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 Five Steps To Lasting Business Success 
        --------------------------------------------
                    (c) Wanda Loskot


Everyone asks these days what does it take to succeed in
business and many great articles have already been written
on this subject. I can't resist adding my own simple
formula for success. It works like a charm, guaranteed!

1. Love Your Customers
----------------------
I don't mean *like* - I mean really *love*. There is
a big difference between liking and loving, don't you
agree? We like almost everyone - but we love only special
people. Loving  someone means  going out of our way
to help them. And it means finding a pleasure in seeing
them succeeding.

Of course it starts with developing the ability to love
ourselves. So, it is very important to have a healthy 
self-esteem - work on it. Also, one of your main goals 
should be becoming a generous person who finds pleasure
in being a contributor. Become a giver!


2. Find Customers You Want To Love
-----------------------------------
Let's face it - there are some people you don't want to
see near you or your business, let alone have a loving
relationship with them! Not everyone who wants to buy
something from you is able to recognize and appreciate
the high quality of service I am talking about.

Marketing skills are important not only to find a high
NUMBER but also to find high QUALITY of buyers. Searching
for people in specific demographics, who are most likely
in need of what you have and who are financially qualified
to buy it is very important - but not enough. Define also
a profile of your *ideal* customers and make sure that
your marketing message is appealing to them.

Look for people who share your own values. They will not
abuse your generosity and they will most likely become
your loyal referral sources. They are also a pleasure to
work with :-)

Effective marketing will allow you to "skim the cream" and
leave the whiners, complainers, psychos and other difficult
people to your competition!


3. Find Out What Your Customers Want
------------------------------------
Sounds very basic - doesn't it? Yet so many business owners
miss this part entirely!

Once you have a relationship with people who are >a< pleasure
and fun to work with, engage in ongoing communication with
them to find out their needs. Very often their needs are not
very obvious - sometimes people are not even aware of what
they want or need. If you help them figure out what it is
- and especially if you help them to find it - you will
have many friends (and customers) for life!


4. Give Them What They Want
---------------------------
No, you don't need to actually *produce* everything they
want, but even if it is something you don't offer, you
can help your customers find it elsewhere. You can even
generate additional income by helping solve problems with
other people's products and services. Isn't this a great
win/win/win scenario?


BTW. If you know of someone who is starting a business on
     the Internet, recommend my "Internet Success Boot 
     Camp". You can become my affiliate (it doesn't cost
     anything) and earn substantial referral fees!
     For details go to http://InternetSuccessCoach.com/af


5. Deliver Consistently Awesome Value
--------------------------------------
When people with high values get a superb quality service
or products from you, products that solve their problems
and make them happy, they LOVE to reward you handsomely
for your efforts. Honest people expect to pay their share
and they often ask for more!

Giving people consistently more than they expect compels
them also to tell others about you - and that helps you
grow your business even more!

Isn't this all simple?  Simple is not the same as EASY.
You still need a full array of skills to accomplish all
this - but this is all it takes to succeed. Guaranteed!

 *   *   *  


Wanda Loskot is professional speaker and business coach for small
business owners and self-employed professionals who LOVE what they
do - but HATE selling. For a cornucopia of free business strategies,
marketing tips, teleclasses and other valuable resources visit 
Wanda's Success Connection at http://loska.com

 

Seven Most Costly Advertising Myths
             -----------------------------------
                    (c) Wanda Loskot


Even when you grow your business through referrals, from time
to time you need to advertise. Make sure that you do not become
a victim of these common - and very costly - advertising myths:

MYTH # 1
=> The ad needs to be substantially large
   to generate a good response.

Wrong. Some small ads dramatically out pull the big ones. Many 
of the most successful ads in history were quite modest in size.

MYTH #2
=> Use a lot of "white" space because
   people will not read crammed copy.

Not true. Some very effective ads are packed with so much
information that they look pretty awful -- yet they make the
telephone ring and they sell a lot of products and services.

MYTH #3
=> Ads in reverse, white text on black
   or color background get better response.

Quite the contrary -- ads in reverse print, when tested against
traditional layout, generate significantly less interest (and
fewer calls).

MYTH #4
=> The best section for your ad is your
   own business trade section.

Not necessarily. Some of the highest quality leads you can
generate are from people who are not actively looking for your
kind of service or product.

MYTH #5
=> The shorter your message, the better
   because people get bored with a long copy.

Quite the contrary. People who are not interested in what you
have to offer will be bored, but those who are interested will
read every single word, even if it is long copy (unless it is
boring copy, for example bragging about you and your business).

MYTH #6
=> Use original titles and clever words
   so that your ad gets noticed.

Not a good idea. Cute and original advertising often confuses
serious shoppers. The most effective advertising is quite "low
brow" stuff.

MYTH #7
=> Watch what the big guys are doing and
   follow their proven ideas.

Ouch! Large companies have different objectives and quite often
expect different results from their advertising than do small
businesses. They generally get more benefits from so called
"institutional advertising." Small businesses have no matching
budget and have vastly different needs.


Now, when you know what doesn't work - would you like to find out
what works? Visit http://www.advertisingcoach.com for many tips, 
strategies and teleclass "How to Make Your Advertising Work" 


 *   *   *  


Wanda Loskot is professional speaker and business coach for small
business owners and self-employed professionals who LOVE what they
do - but HATE selling. For a cornucopia of free business strategies,
marketing tips, teleclasses and other valuable resources visit 
Wanda's Success Connection at http://loska.com