In case you missed the last blog post, 3 Signs That a Client COULD COST YOU MONEY!, here are my tips on how to fire that client!

1. Take Off Your Rose-Colored Glasses: A business relationship is similar to dating. We meet, fall in love, and then co-exist happily ever after. WRONG. Similar to dating, not every relationship lasts forever. And not every client is right for you.

2. Know When Enough is Enough: There is a honeymoon phase in business. It’s that special time when your client is excited and eager to pay for your hard work. Unfortunately, over time some clients can take you for granted. They want the sun, the moon, and the stars. But they’re only willing to pay for a shooting star or two.

Then there are clients who think whining and complaining is the only way to communicate. Unless you’re a saint, they will rattle your nerves very quickly.

Sometimes you simply outgrow a client. For example, in the beginning you may have provided generic solutions, but as your experience increased so did your skills. As a result, you’re now ready to take on bigger jobs and contracts − for bigger fees!

Unless you want to stay stuck in any of these dead-end relationships, you need to know when enough is enough.

3. Craft a Loving Good-Bye Message: Who hasn’t heard this line, “I think we should just be friends.” Ouch! The reality is that saying good-bye can be painful. The other reality is that the way you end one relationship sets the tone for all other relationships. You need to choose your words wisely!

Here’s a great exit strategy technique. Use the sandwich approach to formulate your good-bye message. It’s easy to do. You simply start and end your communication with good news. Then you sandwich the ‘good-bye’ message in between the two feel-good messages.

Check out this example:

Good News: “It’s been great working with you [being able to contribute to your success, serving your account…]. During this time, our business has grown and we are moving in a new direction.

Good-Bye Message: “As a result, we are unable to continue to offer you the same services [prices, terms…].

Good News: “To meet your future needs we recommend the following vendors… [companies, suppliers…]. Thank you again for your patronage [business]. We wish you all the best in the future.

Yes, breaking up can be hard to do. However, when you say good-bye to one client you make room for another. This time you can work with your ideal client!

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

Just like Quick Tip #1 and Quick Tip #2, the information comes from my book, OutSell Yourself: Go From Hello to Sold!

Quick Tip #3 − Linking

• When you ‘sell without selling’ you ask enough questions and summarize your understanding of your buyer’s needs and/or problem, Quick Tip #1 and Quick Tip #2,

• Once you understand exactly what is needed, you link your proposed solutions to match the client’s needs.

• At this stage DO NOT slip into doing a sales presentation or offering more than is required.

• You built a lot of trust when you focused on your client and their situation. Don’t blow it now.

• Be the expert that you are and demonstrate that you have exactly what the client is looking for.

“I recommend the following, _____________, to meet your needs of ______, ______, and ______.”

• Lots of non-threatening questions and clarifying statements, examples of proposals and methods to present solutions, and more can be found in my book, OutSell Yourself: Go From Hello to Sold!

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

We look for opportunities to move forward, in spite of what others may think. Then we go for it.

Here are some of my ‘glass half full’ tips on how to succeed –no matter what!

Avoid ALL Negativity

• Stay away from negative people and conversations

• Admit that it’s too easy to slip into the blaming game and/or the poor me stories

• Recognize that complaining has little to no value and is a huge time and energy waster

• Understand that not everyone wants to take responsibility for how they create, sabotage and/or miss opportunities in their lives, careers or business

Pay Attention to What’s Got Your Attention

• Know that even if the economy is challenged, agreeing with others can sabotage your success

• Retreat if you find yourself sucked into the latest doom and gloom report and/or thinking thoughts like, “Business is slow” Or “You can’t charge what you used too

• Reframe any negative thoughts with positive solution oriented language and goals

Check- in and Get Real With Yourself

• Recognize that you can’t fix behavior or habits that you don’t acknowledge

• Accept that it requires courage to self-critique your current responses to ‘potential’ problems or set-backs.

• Acknowledge that it can take a high level of self-responsibility to change what you don’t like

• Check out my earlier post for reframing examples, 4 Tips to ‘Raise Your Thoughts’ & Your Business Income!

Use A Power Mantra!

After having owned three businesses, during three recessions, my mantra has been, “I’ll figure this out!”

And you know what?

I always do figure it out!

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

It is an honor to make the list:

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

There is an old saying, “People love to buy. But no one wants to be sold.” Keep reading to find out how to take the sleaze out of selling.

Quick Tip #2 − Summarizing

• When you focus on your client, Quick Tip #1, you ask open-ended questions. Your goal is to find out as much as you can. You want to determine what is really needed.

• If you do a good job of asking non-threatening questions, it can be very easy to get lost in the details.

• It’s important that you clarify your understanding of what was said.

“So if I understand you correctly, you are looking ________ to solve the problem of_________.”

•  Wait to hear your buyer say, “Yes, that’s right”. If you didn’t get it right, most people will automatically restate their needs.

• Why will people state their needs? Because by not trying to sell, you’ve been demonstrating that you are trying to help. You are ‘selling without selling’.

• Other clarifying, paraphrasing and summary statements are in my book, OutSell Yourself: Go From Hello to Sold!

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

Well except for approx. 10 million millionaires in the USA, and some powerful forward thinkers.

Here are some of my tips and techniques to raise your thoughts and income.

1. Listen – Hear – Think

Train yourself to LISTEN to HEAR what you THINK, before you speak.

Negative beliefs and thoughts can be lodged deep within the psyche of even the most positive person.

Unconscious negative thinking can hinder your ability to succeed, no matter how hard you try to get ahead.

Let’s face it. It takes a high level of self-awareness to think and speak thoughts that fuel success. Most people have little to no awareness of what they say.

This is just some of what I hear:

• “Business is slow.”
• “You can’t charge what you used too.”

Yes, we are experiencing huge global market changes. However, as stated earlier, there are people still making money and even prospering.

2. Reframe Your Thoughts!

It’s vital to your success to consciously focus on positive thoughts and solutions.

• “Business is slow.”Or “Now’s the time to network and promote.”
• “You can’t charge what you used too.”Or “Instead of offering one big service option, let’s break it into smaller options.”

Other powerful ‘thought reframing’ examples, exercises and techniques are in my book, OutSell Yourself: Go From Hello to Sold.

3. Believe What You Say

Don’t say one thing, to sound good to others, yet believe something else. Fear, no matter how well you try to hide it, is a real game changer.

Keep your internal and external dialogue optimistic. Over time this will change your unconscious beliefs.

What you believe has a profound impact on your ability to find solutions and achieve success.

4. Know That You Can Make Money!

A recent study projects that the number of millionaires in the United States will increase, even in this economy.

Yup, what you think certainly is what you get!

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

Unless you’re a slimy used car seller, you’ll probably like this approach. It doesn’t turn people off. Let’s get started.

Quick Tip #1 − Focusing

• DO NOT start off by describing your great services. Even if a client says, “Tell me what you do [offer…about your services…]” don’t go down that road.

• Begin by focusing on your client. You do this by asking non-threatening open-ended questions such as:

“Before I make any suggestions or recommendations, it would be best if you told me more about you and your situation [what are you looking for …what are you hoping that I can do for you …]?”

• Using open-ended questions, instead of presenting buying options right off the top, gives the person time to get to know and trust you.

• Asking – instead of telling – also takes the guess work, and work, out of selling!

• More open-end questions, including how to talk about budgets and prices, can be found in my book, OutSell Yourself: Go From Hello to Sold! 

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

Here are some facts, thoughts and tips to catapult you into the big leagues.

The Facts!

According to CNBC, “The number of millionaires in the [United States] is growing. TheU.S. has more than 10 million.

Despite the European debt crisis and worries about the U.S. economy, a May 2011 report from the Deloitte Center for Financial Services projects that the number of millionaire households in the U.S. will more than double to 20.5 million in 2020, with combined wealth of $87 trillion, up from $39 trillion in 2011.”

What Story Are You Telling Yourself?

In my book, OutSell Yourself: Go From Hello to Sold, an entire chapter is dedicated to thoughts and outcomes. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

”After observing scores of professionals over the years, I know this for sure: It’s not luck that determines who achieves great success and who doesn’t, as many people would like to believe. It’s what a person thinks that has the most powerful influence on their success.”

Does Your Belief System Need Rebalancing?

A recent AP-CNBC poll finds 61 percent ofU.S.respondents think it is “extremely” or “very difficult” to become a millionaire in this country today. (Released Sept. 23/11)

Success or Failure—It’s All in Your Mind

Here’s an excerpt from my book on what contributes to success,

“Over the years, a nasty reality reared its ugly head. People can develop and even master all of the nonintimidating business and sales techniques in the world. However, unless they also create an environment for success, they severely compromise their ability to do well or even get ahead.

That reality played like the background music in my story too. My theme song was: “Times are tough, and it’s hard to get a break…la la la…”

Everything changed, after I made profound changes in my belief systems, internal and external dialogues.

Use Your ‘Thoughts’ to Attract Your Ideal Clients

You can actually use ‘thought patterns’ to attract more of your ideal clients. I’m talking about the person or company that will pay for your expert solutions−no matter what the economy.

But first, take the time to identify and reframe any conscious or unconscious negative thoughts that could hold you back.

Like attracts like, so it’s important to sound and behave like a successful entrepreneur or company to attract the same.

When you believe that success is possible, others will too.

Check out the ‘thought reframing’ exercises and other techniques in my book, OutSell Yourself: Go From Hello to Sold.

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

From personal experience, the ‘Accept’ ratio increases when a personalized message is included in requests to connect.

BUT, it’s important that the ‘personalized’ message doesn’t sound phony or like a template. So let me show you what to do and say instead.

Ditch The Default Message

Start by deleting the default request to connect messages. For example, on LinkedIn the default message reads, ‘I’d like to add you to my professional network.’

Facebook sends out an equally generic request. However, before you hit send, you can select the ‘Message’ option. This is where you’ll write your personalized note.

Try This

In your personalized message, be upfront about your desire to connect.

Even a simple statement like:

“Hi, I don’t believe that we’ve met. However, we seem to know many people in common and I’d like to include you in my network… [look forward to reading your posts/sharing resources/learning more about you…].”

Best Request I Received

The best, LOL, request to connect I’ve ever received came via LinkedIn. The ‘invitation’ was from someone I had never met.

The fellow checked off the ‘Friend’ box and took a guess as to my email address. Bingo! His request made it to me.

When I opened the invitation, the message simply said, “Ok, we’re not friends and we’ve never met. However, I would like to connect. What do you think?”

Wondering how I responded?

Well, I hit reply and typed, “That was a refreshingly creative approach. You are definitely someone I’d like in my network.” I then hit send and ‘Accept’!

His approach may not work for everyone. However, the point is to include a message with your requests to connect and go for it.

What Works for You?

Please feel free to share your success strategies for building social networking connections.

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly

Your Avatar Description Can Sell You!

The description you put in the ‘Professional Headline’ section of your LinkedIn profile can market you, or not!

Here’s why. Regardless of how you’ve set your preview settings, anyone who searches for you and/or your profession within LinkedIn will see your photo and the description you put beside it.

This can be great news if you have crafted a meaningful headline.

 A ‘Title’ Says Everything or Does It?

Too much time is spent crafting the perfect ‘Useless Title’ to put into the ‘Professional Headline’, which is found beside a LinkedIn avatar.  Should I call myself the President or the CEO of my company?

Hey good for you if you are the President or CEO. But here’s the problem. When your name comes up in a LinkedIn search people will see that you have a nice photo, and only know you’re the head honcho of a company.

With little else to go on they are left to wonder, ”What would I hire the President of ABC Company to do for me?”

Be Specific and Descriptive in Your ‘Professional Headline’

Think of your ‘Professional Headline’ as your tagline. It can be a statement, or select words, that quickly tell people how they would benefit from your products or services.

A well written headline can include the following information:

• What you do/offer
• How you provide your ideas/products/services
• How long you’ve been in business and/or doing what you do
• Types of clients you serve
• Benefits of your ideas/products/services
• Successes i.e. Sold $25 million in 40 days!
• Professional designations or status i.e. Expert or Specialist

Example of  A  Descriptive Headline

When in Doubt Work with an Expert

In my experience, most professionals have a hard time describing what they do and how they do it.  People like me know how to translate what you do into compelling copy that works for marketing materials and Social Networking platforms such as LinkedIn.  So when in doubt, turn to an expert!

If you found this information useful, I can help you to grow your business too through my coaching, consulting or speaking services. Please feel free to contact me directly. Regards, Kelly