Brag About Yourself, It’s OK!

I had someone ask me how they self-promote without looking sleazy. Here’s the thing… there is nothing wrong with self-promotion. People do it all the time. Lawyers run ads on TV, real estate agents run photo packs on billboards and at bus stops, and online businesses often utilize social media ads to get the word out about their products and services.

Bragging about yourself is part of the online business landscape that many people still need to improve upon. I understand being humble but business is a competitive sport. You have to speak up or you will be left out. One of the best ways to self-promote without feeling “sleazy” is to have your results work as your income advocate.

Find two or three clients who are willing to do a video on your behalf. Before and After photos work well, but often- today’s culture believes they are not real or photo shopped. A video ranks well on Google and YouTube, where photos do only OK. Plus, a video dispels any questions about your client testimony and its validity.

As we head into the rest of 2015, start promoting yourself and the good work you do.  Post client result videos and testimonials on  your social media accounts and your websites. Remember, branding is 98% visibility.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

You Are Worth More Than You Think!

I wish people regarded themselves in a better light sometimes. I’m in line at the grocery store recently and a man was speaking with what sounded like his boss on the phone. “OK, I understand if you want to give him the project.” He hung up and looked dejected. Why didn’t he fight harder?

The same thing happened to another woman I know. She has a great business but she fails to go after the “whale” contracts, sticking with small referral business. Why? When I asked her, she said she didn’t have a big corporate office. As a result, and before trying, she assumed the company wouldn’t want to hire a small fish….

We all have value. Assuming a big whale contract would want a big corporate office to contract with is wrong. Not fighting for the project you want is wrong. Many large companies want independent thinkers, not corporations, to contract with. Assuming you can’t or won’t get a contract, or lying down when someone says ‘no’, are bad habits that should be broken.

It’s very important to know your value and to know when to fight and when to say ‘no’. If you don’t understand the importance of these three elements, I highly encourage you to connect with me on Twitter to continue the conversation.

In the meantime, think about your value. What makes you and your service unique?

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Promoting Growth, Not Kindness.....

There are two types of clients that any and all business owners have to deal with. Those who pay you to do your job, council when needed, and help promote growth. Then there are those clients who pay you, never challenge what isn’t working, and sit and listen to them blab on about how great they are or how things don’t change….. yada, yada, yada!

The challenge in being kind lies with the second type of client. It is not your job to be kind to clients, although there is a way of saying certain things, but rather it is your responsibility to be honest and deliver the raw truth so you can promote growth.

You’re providing a service to help your clients, not to befriend them. Clients can become very upset when you do this. They may even drop you for a while. Don’t give in and be kind. Instead, restate what you said. Mean what you say and say what you mean. Many publicity people worry about being kind and shy away from what will actually work. In the end, the client doesn’t see results and will end up being mad at you anyway. So, do your job and don’t sway from your objectives in exchange for being nice or being popular.

You want to work with clients who are ready and willing to hear the truth and to do whatever it takes to improve their visibility. You don’t want to work with clients who expect you to be the ‘yes’ man or women. This said, below are my tips for delivering ‘”unkind” advice.

1. Don’t be sorry… be about shine. Don’t ever apologize to a client if you have nothing to apologize for. They may want to hear ‘sorry’ but this isn’t something they are entitled to hear. Remember this.

2. Back up your words with facts and data. It’s hard for clients to blow off your points if you can back them up.

3. Have an exit strategy. If you know a client isn’t willing to change, figure out how you are going to exit the relationship within the contract’s terms.

Until tomorrow,
Velma Trayham

PR Tools, Updated!

I was recently asked a question about what PR tools are worth having. Well, there are a lot of select from when it comes to publicity tools and apps. However, I will say that the follow three are "must haves" for newbies and seasoned PR professionals.

1. PitchRate. This free service connects journalists with topic experts – such as small business owners – for free media coverage. HARO is good, but PitchRate delivers results!

2. Zemanta. Basically, this is a blog service on steroids. The service will index your marketing content for multiple Content Ad formats. It saves you tons of time and is worth signing up for.

3. Aminstitute.com. This clever website helps you develop the perfect headline for your next release or ad campaign. Oh, it is free too! You want to write in AP style, but you want to capture emotion- this website tool helps you do both.

Velma Trayham

My 5 Networking Sins....

I recently watched a friend of mine fail at a public cocktail event that had a lot of prospect business in attendance. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was then that I realized, my friend wasn't trying to be bad at networking. She just wasn't a naturally social person and no one had ever taught her how to mix business in a social setting. So, if you can related to my friend- then keep reading. These 5 networking sins are noted to help you learn, grow, and then become a master at networking.

1. It’s all about you….. Well, it’s not. People love to talk about themselves,so let them. I’ve learned to go to these types of events and ask anyone I wanted to meet a simple question… “So, what do you do?” And they’re off. Listening to someone else talk… and I mean really being engaged… will make them like you. They will say they had a great conversation with you— even if it is one-sided. So, instead of pitching yourself, let others pitch you.

2. No follow up.  If you leave the event with business cards and wait for the phone to ring, you’re committing a “sin.” Go through the cards and enter them into your mailing list. Then call- yes use the phone, don’t send an email- the contacts you believe can bump up your business and invite the person out for coffee on your tab.  Don’t pitch at the coffee meeting either. Instead talk to the person about what they do some more and learn where they can use help.

3. Not offering value. Once you have that coffee meeting and you discover how your potential referral contact can use help, find a way to provide it. Solve their problem for them- no charge- and without pitching yourself. Pretend that you have it all handled and clients are coming through the door. The contact won’t forget this move and YOU will be their number 1 priority when it comes to referring business.

4. Don’t think you’ve failed if none of this works.  There are selfish and bad people out there.  The system noted above works 95% of the time.  Your first time out (maybe first 3 times out) may fall within the other 5%. Keep trying…

5. Stop going to every networking event. You should be selecting your networking events carefully and not by open bar status or what’s on the menu either! If you know a networking event is going to be filled with pediatricians… pass. They may not help your market. If you know an event is going to be filled with people within your industry… go and practice steps 1-4. If you know an event is going to be a mix of professionals you may, one day, sell your services to then go and practice steps 1-4. You may get referral or direct business off of it. Protect your time by picking events that (long-term) can provide you with real ROI. Don’t just network for the sake of meeting people. After all, the goal is to establish your brand and bring in money.

Velma Trayham

Quotes for Business

I was recently was reading a trade industry magazine for business men and women. This magazine had a section dedicated to sound business advice. While a lot of the information and quotes were pretty basic, I found five quotes that really inspired me to look at what I can improve upon in 2015.

1. "Never confuse activity with progress." —Ty, Boston, MA
I agree. You can be busy and still not grow. Don't be satisfied with the business you do have. Go after the business you don't have!

2. "Cash is more important than your mother." —Grace, Shanghai, China
I know this is harsh, but cash is king. Your mother wouldn't have nice things if it wasn't for your extra support (I hope). So, know cash makes the world go round and if you're not bringing it in as a business owner then you're doing something wrong.

3. "Always look for people smarter than you, and surround yourself with people who can challenge and inspire you." —Doug, Redwood City, CA

If you think you're the best then you will fail fast. Find people who know more than you and continue to learn.

4. "Hire slowly. Fire quickly." —Jenny, Seattle
I couldn't agree more. You can develop skill, you can't develop customer service. If you have someone on your team who is abrasive and not caring, fire them right away before the situation becomes worse.

5. "Getting your business launched and your first product onto the market will take you twice as long, and cost you twice as much, as you think it will." - —Dave, Toronto, ON

Well said! If you think this is easy, you're not really equipped to run a business.

I hope these quotes have inspired you to do great things for the rest of 2015...

Until next time,

Velma Trayham

How to be a great leader and female!

I was asked recently how a woman could become or be defined as a great leader. Hmm. What does being a woman have to do with leading? No one ever asks a man how he can become a great leader. Why are we women singled out? 

The truth is there are plenty of great women leaders out there and there are plenty of great male leaders out there. The test of leadership isn’t found within your DNA and birth sex, but defined by the following skills. Do you have them? If so, you’re a great leader.

1)      You don’t care what people say, you have your vision and you are moving forward.  This stands true only if your vision is positive, lifts others up and you’ve done research to have such a provocative opinion about your vision. 

2)      You collaborate, you don’t delegate.  Anyone can delegate. Not everyone is humble enough to collaborate. You need collaboration with other people to build your brand, grow your business and improve your networking (in person and online) circle.

3)      You are a life-long learner. If you didn’t throw your degree on the wall and announce “I’m done” then you are a life-long learned. Continued education is the key to being able to pivot your company when new technologies or methodologies are introduced. 

You don’t have to be one sex or another to lead. You simply have to follow the three steps noted above to success.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Why Being Busy Costs You Money

Recently I spoke with a woman who wanted to expand her business. We talked about her goals. Then we talked about what she had tried and what hasn’t worked. I found out she was barely making an effort to market herself online. This said, I offered her several recommendations to improve her visibility online and boost her autopilot moneymaker programs.

She  declined all of my recommendations. She cited that she was “too busy” with her current clients to implement my recommended ideas. I guess you can bring a horse to water but you can’t force it to either drink or make more of a profit!

Busy is the worst excuse for not marketing yourself. You are basically saying “No” to money. Why? If you’re busier- you can hire more help to support yourself while still making a profit.  First, it takes money to make money. I can’t understand why someone would pay for me to review their past mistakes and then make profitable recommendations for their future only to say they are “too busy” to do anything about it.  This makes no sense and is a real waste of money.

You have the ability to make more money. This said, there is NO magic wand. I can provide insight, evidence and recommendations for your business, but if you don’t want to take the time to help it grow then it won’t. You need to make the time to invest in yourself in order to see results. No one can do this for you as a business owner.

All this said, are you using the busy excuse as a way to dodge being the best version of yourself?

Are you afraid of success?

Are you afraid of having to pay more for marketing and support staff because you will be making more money?

Ask yourself these questions today and really assess the answers.

Busy isn’t a valid excuse. People with major disabilities overcome significant odds each and every day and go on to do great things. They aren’t familiar with the phrases “can’t” or “busy”. They are in a constant “can do” mindset- and you should be too- unless, that is, you’re afraid of success and busy is your crutch to staying complacent.

You can always make time for more business and money. Period!

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

Peer Referrals …. Do They Really Work?

I recently had someone ask me if I get any ROI from attending marketing events or online symposiums. The truth is ‘Yes’ – I do. While I know many people don’t think marketing events or peer referrals truly work, the bottom line is to understand that referrals aren’t a “sure” thing. You still have to work to obtain the business.

Some people say, “Sure, refer me to your source” only to be nice. This is a lead that you will pitch and pitch and will never come through.

Other people say, “OK, make the introduction” only to see the cost of your services and run away- no matter how valued the relationship is. This lead was never secure to begin with.

Other people are thinkers. Other people are price comparers. And other people are actually interested. Like any type of business, referrals are simply inquires and you have to earn their business. Just because someone knows you and loves your services doesn’t mean the third party will buy on a handshake or virtual introduction.

So, how do you close a referral lead? Simple – just follow these 3 steps.

First, reward those who send you business. If the referring party has a financially vested interest, he or she will help to follow up and close the leads they do send over. Keep in mind, however, that only about 20% of all leads will actually close.

Second, offer a discounted or rewards program to those who have been referred to you. Even with praise and amazing ratings, an incentive-based offer to try your services for a limited time works better than sending over a large contract or long-term service obligation.

Finally, don’t be aggressive. Stop with the daily “follow up” phone calls, sales-ad emails (sent twice a week), and Facebook ‘Likes’. If a potential lead is annoyed with a pushy sales process right off of the bat, he or she will be skeptical of your services. I know it is hard- but be conservative with your follow up efforts.

Until next time,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

Can You REALLY Make A Profit?

I recently received a request to write about testing business ideas. While we can prepare for and plan our businesses around concepts and data, there is no real way to test if we're going to be successful or not.

There are some ways to double check if you are or are not on the right path when it comes to business. Here are my top three tips to see if you are on the right path to projected success;

#1. Focus on goals, don't just have them.

I know many people who write goals down. They have a goal for every part of their life. What they're missing is a plan. You need to have a goal followed by a plan and work at it daily.

#2. Be reasonable with your time frames.

Don't plan to be a millionaire at the end of two years. If only life were this easy. Make sure you have a realistic timeline to compliment your goals and your plans.

#3. Make profit your number one goal.

Don't think about expansion, second offices, etc. until you actually have a solid profit coming in. You can't just think big, you have to grow a profit to get big.

I hope these three pointers give you something to chew on over the weekend. There is no set answer to if you will make a profit. There is always possibility. It's how you navigate that possibility that counts!

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham

Social Sharing…. Are You Optimized?

One aspect of social media engagement is utilizing hashtags and key words to not only spread your message to your audience, but to also capture traffic from a seeking social media audience. Yes, this task is a bit of work but it is worth learning because it can drive both traffic and profit.

The best way to start learning social sharing optimization is to start with Twitter or Instagram.  Both utilize the hashtag (#) to pull in like-minded searchers / seekers / business owners into a single thought or image and then start a conversation or- at the very least- make a brand introduction.

If you’re really not that familiar with # use right now, go to Twitter and in the search box type in ‘#business’… this is your general audience, your peers, etc. Now, you need to write using social sharing optimization so they can find you when typing in specific key words.

Think you need more help learning how to do this and what tools to cross-train yourself on?

Don’t hesitate, contact me directly for one-on-one business and branding coaching. I'm always available to speak at your company's next event or provide one-on-one training.

Velma Trayham

The Habits of Successful People

Are you mentally strong? Are you able to be successful? Much like your body has to be worked out to become strong, the brain does too. Many of the most celebrated CEOs and business leaders around the world are know for being "tough as nails", but this didn't happen overnight. In fact, most CEOs have to practice being mentally strong and work at being successful. 

Here are the top five habits of mentally strong people who are successful;

#1. They don't attend pitty parties. That's right, the mentally strong don't feel sorry for themselves when things don't happen as planned. They don't blame others or dwell on things, either. So, if you want to be great, brush off something that didn't work out and move on without holding a grudge.

#2. They refuse to be complacent, even when the money is good. Yes, complacent only means you will one day be outdated. Embrace change and learn new things daily.

#3. They refuse to please others. Mentally strong people have a job to do. Worrying about pleasing others or how others will react is a distraction that will cut off money and success. Don't worry about people, worry about the task at hand.

#4. Don't give up after a venture fails. Most of the known CEOs have had failures. But they're out there, spinning a new business and looking at other opportunities. If you let failure stop you, then you really do fail!

#5. Don't rely on the world for anything, including breaks. The world owes you nothing, regardless of how tough you had it as a kid or so on. If you know the world isn't going to give you a break, then you realize you have to try harder than everyone else to be successful.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Donald Trump – The most successful, yet failing, brand

Donald Trump is a great PR person. He is his brand. Everyone knows of him, but not everything he touches turns to gold. In fact, a lot of it doesn’t.  While the Trump brand may be known for luxury, it certainly isn’t known for paying bills or being a reputable source within the business community.  In fact, you can say Trump is more sizzle than steak.

How does this happen. Well, Trump himself is a good PR person. He talks a great game. He acts and looks the part of someone with true authority. He loves the camera and he loves social media.  This doesn’t mean he is making a profit or that he is good at business. Do you know any people like this? Chances are you do. There are plenty of wanna-be Trumps out there. It’s great to aspire to be like someone, as long as that someone is really successful and not just a bunch of photos and social media posts.

Here is a list of Donald Trump’s failures. I bet that from what you currently know of the man, these failures are not alongside your association with him. After you read this, they will be. Here’s the article: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2068227,00.html Yes, each item is clickable and you can read all the dirty details.

So, why am I talking about Donald Trump tonight? Simple. Aspire to be a brand but don’t only be a brand. You have to walk the walk. In today’s social media culture it’s easy to look the part – just like Donald Trump.  You actually need to provide quality services that you can build your brand upon, not the opposite. 

If you’re feeling a bit empty and your profits are really non-existent, you may have to ask yourself some tough questions this weekend about your brand. Are you putting your photos and social media first? Are you forgetting that your brand has to stand for something- like services? Are you spending too much time on you and not your customers?

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

What You Shouldn’t Tolerate in Business

New business owners, and even seasoned ones, are always learning from mistake and wins. However, there are three things that you, a business owner, should never tolerate within your company – no matter how big or how small your current company is.

1. Clutter and disorganization. Clutter and disorder cause stress and affect your emotional and mental well-being. The same goes for employees who tend to be disorganized, the can impact your business and your clients. Keep a tidy and well organized “you” space or office. It does make a difference.

2. Distrust. If you don’t trust an employee, why is he or she working for you? The same goes for your clients. You can fire them and if you feel they are not being honest with you, there is no point in working with or for them.  Your wealth depends on your ability to trust employees, vendors, etc. After all, no business works well because of one person. If someone is not trustworthy, leave them where they are and move on.

3. Mediocrity. Since when did “good enough” become a standard? If you are only going to do something half-way, why do it at all? It makes you look like you have no pride or don’t care. Make sure you are really giving everything you do 300%. Period. Oh, and if you have employees that don’t follow this rule- fire them.

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA