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Why Squarespace Is the Best Choice for Your Business

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by Kate Scott

So you’re ready to build a fabulous new website for your business. Congratulations! You may be facing the question many a business owner before you has sought to answer:

Should I build my website on WordPress or Squarespace?

I worked with WordPress as a webmaster and content creator for 8+ years before making the radical career move of becoming a Squarespace designer, so I’m fairly qualified to speak to the advantages and disadvantages of each platform. Here’s what I’ve learned:

WordPress is the most robust content management system in the world. It can do anything and it’s a great option if you plan to…

  • Host a forum or message board on your website.
  • Manage an affiliate program without using a third party like Share-a-Sale or Awin.
  • Build a paid membership site.

If any of these things apply to you, WordPress is your platform. If they don’t apply to you, keep reading and I’ll give you 7 reasons why Squarespace is the best choice for your business.

1. Squarespace is cost-effective.

WordPress isn’t as economical as it’s made out to be. First of all, you don’t want to get hacked, so you’ll need a secure web host and they don’t run cheap. If you plan to DIY your site, you’ll need a premium WordPress theme. And let’s not forget the paid plugins you’ll need to add functionality to your site. With WordPress, there are a lot of “hidden fees” that add up over time.

Squarespace is one flat, all-inclusive annual fee and offers plans for every type of entrepreneur. You’ll even get your first year of business email hosting through Google for free.

2. Squarespace is secure.

If you want to keep hackers out of your WordPress site, you’ll have to pay for premium managed hosting (think Flywheel or WP Engine). Squarespace offers premium security without the premium price tag.

3. Squarespace is user-friendly.

If you have a problem with your Squarespace site, you can contact their award-winning customer service team for help. If you have a problem with your WordPress site, you’ll have to figure out where the problem originated–with your web host, theme, a plugin, etc. and then contact the appropriate customer support team. And if the problem is caused by a free service, like a free plugin or theme, you’re on your own. And let’s face it, you’re much more likely to have a problem with WordPress because it’s 1000% more complicated than Squarespace. Talk about a learning curve!

 

 

4. Squarespace is SEO-friendly.

Squarespace makes it easy to add SEO descriptions to your pages and blog posts, and it has a solid SEO foundation. Plus, it’s fast, secure, and mobile-responsive–three important factors Google takes into consideration when ranking websites.

5. Squarespace is integrated.

Squarespace seamlessly integrates with third-party services like MailChimp, Acuity Scheduling, Google Analytics, and more without having to install any plugins.

6. Squarespace is more flexible than you think.

Squarespace is a closed system, which is what makes it so secure and reliable, but there are numerous ways to customize and make it your own. The built-in style settings offer numerous options for creating a one-of-a-kind design. But if those aren’t enough, you can add custom HTML, CSS, and Javascript to your site or hire a Squarespace designer to craft something completely custom. Your options are practically limitless.

7. Squarespace will save you SO MUCH time.

With Squarespace, you don’t have to update plugins and themes, worry about getting the dreaded white screen of death while editing your website, deal with hackers, or any of the other things that make WordPress such a time-sucker. Squarespace offers elegant simplicity and peace of mind.

So after 8+ years of blowing the WordPress horn for all to hear, I fell in love with Squarespace and built a whole new business around helping other entrepreneurs find their zen with Squarespace too. And I truly believe that if you give it a try, Squarespace will make your life a lot easier.

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Kate is a strategic web designer crafting intuitive Squarespace websites for passionate women business owners and creative entrepreneurs. Find her on Instagram and Pinterest.

How to Protect Your Professional Image from Damage by @PhyllisReagin

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by Phyllis Reagin

In one fell swoop, Lori Loughlin (and many others) damaged a carefully crafted professional image. Only she knows what motivated her to take such extraordinary risk. Lori created a successful acting business built on the professional image of being wholesome and trustworthy. Like Lori, entrepreneurs build their professional images with a direct impact on their businesses.

For any entrepreneur, your professional image is tied directly to the livelihood of your business. Your professional image may be cemented by your social presence that is built on the backs of social media, websites, blogs, and vlogs. ‘You’ are interwoven into the products and services you are selling. There is much power in the hands of entrepreneurs to create who they are to the outer world. This also sets up entrepreneurs to be precariously close to tarnishing their image with one wrong statement, viewpoint, or action.

A damaged professional reputation can be very difficult to rebound from. An example of this is a business owner who has built a socially conscious business that states “We are here to make a difference” but who is captured in the media displaying behaviors that show indifference, such as partying on a yacht. Whether or not it is true or fair, the damage is done. The fallout can be others no longer believe in her and don’t want to follow her. Thought leader Tom Peters stated, “All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

Actions that are completely out of alignment with who the public believed her to be, is the reason Lori Loughlin has been dropped from all her acting contracts and is social piranha. What could have prevented such an unnecessary tarnishing of her reputation? The very same actions that any entrepreneur can take to ensure that their professional image is not marred.

Know What You Stand for and Don’t Sway

Many entrepreneurs think their work stands for what they stand for, but they fail to recognize that people follow people, not the work. Entrepreneurs need to spend time uncovering what their top five values are, whether these values are in alignment with how they project themselves, and how to manage their businesses from their values.
A good example is a business owner whose number one value is “commitment.” She needs to assess if she demonstrates this value to her team and customers. Her communication and actions need to align to this value. There can’t be any misalignment or confusion. When customers and followers visibly experience your values, they feel like they know you and can believe in you and what you are selling. Entrepreneurs who don’t know their values can’t stay focused on who they are and can cause others to be confused or angered by what they say and how they behave.

Walk the Talk

You probably have been around an entrepreneur that espouses that people behave a certain way and then doesn’t do this herself. This can look like an entrepreneur who tells others on social media that her marriage is the bedrock of her successes but then is caught having an affair. Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, Peter Guber, states, “Truth is a point of view, but authenticity can’t be faked.”

Entrepreneurs must take every opportunity to demonstrate that what they say to others also matters to them as well. People can easily recognize incongruencies and will not follow these entrepreneurs. Walking the talk is not just a saying. It is truly a reminder to be the evidence of what you say to others, in tangible and authentic ways.

Mind Your Words

Every word an entrepreneur says to his team and others matter. Your team and consumers are constantly trying to connect dots to the “Why” of your business and the surest route is by the words you use. Make sure all your messaging ties back to your overall stated vision and purpose. What you say should be like a continuous commercial for “who” you are and what you believe in.

To prevent tarnishing your professional reputation means knowing who you are as an entrepreneur and what you truly stand for. This is your vision and conviction and it must be modeled by what you do and say. Lori Loughlin missed the mark with this. Her action did not align to her professional persona. As an entrepreneur, it is imperative to your reputation that you strongly tie your values, actions, and words to who you say you are an entrepreneur. When managed well, others will follow you willingly and believe in you and your business.

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Phyllis Reagin is a Confidence Coach and Founder of At the Coach’s Table. A former leader for a Fortune 500 entertainment/media company, she teaches female leaders how to uproot their insecurities, to assertively deal with others and situations, and to find their empowered voice. Widowed while 8-months pregnant, Phyllis uses these important life lessons to help her clients face challenges with resilience and confidence.

 

Five ways to overcome doubt and start your own business – Doubt is the serial killer of dreams – it’s time to lock it away for good! by @MelittaCampbell

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by Melitta Campbell

Starting a new business is exciting!

It’s also a time when your doubts and insecurities can go into overdrive.

This is normal. It’s important for you to understand that. All entrepreneurs experience some level of doubt and fear when starting out. The important thing is not to let your fears hold you back.

I know that’s easier said than done, but follow these five steps you’ll stand a good chance!

Just about every personal development, leadership and mindset guru agrees that everything you want lies on the other side of your comfort zone, so let’s not delay things any further…

1. Visualise Your Better Future

For some reason we humans love to dwell on the negative:

What if I don’t find any clients?
What will my friends say if I fail?
What if I mess everything up?

…But what if everything goes right?!

All the successful entrepreneurs and business owners I’ve spoken to all have one thing in common – their vision was bigger than their fears; so they went for it.

The fact is, if you are starting a new venture, if you are continually putting yourself out there in new situations, and if you are committed to learning and growing – you are going to fail sometimes. But that’s OK. Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s one of the fastest routes to it.

The first step in getting over your fears is to give yourself a compelling reason why you should make the effort and go through the (short-lived) discomfort. You can do this by creating an exciting vision for your future.

What will your life be like in 10 years time, once you succeed with your new business?

Imagine driving up to your home – what is it like? When you walk inside, who is there waiting for you, and what plans do you have? What difference have you made to your clients’ lives?

Allow yourself to dream big and create a vision of your success and play it in your mind like a movie of your future. Play this movie to yourself at least once a day and you’ll start to your perspective changing and your fears reduce in significance.

2. Sort Fact from Fiction

While having a strong reason to start your business, will help put your fears in perspective, it still might not be enough to quash your fears and get you started.

To do that, it helps to break your fears down, and take an objective look at them. This way, you will see more clearly what are the real concerns to be addressed and what are fictional fears.

Brainstorm all your worries and write them down. If you are like most aspiring entrepreneurs, you’ll need a large sheet of paper for this exercise!

Next, draw three columns naming them: My fear, Rational Thought, and Possible Actions. Then work through each fear accordingly. For example:

As Susan Jeffers points out in her book ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’, everyone is afraid when facing the unknown. Therefore, getting to know your fears and taking appropriate steps is an important part of putting your feelings of doubt behind you.

3. Build a Success Circle

When aspiring entrepreneurs start out, they don’t usually have many successful entrepreneurs or business owners in their network. As a result, they are often discussing their dreams and ambitions with people who don’t understand their vision and who quickly become worried or sceptical. This does not help when you have plenty of your own doubts already.

For balance, seek out people who have succeeded in business, or who are actively working towards ambitious goals. They are far more likely to have relevant insights and to provide you with the constructive feedback and encouragement needed to boost your motivation to get started.

A great way to find them is at networking events or business training. Aim to add one or two people you find inspiring to your network, and grow your success circle over time.

As Tom Rath points out in his book Vital Friends, just one good friend who gets you and encourages you, can drastically change your life and your results.

4. Practice Gratitude

Practicing daily gratitude is a reasonably simple habit, yet it has the power to transform every area of your life.

Among its many benefits, gratitude has the power to make your fears evaporate. As Sandy Gallagher CEO of the Proctor Gallagher Institute concluded, it’s not possible to hold feelings of fear and gratitude at the same time.

At the end of each day, write down 3-5 things you are grateful for. These could be simple things like the smile the bus driver gave you that lifted your spirits, or big things like a new client. You can even be grateful for something that went wrong and the lesson you learned from it.

If you haven’t practiced gratitude for a while, it might not be so easy at first, but hang in there, you’ll soon get in the swing of things. And when you do, you’ll feel the benefits fast!

5. Dream Big, Plan Small

After shrinking your fears down to size, it’s time to take action! Action is not only the antedote to fear, but it also confirms your intentions.

As John F. Kennedy famously pointed out: “Every accomplishment starts with the decision try”.

Take that big vision you created in step 1 and make that your 10-year goal. Then start breaking it down into logical steps. This can mostly be high-level, but plan your next 90 days in detail and schedule time for each action. Then make the decision to start.

It doesn’t matter how small you start, it may even be a tiny shuffle in the right direction, but it’s important to do something. Then use that small success, to fuel your next step and so on.

Before you know it you’ll be up and running and wondering why you ever doubted yourself in the first place!

 

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Melitta is a Business Coach and Mentor with a passion for using her 25+ years business, communication and marketing experience to help women confidently build a business they love. Originally from Wales, she now lives in a chalet overlooking the Swiss-Alps with her two daughters and husband.

 

9 Reasons to Engage the Arts by @jreveintl

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by Jacqueline Cofield

Engaging the arts can have reap greater benefits than you might imagine and it doesn’t require becoming a professional artist or having any prior knowledge. You’d be surprised to learn how many people have landed opportunities such as jobs, or meeting the love of their life at an art show, performance or symphony fundraising dinner.
Below are 9 ways that the arts can enrich your life:

Increase Your Intelligence
A study found that increasing arts education in schools by even just an hour a week resulted in children gaining more interpersonal skills and gaining deeper learning in a range of subjects. Various studies suggest that learning about the arts can improve emotional intelligence, visual intelligence, and social intelligence in both adults and children, allowing us to understand ourselves and others much better.

For example, visual intelligence can be improved through the arts by enhancing our memory and perception skills. Visits to art museums have been used to help New York City police officers make better, non-biased reports.

Personal Growth and Healing
Many people who are in long term medical care or unable to work engage the arts as a means to recover both physically and mentally. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, for example, uses art and music therapy to aid children in working through their traumatic experiences.

Creativity induces positive emotions and a sense of accomplishment. This is why artistic activities are often used in prisons, as detailed by this article in Psychology Today, or by people with mental health issues.

Social Capital
It’s virtually impossible to avoid meeting new people at any arts engagement, and this could have significant impact on your personal and professional life. People have met clients and even their spouses at arts events. The arts give you something to talk about and a point of shared interest.

Even so, many overlook the social aspects of the arts. Cultural events provide a rare opportunity for young people to bridge generation gaps and network informally with industry leaders whom they would may otherwise have difficulty meeting.
For example, if the head of a company you want to work for enjoys opera, then you might incidentally meet them at a fundraiser or performance, and your shared interest could make you more memorable than at a busy industry conference.

Travel
The arts give us the opportunity to see more of the world both literally and figuratively. Visiting international cities in order to attend arts events, practice your language skills, or to do research for your business are great reasons to travel. Viewing or engaging in local arts also gives us insight into a culture that the tourist traps don’t reveal.
However, many people can’t afford to travel so they rely on the arts to give them a glimpse of the world and provide their cultural education. Local museums, for example, offer you global exposure through their exhibitions.

Develop Your Aesthetic
By engaging the arts, you can develop, refine and broaden your tastes. Creative people inspire and influence each other. For example, fashion designers often take inspiration from artists, such as Yves Saint Laurent’s legendary ‘Mondrian dress’, based upon the paintings of the modern artist Piet Mondrian. Your choice in fashion and home decor, for example, reflect your aesthetic tastes, so it behooves you to get out and get inspiration from many forms of arts.

(Re) Learn History
History classes at school tend to focus on memorizing facts and dates. The arts reveal details in a more engaging, memorable way. The arts often challenge the history we thought we already knew. Works of art can help us develop empathy through the ability to consider a range of perspectives.

Improved Cognitive Performance
Creativity involves discipline. You will be surprised how much arts and creative hobbies can improve your work performance. Analyzing the arts can help you become a better problem-solver, critical thinker, and can even help you write more detailed, compelling reports. Performing arts can demonstrate how to articulate your presentations and speeches, or even just give you the confidence you need to pass a job interview. Artistic interests could even give you something new and creative to add to your resume, which could make the difference in landing your dream job.

Fitness
Dance other forms of performing arts can be an ideal way to keep fit and doesn’t necessarily involve a gym membership. A dance practice from another country can even facilitate learning more about another culture. Performing arts can help you become more intuitive, expressive, and in-touch with your body. And, you don’t have to ‘perform’ for anyone. Even playing a musical instrument has physiological benefits.

Fulfilling a Dream
Most people at some point in their lives has said something along the lines of ‘I want to write a book’ or ‘I wish I could play a musical instrument,’ but very few will actually do anything about it. While developing an interest in the arts won’t automatically turn you into Van Gogh, you could gain fulfillment in yourself by exceeding your own expectations.

 

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Jacqueline founded J Rêve International LLC, a global culture and arts education social enterprise and has been recognized by the Science Channel as a Science Super Hero and PBS as an Inspiring Woman. She’s lived in 8 countries, and visited 60, presenting globally on the intersection of art and culture, multiple intelligence, and STEAM education. She inspires individuals, communities, and nations to make global connections by engaging the arts across cultures. Cofield advocates for the arts as transformative tools for learning that can promote a more quality human experience, enhance creativity and intelligence, and increase our ability to provide solutions to world problems.

The laws that women in politics made possible

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Although it is an all-time high, only 32 per cent of Members of the House of Commons are female.  Despite the lower number of women in this position of power, there have been a number of laws in the past and present that owe their existence to female politicians. We’ve teamed up with medical negligence claims experts, True Solicitors, to explore the impact of women in politics.

Barbara Castle — The Transport Act 1968

Barbara Castle was one of the most notable women in politics during her tenure as Minister of Transport between 1965 and 1968. Ironically, Castle could not drive, and this was something that other politicians would poke fun at — questioning her ability to make informative decisions on transportation matters in Parliament. But one of her most memorable achievements was passing legislation that meant that every new car would need to be fitted with seatbelts. This piece of legislation is something that Castle was extremely proud of and clearly saved a lot of lives when it came into action in 1983 for front-seat passengers, although it took until 1989 for rear-seat passengers. According to THINK!, you’re twice as likely to die in a car accident if you’re not wearing a seatbelt.

That’s not all Castle achieved. Other monumental implementations that were made by Castle were the breathalyser, after the drink-driving crisis grew in the UK, as well as the permanent 70MPH speed limit on motorways.

Theresa May — Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence Act 2017

Back when current Prime Minister Theresa May was Home Secretary, a cause close to her heart was ending violence against women in Britain. This piece of legislation has stopped victims being interrogated by abusers in court and reduces the risk of policing authorities dealing inconsistently with such cases.

Baroness Rendell of Babergh — Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003

There are 137,000 women and girls across England and Wale who are affected by female genital mutilation, according to figures from the NSPCC. The legislation was introduced by Baroness Rendell of Babergh within the House of Lords Bill 1998. Although it was illegal at the time, this act made it illegal for UK nationals to perform FGM outside of the UK borders — the penalty for doing so increased from 5 to 14 years imprisonment.

Lynne Featherstone — Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act

According to recent statistics from the government, one in every 100 people in the UK identifies as gay or lesbian. Lynne Featherstone put this at the top of her agenda when she was the Liberal Democrat Minister for Equalities during the 2010 coalition government. With her encouragement, the government announced that it would carry out a consultation into how to introduce civil marriages for same-sex couples, which was a big change in British politics. This legislation was passed in January 2013 and would have not been possible without Featherstone’s stance and determination.

Vera Baird — Domestic, Crime and Victims Bill 2004

Between 2001 and 2010, Vera Baird was a notable member of the Labour Party. But Baird was recently recognised for her efforts for bringing awareness to domestic violence in the UK. Once this legislation was passed, she constantly worked around it to ensure that it covered all areas — which led to common assault becoming arrestable, which allowed police to arrest at the scene of the crime.

 

These important issues have been brought to the forefront of the government’s attention by female politicians. With more women entering politics than ever before, we’re certain this list will only continue to grow.

 

Sources:

https://graziadaily.co.uk/life/in-the-news/laws-female-mps/

http://think.direct.gov.uk/seat-belts.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Castle#Transport_Minister

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/seatbelt-and-mobile-phone-use-surveys-2014

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_Genital_Mutilation_Act_2003

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_(Same_Sex_Couples)_Act_2013

Design Help for the Artistically Challenged by @lieshapetrovich

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Graphic courtesy of Canva

by Liesha Petrovich | Featured Contributor 

I have no artistic skills. Both my mother and daughter are artists but the creative gene skipped me entirely.

Yet, as a small business owner, I’m constantly creating social media content, blog post media, and advertisements. We don’t have the budget to hire a graphic design team so I’ve had to learn the basics. I’ve made some really horrible graphics but learned a lot along the way. Now, even though I can’t draw a stick figure, I can create effective graphics for my business.

Thankfully, you don’t need to be an artist to understand these basic design principles:

1. Follow The Rule of Thirds

Images are the lifeline of marketing. Whether you have in your own website or share an image across social media in order to generate maximum engagement, images can play a critical role in the overall branding of your business. Hence, it is necessary to apply the rule of thirds in your images and layouts.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

The Rule of Thirds divides every frame into nine boxes with two equally spaced horizontal and two equally spaced vertical guiding lines. The grid is like a map and the four main spots are the prime focal points in your design. Bring the primary element in the graphic closer to one of these spots because it’s what your audience will focus on first.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

2. Use Colors Strategically

Colors have a direct psychological impact on the purchasing behavior of your prospects. You can use colors strategically so that they are able to evoke a wide variety of emotions.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

One of the most important elements of your business is your brand logo. But as a business owner with no artistic skills and a tiny marketing budget, it’s challenging to create a professional logo on my own. Designhill Logo Maker is an excellent tool that lets you create unique and impressive designs with your preferred choice of colors. This logo designer is powered by artificial intelligence and helps you to generate beautiful and colorful logos within seconds.

When creating logos and other marketing material, always consider your goals and choose colors that fit your brand. For example, green is associated with peace, growth, and health. Yellow evokes optimism, clarity, and warmth.

Graphic courtesy of Design Hill

3. Understand Visual Hierarchy

Our brain is hardwired to focus on certain things. That’s why visual hierarchy is one of the most important design principles because it highlights the order the human eye perceives what it sees.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

The below image provides a clear idea of the visual hierarchy in the order of importance. The most important element of the webpage image so it is most prominent because this is what you want to pop out to your target market. Next is the heading and the subheading which are displayed at decreasing sizes based on the order of their importance.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

4. Using Negative Space

The concept of negative space can be complex to apply to our graphics. Negative space is the empty white space that you have in your design and allows the prospects to focus on the main image without any distractions.

The principle of negative space is based on the Yin and Yang theory which states that opposite forces complement each other. Think of day and night, fire and water, expansion and contraction, all these are natural occurrences that prove the existence of Yin and Yang theory. The Chinese Tai Chi symbol beautifully illustrates this belief that negative space actually compliments the positive.

5. Apply the Von Restorff Effect

According to  Wikipedia, “The Von Restorff effect, also known as the “isolation effect”, predicts that when multiple homogeneous stimuli are presented, the stimulus that differs from the rest is more likely to be remembered”.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

The Von Restorff effect draws your audience’s eyes to one spot. What jumps out at you in the image below? It’s obviously the red tomato because it stands out from the crowd. Try using the Von Restorff effect in your marketing materials to lead people to your call to action or brand message.

6. Use the “F-Pattern” For Text Heavy Elements and “Z-Pattern” For Image Heavy Elements

There are two predominant reading patterns namely the F-Pattern and the Z-Pattern. If you can use these patterns intelligently in your design then you can make it easier for the reader to scan your content.

The “F-Pattern” is based on the principle that most of the users won’t read every word of your text. The first two paragraphs should contain the most important information and the CTA followed by subheadings, and bullet points.

The “Z-Pattern” is based on the principle that users will follow a left to right reading pattern. The eyes will focus on the top and when the end is reached, the attention will shift down and left.

Graphic courtesy of Canva

Try following the F-layout or the Z-layout based on the type of element you are using. The idea is to understand how consumers perceive your graphics which can give you a path to your CTA in the hopes to make more conversions.

Design Help for the Hopeless

I’ll never be an artist and that’s okay.

Even though creating graphics is part of my job, I don’t need to be an artist. However, I do need to understand the basics of designs so I can create engaging content. The basic principles of design are not hard to apply and there are plenty of tools to help us get the job done.

So do yourself and your marketing budget a favor and try creating your next graphic. I guarantee if I can do it, you can do it.

 

 

Top Cold Calling Strategies for Greater Sales [Infographic]

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Marketers can now showcase their products on Facebook, Twitter, or other platforms. It’s an easy way to reach out to your audience. But when it comes to sales, many marketers still do cold calling along with the online promotion.

It’s a tedious task. You need to call prospects, get them interested in your products or services, and follow-up. It is a lot of hard work. But if you play your cards right, you can build long-lasting relationships with your prospects.

Here are a few cold calling strategies that can help you generate more leads and boost your sales:

1. Planning is the Key

Before you reach out to your prospects, you need to plan what you want to convey. What are the salient features of your products and services? How can they help your prospects? What kind of issues does it help to solve? These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself.

Also, keep track of the frequently asked questions by your prospects. Make sure you have enough information to be able to answer them on a phone call. If you’re ready with all of the basic information, you’ll have a better idea about how to take the conversation forward.

2. Hook Them

On a cold call, you only have a few seconds of time to get your prospect interested. So, it is important to begin your pitch well. First, introduce yourself and then tell them about your product. Then let your prospects know how your product can help them.

Make sure the conversation flows naturally. Listen to them, and tweak your pitch accordingly. To keep them interested, make sure your speech is clear and that you modulate your voice suitably when needed.

3. Strive for Long-Term Relationships

To seal a deal, you need to strive to develop long-term relationships with your prospects. Your prospects might have questions or doubts before they make a purchase. Be patient and do your best to help them.

Don’t just look at cold calling as a way to get more sales, but to genuinely help your prospects. If your prospects feel they are valued, they are likely to form long-term relationships with your brand.

For more information on cold calling, check out the infographic below:

 

4 Ways to Increase Sales With Cold Calling

Image courtesy: Salesmate

 

Infographic URL – https://www.salesmate.io/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/4_Ways_to_Increase_Sales_with_Cold_Calling.jpg

Name of Author: Samir Motwani

 

Author Bio: Samir Motwani is a growth hacker cut from a different cloth than most entrepreneurs. This action-oriented technophile may have been trained as a developer but is a designer at heart. The current CEO for Salesmate, a CRM tool, is adept at developing low-cost strategies for startups and defining best practices for budding ventures.

Author image: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/943485176566358017/wBZpXpam_400x400.jpg

My website: https://www.salesmate.io/

 

Socical Connections—-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SalesMateIO/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/salesmate/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/salesmate

Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/samirmotwani

G-plus: https://plus.google.com/+Salesmate

Youtube:- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZPKrO3O06QWrlhBl9Q7E5w

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/salesmate/

Becoming a Holistic Entrepreneur in Four Easy Steps by Dez Stephens of @RadiantCoaches

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by Dez Stephens

Most entrepreneurs hope to make money outside of someone else’s control, someone else’s payroll. They might have left the corporate world for something more meaningful. They might be searching for something special to fulfill their career dreams.

Entrepreneurs commonly focus on one thing, and it’s typically money. They continually strive to replace a full-time income with a self-earned paycheck. This focus can lend itself to financial tension and create a lot of unwelcomed stress.

Other entrepreneurs focus on the hustle. Either way, this one-sided targeting can get them in trouble because it’s just that – one-sided. This can lead to major imbalances in their professional careers and even their personal lives.

Supreme Self-Care
Taking care of oneself as an entrepreneur is vital to success. Without it, the whole system collapses. This might entail taking a walk and getting some fresh air when a break is needed, or even getting a weekly massage or acupuncture treatment.

Walk the Talk
It’s vital as a holistic entrepreneur to live the way that we would recommend to others. If we don’t take great – not just good – care of ourselves, we are not leading by example.

Caring is Daring
When we focus on self-care as a daily regimen instead of a once-in-a-while activity, we are purposefully nurturing the most important thing in our business – ourselves!

Pampering is Powerful
Sometimes we downplay the benefits of a great massage or getting some fresh air on a nice walk. Turns out that these simply practices are powerful when it comes to how much they can impact the quality of a workday.

 

Many entrepreneurs work from home and it’s easy to get isolated emotionally and mentally. Taking care of these needs is so important for overall health and well-being.

The Holistic Rule of 10
An easy way to make sure that entrepreneurs care for themselves is to implement simple self-care activities. These include getting proper rest, hydration and movement each day.

10 Hours of Sleep Daily
Humans are well-designed to sleep for 10 hours each night, but very few do so. Sleeping in a cool dark room is ideal, and a great night’s sleep does wonders for having the energy needed to get through a workday.

10 Glasses of Water Daily
Staying hydrated helps the mind stay clear and the body look great stay strong. It doesn’t matter how big the glasses are – just get them down.

10 Minutes of Movement Daily
Movement can include ten minutes of stretching or jogging in place or a walk around the block. Better yet – high energy for 2 minutes, then low energy for 1 minutes – repeat 3 times.

Each of these practices have a “10” in them so they’re easy to remember. Ten hours of sleep, ten glasses of water and ten minutes of movement. These can easily be scheduled into everyday life.

 

As many entrepreneurs know too well, working for yourself is the hardest work they’ll ever do, so it’s important to optimize physical, emotionally, mentally and spiritual health.

Life Purpose
Many entrepreneurs find meaning in their work. They are driven by their passions and are inspired by their dreams. The ones who succeed are likely to be the ones who take a holistic approach to life and the work they love.

Find Some Purpose
Holistic entrepreneurship is about finding a purpose in what you do. We don’t need to be grandiose about it. Sometimes it’s as simple as finding meaning in the everyday small tasks.

Purpose vs. Presence
We don’t have to “go to the mountaintop” to find a purpose. All we need to do is to get quiet and clear. Being present is something so basic yet, for some, something so elusive. When we get present, we can much more easily sense purpose.

Personal is Professional
As entrepreneurs, we kid ourselves that we have a personal life and separately a professional life. These two worlds are constantly intermingling so it’s imperative that we seek our purpose in both. Gratitude for both helps.

This means treating a life as a whole – not in separate parts like recreational time, community connections, physical wellness, emotional stability, spiritual groundedness and mental clarity.

Instead of being “all in” professionally with a neglected personal life, entrepreneurs can find a beautiful balance between their work and their time away from work.

Life as a Whole
Entrepreneurs who pay attention to both their personal and professional needs tend to thrive as self-made business owners. When someone puts too much effort into their career without nurturing their relationships or caring for their bodies, they quickly become unproductive.

Holistic Means All Parts
Living your life and running your business “holistically” means that you are paying close attention to all the moving parts. Your business is a living-breathing entity that is always responding to the ways in which you treat it – so is your personal life.

Notice What You’re Noticing
Take a moment to observe what you’re observing. Notice the bodily sensations. Notice your breath. Notice your thoughts. Notice your feelings. Notice any resistance – any comfort or discomfort. This awareness will help you pay attention to the things that need attention.

Whole and Hole
When we get intentional about all the parts of our business and life, we might find some missing parts. Maybe you realize that you’ve neglected your physical health or your friendships. Maybe you notice you’ve let go of some favorite hobbies. The awareness this brings is the first step in creating the holistic balance you naturally crave.

The whole purpose of entrepreneurship is to succeed financially and otherwise without having to rely on others. This is also true in all areas, not just financial.

 

When entrepreneurs implement simple healthy practices, they are much more likely to make it through the hard times that are inevitable with the harsh-yet-fun reality of working for themselves.

 

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Dez Stephens is the Founder & CEO of Radiant Health Institute, a social enterprise and prominent international coach training school that certifies individuals to create vibrant, professional, private practices as holistic life coaches, wellness coaches and business coaches. She is a certified life coach, master trainer and marketing strategist. Dez is also co-executive producer of the documentary film, “End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock” highlighting Native women fighting to keep clean water on their Native lands in North Dakota and beyond.

The fashion world creates logos that look-alike

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by Natalia Raben

Perhaps you have noticed the recent graphic design trend in the fashion world. More and more brands choose to redesign their logos into more minimalistic ones. As a result, the general audience often finds them looking… sort of the same. Or at least very similar. However, is that really the case? Let’s look closer at some of the fashion houses that are considered to lack creativity when it comes to their rebranding or even assumed to be copying the designs of their competitors.

The monograms

Chanel and Gucci are two luxury brands that run using famous minimalistic monograms. Each includes round shapes formed by the initials of the founders’ names – Coco Chanel and Guccio Gucci. There are speculations as to whether CC is actually from Coco or perhaps a shape from a stained glass of a monastery orphanage in Aubazine where Chanel grew up. Nevertheless, no matter what the origin is, the perception of the audience stays the same: both logos use symmetrically arranged, round letter. When shows apart, some people easily confuse Chanel with Gucci. However, once the two are presented side by side, suddenly the differences are big enough to tell them apart.

The fonts

In the fashion industry not only the monograms become similar but so do the logos featuring the brands’ names. In the past years, many fashion houses adjusted their typography into a more modern one. Think about brands like Saint Laurent Paris, Balenciaga, Burberry, Berluti or Balmain. All of them share the same characteristics. The brand name is in a black color, the logo uses uppercase typography and the font applied is sans-serif. The trend is so strong that, in the coming years, more fashion designers are expected to implement similar changes, no matter how well established, famous or luxury their brand is.

The logo trends reasons

Most likely, each one of us thinks: “Why?”. For many of these brands, the old logos stood for heritage and traditional values. Why would Burberry want to adjust their branding when the previous one worked so well? The reasons are multiple. First of all, fashion houses set or follow trends. Since the industry presents a new logo trend, in order to stay relevant and on track, brands follow it. Secondly, simplified typography, such as the sans-serif fonts, give better legibility on small apparel. Moreover, it fits all items and products. A simple and contemporary-looking logo can be sewed into all sort of clothing or accessories. As the co-founder of a graphic design company UnderConsideration, Armin Vit, said: it is like wearing a black-tie tuxedo—classically stylish, but muted enough such that it doesn’t steal the show.

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Natalia Raben takes care of marketing at DesignBro. Lover of design, photography and the arts.

5 Reasons Why Supporting Other Women is the Smartest Move You’ll Make in Business (and Life) This Year by @andrea_schroll8

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Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

by Andrea Schroll

As driven, ambitious women, we want nothing more than to create a life of fulfillment and freedom, but let’s face it – we all have our hot mess moments. Moments we are trying to pour from that empty cup, rushing around trying to get it all done and still maintain some level of sanity to be a good mom, spouse, partner, friend…a functioning human being.

The same cycle; over and over again. Rinse and repeat.

And we keep going. One foot in front of the other, with the occasional stumble over our own two feet.

Welcome to the everyday grind and hustle of a determined, empowered woman. Am I right?

The truth is, at some point along your journey, this very same cycle may get the best of you, making it a challenge to maintain a positive, motivated, entrepreneurial spirit. This is the primary reason why supporting other women is the smartest move you’ll make in business and life in 2019.

Let me break it down for you.

1. Entrepreneurship can get lonely.

If you don’t engage or network with like-minded entrepreneurs, don’t have many social connections with people who understand your entrepreneurial mindset or lifestyle and/or you don’t totally have support network of people who have your back no matter how many times your business goals change, things can get pretty lonely as a boss babe. One sure shot way of making sure you’re not living la vida lonely is to start connecting and supporting other women – in business and in life. Real, authentic connections can totally change the game and make for a more positive, fruitful business experience. Invest the time in supporting and empowering other women who are on the same path as you. And one of the best things about this is that you can do it for free.

2. It’s easy to isolate, get lost on social media and breed inaction.

Going down the rabbit hole of scrolling social media, comparing yourself to other women, online shopping as a coping mechanism or distraction and not being productive are just a few of the primary barriers to getting things done and building your empire. The thing is, all of these things are easier – a whole lot easier than stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a leap of faith toward building your social network within your business. While all of the shiny distractions can offer instant gratification and secondary gain (avoidance, excuses, etc), they will not benefit your business or your life. So break the cycle, create a game plan, build your squad and be on your way to a more fulfilling year in business.

3. Building relationships and community will increase confidence.

Remember your last hot mess moment? Well, what good is it if you don’t have other women to share it with. If you think you’re alone in whatever struggle you may be facing from time to time, you’re not. There are millions of women just like you waiting to connect with someone who is also perfectly imperfect. I encourage you to reach out and connect with others in a way that feels good to you. A strong community of women who build each other up may likely be the confidence boost you’ve been searching for, and exactly what you need to crush your goals this year.

4. You’ll be happier and more productive.

Supporting other women actually does have the power to transform your life. When you’re kind to someone else, you’re also being kind to yourself. Being mean or judgmental expels a great deal of negative energy, and rarely works in your favor (if ever). That negative energy can be completely exhausting, but most people don’t even realize it. Having the certainty to pay someone else a compliment is a huge testament to your character. At the end of the day, there is no competition. Once you see this, harness your strengths and support others, you can truly allow yourself to grow into your happiness. Your motivation will increase and you will become more productive; ultimately tackling your personal and professional goals with more enjoyment and less stress.

5. Personal growth, awareness and inspiration.

When you connect, collaborate and support other women, you begin to recognize your own strengths and quickly learn about what motivates you. This internal revelation will be so powerful and will highlight your true, authentic qualities, giving you the perfect opportunity for personal development and growth. There is so much to learn from one another. Letting go of your ego and having an open mind can open up monumental possibilities. Be open to learning from others’ and their experiences, and don’t hesitate to ask for help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness — quite the opposite, in fact. Show your inner strength and reach out for support when you need it. So often, we are clouded by external validation, judgment, opinions, etc. Now is your chance to step into your light as an empowered, supportive woman. Put forth your positive characteristics and you’ll inspire others to do the same — it really is contagious.

 

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Andrea Schroll is a licensed psychotherapist, business mentor and the founder of Soul-Hustle – a multidimensional brand centered on female empowerment in entrepreneurship. As a spiritual entrepreneur, Andrea blends cognitive psychology, intuition, mindfulness practices, linguistic finesse, and heart and soul into her work to help people shift their habits, energy and success with life changing results.