“This is the greatest and most lucrative time for small businesses to succeed than any other time in recorded history.”
Why?
Because there are more no cost or low costs marketing tools available today that didn’t even exist just 3 years ago.
Despite all of that
There will still be record numbers of small independently owned businesses that will fail. This can also happen even when business conditions are good.
Why?
Simply put, it is the failure of business leaders, owners, or managers to adapt to the changes on the new business horizon. Plus the failure to adopt the tools necessary that would make a business competitive or be the exciting difference that makes all the difference.
Where do we go to find the tools?
There are lots of options—but there is generally not enough time. That’s why your association, PIA, has recognized your needs and has designed an educational program that pinpoints the skills and tools to help catapult your business.
This initiative was created to answer the following criteria:
- Easy to learn
- Easy to use
- Industry specific but with the ideas from other industries
- Time sensitive and compact
- Topics chosen by YOU and your colleagues
- Delivered by a proven expert, a best-selling author and a PIA favorite…Rick Segel
The Programs
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March 18: Making Your Website More Competitive…A Website Review
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When was the last time you invested the time in reviewing your colleague’s and competition’s web presence? When was the last time you invested time to review websites from other industries? Websites give us a rare opportunity to look into the very essence of a business and observe the tools and tactics that they employ. In this program, you will not only have a guided tour of some of the best sites on the web but you will also learn some of the tricks and tools used in the sites that make them so successful. This will all be in non-technical terms, complete with an idea of the types of costs that are associated with them. Let Rick Segel, joined by Jennifer Sheehan, president of Technology Therapy Group, be your guides to better understanding what’s good and what works as they review 3-4 industry websites. You will learn:
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April 29: Effective Suggestive Selling…The Selling Process
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The days of the high pressure “shake the customer until all the money comes out” way of selling is over. No one wants to be sold anymore, but they all want help in buying. This program, based on Rick Segel’s newest book, The Retail Sales Bible, redefines selling into a non-threatening, suggestion driven, soft approach that will increase store morale and improve sales personnel’s attitudes while the customers are buying more than ever before. It is for both the experienced pro and the newest rookie, designed in Rick's classic laugh and learn style. You will learn:
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May 20: Unconventional Marketing and Advertising for Unconventional Times
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“The Times, they are a changing.” The song that those words are from was written almost 50 years ago. Compared to then “We ain’t seen nothing yet”! Change is happening so fast and the Rules of Marketing and Advertising are being rewritten as we speak. We are living in the age of the electronic wallet, a.k.a. our telephone. Marketing messages are now being delivered with 160 characters as a text message which costs virtually nothing and can be twice as powerful as a full page color ad. We can no longer reject ideas, concepts, marketing vehicles, forums, or platforms that are on the fringe of mainstream thinking. We are all seeking to find, understand, and accept the New Normal. You will learn:
This is not your father’s adverting and marketing program. See what’s changed and how we all must change.
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June 17: If You Want It Done, Should You Do It Yourself?
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It’s time to master your management skills
The extent of our success depends on our ability to manage people. Yes, you can succeed as a one-person show, but then you must be involved in everything, work countless hours and develop an attitude that you trust no one. Great managers seem as if they are hardly working but weak managers are the ones who are putting in the long hours and never seem to get enough done. What do great managers do? This program will give you the tactics and strategies to use to increase your management skills. You will learn:
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July 22: From Manuscript to Mindset - How to write bids and proposals that win every time
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(Well - almost every time!)
The bidding process can be the most frustrating and aggravating part of any business. The problem is that it can determine our financial future. We never want to just be the low cost provider. The issue is how do we show value in a proposal and reach the status of the Vendor of Choice? You will learn:
This program will pay immediate dividends. The forms alone with pay for the cost of the entire webinar series.
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August 19: Knowing Your Numbers
Mastering the Money Part of Your Business (Even If You Hate Accounting)Are you working hard and not making money? Don’t feel bad--most independent businesses are started and run by people who have a passion for the product and not a passion for accounting. This program will cover, in simple easy-to-understand terms, ways to control your business (for life!) and the new pricing formula to maximize return on assets. These are the “gotta knows” in order to make money and become a more effective manager/administrator of your business allowing you to make better informed decisions and move your business to the next level with the financial knowledge business requires today.
You will learn:
- The legendary Open to Thrive System that will turn ordinary people into accounting masters
- How to master the 5 ½ Pricing Considerations
- The method to always get the financing you need
- The 7-Step Formula to reduce expenses
- The do’s and don’ts of financing your business
“Any species can survive if it can isolate itself from its predators.”
Non-Members: |
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NON-Members : |
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The Details:
What:
This series is comprised of 6 Webinars conducted by Rick Segel in cooperation with The Retailer’s Advantage. These programs, described below, will be 60 minutes in length and will be available after the live event as a download from the website to view/save at your leisure. Each event will have handouts posted on the website.
Who:
These programs are geared primarily for owners and managers. However, the sessions on The Selling Process…Effective Suggestive Selling (April 29) and From Manuscript to Mindset…Understanding the Psychology of Bidding (July 22) are also appropriate for sales people or anyone involved in the bidding process.
Where:
At your convenience at your computer
When:
The live Webinars are scheduled on a monthly basis at 3:00 PM Central Time and the downloads are available within 24 hours of the event. Exact dates are listed below.
Cost-non-Members:
$360 price for 6 webinars if purchased one webinar at a time. ($59.99 each).
Series discount is not available to non- members. Become a member!
About Rick Segel:
Rick Segel, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), is a streetsmart, down-to-earth business author and speaker who has WOWed over 1900 audiences on 5 continents and 49 states. He is the founder and president of The Retailer’s Advantage.com, a private membership site devoted to helping independent retailers improve their businesses.
Rick has authored 13 books including Retail Business Kit for Dummies, Laugh & Get Rich, and The Essential Online Solution: A Five Step Formula for Small Business Success. A popular and requested speaker for PIA, this webinar series is an easy and cost-efficient way to hear Rick on a variety of business improvement topics.