What's Your Closing Statement?

"It is talent, not money, that drives the information economy. Talent inspires us as individuals, talent enriches the lives of the community. It's talent that allows us to tap into dreams and make them real." Unknown

The “Closing Statement” – Six Tips to come up with Yours

Sometimes called your USP or unique selling proposition, I like to refer to it as the closing statement. That little phrase that pays – that defines your company, your product, your service? The phrase that makes just the right client or customer stand up and take notice.

I call it a closing statement because if it works, it can close the sale, make your prospects buyers.

So what’s Your Closing Statement?” What sets you apart from all the whatahoozit manufacturers or consultants or companies in all the world (or at least your part of the world)? Are you having trouble trying to figure it out? Is the one you use not working for you. Perhaps you have not fully or clearly defined your market position.

Here are Six Tips to help you create or recreate your ‘closing statement.”

Get your team (employees, staff, assistants, partners) together – those folks whose business acumen and opinions you trust.

Put yourself in the shoes of your potential customer/client. What is it she or he wants from your service?

Make a list off the kinds of things these people might say about your products and services (that means YOUR products specifically, not your industry in general) including stereotypes, competitors, the global market.

Now take a look at the list from your own perspective. What makes your company different?
Choose those words, phrases and descriptors that you can claim as truly describing your company and distill them down to a single message that you can use.

Put it in writing – look at it for a while, make sure it is understandable and then test it out on your current customers, if it works, incorporate it into your marketing. If not, back to the drawing board.

When you have come up with the perfect “Closing Statement” for your company you will notice that the right clients and customers start showing up.


Heidi

Heidi Richards, Founder & CEO The WECAI Network™ - “Helping Women Do Business on and off the WEB™”
Check out our online magazine - WE Magazine for Women

Hero or Shero ... it's all the same!

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizenscan change the world;indeed it's the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead (1901-1978), American Anthropologist

During the Women's Writing and Publishing Summit, we got into a discussion of Heros and the difference between a hero and a shero. I made the bold statement that the word HERO really does cover it all and that we don't need two words to articulate what in essence means the same thing. While the classic definitions of hero often refer to the male gender, if you look at all things written hundreds of years ago, you will realize that the word "man" really refers to "mankind" and hero can be either a man or a woman.

Take a look at the word HERO and you will see what I mean. He-ro has the root of HE and Her-o has the root of HER. If you look at the word from that point of view then hero really does cover any person you can look up to. It could mean an historic figure or an everyday hero. Heros impact our lives every day by their words and actions towards us and others. A true hero is a person who comes through no matter what, who is there in good times and bad, who does "good" without any expectation of repayment.

Who are your heros? Who emulates your definite of the word? Who is there when you need her (or him)? For many of us it is our parents, our spouses, our children, our friends. It may be someone whom you have not met, do not know, and quite possibly will never meet, however you admire them, respect them and honor their presence in the world. People in the military, educators, public servants and business women and men. And so much more!

For me it is my husband Timmy Mooney, my daughters Jennifer and Suzannah, my father Jim, my son-in-law Henry, my grandchildren Devon and Madison, My brother Monty and his wife Michelle, my incredible staff, the members of the WECAI Network™, the men and women who are there when I ask for a favor. My list is too long to include here, hundreds of people who have come in and out of my life over the years. They may or may not know who they are. I do!

Here are some great sites about heros, everyday and otherwise which I suggest you visit.

Tired of all the bad "news that's fit to print"? Here's your alternative! HeroicStories are about everyday real people who step up to the challenge and help others when they are needed. They're not just about people who save lives or stop a crime. Our stories describe both large and small gestures, they're from all over the world, they're true and, most of all, they're interesting. (They're also short! No story is over 500 words.) Visit: http://www.heroicstories.com/

At Your True Hero you can tell your story about a true hero who means something to you. The site invites you share your hero's story with the world. You can help bring recognition to the unsung heroes who make a real difference in our lives. Everyone has a hero. Tell us about yours. Tell your story. Honor your true hero. All for free. http://www.yourtruehero.org/

Check out My Hero.com - Their mission is to enlighten and inspire people of all ages with an ever-growing internet archive of hero stories from around the world. Now more than ever, children, teachers, and parents yearn for messages of hope and courage to face the challenges that lie ahead. The MY HERO web site hosts thousands of stories of remarkable individuals written by children and adults alike. These stories serve to remind us that we all have the potential to overcome great obstacles and achieve our dreams by following in the footsteps of our heroes. You can sign the guestbook and share your HERO with the world.

Also visit GoInside.com, Serving the Spirit of Humanity While Covering the Web of the World - http://www.goinside.com.


Wishing you a wonderful day filled with many people to look up to... and to whom many people look up!

Heidi

Networking is an Art, and You are the Artist – Four Tips for Success

"Position yourself as a center of influence - the one who knows the movers and shakers. People will respond to that, and you'll soon become what you project." Bob Burg

Too often people participate in what I call “drive-by networking.” In fact many people approach it from the “What can I get out of this conversation, contact, person, etc.?” You know them when you see them. They introduce themselves to you during an event, hand you their card (before you even have the chance to ask for it) they ask a favor, ask for a referral, ask you to pass around their resume, ask for free advice and then once the meeting is over they become a royal pain in the harass – because they call you to try and “sell you” what they have, even when you aren’t really interested. The business of networking is an art – it requires skill, forethought and what my mother used to call “class.”

Networking is about relationships and building those relationships takes time and effort. Michelangelo didn’t paint the Sistine Chapel in a day and it is unlikely you will establish a trusting, sharing relationship in a day either!

There are ways to work smart and enjoy the process of building those relationships. And you can learn to NETWORK SO NO ONE KNOWS YOU’RE DOING IT

Here are four tips to make sure your networking is working for you:

1. Add to your collage. The follow-through is like a piece of clay being molded into the form you envision. Follow up and follow through. If you meet someone, be sure to send a handwritten note, the article you promised them, or the contact name of someone who might be of benefit to them. Do it in a timely fashion. People will soon learn that you are someone they can count on. And will want to be a part of your own collage of friends.

2. Appreciate others as you would a beautiful painting. Make each person you meet feel as though he or she is the most important person in the world. Great networkers like people and it shows. It’s not just about what they can do for you, it’s about who they are. When you open your mind and your heart to people, you will be amazed at what opportunities are out there, just waiting for you.

3. Be the Masterpiece that you are. Confident people are like great works of art. People want to see them, be around them, even admire and emulate them. Confidence is the key to successful networking. If you are unsure about yourself or your product/service it will show. People like doing business with successful, confident people. That’s why the gal or guy with charisma makes the sale even when the product may be inferior. Keep in mind you’re part in the networking relationship. You too, have a lot to offer – your own gallery of friends and associates (contacts), your expertise and knowledge and your willingness to contribute to the relationship by sharing your circle and your knowledge.

4. Color outside the lines. Art comes in many forms. If everyone else is a painting, be sculpture. Find ways to stand out in the crowd. Be creative. If you feel you are just one of those people who doesn’t have any distinctive physical attributes, then do something about it! Be known as the woman (or guy) who wears a flower on her lapel, or the guy with the Stand-out ties. Wear a button that has a provocative saying (not risqué) so people can ask you about it. Create a style that’s memorable – people will start looking for you.

When you learn the Art of Networking you will meet interesting people, establish exceptional business contacts and walk in when new doors for you. Like any art, the contacts you make when you learn the art of networking increases in value over time.

Happy Networking!

Heidi

Did you know that you can join the The WECAI Network™ (http://www.wecai.org) for FREE?

Join at the BASIC level and see what all the excitement is about!

Masterminds & Trademarks .. A Powerful Combination

"The power of a Mastermind group goes beyond the simple exchange of ideas and information. The outcomes achieved by its members attests to the synergy that is constantly being created by the processing of those ideas as a group. You can use the mastermind principles to achieve goals in any area of your life." Heidi Richards

In late June, I mentioned a new network on RYZE that I recently had the privilege to lead. It is a network for Women and when I took it over changed the name to one I thought was fitting and available. What do I mean available?

Glad you asked! Apparently the name I chose was being used by another group who recently (about a month after I purchased the URL - during our redesign phase) applied for trademark. It never occured to me to apply for a trademark simply because my network on RYZE is free to members and because I had used the term before when I wrote an article on the topic of Masterminds and the title was "MastHERminding for success."

That was at least five or six years ago when I was involved in my third or fourth mastermind - it was with six other women and because I was describing my experience with an all-woman group, the title fit.

Trademarks are granted on a first use in commerce and based upon the time stamp of application (as well as many other factors). Since I am not using the word for monetary gain and did not make a claim to it, I am no longer able to use the name (and rightly so) since the other group who has "staked their claim" is using it on their site as a fee-based mastermind program for women.

When I got the letter from their attorney I immediately went to check our their claim and it appears to be an excellent program for women. As the owner of several Trademarks I know what is involved in applying and keeping a trademark. It isn's cheap, in terms of time or money. I don't have anything to gain by challenging their claim since I don't "charge" to belong. However, I did invest some money in the design of the network home page which will cost me to redesign.

The whole point is that if you plan to use a word or combination of words for anything you might later want to monetize or stake a claim to, be sure you do your due diligence beforehand and not go off "half excited" and create something you may later have to change (oftentimes at great expense). And if it is a great "new word" be sure and get it trademarked. You never know when someone will come along and claim it as their own.

We have since renamed our network and are calling it HER Mastermind Network. Feel free to check it out and if it appeals to you, JOIN! As of this posting we have 373 members and have grown tremendously in the past month. I am posting the network name here before we change it online so that we can have a time log of who used it first :)

BTW, in case you are uncertain how RYZE works, RYZE has 3 levels of membership - a free level and two tiers of paying memberships. If you are a paying member you can start your own network. And other RYZE members can sign up to belong to your group for free.

Feel free to comment on this post and share your thoughts about Trademarks.

Warmest regards,

Heidi

July 3rd is Eat Beans day, Compliment Your mirror Day... and more!

"History has repeatedly been changed by people who had the desire and the ability to transfer their convictions and emotions to their listeners." Dale Carnegie

Not sure how we can market our company on Eat Beans Day unless you host a contest to see who can eat the most beans (complete with prizes). Be sure and do this in an open area like a park, stadium or if you are going to the Daytona Firecracker 400 you could be ready when they hit the pits... :)

But seriously, using the calendar to market your company can have many advantages. The first being a starting point of what you want to capitalize on. Instead of coming up with ideas out of thin air, you could promote your products and services on someone else's ingenuity. For instance, did you know that yesterday was (July 2nd) Freedom from Fear of Speaking Day?

How many of you use Public Speaking to promote your business?

About 18 years ago I discovered this powerful tool to promote my business and not only did it help dramatically with my company's bottom line, it created a whole new business for me. I started out doing floral arrangments for local schools during career weeks, then became a speaker for women's groups and then started talking about marketing your business as an SBA Small Business Development Center Speaker ... and the list goes on.

In the past 3 years I have concentrated more in the online world of speaking however, still use speaking as a marketing tool locally (nationally and internationally too) whenever the opportunity presents itself.

If you are afraid of speaking in public, now would be an excellent time to check out your local Toastmasters Group or Dale Carnegie Course.

In part two I will share some tips to overcome the fear of public speaking.

Stay tuned...

Heidi

ps. For more calendar ideas, check out my online calendar at EdenFlorist.com