Are you spending more time trying to get new clients than actually working with them? If the answer is yes, then these three simple ideas will help you. First, have you ever asked for something and got something different to what you thought you*d asked for? Or have you ever thought you had asked for something and got a blank expression or worse... just got completely ignored? Or even worse, been half-way through telling someone what you do for a...more
It's that time of year again, when all Canadians rush to their mailboxes, their corner stores or their neighbor's houses to read the latest edition of Maclean's Magazine.For those who don't know it, Maclean's is the Canadian equivalent of Time or Newsweek, and the time of year is the annual Top 100 Employers report - the employers who issue more than just a paycheck (although right now a paycheck would be quite a treat!)Being the frugal shopper...more
I recently received an e-mail from an Internet marketing colleague. Actually, it was a series of e-mails. Everything started out pleasantly enough, he initially e-mailed me to tell me that he clicked on my ClickBank payment link and it wasn't working properly, which I appreciated and thanked him for. But it didn't end there. He immediately bombarded me with a slew of e-mails offering me various tips and suggestions. None of the suggestions were anything I hadn't heard before. I just purposely chose not to implement them into my business, for my own personal reasons. However, trying to be courteous to a fellow Internet marketing colleague, I told him that I would consider his suggestions. He immediately sent me another e-mail, offering me yet another suggestion. That's when I got pissed! Gathering my composure, I e-mailed him back and told him that I didn't necessarily agree with his business procedures, but I respected his right to run his business his way. I asked him to extend me the same courtesy. I guess I must have hurt his feelings, because I never heard back from him, which was actually pretty revealing in itself. But you know what, I couldn't care less. I never asked him...more
If you think you've seen and heard everything there is to say, The NEW Game of Business brings new distinctions and a fresh perspective to the world of business.This slim, easy-to-read soft cover book is so good that it should be required reading in business schools around the world. Every entrepreneur and every company employee, from the janitor...more
With the plethora of big-business entities jockeying for the money of students on the path to becoming well-to-do responsible consumers with a house, car, and 1.5 children, it's often missed that the US Government is the first place to start when planning student finances.Scholarships, traineeships, fellowships, loans: Uncle Sam is nothing if not...more
There are a great many books and web sites devoted to real estate investing out there, but most of them concentrate on one specific area of investing. It's often hard to find a general description of real estate investing, one that lists the various real estate investing strategies and how to get started. That's what this article will set out to do.Before beginning, you must understand that real estate investing is not a get rich quick scheme. Real estate investing can, and will, make you wealthy, but it certainly won't happen overnight and it will require work. As you perfect your technique and gain experience, the amount of work needed to gain a lot of money will reduce, but it will take effort and persistance to make it there.If you're completely new to real estate investing then the only sort of investing strategy you're likely aware of is rental properties. Landlording has been around since there have been houses and people to rent them to, and it will continue to be a wealth builder. In fact, most of the 'no money down' real estate strategies you hear about still include rentals as part of their plan. Still, there are other ways to make money from real estate investing...more
You need to determine what the value of a customer is to your company. Answer the following questions:How much will the average customer spend with you per year?A = _____________If you provide quality service and products, how many years can you...more
ReferralsA substantial part of your business can come from referrals. The key is to provide extraordinary customer service and educate your clients and influencers to this fact. You must actively cultivate referrals; otherwise you're just leaving it...more
Client satisfaction starts with meeting or beating the contractual obligations of the relationship. There are also some intangibles that can help you to over deliver to a client. MeetingsIn most organizations it's easy to deliver additional value...more
Most consultants I've talked to don't spend any time trying to recover inactive clients and it's a big mistake. We tend to magnify the problem we had or just want to move on, but sometimes a simple apology and offering to make things right will bring...more
There is a saying that goes, "The best offense is a great defense". Nowhere is that applied better in the corporate world than in the intelligent use of email. In this age of technology, E-mail is a multi-purpose tool that can be adapted into each...more
Good credit is everyone's dream. A wise use of credit can go a long way. It certainly makes certain goals in life (like acquiring business loan from bank) easily attainable.But the key question remains: "What does it take to achieve 'Triple A'...more