How To Power Smile

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

Power smiling is a crack of the
lips. I'm in control, type smile.
It's not bold, but free, honest.

Most of us have meetings. Naturally,
there are hundreds of other things we
could be doing. The late comers can
tease-up the atmosphere. Instead of
allowing the pressure to give you
stomach problems, headaches, and a host
of other ailments, power smile.

Take a breath, let it out slowly, and
curve the lips. Let that bad energy
go. Do it a second time, if needed.

Add your opinion, input, in the meeting.
This, too, encourages others to get a
second burst of energy.

The momentum is changed. You power
smile, and your meeting is over.

If you're at any place, uncomfortable,
smile. Focus on the smile, and the
uneasiness will disappear. Most likely,
others will follow your lead.

A power smile opens the door for
chatting, kills the tension,
friendships can be formed, and business
contacts made.

How To Set Yourself Apart

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

The goal of any business is to set itself
apart from the competition, keep current
customers, and gain new ones.

"It isn't that easy." You blurted loud
enough for your cat to stir.

It's true that your first impression is
the most important. You'll never get the
chance to re-live the first impression, in
business or life.

The means of contact you use must
communicate, state, how better, different,
cost effective, your product or service
is. Anticipate questions, and answer them.
Put yourself in the customer's place. What
concerns would you have?

Make it clear about being available for
further questions. No question is too
small, or not worth asking. Naturally,
you provide contact numbers, again, at
the end of the correspondence.

Make sure you're addressing the correct
party. Have his/her contact information?
If not, be sure to ask for it.

"Contact information?" You asked.

Contact information is your correct
mailing address, office telephone
numbers, cellular numbers, web site
link, e-mail addresses, and other
information to make it easier to close
the deal.

Keep in touch with him/her through the
contact information. Send follow-up
letters, calls, and e-mails.

Telephone conversations are professional,
and to the point.

After talking with a person a couple times,
you'll know which form of communication he/
she prefers. Lean toward using that
particular mode.

In the world of business, set yourself
apart from the competition by sending
the additional letter, advice, answer
the same question twice, or go the extra
step to close the deal.

Map Out A Business Plan

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

"I have an idea for a business,
but not sure of a few things."
You explained to a friend.

It's best to write down
uncertainties. Why are you not
sure? Don't start a business
with doubts.

A business plan helps in
determining if your product or
service is reasonable, do-able,
or have a chance at success. It
is the deciding factor in whether
or not you want to continue, start,
the business.

A good business plan defines
goals, dead-lines. It answers
who will handle the accounting,
for example. Will you, someone
else, be in charge of customer
service? Day to day operations?
Suppliers?

Why have a business? What purpose
will you, your business, serve?

Predict, estimate, yearly revenue
projections. Allow for the
unexpected.

How are you going to promote your
product, service? Your target
market? Narrow down a segment
of the population that your product,
service, is directed at. Take into
consideration the competition. Is
your product or service a trend?
Have more than one product, service.
Make sure your budget accommodates
your choices.

Explore a distribution process. How
will you get the product, service, to
customers?

After going through the steps of a
business plan, are you ready to build
a, profitable, business?

Price

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

You offer a product(s), service(s),
for a price. You're in business
to make a profit. Or, at least,
break even.

"Suppose my customers don't want
to pay the asking price?" You
frowned, looked away.

Your product or service should
be high quality, competitive,
better. As we, all, know,
products, services, that make
one feel better, look good on,
perk one up, should cost more.

Don't be afraid to have a costly
product, service. The best costs
more, fact of life.

If a person is satisfied with it,
he/she is willing to pay the going
price. Price, for an individual,
isn't a factor when a promotional
campaign has stirred desire.

Advertise to your target market.

"Who is my target market?" You
blurted the question.

Your target market refers to the
group your advertising is directed
at. Once that's determined, spell-
out the benefits to those individuals.

The product, service, will encourage
new customers, bring repeat buys,
when people can see the benefits.

Happy customers tell others, and that
equals free advertising.

Fear shouldn't be a factor when
determining the price of a product
or service. There are no restrictions
when it comes quality, make-me-feel-
better, look good, kick-start-my-
esteem, and just-have-to-be-mine.