Create for Cash Blog - Creative Marketing

A Solo Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Their Company Going After They Die

Guest Post by Alicia Lawrence

Death is the one thing we can count on in this life. We often push the thought aside to avoid depression. But in the case of a solo entrepreneur, death is something we have to be prepared for if we want our business to live on. While some entrepreneurs are fine with the thought of having their business die with them, others value all the time, sweat and tears they’ve poured into their work and hope it will sustain their family even after they are gone.

This is a guide for those solo entrepreneurs who hope to pass down their business to a family member or friend. One caveat before we begin: every business is different and, while entrepreneurs love doing things themselves, it’s worth your investment to have a lawyer or financial planner look over your business continuation plan to make sure you didn’t leave anything out. [Read more…] about A Solo Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Their Company Going After They Die

Exclusive Distributorship Agreement for New Products

Exclusive Distributorship Agreement

You’ve invented a product and now you’re ready to take it to market. But don’t jump into an exclusive distributorship agreement with the first person who shows interest in your product. There are a few things you need to know first.

Never Grant Exclusives Without Guarantees

The first thing everyone will ask when they approach you about selling your product is whether they can have an exclusive or not. I can’t really blame them for asking. Because if they are going to put a lot of time and money into your product, they want to know that they have an exclusive to sell it and keep competition away. [Read more…] about Exclusive Distributorship Agreement for New Products

4 Steps to Making an Idea Happen

I hear it from entrepreneurs every day. “I have a great idea!” You probably hear it a lot if you watch “Shark Tank”. Everyone with a great idea really believes in it. They think it can change the world, and maybe it can. But there’s a huge difference between having a great idea and actually making an idea happen.

Thomas Edison said “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”. I couldn’t agree more. I’m not saying that great ideas aren’t great. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Turning them into a valid product, service, or business that people will want to spend money for can be a Herculean task, especially if you don’t have money or the knowledge you need to see it through and get it on the market.

But that should never, ever stop you from following it through. Just know that you will have to put a certain amount of sweat, blood and tears into your new venture and be prepared for it. Here are 4 ways to make the journey a little bit easier: [Read more…] about 4 Steps to Making an Idea Happen

Why Promotional Products Are Better Than Advertising

Promotional products are things like hats, mugs, T-shirts, water bottles, pens and basically anything else that you can put a logo on. If you look around your office or home you will probably see many different promotional products lying around. This is one reason why promotional products are better than advertising… people actually keep them. They are usually useful and are things that you might buy anyway, like pens and mugs.

You control the process

Unlike advertising, you know exactly who got them and that the right people did indeed get them, because you control the process. An ad might not always get to the audience you’re targeting. With promotional items you can give them exactly what they are looking for, and since they want the product anyway, they will be much more likely to keep it around. [Read more…] about Why Promotional Products Are Better Than Advertising

Learn From the Mistakes of Others

I often wonder who the first food tasters were and how they knew what was poisonous and what wasn’t. Maybe this is why there are so few real innovators because being the first to do something can be scary and sometimes dangerous. We like to know that someone else has been through the trial and error first before we decide to jump in.

Learn from the mistakes of others

I was in the grocery store today looking up at the eggs on the shelf and a woman leaned over and said “Be careful”. She pointed at the ground to a pile of egg yolks with a big footprint in it. “I learned the hard way”, she said, “I almost slipped and broke my neck”.

The first thing I thought was what a tragedy it would be to break your neck on a pile of egg yolks in the grocery store. Not skiing the Alps or drag racing at 150 miles an hour, but in the egg aisle at Ralph’s. [Read more…] about Learn From the Mistakes of Others

How to Sell Over the Phone

I made a call to a company today to find out about their legal services. The guy on the phone used the word “like” every few seconds. This made him sound unprofessional, and made me uncomfortable having him handle any legal issues. I would feel equally uncomfortable with a doctor who talked that way, but it really goes for anyone in a business position.

This got me thinking about how people can make slight changes in their voice and etiquette that will help them sell more over the phone. Eliminate the word “like” – We all like to be liked on Facebook, but like, the word is like, totally overused. Nothing screams being unprofessional more than overusing that word. Like anything (used correctly here), you can break yourself of the “like” habit. The next time you start to say the word, pause briefly and continue. The more you practice not using it, the easier it will get. Practice not using it at all and you will eventually become more articulate.

Here are some tips to help you sell over the phone successfully:

Prepare and research

Before you sell over the phone, gather information about your potential customers, their needs, and their pain points. This will help you tailor your pitch and demonstrate how your product or service can solve their problems.

Know your subject inside and out. If you’re pitching a product or service, focus on the benefits. Try to use an example from another client and how they benefitted from your offer

Plan your approach

Outline your key talking points and objectives for the call. Know what you want to achieve, whether it’s scheduling a meeting, making a sale, or arranging a product demonstration.

Develop a script

While you don’t want to sound overly scripted, having a rough outline or script can help you stay focused and ensure you cover all the important points. Practice it to sound natural and engaging.

Start with a strong introduction

Grab the prospect’s attention right from the beginning. State your name, the purpose of the call, and mention a common connection or a benefit they might be interested in. Be enthusiastic – If you don’t love your product or service, nobody else will either. This should come through in your voice and sound authentic. If you have passion for your product you will automatically have natural energy.

A good storyteller will vary the pace and pitch. You should do the same. After all, you’re telling the story of your company.

Use humor

Humor alone won’t make the sale, but you’ll have a much better shot if you can make the person laugh. Build rapport. Establish a friendly and professional rapport with the prospect by using active listening and empathetic responses. Ask open-ended questions to encourage them to talk and share their needs.

Highlight the benefits

Clearly articulate the benefits of your product or service and how it addresses the prospect’s pain points. Focus on the value they will receive by choosing your offering.

Be confident

If you really believe in your product you will know that you’re giving the person on the phone a great opportunity to be involved with it. You’re doing them a favor by letting them in on the secret.

Overcome objections

Be prepared to handle objections by anticipating common concerns and providing compelling responses. Address their specific objections without being defensive and offer solutions.

Create urgency

Urgency can help motivate prospects to take action. Use limited-time offers, special discounts, or incentives to create a sense of urgency and encourage a quick decision.

Close the sale

Once you’ve addressed the prospect’s concerns and built value, ask for the sale directly. Clearly state the next steps and guide them through the process.

Follow up

If the prospect is not ready to make a decision, schedule a follow-up call or send additional information as agreed. Persistence and consistent follow-up can often lead to successful sales.

Remember to maintain a positive attitude, be confident, and genuinely focus on helping the prospect. Developing good phone etiquette and active listening skills will also contribute to your success. Practice and refine your approach over time to improve your selling skills. Selling over the phone is the next best thing to selling in person. Use the same techniques you would use if you were face to face and it will come across on the phone. Most of all, have fun!

In Sales, No Means Maybe

I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve actually grown to love cold calling. And I don’t mind the rejection in sales. I like that it’s active, not passive. And it’s infinitely fascinating to deal with human nature on such a personal level that you’ll never be able to get from an email. That’s not to say that everyone is nice or that everyone says yes. In fact, most people say maybe. And even when they say no, many are still saying maybe. At least that’s what I’ve learned in the past couple of weeks.

I sell everything from products to services and talk to a wide variety of people. Meeting planners, small business owners, mom bloggers, promotional products distributors, retailers, wholesalers, etc. I talk to people from all over the world in countries I never even knew existed.

If I contact someone and they flat out say no to me, I cross most of them off my list. So imagine my surprise this week when I was contacted by two companies that said no before. I had to go back and check my records just to make sure. Yep, great big X across the page. (yes, I still write things out by hand) It wasn’t a casual no, but more of a “hell, no” Not interested, no way, no how. These were calls that were completely out of the blue. This time it was a bending over backwards to please kind of call. Okay, I’m stumped. Pleased, but stumped. [Read more…] about In Sales, No Means Maybe

Are You Really Listening to Your Customers?

When you travel you get the best chance to observe good customer service firsthand. A hotel is your home away from home, and you have many places to choose from. It’s the customer service that makes the difference between a great experience or a lousy one. So, on my recent trip to NY I got to see some of both.

Listening to your customers

I got to the hotel quite late and was just ready to get to sleep. I quickly found out that the heat had two settings, boiling hot or freezing cold. There was a draft so bad it blew the curtains. And the heating system was so noisy I couldn’t even hear the TV. When I checked in, the only thing I asked for was a quiet room with temperature control. I didn’t care if it was the size of a closet with no frills.

An employee came up to see if he could fix the heat and said he would have to call the maintenance guy in the morning. Really? So, I would have to freeze all night? They offered me a free breakfast and a foot rub to make up for it. Okay, so they didn’t offer a foot rub, but a free breakfast wouldn’t save me from hyperthermia and lack of sleep. They finally moved me to a bigger room which was slightly better, but still very noisy. The whole time I was there I felt like I was talking to a brick wall. No warmth or friendliness. And they definitely weren’t listening. I couldn’t help thinking that the place could have been run better by robots. [Read more…] about Are You Really Listening to Your Customers?

Are You Romancing Your Joint Venture Partners?

Valentine’s Day had me thinking about relationships of all kinds. Not just significant other, but friends, family, and business relationships. Which brings me to this question “Are you romancing your joint venture partners?” A joint venture is one of the best things you can do to increase your business. It’s a synergy between two or more entities where you share costs, risks, and rewards. It’s a way to acquire skills, new customers, and new markets quickly.

But, just like your relationships with significant others, you need to romance your joint venture partners. Always think about what you have to offer and how you can help the other person. A joint venture arrangement has to be a win-win for all parties involved for it to work. Partner with people who have as much to offer as you do and then make it worthwhile for them to want to work with you.

A good place to start is with people you already know. And if you don’t know them, follow them and get to know them. You don’t want to get into a partnership with someone who expects you to do all of the work and doesn’t offer anything in return. Just like in your personal life, that gets old quick. Do your homework and learn how the other person operates. I watch people to see how quickly they expand their business and whether they are going to stick with it or not. I like to know that the other person is going to work just as hard as I do. [Read more…] about Are You Romancing Your Joint Venture Partners?