4 Ways to Promote your Personal Brand

1. Be Positive
2. Network. Network. Network.
3. Give. Give. Give.
4. Follow-Up

5 Keys to Finding a Job

I have talked to several people over the past few months that are in the unfortunate position of job searching. I am fortunate enough to be an entrepreneur and own my own business, so I don't have to worry about layoffs, cutbacks, or "fat trimming". I do know that if I was looking for work, I would apply to 5 Keys below. One thing I have noticed is that there are tons of jobs out there, but people just aren't looking hard enough and aren't looking in the right places. My degree (or piece of paper) says that I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce & Business Administration from the University of Alabama. More specifically, small company management. However, like I stated above, it's just a piece of paper. Going back to school for higher education is great and grand, but if you think that it's going to magically get you a high paying job, you are wrong. Job searching to me is about getting connected. Instead of thumbing the Classified ads or searching the internet for companies who are hiring, get out and meet people. Let the people in your networking contact sphere know you are looking. A personal introduction to someone is a lot better than calling and asking if you can drop a resume off and then hoping for an interview. I know people who have gotten jobs at companies that aren't even hiring, but the company was so impressed with the person and had a personal recommendation from a friend, that they gave them a chance. Once you're in the door, blow them away. Be self educated. Teach yourself new skills.

5 Keys to Finding a Job

1. Don't do the basic bulleted resume. That's boring and gets lost in the pile of others. A good friend of mine owns a company that does Video Resume's. His clients really stand out when they send a video resume before the interview instead of the basic Word document or fax cover sheet. Check him out: My OVR

2. Go to every networking event in your area. Attend local BNI meetings. Get connected with people and let them know you are looking. Don't be afraid to ask people to help you. If you have 20 people who trust you and are willing to drop your name, you'll be much more likely to land something big.

3. Get some part-time work. As much as it sucks, if you are in between jobs, go get a part-time job at Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, etc. The company you are interviewing with will respect the fact that you are proactive and continuing to work while looking for more "permanent" work. Plus it helps pay the bills while you are in transition.

4. Self Educate. Read books, lots of them. I love anything on entrepreneurship, marketing, and networking. Whatever your interests are of the field you are trying to get into, learn more about it. Read trade magazines and journals about that industry so you are up to date with trends and news.

5. Don't participate in the negativity or the recession. Just because the news and everyone around you says the economy sucks and the world is coming to an end doesn't mean it's true. Always have a positive attitude and be proactive and you'll rise to the top.

Are You Part of the 20% or 80%?

If you know me, you know I love reading business related books. I try to read about 30 minutes every night before I go to bed. This is the time that I "unwind" and reflect on the day that was and the day to come tomorrow. I am currently reading "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. So far this is a terrific book and I would highly recommend it to anyone in marketing or if you have an entrepreneurial mind. One key idea that jumped out at me last night was this:

**20% of people do 80% of the work

-This can be related to your business, your social circle, or anything else. This is very similar to the 80/20 rule of business. (20% of your clients/customers create 80% of your revenue stream).

-The example in the book is about word-of-mouth referrals for a restaurant. A daughter takes her dad to one of her favorite restaurants. The dad loves it so much he comes home and sends out a mass fax to all of his close friends telling them about the restaurant and that they need to go eat there. The dad would be the 20%. The other people would be the ones that casually mention the restaurant name to a friend or possibly pick up the phone and call a few friends. The dad is the one that took word-of-mouth referrals to the next level. He went above and beyond the norm because he really liked the restaurant and wanted to let everyone in his contact sphere know about it.

**So my question is, are you part of the 20% doing the work and really spreading word-of-mouth or are you part of the 80% casually passing information along to a few people?

5 Blogging Tips

I just started blogging a few months ago and would still consider myself new to the blogging world compared to most. I am in the process of having a custom layout created for a new WordPress blog that will be anchored at www.treyschaefer.com so be sure to keep an eye out for that in the near future.

I was always terrible in English class and would not consider myself a very good writer. However, blogging to me isn't about being a good writer or having proper English and proper grammar. The main thing is to get your point across if you have one, make it easy to read, and add some value to your readers. I have compiled a list of 5 things you can do to create a great blog that will really turn heads:

1. This is the obvious one, blog on a topic you are knowledgeable in as well as passionate about.

2. Be consistent, but don't overdo it. You don't have to update every single day, but going months at a time without posted a new update will keep people away.

3. Add some video. This is an area I plan on doing a lot more of on my new blog. Video helps people get to know you better by seeing the real you as well as your personality.

4. Keep your posts to a few paragraphs. Nobody has time to read a 3 page blog post.

5. I highlighted this one because it is the most important thing you can do. It's fine to send out a link of your new post on Twitter and Facebook, but don't overkill it. If you are constantly trying to sell yourself and your blog, it will turn people off. The most important thing you can do is read other blogs. Search topics that you are interested in, read those blogs, and post comments. When you post comments on someone else's blog it shows that you are interested and that you care enough to take the time to read their posts. Most of the time if you post on someone's blog they will then read your blog, Retweet your comments on Twitter, and so on.

Nobody is perfect so don't worry about it, just get started. The main thing I learned in my first video is that I kept watching it and thinking I sounded stupid, or didn't sound good, or whatever. It doesn't matter, just get your info out there for others to see. If it adds value and is relevant others will comment and that's how Social Relationships form.

What Is Your Passion?

This past weekend I was able to attend a men's retreat that our church put on. The speaker for the weekend was Tom Davis (@cthomasdavis & http://www.cthomasdavis.com). Tom is the President of Children's HopeChest and has done some amazing things around the world. You can check out his website above to learn in more detail about Tom and what his passion is and what Children's HopeChest does.

I have always had a passion for 2 things. One is helping out with younger kids. Whether this is helping out at church with the youth through camps and volunteer work, or working with vacation bible schools to teach kids new games and just spend quality time with them. My other passion is business. I have recently become very passionate about helping others, especially young entrepreneurs. I absolutely love working with young guys like myself that have a passion for business but are just looking for a little advice, or a little boost of encouragement.

Whatever your passion is, do it, and do it 110%! I would encourage you to post comments below about what you are passionate about a link to your blog or your website.

Pizza Store Utilizes Magnets for Great Results

Marketing with Magnets

To All Business Owners - A Letter from the Boss

If you haven't read this, it's a great read. It came across my email today and just had to share. It's a little long but well worth the read. Leave comments and let me know what you think, but I completely agree with this letter:

To All My Valued Employees, 
 


There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. 
 
However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests. 
 
First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last year’s Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. 
 
However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY: 
 
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. 
 
My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. 
 
 Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had. 
 
So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made. 
 
Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for. 
 
Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. 
 
Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why: 
 
I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero.. Nada. Zilch. 
 
The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country. 
 
The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy. 
 
Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now. 
 
When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. 
 
So where am I going with all this? 
 
It's quite simple. 
 
If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem anymore. 
 
Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship. 
 
So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about.... 



Signed,

THE BOSS

The New Facebook

I just don't get it. Why in the world does Facebook want to change things up when they have a good thing going? I got on Facebook back in '04 before it was the cool thing to do. Since then they have changed their site up so many times I can't even count. I know, I know, they are just trying to customize their site and translate what they believe their subscribers want, but I think they missed it on this one. I just joined Twitter in January. Until then I knew little about it. After about a month on Twitter I loved it and began using it more than Facebook. But the thing is this, I use the 2 sites for 2 completely different things. Facebook is what I use to stay in contact with friends and people I actually know. I use Twitter to build relationships with people I may not know or ever even meet, but that have common interests with me.

With the new Facebook update, they are trying to take what Twitter has and become the dominant social networking site. I get what they are trying to do, but not everyone on Facebook has a Twitter account. So why throw this new monster at them, especially the new users that are still getting used to using Facebook. Either way, I will now use Facebook even less after the change of their site. I prefer Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and information as well as conversing with others.

Facebook, please do us all a favor and go back to your old ways. It worked. Why change a good thing?

How Much Are You Spending on Traditional Advertising?

Times they are a changin'. In the old days, traditional media like TV, print, radio, and billboard advertising were the norm. Promotional products were simply known as the cheap giveaways or the lesser term, "trinkets & trash". I have seen over the past year, especially with the state of the economy where it is, that this norm is shifting dramatically.

By using one of the traditional avenues of advertising it is like using a shotgun approach with buckshot. You shoot at a target and your message is spread across a wide audience and not really focused at any one particular place. That is why this form of media is called "broadcasting", it is broad.

When advertising with promotional products it is like using a sniper rifle instead of a shotgun. You figure out what your target market is and you shoot directly at them. This is the main reason that promotional products are one of the only mediums of advertising that can guarantee ROI (Return on Investment).

Let's take an example of a mid-sized company that is spending $100,000 on print media per year. They have a newspaper campaign as well as advertisements on a few billboards around town. Now when I go in and ask them what their ROI is on that $100,000 spent, 9 times out of 10 they cannot give me a solid figure. Most of the time they look at me and have that "aha" moment where they realize they are just throwing money out the window.

I would challenge that same company to spend $100,000 on promotional products directed towards their specific target market. Not only can we come up with a promotional campaign and plan that is specific, but we can guarantee ROI.

How is that possible you might ask? Well, let's say that the customer knows their target audience enjoys outdoor activities such as golf. We can do a few very nice products such as a divot tool, sleeve of golf balls, and hat with that customers logo on it, and mail it directly to their target audience. By using FedEx and UPS to ship these items out the recipient must sign for them, which ensures that they received the products. Now that's marketing power, when you can guarantee that a prospect is receiving your marketing piece.

This is just 1 example of advertising and getting ROI with your marketing campaign. For more great product ideas check out our website at Art Promotional Services.

Here are a few questions to ask about measuring ROI:

1. What problems do you face when marketing to your current customers/prospects?

2. What is your desired outcome of the marketing campaign or promotion?

3. What is the objective of this campaign?

4. What are you willing to spend to make the problem in question 1 go away?

5. What are you willing to spend for every extra $5,000 earned?

6. What is the action that you want your recipients to take once they receive your product? (There must be an action for this to work)

7. If there a theme that needs to be reinforced? (eco-friendly company, customer service, etc.)

8. Who is your target audience? (If you don't know you need to find out and specifically target them.)

9. Will you need different products for different audiences you are targetings? Different price points, etc.

Printing is Alive

Yet another all-time favorite. I also work with a lot of commercial printers and grew up around them so this video hits close to home. All the little comments and examples make perfect sense. Check it out and get a good laugh. And don't forget to do your printing exercises today!

Redesigning the Stop Sign

This video has made the rounds by now, but it is still one of my all-time favorite parodies. I work with a lot of ad agencies and this is exactly how the majority of them do business (no offense if you are an ad agency, but it's the truth). Check it out, get a good laugh, and let me know if you agree.

3 Things to Make You an Expert in Your Industry

People love to buy, but hate to be sold to. For this very reason, when your customer is ready to buy, you better know what the heck you are talking about. This is why you need to be an expert in your industry or field. If someone calls me up and asks me the difference between an organic t-shirt vs. a regular t-shirt, and I sit there looking clueless, more than likely they are going to my competitor to buy. Here then are 3 things that I think make you an expert in your field and a little explanation about each:

1.) Be knowledgeable on current industry trends and what's "in".

- Do you attend trade-shows on a yearly basis to stay up to speed?

- Do you read trade magazine and journals to know current trends?

2.) If there is higher education or certification available, set a goal and obtain it.

- Pretty much summed up that if you can get letters after your name in your industry, go get it. Whether it's a Professional Organizer becoming a Certified Professional Organizer® or in my case, currently striving to get my CAS then my MAS, (Certified Ad Specialist / Master Ad Specialist).

3.) Charge what you think you time is worth.

- If you are marketing and basing your business model on being the cheapest or least expensive in your industry, that isn't a good thing in the long run. It may get you that "one-time" transaction, but I am personally looking for that "long-term" relationship with my customers, and not a transaction.

- Sit back and think about what an hour of your time is worth. Me personally, an hour of my time is worth about $100. It's okay to turn customers away if they are leeching and stealing all your time. (This is a whole different blog topic I'll tackle at a later date.)

The Big Three in Detroit (Incompetence at it's Best)

I'm a big fan of Rich Dad (Robert Kiyosaki). If you haven't read his books, you need to get to the bookstore right away and get reading. Rich Dad writes the straight+talk column in Entrepreneur Magazine as well. As I was flipping through my new March 2009 issue, I came across his article, which is normally one of the first ones I read in the magazine. This month he truly hit the nail on the head. I got so fired up after reading his article I was thinking, why doesn't everyone think like this, especially people in Washington (or Detroit for that matter)? I'm not going to summarize the entire article, just the biggest thing that jumped out at me:
1. Leaders should be on the same compensation plan as the sales staff.
-Rich Dad goes on to say that if only the Detroit leaders were paid for the number of cars they sold, then they might be better businesspeople. He talks about how they all have their private jets, huge benefits, luxury outings, etc., all of which are not related to the sales or company health. The main point here that I love is...If my company is not profitable, I should not get paid! Period, end of story.
So why is it that the Big Three are losing so much money but they keep getting bailed out? Are we in a socialist society where the government should come to the rescue of every business that has made stupid business decisions? One more thing..why are we still seeing auto commercials all over TV? These cost lots of money, so is the government bailout money going to more advertising that obviously isn't doing crap?
When it all comes down to it, let them fail. Big corporate CEO's have a responsiblity, and it isn't to just sit back and wait for the government to help them. They have to have an entrepreneurial mindset to be cutting edge, ahead of their competition, finding out today what the consumer will want 2-3 years from now so they can start developing it (it's called R&D). These aren't difficult things to do, but for some of the incompetant it is very difficult.

Facebook vs. Twitter

I was fortunate to be one of the first waves of Facebook when it first came out. I was sort of in the middle, not ever having a MySpace page, but hearing about Facebook and starting a profile. This was back in '04/'05 and I remember in college being in a bar and hearing people talk about Facebook. It was wild. You couldn't go anywhere without someone talking to you about Facebook. Don't get me wrong, I love Facebook, but when I recently discovered Twitter and started posting, I didn't see how anyone was comparing the 2 avenues of social media. Now that I have been Twittering for a few weeks I have realized the benefits of it. Let's take a look at a few of the main points I think are important about each and what I personally use them for:

Facebook
1. See what's going on in people's lives that you either haven't seen or talked to in awhile. You're able to do this passively by checking out their Profile. (This is also known as "Facebook Stalking", but I wouldn't go to the extreme of saying I "stalk" on Facebook). It's just good to see what folks are up that you haven't seen since high school or in years.
2. Get the word out about events. I like how you can set up an event and invite all your friends. This is the easiest way to send out to a mass list of people without taking the time to find email addresses and such.
3. Facebook has some good advertising tools that are very niched.

Twitter
1. Get great advice on business and life from a variety of people from all over the world.
2. Become friends with people who share common interests and "tweet" back and forth about current events and subjects.
3. It's much more involved. I might not check my profile on Facebook for days at a time, but sometimes I feel like if I don't have TweetDeck in the background of my computer I might miss something. (Much more addictive than Facebook).

This being said, I have found myself the past few weeks forgetting to check my Facebook profile and messages daily like I used to, because I am more involved in conversations on Twitter. There are a ton of great people on Twitter that offer some great insight can really help you out.

What is your opinion? Do you prefer Twitter or Facebook? Do you like one for personal use and one for business use? Do share, I look forward to hearing everyone's responses.

BNI

I've been a member of Magic City BNI in Birmingham, AL for close to 4 years now. It is without a doubt one of the greatest advertising and marketing tools for my business. If you aren't familiar with BNI, its an international networking group (stands for: Business Network International) and there are chapters all over the world that meet on a weekly basis. There is only one person per industry allowed in each group, and the motto is "Givers Gain". The idea is that if you have a Chapter with 30 members, each week when you meet you tell them what you are looking for in terms of a referral and you have 29 sales reps that go out and help you drum up business. The more specific the better. One time I asked for a specific name at a large company I was trying to get a meeting with, and someone in our group was good friends with them. Now if I had just asked to the marketing director at that company, I probably wouldn't have gotten the referral since the company name and title wouldn't have clicked in their head, but when I mentioned the name, it clicked immediately. Here's a fun clip of a guy that made a song out of his 60-second, and it's pretty catchy. If you aren't currently a member of a BNI Chapter in your area, I would encourage you to find a few and go visit. What do you have to lose??

Desperation Isn't Referable

Nurture an abundance mentality instead of a scarcity mentality and you can have an unlimited supply of referrals.

There's truly an unlimited supply of referrals. This may surprise you because most people who're new to referral marketing or who've had trouble getting referrals tend to think they're in for a struggle to gain access to a limited supply of good referrals. This mind-set is known as the "scarcity mentality," and those who have it often appear desperate to obtain business, which is not a good way to present yourself when you're trying to sell your products or services. Desperation is not referable.

It's true that you must compete for business, even within a referral-networking group. You may come in to such a group thinking all the other members will automatically refer all their business to you. What you have to realize, though, is that joining a referral group doesn't automatically entitle you to referrals--you have to earn them. For starters, you have to work to create relationships where none existed before. Fellow members must get to know you and your work, and be able to trust you to carry out your commitments and provide outstanding and memorable customer service to anyone they might refer you to. They've established relationships of their own, and they don't want to risk those relationships by referring them to someone they don't know.

But having to compete with established relationships doesn't cut you off from potential referrals. Suppose, for example, that you're the new chiropractor in your group and you want to get referrals from other members. You learn that one influential member has a long-established relationship with a chiropractor who's not in the group. Does this obligate the other member to stop doing business with her chiropractor and start doing business with you? Of course not, and if you try to make this happen, you'll quickly gain a reputation as a relationship assassin--not a good image.

If you nurture an abundance mentality rather than a scarcity mentality, you'll realize there's plenty of business out there for you and many other chiropractors. There's also a way you can compete and, at the same time, collaborate with another vendor.

First, you know the other member likes chiropractic. This is a point in your favor because it means there's a strong chance that she'll advise friends and acquaintances to seek chiropractic help as well--perhaps from you--after she gets to know you better. When you talk with her, ask her what the other chiropractor does that she finds especially effective. Does the practitioner specialize in certain therapies?

Ask to be introduced to her chiropractor. Find out what kinds of cases your competitor likes to tackle. Back problems? Joint pain? Neck problems? Tell your competitor that you prefer to specialize in a different area and offer to refer cases in his chosen specialty to him. Suggest that the two of you could refer overflow patients to each other and help with each others' patients during vacations.

In other words, you can be genuinely helpful to each other and still be competitors. You can help each other build a customized practice with the kind of patients you prefer. Suppose he likes accident claims and you don't. You can begin the process by referring a flood of accident business to him--so much of it, in fact, that he may feel the need to send some of his other patients to you.

Even if the other chiropractor and you specialize in the same areas, you can benefit each other by referrals. His practice may be in a completely different part of town from yours. You can collaborate with him on joint screenings at intermediate sites, such as at natural foods co-ops, and give new prospects a choice of chiropractors. Many will choose on the basis of personal rapport or location.

I recommend Kim George's book Coaching Into Greatness. She writes about how a successful, healthy networking activity is what leads to having an abundance mentality. There's a ton of business out there, she points out, and all it takes to cultivate an abundance mentality is to become an active networker, build relationships and provide benefits for your networking partners. Joining a networking group because you expect it to immediately result in referrals, without any effort on your part, is lazy networking. It produces few or no referrals and leads you to believe that the number of referrals available is limited--the scarcity mentality.

There's also a way to make the flow of referrals predictable and adjustable. You and a referral partner can set up a system in which your partner sends you referrals as you need them--regularly, predictably, on request and on time. Creating such a structured system is like building a pipeline for referrals.

Think about it. What if you knew at all times when your referral partners were going to refer you, whom they were going to refer you to and how they were going to refer you? What if you knew in advance which product or service your next new customer was going to want to buy? You could plan ahead. You could schedule business to come in when you most needed it and were best able to handle it. You could select the kind of customers you wanted. You could project your cash flow and manage your inventory.

Selling with traditional marketing methods is like fishing with dynamite: You light a few sticks, throw them into the water and hope that something comes up. Structured, programmed referral marketing is more like fishing with the latest high-tech gear: You've got a boat that lets you move to where the fish are most likely to be hanging out; you've got sonar that lets you see where the best fish are; and you can say, "Forget those carp over here in the shallows. I'm going to catch those 30 big brown trout down at 18 feet."

How do you build such a structured, predictable referral system? First, you have to establish a close, mutually rewarding relationship of trust with your referral partner. In our program at the Referral Institute, we've found the best approach is to start off with some relationship-building activities to get to know each other better based on your behavioral styles and other factors. Next, determine how many and what kind of referrals you'll need each week to accomplish your financial sales goal. Then, one by one, you and your counterpart discuss the people in each others' databases and identify those you'd particularly like to contact. Once this is finished, you can decide when, where, and under what circumstances you'd like to meet each contact, and if your referral partner agrees, that contact goes into the pipeline. After contact is made, the results are evaluated and shared with your referral partner. It's about as detailed as you can get with a target market, and the timing couldn't be more precise.

The kind of proactive referral system we're talking about here is not intended for use with everyone you know. It's designed for key relationships you've already formed--that is, relationships of trust, in which you and your partner know each other well, along with the level of service each of you provides. The predictability comes from knowing that your partner is a trustworthy and skilled networker who can be relied upon to provide a steady stream of high-quality referrals.

Called "The Father of Modern Networking" by CNN, Ivan Misner, Ph.D., is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. His latest #1 bestseller, The 29% Solution, can be viewed at www.29PercentSolution.com.com. Dr. Misner is also the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company. He can be reached at misner@bni.com.

Promotional Refrigerator Magnets - Market the Old Way

One of the oldest ways to promote a business is through promotional refrigerator magnets. This method has been around for so long and is actually one of the most common ways to market a business. Perhaps you have all sorts of magnets on your refrigerator. The truth is that most individuals have promotional refrigerator magnets as the main type of magnet on their refrigerator. Very rarely will you find a refrigerator that has store bought magnets on it. Most of the magnets have business names and logos on them and these magnets are holding up something such as notes and school papers.

The importance of the refrigerator magnet can't be expressed enough. At one time they were just for decoration, but now they do so much more than that. They are functional in so many ways. One of those ways is in promoting your business to a large number of people.

People love magnets!

People have an obsession with magnets and the fact that the refrigerator is the prime place to put them. Instead of using a phone book, people rely on promotional refrigerator magnets. If they need something, they simply find the magnet on their refrigerator. If they need information about your business, they look at the promotional refrigerator magnet that you gave them to find that information.

Another thing that is great about promotional refrigerator magnets is that many businesses enjoy receiving magnets from other businesses that they correspond with. This takes away the need to have to remember phone numbers. As a matter of fact, business people enjoy putting magnets on their file cabinets. If they need to call that business, all they have to do is look at their file cabinet.

Those are all great reasons to ensure that you invest in promotional refrigerator magnets. There is literally no better way to promote your business to the masses. If someone sees your magnet and their only other choice to find the product or service you offer is to look for your competitor in the phone book, they're going to choose you. Even if you charge more, you are the one that is sitting there right in front of their face. For the sake of convenience, they're going to contact the company they know more about. How do they know more about your company? They know more because they have your information right in front of them. You have made it easy.

Give them to everyone!

So give promotional refrigerator magnets to everyone! Everyone who walks through your door should get one because they're going to place that magnet on their refrigerator and be constantly reminded of your business. They will attach notes to their family to their fridge with your magnet and they're going to also attach pictures and test papers from their kids sporting good grades. Most of all, they're going to know how to get your phone number when they need to contact you. What you've done with promotional refrigerator magnets is provided a whole different doorway into your business.

-MF

Marketing Your Business for FREE!

Okay, I have a little secret. It actually is not a secret to most, but some just don't get it. In an economy like we are in right now, (a very crappy one), you need to continue to market your business. I hear so many companies tell me that they are cutting back their marketing and their budgets are shrinking, and blah blah blah. It isn't always about spending money. If you don't read anything else, read this:

BE PROACTIVE IN THE MARKETING OF YOUR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW

This is not just me trying to sell more imprinted pens and t-shirts. I think the most important thing right now is to continue to be proactive. History has shown that market share is gained the most in a down economy by those who continue to work hard and market their business.
One thing that I have found that has worked great for me and my business has been networking. Now don't get me wrong, I've been networking since I started my business 4 years ago. But here lately, I have really seen a big boom in people who traditionally weren't into networking getting involved. Here's what you can do, and it doesn't cost anything...or if it does cost its very minimal:
-Become active in your local Chamber (go the the luncheons, after hours events, before hours events, become an Ambassador, volunteer)
-Join a local BNI (Business Networking International)...now this is a little more of an investment in terms of time and money than your local Chamber, but as a BNI member of 4 years, I can promise this group works, and there are chapters all over the world.
-Forget trying to sell your products and services...Help others

You're probably thinking..WHAT? How am I supposed to make money if I don't try to push my product? Well, let me tell you, if you forget about yourself for a second and focus on others, it will come back to you in the end. Zig Ziglar said it best, "You can have anything in the world you want if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want."

Make it your goal to go to networking events and truly engage others and make lasting relationships. Talk to 3 or 4 people and make a point to follow up after the event with an invite to lunch or coffee. Get to know them. Find out what makes them tick, what a good referral for them is, how you can help their business, etc. If you help them grow their business, they are going to turn right around and do whatever it takes to help you grow yours. Simple enough, and it's free. Good luck and happy networking.

What Does a "Billion" Actually Mean?

How many zeros in a billion? This is too true to be funny.

The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the politicians' spending YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain...let's take a look at New Orleans ....It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number...what does it mean?

A. Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.

B. Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or... if you are a family of four...your family gets $2,066,012.

Washington, D. C <> Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt..We had the largest middle class in the world...and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?
Can you spell 'politicians!'

And I still have to
press '1'
for English.