business spotlight: midland concierge

Today, our business spotlight shines on Midland Concierge. This company offers touchscreen kiosks connected to the internet that allows the general public to buy something or get something done while waiting. Midland Concierge has devised a way to kill boredom of waiting customers, provide business establishments a new and thrilling way to advertise their product and attract customers through these kiosks. Imagine people being able to get what they want right at their fingertips. It’s like having a real concierge only it’s fully automated.

The Things To Do. MidlandConcierge.com showcases two great things that your target customers and even you (yes, you!) can do while on the go. Remember the touchscreen kiosks we were talking about earlier? Hollywood Theaters and Ranchland Golf Club decided to advertise and sell their products the Midland Concierge way. These high-tech and easy to use “electronic concierges” are distributed around town so that people can access various products and services available in Midland. Say, you need to know what’s showing in the Hollywood Theaters or you want to schedule your golf tee time in Ranchland Golf Club, all these are available in the Midland Concierge kiosks. What’s even cooler is that customers can pay for these services through the kiosks.

Homes for Sale section. Jeaneen Pruitt of I Sell Midland, for instance, has a running ad and search bar for people who are looking for a house that fits their needs and budget. If you check it out, interested buyers can pick a home based on prize range or size of the home they want. One can easily sort the search results from the most expensive to least and vice versa or when the posting was added, etc.

The Business Members page. Check out Midland Concierge’s business members: Classic Carpets, Meet Midland, Fusion Power Lab’s VBS Plus, Advance Kwik Lube & Kar Wash, and Midland Memorial Hospital. These business partners enjoy the following: their banner ads displayed multiple times an hour in 20 different locations, detailed information about the establishment through the touchscreen kiosks, and credit card capability to capture sales immediately.

Don’t you just love technology!

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

powerful presentation - technology and power points

Not using power point powerfully?

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

more than just grip, grin and graze - networking strategies

Who are you missing in your network?

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

when is the right time to network?

Excerpt from CBS Business Coaching Tips (6:15 a.m. on Thursdays!)

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

happy 4th of July!

Vision ~ Courage ~ Perseverance ~ Responsibility ~ Character

“The things that the flag stands for were created by the experiences of a great people. Everything that it stands for was written by their lives. The flag is the embodiment, not of sentiment, but of history.” - Woodrow Wilson

“So then, to every man his chance - to every man, regardless of this birth; his shining golden opportunity - to every man the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him - the seeker, is the promise of America.” - Thomas Wolfe

“The fate of America cannot depend on any one man. The greatness of America is grounded in principles and not in any single personality.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Leaders are the custodians of a nation’s ideals, of the beliefs it cherishes, of its permanent hopes, of the faith which makes a nation out of a mere aggregation of individuals.” - Water Lippmann

“The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.” - John F. Kennedy

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate achievements.” - Napoleon Hill

“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death.” - John F. Kennedy

“Like small creeks that grow into mighty rivers, the dreams of leaders eventually shape the course of history.” - Author Unknown

“The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” - Patrick Henry

“This country was not built by men who relied on somebody else to take care of them. It was built by men who relied on themselves, who dared to shape their own lives, who had enough courage to blaze new trails - enough confidence in themselves to take the necessary risks.” - Robert J. McCracken

“For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” - Thomas Jefferson

“My God!  How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!” - Thomas Jefferson

“Posterity…you will never know how much it cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.” - John Quincy Adams

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

business lunch etiquette, part one

Click here to listen in on the 2-minute tip!

TOPIC: BUSINESS LUNCH ETIQUETTE

• The one who invites is the one who pays
• If you are paying, then inform the wait staff before your guest(s) arrive
• Dress for business
• If it’s with a client, pick them up and drop them off
• Avoid difficult to eat food
• Follow the leader in regards to dessert and alcohol
• Avoid the battle of the sexes

Book Recommendation

This is the “must have” definitive book on the professional and profitable way to do lunch.

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

success at a tradeshow, business expo, or showcase event

Part One

Networking events and tradeshows are often organized by companies to do successful marketing of their products and services to encourage personal promotion of employees as well as gather new clients and sales. Tradeshows are often the ideal platform to polish the business etiquettes and networking skills which can enable one to be successful in conducting tradeshows. With marketing being a vital key to great networking events, the entrepreneurs find creating and managing enterprising booths at tradeshows a good opportunity to exhibit their services towards climbing the career ladders successfully. Let us observe some networking tips which can help churn a successful tradeshow.
• Take out time: Though time is invaluable for each one of us and we all have just 24 hours in a day, it is imperative to take out time and invest it wisely. One has to take out considerable time to chalk out a strategic marketing plan to conduct a successful networking event. Even at the tradeshow, full concentration and ample time has to be spent to enable business propositions. Being half hearted in your attempt to attract business prospects can be disastrous in the long run.
• Make a marketing plan: A tradeshow can be a memorable hit if planned properly and meticulously. One can make the most apt strategic marketing plan which must be executed in alignment with the goals in vision.

• Keeping business goals intact: Though one of the networking tips is to include most of your business goals in the marketing plan of conducting a successful network event, it is vital to focus on one or two goals thoroughly. With complete concentration on an easily attainable goal, business by referral can be conducted.
• Inviting good business clientele: Encouraging sales and developing good networking skills involves a little bit of effort. It is always advantageous to invite your prospective clients to the tradeshow you are organizing. Business etiquette demands, you personally invite donors, trustees, board members and prospective clients to attend your networking event. Asking them for their valuable business input would definitely encourage their presence there. Giving incentives to the clients like surprises awaiting them at the tradeshow would also encourage them to join you and hopefully bring forth a business proposal as well.

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

professionalism: introduction etiquette

New 2-minute tip on Introduction Etiquette

Introductions happen everyday in life and how we do at those introductions remarkably affects our personal brand and business connections.

Here are some helpful rules of professionalism to remember:

• In business, GENDER MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. You do not introduce a man or woman differently to anyone in the US society. Now, If you’re in another country you best know the rules of that country just like any person coming to the United States best know the “rules of engagement” here in introductions. So, stop kissing women on the hand (oh, please! who ever told anyone that was “professional”?) or standing when a woman enters the room. For INTRODUCTIONS, everyone stands - men and women alike.
• Start by naming the person of HIGHER AUTHORITY first. For example, the president of the US would be introduced to me by someone saying “President Bush this is Ms. Maria Elena Duron”.
• In business, your clients and visitors are the HIGHER AUTHORITY - so you start with them first.
• Keep titles equal meaning is I start introducing you as Mister so & so, then I need to call the other business Mister of Miss or Ms. so & so. If you name someone with their title, then everyone that is introduced must also have ‘their title’.

Your brand speaks volumes before you even utter a word!

Chief Buzz Agent™ and Compelling Connections Coach Maria Elena Duron helps high performing entrepreneurs and executives learn how to manage their personal brand on-line and off-line, leverage their expertise and connections and generate “the talk that yields profits”. To claim your FREE gift, Crafting Your On-Brand Intro Toolkit, visit her site www.buzz2bucks.com . Ask Maria Elena branding & networking questions at www.askmariaelena.com

powerful personal brand: tip #1 - know what makes you unique

Whether you are looking to go into business yourself or open to new opportunities in the world of work, know what makes you so very unique. Research people and companies that mirror your values and passion. To identify what values you deem most important ask yourself this key question: What are three of your favorite brands and why? The AND WHY is the value to focus on. It’s not really important what your favorite brands are but it is important to know why you like them. Those attributes are ones that you value and deem important which means they are values you possess, strive for and seek.

It is so frustrating to hear people’s responses when asked “so, what can you do for me that’s different from other Realtors in town”; or “how are you different from another Farmer’s Insurance agent” and the resounding answer is NOTHING. I hear these painful words come out of the mouths of any professional, “We’re NO different - we can all do the same thing.” They themselves make themselves a commodity - no different from anyone else. If you were job hunting, would you say “I’m just like all the other candidates - pick me or another - we’re all the same.”? No, I’ve never met a job candidate who has that phrase in their repertoire of responses.

Yet, isn’t your business just as important as any job you would hold? Are you endeavors and dreams just as valuable?

Spend a moment now with what makes you unique - just doing that will make a huge difference in the way you present yourself. And, that “presence” is step one in developing a powerful, visible brand.

People Are The Brand -

Maria Elena Duron - click my name to Google Me!
Buzz To Bucks Connections– strengthen your personal brand today
“turning social capital & relationship capital into financial capital”
www.buzz2bucks.com Buzz To Bucks Connections |a personal branding agency

new audio posted: what does it take to be referred or recommended?

Click here to listen into to this week’s 2-Minute Tip on What Does It Take to be Referred or Recommended?

Here are three questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you exceed your industry standards?
2. Is it FUN to do business with you?
3. Do you follow-up?

No one, I repeat, NO ONE will refer someone who is not up to snuff on their own industry. So, you must know how are people in your industry measured? What standards must not only be met and upheld but must be exceeded? Where do you THRIVE in your industry as opposed to just surviving?

If you’re not FUN to do business with then people will not refer or recommend you either. A man I know who is so passionate about what he does that it “hurts” (LITERALLY - it hurts everyone he’s around because he runs over them like a locomotive making sure they’re educated, informed and safe from further risk. Yet, because he’s so passionate and such a “man on a mission” he hits you like a bull in a china shop whether you’re ready for it or not.) He doesn’t get referred often and when he does there are usually stories of regret and woe in the aftermath. Or, often, people do business with him and sign up for his service just to get him out of their face and our of their place (or phone, or email, etc.). When they speak to others, they say “run for the hills” or don’t show up on his hit list. If it’s not FUN, worse yet if it’s painful, they will not refer or recommend you. I mean, who would do something like that to someone they know, like and trust?

When someone does refer you - do you follow up? Or, do you take that great gift of time and effort and that most valuable reputation they laid on the line for you and just get too busy to do anything?

People Are The Brand -

Maria Elena Duron - click my name to Google Me!
Buzz To Bucks Connections– strengthen your personal brand today
“turning social capital & relationship capital into financial capital”
www.buzz2bucks.com Buzz To Bucks Connections |a personal branding agency