JANUARY 20
CREATING YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH TEMPLATE: I help [name your target market] [solve a problem] without [name their fears or pain points]. EXAMPLE #1: I help sales professionals develop their leadership and communication skills so they can build a strong and cohesive team and they don’t have to struggle with taking their team to the next level. They then say “How do you do that?” You then say: I start with facilitating a 6 week FREE mastermind group where I bring together likeminded professionals and leaders who are dedicated and motivated to making effective and lasting changes to their lives in a collective group. Being a certified John Maxwell trainer, I use the principles from the book 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership as a guide for the group. I have two new groups starting and would love to have you be a part of this program.
CREATE YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH
Name your target: Solve a problem: Describe their pain points: Give Your Follow Up IMMEDIATELY AVAILBLE Offer:
Why You Need a Million-Dollar Pitch Before You Start a Business You’re not ready to launch your business until you can explain in 20 seconds or less how it helps someone. By Grant Cardone
I
would argue that you should not try to start a business until you can clearly articulate how you help people in a pitch. Pitching is vital to your success so it makes sense that you need to master it before you can launch a business. Why? It forces you to focus on what you can do right now and what problem you solve in the marketplace. It’s the value of your business in just a few words.
You will need to pitch your product, idea, or service to: • Turn strangers into customers • Attract investment partners • Hire new employees
Before anyone is going to do business with you, you have to get attention. A million dollar pitch is a short commercial that will attract attention and make the benefits of your company tangible to a customer. It should be 20 seconds or less and help the person take an immediate interest in what you do. It’s a simple statement with a specific goal.
How much time have you invested perfecting your pitch? If you’re saying to yourself right now that what you do is “too complicated” to put in a few words, you probably lack clarity about what you’re doing. It might also be a sign you’re only thinking about making money instead of how you can add value to others. A lot of people cannot articulate their value in a few words. There are so many distractions out there, so you need a well-crafted pitch to cut through all the noise. People call me all the time on my shows with long-winded explanations about their business. When you’re pitching, no one wants to hear about your company history. I don’t say that to be disrespectful, but because it’s just the truth. You have to give someone a reason to want to ask more about you -- that’s what a good pitch does. The other party knows the immediate benefit and whether it’s big enough for them to want to learn more.
What can you do right now? Have you ever thought “I could do that too” when you hear about someone doing a particular activity to become successful? I always laugh when people tell me stories like this. Let’s agree that you can learn anything. Here’s my question: is your idea something that you could do if you learned it or is it something that you can do right now? Before you can be successful, you have to base what you do in your reality. Ask yourself what you can do right now, not what you could do in the future. Unless you’re planning a career change, assess your income-producing skills that you currently have and center your pitch around that.
What problem does this solve? After you figure out what your skill is, you have to ask what problem it solves. If a lot of people are having the same problem then it could be a great idea for a business. Who is your audience? Who do you already know in the marketplace that already needs your product, that wants your product? Most likely it’s not going to be people around your street corner. Look for a market that already exists and see how what you do can help that market.
Putting it together.
Now that you have a business idea based on these two requirements, create a 20 second or less commercial out of it. The shorter the better. Most people just string something together without much thought. It’s your job to create a powerful statement that makes it impossible for someone not to want to learn more about you. Here’s one of my pitches “My company increases sales by 15 to 20 percent and we’ll do that in less than 14 days.” Look how it’s based on something that I can do right now and that solves a problem for a large group of people. Do you think that my prospective customer would be interested in what I have to say after they hear this pitch? I’ve used it many times so I can answer for you -- yes!
Is your pitch effective? What kind of response are you getting from your pitch? Are you getting people to take action or ask more questions? Aside from creating a compelling pitch, it has to be practiced to be effective. Why do you think I wrote the Closer’s Survival Guide? It’s a training manual for closing -- it’s essentially a bunch of pitches with the goal of closing the customer. I wrote them out and train them all the time. That’s what a lot of peo-ple miss. They could have killer pitch but are horrible at delivering them. You will only sell some-
one on your pitch if you train, drill and practice it until it’s second nature.
3 tips for pitches. • Clarify Your Goal: What is the purpose of your pitch? To have a successful pitch, you need to clarify your goal. Do you want the other party to sign a contract, agree to a meeting or sign up for your email list? If your goal is clear, then it’s much easier to create a pitch that serves that purpose. • Ask for Attention: You’ll have to get the full attention of the person before they will listen to your pitch. Never start your pitch before you ask them if you can share what you do. The best way to do this is to simp-ly ask them. If you’re in an elevator ask, “can you give me your attention for the next 20 floors?” • Make It Memorable: A pitch is not an explanation of how your business operates or your company history -- it’s a well-constructed value statement and it has to be BIG. You need to wow the customer and you’re not going to do that if your pitch is dull. It has to hit hard using a big claim. If you use my pitch as an exam-ple, it has a quantifiable result for the customer. That’s a good strategy to use. Show exactly how you can help that person. I always say show me don’t tell me.
Building a business one person at a time.
Remember that strangers have everything that you want. Using a well-crafted pitch is the best way to intro-duce yourself to someone because you created it to get attention. It’s your job to make them interested in you. You must network and make your contacts grow so you can grow your business. Promote and market yourself using your pitch 24/7. The better it is, the more attention you’ll get. Don’t be like everyone else and “start a business” before you have created a million-dollar pitch. I can tell you from experience that if you follow these simple steps, you’ll have a better business and will be able to sell more people on your ideas. Let me know how this strategy works for your business.
20
Rules to Closing A Deal
BY Grant Cardone 1. Always Remain Seated
This is a policy that is frequently violated and missed, even by seasoned professionals. You will hardly ever close someone while standing up. The saying goes, “present on your feet, close the terms from your seat.”
2. Always present your proposal in writing.
People do not believe what they hear, they believe what they see. That which is written is more credible and more valued than that which is simply spoken.
3. Always clearly communicate your proposal.
It’s important that you rehearse and clearly communicate what your offer is. Don’t mumble, don’t chew anything, and don’t cover your mouth.
4. Always maintain eye contact.
It’s very important that you learn to maintain eye contact with your prospect, avoid wandering eyes, looking around them or over their shoulders—look directly into their eyes.
5. Always have a pen available for signing.
“Always Be Closing” is great except for the closer who finds himself without a pen and contract. I remember once I was closing
a deal on which my prospect had just agreed, and I reached for my pen in my jacket, but it was gone.
6. Use humor to relieve pressure.
This is an absolute art used by all the great closers! Life sometimes reveals itself through stories, and everyone loves a good story, especially ones that relieve pressure and are humorous.
7. Always ask one more time!
This is what separates the closers from the sellers, and the big money from the average producer. To continue to ask, persist, and to figure out another way to circle back after being told no and reposition yourself to ask again is ultimately what will make you a great closer.
8. Always have an arsenal of closes available so you don’t repeat yourself.
Most sales people quit because they lack variations of closes. You need a large variety to handle all the various customer types and objections.
9. Always stay with the buyer and reduce the number of times you leave the buyer alone.
It’s important that you continue to create and leverage credibility and believability with your customer. Each time you leave the customer to check on something or leave them with someone else, it creates doubt and uncertainty in the mind of the buyer. Car salespeople are notorious for leaving their customers and going back and forth to their managers to check on one thing or another. This is the greatest
pet peeve of car buyers. This back and forth creates undue antagonism in the negotiations, lowers perceived value, reduces customer experience and extends the closing time.
10. Always treat the prospect like a buyer.
One of the biggest errors made in negotiations, particularly by experienced salespeople, is the mistaken ability to determine who is a buyer and who is not. Every person who reads The Closer’s Survival Guide can think of multiple times when they made this error and it cost them business.
11. Always know you can come to an agreement.
This is a mental attitude that has to be further developed in all of us and that attitude needs to be protected like all the gold at Fort Knox. I continue to maintain that we can come to an agreement, no matter what I am told by the buyer or by those around me. The saying goes; “Where there is a will, there is a way.” This mindset of knowing you can and will reach an agreement requires you to eliminate all the negativity that comes your way from your environment as though it were a disease that kills, and be assured, it does.
12. Always maintain a positive demeanor no matter
the response from the buyer or, for that matter, from your own management.
It’s critical, that you maintain an attitude of being positive no matter how the buyer responds, no matter how ridiculous the buyer or their offer may be. Keep it light, stay positive and maintain a positive, professional can-do attitude throughout the negotiations. In my marriage, my wife and I do everything we can daily to keep life light and easy, fun and flowing so that we can excel in our marriage and in our lives.
13. Always smile no matter the outcome, response, objection or communication.
This is not just about your internal positive attitude, but also this is regarding your physical manifestation. You have to practice this until you are able to genuinely smile regardless of the situation. The six-month-old child does this and melts everyone in her path. Walk around and see how children smile, and you will see the financial value that awaits you by rehabilitating this ability.
14. Always treat the buyer like they can!
I have always said if you treat someone like they have money they will act like they have money! Treat me like I won’t buy, and I assure you I will not buy! All of your words, responses, actions, facial expressions, your handling of objections need to communicate that you are treating your prospect as someone who is going to buy, who is going to say yes, and who will ultimately go along with your proposal. Treat ‘em like they are going to play and they will play.
15. Always acknowledge the buyer for any offer or communication they make.
Regardless of what the buyer offers in the negotiations, even if it’s absolutely not acceptable, take the time to acknowledge them for that offer. The rookie closer doesn’t take the time to acknowledge the prospect’s offer because he is so intent on selling his proposal and fails to acknowledge what was offered.
16. Always agree with the buyer.
This is one of those absolute truths when negotiating that if violated will crush you. Always agree with your prospect no matter what.
17. Always look for a solution.
The world is filled with “can’t do” people, and then there are the few “can do” people. Those that can do, do. Those that can’t do, don’t do anything except keep telling others they can.
18. Care so much you refuse not to close.
This is beyond selling now and more on the line of purpose. An individual will reach incredible heights in their life if what they are doing lines up with their purpose. That is why you see the missions and charity workers working tirelessly day and night to make a difference. This is missing in sales as most people don’t correctly and completely align selling a product and closing a sale with some higher purpose. At the end of the day, your true purpose will carry you through.
19. Use the full arsenal of closes. Never depend on or get comfortable with one or two closes but be versed enough to use them all. It is critical that you don’t just get familiar or comfortable with a few of your favorite closes, but prepare yourself to be able to use them all.
20. Always know you don’t provide a service until you close!
Selling, presenting, demonstrating, promoting, marketing, building trust, etc. are all very commendable and admirable actions but in no way compare to finally closing the deal. Closing is the first time you benefit the customer. The close is when you finally benefit your buyer.
GET FULL EXPLANATION OF EACH DEAL CLOSING TIP ** FREE** AT www.cmilcacademy.com Register and Use Code: CLOSETHEDEAL
I
t’s the middle of the week. I wake up and have one of those client project meetings where I feel completely in my zone. Other than a literal case of the hiccups in the middle of the video conference, it couldn’t have gone better. I’m on top of the world. I’m rocking my purpose. I’m living my passion. I’m serving my client. I’m hearing how smart and strategic I am. Dang, this is a good day.
4 Emotional Struggles You Must Confront as an Entrepreneur
Whether you’re I close the like me and video conBy: Jill Schiefelbein • grudgingly ference and (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/307245) mutter a few then check my choice words email. “Sorry, and do some but we went toddler-style tantrum arm flailing or you have another direction…” pops off the screen and a more constructive way of handling it, get bitch smacks me across the face. Ouch. that frustration out. Then, regroup and evaluate. What could you have done differently This, my friends, is entrepreneurial whipthat is within your control? Respond to the lash. Where you go from the highest of busimessage -- or even more rare in today’s world ness-rocking highs to infuriated and disap-- pick up the phone. Thank the potential clipointed in 0.37 seconds flat. ent for considering you for the opportuniIt’s part of business. And managing these highs ty and ask for, or provide, ideas for how you and lows is essential if you want to stay in the might collaborate in the future. game. Here are three tips that you can use to keep your head on straight and keep moving Analyze your steps, gather data, forward. and change your approach. Have a mini pity party, and then When you get rejected, deferred, or politely evaluate. passed over, it’s natural to wonder, Why? Sometimes it feels like failure. But, as cliché as it may Entrepreneurship is emotional. If you take the sound, failure means you actually tried. So emotion out of it, you might as well go back to now it’s time to analyze the steps you took in that 9-5 you left. When you lose a contract, get your attempt. Is there something you could albeat out on a deal, or find out a client went anter? Is there a variable that you could change? other direction, take a minute to throw a mini Is there a message you could test? Can you pinpity party. We can’t be focused and making the point where the tables turned? Oftentimes in best decisions when emotions are driving 100 doing this analysis you’ll find patterns that can percent of a reaction. You’ve got to get them help you alter the course for future encounters. out, or at least under control.
Let’s take a communication angle for a first level of analysis. For example, do you notice a trend of “thanks but no thanks” messages after multiple email exchanges? Is this trend the same when phone calls are involved? What about video conferences? In person meetings? Gathering this data -- in this case from a communication channel perspective -- can help you see patterns in your business process. It can help you change your approach to be more successful in future interactions. Recognize forward progress, even the little steps. A “parent-ism” that was passed down to me was, “don’t talk about it, be about it”. For me, this advice has helped guide so much of my personal and professional progress. But where this parental guidance fell short, in my opinion, is not extending to, “and once you are about it, step back and recognize your progress”. I’m not talking about throwing blown-out celebrations for every little step forward you make in business. I am talking about paying attention to the little victories that keep you and your employees motivated along the way. For me, I take more joy than I probably should in ripping a sticky note in half after accomplishing a task. Even in that simple motion is a recognition of something that moved the business forward. On the days where I feel that I’ve done nothing, I can look down at those discarded shreds of paper and recognize that what I’m feeling is different than the reality. Create your own rituals and benchmarks that you can celebrate. This will help keep the focus on forward motion and possibilities, instead of missed opportunities.
Over the past six years, I’ve been involved in three different startups. Each offered unforgettable experiences -- most good, depending on your outlook. It certainly hasn’t been easy to co-found, lead or grow any of these businesses, and I’m lucky I’ve worked with excellent teams throughout my career. Though I haven’t yet seen it all, I’ve seen enough to realize the hard reality that is starting a business. Here is a (relatively) short list of things that easily kept me up at night:
11
Lessons I Learned at Startups That Keep Me Up at Night
By: Danny Wong (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233069)
Being an entrepreneur is a frightening experience. You’re constantly faced with challenges that frequently put you on edge.
1. You’re replaceable.
Your customers, strategic partners, suppliers and teammates will always appreciate your contributions, but there is always going to be someone that’s better, smarter and nicer than you are. You have no time to be complacent because the bar is set higher and higher each day for individuals in your field. Also, no one has the patience to deal with jerks. So stay hungry and never stop treating people well. Do these things and you’ll be irreplaceable.
2. Reputation matters.
Don’t become the person everyone loves to hate. Instead, be the most outstanding person you can be. Do nothing that compromises your integrity. Stay honorable. People will like you more.
3. You’re responsible (even when it’s not your fault).
It’s true what they say. There’s absolutely no “I” in team. If something breaks, it’s everyone’s job to fix it. It’s unproductive to point fingers and no one benefits from pettiness. Fix it, prevent the problem from recurring and move on.
4. Others depend on you. It’s a scary thought that you’re responsible to more people than just yourself. Your customers trust you to keep them happy, your team members turn to you for their livelihood and your investors expect return on investment. Your actions and decisions impact them, so remember to do what’s best for everyone -- not just you.
5. You’ll eventually have to disappoint people. Some of your professional relationships will have to end. Some of your customers may not always get what they want. You can no longer grow if you’re carrying deadweight employees or fail to fire abusive customers, so trim the fat, but beware of leaving a bitter taste in their mouths or you’ll face the consequences.
6. Too much of a good thing is actually truly terrible. One day, you can be peddling your wares to local shop owners, a dozen at a time. The next day, all of the major news networks want to promote your product -- for free. You gladly accept and receive more sales in 12 hours then you’ve received in the lifetime of your business. Hooray! But wait, this gift has turned into a curse. As a startup, you have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.
7. You’re forgettable. Despite your accomplishments and the noteworthy mentions of you garnered in the press, within weeks, your business can feel like yesterday’s news. To be competitive and relevant, you must continue to innovate.
8. Building a business costs more than just money. There’s also a price you pay when you make a habit of pulling the graveyard shift evening after evening after evening. Your relationships suffer and your happiness may decline. It’s easy for your work to consume you -- just know that you don’t have to let that happen.
9. Failure happens. It’s difficult to stomach, but failure is natural. What makes matters worse is that your family and friends watch your every move anxiously hoping you’ll succeed. You’re allowed to fail and should fold a campaign or project if it no longer makes sense to continue on. When you’re ready to start a new adventure, you’ll be more prepared than ever.
10. Equity is messy. Fortunately, I’ve worked with honest people who’ve sought to compensate me fairly. At the same time, I’ve witnessed many not-so-lucky startup folk get taken advantage of. Be sure to negotiate.
11. You’ll face rejection -- a lot of it. Be prepared to hear 100 -- perhaps 300 -- “no’s” before you ever get a resounding “yes” from someone. You may think it’s a numbers game: the more people you ask, the closer you get to finding your first customer. The real secret isn’t trying to sell more people though. It’s selling your idea, product or service to the right people, improving your pitch, story and salesmanship each time. I’m only six years and three startups into my career and I, most certainly, have many more lessons I need to learn. Ultimately, it’s these lessons that help you become a better entrepreneur.
What are some surprising things you’ve learned?
Step 1 – Write a Business Plan
Starting a Business?
10 Steps Every
Entrepreneur
Needs to Know
By Caron_Beesley, Contributor
Yeah, yeah, you know you should write a business plan whether you need to secure a business loan or not. The thing is, a business plan doesn’t have to be encyclopedic and it doesn’t have to have all the answers. A well-prepared plan – revisited often – will help you steer your business all along its growth curve. Try to think of your business plan as a living, breathing project, not a onetime document. Break it down into miniplans – one for marketing, one for pricing, one for operations, and so on.
Step 2 – Get Help and Training Starting a business can be a lonely endeavor, but there are lots of free in-person and online resources that can help advise you as you get started. Check out what‘s offered at your Small Business Development Centers; SCORE (which offers free mentoring services); Women’s Business Centers, or your local SBA office.
Step 3 – Choose Your Business Location Where you locate your business may be the single most important decision you make. Many factors come into play such as proximity to suppliers, the competition, transportation access, demographics, and zoning regulations.
Step 4 - Understand your Financing Options
Step 8 – Register with Tax Authorities
You may choose to bootstrap, fall back on savings, or even keep a full-time job until your business is profitable.
Employment taxes, sales taxes, and state income taxes are handled at the state-level. Learn more about your state’s tax requirements and how to comply.
Step 5 – Decide on a Business Structure
Step 9 - Apply for Permits and Licenses
Going it alone or forming a partnership? Thinking of incorporating? What about an LLC? How you structure your business can reduce your personal liability for business losses and debts. Some choices can give you tax benefits.
All businesses, even home-based businesses, need a license or permit to operate.
Step 6 – Register Your Business Name (“Doing Business As”) Registering a “Doing Business As” name or “trade name” is only needed if you name your business something other than your personal name, the names of your partners, or the officially registered name of your LLC or corporation.
Step 7 – Get a Tax ID Not every business needs a tax ID from the IRS (also known as an “Employer Identification Number” or EIN), but if you have employees, run a business partnership, a corporation or meet certain IRS criteria, you must obtain an EIN from the IRS.
Step 10 - Hiring Employees If you’re hiring employees, follow these 10 steps. If you’re working with a contractor or 1099, research Things to Know About Hiring Independent Contractors. Before finding the right person for the job, you’ll need to create a plan for paying employees. Follow these steps to set up payroll: 1. Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) 2. Find out whether you need state or local tax IDs 3. Decide if you want an independent contractor or an employee 4. Ensure new employees return a completed W-4 form 5. Schedule pay periods to coordinate tax withholding for IRS 6. Create a compensation plan for holiday, vacation and leave 7. Choose an in-house or external service for administering payroll 8. Decide who will manage your payroll system 9. Know which records must stay on file and for how long 10. Report payroll taxes as needed on quarterly and annual basis
www.cmilcoach.com
www.cmilcacademy.com