How to Conduct a Check-up On Your Marketing Strategies for 2012

Recently, as a Business Coach, I’ve been conducting client strategy and new client discovery sessions to assess the effectiveness of their business marketing strategies.  We are then creating a relevant action plan that is applicable and exciting for 2012.  Of course, this is an on-going process that isn’t static, but living, therefore requiring continuous assessing, tweaking, learning, planning, and readjusting.  Here are some of the questions you should be working through as you determine how 2011 went for you.  Then take the time to determine how you want 2012 to unfold regarding your marketing plan.  Start here:

What was your customer acquisition goal for 2011?______

What percentage of customers did you retain?______

What percentage of customers did you lose?______

How many total customers do you have?______

How many of them were thrilled with your services? ______

                        Satisfied?________

                        Unhappy?________

How many new customers were acquired in 2012? ________

What percentage of new growth is this? ________

Where did they come from, what percentage came from which marketing strategy:

            Personal contact? ________

            Networking Event? ________

            Social Media?________

            Print? ________

            Ezine?________

            Because of a referral? ________

Where did the majority of these new orders come from?          

                        Within your city? ________

                        Another state? ________

What percentage of returning customers re-ordered?  ________

How often did you drop by, call, follow-up to receive

these returning orders?________

How many” touches” did it require for the order? ________

What form of touch worked best?  Percentage from:

            Personal contact? ________

            Social Media? ________

            Print? ________

            Ezine? ________

What percentage of customers come from your

target market? ________

What other industries land in your top 20% revenue?  ________

How many new customers make up your top 20%  ________

of your revenue?

How many returning customers make up your top 20%

of your revenue?   ________

 What other industries land in your top 20% revenue?  ________

 What strategies do you employ to follow-up with new and existing customers?

Do this kind of assessment, and I guarantee you’ll be astounded at what you discover.  With a few of my clients doing this process in January, they already not only discovered that 80% of their revenue in 2011 came from only 20% of their clientele, it was amazing to see that statistically they’re absolutely typical!  The value of this information is that now they know where 80% of their time should be spent moving forward. If you add to this mix, a few new strategies, continuous training, and a bit more evaluation, you’ll find yourself developing a system to stay ahead of the roller coaster so many find themselves on when marketing ineffectively.

Leadership Behaviors, A List of 25 of the Most Important

What Leaders must DO – The Behaviors They Need to Exhibit for greater leadership influence.

Do you know what they are?  Better yet, do you exhibit them yourself?  Write next to each word/phrase giving yourself a 1-10, 10 being best on how you’re doing.  Then let others in your company do the same, ON YOU that is!  Hummm . . . who will take me up on this intimidating, but revealing activity? 

Leadership has been aspired to, examined, torn apart, written up in every literary form to man, but when you have to determine if your management team is exhibiting the needed behaviors to lead your business to greatness, where do you begin?   As well, how do assess and determine if your training has been effective in this area?   You need some kind of comprehensive list to go by.  Steve has synthesized and melded the work of others to come up with this list, and I think it’s a great conglomeration of “actions most needed for superior leadership competencies”, therefore providing a mirror to hold up, whether it be for yourself, or with your team leaders.  When it gets right down to it, you build collaboration, team work, and influence according to what you do, not by what you say you do.  As an Executive Coach, I would love to dig even deeper.  Assess what will make you better, and then hold you accountable, but it’s a post.  So take it as deep as you can – then when you need assistance implementing, call me, so we can talk about creating a strategic leadership plan specifically designed for YOU and YOUR SUCCESS!  We all need one you know.

So what do you think, do you disagree, or have something to add?  Leave a comment even if it may be controversial.

This list is taken from Steve Arneson – of the Leadership Examiner

1. Being a Role Model for Integrity and Ethics
2. Demonstrating Optimism and Positive Energy
3. Learning the Business
4. Establishing a Vision and Mission
5. Setting Strategy and Priorities
6. Hiring Great Talent
7. Creating a Culture of Customer Focus
8. Building High Performance Teams
9. Motivating and Inspiring Others
10. Delegating and Empowering
11. Listening
12. Communicating
13. Driving for Results
14. Managing and Evaluating Performance
15. Coaching and Developing Talent
16. Managing Complexity and Ambiguity
17. Managing Your Time
18. Evaluating Risk
19. Resolving Conflict
20. Driving Innovation
21. Influencing Others
22. Collaborating Across the Organization
23. Demonstrating Passion for Your Work
24. Being a Champion for Work/Life Balance
25. Keeping Things in Perspective (Humility and Gratitude)

So, who’s your hero?  Who do you know that exhibits more that is on this list than anyone else you know?  If you could work on one thing, you’d like to add to your leadership list, what would it be?  Now go to Marshall Goldsmith’s Library and learn the “Feed Forward” activity, and go to 3 people you know and trust wants your best for your life, and follow his instructions.  You’ll be glad you did!

Here’s to you, and your leadership development!

Sue The “Accidental Leader“

Taking the Accident Out of Your Leadership and Your Life and Instead Helping You Make it Intentionally EXCELLENT!

Over 20 Values an Executive Coach Provides

The Key Benefits of Enlisting a Business Coach 

The other day I was meeting with a woman who asked me, “Sue I know what a Life Coach does, but I don’t know the purpose of an Executive/Business Coach?”  Well, it’s not counseling, and it’s not consulting, although I shift into this mode frequently.  The best way I can describe it is for you to think of a coach of an Olympic Athlete.  Now, that elicits exactly what we do, but for a business leader.  We are your greatest supporter, your cheerleader, and a bit of a velvet brick.  Our purpose is to ensure you become successful:

• To challenge, develop, and assist you in improving your leadership skills.
• Uncover and develop your unique leadership style.
• Provide essential feedback regarding gaps in your skills and abilities. Discovering feedback in a safe, private environment.
• Reveal so you can abort any self-sabotaging ways which would jeopardize your leadership and your job.
• Expedite the improvement of your time management and organizational skills.
• Help you to develop greater abilities in making appropriate, time bound decisions.
• Establish concrete goals for change and progress.
• Someone to hold you ACCOUNTABLE to do the things you know you need to do, to become the leader you aspire to be.
• A uniquely rich development opportunity to truly discover all you were meant to be.
• Have a non-partisan, non judgmental, objective third party who is an impartial sounding board.
• Assistance to execute key business initiatives.
• Help in balancing work and life priorities.
• Cultivate exceptional ability to influence those you lead.
• Development of your unique personal mission, vision, and values.
• Reduce turnover while building loyalty and retention.
• Successfully navigate the white waters of conflict.
• Enhance and fine-tune your decision making skills, learning to appropriately evaluate business risks, while navigating any politically entrenched environment.
• Inspire peak performance in employees by employing fresh leadership insights.

Contact Sue right now, with the e-mail below, to set up a complimentary Discovery Session to explore if Executive Coaching is right for you right now.  Sue will be doing the same, discerning if you’re a good fit, as a client, for her.  If all is compatible, we then co-create a plan that works specifically for you, and your specific needs. Contact Sue at AccidentalLeader@comcast.net for more information, and to set up our Discovery Session.

Stop Being Frustrated with What You’ve Not Achieved!

Five Ways to Get back into, or Stay in SDM, Success Driven Mode

Having lived with chronic physical issues, I live in the world of being frustrated with how little I’ve accomplished each day.  Even today, here I am sitting at the computer with my adorable co-dependent kitty draped over my shoulder wishing I had gotten more done.   We live in the desert where we have the most wonderful monsoon weather, which simultaneously creates a monsoon in my back.  (A monsoon is very stormy, violent weather)  Yesterday, I began the day filled with visions of all I wanted to achieve, yet as the day progressed, so did my challenges.  Now, you may not have a physical challenge, maybe you still have children at home, while attempting to work, or parents you’re taking care of, been there done that too!  Or, you may have some other issue hindering your output.  This said, I am truly a blessed business woman, and I’m sure you are as well, if you look hard enough to find those things to be thankful for.   So, how do I keep directionally moving forward toward my dream, when my body goes south?  Here are five ways to quit being frustrated, and coach and manage yourself to keep moving forward to be the leader you were meant to be! This is how to make a demand on yourself to stay in SDM -  Success Driven Mode:

YOUR COACHING MOMENT with Sue, The “Accidental Leader“:

1. Set your goals for the day the night before. Then be sure you’ve gone back and chosen the 20% that will give you the 80% ROI for your time and effort. PUT THESE ITEMS ON YOUR LIST TO DO FIRST.
2. Be sure to start your day off spiritually.  I spend time with the Lord in prayer and meditation on His Word.  The more I need to get done, the more I know I need this focus and centering in my life, and in my business.
3. Stick to your goals for the day – relentlessly!  Only substitute if it is the kind of emergency only you can do, that can’t be done by someone else, some other time.   Delegate otherwise, or delete altogether!
4. Be grateful at the end of the day for the small things you’ve accomplished.  Write them down.  I guarantee this will chase the grumpies away.  And while you’re at it, don’t compare yourself to the high performers, instead look at someone worse off than yourself, then take the time to be thankful that you have the strength, skills, and especially physical ability to do your dream job in this country.
5. Lastly, DON’T QUIT!  Just don’t quit.  Some day all this effort will amalgamate into something stellar, but you can’t quit.  Remember, quitters never win and winners never quit.

How You Can Take Your Business From Ordinary to Extraordinary?

You Can Create Your Dream!

You can take your business from ordinary to extraordinary by living an extraordinary life! It all begins with you, and the decisions you make. It starts with one small decision built upon another, and by managing your options. What you do today will reap a reward tomorrow. Make the right things habitual, and watch your life evolve exponentially. So how do you begin? Extraordinary business owners start their day doing those things which are:

• Necessary not necessarily interesting

• Difficult but obligatory, like eating the worst tasting vegetables

• Exasperating but essential – Just do it!

Do this and you’re called “RESPONSIBLE” a “LEADER”. Responsibility, as well as leadership, means you’ve learned the buck stops with you. Even if you have a new, fun or exciting opportunity emerge during the day, it’s no excuse for not doing “First things first!” as Steven Covey would say! In fact, another quality of an extraordinary business owner is that you don’t make excuses, it’s not a part of your vocabulary, or your life. As well, you create processes and systems for anything you possibly can.  Then, if things aren’t working, you can be assured you’re not working your systems. You may not be providing the leadership needed to make a demand on yourself. That’s right, you have to lead yourself! To be extraordinary, you must follow-through and take initiative to do the 20% of items that will bring you 80% return financially.  Once you do, your confidence will soar, your belief level will climb, and success will be imminent.

YOUR COACHING MOMENT:

Let me ask you:

• What’s stopping you?

• Where can you up your game, put business systems in place?

• What do you need to clamp down on – in your day, with your time?

• Are you making a list every night – to be sure you’re doing the 20% items that bring you the 80% return?

• Are you managing your time, or is the tyranny of the urgent dictating your day?

• What can you turn into a system for greater effectiveness?

I heard a saying that has stuck with me to this day:

If it’s going to be, it’s up to me! – Now, once you’ve been that responsible leader, business owner, be sure to have FUN! You only have one life, so enjoy the journey, not just the dream. It’s why you’re paying the high price of your time in the first place!

What are you doing that is taking you on the path to having an EXTRAORDINARY BUSINESS? I’d love to hear, and showcase your story.

Are You A Loner Leader, Or Do You Need Support?

Catch the Fire Of a Mastermind Team

I’ve recently come across a great opportunity to be connected to other like-minded business leaders/owners who want not only business support and business coaching, but accountability. It’s a brilliant mastermind group, built on a phenomenal platform where right on the call the moderator can break you out into teams to work one-on-one with your accountability partner. Already I’ve learned some great information and resources I would have otherwise missed, and not only that, but there is also a 20 minute training given by some outstanding business person. Did you ever know you needed something, but weren’t sure what it was until you found yourself smack-dab in the middle of it, and the lights go off? Well, for me, this mastermind group is it. It’s virtual, it’s laser focused, and best of all, it’s professionally organized by a very sharp leader in our industry, Cathy Demers . I just hate it when my time is wasted, and I could have accomplished 10 or more things on my list instead. I don’t feel this way when I’m in my mastermind.  I love sharing with you the best of the best resources out there, so check it out, it just might be that “thing” you’ve been looking for to take your business to the next level as well.  To learn more, either click on the banner to the upper right hand side of this post, or above on the word Mastermind.   Here’s to your success, cheers!

Managing to Succeed as a Boss and Leader!

What Great Managers Do With their Employees, To Add Value to Their Company

Here’s where the rubber meets the road in successful businesses where people feel valued for their contributions! Managing people is all about developing other people to bring out their unique:

• talents
• gifts
• personality
• knowledge, and education
• skills

to meet the needs of their position at work.  Great managers develop and release their employees by assisting them through training, coaching, directing, supporting, encouraging, and delegating.  Lee Iaccoca managed to lift Chrysler Motors back from varying challenging issues including labor disputes and bankruptcy.  Through it all he managed to maintain his value of “succeeding at the people level”.  What this meant was that he insisted, and I quote:  “In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words,

“PEOPLE – PRODUCT & PROFITS.
PEOPLE come first.”

If fact one of my very favorite quotes states that to be a superb leader, or manager:

“You need to develop the skill of:
MAKING OTHER PEOPLE FEEL IMPORTANT.”
Dr. John C. Maxwell

In fact,

“No man will make a great leader who wants to
do it ALL himself,
or to get the credit for doing it!”
Andrew Carnegie

Again, management isn’t about you.  It’s about what you can do with and through others to build and develop them, while simultaneously meeting the mission, vision, and strategic plan of the company. J. Paul Getty, the wealthy oil mogul, when asked what was the most important quality of a successful executive replied:

“It doesn’t make much difference how much other knowledge
or experience an executive possesses.  If he is unable to achieve results
through people, he is worthless as an executive!”

Are you hearing a similar theme?  As a leader, it’s about extracting from your people, their very best on behalf of the company, in ways that honor, value, and build them. You get to make a difference in someone else’s life.  Because of you, they can gain a new skill, learn a new competency, or even be directed toward their dream position and ultimately live a fulfilling work life.  You have the opportunity to “be” the difference in each and every employee who calls you their boss. So, it’s important that you get the right perspective on your position, and learn what great leaders/managers say and do to create great employees.  A great leader says, as they work with their employees, “How can I make those around me more successful?” In fact, one of the very best questions you can ask yourself to evaluate why you are a leader, to discern what your motive is in carrying the title leader/manager/supervisor while you support, coach, direct, and lead the people under you is:

“Am I building people?
Or, am I building my dream
and using people to do it.”
Fred Smith of Federal Express

This question goes to the heart of why you are in this role, what your motivation is.  In fact, when you correctly understand what your “Job Description” is, you will begin to understand that everyone you work with is hungry. Yes, that’s right.  They’re hungry to be understood, to feel worthwhile, important, and ultimately in their own way, to be recognized as valuable . . . valuable to you and to the organization you both work for.  And you know you’ve reached this level of leadership when instead of feeling like you’re going to throw-up when you’re reading or hearing something like this, that speaks to the soft side of business, – like I myself use to feel;  instead, hearing this now resonates with you, motivating you to work toward finding out how you can genuinely meet the unspoken needs of those who are a part of your tribe, who call you boss.

What Do You Do When You Hit The Wall When Looking For Great Things To Write About? Leadership Tries New Things.

Here’s a Fun Way to Break Writers Block

Do you write blog posts, articles, deliver speeches or even have to come up with content for a manual or book?  Well, if you do any of these on a consistent basis, I’ll bet like me, you get that annoying infection called “writers  block”?  So, I’ve got just the tip for you today.  If you can discover a few key words, with personality, for your target market,  scope out a noun or two, some verbs and a few creative adjectives that tickle your fancy.  However, what do you do when you don’t quite know how to put them together?  I’ve got just the tool, a free internet site for you!  It’s called http://www.rackandwrite.com .  All you need to do is plug these few choice words into the lines they provide, and magically it will pull out of the blue, as many as 200 titles from which to choose from.  Change around and add different words, and you’ll get another huge set of suggested titles.  Not only do you obtain great suggestions and ideas, it’s just plain fun to do.  And it will help you write great content, to build better influence as a leader in your industry!  There’s got to be a game in this, there’s just got to be.  I never thought that looking for subjects to be able to create great material, could be so much fun.  Try it out, then write a review of “rackandwrite” below in the comments suggestion.  I dare you to come up some fun, fabulous, outrageous title for your favorite genre!  You’ll never again be at a loss for what to write.

A Doodad, Or A Feeling? Knowing what Sells Your Product Or Service? pt.1

People Hate To Be Sold, But Love To Buy.  Word It Well, And You Will Draw Them To You With Magnetic, Or Pull Marketing!

When introducing yourself or your products and services, are you talking about all the features,  the bright and shiny aspects?  Or, are you doing what is called “magnetic“, or “pull” marketing, which draws them to you by asking questions that provide the mental image of the values and benefits of your service or product?  Will you intrigue them by highlighting the advantages or take-aways they will receive?  Or, are you droning on about all the little doodads they, quite honestly, could care less about?

When you’re writing about your products and/or services on your website, in a brochure, or on your business cards, ask yourself these questions:

1.    What do they want to know?
2.    What benefit will this bring them?
3.    Why would they want to use this/me?
4.    How will my product/service make them feel?

And then by all means, make absolutely sure you are:

• filling a gap
• meeting a need
• fulfilling their dream
• making them feel good when they use the product or service!

Ah, now we’re talking!  This is what they really want to know.  What they don’t want is to hear you drone on about the features. What are features?  Features tell or describe the details of your product, and what you do: “b o r i n g“.  You’ve got to spice it up.

For instance, if you’re selling ceiling fans, the features would include:

1. Five blades with light dimmers
2. In three colors
3. Four customizable lights which you can switch to whatever style you like
4. Three speeds, in any color you like

Now, at some point they will need the feature information, but this isn’t what will compel them to buy. Giving them the VALUE, will compel them to buy.  For example, some of the fan’s values are:

• Would you like to walk into your room and have it be five degrees cooler in the heat of summer, while keeping it warmer during the winter?
• Imagine capturing the ambiance of your room, as you sit by your fire, dimming the lights while you enjoy a glass of wine, or a cup of hot chocolate?

More in pt. 2 to help you write about the benefit and value of your products and/or services.  All of this is to assist you in being seen as a forerunner in your industry.  I know, you didn’t become a leader or business owner to have to worry about marketing.  But unless you hire this aspect out, you’ll have to spend a good 50% of your time marketing and promoting, or you won’t have clients!  Write this information in strategic places well, and you’ll expedite the process, and be able to spend more time doing what you got into business to do in the first place!

Can You Take Correction, or Are You in Love, Infatuated With Your Own Ideas About Your Product You’re Marketing?

Are You Skipping Marketing Steps, Thinking You’re Moving Forward When Actually You’re Shooting Yourself in the Foot?

I’m currently in a program that asks, “Where are you in your marketing cycle?” It shows the marketing funnel where you begin contact with a potential client/customer, moving them through the know, like, and trust factors, along with developing 7 to 10 contacts with them, until they, your prospect, finally make a purchase. Yet, before you can even begin to bring them into your funnel (with some kind of free offer to entice them) you have to know your target market! Once this is done, then you can draw them to you, sprinkling them with your valuable knowledge, heart, and a clear focus via a newsletter and/or blog. If you skip the step of understanding your target market, it will be like you’re taking a shot gun approach: You’re just pulling your marketing trigger and hoping someone you “hit” will then connect with you. NO, you need a magnet, something to pull them into your world, while utilizing the correct tools to connect and enrich your niche, your tribe, those that relate to you, so that they can receive from you. Once this is in place, you can then create products relevant to your target market, products that when these potential prospects read your promo, will allow them to feel your presence and special unique way of supporting and helping them. So, with this knowledge, I’m watching people in this product creation group be “stuck”. They’re stuck on the dream they had before they started the program, and can’t hear what the leaders are saying about changes they see are needed. Even though the two leaders provide the material and teleseminar to assist them, I still see some who are in love, no infatuated with their own ideas, and aren’t following the plan. So let me ask you, do you get stuck on your own ideas, your brilliant plans? Are people around you challenging you to re-think what or how you’re doing things? Listen and learn, and you’ll be able to tweak what and how you’re doing things, so they’ll work appropriately and be profitable for you. In fact, the people in this product creation group I’m in, who are receiving the correction and redirection, are the ones who will succeed, maybe even win the prize. The key is to listen to your target market, and those who have gone before you successfully. Check the validity of your ideas with a survey. Call your friends who are in your target market, and ask the right questions. Get the necessary information. Find out what your marketing tribe wants, needs, and will pay for, once you build the rapport. Then, never give up. I’ve had people on my list for years before they finally purchased something. It’s also about the right timing. Just make sure you’re the one who has your name in front of them when they are ready to buy, and you’ll get the business.

This is only a small aspect about your marketing funnel. There is so much more.  Stay tuned in the future and we’ll dive deeper!

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