Pro2Pro Network

2012-01-16T07:53:00.001-08:00

An excerpt from The Power of Discipline  by Brian Tracy - http://ping.fm/9knM8

2012-01-03T12:11:00.001-08:00

Proper Preparation - What have you done to prepare for 2012? - http://ping.fm/9UW7l

2011-12-28T06:22:00.001-08:00

Success in Business – Are You A Winner or a Loser? - http://ping.fm/ZZEoj

2011-12-19T07:56:00.001-08:00

Putting a Reactivation System in Place NOW! - http://ping.fm/4cknA

2011-12-12T06:58:00.001-08:00

“Referrals by Association” – Not What You Think - http://ping.fm/3ckeU

2011-12-09T08:42:00.001-08:00

Consider Case Studies…Not Just Testimonials - http://ping.fm/HLgxB

New Financial Advisor? Here's 4 Tips to Starting Your Financial Planning Practice

2009-11-05T06:51:00.001-08:00

*found on EZine Articles

by: Valerie Love

A financial advisor career has multiple benefits, including good pay, great client relationships and learning galore. It's an opportunity to engage in a highly respected field, and to provide a valuable service to clients who rely on your expertise.

I enjoyed being in the financial planning industry for several years and was privileged to serve over 200 clients in my financial planning practice.

Here are 4 tips if you're planning to become a financial advisor that will get you started on the right foot:

1. Hire help immediately. This is one of the best decisions I ever made in my financial advisor carer. I immediately hired a college student to do paperwork and make phone calls. She was a lifesaver. With all the new responsibilities of being a financial advisor, this investment was well worth it for me.

2. Have a paper management system, and stick with it! Determine early on a paper management system that will work for you to keep all your important papers and documents in order. The financial services industry is heavy on paper, and it's easy to get bogged down in a white mass of papers on your desk (and all over your office) if you're not equipped with a way to handle all the paper that comes at you on a daily basis.

3. Set office hours and stick with them! Right up front, set your office hours. The beginning years of building a financial planning practice often mean long hours. There's no doubt you'll work very hard in the beginning, but you've got to give yourself time to rejuvenate and time for the other things in life that are important to you.

4. Determine early on who your ideal client is, then go to all the places they hang out. Become a speaker to those organizations. Frequent the places where your ideal clients can be found. This puts you in direct contact with potential clients without you spending a boatload of money on marketing.

A financial advisor career can be a rewarding one. Enjoy your new venture.

Charging Up Your Personal Productivity

2009-11-04T07:18:00.001-08:00

*found on EZine Artlicles

by: HS Tan

Have you ever wondered that there are so many things to do but yet so little time to use? Have you always been busy at work? Have you always been saying, "I'm busy", "not now..." or "I do not have enough time!" At the end of the day, you feel there is no sense of achievement from a long day at work and you have no clue about it. Have you always envy the performance and time management of your co-workers? (Or you simply don't care). Do you want to power up your personal productivity and improve your time management like your co-workers?

We're going to introduce you a power concept that will make you efficient and productive at work. It's called the 24-hour pay check. It's the base principle in getting self-disciplined for time management (good time management requires self-disciplined). Everyday, you are given a pay check of 24-hours. No more, no less. However, this "free" pay check can only be utilized in a day. Like a one-day voucher at the shopping mall. You cannot ask for more (time) in the check nor can you deposit and reuse it for another day. You have to use it in that day only.

In a normal weekday, you spend 7 hours sleeping. 3 hours traveling to and from the office. You work average a day of 8 ½ hours with lunch breaks included. Now how much time do we have left? That's an estimated 5 ½ hours left in the pay check. With the remaining 5 ½ hours left, you need to have breakfast, buy groceries, shower, dinner and washing the dishes. Say that takes another 3 hours. You've got 2 ½ hours left. These 2 ½ hours will be your only leisure and self-improvement time. Not forgetting if you have kids, part of the remaining hours will be used attending to their needs... And all this CANNOT be brought forward to the next day!

Now you can see that time is a precious commodity and we should treasure every expense of it. Using this powerful concept, we can identify what are the time wasters and what are the things to do to be productive. The time spent at the workplace is an average of 8 ½ hours. 1 hour is used for lunch break. ½ hour is used for tea break. Another ½ hours maybe spent at the water cooler on gossips and rumors. Back at your desk, you enter into procrastination mode for another ½ hours in and out throughout the day. You received an average 6 phone calls of 5 minutes interval every day and this sums up to another ½ hour being used.

How much time is left from the 8 ½ hours? We've left with 5 ½ hours... yes, we're not finished yet. You have to handle fire-fighting tasks such as co-workers' enquiries/requests and attend to emails. That will be another 1 ½ hours. You spent time chatting on the instant messenger for another 1 hour throughout the day. This includes time to respond to your buddy and time wasted flipping your tasks and the instant messenger. Finally, with all the things going on in the workplace, you give yourself another ½ hour of personal breaks throughout the day. Let's not also forget that there are people who spend time reading newspaper or looking at stock prices at work...

Now how much time do we have left? Only 3 hours is left for you to do actual productive work. Can you see how much time is really effective used if you were operating daily like this? If you can optimize the time, wouldn't you be able to achieve more things in a day? Now re-look your daily schedule in the workplace. Does it resemble anything like that? If it does, our advice is you need to rethink of the important things in life (and office) for yourself. Of course, "important things" can mean differently with people. But if you stumbled upon here seeking for time management solution, you will know deep in your heart the definition of "important things".

Software for Small Business

2009-10-30T08:30:00.001-07:00

Software for Small Business When starting a small business, whether online or offline, it is extremely important to keep in mind what types of software will be needed to provide you with the information, record keeping abilities, productivity, comfortability, security, and management capabilities that will help you succeed. There are, literally, billions of different types of software ranging from informational to security to management types for you to choose from. It is always a key step in the early stages of forming the business to sit down and write out what needs, both current and future, will be necessary for the company to survive from a software standpoint.

Surviving the first year the small business is formed is always the hardest. Software for small business can aid you through these initial steps if you choose appropriately to match your small business needs. Depending on your type of small business there will always be a few types of ��"specialized” software needed, but there are certain types of software for small business that are common to all new companies. Let' examine the software for small business that is common to almost all new companies:

1. Accounting Software
2. Communication Software
3. Security Software
4. Database Software
5. Ecommerce Software
6. Management Software
7. Sales Software
8. Industry Specific Software

As you can see, there is a formidable amount of small business software that is considered the essentials for starting a new business in today's world. While the software listed is not in any way all the small business software you will need, it does cover the majority of the basics needed. It is important to also note that small business software is often bundled in packages where you can actually get multiple needs covered for one price.

There are many brands for each of the essential small business software needs listed above, many of which have their own unique benefits ranging from price to ease of implementation to adaptability. When looking for small business software it is always a good idea to sit down and construct a list of pros and cons for each software product to compare them before making a purchase. Going on brand name recognition alone has lead many companies astray. It is crucial to decide what your needs are first, and then to decide which of the potential small business software products best fulfills those needs. Malcolm Young is a financial services entrepreneur.. Article on software for small business, small business software, small businesses, software small businesses by Malcolm Young

Read more: http://ping.fm/OKald

5 Small Businesses Marketing Tips

2009-10-29T07:22:00.001-07:00

Starting a small business can be overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. You need a wide variety of skills for setting up and marketing your new business, especially if you choose to market online. Before you get started though, there are several things you might want to consider. By setting a firm foundation for your business before you build it, you’re more likely to see success. 1. Find the focus of your business. This is a primary mistake I see many small businesses make because many haven’t taken the time to really decide what is most important in their businesses. This includes determining who your customers are, what your goals are in starting a business, and what you’re trying to sell. You may also want to consider the value of your product or service for your target market, as well as how much competition you face. Although competition is good for your business, if you choose the wrong market, or you choose one that’s too competitive, like travel, you may find yourself having trouble connecting with your market at all. The lifeblood of any business is your customers, and if you fail to connect with them, or you fail to offer an appropriate solution to their problems, you can find yourself out of business fast.

1.Focus on the tasks in your business that will help you reach your goals and don’t waste time on things that won’t grow your business.

2. Know the value of your business. Price is an important issue in business, but it’s not the only factor. Quality, as well as providing an appropriate solution for your customers is also important. Use what your business offers to appropriately market your business, and consider the value of your product when pricing. If you offer physical products, the cost of making, marketing, and distributing your products is an issue. You want to make sure you correctly mark up the price of your product so that not only is it a fair price, but you also cover the cost of making your products. You should consider this BEFORE making your product.

3. Become the best in your industry. It’s not enough to know a lot about your product or service. You want to become the expert in your field. This will bring customers to you. The way to do this is to know as much as possible about your topic, which means constant educating yourself on the latest information in your industry. You also want to provide stellar customer service. This means going the extra mile to make sure your customers are satisfied with the purchases they make. Build value into your products or services and strive for constant improvement. Word travels fast on the internet, and you want others to say positive things about your business.

4. Emphasize customer care. There are many ways to do this. Providing FAQs not only helps you because it keeps you from answering the same questions over and over, but it also offers your customers additional information on your products. Answering support tickets promptly, as well as issuing refunds quickly when necessary gives your business a more professional appearance, but it also shows that you are attentive to your customers’ needs. The secret to a well run customer system is to automate your systems as much as possible, especially if you sell digital products. The way to do this is to sell your products through systems that allow you to automate the sales process so the customer is immediately taken to the product. If you sell physical products, then you’ll need to process orders as quickly as possible. Just make sure you have a system in place. Personalize your communications with customers, as well as your readers. Using autoresponders can help with this, as well as writing conversational messages that are easy to understand.

5. Design an effective marketing strategy for your business. Although I believe that every free internet marketing technique will work for every business, we’re all different, and there may be certain techniques you are more comfortable doing when first starting out. Design your marketing plan ahead of time, select the appropriate techniques to try, and then test and track those techniques to get the results you want.

Globally Effecting Small Businesses

2009-10-28T06:54:00.001-07:00

Written by Shelley Godra

A small business in the United States need to be aware of the undeniable affect globalization has on their future profits. For example, when managing an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia, one must realize that there are global factors that affect the business. These factors can be affected by political, social, and economic changes. Political relations can change people’s view of Italy. Social changes can affect customer’s tastes and demands. Economic factors can affect prices of imports and in turn raise the prices of the Italian restaurant.

First, political factors can range from new regulations to country relationships. For example, new regulation has been set in place regarding the United States and Mexico. There are more immigration laws and barriers; therefore, fewer Mexican immigrants are coming into the US. This can hurt the Italian restaurant because there are fewer prospective employees that will work for low wages, and the restaurant must spend more money on its employees’ salaries. The United States and Italy currently have a good political relationship; however, if political relations changed in the future, the change may influence customer’s opinions of Italy. Customers who think less of Italy because of unfavorable relations will eat less Italian food and this would also hurt the restaurant.

Second, social changes can affect where consumers choose to eat. In the past twenty-five years, people’s tastes have changed dramatically to become more sophisticated and cultured. In order to keep up with the chic changes, the Italian restaurant may decide to incorporate a larger variety of food into its menu. The restaurant could also attract more of the sophisticated crowd by inviting a celebrity chief to come and cook one night for its customers. There have also been social changes specifically in the Philadelphian region. Two decades ago, Southern Philadelphia was inhabited with many Italians; since then the Italians have moved out to the suburbs and Southern Philadelphia is populated with other ethnic groups. This change in residents could change the kind of food demanded in the area. The restaurant can no longer assume that the population wants the traditional Italian food and, like overcoming the sophisticated class, the restaurant could offer more variety in its menu.

Finally, economic changes most often than not affect the meal prices of the restaurant. Global food shortages, specifically in Italy, due to weather could increase the prices of imports. Many of the ingredients the restaurant needs, such as olive oil, would come from Italy. Currently, our economy is not doing well, and United States residents have less disposable income. Less disposable income means less money to spend on luxury goods like eating out. Also, the price of oil has been steadily increasing in the past few years. This would deter people from driving into the city from the suburbs because gas is too expensive; this change would cause a shortage in customers.

In conclusion, there are many factors that affect managing an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia. Some factors can be controlled, however, global factors are outside our reach of influence. Global factors such as political, economic, and social changes can hurt an Italian restaurant in Philadelphia by creating higher priced imports, less employees, and less customers. Some of these changes can be overcome by offering new food options and keeping up with what the consumers want.

Remote Working: Turning Them Into Us

2009-10-27T06:12:00.001-07:00

*found on BNET

By: Wayne Turmel

The problem with team-building (remote or co-located) is that sometimes it feels like you’re trying really hard to be a good teammate, but other people are letting you down - it feels like it’s not you, it’s "them".

Whether "they" are head office, our guy in Birmingham or that inscrutable group in Bangalore, it’s impossible to create a truly effective team unless you start thinking us. We develop trust when our goals, motives and competencies are aligned. But when you are miles apart, how can managers ensure people are pulling in the same direction?

Without getting all soppy, here are some tips for helping create stronger ties between team members.

Who are these people?

Studies have shown that when you have a visual picture of someone, you immediately begin to form a tighter bond with them. Putting faces to names is an important part of how we assess the strength of information we receive, whether we can trust people and whether we want to make an effort to work closely with them.

Hint:

Find a place to post photos on your intranet, social networking site (NING or Facebook are free) or just send out pictures (preferably candid but non-incriminating) periodically so that people know who they are dealing with.

What’s their problem?

Humans are naturally suspicious creatures. When faced with a lack of hard evidence, they tend to make things up - and it’s seldom the best-case scenario (it's nature’s way of helping you avoid becoming someone’s lunch). Why did she miss that deadline? Obviously she’s an idiot, is a prime example. Of course, most people are not idiots, but when lacking information to the contrary, it’s just easier to make that assumption. Constant updates and honest feedback on how projects are progressing and what challenges teammates face will keep people in the loop and encourage active assistance rather than reactive situations where the deadline passes and panic ensues.

Hint:

Encourage people to post regularly to discussion boards and social network sites, where the first person or best person to answer can help. When you get an individual message from a team member with a problem or question, suggest they post to the group site. This is better than just bombarding people with emails because they won’t have to hunt for the file or wonder if they are reading the latest version. You also get a small piece of your life back.

I have no idea how they got that job

Did you know that idiot in your New York office has an advanced degree from the same university that rejected you? Or that she worked on a high-level project before winding up on your team? Knowing the backgrounds of your teammates is often helpful, not just for creating human connections but knowing to whom you should turn for answers.

Hint:

Post profiles of your team members where people can find them, and make sure that all new members provide a profile on their first day of work. Besides education and credentials, personal information like whether or not you have children, your hobbies and whether you work from home or an office are all important.

What do they do all day?

One of the biggest causes of mistrust in remote teams is waiting for information and assuming it’s being withheld for some reason. We sent the request why don’t they respond? The simple fact could be that they are busy with something else, or they don’t know you’re waiting for that response, tapping your foot and calling them names. It could be the middle of the night where they are and dragging themselves out of bed to give you that piece of information just never occurred to them. Whatever the reason, it helps if we know what others are working on and have a clear indication of their priorities.

Hint:

Take time at the beginning of a team meeting, teleconference or Webmeeting for updates. If you work as part of a large team, this might take up too much time, so try showcasing one person, team or location for each meeting. A client of mine in the non-profit sector regularly rotates meeting-host duties to showcase individual team members. Each host offers an update on their work.

It’s just easier for me (the manager) to do it

You’ve been there. A team member asks for a piece of information, or the latest version of something that another team member elsewhere has sent. You could tell them that’s why you have shared drives and they can find it on the SharePoint group site you spent so much time and money on, but it’s the path of least resistance to just stop what you’re doing and re-send it. Stop that, you’re enabling bad habits.

Hint:

When someone requests the latest version of a piece of group work, take the time to send a polite but firm note to remind them where that information resides. You might even suggest that they contact the teammate responsible for that information directly and just let you know how that works out for them.

Use good old people skills to augment technology if you want to facilitate human contact and develop trust in your team. It will dramatically increase the return on your investment.

Evaluating three find-an-adviser websites

2009-10-26T07:17:00.001-07:00

Before deciding where to wine and dine your significant other, chances are you will take a gander at a restaurant review or two online.

These days, a plethora of review sites and tools have made the Internet most people's first stop when shopping for restaurants, cars and almost everything else.

Although still in their infancy, similar websites all created by entrepreneurial financial advisers have sprung up to help investors find or evaluate financial professionals.

These sites include EvaluateMyAdvisor.com, fabeetle.com, and financeanswers.com, as well as a fourth due to launch next month. (The founders of that site prefer that it remain unnamed until the launch date is closer.)

Industry leaders and advisers, though optimistic about the future of such sites, are skeptical about how much real value they deliver to consumers now.

Investors are questioning things more than ever before, so it is natural that you would see people coming up with sites like these, said Financial Planning Association president Richard Salmen, who is also senior vice president of GTrust Financial Partners. The firm manages $400 million in assets.

Conceptually I like the idea of these sites. I hardly buy anything that I don't go out on the web and research, but what worries me about [the sites] is that it is extremely difficult to quantify or convey the overall value of what a good adviser provides, only part of which is investing, Mr. Salmen said.

Other advisers applaud the attempts, though they say that the sites need more work.

There hasn't really been anything like this [EvaluateMyAdvisor] before; it is a good shot across the bow of our industry, but I don't see this or any of these sites as the end-all. Hopefully they will evolve, said Dennis Nolte, a senior wealth adviser with Partners Wealth Management, which manages $90 million in assets.

He said that in the case of EvaluateMyAdvisor, its analytical ability seemed a bit limited. But when asked if he would like to see similar tools available from LPL Financial, his broker-dealer, Mr. Nolte wholeheartedly agreed.

It would be great to have similar tools to allow us to be better armed and ready when discussions of performance come up, he said.

I looked at the websites mentioned; below is a brief overview and some basics about each:

EVALUATEMYADVISOR.COM

Founder: Norman Pappous, most recently a Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. financial adviser.

Inspiration: The low level of investment knowledge displayed by wirehouse advisers.

Overview: Amazed by the skill of the quant jocks he worked with on the institutional side of the business, Mr. Pappous was dismayed when he switched to retail. The site is his attempt to provide small investors with an analytical approach to deciding whether an adviser is adding to or subtracting from the value of their portfolios. After inputting historic return data or persuading an adviser to do it an investor will get back a paper report detailing how his returns compared with a benchmark, based on the asset allocation model he had agreed to with his adviser.

Cost: $500 for a performance report.

Pros: This is the first attempt I am aware of to package such a service for retail investors. If nothing else, it should prompt advisers to think about how to share or better interpret and illustrate their performance to clients.

Cons: This isn't a site your average Grandma is going to grasp (not yet anyway). It needs more detail and a better basic description of its mechanics. I would suggest adding two explanatory sections to the How it Works pages, one for investors and one for advisers.

FABEETLE.COM

Founder: Brandon Gadoci, who most recently worked for Raymond James & Associates Inc.

Inspiration: Mr. Gadoci said that he was sick to death of cold calling, seminars and networking breakfasts and wanted to find a creative way to bring advisers and clients together.

Overview:Once out of beta, the site will provide users with advanced-search capabilities that can match them up with advisers based on criteria such as years of experience, proximity, types of products or advice being sought, etc. Revenue will come from premium features, including tools that allow advisers to receive client query results that include them, use the platform to connect with clients and generate investment proposals.

Cost: None for now. Once fully launched, premium services will cost between $15 and $30 a month.

Pros: An attractive and engaging site design. It already has attracted a lot of attention through its use of social media, including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Mr. Gadoci said that the site is close to its goal of enlisting 1,500 beta users to flesh out and test its services.

Cons: Reaching a critical mass of advisers will be key to the site's success.

FINANCEANSWERS.COM

Founder and CEO: Brian Robertson, an adviser with Ackley Financial Group Inc.

Inspiration: The Madoff scandal led Mr. Robertson to wonder if a website where investors could find straightforward information on investing and advisers as well as second opinions on both could avert such conflagrations in the future.

Overview: The site provides lists of investment questions and answers that can be added to by investors and advisers, who also can post their own questions. Advisers who claim their profile on the board Mr. Robertson has the names and locations of 20,000 advisers and firms, gathered from various public sources can also set up a blog and post to it once they have updated their profile.

Cost: Free.

Pros: The site has the potential to become an unbiased repository of investment information. It also won't hurt an adviser's search engine results if they flesh out their profiles on the site.

Cons: It remains largely a blank slate waiting to be filled in by both potential clients and advisers. The site's creators deserve kudos for their intent to provide investors with a place to publish anonymous ratings of advisers.

But the feature could mean trouble for the site's owners from regulatory bodies such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. and the Securities and Exchange Commission over potential compliance issues, not to mention from disgruntled and/or litigious advisers.

E-mail Davis D. Janowski at djanowski@investmentnews.com.

Doctors voice fears over flu phoneline...

2009-10-23T06:32:00.001-07:00

*found on Euronews 24

By: TOM

* See...not just here...

LONDON - An overwhelming majority of doctors fear that infections and serious diseases could be missed because swine flu is being diagnosed over the phone, a poll showed Wednesday.

Nearly 90 percent of 251 general practitioners questioned by GP newspaper fear that conditions such as tonsilitis or bronchitis and potentially fatal illnesses such as meningitis may be overlooked.

The swine flu hotline was launched to reduce pressure on doctors because Britain has more cases of the virus than any other country in Europe, with an estimated 110,000 new cases a week for the past two weeks.

About half of people being diagnosed with swine flu are receiving their diagnosis over the telephone by staff without medical training who work from a checklist of symptoms.

But one doctor said it was blindingly obvious that a telephone diagnosis will very rarely, but very significantly, miss an alternative diagnosis which could lead to severe morbidity or mortality.

Another commented: The symptoms are so vague and wide-ranging, swine flu can masquerade as a vast array of other diseases.

More than 30 people have died from the A virus in the country, although almost all had pre-existing serious health problems.

Mobile Applications Transform the Financial Adviser

2009-10-21T08:35:00.001-07:00

*found on Practice Management Center

By: André Guillemin

Mobile financial applications are redefining the way financial planners do their jobs by enabling them to operate from any location, using only a mobile device. No laptops. No pagers. No searching for wireless hotspots.

How It Works

Top-of-the-line mobile financial software aggregates data from different IT systems to provide access to all of your client and account information-along with market data, stock quotes and news-no matter where that information lives or what software you use at the office.

Also, it is designed to meet the needs of financial professionals who operate in client-facing positions, so it is built specifically for mobile devices and uses the phone's best functions, like messaging, calling and mapping.

What that means is that a mobile application on your BlackBerry, iPhone or Windows Mobile device allows you to see your client's information as well as communicate with them. You are no longer flying blind when you reach out to a client from outside the office.

Why It's Important

Stiff competition for consumers' time and trust combined with volatile financial markets has made it increasingly difficult for financial planners to prove their value. Like never before, financial planners are challenged to outperform the competition, tighten client relationships, assure perfect service and generate new accounts. All this requires an intense focus on client-facing activities.

In volatile times, it is tempting to stay in the office, hold down the fort and man the phones. Twenty years ago, that was a good strategy, because it was the only way an adviser could be there for his or her clients in stressful times. But in today's world, planners can have their cake and eat it too. They can get out into their communities and meet with their clients face-to-face while being available to receive or return calls.

Beyond Data

In addition to connecting financial planners to their data, mobile technology provides features and functions that save time and help users keep track of the details that bombard them on a daily basis. A game-changing capability of mobile financial applications is that advisers can use alerts to help them reach out to clients in ways that are timely and appropriate. Alerts can be set to notify advisers of virtually anything, including substantial changes in asset allocation, new industry research or events, changes in securities ratings and upcoming deadlines. Reminders can also be set for client information like birthdays and anniversaries, or planning processes such as quarterly and annual reviews.

Where sales and prospecting are concerned, financial planners can quickly perform simple activities that keep the sales process moving forward, like sending sales literature, providing an immediate quote or answering a detailed question. Mobility breaks down information barriers and helps people buy when they are ready to buy, not "later, when my assistant gets back to me" or "after I pick up that document at the office." Without losing momentum, the adviser can say, "Great! Let's move forward."

Mobile Security

One of the issues that always comes into play when "finance" and "mobility" are used in the same sentence is security. Contrary to public perception, mobile devices are very secure, and there are a number of things that software companies can do to enhance the basic security functions built into the devices themselves. One of the major ways they can do it is by using real-time data systems so that no data is actually stored on the device. Everything is transmitted over the air-so if you misplace your smart phone, there is no data on it to steal.

Although it may seem scary to be carrying around a device that connects you to sensitive client information, it is actually a very safe way to go. Surely, a BlackBerry that is fully encrypted and password-protected is a thousand times safer than carrying hard copies of client statements around in your briefcase.

As mobile devices take over the market, the use of mobile financial software is increasing exponentially and will continue to do so. Faster networks and more intuitive devices will only fuel that trend, and advisers who embrace mobile technology will see changes in the way they run their practices that enhance customer service and productivity.

André Guillemin is the senior manager of market development at Pyxis Mobile Inc. He is a specialist in mobile technology, specifically in applications for the financial services industry. Prior to Pyxis Mobile, Guillemin worked as a financial adviser at Smith Barney. Contact him at aguillemin@pyxismobile.com.

Advisors’ Job Attitude, Outlook Improves

2009-10-20T07:36:00.001-07:00

*found on FA-MAG

A new survey reveals that independent RIAs have seen their level of job satisfaction rise 10% and the number with an optimistic outlook for the U.S. economy has climbed by 25% over the past three months, according to a survey released by TD Ameritrade Institutional. Half of the 500 RIAs surveyed gave a top rating (9 or 10) to their satisfaction with their job, up from about 40% three months ago.

Advisors seem to have felt more needed over the last year and this contributes to a higher level of job satisfaction, says Brian Stimpfl, managing director of advisor advocacy and industry affairs at TD Ameritrade. People are seeing the other side of this terrible cycle and that’s drawing out some more positive feelings.

A favorable business environment is also contributing to their upbeat attitudes, Stimpfl says. Nine out of ten RIAs say their network of clients is up or remained flat over the last six months, while less than 10% report losing clients.

Wirehouses and full-commission brokerages accounting for 72% of new assets, according to the RIAs surveyed. This finding dovetails with TD Ameritrade Institutional’s own experience. What we see in ACATs [full-account transfers] is that 67% are coming from full-account channels, Stimplfl says.

Some advisors view this as an opportunity to go on the offensive, he adds. Fully 70% of the RIAs surveyed avoided cost-cutting in the past quarter and 19% increased spending.

Carpal Tunnel Symptom Relief The Good and the Bad

2009-10-19T08:28:00.001-07:00

*found on Finance News Today

by Tom Nicholson

You probably don’t even want to hear those words carpal tunnel syndrome. You’ve either heard about the condition or know someone who has the condition, and you have heard it is a nightmare to do battle with. And without preventative maintenance, you may think you are in line to get the condition as well. If you are an athlete, an office worker or a construction worker who repeats an action with your hands, then you may just be right.

We tend to take our hands for granted and assume we will always have the use of them. We don’t mind when we get a minor cut or burn since our hands can really take a beating and keep on working. The fact is that our hands are invaluable to use. We depend on them to help us complete an endless number of everyday tasks. For those that need their hands to perform their work, they are even more valuable. It is a good idea to take more action to take better care of our hands since they are so important.

But what is carpal tunnel syndrome and how does it affect our hands? Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition that starts off with tingling, numbness or cold feeling in the hands. These symptoms can also be present in the forearm and elbow depending on the amount of time the symptoms have been present. For some people, even loss of functionality in the hands and fingers can result, causing temporary loss in productivity at the job and possibly even weeks of rehabilitation? Other conditions may occur if you adjust your body to ease the pressure on your wrists such as back pain, neck pain or even shoulder pain.

Carpel tunnel syndrome will occur when a nerve that runs the entire length of the arm, the median nerve, becomes compressed at the wrist. The compression happens when the transverse carpal ligament becomes tight under pressure. This ligament is important because it allows for maneuverability of the hands by binding nerves and ligaments together at the wrist. If the hands are not kept loose and free of stress, there will likely be discomfort of pain in the area. Fortunately there are some habits that can be acquired that will prevent this from taking place.

While some people may consider surgery for carpal tunnel pain, you may want to think twice. After all, the procedure does involve severing the transverse carpal ligament in the hopes that it will relieve the stress on the median nerve. While it does tend to give immediate pain relief, the lasting effects are unknown and can be devastating if not properly considered.

The one principle that should be considered when looking for relief from carpel tunnel pain, is how it can be done in a non-invasive and natural way. The first thing to look at is your eating and exercise habits. If your body is getting the proper nutrients it will be able to fight the effects of the carpel tunnel syndrome more effectively. Think about taking a few extra breaks while you are working in order to your hands a chance to rest. In addition to these steps, stretch and loosen you your wrist occasionally to keep them from becoming overly stressed. It will help to shake the hands occasionally to keep the blood flowing to the hands and fingers. Last but not least, good posture is critical when trying to prevent carpel tunnel syndrome.

About the Author:

If you have persistent signs and symptoms that might be due to CTS that interfere with your normal activities including sleep see your physician. If you leave the condition untreated, nerve and muscle injury can occur. Click to visit carpal tunnel exercises first option to do.

Some Fine Marketing Points…..

2009-10-02T08:44:00.001-07:00

*found on Business Intel

Defining Marketing

Marketing was given birth during times when selling can no longer make a very good company stay financially afloat even though it already have very good product.

Everybody who is into reading books will positively agree that they have encountered the saying, A picture is worth a thousand words."

Actually, from a writer's point of view, a picture is worth a thousand words from a single angle of perspective so thus, business. Business in modern practice varied but there are general ways of looking at it from different angles.

In my opinion, business should be conducted from the point of view of Marketing. Well, let's start from the basics, knowing who and what are involved in the dynamics of doing business.

1. Point of view a stand point. A mental position from which things are viewed.

Marketing Point no. 1

a. It is how things around us are seen from a personal observation. 2. Marketing the commercial processes involved in promoting and selling and distributing your product or service.

Marketing Point no. 2

a. Conducting business with regards to what the prospective buyer of a product expects.

b. Catering the matching of such needs and goods between the seller and the buyer for a smooth, continuous business exchange.

c. If a person is engaged in catering the need expectation of a buyer by matching the advantage difference of a seller's product that person is on the act of marketing.

d. Caters the need of prospective buyers by having sellers promote and advertise their product interests or welfare of prospective buyers.

e. Making business activity focus on the need of the buyer in order for the seller to promote and sell his/her product for a profit. **

3. Product Commodities offered for sale.

Marketing Point no. 3

a. A good, an idea, a service offered to fill in a need in exchange for a fee.

4. Buyer A person who buys.

Marketing Point no. 4

a. A person who wants to have what he/she needs in exchange for a fee.

b. An intelligent person who knows what he/she wants, knows when, where and from whom to buy a product that satisfies his/her expectations, may it be a need or a want.

5. Seller someone who exchanges goods or services for money.

Marketing Point no. 5

a. A person wants to sell a good, offer for a fee his/her service or just sells his ideas.

6. Need anything that is necessary but lacking.

Marketing Point no. 6

a. A desire for basic gratification of a necessity.

b. Every living thing has a need. It is something that a living being cannot live without.

There are two kinds of needs.

a. Basic Needs. These are the necessities in life.

Example:

1. Food

2. Shelter

3. Clothing

b. Expressed need. These needs are in one way or another evolved from the security of having a normal satisfaction of basic needs. These are the needs any person expects to have. In short, wants.

Example:

1. Gourmet

2. State of the art mansion

3. Fashion (Designer's Clothes)

7. Advertiser someone whose business is advertising.

Marketing Point no. 7

a. Some who make known that a product exists or available for sale.

b. A person whose business is to broadcast in any media the existence of a product; may it be a good, service or ideas.

8. Promoter someone who is an active supporter or advocate.

Marketing Point no. 8

a. A person who is persuading the prospective buyers the advantage difference of a good, service, or idea of a particular seller against other seller's products.

b. A person who is in the business of promoting a seller's product for a fee.

9. Distributor

Marketing Point no. 9

a. A person who provides the means for the seller to physically distribute his/her products for a fee.

10. Business As defined by the Oxford dictionary is an activity of providing goods and services, involving financial, commercial and industrial aspects.

Marketing Point no. 10

a. It is the act of offering goods, ideas or services to the buyer for exchange with the intention to earn profit.

The Bigger Picture

Business is an activity of exchange that facilitates needs.

It can be conducted at the point of view of the Seller or it can be facilitated at the vantage point of catering the needs of the client.

The question is which point of view will be more beneficial in light of continuous business cycle.

Sources:

* Oxford Dictionary

**Plain and Simple: The Truth about Marketing

By: Joefel Cagampang

Dr. Len Schwartz

Branding Yourself

2009-09-16T11:08:00.001-07:00

I want to talk about a marketing effort that is incredibly important, yet, few of you ever put a lot of time, energy, or effort into it. It's called “branding”.

In fact, very few of you ever think of yourself, your practice or your business as a brand that you want to make famous in the community. With the absence of a brand initiative, you actually fail to position yourself and your business/practice (make an impression) in the minds of the people who live and work in your community.

The goal is to have people think of you, your business, your brand, and your logo in a split second. This is actually the dream!

If I mention Coca-Cola to you, you can quickly recall their red logo. And, I bet you still remember "Coke is the real thing". If you think about FedEx, you can quickly recall their logo and that they will absolutely, positively get your package there overnight.

Nike, you can think of their swoosh logo and their "Just do it".

Even though slogans may change, you can see the kind of impact that a consistent branding campaign can have on the mind of a consumer. You want the people who live and/or work in your community to think of you when they need you…in 3 seconds or less…and this is accomplished with consistent marketing that includes branding so you maintain that “top of mind awareness”.

My advice is to make sure that your logo and your slogan, or your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) absolutely penetrates the mind of the people who live and/or work in your community so that when they think of your product or service - they think of you.

Depending on what you do (product and/or service you sell), this process can take months or years. BUT, the great news is that 99% of your competitiors do not focus much on their brand.

You will start to see the effects of your branding campaigns/initiatives when people call you/come in to see you and say, "You know, I thought of a dry cleaner and I immediately thought of you because of your ads, or because of your logo". Pay attention to this.

Ask your customers how they found you. Track you marketing efforts to evaluate their success. And, watch what happens when you become the most recognized, most utilized business of your kind in town simply because you made everyone aware of you.

Action Steps:

1.Think of yourself as a brand
2.Get a logo, slogan, etc.
3.Become memorable
4.Penetrate the community with your marketing efforts.

Client Referral Systems

2009-09-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

Hi, this is Dr. Len Schwartz and today we're talking about client referral systems. It’s one of the most cost effective (it costs you nothing) new client referral generating initiatives you can have in place. We're talking about 4 different things you can do today, right now, to get your clients to start to refer more people to you.

The first thing I want to talk about is client education systems. We all know that a consistent client education system and referral strategy needs to be in place, not monthly, not bi-monthly, but every single day with every single client. Not only to get your client to understand the value of what you do, but to have them refer people to you. Because, they want to help someone they know and care about with a particular problem. So, you need to commit to a daily client education system and referral program in your practice. Make sure you use research, because research resonates at the highest level with people. Besides, that takes you out of the picture. You become an objective communicator by using third party or cited research.

Number 2, let's talk about monthly events. How many of you give your clients a reason to bring other people to your office to introduce you to their friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors? If you’re not having monthly events in your office, you’re leaving a lot of new clients, a lot of money, and a lot of referrals on the table. So, make sure you commit, plan out your entire year in advance. Maybe, have Valentines Day parties in February, a back to spring in March, have an April fools in April…you get the idea. Think about what you can do through out the course of the year, and by the way, a monthly event may also be an internal lecture. Give your clients an opportunity to bring people to your office and introduce them to you.

Number 3, referral cards that you can send to their friends and family on their behalf, right from your office. Research and referral packets that you can mail or e-mail to your prospective clients or your existing clients that want you to send them to their friends or family members. These are all things you have to have in play, if you want to have a consistent new client / referral generating system in your practice.

Finally, phone calls! Have any of you ever talk to your clients about allocating certain amount of time during the week to communicate or get in touch with, or call their friends and family members on their behalf to educate them on how you might be able to help them with their problem? Something you might want to consider is putting this on paper, putting this in your office, educating or informing your clients that you do this on a weekly basis. Just opening up the door may give your clients a reason to tell you about a friend or family member that they have in mind that has a particular problem. Just putting that out their may generate a nice stream of referrals for you, and of course new clients.

Direct Mail/Postcard Campaign

2009-09-09T07:45:00.001-07:00

Hi, this is Dr. Len Schwartz. This week I'm going to talk to you about postcards. Not only do most professionals not utilize a direct mail or postcard campaign, but most don't realize how incredibly cost effective a direct mail or postcard campaign can be. A direct mail or postcard campaign can build your name, build your brand, build your fame, and most importantly, generate new clients. So, let's get started with the top 10 reasons why to use a direct mail / postcard campaign.

First, it is incredibly affordable and that's going to partner up with number 6, which is you can test a direct mail campaign, especially with postcards for an incredibly low amount of money. You can send out 100 postcards just to find out what kind of response you get. By the way, that's going to tap into the ability to test. Once you start testing for your direct mail campaign and you start to see the results you get, whether it’s from sending to a specific neighborhood or a specific section of your town, you can start to become really strategic with whom you send the direct mail campaign to. Plus, based on the response, you can decide to roll it out big or cut it out all together.

Number 2, your competitors have no idea that you are actually facilitating a marketing initiative know as a direct mail / postcard campaign. That may or may not matter to you, but it's one of the top 10 reasons.

Number 3, you get a chance to track, as I mentioned. But, know we are revisiting the whole tracking system, because most great marketers test and track all of the different components of the specific marketing initiative. I challenge you to do the same thing with a direct mail / postcard campaign.

Number 4, it's versatile. You can really use a direct mail / postcard campaign for everything from a special event happening in your office, to getting a chance to check you out, to becoming a new client.

Number 5, one of my favorite things: building your name, building your brand, and building your fame. You can use postcards, specifically the copies on the postcard, to not only invite someone to a special event in your office, but also to continue to perpetuate the brand that is you and your office.

We talked about Number 6 which was testing.

Number 7. You’re not going to waste people’s time. They have a chance to respond to a special offer on your postcard and you can have a special code on the postcard that they can call or reference, where they can get something from you.

Number 8, you’re not going to take up a lot of space and they always get read. Unlike a typical envelope, where they have to tear open and find out what’s inside, with a nice colorful postcard, you have a real good 60-75% chance they're going to take a look at that postcard (front and back) and find out more about what you're offering.

Number 9, again as mentioned with the testing campaign, it's inexpensive to print. You can really test with 100, you can test with 1000, or you can test with 5000 postcards and it's still relatively inexpensive, compared to other marketing campaigns.

Finally, Number 10, it's easy to hand in or redeem for special services, which again partners with the whole concept of having a redemption code. All of these things are married together to make for a super successful direct mail campaign using postcards.

Have a great day and I'll talk to you next time!

What is your Competition Doing?

2009-09-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Hi, this is Dr. Len Schwartz and I have a really important question for you: "What is your competition doing?" My next question for you is, "Who Cares?"

So many of you call every week and the first thing you start to talk to me about is, how the other professionals in your area does this and how the other professionals in your neighborhood are doing that. Who cares? If all of you would put in as much time, energy, and focus in putting your own marketing initiatives in place, your own internal/external systems, strategies, concepts, tactics, and techniques in place; Then you wouldn't have to worry about what the other professionals are doing, because frankly there are so many people out there that don't go to a professional.

There are more then enough for all of you. Do yourself a favor; make a commitment to spending time and energy, in addition to money, in your own marketing on building your name, your brand, and your fame in your own community. Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing, because what they’re doing is of no interest to you.

It's all about you!

It's all about your practice and all about your ability to grow this year. If you need solutions, if you need answers, and you need some strategies that will really increase the size of your practice and number of new clients/referrals, give us a call 866-655-8502.

Until next time, have a great day and we'll talk to you soon!

Systems...

2009-08-27T06:22:00.001-07:00

I've got a predictably successfully way to insure that your business grows every week, every month, throughout the year for as long as your in business. What can possibly be so simplistic as to insure such a predictably successful outcome?

Well, it's systems.

When you have client education systems, referral systems, and advertising systems in place, together, in a layered effect every single day, you can't help but grow. So, my advice to you is pretty short and simple and very easy. Find yourself a marketing system that you could put into place, more importantly that your staff can put into place, run and manage for you, so your business consistently spits out new clients, customers and referrals. Again, I'm making this sound really simple, but why most professionals fail is because they don't have a system in place. Instead they have a "let's throw as much crap against the wall to see what sticks" marketing plan. In fact, that's no marketing plan at all. Do yourself a favor, embrace the value of systems and find yourself with a predictably successful outcome, new clients, and new referrals.

Also, this week I have a really special announcement! I want to send you to our brand new website, www.chiropracticemarketingsolutions.com. It's revamped, it's got lots of product package discounts for you, and to all of you reading this, simply put in the code NEWSITE and that will give you an automatic additional 20% off that particular product package. Now you have no excuse to put a system in place, right now! Put a client education and referral system in place and start to generate 10-20 referral leads per week. Put a lay lecture in place in your office and generate 10-20 new clients a month. There’s a lot for you to see, go check it out at: http://www.chiropracticemarketingsolutions.com

Have a great week and I'll talk to you next time!

New Clients

2009-08-25T08:29:00.001-07:00

Hi, this is your business building tip of the week and this week I want to talk about getting new clients, but not in the traditional sense. Before you get new clients, you have to do 2 very important things.

First, create an environment in your office that is accepting of new clients. Now what does that mean? You should always have 10 files made, 10 new client files made for your regular cash clients. If you don't have files made and ready to go in case 10 new clients walk in at any time, you’re sending a message out to the universe that you’re not ready.

Second, is your staff ready to handle an influx of new clients? By staff I mean systems, processors, and procedures in your practice or business that are executed, implemented, or incorporated by your staff so you can do what you do best.

Then of course, once you’ve created an environment, office setting, all the materials, and a staff that is ready/prepared for new clients, then you can go out. You've now created a fertile environment that can accept and attract new clients to your office.

I hope this helps!

Please don't look over this, this is a really important step in attracting new clients to your door and building your name, your brand, and fame because you’re creating an entire action plan around generating new clients that starts with you, your staff, and your business. Have a great week and I'll talk to you next time!

Online and Print Directories

2009-08-24T07:03:00.001-07:00

I’m back to talk to you about directories, both online and print directories. You know if you did a search online for your type of profession, business or industry, you’ll probably find several different directories that host lots of different names of professionals or business. This is in place so that when people search for you they know where to go based on what the directory tells them about you, of course your location is extremely important. So, if you haven’t taken the time to go online and find directories that host professionals like you, or people who own your type of business, do so right now! Add yourself to as many online directories, and of course print directories as you possibly can, so that you can provide some direction for all those people that are searching for someone like you. Again, your location is extremely important. They’ll probably ask for details about you, your practice/business, services, and credentials. It’s extremely important, especially since so much business is done through the internet and even the print directory searches. Do this. It works, and it’s part of the entire collective marketing campaign. Have a great day; I’ll see you next time.

Action Steps:

1.Do an online search of your profession to find directories
2.Add yourself to as many print/online directories as possible
3.Remember, location is extremely important

2009-08-20T09:56:00.001-07:00

On your most-important-thing-ever-to-do list -> Clearly Define your MOST desired goal(s)/dreams.

The Summer Slow Down and Clean Up

2009-08-20T05:43:00.001-07:00

So many people go "away" during the summer. It really slows things down, and I bet you hate to stop moving.

But, remember (during the year) how many times you say to yourself, “If I only had some free time I would do "FILL IN THE BLANK!"

What can you organize? Clean? Repair? Change? Replace?

Seize the day! Clean up, organize, and get ready for the boom that’s about to hit in about 6 weeks. Labor Day is not that far away and so are many, many new customers/patients/clients.

Get your office ready: paint, stock up, and prepare your office for the blast of new patients you will receive in the Fall.
You will feel great knowing you are organized and ready for the “new” season.

Take a deep breath and go to it!

The Inside Secret...

2009-08-17T12:38:00.001-07:00

Every chiropractor I talk to says they want to become famous in their town. Why?

Because they know that if they are the best known, most recognized, most referred to chiropractor in their town – they will get a HUGE majority of the patients.

Here’s the first INSIDER high level strategy for becoming famous in your town:

You MUST think of yourself like a Brand. A brand that you want to make famous in your town.
Nike, Coke, Ford, Johnson and Johnson, etc.

These are brands that maintain top of mind awareness in 90+% of the people in North America.

Their names, logos, products and slogans are almost instantly recalled when asked about them.

-> That is what Market Domination is all about.

If you were able to effectively penetrate your market, and people who live and work in your community instantly thought about you when they thought about a chiropractor, what would your office look like?

How many new patients would you attract every week? How many referrals would you generate?
Dozens? Hundreds? Maybe even thousands.

This is just a small piece of the Market Domination game-plan.

What does your brand look like?

Business Cards...

2009-08-14T06:28:00.001-07:00

I’ve got a brilliant marketing idea for you. Are you ready? It’s called handing out business cards. I know. It’s new. It’s different. It’s unique. Well, it’s none of those things. But, I’ve got a strategy for you that I think might really enhance that entire process of handing a business card out to a prospective client, patient or customer.

So many of you are so focused on “selling” that patient, client or customer on your products or services, that you simply hand out a business card, and you do everything you can to encourage them to call you. Well, that’s really the second half of the equation, or the formula. The first half of the formula that almost all of you miss is letting that prospective patient, client, or customer know that you’re not even sure you can help them. And that in order to find out more about their unique, special, different problem or situation, you should really talk to them for a more extensive period of time in the office for what could be a free consultation. So when you take the business card out, and you hand it to a prospective patient, client or customer, make sure you write on the back of that card: “free consult.”

Anyone reading this, doctor, financial professional, attorney, business owner, etc., can talk to anyone for free. There are no HIPA compliance laws; there are no compliance laws in general, against you speaking to somebody for free. But, again, I want to stress the importance of the first part of that process. Most of us get so caught up in talking to a prospective client, that we forget about credentialing ourselves, and qualifying them. So, in other words, maybe they don’t qualify to be your patient, client or customer. But the truth is, all of us, we all have this need and desire to qualify for anything. We all want to qualify for all the good stuff.

So, when you’re talking to somebody, and you’re sharing your solutions for their particular problem, you must include that you’re not even sure whether you can help them, and that they should really come into your practice or your office first, to discuss things in greater detail so that you can provide them with more information, about whether you can help them and so that they can make an educated decision about whether you’re right for each other. And there goes the business card with “free consult” written on the back, as well as a person to ask for in your office. That really adds a nice personal or personalized approach. “Hey, my office manager’s name is Terry. So, let me write “free consult”. You can call Terry. Ask for Terry. I’m going to let her know that I spoke with you today. She’ll be expecting you to call. Great to meet you, I look forward to seeing you in the office.”

That’s the dialogue; of course without the whole qualifying/prequalifying process of and let them know, let’s talk more, and find out together. That’s it. That’s the new, unique, and really purposeful strategic twist that you want to put on the business card, hand-out process. Have a great day!

Action Steps:

1. Say to the potential client, customer or patient “I’m not even sure if I can help you”
2. Encourage an evaluation by writing “free consult” on the back of your card
3. Provide the name of someone in you office that they can contact

Press Release...08.13.09

2009-08-13T07:31:00.001-07:00

Practice-Building Marketing And Referral Service Provides Financial Advisors With Unprecedented Access To Clients With Money...

A service provides Financial Advisors with scheduled meetings with other professionals like CPAs, Accountants and Attorneys is being embraced by thousands of Financial Advisors each month.

Huntingdon Valley, PA, August 13, 2009:

So many financial advisors are struggling right now. The lack of new clients is the direct result of the economy, wide-spread doubt or mistrust, unemployment, and 401k’s and pensions cut in half as a direct result of the 2008 market crash.

Financial Advisors know that one-on-one interaction and referrals make the best new clients. The once costly but effective dinner seminars are no longer producing qualified prospective new clients. These dinner seminars mostly draw people that are referred to as "plate lickers". These are people who come to the seminar and pretend to listen to the financial pitch but are really there for the free meal. Dr. Len Schwartz, President of Pro 2 Pro Network, one of the largest professional-to-professional referral networks in North America says, "Most Financial Advisors would love to have a steady flow of referrals from other professionals like CPAs, Accountants, and Attorney’s but don’t know how to "get in the door" and/or set up pre-qualified meetings for themselves." That’s where our Automatic Practice Builder Service comes in.

Pro 2 Pro Network offers Financial Advisors a one-of-a-kind practice-building marketing service that includes pre-screened, pre-qualified meetings with other professionals in their geographic area who have expressed an interest in meeting and/or working with a Financial Advisor. "All the Financial Advisor has to do is show up", says Schwartz. The service also includes high level coaching to ensure that their efforts are predictably successful.

Want more information, go to http://ping.fm/BBPY8 or call 877-204-2739 to see if your zip is still available.

Value...

2009-08-10T08:25:00.001-07:00

Let’s talk about value! What do I mean when I say value? Well, it's all about value. Your ability to communicate the value of what you do and attach that value to your products, your services, and even your knowledge of what it is that you do, is going to differentiate you. It will allow you to position yourself as being better than all of the rest of the competition in your area, city, community, and town.

If you don't have a proactive marketing initiative in place to continually let your patients, clients, or customers know how and why you are better or different than all of your other competition, you're missing a really important step in the marketing process. If your patients, clients, or customers think they can get the same services or same products from the guy down the street who sells it for less, then it becomes about price. But the truth is, most people will never choose a cheaper product or service when they think what they're paying for is better than all the rest.

So, my advice to you today is to sit down with your staff and think about all the different ways that you are different and better than everybody else, i.e. your education, your products, the services you offer, your staff, and maybe even your clientele. Maybe you offer a specific service nobody else does. Maybe you have specific practitioners or experts in your business that offer a very specific service that nobody else has.

Hopefully, you get the idea. This is incredibly important and it will be well worth the time invested to figure out how you can differentiate / position yourself as being better than everybody else. Your patients, your clients, or your customers will absolutely embrace and truly understand this, making it so that they will never leave you. Because, why would you ever leave somebody who you know to be the best at what they do? Have a great day!

New Client Objections...

2009-08-06T07:11:00.001-07:00

Hi, today we’re talking about new client objections presented with a plan in your office. There are 4 common objections.

First being the most common, money. So, if you have new clients who are objecting to start because of money, congratulations, you’re normal! But, what does that tell you? In many instances what that tells you is, you haven’t done an adequate job in communicating the value of your business within the first or second visit, or however many visits it takes before you present the financial plan. So, you may have to take a look at the way you’re presenting your options, the value, and what it would do for them in their life. Whatever it is, that’s something you really need to pay attention to. So, when someone objects to money, because you are completely inflexible; you don’t do payment plans, only accept cash, and don’t really offer the clients different ways to pay you, then you may be running into this problem. But, if you offer payment plans, if you have flexibility in your financial policies, then you will probably be able to take that client who initially objects to money and convert that client into staying and paying for the right reasons.

Secondly, if they tell you they don’t have time, then they were never serious to begin with, about wanting to correct their problem.

Third, “I’ve got to talk to my spouse.” If you’re hearing this, you’re normal. But, the only question you need to ask that client that says they need to talk to their spouse about it is this, and this is a million dollar question! If this plan was free, would you still need to talk to your spouse about becoming a client in this office? Let them answer, because that whole question about “let me talk to my spouse” response is probably just another way in telling you they initially object to the money. So, maybe it’s their spouse who has to say “yes”, they can pay you to become your new client. So, ask that question, you will find the results can be absolutely amazing.

Finally, this is probably one of the most, if not equally as important as the money. That they don’t exactly see the value of your service. Again, I hate to tell you, but that all comes back to you and how you are able to affectively communicate the value of your service. I hope this helps. Have a great day!

Delegating Responsibility...

2009-08-04T06:01:00.001-07:00

Hi, this is Dr. Len Schwartz with a business building tip. I want to talk about delegating. I can't tell you how many professionals I have talked to that have such a hard time delegating responsibilities, tasks, processes and procedures to their staff. Why? There are a lot of different reasons. First, fear that their staff will reject the process. Second, they don't trust their staff. Third, they think they can do it better then anybody on their staff, but if you want to grow, if you want to expand, if you want to maximize the efficiency / productivity in your office, you're going to have to delegate to your staff.

Make a commitment to delegate all the processes, procedures, tasks, and responsibilities to your staff. You won't believe how much free time, energy, and opportunities you have at your disposal as a result of freeing up that time.

Hopefully a lot of that time will go to marketing and building your name, brand, and fame in your community. Have a good day and I'll talk to you next time!

Survey Says...

2009-07-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

I’ve got a million dollar business building marketing idea for you, and it's all based around surveys. When was the last time you handed out a short questionnaire or short survey to any of your clients to ask them about things like: Your hours of operation? Is your staff courteous and friendly? Do you find your waiting room to be warm, inviting, friendly, etc? You can ask all these different questions and deep down inside you really have to know the answers in order to evolve, change, or adapt to the current environment. Do you want to grow? Do you want to increase your referrals? Do you want to increase your new clients? Do you want to increase your status your brand your fame in the community? Ask lots of leading questions that enable your clients to tell you the truth about what they think about you, your staff, your business, your services, your office, your waiting room, and all of these things under the umbrella of business building marketing etc. Do this! You may not like some of the answers, but those are the people you want to pay attention to.
Make sure you give your clients a chance to fill out these forms and have them be completely anonymous. You'll love the answers, you'll love the results, and you'll get a chance to put your finger on the pulse of what’s happening inside of your business. Have a great day!

2009-07-29T09:40:00.001-07:00

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle

2009-07-28T07:12:00.003-07:00

http://ping.fm/ooN1r

Why/How are You Different?

2009-07-28T07:12:00.001-07:00

Hi, I've got some very important points to go over with you that will help you dominate your market. There are a couple things you need to work on this week and these things will help you implement, integrate, and incorporate all of the different marketing systems, strategies, and tactics you have in mind. So, let's talk about the first one. And, that is "why are you different?" So much of your marketing and penetration of your community relies on the answer to that question. If you can't answer how and why you are different, then you’re pretty much going to be viewed just like everyone else. No different, no better, just another professional on the street. So, that's the first question you need to answer, "How and why are you different?" We may have talked about this before, but I’m not talking about that you really care about your people. That's not a reason why you are different, because most professionals will say we care about our clients. I want to know education, techniques, services, and even your staff. Maybe you have certain staff that’s part of your office that no other professional has in their office. So, all of those things need to be considered when thinking about how and why you are better or different than everybody else. The next exercise is USP. You've probably heard about this before. U.S.P stands for Unique Selling Proposition. And there's lots of different ways you can use that acronym, but Unique Selling Proposition is the most popular way. This is something like FedEx, where they say "Absolutely guaranteed to be there overnight", or Domino's Pizza “Delivering in thirty minutes or less or its free." What's your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? Answering how and why you are better or different than everybody else will help you create a USP. So, you have to figure out what your selling proposition is and how and why you are different. That will lead you into the next step, "What do you solve better then anyone else?" If your clients, perspective clients, inactive clients, and even your staff are going to talk about you to their friends and family, there’s got to be something distinctive they can say about you. What you're doing is, you're giving your clients a chance to go out on the street and educate people about how and why you are better or different then everybody else. Then of course, they can explain why you do what you do and how your service works. There's a great example on how to position your self as better or different than everybody else. Again, that’s just one example. So, once you've got these three questions answered, you can then take a look at how you can integrate those answers, your solutions, and how you’re better or different into all of your other marketing initiatives, so you can make it into a complete marketing system. Have a wonderful day and we'll talk to you next time!

Introducing...

2009-07-27T08:21:00.003-07:00

Dr. Len Schwartz
Entrepreneur, speaker, author and master marketing consultant, Dr. Len Schwartz has impacted thousands of doctors, professionals and business owners in more than 20 countries.
Over the last 10+ years it is estimated that he helped generate more than 50 million dollars of new business for his clients, over 12 million of that in 2009 alone!
During his 12 years as a practicing chiropractor, Dr. Len built one of the largest practices in Philadelphia, PA., was awarded “The Purpose Achievement Award” for "Practice Excellence", and created and developed the largest and most sought after collection of fully research-based, health and wellness lectures, waiting room videos and patient education systems in the chiropractic profession.
Dr. Len took all of his practice-building systems and marketing skills to doctors and professionals worldwide and soon began working with some of the biggest names in marketing and business-building, such as Jay Abraham, Tony Robbins, Bill Bartmann, Michael Gerber, Janet Switzer, Christine Comoford, John Assaraf, Gary Ryan Blaire, Ron Legrand, and many more.
Chet Holmes, the New York Times best-selling author and Fortune 500 strategist, says he has never met another doctor with the same level of marketing and copyrighting skills as Dr. Len.
Dr. Len is a business systems integration specialist and has "mastered" the step-by-step strategic marketing process that enables any doctor or professional to automate the growth of their practice as well as penetrate and completely dominate their market. Dr. Len’s unique approach to having strategic systems, processes, and procedures "run the business" - instead of the employees – is what makes his waiting list grow. His famous lecture, “The 7 Musts of Marketing for Building A Million Dollar Practice” has been seen by more than 20,000 people worldwide!
One of Dr. Len’s most sought after services is his copywriting skills for new product or service launches, direct mail/e-mail campaigns, and scripts. This marketing pro has generated millions with his unique connection-style copy.
Today, Dr. Len now owns and manages several companies. Pro 2 Pro Network is one of the largest professional-to-professional referral networks in the world, scheduling thousands of mutually beneficial referral relationship meetings for doctors and professionals each year. His clients have their own private practice and also work for some of the biggest companies in the world including A.G. Edwards, Met Life, Smith Barney, and Merrill Lynch, just to name a few.
Dr. Len has his own TV show called the "Masters of Health and Wealth".
Masters of Health & Wealth is one of the only shows of its kind on television.
It is a unique, fast-paced 30-minute interview-style show featuring the top experts
in the health & wealth-related professions. The show offers doctors, professionals and business owners the opportunity to showcase their talents, skills, products, services and expertise to a massive television audience.
Automated Social Networking 3.0 facilitates an extremely unique, turn-key, everything-done-for-you, social networking and marketing service for doctors, professionals and business owners. He helps his clients completely automate their on-line social networking so they receive a steady flow of new business as a result of their massive online presence.

The Masters of Health and Wealth TV Show
www.MastersofHealthandWealth.com
ChiroPractice Marketing Solutions
www.ChiroPracticeMarketingSolutions.com
Market Domination Specialists
www.MarketDominationSpecialists.com
Automated Social Networking 3.0
www.AutomatedSocialNetworking.com
Pro 2 Pro Network
www.Pro2ProNetwork.com

2009-07-27T08:21:00.001-07:00

http://ping.fm/yNRyy

2009-07-02T11:38:00.001-07:00

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

Value...

2009-06-30T11:15:00.001-07:00

Hi, this is Dr. Len Schwartz with your practice building marketing tip of the week! This week I want to talk about one of the most important ingredients to your success. One of the most important factors in becoming the best known, most recognized, most referred to professional in your town. One of the most important factors in becoming one of the most respected referred to and utilized professionals in your town. That is value! It's all about value! More importantly it's all about your ability to communicate the value of your care or services to your clients, their friends, their families and the people in your community. I’m sure you know other professionals that are not as talented as you are, yet are busier then you. Why? One of the main reasons those professionals are busier is because of their ability to communicate the value of what they do as compared to every other professional in your community in that particular specialty. So, what’s my advice? Think about 25 different reasons where you, your practice, and your services are superior to everybody else and tell me why. Because if you can tell me why, then you can start to act, you can start to fulfill that value based proposition off of that why. Maybe even off of the how you deliver the services, the care, the treatment, the advice, whatever it is. Think about 25 different reasons why you are better/superior to everyone else in your community and you can start to act that way and really communicate the value. Because, what’s going to happen is your clients will go out and tell their friends, their family members, their co-workers, their neighbors about you and how and why you are better/different then everyone else. So, today it's all about getting you to embrace your value and the value of your care, your staff, your services, etc. Come up with that list and you will really find an amazing opportunity to position yourself as the best at what you do. Have a great day and I look forward to talking to you next time!

A Great Tip...

2009-06-29T13:02:00.001-07:00

Hi this is Dr. Len Schwartz with your practice building tip of the week. This week I’ve got a million dollar practice building marketing idea for you, and it's all based around surveys. When was the last time you handed out a short questionnaire or short survey to any of your patients to ask them about things like your hours of operation, is your staff courteous and friendly, do you find your waiting room is warm, inviting, friendly, etc. You can ask all the different questions that deep down inside you really have to know the answers in order to evolve, change, or adapt to the current environment. Do you want to grow, do you want to increase your referrals, do you want to increase your new patients, do you want to increase your status, your brand and your fame in the community? Ask lots of leading questions that enable your patients to tell you the truth about what they think about you, your staff, your practice, your services, your office, your waiting room, and all of these things under the umbrella of practice building marketing etc. Do this! You may not like some of the answers, but those are the people you want to pay attention to. Make sure you give your patients a chance to fill out these forms and have them be completely anonymous. You'll love the answers, you'll love the results, and you'll get a chance to put your finger on the pulse of what’s happening inside of your practice. Have a great day and we'll talk to you next time!

2009-06-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

"No matter how carefully you plan your goals they will never be more that pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto." -W. Clement Stone

2009-06-29T06:19:00.001-07:00

"Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there,
you must first see inside of you." - Wally Amos

2009-06-25T12:52:00.001-07:00

"Money and ownership alone aren’t enough. Set high goals, encourage competition, and then keep score." - Sam Walton

2009-06-25T11:45:00.001-07:00

"Nothing limits achievement like small thinking; nothing expands possibilities like unleashed imagination." - William Arthur Ward

2009-06-25T08:09:00.001-07:00

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily." - Zig Ziglar

2009-06-23T07:12:00.001-07:00

"Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders." - Tom Peters

2009-06-18T09:35:00.001-07:00

"Cut the "im" out of impossible, leading that dynamic word standing out free and clear - possible." - Norman Vincent Peale

2009-06-18T08:27:00.001-07:00

"Excellent firms don't believe in excellence - only in constant improvement and constant change." - Tom Peters

2009-06-17T11:47:00.001-07:00

"All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work." Coolidge

2009-06-17T07:41:00.001-07:00

"I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate." - Elbert Hubbard

2009-06-12T08:13:00.001-07:00

"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit." -
Arnold H. Glasgow

2009-06-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain.
~Kahlil Gibran

2009-06-10T08:20:00.001-07:00

Motivation is the internal condition that activates behavior and gives it direction; and energizes and directs goal-oriented behavior.

2009-06-09T11:43:00.001-07:00

"Having the capacity to lead is not enough.
The leader must be willing to use it." - Vince Lombardi

2009-06-09T10:27:00.001-07:00

“Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.” - George S. Patton

2009-06-08T12:58:00.001-07:00

“Our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us.” - Earl Nightingale

2009-06-08T12:09:00.001-07:00

"Success is the result of clear goal, unshakable confidence, proper planning, enthusiastic action and consistent persistence." Raja Franklin

2009-06-08T11:20:00.001-07:00

"Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people." - Nido Qubein

2009-06-08T09:55:00.001-07:00

"You cannot climb a mountain if you will not risk a fall." - Rick Beneteau

2009-06-08T09:01:00.001-07:00

"Always remember that striving and struggle precede success, even in the dictionary." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

2009-06-08T08:22:00.001-07:00

"Achievement requires more than a vision - it takes courage, resolve and tenacity." - Neil Eskelin

2009-06-08T07:40:00.001-07:00

"Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure." - Norman Vincent Peale

2009-06-08T06:18:00.001-07:00

"Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends." Walt Disney

2009-06-04T13:01:00.001-07:00

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams

2009-06-04T11:57:00.001-07:00

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it."

2009-06-02T09:46:00.001-07:00

Excited!!

2009-06-02T08:48:00.001-07:00

"Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time." -
Josh Billings

2009-06-02T06:15:00.001-07:00

What are your 10 most profitable projects/businesses? Eliminate what drains your time and spend time on what you love and produces joy.

2009-06-01T13:30:00.001-07:00

Ok, a little Monday Marketing - How have you been positioning yourself to be known as the best at what you do?

2009-06-01T12:59:00.001-07:00

Marketing - How much do you allow your staff to get involved in the referral-generating, new patient/client/customer process? Automate it!

2009-06-01T12:24:00.001-07:00

Want to grow? Give me 3 reasons why your product/service is the best.

2009-06-01T12:07:00.001-07:00

Nobody motivates today's workers. If it
doesn't come from within, it doesn't come.
Fun helps remove the barriers that
allow people to motivate themselves.
-Herman Cain

2009-06-01T12:02:00.001-07:00

When you dilute your efforts, it takes you a long time to get anything accomplished. Focus, concentrate and watch what happens.

2009-05-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

"Have FUN at work... Focus on the customer, Understand the value of your team, Never have a boring day!" -- Kevin Mays

2009-05-28T09:26:00.001-07:00

"You can have everything in life you want if you'll just help enough other people to get what they want!" -- Zig Ziglar

2009-05-28T06:34:00.001-07:00

"Embrace Change. True success can be defined by your ability to adapt to changing circumstances." -- By Connie Sky

2009-05-27T07:34:00.001-07:00

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." -Jeremy Kitson

2009-05-27T06:24:00.001-07:00

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare" -- Japanese Proverb

Pro2Pro Network

2009-05-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Why we do what we do....

Becoming the most recognized, most respected and most utilized professional in your town requires some very strategic networking, NOT marketing. Most professionals will spend thousands of dollars on advertising, direct mail, tele-marketing, newspaper inserts, etc. YET, the most cost-effective and efficient way to position yourself as the expert in your town is to secure mutually beneficial relationships with other leaders in your town. Why? Because they already have the respect of their clients, patients, members, etc. These people are YOUR potential patients/clients. Knowing how to quickly "tap into" thousands of people in a short period of time can have a dramatic effect on your practice.

What others say about you is 100 times more effective than what you say about yourself. PLUS, when a person talks to someone they already trust and respect...and they are referred to another professional...they are 92% more likely to use that professional vs responding to an ad.