Tag: entrepreneur

What To Do When You Have a Difficult Client

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As a business owner, the unfortunate truth is that not every client you take on is going to be a walk in the park. Inevitably, you’ll have a client come along that will prove to be quite difficult. 

The challenge with difficult clients is that they tend to be overly demanding and may even clash with your working style. You know you have to finish whatever work you’re doing with them, but you want to figure out how to do so with the least amount of pain. So, what do you do? 

Since your professional reputation is at stake, you need to come up with some strategies for dealing with a difficult client ahead of time so that when the inevitable happens – you’re ready. 

Tips for Dealing with Difficult Clients

When dealing with a challenging client, choose your words carefully to avoid confrontation and escalation.

  • – Listen well and acknowledge without apologizing. 

 

  • – Take breaks whenever you need to and/or limit communication, but be careful to do so in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re ignoring them.

 

  • – Emphasize that you’re working together toward a common goal. Discuss things in terms of the results you’re trying to get and make sure they understand you’re on the same team.

 

  • – If they’re asking you to do more than you offer, set clear boundaries and remind them gently of the job’s terms and your business’s capabilities. 

 

Even though they may be driving you insane, try your best to find a solution that’s quick and that will make them happy and get you both moving forward. Remember, the best-case scenario is to leave them satisfied and then avoid working with them in the future, if possible. 

As trying as these kinds of clients can be, keep in mind that it’s likely not personal. Simply chalk it up as a learning experience and move on knowing you’re better, and wiser, than you were before. 

How To Make Black Friday Profitable For Business Owners

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With an enormous $9 billion dollars spent by consumers on Black Friday in 2020 alone, this day undoubtedly presents businesses with an incredible opportunity to have more traffic and profit coming their way by partaking in the festivities. 

4 Tips For Running A Seamless Black Friday

With Black Friday and the holiday season just around the corner, it is the perfect time for businesses to start thinking about their strategy for participating in the sales and deals of this iconic shopping day. Here are 4 tips and tricks for running a profitable Black Friday: 

#1: Offer Loyal Customers Exclusive Perks 

If you have already done the hard part of making a sale and converting someone into a loyal customer, it is important to make them feel valued before the Black Friday experience by offering them exclusive perks and deals on top of the ones you’re running for the masses. This will make them feel more inclined to participate. 

Whether it’s through an SMS text or a targeted email, get your subscribers and loyalty program members excited for your upcoming deals by early access to deals, additional discount codes, and more. 

#2: Promote Your Upcoming Deals On Social Media

With 420 billion users active on social media in 2020, using these platforms for marketing is one of the most important tools for getting the word out about your businesses’ Black Friday events. 

Promoting on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, and other popular platforms is a great way of creating buzz around your deals in the days leading up to it. 

One of the most important tactics to get engagement you desire are by using Black Friday-specific hashtags and captions so that people can find you more easily. 

#3: Go Above And Beyond Traditional Discounts

With thousands upon thousands of brands partaking in discounts on Black Friday, it is important to find innovative ways to stand out against the competition and create more incentives for consumers so that they focus on what you have to offer. 

Some of the best ways to go above and beyond are to offer free gifts and perks in addition to discounts, offer free shipping with every purchase, and provide future discounts after they make a Black Friday purchase. The possibilities are truly endless, so get creative with it! 

#4: Don’t Miss The Benefits Of Online Shopping 

One of the most important aspects of planning a profitable Black Friday is focusing on online shopping. With 93.2 million consumers online shopping on this day in 2019, it is just as important for businesses to take advantage of digital Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in addition to the traditional brick-and-mortar Black Friday deals. 

Watch Your Black Friday Profit Soar With The Help Of Coach Allison Todd 

If you are looking for new ways to improve your business’s profitability for Black Friday and beyond, I am here to help. As a coach and consultant with 20+ years of experience, I am energized by the opportunity to transform entrepreneurs and corporations alike. 

To learn more about a partnership, don’t hesitate to shoot me an inquiry today! 

Sales Success Part 1: Building The Know, Like, & Trust Factor

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Attention sales teams: want to be let in on a little secret? Relationship building is the key to sales success. You can have the best product or services in your marketplace, but if you don’t create an authentic relationship with your audiences and prospective customers, all of these traditional factors become obsolete. 

While product might have been the draw that brought new clients to your door, it is your personality and customer service that keeps them coming back. 

What Is The Know, Like, & Trust Factor And Why Does It Matter?

To put it simply, having the know, like, and trust factor are the three secret ingredients to becoming a more personable salesperson. Achieving all three of these “it” factors will allow your customers to feel more comfortable and confident with their purchasing decision. This is because these factors will help them… 

  • – Know who you are and what you care about
  • – Enjoy your personality and like spending time with you
  • – Trust your judgement and recommendations 

 

3 Steps For Building The Know, Like, and Trust Factor 

Let’s dive into tangible ways to build your companies know, like and trust factor: 

#1: Build The Know Factor By Honing In On A Unified Brand Message

One of the most effective ways of showing consumers who you are is through maintaining a strong and unified brand voice before, during, and after the sales process. This is because a brand voice communicates your brand’s values, beliefs, perspective, and overall personality. 

#2: Build The Like Factor By Being A Good Listener 

Let’s face it: who doesn’t love feeling seen and heard? Showing interest and listening to your customers needs and goals is especially important for increasing likeability and closing your sales. One insightful statistic revealed that 68% of B2B consumers are lost from a salesperson with indifference or perceived apathy, not from making a mistake. 

#3: Build Trust Factor By Creating Killer Content 

One of the best ways for winning prospective clients over is establishing your credibility as an authority in your industry. When you position yourself as an expert, they are more likely to trust your product and believe its benefits once they get to the sales process. 

Content marketing is one of the best ways to accomplish this goal. In fact, 96% of the most successful content marketers believe their audience views them as credible and trusted. Some of the best pieces of content for establishing trust and credibility include in-depth blog posts, articles, and podcasts. 

Elevate Your Sales Strategy With Allison Todd Today

If you are ready to nail your next sales pitch, I would love to help you reach all of your goals. With 20+ years of experience helping businesses hone in on an effective sales strategy, I am ready to take your business to the next level. 

For even more dynamite tips and tricks on building the know, like and trust factor for sales success, click here to check out part two of this blog series today! 

Sales Success Part Two: More Tips For Building The Know, Like, & Trust Factor

Are you sick of prospective clients slip through the cracks? If so, it might just be the perfect time to focus on the personal component of sales. While it can be all too easy for an eager sales team to see dollar signs when looking at clients instead of a person in front of them, it is crucial to look at them as human beings first and foremost.

In fact, establishing WHO you are as opposed to WHAT you are selling in the sales process is crucial for keeping customers coming back for more. So much so that 42% of consumers would pay for a more welcoming experience and another 65% find positive customer experience more influential than advertising! 

This is where the importance of building your know, like, and trust factor comes into play. 

3 Bonus Steps For Building The Know, Like, & Trust Factor

In addition to part one of this blog series, I’m back more ideas for helping you increase your know, like, & trust factor to create a more personable sales process: 

#1: Build The Know Factor By Putting Your Name Out There 

The more often someone has heard of you and your brand, the more likely they are to feel confident in what you have to offer. Some of the best tactics for boosting your brand awareness and know factor for your target audience are by snagging guest blog post slots on credible sites, creating content with other businesses in your industry, and appearing as an interview guest on a show or podcast whenever possible. 

#2: Build The Like Factor By Finding Shared Interests

While the majority of the conversations with your audiences and clients should be focused on the business side of things, creating more real human connections will make the interaction more memorable. Within the small moments of chit-chat and building rapport, try to find a shared interest or belief to keep you connected and build up your like factor.

#3: Build The Trust Factor By Staying Authentic To Yourself

If a salesperson or company isn’t being open and honest about their true thoughts and opinions with prospective clients, it can lead to feelings of distrust. On the other hand, maintaining authenticity will remind clients that you are more than just a business trying to make money. 

Some of the easiest ways to stay authentic are by answering questions transparently and avoiding overtly salesy language. In fact, 61% of consumers report that one of the top ways to create a positive sales experience is when companies aren’t pushy. 

Don’t Wait To Achieve Your Sales Goals With The Help Of Allison Todd

By putting these ideas into action, you’ll be well on your way towards better customer service and increased sales in no time. Whether your business is in the stage of ideation, launching, or scaling, business coach, I cannot wait to help you bring all of your business ideas and dreams to life. 

To learn more about what a partnership with an experienced business coach can look like for your company, don’t hesitate to get in touch to get started today! 

6 Ingredients For Building The Know, Like, And Trust Factor

  • Step #1: Build The Know Factor to show customers who you are 
    • Action Step #1: Hone in on a consistent brand voice throughout your messaging 
    • Action Step #2: Put your brand name out there as much as possible 

 

  • Step #2: Build the Like Factor to create strong relationships and rapport with clients 
    • Action Step #1: Actively listen and show excitement for who your consumers are
    • Action Step #2: Find a personal connection with customers through shared beliefs and interests 

 

  • Step #3: Build The Trust Factor by establishing credibility 
    • Action Step #1: Create online content that shows your brand’s authority on a subject matter
    • Action Step #2: Maintain authenticity in every client and audience interaction 

What Is A Life Coach? How 1:1 Coaching Can Help You Move Forward And Crush Your Goals

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Have you ever found yourself stuck in life? Whether you’re at a loss for what you want to do or you have an end-goal in mind but no clue how to get there, feeling stuck in life is all too common. And chances are, a life coach is someone you could benefit from greatly to provide that necessary nudge in the right direction. 

Life coaches are specialists who help their clients analyze where they are now, where they want to be in the future, and how to connect the two. They help people who aren’t sure how to move forward or what their next best step is by looking at what obstacles are getting in the way and helping an individual find solutions to overcome them. 

How Does it Work?

While the process of working with a Life Coach is similar to how therapy works, it differentiates itself by focusing more on the future rather than looking at your past and understanding your present. Life coaching is more direct in nature and gives individuals the encouragement they need to move past any resistance that’s keeping them from their goals. 

Typically, a coach will begin your relationship with a discovery call during which they’ll ask questions to get to know you a little better and to figure out how they can best help you.

You’ll discuss the frequency of your meetings and if there is any “homework” that they may want you to do before your time together. More than likely, they’ll send you some paperwork to fill out that will help them identify your current obstacles and background. 

Once your sessions start, your time together will be spent discussing what goals you have for your future and the things that are keeping you from achieving them. While your coach won’t tell you the exact roadmap or steps to take, they will help you define them for yourself. At the end of your time with a life coach, you’ll walk away with actionable steps to get you on the path to where you want to go. 

Work with Me

I’m a Life Coach based out of Atlanta and I have over 15 years of experience in the coaching industry. I like to call myself a “confidence coach,” because I feel like my mission is to empower driven, passionate entrepreneurs to launch, grow, and scale their businesses and achieve the success they deserve. 

I found my way into the coaching industry after serving in several leadership roles including my current position as Corporation Relations Manager for United Way of Greater Atlanta.

I earned my Masters of Arts in Human Resource Management and Development from Webster University and my Bachelors of Arts in Communication Theory and Rhetoric from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

In conjunction with my coaching business, I created a Business Clarity Mastermind that’s open to the public and teaches practical strategies and tools to take action and grow your business. 

If you’ve been spinning your wheels about where your life is headed and still haven’t found any traction, I would love to talk about how I can get you back on track and moving towards the future you envision. Your path to progress is just one click away. 

Video Strategy: Create Your Customer’s Path to Purchase

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What was the last item that you purchased? Have it in mind? Great, now think about the steps that you took before purchasing it. Chances are, much of the process was done subconsciously, unless it was a major purchase.

Even for insignificant items, your mind likely walked through three stages that are known as the buyer’s journey, which include awareness, consideration, and decision. 

Consumers go through these stages with nearly every purchase, and it’s the seller’s responsibility to help them get from the first step through to deciding to purchase.

Recent studies have shown that the use of video is becoming increasingly effective at helping a buyer make their mind up. We’re going to show you how video can be used in each stage to help close more sales for your business. 

Stage One: Awareness

In the awareness stage, a buyer has identified a problem or need and is trying to find a solution to it through research. During this stage, videos that address your customer’s “pain points” are most effective. 

Introduce yourself, what you can provide, and how it can fix their issue. Be specific about how you can help them and remind them where they can find you and how to connect. 

Stage Two: Consideration

Next up is the consideration stage. Your buyer is fully aware of their problem at this point, and they’re ready to find a solution. 

They should know about your business by now, but they’re not quite sold yet and are still considering other options. Now is the time for your “explainer video” where you give them the answers they need and offer valuable content about your products and services. 

Stage Three: Decision

Now it’s time for your buyer to make up their mind and decide what solution they’re going to commit to. They’ve done their research, and it’s up to you to drive it home. 

Close the sale by building trust with client reviews and show them your success measures and impact. Do you have a study showing how you helped a past customer or how your service improved their lives in some way? Show them the details. Remember, the proof is in the pudding!

Ongoing Videos Lead To Future Sales

Using videos in your marketing helps to attract and retain committed, loyal customers. Once they’ve purchased something from you, it’s up to you to keep your brand at the forefront of their mind. This way, the next time they need a similar solution, they’ll turn to you.

One way to do this is by sending ongoing video content reminding them that you’re there for them whenever they need you. Send videos of new customer testimonials or new products; anything to stay current in their memory.

In today’s media-driven world, there are countless ways to get your message to the public and in front of your target audience. While you can always tell your customers why you’re the best, videos give you the ability to show them. After all, actions speak louder than words—and nothing speaks louder than high-quality video marketing. 

How to Stay Tuned In to Your Entrepreneurial Spirit During the Pandemic

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With the coronavirus on the loose and wreaking havoc on every industry globally, the life if an entrepreneur just got harder. Entrepreneurship is riddled with a lot of challenges and uncertainties.

However, this pandemic has heightened these challenges and uncertainties, making it even more difficult to run a business. In some parts of the world, running a business is downright impossible.

With many opinions and views out there on the best course for businesses and entrepreneurs to take, deciding the next step is even harder.

There is so much information and recommendations available, increasing the level of panic and uncertainties in the hearts of entrepreneurs.

What to do?

Rather than add to the growing noise and bombardment of information, we had rather keep things simple. The spirit of entrepreneurship is at its core problem solving and thinking outside the box. It’s the art of managing situations and adjusting to changes.

The virus has been affecting different sectors. While some businesses are facing booms and finding it hard to keep up with demand g. deliveries and logistics. Other companies are facing decline and finding it hard to keep the lights on e.g., restaurants and cab owners.

As an entrepreneur, now is the best time to take a step back and get in-tune with your entrepreneurial spirit. Don’t get carried away by the ocean of information and find yourself in an uncontrollable situation.

Access the situation calmly and choose a specific course of action after weighing the pros and cons, with your business and industry’s factors in mind.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the world is changing. And as life returns to a semblance of normalcy, new opportunities would come up, and some old business models would solidify. Ensure that you are in the right mindset to make the best out of the changes.

This is not the time to go with trends or make rash decisions. The key is to find the right balance between flexibility and rashness. Make quick but profoundly informed decisions, not hasty and ill-informed ones.

The Good, the Bad and the Profit of Being Your Own Boss

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Being an entrepreneur has its pros and cons. Running a business and being your own boss sure has its benefits. However, roses have thorns. A proper understanding of an entrepreneur’s life would help you prepare for the positive and negative aspects of running a business. While running a business affords you a sense of happiness and fulfillment, stress and pressure are also significant parts of the package. Its a packaged deal of freedom and control, mixed with long hours and compulsory dedication.

Benefits of being an Entrepreneur

You are the boss.

This is a rather obvious benefit of being an entrepreneur. In fact, it is one of the major reasons why being an entrepreneur is so fulfilling and attractive. You are in control, the captain of the ship calling the shots and making things happen. Your thoughts and decisions make real impacts. It is way better than submitting suggestions to a middle manager who ignores them or takes credit for them. Every move you make effects real impact and change.

You Are in Charge of  Your Earning and Finances

Another major advantage of being an entrepreneur is that you determine how much you earn. You have the power to improve your earnings. How much you make isn’t left to the mercy of your boss or some obscure company policy. How much you make is based on the effort you put into your business and how much you decide to pay yourself. Of course, you must be careful not to suck your business dry. Nevertheless, financial independence is a major source of joy for all entrepreneurs.

Flexible Working Hours

Another major advantage of being your own boss is flexible working hours. You get to decide when and how long you work. You can organize your schedule, so you work at the time you are most effective. For instance, if you are a night owl, you can organize your schedule so that you sleep during the day and work through the night. This is impossible in a corporate 9-5 job.

Flexible Working Condition

As an entrepreneur, you get to determine and influence the environment in which you work. This ranges from equipment, co-workers, furniture, office location, etc. You get to create the perfect conditions for you and your business to grow by surrounding yourself with the right people and the right ambiance.

Job Security

Being an entrepreneur means you can’t get fired. The fear and pressure of getting that scary letter from your boss don’t exist. Your drive to work hard is purely based on achieving your goal and taking your business to the highest peak possible. Your motivation is positive enthusiasm to meet your full potential.

The Joy of Building Something Real

The joy of creating and nurturing a business is so overwhelming and fulfilling. Building your business from the ground up brick by brick, client by client, project by project, and sale by sale is bound to fill you with a sense of achievement. There is a special and joyous pride that comes with being the owner and builder of a successful business. That feeling is worth more than silver or gold.

Cons of Being an Entrepreneur

Your clients and team are your employers.
As an entrepreneur, you are your own boss. However, you are still accountable to a lot of people. You are accountable to your clients and customers. You are also in a lot of ways accountable to your teammates whose careers are in your hands. If you want to run a successful business and lead an efficient team, you have to relate with everyone with guided respect and care. To be a good entrepreneur, you have to be answerable to your clients, customers, and employees. Treating them with respect and thriving for their joy and satisfaction is a necessary ingredient for success.

Long Hours, Pressure, and Stress

Being an entrepreneur requires impossible hours. Sometimes you had wish there were more than twenty-four hours in a day. Success in entrepreneurship usually requires dedication, consistency, and determination. Everything hangs on your shoulders. There is no pressure or fear of getting fired. However, the task of keeping your business running and growing is enough to keep you busy and under intense pressure.

Financial Insecurity

One secret that most people tend to miss is that with financial independence comes financial insecurity. Earning a salary gives you a steady stream of income, making it easy for you to plan for the future. However, as an entrepreneur, your earning is reliant on the success of your business as well as the market and economic cycles. In essence, you don’t know for a fact how much you or your business would earn. Plans and projections are very important; however, they are not guarantees. The business world is very fluid, and so is the financial state of an entrepreneur. To stay in business and avoid brokenness, you would need to have good financial discipline and money management skills.

Conclusion

Most times, entrepreneurship is presented in a single light. Super dark or super bright. However, entrepreneurship is a spectrum, and getting a clear picture would require careful consideration of all pros and cons. In truth, some features of entrepreneurship double as pros and cons. It all comes down to how well you manage your business. The good news is the pros outweigh the cons by a very wide margin.

Building the Perfect Team

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Why is it that some businesses have the the perfect team and others can’t seem to keep the team together? Many CEOs want the perfect formula for the perfect team. And truth is there is no definite design to building the perfect team. But leadership, communication, business resources and collaboration are core components. The perfect team goes a long way in deciding the direction and the growth rate of your business for a building entrepreneur.

Business Direction

First, let’s consider the business direction. People who you choose to join your team will have a reasonable influence on your decisions. The perfect team member is invested in their role and your business. They are open to both understanding and collaborating with their team members. As such your business direction is fuel by essentials of a perfect team. On the contrary, a bad team can lead you down a wrong path, leaving you lost in your business searching for sales. However, a good team would work tirelessly to show you new and better ways to take your business to where it needs to be. Therefore, choosing the perfect team is important.

Business Growth

Next is business growth. The reliability and proficiency of your team determines how fast your business grows. When you assert group norms that allow your team to work efficiently, you create standards by which they work. When you are trying to build a business to great heights and expand at an exponential rate, the ability to think outside the box is very valuable. And that can not happen without a strong foundation. No CEO wants a team of drones but rather a team of diligent innovators and freethinkers.

In conclusion, building the perfect team shouldn’t be based solely on their education and certification. Qualification is good, however, some other factors need to be considered. The goal is to build a team that isn’t just competent but also in sync with your business vision and values. Getting the perfect team isn’t an easy task as a mere interview might not reveal all the qualities you are looking for in a team member. However, with patience and due diligence, you can create your perfect squad.

How to be Creative with your Blogging Process (Step Four)

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Learn how to be creative with your blogging process by taking the fourth step. Note this is not the final step but it is step four. Now that you have made it to the final day of How to be Creative with your Blogging Process, I hope you have a general idea of what it takes to create your content. The next series will show you How to Market Content with your Blogging Process.

Complete the Process

To complete the process here’s a recap of the four steps to creative blogging success.

  • Brainstorm
  • Organize Ideas & Create the Planner
  • Select Images to Connect to your Content
  • Complete the Content & Tell Your Story (Hooray!)

Step four is all about filling in the gap. You have the title and blog summary from your Editorial Content Calendar. Perhaps you also saved your blog draft after selecting the image in step three. And here we are at the final step before scheduling your post. This is your opportunity to tell your story. Let’s grow!

creative blogging process step four

Happy writing! Connect with me on social? Let’s keep each other motivated and inspired to do what we love! I can’t wait to hear your reviews. Helpful or nah? I’ve got tons of content and curriculum.  If this didn’t help, I am sure there is something that will.

Subscribe to my Confidence Coach Notes and you will always be in the know.  That means first dibs on everything.  And that include the goodies!  If the Four Step Creative Blogging Process was helpful let me know in the comments. I’d love to know if we can make a difference next week with a new process.   

 

How to be Creative with your Blogging Process (Step Three)

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Learn how to be creative with your blogging process by taking the third step. So glad that you are still with me! Yesterday, we reviewed step two. Did you select your planner yet? The Confident Culture got me to give them all four tools for all four steps. They have been showing off their work in group coaching. What fun.

Back to Work (Step Three)

The best part of a blog is the image. I invest the entire emotion in my image. I want the reader to know what I was feeling when I shared the content. How about you? Do you invest in your images, create them yourself or use no images at all? I work with a designer who delivers image packs. Let me know if you are interested and I will share the info.

creative blogging process step three

If you have the images outlined with the content, the vision begins to come together. At this point, you can decide to post all images and titles as drafts OR start writing. Either way you are super close to the finish line. Let’s take a mid-day break and invest time in image selection. Challenge yourself to plan the next 30-60-90 days.

90-Day Action Plan

Once you have your editorial content plan complete, you will know what type of images you need. Go ahead and lay out 90 days, it makes life much easier. And then grab your images. If you don’t have any (see above) , I know someone. Take some time to fill in the blanks on your planner. But, don’t stop there.

Make sure you are reviewing your story. Read it out loud to yourself. Fill in the blanks and begin blogging. If this Four Step Creative Blogging Process (Step Three) is helpful let me know in the comments. I’d love to know if the next 3 days make a difference in your process.