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Interview with Social Media Guru Viveka von Rosen

January 21, 2010 by Nicole S. | Comments (1)

These days we are all trying to navigate the quickly evolving world of social media. Whether you use it in your personal life or for business, it is a constant battle to stay on top of the game. Thankfully, there are experts we can turn to, such as Viveka von Rosen. Viveka is a Certified LinkedIn expert & trainer and social media speaker. She is a dynamic woman who uses her knowledge to coach her clients on using social media marketing to propel their business. Read our interview with Viveka to learn a few expert tips and get a peak into what her business entails.

What do you say to clients who are intimidated by taking theirbusiness online?
First of all, even though social media looks like it’s “online” there is a bit of a different dynamic. It’s important to remember that Social Media is about communication – there are no special codes or tricks you need to know – there is no specific sales analytic to worry about. Use social media to communicate what you know with your “tribe” of friends and connections. Let your personality and knowledge shine through – that’s the only “trick” to social media. Most women are good communicators, so social media is a natural outlet for us. Don’t let the “online” nature intimidate you – that’s only the channel. You are the content!

Is social media marketing something business owners should be trained to do, or should they hire someone to a new position?
You can certainly hire someone to do your campaign – but they must understand that social media is about communication. In this case, about communicating for your business. So whoever you have must be enthusiastic about your business, product or service. Social media is about attraction or inbound marketing – you have to attract your client by being interesting and useful. Pushing a sales message on social media NEVER works.

What are some ways to avoid blending your personal and business profiles?
I’m not sure you DON’T want to blend them – you want your personality to shine through. Having said that – Facebook – being the most social of the mediums, might blend a little too much. I.E. – you might have your friends saying something you don’t want your clients to know. In that case, make sure you have a fan PAGE that you direct your clients too – not your personal profile.

When did you become active in the social media world, and how did you become an expert?
I’ve been involved for about 5 years now – I became an expert by getting the name first. Honestly though, I am such a social media enthusiast that I probably spend way too much time on it. Not only using the tools, but learning about them. I have a very helpful fan base that shares useful info with me as well. I am not the end all and be all of social media, but I try to know as much, and use as much of it as possible. I suppose that’s what makes me one of the experts.

Your upcoming book looks at how social media becomes a tool of empowerment for women- can you give us a sneak peak?
I have training as a life and business coach, and early on I realized social media gives women a voice, gives them freedom, gives them flexibility. My book speaks to how social media empowers women – as a tool they can use. I have some amazing guest authors contributing as well. Some of the top women in their fields who have experienced great success through social media in their own careers. We are all going to share secrets!

What are some common misperceptions about Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook? How can each be used to promote a business?
I think the biggest mis-interpretation is that you have to be on it all the time. Which would be impossible. Like any tool, you need to know how to use it strategically and successfully for the best results. There is strong ROI – but you have to be very clear on your business, your message and your strategy to receive it!

What is the most common consulting question you receive?
How much time is this going to take?

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
I thought I was more clever than some of the social mediums and didn’t follow their EUA (End User Agreement). That mistake has cost me dearly. But now none of my clients have to experience it! A common mistake other people make: treating social media like normal media and trying to push their sales message. Just like a commercial – people will turn you off if you do that.

Who is your role model or mentor?
I have a lot – Mari Smith, Tim Sanders, Al Lautenslager, Miles Austin, Dr. Joan King, Ava Diamond, Laurie Macomber, Pete Cashmore, Colin lewis, Zig Ziglar, I could go on and on.

People may be surprised to know…
I actually look like my picture

@linkedinexpert & Facebook

Tips From CRAVE Chat – Business Strategy for 2010

December 10, 2009 by Lilla | Comments (0)

In case you missed the fantastic tips given at November’s CRAVE Chat on perfecting your business strategy for 2010, check out the top ten takeaway points.

Thanks to our great speakers: Angelika Coghlan of Catwalk Consulting, Elizabeth ‘Lulu’ Miranda of Mercury Organizing Professionals, Linda McCabe of Optimal Level and Gail Zelitzky of Silver-Robins Consulting LLC

1. Don’t have your fingers in too many pies! We can’t be everything to everybody and we can’t do everything at once. We all try to be Wonder Woman, and that just leaves us over-worked, sleep-deprived and exhausted. Instead of spreading yourself so thin, put all your energy in a few specific things.

2. Your life needs to be planned! Know where your time is best spent, and adjust your schedule accordingly. Everything you do should have a reason behind it. Whether you need to attend monthly networking events to build connections or find time for yoga, make sure to pencil everything in your schedule. Including “unschedule” tasks like laundry, sleeping and eating is crucial. When you know exactly how much time you have each day, its easy to see where there are holes and it will help you manage your time more effectively.

3. Organization does matter! Most people weren’t born with the organization skills of Martha Stewart. Being organized seems like a daunting, time consuming task, but in the long-run it will save you time, money and energy. Make sure to keep a calender, keep your workspace and living space tidy. Being organized alleviates stress, and helps keep your personal/professional life on track.

4. Networking: It’s not quantity, its the quality! Networking is one of the easiest ways to help yourself and your business get to where you want to go. When you meet people it’s not having a one minute conversation with 100 people that will get you the farthest. Cultivating a few strategic relationships will be more beneficial. After you make a connection with someone, be sure to follow-up within 24 hours, so they don’t forget who you are and vice versa.

5. Ask for the business! One of the hardest parts of selling is the close. If you don’t ask for the business directly, you’ve just canceled out the other 90% of the pitch. You know your product/service is great, so make sure your pitch is tight and your close is even tighter.

6. Appreciation wins over self promotion every single time! Building long-term relationships with clients and customers will keep them coming back for more. Make sure your customer service is outstanding. People will be loyal to you, especially if they like you and how you make them feel. So instead of self-promoting, try putting the focus on them and try to meet their individual needs.

7. Competition is all around! Competing against similar local businesses is tough, but there are several ways to stand out in the crowd. Understand the value of your business. What makes you different? How is your customer service, and how could you take it to the next level? Are you marketing to everyone when you should be marketing to a smaller, specific group? Pinpointing what makes your business unique and flaunting it will make competition disappear.

8. Use cross-promotion! Have a high-end hair salon? Why not do a promotion with a high-end fitness center? Partnerships can be a fantastic free way to bring more business in the door. Be sure to be strategic and find a partner that you trust and that compliments your business.

9. Don’t forget to pick-up the phone! In a world where basically everything is done online, it’s easy to forget that people are people, not email addresses. If possible, try calling or meeting in person. Obviously, that’s not always possible, but at least try to make some of your emails have personality. People are more likely to respond well if you treat them like a individual, not one of many clients/customers.

10. Get Help! Never be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Places like the Womens’ Business Development Center offer free classes and groups like SCORE and NABO will help you get moving in the right direction.

Author Credit- Lindsey

Ignite Your Sales – Tips and Tricks from Fiona Walsh

November 15, 2009 by Inna | Comments (0)

At Seattle’s  latest  CRAVE chat event we learned what it takes to be a top notch sales person. Fiona Walsh revealed tips on how to prospect, qualify, and close deals resulting in more time, money and energy to focus on other areas of business. Fiona (@fionawalsh) is founder of FM Walsh and Associates Inc, and one of North Americas leading speakers on women in business. Her straight forward approach helped us find opportunity and confidence while facing this tough economy.

Although all of us don’t enjoy the sales accept of business, we all know it is a crucial to success. By avoiding some critical mistakes, taking initiative, and tapping into our natural tendencies as women we can limit the time and stress of the sales process while increasing our revenue.

Be prepared:

Keep in mind the three things you need to build successful business:

VISIBILITY, CREDIBILITY, PROFITABILITY

As women we have a natural advantage when it comes to doing sales. According to Harvard Business Review the number one trait that drives successful people is not passion, knowledge of product, or persistence, it’s EMPATHY. When you are focused on identifying the needs of a client and providing a solution, instead of just a product, people will trust you and give you their business.

You must be very clear about what you’re selling before you prospect. You must be able to answer the following questions very specifically:

1.What do you do? (Not just your job description)
2.Why does it matter?
3.Who cares? (Who’s your niche market/ customer profile) – to save more time it’s good to let your network know this information so they can pre-qualify references for you

You meet someone that seems interested in your product, you exchange cards, you get excited an extra bounce in your step, and then you wait and wait and wait. The most important skill besides closing is QUALIFYING. It is crucial that we do this because otherwise we waste our time and energy on people that might not even fit our target market. Qualify people from the get go with these three simple questions:

1.Do they have a budget?

• You should never just give stuff away unless there’s a strategic benefit in it for you.
• Exp: “how much have are you budgeting for health/fitness on a monthly basis?”

2. Do they have a reasonable timeline? This allows you to prioritize.
3. Do they have the ability to make the decision to buy?

• Exp: ask “are you able to make the purchase decision or is there someone else I should speak with?”
• If presenting to couples, make sure they are both there!

Making the call:

• If making a sales call scares you, get over it! Remember that you are gutsy, smart, and passionate and that you have a natural tendency to be a great sales person simply because you care.
• Everything in sales is scripted! Sit down script out everything if you have to, memorize it and then say if with confidence!
• Confidence is SEXY!
• Remember that making one or two calls is NOT ENOUGH! Expect that you need to be making 7-8 touches minimum, around 12 at the CEO level. This does not mean calling everyday to ask for the sale, find ways to “romance” your prospect. Email them an article that you think they’d find interesting, or a pr opportunity they could take advantage of. Make them aware of what you do.
• When you get their answering machine make it memorable by always adding value! It needs to be results driven, personalized, compelling, and include a call to action. Tip: script out a message before you make the call just in case.
• One of the biggest mistakes people make in sales is highlighting just the features or attributes of a product/service, and not the benefits. People ask themselves one question when they’re making a purchase decision “what’s in it for me?” You must paint a picture of what your product/service will do for them, how it will make them feel. BENEFITS are what sell.

Dealing with objection:

• Don’t be afraid of objection it means they’re interested and just need more information.
• Script out answers to potential objections, and then document them if they worked well. This can be used as a great training tool later on!
• Price is really not the objection 80% of the time. You might have to dig deeper to find out what they are really concerned about so don’t start slashing your prices right off the bat.
• Exp: “If we take price off the table are you happy with the product we have for you?”
• Remember, unless you’re a non-profit don’t just give stuff away, if you must negotiate price down take some stuff off the table.

Closing:

• You do a great job prospecting, qualifying, finding out their needs, providing solutions, and painting a picture in their minds that Picasso would be proud of, but you’re still not getting the sale what the heck?!
• Don’t assume people will stand up after your presentation and hand you a check. You have to ASK for their business.
• Come up with some catchphrases and see what works best.
• Exp: “When do you want to get started?”
• “When would you like this to be shipped to your house?”
• “When would you like your first session?”
• These days people expect to pay for products and service so don’t sell yourself short by being shy. PEOPLE EXPECT TO BE CLOSED. The worst they can say is no, but thankfully your sales funnel is running in full force so you can just move on to the next prospect.

You now have the necessary tools and knowledge to go out there and close the deal. Remember that you are gutsy, caring, and smart GOOD LUCK!

Girl on Top – Book Tour Hits Your Area!

November 3, 2009 by Lilla | Comments (0)

In Girl on Top, career expert Nicole Williams takes 20 tried-and-true dating rules every CRAVE girl knows (and have probably used) such as “Play Hard to Get” and “Don’t Give Away the Milk for Free”—and shows you how to put them to use when the object of your affection is your job. With her ingenious approach—taking the tactics used to land a man and applying them to your career—you’ll be able to handle any work situation and come out on top. Finally, the advice no one else has been willing to tell you, right at your fingertips!

About the Author:
Nicole Williams, the original Girl on Top, is your tell it-like-it-is big sister who happens to be an expert in all things career. As a best selling author and founder of WORKS by Nicole Williams, she has re-defined the world of work—making it glamorous, relevant, and get this—fun!—to modern women who refuse to settle for a less-than-thrilling career. Get more of her advice at nicolewilliams.com.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

11/04 Santa Clara – 2855 Steven’s Creek Boulevard, Santa Clara
11/06 Seattle – 315 S. Center, Seattle
11/09 Vancouver – 788 Robson St., Vancouver
11/11 Minneapolis – 60 West Broadway, Bloomington
11/13 Chicago – 5 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg
11/17 Boston – 1245 Worcester Road, Natick
11/18 Boston – 250 Granite St., Braintree
11/20 Cherry Hill – 502 Cherry Hill Mall, Cherry Hill
11/23 Washington DC – 1100 South Hayes St., Arlington
11/25 Toronto

SHINE – introduces you to the people at the heart of the American Dream

October 29, 2009 by Lilla | Comments (0)

It’s no secret that CRAVE loves biznik. One of their coolest projects is Shine a collaborative film project featuring entrepreneurs and their stories.

Check out this great trailer:

to learn more and join biznik click here.

Tips and Tricks – Flirting With Words

October 22, 2009 by Inna | Comments (2)

140 characters, 1.5 seconds, and thousands of competitors. That’s what you have to work with when trying to capture the attention of your target market. Although this may be overwhelming, you have one tool to fall back on that has worked for centuries, flirting!

In our latest Coffee Chat we learned how to use this common form of social interaction to break through the social media clutter by writing captivating copy, enticing updates, and headlines that call for attention. With 23 years of flirtatious marketing expertise, Lynn Baldwin-Rhoades, owner of Marketing Shebang and leader of Power Chics, gave us the keys to success.

Keys to Writing Tantalizing Copy:

• Keep it simple: Since people don’t have much time they tend to scan and only read approximately 1 out of 5 words, try to keep your writing at a 5th grade level.
• Check out your competition so you can position yourself differently.
• Create a “swipe” file with examples from other bloggers and sites that you can use for inspiration later
• Know your target market!!
• What is your target market’s emotional needs or triggers?
• Focus your target market’s needs, they want to know what they’re getting.
• Speak in a personal way: Don’t just write to a general audience, picture one specific person.

Get Attention – Headlines That Work!

• Use the magic number; “3 STEPS TO GORGEOUS”
• Imply that they’re messing up; “Beauty Flubs Fixed?”
• Make them curious; “Eat This, Balance Your Hormones”
• Address their insecurities; “Bye-Bye Belly Bulge!”
• Remember that we all buy emotion!

Organize and Conquer – Time Management Tricks

• Tweetdeck.com: Way to customize and consolidate multiple social networking accounts.
• HootSuite.com: Allows you to schedule tweets, customize, and organize multiple accounts
• Google Reader: consolidates your favorite websites and blogs and constantly checks them new content.
• Google Alerts: Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your choice of query or topic.
• Google Analytics: Free tool that gives you rich insights into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. With Google Alerts you’re more prepared to write better-targeted ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives and create higher converting websites.

Other Recommended Sites:

• Socialbeesstrategy.com: Get insight on facebook and other social networking sites form expert Hazle Grace.
• Copyblogger.com: learn copywriting and content marketing skills.

In summary, being flirtatious with your words will make you stand out. Know your audience and focus on their specific needs, try to add value every time, and finally be consistent and keep it simple!

Highlights from PICNIC

October 8, 2009 by Nicole S. | Comments (1)

Since 2006, PICNIC has been bringing together creative and inspired entrepreneurial minds and takes place annually in Amsterdam. This collaborative event is part conference, part workshop, part networking and connects people across all disciplines. PICNIC provides the platform for forward thinkers to create a meaningful conversation about today’s evolving economy. This year’s major themes focus on new media technologies, establishing a sustainable economy and the close personal relationship between people and their mobile devices.

CRAVE foundress Melody Biringer jet-setted to Amsterdam to attend the festivities and has been sharing her experiences in the blogosphere.

Some of her favorite highlights from the speakers:

• When the economy is down you need to have a lot more confidence
• #1 thing, just make/do something cool
• Keep going, even though things are looking dark
• Look local, set up satellite locations anywhere
• Heroes are mentors you can look up to
• It is not a dog eat dog world. There is enough for everybody to go around, in the end, dogs don’t eat dogs
• Entrepreneurship is not a job it is a lifestyle that is with you all the time
• Start things when the market is down, that is when you can build
• Younger entrepreneurs are thinking a lot more green than older ones
• Build a green company with a profitably objective so you can keep re-investing in a green initiative
• Be big, passionate and bright

To read more about Melody’s European escapades and see pictures of the event, check out her full blog at cravingamsterdam.wordpress.com

Totem – Interview with Rhodeshia Nelson

October 2, 2009 by Lilla | Comments (0)

As Totem, in Hinsdale, gears-up to present its Chicago Designer Showcase this weekend (October 2nd through the 4th) featuring cutting edge designs by local emerging talent, we’d love to introduce its fabulous owner Rhodeshia Nelson.

Rho, as her friends call her, is an entrepreness that loves fashion and she’s created a spirited boutique that women of Chicagoland crave! While she will never complain about dressing herself in gorgeous clothing, Rho’s true passion has always been helping others look and feel their best in clothes that embody who they are. In 2005, Rho followed her dreams, ran with that passion, and opened Totem. CRAVE Chicago is thrilled to feature Rho in our first edition CRAVE Chicago guide, and we think you’d like to get to know her too:

People may be surprised to know…
I have a degree in Electrical Engineering. After working in Corporate America for several years, I decided to solve complex equations of a different kind.

What or who inspired you to start your business?
For years, my friends would ask me for fashion advice when putting outfits together for various occasions. I discovered that I LOVED shopping for and dressing other people, and so began the dream of Totem.

What is your indulgence?
Shoes. I have a separate closet just for my shoes, and I’m constantly adding to my collection. You can’t have the perfect dress without the perfect pair of shoes.

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
After work, the girls and I like to swing by Vie for one of their yummy cocktails and appetizers. The real key for me is good company, good atmosphere and good wine and I’m happy.

What Can the Obama Administration do to Help Small Businesses?

August 4, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

Entreprenesses undoubtedly face a unique set of challenges, and often run different types of businesses than our male counterparts. What can the Obama administration and Congress do to help? Check out this thought provoking article from The Wall Street Journal.

1. Re-evaluate small business administration lending programs
Many women don’t significantly grow their operations beyond a few employees for family and lifestyle reasons. This makes it extra difficult for these businesses to secure post-start-up capital, especially when compared to male business owners with aggressive growth plans. NWBC recommends adapting SBA-backed lending programs to make growth capital more accessible to women, including: offering “stage-based” loans that provide money to businesses based on the stage of development; extending credit lines once start-up loans are paid off; allowing accounts receivable to be pledged as collateral and aligning women business owners with “patient capital” investors who don’t require immediate or fast repayment.

2. Give tax credits to angel investors
Women-owned businesses can benefit greatly from angel investors, affluent individuals who invest in small businesses but don’t demand the same size and growth aspirations of venture capitalists. Congress should seriously consider a bill that would provide tax credits to angel investors.

3. Create tax incentives for improving employees’ experience.
Many women business owners want to offer programs such as child-care assistance, good health benefits and wellness programs that improve employees’ lives. They would like tax incentives to offer these types of programs.

4) Ensure women-owned businesses win at least 5% of federal contracts
A 2000-passed law mandates that federal agencies must dole out 5% of all federal contracts to women-owned businesses. NWBC says its members “overwhelmingly” support that rule and want to see it enforced (which it hasn’t been). Also set up a federal contracting clearinghouse just for women. Many women entrepreneurs don’t try for contracts because finding opportunities and pursuing them is so complicated. The government should set up a special Web site that lists contracting set-asides just for women-owned businesses along with resources on topics, such as how women can apply for 8(a) certification.

5. Increase funding for federal entrepreneurs’ support organizations, such as Women’s Business Centers and SCORE
Many women rely on these federally funded programs and business incubators for help. Also offer more outreach to women entrepreneurs and mentoring opportunities.

6. Ease costs and regulations for “microbusinesses.”
Since many women do run businesses with very few employees—and often from their homes—the government should consider how it can assist these businesses. Among suggestions: Amend the home-office deduction to make it more attractive, get rid of self-employment tax for firms without employees, expand micro-lending through the SBA and provide federal contracting set-asides just for microbusinesses.

Readers, what do you think of these recommendations? Should the government do more to help women entrepreneurs?

New Love Incorporated: Re-Falling For Your Business

July 30, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

Amy Swift is the founder of SMARTY, a community and resource for entrepreneurial women in Los Angeles and around the country. Check out this great article all about reconnecting with your business.

Recently, I found myself in close proximity to a newly-in-love person. Once you get over the seemingly endless descriptions of “how he looks at me,” it’s actually pretty inspiring. For this married lady, it probed me to look at my husband in a new way and to recall all the early flutters of curiosity, awe, wonder and “wow” factor. And I haven’t even been married that long! Nevertheless, the daily grind sets in and sometimes you need a kick in the butt.

Weirdly, the same is true about your business. I’ve been reading The Dip by Seth Godin and musing at how we start our businesses with such vim and vigor and all the passion our beating hearts can muster. Soooo in love! But time passes, challenges arise, people judge you or support you depending on the day and entrepreneurs can easily slip into the uninspired slump. Whereas you used to make-out and caress your business, now you kind of roll over, put a pillow over your head and hope it doesn’t see you drooling in your sleep.

Relationships have it and businesses have it. It’s the ditch on the side of the highway that allows you to see who is hauling ass at mock speed with their tail in the air while you do your best to climb out of the dirt.

Here’s the funny thing; the antidote to the “ditch” is often hitching a ride on someone else’s entrepreneurial Masarati, someone who happens to be on the highway at the moment, someone who can remind you about how it was and can be. The easiest way to do that is to be around a bunch of smart chicks doing cool stuff, people who are truly excited about what they’re growing. It reminds you. It inspires you. It kicks your complacent butt into gear.

Deep, mad, crazy love has two people paying so much attention to one another that they see when one is hot, cold, hungry, tired….when one of you need your feet rubbed. Are you paying attention to your business this way? Are you feeding it? Giving it a rest sometimes? Bringing new information to the table to innovate and create? Are you keeping it interesting? Is your business worthy of a love affair?

It’s easy to stay in your sweat pants, hair in a ponytail, scarfing lunch at your desk. But imagine if you were in looooove. You’d put on lip gloss, rock a beautiful pedicure, prepare a gorgeous lunch to be enjoyed with a real knife and fork (!).

You’d get out of bed with a spring in your step and answer your phone with breathless excitement!
Find yourself a community. Get connected to other free agents who are in committed relationships and are HAPPY in them.

No one can love your baby like you can. So change the sheets, open the windows, look your business in the eye and put some umpf into it (and you can read that howeevvver you want.) Remember the first day you thought of your idea and how excited you were, and mostly, remember why you started it in the first place.

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