Another holiday season is quickly coming upon us and some mysteries remain unsolved. How does Santa stay in business?

Sure he has awesome brand awareness, the kind that we all dream about. Everyone in the world knows his name. However, his target market are “good” kids who have no money and even worse, he gives his toys away! I don’t care if he has a free labour source in his “elves”, not a lot of businesses survive by not charging for their goods or services. His only payment is milk and cookies at our homes, or in my case, the wine and crackers with cheese my mom gave him.

Santa stays in business by taking all year to plan for the one big night when he hits every house in the world despite time zones, international date lines, and travel time. That’s a plan I would love to see but unfortunately it’s as protected as KFC’s eleven herb and spices. However, there is a lesson to be learned when looking at Santa’s business, and it’s not in the moral lesson of giving away free gifts to children; it’s in the value of planning. I know “bah-humbug”, but we’re in business for a reason and that’s to make money!

Marketing is often what differentiates you and your competitor. Seldom does your product have real and measurable variances to that of your competition. For instance, grocery stores, hardware stores and especially video stores offer essentially the exact same products as their competitors. So market strategy and the creative message is the only true differential, yet marketing seems to be the least planned business activity.

We all think, why can’t my sales just appear the same way Santa’s presents magically do all over the world?

Sitting down with marketing professionals and really looking at your business to seriously determine your target market and creative message is extremely important. So many companies will place ads in a variety of mediums with seemingly perfect randomness, and then wonder why it doesn’t work as they had hoped.

In developing your marketing plan you should:

• Discover the true value of your service offerings to your consumer
• Determine what it is that creates the emotional attachment
• between your product and the consumer
• Understand your full competitive landscape and how you differ
• Cultivate a realistic view of your target market and ideal customer
• Determine and develop who you are as a brand
• Find the best way to communicate with your customers.

By taking the time and spending the money to build your plan, you will vastly increase your return on investment and your market share. You will stretch your marketing dollars because you will become efficient. You will know who it is you’re speaking to and how to get them to listen.
When we think of marketing, we often see the tactics. We instantly think of logos, business cards, print ads, radio, TV, direct mail, and social media (the ultimate buzz word). But these are merely tools in the marketer’s toolbox; the real value comes from using them effectively and that means serious planning and strategy. A good carpenter makes cabinet building look so effortless we think that we can do it, too. But when we start the process, we begin to discover how difficult it is- not just in the actual construction but also in the design and planning. Knowing which materials to use and how to use them is key.

We all know that we grow our business by:

• Acquiring more customers
• Persuading each customer to buy more products
• Persuading each customer to buy more profitable products, or “up selling” each customer

Unfortunately, it doesn’t magically happen like Santa’s presents. We need to take the time to develop a solid plan that includes looking at our market, creative message and our industry. We also need to recognize our inabilities and to accept that we’re not experts in every field of business. Some things are best left to the professionals.

So set aside some milk and cookies, and contact a marketing professional to help you plan your future.

Submitted by Byron Richards. Find him at www.glowparties.ca. Contact him at byron@glowparties.ca

This piece originally appeared in the summer 2010 issue of Mingle. We particularly like the way Geoff uses nature to illustrate his ideas and challenge his readers to stretch the way they look at their business’s cycles. (J.T.)

Since summer is the best time of year to vacation, play and be with family you might not think of it as productive work time but summer is a great time to enjoy some space, reflection, and unhurried bigger-picture thinking. It’s an opportunity to be looking at your business as a whole, in a relaxed way. Contemplating your business needn’t happen in a regular workday structure; the key is to come up with the right question then just bring it to your conscious mind occasionally through the day.  No need to preoccupy yourself with it- your unconscious mind will be working on it while you are enjoying the view from the deck!

Like most Atlantic Canadians, chances are that when the sun shines you will be spending a lot of time outdoors.  As far as business is concerned, nature can be a great help in contemplating the bigger picture, providing examples and inspiration in developing grand strategy as well as in addressing smaller issues.

At the University of Waterloo, Frances Westley & Cheryl Rose have been studying the parallels between forest cycles and business/organization cycles. The forest cycle of growth (the Adaptive cycle) consists of four stages:

1. Creation/Destruction – when the new forest starts up, as after a fire (or an ugly clear-cut)
2. Reorganization – when species are sprouting
3. Exploitation – when everything is growing and competing for sunlight and resources
4. Conservation – the mature ecosystem stage of the fully developed forest.

Take a walk in the woods and consider the stage it has reached. How does it compare with the current stage of your business?  Try asking yourself some questions relevant to the forest’s cycles:

• Release or Creation/destruction:
What has to die in my business? What has to be born?  Do we need to change direction? If you recognize your business as being in this stage you might well need new ideas.

•    Reorganization or Exploration:
If your business has reached this stage ideas need to be nurtured and developed.  As you explore the unfolding possibilities, think about what aspects of your ideas are NOT being explored?  What potential are you ignoring?

• Exploitation (growth) – At this stage the business is working reasonably well and growing.  Your ideas have turned into products, processes, or an organization.  How to promote your products or services for further success?  What growth do you want for the next year and how well is your marketing & sales focus geared for that growth?

• Conservation (mature ecosystem) –  The company is running well. The ideas have become products and services that are now established.  What are you complacent about?  Where will the next change come from? How well are you set up to adapt?

Perhaps you are involved in a major change initiative in your organization.  How does nature manage change?  Take a look as you continue your walk in the woods.  Each plant or animal is in continuous communication with its surrounding subsystems.  Nature has each subsystem exchange resources with other subsystems.  It lets die what no longer works and starts something new.  When we tackle change management we often try to modify an existing system and make people fit into a new system but is this ever successful in the long haul?  Perhaps nature’s way is better – start the new, focus on that and let the old wither and fade away.

Another interesting example to contemplate in nature is symbiosis.  Dictionary.com defines symbiosis as “the living together of two dissimilar organisms, mutualism”. What other businesses could you work with for mutual benefit?  This is a really good question for single-person businesses. Working with colleagues or other businesses is much more fun that figuring it all out on your own!

My favourite example of symbiosis is the way the zebra and wildebeest herds work together as they travel in search of food in southern and eastern Africa.  They have a symbiotic relationship caused by an increased chance of predator detection.  Zebras graze on long grasses, whereas Wildebeest graze on the short grasses.  Wildebeest have poor eyesight and are not adept at defending themselves, whereas Zebra have excellent eyesight and can kick and bite ferociously.

We may not have zebra & wildebeest in Atlantic Canada, but there are examples of symbiosis everywhere you look – for example plants rely on many other sub-systems to flourish, and in turn provide sustenance to all kinds of creatures.

So here are your summer instructions:
Spend time alone in nature and look for the messages there in front of you – the parallels between what you see and your business position.

Who said you can’t mix business & pleasure?  Have a great and refreshing summer!

Submitted by Geoff Crinean.
Find Geoff at www.geoffcrinean.com

The relevance of face-to-face time with prospective clients cannot be understated.  A strong relationship with clients and prospects does many things:

• It helps to solidify your brand presence in the marketplace with positive word-of-mouth.
• It increases client retention.
• It encourages referrals.

The question is, how do we create trusting, long-term relationships that are authentic, and that have a chance of converting prospects into loyal clients who champion your cause?

Relationships are built on trust, and trust isn’t something that happens as soon as you meet someone. Think of one of your stronger personal friendships. Chances are that most of your strong friendships were not built overnight. Time and energy were spent in getting to know one another, identifying similarities in your lives, and building up a level of confidence in one another that eventually led to a strong, trusting friendship.

The same goes for business relationships. Building an army of committed clients is an on-going process that both starts- and ends- with trust. Time must be spent interacting with people, both on a business and (if appropriate) a personal level. Where do we find the time in our already crowded schedules? This is where networking comes into play…

Networking is essential for most business people, but especially for small business and entrepreneurs. Over time, the relationships that are formed through networking can lead to sales and referrals that help propel your business to success. Here are a few guidelines to consider for successful networking:

Don’t be shy. Remember that at business networking events, everyone is there for the same reason. People expect to be approached. It’s also OK in most cases to join in on a conversation in progress – just wait for the opportunity and jump in. Introductions should quickly follow…

It’s not about you. There’s nothing worse than being trapped by someone who hammers you with the features and benefits of their product or service. Instead of talking about yourself, try asking questions that demonstrate a genuine interest in the other person. A great rule of thumb is the 80/20 rule – let the person you are speaking with do 80% of the talking!

It’s good to help others. If you’ve just met someone, introduce them to others in the room. A quick introduction to the right person could have a huge impact on their business and they won’t quickly forget you for this. If there’s another way you can help out, do it – and do so without an expectation of anything in return. A true measure of a person’s character is how they treat someone when the other person has nothing to offer them.

Follow up, follow up, follow up! A quick phone call, email or hand-written note a day or two  after meeting will set you apart from the crowd. Better yet, invite the person out to coffee in order to get to know them better (not to sell them on anything).

Never stop networking. Many business owners make the mistake of ceasing their networking activities once their business has taken off. Sometime down the road, during the next economic crunch or stale business cycle, they decide to take it up again in order to boost sales. But by then they may have lost most, if not all, of the strong connections they had made when they first started out. They are, in effect, starting over in rebuilding those essential relationships that brought them their previous successes.

Networking can be fun, profitable and a great way to meet people and gain new friends! Try out one of these local networking events or groups. Both you and your business will be glad you did…

Submitted by Derek Kaye, Director of Operations at Apeeling Orange.
Find him at derek@apeelingorange.com www.apeelingorange.com

The spinoffs are not confined to clothing companies. Yoga mats, books, magazines, blogs, etc abound. New types of yoga have raised a few eyebrows among traditionalists over the last few years;  “Anti-gravity Yoga” (combines aerial acrobatics with yoga), “Baby Yoga” (a video of which caused international consternation), and “SUP Yoga” (performed while standing up on a paddle board, hence the acronym), to name a few.

And then there’s Doga. Yes, “Doga.”  Doga involves your pup in some partnered yogic stretching, massage and breathing exercises. Some enthusiasts do their yoga poses with Fido or Fifi draped over their necks or backs. And while Doga may not currently be as popular as Hot Yoga, there is internet evidence to suggest the trend is quickly gaining in popularity.

Yoga’s roots are anything but materialistic, but there is no getting around its economic impact. According to the NAMASTA (North American Studio Alliance) website, Americans now spend about $27 billion per year on yoga and yoga-related items. Combine that with the approximately $10 billion spent annually on pet-related products and services and….. you get the picture. Let’s be canine-did, that’s a lot of market potential.

Submitted by Jacquie Thillaye.  Find her at www.shapecommunications.ca

Do any of these scenarios seem familiar?

Scenario 1- You’re in a large room full of people and you’re supposed to be meeting lots of potential leads. However, every time you start a conversation with someone about your services, you get the cold shoulder.

Scenario 2 - You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your products and services, and you want potential clients to know about them. The ad went into the paper yesterday… and still no calls. This is the third time you’ve tried print as a medium, and you figure it is the last time you are willing to throw good money away.

Scenario 3- You’ve spent a lot of money putting your website together, and you can’t  understand why no one seems interested in the site…. especially since you have the best products on the market!

The common denominator? In all three scenarios, the focus is on the thing- the product or service- but not on the identifying features that reflect how those products and services can help your clients. In other words, your company’s brand. Owning a successful business means understanding your clients and their needs, and how your company connects with those clients on an emotional level by fulfiling those needs.

Branding: the building blocks of your business
As a business owner, it is crucial to understand the emotional connection people have with your brand. Branding is more than a logo, website, brochure or any other marketing collateral (materials or mediums) your company produces. When the topic of branding comes up, there are generally two reactions expressed:  “I don’t have the money to do branding properly” or “ I don’t want to change because what we’re doing right now works well enough.”

Not wanting to spend money when you have no money to spend is understandable. But when you plan the next steps for your business, ask yourself the following question: «Who will want to buy my products?»  It is vital to be clear on this and not to confuse it with who you want to buy your products- if you’re honest with yourself they may not be one and the same. Not everyone will want your services, and marketing to the people who don’t is an obvious waste of time and money. So know your product and learn your demographic.

To understand your demographic, you need to ask a variety of questions:
• Who is currently buying my product?
• What age group do they fit into?
• Where do they live?
• What are their values?

The more detailed and specific you can be in defining that demographic the easier it will be to create an image that connects with your clients.  Determine their age, gender, race, interests, and anything else you can nail down about the users of your product.

Create a position for yourself in the market
Does your marketing statement or tagline capture the essence of your company? Does it tell people who you are? Positioning yourself with a tagline is crucial, because it educates and informs potential clients about your products and services. Having a tagline is crucial for a second reason in that it allows you to create compelling marketing collateral for your business. Your marketing collateral consists of any product you develop to market your company. It can be an ad in the newspaper, a billboard, your social media efforts- right down to the way you dress.

“Service, quality and reliability” does not a tagline make. Generic statements have no bearing on your company. While they may be benchmarks for good business, they do not identify your business; your tagline must connect with your potential clients on an emotional level. It has to reflect your business and capture an audience’s imagination.

Here’s a few that have had lasting impact:
Got milk? (1993) California Milk Processor Board
Don’t leave home without it. (1975) American Express
Just do it. (1988) Nike We try harder. (1962) Avis
Tastes great, less filling. (1974) Miller Lite
Melts in your mouth, not in your hands. (1954) M&M Candies
Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. (1956) Timex

Creating the brand promise
Once you find your snappy tagline, it is time to connect your tagline with your clients. This means  creating your brand promise, what it is you promise to do for your clients, because this is how you will shift your position in the marketplace. It’s not about you or your product, but about how you can help your clients; it’s what makes you different from the others and it is crucial in building your brand. Once potential clients understand that you’re going to help them, that it is your company’s premise and promise, then all you have to do to gain that long-term client is… live up to it.

The Next Steps
Your brand promise has to be reflected in all facets of your company, and it will require you to analyze the interactions you have with your clients. Ask yourself these questions:

• How do I start a conversation when I am at an event?
• Do I make an effort to discover something unique about the person I am engaging with that will help me build an emotional connection with them?
• Does my marketing collateral get my company in front of the right demographic and connect it, on an emotional level, with the right potential client?
• Is my company and its marketing collateral presented in such a way that it is anchored to my tagline?

Explore the finer points of your brand and you’ll see yourself connecting with clients in ways you never expected. And for those who feel that maintaining your existing marketing efforts is good enough, consider that your competition might, at this very moment,  be exploring the opportunity to position itself in front of your clients.

“The business that considers itself immune to the necessity for advertising sooner or later finds itself immune to business.”
–Derby Brown

Submitted by Harm Geurs.
Find him at www.apeelingorange.com

Diversity and inclusion are principles which enrich our lives.  But, as I recently told a colleague, diversity is much more than a mere concept or set of obligations.

Most workplaces today include diverse social, economic, ethnic, religious and other cultural backgrounds. An employee’s diverse background largely frames that employee’s perspective on authority, communication and decision-making styles, gender roles, responsibility, assertiveness and other traits that deeply affect and determine the success of an organization.

Business analysts and leaders agree that, when harnessed and managed properly, diversity and inclusion in the workplace contribute to creativity, productivity and- ultimately- the prosperity of an organization. As I recently told that business colleague, diversity and inclusion programs are competitive business strategies.

Consider this example: three teams of 10 people are tasked with problem solving and idea generating.

Team 1:   Everyone has a similar social, educational and ethnic background.
Team 2:  All ten members are socially, educationally and ethnically diverse.
Team 3:  All ten members are socially, educationally and ethnically diverse and have been trained on how these differences affect decision making and communication styles.

It is well documented that in the beginning Team 1 will out perform Teams 2 and 3.  Team 2 will be chaotic.  And Team 3 will generate few ideas or solve few problems in the short term.
Over a relatively short time, however, Team 1 will be stagnant.  While it is comfortable to work with like-people, homogenous teams become stagnant fast. Team 2 will continue to be chaotic. The real winner will be Team 3. Team 3 members- who have been educated on their differences- will capitalize on their differences;  they will learn what they each have to offer and how to blend their different approaches to fill any performance gaps. The fact is that Team 3 will out-perform Team 1 over time by more than 50%.

And that, my friends, is a competitive advantage.

Submitted by Tanya Sieliakus of HRpros. Tanya is a Certified Diversity Trainer, certified by Executive Diversity Services, Seattle, WA. She has trained nearly 1000 people across North America and Europe. Find Tanya at www.hr-pros.ca or contact her at (902) 293-0253 or by Email

What if you were to turn the concept of entrepreneurship upside down? What if it wasn’t an end- something you worked toward and hopefully attained- but a means to an end? And what if that “end” meant something very different for everyone involved?

Welcome to the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Educational Development’s world. CEED uses the skills sets behind entrepreneurship as educational tools for building success, with the understanding that success is individual to each person. With  a wide-ranging and diverse set of clients  (including youth who have been in conflict with the law or who are considered at risk, adults on employment insurance looking to become self-employed, young would-be entrepreneurs, businesses ready to expand to the next level, and schools) CEED’s program delivery is continually evolving as opportunities and needs present themselves. As the centre’s name suggests, CEED’s roots are in education. Whatever part of CEED clients find themselves involved with, there is an educational component attached it.

Cindy James is CEED’s Fund Development and Marketing Manager, and a passionate advocate of the centre. While she is a graduate of their Self- Employment Benefit (SEB) program herself, she was- ironically- headhunted for the position. Cindy’s mixed bag of life and work experiences is a good fit for an organization on the cusp of big change. Brought up in an entrepreneurial family, she worked in a variety of capacities at Acadia University: administration, HR, marketing and communications, fund raising, recruitment, to name a few. She will likely be drawing on all of those experiences to see CEED through to its next phase, which is the shift to charitable status.

Cindy explains that currently CEED is fully reliant on government funding. While they are largely successful in accessing the required funding, they are also at its mercy. Funding cuts abound. Funding guidelines mean they are, to a certain degree, forced to make their programming fit the mold of whatever grant they are applying for rather than being able to design programming around a recognized need. It is a bit of the “square peg in a round hole” syndrome. As a registered charity, they will be able to issue tax receipts to attract corporate sponsorship as well as government funding. Lifting some of the confines on program design means the potential for further entrepreneurial resources here in Nova Scotia …. and that can only be a good thing for this province.

The impact of CEED’s programs are undoubtedly felt in our community. They work with youth at risk through their Second Chance and Youth Employability (YEP) programs; they help people on employment insurance launch businesses of their own through the SEB program. They also offer funding assistance to a demographic that would otherwise find it almost impossible to secure it- the young entrepreneur. Cindy describes a kind of “Dragon’s Den” process for vetting proposals. But along with the vetting comes mentoring and support. I Heart Bikes bicycle rentals is a CEED project that has beat its year’s target by 150%. Another CEED client is Two If By Sea, whose success is obvious to anyone who has stood in line to get their highly touted coffee and croissants. What she hears from young business owners is “give me the ability to stay in this community. I don’t want to be anywhere else. I want to stay here, have a good life, raise a family.”

“The way I recognize CEED,” says Cindy, “is we’re a social organization that’s using a tool called entrepreneurship to achieve results- they may be self-sufficiency, they may be self-discovery, they may be starting a million dollar business. It’s the whole gamut- that’s all success to me.”

CEED is not solely youth focused. The SEB program is open to all ages, as are many of the workshops they offer. Their expansion loans are designed for businesses ready to take the next step and, building on that idea, CEED is implementing a series of workshops starting in the New Year called “Step Up for Success” to help businesses move to the next level. CEED is constantly exploring government funding opportunities to continue to support entrepreneurship in as many ways as it can. The organization has recently celebrated a milestone- 1000 businesses have come through the centre. A unique resource that is determinedly supporting business innovation in Nova Scotia, the centre is committed to strengthening the province’s economy.

Cindy James and her colleagues at CEED are focused on seeing the services they provide continue to grow. They have the creative and intellectual assets to do it- all they need are the financial assets. With many of the dreams and goals wrapped up in the potential to attract new avenues of funding, she has her work cut out for her. But rather than seeming daunted by it, Cindy appears motivated by the possibilities.

With 1000 CEED-lings already out there and more joining the ranks daily, Nova Scotia should be reaping the benefits of strong harvests for years to come.

To find out more about CEED, including its upcoming workshop series, please visit: www.ceed.ca

Submitted by Jacquie Thillaye.  Find her at www.shapecommunications.ca

• Talk to your accountant. Make sure you are clear about what is expensible in your business area.
• Keep all your receipts! Credit card and bank statements are not enough if your are audited. When you get a receipt, indicate what and/or who it’s for. If you have clients you bill expenses to (i.e. construction materials, event supplies, travel expenses) indicate which client the expense applies to.
• Have a filing system. It doesn’t have to be sophisticated but at the very least sort receipts into groupings, i.e. capital expenses in one folder/box/envelope, meal and entertainment in another, travel in yet another.
• Track your receipts against your bank and credit card statements.
• Consider a user-friendly software program to log your expenses. If you are computer savvy Excel, Quicken, Open Office, Lotus 123 all offer spreadsheets with which you can create your own templates to meet your specific needs. If you’re not, ask your accountant to create a simple template for you and email it to you. That’s what they’re there for!
• Protect time in your schedule once or twice a month to sit yourself down and deal with it. You’ll thank yourself at tax time.

People are any business’s greatest assets and businesses with the highest calibre people, committed to the organization and its goals, have that advantage. Interestingly enough, while many businesses prepare a formal business plan, few have a written human resources (HR) management plan as part of their overall business strategy.

But if the success of a business is directly linked to the performance of its employees… ?
Just as failing to address potential threats in the marketplace can jeopardize the viability of a business, failing to anticipate employment trends and employees’ needs can also impact overall business success. A strategic approach to HR management is more effective than a wait-and-see approach.

A solid HR management plan will help you address critical HR management functions, including:

Recruitment and Selection – What are your immediate staffing needs, as well as your short and long-term ones? And how will your business meet its staffing needs?

Benefits –What is the dominant demographic in your business and what benefits do they want and need? What are the emerging benefits? What are the costs of your benefit plans today – what will they be tomorrow? What benefits can your business afford and at what cost-sharing arrangement?

Payroll – Is it fiscally smarter to keep the function in-house or to outsource? Employees are always looking for flexibility… is it possible to convert traditional employee positions to more flexible consulting positions and save the company payroll taxes? (See Revenue Canada’s four point litany test before embarking on any consulting strategy.)

Wages – Have jobs been analyzed and wages bench-marked? All companies should have a mechanism to wage bench-mark both internally and against prevailing market conditions, and should do it regularly.

Training and Development – What skill sets does your business need today, and what will it need in both the short and long term? What skill sets exist within the organization? Taking a skills inventory and addressing skill sets shortages through training and development is a worthwhile exercise.

Finally, as you build a strategic HR plan, solicit feedback from your employees. There is an inherent danger in management “guessing” what its workforce wants or needs. Engaging employees in the planning is as much a part of the strategy as the actual human resources management
plan itself.

Submitted by Tanya Sieliakus, CHRP Find her at: HR pros Inc.
Contact her at: tanya@hr-pros.ca 902-293-0253 www.hr-pros.ca

Workers can literally take their office anywhere and when time means money this connectivity helps the bottom line. New cloud-based VoIP services allow businesses to push calls to employees regardless of their physical location. And remote workers can place calls from anywhere and appear as if they’re in the office; some businesses may even choose to eliminate their employees’ phone lines and send all calls to their mobile devices.

Today hosted VoIP services can do all this, saving cost and creating efficiencies beyond traditional methods. An on-demand conferencing service allows employees to set up a conference call anytime, anywhere. Participants dial a toll-free number to connect to the call and web conferencing allows them to share their computer screens during
that call.

Doing work remotely may help land that big deal, keep a customer satisfied, place an important order or schedule a meeting. Regardless of what it is, technology gives us the flexibility to keep connected and make the most our time. We’ve all heard the saying “time is money” and while we can’t produce more time, we can certainly make the most of the time we have. If you haven’t adopted the latest technology to help you make the most of your time, think again. It’s out there.

Submitted by Dan Merzetti, Owner and President DSM Telecom. Contact him at dmerzetti@dsmtel.com, www.dsmtel.com

There are a number of concepts that I believe have a great impact on business. The first starts with the belief that we are all in sales – we are all selling either a product or a service. In a former life I was a police officer and when one of my old colleagues stated firmly that he was not in sales, I suggested he was selling security to the public. Believe me, when you are trying to put a college football player in the back of the patty wagon on Saturday night after losing the Atlantic Bowl, you are definitely selling.
Another is that you get paid in direct proportion to how hard it is to sell your product or service. The more rejection you have to deal with, the more compensation there has to be in order to stay motivated to move your product or service, or as I like to say, you need to get paid for your “no’s”.

Yet another is what was proposed to me many years ago by successful businessman and master salesman, Wayne Cotton. He said: “If you have a problem in business, make it a process and it won’t be a problem anymore”. This proved to be valuable advice and has paid big dividends.

Here’s the part where you get to participate. In upcoming issues I will be sharing the sales cycle as it pertains to my industry (the financial services industry). You email questions or comments about yours, and together we begin to outline systems that help everyone.

‘Til next month, happy selling!

Submitted by James R Hanifen RHU CFP Partner at Life Quest Financial. Jim looks forward to hearing from you.
Email your questions or comments to jrhanifen@gmail.com