As business owners we have all been there. We have conceived the perfect business. The right services. The right pricing. Over time, we have become experts in our field.
Yet for all of our planning and executing, the phones are silent. Clients are not racing through your doors to see your latest and greatest offerings. Usually it’s moments like these when we are tempted to seek out clients that are distant to us. We might be tempted to rent a mailing list or spend money on advertising. In essence, these are “Hail Mary” tactics.
The truth is that many business owners and many sales professionals really have no clue about what customers are really looking for when making buying decisions. Instead, most sales professionals that I talk with are simply casting about. They are throwing their sales against a wall to see what sticks. This idea of going out and finding prospects is all too common and at the same time usually less than effective. So how do we avoid being in that situation again?
When we meet with clients and prospects, I am always surprised at how many business owners simply do not understand the sales process. More to the point, they do not understand the customer’s buying process.
07/30/08
The Power of Partnerships
On July 21st, I had the pleasure of giving a presentation to the Solo-preneur Council of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. The topic was the Power of Strategic Partnerships.
I always enjoy having the opportunity to make a presentation. Unlike most who fear getting up in front of an audience, I find the experience to be fun and energizing. The Solo-preneur group was no exception. This was a great opportunity to connect with other business professionals in the local community.
Along with Rob Thomas, Business Development Officer for the GNHCC, we discussed the different forms of partnerships as well as the detailed nuts and bolts about how to make them productive. For those who are interested in growing their business through partnerships, I have created a short notebook for your review. Please feel free to download the PDF.
Click here to download the Power of Partnerships Notebook
As always, please feel free to contact us at (203) 404-3974 if we can be of any assistance.
We wish you great success!
Until recently, the model for our business has been entirely service-based. Also until recently, most of our clients have been content to pay us with a good old-fashioned paper check. Lately, though, more and more of our clients have expressed a preference to pay for our services with credit cards.
At the same time, our business model has begun to shift to one that includes items such as booklets, workbooks and other great products to complement the services we currently provide. Some of these items will be designed to supplement our consulting services. Others are intended to be stand alone products designed to assist you in accomplishing your business and personal goals. Once we decided to expand into selling products, it became apparent to us that offering customers the ability to use credit cards was not just a convenience, but an absolute necessity.
Unsure of where to begin, we turned to a small business pro, our friend Alisha Navarro who owns 2 Hounds Design. Alisha has built an incredible business creating high-end dog collars. In business since 2003, Alisha knows what works and what doesn’t. Alisha suggested that we take a look at Paynet Systems for our merchant services needs.
You can visit Paynet Systems by following the link here
07/15/08
Is Your Computer Secure?
Over the past weekend, I experienced a catastrophic failure on my computer. While it seems this is an annual event, I am always surprised and frustrated when this happens to my computer.
Perhaps it is even more frustrating to me as I believe I am somewhat of a tech geek. My computer is not just an appliance for work but it is a fun hobby for me. So when the bleeping thing breaks down I, perhaps irrationally, take it personally when my computer fails to perform.
With this in mind, I want to share some thoughts that I believe you will find useful for your computer.
