Social media for Small Business – eBook you can Download
December 12, 2008
At the Australian Businesswomen’s Network we know that members (women in small business) are keen to get a hold of social media strategies that help them to grow business.
What is it? How do I use social media?
John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing has written an ebook for Office Live Small Business on Social Media for Small Business. It’s free to download.
Business Spotlight: Shopping for women is now easy for men to do
December 12, 2008
The Australian Businesswomen’s Network interviewed Annette Lackovic of Presentsforher
Briefly tell us about your business and how you got started.
Presents For Her is an online gift shop that targets males who are looking to buy gifts for females. Annette’s background in the study of human behavior and the psychology of female behavior has helped her educate buyers to the level at which the shopping experience becomes easy.
What have been your major achievements?
Being Australia’s largest online gift shop for women’s gifts, with a choice of over 2200 gifts. We offer 396 physical gifts and over 1900 gifts are for an experience. For example you can go hot air ballooning or a buy a day spa voucher and much more.
What have been your major challenges?
Human behavioural studies show that most men find shopping an inconvenience and they like to make their shopping trip as quick and painless as possible. They like to go in, get what they need and then leave. However, when it comes to purchasing for the opposite sex, most men struggle with ideas and find gift shopping extremely challenging. Our major challenge has been converting enquiries to sales. Converting online enquiries to sales is challenging, because we have no way of communicating with the customer, unless they select the online help feature which directs the call to us.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
My husband, Petar Lackovic has been my inspirational mentor; without him the idea would never have come up. He definitely has no clue when it comes to shopping for his mum and sisters-in-law. Also John Grey and Allen Pease who added to my education, Chris Howard for his personal development educational courses, Anthony Robbins and Brian Tracey for their contributions in the field of personal development.
How do you stand out from your competitors?
• Most website businesses do not create interpersonal relationships. If communication is required it is produced through a generic and direct email service. We have a phone contact as well.
• Everything comes gift wrapped for free! Even if a female is buying herself a nice piece of lingerie or perfume,
it still comes gift wrapped as we want everyone to feel spoilt and have the feeling of luxury.
• Our prices are 10% to 70% cheaper then retail.
How do you get clients ‘through your door’? Do you have a sales team, use telemarketers, or advertise?
Being an online business you have no foot traffic, so it’s all about driving people to our website. The most cost-effective way to do that is advertising on the Internet, as the consumer is already online.
In your Industry and in your opinion what has been the most successful ‘sales’ thing you have done to date and why do you think it has been so successful?
Our direct ecommerce newsletters are the most powerful and successful tool as they have the highest sales conversion rate based on a ratio of contact:sale.
This is because:
1. Most of the customers on our mailing list are already highly qualified consumers – they have signed up to be a member, have previously purchased from our website or they were referred by a trusted friend or partner.
2. The newsletters always have a strong ’call to action’ campaign, which creates urgency. They also show the huge savings on promotional items advertised.
3. Many consumers regularly need to buy gifts; especially in peak seasons like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and then there are family members’ and friends’ birthdays as well. So it makes it super simple in these peak times as the consumer doesn’t have to fight for car parks in busy shopping centres and wait in check-out queues.
4. The newsletter targets the customer whilst they are already online and takes them immediately to our online shop.
What are the dos and don’ts in your mind when it comes to selling your product and service?
DO treat every customer as if they are your first and only customer.
DO build rapport with the customer by asking for and sharing information.
DO telephone customers instead of emailing – people build relationships better than an email.
DO create names for everything e.g. packages, clothing, services, etc. It is easier for customers to remember and it creates more of an emotional attachment to the item.
DO implement a follow-up call to ensure customer’s satisfaction after purchase. It helps build trust and creates relationship with the brand. It also puts a voice to the website, as people and services build relationships, not the website.
DO everything in your power to keep a customer happy and always show sincerity in your apology even if you are not to blame. e.g. the courier company delivers an order late. This is out of your control, but the customer pays the consequences. So help them make it easier the next time and ensure they will come back by giving them some type of discount card or gift voucher for their next purchase.
DON’T ever say to a customer: “I can’t”, “We don’t”, “I won’t” or “unfortunately”. A customer only cares what you can do not what you can’t do. Negative words are like fuel for fire when spoken to a customer.
DON’T over-promise and under-deliver. Customers always remember the last experience and impression. Always make the last impression a great one!
DON’T assume your customer’s budget. Continually show and add products when you get an agreement that they like them. Those who judge a book by its cover will miss out on some of the best stories.
If you could do anything (regardless of budget and resource) to maximise your sales what would you do and how would you go about doing it?
The best way to target a customer in advertising is to get as many senses involved as possible (sight, taste, hearing, smell, touch) and to increase the frequency of this.
I would run campaigns that coincide with three types of media:
• TV to stimulate the two senses, hearing and sight, and can help create feelings of excitement and emotion. I would be targeting highly qualified viewers. 70% of Presents for Her’s customers are men (as found through our customer surveys), so a strong focus would be on sports shows, news programs and peak time shows.
• Radio to stimulate only the sense of hearing, but we could sponsor a competition for a week, to increase the feeling of excitement.
• Billboards to attract the many people driving on motorways and listen to the radio while negotiating peak hour traffic. Billboards can be used to add visual appeal to the messages that potential customers/clients have already heard on the radio. This also means that customers can see the branding which helps to increase memory recall.
Each form of media above will have a ‘call to action’ to create urgency and insist on immediate purchase. This will, in turn, increase sales and the client database for future direct marketing purposes.
Where would you like to see your business in five years from now?
• Australia’s most popular gift shop for women
• Man’s new best friend
• 11 stores in major shopping destinations, mall and shopping centres
• $3.3Million profit per state/per annum
What are your Top Five Strategies for Success?
1. I have a Success Journal
• I write down at least one thing I did that day that gets me closer to my goals.
• I write down three things I enjoyed about the day and three things I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
• Finally I write all my goals, that way I keep them clear in my head, so I stay focused and it’s the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.
2. Keep developing your education within your product/industry.
3. Keep growing your personal/spiritual development, as this helps you to remain positive.
4. Have empathy when relating or communicating with your customers. I have used this skill in so many conversations in the past between staff and customers that could have turned ugly if I didn’t.
5. Never settle for mediocre and I always believe you can do better, which will continually make you strive for more.
In her role as an international speaker and consultant, Annette assists SME owners to develop their businesses and increase their income potential through advanced communication skills. Primarily, her repertoire includes: teaching people advanced selling techniques, negotiation skills, five star customer service skills and tailoring sales systems for companies around Australia and New Zealand.
Website: www.presentsforher.com.au
Phone: 1300 887 523
Email: annette@presentsforher.com.au
How is red tape burdening your small business?
December 11, 2008
What is it that burdens you in you role as a women in business? What legislation (or changes in legislation) impact your business in negative ways.
Today’s Sydney Morning Herald article hints at a change in unfair dismissal legislation that could mean even more red tape for business.
How will Twitter change YOUR business?
December 11, 2008
In this article in today’s Smart Company newsletter the journalist explores Twitter and its growth as a tool to communicate with customers. I’ve been playing seriously since October and have found it to be a great way to connect with an online community, to aggregate the flurry of news and stories that I hear that I want to share with my own community of women business owners.
In fact – and this is cool – I Twittered that I was doing the interview and wanted to know how those in small-business were using Twitter. Boom! Responses flooded in and I could share that information with the journalist immediately – and pass on those real life examples.
Sales Strategies: 7 Rules for Writing Headlines that Sell
December 11, 2008
By Dominique Antarakis, The Copy Collective
Here are 7 rules for creating headlines that sell – or that can at least buy you time so your customer reads your offer.
Rule No. 1: Don’t try to be too clever
Too often the temptation with a headline is to go for clever. You know, some catchy phrase or play on words that may get someone’s attention, yet leave them none the wiser as to what it is you’re selling; and more importantly, what’s in it for them. Remember, you’re competing with millions of other messages bombarding people each day, so use plain English, tell your readers what the benefits are, and don’t try to make them guess what it is you’re selling.
Rule No. 2: Make the offer relevant
Whether you’re trying to make sales on or off-line, when you consider that 90% of readers won’t make it past the headline, the words you choose as an opener are really make or break. This means they need to strike a chord with the reader and be relevant. That’s why stating a benefit to the customer – ‘Cure tinea in just 10 days – guaranteed!’ may seem a little obvious, but if you’ve got tinea, and you’re looking for a miracle cure, you’re probably going to keep reading.
Rule No 3: Start spreading the news
Including news in your headline is an attention-grabber. It may not be a completely new product or service; it may just be an improvement or change for the better. But again, keep it relevant to the reader – think benefits, not features.
Rule No 4: Make it as long as it needs to be
While some studies have shown that longer headlines,10 words or more, work better than short; those same studies have been contradicted by other studies showing that shorter headlines are best. My advice? Use the number of words you need to get the message across, bearing in mind the relevance rule.
Rule No 5: Be crystal clear about what it is you’re selling
This really relates back to Rule No. 1 – don’t try to be too clever. Unless your brand is well known and your logo can do the work for you, try to mention the name of the product, type of service or your company name in the headline. Then people will know what you’re selling, and can decide instantly whether they’re in the market for it.
Rule No 6: Use specific details – make it ‘sticky’
People remember details better than nebulous claims – ‘Cure tinea in 10 days’ is easier to grasp in an instant than a statement like ‘Cures tinea fast’. After all, how fast is fast?
Rule No 7: Test different headlines to see what
works best
Getting someone to open an unsolicited email these days is tough. But the great thing is, by utilising this strategy you can test which headlines or subject lines work best. Remember though, the idea is not to trick the customer into opening the email and you must comply with the Australian Spam Act 2003. You want to give them an offer that is relevant, sticky, shows them a benefit, and is credible. Having your product or company name in the subject line also gives them the heads-up on who is contacting them. Do a bit of research though, into tactics on getting past spam-filters. Certain words like ‘free’ or ‘win’ tend to get flagged and sent straight to the junk mail folder.
Rule No 8: Actually, there is no Rule No. 8
I’m just checking to see if you were paying attention. If you’ve made it this far, chances are it’s because this information is relevant to you. Think back to the headline for this article: 7 Rules for Writing Headlines that Sell. Granted it’s not a particularly sexy or clever headline, but if you stopped to read the article, it’s likely that you needed this information. It was relevant to you – you need to sell. It was obviously about writing headlines – very specific. And it told you what you were going to get – 7 Rules, which gave you some idea how long the article might take to read. For ‘1001 tips on writing headlines’ you know you’re going to need to make a cup of tea and put your feet up!
Dominique is a journalist and copywriter who works with business, agency and charity clients to help them communicate who they are and what they do with clarity, energy and passion.
The Copy Collective taps into the strengths of its members: copywriters, editors and proofreaders who can write articles, craft press releases, develop content for your website, tailor words for an online ad campaign, put together an annual report or write a compelling telemarketing script that will help you make sales and more. We’d love to help you choose the right words to market your business more effectively.
Company: The Copy Collective
Website: www.thecopycollective.com
Email: info@thecopycollective.com
Sales Strategies: Stop serving and start selling
December 10, 2008
By David Penglase – salescoachcentral.com
For the past two decades many SMEs have been advised to adopt a ‘client-service’ model to build their business. On the surface, this sounds reasonable, but in reality, it might be sending those same SMEs broke.
Today, probably more than ever, every business owner, as well as their sales and service staff, are faced with the ‘sameness syndrome’ which is created by increased competition.
In other words, regardless of what is being sold to your clients, chances are that they could probably get the same product or service somewhere else, for the same price and quality. When customers have choice, but can’t see or experience any real point of difference that is of value to them, they will more often than not, simply be making their buying decision based on price.
So how do Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Compete?
Unfortunately, because of the misplaced ‘client-service’ focus, many sales and service staff take the fastest route to differentiation by playing the discounting game, which simply creates a commodity market that is on a slide to lower and lower profit margins. Some businesses even intentionally promote the game with advertising slogans along the lines of “our prices aren’t the real price… everything is negotiable”!
If you’re competing in the kind of industry where the big players are cutting the price and margin from beneath you, then it’s time to stop serving and start selling. Profitable sales are possible for SMEs when the sales and service staff are confident and feel comfortable providing advice and make informed recommendations; as opposed to merely serving by asking ‘May I help you?’ or discounting when the client asks ‘Can you do this at a cheaper price?
So how do SME owners and managers keep their sales staff skilled and motivated to sell and not just serve?
Sales and service skills for most businesses come down to the need to find clients, win clients, keep clients and solve problems creatively. While sales training might well be part of the answer, it’s rarely the only component of the answer, and the investment required for current world class sales training and coaching may be out of reach for some SMEs.
Your 6-step Sales Process
One of the often neglected, and yet main skills development areas for sales and service personnel is that selling is a process.
Following are six core steps that will help SMEs develop and implement an effective sales process, along with some ‘quick tips’ that will benefit every sales and service consultant.
1. Build rapport – this is a combination of attitude and skill; and the quick tips are to demonstrate a genuine willingness to help and understand each clients individual circumstances
2. Ask questions – often the poorest skill demonstrated by sales and service personnel. It requires a combination of information-based and value-discovery questions that have the capacity to engage and motivate the client
3. Show value – rather than just going through the product or service features and benefits, skilled sales and service people discuss and demonstrate their product or service’s direct value-matches with each individual client’s specific situation.
4. Identify obstacles or objections – by asking clients for their feedback on each value-match, clients are less likely to raise obstacles or objections because the discussion is based on factors that are important to the client.
5. Confirm the sale – instead of 101 ways to ‘close a sale’ there are really only two ways:
• Ask for a buying decision, or
• Make a confident and genuine recommendation about what the customer needs to do to experience the value they seek.
6. Stay in touch – this is not always easy, but what happens after the sale often builds more rapport with customers. A simple phone call, thank you card, or enquiry email just to check that the customer is happy with their purchase will suffice.
Successful selling for SMEs starts with an attitude of confidence in the sales and service provider. When you sell a product or service, create value for each and every client and just as importantly, ensure that each and every client will feel comfortable and confident that they are making a wise buying decision.
Since 1994, David and his wife Liz have built one of Australia’s leading sales coaching and training consultancies working with top tier organisations across a wide range of industries. In 2007 David realised that many small and medium size businesses missed out on top class sales coaching and training because they often couldn’t afford it and he set himself a challenge to provide small and medium size business salespeople with access to world class sales coaching and resources for less than $1 a day.
The result is the recently launched SalesCoachCentral.com, which is a next generation web based sales coaching resource centre providing unlimited 24/7 access for members to a vast array of resources from an ever growing panel of experts in the areas of sales, communication and personal growth to help sales managers and sales people build their skills and confidence to increase new, repeat and referral sales.
Further information and sales coaching from David Penglase can be found at www.SalesCoachCentral.com
Has failure been your key to success?
December 9, 2008
If you’ve ever felt like a failure, you could be on track to great success. An article in last week’s Sunday Telegraph allowed me to share that despite many failures over the last fourteen years I’ve still managed to have a level of success. But, what have been the tools for me to overcome failure (and unrealistic fears of failure)?
For me it’s always three key things:
1. The people I surround myself with – mentors, friends, teachers. Who do you spend your time with?
2. Commitment to education. I find that the more knowledge I have on an area the better decisions I can make
3. Personal development – I’m committed to continuing to evolve through personal development whether that is a good book, a great seminar, a blog post or a wise word from a friend.
Sales Strategies: Where are you going wrong with cold-calling?
December 9, 2008
by Natalie Poole, National Sales Academy
Business Owner: “Hello, I’m calling from Natalie’s web design… I was just wondering, do you have a website?”
Potential Customer: “Yes, do you want the web address?”
Business Owner: “Um…no, thank you. Bye!”
The above cold calling experience was shared by a friend of mine lately between giggles, grimaces, and a few words which I won’t share here now. I’m sure you identify with Marie’s* feelings as she ended that call, and you can understand why it took her a week to get back the courage to pick up the phone again. To be honest, I’m not sure I would have been as gutsy when I first started cold calling!
We know Marie was attempting to determine whether the person and business qualified for her web design service. However, like most of us, when faced with the prospect of ‘cold calling’, her own fears and the many poor examples she receives daily (who would have thought printer toner is such a lucrative industry!) replayed in her mind. With no set structure this usually friendly, confident and by all accounts extremely competent woman clammed up. What is it with the term ‘cold calling’ that just turns us…well… cold?
I would love to at least highlight two of the most common misconceptions I come across daily. Firstly…
You do not need to be or pretend to be the sterotypical sales person… you don’t need the ‘gift of the gab’, be able to ‘sell ice to the Eskimos’ or be a ‘top closer’ to be successful at cold calls. But you do need to be giving. Give people a reason to speak with you, give them something to remember, give them some of your personality and ‘sparkly bits’.
Neither do you need to be in telesales…. You don’t need to have a script for every conceivable scenario, own a well thumbed copy of ’101 top tips for getting past gatekeepers’ or have a skin reinforced with steel. But you do need to understand that the telephone is the face of your business. In today’s world, with mobiles, blackberries and teleconferences, owners must rely on the telephone to be successful in their business.
Have some clear USPs (unique selling propositions) and use them to confidently articulate the benefits and feelings your product or service delivers. Set out four or five structured questions to help determine whether the person on the phone qualifies to be your customer. (For example; would it help for you to know if they are currently using a competitor’s product? If they are familiar with your business? Whether they currently have a need or desire for what you offer?)
Make your customer feel GREAT!!
G- Give them your name and business, and then ask for theirs. This softens the question and it becomes a reflex for the customer to answer (try it today!). It also helps develop conversation. “Hello my name is Natalie from the National Sales Academy, and you are…?”
R- Rapport. This is crucial. Always establish rapport FIRST. It’s true that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Focus on making a friend first and an appointment or new client second. My whole perception of ‘cold calling’ changed when I followed this strategy…and so did the results I was getting!
To help fast-track the rapport building process, it helps to match the caller’s communication style; are they direct, influencing, steady, or concise? Do they utilise a lot of inflection in their speech or do they tend toward the monotone? Do they speak fast or slowly? People like people similar to themselves. Think about your favourite clients to deal with, or the people you are drawn to at networking events – you will find more often than not you will have at least a few similar traits.
E- Empathy. Put yourself in their shoes. Where does the benefit lie for your audience to listen to you? How could you benefit their business? Why would they be interested in your product or service? Do you really understand them? Where are they coming from? It is a great activity to sit and think about this for a few minutes before the call.
A- Ask open-ended questions and LISTEN to their answers. Be genuinely interested in THEM and take notes. If you are seeking specific information, ask specific questions.
T- Tell them a bit about yourself. Keep it concise. If you don’t have one already, create a ‘five-second commercial’ that covers who you are, what you do (USPs are fantastic here!), and the benefits and feelings your customers can expect. Be memorable and give your potential customer and new friend a reason to come and meet with you!
Natalie Poole is the Senior Success Guru at the National Sales Academy. The National Sales Academy is Australia’s first and only sales and communication training academy. It’s tried and tested techniques and methodologies are cutting edge and delivered by world class international presenters in a format that is easy to understand and implement for ANYONE! They offer tailored programs to sales professionals, sales managers, managers, business owners and personal trainers. Contact us for more information or to book in for a COMPLIMENTARY Sales Success Planning session (valued at $290.00) for ABN Members.
Website: www.nationalsalesacademy.com.au
Phone: 02 9955 1500
Email: natalie.p@nationalsalesacademy.com.au
Sales Strategies – How to Increase Your Sales
December 8, 2008
By Leanne Griffths
Whenever I talk to people and tell them what I do (sales is my “thing”) they inevitably ask me “how do I increase my sales?” My response is simple “Employ a sales person!”
It’s not always the best or cheapest thing to do and can require some planning and thought. After all, you are adding a resource and overheads to your business. Then questions seem to grow: Where do I put them? What do I need this person to do, or achieve? How much more business can I handle? (In both revenue and quantity depending on the business you are in). What type of person am I looking for? Where can I find them? How much do I pay them?
STOP!
Let’s start back at the beginning. The question is, “How can I increase my sales?” The answer is that it depends on what you want to achieve and how you can do that while expending the least amount of time/money and energy. So think about your business now. What are your business goals (with regard to sales) for the next 12 months?
Ways to achieve this increase:
• Marketing or advertising; think website, online marketing, print media, radio, flyer drops, word of mouth referral system (for example, member-get-member programs), targeted promotions and special rates for your demographics.
• Sales; cold calling (either do this yourself or outsource the function), scheduling face to face meetings with clients, phone discussions, directing sales to your website (if your sales are transactional-based), presentations and holding information sessions for groups of potential clients.
• PR or publicity. You can do this yourself or outsource and use radio, print media, articles and interviews that are topical, interesting for the general public and relate to your product and/or service.
So, if any or all of the functions listed above fulfill your needs and increases your sales, if you can undertake them yourself (or outsource them) and if you are happy with the results, then your mission will be accomplished!
If not, it might be time for you to consider employing a full-time or part-time sales/marketing person to fulfill the above functions and allow you to focus ‘on’ your business, rather than working ‘in’ it. You can set key performance indicators (KPIs) for your new employee based on what you want them to achieve (including offsetting the cost of their salary), by incorporating this into the return on investment. While KPIs can be expressed in terms of quantity (number) or revenue ($),you should ALWAYS set targets that are Quantifiable, Achievable, Attainable and Sustainable to work successfully.
How do you find a good sales person?
Word of mouth! Ask around, you’d be surprised how many people know just the right person you’re looking for – and they come recommended, which is a bonus! You can advertise in industry specific publications/associations or utilise the services of recruitment agencies. One thing I would recommend is that since he or she is going to be the ‘face’ of your company and/or or in the ‘front line’ of your business, choose wisely and don’t skimp on the salary/commissions of an exceptional candidate. Simply increase the required revenue in their KPIs to reflect their higher salary.
Be aware of your Profit Margin
One last thing…..base your sales/marketing person’s KPIs both on achieving an increase in revenue AND profit….you don’t want to end up with doubling your revenue but only a small increase in actual profit! What is more important at the end of the day?
Leanne Griffiths was National Corporate Sales Manager for Virgin Blue Airlines and has worked in the travel industry for the past 8 years, 5 of those with Qantas Airlines in senior commercial roles. Experienced and qualified in HR, Training and People Management Leanne is an inspirational leader who has a good balance between commercial reality and compassion.
Leanne is currently the Marketing Manager of Griffin Theatre Company. Leanne is also on the advisory board for Australian Businesswomen’s Network and heads up the Communications Committee which coordinates this newsletter.
For more information:
Email: lgr47@bigond.com
Business Mentors: Mentor helps drive mentorees business growth
December 7, 2008
Dominique Antarakis and Jon Ward met through the Australian Businesswomen’s MentorNet program. Here they each talk about the benefits of this mentoring relationship.
Dominique says, “I wanted someone to bounce ideas off who would give me some constructive criticism. Family and friends can be very encouraging but they don’t always tell you the truth.”
THE MENTOREE – DOMINIQUE ANTARAKIS
Why did you become a mentoree?
Having been a successful freelancer for many years, I knew I could deliver a great service for my clients; like most of the people I met through the MentorNet program, I didn’t need help with my job. I needed help working out how to expand my business, how to think strategically; and I wanted someone to bounce ideas off who would give me some constructive criticism. Family and friends can be very encouraging but they don’t always tell you the truth.
What were you hoping to get from the experience?
Some structure; a deadline, encouragement, moral support, expert advice and direction on where to look for more information on various topics relating to doing business such as marketing, finance, technology etc. The best thing about the weekly sessions over a six-month period was that the program went on long enough to give you time to think things through and see tangible results; but it was not so drawn out that you could get complacent and let things slip.
What was the biggest challenge?
Keeping up with the work, but the fortnightly phone calls with my three pod colleagues and my mentor, Jon Ward, kept me on my toes. I felt I didn’t want to let everyone down by coming to the call with no news. So I made sure I had done something each fortnight, even if it was only buying the URL for my new company name; or getting business cards printed. Also, giving myself a launch date of 1 July which was a few weeks before the program finished, helped me get the most out of the final few sessions because I could start talking about things that were happening rather than dealing in hypotheticals.
What is the most powerful thing you learned?
Saying what you want to do out loud might be scary but it forces you to clarify your idea and iron out the wrinkles. If you have an idea for a business, or something you want to do, start telling people about it. They’ll ask you questions, and you’ll need to think about the answers. I guess that’s partly how the MentorNet program works, especially the Mentor/pod sessions where there is input from lots of different people who have your best interests at heart but who can be objective about your business. That can be hard when you’ve nurtured something from birth. All mothers think their child is the most beautiful creature on earth and I think business owners are a bit the same.
What would you say to anyone considering taking part in the MentorNet program?
Be prepared to be challenged to take a long, hard look at why you are in business and whether your expectations are realistic. Don’t waste other people’s time and try to make every session. Ask questions, no matter how dumb they might make you sound, chances are the other 30 people on the call are wondering the same thing.
THE MENTOR – JON WARD
Why did you become a Mentor?
To share my experience and know-how with up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
What were you hoping to get from the experience?
The opportunity to be of help to individuals on their journey to success.
What is the most powerful thing you’ve learned?
I was reminded of the courage and creativity that is to be found in so many people who choose the entrepreneurial path.
What would you say to anyone considering being a Mentor in the MentorNet program?
It’s hugely rewarding to contribute to the growth of other entrepreneurs, and see the immediate impact of that contribution.
Any additional comments
MentorNet is a tremendous program that deserves wide exposure beyond Australia.
Jon’s business is an online education service that teaches entrepreneurs how to use the Internet to grow their business.
Dominique is a journalist and copywriter who works with business, agency and charity clients to help them communicate who they are and what they do with clarity, energy and passion.
The Copy Collective taps into the strengths of its members: copywriters, editors and proofreaders who can write articles, craft press releases, develop content for your website, tailor words for an online ad campaign, put together an annual report or write a compelling telemarketing script that will help you make sales and more. We’d love to help you choose the right words to tell your story.
