Here is What a Team Can Do for You...

• It can make you better than you are
• It multiples your value to others
• It enables you to do what you do best
• It allows you to help others do their best
• It gives you more time
• It provides you with companionship
• It helps you fulfill the desires of your heart
• It makes everyone on the team a winner

Teams are incredible things. No task is too great, no accomplishment too grand, no dream too far-fetched for a team. It takes teamwork to make the dream work.

- John C. Maxwell (Teamwork Makes the Dream Work)

Networking as a Way to Build Your Business

Start paying attention to the way you develop the network of people that you’re working with. It isn’t so much the number of people you come into contact with, although that is important, but what’s really, truly “Relationship Marketing’ or networking that will GET referrals for your business really is about making a connection to a person. Developing a deeper, mutually beneficial business relationship. That takes time and effort.

So, my advice would be take the existing business relationships you have, leverage them into more mutually beneficial relationships, but really work on how to make them more meaningful. I would also strongly recommend you really work on your “Elevator Speech” or your “One Minute Business Commercial”, it’s important to be able to summarize who you are, what you do and the type of business that you are looking for in a very short period of time.

Lastly, connect with your “Power Partners”. These are professionals who share the same clientele as you, but are not competitors. Having 5 or 6 of those types of relationships will reap great rewards!

Kelli Holmes

Liberate Yourself from Fear

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." This quote states the problem and the solution. We must stop running away from things that frighten us, face our fears head on, and then do the thing we fear the most.

Most of the time we'll find out that the "thing" was not that scary after all. Our imaginations had behaved like a super fertilizer and grown a monstrosity in our minds.

Remember, our imaginations are incredibly powerful. They can work against us, creating images that leave us paralyzed with fear. But they can also work for us, building a world where everything we do is an adventure, a miracle. And the most amazing thing is that we hold the power to control our minds -- we allow fear to dominate our lives or we choose to dominate fear. Those are our only two choices.

Problems are good, not bad. Welcome them and become the solution.

- Mark Victor Hansen

Perfect Your One Minute Business Commercial

The most important element of your one-minute commercial is to prepare. Preparation helps you become memorable! Remember that there are a number of others who are giving their one-minute presentations as well. You want to be THE MOST MEMORABLE One-minute around!

If you attempt to "wing" your one-minute commercial people will see through it. THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE! MAKE AN IMPRESSION!!

It is important to spend five minutes updating your commercial regularly. If you take the time to break down your business commercial, highlight one important aspect and give instructions as to how your networking contacts can provide you with referrals, you will see an increase in business! But remember, it takes time to educate your networking partners on your business and will also take time to build the trust needed to get referrals.

Don't underestimate the power of a good One-Minute Commercial! Good one-minute commercials are one of the best ways to get referrals!

Take Advantage of Every Opportunity to Speak

Some people cringe when it is their turn to be the featured speaker at their networking meeting, others eagerly look forward to it! Whichever category you fall into, as an effective networker, we know the importance of getting the word out about our business. Seize the opportunity to speak whenever possible!

• If you are looking for speaking opportunities, let the colleagues and networking associates in your center of influence know that you accept speaking engagements as a referral.

• Ask your networking partners to refer you to the program chair of other organizations, (who seek outside speakers), that they belong to.

• If you are asked to speak at the last minute, or to "pinch hit" for a speaker who did not show up, be prepared! Always have an outline or prepared presentation with you.

• When you are prepared to speak at the last minute, know that you will be looked upon as a business person who can present their business in a professional manner at the drop of a hat!

Remember to have your presentation be a topic of interest for your audience, to be memorable, and to deliver an effective message about who you are and what you do!

"Relationship Marketing" is a better, smarter way to do business

Relationship Marketing is the process by which you develop key business relationships that will help your business grow. How? By personal referrals from those you've invested the time and teamwork into! The better, smarter part comes in to play by how you manage those relationships.

One way to get the best from your referral sources is to communicate to your networking partners. What happens after you've received a referral? It is critical that you report back to them what happened. Did the referral result in a sale? Is it pending? What if it did not end in a sale? You need to let your referral source know! That is an important opportunity to "better train your sales team", so they can be giving you the best, most appropriate referrals possible.

Communicate effectively with all of your referral sources and you will find you are doing better, smarter business!

5 Sure Fire Ways to Generate Leads

Here are some tried-and-true methods for getting good leads quickly:

• Team up: Many businesses can find ways to share resources with other non-competing businesses that targets similar customers. One of our clients who specialize in dent removal teamed up with an auto detailing facility to exchange customer lists and trade discount coupons to promote each others' services. Not only did each of them enlarge their potential customer database by sharing information, they also opened the doors for co-branding opportunities, to boot!
• Referrals: Time, experience and much research has concluded that nothing brings a qualified lead to your door better than the recommendation of a friend or colleague.
  
• Word-of-Mouth: People tend to act on what they hear in this way because of the added layer of integrity perceived in it.
  
• Give it away: Give your product or service for free on a limited or one-time basis. This is especially effective if you’re a restaurant, a spa, or any service-oriented business. Make it a random weekday for just one hour, for example. The old saying that “samples sell” holds a great deal of truth. And lead potential!
• Surprise them: Never underestimate the power of surprise, of the unexpected. Reach out and “touch base” with your pool of past or current customers, but do something spontaneous or out of the ordinary when contacting them. If you can find ways to surprise and delight current or past customers you can then leverage the power of that moment to generate a new sale. The added bonus is that your lead conversion, or sales process is often shorter and easier with repeat business.

Realize Your Success in the Coming Year

Here are five steps that will help you realize success:

1. Establish a definite goal.
2. Stop running yourself down.
3. Do not think of all the reasons why you cannot be successful -- instead think of all the reasons why you can achieve success.
4. Trace your emotions -- face those fears.
5. Renew your self-image by writing a description of the person you want to become -- Act the part -- You are that person!

So decide now. What is it you want? Plant your goal in your mind. It's the most important decision you'll ever make in your entire life. All you've got to do is plant that seed in your mind, care for it, and work steadily toward your goal, and it will become a reality.

Finally, take action – ideas are worthless unless we act on them. “Success is not the result of making money; making money is the result of success and success is in direct proportion to our service”.

from Earl Nightingale