How to Give the Perfect Pitch
If you have ever been to a networking group, you were probably asked to stand and give your “elevator pitch” to the group. Members are trained in how to present who they are, what they do, and the benefits of their product or service in 30 seconds or less, or the time it would take to travel in an elevator from floor to floor (which is why it’s called an elevator pitch).
Even if you don’t network, you will constantly be asked, “So, what do you do?” It will happen at family gatherings, parties, social events…pretty much anyplace people gather.
Therefore, you need to be prepared with an elevator speech. It doesn’t have to be canned, but it does need to outline the basics that not only tell what you do, but inspire the listener to ask more. Here are some simply steps to developing your perfect pitch. Continue reading →
Running a Home Based Business? Keep Doing It!
Many an entrepreneur has started a business from home. You might recognize some of the more famous names: Jeff Bezos (Amazon.com), Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (Apple), Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google), and Walt Disney (Disney). These men all started their companies from their garages.
In 2013, Small Business Trends reported that 69% of startup and 59% of established businesses were home-based. Even more interesting, the 2012 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report stated that more than half of U.S. entrepreneurs continued to operate their businesses from home long after they had been established.
There is no stigma in stating that your business is run from home. In fact, there are many smart reasons to continue doing it Continue reading →
An Insider’s Tip to Getting Your Story into the News
She should be reading YOUR story.
I, like other writers, am always looking for good stories. When we writers find something we think is interesting, it is likely that others will find it interesting as well, so we pitch the story idea to magazines, newspapers, online media, etc. If the publication also believes their readership will benefit from the story, they will contract with us to write it.
But how does a story get from your company into the media? Continue reading →
6 Steps to a Better Presentation
Sometime in your career, you’ve been asked to give a presentation. Maybe it went well. Or maybe it didn’t. The answer lies with your audience. Did they listen attentively and ask questions, or did they look at their watches and dart out the door once you were done?
There is a science to giving a good presentation and professionals know they just can’t wing it. A good presentation is carefully researched, written and practiced ahead of time, keeping the audience’s interests in mind. Here are six steps that can help you develop a better presentation.
How to Give a Better Presentation
- Find out who your audience is. Then single out a couple of members or leaders and send a questionnaire or hold an interview in advance to find out what issues they are facing, or what it is they really want to learn or know. Incorporate this information into your presentation.
- If you must use slides, use them as visual backup to what you are saying. Do not outline your presentation on the slides and read it to your audience.
This Snowstorm Can Help Your Marketing
Stop what you’re doing and use the snow to your marketing advantage!
When something big takes over the news, like with this East Coast snowstorm, it gives you a wonderful opportunity to sell! Use references to the blizzard, snow, cold, ice, or invoke images of sitting by the fireplace, wrapping up in snow gear, or drinking hot chocolate. Liven up your script with action words like sledding, skating, skiing, snowmobiling, plowing, or shoveling. Events have a short shelf live, so the quicker you jump on this opportunity, Continue reading →
The Best Ways to Earn ROI on Marketing Efforts | All the Buzz | Marketing Tips
Many business owners struggle with the question of where to put their marketing efforts. One day they hear content marketing is the best; the next day it’s social media platforms. What’s an owner to do?
In 2014, Econsultancy did a survey to ask business owners just where they got their best return on their time and money investments for marketing. We’ll talk about their findings here. Continue reading →
Use “I Can” to Enhance Your Client Relationships | All the Buzz | Sales & Marketing Tips
When speaking with your clients, let them know what you CAN do, not what you can’t do.This positive attitude can make all the difference in a positive outcome.
In The Freelancer’s Bible, Sara Horowitz compares the “I can’t” statement to the “I can” statement. Here are a few examples:
- Rather than saying “I can’t do a call until 3pm,” say, “I’m here from 3pm until 5pm. When would be a good time for you?”
- Rather than saying “I can’t start for 3 months,” say, “I’d love to work with you, if we can start in June.”
- Rather than saying “I can’t start until I receive the initial payment,” say, “I look forward to starting work after receipt of the initial payment.”
The Most and Least Effective Keywords in the Email Subject Line | All the Buzz Tips
All the Buzz was just asked how to get people to structure their email subject lines so that people open their email announcements and newsletters more often. Here are some proven keywords that might help you design your perfect subject line, followed by a more detailed infographic…
The Most and Least Effective Keywords in An Email Subject Line
Best Keywords in a Subject Line
New Rules for Keywords & Hyperlinks in Press Releases | Marketing Tips | All the Buzz
Over the past–oh, a few years–we’ve been told to include lots of keywords in our press releases, with hyperlinks to various pages on your website.
Stop doing that!
Sales Secrets from the Girl Scouts | Marketing Tips | All the Buzz
If you are in the Northern Virginia area, good news! Girl Scout cookies are on sale this weekend! To find out where you can purchase them, go to the Girl Scout website and on the top of the page under “Find Cookies,” enter your zip code.
Other than sparking my desire for Thin Mints, this news got me thinking about my own sales success as a Girl Scout, and how we all can learn a little bit about marketing from these junior saleswomen. Continue reading →
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