Peace Within Day! Join us on February 29

Peace Within Day!

Join us on February 29th for our Peace Within Campaign.

One day that everyone chooses to share peace with others. It’s that simple!

Instead of anger, be at peace
Instead of lashing out, let it go
Instead of hurting someone, be nice to them
Instead of disgust, show compassion

We are all human, we all have our differences, but for just one day, just one day,

We can all come together and have a day filled with peace around the world.

A simple smile, a hug or a kind gesture is all it takes!

Let go on Feb. 29th and have Peace Within!

Share this post on your Facebook wall, your Twitter or LinkedIn Page and share it with a friend or on your blog.

Help us to make the “Peace Within Campaign” go Viral by the 29th of February

What should small business owners focus their marketing efforts on in 2012?

2012 is here and for small business owners the task of developing a solid online marketing strategy looms ahead, too.

What should small business owners focus their marketing efforts on in 2012?

What marketing strategies will yield high conversion rates and generate lucrative sales for small businesses?

Which methods of online marketing will give you the exposure you are looking for to grow your business?

Your online reputation is going to become more important than ever in 2012. You need to be aware, monitor and maintain your online reputation closely. You don’t want to lose potential clients due to a negative post that appears about your company in a search results. It’s important to take control of your online information. You’ve got to spend time each day putting out positive content about who you are, what you do and what you have to offer.

Spend 15 minutes a day putting out info about your company using social media like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogs, Live and Google.  These social media platforms are the life of any business in positive and negative ways. If you are taking the time to build a good reputation you will benefit from it in the long term. However if you are not monitoring what others are saying, then negative comments could be your downfall.

So what should small business owners focus their marketing efforts on in 2012. My answer is online marketing through the mentioned social media platforms. Build a presence, post daily, and tell people about it by cross linking all available.

What are you doing in 2012 to Market?  Let me know what your doing, and let me know if I can help. 

2012 – Rockin’ your way to success and reapin’ the rewards!

People need to speak less and listen more when they are networking

Experts say people need to speak less and listen more when they are networking.

How do you fit into this?  Do you listen when you are meeting someone? Do you automatically start talking about yourself and what you do? Do you try to sell the person you are having the conversation with?

 These are all relevant questions to ask yourself. A first impression is one you can never get back and will stay with you for years to come. It can define who you are as a person and a business owner or representation. 

 If you come off as a “it’s all about me” person when you are meeting with someone, imagine how many people they will tell in their “Circle of Influence” and then imagine how many people that “Circle of Influence” is going to tell.  Those numbers can run into the thousands. 

 

Overwhelming isn’t it?  Imagine if you do this with 5 people or even 10 people.

Now how is that going to impact your business?  Not a pretty thought is it?

 

This is also the same for you if you make a good lasting impression on the person you are meeting with. Now do the math again. 

If you use the same scenario but have a positive influence on the person you are meeting with, that “good person to know / connected with” reputation is been magnified times 10 and you have just increased your “Circle of Influence” astronomically. 

 Networking is serious business and is not to be taken lightly.

 When you are talking to someone, be attentive to what they are saying, listen to the details and make mental notes for future references. Little details like are they married, do they have kids, or are they talking about a pet. These details when remembered means you were paying attention and actually listening to them. And when you bring this back up in a future conversation, it tells them you were listening.  Something as simple as, how’s your kids doing? Are you and Scruffy still enjoying playing ball? 

 This might seem like a waste of time to you, however by making it personal, you have a much higher ratio for doing business with this person, all because you took the time to remind them of something that is very special to them.  And in the end, you actually got what you desired… business, revenue or the best referral you have ever had!!

 I have been building relationships for 7 years for my company. I have invested hours and hours, networking and getting to know thousands of people. My sales people complain all the time because in every networking group they go to, someone knows me or of my company. My sales people also find that it also is very beneficial to them.

 

So build your relationships, spend time getting to know the people and watch how you can grow your business by having others grow it for you. 

 

Building networking connections can be good or bad depending on how you handle it.

Are you one of the people that need to speak less and listen more when they are networking? 

 What are your thoughts?

Accomplishing Your Goals or Self Sabotage

Accomplishing Your Goals or Self Sabotage?

We, as in humans, sometimes get in the way of moving things forward.

What do I mean? Self-doubt, lack of confidence, fear of success and/or failure, negative messages, dwelling on the past, etc. occasionally rear their ugly heads and black out good, positive momentum. Well guess what, everyone does it and you are not alone.

We all have the tendency to play the “self sabotage” game. It seems like we get so caught up in the fear of success that we cripple our efforts to make good. Whether it is our life or our business, we have to be on top of our game if we are going to make a go at success. 

What do you need to do in to eliminate the “self sabotage” antics that riddle you daily?  One thing is that you can set obtainable goals, not unrealistic goals. Many people set goals that they know can never be obtained. Why? Normally due to lack of knowledge, sometimes due to thinking that “there is no way people wouldn’t want their product or services”,  or maybe because they think they have to.

Goals should be done in baby steps, not giant leaps. This gives you the opportunity to actually accomplish the goals, giant leaps can set you up for failure.  Remember, when your ask “how do you eat an elephant?” The answer is not “all at once”, it is “one bite at a time”. 

When you face your goals, face them one bite at a time and be successful and proud of the accomplishments.

So which are you doing? Accomplishing Your Goals or Self Sabotage?

Happy Hump Day!
Sheila

Founder’s Prediction in 2000 coming true in 2012!

As predicted in early 2000, Tucker Communications, along with Tune In Radio, (TC’s App Partner), and the Ford Motor Co., has struck a deal to allow ANY Ford vehicle with a SYNC Dashboard to receive all of their broadcast stations.  The announcement was sent Tuesday, January 10, 2012 to the public.  This partnership between the 3 companies has given drivers over 50,000 stations to pick from, as well as the stations the Tucker Communications provide.  Tune In Radio is an App driven business that provides all smart phones, IPads, ITouch and Android driven readers an App to listen to many Internet Streaming Stations, (like Tucker Communications), as well as many Terra based stations.  We feel that within the next 12 months, all 3 major car manufacturers will have a similar In Dash system that Tune In Radio and the likes can be heard through.  Now, we CAN take our stations with us in our car.  Thank you Tune In Radio and Ford Motor Co. for having the foresight to be leaders in this field.

Founder’s Prediction in 2000 coming true in 2012!

Ed Tucker, Founder of Tucker Communications, parent Company for 9 Internet Radio Stations

Change your Circle of Influence change your Life

If you’re in a position of leadership, you obviously have proven talents and capabilities. You’ve gotten to where you are through a series of smart, successful decisions. But you can’t be all-seeing or all-knowing. There is no way to anticipate exactly what, when, and how forces will shake your company, nor to know which windows may crack or ceiling tiles fall when the tremors arrive.

Planning for adversity and future challenges is an essential duty of any leader. However, stuff happens. Economies crater. Competitors innovate. Technology advances. People leave. There is simply no way you can keep tabs on every piece of information, every shift in the playing field, every risk that could threaten your organization. But you can with the help of your circle of influence poll others advice and choose the ideas that best fit your scenerio.

Who is your “circle of influence”? Are you surrounded by positive people or negative people? This is a very important thing to know, positive people are like cheerleaders, always willing to help you in your time of need, negative people are always gloom and doom, never a good thing to say.

Make a list of people in your professional life, your personal life and your spiritual life. Three columns side by side. Now beside each one put a + or a – depending on whether they are a positive or a negative.

+ is for positive people in your life

- is for negative people in your life

Now look at the list and see which one you have the most of. If your list has more negatives then now is the time to find out why you continue to allow the negativity to control how you live your life and run your business.

If you have more positives in your life, feel blessed that your circle you’ve built has your back.

Take the time to start weeding out the negative people and replacing them with positive people, then step back and watch how you make decisions by being surrounded by a circle of influence that is positive. The differences will amaze you!

When I changed my circle of influence my business increased and my life had alot less stress in it. Try it and let me know how it works for you. Make 2012 a better year.

most overused professional buzzwords per LinkedIn

Thanks to newsfeed.time.com for this most awesome article. LinkedIn is a great social media tool in the B2B and B2C  arena. Please enjoy and if you are on LinkedIn and we are not connected go look me up and send me an invite. If you are not on LinkedIn get signed up, it’s free and then send me an invite.

LinkedIn, the social-networking site for people with business cards, has released its list of the year’s most overused professional buzzwords, culled from the profiles of its 135 million members. As one might expect, they’re terms that sound awfully nice but say almost nothing specific about a person. They’re the type of terms that are roughly the equivalent of listing “showing up to work” in your skills section. (Note: this might be rough to read if you are one of the people using these words, but we all need tough love sometimes.)

For example, dynamic is at No. 10. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its primary meaning is “of or pertaining to force producing motion: often opposed to static.” So by using this word, you have literally told your potential employer that you are adept at not being stationary. You are the type of person who does things and moves from place to place.

At No. 9 is communication skills, and at No. 8 we have problem solving. Both of these guarantee nothing more than the person not being paralyzed by the prospect of a conversation or an empty stapler. Innovative is No. 7 and motivated is No. 6 — two more generic adjectives suggesting attributes that an employer would probably like to take for granted.

Track record is at No. 5. Note that it is not specified whether this track record is good or bad, though this person definitely has a track record of some kind. More important, a curriculum vitae is a track record in and of itself. Listing “track record” on a résumé is the equivalent of putting “reasons you should date me” on your OkCupid profile. Or tacking “things I need to buy” onto your shopping list.

At No. 4, we have extensive experience. (Please see above paragraph.)

At No. 3 is effective, a promise that when you are being dynamic, you’re really making the most of it. And in 2nd, we have organizational — which may be important if you are, say, applying to be an accountant. But in most cases, it is not the most striking skill to be championing — it’s like saying one is punctual or has neat handwriting.

And the No. one most overused professional buzzword is creative. This attribute, like many of the others, is one that is better shown than told. As LinkedIn’s connection director put it in a release, “Use language that illustrates your unique professional accomplishments and experiences. Give concrete examples of results you’ve achieved whenever possible and reference attributes that are specific to you.” And please, never use the word synergy without your tongue firmly pressed into your cheek.

Sales People – The All Mighty Dollar vs Building Relationships

You know how important reputation is to your own company. One of the ways to maintain it is to assure that info about your company is correct, easy to find and comprehensive. Also remember that sales people are after the all mighty dollar – you are after building relationships and the 2 do not always equal success and a good reputation.

Sales reps can be competitive. Some just don’t like to lose and they view every opportunity as a win/lose event. I once heard a sales rep state, “I want them all, and I’m gonna try to get them all.”

Well, the truth is that we aren’t going to get them all. And you probably don’t want them all.  You also need to be on the outlook for the sales person who is so agressive that they fell to listen to what the potential client is telling them.

When a sales person is always in the “go get it” mode of selling and doesn’t stop to check messages, check emails or stop to listen correctly to what a potential client is really saying.

This kind of sales person can do more damage than good for your business! Especially if the potential client is saying “not right now” or “I’m to busy” and the sales person continues to email, call and stop by with no regard for what this potential client has said.

When a sales person is not checking for messages or emails in between their contact of a potential client, this reflects badly on your company. It also will create a negative impression of your company that is very hard, if not impossible to overcome.

Make sure you are on top of what your sales people are doing, how they are doing it and whether or not they are checking messages and emails.  Also make sure your sales person know’s how to except a no.

In today’s business world, you don’t get 2nd chances with the competition so steep. So 1st impressions is the key to success in your business, and you only get once shot at it.  Make it count! 

Always remember…

Sales People are after the all mighty dollar – you are after building relationships. Make sure your sales people are on the same page as you and are doing as you instructed and not necessarily as they have been taught in the past!

We are running a great special to close out 2011…

A year’s worth of marketing for only $500 for the year.

(1) :30 second Commercial running every Monday for the entire year (52 weeks)

I have several high traffic time’s to place the commercial that would get the most recognition. (15,000 – 20,000 listeners) hearing your commercial monthly.

Contact Ed or Sheila to secure your time slot!!!

 

Let’s have some fun!!!

All work and no play can get old. So for all you fishing buffs, here is a contest for you to tell your whoppers. Enjoy and I hope you win.

Here is the website link for you to visit the page. Be sure to check out all the cool prize packages.  Fishing Contest

 

Don’t Make Marketing Decisions You WILL Regret

This is a perfect example of a marketing mistake made that will be regretted and leave a sour taste in this business owners mouth for any future promotions.  For someone who is inexperienced in marketing and advertising, this story shows how small businesses can go under or become financially unstable with just one wrong decision.

Imagine losing a years revenue and then some with one bad decision in marketing.  Not to mention the lack of concern or shear lack of caring that Groupon had when enticing this business owner to give a 75% discount on a product. 

This is the reason I am always telling you to think about your marketing and what you spend. We don’t want to see a business suffer just to make a buck!!

Companies like Groupon, google pay per clicks and others like these, are the exact reason we offer the great deals we do for small and medium size businesses.  Why rape the client upfront when you can work with them for a little each month and help them grow.

1. We don’t require you to give discount pricing or coupons to market yourself.

2. We don’t charge extreme pricing to help you promote your business.

3. Our goal is to market you so that you can make money and gain exposure.

4. Our goal is to teach you so that you don’t make these kinds of mistakes.

 

So when you see something that seems like a great deal or to good to be true… yeah it probably is or it will give you great results all the way to the poor house just like this mistake did for the bakery.

Happy reading. Would love you feedback.

 

msnbc.com

updated 11/22/2011 5:33:14 AM ET 2011-11-22

LONDON — A bakery owner was forced to make 102,000 cupcakes after being swamped by customers taking up her cut-price Groupon offer, according to reports Tuesday.

Rachel Brown offered a 75 percent discount on 12 cupcakes, which normally cost $40 (£26), the BBC reported.

However, Brown under-estimated the popularity of the deal and was unable to cope when 8,500 people signed up for the $10 (£6.50) bargain.

1. Brown’s Need a Cake bakery, which employs eight staff in Reading, U.K., had to bring in temporary workers through an employment agency to fulfil the orders, at a cost of $19,500 (£12,500) — wiping out her profits for the year.

She also lost between $2.90 (£2.50) and $4.70 (£3) on each batch she sold, the BBC reported.

“Without doubt, it was my worst ever business decision,” she told the BBC. “We had thousands of orders pouring in that really we hadn’t expected to have. A much larger company would have difficulty coping.”

So now that you have read the story, my question to you is “would you like some help with your marketing decisions?”

We consult on all media’s not just what we do. This way we can truly help our clients use the best form of media for their business. 

Have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving. Be smart and think before you do… on all your marketing and advertising decisions, don’t make marketing decisions you will regret.