Social networks are a great tool to leverage when you need to find new clients for business but some social networks are much more effective at helping you find new clients than others, take LinkedIn for example. Unlike the odd bunch you find on Facebook usually there to have fun and interact with their friends, LinkedIn is a business-oriented social network people join in order to make business connections and find new opportunities in their fields of endeavor.

LinkedIn: One of the best small business resources to discover new business opportunities
A brief look at the LinkedIn platform will show you people whose profiles are categorized according to countries, industries and companies where they work, educational institutions they attended, their fields of specialty and if you are registered on the LinkedIn platform, who they possibly know that you might know within your network as well. LinkedIn also has interest Groups where people from a particular field or industry or people with common business interests participate in.
Using these details, you easily find out that you have access to the following information:

1. People with specific positions within a company or industry
2. Target market of persons and companies for your products and services
3. Related industries which might be interested in products and services you have to offer
4. Groups in which you can network to discover new clients

Marketing for small business: LinkedIn features you should know about

Another useful feature which LinkedIn offers is the ability to market to members through the use of its in-platform advertising system. With this tool instead of bothering yourself about making direct contact with other members or sending information which may end up not being replied to, you can easily set up an ad or a series of ads and list the parameters and demographic you want these ads to target. After this you can simply watch the new leads and clients come in based on the effectiveness of your advertising campaign.

You can also used LinkedIn to find out which events your connections or at least people in your industry are attending and how to attend these events to physically network with potential new clients within your industry. You can even market your products and services at such events, the events may provide you with insight as to the direction your industry is headed and potential new developments you would otherwise be unaware of.

One great tool which people tend to overlook on the LinkedIn platform is the search field, where you can search for People, Groups, Companies, Jobs as well as a number of other details. I’ve listed the People, Groups and Companies aspect because these are the most important when seeking out new clients.

You can easily put in a search term for whatever product or service you’re selling and see the companies, people or groups dedicated to those interested in the product. The number of leads you get from this search activity depends on how creative you are in seeking out search terms which People, Groups or Companies may have included as part of their information on the platform and which would be an indication that they are interested in whatever you have to offer.

The final great tool on LinkedIn which will help with sourcing new clients through the platform is LinkedIn Answers which can also be accessed via the search form as well as the “More” category option on the menu bar once logged into LinkedIn. Using LinkedIn Answers requires constant participation on the platform as it is an area where members get to ask questions and other members get to answer them.

Using this tool, you can find your area of specialty on LinkedIn and the answer other member questions regularly with the aim of becoming an authority in your area of specialty on LinkedIn. This will improve your profile ranking on the website and also introduce you to new clients who want further information based on the answers you may have provided or your recognized expertise within that industry. Several individuals have made use of this means to attract new business to their companies and profit from it immensely.

In closing, LinkedIn is a great tool for business and it goes beyond the simple listing of your personal profile and connections with people you have already done business with. Using the tips and tools offered here you can leverage this business-oriented social network platform in order to get an unlimited number of new clients.

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at https://www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

Our perceptions sometimes get us in trouble. We might believe someone is thinking something about a situation, only to realize we were completely off base. Communication is the key to determining what someone is thinking, but absolute communication is not always possible. As business owners, it is our job to remove our perceptions about what our target market needs and determine what it is they really want. This is the secret to attracting new clients in crowds.

2-Way Communication is Key to Business Growth

The first step to objectively defining what a target market wants is to communicate with them. Effective communication allows us to eliminate the false perceptions and get to the bottom of what our clients really want. Opening lines of communication is essential, but it requires a great deal of creativity when you are trying to reach out to a large group of diverse people. Our tendency as business owners is to constantly supply information. If you are able to create a more symbiotic relationship between you and your audience, you will have more success.

How to Increase Sales? For Starters, Get People Talking!

The secret to attracting clients in crowds is to create an environment in which they want to participate. Look for ways to open up lines of communication with your audience. If you are sending a newsletter, encourage readers to respond with questions and surveys. You can tailor the questions and surveys in a way that enables you to learn about your audience, as well as allowing your audience to glean more information from one another. The way you ask your questions is important. For instance:

Broad Questions that Do Not Evoke Specific, Useful Answers
• Do you like doing business with our company?
• Do you read our newsletter?
• Have you purchased from us before?
• Do you plan to purchase from us again?
• Is there anything we can do to improve our products or services?

Questions that Elicit Useful Answers
1. What do you like about doing business with our company?
2. What is your favorite part of our newsletter?
3. What has been your favorite service purchased from us in the past?
4. What do you plan to purchase next and why?
5. What product or service would you like to see us offer in the future?

The second set of questions eliminates the ability to give only a yes or no answer. In order to answer the question, clients will need to tell you information you can later use to improve your business.

If you have a business website, you can also create a forum allowing your audience to interact with one another. You can also allow comment posting on your site, but in both cases, it is important to keep unhelpful comments and conversations under control. Moderate the communication on your website and forum, so it is as beneficial to visitors as it is to you.

Solicit Feedback

Another way to weed out perceptions and learn what it is your audience really wants is to solicit feedback about specific products and services. Understanding a group’s likes and dislikes is the secret to attracting new clients. This can be done with products or services you offer, or in regard to other products and services they have used. People love to give advice and information about things that have made their lives easier, as well as things that have made them unhappy. As you learn about their likes and dislikes, you can apply it to your business.

Apply What You Learn

Once you have gathered information from your audience, you need to apply it to your offers in the best way possible. This is the secret to attracting new clients because you are capitalizing on what you have learned about a group. All of the information in the world is useless if you are not able to translate it into something that will have them running back to you for more. This process requires a bit of trial and error, but you are already ahead of the game because you are aware of what your target market actually wants. A savvy business owner is able to turn knowledge into a way to attract new clients.

View every interaction with your audience as a chance to gather information. All too often business owners get caught up in getting their information out there and they miss out on the benefits of give-and-take with their audience. Continued improvement and success is only possible when we listen to our audience and give them what they want, instead of what we assume they need.

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

I recently got an email from the president of a fast growing IT company seeking some marketing counsel on business from me. He asked if I would evaluate the sales letter they have been using to schedule information meetings with contacts they meet at various networking events.

The letter I read was the typical “WWD” (what-we-do) type of letter, very lengthy, full of industry jargon and certainly comprehensive with all of his company’s service features.

At my first read I found 7 glaring fatal mistakes (ok, glaring to me, but not necessarily glaring to a non-expert). I am happy to share my marketing advice on tiny business with you, so you don’t make these same fatal errors. Here are 7 mistakes you and your sales team should avoid.

Mistake #1:You are firing the “sales gun” too soon.

Given the framework that you are using this letter to a person who has only met you in the context of a 30 second commercial your letter of sales is rushing the process to 3rd base when they have not followed you to 1st and 2nd base as of yet.

You’re charging straight in with your company’s features and sales pitch (your “WWD” pitch) when you have not brought the prospect to acknowledging their problem — you know, the problem that you solve. You need to first create greater awareness on their specific pain point and fuel desire and urgency in the prospect to want to get their problem solved.

Mistake #2: You are giving your sales presentation in the letter.

Here’s where I think the business community should all permanently strike that terminology right out of our vocabulary because it’s terribly misleading for business expansion managers, rainmakers, Entrepreneurs and small industry owners. Sending out a sales letter should not translate into you needing to do any “selling” at all.

Remember the objective of your first correspondence is to hook interest to build a relationship.  In the process of doing that you can identify whether they have a need for what you offer.

In your letter you are throwing everything and the kitchen sink by your comprehensive description of every single thing you offer. While many other people also take this approach when trying to educate prospects on what you can do for them, I find that it diminishes and detracts from your ability to hone in on the 1 or 2 key hot buttons they would have had. My recommendation for you on marketing of your small trade is to spend the time in your early communications to ask the right discovery questions.

Mistake #3: You’re sending them too much information they haven’t asked for yet.

I would never recommend this much information in an email, particularly, in your very first email outreach. As you know information overload causes confusion, and confused mind just says no.  This amount and scope of content is more appropriate for 2nd base stage in the form of marketing collateral after the prospect is actively soliciting the solution to their problem.

Mistake #4: Poor formatting and presentation of copy.

Even when you’ve got them at this point, (stage 2) avoid using long chunks of paragraphs to explain your features and benefits.  Format your visual organization to make it easy for the prospect to follow, retain and be sold on the key hot buttons on how your company solves their problem as well as why you’re company is the obvious choice for them.

a. limit paragraphs to 2-3 lines

b. use bullets

c. sound bytes vs. essay

d. font sizes /bold to hit key points

Mistake #5: You’re making them feel too removed.

Here’s another great small commerce advice on marketing: Make a subtle change in words. Whenever you use words like “our clients” and “they/their” replace with “you” and your company”. It makes it more personal, more relevant and more direct. When they read about “other clients” it makes your message far more removed to them.  Plus, for the number of times you use the word “you” it also helps the prospect to subconsciously visualize themselves as the recipient of your services.

Mistake #6: You’re focusing on the features

Always open and close with the key, specific benefits to the prospect in the areas that you already learned that person cares about the most.

a. What that does it grabs their attention immediately when you open with the translation of their specific benefits

b. It pulls you out of the perception of “pitching TO THEM” category to the prospect feeling that you are genuinely trying to do something “for” them.

c. It keeps the prospect focused on what is at stake. What will they now be able to do or have by choosing to move forward with (your company) that they currently cannot do or have right now?

Mistake #7: Your letter is missing the “WIIF”

aka what’s-in-it-for-me?  So all that to lead to my final small business counsel on marketing is on writing effective letters of sales that at this beginning stage of 1st follow up from a 30 sec commercial / networking event I would recommend you change your focus instead to learning more about how you could best help them — whether their priorities are strategic introductions to potential prospects, referral partners, new talent, vendors etc.. It is in the context of this type of conversation that it is much easier to segway into asking discovery questions for you to learn about how they feel about their current IT solution and what is most important to them as far as their IT is concerned.

So, in closing I encourage you to get started today on implementing these 7 little business tips on marketing in your approach to writing result oriented sales letters to your networking contacts. I also invite you to let me know about the difference it has made for you as you shift your letter strategy. You can connect with me at my contact below.

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

As small business owners and Entrepreneurs you know the constant challenge that comes with having to wear all the hats. It’s no wonder how easy it is to get overwhelmed and overloaded.

There is always so much, entrepreneurs want to get done, and they all seem to scream “now!”  It’s hard to see the light when you’re up to your ears in work and trying to get it all done. Nothing good ever comes of trying to fit everything in at one time, so we must remember to prioritize and pace ourselves. The productivity tips to achieving our goals are to plan out exactly we want to gain from it and determine the necessary steps to make our goal. In order to ensure a successful outcome and best time management, here are 5 productivity tips to help:

1. Give yourself enough time

from start to finish for any project you’ll be doing. Keep any deadlines in mind so that you are not crunching to find time last minute. If you get better at allotting enough time to see a project through to completion, you will also get better at delaying new projects until you can finish the first one. The entrepreneurs should emphasize on time management and focus management and they will see that the goals have been received without much toil.

2. Create a working environment that is comfortable

for multiple hours at a time. Being in an organized place helps to cut down on overwhelming feelings and you’ll know exactly where to find everything when you need it.

3. Minimize any distractions

to help keep a clear mind. In other words, put emphasis on focus management. It takes more time to refresh our memory of where we left off then to cut the distractions to stay focused. That means turn off your emails and turn off your phone during the duration of focusing on the project at hand.

4. Taking breaks in between projects

will help to refresh the brain and allow the creative thinking process to start in a more positive direction. You will be more likely to give 100% of your best effort after you’ve allowed yourself time to “recharge your batteries”. So, next time you find yourself staring at the blank computer screen take a break and come back to it.

5. Plan in regular free days.

Most of the entrepreneurs and small business owners I work with tend to have type “A” personalities. You are ambitious. You are driven. You know how to work hard. But, often times our greatest strengths can work against us and become our greatest weakness. Beware however; we all hit the point of diminishing returns. So, to avoid that plan ahead regular free days as well as free weeks.

I’ve certainly learned the hard way of not doing this. It’s called spinning your wheels. This sounds contrarian, but you can truly achieve a lot more simply by doing less. David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, says that productivity is directly related to our ability to learn how to relax. Steven Covey has been saying the same thing as well in his best seller on ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, where he emphasizes the importance of “sharpening the saw”.

We send in our cars to get regular tune up’s. Our computers need to get shut down to re-boot. The athlete’s need to recover is just as important as their days of cross training. So, it is no different with you as a business owner or an entrepreneur. You need recover days and even recovery weeks throughout the year for you to stay sharp and give your very best performance as an Entrepreneur.

Keeping in mind each of these productivity tips will help you to stay productive and improve the quality in your work. Time is your greatest tool and it will benefit you when given the chance to be used effectively. Doing the smaller things like; starting fresh and having a positive attitude will ensure a successful outcome.

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

I see business growth as a 3 legged stool.  One of those legs to growing your business is of course, MARKETING.  You need to continually attract a steady flow of new clients whom you can continue to do business with.  The second leg of that stool has a lot to do with how you leverage your TIME. We all have the same exact amount of time, but we can get vastly different returns on our time — impacted by what we focused on doing with our time. The third leg that can accelerate your business growth is through GROWING YOUR LEADERSHIP. You can scale your business growth a whole lot faster if you are not the only one having to take care of everything.

Leadership is what you need for development. Development is when you have a team of competent, trusted, loyal professionals who you can count on for the long haul.

In his 1989 book “On Becoming a Leader”, organizational consultant, author and scholar Warren Bennis explains the differences between a manager and a leader:

“The manager administers; the leader innovates.

The manager is a copy; the leader is an original.

The manager maintains; the leader develops.

The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people.

The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust.

The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.

The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why.

The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.

The manager imitates; the leader originates.

The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it.

The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person.

The manager does things right; the leader does the right thing.”

While a manager and a leader are not one in the same, there is no denying that the two go hand in hand.  A manager plans and organizes, and a leader motivates and inspires.  It is no secret that running a business requires both management and leadership, but the trick is to find the right balance of the two.

Are you providing your team with the tools and motivation necessary to reach your business growth goals?  Are you leading a purpose-driven company or have you been allowing the stagnant status quo?

The game of growing your business to the next level does not have to be a complicated puzzle. Keep it simple by seeing the foundation of your growth as a 3-legged stool. Yours just might be missing that 3rd leg.  Growing your leadership is an important component to growing your business.

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at http://www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

For most small business owners and Entrepreneurs sustaining business growth in today’s economy can feel like you’re treading water — which is unnecessarily exhausting when you’re doing those 52 weeks a year.

A well thought out marketing plan to attract new customers is important factor to generate business growth. But, all too often Entrepreneurs and small business owners overlook two other strategic initiatives that can also impact your business growth in a powerful way. That would be increasing customer loyalty and motivating employee productivity.

We all know it’s much easier to focus on getting repeat business from customers who have already purchased from you than it is to woo and convert a brand new potential buyer to trying you out.  Instead of constantly focusing on where I can find new customers, it’s so much more productive to ask the question, “Who are our best customers now? (You know the ones who already know, like, trust and LOVE us). And, how can we better serve their specific needs?”

The second powerful strategy to impact your business growth is in the area of motivating employee productivity. As a business growth coach, what I often find inside these small and mid-size companies I help, is that not enough people are having the time to fully execute the marketing plan that they do have because everyone in the company (including the president) is too busy putting out fires and reacting to the series of hiccups throughout the work day.

So, by increasing employee productivity, your business can now create and devote the necessary time and energy to execute the marketing plan that will lead to new business growth.

So, what can you do to build devotion and loyalty from your customers and even from your employees?

How can you motivate your employees to do more with less?

The answer to all three of these questions lies in leading a purpose driven company. Companies that are purpose driven essentially yield higher profits than those that are not. Those that adhere to a mission, or clearly defined goals, innovation or values, and for that matter, to a purpose are much less likely to falter even during harsh economic times. Many companies thus have initiated towards the idea of a purpose driven organization.

Here are 4 key questions that will guide you towards leading a purpose-driven company:

1) Why do we exist?

Who are you and what is your business all about?  What is it that you do for your clients?  If you’re 3M your core purpose isn’t really riding on selling millions of post-it stickers, nor is it about selling all things sticky. 3M’s core purpose was all about innovation.

One of the by-products of their core purpose was of course, the hot selling post-it sticker which luckily translated into millions of dollars in profits. But, what if you’re not a giant like 3M? What if you’re a small business? You can still have a powerful purpose statement even if you’re a solopreneur.

For example, my own mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs like you, so you can accelerate explosive business growth. The purpose that drives me is to change lives. For me, that’s what it’s truly about. If I can help Entrepreneurs unlock and open up new doors for business growth I know that everyone that I have helped will then in turn be able to impact thousands and millions more.

So, what about your business?  What’s it all for?

2) What do we want to accomplish?

In the long term scheme of things what is it that you want to be known for? If you were inducted to the “Hall of Fame”, what is the key accomplishment you most want to be remembered for?

3) What will our success look like?

What will your business be like once you have achieved your goals?  What is the end result – the target – that you are striving for?  The clearer your end goals are the easier it will be for you to make hundreds of daily decisions. You can ask yourself – “will doing X get me closer to my goal or will it distract me away from my goal?”

4) What are our values?

What are your business’s core and unwavering principles that guide (or, at least, should guide) all business practices and decisions?  Let’s take families. Out of all the families that you know, how many of them could you articulate and match their intended values statement solely by the way you know how they live and behave? — Sadly, it’s probably only a small few. Likewise, would your own clients know you and your business by the way you live out your own business values?

PLUS, here’s 1 more tip to steer you in the right direction:

Recruit the right people.

You can train an employee to use a new skill, but you can’t train an employee to share your business’s values.  Recruit employees whose values are in line with those of your business and will help your business to preserve its values while achieving its goals.

While your business model does need to turn a profit to stay solvent, focusing on profits alone is not enough to weather tough economic storms or those pesky competitors waging price wars.

If you’re in the business to create a company built to last, then you need to build loyal fans (customers) and devoted employees.  Yes, of course, customers will always enjoy getting the great deal and employees will always like getting fat bonuses. But, the glue that really makes them stick is not the discount shopping or the pay scale. The glue is them knowing what you stand for and believing in what you stand for. It’s what sheds meaning and purpose behind what you do. Even in a recession, and especially in a recession, it is a purpose driven company (which stems from you) that propels productivity and passion in your people.

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at http://www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

Do you want to generate more profits in 2012?  (Yes, who doesn’t?)

As small business owners and Entrepreneurs you are acutely aware of keeping your eye on the bottom line. If you want to raise that number of what’s left over at the end of the year there’s 3 ways you can go about it.

1. Generate more clients

2. Raise your fees for your products and services and/or

3. Streamline your business to be leaner, tighter and cheaper.

In this article I want to focus on #3 to give you some great ideas to help you achieve a leaner business.

If cash flow is too thin to invest in bolder marketing campaigns and growing competition keeps crowding you from confidently raising your prices, then the way to ease your cash flow and increase profits is to lower the cost of running your business.

The first step to a leaner business is to streamline your processes. Look for every opportunity to systematize tasks and functions.

Remember that the word system is often used as an acronym for: Save Your-Self Time, Energy and Money … I like to add an “s” to that word to also include “Sanity” … and an old system that is grossly inefficient and ineffective definitely makes me insane too — much like sitting in traffic for an hour when I know it could have only taken 15 minutes if I would have just had the foresight to take the back roads.

Ok, so you’ve probably already logged online to track down that new app or software to efficiently manage your billing receipts (or some other time consuming task) and before you know it moments turned into hours and maybe even days and weeks and now you’re virtually drowning in solutions to your problems.

So, what’s the best way to streamline work for you? I don’t know the exact answer for you because I don’t yet know you and your company. You know who does? Your work force.

Thus in areas of low efficiency let your workforce loose on the problem to come up with their ideas on how to run a leaner business. After all instead of you spending that time online guessing what you need let your people carry out their own investigations and decide. A better informed solution is likely to appear.

Consider these simple methods to generate the self appointing problem solving mindset:

1. Empower your people

Share with your employees that the business is resting on their shoulders and as such they each have some personal stake in it. Perhaps a frank and honest chat about how you believe each employee can and should sit and think about the best way to their work, instead of mindlessly doing it the way they’ve been taught.

2. Reward their ideas.

The classic motivator handed out to the initiative grabbers. Those few who either had a useful idea through sheer brilliance or those who spent their 5 minute coffee break looking up software that meant easy compiling of the invoice files for their future convenience. If one of your employees can find a way to shave the time it takes to perform a repetitive task it will help you achieve a leaner business. Even at a seemingly insignificant savings of say, 15 min multiplied on a daily basis, by the end of the year can add up to quite a substantial amount of savings.

3. Conduct regular Mastermind meetings.

I find that many business owners hold a misguided belief that scheduling a staff meeting is an event where you expect yourself to do most of the talking. Consider instead to shift that completely, to creating an environment where THEY are doing most of the talking.

In a mastermind format you act much like a conductor of a great symphony orchestra. You are allowing your performers to build upon each other’s ideas, opinions, insights, and even giving useful push-back.  You feel like you’re chasing your tail most likely because you’re trying to play every instrument. You don’t have to be the one to come up with all of the solutions. Remember, you’re the conductor. Let each of your people perform their part.

When you keep letting them know you value their opinions, it’s quite magical how they begin to contribute in a more valuable way. One of my favorite quotes was said by former Packer’s coach Vince Lombardi – “treat them as champions, and they will play like champions”

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know that a 4th method is to

4. Engage outside help

What often happens in any organization is a stale “group-think” type of syndrome. Getting a fresh, outside perspective can prove invaluable to suddenly shrink down with a much leaner business.  Sometimes it can be tough for you to identify what you should consider letting go of.  If you’ve ever watched the popular TV show: HOARDERS, BURIED ALIVE, you see an exaggerated and amplified version of just how many people can hurt themselves by not being able to let go.  On the show it always takes an outside expert organizer to direct the person on what things they need to let go of.

While you and your staff can certainly find ways to streamline your business processes, if you want to further tighten the system for an even leaner business, it is well worth the initial investment to engage outside expert help.

You can make your marketing process leaner by shortening the time and cost of acquisition. You can make your payroll leaner by simplifying your customer support processes. You can also make your payroll leaner by increasing staff productivity replacing archaic, mistake-ridden methods with tools and technology that can generate better results in a fraction of the time. You could also prune back and eliminate some of your low-producing products, services and even customers. It’s amazing how it can all add up to quite a size-able chunk by the end of the year.

WARNING:  Your focus on having a leaner business this year does not mean you should cut out your marketing budget. Ongoing marketing is a necessity for every business to attract new clients. Revenues from new customers are equally important factor to increasing profits.

Creating a leaner business is not a onetime change. It is a mindset you want to embrace throughout the year to continually evaluate opportunities to help you increase your bottom line profits.

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

Is business a little slow for you right now? 

Most people naturally think they should do more marketing to pump up more business. But, doing more marketing alone will not necessarily lead to more business. The message in your marketing has got to stand out in what I call your WOW factor. 

Finding your WOW Factor is about knowing what you’re selling. A lot of business owners and sales reps try to sell the wrong thing. If you’re a mortgage broker, the logical thing to do is try to sell mortgages. If you’re a web design company the logical thing to do is try to sell websites. If you’re in the technology industry, you might be trying to sell video conferencing. But, these are all commodities. Your business can be transformed by simply shifting your focus on what it is that you’re really selling. 

If you ever registered for one of my WOW Factor webinars or seminars in it I have shared 6-8 different ways you can position your WOW Factor. One of those was by being known as the expert in your field.  I show you HOW you can find your own WOW Factor (in my Marketing Action GROUP Coaching Club), but first you should also understand the WHY?  

Here’s 4 outcomes that happen when you become the known expert in your industry:

1) You convert a higher percentage of clients because they already trust you, know you and like you.  If you aren’t already tracking your closing ratio, you should start implementing this as a standard weekly practice. For those of you who are tracking this, I want to share that it is not uncommon for me to hear about 30% closing ratios and even as low as 10% — yikes! That means that you’re spending all those hours preparing proposals and scheduling follow up meetings only to strike out the majority of times when you’re finally up at bat. If your prospect, who is expressing interest in possible doing business with you, already knows and has confidence in your expertise they’re already 80% sold on you before they even raise their hand. So, you’re already at 3rd base by the time they call. 

2) You spread greater scale of word of mouth.  I was in NYC this past weekend visiting old friends. You know, I can’t tell you how many times in a 3 day period I heard one of my Manhatten friends share that that X is the best bakery in all of NYC, and X is the only doctor they would recommend in all of NYC, or X is absolutely the best Physical Therapist in NYC…. All I could think was wow, I’m so impressed these business owners sure did an effective job at building their expertise! 

3) You convert a higher percentage of new referral clients.  So, on my NYC visit I inquired about how our friends’ health has been. Our friends (both the husband and the wife) suffered a long, arduous recovery with lyme disease. They both practically recited a thesis on how much they owe to their one doctor and how he is the only doctor who is the only go-to expert when it comes to lyme disease. Well, it’s also no surprise, that I also find out how many of their friends in their lyme-ridden Long Island community have also ended up going to see Dr. X…. so whether you are an expert solving a specific health problem or you’re an expert in solving a specific business problem, building your platform of expertise rapidly spreads strong word of mouth referrals.

4) You make it easier for others to refer you to their following.  Don’t forget that people not only ask their friends and trusted advisors, “Who do you recommend that …”, but the second and more important question they follow that with is “WHY do you recommend that person?” … Are you deliberately building your WHY factor?

Committed to Your Success ~

Business Growth Expert, Yoon Cannon has helped hundreds of CEO’s, Entrepreneurs & small business owners gain dramatic results in your sales, marketing & strategic planning. Yoon’s mission is to encourage, equip and empower Entrepreneurs, so you can accelerate explosive business growth!

Having started, built (and sold) 3 other companies, Yoon offers a fresh, outside perspective from a seasoned entrepreneur. Yoon’s clients represent B2B, Direct Sales industry, Family-Run Businesses, Franchises, Healthcare/BioTech, Law Firms, Manufacturing & Small Business Owners.

Yoon Cannon has been published in The Philadelphia Business Journal, JP Morgan Chase Ink Magazine, ASI’s Counselor magazine, W4 magazine and many others. Yoon is also a frequent guest expert on radio show programs throughout the US. Yoon Cannon continues to be in demand as the featured speaker for many corporate and industry Association conference events.

For receive Yoon’s free 80 min. video training on How to Find Your WOW Factor just click LIKE at www.Facebook.com/YoonCannonParamountBusinessCoach To speak to Yoon direct call (215) 292-4947 EST.

Q: I have a team of 11 sales reps who have all been working for me for the past 5-10 yrs.  I know I should be holding regular meetings with them, but I’m stuck on what to talk about each week.

                                                                                    – Bob Kelly

                                                                                      Austin, Texas

A: Bob, you’re right about the importance of holding regular meetings with your sales team.  Building steady business growth is definitely a team effort. Getting better should be expected of everyone.  Here’s a simple meeting structure that has been a tremendous help to me in the past to effectively motivate and inspire my sales teams.  (I’ve also used this for my office staff).   I have used this structure week in and week out for years.

Part I: RECOGNITION  Whether you’re having a meeting with 11 people, 50 people or just 4, it sets a positive tone and energy to find something to recognize in some or all of your meeting attendees.  I’ve even written them up and taped them all around the walls which always delivered a stronger message than just my words alone because they can read it longer than the time it took me to speak it. While it’s important to look ahead and communicate your vision, I believe it’s just as important to look behind and recognize how far people have come.

Part II: INFORMATION  This is the housekeeping tid-bits of FYI stuff you want everyone to be aware of and note in their calendars, project folders, etc.

Part III: INSTRUCTION  Never undermine the importance of ongoing training. I’ve heard from some business owners that they don’t need to train their top sales people because they’ve been doing their jobs for 10 years, and they know what they’re doing. I emphatically disagree! That’s like expecting pro football players to skip the training camp and send them right into the kickoff game – bad idea!  Spend 30-45 min during your weekly staff meeting to help your people improve one specific skill they use and need to better perform their jobs. Trust me, even for your seasoned sales reps you’ll never run out of drill-for-skill content.

Part IV: INSPIRATION  It’s always powerful for your people to be inspired by the milestones achieved by their own colleagues. So, invite one of your sales leaders to share for 5-15 minutes on how they achieved _____. 

Part V: MOTIVATION  I always found getting people to perform better to be a 2 step formula. While instruction trains their heads, motivation is about their hearts. They have to want to excel. Even the ones who said they were self-motivated still perform better with a deliberate dose of motivational words from you, their leader. Tell them why this week is different. What is at stake this month? Why should they care? What is the target you want them to stretch to reach?  What’s it all for this quarter? How can you help your people get out of their comfort zone?  What will it take to help them get their game faces on?

Bob, I hope that answers your question and gives you some very specific action steps you can take.

P.S. If you’re ready to grow your business but don’t quite know where to start, you’re not alone!  Most business owners are great at their business, but not necessarily great at marketing their businesses.  If you’re ready to win the game of marketing once and for all, then take a look at my next Marketing Action Small GROUP Coaching program. 

Just shoot me an email and I’ll send you the complete information about this game changing marketing system. YoonCannon@ParamountBusinessCoach.com

Committed to Your Success ~

Yoon ~

Yoon Cannon

Business Growth Expert

Paramount Business Coach

Phone 215-292-4947 EST

There is a special species of bamboo that grows in China and the Far East.  After the bamboo is planted, no visible growth occurs for up to 5 years.  Even under ideal conditions, the plant shows no signs of growth for years after it is planted.

Then suddenly, as if by magic, the bamboo begins to grow at a rate of nearly 2 ½ feet per day until it reaches its full height of 90 feet!

The bamboo farmer who persistently cares for the seemingly barren land will reap the rewards once the bamboo shoots take off.  He knows that the rapid growth of the bamboo is not at all magical – the bamboo is able to grow so quickly because it spends the first five years of its life developing miles of roots to support its growth.  

As a business owner, you must also develop a “root system”. When it comes to your marketing tactics, are you patient in your persistence or do you swiftly abort tactics that do not result in immediate prospect inquiries?  Frequently, it is just when a tactic was about to begin to take root that the business owner quits and moves on to trying something else.  Often times, the difference between successful outcomes and failed outcomes is the one degree difference in your own mental state of mind between ‘trying’ and ‘committing’.

How about in your prospect conversion strategy? Do you have a follow up system that keeps in touch with your prospects for up to 2 years or do you typically give up after just 2 or 3 follow ups?  Did you know that, on average, businesses have to follow up with potential clients 8 times in order to make the sale?! 

So, if you’re not happy with the results of your marketing, ask yourself, “Have I been patiently persistent?”

If you’re considering whether to abort a specific tactic take a good look at your actual efforts and ask yourself, “Have I simply been trying or have I truly committed to this tactic?”

Committed to Your Success ~

Yoon ~

Yoon Cannon

Business Growth Expert

Paramount Business Coach

Phone 215-292-4947 EST