Small Business Today Magazine - January 2013 Edition

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FROM THE STEVE LEVINE

SBT Houston StaffJanuary 2013

President John Cruise

Executive PublisherSteve Levine

Associate Publisher /Creative DirectorBarbara Davis-Levine

Contributing EditorsTammy Moshay

Devon Ray Battaglia

Business Development/PRBill Huff

Donna K. Rooney

Graphic DesignVanessa Vara

PhotographersEric Kleiman

Contributing WritersErrol Allen

Cyndi Barnett Don Brown

Barbara DavisErich Fruchnicht

Toni HarrisDavid HoltBruce Hurta Steven KayCraig Klein

Bertrand McHenry Hank MooreMike MuhneyAmy OlivieriDevon Ray

Rita SantamariaAlvin TerryPam Terry

Jack WarkenthienAimee Woodall

Chief Advisor

Hank MoorePublisher’s Advisory Board

Debra BannCyndi BarnettJohn CruiseApril Day

Maya DurnovoKathie Edwards

Leonard FaucherDavid Holt

Richard HuebnerJulie Marie Irvin

Jeffrey JonesSteven KayCraig Klein

H. Quincy LongHank MooreMike MuhneyNeil Polansky

Rita SantamariaAllen Shapiro

Pam TerryJack Warkenthien

Doug WinnieR.D. Yoder

Aaron Young Phone: 832-460-2020

E-Mail: [email protected] Or Write: Small Business Today5380 West 34th Street, Ste 230

Houston, TX 77092See us on the web at

www.SBTMagazine.net

Don’t Tell Me That it is Impossible!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I trust that you are all on your way to achieving your personal and business goals for 2013 and are getting back on track to achieve your dreams!

Regardless of your goals or dreams, there are always challenges along the way.

You have to expect some setbacks. “Sugar Ray” Robinson (the late boxing champion) won and lost the boxing crown more than anyone previously in history. He was undaunted by his loses. He once told a reporter, “Every setback gives me the opportunity to be a bigger man.” Did you know that “Babe” Ruth became the “Home Run King” of his day by striking out more times at bat than any other baseball player? He knew that every strike out was another at bat closer to a homerun.

Sometimes our goals and dreams are robbed from us by people around us who tell us that what we are trying to accomplish is impossible, so why bother? There are many of us who were told that we cannot do something and we believed them, so we gave up right then and there. Maybe they knew better. I have found that some of those individuals wanted us to be doomed to their level of mediocrity. Many more wanted a reason for not succeeding themselves.

A rare few of us are more motivated than discouraged by those same “naysayers”. It would appear that the more often those of us were told that we can’t or shouldn’t, the more determined that we became in achieving the impossible.

Such is the case for this month’s cover honorees, Cory & Milly Kammerdiener ofNewHomePrograms.com. They founded their company to serve the needs of a customer base that most real estate agents shy away from. That is the first time homebuyer with no credit, bad credit, and little if any money. Before Cory & Milly started their company, they were advised not waste their time on such a clientele and to chose more traditional ways of starting and growing their new real estate business. Cory & Milly knew that by reaching out to those who dreamt of owning their own home someday they would “earn” testimonials and referrals which in turn would help grow their business.

Barbara and I had the privilege of getting to know Cory & Milly through our other publication, “Premier Agent Magazine” when they were the cover honorees for the January 2011 issue of that magazine.

My how time flies! Just two years later, their business has grown from just one office in Spring, Texas to four offices in four states (as you can tell from the map graphics on the cover of this issue). Their projected sales for 2012 (at press time) are in excess of $25,000,000. Not bad for a business that they were advised not to start!

This “dynamic duo” has many more things in the works that you are just going to have to read about in their cover story. Please remember that all of these accomplishments were a direct result of having the focus, passion, purpose, conviction, and the sense to refuse to let anyone tell them that they could not accomplish their goals and dreams. Thanks to them having their goals and dreams, countless numbers of homebuyers have achieved their goal of homeownership despite the odds against it.

I hope that you enjoy their story as much as Barbara, Eric, Vanessa, and I enjoyed bringing it to you!

Success to You!

Steve Levine

Executive Publisher

Publisher


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HOUSTON EDITION

PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINESMALL BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE PRESIDENT: JOHN CRUISE PHONE: 832-460-2020 www.SBTMagazine.netADVERTISING RATES ON REQUEST. BULK THIRD CLASS MAIL PAID IN TUCSON, AZ. POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND NOTICES ON FORM 3579 TO 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF PUBLISHED MATERIALS, SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OPINIONS EXPRESSED OR FACTS SUPPLIED BY ITS AUTHORS. COPYRIGHT 2012, LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

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IN THIS ISSUE

How to Have Financial Wellness 8

Positioning Your Business to Win in 2013 9

How to Create Engaging Content 10

Does There Need To Be An App For That? What Are Apps And When Are They Useful? 11

Mentoring and Business Coaching Facilitate Company Success 12

Understanding Bond Yields and the Yield Curve 14

See the Sales Pipeline Clearly with Qualifying Questions 16

Forget About Customer Relationship Management 17

What's theTruth? 18

Who Wants to Be a Million Dollar Sales Professional? 21

How to Make a Compelling Speaker One-Sheet 24

Take Drastic Steps to Network Proactively 25

New Year’s Resolutions Versus Daily Resolve 26

Three Ways the Election Will Affect the Energy Economy 28

Think Long Term When Servicing Your Customer 30

Clothing Optional: Getting Naked with PR 34

Seven Sure Fire Ways to Build Your Business Through Strategic Partnerships 36

SBA Financing for Buildings Not Owned by the Small Business 37

6 Cory & Milly Kammerdiener"AgAinst All odds, A sMAll Houston-BAsed ReAl estAte fiRM is spReAding tHe dReAM of HoMe owneRsHip ACRoss AMeRiCA

Would you or your company like to be profiled in our next issue?

For more information contact Steve Levine at: 832-460-2020

23 dandy CandyMAKing gReAt fiRst iMpRessions... in CHoColAte!

42 Red leafpRoMotionAl pRoduCts - pRoviding oveR 50,000 wAys to pRoMote youR BRAnd

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 | PG 6 www.SBTMagazine.netSMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 | PG 6 www.SBTMagazine.net

www.SBTMagazine.net SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 | PG 7www.SBTMagazine.net continued on page 32


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How to Have Financial WellnessBy Rita Santamaria

THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE

EDITORIAL FEATURE

What is your “money script”? These are sayings we tell ourselves that can hurt us or help

us. Sometimes I say, “do what you love and the money will come”. In fact I do believe it is a true statement but there are other personal promises we must act on in order to fulfill that simple thought.

When people say, “we can’t afford it” many think there must be a greater force determining what the family can and can’t buy. It sounds like “we have no control over what we can buy”. If your parents said this you may be less likely to use budgets and charge big items on your charge card without a plan on how to pay for them. This mental talk can make you think, “what the heck” I’ll suffer the consequence later.

The better inner dialogue is “I’m choosing not to buy that right now so I can purchase something else that’s more important to me later”. This is called thinking of purchases as an option in which you have control over buying or not buying. You will feel like you are taking your power back and that is a good feeling.

During your formative years perhaps you heard “ask your father” or “men are better with money”. This was especially bad for young girls to hear. It implied women could not set financial goals or simply, that men were in charge. In later years we are told it can make those same women less likely to ask their boss for a deserved increase and less likely to make money decisions at all. Scheduling a regular meeting with your spouse to discuss your family expenses, income and savings decisions helps that individual. You don’t want to check out of the financial side of your life.

You may be a retail therapy junkie.

You’re in a bad mood and you decide to go shopping. This is a comfort level that may make you feel good now but be really down on yourself later. Linking feelings of happiness or disappointment to the mall will replace emotions with objects. It blocks the coping with the normal highs and lows of daily living. Instead, make a list of activities to do with the family or by yourself that are free and when the aggravation of a bad situation takes over, go to your list. You will discover that a walk, bike ride, trip to a coffee bar with a friend is a better and more lasting fix than new clothes.

If you grew up hearing, “okay, you can have this money but don’t tell mom or dad”, you may be the secretive buyer. This buyer is an adult financial secret partner who believes you can trick yourself or spouse by keeping your money in a secret account or you put your purchases under the bed before anyone comes home and sees what you’ve done. This can shatter the trust in a relationship. It sends the message that your spouse isn’t trustworthy enough to know the true financial facts. It also puts a lot of stress on the partner keeping “all the secrets”.

Continued on page 10


EDITORIAL FEATURE

Entrepreneurs Tool Box Positioning Your Business to Win in 2013By Alvin E. Terry, MBA / Business Consultant, Dynamic Business Builders

As we reflect over the accomplishments and disappointments of last year, I sincerely hope that we won’t make some of those same choices that we thought were right at that time.

This is what entrepreneurship is all about. Some of us learned from those untimely decisions. When you are in business, timing can be everything. Knowing your markets, knowing your competition and knowing yourself are of utmost importance.

Now is the time for reflections. We must reflect on our business plans, benchmarks, milestones, accomplish-ments, failures, customers, clients, banking relation-ships, marketing plans, cash flows and the bottom line. We all know that is a bit much to juggle at all times, but this is what it is all about.

As you read this article, we are hopeful that our economy is headed in the right direction with the full attention to the growth of small businesses. As entrepreneurs, we are about growing businesses and we should embrace those who are championing the cause. If those relationships did not work out for you last year, then maybe it is time to forge new ones. Don’t you think?

Stay inspired with the hope that business will get bet-ter. I have been involved in at least three downturns and upswings in the last 30 years in our American business economy. Believe me, it is turning around. Now the pen-dulum has started to swing in the up mode. I believe that if we all stay focused and control our overhead and ex-penses, we will be ready to take advantage of the up-surge in business activity that is destined to come in 2013.

Please go back, revisit your business plans, align your-self with the markets and industries that can and will fa-cilitate growth. Working smart and not hard is the call of the day. Switch gears and even businesses if you must. As writers, we write because we sincerely believe in the passion of inspiration in the words that we use. I have to believe in those same words, and I do. I am looking forward to a prosperous year, how about you?

Once again it has been a pleasure to write to you. Have a great beginning!

You may contact Alvin E. Terry, MBA @ [email protected] or by Cell @ 713-392-9107.

ENTREPRENEURS WORKBOOK

Reflections of the Past Year, Learning Prospective


When it comes to marketing these days, you’ve probably heard about how important it is to create engaging con-tent. Whether it’s written content for email campaigns, a blog, or a website, it all needs to engage your reader.

The good news is that anyone can easily create great, en-gaging content—even if writing is not your passion.

The reality is, great content is all about answering the questions of your audience. As a subject matter expert in your field, you’re probably already answering these types of questions every day. It’s only when you’re asked to write out the answers that things get tricky because the focus shifts to writing rather than just answering the question.

Here’s how to make easy for yourself: create a simple structure that allows you to just answer questions. Then write out your answers or record yourself answering the questions and transcribe them. Once you have your tran-scription you’ll need to clean it up a bit but the “writing” part essentially takes care of itself.

If you plan ahead by outlining your content with the fol-lowing structure you’ll have all the components necessary for an engaging piece of content. Here is a sample struc-ture for you to follow:

• Headline: This can be the question itself, or the ques-tion reframed as a how-to. The headline is designed to get attention and let the reader know the benefit of reading the content.

• Intro: This is the set-up or context for the content. What’s the problem? What’s the solution?

• The 5 W’s: Outline the sub-questions you need to answer about the solution. Usually the who, what, where, when, and why of your topic.

• Example/Objection: Can you offer an example that demonstrates your point? Or can you anticipate how the reader may object to what you’re saying?

• Summary: Give a brief summary of the information you’ve just shared.

• Next Step: How can the reader put this information to use?

This process may feel weird at first, but once you’ve done it a few times you’ll get the hang of it and be able to “write” more engaging content—easier and faster.

EDITORIAL FEATURE

How to Create Engaging Content By Amy Olivieri, Constant Contact Regional Development Director, Houston Metro

MARKETING STRATEGIES

You are giving up the opportunity to buy what you want, when you want it, for carrying the entire financial load. That can be a huge load for one person to carry alone. Don’t wait to get busted. Come clean and share the financial truth.

Real wealth is net worth, not all the outward trappings. If you’re spending into the red to “keep up”, stop it. A real help is to volunteer by helping those who have less than you. It’s a reminder as to how much you have to be grateful for. It is also a reminder that money skills can be learned so that you never find yourself in this stressful predicament.

Rita Santamaria is the owner of Champions School of Real Estate and Champions School of Professional Development. www.ChampionsSchool.com

Continued from page 8 How to Have Financial Wellness


Does There Need To Be An App For That? What Are Apps And When Are They Useful?By Erich Fruchtnicht

EDITORIAL FEATURE

T he popular phrase, made so by some very effective Apple, Inc. marketing, is “There’s an App for that.” However, from

a small business standpoint, what are Apps, how could they be useful and should your business have one?

In recent years there has been an ex-plosion of Apps into the digital mar-ketplace. There are Apps for nearly any device that can do nearly any-thing one might want. In the con-tinued battle to stay current, many businesses have launched their own branded Apps for the Android Google Play and the Apple AppStore in an attempt to reach more custom-ers and grow. This interest in App development has resulted in a mind-boggling number of Apps and a huge amount of competition in the App market.

For those who may not know, the term App refers to a program that will run on a mobile device such as an iPhone, iPad, or Android Tab-let. These programs can be written to accomplish a great many things from facilitating online payments for services, providing driving directions and displaying information, to flash-ing bright colors and playing a silly sound when you touch the screen.

So, with the nearly unlimited options for what you can do with an App, should your business have one? Apps are most useful if you offer your users some level of electronic interaction such as quote requests, account management or user specif-ic data. They are also helpful when

used to “distill” a website down to just the “quick reference” information that someone might want to know on the fly without necessarily requiring an Internet connection.

Let's consider an example of when a small business might benefit from an App. A food truck company may wish to move their trucks around town to get the greatest area of cov-erage. If they want their customers to always be able to find the near-est truck, with the push of a button an App could pull from the iPhone or Android device's GPS data and show the customer exactly where to go (navigation directions included) to get their favorite food.

If a company that uses online sales has a loyal enough base of return customers to warrant the expense, an App could streamline mobile or-dering by presenting the online or-dering process in a manner designed to work well with phones or tablets. The easier a business makes the or-dering process, the more likely a po-tential customer is to place the order.

As a twist, what if a small business wanted to improve their internal pro-cesses? An App could be designed that would link to an inventory list-ing, thus allowing the employees to track where items might be in the or-der chain. In our food truck example, an App could be used to coordinate where each truck should go on its daily route, send driving directions and stay times to each truck team. This same App could then update headquarters with the truck's GPS

location and estimated travel time to its destination and even connect with the sales system to show total sales per truck per day per location.

It is important to note that all previ-ous discussions about website de-sign principles also apply to App de-sign since an ugly App will make your customers not want to use it.

Be aware that quality App develop-ment is at least as expensive as qual-ity website development due to how much complexity is required to make them take full advantage of the small phone or mobile device onto which they are installed. As with most ele-ments of our tech-obsessed culture, a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into making a seamless and pleasant user interface.

Ultimately, I cannot make a blanket statement that all small business owners should or should not have an App developed for them. Too many variables are involved in the deci-sion making process. However, I can certainly say that an App could be a great tool for your business that should at least be considered. Dream big. Who knows, perhaps YOU will create "an App for that."

If you have any questions about this or another topic feel free to contact me.

Erich H FruchtnichtPresident / Principle DesignerTGDesign, [email protected]


EDITORIAL FEATURE

Mentoring and Business Coaching Facilitate Company Success

By Hank Moore / Corporate Strategist™

BIG PICTURE OF BUSINESS

How fast is the coaching industry growing?

Coaching industries are growing rapidly because self-styled experts are creating pockets of business for themselves. Demands have long existed for quality service, with few seasoned business advisors available. Thus, niche consultants served the business.

New generations of entry-level consultants are hanging out shingles as "coaches" without backgrounds in guiding people, organizations and processes. Most business coaches used to be something else and are turning to "coaching" in their downsized career period.

Training programs for coaches are available, some are good and some are nothing more than multi-level marketing. There's presently more marketing to the concept of business coaching than substantive track record.

Questions to consider in evaluating coaches include:

• Would you feel comfortable if they ran your company?

• What is their longevity? Were they "coaches" five years ago? Business advisors must have at least a 10-year track record to be at all viable as a judgment resource.

• What is their maturity level? Could they appear before a board of directors?

• How do they meet deadlines,

initiate projects and offer ideas beyond the obvious?

• If one level of coach sells the business, will this same professional service your account?

• Demand that coaches of seniority staff the client.

• How consistent are they with specific industries, types of projects and clients?

• How good a generalist are they? Coaches with too narrow a niche will not ultimately serve your best interests.

What is the hottest new idea?

The hot new idea is to focus on depth-and-substance - not on flash-and-sizzle. Those who proclaim that hot ideas make good coaches, then they are vendors selling flavors of the month and not seasoned business advisors. If coaching is based only on hot ideas, it is nothing more than hucksterism. Coaching must be a thorough process of guiding the client through the levels of accomplishment.

The ideal coach:

• Clearly differentiates what he-she does and will not presume to "do it all."

• Is a tenured full-time business advisor, not a recently downsized corporate employee or somebody seeking your work to "tide them over.”

• Has actually run a business.

• Was a good member on other people's teams.

• Knows that each player has strengths and works within those perimeters.

• Has consulted companies of comparable size and complexity as yours.

• Has current references and case histories.

• Gives "value-added" insight; in contrast to simply performing tasks.

• Sees the scope of work as a professional achievement...rather than just billable hours.

• Pursues client relationship building...as opposed to just rendering a contract service.

7 Levels at Which Mentors Are Utilized

Based upon The Business Tree™

1. Resource - Equipment, tools, materials, schedules.

2. Skills and Tasks - Duties, activities, tasks, behaviors, attitudes, contracting, project fulfillment.

3. Role and Job - Assignments, responsibilities, functions, relationships, follow-through, accountability.

4. Systems and Processes - Structure, hiring, control, work design, supervision, decisions.

5. Strategy - Planning, tactics, organizational development.



Continued from page 12

EDITORIAL FEATURE

6. Culture and Mission - Values, customs, beliefs, goals, objectives, benchmarking.

7. Philosophy - Organizational purpose, vision, quality of life, ethics, long-term growth.

7 Levels of Mentoring and Coaching

Based upon The Business Tree™

1. Conveying Information - Initial exposure to the coaching process. One-time meeting or conference between mentors and mentees. The coach is a resource for business trends, societal issues and opportunities. The coach is an active listener, coaches on values, actions.

2. Imparting Experiences - The coach becomes a role model. Insight offered about own life career. Reflection strengthens the mentor and shows mentee

levels of thinking and perception that were not previously available to the mentee.

3. EncouragingActions- The coach is an advocate for progress and change. Empowers the mentee to hear, accept, believe and get results. Sharing of feelings, trust, ideas and philosophies.

4. Paving the Way - The coach endorses the mentee...wants his-her success. Messages ways to approach issues, paths in life to take. Helps draw distinctions. Paints picture of success.

5. Wanting the Best - Continuing relationship between the coach and mentee. Progress is envisioned, contextualized, seeded, benchmarked. Accountability and communication by both sides.

6. Advocating, Facilitating - The coach opens doors for the mentee. The coach requests

pro-active changes of mentee, evaluates realism of goals, offers truths about path to success and shortcomings of mentee's approaches. Bonded collaboration toward each other's success.

7. Sharing Profound Wisdom -The coach stands for mentees throughout careers, celebrates successes. Energy coaching and love and respect for each other continues throughout the relationship. Mentor actively recruits fellow business colleagues to become mentors. Lifelong dedication toward mentorship...in all aspects of one's life..

Hank Moore/Corporate Strategist™ Phone: 713-668-0664

Website: http://www.hankmoore.com Email: [email protected]


FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY

By Cyndi Barnett, Certified Financial Planner™, Certified Tax Specialist™

W hen it comes to investing in bonds, one of the first factors to consider is yield. But what exactly is “yield?” The answer depends

on how the term is being used. In the broadest sense, an investment’s yield is the return you get on the money you’ve invested. However, there are many different ways to calculate yield. Comparing yield can be a good way to evaluate bond investments, as long as you know the yields you’re comparing and why.

Current YieldPeople sometimes confuse a bond’s yield with its coupon rate (the interest rate that is specified in the bond agreement). A bond’s coupon rate represents the amount of interest you earn annually, expressed as a percentage of its face (par) value. If a $1,000 bond pays $50 per year in interest, its coupon rate would be 5 percent.

Current yield is a bit different. It represents those annual interest payments as a percentage of the bond’s market value, which may be higher or lower than par. As a bond’s price goes up and down in response to what’s happening in the marketplace, its current yield will also vary. For example, if you were to buy that same $1,000 bond on the open market for $900, its current yield would be 5.55 percent ($50 divided be $900).

If you buy a bond at par and hold it to maturity, the current yield and the coupon rate are the same. However, if a bond is purchased at a premium or discount to its face value, the yield and the coupon rate are different. If you are concerned only with the amount of current income a bond can provide each year, then calculating the current yield may give you enough information to decide whether you should purchase that bond. However, if you’re interested in a bond’s investment over a period of years, or want to compare it to another bond or some other income-producing investment, the current yield will not give you enough information. In that case, yield to maturity would be more useful.

Yield to MaturityYield to maturity is a more accurate reflection of the return on a bond if you hold it until its

maturity date. It takes into account the bond’s interest rate, principal, time to maturity, and purchase price, but also the value of the interest payments as you receive them over the life of the bond.

If you buy a bond at a discount to its face value, its yield to maturity will be higher than its current yield. Why? Because in addition to receiving interest, you will be able to redeem the bond for more than you paid. The reverse is true if you buy the bond at a premium (more than its face value). Its value at maturity would be less than you paid for it, which would affect your yield.

Yield to maturity lets you accurately compare bonds with different maturities and coupon rates. It’s particularly helpful if you’re buying older bonds being sold in the secondary market that are priced at a discount or premium rather than at face value. It’s also especially important when looking at a zero-coupon bond, which typically sells at a deep discount to its face value but makes no periodic interest payments. Because all of the zeros return comes at maturity, when its principal is repaid, any yield quoted for a zero-coupon bond is always yield to maturity.

Yield to CallWhen it comes to helping you estimate your return on a callable bond (one whose issuer can choose to repay the principal before maturity), yield to maturity has a flaw. If the bond is called, the par value will be repaid and interest payments will come to an end, thus reducing its overall yield to the investor. Therefore, for a callable bond, you also need to know what the yield would be if the bond were called at the earliest date possible. That figure is known as the yield to call. The calculation is the same as with yield to maturity, except that the first call date is substituted for the maturity date.

A bond issuer will generally call a bond only if it’s profitable for the issuer to do so. For example, if interest rates fall below the bond’s coupon rate, the issuer is likely to call the bond and borrow money at a new lower rate. The larger the spread between current interest rates and the original coupon rate, and the earlier the first date the bond can be called, the more important yield to call becomes.

EDITORIAL FEATURE

Cyndi Barnett

Understanding Bond Yields and the Yield Curve



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EDITORIAL FEATURE

See the Sales Pipeline Clearly with Qualifying QuestionsBy Craig Klein/SalesNexus

Ask any CEO or Sales Manager how their customer relationship management (CRM) solution is working

out and more often than not they’ll say, “We’re not really using it as much as we should,” or something similar.

Ask them why they purchased the CRM software in the first place and you’ll likely hear, “Well, we wanted be able to see everything going on with a given customer in one place and we wanted a good way to see the pipeline of future sales.”

So what gives? Did the CRM system not work the way they expected? Well, probably not. Basic centralized management of customer information and pipeline management are pretty standard features in CRM software.

In most organizations the sales people are the primary interface with customers and therefore the source of most information about customers. Why aren’t they using the CRM? Contrary to popular management opinion, it’s not because they’re just lazy or they’re afraid of the “big brother” aspect of CRM software.

Most CRM systems are underutilized by sales and fail to meet management expectations due to the lack of clear requirements from management. This leaves the sales people using the system haphazardly from the outset. This leads to inconsistent information in the system and the vicious cycle begins to spiral downward.

Sales people may be tough to manage but, given specific instructions of exactly when they should enter

information into the system, they’ll do their best in general. In addition, if these expectations have been defined, then reports can be created that compare the sales people based on this information. They’re naturally competitive and now use of the system begins to take on a life of its own.

Sales Process and CRM Software Depend on Each Other

It’s not easy for a typical entrepreneur to define their sales process. They’re not sales people normally. It’s not easy for sales people to define their sales process. Few are good at looking at themselves and what they do objectively.

But, most sales people can tell you what questions they ask leads and prospects to measure their likeliness to make a purchase. These are “qualifying questions” and they make the foundation of any sales process.

Defining these qualifying questions, building them into the customer database as fields where the answers can be entered, categorized, measured, grouped and analyzed gives the customer and prospect list organization and enables segmentation and targeting of marketing and sales efforts.

Sales Pipeline Management Depends on Good Qualifying

It also enables meaningful future sales prediction. One sales person may make lots of calls and talk to lots of people every day but close few of them. Another sales person may have strong relationships with high

level decision makers and close most of the opportunities uncovered.

If both of those sales people list all the potential opportunities they encounter, then the sales pipeline of the first sales person may appear to be bigger and stronger.

If, on the other hand, only leads that have been “qualified” by providing the desired answers to the qualifying questions are added into the sales pipeline, then the forecast will be far more reliable.

So, for those struggling to find CRM success or those preparing to implement a CRM solution, the answer can be as simple as an hour or two meeting with the sales team to distill those qualifying questions and another hour or two to customize some fields in the CRM database. From there, clear guidelines can be created for all team members to follow.

This sets the table for leveraging this organized, consistent and segmented resource to target specific messages via email marketing , direct mail and sales campaigns at specific niches and in support of sales efforts as well as providing insight and analytics that management can use to steer the business toward greater success.

Craig is the founder of SalesNexus.com. For more information visit www.SalesNexus.com


EDITORIAL FEATURE

Idon’t know about you, but it seems curious to me that despite all of the technology that has emerged, especially in the last five years regarding mobile, cloud and social media, has anything actually

really changed in regards toward customers? Before you readily leap to the response, look around you and observe the reality of the market and your own business today.

Are physical meetings less important or more important? Has your use of having an actual phone conversation changed in importance? Do you have the same level of personal interaction, regardless of method, that you did before the last five years? If so, was it with more or fewer customers? Overall, are your relationships deeper or shallower than they were earlier? Has quantity increased while quality has lessened in meaningful and real relationships? These are not insignificant questions to ask yourself.

One thing has changed in the last five years for sure – the customers themselves have more means than ever before to both improve or decimate your reputation and therefore the importance of how you develop relationships with them has intensified against a backdrop of greater access to more people than ever before. But is that really important? What is at risk here, after all, is the difference between the illusions of your customer relationships versus the reality of them.

Let me even present an additional element added to the conundrum of myriad ways one can use today between buyer and seller. I am not talking about marketing, but sales. Marketing is clearly, in comparison, more about interactions, whereas sales is more about engagement. But as much as you can apply your marketing efforts more widely, even more cheaply, than ever before, if it doesn’t produce more engagements what good is it? If you had a choice between 100 percent marketing and no sales, or 100 percent sales and no marketing, which would you choose?

In fact, the reality is that the scales need to be kept in balance. In fact, what we really need to be focused on goes beyond both interaction and engagement. It has to do with an overlooked, in my opinion, dimension that I will call Relational Health. After all, whether

it be interaction or engagement, neither has any sustainability if it all isn’t kept healthy to begin with.

So much of the focus that we are surrounded by today in the forms of print magazines, self-help books, bloggers, consultants, software categories, etc. is devoted to the general descriptor of “managing” your relationships. But when was the last time that in your own business all of your focus, energy – both physical AND mental – and efforts concentrated on the realm of customer relationship health? Probably not as much (if at all) as it should be, and more so.

There is no question that when thoughtfully considered we are really and truthfully unable to “manage” any relationship. By default, that entire perspective would indicate that you are able to impose something on someone else, regardless of whether or not it was voluntarily or involuntarily received by the other person. Maybe, perhaps, I can “manage” those who might work for me, but is it realistic to think that I can “manage” others outside of that – especially customers? I would argue not.

What I can do though, if we want to apply the “management” effort somewhere, is to direct it to ourselves. I can manage my own time, my own thoughts and my own actions. And, in doing so, I should then be better able to focus on what really matters between the seller and customer – the health of the relationship.

Nothing beats time, attention and authenticity in working to develop and maintain customer relationship health. Utilizing all of the available means with which to assist in this process is fine, but given a choice, exercising the right focus will be the best prescription for avoiding interaction and engagement sickness, if not elimination altogether. Prevention occurs only when effort is applied the right way to create healthy, meaningful and successful customer relationship outcomes.

Mike Muhney is the CEO & Co-Founder of VIPorbit Software, the creator of the Mobile Relationship Management category focusing on today’s users of mobile devices. He is also the Co-Founder & Co-Inventor of ACT!, the product that created the Contact Management category altogether. He can be reached at [email protected].

Mike Muhney

Forget About Customer Relationship ManagementBy Mike Muhney


What's the Truth?By N D Brown

“There is an interesting marketing strategy many businesses over look.

Every business does something unique. Something competitors aren't doing or can’t do; something allowing that business - your business - to be demonstrably different than all competitors. It should be a critical difference that can be explained in ten seconds or less. That is about all the time a prospective customer will give you to catch their attention.

But there is more.

In past articles I have discussed some of the critical things every business should know about marketing.

Staring with knowing the demographic profile of current customers and prospects. Knowing what the competition is doing to sell its products and prevent prospects from buying yours. Knowing the emotional triggers your customers and prospects use when making a purchase decision. Knowing the look of your product and if it sells the value you want customers to see. Knowing the pricing range that will demonstrate the value of your product.

There is another strategy that is often over looked.

Pre-empt the truth.

No, it is not about bending facts, or little white lies about a product, leave that to politicians. This is about using cold hard facts about your product or the process that makes it your product.

An interesting story about truth

happened around the turn of the 20th century. One of advertising legends, Claude Hopkins, took a tour of the Schlitz brewery. At the time the Schlitz brand was eighth in beer sales and their share was dropping.

Today beer is sold in disposable bottles and cans, but not then. Beer was delivered to bars two ways: In barrels stored in coolers and served 'on tap' glass by glass or in returnable glass bottles.

Each brand had its own bottle shape and color and could be drunk at the bar or taken home. Each empty bottle was returned to the brewery, refilled

and sent back out again.

Mr. Hopkins had done his homework and knew how beer was brewed. As he toured the brewery with Schlitz executives, he watched and asked about each step in the complicated process.

He learned Schlitz beer was cooled in rooms with filtered air to keep its purity.

He learned it was filtered through wood pulp. He saw that the shiny brass and copper brewing equipment was cleaned twice a day; that each bottle was cleaned four times to prevent any kind of contamination. The executives

explained how Schlitz used pure artesian water and aged the beer for six months before distribution. Schlitz was being brewed from an original yeast cell that was the result of more than 1,200 experiments.

Mt Hopkins was impressed. Every other beer was advertising purity and customers didn't seem to care.

When Mr. Hopkins asked why Schlitz wasn't advertising this complicated process the executives said, "Well all brewers use pretty much the same process."

“But they aren't telling anyone!” Hopkins said.

Schlitz changed its advertising to explain why they could call Schlitz a pure beer. They told the Schlitz story.

It was the truth for all brewers. Schlitz preempted all other brewers from explaining their process. No brewer could, or would, or should say, "Me, too."

As you would guess Schlitz jumped to a tie with number one in months.

A few years back I worked with the Houston Post. It was the city's morning paper. The Chronicle was the evening paper. The circulation for both papers was fairly close. For a number of logistical reasons the Chronicle gave up its afternoon edition and switched to become a morning paper.

The Post circulation dropped. The Chronicle had deeper pockets and ran more news than the Post and carried more features. The Post had lost its “only paper in the morning” position.

EDITORIAL FEATURE


“itisnotaboutbendingfacts,orlittlewhiteliesaboutaproduct...

isaboutusingcoldhardfactsaboutyourproductortheprocess

thatmakesityourproduct.”


Mobile Relationship Manager

All in one app. All on your iPhone & iPad.

FROM THE CO-INVENTOR OF ACT!, MIKE MUHNEY

The best way to manage CONTACTS, CALENDAR & COMMUNICATIONS

www.VIPorbit.com

VIPorbit is the best way to manage contacts, calendar, and communications on your iPhone and iPad. In the app, contacts, calendar and communications are seamlessly integrated, providing instant access to complete relationship details, quick scheduling, and effortless communication, including via social

networks. With VIPorbit, you’ll manage contact details with precision, take control of your calendar, and streamline your channels of communication.

From the co-inventor of ACT!, it provides mobile professionals with an affordable, easy-to-use, anytime/anywhere solution. VIPorbit for iPad is $14.99 and VIPorbit for iPhone is $9.99. There are free versions for both devices, limited to 100 contacts. Available at VIPorbit.com or on the iTunes App Store.



EDITORIAL FEATURE

Your Next StepWho Wants to Be a Million Dollar Sales Professional?By Jack Warkenthien

My younger brother Kurt isn’t in sales — he’s a family practice physician in Naperville, Ill. — but

we can learn a lot from his past experience in the “hot seat” on the TV game show sensation “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

While a lot of us watch quiz shows from the comfort of our living rooms and think we could handle the questions, Kurt did it in front of some 30 million viewers.

He won $32,000. More than picking up the cash that will help fund his kids’ higher education, Kurt showed what determination and drive can accomplish.

Just how competitive is this program? An estimated 240,000 players participate in the first round game each contest.

Just qualifying for the show is quite a feat. You have to clear several hurdles, starting with getting through the toll-free lines between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. E.S.T. and answering three “fast-finger” questions correctly in 10 seconds each. Next, your name is placed in a pool where the computer randomly generates 40 contestants per episode who compete for 10 chairs on the show. If you’re chosen for the pool you have to answer five additional fastest fingers questions. Jump over all those hurdles, and you earn a date in New York City, and compete against others who have demonstrated exceptional knowledge and speed. Nothing to it, right?

Spurred on by his wife and five kids, who regularly watch the show together, Kurt was determined to give

it his best shot. He wasn’t scared away by the odds.

Much can be learned from Kurt’s example. Now, let’s change the name of the game to “Who Wants to Be a Million Dollar Sales Professional.” By working hard and working smart like Kurt, you too can achieve powerful results.

Want to make your sales calls more productive and effective? I recommend following the 10 “Be’s” to make your time with candidates count.

1. BePersistent: Talk to winners in any field of endeavor, and you’ll find they share an iron-clad resolve to get things done. One of the toughest challenges is simply getting the appointment and reaching the prospect. Don’t give up; never quit. Time after time, persistence pays off handsomely. If you don’t believe me, read the book Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss.

2. Be Knowledgeable: Go to the library, log onto the Internet, talk to people. There’s no substitute for doing your homework. Your understanding of the prospect and their business is essential to completing the sale.

3. Be Prepared: Winging it is an invitation to disaster. Rehearse presentations, write compelling proposals, and have support documentation ready, just in case.

4. Be Early: Arrive five to 10 minutes ahead of time, and wait in the parking lot, if need be. The candidate might never forgive

or forget if you come late. This mistake (and accompanying angst) must be avoided.

5. Be Professional: Your image must be crisp and clean, from your clothing to your collateral materials. Even your car should look its best. You never get a second chance at a first impression.

6. Be Brief: Let the candidate talk. Deliver your main points quickly. Then listen carefully, and ask active questions. Jot down important notes concerning follow-up steps.

7. Be Different: Separate yourself from the competition. Offer creative ideas and innovative approaches to meet the client’s needs.

8. Be Confident: Attitude makes a big difference. It comes through in what you say and how you act. Build rapport and then speak with authority. But never cross the line between confidence and cockiness. One works, the other doesn’t.

9. Be Sales-oriented: Move the relationship forward continuously. Don’t be afraid to trial “open”. Gain commitment and agreement on the next step. Always keep your eye on the prize. You want and deserve the sale!

10.BeaStandout: Add it all up and your style is positive, enthusiastic, focused, polished, convincing and memorable. In short, you’re a winner. Who wouldn’t want to buy from you?





How to Make a Compelling Speaker One-Sheet

By Pam Terry

EDITORIAL FEATURE

As a professional speaker, whether on your own or if you work for a company, you should have a Speaker

One-Sheet. The Speaker One-Sheet contains all of the compelling (and concise) reasons people should want you to speak to their group. It’s one of the most important marketing pieces.

The point of your Speaker One-Sheet is to position you as an expert in a compelling way. This marketing piece reflects your distinctiveness, importance, and style. A Speaker One-Sheet is a portrait of your expertise, services, clients, testimonials and background. It's called a one-sheet because it fits on one sheet of paper, and can include the front and back.

The ComponentsHere are the “must haves” for your profile:

• About You: A brief bio about you and your experience positioning you as an authority in your field. Concisely explain the problems you solve, and that you are the right person. Include an attention-grabbing photo that shows your personality.

• Testimonials: Include statements from previous from previous clients. If you don’t have these yet, start collecting them every time you speak. Simply add them to your profile as you collect them.

• List of your Clients: Include a list of clients that are recognizable to your target market. If the people you are targeting have no idea who these clients are, it’s probably best to omit this list until you have some “known” clients.

• List of Topics: List your presentation topics, and, if possible, provide a compelling description on each topic. Your topics and descriptions should be compelling, identifying a problem and your solution.

• Contact Information: This may seem obvious, but you want to make it very easy for a prospect to reach you. Be sure to include phone number, e-mail address, website URL, and a mailing address. Add your social media sites that align with your presentations such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest.

• A clear marketing message: A short but powerful description of your presentation that can grab attention. This is where you tout the benefits of your presentations. Your marketing message should answer this question: Why should someone hire you and invite you to come speak?

• Visual Branding: What is your brand? Are you the “go to” person for something? What is your catch phrase? Your visual branding can include your phrase, color, logo, social media icons, other logos of relevant group affiliations, images, and even fonts.

ProofreadingAfter you have compiled and finished your one-sheet, ask someone (preferably an editor) to proof read your work. Another set of eyes can help you avoid grammar issues, misspellings, punctuation errors, wrong word use, etc. Even if you’re good at both writing and speaking, it’s

easy to miss mistakes. A professional Speaker One-Sheet does not have any grammatical errors or misspellings.

Additional TipsTo maximize your marketing success, here a few additional tips:

• Add your one-sheet as a downloadable document from your website.

• Print out colored copies for networking events, trade shows, and other opportunities.

• Use a good printer or have it professionally printed to really shine.

• Print small batches at first because you are likely to update it as you get started.

• Speak from your clients’ perspective when compiling your one-sheet. Avoid over-using “I” or speaking directly from your point of view.

• Lastly, your one-sheet should be consistent with your marketing materials (e.g. website).

• Creating your Speaker One-Sheet pulls your speaker strategy together all in one place. Creating it is a great exercise as it really makes you think about who you are, the difference you are making for people and what your strategy is.

You will learn how to make an initial impression last and bring more success to your business. It’s amazing how a Speaker One-Sheet will boost not only your sales, but also your confidence. With the perfect blend of passion and purpose, content and design, your Speaker One-Sheet can hit its mark with your targeted audience and make your speaking career a success.


EDITORIAL FEATURE

Take Drastic Steps to Network ProactivelyBy Toni R. Harris, Speaker, Trainer, Coach & Author

Have you attended breakfasts, lunches, dinners, happy hours and mixers with a view to drumming up new business only to come up empty handed? This article will introduce you

to a different way of networking so that you can turn your new “friends” into your own referral network.

The first thing I want to acknowledge is that networking is work. Yes, the events are fun and social and you meet really nice people, but let us not forget that the purpose for being there is to work. The good news is that, although they may not realize it, everyone that is at the event is there to work also. This article will outline six steps to help you make your networking work for you.

Step1–Setagoal

How many events a month do you want to attend? A good rule of thumb is 2-3 events a month. This should be a manageable number so that attending events doesn’t distract from your real work of selling and building your business. Once you locate the event, book it. Register, pay and put it on your calendar. This way the event is stuck like glue and you won’t blow it off for a night of TV.

How many people do you want to meet? If you meet 3 to 5 new people per event, this will allow you to make a one-on-one connection with at least 9-15 new people a month. This will turn into at least 108 new personal connections for the year.

Step2–Makesmalltalk

When you meet someone at the event, you want to find out about them. Who are they? Where are they from? What do they do? Show a genuine interest in them. Give them an appropriate compliment. It’s important that you listen carefully. Ask if you may contact them so you can meet one-on-one to find out how you can help them with their business (who can say no to that?). When you part company, jot down something memorable about them on their business card and recall the information at the appropriate time during your one-on-one visit.

Step3–ActNOW!

Follow up with them immediately. You’ve received their permission at the event to contact them. Now do it! Email or phone them requesting 30 minutes to sit down. Remind them that your one-on-one meeting is so that you can find out more about who they are and how you can help them in their business. Try to keep the

meeting place neutral. A coffee shop, library, restaurant or bookstore are all great places. Try not to meet in your offices as this could make the meeting feel more like a sales call.

Step4–It’sallaboutthem

This is where you start to build a relationship. Find out more about who they are and what they do. Ask them what they need within the next 30 days. If you can give them a referral, then by all means do so. Of course, in turn they are going to ask you about your business. THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO SELL THEM! Tell them what’s a good referral for you and how they can help you. They will recognize themselves as a potential referral if you do a good job describing who you are and what you do. It is appropriate to ask them if they know anyone who fits your ideal client profile.

Step5–Who’sinyourTop10?

Do you have a list of the Top 10 people you want to meet? If not, you should have one. You can present your list to them and ask them if they have a connection to any of the persons or companies on your list. Who knows, they say there’s six degrees of separation between people and they may be able to bring you closer to one of the people on your list.

Step6–Followup

Send a “thank you” note thanking them for their time. Remind them of anything they promised to get to you and deliver anything you promised to get to them. Stay in touch with them. Ask their permission to put them on your distribution list for any of your constant contact lists. Stay in front of them and remember to send them referrals as you meet people who fit their ideal client description.

Now that you’ve got the foundation to networking proactively, you’ll be able to turn your networking into real relationships that will ultimately turn to business. Better yet, you’ll create a gang of new friends who are talking about you and your business. Using these techniques will make your attendance at these events worthwhile and the money well spent.

Toni Harris, also known as the Turnaround Queen®, is an Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact, Radio Show Host, Business Coach® and Author. Listen to Toni’s radio show every Friday from 9-10 CST at www.drasticstepswithtoniharris.com or email her at [email protected].


EDITORIAL FEATURE

Steven KaySteven Kay Media

E very year I always hear people saying the same thing, “My new year’s resolution is…” followed by one or two wishes they would like to come

true, yet I am never sure the person making this statement actually believes it will. Many of these resolutions are fairly common: get in shape, exercise more, lose weight, make more money, watch less TV, spend more time with family, quit smoking (or another favorite vice) and other would-be goals.

A short sidebar, I think that the reason people may not believe they can do it, and therefore often times do not, is because they always have ‘reasons’ that follow of why they cannot. In another article that I wrote called “Breaking Beyond Belief,” I spoke of limiting beliefs. Many times these limiting beliefs are the reasons why a goal has not been reached even though we believe it is possible. Those ‘reasons’ are the very beliefs that stop us from getting what we want and are what we should be working on to overcome. If you do this, you will be able to raise your own limitations you have set and therefore, be able to achieve what you want. Now, back to resolutions…

The problem with resolutions is that they are not goals, and they are typically handled like anything but. Goals require daily resolve, a constant effort working toward an achievement. In order for us to achieve what we wish to, we must take that resolution and turn it into a written goal, develop a step-by-step plan

to accomplish it, then put that into motion by taking action, all the while having the firm belief in both ourselves and that it will be so.

The bottom line is that resolutions usually don’t work. Resolutions do not work because they have no substance; they are nothing more than empty statements because they have no structure within them to make them solid. Resolve is solid tenacity, made up of the constituent elements of your goals and action plans. To accomplish something you want, you must have the resolve to stick to it day in and day out.

Peter Drucker said, “The most effective way to manage change is to create it.” You

should always be working on the life you want to create for yourself, all the time. Daily resolve is the only way to have everything you desire.

Resolve is a daily thing; you make it happen every day, not just once a year. Turn that resolution

into a revelation and create the resolve in yourself to work toward your dreams daily. With daily resolve, you will turn these wishes into your goals, and your goals into plans. From there, put your plans into actions and turn your actions into the accomplishments that will make up your life as you envision.

Steven Kay, Talk Show Host & Producer / Media Buyer & Consultant, Steven Kay Media LLC, 713-STEVEN-K (713-783-8365), [email protected], www.StevenKayLive.com.

New Year’s Resolutions Versus Daily ResolveBy Steven Kay, Steven Kay Media LLCTalk Show Host & Producer, Media Consultant

LIFE, BUSINESS & MONEY

“Theproblemwithresolutionsisthattheyarenotgoals,andtheyaretypicallyhandledlikeanythingbut.Goalsrequiredailyresolve,a

constanteffortworkingtoward

anachievement.”



Three Ways the Election Will Affect the Energy EconomyDavid Holt

The energy industry will face many challenges over the next four years, regardless of the makeup of Congress after

the 2014 midterm elections. Both the Administration and Congress will act as obstacles to the energy industry expanding and helping the U.S. become the world’s largest oil producer, as Consumer Energy Alliance concluded our September 2012 “New Energy Future” report, now confirmed by the International Energy Agency.

Realizing this goal will have a profound positive effect on consumers, our security and foreign policy and on our economy as a whole. Our research shows that with expanded energy production the U.S. could add 1.4 million jobs by 2030 and add an additional $1.7 trillion to government revenues. This revenue could help pull us back from the fiscal cliff and aide in funding critical infrastructure improvements, workforce development and conservation efforts. Expanded domestic production would also help reduce prices for electricity and transportation fuels as North America helps to meet global energy demand.

Despite the benefits, there is a strong movement to further regulate the energy industry and erect barriers to expanded domestic energy production. It is this activity that will cause both energy consumers and producers the most problems.

Keystone XL

As perhaps the most politically charged issue in the energy/environment space, Keystone XL will be in the spotlight as the Department of State conducts its environmental review of the pipeline’s new route

through Nebraska and the White House makes a determination on approval of TransCanada’s application for a Presidential Permit. Opposition groups have already announced a series of high-profile protests of the project and will bring enormous political pressure to bear on the White House regarding the permit. Much of this opposition will center on eminent domain issues in Texas and groundwater issues in Nebraska. Labor groups, the oil and gas industry and the Canadian Government have also promised action – ensuring that this will be a very high-profile political fight throughout 2013.

Federal Oversight of Shale Development

There is wide speculation about the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) potential impact on hydraulic fracturing both on public and private lands. We anticipate that EPA will attempt to regulate natural gas production from shale and will focus its enforcement through the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and other statutes that could hamper operations in Texas along the Eagle Ford and Barnet areas.

Endangered Species Listings

Energy exploration and development will continue to be hampered by an aggressive push by opposition groups on Endangered Species Act designations. The Fish and Wildlife Service has a backlog of ESA Listing Petitions that it will need to decide and opposition groups have announced plans to file lawsuits against the agency in an attempt to drive settlements forcing species listings. In Texas, this could mean a potential listing for several species of interest to environmentalists,

including several snail species and the Lesser Prairie Chicken. A listing would severely impact oil, gas and wind production across Texas.

In addition to threats from the regulatory agenda, energy production will face an onslaught of regulatory-based legal challenges from opposition groups and individuals, creating yet another barrier to responsible domestic energy production.

It goes without saying that much of the coming regulatory agenda will impact renewable energy just as much as conventional energy production. In addition to restrictions related to the Endangered Species Act, renewable energy production will be hampered due to rules and legal battles that shut down the construction of critical electrical transmission lines and other infrastructure.

What’s the net impact? Small businesses across the nation will face additional upward pressure on energy, compliance and transportation costs, possibly hampering job development, business growth and overall economic stability.

Consumer Energy Alliance urges the President to remember his campaign promise of support for increased domestic energy of all kinds. We can work to make the U.S. a much larger player in the word energy markets and lift our economy out of the economic malaise where we find ourselves. But it will take dedication and shared vision to work towards that goal over the next four years.

David Holt is President of Consumer Energy Alliance.

EDITORIAL FEATURE



Think Long Term When Servicing Your CustomerBy Errol D. Allen

W hen I receive or am told of sub-par customer service, I often wonder if the service provider

is thinking about the long-term impact of this type of performance. Providing a service or product to your customers requires one to always think long-term. Customer service decisions made today impact your company's future.

Thinking long-term should mean that the customer is at the forefront of your business strategy. Interactions with your customer should be done in a manner that promotes repeat business. Customer service personnel must be trained to think long-term and provided with options that allow them to resolve customer issues from a long-term perspective. A good friend here in Houston called me while he waited for service at a big box retailer. During our conversation, he paused to ask a store employee, "So you're going to bring another person in front of me? You have yet to ask me what I need!" What the store employee didn't know was that my friend planned to purchase a laptop for his daughter. Well, he didn't after this encounter. An acknowledgement of my friend's presence along with an explanation of the employee's actions may have led to the purchase of the laptop. Just a moment to consider the long-term impact of ignoring a customer may have led to my friend becoming a long-term customer.

Thinking long-term requires one to consider how to handle a customer complaint. The old adage of "the customer is always right" is not necessarily true in all situations. The customer may have misunderstood,

misinterpreted, misread, or just plain wants to have his/her way. What's important for the long-term is the handling of the situation. Your demeanor, voice tone and body language during phone or face to face interactions and verbiage utilized when interacting via chat or email play a huge role in retaining this customer. Think long-term when formulating solutions to the issue. Preserve the customer's dignity when you know that they are just plain wrong. Don't allow your ego to enter into this interaction. Go into your INP mode. INP means, “It's Not Personal.” Take a deep breath and think long-term. Weigh the cost of resolving the situation in the customer's favor against the possibility of losing long-term revenue.

Think long-term when considering changing your service concept of product. How will your customer be impacted by your decision? Is the change the result of customer input? If not, have you considered getting your customer's feedback on your proposed change? I think we all remember what happened when a famous soft drink company changed the formula for its popular product. Although focus group results appeared positive before launching the change, customers in the Southern U.S. held the original formula dear to their hearts. The backlash from this region was tremendous. Who holds your product or service dear to their hearts? Long-term thinking will help you to ask the right questions of the right people when you're considering making changes to your service concept or product. The trash service provider

for my subdivision sent out a letter stating that they were changing the truck type from one that requires a crew of three to one that only requires a one person crew. Now I think that's great for the expense categories of their budget, but how will this change impact the customer. The new truck's retractable lift arms called for the customers to utilize a new garbage can - one that is specially made for the lift arms. I called the company and asked is the customer responsible for obtaining the proper garbage can or will the company provide one. That was six months ago - I'm still waiting for an answer. If the answer comes back that requires customers to purchase the new garbage can, the company will more than likely lose the contract. My subdivision is small with only 87 homes, but that contract represents about $17500.00 of annual revenue. Long-term thinking is required by the company in making the decision as to who is responsible for purchasing the new garbage cans.

The willingness to think long-term when servicing customers is one of the most important business strategies that you can incorporate into your day-to-day operations. Make sure everyone within the organization is thinking long-term in regards to customer service. Thinking long-term requires one to always ask - "If I proceed in this manner, what is the long-term effect for both the customer and the company?"

©Errol Allen Consulting 2012. Errol Allen – Customer Service Engineer – Errol Allen Consulting [email protected] 1-800-830-4167 www.errolallenconsulting.com

EDITORIAL FEATURE



Continued from page 7

continued from page

continued from page 7




Clothing Optional: Getting Naked with PRAimee Woodall

N AKED? I bet you’re wondering, “Where is she going with this?” What does nudity have to do

with public relations? For those of you who know me and regularly read this blog, you know I’m about to get a little inappropriate. (Of course I am.)

Inside, I hope you’re feeling like getting a little inappropriate, too. I hope you’re ready, in some capacity, to break free of what you’ve been doing and push a little bit further to build excitement and engagement around your brand. I hope you’re ready to stop being the only one—or the only department—talking about your brand. I hope you’re ready to ignite a viral storytelling process, packed with aggressive third-party credibility. Because I think you’re ready for brand FANS; a brand community that’s doing the talking.

Enter, the streaker.

Streakers are brave. They’re bold. They take risks. They want to make HISTORY. They’re ready to face consequences if necessary because, if they get away with it, the reward—the memorability—will outweigh the potential consequences. But the bottom line is, they’ve got guts.

I’ve stripped down (pun intended) the key ingredients to successful streaking—strategy, risk and the element of surprise—and want you to apply them to your marketing mix.

PLAN AHEAD

One of the most critical parts of igniting the storytelling process is planning. What goes into planning ahead for streaking? I’d have so many questions. Should I [dramatic pause] come naked? Or get naked later? Like in the bathroom—or right there in my behind-home-plate seat? Should I do a few extra sit-ups and push-ups so my streak is a little less jiggly?

Preparation is key. And one of the biggest parts of preparation is asking questions, specifically, the right questions.

Some people can get a little bit ahead of themselves and jump into doing something wild just for the sake of doing something wild. And, I’ll admit here, that is probably the main motivation for most streakers. But when it comes to your brand, it just doesn’t work that way. You have to start with the strategy—and that always starts with looking at the desired end result. The goals. The outcome.

The first question always has to be “WHY?”

If you work backwards from a streaker’s goal, the only way I’d let them go through with their plan is if they told me their ultimate desired outcome was to end up in the back of a cop car. If so, we’d be right on track. But if they told me their desired outcome was to go down in history at a sporting event and go out to celebrate after the game, I’d have to recommend a different mode of attack. It’s critical to start from where you want to end and develop a plan to get you there.

TAKE RISKS

You’re looking for a spark that’ll make your story catch fire. And when it comes to arson, there’s no time to hesitate. Most often, risks involve doing something that has never been done before.

Doing something that has never been done before is scary, sure. But it’s what makes the world go ‘round. It’s what keeps us innovating and advancing and making history. So when someone says “But it’s never been done before!” The only proper response is, “EXACTLY!”

The two key things to remember:

1. You have past experiences that

you can apply to what you’re doing. While you have never done THIS before, you have done other things that have helped prepare you to do this. Divide the new endeavor into categories and relate it back to other things you have done. Go through every possible outcome: consider best case scenarios, conjure up your dream outcomes (They always say you come closer to achieving a goal when you can visualize it), think through potential catastrophes (Don’t visualize those! Just prepare and prevent!), plan next steps; consider how the outcome and awareness may spread and how you can help it do so. Dig into every last detail. Play “What If.”

2. A lot of people say that all of marketing is an experiment, but I like to think of it as more of a chance to learn. Above all, in taking these risks, observe your customers. See what they’re responding to, what intrigues them, what bonds them with the brand, what entices them to really engage. Then make adjustments based on these observations. Don’t just think of the rewards exclusively in terms of measurable outcomes–although those are wildly critical to success. So treat it a little like a science project and make sure you record these observations for future experiments so you’ll always be getting to know your customer better.

The bottom line is taking those risks. Just be smart about them. Pay attention to every detail and think everything through along the way. And, once you’re done... evaluate and use that information.

SURPRISE THEM.

Everyone has heard the phrase, “Expect the unexpected,” but what most people don’t realize is that the meaning of that phrase has changed—and what’s really

EDITORIAL FEATURE



EDITORIAL FEATURE


Seven Sure Fire Ways to Build Your Business Through Strategic PartnershipsBy Bertrand McHenry/President & Owner of the Referral Institute of Houston

EDITORIAL FEATURE

G rowing a small business is tough, sometimes lonely work. Most business owners agree that growing revenue is of primary

concern. Conventional wisdom has always been to feed the revenue stream through sales and marketing. However marketing and advertising take resources many business owners do not have and traditional sales is a process most avoid at all costs. Finding the best qualified leads for your “revenue funnel” does not necessarily need to originate from either of these avenues, but from building strong referral partners or strategic alliances. Discover the benefits and 7 tactics to drive the referral marketing for your small business.

The business of referrals makes sense for most companies for the following reasons:

• Referral marketing reduces your marketing expenses and sales cycle. With less time cold calling prospects, your small business can focus on customers and their circle of influence.

• Referrals can build your level of satisfied customers. Referred clients buy from you four times more in the first 12 months and are three times more likely to refer business to you!

• Referrals increase your sales revenue. According to world-renowned sales trainer, Tom Hopkins, in, "Sales Prospecting for Dummies," your closing ratio for non-qualified leads is 10 percent versus a 60 percent close ratio with referred leads.

If building your business via referrals is so effective, why do so many entrepreneurs shy away from the process? I believe there are two reasons: they are confused about how to go about it and many believe networking equals selling. Let’s define the two terms. According to Dr. Ivan Misner, “Networking is the process of developing and activating your relationships to increase your business, enhance your knowledge, expand your sphere of influence, or serve the community."

Referral Marketing is “a business strategy of obtaining clients or customers by developing key strategic relationships that lead to a steady stream of personally recommended business.”

Let me ask you a question. What would happen if as you left your next networking event, you knew for sure only these three things - you have two solid referral partners who were willing to have systems in their weekly activities that support the growth of your business, you were willing to “get into” three conversations per week in the market place about you and your company and who were willing to bring you two high level referrals every week for the next 52 weeks. That would be 312 distinct and different conversations about you and your company and 208 personal introductions to people who are in the market for your product or service!

Seven Sure Fire Ways to Build Your Referral Business via Strategic Partnerships

1. Take an inventory of your current networks. Who is in your Information Network? Support Network? Referral Network? Make a list and note how strong or deep your relationship is with each.

2. Identify Key Potential Partners. What other business owners serve your particular target market? Which of these do not compete with you? There may be some natural synergy with these people. Get to work developing relationships with these people.

3. Do you need more partners? Look at the two lists above. What are your needs? Do you need more people in your support network or perhaps your referral network? Now you can go to networking events with a purpose. Instead of selling, you are identifying and building relationships.

4. Customers are also a great source of referrals and some are willing to be trained to execute referral on your behalf. Not all customers are referral candidates. Find

Bertrand McHenry



M any small businesses own the real estate where they conduct their operations; however, they are often advised not to own the real estate in the same entity that operates the business.

Their CPA cites tax advantages, their attorney makes this recommendation due to liability issues, or they simply need to bring in other investors for the capital required to make the down payment. Since it is the small business operating company that is eligible for SBA financing, how can another company take advantage of SBA terms and lease the property to the small business?

SBA has come up with a solution for this commonly faced dilemma. For the company owning the real estate for the benefit of the small business, which is eligible for SBA financing, SBA makes an exception. SBA allows this transaction for companies that meet the requirements of an “Eligible Passive Company” or “EPC.” Typically the ownership of the EPC mirrors the ownership of the small business operating company; however, in some instances the capital requirements of the two different companies may dictate disproportionate ownership percentages or additional members in one company but not the other.

The SBA has two caveats to this financing exception; the EPC and its primary owners will need to accept liability on the SBA loan along with the small business operating company and its primary owners. The SBA also stipulates the rental payments from the small business operating company to the EPC while the SBA loan is outstanding. Essentially, the rental payments should not exceed the cost of the SBA loan payment + property taxes + property insurance + property maintenance. For closely held EPCs that were established to save taxes, shield liability, or raise equity, these requirements are considered reasonable, and they do not hinder the small business operations.

In summary, despite non-operating companies being

generally ineligible for SBA financing, there is an exception for related parties. The small business and its related parties will still be able to take advantage of lower down payments, longer repayment terms, and easier qualifying criteria than conventional bank loans for owner-user real estate financing. SBA real estate financing may be used for acquisition, new construction, remodeling and expansion, or refinancing and debt consolidation.

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact Bruce Hurta, Business Lending Manager at Members Choice Credit Union. You can see other educational articles about SBA financing at Bruce Hurta’s blog http://brucehurta.wordpress.com.

EDITORIAL FEATURE

SBA Financing for Buildings Not Owned by the Small BusinessBy Bruce Hurta

“SBAhascomeupwithasolutionforthiscommonlyfaceddilemma...

[they]allowthistransactionforcompaniesthatmeettherequirements

ofan‘EligiblePassiveCompany’.”


Continued from page 18What's The Truth?

I helped develop a campaign that positioned the Post as Today's Paper.

Of course the Chronicle also published an edition every day. Both papers covered pretty much the same stories but the Post campaign pre-empted the truth by making readers think if they subscribed to the Post, they would receive the latest news. The campaign also pre-empted the Chronicle from commonly used phrases: "I saw it in today's paper." "The scores you want are in today's paper." "Did you see that story in today's paper?"

The campaign repositioned the Post as a more current, more modern, more with it newspaper.

So if the campaign was such a success where is the Post today?

That would be a story for another article!

A marketing campaign I helped develop for Victoria Bank & Trust used the same pre-emption strategy.

VB&T was a small bank with branches in Texas towns, of which many of us have never heard. VB&Ts customers lived simple lives in some of Texas' most insular communities. These are the small towns where everyone actually does know everyone else's name.

The bank was very nervous. The onslaught of the nationally known banks coming to town and offering a wide selection of what seemed like attractive products and services were knocking on the doors of VB&Ts customers.

Our research showed banking customers were just not impressed with what the big national banks offered. They wanted simple banking. Of course the big nationals all offered the same simple banking Victoria Bank & Trust did but they were to busy blowing their horns about how up to date they were.

The campaign line of, "Banking. Pure and simple." pre-empted the big national's exotic and state of the art banking system. It answered what customers wanted and told a story about why VB&T banking would be more like them.

The campaign worked. New accounts grew by over 20 percent. Deposits grew by more than 30 percent. Loans

jumped over 10 percent.

VB&T held off the onslaught until it grew so large the big boys had to buy them.

Your small business is probably doing something all your competitors do. If your customers only knew what you were doing they would probably be impressed.

As you lay out your marketing plan look for the story that is behind why you are doing what you are doing.

All of us love a story. Everyone and every company has one. Tell yours.

N D BrownPrincipal brownchild ltd inc3754 Sunset \Houston TX 77005713 807 9000 cell 713 822 [email protected]


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Odds of a child becoming a professional athlete: 1 in 16,000

Odds of a child being diagnosed with autism: 1 in 88

To learn more of the signs of autism, visit autismspeaks.org

No words by 16 months.

No babbling by 12 months.

Some signs to look for:

No big smiles or other joyful expressions by 6 months.

© 2012 Autism Speaks Inc. “Autism Speaks” and “It’s Time To Listen” & design are trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved.

Continued from page 14 Understanding Bond Yields...

After-tax YieldIt’s also important to consider a bond’s after-tax yield – the rate of return after taking into account taxes (if any) on the income received. A tax-exempt bond typically pays a lower interest rate than its taxable equivalent, but may have a higher after-tax yield, depending on your tax bracket.

Watching the Yield CurveThe yield curve is a leading economic indicator and should be paid attention to by investors. Bond maturities and their yields are related. Typically, bonds with longer maturities pay higher yields. Why? Because the longer a bondholder must wait for the bond’s principal to be repaid, the greater the risk compared to an identical bond with a shorter maturity, and the more reward investors demand.

On a chart that compares the yields of, say, treasury securities with various maturities, you would typically see a line that slopes upward as maturities lengthen and yields increase. The

greater the difference between short and long maturities, the steeper the slope. A steep yield curve often occurs when investors expect a faster-growth economy and rising interest rates; they want greater compensation for tying up their money for longer periods. A flat yield curve means that economic projections are relatively stable, so there is little difference between short and long maturities.

Sometimes the yield curve can become inverted when short-term interest rates are higher than long-term interest rates. For example, in 2004 the Federal Reserve Board began increasing sort-term rates, but long-term rates didn’t rise as quickly. A yield curve that stays inverted for a period of time is believed to indicate that a recession is likely to occur soon.

Email [email protected] to discuss your particular situation for Investments, Retirement, Insurance, Taxes, and Estate Planning.

These are the views of Forefield Inc., not the named Representative nor Broker/Dealer, and should not be construed as investment, tax, or legal advice. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, we make no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If other expert assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. Securities offered through Questar Capital Corporation (QCC), Member FINRA/SIPC and/or Advisory Services offered through Questar Asset Management (QAM) A Registered Investment Advisor. GPS Wealth Management is independent of QCC and QAM. Cyndi Barnett is a Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representative.

Continued from page 21Your Next Step

When you aim high, it’s amazing how many targets you can hit. Kurt set his mind on an ambitious goal, and starred on prime time television. (There is a downside: My Ma now refers to me as her second-smartest son!)

I’m extremely proud of Kurt. He made up his mind and accomplished something that most of us only dream about. Let’s borrow a page from his just-do-it personality. Apply the 10 Be’s and become a million dollar sales “performer”.

Jack Warkenthien, CEO, NextStep Solutions. Email him at: [email protected] or call him at 832-344-6998 www.nextstep-solutions.com


happening now is a case of, “Demand the unexpected.” Never underestimate the power of shock value.

Think about it in the simplest terms. What do you do when something unexpected happens to you? Say, you spill coffee all over your suit on the way to work. Or you find $20 on the ground in the parking lot. Or maybe you meet a guy at the bar on Friday night, and he asks for your number. Or maybe you witness something random like a wreck on the way into work, or a double rainbow. What do you do? You tell someone. Or maybe you tell everyone: your mom, your boyfriend, your cab driver, your coworkers and your friends.

Because the unexpected is memorable, it’s exciting—and it

starts conversations.

WATCH IT SPREAD.

You see, first, there’s the guy who decides to get naked. Obviously, it’s hard to keep a secret like that, so he tells a few of his closest friends what he’s up to; you know, the ones he plans to have bail him out of jail later. Then, upon getting naked, a few people around him obviously take notice. Enter the cameras... Then he’s out on the field - and the whole stadium sees. Perhaps it’s caught on the jumbotron. Suddenly it’s blurred out on the 10 o’clock news and replayed the next morning at 5, 6 and 7. But what’s different now than before is that while it’s up on the jumbotron, cameras are flashing everywhere. Tweets are being sent. Things are being uploaded to Facebook, Reddit, FourSquare,

Google+, Instagram—every social network imaginable and that’s just where it gets started. Retweets, favorites, likes, comments, shares, conversations, presentations, forwards, Stumbleupons, blogs. Suddenly, it’s around the world in an instant. Citizens are breaking the news faster than anyone. There is no filter.

So, as you’re moving full speed ahead, and looking 2013 in the eye, keep these things in mind: Don’t just be shocking, be strategic. Remember that the biggest risks often result in the biggest rewards. Spark conversation on social media and in real life by keeping things fresh and unexpected. And, when all else fails, don’t forget your running shoes.

Continued from page 34Clothing Optional...

the top 20 percent that are ecstatic about your business and share your story and ask them for referrals. Make sure their network is the type of client you want.

5. Inform your referral partners and referring clients of the type of customers you can help. Be specific and provide a clear picture of the customer demographics will help your referral marketing. This requires that you get very clear about your target market.

6. Rewards Program: Provide special rewards to your referring customers on a regular basis. If a customer provides you with five sales, offer them something special, e.g. discounts. Better yet, build community by including them in your company’s activities or inviting them as your guest to your luncheons, networking events etc. When people feel connected personally, they are far more likely to stay with you and refer to you.

7. Systematize and measure everything. Take action on these relationships weekly and track all of it.

These tips are simple but when executed on a regular basis they can drive your referral business and build sales revenue. Start today and watch your referrals grow.

Bertrand McHenry President Owner The Referral Institute of [email protected] 281-401-9852

Continued from page 36Seven Sure Fire Ways to Build...



SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 | PG 44 www.SBTMagazine.netSMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JANUARY 2013 | PG 44 www.SBTMagazine.net

Advertiser’s Index

Autism Speaks ..............................................................40

CHI ........................................................ Inside Back Cover

Champions School of Real Estate................................8

Churchill Mortgage...............................Inside Front Cover

Courthouse Direct.........................................................44

Cruise & Hughes ..........................................................43

Dandy Candy .................................................................23

Eric Kleiman Photography..............................................13

Fidelity National Title-Galleria...........................Back Cover

G Ernest Designs...........................................................15

GMS Foundation Benefit Concert ................................41

GPS Wealth....................................................................29

HMSDC.....................................................................20

Keystone Resources......................................................39

Main Street Chamber..................................................... 9

Nerium...................................................................2

Quality Hospitality Travel d/b/a Cruise Planners................38

RAC Conference Center..............................................35

RedLeaf Productions ....................................................42

Sales Nexus ...................................................................4

Steven Kay ....................................................................27

TG Design .....................................................................22

VIP Orbit ........................................................................19

WBEA ...........................................................................31

Westpark Communications ............................................1

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Small Business Today Magazine - January 2013 Edition