Free Teleclass: "Secrets to Six-Figure Online Product and Program Launches"

Presented by Ali Brown

Are you contemplating a product or program launch and you want it to be a six-figure success?

If you're just starting out and are simply looking for the tools to build a successful launch foundation or a seasoned entrepreneur, Ali Brown is ready to share her strategies with you that can help entrepreneurs of all levels achieve financial success.

Ali's hosing a complimentary call TONIGHT night. Have you signed up yet?

"Secrets to Six-Figure Online Product and Program Launches" with Ali Brown TODAY, Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 8pm Eastern
http://www.millionaireprotegeclub.com/secrets-to-six-figure-product-launches

Ali is a proven entrepreneurial leader and once sold $600K in less than one week. She excels in implementing systems and keeping things simple. She still uses the SAME proven formula today for all her online product launches that she used for her early launches when she was a newbie. I encourage you to join her and learn all you can from this launch expert.

This is what you'll take away from this complimentary call:

*The five simple steps it takes to plan an extremely profitable online launch for your products and programs.

*How to pull off a six-figure launch with little to no team or staff.

*Ways to keep your launch simple yet successful – using tools you're likely already using or are even FREE -- NO complex webinars or videos required. It's all about maximizing what you already have!

*Secrets to using social media for your launches – Twitter and Facebook can work wonders even for those of you with small or nonexistent email lists.

*Exciting details on the debut of her BRAND NEW "Product Launch system," which will lay out for you, step-by-step, how to do your own profitable launch with ease.

Again, learn more and register for this complimentary call taking place on TODAY, Wednesday, March 31 by visiting:
http://www.millionaireprotegeclub.com/secrets-to-six-figure-product-launches

By the way, you'll want to be on the call LIVE to take advantage of the special bonuses that will be announced on the call and available for a limited time.

See you on the call!

Women Entrepreneurs - The Secrets of Success for Wednesday, March 31st

Alaia Williams

Founder of One Organized Business (www.oneorganizedbusiness.com), Alaia has worked with a variety of business owners, helping them organize their homes, offices, and lives. From clutter and piles of paper to contact management and efficiency systems, Alaia helps create solutions that help her clients maximize their productivity and increase their bottom line. With an unflappable sense of patience and the ability to draw upon her organizing and systems expertise, she can create just the right strategy for you.

12:00 pm EDT
Listen to the live or archived show at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/CoachDeb

Are You A Duck or An Eagle?

 

Are You A Duck or An Eagle?

 

Harvey Mackay is the author of two previous New York Times #1 bestsellers, “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive” and “Beware the Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt”. In total, Harvey's books have sold 10 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 37 languages.  He also is one of America's most popular and entertaining business speakers. Toastmasters International named him one of the top five speakers in the world.

 

In 1959, at the age of 26, Harvey purchased a small and failing company that produced envelopes.  Today that company has grown into a $100 million business employing over 600 people. It’s one of the nation's major envelope manufacturers, producing 25 million envelopes a day. As chairman, Harvey's philosophy is engrained in the company, beginning with its motto:

 

“Do what you love, love what you do and deliver more than you promise.”

 

Harvey Mackay tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proves his point.  Allow me to paraphrase the story of Wally the cab driver.

McKay was waiting in line for a ride at the airport.   When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine.   Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.  The driver then handed him a laminated card and said:

'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

That was something totally unexpected from a cab driven, but something that immediately caught the attention of a business strategist like Harvey McKay.

 

Mission Statement:  To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

 

This blew Harvey away. And, as he got into the cab, he noticed that the inside of the cab was as spotlessly clean as the outside.  As he slid behind the wheel, the driver asked, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'

Jokingly, McKay said, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'

Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice. Which would you prefer?”

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, the driver continued, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'  Then the driver handed him another laminated card, explaining,  'These are the stations I get on my satellite radio, in case you'd like to listen to some music. I have the air conditioning on.  Is the temperature comfortable for you?”

 

Still stunned, Harvey muttered, “Yeah, sure, that feels great. Tell me Wally, have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, sir, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last couple of years. My first five years as a cabbie, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the drivers do. Then one day I heard some personal growth guru on the radio.  He said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you will rarely disappoint yourself. He also said, 'Stop complaining!  Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck.  Be an eagle’. I thought that was pretty funny.  But the man on the radio explained that ducks quack and complain.  Eagles soar above the crowd.''

'That hit me right between the eyes,' Wally said.  I realized that I was a duck, always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and their customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

 

 'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year.  This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I had just delivered one of my regular customers to the airport.  I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally the cab driver made a phenomenal discovery, and ended up running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab, doubling, then quadrupling his income.  He decided to stop quacking like a duck and start soaring like an eagle.

How about you?  How could your business profit from the same attitude change that Wally the cab driver made?  What changes would be necessary for you to differentiate yourself from the competition and begin to soar like an eagle?

 

"How to Attract Affluent Clients"

by Ali Brown

Everyone wants to attract affluent clients for their business – why not sell to those who have the money to spend? But not everyone knows how to gain these clients successfully. Moving from a general clientele to a wealthier client base requires a shift in your mindset, but it's a shift that can pay off tremendously for you and your business. Here are a few basic tips on how to appeal to affluent customers.

Look the part and be confident. Before you approach affluent clients, you'll want to review all your marketing materials and website to ensure that it portrays you and your business as a high-caliber enterprise. No business cards on cheap, flimsy paper. No cheesy clip art. Put your best foot forward so you'll look and feel confident. That also means how you personally look and feel too! Is it time to update your wardrobe? The last thing you want when you're rubbing elbows with wealthy prospects is to appear needy or insecure, so don't gush or oversell yourself. And never show signs of intimidation. Even if that feeling creeps in on occasion, keep a brave face.

Build your network. Wealthy customers tend to buy from people they know or businesses that have been recommended to them. So, get out there and start planting the seed by attending charity dinners, golf tournaments, and the like. Chatting with people and being seen at these types of events will build your trust and credibility. Think of networking as a long-term investment, rather than a short-term project. You may not see results immediately, but it can pay off months or even years into the future.

Give them the VIP treatment. The kind of clients who are willing to pay top dollar are used to being treated extremely well. The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is legendary for noting each guests' preferences so the staff can make sure that the room is exactly to the guests' liking the next time they visit. Do your research so you can customize your interactions to that client. When you're talking to an affluent client, they should feel as if they're your first priority. They should never feel rushed to finish a transaction or pressured to sign on the dotted line. Instead, ask how you can meet their needs and listen for clues.

Make it about value, not about price. Wealthy customers don't check the price tag before they try on that gorgeous, hand-embroidered dress. Their eyes don't hover over the menu prices at that exclusive oceanfront restaurant. They buy or order want they want, because of the beauty, enjoyment, or other value it brings to their life. They have high standards, but appealing to their desire to save money or using the hard sell just won't work. Instead, demonstrate the value that your product or service offers. Create a narrative about the positive feelings it will create. Price should be secondary to the product, but once you start talking dollars and cents, a higher price point can actually be attractive because it reinforces the idea that yours is a higher quality product or service.

The best part: Once you've built relationships with clients of this caliber, you'll find that you're able to charge more and work less because you have fewer client relationships to manage. Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way.

© 2010 Ali International

Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur and Inc. 500 CEO Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com

10 ways big business can help small business

Many businesses that target the small business market agonize over how carving out a leadership position in the SME space. Some put on awards programs (think of Ernst & Young with its Entrepreneur of the Year program), some put out specialty publications and newsletters (think Visa, some of the banks), some sponsor SME websites and blogs.

I’d like to see these companies think bigger. Instead of creating a new SME medium (e.g., newsletter) and then struggling to create content for it (advertising is easy, content is hard), why not get involved in issues that matter to independent business?

With luck, you can get market exposure and credit for doing the right thing, without having to do all the heavy lifting of actually starting and running a program of your own.

Here are 10 issues in which small business owners would love to see big businesses get involved. You can probably think of more.

1. Encourage coalitions of companies to form one big portal for small business news and advice (instead of all the mediocre competing players that are out there now). Support the site with advertising, sponsorships and even content (when available and relevant).

2. Sponsor programs for startups at the local level, through Community Futures and other regional economic development offices

3. Sponsor and encourage your organization's executives to volunteer with local mentorship programs (e.g. CYBF, local chambers of commerce, etc.)

4. Fund small-business research in universities and colleges

5. Actively promote a “speakers’ bureau” of business experts from your organization (and perhaps others) to speak to students at high schools and colleges. Let impressionable young people know that going into business doesn't mean selling your soul

6. Create transparent processes in your own organization to make sure SMEs are included in procurement, outsourcing, etc.

7. Assist retirees in your organization with starting consulting businesses aimed at SMEs. Their life experience could be a lifesaver to a local entrepreneur. You might also provide occasional meeting spaces for entrepreneurs who don't have their own.

8. Support local social entrepreneurship initiatives. Young people across Canada using business tools to create social change deserve your encouragement.

9. Here’s a toughie: Pay bills from small business more promptly

10. Collaborate to create and fund centres of excellence around key management issues, such as exporting, small business advisory boards, or innovation. A little effort can make a big difference!

You can probably think of more activities. Feel free to leave a comment or email me at Rick (at) rickspence.ca