Mar 31, 2008

Why Don't Leaders Learn How To Speak?

Have you ever watched a talk, video, or listened to a radio show with a business leader, only to be astonished by the number of "uhs, ums, and you-know" comments that slip into their speaking?

I just watched a video featuring an interview with the CEO of a multi-billion dollar software company. The interviewer, a journalist, asked the guest CEO a series of questions, starting with "how did you get into this business?" which is a very common first question. In fact, I almost always start my radio show with that question, myself. So, you'd think the CEO would be PREPARED for such a question.

How did he respond?

"Well, you know, I was-uh, in the software-uh, business-uh, for a number of years. I got the idea-uh, to-uh, start off with this and-and-um..."

At that point, I clicked my browser and ended the interview. 

It really was THAT bad. How in the heck did THAT guy get to be the CEO of a company that big? If you ask me, it was luck. Perhaps he has selling skills. But, for sure, he lacks speaking skills. Someone close to him ought to have slipped him a note with one word: TOASTMASTERS. It might have helped this CEO to receive professional speaking training prior to appearing on TV or Radio shows. One thing is for sure: I won't invite him to speak on my radio show (which, coincidentally, was the purpose for my watching this video I'm mentioning).

I recall a talk I went to earlier this year about professional speaking. A former professional trainer, who now is a member of SCORE, delivered the talk. One thing he mentioned is to have a series of topics that you KNOW you can transition into comfortably. In addition, he recommended recording and then playing back to watch for things like hands in pockets, stammering, uhs, and-and, you-know, um, and other crummy phrases that must be wiped from the speaker's vocabulary.

It's too bad that the CEO never saw that talk. Or, if he has received such sage advice, he certainly isn't following it.

Get prepared to speak!

Are you prepared as a speaker? If you're leading a company, even though you are busy, it is vital to your success to become a polished speaker. My parents were both members of toastmasters and recommend it highly. Personally, I find that focusing on ways to improve talks is a challenge and also exciting. 

The rewards in delivering a successful public talk is threefold:

1. You are positioned as an expert on the topic. People are more drawn to you if you are an engaging speaker because they want to learn from someone who has "been there and done that" and reap the seeds of wisdom you sow.  You will find that some of these people may buy your book (or other products) that you sell at the back of the room. 

2. People are more interested to hire you or your company. There is a direct relationship between the number of new clients to ARRiiVE Business Solutions and the number of talks I give. I find that my speaking directly influences my new-customer inflow. Of course, my talks are also rated 9.4 out of 10 on a regular basis. I'm working to get that up to 9.8, so I can improve, but nevertheless, my speaking IS paying off handsomely for me.

3. Speaking is personally rewarding. I get charged-up when I speak. There's a sense of anticipation that drives me to create better articles, better talks, better e-books, and better books. Public speaking is my way of honing all of the "knowledge" products I create in order to first test for viability and second release through a more tested process. It's beneficial to know if a topic is "hot" for a certain audience. Go speak about it and you'll learn which parts of the talk resonate and which fall flat. This is especially true when speaking to a group of 20 or less. 

Are you interested in a speaker for your business event? If so, I'm available for talks on Living Your Dreams, From Cold To Gold, Blogging For Business, and Successful Email Marketing (for details see my Scott Andrews Speaking page). In addition, if you book speakers, connect with me, as I can assist you in many ways, too. My network of business professionals includes other business speakers and I enjoy being part of extended programs.

Make sure you're prepared for your talks by putting together an outline. Script out, word-for-word, the particular topics or questions you're likely to get asked about frequently. Practice by recording with a video camera and/or and audio recording device. Listen to the playback, and try to pick out the problem words from your speech and see if you can't eliminate them. It is easier to eliminate these phrases when you are prepared to speak on that topic.

Common questions you're SURE to get asked in an interview may include:

"How did you get started doing this?"
"What sparked the idea? What was your 'aha' moment?"
"What do you feel is your biggest contribution to this topic?"

There's more, but those three will be asked of you almost every time you speak. Frankly, if you're not asked those questions, you ought to speak to them anyway as your audience will WANT to know this information.

Last, get feedback each and every time you speak. This feedback will point you to your weak spots and help you get better for the next talk you deliver. May you deliver it well!
________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Mar 23, 2008

Branding With A Sell and Tell

You may have heard that features tell, and benefits sell. Well, that may be true, but when it comes to branding, salesmanship ups the ante.

When developing a brand, whether for a website, a company, a new product, or service, consider the use of the "tell" and "sell" to build your brand.

Examples of websites that use the tell-and-sell (or sell and tell) strategy include the following:

Problogger.net - Darren Rouse's site uses "pro" meaning he's a professional, and "blogger" telling you that his site is about blogs.

BloggerBuster.com - This helpful site offers the sell "buster" and again "blogger" to tell you what it's about.

etailology.com - Another example of the tell and sell. eTail, meaning, retail but in an electronic or Internet forum, and "ology" is the sell - site features that build brand and sell (although they could tighten their slogan up a tad).

Examples of other famous brands or top brands that use the Tell and Sell strategy include:

Coca-cola - Coca-cola is known as the top brand of all time. Originally, the coca-cola recipe included cocaine. So, "Coca" definitely was the sell. "Cola" was the tell that described you were buying a soda. This brand also included the "word-blending" strategy by combining two words, as well as a word-abbreviation strategy. The result of coca-cola is a complex, and highly successful brand.

GE - General Electric is basically any appliance that uses electricity. A classic tell-and-sell brand.

HBO - Home Box Office is the most successful premium home video network. The tell is that the box office is in your home. The box office is the sell, meaning a theatre delivered to your home. With two channels, HBO and Cinemax boasted over 36 million subscribers as recent as 2006.

IBM - Originally, IBM stood for International Business Machines. You hardly ever see IBM use the full words of their name anymore. Why? Because they're focused on consulting solutions more than the sales of hardware. It is still a great brand, though.

Microsoft - the words Micro (small) and soft (software) indicate a small software solution.

Time, Inc. - Time magazine describes a sell: being a place in time, a meaningful moment in history, and hope of useful journalism about that moment. The tell, of course, is the magazine itself.

(List source is Business Week: http://bwnt.businessweek.com/brand/2006/).

A more complicated brand might be Google - "Google is a play on the word googol, which was coined by Milton Sirotta, nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner, and was popularized in the book, "Mathematics and the Imagination" by Kasner and James Newman. Google's use of the term reflects the company's mission to organize the immense, seemingly infinite amount of information available on the web." Source: Netfronts.com (http://netfronts.com/guides/glossary2.htm).

My own company's name, ARRiiVE Business Solutions, is a combination tell-and-sell and a word-play. ARRiiVE is the "sell" in the word, and utilizes an additional "i" in the brand. Also, the large letters denote strength, while the ii's indicate that it's not just "i" going it alone, but "i" and "i" together creating a team. I have noticed that the extra "i" also created an intentionally mis-spelled word. I learned that technique from Sara Blakeley, from her mis-spelled company name and product name "Spanx" hosiery. Sara claimed people remembered mis-spelled names more than correctly spelled names. I'm finding this to be true for ARRiiVE, as well. Business Solutions is the "tell" in the brand, as we provide business solutions for launching products, improving sales, creating interactive marketing, and building teams to create more business success. Lately, I'm finding tremendous success helping draw traffic to websites using a combination of modern and old-world marketing strategies that works like a charm (email me to learn more).

Product or service names can also be a tell and sell. For example, I'm using www.coldtogold.com to be a tell and sell branding strategy for my sales training. Cold denotes a popular word for selling (cold-calling) and gold is the "sell" part of the phrase.

For example, Cisco's router strategy is to utilize the Linksys brand to become a household name. The tactic will probably pay off. Link - to tie together, sys - systems with a abbreviated name and name combination denotes a complicated, yet simple brand that ought to catch on.

How does your brand sell? Are you using a tell and sell in your product names?
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. Brands are trademark by their respective owners. No infringement intended. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE to get more.

Let's See That Again! Harness the Power of Remarkable Corporate Video Storytelling

Has your company ever thought about creating its own corporate video? Join the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Radio show this Wednesday at 2PM PST/5PM EST for a special guest show with Thomas Clifford, Award-Winning Corporate Filmmaker.

Description: Do you still think most videos from organizations are stiff and boring? And do you think it's difficult to produce a video for your organization that can ignite conversation and results? Listen to veteran corporate filmmaker Thomas Clifford share some of his simple tips and techniques to produce a company video that is authentic, compelling and engaging. Scott Andrews, Host of the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Show, interviews Tom to illustrate via words the power of "Let's See That Again! Harness the Power of Remarkable Corporate Video Storytelling." Have your team listen in to gain advice and strategies on interactive marketing with the power of video. It's easy, simple, educational and fun to participate.

When: Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at 2PM PST/ 5PM EST
What: 60 minute internet show

Call in to join the show: Dial (724) 444-7444 Enter 37798 #
Enter: 1 # or your Talkshoe PIN

Join from your computer (with LIVE CHAT!): http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798

Customers do not buy products. They buy stories – about who you are and what you stand for. Award-winning corporate filmmaker Thomas Clifford helps companies bring their brand to life by tapping into the power of authentic corporate video storytelling.

Tom knows what it takes to craft a compelling video story. In the words of Tom, “Find the passion and heart of a person and frame it so the audience can find themselves in the story.”

Tom's Site: DirectorTom: Bringing Brands to Life! (http://www.directortom.com/)
Join Tom's Professional Linkedin Network: LinkedIn

Tom's Manifesto. Bring Your Brand to Life: Harnessing the Power of Remarkable Corporate Videos http://changethis.com/37.05.BringBrand

Where Tom works: Moving Pictures: http://www.movingpix.com/. 860.632.5657 x0 or x123.

Listen after the show: http://www.arriive.com/arriive_liive.htm

***** Excellent Show for Any Business Person - Reviewer: BusinessIIBusiness 12/19/07 09:25 PM EST Full Comment: This is an excellent show on various business related topics. Scott is a master at interviewing and it was a pleasure being on the show. I will definitely follow this Talkcast from www.ARRiiVE.com -Jennifer Cannon, CEO BusinessIIBusiness http://www.businessiibusiness.com/

***** Great business resource - Reviewer: teambuilder 12/05/07 06:27 PM EST Full Comment: The breadth and depth of material here is outstanding. Congratulations Scott on creating a most useful and generous business resource center. I look forward to hearing more great interviews. Andrew Long Chief Pathfinder http://www.criticalpathfinders.com http://www.iloveteambuilding.com/

Special Guests: Send email to: info@ARRiiVE.com to be a guest. We request you provide a unique topic related to sales, marketing, product launch, or collaboration. We request that you invite your following or list of newsletter subscribers to attend the radio show. ________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Mar 18, 2008

Are You Failing Successfully?

Join us! Join Gina Mollicone-Long, Author of "The Secret of Successful Failing" on the ARRiiVE: Innovations In Business Show tomorrow at 2PM PST / 5PM EST for an insightful talk from a master of team-building and success.

Description: Learn how to get MORE of ANYTHING that you want in any area of your life – business, personal, spiritual. This is more than just “learning from your mistakes”. This is about learning how to leverage everything that happens EXACTLY how it happens. Hidden inside every failure is the exact recipe to get what you want and you just need to learn how to identify it and USE IT.

Have your team listen in to gain advice and strategies on starting a company and team building.

It's easy, simple, educational and fun to participate.

When: Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at 2PM PST/ 5PM EST
What: 60 minute internet show - Talkshoe show ID 37798

Call in to join the show:
Dial (724) 444-7444
Enter 37798 # (Talkcast Show ID)
Enter: 1 # or your Talkshoe PIN

Join from your computer (with LIVE CHAT!):
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798 or

Listen after the show: http://www.arriive.com/arriive_liive.htm

Click here to visit/follow the show: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798 (select "follow the show" box)

***** Excellent Show for Any Business Person - Reviewer: BusinessIIBusiness 12/19/07 09:25 PM EST Full Comment: This is an excellent show on various business related topics. Scott is a master at interviewing and it was a pleasure being on the show. I will definitely follow this Talkcast from www.ARRiiVE.com -Jennifer Cannon, CEO BusinessIIBusiness http://www.BusinessIIBusiness.com

***** Great business resource - Reviewer: teambuilder 12/05/07 06:27 PM EST
Full Comment: The breadth and depth of material here is outstanding. Congratulations Scott on creating a most useful and generous business resource center. I look forward to hearing more great interviews. Andrew Long Chief Pathfinder http://www.criticalpathfinders.com http://www.iloveteambuilding.com

Special Guests: Send email to: info@ARRiiVE.com to be a guest. We request you provide a unique topic related to sales, marketing, product launch, or collaboration. We request that you invite your following or list of newsletter subscribers to attend the radio show.
________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Mar 14, 2008

Apple i-Reader Competes with Amazon Kindle

I posted this article yesterday about Amazon Kindle being a better way to read: http://arriive.blogspot.com/2008/03/amazon-kindle-better-way-to-read.html

Of course, that is if you can actually GET one! They're backordered and a bit hard to obtain right now. Anyway, that article provoked a question about the source of my information on the Apple i-Reader.

You'll find my reply to Gordon's comment in that email trail, but in case you missed that, I felt it worthy enough to publish a post about it here under the title: Apple iReader competes with Amazon Kindle. Now, to be honest, there is, as of yet, no such device that we know of to emerge from Apple's Area 51 lab of startlingly new products that wow and dazzle the Mac faithful that Apple has actually NAMED the iREADER.

However, there is a device which COULD be used as a reader. I know, some of the more geeky among my readers will point out that the iPOD could be used as a reader. However, there's a problem with that: the small screen of most iPODs.

The solution? The iPhone. Read my comment trail from yesterday's article to see how I've come to this conclusion:

I'll dig through several sources on this matter and clarify to help settle the issue of the iREADER:

1) GeekWhat - http://geekwhat.com/2007/03/31/apple-ireader-due-in-july/ - this source commented July - however, that was LAST July (07). So, maybe if this device is truly being jointly developed through Amazon, Google, and Apple.

Considering he missed his deadline, and considering the proximity of his blog post to April Fool's Day, I believe other sources are required.

2) Fake Steve Jobs. http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/fake-steve-jobs-options-review.ars. Alright. This one really is a reach. But, think about it: if Fake Steve Jobs could be printed as a book, why not a DRM-protected book on an iReader? Makes sense, especially at the market-ready $499 (and $699 with the memory capacity you'd really want, right?). It sounded so real hearing fake Steve Jobs describe the new iReader I could hardly help myself.

3. Engadget reprinted the Robert Scoble story. You mean, it WAS an April Fool's joke. Awww sheesh.

4. iAudioize (http://www.gearlog.com/2007/03/turn_the_ipod_into_an_ireader.php) offers this super-cool software that turns your PDF's and other docs and allows you to HEAR them from your iPOD. How cool is that? For anyone with a commute, this is BETTER than an iREADER. This is actually the product I've been looking for, so I'm excited about this route...however, this post does not ratify the Apple iReader, either.

5.Engadget speculation (http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/16/if-jobs-says-people-dont-read-anymore-does-this-headline-rea/comments/9882721/). Again, Engadget enthusiasts are speculating that Apple has some secret "Area-51" like lab where guys in white jackets are design this dream iReader device for us. Can you blame them? Just watch the video (above) and you'll see that the "Amazon Kindle" is *not* exactly what you'd call "SEX-AY".

6. Figuring maybe Apple might want to weigh in (ehem, cough) we all know how "open" Apple likes to be (yeah, right, about as open as a Raiders training camp), I figured I'd google Apple and even CALL Apple to see if they'd comment. After google, and the phone call, my kind redirects sent me to the iPHONE or the iPOD, with the iPHONE being the most dominant suggestion. Hey, there's an idea. Maybe we can use an iREADER on an iPHONE or iPOD. Makes sense to me. Maybe there really isn't a need for a unique Apple iREADER after all!

This quote from David Pogue of the NY times just came out YESTERDAY on the topic of Apple SDK (native software for iPHONE): The move will turn iPhone into “an engineering tool, a game console, a free-calls Skype phone, a business tool, a dating service, an e-book reader, a chat room, a database, an Etch-a-Sketch,” and, Pogue predicts “a gigantic success.” What's behind this? A lot. Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers has announced an iFund of $100,000,000 for iPhone Software Development. That's serious money, folks. (see; http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/)

Over 100,000 developers downloaded the SDK platform for the iPhone in the first 4 days.

That's buzz. I'm quite certain there will be RSS readers, of various sorts, in that mix, for sure.And, there's already applications just announced this week that are allowing RSS transfer without even synching to iTunes, at least for podcasts and videos. (http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/2008/03/05/iphonetouch-rss-converter/)

So, there you have it. The iREADER already exists. It's called the iPHONE.

Surprise!

P.S. - For those of you who are more geeked-up than me, who already have been downloading RSS feeds with your iPOD (http://www.engadget.com/2004/04/16/pts-how-to-fridays-read-rss-feeds-on-your-ipod/) well, what can I say, if you enjoy reading my blog on a 2" x 1" screen, kudos to you... or your eyeballs!
________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

Mar 13, 2008

Amazon Kindle: A Better Way To Read?


Are you seeking better ways to download your favorite blogs, e-books and things of this nature?
I am. And, particularly, I've been really curious about Amazon's Kindle electronic book reader.

I'm surprised Apple hasn't come out with an i-Reader or something like that which would blow Amazon away. But, as it turns out, Apple IS coming out with an i-Reader in July... so stay tuned on that one (I'll review it after it comes out)!

Anyway, if you're interested in downloading AspireNow's own e-books, you can do that, but now you can read them with the Amazon Kindle!
What's great about Amazon's Kindle? Take it on the subway, take it in your car, take it to bed. Whatever is convenient for you. It doesn't run as hot as a laptop computer, plus, it's more convenient to hold in your hand and just scroll through your document, which is what you'll do, anyway. If you're a gadget geek, Amazon Kindle is for you. If you want to learn more about the Amazon Kindle, here's an interesting (and clearly unbiased review):


Although the Amazon Kindle has been backordered quite a bit since release, I do offer it through the AspireNow Amazon Store:

http://astore.amazon.com/aspirenow-20/detail/B000FI73MA/002-1778283-8772807

There's also a list of groovy accessories there, too:http://astore.amazon.com/aspirenow-20/002-1778283-8772807?node=6&page=3

Let me know how the Amazon Kindle works for you. I'll be reviewing the i-Reader once it hits the shelves, too. One concern I have is that the Amazon Kindle is outside of Amazon's product focus. Instead of selling other people's products, they're trying to sell their own. That can be risky. Ultimately, I predict this product category may indeed shift to Sony and Apple. But, in the near term, Amazon Kindle is definitely something to check out.
________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.

You Call The Shots

A new book for entrepreneurs just came to my attention. This book was written by a guy who made his first $15,000 by the age of 9 and started an internet site more successful than most internet marketers by the age of 15. Inspiring?
Read it yourself and be the judge...

http://astore.amazon.com/aspirenow-20/detail/B000WPMQHI/002-1778283-8772807

You Call the Shots: Succeed Your Way-- And Live the Life You Want-- With the 19 Essential Secrets of EntrepreneurshipBy Cameron Johnson, John David Mann

One of my friends, Chris Howard, had this to say about the book:

"I really love the full title, though, because it really
describes what Cameron is all about: "You Call
the Shots: Succeed Your Way - and Live the Life
You Want - With the 19 Essential Secrets of
Entrepreneurship." That's right, it's all about
Living the Life You Want, and that's what Cameron
will help you do through reading his book."

Click here to order your copy of You Call The Shots now:
http://www.cameronjohnson.com/bookbonus?11"

Note: that link that Chris Howard provides is cool - they give you a bunch of BONUS products AFTER you just provide your Amazon order number. So, if you're like me, you'll keep your Amazon order number, then input it with your other email information in the bonus link there by CameronJohnson.com: http://www.cameronjohnson.com/bookbonus?11. And, no, I don't get anything from the Bonus Link (maybe they'll throw back some kudos my way? hint, hint!)

I just ordered my own personal copy, so you know I'm intrigued!
________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 12, 2008

Sales Lesson Learned From Radio

Today, I was listening to my local public radio show. While listening, I realized they were off their "regular" programming for a pledge drive. I listened to their requests for money, and realized that these guys are MASTERS of SALES COPY! I'm not kidding. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if their phones were ringing off the hook. Here's the sales lesson I think anyone paying attention could have learned from them:

Sales Lessons Learned From Radio:

Lesson #1: Ask for the business (but don't specify how much).

When you ask for a donation, don't ask for a specific amount. They weren't asking for $500 per person. They were offering suggestions of $50, 20, 5, 500 - whatever people were comfortable with. What they were going for was a NUMBER of DONATIONS. All they wanted was 1,600 donations. I suppose they already ran the math on average contribution, and knew they'd reach their goal if they had more donations than normal. So, rather than end the drive at, say, 1,500 donations, they'll end it at 1,600. Not a bad idea, huh? Ask for the business, just make sure you don't try to direct which plan people buy or how much money they give you. They know what their form or proposal said. They'll make the best choice given their situation if you've led them to buy properly.

Lesson #2: Two Magic Words: CALL NOW (or BUY NOW).

These guys knew how to sell. Rather than say "call us when you're ready", they said these TWO magic words: "CALL NOW." Ah. Nice. See, they knew that if you didn't call now, you may not ever. They were looking for the instant conversion. Why not go for the money? If you're going to go for the money, the best time is almost always to go for it NOW, while the buyer is in front of you!

Lesson #3: Three more magic words: SIMPLE AND EASY.

Then, rather than say, you'll be on hold for 3 minutes, then we're going to ask you for a bunch of information, no, instead, they said these TWO MAGIC WORDS: Call now. they said THREE MORE magic words: It's SIMPLE AND EASY. I just love that phrase. SIMPLE AND EASY is a phrase that simply sells. Nobody wants anything complicated. No matter what you're selling, you always ought to use this phrase: our service is simple and easy.

Lesson #4: Instruct HOW to BUY.

What follows SIMPLE and EASY? Ask for the order. For example: It's SIMPLE and EASY to PLEDGE. Just dial 1-888-555-5555 and make your pledge now. They could just as easily have said "Just click this form. Just put your name here..." etc. Demonstrate that it truly IS simple and easy to buy, and the prospect will likely do it.

Lesson #5: Use FEAR OF LOSS as a motivator.

They threatened the fear of loss. Instead of saying "we know you love this show so please support it", which would sound like a beggar, they said, "If you enjoy Democracy Now, you need to act now to keep this show on the air. Your pledge is what brings this show to you every weekday at this time." See, they threatened the end of the show if the listener didn't pledge. It's a fear tactic. How would you feel to lose your favorite show? Probably pretty bad, right? They probably knew this. Their copy writer also probably knew "fear of loss" is one of the biggest motivators.

Lesson #6: Use HOPE FOR GAIN as the other motivator.

Next, they offered a GIFT. I couldn't have written a better idea in there at this point, myself. Gifts usually represent a "HOPE FOR GAIN" to the prospect. For example, a sweepstakes, grand prize, special discount if they call now, etc.; these are all hope for gain tactics. Frankly, if you want to win customers, offer a gift. After all, you can't just go around threatening the fear of loss without giving a chance to win MORE back by doing what you suggest. Thus, offer the HOPE FOR GAIN in the form of a gift. People will almost always sign up for a gift. Here's how they positioned it: "If keeping Democracy Now on their air isn't enough for you, then pledge over certain thresholds and we'll include a gift as a way to thank you for doing the right thing with your pledge. At $50, we'll include a boxed set of CDs.. at $150, we'll include the wine package from ABC Winery (can't remember the winery name), and at $500, we'll include tickets to the Symphony, the wine package, and the CD's - all for simply supporting a show you want to listen to and pledging like you'd probably do anyway, and best continuing to enjoy Democracy Now."

Lesson #7: They EXPRESSED GRATITUDE.

They THANKED THE LISTENER. How many times do we forget to thank the buyer? Make sure you don't make that mistake. I tend to send thank you's to every person who buys a product or service from me. I just think it's good form. George H. W. Bush sent "thank you" notes all through his career. Sometimes, he sent as many as 500 "thank you" letters a month. Do you think it helped him succeed? Whether you agree with his politics or not, you can't fault his sales follow-up strategy of saying "thank you". My Dad still has a letter from his son on his refridgerator. Clearly, it worked for Dad, who bragged that he got a "letter from the President" later that week. Expressing an attitude of gratitude is likely to help our sales "lift-off" to higher success.

Lesson #8: Follow-up the VERBAL with WRITTEN and gain UPSELL opportunity.

While we're at it, you ought to say thank you often - when you're in front of the client, and after the fact, through email and the mail. If you're not grateful for their business, your competition might be. But say you're grateful through a written letter. Of the first three jobs offered to me after college, every single one of them said they hired me in part "because you were the best who followed up with me with your letters and phone calls." Yes, say "Thank You" and follow-up your sale. Do it often, too. So, follow-up the VERBAL thank you with a WRITTEN thank you which might also set-up a future referral or additional sell. The best time to sell someone something is when they just bought, so they could also offer me a letter in the mail thanking me for purchasing, and offering a bonus gift if I included three referrals of friends who might pledge, or something else like that.

So, that's the lesson learned from the radio station. It gave me a reminder of what to say in some copy I'm working on right now. In addition, it reminded me to send a "thank you" letter to one of my recent clients. If you're stuck selling, try paying attention next time you hear people asking for money or selling something. After all, you just might learn something new that you can use in your bag of sales tricks.

Happy selling.
________________________________________

Copyright © 1999-2008 by Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 11, 2008

Responsible Marketing on the ARRiiVE Innovations In Business Show

Join us for the ARRiiVE: Innovations in Business Radio Show this Wednesday:

Patrick Byers, CEO of Outsource Marketing, will be discussing "Responsible Marketing: Where commerce and conscience come together" with Scott Andrews, Host of the ARRiiVE Radio Show.

Details: Marketers have never had it harder. Prospects are cynical, the surplus of information is working against them on a number of levels, and marketing as a discipline is generally broken. Responsible Marketing is the way to make marketing work. It's a holistic approach to marketing that combines the tactics our mind tells us we need to prioritize with the principles our heart tells us we need to embrace.

DATE: Wednesday, March 12, 2008
TIME: 2:00 PM PST / 5:00 PM EST

DIAL: (724) 444-7444, enter show 37798 # 1 #
VISIT: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/37798

It's educational, fun, and easy to participate.

Call in or text questions:

1. Visit Talkshoe (http://www.talkshoe.com/): Enter Talkshoe show ID 37798 to text comments and listen to the show from your computer.

2. Call in to join the show: Dial (724) 444-7444, enter show 37798 # 1 # if you wish to ask questions of the host or guest.

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Bio & Details:

Patrick is the President + CEO of Outsource Marketing, a pioneering company that offers a marketing department for companies that don’t have one, more strategic and creative horsepower for those that do. Prior to starting the firm in 1997, Patrick directed the marketing for two Seattle law firms as well as a Northwest-based telecommunications company. His experience in hiring, managing and coordinating a bevy of biased and uncoordinated marketing resources led to the formation of Outsource Marketing . . . a company that seamlessly delivers coordinated, discipline-neutral marketing to companies of all sizes.

A Responsible Marketing evangelist, Patrick is currently authoring a book on the topic (for 2008 publication) and regularly writes on the topic in The Responsible Marketing Blog at www.responsiblemarketing.com.

Patrick speaks nationally on responsible marketing, new and innovative ways to break through the clutter and marketing outsourcing and his articles have been published in local and national publications. In September, 2003, Patrick was recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 honoree.

ARRiiVE: Innovations in Business Radio is an exciting, modern type of internet radio show that focuses on developing innovations on topics ranging from launching a business to building better teams. Ways to improve sales and marketing often weigh in to discussions on this show, as well as modern ways business leaders are collaborating and building their business dreams. Join Scott Andrews, CEO of ARRiiVE Business Solutions, on the show - it's simple, fun, and educational to join in!

Contact: info (at) ARRiiVE (dot) com to order any back issues of the shows on CD for your team.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 6, 2008

How To: Better Business Plans

How to write better business plans

Are you starting a new company? If you are, it won't be long before someone asks you if you've written your business plan. This is especially true when you seek funding of any type. Gone are the dot-com wild-west days when snotty-nosed Stanford students could sit in a VC's office and mumble "We don't have time for a business plan" and still receive $20 Million Dollars.

Business leaders, today, ought to have their act together. And, part of having your act together is having a good plan.

What are the keys to writing a successful business plan?

Here I'm going to describe 12 Keys to Writing Better Business Plans:

1. Know your weaknesses and address them.

2. Make an impact.

Use a video, use a demonstration, anything to show why your product or service is superior.

3. Compete.

What type of competitive environments are you submitting your offering? Are you entering contests? Are you willing to put your name on the line? Are you submitting your ideas against the pack? Bill Gates would never have succeeding with Microsoft had he never got his basic disc operating system in front of IBM. Success often starts with the early competitive moments that define us.

4. Tell a story.

You have to tell a story. If your story isn't compelling, people won't buy from you.

5. Be doggedly determined.

Are you committed to making it work no matter what obstacles get in your way?

6. Make it fundable.

Great ideas aren't the only thing that matters. Often, the most fundable project that may get you funding. Set your business up with enough punch to attract funding.

7. Refine, refine, and refine your pitch.

A better elevator pitch - have someone catch you in an unsuspecting moment and ask: "Why you?" See how you answer... then refine it. Rinse, repeat, etc.

8. Management team ought to know.

What is your management team's record related to what you are doing? There ought to be a long-tail of related history tying what you did in the past with what you're doing now.

9. Determine your market, then sell to that.

If you can determine your market early, the better for you. The more you narrow your niche to the people who truly have the money, power, and desire to buy from you, the more you will win.

10. Put some of your own money in your company.

Do you have skin in the game? An entrepreneur who hasn't invested any of their own money probably won't be as committed. At least, that's the prevailing logic used by VC (venture capitalist) investors.

11. Know your risk.

What's your risk? In addition, are you aware of the risks to your business? Many investors want to know the exact risk of investing in your business. You ought to know your risk before and test your strength against it PRIOR to going after the money, if possible.

12. Know both break-even and ROI points for investors.

What's the projected gain? If you can't show a reasonable ROI (return on investment) within a reasonable period of time, you won't get the money you need to grow your business. As my Dad likes to remind me, "Cash Is King" and if you're getting cash you must realize there WILL be an expectation that you'll make MORE cash in a short amount of time. This will increase the pressure on you to succeed. So, have your act together when you ask for money.

When you design your business plan, consider these twelve steps to success. I probably could have added: 13. Know your exit strategy, because that will come up, too. Many business leaders don't understand that if they don't have the background for their company, they either need to hire it (get better managers) or sell their idea. Otherwise, they may be facing years of struggle.

If you need help, ARRiiVE's business planning team has an incredibly strong track record of writing business plans that get funded. In fact, ALL of the business plans we've written in the past seven years have received the desired funding.

Make sure you identify your strengths and weaknesses. And, if you don't need money now, still keep in mind that you may in the future. Raising money is often a part-time job for many new entrepreneurs. Get good at it, and you'll succeed much more wildly in the early years of your business launch.
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Copyright © 1999-2008 by ARRiiVE Business Solutions. All Rights Reserved. SUBSCRIBE.