Give a ton of bang for your customer’s buck.

I signed up for Rosetta Stone’s online course and paid $299 for a year’s worth of access. I got about $299 of value in the first week! I’m amazed at what’s available to me as a student: clear, methodical, repetitive lessons, twice-a-unit live group sessions with just two or three other students and a tutor (sessions which occasionally turn out to be private tutoring sessions when no other students show up), games, chats with native speakers, stories I can read aloud and get a score on my recording…I literally can’t imagine how someone could avoid learning a language while using Rosetta Stone.

What’s great about delivering a ton of bang for your customer’s buck is that the payback is that you have really happy customers. And really happy customers tell other people about their experiences. Delivering value is a fantastic way to grow a business through word of mouth!

Give your customers an amazing product.

Like I said, I literally can’t see how anyone could not learn a language with Rosetta Stone. I went from completely unable to communicate meaningfully with my in-laws to being able to carry on full conversations in Spanish, all within a month and a half. The quality of the instruction Rosetta Stone delivers is just that good.

Likewise, in your business, never put out a substandard product or anything that you can’t fully stand behind. Instead, give your customers an amazing product that really makes a difference to them, and you’ll reap huge rewards.

When I go into my sessions with Rosetta Stone tutors, I can’t help but feel like this guy. They’re delivering that much value.

Have support standing by.

The online Rosetta Stone course has some pretty technical components, so it makes sense that they have support standing by. Their support staff is extremely well-versed in all of the potential problems a student might have, and they’re ready to fix it all. They’re just really…well…supportive.

When you offer anything that might require support of any kind, it’s an added value to have support staff ready and able to help your customers. Again, the level and quality of support you deliver goes a long way toward creating word of mouth referrals. Make sure your support staff know your product inside out and like people. Smart hiring can make a world of difference here, that’s for sure.

Deliver unparalleled service.

When I attend a group session with one of my Spanish tutors, I’m happy. The reason? Every single tutor I’ve met with at Rosetta Stone is super-nice and takes the time to answer my questions (asked and answered en Espanol, of course!) and teach me new words. They’re all delightful and I’m a little embarrassed to tell you that I like them so much I sometimes wish I could be friends with them (no, wait, I just realized that I’m really embarrassed to tell you that.)

If you deliver unparalleled service, if you create a customer experience that is extraordinarily pleasant, then you make your customers so happy, they practically can’t not tell others about you. Say it with me now: word of mouth referrals grow businesses!

Ask for suggestions for improvement.

After each group tutoring session, Rosetta Stone asks me how I liked my group session. I provide feedback about the technology and about the tutor. After each interaction with support, Rosetta Stone asks me how things went.

Por ejemplo, ahora puedo hablar con estas personas in this awesomesauce cafe in Spain.

When you follow up with your customers and ask them how you’re doing and how your staff is doing, you get the best information possible. This research tells you precisely how and where to improve to get the most return for your business.

Also, and incidentally, in case you’re wondering, I’m writing this post from Montevideo, Uruguay, where I haven’t been precisely fluent, but I have really impressed my in-laws with the very fact that I don’t have to mime everything I want to say. It’s very exciting. And now they’re talking about signing up for Rosetta Stone, too, so that while I’m learning Spanish, they’ll be learning English. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what one is.

Have you discovered a great example of delivering value in business recently? Tell me about it in the comments!

The post The Rosetta Stone Guide to Delivering Value in Business appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.

Coaching just works. But it works best when you know how to get the most out of it. So here are five ways to get more out of your coaching or mentoring sessions:

1. Choose Your Coaching Partner Wisely.

It helps if you start out right and there’s no better way to start than by choosing your coach or mentor wisely. Make a list of what you want a coach to help you with. What are the most important goals for your business? Also think about how you want someone to help you. Are you looking for someone to help you find the answers within (a coach) or are you looking for someone who can tell you what the answers are (a consultant) or both (mentor)?

When you search for your coach, consultant, or mentor, make sure you find someone who’s a good fit for your goals, how you want them to help you, and your personalities. Have a conversation with your potential partner in success (be wary of anyone who won’t have an initial conversation with you without charging you!) and pay attention to how that conversation goes. Ask questions about how they work with their clients. Do they have a system? What techniques or methods do they use to get the best out of you? Have they had success in the areas you need help with the most? While you may not need someone who has an advanced degree or certification, you shouldn’t work with someone who can’t answer these basic questions.

2. Know Your Outcomes.

Before you start working with a coach, consultant, or mentor, know what your outcomes are. Is your goal to get clarity? To become more productive? To figure out what’s holding you back? To get more clients? To learn strategies for marketing your business more effectively?

What are your goals and how will you know when you reach them? Knowing your outcomes will help you to set an agenda for every session so you make the most of your time.

3. Design the Relationship.

The relationship with your coach or mentor is a special one that you should design together to be the most effective for you. As you get to know your coach and how he or she works, don’t be afraid to speak up and say what you need. Your coach needs to know if there’s something you don’t understand or if you need something different from her.

4. Keep Your “Kitchen” Clean.

Ever hear the phrase, “too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the broth?” Well, if you’ve got too many people giving you advice, you’ll spoil the direction of your business. I’m a firm believer in keeping your “kitchen” clean—just keep one cook in your kitchen at a time and you’ll have a lot more clarity about what you’re supposed to be doing.

5. Respect the Space

When you meet with your coach or mentor, respect the coaching/mentoring environment. Give each session your full attention and energy so that you can get the most out of every minute. I ask all of my clients to make sure they’re in a quiet place where they can really focus on our work together so that we can be super-productive and make progress toward their goals.

Coaching, consulting, and mentoring can make a big difference in your business. Working with someone who can hold you accountable, help you gain clarity, improve your workflow, teach you new strategies, and help you achieve your business goals means you can get where you want to go faster and easier. But please, make the most of each session so that you and your coach can be more successful.

The post 5 Ways to Get More Out of Your Coaching or Mentoring Sessions appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.

Why I Love Bluehost:

1. Easy Setup.

Setting up your account with Bluehost is as easy as pie. In fact, I shot a little video for you so you can see just how easy it is:

2. Amazing Customer Support.

Bluehost has exceptional customer support. They’re reliable, they’re friendly, and they’re invested in making sure you get what you need. Any time you run into a challenge, you can call their toll-free number or use their on-site chat and someone will help you solve your problem. And they won’t leave you hanging, either: most callers are on hold for less than 30 seconds (I don’t think I’ve ever been on hold). The folks at Bluehost meet my personal “buena gente” standards.

3. No Down Time.

I’ve experienced literally no outages since moving my sites to Bluehost. They’re extremely reliable, which is more than I can say for other companies that charge more.

4. They Make Things Work Faster.

Bluehost is always working on new scripts and doodads to make your site run faster and more efficiently. I like that they’re constantly striving to do what they do better.

5. Excellent and Easy WordPress Hosting.

If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner, especially if you’re not super-tech-savvy, the smartest thing you can do is have your site built on the WordPress platform. Wordpress will make managing and updating your site so easy, it’s not even funny. And that, my friends, makes your life easier.

Bluehost is beloved by my web developer because they make hosting WordPress sites so darned easy. It’s literally one click to install. Plus, they’re uniquely designed to make WordPress sites run better and faster.

6. Multiple Domain Hosting.

If you’re an entrepreneur with multiple business interests or multiple web sites (for example, I own Business in Blue Jeans, Susan Baroncini-Moe, Break A Record With Susan, and many more sites), you will love that Bluehost lets you host everything in one account. You can host unlimited domains and web sites with unlimited space within just one account, for one price!

When I saw my client’s invoice, I looked like this, except female. And no tie. So really, not at all like this, except for the abject shock and horror.

7. Excellent Pricing.

One of my clients recently emailed me an invoice from her local tech company that’s been hosting her web site. The invoice was for $250/year. I just about swallowed my tongue.

Your domain name registration and annual renewals should never cost more than $8-15/year. Your annual hosting shouldn’t be more than $90. With Bluehost, you get the first year’s domain registration free (or you can transfer your domain to them at no charge).

My Bias:

Bear in mind that I am slightly biased about Bluehost. They were the official sponsors of my Guinness World Records® record-breaking event, Break A Record With Susan, when I broke the record for the world’s longest uninterrupted live webcast. Dan Handy, their CEO, and James Grierson, their VP of Business Development & Affiliate Management, were my guests during the event. I just think the world of Dan and James and Bluehost in general. They’re a really great company. FYI, just so you know, the links in this post are, in fact, affiliate links, which means that when you click them and sign up with Bluehost, they send me a little “thank you” check for sending business their way.

So that’s my bias. But I have to tell you that if I didn’t have that bias, I would still recommend Bluehost, for all the reasons above. I love doing business with companies that are good people (that “buena gente” thing) and who do what they do really well. You simply can’t go wrong here.

The post The Best Web Hosting for Small Business Owners appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.

5 minutes, really? Yes. Really. Or less. And you can even use a digital timer these days.

You might know that I recently hosted a 36-hour webcast to break a world record. What you might not know is that prior to this event, I had never hosted a webcast before. But believe it or not, these days it’s so easy to host a webcast, you can do it in 5 minutes or less. Here’s how.

Choose a webcast topic

Choosing your webcast topic is your first priority. What do you want to talk about? More importantly, perhaps, what does your audience want to hear? Once you choose your topic, give it a cool, sexy title so that your audience gets intrigued and really wants to hear more.

Choose a format

You can host your webcast alone or bring in other speakers. You can present live on camera or you can use Powerpoint. Knowing your format will guide much of the next steps in your process.

Choose a webcast technology

Choosing your technology is pretty simple. It’s a matter of evaluating your audience and your level of technological sophistication and weighing your options. You’ll want to answer a few questions:

• Where does your audience hang out? (if your audience hangs out on Ustream or Spreecast already, then that’s a perfect place to start)
• Do you want your webcast to be public? (GoToWebinar and Spreecast give you privacy options, for example)
• How stable do you need the platform to be? (some platforms are more stable than others)
• How sophisticated are you technologically? (certain platforms are easier than others- Streamhoster might have a learning curve, while other platforms like Ustream or Spreecast are designed to be simpler)
• Do you need multiple speakers on camera? (sites like Spreecast allow you to have up to four people on camera at one time)
• Do you want to use Powerpoint? (GoToWebinar makes it super-easy to use Powerpoint, while others may require some plug-ins to make it possible to view your desktop)

Run a test

Before you go live and in front of the public, you’ll want to run a test. In my case, we ran tests and training sessions for all of the speakers to make sure everyone had working technology and knew how to use the system we chose. Running a test in advance of your webcast means you avoid any embarrassing missteps during the live event.

Get on camera

Believe it or not, I had never hosted a webcast before my record-breaking event. Sure, I’d done webinars, but those were live trainings using Powerpoint. I was never on camera. For awhile before the event, I was nervous. But when I did the training sessions and tests with my speakers, I realized a few things. First, I saw that I wasn’t in this alone. That’s one of the advantages of including other speakers in your event. Second, I realized that everyone involved in my event wanted me to succeed. They were excited to be a part of it and wanted it to go well…for all of us!

On-screen Tips

Now, when you do get on camera, there are a few tips. I actually learned these from Mike Michalowicz, author of The Pumpkin Plan, who I interviewed for my Legends of Mega-Success program and Business in Blue Jeans Radio.

Mike told me to look straight at the camera. Don’t look away. That’s true, for the most part. I’ve now watched 36 hours of great speakers doing a webcast and I can safely say that they looked right into that camera, pretty much the entire time.

At first, I found it pretty hard to focus on the camera exclusively. I was always distracted by my picture on the screen. But you get used to it. It gets easier. The more you do it, the easier it is to stop looking at that ridiculous photo of yourself and checking your hair as if you were looking in a mirror.

Mike also told me to talk to the camera like it’s a friend. That’s also good advice. Just make sure you pretend you’re talking to a friend who likes you and who you’re not too comfortable with (lest you begin using inappropriate language that doesn’t fit a professional setting, assuming this is a professional webcast you’re putting on).

And now that I’ve been on-screen for an absurd number of hours, I have a few tips of my own to add to Mike’s advice.

When you run your test, check your background. It’s cool to have a stack of great books on your desk, but creepy when you have a lot of clutter in the background.

When you go on-camera, while you don’t have to look perfect, do look presentable. Take some time to comb your hair and wear a clean shirt. At the least.

Most importantly…

Don’t be afraid of webcasting. It’s a simple and fun way to connect with your audience, and lets them get to know you a lot better than if you were hiding behind a Powerpoint presentation. So jump in, get on camera, and have some fun!

Got video or webcasting tips of your own? Share ‘em! I’ve hosted a 36-hour webcast, but I’m a work in progress!

The post How To Host A Live Webcast in 5 Minutes (even if you’ve never done it before) appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.

We entrepreneurs have a way of turning into workaholics. It’s so easy to do. When you’re first starting out, there’s so much to do that many new entrepreneurs feel a compulsion to work until it’s all done. And when you love what you do with fervor, sometimes it’s hard to stop!

Usually I spend the month of December relaxing with family, preparing for the holidays, and doing my annual year-end assessment and pre-year planning. This holiday season was a little different. Since most of my clients were heading out of town or focusing on their own holiday festivities, my calendar was light enough that I decided to conduct my first ever group coaching program.

Boy, did I discover some things about balance while trying to do it all! Here are some of the lessons I learned the hard way:

1. Set regular working hours and keep them

The entrepreneurial lifestyle is often appealing because of the promise of flexible working hours. Sure, in many businesses, you can work whenever you want, but that doesn’t always mean that you should.

I set my working hours based on two factors: when I work best and when my clients are working and want to meet with me. There’s balance to be found here. If you happen to be a night owl, there’s nothing wrong with working when you’re at your best, but that doesn’t mean you should expect clients to show up for appointments at 3 a.m.

Regardless of what your working hours are, creating a structure and using self-discipline to stick to your structure will almost always help you to become more successful.

But remember, this works both ways- you have to stick to your structure and not become a workaholic. I myself have workaholic tendencies, and when my husband and I got married, I promised I would stop working each day at a certain time and I wouldn’t work on weekends, and I’ve kept to that…mostly…which has kept me sane and kept my marriage on track (though Leo is super-understanding when I’m on a deadline or working on a launch).

2. Make sure others in your family know your plans.
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that if you don’t make it clear when you’re working, you’re likely to end up getting interrupted a lot. It’s better to make sure everyone knows you’re working, whether you actually say, “I will be working until 3:00,” or post a sign on a closed door.

3. Create a plan for work.
Especially at the beginning when you’re just starting your business, there are a million things to do and it can get overwhelming. If you create an overall plan for where you are and where you’re going, then it’ll be easier to prioritize and know where you can outsource. Once you’ve got that overall plan, start chunking your goals and tasks into manageable pieces, then plan what needs to get done each day.

4. Outsource.
I’m a huge fan of outsourcing, and today, the thriving virtual assisting field makes it easier than ever to find someone to take on tasks that you don’t like, aren’t particularly good at, or just simply don’t need to do.

Outsourcing is economically beneficial, and since it frees up your time, you can use that time for more revenue-generating activities, or you can use it to spend more time with your family.

5. Create a plan for play.
For some entrepreneurs, it’s useful to structure “play time” just as you structure your work time. Many of my clients with workaholic tendencies feel guilty if they take time off and don’t do anything, so we create a plan for their time off as well. That way, they don’t waver around, trying to find something to do. Instead, they designate certain times for certain fun activities.

But be careful that you don’t treat your fun time like something you’re checking off of your “to do” list. Play time should feel like play time. Allow yourself to relax and enjoy it.

6. Sleep.
You simply can’t overestimate the value of a good night’s sleep. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it’s time to restructure your day and analyze your habits and your sleeping environment so that you get enough sleep and are rested, refreshed, and rejuvenated. This will help you stay on top of things, keep your mind working optimally and your passion high.

If you’re anything like me, your brain has a hard time shutting down, so carve out a 15-30 minute block before bedtime for yoga and/or meditation so that your brain will slow down and let you get some sleep!

7. Stay healthy.
Another thing one can’t overestimate is the value of exercise and staying healthy. If you’re eating badly, it’ll affect your brain and that means low creativity. As an entrepreneur, your creativity is one of your most powerful allies- so feed your brain with healthy food! Eating healthy and staying fit means you’ll have more energy to devote to your business.

The balance between work and home/play is a critical part of your small business success. Pay attention and make sure you include fun in your business plan!

The post 7 Ways To Create Balance Between Work and Family Time appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.

When new entrepreneurs or struggling business owners become aware that they need help growing their businesses, they usually start with a Google search. Before long, they have a list of folks who claim they can help, and most likely, have signed up for a wealth of e-mail newsletters and e-zines, hoping that someone, anyone, will have the magic bullet – that one thing, that one answer, that will give them the clarity they need and solve all of their business problems.

Soon, the e-mails start coming in. Suddenly, there are too many answers. I’ve had clients come to me with a list of “to dos” so long and so diverse, they’d need a full team and a full year to get just half of the list done.

Here’s what happens: most “experts” and “gurus” have specialties. They focus on e-zines or public speaking or viral videos or internet marketing or sales…the point is, they focus on a specific part of the marketing or business process. Each expert says you should be doing whatever it is that they focus on. So you’ve got an e-zine specialist telling you that to grow your business, you need to focus on e-zines. And a social media expert tells you the best way to market your business is to put all of your energies into social media. And so on.

The result is “Expert ADD” (referring, of course, to “attention deficit disorder”), where you’re reading so many experts’ opinions that you think you have to be putting effort into all of these things to grow your business. This creates overwhelm and confusion.

When I begin working with a new client, one of the first things I ask of them is that they “turn off” their “guru” e-mails for awhile. The reason is that our first goal is to create clarity and a manageable plan. If you’re still getting pulled in ten or twenty different directions, then achieving real clarity and developing a plan that rids your life of the overwhelm will be difficult.

I can always tell when a client hasn’t turned off the e-mails. Instead of doing their “homework” and making regular, methodical progress toward their goals, our weekly sessions usually include conversations about new directions and ideas. Instead of helping them make progress, paying attention to too many “gurus” actually gets in the way of them achieving success.

So how do you avoid “Expert ADD?”
First, take inventory of the experts you’ve been following and start paring down to only those who are authentic, honest, and truly have your best interests at heart. I’ve heard from a lot of folks that even if they decide to stop following someone, they keep reading their e-mails to learn what not to do. I actually did that myself, for awhile, but quickly learned that it didn’t serve me to maintain any ties with someone I didn’t respect and didn’t think I could learn from. So pare down, but really pare down.

Second, when you choose to work with a business coach or consultant, allow them to guide you so that you can make progress toward your goals. Why hire someone if you’re not going to let them help you?

Finally, remember that you don’t need to do everything for your business to grow. Choose one or two avenues to focus on and put your attention there for awhile. Measure your results and see which marketing strategies are most effective for you, before adding more to the mix.

“Expert ADD” can be a huge obstacle, if you let it. Instead, protect yourself by taking in just the information you need, and discarding the rest, so you stay away from that paralyzing overwhelm and confusion and maintain a positive, motivated, and organized perspective.

The post The Consequences of Having “Expert ADD” and How To Avoid Them appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.

I’m particular about who and what I promote. I only share people and products I have personal experience with. I only share things that have helped me and improved my business. If I connect with someone or read a book that just didn’t help me, I’ll be darned if I’m going to promote that to my subscribers and followers, just to get a fat commission. I’ve never believed in promotion for profit. It’s just not my style.

But what bothers me most is that I regularly receive requests for help from people who have befriended me on Facebook, never said “hello,” and then sent me a message a couple of weeks later asking me to promote their new book and help them get to “bestseller status” on Amazon.

Why would I do that??

Why would I ever promote someone I don’t know? Why would I promote content I haven’t reviewed? How could I possibly recommend someone I don’t know and maintain my own integrity and authenticity?

I imagine there are people who will promote anything, thinking that associating themselves with someone they perceive as more successful makes them look more successful. It doesn’t.

So here’s the scoop: if you want people to promote your products, here’s the way to do it:

1. Create really solid content. Don’t hold back. Give everything you’ve got and make sure you have a good editor (for print or audio).
2. Form strong relationships with other entrepreneurs and small business owners who have the same target market. Look for complimentary businesses to form alliances with.
3. Talk to people. Get to know them. Comment on blogs, Facebook pages, articles, and show your support.
4. Bring value to the table for other people before you ask them to do something for you. Believe it or not, things like what I mentioned in #3 are ways of bringing value and forming a relationship with someone. I remember the people who post comments on my Facebook status updates and blog posts.
5. If you want someone to promote your product or book for the first time and they haven’t seen your content before, send them a copy of your work before asking them to promote it. You might end up with a great blurb for your book cover or web site and you might also gain a fan.

Ultimately, the most important point I can make here is that if you’re using social media as a business networking tool, make sure you use it the right way. Remember to focus on the “social” part of social media. It’s all about the connection and the conversation.

The post The “Social” Part of Social Media Matters! appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.

1. Someone will always say no. Someone else will say yes.
   Previous results are no indicator of future success. So if you’ve gotten a bunch of nos, so what? You might get a yes tomorrow. And if one person says no, that has no bearing on what the next person will say.
2. If you get a no, you’re no worse off than before you asked.
   This one I learned from my hubby Leo. Before you ask, you definitely have a no. If you don’t ask, the result is the same as if you get a no. If you ask and get a no, you’re in exactly the same boat. If you ask and get a yes, though, you’re off and running. If you put your ego out there, though, that’s when you get a little damaged. That’s why you have to move to #3.
3. When you ask, don’t attach yourself to the answer.
   When you ask for the sale or whatever else it is, you can’t be attached to the answer or you will get hurt. The “no” rarely has anything to do with you. If you’ve invited a big name to be a part of a joint venture or a conference, they might say no because they’re overwhelmed with time commitments. If you’ve asked someone to hire you, they might say no because they can’t afford you. Don’t attach yourself to the answer, and you’ll handle those nos with grace.
4. Handling a no with grace can mean future business.
   If someone says no now, they may be willing to say yes later. Handling a no with grace means you’ll have no hesitation about going back to them next month or next year to bring something else to the table.

It’s not exactly rejection when someone says no. It’s more than likely that the no has nothing to do with you anyway. If you stay detached from the results and stay engaged in your business relationships regardless of the outcome, you’ll have no problem continuing to go out on that limb over and over.

The post So Someone Said No….How to Handle Rejection In Small Business appeared first on Business in Blue Jeans.