Don't Bang Your Head

Sell More by Seeing Your Store Through Customers’ Eyes

How often have you entered a store. . . 

via smallbiztrends.com

Now, many of us are not in retail but we all have 'customers' and need to see our 'store' through their eyes.
Can you think of 5 ways that your business can improve your customer experience?

What's a WIIFM and why is it the key to your success?

A number of years ago, I was attempting to sell my company's services to the CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. He listened to my pitch and, when I was done, he told  that I had wasted his time because I hadn't addressed his WIIFM. I looked more than a little confused and he proceeded to give me a lecture that changed my professional career.

What's the WIIFM? (and what does the Marlboro Man have to do with it?)

First, take a moment and think about how you approach a sale. Now by sale, I mean any interaction that you have where you want to influence another party, the method you use to try to convince another party to purchase your goods or services. A job interview is an influence as you try to convince a company to hire you. Being a business owner is an influence, so is being a customer service representative, software designer, physician, attorney, insurance agent, artist, chairperson of a charitable committee.....any situation where you try to impact on someones purchasing decisions.

So how do you approach this 'sale'? Do you list the features & benefits of your product/company/service (like I did to that CEO)? Do you use a friendly demeanor? Do you use your position of authority to intimidate? Do you assume that you or your product is so great that it will sell itself? Snob appeal? Sympathy for your cause?

Take a moment and think about it. And be honest.

Rarely will any of this work. Because you haven't addressed what every great salesperson (and we are all salespeople) knows. It ain't about you. It's about 'me'. It's about solving my problem, addressing my needs, my wants and my desires. It's about making me look good. It's about the WIIFM.

WIIFM: What's In It For Me

Do Business Like A Prostitute

Reprinted from Tamar Palgon  &  Quick Sprout

I know prostitution is illegal, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it. As you probably already know, it is known as the oldest business in the world. And because it has been around for such a long time, the profession has been optimized so much that you can actually learn a few things from it.

Location is everything

You don’t see prostitutes standing on every street corner, right? Of course not because not all locations are good for business. It’s the same reason why you don’t see a gas station or a McDonald’s on every block.

You need to figure out where your ideal clients are and try to place your business in the center. And even if you are a web based business, location is still important because your customers don’t live inside a computer… remember, they are actual people.

Location also doesn’t just have to be latitude and longitude coordinates, it could also be your search engine rankings on Google or an advertisement on an industry website.

Whatever it maybe, just make sure your business is in the best location.

You have to stand out from the crowd

Free 411 and more........ for your Blackberry or iPhone

I have been using Beyond411 for free 411 information, directions and more since Dan showed it to me last year and it is the most used mobile ap.

"Beyond411 is the fastest way to look up business listings, driving directions, and web pages on your Blackberry. It can even search based on your exact location using GPS."

You can find it here........Beyond411

5 Aps You Need to Run Your Business.

5 (well more than 5 but who's counting) web based Aps you should take the time to check out. Why? because they are web based (cloud computing) which will allow you to run your office anywhere you have a computer/laptop/netbook and often, are easier to use than whatever you bought a few years ago.

1. Invoice management

Freshbooks is still an excellent invoicing service, but check out some new invoicing apps such as:

• WinkBill
• SimplyBill
• WorkingPoint

You can also track expenses with:

• Expensify
  

And add functionality to your online invoicing:

• OfficeDrop
  

Also, check out Outright, a bookkeeping and tax prep tool

2. Contract Templates and Wizards

The hardest part in getting contracts in place is the drafting of the agreement itself. Unless you already have a lawyer who has created your documents for you, finding the best template can take a lot of time and effort. No matter how good a contract template is, it’s rare to find one that perfectly suits your situation. The good news is that there are some useful resources that can do this for you at the fraction of a cost of hiring a lawyer. Do-it-yourself solutions such as FastDue and RocketLawyer are good places to start, and we’ve covered both of these in the past.

RocketLawyer has a collection of business legal forms ranging from consulting agreements to articles of incorporation. You fill out a simple questionnaire and a document is customized based on your answers. Other features include e-signature and the ability to collaborate on documents.

FastDue also provides templates for contracts and agreements, although not as many as RocketLawyer. One advantage, though, is the variety of forms on offer, including past due notices, invoices, expense reports, and receipts. The forms also include interactive messaging, allowing your clients and colleagues to make comments directly on the document itself.  The free service offered is enough for a freelance contractor, but you can sign up for the premium service if you want something more robust.

3. Sending and Signing

Once you have your contract ready, it’s just a matter of sending it and having it signed. Some contract creation wizards offer free e-signature functionality as part of the service, but there are plenty of other e-signature apps. Here are some of them:

• EchoSign. There are two ways to sign a document via EchoSign. Users can simply type in their initials or, if they prefer an “old school” analog approach, they can print the document, sign it and fax it in. EchoSign can also integrate with Google Docs and Zoho Writer.
• DocuSign. Just like EchoSign, DocuSign is a web based e-signature service. Additional features include CRM integration the ability to embed your signable documents within your web site. It also offers mobile signing if you want to use your cell phone or BlackBerry.
• E-lock. E-lock has signature solutions for both the web and your desktop. The desktop application integrates with MS Excel, MS Word, and Adobe Acrobat.

For colleagues and clients who prefer a written signature rather than a digital one, you could send your contracts via online faxing solutions such as MyFax and eFax. To make the process easier, I just pull up one of my scanned signatures on file and paste it into the document. Then, I export the entire contract as a PDF and send it off as an e-fax, avoiding any printing on my end.

There are a couple of disadvantages to e-signing, however. Some people might not read their contracts thoroughly. To prevent this you should attach a note emphasizing the importance of reading the entire document or even discuss it on the phone paragraph by paragraph, if needed. Also, you need to make sure that e-signatures are legally valid in the states and countries where each signatory resides.

4. Calls, Conferencing and Instant Messaging

Skype but I prefer Free Conference Call

Here are a few phone conferencing and webinar-style conferencing systems that are worth checking out:

• Calliflower
• DimDim
• GoToMeeting
• WebEx (not my favorite)

And if you need a virtual PBX system that can accommodate multiple offices, try eVoice.

5. Time tracking

Need to get a handle on how much time you’ve spent on a particular project or task? There are apps for that — some standalone, some that integrate with your invoicing systems, and some like Where is My Time that help you to analyze how the time flew by and how productive you were during that time. Here are some others:

• Klok
• BubbleTimer
• toggl
• Paymo (tracking with invoicing)
• Intervals (plus task and project management)
• RescueTime (with time management and project tracking
  

And in the time-, cash- and distance-tracking category, take a peek at 1DayLater.

Groupon: Really smart marketing for your business*

*If you operate a food business, retail shop, provide a consumer oriented service or host events, check out Groupon. It amazes me that the simplest ideas are most often the most successful. You know, the ones that when you see it, you slap your head and wonder 'Why didn't I think about this?".

What is it? A sure fire way to gain new customers without any upfront cost.

No, I haven't had anything to drink today. Read on:

Here's how it works: A business contacts Groupon and posts a one day special: personal massage for $20 instead of the retail $40; concert tickets at $15 off the ticket price; 2 for 1 dinners at a local restaurant, etc. Everyday, Groupon posts one special in one of their affiliate cities with one caveat: the business pre-determines how many people need to sign up before the special is 'On' ( if you signed up and the special is off your money is automatically refunded.). Groupon assists you with the copy and heavily promotes your deal. It must be working since Groupon claims to have sole over 3.8Million coupons.

Recent deals in Miami:

• $20 for a one year membership to the Miami Art Museum. Retail price is $45
• $14 for $30 worth of groceries at South Florida Kosher Market.
• $29 for a skin peel from the Skin Institute: Retail Price: $61

Why would a business join in?

• The Miami Art Institute had 129 people buy tickets
• South Florida Kosher had 481 people buy coupons
• and the Skin Institute had 677 people come to their spas

And there is no upfront cost- Groupon takes a percentage of each coupon sold.

Learn about Groupon for Business here and click here to sign up for daily email alerts.

This is smart, cost efficient marketing.

Ten Ways for Small Businesses to Use LinkedIn

Reprinted from Guy Kawasaki for American Express Open

Apr 06, 2010 -

When I first blogged about ten ways to use LinkedIn, the site had 8.5 million total users worldwide. I’m told that now there are over twelve million small-business people on LinkedIn, which is roughly 20 percent of its total user base.

Many of these small-business people are using the site in ways you’d commonly imagine: finding leads, growing their business globally, or finding the right vendors. My buddies at LinkedIn recently provided me a list of ten additional ways small businesses can use LinkedIn:

1. Acquire new customers through online recommendations and word of mouth. Satisfied customers are the best source of new customers. Increase your word of mouth referrals by asking your happy clients to write you a recommendation, which will be published on your LinkedIn profile and will be broadcast to their entire LinkedIn network.

2. Keep in touch with people who care most about your business. Sites like LinkedIn help keep your business alive in the minds of the people who care most about your business. LinkedIn is effective for two reasons: the business intent of LinkedIn users and fewer status updates, which mean you stay on top of mind. Tip: You can also increase the impact of your status updates by syncing your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.

3. Find the right vendors to outsource services you’re not an expert on. Think of the number of times you’ve asked your colleagues if they knew of a great web designer or photographer. LinkedIn makes it easy for you to find and vet vendors through the network of your peers. Additionally, you can also trade services with your vendor connections on LinkedIn; sort of a mutual referral system.

4. Build your industry network—online and in person. Search LinkedIn’s Groups directory to find industry associations and networks to take part in. For example, if you’re in the event planning or wedding industry, there are over 530 groups. In addition, LinkedIn also surfaces popular events in your industry calling out local events that your connections are attending. Imagine being able to find only industry events that your prospective clients are attending.

5. Get answers to tough business questions with a little help from your real friends. Small business owners deal with challenging questions on a slew of topics each day. LinkedIn Answers and Groups let you find answers to those vexing questions quickly by tapping into the wisdom of your network (LinkedIn tells me there are over 200 different categories on Answers including one dedicated just to small business and over 2000 groups on small business related topics). Wondering whether your recent office purchase is tax deductible? Check out hundreds of questions on related topics here.

6. Win new business by answering questions in your area of expertise. Use the many forums on LinkedIn to share the knowledge you’ve gained in your area of expertise. This is a great opportunity to win new business or at least find prospective clients to pitch your business to. Prospective customers will find your answers when they use LinkedIn’s advanced Answers search. And don’t forget, what goes around comes around. Don’t forget, this is a great way to soft pitch your skills and expertise.

7. Raise funding. You can use LinkedIn to find mentors or potential investors for your startup because there are over three million startup professionals and over 12M small business professionals on LinkedIn and it’s always good to stay in touch with folks who’ve been there, done that and willing to mentor you. Once you’re connected, your participation on LinkedIn (answers, status updates or group conversations) may even cause them to consider investing in your small business.

8. Network with peers in your industry for repeat business referrals. LinkedIn Groups is a powerful medium to find peers in your respective industries to network with and to find complimentary businesses to share referrals with. For example, mortgage brokers can find real estate agents to partner with on relevant groups and as most small businesses know, these partners are your best source of referrals that can turn into repeat business. With over 2000 groups dedicated to small business topics, you’re sure to find a relevant group to network.

9. Convince potential customers of your expertise by sharing unique blog content. Small businesses smart enough to create unique content on their expertise (either with a blog or twitter account) should link to it from their LinkedIn profiles. Or take it one step further by promoting featured blog content to LinkedIn members on the site (for e.g. with small text ads). You can specify exactly who will see your ads—Executives or VPs—and include a link to your profile so they know who’s behind this content.

10. Keep your friends close and your competition closer. Over 150,000 companies have a company profile on LinkedIn, the “public profile” for companies. These pages surface key stats on companies; recent hires as well movers and shakers. Not only do company profiles give you unique insight into your competition, they also give you an opportunity to stumble upon potential hires by browsing through company pages.

I hope this helps you take LinkedIn beyond the usual uses and makes your small business even more successful.

9 Simple and Useful Googe Search Tips

Here are some good tips to get more from Google

1. Use Google as a spelling aid. Entering a word into Google is a quick way to see if you have the right spelling. If it’s incorrect, Google will suggest the correct spelling instead. Additionally, if you want to get a definition of a word, you can use the “define:” operator to return definitions from various dictionaries (for example, define: parasympathetic).
2. Use Google as a calculator. Google has a built-in calculator — try entering a calculation like 110 * (654/8 + 3). Yes, your computer also has a calculator, but if you spend most of your day inside a browser, typing your calculation into the browser’s search box is quicker than firing up your calculator app.
3. Find out what time it is anywhere in the world. This one’s really handy if you want to make sure that you’re not phoning someone in the middle of the night. Just search for “time” and then the name of the city. For example, try: time San Francisco
4. Get quick currency conversions. Google can also do currency conversion, for example: 100 pounds in dollars. It only has the more mainstream currencies, though — if you’re trying to see how many Peruvian nuevos soles your dollars might buy, you’ll be out of luck.
5. Exclude specific terms using the - symbol (called an operator). You can narrow your searches using this operator. For example, if you’re looking for information about American Idol but don’t want anything about Simon Cowell, you could try: “american idol” -cowell
6. Search for specific document types. Google can search the web for specific types of files using the “filetype:” operator. If you’re looking for PowerPoint files about GTD, for example, you could try: GTD filetype:ppt
7. Search within numerical ranges using the .. operator. Say, for example, you want to look for information about Olympic events that took place in the 1950’s, you could use this search: Olympics 1950..1960
8. Area code lookup. Need to know where a phone number is located? Google will let you know where it is, and show you a map of the area, too. For example: 415

9. And a cheat sheet from Google itself:

		Google Help : Cheat Sheet
Here's a quick list of some of our most popular tools to help refine and improve your search. For additional help with Google Web Search or any other Google product, you can visit our main Google Help page.
OPERATOR EXAMPLE		FINDS PAGES CONTAINING...
vacation hawaii		the words vacation and Hawaii .
Maui OR Hawaii		either the word Maui or the word Hawaii
"To each his own"		the exact phrase to each his own
virus –computer		the word virus but NOT the word computer
+sock		Only the word sock, and not the plural or any tenses or synonyms
~auto loan		loan info for both the word auto and its synonyms: truck, car, etc.
define:computer		definitions of the word computer from around the Web.
red * blue		the words red and blue separated by one or more words.
I'm Feeling Lucky		Takes you directly to first web page returned for your query.
CALCULATOR OPERATORS		MEANING		TYPE INTO SEARCH BOX
+		addition		45 + 39
-		subtraction		45 – 39
*		multiplication		45 * 39
/		division		45 / 39
% of		percentage of		45% of 39
^		raise to a power		2^5 (2 to the 5th power)
ADVANCED OPERATORS		MEANING		WHAT TO TYPE INTO SEARCH BOX (& DESCRIPTION OF RESULTS)
site:		Search only one website		admission site:www.stanford.edu (Search Stanford Univ. site for admissions info.)
[#]…[#]		Search within a range of numbers		DVD player $100..150 (Search for DVD players between $100 and $150)
link:		linked pages		link:www.stanford.edu (Find pages that link to the Stanford University website.)
info:		Info about a page		info:www.stanford.edu (Find information about the Stanford University website.)
related:		Related pages		related:www.stanford.edu (Find websites related to the Stanford University website.)

What are your favorite Google search tricks?

The impact of the unexpected

This video has  45,399,485 views on YouTube.If you haven't seen it yet, watch it. It will make you smile, even laugh, maybe you'll want to get up to dance or maybe you'll be mortified. But you will remember it because its truly not what you expect to see. It's unexpected and if its intent is to get your attention, it works.

We all promote: we promote our business, careers, causes,organizations or ourselves. Think about the power of the unexpected and how it can take your  promotion to the next level.

Enjoy and let this video spur your ideas on how to take whatever you are working to the next level.

WSJ:The Best Tax Breaks for Small Business

Reprinted from the Wall Street Journal

It's tax crunch time again. From March 15, when some corporations file, to the April 15 deadline for individuals, small-business owners are busily organizing their receipts and books—and looking for as many tax breaks as possible.

But when filing small-business taxes, mind that the devil is in the details, warns Roni Lynn Deutch, author of "The Tax Lady's Guide to Beating the IRS and Saving Big Bucks on Your Taxes." "You're not a doctor or a dentist and also a tax attorney," she says. "There are over 75,000 pages of tax code." It's wise to seek professional advice, and make sure to supply your adviser with records of any changes in your business, from staff layoffs to equipment purchases, she says.

Here's a list of some of the best tax breaks for small businesses.

1. Personnel

Some of the best tax savings may already be working for you. Meaning, of course, your employees.

If Junior needs a job, mind the child laws which vary by state and industry. Qualifying dependents of the self-employed are exempt from Social Security withholdings and Medicare taxes, according to Johanna Sweaney Salt, a CPA at Kaufman Schmid Gray & Salt LLP in Claremont, Calif. Also, if you bring your better half on board, remember that spouses employed in a pass-through entity such as a sole proprietorship or an S-Corp can lessen the family tax burden by deducting those wages, and deferring the income to a retirement plan. You may also qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, aimed at employers paying wages for targeted groups such as veterans and disconnected youth.

2. Equipment

Most owners know to deduct property and assets that have depreciated over time. However, "if you have a bike shop, you [shouldn't] deduct a fish tank unless you consult with a tax professional. Make sure the equipment you are listing is ordinary and reasonable," cautions Mike D'Avolio, a CPA at Intuit's accounting professionals division. Now, thanks to the stimulus, owners can also take advantage of the 179 election, for which, Mr. D'Avolio explains, new assets can be written off – up to $250,000 – in one fell swoop, in lieu of taking the deductions over the course of the assets' typical depreciation life.

When disposing of an asset, consider the tax advantage of purchasing a similar asset in the same year, says James Schnell, a partner with Mengel, Metzger, Barr & Co. in Rochester, N.Y. "If you have owned equipment, after seven years there's probably no depreciation left. So strike a deal to exchange," he says. Ask your equipment salesperson to take the old equipment off your hands and get a shiny, new – yet comparable – replacement, in a tax-free exchange, he says.

And don't forget that by buying or replacing equipment using your business credit card, you can deduct the finance charges that appear on your statement if you need to carry a balance.

3. Working out of the office

When the open road is your second office, it may be worth the effort to track mileage on your passenger vehicle or lightweight truck, says Fran Coet of Coet & Coet CPAs in Westminster, Colo. "If you use the IRS standard mileage rate, you have to keep a log, especially if it's for mixed use," she says. In addition to the current 55-cents-a-mile rate, this tax break can be enhanced if there are finance charges or personal property tax on the vehicle. Just multiply the interest and tax on the vehicle by the percent of the vehicle's business usage and add it to the mileage.

But when business owners aren't working from their storefronts or their cars, they are oftentimes working from a home office, where everything from computers to business phone lines to furniture can be written off. But, explains Ms. Coet, shared expenses such as utilities and mortgage interest are deductible for the home office only if that office is the sole site for administrative functions.