You've probably have heard the saying:  "the money is in the list",

well - it's true.  It is in your list.  And it's a frustration that a client brought to her mentoring call this week. She was all flustered because she keeps hearing that to do any good, you've just got to have a BIG list.

 

What I believe is more important is that you have a responsive list!

 

What's the point of having a list of ten or thousands if no-one is opening your emails, let alone buying from you.  Wouldn't it be better to have a smaller list, filled with clients who can't wait to open your emails and read what you have to say.  Who look forward to your latest product or service launch, and are happy to purchase from you.

 

No I'm not saying that you stay with a small list, you do want to continue to build it, but build it strategically. The way you can do this is by being very clear on your strategy around building your list.  If you have a clear strategy, you build quality rather than a quantity. 

 

Your first strategy is to be very clear on who your ideal clients are. The clearer you can be about this, the better understanding you will have around what you can share with them.  If you've worked through our e-book on 'Identifying Your Ideal Clients', you will be clear on who these people are. Take time to really understand what their concerns, challenges and dreams are.  Develop your avatar about these clients and have it somewhere you can see it regularly to remind you about them.

 

Your second strategy is developing a relationship with your clients through the content you provide.  When writing, make sure you are conversational. This isn't the time to become a bureaucratic writer!

A tip to remember is when writing articles or emails imagine that you are sitting across the table having a coffee with your ideal client. Have a conversation with them, use conversation tones and make it easy for them to get to know you.

 

For those of us who aren't natural writers, it does take time to get use to writing in this style.  I know for me it took a while to write more conversational, as having a Defence Force background my style was very militant and rigid.  Even now after many, many years I still find I'm learning from each article I write.

 

The final strategy is to be aware of how you position yourself.  You want your clients to see you as a leader within the marketplace.  To see you as someone who is willing to take a stand on what you believe in and inspire others. Someone who is willing to tell your story to connect with your clients.

 

Think about the e-newsletters you currently open and read, what makes you want to open those particular emails? My guess is that it has less to do with the instructional information, but more to do with the individual person and how you see them...

 

Now you've got a strategy to follow, what are some of the tactics you've used to build your list?  Please share them with us on our blog or Facebook page.

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Do you have a business page on Facebook?  I’m in the process of having mine developed at the moment.  I know it’s taken a while, but it’s officially off our ‘must-do’ list!

 

There is so much information out there about what you need to do, what not to do, and what maybe you should do, in relation to your business page.  So to cut through this information, I thought I would share with you an excerpt from Guy Kawasaki’s latest book *Enchantment. 

 

Now in his book, Guy Kawasaki has actually enlisted the help of Mari Smith, who Fast Company dubbed “The Pied Piper of Facebook”. Here are some of her strategies for using your business page effectively:

• Add a landing tab to your business page.  You can specify which ‘tab’ people see on your Facebook business page.  In most cases, it’s called the “Welcome” tab, and is customised with specific graphics, promotional text, and don’t forget to place your free offer on this page as well with a sign up box to capture names.
• Use @ tags strategically.  You can give up to six ‘@ tags’ in any update/wall post consisting of a mix of friends, fan pages, events, or groups.
• Provide an area for your fans to promote themselves.  To honour your fans and to minimize Spam posts on your wall, give your fans their own forum with the Discussion tab.  Specify how and where you want them to post.
• Respond to fans’ post promptly and personally.  Implement an effective engagement strategy, and reply to your fans’ comments and questions.  Personalise your replies and use fans’ first names for an informal feel.
• Surprise your fans.  From time to time, give your Facebook business page a burst of excitement by introducing initiatives like “Fan Page Friday” or “Share Your Blog Day” and invite all your fans to share their links on your wall.
• Get your fans involved in product and content creation.  Involve and include your Facebook fans when creating new products or when seeking ideas for new blog posts.  This is called crowdsourcing.

 

Facebook, it’s a growing phenomenon, and if it’s where your ideal clients are, then you absolutely want to be there.  If you don’t already follow Mari Smith, then I recommend you do.  Not only does she provide loads of up-to-date information, but she’s very giving in the amount of information she provides as well.

 

Let's continue our conversation - if there is any additional strategies that you use to engage with your fans on Facebook, why not share them with us on our blog.  Oh, and don’t forget to include your Facebook Fan Page as well!

 

*Enchantment - The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions, by Guy Kawasaki

 

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Deb Pilgrim is the trusted authority for Woman in Small Business.  When you work with Deb, you get the results you always knew you could!  To find out more about how you can work with Deb visit her website, and whilst you are there download her latest report that will show you how to be one of the Top 5% of Entrepreneurs who succeed.

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Do you sometimes find yourself sitting there putting things off to the last possible moment? Thinking, “I’ll do that later”, even when the ‘THING’ you need or want to do is actually quite straightforward?

Let's face it, nearly all of us procrastinate at one time or another. To be honest, I have been procrastinating about writing this week's article! At best, procrastination is a frustrating (and annoying) habit. At worst, putting things off may cause us stress, anxiety and even problems with others. Yet if we boil it all down, in most cases we know just what we need to do to get started.

So I thought I would ask psychologist Victoria Kasunic, one of my Alumni Mentor Clients to share with you, her top five tips to overcome the procrastination monster that lives inside of each of us.

1. Take action now!

Taking even the smallest action, such as reading an email, or making a phone call relating to the goal or task will give you a boost of energy. So do it now!  Action is the antidote to procrastination. When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself what the first step forward is; just one small thing and do it. Notice how it gives you a little boost.

2. Move past the excuses.

We all have a million excuses and reasons as to why we are procrastinating. These are just distractions or red herrings that we allow ourselves to get caught up in, and they take us off our path. Imagine your excuses are like clouds drifting across the sky, you can see them but you can't hold onto them. They are a backdrop to your life rather than the main event.

3. Get support

Tell a friend or colleague what you are trying to do, and set up a system where you check in when you have accomplished a step or completed the task. Perhaps you could set up a buddy system if your colleague also wants support when it comes to dealing with procrastination.

4. Write it down

Be clear and write down what you need to do, and when it has to be completed. If it's not written down and with a timeframe, it tends not to happen. Use reminders to prompt you, such as a reminder message in your phone.

5. Link it to the bigger picture

Tasks that are connected to a bigger vision for your life or your purpose have much more meaning. If being a parent is important to you, then being able to finish work at a reasonable time links to your vision of being a present loving parent.  It gives you a greater meaning and purpose in your life.  This makes it about so much more than just completing a basic task.

Try these tips and see how using them makes a difference. You may want to use one or all of them at various times.

But here's the key:  Now that you've read this article, use one of these tips right now, and get into action.  Before you know it, you'll be over the procrastination monster, and you'll actually be getting things done.

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Want to read more of Victoria's strategies, then visit her website at www.victoriakasunic.com and you can download her free e-book: 5 Steps to a Happier Life.

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Want to use this Article?

I would be honoured if you did, just be sure to use it in full and include the following information:

Deb Pilgrim is the trusted authority for Woman in Small Business.  She helps her clients start, run and grow their businesses. To find out more about how you can work with Deb visit her website, and whilst you are there download her latest report that will show you how to be one of the Top 5% of Entrepreneurs who succeed.

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I always find the time immediately after a holiday, as an exciting time in business.  Your thinking is clearer and more creative, and you are open to possibilities that you may not have been just prior to your break.  I know this has been the case for my VIP mentor clients and myself!  There is a buzz in the air around business, and it’s as if everyone has their mojo back!  Do you feel the same?

If so, you’re ready to do things differently……

You want to know what are the core foundations you have to put in place for your success in 2011.  You know that 2010 doesn’t count anymore, as this is the New Year!

So, here are two key foundations that you will want to put in place for your success in 2011… 

1.  Taking action, without any excuses!

Taking action and being persistent is the difference between the successful and the not so successful.  It’s something that I learnt many years ago in my very first business!  After studying successful business people and then being mentored by some of these individuals, I realised that the difference between them and myself, was that they took action.  They made their decisions and acted upon them almost immediately!  They believed in themselves and they trusted the vision they held for themselves. 

Unlike myself, who at that time, would…make a decision, think about it, research it a little more, maybe do a course about it, think about it a little more, second guess myself…. (I know, you get the drift here now)…and then wonder why I was still running around chasing my tail while making limited profits!  Sound familiar?

It wasn’t until one of these mentors stopped me in my tracks one day, and said: “Deb, it’s time for you to stop thinking about it, stop learning about it, and just start doing it.  You spend too much time ruminating and not enough time taking action.  It’s time for you to take action, especially if you want to be a successful entrepreneur!  Otherwise you might as well close shop and go home.” 

Ouch!!!! Closing shop and going home, just wasn’t an option, so it was time to take action and be persistent.  It was time to stop thinking and start doing.  Time to believe in the vision that I held for myself and my business.

I want you to ask yourself:  “What do I need to do today?”  Once you are clear on the exact tasks you need to do, make a commitment to do them!

Sounds straightforward? That is until the self-sabotaging behaviours begin to rear their ugly heads, which leads nicely into the next foundation for your success…

2.  Removing Those Limiting Beliefs that are Holding You Back.

These are the stories that you tell, to keep yourself ‘safe’, to keep yourself where you are currently.  To stop you from focusing on the real action you need to take.

Removing your limiting beliefs, can be as difficult as culling your wardrobe!  You know you should get rid of some of your things, but even through much of it is totally out of fashion, not very flattering and you’ve not worn it for years, you insist on hanging on to it all.  Every time you open the wardrobe, staring back at you, is that white jacket with gold buttons and big shoulder pads!  It gets in the way of all the other great clothes that you could be wearing, if only you could see them.

We do the same with our beliefs:  we keep them when we don’t need them any more, when we have outgrown them.  Some of them have been with us for years.  Despite the fact they’re not really relevant anymore, we find them comfortable and familiar and insist on keeping them.  It’s worth acknowledging that limiting beliefs sometimes hold us back as a form of protection against the very success we are striving for.  So if you want success rather than to be a wannabe, you’ve got to get rid of these beliefs.  Make room for something new.  If they won’t go, change them so that they work for you more positively.

It’s time to put away those beliefs that are holding you back, away once and for all!  Take a moment to think about what your future will be like, what it will feel like with your old beliefs put away where they belong.  Notice again how this looks, feels and sounds for you. 

So, here are two key foundation pieces that you will want to put in place for 2011 - TAKING ACTION and removing your LIMITING BELIEFS.  If you have been thinking about doing something different, now is the time for you ACTUALLY do something different.  Step out of the sea of sameness and make it happen in 2011.

I can’t wait to support you further and hear about what you are doing different in 2011.  If you have your 'must-does', why not take a moment and share them with us here.

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We're all on the same playing field....right?

If that’s so, then what makes one business owner more successful than another? I was thinking about this today,  after speaking with one of my mentor clients – let's call her Liz.  During our call today, she was reflecting on the difference that our work together had made on her business the past three months.  For me, it was very humbling to be there on the other end of the phone, listening to her reflect on what our working relationship meant to her.

Liz had asked me to work with her at a time when her sense of hope was failing.  Her business had hit rock bottom, she had sold her family home, and taken on two more jobs to pay back creditors, just so she could keep her family fed.

After listening to her story, I agreed to work with her.  At our first face-to-face meeting, we spoke about how we would work together, and established our guidelines for success. Our expectations were that she would do everything she committed to in our calls, and I would do everything I could to support her. We agreed that if nothing had changed by the end of 2010, she would close the doors and walk away. Liz left that meeting with the first of her action steps….

I remember going home that night and sitting at my desk thinking:  “Can this turn-around happen?”.  “By agreeing to work with her, am I giving her false hope?".  There have been times previously, when after having my first meeting with new clients, I have decided not to move ahead and work with them.

However, there was something about Liz that made me believe she could turn her business around. 

Was it tenacity, was it belief, or was it a desire to succeed, and change the tide?  I think it was all of these things and more, but I also think it was having someone who believed in her and the legacy she wanted to create. Someone who would hold the space for her, and give her honest feedback in the process.

Liz was the one who took the very first step to change and grow her business by engaging a mentor.  After each call, she walked away with, and committed to her action list.  Step by step, things began to change. 

Some of the areas that we focused on included re-establishing monthly financial targets for the business to meet, identifying referral partners, and organising one-on-one meetings. A step-by-step marketing plan was developed that included both on-line and off-line strategies.  A communication plan was developed and implemented.  Everything was tracked and if something wasn’t working, then changes were made.

Liz was totally committed, and put everything into making sure that the turnaround occurred.  Everything we spoke about was implemented, and action was taken straight away.  At times there was a sense of being overwhelmed, there was exhaustion, but still there was hope.  As each call progressed, I began to hear the difference in her voice, her language had changed and a lightness began to appear.  Things were beginning to turnaround.

As things stand now, Liz is not out of the woods completely, but three months on, she is now working in her business.  She’s paid off all outstanding debts, and has started taking a wage from her business again.  She’s there in the morning to get her kids ready for school, and in the evenings to have dinner with them all. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

I’m going to let you in on a secret:  What we did wasn’t rocket science; in fact it was an easy, step-by-step, practical, results driven process.  It’s what we all need to do to have successful businesses.  I often hear other business owners who aren’t running successful businesses say, “Yeah, I know this stuff already.".

But do you want to know the difference between them and my mentor client?

She implemented it all, she took action and she believed in what she was doing.  She didn't sit back and say, "I know this stuff already.". Liz took it all on board and now has a proven process that she can continue to use.  2011 is going to be her year for building a stronger, more successful business - mark my word on this!

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When you first started your business, did you make the same mistake that I made?  Did you feel you   had to take on every new client who approached you?  I did!  When I started, one of the strategies I thought would build a successful business was to see everyone as a potential client.  I would chase them until I became exhausted.  It didn't guarantee me new clients, my bottom line didn't grow, and my business wasn't successful.  Something had to change. 

I knew what I wanted to create, but at that time I didn’t really know or understand how to create it successfully. It took me time, and a high level of commitment, but after reading, studying, and being mentored, I knew I had the skills and knowledge to build a business that I would be proud of.  A business that would be successful! I realised that it took focus and persistence, because building a business is a marathon, it’s not a sprint.

Over a period of time, I developed a formula that worked for me. I called it my Success Formula.  It goes like this:

Make a Decision + Stay Focused + Be Persistent = Success

So how does this look in reality?

Make A Decision

So, you’ve blocked out your 2011 planning time, begun to thrash out your goals and intentions for creating the best business year yet.  Research has been completed. You’ve worked with your business mentor or advisors around how to stretch yourself further, and achieve these goals.  Now it’s time to make a decision! 

Ask yourself:   Are you excited by the goals and intentions you have set?  If yes: 

Have you stretched yourself?  If yes: 

After intensive research, are you willing to back yourself?  If yes:

Are you willing to make the decision that these are your goals for 2011?  If yes:

It’s time for you to commit to this decision.

Now if we go back to the very first question around being excited by your goals – if you answered ‘no’ to this question, than its back to the drawing board for you.  Keep working on your goals and intentions, until you feel the excitement, until you know internally that the goals you are setting will set you on fire.

Okay, now you’ve made the decision, what’s next?

Stay focused & be persistent!

As mentioned earlier, building your successful business is not a sprint, you want to treat it as a marathon.  Don’t make it hard.  If you read anything about successful entrepreneurs, you know that in most cases they persist when others give up.  Now that doesn’t mean at times you may need to change or modify your decision, but what you want to do is make the necessary changes, get back on track, and continue to be focused and persistent.

When working with my mentoring clients, and step up their marketing efforts – by doing research, developing extraordinary products and services, and focusing in on their target market.  Often what I will begin hearing from them is “Deb, you are relentless, and this is a lot of work.”  And they're right, but this is business, and this is the legacy they are creating. 

When you put the right work in, focus and stay persistent, results will happen.  If you’re not sure what the next step is for you and your business, why not check out my Marketing Blueprint Workshops.  What’s the worst thing that could happen?  You could come away with your 2011 marketing plan.  Remember all it takes is making that decision.

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I always believed that being a member of the Royal Australian Air Force gave me a great foundation for my life, both professionally and personally.  The things I learnt from my time in the military have been invaluable to my business success.  The expansive skill set of strategic planning, competitive intelligence, decision making, leadership development, high standard enforcement, and innovation in execution are just a few of the skills that I walked away with.

When I first started out in business, I looked at the skills I had, but then quickly realised that to be effective, I needed to translate them from a military context, into a context that would provide me with the greatest value to my business.

I am reminded of these skills whenever the end of the year is upon me, as I normally will spend the last couple of months of the year planning and preparing for the next year. 

Here are three of the skills from the military that I find most useful for my business:

Intelligence:  In the military, there is always a systematic and ongoing analysis of competitors.  Understanding and reviewing the intelligence of your competition allows you to stay alive!  So when was the last time you spent time studying your competitors?  Do you know who your top five competitors are and what can you learn from them?

Action Step: Before now and the end of the year, take time to identify your top 10 competitors.  Use the questions set out in my previous article – Competition is not a Dirty Word and diligently work through these questions, so you have a better understanding of what your competitors are doing.  Use this information to either make changes to what you are currently doing or allow it to show you that what you currently do is cutting-edge. 

Planning and Preparation:  The military are known for their comprehensive and structured planning – which they do very well.  Not only is the planning  comprehensive, but it is timely and well executed.  There are only 64 days until 2011 hits us – have you begun to put together your strategic plan for 2011?  What are your goals and targets?  Have you started to develop your 2011 Marketing Plan?  Remember that 90% of all small businesses don’t have a marketing plan in place.  Make sure you are one of the 10% that does.

Action Step:  Block out time between now and January 1st to plan for 2011.  If you're not sure what you need to do here, now is the time to identify the specific type of support you need to help you develop your plan.  Get clear on this, and 2011 will be your best year.

Leadership Development:  The value of a great military leader was more than just what they did, it was how they did it, how they made decisions, lead their teams and presented themselves overall.  Many had to learn to be great leaders, and often in very trying circumstances.  I often find that when working with SME’s, they either don’t understand or don’t see the importance of being a strong leader.  But I would like to challenge you to think about this differently, whether you are a solopreneur or have a small team, your leadership skills and development is vitally important. 

Action Step: Please don’t make the mistake of not seeing yourself as a leader.  Take time to create a vision of the leader you would like to be and see the impact this can have on your business.

I look forward to hearing how you plan to spend your next 64 days.  Feel free to let me know.

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Client Satisfaction - What are your ideas/strategies for extraordinary client satisfaction?

Would love to know what you think......Please take a moment to share your thoughts. Tweet

 

  Do you have a mission statement?  If so, what is it and how
  does it help/assist you with your business success?

  Would love your thoughts, so please take a moment to share!  Tweet

I was reading a report last week that said that only 10% of small businesses in America take the time to properly develop a marketing strategy. It made me think that if this was happening in the US, I’m sure the figures would be similar regardless of where you are in the world. Why is it that you may start a business, but decide not to put a plan into place of how to grow your livehood? If you were heading out on a road trip to a new destination, my guess is that you would have some type of map, whether it be a GPS, a list of directions or a good old-fashioned map. It just makes sense to know where you’re going!

Often when I begin working with my mentor clients, and we begin to speak about their marketing strategy, they overcomplicate the process and aren't quite sure what this needs to look like or be for them. And, I need to let you know that in some cases, these are woman and man who have been in business for five or more years. Now, I'm not saying this to make them wrong, but I wanted to highlight the fact that it's not just a challenge for those who are new to business. As you will know, I’m a big believer in using the “KISS” principle. Keep it simple (stupid) and make it practical, so that you firstly, develop the strategy, and secondly, make sure you implement the strategy.

Having a marketing strategy in place is good business sense, and as I mentioned if you need something simple, than please make it simple. My request is that you take the time to develop this strategy, so that it helps you grow your business, helps you increase your sales funnel, boost your client list, pay your bills and most importantly bring you back to the reason you are doing what you are doing.

Let’s take a look at two simple steps you can put in place to begin developing your marketing strategy for 2011. (Yes, I do mean 2011, because it is coming fast!)

Step 1 :

Develop your strategy .

a) Be very clear on who your ideal clients are. I’m going to presume that since you have been reading my newsletters you are clear on who these people are. If you’re not sure, then take time to re-read this article. If you haven’t done so already, take the time to work through my latest report on “How you can identify your ideal clients.”. If it has been over 2 months since you subscribed, then you may want this updated report to work through .

b) Look at what you can do to take your solutions from ordinary to extraordinary. As there are so many small businesses out there, you may not be getting noticed, because you seem just like everyone else. Take a moment, ask yourself and be really honest here with your answer; “What do I need to do to make my service extraordinary?” If you’re not sure, ask those people around you that you trust, ask some of your most valuable clients – find out and listen to what people are saying to you. The answers you receive may require you to re-think your current business strategy. But don’t despair, because I know this will be worth it; especially if you can offer a product or service in a way that nobody else can, your competition can become redundant. And I heard this saying recently and want to share it with you: When it comes to your prospects, don't be a choice - be the choice.

Step 2:

Develop your plan

a) Block out some time, and begin to develop your 12-month plan that fits in precisely with your strategy. To achieve your goals for the next 12 months - what are the strategies you need to put in place each month and how are you going to track them? Here are a few ideas to begin thinking about: email campaigns; advertising campaigns; public relations campaigns; your live events; keynote speaking; training webinars; etc .

b) Once you have developed your 12-month plan, and broken it down into monthly targets, break it down further into what you will need to do weekly to meet your overall goal. Then each week, block out some time to evaluate what happened the week before; what you will be focusing on this week and what is coming up the following week. It’s like your road trip, you know where you are going but if something comes up unexpectedly, you are prepared to meet this current challenge or issue.

Let me know how you go with this. If you’re still not sure what you need to do here to begin, then you won’t want to miss out on October’s Business Building Blocks webinar – this is exactly what we will be working on. So get the jump on your competitors and join our call.

And one last thought - activity breeds activity Tweet