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1. Do the moneymaking things first.
For an entrepreneur, generating income is the most important
job.
Without income, your business will cease to exist.
2. Develop a sales and marketing plan.
What are you selling? Who is going to buy it? Where and how
will you find them? Establish your sales goals, and then view your
plan as your map to reach those goals.
3. Follow your sales and marketing plan.
While plans do sometimes change, one of the biggest challenges faced by entrepreneurs is how to be proactive rather than
merely reactive. Having a plan in place and following it allows the
entrepreneur to move the business forward.
4. Do at least three things every day to promote your business.
In the immediacy of day-to-day business life, it is easy
to let sales and marketing activities fall by the wayside. Keeping
on top of and servicing existing accounts seems to always take
precedence over developing new accounts. But without new
accounts, there are no future accounts! Keep your momentum
by doing at least three sales/marketing/promotional items every
day.
5. Do the things you do well. Hire people or partner with
others to do the rest.
You cannot expect yourself to do everything perfectly. Even
if you did, there are not that many hours in a day. Do what you
do well. Do what makes money. Delegate the rest.
6. Delegate appropriately and effectively.
Find people whom you trust to do what needs to be done. Be
clear about your expectations and their responsibilities.
7. Give employees some autonomy in their decision-making
process.
Once you have the appropriate people in place, let them do
their job. Micromanaging is not a good use of your time. You
have hired your employees to do the things you cannot do or
do not want to do. Let them do it.
8. Encourage employees to think creatively.
Encourage an atmosphere of ownership and responsibility by
allowing employees to offer suggestions, make changes and
discover new possibilities.
9. Minimize paperwork and bureaucracy.
While accurate records are important, records and paperwork
are meant to help, not be an end in themselves. Always ask
yourself if a particular procedure helps or hinders. Decide
what to do accordingly.
10. Schedule time to have fun.
Enough said.
Wendy Weiss, “The Queen of Cold Calling,” is
a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her book, “Cold
Calling for Women: Opening Doors and Closing Sales”
and/or her interactive CD-ROM, “Cold Calling for Printers”
can be ordered by calling: (866) 406-8212. Contact her at
wendy@wendyweiss.com.
Get her free e-zine at
www.wendyweiss.com
© 2004 Wendy Weiss
April 2004
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