What is your definition of an expert?

Here is Webster's Definition of an Expert: "one with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject".

I believe an expert is someone that is always learning. I believe an expert is someone with an open mind, a creative mind, a flexible mind. I believe an expert is someone who is open to changing. I believe and expert is someone with an open heart.

Really an expert is someone who doesn't always have the right answer and accepts that someone else might.

The more open we are to learning the more opportunity we create for ourselves. In business we want to see all sides and have an open mind. We can be in service and offer a benefit AND get well compensated for the benefit we bring. We can be in a place that is cooperative not competetive.

An expert can see the doors opening and takes the steps forward to cross the thresholds. Along the way an expert helps others and this collabroation is what supports everyone's success.

I would love to hear your thoughts. What is your definition of an expert? Email me and let me know how.

I can post some of your answers in my next newsletter or blog post! So do send them along! Thanks for sharing...have a great day!!!

Email: carolyn@essentialselling.com

Our Community Is Getting Bigger!

Business is changing.

We are part of a global community now! We can reach out to people all around the world with sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. People are coming together, they are craving community and I believe this is changing the face of how we do business.

If you are an entrepreneur you are someone with adventure and openness in your heart and this new wave of coming together will support you as you grow your business. It is the time to take advantage of this new movement toward community and utilize all the tools available to broaden your reach.

This is the age of Joint Venture and Affiliate Partnerships. We don’t have to struggle alone to grow our businesses; the trend is to move forward with partners. Why compete when we can collaborate?

I recently returned from a unique event called CEO Space and their motto is “Collaboration NOT competition”. At this event, people actually came up to me and asked, “What are you doing and what do you need next?” rather than thrust their business card at me and ask who I know. This is quite a shift from your average conversation at a typical networking event.

This is the time to shift the global community and our global consciousness and work together in new ways. It is time to work collaboratively in teams rather than individuals. It is time to think “outside of the box” or completely do without the box.

Here are some things for you to think about as you look at this emerging model of business. Think about who you can partner with and how you can help each other expand your reach. Think about new ways to collaborate with individuals who are in similar industries, or who were once your competitors. As you reach out, keep in mind how you can help each other in the process. This is key as we move into this new marketplace.

Utilize all the social networking and take it one step further. Go beyond the emails, messages, newsletters and tweets. Be different, pick up the phone and make a real connection with someone. Then determine next steps to find out how you can help each other and further your careers together. This is really a win-win relationship.

It is so much fun to scour Facebook, look for old friends and post what we are doing. However, take full advantage of this amazing tool and really build valuable relationships by reaching out beyond the norm and create some partnerships that will propel you forward in ways you never imagined.

I know that sometimes people feel uncomfortable picking up the phone, but I can help with this! I teach people how to EASILY pick up the phone to reach out and build relationships, whether to build Joint Ventures or Affiliate Partnerships or to just reach your target market and sell more. For more, reach out to me, who knows, we might be able to work together and help each other along our paths. carolyn@essentialselling.com

For more information on how to attend a CEO Space Meet Up Group in the Los Angeles area contact me.

SALES 101

I was at a great event this past week.

The motto of this event is "Cooperation NOT Competition". What a great way to do business!

How many times do you go to a networking event and come home with a stack of cards that people basically threw at you? Recently this happened to me, I was at an event and an architect thrust her card at me and said, "Hi, I'm Beverly(not her real name) and I am a Real Estate Agent, here is my card, so if you know anyone let me know".

Wow. That was an ineffective sales pitch. Really, I just took her card and it is sitting here on my desk as I type this right now. I don't even know what to say to her to follow up and I AM AN EXPERT AT THIS. I know nothing about her and she knows nothing about me, there is no sense in that. How can we help each other grow our businesses using this model?

We can't!

I could feel her desperation, I could see her nervousness and really I could tell she didn't really know how to sell herself.

That is the problem with this model of competition, you have to sell yourself.

I believe that "Sales" is about building relationships and in order to do that you have to ask questions that lead you to the real answers. You can't solve a problem if you don't know what it is, right?

Why not give this "new model" a try at your next networking event. Walk up to someone and ask them, "Hi, My name is Carolyn (use your own name), what are you doing and how can I help you"? I bet you will get a warm response and this will be the beginning of a great relationship. This is the building block to sales!

Write to me and tell me about your responses and the quality of connections that you make. I bet they will be pretty great!

Good luck out there. Keep in touch and don't forget to visit my website to learn more about building relationships, the core of Essential Selling. www.essentialselling.com

Email me your stories and I can put them in my next newsletter! carolyn@essentialselling.com

How's Your Retention Rate?

I read an interesting article this morning about Twitter and retention statistics.

The article explained that after someone joins Twitter, that person might not come back for a whole month.

It got me to thinking. All these social media sites need to keep their users interested and coming back for more. With all the competition of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and other sites popping up every day, the big question becomes: How do you keep someone interested?

This should be a question that you are asking yourself as you reach out to “sell” in the marketplace. Because, as we know if you have been following my blog, we ALL sell no matter what!

So, how do you keep your customers interested? How do you keep your customers loyal? How do you keep your customers?

Here are some tips that will help answer this very important question:

Remember you are building a relationship.

Selling is relationship building. People like to do business with people they trust and they like. Let your prospect know you care by asking questions to understand how you can help and answer a need. You can’t answer a need though if you don’t know what it is, so ask questions to uncover that need and THEN offer your solution. This builds trust and let’s your prospect know you care.

Keep reaching out:

Selling is about connecting and connecting and connecting. You can’t just reach out once and expect to make a sale. It does happen and when it does it’s great, but it is rare. What you need to do is keep reaching out to your prospects AND your current clients to continue to learn more and more. This takes discipline, organization and a great system. You need to have this in place so you can continue to keep in touch. In sales absence does NOT make the heart grow fonder.

Be unique:

What do you have that is original and different from your competitor. What is your brand? What is special about what you have to offer? In some cases, it could just be YOU. That is ok, take advantage of you. If you reach out from a place of confidence, power and good intentions, this will ring true for your prospects and clients. You will notice that more and more your prospects and clients will be drawn to you because you are genuine. You don’t have to push, just be yourself.

Use the phone:

You can build a relationship on the phone and selling is building relationships. So, use the phone. Reach out to people and differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t just send an email or even a letter. Say hello, and build a relationship on the phone and in person!



I don’t know how Twitter will keep people interested. I do know how we can; by reaching out on the phone and in person, with the intention to be “of service”. This is what can make all the difference in a market flooded by social media, e-zines, newsletters, email marketing, voice broadcasting and tweets.

For more on how to reach out from a place of power and confidence, to anyone on the phone and in person visit my website and sign up for my next course: Essential Selling’s Cold Calling Wealth Building Technology™. www.essentialselling.com carolyn@essentialselling.com