Tell me a story . . .

I just mentioned my 5-Minute Networking experience. While I was there one of the participants sat down in front of me and asked me to tell her a story of what I do. I was taken back. And then I realized how easy it was to give a testimonial through a story. In those 5-minutes I shared more and learned more with her just because we each told stories. We were both excited and proud to share our experiences. It felt more like I was talking to a friend.

The next time you are out at a networking event, try using a story to make your point. In fact, start collecting your stories now and have them ready to use when you need them. It works!

5-Minute Networking

I just experienced a new form of networking. Our local Chamber held it's first 5-Minute Networking event. There is a web site that explains more about it: http://www.5minutenetworking.com/. I was not sure what to expect at first. After all, what can you get done in 5 minutes. It's amazing how nice it is to have minutes to truly talk to someone and hear what they do and share what you do. It was a fun event, and beneficial.

When I think back on the Business After Hours, I realized you don't even get that much time and no one wants to hear your sales pitch then. Here we were in a focused meeting to just give our sales pitch and we had 5 minutes to do it. Brilliant. I cannot wait until the next one.

Goal Setting on Steroids

Ok, I know that sounds a bit crazy, and maybe it is. I am so excited that I wanted to share with you an article I found about a goal setting program that is so amazing I am convinced that I will hit new marks this year! I hope you enjoy it.

How to Set Personal Goals That Inspire You to Take Action
Remember when you thought you could do and be anything? The innocence of early childhood is perhaps the last time you were unencumbered by perceived limitations and labels. Personal goal setting was simple, and there was no doubt you could achieve anything.

When asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” you would have responded with whatever struck your fancy that day, whatever you were “in to.” You did not concern yourself with how you would do it, if you could do it, or if you should do it. Your dreams were based on what you wanted, pure and simple. You set personal goals based on wonder and curiosity, not practicality.

The dreams of childhood were big dreams. Travel into space, win a medal at the Olympics, become a rock star. Soon enough the dreams become modified to reflect what is practical and expected of us. This is precisely when most people start having trouble setting personal goals. The dreams are no longer larger than life, so why take steps to achieve them?

Big dreams inspire big action. When you set personal goals, they need to have huge payoffs for you in order for you to take consistent steps to achieving them. You need to feel excited – even giddy – at the prospect of seeing your dream come true.

When you aspire to something that is less than what you really want, procrastination sets in. With a big dream in your sights, procrastination is a lot less likely to occur. You may have heard of making a “life list” of places you would like to see, things you would like to try, and dreams you would like to see realized. Instead of making a list of goals based on what you think is attainable or would fit into your life, start your personal goal setting with a life list of the big stuff that really gets you going.

Here again, draw on the feelings of childhood for inspiration as you set personal goals. Remember the annual letter to Santa Claus? Even if you did not celebrate Christmas, you can imagine the wish lists sent to the North Pole were not full of realistic, practical requests. They included the biggest, best gifts a child could think of, because there was always the possibility that Santa would bring you exactly what you wanted.

Dreaming big has the added benefit of inspiring others to come to your aid in your pursuit of the goal. If your personal goal setting is limited, or “small,” why would anyone want to help you achieve them? People want to be part of something special. Big goals motivate friends, family, and even complete strangersto help you reach them.

When you set personal goals, go back to those childhood aspirations. Sure, you may not want to be an astronaut anymore, but the old dreams can spark new life goals. Perhaps you would like to go to a grown-up space camp or become an amateur astronomer. Whatever goal you set, make it big. As the ancien temperor Marcus Aurelius said, “Dream big dreams; only big dreams have the power to move men’s souls.”
Copyright © 2006 Vic Johnson

Vic Johnson is a popular motivational speaker, author and Internet Infopreneur who has created some of the most visited personal development sites on the Web. To learn more about the power of big dreams in goal setting, download a free copy of 13 Secrets of World-Class Goal Achievers

A Time of Renewal

I have been so busy in the last month that I have not updated my blog. In fact, I was so busy, I didn't even remember I had a blog. So today I took a deep breath and decided it was time to reflect and regroup. Here I am at the computer, just me and my thoughts. As I look back on 2006 and look forward to 2007, I am amazed at what a difference a year can make. I think everyone should take a few minutes to review and refocus. It is a time of reflection, a time to purge and time to cleanse. As it relates to business, it is a time to set goals, eliminate distractions and to slow down to "smell the roses" while you plan the year.

With planning in mind, I recommend developing a plan that looks out and then focuses in. For example:
How much money do you want to make in 2007?
How many sales a year will that be?
How much is each average sale?
How many people do you need to see and how many will you close?
How much vacation do you want?
When you obtain that goal, what will be your reward?
How will you reward yourself along the way?
How will you know when you are successful?
What is success to you?

These are just some of the questions I ask myself as I develop my annual plan. Good luck, and I will look forward to great new things for all of us!

To Blog or Not to Blog . . .

I have just stumbled across several articles about why businesses should add blogging to their marketing activities. I do it because I just love to blog. It gives me an outlet for my creative side and a chance to stand on a soapbox or two. Yet, according to these articles there is a practical side, one that will enhance the bottom line. Blogging will drive traffic to your site, be a revenue generating profit center and adds a human side to your site. I have to agree. As I blog and share my stories or those of my clients, I find that I process outloud (online), and I have revelations that I share with the world. Okay, only those few people who chance upon it. Now imagine promoting it and actually being proactive about your blog. Millions of people could be reading your posts. Pretty cool.

As a business owner and coach, I suggest to my clients to add a blog to their sites and use it as an online newsletter. A way to add fresh content to their web sites. Now I have proof and validation that I am right. Read the article for yourself. Cool Blog Article!

Showing Up Can Be Half the Battle

It's amazing the stories I hear about customer service, or the lack of it, from my clients. I am starting to believe that if you just show up you can get the job. The question is what do you have to do to keep the job. Well, I think good old fashioned work ethics and ingenuity will get you there.

1. Show Up
2. Be Fair and Honest
3. Do what you said you would do
4. And, follow-up.

Seems almost too simple, but if you do these simple things, you will have more business than you can handle.

Mom's and Business

I work with a lot of "momprenuers," and I love doing that. Not only can I help them with their businesses, but I understand their world. I just ran across a nice article that talks about how to juggle both and keep balance. Enjoy it if this is something you want to know more about. It's called: 10 Tips for Balancing Work and Motherhood.

How can you qualify a prospect on the web?

Have you ever wondered if someone who clicks on your website is really serious about your product or service? I have! Then I ran across an awesome tool that I added to my website, an assessment. It is there to help me generate leads and qualify suspects from prospects. I just set it up today, and I already see what a valuable tool this might be. I think with a little time and tweaking, you can create really good assessments that will allow you to pre-qualify clients that are a good fit, and one's that are not. Check out my assessment (which only took me 5 minutes to create and 5 minutes to put on my website). Marketing Assessment

Entrepreneurial Mom's - A breed of their Own

I just read a great article about mom's who want to have it all and are finding ways of doing it. They create businesses so they can have the flexibility to raise a family, bring in an income and maintain their professional side of their lives. Clearly when women have children they don't stop being the individuals they were they just add a new role. Read this article to see how some are doing it. I find it fascinating and not surprising. After all I am one of them. Working Mom Shift

A Moment of Pause

Last month was a whirlwind. I really enjoyed what I was doing. As I sat down today to work on my business, I realized that I had billed 49 hours for just one client. I remember feeling tired, now I know why.

Today, I enjoyed writing press releases, working on business cards and doing some research. It was great. I had no appointments. I was on my schedule. For me it was a moment to recharge my batteries and re-group. I forget how important it was to do. I certainly suggest it to my clients, but you know how that goes.

Tomorrow, I am back to usual hectic schedule. I am ready and energized to face the day. I am grateful for my moment of pause.

Remember - It's not about you!

I was doing research for a client on customer service and came across a good web site that talked about the definition of customer service and the mindset you need to hold. I thought I would share it with you.

"Customer Service"
From Susan Ward,
Definition: Customer service is an organization's ability to supply their customers' wants and needs.

Customers and business managers alike like to talk about what good customer service is (and isn't), but I think this definition by ACA Group sums up what excellent customer service is beautifully: "excellent customer service (is) the ability of an organization to constantly and consistently exceed the customer's expectations."

Accepting this definition means expanding our thinking about customer service; if we're going to consistently exceed customers' expectations, we have to recognize that every aspect of our business has an impact on customer service, not just those aspects of our business that involve face-to-face customer contact.

Improving customer service involves making a commitment to learning what our customers' needs and wants are, and developing action plans that implement customer friendly processes.

So remember, you are not the customer. So if you want to provide "good customer service" why don't you find out what the customer wants.

Time Management . . . I think Not

Okay, I know I have probably been on this soap box before, but it's worth going there again. How can you manage time? The truth is there are only 24 hours in the day and you have to sleep and eat. So really, when all is said and done, the only thing you can do is manage behavior or the things you do with your time.

As I do research for my clients on marketing tools and resources they can use, I run across all kinds of articles on time management, and I become frustrated with the term. Call it what it is, Behavior Management! Now the question becomes what do you want as the outcome, and what behavior will help you attain that goal.

For example: If you want more clients and you set a goal of getting one new client in the next month, then you can say to yourself, "self, what do I have to do to get that new client?" Then you create the list and implement the plan. Yes, time is involved in so much as you have to schedule activities on a calendar and you have to coordinate schedules with other people. Other than that, you are managing the things you do. Once you do that, the time falls into place and the results are a given.

If you build it will they come?

Hmm, sounds like a great line for a movie. But does it work in the internet world. I have always been puzzled by billboards on the highway (not the super highway) that only have a web site address on it. My thought was why would someone go to the expense of creating a web site and then hosting and maintaining it, and then still have to put it on a billboard, yet another expense. Then I realized (yes, I can be a little slow in processing at times) that people need to know you are there to find the site. So again I ask, if you build it will they come? Or How do they know you are there? How can you get the word out so people will find your site? Visibility, key words, search engines? All this stuff makes marketing on the internet a whole new game. This is something I am working on with a colleague to really understand and then articulate to our local audience how this works. Right now, a lot of people think it's web magic. I know better, you have to know the secret password? Stay tuned to find out.

Back in the Saddle Again

Being a business owner is an awesome thing. For me it gives me the flexibility I need. For example, I am also a mom of two young boys (7 and 4) who are full of life and energy. The summer has been a challenge keeping up with my business and them. So I made a conscious decision not to load up during the summer and wait until they are back in school. What does this have to do with business. Well for me I would be just spinning my wheels trying to meet obligations I could not meet. So I needed to set realistic goals and sometimes adjust.

So today was their first day in school. They had a blast. And so did I. I had two great meetings, I worked on a project for a client, picked up items for a silent auction I am helping with and now I am taking care of some administrative stuff (kids are in bed). All in all it is a great day. Already my week is booked solid. For me when the day is done and I go to bed, I will know that my clients are being taken care of and my kids are well. It's good to be back in the saddle again, although I like to rest sometimes with my little guys.

Knowing When to Walk Away Can be The Best Thing You Can Do For Yourself

I recently parted ways with a client after realizing that the project we were working on was really not suited for my tempermant. It was a difficult decision, I really enjoyed the project. What I realized was the project was not a good fit for me. I am a big picture person and this was a project for a micro-manager. So even though the content was fun, the project became a burden. Now I am free to work on projects for my clients that use my talents where they are better suited. This was a valuable lesson.

So if you ever find yourself feeling uneasy about a project ask yourself:
Is this a good project for me?
Is this the best use of my talents?
Can I be more productive and fulfilled working on something else?

If the answer is yes then you might want to consider moving on. It can be the best decision you make for yourself or your business.

Accountability is a Good Thing

I had a great coaching call with a client the other day and he commented on how powerful the accountability was to him. He noted by just knowing he had to review his week with me, made him focus more on his business. Clearly the goals he set were his and not mine. Yet knowing that we would discuss where he is in the process and what challenges he is facing in getting there was critical to his success.

When Marketing a Service - You Are Marketing You

CJ Hayden asks in this article, are you lost in your marketing material? Or can you be found in your marketing material? What she means is when you market a service, people are buying you and a relationship with you. Take a look at the article and then your marketing material and see if your message is clear and if people have the ability to get to know you and develop a relationship with you. Here is the article: What You are Marketing is Yourself

Do you have a niche?

I just got off a great coaching call with an expert marketer. She contends that the reason most people are finding it difficult to take their business to the next level is because they do not have a well defined niche. For example, saying that you work with parents is a niche, but way to broad. Now lets say you work with parents of children with ADD. Now that is a specific target audience. She gave the following formula:

Target Audience + Problem/specialty = Niche

So take a look at what you do and ask yourself, am I working in a specific enough niche?

Accountability is the Key

Today I held my first Get Clients Now! Seminar. I must say I was a bit nervous. I felt it went well, and I now have an even deeper belief in the process and the program. What struck me the most from the training was the effect the accountability sessions had on my attendees.

In 3-hours my attendees developed a well thought out marketing plan with daily actions steps they are going to utilize in the next 28 days. They really enjoyed the process and the plans they had developed. As we talked at the end of the session about what the next step was going to be, they were excited about the accountability sessions. That is where the rubber will hit the road.

I look forward to our weekly calls to hear their successes and to help work through any issues, concerns or challenges they maybe facing. This really is a great program.

Armed & Dangerous

I have been thinking about what I want to do for my clients and I realized that I want them to be armed and dangerous. That means successful, wildly successful. What am I talking about? Well, as I work with my clients and spend time listening to what they need, where they have been, what they have done, and where they want to go, it is my hope to help them develop a plan to succeed. The plan will be useful and spelled out so they can walk into their office on any given day and know what needs to be done and how. Why is this important? Having a plan is critical to the success of any business. If you don't have a plan, you don't have a business. You have a series of activities that generate money (if you are lucky). But not a business that is viable and sustainable.

So the plan is the key, and then clear action steps around the plan is what makes you armed and dangerous. Imagine getting directions on Mapquest, but they forget to tell you what roads to take. They just say, turn left and then right and then left and in five minutes you will be there. Not much help, right. The action steps are the actual directions to get you there faster and in one piece.