Get Motivated

The best part of my days are my client meetings. I got into this business to touch people’s lives. Seeing the look on my client’s face after we complete a successful project is priceless. This is really my motivation.

The most interesting part of my job is getting to the bottom of what is truly important to my clients. Why did they get into the business that they are in? How does their mind work? Undoubtedly, the answer always starts with money… but I always find the real answer. We get into business to help others. That to me, is very motivating.

I’m excited about what the current state of the economy is doing for us small business owners. I firmly believe that cards are falling in our direction. Sure, we live in scary economic times but I see it as an opportunity for small business owners to get a stronger foothold in the American economy. As big entities like AIG and Circuit City fall, it just means that the small business owner is getting put into the position to be on a level playing field with these large corporations.

Our customers are our life-blood and we KNOW the importance of real customer satisfaction and real relationships. A company like Best Buy does not.

There is a movement happening as I type. Get motivated.

Document & Contact Management

How efficiently are you maintaining your business documents?

One more step to small business success is properly maintaining all of the paperwork required by your business. Most business owners have a system set up to track their invoices, contracts, receipts, etc. but how efficient is the system you are using?

Despite all the technological advancements we are fortunate to have, the SBA says that small business owners are spending 15% more time on paperwork and administrative duties. How much time are you spending on it? Now may be a good time to look at your entire business plan… if you aren’t maximizing your time, you aren’t maximizing you’re not making the most of your opportunities!

There is a local business here in Marietta call Papercache Systems that I highly recommend. If you’re business is in need of a more streamlined document management system, visit these guys online at http://www.pcsscan.com

Have a Great Weekend!

Do you have an online presence?

Have you taken your business online yet?  And we arent just talking website…

With social networking platforms like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and many, many more… you could be missing out on business opportunities if you arent connecting with people through these valuable tools.

Millions of people use social networking sites to communicate with old friends and family, but business owners have discovered the value in using these sites to boost business.  It is a brilliant prospecting tool.

Cobb Consulting can show you how to set up an account and leverage it for business growth.  We can also manage it for you since we know you’re busy!

Don’t miss out!  Let us help you today!

Sales Pipeline or Prospect Fountain?

We have talked about the ‘sales pipeline’ for many years now.  Time goes on, the ‘pipe’ fills up, and then suddenly everything falls into place.  People in sales often go through a slow one or two weeks, then all of a sudden the sales start dropping… then back and forth, and back and forth.  Its time to move away from the sales pipeline and onto the prospecting fountain.  Wouldn’t it be great if those slow weeks didn’t happen?

It is enough to drive you nuts!  And not just because it impacts our wallets, but it takes a toll on our mentality.  It is a huge contributor to failure.  The good news though is that it can be easily avoided.  Its all about balance, and how we approach every conversation we have.

The balancing act starts with time management.  Whether we are phone solicitors, door-to-door solicitors, or our business comes mostly from referrals, we absolutely must schedule a few hours a week to find new leads.  When actively prospecting, we encourage our clients to send all calls to voice mail and turn off email.  This is your time to feed your business.  If you budget your time appropriately than you will get back to those missed calls within a few hours.  Sales is about being prompt, but lets not forget that the world as a whole is lazy.  Your prospect will be okay if you aren’t returning the call immediately.  In fact, it may actually lend to your effectiveness in closing the sale because it makes you seem much less eager.  Also, it naturally helps you stay busy because you always have a call to return!

Once you master the act of managing your time than it is time to assess the things we say when talking with prospects.  Whether you are closing a deal or just talking with a new lead for the first time, it is imperative that you speak with confidence about your product and yourself.  Build some rapport and ask a TON of questions.  Take notes and understand what that prospects needs really are.  Pre-qualifying your prospect saves you both valuable time.  Too many sales people spend unbelievable amounts of time chasing prospects that just arent a good fit; meanwhile the good opportunities are passing right by.  ASK QUESTIONS.  Use your tone to set the stage for a successful business conversation.

With just a little tweaking, you can turn your pipeline into a fountain where it just flows….

We will talk more in the coming weeks about successful prospecting and get into some good information on gaining referrals and getting your phone to ring.

Stay tuned and good luck out there!

Obsessive Lead Tracker

I consider myself to be an obsessive lead tracker.

Once I find a prospect who is willing to talk to me, I hang on to their information indefinitely.  They will always be in my follow up routine.  In fact, some of my best customers come from leads that at some point had almost zero interest in talking with me.

Some of the most important advice I can give to anyone in sales or business ownership is to keep organized.  And I’m not talking about your desk (though that is important too).  I’m talking about really managing your leads.  You should be spending time every day, even multiple times a day to organize your leads.  You should keep them updated with current notes, updated contact information and a relevant follow up date.

Managing your leads could be as simple as keeping an old fashioned index file.  Some may keep an excel spreadsheet or even start an access database file.  Choose the method that works best for you and stick with it.  Just like your business plan, you should be evaluating your lead strategy often.  Your leads are the life-blood of your sales and if you neglect them, you could be setting yourself up for a hard fall.

Whats Your Plan?

Whether you have been in business for twenty years or you are just starting out, you need a plan. If you are a veteran business owner than you may need to re-write your plan.

For anyone in business for themselves, you know that new ideas come to you all the time. For true entrepreneurs, new business ideas will make or break us.

What are you doing with these ideas?

If you aren’t writing them down, shame on you! The best advice I can give you is to stop reading this and go to the store. Pick up some pocket sized memo pads and take one with you everywhere. When something comes to you, jot it down! At the end of the day or the start of the next one you will be so glad to still have that idea.

Okay, so now that you still have the idea… whats next? Develop a plan. Start by writing down your goal or vision for this particular idea. Brainstorm the ways that you think you can reach that goal and achieve your vision.

The ideas I’m talking about can be anything from starting a blog about ‘x’ to starting your own restaurant. The best part about planning and tracking this progress is that we have something to build on. As cliche as it is, writing it down and having a tangible reference can be the difference between success and failure.

Eventually, these notes and ideas will lead to a full fledged business plan. I talk with people all the time who either own their business or want to start one, and they don’t understand how to write a business plan. I go to the bookstore and see shelves lined with books on how to write a business plan. The most important advice I can ever give you is that there is no right or wrong way to construct a true business plan. Ultimately, it is what we make it. What works for me, might not work for you. BUT, if you have a plan and you work it… it will work.