First Word

I recently hit a lag in projects and work. I believe that when faced with business decline you don't spend any time focused on the "deficit" but on the "reboot". Business works that way -- it ebbs and flows. You have flush times and then you have dry times. The overall goal is to get it evened out, but it never seems to work quite that smoothly. When I worked in corporate one of the ideas I was taught is "outflow gets inflow" -- and I have found that to be true. If you're not marketing (outflow) and reaching out toward new projects you're not going to attract what you need to grow your business. Tip 1: change your business strategies . Reinvent or think outside of the proverbial box and be open to stretch into new areas. We tend to fall into routines or ways we attract business. That channel is likely to dry up over time, and that is natural. If a channel dries up then you have to look to new revenue streams and that may require some crea...

I took a meeting yesterday with a newbie freelance writer who picked my brain. She wanted to know what she should do to build her career. As I went through the marketing "requirements," I literally stumbled on what is the No. #1 business-building technique. Can you guess what it is? Networking . As I explained the key components to building a marketing platform, I kept emphasizing networking. And within that context, I emphasized relationship building vs. tossing a card at someone and then talking non-stop about your company. Here are two critical components to relationship-building: Listening -- don't talk non-stop about your company. The best thing you can do is become a great listener. People love to talk about themselves. When you meet a potential customer or client, open your ears, listen and respond appropriately. The person will tell you all you need to know and then look for ... How can I be of service ? Once you establish a rapport with a prospect, ask for...