Archives for October 2011

Determine, Engage, Ignore

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So last week, I talked about that feeling of having One Foot On the Gas, and One On the Brake, and I promised this week to include some ideas on how to survive that gear-grinding feeling.

It boils down to this: focus on the things you have control over. And the things you have control over are your ACTIVITIES, not your results.

You have no control over the state of the country’s economy, or someone saying no to you, or whether or not people return your phone calls. What you DO have control over are things like MAKING phone calls, WRITING articles, SENDING emails, ASKING for business, ATTENDING networking functions. All of these things are 100% within your control.

I’m going to give you a simple 1-2-3 to make your business activities more effective, easy and profitable.

1.  Determine which activities (the ones you have 100% control over) lead to the results you want.

Look over your newest 10 clients, and determine which activities led them to your door. Do you see a trend between making phone calls and receiving referrals? Sending an e-newsletter and making sales?

2.  Engage in these activities consistently.

Decide how many times you’ll engage in these activities, and do them consistently. For instance, when I was in real estate, my activities were: 1 mailing to my database a month, 1 client lunch per week, 5 phones calls per day, and 3 note cards per day. This consistent activity led me to triple my business in one year.

3.  Ignore the stuff that is beyond your control.

It’s almost like you have to put blinders on to block out the loud, insistent negativity and fear that comes with all of the things that are beyond your control. But do it you must if you don’t want to go crazy!

And guess what happens when you decide, engage, and ignore?

  • You feel more relaxed, knowing you’re investing in the highest return on investment activities
  • You have more time in your day
  • New clients seems to come out of nowhere

Sounds too easy, right? Well, it tripled my real estate income one year, so easy or not – it works!

If the above concepts seem like good ideas, but you just can’t wrap your head around how to get them integrated into your business on a consistent basis, please contact me, and we can talk about how I might be able to help. I offer short-term (often just one session) business training that lets my clients establish simple action plans that yield consistent results.

One Foot on the Gas, and One on the Brake

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While visiting my husband at his real estate office in Sedona recently, I saw a woman walking across the parking lot, lugging a box of stuff toward the nearby coffee shop. She was had a tired air about her, yet a fluidity to her walk – almost a carelessness. Something itched at the back of my mind – what was this quality I was witnessing?

Then it hit me- she’s an entrepreneur.

I saw a beautiful stubbornness that I could immediately relate to: the absolute commitment to do ANYTHING in order to avoid being tied down to working for someone else.

Soul sister!

I have a special place in my heart for entrepreneurs, especially those who are taking their first wobbly steps towards working for themselves. I sigh with almost motherly pride when I see an entrepreneur set up an information table at a coffee shop, or in front of the health food store. My heart aches with joy when I see a man at a restaurant present his “30 second commercial” to his waiter. It makes me laugh – the inexperience, the tenacity, the enthusiasm. It’s all just such a strange and wonderful combination. We put our pride, our hearts, and our hopes on the line in pursuit of freedom.

And yes, I realize I am romanticizing. Along with my sighing and the aching, I know the shadow side. Sleepless nights from both success highs and failure lows. The ups and downs of income. The skepticism of family and friends who think we are completely nuts. On the down days, we suspect they might be right.

It’s no wonder we entrepreneurs often feel like we have one foot on the gas and one on the brake.

So how do you manage this sometimes gear-grinding feeling? I recommend having a laser focus on, and consistent engagement in, the things you 100% control over. To be continued next week…

Cornered!

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Scenario #1: You’re at a business networking event, and are approached by an enthusiastic woman. She says to you, “You really need to try my vitamins. You’ll feel healthy, more energetic, and get more done every day. When would you like to set up an appointment to meet?”

Scenario #2: You’re at a business networking event, and are approached by an enthusiastic man. He says to you, “You know a lot of people, right? Here are 5 of my business cards for you to give out to people you know.”

Scenario #3: You’re at a business networking event, and are approached by a man. He says to you, “Have you ever heard of my company? It’s been around for 24 years and was founded in a small town in Northern California where the trees are tall and the land is wild. It’s in this wilderness that a new vision was born, a vision of prosperity, a vision of hope, a vision of endless possibilities. Our founder was born in 1965 in a small town in Massachusetts. How did he get from Massachusetts to California? I’ll tell you the whole story…”

If you’ve ever been to a networking event, it’s likely you’ve encountered at least one of these scenarios. So how have you dealt with them in the past? Often, we just let these well-meaning folks monopolize our time, which leaves us feeling resentful that we spent all evening with a self-absorbed bozo who never even asked for our card.

Sometimes we cut them off and walk away. Not a bad solution, but it still defeats the purpose of networking, which is to create connections.

Try the following responses the next time you’re cornered.

Scenario 1. “I don’t need your product now, but if you can be specific about the kind of client you’re looking for, I’ll definitely keep my eye out for them. Give me one of your cards so that I’ll have your information when I cross paths with good referrals.”

Scenario 2. “I really love referring the people I know to the services they need, but would need to know more about who your ideal client is. If you can be specific about the kind of client you’re looking for, I’ll definitely keep my eye out for them. I’ll keep one of your cards so I can send them your way.”

Scenario 3. (interrupting them) “Let me stop you for a second, if you don’t mind. I do want to know more about what you do, and what would be most helpful to know is specifics about the kind of client you’re looking for, so that can keep my eye out for them. Give me one of your cards so that I’ll have your information when I cross paths with good referrals.”

You’ll notice a common thread through them all, of course. Each of them positions you as the expert networker, someone who is interested in connections and service, even when approached in a less than professional manner.