A big part of earning a living as an entrepreneur or freelancer is being able to clearly communicate the value we’re delivering for customers and clients. We do a tremendous amount of work showcasing our talents and the benefits they’ll bring…but then shy away from what is perhaps just as important: sharing the price. In today’s Negotiation Q&A, we’re taking a look at whether or not you should post your pricing on your website. Read on to find out more…
Read MorePlanning a negotiation doesn't have to take weeks. Or 25+ pages of strategy.
It can be boiled down to 3 key questions. Questions that will get you out of 'flying by the seat of your pants-mode' and into cool, calm and collected strategic negotiator-mode.
Read on to discover these 3 questions, and download your free negotiation planner.
Read MoreIn business, knowledge can take you far. So can a winning personality, or great connections. But what secures the longevity of that success and a steady stream of referrals and repeat clients will be your credibility. Establishing strong professional credibility can take a long time, but losing it can happen quickly. Here are the 3 Golden Rules to maintaining the reputation you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
Read MoreYou hang up the phone with a keen client and your hands are shaking. This is the biggest piece of work you've ever been offered.
You check your emails and see the subject line: Re: Your book deal. And your stomach flips.
You get your networking game face on and head to the top conference in your industry...where they promptly ask you to speak at next year's event.
These are exiting moments for any Ambitious Entrepreneur. And they're the 'Oh $@*^!' moments you need to learn how to handle with ease. Read on for how to close your biggest, best deal yet.
Read MoreEmail is wonderful. It lets us increase efficiency, get files around the world in a jiffy, and if you're signed up to the right newsletters it can even deliver nuggets of wisdom into your inbox each week. So we should use it all the time. Right?
Not so fast. Email is great, but there are a few drawbacks that make it less than ideal for your next business discussion or negotiation. Here's what to do (and very importantly, what not to do) to make the most of that keyboard under your fingertips.
Read MoreThere are a lot of motivational quotes floating around Instagram. And some of them I love. Others...not so much.
Frankly, there are pieces of advice floating around via Instaquote that are dangerous in their simplicity.
Granted, those lil graphics demand brevity, and who on earth knows what the original context was when the All-Star businessperson said it the first time. But still – for the legions of IGers who are double-clicking or screen-capping those knowledge bombs, following them could turn out to be a disaster.
Here's my take on why the advice 'Sales Cures All' could be doing you more harm than good.
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There’s no such thing as a stupid question.
There is; however, such thing as a question that unknowingly limits your business potential. It’s a question that we ask to others and ourselves without even realizing the power of our words.
Today I’m sharing that question with you – and showing you how one small change can make a world of difference to your business results.
Read MoreI hear ya.
There’s a lot to do these days. To Do lists are full and designer day planners are a booming industry. You don’t have time to add something else to that list – especially when; frankly, you’re not entirely sure it’s worth the effort.
Except it is worth the effort. Negotiation may take a bit of time, energy and effort – but what it can do for your business is astounding. Higher earnings? Lower expenses? Superb client relationships?
No? Doesn’t sound like something you want? That’s ok. I get it. You’d rather not negotiate.
But hear me out: There’s a cost to not taking action that may just change your mind.
Read on to find out more.
Read MoreThere’s something I hear in business that sends shivers up my spine. I get a bit queasy. I have the urge to lunge through my computer screen, or across the row of tables at the café and shake people by the shoulders to snap them out of it.
What is it? What could incite such a reaction in a normally cool, calm and collected gal like me?
“I don’t need a contract.”
Yes. Yes you do. And here’s why…
Read MoreOver the past 2 months, I’ve spent a lot more time listening to recordings of my own voice than I’m comfortable with. It makes me cringe, each and every time. I’ve dipped my toes into webinars, audio recordings of my blog posts, and free training calls. After years spent ‘finding my voice’ in my blog posts, I am now finding my voice all over again in these new formats.
Today, I want to share with you what I’ve learned – and my 3 top tips for finding your voice and speaking with confidence, conviction and persuasiveness.
Read MoreUs entrepreneurs are a motivated bunch. Lots of ideas, heavy doses of inspiration, and an unmatched drive to achieve greatness for our business.
But there are those days…those days when we feel very far away from reaching our goals, and are struggling to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and ask – again – for something that we need or want.
Maybe we’re pitching a new client. Or we could be submitting a manuscript to a publisher for the tenth time. Some of us are working up the courage to hop on the phone just one more time with a potential client in hopes that we’ll get the ‘Yes! I can’t wait to work with you!’ that we’ve been dreaming of.
When what you’ve been doing hasn’t been working, and hearing those NOs is bringing you down, here’s the inside scoop on how to bounce back, and keep on keepin’ on.
Read MoreRecently, I was asked this great question by a reader -
“I want to improve my biz, but am afraid that asking for things; especially money, will make me look greedy. How can I avoid that?”
Read MoreEvery one of us is afraid of something. For some it's heights. Others get the heebie-jeebies around spiders. And I know a few people that would rather run a marathon au natural than give a speech to a crowd.
Amongst business owners and entrepreneurs, a near-unanimous fear is the fear of making the ask. Of making your ask, and going after what you need in business.
We've all been there - and this week I'm sharing with you my 3 go-to techniques for busting through and taking action. Read on to find out how you can as well...
One of my favourite business quotes is from Kendrick Shope:
“All things being equal, friends buy from friends. All things being unequal, friends buy from friends.”
The same principle applies even if you’re not in sales mode. Relationships – friendships – are one of the must-have tools in running a business, and learning how to cultivate strong, healthy relationships will take you far.
Read on to find out how...
Read MoreFocus is good. Focus is great. Focus gets us where we need to be…most of the time.
But it’s possible to have too much of a good thing, and lose perspective in our businesses. Creativity dwindles, opportunities pass us by, and we’re working so very hard…but not seeing the kind of results we’re looking for.
Snap out of it by ditching the tunnel vision and getting some new perspective – here’s how…
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