Author Archive
Getting Over Getting it Right
Posted by: | CommentsOur school system trains us to get the right answer. “Being wrong” is a bad thing and leads to lower grades, disapproval, and feeling inadequate or like a failure. As children growing up in this society, our self-esteem and confidence is shaped to large extent by how well we do in school. For anyone who does not learn in the usual way, who has creative abilities that do not fit the mold, or has some kind of learning disability, this can be very damaging to that person’s self esteem—unless they are lucky enough to have understanding parents, a teacher or other mentoring adult to encourage them and acknowledge their unique gifts.
How does that translate to business, or especially self-employment?
The pressure to get it right, and only feeling valuable or successful when you do is a disaster. Why? The biggest reason is because there is never one right way to create a successful business, there is never one right answer, there are always multiple paths to success. The only requirement–and there are as many ways to do this as there are unique individuals–is to make sure your income exceeds your expenses, ie, make a profit, in order to continue to stay in business and support yourself and your family.
Trying to be right can lead to several major time and energy drains. One is perfectionism…where you can’t get started unless it’s perfect. The perfect website, logo, mission statement, etc. Or you get started but keep correcting, tweaking and revising because again, it’s not perfect. How do you even know if it’s “right” “good” or “perfect?”
A cousin to that is analysis paralysis—over analyzing your statistics, strategies, or competition and not taking action. Also in the family is the “Impostor Syndrome”—where you never feel like you know enough and somehow you are just ‘faking’ your expertise. That in turn leads to “BSO” syndrome—chasing the latest bright shiny object. The latest social media tool, the latest information product, course or coach. And you know what that leads to, right?–the dreaded Information Overwhelm.
Bottom line is you can really get bogged down, even stuck in place by trying to be right.
Yes, there are proven business models, of how to run a profitable business, that will work better in particular industries. Even within those models, there are many ways to ‘get it right’. That’s where our creative genius, our fresh perspectives along with sound advice from mentors and those who’ve already succeeded, and listening to our intuitive and body based knowing, all of this comes in handy.
To get the most useful answers, start with a useful question. That question is NOT ”what’s the right way?” but “what is the best service or product to focus on, what is the optimal business model, and way of operating that works for me and my clients? What makes sense and gives me a sense of “YES” or green light, GO, given my current resources of time, money and energy, my personal style and strengths, and the type of business and client I serve, at this point in time?”
I’m certainly NOT saying that you should not spend time learning from others, analyzing your market and looking at how you can best attract and serve your customers or clients. But some of the best learning you will do is by learning in action. Staying in your head or planning a business on paper won’t actually provide the feedback you need to grow and maintain a successful business.
Look at the different areas of your business and see if you are stuck anywhere on ‘getting it right”..and what do you need to get unstuck? Is it really more research, information or coaching? Or is it just letting go, letting things be good enough, and sending the arrow off into space?
I invite you to let go of the rigid chains of being right and having to be perfect, and enjoy the playground of creative ambiguity and trusting your gut!
Who’s really running the show?
Posted by: | CommentsIt must be you…right? After all, this is your business, and you’re owner, chief cook and bottle washer!
But are you operating your business from your mature adult self, or some child aspect? Are you using your higher level “command” functions–your cerebral hemispheres–or is your reptilian brain, your “fight or flight” instinct in charge?
Speaking with a client the other day who has a year old business, her money fears were coming up big-time, including a fear that she would repeat a past business failure, run out of money, and end up as a homeless person. As we talked, it was clear that the financial fears were bordering on panic…and she agreed with me that being in a place of panic and overwhelm is not the energy that will easily attract customers and money.
In business–and in any part of our lives–any kind of fear or potentially threatening situation can “trigger” us into a reactive, reptilian brain response. Once we are triggered, we are in fear, and our nervous system, even our organs begin to shut down…and so we are not able to think clearly or be in a creative, problem solving mode. This is NOT an empowered place for good decision making and taking constructive action. We need our reptilian brain and survival instincts–they are not bad or wrong–but they are mostly for helping us escape from physical danger, or to help us avoid people that can be a threat to us. This part of our intelligence is NOT wired for executive decision making and considering various alternatives.
The sole function of our reptilian brain –the oldest and least-evolved part of our brain–is to ensure that we stay alive. The classic reptilian brain responses are ”fight” or aggresive response, the “flight” or avoidance response, the “immobilized” or passive response.
Why is it important to understand these responses and to realize that the stresses and fears in our daily lives and in our business can trigger them? Being triggered will completely block you from seeing what is going on, and dealing with it constructively. Being triggered means you are in reaction and cannot find creative solutions or take action.
With practice, you can learn the signs of being triggered and know your own typical “style” of reactiveness, so that when you find yourself in your trigger pattern, you can address the reaction right away instead of losing hours, days, weeks or even months being stuck in it.
How can you tell if you are triggered? The “fight” response can lead to feeling anxious and restless, irritable, can’t sleep, feeling defensive and on edge, a kind of “road rage” feeling even if you are not driving. If you are having a strong reaction to a technology glitch or you get really uprset by let’s say, a client unsubscribing from yoru email list or canceling an appointment.
Signs of the “flight” response are usually some form of checking out..trouble focusing, feeling sleepy or foggy headed, wanting to run away to a tropical island, or you start thinking about jump starting your old corporate career. If you suddenly stop returning phone calls and just want to withdraw. Other ways you might be unconsciously trying to ”flee” : numbing out or sedating your nervous system with carbs, sweets, salty or fried foods, or get lost surfing the web for hours, supposedly in the name of research.
The third set of signals to watch out for are the immobilization response, where you essentialy get frozen, and feel unable to act, like the weaker dog “playing dead” to the more powerful one, so he won’t be attacked. This is where you refuse to look at your bills for weeks or months, you sit in front of the computer staring blankly at it, and you don’t execute any of your plans.
So, get to know your reptilian brain responses, and the kind of things that tend to trigger you, so that you manage your business and your life from a more empowered, emotionally balanced place, where you listen to, but aren’t ruled by your survival instincts. If the reptilian brain issues often put you into anxiety and overwhelm, if you have a lot of earlier trauma in your life, then you may also consider doing some coaching and repatterning work with me to clear these tendencies at a deep level.
Won’t it feel great to have your most evolved intelligence and creative problem solver in charge of your business?
A business without a clear niche is a hobby!
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For more Prosperity Power, try humility!
Posted by: | CommentsHumility—Could It be a Key to Your Prosperity?
The dominant model of success—which is fortunately beginning to shift in the age of the conscious entrepreneur – is about getting attention, standing out, and dominating in the marketplace. It says we will succeed only by tooting our own horn and the louder the better! What could be less humble than that?
On the other hand, the root of the word humility is ”humble.” In its traditional meaning, which we associate with Christianity and other religious teachings, being humble implies modesty and being unassuming, or even the kind of self-debasement where we make ourselves less than others. How on earth could a quality like that be part of creating abundance and prosperity for yourself?
I propose a fresh look at humility to see how this quality actually supports our prosperity and well being, from the perspective of yoga teachings and the Sufi tradition.
On the yoga path, a key teaching is “You are not the doer”. That means that while you may act and serve in various ways, you are a conduit through which Source energy is flowing and expressing itself. You are not the ultimate cause of what happens, yet you are also responsible for your part in things. Your results come from a blend of self effort and grace.
With humility we can take credit for our achievements and our failures too, while staying aware that we are also actors on the cosmic stage of life, playing a part in larger trends and in our individual and collective destinies. So we can relax and surrender to the fact that we aren’t completely in charge. From there we can see that everything is part of an interconnected web that takes into account the greatest good for all souls–not just our personal needs and desires.
In the Sufi way, humility is actually a quality of the Divine, and it has to do with accepting a larger, unknowable destiny or grand scheme of life. When someone has a great shift after you work with them, you may stand in awe and amazement, you may even feel humbled by the wisdom and resilience within the client, or by the power of the work itself—but you don’t take all the credit. In the same way if you say something to a client that you realize later wasn’t so skillful, or that you haven’t been doing well with your marketing, that this is part of our journey and our learning, these seeming failures or disappointments, and we can correct our course at any time.
As a business owner, humility might mean looking closely at what is and isn’t working, and perhaps acknowledging where there are knowledge gaps about marketing or accounting, or even in your skills a as a practitioner. Humility helps us see when it’s time to get help from a mentor, coach, friend or healer, learning program or an office assistant. It helps us to be compassionate when things take longer than we expect them to, and to accept that we are imperfect and don’t always know what to do. We can step back from time to time and ask “is it time to change course here, or what else is needed.
In terms of money and prosperity, humility can help us to be at peace with what is. We learn to accept what our current situation is and flow with it, even though we may prefer and work towards more prosperity. Humility here helps us to acknowledge when there appears to be a defeat or setback, that there is a bigger picture, even if we can’t see what it is in the moment, and also to ask for help to change what we can change, and accept and live with what can’t be changed—the serenity prayer.
So for your peace of mind AND prosperity, try a little dose of humility. You might be surprised!
Bloggers: 10 little known ways to get more traffic
Posted by: | CommentsI found this great post on ProBlogger…the author suggests picking one or two strategies that you think could work for you..if you do, tell us which one(s) appeal to you and why..and any results you get!
ready, set, blog!
How to Write Your Way to the Bank
Posted by: | CommentsDid you know that writers are in high demand? In fact, there are many writers that easily take home six figures a year. And they get to make that money from their own home, the beach, the coffee shop – anywhere they can take their laptop. The writer’s life is a good one. Here are a few tips and suggestions to write your way to the bank.
#1 Choose a lucrative writing field – Some writing opportunities pay more than others. For example, copywriting pays more than blogging in general because you’re selling a product or a service. Ghostwriting books pays more than article writing. And business to business writing is in high demand simply because there just aren’t enough writers providing the service.
#2 Hone your skills – The great thing about writing is that you can always improve your skills. Writing is a craft and like most crafts, there is always room for improvement. Be a constant student. Sign up for writing workshops, read books from expert writers and learn your trade inside and out. You’ll be better able to answer your client’s questions and to provide the best service money can buy.
#3 Specialize – In order to become a credible expert it helps to have a specialization. Specialization provides you the opportunity to fine-tune your craft, to offer a better service and to charge more for your time. You can specialize in a topic or field of interest, or you can specialize in a format. You can also specialize in both, for example “self-help sales copy.”
#4 Be ultra professional – While there are many writers selling their services, many of them don’t take their business as seriously as they should. They miss deadlines. They don’t hire an editor and they don’t handle feedback or communication well. As a writer, you’re a service provider and a business owner. Professionalism and customer service matter.
#5 Be more than a writer – That isn’t to say that you should offer additional services; however, you can really write your way to the bank if you act as a consultant. You’re an expert, right? So people will come to you with questions. They’ll want your advice. Be ready, willing and able to give it. When clients are able to count on you as a partner and consultant, they’re more than willing to pay you the big bucks.
#6 Network – One of the best ways to build a writing business is to network. Connect with your clients and ask for referrals. Stay in touch with them by sending information they might find useful, or send them simple notes to say hello. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing device and it’s an effective way to build a writing business.
#7 Be confident – Many writers charge much less than they can. Be confident in your skills and charge what you’re worth, keeping in mind what the market can support.
Writing your way to the bank is possible. Don’t believe the myth that writers don’t make any money. They do. Specialize, hone your skills, network and be confident in what you have to offer. To your success!
How to Make Money Online
Posted by: | CommentsIf you ask how to make money online, you’re generally going to hear one of two things. You’re going to hear people telling you that you can’t make money online. That all the good topics and business models are taken up. However, that’s untrue.
You’re also going to hear people who will promise you that you can make millions online. While that is true for many, it’s not common. What is true about making money online is that anything is possible, and it’s quite likely that you can make a very comfortable living doing something that you love. So here’s the lowdown on how to make money online.
What Makes Money Online?
There are a few basic business models that generally achieve a good deal of success online. They include:
- Information marketing – Information is sold online, generally about a specialty topic.
- Membership marketing – Profit is made by selling memberships and selling advertising space.
- Service provider – Profit is made by providing a service. For example, virtual assistants provide administrative services online.
- Retailer or ecommerce – Profit is made by selling a product online.
- Affiliate marketing – Profit is made by promoting the products or services of others and earning a commission.
There are a few things these five business models have in common. They all operate online – that’s a given because we’re talking about online business. They also all need people to visit their website in order to survive. How do they get people to their website?
Content
Content is the unifying theme behind successful websites. People go online to be entertained, to be informed, to connect and communicate. The single unifying thread for all of these interactions is content.
Content can be read, watched, listened to and shared. It can be an article, a blog post, a report, a book, an online course, a video or an audio. Without content a website doesn’t stand a chance. Information is the reason for the internet. If a website doesn’t provide information, it has no value to online users.
The Basics
Okay, so you choose your business model. You choose a business topic or specialty; this is often called a niche. A niche is a specialty topic. For example, you could decide you want to start a membership site. Great – about what? Recipes, because you love to cook and share recipes. Fantastic! Now it’s time to create the content for your website. You need to give people a reason to visit your website and become a member. The next step is to continue to provide value. What are you going to offer your members to motivate them to stay members?
What information are you going to provide as an information marketer that will motivate people to buy your books? What information can you provide clients to motivate them to hire you as a service provider?
Online, regardless of the model you choose, people want to know one thing: “What is in this for me? How will this benefit me?” Choose your topic and model wisely. Create fantastic content and provide value. That’s the core of any successful online business.
How to Get More Testimonials and Use Them
Posted by: | CommentsTestimonials are an exceptional selling tool. They tell potential buyers that you’re trustworthy. They tell potential buyers that your product or service fulfills its promise. Testimonials tell potential customers that you have credibility. And they tell potential customers what they want to hear – that you really can solve their problems.
Testimonials are an effective buying trigger because they offer information about your product or service that you just can’t offer yourself. It’s like a personal recommendation, and it’s worth the effort to get quality testimonials and to use them.
How Do You Get More Testimonials?
You may get testimonials at unexpected times. If a client is thanking you after you’ve worked with him or her, listen and write down what they say. Maybe they will say something in an email or in a thank you card. These are spontaneous testimonials, the best and most natural sounding ones.
What if they don’t automatically provide one? TSimple: you ask! Most people are afraid to ask for testimonials. They feel it’s pushy or they fear being rejected. You can actually make it easier for people by giving them some guidelines on what to say, and you’ll almost certainaly discover that most customers are happy to give testimonials. Mostly they are busy with their own lives and concerns and may not thinking about offering a testimonial..until you ask.
Think about when you have a good or bad experience with a company. If you have a bad experience, you want to shout it from the rooftops. You write reviews; you tell your friends and associates. Maybe you even write a complaint to the company.
When you have a good experience, you say thank you. Generally, we don’t talk as much about the good news as we do about the bad news. However, if someone asks us, we’ll go on for hours about our positive experiences.
So in order to get more testimonials you have to ask. You’ll of course ask all of your happy customers. However, consider also asking experts in your industry to provide a testimonial. Send them a free product or offer a service, then collect the testimonial. It’ll have more power because it’s coming from someone people like and respect. Can you imagine what a ringing endorsement it would be if Martha Stewart wrote a testimonial for your home organization business?
Help People Provide Testimonials
While your customers may appreciate you, and want to spread the word, they often need guidance about what to say in a testimonial. Many people just don’t know what to say. YOu can prompt them by reminding them of results they’ve gotten from working with you, or come up with a list of questions that they can answer, that will guide them in what to say. You can then post the testimonial and consider it valid.
Position Your Testimonials Well
There are some key places to position your testimonials. One such location is on your sales page. The testimonials will serve to support a prospect’s buying decision. You can also use them in your newsletter and in email communications. Consider also creating a separate page on your website with testimonials. Place the strongest and most compelling testimonials prominently where they’re sure to be read. To your success!
Get More Clients Fast with Referrals
Posted by: | CommentsAs a service provider or coach, you are most likely looking to grow your business quickly. Even with all the internet and technology–still, word of mouth from a trusted source is a great way to get new clients. Think of your dentist, hairdresser, mechanic and other service providers. How did you find them?
You can simply ask your satisfied clients and customers to make referrals. I have always said “My business grows by referral so if you are happy with what you received working with me, I’d appreciate your referrals. ” Here are some techniques for getting referrals and making them be more powerful in bringing in clients.
Informal Referrals–How to Ask for them more successfully.
First of all, many of us are afraid to come out and ask for a referral. You might even be prohibited by doing so if you are a licensed professional in certain fields. But for most of us, it’s just a fear of rejection or of ’tooting your own horn’). Here’s a way to make it easier and more comfortable.
If you ask your client (in the middle or ending of your usual conversation) it can feel abrupt, forced or pushy. Doing this gives off the energy of a “cold call” (pushy salesmen calling).
Rather than start them cold, engage your happy client or customer in a conversation, asking them to say in their own words, what benefits or other value they received from working with you. When they are emotionally connected to those positive results, and in touch with what they’ve gotten, then you can ask them “Would you be willing to share your results with others in your life and tell them about working with me?” It will feel much more natural and spontaneous.
Secondly, if your work is complex, original or not so easy to explain, you can actually coach preople on how to speak about your work, or write out a few suggested guidelines. Make it easy for people to refer to you. So for instance a referral like “Go see Ms. X–she’s great!” sometimes works, but when the referral is specific (Ms. X helped me get my office organized for the first time in years) it will be much more effective. Remember also that when you ask someone to make a referral, let them know also how you wish people to contact you: phone, email, visit your site.
A formal referral program is a reward-based program. Anyone who refers a new customer to you would receive a reward. The reward could be a discount on your services or it could be a freebie. For example, if you’re a writer you might offer anyone who refers new clients to you a free ten-page report or $25 off their next order. A formal referral program requires that people sign up for the program. You might send a monthly newsletter to members to remind or motivate them to refer new clients.
Regardless of the system you choose, referrals work quite well to get more clients fast because they’re coming from a trusted source. If you ask someone where to go to eat and they tell you the name of a restaurant they like, you’re more likely to go there than to an unfamiliar place because it’s been recommended to you. You trust the information.
Affiliates
The second way to get more clients fast is to start an affiliate program. Affiliates are people who agree to promote your services in exchange for a commission. It requires a bit more work than a referral program; however, it can be extremely effective. Affiliates market your business for you and they drive traffic to your website. For every new client, they earn a paycheck. It’s a good system. To help them succeed you may provide them with marketing content, advertisements and other information to use on their website.
Partnerships
The third and final way to get more clients fast is to forge a partnership with other complimentary businesses. For example, if you’re a writer you might partner with a website designer. Their clients will need content for their website and your clients may need a website redesign. It’s a win-win situation.
To get more clients fast, take advantage of your current assets. What partnerships can you forge, and what clients can you ask for referrals and recommendations?
