Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Setting Appointments with Your New Leads
When you receive new leads what do you do with them? What is the next step? Having a solid strategy for working with your new leads is important. You don’t want to “wing it” with each new lead and hope that something comes of the contact. I have tried this method and I can tell you – it doesn’t work!! One of the best strategies that you can have when you get new leads is to use as a strategy of setting appointments to meet with the prospective customer. This can be accomplished with both in person types of businesses and global virtual businesses. I work with people both in person and via the phone or web and I am able to set appointments for both. You just have to “think” differently.
When you make an appointment with someone who may become a future customer, there are several benefits that you will find. Let’s explore some of these:
The appointment itself qualifies them as an interested lead.
When you set an appointment, you are cutting through many steps of relationship building and jumping ahead. This saves a lot of time and you are building a relationship with the person faster and more authentically. People do business with people they know. If you have been able to set the appointment with the decision maker you won’t have to go through multiple meetings because you are already at the right one.
You have established a time to meet.
You have set the time and place and now you can prepare for the meeting. You have an opportunity to do research prior to the meeting and be knowledgeable about your prospect and their company. You have to decide what the purpose of the meeting is. If you are building a new relationship it might be that your purpose is just that, to meet, to ask questions, to listen and share information but not to “make a sale”. Determine what your purpose is in advance.
Your time is more productive.
Just the fact that you have an appointment with someone means that they are mildly interested in what you have to say, they are a more qualified lead. If they are meeting with you and spending their valuable time with you they have an interest at some level. During the meeting you need to determine what that interest is.
You know something about your audience beforehand
Appointments give you ample time to do research on your prospective clients and understand what their needs are so that they can be addressed during your meeting. This offers an advantage because you will go into it being able to offer something that they need.
Appointments are a great strategy for following up with new leads. You are able to further qualify the lead as a real prospect and begin the process of building a relationship with them. Since we know that people do business with people they know, this relationship building is key. The appointment moves that process along faster. We can use all sorts of tools for building relationships – articles, newsletters, direct mail, but in person meetings is by far the most effective because you become a REAL person to them, not just a name but a person. You’ve just increased your opportunity for success.
When you make an appointment with someone who may become a future customer, there are several benefits that you will find. Let’s explore some of these:
The appointment itself qualifies them as an interested lead.
When you set an appointment, you are cutting through many steps of relationship building and jumping ahead. This saves a lot of time and you are building a relationship with the person faster and more authentically. People do business with people they know. If you have been able to set the appointment with the decision maker you won’t have to go through multiple meetings because you are already at the right one.
You have established a time to meet.
You have set the time and place and now you can prepare for the meeting. You have an opportunity to do research prior to the meeting and be knowledgeable about your prospect and their company. You have to decide what the purpose of the meeting is. If you are building a new relationship it might be that your purpose is just that, to meet, to ask questions, to listen and share information but not to “make a sale”. Determine what your purpose is in advance.
Your time is more productive.
Just the fact that you have an appointment with someone means that they are mildly interested in what you have to say, they are a more qualified lead. If they are meeting with you and spending their valuable time with you they have an interest at some level. During the meeting you need to determine what that interest is.
You know something about your audience beforehand
Appointments give you ample time to do research on your prospective clients and understand what their needs are so that they can be addressed during your meeting. This offers an advantage because you will go into it being able to offer something that they need.
Appointments are a great strategy for following up with new leads. You are able to further qualify the lead as a real prospect and begin the process of building a relationship with them. Since we know that people do business with people they know, this relationship building is key. The appointment moves that process along faster. We can use all sorts of tools for building relationships – articles, newsletters, direct mail, but in person meetings is by far the most effective because you become a REAL person to them, not just a name but a person. You’ve just increased your opportunity for success.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
Are You Evaluating Your Lead Generation Strategies?
Are you evaluating your lead generation strategies?
Generating new leads is a focus of most business owners. But do you ever stop to evaluate where your leads are coming from and how your lead generation methods are working? It is important to have systems in place to track new leads and evaluate each lead strategy.
There are a couple of ways that you can do this.
1. Website –
If you have a website then it should be one of your lead generation strategies. You want to have your subscription form on your site for your newsletter or email list. If you don’t, you will not be able to keep in touch with folks that visit your site. Take a look at your website statistics to see what kind of traffic your site receives and where the traffic is coming from. If your web host does not provide statistics you should set up a Google Analytics account and add the code to your web pages in order to track your traffic. You want to know who is visiting, how long they are staying on your site, what pages they are visiting and where they came from to get there. Did they do a search? If so, what keyword were they searching that landed them with you? Once they are there are they interacting with you and your site: subscribing to your newsletter, taking surveys, leaving feedback on your guestbook or forums? All of this detail is great information for you.
2. Leads –
Do you receive leads from referrals, lead boxes, listings in directories, yellow pages? When a new person contacts you it is a good idea to ask where they got their information from. Recently several business owners have asked whther the Yellow Pages is a good place for them to spend their money. As a business coach I really don’t know the answer to that because it is different for each business. It depends if YOUR business is receiving calls as a result of the ad. That is why asking about where the lead came from is so very important.
It's essential that you know where your leads are coming in and what isn't working. It's not cost effective or wise to use mediums that aren't working. They should be changed so that there are more leads generated, in the case of a website, or done away with altogether, in the case of a
newspaper advertisement.
The medium that you dispose of right now can always be revisited in the future.
A down economy is a great time to evaluate everything that you are doing, but it is not a time to eliminate advertising and marketing. You have to continue to market or you won’t have new leads and referrals. Do your marketing wisely, track it all and evaluate relevant pieces each month.
As part of the new Business Coaching Express program I am offering a marketing plan review. If you have questions about your marketing then sign up today.
Generating new leads is a focus of most business owners. But do you ever stop to evaluate where your leads are coming from and how your lead generation methods are working? It is important to have systems in place to track new leads and evaluate each lead strategy.
There are a couple of ways that you can do this.
1. Website –
If you have a website then it should be one of your lead generation strategies. You want to have your subscription form on your site for your newsletter or email list. If you don’t, you will not be able to keep in touch with folks that visit your site. Take a look at your website statistics to see what kind of traffic your site receives and where the traffic is coming from. If your web host does not provide statistics you should set up a Google Analytics account and add the code to your web pages in order to track your traffic. You want to know who is visiting, how long they are staying on your site, what pages they are visiting and where they came from to get there. Did they do a search? If so, what keyword were they searching that landed them with you? Once they are there are they interacting with you and your site: subscribing to your newsletter, taking surveys, leaving feedback on your guestbook or forums? All of this detail is great information for you.
2. Leads –
Do you receive leads from referrals, lead boxes, listings in directories, yellow pages? When a new person contacts you it is a good idea to ask where they got their information from. Recently several business owners have asked whther the Yellow Pages is a good place for them to spend their money. As a business coach I really don’t know the answer to that because it is different for each business. It depends if YOUR business is receiving calls as a result of the ad. That is why asking about where the lead came from is so very important.
It's essential that you know where your leads are coming in and what isn't working. It's not cost effective or wise to use mediums that aren't working. They should be changed so that there are more leads generated, in the case of a website, or done away with altogether, in the case of a
newspaper advertisement.
The medium that you dispose of right now can always be revisited in the future.
A down economy is a great time to evaluate everything that you are doing, but it is not a time to eliminate advertising and marketing. You have to continue to market or you won’t have new leads and referrals. Do your marketing wisely, track it all and evaluate relevant pieces each month.
As part of the new Business Coaching Express program I am offering a marketing plan review. If you have questions about your marketing then sign up today.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Friday Night Shout Out (a bit late in getting it here!!)
TGIF!!
Don't you just love Fridays?!? I know I do. It's a sign of the upcoming weekend, time to play with the kids and just relax a bit!
This week has been a busy one for me and I haven't even had a chance to let you know about the great things that I have added to Compass Rose Consulting!
So, I am writing a quick Friday afternoon note to give you the link so that if you have a minute you can check it out!! Next week I will send you a longer email, with articles, ideas, and info on this new program.
In a nutshell, I've been watching CNN (too much, probably), and all they talk about is the new president, the economy and the delayed stimulus package. As a small business owner, it can be downright scary and depressing. But, at the same time I see energy, enthusiasm and optimism all around me and that is what I am choosing to buy into!
But all of the news also got me thinking about my programs, access to them and who was wanting them and who was challenged to. I spent a great deal of time over the past week overhauling my new VIP Coaching program BEFORE it even got out of the door. I redesigned it so that it is totally accessible to small business owners and offers incredible value. I also was having some fun playing with names and websites and renamed it.
Business Coaching Express. What I want you to get from it -- that when you join you will receive coaching to accelerate your results. That this program is about action, fast action to move you and your business forward and upward!!
Well, already this email is longer than I expected.
Check it out:
http://www.businesscoachingexpress.com
And let me know what you think!!
Have a great weekend.
I look forward to talking with you soon.
All the best,
Donna
Donna Price
Compass Rose Consulting, LLC
Jump on the business coaching express and see your business outcomes accelerate!
Don't you just love Fridays?!? I know I do. It's a sign of the upcoming weekend, time to play with the kids and just relax a bit!
This week has been a busy one for me and I haven't even had a chance to let you know about the great things that I have added to Compass Rose Consulting!
So, I am writing a quick Friday afternoon note to give you the link so that if you have a minute you can check it out!! Next week I will send you a longer email, with articles, ideas, and info on this new program.
In a nutshell, I've been watching CNN (too much, probably), and all they talk about is the new president, the economy and the delayed stimulus package. As a small business owner, it can be downright scary and depressing. But, at the same time I see energy, enthusiasm and optimism all around me and that is what I am choosing to buy into!
But all of the news also got me thinking about my programs, access to them and who was wanting them and who was challenged to. I spent a great deal of time over the past week overhauling my new VIP Coaching program BEFORE it even got out of the door. I redesigned it so that it is totally accessible to small business owners and offers incredible value. I also was having some fun playing with names and websites and renamed it.
Business Coaching Express. What I want you to get from it -- that when you join you will receive coaching to accelerate your results. That this program is about action, fast action to move you and your business forward and upward!!
Well, already this email is longer than I expected.
Check it out:
http://www.businesscoachingexpress.com
And let me know what you think!!
Have a great weekend.
I look forward to talking with you soon.
All the best,
Donna
Donna Price
Compass Rose Consulting, LLC
Jump on the business coaching express and see your business outcomes accelerate!
Friday, February 06, 2009
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Social Networking and Web 2.0: Are they the same thing or different?
Web 2.0 is the buzz on the Internet, not some new software for your computer. But some are still mystified as to what Web 2.0 really is – as was I for quite some time. Now, I find it a fascinating exploration and journey to meeting and connecting with new people every day. If you are anything like me and still feeling puzzled by it all and how it relates to you, then read on!
Tim O’Reilly coined the phrase Web 2.0 at a conference. From there it took off and evolved or morphed into a new idea for increasing the effectiveness of Web 2.0 sites on the Internet. Web 2.0 sounds like it is social networking while it is actually a type of platform that supports and brings more to these social networking sites.
Let’s talk about Social Networking. Social networking starts with individuals. They meet and connect forming new relationships. You could think of it like balls and sticks, with the ball representing the individual and the stick representing the connection. Without the social networking platform (the sticks) they would have made the connection.
Web 2.0 provides the space where connections and interactions can happen. The particular platform also determines the manner in which these interactions can occur. In some individuals create profiles and through their profile they are able to meet and connect with new people. On other platforms there are different means of connecting – through existing relationships and connections, or through groups or by invitation. Other features of the platform like news feeds, multimedia content, blogs, instant messages, social groups, audio and video, and message boards are also a huge part of Web 2.0. Through the unique combinations of these individuals are able to grow their connections and develop a large or gigantic online network.
Many sites use Web 2.0 as their basis. Some that you have probably heard of are:
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Wikipedia
• MySpace
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Flickr
There are many more, but this gives you a sampling and perhaps you are using one or two and didn’t even realized you were part of Web 2.0.. If you are a member of any of these social networking sites, then you have sampled a Web 2.0 platform.
Web 2.0 sites use member generated content that is then ranked by the search engines. Good content is found on the site and the member that created it gains new connections and a “following” that is valuable. Your following can be used to increase your popularity on the web OR can create increased exposure and visibility for your business.
If you are a business owner, then you might wonder how Web 2.0 can be helpful to you. Web 2.0 platforms are already being used by businesses, universities, and families. The applications are easy to use so it becomes a great way to stay in touch. And, it is user friendly, so you don’t need to have web design knowledge or html knowledge. You are able to update your presence on the web every day or multiple times throughout the day without the expense of a web designer or web host. It is a way to keep in touch with easy to use and manageable applications. Your connections are able to subscribe to your updates using RSS Feed (Really Simple Syndication) This application automatically sends out an update to your subscribers desktop when changes occur to your page. RSS is frequently used on blogs and news sites as a convenience to readers, saving them valuable time. This enables them to be up to date without having to check your website for changes and updates. It keeps them posted. It also avoids the pitfalls of email.
Companies can also use Web 2.0 technology through Google Groups, Yahoo Groups and Twitter. It allows the company to update employees via one medium. They can receive important information about company projects, changes or new agendas.
Web 2.0 is also a useful medium for the business owner. It provides tools for driving new traffic to blogs, and websites. Several sites also provide places to post events and distribute event information to your network. The most useful part of these Web 2.0 sites is the ability to build new networks of people. Even if the site starts you out connecting to people you know, you are quickly able to move from those connections to their connections or other new connections. Each site is a new place for people to get to know you and your products. It is therefore vital that you use these sites with care, develop goals for your purpose and keep your values in check when using them. You want to protect your reputation and build a good online presence.
Tim O’Reilly coined the phrase Web 2.0 at a conference. From there it took off and evolved or morphed into a new idea for increasing the effectiveness of Web 2.0 sites on the Internet. Web 2.0 sounds like it is social networking while it is actually a type of platform that supports and brings more to these social networking sites.
Let’s talk about Social Networking. Social networking starts with individuals. They meet and connect forming new relationships. You could think of it like balls and sticks, with the ball representing the individual and the stick representing the connection. Without the social networking platform (the sticks) they would have made the connection.
Web 2.0 provides the space where connections and interactions can happen. The particular platform also determines the manner in which these interactions can occur. In some individuals create profiles and through their profile they are able to meet and connect with new people. On other platforms there are different means of connecting – through existing relationships and connections, or through groups or by invitation. Other features of the platform like news feeds, multimedia content, blogs, instant messages, social groups, audio and video, and message boards are also a huge part of Web 2.0. Through the unique combinations of these individuals are able to grow their connections and develop a large or gigantic online network.
Many sites use Web 2.0 as their basis. Some that you have probably heard of are:
• YouTube
• Wikipedia
• MySpace
• WordPress
• Blogger
• Flickr
There are many more, but this gives you a sampling and perhaps you are using one or two and didn’t even realized you were part of Web 2.0.. If you are a member of any of these social networking sites, then you have sampled a Web 2.0 platform.
Web 2.0 sites use member generated content that is then ranked by the search engines. Good content is found on the site and the member that created it gains new connections and a “following” that is valuable. Your following can be used to increase your popularity on the web OR can create increased exposure and visibility for your business.
If you are a business owner, then you might wonder how Web 2.0 can be helpful to you. Web 2.0 platforms are already being used by businesses, universities, and families. The applications are easy to use so it becomes a great way to stay in touch. And, it is user friendly, so you don’t need to have web design knowledge or html knowledge. You are able to update your presence on the web every day or multiple times throughout the day without the expense of a web designer or web host. It is a way to keep in touch with easy to use and manageable applications. Your connections are able to subscribe to your updates using RSS Feed (Really Simple Syndication) This application automatically sends out an update to your subscribers desktop when changes occur to your page. RSS is frequently used on blogs and news sites as a convenience to readers, saving them valuable time. This enables them to be up to date without having to check your website for changes and updates. It keeps them posted. It also avoids the pitfalls of email.
Companies can also use Web 2.0 technology through Google Groups, Yahoo Groups and Twitter. It allows the company to update employees via one medium. They can receive important information about company projects, changes or new agendas.
Web 2.0 is also a useful medium for the business owner. It provides tools for driving new traffic to blogs, and websites. Several sites also provide places to post events and distribute event information to your network. The most useful part of these Web 2.0 sites is the ability to build new networks of people. Even if the site starts you out connecting to people you know, you are quickly able to move from those connections to their connections or other new connections. Each site is a new place for people to get to know you and your products. It is therefore vital that you use these sites with care, develop goals for your purpose and keep your values in check when using them. You want to protect your reputation and build a good online presence.
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