Just in Time for Vacations: 7 Latest Travel Scam Alerts

Just when you should be enjoying yourself on vacation, will you be tested with a travel scam this season?

You may think you know them all, and if you’re a regular Scambusters reader you’ll already be aware of dozens of them.

But every year we encounter new con tricks ready to spring a trap on the unsuspecting vacationer and business traveler.

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

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Sneaky New Debit Card and Phishing Tricks

Prepaid debit cards are one of the money scammers’ favorite tools.

They love to get victims to load up cards as supposed payment for a service and then to hand over the card numbers to them.

But now crooks have come up with a new trick that exploits a feature of Internet search engines.

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

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5 Biggest Dental Fraud Scams

Have you ever felt seriously uncomfortable in the dentist’s chair, not because of the procedures you face but because you’re worried about dental fraud?

It’s a legitimate fear. Dentists, like all medical experts, know far more about your needs than you probably do, so you have to take them at their word.

But a small number of dentists are exploiting this, ripping off patients and insurance companies with inflated billing and unnecessary treatments.

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

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THREE KEYS TO GET MORE REFERRALS

Every self-employed professional wants more referrals. Prospective clients who are referred to you are usually more ready to hire you, ask fewer questions about your background and qualifications, and are often willing to pay higher rates without quibbling. But how do you get more referrals coming in?
 
The old school approach for getting more referrals was to ask past and current clients to give you names of people who might need your services, who you would then contact. For the typical self-employed professional, this is more often than not a recipe for failure. You're uncomfortable making a request like this, your clients hesitate to give you their contacts' names without permission, and when you're the one initiating contact, it's practically a cold call.

There must be a better way to build referrals than this. Relax; there is! Here are three keys to gain more referrals without putting clients (and yourself) on the spot.

1. Ask the right people. Your past and current clients actually aren't your most productive source of referrals. Let's say you are a massage therapist who specializes in helping people with chronic pain. Your clients will only rarely encounter people who need you. Consider how many more people with pain management issues could be referred to you by a chiropractor, physical therapist, or acupuncturist than your clients would ever know.
   
   The best people to ask for referrals are those who - by the very nature of what they do - will encounter likely clients for you all the time. People who fit this definition could be self-employed professionals like yourself, employees of a larger company, or affiliated with an organization or school that serves your target market. Seek out people like this to become acquainted with, and your likelihood of referrals will skyrocket.
   
   What can also increase is your comfort level in making the ask. When you get to know people who themselves need more clients for their business, the company they work for, or the organization they serve, the possibility of referrals is reciprocal. This gives you something to offer in return. Even if folks like these aren't in need of referrals, they will often want to know you better, simply because you can be a valuable resource to the population they serve.
   
2. Define who you want referred. The wrong way to ask for referrals is to say: "I'm an accountant. You can refer me anyone who needs their taxes done or help sorting out their finances." This kind of needs-based definition forces your referral source to figure out for themselves who might need you. Don't make them guess. Instead, outline for your referral source what characteristics to look for to identify someone they might refer.
   
   For example: "I specialize in helping small business owners save money on their taxes and stay on track with their financial plans. A good client for me would be an entrepreneur who has an established business and wants to grow." With a definition like this - which includes your target market, key benefits you provide, and characteristics of your ideal client -- your referral source could easily identify a person who might be able to use you AND who you would want to work with.
   
3. Tell them how to make referrals. It's okay to ask your referral sources to follow certain steps when they refer. In fact, it's the surest way to make sure the referral works for all three of you. You might say, "The best way to refer me someone is to send an email introduction to us both." Or, "When you suggest to someone that they work with me, leave me a quick message so I'm prepared when they call." (Notice that either of these approaches will allow you to follow up on the referral.)
   
   It can also help your sources to make good referrals if you give them language or tools to use. For example: "When you run across people who might be good clients for me, tell them I specialize in working with professionals who are new to being managers." Or, "I'd love it if you would point them to this article I wrote so they can see exactly how my approach could be helpful."

You deserve to have a thriving business, and referrals are one of the surest paths to make your business sustainable. Make use of these three keys to build a reliable stream of referrals, and your business will grow with more ease and less worry.

Copyright © 2015, C.J. Hayden

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Regrooving & Counterfeit Scams Threaten Tire Safety

Worn tire treads are a big hazard to all road users — but two hidden dangers many of us don’t know about could pose an equal or even greater risk to tire safety, and they’re both the result of scams.

Unknowing buyers, especially those looking for a bargain, could be lured into purchasing replacement tires that are not as new as they look because they have been “regrooved” or simply because they’re fakes.

The process of regrooving involves cutting into the tire and removing strips so the tread meets legal depth requirements again

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

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Macros: What They Are and How They Could Imperil You

Legitimate mini-programs called macros, which run inside other software, are proving to be an increasingly popular route for criminals to hack into victims’ computers.

Simply put, a macro is a series of commands you can use to speed up or automate tasks in certain popular productivity software like Microsoft Office and Excel.

People who know how to use these commands to build a sequence of program actions can save themselves a lot of time and hassle.

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

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SHOULD YOU STAND OUT OR FIT IN?

When you were growing up, it's a good bet that one or more of the adults in your life advised you not to stand out. Standing out, like showing off, causing trouble, or breaking the rules, was something that good boys and girls didn't do. Now that you're a business owner, you're often told the opposite. You must stand out from the crowd, experts say, to have a successful business.
 
To many self-employed professionals, this advice may sound right but feel wrong. Most of us have spent years of our lives doing our best to fit in. Trying to stand out may feel unnatural, scary, or even vulgar. When other business owners try it, we sometimes don't like what we see. And so we wonder — is standing out truly a necessity for getting clients? Here's the argument:

The case for standing out

• Make an impression — When you stand out, you become more noticeable and more memorable.
• Gain competitive edge — The marketplace is crowded; you must stand out from the competition in order to be chosen.
• Be special — If prospective clients don't perceive you as special, you become a commodity, and must compete by lowering your prices or working harder to close sales.
• Demonstrate uniqueness — Every business owner needs a Unique Selling Proposition. Your USP is what makes clients decide to do business with you instead of someone else.
• Brand your value — Slogans like "best in the west," "queen of [whatever]", "the leader in [something]" or "the [blank] wizard" attract attention and enhance your image.

The case for fitting in

• Build trust — People like to do business with those they trust. Trust is inspired by the familiar. If you look too different from your peers, others can perceive you as untrustworthy.
• Show humility — Nobody wants to hear people brag about themselves.
• Get found — Prospects can't find you in a Google search or membership directory if you don't label what you do with common search terms.
• Be clear — Clever tag lines and benefit points can be positive; obscure descriptions are not. Unique ways to express your value must still communicate what you actually do.
• Gain recognition — Without an identifiable label or job title, clients can't categorize you. What the heck does a "maker of awesomeness" do? Distinctive is fine; eccentric can be off-putting.

So what do I think? I'm a fan of the "just enough" principle, in business as well as in life. You should stand out just enough that potential clients can recognize the unique value you bring, but not so much that you seem weird. And you should fit in just enough that clients can find you, categorize you, and trust you, but not so much that they can't remember you.

The key is to maintain a healthy balance between proudly declaring your value and being perceived as likable and approachable. Prospective clients should be attracted to you, but not be in so much awe that they won't dial your number. People in your target market should know your name, but as a helpful resource, not a noisy showoff.

Above all, the image, brand, and reputation you carry must be authentic. Trying to behave in ways that are against your nature can make you appear dishonest, awkward, or fake. Know your value and don't be afraid to share it. But make sure what and how you share reveals the real you.

Copyright © 2015, C.J. Hayden

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