May 2008 Newsletter

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3 older people on benchLet's start a NEW conversation!  What are you excited about? 

 

I love hearing stories about innovation, whether it is an entrepeneur who just invented a new product or a seasoned business person who found a new way to grow themselves or their business.  Think on these things, not what you perceive isn't working. 

 

Raise the bar and speak only of what you want, what you are excited about, what your goals are, or how you've helped someone.  It will benefit you as well as those around you. 

 

Find an accountability partner to discuss these things with daily or weekly, so that you make sure you are doing and discussing the positive things happening in your life and your business.

 

Our contributing authors this month give us some great tips for focusing our thoughts, conversations, and actions to produce the results we DO want!    

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Wishing you all the best,

Lori

 

Lori Williams, President

Lori T. Williams PC

Your Legal Resource

248-594-4470

 

 

 

All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. (Albert Camus).

 

 

 

Entrepreneur Update:

 

You may recall reading about Jake Sigal, Owner of  MyIne Electronics, LLC., in my last issue of the newsletter.  Since that time, Jake received two major orders from national retail accounts for this holiday season. Congratulations Jake! 

 

Sorry that the link to the Free Press Article on Jake expired prior to release of my last newsletter.  Also, the blog link changed daily so you couldn't locate the information on Jake.  Here's what the blogger wrote about him:

 

"...what can bring Detroit back to boom is not early 20th century manufacturing. It's the resurgence of early 20th century style ingenuity. The kinds of leaps that Henry Ford and Jimmy Durante made are what we need now. Jake Sigal, who started up Myine Electronics to make internet radios, is the future of Detroit. People like him who innovate and take a chance could be the next Ford or Durante. Detroit needs some ingenuity like that of a century ago to make it great again. It's not going to be easy, but it never was.  The Freep found R. Kelley. Now Detroit needs to find a new Ford, and new Durante, another Peter Karmanos, another Dan Gilbert, and a real leader."  (From: http://dan-gerously.blogspot.com April 4, 2008)



For more news about MyIne Electronics or our other Entrepreneur clients launching products and/or seeking capital, contact Your Legal Resource at 248-594-4470.

 

In This Issue

Article 1: Are You Selling Your Stuff, Or Buying Their B.S.?

Article 2: Tips For Thriving Instead of Surviving!

 

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FAVORITE READS OF OUR READERS

 

swc book image

 

 

 

1)  Battlefield of the Mind,  By: Joyce Meyer

 

This book was Life changing for me and  several of my friends who read it!  It is an excellent tool for managing life's challenges.  (Lori Brice)

 

 

2) 

Fish, By: Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul, and John

Christensen

 

The bottom line of this book is that WORK MADE FUN GETS DONE!  Fish teaches you to boost moral and improve results.(Faris Alami, CEO Integration Systems Management, Inc.)

 

3)  DEEP SURVIVAL,

By: Laurence Gonzales

 

I liked this book because it applied to life as well as business.  The author made several great points, three of which include:

 

1)  Always assess your underlying assumptions before acting on them;

 

2)  Accept the situation you are in before focusing on what you need to change;

 

3)  Take correct and decisive action  steps when faced with survival issues.  Be bold and cautious while carrying out the task at hand.

(Kevin H. Keith)

 

Are You Selling Your Stuff, Or Buying Their B.S.?

(The top 5 things prospects say to make us THINK they're going to buy)

 

By:  Merry Beth Schubert, Gerry Weinberg & Associates

 

Merry Beth Schubert photo

 

You're sitting at your desk.It's 2:30 in the afternoon.You can't have any more coffee because you'll be bouncing off the walls, and anyway, you're tired of taking bathroom breaks.The phone rings.Your heart rate instantly doubles.It might be a prospect!

 

"Good afternoon, ABC Company, this is Jim.""Hi Jim, this is Phil.I found your company online and I'm interested in asking you a few questions.We currently have the service you provide, but our company is seriously thinking about switching vendors.Can you help me understand how you might be able to help my company?We're definitely considering making this happen within the next month, but we'd like to get three proposals to compare what's out there."

 

Sound familiar?We've all been there.

 

Let's break down what was just said to you on the phone.

  • I'd be interested in _____________.
  • Seriously thinking about ___________.
  • Help me understand _________________.
  • Definitely considering _________________.
  • We'd like to get three proposals on ____________.

 

Typically, these questions and statements end in one way, "I'd like to think it over."Once they tell you they'd like to think it over, who is the only person really thinking it over?YOU ARE!Let's put a stop to that.When a prospect uses any of these statements or questions, allow the little antenna that's hidden behind your ear to go up - consider that your lie detector!

 

Try responding with things like:

  • I'd be happy to answer your questions.But before I do, mind if I ask, what was it that you saw online that caused you to want to call our company today?
  • When you say that you're "seriously thinking about switching," would you mind sharing with me what that usually means in your world?
  • I'm not quite sure how we might be able to help you - mind if I ask you a few questions first, so we can try to determine if we're even a fit?
  • Help me understand what you mean by "definitely considering"
  • Three proposals?I'd be happy to give you all three.(Saying this will take GUTS and HUMOR!)

 

This is the reality - prospects say what they say because it works.Once a prospect has all of the information they want, they don't need you anymore, and you're right back to where you were at 2:30 in the afternoon stuck between wall bouncing and bathroom breaks.Ask specific questions so that you can begin to understand exactly what they're looking for.Ask specific questions to determine if they're a real prospect, or just a suspect.Sell yourself through the questions that you ask, not by telling what you know.

 

Just keep in mind, someone is always selling, and someone is always buying.In each transaction, which one are you?

 

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Merry Beth Schubert is a Sales Associate for Gerry Weinberg & Associates, a Sandler Training company.  Gerry Weinberg & Associates is an award winning sales training and sales force development organization with a broad client base including individuals, entrepreneurs and companies of all sizes in over 200 different industries and professions.  With her personal style and experience, Merry Beth has helped to grow her clients' sales by an average of 30% in the first year alone.  They have learned how to increase sales, earn more money, have fun selling, and waste less time with people that will never do business with them.  To learn more visit www.gerryweinberg.com or contact Merry Beth by phone or email: (248) 353-4030 x225, [email protected].

 

 

 


����������������������� Tips For Thriving, Instead of Surviving!
 
����������������� By:Coach Preston True, Accomplishment Coaching 
Preston True's photo�������������� We've all heard the gloom and doom stories about the 
 
economy in  general and in South East Michigan, in particular.
We can go along with that  line of thinking, or we can choose to 
 
have a different perspective.Our interpretations are what 
 
drive our actions, 100% of the time!Therefore, we  can take 
 
action or merely react to what we perceive is happening.
 
������������ Here are a few positive action steps you can take to proactively build 
 
your business:
�������������� 1) Create a weekly 15 minute session with yourself, during which you 
 
outline what your PURPOSE is as a business owner and what is the 
 
PURPOSE of your busines customers/clients who still inspire me?", and "
 
What higher purpose/mission does my business fulfill?"This is the stuff that 
 
truly drives us.
 ������������� 2)Embrace Marketing!Any business, and especially small 
 
business, is all about MARKETING.If you are not comfortable with, struggle
 
with or despise marketing yourself and your business, please seek support 
 
now.You will not be in business for long without embracing it.A colleague 
 
once shared with me, "I'm in the sales and marketing business.I just happen 
 
to offer commercial cleaning services."Notice that just shifting a perspective 
 
might benefit you.
 ������������� 3) Enroll others in supporting you.This is where most small
business owners fall short.So many of us operate from the "myth of individualism" 
 
- a myth that has us convinced the only way to make it is on our own.Again, this 
 
thinking is a key ingredient of failure.Here are some suggestions:
 ������������� a) Consider that "recession" is just an interpretation.And consider that 
 
"recession-proofing" your business puts you in a context of REACTING rather than 
 
CREATING.So rather than waiting or times to get tough and deal with them at that 
 
point, schedule regular time to plan out your day, your month and your year.Be
willing to create a big goal (BIG being defined as NOT predictable) and take action 
 
to move toward it.Make your context (or lens through which you see the world) one 
 
of abundance rather than scarcity.
 ������������� b) Enroll 5-7 business associates as your "advisory board".Big
corporations have them, why can't you?Meet 4-6 times a year on a Saturday 
 
morning for breakfast, share what's working and not working in your business, 
 
and take action on the input from your board.You'll not only see things happen for 
 
you, but they'll become a champion for you when you put their suggestions into
action.
 ������������� c) Join a mastermind or association group.Ask around your business 
 
community to see if there are groups of like-minded business owners or 
 
associations  that serve your industry that come together to share ideas and 
 
support one another.�� I belong to a local chapter of the International Coach 
 
Federation(www.michigancoaches.org) and it's a huge support from marketing 
 
ideas to industry  trends to managing my practice.
 ������������� d) Hire a coach.A coach is an objective partner who supports you in 
 
navigating the tough times and champions your ability and your future.A coach 
 
doesNOT have answers, a coach asks powerful questions that help you uncover 
 
your  answers - the types of answers you are far more likely to take action on.
Visit the  International Coach Federation website to find coaches in your area
(www.coachfederation.com) who can support you in many aspects of your business 
 
and life.
 ������������� e) Go schedule a lunch with the one thriving business owner and  ask lots 
 
of questions.It'll be the most inspiring 90 minutes you've had in a  long time.
�������������� Happy Prosperity!����������������������������������� �����������������������������������������������������������������
 
��������������� -Coach Preston

            ______________________________________________________________________

Preston True is a native of Chicago and moved to Metro Detroit to start a new career and life for

himself and his family, one that inspired and fulfilled him.  He chose the profession of coaching

because he enjoyed the ongoing learning and training process himself and also got tremendous

value from facilitating breakthroughs for his clients.  Preston works with inspiring leaders and organizations through individual and private coaching; team, group and organizational coaching; workshops, seminars and teleconferences; and also through presentations and Keynote speaking engagements.  For more information, visit www.breakyoursilence.com, or www.accomplishmentcoaching.com or call Preston at 249-219-9435.

                   

 

 

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