Who Hires a Coach?

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Professionals hire a coach for many different reasons. For some, it is to assist them in starting or growing a business, for others it is to accelerate their personal development or to help them through a life transition such as a career change or to accelerate their progress. In truth, it is achievers who hire coaches - those who know there is another level. They've gotten pretty far on their own, and they just aren't sure how to get where they truly want to go.

The common thread among all people who hire a coach is that they want results. They want to see and experience tangible progress toward important goals and objectives. They want balance, fulfillment and increased income. They want increased productivity, to be organized and more effective. Oh yes, and they want to have a personal life that's happy.

Hiring a professional coach for assistance is no different than an athlete who hires a coach to help them train in a sport when­ the objective is to increase the likelihood of meeting particular goals (and what professional athlete do you know of that doesn't have a coach?!). A coach will help you stay focused on what is important, will challenge you to do more than you might think is possible, and will make consistent, big requests of you. ­ In short, a coach will support, encourage, and coach you toward the goals that are most important to you.

SHIFT! and the World Shifts with You!

4 Ways to Make Today Awesome

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My daughter has always had personality in spades. And she can let things roll off her back like no-one else I have ever seen.

When someone is rude, doesn't call her back, or tells her no, she just doesn't really seem to care. She's pretty happy-go-lucky and while I've been concerned about her getting her feelings hurt {which happens, don't get me wrong}, most of the time she just doesn't care.

As a professional trying to make it in today's world, you've got more than your fair share of challenges and each one of them brings with it the seed of you possibly being an unhappy camper. But what happens doesn't have to determine how you feel about it, and it can't shake your positive attitude if you don't let it.

12 Things SUCCESSFUL People Do Differently

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What's Holding You Back?

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What would you do if you knew you could not fail? If you knew you would succeed?

You would launch a new business, start a new career, lose weight, move into your dream home ... but something is stopping you.

What is holding you back?

I know most likely what is keeping you from your big dreams and goals is a few critical elements:

• Stories & Excuses: You can come up with reasons all day long to justify not taking action. If you're going to come up with a story, make it a story about how you're going after your dreams and goals. If you're going to make an excuse, make an excuse about why you can't watch TV or go out and party because you're focusing on making some really cool stuff happen.
• Other people: Some people don't want to see you succeed. Nay-sayers are everywhere, and you will most likely point out to them, by virtue of your ambition, where they are not going for it. By taking action, you'll make yourself a target of their personal frustration and jealousy. Stay away from them. 
• YOU: All of the above pales in comparison to how you're probably standing in your own way. Let's fix that.

Getting what you want ultimately begins with a decision, and making a decision has four parts:

1. You have to think you can. If someone else can, so can you. Period.
2. You have to believe you can. See #1. Belief is powerful, and you have to have a strong belief in yourself.
3. You have to believe you deserve what you want. This is a fairly deep topic. Suffice it to say that if you want something you don't truly believe you deserve, you won't get started. That would be tragic, don't you agree? Work on your self-confidence as you make your way through the rest of this process. I recommend reading this.
4. You have to commit and follow through. This will require some planning.

Your decision, coupled with one amazing, inspiring, well-thought-out plan will make your path quicker and easier {and who doesn't want that?}.

To create a solid plan, start with a longer-term, such as 5 years. Then, drill it down to something much more manageable. I'm a fan of working on something in 100-day increments, and I've created a 100-day Plan for just this purpose. {Go download and fill yours out now ... let's get this party started!} 

Base your 100-day Plan on your 5-year Plan. Stop with the stories and excuses. Ignore the nay-sayers and get the heck out of your own way. It's time you did what you've been wanting to do, because you're worth it.

"Stop playing small so you won't be noticed by others. Start playing big so you can inspire them." ~Honorée Corder {Tweet this!}

What's Your Unfair Selling Position (USP)?

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I believe everyone has a "USP" (Unique Selling Proposition): it's what sets you apart from your "competition." There may be someone who does what you do, but I guarantee if you dig a little deeper, you have qualities, characteristics and qualifications that make you unique and different. When you identify them, you give yourself an advantage.

An advantage you can take to the bank.

This is particularly helpful if you've just changed careers, and have been in your current position less than five years. It's difficult to get someone to take you seriously if you're a "newbie" because most of us want to do business with people who have lots of credibility - it just makes most people comfortable to do business with people who have experience. Except it's not just current professional experience that contributes to your ability to perform. (Just remember to tell the truth about how long you've been doing something. I see people add a year or two here and there. Being out of integrity just isn't the way to go.)

Now, let's move on to the fact that there are other coaches, realtors, financial advisors, attorneys, CPAs, etc. If you consider yourself "just" another professional in your discipline, there's an opportunity to shift that perspective and dominate your new market share. Stop right now and take into consideration everything you've done, every job you've had, every class you've taken, and every place you've traveled that has brought you to today. Make a list of the distinctions you've made that contribute to your ability to get your job done, and very well.

You must be confident in what you do in order for others to feel confident in you. You must stand up in order to stand out!

I had this question posed to me by a realtor in Tennessee ... "Everyone's a realtor ... how do I set myself apart?"

I made a few suggestions, which I believe transcend all professions. There's great news here, because (unfortunately) the bar is pretty low.

1. Get clear about what sets you apart. Develop your "tagline" and put it in your 30-Second Sound Bite: "I turn service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality." The truth is, when I first started coaching, I had years of experience in doing that, just not as a coach! But my coach showed me how I was different, and how I really had years of experience I could "sell." Now, thirteen years later, I consider myself to have more than 20 years of experience.
2. Notice the challenges you have with other "professionals" and do the opposite of what they're doing ... such as: failing to return phone calls or respond to emails in a timely fashion. I'm a huge fan of these two solid business rules: (1) do what you say you're going to do and (2) call people back, no matter what you are going to say (yes, no, or maybe). It's a sad day when that's a high standard that others simply fail to reach. Take the time to set your own standard and do your best to live up to it.
3. Get on the cutting edge - then take the leader's position. A leader creates new technology, programs, or processes. They take a stand, back it up with logic, and use it to make their clients live and businesses better. Define what could make your clients lives dramatically improve, refine your process, and then make it what sets you apart. Followers imitate others, and are always behind. You know how to make a difference to those you serve, so trust your instincts and intuition. Become a thinker who expresses what you know to be the truth! 
4. Remove any and all desperation. If you need 200 clients but you only have 80, you "feel" to potential clients you like you need them. Instead, create the mindset that you have a booming, prosperous business with a 198 clients ... and if you take on one or two more, you'll be completely full! Doesn't that feel differently to you? It will to your potential clients as well. This will require you to consciously focus on the positive possibilities and take consistent action toward the achievement of your goals, which means you will be unable to focus on the fear (you'll simply be much too busy). Instead of convincing your potential clients why they should hire you, let them convince you why you need to "let them hire you." You don't have time to work with everyone - or just anyone. You take on only the best, most friendly and incredibly qualified clients (right?). When that is the picture you create in your mind's eye about your business, it won't be long until that picture is your reality.

In the end, your USP is really your Unfair Selling Position - it is you going for what you truly want, being authentic, creating and giving your clients what they want, and being amazingly successful.

Honorée Enterprises, LLC. turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how we can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about Honorée here.

Win-Win

If you are successful,

remember that somewhere,

sometime, someone gave you

a lift or an idea that

started you in the right direction.

Remember, also,

that you are indebted to life until you help

some less fortunate person,

just as you were helped.

3 Ways to Grow Your Business

There are three ways to grow your business:

1. Increase the number of clients you have
2. Increase the size of each sale
3. Increase the frequency of purchases

The easiest and fastest of the three is actually number three. You've already got clients, they have or have had a relationship with you. Your first goal could be to increase this category by 10%. This should be easy, given the reasons for attrition (the % or number of clients who "stop" working with you):

• They have completed their work with you (or have enough of a supply of what you sell for now).
• There's a life interruption that's negative (illness, death, cash-flow challenges, business failure, etc.)
• The force of a habit took a hold of them, and they need what you have but haven't taken the time to reach out to you.
• They out-grew the need for your product/service. If so, that makes them a great referral source because they left happy!

The problem is, if you never circle back with these folks, you'll never know that they are now ready to buy again or refer you to someone new.

Here's what to do:

• call
• email
• visit
• mail

Here's what you say:

• It's been {a year}, something is wrong with you or us. You're important to me and I've been thinking about you. It's important to me that the last interaction or transaction you have with me and my company is positive. How are you? Is everything ok? (On the off chance they are upset, find out what you need to do to fix it and make it right.) 

There's a tremendous amount of business waiting if you make a list of who you need to reach out to, reach out to again, thank for their business, ask for their business or just say hello. The percentages are there, yours for the taking. Get into action and soon your biggest problem will be how to spend the cash!

1%-er Actions

Who makes money in a down economy? Who succeeds when success seems impossible? Who has a great attitude no matter what? A 1%-er, that's who! Throughout my dozen years as a coach, I've identified many 1%-er actions, the ones that make all the difference in the size of one's business, the level of their success and, of course, their income.

The great news is that these actions aren't impossible, in fact, they're not even really difficult. But they do require focus, intention and determination.

Here's a list of some of the 1%-er actions I've identified. Stay tuned, in the coming days, week and months, I'll be spelling them out for you so that your success is all but guaranteed.

1%-ers:

1. Stay in solution.
2. Have an outstanding attitude.
3. Know their ideal client profile.
4. Market relentlessly to their potential ideal clients.
5. Are on time, every time.
6. Give no excuses.
7. Are all about results.
8. Keeping trying until...
9. Have excellent manners.
10. Go in the direction of the next level.
11. Are consistent.
12. Are intentional, intense and focused.

Are you a 1%-er? What are the actions you engage in on a regular basis that make all the difference?

Multiply

Simplify. Leverage. Accelerate. Then Multiply.

 Multiply your efforts through others. Have a team of people that make your business run like a well-oiled machine. Your team can include any or all of the following: assistant, marketer, sales person, web designer, housekeeper, nanny, editor, social media expert, coach, organizer, receptionist, office manager, travel agent, event coordinator ...

Each of these members of your team perform critical tasks that enable you to perform your critical tasks (you know what these are right? Revenue-generating activities). The number of attorneys who make copies and send faxes is astounding. The number of CEOs who handle their own calendar is breathtaking. The number of business owners without a coach, CPA, mentor or advisory board is, truly, mind-boggling.

What it is, you must know, is a waste of time and money. While you can always presumably get more money, once you've wasted time, it's gone forever. Having a team multiplies your talents and abilities, makes you more profitable, decreases your stress ... and wouldn't all of those things truly make you happier? Isn't that what life is all about, anyway? Happiness and all that goes with it?

If you think you can't afford a team, the truth is you can't afford not to have a team.

Coach's Directive: Create an organizational chart, even if currently you're a team of one. Sketch out who needs to be on your team. Then, take the first magical step of faith and hire someone. Today. (Do you hear that sound? It's the sound of your bank balance growing!)

Accelerate

We all want what we want, when we want it. I want it yesterday, even if I didn't know I wanted it until today.

So do your best clients.

In the interest of simplification: The best way to accelerate your business is to always be looking for ways to serve your clients faster, better, and more effectively. Identify areas of pain that you can help your clients avoid or eliminate, and quickly. Then, let everyone know.

Leverage

In my previous post, I discussed the how to simplify your business and life for a happier, more profitable you. If you've evaluated your business, started doing only those activities that are necessary (and delegating the rest), and using Zero-based Thinking, you're well on your way.

Leverage is the second step in this process. Leveraging yourself is key to creating true wealth, and having the time to actually enjoy the wealth. I know I'm talking crazy, but please allow me to continue!

There are several leverage points that, when implemented, can make all the difference in your profitability, stress level, time needed to accomplish goals and overall lifestyle.  When you leverage your strengths and abilities, as well as those around you, you're able to achieve much more than you can do on your own. Let's explore my favorites:

1. OPK (Other People’s Knowledge): One piece of key information can save you time or money, or help you to make more money. You'll find this knowledge in books, seminars, blogs and amazing conversations. Who do you need to know that knows what you need to know?
2. OPE (Other People's Energy): Use the skills and abilities of others to delegate and outsource lower-value and specific talent activities. No, you shouldn't balance your books, clean your car, pick-up the dry-cleaning, prepare your own legal documents or tax returns. You should be spending your time doing what you the best and what creates the highest payoff. Leveraging your talents, skills and abilities through others is another key way to expand your business without having to do the work yourself. How can you leverage others? 
3. OPM (Other People's Money): Borrowing and/or tapping into the resources of other people will allow you to accomplish more than if you financed it yourself. Borrowing and investing money wisely will help you achieve greater returns than if you boot-strapped it yourself. How much money do you need? Who has money they're looking to invest in someone fantastic with a terrific plan?
4. OPS (Other People's Successes): Study the successes enjoyed by other people and their companies. Usually, successful people have paid high prices, learned lessons, identified short-cuts, and developed effective strategies that would be amazingly beneficial to you. These quite simply can save you time and trouble.  Who has been successful in the way(s) you want to be successful? What can you learn from them?
5. OPF (Other People's Failures): Ben Franklin said: "Man can either buy his wisdom or borrow it. Buying it, he pays in time and trouble. Borrowing saves him time, money and trouble." I say borrow, borrow, borrow! Study the failures of others so as not to make the same mistake yourself! Who has had a failure and some valuable information for you?
6. OPI (Other People's Ideas): One good idea is all you need to make your fortune. Think, observe, experiment + your talents and experience + one brilliant idea = success. Write down three ideas every day. One of them can turn you into a millionaire, or take you from millionaire to multi-millionaire.
7. OPC (Other People's Contacts/Credibility): Each person knows about 2,000 other people and some of them can be helpful to you. One introduction to a key person can change the direction of your life, your career, or both. Who do you know that well-connected and can make some powerful introductions for you?
   

Leverage is powerful! It's like compound interest ~ the benefits are unending and exponential.

Simplify

My personal lifestyle goals include enjoying life, working as intelligently as possible, and still prospering massively. I use a few simple ideas in my quest for an amazing lifestyle.  While it looks easy, it takes thought, effort and planning. 

 The first step is simplification. People say they hire me because they want to "double their income and triple their time off." Oh sure, no problem! And ... the first thing they must learn to do is simplify everything, starting here:

1. Ruthlessly evaluate each and every activity you're engaging in, then reduce and eliminate those low-value activities that (a) take up valuable time while (b) contributing very little to your goals. It is tempting to answer the emails, surf the web for a lower price, go to Office Depot, and yet you could have one of your team members handle it while you're making the big bucks.
2. Do more of the things that make an impact on your bottom line. These are known as revenue-generating activities. When I hear, "I spent the whole day in my office and got nothing important done," I'm quite frankly flabbergasted. How on earth can you have a profitable business if you're not getting anything of value done? Then exactly when will you do valuable, profit-increasing, revenue-generating activities that need to be done to keep the business moving in the right direction. Without question, these activities are the ones you're supposed to do first!
3. Use "Zero-based Thinking" by asking yourself this question: What am I doing right now, that knowing what I now know, I wouldn’t get into again if I was starting over (such as: a relationship, business, activity, product, service, expenditure of time or money). When identified, this activity needs to be downsized or eliminated, or contact with a particular person needs to be minimized or eliminated. Implementing Zero-based Thinking can almost overnight simplify your life (not to mention lowering your stress level). Most likely, the next-most important questions are: How do I get out of this? and how fast? What should I do more of, less of, start or stop doing?

The benefits of taking the time to simplify are well worth it. You'll be doing work that's productive, the work you're doing will provide you with the cash-flow and profitability you need, so you can have the personal life you desire. The process takes time and is well worth the effort.

Dealing with Nay-Sayers & Criticizers

As you rise to the top, go for your goals and achieve success, there will inevitably be those folks who have "input" for you. There's a saying I've heard: 

"The higher up the flag pole you rise, the more your ass sticks out." 

This is so true!

You can choose to play small and fit in, or you can go for it and along with that will come those who will say it can't be done or criticize your optimism and even your results! There are, indeed, those people who believe those who are rich and successful must have done something bad to reach their achievements.

Coach's note: You can't resent something someone else has and get more of it for yourself.

My mentors and coaches have given me some insight into dealing with these people, their thoughts and input:

• Take time to ponder their words. Ask yourself if there's some validity to what they're saying. If there is, you may have some opportunity for improvement or adjustment. 
• Another great question: "Do they live a life I aspire to?" If not, there's no need for further thought. For me, if I don't have high respect for the person who's criticizing me, I will most likely dismiss what they have to say.
• Finally, if the person who has something to say hasn't taken the time to talk with you, get to know you and gather all the information they need to form an opinion, than their opinion is just that: their opinion and it is none of your business (and it should stay that way).
• Sometimes what they have to say is all about them, their fears and insecurities, and has nothing to do with you. If someone can say something, get you to doubt yourself and play small, then they won't feel as uncomfortable. Have compassion, and love them just the same (from a safe distance, if you need to).

I, for one, know it's hard to hear anything less than "You're fantastic!" from everyone. The nicer you are, and the more you want to please people, the more you want to hear it. The simple fact is you won't hear it from everyone, and the more successful you become, the more critics you have. The best antidote to that is to have a small circle of close friends and family who cheer you on and want the best for you.

Here's to your amazing success!

Tall Order! is a book that gets to the point. It helps you pinpoint what is going to get you the results you want, starting right now. Jeffrey Gitomer says, "Don't let the size fool you -- this book is compact dynamite! Buy this book!"

Honorée Enterprises, LLC. turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how we can specifically help you or your organization, click here. You can read all about Honorée here.

August is a Great Month to ..

August is great month to have fun, feel free and allow yourself to attract effortlessly what you want.

Set three powerful intentions for the month (10 new client, $50,000 in new revenue, lose 8 lbs.). Intentions are goals on steroids, because an intention will happen, where goals (sometimes) are "I'd like them to happen.

What are the three strong actions you must and will take to support your intentions?

Let go and/or eliminate. What are three things (tolerations, energy sucking people, clutter, etc.) you will let go of in August to support your intentions? What is one thing you will stop doing this month?

What is one thing you will do to solidify your finances and financial future this month?

Choose a focus word for this month, such as: fun, focused, intentional, results.


Make August amazing!

Tolerations are Slowing You Down!

A simple question to ask yourself today:  "What am I tolerating?" 

Tolerations are things (activities, relationships, incomplete projects, to do items, people, situations, etc.) that you are putting up with and not handling for one reason or another.

Tolerations zap your energy and keep you unfocused and off-balance. They are a slow-leak in your tires, making you less efficient, effective and more stressed. Most tolerations are a choice, a few are beyond our control.  By handling the ones that we can, we are empowered to manage the ones we can't. It's not always easy, but it's always worth it!

You have three choices to deal with a toleration:

1. You can surrender and accept it. The situation or person may never change. Are you wasting energy, time and possibly even money waiting on that possibility? Perhaps the best thing is to just allow what is to be what is.
2. You can eliminate it (or the person) from your life. This could involve you handling a situation and it is therefore eliminated, or ending a friendship or relationship. Sometimes this one is the hardest because it means you'll have to dig deep and make a tough, painful decision that is the best for all concerned in the long run. Always consider the long-term consequences when choosing this option. Most of the time if you think you need to eliminate something or someone, you're absolutely right.
3. You can change it. Or attempt to change it. Sometimes the best way to change a situation or relationship is to change the stimulus (you). When the stimulus changes, the response changes.

Go ahead, make a list of five things right now that you're putting up with and can handle right now. By doing do, you'll begin to build your weak "no tolerations allowed muscle." This will make future tolerations less likely to be tolerated by you, or at least for a shorter period of time.


Just so you know, you're worth it. (Yes, you.)

Now pick one thing and handle it today. If you're feeling sassy and inspired, do the same thing tomorrow and the next day! Post a comment and let me know what you did and how you feel now. I'll bet $5 you're feeling pretty great.

Give Good Voicemail

What's the difference between a great voicemail message and one that's lacking (and therefore stands less of a chance of getting returned right away, if at all)? It comes down to whether you "gave good voicemail" ... or not! Wouldn't it be great if there were official voicemail rules people had to follow? Here are some of the most effective ideas I've found on leaving effective messages, avoid wasting the time of the recipient - and having a better chance of getting your call returned!

1. Start (and end) each message with your name and number. This makes it easy for the recipient to replay the message and capture your number, without having to listen to it all again. Do this until you are absolutely sure they have your number memorized or in their database (and how would you know that?). In other words, people are accessing their messages from places other than their offices, so always leave your contact information with every message. You can speed up the return of your call with this simple step.

2. Prepare your message, in advance. What exactly do you want to say? Jot down a few notes prior to calling so you will remember everything you need your listener to know (and allow them to prepare properly before calling you back).

3. Brevity is bliss. Make each message one minute long or less. Have more to say? Give the recipient an overview of what you'd like to discuss, and ask them to return your call. Sending a brief email is also another great alternative.

4. In addition to your name and number, leave an actual message. Give them a clue as to why they need to call you back (including what information you need), when you're available and the level of urgency of your call. These are especially important if you're not well-acquainted. Otherwise the recipient may delay the return call because they don't have all needed information, or worse, they might delete your message thinking you're a telemarketer.

5. Smile. This will enhance your tone, and without any other non-verbal cues (such as face and body language), your tone is all you have to communicate with.

6. Match the volume and tonality of the recipient. A quick and effective way to create rapport is to match your recipient's outgoing message. If they sound quiet and shy, so should you. If they are ebullient and full of enthusiasm, well, fire it up!

7. Include your availability. Phone tag can be frustrating, and one of the best ways to avoid it is to advise your listener when you can best be reached in the next couple of days. Another alternative is to schedule a phone meeting through their assistant or via email.

Including these seven steps in your email practice will increase your productivity and elevate your standing as a true professional. Share this with your business contacts, they'll appreciate your help and you will all be on the same page!

Does Your Marketing Speak to Your Clients?

The basis for the successful application of proven marketing strategies is personal relationships. Regardless of the medium you're using to deliver your marketing message, what your message is or what kind of volume you're dealing with, you must keep one thing in mind. You're speaking to one person and only one person at a time when you send out your message. In all of your marketing, you are always speaking one-on-one with each of your prospective clients.

Think about this: when you read an ad, sales letter, or magazine advertisement, who's reading it? Who decides whether it's relevant to you? When you receive a postcard announcing the newest release of your favorite product or latest real estate listing, who is it addressed to?

That's right, the answers are you, you and you! Unless you have multiple personality disorder, that marketing piece is speaking directly to only one person. You.

Your Ultimate Marketing Goal: Building rapport and creating relationships. Only when you've accomplished this goal will you have the on-going size of business you desire.

The number one focus of any marketing strategy you engage in should be building long-term relationships with your prospects and clients.

Why? Because once these relationships are sufficiently nurtured, you can ethically build on them by providing your clients with many other beneficial products/services that solve their problems and fill a need. It also allows for them to say yes when the timing is truly right for them.

The fact is: if you really are providing your current clients a truly valuable product or service that improves their life in a measurable way, you are actually doing them (and any prospects in the same target audience) a great disservice by not giving them every opportunity possible to enter into a mutually beneficial business relationship with you.

When your marketing is always focused on building long-term relationships (instead of generating immediate sales like many businesses mistakenly do) you're building what's called a "relationship marketing funnel." It's the funnel that will channel an on-going stream of new and repeat sales into your business, along with organically self-replicating profits. Be sure to take care of some critical prerequisites before beginning to build your funnel:

1. You must know specifically what your clients' wants/needs are, and you must have a proven product or service that provides a solution to current challenges that exist for your clients. (There are not really any right or wrong ways to gather this information. But in my coaching with business owners around the country, there are just a dozen or so highly effective methods. However you choose to gather this critical data, be sure it is a maximum leveraging of your time, money and energy.)

2. Once you know exactly what your clients' needs are, you must focus exclusively on those needs (not your own). That means planning your approach... and then working that plan without any unjustified variance. This is where Strategic Partnerships can come in (more about that soon).

3. You must service your clients way beyond what any of your competitors are currently providing. "Satisfaction" in today's marketplace is not enough. You and your team must always be seeking to convert every client into a raving fan!

Now these may seem like simple principles to implement, but you would be amazed at how many business owners cannot accurately fulfill these prerequisites. Many business owners may "think" they know what their target market wants, how the people in that market want to be communicated with and what their true needs are. More often than not their assumptions are way off base. They have never done the research or planning necessary to find and take action on the requirements, and so their marketing efforts fall flat.

Bottom line: most business owners assume they know what their clients want and/or need. If you are willing to address these three fundamental prerequisites, and before you begin building your funnel, I can assure you that you'll experience the same growth my coaching clients do. You'll also be more profitable than you've ever dreamed possible.

Advanced principles of effective marketing communication:

Once you've fulfilled these three prerequisites, you'll be ready to start building your funnel by compiling messages that speak directly to your target audience. Truly effective messages that focus on the specific needs of the people in your niche market or target industry. Messages that speak directly to the diverse behavioral styles, motivational values, and learning modalities of each individual in that group.

You see, while it's true that each of us are as unique as a fingerprint - there are some observable similarities between human beings that you can leverage to accelerate the development of your funnel and the resulting growth in your business. Here are fourteen distinctions that should be considered when composing any marketing message. People fall into:

*Four main behavioral styles: Driver, Influencer, Steady and Compliant. *Six main motivational styles: Utilitarian, Theoretical, Individualistic, Social, Traditional and Aesthetic. *Four main learning modalities: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Digital.

In an article this brief, its not possible to go into full detail on these distinctions. However, I can tell you this: if your marketing only speaks from your style of communication, it's like trying to get home with three nearly flat tires on your car.

If you do make it, it's going to take you a lot longer than it has to, and certainly longer than you'd like it to! On the other hand, if you take the time to ensure that a part of every message in your marketing speaks in some small part to people of different communication styles - it'll be just like bolting a supercharger on your marketing engine.

The bottom line is, the more directly you can speak to the needs of your target market, and the more accurately you can communicate with each person within that niche in their own individual communication style -- the more effective your marketing will be.

Remember, when using the funnel, you're always building relationships with individuals, not with a group. Get started by taking action on the prerequisites I mentioned above. Then, when you're ready to make some serious improvements in the results your funnel generates, learn how to integrate the advanced distinctions into your marketing messages.

There are advanced courses you can take for this, or you can try it on your own. But either way you'll find effective communication can be more profitable than you've ever imagined.

W is for Win (at the Game of Business)

To win any game, you must know the rules. Then, you must play by those rules all while improving your skill-set and performance within those boundaries. This is true for every game, sports or otherwise, we play. In fact, rules are in effect even if we don't know them - and the consequences can be swift and harsh if we break them.

Not so true in the "game" of business.

Business is the only game in life where YOU can set the rules. You can structure your business to fulfill your dreams, goals and outcomes. As a matter of fact, if you structure your business based on other people's rules, you're guaranteed to fall short of your potential (on the low end) and fail (worst-case scenario). Why? Because other people have set the rules to based on their strengths, not yours.

Success in business begins with deciding the game you want to play, and how you want to play it. Personal fulfillment starts with consciously deciding things like what positions you'll personally fill on your business team, and what you'll outsource.

Try "I'll do it my way."

Too many business folks mistakenly believe "it has always been done this way" is the best way to run their businesses. That type of approach will only get you the same results the other guy is getting (and how's he doing anyway? Average? Below average?). Surely that's not even close to what you're wanting to achieve!

I see this mindset in every industry. Look at what the majority of other business owners are doing in your industry, and listen to how much they complain or blame things on outside influences (like "the economy"). The solution would be to put a new set of rules in place and re-engineer how they run their business, starting with what would work best for them, in that moment, based on their vision!

How different are your competitors from each other? My bet is there is no more than a 10% to 20% difference across the board. This leaves success a wide-open proposition for you, if you seize the opportunity.

How different are you from your competitors? Are you offering essentially the same services/products to the same market and experiencing the same financial rewards and constraints?

If you don't like your answers to these questions, then now's time to make a change. The first shift you need to make is in your mind. Winning in the game of business and playing by your own rules takes a comprehensive strategy.

Start here by setting your own rules by answering three simple questions:

1. What could you and your company provide (products/services/benefits) that your competitors do not, cannot do, or would not to do, even if they thought of it first?

2. What is considered "impossible" by the majority of people in your industry? How could you provide that service/product/solution IF it were really not impossible? If it were possible, and you did it, how could you change your industry and set yourself head-and-shoulders above the rest?

3. What are clients and consumers regularly complaining about in your industry? How can you provide solutions to their complaints?

Have you considered that perhaps your competitors are talking about how "impossible" something is to implement because they don't want you to create the solution, and therefore take away their market share? They are stuck in what's always been, which quite frankly is fantastic for you!

Take your answers to these three starter questions and begin to mold your operational systems, marketing, and pricing structure around the answers you come up with. You can boost your profits and your personal fulfillment at the same time, starting by setting the rules of your own game.

When you set your own rules in this manner, you will take a commanding lead in your industry, niche, or profession. You'll be setting the rules around what consumers want instead of what companies in your industry find to be "the norm." Remember this: when you help enough other people get what they want, you'll get more of what you want!

If you want to win big in business and in life, stop playing your game by other people's rules. Set your own rules to generate the profits and create the lifestyle you want!

Secret #6 to Super Success: Rest, Relaxation & Recreation

To achieve your goals and outcomes, you can schedule every moment, be intentional, and make everything happen you want to have happen. To achieve your goals and outcomes, you also need to take time, each and every week (even a little each day) to recharge, be quiet, and connect with family and friends. None of these seemingly get you closer to your goal and they certainly are not revenue generating activities.

That's exactly my point. What's all the running around for, if you don't use what you've earned to have magic moments and some good old-fashioned fun!?!?

I don't work weekends. Friday nights are Family Night and we take turns planning the fun. Saturdays are used for shopping, running fun errands (read: "I need new shoes.") and Sundays are spent, generally, laying around, playing games, and watching movies. By the time Monday morning comes, I'm ready to go again for my weekly sprint.

Both being in action and being at rest contribute to your overall progress. Take some time this weekend to kick back and enjoy the view.