Ready, Set, Go! 2016 Has Started, Are You Ready?

| January 26, 2016

I came across an article by a business broker that seemed to echo my theme when I do the first of the year Summit. Here’s how he starts out;

“Every January we all think about making resolutions such as: Losing weight, taking a vacation, moving our residence or even better relationships.

  • How about thinking about a Business Resolution for 2016?
  • If money were no object, what could you do to improve your business?
  • If you had a “not so good year”, what was the reason?
  • If you had a “great year”, what did you do to get there?

Can you … Read More

What’s it Going to Take?

| December 29, 2015

dream bigAs we prepare for the New Year, I challenged my Mind Master members to either add to their Dream List or begin one. Each step in our growth, whether business or life requires choices. If you don’t have a Dream List how can you begin to set goals and stay focused? I remember a client years ago, he owned a Real Estate business and chose to work with me because the previous year he had reached his goal by mid-year and did not achieve anything else the rest of the year. He neither had a dream list or even a … Read More

How to Build Confidence

| November 24, 2015

confidenceWorking with entrepreneurs and small business owners I hear a lot of resistance to sales. Or more specifically that they are sales men/women. In order to be successful in sales, (since we all are essentially in sales) we must approach every selling situation with the right attitude. But what is the “right” attitude? An attitude is a mental disposition toward events, people, or situations that controls behavior.

Being consciously aware of your attitudes can prepare you in advance of any need. And that means you have a choice or as Viktor Frankl puts it, “Everything can be taken from a … Read More

Trust Changes Everything

| October 29, 2015

speed-of-trustHaving just finished the book, The Speed of Trust – The One thing that Changes Everything, by Steven M. R. Covey, I presented some of the ideas to our Mind Masters Groups as we build our “brand” by building trust.

People do business with people they like.  So business is based on relationships.  The relationship matters as much as the service – maybe even more.  When people like you, they trust you and want to work with you.

What we are talking about here is that customers buy from people not corporations.  So to succeed you need to promote yourself … Read More

Your Money Experience

| September 29, 2015

moneyBy the time you flip the calendar to October, there will be 92 days left in 2015. It is re-evaluation time, especially in the financial area of your business.  Final taxes are due (did you wait this long?) The time is now for assessing your financial needs for next year.

Running a business is expensive, and controlling costs should be a constant priority. Simply start paying very close attention to where the dollars go, and use your wisdom and your accountant’s advice to make smarter decisions about what’s working and what’s not.

  • With your budget in hand: Analyze your short-term,
… Read More

Reinvent Your Strategy

| August 25, 2015

KarlIs your business doing well?

Do you have your finger on the “pulse” of your market? What does it take to dominate a market? Let’s look at Southwest Airlines. Although it took years of fighting the competition in court, it also fought it in the domain of ideas. It flies from small local airports, has lower fares, they offer peak and off peak pricing, and opened the market back in the 70’s to a whole new market of passengers (people who could not previously afford to fly).
I might suggest that in this fast paced world of the 21st Century … Read More

Innovation: The Magic Behind Disney’s Sales Success

| July 28, 2015

Although most of us are not aiming at a global market, the ideas in this article are great reminders of what it takes to add and keep customers.

By Michelle Caspole MCaspole@assessmentspecialists.com

Mickey Mouse and Disney’s successful ventures are known worldwide. Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, said “I went to Bali, and I was in a small village, and somebody who was with me showed a woman a little figurine of Bart and asked: ‘Do you know who this is?’ And she said: ‘Mickey Mouse.’” That’s just how strong the Disney brand is.

Maurice Sendak, author of Where the … Read More

How Does Branding Differ from Sales and Marketing?

| June 30, 2015

Sales is convincing, overcoming objections, and getting a check. You’re doing the talking.

Marketing is the process of generating leads that get you in front of those prospects.

Branding is influencing, pre-selling. Branding appeals to desires and touches emotions. Its first goal: to emotionally predispose consumers into entering a business relationship with you.
Today, we live in a skeptical culture – a culture that doesn’t want to be sold anything. When your branding is done correctly, the sale is made virtually without effort. Prospects arrive “pre-sold.”

Branding doesn’t happen right out of the box. As your own marketer you have … Read More

Inside the World of Larny Mack, Corporate Story Teller

| May 27, 2015

 

This post is dedicated to Larny Mack, Photographer Extraordinaire. Larny joined the North County Mind Masters group in 1999, his last meeting was May 14th, 2015. His dedication and consistent focus on each of the members of the group kept us knowing he had our backs. Even as he went through chemotherapy over the last 8 months he showed up every week. This article was written several years back by one of our former members, it will help you see the impact he had.

By H. Skip Weitzen, author Hypergrowth

I have often wondered how ad agencies and marketing … Read More

Get Customers to Talk for You

| April 28, 2015

eyeIf you had to guess, what percentage of people are visually oriented: that is, they need to see something before buying it – you know they need to drive a car, feel the material of a suit/dress or preview a house before purchasing it? More than 95% of people are visual consumers. So how do you a service provider create this opportunity?

Why not start with a testimonial from a client who has had a very positive experience working with you? How many times have you heard, “I don’t know how to thank you”? That is the perfect time to … Read More