Imagine 10 years of being my own boss, of learning to market my business better, of disciplining myself to spend time on the tasks that matter most, and of helping clients live their dreams – priceless.  And although there were a few times I wondered if I should go back to get a “real” job, I realize that my work is the most real  and truest work I’ll ever get to using my skills and bringing me joy – I am truly blessed to be a successful Coach and business owner.  

Reflecting on where my clients have come from, I begin to see patterns and similarities, and can see what works and what doesn’t to grow a six figure business.

1) Be Ready.  Being self employed means having the liberty to run an errand or stop at the market between client appointments.  But, at those times, don’t let your guard down, keep your business owners hat on.  Keep looking for opportunities to share your professional face.  I’ve gotten business while grocery shopping, booked a new client being on the massage table and scheduled speaking gigs visiting the chiropractor.  Opportunities for business are all around you so don’t get caught without your business cards, your appointment calendar, and looking professional and polished for your type of work.     
 
2) Be on the lookout for places to contribute.  Is your local Chamber of Commerce looking for a new member on their board?  Does the annual town festival need someone on their planning committee?  When you contribute, you get known in your community and you build a reputation. The networking groups I started and ran were a big boost to putting me in the spotlight, enhanced my credibility and connected me with exponential opportunities.  Put yourself out there where you will value contributing and making a difference. 

3) Be aware that not every offer is an opportunity.  Although this may contradict my earlier statement, be careful not to say YES to everything that comes along.  Protecting your time as a business owner is critical to your success.  Ask yourself if by agreeing to become involved will get you exposed to your target market. Will the role be something you love to do and that uses your talents while showing you as an expert?  Take in consideration the other demands of your life outside of work.  While helping to care for my Dad who had Alzheimer’s, I stepped down from some community involvement.  Be aware that burnout is very real for small business owners and protect yourself from over committing, or you’ll find yourself backed up with work to do and feeling overwhelmed.

4) Say yes to opportunities whenever possible.  When I collaborated with a colleague and gave a seminar on FACE BOOK, I was not the Facebook expert, but I was an expert trainer and my colleague had never done a live seminar.  Together we gave a terrific training seminar, a smashing success.  And the reason to say yes whenever possible is because one thing leads to another.  At that training, a participant asked if I could do LINKEDIN training for his organization.  While pretty familiar with LinkedIn, I did not think of myself as an expert.  I said YES and brought in another colleague who was an expert that led to the two of us having a 6 month contract of LINKEDIN training for a Fortune 500 company that doubled our income on the spot.  I focused on teaching what I do best; identifying a company brand and strategic visioning  while my colleague focused on the details of using LinkedIn.  By the end of the 6 months, I was an expert on how to use LinkedIn, and exponentially wealthier because I said YES.  

5) Always have a Mentor, Coach or be involved in a Mastermind Group.  The challenges of undertaking any new venue, whether growing a business, backpacking for a week in Colorado or learning how to do Asian cooking means you have to rely on others to guide you and show you the way. Trying to figure out the best ways to grow your business by yourself is like jumping into a river of swift current without a life jacket on – risky stuff.  The money I’ve invested in my business over 10 years has allowed me to get to the place of security and knowledge I have now, where I can be a leader and role model to other entrepreneurs.

While I could go on and one with more methods, I’d love to hear yours. Reading books has added to my toolkit of success strategies, books like Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and Michael Gerber’s the E-Myth.  What is a book you’ve learned from or a success strategy you can share that has kept you sustaining your business for the long run?   Send your thoughts to me at jane@janemorrison.com and have a motivating day!

You want to be an expert networker because otherwise it is a big waste of your time and money. When you join a networking group, make sure it’s for the right reasons and that you follow these 10 strategies for success. You’ll reap the benefits of adding potential customers to your client’s database, make good friends and even find mentors yourself.

1. Choose the Right Group: Make sure you are visiting or joining a group who has people who need what you’ve got, or know others that do. You want to carefully consider the reason the group gets together and see if it’s a fit for your overall business goals, as well as your personal values. Groups not only have different member databases, but they also have different personalities, and you want to make sure it’s a good fit for you.
2. Show Up & Be Involved: Far too often people invest in joining a group, but place attending it on a regular basis low on the priority list. In a networking group, you definitely give what you get, so regular attendance is a must. Join the leadership group or offer to teach a segment on an area where you excel.Being seen as a leader lends credibility to yourself and that makes you attractive and trustworthy to others.
3. Master your Elevator Speech: Be sure you can confidently and clearly speak about the value and benefits of your product or services. Don’t be afraid to read from notes to keep you on track. Having a “call to action” encourages the listener to take the next step to get in touch with you.
4. Be Yourself: The world is made up of many different personalities, and the people you attract will be drawn to you because of who you are, your personal values and individuality. Use your gifts of humor, kindness, sincerity, wisdom etc. as your assets and don’t shy from shining your own light.
5. Give First: Nothing is more of a turnoff than having someone push themselves on you to buy from them. Sales are built on relationships and relationships are created by getting to know each other. Asking open-ended questions of others, “why did you choose your business name, how did you get started in your field, what are some of your challenges?” will open up a dialogue to get to know one another and how you can be or service to them. Remember the “Give to Get” Golden Rule.
6. Ask for What you Want: Knowing how another networker can help you will allow you to be prepared for that question. Is your goal to invite them to an open house, an upcoming workshop or call you for a complimentary consultation? Be clear with your requests, you don’t get what you don’t ask for.
7. Be Sure to Follow-Up: The initial meeting is just the beginning, and rarely is a place of sale. It’s after the meeting and what you do with your contact’s information that is critical. Be sure to let your contact know you’d like to enter their information in your client database to keep in touch with them, and with their permission, start a “keep in touch” system to nourish the relationships.
8. Develop the Relationship: Remember it takes 7-10 times for a potential client to hear from you in order to gain trust and credibility and for them to want to do business with you. Out of sight means out of mind. Whether it’s through a monthly newsletter or email series, be helpful to your contacts and they’ll remember you in turn when it’s time for them to purchase what you’ve got.
9. Arrive Prepared: Rushing in the door disheveled at the last minute won’t earn you any points. Arrive on time, prepared with plenty of business cards, and take extra time to greet others and make your guest feel comfortable. People buy from those they like, know and trust!
10. Enjoy Yourself! Networking can be really fun and rewarding, and the relationships can enhance your life tremendously personally and professionally. Make it a habit to show up with positive energy and you’ll reap great rewards.

Making Twitter Easy

One of my goals for my personal business development is to increase
my use and get savvier with social networking, especially Twitter.

I’ve admittedly been a “lurker” on the twitter scene especially,
because the feeling I got is that these “tweets” are a bunch of
hyped up vendors trying to sell me something.

But after taking several classes to really learn more about
social networking, and by seeing how the people I admire
“tweet”, I’m convinced that it has incredible power, when
used in the manner that makes it most effective – and that is
“being a resource and giving to others.”

It took a bit of practice to shift my mindset, but
once I started to think about how I could be helpful to someone,
or connect people with each other, it felt really good to be able to
solve a problem or provide resources that helped them out.

I’ve practiced this “giving, connecting and helping” philosophy from the in-person network groups I’ve belonged to. The more I tried to connect people, be helpful and give them business leads, the more satisfied I was with the networking experience. And I saw the
success others received by also being a resource. The ones who only had their own self interest in mind most often annoyed others.

Remember, in order to build your business, you must practice
the “KNOW, LIKE and TRUST” factor. Online social networking
is an effective strategy to do just that.

A quote from Mitch Albom says “The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”  We can all do that!