Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro: Sales

January 2009
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June 19, 2008

4 Hour Workweek vs. GTD

One of my favorite books in recent years is the 4 Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss. Tim challenges readers to work less and play more, what he calls lifestyle design. Without getting into the details of the book here, I wanted to share a post from his blog.

Responding to a post on Entrepreneur Magazine's blog, Tim writes:

"Despite the disproportionate attention paid to them, personal outsourcing and selective ignorance are just two chapters out of 16 in 4HWW. There is a lot more to information management and intake control in 4HWW (interruption prevention, internal policies, scripts with superiors, etc.) than “batching” e-mail."

This was in response to a comment in the article:

“Timothy Ferriss is focused on outsourcing and not checking e-mail so often. The last time I checked, the amount of e-mail you get is not a function of how often you check e-mail,” [Mark] Hurst says. “David Allen’s approach is a bit of a throwback to a pre-internet age when having complex flowcharts, filing papers and creating tickler items was relevant…”

Eliminate Before You Optimize!

I thought his post was interesting and gives some insight into different methodologies to stay productive.

June 19, 2008 at 06:22 PM in 4 Hour Workweek, Business, Contact Management, Email, Entrepreneurs, Follow Up, Getting Things Done, Goals, Organizing, Sales, Time Management, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

June 06, 2008

Seth Godin Offers a Lengthy Email Checklist

Author and Permission Marketing Expert Seth Godin offers a great checklist to review before sending email. It's a little impractical to run through the checklist every time you send a message, but I think his point is to make you stop and think about how you use email.

Here is a short sample from Seth's list:

4. Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it?

8. Aside: the definition of permission marketing: Anticipated, personal and relevant messages delivered to people who actually want to get them. Nowhere does it say anything about you and your needs as a sender. Probably none of my business, but I'm just letting you know how I feel. (And how your prospects feel).

9. Is the email from a real person? If it is, will hitting reply get a note back to that person? (if not, change it please).

22. Is there anyone copied on this email who could be left off the list?

Send Messages to People
Who Want to Get Them

I have to think that some of the items on the list are included for humor's sake alone. But, I think his point comes across loud and clear that people communicate too often through email on things that other people probably don't care about. It's also a great reminder to CYA to protect yourself.

June 6, 2008 at 02:59 PM in Contact Management, Email, Productivity, Relationship Marketing, Sales | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 07, 2008

Launched a New Blog Called Attracting Ideal Clients

Want to grow your business? I have launched a new blog called Attracting Ideal Clients. This blog is for small business owners, especially service professionals, who want to grow their business by attracting their ideal clients. More on this in a moment.

If you've read The PDA Pro Blog for awhile, you know that I cover a wide range of topics. I post on productivity, technology, sales and personal development topics. I'm passionate about helping people live productive and effective lives. I just love seeing people in their element, working smarter not harder. That's fun. What's not fun is feeling disorganized and overwhelmed. That's leads to procrastination and avoiding what you need to do.

In my business, I spend much of my time working with home-based service professionals. That includes coaches, consultants, virtual assistants and professional organizers. I love the entrepreneurial spirit. It's fun to launch a business and see it take off. Of course, owning a business is risky. And it can lead to a lot of additional stress.

My value system reflects my philosophy on building long-term relationships. And I've found the best relationships in business come from working with your ideal clients. This is the basis for building a successful referral based business.

Attract your Ideal Clients
and They Will Seek You Out!

And so it's with that concept that I've launched a new blog, Attracting Ideal Clients. There's a push/pull nature to marketing. Marketers often push their messages onto people. And that's effective to a certain extent. But, it's more effective when you can pull or attract your ideal clients to you. They will SEEK you out. That's really powerful!

And it's easier than ever to do this today using the internet. But, it takes a lot of work and you need to know what you're doing. I'm still refining my own approach. But, I have always jumped on top of any opportunity to get my message out there and attract people to what I'm doing.

So, Attracting Ideal Clients, is focused on teaching you how to identify who your ideal clients are, learning where to find them, what to say to them, and how to begin building a relationship with them that ultimately leads them to ask to be a client. But, it's not just about how to use the internet. I'll discuss mainstream topics like writing articles, teaching workshops and teleseminars, making phone calls, sending cards and networking more effectively. It's all of the things you can do to communicate your message and attract your ideal clients.

Yes, you still need to be able to sell. But, focusing on attracting your ideal clients will create an endless stream of leads and referrals. So, check it out and post a comment. The site is pretty slim at the moment, but I will add to it over time. Thanks!

Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro
http://www.ThePDApro.com

February 7, 2008 at 12:00 PM in Business, Coaching and Consulting, Contact Management, Entrepreneurs, Follow Up, New Media, Relationship Marketing, Sales, Sales Productivity, Social Networking, The PDA Pro | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 11, 2008

Jerry Hart Shares Tips on Using Google Alerts

A good friend of mine, Jerry Hart, CEO of Hart Creative Marketing, recently shared tips on using Google Alerts. Jerry is an Internet Marketing and Social Media Expert. He helps companies craft and deliver their marketing message online through websites, blogs and social media.

Bring it up from your soul and
get it up on the Web

Jerry says:

"Know that commenting on blogs is a big traffic driver for you. So, spend less time getting to deep into any one article and comment on what you’ve read in the first or last paragraph or headline. Then, go back to your email of Google Alert results and click to your second Google Alert result, read only a bit, save that site, blog, or network and move on by going back to your Google Alerts and finding another authority you can save in your www.roboform.com or www.clipmarks.com favorite sites folder. Both are the bomb and will make you feel like a blue angel pilot flying thru sites efficiently who can find content later that you liked today."

That's a great suggestion to use your time more productively. Remember to be authentic and focus on offering value when posting a comment on a blog. Keep it simple until you have had an opportunity to post a few times. Blogs have followings and you need to be aware that people will notice if you are a little too pushy or aggressive in sharing your message. The same is true when posting messages in online discussion groups or through social networks.

Hart also shares advice on how to give accolades to other bloggers when you sincerely feel it.

January 11, 2008 at 02:37 PM in Entrepreneurs, Getting Things Done, Organizing, Productivity, Sales | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 04, 2008

Do You Have Self-Discipline?

One of the keys to being productive is being self-disciplined. What is self-discipline? It's a characteristic that allows you to focus on your priorities and avoid distractions and interruptions. It is living your life on purpose.

Success guru Mike Litman posted on his blog:

"For so many years of my life my self-discipline was terrible. This lack of self-discipline kept me running around in circles, procrastinating like a king, and always chasing the ‘latest greatest idea’. Have you ever been ‘there’? I’m glad I’m not ‘there’ anymore and I work daily on bringing more self-discipline into my life."

Mike goes on to say that, "when we don’t have a VISION for our lives, we throw off self-discipline, self-control, and order."

So I ask you, do you have self-discipline? Do you stay on task? Do you commit to do something and then get it done? Or do you find yourself procrastinating? Do you put off till tomorrow what you could do today?

Self-discipline is a challenge because it requires you to get outside of your comfort zone and play big.

We've shared a lot of great information on how to get productive during our teleseminar series, the 12 Days of Productivity. All of calls are recorded and available at no charge to help you increase your productivity.

What steps are you going to take this year to get focused, increase your productivity and develop the self-discipline you need to move forward and achieve your goals?

January 4, 2008 at 10:13 AM in Business, Personal Development, Productivity, Sales | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 14, 2007

The PDA Pro Records a New Audio Program

I'm excited to be able to share a few details about a current project I'm working on. I'm developing an audio program which will be launching in October. I assembled a team to help support me in this project and we have been working diligently all summer long.

The topic is on Follow Up. This is an extremely critical area in sales and can really benefit from the clever use of technology. I was surprised to find very little material on the topic. It's almost always covered as an afterthought.

I just returned from the recording studio today where I cut the final audio tracks for the program. I have the good fortune of being able to work with Barbara Beal Lopez from Brightfarm Productions. You can't imagine the amount of work that's required to produce a product. It takes an enormous amount of work. I'll be glad when this is done. Of course, then comes marketing and sales. It's all good.

Check back soon for more details. As The PDA Pro, I will continue to provide tips, strategies and advice on sales as well as PDAs and smartphones. My official definition for PDA is Productivity, Discipline and Action. You can increase your Productivity if you exercise Discipline and take Action. And this audio program will give you tips and strategies to develop the discipline to follow up.

September 14, 2007 at 09:35 PM in Business Networking, Contact Management, Email, Follow Up, Organizing, Relationship Marketing, Sales, Sales Productivity, Social Networking, Success, The PDA Pro, Time Management | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 28, 2007

Announcement: University of Masters Interviews The PDA Pro

Archived Call will be available soon - Request the call here

I'm excited to announce my new role of Master Teacher with the University of Masters (UOM). It fits well with the services I provide through The PDA Pro. My new class, Sales Strategies for Entrepreneurs, is designed for the busy small business owner who is responsible for generating sales, but often gets overwhelmed from too many responsibilities.

This continues my commitment toward supporting the business community through services aimed at improving sales effectiveness. My role as a Partner with Conselleo for the past three years has given me an opportunity to serve corporate sales clients through sales training and sales management consulting. Now, I have an opportunity to reach small business entrepreneurs with my own brand of common sense sales productivity through the University of Masters.

One of the unique aspects of my sales philosophy is my emphasis on sales productivity. I specialize in helping people leverage technology tools in their business. I take people step by step through the process of making better use of their email, contact management system, social networking sites, PDAs and smartphones. But, I begin with a focus on learning sales fundamentals. Entrepreneurs have special needs and the University of Masters has gathered over 30 Master Teachers to cover all aspects of personal development.

You're Invited!

You're invited to join us for a call on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 6pm PST. I will be interviewed by UOM Founder Pamela Harper. I'm excited about the opportunity to connect with students/members and offer insights that will help them take their sales game to the next level. Guests are welcome to join us to learn more.

Learn the shortcuts to sales success! Learn how to improve your sales results and increase your sales productivity.

UOM Founder Pamela Harper Interviews The PDA Pro
(F'REE Call)

Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
6-7pm PST

What you'll learn:

How Rick is helping entrepreneurs achieve outstanding results
How you can leverage technology in your business
How you can attend Rick's upcoming classes

Who should attend?

Entrepreneurs
Small business owners
Consultants
Coaches
Network marketers
Professional services firms

Join us for an entertaining phone interview between Pamela Harper, with Rick Cooper, The PDA Pro. Rick specializes in helping entrepreneurs achieve outstanding results. He helps people leverage technology, resources and habits to improve their sales productivity and increase their sales results. This call is guaranteed to be informational as well as entertaining. Learn how Rick is building his company and leveraging technology to reach a larger audience.

Pamela Harper earned the title Master Teacher because of her tireless efforts at educating and empowering groups and individuals on the correlation between Visualization and Manifesting Health, Wealth and Happiness. She is a Registered Nurse, Counselor and Hypnotherapist with 24 years experience as a Motivational Speaker. Her life-changing audio programs accomplish in weeks what takes years of traditional therapy. She is especially gifted at conducting interactive groups and hosting celebrated guests. Pamela is a best selling author and media personality.

Pamela and Rick will be joined on the call by Dr. Christina Winsey-Rudd. Both Pamela and Christina host periodic interviews with Masters.

Get notified when the archived call is available

Learn more about Sales Strategies for Entrepreneurs

August 28, 2007 at 03:09 PM in Coaching and Consulting, Entrepreneurs, Personal Development, Relationship Marketing, Sales, Sales Productivity, Teleclasses, The PDA Pro | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 27, 2007

Biznik - Yet Another Social Networking Site

Logo_biznik Have you had enough of Social Networks? Apparently not! Because they keep sprouting up like weeds. Lori Richardson, the Sales Process Diva, posted about a new site, Biznik, which bills itself as a "Business Networking that Doesn't Suck". Maybe that's a nod to the fact that there are way too many sites out there already and many people are having a challenge navigating them. Lori posts:

"What is great, though, is that this untapped resource will allow you to set up face-to-face meetings with other entrepreneurs (indie biz owners is the preferred term at Biznik) and you can host a meeting on any topic, charge a fee if you'd like, or host it for free to get critical mass. Biznik even includes video on the site to show you how to use many of the features. I love this community and recently became a paying member, after lurking for free for quite a few months. Check it out, and see how it can help you meet other local business owners to support local business, business referrals, and even new friendships."

For my part, I haven't had a whole lot of time lately to network through the sites I'm currently on: LinkedIn, Ryze, Xing, Ecademy, MySpace, NowLive, HelloWorld, etc. I think you have to be careful about how much time you spend networking online. There is a balance between activity and results. You need to expect a return on your time invested. Also, don't forget blogging itself is a social networking activity.

Will Biznik live up to its billing? Who knows! But, I think the more the merrier. I think sites that clearly define their purpose and their target market and then strive to meet their needs will serve their audience well.

By the way, is Biznik kind of like Beatnik? Hmm.

August 27, 2007 at 06:07 AM in Business, Business Networking, Contact Management, Relationship Marketing, Sales, Sales Productivity, Social Networking | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

August 24, 2007

Personal Development List

I have to give a big kudos to Life Coach Priscilla Palmer for starting her Personal Development List and a thanks for recognizing The PDA Pro Blog. I have decided to publish the list on my site as well for my readers to see and have added my own recommendations to the list (and will update this periodically). I think this a great example of organic social networking in the spirit of sharing resources.

Priscilla says that personal development is a large topic that includes but is not limited to (law of attraction, goals, time management, physical fitness, education, motivation, inspiration, and social skills). Some of my additions to the list feature technology bloggers who have a strong commitment toward personal development and cover at least one topic among the ones listed above.

If I have sent a trackback to your site, just know I'll be back to post a relevant comment at some point to add value to the discussions on your site. Feel free to do the same here. (Thank you.)

Personal Development List:

Aaron Potts at Today is That Day

Adam Kayce at Monk at Work

Alan Torres at Made to Be Great

Albert Foong at urbanmonk.net

Andrea J Lee at Money, Meaning and Beyond (Added by Rick Cooper)

Andy Wibbels at AndyWibbels.com (Added by Rick Cooper)

Ask Lucid at Ask Lucid Spiritual Development

Anita Pathik at Law at Power of four Way

Belle Wong at Abundance Journal

Brian Clark at Copyblogger

Brian Kim at briankim.net