Categories
Success Attitude

Does Living Your Talents Lead to Success?

Does%20Living%20Your%20Talents%20Lead%20to%20Success.gif
Recently, my colleague Lynda-Ross and I were discussing the validity of the idea that if you have a positive attitude, follow your passion, and do what you love then success and money will follow. My position generally was that the idea was valid; hers was that it was not.
The discussion arose during a seminar in which the main speaker ridiculed the idea and gave several examples to make her point. It got both of us thinking about it because following your passion and doing more of what you love and what you do best is part of the VRFT philosophy. As the discussion progressed it became apparent that the message meant one thing to me, another to Lynda-Ross, and yet another to the seminar speaker. So, I concluded that if three pretty smart people were confused then there was a good chance that others were confused as well.
The idea has been expressed in many different ways and there are many popularized versions of the message. Off the top of my head I come up with: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow by Marsha Sinetar, The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson, and the popular film What The Bleep Do We Know. All are variations on the same theme.
The internet is full of discussion and debate both pro and con about whether or not doing what you love and following your passion will lead to money and success. I cannot speak for my colleague, the seminar speaker, or authors, both cited and un-cited, who have written books on the subject. But as the idea of Living Your Talents as a way to success is pretty important to what I do, I will express my ideas on the subject!
I think that the critique of this concept comes from three fallacies implied or stated:
* thought or attitude is the only necessary criteria for success,
* following your passion will make you successful, and
* doing what you love to do by itself will make you successful
Lets take them one at a time and examine what is left out.
Thought or attitude is the only necessary criteria for success.
This one is pretty obvious. Action is always required, as Jim Rohn says “After you have leapt about, there are some things that you must do.” Visioning success and having a positive attitude are important, but in order for things to happen we must also act. To paraphrase Goethe, too much reflection without experience drives us mad.
Following your passion will make you successful.
It all depends on what you mean by passion and how you follow it. Too many people confuse a passion for an external object or thing with an internal enthusiasm for a subject or activity that is skill and talent based. Following a passion for Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp is unlikely to result in success (unless you define charges of stalking as success!) while developing an innate skill for organization into a talent could lead to both success and money.
Doing what you love to do by itself will make you successful.
Beyond doing what you love to do you must evaluate failures and adjust, learn and develop new skills, and most importantly learn what is missing from your natural repertoire of skills and talents and find others who have those skills and can compliment yours.
Success and wealth are never guaranteed in any undertaking in life. There is no guarantee that using Your Talent Advantage will lead to success. But I do believe that pursuing activities that take advantage of skills and talents at which you are naturally gifted increases the odds of you doing the things described above which leads to success.
About the Author:
Gary Jordan, Ph.D., has over 27 years of experience in clinical psychology, behavioral assessment, individual development, and coaching. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology – Berkeley. He’s the co-founder of Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., a consulting firm that specializes in helping people discover their true skills and talents. www.vrft.com.

Categories
How-To Guides

How To Shorten Your Sales Cycle & Win More Clients, Faster!

salesbattle.jpg
Article Contributed By Coach Jeremy J. Ulmer
As a sales professional, entrepreneur or business owner, being able to effectively establish new client partnerships and increase sales results quickly is vitally important. When sales are going great it can be very exciting! When you have a great month you are filled with sales motivation!
But, after a while, things slow down and you hit a wall. You find yourself chasing after prospects and wondering why it is taking so long to convert prospects into clients.
You’re stumped!
You start exploring different techniques and try to find a solution. But, no matter what you try, the results are the same and the sales cycle is a much longer process than what you would like.
So where do you turn when you are stuck in sales quicksand and can’t get your prospects to move forward?
Here’s How You Can Shorten The Sales Cycle and Win More Clients, Increase Sales and Profits with 2 Simple Strategies:
1. Determine, Uncover & Clarify Challenges
If a prospect is not clear about their challenges and the impact of these challenges, this will greatly slow down the entire sales cycle. This is because the client does not yet believe their challenge is significant enough to take action, and guess what, because of this, they won’t take action! It is a waste of time for you to give information before understanding their needs, goals, challenges and problems. You are presenting a “solution” to someone who doesn’t believe they have a “problem.”
So, what do you do about this? Ask a lot of questions! Ask open ended questions. Get curious and don’t assume you understand their problem or challenge no matter how long you have been in the industry. Dig in and really find out what is going on, and ask follow up questions that focus in on the greater impact of their challenges. Uncover the impact of the current challenges on both the organization and the individuals or groups you are selling to. Your questions will help them understand and verbalize that they have a challenge or problem. Now you have the information you need to explain how you can help solve their challenge.
If you find yourself talking more than 20% of the time during your sales meetings with prospects, stop yourself, and ask a question!
2. Always Set A Clear Next Step
Have you ever heard this before? “Thanks for your time today, your product looks great and we will get back to you soon.” Yet, you never hear back, and end up having to chase, follow up, and make multiple calls, send multiple emails to no avail. That is not fun for you, nor is it fun for the prospective client.
How do you solve this?
Well, if you are a great salesperson or great sales minded business owner, you don’t need to chase. You don’t need to pressure. You don’t need to persuade. Really. You need to set up a clear next step, and if your prospect is not ready to take the next step, they will tell you, and you will determine if they are a serious prospect or not, on the spot.
Remember, give your prospects an option to say, “No.” When you do this, all the pressure is taken off of you, and more importantly off of your prospect. That way, they do not feel like they are being “sold,” nor do they feel any pressure from you. Many of the sales coaching programs and sales coaches still are teaching the same old techniques developed decades ago that involve pressure and persuading. You do not need to do that anymore and it does not work.
Simply set up the next step at the end of your meetings. The next step could be a follow-up face to face meeting or a scheduled phone call for example. However, make sure the next step is moving the sales cycle forward and has a scheduled date, time, and location.
Map out your sales cycle and know what steps need to take place. Here is an example of a 5 step sales cycle: 1. Initial appointment, qualification, discovery, 2. Agreement to conduct an in-depth analysis, 3. Demonstration of service or product, 4. Contract review meeting, 5. Signed agreement.
At the end of each meeting, you should be setting up the next meeting and next actions. Explain the next steps you both will need to take to start working together. Map it out for them and provide them with a simple document that explains the next steps with clear time lines. Ask them to commit to the next steps along the way. Guess what happens if you do this effectively? You don’t need to “close” or persuade, the sale will be made, faster, naturally, and more effectively.
These 2 steps will help you shorten your sales cycle and experience dramatically improved sales results. Don’t wait to make these changes, take action now, and make a commitment to yourself.
About the Author:
Sales Coaching & Business Coaching Expert, Jeremy J. Ulmer, has helped hundreds of sales professionals, sales leaders, businesses and entrepreneurs overcome sales and business challenges to achieve breakthrough results. Jeremy has been ranked a #1 sales performer in the U.S. for 4 years at two Global Fortune 500 Companies, is the former Director of Sales at the #1 Outsourced Sales Company in the U.S., and is a Featured Presenter on Sales Skills and Entrepreneurship at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. If you are ready to dramatically increase your sales or business results then subscribe for your Free Tips or request a Free Coaching Consultation at: http://www.CoachWithJeremy.com.

Categories
Entrepreneurs

Two Business Owners – Two Ways to Ring in Success in 2010

Two%20Business%20Owners%20-%20Two%20Ways%20to%20Ring%20in%20Success%20in%202010.jpeg
Most female entrepreneurs probably strive throughout the year to improve their business’ efficiency, strategize for growth and meet market needs. However, the New Year provides women business owners with an opportunity to slow down and really examine the structures on which they’ve built their companies, and to work strategically to better those structures for long-term success – in whatever way they define it.
A recent study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on female entrepreneurs, reveals there are five distinct types of women in business. Each one has a unique approach to running a business – and therefore each one has a unique combination of needs. This article outlines two of the five types and provides some advice for continued success and satisfaction as they ring in 2010.
Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business. Instead, she may have decided to start a business due to frustration with her job or a layoff and then she decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.
Accidental Jane business owners report feeling confident and fulfilled in their work, and they appreciate that their businesses provide them with a great work-life balance. On the other hand, Accidental Janes often say the ebbs and flows of business can be stressful. Sometimes the workload is overwhelming, and other times there doesn’t seem to be enough work. To obtain greater satisfaction starting in 2010, Accidental Jane business owners may want to consider the following tips:
Maintain an even workload. Accidental Jane’s marketing efforts usually run opposite her workload. For example, if she has several projects to work on, she slows down her marketing efforts because she doesn’t have time for more projects. On the other hand, when she nears completion on current projects, she starts marketing to find new clients to fill her time (and keep her income steady). How does a business owner maintain an even workload?
* Create a “non-negotiables” filter. Make a list of items you absolutely must have. These items may be: one work-free day per week, the ability to take a day off to care for loved ones if the need arises unexpectedly, projects that require creative stretch or clients with whom it is enjoyable to work. If a new opportunity comes up, but doesn’t allow Accidental Jane to have all the things on her must-have list, then she can pass it on to someone else. This way, Accidental Jane will only take on projects that she’s sure to enjoy and that are in keeping with her standards for living and working.
* Design an effortless, steady marketing system. Networking systems exist that don’t take up much time, yet allow for a steady stream of marketing opportunities. This is just right for Accidental Jane, who doesn’t want to spend too much time marketing, but who will undoubtedly appreciate a steadier workload. Putting a certain amount of time into social networking outlets such as Facebook, will allow Accidental Jane to market with little effort and steady results.
* Hire help. Some Accidental Janes are reluctant to hire help, in part because they enjoy their freedom and don’t want to be tied to employees or dragged into the politics they left behind in the corporate world. Hiring a virtual assistant for several hours per week, or a personal assistant to take care of the menial chores Accidental Jane doesn’t enjoy anyway, can take some of the smaller tasks off her hands, leaving her more time to do the work she loves.
Merry Jane. This entrepreneur is usually building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork) that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule. She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. She realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.
Merry Jane loves the way her business fits into her life. It gives her the flexibility to take care of the myriad other tasks and responsibilities she must complete, and it gives her a creative outlet at the same time. On the other hand, a majority of Merry Jane business owners said they would love to make more money. In 2010, Merry Jane can increase her business’ revenue by following some simple advice:
Increase marketing and sales. Defining a business’ target market and then marketing to that group is key to increasing a company’s bottom line. It sounds simple, and it is; consider these strategies before launching a huge campaign:
* Identify the target and form a clear message. Merry Jane must decide exactly who she wants to sell to, and why those people are likely to buy her product or service. A clear target and marketing message provide maximum efficiency for any marketing activity. To best define the market, ask existing customers why they chose Merry Jane’s company, what they enjoy about the company, and how the rates compare with other companies.
* Select a fitting marketing method. Traditional marketing that includes a call to action can bring customers in fast, but it’s also expensive. Traditional sales techniques require an investment of time that a Merry Jane may or may not want to invest. Networking gives Merry Jane entrepreneurs a chance to meet with other business owners and to sell services face to face. Affiliate marketing provides opportunities to work with other entrepreneurs and to earn commission and business. Referral marketing (in which existing customers earn a reward if they refer an acquaintance) is an easy way to gain new customers without much work, but it does require a strong existing customer base.
* Leverage existing customer relationships. Create programs in which customers get rewards after spending a certain amount of money. Offer an auto-ship program, where customers automatically receive (and pay for) a product, on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Referral programs gain new customers with little output.
A New Year is an excellent time to focus on opportunities for reaching unprecedented levels of satisfaction for business owners, in whatever way they define it. No matter how successful the previous year has been, the next year can be even better.
About the Author:
Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com

Categories
How-To Guides

How To Transform a Business Challenge Into a Business Breakthrough

How%20To%20Transform%20a%20Business%20Challenge%20Into%20a%20Business%20Breakthrough.JPG
Call me headstrong but once I make a decision to do something, I don’t let anything stand in my way. My motto is, “There’s always a way.”
This determination (or “grit” as my mom dubbed it) has helped me stay true to my Soul’s Divine Purpose of creating a highly successful coaching business, making great money doing what I love: helping women entrepreneurs design an exciting and lucrative, multiple streams of income business.
So when I hear a woman say she wants something, like to be in a coaching program, attend a workshop, invest in a training program or hire more team members, I think “Great! She’s made a wise decision that will support her success.”
But later, when the first little obstacle, delay or challenge pops up, I hear from her, “This must be a sign that I’m not supposed to do ….”
Ladies, please, you have got to be kidding me! Look at it this way: if you saw a gorgeous pair of shoes on sale for half off, would you let the fact that someone was standing in front of you stop you from snapping up those new heels? Of course not!
Let me share a big secret with you: a challenge is NOT the Universe “telling” you you’re not supposed to stay the course. Nor is it telling you it “isn’t meant to be.”
If you’re serious about achieving the goodies of success: money, respect, freedom, happiness, then let me share with you 3 quick tips for handling those moments when it feels like your plans are being threatened.
Tip #1: Don’t Confuse Fear With A Sign From The Universe
The moment you make a decision it’s likely fear will kick in, trying to “convince” you that you’re better off staying as-is, even though as-is clearly isn’t what you want.
Gently remind yourself that doubt is not truth. This is the moment to trust the wisdom of your initial decision. Do that, and you’ll reconnect yourself to the power of Divine Wisdom that helped you make that decision in the first place.
Tip #2: Approach Every Obstacle As An Opportunity For A Breakthrough
Once you make a decision to do something powerful for your business, such as joining a coaching program or attending an event, it’s not uncommon to have a challenge come up. What I do in this situation is use my “there’s always a way” belief to help me quickly create solutions, thus negating the power of the challenge to take me off course. What I don’t do is let those challenges change my mind.
Tip #3: Ask For Help Rather Than Giving Up
I just received an email from a client who was strapped for the cash needed to purchase her plane ticket so she could attend an event. She was literally hours away from having to cancel her plans. Rather than give up, she reached out. Within hours she had the money, secured her ticket, and was celebrating this as a major breakthrough.
Remember, How You Do One Thing Is How You Do All Things
Ask every successful woman how she got where she is today and she’ll tell you that she didn’t take no for an answer and she didn’t let obstacles, challenges or excuses change her mind about something she decided she wanted.
Just because Universal Source energy wants you to be successful doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges along the way. It’s up to you to see those challenges for what they are: an opportunity for a breakthrough.
So, my beloved friend, the next time you’re tempted to give in and say, “it must be a sign” remember that it IS a sign…a sign for you to stay in your power, stay faithful to your decision and focus on getting what it is you want. You can do it!
About the Author:
Kendall SummerHawk, the Million Dollar Marketing Coach, is an expert at helping women entrepreneurs at all levels design a business they love and charge what they’re worth and get it. Kendall delivers simple ways entrepreneurs can design and price their services to quickly move away from ‘dollars-for-hours work’ and create more money, time, and freedom in their businesses. For free articles, free resources and to sign up for a free subscription to Kendall’s Money, Marketing and Soul weekly articles, visit www.kendallsummerhawk.com.

Categories
Sales & Marketing

How to Never Sell Again – No Matter What Business You’re In

How%20to%20Never%20Sell%20Again%20-%20No%20Matter%20What%20Business%20You%E2%80%99re%20In.jpg
If you’re like most people, the idea of selling fills you with fear and dread. Maybe it’s the fear of rejection or the cheesy sales pitch. Regardless, it’s not an activity many of us look forward to.
Usually the image that comes to mind is that of a used car salesman – a backslapping, glad-handing, insincere person with a gift for gab, and a pressure close. Very few of us want to see ourselves like that.
Yet in reality, you sell to people every day. If you didn’t, it would be very hard to survive in this world.
When you have a discussion with your co-worker about your feelings on global warming, you’re “selling.” When you persuade your child to pick up her clothes, you’re “selling.” When you change your spouse’s mind about where to go out for dinner, you’re “selling.”
Without this selling it would be extremely difficult to get the things you need from others and to get others to appreciate what you have to offer. So the problem is not with the activity as much as it is with our interpretation of the word “sell.”
What would happen if, instead of selling, you practiced the “art of persuasion?” What could you accomplish if you understood selling to simply mean the goal of educating someone else to see your point of view?
How would that change your feelings about the activities involved?
Knowing how to persuade and influence others is definitely one of the key skills that anyone who is successful possesses. Depending on our particular perceptual style, each of us has our own way of persuading and influencing.
So, if the word “sales” gives you the willies, discover your style and learn how to influence others naturally!
Here’s how; practice. Today, intentionally set out to influence or persuade three people. Try something silly with no pressure. Notice what specific behaviors you use that seem to have a positive effect and what behaviors seem to “turn people off.”
Aboit the Author:
Lynda-Ross Vega: A partner at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., Lynda-Ross specializes in helping entrepreneurs and coaches build dynamite teams and systems that WORK. She is co-author of Vega Role Facilities Theory, a revolutionary psychological assessment system that teaches people how to unleash their deepest potentials for success. For free information on how to succeed as an entrepreneur or coach, create a thriving business and build your bottom line doing more of what you love, visit www.VRFT.com