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5 Good Reasons to End a ClientContractor Relationship

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:22:30 +0000

Whether you’re a coach or a copywriter, an accountant or an architect, there will always be that one icky client who puts your patience to the test. You’ve signed the papers, but with each day that passes, you dread working with this person more and more. Should you grit your teeth and suffer through, or just end it early, like a bad blind date? Here are five good reasons to say goodbye.

1. You’ve done nothing wrong.

Let me guess: the thought of ending that bad client relationship makes you feel like you failed in some way. Who told you to feel that? Your high school counselor? Your mom who stayed in an unhappy marriage? Just because your style and skillset doesn’t jive with another person’s M.O. doesn’t mean that you’re non compus mentus. Not bad, not wrong… just different!

2. Most contracts contain a loophole.

Yes, although it would seem contradictory to something as binding as a contract, most of them contain some contextual wiggle room that allows you to wiggle right out of the deal. If you find the escape hatch in paragraph four, take your cue and get the heck out of there.

3. A poorly matched partnership can hamper productivity.

Forget about who’s right and who’s wrong in this scenario. Instead, focus on output. If you’re not faster and more productive when collaborating with this client, time is being wasted on both sides. Assuming you’ve tried various methods of working together but every solution comes up short, just call a spade a spade and turn the page.

4. A better opportunity has made itself known.

Of course, stick-to-itiveness is an admirable trait, and we should try our best to commit to our promises. But sometimes, there’s just something in the air that’s saying “End it now,” and that something could be the promise of more rewarding work elsewhere. Be courteous, and give your client advance notice so he can find a replacement, then go gracefully and graciously.

5. Damage control is key.

You’ve exhausted every alternative. You find yourself avoiding this person’s phone calls, ready to spit hostile emails, and are teetering on the verge of unprofessionalism because you’re just so darned frustrated at the way things are going. These are the red flags that say, “Time to end a relationship that’s going from bad to worse.” Pull yourself together, arm yourself with the right resources and aftermath solutions, and initiate a departure discussion.

Sometimes, it’s just better to cut your losses and move on to greener pastures.

Dina Giolitto is a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter with 10 years of experience writing corporate print materials and web content. Trust her with your next e-book, article series or web project, and make a lasting impression on your audience of information-hungry prospects. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for more information.

How to Use Flyers to Increase Your Business

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:27:05 +0000

What benefits will you get from flyers?

Flyers are much different from postcards in that they convey product sales to the consumer. Safeway, Costco, Albertsons and other grocery chains are excellent at putting out flyers. Many consumers will look at the specials and head out to purchase them either when they need them or simply to stock up. Do flyers work in this respect? Yes, or they would not be doing them. If you are not in a high demand product line such as groceries, then a multiple page flyer may not be what you want to send to your local area. You may want to stick to postcards or one-pagers that have more impact.

You can also be part of a flyer program that is offered by coupon book companies, and that way you are grouped together and your readership will likely be higher than if you try to go it alone. There are many really good coupon companies in most cities; you should try and find out who publishes these in your area. If your business is not consumer products but based on business to business, then flyers in a Chamber newsletter will likely work better for you. You should find out ahead of time who they distribute their newsletter to, if it is members only or if it goes to businesses within their postal code area in its entirety. Businesses that belong to the Chamber will more than likely read all the flyers in the package and your response rate will be better.

We have covered only three different ways to deal with flyers but there are many more that we do not have room to mention. If you want to have flyers produced in any fashion, keep it professional looking and have it professionally printed. Printers are not that expensive and the amount you pay will have a better return on investment than if you do them yourself. Remember that it is your image that is out there all the time; you need to be consistent and look good!

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://www.BlueprintBooks.com

Financial Projections in Business Plans

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:26:41 +0000

One of the most difficult sections to write in a business plan is the proforma and financial sections. After all it is most difficult to what exact costs you will incur or what level of sales volumes are actually achievable. So often businesses are faced with excess government controls at all levels which take thousands of dollars in fees, additionally legal fees, delays and lawsuits often ensue and slow the project. You cannot know in advance what roadblocks or brick walls city planners, country agencies or Federal Regulators will come up with, as they often change their minds and add new laws in the middle of your already delayed project. These are only a few of the problems facing entrepreneurs when writing financial projections. Other issues occur from an over enthusiastic entrepreneurial positive attitude and business plan writers should double the money needed and triple the time to complete the project to be on a reality based plain. Thus if you beat your projections everyone is happy. Including bankers, investors and yourself. If folks are not happy you may find yourself in court defending yourself and making excuses, many of which many not be your fault, but in the end you are hung out to dry as the buck stops with you.

To assist you in writing your financial projections section of your business plan, I have prepared a sample. This sample is from a most simple business model; a mobile car wash, which is part of a franchise system. Please feel free to print this article out and make notes in the margins and then take a legal pad and sketch out your own financial projections and start-up capital needed. I sincerely hope this sample helps you.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Financial Projections

We will follow our business plan to keep us in a profitable situation at all times. We will try to keep our car wash truck busy at all times. We will stay on top of collections and make sure all invoices go out on time and are directed to the person who authorizes payment. We will treat cash flow as a primary objective in order to reach our financial projections. We will be sure to have the right mix of services.

Gross Revenue Percentage Breakdown

Personal Car Washing 60%
Graffiti, Industrial, Concrete 20%
Fleet Washing 15%
Other 5%

Gross Revenue:

Insert Graph or Pie Chart Here.

* Note: Car washing of personal vehicles will be 60% of our business. Over 80% of these monies will be collected at the point of sale by either:

Interviews – Five Tips To Handle Tough Questions From Reporters

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:15:19 +0000

Journalists are trained and often experienced at getting information out of their subjects. Conflict and other negative situations often make the news and journalists often have a knack for taking a positive situation and twisting it into something else in order to make it more “sell”-able as news.

It’s a common scenario. The media calls after your organisation has put out a news release on the latest groundbreaking achievements.

You’ve done the hard work in preparing your media message, spending time honing the features, benefits, evidence and proof that will build your case to overcome even the most cynical journalist. After hours of brainstorming, you’ve come up with a great quotable quote that even the most seasoned PR pro would be proud of.

You’ve practised and warmed up your voice. You’ve spent time to quietly relax, using your favourite visualisation technique to anchor your feeling of confidence as the moment of truth comes quicker than you realise. You’ve never been more prepared for this media interview in your life. The opening questions go well and you grow in confidence. Your body language and eye contact show you’re in control and on message.

And, then it comes. Like an unannounced steam train, a question out of the blue. A tough ‘red herring’ completely throws you off balance as their ambush technique works with devastating effect. Crushed, your media interview stumbles from bad to worse. You miss several opportunities to stay on message and make the most of the media opportunity. Afterwards you feel deflated, humiliated and let down.

How can you avoid this situation and prepare for the tough questions that often come from seasoned, cynical and ‘so what – who cares’ journalists?

Here are Five Ways To Handle Tough Questions In A Media Interview.

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

Many journalists are attracted to the media because they want to see their face on TV, hear their voice on radio and read their name in the paper. I call them ‘ego-driven’ journalists. Work to their egos and stroke them. Compliment them on a great question. For example, use “that’s a great question and I’m glad you asked it, …..”

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you’ve paid the compliment, get back on message as quickly as possible to show you are in control and not the reporter. For example, after the compliment use “…but what I want to say is this …”

3. FOCUS.

Good reporters will always look for an angle to make the story more newsworthy and will try a range of techniques to get conflict into the story. Keep your focus, be disciplined and avoid going down a line of questioning that is not relevant to the story or your message. Be firm, but polite. For example, “I really think we’re getting off track here, the main point I want to make is ….”

4. KEEP YOUR COOL.

Under no circumstances should you lose your temper, shout or get angry. This only inflames the situation and comments said in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high can often get you in trouble. Remember they make great copy and sensational ‘news grabs’. Remain calm. Remember you are the one in control with the information that the media wants. You have every right to call a halt to an interview if the journalist become overly aggressive or offensive.

5. PREPARE and PRACTICE.

I’ve lost count of the number of times a novice interviewee has taken the whole bait and been taken down the garden path and completely off message by an irrelevant question during a media training exercise. Most people are quick learners and when they see it happening to others quickly learn not to do this once they’ve seen how easy it is to stay on track. Prepare for tough questions prior to the interview in a formal media training course or with a colleague. Road test your messages prior to talking to the media and you are more likely to stay out of trouble.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.
You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

Brand Building For Profit – The Colour Behind the Brand and Why I Wear Red Ties!

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 07:10:22 +0000

Colour is essential to building a strong brand.

Many of you know my passion for wearing red ties. I believe congruency with your personal and corporate brand is essential for professionals in the services-based industries, especially consultants, coaches, speakers and trainers.

A Special Report by Mairi Macleod in the New Scientist Magazine on 18 May 2005 argues red is the colour if winning is your game.

She reports the Washington Redskins, Manchester United and the Welsh rugby team have all been playing with an unfair advantage. Just seeing their red kit is seemingly enough to cow their opponents into submission even before a ball is kicked.

The report highlights how Russell Hill and Robert Barton of Durham University in the UK tracked success in four Olympic sports: boxing, taekwondo, Greco-Roman wrestling and freestyle wrestling.

According to the report, in these sports athletes do not wear national colours, but are randomly assigned either red or blue.

The article journals of 441 bouts, reds won 242 and in all four sports reds triumphed in more contests. And the red advantage was higher in close encounters: 62 per cent of red-garbed competitors won these. But in pushover contests there were similar numbers of red and blue winners.

“If you’re rubbish, a red shirt won’t stop you from losing,” Barton says in the article.

The same is true in soccer. Five teams in the Euro 2004 competition who had predominantly red in one of their two kits all did significantly better while wearing red, scoring around one extra goal per game.

Such effects could be due to instinctive behaviour, says Barton. In animal displays red in particular seems to vary with dominance and testosterone levels. Human competitors might experience a testosterone surge while wearing the colour, he says, or feel submissive when facing a scarlet opponent.

Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar from the University of Liverpool speculates that primate eyes may be particularly sensitive to red. “The significance is then a matter of context,” he says. Red fruit is good; red competitors are bad.

Performance director of the Great Britain taekwondo team, Gary Hall, says most of his athletes don’t have a strong colour preference. But he says that if red is an advantage the sport should consider changing kits. “We should take out any anomaly like that,” Hall told New Scientist.

Source: New Scientist Magazine on 18 May 2005

Colour is essential to both personal and corporate branding.

You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.

Are You A Lone Ranger Why Going It Alone as a Business Consultant is Not Always a Good Investment

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:03:46 +0000

I work with people who have left the corporate world and have established or want to establish themselves as Independent Business Consultants (IBC) in their area of expertise, whether that be HR, Marketing, IT or sales.

One of the most common assumptions many of them make is that they don’t need any help and they become a “lone ranger”. This is often based on a set of beliefs such as

* “I can do everything myself”

* “I can’t trust anyone else to help me in my business”

* “I can’t afford to pay anyone to help me”

* “I’ll get someone when I’m more established.

However, leading and managing a successful consultancy is about more than just delivering the consultancy services. A consultancy business is an entity made up of systems, processes and infrastructure as well as what you actually deliver – your products and services. As the delivery person of your services you may be 100% capable. However, that is not all that’s involved in running your consultancy and making it an ongoing success.

There are many other functions and roles that have to be fulfilled in order for your consultancy to be successful. Functions such as finance, sales, marketing operations and administration to name a few; Roles such as bookkeeper, invoice writer, PR person, researcher, sales person and client manager etc. All of these important roles and functions need to be performed whether you are a global corporation or a 1 person consultancy. None of these functions can be ignored and you may not have the skills and knowledge necessary to perform each of the roles to a good enough standard. Equally if one of the main reasons you established your own business in the first place was to DO what you love doing, then in reality do you really want to be doing all the other “stuff” as well?

Some people just get busy doing a bit of sales a bit of marketing and a bit of admin, which usually just means answering emails. And for a short time that may work.

However, over time you forget who you’ve sent which invoices to or if you’ve even sent them at all; your VAT and tax affairs get dumped in a shoebox “to be sorted out when I’m less busy” and you stop going to new events and arranging meetings because you are “busy” delivering for your biggest (read only) client. Very soon though that client project is complete, the pipeline of new prospects is empty and the taxman has knocked at your door.

If only you had got some help!

In establishing your consultancy you need to decide at the blueprint stage what you want to do and are skilled enough to do and what you’re not. Then you need to decide what support you can get, from whom and to help you with what. Yes it may cost you but what will it cost you to not get help?

The issue of cost is often the reason (excuse!) for not hiring someone to help with those functions or tasks that you are good at or do not want to do.

But imagine for a moment you are a first time house buyer with 3 children both you and your partner work and the most DIY you have ever done is change a light bulb. After a few months in the house you decide that you would like to redecorate, convert the loft into a bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and sauna, install a new kitchen and completely landscape the garden.

Do you consider doing it all your self? Well maybe but unless you are a bathroom fitter, landscape gardener, carpenter and farm out the children for a few weeks the answer is probably a sensible no. So what would you do?

You might

* Decide on your budget +/- 10%

* Prioritise the order you want to or need to get things done

* Research local companies who offer these services

* Get some quotes and references

* Draw up some blueprints

* Plan the timescales for completion and how everything needs to integrate

* Start

Now if having done all the research and planning your costs exceeded your budget what could you do well for example you could arrange a barter situation where,

* you baby sit for the gardener’s children in exchange for hours on the garden

* you offer consultancy to the plumber’s partner in exchange for the new bathroom to be installed

The point is there are many ways to achieve the goal of getting the right help for your business at the right time. But struggling with everything yourself is not a great solution. We all need help in certain areas and assuming we don’t will catch us out at some point.

And as the saying goes if you don’t invest time and money to get it right the first time when will you have time and money to rectify it second or third time.

So don’t be a lone ranger ask yourself

What functions do I want to perform and are skilled enough to perform within my consultancy?

What support do I need to ensure that I have a successful consultancy from now on?

Who do I know that can help me?

©Beverley Hamilton 2005

About the Author

Beverley Hamilton MD of One Step Further is a Business Coach to Independent Business Consultants. To learn more, subscribe to Quickstart, her free weekly newsletter for consultants who want to grow a profitable business consultancy and still have time for a life, go to Quickstart You’ll also receive a complementary 5 part ecourse Discover The 5 Most Common, Incorrect Assumptions Independent Business Consultants Make

She is also the author of Take Control of Your Time: 7 Straight Shooter Strategies for Success

You Are Invited

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:12:27 +0000

Business card size works well for invitations
to special events.

What do you visualize when you think about invitations? More than likely you are thinking about a wedding or a party. You may even think about a verbal invitation that is extended to you for a business event. Invitations come in all sizes and shapes and for almost every event. So how can you get your invitation to your business event noticed? Here are three easy steps that may help increase the attendance at your events.

First, network with those that you would like to attend your event, ask them personally about their calendar. If they have some time free, and then if you can set an appointment with them at the date and time of your event. This will generally yield a yes. Let them know that you will phone and remind them a couple of days ahead of time, just to confirm their attendance. You may then give them a business card invitation at that point so they have a printed reference.

Second, phone everyone you personally know (everyone that is relevant to you gaining more business) and ask them if they would be available on the date and time specified for the event. If they respond yes, tell them why you would like to see them at that specific time. If they still agree, follow up with mailing one of your business card invitations.

Lastly, you will need to ask previous clients to attend. Ask if they can attend at the date and time you have selected, if not, ask if they know anyone else in their organization that can take their place. If they do, simply book them in and tell them you will send a reminder.

It is actually quite easy to get the invitations noticed, the most difficult thing is to make sure those agreeing to attend actually make it to the event. You will probably find there is a 20 to 30% fall-out. If you plan for this fall-out, you can determine how many people to invite in order to fill the room.

Publicity – Polls and Surveys Are a Great Path Free Publicity

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:02:17 +0000

When I search Google News for “surveys,” I get nearly 50,000 results. When I search for “stocks,” I get about 54,000. The media love polls and surveys.

Here are just a few headlines in the news as I write this, generated directly from surveys:

Survey: CEOs cut expectations of economy
Survey: Israelis more depressed, anxious than Western Europeans
Survey shows farmers aware of soybean rust

As you can see, surveys are used for just about any industry. Why not yours?

If you’re the expert on bankers, or single parents, there’s hardly a better way to tell the media than by releasing surveys of your market group. It’s easy to do – almost all media outlets accept informal or online polling.

You don’t have to hire a research company, you can just have clients or colleagues check a few boxes on a photocopied form.

You don’t have to release a massive book of results, you can just send media people a press release highlighting the most newsworthy responses.

The general media aren’t professional journals: they don’t insist on strict statistical methodology. They just want a good story.

That said, you should never make up a result or falsely represent your data. Media folks aren’t likely to double check the information you give them, but you want to be able to present accurate, truthful results if they do.

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele’s MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.

Media Savvy – How To Manage Your Time To Gain The Best Media Coverage

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:05:09 +0000

Did you know generating positive media coverage is four times more effective than advertising? Getting exposure in the media is far-reaching, utterly credible and free. As an added bonus you may well attract an audience that you never anticipated.
But talking to reporters can be risky and threatening for first timers. You can say too much and lose control of the interview. You can say the wrong thing and damage your reputation. You can say “No Comment” and miss an opportunity.

The only way to build your profile, brand and image is by learning the secrets of how the media works. How can you do that with limited time? Here are 5 Tips.

1. Know Your Strengths. What are you an expert at? What is your specialized area of expertise? What unique services or information can you offer? Position yourself as the expert.

2. Clarify your communication objectives? What do you want to achieve? To inform or entertain? To provide information? To build a profile? To influence public opinion? Personal marketing? Marketing or launching a new product or service?

3. Define your target audience & identify the best channels of communication to reach them? Who is your target audience? General public? Customers? Competitors? Suppliers? What is the best way to reach your target audience? TV, Radio, Internet, newspapers – local or Statewide, specialist or generalist, industry publications, community newsletters?

4. What is your key message? Distill what you want to say into three key points. What are the feature and benefits to your target market and what examples can you give to provide evidence and credibility to your message?

5. Be brief when contacting the media. The media are very busy and under a lot of pressure to meet deadlines. Don’t waste their time. Target who is covering stories in your area, contact them and make your pitch of a story idea brief and to the point. If they want more information have a 1-page media release with the details ready to fax or email to them.

Business – Keys To Negotiating Well

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:06:03 +0000

Whether it’s buying a car, asking for a pay rise, saying ‘no’ to a friend or renting an apartment – at some stage in our lives we all are going to need to know how to negotiate. Yet, so few of us know the basic skills before embarking on life changing purchases or decisions! These 8 keys will assist you negotiate well.

1. Know the outcome you want.

Do you want a win-win outcome where both parties benefit? Or a win-lose outcome where someone (presumably the other party) is not happy with the result?

It is important you know what type of outcome you want because that will affect the long term relationship you have with the other party. Win-win outcomes are beneficial where you have an ongoing relationship. For example, when you negotiate a pay rise, you don’t want your boss to feel he/she is the ‘loser’. However, if you are buying a car from a car lot, you may not be so concerned about whether the car salesperson feels as though they ‘won’ in the negotiation!

2. Know your ‘position’.
How important is this deal to you? How much do you need it? Could you walk away from the deal? What alternatives do you have? What is your “bottom line” and what (if anything) are you prepared to concede? You should not start negotiating until you have thought through and considered all of the consequences for all of the different outcomes that may eventuate.

3. Know your counterpart’s ‘position’.
Try to work out what is important to them in the deal. When you know that you have an advantage. Try not to reveal what is important to you! Keep a poker face and play your cards close to your chest.

4. Work out different scenarios ahead of time.
Being caught by surprise will NOT strengthen your position! Think through all the different possibilities which may eventuate and plan for each and every one of them. It is useful to brainstorm and write down on a piece of paper what could possibly happen. For example, if they said, “XYZ” – I would respond with, “ABC”. This way you can be prepared for just about anything that may happen.

5. Know yourself.
Know your own weaknesses. If you are a more gentle personality your natural aversion to conflict may toss you into concessions that aren’t necessary! If this is you, learn about yourself and take counter action. If you are overly stubborn and never give way to minor points, know this about yourself. Your stubbornness, holding out for 100% your own way, may cause you to lose a really great deal!

6. Back up your position with logic.
If you negotiate from a purely emotional position, emotion will sway you from your position. Fear of loss, sense of failure, conflict, pressure, sentiment! All can be applied to sway you from sticking to what you really want. When negotiating for a pay rise know what similar companies are paying for similar work. When placing an offer on a house substantiate your lower offer with the costs of repaving the driveway, renovating the bathroom, retiling the entrance.or whatever you see needs doing. This is a much stronger position than plucking a number out of thin air!

7. Work out what you can concede.
Find something in the deal that for you will not be important but for your counterpart may be of significance. This will be like gold to you! A ‘sweetener’ can be what clinches the bargain in your favour. You will need to be poker faced and pretend this is a big deal to concede! Save this item for the final offer you make.

8. Have an exit strategy.

If everything goes against you, you will be saved by your contingency planning! If you don’t feel in control, stop talking. Immediately!!! Make sure you are listening to the other person. If you are doing most of the talking the chances are you are doing most of the conceding. Offer to break the meeting and reconvene at another time when you have been able to consider what has already been put forward.

Skillful negotiation takes time and practice. Armed with these basic skills it doesn’t matter how reticent you may feel towards negotiating an outcome you want! By applying these keys you will be well positioned to improve your negotiation skills and feel more empowered when approaching tricky situations.

Kim is part of an international network of home business owners operating across 60 countries. We urgently require people to join our expanding international team. If you are interested in earning extra income around your current schedule, we would like to hear from you. We provide full training and ongoing support to ensure your success. Visit now: http://free2liv.com/?refid=neg-567887384