate to Bangkok
every year and writes regularly about living and working in
Thailand. Read more about Thailand real estate, travel and
living at:
http://www.bangkokfinder.com/blog/
If you are visiting or thinking of moving to Thailand,
start by searching hundreds of property listings at:
http://www.bangkokfinder.com

Are You Too Making a $100M Mistake?

Are You Too Making a $100M Mistake?
I was speaking with a major market research firm that in
the not too-distant past had scuttled an eagerly
anticipated new practice area, claiming that there wasn't a
market for the new practice and associated research. Yet,
a few years later, their biggest competitor has a huge,
booming practice in the same area! The competitor's most
widely-read analyst in the entire firm is (you guessed it!)
writing exclusively about the same practice area that was
scuttled. For the competitor, this is the largest practice
area, generates the greatest volume of reports, and the
greatest revenue. Clearly, their competitor has made a
very successful business in the same market that was deemed
unprofitable and unfit for entry. How could one firm fail
when a fierce competitor succeeds?

From a business perspective it may make sense to scuttle a
project when sales are lackluster and the new product or
service simply isn't gaining traction. Yet, in this case
and with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and a competitive
outlook, this was exactly the wrong decision. How could
this research firm have made a different (and more
profitable) choice?

In talking with executives, the problems were three-fold.
First, their initial foray into the marketplace was too
general and didn't address specific needs of their customer
base. They didn't spend the time up-front to understand
their customer base well enough and delivered a product
that didn't provide sufficient, immediate and practical
value. Second was a marketing issue. Because this was a
new product, targeted to a different role within existing
customers, marketing should've better equipped their sales
team with the ability to identify the right buyers within
accounts and the right messages to effectively convey the
value of the new product. Third was a sales execution
issue. Because the sales team was uncomfortable and
ill-prepared they gave up prematurely saying, "We can't
figure out who owns this function in the company and so
can't sell this."

This may have been a $100M opportunity that the company
scuttled, whereas if they had spent a bit more time
up-front to find out who & how many will actually buy the
new product and what specifically these prospective buyers
were looking for, they could've avoided this disaster and
saved a huge amount of money.

There are two lessons to be learned from this sad story:
You need to clearly identify prospective purchasers and
spend time with them to clearly understand how your
product/services address Customer Purchase Drivers™.
As I've written elsewhere, customers base their purchase
decisions on the attributes of a product or service that
enable them to do four things:
1. Make more money
2. Reduce costs
3. Mitigate risks
4. Satisfy an emotional need

Only by understanding these Customer Purchase
Drivers™ can you develop products and services that
are guaranteed to be successful in the marketplace. Only
by spending time with customers beforehand can you avoid
making a $100M mistake.

----------------------------------------------------
Curtis N. Bingham, President of The Predictive Consulting
Group, helps organizations dramatically increase customer
acquisition, retention, & profitability. For more
information about his new Customer Experience Audit,
Customer Strategy, or Chief Customer Officers, visit his
website at http://www.predictiveconsulting.com or his blog
at http://www.curtisbingham.com .

Switch On Your Marketing Innovation Machine

Switch On Your Marketing Innovation Machine
The question I posed to the room full of financial advisors
was "What new ways have you used in your marketing in the
past twelve months?" I was really eager to hear the
answers, and for other people in the room to hear and learn
from the suggestions as well.

As I took answers from the people around the room I saw
that one of the participants, Michael, had a self-satisfied
grin on his face. I thought to myself "Great! He must have
a good example to share."

You can imagine my surprise when he said, "I've been at
this thirty years. Frankly I've tried everything without
predictable results and there is nothing else worth
trying." He really meant it. When I asked for details, he
listed approaches he'd used years ago and never tried again
since.

Sitting across the table was a new financial planner, Dave,
who proceeded to list four things he's doing to market his
business...and each is getting him results right now,
building his business.

I could list those four approaches for you but that's
actually not the point. The point is the difference in
attitude and the steps Dave is actively using are producing
his results.

As I probed further, I unmasked the fact that Michael took
a scatter shot approach to his marketing and didn't stick
with any approach long enough to get real results. Dave on
the other hand was persistent in moving his new ideas
systematically through the four steps of innovation that I
teach my clients to use.

These four steps both drive new activities through from
first idea to completion, and also provide checkpoints that
ensure you won't get stuck along the way. It works for
marketing a new entree or your professional services.

Step 1 "Create" a new approach

Some people are brilliant innovators. They see the pieces
of new ideas and can assemble them into new approaches with
ease. Very often, though, people keep 'working the new
idea' trying to assure themselves they've got it perfectly
designed before putting it into action.

If you're like Michael, you tend to have new ideas, yet
never move them forward. Ask yourself if you clearly see
the new 'thinking' that is involved, and the new 'action'
that is required. When you can see both of those aspects of
your idea, move on to step two.

Step 2 "Advance" the idea with others

Having a new idea isn't enough. At times, we become
enamored with our own ideas and certain the rest of the
world will love them. We need to get a 'dose of reality' by
actually sharing the idea with others to get their opinion
of it.

The quickest way to do this is to use a board of advisors,
friends, clients or colleagues, as your sounding board.
Present the idea and take down every single compliment and
suggestion they have. It's key to test it in the real world
to see if it resonates with the market you're trying to go
after. Then use step three.

Step 3 "Refine" your idea

All too often independent professionals go from "idea" to
"done." It works for a while so they think that's all that
was needed. Over time results fall off and they classify
the effort as 'been there, done that, doesn't work' and
drop it permanently.

Even if your advisors say "It's great!" and a couple of
clients do as well, you're not done yet. You need to match
your "thinking" to your buyer's thinking. AND you need to
match the "action" you'll take to the way your buyers want
to be approached.

Your goal is to create new activities that reach the most
people with the greatest efficiency. Take every one of the
suggestions you received, and fine-tune your planned
approach. Now you're ready for step four.

Step 4 "Execute" your idea systematically

Using your new approach successfully once is not enough. To
build your business with new marketing activities, you need
to implement a step-by-step process to use it over and over
again.

Dave is getting High Payoff results because he's learned
that a good marketing idea needs a good plan of action.
Dave's plan consists of calendaring the time needed to
accomplish his marketing activity on a regular basis,
investing the resources needed to get it done, delegating
all the pieces that would distract him from focusing on
what he's best at, tracking the results, and repeating the
steps over and over again.

What new marketing idea will you be taking through these
steps?

----------------------------------------------------
Management expert, consultant, and coach Linda Feinholz is
"Your High payoff Catalyst." Linda publishes the free
weekly newsletter The Spark! to subscribers world-wide and
delivers targeted solutions, practical skills and simple
ways to build your business. If you're ready to focus on
your High Payoff activities, accelerate your results and
have more fun at it, get your FREE tips like these visit
her site at http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com

Help Your Employees Build Their "Confidence Muscles"

Help Your Employees Build Their "Confidence Muscles"
Have you found when managing your employees that they bring
different levels of self-confidence to their work? We know
that the more confidence an individual possesses the more
efficient and productive they can be in meeting their
goals. If you view your role in managing employees as a
mutual working relationship, then you would want to be part
of nourishing their confidence.

I would suggest the following important points to use as a
guide in providing support and guidance in increasing your
employees "confidence muscles."

-Listen for your employee's current level of confidence as
it may change given the specific project they are working
on. Each person brings their personal beliefs about their
capabilities to the job. As you monitor their level of
performance, you can observe how they handle different
situations. In managing employees, you have so many
opportunities to be part of their success.

-Accentuate the Positive - If there is one booster that
increases an employee's confidence it's focusing on their
knowledge, skills or past contributions. Managing
employees by their strengths build their confidence and in
turn, adds more to the overall success of the department.
Encourage your employees to acknowledge their contributions
to the team. Try to use the 80-20 rule...spend 80% of your
time with an employee addressing their strengths and 20%
helping them handle any issues that are hampering their
performance. Why...because you receive the most value from
their strengths.

-Set clear direction and expectations around performance so
your team members know what is expected. The clearer they
are about what they need to do, the more confident they
will be in implementing their work.

-Train - give employees the chance to succeed by providing
training. Even if you hire talent with experience, they
still need to learn.

-Plan - help your employees create and stay focused on
their goals. Their planning skills should cover yearly,
quarterly, monthly and daily. Each day they need to stay
focus on what is important and not get swayed by
interruptions and reactivity.

-Proactive - encourage your team members to be active in
increasing their level of confidence. Some ways are to
take on new projects, reading business or industry
information, and CDs or lectures on self-confidence.

-Recognition - take the time to recognize an employee who
has done excellent work. This spot acknowledgement adds
to the employee's confidence and they will continue to
perform. Don't assume they know that their work was
great...tell them.

-Encourage your employees to take risks...either by making
suggestions or trying something different.

-Follow up on a regular basis with your employees. It
would be great if you could meet monthly, but at least on a
quarterly basis.

==>Final Thought

Start the whole process over by listening. Your ability to
listen will boost your own level of confidence as well as
the confidence of your employees.

----------------------------------------------------
Pat Brill is the author of the blog "Managing Employees"
http://www.ManagingEmployees.net . You can reach her at
pat@TheInfoCrowd.com.

Discover New Pathways to Your Rewarding Career as a Financial Advisor.

Discover New Pathways to Your Rewarding Career as a Financial Advisor.
With 77 Million Baby Boomers contemplating retirement, the
employment outlook for personal financial advisors is
excellent! With this massive generation being, for the most
part, unprepared for maintaining their lifestyle, many are
looking for the assistance of a financial advisor.

Significant income potential, prestige, career security,
and personal satisfaction are among the reported benefits
for those seeking this career opportunity.

There are two separate pathways that lead to becoming a
successful financial advisor. One is a more difficult trail
with obstacles along the way. It begins with an MBA degree
in personal finance or economics followed by intensive
study for one or more NASD examinations to become a
registered representative.

Then, in order to launch your career as what was known as a
stock broker, you'll need to seek employment selling
securities for a wire house, broker/dealer, or insurance
company. Despite significant competition and regulatory
compliance oversight, you'll build your "assets under
management" in order to satisfy your employer and/or
qualify for assistance with expensive advanced
certifications.

Another path is not nearly as long, difficult, or stressful
but just as rewarding.

For the Boomer, a fifty-something with the life expectancy
of a Galapagos sea turtle but with less than two years of
income saved for retirement, it's no longer about
accumulating a portfolio of assets. It's about the other
three quadrants of his or her balance sheet which have gone
largely ignored.

1. How to get the most sustainable lifetime income from the
existing portfolio of assets.

2. How to eliminate hidden and/or and unnecessary expenses.

3. How to eliminate all debt before retirement.

A true financial advisor should address these areas of
concern and, to do so doesn't require a life changing
career experience. There are new and innovative financial
products and services which effectively address these
issues, but are not securities and are not regulated by the
NASD and SEC.

If you're contemplating a lucrative and rewarding career as
a Financial Advisor, Here are some tips to help you down
that path.

1. Be independent. No one financial entity that has all of
the right solutions to all of the financial problems out
there. As an Independent Financial Advisor, you'll have the
freedom to choose the best financial products and services
from a variety of carriers.

2. Be independent but don't walk the path alone. You need a
system. Join an Independent Marketing Organization. They
will, in exchange for an override commission from the
carriers, provide turn-key systems including advisor
training, product access, provider contracts, and
assistance with licensing, marketing, and regulatory
compliance. Many have spent years developing effective and
predictable systems to support their network of advisors.

3. Build a professional referral network. Your clients will
seek advice on a range of financial subjects including real
estate, taxes, insurance, legal contracts, mortgage and
consumer finance. Team up with some qualified specialists
in your vicinity. Refer your clients to them and they will
refer their clients to you.

4. Don't worry about your sales skills. Many successful
advisors are numbers people and couldn't sell snow cones in
Death Valley. It's all about positioning. The model of all
successful business is the same. There is a problem. There
is a solution. When the solution to the problem goes
through you, you have value and the public will seek that
value.

5. Don't talk about yourself or your business. Focus on
your prospect/client and ask the right questions. How do
you feel about ....? What do you plan to do about ......?
If there was a way to ......, would you .....? By asking
questions you uncover needs, remove resistance, create
interest, establish credibility and rapport, and gain
control.

6. Stay in touch with your prospects, clients, and referral
partners. Set up an email system to keep them informed of
the latest developments in your industry.

7. Test the water, first. Some new advisors run into
difficulty because they get excited and spend too much
money before they start making money. Keep your start-up
expenses under $500. The worst case scenario should be that
you didn't make a career out of it but got a very
inexpensive financial education.

We are at the brink of the largest wealth transfer in
history. There is a tremendous need for qualified financial
advisors to lead this history making generation down the
path to financial security. Those that choose this path
will discover a career that offers an abundance of personal
satisfaction as well as significant income potential.

----------------------------------------------------
David Haslett is Senior National Marketing Director of
Freedom Equity Group. Want to learn more about this
lucrative and rewarding career opportunity as a Financial
Advisor? Want to know the inside secrets of Million Dollar
Financial Advisors? Request now by clicking
http://www.YourFinancialAdvisorCareer.net