Archive for Marketing

The Magic of First Impressions! Not What You Think…

Posted by: Tim Davis | Comments (1)

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

What do you think about when I say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression?”

Most people would say that had to do with meeting people in person, face to face. But does it? In today’s world of social media, Internet, and I can Google you to find out everything I need to know, have things changed?

They have changed and in a big way. Years ago I taught a seminar series on The Magic of First Impressions. With all of the changes to our world, I have updated that list. Here are some areas that you need to examine in your business.

You need to ask yourself the following question…

“What is my customers first impression in each of these areas, and am I presenting the image I want to make?”

Here are the areas:

Your Social Media, including Twitter, You Tube, and Facebook
Your business card – a great resource is www.gotprint.com, high quality, low cost
The way your phone is answered at your office
Your voice mail greeting
Your website
Your office
The way you dress
Your grooming, or lack thereof
Your professional photos
Other printed material

You never know how someone will be introduced to you for the first time, so make all your points of contact reflect the image you want to make!

Categories : Business, Marketing, Sales

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How to Build Great Relationships Using Social Media

Posted by: Tim Davis | Comments (0)

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

I was reminded again today on the power of social media to build relationships. Before 10 AM I had a half dozen people ask me how golf was this past weekend. At first, I didn’t really think more about that other than it was polite conversation. However, later today I realized that they knew about my golf adventures because of the postings I had made on my facebook account.

After giving this some thought here are some things I learned…

You never know who is looking at your post. We often think that that the only people watching are those who are commenting. That is not true.
You need to make sure you realize what you are posting and if what you are saying is how you want to be perceived. Perception is reality and you can not take back outburst of anger and frustration.

That being said I also learned how valuable social networking can be in building relationships. Most people will post things that they are interested in. Things such as family, sports, quotes, etc. People love to talk about what they enjoy, so how can this help you in your business?

If business is about building relationships, then taking the time to review post people make can help you build better relationships. What if you have a client or referral partner that you are trying to build your business from? What if you took time to review their social media post prior to your next meeting or conversation? How would that impact your relationship growth?

If you do a little research, you will find out exactly what is on your prospects mind and then you can spend time discussing those things in an effort to build the relationship. Very powerful!

So here is a quick action plan that you can use today to grow your business:

Look up 5 of your prospective referral partners
See what their last 5 post were about
Give them a call
Ask them about those specific things they are posting about (You don’t have to say you saw it on social media, just make it part of the conversation)

Try these action steps and let me know how it goes! I am sure you will be amazed at the results!

Remember what I always say,

“If you want to be successful, you must take the on-line, off-line when it comes to building relationships!”

Categories : Business, Marketing, Motivation, Sales

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How to Get Really Personal in a Good Way!

Posted by: Tim Davis | Comments (0)

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Categories : Marketing, Sales

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4 Speaking Tips to Grow Your Business from The Sermon on the Mount

Posted by: Tim Davis | Comments (0)

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Have you ever wondered how you can grow your business in a tough economy? Start speaking! Giving seminars and speeches is one of the fastest ways to grow your business regardless of economic conditions. The more you speak, the more you will grow. Here are some quick lessons on building credibility, influence and growing your business from the greatest teacher of all time!

Jesus spoke to the multitudes. The secret hear is to build your business, give presentations to large groups of people. Speaking builds your influence!
His message was full of encouragement. Never give people bad news! You have a message and you want it spread. Good news spreads fast!
He told stories! The bottom line is that facts tell but stories sell! Practice the art of using analogies and telling stories.
He asked thought provoking questions. Engage your audience and ask the thought provoking questions

If you want to grow your business, you do not always have to work harder. You need to work smarter. If you have been meeting prospective referral partners one on one, you need to consider holding a seminar. It will give you more time, build your influence, and grow your business. Give it a shot! You will be amazed at the results and if you need help, let me know. I would be happy to coach you on becoming a great presenter and growing your business through seminars.

Categories : Business, Marketing, Sales

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Is the Speak Write App a Useful Productivity Tool for Writing a Book?

Posted by: Tim Davis | Comments (0)

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Contrary to what most people think, I really don’t like to write. That probably sounds funny coming from a guy who has written 5 different books, and teaches a course on writing your own book to increase your business. The reality is that I write because it is one of the best ways to increase your credibility and influence, plus it is essential if you want to grow your business.

To that end, I have been experimenting with a new app for my i-phone – SpeakWrite.com I seem to come up with catchy titles and themes for new books all the time, but with all of the projects I work on, finding the time to write is difficult. That is why I am trying out the SpeakWrite app for my i-phone.

Very often the ideas for chapters come to me at akward times…just before drifiting off to sleep, driving down the road, or when I am in the shower (is that too much information???) Anyway, I thought how cool would it be to dictate my chapters, have them transcribed, and then make a book. It sounds cool, but will it work?

That is what I am going to find out.

Here is what I know…

The app lets me talk and it records what I am saying.
The app directly connects with my speak write account and uploads the files right from the phone
I receive a word document back by e-mail with my dictation all typed out

I recorded 3 notes (chapters) on my way into the office today. I am sure other people thought…”that crazy dude is talking to himself”, but I did it none the less. Once I got to the office, I clicked the app to upload the dictation to the SpeakWrite website. As I am writing this during lunch, I have already received all three back. It cost me about $20 bucks so I have to make some decisions…