How not to waste money on your CRM*

Dasha

Our SBS CRM is very simple and basic and it mainly caters to very small business owners, sole proprietors or even agents. It is also very affordable. Yet it is money not well spent if our CRM is not used properly and that applies to any CRM out there.

The more clients use our CRM system the more I can see what kind of problems they are facing and it all comes down to the same thing - it doesn't produce what is expected if the users are not fully and properly using the tool (unle [...]

Communicating by Email and SMS

Today you’ll find almost any message—including those that are difficult, awkward, and constitute acts of courage such as apologies, complaints, negotiations, rejections, even break-ups—delivered over SMS or email, and along with them a host of unintended, unwarranted issues.

Readers assign meaning to everything that people type. This response, coupled with a lack of nonverbal cues, poses a serious challenge for email writers.

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Saying 'No'

Can you imagine if you said ‘yes’ to everything? You’d be overloaded with requests and assignments that you didn’t want to begin with. There is nothing more painful that taking on work that will compromise the quality of your work, your market value and deadlines.

Most of us fear that through saying ‘no’, we may offend, hurt or feel rejected by others. However, by putting your foot down and drawing the line, you are telling people that your time is pre [...]

Action Strategies for Powerful Referrals

Dasha

You need to decide who your ideal customer is, and who you actually want referred to your business. Once you decide who you want to do your business with, they will appear.

Make sure you filter through your existing customers and sort out who are the customers you want and who are the not-so-ideal ones. Make sure you know how much each and every one of your customers has cost you.

Decide how much you are willing to invest to “buy” your new customers.

BNI Rendezvous: More Than Just Business

When I came on board, I took on the role of Visitor Host. That meant getting to the meeting location waaay before other members and visitors arrived. That meant waking up at *gasp* 530AM!

But the role really helped me to be more disciplined and to be more responsible. Having to play host and meet people really broke me out of my shell. My experience as a Visitor Host helped me to become a better client liason in my work. I was relating much better with my prospects and clients.

We're In The People Business!

What does it take to be in the people business? First of all, you've gotta have passion. Observing Dasha work with people is a great way to get a degree in networking, which is typically a dance with other people.

Read Willie's abstract of negotiation , a good resource of dealing with difficult situations and to top it off, talk to Desmond and Julia to see just how great their listening skills are. Hey, I could talk about everyone in Rendezvous here but I don't wanna stray from [...]

Outsource Your Accounting

Why? Because accounting is a useful tool for decision-making in the business world.

However, do you know understand the difference between Accounting & Bookkeeping?

Accounting is a four stage process of recording, classifying, summarizing and interpreting financial statements as shown below:

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The Art of Negotiation

willieyeo

Power is the ability to convince people to accept your ideas. Negotiation is a form of convincing. Power is ability. Ability is the result of practice and application. Think about these things carefully and let them sink in.

After you have, remember this one: If you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow. Sound tough? That's right--that's how negotiating to win can be.

But as an art, there are nuances and finely honed techniques and rules to be aware of. Here [...]

How Much Should You Pay For Your Website?

deanloh

Don't get me wrong, it is possible to set up a website for $500, I have done it one too many times, and I can do that in less than 5 hours. But 5 hours is all you'll get from me.

Before we go on and debate on what kind of website you can get for a 5-hour job, let's focus on the more important question that you should ask yourself: what is the value of the website to your business?

To be able to derive the answer to that question, you need to first ask yourself how much [...]

The Types Of Networkers : Hunter or Sharer

The Hunter

At the networking event, the Hunter tends to collect or give out as many name cards as possible. Once he picks up your namecard, it becomes very obvious after the initital contact, they will eagerly arrange a meeting with you. When you meet, it becomes a one way conversation where the hunter pushes his products/services to you. You find yourself being the recipient of a very zealous sales presentation. You walk away from the meeting wondering if you have benefited from the m [...]

Kiss Cold Calling Goodbye!

No doubt that there are no guarantees in life, but you can always cover your bases and go with systems that have a higher result rate. Why not cast a wider net and invest in relationships?

Why would a prospect whom a friend referred to you, come to you instead of just picking someone randomly from the Yellow Pages? Because it is a personal recommendation and someone they know has endorsed you. It is a word-of-mouth referral.

I think we can all agree that word-of-mouth is the m [...]

3 Tips To Build Word Of Mouth (with Email)

Why Word Of Mouth?

Whatever your industry, referrals offer you the best source for sales and branding growth. The best thing about referrals is you only need just 'one' person speaking good on your behalf to start a chain reaction of publicity. The credibility of the persons speaking on your behalf add weight to your reputation.

In the context of the web, word of mouth marketing is sometimes referred to as 'viral-marketing'. Gett [...]

Do You Need Accounting Software for Your Business?

If you decide that computerizing the process then you need to decide whether to buy an accounting software package, for example MYOB or UBS, OR whether a spreadsheet, such as Microsoft Excel, will suit your needs better.

As a general rule if you are a cash business that just needs to record income and expenditure then you are better off using a spreadsheet.

So, should you choose an accounting software package? Yes, if:

You have customers to whom you extend credit and you buy goods [...]

Use Your Voice!

Kris

In fact, most research shows that the audience pays more attention to your voice tones and body language than to the actual words you say.

Today, I will just focus on our Voice. Our Voice is such a wonderful tool!

Did you know that the tone of your voice, its pitch, speed and clarity all contribute to making a good impression? It’s so true. When we begin to speak, many times, listeners become interested in us just because it’s obvious that we are enthusiast [...]

Evolution and the 9 Core Conversations

Those who say "DREAM BIG!" have rightfully received what they asked for—DREAMS. Here's the other end of of the deal—REALITY.

If you want to find out how to have your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground at the same time, then you need to read the 9 Core Conversations.

Get Online or Get Left Behind

IConnectE.com, though new and small in networks, comes highly recommended as it is a free service with many features you can use to promote yourself and your business. It is fast growing and the networking portal is constantly being upgraded to serve its members better. IConnectE.com also organises networking events, where you can do business and have some R&R at the same time. The events are usually packed and you will get to meet a wide diversity of professionals in different [...]

Should You Register for GST?

In deciding whether to voluntarily register for GST, companies should weigh the compliance costs of being a GST registered trader versus the costs of absorbing the GST. The following are some factors, which may assist companies in deciding whether they should register for GST:-

1) Keeping Proper Records
Companies are required to maintain business records, including tax invoices, receipts, credit notes and import permits for at least 7 years.

2) Filing of GST Returns
GST re [...]

How A Kindergarten Teacher Would Do It!

Student: Email is what my daddy uses to tell mummy he loves her when he goes on his business trips.

Very good! Email is a cost effective way to keep a personal connection between two persons or two businesses. Email is the preferred method of communication between any two parties because you can actually sit down and think about how you can reply to achieve a good effect.

Okay now who can tell me what Marketing means?

Student: My mummy goes to the store to d [...]

Social Media Is A Great Platform

Kudos to the co-organizers 'The Digital Movement ' for making available the chat screen, where participants could simultaneously contribute comments, ask questions and even plan the after event beer session.

To sum up the event and give you good idea what knowledge we benefitted from it, here are some things for you to investigate and hopefully apply. In any case, if any of this sounds alien to you, talk to either myself , Vicki , Ariel , Dean or Dasha to see how we can help you [...]

Determine Never to Be Idle...