

100 Ways To

Kill Your Business

Sandra Wise

PUBLISHED BY:

Sandra Wise

100 Ways To Kill Your Business

Copyright © 2013 by Sandra Wise

License Notes

This eBook is Licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be copied or resold to other people. I ask that if you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Prologue

This book was created by the views and experience of the author to educate and inform the audience in successful business management.

A portion of the proceeds from every purchase of this book are donated to the RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) foundation.

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At the age of nine, I came home from school one day to my mom who wasn't sure if she should be proud of me, or ground me. She had received a call from Mrs. Hall (the principal) who was informed from my fourth grade teacher that I had been given detention for selling pictures that I had drew, to my fellow classmates. By the time that my teacher scolded me for breaking a school policy that I wasn't aware existed, I had already made eleven dollars in three days from selling the pictures to my classmates, at only a quarter for each.

I'll never forget the feelings of fear and anxiety I had the day my dad pulled our car in front of the local Wendy's restaurant on my fifteenth birthday. He turned to me and said " _Don't come out unless you have a job_ " and I walked out with my first part time employment position. That alone taught me determination and confidence in business ethics, not to mention overcoming fear.

Having worked very hard for everything I've owned, I grew a respect for the possessions in life no matter how great or small. There were many words of wisdom my dad guided me with when it came to business, but the advice he gave me of " _Don't have a boss, you be the boss_ " stand out to me more than any other.

I had my first experience with entrepreneurship at the age of nineteen when I was invited to my cousins house for an in-home products party. At first I had no idea what was going on nor that a business like this had even existed and being only nineteen I could only guess very little things with what the term 'party' was in reference to.

To my surprise I was educated about what a Party Planner or Independent Business Consultant was all about. So after trying my hand at being a variety of professions (including Bank Teller and Retail Manager) I decided I would take a leap and experience the life as an Independent Consultant myself.

Little did I know that six years later I would find myself guiding other consultants with the experience I had learned previously in college and as a small business owner. Today my outreach has expanded into leading not only Consultants for at home parties, but small business owners outside of the home as well.

Through writing articles and blogs on the internet as well as training business owners through exercises in their business setting face to face, I decided to expand my audience further and educate internationally through creating the guide "100 Ways To Kill Your Business".

I personally invite you to use this book as a guide to help better your business and professional lifestyle by reading through the most common one hundred ways that I have found to be the most dreadful to business owners everywhere, by their very own professional mistakes.

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Dedication

This book was written in dedication to every entrepreneur who took the first step to reach long term financial success. May you reach your goals and succeed always in your dreams.

Every expert is nothing more than a beginner who continues to strive for success. -S.Wise

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Contents

Chapter 1 Your Priorities

Part 1 Take Charge Of Your Business

Part 2 Be A Friend, Not A Boss

Part 3 Unbalanced Life Choices

Part 4 No Action On Your Options

Part 5 Default Of Pride In Products And Services

Part 6 Ignore Your Evaluations

Part 7 A Dormant Professional Image

Part 8 Avoid Rehearsing

Part 9 Don't Discipline Yourself

Part 10 Don't Write Down Goals

Part 11 Avoid Research

Part 12 Black and White Lies

Conclusion

Chapter 2 Dedication

Part 13 Lack of Knowledge

Part 14 Your '60 Second' Commercial

Part 15 Loss Of Motivation

Part 16 The Hidden Market

Part 17 A Toxic Business Partner

Part 18 Dependable And Punctual

Part 19 Withholding On Your Word

Part 20 No Track Record Of Progression

Part 21 Inactivity Of Current Events

Part 22 Ignoring New Responsibilities

Conclusion

Chapter 3 Organization

Part 23 Leaping Without A Plan

Part 24 The Unorganized Schedule

Part 25 Obscured Concept Of Time

Part 26 Catastrophic Environment

Part 27 Blogging Is For Boredom

Part 28 Misused Resources

Part 29 The Negative Company Profile

Part 30 Remaining Organized

Conclusion

Chapter 4 Customer Service

Part 31 Assuming They Aren't Interested

Part 32 Treat Your Business Like A Garage Sale

Part 33 Ignore The Special Treatment

Part 34 Not Recognizing Potential Customers

Part 35 Avoiding Questions

Part 36 The Customer Is Always Right

Part 37 No Customer List

Part 38 Marketing To The Wrong Audience

Part 39 Ignoring Your Diverse Customer Base

Part 40 Expecting The Customer To Come To You

Part 41 No 'Try Before You Buy' Option

Part 42 Not Paying Attention To Customers Needs

Part 43 Not Doing Your Research Can Hurt Your Business

Conclusion

Chapter 5 Distraction

Part 44 Everyday Distractions

Part 45 Proactive In Procrastination

Part 46 Complication Over Simplification

Part 47 Your Life Story

Part 48 Discouragement By Lack Of Overnight Success

Conclusion

Chapter 6 Rebuttals And Reputation

Part 49 Personal Life Surfaces In Social Media

Part 50 Handling Rejection Negatively

Part 51 Offensive Marketing Strategies

Part 52 Ignoring The Bad Reviews

Part 53 Not Acknowledging The Good Reviews

Part 54 Reflective Actions

Part 55 Using Weak Rebuttals

Part 56 Handling Hesitancy Inappropriately

Part 57 Emotional Reaction To Failure

Part 58 Negative Assistant Representation

Conclusion

Chapter 7 Resources

Part 59 Wrong Media For The Wrong Situations

Part 60 Accepting Constructive Criticism

Part 61 Missing The Little Things

Part 62 Good Neighbor Bad Neighbor Policy

Part 63 No Recognition Of Your Support System

Part 64 Ignoring Your Post A Day

Part 65 Ignorance Of Social Media Benefits

Part 66 Inactivity Of Social Media Groups And Forums

Part 67 Pride Over Mentorship

Part 68 Nobody Knows What You Do

Part 69 Reactive In Networking

Part 70 Lack Of Sponsorship

Conclusion

Chapter 8 Closing The Deal

Part 71 The Discount Danger

Part 72 No Invitation To Return

Part 73 Forgetting The 'Ask Three Times' Rule

Part 74 Unappealing Presentations

Part 75 Lack Of Verbal Communication

Part 76 Statements Customers Can't Refuse

Part 77 Lack Of Knowledge About The Competition

Part 78 Absence Of Power Words

Part 79 Follow Up Deficiency

Part 80 Recognize The Buyer

Part 81 A Vacant 'Waiting Game Strategy'

Conclusion

Chapter 9 Your Law Of Attraction

Part 82 Living Outside Of The Secret

Part 83 Deprivation Of A Positive Outlook

Part 84 The 'Thirty Second' Website Rule

Part 85 Your Presentation Of Your Worth

Part 86 Faulty Compensation

Part 87 Use Of Negative Body Language

Part 88 Shortage Of Self Pride

Part 89 Mental Health Matters

Part 90 Caving To Your Fears

Part 91 Hiding Your Accomplishments

Part 92 Placing blame And Reactive Behavior

Conclusion

Chapter 10 Investments & Economics

Part 93 Ignoring Investors

Part 94 To Hide Or Not To Hide From Uncle Sam

Part 95 Detrimental Investment Spending

Part 96 Current Economics And Your Business

Part 97 Expecting Payoff Without Proper Investments

Part 98 Insufficient Wisdom In Cultural Economics

Part 99 Pessimistic Financial Responsibility

Part 100 Resistant Exploration Of Investments

Conclusion

Chapter 11 Exercises And Habits

Creating Positive Habits

The Six Month Evaluation

Self Discipline Practice Exercises

Media Practices

Four Ways To Maintain Inspiration

Author's Note

References

Acknowledgements

About The Author

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"Tell the negative committee that meets in your head, to sit down and shut up."

-Ann Bradford

Chapter 1 Your Priorities

You want to own a business or you currently do, that's awesome! But where does you dedication to your business remain? Your business should be a top priority amongst a well balanced lifestyle. There are many parts to running a business that you should keep in mind such as if your partner is really a right fit to keep the wheels running smoothly. It's good to have fun and enjoy your business, but it's more important to develop a level of importance with it. Such is, how you prioritize the factors in which keeps your business running smoothly toward the level of success you are wanting to achieve.

Part 1 Take Charge Of Your Business

Have you found yourself wanting to take more control over your business and it's future? Are you seeking new ways to make it grow? Maybe you are just simply ready to take charge of your finances and give your future more stability?

Taking charge of your business is the first step to the success of all these questions. There are many people who are willing to spend the rest of their lives working for someone else. But why be one of them when you can simply become one of them?

Do not let the success of others slow you down or intimidate you. Even if you are a person who is currently working under the supervision of another and beginning your business from the ground up, it's not too late to get in better control of your business and make it work.

First you need to believe and acknowledge that it is possible to get yourself out of the corporate everyday grind and excel into what you were meant to do in life- manage your own business. Accept that you are ready to take on the challenges necessary to make this dream come true. Now is the time for you take your business to a level it hasn't been- above and beyond!

Only you can take charge of the current situations. Evaluate them, find solutions and then act upon them. Rediscover the motivation that existed when the business was created. That light bulb that was shining from above your head at first idea of this business, had it's glow for a reason!

"There is never just one thing that leads to success for anyone. I feel it always a combination of passion, dedication, hard work, and being in the right place at the right time."

-Lauren Conrad

Part 2 Be A Friend, Not A Boss

It's not uncommon for many business owners to make this prime mistake; treating their employees as friends instead of just that. You do not manage your friends in a personal setting and therefore they would not take you seriously in a professional setting, unless there was to be a blunt understanding in the workplace. However hiring an employee and becoming their friend in the workplace is actually more dangerous.

Why is it more dangerous to hire an employee and become friends rather than hiring a friend with whom you have a history with? You have already created a foundation with a friend and therefore if something negative were to happen or change where the friend would no longer be working for you in the business, the foundation is what would help keep the personal relationship alive.

Hiring someone new and then creating a personal relationship with them outside of business allows for many dangers. There is no previous history for the two of you to fall back on if something were to change in the workplace where they would no longer be working for you. Also, how is one going to take you seriously as a manager if you are creating a personal relationship?

There needs to be standards in order to be taken seriously. This is not a suggestion to be demanding and controlling in any negative way. It is however the encouragement you need to create the professional relationship that needs to exist.

You are the boss, you are the owner and it is your responsibility to act as so.

By becoming friends with someone who work with, opens doors for new problems such as easy forgiveness of serious situations that could be overlooked when they should not be and lack of concentration on goals of the business. You should remain focused on the future of the business and be the leader in reminding your team of the same.

Part 3 Unbalanced Life Choices

When you're a business owner, you learn a lot of things about life itself. One of those is the balance that you need to create between business and personal life. There is a fine line between business and pleasure and without a correct balance, you will not find the peace or happiness that universe holds for you.

You simply cannot depend on one of the two to completely fulfill you. As a human it is within your nature to have both. Any business owner wants nothing more than success for their business, but you will be setting yourself up for failure if you are not creating a balance of pleasure between your personal life and your professional.

Without love, emotion, nature and understanding you cannot simply have the inspiration or drive needed to be a positive leader in an economy that has seen more downfalls than upbringing in the past decade.

Have you ever noticed that the greatest of leaders were men and women of success- inside and outside of the workplace? Photos of family and nature surround their office space. Why is this? Simply because not only do you need the love and emotion from the personal aspect, but the support as well. You may be surrounded by those who support you and not even realize it because you're too engaged in your career to notice.

Not only can this hurt you in a spiritual and emotional manner, but all work and no play can also create unexpected health problems. By not getting the appropriate amount of rest, physical exercise and healthy eating habits needed you will not be able to perform your job function to the best of your ability.

Your physician appointments and picnics with family are just as important as the meeting that will be awaiting you on Monday morning. Do not lose sight of one of the two sides by excusing it with the other. In life these sides balance eachother out. You cannot be successful in either, without the other succeeding as well.

Part 4 No Action On Your Options

From the time you are created, you are given many options. You learn decision making skills at a very young age. As you get older, the decision making skills grow with the higher complexity of the problem. Also as your grow you begin to understand procrastination and gain a better understanding of options. So what happens if you act on either of these?

Don't let procrastination become an excuse for poor business ethic. There are many reasons why someone would act on this, depression being a valid reason- but unlike depression (which is an illness that should be treated by a medical professional) there are many other reasons why procrastination is inexcusable.

There are many options when running a business. It is up to you to act on them. You are the controlling factor in the business, the final decision maker. The business' future depends on your final say in each choice. It is up to you to act on every option that crosses your business' path.

Whether the final decision is a yay or nay, it should be in the best interest of your company. If you aren't taking actions on all of your options, you could greatly be missing out on huge opportunities that could change your business' future.

This can be a grave mistake for a small business. Ignoring the options to invest in simple marketing strategies such as monthly Facebook Advertisements or choosing to opt out of creating a Pinterest page for your business are two examples of options that every business should be considering. By choosing not to participate in these options, you are going to gain a much larger audience in social media at very slower pace than you could have if you had chosen to act upon it to begin with. You may also not ever receive that audience at all by choosing not to.

Part 5 Default Of Pride In Products And Services

You're talking with a business owner about their products and services. The conversation seems to be going well until you get the quality of the purchase. Suddenly the owner begins to turn the conversation into a negative rant about the services are clearly not up to par and the products are faulty. Do you continue to close your interest in their business with a deal? Or do you kindly thank the owner and wish him the best of luck while keeping your interest open for business elsewhere?

If you're anything like myself, you'd definitely do the latter. Customers will most likely be turned off by your lack of pride in your products and services. You may be doing just as this business owner did without even realizing it. When is the last time your role played to hear yourself talk about your business?

Practice your business role playing skills at least once a week. You'll be surprised how often your mood can change. Different factors in life can create different emotions, as we are only human. Your purpose may not be to say anything negative that would drive a customer away, but it can happen.

Why sell something that you have no interest or belief in? If you cannot have a belief or convince yourself why you should use that product or service, then you clearly need to rethink your role in that business.

At this point you may be rethinking your process about presenting your products and services to your customers, or rethinking about your faith in your business overall. Some questions you may want to ask yourself during this process are the following:

  * Do I, or would I, use what I sell?

  * Do I think positively about what I sell?

  * Am I comfortable enough to sell it the appropriate audience?

  * What are the positive feelings I get from selling these products/services?

  * Do I have or use these things in my own home?

  * If I don't use them now, would I in the future? If not, why not?

  * Do I smile during my conversations when discussing what my business offers?

  * Is there excitement in my voice when I speak about I am selling?

Part 6 Ignore Your Evaluations

Even if you think you are on the right path to success, you still need to evaluate your overall situation. I suggest that you do this at least every six months. Anything less than six months isn't necessary as you need to build the customer base and take many other financial situations into consideration (such as your business' Accounts Receivable and the current economic situation).

When was the last time you gave yourself and your business an evaluation? If your answer to this is anything but recently, then waste no time other than doing it now!

Without an evaluation you are more likely to overlook mistakes that could have been prevented or should be prevented in the future. There are mistakes that you may not even realize that have occurred and unless you are open to an evaluation you will not be able to see them clearly.

Anytime you are doing an evaluation, you need to remain open minded and remember to use every answer as nothing more than constructive criticism. You will waste more time letting your pride get in the way by becoming upset with yourself, your employees or your business if you take the negative too personally. You must remember that everything in life is nothing more than a learning process and it is how you react to every situation that makes the difference.

Part 7 A Dormant Professional Image

In a world with high expectancy and a large amount of competition, image really is everything. Depending on what you're offering depends largely on what the customer expects of you. You wouldn't expect a mechanic to be sparkly clean in crisp business attire, now would you? Of course not. The typical mechanic is known to be dirty to some extent with rags or tools in hand and knowledge of the vehicle.

Now that you have the general idea, think for a moment about what it is that your business is representing. How would you expect someone in your shoes to be presented if you were the customer? The answers are now loud and clear to you.

You want to dress to impress and fit the image of what it is you're selling. If you're selling high dollar products or are in the position where you are wanting to recruit for a downline, the most important thing you can do is dress with high intentions. Leave the heavy makeup and blue jeans for date night. Fine jewelry and business attire will do just fine to leave the impression that your business is climbing to new peaks (whether you are just getting to that point or not, this is the impression that you want to leave).

This also includes photos as well. Using street images of yourself may work for some, depending on the audience you are wanting to bring in. However if you are seeking for a group of high standard elites, dress appropriately and make sure your photos are high quality. They should be eye catching and leave a lasting impression.

Sounds a little tricky, I know. But it works and it works well. Dress to impress is the key to success.

Part 8 Avoid Rehearsing

Have you ever been told that you have a natural talent for business? How about for public speaking? Even if you feel you do or have been told that you have a natural talent for these, this is still no excuse for not rehearsing.

This is especially important if you are in Marketing or any position that involves Leadership and Management. Forget the things you learned in school, "Just picture the audience naked" they'd say. That may still help you, too. However what's really important is not only being educated about the subject you're talking about, but also the confidence in your voice and actions.

Consumers like dogs can smell fear a mile away. The blunt honest truth is that one of two things can happen with this: They may either try to sucker you into providing free products or services or Two they will be turned away at the lack of professionalism.

Just as I said in the first Part of Chapter One, you need to take charge of your business and of your situation. No one else is going to do it for you. I suggest to begin by practicing in any way that you may feel comfortable. If it is with a family member or friend, another employee, in front of a mirror or recording a video of yourself, then so be it.

Don't hesitate to make changes as you are rehearsing. It's better to make mistakes and correct them now during rehearsal than discover than later when you are in front of your audience. You should also take this time to explore all of your options and any questions that may come your way by the consumer. If you can't think of anything outside of your comfort zone and ask someone else to come up with questions they would want to ask if they were in the consumers shoes.

Take the rehearsal as seriously as if you were in front of the consumer trying to close the deal. It's okay to practice with people who are not the consumer, but if they don't help you by asking serious questions and giving serious responses to your presentation, then you need to stop and remind them to do so or other means of help. This is your business, not a school play rehearsal and should be taken seriously.

Part 9 Don't Discipline Yourself

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment."

-Jim Rohn

It takes a tremendous amount of effort to have the courage to discipline others in the workplace, so you can only image the amount it takes to discipline yourself (unless you're already doing it). Self discipline is a learned practice. It may take days or weeks for you to be able to find that groove where you able to monitor yourself and whip your mindset into proper work shape.

When you're the boss, it is extremely important that you do practice discipline with yourself. Without discipline, you could end up reacting in rebelling manners without knowing you are actually doing so. By this I mean, you could find yourself doing things such as distracting you from your work.

It's not uncommon for a business owner to lack the capability of self control and discipline. You may think you have it under control, but you may find different through a self evaluation.

So what are some ways that you can discipline yourself without putting such things such as your mood and confidence at risk?

The answer to that question is fairly simple in a lot of ways. First and foremost that you should the things you are willing to take away from yourself as goals and motivation. Just like a child who wants an allowance for doing chores, you must see yourself also as an employee to your business. Make sure to take away things that you will long for and miss. Don't give yourself any leeway to slack on your discipline.

If it helps, post them where they can be seen. If vacations are what you will be missing most if you don't meet certain goals, post photos of the places so that you can visibly see what it is you are working toward. If you do not make your goals or do things that you have challenged yourself not to do, take those things away.

Part 10 Don't Write Down Goals

If you really want to kill your motivation, simply don't write down your goals. However, if you are wanting to maintain focused and on the right track then yes, by all means write down your goals where you can visually see them!

So you have goals, everyone does. But how many of us actually reach what we strive for? Take for example your New Years Resolutions. My best guess is that you've forgotten your already. You business goals should be taken much more seriously. This isn't about jogging twice a day for five weeks, this is about reaching your dreams and making your business the success it deserves to be.

Broadcast your goals, by word of mouth or social media. The more you make your audience aware of your goals, the more you will expand the greater chance of being reminded about them. This will give you a lot less room to slack when it comes to reaching what you really want most.

When a child wants to do something new and exciting, they've no need to write down their goal. But they do, through pictures they draw they express their goals. They dream about what it is they are longing to do. They talk about their goal with others. Parents often remind children that they've talked about it repeatedly in hopes to change the subject.. but that is where adults go wrong.

Adults can learn a lot from little children. What are you really teaching that child when you're encouraging them to hush and not to repeat themselves? You are discouraging their dreams and teaching them that their goals are not quite as important as they think. Could you imagine what the world would be like if adults had the same motivation as a child who so insistent on reaching their goals? It may just be a more productive planet.

"Most achievers I know are people who have made a strong and deep dedication to pursuing a particular goal. That dedication took a tremendous amount of effort."

-Donald Johanson

Part 11 Avoid Research

Whether you're new to being an owner of a business or are a veteran in your field, research is something that never gets old. Doctors and teachers alike use research every single day. They research day and night to remain up to date on the latest in their field and to educate themselves about new discoveries.

Todays world is changing at a very fast pace. New competition is created everyday, as well as new products and new clients looking for your services. Products go into default and are recalled. Vitamins and technology can be upgraded continuously. Without researching the things that affect your business, how will you ever be able to change and upgrade?

To give your business a nice and slow death, avoid research at all possible. Just ignore it and tell yourself that you don't need to do your homework. But for those who have more inspiration and drive to make your business excel to new and higher levels, research daily!

Customers are more likely to come back for your business repeatedly if you are knowledgeable about your field and all of the updates available. You will also find your customer base expanding as you learn new ways to communicate with other clients internationally via the internet. All of these and much more are unfortunately ignored because business owners do not take the time to read a little further into their field and take the time to learn something new.

If you're at a loss about where to begin, just type into any online search engine keywords in what you may need to find out more about or ask a director if you have one. Don't be intimidated by either. Both are easy to use and are there at your convenience to help as needed.

Part 12 Black and White Lies

Using black and white lies can be the perfect way to earn distrust in a client or customer, even your downline of employees. Black and white lies are all of the same, no matter how you judge them. There is no lie that is better than the rest. A little 'white lie' can easily snowball into a 'black lie' even if the intention was to never lie at all.

If you're familiar with the term 'car salesman' then you know that the particular term in business terms is not all positive (in no offense to those who are in the business of selling vehicles of course). Growing up I'd hear my mom say "You don't want to sound like a car salesman' and by that she meant not to stretch the truth to get your way with a customer or client.

Especially in the times we live today, to speak a lie to another person would be a very ridiculous thing to do. With a few clicks of a smartphone, in just seconds a person can look up anything they want to find out is true or false from the internet or social media by word of mouth. What good would it do to lie to begin with?

People in the business world lie for many reasons but for one in particular, to win. To get their way in a situation. To sell when their item or service may be faulty. Despite the direct reason, the business owner should never lie no matter how tempting it is.

Another common reason business owners lie when they shouldn't, is to cover their business' reputation. I once heard a business owner make the comment "Well she was a bad customer anyway, she just had a bad attitude so I don't care what she says- her opinion really doesn't even matter" and I was appalled to say the least. You should never lie about a customer because they gave you a bad review.

The mature and professional way to handle that matter would have been to recognize the problem and create a solution that would be positive for both the business and the customer. Lying is not okay professionally no matter what the situation entails.

Conclusion

In conclusion for Chapter 1 I will leave you with this: Only you can take charge of your business' future. You are the key to your business' success. Many owners have tried and failed, but they have failed because they gave up on their options and gave in to failure. No one can do it but you. Mistakes that can seem so simple can lead to a whole new and maybe not so positive path. Think before you begin, mind map if necessary, don't lie, act in your position as the boss, research as much as you can and never let your goals slip through your fingertips.

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Chapter 2 Dedication

A business is born the second you create the idea to own one. Once it happens, it immediately begins to become real. But without dedication, it can become a dead end before it ever sees it's birth. In the world of business anything is possible as long as the owner is dedicated to making it happen.

Part 13 Lack of Knowledge

Research is not the same as knowledge, but it leads to knowledge. By doing your research, you have a new prospect of your business. You will become more prepared for the questions and problems that may lie ahead. Your business will thrive because of the new ideas and discoveries you gained through your knowledge.

When a customer asks a question they expect you to already know the answer. After all, you are the owner and expert in your field. Although you may lack credentials, you are still expected and considered to be the expert. As if there isn't enough pressure already to be a great boss, right? Now you're expected to be well educated and provide answers on command? The answer is, yes.

The more you know, the more your business will grow. In order to educate yourself in a positive way, remember that the business isn't just your job- it is your dream. You created it, you are driving the path and you are making it grow. The happier you will be with your business the better you will be with retaining the knowledge you will need.

Making research a daily part of your life will grow your knowledge like a child who take its vitamins regularly. Before you know it, you will be discussing more frequently with others what you've learned and find yourself acting on things that should be done.

It is silly to expect a customer to just want your products and services because they like you, your business or your products. Letting your consumer know that you are prepared for the questions and know the information they need even before they ask will give them the confidence that you are the person they need to come back to see time and time again.

"And what, Socrates, is the food of the soul? Surely, I said, knowledge is the food of the soul." -Plato

Part 14 Your '60 Second' Commercial

Whether on the phone or face to face, let's say you have a client that is obviously interested because of one simple fact, they haven't hung up or walked away. It is your job to hook their attention in sixty seconds or less. Do you have your 60 second commercial prepped and ready for action? Have you rehearsed it to perfection? Are you able to say it with confidence in your sleep? If you're not dreaming about your commercial, then you're not motivated enough to hook the client.

The first step, mindmap your commercial. Yes it is only sixty seconds long, but when you are listening to yourself say it outloud it can seem like an eternity. To a customer who is listening intently to what you have to say, this can mean your entire sale is on the line. Dress your commercial to impress and hook their attention so that you can later close the sale.

Your mindmap of the commercial should include the who, what, when, where, how and why about your offer. It needs to be simple as something that sounds too complex can turn the client off before they even get started. Remember also that 'too good to be true' methods are not the way to hook the client either. Instead, use facts, motivation and experience in your commercial.

Also, just as if you were closing the deal remember to use statements that the client cannot refuse. Do not become a 'business owner bully' by not taking no for an answer, but use direct statements that do not require the client to say the word "no".

For example, when speaking in your initial sixty second commercial one might say "and you can purchase this for a fee of $2,000.00 today or increments of $60.00 a month. Would you like to try it out?" This particular question leaves the customer wide open for a variety of negative answers. You gave them to option to walk away or think about it later.

Avoid these questions! If you find that you have questions similar to this in your commercial, change them to statements that can't be refused. Take the above question and turn it into a statement such as this "and you can purchase this for a fee of $2,000.00 today or at your convenience $60.00 a month but we can get to those fine details later. My clients are always eager to get started with the plan that fits them best, so let's get you set up so that we can get it going for you too!"

Do you see how that ended? There was no question that customer was able to refuse. It was a statement that directed the conversation into the very next step of the process and motivated the client to get one step closer to the sale. Leave no room in your sixty second commercial for refusal.

Facts, Statements, Motivation and Experience are the keys to a successful commercial.

Part 15 Loss Of Motivation

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."

-Zig Ziglar

Remaining motivated can be quite the task when you are business owner. You are faced with many responsibilities every day and night, which leaves little time to worry about why you began the business in the first place. But before you give up on your motivation, there are many things that you can do save your business spirit.

People handle stress in many different ways. Stress can overcome the feeling of motivation and excitement. When you are excited about something, you are motivated to do it.

Connecting with nature and vacation getaways are all ways that people remain motivated. Maybe the key to your success is volunteering in your local neighborhood shelter and reading to children at the local library. Maybe you recieve your motivation from inspiration messages you see on social media websites.

Everyone explores and receives their motivation in different ways. Don't waste time judging others on how they find theirs. Instead, find your own. Decorate your environment with awards that you have received to remind yourself that you are a worthy business owner and are perfectly capable of growing your business to new heights.

There are many online forums available that you can join or read through from people like yourself that will help encourage you to stay motivated with times in your business are tough. Maybe you'd like some face to face interaction, if this is the case spend some time with family and friends or find a local business support group. If one isn't available, try creating one yourself. You may be surprised to see how fast it may grow as there may be others in your community who are seeking the same support as you.

Part 16 The Hidden Market

When first creating your business coaches will normally point you into one particular direction of an audience. As your business grows or if you are just motivated from the get go enough to find a larger outreach, you will need to look outside of the box for the hidden market.

The hidden market is simply a group of consumers or clients who are seeking what you have to offer, but you haven't them and they haven't found you.. yet. It is your job to get your services out there so that they can better find your business. But don't expect them to do all of the seeking, without your work to advertise they won't be able to find you at all.

There are groups of people who are in need of your services that you may not have even considered as a typical audience for your business. For example, have you considered churches for your marketing solutions? Members of a religious group are always seeking new members and can be the perfect audience for you to offer your services, even at discounted prices. The discounted prices you offer to them will make up for the loss of pay by the honorable reputation you recieve from them in the long run, so don't be ran off by the idea of loss of profit.

Whatever it is you are selling, think outside of your business audience box. Stop focusing on one particular audience and look around. There is a huge hidden market out there that needs your services. Don't settle for one when there are so many ways to offer your business and receive profit. You are in control of the outreach you have and the business you receive.

Part 17 A Toxic Business Partner

When I work, I work very hard. So I look to work with people who have that level of dedication. And I depend on that from everyone. From the director to my crews that I work with. -Tom Cruise

You are in control of the survival of your business, even if it is negatively affected by the means of a bad business partner. Do not hesitate to make changes to help keep the business from drowning. Too often I find that owners do not step up and take the initiative they need in order to make this happen. Instead, they simply let the business die because they do not have the backbone to let the other business partner go.

How do you spy a bad business partner? There will be times when you will simply feel fooled by the positive and professional traits one posses when you make the decision to allow them to join hands with you. However you can predict when it could be potentially toxic for the business by watching for a few traits.

The first trait you will want to watch for is their business ethic. When you view their history overall, how were they professionally? This will reflect their future existence with you and the business. The point in having a business partner is for positive growth, not to slow you or the business down in any way.

Are they a personal friend? This is what you should mainly be concerned with. It is not recommended by many professionals that you mix business with pleasure and for good reason, especially when it comes to something as serious as your business' financial future. If you have a personal relationship with the person outside of work, you will find yourself becoming too lenient with mistakes and overlook the consequences. These are not responsibilities you should willing to take on. You already have them as a friend, seek a professional business partner instead.

The next is their dedication for the business and their strive for success. Is it on the same level or higher than your own? Okay, so this potential business partner is excited to work with you. How long do you predict this excitement to last? You must beware of the temporary excitement that comes with immaturity. What I like to call the "Yay I have a cool job" attitude. It's great to be excited about starting a new job, but a professional will also have the drive to begin working.

You can spot the professional drive for success a mile away, once you are fully aware of what it is. It's about more than just bragging about the "cool new job" you just got, it's about wanting to see the business succeed, being excited about the business and working are to do what it takes to get there.

Some traits that you may have a toxic business partner include:

  1. You are carrying more than your share of the load.

  2. Your partner has had changes to their personal life that are dramatically affecting their work ethic.

  3. Your business partner has lost interest in the drive and success of the business.

  4. You have noticed changes in your partner that is affecting the financial stability of the business.

  5. You have more disagreements than agreements with your partner.

If by now you think you may have a business partner that is slowing your business down and it's time for them to move on, there are ways to do this in a mature and professional way. First you need to be committed to the business and second to yourself.

It is up to you to take command of the situation. No one else is going to do it for you. Let your drive for the success of the business be the drive you need to let the toxic business partner go. It's okay to give other options and chances but know when you do so that you are allowing for a larger time frame that will not only slow your business down but could show extreme losses during this time.

First if you have an agreement with your partner, you'll need to review it for legal reasons. Next, you'll need to evaluate your business partner, just as if you would if you were doing a personal evaluation. Create a come up with a plan (you can use a mind map) for the success of the business and a plan that either includes, or does not include, your partner. Focus on your goals for the business. Prepare yourself for the instance that your partner decides to walk away or that you may need to let them find their own way without your business.

Part 18 Dependable And Punctual

Being a business owner is a huge responsibility, as well as a wonderful achievement that you should carry pride in. You have the ability to make or break your business. Business owners are icons to those who are just beginning in this struggling world. Customers value your business and look forward to returning the business they receive from you time and again.

You are faced with challenges day and night. If you are like many of the other business owners around the world, you live your fears, stresses and hopes about your business day and night. Maybe even in your dreams. You must be dedicated to your job in order to keep it running smoothly and reach the level of success your heart desires.

In order to do these things, you must have discipline. And with discipline comes the ability to be dependable and punctual. You must be dependable to a large amount of things. Customers, time, your schedule, your business associates, meetings and many more- they all depend on one thing, you. This is the most important part about your self discipline, being a dependable source to your company.

You must be dependable to yourself. If you don't' find yourself dependable, you shouldn't expect anyone else too either.

Next is your punctuality. Allow yourself plenty of time during your busy schedule to be as punctual as possible. Always remember that it's more important to be early than even just a few minutes late- to everything! Being late can become a bad habit if you're not careful. There will be instances in time that you just cannot help that train or funeral line that made you late to your meeting, but if you're known to have a valid reputation for being prompt, these will clearly be excusable without declaration.

Part 19 Withholding On Your Word

Whether you told your employee that you would send them an email or return a phone call to a customer within a certain time frame, it is up to you live up to your word. Bad work ethic can kill your business by you giving it a bad reputation. You are your business therefore, your reputation finely defines that of your business as well.

Make sure you a positive about every commitment you make before you say the words. Withholding on your word can be a very dangerous thing to do. If you hear the words come out of your mouth, you'd better make sure you're capable of following through.

If you're a person who has a reputation for being forgetful, don't allow this to be an excuse. If you do, you become too comfortable and use this as a reason to go back on your word- but a professional will see right through this and customers have no patience for an owner who does not live up to what they say they will do.

There is simply too much competitors in the world to slack on something as serious as not doing what you say you will do. Be prompt with your promises and don't make any that are simply unrealistic. If what you are discussing seems too far fetched and out of reach, don't make it sound as if it will actually happen if it cannot be done.

Trust is more easily broken than it is earned. However once you have that trust in a client or customer, including your business associates, it will forever grow. Which is why it is so important not to do anything that could potentially break it. The consequences are far worse for breaking that trust than they are if you were to build that relationship and ruin it because you couldn't follow through with your word.

Part 20 No Track Record Of Progression

Throughout your years as a business owner you will see many ups and downs. As a human being, it's naturally easier to remember the negative as we seem to dwell on things that go wrong so that we can fix them, rather than remembering all of the good. We are taught to not be over confident about our achievements and yet strive to become better than we ever were. However to remain motivated you will need to keep a track record of progression.

As a business owner you keep record of everything from accounts payable to your accounts receivable. But when can you honestly say was the last time you kept track of your progression?

The previous year may have been considered a rough one financially, but it's still important to use it in comparison. A track record will show you where the downfalls lie. Maybe it was during certain parts of the season. As you review this, you will be able to see more clearly what changes need to be made in order to make the future brighter for your business.

Part 21 Inactivity Of Current Events

The world is changing everyday and it's very important that as a business owner you are dedicated to keeping up with the latest and becoming active when your community is in need. When devastation strikes it is your responsibility to help make a difference. Because of your position, it is up to you lead the way not only in your business but in the community as well.

A perfect example of business owners who have came together to become more active in their community are a group of Party Planners who call themselves the Miami Valley Party Planners (or M.V.P.P.) of Springfield, Ohio. They are a group of small business owners who have a monthly charity to help a member of the community in financial need.

In the past fiscal year they have raised over nine thousand dollars for members of their community in charity efforts. Even though this group is doing this at their own consent and completely outside of business efforts, from a business perspective they are also gaining positive reputation and growing popularity for their each individual services.

In other words, word will spread fast about them and the positive things they are doing for their community. When someone will be in need of one of their services, they will be the first to come to mind because of the positive impact they have had.

You may think of this as a business ploy, which is a very negative and conceited way to see it. It is a balance of good for the community and good for your business. The more you do for those in need, the more positive marketing you are doing for your business. Instead of thinking of it as a ploy for free marketing, change your mindset and understand that it is simply good karma that will come back to your business for your good deeds.

Others depend on you to guide the way. Become active in disaster relief efforts or local charities to help your fellow community members. If you aren't sure where to look to begin, just ask others in your community or look up your area on any search engine. Get your business associates involved as well. Making this a team effort will help bring your business closer together and create a better bond for the company.

Part 22 Ignoring New Responsibilities

You've become comfortable in your position and things are going steady. You haven't given any consideration to taking on any new responsibilities. New responsibilities are simply out of the equation for now, so you'll just ignore them and let them settle for another day. These are statements of laziness and procrastination! If you're a victim of this negative mindset, I challenge you to break away from this madness now.

A great way for you to grow professionally is by taking yourself out of this comfort zone and accepting the challenges of taking on new responsibility. First, talk to your business partner and associates. They may have some creative ideas that they would like to discuss with you. You might find that they have more interest in the business than you'd given consideration and that their thoughts may be helpful to you and the business overall.

Another great way is by listening to your customers and clients. Suggestions from an outside source (especially this audience) always help when it comes to creating a better business and professional life.

Acquire new knowledge whenever possible. It's important to stay on top of the latest trends and developments in your field of expertise. "Google Alerts" are a great way to help do this. Set up your alerts by what is relevant to your profession. You will pick your search terms and from that point on any articles that hold the terms specific to what you've chosen will be updated daily to your email.

Encourage your fellow employees by sending these emails out to them as well along with any notes and summaries you may have. But also remember to be prepared and educated about the topic as you may encounter some questions from your forwarded information.

Conclusion

Dedication is by far one of the most important traits of being a business owner. Without dedication your business is sure to die at a very fast and hard pace. You are total control over that. With the right knowledge, motivation and help from partners and associates you possess all of the keys and skills needed to make your business run at top notch performance.

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Chapter 3 Organization

It is absolutely ridiculous to begin a business without clearly having a business plan and knowing what you're doing. Why in the world would you open a clothing store and have no clothing ready to be hung and sale? The answer is simple, but you may be surprised at how fast people are so ready to begin a business that they jump in with both feet without having a good plan first. Organization also goes beyond a business plan. It begins with you. Being disorganized not only looks bad but it will hurt you later when you can't find what is really important.

Part 23 Leaping Without A Plan

It's a wonderful idea to run your own business. Creating your own hours, working full time or part time as you wish. Being the boss instead of having a boss. Income coming in as work through your day at your own convenience. All of these things sound wonderful, but in reality most business professionals understand that this is not always the case.

The mistake I've seen many business make is jumping into a business without having a set plan on how it will actually work. All of the things mentioned previously are and can be props to being a business owner, but not if you don't know what you are actually going to do.

It takes a lot of hard work, long hours and dedication to prepare for your adventure in running a business. There are many gimmicks in this world to get you to start a business and mainly dedicated to women who looking to work from home. The benefits look so tempting that they rarely notice the sharks in the water before they turn and say "No thank you".

Yes many of the businesses offer valid reasons on why you should become a business owner, but do they offer the help and a solid plan to go with it when you begin? Do not depend on someone else to give you a business plan. Create one yourself. If you are signing up as an Independent Consultant and are given the help and authority from a Director, then it is okay to expect or request a business plan. Otherwise, create one for yourself.

Use the Who, What, When, Where, How and Why's in your plan. Write everything down and organize it later. Create a binder about your future business to present to yourself as a reminder and others as you organize your plan.

Even if you are currently a business owner with one already in progress, do these steps for the future of your business. You will be more encouraged if you can visually see the progress and goals for the business through a binder or poster.

Part 24 The Unorganized Schedule

"There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full."

-Henry A. Kissinger

A busy business means a busy schedule. Managing your schedule and getting it organized can be a task in itself. It is however, something that must be done. By neglecting the organization of your hectic schedule you could lose future business clients and not to mention accounts receivable. You will also lose the trust you need for a good reputation. Before you decide to let this go and give up on your hectic schedule, take these things into consideration!

It doesn't take superpowers to keep a schedule organized, although a time travel machine might seem to help in some occasions. The fact is, it's simply impossible to fit everything that needs to be done while running a business into a typical nine to five business day. To think otherwise is just simply unrealistic. You can however simplify your plan by organizing your daily schedule.

Before you begin your day, evaluate your day. You may even do so at the beginning of each work week. Glance over your schedule for the week on a planner, whether be a physical book that you see in front of you and write in with a pen, marker or pencil or an online calendar such as your Google Calendar. What does the beginning of each work day look like? Do you wake up and sit down at your desk only to find yourself completely lost in the chaos? Or are you the person who grabs the first thing off of your To Do List without noticing it's level of importance?

Review each tasks level of importance and organize your meetings according to importance. Adjust each as it's necessary. Make sure to take careful consideration to the important tasks so that they are not forgotten throughout the busy day or week.

Break your work day into blocks of importance. Never allow yourself more than fifteen or thirty minutes of Social Media time, even though it can be business related Social Media can become a large distraction if you're not careful. Stay away from easy tasks such as checking email, replying to Tweets and surfing the web until your schedule has been organized. These small tasks that may seem like they take only seconds to complete can actually take up to ninety minutes of your time without you even realizing it.

Part 25 Obscured Concept Of Time

Being late to events and meetings can become a bad habit if you're not careful. It can ruin your reputation, generate lack of trust in important relationships and result in loss of business deals. Even something as simple as being a few minutes to every meeting will have a negative long term effect. This should be avoided at all cost.

There are ways that you can better prepare yourself to help prevent situations like these from occurring. First you should overestimate your time. It's better to be early or right on time for all of your meetings and events rather than to be late. Set your calendar for ten minutes before the scheduled time so that you'll be in the mindset of actually being there early rather than right at the time originally expected.

Set your clocks for five minutes ahead. This will allow for time to gather yourself and belongings as well as time for travel in case you should have to take any unexpected detours. When you are running early, you will be more calm and gathered in your thoughts. You cannot work productively and be in a business mindset if you are concerned with time.

Many people are late because they simply do not have the time in their schedule to do everything that needs to be done. This can be solved by simply not doing as much and just saying no. When you figure out what the priorities are and just do those, your schedule will become a lot more free and organized allowing for better time to get you where you need to be on time.

Self acknowledgement is the most important step to being on time and creating a good habit of doing so. When you figure out for yourself the why's of your late timing habits, you will be able to correct them. Create and organize your schedule the way you choose to live. Let it reflect your life.

Part 26 Catastrophic Environment

Your office is your business sanctuary. The place where you can be organized and get all of your work done in a fast and productive manner. However we'd all like for this to be true and as good as it sounds, we know that it just simply is not. Our work environment can become quite messy and dull throughout our busy work day and we don't always have the time to keep it as tidy as we'd like. But there are ways to battle this mess and create a better environment.

When your office is a mess, you will find yourself distracted. Not to mention you could lose valuable things to your work day. You will find yourself spending more time looking for an item and possibly running late while doing so. Do you see how this messy environment can snowball into a catastrophic mess for your business?

Begin with quick access to essential items. Organize your area so that the essentials you will need are right within reach. While doing this, create a special area that you will place the days belongings in so that you will not be searching for them, right before a meeting.

A better decorated work area will relax your mind and give you the drive you need to actually have the want to come to work. Hide your cables so that they aren't seen. Cables can be messy and give your mind a sense of extra work to clean it up. Hang pictures and art of inspiration, as well as your accomplishments. Adding live plants will help the oxygen circulate throughout the room and make your feel as if you are less like you are 'cooped up' in an office space.

When it comes to technology, clean up your clutter. Using programs such as DropBox and SugarSync (which are online programs to help sort your items) will help you remain organized with your files. Make sure that you also automate of your opening and closings to the apps on your computer. This will help remove any allotted time that isn't necessary from your work day.

Part 27 Blogging Is For Boredom

"The influence of blogging is overall a very positive force in the media."

-Garrett Graff

If you're business is not already blogging, then you should consider doing so. Do not think of blogging for those who are bored or looking for recipes. There are business owners who do not value the importance of blogging, but should. Maybe you're a business owner who doesn't feel like they have the writing talent or time to pull it off? Or you may fall under the category of many others who feel like blogging will just not bring the value to the company for the time that it takes to do so.

Learn to embrace the power of content first and foremost. Blogging isn't only about catching the eye of readers. It's about learning and educating the facts to others. It's also about business. There are many benefits to your business when it comes to blogging.

First there is the benefit of staying up to date with the latest in technology and recalls for your business' products and services. Not only are you informing your readers of this information, but you are also being forced to create a good habit of keeping up to date with these important issues yourself.

Next you will find that you will have an answer for any question regarding your business that can be thrown your way. In grade school your teachers may have asked you to take notes during presentations and lectures. The point in this wasn't to bore you to sleep, it was however that when you write something down you are able to absorb the information better.

You may also find that by blogging you will become a better teacher to your clients. This is good especially if you are someone who has a hard time explaining a subject. By studying and blogging your research, you will find that your public speaking will become easier with every article written. You will also find that you can create a customer point of view, seeing more clearly from their perspective.

There will also be occurrences where your company will come across a lead that isn't quite ready for your company's products or services. Fact is that the more time you spend with a consumer that isn't ready for your services, that is less time you are taking away from a client who is. With today's technology, companies are now able to track the history of their leads as far as to what content the clients are viewing on their website is concerned. Consolidate all of your blog's content with every aspect of your sales method.

Part 28 Misused Resources

In a perfect world businesses would never have to face the potential of employees, or business owners, committing financial fraud. It does however happen and sometimes without even the purpose of intention to hurt the business, although common sense begs to differ. This is a fact that is unfortunately all too common in the small business world.

Misuse of common resources are deleterious to a business when abused by employees or it's own business owner. Bribery, peddling by influence and manipulation of price differences as well as financial statements are all ways that a company can face financial fraud.

Barnes & Noble, Yahoo and Amazon are all among the companies who have been affected by business fraud. Whether you fall under the fortune five-hundred category or are a small local company of only a few employees, you may be faced with employer fraud whether it be from an outside source or an employee hacker.

No business great or small, is immune to fraud. However there are ways that you can prevent this from happening to yours. Company loss from business fraud in the United States alone are expected to estimate well over $500 billion annually in accordance with embezzlement accounting, that add up to over $100 million in annual losses.

To a small business owner these numbers will seem fairly high and out of reach to their individual companies income. You may be surprised though at just how high the amounts can reach when it comes to what was once a trusted employee, business associate or customer and fraud. The numbers can triple right before your eyes and be faced with bankruptcy or even more so trouble with the IRS.

There are personality traits you can look for that will help you to prevent business fraud. The personality traits may fall under the following- such as over confidence in self worth, exaggeration in accomplishment, pathological lying and failure in accepting responsibility of ones actions.

Dominant types of fraud committed are embezzlement of finance as well as theft of company property. To help prevent these from happening, be sure to keep close eyes on misuse of travel expenses, company property and unauthorized use of entertainment expenses or company credit card usage. By taking the extra time to monitor these things, you will possibly save your companys financial future.

Part 29 The Negative Company Profile

Think about your resume for a moment. What does it include? When creating a resume, I'm sure you were concentrating on constructing one that was impressive and made to stand out from the rest. You should think of your company profile just the same.

Just like your company's reputation, your company profile should acquire the same traits- it should be positive and inviting for the customer to return to your services. Your company profile is what your clients will see as a whole for your business. This will include your company's history, it's number of employees, the quality of the employees,, past and current success, the condition of the products and services and the organizational and management structure.

You may not think that your clients look at all of these things, but they do- as well as potential employees. It's not uncommon for a job seeker to evaluate a company before they are considered for an interview. Like your customers, future employees take a companys profile into high consideration before they continue to strive for a long term commitment.

The company profile determines the reputation, so try to understand this clearly so that it isn't confused. It is within the company's profile that holds the power to direct the reputation, even if it is already negative. A positive company profile can more quickly overcome and fix a negative reputation, than one who has a profile history that is negative.

There are always new chances arising to fix your company profile should something go wrong. New advertisements, new management, new staff, new equipment and updated training materials are always options you can take to create a brighter professional history. The fortunate thing about reputation is that it won't last forever if you acknowledge and fix it right away. A company's history however will, but the profile can be adjusted at any time.

Part 30 Remaining Organized

Getting organized and remaining organized are two completely different and very important tasks. It's wonderful to become organized. It gives us a sense of refreshment and clarity. The feeling we have will get adrenaline going and suddenly we become more productive. But before we know it, our workspace can become quite disastrous.

When your work space has become cataclysmic, our energy no longer flows freely and our mood begins to change. In return our productivity slows time as well as our time because we tend to lose important items we need, which could not only slow down our schedule but could cause our mood to descent as well.

Remaining organized needs to become a new part of life. Create a discipline to help the workspace abide as a clean and productive area. Use labels, mailboxes, file cabinets and most importantly take the time to use them.

It's been said that every home has that one spot where all excessive items are thrown. If your schedule only allows for you to organize your 'clutter pile' once a week, then fit it into your work day and do so. Should you need to hire someone to help you remain organized, do that as well. A clean office will not only help you stay productive but it will also give you a sense of pride and accomplishment and give a good impression to your clients as well.

Conclusion

A catalogued schedule, detailed business plan and clean environment at are all a small part of creating the organized professional lifestyle to keep your enthusiasm and workflow steady. It will take determination and focus to remain organized, do don't allow negative thoughts to slow you down or create thoughts that will stop you from maintaining the organization you need.

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Chapter 4 Customer Service

The old wives tale that the customer is always right is partly true. The customer is right in having their own opinion, and it is just that fact that will bring in old and new business. You must listen to their concerns and understand how what you're selling will benefit them. To realize that although you have a business, it is not about you but about them because what you're selling is for them, is the ultimate realization as a business owner.

Part 31 Assuming They Aren't Interested

When you are marketing your services you are expected to concentrate on the highest volume of audience that is expected to want and need what you have to offer. You should not however, forget about the minority who you would not expect would need them, but do. This is a very common mistake that is often made and in return many business sales have been lost with the wind.

Not everyone thinks to talk about their business, products or services especially when you're at an event like a little league game for example. Set the mindframe for yourself that potential customers are everywhere. If you have a business related shirt, baseball cap, bag or pen use them and take them with you wherever you may go.

By doing this, you are silently advertising. Speaking about your business without ever having to say an actual word. And yet, even though you are doing these things you may have the silent customer which is interested but says nothing. For this reason alone you may be losing out on a sale.

Do not assume that the people you are surrounded by aren't interested in what your business has to offer just for the previous reasons. Just because they don't acknowledge your silent advertisements or don't fall under the category of your targeted audience, doesn't mean they don't' have a need for your services or know someone who does.

Even though grandma may not have a need for your reputation marketing, she may have a neighbor who just fixed her sewing machine and is in grave need of some help support for their business. But how will you know unless you explain your business or simply ask? It's simple, you won't.

Should you choose to remain silent and never ask questions or assume that the person isn't interested, you will then take the option of losing business deals before they ever had the chance to close- or begin.

Part 32 Treat Your Business Like A Garage Sale

Should be in the business where retail has the upper hand to your success, never treat your items as if you were hosting a garage sale. You are running a business and not a sale in front of your home. Unless you wish to become the business with the reputation that is a complete walk-over and lack respect within your community, you should never sell in retail in an unprofessional manner.

You will not earn the respect you need as a business owner by running a business as if it holds no importance. Charge the proper taxes, do not bargain with your prices unless you have strict price matching policies, never put the money in your pocket instead of a proper cash dispenser and do not treat any one customer more special than the rest.

Not only will you be opening yourself and business up for a bad reputation, you will also be welcoming the drama and anguish of becoming a victim of robbery. You cannot expect to be taken serious in any way if you should let any customer push you over with your business.

Remember when to hold your authority and always treat your business, like a business. Also keep in mind that rumors spread like wildfire on a hot and dry day. By doing a favor for one customer, you will soon be expected of that by many. Word of mouth is by far one of the easiest, fastest and most uncontrolled way of advertising, and you don't want negative publicity at any cost.

Part 33 Ignore The Special Treatment

When you were a child, how did it make you feel to receive a card in the mail stating you could come in for a free ice cream or pizza for your birthday? If you were one of the lucky ones who got one of those, you know that the feeling was awesome! It made you feel special and gave your birthday that extra kick of happiness to make the day even more great. How about taking some advice from old school professionals? It's time to do just the same for your own customers!

Do not get so wrapped up in your work that you forget to let your customers, and potential clients, just how important their business is to you. Take the time to personally thank them. You can do this by sending them a card either physically through snail mail or online, or treating them to a gift. By doing this, you are giving them that same sense of appreciation as the young child who was looking forward to that free ice cream sundae.

If you aren't able to do it yourself, have your employees or assistant create a special calendar for business anniversaries and birthdays that will remind you of these important dates. Another reason to show them appreciation is after a meeting, even if a deal has not been closed. This will be found as respectful and you may be remembered in the future should a situation arise where your services are needed.

Part 34 Not Recognizing Potential Customers

The timid business owner will be the one to overlook potential clients. Do not be afraid to listen and listen completely. There are keys that will open the door for you to begin a business deal but it is up to you to recognize them and open those doors.

In ever casual conversation there are at least two opportunities for you to recognize these cues and challenge them with your talking about your business. When talking to someone you know outside of work or with whom you just met, let's say at the gym, it's easy to not think about your business. Always stay in a business mindset.

The teenager you just spoke with while standing in line for the roller coaster may be seeking a part time job and is possess' the basic skills needed for the assistants position you have been considering hiring for. Opportunities for you business are everywhere but it is your job to recognize and utilize them.

This is not the same as assuming someone is not interested. By assuming they are not interested you have already considered talking with them about your professional career and opted out of going any further with the conversation. By not recognizing the keywords, you are missing the opportunity that has already been presented to you.

Try challenging yourself by writing down five sentences and five keywords that may 'ring a bell' while having a casual conversation. After you write them down, don't just sit them aside. Role play with another person so that you have practice and will be more aware the next time you hear them.

Part 35 Avoiding Questions

"Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers."

-Tony Robbins

It's inevitable that you are going to be faced with questions throughout your professional career. You can choose to face them and answer abruptly, or you can shy away. The obvious answer is that you want to answer all questions to the best of your ability. Meet the questions head on and with authority let the customer know that you are the best in the business for what you do.

That isn't always the case however and the fact is that can actually be sometimes out of your control. There will be times when questions will arise that you will not have an answer to. But it is not okay to simply avoid them. With knowledge and practice there will not be a question you will not be able to answer quickly and dominantly.

You should also not be afraid to ask questions. No matter what you are selling, you should always be curious and educated about your customer. The more you know about them and what they are seeking, the better chance you will have at matching them with the right fit for your services and closing the deal.

Always remember the who, what, when, where, why and how when speaking with your client. There is nothing wrong with asking questions, as questions will get you one step closer to where you need to be in your business deal. There are many customers will ask questions in return such as why you need to know the answers, but you simply reassure them that it is for business purposes only.

Also you should never have fear when it comes to asking questions to your employees or your mentors. Your employees have valuable information that you need to protect and make your business grow and your mentors are there to help. Your mentors cannot give you the answers you need unless you are willing to ask.

Part 36 The Customer Is Always Right

Back in the days when our grandparents were hiking ten miles in the snow to get to school, the saying "the customer is always right" may have been very likely true. Or, like in current times today it very well may not have been true but rather yet a contrivance to make sure that the customer remained satisfied out of fear of losing their service- no matter the loss for the company.

The fact is that the customer is not always right. Although this isn't something that should be announced to a customer should there be controversy, it should be remembered. Believe it or not there are going to be dishonest customers that will cross your path during your professional career. Desperate times will cause even the earnest of community members to do things that they would not normal do as a part of survival.

Even though it's okay to correct a situation to please a client, you should not do so if you believe that the client is one clearly wrong and two it will harm your business financially. Remember that reputations are easily adjusted with proper help and behavior so don't allow this stop you from doing the right thing either.

Evaluate every situation and take as much time as needed. If you can feel yourself becoming too emotionally caught up in a conversation, don't hesitate to tell the customer that time will be needed to examine the situation further. Despite the level of frustration on their part, it's important for your business' future that you remain calm, cool and collected and handle every situation positive or negative in the most professional way as possible.

Part 37 No Customer List

If you do not already have a customer list, it's important that you begin to create one today. In the case that one doesn't already exist for you, it's because of one reason- you are simply not asking. Don't be afraid to ask for personal information or collaborate the information already provided and add them to your customer base. Growing a customer list is one of the most important things you can do for a business.

Without having a customer list you are refraining yourself from growing your customer base in the future. You won't be able to contact them for specials on their birthdays or anniversaries, follow up with them after meetings or services are rendered, or touch base with them should they decide to follow up with your for services later.

The basics that you should know for your customer list are as follows:

  1. Their name

  2. Their business name (if available)

  3. Purpose of meeting with them (including time/date of meeting)

  4. Services they are interested in

  5. Prices estimated or price adjustments that were made

  6. Contact information

  7. Contract details/receipt information

  8. Any additional notes necessary

The customer list can be a paper list that you have physically stored in a fire safe place, or via your computer or other electronic. The most common way to store a customer list in current times would to create an excel sheet through a program such as in your Google Documents.

Part 38 Marketing To The Wrong Audience

A very common mistake many business owners make is marketing to the wrong audience. New business owners are especially susceptible to this mistake because they are trying to market to everyone in order to get their business booming at a very fast pace. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting to see your business have immediate success, you may be pushing out money, time and energy in all of the wrong places, which could lead to a loss of business and a lot of disappointment.

Before you go asking yourself twenty times in the mirror where you went wrong, take one thing into consideration when first starting out or refreshing your business mindset, the focus on your target audience. Ask yourself these questions before you choose who specifically want to target with the most marketing:

  * Who is in need of what I have to provide?

  * What areas do they live in or have a business in?

  * What makes my products/services interesting to them?

  * If I were this audience, why would I want to purchase what I have to sell?

  * How do I market to this audience in the highest performance factor? (Social Media, etc.)

Once you have the answers to these questions, you will then be able to have a much clearer understanding of what target audience is in the most need of what you have to offer.

Part 39 Ignoring Your Diverse Customer Base

Once you know who your target audience is, you can begin to expand your marketing to your diverse customer base. Many business owners neglect to define and recognize this less spoken of category of customers.

In today's world it's almost inevitable that you will be working in a multicultural customer service environment. Your ability to market your business and deal with different behaviors from customers will clearly be challenged. This is because you are more likely to come in contact with people from different beliefs, cultures and backgrounds. You will encounter problems unless you change your level of diversity ignorance.

Because this world is so diverse in those three specific ways, behaviors will also vary. It is your responsibility to send positive messages to your customers through your actions and attitude. You may think, but aren't all customers the same? The answer is absolutely not! There are cultures, people or behaviors that are alike. If you are not prepared to manage the differences, you are more likely to experience poor customer service, anger and in the worst case scenario loss of business.

Part 40 Expecting The Customer To Come To You

"The best customer service is if the customer doesn't need to call you, doesn't need to talk to you. It just works." -Jeff Bezos

When running a business it's important that you market yourself well. A frequent mistake that many business owners make (no matter how long they've been in business) is allowing themselves to procrastinate while thinking that the customer will just come to them as needed for products and services. But how can a customer come to you, if they don't know about you?

It's very easy to forget about a business that isn't well dressed in marketing with a popular reputation. No matter how much you think your business is worth coming to when needed, if you're not thought of at least once a week, then you will surely not get the customer to come to you instead of the competition without some effort.

The more effort you make, the better your chances will be to reach the customer and grasp their business. Don't let opportunity slip through your fingers because you were too confident in your business to put out the extra attempt to reach your target audience. Remember, your job results will show in the work you put into your business.

It seems very unattractive to a customer if you make no effort for their attention. They will surely end up going to a competitor who treats them as if they are the number one priority, in which they should feel they are. Fact is that the customer is not going to come to you if they do not think that their business is unwanted at your company.

In the case that you think you are simply too busy to reach out to your customers, make it a priority to create a list and devote thirty minutes everyday to your marketing efforts to those you value to your business. By taking this time every single day, you will see positive results after the first thirty days.

If you are not seeing the results that satisfy you by taking this time allowance, then change your game plan and begin again. Make sure you do this religiously and don't procrastinate. The customer will not always come to you and shouldn't be expected to you. it's up to you to grow your customer base because after all, without your customers you would have no need for hopes in business growth.

Part 41 No 'Try Before You Buy' Option

Many customers expect a 'Try it before you buy it' option before they commit to a purchase. This isn't required for every business and as a matter of fact I have found that few owners in the past have actually opted out of having any kind of sale, coupon or anything remotely free offered to their customers- as they feel this takes away from the value of what they have to offer through their business.

You should never fear away from the thought of giving away anything for free. Customers are drawn to what they are offered and some are actually flattered by the thought of the special status they feel when receiving something of value. This isn't a requirement for your business as means, but can help you create a customer base especially when you are just beginning your new career as a business owner.

Some food for thought is to think of a 'try it before you buy it option' as a way to show consumers that you are confident in your products and services. So confident that you have no problem with giving them the option to take the first step without any commitment. Make sure that if you choose to go with this option and make it available to your clients, not to make it sound as if you are desperate for the sale either.

It's okay to be audacious with your offers without seeming too careless. There is nothing worse than a business owner who is so desperate for your business that you are actually shunned away from the sale. Don't let this happen to your business! Be confident in your free offerings without seeming impetuous.

Part 42 Not Paying Attention To Customers Needs

Customers can be very demanding even in the most silent ways. There are cues you must watch and listen for when it comes to your client that won't always be recognizable right away. At times, you will have to downright ask in order to find out specifically what it is that your customer is expecting from you and your business.

It's not uncommon when running a business to be so wrapped up in your sixty second commercial or working hard to close a sale that you lose focus of what the customers needs are. Because of these reasons, it's very important to find out what they are and keep it as your focal point. Even if you are working with someone who has came directly from your targeted audience, you will soon find out that each individual consumer have their own specific needs.

These needs cannot be ignored and it is your job to make sure that they aren't. More importantly never try to convince the customer that their needs are not important or try to direct their needs into another direction unless you have valid reason to feel it is absolutely necessary to do so.

Your focus should be to work with and around your customers needs. The products and services you are offering to your customer have a purpose to them, to help and provide support to them in some way. It will benefit them and so you need to personalize the services to their own specific needs for this reason. You will not be able to fulfill the needs of your business or yourself if you cannot commit to the customers needs and close the sale.

Part 43 Not Doing Your Research Can Hurt Your Business

As a business owner there is a lot of research that you need to do regularly to ensure a positive work flow. When was the last time you researched what your competitors are up to? Do they have sales on similar products and services? How are they treating their customers differently from what you currently do for your own?

Competitors however are not the only thing you need to research for you the protection of your business. Safety regulations, tax information and recalls are all very important information that needs to be well known by yourself, your business associates and your customers. Say there was a recall on a product and due to lack of research your company missed the notification. What does this say to your consumer? It shows irresponsibility on the behalf of you company and this is not something you want your company to represent.

Another prime example is if a customer were to compare prices between your business and a competitor. If you aren't aware of what the competition is up to, how will you know where you should stand on the issue? Price matching is always encouraged, however if you have a general lack of knowledge a customer will smell that right away and be tempted to go to a business who has the confidence of knowing what is happening in that field of business.

You can avoid all of these problems from happening or persisting by simply doing a little research everyday and keeping those you work with well aware of any changes, too. Don't hesitate to challenge yourself at least once every week to ensure that you aren't missing out anything important. The better research you do, the better the business will flow.

Conclusion

There are many common mistakes that business owners can make when it comes to customer service satisfaction. The most important thing to do is make a lasting impression with the customer that is positive and makes them feel like they are the number customer to the business. Remain focused on customer care and stay up to date with the latest. Don't let anything new slip through the cracks that could be potentially hazardous to your business or clients. They are the most important for your business, because without them you would not have a business.

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Chapter 5 Distraction

Distraction comes in many forms but it is how you handle it that makes the difference. The self discipline you possess is a lot stronger than you may imagine. Give yourself a little credit and believe that you are the one in control. Once you have accepted this fact, you will be able to better yourself and your work day will seem more productive.

Part 44 Everyday Distractions

Yes, you are a business owner and so that means you are also human. Every human has a personal life. Without it you would have no reason to run a business. You have a business to support the life you wish to live. But what happens when your personal life distracts you from your business life?

As a parent it is inevitable that you will be distracted from work. There is nothing you can do about the times when you are needed to personal situations, but there are things you can do to prevent ordinary distractions.

Phones ringing about unnecessary conversations, social media temptations that aren't business related during your work day, even your surroundings may hold items that could be of distraction to you- all occurrences that will slow your productivity and your sales. Remove the distractions to the best of your ability so that you are able to maintain a solid focus on your business.

Put away the games, turn the phones to vibrate and only check messages when it is absolutely necessary. Spend no more than thirty minutes on social media and dedicate a certain time frame to creating your post activity for the month. If something is tempting you, place it in a safe place until your work day is through.

There are few things more important than your business, and that includes family and emergencies. There will be things that will happen that is simply out of your control and every business owner must realize this as they will live this fact throughout their career. However it is just as important to remain focused to reach your goals. The more time you give in to you distractions, the more time you are taking away from your financial success.

Part 45 Proactive In Procrastination

A certain fact about many business owners is that at some point in their professional career they all tend to fall under the spell of becoming proactive in procrastination. It doesn't mean they are lazy or that they don't care about their business, it could mean however that they have just simply became much too comfy in their position.

I myself am even guilty of this fact. There have been times when I've felt myself saying that it was okay to put off a project for later, until later actually came and then that feeling of brief freedom and comfort of allowing that project to settle turned into regret. Many lessons learned there, I can assure you!

However the difference between my past situations of temporary procrastination madness and the reality of a lot of other business owners, is that I managed to pull myself through it and am now able to recognize the symptoms of when it begins to happen again- therefore being able to pull myself out of it and prevent any future procrastination disasters from happening.

Other business owners however are not quite as wise to be able to recognize the signs and hold the willpower to stop themselves from allowing it. This is where the proactive category comes into play. Being a temporary procrastinator is forgivable, as we are only human and the fact is that it will happen to all of us. But as you're reading this and you begin to evaluate your own situation to find that you do this more than just sometimes but rather very often, then you are being a productive procrastinator.

As a business owner, it's important that you realize the depth of the risk you are taking by remaining proactive in procrastination. This is your business and not a college assignment. Even though college assignments are just as important, you business is your lifeline to making your dreams come true and providing a living for yourself and your family. That project or meeting that you know should happen or that you need to prepare for that you've allowed to take a backseat to other things, is not going to allow you to proceed and make any progression until you do it and make it happen.

Being a procrastinator in professionalism is not a game. It is a fact of life that seriously hurt your business. Your self discipline and will are to blame because you are the one who is allowing it to happen. Only you can change it. Too many times I have seen business owners find excuses as to why it's okay to let a project, phone call or something else important to their business make it's way to a later date on the calendar.

You have to stop with the excuses. Reasons to wait are cute when you're five, but not as an adult who has dreams that need to come true to create a life of wealth and happiness.

Part 46 Complication Over Simplification

"Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification."

-Martin Henry Fischer

I have been told in the past that I am a business owner who complicates things more than they need to be. I would personally beg to differ and believe that my reasons are valid and not just excuses. For example, I like to look at the situation as a whole before any decisions are being made, because I want the decision to be clear, honest and avoidable of any complications. Even if it's buying trash bags in bulk instead of smaller packs of twelve.

Okay, so on that note maybe I do tend to overlook quite a bit with more complication than simplification. But I will tell you that by doing so, I ended up with the better buy. Such cases as these are exceptional because they are positive and wise business decisions. There are situations however that can lead a business owner to over-complicating things which can hurt their business' future.

A perfect example of over complicating things would be a business owner that I'd worked with who already put themselves in the mindset that doing a task on social media was just far much harder than they'd ever be able to deal with themselves. By placing themselves in this negative mindset, they began to take something as simple as learning how to click on the word "retweet" and had chosen to shake their head in negative manner and tune out what I had to say. They were absolutely determined not to learn such a simple task, because they had convinced themselves that it was just much too hard to do.

Another example of a business owner who took a simple situation and complicated it was one who fired an employee because they got a simple food order wrong. This employee was immediately fired at the beginning of a workday, and in turn the company lost an employee who had the potential to bring in thousands of dollars of sales for that single day to the business. Do you see how taking something very simple can hurt your business tremendously by simply overcomplicating a situation?

The next time you are faced with a situation take a moment to evaluate it entirely. It's easy to allow your emotions to make critical decisions for you without realizing it. It is your job to recognize this and prevent that from happening. Those emotions have the ability to help or ruin your business, but you are in control of those emotions. You are the one who allows them to overcomplicate things.

So remember these examples the next time you are feeling frustrated, hurt and upset and tell your emotions that your critical thinking will handle. Take a few deep breaths and remember that every situation can be handled appropriately. Because if you don't, you may end up losing out of more than just a few dollars on a box of trash bags.

Part 47 Your Life Story

We've all met that salesman that tries so hard to close the sale that they seem desperate for more than a sale, and maybe even a friend. They begin to tell you about how they got into the business or how what they're selling has also helped them in a similar way. There are many customers who find these stories interesting and find themselves hooked into closing the sale. There is however a fine line between sharing experience during a sale, and sharing your life story.

A simple rule for marketing is connecting with the customer. The best way to close a deal is by being as real with the customer as you can. But is giving your life story really necessary? No and as a matter of fact, it can even hurt you by losing the sale.

I have had experience personally with consultants who are in direct sales, where their job is to personally connect with the customer. By creating a business relationship with them, they are able to better sale the products because they have had personal experience with it themselves and have seen successful results that they can testify too. This is great and customers love this because every salesperson needs to be able to believe in the products they are selling in order to be great.

But the simple truth about business is that not everyone wants to hear about your past or detailed experience. By talking too much, you can actually push the customer away. This may seem like a small thing to lose, but realize that is a potential sale that you are letting walk away because you are trying too hard to close the deal! Yes, there is such a thing as trying too hard. You have only a short amount of time to hook the customer with your introductive commercial and close on the fine details later. But by talking in detail for over an extensive amount of time about your own experiences, you will lose them in thought and conversation and open the door to them walking away from closing the sale.

Part 48 Discouragement By Lack Of Overnight Success

Expect great things from your business and professional future, because remaining positive is the only way to maintain a steady focus on your achieving your dreams in your career. Realize though that success does not come overnight, at least for the majority of business owners in the United States. Success comes from hard work and never giving up. It also comes from not allowing yourself to let yourself get down when success doesn't come as easy as you thought it would.

So you've had a bit of discouragement. The success you were expecting didn't come as fast as you had planned or hoped it would. You put yourself into a comfort zone of expecting your business to become a fortune five hundred company overnight, only to discover that your personal expectations weren't met and you still have to work just as hard and maybe even harder the very next day. What are you going to do?

Well I'll tell you what you shouldn't do if you don't want to kill your business. You shouldn't allow yourself to believe in such high expectations for overnight success that you fall into a depression and allow your business to fall to pieces beneath your feet. That would be a very selfish and immature thing to do. And yet, many of you reading this know deep down that at some point you are even guilty of doing all of just that.

It's much too easy to tell yourself that it's not worth it to try anymore because you didn't meet the high standards that you believed you could achieve. Remember before you begin to tell yourself that it isn't worth it, that success does not naturally come over night. It can take years of dedication and hard work to progress. So unless you are prepared to watch your business crumble to the ground, change your mindset and continue to work until you finally reach the level of success you have so greatfully earned.

Conclusion

Procrastination, overcomplicating simple problems and defeating yourself with disappointment are all selfish acts that you are in total control over. Without the self will to get these under control, you are allowing yourself to steer your business in a U-turn for a dangerous path of destruction. Don't be the business owner that lost hope and allowed selfish acts to disintegrate your business to dust in the wind. Get a grasp on your business' future by getting your own emotions and actions into control and remain on the positive road to success, no matter how long it will gradually take you to do so.

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Chapter 6 Rebuttals And Reputation

To handle the negativity that will come with the story of your business, and it will happen, you will need to understand and act with positive rebuttals and acknowledge all reputation that may come your way. There is no way around it, and so you must learn to handle stressful situations for when they occur.

Part 49 Personal Life Surfaces In Social Media

Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter and Pinterest are among the most popular ways that social media can leak your personal life into the eyes of the public. As a business owner, you live in the public eye whether you may realize it, or not. Just because you choose to remain inactive on social media, does not mean that your reputation is not out there.

Photos and status posts are the highest ways that word can spread about you and your company. There used to be a saying that nothing was faster than the speed of lightning except word of mouth. Well, now that social media exists, word of mouth has taken it's rightful place to second place. Faster than we can get the words out of our mouths, pictures of the barbeque you had the night before can posted for the entire world to see. Are photos of you seeing holding signs saying "Will work for drinks" at a poolside something that you want your professional reputation to be affected by? I'm sure the answer is no.

Protect yourself by doing two very important things. First be active on social media whether you agree or disagree with the importance of it. Set your privacy settings so that they will only directly affect you or your business if you grant others the permission to do so. Second, don't do anything in public that you wouldn't be comfortable doing in your business. You represent your business and it's your responsibility to act as such.

Part 50 Handling Rejection Negatively

When you're a business owner you must learn how to handle rejection professionally. Save your anger for later and manage your replies with dignity, because even though you are being rejected now your response to the situation will leave a standing image to the person at a later time in which they may change their mind and come back to you.

Words can and do hurt, despite the childhood saying of sticks and stones. Even as adults we can say things that will spark a bit of anger in us that we may not realize existed. Keep your cool! How you respond to the situation will determine exactly what path your business' future will take.

Despite the fact that your customer may return at a later date, your reputation is also at stake. How do you feel when you order food and it's far from edible or missing items? You ask to have the mistake fixed and may even ask for a refund depending on the depth of the situation. Should your waiter become angry in return with you, how would you feel? Would you spread the word about the terrible service and rude behavior of the customer service?

Keep this in mind and remember to put yourself in the place of the customer. Not everyone lies, they may not actually have the money to put the plan into play or they may not need the service you are offering at the moment, but they may later.

Part 51 Offensive Marketing Strategies

A major no-no in marketing no matter what the subject, is that you should never use offensive marketing to get a consumers attention. An amatuer would see a tragedy as an opportunity to seek more clients. But clients are not what you will actually get in return.

Take for example the Tweet on the popular website called "Twitter" by a company of the name Epicurious. When tragedy struck by cowardly bombers in the spring of 2013 during the Boston Marathon, they immediately sent out two tweets within thirty minutes of each other using what is known as offensive marketing.

The Tweets by Epicurious said " _Boston, our hearts are with you. Here's a bowl of breakfast energy we could all use to start today_ " with a link inserted to the message to take you to the advertisement. This of course was followed by Twitter members who replied with hate messages who were offended that they could use such a horrible tragedy to take advantage of marketing purposes.

In return, the company deleted those tweets (but not before many people were able to screenshot it for safekeeping and later posting on the internet so no one would be able to forget) and in return sent out Tweet messages saying " _We truly regret that our earlier food Tweets seemed insensitive. Our hearts and prayers are with the people of Boston_ ".

Reputations are never quite an easy fix, especially when you push the limit such as by using offensive marketing. It's best to save yourself and company the trouble by avoiding this step at all cost. If this should happen out of your control, say a marketing employee should do so, then be quick to correct the mistake and avoid any negative outcomes.

Part 52 Ignoring The Bad Reviews

"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it." -Benjamin Franklin

There was a business owner I spoke with once about a bad review he had online. The customer left him a terrible review about the service she was given, saying the owner was rude and the service was far from up to par. When I spoke with the owner about correcting the review, he stated that it was only one review and if anyone should ask him about it, he wasn't worried about it.

When I asked him why he wasn't more worried about how that bad review could affect him, he simply stated that the customer was trying to rip him off and she was the rude one so therefore he didn't think she was worth the time and effort because her review didn't matter anyway. He considered his company well set in their finances and steady business and that someone so negative as her wouldn't have any affect on a businessman like himself.

As a business owner you need to acknowledge public reviews whether negative or positive in a professional manner. Ignoring the bad reviews sends messages to the customers that you hold an attitude just as this business owner that I spoke with did, you don't care.

By giving the impression that you don't care what others think about your business, also sends out the message that you don't care about your business as a whole. Why would any customer want to continue service with someone who doesn't have a passion for a successful business?

You should make sure to at least recognize the bad reviews with a simple reply, while making sure that it isn't so defensive that it makes the customer look like a horrible person. Your goal shouldn't be to prove the customer giving the bad review to be a con artist, but rather to acknowledge what happened and give a very brief explanation with a solution on how to defuse the situation in a positive manner.

Part 53 Not Acknowledging The Good Reviews

It's a great feeling to know that your business, employee or yourself has received a positive review. Anytime you receive one, you should make sure to acknowledge it. There will always be both, negative and positive reviews, but make sure that you aren't overlooking the positive ones and only replying to the negative ones.

How does it make you feel when you give someone a great review or pat on the back for a job well done? It quite possibly makes you feel just as good as the person who is on the receiving end. That positivity will spread like wildfire. Once you have acknowledged how much that positive review is appreciated, you will be more likely to receive more in the future.

A review, especially online, is more noticeable when it has a reply from the business. Don't let the focus be driven to only the negative reviews by replying to specifically them. Potential and existing customers will read replies to both negative and positive because they will want to see your reactions between the two. The positive will be more memorable because you acted appropriately to the negative reviews.

Not only will it harm your business dramatically by handling the bad reviews in a professional manner, it will leave a lasting negative impression of you as a business owner. You can defuse the noticeable negative reviews by sending the concentration of the audience to the positive reviews. Do not let the positive reviews go to waste, they are important to maintain a good business standing for your business and yourself!

Part 54 Reflective Actions

Remain different and don't fall into a 'monkey see monkey do' mode. Just because another business owner is flashing photos of himself sitting on a beach all over social media and bragging about success he may, or may not actually have, does not mean you have to follow in those footsteps. When you created your business, you did after studying the competition. What did they do different? What can you do that will be different that will work better?

Using reflective actions can hurt your business because customers don't want to see what's already been done. They want new and different, creative and expect higher quality. Use your creative mind to stop from falling into someone else's stride.

When I first began as a consultant with an at home party business, I was given a profit of receiving 10% of every item I had sold. Ten years ago this was quite a deal considering it wasn't quite as popular now to work from home as it is today. I was trained under one of the states best selling and well known consultant at that time for the industry.

At a fairly fast pace and with the help and guidance of the veteran consultants, I did very well. A few years later I met the owner of a competitive company. Taking me under her wing personally, she offered me the chance at making more money provided I come work for her company. Believing that the products from her company were of higher quality and the fact that she donated a percentage of the company profits for breast cancer awareness, I decided to take her up on her offer.

Needless to say, my decision in removing myself from the reflective actions of the fellow veterans who had trained me from the other company and following my instinct in my new career choice, I came up with my own options that in turn made me become the new and hot competition to the ladies who had trained me for years.

Today I am still very close to the ladies as we put our business difference aside and work together to help create a better environment for the communities we live in. Even though I chose to walk a different path and create new ways to do business for myself, we still communicate daily and put our business path to the side. I do not regret having chose to create my own business trail instead of following in their reflective patch, for if I had stayed then I would have never experienced all of the things I have as a successful business owner.

Part 55 Using Weak Rebuttals

When you're selling something, anything, you must find and practice rebuttals that work. A rebuttal is simply a reply to a negative reaction. A weak rebuttal is one that is usually a result of an emotional reaction to the situation.

I once worked temporarily with a telemarketing company who sold magazines. The most successful employees were one the ones who did two things right: They first held the interest of the customer within the first ninety seconds of the phone call and second, they handled the rebuttals to each reply appropriately.

The employees whose rebuttals were weak lost the sale when they were only minutes from closing. In this particular company the employees were well trained with their rebuttals. They were each given a list of rebuttals to study so that they wouldn't have to sift through the papers to find the answer when the negative reply was given. They had only three days to memorize each rebuttal and were fired if they hadn't done so.

The reason they were terminated with the lack of the memorization of the rebuttals was because the rebuttal is one of the most important part of their job. In today's economy there are three factors that come into play why people would not want to purchase their products:

  * It's much too dangerous to give out your personal information via the telephone.

  * There isn't much need for paper products with news due to the internet.

  * They simply don't have the money.

So when given a negative reaction, the employee would be well ready to handle it with professionalism and a reply that would surely close the deal. This can happen in any business, it doesn't have to be over the phone or by selling magazines.

Do you have your rebuttals ready if rejection should happen? If not, write them down and practice them. The faster and more professional the reply, the more you will seem educated and it will be leave little room for another rejection.

Part 56 Handling Hesitancy Inappropriately

Too often I've seen sales professionals and business owners make the mistake of confusing hesitancy with denial of a sale. Just because a client is hesitant about continuing with a sale or investment does not mean that they are refusing to continue. They will however turn down and walk away from an offer depending upon your attitude to their indecision.

Being patient and waiting for a decision, especially one that is so important to you professionally, can be nerve wracking to say the least. It doesn't matter if you're waiting at a sales desk in a department store or pacing for the important phone call to come in, you need to remember that the hesitancy doesn't mean anything negative- yet.

Have confidence without sounding pushy during the uncertainty. One of the biggest mistakes I've seen Independent Consultants for at home parties do is become too pushy about a customer making a purchase about something as simple as a kitchen product. This also goes for their parties as well.

If you aren't familiar with consultants who do at home parties, I will describe it to you briefly. The consultant works for a company in which they sell their products and receive a percentage of the profit from each product sold. As you see their income is solely based on what they sell. They encourage others to host parties in their home where they can physically show the products and speak with them personally to make purchases.

Many of the consultants who are new to the business have a habit of becoming too pushy at the indecisiveness of their customers during the time of closing the sale. They let fear take over and some of them having even became angry at the thought they may not make the sale.

Naturally the customer sees their reaction and become turned away from the sale. With that happening, the consultant then becomes confused wondering where they went wrong and may even become angry with the customer not realizing that their lack of patience was in turn what was the actual cause of the loss of the sale.

Part 57 Emotional Reaction To Failure

Emotion is no stranger to any human being. It's a part of life and our character of who we really are. Feelings of sadness, helplessness and anger are all a part of what we may feel as we experience negativity and disappointment. It's no lie that at some points in our professional careers, we will all unfortunately feel this way. It is however how we handle the situation that creates the outcome and makes the difference.

When presented with a negative situation in our business, it is our reaction that constitutes whether the ending will be positive or negative. The fact is, you will be turned down. You will be told no. You will at some point have a client or employee who tries to take advantage of you. You cannot stop these things from happening but you can control your reaction.

There is no doubt that your negative reaction will only cause more conflict. But do you realize the extent of what the aftermath could do to your business? It could cause a negative reputation faster than you may realize. A snowball effect will then result in loss of customers and cost you future business. It's very important that you remember not to end as the boss who lost their temper through word of mouth of the customers who were affected, no matter who was right or wrong in the situation.

Stop, evaluate and reply in a positive and professional manner. When you feel yourself under distress, remember the rules of SER- Stop, evaluate and reply. Remember also to not let the negative bring your business drive any lower than it shouldn't be.

You may find yourself becoming distressed by the loss of a closing, so when this happens remember the rules of SER and put them in practice. Reply positively to the turn-down and move on. The more time you spend dwelling on a loss, that is time that you are losing on a potential sale.

"It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."

-Bill Gates

Part 58 Negative Assistant Representation

Many business owners find they are in need of an assistant to continue to make the work day run as smooth and productive as possible. Whether you are working from personal space at home with a virtual assistant or in an office where you interact with customers physically on a daily basis, if you have an assistant that works with your clients then your assistant holds a very important responsibility- as do you as the manager.

It's very important that the assistant understand clearly that they are representing the business as a whole to your clients. Have you ever walked into a business, maybe a dentist office for example, only to find that they administrative assistants were unprofessional? How did it make you feel?

If you aren't sure what strengths your assistant should possess, check out the following list of what I call " **The Ten Commandments of Professional Administration** ":

  1. Thou shall maintain a mature attitude in all situations.

  2. Thou shall use appropriate language when speaking, to anyone, anytime.

  3. Thy administrative representative shall listen carefully and pays close attention to detail, no excuses.

  4. Remain organized even when facing stressful situations.

  5. Thou shalt dress professionally according to the company's rules of business attire saving "other fashion" for personal use.

  6. Every customer, manager and employee shall be treated just as they are valued to the company.

  7. Thou shall show a positive attitude, through personality and body language.

  8. Always remaining business focused, thou shalt always leave personal items such as cell phones, personal email and personal Social Media placed out of sight until the work day is through as long as there is a means of communication through the business for emergency situations.

  9. Thou will strive to underpromise and overdeliver to avoid miscommunication and mistakes.

  10. Thou will always speak with pride about the business while on the clock and outside of working hours.

I can remember having an experience where I had just had surgery and my physician retired without warning. When I had to find another physician for my post-surgery examination, I went to one where the assistants judged me by my appearance and were extremely rude. They even went so far as to schedule me on a day when they knew the business was closed. Needless to say, I did find another physician for my examination, but not after I made it a point to leave a bad review and turn the administrative assistants in for unprofessional behavior and placing me into a position where my health could have been in danger.

The same attitude of representation goes for an assistant who works with clients virtually or via phone. Face to face with customers is not the only time an assistant represents a business with their actions. It is just as important that they maintain a positive attitude in their vocal approach as if they were physically in front of the customer.

At some point in your adult life, you may have been on the phone with someone (perhaps for utility purposes) and noticed that the person on the other side of the line was anything but professional and caring about the reason why you called. If your assistant carries this same negative attitude, why should you expect your client to contact you in the future?

As the business owner it is your responsibility to follow up with calls, interviews and face to face interaction with your clients and customers to make sure that your assistant is performing their job to top notch performance. Assistant representation can be make or break your business if not monitored responsibly.

Conclusion

Some of the most important parts of keeping your business afloat are your rebuttals and reactions to refusal and the reputation you carry, whether it be good or bad. You need to make sure that you are active and well prepared for any of these should they occur. A customer like a wild animal, has many options and can smell an uneducated sales person like fear a mile away. Make sure your practice your rebuttals daily and avoid pessimistic actions whenever possible.

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Chapter 7 Resources

Your resources are the heartbeat of your business. These are the items you use to reach your customers and bring in new business as well as revive the old. Physical demonstrations are not the only way that you will reach such an audience. You must learn to be open with your mind and accept as well as learn from the reviews of those around you. Keeping the little things in mind with all of these concepts are all resources that will keep the blood pumping through your business to keep it running productively in a smooth style.

Part 59 Wrong Media For The Wrong Situations

A puppy with sunglasses driving a brand new automobile on a sunset strip is not only cute but appealing and perhaps memorable, right? When creating a marketing system for your product or service it's very important to keep your target audience in mind. By aiming the wrong marketing to the opposing audience, you could come across as offensive.

This is a major no-no in marketing! Even without meaning to come across as offensive, you could and this could definitely kill your business or even so cause you to face a lawsuit.

Your audience doesn't only include who you are selling to, but also who they bring into the picture as well. Think about the big picture instead of the target itself. Say you will be presenting at a local Pech Kucha event. Your speech will most likely be six minutes and forty seconds- give or take the location and event details. The customers you will be seeking to sell to will be in the audience, but who else will also be there?

Perhaps they will have their small children with them? Maybe their grandparents? If so, rethink your presentation and make sure it's appropriate for all audiences. This isn't quite as hard to do as you may think. Remember you control your frustration and fear and it is possible to make a presentation and marketing technique that is memorable and appropriate as long as you remember that it is about the customers needs instead of your own.

How can your product or service help them? Why do they need what it is you are selling? It is not about you, it is about how your services will make them better.

Part 60 Accepting Constructive Criticism

Only the hard headed and stubborn minds will misunderstand this part of Chapter Seven. To become successful, you need to accept every complicated situation and comment as constructive criticism. Is it better to dwell on the negative or to recognize the problem and act on the solution?

The best revenge is success and it is possible. I do not however believe in using success as revenge. Revenge is a negative concept but for many it is the drive they need to keep moving toward their success.

When you are given a negative review, take it with stride. Remember to breathe and analyze. Your brain cannot think productively without oxygen. Your blood will rise and your thoughts will become cluttered with negativity. Read through every negative comment and tell yourself that this is a matter that will be studied and solved.

It is your own concept of the situation that will make the difference. Just because you raise your voice or continue to talk about the situation, does not make you correct. The best way to deal with any negative situation is to remember that it is possible to make it a possible depending on how you decide to react to it.

Part 61 Missing The Little Things

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

-John Wooden

You may think you have it all covered. Social Media is under control, your presentations are top notch and your clientele are satisfied. But is everything as good in the big picture as it seems?

You must interact with your social media connections at least once a day, it's proper SM etiquette to do so. With the possibilities we have in technology today, it's easier than ever to do so. Make sure your posts are prepped and ready to be automatically posted for the week and even month. For example many websites such as Facebook offers owners of Fan Page the ability to create posts that will appear at the time and date that you preselect.

Websites such as Hootesuite allow you to create a post and send it to multiple websites at the same time, which is essential for social media gurus whose customer base is found from these sites.

Even though your customers seem satisfied, that doesn't mean that you need to walk away and leave them hanging in the clouds on their own. Your customers are important to you no matter if you are working for them in the present time or in the past, or future. Gifts are always a nice way to show that you care about their business as well as appreciate it.

A happy customer always comes back when they know they are appreciated and have a business who will have their back should the time come when they are in need.

Also, you should never forget about the family, friends and other personal connections who helped you get where you are today. Whether you are just beginning or have been business for a decade, there are a group of people who have been encouraging of your success and it's never too late to show them your appreciation.

Part 62 Good Neighbor Bad Neighbor Policy

Customers and personal connections are not the only ones who need and deserve your attention. Becoming a community leader or activist is very important. You dont' have to be a fortune five hundred company to make a difference. You can be something as simple as a Thirty One Consultant to make a huge difference in someone else's life.

On the business side of being a good neighbor in your community, you will also help get your company's name out through the marketing your will receive by becoming active.

There are many things you can do to become an active part in your community. For example, libraries are always welcome to community business members who volunteer their time to teach small business meetings and read to the youngsters of the community. This is also great for practice in public speaking!

During the holidays, host a drive for food and coats for children and the elderly. Your customer service in your community should be just as important as the meeting you are hosting with your next client. Denying the support of your community not looks bad on your business, but wreaks havoc on your wellbeing and positive thinking.

Part 63 No Recognition Of Your Support System

One of the worst possible things you could do to hurt your business is to ignore or not recognize the support system that has helped guide you to your success today. It's important to be successful, but it's equally important to be grateful. There's a reason why you see your mentors post on their television shows and social media posts ads of graciousness about their family and friends- they are practicing good manners and karma!

Who would want to continue to have your back, if you left them in the blue? Taking full credit to your success is morally wrong and very recognizable. That client you are trying to sell your services to may have heard from his grandmother who heard from your aunt that you haven't thanked your mother for her help during your darkest times of your business.

Your child's soccer coach was interested in your products but it's going to take an extra mile on your behalf to sell your stock, because you aren't very active in your child's success on the field. How you behave personally to your support system can and will affect you professionally.

The word is out there without you even realizing it, are you ready for it?

Part 64 Ignoring Your Post A Day

Clients like to be active with their businesses and products. On a typical day, you may find that many of your clients will read through social media as if they were reading the Sunday paper. If you aren't active in social media, then you are doing it wrong.

In order to make sure that you are remaining active, make sure that you create at least one post a day and if possible no more than three. More than three can turn off the most sensitive social media clientele. However, one post a day will keep you active enough to keep your customers interested.

Part 65 Ignorance Of Social Media Benefits

"Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community."

-Simon Mainwaring

One of the worst things you can do to your business is not recognize the impact that social media has on our economy today. The easiest way to to connect with others is by a meeting online, allowing your customers to shop online and leave their reviews for the world to see via the internet.

If Fred Flinstone were alive and real in todays world, you could bet high that he would be active in social media for his stone age business as well. The fact is that we were meant to live the way we do today. It was our destiny to use the technology we currently have. And it only keeps expanding.

Only the ignorant will continue to ignore the benefits that social media holds for businesses today. A small business owner could choose to profit from selling products and services to a client in another country, just because of the availability the internet offers. How amazing is that?!

Part 66 Inactivity Of Social Media Groups And Forums

"Increasingly, consumers don't search for products and services. Rather, services come to their attention via social media."

-Erik Qualman

Creating posts alone will not keep you connected in the way that you should to be successful in business. Make sure that you are talking, in real time, as a real person in groups and forums.

Join groups and forums that are in your line of field. Discuss business tips and give advice and most importantly, don't be afraid to ask questions. The more active you are, the more your business will be recognized.

Also, remain active. Don't think that just because you joined the group or answered a post that it is the end and all that you need to do to make it work. Stay active and the possibilities are endless! You may find yourself becoming a mentor to another small business owner or even hiring new employees.

Part 67 Pride Over Mentorship

Recognizing your appreciation for the support others have given and shown you is important, but are you also listening to what they have to say? If you aren't careful, pride can override what the wise are telling you that could be very important to your business. Don't let the chip on your shoulder cloud your judgement when listening to a mentor.

It's easy to let pride strike you and block your vision when you begin to see success. However no matter how successful you are or seem, you will always need the help of a mentor. It's okay to listen to another person and recognize their views. As a great man in my life once said "Sometimes you have to walk out of a room, in order to see what's going on inside the room".

Listen to what your mentors have to say and put their words into action. Take every word for consideration. Constructive criticism cannot hold against the words of a great mentor!

Part 68 Nobody Knows What You Do

So, you're a small business owner. That's awesome! But, what is that you do? What are you selling? Who are you selling to? How are the products and services good for those you are seeking to sell to? Having a business is great, unless no one knows what it is you do.

If you think that others around you know what it is you do, ask them. It's as simple as that. My daughter in Kindergarten was asked what her mommy did for a living and she replied "She works for Y-A-H-O-O", in which at the time I was an active contributing writer for Yahoo! Inc.

But even at the young age of five, she had a recognition of what it was that mommy did. Now, if you were to ask my mom she would tell "Sandy works and writes on that online thing". In other words, she knows I'm a writer and can download books to her eReader, but doesn't know much more about the internet besides that. And that's good enough for me!

Ask others around you if they know what it is you do or are selling. You may surprised at their answers! Just because they support you doesn't mean they have a clue as to what it is you're doing.

So why is it so important they know and understand? For example, perhaps you're a computer technician. Your work may be slacking and you may be in need of new clients. You post in social media networks, advertise in your local paper and pass out business cards. But the answer may be right under your rose colored glasses- word of mouth. When one person understands what you're doing, suddenly their neighbor, local grocer and babysitter will know, too. It really is just that simple.

Part 69 Reactive In Networking

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."

-Henry Ford

Just because you mean well doesn't mean that action is taking place. You may have meant to make that post in your social media group, but didn't get around to doing so. Perhaps you wanted to answer that review online but forgot about it.

Don't be reactive in networking, become proactive! It is your job and responsibility to work your hardest and answer those replies and comments. Customers are looking to hear from you! When it comes to business, if it might be important- it is!

You received an invitation to a local networking event in your community but haven't taken it seriously enough to put it into your calendar and prepare business cards. Don't ignore the invitations! Networking in person can go a lot further than you may be giving it credit for.

No matter how far you strive in your business' future, make sure that networking is one of the keys that you are taking seriously on the path to success.

Part 70 Lack Of Sponsorship

Never be afraid to ask for help in sponsorship. At some point, every business is going to seek help financially or via a mentor. Just because you are a business owner doesn't mean you have to make the journey alone.

Perhaps you're looking to expand your business but don't have the financial means to do so. Help is available! Don't remain blind to the fact that it is okay to seek help when it's needed. Look up scholarships online for your business. Join in forums and ask other owners like yourself how they were able to reach their similar goals such as your own.

There are also many business owners who have reached a level of success that are satisfactory enough that they are comfortable and seeking to help other owners such as yourself. Find them! Create portfolios for yourself and don't let that chip on your shoulder stop you from getting the help you and your business' future deserve.

Conclusion

Being proactive in community affairs and recognizing your support system are only a few of the ways you can keep your business alive. To assure and secure your business' future, make sure you that you are also successful in social media as well. More people shop online these days and check out reviews before they continue with their purchase than ever before. Tell your pride to take a back seat, ask for help when needed and make sure that your mind is open to constructive criticism and the abilities social media and networking has to offer.

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Chapter 8 Closing The Deal

The most important step in business is closing the deal. Once you have closed the deal, it is simply a journey to and beyond in success with your now present customer. You've passed the commercial to hook them in and worked through the fine details to meet their needs with your product or service. Now it is time to finalize the solution and move on to make sure they are satisfied. Are you prepared and ready to avoid the situations that may prevent you from doing so?

Part 71 The Discount Danger

Discounts on products and services can seem like a wonderful way to get previous clients coming back and new clients picking up the phone. However it can also be a very dangerous task to your business as well.

Depending on the product or service you're selling as well as the status of your business' financial state, are all factors that should be taken into consideration when making the decision on whether or not you should offer a service at a discounted rate to your clients.

Selling a pair of shoes at a clearance price of ten dollars is far different than selling a service estimated at three thousand a month. With having products that have been sitting on shelves in inventory for over nine months, you may want to consider hosting a sale to rotate the stock.

But that isn't exactly where the danger lies. When you give a personal discount, you create a snowball effect for the expectancy of other future discounts to emerge- no matter what it is you are selling.

You may have given the neighbors grandmother a discount, but now the niece of the same family is looking for the same kind of treatment and expecting the a discount as well. Or perhaps times are tough and they like to naturally save money, so they are going to simply wait until the next discount is offered before continuing to make a purchase.

When offering discounts such as these short sales, this will ultimately hurt your normal everyday regular sales. To prevent this from happening is simple. Just don't do it. Offer discounts for special events and occasions such as anniversaries or birthdays when it is applicable especially to the customer. This will relieve any unnecessary confusion of when they should expect the special offers and eliminate others from expecting them when they are unwelcome as well.

Part 72 No Invitation To Return

A great way to make sure a customer doesn't return your call or come back for service in the future is by not doing one simple thing, asking them to return. The fact is that many customers will not return if they are simply not asked.

To you as a business owner this may sound silly, but it isn't. An invitation to return never hurt anyone and as a matter of fact with the right kind of tactic will be remembered later.

A postcard, simple thank you and come again with a common laugh over conversation about a product or a gift of thanks is sometimes all that is needed for a customer to remember the detail of your business and create a want in them that is needed for their return.

Without inviting them to return you may be giving the impression that the business is done and not needed once more. Unfortunately too many business owners don't realize this until it's too late and lose the customer to a competing business later.

Part 73 Forgetting The 'Ask Three Times' Rule

Asking the customer three times during a conversation is an important task that many business owners and their employees overlook. They do this for many reasons including that they don't want to seem 'too pushy'. You won't if you are able to handle your words appropriately. You want to be able to ask them three different times without coming across as demanding.

Within the conversation you will need to ease the question that will lead you closer to the closing of the deal. This question will consist of whatever the situation may be. For example you may be ready to proceed onto the next step. At times the customer will want to continue without questions asked, but if they don't you need to be prepared with an answer or rebuttal that will guide them back into the direction of the closing.

If you do not ask three times during the conversation the questions that will lead you closer to the next step of closing the door, you will be missing opportunities. Many humans learn at a very young age from repetitive behavior and reverse psychology. As adults, we still do so even if we don't realize it because we were trained to do so at such a young age.

For example listen to a radio commercial. How many times in that sixty seconds did you hear them say the phrase that they are wanting you to remember? Twice, three times? Maybe you hear it all of the time and don't even realize it. Take the chorus of a song as another example. what is it about the song that you find yourself humming later?

Part 74 Unappealing Presentations

Presentations speak volumes for your business. These should be taken very seriously for one simple reason, if you come across as unprepared it will hurt your business will surely suffer. The more prepared you are, the higher chance you will have at catching the clients attention, which is exactly what you need to do! Catch it and keep it!

Your goal is to close the sale and make an impression. You can do this by creating an outstanding presentation. A solid presentation that is informative and entertaining will capture the memory of your client that you need to reach your goal whether it be long term or short term.

Don't let the thought of a great presentation scare you. Speaking with your presentation should not intimidate you. Put your mentors to good use if you find that you are in need of help with putting together a presentation that will impress and leave a lasting impression.

Make sure that you watch your body language as well as verbal language when hosting the presentation. The products and slides are not the only thing that will sell your products and services. A great presentation is made up of a useful formula including information as well as what they will perceive from you.

Negative body language can turn your audience to a different cheek with you and turn off their attention quickly to what's really important, the subject of your presentation. Remember that when speaking you are using language that is clear and easy for your target audience to understand. You need to own the presentation with confidence.

Your confidence will show through your words and if you lack that confidence you will surely lose your audience as well as the ability close the sale.

Part 75 Lack Of Verbal Communication

I cannot express enough how important it is for business owners and their employees to have clear verbal communication between each other and their customers! Lack of verbal communication will hurt your business tremendously. Have you ever played the game telephone? Maybe you did as a child.

Try this exercise with your employees, children or anyone else who may be around you. There is some fun in this game, however I want you to see the results first hand on how lack of clear verbal communication can become confusing and harmful.

To begin this exercise simply begin with a phrase. Any phrase you wish. For example you could begin with "My refrigerator is running only at night." The next person will pass it on to the next and so on. The very last person to receive this phrase will then repeat it to the group playing. The more people have playing this game, the better you will understand the true meaning of clear verbal communication.

Make sure that what you are presenting to your employees and customers is clear. Be confident in your words and ask if they understand what it is that you're talking about. Ask if they have any questions and be open to any answers they may give you.

Do this exercise as many times as is needed. Do it for fun if you wish. But most importantly, learn from it. Use phrases that you would say normally at work and then you may see just how misunderstood the terms are processed through your employees. This will help you identify problems and clear them up so that they can be more productive and clear later.

Part 76 Statements Customers Can't Refuse

A mistake many business owners and employees make are leaving customers statements that are open ended for refusal. Yes you should be prepared with intelligent rebuttals, but if you direct the conversation with statements that a customer simply can't refuse then rebuttals won't be necessary later- or at any point at all.

Be careful with your words. "Do you think you might want this dress?" is a great way for a customer to easily change their mind and is usually followed by them retrieving the item back to the shelf with a "I'll keep looking thanks" and the loss of a sale. Instead of the open ended question that can lead to refusal, try to comment in this direction "That dress looks lovely on you, I'd love to see you try it on. Let me guide you to the dressing room so that you can also see how lovely it will be on you" and as you can see, there is no question or statement that the customer can immediately address negatively.

If you aren't sure how to go about creating statements and questions that a customer can't refuse, practice with the help of another person. You don't need to use a fellow employee to do this exercise. As a matter of fact, it will help if you use a child or neighbor. Someone who will be completely honest in their response.

Part 77 Lack Of Knowledge About The Competition

Competition is not only the basis of protection to the consumer, but is the incentive to progress. -Herbert Hoover

So, you have a business. That's awesome, really it is. But so doesn't your friend, and neighbor and the guy down the road. So what makes your business more special and stand out from the competition?

Ask yourself the who, what, when, how and why's of the competition. Can you even begin to name three of your competitors in your area? Oh, they are there but do you know who they are? Bets are high that your customer does.

Customers are wise when it comes to getting what they need and living in the world we do today, it is easier than ever to find what they will want to get without having to do much at all. Your job is to be a step ahead of the rest. What is it that you can do that the competition isn't willing to do in order to be the top of the list for reputation among your consumers?

Your products can't sell themselves no matter what other company owners will tell you. They are company owners because they worked to get where they are. With hard work and dedication including, staying ahead in the race of the competition.

Part 78 Absence Of Power Words

When selling anything you will want to make sure that you are using power words in your questions and sentences when speaking with a customer. You will also want to use constructive power words when handling employees as well. It's great to serve your customers with kindness and be an understanding boss, but it's also very easy to lose control when you least expect it because you are lacking in use of power words.

Power words are not intimidating and shouldn't that way. A few power words put into phrases that you can practice with in normal sentences are Please, Thank You, Let's try this, Let's move along, Moving onto the next step, We will, As soon as you purchase, When this is done, You will then, When this is purchased- and so on.

A power word are words in a phrase that are not open ended or cannot be followed by an answer, because it is simply not a question but rather a statement. To say the words Maybe, Should, How about, Can we are all words in phrases that can be argued with. These are words with phrases that you should stay away from.

Listen to a commercial for purchasing tickets to a concert or buying a new automobile. Are they using power words or open ended statements that give you the chance to refuse?

Part 79 Follow Up Deficiency

Congratulations, you've closed the deal! Now what do you do? To think that this is the end is a grave mistake for you business. If you want your business to walk like a mindless zombie then completely forget to follow up with your customer later. Follow up deficiency is a disease that will kill your business and should be treated with extreme care!

A simple thank you will suffice. Or maybe it was a large investment so a gift basket will do. Either way, it's important that you show your customer your appreciation for their business after the deal is said and done. Invite them to come back is the opening of the follow up that you should pursue.

Emails postcards and phone calls should be given at least two weeks after a deal has been reached. Within that time period your customer has enough time to have experienced your product or service and may begin the process of elimination in their mind of your existence within the business. Remind them that you are still at their service even after the fact of closing the deal, so when the occasion arises once more in the future they will come to you again and again!

Part 80 Recognize The Buyer

As a business consultant who did in home parties for women, I used to be told the phrase that hosting co-ed parties were better than hosting parties to sell products rather than just to only women, because although the women were the decision makers of the sale the men carried the money. At times, this was only mostly true.

During the holidays when you walk through a department store near the toy aisle, take note at who the the buyer actually is. Is it the parent trailing along behind the child? Or is it the child who just can't wait to see if that race car they have their heart set on playing with will really be under the tree?

To be able to have a successful sale you will need to recognize the buyer or as many small business owners call them, the decision maker. It's not so hard to do once you train your mind to pay attention to the details and hints. Who seems more interested in what it is you're selling? Who is asking the questions? Who is it they say they will have to confide in before a final decision on the closing is made?

You wouldn't give your sales pitch to the secretary you just spoke with on the phone, she isn't the decision maker. Her boss however, who oversees the accounts payable is the one you will need to make your appointment with. Your target audience and your decision maker are the ones you will need to recognize and contact.

Part 81 A Vacant 'Waiting Game Strategy'

It's okay to play the waiting game with a client. Just because they are busy does not mean they are not interested. If they have spoke with you and will continue to the next step, you're in- don't push it. But be prepared. What should you do if it happens that your client has to reschedule? Will you have a waiting game strategy to occur when this happens?

A waiting game strategy isn't really a game. It is however a plan for you to prepare to make sure that the client knows you will be there when they are ready to return. What do you have planned to do during the time in between?

Perhaps you will want to continue work or review your next step. Maybe there is something important that you missed, such as a small detail before the next step begins. Use this time wisely to review your next step. Don't panic at the thought that your client rescheduled, yet again. Take it as an opportunity to better your next presentation and show them that you are glad they care. Take their situation with consideration and kindness and get out the waiting game strategy until they are ready to soothe your worried mind.

Conclusion

It's important to remember as a business owner not to have open statements that will lead to confusion or a negative outcome with your customers or employees. Clear communication and power words are very useful without having to sound like a prick on the job. Don't be pushy about rescheduling and make sure that you are prepared for when your client returns. Most importantly remind your client that they are a value to your business and you are ready for when they need your services next.

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Chapter 9 Your Law Of Attraction

Everything starts from an idea. That's what is great about the mind, it is full of creativity. Especially when you are in the right mindset. A positive mind is one that excels ideas making them not only realistic but possible.

Drive and energy are two key components to making these ideas happen. The first step to success is realizing that _anything is possible_. A positive mindset and this realization will help you not only through your work day but also to remain on the right road to reach any goal you should be reaching for.

"People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals - that is, goals that do not inspire them." -Tony Robbins

Part 82 Living Outside Of The Secret

The secret is rather simple, an ancient mindset that if you believe your success is happening you will live it and it will be created. Many great minds such as Thomas Jefferson have believed in the Secret- which in this day isn't actually a secret anymore. Basically you control the karma around you.

Now as crazy as this may sound, it is as true as the thunder you hear or the sun you see shine. When you think negatively you will live outside of the secret. You will be negative and suddenly everything around you will become negative, too. Take the Grinch as a prime example. He chose to be miserable and in turn everything around him became miserable as well.

When he chose to become positive and put a smile on his face, he realized that life wasn't so bad after all. That is the power of the Secret.

Part 83 Deprivation Of A Positive Outlook

##### "Every positive thought propels you in the direction of success!"

-Scott Ford

You choose your success and the outcome of the future of your business and your personal life. There is no one else in this universe who can or will do it for you. People will encourage you, but they cannot do it for you. You are the sole creator of your success. If you believe you will be successful you will.

Why? Because you will be willing to work for it and you won't stop until it happens. When you give up, it is the decision you have made to change your destination to success. You cannot blame that on anyone else but yourself. You are the decision maker for your own drive to the future of your business and personal life.

To own up to this responsibility is the ultimate travel to the right path for your future. Don't depend on anyone to make this happen for you. If you really want to change the environment around you, change yourself first. Do you want to change the world? Leave a better world for future generations? Then begin with yourself first.

Part 84 The 'Thirty Second' Website Rule

A website is almost a necessity for any business today. It is the address and identity of who your business is. If your client is not impressed within thirty seconds of visiting your website, you can almost guarantee they will move on to the next.

What do you have on your website that is appealing and tells the customer that what you are selling has exactly what they are in need of? You may think you know. As a matter of fact, you may have even answered that question right off the bat with what you think is exactly right. But believe me when I said, think again.

Don't pay any attention to the amount of visitors you've had within a given time frame. Without the customers contacting you and pursuing a business deal, the number of visitors for your website means nothing.

Ask another party to review your website. Ask other customers what they think of their website. Mention it when you're out in public and see what kind of reactions you get. But brace yourself because even though you believe your website is top notch, you may be surprised at the answers you receive.

Part 85 Your Presentation Of Your Worth

"When your self-worth goes up, your net worth goes up with it."

-Mark Victor Hansen

How you view yourself in worth is exactly how your customers will view you also. When I was doing the at home parties and selling products to women in their homes, I was told to dress as if you have the money whether you do or not. You show your worth through how you present yourself. How you feel about yourself will help you sell your demonstration.

Dress like a million dollars and you will feel like a million dollars. Do this every single day. Do this when you drop your children off to their school in the morning. Dress this way when going to a family event. Have you ever noticed a difference in your ability to wake up more efficiently when you've gotten dressed, combed your hair and tied your shoes? How is it different from when you are wearing sweat pants and dirty socks?

You wouldn't give a client a business card with a photo of you after you've just got done mowing your lawn, so don't present yourself as that either. Even if you have little money, it's not impossible to make yourself look and feel just as you are worth, a fortune.

The secret to your success lies in your ability to act as so. If you view your success as worth little, it will show through how you handle yourself. If you see your success as worth thousands of dollars in profit, you will dress and speak that way as well. You create the karma around you and create the success through the energy you hold.

Part 86 Faulty Compensation

How are you treating yourself and your employers? How are you treating those who have helped you with your success by inspiration and support? Don't faulty compensation be the demon who drowns your business! Treat yourself and other appropriately.

Take a moment to remember what the last thing was that you've done for yourself, your employees or loved ones around you. How long has it been since you've shown your gratitude? It's important to take care of yourself and those who are important to your business through compensation that will make it worth while to show you care.

It's okay to go on vacation that is well deserved. It is important for your personal life to do so. If your personal life suffers, you professional life will surely follow down that lonely dramatic path. Don't let this happen! You have the power to change this. Don't fall under the spell of faulty compensation.

Part 87 Use Of Negative Body Language

Body language speaks without any words necessary. You may be doing it right now as you read this book. Are your arms folded or legs crossed? If so you may be thinking that I am full of crap by writing this book and that what I'm guiding you with won't work for you at all. And if so, that is fine. But just for a moment, pay attention to the defeat that you are giving yourself by retreating against my words by being negative. Now that you've read this paragraph, how has your body language changed?

Perhaps I've struck a chord and you're now sitting more up straight then you were before. Are your eyes more focused on the words in front of you? Others will be turned away by negative body language. Think about how you would feel if you were to go into an interview and the manager behind the desk never raised their eyes up from your resume and kept their arms folded as they spoke to you.

Would you feel as if you'd lost the job before you even had the chance to get started? I know I would feel that way. Even when you are speaking on a phone or texting, even when you're sending an email. Type and talk with a smile. Sit up straight and think as if the person were right in front of you. You may be surprised at yourself and with the outcome of the conversation or message when you are done, just by how you changed your body language.

Part 88 Shortage Of Self Pride

"If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit, you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards."

-Paul Bryant

It's easy to allow yourself to bring your pride down to a point where feel as if you should give up. But I'm telling you from my own experience, no matter how long it takes never give up on your professional dreams. You are the creator of the dreams and it is up to you to make them happen. I was once surrounded by people who told me I would never make it as a writer. I was wasting my time. I should get a "real job" and stop with this imaginary stuff.

Hearing these things almost destroyed my confidence. But unfortunately for them, I was smart enough to know better. Their negative words and nasty attitudes only pushed me further and gave me a new drive to write. I ignored their negativity and kept writing. I was soon published for the first time as a Contributor on the website Yahoo.com and squeeled in front of them the first time I saw my writing on the internet. Although they didn't celebrate with me, I knew this was a new step to something great in my writing career.

People will push you with their antagonistic attitudes, but it's up to you to remain solid and not let it affect your self pride. What would have happened had I listened to them and believed what they were telling me? I surely wouldn't be writing to you right now. In turn, they helped me with my business, because I didn't listen to them and turned their words into the drive to keep going.

Part 89 Mental Health Matters

There came a point in my own life that I found myself more often than not, staying in bed with little energy to do anything at all. With the help of loved ones, I reset my writing career and found a new love for business. With having gone through brief moments of depression, it made me realize how blessed I really am to have the ability and talent to do what I really love to do, write.

Through all of this I was able to understand that mental health really does matter. You can become depressed and not even know it. It's important to take care your mental health, just as it is your physical health. They need to go hand in hand. If one is suffering the other surely will, too. Although taking care of one can help the other, it's important to take care of both. I learned the hard way that by only taking care of one and not the other, I was a very destructive path- personally and professionally.

Today I have progressed and have became successful, in life, family, business and love. By taking care of myself both physically and mentally, I have been able to reach my dreams and create new levels of succession. All of which I am very proud of.

I saw first hand for myself what kind of toll it would take on my business by not taking care of my mental health. By not stopping to enjoy the life around me, by allowing the negativity of others who surrounded me to affect me and by not meditating and keeping a journal for my own self matters, I was hurting myself, my family and my professional career.

I wasn't able to write, I didn't feel I had the want to. Until one day my best friend shook me out of my depression and sat me down at her kitchen table reminding me that I could do this. By showing me how to have fun with my career and encouraging me, I was able to succeed and have fun with my business again. I am now determined more than ever with a new inspiration that I can do this and have even created new and exciting goals for myself.

It's amazing what a little encouragement and realization can do when you change your thinking process. Your mental health really does matter and it can affect your business if you let it. Remember to take time for yourself and don't make any excuses as to why you shouldn't. You cannot make appropriate decisions for your professional career if your personal mindset isn't first set. As the saying goes, always remember to make sure to wake up and smell the roses.

Part 90 Caving To Your Fears

"Fears are nothing more than a state of mind."

-Napoleon Hill

To put it bluntly, you are the only one who controls your fears. You are the source behind the control of your own emotion. Fear is nothing more than an obstacle to a business owner. You can either let it guide you, or you can guide your business through it. Your business has no fear, but you as a human being do.

Fear can be one of the most difficult emotions to resolve. It can be followed by anxiety, stress and depression. The effects that fear can take on a person, can be absolutely exhausting. It is a fact that fear can lead a human body to illnesses.

The following are a few of the basic human fears that everyone encounters at some point in life, and how it can affect you as a business owner.

  * Having fear of the unknown: Every business starts from scratch and struggles at some point on the path to success. If every business owner let the fear of the unknown future allow them to stop from continuing, there would be no businesses left for us to purchase from.

  * The fear of failure: No one likes to fail and so it comes with basic human nature that we look at failure in a very negative way. Failure is going to happen, at some point, to all businesses. It is your reaction as the owner on how the situation is going to be handled. You can either grasp the situation and turn it on a more positive path, or you can live with the fear of failure and watch the business run to the ground.

  * Facing the fear of rejection: The first initial rejections can be the worst for a new business owner. It can feel downgrading and make you feel as if your efforts aren't good enough. When the truth is, rejection can and will happen. Just like the other fears listed and ones that are not, it is your reactions to the situation that make the difference.

Part 91 Hiding Your Accomplishments

A gloomy room will do your spirit no justice if it's not decorated with accomplishments and honors. We all have things we are proud of, whether it be diplomas, degrees, certificates, letters and more. Why hide them?

Brighten your room and your drive by framing these such accomplishments and proudly hanging them within view! Do not let your pride get in the way of doing so. You are not flashing them widely to others, you are simply raising your accomplishments so that they can be grand reminders of how far you've came and what you are capable of achieving.

On the other hand, your environment isn't the only thing that should hold bragging rights to your achievements. You should also be celebrating them by word of mouth and your resume. Most business have an online company profile that speaks about their team of owners and employees. Why hide what you've worked so hard to achieve?

It's not just 'bragging' when you tell others about your success. As a matter of fact, you should be telling your customers and clients about the past accomplishments for several reasons:

  1. It will gain a new confidence in you and your business that is very important to your customers and clients.

  2. The achievements you possess show the competition that you are experienced in your efforts.

  3. It is a boost for your reputation and will help you to more quickly change negative reviews to positive if you hold an outstanding resume or business history.

  4. You will be able to hire more reliable future employees if they are challenged with being a part of a company who has such a credible past.

Your achievements will show experience and prosperity that are very important for your business' future success. Talk about them proudly, show them off wisely and maintain a satisfaction in knowing that your proficiency will be a positive guide for your business' future.

Part 92 Placing blame And Reactive Behavior

First you need to realize that failure is going to happen, and so it will be. It is how you accept failure and handle it with poise as well as constructive criticism that is key to moving forward toward success. Allowing failure to defeat you will only create depression and deplete the self confidence you need to make the business what it needs to be, your dream.

Examine your previous situations thoroughly in the times that you have felt as if your business or events in your business have failed. What was said? Who was there? Did you point blame in any particular direction? Was the problem solved sufficiently?

Situations may vary but how you react in a negative or positive way will depend on the outcome. Using reactive behavior to a negative situation will only allow the Law of Attraction to draw more negative energy to you and your business in the future. This is why I cannot stress enough to many business owners to look for and create positivity from every situation.

If you are striving for success, do not accept negative behavior from yourself or others. Instead, create a positive from the problem and concentrate on how to form a solution that will be better for your business.

Pointing fingers at any single person or factor can be a waste of time even if it is clear who or what is to blame, not to mention this will draw negative energy to you in the long run. Dwelling on the negative pressure is a sure fire to kill your business at a very fast pace. Evaluate the situation to create a new and better outcome, no matter what the situation may be.

Exchange the reactive behavior in yourself for proactive behavior; It can be changed. It will be changed. There will be a more positive result. Blame is a waste of time. There is a solution and the problem can be fixed.

Failure is not the end of the road, giving up however is. Sometimes things happen out of our control such as a burst of depreciation in the economy. This however does not mean that your dream has to end.

When faced with failure it's important to keep your drive afloat. Only we can allow failure to blow out our spark of passion for our business. Once you realize you are in total control of your business' future, failure will become nothing more than a speed bump.

Conclusion

Remember that it's very important to reward yourself with positive compensation and also not to forget gratitude to those around you who helped you accomplish and get where you are today in your success. When speaking in person or on the phone, always use positive body language. It may speak silently, but it does speak volumes. Placing blame will only cause more friction. So instead try to evaluate every situation and find a positive solution to every problem. You might be surprised at how much more productive you will be and much less time will be lost through conflict by doing so.

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Chapter 10 Investments & Economics

Running a business is not an easy task and anyone who says that is simply not telling the whole truth. Being a business owner is takes a lot of hard work, energy and effort that in which at times you will put forth not realizing you even had. Part of this effort is keeping a close eye on the economics surrounding your business, as well as the investment decisions you are willing to risk and make that will further the success of your business' future.

Part 93 Ignoring Investors

It's important to make wise financial decisions for your business, including who you agree to work with when it comes to investing. It's no secret that as a human being we desire to predict the future, for our business and personal lives, despite what the universe tells us to do otherwise. This is why we learn upon others who are known as experts, to help cease this fear of lack of control, especially in our financial situations today.

In order to begin wise financial decisions, you must first come to the realization that first success in finance does not come overnight in the majority of cases and that second we understand and acknowledge the reality of just uncontrollable it actually is to us.

To ignore the plans that are created specifically for you (whether you create them yourself or it's done by a professional investor) could be detrimental to your business' future. Before you make mistakes that could hold long term effects, stop and thoroughly think through your decision making. If I were to choose to sell immediately through anxiety or hold onto an investment that could result in a money-loss, am I doing the right thing?

Listen to your investors and your gut feeling. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are an investing genius with an incredible intelligence that doesn't need to take the advice of a professional. When the odds are in your favor and it seems that you've made the right decisions, it's easy to 'lose your head' among the success. Just because you are reaching financial success through financial decisions now does mean to reserve the right to state title as an investing guru and ignore the professionals who are there to help guide you in the right direction.

Part 94 To Hide Or Not To Hide From Uncle Sam

One of the most immature decisions I have heard a business owner make during the first cycle of their business was that they did not need to take taxes on their sales. It may seem like a simple and naive statement, but you need to be very careful. When running a business there is not time to waste when it comes to taking taxes on the items and services you are selling.

Every business may seem slow at first, very few businesses have seen their success over night. As a matter of fact, a general rule for business is that you should never expect it overnight and not to take it for granted when it does happen.

Financial freedom for a business may take anywhere between six months to three years in the United States typically. To expect anything in a lesser time period is simply setting yourself up for disappointment that is not only unneeded but may even delay and take away from the energy and drive you need during the extended time period of success.

The most important factor when it comes to applying taxes to your businesses finance, is to remember that there is no hiding from Uncle Sam. Financial success may come quite a bit faster than you expect, so what will happen when you reach that point?

Many business owners do not realize or take the time to look at their financial standpoint from all directions, customer base, utilities, taxes, employee compensation- and because this is so crucial for long term success can fail their business before their company even reaches that point.

Don't let this happen to you. If you aren't sure about the fine details on how to monitor the taxes that should be held back for your business' protection or charged in exchange for products and services, ask for free local advice for any tax representative in your area. There are many products that you can use yourself that will also help monitor these areas such as QuickBooks for example.

If you have not began the process of organizing your finances for next tax season, begin to do so today!

Part 95 Detrimental Investment Spending

"Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don't make."

-Donald Trump

Running a business can be risky business which is why it is very important to watch how you are making your investments. Something that can seem like a great idea for your business, can quickly turn into a destructive action for long term success. To some risking a few dollars on a chance to win the lottery seems like a very small investment. However to others losing a few million dollars on a chance that the price of gold will drop in the next six months seems like a risk just a small. It is your own perception of the risk with the investment that matters.

More times than not there are investments that seem as if they have a greater chance losing your invested money, than to flip it for a positive return. There is plenty to gain even when all our mindset settles upon is how much we have to lose. Especially when times are on a downward spiral, it is harder than ever to remember that when it comes to investing, there is actually plenty to gain from the right investments. It's a matter of will to take the plunge to find out.

To invest in what seems legit but is later unveiled as a con is the most popular of all risks when it comes to detrimental business investment spending. You can only try to predict the behavior of a con artist to save yourself the financial troubles later, but that isn't always guaranteed either.

Make sure that before you spend your investments that you have covered all of the basis and are prepared in the case of loss. Take every aspect of the current situation into consideration and be sure that even though the long term effect may be positive, in the case that anything negative should occur. If your gut instinct is telling you that the spending could be anything that is unfavorable to the business' financial future, walk away and just say no.

Part 96 Current Economics And Your Business

A study of economics usually reveals that the best time to buy anything is last year.

-Marty Allen

The current economic situation plays a huge role in your business despite how your company currently ranks. Your company could be considered top notch for customer service and your accounts receivable be more than any local competitors. But if the current financial stability in your area is lacking, then your business will surely suffer as well.

Situations may occur where customers don't have the money to spend so they will not be able to get your products or services. On the contrary, if your service is needed bad enough the customer will find a way to get the funds to pay for what is needed. These are things you need to take into consideration if the financial times in your targeted area are looking unfortunate.

Do not give up if the economy has taken a downward spiral. All you should do is simply change your strategy. Giving up on your marketing or hope that customers will contact you will ruin your business' future quick. Change the game plan to something creative. Use your marketing tools in a different way, in such a way that will be memorable to your audience and create a want in them for what it is you have to offer.

When a child sees an ice cream truck, normally they are playing and have no money in hand to make the purchase. A common suggestion in marketing technique is to watch a child in asking when they are seeking something they want. If they want it bad enough, they will ask with persistence until they find out how to get exactly what they want. This is a strategy you need to remember when creating a plan to generate a 'want' in your own client.

Another mistake that is monotonous among business owners is that when the economy is doing very well, they tend to forget about the special treatment and appreciation of their customers and also do not search for new. Do not get so comfortable with your own clientele that you forget to seek the new ones who are in need of your products and services, too.

The special treatment and appreciation rewards are very important for customer service, no matter how the negative or positive the targeted audiences community is looking financially. It's very important to let your current and possible future customers know exactly how much they are acknowledged by you and your business.

Part 97 Expecting Payoff Without Proper Investments

Expectation is the easiest route to disappointment. When you expect the least, you will endure the lesser of defeat. A probable characteristic of many business owners is to become more excited with the expectancy of investments for their company. This however can take a terrible turn for the business owners drive and confidence if the investment doesn't happen to follow through.

There have been business consultants who have stated that it is not wise to have a plan B so that you concentrate and remain faith in your plan A. Having a plan B can distract you from achieving plan A. But how true is this in all aspects? Expecting a great return from an investment can be a dangerous task without a plan B. This is because the business owner is expecting the investment they have made or someone else has made into the business, to do all of the work.

You may feel like you've been set free of your disappointment, nervousness and any fear that you had before the investment was made. A business owner with a realistic mindset will be opposite. Instead of feeling fired up and settled about the future, they will become nervous and create a follow up plan that will be sure to set the pace the future of the business.

Just like an animal who expects the owner to give him the entire plate of food and gets disappointed when only a small portion is given, a business owner who has not braced himself for the blunder of an investing fall back may feel just the same. Whereas the business owner who was preparing for plan B is ready to take the next step into action, should anything negative occur. It's best to remain prepared in cases such as this when your business' future is walking a fine line to success.

There will always be ways that you can grow a business at a faster and much stronger rate while still keeping your expectations in investing low. It is possible and should be done, even if the current economic situation seems to be taking a turn for the worse. It is your job as a business owner to continue to generate a higher revenue without the reliance of an investment, while still keeping the business' financial stability and future remaining steady, including every investment you should encounter and endure.

Part 98 Insufficient Wisdom In Cultural Economics

"Humanity today possesses sufficient economic, cultural and spiritual resources to introduce a better global order." - Hans Kung

It's possible that you may be lacking the focus of catering to your customer's wants and

needs through cultural diversity within your business. Wisdom and experience in cultural economics teach you how to prevent this from happening. Cultural diversity is a very important aspect in your own personal business as well as professional. It is almost impossible, not to mention unheard of, to not be knowledgeable of your business' surroundings and customers needs to make your business a success.

First you have to understand that it's important to remember not to mix your own cultural practices and beliefs into a situation you may be faced with that includes a customer. Should you do so, you may find yourself to be angry, confused, frustrated and at a loss of a potential sale.

Do not group any particular client into a group, this will be stereotyping the individual and you may find yourself faced with discrimination. When it comes to values, understand that they are often taught in a majority of cultures at a very young age. This doesn't mean that they are right or wrong because they are different from your own or taught early, it only means that they differ and are valued to your potential client, therefore there is a need for their personal values to be respected and should be taken into consideration during your business relationship.

Remember to respect the values of your customers and their diversity. Be wise and remember that although they are different in some way, they are still valuable to your business. Without their sale, you would not have a business to pursue, save and endure. Be modest of their individual thoughts and situation, and remember to respect their privacy. This will have a huge impact on the service you host as a business owner.

Part 99 Pessimistic Financial Responsibility

As an adult you naturally have a financial responsibility to maintain. Without proper financial responsibility, your well-living will greatly suffer. Even during the roughest times, it's important to maintain positive in the old saying, "Where there's a will, there's a way" no matter how far fetched the idea may be in the midst of downfall.

The truth is, you simply cannot move forward if you are constantly taking your train of thought into a negative direction. Do you find yourself often saying "I don't know how to get out of this mess?" or "My finances are just so bad, I don't know what to do"? Don't panic, you're not alone. As a matter of fact this world is full of people who are in need of some assistance. You can however change those unfavorable thoughts into positive ones by saying "I'm not sure how I can fix this problem, but I am determined to figure it out!"

No matter how bad the financial situation, you are and will be able to figure it out with the right help and guidance. You must remain optimistic if you are willing and have the want to save your business. If by telling yourself that it's okay to spend business related funds you surely should not spend because in your own mind you think the business will fail soon, then you're right- it will.

However you are viewing your financial responsibility is exactly what course your business will take. You are the guide in your own business and the financial responsibility you hold is the heartbeat of the operation. The mentality you currently hold will affect your business long term.

If a doctor were to tell you that you need to change your way of living to prevent yourself from heart failure, you would do just that. You would begin to exercise, meditate and take any prescription medications needed in order to create a healthier you. That is exactly how you need to view your financial situation for your business.

Invest funds you receive to create a higher future profit. Do not spend more than what you are able. Mind your tax information throughout your fiscal year. Ask for help from a professional such as an Accountant when needed. Change your psyche from negative to positive and know that anything is possible if you put the time, effort and energy into what you are striving for- the life of your business.

Part 100 Resistant Exploration Of Investments

There are two children with water guns. One of the children runs out of water much faster than the second child. Why is this? Because as child one was taking it's time and only squirting water at specific items, child two was squirting randomly in excitement at a faster pace without giving any specific consideration to direction.

So as child one was still enjoying the benefits of shooting chosen targets, child two stood without any water left in their gun and had no choice but to watch as child one reaped the rewards of specific decision making.

To a professional, this basically means if you are not wise in your decision making with your finances and investments, your business could suffer severe consequences and long term losses that may even lead to closing the doors to the business or in worst case scenario bankruptcy.

It is very important that a business owner makes the extra effort to explore all options before settling into one investor or purchase, even if it is something as small as purchasing envelopes in bulk. Greater deals are everywhere and financial decisions need to be made wisely not matter the cost.

Conclusion

Your financial decisions will ultimately make or break your business. Take every investment with careful consideration and seek help when it's needed. Explore your options as there are many. Don't deny your financial responsibility and remain positive no matter the situation. Keep your current economical communities situation into consideration when making important financial decisions for your business. Every choice you make determines your business' path and you should review all of your options before taking any important steps.

*~*~*~*

Chapter 11 Exercises And habits

Creating Positive Habits

We've heard that it's healthy to break bad habits. Not often enough are we reminded how healthy it is that we also create good habits. I want you to practice the following exercises, every day for five consecutive business days.

Have some fun with this and make sure that everyday you answer each question. At the end of the week, review your answers. Use your thoughts about your answers to see how you've progressed or how you can progress in your professional life.

Everyday your answers will be different- and they should be! Although the questions may seem repetitive as you're reading through them, you will change every single day. As will your business, personal life and mood. Do not hold anything back. Answer these questions open and honestly. Share them with others or keep them for yourself.

This is a great way to train your brain to create good habits!

(If you'd like to print this page for the exercise, feel free to do so.)

  1. Did you have breakfast? If so, what did you eat? If not, why not? ____________________________________________________________________________

  2. With what selection of words did you begin your day? Were they positive, if not why? ____________________________________________________________________________

  3. What obstacles are you facing today? ____________________________________________________________________________

  4. How would you rate your sense of humor? ____________________________________________________________________________

  5. What is your fear of the day? ____________________________________________________________________________

  6. What do you notice about your level of energy today? ____________________________________________________________________________

  7. What values do you hold? ____________________________________________________________________________

  8. What are your goals? ____________________________________________________________________________

  9. What have you done to succeed in your personal life for today? ____________________________________________________________________________

  10. What is the best part of your career? ____________________________________________________________________________

The Six Month Evaluation

Every six months you should evaluate your professional career and work. Do not just expect success to come to you for the work you've done or accept the effort you've already placed. By doing an evaluation of yourself and work you will be able to clearly see what improvements need to be made.

If you're uncertain how to do just this, check out the following 10 Questions for each the Business Evaluation and the Self Evaluation. Before you read through them, you may consider printing each questionnaire. However, you will want to make sure to have paper and a pen/pencil handy when you are ready to begin.

As you travel through the list, make sure to answer each question honestly and thoroughly. This questionnaire is for your own records. This is to improve your profession. By doing this you may also find yourself questioning whether or not to pursue a different career field.

But before making this conclusion, remember that the core purpose for evaluating yourself is to improve yourself and business- so don't give up until you've acted on all options.

Below are two questionnaires that you should print and answer every six months. The first is in the concern of your business' current and future situation. The second questionnaire focuses on you personally as a business owner.

When filling out the questionnaires, make sure to be completely honest and follow through with each answer as extensively as possible. If more room is needed please use the back of the paper you have printed.

This evaluation is for your own reference, although you may feel free to share it with your employees or any other owners of the company. If you hesitate on any question or feel it doesn't apply to you and the business, please skip it and move on to the next question.

Before you begin each questionnaire, please prepare by doing the following:

**Be wise about your time:** Make sure that you allow yourself enough time to answer each question appropriately. Do not rush through the questionnaire. Take each question seriously as it is preparation for a better future for yourself and business. Time suggestion for each evaluation is at least thirty minutes. Make sure to block this into your schedule to avoid any unnecessary interruptions.

**Remain honest and leave fear at the door:** The only way to truly perform adequately through the result of an evaluation is by being completely honest in all answers. Do not hesitate, as this is not a graded school exam. The point in an evaluation is to pinpoint honors and problems spots for improvement.

Remember, all professionals are amateurs who never gave up.

Business Evaluation

Business Evaluation Questionnaire

1. **What type of growth potential do I see foresee in the future for this business?**

__________________________________________________________________________

2. **Have you evaluated all options to make your business successful?**

__________________________________________________________________________

3. **Is the business in a solid financial place? If not, what can be done to make it so?**

__________________________________________________________________________

4. **Have you planned any sales promotions for the next thirty days?**

_________________________________________________________________________

5. **How many customers does the business currently serve? Create a 30 day goal.**

_________________________________________________________________________

6. **How does the current season for the business compare to previous?**

_________________________________________________________________________

7. **Have you explored new ways to market the business? If so, what are they?**

_________________________________________________________________________

8. **Is all of the equipment up-to-date and do you have what is necessary?**

_________________________________________________________________________

9. **Are the companies wages for employees updated?**

_________________________________________________________________________

10. **What benefits does the business offer employees (including owners)?**

_________________________________________________________________________

Self Evaluation

Before you begin the Self Evaluation, you must first understand exactly what it is so that you will better understand your results. A Self Evaluation is simply a thought-out and honest review based on your performances for previous and current work conditions, goal approach and an overall evaluation of job functionality.

Remember to be as thorough and true in your answers as possible. This evaluation can be for your own personal reference or you may share it with a business partner. It is not suggested that you allow another person to write this evaluation for you, as this is considered a Self Evaluation meaning you are the one who is required to answer, read and review the questions.

The importance of a Self Evaluation is so that you can clearly see results of past and current situations and make any critical decisions necessary based on the results. By practicing the evaluation regularly, you will be more likely to gain better goal setting skills and create less unprofessional mistakes in the future.

If you aren't going to take yourself seriously, don't expect anyone else to either.

Even though this is a self evaluation, you need to take it seriously. Leave the slang terms for the backyard bonfires and answer the questions as seriously as you would want your clients to view you. Use appropriate language as necessary.

Self Evaluation Questionnaire

1. **What standards and goals have I excelled and met? What ones have I failed to meet?**

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2. **The following are three ways I can be more productive on my job:**

  1. ______________________________________________________________________

  2. ______________________________________________________________________

  3. ______________________________________________________________________

3. **What do I like about my job most? Least?**

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

4. **What work is being performed outside of my specific job?**

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

5. **Where do I see myself professionally by the time I next take a Self Evaluation?**

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

6. **What kind of support do I expect from those I am surrounded by?**

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

7. **What are the skills that I would like to improve?**

________________________________________________________________________

8. **My current three weaknesses in performance are:**

  1. _________________________________________________________________

  2. _________________________________________________________________

  3. _________________________________________________________________

9. **Two skills I have previously learned are:**

  1. __________________________________________________________________

  2. __________________________________________________________________

10. **The following is a paragraph (at least four sentences) on the current balance of my professional and personal life, including how I spend my time outside of my business.**

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Self Discipline Practice Exercises

Too often it's easy to lose track of your own self discipline. With this comes feelings of uncertainty, defeat and depression. If you aren't able to discipline yourself, who else will?

Do not depend on others to lead the life that is right for you. You are in control of the living the destiny that awaits you. Only you can reach the goals that you set for yourself. The only way to do these things are through self discipline.

If you have feelings of distress or are a beginner in the world of creating a strong self disciplinary system then you should practice these steps to do just these things.

  * Practice prayer/meditation daily. Doing this can help you gain respect for yourself and surroundings. It will give a center within yourself that is very important. You will gain or regain the confidence needed to strive more productively in your career and personal life.

  * Eat a healthy balanced diet. Remain healthy and stay away from foods like chocolate, caffeine and sugars that produce chemicals that induce stress and depression. A regular diet, exercise and meditation will help you create the energy needed that you may feel sugar produces as a substitute.

  * Remain on schedule. Stay within a strict schedule and understand that others in your circles will respect this as this is a part of your daily professional routine. Only adjust if it is needed for family emergencies, family time, health reasons and business related appointments.

  * Reward yourself. It's okay to give yourself a reward with a job well done. Let yourself know that the dedication and hard work you've produced has paid off and you will be more passionate about continuing that time and time again.

  * Set rules for yourself. If the work is not produced within a certain time frame, do not reward yourself. Carry over the work that is not complete or work overtime on your time.

Media Practices

Whether in person or over social media, communication is an extremely important key to keep your business productive. Make sure that you are communicating daily with your audience. In a world where communication is made faster than ever, this is not something that should be ignored.

Don't take for granted that your customers will remain interested or remember your name and products. Realize that running a business has never been more demanding or popular as it is today. For every five houses you see in a typical American neighbor, at least three of them hold a family that has an entrepreneur.

Below is a list of ways that you should be communicating with your audience. If you are not practicing these five of these things daily, then it's not too late to get started!

  1. Social Media: Hootsuite is great for communicating with a large audience at once through websites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

  2. Email: If you do not already have one then it needs to be created now, an email list for your customers and potential audience. Send them emails daily with important business related information to keep them informed.

  3. Calling: This does not have to be made daily but can be scheduled in the appropriate to your business etiquette.

  4. Person to person meetings: Face to face has been made easier than ever with the technology we have currently. Skype and Google Hangouts are only two forms of communication that allows us to chat with our audience face to face freely even when we are miles apart.

  5. Snail-Mail: It's never too late to send out those postcards or business flyers. Yes, people and businesses alike still pay attention to them before they hit the recycling bin.

Four Ways To Maintain Inspiration

If you are struggling to remain in the positive mindset that anything is possible, don't fret and definitely don't try to force yourself- remember your work should be fun and inspire you, not tear down your drive. Simply do exercises that will help build your drive.

Try these simple tips that will help you stay inspired, but remember to practice them religiously:

  * Post your accomplishments: Put them out so that you can visually see them as daily reminders that you are capable of accomplishment.

  * Remain organized: How do you feel when you see a brand new desk that you are considering purchasing? You suddenly picture yourself working at it with all of your belongings, do you not? Create an environment that is organized. Not only will this bring your spirits but it will make your work day be smoother as your belongings will be easier to find.

  * Surround yourself with positive people: Too often we can be caught up in the surroundings of others who bring shadows of negativity. Keeping yourself surrounded by positive people will encourage your spirit to succeed.

  * Daily Routine: This is very important especially for entrepreneurs who work from home. Stay with a routine that involves mental health exercises, physical exercises, quality family time and a solid work pace.

*~*~*~*

AUTHOR'S NOTE

In what ways do you think you may be killing your business? Share your thoughts with me and receive even more business advice while enjoying interviews from fellow business owners like yourself by signing up for the Wise-Thinking Newsletter at www.Wise-Thinking.com.

The Boston Marathon Bombings of 2013 were briefly mentioned in Chapter Six, Part Fifty One. I'd like to take this moment to send my thoughts to everyone who was unfortunately affected by this horrible and cowardly tragedy.

A portion of the proceeds for this book is donated to the RIF foundation (Reading Is Fundamental). This is a very important foundation to the author, as it encourages children all over the United States to have books in their homes and read as often as their heart desires.

*~*~*~*

References

**"The Secret"** Directed by Drew Heriot; Documentary 2006

**"RIF** " The Reading Is Fundamental the largest non-profit organization for children's literacy; www.rif.org

**"The Charge** " written by Brendon Burchard; Copyright © 2012 by The Burchard Group, LLC

**"Customer Service Skills for Success** " Robert W. Lucas (Fourth Edition); Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

**"Business Communication** " Harvard Business Essentials; Copyright © 2003 by Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation

**M.V.P.P**. Contact the Miami Valley Party Planners via interview with Stacy Fitch-Crites by author Sandra Wise 2013

**"Tragedy In Boston; What The Hell Was Epicurious Thinking** " Brad Phillips @MrMediaTraining; Copyright © 2013 www.MrMediaTraining.com

**"How To Make Millions With Your Ideas** " Dan S. Kennedy; Copyright © 1996

**Herbein Blog** Herbein+Company, Inc. Copyright © 2013; Fraud statistics and prevention

**"5 Ways To Stop Being Late** " Penelope Trunk Copyright © 2007 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com

**"Administrative Assistant's And Secretary's Handbook;** _Third Edition_ " James STroman, Kevin Wilson, Jennifer Wauson; Copyright © 2008

**"Wise-Thinking** " blog by writer Sandra Wise; Wise-Thinking © 2013 www.SandraWiseReporting.blogspot.com

**Quotes** provided by www.brainyquote.com

*~*~*~*~*

Acknowledgements

I'd like to personally thank everyone for their love, support and patience during the process of creating this book. First and foremost my children, whom I've learned so much from even as an adult. I could not imagine my life without you. Thank you for showing me the true meaning of happiness, love and inspiration.

To God whom I believe has guided me to where I am today. My best friend Christina Ball who inspired me when I was told I would never make a career of my work through writing and together with her husband, who both helped me during the darkest of times, gave my children and I another chance to create the life we have today. I'll never forget the moments of sitting at your kitchen table and the laughter we shared as we discussed my work.

Rob Scott (thank you 'Rober' for always having my back) and his loving family- his wonderful sister Trish who has became a sister like my own, his mom who's loving shoulders helped carry me through the stress and especially his beautiful daughter (whose love and encouragement is more than I could ever imagine) for their unconditional love and support during my controlled chaos of what I call work.

My dad, Tom Abrams, who without his guiding words and guidance of work ethic I would not be able to face my business efforts without the backbone he helped me get. My mom, Martha Wright, who has showed me unconditional love and went out of her way during my early school years to help make my writing dreams a reality.

My brother Rob Abrams who introduced me to the world of publication and helped remind me of what I was actually capable of doing as a writer.

To all of the business owners who have worked with me lending their expertise of their own professional struggles. I gratefully thank you for your time and wish you the absolute best in all of your success.

Will Kenderdine for his encouraging words during this process and help with the publicity. Most of all for encouraging my limits by donating a portion of the proceeds to charitable efforts.

The college professors and managers as well as my incredible downline of consultants in the past years who have challenged me and shown me I'm capable to excel limits I wasn't even aware existed. Especially Dr. Tom Marshall (Dean of Student Affairs CSCC) who broadened my leadership skills by guiding, encouraging and believing in me.

I'd like to personally thank Tanya Masse who through her business "Comic Strip Mama" has became a friend and mentor to me throughout this process. Because of her positive encouragement personally and professionally, she has helped keep my spark for success alive. Thanks Mama for all of your encouragement!

There is a group of Independent Consultants in the Miami Valley region of Ohio that I'd like to personally thank for their support in the community. Because of them, they have created a drive and inspiration that I had not seen so alive in that area. I'm proud that they are working so hard to continue to make my hometown great.

This group of Party Planners (Independent Business Owners) known as M.V.P.P. (Miami Valley Party Planners) have raised over $9,400.00 in the past 27 months to help members of the community in need. They are a prime example of how business owners all over the world can help make it a better place to live indeed. To find out how to contact this group or create a group similar in your own area, please contact Stacy Crites via her email at ycats25@yahoo.com.

Though there are many others that I could gladly put upon this list of graciousness, I will end it by saying thank you lastly to those who told me I could not do it. To those who left me during the hard times and used your harsh words of discouragement. It is because of you that I was pushed to limits that over exceeded any success I could begin to explain. Because of you I learned a new level of drive that I may not have explored if hadn't been for those of you who challenged me when you said that I would fail.

Thank You

*~*~*~*

Photo Credit Broad Spectrum Photography

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in Springfield, Ohio Sandra began freelance writing at age fifteen. In her writing career, she has published three short romance novels and the woman's guide to healthy habits, _Hello My Name Is Mommy Have You Seen My Mind_. Founder of the _Penny Pinchers Club_ on Cafemom.com as well as a Contributing writer of finance for Yahoo!, Inc. her work also includes freelance parenting advice for WordOfMom.com as well as popular Mommy Blogger of " _Mommy Writes Blogs_ " and " _Wise Thinking_ ". Sandra is currently studying for her Masters in Business and with her experience as a business owner has trained many entrepreneurs through business consulting strategies. Her previous work includes business consulting lectures through the Pecha Kucha Organization of Greater Dayton and Event Planning as Host for the first Annual Clothing and Toy Swap in the same region. She currently resides in the Miami Valley region of Ohio with her family.

For questions, comments, business consultation and/or to schedule other public relations and media dialogue, contact Sandra via WriterSandraWise@gmail.com or visit www.Wise-Thinking.com

