Talk about a controversial topic!The recent debates were something else.The interesting thing is this, if you're like me, you'd probably already decided who you were gonna vote for, long before election day ever came.And then, as you watched the debates, the guy who ain't gettin your vote tended to get you a little riled up.Yesterday afternoon I was reading an article that really got me going.Try as I might, I couldn't figure out where in the...more
How many times have you heard: "You've got to drop your price by 10% or we will have no choice but to go with your competition." "You will have to make an exception to your policy if you want our business." "I know that you have good quality and service, but so do your competitors. What we need to focus on here is your pricing." "I agree that those special services you keep bringing up would be nice, but we simply don't have the funds to...more
Have you ever noticed how the same people's names always seem to appear in magazines and newspapers articles which quote them as a source of info and advice on their own particular subject, whether it is web functionality and design, cosmetic surgery or investment banking? They don't just get there by accident. They, or their PR Company, have put in a pretty concerted effort to become an expert in their field. And here's how you can become one too... 1. Your first step is to define your niche. Don't just choose the whole of your industry. Choosing a particular area that has relevance for people's lives (or their money!) means that you will be more appealing to a journalist or editor. For instance if you are a life coach choosing one area of coaching (say helping people find a new job) is going to be more successful than trying to set yourself up as an expert on everything. Likewise if you deal with investing people's money, talking about investing for your children's education and further education will bring you better results as specific situations and articles will bring you into the mind of the journalists. 2. Get your press release written - who you are and what you do...more
If I were coaching you as a business, non-profit or association manager on how to get the biggest bang for your public relations dollar, I would sum it up for you this way. Use the fundamental premise of public relations to produce external stakeholder behavior change - the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives. Usually,...more
It sounds simple- right? You are where you THINK you are! And it is simple but do we practice it? Of course we are where we think we are! The question is where do YOU think you are? It's a principle I talk about all the time. Everything we do, we create in our minds before we do anything. The cars we drive, the house we live in all began as a...more
One of the first great things I learned when starting my business, is that there are two ways of thinking. You can believe that there is more than enough business to go around or you can have the scarcity mentality. Either way you believe you are probably right.The principal of abundance promotes the belief that not only is there enough business to go around, and that the universe has room for us all to benefit equally, but also commands us to give away what we have. This means giving referrals, ideas, assistance and any other thing you can think of to help others. It means that we build people, relationships and help others because we know and believe that somehow, some day it will all come back to us. It also promotes win-win situations.The scarcity mentality advocates holding onto whatever it is you have for fear that someone else may take it. That means holding onto your cash, your ideas, your time and your clients as tightly as you can. It means that when you find a client you do everything within your power to hold onto that client for fear that the 'competition' might take them away. In fact people who operate under the scarcity mentality often base many of their decisions...more
One thing all successful small business owners have in common is the knowledge that their business is based on enthusiastic customers. Despite their multi-tasking titles of bookkeeper, service provider and sales-manager, their most important title is...more
The Importance of setting appointments is crucial to running a business. They are the key to a successful business.When making appointments try to make your call between one and two minutes maximum. Practice keeping your calls to this time scale,...more
Has your broker ever told you that a stock is "overbought" or "oversold"? He probably went on the explain that the stock you own (I hope you didn't) had gone down so far that it now was oversold and due for a rally. He might also have encouraged you...more
Every stock market investor faces one primal enemy. An enemy so perverse, it will drive thousands of investors from the stock market through its ability to defeat even the most practiced investment strategy. Who is this enemy you ask? Your arch...more
"It's no good! I'm just *hopeless* with figures!"If you've ever said that to yourself then don't worry - you're not alone.Many people believe themselves to be math phobic or "numerically challenged". However the fact is they are probably not...more
Have you ever been in the situation where you have become so focussed on achieving a goal that you have done so at the detriment of everything else in your life?The 'All or Nothing' SyndromeIn a coaching session I had with one of my clients this...more