Remember the old “pop quiz” when you were in school? Wasn’t it a great feeling when you were prepared with all the answers? On the other hand, it was a real drag when you were caught off guard and didn’t have a clue. Read more (members only)

If you’re ready to get started speaking to promote your business, the first challenge you may encounter is finding places that will welcome you as a speaker. One of the best approaches I have found to locate new speaking venues is to scan public event calendars on a regular basis. Read more (members only)

You are working hard on designing your brochure, business card, or the home page of your website, when suddenly it hits you: “I’m trying to offer so many things that they won’t all fit on the page! But there are so many kinds of work I can do, and I don’t want to limit myself…” Read more (members only)

When was the last time you received a referral, a good referral, from someone in your network? If you answered “never” or “not recently,” it could be that the people in your network don’t know the “who” of what you do. To help people refer business to you, they need to know not just what Read more (members only)

You know how critical it is to follow up your initial contacts or mailings with a personal phone call, but somehow your list of calls to make always seems to get longer instead of shorter. Days or even weeks go by before you place important calls, and there always seems to be Read more (members only)

C.J. Hayden is interviewed by Dr. Maya Bailey for her Positive Buzz Success Program on how to create and maintain a positive, optimistic attitude for marketing and selling. Here’s some of what you will learn: Read more (members only)

Especially when you’re just getting started, it may seem like building your own website is a good way to save money. In some situations, you may be right. But it’s not the best choice for everyone. Here are some pros and cons you should consider before making this decision. Read more (members only)

When you have a wide range of skills, it’s tempting to market yourself as someone who can do just about anything in the area of computers, writing, design, or whatever your area of expertise is. Unfortunately, the most difficult service for a professional to sell is the one called “anything.” Read more (members only)

Just 30 seconds is all we ask. Just 30 seconds is all we have. Just 30 seconds is all it takes. How many times do you need to revise that 30-second introduction before it’s specific enough, interesting enough, and poignant enough to engage another person in conversation? Read more (members only)

It’s a strong temptation when starting out with a new business to market to everyone. You don’t want to miss out on any possible opportunity. If you take the approach that anyone can be a client, how can you lose? Read more (members only)

Have you developed a profile for who your best clients may be in the business-to-business marketplace? Do you know what kind of organizations need your service the most? Or what their biggest challenges are? Does your marketing strategy address these Read more (members only)

A common mistake service professionals make is to focus on nice-to-have benefits in their marketing messages. But in order to get your prospects to respond, it’s not enough that they might want what you offer. It has to be something they are willing to spend money on, and they must be able to justify that purchase to themselves and others. Read more (members only)