Business Names, Think Creatively To Drive Sales

Image by Raymond Yee via FlickrSo you've decided to go into business for yourself. You've got a great business plan, your marketing strategies are all in place and your finances are solid.

What about the name of your business? Back in the day, such names as 'ACME Automotive' or 'Bill's Cigars' would do.

Today, there's just too much competition in the marketplace, no matter what your business venture.

You need to spend some time and effort in making the name something that will be a real advantage to your sales and marketing efforts.

Creative business names will get you more attention and stand out in the mind of your customer. Creative business names can drive sales.

Today's consumer is besieged, through their home mail, email and websites with more information than they care to digest. You must pick out a name that will be heard above all the other "sales and marketing noise" in the marketplace.

The name of your business is the customer's first exposure to your business and may be the only thing that initially sticks. That's why it's important that you choose your business name carefully.

The type of your business determines the creative direction of your business name. For example, if you've got a boating shop, a nautical slant is a good starting point for a successful creative business name.

In choosing a business name, you want to target your clientele. If your customers are mainly yachting folk, perhaps a name like 'The Mariner's Den' would work. You want to create an image that's got a touch of the avant garde, a snappy sound to the cadence of the business name, an edge of mystery or romance. It all depends on what you're selling.

Put yourself in the place of your customer. As an instructive exercise, look on the net or in the phone book for a business that sells a product or service you might want to purchase. Without examining ads for what they sell or offer in services, see which names jump out at you and attract your attention. You'll see that every time, the creative business names are the ones that grab you.

Now look up businesses that sell what you're selling. Which ones are boring and which are intriguing? Which names have a good cadence when pronounced out loud? You don't want to choose a name which is a mouthful to say.

Awkward sounding names generally tend to confuse and don't stick. Don't choose a name similar to competitors because you like the sound or imagery. If you're especially taken with the name of a competitor, analyze why you find it attractive and develop your own concept along the same lines.

Imagery is another important component of the creative business name. You know what sort of imagery you ideally want to evoke in a potential customer's mind. Use a free association approach and jot down some words that describe your concept and USP. (Unique Selling Proposition)

Now get out a thesaurus or synonym finder and look up words that have that nuance you're trying to convey. Spend some time on this, don't try to short cut the process.

Developing a truly singular business names does take time, but in the end, you'll find it pays off in extra sales and marketing advantages.

Good Luck. See you next time.

Success Or Failure, And The Fine Line In Between

Bill Gluth puts it out there with no candy coating . . . this is a fine article to take right to heart if you are just starting a business or are thinking of starting a new business.

How to Fail Miserably Every Time

Why do so many small businesses fail in the first 2 years? What is the common denominator among those who make it in spite of the odds and continue to grow?

One thing that is common among people who grow businesses that work is they get the help they need when they need it.

Another is they continue to learn and grow. But, learning is not the real secret here. Applying what you learn is the secret that turns failure into success.

Finally, people who succeed believe they can. They believe in their idea and in themselves fully. As a result, so do other people who ultimately become clients.

In coaching and working with small business owners and Solopreneurs, I’ve observed a distinct difference between those who hope and those who do.

The "doers" are looking for action steps and take them right away. By contrast, the people who hope for the best tend to wait until everything is perfect before moving forward.

Of the thousands of possibilities, what action steps should you take? What are the steps that create failure and what are the steps that create success?

Focus on the contrast between success and failure

1. Success has a can do/I'll figure it out or get help and make it work attitude.

Failure embraces I'll hope for the best, try to remain positive and wait for an outcome kind of thinking.

2. Success sells products clients want to buy. Success finds that out through polling and asking clients what they want.

Failure sells products it thinks people want to buy. Failure never asks a client what they want or why.

3. Success creates a business around a talent or passion that is exciting and motivating. Inherent strengths and personal genius are used as competitive advantages. Success easily stands out from the crowd.

Failure builds a business around past experience. Failure feels it's stuck and has no other choice but to do what it has always done. It wakes up each day in an anxious state, hoping the day goes all right but feeling deep down disaster may be just around the next corner.

4. Success loves the people it works with. It is there to serve them in the highest and best way possible.

Failure often offers high quality, lowest prices, integrity, and honesty. Failure sounds a lot like everyone else.

Long sales cycles, cutting prices and a lot of open sales that “are going to close really soon” but never do are common.

5. Success knows it will be great and come out on top. It feels accomplishment in the smallest things and is grateful and highly motivated every day.

Failure wishes and hopes things will get better. It keeps doing what it has always done and expects a different result. Failure never steps outside of its comfort zone, even though that comfort zone has long since proven ineffective.

Look around at everyone you know who is in business. Who are you most attracted to? Why?

Chances are, you're attracted to success; wanting to emulate it and enjoy that free flowing, joy filled feeling for yourself.

Businesses fail because they run out of money.

They run out of money because they don't make enough sales.

They don't make enough sales because they don't have clearly defined systems and processes to create the revenue they need.

The information is out there. There are 87,000,000 web sites (Google) when you query “sales training for small business.” There are 118,000,000 sites for “marketing plans for small business.”

Now Google “Love your life in business” – be sure to add the “ “s to narrow the search for just those keywords.

It's the love and passion for what you're doing and who you are doing it for that drives success. Passionate enthusiasm is the key that attracts business.

So ACTION STEP 6 is Learn to Love Your Life in Business

Avoid failing by embracing a mindset of being a value to others. The question becomes “What value do I have to provide this person to truly help them” instead of “What do I have to say to make a sale."

When you do, you are unbeatable, because no one else can ever be you.

You, as a small business owner or Solopreneur are the future of the American Economy. Opportunity abounds, but only if you take action to live the life of your dreams rather than staying stuck running in the same circle over and over again.

by Bill Gluth

Bill Gluth is “Your Talent in Business Expert” and a professional speaker, trainer and consultant. He is the first person to specialize in developing “talent” as a competitive business strategy.

Bill brings clear, simple and focused action steps to any business building program. He spotlights a step-by-step process for unleashing your talent in business so that you can learn how to be unique in a commodity driven world and stand out in any industry.

Find out more about Bill Gluth’s Small Business Coaching Services by visiting http://www.explosivebusinesscoaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Gluth

Income Opportunities - Are You Ready For Them When They Come?

Opportunity Knocks Daily

You've heard people say that opportunity only knocks once. I say it knocks a thousand times, or at least it can. The problem is, we often don't listen, we don't see, or we don't want to work. The biggest problem, though, is that opportunity really isn't opportunity, if you're not ready for it.

A couple I know had a business handed to them for free. The owner didn't want to deal with it anymore, even though it made money. He had other things going on in his life. He couldn't just call it quits, however, because the lease on the building had nine months to go. This is where my friends enter the story. Why did they have a business given to them?

They listened, and let the man tell his story. They looked at the business, and saw the opportunity. They worked, doing what it took to benefit from their "good luck." The owner agreed to give them the business if they would simply take over the lease on the building.

Get Ready For Opportunity

The biggest reason "opportunity knocked" however, includes the others, and goes beyond them: They were ready. They had a little bit of money to handle the transition, they had previous experience with a small business, and they were willing to learn what they needed to learn.

A friend once said that our mutual acquaintance John was "so lucky" to get a $6,000 car for $2,000 at an auction. I mentioned that John went to the auction regularly, that he had made himself familiar with car values, and that he always kept some money available for such opportunities. It didn't seem to register with my friend.

He could have been "so lucky," too, but he had to be ready. He could have saved $2,000, or obtained a credit card with a high enough limit, or arranged with someone to borrow the money and split the profits when deals like this came up. Not having done any of these things, there was no opportunity here for him.

When you want opportunity to come knocking, aren't there always ways you can prepare? If you want to be lucky in love, you comb your hair, right?

If you want opportunities in the stock market, start studying, setting aside money to invest, and exploring the possibilities.

Get ready for opportunity, and it will come more often.

By Steve Gillman

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning grattitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement.

You'll find more at: http://www.selfimprovementnow.com

Relationships First, Sales Come Later . . .

Take The Time To Create Lifetime Customers For Long Term Sales And Profits.

As a business owner, you know how important your customers are. Customers are the lifeblood of a business. Without them, you wouldn’t have an income. Once someone becomes your customer, they are more likely to purchase from you again in the future.

It is a smart business move to take the time to build long lasting relationships between yourself and your customer. Creating lifetime customers will net you more profit, than constantly seeking out new one-time customers.

Creating quality products is definitely the first step in developing your customer relationship. If your products are anything less than great, your customers will not see a reason to order from you again.

However, if you give them something beyond their expectations, they will want to try out more of what you offer.

The next step in relationship building is providing good customer service at all times. When a customer contacts you, especially if it is with a problem, it is important to respond back in a timely manner.

If your customer contacts you, they are not thinking about all the other people who are requesting your attention. They are only thinking about the reason that they contacted you, and they want you to give them your full attention.

Staying in regular contact with your customer will ensure that they remember you and the other products and services you offer. People get busy and have a lot of things on their plate.

They may have intended to order an additional item from you, but it just slipped their mind. You may want to send out a monthly newsletter to keep them updated on new items or any specials you are offering. Don't assume that they will look further or remember to shop you first.

Speaking of specials, you may also want to consider having a few “customer only” sales each year or offering some other customer only incentive to motivate a repeat purchase.

You may also want to send them an occasional freebie that coordinates with an item they already purchased, or an item that you will be launching in the future.

For example, if you sell day planners and you are coming out with a time management audio, send the customers who have bought a planner a free small report that covers some basic information about time management.

Let them know you are coming out with an audio that goes into more detail. Including a special “pre-launch price” on the audio will encourage further sales.

Creating a lifetime customer doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process that takes time. If you consistently show your appreciation and respect to your customers, you will be well on your way to creating lifetime relationships with them.

People will always buy from someone they know and trust before looking elsewhere, all things remaining the same. Stay sharp and keep your customers best interests at heart.

It's Your Business, Is It Fun And Profitable?

The way that you see your business has a huge impact on what your business becomes. If you view your business as fun, easy-going, and laid back, your business will be those things.

If you envision your business as serious or tedious, it will take on that form. Your attitude about your business will show through to others.

There are no set rules about your business. You should feel free to have fun and do things the way you want to.

Feel free to be unique and set your own goals. You may read a book or hear a story about the ways another person manages their business, and their way may work great for them.

However, the way they do business may not work for you at all.

It is important to set your own business goals and follow your own management style. If your business becomes a chore, you may not want to do it anymore.

You may start to procrastinate when it comes to completing your work and eventually stop working your business completely.

To keep things fun, try to stay positive about each aspect of your business; if there is a particular task that you don’t like, hire an assistant to do that task for you.

When you are able to concentrate on the things you like doing most, you will feel energized and you will want to take those things head on.

You have surely heard the old saying “rules are meant to be broken”. When it comes to your business, take that saying to heart.

If someone doesn’t like the design of your website or the way you write your content, so be it. You can’t please everyone, and that person may not have anything to do with your target market at all.

If you feel that what you are doing is right, keep on that path. Sometimes you have to walk down a long, bumpy road, but the rewards are worth it.

If you were given a choice to have immediate success at a business you hated or to have success in two years with a business you loved, would you keep working those two years to have happiness and success?

Unfortunately, no one can tell you the date or time when your success will begin. But if you keep working and keep putting in consistent effort, you will find your success. Best of all, it will be on your terms.

And that may just be the most profitable of all.

Communication In Business, Are You Asking The Right Questions

The 7 Keys to Asking Clients the Right Questions

The secret to successful communication in business and in everyday life is asking the right questions. Understanding the value of effective questioning is probably the single most dominant factor in achieving business success. The way to learn about what people need is to ask a question and then listen carefully to the answer.

What do Oprah Winfrey, Larry King, and Barbara Walters all have in common? They are all great interviewers. They have the uncanny ability to make people feel comfortable and talk by asking the right questions. The bottom line is that customer and prospects will gladly volunteer information about what they think they want in pricing, products and services if you ask the right questions.

The more questions you ask, the more the customer or prospect will talk, which allows you to uncover their “hot buttons”. Remember, approximately 90 percent of customers and prospects think about themselves first.

To start, you should always remember the 7 keys to good questioning. It’s a matter of being clever, and being direct. How better to accomplish this than to utilize these 7 keys:

1. Why?
For example: Why would you choose software A over software B for your small business expenses?

2. Who?
For example: Who would you recommend this product to and why?

3. Where?
For example: Where did you first hear about my small business?

4. When?
When were you hoping to have project A completed?

5. What?
What troubleshooting issues have you discovered while using this program?

6. How?
How do you feel about our new shipping policy?

7. Is it?
Is it alright if I contact you in the future if I need more information?

You’ve probably already noticed that number 7, “is it” isn’t one of the standard questions that you consider when you think of posing questions, but “is it” allows you to verify what you have learned by listening carefully to the answers to keys number 1-6.

Confirming and verifying what customers are saying demonstrates to them that you are listening carefully to what is being said, and reassures them that their input matters. It also allows you to better absorb and synthesize what is being stated so that you can put it into its best application.

There is an art to asking the questions. While using the 7 keys to good questions does get you off to a good start, you have to remember to keep things well focused, so that the responses that you receive will be tailored to what you are seeking to discover.

Most people have a natural tendency to pose very general questions. However, while conducting business, you need to aim to ask questions that are as detailed as possible, so that you will receive a better response, and so that the person with whom you are speaking will know you are a good listener.

Keep in mind, also, that just because a question is detailed, doesn’t mean that it has to be verbose in any way. Rather, it must simply be worded in a way so that the right information is provided within the response.

For example, if someone were to ask you “how do you start a small business?” that would leave you in a bit of a lurch with regards to what to say and where to start. Additionally, it will necessarily lead to a number of other questions that negate the purpose of asking the original question in the first place: more detailed questions.

Don’t waste the time of the person to whom you are asking questions, don’t waste your own time, and keep confusion to a minimum. A better question with which to begin may have been something more detailed such as: “How do you start a small mail order business in Richmond, Virginia, that deals in laptop computers?” Notice the difference?

The foundation to asking good questions and achieving a wealth of practical answers is to apply the 7 keys in a direct and detailed manner. They allow you to get to the root of your question, so that you will gain the information and direction that you need to take specific action.

Copyright © 2005 Robert Moment
Sell Integrity http://www.sellintegrity.com

Robert Moment is a successful business and success strategist and author of “It Only Takes a Moment to Score”, which is available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Robert shows entrepreneurs how to avoid becoming a statistic and turn their ideas into wealth and have FUN ! Grab a copy of his Free Special Report, “17 Profitable Ways to Turn Your Content into Money”. Visit: http://www.sellintegrity.com/

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