That was good advice then and it is good advice now. Today’s battle is surviving and thriving in the current state of the union, a poor economy. But how do you get back to work when you have lost your job or your business is down considerably?

After owning and building BNI of Mississippi for 8 years, Katrina hit. Nearly half of my clients lost their livelihoods and many lost their homes. After a week of watching the devastating scenes on TV, I remembered the words of my father. The best way you can help out is to get back to doing what you do best; working and living!

In the midst of chaos, how do you find your bearings and get headed in the right direction? First, you must know where you are. The 4 Phases cycle is a good starting point.

1-EXCITED: New opportunities and positive expectations describe our outlook.

2-QUESTIONING: Things are not going as planned and challenges are overwhelming!

3-BLAMING: Focus is on the symptoms of the problems, not the causes. Therefore, we blame what we can’t control instead of taking responsibility for what we can control.

4-LOOKING: We all need to win. Many look for ways to change their external circumstances instead of embracing personal growth and working through the challenges.

Without realizing it, people go through this cycle in various areas of their lives on a weekly and daily basis. We wonder why our emotions and results are up and down. We long for consistency but we can’t figure out where to start!

So what must happen for us to spend more time in the EXCITED phase?

1. Set and achieve short term goals in writing. Accomplishment encourages us.
2. Build important working relationships. Becoming equally yoked with others who are worthy, generates greater results and fulfillment.
3. Demonstrate your competencies. Rise to the occasion, be your best and be recognized for your talents, ability to get results.
4. Be proactive. Start now, even though you are hesitant. Fear kills inspiration and motivation. Courage is not the lack of fear. Courage takes action in the face of fear.

Identify which phase you are in. Meditate on the four action steps above. Begin building momentum to reach and stay more in the excited phase by writing out ways you can implement these action steps. Share your thoughts and convictions with a trusted advisor. The new year is upon us. Discipline your mind, body and emotions to serve the wholesome vision and passions that reside within you and are waiting for you to beckon.

A responsible person does what he or she can until his or her destiny is revealed.

Wes served as a Dale Carnegie trainer and area manager in Mississippi for ten years where he worked with more than 5000 clients ranging from small companies to the Fortune 500.

Wes owned and operated BNI of Mississippi for eight years. BNI, Business Network International, is the world’s largest business referral organization. Wes worked with more than 3000 local business people, teaching them how to grow their businesses through word-of-mouth marketing. He is a contributing author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Masters Of Networking.

You’ve heard it many times before: you need to sell benefits to your clients, not features. Whether you are writing copy, talking about what you do, or engaged in a sales presentation, it’s the benefits and results of the service you provide that you should emphasize, rather than its features or how it works. But it’s not always easy to get this right.

A feature is a fact, detail, or description about your services. A benefit is the positive result your client gets as a result of working with you. The distinction seems simple when you read the definition, but sometimes features can sound suspiciously like benefits.

Consider this example from an IT consultant: “I help small businesses that are losing time and money due to computer problems.” Feature or benefit? Although this might sound as if a benefit is being communicated, it’s actually just a description of the consultant’s target market: businesses with computer problems. That’s a feature of the consultant’s business.

Here’s another from a graphic designer: “I produce creative and attractive logos, business cards, and brochures.” Feature or benefit? While the designer is naming a tangible result he or she produces, there’s no benefit to the client stated here, simply a fact about the designer’s work.

Or this example from a management consultant: “I conduct team-building sessions using the innovative Delarosa system.” Feature or benefit? In this case, the consultant is describing the process she uses to produce results, not the results themselves. Again, this is a feature.

So, what is a benefit? It’s your answer to the crucial question every client asks, whether they say it or not: “What can you do for me?”

A benefit of working with a small business IT consultant might be that he or she will: “take care of your computers so you can take care of business.” A graphic designer’s benefit might be to “make your marketing stand out from the competition.” Benefits of working with a team-building consultant might include “boost productivity, reduce conflicts, and improve communication.”

There are three keys to communicating what the true benefits of your services are:

1. Determine the essence of what your clients want and need.

Look at your business through the eyes of your ideal prospects. What needs and desires are they seeking help with? Do clients go to a chiropractor because they want a spinal adjustment? No, they go because they want pain relief. Do businesses hire a technical writer because they want instructions written down? No, they hire one because they want employees to make fewer errors, or customers to find their products easy to use.

2. Connect those wants and needs to what you deliver, as directly as possible.

If the clients of an image consultant want mostly to take more pride in their appearance, telling them they’ll “save money by avoiding wardrobe mistakes” is a much less effective benefit than “look like a million bucks at a price you can afford.” When a business is seeking help for underperforming managers, an executive coach should be selling them “improved performance and increased motivation,” not “higher job satisfaction.”

3. Tell them not just the results of what you do, but why those results matter.

While it’s true that hiring a professional organizer might result in “an organized office,” a much more powerful benefit would be “find any piece of paper in less than 10 seconds.” The result of working with a sales trainer might very well be “better sales skills,” but a much more attractive benefit would be “close more sales in less time.”

Is there ever a time to talk about features? Certainly. Describing features can help you attract the right clients and let them know you have what they are seeking. A copywriter who specializes in direct mail and ad copy should say so, to distinguish his or her services from one who writes primarily for websites and brochures. An accountant who primarily serves business clients rather than individuals should make that clear.

But once you’ve covered the basics of who you serve and what you provide, it’s time to tell your prospects what they’ll get from working with you. In a competitive marketplace, communicating benefits can get you hired.

Would you be more likely to hire a web designer who offered simply “Flash and Java programming” or one who promised a site that would “convert visitors to customers?” Would you choose a disc jockey for your wedding with just a “wide variety of music” or one who assured you of a “completely stress-free experience?”

Selling benefits instead of features can make you stand out from the competition, connect your services directly to your clients’ wants and needs, and persuade lukewarm prospects to take a closer look at your business. If you’re not sure whether what you’re offering are features or benefits, here’s the ultimate test.

Do your words describe what you do and how you do it, or do they focus on what your client wants and gets? When you talk about yourself or your work, you are almost always stating a feature. When you talk about your clients and their desires instead, odds are that you are naming a benefit.

Copyright © 2009, C.J. Hayden

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All economic indicators say we are in a recession. Consumer and business spending is down; unemployment is up. It’s natural to wonder whether perhaps this is a bad time to be marketing your business.

Since I’ve been self-employed for almost two decades now, I’ve seen several economic cycles come and go. What I notice about these “down” periods is that people who frequently struggle to get clients typically think these are bad times to market. On the other hand, people who have been consistently successful at landing clients seem to believe that there is never a bad time to market. Personally, I’d vote to follow the lead of those who are succeeding.

Professionals who have built successful long-term businesses have learned that continuing to market pays off in both the best of times and the worst of times. But you may not be able to produce new results by marketing in the same old way. Here are six suggestions for how to keep your marketing up when the overall business climate is down.

1. Turn up the volume. When people are distracted by bad news or economic concerns, you may need to communicate more often or more visibly. Where an email might have done the job before, now you may need to pick up the phone or send a postcard. Instead of just one follow-up call, you may need to make two or three. If your business is slowing down, make use of the extra time you have available to ramp up all your marketing efforts.

2. Become a necessity. When clients are cutting back on discretionary spending, they need to perceive your services as essential. Look for ways to “dollarize” the value of your services. How can you help your clients save money, cut expenses, or work more efficiently? Will your services help them gain more customers, increase their income, or experience less stress in tough times? Tell your prospects exactly why they need you, and why they shouldn’t wait to get started.

3. Make use of your existing network. It’s always easier to get your foot in the door when someone is holding it open. In a slow market, referrals and introductions can be the key to getting new business. Seek out opportunities to propose repeat business with former clients, too. Uncertain times encourage more reliance on trusted sources and known quantities, so warm approaches and existing contacts will pay off better than cold calls or mass mailings.

4. Explore partnerships. Working with a partner can create more opportunities for both of you. By sharing contacts, you each increase the size of your network. Together, you can multiply your marketing efforts and share expenses. A partner with a complementary business can allow you to offer a more complete solution than your competitors can. A photographer could team up with a graphic designer, for example. And you can help keep each other’s spirits up, too.

5. Meet people where they are. In a down economy, prospects are even more price sensitive than usual. Instead of slashing your rates to get their business, propose a get-acquainted offer. A professional organizer or image consultant could offer a reduced price half-day package for new clients. A management consultant or executive coach could propose a staff seminar instead of consulting/coaching work. Once clients see you in action, they’ll be more willing to spend.

6. Find the silver linings. When companies cut back on staff, opportunities are created. With fewer people on the payroll to handle essential tasks, downsized organizations present possibilities for project work, interim assignments, and outsourced functions. Economic changes beget other needs. People who are out of work need resume writers and career coaches. Folks concerned about their finances need investment advisors and financial planners.

Landing clients during a down period requires not just more marketing, but more strategic marketing. So instead of getting depressed by the news, get inspired by it. When you hear about coming layoffs, consider how your services could benefit those companies. When you read about negative consumer attitudes, use those words to better target your marketing copy. When prospects say, “not this year,” craft a proposal that ensures your place in next year’s budget.

For the successful independent professional, there’s no such thing as a bad time to market.

Copyright © 2008, C.J. Hayden

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1. promote your top two or three products / services
2. highlight the positive benefits of your business
3. what makes you different from your competitor (or you Unique Selling Proposition)

Today, more than ever, consumers are looking for solutions to their problems and reasons to choose you over your competition Here’s something to consider when crafting ads for your business.

Advertisers: Stop Talking About the Economy

It seems like everyone is tired of hearing about how bad the economy is. An AdweekMedia/Harris Poll (via Adweek) from last month shows that consumers don’t care for advertising that talks about the current state of things.

Here’s how consumers describe their reaction to advertising that refers to the recession:

• No opinion – 39%
• Make the brand seem manipulative – 27%
• Make the brand seem more realistic – 23%
• Depressing, make me ‘less likely to buy the brand – 12%

So 77% of those surveyed dislike or have no opinion on this type of advertising and less than a quarter view it positively. Click here to read the entire article from Media Sales Today

Perfect Your Presentations By Avoiding Common Mistakes

Sure, we all know the basics of a good presentation: Pre-speech practice, good eye contact, not reading notes and slides word-for-word…But, there are some lesser-known “don’ts” that may sully an otherwise successful presentation:…click here for full article

Tracking Results – Ask or Don’t Ask?

Ask? This used to be my response, until I did further research on real-world results – as illustrated by a case in Corbett’s book. He cites the example of a new super lumber-type store. Customers were polled as they entered the store on grand opening weekend and asked, “What brought you in?” Roughly 50% said radio, 30% said TV, and 20% said newspaper. Guess what? The grand opening was advertised only on radio and in the newspaper. Yet 30% were very sure that they saw the ad on TV! “People don’t like not knowing what brought them in and they want to be helpful, so they’ll make things up,” says Corbett.

If you decide that you are going to ask, be specific. Ask, “Did you see our ad in Coffee News?” instead of the generic question “How did you hear about us?”

Another option for retail locations is to place the “Have You Seen our Ad in Coffee News?” sign by your cash register or at your front desk. We can provide you with the laminated sign which features an enlarged copy of your ad.

Don’t Ask?. Corbett advises, “The only foolproof way to evaluate advertising effectiveness is by setting measurable growth objectives for your business, and by monitoring the results in the cash register. Period.” Let me elaborate, and offer some ways to measure results.

Consider this explanation by one of our advertisers. “People see our ad in Coffee News all the time, but not necessarily when they need our services. Then when they do have a need, they might pick up the phone book to look for a company. They see our name there and remember it – rather than our competitors – because they’ve been seeing our ad. When I ask a caller how they found us, they might say the phone book. But I know it probably started with the name awareness generated by our advertising.” Smart man!

Do educate yourself on branding and advertising, and have a plan and budget. Corbett advises that you carefully select your advertising media by considering:

• how closely the audience profile of the medium matches your target market;
• the comparative costs of reaching the target audience through different media;
• the frequency of the media;
• the creative opportunities or uniqueness of the medium to communicate your message.

You’ll find that your ad in Coffee News can effectively deliver on all four counts!

And Consider This. What is one customer worth to you? How much will they spend with you in one year, five years, or a lifetime of doing business with you? Don’t forget to factor in the value of new customers that come your way as a result of referrals from that one customer. How does all that value compare to your cost to advertise?

One of our long-term advertisers views “Is this working?” in additional ways. He sees his ongoing ad as a way to build a sense of familiarity and trust — with new customers, prospective customers, and former customers. Further, he knows that his ad serves as reminder, should they need additional services or have someone to refer.

Others have a less analytical way of determining effectiveness. When asked how his company’s ad in Coffee News was working, one gentleman’s response was, “We’ve been advertising in Coffee News for four years. ‘Nuff said.”