Question by: Ashley

Go on Tour...a Blog Tour

"While some bloggers would jump at the chance to test out and review your product, others are just inundated, and don't have the time to try your product OR write up a review. Make their jobs easy. Pinpoint the top bloggers in your industry and offer to write up a guest post that would benefit their readers, or do a Q&A. Offer to do a giveaway as well."

- Steph Auteri | career coach, writer, and editor, Word Nerd Pro

Follow @stephauteri

Share a Trade Show Booth

"Trade shows are still a great way to allow people to touch and feel your product, but they can seem cost-prohibitive. Reach out to the organizers and ask for last-minute space or a smaller one at a discount. If they have nothing available, approach a company with a complementary product and see if they might consider sharing a booth space."

- Vanessa Nornberg | President, Metal Mafia

Go Where the Competition Isn't

"To catch people's attention, you simply must do something out of the ordinary. If you've written a book, try selling it in a coffee shop instead of a bookstore. If you've created a women's fashion blog, try promoting it at a nail salon. People notice when things are out of place. And your product will stand out."

- Michael Tolkin | CEO, Merchant Exchange

A Cold Call With Warmth

"Step out of your element and call a few entrepreneurs that have a successful launched their product(s) and have a significant number of users that support them on Facebook and Twitter. Simply request if they could share (multiple times) their opinion of your product/service to their friends on the social network, and help encourage people to view your content and potentially continue sharing."

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

Give the Press What They Want

"The press loves young entrepreneurs with great ideas, and earned media is definitely the best way to get more exposure for your first product. I stress the word "earned" though, because having a product definitely doesn't guarantee you media attention. You have to put yourself in the publication's shoes and tell a story that is engaging to their audience specifically."

- Lauren Friese | Founder, TalentEgg

Give a Guest Contributions

"Build your personal and company brand by contributing guest posts to reputable publications online. The more authority and credibility you have in place for your first product, the easier it will be to get more exposure."

- John Hall | CEO, Influence & Co.

Start a Blog of Your Own

"Setting yourself up as the go-to expert on a given topic takes some work, but a blog is a manageable way to get the job done. If you dedicate some time to blogging and promoting what you've written, you can get a steady stream of traffic to your product. You do need to remember to blog on something very relevant to your customers' need for that product, though."

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Follow @ThursdayB

Create a Promotional Video

"Videos that are educational, emotional and provide entertainment value are worth more than words alone. Posting a video on YouTube and leveraging your network to help spread your message will go a long way in getting exposure for your product. Keep in mind that people want to be entertained, not just sold to."

- Nathalie Lussier | Creator, The Website Checkup Tool

Have You Heard of Hacker News?

"Use Hacker News to get exposure. The community loves seeing new, innovative products. In just a few hours, the site can easily drive thousands of visits to your product."

- Ben Lang | Founder, EpicLaunch

Follow @entrepreneurpro

Start Social Media Exchanges

"Start a social media "exchange" -- ask your visitors to give you a Facebook ‘Like’ or a tweet in exchange for access to unique content or another item of value (without giving away the farm, of course). This is enticing to users, and it ensures you're getting buy-in from people who actually want your products or services."

- Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

Take to Twitter

"Befriend people on Twitter. It's incredible how many people will say something nice when they feel a connection with you. And if you don't get exposure for this specific product, you'll still have established contacts for the future."

- Brent Beshore | Owner/CEO, AdVentures

Follow @BrentBeshore

Spotlight Your Clients

"How are your customers using your product? WD40 has a fantastic blog where they feature their customer's creative applications and uses. You should do the same and ask your customers to send in videos and photos. You'll get great content, make your customers feel important and become inspired in the process."

- Benjamin Leis | Founder, Sweat EquiTees

Follow @sweatequitees

Try Video Marketing

"Video marketing is the least expensive way to get your product to market. Creating a compelling viral video can be done with a iPhone and can be posted to YouTube in a matter of minutes. By using your social networks to spread the word, you can instantly drive traffic and views. Also, currently you can buy traffic via Google AdWords for your video at a fraction of the cost of search."

- Roger Bryan | Managing Partner, ROI Marketing Department

Industry Publications

"While a new product may not warrant a spot in a national daily, there is publication somewhere that targets your core customer base. And that publication wants to talk about you, for free, to the people who are most likely to become the first movers on your product!"

- Peter Minton | Founder & President, Minton Law Group, P.C.

Get With Google AdWords

"AdWords is a relatively cheap and easy way to not just get exposure, but to also test out which keywords bring in traffic/conversions. This will guide your focus when running SEO campaigns."

- Josh Weiss | Founder and President, Bluegala

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

“For a while I thought there was something wrong with me, like I was on this crazy quest to find a career I was interested in,” Kathryn told The Grindstone.

This quest took Kathryn to internships in the U.N. and the U.S. State Department, to Rwanda and Malawi to introduce vaccines with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and even to management consultancy work at McKinsey & Company. But like Goldilocks, finding the career path that was just right took some time.

In 2011, Kathryn left the relative safety and stability of these traditional jobs to co-found The Daily Muse, a website and career destination focused on professional women. Soon, The Daily Muse led to The Muse, a site helping professionals find and excel at their jobs.

But the path to success was far from smooth, especially in the male-dominated tech industry. Kathryn found herself in meetings where investors referred to the company as a “cute lifestyle business” or assumed she would be easily dissuaded because of her gender. At networking events, she was often assumed to be someone’s plus-one instead of a company CEO.

“I am the most determined person you will ever meet and every time someone says ‘but you’re so smart for a girl’ or something else ridiculous, I get that much more focused,” Kathryn told Ad:Tech Digital Digest.

This determination paid off, as The Muse now serves more than four million professionals worldwide. And that “cute lifestyle” site, The Daily Muse? Its readership is now 30 percent male.

Today, Kathryn is widely regarded as a thought leader, contributing writing to outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. She’s a frequent professional speaker and has made television appearances on CNN and Fox.

Kathryn might have career-hopped early in her professional life, but she has certainly stuck the landing. She’s been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for two years running and was named one of Inc.’s 15 Women to Watch in Tech

This Thursday at 3 PM Eastern is your chance to talk to Kathryn about her path to entrepreneurship, succeeding as a woman in the tech industry, and finding your perfect career during an hour-long #StartupLab live chat, presented by Citi.

Click here to RSVP>>

Yet many people view wellness as a privilege. Why do some companies create entire cultures around wellness, and others do not? What makes them special?

Healthy People = Better Business

Here are the facts: Healthier people work harder, are happier, help others and are more efficient.  Unhealthy workers are generally sluggish, overtired and unhappy, as the work is a symptom of their way of life.

According to Corporate Wellness Magazine, every $1 invested in employee wellness programs yields roughly $4 in savings through reduced sick days, higher productivity and decreased overall health costs.

It’s no wonder why: We live in a fast-paced, busy world, full of constant distractions. We’re constantly dialed in with technology and always on the move. Which is why it’s so refreshing to walk into a company where you feel the environment is different, one where people seem motivated, excited, inspired and really loving what they do.

My experience with corporate wellness leads me back to Google in Mountain View, CA (and how Google maintains its status as one of the top 100 best companies to work for year after year).  Google doesn’t just create jobs, they create a culture, one in which people are valued and appreciated every day. Google’s locations have full fitness facilities, daily classes and healthy food available throughout the day; as a result, employees feel cared for and valued.

Of course, not all companies are as lucrative or as large as Google, and perhaps resources are not as vast, but every company has the ability to place some type of wellness program in place. As healthcare costs continue to rise, and there is more demand to work around the clock, this is more important than ever.

Wellness in 4 Steps

So how do you install a wellness program that‘s efficient, smart, scalable and goal-oriented?  We have a four-step process to create this type of culture change — and the steps are simple enough for you to start taking right away, too:

1. Determine the needs of employer AND employee. First, we ask a simple question: What do employees need, and how do those needs fit with the goals of the employer? It’s impossible to answer these questions without assessing both sides. It is essential to understand the mindsets, challenges, and your audience first before laying out a framework for its path. This includes surveying not only the employees, but also the employer. A simple health risk assessment (which your insurance carrier may offer) followed by biometric screens is a good way to assess problem areas.
2. Analyze the data and create a plan. Based on our survey data, we try to determine what elements will work for the existing culture. Is it fitness classes that will motivate the employees, wellness workshops, individual health assessments, or some combination of the above? We always recommend combining wellness education with physical activity — otherwise, many employees will not take advantage of classes and programs they need to see real benefits.
3. Create a communication plan. A culture of wellness doesn’t happen without reinforcement. Employers must create a communication plan  that lays out the program’s framework and different methods (and times) to communicate the information to employees. This keeps wellness at the forefront.
4. Put an incentive plan in place. We have found, time and again, that rewarding employees for getting healthy and achieving results encourages the type of change needed to get a program off the ground and encourage a real shift in employee culture. However, because the required behavior changes are new, challenging, and difficult to sustain, programs must include incentives and rewards throughout the year in order to drive long-term engagement.

It takes time to break old habits and develop new ones; companies, like people, cannot approach wellness as a short-term or quick-fix solution. But getting started is easier than you think.

What about you — is your company taking wellness seriously yet?

Joshua Love is a passionate, motivated entrepreneur who seeks to create an impact in the corporate fitness/wellness industry. Driven by the will to succeed, he has worked with many of the top hotels and companies in Los Angeles and has created custom programs for employers that now have become standard practice for their culture. Joshua continues to open his network and expand Kinema Fitness to new markets.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

Miguel Ramirez is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded mediotiempo.com, the largest sports site in Mexico and one of the most relevant Internet success stories in Latin America. The company was acquired in 2010 by Time Warner. Today, Miguel is co-founder and CEO of soccerly.com, which was launched in January 2013 with the ambitious plan of becoming “the online destination for soccer fans in the U.S.” Miguel is also a partner at kiwilimon.com, a leading food/community site. Follow him @mrlombana.

Who is your hero?

My grandpa.

What’s the single best piece of business advice that helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today, and why?

It is important to be humble. Always remember the day you started and where you come from; no matter how successful you become, it is important to have both feet on the ground and keep on working hard at all times. Successes and failures are just life episodes and should not change the way you act.

Also, being a good listener is a must — be close to your team and think of them as family, not employees.

What’s the biggest mistake you ever made in your business, and what did you learn from it that others can learn from too?

One of the biggest mistakes I remember making is when my partners and I decided to sell our stake in a company because at that point, we did not have the necessary time to devote to it; even though we did consider several options, I guess we were not wise enough to make the best decision. At the end, it not only cost us money but also a good opportunity for the future that we regret today.

We should have asked for advice from other people (mentors, family, etc.) — that might have had helped us to act in a different way, but unfortunately we didn’t. But every learning experience is valuable, and without mistakes there are no successes.

What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?

I check my agenda and my “to dos” to set the best road map for the day. I like to be well-organized and do as many things as possible every day, as the following day is always loaded with new stuff and more unexpected things. It is essential to have an organized way to work in order to achieve tasks and objectives.

Define your priorities and never leave for tomorrow what you could do today.

What’s your best financial or cash-flow related tip for entrepreneurs just getting started?

Resources are always scarce, and it is always easier spending than saving. Focus only on those things that will bring you to the next level and cut unnecessary expenditures — even if they’re minimal, they could hurt you in the long run. The best of you is always there, within you, so use your brain first and then your wallet.

Quick: What’s ONE thing you recommend ALL aspiring or current entrepreneurs do right now to take their biz to the next level?

Work only with the right partners. Take whatever time you need to be 100 percent convinced of the partners you are bringing to a venture; work only with people that add value, balance and commitment.

What’s your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve finally “succeeded” in your business?

Success is not only about money. It’s about achieving personal goals, fulfilling society’s needs, generating employment for lots of people, making users happy and seeing others using your product; when most of these “achievements” are done, you will be happy and can toast your success.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

The Problem

Here’s a pretty typical scenario. One of my clients, who owns an Internet-based consulting firm, was hired to create a new website for a client a few months back. He received a $500 deposit for several thousands of dollars worth of work. Then he hired a web coder, with whom he had a good relationship, to handle certain aspects of the design. He and the coder completed the work, and guess what happened next?

The client stiffed him. And not only him, but also his colleague, because he didn’t have the money to pay the web coder out of his own pocket. This caused a strain in the relationship between the consultant and his coder, and a major strain on his pockets.

Several months later, the consultant hired me and I used my magical lawyer ways to collect all of the money from the client. (Note: magical lawyer ways = calling the client, announcing that I am a lawyer and demanding payment. Okay, okay, it was more complicated than that but, most importantly, it worked). He was happy to get fully paid, but the strain on the relationship could not be erased, he lost the time value of the money he was paid in January instead of August, he spent a lot of time chasing this guy instead of working on other projects, and he was out the attorney’s fees he had spent, too.

The Solution

How would this scenario have been different if the consultant had a contract for both relationships? First of all, in his initial strategy session with me, I would have advised him that his payment collection method wasn’t working and we would have set up a better payment system. Additionally, the client contract would have required the client to pay interest on late payments and court fees plus attorney’s fees if he wound up having to take him to court. This makes it really easy to sue and win.

With such a contract, the chances of getting an enforceable judgment (read: getting paid) jump sky-high — and it won’t cost you money, since the client has to pay your lawyer’s fees.

The lesson? When you show clients that you are professional and serious about your business, they will think twice before trying to stiff you.

Regarding his relationship with the developer, an independent contractor agreement that stated that the coder would get paid when the business owner gets paid would have eliminated the bad blood between the parties.

So, Do You Need a Contract?

I often tell my clients, “Everyone is an enemy to your business!” Your business partners, customers, vendors, employees, etc. all have the ability to screw your business over. So you have to treat everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) like an enemy on paper. Only then are you free to treat them like a friend in person.

How do you do that? By having a contract for every relationship your business enters into.

Here’s my rule of thumb that will protect your business from all manner of headaches, financial loss, emotional distress and yes, lawsuits as well: Have a contract for every single relationship your business enters into. You and your buddy starting a new business? Create a contract that governs that relationship. Selling your new widgets in that new widget store up the street? Draft an agreement between you and the widget store owner. Setting up a website to advertise and/or sell your services? Have a privacy policy and/or terms and conditions to govern your relationship with people who check out your website.

These contracts do not have to be complicated. In fact, they can be pretty simple, but they do need to protect you from all (or at least most) of the ways the relationship can go wrong. And please don’t forget the all-important boilerplate at the end of the contract, because it provides lots of protection and will save you money, time and headaches.

Once you have an agreement with your independent contractors, vendors, clients and business partners, you can go back to getting enough sleep at night because you know you’re well-protected in any situation.

Note: This article is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. No information in this article creates an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader.

A version of this post originally appeared on the author’s blog.

Rachel Rodgers is a business lawyer for women and/or young entrepreneurs. She runs her practice, Rachel Rodgers Law Office, entirely online. In addition to practicing law, Rachel blogs about virtual law offices and teaches a popular workshop for women lawyers who want to practice law online through her website, Her Virtual Law Office.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

“There were two constants for me growing up: my dislike for school and my curiosity for business,” Jeff wrote in an article on Inc.com. “I was more interested in learning about entrepreneurs who noticed market opportunities and turned them into innovative companies.”

By 21, while most kids his age were celebrating hitting the legal drinking age, Jeff was celebrating his first investor funding.

Although KODA eventually shut its doors, instead of throwing in the towel, Jeff saw a new opportunity to use his passion and entrepreneurial skills as President of Digital Media at Universum Group. And the same lessons he learned running a recruiting startup served him well as the new CEO of employment site Doostang, which Universum acquired.

“I’ve been passionate about the recruiting industry since college,” Jeff told M.O.

Well before his 30th birthday, Jeff has already gone from college student, to entrepreneur, to CEO of a fast-growing company. It’s a path that takes most professionals years, if not decades, to travel.

“Turning an idea into a successful company is a tremendous challenge that needs both a little luck and great execution,” Jeff said on Inc.com.

Doostang, now a top employment resource for more than a million elite professionals, has continued to grow under Jeff’s leadership. Today, 25 percent of the site’s user base comes from the top 30 universities in the country. So it’s not surprising Jeff is also a thought leader in the career and employment space.

“The process of finding a job online is broken,” Jeff told M.O. “I’m excited about building Doostang into the premier employment network for young professionals seeking career advancement in major markets.”

This Tuesday at 3 PM Eastern is your chance to talk to Jeff about following your passion, finding the right position, and walking an unconventional career path during an hour-long #StartupLab live chat, presented by Citi. Don’t forget to bring a few questions to ask Jeff, live!

Click here to RSVP>>

Question by: Ashley

Be the Customer

"The best way to get first-hand customer feedback is to step into the shoes of the customer. Even if you're selling a product of which you're not typically a user (e.g., a man selling women's handbags), you'll learn a ton from mimicking the steps that a typical customer would take in learning about and buying your product. Sometimes, the most important insights are the most subtle ones."

- Michael Tolkin | CEO, Merchant Exchange

There's a Widget for That

"Having a simple way for people to contact you and give their feedback about your product or service is key. I recommend KissInsights and/or Get Satisfaction to accomplish this task. KissInsights gives you real-time feedback on what customers are thinking when they view your product offering, and Get Satisfaction makes it easy for people to vote on which ideas that they like from your community."

- Lawrence Watkins | Founder & CEO, Great Black Speakers

Leave the Office for Once!

"You can learn a hundred times more from a handful of potential customers you meet in person to talk about your product as you can from hundreds of them taking a survey. The crux of the lean startup movement is the concept of "getting outside the building" and that's because that's where the harsh realities of making your startup a success lay. It's scary, but you won't be disappointed. Get out there!"

- Jason Evanish | co-founder, Greenhorn Connect

Follow @Evanish

Penny for Your Thoughts?

"People are busy and, let's be honest, every business wants more feedback from customers. This combination creates a challenge. But instead of offering a one-sided, expensive but attractive reward, try offering a win-win such as a generous coupon for a future purchase with you. This way you increase the rate of feedback and encourage more sales in the future."

- Kent Healy | Founder and CEO, The Uncommon Life

Follow @Kent_Healy

Each Customer Is Unique

"All customers don't use your product in the same way. We send custom messages to customers based on actions they've taken within our product. For instance, if a user signs into the product using our Android app, we ask them for feedback on the specifically on the app. Tools like Intercom make this process easy."

- Bhavin Parikh | CEO, Magoosh Test Prep

Integrate Into Your Customer Service Model

"A simple and economically feasible option is to bargain with users that email your business. For instance, if somebody emails with questions and concerns, attend to their needs ASAP, effectively answering their questions and fulfilling their desires. In return for your great and speedy response, take advantage of the situation and request back to the user if they could share their opinion."

- George Mavromaras | Founder and President, Mavro Inc. | Praetor Global LLC.

Pick Up the Phone

"Directly speaking to the early adopters of new products and services is, hands down. the best way to get feedback and improve the offer. If an in-person conversation is not feasible, then a Skype chat or simple phone call will relay much richer information than survey form or an email alone."

- Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She's Got Systems

Send an Old-Fashioned Survey

"Any time I have a new product or idea for a product I send a survey out to my email list. The responses I get are always surprisingly insightful, and incredibly useful for tweaking my offering. You can use a service like SurveyMonkey, or I've also had a lot of success with a basic Google Docs form as well."

- Sean Ogle | Founder, Location 180, LLC

Follow @seanogle

Any Guinea Pigs Available?

"Before I offer a new service or product to customers, I look for a few guinea pigs to test them out on. Right now, I'm testing a new service on five people I consider to be the ideal customer. They get free help and I don't just get feedback -- I also get testimonials for my marketing materials."

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Follow @ThursdayB

Convert With Kampyle

"Kampyle is an awesome tool for collecting customer feedback on your product. It's a powerful tool that will show you deep analytics into the feedback you receive."

- Ben Lang | Founder, EpicLaunch

Follow @entrepreneurpro

Utilize Your Facebook Fans

"We like to ask our Facebook Fans for feedback, as they have a vested interest in our brand. Being social in nature, they aren’t shy about expressing their opinions. It's good to get the perspectives of the people who know your services most closely."

- Nicolas Gremion | CEO, Free-eBooks.net

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

Which, in most cases, means you need a great Web or mobile developer.

However, if you’ve never looked for a quality Web or mobile developer before, the task can feel extremely daunting. Many people waste a lot of time and money running through multiple developers before they find the perfect one. Why? It’s often because you aren’t on the same page as the developer with regards to what you want, how much it’s going to cost, and how long it’s going to take.

Nevermind technical skills (those are easy enough to verify) — if you’re working on a high-tech project, interpersonal skills are just as important. These 4 qualities will help ensure you find the partner you’re looking for — the one who can bring your idea to life without wasting any of your time or money:

1. Trustworthiness.

A great Web or mobile developer isn’t just another contractor you hire to get some work done. Ideally, they become your partner. They bring skills and tools to the table that breathe life into your idea and turn your grand vision into a distinct reality. If your gut says you don’t trust them, you’re never going to feel comfortable working with them.

Without trust, chances are you and your developer will never be on the same page with anything. In the back of your mind, you’ll always be second guessing the developer’s decisions and motivations. Moving forward will become increasingly difficult as the process slows down because of the lack of trust in the partnership.

2. Passion for their work.

Someone who has a deep passion for their work is often palpably excited and positive about that work. This excitement spills over into their interactions with you.

If your developer isn’t excited to be working with you, that sentiment is going to show in their communication and demeanor — walk away!

3. Previous (positive) experience working with clients.

Some developers create incredible, high-quality work and are amazing at what they do, but they’re simply not that good at working with clients. They’re not “people” people. If your developer doesn’t have previous experience working with clients, that’s going to be a problem.

Previous experience working with clients means your developer will have an existing process and workflow in place, which creates a much smoother experience for you. They’ll be able to help prevent common problems that could arise during your project, saving you time and money.

If you’re not sure about your developer’s capacity to deliver in this respect, ask for references.

4. Excellent communication skills.

Given our increasing reliance on email as a primary form of communication, it’s easy to misinterpret what somebody is saying or how they are feeling. If your developer isn’t very good at communicating in this way, you’re likely to lose track of what’s going on with the project.

A developer who is also an excellent communicator will ensure you always have a clear overall view of the project. They’ll explain everything in layman’s terms and not drown you in confusing technical jargon. It’s part of the developer’s job to make you feel more comfortable overall about your project.

Tim Jahn is the co-founder of matchist, a curated service for freelance developers to connect with quality clients and projects. He’s also the co-founder of Entrepreneurs Unpluggd, an events and media company that helps entrepreneurs move their businesses forward. As an active member of the Chicago tech community, Tim has made his mark interviewing hundreds of entrepreneurs from all over the world.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

Question by: Ashley

Newsflash: I'm Engaged!

"Writing 140-character tweets or replying to a Facebook comment takes minutes -- entrepreneurs waste hours on social media when they're reading, not engaging. Twitter and Facebook were designed to suck you in to click on photo albums, read blog posts, and watch videos, but none of these activities grow your business! Make sure you're spending your time engaging with, not consuming, social media."

- Laura Roeder | Founder, LKR Social Media

Follow @lkr

Take It Personally

"When I'm pressed for time I look for more tasks that I can give to my virtual team that free up space to connect on social media. It's not about "keeping up" with every post and link but really listening to, sharing with the community to build relationships. That's not something that can be outsourced, so I'll hand off other tasks to find the time."

- Kelly Azevedo | Founder, She's Got Systems

Timebox Your Tweets

"Interacting on social media in batches of time helps timebox it and keeps you focused. During that time, using web tools enables you to schedule useful resources to share, and also allows you to space out your interactions and responses so you're not interacting in one overwhelming stream of activity during that period."

- Lea Woodward | Founder, Startup Training School

Check Your Pulse Daily

"Set up time daily to share original content and other articles through news aggregates such as Pulse. Review what your followers are saying so you can connect and look for ways to be of service more effectively."

- Michael Bruny | Conference Networking Speaker | Coach | Author, The New Art of Conference Networking

Follow @AmbassadorBruny

No Smartphone Necessary

"I connect Twitter to my cell phone -- I get text notifications when someone mentions me, and sending a Tweet as a text message is much easier then doing it from the computer or even a phone app. Sending the Tweet via text message is as simple as sending a text to anyone else. It flows easier into my day this way, since I don't get distracted by my feed."

- Raoul Davis | CEO, Ascendant Group

Stick to Your Discipline

"It can be easy to get swept up in social media and, as a result, work less efficiently. Instead of always being on, put aside a couple hours each day to answer emails, tweet things out, respond to @replies, etc. The rest of the time? Close those tabs! You don't want the temptation. Believe me."

- Steph Auteri | career coach, writer, and editor, Word Nerd Pro

Follow @stephauteri

It's Just Another Part of Communication

"I need to send out emails, return phone calls and even stick a letter in the mail today. I keep track of all of those things on one list and I keep social media tasks on the same list. Twitter and all the rest are just additional communication tools, and I treat them as such."

- Thursday Bram | Consultant, Hyper Modern Consulting

Follow @ThursdayB

Set a Social Media Schedule

"When using social networks, it's important to set aside time to keep active and be consistent in your posting. Make sure you can use them live in real-time too. Occassionally, some accounts schedule their updates to go out later through TweetDeck on a specific date or time."

- Lane Sutton | Social Media Coach, Social Media from a Teen

Can't Beat Buffer

"Personal and business branding require maintaining active social media profiles, but it is tough to find the time for posting new content as a busy entrepreneur in this 24/7 news cycle. I am indebted to Buffer App; it's the tool that helps me maintain an active Twitter presence without the headache of babysitting my feed. Use the bookmarklet to add updates to a queue, and let Buffer do the rest!"

- Doreen Bloch | CEO / Founder, Poshly Inc.

Let's Hear It for Hootsuite!

"I use Hootsuite to manage all of my networks easily and schedule updates. In just a few clicks, I can send messages across all of my networks, which saves me tons of time."

- Ben Lang | Founder, EpicLaunch

Follow @entrepreneurpro

Integrate, Don't Interrupt

"I see social media not as an interruption or something to be scheduled throughout my day, but rather as part of my everyday activities. My setup in the TalentEgg office has a full computer screen devoted to Hootsuite so that I can casually stay up-to-date with what's happening throughout the company's social media channels."

- Lauren Friese | Founder, TalentEgg

Consistency Is Key

"It’s best to delegate that job if possible, so you can be consistent with your postings. If delegation isn’t an option, set aside 10-15 minutes each day (broken up into two or three separate, 5-minute periods) where you focus on posting, tweeting, and responding to social media."

- Nick Friedman | President, College Hunks Hauling Junk and College Hunks Moving

Download Those Mobile Apps

"Make it as easy as you possibly can. This means make sure that you have all of the mobile apps. Have these apps be the first ones you see when you touch your phone. Most people look at their phone quite frequently when they have down time. The more you are reminded to post, the more time you will make."

- John Hall | CEO, Influence & Co.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

While online marketing is very measurable (thanks to its data-driven focus), the data itself can be fairly easily manipulated to make almost any program look successful. As a result, prospective clients were being told their programs were growing and bringing in substantial new revenue, when in reality, they were costing a lot of money and not creating much value at all.

It quickly became clear to me that educating potential clients with a detailed “under the hood” look at their online marketing programs could demonstrate the problems undermining their existing programs and, at the same time, prove the value of our own approach. (Education like this also provides my team with a significant amount of information on how our competitor’s position, sell, and service offerings.) Today, our transparency sets our sales process apart from other firms in our industry, and is often a top reason why we’re awarded new business.

But transparency is a best practice almost any sales-oriented organization can adopt. Here are a few key ways in which you can set yourself apart from the competition — and ultimately sign more clients:

1. Be willing to educate the prospect on your own dime.

Prospects often aren’t completely clear on the details required to create and manage, say, a successful customer acquisition program. We audit programs for every viable prospect, then walk them through the areas that are performing, and those that are not, to discuss ways the program might be altered to achieve more success.

While complimentary audits take time and resources but do not generate revenue, they show prospects how we operate as a team, how we approach their program, and our level of service. No matter what industry you’re in, this is a great way to nurture leads.

2. Go way under the hood when researching competitors and their businesses.

Understanding the competition is a really important part of the selling process. But relying solely on website content and social media activity is a mistake. It’s imperative to understand every step of the competition’s process, from marketing and sales to delivery and staffing, reporting and service, and even employee and client retention. The goal is to show clients that you are selling something that’s really differentiated and that you’re willing – and able – to fully understand industry dynamics.

3. Listen to a prospect’s past frustrations.

Entrepreneurs are always told to listen to the client, and certainly that is true in servicing them, but it is also an excellent way to learn about competitors before the next sales meeting. We listen very closely to our competition’s ex-clients when they discuss their frustrations, and we dissect their key selling points from the client’s point of view. We study their staffing models, research their team members on LinkedIn, and take notice when key customers drop off their websites. We also look for information from quotes, press releases and speaking events.

Whenever we win a new client or take over for another vendor, we try and learn as much as we can about what we were up against by getting copies of their proposals and client reports and looking at the makeup of the team that serviced them (e.g., were they very junior?). Most of our clients come to us after a bad relationship, and we want to know why it was bad and where they were misled.

4. Neutralize your competition’s strengths.

Recently, we won a major account where we were up against 1-2 larger competitors. In our proposal, we neutralized our competitors’ strengths by educating the client on the industry and the common tactics used to mislead prospects about performance. We also carefully outlined the differences in our staffing model, client/staff ratios, reporting metrics, etc., and specifically debunked many of the selling points that we know our competitors emphasize. In many ways, we turned their perceived strengths into weaknesses.

We learned early on in our business that we have a very different approach from our competitors — one that is more about creating sustainable long-term value than fast results that aren’t real and won’t last. When we talk to a prospect about what our competition will promise, and why the results will not be what they seem, they often return to us impressed. In short, our transparency is a major selling point.

But perhaps the most unexpected upshot is this: No matter the industry, an educated buyer always makes a better long-term partner.

Robert Glazer is a serial entrepreneur and customer acquisition specialist with an exceptional track record of growing revenue and profits for early to mid-stage consumer businesses. His firm, Acceleration Partners, is a go-to advisor for affiliate and performance marketing to many of the industry’s top brands, including adidas, Bonobos, ModCloth, One Kings Lane, Reebok, and Tiny Prints.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.