Strategies and Tactics for Women by Dr. Shannon Reece

1. Small Biz Finance Tamer

Many small business owners approach their finances as they would a caged tiger. How could they possibly tame this wild beast? Where do they begin? What tools can they learn quickly? Many simply throw some raw meat in the cage and hope for the best.

I am a small business finance tamer, specializing in unruly profits! Even better, I can train others in the secrets of numbers whispering, excel taming, and profit growth.

Thanks to Nicole Fende of Small Business Finance Forum

2. My “Super Power” Is Being A Customer And Fan.

My niche is music marketing. I have been a die-hard music fan and customer since I was a kid. Buying albums, cds, concert tickets, music merchandise and more. To this day I am a fan, spending money on music and bands. I add to this my years of experience in online music marketing and promotion; working in radio, record label, magazines, merchandise and online, and I am able to be both sides of the coin… the marketer and the customer. Many people forget what it is like to be a customer, you must be able to put yourself into the shoes of your customer. I love to share my experience as a customer and as a marketing person.

Thanks to Michael Brandvold of Michael Brandvold Marketing

3. Secret

To succeed as an entrepreneur and be able to take your share of an existing market, you need to find a way to make consumers want what you are offering, other than what already exists. In my recently released book, “The Business You Can Start” I highlight important factors that should enable you establish your USP (Unique Selling Point). Your USP should focus on how your product or service will benefit the customer and what makes you totally stand out from the competition. In the words of Tom Chappell, “Success means never letting the competition define you. Instead you have to define yourself based on a point of view you care deeply about.”

My “Super Power” is my ability to adapt to my clients’ needs as I seek to help them maximize their potential in creating successful businesses.

Thanks to Victor Kwegyir of VIKE INVEST (UK) LTD

4. Stats And Surprise Quizzes

As a corporate trainer, my super power lies in my lexiphilia. I use it, along with statistics and can’t-resist quizzes, to garner more business. A query letter, for example, to a new client, might begin: “Each of your employees is doing their best, both in written and verbal statements, to represent the company and its values. But…employees may not even realize they are failing to represent excellence. To illustrate, the first sentence in this letter contains three errors. Do you think your employees would have caught and corrected all three?”

I then make a pitch for the importance of business writing classes.

Thanks to Dr. Marlene Caroselli

5. Providing Knowledge And Assistance

A lot of people ask me “How can I sell stuff on the net?” To be successful, you have to do more than sell stuff. You have to be knowledgeable about your products and happy to answer questions. Otherwise, what makes your site unique? It bothers me when I call to ask a question about a product offered on a site and am told to call the manufacturer. If you sell something, you should know about it. If you don’t know the answer, find out and get back to the caller.

I did a lot of research on printers, cartridges, ink formulas, etc. and filled my site, http://www.ccs-digital.com, with a lot of helpful information. I spend hours each day answering calls and emails about printer issues. A lot of customers find me when searching for a solution to their printer problems – not just looking to buy cartridges. Providing a combination of knowledge and assistance is my super power.

Thanks to Izzy Goodman of Complete Computer Services

6. A Satisfaction Rate Of 99.7% Says It All

Our “Super Power” is our ability to offer the professionalism of a traditional editorial agency with the accessibility of the web. There are no telephone calls, waiting around for a quotation, extensive paperwork or lengthily lead times — our entire service is instantly accessible online, in real-time. We may be remote, but we treat every single customer as if they are our most important and this probably explains why we currently have a “very satisfied” customer satisfaction rating of 99.7%. The remaining 3%? They were satisfied.

Thanks to Sarah Moore of Vappingo

7. The Queen Of Connections To The Networking Queen…..It’s Simply Natural For This Business Owner!

In 1998, when access.office opened its doors, what I had done my entire life was finally given a name – networking. I founded access.office, a business development firm offering multicultural marketing & customer relationships management. As a natural connector of people for many reasons, now I was set on a mission. What was once connecting for many reasons, now had a business focus. These connections were identified by me, with ease and I saw opportunities every day. Some connections are for direct business and others for affinity purposes. I put together some for joint ventures and others for speaking, sponsorships and more. There are a number of reasons that I connect, but for whatever reason there was, I was able to naturally have the vision and make the connections — that is my super power. As the Queen of Connection, this has expanded far beyond my city, my state and has grown to cover a national reach.

Thanks to Gayle Naftaly of Access.office

8. A Narrow Niche Offers The Best Results.

In 2004, I became the founder of Michele Benza, Image Consulting & Posture. I had combined my experience and knowledge as an image consultant and Pilates trainer, and created a program to fulfill my clients’ true potential. I quickly realized that my clients were attracted to my European background, my personal fashion style. I had found my niche! European style and elegance became my marketing tool, and super power. It is of most importance to differentiate our services and concentrate our continued education on that newly found niche. The narrower the nice, the better results.

Thanks to Michele Benza of Michele Benza, Image Consulting & Posture

9. The Man Of Many Ideas

My “Super Power” is simple, but crucial, especially in the world of entrepreneurs: Innovation. I tend to think outside the box, so I can always bring new ideas to the table. How do others benefit? I use my innovation as a means of filling in the cracks — I find what others are missing, whether product or service, and I source it to them. For instance, in my world of real estate, new homebuyers are often left to hang and dry when it comes to home buying. My solution: provide them with a program that walks them through the process “hand in hand”, allows them down payment & closing cost assistance, decreased interest rates, and a prepaid card to customize their home. It’s a holistic solution that no one else in NJ provides. In the end, it’s innovation that allows me to become the resolution.

Thanks to Ankit Duggal of RER, LLC

10. Seeing The Core Clarity Of Your Business Instantly

My super power? I can see the core clarity and central theme of any small, service-based business within 5 minutes – and I can then tell them what their clients really want. This is invaluable to my clients, who are frustrated because they’re so close to what they’re doing that they can’t see what makes them unique and valuable to their clients.

They’re stressed out, trying to figure out what they should be talking about in their marketing messages, articles and when they speak about their businesses. And they keep trying new things instead of developing a consistent message that connects with their clients.

Once they know their core clarity, and when they understand what their clients really want, then they can relax, create a strong brand and focus on serving their clients!

Thanks to Erin Ferree of BrandStyle Design

11. Super Powers Are Not The Easy Road

People communicate what they want. What they need is often left as subtext. If you want to make yourself happy, your employees happy, and your clients happy, then you need to pay attention to the subtext. I try to listen to what is being said, and what is NOT being said, and then create a strategy that meets the needs, not just the wants. With employees, this can be focusing them in an area where they excel instead of asking them to be a jack of all trades. With clients, it can be creating a strategy that delivers wants and solves problems. With yourself, it can mean understanding when you need to delegate a responsibility. It can be hard to address the need when it goes unspoken, but I guess that is why it is a super power because excelling is not necessarily easy but it is rewarding.

Thanks to Lauren MacEwen of SM Cubed Consulting

12. Going Green & Clean Indoor Air For Healthy Living

Before I started the business, I was struck over all the coverage given outdoor air pollution, and how little attention was given to indoor air quality. The more I investigated starting-up, I realized I not only could launch a Green business, but one that would help people feel healthier by breathing cleaner air in homes and offices. It was a “Super Power” niche that seemed under-served.

Since our startup, we not only have made money, but I am so very pleased that I actually began a business that has had a positive impact on our customers by helping them feel better and live a healthier lives.

Thanks to Steve Levine of AtmosAir Solutions

13. Clean, Smart Comedy

I’m a clean stand-up comedian. My under-served business niche was the corporate entertainment market — specifically, I put together clean, smart comedy shows (Ivy League Comedy) for corporations, law firms, houses of worship, country clubs, charities — anyplace that would love entertainment (fun, fundraiser or both) but wouldn’t want a typical comedy club type show due to content issues.

Some would say that my special talent is my sense of humor, but without a knack for marketing I’d be telling jokes to empty rooms.

Thanks to Shaun Eli of Ivy Stand-up Comedy

14. Don’t Just Look – SEE!

Sandstorm’s Super Power: We are able to find consumer insights and inspiration that will unleash corporate clients’ creativity so they can SEE & CREATE amazing new ideas that consumers will BUY. We grow businesses through fun, collaborative, and eye-opening techniques.

Thanks to Sandie Glass of Sandstorm Inc.

15. Niche Super Power!

My unique niche is the ability to relate and deal with multigenerational family businesses on all of their financial planning issues, succession planning, and family dynamics. I have developed a business model that serves the Boomer (50/60) age group down through to the kids in the business in their 20’s to 40’s. Part of this is due to my age, 32 (33 in May), part is due to my business model and part is due to the fact I have grown up in a family business atmosphere, both my family and wife’s family. We go beyond just financial and legal concepts to help family members understand their roles in the family business, and whether or not they should even be part of the business. We put together a plan to utilize all family members’ strengths, forming synergies and harmonies for all involved.

Thanks to Jonathan Kennedy Jr of Endeavor Capital, LLC

16. Our Power Is Customer Fulfillment

Our business super power is making the customer feel Fulfilled. We are a small, family business that does green home improvements and new buildings. By sourcing materials locally, we support other family businesses, and reduce the carbon footprint of the project. We use as green of materials as the customer wants, sharing information during the process, yet not making them feel bad for their choices — going green is a process. We make it easy by being affordable and approachable. Our customers return because they feel fulfilled.

Thanks to Carlyn McKee of McKees Construction

17. Business Superpower Cape Included

While us business folk may not be out there in a pair of spandex and a cape, I felt this was a great topic and I had to respond, I believe some of us still fight for truth, justice and well…profit margins!

I have started several successful companies with my current position as the CEO of a boutique marketing agency, LuxuryReach Inc, which has been featured in publications from Forbes and Investor’s Business Daily, to BusinessWeek and CBS Money. I feel my superpower is emotional intuition. At the core of any business in any niche and any market is people. Behind all numbers, profits, revenues, losses are the individuals behind these numbers who have wants, needs, desires and fears. I personally work to understand and banish fears while replacing them with the hopes needed to achieve desires. I have always felt that my ability goes above and beyond a lot of other “Superpowers” as it’s incredibly difficult to really understand people and relate to them on an emotional level. Being able to do this has allowed for maximum connection with clients, it allows me to not just provide business solutions, but also to interact with clients and vendors on a level that truly serves their needs.

Thanks to Zachary Weiner of LuxuryReach

18. My Power Is In Being Me

After years of thinking that my business super power was one of the skills, talents or abilities I have, I am clear that my super power is my authenticity. There are so many posers on Twitter, Facebook and other social media marketing platforms that “say” the right things, because after all, owning real estate isn’t the great American dream anymore – becoming an Internet millionaire is. People are drinking the Kool-Aid left and right. I know, because I was one of them. But after two years of working my butt off to make connections using those avenues, of attending webinars on how to market yourself and sell your services, listening in on “free” calls that are nothing more than poorly disguised sales tools, I’ve realized – with my “real” eyes – that what people want is to feel that you are being genuine with them. That means cutting back on the web stuff and interacting with people in 3-D. Being honest, which includes being clear that I don’t have the answers, yet have valuable information that can reveal the next step. Since I changed direction, I’ve gained incredible traction. And it’s only going to get better from here.

Thanks to Staci B. of Staci B

19. Our Super Power Lies In Collaboration

Our “super power” secret? It’s the understanding of human behavior in conjunction with a core business focus and management experience. We are extremely unique in our approach because we focus on ROI, BUT we balance it with an understanding of people, relationships and communication. We’ve been extraordinarily successful.

We leverage this because there are significant economic impacts on businesses — the people there don’t get along and can’t function together effectively. Whether it is business planning, business growth or telling the message/story – it’s all about how well the people can work together and communicate. I feel like we actually do “social work” in our high paid industry because we are focusing on the people aspect along with the tactical issues the business needs to focus on.

Thanks to Bev Flaxington of The Collaborative

20. I Can Anticipate My Customer’s Needs

Having lived around the world and speaking several languages, has gifted me the superpower of an innate ability to connect with a wide variety of people, and the sensitivity to anticipate their needs before they even have even become aware of it. They include the young, the old and people from various countries to locals and immigrants like myself. I use this special touch with my Manhattan real estate clients when they are looking for housing; by pointing out unique features of a building, unit or neighborhood that they would appreciate in their special circumstance, or that is unique to their culture making them feel more at home. I try to anticipate their needs as if I were in their shoes, and what would make them feel comfortable and, or what they may look for. I have been told more than once, that I have this “touch with people”.

Thanks to Jennifer Chiongbian of Rutenberg Realty NYC

21. Energy Is My Business Super Power!

All of the best entrepreneurs and business owners know how to tap into their energy reserves and use it for the greater good within their industry. As the CEO of MyCorporation, I know that by treating the team (all of our employees) with the same level of respect and consideration it will go a long way in affecting our business and the relationship we have with our clients. I make the rounds to everyone’s desks in the morning, see how their weekends went and chat about life with them, and have team meetings often with everyone. It’s not something I would ever have to make an effort to do; I use my energy to show care for others and their lives.

Thanks to Deborah Sweeney of MyCorporation