Don't Fear Change

On my entrepreneurial journey, while building a successful business, I have come to learn something which is critical to success that I’d like to share here. I believe that most of us are afraid of change – not just negative change, but even positive, life-altering, earning lots of money type of change. It is that fear which results in self-sabotage, complacency, and resistance to growth, both personally and professionally.

I have gone through it myself recently, and had to confront my fears and face them head-on. What exactly was I afraid of? Changing the way I do things, growing my business too much and what that would mean, but most of all, if I am to be honest, my biggest fear was that my beliefs are were all wrong, and that everything in my business – the way it was designed, the way we operate, the way we market ourselves, might need to change. That is very scary!

I sincerely believe that for true success, you must be willing to question everything. Every belief should stand the test of scrutiny. Things that worked yesterday may not work today, and you must be willing to evolve.

Develop a business system based on proven sales methods in your industry, implement it, carry it out, but always come back, analyze its effectiveness, and don't get emotionally attached to any methodolgy - be willing to change when you need to. For me, that was a lesson well learned.

E-mail Marketing - I love it!

In recent months, e-mail marketing has really become a favorite method of mine for communicating with my prospects and clients alike. When done properly, it can really be very effective and extremely affordable. I like sending prospects a postcard type e-mail every few months - it keeps me on top of their mind, is much more subtle than calling, and never fails to help me close a few deals.

Unlike the telephone, I can reach more prospects directly with an e-mail. If they aren't interested, they can delete it quickly - or maybe they'll read it, and then I've planted a seed, and I know that when they're ready for me, they'll call or e-mail.

For our current clients, I like sending short e-mail postcards to notify them of new programs, promote special pricing, or educate them on some new technology. I always try to make these e-mails valuable to our clients by giving them some information without being purely salesy.

The key is, keep it short and sweet. Get in, get out, make your statement, and you're done. To me, that's the most effective way to do it. For help with your next e-mail marketing campaign, call me at 1-800-250-8233.

New Account on Technorati

I just added my blog to Technorati. Technorati is the recognized authority on what's happening on the World Live Web, right now. The Live Web is the dynamic and always-updating portion of the Web. They search, surface, and organize blogs and the other forms of independent, user-generated content (photos, videos, voting, etc.) increasingly referred to as “citizen media.” Technorati currently tracks 107.3 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media. Here's our profile on their site: Technorati Profile

New Website Templates for Chiropractic, Dental, & Pest Control

We are currently working on several new templates for Chiropractic, Dental, and Pest Control websites. Unlike our fully customized website design service, our clients in these 3 industries will be able to choose a layout of their liking, pick colors, add their logo and content, and voila!, a 6-7 page website will be created.

We will also be offering e-mail newsletters, a great way to keep in contact with one's customers. These template sites will be offered for just $299 plus monthly hosting. For our customers who wish to have full customization, we will, of course, still offer fully customized websites as always.

We're looking to roll these template sites out over the next few weeks. For more information, visit http://www.watt-media.com/ or call Watt Media at 1-800-250-8233.

Chiropractic "On-Hold" Messages Article

I recently wrote an article on "on-hold" messages and making the best impression on the phone that was featured in Chiropractic Economics magazine, one of the most widely-read publications in the Chiropractic industry. I was very proud to have my article selected, and it was even one of the 3 articles listed on the cover.

Here's a link to it: http://www.chiroeco.com/article/2007/Issue13/MKT2-Make-On-Hold-Time-Productive-Practice.php

Watt Media has become a specialist in the Chiropractic industry, providing both on-hold recordings and chiropractic websites. For more information, I can be reached at 1-800-250-8233.

Why Digital Players Are Ideal for Music On-Hold

Still using a CD player for your on-hold messages? Here's why a CD player is not the best option:

• Has moving parts
  
• Will stop working after 6 months to a year and need replacing


• Will skip when it starts getting old and ready to be replaced


• Needs to be manually reset after a power outage


• The smaller ones don't have enough volume


• Comes with only a one to three month warranty

These days, a digital player is the way to go. Here's why:

• No moving parts


• No wear & tear


• Great sound quality


• Resets automatically after a power outage


• Comes with a 5-year warranty


• Very easy to use

Even mp3 players such as an iPod aren't make to play non-stop for months and months at a time. We offer a great digital unit that downloads the recording onto a USB thumb drive, then the drive is inserted into the player. It is very affordable, and you'll end up spending as much after a few years monkeying around with CD players...not to mention the cost in aggravation.
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Call Amir Watynski for more information about our digital players at 1-800-250-8233.

Is Virtual Voice-Mail For You?

I often consult business owners who are just starting out with a home-based business. They are often unsure whether to use their home phone number, cell phone number, or get an extra phone line. I often recommend a little known service called virtual voice-mail.

With virtual voice-mail, you get a phone number, but it doesn't ring anywhere. Just like any voice-mail, you record an outgoing message, your callers can leave you messages, and you can retrieve those messages any time by calling into your mailbox. Many services even allow you to log into your account online and listen to your messages on your computer. Plus, they are very affordable at about $10/month, and often don't require a deposit or start-up fee. Many of these companies even allow you to pay via pay pal, which means you don't have to worry about giving out your credit card number.

The only drawback I can think of is that it doesn't connect to an actual phone line, so you can't answer it if you wanted to, but here are some reasons why I think virtual voice-mail is a great option for many start-ups:

• Avoid the expense of getting another phone line
  
• You shouldn't take business calls at home if you have potentially screaming kids or a barking dog in the background
  
• Using a cell phone is less professional
  
• Your outgoing message will include your company name and will be more professional than a cell phone our answering machine message
  
• You can retrieve messages, and return calls at your convenience

Here's a good company that offers virtual voice-mail service: http://www.voicemailnumber.com/ You can find more by doing a search for "virtual voice-mail" online. This may be a service that can help you get off the ground!

New Company Name

New Name, New Identity, Same Professional Service: WatSounds, Inc. to Re-brand as Watt Media, Inc.

It is with great excitement that we announce that effective immediately, we are changing our corporate name to Watt Media, Inc. Our re-branding positions us in the market as a leader in telephone on-hold messages and web design services.

We are very excited about this change and look forward to continuing to help businesses promote their services and enhance their image through the powerful media of on-hold advertising, websites and e-mail newsletters.

All phone numbers and addresses will remain the same. Our new web address is www.watt-media.com, and individual e-mail addresses will change.

Incredible Search Engine Ranking Achieved

One of our clients, ICS Voice & Data (icsvoiceanddata.com), a North Carolina-based telephone system dealer approached us about two months ago, and contracted us to do search engine marketing and optimizing for their website. Their goal was to achieve high ranking for their website on the major search engines.

Watt Media performed our typical Search Engine key word analaysis, and then implemented a strategy which included new meta tags (code which is inserted in the back-end of the website), manual submission to 250 hand-picked directories, and some link building.

We are very happy to report that after just two months, ICS has attained the #2 spot on Google and the #7 spot on Yahoo! We will continue to monitor their ranking and perform additional work as needed to maintain these standings, and improve them even more over the next few months.

Opening Word 2007 files with Word 2003

Have you had problems opening Word files lately that were e-mailed to you by people who have Word 2007? Although a bit off topic, here's a very useful article I found on Affinity Consulting Group's blog (affinitycgi-networking.blogspot.com) :
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This is a question we continually are asked and wanted to publish it for all of our clients and associates. If you have not yet made the switch to Office 2007 including Word 2007, you may be experiencing problems when you are trying to open documents sent to you in Word 2007 format with your Word/Office 2003 Products.

Don't despair - you don't need to spend the time and money to upgrade to Office/Word 2007 to read these new formatted Word Documents. Surprisingly Microsoft has provided a translator for Word 2003 users to import and read Word 2007 files.

To access Microsoft's translator - click this link and download the FileFormatConverters.exe file to your desktop then install. You'll now be able to read Word 2007 formats in Word 2003.
Word 2007 to 2003 Translator

Gus Anderson can be reached for further questions at 954 340-4599 x202.

5 Things a Start-Up Business Should NOT Do

At Watt Media, we often consult small business owners on the best ways to convey a professional image. Many start-up business owners don’t realize the signals they give off that make it obvious that they are a small one-person business. Here are 5 things NOT to do that just scream, “I am a one-person business”:

1. Don’t have kids screaming in the background during a phone conversation.
Have a home-based business? Many of the most successful businesses started that way, but nothing will make you look more “small time” than making it so obvious. (same goes for barking dogs!)

2. Don’t use a cell phone.
Does your business phone number ring to a cell phone? Calls breaking up, echo – it’s obvious to people you’re on a cell phone. If being a one-person business is not something you want to promote, use a land line.

3. Don’t answer your phone, “Hello?”
Nothing screams “small time” more than answering your phone with a mere, “Hello.” You’re running a business – answer with your business name!

4. Don’t have a personal voice-mail outgoing message.
What do customers hear when you’re not there? If you use your home phone line for business, they will hear your home answering machine – talk about small time! Same with your cell phone - “Hi, this is John, leave me a message…” – small time!! Invest in a separate phone line and leave an outgoing message with your company name. Better yet, get someone else to record it for you!

5. Don’t have business cards with no address.
You know what I think to myself when I go to a networking event and am handed a business card with no address listed? I think, “Small time!” Don’t want to use your home address? Get a P.O. Box – for a little extra, you can get one that looks like a real address, such as the ones at The Ups Store.

USB Messager – an Innovative On-Hold Digital Player

The Messager USB unit currently offered by Watt Media is a state-of-the-art digital audio playback device designed to provide a continuous-play audio source for message-on-hold. Messages are stored on industry standard USB flash drives from 16MB up to 4GB. The Messager USB is capable of MP3 file playback from 8Kbps all the way up to full CD-quality audio playback of 128Kbps.

Audio content is easily managed by plugging the USB flash drive into a PC or MAC computer’s USB port and “dragging and dropping” MP3 files to and from the drive. With this innovative unit, our customers can receive new and updated message-on-hold recordings via e-mail . Until now, we’ve always mailed out the recordings on CD or cassette, and this device allows our clients to get their updates much quicker, via e-mail.

Here are just a few of the new features:

• Plays MP3 files from USB Flash Drive
• Up to 4GB Flash Drives supported
• No drivers or special software needed
• Playback quality up to 128Kbps
• Store up to 1024 messages
• Continuous playback
• Built-in monitor speaker
• LED status indicator
• Exceptional Dealer Support
• 5-year parts and labor warranty
• Made in the USA

We still offer the CD loadable unit, which is a reliable state-of-the-art device, and an ideal choice for the client who prefers the simplicity of “Insert CD, and you’re done.” For most clients, however, the USB Messager is simple enough, and offers convenience, reliability, and the newest technology.

The Importance of Developing a System

Most small business owners are under the impression that they cannot actively control the amount of business that comes in – rather, they feel that they are basically at the mercy of current market conditions. While it’s true that business flows in cycles which we cannot control, it is possible to create a certain amount of predictability by creating a system. What is a system? Simply put, a system is a planned way of doing things that always leads to predictable results.

For example, if I open the yellow pages and cold call 100 businesses, will my results be random? On any given day, they might be – but over a long period of time the results become predictable. If, over a span of several weeks, I record how many calls I make, how many “decision makers” I reach, how many of those I set appointments with, and then how many of those lead to a sale, I now have a system of predictable results.

After reviewing my results, let’s say I find out that in one hour I make 25 calls and speak to an average of 5 business owners (the rest are not in, unavailable, etc.), and out of those 5, I set 1 appointment. Then, according to my statistics, I make a sale every 4 appointments. Now, with this wealth of information based on the numbers, I can figure out exactly how many calls I would have to make to get a sale! There will be good days and bad days…but overall the statistics will be the same over a week or a month.

Keeping track of statistics is essential when developing a system. If you keep good stats over a long period of time, you should always achieve the desired results by simply duplicating your previous efforts.

The great thing is, systems can be applied to many aspects of your business – hiring employees, placing an ad in a newspaper, and sending out mailers. With your results recorded over a period of time, you can have a system which will predict future outcomes….and the more control you have over your business, the less you leave to luck or chance.

Sometimes, Less is More

If you are a small business owner or are self employed, you have no doubt run into the challenges of designing a newspaper ad, sales pitch, or direct mail campaign. The tough part is deciding how much information to advertise, and many such marketing campaigns fall short or fail due to a lack of basic planning. Whether you are soliciting prospects by telephone, direct mail, door to door, television, radio, or internet, the campaign must be appropriate. What is your particular goal? Would you like your prospect to pick up the phone and call you? To visit your store? To send in a tear-off post card requesting information? The answer will determine how much, and what information should be advertised.

Here’s a good example that illustrates the point: Several years ago, I had some great success with a direct-mail campaign I designed for my business. I mailed out 3,000 postcards at a time to a list of prospects. My goal was simple – to get them to call so that I could set an appointment to meet with them and demonstrate my company’s services. The postcard was simple – on one side, it had a picture with a catchy slogan, and on the reverse, a list of features and benefits of our services. On the bottom, it said, “call today for more info,” and listed our phone number. We got many phone calls, which led to appointments and sales.

A friend of mine who is a business owner tried the same thing, but did not get the same results. Frustrated, he asked me to look at his postcard to determine the reason for the lack of calls. As soon as I looked at it, I realized the problem – in an attempt to seem more professional, he listed his website on the post card. Since it was much easier for the prospect to simply look at his website and get the info, only a few people called and therefore there were not many appointments set. This was a missed opportunity to speak to the prospect personally and gain her trust. Had my friend planned by asking himself, “What is the purpose of this postcard?” he would have realized that it is sometimes appropriate to include less information. In sales and marketing, there are times to saturate your campaign with information, and other times, it seems, less is more.

Why “Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough

These days, when it comes to customer service, “good enough” seems to be what most businesses strive for. Franchises have been hugely successful, revolutionizing the idea of a “cookie cutter” business where every aspect is systemized to produce a specific result. Visit any McDonalds or Starbucks in the country, and you should get the same friendly level of service and the same tasting product. These businesses don’t “wow” us when we visit, they just provide a good, predictable product.

So what’s the problem with all this? We have been so programmed to accept “good enough” service from so many franchises and chain retailers, that this phenomenon has trickled down to the small business as well. For so many retail stores, small businesses, or restaurants I visit, the goal seems to be to get the job done, but nothing more - and as a society we have lowered our standards and have learned to accept it.

Here’s a personal example: For years, I had been going to the same dry cleaner every week. I’d bring my clothes in, the lady at the counter would proceed to give me a ticket, and I’d turn around and leave. I’d return in 2 or 3 days to pick it up, hand her the ticket, she’d return with my clothes, and I would leave. It was the same routine week after week. On a lucky day I might get a brief smile, but nothing more.

Don’t get me wrong – I was happy with the service. My shirts always came out clean and nicely pressed – but there was nothing else keeping me coming back. One day I saw a coupon for another dry cleaner offering 25% off, so I decided to try it out. When I entered the store, I got a nice “good morning, how can I help you, sir?” with a big smile. There was a bowl of candy at the counter. There were some funny signs hanging up which made me laugh as I waited for my ticket. When I returned in a few days to pick up my dry cleaning, that same person at the counter greeted me by my name! I was handed my clothes, and again was wished well with a smile.

I must say, I was wowed by that experience. My clothes were just as clean as they had been with my previous dry cleaner, but the experience made me feel entirely different. Today, even if I see a coupon for cheaper dry cleaning, I don’t go anywhere else. That dry cleaner has truly earned my business. Why? Because he understands that it’s not about dry cleaning – anybody can do that – it’s about how I feel doing business with him.

Do your customers have a reason to keep coming back to you? Will they leave you for the next competitor that undercuts your price? Are you providing them with just “good enough” service? How can you make them smile? What can you give them that goes beyond your product? What can you do to wow your customers? Start coming up with some answers, and the result will be loyal customers that will come back to you time and time again.

Patient Hang-ups

"Good morning, Anderson Chiropractic. This is Katie." Most employees can rattle off your office’s greeting without a second thought – in fact, many can do it (and probably do) in their sleep. It’s automatic. Ring after ring, a greeting takes on the familiarity of a used car lot jingle you hear over and over. But the way your employees greet patients on the phone is how they welcome them to your practice. After all, personal greetings build rapport, and rapport eventually turns into revenue. Entrepreneurs usually look at the bottom line rather than how they get to the bottom line, but the truth is, it all starts with hello.

Many consumers (your patients) get frustrated with pressing buttons in order to reach a live person. If possible, always opt for a live person answering. If this is impossible, make sure that callers can get a live person by pressing no more than 2 numbers. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re stuck in a voice-mail maze. Always try to answer the phone in 4 rings or less. Ignoring calls or letting the phone ring too long without a personal greeting or a voice-mail pick up may convey that you are too busy or that you are not organized. What should you do if you have a patient waiting in person and the phone rings? It’s probably best to serve people in your office first, then answer the phone and ask callers if they can hold for a short period of time, or if they will accept a return call.

Throughout the course of a typical day, it is unavoidable that callers will be placed on-hold. If your callers hear nothing but silence, they may not hold for very long. Sometimes they may hear a click on the line and think they've been disconnected. (We've all been there before!) If you have the radio playing, your callers may be on-hold listening to commercials and DJ chatter - or static! Ever stop and think about the impression you’re making while a potential or current patient is on-hold?

For callers on-hold, why not have a customized recording playing? Patients often inquire about services after hearing a promotion while on-hold. Plus, by updating the content periodically, the on-hold recording becomes even more effective as a means to promote changes in product lines, new services, or your staff. For a more creative approach, some practices include Chiropractic trivia and other entertaining and educational messages on their recordings.

In addition to enabling a Chiropractic practice to promote its services, the on-hold recordings can have other positive effects, like enhancing its image. With a customized recording, your practice will look more professional and clients will get a great first impression on the phone. Remember, an impression will always be made either way, so be in control and ensure that it’s a positive one.

Dr. Tom Schmidt of Life Wellness Center in Lakeville, Minnesota has had a customized on-hold recording for the past 2 years. “I don’t know how I did without it all those years,” says Schmidt. “Our on-hold recording has made us look more professional. It has become an integral part of our marketing campaign. Patients comment on the recording often – plus it’s been a great advertising tool for us.”

The installation of the on-hold system is pretty simple. An audio source is plugged into your phone system, and any time the "hold" button is pressed on one of your phones, the caller will hear the on-hold messages and music. (Even practices without a PBX or KSU-type phone system can still benefit through the use of a special adapter.) Recordings are played on either a Digital Player or a Portable CD Player. On-hold recordings are anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes in length, with 8 to 10 "messages" or paragraphs. The cost is considerably less than other traditional forms of advertising, with a package of 3 recordings ranging from $699 – $999. For all the benefits on-hold messaging can bring you, this may be one marketing idea you don’t want to put on-hold.

Marketing Checklist

The new year is an exciting time to strategize and plan for your business. Here are 15 marketing ideas that may help you think “outside the box.” If just one creates a spark and helps you, then I’ve succeeded in this article.

1. Always carry business cards with you. You never know when an opportunity will arise to hand one out.

2. Publish a newsletter for customers and prospects – people trust an authority.

3. Hold a seminar at your office for clients and prospects.

4. Send hand written thank you notes.

5. Promote your business jointly with other professionals via cooperative direct mail.

6. Sponsor and promote a contest.

7. Get a booth at a tradeshow attended by your target market.

8. Follow up on your direct mailings, and e-mail messages with a friendly phone call.

9. Join your local Chamber of Commerce. (you’ll find me there!)

10. Call your clients “just to say hello” and see if they are satisfied. (how rare that is these days!)

11. Put time aside each day for “cold calling” prospects. All you need is 15 minutes a day – if you make just 5 to 10 calls a day, think of how much you can accomplish in a year! (This is something that will guarantee results, but 99.9% of business people don’t do it.)

12. Join an association of a particular industry (niche marketing).

13. Place an ad in your church or synagogue newsletter.

14. Sponsor a little league team.

15. Is there something that you know will get you results, but you’ve been putting off? Do it today!

Personal Networking is Like An Orange Tree

Recently, my 5-year old son told me that he wanted to plant an orange tree in our backyard. Excited about his new interest, I proudly took him to the nursery to buy a small tree to plant. “When will the oranges grow, Daddy?” he asked as I was watering the tree. “It’ll take some time,” I said. “We have to water the tree every few days, and in a few weeks, you’ll see the oranges start to grow.”

Of course, my 5-year old son has no concept of how long 2 weeks is. The next morning, he got out of bed and anxiously ran to the back window, looking for the oranges. He came to my bed and woke me. “Daddy, how come the oranges didn’t grow yet?” “It’ll take some time,” I said. “You have to be patient.”

By the third day I realized that maybe planting a tree wasn’t the best pastime for a 5-year old. At his age, it’s all about instant gratification – when my wife and I promise to buy him a toy, we know we have to get it for him right away. When we make plans to go on vacation, we make sure not to tell him about it until a few days before. You can’t make a kid to wait a few weeks to go to Disney World.

Personal networking is no different. When I was a new Chamber member 4 years ago, I wanted instant gratification. When I showed up to a networking event, I expected the phone to ring the next day. Like my son, I wanted instant results and had no patience to wait. As a networker, I was too immature to comprehend that great things could happen later on.

After all, other marketing techniques don’t take as long. Print advertising, phone solicitation, and direct mail – if done correctly – lead to immediate results. Personal networking takes longer, and therefore requires a greater level of patience and maturity. However, the quality of business received from networking is by far superior because nothing beats a personal referral. If done properly and with patience, the results could be phenomenal.

The concept is simple – people know people, and those people know more people. By introducing myself to someone, my hope is not merely that I will do business with that person, but that maybe they know someone else (or a few people) who I can do business with. The more people who know about the services I provide, the better. It may take some time until someone needs my service, but when they or someone they know does, I know they will call me.

And it really works! Some of my biggest clients came to me as a referral from someone I know. When I need a service, I think of who I know personally that performs that service. If I can’t think of anyone, I’ll ask someone I trust for a referral.It’s so simple, but not always obvious how effective networking can be. So keep at it - just as I know my son will be in awe at the sight of that tree as it produces oranges, I know you will be delighted with the fruits of your labor.

Growing Pains

There is no doubt that one of the toughest challenges for the small business owner is making the transition from a one-person business to one with several employees. This growth phase is so difficult that many businesses fail at this point, or in frustration, just go back to their original one-person stage. The reason this is so tough is that in order to make the business grow, you must hire other people to do the things that you’ve been doing all along. You’ve been the sales rep, the customer service rep, and the technician all by yourself, and you must now replace yourself in those positions with other people. It’s not easy letting go!

In order to hire other sales reps, for example, and grow the business, you must eventually stop (or decrease) selling so you can manage your sales people. In other words, you must stop doing what has made your business successful up to this point, and become a manager, which requires learning an entirely new set of skills. That is scary!

Many business owners tell me in frustration that it is impossible to find quality people to hire. After all, “no one will do the job that I can do. No one can care as I much as I care.” While that is probably true, a successful business need not be comprised of employees who are as talented and personally invested as you are.

In E-myth, an excellent book by Michael E. Gerber, the author explains that for your business to be successful as a “real” business, you must first develop a “system” in every facet of your business. Having a system means that every task can be easily duplicated by anyone. If I hire a super talented one-of-a-kind person, what happens if that person quits? A business cannot depend on one specific individual. Rather, each job should be able to be duplicated by anyone else. Don’t search for the employee who is as special as you are – because not only is she tough to find, but she will be very expensive to employ. Rather, hire good, average people who are teachable.

Gerber goes on to explain that a perfect example of this concept is the franchise. Let’s take McDonalds, for example. A McDonalds franchise is made up of a set of guidelines to follow for every aspect of the restaurant – how to greet the customers, how to cook the hamburgers, how long to cook the french fries, how many pickles to put on the hamburger, and so on. Every aspect is systemized so that every single customer can always expect the exact same results when he visits the restaurant.

McDonald’s is the most successful franchise, and it has inspired thousands of other businesses to attempt to duplicate its success.As long as your business is comprised of systems which can be taught and carried out by anybody, you can slowly start letting go and delegating your responsibilities to others, leaving you to manage the entire operation.

How to Create a Professional Business Image

Our local business community is predominantly comprised of small business owners, with more home-based businesses than ever before. Today, image is extremely important, and most small and home-based businesses strive to convey the most professional image in order to give their prospects confidence in doing business with them.

There are so many subtle nuances that can give off an image of professionalism. Here are a few ideas:

1. Did you print out your business cards yourself in an effort to save money? Remember, your business card is often the first chance for a prospect to judge your company. And yes, people do notice the perforated ends! Spring for the $30 - you can’t afford not to have professional business cards!

2. For self employed or home based businesses - do you answer your phone with a simple “hello”? Think about the impression that makes. If you want to seem bigger, answer with the company name.

3. How does your literature look? Does it look like it was done at home? You don’t have to spend a lot to get sharp looking brochures. With the right paper and layout, you can do it at home and have it look like the pros....or you may want to get it done at a printer.

4. When talking about your services, instead of saying, “I can do this” or “I offer this”, use “we”. If you want to be a “we” someday, then think and talk like a “we” now.

5. When asking for a sales appointment, do you say, “sure i can do it any day this week, i have nothing else going on all week.?” How about, “I have several appointments this week, but maybe I can squeeze you in on Wednesday...”

6. For home based businesses - Do you have young children or babies at home? Nothing makes it more obvious to someone that they are dealing with a home-based business than hearing children crying or screaming in the background while you’re on the phone. I know you want to give them that personal family feeling, but remember that you’re trying to gain their trust and confidence. Here’s a creative way around this problem: insulate your door jamb with inexpensive weather striping, and close your door when the phone rings...you’ll be amazed at how good this sound proofing technique works.

7. Do you conduct all business calls on your cell phone? That may be OK for some businesses, but keep in mind that it’s usually obvious to someone that you’re on a cell phone.

8. Do you use call-waiting on your business line? Most businesses do not use call waiting, but instead have multiple phone lines. It’s just another subtle thing that can make it obvious that you only have one phone line. Instead, consider having that second call go directly to voice-mail. It’s a bit more professional.

Why Motivation is Not Enough

We’ve all experienced it before – a sales seminar by a dynamic speaker who motivates you into thinking beyond what you ever thought was possible. You leave the seminar all fired up to take your business to the next level. You go to work the next morning, still excited and motivated, and you convert that exuberant energy into jotting down your strategy in the form of some concrete goals; maybe you even write the business plan you should’ve written so long ago.

For the next few days, you’re still motivated, but as the days pass, and the weeks go by, the motivation fades little by little, until you’re back to your routine with no inspiration at all. You’re now back in that rut, just working, just thinking about your day to day business affairs, with no time to think outside the box and get yourself pumped up the way you were several weeks ago.

So what happened to the motivation? How can you succeed if that feeling keeps going away every time you’re on track toward accomplishing something great? The problem is that motivation is a fleeting emotion. While we all need to be motivated at times, and those moments are wonderful sparks of creativity…when huge dreams find their first sign of life….where you feel unstoppable as though you can accomplish anything, motivation is not enough to carry out the goals you’ve dreamed of. A mere two weeks later, you’re not as inspired, and two weeks after that you’ve forgotten what that great feeling even felt like.

What will help you carry out your plan and really succeed? The answer is something just as important as motivation – FOCUS. Focus is they key to carrying out a plan which was born out of motivation. Once you have a goal, you must now break it down to the execution stage – down to mini-weekly goals which will dictate a daily plan. For example, if I’m feeling enthusiastic and make a goal to acquire 120 new clients this year, first, I divide that by each month, so I know my monthly goal is 10 new clients, or 2.5 per week. Now, how do I accomplish that? Hopefully, I have a system which will tell me that if my sales force makes a certain number of calls, I will gain a specific number of new accounts. Now I break that down into a daily plan. The daily plan is simple and straight forward, and not nearly as overwhelming as thinking of the huge annual goal - but the beauty of it all lies in the fact that if the daily plan is carried out, the big goal will be met.

The next time you get inspired – enjoy that feeling, and convert it into a detailed plan. This way, when the inspiration leaves you, FOCUS will keep you going.

Do You Have a Business Plan? (Part 2)

A few months ago, I wrote an article about the importance of writing a business plan. My basic message was that for the small business owner, such a plan will greatly increase your chances of success, and to not have one is foolish. I was amazed at the positive feedback I received, as many of you were able to relate with one’s procrastination in writing a business plan. I received one particularly interesting e-mail from Mr. Malcolm Lauder from Boca Raton, who spent many years in a sales management role for an international company. “I read with a lot of interest your article about having a business plan. It was of course, right on the money. I wonder if, however, you might not have a follow up article that makes it easier for the small business owner to actually create a plan!” wrote Lauder, and was even nice enough to include some of his ideas.

So now that we know the importance of writing a business plan, how exactly do we go about creating one? The following are some paraphrased excerpts of Mr. Lauder’s e-mail: The very idea of a 'business plan' is uncomfortable for many, since it is based on future speculation. Entrepreneurs and natural sales people like things that they can get their teeth into. They are good with tactical stuff but have trouble with strategic planning.

Here’s a rather simple technique to help you write such an annual plan – sort of a “plan for planning:” Answer the following questions: 1. Where do we want to go? 2. How are we going to get there? 3. Who is going to help us get there? 4. How much will it cost? Any business owner can follow that outline. It forces him/her to answer with simple replies.

Let’s look at each question –
1. Where do we want to go? In other words, what is your annual goal, stated simply? Both in revenue (dollar amount) and in number of sales, or number of new accounts?

2. How are we going to get there? Increase advertising, get better sales and service training, add x-number of salespeople, etc. Get specific here - break your goal into monthly, and weekly ‘baby’ goals, which are much less intimidating than the big annual one.

3. Who is going to help us get there? Now the business owner can look at past performance and results and start writing a plan that says: interview and select an ad agency, identify and send people to training, identify and get rid of poor or non-performers and hire a combination of new, young and older, experienced salespeople.

4. How much will it cost? Now it is a lot easier for you to pull together your budget for the next year. Examine current expenses, cut where results have been disappointing, figure new people costs, etc.

The important thing about writing this plan is to keep it simple. It’s important that this be a document that you can pull out and review every month, to see if things are on track, or if maybe you should change track altogether if something isn’t working the way you hoped. My thanks to Mr. Malcolm Lauder for contributing to this article. Good luck with your planning!

Do You Have a Business Plan? (Part 1)

Do you have a business plan? Most small businesses fail largely due to lack of proper planning. It seems rather obvious – imagine trying to build a house without a plan. How will you know if you’re on the right track while you’re building it? What will it look like when it’s done? To increase your chances of success, it is essential that you write a business plan which will include short and long term goals, as well as clear ways of tracking your results. Even if you’ve been in business for a number of years, it’s not too late.

There are, of course, business owners that do very well without ever having written a business plan. They basically fly by the seat of their pants, don’t know where they are going, but somehow business is good. Just because some businesses do well without planning does not make their method a prescription for success. Had these business owners implemented a well thought out plan, they would have been much more focused, organized, and no doubt even more profitable.

There are many good books out there that can help you with your business plan. These go into great detail about how to conduct market research, a statistical analysis of your target demographic’s buying habits, how to design pricing for your product or service, and much more.
Your business plan can be long and detailed, but it need not be. At the very least, it should include your goal for the year, a 5-year goal, and a marketing strategy to be implemented to meet these goals. It’s amazing how much focus and control you will gain over the direction of your business once you begin the process.

For example – “In 2005 XYZ company would like to add 1,000 new accounts and increase revenue by $200,000. To do so, we will do direct mail, telemarketing, and an extensive radio ad campaign.” This should be followed by details of how specifically this will be implemented, broken down into monthly and weekly mini-goals . Will sales people have to be hired? How many? How much will the direct mail and radio ads cost, and how much revenue should they generate? What is plan B if any aspect of your marketing plan fails? All of this should be included in your basic plan.

Most important of all, keep in mind that your business plan is not written in stone. Rather, it’s a living, breathing document which should be reviewed often and changed when necessary. If, during the course of the year you find that a particular goal is too high or too low, simply adjust it. If a marketing technique doesn’t work the way you hoped it would, change it or try something else. Rather than allowing luck to determine your success, YOU will be in control! Happy planning!

Telephone On-Hold Messages

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