Do you wish upon a star?
As far back as I am able to remember, I believe the lyric, “When you wish upon a star” came from a Disney song. It was very applicable to today’s news and translates well to both entrepreneurs and job-seekers. It calls into question your power of belief and today’s story is very inspiring.
The Lucille Packard Make A Wish Foundation enables children with life threatening disease to make their fondest wish come true. Today we learned of a 7 year old girl, Kassaundra, fought death twice and now lives with a pacemaker in her chest. Kassaundra embraces the spirit of life. Ignoring her less than perfect health, she plays softball and swims. But her passion is singing and dancing – she wants to be a movie star!
The Foundation granted Kassaundra’s request. She was treated to a fancy dress of her choice, a new hair-do, a limousine ride and escort by Police as photographers and crowds followed and adored her. Kassaundra was then led onto stage where she performed to cheering fans – truly her wish come true!
I found two pertinent messages in this story for everything you undertake in life:
1. Find your passion and keep striving to achieve your dream
2. Illness is only a detour – find the strength to overcome
While #2 may sound cold-hearted, myself and members of my family have done this so I know it is possible just as Kassaundra proved and the reward is all the more fulfilling. The business side of this is – look how much attention you are able to attract when you hit the right stride. Prospects, clients, sales, and business development on auto pilot will be yours.
Begin wishing upon a star to find your Smooth Sale!
attract More Sales: Sales Tip #328
Attract More Sales: Sales Tip #324
How do you become fearless?
The question of how to become fearless was posed on one of the social media discussion boards. It spoke to me because early in my entrepreneurial startup, I was very concerned about many aspects of business development with which I was not familiar. So much needed to be learned and implemented that it was downright scary or you could say almost frightening. I related well to the question and read everyone’s answer.
Collectively, everyone agrees that when you conduct your business as helping and serving others, you will succeed in attracting more prospects, clients and sales. I wish to note that being fearless also applies to planning your career and interviewing for jobs much advanced over your current skill level. I was moved to add to the discussion:
“Enjoying what you are doing and seeing that you are in fact helping others builds your own confidence. Once you have the confidence, it’s easy to take on projects you never before visualized yourself doing. Now the fun part becomes, ‘What else deep down do I truly wish to tackle?’ Answering this question removes the fear and enables you to go for the gold!”
One other suggestion is to create a wish list of what you truly would like to do next. Consider the downside to each (learning curve and implementation) and then re-prioritize in terms of ease for getting it done. Do the easier projects first and then climb the ladder of the more difficult. The underlying marketing-communication message becomes you are the go-to person thereby attracting even more business. You soon enjoy the leadership position and find fear long gone!
From this point forward you enjoy a very Smooth Sale!
Attract More Sales: Sales Tip #320
Do you prepare for business?
I was in disbelief when encountering the following saga. A known resort accepted business from two conference organizers a year ahead of time. Both conferences were to be well-attended. The arrival date for hundreds of people was to be on a Sunday. The town of this resort cherishes Sunday as most would respect a holiday, and herein lie the problem. Money was accepted upfront from the conference organizers yet the hotel was not able to arrange for staff to be on hand to greet or serve that day.
Most guests arrived about 4:00 p.m. with the expectation of first relaxing and then enjoying a nice leisurely dinner. Instead, as the guests entered the restaurant they were asked to return 45 minutes later. Upon returning, being seated and ordering food, the guests were then required to patiently wait another hour to receive their food. Only one chef and two waitresses were on hand to wait on all of those people. Guests received the marketing message that management did not value their business.
In my opinion, the hotel should have known ahead of time to either not accept Sunday business or do everything in their power to make certain their clientele that day was properly served. There was a clear communication breakdown, management neglected to take a leadership stance and they destroyed any chance of further business development. Although it was a nice resort, there are plenty of others that will provide superior service. The competition will thus be the ones to attract new prospects, clients and more sales.
Whether you are a student, a job-seeker or an entrepreneur, you must research, plan and prepare to make a lasting impression and encourage further interest. When you prepare properly, you will be headed for a Smooth Sale!
Share on FacebookAttract More Sales: Sales Tip #319
…When you say nothing at all…
Allison Krauss sings the words above. Her carefully chosen words speak of the “look in your eyes, the smile on your face and touch of your hand…” what she receives from watching facial expressions and body language of her significant other even when he says nothing at all. I find it beautifully sung and the lyrics may be applied to every part of your life including building business and interviewing.
You are your brand. When people meet you and begin to get to know you in succeeding meetings, it is the consistency between your words, actions and deeds that will attract your prospects and clients. Listening intently and smiling at stories of others will do much to further the potential for gaining the sale or job as will credible answers.
When your mindset is focused on paying close attention to others with sincerity, it is equivalent to excellent customer service and will accelerate your business development. This practice makes for a very Smooth Sale!
Share on FacebookAttract More Sales: Sales Tip #317
The murals told many stories relating to art, struggle and collaboration.
We were privileged to join a group in San Francisco for the day viewing a city tour of murals painted on buildings. The themes of the murals are many and the colors vibrant. Many of the murals filled the side of an entire building. Some portrayed mystical themes, others the history of the Mexican people and others of hope and inspiration. One of the artists provided detailed information on the background of each mural.
Our walk ended with enjoying the site of a children’s playground where creative animals meant for climbing were designed by the same artists. Enamel, glass, paint and many types of elements were put together in the most creative play structures I have ever seen.
What struck me was the fact that these murals are painted or created in collaboration. Sometimes as many as 10 artists will work on one project. These projects help keep young people and adults working, deter grafitti and bring beauty to the Mission District. It also provides a marketing-communication message that they care about the population currently living in the area.
The tour reminded me of previous blogs where I proposed working in collaboration to extend your prospect and client reach. The artists have attracted much attention including famous artists that sometime visit to help out. Grants are being provided and grafitti is diminishing in the area.
You might say their mindset is focused on building relationships with everyone they touch with those who touch the community. By so doing, the artists are building their own businesses in the way of a very Smooth Sale!
Share on FacebookAttract More Sales: Sales Tip #314
Continued relationship building does get the results that attracts more sales!
To help you, I’m listing what I did and then I will explain the results:
1. Kept in touch with almost everyone I met through the years
2. Checked in on occasion with past clients to hear their news
3. Treated everyone with respect
4. Ignored nay-sayers and kept on going with what I knew to be true
5. Continually reinvented Smooth Sale moving closer to my passion with each step
6. Translated my passion into compassionate selling
This morning I was told both of my book titles will be translated into Chinese. Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results not only sells well in the United States, my home, but also particularly well in entrepreneurial countries. China has become one of the leaders. My new book, HIRED! isn’t even published yet and that too will translate into Chinese! I then picked up conversations with people in the media industry and undoubtedly will have exciting news to announce in the near future.
When you are of the mindset to work for everyone’s benefit you automatically attract more prospects and clients, and increase your sales. You communicate you care and can be trusted to do the right thing. This last sentence produces the magic.
These strategies all translate to putting your business development on auto pilot and enjoying a truly Smooth Sale!
Attract More Sales: Sales Tip #313
Are you on the path of coming full circle?
Sharon and I were discussing that having lived long enough, we have both come full circle. Our fondest moments of childhood, were that of being a comedian and making others laugh. The two of us still enjoy the lighter side of life and put it into our work. We find our humor attracts more sales!
For Sharon and I, our humor relaxes our prospects and clients. It’s our marketing-communication that we are easy and fun to work with and of course we always work on building our relationships. Our clientele then becomes our business development team by offering referrals and testimonials. A word of caution: it is very important that whatever your style is, it must be consistent with everything you say and do. If you are a serious minded person, then attempting to crack jokes would not be a good idea. Likewise, trying to tell jokes to someone without a sense of humor will fall flat (speaking from recent experience).
A great exercise to boost your future business or success with interviewing for a job you will enjoy is to reflect back on your happier moments in childhood, school, early career, family, travel, hobbies – everything you undertook in your past years. Are there elements that call to you which you may implement in your business or your job hunt? Sharon and I are doing just that and will be incorporating our finer moments into our Sharon and Elinor Show to be announced in the Fall – stay tuned!
Bringing your life’s story full circle will help you here-on-out enjoy a Smooth Sale!
Share on FacebookAttract More Sales: Sales Tip #312
What is your opinion on the following quote?
“I never take advice from someone more messed up than I am.” – Tom Hopkins
The quote put a smile on my face while scanning Twitter so I thought I would share it by re-tweeting. The quote found its way to Facebook only to find many opinions regarding this! When you scan these comments, you will quickly realize the use of social media definitely attracts attention and with it more prospects, clients and sales.
- That is a good plan. But I find my level of messed up-ness and that of others varies by day and topic.
- Only take what you believe will work well for you and leave the rest behind! (me)
- Yes! Your rephrase has caught the essence.
- Who was it that said he would never join a club who allowed him in?
- Lol!!!
- It looks like our humorous Friday was a great start to the weekend! Maybe we should start #HF on Twitter! (Me)
- LOve It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Come on, it is always good to listen to what people have to say, it identifies an opportunity to educate not only the person in front of you, but you as well.
- Oh those who teach usually learn much more than the students…
- Interestingly, this quote received the most discussion of any other I put out on the internet! (Me)
- Only problem is: you don’t always know ahead of time if they’re messed up! ;-)
- What I have learned from Jeannie Whyte is your intuition is always correct! (Me)
- I understand. But my experience is that there are times when we are not so tuned into our untuition – and there are other times when, to put it simply, we can just be “snowed”. But yes, generally our intuition is where we need to put our focus – agreed.
- Great discussion – I’m going to write a blog! … it’s true one can be snowed. However, when I dare say most of the time this is when we are close to 50-50 about something and take a chance. I’ve learned to only act, in particular when it involves money, when the percentages are in a much higher favor on my side. Accordingly, when it’s 50-50 or even 60-40, I wait 24 hours to analyze from all directions and many times after “sleeping on it” know precisely which action to take. (Me)
- Within the last year I took a chance on an acting teacher and spent $270 to spend two days with someone I’d never met. I went on intuition. And it was fabulous! He was fabulous! But then six months later he returned and he had changed, and the workshop was NOT fabulous. Emphatically not. So from that perspective you could say I was fooled…
This is business development in the easiest form I’ve found to date and when you moderate with judgment, it puts you in the leadership position. By working it in this manner, you also provide a wonderful marketing-communication message that you care about listening and clarifying, and helping others. I would think job-seekers could use a very similar format for their job hunting process to produce similar interest. The main ingredient is to give helpful tips and/or food for thought.
Coupling social media with building relationships you will be on the sea of a Smooth Sale!
Share on FacebookAttract More Sales: Sales Tip #311
Are you putting the Power of 10 into action?
Yesterday we spoke about the meaning of the Power of 10 and the impact it has for attracting many more sales. Today we will examine how you may begin to easily put it into action.
How you use Twitter is the perfect example for getting less than desired or better than desired results.
1. Thank people who mention you and those who Re-Tweet your tweets
2. Participate in Follow Fridays – return the favor to those who RT your messages and who mention you plus take the lead for those you admire
3. Scan favorite quotes and RT those
4. Provide helpful tips without any links attached
5. When providing a link on occasion, include a helpful tip
6. Be a helpful thought leader by offering wise advice
Helping others is a major element for developing your Power of 10. Accordingly, you may find these of interest:
A. TheWIN (Women’s Information Network) – Summer Celebration in San Diego CA July 16; Click the link for Details & Registration
B. Whispering Energy collaborative is offering a trial membership for one month – only $.77 – no risk!
C. Job-Seekers: For insider strategies on how to interview best, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews” published by Career Press, is available for pre-sale now! Or copy and paste into your browser: http://tinyurl.com/Get2HIREDNow
When you follow the above etiquette tips on twitter, you will attract a much larger audience of prospects and new clients. In addition new opportunities will come your way as they did for me. This is a quick and easy way to build relationships online and watch your business development grow exponentially as in the Power of Ten. Begin making your business a Smooth Sale!
Attract More Sales: Sales Tip #310
Are you familiar with the “Power of 10″?
Let me first explain the concept. When you are a sole entrepreneur with a core business eg. sales training, you have one audience. Expanding with one product such as a book, you now have 3 audiences – sales training, a readership, and an overlapping audience of those who both read the book and then request your sales training program.
Now imagine having a combination of 10 products and services. The audience potential with all of the overlap amounts to 3,628,800. This number was calculated by multiplying 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1.
As an entrepreneur, it is very important to understand this concept in all forms of possibility. We’ll look at three areas to give you the idea of how powerful this is for your business development and strengthening relationships you already have in place.
1. Establish a combination of 10+ products and services
2. Collaborate with 10 or more like-minded and complementary service oriented business people
3. Provide testimonials and referrals without being asked – unlimited
All of these activities will exponentially increase awareness of you and your business. Your number of prospects and clients will increase which in turn attracts far many more sales. Make certain everyone operates with the same rules and pays close attention to customer service while building relationships with everyone.
With a focused mindset on making certain all pieces are in place, you will soon experience the Smooth Sale!
