4 People Skills to Instill Trust and Build Rapport
Today, a lot communication and relationship development is done through email and social media. While these methods can be effective, they don’t have the oomph of in person contact. Connecting through digital means is usually brief and impersonal, whereas connecting face-to-face allows for deeper conversation and greater engagement. The problem is that people have become …
Tips to Generating Repeat and Referral Business
Generating repeat customers and referrals are the most effective, affordable ways to build your business. It costs very little to keep a customer and solicit referrals compared to other marketing techniques. Further, repeat and referral customers require less work to convert to a sale because they’re already conditioned to like you. That’s why all marketing …
5 Ways to Expand Your Brand on Pinterest
Have you ignored Pinterest in your social media marketing because you think it’s just about recipes, crafts and other women’s interests? Then you might be surprised to discover that Pinterest produces 4-times more revenue per click than Twitter or Facebook, according to Social Media Today, which says, “Pinterest buyers spend more money, more often, on …
The ABC of Retaining Brand Dominance
Building a business is a long process from initial idea, to start-up tasks, to identifying and reaching a market. And then it happens, your business is a success. You’ve captured a market share and have a loyal following. Now you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Right? Wrong.
Especially in today’s …
Overcoming Rejection to Achieve Success
Rejection sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. In fact, rejection is a part of success. People who avoid rejection don’t get hurt or disappointed, but neither do they feel accomplished or successful. No one likes to hear “no”, but you can’t achieve your goals without taking a risk. Here are some tricks …
Focus on Benefits and Buyer Motivation to Make Sales
One mistake made by many new business owners is focusing on the features of their products or services when advertising. Having great features is important to building a successful business, but advertising features is not the most effective way to market your product or service. Consumers don’t care much about your great features. What they …
Develop a Personal Brand Mindset in the Workplace
In a struggling economy, there are no guarantees when it comes to keeping a job. Employers can and do let workers go for a variety of reasons, not all of which are fair. In this atmosphere, many employees want to play it safe by towing the line to protect their job. However, the safe route …
Brand Check-Up: 4 Questions to Ask Your Market
Creating a brand focuses your message so that your consumers know your mission and values. But a brand isn’t static. Instead, it’s a dynamic, living, breathing asset that should transform as you and your market changes. Trends come and go. Customer needs change. The skills and services you offer expand or contract. Through all these …
Don’t Let a Layoff Catch You Off Guard
The other day while at work, a friend of mine grabbed some papers from the fax machine and noticed a resume submission for her job. A few days later, she observed her boss interviewing the person for a job. Putting two and two together, she determined that her job was in trouble. In a preemptive …
6 Places to Keyword Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Whether you’re looking for a job, searching for freelance clients or promoting a business, LinkedIn is an ideal place to start. Some people, myself included, have neglected LinkedIn for the more popular social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. But recently, I’ve started spending more time at LinkedIn and have been kicking myself for not …