Following your passion is the best medicine ;)

This is advice that I actually churned out on my own. What can I say, I have a knack for words. And this piece of wisdom does carry a lot of weight and common sense if you observe closely. A lot of us get into that 9 – 5 routine not willing to plunge into risks which could be what we’re truly passionate about. Some of us are just wired that way like me for instance. I cannot accomplish a task unless I’m truly passionate about it or it’s mandated to be done. When we engage in jobs or activities we are not passionate about, they become nothing but energy drainers. Well I say that we figure out what these energy drainers are and flush them down the toilet because if you’re interested in achieving success in life whether it’s in your professional life or personal life, then you need to participate in activities that bring out your natural abilities.

I worked as a fundraiser and as a timeshare salesman for several years and a one crucial lesson I learned was you must be passionate about what you are selling or what you are trying to raise funds for. Both activities constitute a business activity and whenever you engage in a business activity you must be passionate about it considering all of those long hours you will have to put in maintaining and growing your business. The other lesson that I learned was persistence. Sales is the lifeblood of any business so if you want an intact business at the end of the day you will have to be persistent in generating as much sales as possible!

Going back to the topic of passion. I feel that you must constantly speculate  your passion, figuring out what makes you truly happy or truly tick, and go after it with all you’re muscle. Passion is what keeps us going in this world. What’s your passion?

The Power of LinkedIn

Alright, so I was planning to elaborate on conducting good market research but I’ll save that for a future topic and will instead talk about the social media powerhouse for job hunting, Linked In. Approximately 10.2 million job seekers have gotten jobs through LinkedIn according to sitetrail.com. That’s a 60% increase from the previous year. I truly enjoy using it for networking and conducting market research as that’s part of my job. My favorite feature is the feedback engine which provides you with an opportunity to improve your profile and to make it more appealing & attractive to employers. Also asking for & writing a reference letter for a prospective candidate has become that much easier, and can be accomplished with just a click of a button, cutting down the cost and hassle of postage stamps and envelopes,  and augmenting convenience!

More than 80% of the jobs are filled through either nepotism or networking and what better way to connect or mingle with professionals than through LinkedIn.  If you don’t have an account I suggest signing up ASAP as you don’t know what you’re missing out on!

When filling out a profile, be sure to upload a savvy, professional picture of yourself as that increases the chances of landing a job, also fill out your profile as thoroughly as possible with no minor glitches, be sure to be very specific on all of your skill-sets, languages, and education level. List as many skills as possible under skills, and remember networking is a two-way street, so offer to write a reference letter for a co-worker in exchange for them writing one for you. And if you’re interested in starting a business, state that you’re interested in new ventures so users with the same passion can contact you if necessary!

The joys and pitfalls of sales/marketing

Alright so I want to talk about people specialized in sales and marketing, and how they’re stereotyped as vexing, with nothing better to do but to knock at people’s doors or make phone call after phone call disturbing people at odd times. Yes they may be the devils’ advocate to our hectic lives, but just like everyone else they’re people with real feelings who somehow have to make ends meet in order to survive! And contrary to what most people think, they’re way more enjoyable than ordinary people. Why? Because they know how to lighten up the mood in a room and have a good time! Marketers are trained to do this only so that they can develop better relationships with people, who can be easily converted to sales generating leads in the near future.

And also contrary to what most people think, salesmen don’t become friendly just so they can get a hand on your moola. It’s more than that! And if they do, well then that means they’re just not doing their job! Because when a salesmen or marketer only focuses on taking your money then things only explode in everyone’s face, as your eye is not on the prize! And that prize is the relationship with your customer. That’s whats crucial!! Forming a relationship with your customer is what you should be focused on always because your goal is to convince them that this is for their benefit, that they’re getting exactly what they pay for! So if you ever consider entering or transitioning into a career in sales/marketing always remember: The relationship with your client/customer is what counts!

Concentrating on just making a sale is a major pattern of thinking among many salesmen and is also considered to be one of the major pitfalls in the business! You’re communicating with your customer to ask for their friendship, so this way you can make a difference in their lives with the high-level productivity of your product/service and how it makes their life easy. And of course, it would also be wise to follow-up with a phone call or an email once every month or two just so you can keep the momentum going between you two, not only concentrating on what other product you can persuade them into buying but also following-up with them on what their experience has been with their purchased product/service and whether they have any questions or concerns.

Ultimately, sales are the life blood of any business or company, so just remember you’re more interested in establishing a relationship with your client or customer initially than making money. And if you conscientiously develop this framework of thinking than I guarantee you that the process of generating millions in revenue will become streamlined!

And just to remind you, I value and admire other people’s opinions so please feel free to leave a comment below!

 

Interested in succeeding in the business world?

This blog is focused on how to succeed in the business world and in the marketing world. There are so many entrepreneurs, salesmen, marketers, and job seekers out there that are disillusioned at times, often not knowing what direction to go in. It’s not only a melting pot for my own thoughts and opinions regarding the subject matter but also for others. The main themes I’ll be covering include:

1. starting a business

2. ways to look for a job

3. selling a product

I may also go over related topics as well based on popular demand. I really hope you get the most of my blog and I hope it guides you in your endeavors, whatever they may be. My first topic will be about LinkedIn and what you can get out of it!