Okay, here is a shameless plug for one of my very talented Power Moms Contributors!

Diane Helbig is very knowledgeable and she has now put her secrets into an awesome book about building a small business. Having just spoken to a large group of women entrepreneurs about these topics, I am posting it here with hope that it reaches other women struggling to find their way in this tough economy.

Here is her press release!

“This economy is taking a toll on small business owners across the country. Yet amazingly, the number of new business start-ups and franchise ownership remains strong. With limited job options and an unprecedented string of downsizings and layoffs, displaced workers are choosing self-employment in an effort to take charge of their career. With nowhere else to turn, small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs simply cannot afford to fail.

In a new book by certified professional business and leadership development coach Diane Helbig, small business owners learn how to effectively sell their product or service to ensure they will succeed in any economy. In her book, Lemonade Stand Simple: Accelerate Your Small Business Growth, Helbig teaches small business owners, franchisees or anyone considering starting up a business how to avoid the pitfalls so many business owners make.

“People pour their heart, soul and life savings into their business. Then they struggle, or fail, because they simply do not understand the sales process. They don’t sell effectively, and therefore don’t succeed. It’s really hard to watch and completely unnecessary,” says Helbig, whose career experience includes successfully educating and guiding individuals and teams to excel by applying one’s strengths to create a personal sales style.

Fear is the worst enemy as a business owner. Fear plays with your head, it chips away at your confidence and paralyzes you with self-doubt, states Anita Campbell in the Foreword to Lemonade Stand Simple.

“To be successful, you have to overcome fear and all the baggage it saddles you with. This is the kind of book I wish I’d had early on when I started my business. Because it’s really about overcoming fear,” said Campbell, editor of Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication for small business owners, entrepreneurs and the people who interact with them.

A good number of small business owners have a misconception about what sales is and are mystified by the varied aspects of sales—networking, marketing and what you do in front of a client.

They either have it wrong or are terrified of the whole idea of selling or marketing their product or service. Sales isn’t hard or scary, and you don’t have to do it somebody else’s way, Helbig says.

Think back to your own lemonade stand days and the simple pleasure of selling refreshing drinks to family, friends and neighbors. You were certain of your product and you knew your client base, Helbig reminds us. You didn’t get bogged down in the process, and you weren’t afraid to be yourself. You knew what you were selling and who you wanted to do business with.

“The message in the book is that simple,” Helbig explains. “Lemonade Stand Simple provides the clarity that business owners need to be more successful without trying so hard. It breaks down common scenarios, step by step, into techniques just about anyone can employ.

Lemonade Stand Simple resonates with business and sales professionals as well, who praise Helbig for her straightforward, back-to-basics method to selling.

“Diane provides the reader with a no nonsense approach to the sales process that is based in common sense. This book is essential for every small business owner who has to sell and provides a workable sales plan that gets results simply by reading these pages,” said nationally-read author Hal Becker, one of the top sales speakers and consultants in the country.

The book works because Helbig understands those salespeople and small business owners who think they need to fit their sales strategy into a methodology that is not authentic. She’s here to remind us that we’ve all known how to sell since we were about five years old. It’s simple—lemonade stand simple.” 

About the Author

Diane Helbig is the founder of Seize This Day Coaching, a professional development coaching firm that helps businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably. She is widely published in the online sales community, with an article featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms: 101 Stories Celebrating the Power of Choice for Stay at Home and Work from Home Moms.

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