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What is a sales person to you? In your mind what do salespeople do to get business?

Is your image of a salesperson similar to a stereo-typed used car salesperson?

Do you see a salesperson as a slime-ball who doesn’t mind lying to get business? Will do anything to get the business?

For some people this is the reason they won’t do sales! Where are your thoughts – are they helping you or hindering?

If this kind of image is getting in your way. I would recommend reading the ‘One minute salesperson’ which should help you get things straight and get drumming up business. It quickly gives insight into the attitude and skills needed to make sales by treating potential clients as people and not fools.

Everyone of us has some sales skill. Ever got a job? Ever been on a date, got engaged, got married? All the time we sell?

You are not sleazy, dishonest or using tricks in those transactions. So you don’t need to be anything but yourself and work honestly to gain new business.

Anytime I work with a client first I listen to their problem, then think, then offer a solution or recommend a course of action with another company if need be.

I am always looking to offer a potential solution with a price tag rather than "make a sale". I would rather walk away from the wrong type of business but help find a next step for my clients rather than take everything i get offered. That way I become a first resource to consult and get more of the right work.

Don’t let your mental image of salespeople stop you gaining new business.

Popularity: 31% [?]

Technorati Tags: sales marketing

The mention of Branding  always starts ringing warning bells in my mind. Especially after experiencing a "Marketing" person who really only understood big company branding.  The following presentation is a lot of slides but do get started it is not to heave and you soon find yourself clicking through the slides wanting more.

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The original listing and comments can be found at http://www.slideshare.net/coolstuff/the-brand-gap/v1#. From my painful experiences of "Branding" make sure you think twice about advertising for brandings sake. Question every expense and see if you can still do it well on a smaller budget.

As an aside slideshare.net is a great place to upload marketing material for people to find during searches and use of their site.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Technorati Tags: branding, marketing

Everyone loves a story and there is nothing better than being told a story.

Small Biz Podcast is a living business story each week – a mini audio business magazine. Bizpod is top of my list of podcasts on my iphone.

The podcast run by Alex Bellinger, covers subjects for small and medium size businesses as well as solopreneurs.

Each week’s podcast features interviews from around the business world and has included both big names and small like Rachel Elnaugh and Michael Gerber of e-Myth fame.

The difference

One of the main differences with other podcasts is that Alex interviews rather than just offering his opinion in a empty room.

Alex has a light hearted approach to interviewing which gets the best from interviewees and create meaty but very interesting content.

Past subjects have included social entrepreneurship, management buyouts and going solo – freelancing.

The podcasts normally end with a piece of electronica, a chance to hear something different to enlarge your musical tastes. Nice to take a break from the learning that pours out of my iPod normally.

The Michael Gerber interview was real food for the soul. His philosophy of life was well worth hearing and helped me clarify a few meaning of life issues as well as reminding me of the excellent e-myth teachings. Worth listening to even if you don’t regularly listen to podcasts.

Each 30-45 minute podcast is packed full of goodness and business thinking. My exercise routine is much enhanced by my weekly download of small biz pod.

Find It

You can find Small Biz Pod at www.SmallBizPod.co.uk where you can also find his blog.

Popularity: 53% [?]

Technorati Tags: E-Myth, Entrepreneurship, Michael Gerber, podcast review, Rachel Elnaugh, Small business, small business advice

It is all to easy to get in to the office, sit down at your desk and rush into the most important job of the day.

About six months ago I was introduced to a nice simple idea that gets me focussed at the start of the day and keeps me on track throughout the day.

Let me introduce you to

B    A L E R T

The mnemonic forms a reminder of the key aspects you should try to have in each day.

The letters help you get a more balanced day. The ideas is to try to include as many of these themes in your day as possible. Don’t forget some can be combined at the same time. So listening to a business on your ipod while exercising knocks of two.

I write done the letters each day, crossing them off once I have done one. At the end of the week I look back to see how balanced or otherwise the week was. Making sure you don’t neglect any aspect too much.

Combining this technique daily with business planning, goal setting and mentoring has helped me tremendously.

Resources:

Keep track of B ALERT online – http://ottoyuen.com/balert – trying it out now, i’ll keep you posted.

Original Idea appears to be from Mark Victor Hansen, not sure who taught me.

Popularity: 25% [?]

Technorati Tags: goal setting, mnemonic, planning