I am a strong believer in following my intuition and the “guidance” that I receive on a daily basis. When I do this, I often experience amazing synchronicities. Tonight was no exception.

I was undecided about how to spend my evening and tried to make last minute plans to see a film at the local art house. In the end I decided to go with my original plan, which was to attend a nearby outdoor Artisan’s Fair. It was a lovely summer evening and several friends were showing their work, so I went to the reception. It was the perfect Friday night event.

I left about 7:45pm, and on my way home I swung by Stop and Shop to pick up a few items that I knew were not available in any other store. I had this on my “To Do” list for almost 2 weeks and for various reasons had not yet completed the task. I could have scolded myself days earlier when I still had not run this errand, but I find that when I appear to be “procrastinating” or not doing what I think I “should” be doing, there is always a good reason and an auspicious outcome as a result of the delay.

That was certainly the case this evening when I ran into Chris Brogan in the produce department. If you are not familiar with Chris, he is one of the world’s most respected bloggers and social media marketing experts. I have followed him closely for the last few years and met him at Boston’s Inbound Marketing Summit last October. He was also gracious enough to welcome me to blogging almost a year ago by sending a tweet to over 95,000 of his followers on the day I launched.

So to say it made my day to see him in the grocery store, is an understatement. But that’s not even the best part. After I asked to take a photo, to which he kindly agreed, we chatted about his mom’s recent birthday and his switch from the WordPress Thesis theme to the Genesis theme. (these are affiliate links)

When he found out that I am a Thesis Web Designer he asked me what types of businesses I serve. I told him small businesses – that I had recently contracted with a solo entrepreneur, a property management company and an employee benefits management firm. Chris told me that his followers have often thought he was a Thesis designer himself because he promoted the WordPress theme. He then offered to send me Thesis site design referrals.

After picking my jaw up off the floor and probably bumbling over my words, I pulled a business card out of my pocket and handed it to him.

I carry my cards on my at all times. I am known for hounding colleagues to always carry business cards with them. I often spout off, “You never know when or where you’ll instantly need a business card…and by not having one you can miss a huge opportunity!”

And here I was in that ultimate moment, that we only hope for. But within a micro-second my business card was in the hand of one of the most influential marketing experts in the world.

Was all of this mere coincidence or dumb luck?

I don’t think so. I have been working very hard recently and have been attracting more and more clients. I am not having to work at it. I am committed and more often than not, in an attitude of “allowing.” I am no longer resisting my own success. Okay – maybe an itty bitty amount sometimes when I get scared…but for the most part I am “letting it in.”

Letting what in?

Letting in the folks that want and need what I have to offer.
Letting in positive energy.
Letting in more self value and my willingness to shine.

It takes practice and most of all it takes courage. Being successful means taking full responsibility. It requires a lot of me.

I’m up for it.

And I’ll give you my business card to prove it!

Will you?

Here’s the SlideShare format of the presentation I gave to the Port City Women’s networking gathering in March 2010.

No tiny detail screams “unprofessional” more than an outdated website copyright. That little line of type at the bottom of your site can translate to “another not-on-the-ball small business owner” to your visitors.

Maybe you think few people notice, but don’t be so sure. I’ve seen so many websites with copyrights two and three years old. There’s nothing with more potential negative impact that is easier to fix.

An outdated copyright raises questions from your visitors like:

• Are they still in business?
• Does anyone visit this website?
• Is this web content still current?

This seemingly small inaccuracy points out your lack of attention to detail and/or ability to meet deadlines. That may not be true of you or your business, but as a web visitor, that’s the red flag in my face.

It’s the equivalent of a typo on a resume. That one simple error raises doubt about your competency and efficiency.

Many of you will have to shell out at least 50 bucks for your web manager to change those two digits. And if you are not a techie, you may not know that the date only has to be changed in one spot behind the scenes, and every page will be updated.

I know you don’t want to spend that money. But do it. And do it no later than the first week in January. And while you’re at it, update anything else that’s stale on your site. Your webmaster will likely charge the same price even with a few additional updates.

Or maybe it’s time for a Web Content Makeover. The new year is a great time to freshen up your site. What is your site lacking that your visitors will find of value?

Your website is the hub of your online presence. You can be crankin out social media posts till the cows come home, but if all that effort sends your contacts to a stale site with nothing compelling them to stay and look around, you’re wasting your time.

Make it your resolution to improve your web content. Better content means more traffic and more customers. How’s that sound for 2010?

Happy New Year and thanks for reading!

1/3/10 Update: I use the WordPress Thesis Theme for this site (and the sites I design) and I just learned how to add the code that will automatically update the copyright for me!

Gone are the days of obtaining a client by introducing yourself at an event, getting a business card and contacting them the next day. This system still has its place, but in today’s speed-of-light market you must give your potential customer a consultation on-the-spot.

Why wait? Give them value immediately.  Demonstrate your skills and knowledge, customized in that moment to the needs of the prospective client standing in front of you. If you don’t know how to do this, then learn…or you will be left behind in the dust. (a good coach can help you with this)

If you are unhappy with your current employee benefits program and you just happen to meet, not one but two, insurance brokers at a networking mixer…who are you going to call the next day? The one who tells you she offers a full range of benefits options as well as HR consulting and would love to sit down with you to go over the features of each package? Or the one who tells you how he just saved a new client 19% on their existing plan after coming up with several innovations that reconfigured their medical plan with a dual option?

If you know your website is outdated and pathetic, who are you going to set up a meeting with? The person you met at the Chamber event who told you that he is a copywriter and web designer who owns his own business in your town? Or the person at the same event, who asks you how many new clients per month come to you through your website?..if your website’s copyright date is 2 years old?..and after learning about your business, offers you two ideas that will encourage visitors to stay longer on your website?

Many of you worry that you will “give too much away.” You’ve worked hard to gain your expertise and you deserve to be paid for it. Get over it. Offering instant great value is the name of the game. It actually always has been for skilled sales people, but today it can truly make or break the thread to the next step in landing the client. Giving a mini-consultation will absolutely position you as an expert in the mind of the client. When you “show them” rather than “tell them” how skilled you are, they appreciate you and trust you. And they won’t waste time later asking about your credentials.

Your potential client will not likely remember enough of the specifics to actually implement the great ideas you gave her. But what she will remember is your interest, your brilliance, and your solution to her business problem. You’re the one she’s going to call the next day. Expect her call, and for God’s sake get back to her the same day, if not within the hour!

Is it just me? Or do most people want to see a photo of who they might do business with online? I personally can’t imagine hiring someone to provide a service without being able to see what they look like. If it’s a product it might not be a deal-breaker for me but when your picture is not there I feel uneasy. I know I’m a visual person but I need to SEE YOU! This is a trust issue. If your picture is not there I wonder what you are hiding? This is not all that different from online dating – the profiles with photos get 90% more views.

On Facebook I have this thing that even if I know you, I am hesitant to confirm a friend request until you show your face. It’s not called Facebook for nothing you know! On that venue, I realize there might be a technical issue for people who don’t know how to upload a photo.

When I come to your business website I want to see who I am dealing with. If it’s a solo operation it’s an absolute necessity. If it’s a small to medium sized company I want to see who founded it, who runs it, etc. In that case it’s partly curiosity but it is still a trust issue. Come out of the cyber shadows and show me and tell me who you are. I have bought many products online from solo entrepreneurs and I guarantee that if you show your face and tell me something about yourself, I will head to your shopping cart twice as fast and often on my first visit to your site.

Some companies don’t mention the management team at all, much less feature their bios with photographs. Why would they not do this? The same goes for books I buy – I immediately search for the author’s photo on the back cover or inside flap – and I am sorely disappointed when all I find is text. I want to know who you are. I have always had this curiosity and desire to see who’s behind the curtain of the company with whom I am considering a transaction…or the writer who poured years of themselves into writing their novel. Okay, I rarely read novels…but when I’m reading WordPress for Business Bloggers, why can’t I see Paul Thewlis?

And now in this age of Social Media engagement for businesses, it is a necessity to have photographs of yourself and at least your top managers or partners.

Business is more and more personal. The personal touch is not just a nice addition – it is essential.

What are your thoughts on this? How important is it to you that the About Page include photos?