Darlene Hull

Author: Darlene Hull I’m excited to share this very cool little website with you. A fellow eWomen member has put this together, and I think it’s awesome. Allow me to invite you to Hope Café where the tagline is “Brewing Optimism 24 Hours a Day”! Brew yourself a cup of coffee or tea, get comfy, and take a serious look. Donna Sales, the owner and founder, is a psychologist and writer in Calgary who is striving to make Hope Café “a place for connection that welcomes people from all walks of life. It is a reprieve from life’s pressures, competition and negativity. A gathering place that is not only warm and inviting but stimulating and thought provoking.” and I think she’s on to something. The site has interesting articles in three different major topics: Be Healthy, Be Inspired, Be Connected. She also has two very clever little sections: the Decaf Zone where you can relax and destress, and the Caffeine Bar for an energy boost – lots of quick tips to give you exactly what you need. Donna, herself, is warm, encouraging, supportive, and just a great person. Her articles are inspiring, and her site is inviting. And again, just so we’re clear, she’s not my client, she didn’t ask me to do this for her, and I gain nothing but warm fuzzies for letting you know about this very unique site. Just want to help you discover this little jewel hiding on the Internet. If you check it out, post below and let me know what you thought of it. Also, don’t forget to share it around so more people can discover this little gem! She also has a Facebook page you can like and share here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hope-Caf%C3%A9/136021449840416 Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I’d sure appreciate it! Thanks!

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Author: Darlene Hull Imagine you’re a guest at a lovely cocktail party. You see dozens of people you know – some personal friends, some co-workers and business associates, and you flitter in and out of conversations that are short, lively, entertaining, and delightful. The next morning you show up at your local coffee bar, and see a co-worker, with whom you had a conversation the previous night at that same party, ordering coffee. You go to start up a conversation, but before you can get a word out, she turns to you and spouts, word for word, a series of phrases she used last night at the party – quick blurbs about her new shoes, the fact that her puppy peed on her sofa, she got a promotion at work, and the fact that she’s dating this hot man. You’re a little dazed. You try to probe a bit for conversation, but she darts out the door. You shake your head, order your coffee and head to work. Half way through your morning, you head to the staff kitchen to grab a glass of water, and there’s your co-worker again. You want to probe a bit, but she’s spouting the identical lines from the party – again! You try and get her to comment on a project you’re working on, and the line about the hot guy she’s dating bursts forth, and she leaves the room. I wouldn’t really call this conversation, would you? It might be perfectly appropriate at the cocktail party – they move quickly and pretty much any topic goes – but if you want to engage a person in conversation you want to know there’s something going on on the other end, right? Ok, so let me bring this around to my main point. This week alone I’ve received two invitations to social media training. Both of them are planning on showing me how to set it up so my posts are all automated, sending the same post to all my platforms at the click of a button. This is very popular these days, but I’d like to remind anyone trying to make an impact on social media that social media is about social. Conversation. Response. Give and take. The most important number on your social media stats is “engagement”. In other words, what matters is that there’s some kind of two way happening with your posts. It’s impossible to do thorough social media marketing without scheduling things to post automatically. It’s so very important to be consistent, and relatively frequent at posting, so that you are showing up on a regular basis in people’s streams. In our busy lives this can really only happen if we do some posting ahead of time and schedule it. However, If all your posts are scheduled, and you don’t check in daily to touch base with people “live” you’re like the friend I described above. Lots of words, but nobody’s home. Also, if I’m following you on Facebook, Twitter, [...]

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Author: Darlene Hull Do you follow up with the people you meet? Do you continue to follow up with someone even after they said no? Do you realize that 80% of sales are made on the 5th to 12th conversation? If you’re not connecting with your prospective client at least that many times, you’re simply a cog in the system that prepares that sale for someone else. Let me say that again, if you’re not connecting with your prospective client at least that many times you’re simply a cog in the system that prepares that sale for someone else. You can’t afford to do that! It’s quite possible that the people you initially meet are not going to be the ones buying your services. However, your best customer might be someone in their circle of contacts. If you’re not top of mind for the people you’ve already met, how will they be able to remember your name and your service if you’re not popping in to say hi on a regular (but not annoying) basis? An even bigger question, how will your name be the first one that comes to mind when someone they know is asking for a recommendation for the service or product you have to offer? What about those people who did hire you for something and are now “finished” or who never came back. What do you do with them? Do you have a follow up process that sells them into different programs? Or gently keeps you top of mind in case they might need your services later or know someone else who does? Let me give you some startling statistics: The statistics show that clients leave you for the following reasons: 1% die. 3% move away. 5% follow a friend’s or relative’s recommendation. 9% find an alternative they perceive to be better quality or value. 14% are dissatisfied with the products or services. And a massive 68% of Clients leave a business because of… indifference. They take their business elsewhere simply because they do not feel valued! If you have too many clients knocking down your door, and you can’t possibly help them all, this may not be that important. However, if you still need more clients, YOU CANNOT IGNORE THIS! Therefore: You need a system for following up! Follow-up is something that everyone already knows they need to do, but my guess is that fewer than 5% of business owners have a system in place that they consistently follow through with. You need a system that is about 75% automated, and most of what isn’t automated should be able to be handled by a VA or other office personnel. If you can’t afford the help, you simply need to schedule about time after every networking event to get people into the system. A great follow-up system begins with a way of keeping track of all those business cards so you can quickly recommend your fellow business owners and have the contact info right at [...]

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Author: Darlene Hull As start ups we often offer to barter our services. We did this quite a bit last year and it nearly killed us. Here’s why: If everyone’s bartering, no one’s getting paid. If you’re not getting paid, you’re not able to hire help. If you can’t hire help you’re doing all the work yourself, and if you’re doing that, you don’t have time to build your business. Some barters are awesome: I barter with my bookkeeper. We’re both ecstatic. Most are just busy work. My current rule is that I don’t barter monthly services unless the person I’m bartering for can bring me 3 paying clients, and I only barter one-off services (set up costs, graphics, coaching) for one-off services I truly need. And currently, I’m not open to much of either. Here’s what you need to know – if you’re not getting paid, you’re not in business (Melanie Hayden-Sparks). End of story. Avoid it like the plague. Darlene Be A Star! Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog. I’d sure appreciate it! Thanks!

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Many entrepreneurial businesses don’t have a residual income option. This can be hazardous to your health. If you were, for some reason, unable to work, you need to know income would continue to come in even without you being in your office. There’s almost always a way to create residual income from what you’re doing. Find out how, and get it done. That way, if you end up in the hospital, or you decide you’d love to go away for a month, your business can still be bringing in money. Ask yourself: Can I write a book? Can I create a video series? Can I offer an MP3 or CD? Can I create a certification program? Can I create a monthly membership program? It’s rare to find a business that can’t offer anything as a residual product. Find yours sooner rather than later! It will save you many headaches later on, and enable you to bring in some money much more quickly! What residual income stream do you have in your business? Share your ideas below! Maybe it will spark some creativity for someone else! Darlene Be A Star!Post your comments below and join in the conversation (or get it started!) and then share this post with your friends using the different share buttons on the blog.I’d sure appreciate it! Thanks!

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Best way to cook zucchini and carrots. AMAZING! The zucchini is good, but the carrots are out of this world good...they taste like sweet potato fries! [475 degrees / 20 min]. Interested in trying this.

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wish your clients a happy birthday

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Might need this some day