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They quibble our fees!

Over on the Insiders I had this question asked. As a business and life coach with extensive experience of what makes us busy business women tick and how to use that to achieve more. I wanted to give you some ideas so you can confidently say “this is our price!” without feeling like you are being greedy or risking business. Let me know how you get on.

The phone rings and you do the happy dance because out of the blue someone wants what you do. Great feeling isn’t it?

(Well okay not out of the blue if you are an Insider or one of my client’s you know it’s about the branding, the vision, the mission, the marketing, the ethos and then it’s about the products and services and a ton of other things too (especially the actions and mindset!)

The point is, this is what business is about. Getting the sales.

You then discuss their needs – ensure you utilise that information in your follow up conversations and communications (top tip!) and get a proposal over to them.

 

 

They say “great, lets’ do this.” And you get the purchase order arranged, a date in the diary and it’s all systems go. Except…

Then you get the message. “Just wanted to check if;

• It’s okay that our secretary sits in this too. I know we only booked for myself and my business development manager but that’s okay right?
• You could also just have a quick look at so and so, it probably doesn’t need a lot doing, but if you could just…
• It will be okay for you to give us some advice on X too, we think we are pretty much there, but if you could cast your eyes over it would be great.

The list of “Can you just’s” is long and it is often so subtle that you find yourself thinking things like;

• “Well we are there any way.”
• “What’s the big deal if other members of the team sit on in this?”
• “They are going to love us all the more if we over deliver on this!”

And that’s the point, you are so intent on doing your best, delivering to the very best of your ability that you miss that you are now working for free.

The problem is that while you may recognise these statements, there are probably subtle ones going on right now in your business that you give in to. And by doing that you could be;

• Reducing your profit margins.
• Reducing your money making hours.
• Overworking for some and neglecting other clients.
• Causing unnecessary stress.
• Not having enough hours to work on your business.
• Not the hours to take on new customers.

And that’s just a few of the issues I see arise from coaching clients because they are really nice business owners who give too much.

So we know what’s going on, but how do you fix it?

Here’s a few ideas to get you started….

With new customers and regular ones you are never going to turn into a Highway Cowboy robber and start shouting “Give us ya money!” are you? However in your head you may well be thinking, this just is not viable for us. Is this a loss leader or is this damaging our success? And ultimately what you want Is more money, however you never need to say this. Ever.

Often before I help clients find new markets and more customers I help them look at the calibre of clients they already have. And if we discover they aren’t fitting into the business model of the company then we do something about it. Ultimately what happens is the business owner either renegotiates with their current customers because their prices probably haven’t gone up in 4 to 8 years (and yet their costs have so their profit margins have suffered!) or they explain what will be tangible moving forward. Rarely have I seen a client lose business, if anything their customers are loyal, love working with my clients and are keen to ensure it’s a fair relationship so fees go up. And if they do lose clients, it’s a real relief to get rid of the customer that was sucking them dry. (This also makes room for more great customers that do pay a fair price for an awesome job. So first things, first – know your numbers;

• What is tangible?
• What is sustainable?

If  you are an Insiders check out my Profit calculator so you can ask yourself “If I was working the maximum hours with fee paying clients would I be making the profit margin I want AND have the life and business I want?”

When you know you have the right customers It’s never about saying give us more money. It’s about analysing their needs, understanding their budget and working out where that can meet. It’s great to show you care and give more, however if giving more becomes you reverting to the negative observations above then you’ve given too much. Learn to communicate in a powerful way. What words do your customers love to hear, what words feel your customers with dread(sometimes they can be very powerful in your negotiations – for instance if you customers hate the costs associated with rehiring staff and that means they feel stressed out trying to find the right staff and then there’s the hassle of training them, and will they stay, etc – if you only talk about ensuring you hire the right staff can increase profit margins, you are aren’t talking about the deep down real issue to the business owner (who obviously wants to make more money) the real issue is the grief, stress and sleepless nights its going to personally cause them too. Including the positive and the negative in the right quantities really helps you communicate with power. I find coaching style questions taught to my clients can help them find these answers and really understand the needs of their customers while still ensuring your needs are met.

A great question to ask is “What is your budget?” For me I say I can cater for most budgets (you will see why in a later top tip) however this makes it clear that you are not going to give them the moon on the stick but that you still will do all you can for them. Remember these words “We are a business, not a charity”. (That works well for many of my clients!)

A big area that many business owners get themselves in a pickle is around price. The business owner is thinking “We need to make £X an hour” and the client has their own agenda. With these 2 thoughts bought together you get one price. However the interesting bit is how one photographer/coach/Copywriter/baker charges ££ and another charges £££££ – how is that possible? Because the ones charging a great rate and attracting awesome customers doesn’t use the above equation to work out their rates, they work on value. For instance, take my job. I charge £175 per hour. Do I then charge £175 to work with me for the day? No, how is that possible? Because if I’ve got 12 people working with me in a room for the day that in theory is £1400. However what is that day worth to the individual? To the company?

If you start to consider this then you can see there is a very different equation at work here. Don’t charge people according to what it costs you an hour, charge people according to the value they will tangibly get from their time with you. For instance if I work with 12 people and reduce stress in the office every day, help them to increase productivity, work smarter and increase profit, that’s worth a lot of money to that company. And while I’m not going to charge them the full value of that, I will charge a fair fee. It’s far easier to do this when you see the true value you bring. A word of caution here – don’t get wishy washy about it. Be real. Be honest. Making people happy or making something that’s pretty maybe nice but what is the tangible result of that?

Still struggling to communicate powerfully “this is our price”? Take just 4 minutes to total how much you’ve spent on your career – the training, studying, research, books, resources. Now add the cost of your office costs, commute costs, etc. Factor all of these in and you start to see that your rate is far more than just fair. Your experience, investment in training, knowledge, staying up to date and cutting edge – rarely do  I see an hourly rate that reflects this. Even if you don’t increase your rates to reflect this in its entirety knowing this information usually ensures  you’ve no issue in increasing your rates by some percentage.

Remember if you can’t value your time then why should  your customers?

If someone really doesn’t have the budget (and this is something I see) then how could you still help them? A few years ago I realised there were a lot of people I’d love to help however they just weren’t in the position to invest in my coaching (although funny, how we justify somethings but not others? If you’ve got potential clients who quibble your fees but have perfectly manicured nails, drive a new car and have perfect hair that is freshly styled at the salon, it is possible it’s not that they can’t afford it, it’s more than likely that they don’t see the value or feel it will work for them so either change your marketing or stop chasing the wrong type of potential clients.) As a result of wanting to help more people I set up the Insiders, my online courses and books. I’ve been told I could charge double for the Insiders and they’d still pay and I could charge 400% more for my courses and they’ve have still bought them. Will I put the prices up? No, because its part of my mission statement and ethos to be accessible to all that want help. So if someone doesn’t have the budget and you are tempted to give it away, how could you help them and honour your business?

Automated courses, books, group sessions are a great way of helping more people without damaging your ability to make a profit, not kill yourself off and achieve what you want to personally and professionally.

Some people will always try and get free. They will corner you at events, ask questions on line and even phone you for advice, will they ever spend money with you? No. These people don’t even realise they are doing it, however you need to be able to spot these people and maintain your integrity but ensure they don’t sap your business dry. My saying may help;

If you want V.I.P then you need to pay, if not you can still get some in the cheap seats – VIP or Cheap seats? Their call.

Remember when you attract the right customers they expect to pay for your services. They aren’t trying to get something for nothing. They will negotiate with respect and turn up with some idea of budget. And if you find yourself constantly dealing with price quibblers, maybe ask yourself how is our marketing communicating to people? And that’s an article for another day or head over to The Insiders to continue this conversation and get more ideas.

If you want to keep up to date with me you can access all of my social media via my site here. And I’ve not added any links to my books or courses so you know that this is just me overdelivering to those are care most about. xxx

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Insiders May Discount Codes – MH Courses

I want to be able to be there when and how you need.

To build your confidence, increase your sales, grow your profit margin, enable you to have an awesome work life balance, achieve what you wish, overcome your fears and be genuinely happy. (Is there something I’m missing? Do let me know.)

That is why I’m giving you these courses for £5 in May. 

(And because I’ve added a plug in that enables me to get reviews and I’d like some!)
Your review doesn’t need to be 5 stars “love it!” Just honest.

I don’t do discounts and I don’t do offers because I work with the people I love, at a fair price and deliver with every fibre of my being, so there’s no need to discount – a little top tip to ask yourself if free/discounts/and offers are working for you?

I’ve been told off by so many business women that my courses are far too cheap – yes that dangerous word!

Even my coach kicked my butt and questioned “What are you playing at?” The reason they are low cost is because I know this stuff works and I want to be there for everyone. And I can’t physically coach everyone can I?

It’s my mission, my passion and my happiness to help you – so do let me know how you get on.

(And ask yourself if you are working on the things that you are passionate with a clear mission and that bring you happiness – the reason I ask this because if you are not it can be very hard to stay motivated, to sell well and increase profit – So another tip to ask yourself.

ACTION; On the Insiders Facebook page you can post additional support requirements, research ideas and questions on the Insiders page and feel free to tag me so that I can assist further.

And if you are attending The BWN I’m more than happy to sit and have a chat before or after the event.

Insiders Fiver Course Codes

I do ask that you do not share the discount codes and don’t forget they run out on the 31st of May 2019.

See which courses you’d like to take here

 

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Overcoming sales stigma for the small business owner

The latest business owner to purchase a Golden Ticket for a year of networking with us at our Stunning Ickworth House, Suffolk events is Jacky Ling from the Business Growth Landscaper. Here Jacky shares some ideas for you.

“When we talk about sales stigma, we are referring to the perception that selling is somehow sleazy, and those who sell are untrustworthy, overbearing, misleading and pushy individuals. For the majority of small business owners this is generally their perception, and is definitely NOT how they wish to be perceived by their marketplace.

Here is the thing, sales stigma is not exclusive to the small business owner, in fact it has been around forever and a day, it is everywhere, you only have to google sales stigma and you will see many articles going back 10 years and more addressing this issue. Sales stigma in direct selling, the stigma of commission selling, stigma in pharmaceutical sales, and so on. Sales stigma is firmly entrenched in big business across all sectors from finance through to science and technology.

The reason of course is unprofessional, and unethical selling, which the what and why for is a blog series all of its own!

For a very long time now there has been great efforts to position sales as a quality profession to pursue. From recognised qualifications to be gained, through to professional associations such as Association of Professional Sales and the Institute of Sales Management whose members agree to an ethical code of conduct. Including trying to create a culture of continuous professional development.

So how does this help the small business owner?

Well it doesn’t specifically other than help to see the bigger picture. I do believe however that there is a bit of a sales evolution going on and has been for a quite sometime now, and that it is this evolution that the small business owner can both benefit, and drive. Small businesses especially micro businesses and sole traders, tend to be the ones who make the product or deliver the service personally, we are much closer to our customer base, have strong relationships with them, and we really care, we tend to see what we do more as a service to our customers, we are driven by a desire to help, guide and or teach. This is our WHY, and for me, somebody who has been in sales pretty much all her life, (30 + years and counting!) this is what selling is really all about.

I also know that as buyers we are much more knowledgeable, and technology has provided us with the tools we need to be able to research products and suppliers. It is us as the buyer who drives the sales cycle in the 21^st century.

I know it isn’t always as easy or straight forward as just telling you to ‘just do it’, go on crack on and get selling. I know that you all without exception understand that the ability to sell your product or service is the one defining factor that dictates whether your business succeeds or not.

I also know if you are struggling with negative beliefs that are affecting your ability to sell what you make or do, it is something that I can help you resolve quickly and painlessly.

Meanwhile here are four things for you to do that will get you selling:

• Do you know who your market is? Their buying process, criteria, how they make their buying decisions? Find out then align your sales cycle with their buying cycle.
• Know the need you fulfil, and make sure you do fulfil it!
• Keep talking to your customers, long after they have purchased something from you.
• The one action you should do that would differentiate you from others is follow up. Yes follow up those leads, because that is what the vast majority don’t do!!

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Looking For Creative Inspiration – How To Find It!

I know that for Insiders the issue of coming up with great content and what to write comes up a lot. Have you ever found yourself sat in front of the screen and thought “I’ve got 2 hours to come up with the content here, why can’t I think of anything?”

Or

“I only need to think of the name for this and I can crack on, why won’t my brain work!”

Or

“Aaaaa I haven’t got a single good idea in my head!”

If you have faced any of these scenarios you will know how frustrating it is. You’ve made some space in your mega busy diary to get creative and move your business forward but your brain won’t help and before you know it you’ve commented on someone’s Facebook video of a cute dog and not wrote a single word!

But you know that right? And so you end up getting more and more frustrated, staring at the minutes wasted away and worry some more. So how can you overcome writers’ block and come up with the great ideas?

1. Stop panicking and looking at the clock and worrying about how much time you’ve wasted. It makes you worry more. It clags up your busy brain with negative emotions which further shut down your brain to be able to think productively. If you have been at it for more than 10 minutes and achieved nothing, walk away from the location you are in for 10 minutes. Do some filing (you know you never get round to it!) phone that person you were going to just email, check your to do list for the day/week. Get your brain concentrating on something else, and let it do that for at least 10 minutes. Studies show that working on something else creates mental space. Basically your brain is shouting “I know you need the answers, give me 10 minutes and I will keep hunting okay!” Have you ever struggled to remember someone’s name only for it to come to you in the middle of the night or randomly when you are doing something else? Your brain doesn’t stop looking for the answers you want, but it does need the time to process the request.
2. Grab a pen and paper (this is ideal for the way it makes your brain work) and list every possible idea you have already come up with. They can be the obvious ones that you have dismissed, the stupid ones, the unrealistic ones, the unaffordable ones. Write them all down. If you have 2 pages of A4 paper filled then you are letting your mind think freely. It’s highly likely the first few that you come up with you will dismiss but the longer you write the more likely you are to come up with content you know your readers will love!
3. Don’t dismiss anything, write it all down. And not just ideas. Random words. Random thoughts that you have no idea how it could become an article or a series of posts. Just get it down. We so often dismiss thoughts without fully exploring the answers they are trying to provide.
4. Not one for lists? Draw a picture, use a mind map, cut pictures out of a magazine and create a mood board. Allow your creative juices to flow in a way that works for you, but keep it visual. This in itself could make a great article. Remember not all content is the written word, it could be a short video of you sharing how you come up with your ideas and what you will be talking about in the coming months thanks to your mood board.
5. Ask others. Friends and relatives are not the best people to ask for ideas from. They love and adore you and have their own agenda and viewpoint already. As I always say your Nan loves you so whatever you come up with she will say “That’s nice darling.” So ask yourself who would be good to ask? Get along to a network like The Business Womans Network. Share your thoughts on social media groups where you feel you will get useful feedback. Ask us, Insiders. Create a focus group – that’s basically a neutral place where you invite some people along to share their views. I tend to give a free half hour session to say thank you, make sure there are goodies in the middle of the room and lots of beverages! Takes up about 2 hours.
6. Think of one client. The one that said “xxx” how were they feeling, what were the issues they told you about? How did they find you? What were they scared of? What were they looking forward to? Thinking of one client can create enough ideas for the list in Top tip 2 for months!
7. Research online, don’t steal other people’s ideas and creativity, however, it’s a great way to see what other people do and to helps you understand your creative needs.
8. What worked in the past? This won’t be the first time you have felt stuck. What helped in the past? How could you recreate that environment to get the results you want?
9. CTA. Call to Action. Ask people what do they want you to write about. Make sure they know they can ask you confidentially and you will let them get access to it and that no one will ever know you wrote that just for them.
10. Years ago everyone wanted short blogs. Now I’m asked to write longer and longer blogs. In fact the one that had 40,000 views in less than a month was 1800 words! I would still say that at the start if you have no audience keep them short, keep them top tip format, short and snappy and easy to read. As you gain a following them write longer articles and more in depth content.
11. Structure –  A bit like the essay’s we hated as students! You want to explain what you are going to cover, why you are covering it, what you can expect if you don’t do it and if you do the results you could get. Then layout in easy short paragraphs the top tips and finish with a recap and a this is what you should see conclusion. A call to action like “let me know how you get on” or “what would you like me to cover next?” can get the conversation going. And remember your blogs are there forever, keep it relevant. I get people sending me messages to work with me from blog articles that are 5 years old.

It’s commendable to sit at your desk for hours looking to get your business seen and loved. But with some things in life it’s better to lean on others and find experts to help you get where you want to go. Just because you know what your dentist is doing you wouldn’t start sticking appliances in your mouth and doing it yourself, would you?

Sometimes it’s a good idea to outsource what is really challenging you. If you are finding this is consuming your precious time, it’s time to ask yourself how can I get the results I need faster? But remember even if you outsource it you are still going to have to tell that VA, PR company, copywriter or marketing company the following;

Who am I speaking to?

What do I want them to do?

What results do I want to get?

What do I want them to learn?

What matters to my target audience (s)?

How often do they want to hear from me?

Hope this helps. This is a confidential article for Insiders only. Please do not share this content. However please do share on the Insiders Facebook page how it helps, what you need next and your articles for us to read and review too.

 

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How to create a successful YouTube Channel

Elene Marsden rocked it at our Marks Tey Hotel event in Colchester this January with 50+ business women left wanting more. And 2 lucky business women will be featuring in Elene’s YouTube TV Show very soon. Well done Melanie Winning and Sandra Sparrowhawk! Sandra will be presenting a 10 minute how to use scarves to make a statement and Melanie (award winninng Make Up Artist) will be sharing how to create the Audrey Hepburn look!

(Well done ladies and we look forward to seeing more!)

Elene loves the BWN so much, that Elene has signed up to be a member too! Here Elene shares how to create a successful YouTube Channel, thank you Elene!

With over 1 billion users on YouTube and viewers spending on average 40 minutes a day watching videos, isn’t it time you looked at using YouTube in your business?

What are the benefits?

• Educate customers and prospects
• Entertain your viewers
• Demonstrate your professionalism
• Be a leader in your field and inspire others

Once you decide to use YouTube you’ll need to create your own channel. Follow this link to set things up https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1646861?hl=en-GB

It’s also important to set goals, e.g. how many subscribers do you want, by when?

Follow these steps once you’ve created your YouTube channel

• Fill out the About section
• Upload channel art
• Add social and blog links

Creating the channel art can be tricky, here’s a link to create a template using the correct dimensions

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2972003?hl=en-GB

Now it’s time to OPTIMISE YOUR CHANNEL

• Add a channel trailer
• Add sections
• Consider using Featured Channels
• Create playlists

Divide your own content into playlists and also create playlists using videos that you’ve curated from other channels that complement your own content.

Follow these steps to upload your videos to YouTube

• Edit video before uploading
• Add title
• Add description
• Include links to websites and other videos
• Add keywords
• Watch and like your own video
• Share on social media

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our Preloved Chica Channel where you’ll see these recommendations being put into practice

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBZVyOE7BSpCFaBkoRJDoVg

Best Wishes

“Share our Passion for Fashion.”

www.prelovedchica.com

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How To Get The Most Out Of Exhibiting With Us

Spending £25 on a stand to exhibit your products and services at one of our events is not going to break the bank, however we want to share ways to help you really maximise on exhibiting with us. Here is our quick top ten tips to help you get the more out of exhibiting;

1. Know why you are exhibiting. Yes you want people to buy from you, but what else? Signing up to your newsletter? Getting to know you on social media? What actions do you want people to take? And don’t assume anything, if you want people to connect with you on social media, have a clear poster that gives a QR code and says “Use this QR code to keep in touch. (You can create your own QR codes easily, just Google it);

2.  Exhibiting is just that, a chance to create a shop front that enables people to see how you can help them. The full scope of what you do. Think about what are the assumptions that are made about what you do and ask yourself do we address them on our stand? Do we answer the “No’s” that people have? (A top tip here that by knowing and understanding the “No’s” that stop a sale, you can get them into your marketing to break down the No’s. Cool right?)

3. What are the big goals? Okay so you get them to sign up to get to know you on social media, they want to know more and sign up to your newsletter and email campaigns but what would the ultimate goals be? If you sell something what would the follow up purchase be? What else or how often do you want them to buy? Do you tell people about these opportunities when you exhibit?

4. Tell everyone! Okay so with The BWN you know we go out of our way to promote the fact that you are at our events, however it is not an assumption you can take the risk on taking. What warm leads do you have that you would love the chance to tell them more about what you do? What connections do you have that could also benefit from this event? By spreading the word this can help your event success in a number of ways; firstly you get to spread the word on the event to increase the foot fall, secondly you get the chance to remind people why you and how you invest in your business and the professionalism of your company and thirdly think how much the event organisers will love you for spreading the word. The next top tips share how to do this!

5. Share the link to the event you are exhibiting at on your social media. Include the organisers social media (ours is @BWNcouk in case you were wondering!) so that they too can spread the word on you, promote the event and raise yours and the events profile. The more people that know about the event, the more people know about you and your business.

6. Tell people in your next newsletter or email campaign. Writing a blog article? Add in there something like “If you would like to learn more I will be offering taster sessions/bringing this fabulous product to this event, and it would be great to see you there. Include a link. Remember marketing is about making it easy for people to get involved.

7. If you are networking, add it to your 60 seconds promo slot. The more people you can get to your stand to see what you do and how you help people, the better.

8. What do your guests get? So a freebie chocolate, free pen, pad or entry into a raffle may get you a smile out of a delegate, however if there are 20+ exhibitors in the room will you be remembered in a weeks time? What can you do to ensure people stay in touch? What about saying thank you or “Hi” on the coordinators social media. Getting in touch after the event. Remember to be consistent, relevant and non salesly. If you have attended an event its highly likely many will automatically have added your details to their data base. The epitome of salesly, no respect for your time attitude that can seriously risk your ability to create and nurture a new relationship that will enable business to happen, so what would work?

9. Think about the delegates event experience. By the time they get to your stand, they’ve been asked maybe 20 times “What do you do?” “What do you think of the event?” “Do you use X?” How can your stand have an impact? How can you ensure people walk away from your stand smiling and thinking “That was good!” rather than here we go again!

10. Don’t stand behind your stand. One of reasons you are exhibiting is so you can expand on the business card and 60 second promo slot so that people want to buy from you. To do that you want to build relationships either with people that don’ know you or who know you a little. A table is basically a physical barrier between you and the delegate. It can send a sub-conscious message to the brain that says you are unapproachable. When The BWN exhibit, we put the chairs to one side of our stand and encourage delegates to take a seat. Most women are in heels and guess how popular we are when we encourage people to have a seat and tell us about their business and how we may be able to help? By being on your delegates agenda and finding out how you can help them, you can really start a great relationship. And exhibiting is about creating a shop front that people want to stick around and learn more about and then buy. So from today to the event, make the journey into a sale a fun, enjoyable (and easy to achieve) one!

We hope you find these top tips helpful. There are lots more resources on our website under blog and reports and our founder Mandie Holgate‘s Website, who will be selling her books. Ooo did you see what we did there!

See you at Our Big Christmas Events this December!

 

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Ninja, Jayne Lloyd Photography at The BWN

If you are a regular at BWN events you will no doubt have seen me snapping away at the monthly meetings – I’m Jayne Lloyd, and for the last year I have had the pleasure of being the BWN Colchester’s official photographer.

I attend most BWN meetings and photograph the events in a discreet, documentary style.

I always try to capture the feel of the event so that people can get a real sense of what the meeting was like, as well as providing a record of the event for those who were there. After the meeting I process the images and add them to the BWN Facebook page, where each businesswoman is tagged.

It’s a great way to show your Facebook connections what you’re up to and keep the conversation going beyond the event itself, as well as being a great opportunity to add some professional photographs to your online marketing.

I’m really happy for attendees to use the watermarked web copies online – so if I take a shot you’d like to use as your profile picture I’d be delighted for you to do so! I just ask that you let me know, credit ‘Jayne Lloyd Photography’ and include a link and tag where possible.

As an extra bonus for regular BWN attendees, if you would like to use any of the images at high resolution for your marketing materials you can purchase the digital file for a special rate of £15 and use it for all your promotional needs. All the images from past events are available to view on my website, where you can order the files directly: www.jaynelloyd.co.uk/bwn

I look forward to continuing to work with the BWN and with all the fantastic businesswomen I meet at each event.

Do come and say hello, and if you’d like to connect in the meantime please feel free to add me on Twitter: @jaynelloyd,

Facebook: Facebook.com/JayneLloydPhotography,

Instagram: instagram.com/jayne_lloyd/ or email me at jayne@jaynelloyd.co.uk 

Jayne Lloyd is a freelance photographer based in Colchester, specialising in working with businesses and organisations to create images that communicate their brand visually.

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Granny said “Reach for the stars” So I did….

Here our international marketer and Media personality and master class presenter for our Five Lakes Crowne Plaza event speaks about her career, and why you shouldn’t miss this event!

“My grandmother use to say “Kubi, reach for the stars, and you might just get the moon”. I took her words literally, and as a child I couldn’t stop dreaming big. Before branding entered my life I was consumed with dance and it was only after suffering an injury to my knee that I changed direction.
Once they told me I could no longer be a semi-professional dancer, I figured, if I couldn’t be in-front of the camera, I would at least rule behind it!
Reach for the stars, and you might just get the moon…
Granny was right…here’s my portfolio;

So, by the time I was 21 years old I graduated with a BA Hons in Commerical Music & Marketing and secured two internships, the first was in the UK with MTV Europe and the second was with Blue Flame (Puff Daddy’s Marketing & Advertising Agency) in New York. Fast forward 19 years, Lord I am getting old 🙂 and I have developed an international career with a focus on consumer marketing and branding. Working across Entertainment, Fashion, Sports and Lifestyle brands my resume includes Nike, Blackberry, L’Oreal Professionnel, Justin Timberlake/Sony BMG, Manchester United Footballer Rio Ferdinand, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Sleek Hair, OHTV, MOBO Awards and the Sex & the City Movie Premier.

Today, I still have an international career but now I juggle it with being a mother to Angel, my very talkative 3 year old daughter. When I am not on mummy duties, I tend to be in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean or the Middle East, helping consumer brands to internationalise their proposition. Most recently I have been working in the Caribbean with Jamaica National Bank and Caribbean Fashion Week. This summer I am launching Malaysian Fashion House Mimpikita into the UK market, e-tailer DFNG into Africa and one of Asia’s biggest F&B (Food & Beverage) brands into the US market. I am a “money girl” and simply love helping my clients to commercialise their brands – to turn their ideas into a financially successful venture. Delivering brand audits, capacity building, strategic planning and brand deals, I can honestly say…I love my job.

As life would have it, 20 years after injuring my knee, I now have the best of both worlds as a Brand Consultant and Media Personality. Presenting and producing business related TV and radio shows has made me an award winning media personality, and it’s amazing because now instead of doing pierrette’s, I get to use the power of the media, to empower you!”

To say we are excited about Kubi speaking for us, would be an understatement, So spread the word, and lets rocket your success too!

www.shebuildsbrands.com

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Networking Success

How can it be that one business woman can walk into a room full of networkers and gain a new lead and an opportunity and another walks out despondent thinking “What did I do wrong?”

Personally I’ve walked into a new networking group that I’ve never attended before and gained a new client. I know that it is not about expecting that, that it is about building good relationships, growing your network to raise your profile, improve brand awareness and get known as the thought leader in your industry, so that when someone is ready to buy it is you they buy from. However it is not a one off that I’ve gained new business on my first visit to a networking event.

So here is my top tip guide as a sneaky peek to 2 of the speaking engagements I have at the BWN this Autumn. I like to keep my speaking engagements relevant, interactive and packed with real time solutions, so feel free to bring your questions for me to answer for you on the day.

• AIM – What is the aim of you being there networking on that day? Know in advance what you want to see happen. If you know this information you can ensure that is what you get into conversations, what is in your elevator pitch (even if you don’t know if they have that opportunity, prepare one anyway to get your mind focussed.)
• SELLING – It is not about selling at people.  Remember it is not about selling at people, its about sharing knowledge, being useful and being interested in other parties. Be the networker that people look forward to catching up with.
• FOLLOW UP – What is your follow up strategy? You need a clear follow up strategy. At our new Saturday North Essex event this September I will share with you in more detail what that looks like, however for now ask yourself “Do I have a follow up strategy and is it working?”
• ACTION – What action do you want people to take? As I like to say unless you are selling Ferrari’s for a £1 then it’s unlikely people will buy from you on the day. What action is it reasonable to assume that you could ask people to do?
• DON’T – Sign those new contacts up to your mailing list, manipulate the conversation, or throw business cards at people like you’re trying to create your own human wall paper. All of these things (and more) will not ingratiate you to new contacts and get you known for all the wrong reasons.
• EXPLAIN – Ensure you explain things simply. If you can’t then you risk the problem that other good networkers are not in a position to speak about your business at other events they attend as they get to know you. A major role of networking is that it enable you to grow your network, even if you are not in the room. The amount of times I’ve had a call from someone that starts with “I met Mrs X and she recommended I give you a call.” That is what you want to see happen. So that other people are marketing your business for you. And remember this can be powerful as long as it’s a win win relationship. And you are out there doing that for other networkers you meet too. To achieve this ask yourself “Can I simply explain what this person does?” “Do I know who this person would love to meet?”

And remember if you get the above right. If you come across in a genuine, useful and friendly way then people won’t let you fade from their minds. If you rearrange the above top tips the first letter of each word will spell the word Fades, and trust me that is the last thing you want to see happen that you fade from peoples minds. That would be a waste of your time and money and could jeopardise your business success, and who wants that?

I look forward to seeing you at our September line up of events. Check out our home page to see what is coming up in your area. Don’t see what you are looking for? Then let’s talk about bringing the BWN to your area and helping you to get paid to network.

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How To Get People Buying

As a business womans coach I’m often with a client who has fabulous products and services and yet for some reason people just aren’t buying from their business.

When I run Business Growth Training Programmes at some stage this question will come up and my Sales Mountain helps business owners ask questions like “How can I help people be more aware of our products and services?”

“People aren’t buying our products that really generate profit, how can I turn that around?”

So if you would like to increase sales at the top with the flag flying high for your business success and profit margin, ask yourself how do you get people buying at all levels?

Want more advice like this? I’m at every Essex BWN event and happy to talk about your business. You can also work with me from £8 here or invest £750 + VAT and become one of my Growth Accelerator clients. Learn more here.