Archive for October, 2009

Every business owner, even the really successful ones have been guilty of making mistakes in their business. The difference between the truly successful ones and those that aren’t are that they learn from their mistakes and are not afraid to take the risks to deploy strategies to take their business to the next level. Here are nine strategies for you to start using in your business today.

1. Don’t Work Without A Plan
You wouldn’t take a vacation without planning your days, activities and your budgets so why would you run your business without a plan. A solid marketing plan is the foundation to every successful business and if you want to achieve greatness, you must be thinking about how you are going to accomplish this each and every day.

2. Stay True to Your Mission and Be The Leader
Every business has a brand identity. A reason they went into business and an impression that they want to leave with their customers. Do not sway from your mission. To be the leader in your market, you must be the first to try new things. Do not do what your competition is doing by mimicking their marketing and advertising. Stand apart from the masses and be unique.

3. Consistency is the Key
Once you have a powerful message, shout it from the rooftops and shout it out often. Your message has to be repeated over and over again and in every communication the business sends out into the marketplace both internal and external – Your marketing material, your website, your employees and every client touch point should be screaming the same message every time.

4. Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up
To really accelerate your business, you must build a business based upon referrals. To obtain referrals you must master the art of the follow up. You business will grow from your existing client base either engaging additional services or referring you to others. Keep in touch with them often.

5. Don’t Be A Super Hero
Do not try to go at it alone. You are not a superhero and will eventually burn out quickly. Surround yourself with talented people and lead them to victory. You focus on what you do best and outsource other tasks to topic experts who can help advance your business.

6. Wow ‘Em
The best activity you can focus on is to wow your customers. Create an experience that they will remember. The best customer experience is generated by the details. Those little things that make all the difference in the world and usually doesn’t cost the business owner much to do.

7. Leverage Your Systems
From this point forward, you should be thinking about how you can leverage your business. Everything that you do should be able to support multiple efforts and activities. For example, if you are marketing, how can you use that same marketing in other venues. If you write an article, can you turn that content into other pieces like an ebook, a blog post or a white paper that you can give to your customers.

8. Network Every Day
Business is built by the people you meet. Make a goal for yourself to network each and every day. A good system is to commit to reaching out to five new people a day to introduce yourself and to see how you can assist them with no expectation of a returned favor.

9. Build Alliances with Influencers
Chances are there are other businesses that complement your offering. Align yourself with those other business owners and collaborate on how you can help each other’s business. This will give you an opportunity to reach a new market, offer new products and build your network within your industry.

Did you ever have one of those days?  You know the ones where your world is crashing and you are slowly plummeting into depression.  We have all had those times in our lives when we get a little down.  Our spirits are crushed and maybe we even a tad depressed.  Our world as we know it and the people we trust the most seem to be at odds with us and that wonderful spirit and light you used to have shine inside of you doesn’t anymore.   Even if it for a moment, a day or a week, there are actions you can take that will help you break out of your mood. When you feel down, there are a few things you can do to try to pick yourself up again.  Here are a few tips:

 1. Exercise. Going to the gym, taking a walk, going for a run is an excellent way to improve your mood.  You don’t need to overdo it, just enough to get your body moving and your blood pumping.

 2. Pamper yourself.  Take some time to do something nice for yourself.  Take a hot bath, get a massage, sit and read a book.  Whatever makes you happy and something that is specific to you. The simple act of doing something nice for yourself will give you an instant pick me up!

 3. Get out of the house and do something. Sometimes, a change of scenery can do a world of good. Just getting out will instantly changes your mood. If you stay home, you will sulk and over think the day.   

 4. Play upbeat music. When all else fails, turn up that radio, ipod or put on a CD and play some upbeat music.  Something that reaches down into your core and motivates you  and if you can, dance, dance, dance until you feel better.

5.  Talk about it. Reach out to a friend or your spouse and talk it thru with them.  Your trusted confidants will be there for you and will help you get clarity and inspire you to cheer up.

One of the most important things a business owner can do is learn how to speak about their business to others. Being able to answer the “What do you do?” question and sum up the unique aspects of their business in a way that excites others to inquire more in a brief and concise manner. This is often called the elevator pitch for the intended time it takes you to ride an elevator. Can you answer the “what do you do?” question in 30 seconds or less and entice your audience to want to learn more? Sometimes going back to the basics is the best approach to learn a new technique. Just remember the ABC’s.
A. Audience
Know your audience and the specific needs your product and/or service serve. You want to be able to drill down to your ideal customer (your niche) and be able to target their demands in your elevator pitch. Many business owners have no idea who their ideal customers are or how to drill down and target their demands,  so one way to set you apart is to really understand your target audience.

B. Benefits
What value or benefits are you bringing to your audience? Be concise and be specific. Many business owners are either too broad in this statement or confuse features with benefits. A benefit statement is always from the buyer’s point of view and what they receive from using your product or service. For example, increased profits by 22%, reduced risk, created 18% efficiency resulting in higher profits, etc.

C. Creative Offering
Now, imagine searching for one exact fish in a very large pond and all you have is one “hook” to reel that fish in. Now next to your hook are thousands of other hooks that your competition has casted into the same pond. If you don’t know what will make that one fish bite on your hook, you will be landing your fish by luck rather than by skill. Being able to develop your marketing “hook”, specific to your fish,  will require you to know exactly who your customer is and the benefits you bring to them. This will entice them to buy from you. Your creative offering should be why you are different. Many competitors are bringing the same benefits to your target market. So, why are you different?

You know your business better than anyone and you are the best suited to show your passion about what you do. Allow your passion to come through and speak from your heart. As long as you understand your audience, what specifically you do for them and in what unique way, you will master the elevator pitch.

Rome wasn’t built in a day” How many times have you heard that saying.  The same goes for building a business.  It takes time to nurture a business and build a buzz that will get you to your goals.  Setting unrealistic expectations can be very damaging to your culture and momentum because you will believe you are failing.  Worse, your staff will believe they are failing and morale will decline resulting in poor performance, resulting in bad customer service and eventually resulting declining profits.  Be realistic in your expectations and work to create a positive energy that will permeate through your business and attract customers like a magnet.   

 Secret # 1 Be Flexible in Your Strategy    

 Knowing exactly what you want should be firm but your strategy should be flexible.  Unsuccessful businesses do not have a flexible strategy, they often move along on autopilot doing the same things over and over again and again the same way expecting different results.  What’s the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.  Some managers run staff meetings the same way over and over again, expecting different results, some associates talk to their customers the same way, expecting different results, some people communicate the same way to their boss, or peers the same way over and over again, expecting different results. A flexible strategy allows you to move along your plan making adjustments to what is not working, but always keeping your target firm.

 Secret # 2 Be Consistent and Clear in Your Communications

Through this consistent application of good, solid but strategic hard work coupled with positive energy and commitment towards reaching your goals, your business will flourish.  The goal is not only to be realistic in your expectations but to be flexible and accept that things happen and require change.  Being a flexible leader who can think out of the box will make you and your business more resilient to business challenges, industry trends and economic changes.  Be a strong communicator who is consistent an clear will ensure your expectations for deliverables are met.

 Secret # 3 Create a Winning Culture with Smaller Attainable Goals

 Make it a habit to set clear and realistic expectations with reasonable goals and your culture will soar.  A great tip is to break your goals and expectations into little tiny goals creating easy wins for your team and your customers.  This constant state of winning will be a guaranteed formula for success. Setting realist expectations will create a winning culture and create a positive force field around your business resulting in higher employee performance, creative solutions development, increased sales activities, higher profits and prospect curiosity.   Everyone wants to be with the winning Team.  Success breeds success and it is infectious. 

©Kellie D’Andrea & Associates

Want to use this article in your newsletter or web site?

You can, just include this complete blurb with it: Kellie D’Andrea is the creator of the BLAST 9O Day Coaching Program and teaches biz owners how to build the business of their dreams for a life of freedom, profits and fulfillment. Interesting in growing your business, sign up for her FREE mini course “The Empowered Entrepreneur” and learn how to take the journey to freedom, profits and fulfillment at www.kelliedandrea.com

Effective communication is one of the most powerful skills an entrepreneur can master to guarantee success.   Business is based upon human connections whether it is in leading your staff and advisory team, marketing your brand, selling your products or working with business partners.  Communication is an essential part of business.  A common mistake is not learning how to master the art of communicating.  In your powerhouse role, you need to be able to communicate your vision, passion, direction and expectations being the 3c’s  -clear, concise and consistent.  As a leader, you must be able to connect with everyone in a way that they understand what you expect of them.  By not being an effective communicator your message will be unclear, wrong actions will be taken and could result in serious issues being developed in your business.   A simple task is to ask who you are speaking with to recap your discussion, action points and timelines.  This way, you are able to assess if you have a meeting of the minds and if you communicated effectively.  Individuals process communications in very different ways, don’t assume just because you are speaking, your staff understands. 

Here are some useful tips:

• Deliver your message but do so in the context of your audience.  Know who you are speaking to and what point of reference they are approaching your communication.  Keep your message focused.  If you need to convey a 30 word point and it takes you 300 words to deliver your message than 90% of what you said is wasteful.  Do you want to leave it up to your audience to pick what 10% is useful.  Be clear and to the point.

• Body language is just as important as the spoken word.  Be aware of your posture, eye contact and hand gestures.  Chances are if you are not making eye contact because you are scanning the room while you speak to someone, they will conclude you are either distrustful or not interested in the conversation.

•  Communicate frequently.  Your team, staff and business partners need to hear from you often.  Although email is a quick and easy way to communicate, business is based on human interaction and connection.  Pick up the phone or hold a meeting just as often as you email.

•  Be sure to ask for a recap.  Most times not everyone is on the same page and if someone (other than you) provides a recap, you can get a sense if all understood your message.

• Be aware of your tone.  Evaluate if your tone suits your message and speak   appropriately for the topic, the audience and your surroundings.  Screaming in the middle of a room isn’t a trait of a strong leader.

©Kellie D’Andrea & Associates

Want to use this article in your newsletter or web site?

You can, just include this complete blurb with it: Kellie D’Andrea is the creator of the BLAST 9O Day Coaching Program and teaches biz owners how to build the business of their dreams for a life of freedom, profits and fulfillment. Interesting in growing your business, sign up for her FREE mini course “The Empowered Entrepreneur” and learn how to take the journey to freedom, profits and fulfillment at www.kelliedandrea.com