My father makes his students write one-page briefing memos for the Secretary of State. He also dings them for typos.

Being concise (and accurate) is a business asset. And it can be the difference between selling your idea (or initiative, or product, or service) and sitting on the sidelines.

I was thinking about this as I listened to a pair of CEOs talk about how to grab their attention. One talked specifically about “telling me what I need to know.” His point was that he was best able to make decisions when someone broke down the strategy and put the information into chunks.

A couple more takeaways from the CEOs’ conversation are worth noting, if for no other reason than the fact that they were raised in the first place (yes, more duh moments):

• Don’t act like a lemming. One of the CEOs, a Swedish national, said that Americans tend to say yes to everything, while Swedish employees are more apt to ask questions and challenge the assumptions on the table. Feedback is critical, so which kind of employees do you want?
• Know your boss’ temperament. The second CEO pointed out that social intelligence is huge, and you have to know the right (and wrong) times to approach your boss. I wrote about one aspect of this here.

There might have been more takeaways, but the moderator dominated the conversation. So much for concise.

Photo by Olof Senestam (Flickr).

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: The Truth About Being a Selling Success

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

What do you do when the big boys own all the shelf space?

One approach is to build a virtual shelf, one person at a time. That’s what Joe Vukson is doing.

I met Vukson via Twitter earlier this year after I saw a press release about a new runner ID product. I tweeted to a friend that I didn’t understand how the product was any different from what was already on the market. Vukson chimed in, asking me what I meant. So we started tweeting back and forth as I tried to explain that I didn’t see any competitive differentiation. (I was wrong, but more on that in a minute.)

It wasn’t until the conversation had run its course that I learned that 1BandID is his product.

The Virtual Shelf Works

1BandID has a competitive differentiator: Vukson himself. In addition to engaging with people one-on-one, the budding entrepreneur moderates an on-point bimonthly Twitter chat (#trichat) and manages an active Facebook page. And he’s a runner and triathlete, so he’s walking the walk as he builds his community.

The big boys may own the storefront space, but who would you rather buy from?  I’m sending people to 1BandID–because I know Joe.

Disclosure: Vukson sent me the red 1BandID pictured above. The best part: my running motto, “Forward Motion,” etched in there with all the contact info. But I hope you know that free swag does not influence what I choose to write.

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: How 1BandID Founder is Using Social Media to Build Virtual Shelf Space

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

I’ll be the first to admit that conversations about CRM, lead times, funnels, and sales systems make my eyes glaze over.

Maybe it’s because I’m a small business. Or that I’m a fan of paper, pen, business cards, big red desk calendar.  Or that every time someone starts talking about sales systems all I hear is jargon, jargon, jargon. Or that it really isn’t rocket science.

Mike Schultz broke the elements down nicely during a Webinar last week on The Art of Sales Conversations. The gist of his message was that it’s all about bridging the “conversation gap” between what you deliver and what your prospect wants. And then understanding how to talk the (right) talk.

Which brings me to the six sales questions every business must know.

Can You Answer These Questions?

My big takeaway from Schultz’s presentation is six questions you better be able to answer about your business:

• Who are your ideal customers?
• How do you help? (What needs do you address?)
• What value do your clients gain from working with you? (How do they describe it?)
• What are your core offerings?
• What is the proof that you can do what you say you do?
• What makes you distinct? (How do your customers describe it?)

If you can’t articulate your target clients, the target need, the business value, your offering, your proof points, and what makes you unique–then how do you expect anyone else to buy what you’re selling?

Photo by Holger Zscheyge (Flickr). 

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: 6 Sales Questions Every Business Must Know

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

I was watching Restaurant Impossible the other day. It’s a show about a chef who works to help turn around failing businesses.

In two days.

This is reality TV, so one presumes the producers vet and select restaurants where the business issues are so blatant that a few tweaks (and a decor redesign) can make a big difference. And that’s the point: the difference between failure and success often boils down to whether or not you understand your core business.

You have to know your sweet spot.

In the episode I watched, Irvine asked the two owners of the Off Street Cafe to name the five bestselling items on their very lengthy menu. Each correctly identified only two. Because they didn’t understand what their customers wanted, they were wasting money on inventory that was used infrequently (or, perhaps, not at all). And even frozen food has a limited shelf life.

The restaurant also had major service issues that were driving customers away.

You need to know what your business does best–and you need to know what your clients, customers, and prospects believe you do best. And what they need (i.e, the market landscape). If you don’t have the data to back up what you’re doing, you’re pretty much throwing your money away.

Do you know your sweet spot?

Photo by Shauna Young Dessert Tables (Flickr).

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: What’s Your Sweet Spot?

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

BAM--Bust a Myth. From Barry Moltz's GrowSmartBiz presentation on customer service as a competitive business asset.

“You need to deliver outstanding customer service or die,” said Barry Moltz at GrowSmartBiz.* His point: that new consumer attitudes in the wake of the economic downturn, coupled with changes in technology and “faux personalization” (think Amazon) are forcing companies to differentiate more than ever based on how we interact with our clients, customers, and prospects.

Moltz’s presentation focused on six key steps that businesses can take to put in place customer-service-focused operations:

1. Bust the myths (e.g., that the customer is always right, that unhappy customers are a part of doing business, that price is the only deciding factor, and more).
2. Tackle the blockers (i.e., recognize the challenges and put in place smart strategies to address them).
3. Define customer service (don’t ask “How can I help y0u?” but instead “How can I make your day better?”).
4. Quantify the value of customer service (including the revenue a customer brings in and when it comes it, the cost of that customer, the cost of retention, referrals and buzz, and the customer’s brand).
5. Create a customer manifesto.
6. Get feedback.

Regarding feedback, Moltz suggested that you only need to ask four questions: (1) Why did you choose to do business with us? (2) Did anyone do a particularly good job or bad job of servicing you? (3) Do you plan to use us in the future? and (4) Can you tell us any friends or associates who may be interested in using our service?

Anything you would add?

*Disclosure: Comped admission; but choice to blog and what to write about are all me.

Photo by Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami, Network Solutions (Flickr).

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: Why Customer Service is the New Marketing

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

This blog turns 2 today. It all started with a 74-word post about communications, business, and unique selling points. But the blog  is here because of you — my community.

So in honor of our second anniversary, let’s talk about you:

• Who are you? I know who some of you are — but not all of you. Whether you’re new or a seasoned reader, please take a minute to introduce yourself to the Independent Thinking community.
• What do you want me to write about? I’ve tried to stay true to my pledge to write about business, entrepreneurship, communications,social media, and how technology is impacting the way we work. But what kinds of posts resonate with you? Is there something you’d like to see me write about more? Something that’s missing from this blog?

Thank you. The comments are yours.

Photo by mischvelente (Flickr).

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: Let’s Talk About You

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

Each week I’m highlighting 3 or 4 posts, surveys, and other news that I have read and/or tweeted about that you may not have seen. As the name implies, I think they deserve a second look.

Here’s your second look for this week:

• The Talent Innovation Imperative: This is a must read for anyone interested in how organizations foster talent. The article looks at four main priorities for a 21st century model: differentiated capabilities, performance acceleration, leadership development, and the fostering of a talent culture. Shout out to Colette Cote for alerting me to this one.
• 100 Blogging Tips: The first tip in Dragos Roua‘s terrific list: Keep an Idea Incubator. Tip 2: Make a Mindmap of Your Blog. This is one of those rare posts you will want to bookmark and revisit periodically for inspiration.
• Winning Value Propositions: Anthony Tjan discusses four value propositions that work (best quality, best price, must have, want to have).

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: Second Look: Talent Innovation, Blogging Tips, Value Propositions

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

Thinking of going independent or starting a business? Before you quit your day job, here are a few “top of mind” things to consider:

• your risk tolerance
• your comfort level with doing business development
• your level of discipline
• your value proposition (why clients should hire you instead of all the other solo practitioners in the marketplace)

As a would-be entrepreneur, you should also develop a business plan right away–before taking any other steps. Developing a business plan will force you to focus on your goals and what is aspirational, what is achievable in the shorter term, and what resources it will take to succeed.

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: Before You Quit Your Day Job…

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

U.S. airlines, except for “Hallelujah” Southwest Airlines (congrats on the great ads), have so diluted their brands that the companies are becoming increasingly interchangeable.

On my American Airlines flight to Dallas last week, the flight attendant went through a long list of food and drink prices and payment options. So when she asked me if I wanted anything, I asked how much the sodas cost. Apparently they’re still free, but I was the fourth person in 8 rows on a half-empty plane to ask.

So American Airlines’ selling point is that the soda’s still free. But don’t ask for an aspirin; those have been removed.

Hopefully your company can identify its competitive advantages. Otherwise your mediocrity will catch up with you, and your customers won’t care if they do business with you or not.

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: At Least the Soda is Free

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.

Sales people are always trying to sell something. That’s what they do. I know one terrific salesperson who could sell you the Brooklyn Bridge and convince you that you could move it into your back yard. Great, until you find out the promise and the reality don’t mesh.

Too many consultancies operate like sales operations: they close the deal and then try to figure out how to do the job. But consulting isn’t transactional; it’s about adding value.

Are you willing to tell a potential client their premise is flawed or what they want to do won’t work? I’d rather lose a job upfront than set everyone up for problems later.

Have you grabbed a free copy of Your Social Media Checklist? Download it today to get 9 tips for being findable and attracting the right customers for your business.

Original article: Sales v. Consulting

©2013 Steigman Communications. All Rights Reserved.