The SmallBizLady Buzz - Issue 67

I hope you had an amazing July 4th holiday. It was nice to have a few folks in the backyard again.

If you think you have a revenue problem in your business, I’m here to tell you that what you most likely have is a sales and marketing problem. I thought that I would share a few of my don’ts when it comes to your sales. It will make everything about your sales efforts easier.

SmallBizLady’s Sales Don’ts

• Don’t use cookie cutter pitches & proposals. (Marketing automation is great, but personalization is better. For those marketing on LinkedIn, please pay attention to this.)
• Don't share irrelevant information. (Time is more valuable than money in business. So only send stuff that is relevant to your target if you want to build a deep relationship.)
• Don't take up too much time. (If you get a meeting, do your homework on your target, have a plan, and don’t take up more than the time you requested. 15 minutes means 15 minutes.)
• Don’t be too pushy. (You’ll seem desperate.) Don’t assume your target wants to talk to you. You are an interruption. Your follow-up to a cold lead should never be, "Did you get my last message?" or "When can I get on your calendar for a discussion?" if there’s been no engagement from them after your initial pitch. You’re being presumptive and rude.)
• Don't sell to just anyone. (What are you known for? The best value propositions work when you really know the customer. Focus on a specific niche target customer so that you can specialize and charge more.)

If you stop doing these things in your sales efforts, your results will be better, I promise.

I'm so excited to share a link from last week’s USA Today feature cover story on the Small Business Recovery. Read the story here . ?

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18 Ways to Promote a Podcast For Your Small Business

Whether you’re a veteran podcaster or just getting started, it’s always good to look at new ways to promote your signature podcast. You’ll need to use your podcast to get your brand out there and build your thought leadership. Most importantly, you’ll need to use smart marketing to show why your podcast is something people should be listening and subscribing to. Here are 18 tips to promote your podcast.?? Continue reading...

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Want to keep your email list clean??

Kickbox is an email validation service that will verify which email addresses are legitimate and which ones aren't. Simply import your email list, start the validation process, and the software will remove the any email addresses that aren't valid.

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Podcast: Be the CEO of Your Wealth with Charisse Conanan Johnson

Checkout this week's podcast: Be the CEO of Your Wealth with Charisse Conanan Johnson

Charisse Conanan Johnson is an entrepreneur, investor, speaker, and wealth expert. As the self-proclaimed “Original Wealthy Girl,” Charisse is passionate about helping others by providing the tools they need to live the life they want. She works as a Financial Strategist with small to medium businesses and specializes in building strategic relationships and financial modeling to help entrepreneurs and individuals pursue wealth. Charisse joins me to talk about why it's essential for you to take control of your wealth.

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Do you want to get better with email??

I’m thrilled to share my new @Skillshare class Tips to Create an Effective Work Email. This course will help you write effective emails that get your ideal response. You can check it out with a free 30-day Skillshare trial here .

Note: This is an affiliate link. Don’t get mad, we all win here.

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Write for Us

Do you have valuable information to share??If it’s original content article or an infographic that hasn’t been posted, we would love to have it. Write a guest blog post for SmallBizLady’s blog, and grow your brand online.?Submit your ideas today here .

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Melinda F. Emerson, “SmallBizLady ” is America’s #1 Small Business Expert. She?is an internationally renowned keynote speaker on small business development, marketing and social selling. Melinda is also the president of the Quintessence Group, an award-winning marketing consulting firm based in Philadelphia, PA, serving Fortune 500 brands who target small business market. LinkedIn named her a Top Voice for 2019 in Small Business and Entrepreneurship.?In addition to being a former NY Times columnist, she is frequently quoted by media organizations including The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, MSNBC, CNBC and Fox News. She is the host of #Smallbizchat LIVE and The SmallBizChat Podcast. A prolific writer, Melinda has published more than 5000 articles on her blog?www.succeedasyourownboss.com . Her small business advice is widely read reaching more than 3 million entrepreneurs each week online. She is the bestselling author of?Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months,?2nd Edition .?Her latest book is?Fix Your Business, a 90 Day Plan to Get Back Your Life and Reduce Chaos in Your Business .