It is incredible how much the landscape of getting the word out about your business has changed since the Internet came on the scene, and before that, the phone made a huge impact on the way businesses reached out and let their potential customers know about the services or products they offer.

Promoting and educating online is a huge part of the way we communicate with our clients and potential clients and we do the majority of our work over the phone and via email. So many other entrepreneurs and business owners are also relying on these flexible and far-reaching tools to reach their audience.

That’s why it’s so easy to forget about those potential clients who are in your own backyard. We can get so busy trying to get our message out on the internet or via emails and phone calls, we forget that one of our most valuable assets is right here, waiting and willing to be of service – our physical presence! It is essential to have room in your marketing plan to get yourself out in front of other people – specifically your ideal client – but also those who will refer you to your ideal client.

Here are 10 great ideas to get you out and helping people right in your community:

1) Find out where your ideal client hangs out – It is essential that you know who your ideal client is and know as much as possible about them, i.e., where do they go for fun, to learn, to connect with each other, to shop. If you don’t know, ask some of your past or current clients who fit the description of your ideal client – they are a great resource for you!

2) BNI (Business Networking International) or other referral networking groups – You can find local BNI’s in your area by searching for “BNI” and the name of your city. Continue Reading

One of the great keys to great success starts with the ability to become organized. For most of us this is not a skill but a habit that you have to attain by constantly reminding yourself over and over again to be and stay organized. In many cases being organized is not focused on enough, people tend to focus on where they want to get and skip the details of where they are at in the now. This can be a huge downfall in the long run and one thing is for sure, taking that extra minute to be organized will save you time in the long run.

Here at Suzanne Evans Coaching being organized is not just a personality trait, it is a job requirement. With so many different programs and events going on within the company and around the organization it is impossible for any of us to do our job without having great organizational skills. I have listed a couple key traits for you to implement to yourself and your team to assure you have enough organization to avoid wasted time! Continue Reading

I love this quote from Thomas Edison, “Vision without execution is hallucination.” And he should know a thing or two about vision, execution AND persistence.

Chances are probably pretty good that you are reading this with a lightbulb on somewhere in the room you are sitting.

Edison had the vision to “see” the lightbulb as possible (even though it had never existed before).

BUT he didn’t’ stop there, he didn’t just sit in his study and think about how much better the world would be if there were this safe, effective and easy to use light-source.

He moved into execution and actually worked toward creating it, birthing it into existence. And it took him 10,000 tries to actually make a working prototype.

And here’s where the persistence kicks in, after the first failure he kept going… after the 1000th failure… he kept going… after the 9,999th failure he kept going… until he made it work….

Because he had a clear vision, he had faith in it and he took action UNTIL his vision was made into reality.

I’ve got 3 simple “Yes” or “No” questions for you, so please answer them as truthfully as you can.

Question #1

Do you have a killer vision for how you see the world and how you see your world? Do you see how what you have to offer (your service, your product, your idea, your gift) can bring light into the world and make it a better place? Continue Reading

Confidence while speaking on video is what will help sell your service, product or idea. Sounds simple enough right? a no brainer? But you would be amazed at how that little piece of plastic and glass otherwise known as a camera can just make peoples self confidence crumble when we get rolling in studio.

So here you are with a great idea or service that you know will change lives. You can speak to a room off the cuff no problem, or you may even speak on stages to massive crowds selling, but if you can’t stand and deliver to a camera you are missing out on a massive amount of exposure.

The first step to start taking advantage of all this affordable camera technology is to get over the nerves, and the best way to get over the nerves is to practice, practice, practice. It is that simple, turn on that flipcam or Iphone/Droid and just start shooting. You can talk about a quick mindset trick for the day or a health tip from the grocery store. It can even be a memorized script, or it can just be you at your computer giving a forty-five minute seminar. It really does not matter what you shoot just as long as you are getting your feet wet.

Once you have shot your video take it home and then watch it, watch it two or three times. Really pay attention to your mannerisms and notice any undesirable ticks. So that way you can go into the next shooting situation more educated on how you carry yourself and how you speak. It is amazing what you can take away when you study yourself. Just like public speakers recommend talking into a mirror, studying yourself on video will reap the same benefits.

Another great facet of shooting your own home stuff is that you don’t have to show it! you can shoot four or five videos in one day and just post one of them, or none of them. Just don’t get to hung up on perfection, remember eighty percent is generally good enough and people will be more focused on your message then on how your hair is looking.

Video whether high end and fancy(like we do at HYS Studios) or you just shooting from your home office on an Iphone is important to your business in so many ways. So don’t be afraid to be your own spokesperson and let people hear your voice, it can create huge ripples for your business.

-Wesley Houdyshell, Studio Manager

I come from a long line of cotton farmers from West Texas.  One of the biggest impacts on the market was when Eli Whitney created the cotton gin, He completely revolutionized the process of producing cotton fiber for clothing. Previously, cotton seeds had to be removed from the coarse fibers by hand. It was a labor intensive process involving sore, bleeding fingers. A machine that spent energy separating the seeds from the fibers led to an explosion of cotton production and this invention and the wealth it generated sparked new businesses and the cotton farmers became very wealthy.   

Every business should be a business that makes money. Inputs go in, energy is applied and money comes out. Some of them do it efficiently, some aren’t as efficient and some are just plain broken. Continue Reading

Everyone has heard at some point that first impressions are everything when meeting someone. People judge you by how you dress, the type of haircut you have, the tone in your voice, your facial expressions and so on. Now, have you ever thought about the first impression that your office comes off as? The appearance of an office can say a lot about the type of service or the kind of workers that work there. I’m not just talking about keeping a clean office. That goes without saying.

Some questions to ask yourself when you walk into the office are: Continue Reading

How many times a day do you send the same marketing related files to multiple people?  You’re sending a logo, headshot, and a bio to the staff that’s hosting an event you’re speaking at, or you’re sending your branding colors, logo, etc. to an art department that’s creating product for you.  It usually results in you digging for several different files on your computer and attaching them seven different times.  Right?

Well the title says it all about this article; I’m going to teach you how to build a master media and design file that you can send out to anyone who needs it in just one click.  We’ll call it your Marketing Survival Packet, and whether you are just starting out in your business or already making six-figures, I’m telling you that you need one of these!  It will simplify your life and your employees’ lives and save time that could be spent on better things in your business.

In your Marketing Survival Packet you need 4 things:

1. 2 Versions of your headshots
2. 2 Versions of your biography
3. 2 Versions of your logo
4. Logo Guidelines

Headshots Continue Reading

I had the honor to meet with an entrepreneur this week that not only has 1 business that he runs but actually 5 and he is adding a 6^th.  We met because while he knew where he could invest his money to grow the 6^th business, he couldn’t find the time.  So we looked at how he could do just that.  He realized that he was working so hard IN his businesses that he had no time to work ON his business.

A recent article in Forbes entitled “Why Bootstraps Are Over-Rated in Entrepreneurship”, Jill Salzman points out:

Entrepreneurs like to think they’re self-sufficient. That is, after all, one reason why they become entrepreneurs. Continue Reading

Once you have started a business, keeping customers happy and turning them into repeated customers is on top priority. Successfully accomplishing this involves many different aspects of your company. In my eyes customer service is one of the most important components in creating repeated business with clients. I have listed below Jay’s top 5 customer service must do’s. Follow these five customer service strategies and you will start seeing not only a closer connection with your clients but a large increase on the clients repeated investment in your company in the long run.

1.)  Communication - As most of us already know communication is key in almost anything. This is no different when talking about customer service. The more you speak to each client the more you learn about them, the more you learn about them the better you will become at realizing what you can do to help them. There is no better relationship builder in my eyes than helping somebody. Something that most people get lazy about but I make sure I do is use the very least amount of auto responder or canned responses that I can. I believe that the more you respond to somebody on an individual level the more you will be trusted, therefore I try to provide the best customer service by doing my best to assist each client individually and respond to them differently than anybody else. This also helps me identify their specific needs and shows clients that I genuinely do care about there issue. Continue Reading

There are a lot of moving parts at Suzanne Evans Coaching.  A lot.  It is critical to have a system in place to track the moving parts.  Sometimes a variety of systems.

Initially, the most important system to implement immediately, when you are starting a business is a way to tackle your daily task list.  I have been with the company for almost two years and during that time, I have tried a variety of methods to keep track of my task list.  7 lifetimes ago, I had the opportunity to do some training for a couple of Volunteer Associations on using planner systems.  I know how to run a task list.  I have tried 6 or 7 different systems to track the moving parts.  For this job, what is working best is something Suzanne suggested herself.  It is so simple, I am almost embarrassed. Continue Reading