Posted By Amanda Collins on April 21, 2009

I’m currently reading Dan Kennedy’s book “No B.S. Sales Success.” I don’t read a lot, but it’s a great way to spend my time on the treadmill, elliptical machine, or other available cardio machine at the gym five days a week. Somehow reading keeps my mind off the not-so-exciting exercise – and engages it in other things while my body is working away. But I digress….

The section I read today was about really using testimonials in your business. I’ve been saying I should incorporate my LinkedIn testimonials into my Web site since they started accruing there, but saying and doing are two distinctly different things. However, after reading Kennedy’s advice, I got my act together. He suggests that, no matter what a business owner says about her business, a client’s word is worth significantly more. In effect, clients with great things to say act as walking advertisements, a true marketing and sales team that listens for people who need your service and consistently feeds referrals.

Of course, as a former BNI member and advocate of Givers’ Gain, I fully understand this principle, but it’s sometimes hard to do the things we know we need to do. In fact, Kennedy addresses that point in the book as well, saying that “trade secrets” of selling can be openly shared because 95% of people won’t bother to use them anyway. I guess what it comes down to is that I don’t now – nor did I ever – want to be a part of the majority. So, after I got off the treadmill and finished my work for the day, I sprinkled testimonials all over my Web site.

I’m thankful for my clients for allowing me the opportunity to continue to improve as a writer and a business owner, so it’s almost rude to not showcase their appreciation for me on my site and in my marketing collateral. Besides, as an entrepreneur on the verge of expansion, it’s always great to have a wonderful sales staff in place.

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Tags: bni, dan kennedy, givers gain, linkedin, marketing, no b.s. sales strategies, testimonials

Posted By Amanda Collins on April 16, 2009

If you’ve seen “Legally Blonde,” you remember when the main character was applying for positions using pink, rose-scented paper for her resumes. Certainly, that made her stand out – but was it in a good way? How do you stand out among hundreds of resumes in a fiercely competitive market? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, as much as I love pink and roses, scented and colored paper won’t do it.

Most employers use a scanning system to track their resumes, so you need to make your resume come up in keyword searches. As noted in Candice Arnold’s latest blog on CollegeRecruiter.com, keywords play a huge part in making your resume stand out (in a good way). Of course, the most obvious place to add keywords is in the keyword section, often referred to as “Core Competencies” or “Areas of Expertise,” this is a small section at the end of the summary that clearly illustrates your transferable skills. When I’m writing a resume, I write the experience section first, then seek trends across positions, summarizing them in the keywords area. Another great way to populate this section is to look at job postings. Employers usually are rather blatant about what they want from applicants, so use that to your advantage! As I tell clients, the resume information below “Professional Experience” will remain static, but the “Summary” area is dynamic. Reread it for each new position, making sure you have the right words and answer the questions posed in the job posting.

Get more keywords in your experience section by thinking about buzzwords in the industry. Some of these may include: training, business development, penetrating accounts, client / vendor / employee relations, mentoring, global, international, or companywide. Your keywords will be different from someone else in a different industry, so be aware of your industry. If you’re working with a resume writer unfamiliar with your industry, tell her what the keywords are (a good writer who knows her limitations will ask).

By adding in some great keywords on your resume – and cover letter – you’ll boost your chances of coming up on searches, which will increase your interview opportunities!

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Posted By Amanda Collins on April 15, 2009

I sometimes wonder if business owners are afraid to follow up with people they meet at networking events. It seems like so many are completely gung-ho at the event, passing out cards and saying hello to as many folks as possible, yet I only hear from about 1% of the people I meet while I’m out and about. Since I started my business three years ago, it has perplexed me how few people have the follow-through to send a short e-mail just saying, “Hi. It was a pleasure to meet you at the event. I look forward to seeing you at other events in the near future.” Do they not realize this is just another touch point? Think about how many people you meet when you’re at an event. Do you remember all of them the next day? Following up is a fantastic way to put your name in front of the people you met, as well as go into detail about what you offer and how you can help them.

So what constitutes a follow-up? Well, you can call, e-mail, or send a card. Do what feels comfortable to you, and judge by if you want to meet that person again. If you think you can do business together, a phone call can be a great way to schedule a meeting. An e-mail is pretty status quo, as well as giving you the opportunity to add links to your Web site, blog, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts. If you have Send Out Cards or another, similar system, a card can be a “step above” and really help you stand out.

No matter how you take the next step, remember to mention a few key points:
•    Where you met. Some business owners network a lot, and if you don’t specify and provide a frame of reference, they may have no clue.
•    If you remember something special about them, say it. “I enjoyed learning more about your son and his upcoming birthday plans.” Anything that says you listened goes a long way to building a relationship.
•    Recap what you do. DO NOT SELL! The point of the follow-up is to connect and explain how you might be able to help the person, but definitely steer clear of blatantly selling anything. In my follow-up, I give a brief “about us” on my company.
•    Add contact information. If you’re mailing, include a couple of business cards, via e-mail include links and phone numbers in your signature, and by phone make sure to restate your number.

Without follow-up, you’re missing a captive audience. They’ve already met you, so you know they’re open to hearing something more. And just think of how much you’ll stand out from the other 99% who didn’t follow up.

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Tags: business development, follow-up, marketing, networking