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How many hours have you spent attending networking events, giving elevator speeches, and following up with people, only to get few or no clients as a result? And how many clients have you referred to other business owners, only to get no payment or reciprocal referrals in return - or, even worse, to lose the client entirely? The old ways of networking just aren't as effective anymore. If you want to get more referrals, and get paid for the referrals you make when the rules of your industry allow, you need to use a different strategy. In... Read More

If you use networking events as a way to meet potential clients and referral sources, you've probably found that you spend a lot of time talking to people who don't follow up, sending follow-up calls and emails that go unanswered, and giving out business cards that vanish intoother people's shoeboxes, never to be seen again. The unfortunate truth is, most people go to networking events to try to promote their own business, not to hire or send clients to other businesses. On top of that, even if they have the intention to send you clients,... Read More

If you've tried to use networking to get more referrals, you've probably experienced something like this: You spend time and gas money to drive to an event, give your elevator speech, listen to everyone else'selevator pitches, exchange business cards, give and receive promises that “if I meet someone who needs you, I’ll send them your way”, hopefully follow up with your potential referral network members, and then... nothing happens. You try again next week, because maybe repetition is the key. You give the same pitch everyone's... Read More

ByMark Johnson Without effective employee engagement, a company will struggle to succeed. It is therefore imperative to create a work environment in which workers feel motivated so that they are able to be productive. There are a couple of core principles that will help you achieve maximum engagement by concentrating on employee motivation and creating a warm, engaging work environment. Give Your Employees A Push Towards Positivity With the pressure that comes with having a global community, it goes without saying that a... Read More

How many times have you formed a referral partnership, affiliate partnership, or strategic alliance, only for nothing to ever come of it? You probably know the familiar line: "If I meet anyone who needs you, I'll mention you to them." You and the other person probably mean it when you say it... so why does it so seldom translate into actual referrals? Today, I'm going to share six reasons why many referral partnerships don't make you money, and what to do about it. Here's why many referral partnerships produce few or no... Read More

Time. It's your most valuable and irreplaceable asset, yet it's also one of the ones that small businesses are the best at wasting! We only have 24 hours in a day, but all too often, we spend those hours on the wrong things, or do the things we're supposed to do less efficiently than we could be doing them. As a result, we trade more of our priceless time than we want to, in exchange for less money than we desire and could have been making. Today, I'm sharing a blogpost byAubrey Blankenship on the top 5 ways in which small business owners... Read More

You've probably heard about the Golden Rule: do unto others as you want them to do unto you. In other words, treat other people the way you want to be treated. In many ways, the Golden Rule is invaluable. It reminds us to treat others with the same care, respect and fairness that we ourselves desire, and to think twice when we're tempted to do something unkind or inequitable. But if it's used blindly, it can actually work AGAINST our relationships with our customers, business contacts, families and friends. Let me give you an... Read More

Building great success doesnt require rare luck, rich parents, or perfect opportunities but it DOES require a certain set of skills and mindsets. If youve been working hard for success, but not experiencing the results you desire, check out this list of 8 things successful people never do, and what they do instead in order to reach their big, ambitious goals. ... Read More

Customer service is one of the biggest factors in making or breaking a companys reputation. If a customer feels supported, understood and valued by your staff, theyre more likely to trust you, like you, and recommend you to their friends and peers. But if your customer service team ignores or mishandles their questions, it can leave them feeling helpless, frustrated or taken advantage of, and some clients respond to this by covering the internet in negative reviews. Because potential clients often rely on reviews for their buying... Read More

Often, when entrepreneursfirst contact a copywriter, they aren't sure what to ask the copywriter, what information the writer will need in order to produce their materials, and what the entrepreneur needs to know to give themselves the best possible chance of getting a return on their investment. Today, I'm going to demystify the process for you, so the next time you want to hire a copywriter - whether me, or someone else - you'll know exactly what information you need to give and receive to make the job go smoothly and successfully. Here... Read More