One of the biggest dust bunnies I see in business is hanging onto prospects for too long. A lot of us HATE prospecting – you know who you are!

For a variety of reasons you have decided that prospecting is a horrible task, so you grudgingly find a few prospects or perhaps they stumble across you. However it happens, you hang onto those prospects forever, waiting for them to buy. Because as long as you are focused on waiting for an answer from them, you do not have to find other prospects. Because if you do, and they all buy from you, how will you ever manage all that new business? (I actually had a business owner say that to me.)

STOP! This is a deadly practice for many reasons. First, you look desperate for anyone who falls onto your plate, making your business look small. When you have to turn people away, you create an aura of having a large business, with the ability to select the cream of the crop clients. Second, to survive in business today, you must get rid of the clutter of old prospects who are hanging around tying up your time and energy. For every old one you hang onto, you are missing the opportunity to find a customer that is likely to buy from you. Show me a business owner who is not making money and I will show you someone who is doing very little prospecting. Act like a leader – dust off that prospect list – clean off those prospects who are dragging their feet on buying. Focus your time and energy on finding ones who will. That’s what business leaders do.

Ever been in the situation where you’ve called a sales prospect over and over with little or no response? We’ve all been there and we’ve impatiently written off the prospect as dead because we didn’t want to face another non responsive call.

Next time you are prospecting and this happens, think of this: its a well known fact that sales people give up on sales prospecting calls far too early. A few more calls and the sale is likely to be yours. Also consider the fact that being diligent in following up will prove your commitment to the sales process and gain respect from your prospective buyer.

With a little patience and perseverance that opportunity you are about to write off as dead could turn into a sale. Go dial that number, smile and think of the closing the deal. Here are some pointers that will help: 7 tips for turning cold calls into hot leads.

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., www.fmwalsh.com

Even with my Psych degree in hand, even I forgot what is probably the easiest way to realign yourself and channel your passion for business – take care of your basic needs! As women especially, we are so good at taking care of everyone else and ensuring that their needs are met. But, what about us? If you’re having trouble connecting with your enthusiastic, passionate self, ask yourself “am I taking care of my basic needs?” It may be a simple concept, but, don’t ignore it’s importance. It’s impossible for you to be passionate when you’re tired, or haven’t fueled your body with nutritious food, or are trying to buy the farm when you haven’t paid the heat bill in the house. Take a trip down memory lane and revisit Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to make sure you’re giving yourself the best chance to be passionate and if you’re not, do yourself a favour and get back to basics.

All the best,

Heather White, CEO, 2020 Communications Inc.

There is one definite inevitability in life and that is, of course, death. Not usually a topic that most people want to talk about or frankly think about, but, nevertheless something that we cannot escape. Personally, my consideration of the concept is something that has given me an incredible amount of strength thus far. Whenever I have a desire to do something there is the almost immediate reaction from my mind. Sometimes it tells me why I can’t do it, sometime why I shouldn’t, sometimes it just laughs at my plans. I’ve heard many theories about why this happens, why do we get in our own way, why would we stop ourselves from giving something a try? We shouldn’t! We have to go for it!

When I watched the below video I was further convinced. The man on the video has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only months to live. In this, his last lecture, he gives a moving, practical, matter of fact speech about how and why to live a life in pursuit of your dreams. There is no time to put things off – we have to pursue those things that we have a desire to!

A version of Randy Pausch’s last lecture as seen on Oprah

All the best,

Heather White, CEO, 2020 Communications Inc.

People! It’s a new year. Come on! Stop with the overworking. If you can’t get your work done during the workday, you are in the wrong job, the wrong market, or the wrong model.

It is unreasonable to work 45/60/80 hours a week. I know you think you have to and part of you might think that others will revel in your commitment. News flash. It isn’t impressive. It’s sad. It shows that you don’t have the systems, support, or know how to get things done. You work hard, not smart and that’s nothing to aspire for. Let me guess. You like to churn your own butter, sew your own clothes, and do your own woodwork. It doesn’t have to be hard!

If you are tired through the day, you are dragging ass, operating at 50% which means things will take you 2x as long as they would take if you were rested, clear, and sharp. Take some time, look at what you are doing, and think, “Am I working smart or hard.” If it’s the latter, there needs to be a change. Things will correct, but if you aren’t in control, you’ll have to live with the consequences.

Listen to your friend, virtual coach, designated A-Hole… take a good look at what you are doing and make the necessary adjustments. I know this post is a bit gruff, but sometimes it takes a snap for you to get the point. As one of my mentors used to say, “If you want a friend, buy a dog; if you want a guarantee, but a toaster!”

Cheers,

Chris.

www.GhostCEO.com

Don’t spend so much time multi-tasking. It is the path to insanity. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen clients worry about their kids while at work and worry about their business while with their kids. What’s the point? You can only focus on and control what you have right in front of you at that particular moment.

The most successful people I know are always in that moment. They are not reading email while having a phone conversation. They are paying attention to accomplishing their top priority at that very moment; only when they are finished that item, do they then move onto the next one.

This was a tough rule for me to master personally. I was often trying to get multiple things done at the same time and not doing many of them well or thoroughly. My so-called ‘efficiency’ was definitely not that efficient.

How did I break the habit? Using the Pomodoro Technique. This simple method has greatly increased my efficiency – I get way more done in an average day. Plus, by being in the moment I am less stressed. And at the end of day when work is done, my mind shuts off and I enjoy my free hours a lot more.

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., www.fmwalsh.com

Rarely in this society do we say thank you to people who do business with us. It’s very important as a small business to really focus on keeping your customers loyal to you. Do some personalized marketing on a consistent basis and I think you will be very surprised at the results! You need to stay in touch with your clients so they don’t forget you.

And I am not talking about some lame newsletter or bombarding them with Twitter messages about your products. I am talking about taking the time to do some personalized marketing, using the tools described below.

1. Send a card. Other than bills and junk mail, most of us rarely get mail anymore. Sending a hand-written thank you note makes a great impression. Or use a service like SendOutCards, that will mail cards in your handwriting on demand. It doesn’t cost a lot of time to make a big impact.

2. Make them feel special. I got an invite to a VIP event at one of my favorite clothing stores last week. Not only was the event invite only and included a hefty shopping discount, we were handed a gift bag at the door filled with gorgeous stuff – a total surprise! The event was a hit and I’ve been telling all my friends about the store. Make people feel special and you will get customers for life.

3. Practice random acts of surprise. Give customers unexpected gifts that are fun or whimsical. Don’t stick to branded calendars or pens or always sending coffee cards. One company gave me a funky stainless steel water bottle that I take everywhere with me. People always comment on it, and I tell them the name of the company – no branding needed on the bottle. Another sent a potted plant. Give people something tht they will enjoy – books, chocolates, funky shopping bags, gift cards to local businesses. These kind of random acts have huge impact on people.

As a small business owner, your biggest asset is your existing customer base. Research has shown that it costs seven times more to find new customers than to keep the existing ones. So why not shower your clients with kindness? Show them you appreciate their business? That’s the best way to build loyal customers and keep them coming back. You need to stay in touch so they don’t forget you.

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., www.fmwalsh.com

Do you find yourself procrastinating on your marketing and business development due to a lack of time? Does Friday roll around and you think “I’ll get to it next week”?

You are crazy if you are doing it all yourself or trying to. Successful businesses joint venture. And no – I am not talking about going out and looking for venture capital or an investor. I am talking about forming an alliance with another non-competing business that services the same type of customer as you. Come up with a joint marketing program that you can share the costs on. For example, a florist and event planner team up. The florist promotes the event planner’s services to their customers, even offers them preferred pricing; the event planner promotes the florist on their website and marketing brochures. It’s a win-win all around. You can do coupon offers, online contests, preferred pricing for customers, or anything your creative mind comes up with.

Share the cost, the stress and the creativity. It will pay off!

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., www.fmwalsh.com

Experience, hard word and talent are not enough to succeed in today’s workplace. You need to also focus on building a network that will bring you the success you want. Your career will likely span multiple jobs and fields and the best and fastest way to get where you want to be is having a network of people you can call on. Building an effective network takes time, planning and intention. Here are 5 rules that will help you out:

1. Talk to strangers. You never know who is standing behind you at Starbucks.
2. Build a network with intention; create a plan of the types of people you want to meet and work the plan.
3. Give as much as you get; don’t be stingy about looking for ways to help others out. This will repay itself many times over when you need a helping hand.
4. Reach out to people long before you need anything; do not be that person who only ever calls when they need something. That is not networking – that is using people and you will not be appreciated for it. Stay in touch regularly with the people in your network.
5. Ask for what you want, not what you think you can get. The simple act of asking will get you a lot more than you can ever imagine.

Remember: success does not come to those with a low tolerance for risk or those who are led by fear. Start talking to people – you will be surprised what you learn!

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., www.fmwalsh.com

Clients come to me because their sales are not where they would like them to be – they want to see higher revenues in their business. They want to attract new customers. And they want me to tell them how. My answer is always the same. How much networking do you do? What do you do on a regular basis to get in front of new prospects?

I did a seminar for a group of graphic designers who were all struggling to grow their businesses. The only networking they did was to attend graphic design conferences – where they met other graphic designers! Like most people, they hated networking.

To grow your business, you have to uncover new opportunities. How do you expect new customers to find you? Networking is one of the most effective ways to find them and to build visibility for your business. It offers you the chance to expand your network. Figure out places where your potential customers hang out, such as:

• Local chamber of commerce
• Industry organizations
• Business networking groups
• Rotary
• Conferences
• Toastmasters

Put together an interesting description of what you do that will encourage people to ask you questions. One businesswoman who is an executive management coach, describes herself as a “corporate instigator”. She leaves every event with 2-3 good contacts and her practice is booming – she even has a wait list for new clients.

Still hate networking? Get over it!

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., www.fmwalsh.com