I'm Looking For Your Opinion...

Have you had a chance to pick up my free ebook: The Reluctant Salesperson, to the right, on the side bar? I'd really like to know what you think of the content. Comment below and tell us what you think. -Ed

How To Blog Successfully.

Yaro Starak is offering up a nice bit of free information for any of you who are interested in drawing traffic to your own blogs. It is an interview with one of his mastermind students who gets nice numbers on his college football blog. There is no charge and it is exactly what I do to get traffic here. If you've got about a half an hour, or do what I did and listened while I worked - I think you'll appreciate the insight. Blogging in number one in my book for building your online brand.

Up Close and Personal with 12 Extraordinary Entrepreneurial Role Models for ONLY $37?

A NOTE TO MY READERS: This post is in support of a trusted and valued colleague of mine who has put together this valuable summit for any entrepreneurial spirit who could use some encouragement to online success. For the price of a few cases of beer, you get to listen in on the wisdom of the commentators. I'll be listening in that's for sure, if for nothing more than repaying Marcia for the lunch she covered the last time we met :)

We know many of you have left (or are dreaming about leaving) a corporate job for the world of self-employment. What starts off as a desire to be your own boss, control your own destiny can be a little overwhelming, and even scary when we think about our financial security and how to make more money.

It doesn’t help that lately, all we seem to hear about is the poor economy, and doom and gloom messages. Even the most seasoned entrepreneurs admit to feeling a little unnerved.

So here’s some good news — we're excited to tell you about our speaker series starting in February.

What's different about this series is the angle — the speakers have left the corporate world behind and have not only adapted, but have thrived in their own businesses, or have unique and valuable resources to help those who have gone from employee to entrepreneur.

Let’s face it — entrepreneurs who have come from a corporate background have different needs and concerns than entrepreneurs who’ve not “battled the beast” that we know as corporate life. And the Corporate Entrepreneurs TeleSummit addresses those needs and concerns.

Our speakers will share their personal stories, and give valuable information for whatever stage of business you're in, including topics like how to start a business, marketing, sales and relationships, finance, team building, and being the boss. The lineup includes well-known speakers like Michael Gerber of the E-Myth, Michael Port of Book Yourself Solid, Pamela Slim of Escape from Cubicle Nation, Naomi Dunford of IttyBiz and SEO School, Marie Forleo, James Roche, Gina and Stephen Bell, Elizabeth Potts Weinstein, Melanie Benson Strick, Alicia Forest, and the organizers, Sherri Garrity and Marcia Hoeck.

This is your chance to go behind-the-scenes with highly successful entrepreneurs who know how to get more financial security and control than they ever had working in the corporate world — because they’ve done it.

We're offering access to all 12 interviews for $37 — and we'll donate a portion of the proceeds from the event to give back to small business owners in developing countries through KIVA, so it’s a win-win!

Corporate Entrepreneurs Unplugged TeleSummit
February 10 – March 19, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am PST/1 pm EST

FREE Preview call February 5, 10 am PST/1 pm EST

Corporate Entrepreneurs

Chris Brogan's Got Some Great Tips!

Over at social media expert, Chris Brogan's blog he mentions 6 things you should do this year. The first one resonated with me:
"Find a new way to improve someone’s day (and determine if there’s value in it)." Chris is certainly on top of social media. If you've always wondered about this area, you must make his blog a must stop on your next cruise around the blog neighbourhoods.

You Know Your Brand's Gonna Suffer When:

If you happen to be looking for flash points for your brand, then you've come to the right place. What you are faced with is 51 ways that will negatively impact your corporate brand. Steer clear of these bad situations...

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your office supply budget is bigger than your marketing budget.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your sales are riding on price.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You look to the competition for inspiration.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your business card looks different than your signage which looks different than your websites.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You neglect thanking your customers for their business.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your employees explain who your are differently.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
The visionary of the company is dwelling on the downside of the economy.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your sales team don't recognize opportunities in the economy.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company isn't embracing an online presence.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your customers aren't familiar with your brand image.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your corporate brand colors match that of your competition.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your have nothing to differentiate your company from the competition.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You don't have a clear understanding of your brand message.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You aren't sure of your brand personality.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You don't live up to your brand values (if you've determined what they are).

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You haven't discovered your brand values.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your brand image is inconsistent.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your brand is defined by the competition.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You don't respect your suppliers and pay them in a reasonable time frame.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to stay current in your industry.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
you don't train your employees regularly to keep them motivated.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your employees have to rely on rumor for their news within the company.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your advertising doesn't tell the reader how they benefit from you.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your advertising uses cliches to get the message across.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company stresses service, but keeps customers on hold for extended lengths of time.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company isn't involved in charitable activities.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company doesn't belong to professional organizations.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Deadlines aren't taken seriously.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to keep your name in front of customers and prospects.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You find the cheapest way to produce promotional materials.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Sales are resistant to networking opportunities.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You don't believe sales will improve this year.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
New talent resists your advances.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to look for publicity opportunities.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company fails to make an emotional connection with customers.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to maintain a brand image standard.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company suffers from low brand awareness.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your online image isn't integrated with your offline image.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
When customers refuse to give you testimonials.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company brand image is no longer relevant in your industry culture.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company have failed to update all compliances.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
There is no brand allegiance from the top down.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Web search engines don't recognize you.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your website is just a brochure site.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
Your company fails to grow and promote new products and services.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to recognize a broke brand.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You are resisting new avenues of marketing, unless of course they're free.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You react to competitive ideas or have a willingness to follow the competition.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to counter bad publicity.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to regularly analyze your brand health.

You know your brand's gonna suffer when:
You fail to subscribe to my weekly branding tip :)

10 Small Business Action Tips!

Most small business retailers I've had the courtesy to meet, typically use traditional marketing to get business through their front doors. This means running print ads in the local press and waiting for the resulting traffic. They don't go out and get business as much as they try and lure them in.

I was at a local national chain with my wife and asked the sales person if they were on commission? "Yes, 100%" they informed me. I asked them what they did to get business in the door. "We send out the regular flyers from head office", was the reply.

"What do you do personally to drum up business?" I asked, knowing the answer to come. They didn't know what I meant. Since they are 100% commission, they are essentially a free agent, and as such I feel that they should be out in the marketplace, networking, building a customer database and contacting them through direct mail and html marketing, (even at their own cost, which is tax deductible). On the news, one local retailer said that they would weather the storm by cutting waste and reducing their ad budget by 50%. Can you believe that last comment? That's just what you want to do when things get bad, cut the very expenditure that actually brings you business.

What can you do as a little guy to get the cash register humming again? Well try these 10 tips on for size:

1) Read books on motivation and guerilla marketing. You will find great tips and suggestions for helping to get business in the door. Jeffrey Gitomer is one of my personal favorites. No BS.

2) Contact past customers, thank them for their business and offer them a personal incentive.

3) Using an email database, send out weekly html marketing possibly linked to an online promotion.

4) Join local professional groups. Get out into the community and join committees. At his level you can build influential relationships.

5) Cross promote with complimentary businesses. Combine mailing lists and offers.

6) Join networking groups. Nothing like dozens of sales people looking out for you.

7) Display at local events that your audience attends.

8) Change your sales message from what you sell to, how what you sell, fulfills a customer's need. (What's in it for them?)

9) Rack your brain for good news about your business and submit it as a press release to local media regularly.

10) Offer to write about your business category in the local press to help position you as an expert.

Bonus) Sponsor sports teams whose parents are possibly your target audience.

By doing suggestion #1, you will discover dozens of proven methods for bringing in business. The key is you have to get off of your butt and get moving. Doing any of these suggestions will result in boosting your moral and put you in control of generating traffic - as opposed to waiting for them to magically appear from an ad or two.