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Signs your sales skills need a little bit of polish and shine are:

• You talk with prospects about your offer, yet, many don’t buy (leaving you frustrated)
• Prospects don’t get excited or motivated to buy what you’re selling (causing your self-confidence to slip away)
• Anytime you must talk with a prospect in a “sales conversation” setting, butterflies seem to take flight in your stomach

If you experience any of these frustrating symptoms, I have three strategies to help you:

1. Increase your confidence selling

2. Become more successful communicating with prospects why they should invest in your products and services

3. Gain commitment and close more sales, thereby increasing sales and income

Sales Skill #1: Qualify Prospects Fast to Avoid Wasting Time

One resource that is not renewable is time.  Therefore, you want to make sure you’re not wasting time meeting…talking with…emailing…and creating proposals for unqualified prospects.

To quickly qualify prospects, you must create a list of criteria describing whom you will, and will not sell to.  Think about your target market’s demographics, such as age, gender, education, income level, etc. If you’re selling B2B, think about company size (revenue and employees), age of business, industry, etc. 

Also, consider such criteria as:

• How they make buying decisions (fast, slow, who all is involved)
• Is there a budget (to solve the problem you have the solution for)
• Is there a sense of urgency to solve the problem

This may sound simple to do. 

The truth is a lot of homework goes into creating your ‘Ideal Prospect Criteria.’  Creating this criteria allows you to size up a prospect fast, and help you make a decision quickly if this prospect is one you’re willing to invest time with, or refer elsewhere.

Sales Skill #2: Motivate Prospects to Buy

If you have a qualified prospect to sell to, now, you have to motivate them to want to buy from you.

Prospects don’t need your services until they discover they have a problem.  The timeframe from first discovering a problem, to seeking a solution, can take seconds, or years.  Once a prospect gets motivated enough to seek your help, it’s up to you to help them discover you can solve their problem better than anyone else can.

You accomplish this by asking them thoughtful questions that “bring their pain to light,” and having them voice to you in their own words how this problem is affecting them personally, and in their business.  Also, revealing how their problem affects them emotionally—how they feel— is a powerful and necessary step to motivate a prospect to say “yes” to your offer.

Sales Skill #3: Build Rapport

Having rapport with your prospect is an essential ingredient in a successful sales process.  Being in rapport with someone makes them feel comfortable to be with you, which makes them more open to sharing their problems, and what type of help they are seeking.

To build rapport you can mirror the other person’s behavior.  This includes matching:

• Speech patterns and rhythm
• Body position and movements
• Personality style, and current mood

 For example, if you are having a sales conversation with a person with a direct, “get-to-the-point” personality, you will want to be the same way—direct—and not dilly-dally with lots of small talk, risking making them impatient, frustrated, and disinterested in what you have to say.

BONUS Sales Skill: Gain Incremental Commitments

Eliminate “cheesy” sales closing vocabulary from your repertoire.  What I’m talking about is “going in for the close” by asking questions such as, “Would you like that in purple or pink?” or “If I can show you how this will help you will you buy today?” 

Lines like these are outdated, and are what make many people feel they’re being sold to, which is a turn-off, and a sure-fire way to lose a sale.

Learn how to ask for incremental commitments from the beginning of the sales cycle.  Always be asking your prospect during contacts with them if what you’re talking about interests them, and if they want to continue the conversation.  By doing so, you are continually asking your prospect’s permission to continue the conversation.  If you’ve ever been victim of enduring a sales conversation that was beginning to sour, you’ll understand how respectful of a behavior this is to do.

Constantly seek permission to continue a sales conversation, and get your prospects saying “Yes” to you incrementally along the way.  Then, when you ask if they’d like to invest in working with you and your services, they’ve already been primed to say, “Yes.”

Remember, prospects only care about how you can eliminate a problem they have, and help make their business or lives better.  Using these sales strategies will build your confidence, and improve your sales skills so you close more sales, increase your income, and become a sales star!

To learn how to increase your sales skills, how to raise your fees 20-40%, and get more clients to say “Yes” to your offers (as well as gain access to word-for-word templates, scripts, worksheets and tools) visit http://bonitarichter.com/howtoraiseyourfeesworkshop-2/ 

P.S. Introductory offer ENDS September 15, 2010, so sign up now!

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As women entrepreneurs, it is naturally in our hearts to want to help others. That is why many of us start businesses, so we can help others be successful by offering the knowledge, skills and experience we’ve gained.

Unfortunately, as women, we may also have been told while growing up that money isn’t something women or “good girls” talk about, and it is a masculine trait to desire money. This upbringing is part of the money story that many women grew up with, and then subconsciously women push money away, by not allowing it to flow into their life. Examples of how this may show up in our life are by:

• Not charging enough for our services (or giving away too many of our services away for free)
• Harboring feelings of lack of self worth
• Having a fear of alienating someone by earning more money or facing disapproval

By brushing money away, you diminish your power and your ability to help others. An important point to note is you can keep pushing money away, be less successful (or poor) and help a few people. Or, be more successful, richer, and have the power to serve many more people. Which would you like to choose? Helping a few people, or helping many?

Remember, money only amplifies who you are.  It doesn’t take anything away.

Another way to think about how money helps you, help others, is to imagine four concentric circles; one small circle nestled in the middle of three larger circles:

• In the very center circle, or the core, is YOU
• The next largest circle is your FAMILY (whether it bY ’blood’ Or another group of people you consider family)
•  The next largest circle is COMMUNITY
• The next largest circle is the WORLD

You have to earn enough money to take care of yourself, before you can have enough money to begin helping your family, then your community, and then the world. This goes back to my earlier comment that you can either help a few, or help many people. The only way you can help many people is by making sure you are taking care of you, first. Money helps build your power and strength so you may help others with your special gifts and talents.

Having money isn’t being selfish, greedy, or masculine. It is the medium women will use to leverage their feminine power to infuse a loving and graceful spirit into the universe, and help others.

My challenge for you this week is to draw those four concentric circles, which include you, family, community, and the world, and write down how you will help each of those groups when you step into your power of bringing more money into your life.

To learn how to price your services, raise your fees up to 40% or more, gain confidence, and improve your sales skills to increase your income check out my new workshop, okay?

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You may not have thought about this before, but the truth is you are programmed to earn a certain amount of money. And, you won’t earn more unless you consciously break through this money barrier.

Many influences have made us this way, the main influences being our family, and society. Most of these influences are born out holding a traditional JOB, and what a person will earn doing a particular job.

The problem is this mindset doesn’t take into consideration the opportunities and rewards that are present for entrepreneurs. The result is many entrepreneurs, subconsciously, are programmed to earn a certain amount of money, and have a hard time rising above this amount.

For example, say you had a job, and the most you ever earned working at this job was $60,000. Once you hit an income level of $60,000 in your own business, most likely you magically become stuck, and can’t seem to get your income to rise higher. This phenomenon occurs because $60,000 is your comfort level, and what you are programmed to earn from previous experience.

It’s important to adopt the mindset of an entrepreneur who is seeking opportunity by investing in a business and planning to create additional income for the risks by being in business. The reason an entrepreneur does this is to create wealth. Otherwise, why be an entrepreneur to earn the same amount of income as when you had a job? The risks aren’t worth it.

So, it’s up to you to consciously reprogram you subconscious, and adopt a mindset to earn more money and become wealthy, which is your birthright by taking the risks of being an entrepreneur.

Following are 3 powerful tips for creating a money mindset to break through into your next level of money and income potential:

Tip #1: Hang around people who make more money than you do

We tend to be like the people we hang around with, so make it a point to spend time with people who are successful, and reaping financial rewards. By spending time with successful people and achievers, you will learn their attitudes and behaviors that contribute to their success, and adopt them for yourself.

Pay attention to what they think, read, what organizations they belong to, be introduced to individuals in their network, discuss money with them, learn how they do business, and even consider joining a high-level mastermind group. Get used to hearing “big money numbers” talked about, and you’ll find you’ll become more comfortable with these larger numbers.

If you hang around people who cry the financial blues all the time, their influence will only bring you down, and not help you rise. So, think about the type of person you want to connect with, and where you can find them.

Tip #2: Play with larger dollar amounts

What I mean by this is practice saying aloud the dollar amount of the income you want to earn in your business. To start, say aloud the dollar amount you are earning now. How do you feel about this number? Does it make you feel excited, or doesn’t it have any effect on you?

Now, double the amount you are earning now. How does this number make you feel? If it has no effect on you, double that number and say it aloud. Keep practicing and playing with saying money amounts aloud until you reach a point where you begin to feel a bit excited, and maybe even uncomfortable with the dollar amount; this is a stretch income level you want to strive to achieve.

Any discomfort you feel signals you’ve reached a dollar amount that is outside your comfort zone, and you’re probably pre-programmed to earn an income less than this amount. Your income level will stay stuck here unless you consciously break through this money glass ceiling. So, become aware of this amount, and challenge it frequently, say every 90 days, to keep upward pressure on your income amount.

Tip #3: Break limiting money beliefs

We are a product of our parents, and most likely have inherited their money beliefs—both supporting and limiting. In my work as a coach, I have been surprised at the number of people I’ve worked with who’ve expressed to me feelings that earning more money means they will become greedy, are a “bad person,” or are not worthy of earning more money. Some people have told me they just “want to earn enough to get by.”

This is very sad, because their parents didn’t realize they were establishing a money legacy that was limiting their family’s future financial success. Give yourself permission to earn money, create wealth, and be financially successful.

Know that by earning more money, this gives you the power to care for yourself, your family, clients, community, and an ever-expanding circle of people who are influenced by your gifts and power.

Making more money is easy if you consciously adopt a belief that you are capable, and worthy. The only amount of money you’re limited to making is the amount you decide upon yourself. Follow my money tips, and you’ll find your self-worth and net worth increase!

Watch for details about a workshop I’m leading to help you raise your fees up to 40% AND how to convert 80% of prospects into clients, watch for details soon!

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Okay, I give in. I have to admit (and I hope you’ll respect me for my honesty), I’ve been slow to jump on the social media “joy ride.”  It’s not because I’m a “techno-phobic” or don’t believe it has merit as a money-maker for small businesses.

The fact is I LOVE technology as a productivity tool, and for conducting research so I can learn more about my passions—entrepreneurship (in particular helping women succeed), how to create a star-reaching business, and, of course, marketing and branding.

But, I’m not as fond of email, and to me, social media seemed a lot like sending those emails I dreaded so much. I had to log on, launch and open the account, peruse posts.  (sigh)

Spending time on social networks felt like a drag, and could end up being a HUGE waste of time for me.  So, I asked myself a question, once and for all, to decide either to put my heart into social media, or to sidestep away from it (for now).

The question was—

Is social media a bunch of hype, or can it be used as a money-making machine in a business?

I found the answer to this question is, “yes,” it can be a money-maker for your business, if used correctly. However, it’s not that easy to do effectively.

While some people are having phenomenal success using social media to grow their business, others are putting in a lot of time and effort without any bottom-line results.

There are millions of “Twitter Quitters.”

Social media marketing for small businesses can work. Or, it can be a colossal waste of time. Like every other part of your business, it doesn’t just happen; it takes work and a strategy. Social media has the capability to leverage the millions of people who use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, to let them know about your business.

Social networking seems like a great way to get free advertising (instead of running ads that cost money). But, you can’t just put up a FaceBook page (like I did), posts a few comments every month or two, and expect money to miraculously roll in.

So, how can small business entrepreneurs like you, and me, leverage social media tools and make them high payoff activities, and not a waste of precious time? Here are some easy strategies to use:

1. Set a goal.

Consider the purpose for doing social media. Is it to find new customers, build your personal brand equity, or create customer loyalty? Addressing all these purposes will result in sales. Having a singular goal is powerful, because your messaging is clear, direct, and purposeful, rather than being a confusing message to your followers. In other words, this gives your message—

CLARITY

Clarity gives you focus, and eliminates all the distracting and confusing elements from your message, so you are SEEN and HEARD.

2. Choose a platform to deliver your message.

Platforms to consider using to get your message out are: 

• FaceBook 
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Flickr
• youtube and viddler
• ustream.tv

Then, it’s important to have a place for people to read your awesome, differentiating content.

My suggestion is to use your platform to drive people to your blog.  You can write on a blog, post video or audio elements, or use a combination of all three. Some people write exceptionally well, others look great on camera, and still others have pleasant and compelling voices. Choose which elements you will use to post content on your blog, considering your strengths and preferences. In other words, if you feel self-conscious in front of a camera, but have an exceptional voice, do an audio component, rather than video, on your blog.

The advantage of using a blog, as a place to drive people TO—FROM your chosen platforms—is because blogs increase visibility for you through Internet searches!

3. Move beyond FaceBook and Twitter.

They are the most popular sites, and the places to be. But, on these sites you’re competing for attention with everyone else. You’re a ‘Little Fish in a Big Sea.’ Consider becoming a ‘Big Fish in a Little Pond’ to get more attention.

Think about this, you don’t need to reach the entire world, just your small segment—your market niche. Some ideas to consider are organizing and manage a Yahoo group for your expertise in a specific geographic area. For example, ‘women entrepreneurs in Chicago.’ Go into Yahoo Groups and search for “vertical” social networking sites for your industry or specialty.

Another tip, explore FaceBook-like sites, such as:

• Plaxo 
• High Five
• FriendFeed

4. Develop a viable market niche.

You’ve heard me say this many times. You need to be marketing to a narrowly defined market niche or a clearly defined specialty market your serve. This makes it easier to “be seen” in social media. If you “niche” yourself as an HR consultant, a professional organizer, or a small business coach, you are in a big pool of other fish trying to be seen.

By defining a narrower niche, it is easier to be seen and develop a following in social media. Make sure the niche you choose is large enough to be profitable.

5. Differentiate yourself.

Most small businesses entrepreneurs are aware they need to have a FaceBook and Twitter account, because they’re already there. Just having a presence on this platform doesn’t get you any further ahead. You need to differentiate yourself. How do you achieve this? By writing better content.

Great content includes:

• Having passion for your subject 
• Expressing your unique personality ( being authentic)
• Demonstrating expertise—know your topic like no one else does

6. Commit to doing social media every week.

No matter how many hours you invest in social media per week, do it consistently. You have to be engaged to be successful. Remember, successful social networking takes a strategy, and time.  Have patience, and give these tools time to work. I’ve created my goal for social media, which is to build personal brand equity. 

Being I’m “newly committed” to using social media to grow my business, what tips do you have to make the most of time invested in social media activities?  Post a comment on my blog , and share this article with others!

I am so happy you’re back visiting my blog!  Leave a comment on the blog, and make sure you join my FREE newsletter so we stay in touch, and I can learn more about what you’re creating!

Have you ever looked at your calendar, and panicked because realized you overbooked yourself, and can’t possibly accomplish everything you’ve committed to doing?

 I recently had a week where I had multiple Platinum client coaching and follow-up activities to take care of, I was travelling out of town for a couple of days, and I had five different seminars to lead within two days time—with one of those seminars being entirely brand-new content. 

I had a whole 4-hour time slot in my calendar to create my slide presentation and handouts, before a 7:30 am seminar scheduled the next morning. 

Before some of you suggest I become a better time manager, hear me out. 

The truth is I didn’t panic.

You see, I work at a high rate of velocity, and have learned how to accelerate the rate in which I can deliver and create high-quality, high-value content, whether it’s planning activities for a seven-hour coaching retreat, or a new seminar. 

To create the same volume (and quality) of work I do, many people invest days, if not weeks, creating their plans, content, and materials.  I know this, because one of the things I routinely work on with my Platinum clients is accelerating the pace at which they complete work, so they increase their income more quickly.  Universally, there is usually some “reengineering” in the manner in which they get their work done. 

What’s the result of getting things done more quickly?  You WORK LESS, ACHIEVE FASTER, GREATER RESULTS, which means more cash flows into your pocketbook. 

Examples of where you can achieve results could be taking less time to prepare for your coaching clients you serve, creating workshop or teleseminar content faster, or even creating an information product in a fraction of the time, and getting it to market faster. 

Most of us entrepreneurs have a habit of working on our projects MUCH longer than we need to.  Why do we do this?  It’s because of a phenomenon called Parkinson’s Law. Parkinson’s Law, stated in terms of time, says—

“The amount of time in which one has to perform a task is the amount of time it will take to complete that said task.” 

Translation: If you need to make a video introduction for your website, you’ll as likely take four weeks to produce, edit, tweak, and post it, when you could have accomplished the task in less than one week.  Dragging completion out of this project means you fill time, which is unproductive, and reduces your income potential!

By now, I know you’re convinced you can create results faster, in less time, with less effort, and produce high-quality work, to boot.  First, remember work expands to fill the time allotted.  Second, you have to consciously and deliberately create focused momentum.  Here are four tips how to increase the velocity of how fast you complete tasks:

1.  Be accountable to someone.

Whether it’s scheduling a workshop you’ve been meaning to lead for the last year, or signing yourself up for personal coaching, go public with the announcement or commitment.  Set a date.  Invest in coaching services and finally commit to growing your business, rather than saying to yourself, “I’ll do it when ________.”  Put some strong accountability in place so you have to get it done.

2.  Set specific time frames.

Be very clear and specific about a time, and date when you must “deliver the goods,” lead the seminar, or invest in you.  Also, set aside a specific amount of time to do the work. 

My rule of thumb is decide how much time it will take you to complete a task, say 12 hours, and then cut that amount of time in half, to 6 hours.  By doing this you’ve just doubled the velocity of getting the task completed!

3.  Get focused.

Allow no distractions or interruptions during “creation time.”  This means no texting, tweeting, emailing, phoning, surfing the Internet, or straying off task.  Get focused, and committed to completing the task in the time you allotted.  (This will be easy if you stacked up your calendar with other “To-Do’s” and appointments.) 

4. Believe in yourself.

This is probably the most important point of all, which is believing in yourself, that you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to doing—and you will do it brilliantly well. 

When pressed with a tight timeframe, don’t panic.  Just sit down, and get to the work.  When you follow these steps, you can easily double your results while working much less, which will mean a whole lot more cash in your pocketbook! 

Action Steps to Accelerate Results:

1. What’s one profitable or income-producing task that’s been on your To-Do list for a while that you’re ready to tackle?  Write it down.

2. How can you pro-actively use the four steps I outlined above to achieve the task?

3. Schedule this task on your calendar, and get to it!

Do your small business marketing materials, and the personal brand image you project make your spine tingle? Or, do you make excuses about how they look, apologize because they’re outdated, or find yourself saying to others you’re “working on getting new ones printed” soon?

A Story about a “Perfectly Polished” Woman…Almost

About a year ago, I met a woman at a business conference at a local college. She approached me to ask some questions about the small business coaching services I offer. She was a very attractive woman, tall, with classically refined features, and perfectly manicured and polished nails. She wore a well-cut designer suit, clutched a high-end handbag, and wore shoes to “die for”. I thought, “Wow, this woman puts on a winning image”, and I felt a little embarrassed, because I knew I was not as well “put together” that day.

Then, as she turned to walk away, I spotted it…

…a plastic tortoise shell hair clip.

Her dark, shiny hair was pulled back by a clip that looked like it had layers of hair grooming product residue on it. A corner piece of the clip was actually broken off.

Everything positive this woman had projected was immediately tarnished by
the negligent afterthought about her hair accessory.

I assumed the woman must have been in a rush that morning, and grabbed the first hair clip she could get her hands on…because she looked so fabulous in every other way.

Recently, I saw her again at another small business conference, and she looked
fabulous, just as before. We spoke for a few moments, and as she turned to walk
away, there it was, AGAIN…

…the dirty, broken tortoise shell hair clip.

I then realized that she had no idea the hair clip had a negative affect on her entire appearance. She must have thought no one would notice, or, because the rest of her outfit was so polished, it wouldn’t matter.

Wrong.

Details Matter

My point here is not to ridicule this woman: but, how one bit of negligence can ruin the the presentation of your entire small business marketing package, and, guess what…there goes the sale! (The same applies for men, too.)

Seeing her made me realize that I had a few “marketing package blunders” of my
own—especially when it came to the personal brand image I was projecting.

I realized that if I wanted to project being a polished, knowledgeable professional, and be on track to grow successful business, I had better start looking like one!

That’s what made me decide it was time to redefine and update my personal brand image, have professional photographs taken, create a new website for my small business marketing and coaching business, and invest in a few more high quality pieces of clothing for my wardrobe.

Even getting eBook covers professionally designed is part of my “marketing
makeover” plan.

I know my attitude, and the actions I am taking will pay off immensely. When I
started the Internet business segment of my small business marketing and coaching business, I was just “playing around”. Now, I’ve decided, it’s time to get serious.

Are you just playing around? Or, do you want to be taken seriously by your target audience. Do you want to set yourself apart from your competition, and sell a lot more products and services?

Assess the *Tingle* Factor of Your Marketing Materials

Take about 30 minutes this week and objectively assess what personal brand image you are projecting, and inventory the quality of all of your small business marketing materials. This includes your website, photographs of you, business cards, brochures, product packaging, business forms — anything that your prospects or clients see.

Do they look consistent, professional, up-to-date, and polished? Or, do some of
them look like your eight year-old child designed them? Do they make your spine tingle in a good way? If any of them give you shame, they’re your “marketing package blunders”, and need rework!

Make a list of:

1. Which marketing materials need rework.

2. What you’re going to do about them, and by what date.

3. Identify who can help you fix them.

I recommend you outsource and get some professional design work done on your marketing materials, or development of your personal brand image.

If you do, you’ll be more confident in the small business marketing image you
project, and you’ll see your business sales rise, as well.

 Bonita’s comments: I am very impressed with the success Debbie has achieved.  She’s creative about what needs to be done to drive growth of her new business.  She’s also smart about who she markets to, adjusts her plans quickly when things haven’t worked as planned, and, most importantly, possesses the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur—drive, passion, persistance, business management skills, and the ability to “run the marathon” of growing a new business.  She is a model entrepreneur and client.  Here is her story:

“On December 31 2008 I was laid off from my corporate job with a large hotel technology company in the suburbs of Chicago. Little did I know, this would be the best thing that could ever happen to me! The process of figuring out how to make my dream of having my own small business a reality was not coming easy until I was introduced to Bonita in March 2009. 

Bonita worked directly with me in the planning and researching of my business. With only 5 months under my belt, I was able to launch my company, Loving Touches Memorial Services on July 01, 2009. We still meet twice a month to brainstorm, develop strategies, and change my focus based on my experiences the previous two weeks.

With Bonita’s assistance, I continue to work towards increasing the awareness of my business, and the goal of working with more families on a regular basis.  This past month, I’ve assisted 4 new clients with my services, increased traffic to my website 98%, and am hiring 5 people, Memorial Referral Specialists, to my team to extend my market reach.

Bonita has been instrumental in providing solutions, marketing ideas, and cost effective ways to get my business to market.  As I celebrate the 1-year anniversary of my business, I’ve realized that Bonita is not only a business coach, but has become a cheerleader, and friend.

Loving Touches Memorial Services has reached out and assisted many families in the Chicagoland area during what is one of the most difficult times of their lives.  I am so pleased to be able to help families create “A Celebration of Life” service for someone they loved so much. I now enjoy the pleasure of being my own boss and yet continue to have the great support of Bonita beside me.”

Do you want a simple way to increase revenues fast?  By consistently using this marketing method, in a few short weeks you may experience your best month EVER in your business.

Are you curious about what is the powerful marketing strategy I’m talking about to produce such awesome, fast results?  Okay, here it is.  The #1 marketing strategy almost everyone overlooks, is the marketing strategy they’re already using! 

You’re probably thinking can it be that simple?  My response is, “yes.”  Here’s the deal… 

Think about a marketing strategy you’ve used successfully in the past to create sales.  Was it an email promotion?  A direct mail postcard campaign?  Networking or direct selling?  Whatever that method was that produced some of your best sales, do it more often.  You already have a marketing strategy that works.  You simply need to make use of it more often.

When I meet with new clients who want to increase their sales, one of the first questions I ask them (besides who is your market niche) is:

• What tactics do you use to market your business?
• How frequently do you use these tactics?

I’m not a ‘betting woman,’ but I can predict with almost 100% certainty that one of the reasons my new clients’ sales are anemic is because they don’t market and promote with enough frequency.  For example, they send out less than one email a month to their list, they attend one or two networking events a month, or they lead one speaking gig a quarter. 

Especially with email promotions, (which, by the way is a powerful way to leverage your marketing efforts to increase sales), many of my clients have a profound fear of annoying subscribers in their list, and getting a large number of unsubscribes.  Well, what I have to say about this is you’re probably underestimating how much your best clients and prospects love hearing from you!  Moreover, if people unsubscribe, they’re not your ideal clients, and never would have bought anything from you, anyway.

So, think about the method where you have you have experienced your best success in creating sales, and, use it more often.  My personal rule of thumb is to triple or quadruple the frequency you’re currently doing.  For example, instead of sending one email per month to your list, create a plan to send short, fun, and valuable emails to your list on a weekly basis.  By doing this, you’ve just quadrupled the frequency of contact with your list, and the opportunity to create more sales.

As entrepreneurs, many of us are addicted to being creative, and trying something new.  However, many of us wind up making things much more complicated than they need to be.  In most cases, keeping things simple is best.  More times than not, constant searching for the “next hot marketing tactic” means we overlook the gold already right in front of our eyes. 

So, it’s now time to look at YOUR business. What marketing strategy has worked for you in the past?  Do you make direct sales calls? Ask current clients for referrals?  Post on blogs? Do interviews on radio, TV, teleseminars or webinars? Speak live? Send email promotions with irresistible offers?

Now, ask yourself, can you increase the frequency? Can you find more places to roll this strategy out in your business?  Again, my personal rule of thumb is to look at how often you are doing a marketing tactic, and triple or quadruple the frequency.  Does it feel like a stretch to do?  Great!  Then, this is the tipping point where you’ll begin to see results from your efforts.

Remember, often times the fastest, and most profitable marketing strategy is simply to do more of what already works.

Do you have some tried-and-true marketing methods that have worked for you?  Why not share them with our readers!

If you want to grow the sales of your business, squeeze some oranges.

Okay, I don’t literally mean ‘squeeze oranges.’  What I’m talking about is taking a look at the assets you’ve created in your business, and doing more with them.  Another term for squeezing is leveraging.  (I thought squeezing was more fun!)

What you want to “squeeze” are the assets in your business, so you can get more out of them.  Think of your company’s assets as a basket of oranges.  These oranges are a number of things, such as:

•  Products or services you’ve developed
• Clients
• Employees, virtual assistants, contractors relationships
• Marketing materials and methods
• Key referral resources

 This basket of oranges is already creating a certain amount of income in your business.  The best way to make more money in your business is to:

• Create a second basket of oranges (more assets)
• Squeeze harder on the basket of oranges you already have

 My choice?  Squeeze harder on the basket of oranges you already have (choice #2). 

 It’s my experience that most entrepreneurs wanting to grow their businesses take the much more difficult, expensive, and time-consuming route of creating a second basket of oranges. 

The reality is many of your existing clients will buy more products and services from you, if you proactively tell them how else you can help.  That’s why it is so important to talk with your clients frequently and find out what are their probelms, and needs.

Therefore, my suggestion is get squeezing!

The fast track to growing your business—and your income—is to increase sales to an existing market. 

This means you go after the same or similar market with your existing products or services.  What you will do differently is you will market more proactively. 

Revitalizing your marketing strategy may mean you’ll have to tweak, revise, or re-price some of your existing products or services.  The good news is you don’t have to totally revamp them. 

It’s unnecessary to create new products and services, or market to a new market unless:

• Your product is out-of-date, or is no longer competitive
• The market you’re promoting to is extremely small, shrinking, not viable

 Now, you’re squeezing your oranges!  

 So, if you want to grow your business and your income, the best way is to develop a smart, comprehensive marketing plan for your current products and services, and market…building on what you already have in place.

To learn more about how to create a marketing growth plan guaranteed to work visit http://bonitarichter.com/7-step/

I am so excited!  My daughter, Janelle, is flying to IL today to visit with me for one week.  She just turned 20 years old, and has been living in PA attending college.  I am hoping someday she will return to IL, and be closer to her ‘mama.’   

Oh, and ladies, this is her natural hair color.  It’s to die for, isn’t it?  

Learn Secrets How to “Close the Deal”  

You can market, market, market.  But, if you can’t get a prospect to sign on the …dotted line…, you won’t have a business for long.

I ‘ve created a *NEW* *HOT* workshop I’ll be leading in September.   In May, I ran a pilot of the program and it SOLD OUT with 1 email!  I’ll be releasing more details in coming weeks. 

(Thank you and lucky are those of you who invested in my 7-Step and Niche Secrets programs.  You are superstar followers, and part of an elite few people who gain access to this proprietary information I shared.) 

Squeeze More Oranges to Grow Your Business

This week’s article is about how to grow your business without having to create “from scratch.”  Find out how in my article on my blog.

Have a beautiful and prosperous week,

Bonita Richter, MBA

Dream. Plan. Create.