Entrepreneurs

Know What You Are Doing and Prove It!

September 12, 2012 by channa Leave a Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/CMBS Global

Boy…do I remember those schoolyard bullies who were always making life miserable for the rest of us! I remember their annoying challenge consisting of just two words – “Prove it !”

As an entrepreneur, you may know what you are doing, but business can be a bully when it comes to performance.

As an entrepreneur, you may NOT know what you are doing in some very important areas of business communication and marketing – but don’t let it back you up against the wall and intimidate like those bullies. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, CMBS Global, Online Marketing · Tagged With: CMBS Global, Entrepreneurs, marketing, online marketing, Virtual Assistant

Practice What You Preach or Your Elevator Speech is Just Another Sales Pitch

August 22, 2012 by channa 1 Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

Entrepreneurs of any type must sell. You are daily selling others on you, your services, your products – or all of the above. Great salespeople are necessary to business – but practice what you preach or your elevator speech will be just another sales pitch that people do not care to hear.

It goes without saying that the brands that have survived and enjoyed many fruitful years of being in the public eye are those that have provided the perfect pitch – and then remained totally in tune with their customers and clients desires and needs. Those who continually hit sour notes within their market are soon kicked out of the choir.

There are many referring to themselves as ‘evangelists’ in today’s business market. An admittedly catchy title when linked with such terms as Marketing, Social Media, Product, Brand, etc. You name it and the term evangelist has probably been attached at some point. But as catchy as it may be sound, the truth continues to be that much more is expected of an evangelist than is required of the common, ordinary layperson. The average pew sitter will always be permitted many more mistakes and shown much more forgiveness for his or her sins (when discovered) than the guy standing behind the pulpit. It has, at times, proven to be too much pressure even for the most gifted of leaders.

No person knows you any better than you know yourself, however letting others do the preaching for you is often wiser than touting your own horn – only to fall short of your proclamations. Good intentions are not enough to build a strong brand and keep it standing no matter what storms come. You must absolutely deliver the goods that you have declared yourself capable of delivering. If you aren’t convinced that it is possible for you to do this – you need to change your message, change your skill set or get reliable assistance from those who can help you to perform at peak level.

It is not impossible to practice what you preach when you believe in what you do and are committed to representing your message honestly via actions, words and deeds. Don’t set yourself up to be worshiped lest you set yourself up for a very hard fall. Instead, be the one your niche is free to trust and they will sing your praises to all who will listen for years to come.

Image: Maya Picture/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: Back Office Services, Blog, Business Success, CMBS Global, Niche Market · Tagged With: brand, CMBS Global, Entrepreneurs

Don’t Allow Yourself to Get Comfortable and Never Be Uncomfortable With Being Yourself

August 13, 2012 by channa Leave a Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna

How comfortable are you with the state of your being? Deep question, isn’t it? How comfortable are you with the state of your business may be a more familiar question to entrepreneurs, but they really do go hand in hand. Never be uncomfortable about being YOU – it will keep you genuine.

However, if you are too content in the state you are presently in, you’ll cease to grow – and when you cease to grow, you die.

Turning the Corner without Hitting a Wall

August 3, 2012 by channa Leave a Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

The job market is not what it used to be. In fact, more and more of us find ourselves forced to make a career change these days and in our search for paying work, turning the corner can often mean hitting a wall. If you have had to “make some adjustments” in your life-style due to a decrease or loss in income, take a look – deep inside you – and ask yourself the following questions:

What was so good about my former job?
What would I choose to do if I could do whatever I wanted to earn a living?
What do I know, what experience do I possess that others do not – and are needing?
What would it mean to me to be able to set my own hours?
How can I stop searching for a ‘niche’ and create one instead? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, CMBS Global, Marketing, Niche Market · Tagged With: business, career change, CMBS Global, Entrepreneurs, job market, job search, Kendra Prospero, Turning The Corner LLC

Why Humility Is Not a Weakness in Business

July 30, 2012 by channa Leave a Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

How do you tell your market that you are the best – that you offer outstanding products and services and are the answer to their needs – without appearing arrogant? Why is humility strength, not a weakness, when you’ve heard that ‘bold is gold’?

In business, we have all been told how necessary it is to be bold, to find a way to stand out in our market and shine…and rightly so. But consider the 10-carat diamond that screams under the jewelry case spot light, demanding attention, versus the lovely little light-catcher that sparkles with an unmistakable, yet authentic fire – even in the average light of any given day. Often, the bigger the rock, the easier it is to question whether (or not) it is actually genuine. However, the authenticity of the smaller gem usually goes unquestioned.

I once purchased a ring that screamed to me from the jewelry showcase of a large retailer – only to step outside into the direct light of day and see no sparkle, only the flaws in the stone. I turned right around and went back inside for a refund. I later purchased a smaller setting from a jeweler with whom my husband had a satisfying experience and though not flawless, it sparkles and captures the attention of all who see it…the results are authentically consistent. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Business Relationships, Marketing · Tagged With: business relationships, CMBS Global, destructive relationships, difficult relationships, Entrepreneurs, Leslie Vernick, relationship coach, success

Message Matters – Change What and Who You Allow to Influence Your Life and Business

July 23, 2012 by channa 2 Comments

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

Who do you listen to? What governs the decisions you make? Your life and your business are intertwined and reflective of one another, so the message matters. What and who you allow to influence you is reflected in how you live and do business.

When the message is one that creates fear or a false sense of urgency – when it acts much like a cancer and spreads within the market we serve, stirring up a frenzy to do it NOW or don’t think just act – it should be a concern to those of us who truly care about our profession and want the best for our clients and customers.

Remember the story of the boy who cried, “Wolf!” once too often? When the wolf actually showed up – no one bothered to come to the boy’s aid…they were indifferent to his actions and words because he had basically repeatedly lied to them before. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Communication, Marketing, Online Marketing · Tagged With: CMBS Global, Entrepreneurs, marketing, message, profit

The Measure of a Genuine Leader is Meaningful Change

July 20, 2012 by channa Leave a Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

Dr. Christina Schlachter, known as The Leading Change Expert, recently wrote the following about genuine leadership: “A credible leader is genuine, does what they say they are going to do, and truly wants the organization (not some political agenda) to be successful.”

As a business owner, there can be many reasons to want things to be run your way when it comes to the enterprise you have created, but there are many more reasons why demanding your own way can be the wrong way to lead. As Dr. Schlachter implies, self-serving leadership seldom leads to meaningful change.

Experience, Knowledge and Understanding: Wise leadership realizes that, unless you know everything, you will always benefit from the input of others. While having an original idea is important – a lack of experience and history with something can be dangerous. Real leaders give themselves the luxury of surrounding themselves with experienced and knowledgeable people, hearing from those who possess a variety of viewpoints and a wealth of understanding, before taking action. “Being right” is rarely as beneficial as “Being Effective” and leaders who can “stand to be corrected” will never stand for anything less than what is right. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, CMBS Global, Leadership · Tagged With: CMBS Global, Dr. Christina Schlachter, Entrepreneurs, genuine leader, Leading Change Expert

Eating Your Losses Is Not A Healthy Business Diet

July 18, 2012 by channa Leave a Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

Healthy is as healthy does. Healthy choices made in life, as well as in business, will generally produce greater rates of success. In today’s world of health conscious efforts and fitness routines, it goes without saying that by consistently ‘eating your losses’ you are not practicing a healthy business diet.

Expecting healthy results in business without having the proper product, service, marketing and follow-up on the menu is like eating at McDonald’s three times a day – every day – and expecting your health to steadily improve over time.

Just as advancements in medicine have provided us alternatives for health-care, today’s technology continues to provide the entrepreneur with a vast array of choices to maintain the health of his or her business. No longer is there only one way of providing service to customers. Gone are the days of waiting in line and hoping for an answer to phone calls. Messages are received nearly anywhere, at any hour of the day or night, via various devices – providing information and answers to questions virtually at the speed of light. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Business Success, CMBS Global · Tagged With: Becoming Whole, business, CMBS Global, Entrepreneurs, healthy choices, healthy diet, Meg Wolff

Three Essentials for Starting an Online Business: Purpose, Promise, Performance

July 16, 2012 by channa 1 Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

What an exciting time! You are about to start an online business and you want the world to know that YOU are here and ready to launch! So…do you know the essentials for starting an online business – are you confident that you have covered all the bases?

While the Internet has made it easy enough to set up shop, it can also be an anxious time right before you are about to plug in the “open” sign. But, beyond creating a successful business plan – what else have you done to ensure your success online? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Business Failure, CMBS Global · Tagged With: business goals, business practices, CMBS Global, Entrepreneurs, start-ups, success

What Are You Afraid Of? How You Can Easily Scare Yourself to Death in Business!

July 4, 2012 by channa Leave a Comment

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/Director of PMR/CMBS Global

As an entrepreneur, what are you most afraid of? Are you ensuring your business an early death because of how easily you can scare yourself into believing things that only keep you from success? Many times, we are most afraid of what we tell ourselves. Here’s how you can know:

Afraid to speak to an audience?
Afraid to ask for the sale?
Afraid to make the cold call?
Afraid of rejection?
Afraid of what people will think of you?
All of the above … AND MORE?

You may be very sure of your ideas and your services. You may really believe in the entire package that you are offering your clients, but you may be presenting yourself as anything but confident when it comes to your approach and interaction.

Imagine for just a minute that you are in an emergency situation and in need of help. Just at the right moment, a First Responder comes on the scene. The First Responder is dressed in the appropriate uniform, wearing the proper identification, even armed with an array of tools that suggest he or she is on duty and ready and able to assist you. BUT, instead of doing so, they just stand there. You are looking at them, they are looking at you – but they fail to say a word and never offer you their help. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, CMBS Global · Tagged With: CMBS Global, Entrepreneurs, fear, rejection