Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to ask for help

Asking for help: in today's "I can do it myself" world, we often have a hard time admitting that we can't do it all. It makes us feel less competent, less intelligent and less useful. However, I argue that asking for help not only makes us the opposite of those three, but it actually allows us to increase our marketability, customer service skills, and knowledge base.

As the saying goes: "The older I get, the more I realize how little I know." In this information-driven age, have we somehow forgotten this? Or, have we determined that - with so much information available at the touch of a button - we don't need anyone's help except our own? Have we become so independent that we're affecting not only our relationships, but also our businesses?

Marketing materials are a great example of the do-it-yourself mentality that can ruin a business. Today, we have online printing companies that can help you create a (somewhat customized logo), collateral materials, and business cards. Web services make it possible for you to register a domain name, upload your logo and photos onto template (again, somewhat customizable) pages, and immediately have a web presence. Blogs and social media sites allow you to deliver information to your potential clients, colleagues and business associates. You can do it all! Or can you?

I know that I can't, and I'm quite savvy about most of that stuff. My website, which I've attempted to create myself, is atrocious. Yes, I admit it! I don't like it and I feel that it conveys the wrong image about my company. My logo: well, it's allright, but a professional would have done a better job, and I'll most likely change it in the future. My collateral materials: they're acceptable for now, but they have the potential to be so much more AND by being so much more, help me market my brand in a more efficient and visually-pleasing manner. Finally, the content on all of these is average, since I've devoted so much more time on working on others' communication materials than on my own; I'm my worst client! So, what have I learned from this experience? I need others...very, very much.

Fortunately, I am now partnering with a terrific branding expert and designer who is revamping my site (look for an upcoming blog about my own "branding consultation session" -- it was an eye-opener!). I have relationships with those in the printing business who will develop brochures and other collateral materials that I find worthy of my company and my image. And, I can hire a social media expert to keep me current regarding Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, various other sites, and SEO optimization. With all these people working with me to fulfill my business branding goals, my company will certainly have a more professional, polished look and will, undoubtedly, garner more customer and media attention.

Finally, I have the world's best business consultant who gives me sage advice, snaps me into reality regarding market potential, pricing, and customer relations, and assists me with all financial matters. This, especially, is something that I could not do myself. Or - at the very least - I could not do it efficiently, effectively or (most likely) correctly.

So learn that there is still so much more that you have to learn and refuse to do it all yourself. You're probably not a highly skilled writer, graphic designer, programmer, social media expert, financial consultant, and branding expert. Focus your time and energy on what you know best: your business. You, your customers AND your bottom line will benefit from it.

Talk, talk, talk

It's a very simple concept: tell everyone you meet about what you do. Now, I'm not suggesting that you go around boring complete strangers with endless information about yourself. However, it never hurts (under the right circumstances) to drop a few hints here and there regarding your job, service, product, etc.

One of these things is likely to happen:

1. You'll be ignored. That's okay. It's not the end of the world. Maybe the person didn't ignore you, but simply didn't want to talk to you at that moment. But, at least he or she probably heard what you had to say and that person may contact you when you least expect it.
2. You'll be told "no." Well, we've all been told "no" at some point in our lives. It's not a big deal. After all, not everyone will be interested in what you have to offer.
3. You'll be lied to and the person will tell you that he is interested, when - in fact - he's not. We're all guilty of doing that, so we can't really blame him. If you say you've never done this, then you're lying right now.
4. A person you're NOT speaking to will overhear the conversation and be interested. Your next, and perhaps even best, customer may be a couple of feet away.
5. The person you're talking to will sincerely be interested in your product or service and will want to know more. That's when you go into "sales mode." But don't be too sales-y or the person will get turned off thinking that you were doing a sales schtick all along.
6. The person you're talking to will like what you have to offer, but may not be able to use your product or service. However, she'll give you the names and contact info for others who are ideal customers. Leads, leads, leads...I'm guessing that it's a salesperson's second-favorite word, right after, "sold!"

Naturally, there are other scenarios and various outcomes, but more than likely, these are the situations that you'll face. None sounds too frightening, and all have the potential to gain exposure, find a new customer, or make a sale. So go on, and talk, talk, talk...

Selling Girl Scout Cookies: Why the 5 W’s and the H are the keys to any successful sales pitch.

My daughter, a Girl Scout, was gearing up for their yearly cookie sale. Her goal was to sell 200 boxes. It was an ambitious – but attainable – goal. The door-to-door sales period started in mid-January and, before taking her around the neighborhood, I asked that she practice her sales pitch. After all, she wasn’t the only Girl Scout in the area; therefore, she needed a great pitch in order to beat the competition.

I told her to go work on what she was going to say when a potential customer opened the door. After about 20 minutes, I checked on her progress. Assuming that the pitch was good to go, I thought we’d head out the door that day and start the selling marathon. Boy, was I wrong.

To ensure that the pitch covered all the basics, I asked for a demonstration. Happily, my daughter began telling me all about herself, how cookies are delicious, how the potential customer should really buy a few boxes, and on and on and on. Stopping her after a few minutes of sweet, but totally useless information, I reminded her that she had left out the essential information: the five W’s and the H.

The what???

The 5 W’s and the H, I explained, are the basis for all sales pitches (and news articles, for that matter). The letters stand for who, what, when, where, why and how. In the case of the cookie sales pitch, my daughter needed to tell her potential customers the following – and only the following – information:

• Who: who she is (first name only), the fact that she’s a Girl Scout, and her troop number. The “who” must be limited information, per Scouting rules.
• What: what she is selling. Cookies, yes. But, what kind of cookies? How much does each box cost? What is her favorite flavor? Know your product! Also, what is she trying to accomplish by selling the cookies? What’s her goal (for example)? “What” can have several meanings. Think of several “whats” that may be asked and be prepared to answer each.
• When: how long is the pre-sale period? When should customers who are kind enough to pre-order expect their cookies to arrive? Will cookies be available again after the pre-sale period?
• Where: where will customers be able to get their cookies? Will they be delivered to their homes or offices, or do they have to pick them up somewhere? Where else will the cookies be available (booths, at-home sales, etc.)?
• Why: why should they buy them from her instead of another Scout in the neighborhood? Why should they buy cookies, period? Why should they support the Scouts? Why are cookie sales important? I could go on and on…
• How: how does the pre-sale process work? How does she plan on reaching her goal? How do the Girl Scouts work?

After a little coaching (and a lot of groans, moans and resistance), my daughter finally had answers to the 5 W’s and the H. Ironically, the pitch was only used a couple of times due to inclement weather during the pre-sale period, but at least she learned a couple of valuable sales lessons: don’t ever assume that you are going to make the sale and never assume that the customer knows what you know. Brief, thorough information is the key to a winning sales pitch.