Listed below are various articles -- tips actually -- on how to improve your business. These are drawn from working with our clients and coaching colleagues. If you have questions about any of these, please contact us.

How to get Terrific Testimonials - Every time

The best person to sing the praises of your company, product or services is a raving fan and NOT YOU. In today's market especially, having someone else tell someone that they should buy your product or service is a golden gift. And simply asking someone for a testimonial is not enough. Happily, there is a systematic way of getting your customers to give you exactly the testimonial you want. Click here for an article on How to Get Terrific Testimonials.

The Rule of 3's - Maximizing Results at Networking Events

Has this ever happened to you? You meet somewhere and ask "What do you do?" and then they launch into this long winded, boring monologue. We all have experienced that and, in most cases, we have also been guilty of doing that to someone. If you approach networking as a series of gates where you have to earn the right to continue to the next level of disclosure you'll never again bore the listener – and you'll do a much better job of networking. Click here for an article on the Rule of 3's – How to effectively network.

How to get Fantastic Referrals

How do  you get the best gift of all -- the referral? We know that the best person to sing the praises of your company, product or services is a raving fan and NOT YOU.  Happily, there is a systematic way of getting your customers to give you exactly the referral you want. Click here for an article on a Referral System which will tell you how to do this.

Connections Networking

How can you make the most effective use of a networking event? It is not a question of how many business cards can you collect or how many of your cards you can give out. The real measure is the number of real connections you made -- where you and the other person actually learned about each others business and were able to help each other in some way. Click here for an article on how to work a networking event to make connections.

Lean Thinking — How to Fatten-up Your Profits

Want to increase your profits? Implement a Lean Thinking Program: With roots in the Lean Manufacturing pioneered by Toyota, a Lean Thinking Program is focused on preventing waste before it occurs. So avoiding over-production of products, marketing collateral or office communications – all save costs before they occur. Lean Thinking goes further and looks at how to prevent wasted wages due to waiting in queue or walking too far for a photocopier; eliminating the wasted wages of administrative inefficiencies. The catch phrase for Lean Thinking is “doing the right thing in the beginning, so that one does not have to redesign, rework, increase cost, etc.” It is not cost reduction but waste elimination. To view a brief presentation on Lean Thinking click here.

Joe Girard

Ever heard of Joe Girard? He was a car salesman and he is in the Guinness book of world records for having sold more cars than any other car salesman in the WORLD. The average car salesman sells 8-10 cars/month. A “good salesperson” sells 40 cars/month. Joe Girard sold 119/month or 6/day everyday of his career!

How? He used a number of strategies but he credits his success to building and maintaining relationships. He did this by staying in touch with his customers and prospects every month. Joe used to send 13 cards to all his prospects and clients every year. One every month and one for Christmas. He created a place for himself in the brains of his prospects and clients by keeping in touch with them. So when they were ready to buy a car, he was uppermost in their minds. He is now a motivational speaker. (learn more)

Here is what you can do to stay uppermost in your clients' minds:

• Keep in touch with people regularly
• Send them “Thank you” card every month/quarter
• Send them season’s greetings and birthday cards
• Send them news and information that will be beneficial to them
• Send them gifts

NOTE: A fast, inexpensive way of sending Thank You and Birthday cards and gifts is SendOutCards. You can send a card to anyone in the US on me. Just click here to try SendOutCards

Goal Setting for a Life of Abundance

Many people set goals at the beginning of the year and here is a handy template to get you thinking about ALL the areas in your life you can and should set goals. Download the template and create YOUR goals in the key areas of your life. Then find an accountability buddy to keep you moving toward those goals.  Click here for the template on Life Goals.