Guest post by Patricia Redsicker

Owning a small business is a great accomplishment! It takes a certain kind of personality to swim away from the ‘shallow waters’ and launch out into the deep. That personality is a super-competent, multi-tasking, risk-embracing, decision maker! So go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve come a long way baby!

However, every business needs customers, or it’s not a business at all. While prospecting is tough and exhausting work it is also the blood-line to your business. Without prospecting, there can be no customers, no sales, and alas no bank deposits! Indeed without prospects, your service is useless!

Depending on your personality, there are several ways to find prospects. Here are the most common prospect-finding personality types:

Cold Caller: Cold-calling may not work for everyone but it works. Peter Bowerman author of ‘The Well-Fed Writer” (a must-read for all copy-writers) built his successful business entirely by cold-calling.

If this is you, you have a thick skin, resilience and courage that an army private would envy. But you don’t take yourself too seriously either, and you’re certainly not afraid of rejection. Your perseverance is heroic and to the other prospecting personalities, you are an enigma.

Here are a few tips to keep you encouraged as you continue on this fearless journey: Have small expectations; by doing so you remain realistic yet excited about the smallest victories.

Know the law of averages; that in the long run (and after consistent attempts) the probability of landing successful clients will be very likely.

Focus on actions not results; you have no control over the outcome - you can only control your actions. So be disciplined and committed to your objectives by repeating the same actions over and over again and don’t worry about what happens.

Writer: There are numerous ways to reach prospects through your writing: Blogs, newsletters, e-zine articles, sales-letters, e-books, white paper, free industry reports, journals and trade publications.

You are independent and your type prefers isolation. You don’t mind sitting in front of your computer for hours on end. You like to revel in your own uninterrupted ideas, and written expression comes quite naturally. Your ability to persuade through your writing is remarkable.

There are a few things to keep in mind if writing is your preferred method of prospecting:

• • Write what you know (specialize)
  • Show your personality
  • Write original content
  • Read widely
  • Learn from other successful writers
  • Get out every now and then and meet your prospects. By listening to them, you will learn their pain points and how to solve them.

Networker: This is my favorite one! For those of you (us) who like to get out of your space, meet and mingle with other professionals and talk over warm hors’ d’oeuvres’ and cool drinks, this is clearly your forte. You are an outgoing, sociable and pleasant personality. You enjoy listening to others just as much as you enjoy talking to them. But there are a few tips that may improve your networking efforts and yield better results:

• • Pick events where marketing professionals are likely to be;
  • Pick two or three networking groups to socialize with;
  • Become a regular (give people a chance to get to know you);
  • Don’t hang out with people you already know;
  • Help others by introducing them to another person who is a qualified lead for their business;
  • After the event, don’t forget to contact everyone who gave you a business card (send an email or connect on Linkedin)

Public Speaker: Presentations, training, and speaking engagements are not for the faint hearted. They are for those who love to be in-front of people, who enjoy attention and who like to speak loudly. You’re an extrovert, and you like one-way conversations. You enjoy teaching others and you like to be thought of as an expert in your niche.

To help further develop your stunning public speaking skills, be sure to:

o Demonstrate enthusiasm

o Make a visually exciting presentation

o Sell an experience

o Give your audience a show

Whichever your personality type, be sure to find and contact at least two qualified leads every single day. That means that you need to know how to distinguish between time-wasters and qualified leads. Ask the right questions, look out for the right answers and steer clear of the idle, self-seeking chatterbox.

***************

Patricia Redsicker is owner and principal of WordView Editing, a commercial writing business in Baltimore. Her job is to help entrepreneurs to write more compelling business documents and to sharpen their communication skills. She authors a blog called the Content Cheerleader a platform that is highly resourceful in business writing and communication advice.  Please visit her blog space for more resourceful articles.

Flashing blue lights and a terrified African-American kid in the street, frustrated olive-skinned college students pulled aside at the airport to be frisked like criminals, an anxious Hispanic truck driver pulled over to check his loads for drugs—the very word profiling brings up images like these and we feel badly for them. That African-American kid could be carrying bread home for his mom, the students could be flying home because of a death in the family, and the Hispanic trucker could be the father of six children who’s working 100 hours a week trying to send his oldest son to college. This kind of profiling brings a knot to our stomachs.

It’s unfair, and we resist it.

So, when is profiling a good thing? Well, medical profiling saves lives every day. Your own medical history along with your extended family, your file with all your test results and doctor’s comments make up your profile. This information waits in central data storage so your doctor can access your profile in seconds from an Emergency Room where every second counts.

On the job, profiling is another name for screening. Financial planners profile their clients to learn whether they are risk takers or risk averse, so the financial plan will feel right to the investor. Psychologists give entry assessments to their clients to give the best treatment possible for their patient’s needs.

The criminal justice system also uses profiling when tracking down serial criminals—murderers, arsonists, and sexual predators. Technicians who master type of profiling, have intensive scientific training in the thought processes of their subjects, then they use their innate intuitive skills to process the data and come out with a solution—a personality profile of the subject. This type of profiling is so exact that the profiler can predict with accuracy the make and model of the subject’s car, including the color.

Taking this into the marketing world, prospect profiling is also a scientific process mingled with intuitive skill. The prospect profiler takes the numbers from a scientific assessment tool and creates the personality profile of your perfect prospect including frustrations, pain, goals, and value system. Once you know these critical aspects of your prospect’s needs, you can speak in terms of those needs.

For example, if your prospect is an exhausted caregiver, then you’ll need to mention how your product or service reduces stress and makes hard tasks easier. If your prospect is a fun-loving free spirit, you’ll want to talk about how your service will let them spend more time surfing or skydiving. No matter what your product or service actually is, tapping into the root cause of your prospect’s pain will open doors for you and have your perfect prospect lining up with their credit cards in hand to gain access to your solution for them.

What do you think about profiling? Please leave your comments.

Neuromarketing scientists call the fight-or-flight portion of our brains the “old brain” or the “lizard brain” because it was the first part to develop. This is the decision-making area that asks one eternal question: “What’s in it for me?” or WIFM. That’s the question every person in the universe asks when flipping the yes-no switch in the brain. The old brain is the survival center, the security system that blocks out everything that’s risky and confusing and opting in favor of the safe, delightful, and satisfying.

We’ve all felt the old brain kick in when walking through a store, seeing a great sale, and feeling an irresistible compulsion to pick up as many of the sale item as we can and head for the checkout. In that case WIFM would be both saving money and the promise of satisfaction, a double whammy. We know the item is good. We like it, so it’s safe. The price is right and that makes it delightful, and we’re looking forward to the satisfaction of using it when we get home. Or (in the case of ice cream bars) when we get to the car.

Neuromarketing is the scientific process of marketing to the old brain. Based on research, a marketer can use a certain approach and touch the old brain every time. People will line up to buy because they feel safe, the process looks delightful, and they are eager to feel the satisfaction. WIFM is the sublime combination of access and satisfaction—health, wealth, relationships, or any combination of the three—which the neuromarketer zooms in on.
Continue reading What’s the Difference between Prospect Profiling and Neuromarketing?

by Ann Corcoran of InnerOomph.com

Rosey’s [Prospect Profiling] Mastermind system is deceptively simple but works like a magician’s wand. Until I met Rosey, I was struggling with how to attract clients who were right for me. In fact, sometimes I felt like I was in a cartoon nightmare – trying to write marketing copy on a blank piece of paper with a pen that had no ink …tearing my hair out while the hands of a clock spun in circles and dollar signs flew out the window.

Rosey’s brilliant, unique system removes the guesswork so it’s easy to know what to say and write to attract the clients who are right for YOU. Thanks to Rosey, I know exactly which words, phrases, stories pictures and photos speak to my ideal clients’ challenges and desires. And it lets me stand in my own authentic, unique power. My perfect clients feel the connection with me, because Rosey showed me exactly what that connection is and how to reveal it.

Rosey is a master teacher who goes the extra mile to be sure each student develops the right strategies. Her information for each person caused breakthroughs for the other students, too. Rosey also has a way of making you feel right at home during class, as if you’re sitting in her living room all together, instead of all over the map on the phone. Her sincere enjoyment of each students’ work makes each class a place to share experiments and laughter. She also kept each class right on schedule, an excellent example in leading group courses!

I have not learned so much, so fast, while having so much fun, for a long time.

That cartoonish nightmare? Gone! Having the right language keeps my pen flowing effortlessly, dollar signs are flowing IN, and I’m creating a win-win situation.

FROM ROSEY: Thanks, Ann! It has been a pleasure working with you. My joy is to see dedicated people like you helping more and more people because of this training.

For more about the Prospect Profiling Mastermind (4 weeks of live coaching), Click Here.

One of the biggest complaints I hear as a Prospect Profiler is, “I wish I could draw in contacts who can afford me. Everyone I talk to is down to their last dime.” There are a couple of reasons for this phenomenon. Some of it is real and some of it is perceived.

I like to live in the real world, so let’s begin with the perceived element.

Business coaches far and wide agree that how you see yourself has everything to do with the rates you charge. In conferences across the globe, mediocre trainers take the stage and ask 5 figures for their training—and get it—while excellent heartfelt professionals sit in the audience with an entire product line that’s less than $1,000. Why is this?

The person on stage has loads of self-worth. The person on stage believes it and expects you to believe it, too. Do you offer something valuable that people truly need? Of course you do. So, start believing it and your prices will go up, too.

Back to reality.

The central reason we attract prospects who are skinny in the bank account is that we market to them. Would you love to draw in clients with cash? Think of a client (or even a prospective client) who has some financial success and pay attention.

• What makes them tick?
• What personality do they have—demanding or reserved, loud or refined?
• What’s their relationship to their family?
• Do they have lots of close friends or are they socially aloof?
• What about hobbies and goals and dreams for a legacy?

I call this Prospect Profiling. It’s digging into the personality and makeup of the people you love to work with, finding threads and correlations that take your marketing in a focused and clear direction. Your findings will give you the very words that will make you irresistible.

Is your prospect a hassled caregiver? Then talk about peace and rest.

Is your prospect involved in fighting for causes? Then talk about justice and security.

The more defined your prospects are, the stronger your message. Take a moment and think about your current clients who CAN afford you. Which one of them is that special someone you’d love to clone? Take a moment to jot down what you know about that unique individual and then go after more of the same.

Are  you still fuzzy on who your prospects are?

Join us on Saturday for the Live Demo of how the profiling  process works.

Sign up here.

Recently someone asked, “I’m struggling in my business and I’m very strapped for cash. What steps do I need to take to turn things around?”

Here’s my reply:
Thanks for your email. It touched me to know that you value my input. So, don’t despair, my friend. Things can turn around for you. I’m going to give you some steps that will help you begin in the right direction.

Here are my suggestions:
1. Streamline what you offer and focus on promoting just that. You can include other things as back end upsells, but listing 3-5 things makes it easier for people to scan and quickly understand what you do and recognize what they need from the list. If you can narrow it down to 1 or 2, that would be even better.

2. Get testimonials from your best clients and put them everywhere with photos and links if available then Simplify your web site so that those few items + a call to action are the stars of the page. See my landing page at http://LetsGetRealmarketing.com for an example.

3. Take the free hero-preneur assessment above and then ask your very favorite client to take it as well.

4. Using your hero types and your favorite client’s types, look at the assessment results page and get a feel for where you fit in that system and where your client fits.

5. Understand that you are holding a conversation with your prospects. You’re telling them who you are and what you can do for them. So, when you describe yourself, use words that apply to your type. If you are a Ruler, then you can say “I organize” “I get things under control,” etc.

6. Then think of who your prospect is. If your prospect is what you are, you’ve got an easier job ahead of you. If not, you’ll need to think about how life looks to them and what pain/fear/frustration they live with every day, then tailor your text to that pain. Every single article, blog post, Facebook post—everything should be aimed at the relief you offer.

7. Join us for the free training and take notes.
Register here.

You’ve got a great service that people really need. Once you find the right words to touch the people who will resonate with you, you’ll be off and running.

Tuesday July 31 at 11am Pac / 2pm Eastern
The replay will be up within 2 minutes of the call’s ending, so register whether you can be at the live event or not.
Register here.

You’ve been to tons of teleseminars, conferences, and training events. You’re savvy to business techniques and sales strategies, but can you answer this one question with clear focus?

WHO IS YOUR PERFECT PROSPECT?

Not what age range and economic status. Not whether your prospect lives in a certain region or holds certain degrees. But WHO are they?

Are they geared for close relationships? Do they fight for causes? Are they wounded and in emotional pain? Do they feel the tug of unfulfilled dreams or the stress of a dysfunctional home life? What do they think of first thing in the morning and last thing at night?

Can you answer these questions?

If not, you’re wasting your time writing email, blog posts, articles, or even social media posts. You aren’t reaching the people who need you most. It’s way past time to find these things out once and for all. No more guessing. No more trying to figure it out.

Once you have a clear picture of your Perfect Prospect, you can tailor every single email and every single sales call to that particular person and they will find you irresistible.

Join us for the Prospect Profiling Mastermind Fr ee Preview Training where I’ll teach you how to do this, step by step—no holdbacks.

Sign up here.

Here’s what current Mastermind Members are saying:

~~“I LOVE having the words that fit the client. That’s just brilliant. It gives me something to work with instead of writing about myself,” Ann Corcoran of InnerOomph.com

~~“I’ve gotten insights about myself and about my client. Having the words has shifted everything into having more clarity and more focus.” Michaela Rosenberger of OptimumVitalityCoaching.com

You already know whether you need this training. If not, we’re still friends.

But if you do, go here to sign up. It’s free.

Warm wishes for your success,
Rosey Dow
The Prospect Profiler

P.S. Please hit SHARE to let your friends know. They will thank you for it!

Recently in a teleseminar, social media guru Zach Johnson said, “The Power is in the Profile.” That statement got me thinking. If the Power is in your Facebook Profile, what makes it powerful?

The answer is simple: Use specific power words that attract your unique prospects.

So, are your Perfect Prospects beating a path to your door through Facebook?

If not, let me help you. I’ve just recorded a special training audio that finally cuts through the marketing nonsense and delivers common sense steps anyone can follow. It’s called

“I’m on Facebook, so Why Do I have an Empty Checkbook?”

where I teach you 3 secrets that will put Power into your Facebook profile (and it works on other social media sites as well).

I’m offering these secrets for a very short time for an unbelievable $7.

Click here for immediate access to this 30 minute training.

So, what have you got to lose? A lot more than $7 while your future prospects surf on by without even glancing at your page.  Why risk losing even more of them?

Get this training now. It’s a steal at $7.

Solo business owners often find it difficult to say what they do in one breath. However, condensing your service into an easy-to-understand statement is critical. We’ve all heard the idea of the 30 second elevator speech, but I’d like to take that a bit further and boil it down to 2 simple statements you can speak in less than 10 seconds without rushing.

Not only does this give you an edge when you’re in public, it also clarifies your mission in your thinking and give you a foundation and focus you can use to structure your business. Here’s how to do it.

First, think through these questions.

1.    Your niche: Who exactly are you trying to reach? Work at Home Moms with troubled teens / people going through a romantic breakup / Internet marketers who help coaches (notice how tight the niche is? The tighter the better.)

2.    Your prospect’s pain: What emotion are they feeling because they have this problem? Frustration/Stress/Fatigue/Anger/Hopelessness

3.    Their visible goal: What exactly do they want more than anything? Get a good night’s sleep / Change lives through inner growth / See their teens become healthy adults /Make a million this year

4.    Their actual failure with #3: What results are they currently seeing? Family frustrations / relationship issues / sleepless nights

5.    Your contribution: What will you do for them as the hero coming to save the day? Teach them how to ______/help them overcome ______/ help them release __________

6.    Their hero-driven result: What will they walk away with after you help them? Sleep like a baby / Have happy, productive children / Feel 20 years younger

Now plug these elements into this statement:

You are _____(2)negative emotion__________ because you’re trying to ___(3)most critical goal___ but ___(4)their current negative result related to the niche(1)___. I’ll ___(5)your contribution___, so you can __(6)hero-driven result______.

Here’s an example:

Mea Evans is a life coach with amazing talent. Her goal is to help thousands of people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulting from car accident trauma to release their pain and see a brighter tomorrow.

This is what Mea’s USP Worksheet would look like:

1.    Mea’s niche: She helps victims of PTSD resulting from car accident trauma

2.    Mea’s prospect’s pain: What emotion are they feeling because they have this problem? PTSD produces Frustration, Fear, Anger and Fatigue but the most all-encompassing is the feeling that their life is out of control and they might never get it back.

3.    Mea’s prospect’s visible goal: What exactly do they want more than anything? Feel peaceful and energized like they once did

4.    Their actual failure with #3: What results are they currently seeing? Flashbacks, nightmares, restlessness, feeling of dread

5.    Mea’s contribution: What will she do for them as the hero coming to save the day? Help them release painful memories and have rest (Notice the benefit statement? She’s not talking about hypnosis or EFT or psychotherapy here. Her method isn’t the point. It’s the result that her prospect is after.)

6.    Their hero-driven result: What will Mea’s client walk away with? A fresh start with a feeling of peace and hope

Now plug these 5 elements into this statement to create Mea’s USP

You are (2)exhausted because you’re trying to (3)get your life back but (4) you keep having flashbacks and nightmares (1)about the car accident you were in. I’ll (5)show you how to let go of the past, so you can (6)see your future with hope.

USP Worksheet

1.    Your niche: __________________________________________________________

2.    Your prospect’s pain: __________________________________________________

3.    Their visible goal: ____________________________________________________

4.    Their actual failure with #3: _________________________________________

5.    Your contribution as their hero: _______________________________________

6.    Their hero-driven result: _____________________________________________

Now plug these elements into this statement:

You are (2)_________________________ because you’re trying to

3)_____________________ but (4)(1)_______________________________________

_____________________. I’ll (5)________________________________________, so you

can (6)_________________________________________.

There you have it!

Still need help nailing down who your prospect is? Join us on Saturday, July 31 for free training and  a demo of how prospect profiling works. Sign up here.

A tip for creating viral materials is to link your information to THAT DAY’S trending topics. Using the tools listed below, think through your own list of Winning Words and see how they might apply to the top Google searches going on right then.

Two ways to find out what the buzzwords are online for that day is to

1. Visit your twitter account and look in the lower right column.

2. Visit http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends and see what words are hot on google searches.

Create all of that day’s content with those words in mind–articles, videos, blog posts–and you’ll reap the benefit of hot searches. Get ahead of the mob and you’ll get noticed.

What are you doing to create materials that get noticed? Please list them in the Comment box. Thanks!