Benefits of Networking - People Power

Before I write out the next few blog posts that follow this one that will be about how to properly network and create significant, lucrative connections, I find it appropriate to make this post. This post will outline the benefits and reasons that networking is absolutely essential for your business, and how it can help. 

To start off, let's go back to that previously used quote from my last post; "It's who you know, not what you know". Often times, you will lack the appropriate skill set and knowledge to move forward with your plans. Having an asset on your team that has more skills, experience, and knowledge on a certain topic is highly important. Another great quote to highlight this; "A great man surrounds himself with wiser ones". It would be futile and foolish to hire only people with lower knowledge or basis of skills just to retain a sense of superiority and control over your crew. They may be able to learn from you, but that takes a significant investment of your time to get them competent and effective, and time is money. Save time, money, and a great deal of trouble by being an effective and respectable leader to those who exceed you in certain fields of your industry.

Also, of course, there is the facet of networking that provides you access bonuses to products, goods, services, and any other potential tool or beneficial item to your business. By "access bonuses" I am referring to discounts, free things, exclusive access, expanded programs due to that person you connected with having some kind of employee edition they were able to share with you, and so forth.

And lastly, the simple addition of a great mind to your roster of people to call for advice. You'd be surprised how far it can get you sometimes to just shoot a quick call to an intelligent confidant who will retain your secrets and advise sincerely and intelligently with deep thought. Use your network of people. We are all born with one. However if you fail to grow your network significantly in business, it is completely your fault. 

There are clearly more benefits to networking that have not been elaborated on in this posting. And if you wish for the full training on any topic found in my blog, please, simply contact me from connorjsmithmarketing@gmail.com or fill out my website's contact form on the appropriate page. If receive enough requests, I will likely continue this post with all benefits listed out that I can think of.

Hopefully this content has been beneficial to you all, and that it will inspire you to go out there and meet new people, create new connections both personal and business oriented, and to grow as a person and a professional. Thank you for reading!

Introduction to Networking; The Power of People

Throughout the extent of my blogging so far with The Success Blog, I have covered various topics ranging from how to close sales in person or over the phone, CRM systems, the influences to a person's mindset and how it effects their drive, and what categories of people make the most influential impact towards our hustle for success.

Now, I will be delving into Networking, which is a decently broad category of sales and marketing in general that covers interaction between people and how you can benefit from certain interactions, and how to leverage the power of connection to further yourself and make money.

So, please stay tuned with my blog over the duration of the next few days to a week to learn about the power of networking and connections, and how leveraging them properly can cut massive corners with gaining success and shoot you to the top far quicker, bypassing massive obstacles with other's resources otherwise impassable or very difficult and time consuming to overcome. 

"Sometimes it's who you know, not what you know" 

Thanks much! Any questions, shoot over to connorjsmithmarketing@gmail.com.

Client Relationship Management Systems

Alright everybody, I have, so far, outlined several essential processes regarding closing sales, from in person conduct and strategy to techniques over the phones and how to proceed smoothly. From all of that free training I have generously provided you all, I would like to elaborate on how to keep all of those clients happy, satisfied, and well-recorded.

This post will be going into brief detail about CRMs, or "Client Relationship Management Systems". These are essentially user friendly, interactive databases that will allow you to input and track clients as their situations progress, and also allow you easy access their project or case files during or after their project has been completed already, or is currently undergoing development.

For example, the industry leader in  CRMs for sales tracking is currently SalesForce.com. Their platform is geared more primarily towards the tracking and closing of prospective clients for your business, also known as cold or warm leads. It lays out all of your active leads, prioritizes them, and allows for seamless closing for the company representatives you ave delegated the task to. All of these factors allow for higher closing percentages, and overall, more business for your company. 

I would highly suggest procuring a CRM system for your organization. Be it a CRM geared towards sales such as SalesForce as previously referred to, or a different style that is more alike a database to track previous clients in the case they call with complaints to allow for easy and organized access to their overviews.

Hopefully this posting has brought value to you all in terms of yet another essential business tool to add to your base of knowledge. And as always, reach out with any questions to connorjsmithmarketing@gmail.com!

Keep Movin' On - Phone Closing

A super common question within sale closing processes is "how do I move forward from here, after I've 'closed' a sale?".  This blog post is a continuation of my "phone closing" series, and will go into detail about this and how it is that you should handle a client after the initial sale is closed. This advice in this very post will help you keep you in good graces with the client and maintain your rapport, and provide a fool-proof method to providing clear steps moving forward after closing your deals.

Ponder the following scenario. I've been in this exact situation countless times personally; I am on the call with a client. The client, let's say, has requested a website for his business. Let's also state that the agreed price for the project is an easy $1,000. We have discussed in great length the details of the site to be completed, and the client is ecstatic to get going and have his site up and rolling ASAP. All of this in mind, what do you do next? Bid him farewell and a nice rest of his day? No, certainly not. You have to provide clear, easy steps on how to move forward with this client.

So, continuing with the same example, this would be my next steps. I would first portray my own excitement for the project, then explain the steps moving forward verbally (obviously, we're on the phone!). However next, you have to explain the same steps non-verbally. What I find is the best way to lay out the path ahead for a client is to obtain their best preferred email address. A quick note about this; don't ask for their email. Ask for their best, and most frequently checked email. Next, inquire about whether or not they have a preference for the subject line of your soon-to-be-written email, so that when they check their inbox, they expect the email. They will then have a natural reaction of "hey, I was expecting this! Great!" rather than if you just put a standard, boring subject line of your choosing, they will just perceive it as yet another work related email that they have to get back to.

So after you have lined up the clients email with the recipient address being the inbox they will be most likely to see your mail in, and a grabbing subject line of the client's choosing, then proceed to complete the email with a highly detailed, in depth review and summary of what has been discussed, what the project will entail, how long it will take to service and complete or deliver, and how much has been agreed upon regarding cost. It has to be a structured, clear, and written version of the recent verbal conversation for your records, and for the clients. Including a plethora of detail within the email with also heighten the perceived value of the project, so be sure to leave nothing to the wind.

Also, if this hasn't been taken care of in your sales situation thus far by this point in the process, outlay the payment methods easily and clearly to the client so that they are better motivated to take immediate action, and therefore, getting you and your team paid quicker. Always make sure to verify that the payment has been received, and in that same follow up email, mention what will happen next, and when.

Hopefully this post-agreement overview of the sales process has assisted you all with your future closing scenarios. Leave me any questions, comments, or opinions on this post in my "best preferred email" connorjsmithmarketing@gmail.com. 

Also, feel free to call me for a brief free consulation anytime at (425) 677-4426 for some great coaching for no charge at all. If I miss your call, I will send you a text with the next best time to shoot me a call so that we can connect and I can provide the assistance you seek.

Cheers!

Compensation Closes - Phone Closing Tip

One of the most basic and frequently encountered objections within your closing efforts will most definitely be price. This being said, you should be preparing yourself to overcome any cost associated objections that might be thrown your way after pitching a service or product and revealing the ugly factor for the client; what it's going to cost them to obtain that product or service.

What I often found myself doing is first, negotiating. However, I've come to learn a super valuable pro-tip for keeping the price high, and therefore, your profits. The tip is as follows; when a price objection from the prospective client/lead is brought into play, then instead of dropping the price as you would figure to be the proper response to such a complaint, stop. Instead, reduce the pressure of the particular price by extending the periods of payment. Rather than getting $750 for a landing page build out in my case, I find that splitting the payment in half greatly reduces the stress on the client, and that they are better able to wrap their heads around the price this way. Have half ($375 in this case) charged up front, then the remaining portion ($375 again) whenever the service has been delivered upon and rendered complete.  

This is a simple quick tip from a professional closer's perspective here. May it guide you in your overcoming of price objections ahead! 

Cell Closing Connoisseur - Phone Closes

The next few blog posts will be regarding sale closing, but specifically, closes that take place only over the phone with a prospective client or lead. This section of posts will overview the best things you can say, and also, definitely the worst. Hopefully this valuable insight will provide a better cellular closing experience for you all! 

Firstly, a pro tip for establishing rapport. In my niche, web design and development, the whole point of the sale is to provide a website that represents the clients passion. This being said, a great way to establish some easy rapport right off of the bat would be to inquire repetitively about the client's passions, occupation, or whatever it is that the website is supposed to portray online. Typically by my experiences implementing this, the client practically closes themselves they get so excited. They practically move forward by almost begging me to help them with their website, which as you could imagine significantly assists the closing actions when price is brought up. The more a prospect talks about things they are interested in, so long as you show genuine interest and attentively show respect and fascination with their passions, they will always feel far closer to you. And, as you have read on my blog before, this is essential. 

So, ask probing and interested questions about the client's interests and passions that are the driving force behind why they want this site in the first place. Appeal to the passions.

Also, after establishing rapport for a couple solid minute and you are comfortable together on the phones as if it isn't simply "client and representative" anymore, proceed to diagnose the unique needs of the client. Assess why they are even talking to you in the first place, then try to help them to the best of your ability honestly.

WHEN VALUE EXCEEDS PRICE, PEOPLE PAY. Every word you say on the phone with a potential client will effect the "perceived value" of whatever it is you are providing them. The clients don't buy the product or service; if you're a good closer that's worth your salt, they buy YOU. So push the value meter sky high strategically with every word out of your mouth. And over the phone, linguistics and verbal tactics are everything. You can't assess their body language, you can't notice them tighten up, flinch, retreat, or any other buying signal that normally would be essential to the closing process. Phone closing is complicated, difficult, and comes with an elaborate code to follow in terms of what will, and won't, contribute positively to the finalization of that particular sale.

Be sure to read my other blog posts on this site regarding establishing rapport to significantly further your knowledge on the sale closing process, and how you have to be more than the average "robotic" and practically inhuman sales rep that people fear interacting with.

Cheers!

How to Establish Rapport - Strategy Post

This post will continue the concepts discussed in my last post regarding the importance of rapport within the sale closing process. There are 3 primary components to the strategy that establishes rapport with the client. If all 3 are nailed properly, the client will be comfortable with the representative/closer, and trusts not only their judgement, but also their pricing once that arises in conversation.

Here are the 3 rapport components;

1. Body Language
2. Tone
3. Speech

Firstly, let's address body language. This can begin with a simple but firm and assuring hand shake, but can become more elaborate as you think about several other factors, such as how close you stand to the client, whether or not your hands are folded or in your pockets or if you have your arms crossed, proper and consistent eye contact, and so forth. 

You want to use motions with the client that make them comfortable with you. Shake their hand well, introduce yourself enthusiastically, and be a personable, approachable individual that the client feels is there to help them, not sell them. Aggression within sales often shows either desperation, weakness in professionalism, or that you are just trying to hustle them and have no real interest in actually assisting that person. Stand in a relaxed yet professional stance, don't shift around too much, keep solid eye contact and smile, and get passionate and excited about what the client needs so that they, in turn, become excited as well. Most people copy each other's body motions and moods subconsciously, which can be used in sales by real closing pros to manipulate the mood and tone of the conversation at will. There is a study of body language and motion within a persuasive conversation, called Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP abbreviated). Professional sale closers will know how to assess buying signals that a client give off during conversation, and personalize and tailor the experience of their speech and movements and tone to the client so that they are better suitable for the close by the end of the conversation.

Now, to move onto tone. Tone is an all-encompassing term used to describe not only the tone of voice, but also the tone of conversation and where the representative and client feels the conversation will go next. Tone is effected by many different factors, mainly by body language and speech used. If a representative is calm and collected and retains his professionalism's integrity throughout the entirety of the sales process, then the client will be at ease, feeling that he is in good hands. If the closer is skilled, he will analyze the body language and tone of the client, how they speak, where they gaze, if they shuffle around, and so on. All of these motions factor into the closer's attempt to repair the tone of the conversation if they feel the client is at all uncomfortable.

Finally, to address possibly the most important category of rapport and closing, speech. The words used and the patterns of speech implemented make a massive impact on the client and their subconscious buying decision. Using "laymans terms" and speech that the prospective client will be able to understand is highly important, however a certain amount of purposeful instilling of confusion within the client is actually beneficial if throttled properly. Using complicated terminology based off of the functionality or complexity of the product and service will raise "perceived value" of the product or service in question. Also, using casual slang in moderation can comfort the client, making them more laid back and additionally receptive to suggestions (and therefore upselling/suggestion selling opportunities) from the closer or representative later down the road in the negotiation process.

More posts coming soon regarding sale closing techniques, more elaboration of establishing rapport, specific examples of situations in sales that I have completed and closed personally, and much more. Stay in the loop!

The Rapport Principle - Closer's Charisma

There are too many concepts to discuss in a single blog post when it comes to sale closing and negotiation. However, one highly central topic within closing that will be the primary focus of this post (and in your sales efforts for that matter) is rapport. For those of you who aren't currently aware, rapport is the comfort, relationship depth, and trust between a client and the sales representative. 

Rapport is absolutely essential for several reasons. These factors that follow ultimately determine several factors of the close, as listed below.

Here are the vital factors that rapport represents within a sale closing situation;

1. Higher Closing Price

Having a close and solid connection with the prospective client means that when the price pitch is completed, they will be more receptive to a higher number, versus a situation where insufficient rapport was established. In such a situation, closing a deal at the desired, higher price point would not only be far more difficult, but would also merit far more negotiation and in-depth analysis that otherwise could easily be avoided if proper rapport was established earlier in the closing process.

      2.  Easier Up-selling

Additionally, if a lead has high rapport and comfort with the representative or closer in question, then that client will be far more susceptible to additional suggestions for packages that will accompany and compliment the initial package.

There are, of course, other benefits to having a better connection with your clients, existing or prospective. But these 2 are the primary factors that, I find, make the biggest impact with the closing scenarios that I encounter. 

Keep in mind that my niche is web design and development, mainly. These factors are geared towards my niche, however these two in particular are generally considered to be universal.

I hope you all found this helpful, and valuable to your future sale closing and negotiation situations. As always, feel free to contact me for additional consultation and elaboration for any of these topics mentioned within not only this post, but any others as well.

The 3 Factions Of Influencial People

I work and hustle as hard as I do in my life for my success, for 3 factions of people.

The first are the small group of those who have told me "You can do it". These are those that support. Most people have this group backing them, even if it's just a couple people. They make a difference.

The second, and significantly bigger group, are those of who have told me "You can NOT do it". EVERYONE has this group. Unfortunately, in today's society, there are always people that doubt you, push you down, and discourage you. To me, I use this to fuel me. To motivate.

The third, LARGEST, and most IMPORTANT group of people that I personally strive because of in my life, are those that DO NOT believe that THEY CAN DO IT TOO. This group of people is comprised of 2 types of people. Firstly, people that are jealous of another person's success, and are also belonging to the previous group of people that insult and discourage others out of envy and pessimism. The secondary type of person within this group are the people that RESPECT those who have found success, but doubt they have what it takes to follow suit.

Success is a measurement of mindset, application of knowledge, hard work, and a will to succeed. And EVERYONE can achieve it.

Dreaming Versus Doing - Action Over Acting

What defines you? You friends? Family? What you dream of? The goals you share with your acquaintances or anyone else?

I believe that part of what defines us as individuals are our goals, objectives, dreams, and milestones. However, what I think what mainly portrays us all and who we are and what we strive for are not what we hope to do in the future, but what we have actually accomplished in the past.

People can be avid dreamers, which is definitely a necessity for acquisition of success, but unless they are just as avid at WORKING as they are at dreaming, they won't make it big. I think that people are better assessed from what they have accomplished, rather than what they say they WANT to accomplish at a later date.

Anybody can dream big, but the people that actually MAKE IT BIG are the people that put hard work and effort into those goals and transfer them to a reality in their life.

So rather than trying to analyze somebody in business or just on a personal level based off of what they WANT to do, look at the far more tangible evidence of what they HAVE DONE.

This phenomenon is much alike the strategies implemented by large corporations, or simply small businesses. Sure, they take your enthusiasm and hopes for your future positions within that company into account, but what really ends up to be the deciding factor at the end of the day are the previous, evident accomplishments of what sets you apart from other candidates and proves your efficiency.

Of course, there are always HR (human resource) Department managers that will hire solely off of high hopes or because they "see something" in people, which often works out, but that is besides the point. You cannot bank off of the hope that will occur in any hiring situation. And just as I am advising strongly to assess others from previous accomplishments, it also must be considered how YOU appear to OTHERS in this regard.

This being said, go out there, work for your dreams, and MAKE A DIFFERENCE. If somebody out there doesn't know who you are, that's only because your PREVIOUS accomplishments weren't LOUD enough to break through the noise of everyone else and STAND OUT.

Make a change in yourself, and in the others you confide in. Make your work speak loudly and represent yourself as a person, both in business and otherwise. Show passion and excellence within every service, every product, and every job well done. The repercussions of instilling change in your life in the name of efficiency and success will pay off. Do something now that your future self will thank you for!

It's better late than never. Work hard, and let your accomplishments speak for you!

Thanks for reading guys. I hope these are valuable to your mindset and business knowledge.

The 3 P's Of Business - Marcus Lemonis - My Take

Today, I'd like to briefly discuss the notion first introduced by multi-millionaire and show host of "The Profit" of CNBC, 
Marcus Lemonis.

His most famous, repeated business concept within the show and his associated advertisements is "People, Process, and Product". In this post, I would like to individually assess each of those three aspects, and give my take on their importance in a business situation.

1. Firstly, we have the people of a company. This is the employee, the front-line soldier, the person that makes it all happen. OR, the person that DOESN'T. Selection of the participants within a company, organization, or any form of business is absolutely critical to the overall efficiency. Deep analysis and successful screening of each and every "member to be" is vital in establishing a working, synergistic team of competent individuals that will follow through on their tasks that are delegated to them by the people in managerial or executive positions above them in the corporate hierarchy that every business has.

Human error is most definitely, undoubtedly a massive concern for some businesses, and companies have to do everything they can to reduce the damage done by a lack of performance of a certain individual within the company. This style of fault within a corporation is countered, for example, by the implementation of Employee Engagement Strategies (EES) such as a "moral event", whereas the company would pay for some sort of recreational outing decided upon by the team by a vote. This allows for the likely stressed company members to relieve stress, and to better appreciate the business that they are enlisted with.

A happy team is an effective team. And if the proper EES methods are applied, and the employees are well compensated and satisfied, they will greatly increase the overall work output of the business, and ultimately find greater success.

2. Next, the process. A companies process is absolutely critical to primarily the efficiency, and also the success overall. A company may have the best and most well-selected team with hand picked, professional employees, and it also may have the most solid and effective product (see next section), but unless the process is equally as effective, the whole ship sinks, metaphorically.

It is fact that applying hard work and effort into a working system (or process) will always provide RESULTS. But without that process being one that, on a consistent and RELIABLE basis, provide said results, it will be essentially wasting the effort and time of the workers implementing that system. And TIME IS MONEY. Every wasted minute applied to an ineffective system is dollars out of the business entity's pocket.

However if a successful, logistically sound and strong system can be found or developed, then every last second spent towards implementing it will be a lucrative, business building measure. Prioritize systematic development and implementation for overall efficiency, and to have a clear, comprehensive, well laid out path to success.

3. And finally, the 3rd "P" that Mr. Lemonis preaches. PRODUCT. In my own personal experience, I am more accustomed to discussing this from a service standpoint, as I own a web design and online business development company (www.aspireconsolidated.com).

Coordinating channel management and distribution aspects of the business with the product is essential. But getting your product where it needs to go is only the first half of the battle. Tactically managing the merchandising (position and placement of product within retail outlet) of the product is essential to overall ROI (return on investment) and sales revenue. Finding and merchandising with the right retailers, making the right contract amounts and managing finances properly, and other distribution difficulties related to getting the product out there must be accounted for.

Another huge aspect of the product is profit margins. How the product is now only distributed, but manufactured, is equally as critical. Manufacturing in bulk will greatly reduce the overall cost, or the "CPU", cost per unit. Having a lower cost per unit will make the profit higher per sale, which is identified as the profit margin of a product. Essentially, cost subtracted from the price. This also factors highly into the overall NET INCOME of the business, which is all profit after deductions and taxes are accounted for.

Let me know what you guys think! Shoot me an email to continue this topic with me. 

connorjsmithmarketing@gmail.com

Hope this post brings value as always.

Success And The Bi-Product, Happiness.

Hey guys! This post refers to success, and why happiness is, or won't be, a bi-product of it.

Success, contrary to many people's belief, is not monetarily measured. Although certain aspects of what cause success can be determined or characterized by the amount of money somebody has, or has previously earned or spent, their success is arguably entirely separate.

Success, to me, is the state of accomplishment of one's goals or dreams. Those goals may, or may not, include riches and wealth what-so-ever. I feel a sentiment of success every time I complete a beautiful, functional website for a client, for example. However, the money that results from completing that service contributes to the over-all APPARENT success that I obtain. When others look at all of the money that a company has earned, they assess the scale and level of success that company has by how much it makes, aside from it's brand identity and marketing, and so forth.

So while revenue, capitol, income, profit, money, and other monetary indicators may portray success of an individual or an organization/corporation, the true meaning and value of success comes from the sense of completion of a goal, target, milestone, or other indicator or progress.

The happiness that an individual has is contributed to more so by the progression of their venture than by the acquisition of income from it. The satisfactory feeling of a "job well done" and the pride of solid, consistent work that helps others or provides value in any way in general is what provides a sense of success and euphoric joy for entrepreneurs or other businessmen alike.

And while those who are more primarily focused on the revenue may feel a similar sense of accomplishment from the money, the people who are in it because of their passion always make it far further in business and find the most success through their innovation and experience.

Success is a very widely used term, and at the end of the day, it is truly "all encompassing" when it comes to the application of it as a term. But when one asks themselves; "what is success?", it can really only be defined uniquely by the individual asking that question. Measurement and indications of success are determined by the person, not by the mass application.

Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and this Facebook page! All of which are under "@connormarkets".

Thanks again so much for reading! More coming soon as always.

Success Barriers - What You Need to Know

Hey everyone, today's post is going to be about obstruction of success, and what makes that obstruction an issue in the first place.

There are many people in the world that believe they are at a significant disadvantage from a financial, health, or situation standpoint. They think that because they weren't born in a rich neighborhood, which high wealth and a surplus of opportunity like some, they won't be able to achieve success and accomplish their goals, or even become wealthy or famous.

Obstructions that people deem as restricting to them and their hustle are only restricting because they mentally allow them to be. Anybody has the potential to overcome obstructions and barriers to their success if they apply the right mindset and approach, effort and perseverance.

However at the end of the day, it isn't a lack of money or a lack of effort that puts people at a disadvantage. If somebody has the proper mindset and big enough goals, they can accomplish anything they dream because they have the optic in life that applying consistent, persevering effort into your dream will eventually yield results. The factor that does however play into the advantageous or disadvantageous status of an individual in obtaining success is their availability to OPPORTUNITY.

But regardless of whether or not somebody is located in an area where opportunity is rich and abundant, or they just don't have the connections or tools necessary to become a part of their niche and gain market share or just get the word out about them and gain publicity, there is ALWAYS a way. For some people that are born or placed into the disadvantageous situations, it may take far longer and far harder work and effort to obtain the same level of opportunity that came easy to others set in a better, more equipped situation than themselves.

The primary concept and the general theme behind all successful people is their passion, and their application of hard work and consistency to get what they want. And everyone and anybody has the potential to gain success, it just may take them longer than others due to lack of readily available opportunity that they can leverage.

Thanks for reading! 

Overview of www.connormarkets.com

Hello everyone! My name is Connor Smith. This is my personal business website, where I will be posting daily blog posts, tweets, and other content that I create in order to further you all as a business person. 

I will be mentoring the audience of this site on internet marketing concepts and how to drive traffic to any website, how to optimize the conversion rate of that site, and ultimately make sales from that process in the end. Also, I will be posting content very frequently regarding sales and negotiation, as this is the driving force behind any business's success. 

You may have the best website in the world, or the highest quality product or service out there, but without adequate knowledge of sales and marketing and how to effectively negotiate, you'll never acquire clients. 

My goal with this website is to educate and train entrepreneurs, hustlers, or other aspiring business people with the skill set and knowledge necessary to find massive success. Check my blog often for my daily posts! I'll also be releasing high value content for absolutely free to further your knowledge as the blog and my site progresses. 

The first free content that I will be releasing relatively shortly is a vital e-book on boosting your success with Instagram, and how to effectively grow an account and market yourself with it.

Stay tuned, and thank you all so much!