Your Christian Business Boss

Many of us get into our own business to prove to ourselves we can; to make an difference, and to even share in a slice of the trillion dollar pie. Even though the online business landscape has been soaring “all ahead full” for over a decade now, there is still so much to room for growth; for any business industry, and every business size. So, how can you take full advantage and capture “your” piece of the ever-expanding pie?

Let me ask you this…

• Who do you think is really responsible for the success on an online business endeavor?
• Who do you think really creates all the new cutting edge technologies?
• Who do you really think is responsible for some of today’s leading e-marketing strategies?
•  Who do you think truly dictates your financial bottom line?

In a single word… Customers!

That’s right! It is the input and responses of millions upon million of customers that teach us what works and what does not. Our customers tell us what they really want and what they really need.

 My next question… How carefully do you listen?

Need Satisfaction Selling

How well you listen and respond to both your current and prospective customers will certainly play a most significant role every time you analyze your Profit and Loss Statement.

 Many e-business owners absolutely cringe when they receive a heated response from their customers. I on the other hand enjoy reading their questions, comments and concerns very much. By being a good listener you can surely identify your customers needs. By specifically making this identification, you can plan and execute your next moves.

 You see, by ultimately satisfying your customers wants and needs you can effectively reduce buying objections and make your entire sales process that much easier. After all, it would be extremely uncomfortable for a prospect to say, “No” if you bring to them exactly what they asked for. It really is just that simple.

 Are You Placing Your Cart Before Your Horse?

All too often, e-business owners want to jump out and create an elaborate web site without even first finding out as much as they can about the exact needs of their target market.

 This is what I call, “Putting the cart before the horse”!

 My Consultant’s Hat

During those times in my daily routine that I slip on my “Consultant’s Hat”, I adamantly urge e-business owners to perform the following procedures in this precise order:

1. Build relationships. (Create and manage a contact list.)
2. Ask open ended questions (who, what, why, where, when and how).
3. Methodically analyze their answers.
4. Build solutions based on your findings that will clearly and unmistakably satisfy their all-important needs.
5. Advise your customers of the completion of your project.
6. Ask for the sale!
7. Close the sale!
8. Count your profits and begin all over again ultimately presenting up sell products or services depending upon your e-business landscape.

Always remember to…

• Look
• Listen
• Learn
•  Respond
•  React

…whenever it comes down to satisfying your customers needs. Which should be always!

You and your banker will be glad you did!

Remember, call me if you need me! I am always here to help.

Have an outstanding week and remember to “laugh”!

God’s blessings and great success always,

Tony

Tony Marino
Founder/Executive Publisher
Christian Times Online
http://www.ChristianTimesNewsletter.com

Will Google Kill Twitter?

As a Christian business owner, you should be mindful of any new technology that hits the streets. Google’s all-new “Buzz” application is no exception. And, like any newly released business or personal application, comes new money-making oportunities for you. For example, we are already seeing online marketers developing e-books, audios, and videos (for sale) explaining how one might more effectively utilize Google’s new product release.

My point here is to encourage you to keep an open mind to the possibilities and how you, too can directly benefit each time a new product and/or service is rolled out across the open marketplace (Marino, 2010).

Google killed Twitter today. With the launch of Google Buzz they ruthlessly attacked Twitter’s weaknesses and quietly set the scene for subsequent creeping infiltration into Microsoft’s stronghold in the enterprise market. Buzz is a big deal.

Google’s Buzz is presented as a simple rival to Twitter. It shows up discreetly as a tab in Gmail, will play nicely with other social media platforms and allows users to automatically follow/be followed by people within their existing email contact database. Responses are presented in the Gmail inbox which means that for most users there may be no need for dedicated platforms such as TweetDeck and Seesmic.

Google has clearly put a lot of thought into Buzz and has built it from scratch to integrate closely with Gmail. This means that it can handle photos and video without extra applications, and it’s location aware and mobile ready. And if you want to be found, you just know that Buzz updates are going to be indexed by Google like lightning. Google’s announcement with a nice summary video is here.

Many people have been saying over the last few months that Google should just buy Twitter, but it now seems obvious that Big G thinks they can do better than spending big bucks on the acquisition and then having to integrate Twitter’s code into the Googleplex.

As an indication of just how much impact Buzz is going to have, there are already reports of big brands leaping on board , trying to promote their own hash tags – even though Buzz doesn’t support the “#” symbol yet – and responding to brand mentions. That’s within the first 24 hours. We are going to see a frenzy of early adopters.

There are some naysayers, of course, and Google hasn’t helped themselves by appearing to rush the release of a product that shows some signs of being a beta release.

But this is Day One and if Google can launch a call center to support the Nexus phone within a month of its launch then we can be sure that it’s not going to drop the ball on its first foray into realtime updates.

So what are the takeaways from all this?

First and most depressingly, we’re going to have to deal with an upsurge of ridiculous neologisms. Having slowly come to terms with words like Tweet, Twitterati, Twitpocalypse and fail whale, we’re now going to be learning a new language of Buzzes, Buzzers and Buzzerific. Well, maybe not that last one, but who really knows? It’s going to be bad for anyone of a sensitive disposition.

Second, Twitter is going to have to move fast to build out its infrastructure and improve its uptime. The fail whale has been seen much too often and especially for corporate users, it discourages enterprise adoption. They will rush to Buzz unless Twitter improves. Twitter is the first company in Google’s sights.

Third, Buzz also threatens a whole bunch of other companies. We’ve already mentioned some of the Twitter desktop clients like Seesmic and TweetDeck, but there’s an entire ecosystem of Twitter companies that will now be looking over their shoulders. An offering from Google that tightly integrates Gmail, Google Apps and Buzz into Android and Chrome mobile platforms is going to be incredibly attractive to business users. And another reason to abandon Office and move to Google Apps will hit Microsoft in the one place where it still makes most of its money. Integration with Gmail and Android perhaps kills Yammer and Salesforce’s Chatter. And so on.

What does this mean for publishers, affiliates, networks and the rest of us? It means there’s opportunity. Buzz may just be the catalyst for a general shift to an integrated Google platform/ecosystem, but in the meantime the disruption means that there is money to be made (Trayhorn, 2010).

Peace and God’s joy always,

Tony

Tony Marino
Founder, Executive Publisher
Christian Times Online
http://www.ChristianTimesNewsletter.com

Article Co-Contributor: Chris Trayhorn
Publication: mThink.com

Christian Business People Online

Christian fellowship should be considered an essential mindset and practice for any and all Christian business people.  In fact, the Holy Bible tells us not to be yoked with unbelievers. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

We also know that a good friend is not someone who necessarily agrees with everything you do and say-it’s somebody who lovingly challenges you to be a better person. We grow in maturity when we can test our thoughts and ideas against another person, and when we’re open to correction when we’re wrong.  

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” Proverbs 27:17.

One technique I like to use in that this Christian business relationship building process renders favorable results is illustrated as follows:

• Go to Google.com.
• Search the keyword phrase “online Christian business networking.”
• Click through to the various web sites rendered by your search query.
• Visit their “About Us” or “Mission Statement” page(s).
• Identify the web site owner or owner’s group.
• Direct contact the web site owner or owner’s group and inquire about their offering.
• If favorable, join the Christian business organization.
• Engage and collaborate with other Christian Business members.
• Build and nurture long-term Christian business relationships.

Always remember, you are NOT aligning with these online Christian business networks and directories to jam your product and service down anyone’s throat. Your initial purpose should be that of Christian friendship (fellowship). Be sure to make the time to not only plant your “fellowship” seed, but give those seeds time to grow. As your Christian business relationships deepen, your harvest time will become apparent. This is when you will harvest the fruits of your effective Christian business networking process.

• Be patient and give the Christian relationship time to grow. (Trust God.)
• Be of service (Be a “giver”, rather than a “taker”).
• Ask God to embolden your Christian business relationships for His glory.
• Be fervent. Stay with it. Be ever engaging.
• Have faith and know that you are on the right path to Christian business growth.

One caveat about “faith”, do Faith and Works Go Together? Real, impacting, effectual faith will have results. It will be lived out! Faith is received alone, but it does not just stand alone; it is to be shown. Faith will be backed up by the proof that it is present in a person.

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” James 2:26.

As you begin to decide where you will align your Christian business networking options, you must be prepared to go the distance. Do NOT proceed with a “lukewarm” attitude. Carefully plan your Christian business collaboration efforts. Adhere to your plan and make modifications where and when necessary; be dynamic (flexibility).

One final note, be sure to make “them” the star! Make others feel important (service or ministry). Remember to check your “ego” at the door. Be humble, too.

Being humble simply means, “NOT to think less of yourself, but to think of your self less.”  

To help you get started with your Christian business networking practices, and in order to meet more Christian business people online, I would encourage you to take a look at the Christian Business Network. Membership in the Christian Business Network will be an effective way to meet real Christian business owners, and membership is absolutely free.

To get more details and to register for the Christian Business Network, please visit the following link:

Christian Business Network
http://christbusinessnetwork.com/

I look forward to meeting you on the inside!

Peace, joy, and God’s prosperity always,

Tony

Tony Marino
Founder, Executive Publisher
Christian Times Online
http://www.ChristianTimesNewsletter.com

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