Tag: business
Network Marketing Home Business
Many people that think operating a business from home is glamorous, exciting, and filled with freedoms that you can never experience if you work for someone else. Without the obligations that come from reporting to an employer everyday and they then think the money is easily acquired. This article will look at both the positives and negatives of owning a home-based business.
An important part of working from home is letting others know you have a business and this is done through networking. Network marketing is not always easy for everyone. There are individuals who are very natural at talking with others and find it quite easy to be in a room full of strangers and talk about what they have to offer. Then there are those terrified of the idea of network marketing and would prefer to stay home and pay someone else to do this portion of the business for them. Network marketing does not have to be a horrible experience for you and you do not have to have a panic attack at the thought of attending one. When you prepare for network marketing and do not go in with your eyes closed, you will find that it will make an enormous difference in the productivity of your business. Network marketing can be beneficial in building a plethora of resources and contacts that you can have at your fingertips to propel your business forward.
Decide in advance how many people you want to talk to and do just that. If it is your first time, you may only want to talk to three people. Although once you are there, you will probably find yourself relaxing and notice that you came home with more than three contacts. Do not forget the business cards of the people you meet. In the excitement, you may forget their names. It is a good idea to jot down some relevant information on the back of the card to help you remember why or why not you like that particular contact.
In order for your home business to be successful, you have to make your presence known. You can do this through advertising and word-of-mouth. However, staying inside your protective home and never letting anyone know whom you are will not generate many clients or bring an increase in your profits. Go out, have coffee, and talk to others about your services. Walk into businesses that you think will profit from your services and let them know what you have to offer. If you have children in school, you can offer your services to the PTA or other groups that your child may be involved. Do not discount your sphere of influences because it is from this circle that your business will grow.
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-03-17 05:59:00.
Local networking events
Have you ever been invited to a networking breakfast? Or a networking lunch? These may should sort of strange to the person who has never been to one before, but these types of situations are key to moving yourself to talk with others about what you do, how you do it, and what you provide in the form of services and products.
Many areas have their own type of networking events
These include business meetings to talk about the economy, or business meetings to set new ordinances for the local surroundings ñ everywhere you have people; you have the opportunity to ëdoí additional networking. The more people you know and talk with the stronger your network of business contacts and customer contact is going to become.
The first step to successful local networking is going to involve doing it
You need to get out there, and be where other business owners are, or at least where large groups of people are going to be found. Next, you need a good opening question. The best question you can ask a person when you are networking is, what do you do? This is not only going to open the door to talking with another person, but also it is going to open the door for that person in turn to ask you what you do ñ which is just what you want them to ask you!
Networking should be done in conversation when you are in situations where you donít know someone all that well. Business cards are often given out, and passed around. If you are heading off to a club meeting, or a networking business affair, you should also have marketing materials with you, such as a brochure or some type of printed matter to show and tell others what you do. As others find your materials handed to them, or presented on a table of information, they have something tangible to take with them, read later, and to think about later.
Collect phone number, emails and information about other businesses. As you collect information about others, you will soon learn that you can use this information after you are back at the office, back at your own business. Create a marketing package for each individual that you have met. Mail out the information with a personal note from you, that it was great talking with you, and you just wanted to share some additional information about your business with them, in case they ever have a need for a product or service that you provide. This is very straight marketing, after the initial networking event, make it work for you!
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-03-15 14:49:00.
How Well Do You Know Them?
It is often said that it is not who you know that matters, it is who knows you. Well I would like to extend this statement by saying that it is not only who you know and who knows you, but how well do you know them and they you?
In business, networking is the ultimate form of promotion. It can help you to obtain new clients, a new job, or even help you to move up the corporate ladder. It is the process of building relationships. Any time that you attend a meeting, trade show, or a social function, you are networking whether you realize it or not. It is the relationship that you have with people, a prospect or a client that makes the difference between success and failure.
Often we fail to realize the reasons that we have for doing business with an individual or a company. In the case of products that we regularly buy, what helps us to make the buying decision? There are those that will buy a specific brand of product because they trust that brand to be of a high quality or durability. There are others that will make a buying decision based on price, although this is less frequently the case. Often we simply do business because we feel good about it. In fact most purchases or decisions to do business are based on two things. Trust and comfort. Trust is a very intangible emotion or feeling. How do you measure it? How do you develop it?
Trust is measured by the feelings that are generated by a process of letting someone get to know more about you than just product, features and price. I know a gentleman who provides a seminar on selling to C-level executives. He says that to sell to the C-level executive you have to be more than a salesperson selling a product or service. To sell to the executive level, you have to be more of an advisor. You have to find needs other than the ones that you can fulfill and help them to fulfill these needs. In doing this, you become a “trusted advisor”. They feel “comfortable” that you have their interests in mind more than just making a quick sale and a commission.
In our daily process of seeking prospective clients, do we often just look for a person to pitch, or do we spend a bit more time getting to know them before we try to sell?
When we take the time to know a persons desires, dreams, and needs, and make an honest effort to help them realize that these things are important to us, we are really on the fast track to doing business with them. We are building the trust, confidence, comfort level, and most importantly the relationship that is needed to not only make the sale, but to create in them a resource for endless referrals.
As we go into the community meeting people who are prospective clients, we should keep the following in mind. The customer is a person just like me. The customer has needs other than the one that I can fulfill. Until I understand what the ultimate goal or dream of the prospect is, I cannot fulfill it with my product or service.
Selling and networking are about relationships. You sell in everything that you do whether you realize it or not. The time is now for more effective selling. Change the way you think about the prospect and the prospect will change the way that they think about you.
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-03-13 10:45:00.
How To Make A Net – Work!
Many job seekers are confused about networking, and therefore doubt its effectiveness. Networking is the art of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. So, like anything else, networking requires a bit of practice and finesse, but if done correctly, networking can be an invaluable part of your job search campaign.
Here are a few tips that can help develop a network that works for you:
Be Patient
Networking doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a process. Networking is not just something you can check off your job search list like “Send resume to Pfizer”.
While people may want to help you, they might not be able to do so right away.Quite simply, you may not be the first item on their agenda. So, if someone agrees to meet with you but can’t do so immediately, accept their offer graciously and patiently. Never let an opportunity to meet with someone during the course of networking slip away. Always be open to meeting!
Be Authentic and Kind
When you do meet with someone resulting from your scheduling attempts, take a sincere interest in their life, not just the information or possible assistance they can offer you. Don’t push people for their knowledge or connections and then abandon the relationship. Networking means fostering relationships. This objective cannot be achieved by one person constantly taking while the other person constantly gives information or time. Relationships are built on trust and sharing over time.
Remember, one day you might be in a reverse career position; so be considerate and respectful to all you meet. Find ways to periodically reconnect with the contacts in your network to stay up to date on their lives,and let them know that you genuinely care about what is going on with them. Also, connecting and re-connecting, take the time to let them know that their advice and counsel was heard and put to good use. Acknowledging their individual value to you and to your career. Reinforcement of the time and advice offered by those in your network will foster gratefulness, awareness of their value to you and encourage them to continue helping you and others.
Be a Conduit
Remember, the objective of networking isÖwellÖmore networking. You should be constantly adding people to your list of contacts. Always find more contacts to meet and, in turn, become a great connector yourself! Open up your network to others. Hopefully they’ll follow suit and do the same for you, keeping the cycle going. Think about those contacts who could help others in your network,then introduce them!
Be a Teacher
Keep in mind that not everyone you meet will understand what networking is or how they can help you. Many people think that the best way they can help you as a job seeker is to take your resume and pass it along to their human resources department. While their intentions are noble, their strategy won’t help you and could actually wind up being counter-productive and consequently,losing you a great job.
HR managers, like recruiters, are sometimes only motivated to take action on your resume if there is a current job opening within the organization that matches your skills. If a position is not available, they have no incentive to contact you and the connection is lost.
Rather than giving your contacts a resume, ask them if they could introduce you to a member of their company so that you can learn more about their position, industry, and organization. This way, you’ll learn more about the company, share information about yourself, and begin to build a relationship rather than ending up as just another resume lost at the bottom of the pile.
Be a Helper
Networking is all about reciprocity. No matter who you’re dealing with, you should always try to give more than you receive. For example, if you have information about a particular company, industry, or educational program that would be valuable to someone in your network, share it. By sharing you will help others and in turn, others will help you.
Whether you’re currently employed or job seeking is irrelevant – networking is a constant process. Obviously, you’ll be more on the receiving end of your contacts’ information when you’re on the look out for a new job. But that just means you need to work that much harder at giving information and sharing your network while happily employed.
If you’re constantly looking for ways to help people in your network achieve their goals, they’ll be much more likely to help you in return.
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-03-12 16:01:00.
Business Networking and Marketing Ups and Downs
The last couple of days have been beautiful, the weather near perfect and some of us are suffering from spring fever while others are simply struggling with the pollen levels. This time of the year reminds me that summer is coming and things are about to slow down ñ in networking. I would like to take just a moment and discuss this trend and what I believe may be the cause of it.
Letís begin in the fall. At this time of the year we are working feverishly trying to procure new business because we realize that around the holidays things will slow down. As December draws near, some of us become preoccupied with things like parties and shopping and our attention turns from building our business. Others find it increasingly difficult to make contact as people begin long vacations.
Then the holidays pass. We put our marketing and networking efforts into high gear, going to several meetings a week, trying to get things cranked up again. The result is increased business and increased profits. Have you ever noticed that in the early part of February that things begin to pick up almost at a maddening pace? When this occurs, unless we are prepared for growth, we start to back off on our promotions as we scramble to complete the work that has been generated by our marketing efforts.
In effect, we stop networking. We lose contact with those we have been making and asking for referrals, and they begin to feel as if we are not interested in them any longer. When this happens, they may look for someone else to refer when that target prospect comes along.
By early to mid summer, we are starting to crawl out from under the workload and we again look for opportunities. Unfortunately, the vacations have started again as children are released from school for the summer. Thus it is very difficult once again to find the contacts that were out there just before our business picked up again late last winter.
By mid August, school is back in session and people are coming back out into the networking world again. Of course we are seeing some of the same people that were there before, but there are also a lot of new faces as well. Because we had slacked off from our promotion efforts, we were not there to greet the new faces as they started their new business. So the people who have a balanced networking and marketing strategy are there to greet them.
These are the people who have businesses that seem to be growing. They have a marketing and networking plan that is consistent year round. When many businesses are experiencing that new business rush in the spring, these business owners are ready to absorb the new business with new employees or temporary help. They realize that to maintain growth means to be ready for any upswing in the economy that could propel their business to the next level.
So how do we accomplish this? First plan for growth. Have a system ready for when you have more business than you can handle so that there is help you can call. This is managed by building relationships with temp agencies, headhunters, and placement firms. Hire people on a contractor basis if necessary. This saves money on benefits and salaries when thing are a bit slower. It also reduces the amount of paperwork when it comes to payroll processing and taxes.
Next, develop a plan for networking that is manageable. Set a goal for the amount of meetings that you would attend when business is just OK and stick to it when business gets better. Attend functions year round, even during the holiday seasons.
Plan vacations when necessary, but donít assume that everyone is going on vacation simply because it is summer. Most people have to accommodate the schedules of others and entire companies usually do not go on vacation at the same time. Notice that larger corporations always have staff on hand to do business while an employee is on vacation. Also take note that large corporations do not stop promoting just because it is the month of July or December. They are consistent year round.
The lesson here is that, if you want to grow into a large company, take a look at what large companies do. Emulate them if they are successful and you may be able to duplicate their success. You must be constantly marketing, networking and promoting to ensure consistent business year round. If you decide to slack off now because business is good, I guarantee that when autumn comes you will be working twice as hard to get things going again. If, on the other hand, you keep on consistently marketing the way you did when times were slow, you should be able to experience the growth of both your company and your bank account during the entire year.
For more information, please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-03-09 15:26:00.
Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?
Have you ever been at a networking function talking to someone when during the conversation you felt very self-conscious trying to say the right thing? Were you afraid that maybe if you said the wrong thing the person might not find you likeable, and therefore not want to do business with you? If you have, I am about to tell you why you should not worry about it. Like the obnoxious song “Don’t Worry – Be Happy” from years ago, I want to share with you the reason why being careful about what we say works against us in the networking environment.
Our goal in business networking should be to establish new relationships and through the process of follow-up develop them over time. As with any relationship, being honest plays a very important role in that development.
When we meet someone for the first time, we want to make a good impression. Often we put on our “party face” so that we do. This can often cause us problems that we do not expect. One problem is that when we try to appear to be something that we really do not feel inside of us, we often have a fear that we are going to be “discovered”. This fear causes us to feel uncomfortable about the situation and though we may be smiling, we are really cringing inside.
Most people worry that if they just be who they are, that no one can accept them. I argue that if we do not just be ourselves, sooner or later who we really are will slip out and then we will have to deal with the consequences of being discovered. This then leads to a feeling of distrust between people.
Have you ever been in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex where you did not tell them something important early on and later had to reveal it or even worse it was revealed by accident? It leads for difficult times after that and a lot of shuffling and apologizing.
In my opinion, it is better to risk being who I am up front. To let people know exactly how I feel. People, for the most part, have a forgiving nature. They actually want to forgive. If you make a mistake and say something that can be potentially embarrassing, you can always apologize for it and be forgiven. But if you say something that is not necessarily true and are discovered later, your credibility may be permanently damaged.
If you go into a networking environment prepared to be relaxed and genuine, you will find that it is a lot more fun to be there. If you have a plan of action to really get to know people, you will be much more productive in a shorter amount of time. People will feel comfortable talking to you and you to them. In an environment of truth, more people will want to do business with you and to be around you.
Authentic enthusiasm is contagious. You will always appear to be more attractive when you are excited about what you are doing. When you are not worried about making mistakes, you will appear to be happier. Being happy about the situation will help you to smile more, and the smiling face is a natural human attractor.
So next time you attend a networking function, just be yourself. Your results will improve and you will feel better when you leave to go home. Over time, the difference will be measurable in more ways than just your income. You will find that you have more friends than you had ever imagined possible. When it comes time for the referral, your friend will remember you because friends really do refer friends.
For more information, please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-03-09 07:50:00.
DOs and DONTs in networking events
Networking is the process of fishing for new customers or new order within a focused crowd. The effective networking will result into $$$! Yes: we network to make money, not to have fun. Yes: we network to make money, not to know more people. Yes: we network to make money, not to spend time.
The 4 DONTs of effective networking are
- Do not start with your name or business name
Starting with your name and your business will frame you in the audience mind to the basic service of what you do. It will immediately create a barrier between you and the audience.
When you say: “Hi, I am Joe and I am accountant”
It automatically generates a barrier between you and the audience. In the mindset of the audience, it will be one of these messages
“Oh, one more accountant in the crowd.”
“Oh, another one of them”
“Oh, I hate these guys, they do not do a good job”
All of these messages are toxic to your networking goals
- Do not wear the company shirt
Wearing a company shirt frames you within the company image. It would be reflect on the ability of connecting with the crowd. In my own experience, having a shirt of an elite service with extremely high reputation was not a good idea. The message in the head of the audience were
“Another guy from this company that charges premium?”
“I just got a call from this company last week, please not again.”
It automatically position you in a frame that impact the acceptance to your message.
- Do not have your logo
Having a logo frames you in what your company do and not how better or effective than your competitors. It is the type of barrier that you do not want. You shall focus of how better is your service or product than others. The message shall be “How do you outstand against others and why you are better. NOT what do you do.
- Do not talk about your business
Do say what your business is doing, or the nature of your service. Focus on the values that your provide to the different clients. Focus on why your customer will come to you and how do you stand against the crowd.
The 4 Do’s of effective networking are
- Do ask an engagement question
An engagement question is the best approach to qualify your crowd. You shall be able to adjust your message to your crowd. If you the first question does not qualify the crowd, Ask a second question but there is NO THIRD. If you can not qualify the crowd, think about another question for next time.
- Do say a pain-hitting paragraph
A pain-hitting paragraph is a simple statement that characterizes the pain that your business is addressing. Identifying the pain immediately creates a link to the audience and you will get their ears for few minutes. Three – four statements conquer in the audience mind that you know and feel their pain. The audience perceives you are like them, and people like to buy from people like them, who they like.
- Do say what is your solution to the pain
After the pain-hitting paragraph pause for a moment, so the audience can digest what said. Then, say HOW you solve the pain, WHY your service is better, and the reasons they should use your service and not others.
- Do say how to access your solution
At the end you shall say how the audience can connect to your service, such as access a website. You must leave a contact information with an action so the audience can connect to you. Or simply, say “your name, I will be more than happy to assist you.”
Originally posted 2018-03-06 16:57:00.
You are not running a business. You are copying grandma's hobby of making pies.
Like all grandmas, she had the hobby of making pies and we receive lots of them to make her happy. Like it or not, as grandkids, we are told to thank our grandma for the pie and tell her how wonderful is the pie, how we cannot resist finishing the last pie, which was the best. Then we ends up having more pies, although we did not like the pies till today.
Grandma is a very senior, (and I hate to say “old”) with very limited mobility and almost no eyesight. She will challenge her ability to make more pies and send them to her grandkids because she believes she makes them happier.
I was invited to the introduction of a new product with the business owner, and I was told that it is better product that best serve my health and my life.
I was given a bottle to try and I am just curious. I was told that it is a new product that is better than anything else for my health. I was intrigued and as I start to ask simple questions to find a reason to try the sample.
After asking few questions, I found a very strong resistance to answer these simple questions. Then, I was framed as a consultant who is looking for new clients. Then, I was told to not impose my service. The fact is I am not a consultant and I am not shopping for new clients. I wonder, if I should ask the business owner to simply search my name on google “Wael Badawy” to know who I am and what I do.
The product is introduced, as a combination of ingredients that I know, ingredients that I do not know, and ingredient that I may not heard about it.
This introduction triggered a flag, because I do not generally eat or drink what I do not know, in the absence of a strong motive, such as being ill.
THEN, the ingredients are very healthy and it has better fruits and vegetables that I do not know but I should consume for their valuable impact.
I am not sure what is missing here? But, my understanding is the consumers of organic products like to know everything about their food. They do not like the unknown chemicals that may impact their health. At this point, I saw the second flag, because I was judged again.
For me, rightly or wrongly, “organic” is good enough to justify its high price, but “organic” or natural ingredients that I do not know to be better for my health, is not true. Pure marijuana and marijuana’s leaves are organic and natural but they are dangerous and even though we need to know more details to understand its medicinal effect. If I consume it, I will be addicted and most likely, I will end up in Jail but I am consuming an organic natural plant!!!
THEN, the product’s presentation explained the principle of consuming the full fruit/vegetable in a juice, against extracts. In my mind, this principle is questionable with diverse arguments. As a matter of fact, having a full lime as a juice will change its flavor and texture with time because of oxidation, and it can turn to be poisoning or has a higher level of toxic. On the other hand, I cannot consume the whole orange or the whole banana. I have to peal it first!!!
– Anyway, I will pass on this argument because I am not the expert in food but I know what I eat.
At this point, I started to ask questions to better understand who is the business owner, what is the value of the product and what is the quality of the product in order to have a level of confidence to try the product.
I asked about the size of the business, to feel comfort that there are others who trust this product and buy it. I was looking for the customers’ WHY to compare it to mine, i.e. what are the reasons to buy this over-priced product. Oh, this product will cost 25x – 35x the price of a high quality 100% natural juice.
I asked about the plan to grow the business in the next three or five years. I asked about the vision of the owner to confirm the quality of the product, and there is someone stands behind the product. All what I received is “3 and 5 years are very long time”. In the absence of an answer, it demonstrates that there is no continuity and no guarantee to a quality control process. i.e. two samples of the product with the same ingredient, will have different taste.
I asked about the value of the product? The question aimed to help me to find my WHY, and I can try the sample. The articulated value is “You drink good natural stuff, so your body will perform better”. There is no confirmation or reference other than the business owner has issues and it was solved by personally drinking this combination. There was no testimonial and no confirmation of the business owner story. So, I attempted to clarify and I asked, does it help with a diet plan? or release weight? or having high energy? etc. The value was articulated as you eat better ingredients, you will be healthier and you feel good, with a proof.
I do not eat pizza and burger everyday and I eat apple and banana everyday. As it was said “One apple a day, keeps the doctor away!!!”
The articulated value is very general and I can have a blinder. I will use a mix of fruits and vegetables. AND, WOW, the juice will have the same value.
The answer continues to be “the ingredients used are planted by the owner in business owner’s garden and then picked and prepared to make the product!!!”
I asked about the science or the research behind this drink. The answer is that the business owner has researched each of the known and unknown ingredients. But, the business owner has two degrees (none of them are related to food, or health or technology or medicine). Yes, everyone may be impressed of these two degrees that have no relation to the business.
Moreover, the business owner has no passion to either degree and do not work with these degrees but the business owner offers this product to serve and help others.
The product looks professional with an expiry date to expire in two days!!! The product comes in a quantity of 1, 4 and 8 bottles. I do not know the reason that of the expiry date given that there is no research or science behind the product to determine the impact of the three days instead of two. I wonder If someone orders a pack of eight bottles, will he/her consome them all in two days. What about the logistics of producing, distributing and consuming a product that has to be kept cold (I assume) in two days?
It translates to a very limited number of customers with limited quantity orders, within a very small geographical area. So, the production, distribution and consumption in two days!!!.
I have to say that this is not a business, this is a grandma hobby to make pies, as:
1- The pies are initially FREE, till she asks for a favor in return, which will be fairly pricy.
2- The ingredients are from grandma apple tree in the backyard – Oh, by the way, the apple tree is very natural and very organic, because grandma is a senior and can not take care of the apple tree and no one fertilizes the tree.
3- Grandma believes that she makes her family happier by offering more pies. She consumes her effort, while her grandkids do not prefer to eat the pies, or do not eat them at all.
4- Grandma’s pies have to be eaten hot, and within one or two days.
5- No one knows the secret ingredient of the pies, even grandma herself does not.
6- Grandma pies taste differs from time to time. It is a function of the mood and the time in the oven, but grandma does not read the time.
7- Grandma serves only her family and close friends, which is a very limited consumer base.
The whole time, I was simply looking for a reason to try a sample of a new product. I may feel lucky to put my hand on a free sample of this product. I was trying to find a reason for myself. I know grandma, but I do not know the business owner. So please stop copying grandma hobby making pies and focus on building a business.
Note from the author:
This is a true story and I held the name of the product and business confidential because I have the care and passion to every small business and entrepreneur in our community. I strongly believe that the message within this post will help everyone in their business, So please let me know your thoughts below.
I declare that I owe the business owner the price of the sample because I did not feel comfort to drink it, which is my fault AND now the sample expired!!!
You are not running a business. You are copying a grandma's hobby of making pies.
Like any grandma, she had the hobby of making pies and we use to receive lots and lots of pies to make her happy.
Like or not, grand kids are told to always thank grandma for the pie and tell her how wonderful is the pie, how they can not resist the last pie which was the best. It ends up of having more pies, although they never liked the pies till today.
Grandma is a very senior, (and I hate to say old) with very limited mobility and very bad or no eyesight will challenge her ability to make more pies and send them to her grand kids as she believes she makes them happier.
I was invited to an introduction to a new product with the business owner and I was told that is better for my health and my life. I was given a bottle to try and I just curious. I was told that it is a new product that is better than anything else for my health. I was intrigued and as I start to ask simple questions to find a reason to try the sample.
I found a very strong resistance to answer simple questions. I was framed as a consultant or to be in the business of helping others. I was told to not impose my service. I am not consult and I am not in the business find other businesses to offer them service. I think they should simply search my name on google “Wael Badawy” and they will know who I and what I am not doing.
The product was introduced as a mix of some ingredient that I know and others that I do not know and I may not heard about it. – It triggers a flag to me because I am not in a position to eat or drink what I do not know in the absence of a strong motive. I am also framed that there are fruits and vegetable that I should be taken but I do not them, I am not sure what I am missing !!!
I predict that the consumer of these products are the type of individuals who are using organic products because they like to know everything about their food and they do not like the chemical that they do not know and may impact their health. I saw the second flag, because I was judged again.
I want to say that “organic” is good to justify its high price, but “organic” or natural ingredient that I do not know is better, is not true. Pure marijuana or marijuana’ s leaves are danger plant and even though we need to know more details to understand its medicinal effect. If I consume it, I will be addicted and I may end up in Jail because I am using an organic natural plant !!!
Then the presentation went to explain that principle of consume the whole fruit/vegetable as a juice, against extracts. In mind, it is questionable with many diverse arguments. As a matter of fact, having a full lime as a juice will change its flavour and texture with time because of oxidation, and it can turn to be poisoning or has higher toxic. I can not consume the orange or the banana as a whole, I have to peal it first !!! – Anyway, I will pass on this argument because I am not the expert but I know when i eat.
Then I started to ask questions to better understand who is the owner, what is the business value and what is the quality of the product in order to give me a level of confidence to try the product.
I asked about the size of the business, to feel comfort that there are others trust and use this product. I was looking to understand their WHY, or what are the reasons to buy this over priced product.
I asked about the growth plan in the next three or five years. I asked about the vision of the owner to simple get a confirmation and make sense of the quality of the product and there is someone stands behind it. All what I received is “3 and 5 years are very long time”. In the absence of an answer, it demonstrates that there is no continuity no guarantee to a quality control or that the same product at different time will have the same ingredient and taste the same.
I asked about the value of the product is to try to find my WHY, to tryout the sample. The articulated value is “You drink good natural stuff, so your body will perform better”. I asked, does it help with a diet plan, or release weight, or having high energy, etc. The value was articulated well, you eat better ingredient, you be healthier and you feel good. First of all, I do not eat pizza and burger all days and I eat apple and banana every day. “One apple a day, keeps the doctor away!!!” The articulated value is very general and I can have a strong blinder and I use organic mix of fruits and vegetables. AND, WOW, the mix will have similar value. The answers continues to be “the ingredients used are planted by the owner in business owner garden!!!”
I asked about the science or the research behind this drink. The answer that the business owner has researched each one of these ingredient. The business owner has two degrees (none related to food, or health or technology or medicine) and everyone is impressed of these two degrees with no relation to the business. Moreover, the business owner has no passion to either degree and do not work in these areas and offers this product to serve and help others.
The product looks very professional with an expiry date of two days!!! The product comes in a quantity of 1, 4 and 8. I also noted that the bottle has an expiry date within two days. I do not know the reason that of the expiry date given that there is no research or science behind the product. I wondered If someone want to order a pack of eight bottles, will he/her use them all in two days. what about the logistics of producing, distributing and consuming, a product that has to be kept cold (I assume) within two days. It mean that a very limited number of customers with limited quantity orders, within a very small geographical area. So the production, distribution and consumption in two days !!!.
This is not a business, this is a grandma hobby to make pies, it is:
1- The pies are initially FREE till she as for a favour in return, which will be fairly pricy.
2- The ingredient is from grandma apply tree in the back yard – Oh, by the way, it is natural and very organic because grandma is not in heath conditions to take care of the tree or even fertilize the tree.
3- Grandma believes she makes her grand kids happier by offering more pie and she consumes her effort, while the grandkids do not prefer to eat the pies, or do not eat them at all.
4- Grandma pies have to be eaten hot, and within one or two days.
5- No one knows grandma secret ingredient, even grandmas
6- Grandma pies differ from time to time, based on the mood and the time in the oven, grandma can not read the time.
7- Grandma serves only her family and friends which has a very limited consumer base.
The whole time, I was simply looking for a reason to try a sample of a new product. I may feel lucky to put my hand on a free sample of this product and I was trying to find the reason for myself. BUT, I know grandma but I do not know you. So please stop copying grandma hobby to make pies and focus on building a business.
Note from the author:
This is a true story and I held the name of the product and business because I have the care and passion to every small business and entrepreneur in our community. I strongly believe that the message will help everyone in their business, So please let me know you thought below.
I also say that I owe the business owner the price of the sample because I did not feel comfort to drink it which is my fault and the sample passed the expiry date!!!
DOs and DONTs in networking events
Networking is the process of fishing for new customers or new order within a focused crowd. The effective networking will result into $$$! Yes: we network to make money, not to have fun. Yes: we network to make money, not to know more people. Yes: we network to make money, not to spend time.
The 4 DONTs of effective networking are
- Do not start with your name or business name
Starting with your name and your business will frame you in the audience mind to the basic service of what you do. It will immediately create a barrier between you and the audience.
When you say: “Hi, I am Joe and I am accountant”
It automatically generates a barrier between you and the audience. In the mindset of the audience, it will be one of these messages
“Oh, one more accountant in the crowd.”
“Oh, another one of them”
“Oh, I hate these guys, they do not do a good job”
All of these messages are toxic to your networking goals
- Do not wear the company shirt
Wearing a company shirt frames you within the company image. It would be reflect on the ability of connecting with the crowd. In my own experience, having a shirt of an elite service with extremely high reputation was not a good idea. The message in the head of the audience were
“Another guy from this company that charges premium?”
“I just got a call from this company last week, please not again.”
It automatically position you in a frame that impact the acceptance to your message.
- Do not have your logo
Having a logo frames you in what your company do and not how better or effective than your competitors. It is the type of barrier that you do not want. You shall focus of how better is your service or product than others. The message shall be “How do you outstand against others and why you are better. NOT what do you do.
- Do not talk about your business
Do say what your business is doing, or the nature of your service. Focus on the values that your provide to the different clients. Focus on why your customer will come to you and how do you stand against the crowd.
The 4 Do’s of effective networking are
- Do ask an engagement question
An engagement question is the best approach to qualify your crowd. You shall be able to adjust your message to your crowd. If you the first question does not qualify the crowd, Ask a second question but there is NO THIRD. If you can not qualify the crowd, think about another question for next time.
- Do say a pain-hitting paragraph
A pain-hitting paragraph is a simple statement that characterizes the pain that your business is addressing. Identifying the pain immediately creates a link to the audience and you will get their ears for few minutes. Three – four statements conquer in the audience mind that you know and feel their pain. The audience perceives you are like them, and people like to buy from people like them, who they like.
- Do say what is your solution to the pain
After the pain-hitting paragraph pause for a moment, so the audience can digest what said. Then, say HOW you solve the pain, WHY your service is better, and the reasons they should use your service and not others.
- Do say how to access your solution
At the end you shall say how the audience can connect to your service, such as access a website. You must leave a contact information with an action so the audience can connect to you. Or simply, say “your name, I will be more than happy to assist you.”