Page 231 - Social Media Marketing

220 Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

Shop for and Order Gifts for Clients

Nurturing positive relationships with your clients often means giv-
ing them gifts to show your appreciation, but this can be a very
time-consuming process. You have to choose a gift that people will
like but is affordable, find a supplier to ship it, place the order, and
track it to make sure it arrives. This is the perfect job for a VA, partic-
ularly one who loves to dabble in PR and shop with other people's
money.

Manage Ideas and Implement the Best Ones

Sales success is as much about working smart as it is about working
hard, so I always encourage the people I coach to keep an Idea of the
Week book, but who has the time? Well, an idea book is something
you have to make time for, because in addition to doing business,
you have to work on your business-work toward making it better.

Every week, you should jot down one or more ideas in your book
for improving or growing your business or improving your life and
getting more out of it. Do not worry about how feasible your idea is;
dreaming big is not only allowed but encouraged. Over time, you
will see that you have actually implemented many of these ideas
into your life and your career.

Have your VA record your ideas for you. You may even want her
to record them electronically in a spreadsheet or database program
and then categorize them, so they're easier to manage. Having VAs
can often make your ideas more feasible and give them legs. You
may not have the skills and resources to follow through on one of
your ideas, but you can usually find a VA who can fill in the gaps.

Give Thank-Yous That Get Thank-Yous

Over the years, I have used thank-yous to cultivate more fertile
ground for business. Although not everyone mines for gold this
way, there are many who understand the value of being pleasant