Strategies for Winning All the Business You Want.
The Archives
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04.04.123 Steps to Create a Memorable StoryWhat’s Your Story? Telling a story or vignette around what your firm does is often the best way to get someone to remember you and what you do. Storytelling is the art of conveying events that paint a picture in the listeners mind. In fact, if you really want someone to remember what you are saying - follow your lists of data, statistics and facts with a story that allows people to better connect with and recall the information. And, sharing a story about someone who used your services is much more powerful than trying to sell someone on what you do ...
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02.01.12What is Your Simple, Repeatable Statement of Value?The biggest mistake made in marketing — and a reason that success can be so elusive— is to not clearly explain who you are and what you offer. At a business function, when someone asks what you do, how do you answer? Many advisors simply say, “I’m a financial advisor.” Oftentimes, however, when that question is asked, because of misconceived perceptions about the industry, your black and white answer actually causes people to want to talk with you less! And we know this! For the past 12 months I have asked groups of financial advisors how they answer this question and ...
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09.14.11Disguising Networking as SellingHave you ever been asked to give up your client list, promote someone else’s product in your email newsletter, or introduce the latest strategy to those you come in contact with? Of course, no one would outwardly ask for these things – especially in the name of good networking, right? The truth is, I get asked for these things from networking contacts almost every day. And I have to say no. Since when did “networking” turn into convincing another person to sell your wares? It’s not even disguised well as networking. In the book The Connectors, I wrote about the research ...
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07.13.11Your Prospect is Not Paying Attention!Whose attention span is longer – yours or the person you’re talking to? Well, if you’re talking to a prospect about business matters, your attention span is probably considerably longer. With the endless amount of distractions, getting someone’s attention today is difficult. The danger is that this attention issue may drastically harm our ability to attract a prospect and ultimately close a sale. Attention span is defined as the amount of time that a person can concentrate on a task without becoming distracted or bored. The attention span today is shorter than ever- some experts say it is 17 seconds. Let’s ...
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12.01.10Holiday Parties Are a Great Time to … Network your way into a New Job or New Clients!Think like an introvert—if you have to go, have a plan. Social events can be nerve-racking. Concerns of who is going to be there, how many people you will know, and what should be said to them can run rampantly through your mind. But instead of succumbing to your clammy hands and being a wallflower all night, formulate a plan of action ahead of time that will help you make the most of every event. Doing so will ensure that you make all the right connections, and it will help to alleviate all ...
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11.30.10Networking Tips for the Holiday SeasonThe holiday season offers many networking opportunities for you to take advantage of. Maribeth shares 8 networking tips on Fox News Detroit to make the most of your next holiday party.
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09.29.10Guest Blog: Why Some Sales People Think LinkedIn Doesn’t Work For ThemGuest Blog from Jan Vermeiren, founder of Networking Coach LinkedIn is a very powerful tool that can support us when we want to get in touch with potential customers. However many sales people tell us LinkedIn doesn’t work for them. In this article we talk about the three most important misperceptions. 1. I have made a Profile, now potential customers will contact me one after the other. a. Though crafting a good Profile helps to be found by people who are looking for your expertise, products or services (via Linkedin or via Google or other search engines), this is not where the power of ...
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07.21.10Successful Marketing Strategies for The Job SeekersBlog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing I have several friends who recently found themselves in the market for a new job – and, fortunately, have successfully landed another job. Watching them through the process, I’ve concluded that finding a job in today’s job market can be like conquering a new frontier – and not just because the job market is flooded with stiff competition. The days of mailing in your resume and receiving a phone call to set up an interview are over. It’s actually very similar to the changes that have ...
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07.07.10Generic Answers Lead to Lost OpportunitiesBlog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing If you find yourself constantly resorting to generic answers when people ask you questions about yourself – it’s time to rethink your approach. We can so often drift through our day, not even seeing the opportunities in the conversations with others. From the simplest Hey, how are you? to the more complex questions you are asked throughout your work day - how often do you take time to answer the questions fully? Many try to get by answering in as few words as possible, but in ...
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03.31.10Messaging is Critical – How’s Yours?Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing When someone asks, “What do you do?” how valuable is your answer? A run of the mill, “I am a financial advisor” or “I run a consulting firm” response has the person who asked knowing almost less about you than before they asked. You gave them a phone book response. You were about as personable and memorable as a business directory. AND you’ve forced them to jump to a conclusion about what you said and what it means to them because you have given them so little valuable information about what you actually ...
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