Debra Kasowski

Transform Your Business and Bottom Line in the Next 28 Days

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In the world of business, there are good books and then there are great books! I discovered a great book entitled, “Get Clients Now!” by C.J. Hayden.

Courtesy of ImageryMajestic/freedigitalphotos.net
Courtesy of ImageryMajestic/freedigitalphotos.net

Marketing is  one of the key pieces to being successful in business.

In this book, there are four simple action plans that can transform your business in the next 28 days. I know firsthand as a business coach that these small shifts are worth their weight in gold . The small shifts start with discovering what is holding you back from your ultimate success .

 When you discover your greatest fear,  you can challenge the fear and realize it wasn’t as big as you thought.

The 4 steps discussed in this book are :

  1.  Filling Your Pipeline
  2.  Following up
  3. Having Sales Conversations
  4. Closing Sales

If you feel that your business has hit a plateau or is not generating the income you would like it to have , you definitely want to take a look at where you are not giving 100% accountability to these four areas .  Why wait until your pipeline is dry to step out of your comfort zone and achieve what you want ?

The magic formula lies in the universal marketing cycle.  

Think about the ways you are filling your pipeline with clients.  How are you reaching out to them?  Remember your client is listening to , “What is in it for me ?” They do not want to hear about every accolade you have.   Yes it is important to share your successes and accomplishments with your followers , however , if the message is one-sided or not coming from a place of service – they will just tune you out .

They want to know that you are able to help them achieve the results that that they want. 

Take a look at your newsletter and ask yourself, if you are you writing it from the perspective of giving a hand up versus putting your hand out.

Follow-up tends to be one of the weakest links in the sales cycle. There was a time when I would feel weak in the stomach when it came to follow up and I would talk myself out of it due to the fear of rejection. I also learned that if I don’t follow up and offer to help someone achieve their dream with my knowledge and skill, I am robbing someone of the greatest gifts I can give.  If you if you can relate, imagine the impact you would have by not only helping one person achieve what they want but many.  This can also create a ripple effect.  Many of the people that you impact, will want to share their experience with others.

One of the greatest actions that you can take is having the sales conversation.  The actions can be as simple and asking for an appointment, sending  follow-up letter or email, or soliciting testimonials .  See a pattern here – everything is about relationship marketing and caring about people and what matters to them.

Finally, who could resist the topic of profits and closing more sales, especially if you  are running a business.  There are some people who are afraid to talk about wanting money in their business for fear of being labeled as materialistic or greedy . Businesses are meant to make money providing a solution to a clients problem or pain. If you are not making money , perhaps, you are dabbling in a hobby and not as serious about running your business and you say you are.

Build the relationships in your network and discover ways you can help others get to their goals.  The more you help others in the process, the more you will attract clients to your pipeline.

Go out and make a difference like I know you can!

3 Amazing Strategies to Create a Presentation People Will Remember

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Courtesy of Ambro/freedigitalphotos.net
Courtesy of Ambro/freedigitalphotos.net

You have probably heard the phrase, “They may not remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”

The funny thing is many people have gone into presentations with fact, details, and numbers and unless those items are the most important pieces to your agenda your presentation will not be memorable.

When you are presentation making a , you are presenting yourself as a credible expert and sharing the message that is informative and perhaps even entertaining.

    •  Personal stories/examples.  Storytelling is the most powerful way to get a message across with the greatest impact.  People can relate to stories through their emotions and experiences.  Share some of your personal stories.  The best advice I can give you is live an exciting life. Testimonials or client success stories can share a beginning along with the transformation.   Not only is this exciting, it can stimulate the emotions of your audience and their want to know more about what you plan to say.
    •   Quotations.  Quotes and famous words can inspire and motivate. you can use these to share your interpretation and related it to your audience.  You may also leave your audience with a thought-provoking question or challenge related to the quotation.
    •  Collect information, articles, or quotes from books that intrigue you. Chances are if something has piqued your interest, it will pique the interest of others. Comparison and contrast examples can also be a very powerful way to get your message across.

Avoid clichés as they can be overused.

They can almost be like missing the punch line altogether.

Make your presentation memorable.

I know you can do it as you probably already share some of those stories with your family and friends.

Look for the lessons that you have learned and how you can teach others to achieve the same.

How has storytelling help you in getting your message across?

4 Surefire Ways to Get More Comments on Your Blog

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There are so many reasons that I love blogging but getting comments from other people really jazzes me up!

Courtesy of imagerymajestic/freedigitalphotos.net
Courtesy of imagerymajestic/freedigitalphotos.net

Your blog is what makes your website alive.

It is the one page on your website that is not static. This is the platform where you can build a community, share information, and engage with your followers. I find that blogging is one of the most underutilized platforms.

 Why?

Some people feel that they don’t want to be vulnerable and feel exposed.

I find that if you share your story in your style and  your way- you become relatable.

Blogging does not position you as being intimidating. it’s about developing your voice in a conversation just like you would be writing an e-mail or a letter to a friend.

There are several ways that you can start getting more comments for your compelling content:

  1.    Ask for comments –  Although this is the most obvious thing you can do, you do not want to make this request every post.

If you do not ask, how do you expect to receive?

2.  Share your blog posts with a close circle of friends.  Ask your friends to comment and give you feedback on the post and to share your post with others.  You may also do that for them in return.

3.  Take a stance – you may have a controversial opinion. I don’t know about you  but I do know when there’s controversy  –  many opinions seem to come out of the woodwork .

Why not let your voice be heard ?

4.   Become a guest blogger.  By becoming a guest blogger, you can share your content on another person’s platform and with their audience.  Be sure to include a bio at the end of your blog post with your website address  so that people will go to your website and check out your other blogs and comment.  There needs to be a call to action to build the relationship and serve in the process.

Blogging is a very powerful tool that I highly recommend to everyone. You need to develop your voice in the marketplace and blogging is an awesome way to do it.

Not only are you seen as a credible expert and leader in your field but you can be making an impact  globally every day.

I would love to hear what blogging has done for you -comment below.

Money and the Book Writer

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Guest Blog by Connie Dunn

connie_dunn-sm250People write books for a variety of reasons. In my classes (publishwithconnie.com), I ask my students to define what they want to get from writing their book. While logical thinking says, “book writers want money,” it isn’t the only reason people write books. Some of those reasons are: desire to show a parent or other important relative their accomplishment; to tell their story; gain notoriety or credential; or to help other people. Understanding the relationship with their book helps them understand their relationship with money.

 

The “starving artist” too often applies to book writers. However, when the writer understands what experience they want to have as a result of writing their book, they can better understand what monetary remuneration that they wish to have. Naturally, to make money, the writer also has to understand how to market their book.

 

Learning the details of marketing can be rather fun. The newest method of marketing includes creating a “Virtual Book Tour,” which includes writing articles for “guest blog” spots. This can be quite enjoyable. “Press Releases” are used to promote the “Tour,” and then, you will hopefully begin to make money.

 

Passive income, such as that from a book, allows you to make money while you sleep…and that’s the best sort of income to make! Do the work once, and continue making money. Every business person needs to include passive streams of income into their business plan. One of the easiest ways to do that is through book sales.

 

PR2If you have a business and you are writing a book to establish a passive stream of income, you may find that the process gets easier and easier. Some books, of course, are more valuable as “free” incentives. It is the wise professional who can determine which one is which. That wise person can also repeat the process of writing a book for the purpose of creating a passive stream of income. Success for most folks lies in their ability to create multiple streams of income.

 

Book writers, like almost everyone, have relationships with money. It just needs to take on the mindset of making loads of money fast or a steady stream vs drips of cash or dried up assets.

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Connie Dunn is taking a Virtual Book Tour promoting “Press Release Made Easy” (www.conniedunnbooks.com/books/press-releases-made-easy) visit her Blog at www.conniedunnbooks.com/blog/ or Events Page at www.conniedunnbooks.com/events/ . Follow Connie on her tour from July 1-21. On the 21st, a Trivia Quiz will be posted to her Blogl Prizes will be awarded for the first six people. For details see www.conniedunnbooks.com/events/trivia-contest/

#1 Strategy to Take Control of Your Time, Money, and Waistline

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Time and money seem to slip through people’s fingers and they often wonder why.

We are all are given the same amount of time 1440 minutes in a day, 168 hours in one week.

However, we are not all given the same amount of money.

The biggest difference between money and time is that you can make more money and you cannot make more time. You can choose to do one thing over another to allot time for certain activities.

Now when it comes to your waistline, the more your burn the more you lose! And if you are trying to lose weight that is a good thing!

The ONE strategy that may change your life to TRACKING YOUR TIME, MONEY, and WAISTLINE!

By tracking where your time, money, food intake, and activity, you can discover where the time thieves, money wasters, and waistline stealers need to improve.

Remember to ask yourself- if you had a good time during the process, was it truly a waste?

Make a choice to become more aware of how you spend your time , resources, food and activity.

Time Thieves or Wasters

  • email notifications (binger)
  • Social Media and Checking for Replies (Facebook, Twitter)

    Courtesy of stockimages/freedigitalphotos.net
    Courtesy of stockimages/freedigitalphotos.net
  • surfing the net
  • watching too much TV television
  • meetings you could have handled by phone
  • attending meetings that you are not sure why you are there

Money Wasters

  • duplicate services
  • gym memberships (if you are not using it, cancel it)
  • buying things just to buy them
  • eating out every night (can also add to your waistline so be careful)
  • going to the movies twice a week
  • magazine subscriptions you do not read

Waistline Stealers

  • eating desserts
  • skipping breakfast
  • skipping exercise
  • watching TV all night long
  • late night snacking

Awareness is the key to change! Discover your losses by tracking your activities on a time, money, food intake, or exercise log. Write down what you are doing and how long the task takes, what you are spending money on, how much, and what you project your return on investment to be – how does it contribute to your bottom line? Often the activities, tasks, and purchases bought are out of habit. However when wasters are brought into awareness, you will discover where change needs to occur. You will surprised at where you a lot your time, money, and resources. The bottomline…it is all about the choices you make. Do you really want what you say you want?

Simple tricks of the trade to get you back on track:

  • Set up specific times of day when you check your emails.
  • Turn off your email notification alert.
  • Pre-set social media marketing (www.hootsuite.com) and pop in at set times of the day to check your social media – give yourself a time limit as it is easy to get sucked in!
  • You can utilize apps that prevent you from surfing the net or designate a certain amount of time to that activity
  • verify the need for an in-person meeting or the need to attend.
  • Eliminate duplicate services.
  • Cancel subscriptions and memberships that you are not getting value from or utilizing.
  • Create a menu plan and get active.

Imagine how productive and how efficient you will be!What would you do if you had more time to play, had more money, or had tip top shape health and body?  Oh no – there goes a bright shiny object – better pull back on the reins!