The Freestyle Entrepreneur

We remember exceptionalism … and the people who do the exceptional.

We remember the bad stuff:  Recently, while talking to a cell phone company representative, I was told I needed a ton and a half of special add-ons that would more than double the cost I was told I would pay.  I spent more time deflecting aggressive sales tactics than I did actually learning about what services were best for me and my business.  It was an unpleasant experience, at best.  I will avoid going through it again with that company, and I certainly will not recommend it to friends and associates.

Fortunately, we remember the good stuff, too:  When I was a young pup, a life insurance agent came all the way across town to talk about my coverage needs.  He knew I was financially barely getting by.  What he did not know was that two other agents previously had attempted to sell me loaded-up policies that I would never have been able to keep in force.

This third agent actually used his fact-finding information, listened to my concerns, and recommended coverage that was very affordable for me at that time.  That first sale did not earn him a huge commission, but it turned out to be the first of many sales over the years.

My point:  We do not forget exceptionalism.  So, when it comes to your own business-building activities, here are several suggestions:

Ask questions about what the customer/client really wants, needs, and can afford.  This is not a mechanical action.  Your goal is to find a good fit between the customer and the product.  (Do this, and you will be amazed at how repeat business grows.)

• Stop thinking of yourself as a person who sells a product or service.  You are a problem solver (What should I get Dad for his birthday?).  Your role is not to sell a product, but to help people and businesses meet needs (Will this vehicle keep my family safe?) and achieve their goals (Will this equipment cut my production time?)
• Recommend products and services that reflect clients’ needs, nothing more, nothing less.  The true litmus test about what you recommend is whether you would want your own best friend, sibling, or parent to buy it.
• Do not calculate your profit or commission before the customer is out the door.  This should play no role in your recommendations.  However, if you simply do the right thing – practicing exceptionalism at every step – your profit over time will more than compensate you today and in the years to come.  (You’ll end up having more repeat business, and fewer returns.)

The bottom line:  Work hard, have fun, be scrupulously honest and exceptional in all you do, and you will make money and build a business about which you can be truly proud.    – JRI  

Do you need a quality keynote or motivational business presentation for your 2013 annual meeting?  Or a speaker for a sales or customer service session or after-dinner talk? 

An established business journalist, public speaker and sales trainer, I am giving away a free one-hour program to the first two responders.  If you represent a business or business organizations (such as a Chamber of Commerce, SCORE, Rotary, etc.), you are eligible to accept this offer.

This offer is valued at more than $3,000.  And it is free. 

TWO CONDITIONS:  (1) Your organization will cover all travel and lodging expenses; and (2) provide a professional video tape of the presentation.     

WHO AM I?  I AM JOHN INGRISANO, AUTHOR OF THE BACK TO BASICS BOOK OF SELLING, AND AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS WRITER AND PUBLIC SPEAKER. 

CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING TOPICS, ALL OF WHICH CAN BE TAILORED TO YOUR ORGANIZATION’S UNIQUE NEEDS: 

• Are You a Buddy Or A Boss? An Employee-Relations Primer (for managers, small business owners, business organizations)
• Husbands, Wives & Business:  How to Survive Working Together (for small businesses and business organizations)
• That’s Great!  So What!  Who Cares? Discover Your Company’s Competitive Advantage (for businesses of all sizes and business organizations)
• Big-time Marketing on a Small-time Budget (for small to mid-size companies and business organizations)
• Building Brand Recognition That Really Works (for businesses of all sizes and business organizations)
• Real Customer Service:  Going Beyond Have-a-Nice-Day (for businesses of all sizes and business organizations)
• Finding Money: Overcoming the “No Money” Objection (for sales teams)
• Husbands, Wives & Children:  How to Survive in a Family Business (for family-owned businesses and business organizations)
• Marketing Basics for Non-profits:  Increasing Donations Without Compromising Your Message (for charitable organizations)
• Selling:  The Greatest Job in the World (for sales teams and sales organizations)
• Ten Sure-fire, Guaranteed Rules for Success in Business and in Life (for managers, small businesses and business organizations)
• Ten Ways to Beat Business Burnout (for small business owners and organizations)
• Ten Ways to Keep from Getting Burned When Hiring An Employee (for managers, small business owners and organizations)
• The Busy Business Owner/Manager’s Guide to a Pain-free Vacation (for managers, small business owners and business organizations)
• The Dilemma of the Small Business Owner:  Creating an Effective Exit Strategy (for small business owners and business organizations)

CALL TODAY for availability.  Book now for 2013 conventions and training camps.

THIS IS A FREE OFFER, available to the first two companies or organizations to accept.

For more details, click on motivational speaker.  

Or contact John directly by calling 770-314-2649; or email him at john@thefreestyleentrepreneur.com    

“Will somebody please do something?”  I’ve heard that phrase now and then over the years from frustrated parents, unhappy customers, even business managers.

There’s only one problem with this complaint/demand:  It has no clarity, purpose or direction.  Do something?  Do what?  Please be a little more specific.  Seriously, I use the example in my seminars of being a customer who receives a lousy meal and rude service in a restaurant.  If the customer writes a letter of complaint that does nothing more than blow off steam and demand some vague form of  “satisfaction” or “compensation,” that person is very unlikely to get either.

Instead, imagine if the customer insists on (1) an apology, in person, from the rude waitress and (2) a $50 gift card in compensation.  Additionally, the customer insists on hearing from the company within ten days.  If so, there is at least a reasonable chance of getting what he/she wants.

It’s the same in business:  Be specific.  We must ask for what we want.   At the end of a one-on-one presentation, rather than asking,  “So, what do you think?” be specific:  “I think you will agree that this proposal will help you achieve your objectives.  If so, I recommend that we put it in place today.  Let’s complete the paperwork and submit it with a check for $XXX.”  Then go right into the application, starting with easy questions:  “Robert, what is your middle name?”

It is similar in retail sales.  If a customer is looking at two possible choices, suggest specifically which one you recommend, saying something like, “This blue item is one of our most popular blouses.  I can ring that up for you whenever you are ready.”

Ask for the order.  Request a specific commitment, not just agreement that the idea is a good one.  This simple idea can double your business.  That’s good for you, and it’s good for your clients, who receive the valuable products and services they need.

The bottom line:  Work hard, make money, have fun … and ask for what you want.    – JRI

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

Hernando Cortez knew the value of total commitment.  In 1519 – just 27 years after Christopher Columbus discovered the New World – Cortez landed on the coast of Mexico, thousands of miles from home.  He arrived with 11 ships and about 600 men.  Their goal was to conquer the vast Aztec empire.

They did.  Cortez and his men changed the course of history, marching across Mexico and starting what was to become a vast and rich Spanish empire in North and South America, one that dominated world affairs for nearly 400 years.  (Keep in mind that, to this day, Spanish is the dominant language of Mexico, Central and South America, except for Brazil, which speaks Portuguese.)

Failure was not an option:  Cortez and his men accomplished their goal because they were determined.  Mostly, they simply had no choice.  Upon landing on the Yucatan Peninsula, Cortez issued a three-word order that ensured their expedition would either succeed or fail completely, with no middle-ground option.  He totally removed the option of failure with the words: “Burn the ships!”

How about you?  Are you serious about success or just toe-dipping, semi-committed until you see how things work out?  Or do you just go along each day, curious to see how it turns out.  If that describes you, you are destined for one of two outcomes:  so-so mediocrity … or abysmal failure.  (Notice the word “success” is not there.)

So, if you start a business, go all in … completely.  Do your research; knowledge increases the odds of success.  Make sure your mind and heart are committed to something that you believe in, that you want badly … real badly.

Then dedicate yourself, putting in not just the standard 40 hours a week (save that for cubicle-dwelling wage slaves), but 60, 70, even 80 hours, if necessary.  Give yourself no choice.  Don’t tell yourself, “I can always go back to that other job,” or “It’s okay, my spouse makes a good living, so it’s okay if I fail.”  Commit.  And do not allow yourself the option for failure.

The bottom line:  Work hard, make money, have fun … and burn your ships all the way to the waterline.   – JRI

John R. Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

john@TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

I know a fellow who once threw a handful of customers out of his restaurant because they were really wolfing down the chicken on all-you-can-eat night.  (After the fourth platter, he announced to the men, all sport fishermen, “Okay, guys, that’s all you can eat,” as he ordered them out.) You can bet that they not only never came back, but (A) they told all their buddies, including me, about how they had been treated and (B) the eatery down the street was more than willing to have their business.

I know another fellow, a self-employed film/video editor, who cursed, slammed equipment around the editing bay, created an unpleasant atmosphere of tension on the set, insulted customers, and just in case that wasn’t enough, rarely bathed.  I worked with him only when absolutely necessary, and I was not surprised to learn that he has long  since gone out of business.  Instead, I took my projects to a competitor, a man who was just as talented, but also gracious, charming, and cheerful to be around, a man who always made me feel welcome and made it clear that he appreciated my business.  (It has been more than 27 years since I left the area and have seen Lee, but he is still in business, paying the bills and, yes, even prospering.)

My point:  It doesn’t matter if you have a terrific product or service.  As an SBO (small business owner), your greatest asset is relationships.  Make sure that each and every customer knows (not “thinks,” but KNOWS) that he or she is incredibly valuable to — and valued by — you.  (When I invoice my clients, I often tell them:  “Thank you for the opportunity to work together.  I appreciate you.”)

Even when a customer becomes rude or demanding or wants to skin you alive and then fillet you, there is absolutely no reason (none, zero, never) to be rude in response.  Oh, you may have to say, “I’m sorry, but I simply cannot let this product go for $10 less than I paid for it.”  In these situations, be gracious but firm.

The amazing thing:  I’ve had clients who worked very hard to pick my pocket.  Keep in mind that this must have been a standard practice for these folks.  (If I say I can do it for $4,300, they will come back and demand that the price be $3,900.)  They no longer phase me, if only because I’ve learned that bad business is worse than no business.  However, here’s the kicker:  After they’ve made the rounds, it is not unheard of for them to come back to me and say, “Okay, let’s do business.  What was that price again?”

The bottom line:  Work hard, make money, have fun … and always be gracious … always.  — JRI

John R. Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

john@TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com

The Freestyle Entrepreneur – winner of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.

John Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur    

 (920) 559-3722

www.TheFreestyleEntreprenuer.com

Want more biz tips and support?  Visit www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com.

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

“Make every product better than it’s ever been done before.  Make the parts you cannot see as well as the parts you can see.  Use only the best materials, even for the most everyday items.  Give the same attention to the smallest detail as you do to the largest.  Design every item you make to last forever.”

 – Shaker furniture-making philosophy

Are you giving quality … always?  Is your philosophy, “Provide the very best, without exception”?  Or have you settled into one that implies, “Good enough it good enough”? or “I’m as good as my competitor down the street”?

In short, do your clients/customers get the very best you have to offer?  Are you giving them the absolute best customer service?  Are you giving them the absolute best value for the money they spend with your business?  Are your recommendations in terms of products or services spot-on perfect for each person?

Remember, there is no such thing as a routine sale, contract or project.  Each one is special, unique.  Work to make each your absolute best … every day.  See each contact, project, assignment or sale as an opportunity for you to help a client or customer solve his/her unique, one-of-a-kind, what-if problem or meet a need better than anyone else.  Each customer is counting on you to provide the very best.

Do this, and you will accomplish these powerful goals:

1. You will meet your customer’s/client’s needs, even if the result is no sale … at least today.
2. You will lay the groundwork for additional business next month or next year … even if the result was no sale today.
3. You will convert more one-time buyers into loyal, life-long customers or clients.
4. You will get more and better referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers/clients.
5. Your business will continue to grow and you will prosper … yes, even in today’s lousy economy.

So, give it your best, always.  Be demanding of yourself, and then apply to yourself Winston Churchill’s famous saying:  “I am easily satisfied with the very best.”  Accept nothing short of that.

The bottom line:  Work hard, make money, have fun … and never give your clients/customers or yourself anything but your absolute very best.  — JRI

John R. Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

john@TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

My daughter recently opened her own hair salon.  She will be a total success.  I know this for sure – no, not because she is my daughter, but because she has the three skills that can virtually guarantee the success of any business owner.

Success Skill # 1:  Relationship skills.  Angie is charming and pleasant.  When customers sit in her chair, she does not talk their ears off about herself.  Instead, she asks questions and talks about them.  Plus, she listens when they talk.  Bonus:  She remembers the names of spouses and children, and brings them up during the customer’s chair time.

This is not manipulative.  Angie loves people; she cares about them.  Plus, she is in the glamour business, and that’s a people business.  People do not come to her just for a haircut or perm; they come to her for a pleasant break from their hectic days.  (It has been said that she provides the best scalp massage in the Madison, Wisconsin area … and she throws it in at no charge.)

As a result, her small, one-chair business is growing steadily, with a solid amount of repeat business.  She is a natural at relationship skills.

(BTW, if you are a bit of a social cripple, here is a simple way to build your own relationship skills in your business:  Do NOT talk about you and your business.  DO ask questions about your customers’ lives … and then listen to the answers.  Not only will it help your customers appreciate you more, but it will also give you keen insight into their needs and concerns, which you just may be able to address with your products and services.)

Success Skill # 2:  Applied knowledge.  A pretty face and charming personality will only get you so far.  You must know your stuff.  My daughter, who has been “doing” hair for nearly a decade, is good at what she does.  She does not so much cut hair as she shapes it creatively.  She does good work.

Remember, anyone may give you a shot once.  However, that person will only return if you do a good job.  You want repeat business.  Fortunately, applied knowledge is one of those things most people can acquire.  All it takes is time, dedication, and practice.  My daughter goes to seminars, keeps up on the latest hair styles, and is never satisfied that good enough is good enough.

Never stop learning.  Quit building your knowledge and improving your skills and you will first plateau.  Then your abilities will begin to deteriorate, perhaps slowly, but eventually you will be a creaky old dinosaur with rusted out skills.  Instead, keep building up your knowledge.  That way, you will continue to grow as a business owner.

Success Skill # 3:  Business skills.  You must be organized and focused and think like a business person.  That means ongoing prospecting for new clients, keeping good records, tracking expenses, mapping out goals and strategies, scrupulously managing your time, and more.

Angie realizes that she needs continually to market herself (so visit Bella by Angela, and I will remain her favorite Dad), offer coupon specials, strategic discounts, keep good records, share her business card with people she meets, and follow up on customers who have not showed up in a month or so.

She also understands time management, the need to control her time and activities, to work hard when she works, and to play easy with her husband and two daughters when she plays.  She knows, every day, what she needs to do to achieve her goals.  Most of all, she has learned to think like a business person, solely and totally responsible for the success of her business.

The bottom line:  Apply, practice and master these three skills.  Keep practicing them day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year.  Do this and, like my daughter, you will not only become a success in your business, but you will stay a success.

The bottom line:  Work hard, make money, have fun … and achieve it all by applying the three success skills.  — JR

John R. Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

john@TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

“Few things are impossible to diligence.  Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.”  — Samuel Johnson

My father was “not all that smart.”  Those were his words, not mine.  The rest of the phrase went like this:  “I just never gave up … ever.”

It worked out okay for him.  The first one in the family to go to college (and he did that during the Great Depression), he went on to become a respected physician and educator.  Not bad for a guy who thought of himself as not all that smart.

He is not alone.  Over the decades, I’ve met some brilliant failures.  I’ve also learned that success belongs to the persistent, to the men and women who are willing to put in long hours and who do not count their failures, but who focus on their goals.  They keep on going … and going … and going.

The big problem with geniuses – and even natural athletes – is that, too often, they know it.  I’ve seen talented young, “gifted” athletes who took their skills for granted.  They stopped practicing and working at getting better in the off season.  They saw themselves as naturals.  As a result, they eventually peaked, plateaued and then declined way before their time should have been up.

Then there are the ones who never let up.  Year round, they work out, practice, build their skills.  These are the men who are in the halls of fame.

It’s the same in business.  I’ve seen brilliant business owners who climbed effortlessly to the top.  However, the second a setback slammed them across the nose with a two-by-four, they folded up and quit.  In their hearts, they had no idea why they had been successful, so when the tough times came around, they had no idea what to do.

No, give me the sloggers every time.  They have a dream, and they work hard to achieve it, maintain it, save it, recover it when it crashes, and then rebuild it … as many times as necessary.  These are the men and women, by the way, who often have a handful of geniuses working for them.

The bottom line:  Work hard, work hard, work hard.  That’s how to build a business: with stubborn determination.  – JRI

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

“Seek advice, but use your own common sense.” – Yiddish Proverb

As a business owner, I love good advice.  However, there is darn little of it out there, at least in terms of my specific situation.  I have also grown to detest unsolicited advice, if only because it always comes from people who (A) have no idea what I do; (B) are perfectly willing to risk my money, not theirs; and (C) tend to be dismal failures who have screwed up their own lives, so (I suspect) figure it is time to move on and try to help others screw up theirs.

So, when I want good advice, I first study an issue in as much detail as I can.  Then I go for a walk with Rocky, my Boxer, and chew over the information.  Eventually – sometimes instantly – I figure out the best course of action for me and for my business.  I generally give myself good advice.  It took a long time to learn to trust my instincts, though.

I once made the mistake of listening to sincere, well-intentioned people who had no experience, did not understand money, and did not understand business.  (I call it my soft-headed business phase.)  It was disastrous.  Their real purpose, more often than not, was to impress others with their unique ideas and methods for approaching everything from answering the phone to running a meeting to marketing to pet owners to cooking fish.

“Well, why not give it a shot?” they would advise, as they would sit back and begin to think up the next untested, outlandish idea to share with me.  As I said, these ideas always required my time and my money.  (I learned eventually that when someone said he/she was a “big-picture, concept person,” I should immediately turn tail and run.  That person had nothing to offer me or anyone else who lived and sweated and worked in the very real world of day-to-day details.)

In the end, it turned out that these dear people were having a ball … with my money.  They were bold and daring … again, with my money.  They were brilliant, brimming with amazing ideas; all they required was …. you guessed it: my money.

For me, it was a valuable and costly lesson.  The costly part was that it sent my otherwise solid business ventures into a tailspin.  The valuable part was that, once their fun part was over, they stuffed their hands into their pockets and left … so I never had to deal with them again.

So, when it comes to advice, here is my advice to you: 

1. Never take business advice from a failure.  In business, money is one of the measures of success.  If someone cannot pay his or her own bills, why on God’s green earth would you want to take that person’s advice?
2. Never take advice from a successful person … unless you ask him/her for it.  I know a number of people who are successful.  However, keep in mind that what worked for them need not necessarily work for you
3. Never take advice from family or friends … unless they are your business partners.  The problem with family is that the relationship sometimes gets in the way of hard-headed business decisions.  You can end up making the wrong decisions for the wrong reasons.  So, keep family and friends out of the decision-making loop.
4. Never give advice to anyone.  Unless you are an advisor and that is your job, why would you want to tell others how to start/run/fix/save their own businesses?  You have better ways to spend your time, and just because you are successful at what you do, that does not necessarily make you are an expert on what others should do.
5. Ask unsolicited advice givers to pony up their own funds.  If their idea is so good, they should be willing to take the risk.  If they have no money, see point # 1, above.  This usually ends the conversation.
6. Gain information and knowledge from seminars, business publications, videos, CDs, and books.  These are almost always more valuable than sitting at the knee of some guru for six weeks.  Read that person’s books instead.  Pour tons of information into your head.  And then …
7. Learn to trust your own advice.  Learn, study, pay attention to your business.  Develop your instincts.  Eventually, your sixth-sense, your intuition, your experience and common sense (whatever you want to call it, except don’t call it luck or guess work) will grow.  Learn how to tap you’re your knowledge.  Again, it’s not about luck.  I have found that, when I have done my homework, studied my options, been patient, then made a clear-headed decision and stuck with it, it almost always worked out.

The bottom line:  Work hard, make money, have fun … and remember that the best advice for you will come from you.  – JRI

by John Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

“The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions.” – John Hancock

Genius is no guarantor of success.  Neither is hard work by itself.  I teach a one-day seminar for Fred Pryor/CareerTrack called “Dealing with Difficult People.”  One of the things I stress is that the genius, the brainiac-Mensa candidate, the man or woman with more sheer intelligence than the rest of the team combined … this person almost always ends up working for the one with superior people skills.  (I know one member of the Mensa genius club who once owned a successful manufacturing business … but who is now in doing time in a federal prison because of his arrogance and misguided belief that he was above the law.)

It’s true.  More often than not, the company president – the innovator, the truly successful individual — is the person who may have graduated from college with the middle-of-the-road C average, but who was born with – or, more likely, cultivated – a gift for relationship skills.

Abrasive people?  They end up stuck in the back room in a dead-end job.  I knew another fellow years ago who was one of the best industrial video producers and editors in the city in which I lived.  He was brilliant.  He could create video magic.  However, he had the charm of a toad.

He was brusque to the point of being downright rude.  Once, while working on a project together, I asked if he could be a little less obnoxious.  His furious reply:  “You hire me because I’m good, not because I’m a charm school graduate.  Now, why don’t you shut up so we can get this project wrapped up!”

By the way, did I mention that I was the client?  Six months later, worn out by his annoying personality, I found someone who was almost as good, but twice as pleasant.  I made the switch and never looked back.  I also heard a year later that the toad’s business had gone under.  A shame, because he certainly was good at what he did.

This fellow is not alone.  I know yet another fellow, a young, talented, hardworking manager.  He puts in long hours, but he lacks social skills and is indifferent to others. He answers the phone with a grunt; never bothers to get up when someone enters his office; would never think of giving an associate a compliment or asking, “How’s the family?”

As a result, he has been passed over time and time again at the company for which he works.  Again and again, he has fumed while less qualified men and women were promoted over him.  The sad part is that he doesn’t get it.  His response when “cheated” out of his promotion?  He has become more surly, ruder and less friendly every year.  Again, a shame, because he is one talented guy.

By the way, I speak from experience.  By nature, I have a prickly personality.  I can be impatient and intolerant (which is perhaps why I was asked to teach the “Difficult People” seminar).  It hurt me dearly as a young man trying to build a career.  Fortunately, when I finally decided to find out why my toast always seemed to land jelly-side down, I began to study successful people.

I discovered that almost all winners have several core traits in common.  These include…

1. Industriousness. Logging four lackluster hours a day of make-believe toil time will not cut it; that would be a hobby, not a career.
2. Education.  Study; take courses that enhance your knowledge;  Read; always have at least one inspiring and/or educational book or magazine on hand … and dedicate 30 minutes to reading it each day.  Never stop learning.  Never!
3. Practice.  If you want to master a skill – whether marketing, developing people skills, sales skills, you name it – work on it.  Apply what you have learned over and over again until you “own” it.  Just as important, go ahead and fail at it over and over again.  Eventually, you will succeed.  Practice.
4. Relationship skills.  No, this is not necessarily personality or charm.  Successful people are not delightful, smiling idiots.  However, they do know – and care about — people.  This is key.

How do you build those relationship skills?  It involves cultivating patience, empathy, and the ability to communicate clearly.  The goal:  As a friend once said about another friend, one with a true gift for people:  “Johnny could tell you to go to hell in a hand basket.  You’d be halfway there and thoroughly enjoying the trip before you realized that you’d been insulted.”

The key to people skills:  Learn how to read people and how to respond to their needs.  Put the focus on them, not on yourself.  If you can teach yourself to put yourself in another person’s shoes, to see him or her as having needs, goals, fears and concerns that are as real as yours, and then to focus on those needs, goals, fears and concerns, you will be a success.  That’s a promise.

It is no big secret.  Whether in sales or management, people like to work with people with whom they have a positive relationship.  People will cooperate with you not because you know a lot, but because they like you, respect you and trust you … and because you know a lot, too.  As Teddy Roosevelt said, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

The bottom line:  Success results from relationships.  So, work hard, make money, have fun … and learn how to work with people.  – JRI

John R. Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

john@TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com

The Freestyle Entrepreneur – winner of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.

John Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur    

209  Church Street

Algoma, WI 54201

(920) 559-3722

www.TheFreestyleEntreprenuer.com

Want more biz tips and support?  Visit www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com.

NEED TO MOTIVATE, EDUCATE, OR ENTERTAIN? 

JOHN INGRISANO, AUTHOR         OF THE BACK TO BASICS BOOK OF SELLING, IS AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS         SPEAKER.  CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING TOPICS, ALL OF WHICH CAN BE         TAILORED TO YOUR UNIQUE NEEDS: 

•         Your Writing Says it All:  Why and How to Boost Your Written Communication Skills
•         Are You a Buddy Or A  Boss? An Employee-Relations Primer
•         Are You Ready to Become a Retire-preneur?
•         Big-time Marketing on a Small-time Budget
•         Building Brand Recognition
•         Customer Service for Educational Institutions:  Contact Points & Opportunities
•         Customer Service:  Going Beyond Have-a-Nice-Day
•         Discover Your Company’s Competitive Advantage
•         Finding Money: Overcoming the “No Money” Objection
•         Great Customer Service:  Why & How
•         Husbands, Wives & Business: How to Survive Working Together
•         Husbands, Wives & Children: How to Survive in a Family Business
•         Marketing Basics for Non-profits
•         Selling:  The Greatest Job in the World
•         Ten Sure-fire, Guaranteed Rules for Success in Business and in Life
•         Ten Ways to Beat Business Burnout
•         Ten Ways to Keep from Getting Burned When Hiring An Employee
•         The Busy Business Owner/Manager’s Guide to a Pain-free Vacation
•         The Dilemma of the Small Business Owner:  Creating an Effective Exit Strategy

Book now for 2012-13 conventions and training camps and save. 

Contact John directly by calling 920-559-3722; or email him at john@thefreestyleentrepreneur.com