Insight On Technology Tools For Small Business

It's very astute using the term "Tools". That is indeed what they are and they are proliferating. I embrace these assets and use them myself.

But as a small business counselor I always ask one strategic question of my clients "How to you select the tools to work on your car (simile for business)?"

Answer: One needs to know the make, model, the part of the auto that needs the work and the ultimate objective in working on the vehicle at all.

There is a new kind of monkey these days the technology monkey. That sucker will bury us if we don't learn to deal with him. We are so busy tending our gadgets that we lose site of priorities, get wound up in minutia and end up with a meaningless zoo.

I have noticed the symptoms of the technology monkey, particularly among the younger (Generation X and Y) entrepreneurs.

There seems to be a belief that automation, the Internet and social networking can make the business succeed when in fact the real design of the enterprise itself is lacking (niche, market base, business plan, competitive analysis and financial forecasting)

I hear from many clients who ask, "What Now?" having launched an enterprise that is going nowhere because they are driving the tools and not the car.

I take them back to the garage, design the auto to see if it can run and then apply the wrenches retroactively if that is possible. It is usually a traumatic experience and could have been avoided with strategic and business planning before launch.

Courtesy of Kenneth Larson, SCORE Advisor

I told them why they should buy but nobody bought-Why?

 What you think folks want and the reasons you offer to attract paying customers  are often incorrect and unfortunately fail in its objective because of those assumptions you have made.

Missing this mark is preventable as is getting it right very probable with a little up front homework. You can, with a few easy steps and ways of thinking get your messaging right so it does connect with and gain customers.

Try these steps and ways of thinking so you can,when reaching out, get paying Customers   

1. People do things for their reason's not yours

If you have not done the in depth homework to see how a target audience thinks, what it cares about and how to link what you want to what they want so joining in makes sense, you probably will be disappointed in your results.

2. Its hard to “hear” folks with a background in messaging and connecting for getting results trying to tell you that.

That's because your Belief in your direction is so strong in you that  you think that everyone will agree and want to join in. You get blinded by that belief and it prevents you from being objective about how best to get followers and participants.

Even hearing the communication "experts" saying things like "folks just do not care about that" referring to your pet project, being so caught up in the value of your idea, you resist their expert advice.

Its just too hard on you and your deep seeded beliefs, values to accept what they say.

 3. You can not just wish things into reality

If the audience has or sees no real buy in nor reason that, to them, resonates and says "that's me-that's exactly what I need to do and I am doing it" your message and recruiting efforts will fail. 

There's just to many "you need to do this" messages bombarding us so its critical that you do what is suggested in this step in the way you reach out to folks.

4. Looking at our core traits and what we are really good at, we should see what we are good at and not good at and accept it. Then farm out what we are not good at to someone who is.

If we are not marketing types and we want our idea to connect, get the marketing type to figure out how to do that.

5. Its not ego, its pragmatism that should govern how you and your strengths and weaknesses are played out in trying to make something happen.

Why go it alone when you don't have to? 

Why risk failure trying to do what you know you are not good at,  especially something as important as gaining willing participants?

This is especially true when you want to influence people, their thoughts, manage your messaging so you do gain traction for your idea or project amongst the many different types of audiences out there.

Knowing precisely how to do this with differing approaches that resonate with differing target audiences is how you get to "yes, that's exactly what I need and I want to do it" from the members of the target audiences you have identified as folks who could benefit from participating.

If you are not good at that, be brutally honest and let someone who is great at that help you by doing that part for you.

Failure is a learning experience but you can, especially if you want to create active participation in something, avoid failure if you can adopt the thinking of what's been suggested here in this post.

And remember very simple but useful way of thinking as you try to go and gain joiners and participants:

• 1."People do things for their reason's not yours 
• 2. Imagine the prospect or target audience has a sign on their forehead that says so what!" ( copywrite-Neil Licht, Axioms for success in selling, motivating and getting to yes)

Living those two axioms  when charting connecting, influencing and getting participants goes a long way to realizing success for gaining acceptance of your idea,event  It  goes a long way for you in getting folks to participate and willingly join in with your "vision" and, for their reasons, not yours, make it theirs as well.

For more insights from colleagues and others just like you who "sit in your seat" Please join into the discussion and group on this site called "acquiring Paying Customers" 

http://www.mentrepreneurs.com/groups/acquiring-paying-customers

Acquiring Paying Customers: Discussion and suggestions from folks who sell for a living  http://linkd.in/mHpGcW  and also http://linkd.in/irU5uo 

Blog: "Here We Are" - Your Sales-Marketing OPERATOR'S MANUAL for our new on line-connected business world http://ucanpreventbadhires.blogspot.com/

and lets share thoughts on how to do this in the face of our on line, web and social media "everything's a commodity" sourcing mentality.

Regards,  Neil Licht. CEO Hereweare, Chief Advisor Acquiring Paying Customers group

Web Page    http://www.wix.com/ndlicht/hereweare

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