Staying Safe, Advice from an Homeland Security expert

I want to talk today about three easy ways to keep your family safe during a terrorist attack. During an attack, people will panic. Providing a long list of "to dos" sometimes can be counterproductive because we, naturally, panic. So, I broke down three easy-to-remember things to help keep your family safe during an attack.

1. Be aware of your emergency exists. If you start this today, it will be second nature to you. Every single time you walk into a business, amusement park, etc. with your family (and yourself), point out the emergency exits to your family members and then note the ER meeting place. It seems simple, but this is the best thing you can do to save a life during an attack.

2. Know how to handle minor and major medical issues. How? Take a CPR course and a first-aide course. Refresh the course knowledge every year. The information learned will be on automatized recall during a true emergency.

3. Find a police man or EMT and ask where you should go. Don't just head to the ER meeting spot and stay there. Once you collect your family members, ask what the plan is next. Find the closest first-responder and ask where the safest place to move to is.

I hope this information helps you make smart decisions when it comes to keeping your family safe during a terrorist attack, hopefully-however- you will not have to use it!

Twyla N. Garrett

Creating Great Customer Service

I talk a lot about customer engagement on this blog. I was asked a great question recently. "How do you keep customers coming back?" It's a good questions because once you offer a product or service, how will you engage that customer to buy more? Well, here is what works for me.

1. Get personal. Stage 5 clinger personal. Follow your customers online. Interact with them. Make follow up phone calls. Always be in a state of reminding them you're around and that you care.

2. Be consistent. Don't do right by your clients some of the time. People love paying $5.00 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks not because it is the best coffee in the world (in fact, it's been proven otherwise), but because the staff makes it their business to be personal and to be consistent.

3. Reward people. Who doesn't love getting rewards. Again, think Starbucks. They have a Gold card system that is awesome. Buy 12 drinks and get anything on the menu for free. There is no minimum, either.

If you buy twelve cups of regular coffee, your free drink can still be a Venti Frap or you can get a chicken salad sandwich- whatever you want. So, think of a way to reward your customers that actually presents value and not percentage discounts.

Until tomorrow,
Twyla Garrett

Care About Your Business....

Someone recently asked me if I had a valuable life lesson that translated to business growth. I do! I wanted to share it on the blog today to help many people understand why I brand my company, IME, as "the company that cares."

My mantra and life lesson is to take everything personally. I hate when people say, "it's not personal, it's business." You are your business as an entrepreneur, therefore everything is personal. If you don't treat everything you do in life and business with a personal investment, what good is it? It you are personally invested in something, you tend to take it more serious. Business means money. Business means your reputation. So, why wouldn't you take it serious?

The most valuable life lesson I have that can translate to business is not taking one specific business deal personally. I had viewed a deal as not "good enough" for my standards. It was just business, not an opportunity. So, I didn't take it personally. I missed out on a great opportunity because I treated the pitch as business. Had I treated it like a personal investment, I probably would have gave it more consideration and would be reaping those rewards today.

My point here is to take everything personally and act from the heart- even in business!

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

IME's Photos

Today we launched the photo album portion of IME's website, http://www.hireime.com/ I will updated it often with photos of our team at events and my speaking appearances. I've teased some photos below, but click the link above to view all the photos so far.

Twyla

#TBT - The Business Owner Test

Do you have what it takes to own a business? I'm not talking money or ideas. I'm talking grit and getting your hands dirty. Not sure if you have what it takes? Take my test. Answer yes or no if you agree or disagree with each statement below and see what I have to say at the end.
1. You believe you can balance work with a personal life.

2.'Fake It To You Make It' is the best advice you ever received.

3. You can't wait to be rich, which will be soon since all business owners have tons of money.

4. You can have a day job and run a business at the same time.

5. There is nothing to fear about employing other people. It is great to have people work for you.

6. You're going to be loved by everyone because you have a business and your business will take off right away.

7. You believe a mentor is important.

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you don't have what it takes to be a business owner. The above statements are all myths and some of the most popular reasons why businesses fail. Grand ideas, assuming riches will happen overnight, faking knowing how to provide a service or products, etc. are all big red flags in the business world.

Until next time,

Twyla Garrett

Hey DC, I Need YOU!

Increasing Social Media ROI

You blog; You Tweet; You use every social media outlet out there.... you don't see more customers coming through the door. You're frustrated.

Don't worry. Social media ROI takes a while. You need at least a year or two to start seeing real traction. I know social media is updated every second, but the ROI isn't. In fact, when was the last time you purchased something because of a Tweet? Or you read a person's entire blog based off of a Facebook post? Exactly. Unlike popular belief, it takes a long time to build a substantial and attentive social media following where simply reading the post makes a person actually click through and engage with their wallet.

So, when measuring your social media efforts over a long period of time make sure you ask yourself these five questions;

1. What are my goals?

2. Are my goals reasonable to who I am and what my brand is?

3. How much content can I put online each and every day?

4. How will I measure offer-based content vs. non offer-based content?

5. How do I turn my views into email address subscriptions?

If you have an answer for all give of these questions, you can then measure your social media growth based on your answers. Yes, it is this simple. Using the answers to gauge growth, along with Google analytics , truly helps you see how many people are engaged and buying after a year, two years, or longer!

Until next time,

Twyla Garrett

IME Wins Bid for CATS of Montgomery County, Maryland.

IME has been awarded, along with its partnering co-chairs, a Consulting and Technical Services (CATS) contract with the Department of Technology Services within Montgomery County, Maryland.

For Immediate Release

IME (HireIME.com) has been the partial recipient of a contract award with Montgomery County, Maryland. The company will service the Department of Technology Services for the county as part of its CATS program. The bid award announcement came in early December with a 2015 service date.

“My team is thrilled to be a part of this bid win. We are going to co-chair it with some of our peers which is always fun and a tremendous collaborative experience for the client,” said IME’s President Twyla Garrett. “IME is invested in providing solutions to our clients with challenges and I’m pleased to help drive this project forward with cost-effective results in mind.”

IME is an innovative leader within the technology services industry- among others. The company has spent the greater part of a decade dedicated to solving complex problems in support of its clients. IME was also recently featured on America Now, Politically Incorrect, and in Business Journals DC Edition. IME also provides government agencies, private sector organizations, and commercial business with IT support services and IT solutions to maximize resources and efficiencies.

“My team and I are proactive. We like to fully engage our clients with options and ideas, as well as explanations as to why some strategies work or will be setting a scenario up for failure. It is our goal to provide a full picture of risk versus results and then implement unique solutions that really solve problems and provides a great service and or product,” finished Garrett.

IME recently launched its new multi-media capable website with amplified service and capability options. Members of the media are invited to speak with Twyla Garrett about this opportunity and IME’s other capabilities.

Media Contact for IME:
Helene Vece
702-749-5925, Ext. 210
HVece@HireAProWriter.com

Phone Calls, How NOT to Hate Them.

I met this one woman who was in sales. The problem was that she dreaded cold calling. I first questioned why she would pick such a field if she hated cold calling. Next, I tried to figure out a way to help her. I thought about her problem, my company, and what is often needed to make a cold call. Here’s what I came up with – it helped her so I’m hopeful the pointers will help you;

Like anything in life, have a plan. The more prepared you are (in any aspect of life or business) the less scary something is. If you spend time developing a plan for your phone calls, they will be easier to make.

You have to feel successful, too. Envision success. Don’t anticipate all your phone calls going poorly. Instead, visualize the calls going well and a percentage of failures. If you have a visual number of ‘no’ phone calls or hang-up calls in your head- when they happen it isn’t going to be devastating to your ego.

Finally, don’t worry about a script. You should plan an outline of what you will say but don’t be stuck like glue to it. I hate scripts because the person on the other end of the phone is unaware of the script and will not stick to what you have thought out in your head.

I truly think these three easy pointers will give you a strong start in the field of phone sales or phone calls in general.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

How to Quit A Job

I normally gear my blog to business owners. Today I want to talk with aspiring business owners who are still employed by someone else. There will be a point when you will quit your job to launch your company. However, don’t think this a moment to brag, boast or be rude to your employer. There are some rules to live by when quitting job. I’ve listed them below:

1. Make sure you have customers already lined up. If not, you haven’t properly researched your company and the right resources / elements are not in place.

2. Always give a two week notice, or more, when leaving your job. You don’t want to burn any bridges. Not only can your boss write a bad letter of reference should you need it in the future, he or she may be able to refer business to you.

3. Be humble. Don’t boast about your ability to quit your job to other employees. Instead, invite them to try your services / products for free as they can be your best advocates, especially starting out.

Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

Start-Up Marketing; How to be Your Own Salesperson

Most companies would love to start-up with an amazing sales team in place. This isn't always the case. In fact, most start-up companies hit the streets with one sales person- the owner. If you have a small sales team (or none), don't panic. I've put together my top five sales / marketing tips to help you not only survive during this time, but thrive!

1. You're likely going to compete against established companies. Focus on how you're different, not how old the company is.

2. Pay for referrals. That's right, reward your early customers with deep discounts for referrals they send over- even if the referrals don't by. This will put a customer, who is already in love with your products or services, in the sales position for you- and for free!

3. Don't be pushy. People don't like pushy. There is a reason used car salespeople have their reputation. Focus on being honest with your sales leads and help them figure out how your products and services solves their challenges.

4. Gather data and review it often. Ask yourself why people aren't buying. Then ask those who said "no" why they did. Knowing why you're not selling is far more valuable then understanding why you are selling.

5. Say no to negotiations. If a client starts bartering with your price point only because of how long your company has been opened, walk away. In the long run, it will cost you more to earn this client's business then it will generate profits and referrals. If a client isn't sold on you as a company or the products / services it provides, move on. There will be leads out there willing to listen, excited about a new brand and option on the market, and they will have cash readily available.

Starting up a company isn't easy, but it isn't impossible. Stick with me during my January marketing series and I promise your profit margins will improve.

Until next time,

Twyla

How To Make Your Business Better For 2013

The New Year gives business owners the opportunity to recount previous year’s mistakes and make necessary changes to improve their business and promote success. If you are looking to take your business farther this year, try these five steps.

The first step is to spend smart. Seems easy enough, but sometimes business owners overspend on pricey software or things deemed necessary for a business to thrive. Instead, focus on the value of the product or service in consideration and less on the cost itself. Cost does not necessarily mean the value of the product is better than something less expensive.

The second step is to terminate year-end bonuses. Your employees may really enjoy those few extra bucks during the holiday season, but instead of shoveling out lumps of money at one time, try breaking up bonuses throughout the year. Provide incentives monthly for employees and set goals to help your business thrive as well as employ morale.

The third step is to ask customers what they want. The most successful products are those that appeal to a large amount of people. You can only know this by asking for input on products you are selling. Suggestions help to improve the quality of the product you are selling. By manufacturing the product to fit the needs of your customers, you are showing appreciation towards them as well as giving them exactly what they like. Asking for ideas on future products could also help your business. Customers have innovative ideas as well which you can use to your advantage.

The fourth step is to sell solutions and not products. This may seem contradictory of the step mentioned before, but as a business owner your main goal is for your business to thrive long-term not just short-term sales. Present your product or service as a solution to potential customers. When they benefit, your business benefits. Focus on how you would like to market your product as a solution to a problem that a person may be having.

The fifth and final step is to try new strategies and often. The longer your business has been around, the more you may find yourself in the same business trends or patterns. Investigate new ideas and opportunities, which could help jumpstart your business. Make it a commitment to change strategies in every aspect of your business at least once a year.