What exactly is an Elevator Speech? It’s your 30 seconds to say who you are, what you do and who you help. It’s not 20 minutes of you rambling on about your process, your products and services but your opportunity to introduce yourself, what you do and who you serve.

Now the key to a great one is to make it genuine, succinct and memorable. Often times my clients come to me asking for help with perfecting their Elevator Speech so that they can close more complimentary strategy sessions, get more sales or gain more clients. But your primary goal shouldn’t be an on the spot sale it should be to entice those you meet to connect with you for a more in – depth conversation at a later point.

The Breakdown of a Great Elevator Speech

1. Capture Their Attention – When it’s your turn to answer the “What do you do?” question, you want to make sure when you explain what you do that it doesn’t bore your listener to tears. Choose your words wisely and be creative about your approach.

2. Make It Clear and Simple – Make sure you include who you are, what you do, who you work with and what you do to solve a particular problem.

3. Focus On What People Struggle With – The real secret to a great speech is to identify what you help people overcome or deal with. When you focus on how you support others with the work you do or product you offer, it will help the listener understand if they can benefit from what you do or if they know of someone else that may

4. Practice – It takes practice to come up with a free flowing Elevator Speech. I recommend that you practice it by writing it and reading it aloud. See how it sounds. Does it sound interesting? Boring? Believable? Too salesy? The more you practice it the more comfortable you’ll feel when you deliver it.

5. Sell Yourself with Confidence – selling yourself and what you do is about confidence. It’s also about knowing your products and services so well that you can easily tell someone how what you do can solve their problem. As you deliver your speech more and more it will start to fall off your tongue but more importantly you want to make sure that you believe what you’re saying. Own your speech!

Keep in mind that your Elevator Speech is your first impression. Your objective is to deliver a solid and memorable overview of who you are and what you do. Consider that it’s your business card delivered in person. A good speech will make your listener take action by either following up with you or referring someone else to you who may benefit from what you do.

Do you have a solid Elevator Speech? What can you do to twist it around and deliver one that’s memorable and elicits action?

Jeannie Spiro, The Employee to Solopreneur Breakthrough Mentor, teaches professional employees and those who have left the corporate grind how to start their solo business, attract their ideal clients, develop multiple streams of income, and create the life of their dreams. For FREE tips on how to create and expand your own solo business, even if you’re still on the job, visit http://ShesConfident.com

Mastering Your Greatest Networking Tool: Your Elevator Speech

While taking many of them through the process of turning one-purchase customers into repeat-purchase clients, there has usually been a clear understanding that it is based around selling more to each client – having a ‘back-end’ of products and services to sell to them.

But for the majority, there has been a stumbling block…

… what exactly should they offer?

Well, the good news is that there is a relatively easy thing you can do to help you come up with some ideas, although it may be a new concept for many business owners…

… ASK your customers what they need and what you can do for them.

Now it might seem an obvious thing to say, but it’s surprising how many business people don’t appear to speak to, or communicate with, their customers regularly enough!

A big part of the problem as I see it, is that there is too much emphasis placed on trying to generate new prospects.

While this is obviously important for a business to grow, it is often at the expense of the huge goldmine already in the business which is waiting to be tapped… existing customers and clients.

Independent research has shown, time and again, that the most common cause of a customer leaving your business and buying from a competitor – actually around 68% of the customers who leave will do so for this reason – is because they feel ignored. They feel that once they have made their first purchase with you, your business just doesn’t care about them.

So, this approach of asking your customers what they actually want – what their problems are for which they may well need your help – helps you kill three birds with one stone…

1. Firstly, it gives you a reason to touch base with them, which demonstrates you care, and can lead to a longer, more profitable relationship.
2. Secondly, you are seen to take a genuine interest, in the needs, wants and wellbeing of your customers, by finding out what else you can do to help them.
3. And finally, it gives you the opportunity to create – or to find someone to partner with who already has – additional products or services you can offer your customers, which will solve their problems.

To give you some ideas of what to look for, here are some products/services which were created by my customers after they had quizzed their customers…

Web Designer

One of the things which came out of the questioning process for Mark, was that his customers wanted to be able to do basic (but effective) Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in-house, to gain the benefits without paying the “exorbitant charges” some SEO experts were asking for.

Mark teamed up with an SEO expert and now sends his clients a quarterly report on the top, most effective SEO tactics, together with examples, tools, website listings, and other useful information.

By publishing quarterly, he can keep up to date with any changes Google make, and also keeps in touch with his clients at least 4 times a year.

But that’s not all…

Mark has also turned this report into an income stream with his SEO partner, where they are selling the report as a standalone item, and are currently making an additional £19,400 per year (and growing) with no additional cost or effort.

Accountancy Practice

This accountancy practice found many of their clients wanted to understand their Cashflow Forecasts, and their balance sheet. It turned out that many of the clients didn’t really understand how they could use the information to plan their business properly.

So one of the senior partners started running 2 hour workshops on a Saturday morning, to demystify accounting.

Within 6 months each session had an average of 18 attendees – many of them ‘non-clients’ – a significant number of which converted into clients.

So, actually, your clients may well give you ideas for opportunities you would have never have thought of, just by asking them.

Make the effort to talk to them and find out if there are other things they need – whether you provide them or not – and see if you can help them, either directly, by joint ventures or through introductions.

Just by focusing a bit more attention on your existing customers, you can easily (and cheaply) create additional revenue, WITHOUT having to spend a fortune on ineffective advertising.

Jez Hunt is the owner of The Client Relationship Guy. Find out how you can increase your profits without increasing your marketing budget at his Free blog today: http://theclientrelationshipguy.com/blog/. You can also subscribe to weekly tips about “How To Build Profitable Customer Relationships “.

How To Find Out Exactly What To Sell To Your Customers To Gain Repeat Business

I am not talking here about financial benefits. If you are a great employer you know the market levels of financial reward and presumably you are paying a fair salary in return for the work of your employees. Pensions are another financial reward which I know is subject to all manner of pressures, so you may not be able to offer a Roll’s Royce service in this regard. Having said that, if your financial rewards are in the top quartile of your industry then you need to shout them from the roof tops.

You and I both know though that salary in itself is not the reason you are an employee of choice and why your employees will give their best. Lots of research proves that point. To be an employer of choice, you must market your non-financial rewards and make sure your employees appreciate them for what they are. They are perks over and above the market rate and not all employers will provide them. Communication is the key here. If you don’t quantify the rewards, then employees may well simply take them for granted.

Some of the most common non-financial rewards which can be effective are health club facilities or subscriptions. Membership of sporting clubs or social activities: Reduced private health care membership. In short anything to do with the health of your employees. These can be popular, not just because it helps your employees to keep fit and well, but also it shows you actually care about their wellbeing.

If you have particularly good terms and conditions of service/policies, then make sure you market them to make you stand out from the crowd. For example if you provide childcare facilities, are family friendly and work hard to incorporate flexible working in all its various shapes and forms. A colleague I worked alongside several years ago has stayed in the same organisation for years longer than she would have otherwise, because the company offered homeworking. She is one of the best brains in her team and would have no difficulty obtaining a job elsewhere, but the work/life balance the organisation provides is key for her. It has engendered a sense of loyalty as she sees them as an enlightened and understanding employer.

Another non-financial benefit is about career opportunities an organisation provides. It is not necessarily about sponsorship, although this helps; but it is about how far the business is prepared to go to develop the skills, knowledge and experience of the workforce. This can be about increasing qualifications; providing a variety of job opportunities with regular job rotation; or outlining a clear and compelling career path.

If you have a great media profile, and this can be on a local, regional or national basis, and especially within specific industry publications; prospective and existing employees know this. It is great to be mentioned in articles, and news items. If you give your employees credit and celebrate the successes of your company regularly and widely; then this is a clear benefit as these activities will embed your status as an employer of choice and your employees will feel like being identified with you is a benefit.

The environment your business provides can be a clear benefit. If you have swish new offices or if the location is in picturesque countryside then describing this can influence prospective employees. Are you near shops, and are there banks: crèches: health clubs nearby? For some people, location and environment can be deal breakers.

A large organisation moved from a central city location to an out of town office complex with few facilities and for many employees meant further to travel. Nearly every member of staff reported that the move had decreased their motivation. Additionally when downsizing was announced two of the best employees requested to go, and part of their reason was around location. Now I know that if you do have to relocate for financial or other business reasons then you have to sell that move well to your employees. But my point is, if you have a great location, then make sure you advertise this and highlight the benefits to your employees and prospective employees.

If you are clear about the holistic offer to your employees and you promote and underline the benefits at every opportunity; you will hardwire your people and prospective recruits to understand all of the benefits not simply non-financial.

What do you think: Do you have any successful ideas about employee benefits which have helped attract and retain staff?

Author: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christina_Lattimer

Employee Benefits As an Employer of Choice

Employees go to school, seminars, trainings, mentoring sessions, and meetings and when it comes to an end they may have the feeling that it’s over and that’s enough listening and absorbing. I’m done with it, and that’s enough. So the trainings are over or the program is finished and that is great. People who have gone through these should be proud. But now what? What is going to be done with what has been learned? How will people use the knowledge that was gained? Is there the chance that this will be filed away? How will this training and learning be reinforced and implemented? How will it actually contribute to greater success?

A project at the workplace has a ton of energy put into it. Reports are written, plans are made, goals are set, people are trained, at times policies and procedures are written and approved. But it doesn’t stop there. Now these projects have to implemented. This means everyone affected has to understand what is being done, why it is being done, and what the desired outcomes are. Is this what usually happens? Or is it more likely that there is little context provided for the desired changes?

There are so many rules, regulations, policies, procedures, memos, protocols, and systems that no one could know them all. Instead it is about knowing what affects the individual and knowing where to find the answers to situations as they occur. It means having the people in place that can make the decisions needed to ensure that they are providing customers with what the company has promised.

This is the reason to never say enough and to continually train and mentor employees. Companies invest in their employees because the companies seek to create smooth-running and productive teams. There is always room for improvement, even if it is someth9ing as simple as finding a better way to do a task. Don’t ever get too comfortable. A continuous improvement process should be a goal.

Most people are comfortable when they know where to find things, they know the job, they are accepted, and nothing seems out of the ordinary or unusual. But too much of this can make things stagnant. Feeling like nothing should change actually slows creativity down. Changes happen all the time in the work place.

Companies must be willing to change if they are to stay productive. Companies must adapt to trends, needs and wants of customers, changes in the economic landscape along with the needs of the employees. Embracing change helps employees take care of the customers in a better way.

Change is part of never being satisfied. This is great when thinking about the customer. How else can the customer get great service? What other products can be offered? How can problems be resolved faster? What ideas can come from the front line managers and the frontline employees? The front line is a valuable resource for any company.

Liz Cosline
Ownership Coach – certified/Team Enhancer
Head Coach – FFM

Been in business management for over 22 years receiving several awards.
Internationally published. Developed From the Front Management training program.

http://songofoneunexpectedlife.com
http://fromthefrontmanagement.com

In Business – Never Say Enough

You could just dash off a few notes and numbers on a piece of paper, but that is not likely to inspire confidence, especially if substantial money is involved in the project.

It’s best to meet the potential customer in person and hand them a business card, take down all the information you need – measurements, job requirements, restrictions, equipment needed, products desired, and so forth – and then head back to your office to write up a professional bid package.

It is increasingly common to have to generate detailed and professional looking quotes in the field for immediate delivery. Customers are increasingly expecting everyone to be able to provide instant documents electronically. You may travel in the field with nothing more than a smart phone or tablet computer. In these cases you can generate detailed Acrobat PDF quotes from your tablet computer using pre-designed quote templates that can be instantly emailed to the client. You can also transmit the financial details of a job and basic requirements back to your office and have your office staff build and deliver a quote on-the-spot.

What should that quote or bid package contain? Start with a brief Cover Letter, reminding the potential customer who you are and summarizing the details of the project you discussed, and provide all your contact information so the customer can easily get hold of you. Then include a Quote page, an Estimate page, or a Work Order form that indicates the cost for the work and might also include a request for a deposit. If you need an additional Contract form, add that. And if you offer a Guarantee for your work, it’s always nice to wrap up your bid with that page. Make sure all your pages look tidy and professional, and you’re done putting together a package for a short quote or bid.

If you are writing a longer bid with more variables, you might want to include a Statement of Work (a page that describes in detail what you are promising to do and when), and pages with Price Lists and/or Labor Rates so your potential customer understands the choices to be made and the costs involved.

If your job requires a lot of bid writing, your organization definitely falls into the “time-is-money” category, so consider starting with a pre-designed proposal kit to get a jump start on the process. A proposal kit will contain all the forms and contracts you’ll need, including all those pages mentioned above, as well as estimating spreadsheets you can use to calculate your quote. The topic pages in a pre-designed kit will be designed and laid out for visual appeal and include suggestions and examples to guide you. You can easily add your own company logo to personalize the pages in a kit that is customizable (such as based on Word documents). Make sure your kit includes tons of sample proposals, too, to review whenever you need ideas. A good proposal kit will include a comprehensive collection of material great for every sort of business writing, whether you’re producing short quotes and business letters or complex reports and lengthy proposals.

Ian Lauder has been helping small businesses and freelancers write their proposals and contracts for over a decade. => For more tips and best practices when writing your business proposals and legal contracts visit http://www.proposalkit.com

How to Write a Short Quote or Bid Proposal

Now as degrees are ‘sold’ by schools and ‘bought’ by students – they really only guarantee an interview, or maybe just a phone interview?

It was said ten years ago that a person entering the workforce had to be prepared to change jobs at least 7 times in their working life. Nowadays you have to be prepared to change careers at least 3 times, and here’s the trick – you have to be ready to move into careers that do not even exist yet.

As noted teacher Ken Robinson says, we are teaching children for a future 20 years from now, when really no-one can predict what is valid 5 years from now

So what’s the plan? How can you secure a guaranteed future?

You can’t. You never could. As my Mum used to say – “You could be hit by a bus tomorrow” Actually now I think about it, she used to say – “be careful you don’t get hit by a bus today” – even when I wasn’t going out anywhere.

You can never guarantee things that are outside your control – such as the future. But you can certainly give yourself all the advantages you need.

Here’s what you need

1) Prepare for change, be open to change, expect change. Don’t hold onto things that have gone, jobs, training, and last year’s successes. Be open minded, and open eyed and when your journey takes a turn – go with it, don’t try to force it back onto an old path.

2) Learn to learn, and then always be in the process of learning new things. Most schools and Universities, train their students by teaching what has passed. Train for the future by searching out what’s new, listen to new voices, and examine ideas outside of your culture or biases

3) Learn to ask questions, and then learn to collaborate. There is a small college on the West Coast that only has classes for 20 students where all the students in the class have to collaborate to explore and complete the course. Though this is a ‘liberal arts’ college, their graduates have gone into a wide variety of fields – Mathematical, Scientific, Engineering and Government Positions – fields that are desperately looking for people who can set up teams and collaborate with others to explore and complete tasks

4) Have your own goals for life that you set, which are not tied to a ‘job’ or ‘profession’. Set goals that you believe in and can invest true emotion in. Set goals that allow options. If you say “I want to be an accountant” that limits your options. If you say “I want to do something I enjoy that allows me to live in Hawaii 6 months of the year” – you have many more options.

5) Work on creating your own Network. A Network that helps you, supports you and guides you. A Network that can perhaps become your own client or customer base for future projects. But most importantly, a network that as a whole, allows you to create a space for yourself in this noisy work. A Network that gives you attention, and allows you to give back in return

6) Never be frightened of change. Never be frightened of making mistakes. Be prepared to be wrong about everything. Always be in the process of achievement. Enjoy what you have now, not what you “would of, could of, should of ‘had. Always be moving towards your goals.

From an upcoming Kindle book by Martin Gover - How to make money in any economy
He also has been know to idle aways days at martingover.com

How to Set Up Your Future – 6 Keys

If you want to become an entrepreneur, one of the primary problems you
will face is regarding generating the capital for your business. This can
create more problems if you are a newbie as you do not have contacts
or knowledge about this matter. In this post, we will discuss 5 ways to
generate capital for your business.

Use your own Savings

The easiest and the safest method to start business, is with your own
savings. This not only boosts your confidence, you remain debt free as
you do not own any money to a bank or person. The only demerit of
this method is that it may take a lot of time to accumulate the desired
capital through the savings. Moreover, it will also require you to make
compromises with your lifestyle. Thus this technique is more beneficial
for people who are not in hurry to start their business or the people with
low risk tolerance.

Selling your assets

Another method to arrange funds for your business is by selling your
assets. You can sell anything like your car, boat, jewelry or any other
asset. One important thing to remember here is that you should not try
to make the sale in hurry as it may fetch you less money for the asset.
The number of items to sell depends mainly on the amount of capital
required for your business. You can also liquidate some funds from your
portfolio investments after consulting your financial advisor. Again, you
can combine both the saving and the money obtained from selling assets
for starting your business.

Work for extra income

This practice is more useful for hard working people. A lot of people

accumulate the desired amount in less time. This is because of the fact
that your present job is already covering your basic expenses. As such,
all the contributions from the second job can go into savings for business
capital.

Take a personal Loan or loan for business loan

You can easily get a personal loan as a number of banks and other
financial institutions provide such services. It becomes easier if you are
employed and have a good credit rating. A number of micro-finance
institutions also provide loans for businesses. In order to avail this
facility, you need to have a good business plan and a good credit history.

You may apply for business loans but the interest rates are generally
higher in comparison to the personal loans. However, you are able to
get loans for higher amount. You need to have a good business plan and
provide some security against the loan amount too.

Borrow money from your family of friends

Another commonly used method for generating capital for business is
by borrowing money from friends and family. The advantage of this
method is that you get the loan at little or no interest. Moreover, you are
not forced to pay back the loan in a particular time interval.

Contact

www.loansforpeoplewithverybadcredit.net
if you would like a free guest post for your website.

5 ways to generate capital for your business

This means that in order to become a good analyst, one has to be willing to be very critical at what they do. Any mistakes made during analysis or policy formulation (a process in which the analyst is heavily involved in) could lead to massive losses. In extreme cases, it could even lead to complete shutdown of the company.

In addition to analysis of the current business structures, such an analyst is also very useful when it comes to the design of a business process. This is important skill is useful when starting a new company or when restructuring an already existing one. As with analysis, the cost of mistakes when doing the design can also be costly. For instance when starting a business, any major mistake that the analyst makes means that the company would start operations on the wrong foot. Once the organization has gained impetus, such mistakes can be difficult and expensive to correct.

The other important role of such an analyst in today’s business environment is integration of technologies with the current business models. For instance, before implementing a new technology in any business, it is often necessary to get an analyst to study the current business set up, and then try to figure out the effect that the technology would have on business. In the same vein, the business analysts can also suggest modifications of current operations so as to ensure that implementation of the new technology is smooth. If the technology has to be modified in order to fit into the current business, it would be the role of the analysts to suggest how this should be done for maximum effect. As one can see, the role of business analysts is very important and should not be taken for granted.

In summary, business analysis is a career that can be very fulfilling, but which comes with a lot of responsibility. To find more in-depth information about the career, you can simply visit this page http://www.businessanalystfaq.com/businessanalyst.htm.

The Various Roles of a Business Analyst in Any Organization

You are able to choose a superior bargain on the personal loan, your money enhance possibilities should really simply put to use if you are during terrible straits and want to own funding proper at the time!Where you get a small company LoanThere are lots of distinctive regions where one can get yourself a small enterprise personal loan and obtain the money regarding home business payments that you desire. The right place get started on interested in organization make the most the type of a loan would be to call at your local loan company ; they’ll have the ability to provide the least expensive mortgage rates. Should your credit is below average, you will possibly not would like to consider this option and you will will want to look in a different place. Ensure that you consider doing this brain so that you get the best pace.Utilizing Individuals to secure a LoanAnother element that can be done is that you could get hold of organization capital through a venture capitalist.

They will not necessarily impose a fee the bottom monthly interest utilizing this type of capital designed for business mortgage, however they are generally far better from offering to the people that may don’t have the top credit standing. That is something that you surely want to scan through so that you are obtaining a method and you are therefore obtaining cash that a company regularly.If you’re an private business operator, it’s so crucial that you ensure that you receive a loan product that works for you. There are a lot of numerous tips to get a borrowing arrangement, but you strive to be certain that you find which one is right for anyone with regards to the terms of the mortgage loan plus the monthly interest. You should make sure that you could possibly get the money when it’s needed, you won’t want to need to remain in addition to wait around for the item, on the internet the best thing currently while using the perfect mortgage company.

About the Author

I am Samith Jhon from Buzzmax.ca for International calls Services assistance? Let’s take Benefit of Buzzmax.ca Cheep Long distance calls Services for your business and Home and get rid Of all Calling Problems.

Finding Loans for a Small Business

Let us just start by debunking that myth straight away. There is no such thing as a self-made millionaire or a self-made anything!!!

Every person who has succeeded in any endeavour in life has had the help, directly or indirectly from a plethora of people. Indeed, success is the ultimate team sport.

It is important to address this ‘self-made’ myth because it is one of the most destructive influences affecting many small business owners. Why? Because it forces your business to remain small, longer than it should, due to you trying to do everything by yourself. And it could even lead to the outright destruction of your business.

Let us explore the network of formal and informal partnerships that you need to cultivate effectively in order for your business to thrive.

Support Team

Whether working with you directly as employees or serving as a virtual team operating in another time-zone, five thousand miles across the globe, you need to develop the skills to work with, harness the efforts of, and motivate a range of people who will help you deliver the results you want.

The first step however is to recognize your need for a support team and not try to undertake all tasks, simply because you want to save money as a small business. Frugality is essential, only up to the point where it begins to diminish the output and productivity of your business. At such a point, investing in the right support team is not really an option but a critical necessity.

Statistically, over 95 percent of registered businesses in the UK (and many other developed economies) fail within the first five years and most of them are one-man bands. I wonder how many of them failed simply because the business owner suffered burn-out, trying to do everything himself and could not carry on when the pressure became too much and he lost his vision.

The challenge often is that many business owners start their businesses based on a specific expertise they have and generally feel that other people could not undertake the same tasks to the same degree of competence or excellence that they would themselves.

That may be true but in the words of John D Rockefeller, I would rather have one percent of the efforts of a hundred people than one hundred percent of the efforts of one person, even if that one person is me.

The key is to select the team properly and guide them to the high level of competence you require for your specific business.

Customers / Clients

Many small business owners do not have a clear strategic understanding that a customer is a valued partner in your success, not just someone you sell goods or services to.

When a customer pays you a certain amount of money for your goods or services, she is in effect investing a certain portion of her life into her relationship with you.

Let’s look at it this way; say that a customer walks into your premises and buys your widget for £250 (British pounds) and she actually takes home £1000 (British pounds) per month (4 weeks) from her job. In essence, one week out of her working month which could be 40 hours or more of her life have just been placed in your hands.

For such a level of trust, it is critical to treat your customers with a high level of respect represented by great quality of your products / services and excellence in customer service.

They (the customers) are part of those who help to ‘make’ you.

Mentors / Business Coaches

Humility is acknowledging the support of the myriad people who have invested some part of their lives in you, no matter how small.

All truly successful people have had a mentor or coach at a point in their lives that served as the bridge over which they crossed from the land called average into the land called success.

Richard Branson, the legendary billionaire had his Freddie Laker; Susan Boyle, the musical sensation had her voice coach, Fred O’Neil and Myles Munroe, the global leadership statesman had his Oral Roberts.

Whom do you have as your mentor and / or business coach?

I urge you not to fall into the trap of trying to fly solo in building your business. Develop a different mentality that cherishes and cultivates great quality partnerships and this will leverage your business to a whole new level of success.

Yemi Akinsiwaju is a Business Growth & Leadership Development Consultant helping major organisations in the U.K successfully improve their business results.

He is also an international speaker, a coach, mentor and business strategist to SMEs and a published author of the highly acclaimed personal development classic, Scorecard: Achieving Success and Balance in A Turbulent World.

He can be contacted via: http://www.DaySpringConsult.com

Breaking the ‘Self-Made’ Myth That Destroys Business