Archive for February, 2010

Niche To Streamline Marketing Boost Success

One of our clients was overjoyed to share with us that she’s now a Grandma…or should we say Glamma? Baby Boomers are joining the ranks of Grandma and redefining their new role as Glamma. Think Goldie Hawn vs. Edith Bunker.

The new generation of Glammas are 47 years old healthier wealthier and focused on living and expressing their passion. You’ll see them at the fitness center lifting weights doing Pilates strutting on the treadmill. You’ll see them taking up longdeferred hobbies or interests like piano painting travel continuing education. You’ll see them sharing their passions with overscheduled grandkids in an attempt to show them simple fun outlets.

Sandwiched between parents and their own children Glammas are redefining their roles and how they’ll interact with their grandchildren. It’s an exciting stage and potential niche for coaches consultants retailers travel agents educational programming…you get the picture.

Many business owners shy away from declaring a niche worried that they’ll lose customers or clients. Yet trying to be everything to everybody is a set up for frustration inefficiencies and poor marketing results.

On the other hand niche marketing allows a business owner to target a very specific audience such as the Glamma niche and provide exactly what that core target market wants and needs. When you define your niche you’ll know where to focus your public relations and advertising efforts. You’ll know the type of promotions that will grab the attention of your core target market. You’ll know the marketing messages that will inspire them to take action.

Imagine two overlapping circles. The circle on the left represents you your business and your area of expertise. The circle on the right represents your core target audience including their wants fears and aspirations. The overlapping portion of the circles represents the moment in time when your paths cross and you can offer solutions tailored to a particular niche.

Now imagine an arched “bridge” connecting the two circles near the top. Your goal is to create that connection and “emotional bridge” with your core target audience. When you are in alignment energy flows sales abound.

Take some time from the busyness of your business to create a crystal clear vision.

1. Define your area of expertise.
2. Define the benefits you offer.
3. Define your core target market.
4. Define marketing strategies that bridge your area of expertise with your target market’s needs.

Now pull it all together. The secret to your big business success is determined by your ability to powerfully communicate your business with laser precision your ability to align with the right prospects and customers and your ability to deliver a clearlydefined and consistent experience.

So how are you doing? Think about where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. It’s easier to achieve success when you can answer “yes” to the following questions:

1. Have you defined your memorable and unmistakable brand identity that ensures your business will be around for a long time?

2. Do you know how to foster a deep connection with your prospects and customers?

3. Can you articulate your distinct point of difference the one trait that sets your business ahead of the pack?

4. Have you mastered strategies that pull your customers in like a magnet?

5. Do you know how create loyalists or customers who never stray?

These are tough questions to answer on your own. What’s the solution? Hire a marketing coach declare a niche and develop stategies that are just right for you. We guarantee you’ll streamline your marketing and boost your success.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Certified Marketing Spitfire Leslie Hamp is creator of the ‘Fast Track to Marketing Mastery’ and boostyourbottomline.com. To learn more about the stepbystep program and to sign up for your free Marketing Mastery Success Kit visit http://www.boostyourbottomline.com

Top Five Job Interview Tips To Help You Wow! Your Interviewers And Land The Job!

Did you know that there are many different job interview tips to help wow your interviewer and land the job that you desire? Yes thats right! There is a secret formula of success that every potential job interview candidate should know and understand prior to the first interview.

Now I am about to share these secret job interview tips with you! Remember the job market is slim these days. In order to make the mark and land the position that you want and need you have to have a competitive edge. The following is a list of what I consider to be the top five job interview tips to help you put the WOW! into your interview!

1. Now we have all heard the whole spill about presentation and first impressions. While I would love to say hey take all that and throw it out the door I cant. The truth is presentation IS everything! First impressions DO count! Keep this in mind as youre preparing for your interview. This is a process where you get to urge an interviewer to buyin. It is much like a sales presentation. In this case however YOU are the product.

You should ensure that you carry a copy of a professionally written resume as well as any other valuable paperwork that can display how you can be an asset to the company in which you are applying. Practice the sales pitch work on the objections and above all push for the final purchase.

2. Youve got your eye on a particular company. You want a certain position. If you want to WOW! your interviewer learn that company and the description of the position that you are seeking inside AND out! This is an essential job interview tip! Not only does this tell the interviewer that you are quite serious when it comes to the position that you seek this company will develop the same respect for you that you have for them! Be in the know now!

3. The next step to ensuring the overall WOW! factor of your interview is to ensure that you practice questions that may be asked of you and consider good interview questions to ask the interviewer. This will BLOW the interviewer AWAY! The average interviewee comes in with their nerves tied in a knot fear blatantly etched in their faces. This is common. Most of these individuals do not have the nerves to ask questions.

Then here you come with all this confidence and start asking away! This is impressive! By the time you get done with the interview you will find that the person interviewing you is actually SELLING YOU the job! Pretty amazing how this works but I have personally experienced it more than once successfully!

4. Now we all know looks are not everything and truly they arent! However a professional image IS everything if you are looking to WOW! your interviewer. Make sure that your interview clothes are appropriate that you are well kept and that you display a visible level of confidence! By taking the time to focus on these areas you are sure to be pleased in the end when it comes to the overall results of your interview!

5. Last but not least WOW! your interviewer by ensuring that you remain confident act truly interested in every word that they say and interact with them! They will gain a comfort level with you and you will do the same with them. This above all is sure to convince them that they absolutely MUST hire you!

Thats IT! Everything you need to know to WOW! your interviewer and land the job of your dreams in here in these job interview tips! Apply these measures and you will quickly and comfortably travel down the road to success!

About the writer:  We are 4 interviewers with over 67 years of recruitment experience between us and we want to help you snag a job your dream job. Our website provides free help and advice on all aspects of finding a job from cover letters and resumes to sample interview questions and answers.

A California Labor Law Attorney: Just What You Need In Times Of Trouble!

In a time where California labor law is constantly changing and employers are playing it fast and loose in order to make ends meet a California labor law attorney may be just what the doctor ordered to explain the complex California overtime laws.

With a weakening economy and jobs being shipped overseas it is not uncommon to see rampant abuse of the California overtime laws. Employers routinely offer comp time instead of overtime that is allowing an employee to stay late pay no overtime but come in late the following day as compensation. This practice directly violates California overtime laws unbeknownst to many employees. Another method is for employers to only pay overtime when an employee works over 40 hours in a week but not when the employee works over 8 hours in a day. Again a common practice but nevertheless illegal under California overtime laws.

Another form of abuse when it comes to violation of the California labor law is when the employer forces employees to work off the clock. This means that after punching out or even before punching in to start the work day an employee works without any record of payment. Clearly this practice violates the California labor law as well as California overtime laws. Many employers if left unchecked continue this practice until they are brought to justice either by a claim through the California Labor Board or a private action brought by a California labor law attorney.

Another area of abuse when it comes to California overtime laws is when an employer fails to permit their employees to take a 30 minute uninterrupted lunch after 5 hours of work. This violation of the California labor law has been a hot topic and a recent case has now viewed this violation as a wage violation and not a penalty. This distinction is important since wages in California can be claimed going as far back as 4 years while penalties can only be claimed for one year.

A final area of violation of California overtime laws is the misclassification of employees. This has been an area in which employees suffer the greatest abuse. Under this violation of California labor law employees who are truly entitled to overtime pay based upon the duties they actually perform are misclassified as exempt from overtime pay. Exempt employees are typically salaried and not paid hourly. Employers traditionally “label” such employees as supervisors or managers yet in many cases they perform many of the same or similar duties as the rank and file employees or their own subordinates. If a violation of this type of California labor law occurs it can be an expensive lesson for an employer. Employees typically will be entitled to up to four years of back overtime interest penalties and their attorneys fees if they prevail. California overtime laws are meant to be upheld and some employers have learned the hard way.

Many California labor law attorneys who work to enforce the California overtime laws work on a contingency basis. In other words there is typically no fee up front and the California labor law attorneys only get paid if and when they prevail on the case. This method of payment removes the obstacles from abused employees claiming what is due to them under the many California overtime laws.

In closing employees should arm themselves with knowledge of California labor law both in straight forward situations that are not particularly complicated as well as complex situations. Employees should consider consulting with a California labor law attorney for legal advice when necessary.

About the writer:  Lars Vheltzer is a freelance journalist who frequently contributes and comments on California labor law and more specifically California overtime laws. Lars suggests that California employees who are suffering from an employer abuse of these laws may be best served by retaining a California labor law attorney.