preferential-lite
shadow

How to End Your Fear of Cold Calling – 3 Steps to changing your mindset about cold calling!

Posted on: by:

Most of us really dislike cold calling. It’s probably the most dreaded of all sales activity, and causes the most rejection.

But there are wonderful ways to think differently about cold calling. We can eliminate the negative experience that’s typical for both caller and receiver simply by changing our mindset. When we begin to think differently, we find that cold calling is no longer the fear-laden experience we’ve come to expect.

By adopting this new mindset, you’ll be able to enjoy calling again. And, for the first time, you’ll see other benefits to cold calling besides actually closing a sale.

Here are three key focuses that shift us into this new way of approaching cold calling:

1. Focus on relationship rather than salesmanship

Begin your cold calls with the idea of having a conversation around the other person rather than around your product or service. Let your whole focus be about whether you can assist the person you’re calling.

This allows a conversation to unfold naturally and easily around their needs. And it also helps you be more relaxed around the possibility that your solution really may not be a fit for them at this time.

Who doesn’t like the idea of meeting new people? And who doesn’t like providing help if we can? When your mindset is in this place, then gracious and easy conversations happen. You aren’t all tense about whether a cold call will result in a sale. You’re operating out of authenticity. You’re being a real person, talking to real people.

Can I be of help to you? You probably wouldn’t say these specific words, but it’s a mindset that’s easy to hold. And it’s also more easily received by potential clients. They won’t feel "chased" by your sales agenda. They’ll be more open to explore things with you. And you’ll feel the enjoyment of meeting new people and discovering whether you can help them.

When you focus on building this kind of connection with people, you’ll find yourself improving your life in many ways. One is the obvious. You’ll have better cold calling conversations. You’ll find your sales going up. And you’ll also find yourself bringing much more professionalism into the actual experience of selling.

2. Focus on dialogue, not monologue

This new cold calling mindset is about having a true conversation, not a one-way script. It means genuinely anticipating cordial conversations with a new acquaintances.

This has to come from you naturally. It has to be a natural conversation. You have to believe yourself that you’re calling to see if you can help someone with your product or service.

Once you begin to enjoy the idea of conversing with people and building trust with them, your whole being shifts into this new frame of reference. And you begin to be in a place where the sale itself will not affect your behavior.

When this happens, your fear of rejection goes way down and your enjoyment of the human connection goes way up.

This is where you become free of the old rules around cold calling because you’re not worried about the selling anymore. You’re only concerned with helping the client, regardless whether you make a sale or not. And that’s freedom. It’s freedom to be professional and authentic.

When you think of upcoming cold calls in terms of dialogue rather than monologue, then you aren’t focused solely on what you might get from the conversation. You’re operating out of an honest desire to assist, and this always means having a two-way conversation.

3. Focus on problem solving rather than product selling

No matter what industry you’re in, there must be a need for your product or service, or you wouldn’t survive very long. So whether you’re offering entertainment, bookkeeping, computer programs or anything else, you’re fulfilling a particular need.

This new cold calling mindset focuses on identifying these needs from the perspective of potential clients. Shift your mindset away from what you have to offer, and focus instead on what their problem is. Step into their world.

Most of us enjoy problem solving. We like to "fix things." So it’s easy for us to come from a place of wanting to solve a problem. And that’s where we begin our cold calling conversations -- from their point of view, their difficulties, and whether we might be of service.

Human nature being what it is, we, as people, enjoy other people. And the more we help them, the more we get feedback that is supportive and positive.

We all want to enjoy our jobs and feel good about what we’re doing.

One of the major benefits of this new cold calling mindset is to add credibility and integrity to what we do as professionals. When we humanize the process of cold calling, we step out of the typical one-sided salesperson persona, and that feels really good.

Silk Roses

Posted on: by:

No one can argue the fact that any kind of rose is beautiful, any color, any shape. You can get them in red, pink, cream and yellow. But when it comes to silk roses, you may get them in just about any color you like. They can be used for anything from weddings to gifts.

If you have decided to use silk roses for your special wedding day, it would have been a good choice as they will not die and fall apart before the ceremony – they will still look beautiful years later! The nice thing about using silk flowers for a wedding is that you can also use them to celebrate your first anniversary. It will make the day even more unique if you used the same flowers as you did on your wedding day for your anniversary. If you bought a lot of silk roses for the wedding you could also hand some out to the guests, they would appreciate that. What will also be nice for the wedding is having the flower girl throw silk petals or just drop them as she walks

Silk roses are available in many different styles too. You can get them in a bouquet or just a single rose. You may also choose the color and if you ask nicely I am sure you could get a bouquet of silk roses mixing all your favorite colors! For weddings and occasions like that you could have your silk flowers in pretty little baskets.

Women will also appreciate a bunch of these, there doesn’t have to be an occasion for a man to buy his girlfriend or his wife a bunch of silk roses. He could just do it every now and then to remind her how much he loves her.

Overall, silk roses make the perfect compliment to many different occasions. The timelessness of silk roses give it a unique edge in the world of flowers.

New Utah Homes for Sale

Posted on: by:

The state of Utah has plenty to offer in the way of new homes as several of the areas are continuing to expand and offer new opportunities. These days you can find plenty of job offers online for the Utah area as well. In order to give you a good idea of the types of new homes that are available in the area you can look online as well.

You should be able to find plenty of real estate offices that are located in the Utah area with online sites. They will have listings of new homes and their prices for your to review. Remember that the cost of living is different in all areas so just because you will be making more money doesn’t mean you can afford a more expensive home necessarily. You will need to take a look at the cost of other expenses in the area to determine how much home you can buy.

Many of the sites you will find offer details about the new homes in Utah for sale. You can enter your search criteria to narrow down the homes that are shown to you. Some common types of search criteria to look for include the number of bedrooms, the number of bathrooms, location, the size of the yard, if it has a garage, and the layout of the home.

It is fun and convenient to be able to take virtual tours online of the new homes that are for sale. It is also much easier than having to travel to the area in order to see what is offered. Of course if you do find the perfect home in Utah this way you will definitely want to check it out in person before you commit to purchasing it. There are many things about a home that you won’t be able to see in pictures.

For those that already live in the state of Utah, there is plenty of selection out there if you are looking for a new home. This may be your first home which is very exciting because you will be able to live in a home that no one else has before. Some people are looking to upgrade to a larger home while others need to downsize as all of their children have left home.

You will also find a nice selection when it comes to the style of the home you are looking to buy in Utah. Some of them are small and quite while others are large and extravagant. It all depends on what you can afford and the lifestyle that you wish to engage in. If you have a preference such as a one level home rather than a bi-level or tri-level you will be able to find plenty of them in the state of Utah.

Buying a new home is a big commitment as well as a very large investment. Make sure you take the time to look at your options when you consider a new home in Utah. You want to be very happy with your decision and you want to be comfortable with the payments you will have on it as well.

Get the Word Out with Press Release Distribution

Posted on: by:

If you have a small business, chances are that you're struggling to establish or maintain your market niche. To grow your business to the next level, you need to get the word out to your target audience. You probably don't have the budget to place prominent print advertising, much less television and radio advertising. As it turns out, the best advertising - and the most effective advertising - is free advertising, in the form of media interest generated from a press release. But, even if you write a press release, how do you master the art of press release distribution?

Targeted press release distribution is one of the most powerful forms of marketing and advertising available. The value of the exposure your product or business will receive as a result of a television segment, a newspaper or magazine article is exponentially more than you'd receive as a result of paid advertising. That's because, although the media doesn't explicitly endorse products and businesses, it has an objectivity that provides consumers with a perception of credibility and legitimacy. In other words, consumers know that the media isn't being paid to cover your product or business, so they trust that writers and producers will provide them with unbiased information. The bottom line is that, if you get press attention, your business is bound to grow.

The trick is getting the word out to the media. In days past, this would involve countless of hours of research and lots of postage stamps, then crossing your fingers and playing the waiting game. But in this day of sophisticated Internet marketing, press release distribution can be accomplished instantaneously through press release services.

When selecting a press release distribution service, follow these guidelines:

* The press release distribution service should be able to provide online distribution to thousands of media outlets.

* The press release distribution service should be able to provide you with press release writing services for an additional fee.

* The press release distribution service should be able to provide you with fax distribution and audio distribution, in addition to online print distribution.

* The press release distribution service should have a proven track record, with clients who have been featured in major daily newspapers, major consumer or trade magazines, major Internet portals, and on television shows and radio stations.

* The press release distribution service should be able to target email press releases to those media outlets covering your preferred market.

Newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, and websites all depend upon a steady stream of press releases in order to provide content to their readers, listeners, and viewers. They want to hear about new products, services, and businesses, and they prefer to obtain the releases electronically. When you select a press release distribution service that has a proven track record, you can be assured that the media will turn to the press releases distributed by that service, knowing they are trustworthy.

Add Value to your Business with Computer Courseware

Posted on: by:

Training employees and educating consumers to be able to use particular computer software is a tough job. It takes time and skill to write training manuals and design illustrations to go along with them. That's why many business owners are choosing computer courseware instead of creating training manuals of their own. Computer courseware is pre-designed and customizable so you can arrange the lessons and customize them to fit your training needs. It saves time and money, and can be done easily in-house once you have a copy of the training materials.

What is Computer Courseware?

Computer courseware is software and/or training materials used for educational purposes. Educational institutions may use courseware to teach students how to operate a particular computer software program. Companies may use it to educate employees on using a new software program that has been installed for business operations. Also, companies that sell computers, software, or other related products and services might offer computer courseware to their customers as a free "how-to" guide.

The training courseware can be used for almost any type of computer software. There are Macintosh manuals, Microsoft courseware, Adobe Photoshop courseware, Excel courseware, and many others.

Tips for Maximizing your Computer Courseware Benefits

To get the most benefit out of your computer courseware, use it in creative ways. For example, package it nicely and offer it as a free bonus with a purchase to your clients. If you sell Microsoft Word software, then advertise up-front that each customer will receive a free beginner's course on how to use Microsoft Word. Then, include your Microsoft courseware with each purchase. If shipping products, package it neatly with the product. If selling in-store, make sure your employees know to give the bonus courseware with each purchase.

If you sell Macintosh computers, provide free Macintosh manuals with the computer. Those customers who are brand new to Macintosh computers will appreciate this tremendously!

Package your Computer Courseware for Long-Term Use

When you print the courseware manual, put the pages in a nice binder with your company logo, store location, phone number, and website address. Also include a "welcome" letter explaining briefly what the customer will learn in the course. Customers are more likely to keep the manual if it is packaged this way. If you hand them a lot of papers that have been stapled or bound together, these are likely to end up in the trash!

Another idea is to include a sales presentation at the beginning or conclusion of the courseware manual to try and up-sale customers on a new product or service. You're already providing something free that's of value, so why not make an offer while the customer is reading your materials?

If you operate an online business with an e-zine or newsletter, offer free computer courseware with every subscription. It may seem like a lot to give someone who's signing up for a free newsletter, but the rewards can be great. The long-term value of a newsletter subscriber base can be monumental!

As you can see, computer courseware can add great value to your products and services, and it's usually very easy and affordable to get started. All you have to do is order rights to the courseware, print your training manuals, and package them for distribution. Then, let the computer courseware materials do the rest!

Business Articles Can Help You Grow Your Company

Posted on: by:

Whether you already own a business or anticipate launching a business, it pays to do your research and stay abreast of issues that could affect your company. In the past, understanding business management and trends may have required an MBA degree or attending expensive seminars. Today, however, the Internet provides a wealth of information completely free of charge. By regularly reading business articles, you can gain insight into a variety of issues affecting companies like yours.

Taking a Cue from the Experts

Experts, business owners, and consultants routinely post valuable information on a wide range of topics to article content hubs, also known as article directories. For example, you can find dozens of articles about customer service, with topics ranging from how to effectively resolve customer complaints to using customer service to build customer loyalty to the pros and cons of using retail greeters. If you're getting ready to launch a business, you can find step-by-step guides to writing a business plan, how to incorporate flexibility into your strategic plan, and how to diversify your revenue streams.

Similarly, you can keep abreast of the specific issues affecting your business by reading business news articles and business ethics articles. Likewise, small business articles can help you avoid many of the pitfalls that besiege owners of small companies, and prompt you to adopt best practices for your industry.

Valuable Marketing Tips

It's always a challenge to stay a step ahead of the game and market your business in a way that gives you a competitive edge. This is especially true when it comes to Internet marketing, since cutting edge strategies quickly and fluidly changes in response to the needs of the marketplace. An article content directory that emphasizes business articles can provide a wealth of information on topics ranging from email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, traffic building, Web design and development, and copywriting.

Scouting for Business Opportunities

Whether you're ready to launch a new business or simply wish to diversify your revenue streams, a business-oriented article content directory will showcase new business opportunities. It will also contain business articles that will help you evaluate opportunities and provide benchmarks to determine whether or not you are achieving your goals. Other articles will help to motivate you by giving you pointers on setting goals, visualizing success, and convincing those around you to buy into your dream.

Sharing Your Knowledge

If you have experience in business issues - whether on general business topics or in a narrow specialty - consider using an article content directory to share your knowledge. Your advice, tips, and roadmap to success are certain to help others who are seeking guidance. When you do, you have the added benefit of being able to promote your business or website by including a hyperlink in the resource box of your article.

Expanding Your Website

Your company's website serves to both create brand awareness and to provide visitors with valuable information that will encourage them to return often. Article content directories often allow website owners to reprint articles on their own sites, as long as proper attribution is given and the author's resource box remains intact. Reprinting business articles and other articles on topics of interest to your visitors can help you add high-value content to your website and expand its reach.

Attract New Eyes and More Profits to Your Business with Flexible Neon LED Lighting

Posted on: by:

There are many ways to get your business noticed. Signs, flashing lights, bright building paint colors, banners, and window displays can all attract more customers to your establishment. But a new innovative method that many businesses are now using to get attention is the addition of flexible neon LED lighting to their building. Flexible neon lighting such as NeoFlex neon offers many benefits, dollar savings, and an easy way to spruce up an older building.

Uses for Flexible Neon LED Lighting

There are many uses for this unique type of neon lighting. You can decorate your building in a great way by installing the lighting around the entire building or storefront. Many businesses place the neon border tubing along the edges of building borders and roofs. In the windows, you can create unique neon signs for open/closed signs, slogans, special sales, or even the name of your business. You can also create amazing logos with the neon tubing.

These neon lights and signs not only attract attention while customers are entering your store or business, but they also attract attention from the highway, especially at night. The more people see your storefront, the better chance you'll have of getting them to enter your store. You can get their attention with neon, and then make a special offer on a sign to bring in targeted customers.

These types of lights are great for car wash neon lighting, bar neon lights, stage lights, casino neon lights, and restaurants or pubs. They do wonders for hotels and condos, or any business that's open after dark.

Benefits of Flexible Neon Lights

Using flexible neon LED lighting for architectural lighting offers numerous benefits. The tubing is bendable so it can be molded and shaped to fit almost any surface. It is easy to install, and many business owners install it on their own for smaller lighting projects. Flexible neon tubing can be cut to any length to meet any lighting need. Also, it is made with a thick rubber coating that protects it from weathering, vandals, or flying debris.

This type of lighting can be plugged into a regular 110-volt outlet, so no special power supplies are needed. Also, it is cost-efficient. You can save up to 80 percent in energy costs when compared with standard neon lighting. This lighting has up to 100,000 hours of life expectancy and is also cool to the touch.

Colors and Surfaces

There are also a variety of colors so you can match the neon lighting your business logo colors. These include red, purple, green, white, blue, yellow, and orange. You can decorate in one color or all "rainbow" colors if you want your business to really stand out.

Flexible neon LED lighting can be installed on several surface types such as wood, steel, plastic, and concrete. Up to 300 feet of continuous border tubing can be stretched along your building's exterior or interior to create eye-catching building highlights.

If you're searching for an affordable, but noticeable, way to draw more attention to your storefront, LED neon lighting is a great alternative lighting solution. Easy installation neon lighting gives your business its opportunity to shine!

How to Apply for a Job Online

Posted on: by:

In an increasingly online marketplace, applying for jobs often means sending your resume and cover letter electronically. Some companies have online application forms right on their Websites. Here, you can choose the job you wish to apply for, plug your work experience, skills, and education into online fields, then submit this information with a single click of a button.

Online application forms differ from another and will require different information. For example, some companies ask that you "copy-and-paste" your resume and cover letter into two fields. Others ask that applicants fill in multiple fields such as "work experience," "education," etc. Still others ask that you do both-submit your resume and cover letter, and fill in fields that require the same employment-related information.

Whatever type of online application form a company might have, be sure that all your information is posted in one field or another. Don't be afraid to repeat information, especially if the form requests a resume and a separate breakdown of your work history. Your information will be automatically uploaded into an online database, where hiring managers will likely scout for keywords. The more times your keywords come up, the better.

While some companies-especially large ones have online application forms, many others simply ask candidates to e-mail their application materials to the appropriate person or to a general employment address like "hiringmanager@anycompany.com." Here, caution is warranted. Be sure to send your resume and cover letter exactly as the hiring manager requests. Some employers prefer that the resume and cover letter be attached as separate documents (usually in a Text Only format or as Microsoft Word documents). Other employers want the cover letter to be in the body of an e-mail, but the resume to be attached separately. Still others prefer that both the resume and the cover letter be pasted into the body of an e-mail. For the latter, be sure that your documents are easy to read. Resumes, which have a rather complicated format, often look messy when they are transplanted into the body of an e-mail. Says recruiter Beth Camp: "If you e-mail a resume, it has to look as good as a written resume. I would advise sending a resume both as an attachment and in the body of your e-mail." This is a good way to sidestep a possible formatting fiasco. Another way is to send your resume and cover letter electronically, then to send hard copies as well.

Some jobseekers opt to purchase domain names and to create their own Websites for the purpose of putting their resumes (and other application materials) online. The advantage of formatting your resume using HTML and making it a static Web page is that anyone can see your resume in its proper format simply by visiting your Website. Thus, instead of mailing or e-mailing your resume every time you want someone to see it, you can simply give the interested parties the right web address and they can find it for themselves. An added bonus of having your resume on a Web page is that you may attract the interest of recruiters and employers whom you hadn't even considered. To make downloading your resume easier, you may want to include on your Website copies of your resume in PDF (portable document format) and Microsoft Word files.

Unfortunately, there are downsides to putting your resume on a Website. One downside is that your information becomes accessible to everyone, even unwanted visitors. For this reason, you should never disclose your home address, social security number, or any other personal information. Another downside is that not all hiring managers will go out of their way to visit your Website. Even if your resume is only a click away, many hiring managers would nevertheless prefer that you mail or e-mail it.

In terms of how you send your application materials, it would be unwise to go against the explicit wishes of an employer. For example, don't send an attachment when copy-and-pasting is requested. Some companies shun attachments because they fear getting a virus, or because they don't have compatible software, or because they simply don't want to be bothered with the extra step of opening a document.

When assembling your application materials and putting them into an e-mail, don't fill in the "to" field until you are finished. It's all too easy to accidentally send a half-finished e-mail to a company, thus eliminating your chances of making a decent first impression, and most likely, of getting an interview. If you were asked to copy-and-paste your resume and cover letter, be sure to scan the final outcome at least once for formatting problems, then to use a spell checker a final time.

If you are attaching your documents, be absolutely sure you are attaching the right versions (i.e., the company-tailored and updated versions) to the employer. Also, be sure that they are labeled in a professional way. One jobseeker laments his decision to save different versions of his resume under headings like "Resume for Strategic Sourcing Jobs." Says the jobseeker: "I was applying for three different types of positions. But I didn't want every prospective employer to know that. By labeling my outgoing resumes the way I did, I pretty much broadcasted the fact that I didn't have a clear career direction." Probably the best strategy for saving your resume is to do so under your name only (example: Simone Piette  resume) or under your name and the name of the company (example: Greenfield resume from Simone Piette). Be sure to say in your e-mail what you have attached, and also, what software you've used. For example, you might say in the body of your e-mail: "Please see my attached resume in Microsoft Word version 2002."

Before a hiring manager even opens your e-mail, she should know exactly who you are and which job you are applying for. In the "Subject" line, write your name, the position name (and job number, if listed), and the contents of your application (example, "Simone Piette resume and cover letter for Executive Assistant Position").

If you've been referred to a position by another person, be sure to "cc" (carbon copy) or "bcc" (blind carbon copy) your reference when you apply. That is, add that person's e-mail to the "cc" or "bcc" field, which will enable that person to receive an exact copy of the e-mail you're sending to the hiring manager. The reason you want to "cc" or "bcc" your referrer is because you want to keep him in the loop. After all, if someone has offered to help you, he should know what stage you're at in the application process. (Note: Some e-mail programs don't offer "cc" or "bcc" fields, in which case you'll want to e-mail your reference separately.)

Finally, be sure to save a copy of your outgoing e-mail in your "Sent Mail" folder, just in case the e-mail doesn't go through and you need to send it again.

Resume Templates

Posted on: by:

Working with Resume Templates

There’s no right way or wrong way to write a resume.  Find a resume template that you like and can work with. Stick to the general outline but edit to fit your best credentials and accolades.

It’s an advantage to have a large collection of templates to choose from to give as many options as possible. You can also utilize different formats and see which you like best. Make sure you have someone who can proof read for grammar and spelling.

What’s great about specific job resume templates is that they give you a targeted outline to work with. For example: A Marketing resume template might include headings like Entertainment and Media, Marketing and Advertising, Sales, Business, and Promotional Development, Business and Project Management. The things associated with marketing that will encourage you to think about what you have to offer a new company.

A good practice is to develop two resumes with different formats and then pass them around to family and friends for opinions.

As you begin to read job postings and the employment Ads, you can tweak your resume as you go.  Do your homework about the company you’re interested in and personalize it with pertinent and positive information in your cover letter.