In one of my recent seminars, a client brought up an excellent point: It is okay to reach out to people and ask for “help.”  Whether we are looking for information, a resource, an endorsement, to grow our businesses, to develop our skills, or for introductions that could help us land a job, it is okay to simply ask for “help.” It is human.

People feel reluctant to ask. The perception could be: Well, I don’t want to appear “uninformed” or “needy” or feel obligated to reciprocate. I think that at the very core of our hesitation, is our ego. Not asking for help when we know it could be useful for us in achieving positive change, in many cases, is a “battle” against our ego.

Remember, nobody ever achieves success by themselves. Relationships, connections, collaborations and alliances can make a difference in the results that we attain. That is why it is important to ask for help when we need it, and offer it when we can.  Have confidence that if people can, they are likely to support you.

It can make a  difference. It is human.

If the objective of marketing your business is to generate a consistent flow of prospects, your sales process must be a progression in which you convert qualified prospects into lifetime clients for your services and products.

Even though sales processes vary depending on your type of business and industry, here are four important steps to consider when developing your own:

1)      Free Demonstration: Offer your qualified prospects an opportunity – free of charge – to experience some of the benefits, value and transformations that you help your clients achieve.

2)      Irresistible Offer: Once they have sampled the value of your service for free, make them a special, irresistible offer to become your clients. Do it with complete confidence!

3)     Additional Services: You have been hired. Can you identify additional wants / needs to be fulfilled? Do you see other opportunities to offer your new client additional services?  If the answer is yes, make them another irresistible offer.

4)     Bring Them Back. Never take your clients for granted. Always provide exceptional service and added value. Give them as many reasons as possible to return.

In the world of the small business owner and independent professional, developing an effective sales process is often times overlooked. Creating a process, implementing it, measuring the results and improving it as necessary can make an enormous difference in the revenue you generate.

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Great Selling!

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1. Think bigger, vividly, and more positively about your professional and personal goals, desires and aspirations. Try to develop a mindset of higher expectations.

2. Begin each week with clear, specific objectives; put them in writing and take purposeful action to accomplish them.

3. Strive to consistently exceed expectations during your professional interactions. Grow your professional and personal networks.

4. Remember that, since change is a certainty, adaptability is essential. Often times with change comes great opportunity.

5. Work in a relaxed manner.

6. Begin each day with reading something educational or motivating.

7. Allow time for creative thinking.

8. Take care of yourself in mind, body and spirit.

9. Laugh as often as you can.

10. Be grateful for what you have in your life at this moment and the opportunities you have to grow and contribute!

To Your Success!

Cheers!

5 Responses to “10 Ideas for Creating Better Results in Business and Life”

Andrew Carnegie said that successful people are the ones that go the extra mile. In my opinion, he was referring to one of the fundamental principles of success: “added value.”

As business professionals living in a fast-paced, ever-changing business world, adopting an “added value” mindset gives us a competitive edge; it helps us distinguish ourselves in the eyes and minds of our clients, prospects, associates and employers. 

What is the definition of “added value”? This depends on your type of business. In simple terms, it is under-promising and over-delivering; going beyond what is expected of us. It is making the entire business experience consistently better for our clients and the people that we serve.

Once we clearly understand what is expected of us, it is imperative to adopt the “added value” philosophy. Strategies of success may evolve; principles, however, never do.

To your success!

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Take immediate and purposeful action-

Take immediate and purposeful action by continuing with your marketing plan to grow your business. And if you don’t happen to have a plan, don’t feel bad. Create one.

Nothing, really, can take the place of purposeful action when it comes to attaining your business objectives and becoming more successful.

Remember, that during your business journey – and in the course of meeting prospects who will not hire you for your services– you are accumulating invaluable knowledge and experiences.  Most importantly, you are getting mentally stronger  as you are moving closer to the right prospects that will become your clients.

The forth and final step in turning rejection into business opportunity:

Take immediate and purposeful action!

To your success!

Cheers!

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Ask for feedback.

Once you go through the exercise outlined in Step 2 – and if it feels right – you might want to ask your prospect for feedback. It may really be worth it!

How I turned a “No” to a long term happy client.

During my early years in corporate sales, I remember loosing a great prospect to one of my competitors. A few weeks later, I decided to call back Mr. John G. I always do what I can “to not burn bridges.”  This is roughly how the conversation went:

“Hello Mr. G, this is George “H”. I appreciate the opportunity you gave me to work with you and respect your decision to go with a different company.

We always try to improve the quality of our service and I was wondering if I could ask you a question. Is there something I could have done better, differently to earn your business?  If so, I would appreciate your feedback.”

Mr. John G. took considerable time and gave me invaluable feedback.

Besides the lesson I learned that day, Mr. G. valued my initiative so much, that he ended up becoming a loyal client after all. That one phone call sure was worth it!

Remember the third step:

If it feels right, why not call back your prospect and ask for feedback?

As always, I welcome your comments.

2 Responses to “How to Turn Rejection Into Business Opportunity: Step 3”

How to Turn Rejection Into Business Opportunity: Step 2

Look for the lesson – if there is one.

Although prospects may choose to conduct business with one of your competitors for reasons that you cannot control, it is always a good idea to ask yourself if there is something that you could have done better or differently during your interactions with your prospect.

Here is a simple idea. Take a few days to clear your mind. Mentally replay your experience. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left column write down all the things you felt you did well, and on the right column things that perhaps you could have done better. You may find it helpful if you go though this exercise with an associate, mentor, or coach as they may be able to give you a different perspective.

If you feel that you could have done certain things better, simply learn from the experience, and move on with your action plan to grow your business.

Remember the second step for turning rejection into business opportunity:

Look for the lesson – if there is one.

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Retain Your Personal Power -

In the business arena, facing rejection is normal. It means that we are out in the world connecting with people, beginning conversations, and offering our services. Although I don’t believe that anyone would admit to enjoying it, there are business owners and professionals who have learned how to effectively manage it. They have developed the ability to often turn it into business opportunity, and use it as a stepping stone to attain their broader goals, and realize their greater vision.

What is the first stepping stone?

Retaining your personal power, and remembering NOT to take business rejection personally.

This may be very difficult to reconcile. It took me a while. How can we possibly not take it, personally?

The reality is that prospects make decisions based on their own reasons. These reasons frequently have nothing to do with you at all. Long standing personal relationships, preferences in different products and services, and wrong timing may be reasons why your prospects decide to conduct business with one of your competitors.

Here is the important realization:

When your prospect says “no thank you”, direct their lack of interest to your business proposition. At that particular moment in time, your prospect is simply not interested in your services, plain and simple. Try to remember that they are not rejecting you as a person. Although people can say no to your business proposition, no one can reject you as a person, unless you allow this to happen.

You are the one with that personal power. Don’t give it away!  

Rejection is a tough pill to swallow. Having said that – and speaking from the experience of a tested entrepreneur — it can be turned into business opportunity. Remember The First Step:

Retain your personal power, and DO NOT take it personally.

I Wish You All the Best!

George Haralampopoulos

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9 Responses to “How to Turn Business Rejection Into Opportunity: Step 1”

Find Out How Your Response To Rejection Can Affect Your Business Success

If you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, an independent professional, you have faced it. We all have. I’m referring to the often dreaded “R” word:  Rejection – business rejection.

It comes in different forms, doesn’t it? From the high quality lead that you’ve been working with for a while, you know, the one you’re “sure” will hire you for your services, but decides differently;  to the prospect that says “no” to meeting with you even for a quick conversation. How about the one that has made a “commitment” to follow up with you, but doesn’t “for whatever reason,” or the one that simply will not respond to your messages and communications?

Does any of this sound familiar?

During my 17-year professional career in this great country, as an entrepreneur, business owner, mentor, strategist, I have generally seen three types of business professionals when it comes to handling, reacting, responding to rejection:

The first group: The Give-ups 

These are talented individuals, smart, and  often brilliant minds. They are working in markets were there is still demand for their services, but they just give up.  Promising careers have been ended, in large part because the individuals could not handle the “R” word. Or, at least manage it.

The second group: The Rising Stars

Business people in this group have experienced the rejections, frustrations, fears, even heartbreaks of the first group, and almost gave up. But somehow along the way they experience that BREAKTHROUGH moment -that inspiration! They discover that “inner strength” that propels them to Superstar status.

The third group­­: The Superstars

These business professionals are the ones – who no matter what – keep on pushing. All though they may be working in highly competitive markets, they simply claim their share of the business. They pursue their aspirations with vigor in some cases achieving phenomenal results.

For this group, rejections, recessions, downturns, really don’t matter. At least they don’t matter a lot. And if they do get temporarily derailed – “thrown off course” – due to unforeseen circumstances, somehow they jump back on the path to success. They understand, or have made the commitment to learn, how to channel rejections, roadblocks and challenges into opportunities for development, growth, and expansion.

“Give ups” have the potential to become “Rising Stars” and “Superstars”

What does it take to achieve these transformations?

Is it skill development, business acumen, and better support systems? This is part of it. 

Speaking from experience, the most important factor is developing the right mindset. It is learning –all though this may be difficult to reconcile - not to take rejection personally. It is having clarity about the vision of the business that they desire to create, an unshakeable sense of purpose, and a deep desire to pursue their goals, dreams and aspirations despite the number of rejections they may face along the way.   And of course, it takes a very strong commitment to take intentional ACTION no matter what.

In following blogs, I will be sharing some specific ideas and steps on how to develop your mindset in overcoming rejection, and even turning it into opportunity.

Your comments are welcomed.

10 Responses to “Business Rejection Can Hurt, But How Well Do You Handle it?”

One of the lessons I’ve learned travelling the path of entrepreneurship is how quickly time goes by. Sometimes, it flies. Have you ever felt this way?

You blink, and the week is gone. Before you know it the month, the quarter, the year have also come and gone.

Can we use this realization to our advantage when it comes to achieving our objectives? Although we can’t stop time, we can use it as an asset in attaining our goals and pursuing our visions, dreams, and aspirations. Here is how:

Besides being very clear and specific, about WHAT goals we want to attain, we also need to be very clear and specific by WHEN we want to attain them.

When you establish a time frame, you are constantly reminded that you have a deadline. You have a sense of urgency. This will challenge you to stay focused and take all the necessary actions to reach your goals in the predetermined time frame.

It is essential that your desired goals go hand-in-hand with specific timeframes and deadlines in which you want to achieve them. Even if you fall short, you will most likely be a step closer in making them happen than you would have been otherwise.

When it comes achieving your goals, use time as your asset.

Be clear and specific: About WHAT you want to achieve, and by WHEN. 

All the Best!

2 Responses to “How to Use Time as Your Asset for Attaining Your Goals”