If you’re like most of us and get tons of email, most of which isn’t very interesting to say the least, there is a set pattern to what you do. We all do it, because we’re really busy and time is valuable.

“Text Sells – But Don’t Make Me Look Too Hard For It.”

Is the following true for you?

When you get a new email, if it’s not something that you have been passionately waiting for, here’s what generally happens:

First you skim it quickly, and usually without downloading pictures, to answer the question,

“Is this relevant to me? Because if it’s not, I’m going to delete it. And if it is, I’m busy and I might delete it anyway.”

So, is this you?

I bet it is. I know it’s absolutely me.

And if this *is* you, then it’s also the readers you are sending *your* emails to.

When you’re writing articles, event invitations or marketing email announcements to send out to your subscribers and fans, post on your blog, social media sites, or public calendars, you want to make sure you are doing what you need to ensure it’s something that will be helpful and effective.

So write your copy so that people will read, get your main message and take action.

You can’t provide value to them, and in turn get them to hire you if they don’t read your email.

These easy guidelines can help you create emails that “pass the skim test” and are effective:

• Write in short {sound bite} sentences and paragraphs.
• Use bold headlines a few times within the article.
• Use CAPS, ***Asterisks***, ==> arrows <–, etc. to make emotional positive, negative or curious phrases stand out.
• Use a bulleted list within the article to breakdown a main idea, provide steps or list benefits or challenges.
• Provide a Call to Action so the reader knows what they should do next to benefit from your knowledge and take it further.

As we stated, your readers will skim your article first, so the main attention-grabbing points need to stand out in a big way to hook them into reading more in-depth, and also to stand alone in case they don’t.

“Text Sells… And Practice Makes Perfect!”

==> So next time you write, DO A COPY-EFFECTIVENESS CHECK by reading just the bolded, highlighted, bulleted, etc. items alone. If the main points come across and there is a natural flow and understanding of only those items, you’ve probably written a compelling article that people will delve into, read and take action.

If you want to really stand out and grow your business, you can get more free helpful article, audio and video resources like this on marketing, sales and business growth by clicking here.

And let me know if I can answer any specific questions by emailing me, posting below or calling me directly.

To your success!
Jason
773.829.1276

It’s so wonderful the creativity and resources we have within us when we allow us time and space to just be.

I hope you enjoy this video and music as much as I did.

All the best,
Jason

P.S. I thought about talking about how your business team is very similar. It needs everyone to be in sync – sales, marketing, operations, service, management, external support, etc. to be harmonious and really strong and successful. And how you yourself as the small business owner have to have all your areas in sync – vision, strategy, action plan, skills, environment and mindset – and how these are the areas I help my clients to work on, tweak, upgrade and perfect so you can reach the best possible outcome. But then I decided not to.

Oh wait.. guess I just did :)

As noted in the video below, it takes several, if not hundreds and sometimes thousands, of failures before we succeed.

How has your past failure motivated you?

One of my past failures was public speaking – A HUGE fear of many, many Americans.

In fact, it’s the #1 fear of people in America. Guess what’s #2?

Death.

Yep – most people are more afraid to speak in front of people than to die. And to some people, they are basically the same thing!

I, too, used to get really freaked out, scared to death, and tremble when I had to speak in front of a group – classmates, peers, you name it. And this was before I really had anything on the line, or anything that I was personally hoping to get out of giving the presentation, other than a grade or pat on the back.

After that, I did ironically end up in a career as a corporate trainer, speaking in front of groups as large as 500 people.

But even after that and when I was in business for myself, the first time I had to address a packed room of well-dressed business people that on the whole were older and more experienced than me, all those old feelings came rushing back.

Every time I used to say to myself:

- “Why should these people listen to me?”
- “Who am I to tell them how to do this?”
- “I wonder if I can get out of this somehow – fake illness, maybe??”

Well, I’m glad I didn’t. And I’m glad I found a great way to turn it all around and make public speaking an important part of my life and then my business.

And interestingly, I think you’ll be glad I turned it around, too.

Because my success after failure is about to pay off for you too.

Yeah, that was a little bit of a teaser for you.

If you’re on my email list, you’ll know what I’m talking about soon. And trust me, what I’m going to share will turn your service business around or make it explode to a whole new level:

Sign up for our Email Newsletter

So make sure you’re on my list to get the free training that’s coming in up a few weeks.

You’ll thank me later :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

And, here’s a new strategy to turn your 2012 into something great.

Listen in:

So, now are you ready and psyched to get your Reverse New Years Resolution started??

Stay tuned and look for more announcements about the exciting and upcoming Secret Project that’s guaranteed to drive new clients to you in 2012……..

Jason E. Rosado
Small Business Growth Coach
(773) 829-1276
Jason (at) DistinctiveCoaching.com

Ok, people (and I mean bad, evil, people that do the above mentioned LinkedIn “sin”, and those that are considering it :).

I’ll try to explain this.

First impressions are everything in relationship building. Relationship building is everything in networking. Networking is one of the best ways to get business.

Ya following me so far here?

(Rant in form of very valuable online networking advice) LinkedIn is for personal networking on a professional level, for professional purposes. Please don’t create a personal LinkedIn profile in the name of your company (which I have never heard of) and then ask me to join your network with the default message that does not include your name, why you want to connect (I’m going to assume it’s to market to me, not network and help each other), or how you came across my profile.

(Rant continued) And then to top it off, I go to your website, your blog and your twitter page just to see if I’m overlooking someone I do actually know, and there is not one bit of personal information to tell me who it is.

(Correct course of action advice) Instead, create a personal profile with your company name as *you company* and offer to connect to build a mutually beneficial relationship.

Bottom line: It’s probably a dumb idea to annoy someone as your first impression while trying to network, relationship build and garner business or referrals.

Make sense?

Ok, that felt good.

This even happened yesterday when I met someone that I was very interested in having speak at one of my networking events for small business owners. But you see…

She unknowingly messed it all up in a big way and blew her chances at getting a lot of business.

And at the same time, she also killed my impression of her.

*********************************************************************************

Are you closing the door on sales that
you didn’t even know you had locked up?

*********************************************************************************

This is one of the biggest and easiest mistakes to make for us small business owners while networking as well as during a sales conversation that costs us dearly.

I used to make this same mistake all the time.

Often. And I had no idea I was doing it.

It was costing me lots of clients that would have hired me.

Then I finally figured it out and learned to do the exact opposite of what my instincts were telling me. But that was after years of working with sales and marketing gurus, and I was finally able to connect the dots.

Most small business owners never know they are doing it, and if you’re one of these people, it’s costing you clients, time, energy, money and reputation.

I’ll explain in detail below how to avoid doing this one thing, and give you

THREE SIMPLE SALES LESSONS to handle the situation and
give you a HUGE SALES LIFT instead.

*********************************************************************************

Does this sound familiar:

You’re at a networking event. Or maybe just met someone at a social gathering.

You’re having a really good conversation. It definitely seems like they are seriously interested in hiring you, and you go to put it over the top.

Then you hear a ‘maybe’, or more likely “Ok.. I’ll call you.”

And then… Nothing.

How frustrating is that?

VERY!

You probably have just talked yourself out of a new client, and you didn’t even know it.

Or maybe you do, but you just can’t figure out what went wrong. And that’s even more annoying and upsetting.

And then you start questioning if you are wasting your time at networking events, or if people just don’t “get” what you offer.

Or maybe you figure next time you need to explain your services more… but it doesn’t work any better, and you lead yourself into a cycle of doubt, rejection and disappointment.

Like I said, I’ve been there, done that and bought the t-shirt.

It’s extremely discouraging.

Not only can this happen easily and often while networking, but it also can happen during a sales conversation.

And when this happens, you are MISSING GREAT OPPORTUNITIES to get more clients and move your business forward.

Here’s what I’m talking about:

Human nature is to get excited when someone shows interest in your services, so your natural reaction is to show your expertise, prove your worth, and get them eager to hear more, follow up and to hire you.

And when you see that they really do NEED you to help them, then the adrenaline REALLY gets pumping!

So you go into high-gear, and agree with them, and tell, explain, convince, and set up a time to talk…

But you don’t get the sale!

Maybe they even blew off your appointment or call. But I mean, after all, they were the ones that started it and said they were interested.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?

Well, when someone shows a lot of intrigue, excitement or says they are curious about what you do or working with you, the worst thing you can do is go into “hyper-sales mode.”

At this point, it’s common to automatically throw out every single benefit you can think of and talk about everything that your service can do for them.

And here’s what you think you’re doing: agreeing with them, educating them, and driving their desire; being honest, straight forward and helpful.

Sometimes you even start dropping your price right away or bringing up why you are much better or cheaper than your competitor.

Again, you’re just being of extreme service to them and showing your value. Then they almost HAVE TO BUY.

It makes so much sense. Right?

Wrong. In fact…

DO NOT DO ANY OF THE ABOVE!

Instead, the best thing you can do is fight that urge and excitement, andask a simple question of them.

—————————————————————————————————

SIMPLE SALES LESSON #1:

“AN EFFECTIVE AND CARING SALES PERSON LISTENS
80% OF THE TIME AND TALKS 20%.”

—————————————————————————————————

For instance, if your prospect says, ”That’s interesting. I think that might help me,” or even, “Wow.. I need to talk to you!!”

The best thing to come out of your mouth next is something that gets you more information, gets them talking and reinforces their excitement all at the same time.

Do this by asking a question that digs deeper.

So let’s rewind and try that again:

You tell them what you do, and they say,

“Wow.. I need to talk to you!!”

You reply:

–> “What makes you say that?” or

–> “What is it that you find most interesting?” or

–> “How would that be helpful to you?”

You see, when you go into “super-over-drive convince-and-close” selling mode, not only do you seem incredibly desperate and needy, but you also focus on all the benefits of your service AS *YOU* SEE THEM.

—————————————————————————————————

SIMPLE SALES LESSON #2:

“YOU ARE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN
YOUR INTERACTION. YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENT IS.”

—————————————————————————————————

Even though you may have been in business for years and “have seen it all,” you don’t know exactly what’s going on in their mind and what it is about your offering that really piqued their interest.

And YOU MIGHT BE WAY OFF BASE with what you think they see as the benefits, and the low price, and the additional services, and the easy process, and, and…

You are now selling all the wrong things, and what they really want was lost way back there.

And they feel like you don’t understand them, and it’s not a fit.

But, if you stop and ask a question that digs deeper into WHAT THEY SEE as the benefit and how your service solves a problem they have, you are able to:

• Get more and better information on their buying criteria
• Let them reinforce the value of your service from their own perspective and situation
• Demonstrate how committed you are to listening and understanding them – their concerns, fears, wants, needs and desires
• Show that you are professional and polished
• Close the sale much easier
• Get paid what you’re worth, without discounting your prices
• Increase your value and be a much better service provider to them as your relationship continues to grow.

This process is 100 times more powerful than just feverishly rattling off every reason in rapid-fire fashion as to why YOU THINK they MIGHT be interested, and in the process completely turning them off and killing your closing chances, not to mention your reputation.

It’s based on this simple truth -

—————————————————————————————————

SIMPLE SALES LESSON #3:

“PEOPLE DON’T ARGUE WITH THEIR OWN INFORMATION.”

—————————————————————————————————

So let them sell themselves, with just a little help from you filling some info gaps here and there, and acting as a guide and sounding board.

You’ll get a much more enthusiastic buyer, an easier close, and a happier, more grateful new client!

Jason E. Rosado
Small Business Growth Coach
(773) 829-1276
Jason (at) DistinctiveCoaching.com

Running your own business can be really tough.

There are so many things to do, so many people to connect with, so many action items to execute, and so many little things you just don’t want to fall through the cracks.

And keeping up with it all can be really tough.

That’s why it’s so important to build your Power Team.

These are the people that you know, lean on, and can easily refer them to others. You know the quality of the work they do or the product they sell and the value of the help they provide.

Because we can’t do it all alone.

And this is also what networking is all about – helping others.

Some of us have huge, wide and deep networks, and some of us are just starting out to find these people, get to know them and develop relationships.

Not everyone is there yet…

I’ve been fortunate enough to be out and about – networking, speaking, volunteering, working, playing, and so on – getting to know literally thousands of people over the past several years.

And every networking event I attend, every social function my family goes to, every conference I speak at, I keep meeting more and more incredible people! And I know that I can’t keep them all to myself, because that would be doing them a disservice and it would be doing you a disservice.

So I want to share something really special with you:

My own network of high quality, easy to work with, top-notch professionals.

But because I know so many people in different industries and locations, I’m not just going to list everyone’s name, website and phone number.

If you have a need, a want or something you’ve been procrastinating on, I want to make it really easy for you to move forward.

Here is a list of people (in no particular order) that can help you.

If one or more piques your curiosity, please reply and let me know which category. I will reply to you with all the information I have on those people, and if you’d like, I’ll even see about making a personal introduction.

- Mortgage Broker
Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or thinking about a lowering your current bill – right now you can save hundreds or thousands of $$ each month.

- Chiropractor
Put your body back in a state of pain-free healthy balance, rest and repair.

- Realtor
Looking for *the* perfect home for you – based on your tastes, your life, your dreams.

- Handyman
If it needs fixing, I know the guy (sorry ladies.. don’t know any female handywomen off the top of my head – but let me know if you are in that category!)

- Web Designer
If your business isn’t online, you don’t exist to many of your potential clients. Marketing is about adapting. If you can’t easily make small, fast changes to your site, you probably need some help here.

- Insurance Provider
Making the wrong call (or no call) can cost you thousands, easily.

- Accountant / CPA / Bookkeeper
Tax time!! But beyond that, you can’t know everything, and these sensational people that I know, do!

- Estate Planner
Waiting to get your or your parents’ affairs in order is a recipe for disaster. And fighting among loved ones is no way to live after someone close dies.

- Book Publisher
Want to be immediately recognized as an expert in your field? This gentleman can make it happen – and make you a published author in the process.

- Personal Banker
This one is very difficult to find a great mix of personal service and capability in today’s world! My team delivers.

- Health Consultant
We need to fight off terrible health problems from diabetes, smoking, childhood obesity and so many other personal and environmental hazards. Not to mention swimsuit season is right around the corner. Eeeeek! Start now.

- Financial Planner
“Those that fail to plan, plan to fail.” Seriously, how can you reach your goals if you don’t have a plan and support from someone extremely knowledgeable and proven in the field?

- Career Coach
The job market is TIGHT. You need every edge you can get – resume, interviewing, job search and networking – they all need to be systemized and in top-noth form.

- Home Inspector
My wife and I found out the hard way when we bought our home – ASK FOR A REFERRAL WITH THIS ONE.

- Business Growth and Development
You can probably guess that I can help you here. Yes, I am taking on new clients this spring, so ask me if you want to explode your business.

- Marketing Consultant
You NEED to have a marketing system in place if you want sustained, dynamic growth that won’t stress you out.

- Leadership / Executive Coach
With tight budges all around, managers and leaders are expected to get more done with less resources. And employees are not always motivated and happy. You need help here.

- Day Spa
You need to look your best. Feel your best. Be your best! Hair style, color, cut, massage, no-chip nails, health tips and more – for men and women!

- Property Investment
There are several people you can work with – you can find them all over. But how to you know whom to trust? This isn’t something you want to leave to chance. Ask me about my team of experts.

- Support Staff
Virtual assistants and interns are great ways to get more done in less time, and without breaking the bank. Let me point you to some fantastic help.

And so many more…

Just reply and let me know how I can help you to meet these and other qualified people that will take your business and your life to the next level and beyond!

To your success,

“BizCoach” Jason Rosado

“Network Like the Pro’s and Explode Your Business!”

We really enjoyed having a full house at our event last week, meeting so many local small business owners and being able to make valuable connections and what we’re sure will be long-lasting, valuable relationships.

Here are just a few of the comments that guests made:

- “It was very beneficial! Your program content was clear and concise and quite thought provoking. I’m still refining my “hook”! Also, I met a few really cool people, which I hope to see again.” – C.A.

- “Thank you for a great networking event and presentation!” - M.L.

- “Nice job with the presentation tonight and thanks again for the invite. The buzz in the crowd seemed to be very positive and there were a lot of people using the worksheets.” - B.P.

- “Thank you for the excellent presentation and audience interaction. I learned some new things to try, and I enjoyed being able to share my experiences.” - D.N.

- “Thank you for a great presentation and the opportunity to network like a pro at last night’s Chamber event! I learned, I laughed, I made great connections, and I won a prize. What could be better?” - D.G.

- “The workshop was so effective! The information you shared, and the opportunity you gave attendees to work together took the event over the top! Thank you – it was wonderful.” - B.H.

- “I learned so much about networking from the lecture and from the exercises themselves. This was REALLY helpful! – E.M.

But more importantly, this event would not have been nearly what it was without YOU – your participation, enthusiasm and desire to make it a great one!

We also want to thank our sponsors for their time, space, food and other donations that helped us to make this such an enjoyable experience. Please be sure to get to know them:

Distinctive Coaching – Jason Rosado (773) 829-1276 – Have Jason speak at your next event!

Winberie’s Restaurant and Bar – Gary Nebiolo (708) 386-2600

Potbelly Sandwich Shop – Matt Doudalis (708) 386-1395

Historical Cheney Mansion Owned and Operated by Park District of Oak Park - Gary Balling (708) 383-2612

Oak Park – River Forest Chamber of Commerce – Jim Doss (708) 771-5760

Harlem & Division Auto Repair – Debbie Sloan (708) 848-7770

Scoville Square – Jim Solnes (708) 205-8000

Holley Court Terrace – Jocelyn Vetrano (708) 383-1111

PomileeChicago – Pam Pomilee (630) 452-1234

Oak Park Area Small Business Owners – Jason Rosado (773) 829-1276

This Workshop Event was Presented by…
Distinctive Coaching for Business Success
The Oak Park – River Forest Chamber of Commerce
The Oak Park Area Small Business Owners
The Chicago Business Development Forum