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Selling the Value Versus the Sale

by Toni Garcia, Let’s Be Local, Colorado™ Owner & Publisher True or False? When it comes to sales, there are two types of people. Salespeople and People that hate sales.

Before you settle on your answer... consider this.

The day you entered the job force, filled out your first application, went on your first interview and answered those questions about yourself... you were selling yourself. That first day when you decided to tell your friends about your decision to start a business, you were selling not only yourself, but your passion. That day when you went on your first real sales pitch really placing your product or service into the hands of potential investors? Selling yourself, your passion and your dream. The day they accepted the contract and you had it... the road was being paved ahead of you and there was one thing left to do... keep selling. Keep the money coming. Keep the promise.

Now, think about the first day you realized that just maybe you got in over your head and just might not be able to sell this thing anymore....? Now... you're only selling yourself short. Why? Did you lose focus? Did you lose sight of the dream? THIS IS THE POINT THAT MATTERS. This is the point where you need to sell just one person. YOURSELF. Sell yourself on your original vision... come back to square one and envision what it would mean if you gave it all up now.

Now ask yourself this. True or False? There are two kinds of people. Salespeople and People that hate sales. Still on 'True'...? Why? Who else is going to sell you on your own dream? Who else will understand it? Who else should be responsible for that? No one. Just you. You are the only one that can keep your focus in mind and not lose sight of the vision.

Why am I telling you all of this nonsense? Because you deserve it. Because at the end of the day, no one will work harder for your dream but you. But sometimes, we all need a nudge... we all need a shoulder and we all need someone to tell us that there is no one else to do the 'dirty work'.

Own it. Or don't... whatever. But should you choose to embrace this mindset and use it in your day-to-day sales processes in your business, you will not fail. Don't talk to a prospect to sell the product in the bag, talk to the prospect to sell your dream to them. Make them share your belief. The rest will follow.

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Making Your Dreams Come True: How To Set and Achieve Your Goals

What do you dream about? A luxury vacation? A castle-sized house? A sizable savings to fall back on? How do you determine what is a goal and what is a dream? Is there a difference? Do you ever think, "Wow, that would be nice one day, keep dreaming!" or do you think, "Wow, that would be nice, this is how I will get it." A dream is simply a goal that you're afraid to work for... So, how do you make it come true? Here are seven steps to setting and accomplishing your goals and making your dreams come true.

Set measurable goals. Make sure you have a way to track your successes, etc. You can't just say, "I want to go to Bermuda" you need to have a plan of action, broken down by month (savings goals, deadlines, etc.)

Make sure your goal is meaningful. Sure, Bermuda sounds great right now while it's a little chilly outside but is that something that will mean something to you once it actually happens? Or would it mean more to take your children to Disney World before they get too old? 

Pick goals that are attainable. I'm all for the castle-sized house but I'm not expecting to achieve everything necessary to purchase that this year... I can however, make it a goal to save $10k for the next 10 years for a down payment of $100k (or more!) on something further down the road.

Your goals must be relevant. Do they have meaning to you? There's no sense in working to achieve something that you don't even really care about.

Monitor your process! You have to know how you're doing, what you need to reevaluate, if anything, etc. Have a tracking system and use it.

Be open minded. Always have a different approach to achieving your goal. 

Do it again. If it didn't work, that's ok. Think about it, re-write your plan of action and have another go! If it did work, do it again! :)

Share your tips with us! Do you use a certain spreadsheet or goal tracking planner? Are you part of a local group that helps you stay accountable? Tell us about it on our Facebook page here!

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That's one electric scallop. #LBLCO #ButterflyPavilion #Scallops #Sealife #FamilyTime (at Butterfly Pavilion)

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The Denver Mart Drive In opens May 26! Tickets on sale May 1! Want a chance to WIN a FAMILY FOUR PACK? Head over to Let's Be Local, Colorado for our daily trivia game to kick off the 2017 season! Be sure to RSVP to Macaroni Kid Night at the Drive In, too! Load up the car and bring your friends! :) We'll see you there! #LBLCO #Sponsored #MKDriveIn (at Denver Mart Drive In)

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Want to book an ad with #LBLCO - 2017 LBLCO Advertiser Details & Opt-In here: https://goo.gl/forms/OjYNzXSIUSSli7uh1 - Colorado’s Most Affordable Advertising and Marketing Platform

[yourletsbelocalcolorado-blog]

10 Ways To Market Your Business On A Budget

10 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS ON A BUDGET

by Toni Garcia, Let’s Be Local, Colorado™ Owner & Publisher

1.       SOCIAL MEDIA! Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (etc…) are amazing and FREE to use! Every single business owner from here to the Netherlands (and beyond!) should have a Facebook page, at the very least!! This is especially important if you don’t have a website, or the budget for the type that you need.

2.       GOOD ‘OL FASHIONED ‘LOST DOG’ FLYERS: Make a flyer and leave 3 inches at the bottom, cutting it to make numerous (usually 10+) tabs with your info so people can tear them off and keep it in their pocket for later contact. Sounds crazy, I know… but it works!

3.       POP-UP SHOP: You’d be surprised how many business owners will open up their parking lot to other entrepreneurs once in a while. You can work together to create a small pop-up shop once every few months, attracting other business owners in the area. Remember, when doing this, it’s always a good idea to offer a small “gratuity” or commission to the store owner.

4.       CROSS PROMOTION: If you and a colleague (or another local business that compliments yours) can discuss a limited time cross promotion between your businesses, it can really grow your client base fast! An idea for this is: Buy a gift basket from Mary’s Gift Shop and have it personally delivered for half off by Smith & Town Couriers! (You catch my drift…)

5.       CREATE AN ELEVATOR PITCH: As a business owner you should ALWAYS be marketing – all of the time, wherever you are. With that being said, you need a killer elevator pitch. Research shows that the average attention span of an adult within the opening of a conversation is 6 to 8 seconds. That’s all the time you have to successfully engage them. Write an elevator pitch. Rehearse it. Over and over and over and over again. Practice it on your business partner (your entire team should have one!), your spouse, your kids, your grandma, your cat… it doesn’t matter… just practice it. NAIL IT so you can pitch in your sleep. Mastering your pitch will give you the confidence you need to truly take over a room, to compel others to listen and to believe what you have to say. Without this, you might as well be roaming around in the dark waiting for someone to say they’ll hear you out.

6.       BE A PUBLIC SPEAKER! You’re an expert in your field, right?? Well, tell others that! Reach out to local event planners, non-profits, schools, etc. and really market yourself. Offer a free professional speaking session on your area of specialty. If you’re a massage therapist, you can reach out local clinics offering training or contract work… Remember, DO NOT SALE when you do this… just be you, be the expert.

7.       ASK FOR REVIEWS AND REFERRALS: We are all scared that someone will say something negative about our business or that we will get a bad review… well, you might… and that’s okay. Learn from it. Don’t let it deter you from asking people to refer you to others or to leave a review on your Facebook page. You deserve the chance to show others what you are capable of… and remember, you will never please everyone.

8.       GIVE IT AWAY!! There are a number of local blogs and newsletters that are reaching local community members and they are reading what these people have to say. Be a part of that. Do your research and make a list of local, specialty blogs (parent, health, service, etc.) then reach out and offer a giveaway. The best way to do this is to have your offer prepared: “We are willing to offer a $50 Gift Certificate for our services (or whatever…) on your blog/website, in trade for cross-promotion on social media and your blog. Is this something you have the capability to do?” Typically, if they already have advertisers on their site, they do. If not, it can be an excellent way to reach new people and have a chance at a positive review (and an up-sell!)

9.       CONFIDENCE! Walk like a business owner. OWN what you do. DO what you own. THIS will make you successful, mentally… and in time, the rest will follow.

10.   BUILD RELATIONSHIPS: Be a human. Shake hands, tell corny jokes, make a fool of yourself and ask for the sale. BE REAL. People, no matter what status, appreciate reality. If they tell you otherwise, they’re probably not interested, anyway.

Article provided by Let’s Be Local, Colorado™ - For more information on our services and what we can offer you and your business, visit us at www.LetsBeLocalColorado.com - Colorado’s most affordable print advertising

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Full Year of Print Advertising for Only $600! *FREE Social Media Package Included!*

We have some really exciting news!! Let's Be Local Colorado is aiming to print bi-monthly publications of our Small Business Ad-Magazine starting in January and we really need the support of our fellow business owners and current advertisers to make this happen!

We were able to we extend some numbers out and have twice as much advertising to offer, for the exact same price!!

Everything is just structured a little differently, to ensure the success for all involved. How it works is you commit to all 2017 ads, full pages, in six publications. The price is $600 and includes: Full Page ad in Oct 2016, valued at $100 Free Social Media Package on all LBLCO platforms, valued at $99 Six full page ads in all (six) 2017 publications *** ALL publications (Including October!!!) will now print 4,000 copies rather than 2,000!!

The space is open to ONE REP per company (for direct sales) and the offer will expire on Sep 16. We will take 50% as a deposit to get started and the remainder is due no later than December 1, 2016. The design fee of $25 still stands.

Should you choose not to take advantage of this offer, you can still get the 4,000 copies at the regular prices listed online for the October edition :)

RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY!! [email protected] or call/text 720-202-2553

‪#‎LBLCO‬ ‪#‎COLORADO‬ ‪#‎SmallBusiness‬ ‪#‎ShopSmall‬

[yourletsbelocalcolorado-blog]

Basic Organization Tips for Your Home Office

Can you relate to this guy? Are you ready to throw in the towel on your office space? 

Basic Organization Tips for Your Home Office

 By Jessica Nowell, Owner at Time Order Purpose Organizing 

These days many of us have “home offices”. Whether you are self-employed, work from home, or bring work home it can be difficult to maintain the beautiful, magazine-worthy office area many of us dream of.  If you work from home you have probably also struggled through creating make-shift office space because what is supposed to be your office is unrecognizable. Hopefully, you will find at least one of these tips useful in reclaiming and maintaining the perfect office space for you.

 It is super easy to get distracted, discouraged, and even discombobulated by the mess that can happen in our offices. Alternatively, there are some equally easy ways to tame the paper beasts, and create order from chaos.

 Here are some of our favorite tips how to organize your home office:

 1.       Set up sacred office space

2.       Keep the most important things handy and within reach

3.       Store vertically not horizontally (especially paper!)

4.       Create a mail station

 1.       Scared Space

One of the biggest problems most people face when it comes to their office space is that it is not just their office space. Perhaps it’s the dinner table, a homework station, craft area, mail collector, lunch table, etc. When we have so many things happening in this one place, things get shuffled, moved, tossed around and then we lose things. By training yourself and others to respect this space for its designated purpose we can help minimize the clutter and chaos.

         i.      There are plenty of small desks, fold down desks, etc that you can utilize to give yourself a designated place in your home just for your work if you are currently using the couch, kitchen table, etc.

 2.       Keep the most important things handy and within reach

Far too many of us put things on our desks because we think they should be there, but we do not use them frequently enough to warrant them taking up valuable workspace. This especially is the case for things like staplers, paper clips, white out, etc. Many of us like to spread our projects out and we need space for that, without having to do a lot of work to get there. On the opposite end of the spectrum, having too many things on your desk creates a cluttered feeling no matter how nicely they are arranged and can act as a distraction, whether you recognize it or not.

             i.      The things that should be on top of your desk are things that you use regularly and consistently throughout the day. If it is a once a week, or even once every couple days, it probably does not need to be on the top of the desk.

 3.       Store vertically not horizontally

This seemingly simple tip is will make a huge impact in the shortest amount of time. By storing vertically we visually eliminate piles. It is easier to thumb through documents then they are vertical than having to sort through a pile – saving up time too! In generally, pulling things out of a vertical pile and replacing them takes much less effort than if they are stacked horizontally. This requires less activation energy for us to put our things away and therefore, piles of things that need to be put away are less likely to happen.

          i.      When we make a vow to ourselves to ONLY store vertically, we also force ourselves into sorting and taking action with our stuff more regularly because we run out of room to store it.

 4.       Create a mail system

Mail systems, both for the postal mail and correspondence between people using the space can make a world of difference. Mail is one of those things we often handle far too many times. If we can minimize that number we will save a lot of time and energy. One must recognize however, that they cannot sustain huge changes without a big why. So remember to try and make small changes to what you are currently doing and work your way up to more dramatic changes in how you do things.

           i.      Our favorite tips: open mail immediately (let go of the envelopes), have a recycle and shredder near where you open mail, and try to go paperless with as many things as possible! Also, create a labeled and divided system for incoming, out-going, and needs action/immediate attention.  Be sure to specify what immediate action means for you.

 These are some simple and basic tips that anyone can implement in their home office. For additional tips and suggestions please reach out to [email protected] and visit www.toporganizing.com