DAWN'S BLOG

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6 Steps to Building a Thriving, Profitable Business

 

There’s been a lot of hype these days about what it takes to build a highly profitable business. I see many "gurus" out there saying they have 'the secret' to building a 6 figure business. There is no secret! There isn't just one thing you can do to build a business that is profitable. It's a combination of things done consistently.

Today's feature article is about getting back to the basics. It's about taking your eyes off of the shiny objects out there and doing the things that will (if done consistently) bring you more business. To keep it simple, I highlight 6 steps you can take to get more clients in the door and money in the bank.

The six steps below are the ones I took (and still take) to keep my coaching practice full and highly profitable. Believe me, I was the Queen of getting distracted by shiny objects...always getting caught up in the next "new" thing that some business guru said would attract more clients. What I discovered was that few of these actually worked and they just kept me distracted from what actually worked!

Implement these 6 steps and you'll be on your way to a more profitable and more satisfying business.

1. Raise your rates. So many entrepreneurs are not charging what they’re worth. Move from a "charging-by-the-hour" model to a "charging-by-the-results" model. What results and benefits does your ideal client receive as a result of working with you? What is that worth to them? For a lot of you this is priceless. I encourage you to raise your rates. Of course it’s important to make sure you do provide enough value. If you've checked in on what resu lts your clients receive, and it’s more then what you’re charging, go ahead and raise your rates.

2. Make sales calls! And make them everyday. Yes, I said everyday! I took a lot of programs and worked with many coaches, and not one person emphasized just how important this is. Sales is the blood of all businesses. Take a course if you need training and make time for this every day in your schedule.

3. Own what you do. You are an expert. Low self-worth is a huge contributing factor to why business owners don’t generate the income and create the lifestyle they desire. Write a list of why you are an expert. What is your training, background and experience? Look at your current testimonials and what you have helped your clients with. Then own it! You are good enough, smart enough and deserving enough to create a big income in your business.

4. Sponsor and speak at events where your ideal client is hanging out. This is the fastest way to put you in front of your ideal client. If they are paying to attend, this means they are also “qualified.” They are qualified as a buyer – someone willing to spend money on themselves. When they spend money to be there, this also means they are invested in their future.

5. Get help. One of the biggest contributing factors to my success was getting the support to help me get there. I hired a website manager, my own coach and also have a fantastic mastermind group of other coaches. The reality is you can’t do it all and will burn yourself out trying. By getting support, you are freeing yourself up to do what you need to do to grow your businesses and to also do more of what you love. Doing more of what we love helps us raise our vibration and see all of the opportunities there for us now.

6. Just get moving! Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable. Put yourself out there, take risks! You can’t help more people if you don’t.

How to Build an Exceptional Brand as an Expert!

Having a strong personal brand that you can cash in on as an expert is not just for people like Oprah, Madonna or Steven Jobs. It’s for everyone. It’s for you. Just like these three powerful individuals, you too can build a strong personal brand and cash in on it. Branding yourself is a journey that leads you to toward taking specific and intentional action to become the best and brightest “you” that you want to be. And as an expert in your field, your personal brand is what will attract the kind of clients, partners and opportunities that fire you up and fill your bank account.

To help you on this journey, here is a list of 25 things you can do take control of your personal brand and increase your profile as an expert:

1. What do you do best? Build your life around that.

2. Don’t just say you are an expert. Instead, prove it by speaking, writing, creating an information product and adding value in social media. 

3. Success in branding is about consistency. Be the same offline as you are online.

4. Spend your time with people that motivate and challenge you to be your best you.

5. Make a niche for yourself. Those who try to be everything to everyone end up being nothing to anyone. Harsh but true!

6. Believe in the value of your own voice and talents. Right now, someone needs your expertise and insight.

7. Experts have self-discipline. They consistently carve out time to market themselves.

8. Branding yourself as an expert doesn’t mean you know it all. It means you dedicate a good portion of your life to knowing more and more. 

9. Update your bio at least twice a year. Really! You have probably changed enough to warrant a refresh don't you think?

10. Make it easy for a reporter to do a story on you by providing story ideas, industry statistics and references.

11. Buy any domain names that you think you will use. At the very least, buy www.YourName.com and www.YourBusinessName.com.

12. If you find an article that a client, potential client or partner would be interested in, email it to them. Tell them why you thought it was perfect for them.

13. Testimonials are success stories about your products and services. Collect them regularly and add them to your web site.

14. Be willing to connect others even if it has nothing to do with your business. What goes around comes around.

15. Do something unexpected. Take a potential client out for pedicures instead of for coffee. (OK guys...I know you are rolling your eyes right now!) Do what makes sense but think outside the box. Everyone goes for coffee...what can you do that's unexpected? 

16. What three words do you want people to use when describing you? Are you giving them reason to think that of you?

17. Surround yourself with people who inspire you and challenge you to grow.

18. Make clients feel special & appreciated. Ask yourself, “How do I want my clients to perceive me? Am I living up to that?”

19. Put some personality into your business. Don’t try and blend in or stand in the shadows...Show us who you are! Here is a saying that I love, "Be yourself! Everybody else is taken anyway."  

20. Use colors you love and that appeal to your target market. It’s part of your messaging. 

21. Use your outgoing voicemail message to brand yourself. Say something interesting not just, "Hi, this is Sally I am not here right now but leave a blah, blah, blah." Everybody says that...say something else...something unique!

22. Hire a professional graphic artist to design business cards, logo, letterhead, ezine, web site… It’s a wise investment to look your best.  

23. Know Thyself: Know the top 3 achievements your clients can expect from working with you and communicate this regularly. 

24. If you’re the “best kept secret” then you’re not serving yourself OR your ideal clients. Share yourself with others. People want to know you and know what you do!

25. Highlight what makes you unique in the marketplace. Tell us what makes your business, service, or product stand out from the rest. I call this your "LED"...your leading edge differentiator. It's that "thing" you do that puts you head and shoulders above the rest!

BONUS: 26. Have professional photos taken for your website, business cards, social media, etc. Please don't use a photo taken 10 years ago or one that's inconsistent with the brand you are building. YOU are a big part of your brand and every photo you put out there should reflect your brand and help position you as an expert. Refer back to #18...ask the same question about any photos you are thinking of using.   

Hopefully now you have a least a couple of new ways to build your personal brand as an expert. And by the way, this list is not exhaustive. I’d love to hear your ideas of how you convey your personal brand as an expert.

Want To Get Further Faster? (without the stress!)

I love Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4-Hour Workweek. He has an ability to break things down in a way that when you read it you say, “I can do that!” I especially love what he has to say about acquiring new skills and developing your talents.

According to Mr. Ferriss, if you apply certain principles to the process of acquiring a new skill, you can make a quantum leap in how quickly and effectively you reach your goal.

He made a number of great points, but here are three that really stuck out for me:

Simplify. Tim says you should try to focus on just one goal at a time. Saying “yes” to too many things is a problem. You must decide the first, most important thing you must accomplish and then put your attention on that for a concentrated period of time. Do you need to learn to build your list? Create a group program? Get more clients? Pick the thing that will move you toward your goals most quickly and dive into that.

Deconstruction. Most skills are overwhelming and in order to successfully acquire new ones quickly, you need to break them down into pieces, or steps. It’s much easier to follow a system than to randomly try to master something.

Selection. He goes on to explain that discovering and selecting the most effective (and the fewest number) of those pieces or steps to concentrate on is essential. This is why learning from someone else – someone who has already done the “selecting” for you – is so important. That way you get to sidestep the trial and error phase (because they’ve made them for you) and greatly accelerate your success.

As I reviewed what I learned about learning, I realized exactly why I have always had a coach of my own and taken many courses, programs, and workshops.

It is so much less time-consuming and stressful to have someone help me simplify my choices, deconstruct the task into understandable pieces or steps, and allow me to learn from their trial and error so I can see results much faster.

Not only that, I know that all the time I have spent being coached and mentored has made me a better coach & mentor myself!

Stop The Madness: 5 Easy Ways To End Your Overwhelm!

It seems to be spreading. An “epidemic of overwhelm.” Most people I talk to are overwhelmed with the many responsibilities of their business and personal life.

In addition to that, there is a tremendous amount of information coming at us from the radio, Internet, emails, Facebook and television; bombarding us with things that we must do, must have and must accomplish. We are committing to doing too much and finding that we simply don’t have the time or energy to accomplish everything.

I suffered from this affliction from time to time in my life and business. So in my effort to change this feeling of being overwhelmed, I made a concerted effort to change my language and stop using the phrase “I’m so overwhelmed!” I found that it had become a habit to do so. Thoughts do in fact, become things. So I put a positive spin on things and reached for inspiration instead. Inspiration that helped me handle the many challenges in a much more graceful and efficient way.

Here are 5 steps that can help you with the feeling of being overwhelmed:

1. Understand that you’ll never be caught up. Sorry...but it's true! As someone who is busy building a business, it is likely that you will never have an empty inbox. You can prioritize things and make the pile smaller each day, but there will always be something left to do.

2. Do one thing at a time. It is true that we may feel like we can multi-task but in actual fact trying to do more than one thing at once isn’t that effective. It is best to clear your desk, set the timer and complete one thing at a time.

3. Choose wisely. Take time each week to make a list of everything that is on your mind that you must do. Then prioritize this list by making intelligent choices that lead you to doing what matters most first.

4. Delegate. Learning to delegate is an important skill worth developing. Anything that can be adequately done by someone else should be delegated. It is sometimes hard to let go of controlling everything, but there are people just waiting to help you if you ask them.

5. Learn to say no. When we are feeling overwhelmed, we can usually attribute it to taking on too much. Get into the habit of pausing and thinking before immediately offering to do something.

When we are overwhelmed, we feel out of control. The common reaction is to try to control everything, which is an impossible task and leads to more overwhelm. Inspiration on the other hand, comes from letting go and listening. Taking a moment to enjoy a deep breath. We are so accustomed to paddling furiously, but if we can just bring the oars into the boat we might find that it is easier to go with the flow!

2 Easy Ways To Keep Prospects Engaged With Your Brand

Getting prospects to stick around is all about engaging them with your brand. Here are 2 ways to help you create a more immersive experience with your brand that engages prospects.

1. Be Yourself - Infuse Your Personality and Voice

When you are a solopreneur you’re automatically claiming that you’re an expert in your niche. And with that can come a lot of pressure to be “perfect”. You want to make sure you sound smarter than the average bear but what can happen is that you start sounding less like a person and more like a text book.

What people want to see is someone they can relate to and someone who makes sense to them. Someone who "gets them."

So a great way to make your content sticky and engaging with your prospects is to be yourself!

Write about your expertise in a conversational tone. Share personal stories, what you learned from them, and how they relate to your audience. By sharing your personal viewpoint and not trying to over-complicate things you will be more relatable to your audience and still position yourself as an expert.

2. Have A Clear Message – And Repeat It

A big part of branding yourself as an expert is to have a message or viewpoint to share. And while prospects will find your information helpful, whether or not they connect with your message and viewpoint will play a big role in them wanting to hire you.

So even if you think you’re repeating yourself it’s important that you weave your key message into everything you do. The more you repeat it the more likely prospects will be to remember it and you.

If you think about it, when you were in school the likelihood of you remembering something the first time you heard it (even if it made total sense) was probably pretty slim. So it’s up to you to take a stand and drive your message home so that you become remembered for it.

What Does Your Brand Say About You?

What is a brand?... A name? A logo? A color palette? A tagline? A strategy?

Your overall brand is all of the above broken into two different parts, the brand and the branding.

Your brand is the visual design. It includes your logo, color palette, typefaces, images, and designs you use to represent your business and communicate your message.

Your branding is the strategy that supports the visual brand design. It includes your values, personality, promise, differentiation, reputation, message, focus, offerings, target market, goals, and more. Branding is the "behind-the-scenes" action that creates a unique position for your brand in the marketplace so it stands out from the crowd and communicates your value.

A strong brand builds credibility and influence in your market, and motivates people to buy. A well-defined brand creates memorable experiences, raving fans, and abundance of referrals because:

►You continuously show your audience why they should buy from you

►Clients know exactly what problems you solve and what results you deliver

►The sales conversation flows easily because new prospects already know what you stand for

►Your prospects’ experiences support everything you say in your marketing

►Ideal clients clearly understand how you’re different and value you deliver

With that said, your overall brand also includes every single interaction and experience a person has with your business, product, program, or service.

From a person’s experience with your email, voice mail, newsletter, website, and blog, to their experience with your business card, marketing materials, team members, and social media posts...every interaction they have makes an impression.

Building a powerful, personal, and profitable brand is just as much about taking the time to define your audience’s experiences, as it is about planning your position in the market, mapping out your messaging, and designing your visual look.

Remember, when you don’t take the time to create your brand strategy and position yourself in the market for what you want to be known for, you allow the market to define your brand for you – and you might not like what they have to say!

Make Friends With Your Finances!

Kendall Summerhawk (a life and business coach I admire) is known for saying, “Money likes to be paid attention to.” But many of us do not have a clear grasp on what is going on with our finances. Many entrepreneurs don’t know much about their flow of money. You need to know where your money comes from and when, and exactly where it is going.

What part of your money life do you shy away from the most? Is it balancing your checkbook? Reading a bank statement? Paying bills on time or with a feeling of joy? Tracking your spending on a daily basis? Budgeting? Pinpoint which daily money tasks are the most problematic for you, then start changing your money habits by proactively focusing on that area.

Be prepared for some feelings of discomfort. But knowledge is power. Remember that those feelings are your place of growth, allowing your next level of income to spring forward!

Social Media MUSTS!

Using social media is no longer a "maybe" or "when there is time." Using social media this year will be a must in your business. If you have the tools, strategies and mindset, social media can provide you with a thriving on-line presence. Below I share the top 4 social media musts for 2014:

1. Use images to convey the idea of who, what and the why of doing business with you! Images speak to emotions much more effectively then words do.

2. Set aside 15 minutes twice a day to be present on social media. Post updates, comment on others posts, share videos and pictures, ask questions. The idea is to regularly engage with your fans, friends and potential clients.

3. Use consistency in all social media platforms with messages, images, keywords, tag lines and urls. You want to be clear and consistent in the busy and hectic world of social media. Make it easy for others to find and know you!

4. Use location based apps and features and check in. Foursquare is an easy way to share what you find important by being present!

Social media has shifted the power of what you can do to promote yourself, your brand, and your products & services. All it takes is the commitment to use social media and of course, the right tools and strategies!

Automate Your Business and Marketing for More Sales & Freedom!

People always ask me, “How do you ‘Get It All Done’ every month?” or “How do you do so much and make it all look so easy?”

What I’ve discovered in my years of being an entrepreneur is that the productivity practices I’ve adopted or developed are some of the most important systems that have helped me achieve the level I am at in my business.

Using systems and consistent ways to market and follow up is entirely how I built my six-figure coaching business. It wasn’t always that easy however; I had to learn the hard way.

I must admit that I am a recovering control freak and tried to do it all but got WAY burned out. These days I find it much less stressful and enjoyable to delegate, have systems in place, and have great functionality on my website so I can attract, talk to and help many more entrepreneurs than I ever could before with my old business model and practices.

There is so much you can do online to market and promote your business but no ONE entrepreneur can ever do it all, at least not effectively (believe me!)

Therefore it is critical that you learn how to automate as much of your business and marketing tasks as possible. You need to do this though without compromising your relationships or that much needed (and wanted) personal touch.

Most entrepreneurs barely reach 5-10% of the number of potential clients they could with what their current marketing efforts. You can be in many more places and be much more well known if you learn some simple techniques for automating, delegating and systematizing much of what you do.

Here are just a few ideas you can look at in your business to see how you can automate:

1. Your Online Business Set Up

►You need a professionally designed website for credibility. I know this seems like a no-brainer but many entrepreneurs skimp on this and it not only hurts their credibility, it also impacts their cash flow!

►You want to offer a freebie that your visitors can opt in for on every page of your website. You’ll also want to make sure that your opt-in box that stands out and grabs attention (this is the #1 goal of your website!)

►Some business owners (those selling physical products) should have shopping carts hooked up to their website so people can click and buy at their convenience. ALWAYS make it easy for people to buy. I know, you are saying “well duh Dawn!” but again I see many websites where it’s difficult to buy and once the potential client is frustrated…they are often DONE!

►I also suggest online forms, FAQ pages, video tutorials or online quizzes or assessments to get people interacting on your site. The longer a potential client hangs out on your website the better!

2. Your Marketing and Follow Up

►Develop a pre-consultation questionnaire or intake form online to help qualify potential clients and have them take the initiative.

►Have a business marketing tool set up to help you reach, engage, and acquire new clients through email, events, and social media (i.e., Constant Contact, iContact, Aweber, etc.) The key here is to send valuable information regularly (atleast twice a month) so you are in the forefront of your potential clients minds.

►Create printed order forms to take to in person networking events, speaking engagements and conferences – get potential clients while they’re hot!

►Pre-write emails and mailings for follow up after networking and other events so you aren’t recreating the wheel.

►Check your voice mail to make sure it’s professional and effective – tell them what to do (i.e., get your freebies, watch your videos, listen to your audio program, etc.) Again, I know this might sound like another no-brainer but I recently called a very high-end professional, received her voice mail and heard the TV in the background! It was not only distracting but it was unprofessional and left me wondering about her credibility.

►Put a full email signature and link to your freebies in the P.S. everywhere you can.

3. Your Life

►Delegate where you can! Get help with errands, house cleaning, lawn maintenance, book keeping, etc. If your budget doesn't allow you to do this on a regular basis then start slowly and get help from time-to time. A past client of mine (a nutritionist) bartered services while she was building her business. Do what you can when you can to lighten your load!

Those are just a few things to get you started but if you understand that you can increase your business with more automating, delegating and systematizing, then I highly recommend you ask for help to get more focused and organized in your business.

With more automating and delegating you can increase your income and productivity and reduce your stress!

Letting Go Of Their "Yes" or "No"

When doing a consultation with a potential client, it’s natural to feel “invested” in whether they’re going to hire you or not. You may be very aware that you need the income, or extremely excited because you know you can really help the person, or preoccupied with how you’re coming across and what they “think” of you.

But this will absolutely jeopardize your ability to be of the greatest service.

The thing is, when we’re preoccupied with the outcome, we tend to censor ourselves. We don’t, perhaps, tell the truth because we’re afraid to be perceived as “pushy.” Or, we’re not able to be present and listen because we’re too consumed with worry about what they’ll decide.

I’ve found that it’s in the letting go of any need to control the outcome that the most brilliant and inspiring things occur during these conversations!

(Not to mention the fact that your potential client can smell desperation from a mile away).

Answering "This" Question Can Cost You Clients & Cash!

Often, as entrepreneurs, we’ll find ourselves in the awkward predicament of talking to someone who is interested in our work and what we offer – whether it be at a networking event, a conference, or even a social gathering – and who simply comes out and asks, “So, what do you charge?”

Now, the tendency you may feel is to answer – so as not to be evasive – but that’s probably the biggest mistake you can make. Before getting into the “money conversation” with anyone, it’s necessary to help them first realize what problems and challenges they are facing, and the significant cost that those problems are having on their lives and businesses. You want them to really feel the emotional impact of this situation.

Then, it’s imperative to show them what’s possible as a result of working with you – namely, that they’re going to solve these pressing problems and achieve their most desired goals. Whether it be that they’ll attract consistent, high-paying clients of their own, or that they’ll lose 60 pounds, or that they’ll find that soul mate, or that they’ll get out of debt and exponentially increase their income – whatever it is they dream of achieving (and depending on what kind of service you provide), you must make clear that your mentorship and guidance is the roadmap to get them there.

Only then, once they’re emotionally invested in seeing that vision – and they’ve truly explored what it would be like to be there (at that end goal) – should you open the “money conversation” and talk about the investment in your programs. Anytime you talk about that investment before you’ve taken the potential client through the process I’ve just described, you’re likely to hear a “no” answer – because they’re hearing about the cost (an “obstacle”) before understanding the incredible value of the transformation to their lives and/or businesses that they’re going to achieve!

So…. What do you say when someone asks you – prematurely – “So, what do you charge?”

My recommendation is that you answer with something similar to what follows:

“You know, I’d be happy to answer that question. But I have a variety of different programs (or services) that may or may not be right for you depending on your situation and what your needs are. If I can explore a bit further what’s going on with you, what you’re struggling with, and what you’re hoping to accomplish, I can more accurately suggest which program I think would be the best fit – and at that time I’d be happy to tell you about all of the program components, including the investment. How does that sound?”

In almost every case, it’s likely that the person will agree to such a conversation, and you can set up either a formal “Strategy Session” with that person (which is what I would recommend) or you may choose to talk further in the moment… But in either case, you’ll then be able to approach the topic of the investment when it’s the most effective time to do so.

Business is Hard...Suck It Up!

If it were easy to build a successful business everyone would be doing it. I have spent a lifetime studying successful businesses and successful entrepreneurs and I have noticed that they all have a few things in common.

1. They are committed to the process of building a business. They understand that not everything they do is going to work so they have to try more things so that the odds work out in their favor.

2. They do their homework. They don’t always fly by the seat of their pants. They make plans, develop strategies and understand that it takes time to make things work.

3. They are consistent in their efforts. They do not just tell a few people about their new product or service, get a few negative responses and give up. They are consistent in their marketing and sales efforts.

4. They are persistent. Even when it feels like no one is paying attention they are still marching forward. They understand that the forward momentum creates the attention.

Here is the million dollar question:

Are you willing to do whatever it takes to build a successful business?

Are you willing to talk to people you don’t want to talk to, work the hours that are required, develop a success strategy, spend money to make money and do what successful business owners do? If so, I applaud you and can’t wait to see the business that you develop.

6 Killer Lead Generation Activities to Get More Clients!

In the work that I do as a business coach I find that many people use the terms lead generating and list building pretty interchangeably for the most part. I catch myself doing it from time to time as well but they are actually different.

Lead generating is the process or activity of seeking and/or advertising for potential clients in your business. List building is the activity of getting more people on your email list.

See the difference?

You don’t just want to build any old email list. A responsive list of 250 people trumps an unresponsive list of 5000 every time! Don’t get me wrong, you DO want to gather the contact information of every prospect or lead that you come into contact with. But, email marketing is just ONE of the ongoing marketing and follow up strategies that you want to use to qualify, connect and build relationships with your new leads.

Activities that generate quality leads for your business should be targeted to finding your ideal client, not just a bunch of people to put on your list. The lead generating activities that are most successful for business owners I work with are:

►Networking (with your ideal clients; be choosy about which groups you attend)

►Doing free tele-classes or webinars (create a 45 conference call or webinar and share on a topic of your expertise…record it and post it on your website)

►Holding your own live events or workshops (find out what information your ideal clients need most and create a 2 – 3 ½ hour workshop)

►Being a guest on radio shows or other people’s calls, etc. (do an internet search for local radio stations/programming and send them your killer bio, highlighting your area of expertise and what you can bring to their listeners)

►Asking satisfied clients for referrals (your satisfied clients are happy to refer you…they just forget…remind them!)

►Connecting with people who expressed an interest in working with you in the past (Circle back with people who at one time said “no” to what you had to offer. We’ve all spoken to people about working together in the past who, at that time, didn’t move forward for whatever reasons…not the right timing, not the right service, etc. Contact these people again to let them know when you have new things to offer or just to see how they are doing. On several occasions I have reached out to these people and had them say, “Nothing has changed in my business. I am still stuck. I am really glad you reached out I’d really like to start working with you.”)

It is important to realize that finding ideal clients who are “hot” for what you offer takes time, patience and putting yourself out there in a big way. As you connect with people, be sure to educate them, inspire them and entice them to take the next step.

Crunch the numbers to see what your revenue goals are, take a look at what you’re selling, and you’ll see how many new clients you need every month to meet your goals. Keep those numbers in mind when you’re calculating how many lead generation activities you need to do each month and you’ll be much more successful!

Once you do gather more quality leads, putting a very consistent relationship marketing plan in place is critical. It should be designed to entice potential clients to want to find out more, take the next step with you, buy something or interact to get more information. Sending emails, calling on the phone, sending something in the mail and even connecting with hot quality prospects on social media websites are all forms of follow up and I say – DO THEM ALL for best results!

2 Marketing Myths That Keep You Stuck and Frustrated

Myth #1: Keeping my fees low will get me more clients

Reality: Fees are a reflection of what you believe about yourself and what you provide. Lower fees equal more hours worked and more energy spent. Being the “best deal in town” does not always provide the outcome you desire. If fact, it can lead people to wonder what’s wrong with your services. Remember the adage, “You get what you pay for!” People will pay to have their problems solved. The more that you respect your talents and truly see them as valuable, the easier it will be to ask to be paid what you deserve. You hold the key to getting paid more…it’s ALL mindset.

Myth #2: I Should spent 50% of my time marketing my business

Reality: Think of the title you have given yourself…business coach, chiropractor, photographer, financial advisor, etc. As a business owner you are no longer that title…you are a marketer of that title. You must consistently create a full-time mentality (mindset) when building relationships (marketing.) Creating a marketing plan, system and offers requires a full-time commitment physically and emotionally…it’s the only way you will ever make money in you

6 ways to bootstrap your way to business success

It’s the old catch-22, “You have to spend money to make money.” But how do you spend money to make money if you don’t have money? One of the struggles I see new business owners frequently grappling with is how to afford to do marketing and get the right mentor/coach to grow their business, especially if they’re not making money yet.

Today, I am going to share 6 ways to bootstrap your way to business success so that you can afford to advertise, market and get the right mentor to achieve your goals.

1. Use the tools and resources you already have! Make good old fashioned sales calls and send follow-up e-mails to prospects, current and past customers to generate income within 24 hours. Design a compelling offer, a call to action and a reason to buy now!

2. Barter. Do you have a service or product that can make a quantifiable difference for someone that can provide advertising, marketing, sales, PR services, social media or article submission for you in your business? Offer your services in exchange for their services, it’s a win win!

3. Make a special offer to all your current and past customers that builds on, or adds to, their last purchase. Give an outstanding price for the value; advertise a limited quantity and a short window of time to buy.

4. Attend a meet-up group or professional event specifically designed for people that want the result or product you deliver. Your aim should be to get cards and follow up versus giving yours to others.

5. Reach out to business owners that have the same target market and ask them to send an invitation to their clients with a promotion of one of your products or services. In exchange, offer them a percentage of the profits on all sales.

6. Ask for referrals. Approach colleagues, friends, family, current/former clients and community contacts and ask for referrals in exchange for a gift or dollar amount.

Spend some time over the next week focusing on these best practices to generate the money you need to get the right mentor and marketing to grow your business fast!

Create Your FREE Personal Mission Statement (compliments of Nightingale Conant)

Consider what successes you'll have this year by replacing New Year's Resolutions with a Mission Statement...

A new year, a new beginning. If you're like most people, you've probably flirted around with New Year's resolutions: You've said, "THIS is the year I'm going to lose weight and get in shape. Starting January 1st, no more snacking. I'm joining the health club, and I'm going to work out daily. I may even run my first marathon."

Then what happens? By February 1st, you're back on the junk food regimen, you've been to the club a total of five times, and you've filed that marathon application in the trash. And you've concluded, "Resolutions don't work for me." (Believe me, you've got a lot of company on that one...)

Maybe you need a better approach. Instead of making a mental resolution, create your Mission Statement. The benefits of creating your Mission Statement are abundant.

A Mission Statement:

♦Is a handwritten or typed-out paragraph featuring your most important goals

♦Is commonly posted someplace you can see it regularly

♦Should be committed to memory

♦Has specific, measurable outcomes

♦Has a deadline — in this case, December 31st, 2014

Don't put it off — Nightingale Conant has made it simple for you to create your Mission Statement right now... for FREE!

http://www.nightingale.com/personal-mission-statement/

3 Surefire Ways To Make Selling Easier!

Many entrepreneurs will admit to having some negative thoughts around selling. It conjures up images of unwanted calls, pushy sales people and feeling pressure to make a decision to buy.

Unfortunately any negative beliefs you hold about the sales process will get in the way of you being profitable in your business. Sadly, businesses that struggle with selling their products and services often fail to maintain a competitive edge and soon start to decline.

On the other hand, taking a positive and authentic approach to selling will not only benefit you but ultimately, it will benefit new and potential clients. They'll gain greater benefits and better value from what you provide....leading to a cycle of more clients, more sales and more revenue.

To overcome any natural resistance and to reprogram any negative thoughts you may have around selling, work on creating an environment where a sale naturally takes place.

This means taking the focus off yourself, your products and services, and putting your attention on others by:

1) Developing strong relationships

As you know, people will work with and buy from those that they know, like and trust. So, unless you have a very strong brand and are well known in your market then customers usually want to feel they have developed a relationship with you or know something about you before making a purchase. You can achieve this through a regular newsletter, one to one meetings or by speaking to groups. But most importantly pay attention to what your clients really want or need to know or learn about you, your products or services, so that they can make an informed decision.

2) Overcoming objections elegantly

When objections about purchasing your product or service come up it is often because your potential clients are not sufficiently convinced about the value or benefit of what you have to offer. If objections do come up don't fall into the trap of defending or challenging...

►Work out potential objections in advance. Think about the 2 major objections that come up and craft great responses ahead of time. Never wing overcoming objections.

►Be understanding. You don't have to agree but don't make them feel wrong or bad about raising concerns.

►Add additional information or provide a client success story to add credibility.

►Ask questions to find out what they do want - if it is too much money you can explore options with them - another service perhaps, a discount or a payment plan. Or ask a question that gives them a solution to the objection – “if I offered you a payment plan which works with your budget, would you like to move forward?”

3) Taking the pressure off

When you focus on the other person, and take time to explore whether your service is of value to them, then you can ask if they would like to go ahead. If they say yes that's great but if they hesitate take the pressure off.

Pressuring someone into making a decision is the fastest way to lose a sale. If someone is hesitating let go of control and open up the possibilities for them to consider different options.

When you base your business practice on giving rather than getting you will soon find that the sales process happens more naturally, and your mindset will shift from negative thoughts based on fear and worry to how you can truly best serve others.

That's when you'll experience true business abundance.

Analysis Paralysis Can Ruin Your Business

I like to do research, get lots of information, and know all my options before I make a decision. I tend to have what’s called a “cognitive” style of working.

The problem though, is that I sometimes get trapped in Analysis Paralysis!

That’s when you get caught in a loop between researching all the possibilities and analyzing the pros and cons of each, without ever being able to reach an actual decision. This is also known as “over-thinking” or “being stuck in your head.”

There are many reasons why this can happen. But the MOST likely is this:

You’re afraid of making a wrong decision or a mistake!

But one of the main traits of a successful entrepreneur is the ability to make bold decisions quickly. The trick is to learn to make a choice, even though it may be imperfect.

So, set a deadline for the decision. Get the info you can. Then trust your intuition and make a choice. And remember, all choices lead to opportunities, learning, and growth – so there’s not really a “wrong” answer anyway! So when you face a setback or misstep, don’t beat yourself up. You will learn from those missteps and, fortunately, you can course correct.

Remember: the only sure fire way to fail is to take no action at all!

6 Steps To Turn Conversations Into Clients & Cash!

If you are entrepreneur, your business is to sell products and services and then maybe deliver them (depending on how your business is set up). Unless you have a huge sales force (wouldn’t that be nice!), this falls on your shoulders. It is your responsibility. Repeat after me – “I am responsible for meeting potential clients, offering them my products/services and closing the sale.” Let’s repeat this one more time – “I am responsible for meeting potential clients, offering them my products/services and closing the sale.”

Great! Now that you know the selling is up to you and you only, let’s give you the tools to do just that. I work with many entrepreneurs and what I find is that although they love what they do and are experts in their field, they just don’t know how to effectively sell what they have to offer. If you also fall into this category, don’t worry. We are going to walk through a killer 6 step process to help you get out there and sell your services with confidence.

In my coaching programs I teach all of my clients “the art of the enrollment conversation.” We literally script out each step of the enrollment conversation for their particular business and voila’…they have a powerful and VERY influential way to sell their services. And if followed, this process works!

One of my clients recently sold a $25,000 year-long program using this approach. I myself used this approach to take my business to 6 figures. One caveat: Each step leads to the next and it’s super important to follow the 6 steps. Miss one and it becomes less compelling. One more caveat: Please be in integrity with this! I will NEVER enroll someone in something that doesn’t benefit them and you shouldn’t either. If I’m in an enrollment conversation with a potential client and I don’t have a program that’s right for them, I let them know and refer them onto another resource.

So, without further delay here are the steps in the enrollment conversation:

#1) Adopt a winning mindset

Going into the conversation, show confidence in who you are and what you have to offer. Own your value and expertise. Establish leadership from the start. It’s your enrollment conversation so you direct it.

#2) Uncover the pain

What are the potential client’s biggest challenges and struggles? What is the true cost – in all areas of life – of these issues? Let the client do the talking. Your job is to pose the questions and listen!

#3) Create the vision

What will their business/life be like when they achieve their intentions? What will they be able to do, be, have or experience that they can’t now? Let them talk for the most part but be ready to jump in and help them see the vision if they can’t. Sometimes when people are stuck they have a hard time seeing past the “stuck-ness.”

#4) Boldly present your offer

This is where you’ll use your powers for good! If you see a fit between what your potential client needs and what you have to offer, lead with results-oriented language. Your language should presume a “yes” answer (i.e., “when we work together…”)

#5) Overcome objections

“I can’t afford it” is usually a smokescreen. Be prepared to dig a bit deeper to find out the true fear underneath why they “can’t.” Make sure you know the top 2 -3 objections you hear and have great answers for them…never wing overcoming objections.

#6) Use stick strategies

Once you have a resounding “yes!” from your new client get them scheduled to start with you a.s.a.p. If that’s not possible then send them a questionnaire, any starting materials you might have or a small congratulatory gift.

There you have it! The 6 steps to turning conversations into clients. Now, to make this work you must use compelling language, ask the right questions, have the best solution(s) for their needs and be able to present it confidently and with no apology. What do I mean with no apology?

I see people go through the enrollment conversation beautifully then blow it by making an offer that sounds apologetic. Like they are almost sorry to have asked or are sorry about the investment level (fee.) I can guarantee that if you are having these feelings internally, the other person can sense it. If you doubt yourself and what you have to offer, why would anybody put their trust in you and give their money? They won’t…period!

To be honest, I struggled with this early on in my coaching practice. Until one day when I had an "ah-ha" moment and realized that I can’t help you build a 6 figure business unless you hire me to work with you. I have absolutely nothing to apologize for. My clients and I have built successful businesses and I know how to do it. The only way I can help entrepreneurs is to get them to understand that we need to work together and the only way you can help your clients is for them to become clients!

10 Famous Successes That Stemmed From Failure

The pursuit of success is often marked by some failures. In fact, the more we fail, the greater our success. History is chock full of people who achieved great success after first encountering some big, big challenges.

Zig Ziglar once said, "Failure is an event, not a person." Let’s look at 10 success stories that began with huge obstacles that were overcome by belief and perseverance.

1. Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade and was defeated in every single election for public office until he became Prime Minister at the young age of 62.

2. Sigmund Freud was booed from the podium when he first released his ideas, and was considered an outcast by his peers and the scientific community.

3. In the first year of her contract, Marilyn Monroe was dropped by her producers because they thought she was unattractive and couldn't act.

4. Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old, and couldn't read until he was seven. His parents thought he was "sub-normal." He was expelled from school and his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable and adrip forever in foolish dreams."

5. Elvis Presley was fired after his first performance at the Grand Ole Opry and told by the manager, "You ain't going nowhere son, you otta go back to driving a truck."

6. J.K. Rowling was broke, living on welfare, severely depressed, divorced and a single mother while attending school and attempting to write her first novel. 7. After a screen test, Fred Astaire received a memo from the director that read, "can't act, can't sing, slightly bald, can dance...a little."

8. A professor suggested that Dr. Seuss drop out of the English department and college altogether. At his very first job, he was paid in cases of shaving cream, soda and nail clippers. His first book was rejected by 27 publishers before printers accepted it.

9. Enduring a rough and often abusive childhood, Oprah Winfrey faced numerous career setbacks including being fired from her first job because she was unfit for TV.

10. Wolfgang Mozart was told by Emperor Ferdinand that his operas were "far too noisy" and contained "far too many notes."

If you never fail, you'll never succeed!

Are "The Nasty 3" Sabotaging Your Success?

You want to be successful – we all do! As an entrepreneur, and as a person, for that matter. But did you realize that you might be doing things right now that are sabotaging your success?

And because you’ve chosen to be an entrepreneur, I know that being successful in your business is important to you for a number of reasons: to create financial security…to truly help people…to afford a particular lifestyle…to leave a legacy…to provide for your family… to transform people’s lives.

But without realizing it, you may be practicing certain behaviors that hold you back from “playing full out” in your career. In other words, you may be “hiding out,” rather than showing up as the powerful person that you are.

These types of self-sabotage are often subtle and many times, unconscious. One of my jobs as a business coach is to catch these instances where my clients are “getting in their own way,” and to help them end these behaviors. Once they do, they can really show up for their clients, believe in themselves, and take consistent, powerful action that leads to a successful and profitable business.

See if you recognize any of these sabotaging behaviors in yourself:

►You over-give or over-deliver

When you charge too little for your services, or give much more time to your clients than they are compensating you for (like going well past the allotted time for your particular service) you may think you are being “generous”, but you are actually devaluing your services for your clients. Not to mention being a poor model of time management and healthy boundaries. Instead, be sure that your fees are appropriate and competitive for what you do, and be sure to deliver 100% on what has been promised, but no more.

►You stay stuck in indecision

This shows up when you have a decision to make, and you hem and haw, fret endlessly about which is the best choice, and get absolutely nowhere. I’ll tell you one thing the worst decision is to not make a decision at all! I guarantee you that it is better to make a powerful decision and begin taking forward action – whatever the decision is – than to stay stuck in inertia. And if you pursue the path of that decision and then find that there’s a better choice, you can always course-correct! But you’ll be further along than had you not taken action.

►You give away your power

This occurs when you allow other people’s opinions or reactions to you drive your choices. You must not let this happen! Only you can make the decisions and take the actions that you feel are the best for you. It is fine (and advisable) to take into account guidance from mentors and those wiser than we are, but basing your actions on what other people may say or think only holds you back and keeps you completely disempowered. My dad used to tell me that, “what other people think of me is none of my business,” and that couldn't be more true! Stay committed to who you are!

So those are the “Nasty 3” and I tell all my clients to watch out for these instances of unintentional self-sabotage, as these habits negatively influence our OWN clients’ beliefs and opinions of us! But with practice, I guarantee you can kick these habits and embrace the powerful, talented, and highly deserving entrepreneur that you are!

The Law of the Garbage Truck by David J. Pollay

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you’re the Terminator, you’re probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s important in your life.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here’s what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.

I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a special face. And he even threw in a one finger salute! I couldn’t believe it!

But then here’s what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck®.” He said:

“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”

So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street? It was then that I said, “I don’t want their garbage and I’m not going to spread it anymore.”

I began to see Garbage Trucks. Like in the movie “The Sixth Sense,” the little boy said, “I see Dead People.” Well now “I see Garbage Trucks.” I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time was Walter Payton. Every day on the football field, after being tackled, he would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Over the years the best players from around the world in every sport have played this way: Muhammad Ali, Nadia Comaneci, Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Michael Jordan, Jackie Robinson, and Pele are just some of those players. And the most inspiring leaders have lived this way: Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King.

See, Roy Baumeister, a psychology researcher from Florida State University, found in his extensive research that you remember bad things more often than good things in your life. You store the bad memories more easily, and you recall them more frequently.

So the odds are against you when a Garbage Truck comes your way. But when you follow The Law of the Garbage Truck®, you take back control of your life. You make room for the good by letting go of the bad.

The best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The best sales people know that they have to be ready for their next client. And the best parents know that they have to be ready to greet their children with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they might have faced that day. All of us know that we have to be fully present, and at our best for the people we care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their lives.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here’s my bet: You’ll be happier.

David J. Pollay is an acclaimed speaker and the creator and author of the international phenomenon, The Law of the Garbage Truck.

Feature Article: Niche to be Rich in Your Business

So, you have a great product or service, you know you can help people, and you want to impact as many lives as possible. So, why not promote your business to everyone? The more the better, right?

Wrong!

The pathway to real success for small businesses is niche marketing. Niche marketing is simply targeting a specific part of the market and focusing your business solely upon them.

You might be thinking, “but Dawn, if I narrow my market focus I’ll lose business by turning clients away!”

Although it may be counter-intuitive, the opposite is actually true. There are no businesses that can truly be “all things to all people.” In fact, businesses that market themselves as “the one-stop-shop-for-everything” actually dilute their value in the marketplace because they end up being seen as the jack-of-all-trades and master-of-none type of businesses. That’s NOT the reputation you want and it’s not the way to attract your ideal clients. It’s actually the way to repel them!

Your business must appeal to a very specific segment of the overall market.

Why is this so important? First of all, people want to hire someone they feel really “gets” them, understands their struggles/challenges and daily experience. Focusing in on a particular niche allows your message to really stand out in a world where people are constantly bombarded by marketing and advertisements.

The beauty of this is that you won’t be competing with a lot of similar businesses based solely on price. In fact, you can actually charge more because you serve a market that doesn’t have as many options to choose from. And by specializing in exactly what a specific market wants, you become the expert or “go to” person for that group.

Now, choosing a niche requires careful consideration. You must start by determining which group of people (out of the larger population) your skills and services best help. This group of people will either be similar demographically (i.e. recent college grads) or situationally (i.e. individuals making a shift out of corporate America) or even professionally (i.e. working only with financial advisors.)

Once you have particular target market in mind, it’s time for the “Rich Niche” Test. There are 5 critical factors that your niche must have in order to be a lucrative market.

The “Rich Niche” Test

1. Your niche must have an urgent problem, or set of problems, that desperately need to be solved. For better or worse, people are more motivated by pain than pleasure. What you offer must alleviate their biggest point of pain or solve their greatest problem. You need to know exactly what your target market is struggling with, and what they want instead!

2. They need to recognize that they have these problems, and WANT to solve them. It may sound odd, but it’s true. From the outside, you may see the help that someone desperately needs – yet they don’t see it or acknowledge it themselves. Make sure your niche actually wants to solve their problem. Don’t waste your time with a market that doesn’t want your help.

3. Your goods and services have to truly solve their problem. I know this seems like a no-brainer, but you really must make absolutely sure that what you do is going to give this audience what they want and in a measurable way. When considering a niche, think through whether your offering(s) solves or alleviates this target market’s biggest point of pain. If not, either develop something that will, or explore a different niche whose problems you do solve!

4. They have to be willing to spend money (and see the value in doing so!) to solve these problems. Sometimes a particular group may acknowledge that they have an “urgent” problem, but in truth, they’re just not willing to spend money to solve it. They’d rather stay in their pain and complain rather than do anything about it. You have to avoid these groups like the plague! Be sure that you have evidence that your chosen niche tends to pay for goods and services that will solve their greatest problems. If you’re not sure, interview a handful of people in the niche to find out.

5. Your target market must be easily “findable.” It won’t help you to have a terrific service that solves an urgent problem if you can’t actually find the people you want to help! You need to know where your market tends to congregate and “hang out.” Are there online websites and chat rooms that cater to this group? Are there associations that your ideal clients would belong to? Do they meet for certain events, conferences, or retreats? Are they in any support groups, taking training together, or involved with each other in social or recreational ways where you could find them? When you know where to find them, you can put yourself there and offer your terrific services to them.

If your niche can satisfy the 5 requirements listed here, you’ll be well on your way to creating a lucrative and viable business.

The REAL Reason They Buy

Recently I was on the phone with an entrepreneur and asked a question that completely stumped him.

Stopped him dead in his tracks.

The question was, "Why do your clients hire you?"

Simple question but it rendered this man speechless.

Now, I knew the answer before I asked the question. And before I share it with you, pause now and answer it for yourself.

I'll wait.

.

.

.

OK…got your answer? Are you speechless as well?

Here's the answer...drum roll please! "They hire you because of the relationship you've built with them."

There are four steps to developing any relationship.

1) First, they have to KNOW who you are. Think visibility my friend. You can't hide behind your computer and expect that people know you! Get out, meet people, have a great "compelling marketing message" and follow up with people you meet.

2) They then have to decide to LIKE you (or not…either answer is fine.) Not everyone is going to like you so stop worrying about it. Put your best foot forward and come from a place a service with your potential clients. Make it about them NOT you!

3) Next, they learn to TRUST you (or not), over time. Trust comes from being visible, coming from a place of service AND adding value consistently.

4) Finally, they take a next step.

The sole purpose of your "marketing" is to take people through those four steps.

So the next time someone says you should be doing this thing or that thing ask yourself…does it enhance my relationship with the clients I want?

This Far You May Come and No Farther...By Jason Leister (The Art of Clients)

Boundaries are a very important thing for a service provider. There should be things you are not willing to do. Fees you are not willing to accept. Projects you are not willing to undertake. Terms to which you are not willing to commit.

Boundaries give you control, because boundaries offer you a simple way to make decisions. Without them, you're basically out there swimming in a big ocean. There's ocean as far as your eyes can see with absolutely no land in sight. Basically, you work hard but never, ever get anywhere.

One day you turn this way, the next day you turn the other way. You end up going in circles without even knowing it.

Of course we all HAVE boundaries in our business. The trick is not to cross those boundaries. The trick is to be able to say "No," when a prospect or client walks up to those boundaries with an intention of crossing one of them.

The challenge isn't creating the boundaries, it's enforcing them.

My history is riddled with episodes where I did not make boundaries clear with clients, did not sound the alarm when someone crossed them, did not reinforce them when someone crashed through.

I just allowed it. And I swallowed the resentment (for myself) that that produced.

But I'm getting better. :)

"I know you charge 10X, but will you do it for 1X?"

No I will not.

I know this sounds obvious, but when you reinforce a boundary, it gets stronger. Protecting it the NEXT time becomes even easier.

To protect your boundaries, you simply have to be willing to say "This far you may come and no farther." (That's right out of the Bible by the way.)

Some people will not like this. Some people who COULD have given you money will go away. Some people who WOULD have hired you will turn back annoyed.

That's really why we avoid the boundaries isn't it? To save ourselves from the discomfort (fear) of that tension. Lions and Tigers and Boundaries...Oh My!

That's why I did it.

My training was so complete that I'd rather betray myself over and over again than endure the discomfort of knowing someone wasn't pleased with me.

Yuck!

Clear up your boundaries and protect them like your life depends on it. Do it without fear. Your actual life might not hang in the balance here, but your happiness and success sure do.

Turn Your 'Shoulds' to 'Musts' and ROCK Your Business!

The journey of a thousand steps… doesn’t begin with a step at all. At least, not in the traditional sense.

The first thing is not making a plan or writing a “to-do” list. Or sending out an email. Or getting on the phone. In fact, it’s not about taking action at all.

The first and most important step of all is deciding. The first step is realizing that you are no longer willing to have things the way they’ve been.

Now let me be clear. This is not wishing things were different. Or griping and complaining (like you’ve done so many times) about how you want things to change.

The first step of this journey can be the most difficult. Procrastination is easy (in the moment anyway). But procrastination brings you nothing except unfulfilled hopes and dreams.

Things will stay the same until you are ready to put action behind your words and thoughts and really make a significant change in your life.

In that sense, a decision really isn’t meaningful at all until you are ready to take action.

A real decision comes about when all the “I should’s” and “I wish’s” turn into a firm and unshakable, “I MUST.”

So try this. Take all the things you “want” to happen, and turn them into musts:

...I MUST get more clients.

...I MUST make a real income.

...I MUST make my business successful.

...I MUST follow my heart’s desire.

And so on…

When you phrase them that way, they take on a completely new power. Wishes are, well, wishy-washy. “Musts” need to be paid attention to. So why not listen up?

Today could be the best day of your life. Today could be the day that you stop hoping and start creating. Today could be the day you decide to change your life and really ROCK your business!

10 'Non-Facebook' Ways to Market Your Brand

Remember the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” I see a lot of entrepreneurs putting all of their “brand” eggs in one basket (Facebook) and not expanding their presence.

Share yourself around. Take advantage of the channels out there and make them work for you by taking your message further than Facebook. I am not saying not to take advantage of Facebook, just don’t use it as the exclusive way that you market your brand.

Here are 10 non-facebook ways to market your brand and message.

1. Photographs: Think of yourself as a media personality and invest in a set of professional photos for your marketing needs. Your brand should never be represented by an “ok but not great” snapshot taken by someone with an Iphone.

2. Website: Your website should be streamlined, professional and up to date. Outdated or messy sites suggest that you are outdated and messy, too. Your home page should only have one core call to action… and that should be to opt-in to find out more, get a free report or guide. As soon as someone visits your site, their eyes should be drawn to this call to action IMMEDIATELY.

3. Blog posts: Write and post at least one blog post a week to keep content fresh and relevant. These posts should be of value to your ideal clients and build the need to engage you further.

4. YouTube: Record video segments and promote them online to maximize your views. Educate, inform and excite people with your content. Tell the world about it.

5. Newspaper: Contact your local newspaper for editorials or offer to write regular feature articles relevant to the newspapers readership base.

6. Write a Book: Whether you opt for a paperback or E-book version, a book is a great way to promote your personal brand. Check out www.createspace.com for an easy, peasy way to get your book written and published and on Amazon quickly. Choose subject matter worthy of your name and brand.

7. Radio: Call in to talk radio shows and express your opinion whether it is popular or not. Try to arrange radio interviews to tie in with other promotions happening around you.

8. Seminars or Public Speaking: You are an expert in your field so develop a range of topics that you’re comfortable speaking on and approach event organizers with an offer to speak.

9. Referrals: Ask the fans you have to spread the word for you. If they love your brand and what you do, they will be happy to refer people to you. Word of mouth is powerful.

10. Workshops: Attend or lead workshops so you can share your knowledge and show off your brand by demonstrating your expertise and skills in a live environment.

Try a variety of these to market your brand…visibility is key to creating a highly successful and highly profitable business.

2 Keys to Ending Procrastination

"I'll just do that tomorrow."

It's so easy to put things off when you're the boss (and employee) in the business. You're responsible only to yourself, so you have a very sympathetic ear when it comes to taking reasons (aka excuses!) for procrastination.

But when we take a deeper look at procrastination, it's not laziness, overwhelm, or just an over sized to-do list. It's actually fear and if left to its own devices…it will sabotage your success.

This fear (disguising itself as procrastination) typically shows up in one of two ways.

1) You're afraid that the activity you're procrastinating will be unpleasant, boring, or scary.

This is why you procrastinate doing things like cleaning up your inbox, attending networking meetings or making that extra sales call. They just aren't among your favorite things to do.

The solution: Find a reason to get fired up about these activities. What you need is a powerful new perspective…one that lets you see another possibility. For example, you could get excited about a networking event thinking, "I'm going to go out and find those people who really need my help! I am committed to making a difference for someone."

2) You're afraid that the outcome of the activity you're procrastinating will be scary.

This is why you might procrastinate finishing a book, program or marketing piece you're working on. What if you put it out there and it is criticized, rejected, or fails? It's much safer (emotionally) to keep your work incomplete.

The solution: Find a new way to look at all possible outcomes. Perhaps the criticism (if it even comes) will give you new information that allows you to succeed wildly. Perhaps the failure (if it even comes) opens up a new door that gives you an entirely new future to pursue.

5 Quick Ways for Finding 5 New Clients (in 30 Days!)

I was speaking to a group of sales professionals a few weeks ago and was asked, “What’s the biggest mistake you see entrepreneurs making?” Although there are a number of mistakes (mostly innocent!) that we as entrepreneurs make, one of the most costly and most prevalent is letting our marketing slip, causing a shortage of clients a few weeks later.

This results in those horrific, ‘breathing out of a paper bag’ moments thinking, “OMG, how did I get here?!” What follows is generally a flurry of desperate activity to get back out there and market like crazy. Not the way to maintain your business or your sanity!

So what is the solution?

First, it’s to decide that you are finally ready to break free of this crazy cycle of feast or famine. You CAN have a business that generates consistent clients and cash flow AND doesn’t have you running around like crazy person to do it!

I am going to assume that you have said, “Yes Dawn, I am MORE than ready to break this cycle…just show me how!” Great, but before I give you some fantastic tips on how to do that, let’s set a new goal for you: To have a steady stream of clients flowing into your business every week or two, keeping your income climbing and creating ever-increasing cash flow to grow your business, pay off debt, save for your future and have fun with! Sound good?

Now, with that new goal in mind, what’s the next step? It’s to attract new clients by taking advantage of low-hanging fruit. Meaning, those potential clients who are already in your world.

Here are a few of my favorite tips on how to quickly sign up new clients (ideally 3 – 5) in the next month. My request to you? Stay open-minded as you read these tips. Rejecting any one of them could cost you the loss of a client…and the additional referrals they bring.

#1: Offer a New Product or Service to an Existing Client

When was the last time you offered a different product or service you have to an existing client? You already have the ‘know, like & trust’ factor established with this person. What else do you have that could really benefit them?

#2: Ask Your Clients for a Referral

How long has it been since you’ve asked your clients for a referral? 6 months ago, a year ago, never? If you’re not asking, you’re clients may assume you don’t need or want referrals. Or, they intend to refer people to you, but they simply forget. Remind them! Ask your best clients for names of people they know who would be a great fit for you and the work that you do.

#3: Reconnect with Past Leads

Remember those people you talked with 3 - 6 months ago who considered working with you but didn’t? We all have them. There’s at least one new client there for you! You can easily reach out to them, using this helpful script:

"Hi, this is __________. I was thinking about you recently and want to check in to see how _______ is going for you. Have you achieved _________ ?” If they haven’t you can say, “Well, let’s spend a minute chatting about where you are and how I can help.”

#4: Host an Informal Afternoon or Evening Event

Spending even just a couple of hours with you in person is the best way to get people excited about how you can help them solve a specific problem. Ask each of your guests to bring a friend or colleague with similar issues and you’ll quickly have a room full of potential clients. Give a 30 minute value-added talk followed by a 15 minute Q&A. Invite these potential clients into a “strategy” session to see if you can help them further with one of your products or services.

#5: Reach Out to Past Clients

Why not offer a little more of YOU to past clients? Again, you already have the ‘know, like & trust’ established. You can easily offer an “add-on” product or service that compliments what you’ve already accomplished with them.

What other ideas do these tips spark for you?

Creating a business that consistently attracts clients and cash flow starts with you taking empowered action. So, set your goal for 3 - 5 new clients this month and get into action!

Want to Reach More Potential Clients?

Here is a question I am asked a lot by my clients, “How can I effectively connect with my potential clients so they really understand what I have to offer and the value I bring?” Well, there are a couple of killer ways to do this but one of the best ways is to build a relationship with them using a high-value newsletter (commonly called an ezine.)

Lots of people will say your “list (email database) is your gold.” I believe that the “relationship” you build with your list is your gold. And how do you build this relationship? You consistently give them information they NEED and WANT. I see way too many newsletters that are fluff and no substance and the only thing they are interested in is selling their product or service. They don’t provide any value. I unsubscribe from those pretty darn quick! I bet you do too. The problem is no relationship has been built.

Building a relationship with your list is sort of like starting a fan club. Because that’s what you want – people who LOVE your content, programs and services…and become raving fans.

One of the easiest ways to keep in contact with your market in a consistent, personal, and effective way is to publish a newsletter/ezine. OK, stop moaning and groaning. Putting out a newsletter is not difficult and the rewards are many (think more clients and more money!). Here’s a simple outline for a great newsletter:

►Branded Graphic Banner at the top with the ezine name, tag line, logo, your picture, etc.

►Personal Note from you. Here you can share some tidbits about your personal life to build that know, like and trust factor and also do a nice tie-in into the “theme” of the issue.

►What You Recommend section – you can promote others here and this is also a place to recommend what you have to offer – books, audios, calls, seminars, products, services.

►Your Feature Article – valuable, thought provoking, and useful info.

►A Quick tip or other short feature (optional) – actionable and practical tips and strategies.

►Client Success Story (optional) – this builds your credibility

►Your Bio – Allows you to claim your expertise and let your readers know who you help and what you offer.

There are also a few best practices and tips to follow to make sure your ezine is effective and powerful:

Frequency and consistency are super crucial. Publish at least every 2 weeks, and always on the same day. You want your fans to get used to (and look forward to) hearing from your regularly.

Get people to read it! Your ezine MUST have content that is VALUABLE to your readers. If it doesn’t have value, it doesn’t get read, and your readership doesn’t grow and neither does your business.

Make your articles easy to read. Keep them under 750 words. Make them visually interesting by using bullet points, graphics, checklists, photos and links to videos.

What do your clients struggle with? Give them practical tips for solving those problems. Write in a natural, conversational way...as if you are speaking directly to your clients.

Promote opportunities for your client’s further learning. Regularly highlight products, services, or events that you (or a promotional partner) are offering (these can be no-cost offers as well). It’s surprising how many entrepreneurs forget to or are embarrassed to do this in their ezines!

And once you get your newsletter started, you can begin re-purposing the content in order to gain a larger readership and extend your reach.

For example, you can post your articles on your blog a few days later. Or post a “teaser” excerpt on your Facebook page that links back to the entire article on your blog.

"THIS Doesn't Get You Clients"

Some entrepreneurs just don’t like marketing. They don’t like to promote themselves and they may even find it a "necessary evil." Until I learned that marketing was nothing more than offering compelling information about the problems I solved for business owners, I also thought that marketing was a “necessary evil” at best.

On the other hand, there are some entrepreneurs who seem to have no problem with marketing – or do they? Truth be told, they actually use it as an excuse for not moving forward or to “hide out.”

Do you know what I mean?

It’s the endless tinkering with your website.

Or spending tons of time, energy, and money getting the perfect logo… or business card… or tag line... or... well, you get the idea.

Or taking forever to craft your answer to the “so, what do you do?” question and then never actually using it!

Of course, doing this comes from honest intentions. Those things do help support spreading the word about your services. But it’s all too easy to get stuck on the "hamster wheel" and find yourself in an endless loop of tweaking and fiddling with the minutia.

The truth is, doing so can actually keep you from getting clients!

Here’s the big news: your clients aren’t attracted to your practice because of your business card, logo, website, or any other collateral material. Even if they are really pretty, artistic, or cutting edge.

Yes, those things can help get your potential client’s attention, but that’s not what holds them or compels them to come back.

Ultimately, your clients will respond to the connection you create with them. Those people that you are meant to help will resonate with your authentic and unique brilliance. It is you being willing to share your experience and expertise – in the way that only you can – that makes an impression on people.

Your clients want to be seen, acknowledged, heard, understood and helped by you. And the more they get to know the real you, the more they will want to continue to work with you.

This is the concept behind the “Know, Like, Trust” factor and it works like this. First, your potential clients hear about you somehow – from a past or current client, at a networking event, at a speaking engagement, etc. And the more they get to know you, the more they begin to “like” you (please understand: this is not a popularity contest. Instead think of “like” as “appreciate” or “value”) And the more they like you, the more they begin to trust you as a teacher, advisor or confidant.

And what I have found is that when you foster that kind of connection with your market, it actually accelerates your ability to attract clients and it makes your work so much more fun!

So, if you find yourself spending too much time “crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s,” try adopting this mantra: “If I wait til it's perfect, I'll wait forever."

Get into action and get it done – perfection is highly over-rated!

Are You a H.O., B.O., or Somewhere In-between?

Are you investing enough time and effort in marketing activities to attract more clients and cash? Or, does your marketing plan need some serious help?

Take the quiz below and find out if you are a H.O, a B.O. or somewhere in between! Answer each question honestly (no cheating!) Your answers will shed a light on where your marketing plan might need a little make-over.

For each statement below, choose the answer that reflects what you currently do.

1. One of the first things I have scheduled to do each day on my calendar is:

A. Call to follow-up with prospective clients or connect with joint venture partners

B. Check my Twitter, Facebook and other social media feeds and post or comment on others' updates

C. Check my email - or go through the cards of people I met in the last few weeks and send them an email to see if they need my services

D. Do the laundry, clean the house or do whatever needs to be done before I start work

2. The number of times per week I get out to meet new people is:

A. 2 to 3 times per week - I am focused on meeting new people, as well as people I already know to foster deeper relationships

B. I rarely get out to because I'm focused on building my business online

C. I may get out once per week, but sometimes I don't

D. I rarely get out

3. If I were to estimate the amount of time I spend on Facebook, Twitter and other social media DAILY (for my business/work) I would say that I am online for:

A. 30 minutes - 1 hour total

B. 2 - 4 hours total

C. I do social media maybe 1 or 2 times per week

D. I rarely do social media for business purposes

4. In an average week, I spend this much time doing marketing and sales activities:

A. 8 hours (or even more) if I am delivering discovery sessions/consultations to prospective clients

B. If social media counts as marketing, about 15 - 20 hours per week

C. 1 - 3 hours per week

D. I am not sure how much time I do marketing or sales, it varies from week - to - week

5. When it comes to launching new programs/products and making offers, it can be described as:

A. "Planned" - I know what my next three offers are going to be

B. "Connected" - I listen to what people want and then offer something according to what I hear

C. "As Needed" - When I need cash flow I decide then what to offer. I generally don't have things planned out in advance

D. "Hopeful" - I don't have any offers planned, because I plan on getting most of my business by referral and word-of-mouth

6. For the most part, I feel this way about my marketing plan:

A. "Pretty Darn Optimistic" - I have a plan to market my business and I work it, and course-correct as needed

B. "I’m Rockin’ & Rollin” - I'm spending a lot of time on social media and have a lot of friends and likes on Facebook and a lot of Twitter followers but it has not converted to sales yet

C. "Pretty Anxious" - I am not sure what is working, and what isn't working, so I keep trying a lot of different things

D. "Okay I Guess" - I'm sure business will start coming in soon (right?)

7. In a typical week I have this many conversations with potential clients:

A. 3 or more - I have a steady flow of people interested in working with me

B. Hard to say - when I email my list and offer sessions/consultations I get some takers, but this doesn't happen every week

C. 1 to 2 - the weeks after I network and meet new people

D. 0 to 1, but usually none since I don't network or speak much. I am waiting for referrals and word-of-mouth to take off!

8. When it comes to marketing I generally use these tactics on a weekly basis:

A. A mix of offline (networking, speaking, attending events) and online (online joint ventures, article/newsletter distribution, social media) - I invest time doing both

B. Mostly online. I do a lot of social media, and offer a newsletter or am part of a joint venture - I network or speak here and there, but don't have a networking or speaking plan (except maybe online)

C. I do both offline and online activities, but only do one or the other a few times per week

D. I don't have a weekly marketing plan, because I do things as I need to do them

Mostly As = "Superstar B.O!” (Business Owner) - Congratulations! You have a great understanding that marketing is one of the most important activities to do in your business. You also regularly implement a mix of online and offline tactics which increases your visibility and expands your reach. You are goal-oriented and have a plan. There's a great chance you will meet your goals. To supercharge your marketing, continue to refine your market, message, and offerings.

Mostly Bs = "Social Butterfly" - You are no doubt busy every day. The problem is spending too much time on social media may seem like a good investment in marketing time, but it probably won't pay off in the way you're hoping.

Social media is great for building community and conversations. But, it takes a very long time to convert social media followers' into paying clients. You will grow your business faster by incorporating some offline marketing activities into your marketing mix. By decreasing the amount of time you spend on social media each day, this will be easy to fit into your schedule.

Mostly Cs = "Invisible" - You're doing some marketing, so good for you. But, you're not doing enough, and enough people aren't "seeing" you. Include some more offline marketing activities, such as networking, speaking, or becoming part of joint ventures.

Also, be aware of how much time you're spending doing things like refining your website, re-doing your business card or logo - i.e. what's called "hiding out." You're busy, but no one is seeing this work. To get clients now you've got to get yourself out there and become visible.

Mostly Ds = "H.O” (Hobbyist Owner) - Chances are you're treating your business more like a hobby, and aren't taking it seriously enough to grow a viable business. This isn't a bad thing if having a hobby business is your intention or if paying the household bills and funding a future is not dependent on your business or income. Referral and word-of-mouth marketing doesn't work until you've built up visibility and credibility. Get out there! Work with mentor/coach who knows about marketing and who will help you create a solid plan so you can go from H.O to B.O!

10 “Non-Facebook” Ways to Market Your Brand

Remember the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” I see a lot of entrepreneurs putting all of their “brand” eggs in one basket (Facebook) and they are not expanding their presence.

Share yourself around. Take advantage of the channels out there and make them work for you by taking your message further than Facebook. I am not saying not to take advantage of Facebook, just don’t use it as the exclusive way that you market your brand.

Here are 10 non-social media ways to market your personal brand and message.

1. Photographs: Think of yourself as a media personality and invest in a set of professional photos for your marketing needs. Your brand should never be represented by a “sort of good” snap taken by someone with an Iphone.

2. Website: Your website should be streamlined, professional and up to date. Outdated or messy sites suggest that you are outdated and messy, too. Your home page should only have one core call to action… and that should be to opt-in to find out more, get a free report or guide. As soon as someone visits your site, their eyes should be drawn to this call to action IMMEDIATELY.

3. Blog posts: Write and post at least one blog post a week to keep content fresh and relevant. These posts should be of value to your ideal clients and build the need to engage you further.

4. YouTube: Record video segments and promote them online to maximize your views. Educate, inform and excite people with your content. Tell the world about it.

5. Newspaper: Contact your local newspaper for editorials or offer to write regular feature articles relevant to the newspapers readership base.

6. Write a Book: Whether you opt for a paperback or E-book version, a book is a great way to promote your personal brand. Check out www.createspace.com for an easy, peasy way to get your book written and published and on Amazon quickly. Choose subject matter worthy of your name and brand.

7. Radio: Call in to talk radio shows and express your opinion whether it is popular or not. Try to arrange radio interviews to tie in with other promotions happening around you.

8. Seminars or Public Speaking: You are an expert in your field so develop a range of topics that you’re comfortable speaking on and approach event organizers with an offer to speak.

9. Referrals: Ask the fans you have to spread the word for you. If they love your brand and what you do, they will be happy to refer people to you. Word of mouth is powerful.

10. Workshops: Attend or lead workshops so you can share your knowledge and show off your brand by demonstrating your expertise and skills in a live environment.

Let Go of “These” and Watch Your Business Soar

There are many phases in business growth: The dreaming, the planning, the implementing, the building, and the “letting go.” Yes, I said, “letting go.” This super critical phase is one that most people don’t know about yet it’s so important to the success of your business. Why is the “letting go” phase so important?

Because in order to get to the next level, you need to let go of some of what got you to your current level.

Let me explain.

Look at nature. In nature, nothing stays the same. If you aren't growing, you are dying. Think acorn to oak tree. The original form falls away to reveal a new one that is more sturdy, more likely to survive, and more 'grown up' if you will.

It makes sense then that the business you had three years ago also needs to morph into a new version. Now, this is where fear, resistance and a lack of knowing "what to let go of" can hold you back.

So I will share 3 areas you can say “goodbye” to as you let them go...

1) Old beliefs that no longer serve you

You might notice these kinds of thoughts in the background as you think of stepping forward:

"I can't charge that much"
"There's way too much competition"
"I have to do everything myself"
"Selling is SO hard"
"I don't know enough to call myself an expert yet"

This foundation will simply not support the next level of business you desire. These thoughts will stop you in your tracks. So, you must develop new beliefs that allow you to move forward. Here’s a simple exercise to help you change your current beliefs.

Imagine your business 3 years out (it’s grown and is more successful…you have more clients and are making more money) and ask yourself...."what were the beliefs that allowed me to get here?" “What did I do differently?” Write those down and begin to incorporate them into your day starting NOW. Small actions lead to big results.

2) Old pricing and offerings

If you are a service provider, are you offering high end programs? Are you creative with your offerings, or are you still selling a few sessions here and there? Do you get excited by what you offer your clients?

My clients know that I don’t believe in “thinking outside the box.” I believe in “breaking the box” and creating what you want.

One of the first things I do when someone begins to work with me is to look at what they are offering and find creative ways to package their talents & services. So as you look at how you serve people, what do you need to let go of or how can it be changed in some way?

A client of mine came to me burned out and frustrated by the lack of growth in his financial services firm. He was in the dreaded mode of charging “hours-for dollars” for his services. He had gotten to a point where he didn’t feel as though he was serving himself or his clients very well. Now, his clients were still receiving tons of value but he had reached his limit in terms of clientele because there were only so many hours in a day. And, when you trade hours-for-dollars you limit yourself and the amount of people you can serve.

So, I helped him get really clear on 3 things: first, the problems/struggles his clients came to him with; next the results/outcomes his clients are looking for when they work with him; and third, how he achieves those results (what are the steps/strategies/processes he takes them through to get them to where they want to be.) We then took all of this really valuable information and packaged it up into some really great packages/programs and totally re-vamped his pricing. The result? A 10X increase in monthly billings and room to take on new clients. Not too shabby!

Follow the 3 steps above in your business and say goodbye to tired old pricing and tired old ways of offering your services. There’s just one caveat I want to mention here: It takes creativity, innovation and courage to break the box and allow that next thing (package or increased pricing) to emerge. Work with a coach or mentor to help speed the process up and show you easy ways to talk about your new offerings to guarantee results.

3) Your “ho-hum” presence

First of all, I don’t mean to be rude when I say this. Just ask my clients…I am a straight-forward coach because I want them to succeed so I coach them around strategies that work. And, a “ho-hum,” “just like everyone else” presence doesn’t work…you must let that go to grow. What do I mean? Stop being like every other physical therapist, or every other insurance provider, or everything other event planner, or every other anything! Why? Because when you do this, you show up as lifeless and devoid of color or devoid of your own personality. And the cost of this one is tremendous because if you are just like every other service provider in your space, you attract price shoppers. Their only criterion for choosing someone to serve them is price and price alone. And believe me; you DO NOT want your business attracting price shoppers.

Think about it, if 2 services appear to be exactly the same, the offers appear to be the same, the wording is almost the same, and everything appears to be the same…the choice of which one to buy will come down to price (the lowest price) period! Your uniqueness must shine through for people to hire you as opposed to the business down the street. Blending in is boring…standing out is where all the action is.

Look at your marketing materials, your website, your BIO, your advertising…highlight what makes you unique, brilliant and why you are the very best one for people to hire.

Let go of wording, and ways of describing yourself and your business that don’t reflect all of you and what you offer? Give your potential clients a reason to connect with you (beyond your professional credentials) so they can begin to know, like and trust you. Let people know who YOU are in your business and why you do what you do. In today's market, it's more critical than ever before to have a personal and authentic presence.

There you have it! 3 things you can let go of so you can have more…more clients, more money, more time, and more of YOU in your business.

How to Master the Art of Negotiating Fees?

At what point in a negotiation do you show your hand? Most people believe if they know what their prospective client is thinking it will give them an advantage. So they wait to quote a price. They do their homework. They look for clues. Sometimes they just come right out and ask: "What's your budget? Are you looking for great quality, a fast turnaround, or do you plan to go with the cheapest option? What number are you thinking of?"

Big mistake.

If you want to come out on top, use this simple shortcut: Be first. No dancing around the issue. No hemming and hawing. Just give them a number right off the bat. In doing so, you'll set the starting point for the discussion, from which all further discussions will stem.

If you quote, say, $8,000 to complete a project, your prospective client may want to negotiate the price or other parameters of the deal, but all negotiations will start at $8,000. You may come down a bit in price, or agree to different payment or delivery terms, but if she hires you, you'll get a number close to $8,000. On the other hand, if you wait for her to tell you she expects to pay $2,000 for a project, you may be able to negotiate an extra thousand or two, but you're never going to get the $8,000 you feel you deserve..

But what if she can't afford to pay more than $2,000? Well, can you do the work for $2,000 and still buy groceries? Probably not. (Ramen noodles don't count.) So what difference does it make if you scared her away with your reasonable price?

Divergence is a huge time waster. If a prospect can't—or won't—pay a fair price, why would you spend one more second trying to land her as a client? Even if you lose the deal because your price is too high, you still come out on top because you haven't invested much time trying to win her business.

Another common mistake is to do "the range thing," which is to ask prospects to tell you the range they are willing to spend, or for you to give them a range they can expect to spend. For example, say your prospect needs a new phone system for his office. You do the dance, avoid the giant dollar sign in the room and eventually say, "This will cost you somewhere between $100 and $400 per phone." "Great," your prospect says, thinking he's getting a new phone system for only $100 per phone. "Great," you say, thinking you're getting $400 per phone. From that moment on, no one is happy. When your prospect sees the written quote, which of course reflects the price you expect to get, he'll grumble. He heard $100, you heard $400, and now you're both frustrated. Even worse, you probably won't get the deal you desire.

How many times have you entered into a deal that you later regretted? When you try to read a prospect's mind or wait for the person to reveal what he or she expects, you invariably end up doing more work at a discounted rate. How are you going to make it using this old negotiation strategy? (Hint: You won't.)

Be first. When I started applying this negotiation shortcut, I was able to increase my prices by nearly 50% and filter out prospects who were not a good fit. No more laboring over proposals for people who couldn't afford my services. No more playing guessing games with myself, trying to figure out what my prospects wanted. No more saying yes to low-ball deals that kept me working 100-hour weeks just to get by.

When it comes to successful negotiations, the single most important matter isn't what your prospect is thinking. It's how fast can you get your number on the table. The person who goes first wins. Period.

Do You Need to Tame Your Drunk Monkey?

 Often, when you are just on the brink of a big business breakthrough (one that you have been thinking about or working on for a while but it just hasn’t come to fruition yet) you may experience what author Matthew Ferry calls the “drunk monkey.” The drunk monkey is the negative chatter that begins to fill your mind when you are embarking on something new. The drunk monkey sounds something like this: What if it doesn’t work? What if you end up looking stupid? What if no one buys it? What if you fail? All that chatter in your head feels overwhelming and you may end up feeling reluctant to leap forward. We’ve all been there…every single one of us!

Gay Hendricks, author of The Big Leap, calls it hitting your Upper Limit. Your Upper Limit is when your mental protector (drunk monkey) kicks in with all kinds of negative thinking that flies in the face of what you most want to achieve.

You see this monkey isn’t trying to ruin you. Just the opposite. This mental protector has a job - to keep you safe.

Unfortunately that part of your psyche may not have kept up with the new program – that you ARE ready to step into your big business breakthrough!

And this protector will do ANYTHING to keep you safe, including generating a lot of un-supportive noise in your head (otherwise known as drunk monkey chatter.)

Believe me, when that monkey is in full force it feels draining and you can become confused and think that your big breakthrough just isn't possible. That’s the protectors job afterall…to keep you from stepping into the unknown. Because to the drunk monkey, the unknown is filled with uncertainty, it’s uncomfortable, it may be inconvenient, it’s just downright scary so it’s best to stay where you are! Your drunk monkey is trying to protect you but it’s also steering you away from your new future.

Your mission (if you choose to accept it) is to tame that drunk monkey chatter! The reality is all that noise is just meant to distract you from your big breakthrough. To keep you safe…but safe doesn’t mean happy or fulfilled or successful. It’s simply safe. So, to get started taming your drunk monkey here’s a simple tactic that will help you put the energy back into your breakthrough and squelch the noise.

Make a list of all the ways your big business breakthrough is completely aligned with your business purpose and mission.

When your protector begins to understand that you are on the same team shooting for the same goals and it is SAFE to pursue it, the drunk monkey chatter subsides and the positive, no limit thinking that leads to big breakthroughs can begin again!

3 Simple Ways to Stand Out from the Competition!

 

One of the concerns I hear about frequently from entrepreneurs that I coach is about the “competition.” They say things like: “There are SO many other people who do what I do…”

What it really comes down to is this…they’re worried about not being able to stand out in a crowded marketplace and make their business succeed.

The answer to this problem is really about how you position your business, and there are 3 ways to handle this:

Positioning # 1: Focus on your LED (your leading edge differentiator)

One of the best places to begin in order to have a message that really helps you stand out is to focus on the advantages you offer that help you rise head and shoulders over the competition.

Customers are super savvy these days and the reality is that looking like everyone else attracts price shoppers (I call them tire kickers.) Price shoppers will never be loyal clients and are often a big pain to deal with! A BIG pain.

(One of the things I always coach my clients around is to NEVER, EVER compete on price because someone will always be cheaper. Please know that people will pay a premium for something they really want, and something that can solve their problem or eliminate their pain.)

When you focus on your LED, you stand out from all the noise.

There is a simple way to do this and it has 2 parts. First, ask the people closest to you, “What are my 3 or 4 best qualities?” Second, ask your best clients (those clients you just love working with who have gotten great results), “What are the 2 to 3 advantages you see in working with me?” Jot all of this down and then put them together in a clear, concise statement. Use this information when you are talking about or writing about you and your business.

Positioning #2: Tell your own story

So, what’s your story? What has happened in your life (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that would be the most useful to share with others? What have you been through? How did you turn it around? What results did you get? And, how do you do this for others?

Ultimately, marketing is really storytelling. It’s about authentically-told stories that help you sell the product or service you offer.

So, think about your story. What was a turning point for you? Turning points help others relate to you and telling your story of how you got to where you are today helps build connection as well as the “know, like, and trust” factor. To give you an idea of how to do this, take a look at my story.

Positioning #3: The pricing of your products and services

The way we price our products and services makes a statement about our credibility, and higher prices tend to garner more respect. (Think of the old statement: “You get what you pay for.”)

So, what’s the best way to work on your own price positioning? A great place to start is by looking at the brands that you admire and love. What is it about that brand that draws you to them? How can you incorporate some of that into your own branding and products/services?

You’ll also want to focus on creating an “experience” for your clients by providing a high level of value, doing the unexpected and never, ever doing anything “halfway.” Ask yourself: How can I do things better? What “unexpected” thing can I do that would amaze or delight my clients?

I do small things for my clients that they love and that makes them feel as though they more than got their money’s worth. An example of this is when I cater in lunch for my “Rapid Results VIP Day” clients. They don’t expect it and although it’s a small gesture, they feel even that MORE special.

The BIG “secret”? In the end, it’s not about how many degrees you have, or how good looking you are, or even how intelligent you are. It’s really about CONFIDENCE.

Combine that with the positioning strategies I’ve recommended here and the good news is, you won’t need to stress about the “competition” ever again.

Tips to Becoming a List-Building Rock Star

 

These awesome list-building tips are gems I've taken away from an event I participate in every year called List-a-Palooza. I can't stress enough that your list is your leverage. And, you don't have to have a huge list to make money from it but you do have to have a list. Use these tips to build yours and watch your business grow!

 

Tip #1 - Understand the Power of Your List

Once you really “get” how powerful building your e-mail list can be, you’ll be more likely to carve out the time to focus on it.

As an entrepreneur, your e-mail list is one of the greatest financial assets in your business.

With a profitable e-mail list you can:

• Attract more clients and sales
• Turn current clients into repeat clients
• Fill your programs
• Promote other peoples’ programs that you believe in and earn $1,000's in affiliate commissions

Having a big, profitable e-mail list provides entrepreneurs with an uncommon level of financial security because you can even out your cash flow and generate more income any time you need to, simply by sending out messages to your list.

If you’re not focusing on growing your list, you’re setting yourself up to continue to work much harder than you need to.

Also, most of my clients care about making a bigger difference in the world, and having an e-mail list that you regularly provide value for allows you to expand your message to many more people and make a bigger impact, even if not all of them become your clients.

Tip #2 - Start NOW!

The #1 biggest mistake that most entrepreneurs make when it comes to building their list is waiting to get started.

Growing your list is like taking advantage of compound interest.

The earlier you start, the more consistently you make “deposits,” and the longer you nurture your list, the more profitable it will be.

Here’s a dramatic example:

If I offered you the choice to receive one million dollars in one month or a penny doubled every day for 30 days, which one would you choose?

If you do the math, you’ll see that a penny doubled every day for 30 days becomes $5,368,709.12.

That’s the power of compound interest!

What would be the cost of waiting a day to get started?

Well, if you doubled the penny every day for only 29 days, you would have “only” $2,684,354.56.

Building your e-mail list works the same way.

NOT building your list is costing you every day, whether you realize it or not.

It took me 3 years to get serious about building my list… don’t make the same mistake I did!

Tip #3 - Use a CRM

CRM stands for Contact Relationship Manager, which is a system that will allow you to send a bunch of e-mails all at once and even personalize each one.

Here are just a few of the many, many CRMs to choose from: Mail Chimp (it’s free), Constant Contact, and iContact.

Sending messages out of your regular e-mail account won’t allow you to automate or personalize your marketing and many times, they get caught up in spam filters.

Tip #4 - Drive Traffic to an Opt-In Page

The #2 biggest mistake I see entrepreneurs making when it comes to list-building is driving traffic only to a “Brochure” type website with a bunch of tabs (Home, About, Blog, Contact, etc.) instead of to an Opt-In Page.

These types of sites are great for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and allowing people to get a feel for you and your work without giving you their name and e-mail address, but they are not the most effective way to build your list.

The most important component of your online marketing blueprint is your Opt-In Page.

Some of the people I’ve worked with have built 6-figure businesses from a simple little Opt-In Page.

An Opt-In Page is a simple website that allows your prospects to enter their contact information (usually first name and e-mail address) and give you permission to follow up with them.

Usually, your prospects will give you their contact information in order to get something in return, like a free report. I have (2) separate free offers with opt-ins on my website. Check out dawnlangerock.com to see my “Business Results Breakthrough” Kit and my "10 Low-to-No Cost Marketing Secrets that Get You More Clients…Starting Now!" They have already doubled my list of subscribers.

Tip #5 - Track Your Results

One of my mentors told me: “What you focus on expands.”

And since then, I’ve tested this idea extensively and found it to be completely true.

When you invest just a few minutes once a week in tracking the results of your list-building efforts, you will see greater results.

Tip #6 - Get Accountability

This is one of the biggest secrets to success!

When you tell yourself you’re going to do something, you may or may not do it.

When you tell SOMEONE ELSE you’re going to do something, you’re much more likely to do it.

For example, when there is no one to hold me accountable for doing my weekly tracking (that I mentioned in Tip #5), I sometimes fall into to the trap of feeling like I can put it off or not do it.

When I’m accountable for sending my weekly tracking to my accountability partner every week, it happens like clockwork.

I recommend not only tracking your results weekly, but sending those results to an accountability partner so that it’s more likely to happen.

Tip #7 - Make Consistent “Deposits”

As I mentioned before, growing your list is like taking advantage of compound interest. The more consistently you make “deposits,” the more profitable your list will be.

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of focusing on building their list for a short period of time and then ignoring their list-building activities the rest of the time.

However, when you make list-building part of your regular business practices, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

As Jenny Craig said: “It’s not what you do once in a while. It’s what you do day in and day out that makes the difference.”

When I say “deposits,” what I mean specifically is engaging in list-building activities on a regular basis.

Tip #8 - Build Your List in Community

Leveraging the power of relationships and building your list in a community of like-minded people is the quickest and most effective way to build a profitable list.

When you tap into a community of people who “get” list-building, you’re more likely to find other business owners who are willing (and even delighted) to promote you to their lists, which in turn grows your list.

Seek out people who have a complementary service or product to yours and ask them to promote you to their list and vice versa. I do this quite a bit and I've honestly never had anyone say "no." Well, there you have it! 8 tips to help you become a list-building rock star.

"4 Overlooked Hot Spots for Clients"

 

Let’s talk about places you can get in front of your ideal client. When I say “get in front of,” that’s the goal. It’s to get in front of them and then invite them into a conversation with you; it’s not to try and sell them into your products/services immediately. That rarely works! These overlooked hot spots have been places I've gotten clients and places where my clients have gotten clients. And, you can too!

Current and past clients.

They’re a great resource for you. You might be thinking, "Well, of course current and past clients would refer people to me" but what happens is that they simply forget…unless we ask (even if they love your work.) They might be thinking about referring someone to you but the busy-ness of life and work gets in the way. Let current and past clients know that you have some openings in your business and that you’re looking for some terrific clients just like them. You can say, "It’s been a pleasure to work with you and I have about 4 spots open in my business. I’m wondering who might be in your world that needs the same kind of services and help and that it might be worth having a conversation with." By asking current and past clients in a very direct and overt way, you’re sure to get a few referrals.

People who’ve expressed interest in working with you in the past but didn’t for whatever reason.

We’ve all had conversations or consultations with people who didn’t step forward to work with us for one reason or another. Circle back with those people and see if they are up for a "check in" conversation. Let them know you are just checking in to see how they are doing. Often, if a certain amount of time has gone by and things haven’t really changed for them – maybe it’s been 6 months since you first had a conversation and they’re still struggling with the things that they were struggling with earlier, they’re going to be more motivated to say "You know what? Not much has changed. I could use your help."

Another good reason to connect with this person is if you’ve got a new package or program or different offering than you had when you first spoke with them. Pick up the phone and reach out to them again and say, "Hey, I’ve got a new program or package that I thought might be perfect based on our last conversation and I’d like to run it by you."

Think about all the people you’d consider friends and fans.

I have all of my coaching clients create what I call a "friends and fans list". It’s a list of anyone that would be happy to hear from you; this is friends, acquaintances, family members, neighbors, colleagues, people you’ve worked with in former jobs, people you know from volunteering activities, book clubs or church – it’s really anyone who’d be happy to know what you’re up to. Reach out and let people know what's going on in your world and that you have a few spots open in your business. Your friends and fans already know, like and trust you; you need to be proactive though.

Just drop a note to those on your friends and fans list – you can do it 5 or 10 a time and say, "I happen to have some time in my schedule to offer a handful of complimentary conversations on such-and-such topic" – again it depends on your niche – "Who do you know that would love a no-cost opportunity to meet with me or get on the phone with me and get some support in this area?" And again, if you ask people very directly, "Who do you know…", don't be surprised if a number of people on your friends and fans list come through and give you ideas.

Meet up Groups.

If you haven’t been to www.meetup.com yet, just enter your zip code and it’ll show you many, many networking groups in your area. You can put in keywords so, if for example you’re a financial advisor or graphic designer you can enter in different keywords and a zip code and find out what groups meet within a 2, 5, 10 or 25 mile radius of where you live. You can either attend a group and meet the members that way or you can offer to be a speaker at one of those events and say, "I’ve got a 20 to 30-minute interactive presentation I’d love to do for this group. How can we do that?" When you look into the different groups, you can easily see who the organizer is. Contact the organizer and find out if he or she is interested in having you conduct a presentation. At the end of your talk, offer people the opportunity to step into a special session with you or offer a consultation.

Why Potential Clients Aren't Buying From You

It’s a common frustration I hear time and again when I speak to people about their businesses… finding clients who are ready and willing to buy. We do amazing work, we help other people solve their problems and we change people on different levels but we still hear “no.” Why is it so hard for them to say “yes” to what we offer?

Not having enough clients and income causes stress, anxiety, and worry about paying our bills and meeting our future needs. And, we don’t live the lifestyle we dreamed about when we started our businesses. Then, the dreaded “doubt monster” makes an appearance and we wonder if we can really make this “entrepreneurial thing” work.

Here are some of the things I’ve seen with my clients when they’ve hire me and we really look at why no one is stepping forward to buy. Get a handle on these and you’ll find yourself getting to “yes” more often.

1.Your marketing is too general. Remember the old saying “If you are marketing to everyone, you are marketing to no one.” The people reading your marketing communications don’t feel you’re speaking directly to them or their problems. Your potential clients need to feel as though you really “get them.” You must identify your target niche and direct your communications to that group.

2. You are marketing to a niche that doesn’t have money to spend on your service. I see this quite a bit in the coaching that I do. You’ve chosen a market that has no money to spend on what you have to offer. For example, you’re a career coach for unemployed individuals. Even though your service is needed, and will help your market find employment, they don’t have the money to invest in your services. Your target market must meet (2) criteria…they are accessible (meaning they are easy to find) and they are viable (meaning they have the ability to pay.)

3. Your ideal clients aren’t sure that you are THE solution to their problems. If you want people to work with you, you must be seen as the solution. The way you do that is by positioning yourself as THE expert problem solver for your target markets biggest problem or problems. If there is no evidence, testimonials or client success stories (social proof) of how you have helped other people achieve similar results your potential client is seeking, he/she will not buy from you. You must provide social proof. Get testimonials from current and past clients and post them on your website and include them in marketing materials.

4. You don’t spend enough time engaging in marketing activities. This is a BIG problem for many entrepreneurs. Potential clients need 7-11 exposures to you before they buy. So, you need to market everyday using a variety of online and offline activities to build your visibility in your market. Here are a few things you can do to ramp up your marketing activities: network consistently with your target market, speak at networking events or at association meetings, create a social media campaign, create an irresistible free offer for your website, write a weekly newsletter, and find referral partners.

5. Your offers don't solve an urgent, on-going problem. People will pay to have their problems solved. But, the problem you solve has to be the “big stone in their shoe.” If it’s only an occasional problem they have, they won’t be motivated to invest any money to solve it. Focus your marketing efforts on how you solve those big, hairy, looming problems.

6. Your marketing message doesn’t clearly state the value, impact, results, or benefits you provide. If you don’t use results-based language in your marketing materials, you won’t have any sales. Your clients logically evaluate the value of your offer by comparing the investment/cost to what they’ll get – the ROI (return-on-investment.) All marketing material from your website to brochures to business cards should be results-focused. What amazing results do people get in work with you? That becomes the focus for all of your marketing materials.

7. Your message is “vanilla” and not captivating to your market. This is a common problem and it’s easily solvable! Your message has to capture your prospects attention. It has to be something they haven’t seen before. If your message isn’t compelling and feels “same old, same old” to your market they are unlikely to buy. Make sure you clearly state their pain (and that you absolutely get it) and the pleasure (amazing results they can expect) in all your materials. People need to “feel” your marketing not just read it if you want to have them as a client.

8. You are trying to sell something to your market they don’t have a history of buying. This is called “selling upstream”. If you are trying to sell something to a market that you have to educate them on why they need your services, this is a losing battle unless you have the financial resources of Bill Gates. Get clear on what services your target market buys and why. Tailor your offerings to this and ditch any products/services that you have to convince people they need.

9. Your fees are too low. The saying, “you get what you pay for” is true. And, if your fees are too low, potential clients think the service or product mustn’t be “that good or worth it”, and this fosters mistrust. It is better to charge what you and your products/services are worth in terms of ROI (return-on-investment) for your potential clients. Size up your competition’s fees and see where you fall. You don’t want to be the “low priced leader” but you also don’t want to set fees that unattainable by your target market.

10. You’re not “asking for the business”. Many entrepreneurs can talk all day long about the benefits their service provides, the amazing results people get when working with them and then when it comes to asking for the business…they don’t. I hear many of my clients talk about being afraid or not wanting to appear “salesy.” The reality is no one will buy unless you make an invitation, which means getting over any fear or dislike of selling. If you really believe your product/service has value, can solve your target markets biggest problems, can make your target markets life easier, has a great ROI, and you aren’t offering it…you are actually being selfish. Get out there and offer your services!

Although this is not an all-inclusive list of problem areas in marketing, it is a great start! To help you shorten the time it takes to get clients, consider working with a coach who has experience marketing and achieving the results you want to get. By doing so, you’ll be that much closer to getting the clients and earning the income you d

 

8 “Secrets” To Double Your Income and Your Time Off

 

Below are 8 simple ways to double or triple your income and your time off. Yes, I called them secrets in the title. Why? Because they might as well be secrets! Although they seem simple and straightforward, most people don’t do these…fewer than 20% actually. Work through all 8 of these and put yourself in the 80th percentile. Your life and business will never be the same! 

1) Create a Compelling Vision 

Create a clear and compelling vision for your life and your business that produces excitement and a sense of possibility. This inspiration will pull you forward and cause you to step up your game, grow, take risks and embrace challenges. 

2) Commitment and Being Your Best Self 

Committing to your vision on a new level and having a coach hold you accountable can lead to miraculous results. 

Success is at least 50% psychological. Attitude is everything. Stop playing small, take charge of who you're being, and new possibilities will open up. Become unstoppable, unreasonable (no excuses) and take on a "bigger game". Practice playing full out. 

3)  Overcoming Obstacles and Challenges 

Identify your specific needs and exactly what is holding you back (both internal and external) from stepping into greater profit and a better lifestyle. Identify your core limiting beliefs and transform them into empowering ones. Stop listening to any self-sabotaging ideas in your mind. 

Identify holes in your business and marketing plan, and make a plan to triumph over each obstacle by tackling it head on. 

4) Goals, Milestones, Strategy, and Action Plan 

Create meaningful targets that are exciting and a "stretch" yet still achievable. Align these long-term goals with short-term milestones and a tangible action plan. Get expert support to think through, update, and refine your strategy. 

Create a "Success Plan". This is better than a business plan. 

5)  Successful Marketing and Sales 

Improve every aspect of your marketing, including: clarifying your target market (niche), attracting prospects (filling the pipeline), follow-up (building relationships), conversion (closing sales), and retention or follow-up sales. Improve your contact management systems, generate more referrals, and increase your internet sales. Overcome your own resistance to marketing and sales, and learn to embrace and enjoy this critical engine of your success. 

6) Time Management and Organization 

Master the art of stress free productivity.  Clarify and focus on your priorities (the 20% of possible actions that will get 80% of the results) and accomplish more in less time. Become more efficient, productive, strategic, and proactive.

Carve out time to work on your business by focusing on the important but not urgent activities. Improve your scheduling and planning systems, learn what to do when feeling overwhelmed or too busy. Optimize your physical space for success - get organized and clear the clutter that is holding you back. 

7) Action, Success Structures, Habits, Following the Action Plan 

You could have the best marketing plan and "Success Plan" in the world, but if you don't follow the plan, you will spin your wheels trying to get into more profit. This step is obvious, and as a result, most people under-estimate its difficulty. Doubling your profit and your time off will require you to make major changes in your behavior. You'll need to change your thinking, your systems, and the tangible actions you take every day. You need to learn to overcome procrastination, fears, distractions and excuses. You can create momentum and inspired, effective, consistent forward motion. The key is start and not stop! Get a support system in place. Find a mentor. Hire a coach. If you want different results you must commit to doing things differently. 

8) Celebration 

Celebration is the practice of "happy" high achievers. Acknowledging your efforts, and your progress, on a regular basis gives you energy and motivation to continue with your journey, and it feels good. 

For more tips get Dawn’s "Business Results Breakthrough” Kit and catapult your business forward now at www.dawnlangerock.com

4 Simple Ways To Get Clients

Many people in business get stuck in the area of how to get clients. If you are new you might be wondering where to even start. You are not alone, believe me! I have coached many entrepreneurs on how to enroll their very first client to doubling and tripling their client base. The solution is easier once you know the steps and take action.

Here are 4 simple strategies:


1.   Create a client “attraction” mind-set. Now, I am not talking about chanting and just thinking positive thoughts so a client will magically appear in front of you. What I am talking about is focusing on attracting clients using a compelling marketing message (one that communicates the value you provide and highlights the problems you solve), as opposed to “selling” what you have to offer because you have bills to pay. People don’t like to be sold but they do like to buy. As soon as your potential client smells “sales breath”…you are done! Think about the difference between sending out the message, “I truly have a solution to your problem and I would love to tell you about it” and “I need you to hire me or I will go broke!” And, if you have the “hire me or I’ll go broke” mentality…you WILL be giving out those signals even if you think you aren’t. The idea is to have a really compelling marketing message that establishes you as the problem-solver for your target market and to authentically present this because you want to be of service.

2.   Give a presentation. One of the most powerful ways to attract clients is to give live or online presentations. Nothing screams “expert” louder than being in front of an audience (large or small) and imparting your wisdom. Why is being seen as the expert important? Because people don’t want to do business with someone who is a hobbyist or dabbles in their business. People want to work with experts. If you are on stage either in-person or virtually, people perceive you as an expert. One of the areas I work with almost all of my clients on is developing their signature talk. One that highlights the problems they solve, what their solutions are and the irresistible offer they have for their audience. Many of my clients come from audiences where I have been the featured speaker. Here’s the caveat: You MUST be able to speak confidently and really knowledgeably about your area of expertise if you want people from your audience to become clients.

3.   Contact clients you have worked with in the past. I love calling my past clients to see how they are doing and to see how I can support them with where they are in their business currently. This is especially great to do if you have a new product or service you didn’t have when they were your active client. It’s actually easier to get your past clients to do business with you again because you have already had a rapport with them. They already know, like and trust you and that’s the biggest hurdle! It’s important to come from the place of truly helping them! You aren’t trying to bring them back just to make more money for yourself.

4.   Seek out referral partners. Think of who else serves your same target market, but serves them in a different way than you do. For example, if you're a nutritionist who specializes in busy working professionals, you might team up with a successful business coach. They could "host" you either in-person or on a call as you offer an hour-long talk on easy and quick ways to eat well. Ideally, some of their clients would also be interested in what you offer, and take a next step with you. (Don't forget to offer your referral partner a "thank you" commission for anyone they send your way!)

I hope these ideas are helpful and will inspire new action on your part. Just a little focused attention on these strategies will get you exposure to many more new people you can serve!

 

Creative Business Marketing

 

 No matter how good, or how visionary your business idea may be, when you are starting out in the world of small business, you typically have a tight budget. I’m not saying that this is always the case. There are always going to be business ventures and ideas, especially tech startups, that for one reason or another are backed by a lot of investor money.

With that being said, if you are like the majority of us who start a business from scratch, work long hours, and operate on a shoestring budget, here are seven creative marketing ideas that are not only cost effective, but also work!**

• Shoot a Video. All you need is a flip cam or digital camera. Producing a piece of video content is a great way to promote your product or service.

• Offer a Contest. Contests and promotions are easy ways to drive people to your website and create a buzz around your product or service.

• Sponsor an Event. Sponsoring a local or charity event is a way to build goodwill in your community and associate your business with a recognized event that attracts your target audience.

• Partner. Join your local Chamber of Commerce and network with other small businesses. Consider working on a promotion with another small business whose product/service is complimentary to yours.

• Start a Blog/Newsletter. A blog or a newsletter is a great way to offer free information to your audience and position yourself as an expert in your industry.

• Be Visible. Create a listing on Google Local so that your business can be found in your local area. Join social sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Claim your business on Facebook Places.

• Go Mobile. Considering that the vast majority of Americans use cell phones, engaging customers through mobile marketing can be a smart way for small business owners to market their product/service.



Do You Know Your Most Valuable Asset?

As a business owner, what is your most valuable asset? I will give you a hint. It is the only thing that is equal in this entire world, and each of us possesses it. I tell you the truth. There is no discrimination here: nope, not at all! And it is the most valuable asset you and I have: it is called Time, and it’s sometimes hard to manage. Let’s face it, Time won’t work harder for you, and it won’t work beyond normal business hours. Nope, it will give you 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds each and every day, but that’s it. However you choose to look at it that is what Time will give you every day of the week, 52 weeks out of the year. The big question to ask yourself is this: Do you manage your time well? If you do, Time can be your most valued asset–your BFF if you so choose. On the other hand, if you neglect it and don’t nurture your relationship with it, it can turn out to be your worst employee. It will even steal profits from your bottom line if you don’t manage it effectively and efficiently.

The biggest challenge for a lot of business owners is their ineffectiveness in the prioritization of the tasks and activities associated with the business. When was the last time you really looked at the activities you engage in on a daily basis, identified unnecessary activities, and eliminated them? When was the last time you looked at your work/life balance and asked yourself, “am I managing my professional and my personal time efficiently?” As business owners, we must learn to focus on the most important tasks first. The easiest way to identify your top priorities on a daily basis is to ask yourself whether or not each activity is in one way or another directly related to generating sales for your business. If it isn’t, it should not be at the top of your list, or even in the middle for that matter! Let me give you an example: Although paying bills and catching up on email are both essential tasks of any business, do your customers really care when you perform those tasks(?) Absolutely not! If you are paying bills and catching up on emails during hours when you could be making more calls, finding ways to generate more referrals, serving your existing clients, or working out in the field in an effort to build sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships, then you are not managing your time as effectively as you could be.

Learn to use your time wisely by focusing on those tasks that ultimately pay you.



What can YOU do to stand out from the crowd?

 

The answer has a lot to do with how you manage the brand called YOU!

Think about it, individuals are not much different from companies.

Having a trusted personal brand, or reputation, nets you the same advantages as a company.

You're likely to foster loyalty, be trusted, be forgiven for occasional mistakes, and earn more money, especially if you develop a reputation for delivering insanely good and consistent results.

We all build, manage or destroy our personal brand every day through our character, choices, attitudes and actions.

The following are a few ways to STAND OUT from the crowd and build massive reputational capital:

1. Question Management: When someone asks you a question, make sure they get an answer bigger and better than they ever expected.

2. Problem Management: When someone brings you a problem, bring them a solution that not only solves the problem, but also delivers an opportunity for them to capitalize on.

3. Project Management: When someone gives you a project, see to it that they get a plan bigger, bolder, and more detailed than they hoped for.

4. Deadline Management: When you take on a task, finish it under budget, before the deadline, and with a cheerful attitude.

5. Conflict Management: When a customer has a concern, go the extra mile as a policy, exceed expectations, and blow their mind by your professionalism and responsiveness.

6. Quality Management: When you do your work, make your name and results synonymous with excellence, consistency, originality, and speed.

If you want to be the one that people seek out, then follow these strategies to ensure that you stand out, and if you want to make more progress in the next 100 days than most people will make in the next five years

Start the Year Strong – Part 2

In Part 1, I introduced you to 5 strategies that you can use to catapult yourself forward this year in achieving your life, business and financial goals. Today, I am giving you 5 more simple, effective and empowering strategies. Use all 10 throughout the year to accelerate your performance, drive massive results and finish 2013 triumphantly!

Strategy #6: Speed Things Up

The key to rapid, ongoing and transformational results is to recognize the power of speed in everything you do. Don’t misinterpret speed for sloppiness or haste. To start 2013 strong and maintain momentum throughout the year you must decide, commit and act more rapidly than you have before. In my coaching practice when I see someone taking action slowly 9 times out of 10 it’s because they think the action has to be perfect first. The dreaded perfection trap! Taking multiple imperfect actions in the pursuit of your goals is a heck of a lot better than taking that one action that you spent countless hours perfecting. The fact of the matter is perfection is subjective. What you consider perfect, I may not and vice versa. Do you see the irony in that? I learned this the hard way while involved in the re-branding of my business and website. I literally spent months agonizing over the perfect word, the perfect program, the perfect everything! And, what I discovered is that during that time I lost tons of time and probably clients although the goal was to increase my time available and clients. Duh!! My advice to you, let go of perfect! There is no such thing and it’s a great way to derail yourself and ultimately fail in the attainment of your goals. List as many imperfect actions you can take and get started NOW and just keep going.

Strategy #7: Refuse to Give up

Those with the courage to do what it takes to start and finish the year strong never allow a poor prior performance to keep them down. What you accomplished (or didn’t accomplish) last year has no bearing on this year…period! Never define yourself by the past. The past doesn’t hold onto you, you hold onto it. I see too many people try and try and try and then give up because they are tired of trying and come to the erroneous conclusion that “it’s not meant to be.” That’s an excuse to not step up and get it done. Success coach and author Jim Rohn has a saying that I think sums this up perfectly. He says, “How long should you try? Until!” In my opinion, giving up means you really weren’t that serious about what you wanted to accomplish and I know that’s not you! What past performance or disappointing results are you hanging on to? Get in front of a mirror, look yourself in the eye, recall your past performance or results and say, “So what, now what?” and get on with it!

Strategy #8: Be Relentless

Webster’s dictionary defines the term relentless as unyielding, adamant, unbending. I define it as unstoppable. Personally I prefer my definition J By choosing to be relentless you are not only demonstrating to yourself and others your seriousness of the attainment of your goals and dreams but also your belief in making them happen. Relentlessness goes hand-in-hand with the belief of “I KNOW this will happen.” Remember, it always seems impossible until it’s done. What do you need to be relentless in? Your actions? Your belief? Persevere or perish…enough said!

Strategy #9: Do the Uncomfortable and Inconvenient

The goal of finishing 2013 with your goals accomplished can only be achieved by being willing to step out of your comfort zone and do the inconvenient…consistently. You must become comfortable with discomfort and view what’s inconvenient as not only critical but desirable if you are to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. The only way to create big, bold breakthrough results is take the road less traveled. Set your GPS for the corner of Uncomfortable Lane and Inconvenient Avenue. You won’t believe where you’ll end up!

Strategy #10: Make Everything Count

As you work toward your goals this year you must understand that there will never be a time that doesn’t require dedication, discipline, perseverance and accountability. Realize that everything and I mean everything, regardless of size has bottom-line consequences that will either move you toward or away from your goals! Using these 10 strategies will help you make everything count…cheers to your success in 2013!



Start the Year Strong – Part 1

So, what’s your plan to start 2013 strong? If you think about it, the things you need to do this year to achieve your life, business and financial goals are the exact same things you needed to last year. Review your goals from last year. Did you meet them? All of them? Some of them? We all miss the mark from time to time on our goals. So that doesn’t happen to you, use these 5 simple, effective and empowering strategies to step up your efforts right out of the gate.

Strategy #1: Get Serious

If you really want to reach your goals this year and prosper you have to get serious, set crystal clear goals, raise the bar, step up your game and embrace a take-no-prisoners attitude. You will make rapid advances toward your goals only after you decide to get serious about getting results. My clients have come to know, understand and live my mantra of, “Life rewards action and effort, not excuses.” When you get serious (I mean really serious) about achieving your dreams you move from interested to committed and that’s when the magic happens!

Strategy #2: Start saying “No”

“No” is one of the most powerful words in your vocabulary because it helps you set limits, hold firm to boundaries, and clarify what will you do or not do this year. When we say “yes” to things that don’t serve us or steal our precious time or divert our attention, we self-sabotage our efforts. Saying “no” is a strategic decision as it improves and accelerates your effectiveness and progress, guaranteeing a strong start and finish to the year. Where do you need to start saying “no” to others so that you can start saying “yes” to yourself?

Strategy #3: Act Boldly

There’s no room for indecision, doubt, blaming or procrastination if you want to end 2013 with having accomplished your goals and dreams. You simply cannot allow any of these self-destructive behaviors to settle in. Now is the time for boldness as every act of boldness accelerates the pace with which you drive results. Boldness means being willing to take imperfect action, stepping out of your comfort zone and just showing some good old moxie! What bold action will you take today to advance you in the direction of your dreams?

Strategy #4: Create a Sense of Urgency

To achieve your goals and really knock it out of the park this year, you need a flame under your behind to ignite performance. Usually that flame is what I call “your big why.” Why do you want to accomplish your goals? Why do you want to get that big promotion? Why do you want to have your own business? Why do you want to get into the best shape of your life? If you can get to the emotions and experiences you want to have….you’ve found your flame! For me, having my own successful coaching and speaking business meant abundance and freedom. I envisioned what I would be able to do and have once I had achieved my goals. I didn’t focus on the goal itself but the feelings and experiences I would have…my big “why.” I put these feelings and experiences on post-it notes and pasted them all over my bulletin board in my office. When I wasn’t feeling inspired or if I hit a wall somewhere, I’d simply look through my post-its and let these emotions and experiences run through my mind. That’s when I would feel the flame and get my behind in action. What’s “your big why?” Think of them as your success drivers. Figure out what they are and they’ll help to keep you moving forward more quickly.

Strategy #5: Set Challenging Deadlines

Most people work best under a specific deadline for achieving goals. The reason for this is simple; any task, project or goal takes as much time as you allow for it to take. By setting non-negotiable, challenging deadlines which drive you to deliver the goods, you virtually guarantee big, consistent wins throughout the year. Take look at the goals you have set (or are setting) for this year. Now, step up the deadlines! My bet is that you shave off weeks or even months and still achieve what you set out to do. If you have doubts about this, or aren’t’ sure how you’ll do it, refer to strategies 1 – 4!



Content is King - By Jay Levinson The Father of Guerrilla Marketing

Some companies think that by including their site in tiny letters at the bottom of their ad or by flashing it at the end of their TV commercial, they're taking care of online promotion. They're not. All they're doing is going through the motions. Talk about your website the same way you'd talk about your kid -- with pride, enthusiasm and joy. Make people excited about your site because they can see your pride.

Once your prospects get to your site, the content should be the information your prospects and customers want to know the most. It's not necessarily the content you want to put forth and boast about. Instead, it's data about how your company can have a positive impact on visitors to your site.

To create the best content, work backwards -- beginning with the goals you wish to achieve with your site. Put into writing the specific goals you wish your website to obtain for you. The more specific you are, the more like you are to hit those goals.

Next, put into writing the obstacles that may stand in the way of your company attaining its goals. Usually, these obstacles center around a lack of information by your target audience. When you're clear on that information, become a bridge-builder. Build a bridge between your goals and your target audience. Construct it of valuable information.

Guerrillas know well that their sites will succeed or fail based on how much overlap there is between their content and the needs of their target audiences. They realize that exquisite design and spectacular promotion are meaningless if their content doesn't fill the needs of their market.

Jay
The Father of Guerrilla Marketing



Welcome to Day 7 of how to create more happiness with Happiness expert Andrew Matthews

DAY 7: ONE BITE AT A TIME

Question:
"How do you achieve BIG goals?"

Answer:
You break BIG goals into SMALL steps.
You list all the small steps -
and then tackle each step.

Does this seem obvious?
Most people don't do it!

Let's say that your office is a mess.
You have been postponing a clean-up for two years.
Seen as ONE BIG job, it is frightening.

So you make a list of small steps ...
Step 1: tidy your desk top
Step 2. empty out the top drawer
Step 3: create new files
Step 4: clean out the bookshelf ...

One step at a time, you can do it.

Research confirms that we are more likely to tackle tasks that we can complete within 15 MINUTES.

Whether you want to write a paper, build a business, or get fit, break your goal into bite-size pieces.

Starting today:

Commit your goals to paper.
Break your big goals into "bite-size" pieces.

You'll achieve more - and you'll be happier.

This is the end of the 7 Day Program.

I hope you found it useful.



Welcome to Day 6 of creating more happiness with Happiness Expert Andrew Matthews

DAY 6: BE FLEXIBLE!

Here's a recipe for permanent misery ...

Decide how you think the world SHOULD be.

Then, when life doesn't obey your rules, get angry!
That's what miserable people do!

Let's say you expect that:
* People SHOULD appreciate you.
* Planes SHOULD arrive on time.
* Your husband SHOULD remember your birthday.

Sounds reasonable ...
but often, these things won't happen!
So you end up frustrated.

Happy people make fewer DEMANDS on life.
Instead, they have PREFERENCES!

They say:
"I would prefer "A", but if "B" happens, it's OK too!"

I PREFER the neighbors to be quiet -
but if they make a noise, I can handle it.

I PREFER people to see my point of view - but when they disagree, it is OK.

You have preferences about the outcome of your plans, but you accept WHATEVER happens.

So your mission today?
Instead of making DEMANDS on life and people, have PREFERENCES.

There are two ways to become happier:
a) change the world, or
b) change your thinking.

It is easier to change your thinking!



DAY 5: COMPLIMENTS

Some people notice the BEAUTIFUL view.
Some people notice only the DIRTY window!

Your happiness depends on what you DECIDE to notice.
So here's today's exercise:
Step 1: Look for ONE QUALITY in every person you meet.
Step 2: Give them a COMPLIMENT ...

"That is a stunning outfit!"
"You are an inspiring teacher."
"You have a beautiful smile!"

Remember, a compliment is NOT flattery!
Flattery is insincere.
A compliment is SINCERE RECOGNITION of someone's qualities.

Most people feel UNDER-APPRECIATED!
When you give them compliments, you light up their day.

And here's the bonus:

To pay compliments, you have to focus on the positive.
So it makes YOU happier!



Welcome to Day 4 of how to create more happiness with Happiness Expert Andrew Matthews

Day 4: FORGIVING PEOPLE

Where do we get the idea that if WE don't forgive people, THEY suffer?
It's nuts!

Let's say:
a) You are my boss and you fire me, or
b) You are my girl and you run off with my best friend.

So I say, "I'll NEVER forgive you!"
Who suffers?

NOT THE OTHER PERSON!
You get the knot in your stomach.
You lose the sleep.
They are probably out partying!

When you resent someone, YOU SUFFER!
Meanwhile you tell yourself, "I'm right!"
But being "RIGHT" doesn't guarantee happiness.

Here's the point ...
To forgive someone, you don't have to AGREE with what they did.
You just have to want your life to work.

You don't forgive people for THEIR benefit.
You do it for YOUR benefit.

So this is your mission for the next 24 hours:

Think of someone that has hurt you.
Just today, practice letting go of all resentment toward them.

Gather all your ANGRY thoughts -
those "I am right and they are wrong" thoughts, and let them go.

You may like to use your creative imagination ...
.. put all that resentment into an imaginary balloon, and let it float away.

Throughout the day, repeat the process.
You will feel better.

Forgiving people may be tough, but is possible.
You forgive people for YOUR benefit. It makes YOU happier.

Welcome to Day 3 of how to create happiness by Happiness Expert Andrew Matthews

Day 3: KICK THE WORRY HABIT

Most of us WORRY.
Some people will even tell you that you SHOULD worry!
But worrying is worse than USELESS!

Firstly, it attracts misfortune.
Secondly, it is bad for your health!

So what should you do about worry?
POSTPONE it!

TAKE ACTION first - and postpone worry indefinitely.
That's what effective people do.

Here is your mission for the next 24 hours:
Whenever you want to worry, ask yourself, "What is the problem RIGHT NOW?"

Guess what you'll find ...
Unless you are in a life threatening situation, you DON'T have a problem.

Look at your life.
Has there ever been a situation you didn't survive?
There hasn't!

You can HANDLE the present.
It is just the FUTURE that gives you trouble!
So your mission is to focus on the present.

Your mind will want to drift into the future.
Your mind will want to ask questions like: "What happens if ...?"

Drag it back to the PRESENT.

Tell yourself:
"If there is SOMETHING I can do now, I will do it."
"If there is NOTHING I can do right now, I refuse to worry."

Make this your motto:
"I take whatever action I can now - and I postpone worry!"
"I deal with problems MOMENT BY MOMENT."



Welcome to Day 2 of Happiness teachings by Happiness expert Andrew Matthews!

SUPPORT YOURSELF!

Some people constantly CRITICIZE themselves.
They say things like:
"I'm FAT."
"I'm BORING."
"Watch me SCREW THIS UP!"

There are two problems with criticizing yourself:

Firstly:
You BECOME what you think about.
So when you criticize your own performance, it gets worse!

Secondly:
Criticizing yourself IRRITATES other people.
Eventually, even your friends will want to smack you in the mouth!

Self-criticism is not humility, it's stupidity.

So this is your job for the next 24 hours:
Notice what you say about yourself.

Starting today, say ONLY GOOD THINGS about you!
If you have nothing good to say, say nothing!

And the result?
1. You'll feel better.
2. You won't irritate other people.
3. Your performance will improve.

Just today, support yourself!
You may choose to make it a lifelong habit!



The Next 7 days!

For the next 7 days, Synergy Coaching & Consulting will be featuring the “Happiness” teachings of Andrew Matthews. These daily teachings are simple and won’t take a lot of time but will increase how happy you are if you apply them! Let’s get started…

Day 1: LOOK FOR GOOD THINGS! Take a look at the HAPPIEST people you know
and you will notice something.
They haven't had the EASIEST lives!
Happy people have usually suffered and struggled MORE than most.
But in the process, they have learned to look for GOOD THINGS in life.

And have you noticed this ...
When we look for good things in situations - or people - we FIND them.
When we look for bad things, we FIND them.

So it's not changing your situation that makes you happier.
It's changing your THINKING!

If you go looking for faults in your job or your mother or your wife, you will find plenty.

Some people spend their life looking for faults - and then they tell you, "I'm just being REALISTIC!"
It is not realistic.
It is NEGATIVE!

Happy people continually ask themselves, "What is good about this situation?"

EXAMPLE:
You are stuck in traffic. You ask yourself, "What's GOOD about it?"
* You have time to listen to your favorite music.
* You can plan your day.
* It's better than walking!

EXAMPLE:
You are short of money. You ask, "What's GOOD about having no cash?"
* You learn to appreciate things that money can't buy.
* You become more determined to succeed.
* You find out who your friends are!

You might say, "That's nuts! It's kidding myself."
Not so!

Looking for good things is a key to happiness.

So your mission for the next 24 hours?
In every situation, look for GOOD THINGS.

It may be hard at first, but it becomes automatic.
As "looking for positives" becomes a habit, you will become happier and happier.

Being Happy!

Yesterday, I happen to watch a documentary called Happy. It was a film that interviewed regular people around the world and several psychologists who unlike most, study happiness instead of depression. Something interesting that I learned was that our financial circumstances and position in society only account for about 10% of our happiness. 10%? Yes, and yet we are conditioned to think that having more money, fancier houses and expensive cars are the primary solutions to increase our happiness.

According to the experts that were interviewed, 50% of happiness is your genetic disposition, but the other 40% is based on your intention or choice. When you have gratitude for the little things in life, the big things just seem better. One man in India who walks as a rickshaw cab driver commented that he didn’t mind getting wet in the monsoons because as he was grateful to have passengers to run and pull in his cab and remarked that his wet clothes would dry quickly from the wind blowing across his body as he was running. Now would you think about getting soaked in the rain with this mindset? Or would you be irritated and more upset that your hairstyle or clothes were ruined that day?

Having gratitude instead of an attitude goes a long way in all situations. It metaphysically changes how you perceive your circumstances and how you set your intentions. Choosing to be grateful allows you to experience happiness. It opens you up to receive more blessings moving forward as well.

Here in the United States, we celebrate Thanksgiving every November. It’s supposed to be a day to reflect on the year’s blessings and to enjoy time with family. Sadly, many people get so stressed out over cooking a perfect meal that they forget to enjoy why they are doing it. This year, I urge you to be grateful to have the opportunity shower your meal and your guests with your love, your joy and your best intentions.

Let’s not stop with just Thanksgiving Day. Begin to consciously live with thankfulness and gratitude each day and you’ll be amazed at just how happy you will start to feel everyday.

7 steps to make your dreams a reality

Over my lifetime, I have always had the dream to help others and somehow make the world a better place by the time I take my last breath. I have been traveling on this journey of life, and I have had the awesome blessing to fulfill many dreams thus far. Sadly though, I spent many years living with a restricted level of consciousness and basically going through the motions at times. This autopilot-type of living slowed the pursuit of new dreams and possibly diminished my impact in the world. During the past few years however, I began to have new dreams as I took the time and effort to love myself again and work on my development and personal evolution. Step by step, my creativity, energy and vision of new dreams reappeared. As I learned that loving myself and valuing myself were the foundation, here are the 7 steps I discovered from Veronica Andres’ work to make dreams a reality:

1. Develop Trust - trust and believe in yourself and your idea or dream.
2. Stay Positive - keep your faith up, see what’s right, not what’s wrong.
3. Keep Uplifting Company - surround yourself with positive, forward thinking people. Their energy will help you keep your momentum spirally upward.
4. Chose to be 100% Responsible - let go of the “victim” mentality and any excuses. Making dreams a reality takes responsibility and accountability. No one else can bring this dream to life like you can.
5. Imagine Your Future Success - visualize, mind map, or create a vision/dream board. See yourself already doing the thing you are dreaming of doing or becoming. Look at this daily for inspiration and motivation.
6. Discover the Higher Purpose - we are all created for a purpose, a divine one at that. Think and dive deeper than just the facts of a situation. Step back from your circumstances and begin to see the beautiful mural that you are painting with your life and your dreams.
7. See How Your Dream Can Be of Service to You and Others - your dream has a purpose in this world. If Michelangelo never pursued his dream, how would our world look different today? If Abraham Lincoln never pursued his dream, how would our world be different today? If Steve Jobs never pursued his dream, how would our world operate differently today? How will you and the world be served by making your dream a reality?

You are unique. You have a special message, a powerful contribution, a magnificent dream that the world needs to experience right now. Ground your dream in love and don’t let fear stop you from making your dream a reality. The world is waiting…

25 TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING MORE EFFECTIVELY

Marketing is many things, one of them being a form of communications. The same is true of advertising. Ad great Fairfax Cone once said, "Advertising is what you do when you can't go to see somebody. That's all it is." But what about the times when you can go see somebody? Here's how to make the most of those golden moments:

1. Be the first to say hello.

2. Take risks and don't anticipate rejection.

3. Tell other about the important events in your life.

4. Show others you're a good listener; restate their comments in different words.

5. Be able to tell others what you do in a few short sentences.

6. Use eye contact and smiles on your contacts with people.

7. Greet people you see regularly -- even if you don't know them.

8. Seek common goals, interests and experiences with the people you meet.

9. Let others play the expert.

10. Become enthusiastic about the interests of other people.

11. Balance the giving and receiving of information.

12. Be open to the feelings and opinions of others.

13. Express your feelings, opinions and emotions to others.

14. Don't use the word "you" when you really mean "I."

15. Ask people for their opinions.

16. Look for the positive in the people you meet.

17. Ask people about things they told you in previous conversations.

18. Change the topic of c conversation when it has run its course.

19. Compliment others on what they're wearing, doing or saying -- if true.

20. When you tell a story, present the main point first, then add the details.

21. Be aware of open and closed body language.

22. Make an effort to help people if you can.

23. Accept a person's right to be an individual.

24. Go out of your way to meet new people.

25. Be tolerant of other's beliefs if you don't agree with them.

Do you have the Entrepreneur within?

I found a very pertinent article in Entrepreneur magazine written by Grant Cardone.

Cardone has studied entrepreneurs for decades in order to understand what contributes to their success, and he says it's not what society typically considers assets. If you hang around with entrepreneurs long enough, you know that isn't news!

Most articles about entrepreneurs say the attributes they possess are a strong work ethic, persistence, persuasiveness and discipline.

Cardone says the attributes of the entrepreneur might be ones that many people think of as a liability. He's got 12 of them. Here they are.

1. Hate the Status Quo - It doesn't make sense to you that something has been done the time-honored way with no explanation why. You don't like to go through the motions or sit by idly. Nor do you like following the pack.

2. Easily Bored - You are easily bored, and others start viewing you as a problem. But nothing is wrong with you except that you are bored with activities that aren't up to your abilities and aren't challenging.

3. Fired from Jobs - You're too creative. Being just a cog in wheel is very difficult because you want to create something others can be inspired by and contribute to.

4. Labeled a Rebel - You know that greatness lives outside the lines of conformity and don't think that policies, laws and regulations apply to you. People call you a rebel and rule breaker--you'd defy gravity if you could.

5. Resist Authority - You have a lifelong record of resisting authority from your parents, teachers, groups/community and bosses.

6. Ready to Improve Everything - You always see how you could do things better. Further, you are opinionated and freely give your two-cents about your better way of doing things--even when you're not asked.

7. Bad at Making Small Talk - Small talk isn't your thing. It seems like a waste of time to you and makes you uncomfortable.

8. Criticized in Your Youth - You may have been heavily criticized, picked on and even bullied as a child or teenager. Now you're driven to excel and to prove you are a force to be reckoned with.

9. Obsessive - You may have been labeled obsessive/compulsive because when you get started on something you have difficulty letting go. Don't let anyone convince you that this is a disease or deficiency.

10. Scared to Go Solo - The entrepreneur in you is scared of going out on your own--and also terrified of not doing it. We've been conditioned to think that entrepreneurship is much riskier than getting a "good job." There is risk in both.

11. Unable to Unwind - You can't go to sleep at night because you can't turn your thoughts off. The next morning you are consumed with the idea, distracting you from the job you're supposed to be doing.

12. Don't Fit the Norm - You have always been a bit uncomfortable in your own skin. Until you get used to the idea that you are in fact different from most people, it could prove to be a problem--or exactly the motivation you need to acknowledge the entrepreneur screaming to get out.

Do you see yourself in this profile? I'm betting you're on that list somewhere, maybe in a number of places.

Embrace the entrepreneur within you. It could be your greatest asset.

Go forth and do great things!

If You Want to Succeed, Invest 10% of Your Time to Maximize the Other 90%

Are you one of those people who constantly say, “There’s just not enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done”. Many of my clients would like me to help them focus on managing their time but I’m of the opinion that “Time Management” is a misnomer.

We can’t really manage our time. We can though choose to decide how we “show up” in the time that we have. We all get 24 hours a day! Why is it that some people who have extremely busy lives seem to flow through their day while others exist in a state of chaos, inefficiency and overwhelm?

The answer is that those who invest 10% of their time maximize the other 90%. So how do they invest 10% of their time?

-They plan their week ahead. They sit down with their calendars on a Sunday evening and look at the week ahead. They review their work schedules, social activities, family time, self-care, etc.

-They “mind dump” once a week. They take every task, project or idea and get it out of their heads and onto appropriate lists either on paper or in the computer. This gives them the comfort of knowing that these items are on a list so there are no worries of “forgetting something.

-They create a “problem free” zone for their lives. They get rid of things that they are tolerating…the leaky faucet, the closet full of junk, the clutter. This creates a clear mind to focus on the really important things in life.

-They continually replace themselves at work, at home….they delegate, and they assign tasks. The more you give away, the faster you’ll grow and the more you will have room to create.

-They’re focused on the future, letting the horizon pull them towards it versus them scrambling to get more time in the present.

In my work with my business clients we focus on creating and maintaining a reserve of space so that the next opportunity can come in. If one is too busy trying to manage time, these opportunities tend to run away. Lost opportunities mean lost income!

"Say Yes to Saying No" - By Barb Wade

"No" is a bad word to many of us. We don't like to disappoint people. We care about those we love, and we want to accommodate their needs.

And what's worse, is that even with just acquaintances, we often still find ourselves saying "yes" to requests that we don't truly want to do and that we know will drain us.

Why? Because, in a nutshell, we want to be liked.

And we don't want to appear rude. Some of us have a fear of confrontation if the person we are turning down gets angry. We might even worry that saying no is closing a door to an opportunity you might miss out on.

Who can't relate to making commitments and agreements that are ultimately not in our best interest because we want to be approved of?

In the moment, we become very concerned about what others will think of us--we can't dare risk being seen as selfish, or not a team player.

But when we make these decisions and overload our schedules with commitments that are not in our highest good--well, in truth no one benefits.

Here are 3 tips that when applied will help you to fight that people-pleasing urge:

1. Buy Time: When asked if you're available to ... (fill-in-the-blank), the best on-the-spot response is "You know, I have to check on a few things to see what's possible. Let me get back to you." It's too tempting, when someone is standing right in front of you, to let "Sure, sounds great" slip out. Instead, buy yourself the time to really think it through. Is this a commitment I really want to make? What are the benefits? What are the costs?

2. Counter-Offer: Remember that for any request, there are 3 possible responses: "Yes," "No," or a Counter-Offer. If you know in your heart that the answer is no, then you owe it to yourself to gracefully decline. But what if there's a compromise that feels right? You could say, "I really can't make the commitment to chair that committee, but I'd be happy to help facilitate on the day of the big event."

3. Self-Care First: Know that your own self-care is your most important responsibility. Without taking care of yourself, you can't take care of anybody else, or function effectively in the areas that are most important. A mentor of mine used to hit this home by saying "What other people think of me is none of my business." Sounds harsh, but the point is that we have to make the best decisions that we can, and can't fall prey to letting others' opinions derail us.

So next time you are asked to commit to something, stop and take time to listen to your gut. Is it a yes, a no, or an opportunity to counter-offer?

And if you find yourself in the situation of having already made a commitment that you wish you hadn't, you can explore the possibility of renegotiating the commitment.

But that should be a last resort. It's best to keep the commitment anyway and learn from the situation. Your word is worth a lot and it's hard to regain trust.

Remember that you alone are responsible for your own self-care, and that this is your right, regardless of what others might think.


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SUCCESS STORIES

“I saw a 20% increase in my business within a matter of weeks”

Dawn is organized, inspiring and always has the right game plan to grow your business. Before working with Dawn I was struggling to build a down line for my business and had hit a plateau with money. Implementing the strategies she laid out for me, I saw a 20% increase in revenues almost immediately. I was also able to bring on 3 new distributors effortlessly using her “enrollment” approach. She taught me how to speak to potential clients in a way that was compelling but not “salesy.” Today, my conversion rate is through the roof!

She is the ultimate coach and if you take the direction she provides with you with, you WILL increase your business.

Kelly Connor
Health & Wellness Recruiter – Austin, TX