This increases your networking pool and in turn increases your prospect pool. Here are 12 highly successful habits you must put into place when it comes to networking

• Prepare yourself before you go out and network. Study your market, get familiar with the people you are being connected to and get your facts in order before you meet different prospect
• Time Management is essential when it comes to networking. Remember you aren’t there to socialize or mingle. You are trying to get out some business leads and so be selective on the networking opportunities. Time is money.
• Always try and identify what your motives and business intentions are. This way you will be available to gauge your progress and see if you are on the right track. It always helps to have a specific plan and agenda.
• Research and staying informed with latest trends and events in your market always draws a crowd. It also is an easy way to networking and start up a conversation. If you don’t have much to talk about it could get awkward. Always spend some time looking into trade magazines and websites. Information and product knowledge is key.
• Focus on your agenda and stick to it. Don’t let outside interruptions or distractions take over. You are networking with people so make the time for it and don’t allow other indulges take over your time. Leave the office work at the office.
• Always make an impression. Your first impression usually determines the future and growth of your business. Look sharp, presentable and always come prepared with business cards, brochures and contact information. Make sure you carry your business in your pocket!
• It also helps when you meet groups of people at the same time as you save more time, hit up more prospects and give out more business cards. This in turns gives you more exposure. Don’t be afraid to work the room!
• Always get your contacts to introduce you to your potential prospects. It builds credibility and in turn also gets you one step in the door. They don’t know you so the more people working in your favor the stronger the chances of them opening up to you.
• Confidence, charisma and how you present yourself aurally is key to setting the right introduction and starting up a conversation. Ask questions and try to be interactive.
• Spend time with the contacts and prospects with quality prospects.We all want quantity but at the end of the day spend your time wisely with the people you are connecting with.
• Always remember to acknowledge your network pool.Return the favor as well to promote future affiliate relations.      
• Going the extra mile by sending out thank you cards to anyone that has offered introduction will in turn reflect on your reputation and increase your public relations. It also makes your contact feel more appreciated

Remember collect as many prospect business cards as you can but the secret is in the follow up. A timely follow up on a warm lead increases your chances on closing the sale! 

Visit our website  to learn more strategies on how to accelerate your business at boscoanthony

I recently went through a similar situation and know first hand how a lay off can really drop your confidence and also play a number on you. One usually is never prepared for a lay off but here are a following tips to prepare for any unavoidable situations.

Firstly lay offs are quick and usually one does not have the time to pack ones personal items or delete or retrieve your personal information on your work pc or laptop. Most companies don’t usually allow you to use your work pc or laptop for personal use anyways. What is the first law towards a lay off? Backing up your work!

No matter if you own a company laptop, pc or even a blackberry I always recommend you have a backed up copy at home just to save you from trying to retrieve your personal or contact information in the process of being terminated. One useful technique that I used to do was never store any of my files, work or any other related information on my work computers but instead stored it on my home hard drive and / or flash drive. I would back up my work every morning and evening. If you can get routine you wont lose such valuable information.

Secondly I always had a personal online ghost email and forwarded any important / personal or relevant information to my email from my work email. It is recommended not to use your work email for any of your personal contact but if you find an email relevant to your needs always send a copy of it to your ghost email.

The next thing on the agenda is always build a cash reserve. They recommend in the past to have an accumulation of 2-3 months wages to carry you through while you move on and find a new job. Personally I recommend saving a cash reserve for at least 6-9 months assisting you through our current economic hardship. This enables you to have financial security and you aren’t desperate to pick any job but the right job.

I always catch up and follow up with my references every 3-6 months. This keep’s you prepared and have fresh information or updated information on your references. I also would suggest to always be in touch with headhunters, recruiters and employment search engines monthly to keep you updated on what’s on the market. You might have the best jobs on the planet but there is this old saying from a wise man that once said, You are as good as your last day! One day you are in the penthouse and the next you are in the outhouse!

Preparation for a lay off goes a long way. Mentally being prepared is just one half of the battle, the other half is not taking it personally and getting back on your feet again. Don’t ever take it personally it’s just business!

http://www.boscoanthony.com

Before anything else a good business owner must know what a business model really is. In this day and age a good business model tells you how you operate your business and how much revenue you will in turn generate. Simply put a business model not only should give you a key analysis on the projection of your business but also should give you a clear understanding on how to survive and compete within your market.

Next up the pillars to your business model are detailed as follows:

a- Product Value
b- Fulfillment
c- Business Development
d- Profit Margin

Product Value really determines your product; it’s value to your consumer and in turn the overall cost and man hours taken to create your product including market research. Ultimately the concept of supply and demand kicks. Can you compete in a viable market or are you a niche business?

Fulfillment really is the process or method in delivering the product in consumer hands. The aspects of the delivery turn around time and overall customer satisfaction to this element is key. Are you satisfied with your fulfillment process or could you improve the process?

Business Development is the process of developing relations to bringing in more business to your lead funnel. The art of lead generation and creating new business falls under this category. At this margin you need evaluate if you can increase your lead opportunities?

Profit Margin really comes down to the net profit margin after all expenditure. This formula is your blueprint to success. It is essential to determine your profit margin so you know what you need to do to hit your projections and essentially create your fiscal year targets. Do you know your profit margin within your business today?

At the end of the day a good business plans makes a successful business even better!

You might ask yourself why do I say that this is an untapped resource. Well the answer is truly that most entrepreneurs tend not to take advantage of this system until recently. We tend to get so focused on marketing our products and taking care of daily operations that we tend to spend less time on the minor details. A few of my clients have developed a unique referral system and in turn over the years now focused on it as a priority for lead generation.

The first thing you need to know is that you will get more referrals if you let your current clients that you always welcome,need and want referrals. Some clients just don’t think about this or perceive this if you don’t ask for the referrals. When you are busy with clients it gives off the vibe that you can’t take on any more clients. Some clients aren’t entrepreneurs and hence don’t understand the meaning of referrals unless it is brought to their attention. The best solution is to plant seeds and make them more aware of your business intentions. If it involves you informing them via newsletter, phone call, email or even sending a postcard this will create reminders in your customers minds and in turn help you in the long run.

Customers tend to give you more referrals if they feel confident, comfortable and good judgment about your services, products and/or even character. This is why it is very important and necessary that you do your best and put in 150% for every customer you have. My own clients agree with me on this that when you have customers that are satisfied with your services in turn talk about you more. This involves everything from how you carry yourself, punctuality, prompt responses, support and consistency in your actions. Potential referral sources will equate your character and behavior with trustworthiness.

Getting your clients to take action for you is very essential and in fact builds more credibility for you. I still remember this one time I called a referral up and the person wasn’t expecting my call and in turn hadn’t spoken to my client yet. Not only was it an awkward conversation but I ended up losing the prospect. Always ask your client how you can help their referrals and either get them to call up the referral first and inform them of your call first or even better get the referral to contact you.

Never underestimate your clients and in turn always try your best to educate your clients on what you do. I have always been pleasantly surprised with my client referrals. Most of the my referrals came from clients I didn’t expect any referrals from. I recently emailed 2000 of my clients/contacts to thank them for their business and inform of them of my business and the changes to it. Within a 24 hours I had about 100 emails and responses from my list of customers who kept referring me to other people they knew that might benefit from my business. The emails keep coming! Communication is key be it through email marketing, cold calling direct mailing.

Studies have shown that being courteous respectful and showing gratitude for referrals always works in your favor. I always advise my clients to have a 3 point of contact rule. The first is a verbally note. The second is a message after the referral turns into a sale. Finally I tend to send my best referral sources a small gift or reward or even a discount. Most of the presents come out during the Christmas break. Remember surprising your clients is always the best way to get them to remember you.

Try to identify why referrals are being sent your way. Why did your client refer them to you? What can you do for them? Why the fit? Where did the client acquire this referral? This in turn will help you not only understand your potential future business better but also give you an idea on what you need to do to get more future referrals.

The referral system can also be an infectious tool. Pass your referrals too in return and you will notice most of the time the referrals reciprocated. When you become a source of referrals your business is the limelight and you are in good books with your clients. In turn they will return the favor.

Did you know that
a- Sales people in the car industry are hired based on who they know, and what referral pool they have?
Its really tough to get into selling cars if you don’t have your own referral system to generate leads
b- Hairdressers and barbers not only get repair business, but also practice the referral system and hence
most of their new business comes from this process
c- Great bookkeepers tend to get most of their potential business through referrals than advertising
d- Headhunters tend to ask their current candidates for more referrals

The list is endless. What you need to do is identify how you can get referrals from your business and work on a game plan to implement the process in your day to day business. If you are collecting referrals identify areas that you haven’t tapped into yet!

Most of the time testimonials overcome your prospects objections before these concerns hinder your sales process. Usually when a customer has questions they tend to look at the testimonials firsts to identify their solutions and if you are the best fit for their business. Studies have shown that a good percentage of online business tend to showcase their testimonials on their website. An even better percentage of studies show that advertisements tend to focus more on satisfied customers telling a story of how they came across this business, the problems they faced before and the satisfaction they received after using the business. Finally they tend to recommend the business to
everyone else with similar business needs!

This is one of most effective ways of increasing your sales efficiency and is an added way of not only relating to your prospects but also building trust. I strongly advise my clients to put up testimonials as in most cases or situations your testimonials do the selling for you!

The most common question I get is how do I accelerate the process of getting testimonials if I am starting up a business. The answer is simple. When building a business always give free access to your product to your contacts, friends or family and business acquaintances in return for a free testimonial. As your client base increase collect even more stronger testimonials. I have tested this in the past with fruitful results. Almost all my business acquaintances tested my product for free and gave me reviews and even suggested useful feedback to improve my services and products.
You can also go to survey monkey which is an online survey system or create your offline surveys to identify your products key strengths and areas of improvements.

You might ask yourself who is the best person to give you a testimonial. The answer being everyone and anyone you or your business interacts with. While receiving testimonials from presidents, CEO’s and people with higer positions seem to make an impressive portfolio, prospects tend to also relate to the middle guy. Your average worker, your average joe and in fact truly relate with people from all walks of life. A good collection of testimonials brings about a very balanced portfolio.

Testimonials are similar to reference checks and the golden rule is don’t invent your testimonials. One of the biggest malpractices in the business world is to fake your own testimonials. I always advise my clients, my very own testimonials to email me their testimonials word for word, sometimes even mail me or fax me their testimonials to keep a copy for my records. Why do I do this. So that if I was ever to prove the validity of the testimonial I could easily produce these records.

The secret to a good testimonial is content, detail, location and signature. While some clients prefer not having their names released or contact information for release I always try to put up as much information that I can. If the testimonial has a website I will put that up as well. Seeking consent is another golden rule when collecting testimonials. It is also good to be courteous and inform your testimonials on your publish before you put them up on any marketing materials. One sentence testimonials don’t really get great results. Be elaborate, explain the entire process and if you can put up real numbers, projections, targets and results. Customers tend to react better to facts and numbers too. The one sentence words like, excellent, great, good job don’t really get you very far. The best testimonials are highly specific and results oriented.

Sometimes your potential testimonials don’t have the time or the entrepreneur mind to write a persuasive or convincing testimonial. It is up to you to determine if its best to write up the testimonial for their signature. Most of the time testimonials will consent and prefer it that way.Sometimes it will require you getting on the phones and calling your clients and probing them by asking them specific questions to develop a truly compelling endorsement.

The biggest golden nugget you can get away from this is keep your testimonials fresh and continue collecting them monthly. Have a special folder for all your testimonials and change them monthly. If you are an internet marketer test different testimonials to see if your conversion goes higher, traffic is stronger and opts in are bigger!

Some of the latest trends I have noticed lately is

* Social Networking is a great place to start collecting testimonials.
* Sites like Linked In, Plaxo actually give you the ability to endorse your contacts
* Testimonials are even stronger when a picture and website is attached to it
* Video and Audio Testimonials are the most sincere, genuine and effective way to convert your prospects into sales!

Remember testimonials are an essential key to elevating your sales when done right!

Lets get to the task at hand. You have just started your freelance bookkeeping business fresh out of training. You look sharp, you are groomed appropriately, you have your marketing materials laid out, you have your business cards ready, but all of a sudden you get hit with anxiety. Its your first customer and you are nervous of saying the wrong thing, asking too much, losing your prospect… Lets face it you are a nervous wreck.

How is this going to change? Here’s your blueprint to success!

1- Confidence! You might not have the practical experience on the job but you are fresh out of school and your product knowledge is at its peak. If you are confident with your training and on your product that’s all it takes to make your prospect confident in you. Remember your prospect needs to feel comfortable and confident in your abilities. Experience is important but product knowledge is even more important!Believe in yourself is really half the battle, showing your client your confidence is other part!

2- Knowledge… As a first time freelancer you always worry that your client might know more than you do. Here’s a newsflash. They rarely do! If they did why would they come to you? And if you they did ask you a question that you needed to do some research on be honest and deliver a prompt answer when you find the solution to their inquiry. Overall you are the expert and they are coming to you for your expertise.

3- Control and core values…, Most prospect have a vision of their books and how they should be handled but at the end of the day, your way is the right way. Always verify their claims and remember you went to school for this, they did not! When it comes to book-keeping there is only one way, its the right way. Don’t let malpractices tarnish your record or your core values! Take control of the conversation, direct the conversation in how you conduct services and make them feel that they are the ones that need you. Let them do the talking but you need to direct the conversation!

4- Props… Usually in the initial meetings I would encourage you to avoid the props. Usually they are a distraction and also show a sign of insecurity. Most veteran book-keepers walk in to an initial meeting with a pen and book, an infectious smile and a can do attitude. Your biggest prop is how you communicate with your prospect. Taking notes is a sign of diligence and asking questions is a sign of interest. Remember the more you get the client to talk by asking the right questions the
easier it is to close the deal…

5- Eye contact… Is a sign of respect to your clients needs. Don’t pull out the laptops unless you are doing a power point presentation but at the end of the day eye contact is key when having a conversation with a client. The client needs to be influenced and needs to feel comfortable making a decision. The more personable you are the easier it is to build trust with your client. Dedicate a time-block just for your clients and don’t let outside distractions like emails, cell phones etc to come
in the way.

6- Bad Clients.. Resist the urge to take on any and every client. Follow your gut and remember this is your reputation on the line. If you have a bad feeling and the money isn’t worth the headache than don’t do it! Good clients will bring you better referrals. Bad clients will bring you more heartache and problems. Be selective and cherry pick the best clients you can have.

7- Asking for the sale…Here’s the best tip I can give you on sales. You never ask for the sale, your clients do? He who speaks first laughs last. This theory is the same for sales. Most of the time my clients are so engaged in a conversation that pricing is never an issue. The first question they ask me how do we get started. I tend to look for buying signals in my conversations and let the customer do the talking. I then use those buying signals to set the sale up! After you have covered every question answered any of their questions the client usually starts off by saying when can we get you started, what do we need to do next? Your best clients are those that don’t haggle for prices.

8- Price Hunters… And yet there are some prospects that love to bargain. Always have a margin of negotiation. Mark up your prices a certain percentage. That percentage is your playing field where you drop your price once! The more you drop your prices the easier it is for your prospects to push for more. Remember hold your ground and know your worth. Do your market research, find out what industry standard rates are, mystery shop, and most importantly you are not selling your price, you are selling
your services. The more confident you become pitching your prices the easier the conversation. Clients pay for quality of work!

My perfect analogy I like to use in sales is the STEAK Pitch…! Why do people go to high end restaurants and pay more money for STEAK? The answer is simple… They pay for the quality, the taste and the experience put into preparing that particular steak!
Your services is that fine aged steak you pay for at a fine dining restaurant!

I believe sales is the power to influence people to make and act on a decision! I immigrated from Africa when I was 19 and I came from an IT Background… I was good at hacking into computer soft-wares and all kinds of things that could have got me into a lot of trouble. Fortunately I got my act together and decided to get a job that I really had no experience on…

That’s when I found a job telemarketing selling vacation stays to different resorts in North America. Let me put it this way if you can survive working in a call center cold calling people who really don’t want to hear from you and make a decent living from that you could literally sell anything… How did I find my calling…
a- I started selling when i stopped selling
b- I found who I was, my character and my being when I started to become successful
c- I realized I had a gift that I needed to share with the world…I had the power to influence people

You sell everyday!!!

You might not realize this but everyday you sell… You might not sell a product or a service but you sell yourself. You might be on a date and your selling yourself, Your on an interview and your selling yourself, Your with a group of friends and your selling your speech to them….!!!

The sales process in many ways happens in all walks of life…

Here’s my output on sales….

Every meeting, interaction or conversation is an interview in life… You sell everyday!

When you are on a date you are selling yourself
When you are trying to win an interview you are selling yourself
When you are trying to impress someone you are selling yourself

The list is endless… If you can feel comfortable selling yourself. Why can’t you sell a product?

The answer is simple. You need to believe in the product just as much as you believe in yourself.

I get this questions probably 9-10 times a day and every time it puts a smile on my face. My clients biggest challenge today is trying to market their business efficiently. There is also those clients who think that if they market their business once everything is set. Truth be told you are consistently marketing yourself daily. Its hard to identify the best way to market any business. Almost every business and areas of business require different forms of marketing. The trick is finding the right one for you that works within your budget.

Generally when a client comes to me and asks me about how to market my first question is what kind of marketing have you done so far? My second question is what were the results. Now lets face it you can gauge your marketing results based on expectations. Your marketing delivers you revenue. If you aren’t getting the revenue then the reality is your marketing isn’t effective or you aren’t doing it correctly.

There are generally two forms of marketing

* Online Marketing
* Offline Marketing

Over the years a few new marketing techniques have now developed.

* Gorilla Marketing
* Technology Marketing
* Viral Marketing
* Referral Marketing
* Affiliate Marketing
* Joint Venture Marketing
* Business Development Marketing
* Exposure Marketing
* Direct Mail Marketing
* Internet Marketing
* Social Networking Marketing
* Email Marketing

The list is endless but lets start off with the marketing basics or in this case MARKETING 101…

You are what you present! This was once given to me by a former marketing guru and over time I tend to agree with this statement. A lot of self proclaimed gurus will tell you to sell the hype, sell the dream but when in truth you need to first present and sell your self. Every interaction you have with a prospect is in deed a marketing opportunity.

So in my terms marketing comes down to exposure. Exposure comes down to how you present yourself to your prospect. When I walk into a store and want to buy a product, 99% of the time it will really go to someone that presents themselves in a professional manner and knows the product in an out. Before you start working on your marketing outlets you need to work on you. How do you look, how do you speak, how do you carry yourself. Confidence is the first step to selling you. If you are unsure, unprofessional, pushy, intimidating, your chances of convincing your prospect is very low.

The second part to marketing yourself is identifying your outlets. Here are things I recommend when starting a business and things you need to carry with you at all times.

a- Business Cards. I carry about 30 business cards a day. I tend to give out about 30 cards a day. You tend to meet prospects everywhere and anywhere. Traveling, going to the bank, lunches, interviews, meetings, social interactions, dinner, you are consistently on the front line. Depending on your business my biggest suggestion is to have two types of business cards. One is the generic information. The numbers reach your receptionist, assistant and the email goes to the generic in-box. For the more important clients, that deliver impacts, for the people that you directly need to be in contact with I would suggest giving them your direct information. This also helps you with time management. You can order business cards online, print them out yourself or you can get them done at your local professional. A professional business card is only half the battle, the other part is what goes on the card. Remember you are what you present. I tend to have my company mission statement, slogan or core values on my card. I also have my title, contact information and for the savvy internet marketers my technical means of contact. Your logo or brand is also essential. Always get a second opinion to avoid having tacky business cards.

b- Brochures. If you are in a rush you don’t have time to explain to prospects what you specialize in. I usually tend to offer a brochure too with my business card. When you go to a bank, visiting a country, getting medical information whats the first thing you grab? A brochure…. Your prospects ask the same question… What do you do? And why should I come to you?

c- Power-points. My recent client had a book-keeping business. She recently informed me she was spending way too much time calling prospects trying to close deals over the phone. She found this time consuming and she would resort to emails and found that she was spending too much time sending email templates. We worked on a power point presentation where she had the option to be on the phone with them while they were perusing through the presentation. Her phone calls dropped by 60% and her revenue increased by 45%. She was closing more deals and now she is even considering hiring more book- keepers… Recent technologies even allow you to send your client to an application where they can see your computer screen during a viral presentation session. Go To Meeting is a great application hosted online that allows you to use their services for an affordable rate if you need to have a ton of online meetings. My client is now even doing her video of herself and a quick demo and sending her top prospects DVD’S of her business, her brand, her services, her rates and then getting on the phone to answer any unanswered questions.

The easier you expose yourself to your prospect the more comfortable they feel. This in turn increases your prospect converting into a revenue generating sale. And remember marketing is all about exposure!!!!

NEXT TIME – I will elaborate more on the other channels of marketing!