We may be worried that people will not appreciate the changes we’re going to make or accept the direction we’re going to take. Whatever the scenario, it can help to be able to dip your toe in the water first and social media can help you do that.

Let’s say you want to launch a new product – an e-book with accompanying audio. You can, before you put too much work into the idea, write a blog post about the idea and ask your readers to weigh in with their thoughts on the product’s validity, relevancy and proposed price point.

If you don’t want to do that, you can write a blog post about the topic you plan to cover in the e-book and see what the response is. Remember to not just look at the comments you get, but see how many times your blog post is tweeted and retweeted on Twitter and see if people are sharing it on Facebook, too.

Once you see that there’s support for your project, you can get your reader and social media fans and followers to help you complete the project by asking them what kinds of content they’d like to see in your new product and even sharing sample passages with them from your new “baby”.

But suppose the reason you’re making the change isn’t an easy one? Don’t forget, the people who read your blog, listen to your podcast, become fans of your Facebook Fan Page, follow you on Twitter and watch your videos, are just that – people. They’ve had hardships, too. That’s the thing about social media, you can keep it real and people will love you more.

Provided that you feel comfortable and resonate with doing so, open the kimono a bit. Dare to share. You will find support from people and places you never dreamed and it might be just the support you need to make your next bold move.

And, just in case you get cold feet, think about Stella Osorojos. This writer changed her first name to something that meant something to her spiritually and she blogged about it. Now that’s brave!

Go for it!

——————–

Lena L. West is the CEO of xynoMedia http://www.xynoMedia.com a company that helps growing companies profit from the power of social media & the Internet.

They Do Their Homework

Top sales reps never underestimate the value of pre-call planning. They’ve researched their prospect’s company, can talk the lingo, and always know the decision-makers before they try to sell.

They Don’t Waste Time

Top sales reps quickly learn the decision-making hierarchy so that they don’t waste time on folks who are neither decision-makers nor influencers. By strategically scoping out who is actually calling the shots, they minimize their frustrations and maximize their time.

They’re Goal-Oriented and Self-Motivated

Top sales reps don’t need others to give them pep talks. They’re passionate about what they’re selling and establish far-reaching goals which they achieve. They understand that the early bird catches the worm, and they’re always the early bird.

They Are Optimistic

Top sales reps don’t get too worked up about dips in the economy, industry slowdowns, or other challenging situations that some sales reps use as excuses for their lack of success. Instead, they look to the bright side of things, have faith in their own ability, and find that they’re still making sales when others aren’t.

They’re Confident

Top sales reps know what they’re doing and quietly acknowledge that they do it really well. They exude a confidence that is never construed as arrogance. Instead, it’s a trait that others gravitate towards. They attract others because of their positive energy, their ability to get things done, and their lack of self doubt.

They Are Competitive

Top sales reps understand that they aren’t the only individuals on the playing field. There are others, and it’s their job to be better than them if they’re going to win the sale. Having that competitive edge keeps them one step ahead and always on their game.

They are Willing to Take Risks

Top sales people don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for others to take chances. If they see opportunity, they seize it. They realize that there’s no reward without risk, and mistakes are only lessons to be learned.

They Work Harder

Top sales reps aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard. They know that if they want something done, they shouldn’t just rely on others. They get it done themselves. They’re hands-on, resourceful, and energetic in a way that inspires others.

They over Deliver

Top sales reps are never happy with providing the bare minimum. They want their customers to be blown away with their efforts. They understand that loyalty is created in all of the attention to detail and little extras that they provide.

They Are Adaptable

Top sales reps know that flexibility is a big component to their success. They’re open to learning new technologies, selling techniques, and processes. They’ll work with a new management team or adjust their selling style to fit the particular demands of a customer. Others perceive them as early adopters and look to them as the individuals who are leading the way.

This has been a rocky time and in order to thrive (yes, thrive and not merely “survive”!), you must re-tool, refresh and embrace these sales success characteristics.

As always, the best time to start is NOW!

1) The first component is letting go of something….a bad habit (checking emails or text messages every few seconds), time-consuming customers (we can often spend an extraordinary amount of time on one bad customer when our good customers don’t bother us at all – is it worth the time?), or a product/service that is not income generating.  Letting go is a lesson I learned in the sandbox when I was five years old. I was fighting over a sand sifter with my cousin, a cross between Dennis the Menace and Bart Simpson, when he let go of the sand sifter.  This turned out to be a smart move because I went flying out of the sandbox, the sand sifter went flying and he caught it, and I ended up breaking my collar bone.  It was a valuable lesson for me about hanging on too tight.

2) The second component to re-inventing yourself is understanding how you want to change and embracing that change.  I start by reconsidering everything I do.  I develop new products or services or I bundle them in a new way.  I offer solutions and now encourage my clients to purchase a portfolio of services.

3) The third component is to recognize opportunities.  So many times we pass by the signs that are directly in front of us and ignore our intuitions.  I see every experience as an opportunity, even the ones that seem to fail. For instance, last week I attended an outdoor art show.  It was a first time event and that is always a risk.  As it turned out, it was not well-attended so I made $6 in sales for the day after the booth fee.  Yikes!  However, my booth was next to an arts council and I met three of their members, all of which hired me as a creativity coach.  My introductory coaching fee for 2 sessions is $175, so I really made $525 that day plus will establish long-term relationships with these artists that may lead to further sales.  They’ll tell their friends about my business and it’s a win for everyone.

4) The fourth component to re-invention is highlighting strengths and assets.  I have confidence that my clients will learn everything they need to know about the business of art in two sessions.  I’m confident in my ability to help my clients make the right connections.  If you know what your strengths are, don’t forget to brag about them and use the media in every way possible to spread your message.  You know your strengths but your clients may not be aware of all you can do for them.

5) The final component is supporting your community by volunteering.  Volunteering is a great way to build community, meet new people and feel good and rewarding results all at once.  When you do great things like volunteer, people remember you and often come to you or your business first for consideration.

To re-invent myself in the past five years, I transitioned from a solo mixed media visual artist to a creativity coach to someone who now represents over 80 artists.  I’m getting ready to re-invent myself again with Art n Soul TV…stay tuned.

Lisa Panarello Toastmasters Finals with Michael Notaro

I had dreams of becoming an art director in the advertising world, which were derailed when my family moved to Florida in my senior high school year. After two years of community college, I returned to NY with 36 credits and landed my first office position with Seiko Hattori Corp. When that company decided to relocate to NJ, I took an entry level position at a money market brokerage firm (way off my career path, but an opportunity to earn a progressive salary and put myself back through college). I advanced to broker liaison while attending Baruch College at night. Two weeks after I graduated with a BBA in Marketing, I was fired.  Yes, fired.  I took an internship at a local parenting newspaper and jump started my marketing career (at a 60% pay cut).  After one year I was offered a Marketing Assistant position with Golden Books Children Entertainment and progressed to Art Director.  Unfortunately, the company went into a bankruptcy and I jumped ship before the pending buyout.  My next job search led to a squeeze play between the well known, multi-billion dollar Phillip Morris, and a small, woman-owned educational marketing firm.  I chose the latter for personal and professional decisions and managed their Colgate account.  Eight months later, I resigned due to pursue freelance writing.
This journey of eight different positions, five different companies, four different organizational types and five unique job search campaigns (and lots of mistakes) prepared me well for the next road in my life, Careers Advance.

How did you spot the opportunity to start your business?

While temping at a law firm in between jobs, I submitted my resume to Resume.com for a free resume critique.  They tried to sell me their services and I replied “I really just wanted your tips, I write resumes”  (which I had on and off throughout my previous careers for friends, family, classmates and coworkers).  They recognized my skills and asked me to work as a freelance writer.  Then they asked me to provide interview coaching to a client.  After that amazingly rewarding session, I instantly searched for a Career Planning Certificate program and found one with NYU.  I launched Careers Advance overnight and have since expanded the practice to meet the needs of a national, multi-cultural client base of all ages and walks of life.  What a rush!

Could you tell us about Careers Advance and the services it provides?

Careers Advance puts job seekers in the drivers’ seat. We are a full-stop career coaching firm with five service divisions.  We offer top-notch resume/letter writing services that significantly improve our clients’ confidence and marketability (we strive to hear you say “Dam, I’m good.  I’d hire me.”). For those interested, we offer one-on-one consulting and group workshops that help transform frustrated job seeking campaigns into exciting career journeys. We educate on career planning techniques, offering both time-tested and progressive multi-channel job searching strategies for applying, networking, interviewing and negotiating. We also guide individuals in effective workplace communications, leadership development and career change management.

To help our youth gain an edge on the current and upcoming competition, we transformed our professional coaching program into a revolutionary career-readiness curriculum, Mission: I’m PossibleTM, for high school and college students. To serve the corporate arena and our community, we developed our Speaking Platforms division that offers dynamic workshops, seminars and other style engagements designed to inspire and educate. Careers Advance can not solve every problem or guarantee jobs. We develop solutions for areas within our expertise, we connect individuals to resources outside of our expertise and we guarantee satisfaction. Whether we answer one nagging question or fulfill our clients’ needs through our many services, we aim to be your career buddy for life!

The theme of this month’s issue of WomenandBiz.com is “Reinvent yourself or your business”. How have you reinvented yourself and your business?

Given that I had several dreams from the age of 16, I guess I was destined for constant reinvention. I always kept my eyes and ears open for new project and networking opportunities that would help lead me in that direction. I remained flexible and developed various transferrable skills along the way in order to keep myself employable through any economy.

In every job search campaign, I recreated my resume to fit each position, something I strongly advise today. There is no ‘one-size-fits all’ resume. You must reinvent yourself on paper to target yourself to employer/client needs.

As far as my business, I listened and responded to the needs of each client that came my way—which happened while shopping, going to concerts, parties and the beach and traveling (business is everywhere!).
My skills in writing, speaking, mentoring and training, which I used throughout my past careers, are what make up my separate divisional services today.  The Our History page of the About Us section on www.careersadvance.org reveals this exciting reinvention process (well, it was for me! ).

Congratulations on winning the 1st place in the semi-finals of the Toastmasters World Champion Speaker Contest, that’s a HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT! Could you share the highlights of your experience?

Nothing short of amazing! Progressing from Club and Area to Division and District contests and preparing for the Semi-Finals was exhilarating. It forced me to hone in on my speaking craft, perfect my speech and meet time constraints. 30,000 contestants competed internationally and led to the 81 Semi-Finalists.  To win 1st place and advance to the Finals is indescribable. I was treated like a celebrity for the next two days as I went through the halls of the hotel. Competing against 8 male contestants in the Finals two days later was truly humbling. It was wonderful to meet such passionate people and hear talented speakers. The best part was delivering my Mission: I’m PossibleTM speech to an audience of over 2,000 and having many come up to me afterwards sharing that I changed their life. There is no bigger trophy than that!
I’ve had a chance to attend and laugh at a couple of your stand-up comedy shows, how did you get into it and how has the experience been like?

During a training weekend at Monster’s Making It Count (my first public speaking gig), I was asked to partake in the talent show with some comedy. I figured, no one would boo me off stage so why not. I got lots of laughs and some crickets (a.k.a. silence). I did it a few more times at annual trainings and got the bug to do it in a real comedy club. I called several in Manhattan, signed up for one, and they put me on a list which led me to Gotham Comedy Club. I won’t be pursuing comedy as a career (it requires time and development as all other careers), but once in a while for fun. It’s where I can make fun of me, my traveling and dating pursuits. Laughter gets me through it all.

What are your plans for the future?

I have been fortunate to achieve the many career dreams I set for myself and launch a business, which I never even imagined. The one mission in life that didn’t come to fruition is marriage. That was a goal I thought would just happen along the way. I learned (20 years later) that finding a man is like finding a job and it requires strategic effort. In the last few years I applied my job searching skills to the man searching task and decided to get past my aversion for technology and diversify my channels—I went to the worldwide web. Just recently, I met the man of my dreams online.
So, my future plans are to maintain my business (I will always be here for past, present and future clients) while focusing on this new and exciting phase of my life. I’ve educated on it for years, but I am now experiencing real ‘work-life balance’. It truly is the best way to live!!

What advice would you give an aspiring entrepreneur?

Here are four tips:
#1 Do it better than me.  When I began freelancing, my plans were to translate this writing position into a side job to help during marriage and parenthood, which didn’t happen in the time I expected. So I let the business just materialize. I tripped over my own success.  I didn’t create a 3-5 year business plan and budget. I didn’t forecast sales or set up proper bookkeeping, client tracking and other related database systems. I suggest entrepreneurs do all that, and more. If I had truly planned my business (like I planned my careers) I would be 10 times more profitable today.

#2 Just like with career pursuits, choose a business that you will be good at and will love to do. This may take some investigation, research, schooling and test driving and it IS worth the time. Let’s face it, sometimes we don’t want to go to work—me too. But when I get there, I am excited. Why? Because I absolutely love what I do and I am great at it. I’m not bragging, I am just expressing my confidence. I recognize my capabilities—those I have worked hard at developing—and use them in my daily work.  Your expertise and positive disposition will mean all the difference in satisfying clients—and your profit goals.

#3 Reach out for help. As a female who has lived in and worked in male-dominated environments, I am too eager to do everything on my own. That is not the best strategy. I have a therapist, I talk with friends and family and I invest in professional advise when needed to get my business to the next level. Don’t be too shy or to proud to ask for and invest in help.

Last but not least…
#4 Have fun! If you take your business too seriously, you’ll miss out on enjoying the success. If it’s not brain surgery, it’s not brain surgery. Get over your mistakes (put a change plan into action quickly), laugh often (especially at yourself), exercise and get away from the computer once in a while. Social networks are great for business, but nothing can substitute personal relationships. I’m hosting game night at my house this Friday and Monday I’m having a barbeque with my nieces and nephew (and new man in my life). What are you doing this weekend? Don’t just plan work and business—plan fun!!

To contact Lisa Panarello, please call her at 718-605-2290 or send her an email at lisa@careersadvance.org.  For more information, please visit www.careersadvance.org.

With all the tumultuous change whirling around us like an imminent tornado, just getting from one week to the next requires much more focus and energy in not only our personal lives, but our businesses as well.

On the other side, there have been some really positive side effects from the recession such as: simplifying daily routines and life in general, taking time to smell the roses to determine what’s really important and what simply isn’t working anymore. Many people are totally changing their careers to more fulfilling choices on lower incomes, relocating their lives, and appreciating that less is now much more. Losing employment and financial loss has essentially spawned spiritual gain for many, a second chance to make a real difference. According to several people I’ve spoken with, this era can be scary, exhilarating, anxious, and joyous…all at the same time!

A few facts: the redistribution of wealth will be changing the face of society as we have known it. Baby boomers will make up a vast majority of the population, along with the elderly, and retirement is happening later if at all. With 3 males to every one female being laid off, the work force is going through a sort of revolution on its own. More and more men are becoming house husbands while the wives are now the sole bread winners and many of them are self-employed. Apparently this transition is not without an initial sore ego on the male side.

Trends are swiftly evolving to keep up with new shifts in power and we can already see reflections in advertising and marketing. How we do business is also changing and should in order to survive. Hence changing our mindsets, our attitudes, and perhaps our images and habits. Not an easy task by any means, not all people are equipped for comfortable transitions, but very necessary to enable growth in the world today.

‘Reinvent yourself, reinvent your business. You are your business and your business is you. After all, people buy you first and then your services or product’.

So how do we start to implement change successfully in ourselves despite the fear and anxiety? How do we know what steps to follow? The basic key ingredients to stepping across the line are focus, courage, and resilience.

Focus on the moment. Not yesterday or last week, but right now. Ask yourself questions: What needs adjusting now? What needs to be discarded or pared down now? What is good about your life right now? What is really the block to letting go? Get rid of needless distractions and interruptions and clutter. Set your sights on what you need to do to get where you want to be and make a realistic plan to get there one step at a time. If you start feeling overwhelmed, stop and refocus. Do less to get more.

Courage can move mountains and will get you far. It can also armor you against the negative comments and through your own periods of self-doubt. It can also keep you moving when you want to stop. I met a client that, through fierce determination and a nurturing support system, pulled back from foreclosure and financial disaster by finally landing a job after being unemployed for over a year. Her courage was immense and the whole episode proved to be a major life changer in a very positive way. Her focus became giving to others that needed help while she moved forward. She had to change her belief system in order to embrace change, attract what she needed, and make it work for her.

Resilience rolls you through the punches and keeps your vision alive. It’s also a great teacher and revealer of true character. It can put your ego in check and turn you into a true believer…of you!

One other important bit to add to the mix is simplicity. Simplify your life. Streamline your schedule and activities. Work smart, not hard. If you’re used to being on 24/7, this could be a hard one to wrap your head around. The trend of the ‘Europeanization of America’ is a valid and resonating one: Work to live not live to work, morally conscious consumption, authenticity of self, more time off, smaller homes, experiences versus accumulation of stuff. There is something to be said for simplicity.

This isn’t a race so relax and pace yourself.  It’s only the rest of your life. Enjoy your journey and don’t forget to share your wealth of experience and wisdom as you move along. There will always be someone along the way that will need it.

“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.” ~ Mother Theresa

I still felt like “me”, but when I considered my identity along the lines of using demographic and especially psychodemographic information, I was a totally different market! Now this change that I had gone through felt totally natural because it was an organic manifestation of my goals and values. It did not seem like a major shift. But according to market researchers, I had re-invented myself.

I’ve worked with business owners who one day have the epiphany that the business they own and manage does not have the same focus and identity that it initially did. Sometimes this is a good thing, because the business is growing in a way that matches the aspirations of the owner. And at other times, this is a difficult realization, because the owner feels trapped by the business. The business (and therefore the owner’s life), does not match the vision which she initially dreamed. So her business was reinvented, without her feeling like she was directing this change.

Other times we intentionally re-invent ourselves, whether it’s out of necessity (i.e. starting your own marketing firm because you were down-sized) or desire (i.e. finalizing getting on the path to fulfilling a life-long dream of becoming a pastry chef).

I’m also in the midst of an intentional reinvention. I am in the process of launching a coaching practice that helps tame people’s fear of public speaking. This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time, but I kept having reasons not to pursue it. There are so many steps it takes to launch a business! And, like most of you, I have many responsibilities and find it hard to create the time to focus on getting this business going. However, the fact that I was not pursuing this goal was draining me. And upon further examination of the rationales I told myself as to why I should not pursue the business, I realized that ultimately, the reason that I was not starting the business was because I am afraid of failing. Allowing this fear guide my life felt lame. This is not who I want to be. So, I’ve reassessed my goals and assumptions.

I realized that although it’s important to have an understanding of my goals for the “big picture”, I need to break my activities down into “bite-size” fragments otherwise I will never pursue anything. My life is structured so that I will most likely not get “a day” to focus on my business. Instead, I try to spend even just 15 minutes working on it each day. So that is what I am doing. And it feels great to feel like I am driving the change rather than letting fear rule.

Part of living is changing and adapting to situations. Here’s some food for thought on re-invention in your life and business.

1)     Regularly check in with your own personal goals and aspirations. In what ways do you feel like your life and/or business embodies your expectations, dreams and desires? Are there any gaps between your dreams and the reality? Many of us avoid this because we are afraid of what we might realize. Be brave and ask these questions. It is hard to create a more positive direction in your life if you don’t know what direction you want to take.

2)     If you want to make a change and re-invent your situation, be clear about what is motivating this drive. Is it because you are ready to be brave and take on a challenge that you’ve always wanted? Or is someone putting pressure on you to make an adjustment? Are you interested in making a change because you are in a rut and/or unhappy? Do you need something (i.e. money?) Try to be honest in this assessment. Sometimes it’s helpful to get an outside professional opinion to help you clarify this question.

3)     What are the skills, experiences competencies and resources you need to make this change? Will this require you to learn new skills? Overcome a fear? Invest in some coaching? Give up watching Project Runway so you free up more time? Invest money?

4)     What about this re-invention do you find exciting? Where do you dream this change will take you? What are your fears? Acknowledge all of your emotional and intellectual feelings on these questions. Do you know why you are feeling this way? Are your fears rationale? Is there any new information you can get that would alter your assumptions?

5)     Make an honest assessment of the steps you need to take in order to create momentum in your life and activities so you are making positive progress towards your reinvention. So create that huge “to do” list. Then put it aside and focus on the question, “What do I need to do next?”

Reinvention is often a brave step. And it can feel “uneasy” even when it’s planned. Feel free to share your experiences, thoughts and advice on reinvention.

3 Easy Ways to Break your Routine and Re-Invent your Business.

1. Join a mastermind group. One important way to make sure that you don’t dive into routine is to join a mastermind group. When you become a member, you will have access to other like minded business people who offer unbiased constructive criticism to help you see and implement the changes you need. As entrepreneurs we get so involved into our daily tasks that we some times miss the most important issues. Solo-entrepreneurs may miscalculate how people perceive their business, website or blog.

I am part of a mastermind group and each month one member get on the hot seat. This member get to display his/her website, blog or one of his/her marketing strategies, then the remaining members point out what works and give advice on what should be added or omitted. Having other people looking at your business will help you to adapt your strategies and avoid wasting time trying your strategies for months without any results. As a group, our entire focus is helping one another be the best at our business.

2. Continue your education. Statistics show that only 10% of small business owners take part in continuing education activities on a regular basis. Buying books and/or programs when starting a business is the norm, but many entrepreneurs stop there. As a business owner it is your business to educate yourself on new strategies, programs and trends. No matter what you earn you can always use more income generating strategies.

I spend 10% of my revenue a year investing in books, programs and memberships to continue to learn from other successful people. I have a couple of coaches that I have been following since the start of my business, but I am always in search for new experts. I make it a point to learn from different people: somebody that specializes in social media, another that specializes in video marketing, articles marketing, and so on. That’s how I was able to grow my business with social media in the past few years. I also buy books or programs from people doing the same as me, networking and marketing coaching, just to see how they teach it, how they present it and how I can improve my own programs.

3. Ask your clients what their biggest challenges and needs are. Preparing a program of what you think will interest people is far less of a strategy than preparing a program catered to what your niche actually needs.

Before you write a book, an ebook or an entire program make sure you know what people really need. What are their challenges? How do your competitors present their services? What solution can you offer to your clients that sets you apart from your competition? The best way to get accurate answers is to ask your clients. Try surveys, asking in person, asking people interested in your ideas, at networking events. You’ll find many opportunities. Once you have your answers make sure to incorporate in your programs or services a solution for each and every challenge. You will attract many more clients by assuring them you listen to what they need.

If you implement these important strategies in your business and look at your results every quarter, you will avoid the risk of “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” and you will be sure to expand your business in record time.

To get more tips like these ones to grow your business with proven offline and online networking strategies, download your Biba’s networking kit at www.TheConnectionQueen.com

Biba Pedron helps solo-entrepreneurs to network like pro, by teaching them highly effective follow-up systems to maximize their networking and social media results.

Here are a few basic suggestions:

• Re-package your current products or services and offer unique “combos”;
• Focus on a specific niche your competitors are not targeting;
• Provide stellar customer service;
• Add new products and/or services;
• Create strategic alliances with competitors;
• Be authentic.

Feel free to post your comments and share your experiences. We will offer suggestions and respond to your comments.

You can find me on Twitter: @womenandbiz

Elisa Balabram

Founder and Editor, WomenandBiz.com

Let’s take it a step at a time.  Market research is one of the most important aspects in starting and growing a business.  In this process, finding out key details about your competitors is necessary.  Through my own market research, I know that my closest competitors, other Creativity Coaches/Art Representatives are located in New York City and Connecticut.  I also learned that they charge significantly more than I do for the same service.  One of them has published a book.  The other has a part time job for an art magazine.  So, what do I do with this information once I learn it?

Whenever a client thinks my rates are too high, I encourage them to explore other art reps or coaches.  This is risky business.  I might face losing them as clients.  However, if I know price point is a key factor in their decision making process, once they learn my fees as compared to others, I typically look like a real deal!

Knowing that one of my key competitors is a published author and the other works for an arts magazine also opens up opportunity for me.  I’m always trying to create strategic partnerships with people.    With the author, I have the following arrangement now:  she sells her books to me wholesale and I sell them at a profit at my workshops.  With the art magazine rep, I earn commission for every artist who takes out an ad.  This keeps an open, friendly dialogue between my competitors who are now my allies.  It also adds to one of my strengths.  I’m an amazing connector, and I have a knack for connecting people and networking.  I have clients in London, Armenia, Sicily, Amsterdam, Chicago, Boston, and Miami.  Some people become my clients just because they know I can open doors for them.  This makes me competitive.

Updating my website and blog constantly and making sure people on my team know about the latest trends also keeps me competitive in the marketplace.

Finally, I truly believe that creativity is my key differentiator in keeping current.  We’re all so bombarded these days with new and fresh ideas that this step isn’t easy but I take time every week to ask myself “what can I do this week that is a more creative approach than anyone else is doing?”.   Closely behind these creative ideas, I encourage the media to create a buzz around what I’m doing.  Recently, Art n Soul had a full page spread in our local newspaper.  It didn’t cost one cent and I never met the reporter in person.  We communicated through email and generated a tremendous amount of buzz in the process.

I’m always open to hearing about how you stay competitive. Thanks for reading!

How to attract more clients without losing money and staying competitive.
1. Repackage your services or products. For example, let’s say you sell your physical product for $299, you can now offer the digital version for half the price. You won’t have to change anything on your marketing just redirect people to a different webpage and since it is less expensive, you may get more clients. You’re offering a new and abridged version of the product at a lower cost because you aren’t paying for the physical version. The most important part of this equation is to follow-up with the people who bought the digital version, so that you could sell them later the more complete physical version at your regular price. If people like your program, they will be more willing to buy again from you.

Another example, if you work one-on-one with clients, consider offering a group session at a reduced price. Your clients will each pay a little less but since you will be working with a group, at the end of the hour you find you’ve more than made up the difference. For instance if you have one client who pays $250 per one hour session, 4 sessions equal $1000, if you offer a group session at $150 per person per hour and you have 5 people, 4 sessions now equal $3000. At the end of the sessions, you have worked the same amount but tripled your revenue.
2. Work with a more specific niche. Target clients with a very specific problem that you can solve and offer a solution different from your competitors’. What do you offer that makes you and your product unique?
For example, if you have been targeting women business owners, try honing your focus to working mom entrepreneurs if you are a mom. Based on your experiences you may have unique solutions to balance their lives with their businesses. Sharing your unique success stories and tips can make you indispensable!

In one of my businesses, I work exclusively with French speaking entrepreneurs starting businesses in the US. I was in their shoes seven years ago, when I moved. I know their problems, obstacles, frustrations, and we have the same culture. With my knowledge of the American culture from a French point of view, I can help them to adapt their business, teach them market the “American way”, and the steps to start a business here and succeed. Develop your communication and services around the people you are targeting who can relate to your experience.

3. Sell differently. If you used to sell via internet, your website, your blog, how can you sell using other media? Did you ever use direct mail? Many people think that direct mail is not working anymore, but combine it with everything you do online, and you raise you conversation rate. People don’t always have the time to read your email or they are blocked by their spam filters and don’t see your offer. A post card, a brochure or a simple letter can make a big difference. But remember don’t just send one card and wait for your phone to ring, you will need to send your post card campaign at least three times in a short period of time (maximum 3 months) for people to pay attention to it and then act on it.

In order to stay competitive in your business, you really need to step back and look at what you offer and how you offer it. By just tweaking your offers you can attract more clients. Look at what your competitors are doing, see what is missing in their offers and use this lack of services to make a difference.

Do you want to learn more about how to stay competitive in this challenging economy? Download my 60mn FREE audio Networking Mastery Secrets. www.networkingmasterysecrets.com