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BAD challenge

Networking 501

February 24, 2014 by Nancy Fields Leave a Comment

compass pointing to word Customer business customer concept

At a recent 1-to-1 with a fellow BNI member and Fine Art Portrait Photographer, Michael Epaul, he came well prepared to our meeting. “I read and earmarked, Givers Gain,” I said sheepishly.

Michael’s a pro. Always ready for the next business opportunity, he presented me with 5 different sheets of information about himself, as recommended by BNI. Oops. Missed that memo.

At first glance, two of the most confusing sheets to understand, were his list of 10 Competitors and Top 3 Contact Spheres.

10 Competitors

It wasn’t a list of his competitors, rather it was a list of his best customers competitors. For example, if his most enjoyable work comes from landscape businesses, which need to showcase their work such as landscaping patios, driveways, natural and manmade stone sidewalks and retaining walls, then his best customer’s competitors would also be high-end landscapers.

Michael would not go to his best customer’s competition down the street. Instead, he would go outside his best customer’s geographic area, to other high-end landscapers. Through his contacts at BNI, he shares his Top 10 Ten Competitors List of landscape businesses he’s targeting, and asks if they know anyone on his list. If they do, would they make a referral so that he’s not cold calling?

Armed with an impressive portfolio of landscape photography, plus an introduction, he has a greater chance of picking up new business than if he was to cold call, or send a brochure in the mail.

Contact Sphere List

To determine his top 3 list of professions in a Contact Sphere, Michael first drew up a list of the 10 industries associated with weddings because Michael also specializes in wedding photography and portraiture. His list contained everyone from a florist to a wedding event planner. From that list of 10, he whittled it down to the three professions that would help round out his Contact Sphere.

Now, the next time I go to my hair salon, and my hair dresser tells me about the styling the bride and bridesmaids’ hair (which she has told me on more than one occasion), I can recommend a really great wedding photographer, and hand her one of Michael’s cards. She might want to hire Michael to photograph specialty hairstyles to promote this type of work to increase her own business, plus she might be able to recommend Michael to her customers, if they’re looking for someone to photograph their wedding.

Before There Was Social Media There Was Business Networking

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have certainly made networking feel new and exciting.

Taking the time, and making a commitment to reach out to other business people and letting them know who I would most like to work with, and what services I can offer, can take my business to a whole new level…the old fashioned way.

Filed Under: business, Networking Tagged With: BAD challenge, BNI

Eat Your Vegetables

February 20, 2014 by Nancy Fields Leave a Comment

 

Girl And Healthy Broccoli Diet

Do you have a blog? Each time I ask my clients if they want a blog page on their WordPress website I can feel the energy change…immediately. The once enthusiastic and positive thoughts about having a website are suddenly transformed to moans and groans, questions about why they need a blog page, and all the excuses why they don’t need one. Does this sound familiar? I had the exact same response the first time my social media and marketing coach broke the unwelcomed news.

I blog, therefore I exist

The only reason I agreed to have a blog page was that I could repurpose my weekly e-zine articles. The e-zine was the first priority because it enabled me to keep in touch with prospects who have signed up to be on my list.

My first sales pitch as to why my clients may want a blog is for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) because search engine robots like those in Google, Bing and Yahoo!, voraciously search for new. I tell my clients, if they don’t have new, original content on their site each month, the robots get bored with push their site further down the search list until no one knows they exist.

“Hey, you’re about to pay all this money, and put in lots of time building your WordPress website. Do you really want to throw your investment the down the drain?”

The biggest blogging benefit of all

In the beginning of February, I agreed to take part in a BAD challenge. I had already missed the first day, but was able to repurpose my last e-zine: advantage number one. My biggest surprise, however, was that blogging has helped my business in ways I could never have imagined:

• Blogging daily helps clear out the cobwebs and get to the core of why I love my business.
• Helps me stay focused on building my business.
• It’s forcing me to stop making excuses and schedule time to get my website in shape. Um, I’ve scheduled the time. I haven’t actually put the time in…yet
• I get to write about things I’ve said that I’ll and write about, but have never made the time.
• Blogging stretches my mind.
• Blogging makes me think about the book in me — it now feels like it really could actually happen
• It’s cathartic —by clearing my mind of “stuff” that’s bothering me, I can make room for new and better thoughts.
• It’s helping me get over the overwhelm because I just keep chugging along at an more even pace.
• I’m getting to know a whole new group of like-minded people by reading their BAD musings.
• Other’s BAD Challenge blogs are really helpful.
• Receiving comments on my own blog posts from other BAD challengers is a gift. Thank you!
• Yo! I just repurposed another blog post.

Eating your broccoli first

I rise early when the house is quiet, feed the dogs, put my cereal on the stove, and write. Getting my dream filled thoughts organized, fed, dressed, and out-the-door makes the rest of the day flow like water.

If you haven’t tried blogging, you don’t know what you’re missing. Which could be a healthy dose of what your business — and your website — needs to get going.

If you’ve found this helpful, please feel free to share.

Filed Under: Blogging, Design, SEO, WordPress Tagged With: BAD challenge

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