Business Development Strategies

Posts Tagged ‘marketing’

Have you ever been at a networking function talking to someone when during the conversation you felt very self-conscious trying to say the right thing? Were you afraid that maybe if you said the wrong thing the person might not find you likeable, and therefore not want to do business with you? If you have, I am about to tell you why you should not worry about it. Like the obnoxious song “Don’t Worry – Be Happy” from years ago, I want to share with you the reason why being careful about what we say works against us in the networking environment.

Our goal in business networking should be to establish new relationships and through the process of follow-up develop them over time. As with any relationship, being honest plays a very important role in that development.

When we meet someone for the first time, we want to make a good impression. Often we put on our “party face” so that we do. This can often cause us problems that we do not expect. One problem is that when we try to appear to be something that we really do not feel inside of us, we often have a fear that we are going to be “discovered”. This fear causes us to feel uncomfortable about the situation and though we may be smiling, we are really cringing inside.

Most people worry that if they just be who they are, that no one can accept them. I argue that if we do not just be ourselves, sooner or later who we really are will slip out and then we will have to deal with the consequences of being discovered. This then leads to a feeling of distrust between people.

Have you ever been in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex where you did not tell them something important early on and later had to reveal it or even worse it was revealed by accident? It leads for difficult times after that and a lot of shuffling and apologizing.

In my opinion, it is better to risk being who I am up front. To let people know exactly how I feel. People, for the most part, have a forgiving nature. They actually want to forgive. If you make a mistake and say something that can be potentially embarrassing, you can always apologize for it and be forgiven. But if you say something that is not necessarily true and are discovered later, your credibility may be permanently damaged.

If you go into a networking environment prepared to be relaxed and genuine, you will find that it is a lot more fun to be there. If you have a plan of action to really get to know people, you will be much more productive in a shorter amount of time. People will feel comfortable talking to you and you to them. In an environment of truth, more people will want to do business with you and to be around you.

Authentic enthusiasm is contagious. You will always appear to be more attractive when you are excited about what you are doing. When you are not worried about making mistakes, you will appear to be happier. Being happy about the situation will help you to smile more, and the smiling face is a natural human attractor.

So next time you attend a networking function, just be yourself. Your results will improve and you will feel better when you leave to go home. Over time, the difference will be measurable in more ways than just your income. You will find that you have more friends than you had ever imagined possible. When it comes time for the referral, your friend will remember you because friends really do refer friends.

While reading some very informative material recently, I found myself inspired by a concept that enables a person to soar to higher heights. The concept of adding value to everything you do, when applied to specific areas of a person’s life, can bring that person to be highly sought after by those receiving the added value. The material I was reading focused on business and what this concept will do for the success of a business. Another way of looking at this concept is in the idea of doing more than is expected, or doing more than that which you are compensated to do. When doing this a person will be “weighed” against others who do not. In comparison, the person who adds value to all he/she does will be sought after to the degree that there will be keen competition for his/her service. As a person becomes more and more recognized for doing more than he/she is compensated to do, he/she will begin receiving more and more compensation for their services.

There is an additional benefit that comes to the person who exercises this concept in his/her business; the development of that person’s strength. In nature, do you suppose the strongest trees are those that are protected from the storms and hidden from the sun? This isn’t the case. The one that stands out in the open and bears all of the winds and rain and is shone upon by the blistering sun is the tree that develops the strength to withstand the most violent weather. This also is the case for the person who goes beyond expectation to deliver added value in everything he/she does. This is the person that becomes strong enough to succeed despite the adversities that one is sure to come up against in his/her business. The fact that most people are delivering as little as they can get by with, serves as a great advantage to you when you deliver added value. One who delivers as little as he/she can, may rest assured he/she will receive the same.

I hope this information will add value to all of your experiences.
Joe Clinton.

News releases are not the best way to get major media coverage, but they can be used to increase the frequency with which your company name appears in the press.

Press releases will get you coverage in set features like business notes, and new personnel columns. They also provide a good way to let allies, employees and customers know what you are doing. For these purposes, post releases on the company website, send out by e-mail, or distribute by one of the services like PR Newswire or PR Web.

Here is a quick list of 33 possible reasons for you to write and distribute a news release.

* New Products

* Business Start-Up

* Partnership

* Strategic Alliances

* New Or Innovative Business Strategy

* Restructuring The Company

* Going Public/Going Private

* Company Comeback From Adversity

* New Employees

* Important Executive Retiring/Resigning

* Executives Comment On Business/Economic Trends

* Employee Promotions

* New Branch Offices

* New Divisions Established

* Headquarters Relocating

* Research Results Announcement

* Major Anniversary

* Major New Client Acquisition

* Company Revenue, Sales or Profit Growth

* Company Name Change

* Winning Major Awards Or Receiving National Recognition

* Company Presenting An Award

* Receiving Important Accreditation or Certification

* Holding Free Seminar or Workshop

* Employee Appointed To Civic/Government/Professional Board

* Availability Of Guest Articles Or White Papers

* Issuing A Position Statement On Topical Subject

* Free Consumer Information Available

* Company Speakers Bureau

* Company Philanthropic Support

* Major Company Milestone

* New Board of Directors

* New Website

One might link home business opportunities with personality, but the fact is you have to have a specific character to go it solo. Not everyone can be a home business owner. But there are some personality traits that are common in the self-employed that out do education, who knows who, skills and experience. Those who choose home opportunities that best fit their true personalities have a higher degree of success. Every personality type has the potential for success in the right opportunity. Most self-employed people are natural leaders, excellent problem solvers, and are great under pressure. The key to success is finding the business opportunity that best suits you.

1. The trailblazer is very competitive, ambitious, and goal oriented. They steam roll over everything and can be quite aggressive. These people are restless and very energetic and run on fast and faster. Great fields for these people are medical, technology, money, legal and consulting.

2. The go-getter has more than normal amount of dominance and social ability. These people are great leaders and really care about others. They are very independent and can be a great motivation. They have a flare for retail and can also make good in any business type due to their excellence in the unfamiliar.

3. The manager is dominant and independent. These people are extremely analytical and take a more relaxed approach to make sure all is done correctly. These peoples strong areas are working behind the scenes on the technology, ideas, and marketing concepts.

4. The motivator is dominant and extremely social. These people work well under pressure. They are at the forefront of collaboration, building, and change. Any field that deals with people is their place of action. They are very convincing and can persuade anyone with their emotional argument. They can see both sides of every situation and are excellent at customer service.

5. The authority is that person who is the backbone. They are the workers of the world who do it right. These people exceed in the area of franchises and owners to already up and running businesses. These people look at the detail and tactics involved in all areas and do things the right way. They are very patient and accommodating and usually find themselves self-employed by accident.

6. The collaborator has the gift of sociability. It is all about the people for them. This type always get what they want and make the best sales people. They are warm sellers, using advertisements and/or e-mail to contact prospective buyers. Once the consumer initiates an interest, they will sell their hearts out.

7. The diplomat is very restless and enjoys a certain amount of pressure. They have a deadline to meet and they get work done quickly. They deal well with change and new situations. They do things right and love variety. These people are the multitaskers and are usually doing many things at once. These are the people who get the business and keep them coming back for more.