My friend, Kristi Nielsen contributed the following article about better communication for this newsletter/blog.  She is a retirement coach in Vancouver, Brittish Columbia who has also written books about that.  See her signature at the end.  My thanks to her for her contribution!!! 

Effective Communication Tips

By Kristi Nielsen, Retirement Coach 

Effective communication skills can benefit every relationship. Here are some effective communication tips:

1) Talk less about yourself.

2) Ask the person you are talking to more questions about him or herself.

Ineffective communicators use any excuse to talk more about themselves appearing self-centered. Listening shows you care about others.

3) Pay attention to your tone and pitch of your voice. A little exercise that demonstrates this is to read the sentence "I know who stole the money" repeatedly and each time you read it change the word you emphasize, as follows:

Read the sentence emphasizing the word "I" "I KNOW who stole the money."

"I KNOW who stole the money."

"I know WHO stole the money."

"I know who STOLE the money."

"I know who stole the MONEY."

The same words can have many different implications.

4) Word choice often alters the message.

If you use imperatives, you sound bossy. If you use "tentative" Words you may sound unsure or untrustworthy, depending on the situation. If you use overly complicated sentence structures you may confuse the listener. Take the following examples of statements to your spouse

"You MUST be home on time tonight."

"I wonder if you can be on time tonight."

"I want you to be home on time tonight."

"I know it can be difficult, however it is important that you are home on time tonight."

Your word choice and tone can grate on the nerves of other people, and may detract or increase from the validity of what you are saying. It can show disrespect for others.

5) Accept what the other person is saying without yielding to the temptation to invalidate it or filter it because of your own bias.

Stretch yourself to see things from different perspectives.  If you are not sure you understand it from their point of view, ask for clarification or if you are unsure, ask them to clarify. If you believe you understand, paraphrase it back to them for confirmation.

6) Don’t get caught in a cycle of negativity.

Constant complaining and negativity can send your friends and family scrambling to get away from you.

7) Refrain from annoying repetition.

In business relationships, keep notes about your conversations, so that you do not repeat a conversation.

As a result, they are more likely to remember the conversation than you are—making for an embarrassing situation when you realize it.

 8) Keep listening even if your interests are different. Share their enthusiasm for things that are important to them.

9) Avoid the urge to be right. Always correcting others when you disagree is simply arrogance. Be more interested in understanding, than in being right.

10) Be present. Don’t allow other thoughts to distract you from truly listening. Don't interrupt. Validate the person with whom you are speaking by giving them an opportunity to complete their thoughts without your comments changing the direction of their thoughts. It makes them feel good and the reciprocal effect is that they like you.

Kristi Nielsen, BA, Retirement Coach,

Author: “Retirement Inspirement” and  “Your Life is YOUR Business”

www.plus50lifestyles.com and www.retirementsecrets.ca

© Kristi Nielsen 2008

►Get friendly, get comfortable.  If you’re writing, imagine you’re talking to a friend and write that way.  If you’re in person, develop some rapport (that means some things in common, a bond, some empathy). 

►Be the happiest and most enthusiastic person they’ve seen in a long time. 

►Tell why you’re different than anyone else selling alpacas, emus, goats, horses, organic edibles, fiber products, crafts or services.  What sets you apart from every other business.   

►Say it all in terms of how it helps, not just the facts about what you have for sale (want them to do). 

►What ever you say or write, say it in terms of “you” and “your” not “me” and “I”. 

►When you’re talking to someone in person, take notes. 

►Get him involved by asking him to DO something¾hold a halter, help you move something, hold a baby, send in a coupon, check a box, sign up for a newsletter, sample your product, etc. 

►Use testimonials to show people that others have been delighted with your product. 

►If you get approval along the way, you’re more likely to get approval at the end.  “Don’t you agree?”  “Can you see how this helps?”  “Isn’t it?”  “Wouldn’t it?”  These sentences can help in writing as well as in person. 

►What are the likely objections to your product (or what you want them to do)?  Figure out ahead of time how to overcome those objections.  Is it price?  Tell them about your payment plan.  Is it about delivery?  How do you manage that?  If you want someone to go out with you are they likely to be very busy?  Give them two or three possibilities.  If someone objects that they are not ready yet, be ready to tell they why they loose out if they don’t buy (do) now.  If they want it in a different size (color, style, quantity) tell them how you’ll provide that.  Whatever it is you’re trying to ‘sell,’ you know what the likely objections are, be ready to address them. 

►Strive for a real relationship with your customers because you care.  Long-term trumps short-term every time.

There are several fuzzy words that people use in marketing far too often.  By fuzzy words, I mean words that have a vague meaning or many meanings, or perhaps just are so overused that they’ve become ‘ho-hum,’ so that no one pays attention.  Whether you’re writing a Friday ad on an email list, an ad in a magazine or newspaper, doing some marketing on the radio, or writing a flyer or brochure, the point of writing advertising copy is to get your point across.  You must get it across so clearly that the reader knows exactly what you are offering and what it does for them¾and in an interesting way. 

Fuzzy words make your message ambiguous or unclear, hard to understand or just boring.  Let’s look at a few examples.   

Great.  There are 18 or more definitions for the word great.  Besides which, it’s used all the way from something was ‘just ok’ to something is phenomenal.  There are better words to choose from.  Use a dictionary or use the synonym feature in MS Word.  You do that by putting your cursor on the word, right click and go to ‘synonym’ at the bottom of the menu. 

Style.  What kind of style?  Do you mean couture style or punk style?   Is it stylish in the way of business casual or black tie?  Do you mean an animal fits in a current preferred trend or has it some specific conformational traits.  Does style mean a technique for doing things or does it mean chic?  Get specific. 

Proven.  Do you mean she has demonstrated fertility or won certain awards, or do you have some scientific studies to back up a particular claim?   

Quality.  Overworked and overstated so often, no one believes it anyway.  Also, quality means different things to different people.  It needs to be defined narrowly.  Are you talking about food quality that is correlated with scientific requirements (bacteria count in milk, for instance)?  Is it about the sturdiness of the workmanship?  Is your quality about winning recognition (blue ribbons) or about the décor on the wall (fiber artwork)?  Quality is one of the fuzziest of words.  Find a different way to get your idea across. 

Important.  Overworked word, and besides just who is it important to,  you or the customer?   

Hand made.  Another cliché sort of term that’s very overworked.  It can also mean amateurish, so find a better way to say it, like hand crafted (slightly better) crafted carefully by hand, made by artisans, one-of-a-kind,  artistically distinctive, irreplaceably memorable …there are a thousand ways to say it.    

Unique.  Unique is a little like hand crafted above.  It’s a word that’s over used  and often used in reference to things that are not actually unique.  It means one-of-a-kind, no other like it.  Not many animals or products truly fall into that category.  Besides the tonal quality of the word might not have pizzazz enough for what you want to get across.   If you really have something unique, find other ways to say so.  No other like it, exclusive, limited edition, matchless.   

Super.  Too, too overused from Super Bowl to super size and super star.  Find some other words that get your idea across. 

My friend Elizabeth Fischer says in her book, “What’s in it For Me?” to pretend every word you use in your marketing costs you a hundred dollars each.  If you think about words that way, you’ll probably be more careful and be sure they mean something clear, to the point and interesting to your customer.  Get specific and do not use clichés!

Pretty much everyone is great sometimes and not so great sometimes.  It’s very human.  But early on  in your development, in those area of your psyche that you seldom explore, you decided some traits are good and some are not for you.  The truth is that you have them all, more or less. 

The more highly charged the emotions around the trait, the more likely you are to deny it  is part of who you are.  That process of disowning some parts of yourself has long-term consequences.   

When you disown some part of yourself, it ends up running your life. 

It will be the issue that causes you the most problems.  It will be the issue/personality trait that you will often meet in your life.  It will be what most irritates and frustrates you in others.   

Psychologists and spiritual leaders¾now and historically¾tell us that the people out there mirror for us what we most need to pay attention to.  Whatever faults you are finding in your spouse, children, staff, coworkers, customers and friends, chances are it is what you most fear ‘owning’ in yourself.   

It works in all parts of life, too, often even  in professional areas.  Have you ever noticed that some people even go into certain professions because the are insecure about their capability in that arena?  Some psychologists may be less than certain they’re psychologically sound.  Some jocks flex their muscles to compensate for their fears they aren't manly enough.  Some ROTC people go through the military stuff because they fear they're afraid of combat.  English mavens may be worried about being literate enough, some business professionals may have fears about their own economic capability.  Some social science people may fear they're not humane enough.   

But the place it is most critical to pay attention, is in your interpersonal relationships.  If you are finding that things irritate you about the people around you¾whether that’s your customers, your staff or your family, realize that it comes out of your own stuff you are unwilling to own up to.  No exceptions.  You fit here.  I fit here.  The world is a mirror of your internal landscape. 

I know, I hear some of you say, “Not me!  His lack of organization has nothing to do with me!”  Sorry.  It does.  If you owned the part of yourself that is so afraid of not having everything organized, disorganization wouldn’t bother you in someone else.  You could say, “Well, he’s not very organized, big deal.” 

If you have customers driving you crazy because they’re always late for meetings or appointments, they are giving you a cue to examine why you are so afraid of being late.  If you have a staff person who makes mistakes that send you thru the roof, it’s a good bet you ought to be looking at your own  fear of not being perfect.  If your child is doing something that sends you up the wall, it is surely about your disowning that part of yourself.  Everyone is showing you your stuff. 

It’s the way the world works.  It’s the way our psychology works.  Or as Dr. John Demartini says, “What we want to change in others is what we haven’t loved in ourselves.” 

Now, the good news is this.  The reverse is also true.  The things you admire in others are also things in yourself that you have not owned!  Admire someone’s serenity or patience, or sense of humor?  That also is part of who you are.  Take a look.  When we can accept and appreciate all the parts of ourselves, the frustrations and irritations are gone.  Life, business, family and social situations all go better.  You will be a better human being! 

Even the New Testament  talks about this¾not only in Matthew, but also from Luke¾ the following admonition: 

And why behold the mote that is in your brother's eye, but perceive not the beam that is in your own eye?  

Either how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in your eye, when you yourself  behold not the beam that is in your own eye?  

You hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of your own eye, and then shall you see clearly to pull out the mote that is in your brother's eye.” 

Next time a customer irritates you, or you find you’re aggravated by a family member, look inside first at the characteristic you are not loving in yourself.

Is your business economically feasible?  How do you know or find out?  The way you begin to assess your viability is to ask yourself some simple questions. 

1.  How much money do you need out of this business for it to meet your needs?  Remember, your needs may be for an elaborate lifestyle, or for enough income just to support the feed bill or pay the property taxes.  You decide. 

2.  How many units of whatever your livestock, product or service)is, do you need to sell in a given division of time?  You can pick your division of time¾weeks, months, quarters or years. 

3.  How many pounds of ingredients, bags/bales of feed, bottles of meds, wrappers, labels, vet bills?  How much equipment and materiel go into what you sell in each time period?  How many shows do you have to attend, how much rent or mortgage do you pay, transportation costs, taxes, fencing, repairs does it take in the time unit you’re working with? 

4.  Have you factored in insurance, research and development, utilities, advertising, staff or other professional help? 

If you don’t know these numbers right away, take a guess.  Write them down.  You will get a good idea what you have to do with your business  just from answering these beginning questions.  Does it looks feasible to you?  Does it sound like too much work?  Where can you adjust the numbers to make it a workable plan? 

This is the beginning of a business plan.  If you do not have one, consider that all successful businesses have one.  Once you’ve done the quick questions above, consider looking at business plan templates and doing a long version.  The value is in the thinking, research and planning you do about your business, not in the finished document.   

The internet is full of places to find business plan templates.  The best one I ever found is included in Chapter Seventeen of my book, Marketing Farm Products, for those who have a copy.  It includes instructions in each section for what goes there. 

Remember that each successful business has three legs.  They are Product, Financial and Marketing.  You’ll find those three sections are represented in completing a business plan, too.  The section you find most challenging to complete is the part of your business where you need to use team-building for the help you need.  No one is good at all three ‘legs’ of business.  If you’re good at marketing, chances are good you won’t be easy with the financial aspects, and vice versa.  Your business plan helps you see who you need to get on your team to make it succeed!  Without a team to help in your weak areas, those areas get left out in times of stress.   

This blog (and the newsletter) is more or less about marketing.  And my primary audience for this information is the folks who live beyond the sidewalk.  I have a great deal of sympathy for the people involved in rural living.  For decades, I’ve shared their lifestyle.  This population tends to be motivated and passionate about a rural way of life, but rarely has formal training in promoting a commercial side of their lifestyle.  Every rural way of life is ultimately faced with the challenges of making it economically viable. 

Marketing principles  apply to all businesses and all people.  So, while I’ve targeted rural readers first, other small business owners are also in my thoughts.  If you own a small urban business and you are the marketing director, then the same principles apply; just the details are different.  The bedrock ideas and skills and strategies fit  every small business.   

But here’s what’s ironic.  Marketing at bedrock principles, is actually about  persuasion and building good relationships.  So the ideas and strategies in this blog actually have a much broader application than just for small businesses¾rural or otherwise. 

If you’re a human being and have to support yourself, or get along with other human beings, you will often need persuasion and relationship skills.  The words “marketing” and “persuasion” are actually interchangeable with “relationship.”  This blog also contains a few ideas that are just about feeling better and improving attitudes.  That ultimately impacts relationships and persuasion, too. 

So if you happen to be a non-rural person reading any of this, remember that the principles are universal.  When you read a sentence such as “Tell your customer how his life gets better by doing business with you,” you can do a little translation and know that it applies as well to husbands, wives and children, bosses, partners and co-workers, friends, neighbors and associates. 

“Tell your husband how his life gets better by taking out the garbage.” 

“Tell your co-worker what he gets by meeting your deadline.”

“Tell your daughter how she benefits by cleaning her room, now.”

“Tell your friend why it’s in her interest to go shopping with you.”

“Tell your group why they’ll be more successful if they do what you’re           suggesting.” 

Tomorrow is our country’s celebration of freedom.  Let me share a quote by Mahatma Gandhi.   

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes." 

Since we come from a Judeo/Christian ethic that tells us we should always be striving for perfection,  it’s vital to recognize our freedom to make mistakes.  And not beat ourselves up for not being perfect. 

The definition of perfection is this: an ideal faultlessness; especially, the divine attribute of complete excellence.  The quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing is wanting. 

Perfection sounds pretty boring to me…nothing wanting.  It seems to me that our wantings (strivings) are what make us human.  Now consider that in the greater scheme of things there are multiple ways of perceiving (looking at)  “mistakes.”   

“I did something wrong; I’m less than I should be.”

“ I made a mistake, I don’t deserve _____________.” 

“I missed the mark; I’m a bad person.” 

But there is a more creative and productive way to view ‘mistakes.’  It says, “I missed the mark; what can I learn about this for next time?  What can I learn from this experience that gets me closer to what  I’m striving for?” 

Guilt squanders human resources.  It wastes time and energy on non-productive mental processes. Guilt  is designed to be a stepping stone for doing things differently next time¾a trigger for change.  Wallowing in the guilt of your mistakes short changes the potential for learning.  It negates your freedom by locking you where you are. 

This works in your business endeavors, your personal relationships, your intellectual and spiritual pursuits.  You have freedom to make mistakes, but learn from them and do things with those lessons in your future! 

Setbacks (mistakes) are inevitable.  They are the evidence that you're doing something.  The more mistakes you make, the greater your chances of success.  Failures indicate a willingness to experiment and take risks.  Unstoppable people have learned that each failure can bring wisdom and insight that gets you closer to achieving your dreams.    

So are you striving for perfection?  Here’s a newsbreak!  It doesn’t exist!  And if you got there, you’d be mind-numbingly tiresome.  I mean, where do you go from perfection?  But there are lots of possibilities from a mistake¾all upward and onward¾if you choose to perceive it as a springboard. 

Ask these questions about your next (or your last mistake):

1. What can I learn from what happened?
2. What am I grateful for about this experience?
3. What are the potential benefits of this experience?
4. What is the best way for me to move forward?

The next time you make a mistake in your rural business, or in your family, or with your coworkers, acknowledge it and figure out what you learned.  There is a gift for you in every experience—even mistakes.  But you have to look for it. 

There are many out there who like to dazzle with big words and pretentious sentences.  They are enclosed in lack of confidence, needing to feel bigger by using big words or complex sentence structure.  Marketing needs to be simple -- a desire to transmit information and persuade¾not to impress. 

So, when you are writing a marketing message or talking to a customer, remember the following story, by FF Colton in Scientific Monthly, 1949. 

A New York plumber of foreign extraction with a limited command of English wrote the National Bureau of Standards and said he found that hydrochloric acid quickly opened drainage pipes when they got clogged, and asked if it was a good thing to use. 

A Bureau Scientist replied:

“The efficacy of hydrochloric acid is indisputable but the corrosive residue is incompatible with metallic permanence.” 

The plumber wrote back thanking the Bureau for telling him the method was all right.  The scientist was a little disturbed and showed the correspondence to his boss, another scientist.  The latter wrote to the plumber:

“We cannot assume responsibility for the production of toxic and noxious residue with hydrochloric acid and suggest you use an alternate procedure.”  

The plumber wrote back that he agreed with the Bureau¾hydrochloric acid works fine.  A top scientist¾boss of the first two¾broke the impasse by tearing himself loose from the technical terminology and writing this letter:

 “Don’t use hydrochloric acid.  It eats hell out of the pipes.” 

When you’re trying to persuade someone of anything¾taking out the garbage, going out with you, taking a  vacation, stacking the hay, buying your product¾ remember it’s not about you and your ego, it’s about them and their ego.  The simpler you make it, the more likely they are to HEAR you!  Remember the plumber and hydrochloric acid.

A good sales person will be finding out more about his customers all the time.  That’s how you get better at meeting his needs.  So, when you’re talking with a customer, or a potential customer, here are some questions¾and the starts of questions¾you can use.  Starts because the endings might be different for different kinds of businesses, so you fill in the blanks. 

Try memorizing two or three that make sense for your kind of product and customer.  That way it will sound natural,  as though you really want to help him (which you do, right?)  Experts say practice 25 times to make them your own! 

What are you looking for?

What have you found……?

How do you intend to………….?

What’s been your experience?

How do you figure out……?

Why is that a deciding factor?

What do you like about…………?

What would you change about……? (not ‘what don’t you like?’)

How are you now handling…………….?

What does your family think about…….?

What makes you decide about……….?

Are there other aspects………….? 

The more you know, the better you can meet his needs, wants and preferences.  That’s serving your customer which is where customer service starts.

Last time I gave you a quote about how to succeed at sales and life.  It was to pretend that your customer has a big sign around his neck saying ”Make me feel important,” and then do it. 

How do you make him feel important?  Don’t forget to smile when you see him.  Act delighted to see him (and really be delighted to see him.)  When you talk to him on the phone, smile.  You can hear a smile as well as see it. 

Another way is staying in touch.  There are some really great ways to stay in touch without coming across as desperate or awkward. 

What not to do:  Suppose you have sent him some information about your products.  When you call to follow up, you will look clumsy and desperate if you say, “I just called to see if you got my material.”  He might even say, “No,” too.   Even if he did get it.   

But if you say something like this, you’ll sound professional and confident.  “I sent you a sales list [photographs, samples, information] and I wanted to go over something in it that might not be self explanatory.” 

Or, “In that  information I mailed you on Monday, I just found that there should be a correction on the first page.” 

Or, “I just found out some new information that I thought would interest you.” 

Or, “I was just thinking about you and wondered how everyone is doing.” 

Or, “We’re going to be giving shots on Saturday and I wondered if you’d like to come watch.” 

Be smart about a staying in touch dialogue.  Design it so you have an excuse to call him without appearing awkward.  It will make him feel important, and it’s smart  marketing!

Ellie       http://beyondthesidewalk.com

► "Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.´ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life." -- Mary Kay Ash  

►Who do you hang around with?  There’s an old proverb that says  good character is corrupted by bad company.  Remember that the reverse of that is also true.  Good company produces good character.  If you are spending time with people who are negative, whiney, blaming others and circumstances,  not striving to be better, you ARE being influenced by them.  Choose your company wisely. 

►Benjamin Franklin said "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."    You only fail when you decide to quit.  How often should you call someone who might become a customer?  A good rule to follow is if you don’t get a response after  three tries, it’s time to quit.  Otherwise you may risk becoming a nuisance.  But few people are even trying  the second call.    

►At this very moment, your customer is waiting for you to contact him or her.  This might not be true about a specific customer, but if you approach each one with that attitude, you make a better case, a better presentation, write a better ad.  Surprise them by telling them you know they’ve been waiting for just the right breeder (distributor, retailer, product, idea, etc.) and you’re it!  

►When people wish each other well and work together to thrive and prosper, it brings interesting possibilities to life.  Things can change with lightening speed.  The impossible becomes possible.  The possible becomes reality.   "When two or more are gathered..." whether it’s a co-op, an informal group for research, for learning, or for coordination,  a book club, a fan club, or just a social occasion…humans  cooperating can be amazing resources.  

►Your potential customers want to look good.   That might be in a physical way or in a prestige way.  They want to look better in terms how they are perceived,  by providing the important stuff for their families and friends.  No matter the industry¾from livestock,  food products, wearables, gizmos,  art,  all the way to services you provide¾what they want from you, even beyond what they're asking for, is that you make them look good.  That's your real job.

Have a great day and make your business shine!

Ellie

http://beyondthesidewalk.com

books, workshops, review serfices & fun stuff!

Happiness leads to success a lot more often than success leads to happiness. 

That’s a great sound bite, but why is it true?  Well, here are three reasons that happiness leads to success, not the other way around. 

1.      The better you feel, the better the stories you tell yourself about your life. (“I’m really capable,” instead of “I can’t seem to do anything right.”)

2.      The better the stories you tell yourself  about your life, the easier it is to do what’s right for you.

3.      The more you do what’s right for you, the more success you create and the better you feel. 

So far everything sounds pretty self evident, doesn’t it?  But the sticking point is the first one.  How do you feel better?  After all, it feels like your moods just show up, right?  I’d like you to do a little experiment (below). Take 30 seconds on each step in both halves of the experiment. 

►First, think really, really hard about some things that upset you. 

►Second, talk about them in sad or  angry words. 

►Third, tighten or purse your lips, hunch your shoulders and shift your gaze toward the floor.  You can cry if you want to. 

How do you feel? 

The other half of the experiment is this.

►First, think really, really hard about some things that delight and please you. 

►Second, talk about them in an excited, happy voice.  You can giggle if you want to. 

►Third, smile, put your shoulders back and sit or stand up straight and shift your gaze straight out or upwards. 

Now, how do you feel? 

Those bad feelings or down moods do not sneak up on you.  They are the result of how you think, how you talk to yourself, and even your body language.  You have a choice at any moment of your life.  And you become what you practice.  What are you practicing right now? 

Happiness leads to success a lot more often that success leads to happiness.

Ellie  http://beyondthesidewalk.com

About 5% of people who have websites are happy with the results of their website.  
If you’re not in that 5%, let’s talk about some things that could make a difference.
 
What’s the Headline on Your Website?
Is it “home page”?  Sorry, folks, that’s boring.  If you want someone to read your home 
page, have a headline that speaks to him and his needs.  A good headline is exciting
 and gets him involved.  It tells him what to expect.  It addresses the most  important
 first principle of marketing (What’s in it for me? See last blog segment).  
If you expect someone to read your web page, make it appealing to him to do so.  
How appealing do you really think it is to read, HOME, then all about how you got 
into your breed of livestock or moved to your farm?  Why would he care?  
Why don’t you tell him why his life would be improved by doing business with you,
 then he’ll be VERY interested.  Start with a good headline.
 
How’s the Formatting?
There’s a way to format for web sites that makes them a whole lot more readable.  
Some of the best things to do are:
     ►Break it up into very shot paragraphs with lots of white space.
     ►Indent important ideas or quotes.
     ►Use bullet points whenever you have a list of ideas
     ►Bold the first sentence in a paragraph.  It should be the main idea so make it 
stand out.
 
Tell the visitor what you want them to do
Every page needs a call to action.  Tell them to call you or send an email or show up, 
or go to the next page or buy now.  If they’ve read the page they’re suggestible, 
so suggest some action.
 
The difference between a good website and a poorly designed one is huge. 
 If you would like me to review your website for design and marketing principles, 
ask for some help.  It might be one of the best investments you can make.  
See review services at my web site…  http://beyondthesidewalk.com/reviews.shtml
 
 

In order to be safe and stable, they each must have three ”legs.”  You know that a milking stool can sit solidly anywhere, even on uneven ground because of  its three legs.  Your business is much the same.  The three  “legs” of a solid business are: 

A great product:  Animal vegetable or mineral, if it isn’t a great product, no one will want to buy it!

Good financials:  foundation, capital and records.

Great Marketing:  Contrary to the saying, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door,”  if you’re not letting them know you have it—in a way that catches their attention--they won’t beat a path to your door.

It’s no longer enough to just have the first two ’legs’, though they are certainly important.   

Your potential customers are flooded with marketing messages every day—about 3000 of them!  They don’t want to listen to you.  They are skeptical and worn-out from all the hype, so-called sales that aren’t good bargains, the poor quality out there—not to mention  sellers who just don’t care about them.  How can you stand out?   

The first thing is to address your potential customers’ concerns, problems and dreams—not your need to sell something.  Solve a problem for him.  Ask how you can serve him.  Be sympathetic to his life’s issues and longings.  “For Sale” is the most boring head line in the world.  Tell him what your item does for him.   

As I write this, people are ‘advertising’ on several email lists I am on.  They are putting boring words in their headline (subject line).  That subject line is the only chance you have to catch attention.  “Friday Market” is not attention getting.  Stating what’s for sale isn’t, either (Bucks for sale, Suri alpacas in Texas, emu chicks for sale)  Your potential customers are looking at that and saying, “So what!”  “What’s in it for me?”   

‘What’s in it for me’ needs to be the first thing you consider when you’re thinking about marketing.  WIIFM.  Put it on your computer.  Tape it to your mirror and refrigerator.  That’s where your marketing has to start.  He doesn’t care about you—he only cares about himself.  So think about him—not yourself—when you start trying to sell your product, no matter how great it is.  Tell your customers WIIFM!  Then he’ll read your marketing message. 

Want more how-to’s  and step-by-step directions for marketing better?  Check out the table of contents  in Marketing Farm Products, at http://beyondthesidewalk.com/marketing_farm_products.shtml

Do you ever find yourself thinking that others should do it your way?  Do you hear it around you, too?  Of course.  If you’re on a few email lists, you hear it almost daily.  To some degree all are guilty of being closed to others’ ideas, methods, philosophies, and approaches.  You want things done your way.  You want others to believe as you believe.  You are uncomfortable and suspicious of those who are very different.  

But where does that come from?  Why isn’t it ok with you if others are very different from you?  Ask yourself what is it about differences that make you so uncomfortable that you want everyone to be the same, just like you. 

I think that not accepting differences and not being open to other ways of seeing and doing originates within our insecurities.  Because I am not confident about myself and what I think or how I believe, if you think or believe the same, or look and behave the same as me,  then I am somehow validated.  But if you think or believe or do differently than I do, then it calls into question whether I am all right and valid.  I’ve said in other places that virtually all people deal with some feelings of not being ok at some very deep levels.  Where our insecurities come from is a subject for philosophers and psychologists.  We all deal with some of those feelings,  some of the time.  Most of us¾ even if we don’t want to acknowledge it.

But what if we do accept the premise that not being comfortable with others’ ideas, politics, skin color, accent, philosophy, religion, methodology¾all comes out of insecurity about ourselves?  Could we then, as a conscious alternative to our discomfort,  start from the place that says,  “Hey, you don’t agree with me or you don’t look like me.  We’re different.  I wonder if I can learn something new here.”  What if we all just acknowledged that differences bring up our insecurities and make us uncomfortable.  As a starting place that opens the possibility for better communication, better methodologies, a wider world view,  better relations, perhaps even better business success, too.