Focus On The Most Profitable Side...

marketing effectively with measurable results: " Be honest with yourself. If any business actions don't move you closer to your ultimate goals, don't do them, don't waste your time. Take control and focus on the most profitable side of your business, maximise your return... it's your life. Frankly the old fashioned ways of marketing, cold calling, slogan happy newspaper ads, flashy image yellow page ads and glossy brochures are expensive and just don't work. Image advertising is dead advertising that doesn't make your phone ring.

You have to become an invited guest instead of an unwelcome pest...

Emotional marketing stimulates new prospects and clients to CALL YOU!

Infact they will chase you!"

marketing effectively with measurable results

marketing effectively with measurable results: "STOP!! STOP dialing for dollars, STOP knocking on doors, and STOP enduring all kinds of rejection and drudgery... there is a much simpler way with massive rewards..."

For easy money to change hands it takes...

For money to change hands easily it takes PAIN AND SUFFERING. If your client is experiencing the pain, then your sales job is easy. Don't believe me? Compare how much you spend on vitamins and exercise to medical insurance... Or how about your data on your computer? If you back it up... When did you start? Before your hard drive crash, or afterwards?

You will always make more money, with less pain and suffering for yourself, by selling a cure rather than a preventive measure. When your clients open their wallets to pay for your cure there will be no negotiating of the price... they just want that product. It's a whole different story when they are paying for a preventative product, procrastination and negotiation will be huge factors.

So why do business owners insist on marketing preventative product or services? Because they know that preventation is better than cure, but at the end of the day the client just don't care... they will prefer to spend the money when the PAIN AND SUFFERING is greater than parting with the money.

So if you own an auto repair centre and market the FREE wheel alignment to prevent excessive tyre wear, don't expect calls off that ad because it aint gonna work. Infact go and have a lunch with the money because you'll get better results from the calories. Market the pick up service for puncture repairs and a FREE 4 wheel tyre check while you repair the puncture... a solution to a problem that maximises the up sell.

How to take Calculated Risks in Business

Everything in life and in business is easy... it is people that tend to complicate things. People say to me that owning a business is too risky!! And then I explain that owning a business is less risky than having a Job (Job spells - just over broke). Why is it less risky? Well basically when you have a job you learn the skills required to complete that job. When you are a business owner you are forced to multi-skill. Business owners learn basic accounting skills, leadership qualities, marketing skills, risk management, time management and much more in addition to their initial skill. A multiskilled person will then always have many other opportunities to earn cash.

Risk is often misunderstood. For many people, they see taking risks as the last resort and often don't think the risk through, and end up making rushed decisions. Sometimes by taking risks we surge ahead in our pursuit towards our goals and dreams. A mistake most people make is they stay away from any risks and when they absolutely have to take some risk they completely expose themselves.

There are 2 types of risk - the uncalculated risk and the calculated risk. Inexperienced people take the uncalculated risk option. This is the choice or decision that they have made regardless of the consequence, the outcome is really up in the air. Anything could happen and they will just have to wear the outcome, like it or not. There is no element of control to this risk. Experienced people however take the calculated risk option because they have learnt that you need downside protection. They have calculated the outcome in the potential worst case scenario and are prepared to accept this, should they have to. These experienced "calculated risk takers" have got there by making the mistake of taking risks and quickly realised how effective it can be in their pursuit of their goals...

So what is a "calculated risk"?
A calculated risk is working out what the worst possible outcome may be BEFORE you take that risk. Don't ever make decisions and take risks, with the hope of growing your business, without giving any thought as to what you may lose if the risk doesn’t work out. You need to make sure that every decision is going to take you in a forward not backwards direction.

So you see, it really isn’t that much of a risk when properly thought out. There are opportunities out there that you could take and that could work, but make sure you do your own risk analysis first. Always do the homework... it may be tedious, it may be boring but I guarantee it will pay off in the end.

Flexibility is the key to Success

The world around us is changing quicker every year. Research tells us that Information availability doubles every two years and it won't be long before it's every year...

Yet most business owners change direction with the speed and flexibility of a giant cruise liner and could meet a similar fate as the Titanic. They ignore or resist asking or acting upon what their own prospects or customers tell them they want. I suppose it's a natural response after all, no-one likes or welcomes disruption.

We know success requires an attitude of "lets test and measure this" rather than "we'll keep doing it this way because we always have". Businesses need to constantly evolve. Like a tree they are either growing or dying. Although certain basic principles of business such as advertising, marketing and sales do not change, many other parts of business do. I would say that no evolving business operates on the same rules as it did 3 years ago. So those rules you are following today may not be in place 2-3 years from now.

Flexible marketing and sales provides a business with the opportunity to modify the rules to suit the business and create better adjusted ways to grow a business. Often doing the opposite of everyone in your industry is considered breaking 'perceived" industry rules, but often brings great results.

Flexibility is the key to success...

The 80 - 20 Rule

We all know the 80-20 rule. But do we actively apply it in our business? We all know that 20% of our clients will produce 80% of our profit. Do we take them for granted or do we nurture them? I don't know of too many businesses that really nurture their A-grade clients. Why not? I spend a lot of money with a lot of businesses, not one has ever made me feel like they appreciate it. And I feel no loyalty to any of them, do you blame me?

80% of our problems, aggravation, grief, stress, headaches etc. come from 20% of our clients. But how often do we purge these headache inducing clients? Never!

We know that 80% of our success comes from 20% of our activity. Do we identify and delegate the 80% of unproductive activities? We should! If we are worth $100 per hour why do we continue doing $15 per hour work? It just doesn't make sense.

It's just not enough that we know the rules. It's not good enough to occasionally or casually or selectively apply these rules. This is where the rubber meets the road, we need to diligently apply the rules... Life is too short to be wasting valuable time with the 80% unproductive activities.

Patience is a virtue... except in the land of the business owner. For a business owner a sense of urgency is a virtue. The majority of people operate on "tomorrow is another day" and the majority are poor... No coincidence. The trick is focusing relentlessly on identifying, keeping, doing, nurturing and rewarding the 20% of those activities producing 80% of our income, and ruthlessly ridding ourselves of the balance.

LIVE LIFE WITH PASSION!

Straight to the point answers to selling

Want a good book that's going to provide straight to the point answers for the selling in your business?

Best selling author Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible and The Little Red Book of Selling and Jeffrey's books ROCK! They are straight to the point and stuff that is easy to implement. This book is a must have for every business owner. Sometimes we know what we should be doing but don't actually do it!!

Click here for Jeffrey Gitomer's books

Ethics in business is extremely important

Something I teach the small business owners I coach is to always look for the win-win situation in every deal. This win-win situation seems to have disappeared over the years and it's become a case of give me your money and I don't care if you come back. Now... while Western Australia is enjoying huge growth and there is lots of money around, business owners need to remember that economy's change and those clients and customers who have been treated with the win-lose attitude won't come back. Especially if your competitor next door is offering win-win service.

Customers should be treated equally well, whether the economy is good or lousy. Why should customers have to endure bad service in good times and good service in bad times... where is the consistency. Our property market is going crazy this year and being a property investor I often search the web for deals and will email the rep requesting more information. Out of the last 6 emails I sent, only 1 was answered... obviously too hard to answer an email when there are 10 people coming through the door to buy the same property! But I guarantee you, in the tough property times, every email will get answered... unfortunately I'm like an elephant and I'll remember those that didn't bother.

And then there is the property manager who asks me to show potential tenants through my own property because they are too busy... I pay them 14% of the rent and unfortunately can't get out of the contract. And then the tenant locks themselves out of the house... guess what... the property manager can't find the spare keys so they send the tenants to my house to ask if I have spare keys. I am talking a major real estate franchise, a house hold name!!

I could go on and on about businesses that have no ethics but I wont bore you... just make sure your business is not one of them because one day the tide will turn. Now I'm not saying all real estate agents are this bad but I will certainly be looking for the good one when my contract expires.

An imperative quality in business that seems to be disappearing is good old business ethics. It amazes me at the level that some people will go to just to get ahead. Some business owners have no regard whatsoever as to how others stand after a deal or what the other party in a deal will lose as a result of that deal. I grew up in an environment very different to this. I was brought up to be kind, think of others before yourself and above all treat others the way you would wish to be treated yourself. I think alot of business owners should take a hard look at how they, and their staff, are treating their customers... afterall these customers are paying the wages and generating the profits, surely you would want them to come back??

There seems to be an undercurrent of selfishness that is as clear as day. You could sometimes be mistaken for thinking that having no ethics is a business skill. I know that I may be over exaggerating, but ask anyone in business the last time they were ripped off or taken for a ride. I will guarantee you that you will be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t had these negative things happen to them.

Ethics play a major role in our destiny, like it or not. If you go about living life the right and honest way, then odds are you will at sometime enjoy success and it will come from a right and honest direction. If you are unethical about how you get to success, then sure you may enjoy a taste of success due to the fact you have scammed your way there, but it will be short lived as that success was built upon a negative platform.

Live Life With PASSION

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