A hunter is an individual who is good at getting out there and making a sale.  A farmer is an individual who is content with maintaining current business.  One is not better than the other.  A hunter can be a farmer, but a farmer is not good at being a hunter.

Only 20% of the 300,000,000 people in the US are hunters by nature.  Competition, presentations, risk and rewards help hunters thrive and build.  Farmers prefer knowing what tasks need to be done to make a customer happy, but not the selling part.

For every 100 clients that a hunter brings in (may vary on your field of work) they need a farmer to maintain the business for them.

Which are you – the HUNTER or the FARMER?  Analyze this before taking a position or hiring an employee for a position that will require them to be what they are not.

After reviewing the current company I work for, I realized that “YES IT CAN!”  It is a piece to the recipe of success.

Now my main focus is to create that with everyone else in the office and to stress this “predictabilty & reliability” theory.  I hope that they accept it and feel the “AHHHHHHH” moment that I did.

Time: 6:30pm – whenever

When: 08/24/10 – Tonight, sorry about the late notice

We will be discussing new business cards and sharing what we have each accomplished this past month.

Since we are going to rotate to different restaurants email me if you are interested in attending.

The site is really easy to use and comes with free templates.

I have been at five trade shows in less than two months.  Each trade show has been a fierce competition for the customer’s attention.

One booth had a magician pulling objects out of thin air, another booth had a psychic telling fortunes, crowds gathered for the shows.  Now I am not saying hire an entertainer but they did draw the crowds.  But out of those standing around I wonder how many were truly interested in the product/service.

Another tactic was to have a door prize this is a great way to market your company.  Collect emails and have a list created for follow up.  We offered a free webinar, that didn’t cost our company any money up front (wish it was an ipad-that would have been the best free gift).  Find ways to be creative in a slow economy (that is turning around).

We also purchased fortune cookies that told the client that they were going to use our company.  We always have pens and high quality looks great, but you (depending on the company) can also try fun pens and different kinds for each year.  Having different fun options for customers will bring their eye to your table and that gives you the chance to rope them in.

Keep in mind that potential clients are not going to just stop and ask about your company (very rare) you have to draw them in.  Ask them field specific questions. Like, “Are you looking to cut cost in ____ area?”   Then I would say something to the effect of “I have some great informational materials to help you achieve that goal, and you can call me and I can walk you through the steps.”

Give them a chance to talk, learn about them, find out where your company can meet a potential need.

There are more great ideas, I will get around to them another time.

• monthly projection for sales for at least three years
• create a monthly and annual budget
• be prepared to explain how you arrived at these numbers (your research should be your backup)
• outline start-up costs
• balance sheet
• and a cash flow statement

A great resource to nail this section is www.score.org and www.onlinewbc.gov.  Good luck with your business plan!!!

• sole proprietor
• partnership
• corporation
• limited liability

Explain the advantages your structure in your business.