Neil Godin’s Marketing Dangerously meetup this afternoon featured guest speaker, Shane Gibson.  Shane shared the 10 attributes of a Guerilla Social Media Marketer – a sneak peak version of his soon to be released book, Guerilla Social Media Marketing will be released in September 2010.  Brilliant!  This is a must read.  I was one of the lucky winners of his newly released book Sociable!  Check out his blog at www.closebigger.net

Great event Neil.  Check out www.smartthinkingmarketing.com and visit us next month.  Shane Morgan, Neil Godin of www.MarketingDangerously.com and Deborah Reynolds of www.AboutFaceImage.com will be hosting a fabulous day of marketing information onSaturday, June 5th, 2010 at the Hampton Inn in Langley, B.C. Canada

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It’s a tough question and in this recession doing a business profitability assessment is critical.  Try this free 10 minute total business diagnostic.  http://budurl.com/BusAssessment

It’s important to know what is working in the business and what isn’t working.  Then go to work and get a total business makeover and set things right.  Implement the right business growth strategies and learn how to get rich – by following a set of learnable skills.

It starts by becoming a great business person.  Learn the special qualities, traits and behaviors of successful entrepreneurs. Become a better business person.  To be one of the best in your industry, you have to learn how to create a great business and how to produce a great produce and service.

And that’s just the beginning.  To get a total business makeover click on the link. http://budurl.com/BusAssessment

Take the first step and let me help you with your journey.

admin Building Your Business Image, Uncategorized business assessment, profitability, recession, total business diagnostic

To recession proof your business, what are you doing to create a lean and efficient business?  When we watch what is happening to the economy and infrastructure in the United States, some say that we Canadians are about five years behind the Americans.  If that’s true, it can instill a little bit of unease in some.  Others will be proactive and progress in business virtually unaffected particularly if they take advantage of opportunities around them.  

Watching expenditures should be a diligent process within every business, whether you are a large company or a small to medium business, or even homebased.  Review all your expenses and look for ways to reduce and cut back.  This is a great time to bring in your bookkeeper and accountant to have a close look at your expenses and to discuss where you can cut back or eliminate.  This is also a great time to bring in your marketing team.  Pull out your bank statements and take a close look.  You may be surprised at how much you are spending on eating out and visiting Starbucks.   When you total up these luxuries, consider putting that money towards something like a great marketing tool like www.sendoutcards.com/GetNoticed and other online strategies.

Refrain from cutting costs in sales and marketing.  These two areas are the lifeblood of the business.  You still have to get your name out there and be marketing.  Always ensure you test and measure.  Track your income and where it’s coming from.

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There are those who display bad manners at the expense of others. Some people have their nose in the air and give off the impression they are better than everyone else. That is not good manners. Quite the contrary – it is plain bad manners. There is nothing polite about making people feel small and insignificant and excluding others. Positioning and power often get in the way of building relationships. The focus is internal and what potential gain can be had? Behaviour should be inclusive – not exclusive. 
 
Good manners come from the heart. This is best demonstrated by the individual who has a genuine interest in others and wants to contribute to a relationship rather than take from it. I always try to leave a relationship better than it was at the beginning. I agree it’s not always possible, because there are difficult and miserable people in this world, but it’s the effort to communicate and develop a lasting relationship which is important. Our focus needs to be here, and so should our persistence.
 
At what point do you give up on working on a relationship with a client, a colleague, a boss?  It will depend on the amount of aggravation and anxiety that is caused from the interaction, as well as your will and patience. It took me 12 years to win over my youngest step-daughter – and the effort and persistence was well worth it! An unpleasant interaction can be a real test of character, putting you face-to-face with your ability to overcome adversity. You either have developed great people skills or you have not. 
 
Mastering difficult people is another topic, but let’s just say that it’s an essential skill if you wish to develop and grow your business. The more you wish to grow your business, the more people you will be interacting with, both internally, in your business, and externally. The chance of running into a diverse range of personalities and character faults increases significantly, and then there are differences in culture that can be thrown into the mix. 
 
The word “character” comes from the Greek term “chisel”. We develop our character best when we are faced with difficulty and adversity – in trying times. The experience will determine what kind of person we become. How we respond to it will determine what kind of person we become. The bad experiences in life, and the difficult people we encounter, should be embraced. All experiences shape us. The bad experiences demonstrate rather blatantly how well we have mastered our skills. 
 
Our response to any given situation can be humbling – for us and for others. Remember when a colleague “lost it”? How did it make you feel? Like slinking away and wanting to limit our interaction with them – maybe even permanently? With eyebrows raised we probably uttered under our breath – “Whoa – take a pill dude!”
 
There is always an excuse for anger – or rather there is always a reason for it. It rarely just happens. Of course we can experience anger or be the brunt of it because of a hormonal or chemical imbalance (internal and external), too.
 
Identifying the reason and taking the time to listen and understand the situation can go a long way toward diffusing the situation. Those who walk away from an angry person can often experience an escalation of hostility. 
 
Taking the time to listen to those upset – those who feel somehow violated – can demonstrate your desire to resolve a bad situation. People want to be heard and listening shows you genuinely, authentically care. 
 
When was the last the time someone blew a cork? Did you take the time to listen? Did you even stick around or did you just want to clear out of the way, not sure where the abuse would land next? 
 
Standing your ground when anger and confrontation hits close to home is critical. Bullying is very much alive and well in the work place environment and those who back away from anger and intimidation, often don’t fair well. You demonstrate fear and intimidation by stepping even one pace backwards. You have to weight whether anger can escalate into physical violence and bodily harm or whether it’s just venting. In most cases, it won’t be physical violence. Showing your fear isn’t a good move. Just allow a person to express the anger and listen – paying close attention, not ignoring. 
 
Very few people like screaming, yelling and confrontation. It makes us feel uncomfortable, but if you learn to control it, and quietly stand your ground when faced with it, you will grow significantly as a person. Your courage will skyrocket. 
 
Walking away from someone expressing anger, shows you aren’t interested in listening or trying to understand the situation. People yell because they don’t feel heard. Listen, do your best to understand the situation, and when you’ve gotten enough of the facts, do your best to resolve the situation and set things right. Standing your ground and doing what it takes to set things right will ensure you make maximum impact.  

admin Bad Manners, Etiquette difficult people, Etiquette, Manners

Invariably, there will always be events and circumstances that will get in the way of performing any given task or priority.  Every moment throughout the day is an assessment of your priorities

When we are overwhelmed with paper, I have found that this form of clutter is enough to stop the finest of employees, managers, business owners, and executives in their tracks.  Consider how much time during the day you spend looking for things or a particular document.

If you find yourself searching through files and stacks of paper consider SPEED BUMPS – beautifully engineered boulevards designed to slow you down and protect you when you are most likely to accelerate, helping you to avoid unseen dangers.  They are designed to help you to refocus while still allowing you to get where you want to go.

Getting the paper under control requires that you schedule time in your calendar to tackle the management of paper – not to work on projects or make complex decisions.  The time allotted is designed to create order and make simple decisions, not to overwhelm you.  It is designed to prepare you to devote future scheduled time to process more complex actions.

S          SORT similar items together and keep documents for similar projects together.  Initially utilize a series of bins, baskets or trays for sorting.  Avoid filing as this takes more time.  You want to grab a piece of paper, skim it, make a quick decision about which bin it goes into – and toss it in.

P          PURGE what is immediately identified as trash – throw it away or shred it.  Anything which has your personal information and client information on it, account numbers, credit information needs to be shredded to avoid identity theft. 

E         EXAMINE each piece of paper – it has to be read and understood to determine its value.  Whether your handwritten notes or someone else’s handwritten notes, you have to decipher what was written.  Being able to skim through the material quickly is an advantage.  Developing your reading skills and vocabulary is important.

E         EVALUATE its importance, prioritizing as you go.  Ask – is it important to you, to one of your coworkers, important for the survival of the company?  If you’re not sure – ASK!  Critical items needing immediate action require their own bin.

D         DESTINATION is to be determined for any piece of paper.  What has to be done with it?  Where does it go?  Is it to be filed or put away?  Does it need to be seen, approved or acted on by someone else – delegated? Do you have to action it?

If the paper needs action by you, again you will have to schedule time to deal with it, either later in the day or at a future time.  Try the this strategy on paper before you begin.

B         BREAK the project down into manageable tasks and manageable segments of time – 20 minutes, and if possible, break it down into 5 minute or 10 minute tasks.  It is difficult to retain full focus for longer than 20 minutes.  By breaking the tasks into the smallest possible manageable segments, this ensures perseverance and success, eliminating procrastination.

U         UNDERSTAND why you are doing the project and what results you want from completing the task.  Keep the end in mind.  What are you trying to achieve?  What consequences do you want to avoid.

M        MAP out your strategy of attack.  What resources are available to you to help you complete this segment of the project?  What do you need to begin and to ensure you finish?  Decide how frequently you will be working on this project and each segment – schedule it in your calendar utilizing the “Recurrence” button. (i.e. Outlook)

P          PERSEVERE, at the allotted scheduled time in your calendar, to complete the first segment, and subsequent segments, of the project.  Distractions and interruptions are part of a daily routine.  Be assertive with your colleagues and disciplined in your own actions.  Once a segment is complete, self satisfaction is significantly increased.  Confidence and desire to continue is the reward.

S          SYNERGETICS utilizes the full brain power of your team members.  The two working together is always greater and more powerful than two individuals working separately.  Different perspectives and varying levels of experience ensure greater success.  Ask your colleagues if they deal with the same type of task and how they tackle it.  Perhaps one of their strategies will work better than yours.  We all think differently and not every strategy works for everyone.

©Deborah Reynolds, About Face Image Consulting Inc. www.AboutFaceImage.com

admin Building Your Business Image, Time Management clutter, managing, paper, time

Have you seen the Mastercard commercial with Bobby Orr?  Battle scars earned during a glorious career – each one earned from hard work and dedication. 

I was watching the Canucks play Chicago last night, and Chicago was giving them a hard time.  The Canucks were out manned and out turned, as Chicago scored another 2 goals to tie it up.  It forced the Canucks to push harder to get the winning goal. 

When have you pushed a little harder?  When have you earned your place in history? Perhaps it’s time you did it again.  And it’s alot easier with the right team and the right coaches.

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How many of you are constantly interrupted throughout the day? It’s a very common problem.  Constant distractions significantly increase the time you spend on any project and the time and energy necessary to re-focus on the task at hand can be exhausting.  Each time you come back to the same task you might find yourself muttering under your breath  – “Now where was I?” as you try to find your place on the document you were reviewing.  Or perhaps you’re trying to remember that great idea that popped into your head, only to find yourself re-reading the last few paragraphs again. 

Controlling the demands on your time must be a habit you learn to master.  It’s not about letting life just happen to you.  You have to design your day, just as you would design your week or month, or even your year.  Some initial focus on how you structure your day, from the administrative tasks to working on the business, will be the key to extraordinary success. 

If you and your colleagues are suffering from this dilemma and want to Maximize Your Time, bookdrop me an email at info@aboutfaceimage.com .  Learning to focus your mind and knowing what gives you the best outcomes and best results will be the difference between success and failure, and that can make a significant difference to your bottom line.

admin Time Management demands, focus, interruptions, success, tasks, time

I just finished a full day Business Acceleration Bootcamp.  The feedback was great.  It gave the participants a chance to work on their business, rather than in their business.  And we all know from the book E-Myth, by Michael Gerber, how important it is to spend time working on the business – structure and systems.

Part of the focus for the day was establishing expert status. It is critical to spend uninterrupted time to focus solely on developing specific aspects of the business designed to position you as an expert, an authority in your niche.  Most of us don’t allow ourselves the luxury of uninterrupted time to think – to gain clarity around what will give us the most amount of exposure.  Writing a series of articles, publishing and repurposing them is necessary.  Becoming a trusted source to provide valuable information is a major key to ensure business success and a constant flow of clients.  What are you doing to become a trust source?

admin Business Acceleration Bootcamp articles, authority, clarity, E-Myth, Expert Status, focus, Michael Gerber, publishing, repurposing, structure, systems, think, time, trusted source

Taking care of business requires that you take care of your time.  It’s your most important asset.  One of the most common problems within business is the constant complaint that ‘there isn’t enough time in the day to get it all done’.  Well, let’s face it, you aren’t going to get it all done.  There always seems to be several other things that should and could be done when the day comes to an end.  Your productivity is affected by your efficiency and what you focus on during the day, and whether you are getting the desired results.  Remember Stephen Covey’s suggestion – keep the end in mind.   

Giving your full attention to necessary tasks can be difficult with constant interruptions – the phone, the cell phone, pager, faxes, colleagues asking questions, clients demanding your time, a mile high in-box and that “to-do list”.  Never enough hours in the day.  Some people put an enormous amount of pressure on themselves to produce – the workaholics.  Others are just too lazy and their work ethic leaves much to be desired.  If you spend the day doing the job, my suggestion is to learn to love what you are doing so it seems effortless. 

Focus on the top three things that need to get done – the three that will have the biggest impact on propelling the business forward and help you reach your goals.  Focus on the most difficult task first thing in the morning – get it done and completed and then move on to the second task.  By concentrating on only one thing, you will be far more productive.  Stretch yourself and tackle something you haven’t done before and push yourself further than you’ve pushed yourself before. Whether you succeed or fail is not the point.  Having the courage to try something new and to push yourself beyond the previous limits you have set for yourself, will help to build your confidence.  It will also broaden your experience. You can’t grow unless you stretch and move outside your comfort zone.  Life can be boring if it’s too easy.

For the week, focus on how you can touch base with clients and enhance your reputation.  How can you connect with clients and prospects?  Connection is about building a relationship with them as a trusted resource.  Focus on how you can stretch yourself – doing something to enhance your potential.  It’s a great business accelerator.

admin Business Acceleration Bootcamp, Maximum Impact Coaching Programs, Time Management clients, effectivenss, efficiency, interruptions, reputation, Stephen Covey, tasks, time, Time Management

Time and attention needs to be given diligently to enhancing your business image and to marketing strategies.  These two factors are essential for business success.  Generating profits during this recession is top of mind for most business owners.  In my Business Acceleration Bootcamp participants spend considerable time on the Revenue Model.  Perhaps it’s time to take a look at your Revenue Model and examine exactly how the money is flowing in.  What are you offering in the way of products and services?  Consider adding on a variety of other products and services to meet your customer needs.  Packaging or bundling to create another attractive price point and exceptional value is another effective marketing strategy.  Building your business image is enhanced by offering a great selection to clients.  It’s a great way to get noticed, known and remembered.

If you are struggling with an effective Revenue Model, drop me an email at info@AboutFaceImage.com and let see if my Building Your Business Image Coaching Program might be exactly what you are looking to generate more leads and profits.

admin Building Your Business Image, Business Acceleration Bootcamp, Marketing Tips Building Your Business Image, Business Acceleration Bootcamp, business image, business success, coaching program, Customer needs, exceptional value, Generating profits, Get Noticed Known and Remembered, leads, marketing strategies, money, price point, products, recession, Revenue Model, services