Welcome to Business Consultant Weekly

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In this issue:

1) Tip of the Week

2) FEATURE ARTICLE: How To Use Marketing and Sales To Explode Your Home Business (Part II) by Sean M. Lyden

3) CLASSIFIEDS

Traffic Builders

Business Opportunities

4) FREE Resources Recommended Reading

5) MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGE: Don't Park in the Comfort Zone! by Gary Lockwood

"Tip of the Week"

This week's tip was written by Carol Waddel of www.WorkShopInc.com and is titled HOW TO TURN A BOX OF DONUTS INTO $1,000! Secrets to getting FREE media advertising.

Brian worked many years as a fast order cook, then as a senior chef at an expensive restaurant. From the very beginning his dream was to own his own restaurant. It took many years of saving and setbacks, but the day finally came when Brian's Great Food was set to open.

Fortunately, Brian had developed a bit of a following. Lots of people had enjoyed his steaks, lobster and homemade bread. "All I need is one big attention-getting ad and I'll be on my way!" he told his wife.

On opening day Brian paid his entire start-up ad budget to get a radio remote. The city's top rated morning team did their entire show from his new dining room. Business was great for a few days, then the customers trickled off. Too bad because Brian's ad budget was shot.

A month later Brian happened to run into a producer from another radio station. "Hey, my guys would come over to your place and spend an hour live on the air if you give them all free breakfast," the producer said.

"It's that simple?" Brian couldn't believe it.

This story isn't at all unusual. Many, many times big media outlets give free publicity to businesses that trade them objects or services of value. It can be something that TV, radio, or newspapers can give away as a prize like a trip, bicycle, or free house cleaning. It can also be something special for Djs, reporters, or production staff to enjoy.

Try taking a fresh pie or a box of donuts to your favorite radio station. Tell the receptionist you want to give it to the on-air personality yourself. Come as a fan, but be sure to give your business a plug. Don't be surprised if the personality picks up the ball and runs with it, asking you on-air what you do, what services or products you provide, and how listeners can contact you.

Most web site owners and e-zine editors are also happy to consider worthwhile trades or valuable favors.

Some larger newspapers prohibit their reporters and editors from accepting gifts, but those situations are exceptions. Try this simple secret for getting FREE media publicity. And don't be surprised if you turn a box of donuts into $1000 worth of high-profile publicity.

Carol Wadell, The WorkShop, provides Media Directories on CD-ROM. Your source for over 10,000 newspapers, 3,000 magazines & 2,000 e-zines. Database directories allowing you to sort and report the information in a way that works best for you. See her website at http://www.WorkShopInc.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

How To Use Marketing and Sales To Explode Your Home Business (Part II) by Sean M. Lyden

This article is continued from last week. If you missed it, you can retrieve it at http://netcheckspayroll.com/newsletter.html in issue #17

Catching Clients With The Web

Imagine! You can have a salesperson working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week Ñ even while you sleep Ñ for nearly pennies a day. A web site and effective use of e-mail can make your small-time, home-based operation into a major international force Ñ truly putting you on a level playing field with the big companies. And now with web page design software available, getting a web site up and running by yourself has never been easier.

How can you best use cyber-technology to boost your business image and profits? See Jeffrey Spencer's article, "Cyber Malls: 7 Criteria for Selecting a Successful Provider," and "E-mail: The Most Important Online Communication Tool in Your Marketing Toolbox" by Terry Williams.

Direct-Mail Marketing

For the price of a stamp, you can hone in on almost any target market, be as detailed or brief as you wish, and expect relatively high response. "All other forms of marketing can help you immensely," comments Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the best-selling Guerilla Marketing titles, "but direct marketing can help you more." What can direct-mail marketing empower you to do?

¥ Generate inquiries with potential clients. Mailing lists targeted to high probability contacts, home-based business owners can generate interest in their product or service. Following up the direct mail-letter with a telephone call or personal meeting will increase your chances of closing the sale.

¥ Maintain communication with current clients. So many businesses, particularly larger ones, neglect ongoing client communication. Contact gets to be centered only on conducting business. Home-based businesses can bridge this gap with a letter in the mail.

Making Direct Mail Work

Here are the time-honored tips for effective direct mail (See also Hilton Johnson's article, "Ace Components of Good Direct Marketing):

¥ Mail to a person. Avoid mailing blindly to a company. If you cannot get an actual contact, address the letter to the appropriate department or title (i.e. Marketing Director).

¥ Grab the reader's attention. You have about five seconds to generate interest before the letter joins today's junk mail in the trash. Use headlines and highlight benefits.

¥ Write the way you speak; maintain a conversational tone to your letter.

¥ Start the sales process. In most cases, direct mail is used to start the sales process with a new or present client. Make it easy to continue with the sale, such as explaining what to do to learn more about the product (i.e. phone number to call).

¥ Future Action. As the direct letter starts the sales process, show the recipient how he or she can take further action.

¥ Study your audience. Learn as much as you can about your prospect before sending the letter. You will come across as having the reader's best interest in mind.

¥ Follow-up. Follow up. Follow up! Often four or five letters are needed to clinch the sale or generate a telephone response.

Techniques for Designing a Direct Mailer

¥ Use the estimated date that the recipient will receive the mail.

¥ Use first names for the "Dear" block.

¥ Within the first few sentences of the letter describe key benefits, mention any businesses or points of contact who you can reference, and explain your purpose for writing.

¥ Deliver credibility by including customer testimonials. You want to show the recipient why he or she should continue to read your letter.

¥ Provide a strong incentive for the recipient to act.

¥ Ask for action.

¥ Include a guarantee (if soliciting for a direct sale)

¥ Reference any enclosures you have in the envelope, such a brochure or flyer.

¥ Postscripts (P.S.): Use postscripts to maximum effect. Postscripts al most always get read, and provide an excellent place to make a written offer.

Tele-Power!

The telephone is an often overlooked tool for home-based marketing success. You can qualify prospects, generate interest in your business and even close sales Ñ all with the touch of a few buttons. Imagine how much time and money you can save when you use the telephone to your advantage.

Generating Incoming Telephone Calls

If a prospect calls you first, the chances of you closing the sale greatly increase. So how do you get the phone ringing?

¥ Create an incentive, such as offering a benefit for making a call.

¥ Have a toll-free number. This can increase your response rate by 30-700%. However, if you're dealing exclusively with local clients, a toll-free number is not necessary.

¥ Use telephone numbers that are easy to remember.

¥ Find ways to get people to hold-on to your telephone number (magnetic stick-ons, memo pads, business cards, pens, etc.).

Maximizing Telephone Calls

Making calls takes time Ñ and as you know Ñ time is money. How do maximize you profit potential with your phone time?

¥ Call only prospects who are pre-qualified, either through being a referral, a response to a direct mailer or other marketing promotion, having a "gatekeeper" to whom you can refer, etc.

¥ Know who you are trying to reach. If you have to ask for a department head, such as the Director of Sales, you are not targeted enough for home-based telephone sales.

¥ Ask the caller if it is a good time to call. Besides making sure that you do not irritate the prospect, you will appear considerate.

¥ Be specific and get to the point. When you reach the client, state the reason why you are calling within the first 30 seconds.

¥ Establish a relationship with the prospect before making the sales pitch.

¥ Keep the sales process moving.

Telephone Tact

You have one chance to make a good first impression, increasing your chances of a sale down the road. Here's how to do it on the telephone:

¥ Answer the phone. Your telephone advantage as a home-based entrepreneur is that the client can reach you, the decision maker, without having to cut through secretaries and other buffers found in larger companies. You can't do that if your phone is busy or rolls into voice mail. Put callers on hold Ñ no more than 15 seconds Ñ to take call-back messages from other incoming calls. If a call goes to voice mail, call that person back immediately. Keep phone conversations brief. If using a Personal Information Manager (PIM) on your computer, time the sales call.

¥ Be goal oriented. Know what you want to accomplish and what information you need before you pick up the phone.

¥ Speak slowly, concisely and clearly. Avoid rambling.

¥ Be enthusiastic. The biggest hurdle to staying enthusiastic is making numerous phone calls at one time. Pace your phone calls out, a little bit each day.

¥ Speak in terms of benefits, not features.

¥ Solicit feedback but avoid direct questions. Keep inquiries open-ended so that the caller has the option to make answers if he or she feels comfortable doing so.

¥ Thank the person for their time.

¥ Follow-up with a letter. Computerized form letters can be easily personalized and even started while you are talking with the person on the telephone.

Tantalizing Testimonials

Satisfied customers can be one of your best sales forces. Request that they write a testimonial on their letterhead. Include these in advertisements to lend more credibility to your offer and in a professional portfolio to show prospective clients during a sales presentation.

You may also want to request permission from a client to have prospects call that person about your products and services. This shows that you build relationships with your clients and you are confident in the quality of what you offer.

Network To Boost Your Net Worth

Use networking to leverage existing business contacts into new customers. Networking is particularly critical in local service businesses. For certain types of specialized professional consulting fields, such as engineering or accounting, networking makes the difference between success and failure.

Start with your family and friends and expand into business, civic and even political groups. If your company has a local focus, build relationships within the Chamber of Commerce.

Free Marketing! Public Relations And Publicity

Favorable publicity in mass media is an excellent way to build credibility in the marketplace. But how do you get media people to notice you? Think of how you can make your business newsworthy. What kind of "hook" will generate interest with journalists? Then consider the perspective of the audience. What kind of story will interest them?

To achieve results, public relations often requires long-term persistence. Spend time to evaluate and compile a list of the best candidates likely to print or report on your business. For example, if your local newspaper tends to focus on regional and national business activities, then to send them a news releases on your business will probably be a waste. A smaller community newsletter is a better publicity option.

Press Release Power

Unless your business is new and unique, the most common way to generate publicity is to weave a human interest story around your business. For example, write a press release that tells the trials and tribulations of starting up the business.

You often have to submit several versions of your press release to the same media representatives, such as a local business editor. Try to develop at least some telephone familiarity with the individual with whom you are trying to gain publicity.

The best tactic to capitalize on press releases is to start small with your local newspapers and newsletters. Talk personally with the editors. Upon getting a local press release printed, use it to put together a new press release to submit to larger publications, perhaps even a national one.

The objective of a press release is to get a news editor to report on your business activity. Keep in mind that the editor's goal is to appeal to the widest cross section of their readership. Therefore:

¥ Get to the Point. The press release must be able to be read and comprehended in less than a minute

¥ Watch the current events. What are the hot topics? What are people talking about? Try to weave your press release around a current event.

¥ Be an Expert. The way people usually become experts in any field is that they have received publicity that recognizes them as an expert. (For example, a professional consultant gets written up in his or her respective professional journal.) Determine on what you can be an expert and then sell yourself as that authority. It works.

¥ Provide Facts and Data. News editors build credibility for their stories by weaving in facts and figures. If you can provide credible information, your chances increase dramatically of being included in a news story.

¥ Form a Group. The news media love to report on the activities of new organizations, because new groups are of natural source of interest to readers.

Get the most mileage out of any favorable publicity that comes your way. Publicity is a game that builds upon itself. Small press releases bag the bigger ones.

Broadcast Your Business Ñ For Free

Although not common for home-based entrepreneurs, radio and TV can offer a way for a home-based business to gain exposure. See Gregory J.P. Godek's article, "14 Tips for Pro moting Your Book on TV and Radio".

Penetrate the Market with a Service Edge

Any seasoned business person knows that it costs five times more to sell to a new prospect than to an existing client. Studies show that each satisfied customer will spread the good word about your business to at least one other person. On the flip-side: a dissatisfied customer will complain to between five and ten potential customers. Your mission in getting customer referrals is to turn passive satisfied customers into actively enthusiastic supporters who will promote your business. The best way to do this is through superior performance, and it goes beyond just providing a product or service:

¥ Deliver your product in a timely manner, always beating the deadline.

¥ Solve your customer's problems. This means going beyond what they tell you to discover new problems that they need to conquer.

¥ Seek out questions and provide intelligent answers.

¥ Maintain regular contact with the customer. Don't let more than six months slip by without dropping a customer a quick note or phone call.

¥ Follow up. After you have delivered a product and service and have been paid, follow-up with a call to ensure everything is still OK. Often a disgruntled customer will fester like a cancer, without having the nerve to talk with you about their dissatisfaction. Follow-up calls facilitate constructive dialog to smooth over any problems.

¥ Long-term perspective. Work to establish a long-term relationship with customers.

¥ Act immediately on complaints. Jump on any sign of dissatisfaction by your clients. This requires "active listening" and the ability to read behind the lines, because most people have difficulties confronting someone when they are dissatisfied. But they have no problem gossiping with your other customers about their complaints.

¥ Personalize your service. Treat the customer as if they are family.

¥ Walk away from business if it is in the customer's best interest. Forgoing a sale that is not right for your potential client is one of the most powerful ways to generate favorable word-of-mouth publicity.

The Close

Whether you're just launching your home business or have been building one for years, don't allow lack of information keep you from achieving your financial dreams. Study your marketing options and decide which ones will best position you for long-term success.

-------------------------------------------------------------- Originally Published at http://www.homebusinessmag.com/

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MOTIVATIONAL MESSAGE

Don't Park in the Comfort Zone! by Gary Lockwood

Most of us have, in our house, a thermostat that regulates the temperature. When it gets a bit too warm, the air conditioning kicks on to bring the temperature down to an acceptable range. When the temperature drops below a comfortable point, the heater comes on to bring the room temperature up to a more comfortable level. The 'comfort zone' is the range of temperature that is not too hot and not too cold; just comfortable.

Our personal 'comfort zone' is where we are comfortable in what we are doing in our jobs, our lives, our experiences. It is when we have no feelings of risk or anxiety. Some call it 'being comfortable'. Some would call it 'a rut'.

Each of us has our own personal comfort zone. We have built-in 'thermostats' that regulate our level of anxiety, fear, discomfort. In the areas of our knowledge, skills, habits and attitude, when we step outside our normal, existing boundaries, we begin to feel a bit anxious. Our natural tendency is to pull back.

Try this: fold your arms. Now, fold them the other way. How did that make you feel? Felt a bit unnatural, didn't it? That's why we usually stay within our comfort zone. When we try something new, we often feel uneasy about it, and frequently pull back. The security feels good.

The downside of all this is that always staying in our comfort zone can be very limiting. The world passes us by as we stagnate. Complacency, in our fast-paced competitive world, can be fatal to business and severely limit personal and professional growth. If we are not learning, trying new things and growing, our jobs and businesses may be deteriorating.

How do we step out of the comfort zone? Before you just throw all caution to the wind, try some simple things. Drive home a different route. Shop at a different grocery store. Order something from the menu that you've never tried before. Sleep on the other side of the bed.

Make a conscious effort to experiment. Let yourself feel the adrenaline level rise a bit. Allow your anxiety level to increase. Feel your heart rate and breathing going faster. The adrenaline is your body's natural drug that, in moderation, makes you sharp, creative, and quick. It creates the feeling of excitement and exhilaration that comes from trying something new. Recognize that it also can be scary and stressful. Some stress is useful. Too much can be harmful. Some stress provides energy. Too much stress causes distress and can lead to burnout if done to extreme.

Why would we want to give ourselves the stress of stepping outside the comfort zone? Because that's where growth takes place. Just like a muscle gets stronger when we exercise it outside its normal range of use, we get stronger when we get out of our rut. And just like our muscles, once we stretch beyond our current capabilities, we don't ever go back to our original dimensions.

As we try new things, we gain confidence. Confidence makes us feel powerful and good. And when we are confident that we can survive new ideas, we allow ourselves to try even more new things.

What's the limit? Obviously, we need to be realistic in our risk management. The most successful people think through the possible outcomes of taking a risk. Then they prepare for how they would deal with each. Successful people take risks, but they are not foolhardy or stupid.

What are some higher level activities that could add to your personal and professional growth? Here's my challenge to you. Make a list of 50 things that, if you really were successful in doing them, you would be a better person or a better company. Things like give a speech (oh no!), write and publish an article, start an exercise program, meditate daily, teach a class, feed a homeless person, volunteer, climb a mountain, learn to play a new musical instrument, sign up for a dance class, try for that promotion, and so on.

Then, from your list, choose one or two that you are willing to do within the next 90 days. Schedule those one or two new activities, then go for it. Afterward, choose one or two more and do it again. Make personal and professional growth a lifelong habit.

Don't stay parked in the comfort zone.

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Gary Lockwood is a Business Coach. Gary helps business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals to grow their business, make more money and have more fun.

Office: (800) 272-1575 (USA) * Fax: (760) 770-0868 Mailto:Gary@BizSuccess.com * http://www.bizsuccess.com For your FREE report, mailto:FreeReport@infofree.com

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