High-Achieving Women's Blogazine

Help customers remember you by making it easy for them to associate your business with something pleasant or positive, whether it’s a catchy slogan, logo, tagline, upbeat song or a free gift.  Whatever it is, it can be as serious or as silly as you desire.

Here is my thought:  create a personality for your business.  Give your business human qualities that can help you design a selling strategy.  Define your personality by looking at your prime customers and why they buy from you.  Once you know your company’s personality, you can focus your efforts on promoting those traits.

1. Develop a mission statement that shows your reason for being and the value you provide to your customers.
2. Develop a memorable tagline that expresses who you are and what you do.
3. Make a matrix of all those you’d like to reach in the next year and the potential influencers on those people. Develop a timetable and calendar of outreach.
4. Regularly write and issue press releases to the media and on your website.
5. Regularly write articles and pitch feature story ideas to the media.
6. Participate (attend, speak, host, present, show) in at least two national and local industry conferences.
7. Get known for niche expertise or specific industry knowledge (speak, write, present, and teach).
8. Participate and sponsor local charitable efforts; get your name in the program the charitable cause distributes; get your name in the press surrounding the event.
9. Get to know all potential collaborative and strategic alliance partners in your geographic area – let them know you and your areas of expertise and form relationships.
10. Develop tip sheets as to how your company is different than your competitors and why this makes a difference to your end users – your and potential clients. Include these differentiating tips as the basis for all your branding statements.
11. Develop a calendar of local and regional events in your locale and make your company visible in the areas most related to your company and your potential clients’ interests.
12. Post your calendar of appearances and participation on your website.
13. Plan a media release before and after each event.

Branding your company is key to influencing a memorable response in the minds of your chosen audience. It is not only the name recognition of your firm, but also the perceived value of your organization.

Finally, establish your brand by regularly updating the financial value or potential value associated with your brand. Quantify results achieved and add these results to your brand value. Communicate through all methods the value of your brand to those associated with it.

If you want to know how I landed on page one of Google or the secrets behind brand identity and high-end positioning in the marketplace, join the Global Association of High-Achieving Women’s Millionaire Success Club (Platinum Premier Success Circle).

If you want information that will allow you to maximize your footprint, business growth and career success go to the Freebies Page and sign up for a wealth of free information.

Lastly, become a Fan (Like) of the Global Association of High-Achieving Women

Love, Success and Greatness

Dr. Laureen

Million Dollar Solutionist™

Twitter: DrLaureen  
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/drlaureen
Facebook: http://profile.to/drlaureen

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

PS: The Global Association of High Achieving Women and Masterpiece Solutions are the sponsors of the free monthly newsletter: Elevations™. This newsletter has three focus categories:  Your Career – Your Business – Your Life and You. If you would like to receive free monthly issues of Elevations™ please provide your name and e-mail address below.

 

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In today’s competitive job market, your resume must be a professional marketing piece that  sets you apart from your competitors. The days of preparing a chronological history of your work experience and expecting it to generate interviews are long gone. Your resume must be a marketing piece that is targeted to a specific audience and  demonstrates value.

To ensure that your resume is compelling, it should focus on the following key components:

1. Accomplishments – List accomplishments that tell a ‘brief’ story. Include the scope of the challenges, issues or problems, the solution or actions you took, and the quantifiable results you delivered. Make sure your accomplishments include dollars, percentages or comparative figures. (You cannot have too many numbers in your resume.  Numbers indicate results and employers want the best resulted-oriented people as possible.)

2. Value Proposition – Make sure your resume is about what you can do for the company versus a long list of responsibilities. Today’s resumes must demonstrate how you have impacted the top or bottom line, the stake holder’s or shareholder’s value. When you list accomplishments without the bottom line impact, you dwarf your value proposition.

3. Personal and Executive Brand – Your personal brand is what makes you different and unique and your executive brand is your unique promise of value. Both brands are about leverage what makes you exceptional so that you stand out from the myriad of people who offer seemingly similar talents and expertise.

 

I hope that these three resume components will help you prepare a compelling resume that will set you apart in today’s job marketplace.

I will be hosting a special teleseminar on May 19^th entitled: “IS YOUR ‘FEAR BEAST’ OUT OF CONTROL OR HAS THE ‘FEAR BEAST’ BECOME A PERMANENT WARDROBE ACCESSORY?” It is the preview call for the debut of the Global Association of High-Achieving Women. This first-ever membership association is designed for high-achieving female career professionals and women business owners who want to ‘take it up a notch’ in their careers and businesses through innovative professional development tools, masterminding, platinum-style coaching, and leading-edge business growth and career success strategies. http://tiny.cc/nf7q5

Love, Success and Greatness

© 2010 Dr. Laureen

IF YOU WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement: As a Career Success and Business Growth Expert, Dr. Laureen, hailed as the… “Million Dollar Solutionist™ teaches high-achieving women around the world how to move up the corporate ladder, change careers, start a business, create multiple streams of income and vision their way to success. Get her FREE articles and advice at www.gahaw.com

Business cards are not just about phone numbers.  They are a powerful and effective means of communication about who you are.  Do not cut corners here.  Your design matters, as does the quality of paper, the color you use, and even extra touches like embossing.  Never print yours off the computer.  NEVER.

1. Wait until you are asked for your business card.  Don’t give out or pass out your card to everyone.
2. Spend the money to print new cards as soon as you know your information is changing.  Don’t write your new phone number or address on an out-of-date card. 
3. Always have your cards with you.  If you would not leave home without your American Express, then never leave your office without your business cards.
4. When you receive a card, show respect to the other person and always take a moment to look at it and make a positive comment. 
5. When networking, ask if you may contact them to talk more.  Remember:  passing out my card to 20 people does not mean that I will get 20 calls. But acquiring contact information of 20 people guarantees that I will have 20 people to add to my follow-up list.
6. Never refuse a business card – you do not want to create any ill feelings.
7. When traveling, have your business card translated into the appropriate language, using one side for English and another for the language needed.
8. Don’t waste contact information.  How many business cards have you thrown in the bottom of your bag, never to look at them again?  Follow up, even with a quick email to capitalize on your meeting.
9. Make sure you have a high quality well designed business card; it is your brand introduction.

Anne McKevitt, a multi-millionaire branding and marketing expert and one of the most powerful women in Britain had this to say about my business card:  “It has the mark of millions, its colors are exact, the logo hits the mark, the tag line defines the business very concisely, the quality and weight of card stock is superb and most importantly there is no picture on the card.  The information of the services offered are on point, contact information is appropriate (does not contain numerous social media links).  This card will bring in the millions based on it shape alone”. What kind of impact does your card have?  If you are not sure of the impact, give me a call. I help women brand or re-brand by providing them with the right information for their business card and then I evaluate their website for consistency in branding.  If you are ready to expand your business or up level your career, visit my website: http://tiny.cc/oSjwU

If you plan to succeed in today’s marketplace, there are three types of people you must have in your professional life. These people will help you reach your professional goals, climb the corporate ladder, obtain professional success and grow in all areas of your life.

The Mentor will help you reach goals much quicker than expected and with fewer headaches. You should always strive to surpass your Mentor’s current professional level. Don’t seek a Mentor for what he/she has earned (i.e., house, car, degrees, clothes, etc.) but seek a Mentor for what he/she has learned (i.e., insight, wisdom, life’s lessons, character, knowledge and integrity). Remember, a Mentor is a learning curve cutter and is also a person who shares h/her experiences, knowledge and wisdom. —– This is your time to receive.

The Mate is a person who will be your Co-Partner. The Mate is someone who is close to your age and there is a similarity in your careers, life and business. The Mate is a person who you will bounce ideas off of and who will provide you with feedback. The Mate will also experience similar successes and failures as you do. Both of you should climb the ladder of success together. —– This is your time to share.

 The Mentee (the correct word is protégé) is a person who you pour your knowledge into. The Mentee learns from your experiences and knowledge. A Mentee is great to have because h/she will compel you to review your life, your accomplishments and will cause you to squeeze out some nuggets of truth that will help the Mentee avoid some of the mistakes and pitfalls that you may have encountered. —– This is your time to give.

The Mentor, Mate and Mentee makes a powerful team. Did you know that the richest man in the world, Bill H. Gates, is mentored by the second richest man in the world, Warren E. Buffett?

If your career is shrinking due to the economy, you still should be able to find a new job with the right skills sets and knowledge. But it is also key to have information about career trends especially for your long-term career planning success.

A career path that is expanding today could easily shrink tomorrow — or next year. It’s important to see where job growth is expected, especially in the career fields that most interest you. Besides knowledge of these trends, the other advantage of conducting this research is the power it gives you to adjust and strengthen your position, unique selling proposition and personal branding. One of the keys to job and career success is having a unique set of accomplishments, the skills and education that make you better than all others in your profession. Here are the steps for developing a career plan:

1. Identify your next career move. If you have been examining multiple career paths, now is the time to narrow down the choices and focus on one or two careers.
2. Conduct detailed career research and gather information on the careers that most interest you.
3. Pinpoint the qualifications you need to move to the next step in your career or to make the move to a new career path. If you’re not sure, search job postings and job ads, conduct informational interviews and research job descriptions.
4. Compare your current profile with the qualifications developed in step 3. How far apart are the two profiles? If fairly well-matched, it may be time to switch to a job-search mode. If fairly far apart, can you realistically achieve the qualifications in the short-term? If yes, move to the next step; if no, consider returning to the first step.
5. Develop a plan to get qualified. Make a list of the types of qualifications you need to enhance your standing for your next career move, such as receiving additional training, certifications or experience. Develop a timeline and action plans for achieving each type, being sure to set specific goals and priorities.

For more information on career success and planning visit: http://tiny.cc/MHqqT.

We all know that angry callers are a fact of life and at some point we all may encounter an angry person especially if we sell products or services.  The key to handling an angry caller is not to take h/her hostility personally. Before trying to respond to an angry caller, let h/her vent. 

Only then will h/she be interested in hearing what you have to say.  When you respond, indicate that you heard and understand what is said.  Do this by providing a summary of the key points.

It is important to empathize with the angry caller even if you believe h/she is wrong. It is at this point that you must listen for subtle messages h/she sends.  Develop a relationship with the caller by using h/her name.  This makes it more difficult for h/she to attack you and much easier for h/her to be receptive to your offer to correct the problem.

Avoid using the word “you” near the beginning of your statements. Phrases such as “You need to…” place blame on the caller. Instead, use “I” phrases such as “Might I suggest…”. Don’t say “I’m sorry”. You can, however, apologize for the caller’s inconvenience. You can say that you regret that h/she is dissatisfied. But do not say the words “I’m sorry”. Ask the person what you can do to correct the problem.  Let them know how you will correct the problem and the date that it will be corrected and by whom.  Be sure to leave the caller with the appropriate contact numbers and a definite follow-up date.

It is extremely important not to let an unpleasant caller ruin your day.  When you hang up the telephone, leave any unpleasant feelings about the caller behind and continue your day with much success.

Hope you enjoyed this post.  It helped one of my clients handle an anger customer several months ago.

New Years is the perfect time to look back at the previous year and make plans for the upcoming year. Here are a few fun facts:

• About 40% – 45% of the people make one or more New Year’s resolutions each year.
• About 60% of the people make three or more resolutions.
• People made more resolutions to start or increase a behavior (84%) than to stop or decrease something (16%).
• Only 65% made their resolutions between December 28th and New Year’s Day. The remainder made pledges they consider to be New Year’s resolutions as early as May and as late as the end of January.
• Of those who successfully achieved their top resolution, 40% of them did so on the first attempt. The rest made multiple tries, with 17% finally succeeding after more than six attempts.
• The most popular resolutions include promises of weight loss, exercise and quitting smoking. Also very popular are resolutions dealing with better money management and debt reduction.
• The statistics below reveal how many of these resolutions remain active in the new year:

1. Past the first week: 75%
2. Past two weeks: 71%
3. After one month: 64%
4. After six months: 46%

Here are 10.5 tips to help you keep your resolutions:

1. Be realistic. A good idea would be to decide your limits and make achievable goals based on those limits.
2. Don’t wait for December 31st.  A practical way is to resolve ahead and then back your resolution with a strategic plan.
3. Focus only on one resolution. Instead of trying to do everything simultaneously, focus on just one major resolution. Develop a concrete plan to achieve it; once achieved move to the next resolution.
4. Back your resolution with planning.  In the absence of proper planning, it is most likely that your resolution will fail. You can reward yourself as you complete your plan’s milestones.
5. Motivate yourself. Keep your will power strong by constantly reminding yourself of the benefits of succeeding with your resolution.
6. Make your resolution open. Experts feel that a good way to succeeding in achieving your resolution is to be open about it. You can share your resolution with a friend who has a similar resolution and become each others’ cheerleader.
7. Avoid triggers. There will be temptations so plan ahead.
8. Take up new passions. A good way to give up a bad habit is to develop a new hobby or passion.
9. Monitor your progress. It is extremely crucial to keep track of your progress and reward or praise yourself for small successes along the way.
10. Place reminders. Put reminders and alerts everywhere.

10.5  Give yourself time. It takes time to change habits and lifestyles. If you fail, try again, again and again.  Finally, remember persistence pays off. Of those who successfully achieved their top resolution, only 40% of them did so on the first attempt. The rest made multiple tries, with 17% finally succeeding after more than 6 attempts.  I am sure that you will be in the 40%.  May you have a great and abundant New Year?

In the previous post entitled 5 Factors to Creating Your Value Proposition – Part 1, I discussed the 5 factors.  In this post, I will provide specific examples for each factor to assist you in preparing your value proposition.  Remember the value proposition is a way to introduce what you do in the most compelling way possible, while answering a few questions that new potential clients might have. Here are the five factors with examples:

Factor #1 – Who Do You Help? Example 1: Our clients are career professionals who want to leave corporate America and start their own business, those who want to advance their career one- to two-levels and woman business owners who want to grow their business 20-50%.

Factor #2 – How Do You Help Them?

Example 1: We create a customized plans for each client that is designed to meet their career and business needs. The plan could include branding, marketing, communication and leadership techniques and skills to allow our clients to be the best in their career or business. We also conduct website analysis and provide social media tips for growth and exposure.

Factor #3 – What Makes You Qualified?            

Example 1: I am a Career Success and Business Growth Expert.            

Example 2: Over the past eleven years, I have coached over 500 career professionals and women business owners.            

Example 3: We have provided career success and business growth services for over eleven years and have a proven track record.

Factor #4 – What Does It Mean to Your Client?

Example 1: One of my clients moved from being unemployed to employment within two months and another was promoted two levels within six months while a business owner increased her bottom line 25% within six months.

Factor #5 – Close With an Engaging Question.            

Example 1: Would you like to leap to the next career level, start a business, or grow your current business this year?   Now you take your responses and craft a value proposition that portrays these five factors. Just a reminder from the previous post, here are three tips for crafting your value proposition:

1. Start by brainstorming – Ask everyone that you know or those that work for you “what you do best?” 
2. Next ask yourself: “why did you start doing what your do?”  For example: did you decide to start your company because there was a need, untapped market, new niche, or can you do it faster, more efficiently, cheaper or better than your competition?
3. Last but not least, ask your current clients why they hired you. I have found that a well-crafted value proposition captures attention, and it will make you memorable.  If you are not sure how to craft your value proposition, you can always seek a coachsultant with a proven tracks record.  

The investment is well worth it, especially if you gain the new position or land new clients.   “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity.” Dr. Laureen, Career Success and Business Growth Expert

When developing your value proposition, it is important that it be clear and concise.  Your value proposition is a short but powerful statement that explains how you are uniquely qualified to meet the needs of your clients or potential clients. A value proposition introduces what you do in the most compelling way possible, while answering a few questions that potential clients might have. There are five factors, when combined, provide a clear picture of what you do, how you do it and who do you do it for.

Factor #1 – Who Do You Help? This is where you define who you help in general terms and then in specific terms.

Factor #2 – How Do You Help Them? Now its time to focus on how you make a difference (this allows the potential client to imagine herself as your client).  This is the time to talk about the results that you achieved.  

Factor #3 – What Makes You Qualified? This is where you should convey your qualifications but more importantly your unique competencies, experiences and qualities that set you apart.  This is not the place to use industry jargon or descriptors; you want those potential clients outside of the industry to easily understand your qualifications, so make it simple.             

Factor #4 – What Does It Mean to Your Client? This is a great place to talk about the effect that you have on your clients; why and how you help them.

Factor #5 – Close With an Engaging Question. This is where the potential client can talk about her needs.  It also allows potential clients to explore you and determine whether she can benefit from your services. If you are having a problem crafting your value proposition, here are three tips to assist you:

1. Start by brainstorming – Ask everyone that you know or those that work for you  “what you do best?” 
2. Next ask yourself: “why did you start doing what your do?”  For example: did you decide to start your company because there was a need, untapped market, new niche, or can you do it faster, more efficiently, cheaper or better than your competition?
3. Last but not least, ask your current clients why they hired you. I have found that a well-crafted value proposition captures attention, and it will make you memorable. 

In my next post I will give specific examples for each factor. “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity.” Dr. Laureen, Career Success and Business Growth Expert

Hello High-Achievers:

I received a call today, yes on Sunday from one of my corporate friends. Oh by the way I do not normally take calls on Sunday. Here is what she asked, “Even though I am a career professional and not a business owner, I just realized that I should have a personal brand to identify myself as a professional in the customer service industry.  How do I develop a personal brand?” Here is my response, “One of the best ways to develop a person brand is to identify the ‘value-add’ that you bring to the table which your competitors do not. 

The value-add will separate you from your competitors and place you on the ‘sought after’ career list.  The four elements that you need to develop your personal brand are:

1.Personal Appearance (take into account your clothing choices, style not fashion, and personal hygiene)

2.Personality (includes your personal goals, and values)

3.Competencies (the skill sets that enable you to perform your job better than others)

4.Differentiator (the benefit you bring to the table or what makes you different from others) Once you have defined the components of these four elements, your personal brand will evolve from combining personal appearance, personality, competencies and differentiators that set you apart. 

Now that you have a well-developed personal brand statement, turn it into a story-like message that you can deliver over and over again. ”   I also said, “Don’t forget that is important to get your name out there.  Start by meeting key people, either online or in-person in your field. Send them an email or a message via their web site or networking profile. You will be pleasantly surprised at the results that a quick email will bring.  If time permits volunteer in a capacity where you can utilize your skills and expertise.  This is a great way to gain exposure as an expert in your career field and a great resume building tool.” If your need a great resume, feel free to utilize my ‘resumes for success” service and if your need a career success coach give me a call 281.584.0348. Also if you have more suggestions on career branding, please respond to the blog… your comments are welcomed!  

*************************** What you achieve while moving through all of your next levels, is as important as what you become when you are at your pinnacle level” by Dr. Laureen  “If You Listen Better, You Will Communicate and Market Better, and With a Profit” Dr.Laureen