Everybody Loves Raymond....You Should Too!
Popular TV Series Provides a Powerful Marketing LessonSmall Business owners spend a great deal of mental effort and time trying to dream up the next big marketing idea for their business. I’m all for that. It’s a good time investment for any small business owner to think about ways to promote their business. While you’re thinking, keep in mind that some of the most successful ideas aren’t new at all. Just ask Ray Romano.Romano is the creator and star of the hit series Everybody Loves Raymond™. The show is a ratings winner for CBS, and is generally regarded as one of the best sitcoms on TV. Is it funny? You bet. Was it created using a completely new and unique concept? Not at all.Everybody Loves Raymond is a sitcom about one family’s life in a New York suburb. The twist in the show is that Ray’s annoying parents live right across the road, and his mother’s constant meddling in Ray’s affairs is a primary source of the show’s laughs. It’s a formula that has been used in countless sitcoms dating back at least 30 years. (Remember how Fred Flintstone used to dread his mother-in-law’s visits?)When creating the concept for the show, Romano didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. He took a tried and true concept and then fine-tuned the details to come up with a hit. He created a cast of characters that were believable and interacted with each other in humorous ways. He added the element of his parents living across the road. But he never strayed too far from the family sitcom formula that had worked for so many shows in the past.Small Business owners could learn a thing or two from Romano’s approach. When working on your next marketing idea, you don’t have to dream up a new, out-of-this-world concept. Find a proven marketing approach and then tinker with the fine details to come up with a plan that works for your business. Here are some examples of situations in which you can apply this philosophy:Advertising: Small business owners have all been burned at one time or another by an expensive ad that didn’t pan out. There were plenty of family sitcoms that didn’t pan out over the years, but that doesn’t mean the concept is a poor one. Don’t shy away from advertising because of a bad experience. Instead, revisit the basic advertising mantra of targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time. Then make a few adjustments. Perhaps instead of one large ad you would benefit from 4 smaller ads in a variety of

Let Your Survey Write Your Business Plan
Most entrepreneurs first write their business plan and then develop their services or products. This causes them to generate and fulfill a marketing plan that requires them to swim upstream using the backstroke. To save the stress, consider placing the business plan on hold until first completing a few customer surveys. Okay, some of you are saying, "Catherine, how can you do a survey before you know who your market is?" Yes, this is one challenging double edge sword, that is, if you're mindset is set there.Over the years, I've found that everyone I've worked with generally knew what he or she wanted to sell. I don't believe you are any different. This is the perfect place to start. You have a clean slate to write on. You might be at a place of seeing it in nonspecific terms with measurable doubts as well. That is okay, doubts will always be there, thus, allow them to be your friend instead of a foe. It’s easy to start with a gender preference -- choosing either women or men as having a higher purchasing balance for what you are selling. If you don't have a majority gender in mind, choose the one you feel most comfortable talking with or asking questions to.Let’s dive in a little deeper, its time to start thinking about your surveys and what to ask. Okay, don't fade out on me now. Generally, when people think of surveys, they visualize or experience the sensations of long drawn out processes that cost more money then they can afford or time that they don't have the patience for. Boy, do I remember those days of thinking.Let’s play together on this concept of taking surveys before writing your business plan. At least, allow the old perceptions to sit outside your door until you've finished reading this article and learning of a new possible alternative perspective. The perspective that surveys come first and don't need to be time-consuming, money-hungry, must be done by professionals, mongrels.Take the area you want to focus on, combine with your gender preference, and begin there. For instance, if your area is life coaching and you feel more comfortable with working with women you have a starting point. This doesn't mean you will never coach men, set those thoughts aside; they will block your progress and keep you stuck.From knowing just this basic information, you can now create a few simple surveys in no time at all that don't require any money. Even if yo

The Secret to Adding Credibility to Your Business - Testimonials!
You may not realize it, but you already have a gold mine of endorsements waiting to be created. Everyone who is serious about building a business and creating credibility uses this idea. What is it? Testimonials from your satisfied clients.Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, testimonials are a proven way to communicate the value your business delivers. Think about it, don’t you want to know what other people think about a product/service before you buy? I do!The reason testimonials are so powerful is because they come from someone, other than you, who has used your products/services and knows how fabulous they are. This is great news if you don’t feel comfortable ‘blowing your own horn’ because the words come from your clients. You are simply sharing what others have said about you. Even better, testimonials don’t have to cost you a cent.HOW TO GET TESTIMONIALSAll you have to do is ask. You can write your request in an e-mail or ask verbally. Just ask, “Would you be willing to help me?” In my experience satisfied clients are more than willing to write testimonials.If you want to give clients an incentive to give you testimonials you can offer them something of value in return for their time and effort. In exchange for the testimonial you can offer a discount, create a drawing for a prize, or provide them with additional information.You can also incorporate asking for testimonials into your business process. One way to do this is to ask for them in an evaluation or survey. Another way is to let clients know up front that once they become a client that you plan to ask what they thought about your products/services.In addition to asking for testimonials you can ‘listen’ and ‘watch’ for them by paying attention to what clients tell you verbally and write to you in e-mails or letters. If you hear or see a compliment ask the person if you can quote them on what they said and include it in your marketing materials. Think about it, you may even have a powerful testimonial sitting in one of your e-mail folders right now just waiting to get permission for use.Another approach is to ask someone else to interview your clients (a reporter or writer). This is a more involved process and can be worth it if your product/service is complicated or if you want to create a case study.No matter what, always ask for permission to

Handling Objections & Presenting With An Impact
Effectively Handling ObjectionsEmployer: "I notice you have not got any commercial experience, can you explain why you feel you are the best person for this role?Employer:"You've been out of work for two months now, why should we recruit you?"Questions like these are feared by almost all job applicants. How can you then effectively answer them?There are a number of ways to handle objections and how you handle them are based on your initial reaction to them. This contributes to how you respond.When faced with objections or criticism, you tend to have four options. You can either decide to be: a. offendedb. thrown of balancec. defensived. welcoming & understandingInsecure people get offended or defensive when faced with criticism or objections to their actions, opinions or credibility.Unprepared people who lack the ability to understand the objections thrown at them and inevitably get thrown off balance.Secure and well prepared people with an insight to understanding objections, embrace it and use it to their advantage.I have great news for you. When an employer has an objection to your credentials, it's good news.Only by thinking outside the box, coming out of the familiar and entering the world of possibilities can you understand the power of successfully handling objections.By effectively and systematically dealing with every objection you face during an interview, you give the employer a positive reason to employ you.Opportunities only arise when you think positively about a specific problem. By taking every objection as an opportunity to further convince the employer that you are the right person for the job, you automatically put yourself in a frame of mind that allows you to efficiently handle each objection successfully.A typical example can be when you want to buy a new mobile phone. Every objection you give the sales assistant is for the following reasons only:"Proof to me""Convince me""Assure me""Tell me why this phone is right for me, because if I can believe it, I'll buy it."The same process applies between a job applicant and an employer. What you need to know is how to successfully handle objections - We will discuss this in more details at our seminar this month. Presenting With An Impact I once attended a semin

Hostile Work Environments - Escalating Conflict and What You Can Do About It
Not all conflict is negative. Conflict, when understood as a difference of wants, needs, or expectations, can be the catalyst for new discoveries, innovative collaborations, and unique solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems.While conflict has the potential for promoting creativity and innovation, it is also a significant contributing factor to low workplace morale, employee disengagement, stress, and physical illness. Left unaddressed, conflict can have a devastating effect on the work environment.Knowing when to intervene is the key to minimizing the negative effects of conflict and maximizing its positive potential.Conflict, at its very beginning, is at the productive stage. Although individuals may have a difference of opinion about a situation or issue, when those differences are shared and discussed, there is opportunity for new insights, greater understanding, and dynamic solutions. At this point, conflict can be productive. But there are two requirements of the individuals involved in the conflict - they must be willing to address the issue and they must be able to talk with one another.When conflict remains at this productive stage, intervention by a third party is not required. The disputants themselves will work together to find an acceptable solution.When, however, the parties are either not willing to address the conflict or are unable to talk together, the conflict is likely to escalate to the personalized stage. At this stage, the parties involved in the conflict lose sight of the particular issue or event that initiated the dispute. Their focus turns more personal and they begin to see the other party as the "real problem." Comments become more targeted against the other - it's because the other party is stubborn, or unreasonable, that they cannot find a solution to the conflict. The disputants are likely to pick up on each others' faults in other aspects of their work relationship as well ("I knew she was power-hungry as soon as she took the lead on that last project. She's never happy with anything I do.") to the point where the conflict encompasses numerous issues and events.It is at this stage of conflict that intervention becomes imperative. When disputing parties are unable to talk together, a third party can assist them in addressing the conflict. In the workplace, this can mean a number of things. A manager, supervisor, or HR staff, may work as a coach, talking w

Save Considerably with Amazon Discount Coupons
The advantages of online shopping were first utilized by Amazon.com, the leading online shop serving millions of customers throughout the world. Over the years, Amazon has rapidly expanded their business, entering innumerous segments to serve as the one stop shop for online shopping. There are a number of growing online stores which offer the same products or services, but none have been able to match Amazon’s stature.What distinguish Amazon from other online shops are Amazon discount coupons, Amazon promotional offers, and other exclusive Amazon promotional codes that can be availed here. Amazon is perhaps the first online company to offer promotional discount coupons aimed at helping customers save substantially. Amazon does not advertise regularly on its website, but makes them available over the Internet through a number of its affiliates. Under online Amazon discount coupon schemes, also known as Amazon promotional code, the offers are directly made on the total price as a result of which you get free shipments.Registered InsidersCoupons members are entitled to free shipping on all goods procured from Amazon. Moreover, registered members get instant access to the Insider Coupons directory, where hundreds of deals and special promotions are listed. A 90-day Complete Price Protection is aimed at covering all qualifying purchases. It means in case the same product is available at lower cost anywhere, the balance amount will be incurred by the company. Last but not the least, even return shipping is covered for goods purchased through InsidersCoupons.