5 Steps to Acquire New Customers

We will discuss:

• The types of Sales events you should host
• How to personalize your product or Service
• When to prepare for Rapid Growth
• How to "Advance" the sale to get customers to purchase more
• Loyalty and Referrals

Ways to Empower My Business - Resources and Book Talk

On Saturday April 18, 2015 at Chicago State University Library Auditorium we will be hosting our “Ways to Empower My Business” Resources and Book Talk. 

1. Address: 9501 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60628

   Phone:(888)611-7725 x1

It’s time to turn the “Hustle” into a money making business! We have brought together mentors, resources and advice for small business owners who are ready to grow but do not know how.

Authors Victoria Cook, Dan Duster and Stan Washington will be there to sign their books, discuss the curriculum and give tips to those who have been in business but need some fresh new ideas. We welcome those who are just starting out as well!

Please remember to bring your business pitch and win prizes! More details on this in days to follow!

Victoria Cook, founder & managing director for The Center for Guilt-Free Success, helps women entrepreneurs grow their businesses through coaching and training. Known for her proprietary 7-step Guilt-Free RESULTS™ process, she often is in demand as a speaker. Named "Business Brick Builder" by the International Coach Federation Chicago Chapter in 2013. Her innovative approach reflects her commitment to building the strengths of her clients as she helps them market their businesses more confidently and easily. Victoria is co-author of Plans to Prosper: Strategies, Systems and Tools for Small Business Marketing Success.

Dan Duster President 3D Development Group, is more than a salesperson. He sits on numerous boards, conducts training for personal development and goal achievement, and he still holds one of the largest picnics on the lakefront of Chicago for his high school, college friends, and colleagues. He loves people. One of his favorite hobbies is playing bid whist, where he welcomes any and everyone to challenge him. He combined his passion for sales with the skills of training and became one of the most decorated salespeople in his area. In 1999, Dan felt the need to formally begin helping people get over the fear of selling.

Stan Washington, a McDonald’s executive turned entrepreneur is founder and president of Honor Services Office, software that helps small business grow sales, market businesses, and process invoices easily. He has helped thousands of small businesses achieve sales into the millions. His leadership of operations and technology enabled multi-billion dollar corporations to increase sales and he is ready to share their tips. Stan also is the co-author of Peaceful Selling: Easy Sales Techniques to Grow Your Small Business and Plans to Prosper: Strategies, Systems and Tools for Small Business Marketing Success. 

Women Business Owners Ask Great Questions

By: Stan Washington

Date: March 03, 2015

"But how do I build my audience?' one aspiring entrepreneur asked me. Mary at www.amtenterprisesinc.org is in rapid growth mode and she wants to take her concept to a very large audience. She wants to meet new potential clients and grow her business but has a few questions about building the audience.

How do I build my audience? How do you keep track of all these people? What's the right amount of time for follow up? Should I buy an expensive ad? Many questions like these were discussed. Here is what I suggest.

Deliberately Build Your Audience. Get out of your house and meet people. There are no deals in your house. Identify your target market and get out and meet them. Shake their hand and shake their baby's hand. Stop hiding behind the comforts of your home if you have a home based business. Meet the people and then go back home and provide the service they need.

Don't Rush. A quality audience is better than a large audience of strangers who could care less if you succeed or fail. Meet people and document where you met them in Honor Services Office or other CRM. Build your relationship with your audience and treat them with "Personal Engagement." 

Follow Up. I try to follow up that day, but if at all possible following up within twenty four hours is acceptable. I personally like to send an email after I step out of the meeting. This is important to me because quite honestly I would forget!

By deliberately taking your time, building your audience, and following up, you can purposefully grow the right type of audience who will remain loyal. 

You Talkin' to Me? (How are you treating your potential clients?)

Original picture and Article from Mashable:http://mashable.com/2013/11/25/customer-relationships/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-bus-link

By: Stan Washington
Date: November 26, 2013

What Sales Approach Works?

I recently spoke to a number of small business owners and they had different ways to approach sales. One person was very bold and direct and another was shy and timid. Both had sagging sales and both need to consider rethinking how they handle their potential client

Pressure Cooker Approach
"What would it take to get you in one of these?" seems like the cheesiest line from the used car salesman. The pressure sales tactic leaves a terrible taste in everyone's mouth. After a while you get a reputation that you are only there to sell your house with the leaky roof built on a graveyard.

Whisper and Run Approach
"I have a product to try" whispered the shy person. When people said "No!" they ran for cover! This shows a lack of confidence in your own product. People will try to test to see if you believe in your own product. If you don't then they will run away from you and your scary service.

Bad Mouthing the Opponent Approach
"They don't have what I have! They are bad and I am good" makes the potential client ask "How can I trust you?" This approach seems slimy and uncomfortable. It seems like you will do and say anything to get my cash.

All the approaches listed above use one common style. They talk "AT" the potential client.

Build the Relationship Approach
"Let's address your problem together" is the statement that resonates with your potential client.  By understanding your clients' needs, you can provide a great solution to even the simplest problems they face.  This requires keeping notes on each potential client and client.

Yes it's easy to remember facts about 10 or 12 clients but when you get over 50 forget it! Some small business owners had 2,000 and 3,000 people they had to keep track of and there was no way to do it without software!

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Try keeping powerful notes on each potential client to land the deal with at http://www.careercoachoffice.com. Try it FREE today!

Is the Facebook’s Graph Search a positive or a negative?

(Photo by Kevin Smith - Some Awful and Hilarious Stuff You Can Find Out About People Using Facebook Search)

Facebook has come up with another way to create a strange perception that will be difficult for employers and coaches to manage.  It’s called “Graph Search” and it is on the horizon. This new technology will let you search the public to get “opinions” on almost any subject you would like to search on.

The problem is the data can be incomplete or unscientific and may cause people to form assumptions based on skewed information.

Here is what you should do if you are a Facebook user:

• Change your privacy settings
• Have your close friends modify their settings
• Review your timeline every once in a while to see how your name is being used and what you are associated with.