Saturday, May 28, 2005
This week's featured woman entrepreneur is Dr. Letitia S. Wright, CEO, Wright Place T.V. (Pasadena, CA), a cable television show for women business owners.
about Dr. Wright & Wright Place T.V.
Wright Place began cable television broadcasting in 2000, and is currently in their 5th season with over 120 shows broadcast. They now broadcast to over 5 million homes on cable, satellite and by internet broadcast. Their viewing audience is comprised of women business owners, ages 25-55 years, with anything from a part-time, home-based business to women who own car dealerships. Wright Place T.V. brings information to women about how to improve their business and their lives.
Dr. Wright's Top 10 Tips
1. Remember media includes more than just newspapers, magazines, TV and radio. It also includes, satellite radio, internet radio, podcasting and blogs. Each of these technologies must be pitched differently. A inside hint: get PR Web on RSS. You'll be able to find out what new shows are coming out. Then you can research them and pitch yourself as a guest.
2. When It Comes to Media Interviews, Scheduling is Important.For traditional radio interviews, always try to get booked for Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. You'll be less likely to get bumped for a hot story and you tend to stick in the listeners minds more.
3. Send Out News Releases Often and Consistently.I made it a habit long ago to constantly put out news releases, pitch articles to news papers and magazines and pitch myself for interviews. Now locally, I am seen as a source and it is not so difficult getting coverage.
4. Be Nice.I know this sounds like a fluff piece of advice, but I am amazed at stories people tell me about how they told some producer off when they were bumped for a more important story like "The War." Or gave a reporter a piece of their mind because their story was not printed at all. Show producers and writers never forget a guest with bad behavior and they tell their friends who are reporters and producers. Once you have shown yourself to be difficult to work with, they will choose not to work with you. Personally, I have found that the "higher up" a person is, the nicer they are. Mark Victor Hansen, Robert Allen, Dottie Walters and Stedman Graham were the most gracious interviews I have ever had. Some guests who no one has ever heard of, were difficult and unpleasant to work with. And yes, I warn my friends.
5. Create a Marketing or a Publicity Joint Venture.By partnering with a complimentary business or non-profit, you can share costs, promote each other's events, extend your brand and make a greater impact on your target demographic.
6. Share Information - Don't Sell - During Media Interviews.Don't sell. If you do a good job which means being educational and interesting, television hosts will give you a chance to sell. You're also much more likely to be asked back.
7. Pay Attention to Competition.Women say "What I do is so unique, no one can really take my customers because if they take them away then they were not really MY customers" or "I don't really have any competition." Get a grip! If you are doing a good job and making some money, someone out there is thinking they can do it better. I meet local producers trying to knock off what I do all the time. Be innovative. Use publicity to make sure your potential clients know you were the first to develop a particular thing and all others are just sad imitations.
8. Get a Mentor.A mentor from afar is good but you need one you can call and talk to. Victoria Lowe, founder of Alert Staffing, a 100 million dollar company, recently told me in an interview that her mentors were women who worked in corporate situations because there were no entrepreneurs who could properly mentor her. Get a mentor who is doing better than you are so they can bring you to that level. Mentors shorten the trip to your goals.
9. Market As Far As You Can Afford.Look at your budget and if it isn't large enough to reach everyone you want, pick a small section of your target market and try to capture them. If you want all the bald headed people in the county but only have the budget to market to one neighborhood - start there. Don't buy a tiny ad (because it is all you can afford) and be upset because it didn't bring generate new customers across the entire county.
10. Make Sure Your Publicity Fits the Media.People frequently ask, why don't you do a father's day show or a story on a struggling father/single parent trying to take care of his kids. It simply doesn't fit with our target audience. KNOW who you are pitching and make sure it fits their viewers or readers. Don't pitch a quilting story to a NASCAR magazine.
Contact Information
Dr. Letitia Wright
CEO
Wright Place T.V.
www.wrightplacetv.com909.635.2040
A big thanks to Dr. Wright for her wise words.
Share your knowledge! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.RETURN TO TODAY'S RE:INVENTION BLOG POST.ARCHIVED FEATURESClick
HERE to read previous 10 Tips for 10 Million Women features.
WISE WOMEN WAITING IN THE WINGSJune 4 - Ponn Sabra, Founder, Toledo Home-Business Moms Expo (Toledo, OH)
June 11 - Beth Polish, CEO, The Critical Junctures Group (NYC, NY)
Saturday, May 21, 2005
This week's featured woman entrepreneur is Saj-nicole Joni, CEO, Cambridge International Group Ltd. (Boston, MA), a business consulting organization.
about Saj-nicole Joni and Cambridge International Group Limited
Cambridge International Group Ltd. (www.cambridgeinternationalgroup.com) is an organization dedicated to serving the advisory needs of leaders with significant responsibilities and challenges. Founded in 1997 by Dr. Saj-nicole A. Joni, Cambridge International Group has been carefully designed to offer world class exponential thinking partnerships in a context of high structural trust. Cambridge International Group's clients include leaders across the globe in Fortune 200 companies, in highly innovative smaller companies, in governments, and in non-profit organizations. CEO Saj-nicole Joni, Ph.D. is an internationally known business strategist and Third Opinion adviser to senior executives and high-potential leaders, providing insight into high stakes issues at the intersection of strategy, action and complexity. Read The Third Opinion: How Successful Leaders Use Outside Insight to Create Superior Results by Dr. Saj-nicole Joni, available through www.barnesandnoble.com.
Saj-nicole's Top 10 Tips
Saj-nicole's tips this week offer ideas about how to helicopter to the top - a map for sustaining results, when results matter.
1. Helicopter UpMake sure that you know what the big picture looks like. Look in the rear view mirror and out the windshield. Identify the key challenges that you and your organization will be facing in the coming months. Understand your company's place in the world today and consider what it needs to do to thrive in the world tomorrow. Ask yourself: "Given all that I'm doing, what really matters?"
2. Boost Your Inner Circle HorsepowerCommit to upping your thinking. Just as in golf or tennis, decide that you are going to "play up" this year. Seek out and secure a provocative thinker for your inner circle - someone whom you respect and can bring independence, knowledge and new perspectives to your deliberative process. Someone who will tell you the truth and who doesn't have a vested interest in your decisions. You may need to develop a thick skin and summon the courage necessary to ask people whom you don't know well important questions, but you'll be surprised how many people will be willing to help you out. And then make time for them - it's worth it.
3. Invest in Your Team A few great people can shift the performance of many. Put superstars in the "game-breaker" positions in your organization, and give them room to lead by example. Make sure they want to go where you are leading.
4. Develop Your CuriosityA good leader is a curious leader. It can be difficult to explore all the areas that strike your interest particularly when you are under pressure to perform, but it is vital that you make time to engage your natural curiosity. Curious leaders want to know more than just how to get something done. They thrive on understanding underlying principles and on comprehending where and when these principles apply - or don't apply.
5. Broaden Your Line of SightWe live in a vast world that is increasingly just a key stroke away. Who are you talking to that sees the world in ways you don't, and what is about you that makes them want to tell you what you what they are seeing?
6. Know Your Moral CompassYou are going to have to make a lot of decisions in the "grey-zone," where something isn't fully right or fully wrong. Excesses in one decade are prosecutable events just a few years later. In the end, you are accountable for your actions - so develop your own moral compass, and even if there is pressure to do otherwise, stick to it. And don't go it alone. Make sure there's someone you look up to and trust who will be there for you when you need it.
7. Don't Be Stymied by Your Own HypeWe now live in the era of the twenty-four hour news cycle driven by an insatiably hungry press. In a networked organization, personal press is part of scooping the competition. But remember that the press is always about spin. As personal marketing becomes a larger part of professional life, you need to be careful. Personal press and personal branding are important, but they're antithetical to winning thinking, especially if you start to believe all of your own press!
8. Commit to MentoringNo one ever wins big alone. Share the lessons that you have learned with others. Look for at least two of the most promising untapped talents in your organization and plan regular conversations with these people. Being a resource to them will bring you value, too: don't forget to listen to what they will teach you.
9. Audit YourselfTime to get honest. Ask yourself: "What do I really know about myself?" One of the hallmarks of great executives is that no matter how good they are, they are always learning, always committed to getting better. Perform an honest inventory of your strengths and weaknesses and develop a realistic, attainable plan of self-improvement. How can you focus to play to your strengths? Where can your Inner Circle advisors have the most impact in helping you achieve optimal results?
10. Seek InspirationWinners lead by focusing their heart, mind and energy in the same direction. You can't do this unless you surround yourself with people who deeply inspire you. Reach out to someone whose life and work you find inspiring and make them part of your team. Don't underestimate the importance of inspiration - it's not a luxury - it's the fuel that enables you and your people to do more than you ever thought possible.
Contact Information
Dr. Saj-nicole A. Joni, Ph.D.
President and CEO
Cambridge International Group Ltd.
www.cambridgeinternationalgroup.com617.491.4098
A big thanks to Saj-nicole for her wise words.
Share your knowledge! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.RETURN TO TODAY'S RE:INVENTION BLOG POST.ARCHIVED FEATURESClick
HERE to read previous 10 Tips for 10 Million Women features.
WISE WOMEN WAITING IN THE WINGSMay 28 - Dr. Letitia S. Wright, CEO, Wright Place T.V. (Pasadena, CA)
June 4 - Ponn Sabra, Founder, Toledo Home-Business Moms Expo (Toledo, OH)
Saturday, May 14, 2005
This week's featured woman entrepreneur is Angela Washelesky, Partner at Sachnoff & Weaver (Chicago, IL), a respected law firm partner who specializes in business law.
about Angela Washelesky and Sachoff & Weaver
Sachnoff and Weaver (www.sachoff.com) represents individual and business clients in complex litigation matters and business transactions. Comprised of 140 lawyers, Sachnoff & Weaver has earned a reputation for leadership in the practice of law because of their entrepreneurial approach to their practice. As a partner of Sachnoff's Intellectual Property, Internet, and Techology Practice Group, Angela Washelsky has advised clients on matters as diverse as advertising law, marketing agreements, and sponsorships. She began her career as an attorney at Leo Burnett. Angela is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Copyright Society of the USA.
Angela's Top 10 Tips
Angela's tips this week focus on building client relationships. Her tips can also apply to building relationships with customers and bosses.
1. Listen. Clients are unique; they have different budgets and different concerns. Does this client want a lot of service, or just a little? Sometimes they don't even know there are different levels - you're the expert: educate them.
2. Respond Within 24 hours. Even if it is to say "can I get back to you at 3:00" or "on Wednesday?" Clients like to know you've gotten their message and that you care. If the project gets more complicated or delayed due to unforeseen obstacles, talk to your client. They can't make the crucial decisions they need with misinformation about when and how your piece will be done.
3. Be Creative. The tool you used to solve last week's problem might not work this week.
4. Go Beyond The Call.Give the client more than they requested, while staying on budget. Clients don't take kindly to extra charges for extra work they didn't authorize.
5. Deliver Early. If no deadline is specified, deliver BEFORE a reasonable time has passed.
6. Know Your Client. Of course you research prospective clients. But clients aren't static. When was the last time you were on the website of your best clients? You never know what you'll learn that could lead to your being a value-add to your client, and who knows, it might just generate additional projects for you.
7. Get Physical. Email is an effective tool for many client interactions, but make it a point to meet with your clients occasionally. Talking on the phone or getting together for lunch, golf or a manicure enhance your client relationships more effectively than one-dimensional email correspondence because they give you insights into your clients' personality and preferences - intangible qualities that are best communicated and understood through voice or in person interactions. Also keep in mind that email is the worst method to communicate with clients who are upset - read between the lines of their emails and pick up the phone.
8. Be Honest. If you make a mistake, 'fess up, and the sooner the better. Your client will not be pleased if it turns out you not only were responsible for providing misinformation, but also failed to mitigate the damage by covering it up.
9. Be A Little Dishonest. If someone on your staff makes a mistake, take responsibility for it and don't let on that it was someone else's fault, if this can be done credibly.
10. Be Ecumenical. Treat equally all clients and others seeking your time, while appropriately juggling priorities. This is not only the correct and nice thing to do, it also happens to be self-serving, because it's a small world out there and there's no telling whether the person you short-shrift today will be tomorrow's client.
Contact Information
Angela Washelesky
Partner
Sachnoff & Weaver
www.sachnoff.com312.207.3854
A big thanks to Angela for her wise words.
Share your knowledge! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.RETURN TO TODAY'S RE:INVENTION BLOG POST.ARCHIVED FEATURESClick
HERE to read previous 10 Tips for 10 Million Women features.
WISE WOMEN WAITING IN THE WINGSMay 21 - Saj-nicole Joni, CEO, Cambridge International Group Ltd. (Boston, MA)
May 28 - Dr. Letitia S. Wright, CEO, Wright Place T.V. (Pasadena, CA)
June 4 - Ponn Sabra, Founder, Toledo Home-Business Moms Expo (Toledo, OH)
Saturday, May 07, 2005
This week's featured woman entrepreneur is Jill Konrath, President and CEO of Selling to Big Companies (Minneapolis, MN), a sales training and consulting firm.
about Jill Konrath and Selling to Big Companies
Minnesota-based Selling to Big Companies (www.sellingtobigcompanies.com) is a sales training and consulting firm. Since 1987, Selling to Big Companies has helped salespeople, entrepreneurs and independent professionals get their foot in the door of large corporations and win sizable contracts. Selling to Big Companies CEO, Jill Konrath, has been featured in Selling Power, Sales & Marketing Management, Business Journal and Entrepreneur, as well as numerous other online and offline publications. Jill's ezine is read by over 11,000 people in 87 countries. Her new book, Selling to Big Companies, (Dearborn Press) will be available in December.
Jill's Top 10 Tips
1. Clarify your value proposition
Strong value propositions are essential for getting in to see the corporate buyer. Make sure you can clearly articulate the business outcomes customers get as a result of using your product or service. Be precise - numbers, percentages and time frames make your value proposition even stronger.
2. Target a specific market segment
Don't chase every available opportunity. Focus. Focus. Focus. Increase your knowledge and expertise in a particular market segment. Learn as much as you can about their business needs, terminology, issues and marketplace trends. This significantly increases your client desirability.
3. Prepare Ad Infinitum
Today's customers suffer no fools. Unprepared sellers are quickly escorted out the door. Before you meet with any new prospect, research their business. Read their annual report, check out their website, interview their clients, review analyst's reports. Find out what's important to them, their challenges, goals, and strategic imperatives.
4. Create Seductive Ideas
Use your brain and think for your prospective and existing customers. They're so busy putting out fires, they lack time for problem-solving, strategic thinking, creative alternatives or even reflection. A seller who consistently brings business ideas to the relationship becomes indispensable - winning contracts with minimal competition and at full dollar value.
5. Slow Down, Lean Back
Don't try to rush sales - even if you're desperate. Customers feel your push and immediately erect a wall of resistance. On first sales calls do NOT lean forward. To maintain a consultative approach you must LEAN BACK. The minute you lean forward, you're "selling" - trying to get your customer to buy. Lean back. Slow down. And you'll get the business sooner.
6. Pursue Quality, not Quantity
Make fewer sales calls - but much better ones. Focus all your efforts on preparing for the call. Determine the logical next step for each meeting. Then, working backwards, think about what you need to do to make this outcome a reality. Test every idea you come up with from your customer's perspective. Think" If I said or did this, how would my customer interpret it or react? Only their perception is important - not what you meant. Make your changes before the call to increase your success.
7. Minimize Opportunity Leakage
Unless customers can explicitly state the business value of your offering in concrete terms your opportunity can easily evaporate into thin air - even if they appear highly interested. To increase your order rate, ask questions such as: Why would this help you? What value would you get from this service? What are the primary benefits you would realize from my product/service? This cements the value in their brain.
8. Make Follow-up Meetings Concrete
Don't ever leave a meeting without scheduling your next one - or you may never catch up with your customer again. They're running from meeting-to-meeting, busy handling way too many projects. The longer it takes to reschedule, the more their desire for your offering fades. Get the meeting on both your calendars now - even if it's just to talk on the phone.
9. Always Debrief Your Sales Calls
This is the only way you can get better. Ask yourself:
a) what went well?
b) where did I run into problems? and
c) what could I do next time to get even better results?
This is absolutely the only way you will improve. Sales is a grand experiment - customers change, markets change, your offerings change, and so does your knowledge base. Unless you're continually learning, you're losing ground.
10. Reframe Your Attitude
Stop blaming the economy, rude customers or anything else for your problems. There are many things totally within your control. Approach all tough sales situations with a "what's possible" or "how can I?" mindset. If you're stuck, brainstorm with friends or colleagues. Accept 100% responsibility for your sales success and continually be on the lookout for creative approaches to take your business to the next level.
Contact Information
Jill Konrath
President and CEO
Selling to Big Companies
www.sellingtobigcompanies.com651.429.1922
A big thanks to Jill for her wise words.
Share your knowledge! Submit A REQUEST to have your company featured along with your 10 Tips For 10 Million Women.RETURN TO TODAY'S RE:INVENTION BLOG POST.ARCHIVED FEATURESClick
HERE to read previous 10 Tips for 10 Million Women features.
WISE WOMEN WAITING IN THE WINGSMay 14 - Angela Washelesky, Partner Sachnoff & Weaver (Chicago, IL)
May 21 - Saj-nicole Joni, CEO, Cambridge International Group Ltd. (Boston, MA)
May 28 - Dr. Letitia S. Wright, CEO, Wright Place T.V. (Pasadena, CA)
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