The Great Business

When was the last time you were at a networking event, or a business lunch, a seminar or an exhibition? It’s inevitable that someone will have asked you – “And what do you do?” The question is; how did you answer?

Perhaps you said – “I’m in the printing business.” Or “I’m the sales manager for a software company.” Or “I’m a Biodiversity Action Plan Co-ordinator.” (I saw this job advertised in the local paper, and haven’t a clue what it means!)

If you’re saying anything similar to this, then I want you to stop forthwith! It’s boring, it stops the conversation dead in its tracks, and it does nothing to help your business.

You need a ‘Sloggo’ – an ‘Elevator Speech’ – ‘A Sixteen Second Sizzler!’ Call it what you will, but it needs to be a brief description of what you do, and who you do it for.

There must be a benefit

It needs to be a benefit statement that offers value to your customer or client. It needs to be short and punchy (10-20 seconds) and encourage the other person to say – “Tell me more!”

You can have different Sloggos depending on whom you’re speaking to. It’s also something you would say when you call a prospective customer on the phone or leave a voice message. It should be on your outgoing voice mail messages, business cards, brochures, letterheads, website and email signature.

And just in case you haven’t worked it out yet; Sloggo is a combination of Slogan and Logo. It is not to be confused with Sloggi, the underwear people, unless your Sloggo turns out to be ‘pants!’

Practise, practise

Yes, it has become a norm among the community to seek financial advice from an expert because they are totally psyched by the intricacies of the financial issues. Often it is because people are flabbergasted by the amount of things to look into, although it might not be so, causing them to have no sane mind to make the right decision. However, the truth is actually simple – financial decisions require fairly straightforward consideration and can be done by anyone without professional help.

There are multiple key issues to contemplate, if you wish to conduct a financial planning. But fret not; they are not as complicated as you might think. The initial step would be giving thoughts about your life insurance policy. This is utterly important, if there is someone dependent on your income – your ailing parents, partner or children. Hunt for a good insurance company and buy the Term Insurance. Try to avoid unnecessary extra policies like Variable Life, Whole Life or Universal Life as they are merely “cash value” policies, giving not much additional benefits to what you basically need.

Some people claim that the financial advice given by a financial planner is much more reliable but take note, disregard of how perfect the budgeting and money organizing plan a planner can design for you, it does not bring any point if you do not have the initiation to adhere to. In other words, it all lies in yourself to control your expenditure. Save your buck for the professional services, you can be planner yourself. Go through your bank statements, credit card expenses, and list out the necessities you need, away from redundant desires. It is usually the desires that crushes your beautiful plan so try to draw them away.