Here are 3 quick ways to get your busienss  “out there”

By the way- how does free sound to you?

right- thought so!

1. Press releases- when the editor learns you have a story, or something newsworthy- you get free press.

2. Social Networking- LinkedIn, Digg , Twitter YouTube etc. more for free. If you currently are on LinkedIn, let’s connect!

3. Stand out- become known in your field- write articles and submit them to online article directories. They can be picked up and read by a whole new audience – all for  f.r.e.e.

and for free- you can email me for resources on any of the above- free is good!

cathy@coachingwithcathy.com

believing – we do it at a conscious level

and we do it at a sub conscious level

Is one canceling out the other? Let me ask you this;

Do you believe you have what people are looking for?  Do you believe you solve their problem with your product or service?

If you answered yes at a conscious level and yet at a sub conscious level you don’t really believe it yourself, you are canceling out your thoughts. How can you attract new business?

To change all that, you must believe at all levels that you have what it takes.  To boost your own self confidence remember your successes. This  allows customers and prospects to pick up on your vibe.

Dr.Wayne Dyers words come to mind

“what you are seeking is seeking you”

Make the phone your friend -

Practice your telephone techniques, because Mom always said “practice makes perfect”!

Ever wonder what you sound like on the phone? I’ll bet you have never thought of that, and yet the phone is one our most powerful tools in business. If you can’t be face to face to someone, then the way we communicate over the phone is the next best thing. Communicating over the telephone has the ability to make a big impact, that is; has the power to make or break your first impression with a prospect. Or worse yet, really put off a customer.

If you could record yourself in a conversation, you may be surprised how many times you hear yourself say things like, uh-huh, but, ya-but, yup, yeah… and so on.  How many times do you start a sentence that you don’t finish, or this one: ask a question, and trail off with the word “or” at the end of it?

How is your pitch as you speak to people – are you clear, are you upbeat? You don’t want to come across as a wet rag,  do you?

7  Tips for the Telly:

1.Be conscious of putting a smile on your face as you answer the phone! Think people can ‘hear that smile’? you bet! Project that smile right to your caller. To remind yourself, do as I have done, and actually draw a happy face and stick it on your phone- cracks me up ever time I answer my phone- and… I’m smiling!

2. Decide to catch yourself saying the um’s and yeah buts, and choose your words well instead.

3. Take a deep breath as you begin to speak  so you can fully finish the sentence properly.

4. Laughter is ok, as well as a great ice breaker- learn to be yourself on the phone

5. Put life into your voice- use energy, have the caller enjoy what and how you respond to them. They will feel heard.

6. No Go on the Mono-tones – did you just come back from a funeral?? Make an effort to use inflection to keep the conversation interesting. Ever have a conversation with a person who sounded dull & dreary – if you are the customer, you almost feel that your call is an interruption and can’t wait for it to end!

7. End your call with a grateful expression – thank your caller very much for calling- make it heartfelt…with a  smile!

The greatest salespeople in the world  have the best techniques on the phone- is it any wonder they succeed?

…now off you go- make your smiley face 

No man, or woman, for that matter is an island!

Ever heard of the term “6 Degrees of Separation“? It is said this theory (also referred to as the “Human Web”) refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person they know and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people they know, then everyone is at most six steps away from any other person on Earth.

However I may have stumbled upon something here. I think it may be down to a mere ” 2 Degrees of Separation”! Imagine that? I was seeing countless folks on other peoples’ profiles, that are in my network too. And in terms of your circle of influence that surrounds each of us  in business, what could  that mean to you?

Several days ago, I received an email from a colleague, stating he’d noticed my profile on LinkedIn. He inquired as to getting  connected to each others’ site. I said sure! It got me thinking… I have to admit, up until now, some of the Social Media sites out there have ‘not called me to action’… yet perhaps. And so it is with LinkedIn.  I poked around the site a bit more, and began to think of people I could do a search for, and if they had a profile “invite them”. It got to be rather fun, and my group has grown quite quickly, too.

Here’s where it can grow some more… if I have somehow  missed seeing your profile on  LinkedIn, a Professional Business Directory , then please drop me an email, and let’s connect.

If you have been thinking of getting a profile up- and don’t know  “how to”, email me, and I will be happy to chat with you about how to go forward.

Getting business is not the first purpose of having a visible presence- it is more the networking aspect-as in what can I help you with ? For instance one of my Connections, Janice Porter, passed along to me an awesome blog site to read all about LinkedIn when I mentioned to her, I really was rather green in terms of knowing how to utilize LinkedIn. I must say that was very helpful to say the least- thanks Janice!

LinkedIn is free to become a memebr. Care to join me?

I Need to be Cheaper Than My Competition

Not necessarily- please refer to Myth # 1

With all your relationship building you do, your customers are more likely to be so loyal to you, price doesn’t matter. They have an experience with you- that is something you can’t put a price on.

In a nutshell: it’s all about feelings, perceived value, and unique experiences you offer to make your customers happy enough to stay.

Take hairdressers for example- I’ll bet you know ladies who drive an hour and a half to still be with their favorite hairdresser- and if she or he puts the price up- they gladly pay it!! Nice! why? They perceive a value while doing business along with an unique experience  and want to keep that going by remaining loyal.

See all your customers or clients as life long. Go the extra mile- they’ll stay!

Reward them with cards of appreciation. You’ll see magic in simple acknowledgment. When you truly acknowledge a person  for who they are, (not trying to toot your own horn)  they feel good. For a simple effective on line card greeting card service, I use SendOutCards. This makes it a snap to always have a card ready  when you feel prompted to send a heart felt card.

Tip;

if you have a Birthday Club in your client data base, and you take the time to send a birthday card- please drop the urge to pop your business card in it- or worse yet make a remark something about ‘you love referrals’-!! come on- it’s THEIR birthday.

It’s all about them, so it’s ok to drop the branding for today.

Don’t Expect Results Overnight!

Gee, and how does that fall in line with Law of Attraction thinking? Not in the least actually.

Here’s what I know to be true:

Have the expectation   ‘the best is occurring right now’!

I also have learned that we need to test any forms of advertising we do. And yet, even in the testing we can expect the best!  Why set yourself up for something  so negative as Don’t Expect Results Overnight? Do your homework and put your name out there in the right places.  For instance the Yellow Pages are a thing of the past for many, not all,  businesses today. Yet they really work for others- so do your homework, it’s best not to assume.

… then expect the best and allow it to manifest