Business Card Design for Effective Networking
By · CommentsEven with all the technological advances that have come about in the past few decades, the business card is still a powerful way to communicate and network.
Elements of Good Business Card Design
The main thing you want to accomplish with your business card design is to stand out. If one attends many networking events they know just how many business cards people acquire.
Because a business card is a reminder of who one is, they will want to stand out among all the rest. One way to stand out is to change the shape of the card. There is no law that says that
business cards have to be 3" x 2." with the corners at sharp right angles. By simply rounding the corners it will make quite a difference. Another way to stand out are the elements that you put on the card. A humorous picture goes a long ways to eliciting a smile and reaction from those that receive the card. A funny tagline always makes a business card memorable.
Even changing your professional title can help. Small business owners and entrepreneurs should use something other than president or CEO. Be creative, even self-deprecating. Consider Yahoo, a large billion-dollar company and the founders refer to themselves as Chief Yahoo. Still, there are professions where comical or whimsical business cards are not well-suited. In cases like lawyers or morticians, the best tip for good business card design is to go minimal. Use plain text and offer as little as possible. Some business professionals could get away with just a name and phone number. For more information place only the name and title on the front, then put additional information on the back. This is a good way to get an initial impression from a minimal design, while still offering plenty of information about one's business.
Always Leave Room For Notes
A person should have plenty of room on their card to personalize it. Good networkers know to always personalize a business card with a note of some sort, like providing their cellphone
number. Handwriting something turns a business card into a personal note which has a higher value. Again the personalized business card will stand out among any others a person may
get.
Of course, if a person is not using the back of their business card it is all the room they will need. On the other hand should someone decide to use the front and back, there should be
plenty of room somewhere to write a note. Just make sure that the note space has a white or very light background to contrast against the ink of the pen for maximum readability.
How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Design
Before shipping off business cards design to the printer you want to make sure and check just how effective the design of your card is. The best way to measure effectiveness is to print them out on your home or office printer. Then show the design to friends, colleagues, and family to get an opinion. However, what you really want to look for is for their initial reaction. If they do not react to your card you probably want to go back and re-work your design. After all, with the people that you meet you want to get their attention and remember you, the business card should be helping you do that.
Networking Tips For Live Events
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Networking Tips For Live Events
Live networking events are a wonderful way to get prospects and is so much better than having to cold call for potential business. However, there are some things that one should avoid doing. So, the following are some networking tips for a live event.
Attending a Networking Event Without a Plan is not Smart Networking
While it is true that showing up is half the battle, knowing what one is going to do when there is the other half. It is always a good idea to have a plan of what you want to accomplish at a networking event. Know how many people to meet or which specific individuals to get to know before you arrive. Write a plan of how early to arrive at an event, how late to stay, and define the goals to be achieved will make a person a much more effective networker at live events. After all, how many other people at the event the think will have a written plan just for that event? Among all the networking tips for a live event, this one alone will make one a winner. That is why it is the first tip.
Do Not Be Caught without a Business Card
Every business professional should carry plenty of business cards, always. With the number of different business card cases there is no excuse not to have a good amount on hand. Plus, one knows that they are attending a networking event where they will be handing out business cards, so they should have plenty. It would be supremely embarrassing to be at a networking event and not have a business card. What does that say about the person who knowingly goes to a live networking event and does not have plenty of business cards? It would speak poorly about that person and reflects on the type of work that they do.
It would actually be good to have two business card cases full of cards when going to a networking event. It is not inconceivable that a person can run out of business cards, so plan for that not to happen. One could even keep a box of business cards in their car in case they needed to reload their business card case. The main thing is to never be without a business card when meeting someone new.
Do Not Spend Too Much Time with People You Know
Networking is about meeting new people. As a matter fact the whole reason to go to a live networking event is to meet new people. Therefore, when at a networking event, as diplomatically as possible, avoid familiar acquaintances. The more one knows a person the less amount of time that should be spent with them. That doesn't mean that anyone is ignored but a simple handshake and hello is all one really needs to give to familiar people. Avoid getting caught up into a conversation with them. If one is truly working the event as an experienced networker, then the networker should already be in conversations with people they don't know. That will alleviate any problems from people feeling ignored or snubbed.
Do Not Be Just On Time, Be Early and Stay Late
Being on-time is being late when it comes to networking tips for a live event. Because a good networker goes to networking to meet people, they know to go early and stay late so they can reach the maximum number of people. It's simply a matter of having more time to meet more people. It also helps because one never knows when certain people will be at an event. Critical prospects may only come early to an event but leave early or vice versa that they came late to an event. By coming early and staying late one maximizes the possibility of meeting everyone that they can including those prospects who may not have much time to spend at the event. Another benefit is that one can offer to help set up before or clean up after an event. This would help one ingratiate themselves to the event's hosts, which will most likely lead to some favorable introductions or referrals later.
Hopefully, by applying these networking tips for a live event one can start to see more business.
Benefits of a Sales CRM Software
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The primary benefit of a sales customer relationship management (CRM) solution is that it makes a business more money. It makes the business more money by making the sales force more efficient in its efforts and by developing stronger relationships with clients and prospects. The following are a few ways how sales CRM software makes all of that happen.
Sales CRM Software Categorizes Clients
A quality sales CRM software permits one to categorize their clients. This is important because what a business sends out to different clients will not always be the same. The more that business can zero in on the target's needs and interests the better the chances for a sale. A very basic categorization would be customers and prospects. One would never send a past customer letter to a prospect or vice versa. However, a sales CRM software can do categorization that is even more specific and customized. It may even turn out that a message is only sent to a single client, and that would be fine because that message would be crafted for just that individual.
Sales CRM Software Provides Multiple Ways to Contact
Having multiple ways to contact clients helps keep contact efforts fresh and new. Imagine if the only way a business contacted their clients was via e-mail, after a while clients would become immune to those efforts. However, some sales systems like Ace of Sales.com provide alternative means to make contact. Alternative ways like sending a card with a custom message or even a custom photograph can really make a difference. Sending a customized postcard can be a quick way to make contact and an impact. And then there is the telephone contact information for a person-to-person phone call. All of these different ways to contact clients or prospects are just more tools available to the sales person (or small business owner).
Manage Client Notes in your Sales CRM Software
Sales is about developing relationships and the more a person knows about their customers the better their sales efforts will be. Harvey Mackay of "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" fame required of his sales force to eventually find out 66 different pieces of information for each client. They were to find out things like education, family, military service, business background, and much more. It is upon this kind of information that relationships can be built. However, that is a lot of information to manage.
That is where sales CRM software benefits the user, it keep tracks of all the client information and details. Imagine without having a sales software keeping track of 66 different pieces of information. Just having 10 clients would make that 660 different pieces of information to manage. That's not to mention the meeting notes and call notes after every contact is made. Sales software makes it all easy to manage and to use.
Ultimately, it is those businesses that make the investment in a sales system software to build customer relationships and manage client information that will be around for a long time.
How effective are you with managing your time in Networking Groups?
Every small business owner has the challenge of getting his or her business name known. And the array of opportunities to market a business is vast but marketing is typically expensive for the small business owner. Where large corporations can wage multimillion dollar ad campaigns, the entrepreneur has to be more selective in its battles. However, networking groups can be a very cost-effective way for one to spend their time rather than their money. Still, there are some tips that can help a small business person to maximize that time spent in their networking groups.
The first tip is to go into a networking event with a plan. The larger the group the more important is the plan. The plan should contain a goal of how many new people you are going to see. The number of new people that you can introduce yourself to is a lot easier in an open event like a MainStreetChamber Commerce mixer, rather than a smaller membership based group we you are likely to know everyone already. Another element the plan should contain is who you are going to see. Even with the membership group where you see everybody weekly, plan to sit next to and get to know one of the members you don't know that well. Always increasing your circle.
The second tip is for membership type groups where everybody knows you and provides you leads. The tip is to understand that your purpose for attending each event is to educate. Not only do you need to educate everybody about what you do, it is more important that you concisely and precisely educate everybody about who is a good prospect for you. If you tell people that everybody is good prospect for you, that tells them nothing. But what you want to do is trigger in their mind specifics about people that can open the floodgates of leads for you. Regardless of your business, your core clientele can be segmented into different groups. For example, if you find that your customers often wear blue shirts and you tell your networking group people who wear blue shirts are good prospects for you. That will immediately trigger memories people that they have seen wearing blue shirts that they know.
The third tip is to prepare your leads early or provide them via e-mail before your weekly (or regularly scheduled meeting). This will save you a lot of time in the meeting so you can be concentrating on tips one and two above. You can always provide leads during the week when you may have more time and simply claim credit later with whatever formal procedure your networking group uses. Do not spend a lot of time in your networking groups clarifying leads that can be done via e-mail or telephone before or after the meetings.
Hopefully, by planning what you want to achieve your networking group meeting, then ready to educate your group, and prepare your leads early your time will be well spent.
Loral Langemeier’s Yes! Energy Review
By · CommentsI've been connected with Loral's Live Out Loud community since 2006 and was ecstatic to here about her new book "Yes! Energy: The Equation to Do Less, Make More." and the Yes! Energy Summit that is coming in September because of the strength I've received to say Yes! to the right people at the right time because of what I've learned from her and the people in the community.
The Yes! Energy Summit is going to be different than your traditional "energy healers" as she offers you the tools to support you when you start saying YES! and gaining new clients. Never fear, Loral is here. Join me and learn from the Yes! Energy Master.
"What is a Yes! Energy Master? A Yes! Energy Master is a true world leader, a person who has harnessed their Yes! Energy and used it to achieve paramount success." – Loral Langemeier
Just say YES! and take action by getting your hands on her new book and get on the email list for the Yes! Energy Newsletter too.
The biggest difference between those who create the life they want, versus those who simply live the life they have, comes down to one simple word:
“Yes!”
Why Yes! Energy?
According to Loral Langemeier "Regardless of your current situation, where you are in the world, or whatever challenges you might be facing, the path to a life of abundance (in all areas of your life) is found by unlocking your “Yes! Energy.”
That’s why Loral Langemeier created a step-by-step approach to show you how to tap into the inspiration, motivation, and passion in your life — every day. Through this book, Loral demonstrates how her “Energy Equation” has helped enhance thousands of lives with no more than a few simple shifts in their daily activity.
I'll let her tell you more about her new book and the summit at her website. It really is a gift from me to you to be able to introduce Loral Langemeier to you and your new found success.
Just say Yes!
Your Business Under the Big Top
By · CommentsExperiential Marketing: What is it?
They are programs that allow consumers to become active participants in a marketing effort. Well planned and executed experiential marketing programs can be very memorable and relevant and can result in a positive change in consumer behavior (such as making a purchase) and attitudes (such as changing brand preference).
Experiential Marketing played a big part in the promotion of the new touring show of 
Cirque Du Soleil OVO under the Big Top near the Mall of America. Fortunately I was able to participate in both the show and the Toddler Tuesday event where I observed young children and their parents learn how the performers prepare for a grand show.
Watching the little ones dance like no one was watching, picking out the design for a swoosh of color on their cheeks and a tickle of the brush on their nose was fun. They are so carefree and giddy with excitement hoping to look like the bugs on the stage. With OVO being a new show teeming with insects while people buzz about the high energy acrobatics that are performed by amazing artists I can’t help but wonder what impact we could have on our own businesses if we studied this performance.
I was in awe with the differences of what goes on behind the scenes verses what we see on the stage. Each costume takes up to 80 hours to complete, the performers work 6 days a week with 8 performances and everyone works together for one common goal. To put on an amazing show that will create memories for years to come.
The preparation, details, dedication and belief within the walls of the Big Top are lessons to be learned for every business owner.
Take a moment to ask yourself these questions about Experiential Marketing in your business:
Do my customers experience my products or services so they tell all of their friends? I certainly bragged about how OVO was incredible and that people show do what they can to go and see a live performance.
Did I WOW my audience with quality work? The costumes take up to 80 hours each to create. They were definitely amazing to look at.
Have I planned and prepared my presentations so that they go on without a glitch? The OVO performers are constantly practicing, tweaking and making sure they are in tip-top shape for the evenings performance.
Do I have the right team in place to help my business run like a well oiled machine? OVO’s team included people selling tickets, food station managers, ushers, technicians for lighting and safety, musicians, and more.
What I love about experiential marketing is the fact that you are engaged with the brand and become one of the best advertising channels for the company. Wouldn’t you rather have word of mouth referrals instead of paying for ads that may not capture the feeling and emotions like your neighbor can?
Do yourself a favor and go to the show. Not just for the entertainment but to watch how people are engaged and energized while at the show. Listen and you will hear the words and phrases like “incredible”, “amazing”, “talented”, “beautiful”, “they must practice all day long”, “I can’t wait to tell my friend”, etc.
Do you have the WOW factor in your business? Watch a short clip from the show now:
Andy Horner’s True Story – Don’t Be Like Brady!
By · CommentsMy friend Andy Horner, chief development officer at Ace of Sales, put this video together for you. He is brilliant at creating salesmakers that help sales people make a sale. Watch this and then leave your comments on this blog post or at the Ace of Sales Facebook fan page. 
On Twitter, You’re More than Just a Number
By · CommentsIt was bound to happen.
We live in a society that judges people based on their appearance, their age, and material possessions – did you really expect Twitter to be any different?
True, there are more than a few users who will judge your Twitter status or efficacy strictly by the number of followers you have. They tend to collect followers like baseball cards, and fancy to count themselves among the Twitter elite.
Well, that’s all well and good, I suppose – but more isn’t always better.
The Pulpit, or the Parlor from a purely logistical perspective, how many genuine connections do you think you can cultivate, nurture and maintain – without spending every waking moment feverishly typing 140-character pleasantries? I don’t know about you, but the notion of trying to keep tabs on twenty thousand of my closest BFF’s sounds more than a bit daunting. In fact, it sounds downright impossible.
Even as I say this, there are sure to be some Twitter users who would vehemently disagree. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. For my part, I prefer to interact in a parlor, as opposed to a pulpit-style atmosphere on Twitter – and in order to do that, you can’t focus on developing a congregation. Instead, you focus on developing a camaraderie. This mindset will likely prevent you from ascending to the elite Twitterati status, but it won’t prevent you from being successful.
The most important things to remember about Twitter are:
* Be yourself. Mama said it best, and she was right.
* Be engaging. Offer insights, ask questions, and join the conversation.
* Be helpful. Retweet posts from others. Your followers will appreciate it, and so will the original poster.
* Avoid the pushy sales pitch. Folks buy from those they know, like and trust.
* Be grateful. Thank those who help you, and those who offer value to you.
* Recognize other Twitter users, and recommend them whenever you can.
* Remember the 80/20 rule – 80% of your business will come from 20% of your customers/prospects.
Of course, this isn’t to say that those folks with tens of thousands of followers aren’t successful (just look at Barack Obama) – but it is a safe bet that the dialogue between user and follower is dramatically different. Like anything else, your mileage may vary.
At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that Twitter is a tool, and the manner in which you use it will determine your overall success.
Power Through the People
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You are in a room full of people and across the way you see someone who is naturally friendly and has the gift to gab or even better, the gift of making friends. We call them a people-person, someone unbelievably nice and charismatic that they can charm anyone into doing anything.
A socially-empowered person achieves greatness because of the people he surrounds himself with. He earns the trust and all-out support of the people whom he helped before. He can do anything with the plethora of people behind him. All because he knows how to maximize his social potential with self-empowerment!
Self-empowerment is making a general overhaul in your life and turning yourself into a happier and more successful person. Here are a few tips on how to make it happen:
1. Be genuine.
Hypocrisy will just bring you all the way down. Be genuinely nice and interested to people. Once they perceive that you are Mr. Hypocrite with selfish intentions, you might as well say goodbye to self-empowerment.
2. Be the greatest listener that you can be.
To earn the love and trust of the people, listen to their problems and sympathize with them. Do not just hear them out, listen to them with your heart. Make eye contact when the person talks to you. Listen as if every word matters and it does. Brownie points when they find out that there is a confidante in you.
3. Laugh out loud.
I do not mean that you force yourself to laugh for every joke cracked by someone, albeit you do not find it funny at all. This means finding humor in things and not being too darn serious. A person oozing with an awesome sense of humor attracts crowds and eventually, attracts success.
4. Don’t forget yourself.
In the process of fluttering around like a social butterfly, you might forget yourself, allowing everyone to push you over. Remember, love and value yourself before anyone else. If you deem yourself respectable and worthy of affection, people will flock to you and not trample on you.
5. Do random acts of kindness.
You don’t have to do a John Rockefeller and blow your savings to charity. Little acts of kindness matters the most and this can be as simple as giving someone a surprise you-take-care card or helping an elderly cross the street. When we were kindergarten students, kindness was taught to us and greatly practiced. Now is the time to revive the good deeds and this time, let them stay for good.
6. Contact your old friends.
Sad how some friendships are destined to goodbye, but thanks to technology, you can do something about it. Relive the good old days by flipping your yearbook and look for the great people whom you want to communicate with again. Adding these old friends to your roster of support peers will surely make you feel good all over.
7. Develop your personality.
Are you grouchy, grumpy and generally morose? Whoa, you can’t go through life with those. Get rid of the bad traits and habits that perpetually hamper your growth. And really, who wants a grouchy friend anyway?
8. Be confident.
Be able to stride to the other corner of the room and introduce yourself to people with that winning smile of yours. Just remember: be confident, not arrogant.
9. Practice control.
When angry, don’t snap at anyone. Never throw a tantrum. Stay calm and collected. Be adult enough to take control of situation and transform your anger into something more productive and passive. As soon as people think your anger goes to volcanic proportions easily, they will find it hard to come to you.
10. Keep nurturing your relationships.
Your relationship with your family, friends and significant others is too precious that you must not neglect it whatever happens. Go out and have fun with them. Do things together. Happiness will never fly from your side as long as the people who matter the most are close to you.
In the end, using people for self-empowerment means becoming a better and more lovable person. It’s a win-win situation: the people know they can turn to you anytime and vice versa.
MainStreetChamber VIP Card – List Your Business
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With over 100 national retailers and thousands of local businesses. Save money on everything from prescription drugs and insurance to office supplies and restaurants
Today, saving money is not just for those on a modest income. Coupon clipping and consignment shops are becoming almost chic. Of course, people who have achieved financial security have always known the importance of being frugal.
Consumers today are so motivated to save money that they spend hours searching for the best deals and clipping coupons. Discount retailers like Sam’s Club and Costco have attracted millions of customers who are willing to pay annual fees for the opportunity to save money. Perhaps you have purchased one of those entertainment coupon books or belong to the Diner’s Club.
However, if you are like me, when you get ready to make a purchase, coupons don’t do you any good because you either forget to bring them along, or, you drag them around for so long that they expire. Or, the entertainment coupon book you bought is so heavy that you usually don’t have it with you when you need it. Buying in large quantities from discount clubs is pointless because I don’t have the room to store things like five gallon jugs of shampoo, 10 boxes of cereal or 100 roll packs of toilet paper. Besides, coupons are not even available for certain items that I might like to purchase.
So, what do I do to save money? I use the MainStreetChamber VIP Membership Card. It saves me money on everything from prescription drugs and insurance to office supplies and restaurants. Plus, it fits in my wallet and never, ever expires. With the VIP card I save money on products and services from hundreds of national retailers including Wal-Mart, Macys, FedEx, UPS, Office Depot, Costal Contacts, PetSmart, Comp USA, Footlocker, Tiger Direct, CDW, Wyndham Hotels, Days Inn, Hertz rental car, 1-800-Flowers.com and thousands of local businesses.
Each month, thousands of local businesses are joining MainStreetChamber and offering discounts to VIP Card holders. This means that besides national retailers, you can save money on products and services you purchase from local businesses. Whether you need accounting services, tax preparation, legal services, website design, help with marketing strategies, a unique gift for that special person, (think of some more), chances are, you can find a source near you at a very special VIP price. As our Chamber grows, new offers are added every day. Therefore your VIP Card becomes more valuable every day!
Do you see why I use the VIP Membership card? Did I mention that it never expires and there are no renewal fees. How cool is that? Of course, a card that never expires and will save you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime, can’t be cheap. You would expect to pay at least hundreds of dollars for such a valuable card. But, you can purchase the VIP Membership card during our launch for the low price of just $39.99!
Remember, this is a one time fee. Not an annual fee! All you need do is click this special link and order your card today. Your card will arrive within just a few days and you can start saving right away. Trust me when I say you’ll be glad you did!
