"The Unique Strengths of Women Entrepreneurs" ~ Seeking Our Next Panel of Experts!

It's almost time for our Next Experts Week!


We are seeking our Next panel of experts to write on the topic of "The Unique Strengths of Women Entrepreneurs"

Women Entrepreneurs are starting new businesses at a much higher rate then men. Women also make up nearly 80% of the buying power, so topics on this subject could be various. It is up to you and what YOU think is important about women in business online. Tell us what makes women entrepreneurs great! How are we different then men, and what are some of our God given abilities that make us uniquely qualified to be successful Entrepreneurs. 

**We need 5 women to write an article on this topic. Experts are featured during Experts week (April 24th-29th) on multiple social media and blog sites. If you want exposure, brand elevation, and a chance to be promoted for free, be sure and email us right away @ Alliedwomeninbusiness@gmail.com with the information below.


Requirements:

1. Submit an email to Alliedwomeninbusiness@gmail.com requesting to be considered.

2. Include a brief synopsis of what you are going to say about our topic "The Unique Strengths of Women Entrepreneurs"
 
3. Include what your business is.


4. Your contact information.


We will be accepting requests this week and announcing our Experts panel on Friday April 15th. We look forward to promoting you!

Blessings!

Kari and Stephanie

How to Get Qualified Leads - Are you listening?

By Kari Day

Kari Day

You get an idea, begin to hope, and take a chance on building a business online. You plan and prepare, and suddenly, at last, your business is born. Now what do you do? Now how do you get happy paying customers? How do you go from the dream of a business online, to the success of it? There is a process to making that happen. And it begins with learning How to get qualified leads.

Qualified leads are the key, and it’s something everyone wants to know how to do. A qualified lead is someone who is actively searching for a solution to a problem that your product solves. The higher quality your leads, the higher volume of sales you are going to see. 




How to get qualified leads

   1. Narrow your market down. Be very specific; don't try to make your product fit everyone. You will speak to more qualified people when you narrow down your niche to that very targeted market that is really going to want your product. Visualize who your ideal customer is. Once you know who that person is, find out where they want to spend their money and their time. A good understanding of how to conduct keyword research and use it appropriately to reach your target audience is vital for this. Using those keywords, present your information in a way that provides a solution for their problem and you will begin to see leads convert into sales.
   2. Listen to your target audience. By listening first you have insiders knowledge about what will motivate them to buy. Once you have determined who your ideal customer is, begin to position yourself to be found by them. Use the right keywords in your articles, videos and blog posts so they will naturally find you in the search engines.  Meet up with them in social media, ask questions, and really listen to their answers.


I once was helping a woman with her business that sold eco-friendly products. She was very frustrated by the fact that she wasn’t making any sales. When I asked her to tell me more  about her conversations with her leads she said, 

“I keep telling them why they should want this, but they just aren’t listening”.

In this case the old saying “the customer is always right” aptly applies. 

She wasn’t listening to them. She was using her own values and reasons for buying the product to try and sell to them. Her customers just weren’t motivated by her concern for the environment. If she had listened to their needs first she may have discovered that they were more motivated by how this product could save them money, or keep their children safe. Very few products are sold because we “should” want them. We only know what truly motivates our customer by listening first.


   3. Care more about the person than the sale. People can sense desperation in a heartbeat. Now I understand the need for a sale, but if you let that effect your conversation with your client or buyer, you will poison the sale. Instinctively they stop trusting you. 

If they think you are desperate they may interpret your desperation to mean that you will say anything they want to hear just to make a sale. Once trust is lost, there is no way they will buy. Instead go into the conversation with the attitude of “how can I help this person with their need”. Be honest; if you aren’t the right fit don’t try to force it. The person you couldn’t help, but still treated with integrity and honor, just might be so impressed with you that they recommend you to someone else who is a qualified buyer.

Being in business online is really about serving. By listening first and staying customer focused you will see those qualified leads turn into sales. By having a true servants heart and helping them solve their problem, you will be blessed too. It’s a win –win strategy for converting leads into sales and the dream of a business into the reality of success.

 Kari Day is a Christian Online Entrepreneur, Corporate Trainer, Business Coach and Mom! Kari has trained online business owners, work at home professionals, local businesses, private Christian Schools, and individuals how to effectively use the Internet to market their business and create profit. She is also the Co-Founder of Allied women, Allied Women in business, and Allied Moms. Which are all founded on the belief that the internet has opened up the possibility for women to have tremendous success and still be able to be home with their children. Kari Blogs at Set Free To Succeed and is found way too much on Facebook.

Turning Leads Into Sales By Mimi Zelman

There are many different types of leads from hotleads which generally are referrals to cold leads which you may find from other sources.
 
I would like to focus on leads from business cards you collect from networking events.
 
These are warm leads and if these potential clients are approached correctly, you can generate sales.
 
Don’t go home after an event and ad these businesses to your mailing list.
 
I still like the old fashioned way of calling these prospects first and softly build a relationship.
 
People like to buy from people they trust and calling is a great way to start.
 
It is always good to start the conversation by saying how nice it was to meet them at the event and that you would like to get to know them better and suggest meeting for coffee to talk about how you can help each other’s businesses. An email with the same message works to, if that is how you prefer to contact them as well.
 
Do homework on the potential client before meeting them.
 
Go to their website, and also see what they are doing on social networking.
 
Find out who their competitors are.
 
Once the rapport is established ask a lot of fact finding questions about their business.
 
The more you know the better. Knowledge is power, so always go on an appointment prepared!
 
By following this method, you better equipped to sell the prospect on what is good for their business, and handle any objections the client may have.
 
Good luck and good selling!!

Mimi Zelman - President /Publisher

Was born in Buffalo, New York. She started her advertising career while residing in Southern California and represented the Yellow Pages. She was one of the first women hired for outside sales and quickly grew to be in the top 10% of over 100 employees, of which 98% were men. She also won numerous awards for achieving sales quotas.

 The Zelman family relocated back to Buffalo, New York to raise their two daughters and Ms. Zelman began working for R.L. Polk & Co. as an outside sales representative selling directory listings and advertising to all businesses in Western New York. She was promoted to regional manager within two years and served in that capacity for 12 years.  

Ms. Zelman began to work for TV Fanfare Publications selling advertising space as a sales representative. Within six months she was promoted to assistant sales manager and then within a month was promoted to Charlotte, NC to run the Charlotte office. She created a sales force from scratch and her office grew to be within the top 10% of the company’s national sales offices. 

 
While working at Greater Charlotte Biz, Ms. Zelman became involved with many networking groups and saw the need to create a women’s resource guide and monthly online EMagazine which led to the creation of Women With Know How. This one-of-a-kind publication in the Charlotte area will feature women owned businesses and professional women and businesses that want to cater to a female clientele through advertising. All articles are written for women by women.  Franchise opportunities are now available in other cities.

Closing the Deal: Inside the S.E.C.R.E.T Formula for Converting Leads into Sales

Janice Clark

Whether you realize it or not, you're a salesperson.  Every morning each of us goes out into the world and we sell.  We sell our services and our brand to prospective buyers each time we interact with them.  No matter who you are or which industry you're in, having a well thought out plan for converting your next lead into a sale is an absolute must!
Maybe you've been struggling for a while. You've got plenty of interest but no one is buying.  I hear that a lot!  It's easy to promote your services but not so easy to actually get the money from prospective buyers.  
The S.E.C.R.E.T. to selling is a well laid out strategy that, when used correctly, not only converts leads to sales but also keeps a fresh supply of referrals coming to you on a regular basis!  Are you ready for the S.E.C.R.E.T.?  Are you ready to do what it takes to start turning leads into clients?  Follow these six easy and effective tips for converting leads into sales and you'll never be without paying clients again!  
S - Strategic Visibility
It all starts right here!  Your visibility strategy sets the tone of any potential relationships and strongly influences the way a client feels about you.  How easy is it to find you?  Do you have a strong presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn , YouTube, etc?  Clients can't buy from you if they can't find you!  What type of information are you posting?  Are you excited about what you do?  Are you providing value and addressing your target audience's needs? Are you talking about your successes?  Are you happy, perky, excited and ready to take action on their behalf?  This level of visibility coupled with an enthusiastic attitude and go-getter personality is sure to attract the clients you want and will guarantee you get more call backs!
E - Establish Needs
Sounds easy, right?  Obviously you need to find out what your leads want!  Unfortunately this step is something that many struggling service providers still don't do!  Very often we're so concerned about what we're going to say that we forget to really listen to what our potential client is saying.  And more important than what they say is what they do and how they act.  You've got to be on your toes to determine what's really important to them. Find out what they are looking for.  Find out what they expect.  Have they already been disappointed in someone else's work?  Then find out why!!  You certainly don't want to make the same mistakes!  Ask lots of questions.  Encourage them to talk about their business and share their goals with you.  Sometimes even the client won't know exactly what they need!  Talk to them, encourage them to talk back. Engage them in an in-depth conversation about their business.  Take the time; view it as an investment!  Listen to every word they say and identify ways you can ease the stresses they face daily.  Identify the client's deepest needs early in the process and you're already half way to closing the sale!

C - Create Ownership
You want to get the potential client so excited about working with you that ultimately they'll feel as though there is no choice but to work with you!  Explain your services in such a way that they really WANT them!  Make them feel a part of your process and encourage the feeling that their business and yours are simply a natural partnership.  Explain how what you do will help your prospective client.  Discuss how you can "increase their sales", "lower their costs" and "make their job easier".  Identify a variety of ways your businesses could work together.  Can you refer business to them?  Are there projects you could collaborate on together?  If you've done these steps correctly the client will begin to feel as though they are a part of your business and will be ready to take that next step towards making it official.  In addition, they'll be so excited by the prospect of receiving help from you (referrals, information, recommendations, partnerships) that they'll be only too happy to share your information with more potential new clients!
R - Reinforce the buying decision and ask for the sale
Let the client know that they are making the right decision by choosing to work with you.  Make online testimonials and referrals prominent on your website and on your networking sites.  Let potential clients see that others have been pleased with your services.  Exchange communication openly online with other satisfied customers to give your leads the opportunity to see you in action.  Handle negative issues openly as well.  Every business owner understands that sometimes these things happen.  A potential client will be very interested to see how you handle negative comments or clients who were less than satisfied the first time around.  Be honest, be bold and be positive! Reassure them that you are the answer they've been searching for!  Tell each one verbally that they've come to the right place if they want results!  
Once you've reinforced their decision as being a good one you'll want to go ahead and ask for the sale.  If you don't ask the question then the answer will always be, No.   Ask them what they thought of your conversation.  Did they like what they heard?  Are they ready to get started?  Then stop and listen to what they have to say and respond accordingly.   See how all of this is working together?  Listen, educate, communicate and ask.  You're almost there!
E - Expand
Do more than you promise!  Do that +1 to make the client feel special.  Make the client say, "Really?"  as in "Really, you'd do that for me?"  or "Really you're going to take care of that for me?"  Identify another need they have and offer to help.  Go the extra mile to ensure your leads are ready, willing and thrilled at the opportunity to work with you!  Do what no one else is willing or able to do and you'll have a client for life!  
T - Take the time to build loyalty
Wait a minute.  They aren't a client yet so why am I building loyalty?  You're doing this because they will be a client!  Or maybe they'll refer a client!  Either way, you've got to build loyalty with every lead you come in contact with!  Let them know that even if they don't sign up as a client, you still want a relationship with them!  Connect with them on Facebook.  Join their group (or invite them to yours) on LinkedIn.  Show them you want more than just their money.  Offer a mutually beneficial relationship and then...
Follow up!  Follow up!  Follow up!!
Stay in front of them!  Consistently provide them with value in the form of articles you've found that might help their business.  You don't have to write the article.  It doesn't matter!  You still get the credit when it becomes obvious you're trying to help them!  Offer some free advice.  Make yourself available for follow up questions.  Refer a client to them!  Connect with them online and wish them a Happy Birthday!  Send a physical card!  Mail them a mouse pad with a motivational saying on it!  Beginning to get the picture?  Don't just make a client.  Make a friend!  The relationship will last longer and you'll get far more referrals from it!

The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph! Marvin Phillips

Enjoy what you do and take the time nurture all of your contacts.   Stop looking at your leads in terms of what they can do for you and begin thinking in terms of what you can do for them.  And then do it!  Do it even if it doesn't make you money!  Do it even if it takes a bit of extra time!  Do it and soon you'll not only be closing more sales but you'll be working less and having more fun.  You'll be chatting online, having fun on the phone, smiling when you get a note back from another thrilled customer!  Soon you'll open your inbox to find new leads waiting for you because they've heard about your outstanding services and want to work with you!  Now you're where you want to be!
Keep up the great work and remember...
"You can have everything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want"
~Zig Ziglar

Janice Clark is the owner of BizMSolutions, an online virtual solutions provider created with the professional mom business owner in mind.  She balances BizMSolutions with ownership of its sister company BusinessMom.net, a professional networking site dedicated to supporting mom business owners and those who aspire to be.

Her team of professional virtual assistants are business owners who have successfully implemented social media strategies for their own businesses and are now helping others by offering strategic planning as well as ongoing assistance in order to build more profitable relationships and increase social as well as financial net worth for their clients.

Strategies of Converting Warm Leads to Sales, Easy and Amazing Secrets to get the Sale; Top 5 Secrets Explained Now

Amity Quist Jones

Have you wondered why your warm or hot leads aren't jumping into your program?  I have discovered some easy and amazing ways over many years to help convert your contacts from just being a lead to a SALE.  These may have been something you have heard before but when putting them all together, it makes for a steaming hot way to get them to move into action. 
1) Is this a system that can be duplicated by anyone?  Have an affliliate marketing business model online website selling for you or voice message system to do all the talking of your program.  Whatever you as a sponsor do then your lead will do the same. No one wants to sell and 85% of people would rather die than sell something.
2) Get an online presence as a LEADER.  If you don't know how then you can find out by going to my blog at amityquistjones.blogspot.com. It doesn't matter if you have been in your program for a few months to a few years just get out there as soon as you can.  Your leads will look up your program name or even your name to see what information they can find. Plus, internet advertising online helps you to market and get traffic to your website. It builds great crediblity to you in your prospects eye.
3) Stories are big sellers!  Have a short story of why you joined and know your sponsor's short story also. It doesn't have to be long.  Actually, the shorter the better.  Just give a quick overview to your leads so they can to have some kind of a connection with you.  

4) Be confident in yourself!  People are buying you and the program really comes second.  Your confidence goes a long way and your leads will like working with a winner.  This strategy has helped converting leads into sales. 

5) 3-way calls do wonders.  Get your warm/hot prospect on the phone with your sponsor or even the CEO of the company.  That will definitely get things rolling in the right direction.  Webinars and conference calls do extremely well also.  This helps to get questions answered and have another person verify that they can succeed in this program as well.  I find this to be one of the best way to convert your warm leads into sales. 

With these 5 top secrets I have shared with you, putting them all together makes for an amazing impact in your sales.  I have refined the way I do business and it has worked very well for me. 
Here are a few ideas to make help convert warm leads into sales. With these few secrets I have learned, you are able to find out more by continuing to read at amityquistjones.blogspot.com.

I am Amity Quist Jones and have been in home based businesses for over 20 years. I was used to going to network marketing meetings with my father from an early age and have come to see what works and what works for "Certain People". I know what is successful and I have tried quite a few to succeed in most and did okay in others. In my experience, I want to share my knowledge and would like to help other to be as successful as possible. Thank you for sharing my journey and God Bless!

The Thrill is Gone: 5 Tips to Convert List Subscribers into Buyers.

Lavada Thompson

When I first started building my list online, I just went crazy. I facilitated webinars and tele-classes. I hosted a few round table discussions and recorded video tutorials. I even held contests and gave some stuff away. I can't tell you how thrilling it was to see my list growing so quickly. Then, a few months down the line, I noticed something disturbing. It seemed like the more my list grew, the more my email open rates declined! So, I put on my research hat, did some investigating and discovered a pattern. As subscribers were added to my list, most of them would open the first few emails and then... nothing. It reminded me of BB King's song “The Thrill is Gone”. Yep, the thrill was gone away baby.



What is lead nurturing?


We’ve all heard a million times that people have to know, like and trust before they will buy. Lead nurturing is the process of developing a relationship with your leads and prospects, over time, until they are ready to invest in your products and services. At the time I discovered my email open rates were declining, I was sending out an e-newsletter. It was not targeted at all and went to everyone on my list. Basically, it was an email blast.


Email blasts aren’t as effective as lead nurturing campaigns.


Email blasts tend to be very general in order to appeal to a larger audience. When a person subscribes to your list, typically, it is in exchange for something they deem valuable: an ebook, tele-class, tutorial, etc. They have explicitly expressed interest in the topic of that content. So, if they download your e-guide on improving the effectiveness of your Facebook campaigns, do you think they care to start receiving information about twitter? Maybe. But, probably not. It is better to create lead nurturing campaigns in which you send targeted information to smaller groups of subscribers. HubSpot has a great post on why lead nurturing is better than sending email blasts.


Tip #1 – Follow up with new subscribers in a timely manner.

Within a few days of receiving a new list subscriber, follow up with them to start building a relationship. You just might get a sale because this lead is hot! It’s happened to me on many occasions. I’ll reach out to someone to get their feedback on the event they attended or content they accessed and they’ll say something like “I’ve been meaning to contact you…” And, the rest is history.


Tip #2 – Segment your list into groups, by interests.

If you’re going to put all of your subscribers into one huge list, also be sure to segment them into groups. Remember niche marketing? Apply this to your emails as well. And, I guarantee you will get better email response rates. Another reason I like this approach is because it allows me to see which groups are more responsive and tweak my campaigns accordingly.


Tip #3 – Send short, targeted emails to subscriber groups.

Ensure that you are sending your subscribers information they want to receive. We all get way too many emails that are not relevant or interesting to us. And, what do we do? That’s right. DELETE. And, you don’t have to be long-winded to be effective. I prefer to send out short bursts more frequently as opposed to long, drawn out emails less frequently.


Tip #4 – Use autoresponders to automate your lead nurturing process.

As your list starts to grow, it’s going to be pretty difficult to manually follow up and execute your lead nurturing campaigns. And, you just don’t have to. Spend your time wisely by using an email marketing provider or crm (customer relationship management) system that allows you to automatically distribute pre-written emails. I use Zoho CRM. I pay approximately $30/mo which is a steal for all of the features provided.


Tip #5 – Use trigger marketing techniques to re-engage your subscribers.

No matter what you do in the beginning, some people on your list are going to ignore you. So, just accept it. Continue to share and produce great content. After months of not opening any of your emails or responding to anything you put out, they may sign up for something: a workshop, tele-class, etc. Be ready! With Zoho CRM, I am able to attach different lead nurturing campaigns to different lists. If someone signs up for a webinar via a form on my landing page, they automatically start receiving the emails from that lead generation campaign associated with the webinar.


Put the thrill back into your email marketing campaigns.


If your list subscribers have lost interest in what you’re sending out, try some of the tips above to re-engage. Your audience has to want to hear from and connect with you. If this is not the case, it will be nearly impossible to successfully market and sell your products and services via this mechanism.


So, go on now and convert those list subscribers into buyers!

About the Author
Laid off, broke and a baby on the way. Sounds like a catchy title for a book. It's the story of a software developer, named Lavada Thompson, who now defines her own success by partnering with women entrepreneurs to grow their businesses online. As Owner of Gems Shine Consulting, Lavada's products and services include landing pages, web analytics training and consulting, search engine optimization and custom web development. She also authors the My Success Depends on IT blog which regularly provides actionable tips for increasing online leads and sales.

Experts Week Panel Revealed!

Hello Ladies! I am so thrilled to introduce you our next Experts week panel!
Experts week begins February 28th and runs through March 4th. This weeks topic is

"Strategies for Converting Leads into Sales"

Our Next Panel of Experts are:

1. Lavada Thompson - Founder and Creator of My Success Depends on it

2. Amity Quist Jones - Successful Work at Home Mom and home based business owner for 20 years.

3. Janice Clark - Founder and Creator of BizMSolutions

4. Mimi Zelman - Publisher and President of Women with Know How

5. Special Guest to be Announced

Blessings everyone! This is going to be an Amazing Experts Week!

Kari and Stephanie