Never Throw Business Away

While writing my book, Confessions of Shameless Internet Promoters, I contacted dozens of Internet marketing experts from around world. During just one hour via e-mail I had written to and received e-mails from all over US, Canada, Mexico, UK and Australia. That is five countries around globe in just ONE HOUR. The power and access to world is now available to all of us at lightening speed.

Here’s an example of how amazing power of Internet can find endless opportunities:

A year ago I had a client in Australia that was in search of another speaker like myself who is an expert in marketing and retail, but that lived in Australia.

Since I live in Phoenix, Arizona US, I did not know a soul in Australia, much less a great speaker in same niche market and same topic of expertise my client was looking for. But, following my motto to “Never Throw Business Away”, I set out to find my Australian client a dynamic expert that lived in her country.

First I did a search on Yahoo – Australia. Since my site comes up very high on search engines and directories when typing in keywords retail speaker, I was surprised that another speaker appeared first on list. John Stanley – who is this John Stanley I thought. I clicked onto his site and viewed it in great detail. I had discovered that I had some tough competition on other side of world. Not only was John an expert in retail, he was perfect fit for my client. So I sent him an email with client’s contact information. Now you may be thinking, why would you send your client to your competition?

Here are 5 BIG reasons why:

1.My client would have found this speaker on her own doing a search on Internet or by contacting a Speakers Bureau anyway. So, why not be hero and help out client at same time.

2.Servicing my clients is first and foremost on my list of priorities. I take ordinary service and turn it into extraordinary results. This is easy to do, just stop selling and start servicing and you reap amazing results.

3.My clients are pleasantly surprised that I would not only refer them to a competitor, but that I would take time to personally introduce them. My referrals are often sent in form of an email (first choice because it is quick, easy and effective), personalized letters or one on one in person.

4.Business will comes back to you many times over when using this method effectively. I have personally experienced this for years in many different businesses I have owned. Most people are afraid of their competition and therefore avoid them. This builds up a wall around you and a competitor who happens to have same core customer base as you do. Don’t’ fight ‘em – join ‘em! Build alliances and send them business. It is a win-win for everyone involved!

You service your customer, help out your competition and they in turn will most likely turn around and help you back. Note: If after sending numerous referrals to my competition with no reciprocating action, I simply stop sending referrals and find another expert competitor that is willing to trade referrals fairly.

Something From Nothing, With Something To Share

Betrayal, it can hit you like a load of bricks falling from sky, leaving you with a pit in your stomach that no pill can cure.

Starting your own business is hard enough, however when your inside people are working against you as well, it can make toughest of souls weak at knees.

Let me take you back a few years, and share a little story with you.

There I was, a fledgling in corporate world, I had just quit my (steady) job and sold everything I had to venture out into entrepreneur life, when “it never could happen to me” happened.

My closest friend and business partner wiped out our bank account balance, leaving me with debt up to my eyeballs, and a lesson to be learned.

I come from one of those attitudes that believe that everything happens for a reason, so what could this reason be, I pondered?

It was tough; let me tell you - faced with biggest crossroad of my life.

A failing business with no cash to save me, a close friend’s betrayal, and two roads leading into separate directions.

One, go after person who did me wrong, obviously having a slam dunk case and would win in any court. Or two, use that same precious time and energy to focus in a more positive manner on rebuilding what I once had, and learn from experience, if nothing else, what I would never tolerate again.

What would you do?

For myself, I chose second of two, knowing darned well, that by wasting my thoughts and energy on ways to get back at this person, and how I could make them suffer as I, there would be little left to focus on what really mattered most:

-- > Creating business model and dream that I had began in first place.

What made me take this route, you ask?

There is an old saying that goes ‘many receive good advice, yet few actually profit from it.‘

Since I chose to succeed, I went back and listened to all my old motivational tapes, thumbed through books, and messages, got my focus back and quickly realized that we are all dealt obstacles in this world.

I mean, there will always be stumbling blocks in our lives, that’s just part of life itself.

It’s our “Attitude” toward these events that show world who we are as a person.

For, it’s been said: we learn more about someone on one bad day, than on all their good days put together.