James Doan - Just Minding My Own Business

Perhaps it's a stranger asking for free advice from you. Or an acquaintance trying to convince you that what benefits them is something you need to do.  Or a client who persistently texts you and expects an instant reply. According to psychologist Debra Condren, author of “Ambition is Not a Dirty Word,” if you would like to say no but don't know how, you need strategies for sticking up for yourself. Having stock replies in reserve and perhaps practised out loud will help.  Condren suggests:

Have you ever considered why SPAM has caused such a public backlash compared to the deafening silence from its unsolicited paper cousins of direct and junk mail? People seem to care a lot more about what enters their Inbox than their letterbox. And for the word “care” think about logical substitutes of “notice”, “read” and “respond”. All this translates into campaign results that can surpass other forms of direct communication, making it an ideal cost-effective option for any small business owner. And what’s more, as a small business owner, the odds are stacked in your favour to become budding email marketing superstars.

One of the greatest stumbling blocks in the path to solving a problem occurs when you tell yourself, “I already know that.” When you are trying to tackle a business challenge, this is the same as placing your hands over your ears. You are unwilling to listen and uninterested in exploring the implications of an idea. But you may have only considered it without understanding. I have many times heard people discuss something I believed I had understood. It was only later, because of the repetition or because the others were approaching things from a different angle, I understood the point at a much deeper level.

At first, it might seem that the concept “minimum viable product,” is a flawed concept. It sounds as if the manufacturer is trying to produce the lowest quality product they can get away with. Any improvements will only come after the launch. Upon reflection, you will realize that this differs from the method used by some make-money-fast schemers. Their mantra is “Barely good enough is good enough. Get it out there as soon as you can to take advantage of gullible buyers.”

To some marketers, promoting a product without a bonus is ill-advised. They assume the product has a certain value. By bundling a bonus with the product, that value increases.  How could it not? Two decades of psychological studies have reached an interesting conclusion. If consumers feel the bonus is not relevant, then the bundle's perceived value and appeal drop. A similar result occurs if the bonus is cheap. Often the original item on its own will have the best value. 

1. Prioritize First It doesn't matter whether you have many projects or many steps within one large project. The crucial first step is to decide what you need to do and in what order. 2. Restructure and Relax When you receive a large project, your first impulse may be to tackle it all at once. Instead, look for ways to scale it down into smaller projects. This can reduce anxiety and make your timeline more manageable.

Effective marketers make regular posts of valuable content on their business blog. This will build company credibility and create a sound business reputation. A business blog can help project a company as an expert in a chosen business area. Customers feel more comfortable transacting business with a reputable company. A business blog can be an avenue to introduce company products or services. A blog is not about selling. Use your blog to mention new products or services. Then direct visitors to your company’s main website to generate more sales.

When people sign up for your company's loyalty program, you can define them  as your top customers.  Contrasted to one-time-only buyers, these customers plan to buy again and again. They will gain a reward for that. Inc. magazine published a survey in a recent issue. It states 71 percent of loyalty program members prefer rewards not available to everyone.  Yet fewer than half of the programs offer such special perks. Consider letting your VIPs  be the first to know about new items. Keep them updated with insider information. Give them special access or brag-worthy bonuses.  The best perks are those which money can't buy.

It is important to make sure your readers realize that you know what's what in your field. What you write doesn't matter as much as how you write it. There are ways to make an authoritative impression: Be bold and confident when you state a perspective.  Do not introduce your views with “I think” or “I believe”. This only makes you seem tentative or timid.  Being somewhat controversial or surprising helps. You should always support your points with data and trustworthy sources of information. Find little-known examples, and links to other areas of knowledge. The result will be you appear to be a grounded, insightful expert rather than a pitchman.

Small home-based businesses battle to stay on search engine listings. You work hard to gain the advertising and marketing exposure you deserve. Small home-based business owners don’t have the money for expensive advertising and marketing. It is for this reason that popular, big name companies seem to have taken over the online market. They advertise on television and in newspapers and magazines. You find them at the top of almost every search engine listing.  This should in no way discourage you. It is possible for small home-based internet businesses to move up the ladder of success. Through effective and creative internet marketing, you can gain the exposure you deserve. You must use strategies other than standard marketing. You can avoid advertising methods used by big name companies.

Small business networking is critical to your business success. You must build relationships through networking. You will need to make this your priority for the first few months of operations. Likewise, you cannot rush this process. Not only that, but you’re not going to go to your first network event and get six clients. But there’s a good chance that you will come away five or six quality contacts. Networking For Contacts Once you make the contact, your work is not over. You then have to spend time following up with meetings, proposals and sales calls.

Running a business should not be a difficult task. Running a successful business can be more difficult. There are thousands of people that have their own business, but many of them are not having any luck at all. As an entrepreneur, have you considered any of the following recommendations? 1. Before you can run a successful business, you are going to need the necessary knowledge. In other words, if you are looking to start a business, choose an industry that you are familiar with. By doing this you will ensure yourself of knowing where to start, and how to handle problems as they arise. Of course, it is possible to run a successful business even if you do not have past experience. You will want to make sure that you do your homework before starting. Gather some background information on the industry. Don't go into the venture blind.

Three strategic conversion killers: Not being clear: Are you sure you’re communicating the right message? Are you confident that the person on the other side understands what your product is about, and what benefit they will get? Not delivering a transformation: Your customer has two lives. One before your product; one after your product. They must feel that after buying from you, their life will be better.