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How To Build a Million Dollar Company with a Successful Brand...From Scratch

Just how do you take an ordinary idea and turn into a multimillion dollar brand? Attend this open discussion will give you the insight that you’ve been looking for, so be ready to take notes (and have a question or two ready also!)

Terri Bowersock, Owner Terri’s Consign & Design Furnishings

Eileen Spitalny, CoOwner Fairytale Brownies

Kim Babjak, Owner KimCo and Consultant to QVC

Cynthia Drasler, Founder of Organic Excellence

Terri Bowersock opened up Terri’s Consign and Design Furnishings Inc. in 1979 with $2,000 loan from her grandmother, her own bedroom set and her mother’s living room furniture. Despite having the learning disability dyslexia, she grew the business to $36 million with 16 stores nationwide and an average store size of 20,000 square feet. Terri’s is the largest resale furniture retailer in the country. Terri is the author of 5 books, has received countless awards and has appeared on CNN and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Eileen Spitalny is co-founder and President of Fairytale Brownies.  She is a graduate of the University of Southern California.  She was named 2006 Small Businessperson of the Year by the Small Business Administration.

With no baking experience Eileen and her kindergarten classmate started Fairytale Brownies which has one of the largest catalog success stories in America and has been seen on the Food Network. They now bake and ship over 2.5 million brownies a year worldwide with help from their 32 employees (130 during holiday time) at their 25,000 square foot bakery in Tempe, Arizona

Cynthia Drasler worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 12 years, then she quit. She was grateful to be a stay-at-home Mom and during those years she read the drastic affects from toxic chemical additives in everyday products. So like any frustrated mother, she got in action. She founded Organic Excellence an organic, chemical free company selling cutting edge personal care products, which was started with a borrowed computer and pawn money. She turned it into a million dollar company and was sold September of 2008. She was awarded Time Magazine’s Mompreneur in 2005, and featured in Investor’s Business Daily shortly, Woman’s World Magazine, and The Arizona Republic. Cynthia is now retired (for now) enjoying hosting "Chemical Free Living" radio show.

Read full story [examiner.com]

Boldness Rules - Making Presentations that Stand Out

Business presentations often fail due to a fatal lack of boldness, according to communications expert Granville N. Toogood of Darien, Conn., author of the articulate executive. Because entrepreneurs must constantly persuade, sell and lead, they of all people need to know the secrets of clarity and forcefulness. Toogood underlines the point with a startling statistic: Audiences typically decide whether someone is worth listening to within eight seconds after he opens his mouth. Business leaders are quick draw decision makers too. Toogood describes riding up an elevator with two CEO's of chemical companies who hadn't seen each other in years. By the time they reached the 30th floor, they'd agreed to merge their corporations.

In a world that moves fast, success belongs to the bold. When they speak of publicly, most people are timid. They cover a meandering list of subjects, as if afraid of leaving something out. The result is disconnected, defensive and dull. Instead, make every word and idea in your speech point to a single inspiring idea, says Toogood. A schematic diagram of your talk should be shaped like a rocket, with the overarching idea as the warhead, and each subject and its illustrative examples pointing to it.
When it comes to showing slides, insecurity tempts many to throw too much information onto a screen which confuses and bores audiences. Instead, restrict your graphics to a few powerful ideas. Make one point at a time. What is worth presenting as an image? A business change; growth; disaster; a vision of what’s possible.

When creating your slides, cut the visual clutter. Your task it to dramatize movement – so strip off as many words, numbers, borders and line wiggles as you can. Use thick, simple lines and bold sweeping arrows. The secret to persuading others to follow you is to exercise dramatically the courage to say exactly what you mean.

Masterful Marketing – Donate a Prize, Giveaway or Auction Item

A tremendous way to generate some low cost exposure and publicity for your company is to offer a sample of your product or service to organizations such as a local Chamber of Commerce.

Most chamber's sponsor golf tournaments, networking events, annual meetings, auctions, business expos, job fairs or other events that are ideally suited for your offerings, thus gaining some valuable exposure.

Note: Most chamber's require that your company is a member, which is also a great way to market yourself, network with other members and support the local business community.

You can find your local Chamber at ChamberFind.com       

-Jim
© 2009 SuccessCo.com

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If there was no chamber of commerce

• There would be no office to respond to the inquiries about your community and its opportunities.

• There would be no information-gathering center with which to inform the business community and advise it of current events affecting them.

• There would be no collective force to make known the physical needs of the community such as improved roads, utilities, facilities, safety and the like.

• There would be no forum wherein the business community can exchange views and positions, and no voice to express those to other agencies.

• There would be no focal point for social gathering of the business community wherein an exchange of ideas and services may take place.

• There would be no political voice to keep our elected representatives aware of the business community's feelings on legislative action and needs.

Support your chamber of commerce

-Jim

For those in the chamber industry, visit http://twitter.com/chambermax 

© 2008 ChamberFind.com

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Getting into the prospects mind

In the mind of a new member prospect, it is easier to make the decision not to buy your product or service than the possibility of making the wrong decision. Therefore, your goal is to help the prospect justify why they are not making the wrong decision.

Some useful techniques to help accomplish this are:
Anticipate their objections in advance - play (be) the devil's advocate - here are some transition phrases to help you bring up that inevitable objection:

"I bet you're asking yourself . . ."
"You might be wondering . . ."
"If you're concerned about . . ."
"A question I often hear at this point in a conversation is . . ."

Often, addressing the unspoken objections is more important than the one's they articulate.

-Jim
© 2009 SuccessCo.com

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The Value of customer/client testimonials

Remember that when you say it about yourself, it's bragging. When somebody else says it about you, it's proof.

Asking your customers and clients why they bought at the point of sale will provide you with invaluable information that will help with all subsequent sales.

Understanding someone's buying motives is 100 times more useful than your selling skills.  When a customer or client gives you a compliment, ask them if they will put it in writing and ask for permission to use it in future marketing materials.

Written testimonials should be used for marketing materials only, not be used to sell. Verbal testimonials should be used in all verbal sales presentations and not be put in writing.

-Jim
© 2009 SuccessCo.com

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