There's no question that the economic news of the past few weeks has been alarming. The stock market has dropped, unemployment is up, and consumer spending is down. We're seeing banks and brokerage houses collapse, retirement account values plummet, and working families lose their homes. It's pretty scary stuff for independent professionals who rely on other people's budgets and spending habits to pay their own bills.
In the depths of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt declared in his inaugural speech, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." He described that fear as the "nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." FDR's message was that the real danger was not the economic conditions themselves, but the prospect that we would become immobilized by our fear of them.
Even in ordinary times, fear can be one of the most powerful saboteurs of marketing. When we fear rejection, we avoid making follow-up calls or asking for the sale. When we fear embarrassment, we avoid networking or public speaking. And when we fear failure, we avoid taking action that might also lead to our success. Believing that "nobody's buying right now" can turn those words into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Instead of letting fear of an economic slowdown immobilize you, try using it to energize you. Here are six steps you can take to counteract fear and keep your marketing on track.
1. Step up your marketing instead of stepping back. Now is the time to do more marketing rather than less. If you've been attending one networking event per month, make it two or three. If you haven't been reaching out to likely referral sources regularly, contact them all, and stay in touch. If you have a stack of leads you haven't followed up on, pick up the phone. Identify which marketing approaches have worked well for you in the past, then start using them more often.
2. Don't let bad news wreck your day. One of my clients was completely derailed from following his marketing plan twice last week after reading the morning headlines before starting his day. I'm not suggesting you put your head in the sand; we should all try to be informed citizens. But if the news is getting you down, plan to work on marketing first thing in the morning -- and do it before reading the news, getting online, or checking your email.
3. Aim for a fuller pipeline. When more people than usual are saying no, you need to have more people than usual to ask for the sale. Ask your clients, colleagues, and friends to introduce you to likely prospects they may know. Make the acquaintance of influential people with large personal networks. Search out leads in the trade press, social networks, and professional associations you belong to. Cast your net more widely than you have in the past to identify new prospects.
4. Keep a positive attitude and a long-term perspective. Surround yourself with optimistic, proactive people and stay away from those who broadcast doom and gloom. Look for inspiration in stories, music, or films that make you feel positive and hopeful. Remember that economic downturns have happened many times in the past, and they don't last forever. You can't control the economy, but you CAN control your reaction to it.
5. Evaluate your spending. Scaling back on marketing is the wrong direction, but make sure you spend marketing dollars efficiently. A therapist client of mine was paying for listings in multiple consumer directories. With a full practice, she could afford this. But when business slowed, she tracked where her clients were coming from, and cancelled listings that weren't paying off. You may be able to cut spending on ads, memberships, and promotions that aren't producing results.
6. Put in place a recession-proof plan for the future. If despite your best efforts, you find yourself with extra time on your hands due to a decline in business, use it to implement a new marketing plan that will serve you in good times and bad. Institute a regular networking and follow-up schedule, develop referral partnerships, build up your web presence, or focus on writing and speaking. Any one of these strategies, employed over time, can keep your pipeline constantly full.
FDR's advice to a fearful nation was that we should not "shrink from honestly facing conditions" but also remember that "it can never be helped merely by talking about it. We must act and act quickly." The best way to counteract fear of what might go wrong is to keep taking action that will make things go right.
Copyright © 2009, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Scam Tricks and Spams: 20 Shockers to Keep You On Guard
Military strategists say your odds of beating an enemy are higher when you know the scale of their actions and understand their tactics.
When it comes to spam and scam wars, it's the same. Sadly, however, most people have no idea of the scale of the threat -- for example, that up to half of all PCs may be infected with malware.
Click Here to read more.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
When it comes to spam and scam wars, it's the same. Sadly, however, most people have no idea of the scale of the threat -- for example, that up to half of all PCs may be infected with malware.
Click Here to read more.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Sunday, February 7, 2010
IF YOU DREAD FOLLOW-UP CALLS, SO WILL YOUR PROSPECTS
The classic approach to placing follow-up calls comes with some challenges. The usual image of a follow-up call is to pick up the phone and ask your prospects, "Are you ready to hire me?" When you're calling potential referral sources, the question may become, "Got any referrals for me? For most independent professionals, this process isn't much fun. In fact, it's disagreeable enough that we may avoid it entirely.
On the other end of the line, our prospects and referral sources don't like this approach very much either. While on some occasions, calls like these can be welcome reminders to take care of something that had slipped their mind, more often, they are considered somewhat annoying interruptions in a busy day.
Is there a different approach to follow-up calls that might make both the callers and the recipients happier? I think the answer is yes.
When I first started marketing my own business, one of the first things I noticed was how difficult it was for me to call people and ask if they were ready to hire me. But I'm no recluse; I enjoy interacting with people. In fact, I even enjoy talking on the phone. So what was it about these particular calls I found so distasteful?
Being the analytical sort, I decided to identify exactly what it was about these calls that I disliked and avoided. Here are the elements I identified:
1. Asking for a sale or referral.
2. Calling just to "say hello."
3. Making small talk about generic topics.
4. Fearing rejection.
5. Telling people how great I was.
6. Calling back someone who had already said no.
7. Feeling as if my call was an imposition.
Reviewing this list, it seemed to me that the secret to enjoyable follow-up (that would actually get done) was to eliminate these elements that I didn't like and replace them with ones I did. This reverse engineering didn't happen overnight, but over time, I began to find more and more ways to follow up agreeably. Here are the alternative approaches I discovered to make follow-up a pleasure instead of a chore:
1. Offering something instead of asking for anything.
Like many professional service providers, giving advice, making connections, and sharing resources comes naturally to me. Instead of focusing on what I wanted to get from the person I was calling, I switched my emphasis to what I could give them.
2. Calling with a specific, helpful purpose.
I've had many salespeople call me just to "stay in touch," and it always feels like a waste of my time. Instead of calling people just to chat, I would call to invite them to a networking event, introduce them to a new contact, or let them know about a book, article, or workshop they might find valuable.
3. Having meaningful conversations about what's going on in peoples' lives.
Making small talk about weather, sports, or entertainment news has never been one of my favorite pastimes. But hearing what's going on in someone's life, career, or business fascinates me. Those were the topics I began introducing in my follow-up calls.
4. Avoiding rejection by staying away from selling.
Phoning someone to ask whether they're ready to hire me feels awkward and pushy, and I'm sure my prospects often feel the same. I'd much rather help people than sell to them. Unless I was calling someone to follow up on a specific deal already in progress, I stopped asking for business and focused on having helpful, meaningful exchanges.
5. Telling people how great my clients were.
While talking myself up feels uncomfortable, talking about my clients' successes comes easily. I began describing my work by sharing my clients' accomplishments instead of my own (honoring client confidentiality, of course). These success stories turned out to be much more effective than simply telling prospects what I could do.
6. Letting go of sales that were too hard to close.
It's important to be persistent and follow up multiple times with prospects who don't respond or say they're not ready, but calling back someone who has actually said no can be pretty confronting. I realized that if I had a long enough follow-up list, I didn't really need to call those prospects at all. I could spend my time instead with people who were more likely to be interested.
7. Designing a call that anyone would welcome.
If making a call just to push for business isn't a good experience for me OR to the person I'm calling, why make it? I'd much rather spend my time having conversations both sides can enjoy. I discovered that if I contacted people in a spirit of friendliness and generosity, instead of acting like a salesperson, plenty of sales and referrals resulted without asking for them directly.
Now, I'm not talking about using these principles as a way to avoid answering direct questions or provide needed clarity, when those are called for. If prospects ask about your ability to do the job, by all means, you should tell them about your skills and experience. If you've submitted a proposal, and are waiting for the prospect to tell you whether he or she has accepted it, asking whether you got the order is completely appropriate and usually necessary.
But what I am suggesting is that you can design much more pleasurable, helpful, and relationship-oriented reasons to pick up the phone and call your prospects and referral sources, just once or many times throughout the year. And THAT can transform making follow-up calls from a dreaded task into a welcome activity – for both you and the people you call.
Copyright © 2009, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
On the other end of the line, our prospects and referral sources don't like this approach very much either. While on some occasions, calls like these can be welcome reminders to take care of something that had slipped their mind, more often, they are considered somewhat annoying interruptions in a busy day.
Is there a different approach to follow-up calls that might make both the callers and the recipients happier? I think the answer is yes.
When I first started marketing my own business, one of the first things I noticed was how difficult it was for me to call people and ask if they were ready to hire me. But I'm no recluse; I enjoy interacting with people. In fact, I even enjoy talking on the phone. So what was it about these particular calls I found so distasteful?
Being the analytical sort, I decided to identify exactly what it was about these calls that I disliked and avoided. Here are the elements I identified:
1. Asking for a sale or referral.
2. Calling just to "say hello."
3. Making small talk about generic topics.
4. Fearing rejection.
5. Telling people how great I was.
6. Calling back someone who had already said no.
7. Feeling as if my call was an imposition.
Reviewing this list, it seemed to me that the secret to enjoyable follow-up (that would actually get done) was to eliminate these elements that I didn't like and replace them with ones I did. This reverse engineering didn't happen overnight, but over time, I began to find more and more ways to follow up agreeably. Here are the alternative approaches I discovered to make follow-up a pleasure instead of a chore:
1. Offering something instead of asking for anything.
Like many professional service providers, giving advice, making connections, and sharing resources comes naturally to me. Instead of focusing on what I wanted to get from the person I was calling, I switched my emphasis to what I could give them.
2. Calling with a specific, helpful purpose.
I've had many salespeople call me just to "stay in touch," and it always feels like a waste of my time. Instead of calling people just to chat, I would call to invite them to a networking event, introduce them to a new contact, or let them know about a book, article, or workshop they might find valuable.
3. Having meaningful conversations about what's going on in peoples' lives.
Making small talk about weather, sports, or entertainment news has never been one of my favorite pastimes. But hearing what's going on in someone's life, career, or business fascinates me. Those were the topics I began introducing in my follow-up calls.
4. Avoiding rejection by staying away from selling.
Phoning someone to ask whether they're ready to hire me feels awkward and pushy, and I'm sure my prospects often feel the same. I'd much rather help people than sell to them. Unless I was calling someone to follow up on a specific deal already in progress, I stopped asking for business and focused on having helpful, meaningful exchanges.
5. Telling people how great my clients were.
While talking myself up feels uncomfortable, talking about my clients' successes comes easily. I began describing my work by sharing my clients' accomplishments instead of my own (honoring client confidentiality, of course). These success stories turned out to be much more effective than simply telling prospects what I could do.
6. Letting go of sales that were too hard to close.
It's important to be persistent and follow up multiple times with prospects who don't respond or say they're not ready, but calling back someone who has actually said no can be pretty confronting. I realized that if I had a long enough follow-up list, I didn't really need to call those prospects at all. I could spend my time instead with people who were more likely to be interested.
7. Designing a call that anyone would welcome.
If making a call just to push for business isn't a good experience for me OR to the person I'm calling, why make it? I'd much rather spend my time having conversations both sides can enjoy. I discovered that if I contacted people in a spirit of friendliness and generosity, instead of acting like a salesperson, plenty of sales and referrals resulted without asking for them directly.
Now, I'm not talking about using these principles as a way to avoid answering direct questions or provide needed clarity, when those are called for. If prospects ask about your ability to do the job, by all means, you should tell them about your skills and experience. If you've submitted a proposal, and are waiting for the prospect to tell you whether he or she has accepted it, asking whether you got the order is completely appropriate and usually necessary.
But what I am suggesting is that you can design much more pleasurable, helpful, and relationship-oriented reasons to pick up the phone and call your prospects and referral sources, just once or many times throughout the year. And THAT can transform making follow-up calls from a dreaded task into a welcome activity – for both you and the people you call.
Copyright © 2009, C.J. Hayden
Read more free articles by C.J. Hayden or subscribe to the GET CLIENTS NOW! E-Letter.
Online Surveys: Can You Actually Earn Any Money?
You've very likely seen pitches like this that you receive via spam:
"Earn $140 per week! Earn $560 a week! Earn $6,270 a year! All by just sitting home, sipping coffee, and filling out surveys."
Is this too good to be true?
Yes. Although it does make sense that a few companies are willing to pay for market research by using online surveys, we believe this is not a good way to spend your time.
Here's how the scam works: Scammers use spam and promise you quick money for little effort. They claim that you only need to spend a few minutes and you'll earn excellent money. Of course, you have to pay the "low" price of $34.95 to learn how to do this.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
"Earn $140 per week! Earn $560 a week! Earn $6,270 a year! All by just sitting home, sipping coffee, and filling out surveys."
Is this too good to be true?
Yes. Although it does make sense that a few companies are willing to pay for market research by using online surveys, we believe this is not a good way to spend your time.
Here's how the scam works: Scammers use spam and promise you quick money for little effort. They claim that you only need to spend a few minutes and you'll earn excellent money. Of course, you have to pay the "low" price of $34.95 to learn how to do this.
Click here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Online Surveys: Are They All Scams? Plus 2 Real Alternatives...
Paid online surveys frequently are not all that they seem. Instead of making money, you end up spending it.
Even when you're just trying to be helpful, scammers and smooth-talking sales people use a fake online survey as a cover for pulling other tricks.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
Even when you're just trying to be helpful, scammers and smooth-talking sales people use a fake online survey as a cover for pulling other tricks.
Click Here to read the full article.
©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
Subscribe free to Internet Scambusters at
http://www.scambusters.org
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