By Stephanie Clark. At one time, the words above were a business-owner’s mantra, even though at times the words tasted bitter, given that they issue from a place of inauthentic eagerness to please.  But today, with our customers expanded beyond a limited geographic area, perhaps we are not obliged to swallow bitter words; perhaps, just perhaps, we are free to challenge that mantra? The truth is, we simply cannot please everyone, so why bother trying? By watering down our service and products to try to appease the common denominator, we […]

By Stephanie Clark. It happens to the best and most successful, and it seems that nothing can adequately prepare us for it. All of a sudden the phone ceases to ring, emails dwindle, income plunges and we are left wondering what the heck happened!? It happened to me last fall. Some weeks I had but one client, other weeks not one new client and perhaps a letter or two to write for an existing client. I began to scour the want ads for possible part time employment. This scenario tends […]

Small businesses don’t have time to wrestle with difficult options. I found an easy and impressive toll free telephone option.

By Stephanie Clark. An earlier blog, on accepting client rejection, generated a question about how to dismiss a potential toxic client, with finesse. (Thank you to Janet Barclay for asking a question that truly begs to be answered!) After all, as service providers we must conduct our business with professionalism and with a commitment to building, rather than burning, bridges. This is an excellent question, and one that is not easily answered. There are as many potential scenarios as people; each situation will require a slightly different approach, and thus […]

By Sharon Graham. When I tell six-figure professionals that LinkedIn has more than 100 million members  and growing [edited] – and that this covers 200+ countries in the world, I am often asked, “Then why should I bother? How is anyone going to find me in a membership field of that size?” The best reply is usually another question: “Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn. Shouldn’t you be, too?” Having said that, there are ways to optimize your presence and harness the power of this online networking tool. […]

By Stephanie Clark. I’ll admit it; “sales” is not my strength. I love to write and was lucky enough to discover that I know how to interview and am a skilled strategist. But selling is another field of study, and a talent that I was not blessed with. Yet, if I am to keep my business going – sell I must. So sell I do. A large part of the art of sales is attitude. (This is also exactly what I tell my interview coaching clients.) Don’t fear rejection. An […]