What tips would you give a new business owner who wants to get their business off on the right foot?

There are many issues that a new business owner must tackle during startup.  These items generally fall into 3 categories.

1. Things that must be taken care of now (either because they are legally required or must be in place before the next item can be handled).
2. Things that need to be taken care of soon, like creating show term marketing plans, creating a unique selling proposition, ideal customer profile and goals
3. Longer term issues like creating operating procedures, having a growth plan, detailed marketing plan, an employee handbook and more are last on the list.

Obviously my startup list is very short and leaves out many items that must be addressed. The focus of this article is not about all the myriad of items and details a new business owner has to tackle. No, this articles purpose is to guide a new business owner in finding help and support that will expedite their businesses growth. That’s right, growing their business and getting help at the same time. We will be killing two birds with one stone.

What the best Social Media site for a Small Business.

A common question I get is; what is the best social media site for me to be on?  Alternatively, they will ask; what social media site will bring me the most internet business?  My answer to this question may surprise you, but here it is.  There is no such thing as "what the best" social media site for a small business. A small business should create a presence all on as many platforms as they have time for.

You need to be everywhere if possible

I tell people they need a presence on all the top platforms. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Google+, etc.... More if they have time to set them up. These connections will all provide back links and traffic to their website which most businesses already have.

What's The Difference Between Conventional Advertising And Internet Advertising

Image by Wrote via FlickrSometimes, my correspondence with a friend or coworker yields interesting information about our rapidly changing world. This article was created from an email sent to a friend who was confused by all the changes going on in advertising today. He was especially troubled with how social media could fit into his advertising strategy. Here, is the answer I gave my friend who asked, "What's the difference between conventional advertising and internet advertising?" I hope my answer to him helps you, as well.

My Answer

Image via Wikipedia

We live in a world, which is in constant flux. Rapid change is the norm. I was fortunate because I got involved with computers early on... when our world started to move at a much faster pace. The computer industry has forced me to learn something new every day. It has forced me to embrace change as a way of life. Do not get me wrong, I actually don't like lots of change. However, whenever there are massive changes in society, many opportunities go with it, (and fraud).

A Viral Factor Speeds thing up

Image by DavidErickson via FlickrMost of the principles of Internet advertising are the same as other media. One of the primary differences is that Internet advertising has a strong viral factor to it. In regular advertising, we call this factor word of mouth. The viral factor is a free form of advertising where people pass your information on to others. The Internet was created to make it easy to pass information from one person to another. This attribute of the Internet amplifies the viral factor and greatly increases its results. This also affects the speed at which the message travels. The Speed at which your message is passed on is also one of the big differences.

Free Venues

Another difference is that the Internet offers many "free venues" for putting the word out on your product or service. Some example offered on the Internet includes your ability to leave comments and web links on articles sites and blogs, (these become back links to your website). You can also collaborate with other who have a similar customer base by swapping website links, (these are call link exchanges, another type of back link). You can even produce short videos and post them on YouTube as a form of free advertising. By adding your website links and contact information, you create even another type of back link to your primary web presence.

Social Networking

Image via WikipediaThen you have social networking. In many ways, social sites are "word of mouth" manifested electronically. This venue is all about connecting, sharing, entertaining, and having fun. Social networks are built on trust. If a trust relationship is not established, then no positive transactions take place. However, this does not mean that negative information will not be shared. On the contrary, if you make a customer mad today, their ability to bad mouth, your product or service is amplified and spread at the speed of light. People join social networks primarily to connect with others, share interesting and entertaining information. Your ability to build a trusting relationship with them is based on how well you are fulfilling their needs. If you do a great job, they will refer you to their friends. If you try to "hard sell" them, they will disconnect you from their "friends" lists, and you will lose a customer.

Pay Nothing or Pay and Expert

Image by Intersection Consulting via FlickrToday, a person who has learned how to take advantage of this medium doesn't have to pay anything for Internet advertising. They just have to invest their time by creating back links, entering comments, and posting useful content. Unfortunately, most of us don't have unlimited amounts of time to do this. Instead, we swap money for time and pay others to take care of the "free" advertising medium we have access too. The good news is that with some background checks and a little research you can find people who are honest and will do a great job. For many business owners, this is a trade worth making so they can spend more time with their families.

There you have it, my reply to the questions; what's the difference between conventional advertising and Internet advertising? Obviously, there are other differences I left out just because of time restraints. There are many books written about these differences. If social media marketing is high on your advertising priority list, go to the library and check out few books on this subject and read them. In the meantime, follow these suggestions and keep on learning, it's your best defense for staying ahead in the 21 century.

That's my opinion. I welcome your.

Hector Cisneros has been an entrepreneur for 25 year, a veteran of BNI for 18 years, and was a BNI director for over 5 years. He is still an active BNI member and follows the philosophy of Givers Gain. He is the owner of several Businesses in Jacksonville, Florida. He actively coaches business owners in the fine art of internet advertising, Networking and Word of Mouth marketing. He is the president of Website Know How, Inc. a holding company for his business ventures that include online advertising, word of mouth marketing, real estate holdings, books sales, health and wellness product sales and Adventure sports. He is also a partner in a new company called Successful Campaigns LLC. That provides training and support for non profits organizations. To learn more about Social Media Marketing, Internet Advertising and Word of Mouth Marketing explore The Networkers Apprentice workshop or visit us at http://www.Websiteknowhow.com or http://www.60secondstosuccess.com. Friend on Face book by clicking here.

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Six Simple Yet Powerful Rules That Help You Build Your Twitter Flock.

Image via WikipediaAs a professional advertiser for an online marketing company, I am often asked, how can they can get more people to follow them on Twitter. When asked this question, I usually answer it with this question of my own. "Who are you looking for as follower", (i.e.…. who do you want to follow you)? The answer to this question will always get you started you in the right direction. This question can act just like a compass does when you’re looking for one of the cardinal direction points. However, knowing the right direction is only half the battle. You also need to know the rules of the road. Here are a half-dozen simple, yet powerful rules that keep you on track and make sure you don’t stray from the direction you want to travel. Let me explain...

Simply Powerful Rule #1
So here is a simple yet powerful rule to start with; always follow those who lead your field of interest. If, for example, you’re looking for followers who love scientific novels, or those who are environmentally conscience then you go look for the leaders of those fields. More than likely the leaders in any field of endeavor with have lots of follower. In fact, this rule leads to my second rule.

Simply Powerful Rule #2
Now let’s look at simple rule number two; always follow the followers of those who lead the field. Simply put, “following other like mind subscribers so they will in turn follow you”.

Image via CrunchBase

Understand that some will follow you and some will not. In general, many will follow you as a courtesy if you follow them. This is especially true if they are not famous or have few followers. I usually follow anyone who following me unless I dislike what they are saying, selling or doing. However, if they do not follow me back, I have to make a choice whether I want to continue following them. If I like what they are posting, I will probably continue to follow them. However, if they look like they are only trying to sell something or are just looking for followers I un-follow them within a few days.

Remember Twitter set limits on how many you can follow in a session and how long you can be online. These limits are there to try and keep people from gaming the twitter system and to try and keep the spammer from using the system.

Simply Powerful Rule #3
Image via WikipediaThis leads me to my third simple yet powerful rule; Stay within a 1.5 to 1 ratio of following to followers. You will always need some room to add people you want to follow. In turn, this will also give you room to follow people back who just decided to follow you because of your tweets and not because you just followed them. If your always bumping up against the 2000 follower limit, you will have a lot of trouble growing you’re following.

Simply Powerful Rule #4
My next cardinal guideline is simple and powerful rule number four; “always thanks people for following you”. You will be surprised how powerful being courteous can be. A simple thank you for following goes a long way. In fact, it’s even better if you show your gratitude by providing a token gift like a free white paper, coupon or cool link, as a little bonus. So this simple rule is just that; give your followers a reason to follow you by offering them a gift. This gift does not have to cost you anything and gifts can go a long way towards initially getting people to follow you when your connection is new.

Simply Powerful Rule #5
Image by juque via FlickrSimple rule number five is related to number four because it also has to do with giving thanks. When sending a thank you tweets, always include links to connect with your followers via other means. For example, add your face book, website or blog URL to your tweets. When you combine your other contact URL’s with the gifts I mention early, you have a powerful means of connecting with your new, found follower.

Simply Powerful Rule #6
The last simply powerful rule I will mention in this article is; to be sweet, re-tweet. Another way to give a gif
t to your followers is to Re-tweet something they’ve tweeted. Re-tweeting their articles and links shows them that you feel what they are saying is important, cool and worth sharing. It also increases the chance they will continue to follow you. Indeed, Re-tweeting can be sweet, for you and your business.

Image via CrunchBaseThere you have it a half-dozen simple yet powerful rules you can use to grow your twitter following with out spending a dime on fancy programs that try to game the system. Following these simple yet powerful rules will quickly add to your rank of followers. My next article will provide another set of cardinal rules to help you grow my flock. Until then, that’s my opining, what’s yours?

Hector Cisneros has been an entrepreneur for 30 year, a veteran of BNI for 18 years, and was a BNI director for over 6 years. He is still an active BNI member and follows the philosophy of Givers Gain. He is the owner of several Businesses in Northeast Florida. He actively coaches business owners in the fine art of internet advertising, Networking and Word of Mouth marketing. He is the president of Website Know How, Inc. a holding company for his business ventures that include online advertising, word of mouth marketing, real estate holdings, health and wellness product sales and Adventure sports. He also partners with a new company called Successful Campaigns LLC. This company provides training and support for non profits organizations helping them with their marketing efforts, growth, retention and sustainability.

That’s my opinion, I want to hear yours.

Hector Cisneros is a writer, has been an entrepreneur for more than 30 years, is a veteran of BNI for 19 years and was a BNI director for over five years. He is still an active BNI member and follows the philosophy of Givers Gain. He is the owner of several businesses in Jacksonville, Florida. He actively coaches business owners in the fine art of Online advertising, Business Networking and Word of Mouth marketing. He is the president of Website Know How, Inc. a holding company for his business ventures that include online advertising, word of mouth marketing, real estate holdings, non-profit training/support, book publishing, health and wellness product sales and Adventure sports. Hector's new book 60 Seconds to success, teaches business owners how to get the most from word of mouth marketing by using great 60 second introductions. To learn more about Hector Cisneros, Social Media, Online Marketing or Word of Mouth Marketing visit the Networkers Apprentice workshop http://networkersapprentice.com or my book website at http://www.60SecondsToSuccess.com

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Part 4 of a four Part Series, Common Mistakes Made During a 60 Second Presentation

Sometimes you have to do things in reverse. If you're trying to understand how to create great 60-second presentations. You may just have to first understand what not to do when you're presenting instead. This is part four of a four part series discussing common mistakes made during 60-second presentation. In this last of my four part series, I will discuss five more mistakes that are common from my top 20 list of mistakes. These last five complete your arsenal of mistakes to avoid. Armed with this knowledge you will be able to avoid the pit falls so many networkers make. Each article in the series stands alone in teaching you what not to do. However, I do encourage readers to go back and read the first three parts of this series if they haven’t done so. With all four parts combined, you will be able to avoid 99 percent of all the mistakes networkers make when performing their 60-second presentation. Avoiding these mistakes bring you that much closer to presentation nirvana. It also brings more referrals and the opportunity to make a lot more money. So without any further delay, let's get started.

Common mistake #5 Being asleep at the wheel
I’m always amazed when people hurt their credibility because they are not paying attention at a networking event. We are there to network and give our message so that others can bring us referrals or buy our products. So why is it that someone in the room will not be ready when it’s their turn? Not only are they not ready, they don’t even have a clue that it is their turn! The cure for this is to “be here now,” so to speak. Pay close attention to what each player’s is saying. If you’re following what they are saying, you will notice that the turn is coming your way. Stop fiddling with your cell phone or iPad and get ready. You only get one chance to look good when it’s your turn.

Common mistake #4 Using acronyms
We live in a world that loves and hates acronyms at the same time. Acronyms are great for saving time and space when speaking, reading and writing. However, this is only true if you know what the acronym means. Nothing makes a person feel left out (or worse, stupid) like not knowing what someone meant. Using acronyms is an easy way to make your audience feel “NOT OK”. It will also keep you from getting any referrals. Make sure you don’t use any acronyms; they are bad for your 60-second presentations and bad for business.

Common mistake #3 Cramming 3 minutes into 60 seconds
I can always tell when someone is either new or unprepared to deliver a 60-second presentation. The presenter will rattle off a long laundry list of products or service they provide. You will often notice that they are in a rush. This really becomes apparent when the timekeeper starts to flag them with the 10 seconds left signal and they abruptly stop, then close out their presentation without asking for a referral. Cramming is analogous to try to stuff 10-pounds of rice into a 5-pound bag.

A simple way to fix this problem is #1; prepare by creating several commercials of varying lengths and #2; stay focused on a single subject. Trying to tell your audience everything you do in 60-second is like trying to fill your drinking glass and forgetting to stop pouring once its full. Don't come across as if you’re reading a disclaimer; take your time by using strategic pauses and only talk about one product or service in any one 60 second presentation. Focus will improve the power and clarity of your message. It will also make it much easier to stay within the 60-second time frame.


Common mistake #2 Not asking for a referral
It's quit common to see networkers focus their message entirely on the feature and benefits of their product or service. They will give a wonderful example of how they are different and better than the competition and forget to tell us who they are looking for. The easiest way to help your audience find you a referral is to tell them exactly who you are looking for. Telling your listeners what you do for a living won't get you there! To fix this mistake do what Steven Covey calls "begin with the end in mind". When creating your 60-second presentation, start with the "persons name or profile" you will be asking for. Then create the rest of your presentation with all the parts of your 60-second commercial. Make sure that all the other elements in your presentation leads your audience to bringing you that referral.

Common Mistake #1 Forgetting to empower your listeners
Never make your audience do more work than they want to do. If you’re asking for a referral, remember that 90% of your audience just wants to recognize your request when the opportunity presents itself. However, this is not enough to help your audience take the next step. You want them to introduce you personally. You must tell them how to get your foot in the door. You have to give them specific conversation starters to get you into their (clients/friends), conversation otherwise; they will not act on your behalf. Your referral partners need to know exactly what to say and what to do other wise they will do nothing.

My current 60-second presentations ends with, “Give them my card and ask when I can call.” I also like to ask my listeners to mention any specials I currently have or to talk about how my product/service help someone else in their industry. Other things you can say include directing your referral partners to give out your brochure, website address or to set up a lunch date for the three of you. By being specific and telling your referral partners who to look for, what to do and say, you will greatly increase the chances that your referral partners will act on your behalf. Not being specific will most likely ensure that your audience does nothing. Empower your listeners and get more referral.

This article covers the last five common mistakes from my top 20 list. The 20 common mistake covered in this series constitute the bulk of the most common mistakes made by both beginners and seasoned word of mouth veterans. To avoid making the mistakes listed in this article follow these fixes. Make sure you’re mentally and emotionally present when attending a networking event. Avoid using acronyms; most people don't know what they mean anyway, and it’s a fast way to lose your audience. Prepare a focused 60-second presentation covering only one subject. Focus improves your message and increases your chances of getting a response. Always ask for a specific referral and always use empowering phrases that tell your audience how to get your foot in the door.

I hope this series has been useful to you and your business. If you can think of other common, (or some not so common) mistakes made during 60-second presentation let me know about them. Be sure to leave your comments and tell me your thoughts.

That's my opinion, I welcome yours.

Hector Cisneros is an entrepreneur/businessman with over 25-year experience, is a 17-year veteran of BNI, and was BNI Director for six years. Currently, he manages three businesses, writes and coach's business people in the art of Word of Mouth and internet marketing. He has several intl. published articles covering word of mouth marketing, social media marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and make more money through referral and word of mouth. To learn more about Social Media, Internet Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing visit the Networkers Apprentice workshop at http://networkersapprentice.com/ To contact Hector write him at hecisneros@gmail.com

Part 2 of a Four Part Series, 5 More Common Mistakes Made During 60 Second Presentations

Once a month I do a free work shop teaching BNI members how to improve their "Sales Manager Minutes", aka 60 second presentations. As a BNI Director and business consultant, I get the privilege of helping people fix their word of mouth marketing mistakes. During these monthly training sessions I am asked lots of question about how do create and deliver great 60 second presentations. My sessions always start out with this question. Let me hear what you're doing now. This evaluation process allows me to help them focus on eliminating any of the 20 most common mistakes I hear.

This article is the second installment of a four part series. In this segment I will discuss 5 more of the 20 mistakes that I often see. Reading all 4 articles will give the reader the cure for all of these so common aliments. Eliminating a few of these mistakes from your 60 second presentation and you will start to see real results. Eliminate them all and the referrals will come rolling in. So let's get started on segment 2.

Mistake #1 is NO Pain!
I often see 60 second presentations where the person does a good job of describing their product or service but leave out the potential customer pain. I try to include 2 or 3 customer pains in all my infomercials. Adding the customer's pain to your description of your product or service, really make the message pop. It helps clarify the "why" for your listener and clarity produces power. What kind of power you ask? It gives them the power to act; it motivates someone to take action on your behalf.

Mistake #2 NO Emotion
60 Second presentations need to be delivered with feeling in order to be perceived as genuine. Without passion, you come across as fake. Emotions' help the listener empathize. They are more likely to listen and get involved if the believe what you say. Saying things with emotion and passion gives you this credibility. If you come across without passion and emotion your message will be flat and your listeners' will be turn off and will tune out.

Mistake #3 Poor Delivery
This can be related to not being passionate about your subject but it can also be just a poor delivery. What I am talking about here is your pace, intonation and volume. Going to fast or going too slow can turn off your audience. For some, going too fast carries the connotation of "of a disclaimer". Going to slow carries the connotation of being boring. Being too loud, equates to obnoxious, too quiet, being timid. A good deliver is varied in pace, intonation and volume. When you speak with emotion and passion this often automatically happens. Remember that presenting has many elements of acting in it. These techniques can be master through practice. Take the time to "rehearse your lines". Once they are fully memorized, you can then start to work on the other elements of the presentation. Remember to have fun while you're being serious. This will help you be more authentic and being authentic can help sway your listeners.

Mistake #4 Leaving out "Door Opener"
Door openers are statements used to catch a person's attention. Door openers are word hooks like "on sale, limited offer, free and guaranteed". Most people automatically pay more attention to these words because most people want to take advantage of or at least know of these "specials". Using "attention getting words", gives your referral partners the ammunition to get your foot in the door. Use them and you will get more referral and more sales.

Mistake #5 Using Profanity
I don't often hear profanity used in presentations but when I do, WOW, it doesn't make the presenter look good. Even using phrases like "stuff happens" brings you close to being in a bad place. You may hear laughter when it is used but it will never increase your credibility or make you look more professional. I have even seen great 10 minute presentations totally destroyed because they used one bad word during their presentation. One word out of several thousand and their presentation was remembers for the one bad word. Never use profanity in your 60 second presentations. It will destroy your entire effort. It may be good tool for comedians working the adult's only circuit but its bad news for your 60 second or 10 minute presentation.

My next article, (segment 3), will discuss 5 more common mistakes made during 60 second presentations. Each segment will help the reader eliminate 5 possible mistakes that they may be making, until we have covered all 20 possible mistakes. Eliminating any of these mistakes improves your ability to communicate effectively. Each new attempt will bring improvements, focus and message clarity. Look for Segment 3 covering 5 more common mistakes to be out real soon. Until next time, work hard to eliminating the 5 mistakes covered here. Doing so will move the reader closer to their first perfect 60 second presentation. Until next time.

That's my opinion, what's yours.

Hector Cisneros is an entrepreneur/businessman with over 25 years experience, is a 17-year veteran of BNI, and was BNI Director for 6 years. Currently he manages 3 businesses, writes and coach's business people in the art of Word of Mouth and internet marketing. He has several intl. published articles covering word of mouth marketing, social media marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and make more money through referral and word of mouth marketing. To learn more about Social Media, Internet Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing visit the Networkers Apprentice workshop at http://networkersapprentice.com/ To contact Hector write him at hecisneros@gmail.com

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Common Mistakes Made During 60 Second Presentations - Part one of a Four Part Series

Image via WikipediaAs a business consultant and BNI Director I get to help lots of business professional make the most of their word of mouth marketing efforts. Most often I am asked to evaluate their elevator speeches. You know their "60 second infomercials'" or "Sales Manager Minutes" as they are called in "BNI". Over the years I have discovered over 2 dozen things that a person can do wrong when presenting their sales manager minutes.

This article is the first installment of a four part series on common mistakes made during 60 second presentations. In this segment I will discuss the first 5 of these 2 dozen or so common mistakes that I seen. These 4 articles will give you the cure for these all so common aliments so that your 60 second presentations will produce result and make you more money. Eliminate a few and you will see real results. Eliminate them all and the referrals will come rolling in. So let's get started.
Image via Wikipedia
Common Mistake #1. "No Hook".
It is important that your last statement be a memorable one (hopefully a positive one too). People are more likely to remember the first thing and last thing you say and your hook can help "brand" you as the go to person for your particular product or service. Make your hook different, but easy to remember. Keep it simple. Using your companies' slogan is ok, as is rhyme for effect. Keep in mind that you want to be remembered in a positive way so don't make it too funny or off the wall.

Common Mistake #2."Selling to your audience"

Image via Wikipedia

In many cases your audience includes your referral partners. Your mission should be to educate your referral partners in stead of selling to them. People join referral network to get referral not be sold to. Make sure you remove or change the words "you and yours" when ever possible to something else. Don't use phrases like "everyone in this room can use this"! Change the sentence from you need to buy this to; "so when you customers does xyz, tell them about me and my service/product". Sell to their customer not to them.

Common Mistake #3. "Not saying your Name".
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeIt is important that you always say your name when presenting. I often hear members of various net working organization say things like, "You All know me" at the beginning of their sales manager minutes. Although this may be true, often times there are people in the room who don't know you. These "visitors" to your net work meeting are clueless to who you are. They could very well need your product or service and with out your name in hand, they may have to leave with out being able to connect with you. Get use to saying your name every time you present and you will never miss an opportunity with a visitor.

Common Mistake #4. "Going to short!"
It is important that you use every second of your time when doing a 60 second presentation. You did pay for that time didn't you? Would you go to a radio station and pay for a 60 second commercial and be happy when you only get 30 second of air time? No way! Create 60 second presentation, (or what ever time frame you are given). Use the whole amount of time allotted. So remember this. If you meet 50 times a year you only get 50 minutes a year for this type of advertising. If you're in a BNI chapter don't waste these precious moments. If you're in any other networking organization the same goes for you!

Common Mistake #5." Going too long!"
Image via WikipediaIf your sales manager minute goes too long, you quickly start to lose credibility with your audience. "Going to long", is being disrespectful of the other time. It also makes you look unprepared and unprofessional. Rehearse and time your 60 second presentations. Take advantage of the spot light you're given.

In my next segment I will discuss 5 more common mistakes made during 60 second presentations. Each segment will cover 5 or 6 topics. All of these common mistakes affect you're ability to get qualified referrals from the people you meet. Eliminating these common mistakes will greatly increase your result and land you that dream referral you've been looking for. Until then, work on these and let me know how it's helping you. If you would like to know more about this subject, visit my free blog to read several other articles covering word of mouth marketing.

That's my opinion, what's yours.

Hector Cisneros is an entrepreneur/businessman with over 25 years experience, is a 17-year veteran of BNI, and was BNI Director for 6 years. Currently he manages 3 businesses, writes and coach's business people in the art of Word of Mouth and internet marketing. He has several intl. published articles covering word of mouth marketing, social media marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and make more money through referral and word of mouth marketing. To learn more about Social Media, Internet Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing visit the Networkers Apprentice workshop at http://networkersapprentice.com/ To contact Hector write him at hecisneros@gmail.com

Three Common Mistakes Business People Make When Using Social Media

Feel lost about using social media as a marketing tool. Are you afraid of violating net etiquette. Are you worried that these mistakes can ruin your reputation or brand? Do you want to avoid the most common mistakes business make when using social media? If so, read on and learn about how to avoid three of the most common mistakes.

Common Mistake #1 Posting commercials on the pages.

The most common mistake I see is business owners posting commercials on their face book pages. This is also a common problem in other social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn. This ranks high on my mistake list because it violates one of my cardinal rules of social media marketing. The rule I'm referring to is "give people what they want". I don't know anyone who signed up for Face Book, Twitter or LinkedIn to be bombarded by your infomercials.

Social media is about being social not selling. The best way to sell on social site is not to sell. Social media is best used it to build your credibility, understand your customers and to connect with them. Do a good job for your customers. Get them to follow, friend, or connect with you and have them promote your business, product or service for you. This is usually done by asking them to provide you with written recommends or testimonials. When you say something about your business, product or service it a commercial and most people are jaded by all the hype they're exposed to each day. When a friend, customer or follower says something good about your business, product, or service, it's viewed as true. Don't hesitate to ask for endorsements. Make sure your don't ask publicly on your social media pages. Write your customers and follower directly. If they feel you have done a good job they will respond in kind.

The best place to post a commercial about your business is in the detail section of your profile. Many social media site also offer the option of setting up separate business pages. Put your infomercials on these pages instead of posting them to your wall.

Common Mistake #2 Posting too often.

Another big mistake I see is when a business post too often to their site. This is usually easy to spot. You will see two, three even four of their post before seeing one of their followers posts. Make sure your posts are spread out. If you do all your social media posting at a specific time of the day, use an aggregators program to schedule your post to show up at different times.

Two of the top aggregators programs are Hoot Suite and Tweet Deck. These programs will allow you to spread out your posting by scheduling them at different times. I usually keep at least an hour between my scheduled post, just encase traffic is light that day. Remember the last thing you want to see on your wall is all of your post. Leave room for your followers and they will like your site even more.

Common Mistake #3 Posting inappropriate material.

The last item I will mention in this article is posting the wrong kinds of material. I know what your thinking. Who died and made me the content czar. I may not be the content czar but I am a prudent businessman. I am smart enough to always be respectful of my customers feelings and ideas. I am willing to post links to controversial articles in areas that I am passionate about, but I do set very specific limits on what I feel is appropriate. I make sure anything I post is on worse than PG. I avoid sexually oriented material. I also avoid any material that uses vulgar or racially explicated language. If kids can view my pages and post without being offended, I am happy.

Along these lines, I also monitor the followers and friends who are posting to my pages. If their posts violate my sense of what is appropriate I hide their post. In some cases, if they consistently post items that violate my sensibility I un-friend them. If they are on Twitter, posting in a negative way or being vulgar, I un-follow them. If your site is showing content that you or your customers feel is inappropriate, make sure it's gone, otherwise you are giving tacit approval to those posts and you will lose customers.

That's it, we've covered three of the top mistakes that businesses make when using social media as a marketing tool. As a summary, remember this. It's important to avoid posting commercials to your sites. Social media is not about selling. It's about fun, friendships, entertainment, connecting and useful information. Instead, take care of your customers and encourage them to be your raving fans by posting recommendations and testimonials on your pages. Post all commercial information to a dedicated business page or in your profile detail. Next, avoid posting too often. Your post should only show up interspersed between your followers posts. Use scheduling software to spread out your posts so they give your followers space. And lastly, avoid posting inappropriate material. Links to controversial articles can be OK, but stay away for sexually suggestive, negative, racially oriented or post using vulgar language. This goes for your followers as well. If they are stepping out of bounds, you need to either hide their post or un-friend/follow them.

That's my opinion, I welcome yours.

Hector Cisneros is an entrepreneur/businessman with over 25 years experience, is a 17-year veteran of BNI, and was BNI Director for 6 years. Currently he manages 3 businesses, writes and coach's business people in the art of Word of Mouth and internet marketing. He has several intl. published articles covering word of mouth marketing, social media marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and make more money through referral and word of mouth marketing. To learn more about Social Media, Internet Marketing d Word of Mouth Marketing visit the Networkers Apprentice workshop at http://networkersapprentice.com/ To contact Hector write him at hecisneros@gmail.com

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How to Make Your 60-Second Presentations Sizzle

Great 60-second presentations all contain elements that capture your audience's attention. There are words that seem to have almost a magical air to them. Others carry lots of emotion and some just motive others to action. In this article, I will cover several of these magical words and other essential elements that you must have if you want your 60-second presentation to sizzle.

First of all, what do I mean by sizzle. My definition of a sizzling 60-second presentation is a presentation that captures the audience attention, hold it like a vice and then move that audience to act on your behalf. Now that we are on the same page as to what I mean by sizzle, here are five items that will bring more sizzle to your 60-second presentations.

Get your Audiences Attention.
The first element you have to add to your 60-second presentations is something that will get your audience's attention. I call this first element "the opening salvo". My favorite technique is to ask relevant question or ask a riddle. I often start out with the words; "Did you know", then ask a question usually tied to some current event or sensational headline. These headline usually grab a persons attention because of the words used in them are dynamic and emotional. An example might be; did you know that last year more than 80,000 people in the US had been hospitalized because they used Tylenol? I would then go on to tell the punch line, which then allows me to transition in to my own emotionally charged story. The key point here is to grab the audiences' attention with "opening salvo". This grabs your audience's attention and gives you the momentum to move into your story. Your story has to be related to your "opening salvo" in some way for this to work. By using, the right words in your story you will be able keep your momentum and their attention.

Use Emotionally Charged Words
The second thing you must make sure you do is use emotionally charged words through out your 60-second presentation. This allows you to keep their attention all the way to the end where you will empower them to act on your behalf. I have done a lot of research to find which words carry the most emotionally charged weight. These words can carry both a positive or negative charge. You want to use words that primarily have positive connotations. Here are a few of the word I use in my stories; Easy, Healthy, Love, Safety, Proven, Results, Guarantee, and Excited. There are many others highly emotionally charged words that are not listed here. I devote a whole chapter in my book to this subject. Check out 60-Second To success if you want to learn more about these magical words. The point to remember is that positive words draw people to you and negative word push people away. Both types of emotionally charged words will hold your audiences attention. Make sure your words are nudging them it the right direction.

Be Focused
Third, you need to make sure that your message is focused and has a specific outcome. If you try to ask for a half dozen different types of referrals, you will lose your audience and most of them will not know what you're really looking for. On the other hand, if you only ask for one very specific referral, your message will be easy to follow and your audience will stay with you longer. Another advantage of being specific is that your audience/referral partners do not have to mentally work as hard to find you referrals. By being specific, you have done most of the hard work for them. Keep your message focused and specific. Being specific will always be terrific.

Empower your Audience
Forth, your task is to empower your audience. You empower them by giving them specific directions on what to do when they recognize your referrals. If you want your audience to have the referral check out your website, tell them to do this. If you want them to set and appointment with you, ask for that. If you are trying to get your referral partners to ask your prospects to meet with you, ask them to get permission from the prospect for you to call. Ask that they give the prospect your card. Giving your audience clear and specific instructions empowers them to act on your behalf. Add this piece to every 60-second presentation and your referral numbers will go way up, especially if you are not doing this now.

Use a Catch Phrase to be Remembered
The fifth and last element that will give your 60-second presentation sizzle is to make sure you end your presentation with a memorable catch phrase or memory hook. Memory hooks should make you stand out in a positive way. They need not rhyme, but should be unique to you if possible and easy to remember. Using memory hooks is a way of branding your special talents, skills or product. This is important because good catch phrases will trigger a conditioned response to remember you. You should pop into the listeners' head anytime your memory hook "plays". Memory hooks, catch phrases, slogans and jingles are all branding elements. Make sure you are using memory hooks to brand yourself in a positive way. This will definitely increase your recognition and get you more referrals.

Using these five techniques will radically transform your 60-second presentations for bland to bam, from dull to dynamic, from so-so to sizzling. Word of mouth marketing is more that just meeting and greeting people at business events. Being systematic, prepared and professional will increase your credibility. If you use attention-getting headlines like my opening salvos, emotionally charged words to maintain momentum, a focused easy to follow story, ask for a specific out come and use a unique memory hook, your 60-second presentations will take you to the next level. Using these techniques in your presentations will all add up to better communication, more visibility more credibility and before long more profitability. Best of all you will have more fun and have less stress and closed more business.

That's my opinion, what's yours?

Hector Cisneros is an entrepreneur/businessman with over 25 years experience, is a 17-year veteran of BNI, and was BNI Director for 6 years. Currently he manages 3 businesses, writes and coach's business people in the art of Word of Mouth marketing. He has several intl. published articles covering word of mouth marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60-Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and make more money through word of mouth marketing. To get a FREE PREVIEW of his book, 60-SECONDS TO SUCCESS", Sign up for his blog at http://networkersapprentice.blogspot.com/. Email us when you have signed up and he will send you the free preview. Friend us on face book at http://www.facebook.com/pages/60-Seconds-To-Success/182027141821361?v=wall To contact Hector write him at hecisneros@gmail.com

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Success Secret for Social Media Connecting

Would you really like to connect with your friends, family, co-workers even customers? Do you want to avoid your followers un-friending you because you inadvertently broke a secret social media rule? Do you want others to like you and take the time to learn about you or your product? For a business, being "followed" and "liked" is a necessity. With social media the rule is simple; no followers, no business. If you want to stay connect to the world through social media read on and follow these four secrets of successful social media connecting.

Image via Wikipedia

Success Secret #1 Be a giver not a taker.

 If you want people, friends and customers to like you give them a reason to do so. If you find a person with a magnetic personality you will usually find someone who give freely of themselves. They share their knowledge and give away the secrets for their success. People who are givers act like magnets. People follow them because they have something to offer. If you are offering (i.e. posting) useful articles and information, fun and entertaining links, posting personalized photos and connect by replying and engaging your connections, you too will become magnetic.



 Success Secret #2 Be proactive Reach out to others first.

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeIf you want to catch the worm you have to be the early bird. Most importantly, you have to be the proactive bird. Be proactive when connecting with your followers and friends. Don't wait for them to contact you. You be the first to extend a hand. Remember their birthdays if you have it. Send those old photos from school or others events. Send them articles directly without posting it to your site. Proactively make things personal and actively engaging. If you wait for others to connect with you, your results will be poor at best and not very satisfying. This goes doubly for businesses. Thanks your customers for following you, send them discount coupons (or links to some), on their birthday and anniversaries. Be proactive and you have a real chance of making your friends and customers happy they know you.

Success Secret #3 Be positive

Image via WikipediaSocial Media follows' life's rules very well. If you want to attract others, be positive. Nobody likes a social curmudgeon. Don't be telling the world your problems, at least don't air your dirty laundry and gossip on your pages. This will give you the kiss of dead and get you un-liked and un-followed faster than you can say face book. If life has dealt you a bad hand, take this time to figure out a way to turn your problem into a positive experience. Add related causes to your face book page. Start a non-profit fund raiser. Start tweeting about how others solved their problems and connect with like mind individuals in the online community. I'll bet that your search for a positive outlet results in something that turns your attitude around. Being positive never hurt anyone. On the other hand being negative has scared more people away than most natural disasters that have occurred. Be positive and attract followers.

Success Secret #4 Give credit where credit is due.

Image via WikipediaHave you ever done a good job for someone and nobody said anything about it? Not even a thank you! Here is another great place where you can stand out and get noticed. Take time and recognize others. Helping others is easy. If you know someone who did a great job on something, post an Atta boy about that accomplishment. If someone did a great job for you make sure you post a recommendation or better yet a testimonial for them. This is critical if your in business and have strategic partners. Taking care of your partners should be one of your highest priorities. There are dozens of occasions you can congratulate your connections. Wedding, birthdays, graduations, promotions, successful events, vacations, you name it. The list could be endless. Do yourself a big favor and think about all those individuals and businesses that have helped you out when you needed them. Now go to their social media site and let them know how much you appreciate them.

In this article, I have listed 4 of my secrets for successfully connecting with my social media world. I first pointed out the importance of being a giver and not a taker. To be viewed as a giver you must actively provide useful, fun and entertaining material. I also expressed the importance of being proactive. You can't wait for others to come to you. You have to be the person who actively reaches out to connect with them. No one reaches a high level of success by waiting for the right things to happen. Third, I talked about the importance of being positive. It's a fact. Normal folks run from those who act and speak in a negative way. On the other hand, most people are attracted to those who portray a positive outlook. It is said that positive people attack and negative people repel. Be positive and attract followers. The last item I talked about is the importance of giving recognition to others. This is extremely important for businesses that want to be successful with social media marketing. A businesses connection with the outside world is built on taking care of the customer. Making the customer feel good about themselves is a sure fire way to get them to say good things about you. Take every chance you get to reap praises on your followers, especially your strategic partners. Use these secrets wisely. Not following their universal principle will reap massive amounts of bad karma in your direction. Avoid the fall out by following these not so secret rules and grow your following.

That's my opinion I welcome your.

Hector Cisneros is an entrepreneur/businessman with over 25 years experience, is a 17-year veteran of BNI, and was BNI Director for 6 years. Currently he manages 3 businesses, writes and coach's business people in the art of Word of Mouth and internet marketing. He has several intl. published articles covering word of mouth marketing, social media marketing and how to improve your 60-second presentations. His new book "60 Seconds to Success" is aimed at helping business people make great first impressions and make more money through referral and word of mouth marketing. To learn more about Social Media, Internet Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing visit the Networkers Apprentice workshop at http://networkersapprentice.com/ To contact Hector write him at hecisneros@gmail.com

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Minding your networking P's and Q's

By Hector Cisneros

Great 60-second presentations all contain elements that capture your audience’s attention. There are words that seem to have almost a magical air to them. Others carry lots of emotion and some just motive others to action. In this article, I will cover several of these magical words and other essential elements that you must have if you want your 60-second presentation to sizzle.

The 5 Most Common Mistakes Made in a 60 Second Presentation Article Source

By Hector Cisneros

In my daily travels as a BNI Director I am often asked to evaluate a new word of mouth networker's elevator speech. You know their "Sales Manager Minutes". Over the years I have discovered over 2 dozen things that a person can do wrong when presenting their sales manager minutes. In this segment, I will discuss the 5 most common mistakes that I see in a countdown fashion. More importantly, I will give you the cure for these all so common, ills so that your 60 second presentations produce results.

It's Marketing not a meeting

By Hector Cisneros

Years ago, I was at a business luncheon, talking to several attendees about what I was planning for the upcoming year. It was the New Year, and we were talking about new products, growing our businesses and marketing. I brought up the subject of creating a word of mouth marketing campaign that I would deliver through my BNI chapter.

Making the most of your next Networking event.

By Hector Cisneros

Your BNI Networking Summer Social is coming up, are you ready? Here are some tips to get the most out of that next social or any networking event.

Always go to any networking event with a plan. Ask yourself these questions. Who am I looking to be introduced to? What new businesses have I been working this month? What professions often send me referrals? Also are you there to get referrals just for yourself or for others. I will often bring 3 business cards of one member of my BNI chapter and work to specially get them referrals that day. Using these questions should help you produce your list of at least 6 to 12 names or categories of people.

Creating a Strategic Word of Mouth Marketing Plan

Bt Hector Cisneros

As an experienced Networker and BNI Director I come across many people that I consider top notch networkers. I also take the time to meet with them and ask what has contributed to their success. Many times their answers are similar, some time what they tell me is blinding obvious yet no one does it, except them (which is why they are top notch). In this segment I am going to discuss “Creating a Word of Mouth Marketing Business Plan. In a futures issues I will cover implementing your plan, how to keep it on track and how to adjust it if its not working. Now let’s talk about what should be in your plan. Here are 6 items that I found were in all of the top notch players plans.

The 10 most Common Mistakes made in a 60 second presentations

The 10 most Common Mistakes made in a 60 second presentations
In my daily travels as a BNI Director I am often asked to evaluate BNI members elevator speeches. You know their "Sales Manager Minutes". Over the years I have discovered over 2 dozen things that a person can do wrong when presenting their sales manager minutes.