Carol Bentley

In 1994 I worked with a savvy sales & marketing expert, Peter Thomson, who was a self-made millionaire. He gave me some sage advice:

“If you want people to recognise you as an expert in your field, you must write and publish a book!”

In those days getting a book published was no easy task. Finding a publisher who would take your work was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Self-publishing, called Vanity Press, was very expensive with the likelihood that none of your books would sell and you’d end up with a garage full of the thousand or so books you had to order.

I wrote hundreds of how-to manuals and programmes and created a number of tips booklets, but I didn’t go down the print publishing route.

Then in 2003 I got the exact same advice from another marketing expert, Paul Gorman.

But one thing Paul said - that turned out to be true - is that no matter how many business people learn about this powerful market positioning tool very few take action and actually do it.

And that included me for another 18 months or so.

Then in 2005 I decided to ‘buckle down’ and write my book and it was a lot easier than I had expected. Now you might be thinking, “Well it is going to be easier for you, after all you are a copywriter!”

True! But, amazingly it wasn’t my copywriting skills that came to the fore - it was my knowledge and passion about my subject. I wanted to share with other business people; to let them discover how they too could write their own effective marketing material.

The actual writing, not the editing or getting it published and out into the market place, took me a little over a week to achieve. Once I started it just poured out. And, as it did, I discovered a few tricks to writing a book that helped me enormously.

The book was finally published in November 2005. I still remember the elation of holding the first copy in my hands; the excitement of sharing it with family and business friends. And, even more, the thrill of seeing it listed on Amazon and receiving my first order from them.

Both Peter and Paul said a book is an amazingly effective marketing tool - and it is.

I’ve met people and gained new clients I would never have come across in a month of Sundays if they hadn’t bought my book. Some came through Amazon sales, others came through website sales, book store sales and joint venture sales.

Over the next month, amongst these daily blog posts, I’m going to share some of those writing, publishing and marketing insights with you.

So, sharpen your pencil, clear your mind and get ready to create your most powerful marketing tool. And I promise… I’ll help you make it as painless as possible.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: writing a book marketing insights ask the expert

Are schools and/or colleges in your target market? If so here’s some interesting news for you. But first let me tell you how I got to know about this…

For many years I’ve been on the mailing list for Hamilton House, who specialise in supplying mailing lists for companies selling into the education sector; schools and colleges.

A letter arrived to let me know that English schools have a sudden abundance of spending money available between now and March 2008. Why? Well it’s an interesting story…

In the past some schools have put money from their annual budget into a contingency fund (as anyone with an ounce of common sense would do!) But in 2006 the government moved to force schools to use up all their funding rather than allow this type of forethought.

Many schools didn’t manage to spend all their accumulated funds by April 5 2007; they still had funds from that year and the previous years.

In summer of 2007 the Dept for Children, Schools & Families announced that 95% of the money not spent in previous years had to be returned - even if it had since been used.  For example if the school had kept back £1000 from their 2005/6 budget and then spent it in May 2007 they still had to pay back £950!  This meant schools had to raid their 2007/8 budgets to pay back this money they had accrued and then used. This extra strain on their budget meant many schools stopped spending on anything apart from salaries.

A petition on the Number 10 website demanded that the policy be revoked. The government capitulated and reversed its policy. They told the schools they would get all their saved money back - BUT the refunded money must be used by April 2008. There will not be another reprieve.

Which means between now and 5 April 2008 an extra
£1 billion has to be spent on goods and services for the school

So, if your market includes schools, now is the time to nurture your relationships and help them make the right decisions for the school, children and parents.

If you want to check how Hamilton House can help you (no benefit to me if you do so) then pop over to www.educationmarketing.org.uk

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: education market business mailing lists

In my post Do people remember you? I promised another example of an elevator speech and powerful insights to making your elevator speech ‘hit the hot spot’- so here goes…

Have you ever been introduced to someone and when you ask what they do they’ve replied “Oh, I’m an accountant” or “I’m a solicitor/lawyer (attorney in the US)” or “I’m a financial adviser”. Ya-awn! Bo-oring!

Did you know there are different aspects to accountancy, finance and the law that can be quite fascinating? No, really! But only if they hit your hot-spot. Because when someone says ‘accountant’ or ‘financial adviser’ it is so-oo easy to assume we already know all there is to know, isn’t it?

But how about…

“Well, you know how some business owners are just too busy to keep an eye on the financial aspects of their business, which means they are often paying too much tax or worse, missing the danger signs of the business heading for insolvency, don’t you?”

“What I do is keep an eye on the business finance, save on taxes and provide timely management reports, which means the business owner can still keep their finger ‘on the profit pulse’ whilst driving their business growth.”

Don’t you think that sounds more interesting than “I’m an accountant”?

And once you’ve got your main ‘Elevator Speech’ sorted you can distil it down into a 1-liner like this!

“I stop companies over-paying on taxes!”

Developing Your Own Elevator Speech

Find the answers to these questions and you have the start of your elevator speech.

Step 1: What is the real problem you solve for people? If not a problem, how do you enhance their life or experience – home, personal, health, wealth or business?

If you’re not sure, ask your existing customers or clients what problem they were specifically looking to resolve when they purchased from you.

Step 2: What is the consequence of this problem or lack of something? Are they losing sales? Friends? Income? Home comforts? Experiencing embarrassment? Financial loss? Or loss of status? Again, ask your existing customers if you are not clear about the ‘which means…’

Step3: What do you supply (product or service) that addresses this need? How can you resolve their problem?

Step 4: What benefits do your customers enjoy? What are the consequences of taking advantage of what you offer? Are they happier, richer, healthier, more profitable or more productive?

Now hone the answers you’ve got into short, succinct statements and precede each with the template words:

Step 1 “You know how…
Step 2 “Which means …
Step 3 “Well, what I do is…
Step 4 “Which means …

Use the template I’ve created to help you formulate your introduction speech - if you provide solutions for different problems or situations, craft a different speech for each one. You can get your PDF template here.

Nuances to Consider

A few things to keep in mind;

1) Always say “You know how some people/companies/businesses…” Nobody likes to be told they’ve got it wrong.

You have to be subtle; saying some people or some companies implies it’s a problem other people or companies have – not you or the person you are speaking to. If he identifies with the situation you describe he can ask questions and if he doesn’t, you haven’t insulted him by implying he has that lack.

2) Being an observant sort of person, you probably noticed in the examples I included the words “don’t you?” at the end of the first ‘which means’, didn’t you? Including these words gets the other person nodding his head (or thinking “Yes”) in agreement with you. It involves him in what you are saying, starts to create rapport and opens him up for the ’solution’ you are about to describe.

3) Be specific wherever possible. If you can quote figures that catch people’s attention it makes your speech more memorable and people seek you out to learn more.

The figures you quote, which must be truthful because you may be asked to substantiate them, makes your speech far more credible and intriguing.

Develop and Practice

Work on the real solutions you offer, especially if you can identify something that is unique to you or your company. And use the speech whenever you can. At first you will feel awkward giving this little ’speech’. But after practising and saying it a few times it becomes more natural.

At this stage you might be tempted to change the wording. Apart from trimming it down to an impressive 1-liner, do be careful – the structure is important. You don’t want to lose the opportunity to intrigue new people you are introduced to, and gaining the possibility of expanding your business contacts and your profitability. Creating a very ‘woolly’ version of this powerful technique could decimate your opportunities.

In my next post I reveal Your Hidden Marketing Tool… until then keep working on your Elevator Speech and, if you would like to share yours, feel free using the comments link below… you never know someone who reads this blog might be looking for exactly what you offer!

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: marketing business tips copywriting networking

Are you memorable? When someone asks “What do you / your company do?” is your answer instantly forgettable? Or do you find their eyes start to glaze over as they switch off because they think they’ve heard it all before.

If so, then it may be an opportunity lost for you.

Imagine - what if you say something that makes them ask “Really? Tell me more…” now you have a great chance to shine and maybe forge new, profitable business relationships.

This is where having a powerful, succinct – perhaps even intriguing – elevator speech works magic for you.

The idea is very simple, but extremely effective. Use your copywriting skills to give yourself a powerful or intriguing introduction. Get people to ask for more information – rather than ‘switching off’.

The name; ‘Elevator Speech’ originates from the US and refers to the time it would take to ‘ride the elevator’ to the top of a high-rise building – about 30 seconds.

And that’s about the maximum amount of time you have to keep someone’s attention after they ask “What do you do?” (sometimes even less, but I’ll explain how to handle that in another post). If your answer is boring or long-winded he starts looking for a way to ‘escape’ from you.

There are many ‘elevator speech’ structures and theories around. I first came across this particular one at a Jay Abraham’s seminar in London in 1994. It was introduced by one of his co-presenters and the structure made it so easy for a beginner to use.

The ‘speech’ has 4 specific elements:

• “You know how…”
• “Which means …”
• “Well, what I do is…”
• “Which means …”

I thought this was such a brilliant way of introducing yourself I enthusiastically ‘spread the word’ amongst my own business colleagues.

And something suddenly struck me… an awful lot of them just ‘didn’t get it’.

Oh, they got the idea OK, and they seemed to understand the principle. But when they tried to put it into practice for themselves they either went on for too long (in some cases the lift could have gone up and down a dozen times before they finished!) or they missed the point of highlighting a serious problem and demonstrating a solution with a real benefit or an intriguing notion.

Let me tell you about one example…

I’d agreed to give a presentation on business networking with a good friend and business colleague of mine, who organises corporate events and exhibitions and offers training on how to get the most out of attending an exhibition.

Our presentation was at an important business meeting. Now, Chris is absolutely brilliant at networking, but he hadn’t come across the ‘Elevator Speech’ before. We decided it would be a good tool to share with the delegates and Chris agreed to write his own Elevator Speech as a demonstration.

This is what he came up with…

“You know how some business people attend exhibitions but don’t know how to work their stands”
“Which means they don’t get the business contacts they need”
“Well, what I do is train them how to work the stand properly”
“Which means they get new business from the exhibition”

Although this was OK; it does actually describe what Chris does for the exhibiting company, it is unlikely to hit any ‘hot buttons’ for anyone listening.

You see, the first statement “You know how…” must reveal a hot problem – whether real or perceived. Chris’ first attempt just didn’t state a problem people could identify with.

So what is the real problem businesses see in exhibiting?

Well, for smaller businesses there is a barrier to taking part in exhibitions (at least there is here in the UK, maybe elsewhere as well). Entrepreneurs and business owners find it difficult to justify spending the money and time on an exhibition.

And it is purely because they don’t have a clue of how to get the most out of it. Chris does – he and his associates have over 50 years of experience between them. So the ‘real’ problem here is not ‘how to work the stand‘ it’s ‘how to justify spending the money on an exhibition stand‘.

After talking it through, this is what we came up with:

“You know how some businesses regard exhibitions as a complete waste of time and effort because they never seem to get any extra business, which means they don’t exhibit and lose out on the opportunity to make a high number of business contacts in a comparatively short time, don’t you?”

“Well, what I do is train business people on how to prepare for the exhibition beforehand, how to work their stand on the day and follow-up afterwards, which means they maximise their opportunity to make good contacts in a focussed environment, know how to follow-up and get good sales results by exhibiting, making the exhibition a cost effective way of increasing business and profit.”

It needed more refining – but the perceived problem for prospective exhibitors had been established.

I’ll show you how to create your own elevator speech and give you some important insights on how to make yours even more powerful… plus you can download the template to help you create your money-making introduction. That’s all in tomorrow’s post.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business tips copywriting networking

This post is completely off-topic, but I felt it was so important I decided to add in an extra post so you don’t get caught by this telephone credit card scam.

It came to me from the Federation of Small Businesses (UK), of which I am a member. It was and experience reported to them by a local member. It is a very worrying telephone scam designed to get confidential information from you about your credit card. It may even be happening in other countries.

Here are the details - please pass this to your friends and colleagues:

“This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information, except the one piece they want. The callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it.

One of our employees was called on Wednesday from someone purporting to represent VISA, and I was called on Thursday from MasterCard.

The scam works like this:

Person calling says, “This is (name), and I’m calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460.

Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I’m calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing company based in London?”

When you say “No”, the caller continues with, “Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497, just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?”

You say “yes”. The caller continues - “I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA) and ask for Security.

You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. “Do you need me to read it again?”

Here’s the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says,

“I need to verify you are in possession of your card.”

He’ll ask you to “turn your card over and look for some numbers.” There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card.

These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he’ll say, “That is correct,

I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?” After you say, “No,” the caller then thanks you and states, “Don’t hesitate to call back if you do”, and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of £497.99 was charged to our card.

Long story - short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don’t give it to them. Instead, tell them you’ll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you’re receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you’ll see charges for purchases you didn’t make, and by then it’s almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a “Jason Richardson of MasterCard” with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn’t let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.”

You can read more about this type of scam at Urban Legends.

Have you received any calls like this?

As I said at the beginning - please pass it on. Thanks.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: scams credit card fraud business tips

I’ve just read a 93-page report that made absolute sense to me.

It’s a free report from a guy called Rich Schefren. Have you heard of him?

He’s coined the phrase Attention Age and in his new report explains how trying to get someone’s attention through the old ‘in-your-face’ sales and marketing methods is doomed in this high-tech, information overload age.

He says the most powerful marketing vehicle today is word-of-mouth; viral marketing. Specifically on the net through forums, blogs and social sites.

Giving information that people can use; sharing insights that help people before they’ve even spent a single penny with you is the most powerful marketing activity you can engage in.

Sound familiar?

He also warns about the power of these social sites and gives examples of how 3 different big corporate companies were brought to their knees by the ‘man in the street’. That’s worth the read in itself.

But trying to manipulate this type of marketing is a definite ‘No-No’. You have to be genuine in what you do and what you give.  And when you are the results can be mind-blowing.

Have I got you intrigued? If so, go get your own copy here:

Attention Age Doctrine Part 2 Released

Then come back and share your thoughts on the content.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: Inspirational Attention Age Rich Schefren Business Resources

In my last post I mentioned how negative self-talk can be a hugely demotivating activity. And it reminded me of what my good friend, Max Eames, said in his presentation at a seminar I attended the weekend before last;

“Failure is not the falling down, it’s the not getting back up!”

and that really sums up what business, and especially being an entrepreneur, is all about.

Having the confidence and self-belief to stick at it; as some people would see it, being pig-headed and stubborn about making your business work, is crucial to its success.

So - expanding on from that thought - do you think about what you could do? See the opportunities as they arise? Or do you say “that’s impossible - I can’t do that!”

Have you heard the phrase “You cannot conceive what you cannot achieve“? As Max, who is a psychotherapist explained, “You cannot dream of achievement without having the inherent ability to do it.”

Isn’t that a liberating thought?

Yes, we may have to study and work hard to reach that goal, but it’s not impossible for us because we came up with the idea in the first place.

(Having said that, there may be some practical restrictions - I don’t think dreaming of flying without a means of doing so - as in para-gliding - is counted as a possibility).

Keep your eyes open for the chances that are out there for you and your business and eliminate the negative thoughts that turn those golden opportunities into impossibilities.

Become a ‘possibility thinker’.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business tips inspirational copywriting

The lifeblood of many businesses is their satisfied customer base. These are the people who can act as ambassadors by recommending you to others.

Other people who can also refer you are the contacts in your business network circle. Which is why you attend business events; to meet new people.

So now, your network is growing. You know lots of different business people and you are getting to know what they can deliver. And, of course, they are getting to know you and what you offer.

But does everyone know everything about you and what your business provides? And do you know all there is to know about your contacts?

You need to know all this if you are going to seize every opportunity to build even stronger business relationships, which results in more sales…

Create Your Referral Matrix

The simplest way to keep an eye on what is developing is to create a Referral Matrix. The concept is very simple. The Referral Matrix gives you an ‘At-a-Glance’ picture of the progress of your business relationships.

Do this for your own contacts and services/products and another for your contact’s products.

Let’s start with your services and products:

1) Take a piece of paper.

2) Draw a grid shape. You need enough columns going across to list all your products and services in the top row; show one product/service at the top of each column, starting from the second column.

3) In the first column of the rows going down list your contacts or customers.

4) Choose 3 different, strong, colours. One represents ‘Told’, another for ‘Sold’ and the third for ‘Referred’

5) When you tell a contact about one of your products; you have supplied information so you know he is fully aware of it, mark the colour for ‘Told’ against that company in the column for the specific product/service you’ve explained. (I suggest filling in a third of the box).

6) When a contact has bought that product/service from you add the ‘Sold’ color – you now have two thirds of the box completed.

7) When a contact recommends your product / service to someone else; ‘refers you’, fill in the ‘Referred’ colour.

Some of the boxes may have the Told and Referred, but not the Sold colour.

Now you can see, at a glance, which of your contacts do not know about some of your products (in which case you can inform them) and, just as importantly, if they have been informed whether they have bought from you or referred you to someone else.

Create a similar chart for each of your ‘Hot’ business contacts – those you have a close working relationship with.

By doing this you take a pro-active stance to recommending their services to other people you know and you’ll know if they offer something you may need in the future.

Taking such a close interest in your business contacts helps you build strong relationships.

What’s more you gain a good reputation for being the ‘person who knows who to contact’ and your business networking circle grows.

A Free Gift For You…

This works really well on a spreadsheet, such as Excel, using the conditional formatting feature. I have created a spreadsheet with the chart set up ready to use.

In fact the file, which I call the Opportunity Matrices, contains 3 spreadsheets: 1 to use purely for referrals within your business contacts circle, another to use for checking what your current customers know about everything you offer and the third is a Price Research spreadsheet. Use the latter to compare your prices against your competitors - it is a useful tool when you are launching a new product or service or revising your pricing structure.

I’ve also written a PDF file that explains how I created the spreadsheets - so you can do the same if you wish - and describes how to use them.

Get your copy using the request below (free and with no obligation):

You will be asked to confirm your request - I have to do this to avoid spamming problems.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: selling techniques marketing business resources

Understanding the art of persuasion when you write your sales letter gives you an edge.

Understanding the art of reciprocity when interacting with people in your network of business contacts can bring great rewards - for both sides. (Check the content of the example letter I gifted you in yesterday’s post).

But it’s not just about understanding these principles, it’s about being genuine when you use them in your dealings with people.

And that’s a clear point Dr Robert Cialdini makes both in his book Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion and in his presentation on Power of Persuasion.

If you haven’t read his book I strongly recommend you get yourself a copy.

The ISBN numbers are:

• ISBN-10: 006124189X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061241895

It will help you write more powerful, compelling and persuasive letters.

And whilst you’re waiting for your book to arrive, take look at these video clips on YouTube showing Dr Cialdini’s presentation , during which he describes the 6 principles you should know about when marketing your business.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/2qx6jg

And don’t forget to come back and leave your comments on what he reveals and if you have any experiences supporting his research.

~ Carol Bentley

P.S. I snuck this post in because I felt it was important for you to see the video - especially following on from yesterday’s post. Refer, refer and be referred will be published tomorrow.

technorati tags: business tips copywriting persuading people to buy

You’ve had a successful business networking meeting. You’ve gathered dozens, maybe more, business cards. You remembered to make notes on the cards to remind you about the person you met. Now what?

In my early years in business I’d attend business meetings or events and happily gather up the business cards being handed out. When I got back to the office I’d follow up with a few people, who I’d spoken to specifically, but the rest of the cards were put to one side.

Because I went to so many gatherings I soon built up a huge pile of business cards - do you do that?

The problem was for the majority of them I hadn’t got a clue who had given it to me (the names didn’t really mean anything) or what the company did (I wasn’t very good at making notes on the cards then either ).

Sound familiar?

Follow-up is important and before you do that… it helps to get organised… and that’s what this technique helps with - I can’t remember who told me about it - but it works really well.

1) Sort through your cards and split into 3 distinct piles; Hot, Warm and Cold…

HOT: These are the people who you have arranged to contact, either because they want information from you or you have thought of someone you can put them in touch with or you need something from them. They are the people you are probably more keen to create a business relationship with.

WARM: These are the people who you believe you could do business with, either selling or purchasing, in the future. But you have no strong reason to contact them immediately.

COLD: These are the people who have no direct connection with what you offer; cannot provide a service or product you need and do not easily bring to mind anyone you could connect them with.

2) Take action with the cards you’ve sorted:

HOT: Contact each person and arrange to meet for coffee or a more formal meeting. Or drop in with the information he/she has requested from you. Or ask for the information you need from them. Remember, if you are supplying information personal delivery makes a good impression.

WARM: Write a letter or email to each person, reminding him/her where you met and what you talked about (actually what THEY talked about is better). Make sure your message talks about him/her and, if you do mention what you offer, make sure you write from their point of view and highlight the benefits your service or product provides.

Have a look at the example letter I give out when I’m speaking on this subject at a business event. Feel free to download it and adopt it for your business.

By the way - because everyone uses email these days, you really stand out if you send a personally written letter. Plus you don’t have to be concerned about whether or not your email will get through their spam filtering system.

COLD: There is no reason to keep these business cards – so discard them.

3) Keep a close eye on the progress you make with the contacts whose details you’ve decided to keep… create a chart that shows how you are developing the relationship. (See my next post: Refer, Refer and Be Referred)

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: networking business tips copywriting

How do you feel when you meet someone, perhaps a business person, who you’ve only seen once before at meeting… and they remember you AND your name?

It feels great doesn’t it? And, be honest, rather flattering too. And because of that you probably have more rapport with them.

Now let’s turn that around and say it’s you who always manages to remember people and their names. Do you think they just might be more interested in doing business with you? Or recommending you to their business colleagues who are looking for what you offer?

Here’s how to make remembering people easier…

When you are introduced to someone make sure you hear their name clearly.

• Repeat the name and ask if you’ve got it right.
• Check the spelling with them if it is unusual… they will be flattered that you consider them important enough to take the trouble.
• Repeat the name at least twice, silently in your mind, to give yourself a better chance of remembering it.
• Ask a question and listen

Listening is a Skill – Take Time to Develop It…

The challenge we all have is to silence or ignore our own thoughts. Especially whilst other people are talking.

How often have you drifted off in your mind whilst someone is talking?

Perhaps, like I used to be, you are guilty of finishing people’s sentences for them? It took me a while to stop that one, I can tell you! Especially with people who were more precise in their conversation and took their time to finish a sentence, it could be agonising for me.

Or if you don’t interrupt, perhaps you are busy thinking about what you are going to say just as soon as they stop to take a breath. Yep, been guilty of that too!

Guilty, that is, until I found this neat trick. Peter Thomson told me about it in the late 1990’s and it’s a real gem. He calls it Active Listening, which is a pretty good description.

It’s great for group meetings; presentations; 1-to-1 meetings; in fact any conversations at all.

Here’s what you do…

Repeat, internally, everything the other person is saying. I think you’ll be surprised at the unexpected benefit you get; here’s 7:

1. You don’t miss anything important that is being said.
2. You understand the communication better.
3. You give the impression of being very interested in what the other person has got to say (well, you are, aren’t you?)
4. Your reply, which you won’t be in a position to make until the other person finishes speaking, appears considered and relevant because of the slight pause.
5. Your reply is more appropriate because you have completely understood the previous part of the conversation.
6. You do not annoy the other person by interrupting them,and the biggest bonus…
7. You can recall the conversation and important details more clearly, when you need to, at a later date.

By the way, it is a good idea to practise this technique in private or with a group of friends or business colleagues before ‘going live’. The other person will find it a bit disconcerting if you stare at them with a glazed look in your eyes. And they certainly will not be flattered if you move your lips whilst repeating their words internally!

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business tips

Before I get into this morning’s post, I’d like to say ‘Happy Thanksgiving‘ to my visitors from the US. I hope it’s a good one for you and your family.

Moving on. . .

Do you attend business networking meetings? Yes? Why?

Most people, when asked that question, reply “To meet people I could possibly do business with.” And yet very often these business people don’t prepare before the meeting or make the most of the meeting itself.

Here are 8 rules for making connections at your business networking meetings…

Before the Meeting

1) Prepare before you attend. Is this the right meeting for you? Will the people attending be either your target prospects or target suppliers?

2) What’s your purpose in attending? Do you want to find 3 new business contacts you can nurture for sales? Or do you need a new supplier for a particular product or service?

3) If possible get an attendee list before the event.

4) Go through the list and mark the people or companies you are interested in, either as a prospect or supplier.

At The Meeting

5) Learn as much as you can about the people you meet (see the article “Creating Rapport with People You Meet”). Find out how you can help them to find prospects (you create a feeling of gratitude and they make more effort to find contacts for you). Ask “Who/what is your ideal customer?”

6) When meeting other business people ask yourself “Do I know anyone who would be a useful contact for this person, as a prospect or supplier?”

7) Introduce people you have met to others you know at the meeting. Make it easier for them to meet people they don’t know… again they appreciate you and warm towards you. And, of course, the other person also respects you for your consideration.

Collect the business cards of people who you want to create a relationship with; prospect or supplier. Make notes on the cards: the meeting or event name, date & venue, any comments the other person made that could be useful and, if it is not obvious on their card, what their business is.

Remember it is more important to collect cards rather than give yours out. When you collect cards you stay in control because you can make the next contact. If you give your card out, you have to wait for the other person to get in touch with you – and that may never happen.

(Some of these actions will be familiar to you if you read my earlier post - it’s the same advice I give to people who are new to business networking).

The next most important activity is what you do after the meeting. Ah, but that’s the subject of a future post.

I mentioned in Monday’s post that tomorrow this blog is exactly 1-month old. I also said there would be a gift for my regular readers.

Actually there are two!

Make sure you see tomorrow’s gifts post - the post notice will be sent out at about 10.00 a.m.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business networking business tips marketing

It would appear that we are not the only country where shops seem to stock Christmas goods earlier and earlier each year.

The post on a blog I visit regularly asked ‘How Soon Is Too Soon?’

Now as a copywriting and marketing expert I totally understand businesses wanting to make the most of a major holiday period like Christmas. And conversely I also join in the consumer irritation about Christmas promotions starting before the summer season is hardly finished. I suppose you could say I’m a bit contrary.

But the aweber post made a valid point about seeking a connection between your marketing and any celebration or anniversary. And an astute marketer looks for any opportunity to tie an event in with something he is offering.

So what event could you tie your promotional activity with - apart from the obvious ones like Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day etc.

What ideas can you come up with? Share your gems using the comments link below:

Here’s a few to get you started…

Product Anniversary.. celebrate the 1st anniversary of your product or service launch

Web Page Anniversary.. a good way of promoting your website - especially if you’ve had a makeover

It’s My Birthday - sharing useful information or giving a handy gift - I know that’s an obvious one

Chinese New Year - particularly good if you can tie the year into your product or service

I found some really strange celebration days for January 2008 on this website - give you any ideas you can use?

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: marketing copywriting business tips

Active business networking gets results for most types of businesses.

But when you are new to networking, either as a start-up business or as a responsibility in your new job, it can be very scary going to a meeting of business people. Here are 9 tips for networking newbies…

Make the meeting as easy as possible for yourself:

1) Contact the host or organiser, explain you are new to this and would like some help. Ask if you can have a copy of the attendee list BEFORE the meeting.

2) When you get the list, check if there is anyone on the list you know; or a business that your company deals with.

3) Then check who you would like to make contact with; who you would like to meet.

4) Arrange to be introduced: If you find someone (or a company) you know on the list, give him/her a call and ask if he knows the people you want to meet. If he does, ask if he would mind introducing you at the meeting. You now have someone you can talk to immediately you arrive (the person you’ve just called) and you have a goal to meet someone new, in a safe environment when you are introduced.

If you do not recognise any names on the list, call your host/organiser and ask if he/she would introduce you to the people you want to meet.

5) Arrive early. It is a lot easier to greet people as they arrive and have them join YOU, than it is to arrive later and then try to ‘break into’ conversations that have already started.

6) When you are introduced to someone make a point to remember his/her name.

7) Ask questions about him (or her); his interests; how long he’s been in that business; what’s his biggest challenge; what advice would he give to someone like you, who is new to networking (he’ll feel flattered you’ve asked). And actively listen to his answer (look out for the post: Networking Meetings - Creating Rapport with People You Meet in a couple of days).

When you are asked a question, such as “What do you do?” have a succinct, but preferably intriguing, answer. Don’t launch into a full presentation. (Look out for the post: Profitable Business Networking: Part 1 ‘The Power of The Elevator Speech’ and Profitable Business Networking: Part 2 ‘Creating Your Elevator Speech’).

9) Remember – networking is about creating relationships, so consider how you can help the people you meet – and that does not always mean by selling something to him (or her). Think about who you can introduce him to; people who need his services or products, or can supply something he has expressed an interest in that you are not able to supply.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business networking business tips marketing

In business you are personally at one of two levels:

1. You are well known within your industry, profession or generally. And your company is a household name. You need no introduction because people already know you by reputation. People such as Bill Gates and Richard Branson fall into this category.
2. You and your company are known by the people you deal with (suppliers and customers) and the people you target in your marketing (maybe). If you attend a business seminar or business networking meeting there is every chance you will meet people who don’t already know you and don’t know you by reputation.

If you fall into category 2 (as most business people do) then you owe it to yourself to know how to market yourself and your company as effectively as possible at meetings and events.

Meeting New Business Contacts

Business networking is a very popular way of spreading the word about what your business offers, finding new suppliers or even companies you can join forces with in your marketing campaigns. And, like any marketing activity, it needs to be properly planned if it is going to be effective.

Over the next few weeks, interspersed with other posts, I’m going to explore how to get the best results from these meetings and, if you are at all nervous, uncomfortable or just new to business networking, I’ll give you some tips on how to make it less daunting as well.

Here’s some of the posts you can look forward to:

• 9 tips to take the sting out of business networking meetings (specifically for newbies and people who are nervous).
• 8 rules for making business connections.
• Creating rapport with people you meet.
• You met new business people - now what? Getting organised.
• Refer, refer and be referred - the referral matrix - who warrants your valuable time?

These posts will include some useful tools to download, which I will be gifting to you, my blog reader. Make sure you don’t miss these posts because even if you are experienced at business networking there are some copywriting gems and other valuable insights you can apply.

Make sure you get the email announcements about these posts; pop your details in the boxes top right to subscribe.

And pass the word about this blog to your business contacts - they’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness.

This blog is one month old on Friday 23rd and I’m planning a special ‘Thank you for your support’ gift for you, as my regular blog reader - more details later in the week.

~ Carol Bentley

technorati tags: business networking business tips copywriting