Mike's Blog

Time Blocking

2009-10-20T20:11:00.001-05:00

How many times have you heard someone say the following: "I don't have time to market my business." "I am just too busy." We never seem to have the time to do the things we want to do in our business on a daily basis. Constant interruptions, phone calls, and e-mails engage us throughout the day. How do we handle the flow of information that interrupts us constantly during the day? Time blocking is the answer. What is time blocking?

Time blocking is setting aside a predetermined amount of time to do the activities that you want to work on for the day.

Here is an example of one of my days using time blocking:

1 hour on reading and responding to e-mail.
1 hour following up with contacts and clients.
1 hour writing.
2 hours going to a networking event.
1 hour working on database and list.

That is a total of six hours out of my day, and I am assured of working on these tasks. They may not be complete, but I have spent an allotted amount of time on each task to make sure it gets the attention it deserves. This does not mean you can't do anything else that day. It simply means you will at the very least accomplish these tasks. You are almost guaranteed you will accomplish something during your day. Wipe the slate clean for the next day and block out 4 to 8 hours for performing a few more tasks that will move your business forward. And it could be some of the same tasks carried over from the previous day.

So, what tasks do you need to get completed on a daily basis? And "I don't know" is a correct answer. This is the first step in acknowledging you are not doing the right things everyday to build and grow your business. Spend a few minutes and come up with something. Even if you just think of one thing ... write that down.

Make a list and set aside a specific amount of time to work on the task. In order to be effective in marketing your business and building your business, you must give it the time that it deserves. Like anything else, you must do this long enough for it to become a habit. I would recommend doing this for at least 5 days. After that amount of time you will should have no problem blocking out time, monitoring your time, and watching your business grow as a result.

Are You Using The Right Medium To Grow Your Business?

2009-09-29T10:23:00.001-05:00

Are you using the right medium with the right message to reach your marketplace? Just a few short years ago, radio and TV advertising worked. Most people got great results. And a few people still do well with radio and TV advertising. Yellow page ads have always been a necessity for anyone starting a business. Does this still hold true for your business? If it does and you get measurable results from yellow page ads, then by all means keep doing yellow page ads.

On the other hand, if conventional tried and true methods of advertising are no longer giving you the results you are after in your business, then it may be time to try something new. Most of you have probably heard the Albert Einstein quote, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. So are you continuing to run TV ads, radio ads, and yellow page ads simply because this is what you have always done? Are you no longer getting any measurable the results from running these ads? It is very important to your bottom line that you give some thought to these questions. Also, think about the money you are investing in advertising that may or may not be working.

It may be time for a change. It may be time to move forward in your promotional efforts and time to stop doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In today’s world, many traditional advertising methods are expensive with negligible results at best. Again, I am not knocking traditional advertising. I am merely asking you to re-evaluate what you are currently doing in your business to make sure you are getting a good return on investment.

Here are a few suggestions for getting better results from your promotional efforts:

1. Make sure your message connects with your target market. Is it as good as it can be? Is it clear and easily repeatable?
2. Find a way to benchmark or measure your marketing and promotion efforts.
3. Focus on one thing when trying to reach your target market. You don’t have to tell them everything you do initially. Focus on the one thing that can help them in an area where they may be struggling.
4. Make the best use of technology by reviewing your website on a regular basis to make sure you are still hitting the mark with your audience.
5. Use the FREE tools that are available such as online social networking, blogging, sending a monthly newsletter, etc.
6. Find a mentor or business strategist who can help you brainstorm ideas and keep you accountable for your actions in promoting and marketing your business.

I hope this article has at the very least got you thinking about what you are currently doing to promote your business and questioning whether or not it is really working. Sometimes small business owners get in a rut of doing the same thing again and again even though it is not producing the results they want. Sometimes this can be stubbornness on the part of the business owner and sometimes it can just be a matter of not knowing anything else they can do. Be aware, do what works for you and your business, and try something different to find your unique success.

Ten Tips For Business Success Using Online Social Media

2009-09-22T21:07:00.003-05:00

Online social networking is all the buzz these days. It is no longer an option for small business owners. Here are a few tips to help you get started the right way using social networking to grow your business.

1. Set aside time every day or every week to work on your social networks. For example, set aside 30 minutes every morning or set aside one hour a week. Schedule it. Update and network at least once a week.

2. Take advantage of the “Answers” section of LinkedIn to learn what your customers want. For example, ask the question, “What are the main traits you look for when seeking an HVAC person?”

3. Decide if you want quantity or quality in your social networks. Do you want thousands of people or do you want a targeted group of people who are more likely to become customers?

4. The three main social networks I use are Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Find the one that works for you, gain some momentum in building your network then add another. I would suggest LinkedIn as a starting point.

5. Have consistency between all your profiles. For example, have the same bio (or Profile) on all your online social networks.

6. Start a blog using either Wordpress, Typepad, or Blogger. Blogger.com is an excellent place to start if you are new to blogging.

7. Do not use social media to push your products or services. Educate your target market and use social media to position yourself as the expert in your field.

8. Have a clear reason for implementing an online social marketing strategy. Who are you trying to reach? Define your target audience. Know your message.

9. Keep your appearance professional. Don’t allow people into your network that could potentially deliver an unprofessional message or give people an unprofessional perspective of your business.

10. Participate in discussion groups. Join groups that are related to your field of interest or your business.

What Do You Think Of Yourself?

2009-09-08T10:10:00.002-05:00

There is one sure thing in sales. If you don't have confidence in yourself and the product or service you are selling, you will not succeed. You must have confidence in your abilities and you must value what you have to offer. Fear, lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem, and not seeing the value in what you have to offer can kill your chances of success.

You know the truth and you must answer the following question honestly and without hesitation - "Do you believe in yourself and what you have to offer?" If you cannot answer a resounding yes to this question, even though you may think you are projecting confidence and self-assurance to your prospects, they sense something other than confidence and self-assurance. They may not know what it is or be able to describe it but something is causing them to not be attracted to you, your product, or your services. Something is causing them to have a negative reaction to what you have to offer.

Most people can sense fear and self-doubt in other people. They may not acknowledge those feelings but they are still there. Professor of Psychology Randolph Blake and doctoral student Eunice Yang of Vanderbilt University conducted research to learn the speed at which we recognize fear. Their research has shown the human brain becomes aware of faces that express fear faster than it becomes aware of faces that express other emotions. Check out this article "People Sense Another Person's Fear Faster Than Anything Else They See" by Tamara Hardison for more details on this research.

Everyone has this instinct that senses fear, lack of self-confidence, and low self-esteem in another person. None of these traits can be associated with success in any field. Here are five ways you can improve in all these areas:

1. Never stop working on your personal development. Study the classics by Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Anthony Robbins, and others. There is a great little book called "How I Raised My Self From Failure To Success In Selling" by Frank Bettger written in 1947. The basic principles still apply. Study this material and apply it to your life and to your business.

2. Become an expert in your field. Know everything you can possibly know about your product, your service, or your industry. Never stop learning. This will give you more confidence in yourself and your prospects will sense your increased self-confidence. They will be more receptive to your message if they know you are the expert in your chosen field.

3. Don't ever put yourself or anyone else on a pedestal. Either way you lose. You are deceiving yourself and the other person when you do this.

4. Don't base your self-esteem on how successful you are now or on how much money you make. Don't base your self-esteem on external factors, especially ones that are out of your control.

5. Learn to make decisions quickly. 80% of all decisions you have to make should be made immediately. This is a habit you can develop and the more you do it, the better you become at making difficult decisions.

Always approach your prospects and clients from a position of power. Always show respect for the other person but project a sense of quiet self-confidence and self-assurance. Believe that you are the best person to deliver this product or service. Your sales will go up and people will be much more receptive to your message.

Who Is In Your Circle?

2009-09-01T04:47:00.005-05:00

Being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle and it’s important to surround yourself with people who understand that lifestyle. If they are not living it, they don’t understand it. Being a true entrepreneur is sometimes a difficult road to travel but also one of the most rewarding from both a personal and a financial perspective. The personal growth that most people who choose this lifestyle experience is immeasurable. As the old saying goes, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. The people that come into your life and the friendships that are made in the process of building a business are another huge benefit of being on your own.

At some point in your journey you have to make decisions as to whom you will allow into your world. Do you want people who bring you down every time you are around them or do you want to be around people who energize you? If you are an entrepreneur, do you want people in your life that work “real jobs” or do you want to surround yourself with other entrepreneurs? That decision will depend on your business. If your business is corporate training, then you probably would have corporate people in your circle. It all depends on the focus of your business.

Here is the bottom line. You need to know who you want in your circle of influence and also who you do not want in your circle of influence. In my business, my focus is on entrepreneurs and small business owners. Here are a few examples of people I do and do not want in my circle.

Here are the people I want in my circle:
1. They are entrepreneurial and are running their own business. They understand the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
2. They energize me when I am around them. They make me want to reach higher, achieve more, and be a better person.
3. The feedback and counsel they give comes from real world experience.
4. They are givers and want to contribute something to make the world a better place.
5. They are people with whom I can be totally honest and open.
6. People who are comfortable being totally open and honest with me.

Here are the people I do not want in my circle:
1. People in the corporate world who want to start a business but can’t make the commitment to do so because they are addicted to the “security” of a weekly paycheck. Most of their decisions are fear based and money driven with no regard to their true passion or dreams. They will start a business only if there is zero risk and if they are guaranteed success (or if the stars are properly aligned). These people are generally energy drainers, time wasters, and never actually do anything.
2. Negative people who only see the downside of starting a new business venture but can't really contribute any new ideas or alternatives. It is important that I have people in my life who will show me both the negative and the positive side of my business ideas. But their input comes from being in the trenches and from real world experience. They can usually provide alternatives if they think my idea won't work.

Make a conscious decision as to whom you allow to take up your time. When you are building a business, time is your most important asset. Build a circle of influence that will energize you, challenge you to grow, and make you a better person.

Are You A Seeker?

2009-08-17T15:04:00.005-05:00

I was recently reading Zen In The Art Of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. There is a line in the book that really stood out for me - “The Master does not seek, he finds.” Many people spend all their time seeking. Stressed out, overworked, no family time, moodiness, emotional fragility, setting unrealistic deadlines, putting too much on his plate. All these things could describe the “seeker”. The seeker constantly tries to control things that are out of his control. Does this sound familiar?

The reality is, we are in control of nothing except what is happening right now at this very instant. The only things we can control are how we react to a situation and what we think about a situation. We can’t relive the past and we can’t control the future. Unfortunately, most people spend their time in one of these two places. The present moment is all we have. We can do things to make our future better but we can’t really control the outcome of anything. We can’t get too attached to outcomes. Sometimes there is more to learn from what went wrong than there is to learn from everything going right. How many times have your best-laid plans been derailed because of some unforeseen event? Did you learn something or did you simply become frustrated?

Being stressed out all the time and worried about things out of your control is a miserable way to live. Learn how to be in the moment without any thought of the future or any thoughts of the past. Getting to this point requires constant effort at first. You are trying to change old habits that have been around many years. You are creating new habits. Be patient and give yourself some time to make this part of your everyday life.

Meditation is a great tool for getting refocused and on track when things seem to be getting out of hand in your life or your business. Meditation can keep you “in the flow”. The meditation can be one minute, 5 minutes, or whatever time you need to get back on track. Use soothing music if this works for you or try different meditation CDs. Some people prefer total silence during meditation. Just find what works for you. A friend of mine, David Humes, has posted a great meditation audio/video on YouTube. Just stop, be still, only focus on your breathing and remove any thoughts of the past or the future. Only focus on your breathing. Be present with yourself and your body. Be aware of your breathing and the stillness of your body.

Of course, you can’t sit around all day doing nothing. Meditating and sitting around waiting for something to happen won’t work. You do have to take action. You still have to get out of bed, get in the flow and do the work that needs to be done that day if you want to have a successful business and move closer to your goals, dreams, aspirations, and fulfillment of your life’s purpose. Getting in the flow will allow you to find rather than seek.

I hope this has given you some food for thought. Sometimes you have to step away from your business for a period of time to get a new perspective. Even if it is only for a minute or two. It's okay to do this. Life is too short to live in a stressed out and emotionally fragile state. You only get one shot at life. Don’t blow it. Learn to be still; be present; and focus on your body and your breathing. Learn how to meditate. Remove all thoughts, both negative and positive, from your mind. All we have is right now. Enjoy the moment.

What Are You Worth?

2009-08-11T21:00:00.005-05:00

One of the biggest challenges facing many professional service providers is deciding what to charge for their services. Some are afraid of charging too much or not charging enough for the services they deliver. There can be many reasons for this confusion over pricing but I have listed a few of the more common ones here.

1. Fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of what people may think about you or your business if you charge too much. Fear can paralyze your business. Identify your fears, face them, and move on.

2. Lack of confidence. Many times a lack of confidence can be traced back to a lack of preparation. Your prospects can sense self-doubt and they know when you are not prepared. Make sure you are thoroughly prepared for every meeting you have with potential clients. How much better do you feel going into a meeting knowing you have done everything you can to prepare in advance for the meeting? This will give your confidence a boost in addition to making you appear more professional to your prospective client.

3. Assuming your prospect does not have the money to pay for your services (especially in these economic times). This is usually the wrong assumption. You should always give them the benefit of the doubt. You should always assume they have the money but you may need to better communicate your perceived value to your prospect. The fact is most people do have the money to pay for your services if you can increase the perceived value of what you have to offer. People generally have money for things they need. Raise the perceived value of your product or services through better branding and by improving your presentation skills.

4. Not knowing the true value of the services you deliver. For example, if you approach a business doing a million dollars a year in sales and assure them you can increase their sales by 10% in the next 12 months. If you are charging $500 to do this, it may give them cause for concern. You are offering an increase of $100,000 to their bottom line and only charging them $500 to do it. How good could you possibly be if you are the "cheap"? Do the math. If you only charge 5% of the increase they are expecting to receive as a result of using your services, that is $5000 (not $500). See the difference. Charging $5000 is much more realistic and it will make your clients value your services even more. If you can deliver the goods, make your price match.

If you become more aware of the four things listed above, you will be able to increase your fees with confidence. By charging more, you will attract better clients and make more money. You will be happier and will deliver better service to your clients.....which will lead to more referrals and more money. You get the idea.

Know what you bring to the marketplace and charge what you are worth. Let your clients know they are investing in a service that will provide them with a huge return on their investment. As you can see, everybody wins.

What Is Your Job Description?

2009-08-04T22:30:00.002-05:00

I was thinking recently about all the things I do in my business. Here is what I came up with:

Weekly newsletter
Writing sales copy
Contact management system maintenance
Twice weekly blog
Maintenance of online social networks (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo)
Product development
Teleseminars
Networking
Promotion
Website maintenance
Administrative tasks
Sales
Tech support
Servicing current clients
Information broker (reading, research)
Public speaking
Writing articles
Inventory management
Scheduling

Doing this helped me get a little more clear on what I should be doing on a daily basis and allowed me to schedule my time better. This was a great exercise and has allowed me to really focus on what I need to be doing to grow and improve my business. A lot of people start a business and have no idea what they should be doing.

Another thing you can do with a list like this is to write a job description. You can break the list down into specific areas and write job descriptions for those specific areas. If you decide to outsource some of these tasks, it would be great to have a job description written so you will know exactly what you are looking for in the person you hire.

I am a solopreneur so I handle most of the day-to-day activities in my business. There are a couple of exceptions. I outsource my graphic design work and web design work (even though I do update my website periodically). Think about areas in your business you can outsource. Then make you own list of responsibilities. What do you do in your business?

In The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber talks about working on your business instead of working in your business. Having this information will help you get better at working on your business. Let me know what you are doing in your business.

What Is Your Brand?

2009-07-28T06:25:00.003-05:00

What is your target market's perspective of you and your business? What is your brand? Everything you do in your business and in your personal life affects your brand. Your brand includes everything from the clothes you wear and the car you drive to the words you say and the way you deliver your services. Everything in one way or another promotes or devalues your brand.

You already have a brand even if you haven't tried to create one. If you are always late for appointments, then being chronically late is part of your brand. If you always return phone calls within a 24-hour period, then responding quickly to prospects and clients is part of your brand.

There are two sides to your brand:

1. The core of your brand is your vision statement, your mission, your personality, your values, skills and abilities. Authenticity in these areas is the key to developing a great brand. Know what you stand for and make sure your target audience knows what you stand for.

2. What the public sees is the other part of your brand. This includes your website, logo, colors, product packaging, etc. This is the part that most people focus on when developing their "brand".

Make sure you have the core of your brand and the external aspects of your brand in place so you control the public's perception of you and your business before they create their own perception. It is up to you to take control of your brand and the public's perception of you, your business, your product or your service. What do you want that perception to be?

The Business Cycle

2009-07-20T18:31:00.002-05:00

When is the economy going to get better? Regardless of what the media tells you or the local experts tell you, nobody knows. We are just in another business cycle that we have to deal with until the recovery begins. Don’t believe me? Just study history.

Dr. Clement Jugular was the first to come up with the theory of business cycles in the late 1800s. History has proven this theory to be correct. He stated that fluctuations in the economy go from long-term growth to periods of rapid economic growth to periods of relative stagnation or decline. Later Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter stated there are four stages: 1. Expansion, 2.Crisis, 3. Recession, 4. Recovery.

Nobody will argue the fact that we are in a recession. The good news is we are on our way to recovery given the theories stated by Jugular and Schumpter. And regardless of how hard politicians on both sides of the aisle try to "fix" everything, we will get through this.

Are you “waiting” on the recession to end or are you being proactive? Are you looking for ways to make sales and grow your business now? Or are you making excuses and telling yourself business is down “because of the economy”?

Throughout history in economic downturns, people have said, “But this time is different. I have never seen anything like this before.” It's true we live in a different world. But it is a world filled with opportunity for growth, innovation, and new ideas. Technology and the way everybody is connected to everybody else in the world is providing more opportunity for expansion and innovation than at any other time in history. But the thinking that got us here will not get us out of this.

Now is the time for innovation. Now is the time for new thinking. There is as much opportunity now as there ever has been but it may be a little harder to find. It may mean (and please forgive me for suggesting this) that you have to work a little harder. You may have to learn new ways of doing things and adopt new ways of thinking.

Here are a few suggestions for things you can start doing today:

1. Personal development, continuous education and self-improvement. Commit to doing something that will increase your knowledge of your business or improve you skills in sales, marketing, money management, business, etc. Read a book. Learn one new thing this month.
2. Don’t waste time thinking about what others are saying or what the media is saying about the current state of the economy. Figure out where you are now, focus on where you want to be and take the necessary steps to get there. Develop a clear, compelling vision, take action, and forget the naysayers.
3. It is our responsibility as consumers to buy quality products and services that we need. It is our responsibility as business owners to produce quality products and services that people want to buy.
4. Exercise, taking time for yourself, and eating right can help you overcome stress and keep you healthy enough to deal with your current situation.
5. Take responsibility. Don’t blame the economy. Take responsibility for your own success.
6. Stop whining about everything and do something. We have been through worse times in this country and have always worked through it. (Read number 2 again)

Obsessed

2009-07-13T10:39:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, in addition to running my business, I am also a musician. One of the events that I attend every year is the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention at the Sheraton Music City in Nashville, Tennessee. Top guitarists in all musical styles from around the world attend this event and it attracts around 1500 - 2000 participants. While attending the convention last week, one of the guitarists that really got my attention was Smokin' Joe Robinson. When Joe was 16 years old, he won the $250,000 grand prize in a talent contest in Australia called Australia's Got Talent. He is 18 years old now. You can check out one of his performances here on YouTube.

During one of the workshops at the event, Joe talked about how he would get up at 4:00 every morning and practice for 2 hours before going to school and then practice again for 2 hours that evening after school. He said you almost have to be obsessed with playing guitar. It has to be your total focus. That's how you achieve that level of mastery with guitar. He now makes his living touring the world playing fingerstyle guitar.

The dictionary defines obsession as – “the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.” Are you obsessed with your business? I believe you need to be if you want to achieve success in your business.

We have all heard we should follow our dreams. We have to be passionate, etc. Both of these things are important but sometimes that may not be enough. Sometimes you may need to get a little obsessed. Don’t get me wrong. I do believe in pursuing life balance. But at the same time, you thoughts should be focused on how you can make your business better. How can you be more successful in your business? Are you willing to pay the price to achieve that success? Are you willing to get up earlier and stay late? Are you willing to turn off the television so you can keep your focus on your business?

For the most part, having your own business is very difficult but very rewarding. It takes courage, dedication, perseverance, and hard work. It also takes being obsessed. Being in business for yourself and being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle. It is rarely something you can “turn off” at 5:00 every day. Some days you can do this but most days you cannot. There are exceptions to this and if you are the exception, then congratulations. But do understand that the rest of us will have to be obsessed with our business sometimes.

Are you obsessed with your business? Are you willing to get up earlier and stay later to make it work? Doing what you love and having a passion for what you are doing is important, but sometimes you need to be a little obsessed to get to the next level.

Spending Time With The Wrong Crowd

2009-07-07T22:15:00.002-05:00

What is the purpose of creating your own unique brand? The main objective of creating a brand is to create a relationship of trust. What do your prospects think of when they hear someone mention your name? Do they see a person who delivers value every time or do they see someone who is misleading and not trustworthy? Your logo, your colors, the clothes you wear,the way you walk, and the way you talk play a part in the public's perception of your brand. All of these things come together to create your unique brand. In other words, everything you do and everything you say contributes negatively or positively to your brand.

One component of your brand that most people never think about is people who will never buy your product or service. The people you do not serve are a part of your brand. It's very important to be clear on this. We are always trying to serve our target market or our core group that wants our product or service. Are you clear on who does not want and will never want your product or service?

I see business owners attending networking functions that will never give them a return on their investment of time. They are attending events that do not attract their ideal client. Knowing what you don't want and knowing the market you are not meant to serve is an important aspect of your brand. It will save you a lot of time and a lot of heartache if you take the time to get clear on this. We like to think that everyone is a potential client or prospect but that is just not true. Make sure your focus is on organizations, events, networking functions, etc. that attract your ideal client.

Take a few minutes and make a list of people, businesses, and organizations you either don't serve or that you don't want to serve. You may be surprised to find you have been spending time with the wrong crowd.

Communicating Your Message

2009-06-30T12:51:00.002-05:00

You have your product or service ready for the marketplace. You are ready to start networking and making sales calls. Do you have everything you need to get the process started? You have business cards, your website is ready, all your promotional materials are in order. What’s next? What is the missing piece? The missing piece is being able to clearly communicate your message to your target market in a way that will help them make the right decision for them. Here are five questions that will help you make more effective sales presentations and help you become more effective at networking events. Answering these questions will give you the clarity and focus you need to move forward in your business.

1. Who does NOT need or want my services? In order to know what you want, you must know what you don’t want. Make a list of the criteria that every prospect must meet. A simple example would be they must have the money to pay you. Of course that could be a deal breaker. They also have to see the value in what you have to offer. If they do not see the value in what you have to offer, they are not good prospects for your product or service.

2. Who needs my services and who am I meant to serve? Make a list of the people or businesses that need what you have to offer. For example, insurance agents may be in your target market. Make a list of all the insurance agents and agencies within the geographic area you want to serve.

3. Where will I find them? Find clubs or associations they may be affiliated with and gain entry into these organizations. Check local Chambers of Commerce or professional organizations.

4. Why do they need what I have to offer? Is this something that will improve their bottom line; show them how to get more sales and more clients; or something that will make them more effective in their day-to-day operations? What is the greatest challenge this group faces and how can you help them overcome this challenge?

5. Why will they hire me to help them? What qualifies you to help this particular group? List anything in your background or any accomplishments that relate to your target market.

Answering these five questions will help you clearly articulate your message to your target market and increase your comfort level in serving a particular market. When you face your prospect, you must have a high level of confidence in the fact that you can do the job better than anyone else. You have to believe it before you can make anyone else believe it. Communicating your message with confidence and clarity will give your prospect more confidence in the fact that you are the one for the job. Therefore, it will be much easier for them to make the right decision for them.

Are You In The Flow?

2009-06-16T11:58:00.003-05:00

I was reading an article recently in the June issue of Inc Magazine about Matt Mullenweg. He is the person behind the blogging tool Wordpress. He likes to wake up without an alarm clock. He does not turn on his computer or check email for one hour after getting up in the morning. Reading a business book first thing in the morning is part of his ritual. He listens to music when he is working. Sometimes he will put a particular song on repeat and play it over and over again while working on his computer. All these things contribute to Matt getting in the flow.

I have to be in an environment where something is going on in the background or I get distracted. I actually go to Starbucks periodically to work because of the music and the sometimes noisy environment. That gets me in the flow. A friend of mine called last week to set up a meeting. I suggested going to Starbucks and he said it was too noisy. He prefers a very quite environment so he can concentrate on the task at hand. He could never get in the flow in a noisy environment.

Here is how I describe being in the flow. You are fully engaged, times passes quickly, and you are totally immersed in working on your business to the exclusion of all else. This is your most productive time. You get things done and you feel good about what you are doing. If you want to be more productive in your business and in your life, you must learn how to get in the flow and learn how to work within the flow of your energy patterns.

What gets you in the flow? What is your routine for getting your day started and keeping the momentum going? Is there something you need to change? You may not like having early morning meetings. Then schedule your meetings after 11:00 in the morning. You may like to exercise first thing in the morning or you may prefer evenings. Find the things that work for you.

Also, think about things that can take you out of the flow. One of the biggest distractions for most people is email. Tim Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Work Week, suggests checking email twice a week. That is probably too drastic for most people but you may consider checking email once in the morning and once in the evening. Getting alerts from your email on your computer, instant messaging, or your cell phone are all distractions that you can control. When meeting with a client or prospect, turn off your cell phone or at least put it on vibrate. This will help you stay in the flow of the conversation when meeting one-on-one.

Find your most productive time of the day. Learn to work within the flow of your energy patterns. I love early morning. This is my most productive time. The first hour when I get up in the morning decides how productive I will be for that day. The first hour usually determines whether or not I will get in the flow.

Find what gets you in the flow. Discover your most productive time of the day. Find the things that take you out of the flow and get rid of them. You will be more productive in your business and have a better life.

Ten Steps To A Better Business

2009-06-09T03:32:00.008-05:00

1. Write down your goals. Less than three percent of people write down their goals. Where does that put you if you just do this one thing?
2. Devote yourself to lifelong learning. Reading one book a month is all it takes to change your life and change your business. But make sure you are reading the right books. If you are a slow reader, get audiobooks so you can listen at home or as you are driving.
3. Implement strategies that you can and will do. Great strategies will not serve you or your business if they are not being done on a consistent basis.
4. Find an effective way to communicate and connect with people. Find the people you most want to serve. Clearly articulate what you do, who you serve, your unique story, and the process of working with you.
5. Cultivate strong, long lasting relationships. Find a way to connect with someone every day. Seek out the people who energize you.
6. Differentiate yourself and your services. Don’t just be another member of the pack. Separate yourself and promote your uniqueness.
7. Create business systems. The proper systems will provide the accountability and benchmarking that is essential to creating a successful business. If you can’t measure it, don’t do it.
8. Work within the flow of your energy patterns. This will make you more productive and create more energy within your business. I am a morning person so my best tie to do things that require a lot of focus and attention is first thing in the morning. Find what works best for you. Schedule your tedious work during your high-energy periods.
9. Use mindmapping to generate new ideas. The definition of a mind map according to wikipedia.org is this ‘ “A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to or arranged radically around a central key word or idea. It is used to generate, visualizes, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.” Learn how to use mindmapping in your business to generate new ideas and to help you make tough decisions.
10. Reward yourself, have fun, and enjoy the process. Take time for yourself. It is so easy to get overwhelmed and stressed when there is not enough money or time to do the things we need to do in our business. Don’t neglect your other passions or hobbies while you are building your business. Strive for balance. You can’t have a balanced life all the time, but you can be more aware and adjust accordingly.

One final note. Don’t put too much on your plate. Business owners sometimes accomplish less because they are “too busy” or overwhelmed with what has to be done. Take a step back and discover what is really important in your business and in your life. Ask yourself this question. “Is what I am doing today moving me closer to my goals?” Awareness is the key. Always be aware of what you are doing on a daily basis. Do one thing every day that will move your business forward. It may be something as simple as making a phone call. It doesn’t have to be this huge task that will take hours to complete. Just one simple thing done every day can have a huge impact on your business. By doing this you will develop better habits and the sense of “I’m too busy” will be replaced with “What do I do next?”

Do you have what it takes? It takes courage, commitment, and persistence to become successful in business. When you do have failure, seek the valuable lesson to be learned and move on knowing you are one step closer to success. Now there is only one more step to achieving success in your business and your life. Get to work!

Do You Have What It Takes?

2009-06-02T02:03:00.001-05:00

You have your business plan in hand. You are excited about starting your business. The world is eagerly awaiting your product or service. After a few months, the money will be rolling in. Then after six months, reality sets in. You are not making enough money to meet your obligations. How are you going to make the lease payment on your building? You are two months late on your mortgage because there is not enough money coming in from your business to make the payments. Your home life is suffering because you are stressed all the time. Your family is pressuring you to do something and do it fast. Should you close the business and get a job or give it another 30 days to see what happens? You thought your business would be profitable in a few months and all your dreams would be fulfilled. You had a great idea that would quickly replace the income you were getting from your job but now financial resources are dwindling.

I see this scene played over and over again in the lives of some small business owners. How can you avoid being in this situation? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before starting your business that will help you avoid the scenario I just described:

1. Do you have emotional strength? Can you handle the stress and strain of running a small business or being on your own without the guarantee of having a steady paycheck? Can you handle having inconsistent income? A person who is emotionally weak would say something like, "This is too much for me to handle." when things start falling apart in their business. Fear creeps in, then you panic, and then you are out of business. An emotionally strong person would say things like, "Once I get through this, the lessons I learn will serve me well in becoming more successful in my business." Do you have emotional strength? You won't be able to persevere through the hard times if you don't have emotional strength.

2. Do you have the financial resources to survive? Financial resources to survive for a certain length of time will increase your odds of success in your own business. I don't know what that length of time will be for your business. It is different for every business and for each individual. If you only have four to six months of savings, then you probably don't need to start your own business. It can sometimes take one - three years (or longer) before you see a steady income from your business. Can you survive this long without a steady paycheck?

3. Do you have a strong center of influence? Surround yourself with supportive people who energize you and your business. Surround yourself with people who believe in what you are doing and believe you are the person to do it. These are people from whom you can seek counsel when necessary. They won't "tell" you what to do but will provide support and help you work through the difficult issues that come up in your business. Be careful who you let into your center of influence.

Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle and it's a lifestyle that is not well suited for everyone. But for those few who do enjoy the entrepreneurial lifestyle, there is nothing more rewarding. It will give you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that is almost indescribable. Just make sure you have what it takes before beginning your journey.

Defining Success

2009-05-06T04:37:00.001-05:00

This is how Paul J. Meyer, personal development and growth guru, defines success. “Success is the progressive realization of worthwhile, predetermined, personal goals”.

How do you define success? For some people it may be the accumulation of wealth. For others it may be to finally have their kids finish college. Still for others it may be retirement and playing golf everyday. Success is a personal thing and unique to each individual. Just as you should have clearly defined goals in place, you should also have a clear picture of what success looks like for you. It is difficult to measure success in your life without a clear picture of what success looks like for you. This should be done without the influence of others.

This brings up another question. Are you allowing other people to define success for you? Have family members, society, or friends defined success for you? Sometimes we get caught up in what other people have defined as success for us. We see the lifestyles of the rich and famous thinking that is the true definition of success. This may be true for some people but not for others. I would say you are successful if you are passionate about what you are doing and pursuing worthwhile goals in your business and in your life.

Give this some thought and write down what success would look like for you. Be very specific and don’t just say “I want to be a millionaire” or “I want to get my kids through college”. What would your family life be like? How much money would it take for you to feel successful? Write down an actual dollar amount. If you really look at how much money it would take to be financially independent, you will be surprised at how small this figure may be. What kind of car would you drive and what would your house be like? Get very specific with this and write down all the details. Look at each area of your life: health, spirituality, finances, family, and business. What would success look like in each of these areas? Once you complete this exercise, start writing down specific goals that will get you a step closer to building your success. I will address the topic of goal setting in a future article.

How would you define success in marketing your services or business? Again, you must be very specific and write down actual dollar amounts, number of clients, or whatever else you want to use as a measurement of your marketing success. It is crucial to know what defines success in marketing your services. Otherwise you may spend money in the wrong place and not know what type return you are getting for the dollars spent. Having a system in place to measure your marketing success is critical to your business.

Success means different things to different people. You are the only one who can truly know if you have attained success in your life. It should be the right thing for you whether it is success in the area of finances, family, spirituality, health, business, or whatever. Going through the exercises mentioned above will get you one step closer to being successful.

Rosalynn Carter Quote

2009-05-06T03:46:00.002-05:00

“You must accept that you might fail; then, if you do your best and still don’t win, at least you can be satisfied that you’ve tried. If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, you don’t branch out, you don’t try – you don’t take the risk.” - Rosalynn Carter

Consistency In Your Marketing

2009-04-16T15:43:00.001-05:00

Consistency is probably one of the most important concepts you can grasp to be successful in your marketing. A bad marketing plan done consistently will usually get better results than a great marketing plan done inconsistently.

Exercising is a great example of the importance of consistency. If you start going to the gym and exercise once a month, you probably won’t see very good results. If you start going three times a week, the chances are high that you will see results and feel better after only a few weeks. The same applies to your marketing. If you are going to a networking event every couple of months, then you probably will not get the results that you want. On the other hand, if you go to four networking events a month your chances of success will increase exponentially. Setting a goal of attending four networking events a month or to make five cold calls everyday or benchmarking whatever task you want to do on a daily basis towards improving your business will help you get consistency in your marketing.

One of the reasons for not being consistent in your marketing could be that you put too much on your plate on a daily basis. Some people like to feel they are “busy” and overwhelmed. The reality is that most of these people accomplish less because they are too “busy” and overwhelmed. Take a step back and discover what is really important. What one thing could you do today that would change the course of your business? If you do this over a period of thirty days, you will have done twenty key tasks that will potentially grow your business. If you do three things a day, that would be sixty tasks you would be doing every month towards reaching your business goals. Over a period of a year you would have done 720 tasks towards improving your business. Do you think that would change your business? When you are doing your daily tasks, make them challenging but not overwhelming. For example, if you are just starting to cold call, don’t tell yourself you will make 100 cold calls today. Set a goal to make 10 cold calls. Your chances of success are greater and your chances of becoming discouraged decrease. Doing this one thing will help you become more consistent in your marketing.

Another obstacle to being consistent in your marketing is procrastination. 80% of all decisions that you make in your business should be made immediately. Learn to trust your gut. Look inside yourself and try to find the root of your tendency to procrastinate. It could be a fear of failure or it could even be a fear of success. Maybe you just don’t have the right systems in place to do proper followup with potential clients or to benchmark your strategies. Find the root of your procrastination and get it fixed today. It could be costing you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in lost revenue especially if you are procrastinating on following up with potential clients.

In conclusion, always be aware of what you are doing on a daily basis and don’t put too much on your plate. Find a few simple things you can do every day to get better results from your marketing efforts. Realize that whatever marketing tasks you choose to do should be done consistently in order to see the results you desire.

The Benefits Of Time Blocking

2009-04-14T20:39:00.000-05:00

How many times have you ended the day and wondered what did I accomplish today? So many times we get caught up in being “busy” during our day and before we know what hit us, the day is over. We spend time doing this for a minute or two, then we do something else for a few minutes, and then come back to what we started earlier in the day. This is not good time management. In this day of multitasking, some people take a sense of pride in being overwhelmed and “just too busy” to get anything done. Hours go by, days go by, and yes, even years go by without ever accomplishing anything.

Here is the solution. Time blocking can provide structure in your day and allow you to complete tasks or at least complete a large part of a task before moving on to something else. Here is how it works. Decide on the tasks you will do for a particular day. Instead of just having a “to do” list with everything listed in order of importance and working down the list, take a few items from the list that are top priority for accomplishing what you need to accomplish, and block out whatever time you want to allocate to that task. This can be 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours. The point is to only allocate the allotted time to each task.

Here is an example. Today I want to write an article, follow-up with 3 contacts, go to a 1 networking event. I will allocate 1 hour to writing the article. This is a focused effort on just writing the article. Whether I finish the article or not is irrelevant. I will only spend one hour on writing the article. I will do the same for the other two tasks. I will allocate 30 minutes to following up with contacts, and allocate 2 hours to the networking event. By doing this you are sure to, at the very least, accomplish these tasks. You will not end your day wondering where the time went and what you accomplished.
Give this a chance and try it for 5 consecutive days and see if you have improved productivity, less stress, and more time to do the things that are important to your business and your life.

Become An Expert

2009-04-09T09:27:00.001-05:00

People seem to be attracted to businesses that fulfill a very specific need. Clients are looking for a specific service for a specific reason. Just take a walk through a local mall and you will see many “specialty” shops that cater to a very narrow market. In the area of service professionals, you will find attorneys who specialize in certain areas of law. They may specialize in helping small businesses or personal injury cases. Generally the individuals who operate these businesses or deliver these services are experts in whatever they are delivering (or that is the hope of the client). How important is it to be an expert in your field and how do you become an expert in your field?

Here is a list of 4 key elements to becoming an expert.

1. Passion - It is very difficult to become successful at anything if you are not passionate about what you are doing. Make sure you are in a business that excites you. That enthusiasm and excitement carries over to your clients and gives them more confidence in the fact that they are dealing with the right person for their current needs. You will need passion for what you are doing in order to do the necessary work required to become an expert.

2. Dedication - Without dedication to your chosen field, you will not find success. Without passion you will not be able to dedicate yourself to the tasks that are required to succeed in your field. Dedication could be something as simple as finding 3 books on your chosen field of interest and committing to reading one book every 2 weeks. Devote 30 minutes to one hour every day to reading. Just 30 minutes a day will allow you to finish at least a book every month. One hour a day will allow you to read one book every two weeks.

3. Focus - A narrow, laser like focus will be an essential key to becoming an expert. I am sure you have talked to people who tell you they can help everybody with anything. How much confidence do you have in this person that they can solve your problem? Some people are afraid of developing a narrow focus for their business, but you cannot be all things to all people. By narrowing your focus, you may initially exclude a few people from your business. This is a scary thing for a lot of people, but in the long run you will attract more clients because you have become the expert in a specific area. This gives people confidence in your ability. You develop the know, like, trust factor from your clients and they feel more comfortable recommending someone else to you. For example, my current my focus is on realtors. This does not mean I am excluding everyone else from my business. If an attorney or accountant needed my services, I would welcome the opportunity. But by focusing on realtors, I can read books, do research, talk to realtors about their challenges and concerns and go more in-depth learning about realtors and their specific needs. This is very easy for me because I have a strong interest in real estate and it is a fun challenge to learn more about this specific field. Find a specific market that you can service and learn all you can about that market and you will provide a much better service for your clients.

4. Be a lifelong learner - Always strive to learn more about your chosen field. There are so many resources available to us now. Books on every subject, the internet, classes are all resources we can use to develop our knowledge. Take advantage of all of these and more. We are living in an age of great opportunity if we will just take advantage of everything that is available to us.

Being in a service business requires passion, dedication, focus, and the desire to be a lifelong learner. All of these elements work together to drive our business and to drive us to be better as individuals. Take a moment to reflect on each of these and then start your journey to becoming an expert in your field. You will be happier in your business and the payoff will be tremendous.

The Balancing Act

2009-04-07T08:38:00.002-05:00

There is a balancing act that we have to perform daily if we are to have success in a small business. We must achieve a balance between the daily operations of our business, dealing with clients, and marketing.

Many service professionals are out of balance due to the feast or famine syndrome. We have all been there. This is where you are working for months with more clients than you can handle, everything is going well, and marketing your business is the last thing on your mind. You are almost to the point of being overwhelmed with all the work you have to do. Then you wake up one morning with maybe a couple of things to do for the day and you start wondering how you are going to market your services because you just don't have all the clients you need to sustain your business at the moment. The clients you were servicing for the past few months are gone. You have delivered what they needed and now there are no clients to replace them. A good example of this is when realtors are in a housing market that is great and they have to do very little in the way of marketing because clients are calling them. They have all the listings they can handle and eager buyers to buy the homes they have listed. Then one day circumstances beyond their control start impacting their business. There is a change in the economy and they have no clients. Now after months of not marketing their services, all of a sudden they are struggling to get clients. Does this sound familiar?

It takes months for most marketing strategies to produce any significant results. If you are in the situation of the realtor that was not marketing their services when the housing market was great, you are probably going to struggle with having decreased income and trying to figure out what to do next. Your stress level increases, self doubt about your abilities creeps in, or you start considering another career. It doesn't have to be this way.

Wouldn't it be great if you could reduce the chances of being in this situation? Nothing is guaranteed but if you balance your marketing efforts along with the daily tasks of running your business and dealing with clients, the chances of you being in this situation a greatly reduced. No matter how busy you are, there is always time to market your services. You can make one cold call every day, go to two networking events each month, develop a newsletter to keep your name in front of your clients on a monthly basis, ask for referrals from every satisfied client and start building a database of these potential clients.

There is a long list of things you can do on a daily basis that require very little time. The key to marketing success is finding a few simple things you can do that you feel comfortable doing, and do them consistently. Don't make this harder than it has to be. Literally a few minutes spent on some aspect of marketing your business on a daily basis will pay off significantly in the coming months. The key is to do something every day related to marketing no matter how busy you are. Take 2 minutes to make a phone call to a potential new client or take one hour out of your week to attend a networking event. You will start to develop habits that make it very easy to balance your marketing with your day-to-day operations. You can master the necessary balancing act that is so essential to being successful in your business.

What's In It For Me?

2009-04-04T15:44:00.001-05:00

Think about the last time you purchased a product or service. Were you focused on the benefit it would add to the person who was selling you their product or delivering their services? NO! Your focus was on “What’s in it for me?”.

No matter how good your product or service is, your customer or client will want to know what’s in it for them. Sometimes in our enthusiasm for our business or service we forget to think about what the customer really wants and really needs. We try to second guess the customer or tell them what would be best for their business when in reality, the customer really does know best. All the customer wants is a product or service that will drive their business forward and increase their bottom line in a big way. They want to see a return on investment for the hard earned dollars they are spending. If you cannot show them how your service or product is going to increase revenues or deliver some other tangible benefit to their business, you don’t stand a chance of having anyone buy from you.

Before calling on a potential client or customer, always do a little research on what they sell or offer in the way of services. This doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Read a book or spend 15 minutes on the internet to get all the information you need to become informed enough to intelligently approach a potential client.

Your job is to educate your customer and show how your service will add to their bottom line. Your job is not to “sell” your potential client or customer. In order to educate your customer, you must have a thorough understanding of your product or service. You also need to have a general knowledge of their business or service to speak intelligently about what you are offering and how they will benefit. You owe this to your clients and you owe it to yourself. Your job will be much easier using this approach.

They are giving you their hard earned dollars in exchange for a product or service that will drive their business forward, increase revenues, or get more clients for their services. You should never approach any business or service professional with what you have to offer until you have done your due diligence. It’s not that hard. They will appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to learn about their business or service and have more confidence in the fact that you can provide what they really need. Remember to always think about and to always show what’s in it for them.

Building Better Business Relationships

2009-03-26T06:17:00.000-05:00

How strong are your relationships with your prospects, current customers, and previous customers? It is crucial to your business that you develop strong, long lasting relationships. I have listed six ways you can start developing those relationships.

1. Be a giver. Always look for a way to be of service to others. This is probably the most important step in building strong relationships. Most people adhere to the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) principle. When you are talking to someone at a networking event, their main interest is usually in what can you do for them. They simply want to know how what you do fits into their business or their life. They do not want to listen to you go on and on about how great you are.
2. Make the decision to like people. This is sometimes difficult because we meet people whom for whatever reason, we just don’t want to be around. There is not always justification for this. It is just a fact of life that we will get along with some people more than others. Either way, we can still make the decision and make the effort to like everyone.
3. Cultivate the art of listening. When making a sales call, the person making the sale should only speak 30% of the time while the person on the receiving end speaks 70% of the time. We get impatient in today’s multi-tasking, fast-paced world. This includes when we are listening to someone. Be considerate and give the person speaking a few minutes of your time and actively listen to what they are saying without thinking about the brilliant response you will have when they finish talking. Be interesting and be interested.
4. Find places you can go or events you can attend that will provide you with an ongoing list of people to call and follow-up with. Be careful how you spend your time. Some networking events are very serious about helping their fellow small business owners and growing their own business. Others are nothing more than social events. Nothing wrong with either of these. Both events provide the foundation for building the relationships we need in our businesses and in our life.
5. Develop a system for following-up with your prospects and clients. This is where most people miss so many great opportunities and cash. They go to networking events, collect business cards, and then the cards just sit on their desk or in a drawer with no action taken to follow-up.
6. Be flexible and be patient. Try to accommodate the other person when possible.

What one thing can you do today to make contact with someone? Put strategies in place to make it easy for you to make consistent contact with prospects and customers. Find events, associations, chambers of commerce, and other places where you enjoy the people and can get the contacts you need to grow your business. Look for opportunities to help others. Cultivate your circle of influence. Nurture your relationships. It does require some work on your part but your efforts will be rewarded. Above all, have fun and enjoy the process.

Beware The Time-Wasters

2009-03-17T22:05:00.001-05:00

Are you making the most of your time on any given day? It is more important now than ever before to be productive in everything we do. Many people have been downsized from their companies and are wondering what to do next. Others are starting small businesses for the first time and not sure what to do. They spend time in front of their computer thinking they are being productive while reading email, managing their online social networks, taking care of their finances, or chatting with friends. Although some of this time can be considered productive time, it may not be the best use of their time. I searched the web for time wasters and actually found pages of websites dedicated to how you can waste even more time. As if we don’t already have enough time-wasters already in place.

Here are three common time-wasters:

1. Attending networking events that produce no real leads. There is nothing wrong with socializing when the opportunity arises but don’t fool yourself into thinking that just because you are attending a networking function that you are being productive and moving your business forward. Consider the time it takes to drive to and from the event and the time spent at the event. You may be consuming several hours. I am a firm believer in building relationships and developing the know, like, trust factor. But you can reach a point of diminishing returns after a few months of participation with no results.

2. Spending too much time with online social networks and other technology. This is another area where people mistakenly think they are being productive. This is a very important strategy for your business but should you really be doing it during the day or spending late hours at night working on them?

3. Having coffee or lunch with “potential” clients. Set a time limit for yourself for every meeting. Try to make appointments during your downtime – early morning, lunch, or late evening. Make sure you have a purpose or goal for the meeting. Learn to “qualify” people quickly so you know if you want to pursue this business relationship.

Are you doing things during the day that you could do later in the evening? Would your daytime hours be better spent making sales calls or attending productive networking events or spending time with qualified prospects?

Here are three tips to help you make better use of your time:

1. Use time blocking to get everything done. This is simply blocking out a specific amount of time to work on a task. For example – spend 1 hour at a networking event, 3 hours on sales calls, 30 minutes following up with prospects and clients.

2. Keep track of your time for one week. Write down every hour of the day and everything you do in your business that day. At the end of the week, review what you have written and look for ways to rearrange your schedule and to be more productive.

3. Every day ask yourself this question – Is what I am doing today moving me closer to my ultimate goal? This one question can make a huge difference in your business and in your life.

Time really is money. Make sure you are investing your time in the appropriate tasks that will help you reach your personal and business goals. Find the time-wasters and get rid of them. Evaluate every day to see what you can do better. In a nutshell, just be more aware of how you are spending your time. Let me know what you consider to be your biggest time-waster.