To an entrepreneur, cold calling is a daily task. It’s inevitable. Sometimes, one phone call can determine your continued success as a business. With so much riding on these cold calls, why are so many entrepreneurs fearful of picking up the phone and asking for sales? Two words: The Gatekeeper! And depending on the self-importance of the decision maker sought by the call, you most likely will be hung–up on quicker than a 3 am collect call to an ex-partner. Yikes, no fun!
So what is an entrepreneur to do about an unrelenting gatekeeper?
I asked myself this question every time I was transferred to some generic voicemail or asked to leave a memo. And I have crafted the following helpful tips that have allowed me to successfully speak with whomever I choose. So without further ado, five tips to successfully get past gatekeepers:
1. Confidence is Key
Do you think a fellow CEO & golfing buddy uses the formal name of the intended call recipient when speaking with the gatekeeper? Or worse yet would they have a shaky, insecure voice? Absolutely not! So buckle up your confidence and ask for the decision maker like you are old college chums… it works!
2. Have a Solid Reason
Sorry to break it to you but no gatekeeper cares what you have to sell. But they do care about a benefit that may help the company. So have a good reason for your call. And it may be as simple as “The reason for my call is that I was hoping to introduce myself to X as I’m the founder of Y as we offer product Z, which has resulted in an average return on investment of 200% for our current client’s manufacturing operation.” Or something similar.
3. Avoid the “I’ll take a message for you” Trap
Message taking is a great trick gatekeepers use for keeping unwanted sales people out. And unless it’s a message about a sick family member, there is a slim to none chance the decision maker will ever receive your memo. To combat this trap continue reading…
I thoroughly enjoy the rise of the Walmart-style businesses in the world. Low-cost leaders have all but destroyed those location-based businesses that live in the past, hate change and failed to evolve. (You know… the stores that usually emit a mysterious scent of mothballs) And while I do feel for the employees of these failed businesses who lost their jobs, the owners and managers are to blame.
With the rise of these super companies we have become accustomed to sub-standard customer service and the slue of other complaints I constantly ramble on about… Where are you now Circuit City? Lucky for us, the lack of niche, value-added storefronts has created a hole in the market. And savvy business owners can jump in and rapidly take market share from the big guys. In general, though, most businesses are failing to innovate and are falling back on only low-priced claims.
To illustrate this growing trend of competing on price, simply open your local newspaper. Special sales, coupons and price cuts galore! “Mom and pops” are not buying in mass enough quantities to afford these cost cuts. So where does the cash flow balancing act come from? The essentials, that’s where. Important expenses such as training and retaining employees as well as constant storefront innovations are going by the wayside. These stores feel their price slashing is necessary to compete… not so! Over the years I have worked with numerous brick and mortars on their rebranding efforts. And I have found a common theme for storefront success. Here’s how to eliminate low cost considerations:
Create a Destination
By creating an experience for the shopper, a destination of sorts, any business will find its customer base expand greatly – usually from word-of-mouth. Cabelas is a great example of perfectly implementing this strategy. There is so much extra stuff to do and see at Cabelas than a regular big-box outdoor supply store. From huge fish tanks and animal displays to carnival-style hunting games. Even corrals for “parking” your horse (if equine is your preferred method of travel), the store is a sight to be seen.
I came to a huge self-actualization this past month. It resulted from a temporary setback to the expansion plans for one of my businesses. The result? More motivation with a stronger drive to succeed. And now a banker to prove wrong.
The Story
One of my companies needs four new employees. And although I have great credentials with a substantial accounts receivable ledger, my business was turned down for a line of credit. The decision came from a commercial banker I have known very well – since I had my first business at 16 years of age. Anyway, this so-called go-to bank for SBA lending decided that creating more jobs wasn’t in the playing cards for me. Based on the denial phone call, I feel the decision came from incompetence of the banker rather than any analytical rational. Needless to say, I was not happy. And while I know I can simply move onto the next bank, it triggered something inside me that was unfamiliar: fear.
If you’re like me gift cards are an inevitable outcome from the holiday festivities. Before you decide to blow the free cash on a Snuggie or a Slap Chop, give these 5 books a chance:
1. Awaken the Giant Within
Tony Robbins has helped millions of people transform their lives for the better. Through books, seminars, coaching and audio books, he is an inspiration for anyone looking for something more in their life.
This book is hands down the most life changing read. It is the sole reason I am the way I am… truly… buy this book!
2. Instant Wealth
I am reading this book right now and is so far one of the better goal setting books I’ve read. Everyone from corporate workers to experienced serial entrepreneurs will find this a great book for motivation and life changing guidance.
Two years ago, the book Green For Life completely changed my life and lifestyle. No joke. Before I read the book, I had a typical western diet and unfortunately, my health followed suit. I was constantly tired and constantly sick with colds, head aches and other illnesses. It was no fun and from my experience, this is a normal lifestyle for most Americans. After the second reading of the book in under a week, I was prepared to take the leap into my first green smoothie.
What Makes It Healthy?
In one word: Assimilation.
Our teeth and digestive system are not designed to harness the extraordinary benefits of greens, fruits and seeds to the fullest. For instance, if you watch our evolutionary siblings (primates) eat, they chew and grind their food for a very long time. This crushes the greens before swallowing. Since we usually fail to thoroughly chew our food, our digestive system cannot properly assimilate the nutrients. Therefore, most greens pass right through us. By blending greens, we simulate the thorough grinding action of primate-like chewing.
Don’t believe me? Head to the nearest zoo, check out a gorilla’s diet, then challenge the gorilla to a weight lifting contest… Good Luck!
My First Green Smoothie
I perused the aisles of Whole Foods and decided to buy some romaine, frozen strawberries, mangoes and fresh bananas. Against the recommendation in the book to have a good blender, I dusted off my $20 blender and added the ingredients. About 2.3 seconds into the blending, a loud clunk followed by smoke told me I should have bought a new blender. Undaunted I ordered a Vita-Mix – now extremely determined to make a green smoothie. continue reading…
I am tired of hearing how investing is risky and how a house & a 401k are someone’s largest investments. Why is it hard for people to realize that these can be the worst investments you can make? Personally, a 40-year mortgage with an adjustable rate based on a bad credit report is extremely risky but droves of people signed up. And I’d imagine the same people who may now be in foreclosure still believe starting a business; self-managing a stock portfolio and holding real estate are risky strategies.
You want to know the ugly truth? Your home is not an asset. If you don’t believe me, answer this: Does it cost you money to own your home? Unless you operate a bed and breakfast or some other money making venture through the use of your home, your house is a liability. And your 401k? I understand it’s nice to know that in a few decades you will be a millionaire, but what about today? (Or what if the market tanks as you approach retirement?) If you and your spouse sacrificed your holiday vacation, continued driving that clunker another year or even canceled your XM subscription, forget the “don’t worry, we will one day be millionaires mentality!” Life is meant to be enjoyed day in and day out. (And with religious views aside) We have one life on earth, let’s live it to the fullest everyday. The simple cure? Don’t drop most of your income into a mortgage while hoarding the rest away like a pack rat into an untouchable fund.
Hey! Life isn’t all about money!
I completely agree there is more to life! However, if you are saying this, ask yourself:
Do I truly love working 40+ hours a week just to pay the mortgage, plan for retirement and occasionally splurge on soon-to-be closet clutter?
If you absolutely love your job and answered yes, stop reading. You are one of the lucky ones. Conversely, if you dream of working less, while making (or donating) more money, it is absolutely vital to continue reading.
continue reading…
As entrepreneurs we sometimes find ourselves living much different lives than the rest of the world. An 80-hour workweek may be followed by an 8-hour week by a 60-hour week. We may find ourselves out grocery shopping at 1 PM when others are busily working. Or, if you are like me, happily working at 3 AM when others are sleeping.
We entrepreneurs play by our own rules because we want to. Sometimes, however, we want to escape it all – to simplify and forget the work for work’s sake trap we may occasionally find ourselves in. Ultimately, isn’t this the true reason we left the 9-5? With the continuous improvements in technology, freeing up time has become much easier to achieve.
Having the ability to work anywhere, anytime and on any computer is an amazing advantage for entrepreneurs. Personally, I do not miss having to head to the office daily, travel to most meetings or spend hours on paperwork.
Well I have put a ton of research into this and have found an extensive list of websites, software & other resources for simplifying your life – hopefully. In order to help a wide range of entrepreneurial styles, I made sure to include both lesser-known resources as well as some of the much more popular options.
Personalized Home Pages
1. iGoogle – You can add almost anything to your home page; weather reports, calendar & to-do list, rss feeds, Gmail, maps, site specific search forms, etc… And it’s linked to your Google account, so your settings follow you from computer to computer!
2. My Yahoo! – Similar to iGoogle
3. Pageflakes – Again another personalized dashboard
4. Netvibes – One more for your choosing!
5. Jimmyr – Aggregation page of a ton of technology, news & entertainment sites
Document Management & OCR
6. Evernote – I love this OCR software. Take a picture, scan, web clip, PDF, even hand written memo and Evernote will convert it to a searchable text document. It works! Better yet, they provide Blackberry & iPhone apps for mobile use. Highly recommended!
7. NetDocuments – An online document management system ideal for small offices. Haven’t tried it yet but will definitely give it a shot at my real estate office.
8. Google Docs – Great alternative to the overpriced (in my opinion) Microsoft Office suite
9. Cometdocs – Converts a wide variety of files – online! No software needed!
10. HTML to PDF – Great option for easily saving or emailing entire web pages. Converts any page into a PDF.
Data Storage & File Back-Up
11. Dropbox – The online backup system I use. A folder is created on the computer and any file saved into that folder is automatically saved online.
12. Mozy – I haven’t used this one but it seems to be the most popular online backup option.
13. Sugarsync – Another popular backup option. They have a mobile solution available which makes this option pretty attractive.
14. Box.net – Excellent solution for group collaboration & sharing of files. And it works with Salesforce CRM!
When I was in high school the world seemed to be a blank canvas. I couldn’t wait to make my marks on it. However, as I drifted through my second and third years at St. Norbert College, the canvas changed. The real world was slowly encroaching on my fun. No longer was this metaphorical canvas blank. Rather it had turned into a printed question: “What in the $@*% are you going to do with your life!?!”
Now – for the first time ever – I had to make a life changing decision. Do I go back to Lac du Flambeau and work with my Dad’s company? Relaunch my business? Stay in Green Bay and become a “townie?” Continue onto post-grad education? Or start climbing the corporate ladder in Chicago?
Oh how I wish that during these decisions I could have read Rick Smith’s recent best-selling book, The Leap: How 3 Simple Changes Can Propel Your Career From Good To Great. Who knows where I’d be now if I had been able to spend my senior year reflecting on the thought provoking case studies of this book!
The Author
After co-authoring a best selling book resulting in him being left on the street by his employer, Rick Smith was forced to make a change. Was it a drastic one? No, not at first. Like most of the unemployed world, he looked for another job. However unlike the typical jobless executive, he had an extraordinary idea to change his life. Why not get the top executives and world influencers together? They need to network and chat just like the rest of us. World50 was formed. Instant success? Nope. Everyone he knew said it wouldn’t work… except his target market. Nonetheless, one email to a CMO, a positive response and a $50k check later, w50 was in business. Forty-nine others quickly followed suit with $50k checks. Rick Smith had taken the leap. Rick has since worked with the likes of Bono, Alan Greenspan, Francis Ford Coppola and on & on. His knowledge and expertise made this book an eventuality. So without further ado:
The Review
Rick Smith was kind enough to send me a copy during his launch event. Don’t worry everyone; this wouldn’t alter my verdict on the book! But it did help bump it to the top of the stack of books on my desk I wanted to read. Even so, I initially was scared off by the addition of the word career in the title. Didn’t I become an entrepreneur to avoid that dreaded 9-5 career thing? Despite the slightly construed title, this book’s content definitely encompasses business owners. continue reading…
Shedding The Status
To an entrepreneur, what’s the difference between a vice president, a director, a general manager, a partner and a chief? Nothing. When creating your corporate governance and management structure, keep this in mind. A job title is nothing more than a tag line on a business card and an email signature. However, job titles in general are one of the most important elements when going into negotiations.
The Multi-Hat Advantage for Entrepreneurs
As a start-up, you are free to label you and your initial employees whatever you want. This means you and your team can virtually be any employee of the business. In essence, you can construct a much larger business in the minds of prospective clients, companies and the public. Do you think the CEO of your competitor is going on sales calls? Probably not. But the senior account manager is. Swallow your pride and shed the founder label. Become the account manager on sales presentations, the director of marketing when buying advertising and the vice president when negotiating for better insurance rates.
Why is this so important?
The most important negotiation tactic to expose upfront is higher authority. And what better way to make the other side assume you have little to no decision making authority than by lowering your job title. continue reading…
Are you looking to create the ultimate green workplace? Not only is this a solid strategy for differentiating yourself in the market as an environmental advocate, you will also be ensuring your organization has a much smaller carbon footprint. These 10 ideas will help produce an eco-friendly office:
1. Paperless Operations
This is the single best strategy for saving both the environment and your supplies budget. By creating PDF’s and using email instead of printouts and physical mailings, your office’s taxation on the planet’s resources will drop. An added bonus is your overall operation will become more streamlined and secure by using digital documents in the office.
2. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Create a recycling plan for your office supplies. First, be sure to put out recycling bins next to the garbage cans. Consider reusing single sided paper for scratch paper. In addition, don’t forget to bring old ink cartridges to a supply-recycling collector such as Staples.
Also, old office equipment pose serious risks to the environment if not recycled correctly. In fact, CRT monitors are the worst culprits as they contain at least 5 pounds of lead. With technology changing at such a rapid pace, be sure to recycle or donate unneeded equipment at authorized facilities.
3. Use Surge Protectors
If coworkers shut their entire desk down at night, your office would save an amazing amount of energy. With a surge protector everything can be plugged into one central unit and shut off with a single switch. continue reading…
