Want to GET MORE REFERRALS from your current clients?

Here’s how in TWO EASY STEPS that you CAN DO TODAY…

1.) Start a dialog with the question, “What has been the most helpful for you about our work together so far?”

Asking this question helps to reaffirm and reinforce the value they’ve received from you, in their words and from their point of view.

2.) Then follow up with, “I’m looking for more clients right now. Do you know anyone that would also benefit from ____ (repeat their stated value, in their own words)?”

For more quick, easy business growth tips like this, go to > http://facebook.com/GrowYourBiz <

Don’t forget to “LIKE” it, and add your introduction of your business to The Wall, for the other Fans to see!

Getting the word out about your business on Facebook is one of the best, fastest ways to grow a following and get more people excited about how you can help them.

You see, one of my former bosses – a small business owner himself – used to say “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

So one day he was ecstatic when we were given a “cease and desist” order by Paramount Pictures for trademark infringement, with all the fixings, including a threat for a law-suit.

When he opened that letter, he was literally jumping for joy in his office and yelled for me to come in and hear the great news he had to share.

He showed me the letter from Paramount’s lawyers, and he had a smile ear-to-ear. He was downright gitty. I on the other hand, at the tender age of 23 and as the managing partner of the target business in question, had dropped my jaw on the floor and paralyzed with fear, felt like a deer in headlights.

Then he told me to lighten up and said this was one of the best things to happen.

We called the local newspapers and played up this “David vs. Goliath” story. The papers sent reporters and photographers to get an interview and pictures.

The publicity didn’t turn the business completely around, but we enjoyed a slight bump in revenue during the process and had a good laugh, too. The legal order really turned into a non-issue. We negotiated, and each side made concessions. It was settled easily with almost no cost to us.

But, getting back to today’s sports section and how news affects public relations and marketing…

Ron Artest, a former Chicago Bulls player who was a tough defender but labeled a problem child by many was traded away from the team in 2002. He is still in the league, playing for the Lakers. Yesterday in an interview with Sporting News, he told many colorful stories about his acts, misdeeds and philosophies that shed light on his current beliefs about himself and his attitudes about being a NBA player.

The whole interview brought questions into my head about “What is good PR and what is bad PR?”

But one quote in particular made my head spin.

How did Artest deal with losing on a consistent basis in the Bulls games during those tough, many-loss seasons of rebuilding after the championship years?

Said Artest, “I used to drink Hennessy at halftime.”

Wait…  What?

Yes. Artest said that he used to go to the liquor store down the street from the United Center and buy Hennessy, which he would keep in his locker and swig down during halftime of games during those dark Bulls years.

He spoke about the infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2004, in which he and his Pacer teammates and Pistons players got into a fight that ended up in the stands. He also spoke about other things he’s done on his many teams.

But that quote about drinking during halftime really stuck out to me. As soon as I heard it, I thought, “Wow.. I bet the NBA is really happy with this PR!” And it made me think about my old boss and his philosophy on publicity.

Assuming it’s true, and there is no such thing as bad publicity, I really want to know:

Aside from Sporting News, who is the big PR winner from this interview?

A. Ron Artest
B. The Bulls
C. The Lakers
D. The NBA
E. Hennessey Cognac
F. Too close to call

And I want to share something very interesting from our session today… 

We are working together to build his business to increase his customers, increase his staff, increase his sales, increase his own take-home pay, and generally build up his business, just as all my clients generally want for their own businesses.

At the moment, he has some things that are getting in the way. He is:
- Not sleeping
- Not eating properly
- Not taking personal time to relax
- Not exercising
- Has relationship issues occupying his thoughts
- Feels hyper and stressed out
- Letting all these things circle around into an almost unbreakable cycle. 

So… what’s the answer?

COFFEE.

Yep – We figured out that he is drinking too much coffee as a way to keep his energy up and get through his busy, sometimes stressful workdays.

So his plan to fix all this over the next week?

Drinking less coffee.

A lot less.

He is going to only drink 2 cups of coffee per day, and none after 12pm.

How does that fix all the other problems?

Well, by drinking less coffee and not having it later in the day, he should be able to get home at night and feel like getting some exercise in to get the heart moving, instead of needing to sit down and relax because the heart is already racing.

If he gets 30 minutes of exercise in after work, he is probably going to “sleep like a baby,” in his words.

If he gets more and better sleep, he is going to be less stressed at work and feel better when working with his clients. If he has more energy, more focus and a better mind-set, he will be more productive. When he is more productive, he will be able to get more done and therefore have more time to spend away from work….

And the cycle starts to spin the other way. Instead of all the bad things spiraling out of control, all the good things are going to do the same thing with much more favorable results.

And he started the “good spiral” today by pouring out the rest of the coffee that was sitting in front of him as we talked.

So….

What one little action step are YOU going to take today that will help everything fall into place?

Where do you break the cycle and take action?

I’ve seen many people go crazy (and I’ve done this myself) with procrastination. Trying to figure out: if A leads to B and B leads to C and C leads back to A, where should I start?

In the end, it probably doesn’t really matter. Just take action. Choose the easiest, smallest task so you are highly likely to do it. Or pick the biggest, scariest one, so you build up the motivation and conviction to see it through and can move on to the next one. Either way, just pick one and do it.

Don’t let procrastination or fear of choosing the wrong one get in the way of you changing your situation now and for the better.

Now go ahead and write down your one little action that you are going to take today, and make it count!

You can also share it with us below to help you keep accountability and help inspire others.

And here’s to your success!

1.) Create your vision fully – List all the details, all the motivators and consequences of not attaining the vision

2.) Strategize your actions and make sure they are inspired actions – Productivity steps that energize and excite you. Don’t get bogged down with the little things that you don’t really enjoy. There is no one way to accomplish something; there are usually MANY ways. Work with someone to find out what those are, and how to get them done.

3.) Surround yourself with positive people and minimize time with energy draining people.

4.) Take time for yourself everyday, or in crunch time, at the very least every week. Do those things that relax you – read the morning paper in peace, have a cup of tea on the patio, walk, jog or bike for 30 minutes. Take a little time out of your day to refresh your mind and body. For me, bike riding on long trails is when I get the most relaxation, a good workout and fantastic business brainstorming, energy and motivation!

5.) And lastly, don’t go it alone. Work with others and get outside support. You’re not in it alone, and everyone benefits when we work together. 

Excerpt of a “TwitInterview” on entrepreneurial Marketing, Networking, Sales and Productivity, posted at: http://twitinterviews.com/tag/jason-rosado/