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    It Really Is That Simple: The Low-Tech, No-Ick, Common-Sense Approach to Creating an Extraordinary Sm
    It Really Is That Simple: The Low-Tech, No-Ick, Common-Sense Approach to Creating an Extraordinary Sm
    It Really Is That Simple: The Low-Tech, No-Ick, Common-Sense Approach to Creating an Extraordinary Sm
    Ebook165 pages1 hour

    It Really Is That Simple: The Low-Tech, No-Ick, Common-Sense Approach to Creating an Extraordinary Sm

    By Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Are you ready to open your own small business, but find yourself wondering where your clients / customers / patients will come from? Are you put off by all the advice from the so-called marketing experts who insist you venture way out of your comfort zone to generate leads, invest in every new marketing techno-toy and spend a small fortune getting your name out there?
    Nonsense.

    It Really IS That Simple will show you a refreshingly Simple way to grow your business, and as you read, you will breathe a sigh of relief as you realize that, no, you don't have to sell your soul or empty your bank account to enjoy the success you dream of. By the end of the book, you will know in your heart (and soul) that the Simple approach is all you need...and you'll know how to make it happen.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateMar 10, 2014
    ISBN9780989932684
    It Really Is That Simple: The Low-Tech, No-Ick, Common-Sense Approach to Creating an Extraordinary Sm

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      Book preview

      It Really Is That Simple - Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn

      It Really

      Is That Simple

      Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn, GRI

      Copyright 2014 © by Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn

      All rights reserved

      Bluegreen Books

      publisher@bluegreenbooks.com

      ISBN: 978-0-9899326-6-0

      ePub ISBN: 978-0-9899326-9-1

      Edited by Barbara Munson, Munson Communications, www.munsoncommunications.com

      Cover design by Sheryl Evans, Evans Studios, www.evans-studios.com

      Interior design by Jonathan Gullery, RJ Communications, www.selfpublishing.com

      First Printing 2014

      No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law.

      The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

      Printed in the United States of America

      NOTE: REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a Member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

      Contents

      Thank You…

      Introduction

      Who This Book Is For

      Selling with Soul"—The Basis of the Simple Approach to Small Business Success

      Especially For Introverts

      Chapter One Here ’Tis—The Simple Truth

      The More People Who…

      The Fourth Factor

      What To Expect From This Book

      Your Sphere Of Influence

      Chapter Two Is a KL&T Business Model Right For You?

      KL&T Will Work For You If…

      KL&T May Not Work For You If…

      Where Do Your CCP’s Come From?

      Chapter Three The First Factor: The More People Who Know You

      Strategy #1: Be Pleasant To Ten People A Day

      Strategy #2: Just Do Something

      Strategy #3 Forget About Branding;

      Focus On Bonding

      Strategy #4: Dress For Success (Aka, Put On Your Sexy Jeans)

      Strategy #5: Be Aware Of The People You’re Meeting

      Always Look for the Relationship

      Chapter Four You Like Me, You Really Like Me!

      Be Pleasant To Ten People A Day

      Impress One Person A Day

      Don’t Be Icky

      If It Feels Wrong, Don’t Do It!

      And Most Important…

      Chapter Five If They KNOW Me And LIKE Me, Of Course They Will TRUST Me, Right?

      How Do You Earn Trust?

      Are You An RCHB?

      Give Give Give

      An In-Depth Look at Begging for Business

      What’s Wrong with Asking For Business?

      But If You Don’t Ask, You Won’t Get!

      Business-Begging 101

      Taking Begging-For-Business To The Next Level—Bribing For Business!

      Chapter Six And Now For The Fourth Factor (Where The Magic Happens)

      To Be Or Not To Be A Secret Agent

      The Big Picture

      Now, For Group One

      How To Talk About Your Career—Without Sending Your Audience Running

      In The Other Direction!

      What’s The Best Way To Get My Name Out There?

      Chapter Seven What About Marketing To Strangers?

      Apply The SWS Marketing Test

      Does It Sound Like Fun?

      Consider Blogging

      Your Elevator Speech

      Taglines, Mission Statements, Slogans, etc.

      Business Cards

      Pins, Hats & Sweatshirts

      Mixing Business With Business—Are You Sending Mixed Messages?

      Chapter Eight What If I Sell A Product?

      Believe In Your Product

      Be A (Satisfied) Consumer Of Your Product

      No Guilt-Tripping Allowed

      Respect Others’ Lack Of Interest

      Dress/Look The Part

      Multi-Level Marketing, Aka Network Marketing Or Referral Marketing

      Chapter Nine Be Good. Be Really, Really Good

      Chapter Ten Putting It All Together…

      Appendix

      Examples of Mass Emails and Postal Mailings

      Creating a Contact Database 101

      Simple Resources

      The Rainbow Bridge

      Thank You…

      Until a fateful day in 2011, real estate had been my life for more than 15 years—first as a real estate agent and then as a real estate writer, trainer and coach. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and will continue to spread the word that there IS a better way to serve the real estate clients of the world.

      But in late 2011 my life took an unexpected turn when, on the spur of the moment, I agreed to foster a beautiful young dog from a high-kill county animal shelter in the panhandle of Florida. And thus began a journey that has changed my life. Three years later I find myself immersed in the world of rescue, and I have YOU, my readers, to thank for that! Without your support, I would not be blessed with the flexibility to devote so much time and energy to saving the shelter dogs of Northwest Florida—which has been one of the most emotionally overwhelming, yet incredibly rewarding things I’ve ever done.

      So, this book is dedicated both to my readership who make my rescue work possible and to my fellow Miracle-Makers in Florida and around the country—as crazy as things get from time to time, I love you all. Let’s keep Making Miracles Happen Every Day!

      Introduction

      I just started a new business. How do I get my name out there?

      What’s the best way to generate leads?

      I’m getting desperate, where can I find some clients…fast?

      What are some inexpensive ways to market myself if I don’t have any money?

      Sound familiar? As a writer, trainer and coach who has been in the real estate industry for many years, I’ve been asked these questions every day by other agents, but I’m sure anyone who is in business for themselves in any industry has asked them as well.

      I must confess that, when I would get phone calls or emails from new agents asking what they perceived to be a simple question—"Jennifer, where do I get myself some bizness?— I wondered if it had just occurred to them that gettin’ bizness" was something they might need to give some thought to!

      Okay, so that’s maybe a little snarky. Truth be told, I remember when I first got my real estate license back in 1996 I was caught a bit off-guard myself when, during my first interview, the managing broker asked me what my plans were to generate leads. Leads? Huh? Whatchu’ talkin’ about? I got a real estate license so I could look at houses all day; isn’t THAT what a real estate agent does? What’s all this stuff about advertising and cold-calling and, egads, knocking on strangers’ doors?

      Maybe you’re the same way. Maybe you started your own business (or are considering doing so) because you love what you DO (or want to do) and want to do THAT all day long. Massage therapy, dog-training, mortgage brokering, selling bicycles, wedding planning, pet photography—whatever your passion, that’s what you want to do with your time, not spend it chasing down prospects or buyers and generating leads.

      I hear ya. Oh, how I hear ya! Throughout my real estate career, I begrudged every minute spent on the necessary evil of gettin’ bizness that took precious time away from doing what I loved — serving the real estate clients I was already honored to have.

      But the fact is, if you are self-employed or are considering becoming so, you might as well get comfortable with the notion that you will more than likely be responsible for finding customers, clients or patients and inspiring them to support your business by hiring you and referring you to others.

      So, that leads us back to the Simple question of HOW? How do I find customers/clients/patients; how do I get my name out there?, etc.

      Do I have to, as some gurus of sales proclaim, spend 80% of my time prospecting and just 20% ‘dealing’ with customers? Must I block out so many hours per day to focus with laser intensity on cold-calling, door-knocking and SEO activities? Is it necessary to attend networking events and to constantly pester my friends with reminders of my affection for referrals or ask them if they know anyone who could use my services? Must I spend thousands on newspaper advertising, glossy mailers or a fancy-schmantzy lead-generating website? Do I need to invest in every latest and greatest piece of technology that comes along or participate in every social networking site known to (wo)man? Do I need to PPC or get a QR Code?

      In short, IS there a magic bullet (or two) for finding quality customers/clients/patients (we’ll call them CCP’s) and, if so, where do I sign up?

      Well…yes…and no.

      Yes, there is a relatively Simple method for finding quality CCP’s and inspiring them to care about and support you and your business. But no, you really can’t sign up for or buy it anywhere. And that’s good news, trust me. Know why? Because most of your competition IS still trying to buy success-in-a-box…and they are very likely wasting their money.

      But not you. No, by Simply reading these words, you have already begun your journey toward creating the small business of your dreams. Soon, very soon, you will know the Simple secret of building a successful small business without pestering strangers, annoying your friends or emptying your bank account. Yes, it IS all within your reach…and your budget!

      Who This Book Is For

      While I’m certain any self-employed person or small business owner will benefit from this book, I’m writing it specifically for a subset of the self-employed population who act in advisory or consultancy roles, and/or provide a product or service to real people in a one-on-one or low-volume environment.

      I picture the ideal audience for this book to include

      Enjoying the preview?
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