Women In Business-Why Everyone Deserves To Be "Coached" (Part 3 of 4)

Today, in part 3 of this series, I will give you pointed questions to ask prospective coaches and mentors. Tip: always listen to your gut!

Before you ask these questions and listen to their answers, keep in mind:

• It's not always the answer to the question which will help you make your decision. It's more about the manner in which they answer and how their answer makes you feel. Ask yourself: Are they on the same page with me? 
• Notice their tone and inflection. Are they reading from a script or do you hears words from their heart? Do you feel their passion about what they do?
• After a few minutes, take note if they are talking about themselves or the solution/answer to your issue? Are they answering the questions in my head? Does it sound feasible, or does it sound confusing?

Questions:

1. How is your style of coaching different from other coaches?
2. What benefits will I receive from you which I won't receive from other coaches?
3. How do you differentiate yourself from your competition?
4. How will we communicate?
5. How will we measure the success of our relationship?

Have fun with your conversations. Words should flow easily. The coach should make you feel like they are easy to talk to. Always listen to your gut!

Tomorrow, in part 4 of the series, I'm going to ask you who your secret coach might be.....

Thanks for joining me here and hope you enjoyed!

Donna Slater

Women4womenclub.US

Women In Business-Why Everyone Deserves To Be "Coached" (Part 2 of 4)

Welcome back. Yesterday in part 1 of this series, I described the experience of being coached and gave you 3 reasons why a coach adds more value than a friend or family member could possibly offer, consistently.

Though, let's be real. Finding the right coach can be challenging, and you have to kiss a lot of coaches before you find the right one. Bottom-line: you must feel a connection with your coach before you will ever believe anything they say; before you will trust their integrity; or before you will ever act on their suggestions or plans. 

A connection can come in many forms:

• a gut feeling
• intuition
• you both like the Dallas Cowboys
• ease of speaking with each other
• anything that tells you "I like this person"

The truth is there are no right or wrong answers. But, feeling that connection with anyone you work with is essential to the success of the relationship, and therefore, the success of the businesses. You cannot have a successful business relationship without a real connection between both parties. As a society, we know the phrase "relationship building" is utilized in sales organization's to seal a long-lasting business deal. But it doesn't just relate to a professional-client relationship. "Relationship Building" relates to all of our relationships, including B2B. 

Each and every small business owner deserves to be coached and expect a real connection with that coach or mentor. Do you need a coach? Will you allow yourself to be coached? Can you take the truth? If the person you engage with (as a coach or mentor) cannot evoke a feeling of calm with answers to those questions, he/she is not the right coach! 

Remember what I stated in part 1...The experience of being coached by somebody who has a vested interest in you, somebody you trust, and somebody who will except your vulnerability, will help you open doors in your life you hardly know exists. 

 

Tomorrow...part 3 of 4, I will give you specific questions to ask a potential coach/mentor and some insight into your "secret coach"!

Thanks for following...hope you enjoy!

Donna Slater

donnaslater@women4womenclub.us

Women In Business - Small Business Sales Tip: Seek and Focus On "Qualified" Prospects

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"The Persuasion Sales & Marketing Recipe" for Women In Business

Are you confused by all the types of marketing, such as content marketing, strategic marketing, tactical marketing, social media marketing, etc? Join the club and let me introduce you to yet another type of marketing....Persuasion Marketing!

The reason why "persuasion marketing" is important is because this recipe will enable you look your prospects in the eye or send an email, and compel them to stop what they are doing, and listen to or read what you have to say. You have approximately 6 seconds to not only gain their attention, but to keep their attention through the recipe process, as well.

Persuasion Marketing is simply organizing the buying and
selling processes so you can present compelling information
about your product or service that will persuade your prospects
to take a specific action....

• All marketing should inform and persuade your prospects
• Marketing is a science that follows a very simple equation:

• It MUST grab the reader’s attention
• It MUST facilitate the prospect’s information gathering & decision making process
• It MUST provide a specific, low risk, easy to take action that helps them make a good decision

The Persuasion Sales & Marketing Recipe is:

•  Interrupt
•  Engage
•  Educate
•  Offer

Interrupt, Engage, Educate, and Offer are the secret ingredients and must be processed in order and naturally. You Interrupt with your headline or bold statement to your prospect. You Engage them by what you say next or your sub-headline, which is playing off of your interrupt ingredient. You then Educate them with a solution or idea for an issue in their head. Finally, you give them an Offer they can't refuse.

Follow the Persuasion Marketing Recipe and you will see results!

Hope you enjoyed...comments are welcome.... donnaslater@women4womenclub.us

Women In Business-Ask for Referrals...It's Not That Hard!

Whenever a client or prospect says "thank you for all your work", most sales people say "my pleasure...blah blah blah". You can fill in anything with blah blah blah, but I will give you the correct  general response....you are very welcome...this is my passion and I love what I do....and, because you feel this way, can you give me three names of people you know who would appreciate the same client experience? At that point, you can add....my ideal client is just like you, with the same needs, (fill in the rest)....

This is not intended to encompass the entire conversation, but at this point, the client will feel compelled and obligated to give you 3 "qualified" names. One example of how to make them accountable is to ask for name, email and phone number by email introduction with their referral cc'd. Of course the client will probably ask permission of their friends or family they refer first, and they should ask permission of those people! Nobody wants to be blindsided and transparency is the best policy.

It's really that simple. While many in sales think this is awkward, remember... your client's expect you to ask for referrals, as they know this is a standard in business. Bottom line is if you were able to close the business, you should be courageous enough to ask for referrals. Need I say timing is everything???

Hope you enjoy my blogs...comments welcome...
donnaslater@women4womenclub.guru

Women In Business-Are We Ready To Take On Small Business As A Society?

Now is the time for women in business to excel and thrive in the small business world! We are poised to seriously move forward as a gender related society in small business. Women are everywhere, from politics to corporate leadership, but small business is where women have ample opportunity to excel and thrive now and into the next decade!

In my experience as a coach, I wonder if women are really ready to proceed as leaders in small business? I encounter resistance, insecurity, and passive characteristics with some clients and prospects. I feel they are almost ready, but not quite there yet. They have distrust for other people in small business, and wonder what's in it for them.

However, I also encounter women of great strength, courage, tenacity, and a feeling of indescribable unity (amongst all women in small business). Many women have identified the significance of their role and leadership in business, and I see the spirit of connectedness making a serious effort to advocate and advance women in all roles for the next few decades.

So, are we ready to take on small business as a society? Yes....and no is the correct answer. This is evolutionary, exciting, and scary. We are making progress and have ample opportunity for future market share, and the fear and anxiety we feel can only amplify our spirit to greatness.

Women in business.... let us seize the moment, unify in masses, and come forward to for all women everywhere, and for the strength of the women of the future!

Thanks and hope you enjoyed this message. Comments welcome. Contact me at   donnaslater@women4womenclub.us

Small Business Owners - "Outsourcing" vs. "Building A Team Of Professionals"

I am pretty sure we all agree small business owners need to outsource some of the skills and resources they don't possess themselves. Perhaps they don't have the time to complete all the tasks!

I see a trend of small business owners just hiring anyone who answers their call and reacts to their problem. As a coach, I see more "just call someone and fix the problem" than building a team of professionals (around you)  which you can count on and they will return your calls, share ideas with you, collaborate with you, and refer client's and other professionals to each other because you share a mutual trust and respect for each other.

My message is to build relationships with the professionals you work with, share the same values and goals, feel a connection, and create a working partnership, which is a win-win for all. More and more "accountability partners" come out of this relationship building.

The creation of a professional team evolves over the life of your business, creating a static environment of constant re-assessment and re-evaluation of your vision and mission statements.

If you want to take this further, you can create an "affiliate program" to pay and receive business and revenue, as a result of your outgoing referrals or referrals sent to you (by someone on your professional team). This subject is easier discussed over the phone or in person, than through a blog. 

Look for my article about this subject with more information and solutions in the next week.

Hope you enjoy my blogs and contact me with feedback:    donnaslater@women4womenclub.guru

Why Having A Sales Plan Is An Essential Component To Your Marketing Plan

Author: Donna Slater

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Women In Business - Join Me In "Living Outside The Box"

You know that old saying "think outside the box"? Seriously, can we let it go already? Not only are we thinking outside the box, we are "living outside the box". What does this mean? There is no box anymore....

As a business coach, what I experience a lot is small business owners acting as if they begin to "think outside the box" they are more intelligent than their competition, and create this huge edge in business. Memo to those business owners: NO, NO, NO.

Everyday your priorities should change from the prior day. Tip: Making a list and sticking to it is not going to align your activities with your sales, revenue, marketing plan, and sales objectives. However, making a list and always evolving that list every day can align with all your objectives, as long as you apply the correct strategies.

Now, if you're a small business owner and your priorities are not changing daily, I have to deduct your business is either not making enough money, failing, or pretty much gone. Tip: analyze what you do every day and if you're not generating 80% of your time to sales growth, revenue growth, and lead generation, then your priorities and activities need to be adjusted.

The good news is that is OK. You are a business owner and your business, your leadership, and your management will always evolve throughout your career. It never ends, just like your evolving priorities.

Success can be measured by those tiny, sometimes insignificant moments we perceive as nothing, if we allow ourselves to feel them...

Hope you enjoyed. Send comments, topics, and feedback to donnaslater@women4womenclub.guru

Why Having A Sales Plan Is An Essential Component To Your Marketing Plan In Small Business by Donna Slater

Why is it that people in small business do not generally create and implement a written "marketing plan"? And, why is it that people in small business also do not generally implement a "sales plan" to compliment the marketing plan? Even if your plan is in your head, how are you tracking your activities? These are questions I ponder as I talk with small business owners every day. If your perspective of what exactly a "marketing plan" is and the value which it brings to your business is not aligned, you should take a step back and re-visit your goals, vision, and mission statements.

Your marketing plan is optimal when you're tracking your sales activities, which tie back to your marketing plan and who your ideal client is, what they want, and how they want it! The main key is to utilize strategy marketing vs. tactical marketing. Knowing your client's hot buttons, accessibility needs, what they are thinking, and how you differ from the last coach they spoke to, will give you the leverage you need to find qualified clients. Try to enter the thought process going on in your client's head during their decision process.

A sales plan is absolutely necessary to supplement your marketing efforts and implementation. This will determine whether you run your business with a revenue or expense focus. The no-brainer is we all should absolutely focus on revenue. (Another day, we'll talk about the Pareto's 80/20 rule, which is very interesting when you break down your daily activities). If you are a visual person, mind mapping is an effective way to create your sales process. Creating a sales process, while it sounds administrative, is actually a sales tool, rather than something to be perceived as negative.

Reflect on the following questions as it relates to your sales and marketing plans simultaneously:
1. Do I have a written marketing plan and is it effectively aligned with the values of my mission and vision statements? Are my daily activities reflective of the actions needed to support my vision and mission statements?
2. Am I meeting my financial expectations? Is the business making money? Could I take on more clients? What do I need to do to increase business, sales, and revenue?
3. Do I have different methods that separate me, or a bold statement I can back up with action?
4. Do I have opportunity to raise prices based on demand, my competitors, and the marketplace?

The common thread with small business growth is a well-thought marketing and sales plan. Once you have these in place and implemented, your "ideal client" will be obvious to you and your prospects. This is when you define who your "qualified client" and focus on those prospects 80% of your time. You and your client will have a win-win experience.
Finally, the questions above create great discussion points in any coaching, consulting, or general business. Thank you.

I will give anyone who enjoys this, my first article, a Comprehensive Business Assessment ($1,000 valued) for free for the remainder of January.. Comments are also welcome. Email donnaslater@women4womenclub.guru, or fill in your contact information at http://www.women4womenclub.guru/contact Alternatively, give me a call at 925-822-8519 for a free consultation.