My Top 5 Repinned Pins In Pinterest

(Say that title fast 5 times)

***This post originally appeared in my other blog (mymommyblog2.blogspot.com).***

I thought it would be fun to take a moment and see what pins on Pinterest have been the most popular of all my 2,014 Pins.  I didn't join the world of Pinterest until mid-March 2013, and I admit that I am "mildly" addicted.

1. Board: JMB Designs, LLC Web Design & Marketing

   

   Copyright belongs to original owner

   
   
   Music/Internet related graphic  Sometimes people just want to read something that makes them smile and is light-hearted. This is my most repinned pin and most of those pinners did so within hours of this pin being added to my company board.
   
   
   
   
2. Board: Ideas for a Suburban Garden
   
   

   

   
   

   Copyright belongs to original owner

   Companion Planting Strawberries This popular pin surprised me.  I pinned it after I bought strawberry seeds for my oldest daughter.  I thought it would be a great way to start learning about container gardening.  I had also taken an interest in growing green peppers, and I wanted to know how compatible the two seeds are if grown together.  The website I pinned is full of great information.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Board: Why I Love the West Coast
   
   

   

   
   

   Copyright belongs to original owner

   132 Things to Do in Sacramento  I was raised on the West Coast of the United States and still love it after being away for almost 20 years.  I lived most of the time in Sacramento and found this great page on tripadvisor's website.  This pin gets repinned just about every day.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Board: Wheat Free, Corn Free, Soy Free Cooking
   
   

   

   
   

   Copyright belongs to original owner

   Cooking & Baking Gluten-Free: Xanthum Gum Substitutes This pin takes you to a great website with Gluten-Free cooking and baking tips.  The specific page I pinned discusses substitutes for xanthum gum, a popular ingredient used in GF baking.  My daughter has a corn allergy and xanthum gum is derived from corn so I wanted to learn if I could substitute that ingredient in my baking. You can!  This website explains how.
5. Board: Kid's Hair Styles
   
   

   

   
   

   Copyright belongs to original owner

   Beads, Braids and Beyond: Updo Hairstyle I have 2 girls and I am always looking for cute hairstyles.  This updo is the 5th most popular pin of all my pins.  I have several pins from this website.  They have great photos and tutorials for doing various hairstyles.
















PSSST!  Look Down.  Don't forget to pin this page.

Client Shout Outs (aka A Great Big Thank You)

I decided to take a moment to start a post that I hope to do more often, give a quick thank you to new clients.

E & W Cleaning Services, LLC ( http://www.eandwcleaning.com )

Thank you to a great new member of the JMB Designs family . We provided logo and web design services to E & W Cleaning Services, LLC.  It's a family owned, small business who needed a basic web presence to support their new business.

Motorcycle Awareness Day ( http://motorcycleawarenessdaysc.com )

Thank you to Mr. Lloyd who hired us to help create a one page website to help promote motorcycle safety in honor of his friends Jeremy Phillips and Danielle Hazelrigg . Learn more and support his cause by visiting his website.

Does your business need a one page website? Why one page? New or small businesses need a website presence in order to be found by potential customers.  Those same businesses may have budget restrictions because they are start-ups.  Our One Page Websites fill that need.  Visit www.jmbdesigns.net

Home Office Versus Workspace

Work from home? Find ways to love your workspace.

A few months ago I realized something very special.  I sat at my kitchen table looking out at the tall Pine trees and young Oak trees in the backyard, admiring how the sun filters through the fresh green leaves.  I had my laptop in front of me, steaming cup of dark roast coffee with hazelnut creamer on the left, and smartphone on the right.  I was ready to start my work day.  This is not going to be a blog entry about how wonderful I think it is to be able to work from home.  Instead it’s going to be a blog entry about how to enjoy working from home.

I have a home office.  The traditional desk, desktop PC, all in one multifunction printer, file cabinets, and office supplies.  You know, the same equipment that someone who works in a traditional office is surrounded by, expect it takes up part of my daily living space.  My home office is in a room with one window, a not-so-great view, and not much else that is inspiring.  When you are in an industry that relies on creativity this type of home office doesn’t always help the creative juices flow.  The beach scene on the mouse pad and inspirational quotes hanging around the PC monitor help, but it’s not the same.

The “something very special” I realized a few months ago is that I can have a home office in one location in my home, but I can have my workspace anywhere.

I do not have the luxury of going to work at the beach, or even a local coffee shop.  I do have the luxury of having a great home network.  This allows me to work anywhere in my home and, within range, outside of my home.

So I now have a traveling workspace.  Whether it’s the kitchen table, living room couch, garage, backyard, or even the front seat of the SUV (yes, some days that is the only quiet place to be); I have learned to love my workspace.

Your Home Network

If you want to try out a workspace in your home away from the home office, but you want to avoid the constant up and down of having to get up and retrieve items and information from your main work area then network your home electronics.  I have my laptop networked so that I can access my PC and external drives at my main desk.  I can work with files and print paperwork from whatever workspace I am in at the moment.

Google Drive

I have been using Google Drive before it was ever called Google Drive.  I can create documents, spreadsheets, etc. on one device (i.e. my laptop) and instantly they are in the cloud to be accessed by my other devices (PC, or Android smartphone).  My reach is extended because I can also share those documents with anyone who uses Google Drive.  As a result, collaboration and productivity is increased beyond my workspace.

If you’re like me and love what you do, why not love the space you do it in.  Working from home doesn’t mean you have to be tied to a desk in your home office.  If another area in, or outside, your home inspires you and makes you more productive, make that your new workspace.

Negative Words That Will Kill Your Sales Pitch

Can Negative Words Loose You Sales?

Early in my sales career I attended a sales training class that talked about how words can have a negative effect on your customers and turn them off from making a decision about your service, or product.

Cheap Versus Inexpensive

“I’m looking for a cheap car.”

A customer may say that to you. As a salesperson you know the customer is talking about price and not quality.  

“We have plenty of cheap cars”, says the eager salesperson.

Are you guilty of telling a potential customer that you have just what they need at a cheap price? Always remember cheap is a reflection of quality.  As soon as you say the word “cheap”, even if you are referencing a 2013 BMW 740Li, you have just told the customer’s mind that this product is sub-par and inferior.

The dictionary definition of inexpensive may tell you that the word “cheap” is a synonym that can be used interchangeably.   This is not the case when selling.  The word “inexpensive” references price, not quality. When you tell a potential customer that your service or item is “inexpensive” you have let them know that they can expect a reasonable price for a quality product or service.   As you give the customer your list of features and benefits they can truly focus on the excellent quality you are offering them at such a great price.

Remember: Cheap is a reflection of quality.  Lower priced items are simply “inexpensive”.

Don't say “But”?

In a sentence the word “but” immediately takes what has started as a positive sentence and turns it negative.  If you don’t believe me, the next time a woman asks you how her new outfit looks tell her, “It looks good, but..."

The word “but” is a stop word with negative connotations. It tells the brain to stop going in the positive direction the conversation was headed in and prepare to change thoughts in a negative way.  We do not want our customer’s mind to stop in the middle of our great sales pitch and be inadvertently told to now look at our conversation in a negative way.

Many times we use the word “but” as a “word whisker” more than a necessary conjunction. It replaces, “um” or “you know”.  Try this during your next sales pitch or presentation.  Do not use the word “but”.  

For example, turn the sentence, “We can customize the website to fit your needs, but we also want it to be easy for the end user to navigate” to “We can customize the website to fit your needs, AND we also want it to be easy for the end user to navigate”. 

An even better exercise is to go through the day in ordinary conversation without using the word “but”.  I do this constantly in order to remind myself not to use the word “but” when talking to potential clients.

Small, simple words can make or break your sales pitch.  If you believe in the product or service you are selling you should want to be positive about it at all times.

Selling Your Web Design Services

Truth #1: As a web design company owner you are a sales person FIRST!

If you don’t want to sell your company’s services and you only want to build websites you need to go work for a great company or hire yourself an awesome salesperson.

Before I became a web designer I told my husband my only skill was selling. It was true.  I had been in sales since I was 18. It wasn’t my passion, but it was my gift.  I came by it naturally.  My gift was enhanced by sales training from some of the top sales people in America: Zig Ziglar, John Lawhon, and Floyd Wickman.

Today I want to share the #1 tool that took me from good to great in retail sales and that has only enhanced my ability to sell web design services.

Selling is: Giving people the information they need to make the best buying decision. -John Lawhon

I memorized that quote from John Lawhon’s book Selling Retail.  Most salespeople don’t give a potential customer or client the information they need to make the best buying decision.  Instead a salesperson usually gives the customer irrelevant information they feel the customer needs to hear as they try to convince the customer that “you need to buy today and you need to buy from me”.

As a web design salesperson how do you give the potential client the information they need to make the best buying decision?

Qualify Your Potential Client. This is the process of asking questions to find out the needs of the potential client. Before you can tell the lead what you can do for them, you need to know what they want.

Ask questions such as:

What type of business/project do you need the website for?
What pages did you have in mind for the website?
Do you want a brochure website that is more informational or do you want the website to be dynamic?
Do you have a budget for the project?

The Lesson: The more you know the potential client’s needs and wants the better you will be able to give them the information they need to make the best buying decision when it comes to hiring a web designer. 

You will get hired if you stand out as a different salesperson. The type that really cares and will do their best to make sure to meet the client's needs.

Is Your Small Business Stuck in a Rut? 6 Tips to Help You Get Out

Dictionary.com defines a rut as: A long deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles.

How deep is the rut your business is in?  Have you been passing over the same track everyday with your small or home based business and you have now come to a stand still?

Do not feel it’s time to figuratively “close shop” or turn that business into a hobby.  It’s time to step outside of your front door, look at the world around you, and start fresh.  

Treat TODAY as the opening day of your business.  Rekindle the love, excitement, and joy you had when you started your business.

1. Commit. No matter how long you have been in business.  Commit yourself again to being a success. Create a new mission statement for your business.  What is your purpose?  What is your goal?  Why are you offering your service or product?
   
2. Write Down the Positives. Make a list of the top 10 great things about your business.  Have you successfully served many clients?  Do you offer a quality product people recommend to others?  Remind yourself about the good your business has accomplished.
   
3. Be Honest.  Write down the top 3 reasons you feel business is not what it used to be.  Have you experienced personal challenges? Have you slipped in customer service?  Have you just gotten lazy?  Be honest with yourself and identify the real issues.
   
4. Be Proactive. Once you have acknowledged the top 3 reasons your business has suffered, write down how you plan to change those negatives into positives.  Do you need to redo your schedule to be more realistic?  Does your work area need to be away from distractions so you can work more focused?
   
5. Listen. Ask those around you who understand you and your business what they would do to promote the business if it was their own.  Hold your own “board meeting”. Fresh ideas can come from a great brainstorming session with people you trust.
   
6. Be a future thinker.  Think about how your business will benefit you, your family, and community in the years to come.  Will it provide your sole means of financial support?  Will it allow your family to go on a great vacation every year?  Can you help your loved ones in their time of need?  Will you be the “next big thing” that has the Internet buzzing?

Now is the time to climb out of that rut.  Don’t allow yourself to get stuck. Find the love you had at first for your business and you will find the way to success.

How to Pronounce Meme

I saw a funny meme the other day and was excited to share it with my husband.  As I was getting ready to call him over to the computer to look at the meme I asked myself,

"Am I pronouncing the word "meme" correctly?"

So I consulted Google.  Needless to say I was surprised by all the detailed dissertations people have posted online about how to pronounce this word.  Then I found this great YouTube video that sums up the answer in 8 seconds. Enjoy!