By Michael Port

Here is my latest post on the Huffington Post. No, it’s not political. Rather, it’s about the simple daily action steps you can take to build your network and get booked solid. Enjoy.

Oh, and while you there make sure to leave a comment. Your voice should be heard.

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By Michael Port

Mike Schultz, at RainSalesTraining.com, has written an outstanding post on the 8 types of buyers and how to successfully sell to them. I strongly suggest you read it. Very insightful and immediately useful.

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By Michael Port

Whew! That was a party and a half. Thank you all so much for joining — what an amazing experience. Let me know in the comments section below if you’d like us to do more of them, ok?

Thank you to Karl Staib, from www.WorkHappyNow.com, for doing such a great job organizing and hosting the party and to our VIP guests Liz Strauss, Liz Marshall, Andrea J Lee, and Dr. Mollie Marti for the enthusiastic and intelligent input as well as their amazing prizes.

List of Winners

To claim your prize send an email to Karl with your full name and address at http://www.workhappynow.com/contact and he will distribute the information accordingly.

Again, thank you for playing and for being part of the Book Yourself Solid Community!

Michael Port Prizes

Signed books

1. Lisa Rothstein – @davincidiva
2. Rain – @2yourfuture3.
3. Elizabeth A Ruiz – @elizabetharuiz
4. Dana Reeves – @danareeves
5. Roberta – Robertaeastman.com

Free Enrollment in the next 2-Day Book Yourself Sold Webinar Training ($499 value)

1. Tracy Brisson - http://opportunitiesproject.com/
2. Loni Anderson – @lonianderson

Free enrollment at the 2-day workshop at my House ($1999 value)

1. Ali R. Rodriguez

Andrea J. Lee Prizes

A simulcast seat to Tour de Coach, 3-day training Feb 2-4 in Tucson, details at www.tourdecoach.com

• Mark Barron - http://www.missourisocialmediamarketing.com/

A simulcast seat to Wealthy Thought Leader 3-day event, details are not up yet as the event is May 26-28 but info is available www.wealthythoughtleader.com/preview

• Gabe Avalos – @planb4me

A complimentary consultation with a Your Event Without Borders consultant, to allow the recipient to simulcast their next live event. Details www.youreventwithoutborders.com

• Elizabeth Crouch – @elizabethcrouch

Pink Spoon Marketing, a home study course, very popular, on how to harness the power of generosity to build an online business. www.pinkspoonmarketing.com

• Denise Aday – @adayva

Dr. Mollie Marti Prizes

Signed copy of Dr. Mollie Marti’s The 12 Factors of Business Success

• Gail Parsons Eddy – @geekysales

Signed copy of Dr. Mollie Marti’s Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success

• Lisa Robbin Young – @lisarobbinyoung

Free Self Promotion and Business Growth Training with Michael Port and Dr. Mollie (2 hours audio + transcripts)

• Curtisphelan – @curtisphelan

Free enrollment in Make Money, Have Fun, Do Good™ training – 10 videos and e-course [available at http://bestlifedesignnow.com]

• Sylvia Warren – @sylviawarren

Liz Marshall Prizes

Spread Your message Program ($247 value) www.authorteleseminars.com/benbellaclients

• @coachmekelly

The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (BIG) To Take Typical Sales Advice and Do The Opposite – Signed Copy

• Hank Wasiak  – @hankwasiak

Karl Staib Prizes

Fear to Fuel All access Pass

• Tina Cook – @tinacook

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By Michael Port

In honor of the release of the release of the second edition of Book Yourself Solid, we’re throwing a party that helps small business owners get booked solid.

Featuring Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, and hosted by Karl Staib of WorkHappyNow.com this Twitterific party also boasts VIP guests, Liz Strauss, Liz Marshall, Andrea J Lee, Dr. Mollie Marti.

Mark your calendar now: Thursday, January 20^th, 2011 at 2pm ET.

Learn more about how to participate.

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By Michael Port

Let’s start by understanding the difference between your target market and your niche. If you’ve done other research or reading on the subject of building a service-based business, you may have heard both of these terms before, and you may have heard them used interchangeably. However, in the Book Yourself Solid system, they are not synonymous. There’s an important distinction between the two:

Your target market is the group of people you serve, and your niche is the service you specialize in offering to your target market.

For example, you and I might both serve the same target market, say, service professionals, but offer them different services. I might specialize in getting clients and you might help them create systems for their business.

There are three primary reasons to choose a target market.

1. It helps you determine where to find potential clients who are looking for what you have to offer. If you have a target market, you know where to concentrate your marketing efforts and what to offer that is compelling and well received. You know what associations to speak to, magazines and journals to write for, and influential people with whom to network—you know where your potential clients gather. Voila! You now know where to show up.
2. Virtually every target market already has some kind of network of communication established. For your marketing to work, your clients need to spread your messages for you. If they already have a network of communication set up, they can talk to each other about you and your marketing messages can travel that much faster. What are networks of communication? Environments that are set up to help a group communicate—as I mentioned earlier: associations, social networking sites, clubs, various publications, events, and more.
3. And, finally, choosing a target market lets the people in that target market know that you’ve dedicated your life’s work to them.

In order to reach the people you’re meant to serve, you’ve got to know where to find them. That’s why an essential step is for you to identify a very specific target market to serve.

Marketing and sales isn’t about trying to persuade, coerce, or manipulate people into buying your services. It’s about putting yourself out in front of, and offering your services to, those whom you are meant to serve—people who already need and are looking for your services.

No matter how much you might like to be everything to everyone, it’s just not possible.

Even if you could be, you would be doing a disservice to yourself and your clients in the attempt. You can serve your clients much better, offer them much more of your time, energy, and expertise, if you narrow your market so that you’re serving only those who most need your services and who can derive the greatest benefits from what you have to offer.

If you’re just starting out in your business, or if you’ve been working in your business for a while but are not yet booked solid, you may be tempted to market to anyone and everyone with the assumption that the more people you market to, the more clients you’ll get. While narrowing your market to gain more clients may seem counterintuitive, that’s exactly what you need to do to successfully book yourself solid.

Think of narrowing your market this way: Which would you rather be—a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond? It’s much easier to carve out a very lucrative domain for yourself once you’ve identified a specific target market. And once you’re a big fish in a small pond, you’ll get more invitations than you can handle to swim in other ponds.

There are two primary ways to grow a service business.

1. You can choose a target market and, over time, continue to add new products and services to this same target market. For example: if your target market is fitness professionals, and you’re currently offering them web design services, as you grow, you might start offering them search engine optimization services and then pay-per-click advertising services.
2. Alternatively, once you get booked solid in one target market, you can begin to market and sell the same services in additional vertical target markets. So, if you currently serve wood floor manufacturers, you might offer the same services to manufacturers of tile flooring. Once you get a foothold in that market, you might then begin to focus on carpet manufacturers.

You might be thinking: “If I specialize and only work with a specific group of people, or specific types of companies within a specific industry, won’t that limit my opportunities? And what if I get bored?” Let me answer the second question first. If you’re someone who gets bored easily, you may have that problem no matter what you do. You may want to spend some time reflecting on why you’re not able to stay focused on what you’ve chosen to do. Or, it may be that you’ve chosen a target market that doesn’t excite you, that you aren’t passionate about or interested in.

Over time, you can move into other areas. When I started my business, I helped fitness and wellness professionals get booked solid. Once I was fortunate enough to create demand for my services, I leveraged the reputation I built servicing the fitness industry as a springboard into other vertical target markets, like financial services, and others. As you establish your expertise and reputation, if you choose, you can broaden your target market. (I now serve virtually every type of service professional because my reputation and proven track record affords me that advantage.)

But, if you want to increase your speed to getting booked solid, choose a very specific target market and stay with that target market until you are booked solid. Then you can move into other markets if you like or stay with your original focus and grow your product and service line.

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By Michael Port

I recently posted this article on the Huffington Post. You can read it here in its entirety as well.

A primary reason that many professional service providers fail to build thriving businesses is that they struggle to articulate in a clear and compelling way exactly what solutions and benefits they offer. They don’t know how to talk about what they do without sounding confusing or bland or like everyone else — and without using an elevator speech. You know, that 30-second commercial that’s supposed to wow someone with what you do in the time it takes an elevator to go from the first to the fifth floor.

No one wants to listen to your elevator speech

I’ve been polling audiences of thousands for years on this issue. During each speech I ask, “How many of you love, love, love listening to someone else’s elevator speech?” No hands go up. I then ask, “How many of you love, love, love giving your elevator speech?” Same thing. No hands.

So what gives? If we don’t like listening to or giving the speech, why is it still being taught? Because, of course, we need to be able to talk about what we do — I get the concept. However, in this case, the elevator speech has been inappropriately appropriated by the service professional. Not only does it not work well, it makes us look foolish, or, worse yet, obnoxious.

The elevator speech does not help sell professional services.

The elevator pitch is designed for the entrepreneur to pitch an idea to a venture capitalist or angel investor in the hopes of receiving funding, not for the service professional to try to build a relationship of trust with a potential client.

Venture capitalists often judge the quality of an idea on the basis of the quality of its elevator pitch. Makes perfect sense, in that situation. But this is not how a relationship develops between a client and a service professional. You’re trying to earn the status of a trusted adviser, not trying to raise money to create some new product like metal-detecting sandals. Totally different context. Totally different dynamic.

So, how do you talk about what you do?

By using this crazy concept that I call a conversation. You know when two people actually care about what the other has to say? Shocker, I know. Creative — but not scripted! — conversations will spark curiosity and interest about you and your services, products, and programs. If you know, and I mean really know, who you help, what challenges they face, how you help them, and the results and benefits they get from your services — you can talk about what you do any which way ’till Sunday; thirty seconds, three minutes, three hours, it doesn’t matter.

Or, you could go with an overblown, high-falutin, hyperbole-laden elevator speech that’s supposed to make you look like a rock star in 30 seconds. Unfortunately, I doubt the excessively exuberant elevator pitch is going to compel the listener to whip out his credit card right then and there.

Developing Your ‘Book Yourself Solid‘ Dialogue

Let’s put it all together with a simple five-part exercise that will help you talk about what you do.

Part I: Summarize your target market in one sentence.

Part II: Identify and summarize the three biggest and most critical problems that your target market faces (what they want to get away from).

Part III: Identify and summarize your target markets’ three most tangible desires (what they want to get to)

Part IV: Identify the number one most relevant result you help your clients achieve.

Part V: List the benefits your clients’ experience as an outcome of the result you provide.

You now have an outline that will help you clearly articulate what you do without sounding confusing or bland. In fact, you’ll sound like a superstar because you can use this outline or framework to have a meaningful conversation with another human being.

Reminder: this is not a speech. Don’t stay married to the format. Be sure to improvise. Using the structure can be helpful but you may not need to go through every element of this framework in every conversation. The person you’re engaged with might end up doing all the talking and even supply your side of the dialogue accurately. Then you can just sit back and relax. The point is, if you’re prepared with these five elements, you have the required ingredients for talking about what you do so you can cook up a sweet and tasty business, booked solid with high-paying, high-value clients.

——–

Called “an uncommonly honest author” by the Boston Globe and a “marketing guru” by The Wall Street Journal, Michael Port can be seen regularly on MSNBC and is a New York Times Bestselling author of four books including Book Yourself Solid, now in it’s second edition, Beyond Booked Solid, The Contrarian Effect andThe Think Big Manifesto.

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By Michael Port

E-mail, Calendar, Documents, Phone (AKA: All things Google)

E-mail, calendar, documents, and phone fall into one category because, for me, they are all things Google. Yes, I know they know more about me than my mother, and maybe even the IRS, but I’m willing to trust them, to a point. Google’s products can be so helpful to the small business owner that they get their own category. Google’s products were, and still are, revolutionary, not to mention free. It’s easy to forget how difficult is was, just a few years ago, to share documents and collaborate with others when working on presentations, proposals, financial projections, org charts, and more. Google docs changed all that.

I use Google Apps everyday. Not only for documents and spreadsheets but now I use them to draw and create forms that I embed inside my web pages (example). And, of course I’m writing this post in Google docs before I paste it into my blog editor. Gmail and Google Calendar rock because it makes it so easy for my staff to handle my communication and scheduling. Plus, Gmail is able to block 99% of the spam that comes my way. Google Talk and Google Voice are redonkulous (that means good). They give you video chat within your browser and one phone number that rings any of your phones, allows you to call any phone from within your browser and recieves voices messages as audio files and transcribed text. C’mon, have some appreciation because that’s impressive. Oh, and I can’t forget, your own customized phone number! Mine is (414) FOR-PORT. And, the Google Iphone app gives me better reception, on my Iphone, than my ATT cellular service.

Again, I feel obligated to remind you that all of this is free and it works, all the time. And, these are just the basic Google products. There are many more Google apps that you can use as productivity solutions if you consider stepping up to their enterprise solutions.

Project Management Software

Project management software is difficult to create because projects are difficult to manage. But, Basecamp HQ, from 37Signals, helps me organize my projects and keep on track. Sure, there are a few other features that I wish it had so it’s not perfect. No project management software is perfect, just as no project is perfect. The key with project management software is what you do with it. (AKA: actually put information into the thing) I like Basecamp’s simplicity and ease of use. I figure, if I can’t get my project information into a program as simple as BasecampHQ, then I have no business doing projects. I especially like Basecamp’s “template” feature. If you create lots of similar projects, as most of us do, creating project templates will save you time. Add milestones, to-dos, and messages once and you can reuse them on future projects.

Two other project management software programs to consider is Solve360 for a combination of project management and crm tools – I haven’t used it but I’ve heard good things – and Manymoon, if you’re looking for free project and task management solutions. It offers good collaboration tools as well but it’s not going to be as simple and clean as Basecamp. If you’re one of those people who likes long lists so you can compare every project management product under the sun, then be my guest. But, remember, the key to any piece of software is using it not having it.

Social Media Management Software

On my MacBook Pro I use Tweetdeck to manage my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn streams. It was one of the first Twitter Clients and I think it’s still one of the best. I’ve tried others without too much success. I used to use Tweetie to manage my Twitter account from my iPhone and then one day it just stopped working. Now, I use Twitter’s native app and it works just fine. On my iPad I use Socialable to manage both my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Typically I don’t pre-schedule my Twitter updates. But, when I do I use Social Oomph. People also use Social Oomph to “auto-follow” as a way of building their number of followers but I don’t recommend it. A) I think it’s cheesy and B) when I see someone who is following the same number people that they have following them, I assume the number of followers is, for the most part, artificially inflated. Another cute little Twitter client is TweetBeep, it alerts you when someone has mentioned you on Twitter so you can respond immediately; people appreciate that. For Facebook Page management I like the NorthSocial apps. There are about 3,865 social media management apps from which to choose. Just pick a few and get busy being social.

Sales and Customer Relationship Management Software + Shopping Carts and Email Broadcasting

This is a tricky catagory because when you think of CRM’s you think of software for managing leads and opportunities, software you use to close deals. However, over the last few years, a new catagory of customer or client relationship management software has sprung up in products like GetSatisfaction; what I would really consider software that helps you manage relationships with clients. The typical CRM is really a sales tool as the name of the most popular and biggest demonstrates: SalesForce. (Yes, SalesForce, I know you’re doing many more things now then just manage leads and opportunities, but at your core, in your heart of heart, you’re a tool to help close sales.) However, shopping cart and e-newsletter broadcasting systems, like 1shoppingcart and ConstantContact are also customer relationship management tools. Oiy vey, as my mother would say. Where to start?

I’ve used many Sales Management Software programs over the years and have often found them difficult to use. Not always because the software is difficult, although, sometimes it is, but because I’ve had difficulty creating the habits necessary to use these programs, especially when they’re big, complex programs like SalesForce. When choosing a Sales Management Software choose one that meets your current needs. Some suggest that you choose one to grow into but I find, more often than not, for the small or solo business owner, doing so creates overwhelm and less engagement with the product.

If you’re new and working solo and want to manage your contacts, leads and opportunities, check out HighriseHQ, another clean and simple program from 37Signals. Or you might like Tactilecrm, self-described as an easy web based crm for small business. If you’re on a mac and don’t need a web based crm then have a look at a really nice program from Marketcircle called Daylite. It also provides project and task managment solutions. So it’s a little like Solve360 in that it combines project management and crm solutions into one product. Also have a look at SugarCRM, a commercial, open source customer relationship management software for sales force automation and customer support. If you’re a techie, or have a tech on the payroll, you might want to use the open source version. If you’re not or you don’t, they offer a hosted version. But, it still requires that you understand how a crm works because the set up process is substantial; as it is with most of the big dogs like SalesForce. Of course, there are always the old standbys Act and Goldmine.

For a shopping cart, broadcasting system, and highly intelligent follow-up engine, consider Infusionsoft (disclosure: I’m an Infusionsoft partner and this link includes an affiliate code.) It’s an “all in one” system minus the project management aspect. However, even though I use Infusionsoft and am a partner, I recommend it with reservations.  Infusionsoft is a big platform and it’s not easy to learn. In fact, I have someone on my team who manages the system for me. So, if you’re not technically inclined and don’t have the resources to get professional help (of the technical kind as opposed to the mental kind) you may end up needing professional help (of the mental kind). Other shopping cart and e-newsletter systems with follow-up engines include 1shopping.com, zen-cart, and interspire,

As with the crm and project management software programs there are also too many newsletter broadcasting systems to choose from including ConstantContact, Aweber, icart, MailChimp and more. If I were starting from scratch today, I’d probably go with MailChimp for my newsletter broadcasting because it’s free for your first 1000 subscribers and it integrates with so many different shopping cart and crm solutions. It’s also really easy to use.

Let’s end this section where we began, with a true customer relationship management program, GetSatisfaction, which provides a simple way to build online communities that create conversations between businesses and their customers. I’m a fan. It also intergrates nicely with ZenDesk, an impressive help desk platform. Other helpdesk platforms include Kayako, HelpDeskPilot, and LiveHelpNow, which includes a cool live chat feature that may increase conversion at point of sale.

Intranet and Online Operation Manual Software

A lifetime ago, when I worked for a large corporation, they gave every new employee an “operations manual” that was so large it took two people to carry it. Ridiculous. Why? Because, as soon as it was printed it was immediately out of date and irrelevant. A good business is constantly improving, making small changes that produce big results. If you’re working from a book that’s outdated and filled with information that’s irrelevant, you’re going to have to a hard time producing improvements. Moreover, if you can’t find what you’re looking for you’re slow and ineffective. I don’t know about you, but when I’m slow and ineffective, I get depressed, frustrated and crabby. You’ve got to be able to find what you need when you need it at a moments notice. Enter the online operations manual. As soon as you start your business you should document every process that occurs in your business, from how you take money to where your website is hosted and how to make changes. Nothing should be set to memory. Instead, it should be documented in an easily and instantly updatable online environment that you can access from anywhere with any computer or handheld device with an Internet connection.

My first online operations manual lived on a typepad blog that I called “Team United.” Each member of my team could add posts and categorize them based on the procedure type. Other members of the team could comment on the post and add to or change the process as needed. The blog software wasn’t ideal for the purposes of an online operations manual so I moved all our documentation to a wiki at pbworks.com. That was fine for a while but it wasn’t integrated into the rest of company’s activities so I moved it to Backpack another simple product from 37signals.com. I even use Backpack for my home “operations manual” to manage everything from the 30 or so contractors that work on my house, my son’s school and teacher information, emergency contacts, utilities, and so much more. I guess I’m starting to sound like a commercial for 37signals.com but I have no relation to the company and don’t know anyone involved in the company (as of today). I even use their Campfire product for team chat’s and conference calls.

There are more software products that I could introduce to you but I think this is more than enough for now. As I mentioned earlier, the point of productivity software is to help you stay organized and get things done. The simpler the product is the better.

Speaking of a simple product that will help you build your network (stay organized) and get booked solid (get things done) is a product that I’m creating based on my book, Book Yourself Solid, called Solid.ly. You can sign up for the beta and you’ll get an invite to participate in the private beta in January or February. Oh, my gosh, I almost forgot to mention the other Book Yourself Solid software product, Book’d. It’s helps you list your services online, take money and let’s clients book sessions. (I’m biased toward these two products for obvious reasons.)

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By Michael Port

Jolly Old St. Nick is the head of the largest seasonal business in the world, but how does the man in the red suit manage Christmas year after year?

Santa Claus gives an “exclusive” interview on MSNBC revealing his approach to marketing, social media and customer service.

Ok, fine, you got me. It’s me in a Santa suit… which is why the advice is so good! Hey, if you like it, please give it a “thumbs up” on the site.

I thought you might enjoy a good laugh while learning a little something at the same time.

Happy holidays,

Michael Port
(AKA: Santa Claus)

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By Michael Port

SOCIALISM

You have 2 cows.

You give one to your neighbor.

COMMUNISM

You have 2 cows.

The State takes both and gives you some milk.

FASCISM

You have 2 cows.

The State takes both and sells you some milk.

BUREAUCRATISM

You have 2 cows.

The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.

TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM

You have two cows.

You sell one and buy a bull.

Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.

You sell them and retire on the income.

AN AMERICAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.

You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows.

Later, you hire a consultant to analyze why the cow has dropped dead.

A FRENCH CORPORATION

You have two cows.

You go on strike, organize a riot, and block the roads, because you want three cows.

A JAPANESE CORPORATION

You have two cows.

You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called ‘Cowkimon’ and market it worldwide.

A GERMAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.

You re-engineer them so they live for 100 years, eat once a month, and milk themselves.

AN ITALIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows, but you don’t know where they are.

You decide to have lunch.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.

You count them and learn you have five cows.

You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.

You count them again and learn you have two cows.

You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

A SWISS CORPORATION

You have 5000 cows. None of them belong to you.

You charge the owners for storing them.

A CHINESE CORPORATION

You have two cows.

You have 300 people milking them.

You claim that you have full employment, and high bovine productivity.

You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.

AN INDIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.

You worship them.

A BRITISH CORPORATION

You have two cows.

Both are mad.

AN IRAQI CORPORATION

Everyone thinks you have lots of cows.

You tell them that you have none.

No-one believes you, so they bomb the crap out of you and invade your country.

You still have no cows, but at least you are now a Democracy.

AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION

You have two cows.

Business seems pretty good.

You close the office and go for a few beers to celebrate.

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By Michael Port

My latest article on The Huffington Post about how to talk about what you do.

We need to be able to talk about what we do — I get the concept. However, the elevator speech has been inappropriately appropriated by the service professional. Not only does it not work well, it makes us look foolish, or, worse yet, obnoxious.

Read my article at The Huffington Post to make sure you’re doing it right.

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