Is the Social Marketing Arena for You

With all of the social marketing sites out there today, how do you know which one is the best one to use?

Do you just try them all or do you only do one?

Yes and No. But more No than anything. Let me explain.

In your business, you want to be able to create some interest in you and your business. So, in order to do that you have to start building a name for yourself. One of the best ways to do that is using the social marketing arena. But, I do not recommend that you go and create 10 different accounts on various social marketing sites. Can you imagine how much effort it would require to maintain 10 different social marketing profiles? Forget it, it's not worth your time. And time is the most precious element in your business. So, don't go wasting it.

No thank you!

Because you want to provide quality, this is why you should only concentrate on a few. Use social marketing sites like Twitter.com where you can follow others and be followed. For my Twitter account, JeromeRatliff, I follow a lot of people. People I find interesting, want to hear more about them and what they are doing. But, what's more important is that people follow me. Why? Because I want my content to come to me.

There are two areas to my postings. I bring a lot of focus on my normal life (things everybody does everyday) and the things I do to grow my business.

When I do this, people are drawn in like a magnet. Kind of the same for the people that I follow.

When you draw the people in, then you can begin building rapport. Then after you build rapport, you establish a way people can either buy into your service or you and your business. Now, don't be pushy because no one likes a pushy salesperson. Just be yourself and let the power of attraction marketing take over.

So, is the social marketing arena for you? It should be. Start today by visiting me on Twitter, my profile name is JeromeRatliff and I will see you on the inside.

Dedicated to your success,

Jerome Ratliff
Visit JeromeRatliff.com to learn about the fantastic journey he's embarked through his business ventures.

When Prospecting Really Matters

As an active business owner, one of the important pieces to a successful business is the ability to properly prospect people for your business.

The caveat to that is, you may know what you are doing when it comes to prospecting, but are you missing a critical part to the process?

Does prospecting really matter if you aren't thoroughly working through it?

This is what it comes down to, while prospecting you need to ensure you are 'closing'.

Here is how the process should go:

1. Prospect people or be approached, either through the use of attraction marketing or your ability to generate leads.

2. Approach them or be approached. Something drew them to you, either your good attitude, your ability to lead, good business sense, or your past successful experience.

3. Qualify them by determining what it is they want, and find their motivating factor (watch out for this, if you miss it, it could be a deal-breaker)

4. Close. This all comes down to, "Are you ready to move on?" (don't mess up by not asking, otherwise, the person will not take you seriously and you will never know if they are ready)

These steps need to be followed in the order specified above. Otherwise, the process will be rather useless. Can you imagine if you dropped right into the close?

"So, are you ready to join?" The reply, "Huh!"

They don't even know what you are talking about! That why the the order must be executed properly.

Oh, and if you really want to learn how to successfully work this process, here's the best advice I can give you... Just Do It!

The more you go through the process the better you will become.

So what if you are afraid.

So what if you are not experienced.

Your success will be determined by you doing. Unfortunately, there is no other way. If you intend on staying in this business, then face your weaknesses head-on.

Only then will you get better at them.

Dedicated to your success,


Jerome Ratliff
Visit JeromeRatliff.com to learn about the fantastic journey he's embarked through his business ventures.

Keys to Networking

Networking! This term is often used as an ice breaker to business conferences to get everyone to meet each other and feel comfortable with one another.

So, what is networking after all? Networking is an art of building and maintaining relationships. Mastering the art of networking can usually have a great impact on your success. The complete opposite can happen by not properly networking.

Let's discuss some key ways how NOT to network at a business conference.

1. Don't get involved by introducing yourself to others.
2. Don't participate in discussions, or the meeting topic.
3. Choose not to display your name tag so others can see who you are.
4. Select a seat in the conference where others aren't.

These may seem not all that bad, but they could impact your success.
Now, let's discuss the keys to networking the right way and why they work.

1. Get involved by introducing yourself to others. - This will allow you to learn about others and potentially lead to doing business together.
2. Participate in discussions, or the meeting topic. - Not only is this good practice, but it shows how engaged you can be and how you do business.
3. Display your name tag so others can see who you are. - This a perfect ice breaker for those that are new and are searching for someone to talk to. By displaying your name, you invite others to come and talk to you.
4. Choose a seat in the conference near the front and by others. - By choosing to seat in an area where you can be recognized, you therefore become approachable. You are saying to everyone, I'm ready to participate and learn.
   

As you can see, networking can be so vital to your success. Keep enhancing your networking skills everyday by practicing and trying them out. I recommend the following book:
Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships by Jeffrey Gitomer.

Jerome Ratliff
Independent Associate
Discover your way to riches