How To Walk Away With An Investment in 3 Minutes

3 minute pitches have become extremely popular among investors. Many entrepreneurs find it extremely difficult to talk about their business in 3 minutes. Investors want you to address numerous different things, but entrepreneurs do not know how to summarize it all in 3 minutes. This blog article helps entrepreneurs walk away with an investment in 3 minutes.

 

Recently, I’ve been getting more connected with investors around my area. The last time I was at an event filled with investors, I decided to capitalize on the opportunity.

 

 

It was a small event by the beach and the investors wanted 5 entrepreneurs to pitch their product or service in 3 minutes or less. With hundreds of entrepreneurs trying to present themselves, only 5 were given the opportunity to go up there and do it.

 

 

Lucky for me, I somehow maneuvered my way on stage as I was 1 of the 5 people picked to go on stage. They gave us less than 5 minutes to prepare our elevator pitch. There were hundreds of entrepreneurs, dozens of investors, and a few very nervous presenters in the audience.

 

 

Even though I did not walk away with an investment in 3 minutes, my presentation got a lot of praise from the investors and other entrepreneurs in the building. Not only that, but there was an elderly lady who was able to walk away with a 6 figure investment in 3 minutes.

 

 

I was able to talk first hand with each of the investors and was able to get some really good information out of them. They told me why the lady won the investment in 3 minutes and how anyone can do the same. Here’s what I learned from my day at the beach:

 

 

Bring It

 

When you’re pitching in a 3 minute setting, it’s more likely that you need the investors money and help than they need you. Your whole presentation needs to be upbeat and show them how passionate you are about your product.

 

 

If you cannot get excited about your own product, don’t expect others to do the same. Even though the investors or panel may be watching you during the 3 minutes, it doesn’t mean they are really listening.

 

 

You need to go out there and catch their attention by bringing it. Show them the potential of the product or service through your own passion and delivery. Catch their attention by being energetic and exciting them about your business.

 

 

Connect The Dots

 

3 minutes isn’t a lot of time. However, investors want to know what personally drew you to the product or service that you have created. You should take 30 seconds to give them a brief summary of your background and how it led to the creation of what you are presenting.

 

 

If you have a compelling story or reason why you created the business, you can really emotionally appeal to the investors. At some point, you need to make a connection with the investors on a personal level because that’s what really sells them to invest.

 

 

Say What You Do, Without Saying It

 

One of the biggest reasons why entrepreneurs do not walk away with an investment in 3 minutes is simply because they cannot simplify their product or service. When you have 3 minutes, it should not take you more than 1 minute to clearly summarize what your company does.

 

 

You don’t need to tell them every nitty gritty detail about how things work. You simply need to address the need or problem in the world and give a clear answer on how your business solves that pressing issue.

 

 

In your 3 minute pitch, you need to answer many different questions that the investors want to know. You cannot bore the audience by explaining everything about your product or service. Keep it short, sweet, and most importantly, simple.

 

 

Talk Numbers

 

If you have ever watched Shark Tank, you know that investors love money. They want to know why their investment in your product is going to net them a large return. You need to talk numbers, show statistics, and give factual data that backs your presentation.

 

 

The best way to talk numbers with an investor is to give them the numbers that matter. They don’t care about the problems you have faced, they want to know how long your business has been out and how much revenue/profit you have generated.

 

 

If your business is an early stage company, don’t give them profit or revenue numbers. You may want to talk about things like a ‘patent’ that you may have on the innovation or the size of the market, which would make it appealing to investors.

 

 

At the end of the day, the investors are sitting in that room listening to you because they want $10 back for every $1 they give you. While most companies cannot net them a large return like that, they need to believe that your company is different.

 

 

Data is the biggest way to move an audience. If you can shock the audience by providing factual evidence that really backs your product, you have a better chance of walking away with an investment.

 

 

Think Past Today

 

Investors care about the future, you should too. Stop flexing your muscles and saying what you have already accomplished. The money that you have made will not make the investors any wealthier.

 

 

They want to know what your exit strategy is, future plans for growth, and how they can trust that your business is stable. You need to show them in less than 30 seconds that you have put considerable thought into the future and how you will leverage it.

 

 

Investors want to know they are making a secure investment. The greatest way to show security is to prepare a plan for the future. If you can show the investors you not only have a plan for the future, but you can bail them out if things do fail, their chances of investing are much higher.

 

 

Scale or Fail

 

If your business cannot scale fairly quickly, you have a lot of issues. Investors want businesses that can scale rapidly. You need to show your investors in about 15 seconds that you have plans for using their investment to scale the business.

 

 

One of the mistakes I made during my presentation was focusing too much on how their money would be used to sell what we have already created. However, one of the investors told me he would have been far more interested if I could have shown him ways to scale the product within the next 6 months using his money.

 

 

If a product is not scalable, it’s a very risky investment. Risky investments are the last thing investors want to make unless the numbers are really favorable. Before you begin pitching, create crystal-clear ways to scale your product or service.

 

 

Punch Line

 

At the end of your presentation, you need to do two key things. First, you need to tell them how much money you are asking for and what equity you are willing to give them. Before you value your business at a ridiculous amount, be realistic.

 

 

Investors know what your company is worth and so do you. Don’t go into an elevator pitch unless you are serious about acquiring an investment. If you’re business is worth $100,000 and you’re looking for a $40,000 investment, expect 40% of your business to be taken.

 

 

It’s real simple math. The biggest reason why investors say no is because the entrepreneur tries to rip them off. Before you go into the presentation, know how much money you want, what you will do with their money, and what they will get in return.

 

 

Lastly, before ending the presentation you need to drop a punch line. Something that will make them remember you, your product, and why they should invest in you. Everything you have said for the last 2 minutes and 50 seconds is splendid, but the last thing you say needs to keep them up at night for not investing in you.

 

 

The last thing you say on the stage is what everyone will remember about your presentation. Finish strong and give everyone something to think about after you leave.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Walking away with an investment in 3 minutes is really an art. It’s more than just being a great salesman, you actually have to show value in what you say.

 

 

If you’re serious about locking in an investor in a short pitch, you need to employ a lot of the strategies mentioned above. You may not be successful the first few times because it takes a lot of practice to become good at pitching.

 

 

However, using the techniques mentioned above and a ton of practice, you can get an investment in less than 3 minutes like many others have. Good luck!

 

 

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Customer Retention: The Key To Long-Term Business Growth

Every successful business can tell you the importance of keeping your old customers as you acquire new customers. As a business owner for the last few years, I’ve always found it much easier to sell products and services to existing customers than to new ones. If you’ve done it once, why can’t you do it one more time? This article shares some of the best tips and strategies in retaining customers over a long period of time.

 

As a business ownerfor the last few years, I’ve always found it much easier to sell products and services to existing customers than to new ones. If you’ve done it once, why can’t you do it one more time?

 

Unfortunately, many people tend to forget about their old customers and only focus on acquiring new ones. Not only does that require you to spend more money on customer acquisition, but your business tends to stay at a standstill.

 

 

Every successful business can tell you the importance of keeping your old customers as you acquire new customers. For example, if you can retain your old customers and acquire new customers, you are gaining +2. If you totally forget about your old customers and only focus on the new ones, you are gaining +1.

 

 

While it may not seem like a big difference at first, 50% growth in customers has a huge impact in the long run. Through my experiences as a customer and a business owner, I would like to share with you the most effective tips and strategies to retain customers.

 

 

Reward Your Customers

 

If you want your existing customers to come back, you really need to give them a reason to want to come back. One of the most effective customer retention practices is the reward system.

 

 

On the day that your customers purchase a product or service, you give them a discount or some sort of lucrative offer that they can use on their future visit. Whether it’s relevant to their purchase or not is completely up to you!

 

Here’s an example of what I am talking about. Recently I had a brunch aboard The Queen Mary ship. On the way out, they gave me a flyer that provided me a discount if I came to their Halloween event a few weeks later. Since the discount was substantial and I felt like it would be fun, I came back. However, if I did not receive the coupon, I probably would not have even known about the event.

 

Customers are driven by rewards, coupons, or other promotional items. If you want to save money on marketing costs, find a way to strategically bring your old customers back. Having a strong base of loyal base of customers goes a long way.

 

Resell All The Time

 

Many business gets questions, complaints, or feedback from their customers after a purchase has been made. One of the best ways to hook a customer in is by reselling your products/services at any opportunity that arises.

 

If you receive an email, phone call, or even have a customer come to your store, solve their problems or concerns first. Once you have done that, start using their previous purchase as a threshold to resell them.

 

For example, if you own a furniture store and your customer just bought a television set, you can attempt to resell them on accessories for the television. If you’re talking to them via email, here’s a simple structure you want to follow:

 

Hello So&So,

 

Thank them for making the purchase.

 

Address their issues here. Find solutions for it.

 

I am going to attach our new Fall Catalog that just got released. Seeing as you bought an amazing 50 inch television, I think you will find some great accessories or even a nice stand for it. Closing.

 

Sincerely,

 

Business Owner

 

 

As you can see, the email is simply driven around their original issue or complaint. Once you have given them a solution and eased the situation down, you want to quickly sell them on another purchase. By attaching the Fall Catalog, you do not harm your cause in anyway. It never hurts to let people look at what you have to sell.

 

 

 

Customer Satisfaction

 

“Well done is better than well said,” is a very famous quote by Benjamin Franklin. While you can sell your existing customers on future purchases by handing out discounts or talking to them, there is nothing like customer satisfaction.

 

 

 

In order to retain your customers, you need to impress them the first time. Nobody ever comes back to the store that gave them a cheap product. You need to value your customers and give them the highest quality of products or services.

 

 

 

Not only that, but you need to satisfy your customers every demand (with reason). There’s nothing like putting a smile on your customers face the first time around. If you can make your customers happy with their purchase, you are that much closer to selling them on your products or services again.

 

 

 

Loyalty Card

 

For some reason, loyalty cards work beautifully. You give people a loyalty or stamp card and reward them for frequent visits. The more times they come to your store, the more freebies they earn.

 

 

 

For example, Pinkberry has a loyalty card that they stamp for each purchase of frozen yogurt. Once you get to a certain number of stamps, you get 1 free cup of frozen yogurt. While this doesn’t seem like an exceptional reward, customers are itching to get their cards filled with stamps.

 

 

 

Loyalty cards are very strategic because they require the business to pay very little to maintain ongoing business. If the loyalty cards work the way they should, customers should come back on their own. You don’t need to spend any money on advertising or bringing them back into your store.

 

 

 

If you can find a way to lure your customers in with a loyalty card, you should take advantage of it. It’s a cost-effective method to keep your old customers for less and helps you grow your business by letting you focus on the new customers.

 

Be Lenient

 

Often times, business owners are too strict about their business policies. Instead of understanding the value that a customer brings, they refuse to give in to their customers. Often times, especially in retail, customers have issues and want refunds after specified deadlines.

 

 

Even if they may be a few days past the return policy, I would highly recommend accepting the refund to build a positive rapport with your customers. Sure you may lose some money on that purchase since you have to re-shelve the item and do damage control, but how much is their long term value?

 

 

 

A good customer is often times much more valuable than a bad return. Even though you may lose some money initially, your customers will applaud you for the superior service. The best way to create a loyal customer is by giving them what they want.

 

 

 

Sometimes you have to go above and beyond your limitations to please others. While it may not pay off at times, it can be a great investment at other times. The value of a return customer supersedes anything else. Be fair and understanding with your customers to promote future business.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

Meeting the needs and demands of customers is a very hard art to master. Combine that with a variety of other factors, and creating a loyal base of customers can be a challenge. However, there is nothing like having a customer who knows you and comes to you without needing to be pushed.

 

 

Before a business can really grow over a long period of time, they need to create a loyal base of customers. Once you have a loyal base of customers that you do not need to spend tons of money on, you can use your efforts to acquire new customers.

 

 

photo credit: davitydave via photopin cc

5 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Millionaire ‘Indie Artist’ Mac Miller

So almost all successful artists have had great visionaries behind them or have had a bit of the entrepreneurial hustle themselves. However, Mac Miller did it all on his own. He’s not only an inspiration for all upcoming musicians, but he should be considered a legend among entrepreneurs. Here are the entrepreneurial lessons Mac Miller teaches us.

 

Malcolm McCormick or Mac Miller as most of you know him as is a superstar in the music industry. He’s had a #1 album, over 200 million views on Youtube, and has even somehow influenced my 6 year old brother to start ‘mackin’. Oh yeah, he’s also 20 years old and has no major label behind him.

 

 

So almost all successful artists have had great visionaries behind them or have had a bit of the entrepreneurial hustle themselves. However, Mac Miller did it all on his own. He’s not only an inspiration for upcoming musicians, but he should be considered a legend among entrepreneurs. Here are the entrepreneurial lessons Mac Miller teaches us:

 

 

1. Don’t Sell Your Soul.

 

 

 

Many entrepreneurs are willing to sell their souls and give away equity in their business to an investor when they really don’t need one. If you can bootstrap your startup or find any other solution to derive success for your business, do that first. Investors are the last lifeline you want to use.

 

 

Mac Miller knew the label companies would make him change and he would be a slave to them. Instead of selling himself short, he decided to take his career in his own hands. He hustled hard and worked even harder to get himself where he is today.

 

 

Lesson: You do not need an investor or huge financial backing to be successful. Do everything you can with what you have before you go looking for investors. Only give up equity to an investor when it’s your last option.

 

 

 

2. Dare To Be Different.

 

 

 

Mac Miller is anything but the typical rapper. He is an American-born Jewish rapper. How many Jewish people do you see rapping and smoking weed? Yeah, he’s probably the first. He has a lot of haters, but he doesn’t care.

 

 

Entrepreneurs need to understand that being unique is a great thing. If there is something you can do to make your startup stand out from the others, do it! Not only will it help you get more publicity, but it can fuel your rise to the top. Don’t worry about the criticism you will get, it’s part of being successful.

 

 

Lesson: If there is something original about you or your business, share it with the world. Use that as a trampoline to get more attention for your startup, which will lead to greater opportunities.

 

 

 

3. Work Your Ass Off.

 

 

 

Mac Miller admits that he used to party and cause mayhem everywhere he went in his teenage years. Mac says, “Once I hit 15, I got real serious about it and it changed my life completely… I used to be into sports, play all the sports, go to all the high school parties. But once I found out hip hop is almost like a job, that’s all I did.”

 

 

Once he turned 15, all he did was music. He was focused, dedicated, and wouldn’t stop until he was successful. He taught himself how to play numerous instruments, studied the greats, and did everything possible to take his career to the next level. If he wasn’t dedicated and passionate about what he did, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

 

 

Lesson: If you don’t work hard, you won’t be successful. As an entrepreneur you need to live and breathe your startup. Find something you’re passionate about and be committed.

 

 

 

4. Be Risky.

 

 

 

Mac Miller employed a brilliant marketing strategy that made him a lot of money. When he finished his album ‘Blue Slide Park’, he told his fans he would only release the album when he got 50,000 preorders. Essentially, he built up hype and anticipation for his album, but he didn’t give it out until he got what he wanted.

 

 

This plan worked great for him because his fans were dying to have the album. After he got his 50,000 preorders, he released the album and had even more fans. However, things could have gone horribly wrong for him. The fans could have lost interest in the album and he could have made no money.

 

 

Lesson: As an entrepreneur, you have to take risks. Some risks will sting and others will pay off big. Take calculated risks that can have a huge impact on you or your business.

 

 

 

5. Don’t Let Success Get In Your Head.

 

On a recent interview with Forbes (shown below), the interviewer asks Mac Miller when he realized he made it and Mac says he doesn’t think he’s made it. Wow, he’s got millions of dollars, #1 Albums, his name on the record books, and he still doesn’t think he made it? This shows you how high his goals and aspirations really are.

 

 

Mac Miller still continues to work around the clock instead of party hard to celebrate. While celebrating is okay, you can lose what you earned just as fast. He understands that and he’s truly in love with the business. Some people make it and then fall in love with the fame. However, Mac really shows us that he’s driven by the passion and not other ulterior motives.

 

 

Lesson: As an entrepreneur, you have no finish lines, but rather checkpoints. Every goal or achievement is a checkpoint to the top. Don’t take your first signs of success to heart because you can lose it just as quickly.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

The scary part is that Mac Miller is only 20 years old and already has a resume that would make many musicians envious. His rise to the top of the music industry has not been lucky, but rather strategic and well-earned. Below is an interview of Mac Miller with Forbes.

 

 

 

 

Vintelli, The Big Launch

I am very excited to announce the launch of Vintelli. With so many months of anticipation for this product, I can finally let the public use our product. I want to discuss what vintelli is about, how we do it, what are the benefits, and why I am so excited about this new product!

 

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or stay up to date with me, you must have heard about Vintelli. I have the kept venture as secretive

as possible, but since we have officially launched, I want to share everything about it.

 

 

 

I want to discuss what we do, how we do it, why any business owner can benefit from it, and why I am so excited about it. I’m going to share all of this in as much detail as possible to get you as excited about Vintelli as I am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Is Vintelli?

 

Even though I can probably go on forever talking about what Vintelli is, I’m going to make it as short as an elevator pitch. Vintelli helps businesses establish a web presence online by ranking them on search engines and placing them amidst the social media buzz.

 

 

While most businesses have a website, many websites do not get any traffic or attention. What’s the point of having something that doesn’t get any visibility? Thanks to Vintelli, small businesses with or without websites in any industry can now be found.

 

 

 

It takes about 30 seconds to sign up with Vintelli and another 5 minutes to create a profile for your business. Your profile ONLY highlights the things that customers look for when hiring a business. Since business owners know more about their business than us, they create their own profiles and fill out the listing as completely as possible.

 

 

 

The profiles are created and organized in a manner that appeals to customers who find it. Customers are encouraged throughout the process to contact the user and gather more information about their products/services. Vintelli improves online visibility, helps businesses convert leads into customers, and increases revenue!

 

 

 

How Does Vintelli Do It?

 

Once the user has updated their profile and made it look all pretty, we help the user set up their strategic online marketing campaign. With search engines accounting for so much traffic online, we help users select extremely specific keywords that describe their products or services while capturing their area.

 

 

 

For example, Joe owns a painting company in Santa Monica. After filling out all his information on his Vintelli profile, he needed to start his search engine optimization campaign.

 

 

 

Even though Painting Los Angeles or Painter Los Angeles receives a lot more searches, achieving first page rankings for those keywords is a lengthy process. Instead, focusing on the keyword Painting Santa Monica or Painter Santa Monica will give Joe quicker results. Even though the keyword receives less searches than the Los Angeles one, he will still be placed on the top of search engines quicker and be visible to a very specific target group.

 

 

We charge users anywhere from $29.99/month to $49.99/month to provide them premium online visibility. Instead of focusing on the keywords or locations that everyone else is focusing on, we help our customers find keywords that will generate them traffic and more revenue minus all the competition.

 

 

Would you crawl through traffic to your destination or would you rather find a smaller street that gets you to the same destination much quicker? Most people would select the smaller street. Vintelli is the small street that takes you to the top of the search engines at a price ANYONE can afford.

 

 

With the number of users on social media growing each day, Vintelli knows how imperative it is for businesses to be placed in the buzz. Vintelli finds potential customers and areas of interest and places your business listing among the topics of discussion.

 

 

Targeted users on social media websites see your business or products/services and have a higher chance of engaging with your business. Instead of taking your profile and spamming it all over the social media, we place your business in front of the eyes of users who really may have a genuine interest in your company.

 

 

 

What’s The Benefit?

 

Most people in business are looking to generate more revenue for their company. One of the biggest challenges for most businesses are finding profitable ways to continually acquire new customers.

 

 

For as low as $29.99 a month ($360/year), Vintelli offers you internet marketing solutions that provide results. Unlike the other online marketing programs, we don’t eat up all your profits. Businesses don’t have to cough up thousands of dollars and pray for results anymore.

 

 

The biggest benefit with Vintelli is the results users receive at such an affordable price. With the economy in hell right now, we wanted to promote the growth of small businesses everywhere by offering affordable solutions.

 

 

 

Get ranked, become visible, generate leads, and acquire new customers all by signing up with Vintelli. Getting online results have never been this easy or affordable for businesses all over. Your customers are online and it’s about time you got online too!

 

 

 

My Excitement

 

I guess at this point you’re wondering why I’m jumping around with so much excitement. A few years ago my Dad had an idea and decided to launch Vintelli. Unfortunately, he couldn’t put the time into the project and essentially decided to shut it down.

 

 

 

After hearing about my Dad’s goals with the businesses and what he tried accomplishing a few years ago, I had a great idea to tweak the business. He loved it, and next thing you know, we began working day and night to create Vintelli.

 

 

 

In my previous company, JB Media Force, I dealt with a lot of small businesses and startup companies that needed results but had very little capital to work with. As a serial entrepreneur, I know myself how challenging it is to do marketing with little to no money.

 

 

 

I wanted to come up with a viable solution that struggling business owners could use to grow their business. Thus, I came up with a great working formula that allows us to keep costs lower than all the other big firms while giving our customers better results. Not only am I happy about the prospects of this company, but I’m also excited because I have an opportunity to help small businesses everywhere!

 

 

 

Now that we have finally been able to launch Vintelli, I am trying to work as hard as possible to share the news with everyone. I would also appreciate it if you can help me spread the word!

 

 

Stop Telling And Start Selling

Regardless of what industry or type of work you do, at some point you really have to sell a product/service, information, ideas, or even yourself. Often times, people are unsuccessful at selling because they get caught ‘telling’. When you become a teller, your words lose face value. I am going to discuss some key psychological strategies that will help you be a seller, not a teller.

 

Regardless of what industry or type of work you do, at some point you really have to sell a product/service, information, ideas, or even yourself. With every scenario, there’s a different approach of selling.

 

 

Often Times, people are unsuccessful at selling because they get caught ‘telling’. When you become a teller, your words lose face value. Once you lose value, you’ve lost any chance of selling to this individual.

 

 

Having the ability to sell has become an extremely powerful tool in the world. While every niche or industry has specific selling points, they all share a general approach.

 

 

Whether you’re trying to sell yourself in an interview or sell to clients, there are some key techniques you should be using. I am going to discuss some key psychological strategies that will help you become a seller instead of a teller.

 

 

Appeal to Emotion

 

Today, the unlock button on my i Phone 4S got jammed. I was real upset because my battery was draining fast and my phone was semi-broken. I went to the Apple store and they it would take me 3-4 days to get an appointment with a specialist.

 

 

What a joke. I could not live with a half-broken phone for 3-4 days. I immediately went to Verizon and here is where I really began selling it to them. The greeter told me I needed to schedule an appointment with their specialists and that wouldn’t be available till later.

 

 

Having to run to a meeting soon, I decided to talk to their sales reps about upgrading to the i Phone 5. While talking to him about how I could potentially find a way around my upgrade date of next June, I began talking about how difficult my day was because of the issue on my phone.

 

 

I started to talk about how frustrated I was and how hard it would be for me to carry on my business because of this phone issue. He then told me that he would order a replacement and get a new i Phone 4S sent to my house by tomorrow.

 

 

I sold him by simply appealing to his emotions and getting him to empathize with me. Somewhere along my calm chatter, he must have realized how bad his life would have been if he was in my situation. Thus, he took the extra step to help me out and I was very thankful for it.

 

 

Long story short, I was able to get a brand new i Phone 4S and he was able to qualify me for the new i Phone 5 tomorrow. Not only that, but I was able to save $20 a month on my cell phone plan and built a personal relationship with the guy there.

 

 

We exchanged contact information and I’m even going to get a text message from him at 6:30 AM letting me know what the lines for the i Phone 5 look like. I was able to achieve all this with a 15 minute trip to the Verizon store.

 

 

If you can really connect with an individual and appeal to them on a personal level, you will close them. Don’t yell or tell someone what to do or how to do it. Express things from your point of view and just try to be human. If you can do this, I guarantee you will be a successful seller in whatever it is that you sell.

 

 

Bring The Value

 

When you’re trying to sell to an individual especially, you need to bring a specific value. As much as people love hearing about what you know or do, people want to know what they get out of it. Everyone is in it for their own benefit, the quicker you show them their benefit, the closer you are to a sale.

 

 

Before anyone ever makes a purchase or decision, they must see some kind of value or benefit for themselves. For example, I have a subscribe box on the right side of my blog. By subscribing your notified every time a new blog post has been posted.

 

 

However, very few people have signed up for this. This is probably because people don’t see a strong benefit in exchanging their email address just to hear about my new blog post.

 

 

From the number of emails I’ve been able to amass in the last one month, it definitely has no value to my readers. However, I am going to be giving away a FREE e-book to my subscribers and I am sure people will find that to be a stronger benefit.

 

 

Whenever you are selling someone or something, always show them the benefits. Examples of phrasing this could be, “The benefit of using our services is…..” or “If you buy this product, you will….”. Instead of assuming your ‘customer’ knows the benefits of your offer, you need to directly tell them so that it is clear.

 

 

Help People Visualize

 

 

It’s one thing for you to say that your product will change my life and another to actually show me. Often times, we as sellers completely forget to let our results or product do the talking for us. Anybody can say they have a life changing product, but how many of them can actually prove it?

 

 

If you can show your customers the truth of what you are saying, it’s an easy close. As I have gone through the ropes of hiring multiple teams, I have always hired the teams that have proved me their worth with data, visuals, or actions rather than their words.

 

 

Tell people what you offer, how you do it, why they will benefit, and then show them visually. If your visuals can stay up to par with your words, I guarantee you will close more customers than ever before.

 

 

When selling, there’s only so much you can do with just your words. Instead of talking in circles, show your customers exactly how serious you are. Use statistics, metrics, images, success stories, or anything else that can prove what you say.

 

 

 

Put Yourself In Their Shoes

 

 

Before you can really sell someone on something, you need to put yourself in their shoes. Not only do you need to know what they might be thinking at the time, but you want to get a good idea of how their day has been going and what’s on their mind.

 

 

If you can psychologically be in the mind of your customer, you are one step closer to selling them something. Before you begin your selling pitch, always ask the customer how their doing to get a general sense of their mood.

 

 

If someone is irritated or has had a long day, their level of patience is much less than someone who just had a great vacation in Maui. You need to analyze your customers mind and act accordingly.

 

 

As I was saying above, before you sell to your customers, you want to get on a friendly level with them. If they just went to vacation in Maui, ask them how it went and relate by mentioning a similar trip you had.

 

 

Instead of jumping out to a sales pitch from the start, chat about a similar interest or something going on in the world. Anything that essentially breaks the ice and loosens up your customer is a good starting topic.

 

 

The worst thing you can do is give your customers a feeling that their only here to be sold. When someone feels like their in a ‘sales pitch’ situation, their mind isn’t paying attention to what your saying. Instead, they’re trying to figure out the quickest way of getting away.

 

 

Put yourself in their shoes, connect with them in a friendly manner, and you will automatically begin to see results. The key is to become a seller, not a pushover or a teller. You need to find the balance between too convincing and not convincing enough.

 

 

The Bottom Line

 

 

Becoming a great seller takes a lot of time. It’s a fine art that needs a lot of tweaking and practice before it can be perfected. Even through my years of experience selling, I find ways to improve each time.

 

 

Nobody becomes a great seller overnight. If you can use the strategies and techniques mentioned above, you will find yourself closing deals at a much higher rate. Just remember, you can sell anything anywhere. Don’t just limit yourself to clients or customers.

 

 

Do you have any great techniques or tips that have worked while doing sales? Feel free to share your thoughts on this article or by adding your own strategies by commenting below.

 

 

Regardless of what industry or type of work you do, at some point you really have to sell a product/service, information, ideas, or even yourself. With every scenario, there’s a different approach of selling.

Often times, people are unsuccessful at selling because they get caught ‘telling’. When you become a teller, your words lose face value. Once you lose value, you’ve lost any chance of selling to this individual.

Having the ability to sell has become an extremely powerful tool in the world. While every niche or industry has specific selling points, they all share a general approach.

Whether you’re trying to sell yourself in an interview or sell to clients, there are some key techniques you should be using. I am going to discuss some key psychological strategies that will help you become a seller instead of a teller.

Appeal to Emotion

Today, the unlock button on my i Phone 4S got jammed. I was real upset because my battery was draining fast and my phone was semi-broken. I went to the Apple store and they it would take me 3-4 days to get an appointment with a specialist.

What a joke. I could not live with a half-broken phone for 3-4 days. I immediately went to Verizon and here is where I really began selling it to them. The greeter told me I needed to schedule an appointment with their specialists and that wouldn’t be available till later.

Having to run to a meeting soon, I decided to talk to their sales reps about upgrading to the i Phone 5. While talking to him about how I could potentially find a way around my upgrade date of next June, I began talking about how difficult my day was because of the issue on my phone.

I started to talk about how frustrated I was and how hard it would be for me to carry on my business because of this phone issue. He then told me that he would order a replacement and get a new i Phone 4S sent to my house by tomorrow.

I sold him by simply appealing to his emotions and getting him to empathize with me. Somewhere along my calm chatter, he must have realized how bad his life would have been if he was in my situation. Thus, he took the extra step to help me out and I was very thankful for it.

Long story short, I was able to get a brand new i Phone 4S and he was able to qualify me for the new i Phone 5 tomorrow. Not only that, but I was able to save $20 a month on my cell phone plan and built a personal relationship with the guy there.

We exchanged contact information and I’m even going to get a text message from him at 6:30 AM letting me know what the lines for the i Phone 5 look like. I was able to achieve all this with a 15 minute trip to the Verizon store.

If you can really connect with an individual and appeal to them on a personal level, you will close them. Don’t yell or tell someone what to do or how to do it. Express things from your point of view and just try to be human. If you can do this, I guarantee you will be a successful seller in whatever it is that you sell.

Bring The Value

When you’re trying to sell to an individual especially, you need to bring a specific value. As much as people love hearing about what you know or do, people want to know what they get out of it. Everyone is in it for their own benefit, the quicker you show them their benefit, the closer you are to a sale.

Before anyone ever makes a purchase or decision, they must see some kind of value or benefit for themselves. For example, I have a subscribe box on the right side of my blog. By subscribing your notified every time a new blog post has been posted.

However, very few people have signed up for this. This is probably because people don’t see a strong benefit in exchanging their email address just to hear about my new blog post.

From the number of emails I’ve been able to amass in the last one month, it definitely has no value to my readers. However, I am going to be giving away a FREE e-book to my subscribers and I am sure people will find that to be a stronger benefit.

Whenever you are selling someone or something, always show them the benefits. Examples of phrasing this could be, “The benefit of using our services is…..” or “If you buy this product, you will….”. Instead of assuming your ‘customer’ knows the benefits of your offer, you need to directly tell them so that it is clear.

Help People Visualize

It’s one thing for you to say that your product will change my life and another to actually show me. Often times, we as sellers completely forget to let our results or product do the talking for us. Anybody can say they have a life changing product, but how many of them can actually prove it?

If you can show your customers the truth of what you are saying, it’s an easy close. As I have gone through the ropes of hiring multiple teams, I have always hired the teams that have proved me their worth with data, visuals, or actions rather than their words.

Tell people what you offer, how you do it, why they will benefit, and then show them visually. If your visuals can stay up to par with your words, I guarantee you will close more customers than ever before.

When selling, there’s only so much you can do with just your words. Instead of talking in circles, show your customers exactly how serious you are. Use statistics, metrics, images, success stories, or anything else that can prove what you say.

Put Yourself In Their Shoes

Before you can really sell someone on something, you need to put yourself in their shoes. Not only do you need to know what they might be thinking at the time, but you want to get a good idea of how their day has been going and what’s on their mind.

If you can psychologically be in the mind of your customer, you are one step closer to selling them something. Before you begin your selling pitch, always ask the customer how their doing to get a general sense of their mood.

If someone is irritated or has had a long day, their level of patience is much less than someone who just had a great vacation in Maui. You need to analyze your customers mind and act accordingly.

As I was saying above, before you sell to your customers, you want to get on a friendly level with them. If they just went to vacation in Maui, ask them how it went and relate by mentioning a similar trip you had.

Instead of jumping out to a sales pitch from the start, chat about a similar interest or something going on in the world. Anything that essentially breaks the ice and loosens up your customer is a good starting topic.

The worst thing you can do is give your customers a feeling that their only here to be sold. When someone feels like their in a ‘sales pitch’ situation, their mind isn’t paying attention to what your saying. Instead, they’re trying to figure out the quickest way of getting away.

Put yourself in their shoes, connect with them in a friendly manner, and you will automatically begin to see results. The key is to become a seller, not a pushover or a teller. You need to find the balance between too convincing and not convincing enough.

The Bottom Line

Becoming a great seller takes a lot of time. It’s a fine art that needs a lot of tweaking and practice before it can be perfected. Even through my years of experience selling, I find ways to improve each time.

Nobody becomes a great seller overnight. If you can use the strategies and techniques mentioned above, you will find yourself closing deals at a much higher rate. Just remember, you can sell anything anywhere. Don’t just limit yourself to clients or customers.

Do you have any great techniques or tips that have worked while doing sales? Feel free to share your thoughts on this article or by adding your own strategies by commenting below.

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Creating The Ultimate Launch Page

Creating a strong launch page plays a massive role in building anticipation for your new website. in order to create the ultimate hype and buzz for your new site, you need to do a substantial amount of things on your launch page. This article helps any new web launcher create the ultimate launch page by employing the strategies discussed.

 

Everyone wants to build up hype for their product or service before launching. One of the most effective ways to build up this hype is through the use of a launch page.

 

While most launch pages are kept simple, some other launch pages have tons of information. Which of these practices is correct? Well, the correct answer is neither.

 

Launch pages aren’t a marketplace for stuffing information nor is it a place to throw up a date. If you want to acquire customers and build up buzz for your launch, you need to create a strong launch page.

 

Here are the best strategies to create the ultimate launch page:

 

 

 

Fundamental Factors

 

Logo

 

These are the basic things every launch page needs. These things do not have anything to do with design or layout.

 

Every launch page needs to have a logo of your website that you will continue to use after launching. If you do not have a logo ready to use, you are not ready to launch your website.

 

The image below shows proper logo placement as well as a prepared logo.

 

 

Who are you?

 

If you’re launching a new page, people are going to want to know a little bit about you. Instead of jumping right to it, somewhere on the launch page (even if it is just a sentence), you need to tell your visitors who you are.

 

A brief description letting users know who you are and what the purpose of this website is a great way to break the ice. This ice breaker helps you transition into the next segment.

 

Clearly explains who Zaarly is in one sentence.

 

 

 

What does this website do?

 

If someone is visiting your website and ends up on a launch page, they are probably running for the back button. You need to explain in less than 15-20 seconds what this website does.

 

Not only that, but what you choose to say in those 15-20 seconds needs to captivate and interest the user. Leave the fluff out and jump right into what your website does and how he/she can benefit.
Short and concise sentences that tell you exactly what you need to know.

 

 

 

Sharing Loop

 

If you make a great launch page or have a superb idea, people may want to share your page. Not only that, but the best way to build hype for a new launch is through social media.

 

Be sure to include sharing/tweeting buttons on various social networks that allow others to promote your launch. Very few users may end up promoting your page, but any promotion is useful.

 

Easy to share/tweet while giving visitors the ability to share the URL as well.

 

 

Subscribe Strategy

 

Regardless of what your website does, you need to have a box allowing users to subscribe. Whether this subscription notifies them of your launch date or gives them early access, it is a crucial item to add in the creation of your launch page.

 

Users who subscribe to this list can be highly beneficial for you after you launch. You now have a group of users that you can essentially reach for free by simply sending out an email to them.

 

Newsvine makes it extremely easy for users to subscribe and tells them exactly what they get by subscribing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Design Elements

 

Minimal Scrolling

 

Nobody wants to see a launch page that requires scrolling. Your launch page must be short and specific that a visitor does not need to even scroll to know exactly what your website is creating.

 

Avoid having lengthy pages to increase visitor interest. Create a short and to the point page that demonstrates what your new website can do for other people.

 

Consistent Colors

 

If you are launching a website with a black and blue color scheme, stay consistent with those same colors on your launch page. A launch page is a direct reflection of your brand and website.

 

Often times, launch pages are done in completely different colors than the actual website. This is a terrible mistake that causes confusion among early visitors. Stick to the color schemes you use for your website.

 

Serene Background

 

A nice scenic background has been a very popular choice for launch pages in the recent year. If you don’t want to have a gradient or plain color as your background, that is absolutely fine.

 

Be sure to use a background that is serene and does not take attention away from the content on your launch page. Your goal is to amaze your visitors with what you have to say, not with your background.

 

The background used below is a terrible choice because the visitors eyes immediately wander to the background.

 

 

 

Placement

 

This is a very fundamental lesson. Place your content, images, and boxes as you would on any general website.

 

Following conventional wisdom in this sense would probably be your smartest move. Logos belong at the top and social media buttons at the bottom.

 

The winner is Late Car Service! This launch page has all the elements needed to create the ultimate launch page.

 

 

 

 

Resources

 

Site Builders

 

There are quite a few launch page builders out there online. My favorite is LaunchRock, which allows you to create a stunning landing page in minutes using all the elements mentioned above.

 

You can even find many other launch page builders by doing a simple Google search. You can even find themes or pre-made templates that often have the elements discussed above.

 

Subscribe Lists

 

If you use some of the site builder websites mentioned above, you will most likely receive an automatic subscriber list for your launch page. However, if you want to go above and beyond to create a custom launch page, you can still embed a subscribe list into your website.

 

Campaign Monitor makes it easy to add and manage subscribers for a long period of time. They have easy to use codes with a stunning dashboard making it simple for everyone.

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

Building the ultimate launch page is all about content, style, and design. These are the three most important factors that separate a winning launch page from a losing one.

 

Launch pages have become a great tool in recent years to build hype and buzz about a new launch. Never underestimate the effectiveness of a launch page. It can help you get a fast start right through the gates.

 

What are your thoughts on the article? Do you have any other suggestions or tips for creating a great launch page? If so, please share any thoughts, questions, or comments you have below.

 

15 Influential Entrepreneurs On Twitter Worth Following

Whether you need business advice, updates in the world of entrepreneurship, or are just looking to learn more about interesting people, there is an abundance of information available on Twitter.

In hopes of finding some of the most influential tweeters on Twitter, I went on a little search today. I compiled a list of 15 entrepreneurs who I felt had the most influential, informative, or personal tweets.

 

Whether you need business advice, updates in the world of entrepreneurship, or are just looking to learn more about interesting people, there is an abundance of information available on Twitter.

 

 

In hopes of finding some of the most influential tweeters on Twitter, I went on a little search today. I compiled a list of 15 entrepreneurs who I felt had the most influential, informative, or personal tweets.

 

 

I have included my favorite tweet from each of these entrepreneurs as well as their twitter bio. Here are the entrepreneurs:

 

 

 

1. Neil Patel @NeilPatel

 

I’m Kind of a Big Deal. Blogger at QuickSprout, Co-Founder at Crazy Egg & KISSmetrics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Reid Stone @TheReid

 

CEO of a guerrilla marketing guild born from the fires of a traditonal advertising agency (HERO Farm). Occasional speaker. Homeless advocate. Frequent troublemaker.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Dave Lavinsky @DaveLavinsky

 

Dad | Serial entrepreneur | Author | President of Growthink | I help entrepreneurs plan for maximum growth & success. #StartAtTheEnd

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Bruce Coustillas @MiamiBruce

 

Official twitter of Bruce, Inventor of the amazing Add Glasses that you can see everywhere, visit Crystal Custom for more info.

 

 

 

 

 

5. Julie Cole @JulieCole

 

Co-founder of Mabel’s Labels Inc. and busy mama of six. Love my business, babies, blogging and always have autism on the mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Tom Lounibos @Lounibos


CEO of SOASTA CloudTest, running against the wind.

 

 

 

 

7. Rand Fishkin @RandFish

 

CEO + founder of SEOmoz. I tweet 50-75X/week primarily on inbound marketing, SEO, startups & entrepreneurship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Erin Bury @ErinBury

 

Managing Editor at emerging tech publication at BetaKit. A Sprouter Initiative. Marketing Mag – 30 Under 30. Financial Post columnist. Retweeted by Oprah.

 

 

 

9. John Chow @JohnChow

 

I am best known for showing the income power of blogging by taking my blog from zero to over $40,000 per month in two years. Visit JohnChow.com for more info.

 

 


 

 

 

10. Tim Ferriss @TFerriss

 

Author of #1 NY Times bestsellers, The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Workweek, Japanophile, tea drinker, tango world record holder, language learning fanatic.

 

 

 

 

11. Dr. Letitia Wright @DrWright1

 

Host of the Wright Place TV Show and Crowd Funding Expert

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. Guy Kawasaki @GuyKawasaki

 

Author of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. Former chief evangelist of Apple. Co-founder of Alltop.

 

 

 

 

 

13. Amanda Vega @AmandaVega

 

CEO w/20+ yrs online exp. #22 at AOL. Social media zealot. PR Maven. Published author. Speaker. Ivy MBAer. Pink Porsche owner. Pug lover. Britney fan. Abrasive. www.AmandaVega.com

 

 

 

 

 

14. Tracy Repchuk @TracyRepchuk

 

Internet Marketing, Social Media Business Strategist and Speaker, Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur since 1985, Contact for consult or booking at www.TracyRepchuk.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

15. Ali Brown @AliBrown

 

Entrepreneur, mentor, & philanthropist working with women around the world, helping them start and grow businesses to live their best lives. www.AliBrown.com

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

This list is comprised of some of the most influential entrepreneurs on Twitter. These individuals are constantly posting valuable information, insight, personal stories, or anything else that is of value to other entrepreneurs.

 

 

I highly recommend aspiring entrepreneurs to follow them and learn from their tweets. I sure have learned a lot from following these individuals on Twitter.

 

 

Do you know someone else who provides value with their tweets? Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.

 

 

Branding Like a Kardashian

If you’re starting a new business or even trying to create a name for yourself, you cannot underestimate the power of branding. The Kardashians are a family of various people who do not do much but still have managed to build one of the strongest brands in the country. If you have not heard about them, I’m guessing you haven’t opened a magazine or watched television in the last few years. Read more to find out the Kardashian branding tips.

 

If you’re starting a new business or even trying to create a name for yourself, you cannot underestimate the power of branding. The Kardashians are a family of various people who do not do much but still have managed to build one of the strongest brands in the country.

 

 

If you have not heard about them, I’m guessing you haven’t opened a magazine or watched television in the last few years. This brand did not build overnight and it is not just because of Kim Kardashian’s sex tape, although that did help a bit. The workhorse behind the Kardashian brand is their mother, Kris Jenner.

 

 

Klohe Kardashian discusses her moms business savvy as someone who can “turn water into wine”. That’s exactly what Kris Jenner did with the Kardashian brand and is netting her empire more than $60 Million a year! Here are some lessons the Kardashian’s can teach everyone about branding:

 

 

 

Get Personal

 

The Kardashians share anything and everything about their lives on their reality TV show. While some of us would rather not see so much about their lives, they share it anyway.

 

 

The Kardashian’s have been able to build such a strong brand because they are willing to get personal and close to their audience. To build a stronger brand, you really need to get on a personal level with your customers and create strong relationships.

 

 

 

Stay Focused

 

What do you think of when I mention the Kardashians? Most of you are probably thinking about reality TV, fashion and entertainment. They have successfully built their brand around these three niches, which has propelled their success even more.

 

 

Find a few niches that work with your brand/image the best and stick to it. Brand your business around these niches and you too can create something extraordinary!

 

 

 

Be Unique

 

To build a brand that everyone will remember, you have to create something unforgettable. There is no brand like the Kardashians out there and that is why they garner so much attention. Build your brand around something unique.

 

 

Even though the Kardashians have a lot of haters, they have enough people that love them to fuel their growth. Sell your brand as something that cannot be found elsewhere and you will find a larger following for it.

 

 

 

Connect Through The Social Media

 

All the Kardashians are avid Twitter users. Not only do they tweet about things happening in their life, but they show love to their fans. To build a strong brand, you NEED to build a following on the social network sites.

 

 

This allows you to stay connected with your fans at all times while making it easy to measure results. A strong following on the social media makes it easy to give updates and new happenings in your brand. Your brand must be a heavy influence on the social networks in order to be successful.

 

 

Look how often Klohe Kardashian tweets.

 

 

 

Work With Winners

 

When the Kardashians aren’t romancing with athletes, they always choose to partner up with winners. The Kardashian brand has partnered up with Sketchers, Sears and many other winning companies that have elevated their brand. Partnering up your business or personal brand with other companies a great way to increase awareness.

 

 

When the Kardashians partnered up with Sketchers, their brand was then exposed to the followers of Sketchers. The same goes for your business. If you can make strategic partnerships, you expose your brand to a new group of people.

 

 

 

The Kardashian girls posing with their partner brand.

 

 

 

Use The Bad For Good

 

When you are a big brand, scandals or other dramatic issues will go public. There is nothing you can do about it. Some people run and hide from the bad while the Kardashians use the bad to their advantage. When Kim Kardashian’s sex tape was exposed, she saw it as an opportunity to bring herself into prominence.

 

 

Even though she received a lot of harsh criticism, she used the bad to make herself a household name. After she became popular, she did everything in her power to show the world she was different from what the video shows. Bad things always happen, instead of running from your problems, confront them and make the best of them!

 

 

Share your comments or thoughts about this post below.

 

 

 

 

10 Tactics to Increase Your Twitter Followers

A great way to generate awareness for yourself, your business or your brand is through Twitter. However, getting followers or people who actually care about what you have to say can be pretty difficult. Thus, I have come up with a list of 10 LEGAL strategies that you can use to grow your Twitter base.

A great way to generate awareness for yourself, your business or your brand is through Twitter. However, getting more twitter followers or people who actually care about what you have to say can be pretty difficult. Thus, I have come up with a list of 10 LEGAL strategies that you can use to grow your Twitter base.

 

 

1. Use Hashtags

 

Anytime you make a tweet, you can categorize it by applying hashtags to your post. Adding hashtags is a great way to make your post visible to a broader audience. Users can search various hashtags on Twitter and often times will follow you if they like what you have to say. You can think of using hashtags as a way of optimizing your tweets through the search functionalities on Twitter.

 

 

2. Be a Resource

 

When you post tweets, you want to be a resource to other tweeters by offering some insight or knowledge about a specific domain. If tweeters find you to be a good source for information, you will see your twitter following grow rapidly. You want to offer unique information that they cannot find elsewhere.

 

 

3. Be Personal

 

Twitter is all about engagement and posting quality information. While posting quality information will surely increase your twitter following, posting things about your daily life can surely engage users. Users can relate to personal experiences and often times are more prone to retweet your message. Anytime a follower retweets your message, you increase the chances of gaining more followers from their network.

 

 

4. Engage with your Followers

 

Do not just be a machine tweeting out messages all day. You want to communicate with others by providing input on their tweets. You also want to take the time to look through your feed and see if there are any posts that you would like to retweet. Retweeting messages encourages others to do the same while you show your followers that you enjoy what they have to say.

 

 

5. Tweet Often

 

You want to tweet often to increase your chances of gaining followers. However, never spam or post for the sake of posting. Only post when you feel the urge to share something with the rest of the world. Tweeting often gives other people a better chance of seeing your message and connecting with you.

 

 

6. Timely Tweets

 

There are certain time periods when Twitter users are the most active. If you have a home run hitting tweet, you might want to save it for these times to gain the best results. Based on various studies, the most active time for Twitter is around 5 EST. Using that study, you might want to save your best tweets for that time everyday.

 

 

7. Trending Topics

 

If you see a trending topic that you can offer some valuable input on, do not hesitate to do so. Trending topics are the hash tags that are the most active at the time and can be a great tool to increase your followers. If you can write insightful posts about trending topics, chances are you will get retweets or followers from that.

 

 

8. Interesting Bio

 

Before a tweeter can follow you, he/she sees your picture and reads your bio. While you can’t do much about your face, you can do a lot about your bio. You want to create an interesting and unique bio that explains your personality. A creative bio is a great way to capture more followers for your Twitter account.

 

 

9. Follow Others

 

Often times, people want all the followers in the world but don’t want to follow back. Following other people who may tweet about similar interests is a great way to increase your follower base. If you find someone else interesting, they too may find you interesting. By following others, you have a fairly high chance of getting a follow back.

 

 

10. Talk to the Big Shots

 

Twitter is extremely unique because it gives everyone the ability to communicate with celebrities, big shots or other famous individuals. Don’t be shy, feel free to tweet at celebrities or other famous individuals. Do not be disrespectful or hateful towards them but feel free to tweet about anything that may catch their attention. If someone with the certified blue checkmark does end up following or tweeting at you, expect to get a lot of followers from that.

 

 

Don’t become obsessed with trying to obtain Twitter followers. Take my advice above and over time you will see your Twitter base grow. Like most things in life, slow and steady wins the rice. Practice the proper etiquette on Twitter and the results will come over time.

 

 

Do you have any other tactics that have worked for you? Share your thoughts or comments below about this article.

 

 

 

The Funding Frenzy

Every startup company that emerges feels its necessary to obtain funding from somewhere. All types of entrepreneurs, startups and companies are looking for capital for their businesses. The “need” for funding is at an all-time high but a lot of these individuals can do without any funding.

Every startup company that emerges feels its necessary to obtain funding from somewhere. All types of entrepreneurs, startups and companies are looking for capital for their businesses. The “need” for funding is at an all-time high but a lot of these individuals can do without any funding.

 

In recent times, only the startups who have raised $1.5Million get much attention in the media. Thus, everyone feels like they need to raise money for their business whether they need it or not. Truth be told, only a few specific startup companies really do need to find an investor or funding, especially of those large amounts.

 

A lot of time goes wasted looking for funding. If your business truly cannot move another step without funding, then you should look for funding. However, there are a lot of things you can do (depending on the amount of money you need) to get the money necessary. In recent times, everyone has fallen into the trap of giving out equity in their business and finding a “shark” who will invest money in their company.

 

This isn’t always the right approach. Truly, this should be the final option for any startup company. You want to keep as much equity in your business as possible and find alternative solutions to your problems. Don’t get caught up in all the hype over other entrepreneurs who are raising huge capital.

 

Entrepreneurs that are able to amass that kind of capital are a dime a dozen and have a very specific need for it. Focus on developing your business with the bare minimum so that you are prepared in the long run. Don’t get caught up in the funding frenzy, unless you really have too. It’s not a fun place to be at.

 

photo credit: HowardLake via photopin cc