It is important that you let them decide for themselves, at every phase of the sales cycle, beginning with whether or not to even hear more about what you have to offer.  Remember, IF YOU DON’T ASK, YOU WON’T KNOW!  If you look at a person and say to yourself, “Nah, she wouldn’t be interested” how can you be completely sure that’s true?

I recently purchased a new 58″ plasma TV from Matt Anderson at Wholesale Works.  Honestly, it was the deal of a lifetime in my opinion.  However, I didn’t go to Matt and say, “Hey, I’m looking for a TV!” because I wasn’t at the time.  But I am very glad that he didn’t assume that I wouldn’t be interested.  He approached me and told me about his special offer, and now his offer is mounted on my wall for my viewing pleasure.

I’m not suggesting your product/service is for everyone in the world, and that you should offer to everyone.  However, I am talking about those people who otherwise fit your target demographic, but for whatever reason you find yourself choosing for them by never approaching them at all.

So, be bold!  If you think someone will tell you no, then prove it.  Ask them and see if you were right.  If you hear the word “No” you won’t melt, and if they say “Yes” then you will simply have to admit to yourself that your initial assumption was wrong.  Don’t worry though, the additional revenue will make that pill easier to swallow.

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Bookmark to:

There is tremendous power in laughter.  Human Beings are so-wired that we need to have fun and laugh and smile. In fact, we are hard-wired for this. It is a proven fact that just smiling, even when you don’t feel like doing so, will release a small amount of endorphins in the brain, the very chemical that causes us to feel good. Keep smiling long enough, and eventually you really do feel like smiling. Add laughter to that equation and look out, you’re feeling pretty great before you know it.

So, what if you are sharing smiles and laughter with another person?  What happens when two people are simultaneously experiencing the sense of well-being that comes from laughing?  Those two people are drawn closer together.  Laughing together with another person strengthens bonds, including bonds that are brand new and just forming, and shortens the distance between them.

This applies in the world of business as much as any other part of life.  I know we tend to think of business as “serious stuff” but business is all about relationships, and influence.  We have more influence with those we are close to.  We draw closer to those that make us feel good when we are around them.  The distance is shortened significantly when we laugh and share good humor with one another.

So, lighten things up.  Have a laugh or two with your prospects, clients, and associates.  I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to improve your business relationships and your influence with others.

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Bookmark to:

In her book, Get Clients Now, author C.J. Hayden says, “Following Up is at the center of the Universal Marketing Cycle for a reason: consistent and persistent follow up is central to successfully moving a prospect forward to making a sale.”

I have a card that I like to send to my coaching clients, especially those who are trying to improve their marketing and sales.  On the front of the card it reads:

Sales Statistics:

• 48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
• 25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
• 12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
• Only 10% of sales people make more than three contacts
• 2% of sales are made on the first contact
• 3% of sales are made on the second contact
• 5% of sales are made on the third contact
• 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
• 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact

Fear is one of several reasons people don’t follow up with their contacts.  On page 181 of Hayden’s book she writes:

“If I follow up that lead, I might be rejected,” reasons the voice in your head.  “So I’ll avoid the pain by not making the call in the first place.”  Or conversely, you may be thinking, “If I place the call, I might get the business, and then I’ll have to do the work, and people will have all these expectations of me.”  But the reality is that if you don’t place the calls, you’re going to fail even more dramatically than in these two imaginary scenarios.

I encourage my clients to remember that ‘fear’ is really an acronym; ‘F.E.A.R’ for ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’.  When you take action in the face of your fear, by following up with prospects for example, you can then expose that false evidence for what it is and move past it, and your fear.

In summary: Following up is king.  Take the time, get organized, and follow up with your prospects, again and again, and again.

To Your Success!
-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Illustration titled The Universal Marketing Cycle from page 32 of the book Get Clients Now, by author C.J. Hayden

Bookmark to:

Decked out in modern themes and furniture and cool music in the background, the first thing that strikes you is that by stepping through the doors you’ve just stepped “out of Provo”.  Even the silverware is cool (check out the knives). That is exactly what owner Blake Ballard is going for.  SP^RK wants you to have an “Out-of-Provo” experience, as he calls it.

What was interesting to me was what I would call “Approachable Sophistication”.  It has the feel of an upscale restaurant and lounge but with a little more relaxed atmosphere; a place you want to come and hang out with friends and spend a little more time than you would at your typical restaurant.  They even have a really cool drinks list, including lots of “tini” drinks; all non-alcoholic.  I had a Peartini, and Becky had a Lycheetini.  They were both delicious and unlike anything else I’ve tried in Utah Valley.

Instead of traditional appetizers they offer what they call “Small Plates”.  We tried the House-made Pasta with Lamb Ragu and the Citrus Duck.  If these items sound too exotic, trust me they are not.  They were both quite delicious.  My wife, who has never ordered duck for herself, really enjoyed their duck offering a lot.

For our main course I ordered the Roasted Pork Tenderloin while Becky had the Scallops Three Ways.  My tenderloin was perfectly cooked along with the tastiest polenta I think I have ever had, definitely a winner.  The Scallops Three Ways included 3 large scallops, all perfectly cooked, one poached with a Parmesan crisp, one seared with corn and polenta, and one roasted on top of a pork belly.  The poached scallop, while at first bite seemed to be under seasoned, upon the second bit you realize the subtle sweetness of the scallop itself coming through which too much seasoning might have masked.  The seared scallop with the polenta was quite nice, but the roasted scallop with the pork belly, in my opinion, stole the show and was absolutely to die for: Fantastic!

What I found to be particularly enjoyable is that between our various courses they sent a couple of different “Chef’s Selections,” on the house.  A pan-seared pork belly (my first pork belly, but definitely not my last), and shrimp bisque the night we went, though I understand these to change depending on the night.

For dessert we shared the Brioche Bruleé French Toast which also included a vanilla-poached pear, and lemon thyme sorbet.  Separately each of these was excellent, but when you put all three together into one bite it was the perfect combination of tastes, one we will definitely have again and again.  At the very end, instead of the typical after-dinner mint we were brought a couple of homemade marshmallows that were a slightly minty to the taste; a sweet break from tradition.

I had the opportunity to sit and chat with owner Blake Ballard after our visit to his restaurant.  According to Ballard, “Spark is a non-typical restaurant and lounge that provides an engaging dining and social ambiance for those living in Utah Valley.” Continuing, he said of their menu: “Spark’s unique menu offerings are based on classical French techniques with Japanese, Spanish and California influences. The drink menu offers a unique approach to non-alcoholic refreshment.”

Simply put; SP^RK brings the social, culinary, and cultural advantages and moods of a metropolitan modern bar and lounge to Downtown Provo, all without actually serving alcoholic drinks of any kind.

SP^RK chef Viet Pham of San Jose, California, received formal culinary training from the California Culinary Academy and has previously worked at The Fifth Floor Restaurant, part of Hotel Palomar, located in San Francisco, California.

In Ballard’s words, “At SP^RK we want you to enjoy a culinary and social experience each and every time you come.”

Overall, my wife and I really enjoyed our experience at SP^RK and we are definitely looking forward to our next visit and sampling even more of their delicious and creative menu.

Give them a try for lunch or dinner.

Find them on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Provo-UT/Spark-Restaurant-Lounge/14098944078

Original photos taken by Becky Olsen. You can see more of her work, and of Sparks, on her Flickr page.

Bookmark to:

He said to me, “Kip, I know I have some things I need to improve on personally, but for right now I really need to just focus on improving my business.”

What a revelation! In one sentence he revealed a paradigm that more than anything else was holding him back from being as successful as he could be. There is one principle, one natural law, one fundamental truth that he was not recognizing and applying, and that is this:

No Success, including Business Success, can precede Personal Success.

You see this is the deal, the crux of it all really. The fastest car in the world doesn’t win the race without a highly skilled driver; the finest paint and brushes have no meaningful impact on the canvas without the hand of a talented artist; and successful, highly effective businesses are run by people who are successful and highly effective as human beings. It is a prerequisite. Being an effective, successful person does not come after first building a successful business or career. It comes first!

If Business Success is the chicken, and Personal Success is the egg, then the answer to the age-old question is most definitely and emphatically “The Egg!”, and if you will take the time to nurture the egg (your personal effectiveness) you will find it results in a more robust and healthy chicken (in other words, a great business/career).

Deep down you know this is true, we all do. Yet so many would try to convince themselves they can take the shortcut that no one else has been able to take, that somehow they can have the business success they desire without doing the work on themselves first. Why do so many try it? Why do they skip the part where they work on themselves and work on other things first? The answer is fear.

Think of it this way, if I try my hand at creating a successful business and fail I can reason that it was due to any number of reasons and circumstances outside my control. However, if I work on being an effective person and fail… well, you can see how this pill might prove a little harder to swallow if we let such fears get the best of us. As a result, most of us focus our efforts in either the wrong place, or in the right place but prematurely (in other words, without working on personal effectiveness first).

My Challenge to You:

1. Focus your efforts on becoming a highly effective person, one who makes and keeps commitments to yourself and has a high degree of personal integrity and follow through, even when no one else knows of your commitment.
2. Be an excellent manager of your time. It’s not about scheduling every minute of your time, but rather doing the right thing at the right time.
3. Establish habits that will serve you throughout the rest of your life, habits that will lead you to succeed regardless of your chosen business or career endeavors.

If you will do these things I am confident you will enjoy tremendous success in all aspects of your life, including business and career.

To Your Success!
-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Bookmark to:

Nothing will bring greater and more lasting success than to be a responsible person with solid character.

This particular piece comes from Michael Josephson and CharacterCounts.org.  I encourage you to take notes on any insights you may have, and more particularly how you might apply it in your own life.

It’s been said that the line between childhood and adulthood is crossed when we move from saying, “It got lost” to “I lost it.” Indeed, being accountable - and understanding and accepting the role our choices play in the things that happen - are crucial signs of emotional and moral maturity. That’s why responsibility is one of the main pillars of good character.

Many people have been seduced by the Peter Pan philosophy of refusing to grow up and avoiding the burdens implied in being accountable. Yes, responsibility sometimes requires us to do things that are unpleasant or even frightening. It asks us to carry our own weight, prepare and set goals, and exercise the discipline to reach our aspirations.

But the benefits of accepting responsibility far outweigh the short-lived advantages of refusing to do so. No one makes his or her life better by avoiding responsibility. In fact, irresponsibility is a form of self-imposed servitude - to circumstances and to other people.

Responsibility is about our ability to respond to circumstances and to choose the attitudes, actions, and reactions that shape our lives. It is a concept of power that puts us in the driver’s seat. The grand panorama of the potential of our lives can only be appreciated when we begin to be accountable and self-reliant.
Responsible people not only depend on themselves, but show others that they can be depended on. This breeds trust, and trust is a key that opens many doors.

If you want more control over your life and the pleasures, prerogatives, and power of freedom and independence, all you have to do is be responsible.

-Michael Josephson

I also watched this little “poem/movie” from Michael Josephson and found it quite inspirational.  Take a moment and watch it, I think you will find it well worth your time: What Will Matter Movie

To your success!
-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Bookmark to:

I strongly recommend you make a networking a regular part of your marketing efforts. You should attend at least one networking event every single week, and in most cases more often than that. If you don’t know where to start, here are a few excellent networking recommendations:

BNI
Visit a local BNI chapter near you and see how this highly professional and effective referral-based organization works. Chapter meetings are held weekly, usually in the early morning (i.e. 7:30 – 9:00 AM), and only one person per profession can occupy an official seat in the chapter at a time. We have three chapters here in Utah Valley, one that meets in Springville, one in Orem, and another in American Fork. Visit www.bni.com for more information.

Corporate Alliance
If you do business in Utah Valley then you must visit a Corporate Alliance Jumpstart. Lunchtime meetings are held once each month with choices of dates through an entire week from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The philosophy behind Corporate Alliance is “Just Because”. While quite different than BNI’s focus on directly referring business to fellow chapter members, the idea here is to build relationships without the expectation of receiving business from the time invested. However, it has long been proven that as you build solid and lasting business relationships it will only benefit both parties in the long run. Visit www.corporatealliance.net for more information.

Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce
Yet a third, and still different networking organization, the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce is one of the finest in the country. You can visit them on the web at www.thechamber.com (of all the Chambers in the nation how did they get that cool URL?). The Chamber provides a variety of opportunities to network and connect with other business leaders and the community. I recently attended a very enjoyable and successful “Speed Dating” event for getting to know other business leaders. It was a lot of fun and very productive.

Facebook
Social networking online is fast becoming a great way to stay in touch with business associates. Sure, a lot of social networks are oriented to the fun and frivolous; however a growing number of business people are finding ways to leverage online connections to find new contacts, rekindle older relationships, and spawn new business opportunities. The fastest growing segment of Facebook users is adult business people. Give it a try; you will be surprised at the number of business professionals you will connect with. Visit www.facebook.com for more information.

Don’t forget to join the Utah Valley Business Group on Facebook; our companion initiative in social networking.

One last recommendation… Educate yourself and become the best networker you can be. I have two book recommendations: Read The Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships by Jeffrey Gitomer, and City of Influence: A Business Tale from Corporate Alliance. These two books can be of tremendous help in your quest to build better relationships and positively impact your business through networking.

To Your Success,

Kip Kint
Business Success Coach
Mission Ignition

Bookmark to: