Saturday, October 30, 2010

Flower power. You never need a special reason to use it. Now will do just fine.

by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

I was at the grocery store the other day; you know, the Shaw’s Market at Porter Square, Cambridge. My helper Aime Joseph was doing his usual efficient job of unloading the groceries onto the conveyor belt. I was holding the flowers so they wouldn’t get crushed.

A tired looking lady was at the cash register, a woman…
Flower power. You never need a special reason to use it. Now will do just fine.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Why your company must have a designated nudge to achieve maximum results.

by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Did you know your company has a open position which needs to be filled at once?
The absence of this person is costing you money every single day. That’s why you cannot wait another minute to fill this vital post.

To help understand what this position is all about, let’s start at the dictionary:

Nudge (nuj) v. nudged, nudging. v. t. To touch or push gently as with the elbow, in order to attract attention, convey a meaning, etc. v.i. To give a nudge. n. The act of nudging; a gentle push as with the elbow. Norw. nugga, push.

Frankly, I think the original Norwegian ("nugga") has it right: push. The nudge is your company’s designated representative to push employees and associates for more and faster results.

Why you need a nudge

Let’s face it, you’re human. You try to set goals. You try to reach them in the time provided. You try to do more and better, right?

But somehow you fall behind, miss deadlines, bobble opportunities, trip and crash when you should be sprinting ahead. Isn’t that about the size of it?

Which is why you need a designated nudge.

In a nutshell the job of the nudge is to

* check progress on existing projects and objectives

* ask how you are getting on with what needs to be done

* remind you what needs to be done and when it must be done

* offer incentives for achievement

* make it clear what happens when achievement is not forthcoming

And, in general, spur, motivate, challenge, chide — and push.

The nudge must be organized, efficient, focused, indefatigable, with a thick skin

Only a person of the utmost efficiency, clarity and organization can be a nudge. After all, a nudge who falters and fails is hardly going to make a success of the position, much less deliver the benefits you have every right to expect.

Beyond such skills, the nudge must be a person who, above all, has a thick skin and who doesn’t take things personally.

Nudges are often regarded as people butting in where they are not wanted…
perfectionists in an imperfect world… annoying, interfering, pests; in short not the most welcome of creatures.

That’s why two things are absolutely necessary for the successful nudge: a thick skin and immunity for whatever they say.

The necessity for immunity

A nudge by definition pushes other employees… and must therefore be protected from the comments and reactions of all employees.

Consider this typical situation:

Nudge: Mary, as you know your monthly sales figures are a little off. What are you planning to do to get back on track?

I guarantee you that Mary is not likely to be very happy when the nudge drops by with this message. However, that is the nudge’s job: to get Mary back on track ASAP, to enable both Mary and the company to achieve their clearly understood goals.

Mary may well be inclined to respond with a "get out of here. I am fully capable of handling this matter myself" comment.

But she cannot and must not.

The nudge’s job is to remind Mary of what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, what Mary is doing to achieve the objective, and to give Mary all appropriate help and directions, right up to and including warnings and admonitions.

The nudge is constantly in motion and may appear anywhere, at any time.

By definition, a nudge cannot be a stationary object; the nudge must constantly be

* connecting with employees * reviewing their progress * making suggestions * focusing employees * recommending what must be done and when it must be done.

The nudge must be supremely well organized and must have a clear daily "to do" list.

This means

* knowing who must be contacted today

* calling and emailing such people (including follow-up e-mails after all meetings).

* re-focusing employees, tweaking, adjusting, reminding.

The nudge is a creature in constant motion…

* prodding Joe

* complimenting Neal

* chiding Sally

being clear on what each needs to achieve… and working with each and all to achieve those objectives.

Start today

There isn’t a company on this earth which wouldn’t be better off having a designated nudge on staff. That’s why you must start today.

* Review the nudge candidates you have. Who is best equipped to contact each and every employee and representative to improve results?

* The nudge must be in constant communication with employees AND with management.

* The nudge’s conduct and mode of operation must be reviewed at regular intervals. Remember your Lord Acton: "power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." You must ensure that your nudge doesn’t develop arrogance and "big head" problems, which can easily occur without periodic intervention and oversight.

Review the nudge’s results

A nudge who understands and is good at this job is a godsend to any company. After all, nudges are clear on what is likely to deliver better results:

* allowing employees to go their own ways without regular oversight and reminding, or

* having to report progress (or lack of same) to a designated representative whose task is to get people to produce more in a designated period of time?

Obvious, isn’t it?

And so we come back to the original Norwegian word "nugga", meaning push. The nudge is your company’s secret weapon, who by simply showing up and pushing and prodding employees will achieve better results day after day.

Cherish nudges, for they are a source of endless benefits to you and your organization. Far too many employees are slow, slothful, disorganized, inefficient. Apply the magic of the nudge to the solution of these problems and deficiencies. The results will most assuredly please you!

About The Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc.,
www.worldprofit.com where small and home-based businesses learn how to profit online through automation. Attend Dr. Lant’s live webcast TODAY and receive 50,000 free guaranteed visitors to the website of your choice! For details on Dr. Lant’s 18 best-selling business books, go to www.jeffreylant.com

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

How To Start Your Own Online Home Business
Author: Joel Broughton

If you want to start an online home business it's actually very easy to do. You can use a 4 Step Process to make sure that you do not fail. Worldwide there are literally 1000's of people that are starting a simple online home business, and now you can too. But what is the best online home business for you?

You can easily find the best online home business that suits your needs, personality and level of commitment if you are willing to just spend a little time and energy. As you were reading this article another person, somewhere in the world just started a new online home business. So, it's really not that tough for you to get started. You just have to first decide to do it, then take action.

Are you committed to yourself enough to succeed?

Most people that fail in a home business do so because they just don't realize WHY they wanted to start one in the first place. So let's take a few minutes right now to decide why you want an online home business. Do you want to travel? Do you want a huge bank account? Do you want that beachfront mansion and hot girls (or guys) chasing you?

Grab the keys to your Ferrari and let's take a drive down to the simple 4 Step Process that will help you get started. You can truly choose to live the lifestyle you want, once you decide why you are doing this in the first place.

This 4 Step Process has been used by 10,000's of people to successfully go from working full time at a job they hate, to owning a successful online home business. Let's get started:

Easy Action Step 1: Do you want a Business Coach or are you going to do all the research yourself? It's a lot of work to start a home based business online, so it's probably a good idea to find someone that can help you.

Easy Action Step 2: What do you want to sell? Yes, you will need a product or service to make your business work, but don't worry, with the power of the Internet, you won't be selling your products door to door, you just have to put them online.

Easy Action Step 3: Does anyone actually want to buy your stuff? This is the most important question to ask yourself as you are getting setup. If nobody wants you stuff...don't try to sell it to them. Okay?

Easy Action Step 4: Get started. There is no time like right now to get your website setup and start your marketing campaign. Set your own hours, but make sure you put in lots of work getting started, or your new business will never get off the ground.

Simple enough?

This is just an outline of what you need to get started, but the most important part really is whether or not you are willing to take action to get started. Most new online home based business owners get stalled just trying to come up with a product or service to sell. So why frustrate yourself with this? Locate a successful business mentor online that is willing to help you get an internet home based business up and running and just plug into what they are doing with them. Creating a partnership is easier than you think.

Get started right now in your own online home business and don't look back!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-ideas-articles/online-home-business-tips-how-to-start-your-own-online-home-business-3206505.html


About the Author

Joel Broughton is a Home Based Business Coach and Loving Dad of 4. If you want to Start an Online Home Business you can learn how as his website: http://www.JoelBroughton.com

Monday, October 04, 2010

What to do when your customer says "NO!"

by Dr. Jeffrey Lant

It's sad, but it's going to happen to you today: a prospect is going to say no to your offer. That, however, is NOT important. What is, is knowing what to do when ithappens. That's what separates the men from the boys; the business people who will profit from those who won't!

1) Prepare for the decline

People who succeed in business do not expect every single prospect to purchase what they're selling immediately, effortlessly. No way!

Instead, they anticipate that while some will buy, many will not. Their job is to anticipate those declines and to prepare in advance what to do when they get them.

2) Write down every potential objection you
will hear. Then answer them.

The worst possible way to handle an objection is spontaneously, on the fly. To render the best reply, you must consider the best reply, crafting, improving it as you go.

Face it: some people are going to decline your offer. You should be prepared to respond immediately when it happens. This means brainstorming all possible objections... and coming up with the best, most telling responses. Your use of these responses must be swift and sure. There's no time for improvisation when your
sale hangs in the balance!

3) Ask customers why they've declined your offer.

Successful business people, people who get rich from business, are never daunted by hearing "No!" from a customer. They see this response, however adamant, as nothing but a milestone on the way to making that sale. Successful marketers know that any "no" means "tell me more", not "go away, get lost."

4) Ask why

The first step upon hearing the customer decline your offer... is to ask why.

Treat "why" as an essential tool in making the sale. The minute your prospect starts telling you why... you are on your way to a certain sale because the very act of answering this question means the prospect is willing to work with you to reverse the very answer they've just given you! Thus asking "why" is essential to getting to yes.

5) Listen carefully

While your customer is explaining why she declined your offer, LISTEN. The natural tendency is to barge ahead, overwhelming the customer. This is a mistake. Instead, ask the customer why she declined; then give her the time and courtesy to listen to her response without any interruption whatsoever.

6) Make sure the customer understands your original offer.

By asking the customer why she has declined your offer, you may discover that she doesn't really understand what you are offering. If she doesn't, present the offer again, making sure the customer understands absolutely everything you are offering and its substantial value and utility.

7) When your initial offer is not enough

If you have presented your offer clearly... if you feel the customer understands it but is still not willing to bite, it's time to IMPROVE YOUR OFFER!

Now hear this: before you ask a single customer for a sale, you must brainstorm every single thing you can offer prospects to induce them to buy.

You must NEVER try to improvise an offer when you are speaking to a customer. Instead, you should have at your finger tips the extra goodies you can offer a customer, goodies that will make the sale without breaking the bank!

"Ms. Prospect, I see you want to get our widget... and I want you to have it. I'm going to improve my original offer to make sure you get it! Let me show you what you can get if you purchase today!"

8) When money -- or lack thereof --is the problem

Be prepared to hear from customers over and over again that money is the problem. This may or may not be true. Your job is to be prepared either way.

Ask your customers if they would purchase your product if they had the money. If they say yes, then your job becomes improving the offer until the customer understands it would be foolish not to buy. Improving the offer may well induce the customer to 'fess up and buy... or risk losing the terrific offer you have made. Improve the offer and in a minute or two people who have just told you they're broke will magically "find" the funds. With improved offers, this happens time after time!

Note: make it clear to your prospect exactly what this improved offer contains. Also, be sure the customer understands that this is a limited-time offer and that it cannot and will not be repeated. Make sure the customers understands; this is essential in ensuring acceptance of this offer!

9) When lack of money really is the problem

Of course, some people -- particularly in our difficult economic days -- really are broke. They need a different approach. For this situation, too, you should have planned in advance. Can you offer

* improved payment terms
* readily available credit resources (like
those at www.paypal.com )
* details on how to secure a pre-paid credit
card, etc.

In short are you ready to be helpful when your interested, but cash challenged, customer is ready to act? That's mandatory... if you want this sale!

Turning a no into a yes is what determines your business success!

Let me be blunt: you cannot achieve maximum business success and the profits that go with it unless and until you can turn no into yes. Therefore, mastering the steps in this article is essential to your maximum well being.

Thus, start today. Never let a prospect go until you have exhausted every approach to securing his business. Treat this as a great game, a game constantly testing your skills and ingenuity; one with the greatest possible benefits to both your customer and yourself. For you, hearing the word no only focuses and concentrates your efforts. After all, YOU are prepared for this moment. You know what to do and when to it. You are more determined to make this sale than the prospect is to decline it. As a result, this is not just a sale you will wish for; it is a sale you will get!

About The Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of
Worldprofit, Inc., www.worldprofit.com where
small and home-based businesses learn how to
profit online. Attend Dr. Lant's live webcast
TODAY and receive 50,000 free guaranteed
visitors to the website of your choice! For details
on Dr. Lant's 18 best-selling business books,
go to www.jeffreylant.com

For more articles by Dr. Jeffrey Lant go to http://www.JeffreyLantArticles.com