Fast Results Start Here!

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new                                       home here.***

There is a whole lot of moving going on! New companies, new cities, new opportunities. I'm hearing about about lots of "newness" and getting questions about how to navigate the changes and opportunities. Even if you're not in a job place, job or company, the actions that yield results remain the same.

• Clarity is power. Develop a clear long-term vision and follow with a short-term vision. Your short term vision is then broken down into 3-5 solid goals. These goals become your daily focus.
• Develop a solid plan based on your goals. Break down your goals into daily action steps.
• Get organized. Be ready to capitalize on opportunities when they show up. This means having your office, or mobile office, ready.
• Get moving! New or not, there are lots of people you don't know who need your product or service. (Hint: They won't come knocking on your office door.) Get out of your office, meet people and ask those people who else you need to know. The more people you meet, the better the chances you have of making those critical early connections that will make all the difference over time.
• Start here: Make a master list of your current connections. The best connections are people who are Centers of Influence. Ask for their help. Every person you know has more than 2,000 relationships. Ask for referrals of great folks, not just people who could hire you or use your products or services. They can be amazing people who you would be pleased to know for any number of reasons.
• Then continue here: 1. Business Journal events, 2. Your local Chamber of Commerce, 3. Networking Clubs (Executives Associations, Business Forums, BNI), 4. Civic Organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lion's Club), 5. Your trade association, 6. Your best client's trade association, 7. Cultural events, 8. Charitable or Community Service organizations and volunteering, 9. Private Clubs, 10. Health Clubs, 11. Sporting Events., 12. Hobbies & their events/associations, 13. "Own" a restaurant (or several).
• Join two organizations: one for community service, the other career enhancement. Use your expertise to contribute to the organization, in other words: get involved. Join at least one committee and be a leader in the organization.
• Stay focused. Review your goals at least daily and make sure you're making measurable progress towards your goals every day. If (when!) you get off track, re-set, re-focus and get moving!

Your results are up to you, and you can create the results you desire.

This might also help:

MYTH: If They Want My Services, They'll Call Me

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A common misconception in business is that when someone needs your product or service (or knows someone who does), they will remember that they've talked to you, pick up the phone and make the referral or introduction. That is, assuming of course, that they still have your contact information. They may remember meeting you, yet if you haven't stayed in touch, they won't be able to recall your name and you will most likely lose out on their business or referral.

You must take control of your business relationships the way you take control of your personal relationships. In personal relationships, when a man picks "the woman," he intentionally develops that relationship. He starts with coffee, then lunch, then dinner, then a weekend away, etc. He keeps asking until he gets the yes, and the relationship (or not). The same holds true in business, except in business everyone is the man. If there's a relationship you want to develop, regardless of your gender, take control and be in touch consistently. The goal is to cross the bridge from friendly to client to friend as quickly as possible.

Gain Your Competitive Edge During any Economy

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Here are some interesting statistics to consider if you own or run a small business, are an entrepreneur or service provider. Did you know business coaching statistics show that applying the skills of a business coach is a great way to keep your business ahead during a recession?

It is predicted that for a small business owner to be able to work competitively on their own will become more challenging. During this recession and recovery especially, when the competition among companies is exhaustingly fierce, it becomes crucial to look for assistance to give you that competitive edge.

Business coaches give you an outside perspective on how your business is running. Because this is something most businesses do not bother to find out, this in itself gives you a lead over your competition.

A practice development research study revealed that 42% of businesses don't use a business coach. This same study found you can increase your profit margin by an average of 46% by using a business coach. 

Thus 42% of businesses are missing out on a 46% profit increase. 

If you're among that group, you may want to carefully consider if you can afford to not use a business coach. Compare the cost of a great coach against a 46% profit increase. For such a truly reasonable investment, your profits will literally soar. If your monthly revenue is $25,000, a 46% increase would be an additional $11,500. That's a 600% return on your investment (that is, if I'm your coach).

 becomes ...

An article posted on http://www.affiliatedragon.com stated that having your own internet business was the last weapon against a recession. However, as we've seen more businesses both off and online negatively affected by this slow economy, having your own business isn't a fool-proof plan. However, hiring a business coach can be the difference between those that struggle and those that survive and thrive.

To help them develop plans to build profit-growing businesses even during a slow economy, many business coaches show their clients how to navigate their way through changing economies, giving them yet another competitive advantage.

A study conducted by the International Coach Federation surveyed 210 coaching clients for demographic data, feedback, and opinions about the value and use of coaching. The study revealed that those who were coached had a positive change in personal work habits. This is instrumental to changing your business during a recession.

Below are some of the business coaching statistics gathered by this study.

62.4% smarter goal-setting
60.5% more balanced life
57.1% lower stress levels
52.4% more self-confidence
43.3% improvement in quality of life
25.7% more income

Those are just a few of the outcomes found through the study.

What we see is the number of people who are experiencing positive personal development skills to apply to their business. It's not just about dollars and cents, and most of the time companies who are struggling have a personal reason linked to their financial struggle.

Some more interesting business coaching statics were those that we don't immediately link with business. For example, 33.8% saw their health or fitness improve, 33.3% had improved family relationships, and 25.7% stopped a bad habit.

Although we don't immediately associate something like stopping a bad habit to having an effect on our business, the fact is that being lethargic, angry, frustrated or stressed can affect your work habits. To find out what may be keeping them from advancing, business professionals can turn to business coaching. Sometimes it's a simple as learning how to organize their office in a more effective and efficient manner.

The business coaching statistics found in this study prove that even during a recession, businesses that use coaches can still thrive when they take advantage of the skills offered by a business coach.

Here's what one of my coaching clients had to say:

"Honoree changed my personal and professional life. I hired Coach Honoree to assist me in transitioning to a new firm and the results were amazing. She helped me focus on growing my business with massive action and she held me accountable with a professional touch...never allowing me to settle for mediocre results. My business grew 63% in 100 days. I recommend Coach Honoree to any business professional looking to better their best...I consider her a partner and friend." ~Tim McElroy, Senior Wealth Management Consultant, Merrill Lynch, Las Vegas

Perhaps it's time you engaged a coach to increase your success?

You May Also Want to Read:

Why Aren't You Following Up?

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In my post The Fortune is in the Follow-Up, I shared how long I feel you should follow up with a qualified prospect. The short answer: until. Head over there in a couple of minutes to get a handle on your fortune, but first let's discuss what's getting in your way.

New short answer: you.

Sometimes the question isn't how long to follow up or even how to follow up ... the real question is, "Why aren't you following up?"

There are a few reasons I've discovered in my coaching practice that people fail to follow up. The funny thing is, the reasons aren't all that valid. They are a smoke screen for what's really going on in a person's mind, and one layer deeper than that, their belief system.

Here are the reasons you're not following up and following through, and how to stop what's stopping  you:

• You're afraid. There is a possibility, even with qualified potential clients, you're going to get rejected. You are going to hear no, and you're going to hear it a lot. The only time to get upset about a "no" is when the person says "No" ... and ... "You're ugly." Then you can get offended, and tell your prospect their mother would not be very proud of them. But seriously now, you need to not only get used to hearing no, you need to hear no about a million and a half times a day. Or at least a dozen times a day. Let me short-hand it for ya: the more you hear no, the more often you get to hear "YES!" You increase the odds by increasing the number of times you ask. I get it, I really do ... you're afraid of hearing no, think you're probably going to hear no, and have other things to do. But you need to get over it and get on with it ... it being your follow-up.
  Nobody has a better handle on no than the authors of "Go for No" Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz, so hop over to Amazon.com and download it right now. {I'll wait.}
• You're "too busy." Alright, I've had about enough of this excuse, so I'm going to call bullshit right now. About every day one of my clients says to me, "I just didn't have the time to do 'X', because, because because." Here's the truth: you have all of the time you need to do everything you need and want to do. You're just procrastinating, doing tasks and activities that don't get accomplish anything real, and that's not getting you what you want, now is it? Once you know someone {and/or their company} meets your criteria for revenue, you've got to put time on your calendar to call them, email them, send them gifts, presents or bribes. Do whatever it takes, but follow-up and follow-up in a timely fashion.
• You're waiting until the "right time." When would that be, exactly, since you're not reaching out to your prospect? How could you possibly know when they're ready, and, what if when they're ready, they don't even remember you have what they want? That would be tragic! You must stay in regular, positive touch until they are ready. I will say this: their timing is very rarely your timing. You want new clients and revenue like, yesterday, and unfortunately you will have to wait on some folks. Let their right time coincide with a call or email from you and that's when the magic will happen.
• You've hit your success ceiling. This one's a biggie. You will never exceed the internal beliefs you hold about what's possible for you. If you find yourself making about the same year after year, wanting and hoping for more but never quite reaching the next level, this is a strong indicator your self-esteem and psychology could use some work. You have to believe something is possible for you before it could ever happen for you. I suggest you do some regular {daily} self-improvement. If you haven't read the classics, like Think & Grow Rich, or Psycho-Cybernetics, start with those. Then head here for a list of some of my favorites. As your confidence soars, your follow-up avoidance will literally melt away and what what once hard becomes easy ... including follow-up.

You owe it to yourself, and those you can help through your products and services, to be in touch and stay in touch. Follow-up until ...

I promise you'll enjoy the fruits of your labor as much as your clients enjoy them.

You May Also Want to Read:

Make a BOLD MOVE and Set Yourself Free!

What to Ask to Get Yourself into Action

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

The true meaning of courage is “to be afraid, and then, with your knees knocking and your heart racing, to step out anyway - even when that step makes sense to nobody but you.

Making a bold move is not always easy, and yet making a bold move is sometimes the best and only way to truly advance toward the grandest vision the universe has for you ... the one you have for yourself. 

4 Ways to Make Massive Progress Toward Your Goals This Week

How to Make the Most of Your Time, This Week and Every Week

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Right now your calendar for the coming week probably looks a lot like this (see above). You may have a few meetings and appointments scattered here and there, but for the most part you may have 25-35 hours of unscheduled time.

One of the best ways to make marked progress towards your goals is to schedule every moment of your week in advance, as in before you walk in the door to your office Monday morning.

I recommend the following 4-step process for making the most of the time you work, so you can relax and enjoy the time you're not working:

1. Get clear on your top 3 goals.
2. Treat each goal as a project and determine approximately how many hours you need to achieve your goal (complete the project).
3. Based on the time-frame for achieving each goal, how many hours this week do you need to focus on each one?
4. Pull out your mostly-empty calendar and block out time* to work toward their achievement.

*Note: This blocked-time becomes a non-negotiable appointment you have with yourself. Your goals, if well chosen, are worth it (and so are you). If something more important comes up (read: you get a meeting with a potential client, someone is writing you a check, signing a contract, or your office building catches fire), simply reschedule that blocked time so your project gets the necessary time needed for accomplishment.

Important --> If something is non-revenue generating, delegate it, do it during the time of day you feel least productive, or even during non-business hours. Do business when it's time to do business. Have fun and be off the clock when it's time for that, too. As an executive, you have two functions: make money and enjoy the money you make.

Here's to a profitable, productive week -- with some fun thrown in for good measure.

What is your best tip for staying productive and making consistent progress toward your goals?

To Your Success,
Honorée Corder 

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.

What's Your Expectation?

Update: In just 5 months, we'll be opening that 5th year bottle of wine. It's nice to know we already have something with which to celebrate!

***After you read this post, be sure to visit me at my new home here.***

I recently got married and one of my clients sent us a very cool gift - a bottle of champagne to open on our first anniversary, a bottle of wine to open on our fifth anniversary and a bottle of port to open on our 10th anniversary. What I found most wonderful about the gift was the expectation -- that in ten years we would be opening that bottle of port and celebrating a decade together. (If you'd like to know the company he used, ask and ye shall receive.)

It reminded me that what we expect to get is very often what we get - whether it's positive (the client, the deal or the return phone call) or not so much (a bigger electric bill than you ever thought possible, another 'no' when you make the ask, etc.).

This is a very quick reminder to be mindful of your expectations. Expect the best, expect great things ... and great things will indeed happen.

Show Your Gratitude

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Does this image look familiar to you? It's a basic thank you note, one that arrives in the mail. When was the last time you got a thank you note? I bet it was the first piece of mail you opened that day, right? Handwritten notes are special, and they have become more special in recent years, as it has become commonplace to connect via email.

Better question: When was the last time you sent a thank you note?

No matter how many times I say it, I still hear of people sending their thank you notes via email. While that's perfectly fine, the top 1% of all achievers take the time to do 1%-er activities ... among them, sending a hand-written thank you note when appropriate.

Let's talk about when it's a great idea to send a note: 

(a) someone does something nice for you or on your behalf (which may save you time, energy and/or money), 
(b) someone treats you to a meal or a cup of coffee, 
(c) someone refers you a potential client*, 
(d) when you receive a gift of any kind (even if you don't love it), 
(e) someone takes the time to meet with you, or 
(f) you feel the need to say thank you. 

Show your gratitude, and always be sure to say it in writing.
It only takes a few moments to write out a note, and I suggest making it a Notable Note: one that will leave an impression and express how appreciative you feel.

Keep a stack of notes on your desk with a roll of stamps. Make time each day to send a note to a few people who have made a difference in that day. Those few minutes may be the catalyst for something amazing happening later. Attorney John Kralik used this method, and it changed his life. You'll enjoy reading his book.

Simple Steps for Writing a Notable Note:

The Rule of Three:

• Take 3 minutes: a notable note will take three minutes or less to write, address, stamp and send
• 3 Sentences: The heart of your note will include three sentences:
• Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.
• I enjoyed learning more about the clients you serve and your philosophy on wealth management.
• I look forward to making powerful introductions to you and for you.
• Within 3 days. Be sure to mail your note within three days

Notable Notes:

• are written in blue ink. It looks original and positive.
• are simple: Use unbranded cards with a symbol or your monogram. It’s a personal note.
• are dated: Include the date in this format: Friday, January 3, 2014
• contain an appropriate salutation: Use a title and various parts of someone’s name to signal more or less familiarity, more or less formality, such as: Dear Alexandra {or Lexi} or Dear Bill {or William}
• include a P.S. {post script} with a call-to-action, asking the recipient to call or email you.

Be a 1%-er and start sending notes today. You'll be glad you did!

*If you actually get the new client, be sure to do something expressing your wallet's gratitude, in addition to a note.

Achieving Your Big Hairy Audacious Goals with Brain Surgery Time

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As discussed last week in my post on challenges, BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) are the goals that get you up early and keep you up late. Very often I find that people who set the biggest of the BHAGs are the ones that have other things on their plates ... other jobs, responsibilities and distractions. In order to achieve your goals in record time, use a strategy known as Private Work Time (PWT), or as I call it: Brain-Surgery Time (BST).

Here’s the analogy: five minutes from now you fall to the floor, unconscious. After being rushed to the emergency room, doctors run tests and determine you need brain surgery. Good news! The most respected and highly skilled brain surgeon in the world is available to work on you (and miraculously, he’s covered by your insurance). He’s available tomorrow from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. to complete the five hours of surgery necessary to save your life. Can you think of any reason you would miss the opportunity to have him do your surgery? Of course not! You would be there, regardless of any other phone call, email or interruption that might come up.

When you schedule time to do what needs to be done, time working on your business, working in your business, and quality time with your family, your kids, and yourself, you must treat it like “BST,” or, an action item that simply must be done, cannot be missed.

Of course you can be flexible – and you can also learn to stay focused on what is truly important to you. When an opportunity to close a deal or pitch a prospect arises, simply reschedule your blocked time so the important goal-achieving activities get done at your next possible opportunity. When the phone rings or email dings, wait until your next break to answer it so you don't break your flow.

To execute: Use BST in the form of time blocks to make measurable progress toward your goals. Schedule an hour each week to do your planning. Turn off the phones, pagers, cell phones, email and television. Block out time for what’s most important, and you'll find that as you close the door on your week, you will be closing in on your BHAGs.

“We all have the same 24-hours each day. The difference between your future success or failure is up to you, your attitude and where you focus your time.” ~Honorée Corder

R is for Referrals, Part 8: Repeat

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Step 8 in creating your referral-only business is to repeat. That's right, repeat Steps 1-7 again and again. It's not sexy, sometimes it's not very exciting, yet this process so effective you won't recognize your business six or twelve months from now when you implement them.

Honorée turns service providers into rainmakers, average producers into rock-stars, and dreams into reality. For more information on how she can specifically help you or your organization, click here.