1%-er Actions for Market Domination

The top 1% most successful business people have specific, intentional actions they take on a regular basis. Most of those actions are simple, straight-forward and the best news is they work. Following are the ones I shared at a recent presentation for Network in Austin: 

They Have Excellent Attitudes

 

While I have done several posts on attitude (such as here, here and here), I always begin my presentations with at least a few reminders about how important a great attitude is and how you can get one. Let this be your reminder that your attitude makes all the difference in your life, your career and how successful you are long-term.

 

They Communicate with Confidence

Top achievers are clear about: what they offer, how much they charge, and why they are the logical choice. They are confident that they are adding value in excess of what their prospective clients are looking for, and they aren't afraid to say it! They don't waffle on their fee, or take what they can get. They're terrific at what they do, they know it and show it. Get clear about what makes you unique, special, and extra-qualified to serve your client. Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is actually your Unfair Selling Position! Unfair to your competition, that is.

They Laser in on Their Top Prospects

The top 1% identify their absolutely perfect ideal client. Learn how to do that here. You'll know you're talking to an actual good prospective client when they meet the following 8 criteria:

1. You like them.
2. They like you.
3. You know, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you can help them with your products and services.
4. They desire what you're selling.
5. They require what you're selling.
6. They have pain you can get them out of, or help them avoid.
7. They have the power to decide to pay you.
8. They have the cash to pay you.

If any of these criteria are missing, move on. You're sorting through everyone you meet to find those that are ready to engage you now, or to find those that have a high potential of engaging you later. It's a waste of everyone's time when you try to fit someone who doesn't fit, just because you want to make your numbers or are "settling" for who is in front of you.

 

They Narrow the Gap Between Prospect and Paying Client

The best of the best are committed to staying in the relationship-building (sales) process until ... until their prospects: die, go out of business, send them a cease-and-desist-letter, or hire them. That engagement might takes minutes, months or an entire decade. But when you are absolutely certain someone would benefit greatly from buying what you're selling, you owe it to them to stay in touch. Remember, you're sorting. Someone is engaging someone just you like right this minute -- is it you? Would you like it to be? Then drill down your target market and then target those folks and only those folks.

So, how to stay in touch? Develop a “touch funnel” (or system) for prospects based on: who needs to hear from you, what do they need to hear, and how often do they need to hear it? You can send them a monthly ezine, handwritten note, a book by your favorite author, an article you've written, or about a million other things. The point is to be clever, informative, interesting, consistent, and friendly two to twelve times a year. Until.

 

They Develop Strategic Alliances to Create a Full Business

Not having strategic partnerships is the kiss of death in business, you must have them if you want to live in the enviable position of having referral business. I did an 8-part series, start with Part I here.

Becoming more successful - even a 1%-er - doesn't have to be complicated or mysterious. Success comes from executing these and other time-tested fundamentals. Make it a point to add them into your daily routine and soon you'll be more successful than you dreamed possible.

Effortlessly Expanding Your Network

3 Ways to Find Who You Need to Know

Wouldn't it be great to have an unpaid (or minimally compensated) but much appreciated marketing department? If you structure your network correctly, you can have just that.

If you haven't already identified the most effective and efficient channels for new business, now is a great time to do that ... simply analyze where your deals, new clients, customers or transactions have come from over the past 12-24 months. If you're like most of my clients, you'll identify individuals and/or specific professions that have sent you most of your business. It makes logical sense to multiply those channels, i.e., if you have one CPA that sends you several clients each year, find more CPAs!

Now that the intention is clear, what you need next is the mechanism: the how to expand those channels and connections. Here are my top 3 ways to find the people you need to know to effortlessly expand your network:

1. Ask your current clients. Every professional and every business has a team of providers: lawyers, CPAs, insurance providers, etc. Find out who else is providing valuable professional services to your clients and ask to meet with them. Chances are great that if you have one mutual client, you have the potential for many more.
2. Ask the professionals you already know. I know over one thousand attorneys, and just as many CPAs, bankers, investment bankers, real estate and mortgage professionals (and many, many more!). By age 30, every person knows about 2000 people. When you ask specifically for introductions to the people you need to know, chances are you'll get at least one valuable introduction.
3. Use LinkedIn. I think LI is an under-utilized and incredibly valuable tool you can use to find other connections, show career highlights, allow past clients to endorse you, and so much more. Paul Castain has created an amazing reference guide: http://yoursalesplaybook.com/21-ways-to-master-linkedin/. I highly recommend you check it out!

Honorée Enterprises, Inc. 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.

It's Your Year to Finally Get Everything You Want

It's estimated that 40% of people set some pretty amazing intentions and goals at the beginning of each year, only to have abandoned, forgotten about, or let them go within a few weeks. It's not that we don't want what we've said we wanted, it's that we didn't set ourselves up for success.

Here are five no-fail strategies for making 2012 2013 the year you fully and finally finish what you start - and get what you want!

1. Name it to claim it. Be clear, concise, and specific about what you want. You want to lose weight? How much? What do you weight now? How much will you weight when you're at your goal? What will you look like? Create that mental picture and the outfit that goes on that new body. Is it about the money? (Of course it is.) How much do you want to make? What are all of the ways it can come to you? Be open, there are always new ideas and opportunities just waiting to cross your path.
2. Build your belief. Only when you truly believe you can do it will it happen. Make a list of all of the reasons why you know you can do it, and why you deserve the end results. Then post that list where you can see it all day, every day.
3. What's your reward? I don't think it's enough to "just" achieve the goal. We all like a good present and there's nothing better than a self-selected, self-earned reward for a job well done. So, what is it? You're making your first million, so what will you be driving to the bank to make those deposits? You've lost 25 pounds, and chances are what's in your closet won't fit so well anymore...you'll need new duds so get your Nordstrom's personal shopper ready to help you show off that hard-earned tiny rear-end!
4. Speaking of help: get support! No, not the kind you've had in the past that says, "You're already thin, eat the cheesecake!" The real kind of support! Find someone with the same or similar goals and hold each other accountable. Even better: form a mastermind. You can find out all you need to know about the power of the mastermind in Napoleon Hill's Law of Success.
5. Make a plan and include: your vision, clear objectives, and potential pitfalls. There are always challenges that come up, pretty much right after you state your goals. These are designed to make sure you're really committed, that you really want what you've said you want. If you're ready for how you'll handle sickness, setbacks, and anything else that gets you off-track, you'll be ready to (a) handle them and (b) get back on track.

This is your year if you're really ready for it to be your year. Best wishes ~ the best is yet to come!