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| Each month I choose topics of interest to provide insight for my readers. By subscribing you will receive automatically. All previous newsletters are archived on this page. Please contact me if there is a specific topic you would like me to explore and write about. |
October 18th, 2011
One of the most effective ways to increase your marketing effectiveness is to partner with others in your marketing efforts for your business. As a coroporate business speaker, my Ignite newsletter provides specific motivational techniques to help you improve your marketing effectiveness.
Developing Your Marketing Assets
If you are starting any business today, one of the most important activities you must plan for is capturing contacts. Contacts are the biggest asset you have, and if you can prove you know how your contacts can benefit another business, you’ve developed a serious marketing asset. I still believe it’s not what you know, but who you know that is more beneficial. More importantly, it’s your ability to engage the resources you know. The first step is to let them know what’s going on. A consistent news campaign like this one is important to keep them at the forefront of your mind.
Strategic Business Alliances Do Work
Most organizations today have limits on their marketing budgets. Strategic alliances provide the path, share in the expense and share in the opportunity. Recently, my team has been focused on implementing “A Taste of Rain” corporate training programs for advisors and attorneys. An alliance was developed with three other firms that market and service those entities. The net result is shared expense and shared opportunity. How did we make it happen? We came together and brainstormed on marketing ideas that might help all of us move one step closer to our goals. Each entity handled one aspect of the conference, which resulted in less overall work for everyone. The net result has been new contacts and, in some cases, new contracts.
The Power of Trades
Events have become an effective mechanism for branding and marketing, but the challenge is controlling costs. If you have developed your marketing asset, you have the ability to demonstrate to the venue what you can bring them in new prospective clientele. Act like a corporate business speaker: show them your marketing plan and how you plan to exploit their visibility. The bottom-line is that it is marketing dollars they don’t have to spend, and it can be used as a means to help you control your costs. The first step is to support the venue. It needs to be a place you enjoy and where you desire to build a relationship. This needs to be an establishment where you can entertain both your personal and professional guests.
I hope these tips prove beneficial to you and your business.
Tags: building relationships, cost control, marketing, strategic alliances, success
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October 12th, 2011
You have about 15 seconds to make a compelling impression, and it has to rock the world of your potential audience. Motivational keynote speakers face this all the time. You might be selling yourself for a job, your company, your products, services or ideas. Recently, I asked 10 teachers what they did, and they all responded that they are teachers. That was an answer, but what does it really tell you? Absolutely nothing! Marketing experts and corporate business speakers learned long ago that, to get our attention, the advertisement must be compelling.
What is compelling about you?
In today’s environment, we’ve all become brands. Social media has pushed us to a state where getting the opportunity to stand out is easy, based on available platforms, but getting noticed is much harder. To make your message compelling, you should first examine the outcomes of what you do. Who benefits and how do they benefit? What are the outcomes for students, families and the communities, if you are a teacher? The outcomes from your work are what’s compelling, not your position or title. The same thing applies to companies. What are the outcomes of the services or products your company provides? The benefit of this approach is replication. Once you understand it, others will also.
How should you build your brand?
First things first–and that is to develop a compelling introduction. It will only be a maximum of 5-15 seconds. Secondly, write it out and update everything. All of your social media site presence should incorporate your compelling introduction. This is the process of making your recognizable differences, recognizable. Thirdly, practice on everyone. This means your family, friends and associates. There are often diamonds in your backyard. The purpose of practice is to develop your own authenticity.
What should you expect?
Some say “expect the unexpected.” As a motivational speaker, I say “expect a great deal of new opportunity.” I’m currently coaching a business owner in Little Rock, Arkansas, named Scott M. Scott and I rehearsed his compelling intro and the important things in his life. He began using it immediately over the phone, in person and as an opening for a marketing event to clients. All I can say is that he is now considered a rock star. Everyone knew he was a financial planner in his community, but the passion was not present. His new compelling opening has led to a flood of new business and opportunities that doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon.
Tags: compelling introduction, inspirational, motivational, Robert Van Arlen, selling
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July 19th, 2011
I have lots of “friends” on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn that range from my grandmother to my car mechanic. It’s great to be able to keep in touch with the people you’re close to and have conversations with people you normally never would, but this huge leap in communication has caused a bit of a problem. Now that we’re talking to more people than ever, we’ve begun to shift our speech and have started using terms that I call “impersonal pseudo-names”. Believe me, it’s a daunting term, but hear me out. It seems like everywhere I turn I’m being called “man” or “buddy” or someone texts me and just says “hey”. While I think it’s great to have that kind of communication with a select group of people, when you communicate like that with everyone, it doesn’t make everyone feel like they’re in your select group. It makes everyone feel like an afterthought, like you’re being impersonal.
Let’s imagine a scenario: you’re sitting at Starbucks and an old friend sits down in front of you, looks you straight in the eyes and says “hey,” and that’s all. They just sit there and stare at you. Feeling a little awkward, you take a second to respond, but before you do, again they look you straight in the eyes, and say “hey,” like you didn’t hear them. That’s an awkward situation, but it’s the type of situation we all deal with every day through digital communication, like texting. Countless times I’ve received the “hey” text and, not having time to respond right away, received another just minutes later. Whatever happened to sending someone more than just one word in a message? Texting someone “hey” doesn’t tell them why you’re contacting them, what you’re doing, what you’d like them to do. It’s essentially pointless communication, and it makes the person you’re contacting feel like you’re not attentive to the conversation. Even with friends, that type of conversation is a bit weird and awkward. In a business environment, that conversation would be absolutely detrimental. Wouldn’t you prefer to get a text that said “Robert! How’s your day going? I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch?” rather than just “hey.” I know I would.
It seems like everywhere I go, people are putting on this faux face of friendliness, and talking to you like the two of you are best pals. I absolutely love when someone greets me with a smile and a hello, but I find it a little unprofessional when I walk into a business environment and a stranger walks up, pats me on the back, and says, “Hey, buddy.” Building a strong relationship with the people you do business with is an incredibly important and useful tool, but it takes time to build. In a professional environment, it’s a good rule of thumb to assume that not everyone is going to be as comfortable with the same level of casualness as you are. When you meet someone for the first time, don’t try and be the hip 80’s business man and be touchy-feely, just greet them professionally. If they respond in a more casual way, that’s a good gauge as to how you should behave around them in the future.
In the business world, you can be impersonal without ever having said anything along the lines of “buddy,” “pal,” “man” or “hey” just by being “fake”. “Fake” is a pretty broad term, but what I’m referring to is putting on an unrealistic persona of over-friendliness. In general, people are smart and see right through that sort of thing. Instead of sending a message of friendliness, the people around you immediately begin to mistrust you and become unsure of your intentions. Whether through your persona, words, or actions, just be a genuine person, and I promise you that people will warm up and enjoy your company. Oh, and don’t call me “man”.
Tags: communication, social media
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June 27th, 2011
We all love it when we get the referral. I know that my personal business of speaking, coaching and training is based on my ability to get referrals. The challenge with referrals is that you have to ask for them. The good news is you can ask a complete stranger for a referral. First, your introduction must be compelling, concise and clear. The most important factor to your introduction is how your business or service benefits others. The next step is to explore any opportunities to assist them, even beyond your services. You must show sincere interest in how you can participate in their growth before asking how they might be able to participate in yours.
Finally, don’t forget to ask everyone. If you already work with them, let them know that you are focused in growing your business with clients as great as they are. Keep them in the loop of your progress with their referral and, if appropriate, send them a thank you gift. Nothing too extravagant, but gift cards are always welcomed.
Advocates are Partners in Your Success
When a client becomes an advocate, they are now a partner in your success. You have achieved a level of trust, reliability and friendship that leads to an enthusiastic support of your success. To gain that level of trust, you have to get to know your client, and get involved with what they are passionate about. The power of building advocates is based on the ability to become a valuable resource for your client and their contacts. People typically spend time with others of like mind, thus their friends will have similar interests.
The key to building advocates is sincerity. Your support must be real and of substance. Volunteer to do things because it is something of interest to you. The simplest way to initiate the process of building advocates is to support the activities your client enjoys. You should begin to add client activities to your database. For example, if you know their favorite music group, give them tickets to a concert with backstage passes when the band is in their city.
The bottom-line is to help them experience the things they love. If your clients are involved in a charity, offer to buy a seat at their table or offer to sponsor their table for them. Who do you think will be sitting with you? If you are sincere, your sincerity will shine through and lead to new opportunity.
Special Offer from Robert Van Arlen
I would like to extend an opportunity to anyone who needs help. If you know of someone who needs help developing referrals and advocates, forward this newsletter to them, and I will contact them personally.
Check back for next month’s feature article: The Best Way to Sell Yourself
Tags: advocates, customer service, grow your business, referrals
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May 12th, 2011
Synchronicity is one of the best ways to describe a system that works. Individuals and organizations that achieve synchronicity have achieved a level of balance and consistency that propels success. Gaps are filled and obstacles are overcome when the level of effort is aligned with the desired result.
In this second quarter of the year, you have an excellent opportunity to improve your rhythm. Someone once said, it is not how you start, it is how you finish. Excuses are the greatest reason why most individuals don’t accomplish personal goals.
To consistently produce your desired results, you should thoroughly understand how to establish a pace that is aligned with the destination you want to achieve. Visualize the finish line while eliminating excuses that slow your pace.
Your performance in life is based on your ability to develop a synchronized rhythm. Your rhythmic masterpiece is directly linked to your daily rhythmic practice.
Rhythms for Peak Career Performance
Your rhythm benchmarks are measurements that help to drive accountability. If your goal is to achieve a promotion at work, the rhythm benchmarks you will want to establish include the following:
- Identify specific tasks and systems you need to learn
- Initiate your own training or certification necessary to fulfill the role
- Network with at least two other motivational individuals who are masters in the role
Rhythms for Peak Personal Performance
If your goal is to improve your health, you will want to establish rhythm benchmarks for accountability. These may include the following:
- Identify resources to improve your knowledge (books, motivational conferences, etc.)
- Initiate a daily standard of excellence for healthy food choices and exercise (what does it look and feel like)
- Network with at least two other individuals who are masters at living a healthy lifestyle
Rhythm Benchmarks for Peak Entrepreneurial Performance
If your goal is to achieve a specific level of income for your business, you may want to include the following:
- Identify new customers/clients with whom you want to do business
- Initiate your learning of how you can help them grow
- Network with motivational individuals who are successful in your industry or business
Although I said it’s not always how you start, it’s how you finish, I fibbed a bit. It is how you start AND how you finish. Your rhythm begins as soon as you wake up. For a moment, consciously think about what you do in the morning to insure your day gets started on the right track. What could you add to your regimen to make yourself more effective?
- Exercise
- Read something motivational associated with your goal
- Listen to something positive
- Play your favorite song
Keep in mind that your day is filled with distractions that will affect your rhythm. The first hour of your day can determine your ability to achieve synchronicity.
Tags: motivational keynote speaker, performance, success
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February 2nd, 2011
I strongly believe that, in 2011, we will see the envelope pushed to another level when it comes to sales and marketing. Advertisers are already scrambling to find their place with the new technologies and phone apps are changing our lives by the minute. The new touch screen pads wars are going to hit high gear as we move completely into the age of “Smart Life.” Smart Life, as I see it, will become the frontier to gage our socioeconomic accomplishments and gaps. Thousands at a time, we will emerge, showing our new gadgets that control our learning, entertainment, relationships and lives. We will see things in ways we’ve never seen before, as our global technological landscape connects us 24/7 with both friends and foes.
What are we giving up?
Some of the gains are obvious, but I heard someone say not long ago that the biggest technology change in the 1900s that impacted our ability to relate and communicate was the microwave. The benefits were obvious and were sold to us as a convenience. What we lost was the experience of the daily preparation of food. Our children began to fend for themselves, as the volume of heat-able meals became available at an affordable price. The seven days of formal food prep became six, and reduced to zero literally overnight, except on those special occasions.
The advancements that we will experience this year are yet another cornerstone of monumental change. We will be able to control our homes, cars and lives in ways we never imagined just a few years ago. What we will continue to lose is the human connection and the ability to communicate with purpose. Relationships will become shallower each passing day, as we initiate and halt with just a symbol.
How can we win?
We will win by creating opportunities to engage meaningful lifestyle enhancements. Relationships will thrive in group settings, as virtual communities are established with live interactive broadcasts to all of our “Smart Life” devices. We will win through the advancement of health, wellness and education. We will forge new relationships based on true common interest. Ultimately, we have an opportunity to change what might be harmful in a swift manner. Growth can only come when there are movements, and I predict there will be movements. Change is a constant, and we are establishing a new speed for change. Enjoy the ride!
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December 21st, 2010
2010 just flew by, with many ups and downs and turns. Most of us experienced some type of change in our lives. The question – is where do we go from here?
I opened this year with a newsletter titled Lessons from Grandma Walls. It was the most-opened newsletter I’ve ever published, as I spoke about the most influential person in my life. The topics included:
Keeping it Real
Never Lose Faith
Always Help Others
Earn the Respect of Family and Friends
Make a Game Plan and Stick with It
I close this year sharing the journey of the woman who is at the center of my heart. A few months ago, we learned Grandma Walls has breast cancer and, during the upcoming Holidays, she will be going through surgery. I spoke to her just the other day, and she is still inspiring others by keeping it real. Her faith is still strong and she has informed us not to worry.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Grandma Walls for all of her support, inspiration and direction. She has been the gift in my life that has allowed me to inspire and direct others. No matter what we go through, the one thing that is important is our family.
I sincerely wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and thank you for all of your support. Let’s continue to keep it real as we enter 2011.
Warm Regards,
Robert Van Arlen
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December 3rd, 2010
In this article, I’m continuing the discussion on top line growth. In today’s environment, cuts have to happen, but not at the expense of growth. There are activities that can make a difference in raising the revenue tide.
Eliminate the Non-believers
When things get tight, the non-believers need to be weeded out quickly. There is no room for negativity if the top line is your focus. Top line growth may require dynamic changes in how you address the market. The key to growing your top line is honesty. Tough questions must be asked with the understanding that the outcome may open the door to new opportunities. Are we, as an organization, truly aligned with our customers? Do we know and understand our customers’ strategic initiatives? Can we develop new market channels with our products, knowledge, technology or resources?
Have a Top Line Party
Social gatherings in business are the norm, but a top line party is brainstorming on steroids. Several years ago, I learned the value of the top line party, as I invited all my sales directors to an after-hours meeting to discuss specific ways we might be able to grow the business. There was only one rule, and that was to review accounts and determine how much opportunity fuel we were leaving in the tank. After completing this activity, we moved in the direction of what was stopping us from obtaining this business. The outcomes became priorities. Some were immediate and others were long-term, as they required changes in structure, technology and resources to capture and service the growth. Overall the top line party was successful and became a scheduled event.
Don’t Give Up
You can never give up and throw in the towel to just a cutting philosophy. If you cut too much, you will eventually reach the core of your organization’s competency. Being profitable requires a delicate balance, as well as an ability to make strategic decisions that don’t always turn out the way you’ve planned. The business world has evolved into such an advanced technological universe of its own, that many of us have forgotten basic principles, like client touch is first and foremost. People make and break business, technology assists in the processes, and whatever you do, don’t give up on marketing. Your marketing programs that support your sales efforts must be constant, multi-faceted and laser sharp.
Tags: top line growth
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September 13th, 2010
As I continue to speak to companies around the country, there is one thing I see that many have in common. Everyone has become an expert in cutting back. Some have all but given up trying to grow their top line. The question on the table is, how can an organization grow the top line today? Without wasting any time, I will get to the point:
- Management Get Out
- Motivate the Entire Company
- Make Sure Your Goals are Specific and Well-Communicated
- Get Your Customers to Sing About You
- Eliminate the Non-believers
- Have a Top Line Party
- Don’t Give Up
- Let the Real Talent Do What They Do Best
Management Get Out
If you have Manager, Supervisor or Director behind your name, make sure you provide any contacts you may know who might be a good customer, and help generate revenue in your organization. If you are a senior leader, call your sales manager and request an opportunity to go out on sales calls. There is nothing like having your face in front of the customer. Don’t try to make the sell, just let the client know you and your entire organization appreciate their business.
Motivate the Entire Company
Leaders today must convey the real message, but also must be positive in their outlook. Your vision and communication of what it’s going to take to win has to be on-point. Create a culture of appreciation by appreciating others. This starts from the top and the bottom.
Make Sure Your Goals are Specific
Be confident in what the goal is you are going to achieve. Your communication should be geared towards a level of actualization that brings about a calmness. Don’t be afraid to ask for more from people. You can get more if they see you’re doing everything you can to support them. It’s contagious.
Get Your Customers to Sing About You
Your clients are your greatest asset in sales. If you truly know you are the best at service and have earned it, ask them for a testimonial…maybe even a video testimonial. This gives your sales team more bullets for their gun.
I will cover the other 4 points in the next issue. If you feel you need the other points sooner, please give me a call. In the meantime, let’s stay focused and ignited!
Tags: goal-setting, motivation, top line growth
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July 7th, 2010
As companies continue to navigate through the challenges of the economy, the folks at the top are trying to figure out how we produce more with less. Every salesperson has a sales universe. That universe consists of people and activities: the people that can affect any aspect of the sale and activities necessary to make and maintain the sale. It all intertwines into a pretty complex model.
Most sales organizations have their sales team focused on finding the sale, building the relationships, being the touch-point in the relationship for growing business, and insuring that if supported by a service organization, this team has all the vital resources they need to support the sale.
Everyone has a comfort zone
As I’ve had the opportunity to work with teams throughout the country, it’s been interesting how they’ve answered the question, “what’s your comfort zone?” It is something that is easily identifiable. Most salespeople enjoy some aspect of the sale, but when I ask the question, “what is one activity that will take you out of your comfort zone?”…the leading response I receive is “networking.”
Dynamic Networking
Networking today has become local, regional, national and global. Some salespeople need to master it all to become more effective. Social media, Skype, Go-to-Meeting and other resources provide a platform to build networks of resources that extend beyond local. Larger companies have platforms within their organizations to encourage internal networking. Social media sites have taught us the power of using our network to network.
On a local stage, this can also be accomplished in two ways. First, find a group that sells to your customer and work with them to indentify lead sources you may be unaware of. You also have to be willing to be a resource for your group. Secondly, every place you frequent–for instance, a restaurant—make sure everyone understands, without a shadow of doubt, what you do and what will help you grow. In other words, get to know everyone in your universe including but not limited to the Starbucks team, favorite restaurant, dry cleaners, church, softball team–I think you get the point.
One of the greatest teachers of networking, for those who truly want to take their game to the next level, is a guy I met many years ago. Dave Sherman is the author of 50 Top Tips—A Simple Guide to Networking Success. For more on Dave, visit www.daveshermanspeaks.com.
Tags: networking, sales
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