About Me
- Waltmorey
- Pinellas Park, Florida, United States
- I founded Core Business Solutions with the goal of helping business owners improve operating results, add value, and recapture the energy and passion that was present when the business was new. We also have the expertise to assist start-up companies create the foundational structure needed to provide the best opportunity for the business to grow and prosper in uncertain economic times. Our goal is to help the business entrepreneur/owner, through mentoring and coaching, develop or enhance managerial skills while providing that independent and objective advice and expertise usually provided by a board of directors.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Develop Great Customer Relations
5:12 PM | 
Posted by
Waltmorey
We've all heard this axiom: Information is power. This is also a key to building effective customer relations, because if you really know your customers you can give them the service and respect they deserve. But unless you have a photographic memory (or not many clients), you will not be able to discover and track everything there is to know about your clients. Here are a few ideas that will help.
A- Gather demographic info.
Information such as gender, age, marital status, hobbies, income, business type, and even location can all be important details you use to create targeted communications and offers that wow your customers. If you don't already have this information, you can gather it using questionnaires your customers complete as you work with them or through database appending services such as Dunn & Bradstreet.
B- Track customer data and behaviors.
There is no way you can remember everything about your customers without a good system for keeping track of customer info. A good customer database or customer relationship management (CRM) system will allow you to track demographics, interests, past purchases, behaviors, and more. There are many options for CRM software such as Prophet which can be used with MS Outlook, OnContact which can be used either as a hosted solution on an 'on-premises' product and many others such as Goldmine, SugarCRM, Netsuite and an old favorite ACT, to name just a few. Last count there were over 20 CRM software choices and growing all the time.
C- Conduct a survey.
Send out a survey by email to help you gather valuable data from your clients both current and past. You can discover their interests, how they feel about your service, what products they may be searching for, and much more. This information will help you address individual needs and also give you a "big picture" look of how your clientele feels about you and your company. However, be prepared, you may get some answers you are not expecting. Especially from customers who may have left you for a competitor. It's all about the questions you ask.
D- Listen to your customers.
The best way to develop better relationships with your customers is to solicit their feedback. If your clients are local, you can host a live customer appreciation event, whereas if you have a larger list of customers, you can hold a virtual event, social media gathering, or other creative avenue to interact with customers.
E- Respond to your customers needs.
When you know your clients and then provide products and services to meet their current and future needs, they will respond with loyalty. And if you're really good developing strong customer relations, you'll get referrals from your customers as well. Now, how about that?
F- Keep in touch.
Lastly, be sure to use a method to stay in touch with your customers, both new and old. Develop a newsletter that can be posted on Facebook and other Social Media platforms or delivered by email or even "snail mail". You'd be amazed the attention and interest a well-crafted newsletter about 'what's new' in your company and other useful information can get you.
Better Customer Relations Management can help you grow your business.
I hope this blog post was useful for you. In a few weeks I'll post another item to help business owners work 'on' their business.
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you have to get off your bottom."
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
"Remember, to get your business to the top, you have to get off your bottom."
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
Labels:
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Three Key Elements to Make Your Offer Irresistible
As a customer, you’ve no doubt received many sales pitches from companies trying to sell you something and I'll bet the vast majority of which you ignore, tune-out, or reject outright. But when the tables are turned, and you are the one making the proposal, there are three key elements that will make your offer more compelling. These three components make-up what’s known as your Unique Selling Proposition or “USP”. This is one of the simple tips I share for converting prospects into buyers. Whether you’re making your proposal in person, through a brochure, or on your website, you’ll have more impact by including these three elements…
1-Translate Features into Benefits
Sales often get bogged down in detail when a product or service is overly-described in terms of features rather than benefits. A feature is a physical characteristic of or a fact about a product or service. A benefit is what that feature does for the user. For example, a feature of an automatic garage door opener is when you push a button; the garage door goes up or down. A benefit is since you no longer have to get out of your car and be exposed to the weather; you save time, possible back injury, and maybe even reduce dry cleaning bills.
In your proposal, be sure to translate your product or service features into benefits. Here’s an easy way. Briefly mention the feature, then use these six magic words: “What that means to you is…” Then describe the benefit. Translating features into benefits helps potential buyers fully appreciate the value that you provide.
2-Describe your Difference
Chances are, there are other suppliers of your kinds of products or services so it’s important for customers to know what makes you unique. Rather than trying to explain what you do better than your competition, instead describe what makes you different.
That takes you to the third element of crafting your unique selling proposition…
3-Prove it!
Provide facts, statistics, examples, and testimonials that verify your claims. If your evidence is in the form of a client testimonial, be sure to include the client’s full name and company. Otherwise, the ‘fact’ looks like fiction. Obtaining customer endorsements is easy when you do good work. Simply ask for permission from your happy customers to feature their comments. Most people are flattered and will happily consent. be sure to take this one step further and add video testimonials to your website. The power of a simple well-done video cannot be over-stated.
Now-Finish with "What’s Next"
If your proposal is in writing; be clear about the next step. Tell the customer what you want them to do; visit your website, phone you, stop in, sign the 'OK' form or the agreement. This Call To Action (CTA) is the natural progression and your prospect expects it. Do not disappoint...Ask for the order!
If appropriate, also explain what they’ll gain by doing this sooner rather than later thus creating a sense of urgency. Perhaps there’s a limited supply, or the offer ends at a certain date. You can also outline options for implementing. I don’t recommend however, getting too detailed with implementation plans at this phase. Better to do that after the customer decides they want to move to the next step.
There are lots of other pieces of information you can include proposal. Certainly, your knowledge of your customers’ circumstances and challenges is a good place to start. Just make sure that when you get into the substance of your proposal that you add the three elements of the USP or Unique Selling Proposition. Chances are you’ll address a lot of the buyers’ unexpressed objections, make them more comfortable doing business with you and close more sales easier and faster.
I hope this blog post was useful for you. In a few weeks I'll post another item to help business owners work 'on' their business.
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
Enter your content here
1-Translate Features into Benefits
Sales often get bogged down in detail when a product or service is overly-described in terms of features rather than benefits. A feature is a physical characteristic of or a fact about a product or service. A benefit is what that feature does for the user. For example, a feature of an automatic garage door opener is when you push a button; the garage door goes up or down. A benefit is since you no longer have to get out of your car and be exposed to the weather; you save time, possible back injury, and maybe even reduce dry cleaning bills.
In your proposal, be sure to translate your product or service features into benefits. Here’s an easy way. Briefly mention the feature, then use these six magic words: “What that means to you is…” Then describe the benefit. Translating features into benefits helps potential buyers fully appreciate the value that you provide.
2-Describe your Difference
Chances are, there are other suppliers of your kinds of products or services so it’s important for customers to know what makes you unique. Rather than trying to explain what you do better than your competition, instead describe what makes you different.
That takes you to the third element of crafting your unique selling proposition…
3-Prove it!
Provide facts, statistics, examples, and testimonials that verify your claims. If your evidence is in the form of a client testimonial, be sure to include the client’s full name and company. Otherwise, the ‘fact’ looks like fiction. Obtaining customer endorsements is easy when you do good work. Simply ask for permission from your happy customers to feature their comments. Most people are flattered and will happily consent. be sure to take this one step further and add video testimonials to your website. The power of a simple well-done video cannot be over-stated.
Now-Finish with "What’s Next"
If your proposal is in writing; be clear about the next step. Tell the customer what you want them to do; visit your website, phone you, stop in, sign the 'OK' form or the agreement. This Call To Action (CTA) is the natural progression and your prospect expects it. Do not disappoint...Ask for the order!
If appropriate, also explain what they’ll gain by doing this sooner rather than later thus creating a sense of urgency. Perhaps there’s a limited supply, or the offer ends at a certain date. You can also outline options for implementing. I don’t recommend however, getting too detailed with implementation plans at this phase. Better to do that after the customer decides they want to move to the next step.
There are lots of other pieces of information you can include proposal. Certainly, your knowledge of your customers’ circumstances and challenges is a good place to start. Just make sure that when you get into the substance of your proposal that you add the three elements of the USP or Unique Selling Proposition. Chances are you’ll address a lot of the buyers’ unexpressed objections, make them more comfortable doing business with you and close more sales easier and faster.
I hope this blog post was useful for you. In a few weeks I'll post another item to help business owners work 'on' their business.
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
Enter your content here
Friday, May 27, 2011
How To Handle A Difficult Discussion
Whether it involves talking with your teen about sex or drugs, your spouse about finances or housework, or your employee about attendance or performance issues, the prospect of initiating a difficult
discussion is daunting to many, if not most, people. Mix in the tendency to procrastinate tackling unpleasant tasks, then feeling guilty about putting something so important off, and you can wind up feeling even more miserable and anxious about the impending conversation. You might even lose sleep over it.
Initiating such a discussion doesn't have to be nearly so painful. With the proper mindset and some preparation, you can learn to handle even the most difficult topic with ease and confidence. The following tips will enable you to do just that.
1. Realize that by having the discussion, your goal is to benefit others as well as yourself. Whether or
not he shows it, your teen will most likely appreciate that you care enough to talk to him about things that concern or matter to you. In the case of the employee with the performance issue, he/she will have an opportunity to correct or improve on it, or face consequences. In either event, the other members on your team will certainly appreciate that you took steps to address the situation, because they will see the poor performer either stepping up to the plate or terminated.
2. Focus on the possible positive outcomes of having the discussion sooner rather than later. The employee's performance could most certainly improve. Or you may have the opportunity to replace a poor performer
with someone more willing and able to do the work and follow company or departmental policies. Either way, the performance of your team as a whole will benefit, which will be a positive reflection on your own performance.
3. Prepare for any possible reaction to the discussion. Have contingency plans for handling any behavior or response to what you have to say, whether it be anger, denial, silence or disbelief.
Knowing in advance exactly how you will deal with any of these will give you the confidence you need to proceed. Understand that you cannot control a person's reaction, and in many cases you
cannot predict it either. But you can always prepare for any possibility.
4. If the topic for discussion is an especially difficult one for you, have a reward planned for yourself when you complete it. Take a half day off to do something you enjoy, or treat yourself to something you ordinarily would not. After all, you just accomplished something that doesn't come easily for you. You deserve something special.
Following these tips will not make handling difficult discussions any more fun, by any means, but doing so when the necessity arises will make you a better and more competent communicator, manager, parent and/or
spouse. And who wouldn't benefit from that?
I hope this blog post was useful for you. In a few weeks I'll post another item to help business owners work 'on' their business.
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
discussion is daunting to many, if not most, people. Mix in the tendency to procrastinate tackling unpleasant tasks, then feeling guilty about putting something so important off, and you can wind up feeling even more miserable and anxious about the impending conversation. You might even lose sleep over it.
Initiating such a discussion doesn't have to be nearly so painful. With the proper mindset and some preparation, you can learn to handle even the most difficult topic with ease and confidence. The following tips will enable you to do just that.
1. Realize that by having the discussion, your goal is to benefit others as well as yourself. Whether or
not he shows it, your teen will most likely appreciate that you care enough to talk to him about things that concern or matter to you. In the case of the employee with the performance issue, he/she will have an opportunity to correct or improve on it, or face consequences. In either event, the other members on your team will certainly appreciate that you took steps to address the situation, because they will see the poor performer either stepping up to the plate or terminated.
2. Focus on the possible positive outcomes of having the discussion sooner rather than later. The employee's performance could most certainly improve. Or you may have the opportunity to replace a poor performer
with someone more willing and able to do the work and follow company or departmental policies. Either way, the performance of your team as a whole will benefit, which will be a positive reflection on your own performance.
3. Prepare for any possible reaction to the discussion. Have contingency plans for handling any behavior or response to what you have to say, whether it be anger, denial, silence or disbelief.
Knowing in advance exactly how you will deal with any of these will give you the confidence you need to proceed. Understand that you cannot control a person's reaction, and in many cases you
cannot predict it either. But you can always prepare for any possibility.
4. If the topic for discussion is an especially difficult one for you, have a reward planned for yourself when you complete it. Take a half day off to do something you enjoy, or treat yourself to something you ordinarily would not. After all, you just accomplished something that doesn't come easily for you. You deserve something special.
Following these tips will not make handling difficult discussions any more fun, by any means, but doing so when the necessity arises will make you a better and more competent communicator, manager, parent and/or
spouse. And who wouldn't benefit from that?
I hope this blog post was useful for you. In a few weeks I'll post another item to help business owners work 'on' their business.
Walt Morey,
Core Business Solutions Inc.,
8712 40th Way North, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782
Tel: 727-647-8242
waltmorey@iib.ws
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Practical Business Advice
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Social Media Revolution
Not sure if you should join in the Social Media Revolution to promote your business?
Here's a link to a very revealing video.
http://socialnomics.net/?p=1117
Here are just a few stats from this video which is almost a year old:
1.Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30-years-old
2.96% of them have joined a social network
3.Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.
4.Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web
5.1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media
6.Years to Reach 50 millions Users: Radio (38 Years), TV (13 Years), Internet (4 Years), iPod (3 Years)…
7.Facebook added over 200 million users in less than a year
8.iPhone applications hit 1 billion in 9 months.
9.We don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it.”
10.If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 3rd largest ahead of the United States and only behind China and India
11.There are over 200,000,000 Blogs
12.Because of the speed in which social media enables communication, word of mouth now becomes world of mouth
13.If you were paid a $1 for every time an article was posted on Wikipedia you would earn $1,712.32 per hour
14.25% of search results for the World’s Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content
15.34% of bloggers post opinions about products & brands
16.Do you like what they are saying about your brand? You better.
17.People care more about how their social graph ranks products and services than how Google ranks them
18.78% of consumers trust peer recommendations
19.Only 14% trust advertisements
20.Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI
21.90% of people that can TiVo ads do
22.Kindle eBooks Outsold Paper Books on Christmas
Still think you should not be using Social Media to promote your business?
THINK AGAIN.....
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All My Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor- Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Ph: 727-647-8242
Here's a link to a very revealing video.
http://socialnomics.net/?p=1117
Here are just a few stats from this video which is almost a year old:
1.Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30-years-old
2.96% of them have joined a social network
3.Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the U.S.
4.Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web
5.1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met via social media
6.Years to Reach 50 millions Users: Radio (38 Years), TV (13 Years), Internet (4 Years), iPod (3 Years)…
7.Facebook added over 200 million users in less than a year
8.iPhone applications hit 1 billion in 9 months.
9.We don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media, the question is how well we DO it.”
10.If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 3rd largest ahead of the United States and only behind China and India
11.There are over 200,000,000 Blogs
12.Because of the speed in which social media enables communication, word of mouth now becomes world of mouth
13.If you were paid a $1 for every time an article was posted on Wikipedia you would earn $1,712.32 per hour
14.25% of search results for the World’s Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content
15.34% of bloggers post opinions about products & brands
16.Do you like what they are saying about your brand? You better.
17.People care more about how their social graph ranks products and services than how Google ranks them
18.78% of consumers trust peer recommendations
19.Only 14% trust advertisements
20.Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI
21.90% of people that can TiVo ads do
22.Kindle eBooks Outsold Paper Books on Christmas
Still think you should not be using Social Media to promote your business?
THINK AGAIN.....
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All My Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor- Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Ph: 727-647-8242
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Do you have what it takes to own/manage a small business?
Napolean Hill once said “The starting point of all great achievements is desire.”
You will be your own most important asset, so an objective appraisal of your strengths and weaknesses is essential. To determine if you have what it takes, YOU need to answer some questions about yourself:
- Am I a self-starter?
- How well do I get along with a variety of personalities?
- How good am I at making decisions?
- Do I have the physical and emotional stamina to run a business?
- How well do I plan and organize?
- Are my attitudes and drive strong enough to maintain motivation?
How to Beat Business Burnout
Burnout -- and the boredom that results -- constitutes the No. 1 reason small business owners pack it in and either sell out or shut down. According to market research published in Family Business, burnout is the primary motivator in 50 percent of all business closings. It makes sense. Successful business owners don't just commit themselves to their companies...they become consumed by the quest. Many put in long hours. They neglect their health, families and outside activities; then end up physically ill, emotionally depressed, even divorced.
Ironically, a major cause of burnout is success, achieving a
single goal long sought. That's why many owners get restless, discontented, bored.
Fortunately, it doesn't have to be that way.
To beat burnout:
1. Separate work and play...and be sure to take time to play. Example: Make it a household rule not to discuss business after 7:00 P.M. Or make the kitchen or family room and, most definitely, the bedroom a "No Business" zone.
2. Get adequate sleep...no less than six hours a night. Long-term sleep deprivation can distort thinking and reduce productivity. But adequate sleep can enhance stamina and clear-headedness.
3. Devote time to mental regeneration every day. Some business owners meditate, others read the Bible or review inspirational books.
4. Exercise daily, even if its only half an hour of walking while working out a business problem.
5. Have a mission...a sense of purpose. This goes beyond mere objectives. A mission describes (A) what you want to achieve and (B) why you want to achieve it.
6. Believe in what you're doing. There's nothing more exciting or challenging than being a business owner. What you do benefits your customers, your employees and, most of all, your family. Don't lose sight of that.
7. Have a Business Confidant – Talk over your issues or plans regularly with someone you can trust (family member, business advisor or coach, good friend, etc.) and who will respect your confidentiality and your goals and objectives. Get their feedback and vent with them when you need that.
8. Be organized. Maintain clear objectives and activity plans for the year, quarter, month, week and day.
9. Work smarter...not just harder. An hour of planning can save ten times that in increased productivity. Follow the carpenters rule: Measure twice, cut once.
10. Don't settle into success. Repetition of a successful process or activity can lead to mind numbing boredom. Take at least one calculated risk each year.
11.Maintain your priorities. Business is important...but not at the expense of health and happiness. Also, remember that it is relationships that give true meaning to what you do.
Maintain positive relationships with family, customers, business friends and employees. Avoid negativity [especially negative people] at all costs.
As a professional busines advisor I can help you avoid 'burn out' by helping you to develop your priorities, plan and organize your efforts, keep you accountable to your goals and objectives and be a confidential and impartial sounding board when you really need to vent!
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All My Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor- Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Ph: 727-647-8242
Friday, March 11, 2011
TRADE SHOW IDEAS THAT WORK!
Trade shows are great ways to market products and services and I’ve worked more than 50 trade show’s in the past 35 years and these included many types including product shows, industry specific shows, large association shows and recruiting expo’s just to name a few. Here are a few ideas and tips that have worked well for me, to help your trade show participation to be a positive one.
Before you decide to be a vendor at a trade show, it’s important to determine your objectives for the event. What are your expectations or what do you want to gain from your participation?
Goals for trade shows could include:
1- to collect leads for new customers or clients
2- to introduce a product or service to a particular market segment
3- to increase your company’s visibility within a business segment
4- to develop contacts within a new business segment
5- to actually sell a product or service
6- to test market a new product and get customer feedback
In fact, you will typically have many of these goals in your plan for your trade show. To avoid disappointment be sure of exactly what you’re looking to accomplish by attending the event.
In most cases you’ll want to attract as many of the trade show attendee’s to your trade show table or exhibit as you can. Some ideas to help you do that are:
• Provide some type of food, beverage or candy giveaway; this always works well as attendee’s like the idea of a little snack or drink or munchies and will typically spend more time at your trade show location
• Use a giveaway such as a promotional item (mug, pen, keychain) to attract more people to your table or exhibit and these items can help spread your contact information to many more people
• Provide a high perceived value item (gift basket, gift card(s), restaurant gift certificate, etc.) as a prize in a raffle or door prize(s) and require each attendee to give you a business card or complete a brief entry form to deposit into a fish bowl or box. This allows you to harvest contact information from all your visitors during the event which becomes an excellent up-to-date marketing list
• Provide a brief talk or demonstration or presentation about your product or service at scheduled times throughout the show and highly publicize these prior to and during the trade show. Handing out as many fliers as you can on the show floor can help drive attendance
• Hire spokes models to work your trade show exhibit and have them walk throughout the trade show floor encouraging attendee’s to stop by your exhibit along with passing out your info
Other tips to help you:
1- Never stand and/or sit behind a trade show table or exhibit as that puts a barrier between you and your potential contact or customer. To be effective you need to mix easily with your audience. Stand in front of your exhibit and greet each passer-by with your best smile and introduce yourself and invite them to enter your raffle or to collect some information or give them one of your giveaway items or offer them your candy or snack (see above) if you are using one. Use some icebreaker open-ended questions (How do you like the show today? Or Is the trade show all you expected? or How does this show compare to the last one?) so you can get your prospect to converse with you.
2- Dress comfortably but professionally and look and be your most positive best.
3- Always provide some type of literature or other take-away item along with your business card to each attendee. If someone wants to buy your product or service have the paperwork available so you can make the sale right there.
4- Providing a simple small bag (a plastic grocery-sized bag with your business card attached to the outside of it) to your trade show customers as it’s a thoughtful convenience for them to put all their trade show literature and other items in. They will remember you for it and as they walk around the show your business card will be seen by others. I've witnessed other attendee's ask where someone got their bag and immediately visit that trade show exhibitor that provided the bag.
5- Be sure your table or exhibit is manned at all times. Have at least 2 people manning your show table during the entire event so one can take a break while the exhibit is still manned. An unmanned trade show exhibit reflects very poorly on your brand.
6- Never leave a trade show early. Stay to the very end. You never know who may walk up to your table in the last few minutes. In the last 30 minutes of several shows I worked I made very large sales or contacts that lead to large sales. Many trade show producers will not invite vendors to future shows if they are seen leaving early. Keep your commitment to the trade show organizing group.
7- Be sure to get plenty of rest and relaxation the night before any trade show date and avoid late night activities during a multiple day event as you'll find if you're not well rested your trade show experience and performance will not be a positive one. You need to have high energy to effectively meet and greet potentially hundreds or even thousands of people during a trade show type event. You probably paid a good amount of money to be at the event, so don't waste it!
These are the procedures that I’ve found to be very effective when I’ve participated in a trade show or expo of any kind and certainly there are many more. Just by attending many shows you can see what other vendors do that will inspire you to improve your show experience both for you as well as your potential customers.
As a professional busines advisor I can help you develop a plan for your trade show event to be sure your experience is both effective, positive and profitable for your company.
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/ Ph: 727-647-8242
Before you decide to be a vendor at a trade show, it’s important to determine your objectives for the event. What are your expectations or what do you want to gain from your participation?
Goals for trade shows could include:
1- to collect leads for new customers or clients
2- to introduce a product or service to a particular market segment
3- to increase your company’s visibility within a business segment
4- to develop contacts within a new business segment
5- to actually sell a product or service
6- to test market a new product and get customer feedback
In fact, you will typically have many of these goals in your plan for your trade show. To avoid disappointment be sure of exactly what you’re looking to accomplish by attending the event.
In most cases you’ll want to attract as many of the trade show attendee’s to your trade show table or exhibit as you can. Some ideas to help you do that are:
• Provide some type of food, beverage or candy giveaway; this always works well as attendee’s like the idea of a little snack or drink or munchies and will typically spend more time at your trade show location
• Use a giveaway such as a promotional item (mug, pen, keychain) to attract more people to your table or exhibit and these items can help spread your contact information to many more people
• Provide a high perceived value item (gift basket, gift card(s), restaurant gift certificate, etc.) as a prize in a raffle or door prize(s) and require each attendee to give you a business card or complete a brief entry form to deposit into a fish bowl or box. This allows you to harvest contact information from all your visitors during the event which becomes an excellent up-to-date marketing list
• Provide a brief talk or demonstration or presentation about your product or service at scheduled times throughout the show and highly publicize these prior to and during the trade show. Handing out as many fliers as you can on the show floor can help drive attendance
• Hire spokes models to work your trade show exhibit and have them walk throughout the trade show floor encouraging attendee’s to stop by your exhibit along with passing out your info
Other tips to help you:
1- Never stand and/or sit behind a trade show table or exhibit as that puts a barrier between you and your potential contact or customer. To be effective you need to mix easily with your audience. Stand in front of your exhibit and greet each passer-by with your best smile and introduce yourself and invite them to enter your raffle or to collect some information or give them one of your giveaway items or offer them your candy or snack (see above) if you are using one. Use some icebreaker open-ended questions (How do you like the show today? Or Is the trade show all you expected? or How does this show compare to the last one?) so you can get your prospect to converse with you.
2- Dress comfortably but professionally and look and be your most positive best.
3- Always provide some type of literature or other take-away item along with your business card to each attendee. If someone wants to buy your product or service have the paperwork available so you can make the sale right there.
4- Providing a simple small bag (a plastic grocery-sized bag with your business card attached to the outside of it) to your trade show customers as it’s a thoughtful convenience for them to put all their trade show literature and other items in. They will remember you for it and as they walk around the show your business card will be seen by others. I've witnessed other attendee's ask where someone got their bag and immediately visit that trade show exhibitor that provided the bag.
5- Be sure your table or exhibit is manned at all times. Have at least 2 people manning your show table during the entire event so one can take a break while the exhibit is still manned. An unmanned trade show exhibit reflects very poorly on your brand.
6- Never leave a trade show early. Stay to the very end. You never know who may walk up to your table in the last few minutes. In the last 30 minutes of several shows I worked I made very large sales or contacts that lead to large sales. Many trade show producers will not invite vendors to future shows if they are seen leaving early. Keep your commitment to the trade show organizing group.
7- Be sure to get plenty of rest and relaxation the night before any trade show date and avoid late night activities during a multiple day event as you'll find if you're not well rested your trade show experience and performance will not be a positive one. You need to have high energy to effectively meet and greet potentially hundreds or even thousands of people during a trade show type event. You probably paid a good amount of money to be at the event, so don't waste it!
These are the procedures that I’ve found to be very effective when I’ve participated in a trade show or expo of any kind and certainly there are many more. Just by attending many shows you can see what other vendors do that will inspire you to improve your show experience both for you as well as your potential customers.
As a professional busines advisor I can help you develop a plan for your trade show event to be sure your experience is both effective, positive and profitable for your company.
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/ Ph: 727-647-8242
Saturday, February 26, 2011
The Power of NO!
Below is by Andrea Waltz who is the co-author of "Go for No!", a terrific book I recommend to anyone in sales. I've explained this technique to many of my clients in sales and it does work for them.
Check this out:
You walk out of the office, shoulders slumped and head hanging low. The meeting did not go the way you had hoped.
Shoving through the glass doors and exiting the building you heave a sigh, the words of your prospect still ringing in your ears, "No, we're going to pass." Motivation is dwindling fast. For a moment, you think about heading back to the office and blowing off your last call of the day in favor of catching up on paperwork.
But what if it didn't have to be this way?
Imagine getting a "no" from a prospect and then pushing through those same doors happy, excited and energized. Imagine actually thinking to yourself, "Hooray, the client said no!"
In order to tap into the "power of no" there are 3 key strategies that you can apply today.
1) Change your mental model of "success" and "failure."
Most people operate with the following mental model:
SUCCESS (Yes) << YOU>> FAILURE (No)
They see themselves in the middle, with success on one end and failure on the other. They do everything they can to move toward success and away from failure. B
But, what if that model was wrong? What if that model was reconfigured?
YOU >> FAILURE (No) >> SUCCESS (Yes)
What if, rather than seeing failure as something to be avoided, it became a "stepping stone" on the path to success? Put another way: Yes is the destination, but "no" is how you get there.
To achieve significant success in today's world, top performers do not see success and failure - yes and no - as opposites, rather opposite sides of the same coin that depend on each other.
Success is, to a large degree, a numbers game. As such, one of the fastest ways to increase your success is to intentionally increase your failure rate. In other words, increase the number of times you hear prospects say "no" to you. Of course, increasing the number of times you hear "no" will eventually increase the number of times you hear "yes".
2) Create "no-awareness" by counting your "no's".
Here's a question for you: How many total "no's" did you personally obtain yesterday? Last week? Last month? Where are you for the year? Do you know? Well, you should!
Most people, if they actually counted the number of times they hear "no" during a typical day or week, would be shocked to see how low that number actually is. If you don't know your number, it's time for you to start counting every "no" you hear, because the very act of counting your "no's" will increase your no-awareness and that, in turn, will enhance your no-focus.
3) No doesn't mean never, it means not yet.
Woody Allen said that 80 percent of success is simply showing up. While the power of showing up should not be underestimated, the reality is that showing up - in and of itself - is usually not enough. The key to success is to show up, and then to keep showing up! In a word: persistence.
Is this to suggest that when someone keeps telling you "no" you should stay at it forever? No. Though Winston Churchill famously declared one should never, never, never quit... knowing when to quit is an important skill. The problem is most people think that time has come long before it actually has!
How do you know the perfect time to quit? Unfortunately, there is not a definitive number of "no's" at which one should throw his/her hands up and go home - after all, every situation and every prospect is different. So the answer always begins with an analysis as to whether the person you're trying to sell to is a qualified buyer. If they are unqualified (they neither want nor need what you have to offer), then you should pack it in and move on. However, if they do need what you've got - even if they don't want it yet - then pursue them for as long as it takes!
So the next time you walk out of a prospect's office having collected another "no", remember these five key points and say, "Hooray! I just got a no!" Because when you increase your failure rate and go for "no", the "yes" will eventually come... they always do!
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Check this out:
You walk out of the office, shoulders slumped and head hanging low. The meeting did not go the way you had hoped.
Shoving through the glass doors and exiting the building you heave a sigh, the words of your prospect still ringing in your ears, "No, we're going to pass." Motivation is dwindling fast. For a moment, you think about heading back to the office and blowing off your last call of the day in favor of catching up on paperwork.
But what if it didn't have to be this way?
Imagine getting a "no" from a prospect and then pushing through those same doors happy, excited and energized. Imagine actually thinking to yourself, "Hooray, the client said no!"
In order to tap into the "power of no" there are 3 key strategies that you can apply today.
1) Change your mental model of "success" and "failure."
Most people operate with the following mental model:
SUCCESS (Yes) << YOU>> FAILURE (No)
They see themselves in the middle, with success on one end and failure on the other. They do everything they can to move toward success and away from failure. B
But, what if that model was wrong? What if that model was reconfigured?
YOU >> FAILURE (No) >> SUCCESS (Yes)
What if, rather than seeing failure as something to be avoided, it became a "stepping stone" on the path to success? Put another way: Yes is the destination, but "no" is how you get there.
To achieve significant success in today's world, top performers do not see success and failure - yes and no - as opposites, rather opposite sides of the same coin that depend on each other.
Success is, to a large degree, a numbers game. As such, one of the fastest ways to increase your success is to intentionally increase your failure rate. In other words, increase the number of times you hear prospects say "no" to you. Of course, increasing the number of times you hear "no" will eventually increase the number of times you hear "yes".
2) Create "no-awareness" by counting your "no's".
Here's a question for you: How many total "no's" did you personally obtain yesterday? Last week? Last month? Where are you for the year? Do you know? Well, you should!
Most people, if they actually counted the number of times they hear "no" during a typical day or week, would be shocked to see how low that number actually is. If you don't know your number, it's time for you to start counting every "no" you hear, because the very act of counting your "no's" will increase your no-awareness and that, in turn, will enhance your no-focus.
3) No doesn't mean never, it means not yet.
Woody Allen said that 80 percent of success is simply showing up. While the power of showing up should not be underestimated, the reality is that showing up - in and of itself - is usually not enough. The key to success is to show up, and then to keep showing up! In a word: persistence.
Is this to suggest that when someone keeps telling you "no" you should stay at it forever? No. Though Winston Churchill famously declared one should never, never, never quit... knowing when to quit is an important skill. The problem is most people think that time has come long before it actually has!
How do you know the perfect time to quit? Unfortunately, there is not a definitive number of "no's" at which one should throw his/her hands up and go home - after all, every situation and every prospect is different. So the answer always begins with an analysis as to whether the person you're trying to sell to is a qualified buyer. If they are unqualified (they neither want nor need what you have to offer), then you should pack it in and move on. However, if they do need what you've got - even if they don't want it yet - then pursue them for as long as it takes!
So the next time you walk out of a prospect's office having collected another "no", remember these five key points and say, "Hooray! I just got a no!" Because when you increase your failure rate and go for "no", the "yes" will eventually come... they always do!
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Why Are People Skeptical About Network Marketing?,
Network marketing, which is also known as MLM has gotten a bad reputation in years past. This is due to so many people believing the myths about this type of business, which is what makes them skeptical to start this type of business.
There are many reasons why they are skeptical, but the main reasons concern the myths that have been spread about this business type in the past. You need to know what these myths are and have the truth revealed about them, so you can see why this is a very legitimate way to start your own business.
Below are the myths that make so many different people skeptical about an mlm business.
One: MLM is nothing, but a Pyramid scheme - This is something that has been talked about on the internet and offline by many people, but it is not true. You need to understand the different between a pyramid scheme and a legal business, which is what mlm is.
Pyramid scheme - This is when you give money to someone else for nothing in return. A good example of this type of scheme is the chain letters that everyone has gotten at some point in their life. This is definitely the type that you want to avoid because you will only be ripped off.
With MLM it is an actual legal business system that provides customers with an actual product or services. So, if you become involved in mlm, then you will be selling a product or service to someone in return for their money and this is what all legal businesses, online and offline do also.
Now that you understand the differences, you can see that mlm is definitely not a pyramid scheme. You just have to be sure that you take time to choose the right opportunity that is legal and not set up like a pyramid.
Two: You can get rich overnight - This is a myth that has turned many people away from this type of business and it should turn you away. If you find an opportunity that promises this, then you want to run the other way as fast as you can.
No business that is legal is going to make you rich instantly. There are so many mlm opportunities that you can use to start a business that will not make this impossible promise. Just look at multiple companies to locate one that is legit and not a scam.
Three: Salespeople are the only ones that can be successful with mlm - This is not true anymore because of the internet. It will help you to have experience with selling, but it is not necessary to achieve success.
With the help of the internet, you don't have to be a salesman, you just have to be willing to learn whatever is needed to help you succeed and to be willing to work hard.
Now that you understand the reasons that so many people are skeptical about network marketing and the truth about these myths, you need to decide if you can be successful with this type of business. Just remember that mlm is definitely legal and a great way to earn money when you find the right opportunity for you.
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
There are many reasons why they are skeptical, but the main reasons concern the myths that have been spread about this business type in the past. You need to know what these myths are and have the truth revealed about them, so you can see why this is a very legitimate way to start your own business.
Below are the myths that make so many different people skeptical about an mlm business.
One: MLM is nothing, but a Pyramid scheme - This is something that has been talked about on the internet and offline by many people, but it is not true. You need to understand the different between a pyramid scheme and a legal business, which is what mlm is.
Pyramid scheme - This is when you give money to someone else for nothing in return. A good example of this type of scheme is the chain letters that everyone has gotten at some point in their life. This is definitely the type that you want to avoid because you will only be ripped off.
With MLM it is an actual legal business system that provides customers with an actual product or services. So, if you become involved in mlm, then you will be selling a product or service to someone in return for their money and this is what all legal businesses, online and offline do also.
Now that you understand the differences, you can see that mlm is definitely not a pyramid scheme. You just have to be sure that you take time to choose the right opportunity that is legal and not set up like a pyramid.
Two: You can get rich overnight - This is a myth that has turned many people away from this type of business and it should turn you away. If you find an opportunity that promises this, then you want to run the other way as fast as you can.
No business that is legal is going to make you rich instantly. There are so many mlm opportunities that you can use to start a business that will not make this impossible promise. Just look at multiple companies to locate one that is legit and not a scam.
Three: Salespeople are the only ones that can be successful with mlm - This is not true anymore because of the internet. It will help you to have experience with selling, but it is not necessary to achieve success.
With the help of the internet, you don't have to be a salesman, you just have to be willing to learn whatever is needed to help you succeed and to be willing to work hard.
Now that you understand the reasons that so many people are skeptical about network marketing and the truth about these myths, you need to decide if you can be successful with this type of business. Just remember that mlm is definitely legal and a great way to earn money when you find the right opportunity for you.
In about 2-3 weeks or so I'll review another subject designed to provide business owners with information they can use to help them work "on" their business.
Until Next Time : Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply, Love Generously and Live In The Moment
All The Best,
Walt Morey
Core Business Solutions
Executive Business Advisor Accredited by the Institute for Independent Business
http://www.corebizsolution.com/
Friday, January 14, 2011
Love is Energy.... Pass it forward !
Love is the Energy We All Need and Energy Attracts More of Itself. ENJOY!
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