Let Yourself Shine! Be Yourself

Personality marketing is one of the most powerful kinds of marketing you could employ. Take Oprah for example. Oprah is one of the most powerful women in the world, able to take unknown authors to the top of the New York Time bestseller list just by mentioning them on her show. Her entire business is built around her personality.

People often follow websites not for its content, but because people like the personality behind the website. In many industries, like weight loss for example, success is determined much more by your personality than by anything else.

Most People Aren't Willing to Let it Out

Everyone has a personality. When you're with your friends, you probably say things spontaneously that could come off as hilarious. And you probably aren't afraid to express dissenting opinions.

But online, people tend to tone their personality down. They sound "correct" rather than spontaneous. They err on being right down the middle, rather than risk their audience by expressing an actual opinion.

This can get you so far, but you can't build a truly successful business on it. Most people are afraid that they'll lose their audience if they let their personality out. The opposite is true.

When you withhold your personality, you don't grow your audience. People just won't be that drawn to your work. When you really express your personality, it's true that some people will be polarized away from your work. But those people weren't really your audience anyway.

How to Let Go

Of course, telling someone to just express their personality can be about as useful as telling someone to just "be yourself" in tense social situations. For some people, it just doesn't come that easily. So what can you do?

Take out a journal and a pen. Write your opinion about a topic, as if you were just ranting to yourself or to an imaginary friend in your diary. Talk as if nobody would ever read it. Pour your emotions and inner thoughts into the page.

Once you're done, let it sit for a day, then use that journal entry as the outline or foundation for your post. This can be a very useful technique for circumventing your mind's innate resistance to expressing your personality.

Getting Positive Feedback

Perhaps the best thing about letting your personality out is the positive feedback you get from your audience. People will generally be much more excited about your work when you're pouring your heart into it.

Start letting your personality out to your audience. Then listen to their feedback. Let the excitement from your audience pour over into your own excitement, and use that to bring even more emotion into your personality marketing.

5 Common Business Process Mistakes

Happy New Year!  Is your business ready for a great 2014?  Having great business processes is crucial to business success. That said, if you do it wrong, the creation of business processes can actually hinder your success.

How can you ensure that your business processes actually help rather than hurt you? Make sure you avoid these five mistakes.

Mistake #1: No Overall Model, Only Details

It's common for people to only focus on the details of how to perform specific tasks. Unfortunately, if your business processes don't have an overall model or goal, the details will be disjointed and inappropriately applied by staff.

Every business process should be part of a bigger business model or philosophy. The process is the "how" of running a bigger system. Just having a bunch of "hows" without a "why" is a recipe for disaster.

Mistake #2: The Processes Are Technology Based

Great businesses use technology. Writing businesses for technology is important. That said, if your processes are completely reliant on technology to work, then you're laying a very weak foundation.

Let's say you have an expense tracking process. The process should focus on the step by steps of tracking expenses, rather than the software itself. That way if the software ever fails or if you ever switch to a new system, your employees will know how to perform the actual tasks, rather than just push the right buttons.

Mistake #3: Not Enough Details

Your business process documentation should be detailed enough that a person new to the job could operate the process with a little guidance.

It's common for people who're competent in a task to write documentation for others in a way that could only be done by people who also have competence in that task.

Instead, documentation should be written in a very step by step manner. It should be written for a new trainee, not for someone who's more experienced.

Mistake #4: Documenting Untested Processes

Not everything in your business should be documented. In fact, you should only document a process once it's been proven and refined to its most efficient form.

If you spend time documenting processes that haven't been proven to work yet, you'll spend a lot of time documenting things and then throwing them out.

Documentation should be done to help train people on things that work. Wait until your processes are proven before doing this.

Mistake #5: Neglecting Human Relationships

Finally, remember that processes often involve human beings.

Say you have a process for handling fulfillment when you're shipping a new product. The documentation might cover how you handle order volume, how to get samples from fulfillment and so on. However, the documentation might not include how to actually interface with the people who run your fulfillment house.

The human element in processes is a crucial element. Make sure you're not neglecting it.

These are five of the most common mistakes business people make when they're automating, documenting or designing business processes.  What do you think?

Top 3 Tips For Getting Facebook Fans

When it comes to advertising and marketing online, there is nothing like having a Facebook fan page that has a lot of fans.  Facebook fans will make your company look very trusted and it is a great way to draw in more potential customers.

Most people will admit that they will often go towards companies that have more fans because they feel like
it is a great way to determine if they are a trusted brand or company. If you are looking to learn how to get more Facebook fans, here are a few tips I have to share:

Tip #1 - Create Contests

This is a strategy that has helped other companies that are trying to get more fans. These contests will help you stay connected with your fans and to create a relationship that will help build your online presence.  You can give away little items like t-shirts or you can even give people discounts. The only thing that they will need to do is share your Facebook page and to tag a photo to your fan page. This causes their friends and family to see your page and thus gaining more fans.

Tip #2 - Utilize Other Sites Besides Facebook

Focusing exclusively on Facebook as this is not the best strategy for internet marketing. You will need to go over to websites like Twitter as a different source of traffic. You will then need to post about your Facebook page and have people join you on Facebook as well. Most people are members on both social networks and so it is a good idea to target them on both sides.

These are just simple ways to get more Facebook fans and to really increase your overall presence on the internet. Do these two things and you will start to see a big increase of fans on Facebook.

Tip #3 - Post Consistently

I recently attended a great Webinar with Mari Smith, a leading Social Media Strategist on Facebook where she shared her 7 Steps to Facebook Success.  One of the tips she gave in the Webinar was to be sure to post several times a day. Different people are online at different times and while you do not want to overwhelm your audience, posting consistently is just smart.  If you're interested in watching the Webinar (there is no cost) You can find it HERE

That's it for this week!  If you are a DIY kinda person and want to really ramp up your Facebook Marketing check out Mari's new program, "Extreme Fanbase Growth 2.0" she really is an expert and who I've been learning a lot from. (and yes, this is an affililtate link, but if you know me, I make very few recommendations and she really is good.)

5 Tips On Becoming SuperWoman

I am super woman.  Yes, that sounds very conceited and I swear that is not my intention.  But I get asked a lot by various clients, colleagues, co-workers, friends, family, “How the heck do you get so much done, do you not sleep”?   Well, since I do sleep, and actually I sleep more than most I think - at least nine hours a

night – I decided maybe I should ponder this question and see if I could figure out why.  Maybe, just maybe,  I have some sneaky tips on what makes me so productive. So here is what I came up with:

#1 Get Plenty of Rest 
I know this is not exactly a productivity tip, I’ll get to a few of those too, but I do firmly believe getting enough rest allows for longer periods of concentration and focus. I’m sure there is some deep rooted science proving this too, but for me it’s based on experience. When I’m rested, I am energized, happy, focused and productive.

#2 Eat well and Eat Often
After I had both of my kids I did weight watchers and I have to say I liked it a lot and it taught me some good eating habits.  I’ve carried those with me and I’ve noticed that when I eat healthy and snack at regular intervals, my energy stays up.

#3 Have a Schedule
I follow the same schedule pretty much every day.  Now there are huge blocks of time that are not, “scheduled” since my work is very busy and always changing, but there are cornerstones throughout the day that stay the same.

For me it falls at 8am, 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm.  I have specific things I do at these intervals (i.e. check email, log in/post/check social networks, have a snack, check my ToDo list, etc.). This frees my blocks of time up and allows for flexibility in my schedule but still time to get things done.

#4 Make a ToDo list
Prioritize. Stick to It – this is one of my biggest tips.  I do not live out of my email in-boxes (yes I have several).  Every day I make a priority list of what needs to be done and prioritize.  I allow for le-way time for things that do come up in my email and I block out time to get certain things on my list done.  This leads to tip #5:

#5  Block Out Time
Block out specific time on your calendar to get things done.  I cannot tell you how many task/productivity apps I’ve downloaded on my iPad, but there have been a lot, and none work as well as the one I am going to share with you right now.

Now, in case you are hoping I will tell you what the best one is and I am, but don’t get too excited, you might be disappointed.  My biggest productivity application is (drumroll here). Outlook. Yes. Outlook.  Here’s why.  For me I am booked constantly with meetings and calls, so I’ve found that blocking out small chunks of time (15 – 30 minutes) on my calendar throughout the week allows me to get the top priority things done.  This really works well for me, but you definitely have to stick to it and hold yourself accountable.

There you have it, the top 5 things I do to be super woman productive.  What do you do?

Top 6 Reasons To Have A Facebook Business Page

Recently we have really seen a large influx of businesses asking us to design their Facebook Business Page.  I love this!  But it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to share some of the reasons and statistics as to why it is a good idea.  

So here it is, the Top 6 Reasons Why Business' should have a page:

#1.  Your Current Customers and Future Customers are on Facebook

According to GeekyGadgets this week in Technology News, there are 1.1 Billion Monthly Active Users! That's a lot of reach.  That includes 665 million daily active on average in March 2013

#2.  Your Customers are looking for you

I know I do.  When I find a company/service I like, I'm looking to "like" them on Facebook

#3.  It allows you too stay connected with your customers.

You can provide relevant information about your industry and quickly alert your customers of special events, offers and discounts.

#4.  Referrals. Referrals. Referrals.

Posting interesting and relevant content, offers, special events and discounts allows your fans to spread the word to their friends.

#5.  Your Competitors are on Facebook

Over 15 million businesses, companies, and organizations now have a Facebook page

#6.  Search Engines Like Facebook.

Google a few, when searching for a company, if they have a Facebook page, it's near the top of the search

In my mind, Facebook is a marketing vehicle, it's one component of a strategic marketing plan and should be targeted to the business' audience.  All marketing activity should fit together, like a puzzle, to create a whole picture of your business, who you are and what you stand for.  What do you think?

Savvy Moms Make it Happen

Startupnation's Leading Moms in Business.

In honor of Leading Moms in Business and Startupnation's Americas top mom contest, we are featuring businesses on our Facebook Business Page.  There are some really neat businesses out there run by amazing Moms!

Here are a few we highlighted this week:

• Black Pearl Bakery www.blackpearldogbakery.com
  Healthy, homemade dog treats made in the U.S.A.  All treats are handmade from start to finish.  All human-grade ingredients with only natural preservatives.  We offer cookies, celebration cakes, "mutt"-fins, and much more!
  
• Ink'd Content www.inkdcontent.com
  Ink'd Content provides content marketing services, helping to develop one of the most important aspects of a marketing strategy for any business -- after all, "content is king."
  
• iBetterAccessorize http://www.facebook.com/ibetteraccessorize
  iBetterAccessorize.com offers couture hair accessory supplies at wholesale prices. We have a low minimum of $5 for regular orders and the majority of the items are sold by the piece, not by the dozen. We provide tutorials, written by our customers, 10% rewards on purchases and recently raised over $440 for Wigs for Kid
  
• Women's Elevation Magazine www.facebook.com/womenselevationmagazine
  WE Magazine looks to promote, inspire, and elevate the mind, body, and spirit of women.
  
• Family Focus Blog www.familyfocusblog.com
  Family Focus Blog reports on parenting tips, family fun activities, eco tips, family food, family travel, decor, discounts, and giveaways.
  
• VirtuallyNSync www.virtuallynsync.net
  VirtuallyNSync, LLC was birthed to help those who are desiring to work at home find legit job listings and/or work opportunities that fit their lifestyles.
  
• DWD Designs https://www.facebook.com/pages/dwdesigns/119348638082108Interior Design business although not limited to! Holiday decorating is my passion, as well as event decorating, and public speaking on design!
  
• Party Plan Companies www.Facebook.com/partyplancompaniesinc
  The place to search for direct sales companies, home based business opportunities, cost effective advertising, and party plan consultants near you.
  
• Synergy Communications, LLC www.synergycommunicationsllc.com
  At Synergy Communications, we believe that our client's reputation is EVERYTHING!  Superior service is personalized to meet each client's needs and wants.
  
• Angela Brooks http://angelabrook.com/
  Angela Brooks is a mental health nurse educator who spent the last 22 years working in a state funded mental hospital. She is the author of “The Nurses Voice” who exposes raw truth as a nurse. She is transitioning from nursing to one of the top positions in a health company changing life’s one oil at a time.
  
• Jungle Gym Cafe The Jungle Gym & Cafe is a unique 8000 square foot hybrid of a fitness center, indoor playground, cafe, birthday party center and medical spa. 

If you know of a great business that we should feature, let us know!  Better yet, what is your favorite business?

Are You Making LinkedIn Mistakes?

Do you have a targeted strategy in how you handle your LinkedIn profile?  

Keeping up on everything is hard.  I recently took a look at my own LinkedIn profile, and while it had only been a couple of months, it already needed some updating.  I can only imagine how many small
business owners tend to pass up this social media platform because of their busy schedules.  But what I've realized is this really can be an error in judgement since LinkedIn can be a great way to build your online presence, network with others and discover potential prospects and opportunities.  Just in a matter of days of updating my own profile, I began receiving new visits to my page, new endorsements and new invitations.  Who knew what else I was missing?

LinkedIn really is a great way to network, and like me, even if you do have a LinkedIn presence, do you keep it up to date?  Here's some homework:  Take a look at your current profile right now.  How current is the photo?  When was the last time you updated your skills?  I am regularly surprised to see how many profile pictures are low-quality photos that were just pulled up from their desktop and just uploaded.  For me, I use the same photo of myself everywhere.  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, About.Me, all have the same photo. Which, I had professionally taken.  Not only is it my favorite picture of myself, but it was not that expense to have done.  (Unfortunately my hair has now completely changed so I need a new one, but that's another story...guess I need an update :)

Your photo is your first impression with Social Media, and your profile on LinkedIn is no exception.  This is a great opportunity to make sure your photo is expertly edited and uploaded to your profile.  You can easily outsource or delegate this job to an online manager and you certainly do not need to take the time yourself.   Any good online manager or virtual assistant should be able to do this for you within an hour or so.  Even I am learning to delegate more, and once you get the hang of it, it really is great.  I am so much more productive with my time.

Back to photos, as I mentioned before, one benefit of a great photo is you can then use it everywhere.  Consistently using the same one across all your social media will help you become more recognizable and builds your brand.  Then as you attend networking events, chat or comment in online groups, etc people will begin to feel familiar with you and develop a trusted connection.  Imagine when a potentially prosperous contact reaches out to you, all because of your LinkedIn profile.

Have you been deprived of exposure lately just because you have less than a complete profile?  What will you do?

When you are really ready to maximize LinkedIn, update your profile to reflect all your current experience.  Again this is something you can easily delegate and any good virtual assistant or online manager can help.  Give them a copy of your resume and let them take a stab at it.  It doesn't have to be perfect, and sometimes someone else's perspective can be really beneficial.  Then you can take a look at it yourself and make personal edit adding information relevant to your industry.

Don’t hesitate to promote your individual accomplishments and remember that your current updates posted will be shared and read within the networks you belong.  I link a lot of my social media posting together, so when I post in Twitter it ties to my Facebook and/or LinkedIn.  I do try to keep LinkedIn more business related and relevant.

In essence, Linked in could easily be one of several sites that you delegate the upkeep to a virtual assistant or online manager. They can easily keep it updated for you  and send to you for review before they post on your behalf.  Monitoring your social media, including LinkedIn, your blog, website, Facebook Business page, Twitter, etc. and keeping them current, fresh and relevant, you will build your online presence and attract new leads and prospects to your business.  And who wouldn't want that?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on LinkedIn.  It would be great to connect!

The Holidays are Coming, is Your Business Ready? How to Know If You're Inefficient Or Not

How will you get everything done, increase your efficiency and streamline productivity?

It seems like everywhere we look we are seeing a drive for efficiency. Waste is to be avoided and expenses have to be cut if the small business is going to survive, let alone prosper. Today it's more important then ever to get maximum value out of the money spent on resources, whether it is the direct costs of running a business or the substantial costs associated with employing personnel. There's no room for uncertainty when it comes to handling these costs and every reason for the small-business owner to put in place systems to analyze where and why the money is being spent.

There are so many different reasons for employing a virtual assistant.  Each one of these reasons has in one way or another a lot to do with efficiency, so it is somewhat ironic when one of the reasons put forward by a typical small-business owner – faced with the question about hiring a virtual assistant – is one related to efficiency.

"I simply don't know how many hours work it should take to complete, so how can I employ a virtual assistant on an "as needed" basis?"

Before any progress can be made moving forward it is important to get a feeling for exactly what work needs to be outsourced. This will require careful consideration for the executive, who will almost certainly be surprised as the list grows longer and longer. These are all the tasks that should be delegated and many of them may be tasks that can be handled on an "as needed" outsourced basis.

Just think how inefficient it really is to employ an assistant or administrator on a salaried or weekly basis. This person is being employed for 40 hours whether there is sufficient work to fill those 40 hours or not. Invariably this leads to massive inefficiency as a salaried employee may simply "expand" the time that it should take to complete a variety of tasks in order to justify his or her salary. Some people might look at this as cheating, while other people would say it is also human nature to a certain extent. After all, this is the traditional way of handling administration and is it really the fault of the individual employee if there is not an "exact" amount of work to fill an exact number of hours?

In a drive toward efficiency this kind of operation of course needs to stop. Once that long list of outsource-ready tasks is complete a top notch assistant can be engaged to advise. The VA will know how long it should take to conduct and complete each and every task and can then agree with the small business owner to take on this raft of tasks efficiently. A price will be quoted for each job through completion and there will be no need for the business owner to worry about an employee "expanding" to simply fill up their weekly timesheet.   The best Virtual Assistants are experienced small business owners themselves. Their business is streamlining productivity for others and over time as they work with you, they can offer expertise in other areas of your business.  The more efficient the small business owner can be in this way the more likely they are to succeed and go on to prosper in the aggressive real world out there.

Thanks for reading!

Until Next Time
Diahana

Social Media Marketing for Small Business

Utilizing Social Media to market your business is becoming a popular type of marketing for many small businesses and many are benefiting greatly by developing and following a social media marketing strategy.  By using Social media you can really give your marketing efforts a big boost and it can help you achieve the success you want not only quicker but more efficiently.

So what exactly is the skinny on Social media, and why should you use it as a marketing tool for your small business?  

Social media  networks are communities online, think of it as a “place” online where people gather to communicate  and learn about things that they have in common. It gives them the capability to interact with each other. This can be through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn forums and any number of online means of communication. Because of the way these networks develop, it often presents some great networking opportunities.  I love this infographic from Social Metrics on "10 Creative Secrets for Social Media Marketing" showing that over 93% of businesses currently leverage social media to gain more customers!



If you are wondering how and why you should use social networking sites to promote your small business, you are not alone. A fairly large numbers of small business owners aren't even sure what or which social media sites to use or how they work.  One benefit to small businesses is the ability to utilize Social media sites to share photo’s and video’s or run an online contest, all which will aid in gaining publicity and if you are on a budget, using social media networking sites is a cost-effective way in obtaining the publicity you are seeking for your products and services from your business website.


It can also be extremely valuable and worth the time and effort to join online forums like those on LinkedIn.  Within these online forums, you can answer and ask questions, learn from others, and use what you learn to develop relevant blog articles.  You can also post comments, promote events, and offer tips or advice.  Surveys and polls are also very popular in gaining the attention of not only your current customers but also potential customers.


The best part of using Social media is that it is a very cost effective means of communicating and interacting with your target market. Most networks are free and it only takes a little bit of time to keep interacting with the members of the network once you have gotten established. From there the growth is somewhat natural. As communities grow, so does the amount of exposure you get. The more exposure you get the more success you will have.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts.

Until Next Time
Diahana

Small Business Tip - What About Using a Virtual Assistant?

One of the most advantageous aspects of using a virtual assistant is the ability to employ industry experts for the completion of certain tasks. This becomes beneficial in situations where a small business is faced with a complex problem which is beyond the expertise of the in-house employees. Using a virtual assistant gives the small business the opportunity to outsource the task of solving the problem to a highly qualified candidate. Plus, many small business owners find that the virtual assistant’s service fee ends up being significantly less than what it would have cost them to solve the problem with their in-house staff. The amount of time it would have taken coupled with the potential for costly mistakes makes it clear using a virtual assistant is the right decision in this scenario.

Another scenario where tasks may be outsourced to an industry expert is when the small business is faced with the task of performing more work than they are capable of handling in-house. During aggressive deadlines or unexpected delays, using a virtual assistant can be used to complete projects according to unyielding deadlines.

Flexibility in Scheduling

Many small businesses balance the workload they take on based on the number of employees they have on staff capable of assisting in each individual task. However, using a virtual assistant gives small businesses the ability to consider accepting more work than their in-house employees are capable of completing. An example of when this is beneficial is when consultants are awarded more projects than they had anticipated and are suddenly in a situation where they are not able to meet their deadlines due to larger than anticipated workloads.

Another advantage to using a virtual assistant is the ability to take on larger projects than usual. One of the most elementary factors often considered when awarding projects to consultants is the number of staff members who are available to work on the project. Clients evaluate this number with their project needs and schedule to determine whether or not they think the consultant is capable of completing the project on time. Consultants who outsource portions of their projects are effectively able to increase the amount of employees they can afford to have working on a particular project.

Reduced Operating Costs

Finally, using a virtual assistant can help companies to produce higher quality work by enabling them to reduce their operating costs. Using a virtual assistant can save companies a great deal of money because they often do not have to pay benefits such as social security, workers’ compensation and Medicare to those who perform work on a contract basis. Additionally, those who perform the outsourced work typically do the work from their own office meaning the company does not have to provide resources for the individual. Although these costs may seem trivial, they can really add up especially if using a virtual assistant is used on a regular basis.

Combined with the reduced operating costs, many companies find that productivity is increased through using a virtual assistant. By using a virtual assistant the in-house employees are freed of additional responsibilities and can focus exclusively on the tasks they were hired to perform. This is significant because without using a virtual assistant these same employees might be tasked with attempting to perform complicated tasks for which they are not properly trained or qualified. When this happens there is a significant decline in productivity as the employees take longer than necessary to complete the more complicated tasks and do not have time to complete the simpler tasks.

Do you have experience using a virtual assistant?  Please feel free to share any thoughts or comments.

Thanks for reading!  Until next time...

Diahana

Small Business Idea - How to Increase Your Efficiency

Everywhere we look we are seeing a drive for efficiency. Waste is to be avoided and expenses have to be cut if the small business is going to survive, let alone prosper. Today it's more important then ever to get maximum value out of the money spent on resources, whether it is the direct costs of running a business or the substantial costs associated with employing personnel. There's no room for uncertainty when it comes to handling these costs and every reason for the small business owner to put in place systems to analyze where and why the money is being spent.

There are so many different reasons for employing a virtual assistant, for example. Each one of these reasons has in one way or another a lot to do with efficiency, so it is somewhat ironic when one of the reasons put forward by a typical small-business owner – faced with the question about hiring a virtual assistant – is one related to efficiency.

"I simply don't know how many hours work it should take to complete, so how can I employ a virtual assistant on an "as needed" basis, accordingly?"

Before any progress can be made moving forward it is important to get a feeling for exactly what work needs to be outsourced. This will require careful consideration for the executive, who will almost certainly be surprised as the list grows longer and longer. These are all the tasks that should be delegated and many of them may be tasks that can be handled on an "as needed" outsourced basis.  Just think how inefficient it really is to employ an assistant or administrator on a salaried or weekly basis.

This person is being employed for 40 hours whether there is sufficient work to fill those 40 hours or not. 

Invariably this leads to massive inefficiency as a salaried employee may simply "expand" the time that it should take to complete a variety of tasks in order to justify his or her salary. Some people might look at this as cheating, while other people would say it is also human nature to a certain extent. After all, this is the traditional way of handling administration and is it really the fault of the individual employee if there is not an "exact" amount of work to fill an exact number of hours?

In a drive toward efficiency this kind of operation of course needs to stop. Once that long list of outsource-ready tasks is complete a top notch personal assistant can be engaged to advise. The VA will know how long it should take to conduct and complete each and every task and can then agree with the small-business owner to take on this raft of tasks efficiently. A price will be quoted for each job through completion and there will be no need for the business owner to worry about an employee "expanding" to simply fill up their weekly timesheet. The more efficient the small business owner can be in this way the more likely they are to succeed and go on to prosper in the aggressive real world out there.

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to share your thoughts.

Until Next Time,
Diahana

“I’m not a Salesperson” but I need more sales! 5 Questions to ask that will increase your sales.

We all want more sales, and one of the best tried and true (and easiest) ways to increase your income and expand your business is to start with your current clients.  Happy clients are great sources of additional sales and referrals and it can take up to twice as much time and energy getting a new client.  Growing and expanding your relationship with your clients will increase your sales.  Plus repeat clients will spend 33% more than new customers.  So what do you say to expand your repertoire with your clients?  Here are 5 questions you can ask that will increase your sales with your clients:

1. “What are some of your Priorities today?”
Feel free to expand on this in a specific way targeted to your area of expertise.  For example if you are now offering web services or want to increase your sales by offering social media marketing you could say, “What are some of your priorities around your Website?” or “What are some your priorities around Social Media today?”

This will get them talking.  Ideally they will respond with something to the effect of, “oh, I’ve been really meaning to get into that, but don’t have the time….” BINGO you have an in to introduce your service and expand your sales.  In the event that they do not need Social Media, follow up by asking, “Great!  Who do you know that might be in need of help?”  they may respond with, “hmmm, I don’t know”.  Feel free to give them some examples of clients you have to spark their memory (Real Estate agents, Law Firms, Coaches, Speakers, etc).

2. “What challenges might you have around...”
Understanding your client’s challenges and what they are facing in their business will begin to differentiate you and your services.  Clients will begin to look at you as more than just a VA that sometimes provides administrative services, you will become an extension of their strategy team, if your are not already, and upscale their perception of you and your services in their eyes.

3. “What would you ideally like to ….” 
Everyone had an ideal of what they want their business to be.  Ask your clients this question and see what they say, it might just surprise you how honest and direct they are and how much the open up to you.  Typical answers can include quick responses such as, “I’d ideally like to make a million dollars, or have a day off”  Either way, you’re in.  Ask more questions, be genuinely interested and find a service you offer that will help them achieve that idea.
 
4. “Tell me about the impact it would have on your business if you could….”
I love impact questions.  Impact to me means money, or ROI.  Helping your clients calculate the ROI or talk money with you is a great thing.  Articulating what impact means to them will not only help you understand more about them and their business, it will help you position the value of your services even more.  This is especially true when the service you want to offer is more expensive than what they’ve typically paid in the past.

Remember, you may have to help them put the numbers together in this area.  For example if you ask about the impact it would have on their business if they could delegate their Social Media to someone else and they respond that it would give them an extra 10 hours a week follow up with a question about what they would do with that time.
Then ask what the value of that time means to them. If you can get a monetary number from them; that would be even better.  Feel free to share examples of other clients you have and their experiences with you and how much money they saved, or made, by using your new Social Media service.
 
5. Finally, last but not least, ask additional follow up questions.
This will give you more credibility and expand your knowledge of what is important to them.  Just asking one question is great, asking several questions and taking notes, is even better. It shows you’re listening and care about their business. Sample follow up questions would be: “Tell me more about that?”  “What are your ideas on?”  “Define for me ______” “Give me some examples of_______”

So the next time you give your client a call to “check in”, be sure to ask them one or even two or three of these questions.  By asking them to elaborate you are interacting with them on a whole new level and will greatly increase your sales effectiveness, even though of course, you are not a sales person…right?

Oh and by the way, this is a great way to build new clients too.  When you’re interacting with potential clients whether on twitter, facebook, or email, asking questions is great way to begin to build a relationship with them and learn more about their business.

Thanks for reading!  Until next time...
Diahana

This article was originally published in the July 2012 issue of the Paperless Entrepreneur you can read it in context HERE

Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business

Recently a client asked me to put together a few strategic marketing ideas for their restaurant business that was aligned to their growth goals.  So this week I thought it might be interesting to share with you some of the ideas we discussed.  Now in this particular situation the client owns a restaurant and I've decided to include that detail since I think it provides a good example, but it could easily be adapted to your own small business goals.

Whenever I start a new project, I always begin with the goal.  In this case, the goal was to create a plan for a attracting new customers (25-40 year old set) who are more cutting edge and using social media.  A lot of this stuff can easily be automated in a cloud-based virtual solution so don't get overwhelmed.  It also should be pointed out that the customer already has a website, Facebook Page and Twitter account, all key components in my mind for an effective and well rounded strategy.  Here are a the ideas we discussed:


Create a Newsletter or Blog

In this case they had a pretty big email list, but no newsletter.  Even if you don't have a list yet, it's easy to build one and a great way to stay in touch with your customers and keep them coming back.  Ideally a newsletter or blog should be done once a week. The 25-40 year old set likes communication to be more personal these days (that’s why they are all “hanging out” on Facebook) so include a recipe “secret”, quote from a happy customer, birthday information, and what's happening in and around town.  All the content you create for your website and newsletter can then be repurposed and used on Facebook and Twitter.

Maximize the use of Facebook

Post any videos you have to your Facebook fan page and ask for comments.  Ask customers that come in to “like” your page.  When people "Like" your Facebook page, they are alerted to your updates via their news feeds.  You can also explore expanding your fan base using Facebook ads.  I would also recommend creating a “hidden” secret in the commercial or video for them to watch for (e.g. "what color is our signature drink”) when they come in the restaurant with the answer their name goes in for a drawing, winners can be posted via twitter, Facebook, on the blog or newsletter, etc.

Create automated updates across all your accounts.  Connect to your Facebook page from your newsletter, you newsletter to your website, from Facebook to twitter.  You get the idea.  All should be tightly integrated so as you update one with the daily specials, birthdays, etc. it can automatically post to all the others.

Maximize the use of Twitter:

Tweet your nightly/weekly specials (if you aren’t already).  Tweet interesting things happening in in and around town, such as  new movies, concerts, interesting happenings.  Become the center of information for the community.  Check and make sure your Twitter handle is on your website, Facebook page, newsletter, displayed in the restaurant menu, put it on the televisions in the bar, etc.

There are some good rules of thumb to use for Twitter that build value, a relationship and a good following.  Here are a few that you can incorporate in addition to sharing your own information about daily specials, birthdays, your blog or newsletter and other relevant information.  Remember many can be streamlined using technology and other resources, you do not have to do all this yourself and it could easily be outsourced to a virtual assistant team.

• Reply to someone else’s tweet
• Re-Tweet good information
• Post inspiration or quote
• Post an “a-ha” resource
• Share a link to another great resource, blog post or website

Develop Email Campaigns

Developing email campaigns is easy and can also be automated, you probably already have the content developed for advertising elsewhere, it just needs to be adapted for email.  Any advertising you are doing in local magazines, tv, radio can be repurposed and sent via email along with a newsletter, blog, recipe of the week, birthday days, specials…you get the idea.

That's it!  I hope you got some good ideas for putting together your own strategic marketing plan, as always we are here to help.  Feel free to share your comments, and I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Until next time,
Diahana

Ten GREAT Ideas On How To Use Evernote For Your Small Business

1. Paperless. Going Green has never been easier!  If you use this solution creatively you may never use a paper and pen again. Type away into Evernote instead of taking notes, or if you do fall off the wagon and find yourself taking some handwritten notes, scan them into the software, where the words can be recognized for indexing purposes.

2. Storage. Evernote provides you with a unique e-mail address, so when you receive document attachments that you need to reference from time to time, or when travelling on business, forward them to the e-mail address.

3. Watchdog. If you designate a specific folder on your computer as your "work in progress" for example, Evernote can keep an eye on that folder. Whenever any recognized file formats are inserted therein, they will be automatically uploaded to your account. This means that they will be available on various devices and off-line if needed.

4. Planning. When you're starting to work on a potentially challenging and multifaceted project you simply have to be organized right from the start. If you create a stack of notebooks within Evernote, you can categorize different tasks and responsibilities into the various notebooks. Tag keywords carefully and methodically and you should never experience project "brain freeze" ever again.

5. Doodle. If you want to commit an idea that just popped into your head to virtual memory then you can use the facility within Evernote known as the "ink" note. You can sketch onto the tablet using a variety of different colours and formats. The next multimillion dollar idea doesn't need to be on the back of a napkin, even if that makes a good story.

6. Brainstorm. Collaborate with your cloud-based virtual solutions team to come up with ideas for new ventures, projects, client relationship management and so on. When you find resources online you shouldn't bookmark them to your browser or local machine but do create an instant link or screen grab here. Keep all this in your research section.

7. Snap. Because a picture tells a thousand words get used to the idea of snapping away with your iPhone or iPad whenever you see something relevant or inspirational. The app that enables you to upload these pictures directly to your Evernote account with ease.

8. Tweet. There is integration between Twitter and Evernote, enabling you to capture tweets that are important, memorable and enabling you to create your own archive.

9. List. Evernote has a checkbox feature. Therefore, you can create any number of lists including daily "to do" lists. As you complete you are able to check them off and move on to the next pressing issue.  A must have for any small business!

10. A-ha. You never know when your next inspirational brainwave is going to hit. The chances are that you will have access to a mobile device of some kind when it does. Commit it to virtual memory right away, safe in the cloud for anytime access, as this is sure to be the brainwave that pays for your upcoming retirement, is it not?

Until next time,
Diahana

LearnEASE

4 Ways to Make More Money by Using an Assistant

I strongly believe that every small business needs an assistant:  Someone who can handle the everyday stuff while you concentrate on the big

 money generating tasks 

like talking to potential customers and servicing customers.

If your business isn’t big enough to hire a full time person, consider using a Virtual Solutions Team of experts (like those at LearnEASE...yes this is a little bit of a shameless plug).  With our people and our technology, we are here to help in a cost-effective way.  There are many ways to use a Virtual Solutions expert and the good ones will have a wide range of ways to help you automate and streamline your business.  Here are a few that our clients use the most:

1. Social Media & WebSite Assistance:
Developing and maintaining a strong social media presence can seem like an overwhelming task for the small business. But don’t worry!  There are solutions out there designed to help make the most of your business’ social presence and increase your visibility.  We can set these up for you, automate, monitor and provide you with regular updates.  You have the benefit of keeping your finger on the pulse of your business without having to handle the groundwork.

2. Time Management Assistance:
If your business bills hourly, it is extremely important to know where you are allocating your time.  Even if you do not, ideally you should know how much time you’re spending on money generating tasks versus everyday paperwork, IT troubleshooting, and other tasks that take up time but don’t make you money.  A good virtual solutions team can ease your time constraints in a cost effective way that allows you to focus on your business.

3. Email Marketing & Newsletter Assistance:
Email marketing campaigns and newsletters can seem like a daunting task.  Making sure your emails stand out and your newsletters are noteworthy takes time and thought in order to add value for your business and your customers.  We can make your email campaigns and newsletters pain-free and we'll take the work out of designing and delivering, incorporate social media and web components, to help you reach more customers.

4. Analytics and ROI Assistance:
Measuring the results of your efforts is essential to building a successful small business and getting the most out of the hours you spend.  A good virtual solutions team will have an easy and cost-effective solution that can help you understand the data, give you integrated analytics and dashboards, specifically designed to streamline and track your success.

Every small business is unique and you have your own individual needs.  But you can't do it all, and by handing off the tedious tasks to someone else you'll free up your time to focus on what you do best -

Your Business and Making More Money!

As always, we are here to help.

Until next time,
Diahana

info@learnease.com

"I'm Not a Sales Person" But I Need More Sales

Read our article, "I'm Not a Sales Person" on page 16 published in The Paperless Entrepreneur Magazine:

Open publication - Free publishing

What do you think of the article?  I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment box.

Until Next Time...
Diahana