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Marketing & Mindset: 5 Essential Questions for Emerging Entrepreneurs

All Categories, Marketing No Responses »

Jun 282010

Where you are right now is where you have chosen to be.

Take a moment to think about that. Depending on where you are, this may feel amazing, but it might not feel so great.

Your mindset is an incredibly important part of the business building game. Moreover, it is directly related to the impact that you’re going to have in this world.

There are five basic questions you must ask yourself when building a business or looking to take an existing business to the next level. These are all related to mindset.

1.) Are you afraid of “messing up”? In other words, are you waiting to take action because you don’t want to fail?

2.) Is building your business really overwhelming? Do you find yourself not knowing where to start sometimes… or maybe even a lot of the time?

3.) Do you compare yourself to others? This one’s really important. Do you find yourself comparing yourself to what’s coming into your inbox? Are you looking at what other people have in their ezines or what they have accomplished and basing your self-worth off of that?

4.) Do you believe (without hesitation) that you have the ability to make multiple six figures and beyond?

5.) Are you so certain in your sales conversion calls that you close at over 90%?

If you answered “yes” to #1, #2, or #3, or “no” to #4 or #5 (essentially negative responses implying a lack of confidence in your business), it is time to take a hard look at your belief system in regards to building your business – because today you decide where you will be in the very near future. It is up to you.

First, it is important to know that there is no competition. People often come up to me and say that they really want to do something but that there are so many other people already doing it, that they aren’t sure if it’s what they should do.

What people forget quite frequently is that there can only be one YOU! Do you know how many marketing and mindset coaches there are out there? There are hundreds, if not thousands, if not tens of thousands of them out there – but there is no one doing it like me. There is no one else doing it “Help More People” style. Likewise, no one can do what you do like you can.

Let go of the idea of competition. There is no competition. The only competition you will find is a manufactured competition that you have created.

Another issue people have related to mindset is that they wait for everything to be “just right” to launch a product or to even start their business at all. This kind of perfectionism holds people back from helping people, making money, and really making a difference in the world.

There’s a great Marianne Williamson quote that says, “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.” It also doesn’t serve your family, your spouse, or your church, or your community, or your friends.

I often hear people saying “I would do this, but I have to take care of my 95 year old mother,” or “I would do this but I have three toddlers at home,” and many other excuses beginning with “I would do this but…”

But by playing small, not being in the right mindset, not asking for clients, not marketing yourself, or putting all the pieces together, you are being a terrible example for your children, community, family, friends, etc. When you are a leader and you step up and build a business that makes a difference in this world, you change everyone’s mindset, and indeed you change the world.

So many people want to change the world, but fail to realize that the only person they can directly change is themselves. You must start with your own mindset. Your sales conversions, your ability to make money, whether or not you are comparing yourself to others or not, and any uncertainty that you’re experiencing are all reflections of your belief in what is possible for you.

When I decided to get my “mind set” in the right direction – notice that I used two words, mindset is really about getting your mind set in the right way – everything started to come together for me. Treat your belief in yourself like a thermostat and not a thermometer. You set it where you want it to be.

When I realized and began implementing this, clients literally started finding me. My belief in myself was firm. People want to be around that. No one wants to surround themselves with uncertainty and insecurity.

Continually ask yourself, how are you showing up? People are attracted to authority – authority inspired!

About the Author

I’d like to invite you to learn how to help more people, make more money and enjoy more freedom with the free 5-day mini course, “Awakening Your Authentic Entrepreneur,” at http://www.HelpMorePeople.com/minicourse.htm

Suzanne Evans is best known as the ‘action expert’ and has coached hundreds of solopreneurs to model her multiple six figure business.

Article Source

Identifying Your Unique Selling Proposition to Increase Revenues

All Categories, Marketing No Responses »

Jun 182010

Everyone has a special quality that makes them unique. What makes you…YOU?

Being able to identify your unique selling proposition is critical to creating more revenue in your business. The more you can distinguish yourself from your colleagues and leverage your unique skills, the more your ideal clients will want to work with you and the higher fees you can command.

You can think of your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) as part of your “expertise” and what sets you apart from other people in your profession. By focusing on your special skills and qualities and setting yourself apart from your competition, your ideal clients will view you as the expert that you are and be more inclined to engage your services. Keep in mind, anyone seeking the support of a service professional ALWAYS wants to work with the best of the best.

Obviously, whether you are a coach, speaker, interior designer, virtual assistant, graphic designer or a consultant you have “competition”. (Though I like to think of them as colleagues and not competitors.) Your colleagues are simply other service professionals who are working to serve the same target market you are .

But you know something that they don’t. The importance of having an ideal client profile. And once you’ve created your ideal client profile, based in part on your USP, you work to consistently market to ONLY that ideal client. This allows you to attract people who “get” what you do and are actively seeking your unique services. It also allows you to create a top-notch experience for your client, because you’re offering solutions specifically for that individual’s unique challenges. Focusing on your USP also helps you to create a “raving fan”, because your client sees you, and only you, as their problem solver. Thus you create a win-win for you AND your client!

This type of success all starts with determining your USP. It can be as simple as identifying and marketing your strengths as a business owner. For example, if you are a personal development coach that helps women become financially independent, then your USP could be that you were a former financial adviser that has helped 1,000 women become financially independent. Because of your expertise, you are uniquely qualified to help them develop a plan to get out of debt, save money, invest and plan for retirement. That is no easy task! Because you have already demonstrated your expertise with your previous experience, that makes you unique. Women who are looking for financial independence will be drawn to your experience and results – and they will pay top dollar to work with you! So, think about your profession and what makes you a better choice over your colleagues.Why should someone work with you rather than Susie Smith? Use that as your USP and leverage it to attract your ideal client by incorporating the details in your marketing messages. You can even use your passions as a USP – get creative! The more you can differentiate yourself, the more successful your business will be. And the more successful your business is, the easier it is to create your ideal lifestyle, which is why you became self-employed in the first place. I’d love to hear about your USP – please stop by the blog and tell me all about it!

About the Author: Sydni Craig-Hart, The Smart Simple Marketing Coach, is founder of SmartSimpleMarketing.com Known for her simple, tech-savvy, integrated approach to marketing, she also has the unique ability to find untapped profit centers in her client’s businesses so they can create money NOW. Visit www.SmartSimpleMarketing.com to listen to Sydni’s F.R.E.E. audio class, “10 Proven Steps to Powerful Marketing Results!” and to schedule your F.R.E.E. “Profit Breakthrough” session!

Using Email Marketing to Build Your Business and Your List

All Categories, Business Productivity, Email Marketing, Marketing No Responses »

Jun 162010

You’ve created, designed and launched a website (or blog) for your business and now anxiously await the stamped of traffic you hope to accumulate as a result of the many hours of marketing you put in. You know you have amazing products and offer outstanding service, but what if your visitors choose not to buy during their first visit to your site?

If you fail to offer your website visitors the option to subscribe to your website or blog so that you can follow up with them at another time, you risk the chance of loosing that visitor forever. You worked hard on creating your site but what good will that do you if you aren’t able to reconnect with your visitors?

A huge part of building a profitable business online is learning how to implement successful marketing strategies that get you the results you want. Before profits can start rolling in consistently, you have to have an audience to market to, and what better way to do that than with Email Marketing!

Email Marketing provides a few great benefits for small business owners. Using this form of marketing allows you to establish and build a loyal relationship with people who are already interested in what you have to offer and gives you a way to stay in touch with new and current clients and continue to offer them products or services that meet their interests.

To set up an email marketing campaign for your business website or blog, you first need to choose a email marketing service provider. I personally use and recommend MailChimp.com. They offer a free service with great features and do not include ads in your outgoing emails. Other services you may want to check out are; aweber.com, icontact.com, constantcontact.com and madmimi.com just to name a few.

Once you choose your service, you can than create your email campaigns and set up autoresponders that will automatically send out pre-written messages (by you) to go out to your list at times you choose.

Each service provides special code so that you can add a subscription box to your website for your visitors to subscribe, or opt-in to your mailing list. (Watch my video: How to Add an Opt-In Subscription Box)

Now that your email marketing list is set up, the next task will be deciding…

How to Get People on Your List

Give a detailed description. Let your visitors know exactly what they can expect from you once they sign up to your list, then hold true to your word. If they opt-in to receive healthy eating tips, make sure that is what you give them. You can also create a “squeeze page”, which is similar to a product sales page except your visitors only option is to subscribe to your list. Using a squeeze page can be good if you utilize the space enough to share in detail all the benefits and incentives visitors will get when they choose to subscribe to your list. This brings me to my next tip.

Offer an incentive. You may want to consider offering an incentive in exchange for contact information. This works well when you have a specific niche market you want to reach. For instance, if you are a web designer and your visitors are mostly interested in web design, you could offer them a free report or ebook about how to design a website when they subscribe to your list.

Provide compelling content. If you own a blog (which you should), make sure that you are always providing quality and informative content for your readers. When people see you offer value and useful information that will actually make their life easier, they will be more comfortable subscribing to your list because they have a sense of what you bring to the table. This is why it is important to have an opt-in box on your blogs and websites to allow your visitors easy access.

Focus on your Niche. Another great way to get people to opt-in is to serve a particular niche. The more your content, products and service can target a specific audience, the more likely they will be to join your mailing list. Again, they can trust that you will deliver the kind of information they need and want.

Promote your list. There are a variety ways you can promote your mailing list. If you enjoy writing and blogging, find another blogger related to your industry and offer to do a guest post. You can take advantage of the bio box you will be able to add at the end of your post by sharing a description and link to your newsletter. Article writing is another way to reach more people. There are many article directories you can submit your articles to. You can always share links and sign-up information across your social networks and on twitter. The most important thing to remember is that in order for you to build a great list, you have to promote it on a continuous basis!

Being Consistent

Once you start your email list, it is important that you stay consistent. Be sure to always stay focused on providing the content your subscribers want to receive from you and on a regular basis. Email Marketing is an easy way to offer products and services to your list however, promotion should be kept to a minimum. When your goal is to provide your subscribers with useful content that will help them, in time, they will be more comfortable taking you up on your product offer when you share it!

Remember, just like every part of business building, establishing your list for email marketing takes time. Be patient consistent, and creative and watch your email list grow!

RESOURCE: 101 Smart and Easy Mailing List Strategies

Are You Using Video to Market Your Business?

All Categories, Marketing No Responses »

Jun 142010

Video Marketing has become a very valuable and successful tool for building your business. Not only does it provide you the ease of creating something one time that can be shared and passed around for years to come, it also gives people another way to connect with you on a more personal level.

Because of this, I have decided to incorporate more video marketing in my business too! In the process of doing some research on the topic so I can learn as much as I can about video marketing, I came across a video blog post on this very subject. Katie Freiling shares a great post titled, My 10 Most Powerful Video Marketing Tips and I recommend you go check it out if you want to learn how to create powerful video for your business.

Click the link to Watch the Video Now

Women Entrepreneurs: Tips for a Prosperous (and Sane!) Business

All Categories, Business Productivity, Marketing No Responses »

Jun 112010

Author: Michele DeKinder-Smith

Chances are, people who are in business for themselves view financial freedom as a motivating factor for venturing out on their own. Money in the bank—time off for friends, family and travel—and even a luxurious lifestyle can all be part of the vision that entrepreneurs have when they set off to build a business. But according to the latest research, when it comes to women entrepreneurs, financial prosperity isn’t the only carrot: the desire for “greater work-life balance” is also a primary motivating factor.

A new study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on women entrepreneurs, reveals that there are a significant number of women in business who’ve created significant financial success, but who may feel overwhelmed by a to-do-list that is out of control. This article provides important “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for duplicating the success of the market segment known as “Go Jane Go” in the year ahead—without taking on the stress of her hectic life.

Comprising 14% of all women entrepreneurs, Go Jane Go is passionate about her work, and has no problem marketing and selling herself, so she has plenty of clients—but she’s struggling to keep up with demand. She may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she’s eager to make an impact on the world and may really struggle saying “no”. Because she wants to “say yes” to so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged and feeling guilty about neglecting herself and possibly others who are important to her.

At the same time, her hard work is also paying off. Go Jane Go takes home more money from her business at the end of the day than any other segment of female entrepreneurs, and she’s four times more likely than the average female entrepreneur to have hit the one-million dollar mark. However, her “big paycheck” may reflect a tendency to delay hiring people to help her get the work done.

Other types of women entrepreneurs can learn a lot from Go Jane Go’s can-do attitude that will help them achieve financial success. Just remember that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Business owners who know they’re a Go Jane Go must pay careful attention to the pointers below. Where might a business owner be able to gain a little perspective that will help her gain better balance in her life overall?

1) DO—Be an idealist

A big-picture vision of her life’s purpose is a motivating force, and it’s a big part of why Go Jane Go is so successful. Knowing what she stands for will not only help her get out of bed in the morning inspired by the possibilities, it will attract clients to her door who can see big things for themselves.

2) DON’T—Be a perfectionist

While providing a great product or service is virtue—and going the extra mile to make it happen can help to set you apart—pushing herself too hard is not a sustainable strategy in the long run. Perfectionistic habits may cause Go Jane Go to wind up working very long hours, contributing to her stress level and guilt feelings. Remember that satisfying customers, if an entrepreneur is a natural perfectionist, is often easier than meeting her own exacting standards—so learn to recognize when “good is good enough” – because Go Jane Go’s good will be better than many people’s “best”.

3) DO—Build a team

Go Jane Go knows how to attract other people who are equally good at what they do and can be an effective catalyst that inspires her team members to go the extra mile. She’s great at recognizing and appreciating others and gladly and generously shares all kudos with members of her team.

3) DON’T—Ignore Poor Performance

Although she inspires others to want to go that extra mile, Go Jane Go may be better at seeing someone’s potential than their actual performance. As a result, when a team member is not performing, she may tend to make excuses for that person. Rather than initiate what she may perceive as a confrontation, Go Jane Go may burn extra energy following up with the poor performer, attempting to understand the reasons behind the performance issue instead of addressing the problem directly. Or, she may start gradually removing work from the person, doing more and more herself as her trust in them diminishes. If an entrepreneur has had problems giving critical feedback in the past, she should commit to herself that she will no longer let such things fester.

4) DO—Deliver great customer service

Go Jane Go tends to be all about relationships, and this is a key factor in her success. She knows that integrity and communication are the twin pillars of lasting business relationships, and she knows how to be responsive to her clients’ needs, desires and timeframes. As a consequence, her customers love her, and recommend her to everyone they know.

5) DON’T—Forget to set aside “self-time,” which is important as “business time”

Go Jane Go can keep herself so busy meeting others’ needs that she seldom has time to take care of herself. She is often last on her own to do list. This may manifest itself in taking client calls after hours or on weekends, giving more hours to volunteer activities than she originally agreed, or investing lots of time in counseling and supporting other people. While being responsive is important, returning phone calls after hours or spending weekends putting out fires are habits that quickly become counterproductive in terms of creating or maintaining the life balance many business owners seek. Most problems are not dire emergencies and will wait. People respect those who have good and reasonable boundaries. Also, while volunteering for a great cause can be a deep source of personal satisfaction, over-committing is another classic habit of the overwhelmed and over-stressed. Go Jane Go should carefully consider before investing more time, and make sure she is investing sufficient time in herself to feel rested and ready to go.

For more detailed information on the five Jane “types,” visit www.JaneOutOfTheBox.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/women-entrepreneurs-tips-for-a-prosperous-and-sane-business-1346700.html

About the Author

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane Out of The Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by joining Jane Out Of the Box. Jane offers networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, and is now available as a FREE, 7-day trial membership. Claim yours today at www.janeoutofthebox.com

June is Entrepreneurs Do it Yourself Marketing Month

All Categories, Business Productivity, Marketing 1 Response »

Jun 092010

During the month of June, entrepreneurs and small business owners will be celebrating Do-it-Yourself Marketing! For “newbie” business owners or those who may not be very market savvy, this could be a huge challenge. To make the most of our month of celebration, I have decided to compile a list of some of my favorite FREE and low-cost DIY Marketing tools. These resources will help you get a head start on marketing your business this month and beyond!

Hootsuite.com – This is by far one of my favorite tools. Hootsuite gives you the ease and flexibility to manage multiple twitter accounts, your social networking sites (including your Facebook profile and Fan Pages), RSS feeds, WordPress and more! You can also schedule status updates for a later time and track click stats.

Paypal.com – Send and receive money, invoices, accept payments on your website, shopping cart and subscription payments.

Skype.com – Talk and connect with business partners, associates and customers all around the world for free!

Socialmention.com – Get real time alerts of your social media mentions. Find out who is talking about your brand, company, marketing campaigns…good and bad.

Lulu.com – A great resource and platform to self publish your very own books, ebooks, CD’s and DVD’s.

E-Junkie.com – Sell your downloads and tangible products on your website with e-junkie intergrated shopping cart and buy now buttons for only $5 month.

FreeConferenceCall.com – Set up and receive your very own free conference line to schedule and conduct teleconferences and training calls 24/7.

Ustream.tv – Create free live streaming video, online broadcasts, webcasts, video chat and more!

Google Analytics – Another favorite of mine that allows in depth website tracking, clicks, traffic and stats.

Youtube.com, Vimeo.com and Blip.tv – The best free websites to host your videos.

Godaddy.com – Affordable and reliable domain registration and hosting plans.

PDF995 – Free tool that allows you to convert your document files to pdf.

FreePressRelease.com – Helps you spread the word about your business for free.

BlogPRWire.com – Press Release Pitches for Bloggers.

WordPress.org – The best free blog publishing tool.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn – Of course, the top free social networking platforms to network and establish your online presence.

Do you know of any free or low cost Marketing tools? Share them in the comments below.

It's Not Procrastination, It's Fear of Rejection (Get Past It and Get Marketing)

All Categories, Business Productivity, Inspiration, Marketing 1 Response »

Jun 042010

Guest Post By: Fabienne Fredrickson

Have you ever been stopped in your marketing tracks because of procrastination and didn’t know where it was coming from? This happened a few times with some of my private clients recently, and we noticed that every time, it wasn’t really procrastination, it was a fear of some sort that was holding them back.

Perhaps you’ve experienced it too? The fear of reaching out to people, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of not doing something right, and the kicker, fear of REJECTION? I don’t think I know anyone who’s not experienced some form of fear of rejection when marketing themselves. I think it’s innate for many of us. Problem is, it holds us back from doing what it takes to get clients. And it’s got to stop.

Fear of rejection keeps people from marketing, from networking, from asking for the sale, reaching out, from getting help, from public speaking, from asking for referrals, and from collaborating with strategic alliances. You’ve heard me say this a thousand times: if you don’t market today, you won’t have clients in six months.

So, understanding that there’s some sort of fear stopping you, what do you do about it? I’ve done a lot of research on this, for my clients, and for myself over the years. I’ve read books, special reports, and anything that was available on the subject. Problem is that most people just GLOSS OVER what you should do.

The “experts” talk about changing your mindset, thinking positively, and all that good stuff. OK, but that’s not practical enough for me. I wanted to know EXACTLY what to do to eliminate the fears and limiting beliefs that have held me back in the past, and that I continually see my clients struggling with.

I’ve discovered there’s more to getting clients than just the OUTER game of Client Attraction (marketing). There’s also an INNER game of Client Attraction (your mindset and beliefs) and if you don’t deal with the inner part, then you’ll keep doing the same things (and making the same money) you’ve been making for years to come. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to continue to grow and make more.

So, I went on an internal search for what the answer was and I found it. I’ve worked (and continue to work) on my personal growth and development, and I’ve broken it down into a series of steps that, when done in sequence, help eliminate the limiting beliefs and fears that hold us back from marketing (and shining, personally) in a big way.

Here’s what you do:

Establish the root fear or limiting belief that’s holding you back from marketing.(Fear of success, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of overwhelm, fear of what others will think of you, fear of doing it wrong, fear of asking for what you want, fear of saying no to someone, etc.) Let’s pick fear of rejection, just for argument’s sake, since it’s such a biggie with my clients.
Think back to your childhood. What is the earliest memory you have of being rejected? Write it down. (I’m serious, don’t just read this assignment, write it down. That’s how you get results.) If you get stuck, then go back to what the original thought that popped up when you read the assignment. That’s usually the big one that needs to be addressed first, even if you don’t think it is.
Write down ALL the events in life in which you can remember feeling rejected(your parents, kids in grade school, high school, the dating years, cheerleading or sports tryouts, the working world, and of course, since being self-employed).
Now, think about what MEANING you created about yourself as a result of each of those incidents. (“I’m not good enough,” “I’m dumb,” “I’ll never be good at marketing,” “When I reach out, I get rejected,” “I’m not cut out to make a lot of money,” etc. Really spend some time on this, because that’s where the healing begins. Be a hard grader.
Then, make a separate list of how these MEANINGS you created have stopped you in life. Did you stop reaching out? Did you stop taking chances? Did you retreat into a hole? Did you hold back from taking advantage of opportunities that could have advanced you? Write them all down.
Now, go back to the list of meanings you created and ask yourself, “What if what I THINK happened wasn’t actually the case?” Here’s what I mean: If you were rejected by your “crush” in high school after telling this person you liked him, imagine other scenarios other than “I’m unattractive” or “I’m not lovable.” Could they have secretly been dating someone else? Could they have been shy and not known what to say? Could they even have been interested in someone their own gender? Write it ALL down.
This is a list of ALTERNATIVE reasons why they wouldn’t have done the ‘right’ thing by you, rather than thinking you were unattractive or unlovable. Now, look at this list and pick one, because I’ll guarantee you, what you THINK happened is probably not what happened. Each person has their own writing on the wall and even if they said or did something unacceptable, we don’t REALLY know what that reason was (we might never know what was going on for them at that time).
Reevaluate the limiting belief or your fear. Is it REALLY true that you were rejected? Could there have been another reason for what happened? Is it really WORTH your still being affected by this and having lost out on opportunities your whole life because of what one (dumb) person said or did? Is that event really WORTH you being stopped in your marketing now?
Decide to select the ALTERNATIVE reason for what happened and move past the fear. You deserve to not be stuck in your tracks any more. You deserve to be free from what others said or did to you in the past. You deserve to be successful and that’s what I want for you.
If you can’t seem to let the fear go, then just FEEL the fear, and do what it takes anyway. You’ve heard the saying: “Successful people feel the fear too and they do what it takes anyway.” That’s been my experience. When I feel myself getting stopped, I often use the process above, and then I just push through and get things done. Funny thing is, it’s never as bad as what I had feared. Best of all, every time you push through a fear that stops you, you exercise that muscle. After a while, limiting fears or beliefs don’t have a chance against you.

Your Assignment:

Make a point to do the exercise above. Take an afternoon or an hour, and really work through what’s stopping you. It can seem scary at first, but I assure you, when you actually do it, it becomes easy. And it feels so FREEING at the end.

You’ll notice that you will start DOING more than before, taking advantage of opportunities, and getting better results in marketing. That immediately equals more paying clients, more results, and in my experience, financial freedom and being able to live the life you really want. I once read that the view from the other side of fear is SUCCESS. Are you game?

Now, if you clear the fears and still are not sure what to do to get clients in a way that feels easy and authentic to you, it’s time to start doing things differently. The Client Attraction Home Study System™ avoids the “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome” and instead gives you the most important things to do to set up simple, solid marketing systems, so that you consistently fill your pipeline and continually get new clients.

It’s all step-by-step, not a big mishmash of things. So, you do step one of the system, and when you’re done with that, you move on to step two, and so on. All the tools, scripts, templates, and examples are handed to you on a silver platter. Easy. You can get it at TheClientAttractionSystem.com.

About the Author: Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Mentor, is founder of the Client Attraction System , the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to attract more clients, in record time…guaranteed. To get your F.R.E.E. Audio CD by mail and receive her weekly marketing & success mindset articles on attracting more high-paying clients and dramatically increasing your in.come, visit www.ClientAttraction.com.

Forming Strategic Partnerships for Your Small Business

All Categories, Business Productivity, Marketing, Networking, Social Networking No Responses »

Jun 022010

Successful small business owners and entrepreneurs have learned that having a solid and profitable business, first starts with a strong structural foundation. Smart entrepreneurs realize that forming strategic partnerships is a contributing factor to their overall long term success.

What exactly is a strategic alliance?

Strategic alliances are practical arrangements between two or more entities which are created to achieve mutual goals through collaboration. It is a way to connect with others and work together to reach a common goal while still maintaining individuality.

You can look at a strategic partnerships as a way of developing a team effort allowing all parties involved to reap the rewards and benefits. This type of alliance is simply a business-to-business collaboration. A strategic alliance can often be established more formally as a joint venture or partnership.

The most common partnerships can be defined as; promotional alliances in which each party promotes the others products or service for a set period of time, marketing alliances can be formed to market complimentary products, and pricing or cost alliances can be created to cut cost, share expenses or eligibility to receive discounts. There are a variety of strategic partnerships that can be designed to meet the needs of both partners.

What are the benefits of creating these alliances?

For most small business owners and entrepreneurs, the biggest benefit of creating an alliance is to quickly and easily be able to expand into a new market. Another great benefit is having the accessibility to additional resources, a network of new people and potential contacts and being able to develop new business opportunities with new products and services.

How can I find strategic alliance partners?

Starting within your current network of contacts and customers is best since you have already established some form of relationship or connection with them. You can also locate other businesses or entrepreneurs who provide products or services complimentary to your own. Depending upon your goals and needs, partnering with your competitors could be a good option as well.

Before you set up your alliance, you will have to establish your terms and create a plan that clarifies exactly what you need and want to achieve. Both parties must mutually agree and fully be aware of what is expected on both ends.

When choosing a strategic partner, you will want to make sure you first conduct your research. You will have to check their credibility, business integrity, make certain they are trust worthy and determine whether they are a good fit for your business to eliminate any possible conflicts.

To learn more, Smallbusinessnotes.com shares a useful article with tips to help you learn more about How to Set up a Strategic Alliance

What is it You Do?

All Categories, Marketing, Networking No Responses »

May 212010

How many times are we asked that question? How many times do we stumble over the response? Let’s see. . . I provide financial services to seniors. . . or I’m a research analyst at the university. As a coach the main problem I encounter with my clients is coming to grips with what they do and why they do it.

Most of us know what we do but to say it in a way that engages people is another thing entirely. It’s rare that I meet someone at a networking event who says what he or she does in a way that engages me. Usually I have to figure out how to get engaged with the person. Or worse still, after they say what they do, it falls flat. I’m not sure what to say next. In contrast our goal should be to tell people what we do quickly in order to peak their interest and engage them in a conversation.

Here are some tips I’ve learned about developing your quick, elevator speech in an engaging manner.

* Focus on the benefits your product or service offers. Instead of saying, I’m a financial manager, say: “I help people make money by investing.” What is it that you do, that others might benefit from? I have a colleague who says, “I help organizations turn sales into money.”

* When you say what you do, say it with passion. Give the important words emphasis. Recently during a workshop I asked the participants to tell me what they do. One woman went into a long description about how she finds the right jobs for the right people. When I challenged her to think of benefits and to give words emphasis, she came up with a new description of her services. Now she says, “I’m a match-maker. I connect the perfect person with the perfect job.” The excitement of her new elevator pitch came across in her words. She said it like this: “I’m a match-maker. I connect the perfect people with the perfect job.”

* Your goal is not to tell it all, but to engage. You want the person you are talking with to ask you that all-important question. How do you do that? Essentially you want to get the other person asking you questions.

* Remember your target market. Many entrepreneurs do not wish to limit their market. I have clients who tell me they do not want to create a niche because that limits their service reach. In reality, the target is exactly what it says. It’s a place where you aim. You might hit another spot and if you do, fine. But, you aim for your target. What does this mean? I have a client who finally narrowed her target to coaching for people in religious settings. She can focus on developing group coaching, seminars, written materials and all kinds of other materials for her target population. If, however, someone outside the religious community wishes to engage her services, that’s fine. Recently a skilled sales person defined this concept for me as “land and expand.” Once you land with your foot in the door, you can expand. The trick is landing!

William Osler was one of the foremost teachers and writers of medical education during the 20th Century. He was a great physician who paved the way for many young doctors. Before his death he instructed his friends what he wanted to be remembered for-not the many medical discoveries he made, not the textbooks he’d written-instead, he said, “I taught medical students on the wards.” That was his target and his elevator speech. What’s yours?

Joan Curtis, EdD is founder of Total Communications Coaching where she specializes in helping smart, capable professionals move ahead in their careers by becoming skilled communicators. How Effective is Your 10-Second Pitch? Take this free assessment
http://www.totalcommunicationscoach.com/how-effective-is-your-10-second-pitch.htm.

Dr. Curtis’ new book, Managing Sticky Situations at Work: Communication Secrets for Success in the Workplace, will be released in June 2009. See it at http://www.managingstickysituationsatwork.com

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