Today’s Small Business Leaders Ask, Newsletter or Blog?
But What’s the Difference between a Newsletter and Blog?
MULTIPLE VEHICLES, SIMILAR PURPOSES:
Which do you do, blog or send a newsletters? Which one is best? My answer: YES. Some of your tribe read newsletters, others blogs. Better yet, some read both, and the choices are a cornucopia so diverse it rivals the unique drinks specifically created and optimized by the customers of Starbucks. Just listen to mine: Grande l/2 caf vanilla latte with 2 pumps sugar free, 2 pumps regular half whole mile half 2% no foam latte. Got that? Yes I’m a spoiled barista mom, and I love it. Denise Wakeman says it’s 50/50.
According to Wikipedia: “Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites.[2]”
Knowing “what to blog” takes knowing your tribe. This is your specific niche -target market. They are those who relate to you, your leadership, and what you have to offer, and this subject is for a different post! Only be sure to not skip this part of the process.
Blogs are archived into categories where as in a library, clients and prospects are given the opportunity search and find specific topics and subjects of interest. This tool, your blog, allows you to collect statistics on what your tribe gravitates to, giving you the edge as to what more to offer them. Adding value is why they read. In a blog you can provide a synopsis of important to do’s or 10 best . . . 15 most useful . . whatever you write, video, or podcast, it’s called a post. It can be a pertinent industry trend, a snippet of information currently in the news, and statistics of interest. It is estimated that people read blogs more than newspapers. Other common content is information taken from trade publications, links to other blogs where a post is worth highlighting and linking your information to. It can even be a way to point to a free downloadable white paper, or give you a quick observation regarding a specific industry trend. Getting the idea? The best way to get to know blogs is to first subscribe to ones of interest, and being just reading them. Once you’re comfortable with this, begin responding, adding your two cents. This is a great way to become familiar with this mode of delivery. After a while, it will be second nature. To learn more, check out Denise Wakeman .
NEWSLETTERS or EZINES:
In an online newsletter, referred by some as an ezine, you can send it in html form allowing it to be colorful and fully branded, eye catching throughout. The other version filling our inbox, is simple broadcasts packed with pertinent information promoting all kinds of offerings from teleseminars to products, but without the fluff and stuff. Newsletters tend, for small businesses, to add the personal touch – where the sender gives “hooks” bits of personal information to build their “know, like and trust”, through personalization, talking about their family, pictures etc. Broadcasts on the other hand are sent to promote products, share invitations and events, give updates and promotions relevant to their business and your life. Since these are permission based emails that you must join, it can make people feel as though they are part of something, a sense of belonging to some group!
LINKING THESE VEHICLES:
You might take a few paragraphs from your newsletter and invite them to read more by clicking away to the full-length article you’ve written in the current post of your blog. (This way they are linked and work together.)
OVERLAPPING OBJECTIVES:
Both the newsletter, ezine and the blog create the:
- “know, like, and trust” factor with your customers and niche.
- They both help build your brand through creating a place to establish your credibility and expertise.
- Give you credibility, if done right with your tribe, those people who follow you by:
- Subscribing to receive your pertinent information.
- Hopefully will turn fans into raving customers.
- Both need a way for: “email bait” to get you on their customer list. This is THE most important tool in your business arsenal!
Now here’s an interesting fact, you can choose how you want to receive the delivery of either:
- Reader on a feed, in an email, AND NOW on their iphone
In this information age where marketing is as much about giving away valuable content as it is about selling your products, some are still learning what the balance of this equation is. The new vehicle of information has married both.
Ultimately, You Have Multiple Tools with Unique Vehicles to Give Your Tribe:
- What they want
- How they want it
- Delivered in their preferred manner
- In ways they can participate and interact
- Providing them with fun, interesting, applicable ways to MEET THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS!
All of this to meet their interests, inclinations, learning styles, preferences and needs. Build together, with a strategically thought out plan to turn prospects into clients and clients into raving fans.
Now, if I haven’t confused you more, if the only thing you take away is BUILD YOUR TRIBE, your list, and get connected with them, however you do this, just DO IT. Build your list, your tribe, your niche who connect with you, and want to receive from you. Cheers!
GOALS MONTH: The Secret to Leadership Success Begins with This Key Foundation!
John Maxwell – The Secret to Success
Dr. John C Maxwell has been my virtual mentor for over 30 years. I have read most, if not all his books, and appreciate his leadership integrity, character, morals, and inspiration. Before you can set goals you must know this first. Watch now:
It’s a compass that will align and keep you on track. Each goal you make must link to this, or you will be off track and out of focus. Here’s to you!
MAKE THE SHIFT FROM 2010 IN A BIG WAY, WHILE IGNITING A FIRE IN YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE NEW YEAR?
AS A BUSINESS LEADER, IT’S NOW TIME TO SET YOUR SIGHTS ON THE NEW YEAR! Don’t wait until January, it will be almost too late by then.
After December 15th, begin setting goals for the new year. If you have employees, facilitate creating them together. Then they will own them:
- Create the life and business you want to have by creating S.M.A.R.T. GOALS.
- Buy a business journal to write your goals in, as well as motivational moments you discover throughout the year.
- Send out cards to your clients, sharing with them a vision of the next year, and how they will benefit from your renewed vision. “I’m excited to begin this new program so that I can provide you with . . .”
- Create systems for staying in touch with your customers/clients, touching them at least 5 times throughout the year with; a postcard; birthday card; newsletter; special sale, etc.
- Design a “Vision Board” to display how you are designing your life to be in the future, putting pictures on it that show visually how life will look once you reach your designed goals: more time for family – bills paid off – a trip – new home – dream car – etc.
- Give yourself a boost, hire a professional organizer to ignite in you a fresh new perspectives, and concrete ideas for organizing your home, office, and computer systems. This will expedite your ability to work smarter, not harder this coming year!
- If you have employees, create incentives for each quarter of the year. Play a higher game as the leader this year by tailoring these incentives to their interests, style, dreams and desires.
“A goal without a plan is just a wish!” Larry Elde
The goal above is to cascade your dreams into a workable strategic plan that maps out, step by step, what it will take to reach and obtain each goal. The more you ingrain in your mind’s eye what and how life will be once you reach your goals, the more your automatic goal pilot system will take over and keep you on course.
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” Jimmy Dean
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE THE SHIFT FROM 2010 IN A HUGE WAY WHILE IGNITING A FIRE IN YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE NEW YEAR?
HOW YOU CAN TENACIOUSLY LEAVE 2010 BEHIND, AND POWERFULLY MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR LIFE AND YOUR BUSINESS:
I love this time of year with the Christmas colors, and festive cheer! It’s also my favorite season because it marks the end of the year, the end an era and season of your business. It’s time to leave behind any negative, non-productive events and feelings that happened this past year. Once this is complete, then it’s is time to revive, refresh and renew your mission, vision and goals with initiatives that will elevate your game for 2011. But first, let me ask you, how do you put the past year behind you? How do you cleanse your mental palette of anything that happened this year that you need to retire in an enormously significant way? A way that will tell your brain, all that’s negative and didn’t work in this year is OVER, DONE, COMPLETE AND NOW BEHIND ME!
SUCH AS:
- Failures personally and/or with your business
- Anything where there was “LACK”
- Financial decline or tragedy
- Mistakes – mine and others with my business
- Poorly performed performance initiatives
- Wrong decisions
- Conflict and hostile interactions with people
- Negative emotions from any of the incidents above
Or, anything else you need to close the door on, or eliminate from your mind once and for all. All those draining emotions that would anchor you to the past prohibiting you from progressing into 2011 with exectation. I find that most people stuff these things, sweeping them under a rug,and ignoring them as if nothing happened, therefor allowing them to fester and raise their ugly heads in the form of lies and behavior that will hold you back. YOU DON’T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS! I’m a big believer in creating rituals and traditions that link key strategies (in this case, burying the negative past) to fresh performance improvement strategies that will catapult you into your destiny. Simply put, it’s time to end any torment of the past year with these suggestions below:
YOUR COACHING MOMENT:
PART I ON A PIECE OF FLIP CHART OR REGULAR PAPER you, and/or a group from your company, can brainstorm, writing down any:
1. Unmet goals from 2010
2. Disappointments
3. Failures, or at least the feelings there of
4. Lost or broken dreams and visions
5. A poor attitude or outlook
6. Negativity
7. Conflict with people
8. Unmet expectations
9. Feeling let down by anyone
10. Any bad business habits you’ve been wanting to change, i.e. being late, making excuses
Once you’ve done this, then on a separate sheet of paper write the personal, leadership and business lessons you’ve learned from these incidents, brainstorming how you can approach life and work differently in 2011 as a result.
PART II ELIMINATE THIS PAPER along with all the emotions!
Do something significant that will shift your brain dramatically into a NEW BEGINNING for you and your business; a fresh NEW DAY AND YEAR that you can enter with anticipatory excitement and belief.
FOR EXAMPLE:
- Burn it
- Bury it
- Tear it up and throw it in a dumpster
Doing this simple little things will truly build your confidence in moving forward in the new year! Then in a few days or weeks, it will be time to prepare a significant strategic goals for the NEW YEAR, giving you a fresh new perspective for your life and business. Pt. II in the next post will be more strategies for appropriately finishing the year with a sense of it being complete!
Do you have other suggestions and ideas that go along with this post, please make a comment, we would love to learn from you as well!
The Antidote to being Discouraged is a Grateful Heart!
Leadership Requires an Attitude of
Thankfulness
HAVE YOU:
· Been discouraged?
· Experienced a difficult year?
· Felt you were going backwards instead of forwards?
· Been wondering how you were going to make it?
I have just the remedy. Be thankful! That’s right, express it out loud, write it on paper, sing it in your home, whatever you have to do, the antidote to being dismayed and discouraged is a grateful heart. This is why I love Thanksgiving. I’ve been there myself, felt so discouraged I didn’t know how I was going to pull out, how to change my attitude. But I have found that being thankful is the remedy for many emotional and attitude ailments. Try it. You can’t be complaining and thankful at the same time. You can’t be depressed and be thankful simultaneous; nor can you spew bitterness and at the same time proclaim genuine gratefulness from the heart. It’s not a magic potion. It takes persistence and an unstoppable tenacity that makes you begin to believe that if you can pull out of the pit of darkness you were in, surely you can obtain the confidence to do almost anything you set your mind to. As a leader you can’t wait for circumstances to morph and change. You must be the catalyst that creates the appropriate culture for each circumstance. Real leaders take the lead whether they feel like it or not! They choose their attitude, they act on faith, always moving forward, and without anyone ever knowing the internal fight that’s waging. As a leader, you rule your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to rule you. The greatest remedy for fighting the good fight of faith is truly having a thankful heart. Therefore today, I thank God our forefathers didn’t give up, weren’t daunted by circumstances, and chose to have an eternal perspective through all the circumstances that brought them to America. Here’s to your Thanksgiving!
FIVE CONCRETE STEPS, AS A BUSINESS OWNER, TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Be a Unique Leader That Continues to Build Your Business During the Holidays. In Fact, Why Wait for January? Set Those Powerful Goals, and Kick-Start Your Momentum For 2011 Now!
Here are 5 helpful tips on staying sane, while continuing the business building momentum, even during the times when everyone else is taking a break, or slowing down during the holidays.
- KEEP BUILDING: Don’t slow down, keep an even pace by making sure you write out your business goals at the beginning of each week. Then, aggressively follow them.
- DO TWO NEW MARKETING MANEUVERS during the holidays. For one of them, be sure to either send a Thanksgiving, or a Christmas card to all your customers, and potential leads. Have you heard of Send Out Cards? If you haven’t, let me know and I’ll hook you up with a great representative. Then you’ll be set up for birthdays, anniversaries, and any other significant occasion. And, it’s automated!
- DO THOSE DREADED ACTIVITIES FIRST: We all have things we absolutely hate doing! Each week, first thing Monday morning, do those activities that you disdain and try to avoid until you absolutely have to do them. They will then be out of the way. As a result, the rest of the week will all be downhill. In fact, you will be able to pick up and build momentum, which will create the inertia needed to increase your motivation and drive, instead of draining you because they’re haunting you all week long. We usually put these activities off as long as we absolutely can, allowing them to fester with consternation and dread at the very thought of them. In fact, instead of allowing them to consume you to no end, getting them done and out of the way will revive and inspire you for the rest of your to-do-list. You do have a list, right?
- BE AN INTENTIONAL LEADER! GO AHEAD, SET A BIG GOAL: Between now and January 1st. set a goal that will make you inspired and full of vision when you meet it. Start telling yourself the opposite of what everyone else is saying. Set it in your mind that “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me“ and just do it!
- FIND SOMEONE TO RUN WITH: Help someone else stay motivated and on track, by instigating a nice friendly, healthy little competition. You’ll keep each other going and accountable! The key is, don’t give yourself a way out. No excuses, no blame-shifting, just take responsibility, and keep the fire going.
Here’s to your leadership, and your business! Keeping inspired and motivated, no matter what comes your way, is a challenge, but I’m confident you can do it. Give yourself a little credit, and by all means give us a report when it’s all said and done! And, STAY TUNED for a BIG announcement that will help you GROW YOUR BUSINESS in a really BIG WAY!
MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES IS LIKE TRYING TO TAKE SPOTS OFF A LEOPARD!
Leaders, You Can Create a Culture Where Employees Are Motivated!
When I’m asked to provide a “Motivational Training” for a company red flags appear in my mind. First off, you cannot motivate anyone, but you can create the kind of work culture where they tap into their own motivation, and more importantly, aren’t demotivated. Instead of adding something to your leadership or style, most often what is needed is to eliminate something, those road blocks and detours that suck the life and vision from employees. What you can do is set-up environments and training that engender success, where their personal “mojo” isn’t stamped out or suffocated. What do I mean by demotivators? Some examples are:
- Creating rules for the whole office, instead of approaching and correcting the one violator
- Playing favorites
- Expecting “group think” where everyone knows they must agree or be counted a covert.
- Undermining their ideas by adding small touches of your own to them.
These and more will bind up an employees vision and energy, but the greatest culprit is not understanding each employees natural motivators and demotivators.
Example
For instance, Jason, a “High C” (according to DISC), is a quality control, analytical, creative, deep thinker type person; think of an engineer, or banker. He works best in a quiet, contemplative environment where he can process his thoughts and take into account all the facts before making decisions.
- He needs time to review, organize, calculate, process, and reflect on the cost of a particular decision before being forced to come to a conclusion.
- Consistency and stability connote peace and security, therefore allowing him to be at his best. Change and chaos deplete his energy and ability to work effectively. The kind of change I’m talking about is as simple as moving the office furniture, or changing a system of operation. Am I saying you can never do this? No, but there are ways to effectively prepare him to accept and adjust to change that will make it easier on him, not stealing his attention or motivation.
How can this information empower you as the leader?
It helps you help Jason by:
- Finding Jason a room or cubicle away from the hustle and bustle of the front desk, or lobby area.
- Placing him where he isn’t caught by the drama of the office, by being close to those who may ask uncomfortable questions of him, which is nearly anything personal.
- Minimizing unnecessary change.
- Valuing his view of quality control, while at the same time taking into consideration his concerns.
And lastly, providing a training on DISC so that colleagues understand and respect the differences in motivation and behavior so there is a collaborative effort and culture in the office instead of finger pointing, blame, estrangement, independence or negative competitiveness in the culture.
What this example depicts isn’t changing the person, but understanding and working with his natural bent so that you’re eliminating any obstacles that impose on his natural motivation. Something a superior manager/leader will take into account. By taking the time to understand and value the differences in your employees, you have the power to create a positive, even energized environment where they can then tap into their own motivation.
Your Coaching Action Plan:
- Discover your employees differences by either providing a training on DISC, or some kind of behavioral style system. Next, put it to work for you. You may have the knowledge of DISC, but it’s worthless without implementation.
- Next, take the time to learn what is demotivating each employee.
- Once you have this information, involve them in creating new or revised systems of operation, that will lend toward greater energy and better work habits.
Need assistance with any of the above, contact Sue to learn of the programs, trainings and materials she has to support you and all your efforts.
WHAT DO ALL SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON?
Have You Had a Setback, a Failure? Have You Been Knocked Down, Laid Low? Then You Need This!
As a business owner, if you try something new, there are only two possible outcomes, you FAIL or you SUCCEED. The difference with successful people is that they keep on trying. Let me ask you, are you success oriented? DO YOU EXPECT TO BE A SUCCESS?
There was a study of 500 of the most successful people, and they discovered in researching them that they had at least one major thing in common; They always expected that one day, regardless of what was currently happening, they would succeed. In other words, when they experienced failure, they saw it as a step toward success, or one more lesson learned on the road to success. Brian Tracy says that successful people are action oriented. And, “It’s not failure that holds you back,” Tracy says, “it’s the fear of failure.” This video takes you to a page filled with inspiration and motivation. Keep watching until it connects, refreshes, and renews in you as a leader, with the will to win, and the motivation to succeed. It’s what I do when I need a boost. And if it works in renewing my confidence, I know it will for you. Here’s to your success!
IS FAILURE A PREREQUISITE TO SUCCESS?
How You Can Expedite Success as a Leader by Learning From,and being Mentored by, the Mistakes of Others.
We all experience failure. In fact, the most successful people fail hundreds, if not thousands of times, before they succeed. One of my favorite books, “Failing Forward” by Dr. John C. Maxwell , teaches you how to handle failure maturely, and to grow through it. In fact,
”Success is failure turned inside out ”
Although, this is not what this blog is about. Instead, my question to you is; do you have to make all the failures yourself, to learn the necessary lessons to be a successful owner/leader/manager, or,
Is there a better way to expedite the process
and skip certain mistakes and failures altogether?
Although there are inevitable instances where “You just don’t know WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW’. Therefore, you have to experience it for yourself to “get it”. Could there be another way to beat the learning curve here? Unequivocally, I believe there is. We all possess blind spots which are obvious to others, while simultaneously hidden from our view. The good news is:
These blind spots CAN BE uncovered, exposed,
and eliminated before impending disaster.
This, along with the amalgamation of education and training, you can expedite the learning process of a leader, circumventing problems and crisis altogether!
So again, I believe failure does not have to be
the prerequisite to your leadership success!
Brian Tracy says:
“You can have anything you want in life if you can first decide exactly what it is, and then do the things that others have done to achieve the same results.”
As the “Accidental Leader”, my passion is to help you eliminate the very mistakes and poor judgment which owners/executives/leaders commonly make. This is done through a process of assisting you in:
- Self discovery; while
- Setting up processes and systems that put the needed accountability and ongoing training in place to lead a well run company or organization.
Through the use of a:
- “Needs Analysis” to assess where the gaps are in your training, skills, education and processes
- A Behavioral Style Profile – “DISC” to understand yourself and others. So you will be able to inspire, motivate, and lead your team effectively.
- 360 Degree Profile to acquire a complete view of how you’re doing all around, by measuring where you are according to what makes people successful and . . .
- Personal interviews to get to the heart of the issues
Together we can uncover and discern the blind spots that could sabotage you and eventually implode your company, while at the same time, strategise and putting systems and processes in place for success. Assessing and training are some of the best skills I bring to the table as an Executive Coach, and why I’m in this profession in the first place. Because I personally lacked these when I first landed my leadership role, it is:
My mission and passion is to assist leaders
in avoiding the mistakes, failures, and pain
I could have averted myself with the above system
and a good mentor!
Along with reading the numerous excellent:
- books,
- blogs, and
- articles on leadership and business
and a strong compatible mentor, you can circumvent a tremendous amount of:
- mistakes,
- failure, and
- pain.
Besides, I’m sure there will be enough of your own mistakes you will make. You might as well skip mine, and those of great leaders found in the books and blogs.
Is it too late for me? No, it’s never too late to learn from your mistakes and start all over again. In fact, it’s the perfect time to take stock, learn what you need to do differently next time, and change. However to work with me I require that you be:
- willing (willing to try things that are suggested)
- teachable, and
- have a positive attitude, or are working on growing with positive outlook.
Through the support, encouragement, direction, and powerful suggestions given to you in coaching, I believe you can leap ahead of the normal leadership success curve!
Napoleon Hill once said:
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.”
YOUR COACHING CONNECTION: Write out three mistakes you’ve made. Second, write next to them what lessons you learned. Third, find one other person to share them with. Someone that you can see would benefit from your knowledge and understanding, so they could hopefully avoid the same mistake.
Michael Port – “What You Stand For” Video
How Many Different Ways Can You Market Yourself
Want to learn Marketing, check out Michale Port , and Book Yourself Solid . You Tube is a great place for small snippets of power packed information. You can learn just about anything from someone on youtube. Best of all, you can post your own videos to market and promote your own business!
What great things have you seen or learned on youtube to expand your leadership skills? What other platforms do you find practical information to inspire, motivate, correct, and instruct you? And what are you going to bring to the table to share with, and serve others ?
