The internet has created a false sense of hope about millions of customers out there waiting to beat a path to your door. Having people friend you or like your business page, or those who comment on your postings aren’t the answers to generating the sale.

Prospecting demands a more proactive approach. Suspects still have to get to your web site or you have to meet them face to face so you can begin prospecting (finding out what their needs/problems are).

A true master Prospector has specific daily goals for new prospects, goals for having an unlimited number of “class A” prospects (these are people or companies that fit your ideal target market) which trigger a relentless pursuit of Prospecting knowledge, skill and habits.

A must part of becoming a Pro at Prospecting is mastery of your database. When you think about and plan to have hundreds and thousands of leads and prospects – they must be filed, categorized, classified, rotated and accessible. The database becomes your Money Box! For detailed information on how to develop your Money Box, check out Michelle Bergquist’s book, How to Build a Million Dollar Database at http://www.shop.michellebergquist.com/category.sc?categoryId=2.

Know what an “A” is. Know how and what questions to ask so you can

properly classify them as quickly as possible. An “A” prospect is anyone you feel has a good chance of becoming a client in the next year.

 Mastery requires tracking your progress so that you are getting maximum results from your prospecting activities. Set the goal to have an unlimited supply of “A” prospects. Make Prospecting your OBSESSION with every fiber of your being.

It is your KEY to ongoing success.

1. Create the sales process ahead of time, (an appointment script, a list of qualifying questions, a presentation script and your closing question).

2. You need a lead management system, (know who your A, B and C prospects are).

3. Perfect your two most important sales skills: listening & observing.

4. Remember, people trust people they like and selling is all about trust

5. Take action and track your results, (know your appointment to call ratio, presentation to sales ratio so you can work on the areas that need improvement).

One last thing, always work toward improvment, read some books on sales.

Jeffrey Gittomer has “The Sales Bible” and “The Little Red Book of Selling”, Harvey McKay’s “Swim with the Sharks”, Russell Granger, “The Seven Triggers to Yes” are always a good start.

The Challenge: Find one sales skill that you need to improve on and practice it for the next 7 days.

Perhaps you find marketing tactics more fun, you know postcards, email newsletters, brochures, social networking, but sales tactics are essential to every business and can be learned. In fact sales is a function of marketing and requires a process and tactics.

When you walk into a department store, their sales people are assigned to a particular department so they can answer your specific questions about colors, or sizes or is it available at another store. They generally can’t answer your questions about pots and pans if you are in the electronics area. Try and ask the cosmetics lady about shoes.

Delivering value is what selling is all about, so that you can help people understand what you can do for them and communicate how you can make a difference. To be ready to sell you need to know who your ideal client/customer is, and what their concerns, issues or needs are. With that you can design your solution and the various ways your product or service benefits them.

Armed with this information you can begin to get beyond your resistance and engage more confidently with each prospect by asking the questions that help you meet their expectations.

What are the high priority, high pay off activities in your business? Do you have a formula that you track to produce consistent results? In order to generate income, you must have consistent activities that produce your desired results.

Set specific results that you commit to each week to reach your intended numbers in each of your success formula areas (some areas to consider):

• Contacts with new prospects, either by phone or in person to ask for an appointment. Perhaps these are follow up calls with clients for additional business.
• Appointments set from contacts made and scheduled for a specific day and time.
• Face-to-Face interviews to assess prospects needs, problems or challenges.
• Presentations/Proposals that show how your product/service can deliver the solutions to those issues.
• The Sale where a contract is signed, money is exchanged and the product or service is agreed to be delivered.
• New Prospects need to be acquired in order to do any and all the above.

At the end of the week, total all of your activities, this is the basis for determining the areas you need to work on to better your results. By keeping track of your results for 3 to 5 weeks, you will know your own Success Formula. Once you know your Formula, you then know the work required to achieve your income goals and sales results. This is the key to gaining and keeping control of your business.

All of this requires setting weekly results, consistent activity, discipline to concentrate on the right activity and willingness to develop your basic skills to improve results.

   Selling in today’s environment requires an inquisitive mindset. So the consultative sales process is a way to gather as much information as possible about a prospect and then be able to prescribe one’s product or service solution to the prospect’s problem/issue. If this process is followed carefully, the close (asking for the “order”) will follow easily also keeping in mind the following:

    1. Use closing as an opportunity; attitude affects performance.

    2. Closing a sale begins when the sales process starts; see it as part of the whole.

    3. Use trial closes; they help you take the “temperature” of a prospect.

    4. A successful close flows naturally from a well-planned presentation.

    5. The right information about the prospects needs or problems and a solution to them give you the “right” to ask for the order.

© 2010 Mind Masters, Used by permission

Quick Proofreading Tips

Let’s face it: spell-check isn’t enough. Word processing software just isn’t smart enough to distinguish between “to,” “two,” and “too”; only a human brain can do that. The following trio of tips will help you use the spell-checker between your ears:

1. Read s-l-o-w-l-y. Your brain is an organ of efficiency, and it will insert letters and words that aren’t actually on the page or screen. Outsmart yourself by slowing down when you’re proofing; this will give you a better chance of catching what’s missing.
2. Mumble. Yes, that’s right—mumble! By sounding out the words as you read them, you’re using your mouth and your ears in addition to your eyes. The more senses you can use when proofing, the better job you’ll do. Mumbling helps you hear when a sentence “just doesn’t sound right.”
3.  Put it in Reverse. Reading backward will help you find typos because it forces you to focus on each word, not sentence structure or content. Use a dictionary to verify spellings and definitions. (Note: Your brain might resist when you first start reading from right to left.)

These tips will help you fix mistakes that spell-check can’t even find. Keep up the good work! Remember: Spell-check isn’t enough. Really.

*Laurie Gibson is an editor, writer, instructor, and proofreader with 15 years of professional experience. Her editorial repertoire includes books, newspapers, magazines, and corporate Web sites, reports, and proposals.  E-mail wordworker1@earthlink.net for more info.

Tips from a professional photographer for a successful portrait session.

• Review the photographer’s portfolio to see the style of his or her work.
• Request a variety of expressions. Include a fun smile, a warm friendly smile, or a professional expression.
•  Ask the photographer for a clothing guide to help you select the right wardrobe for your skin tone and body style.
•  Include at least two wardrobe changes. Bring a “casual dressy” outfit and an everyday look outfit. Depending on the purpose of your photograph, you may want to bring a business suit. Bring several changes to the studio.
• Request a professional make up artist /hairstylist to be at the studio when you arrive. For women, it’s fun to pamper yourself and have a professional recommend colors or looks you may not have thought of. You can also incorporate the same techniques in your everyday look.
• If you do your own make up and hair, spend time on getting yourself ready. Apply a good foundation and select colors that bring out your eyes and lips. Use hairspray to set your style.
•  Include a close-up (head and shoulders) pose, a three quarter (head to knees) pose and full length if needed.

All these elements are vital for an effective photograph. You don’t have to look like a model to create a beautiful or handsome photograph, so invest the time and money to make it your personal best.

Barbara Steinberg, owner of Premier Photography, has been a professional photographer in San Diego for over 20 years. She’s a member of the Professional Photographers Association of San Diego Count. Call her at 858.272.9925 or visit her web site at http://premierphotography.com

Communication is one of the necessary skills for branding ourselves in the market place. One of our members shared her communication tips which highlights the kind of expertise that members share.

5 Power tips for Communication:

1. The Power of a Story: A compelling story can grab attention the hearts of your audience. What personal story can you tell that connects you to your topic and audience?
2.  The Power of the Pause: Most compelling speakers are masters at the Pause. They know just when to use silence to draw you in. Unfortunately, many business speakers just want to finish their presentations quickly – so they rush through and leave themselves breathless. Don’t be afraid of silence – it’s powerful!
3.  The Power of Inflection: Use vocal variety in your speech. Change up your volume, emphasize key words, see if you can color your speech with your own emotion and passion for your topic.
4. The Power of Animation: Let your body move naturally during your presentations. Get rid of the extra energy that you feel by moving around. Don’t pace or rock back and forth – but do move your feet. Plant your feet and look at the audience when you are making a point. You’ll have a much stronger impact.
5. The Power of Eye Contact – Look at people directly in the eyes. Remember, you can only talk to one person at a time no matter how many people are in your audience. Connect, one to one.

About the author

Dana Bristol-Smith is the founder of Speak for Success, an organization that works with companies that want their people to communicate with confidence and credibility. You can contact Dana  here.

Not only do you need customer goodwill but you need to understand customer problems. Get as close to your customers as possible. Call and ask your customers how they are doing and what they might need from you.

Customer relationships are often taken for granted, but if you look at how you got referrals in the past and achieved your business goals, I guarantee you the greater percentage came from the relationships you have developed with your clients/customers.

In his book The Referral of a Lifetime, Tim Templeton talks about the fact that “your customers and clients already know every new contact you will ever need to succeed”. If you take those relationships for granted you may lose your market advantage, your customer relationships are something within your control. When you develop and nurture them they eventually cultivate greater fruits over time. How do you grow them?

♦ Send a thank you note to every person that gives you a referral. People love to be appreciated.

♦ Develop an attitude of gratitude in everything you do….and you will be amazed how your business will explode. You don’t want your past clients to forget you when they or their friends need your services.

♦ Be real with those you come in contact with (personal or professional) and you will create a life-long stream of customers to serve.

Wake up! Shake off the winter hibernation, reconnect and bring new life to your business.

The Challenge: What 3 changes can you make immediately in your business that will solidify your relationship with the customers you already have?