Your reality is someone else’s perception!

I have not written a rant blog post for a while but I have to have one today as I get really frustrated with business owners who are often so self-consumed that they do not step out of their habits and stories to do anything differently.

I am amazed almost daily at how many business owners complain about their financial situation and how things are really tough and not getting any better, yet, they are not making any huge changes in habits, attitudes or even making sacrifices to achieve what they want!

I suppose the #1 factor causing this is that most business owners are so focused on the mighty dollar and keeping head above water that they really do not have goals they are focused on – yes, they are operating from fear and anxiety rather than from a place of calmness and laser focus.

And to be truly honest most business owners do not know what they WANT!

It really frustrates me and drives me crazy when business owners do not realize what they are saying and are not prepared to listen or even completely disregard the advice that you give because they believe that they know better… why ask for the advice if you are not going to take it, use it, and profit from it?

Plus, they have the audacity to ask you to refer them or joint venture with them… I wish people would just remember that they have 1 mouth and 2 ears and that listening is important… doubly important!

I would say the #2 factor is that old comfortable habits die hard and some people do not realize that their poor habits, attitudes and actions create a perception that can cause a person to not do business with them!

It’s really as simple as saying you are going to show-up for a free event or networking groups and then just not showing-up or informing people that you are not coming (just a little bit of common courtesy…please).

These ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDLY to the way you respect people and will most likely never have them referring you, because they may assume that that is how you always are… unpredictable & disrespectful!

To round this all off, all I can say is be aware of how and what you do in the public eye as it creates a perception in the eyes of others (which is their reality) and can & will cost you dearly!

Always show-up with a winning & giving attitude… or don’t leave your home or office!

Remember, the one with the highest energy & superstar attitude almost always WINS!

Writing powerful headlines!

Headlines are the most important thing when it comes to marketing. They draw your reader in and hook the mind… when they are powerful and engaging.

Why are headlines so important?

Just like a newspaper a good headline catches your attention and draws you in to read the article.

What makes a good headline?

A good headline has the reader going “Wow, that’s me!” or “Wow, you’re talking to me!”.

A good headline also focuses on the PAIN of the market that you are targeting. What I mean by pain is the #1 thing that is causing discomfort or stress for your clients that you can be the solution for!

Here is an example:

As a training company we sell courses, seminars, etc. to solopreneurs, business owners and entrepreneurs and we often sit and think about the key pains for our target markets.

Here are a few key pains of the market we are targeting:

1. Not enough time.
2. Not enough money.
3. Too much debt in their business.
4. Not enough clients.
5. Not enough business knowledge.

There are many more that we could focus on but let’s use these for the moment.

What could we use as a few good headlines to draw in the target reader?

1. Is your business draining you financially?
2. Is finding clients causing you stress?
3. Are you seeing more of your business than your family?
4. Increase your knowledge and double your profits.

These are all great headlines to draw people into reading the associated article.

Of course, the first few sentences should be directly related to the headline and should start to deliver the solution for the target you are after.

Quiz: What Kind of Leader Are You?

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 on how you live these characteristics of a leader:

Leaders take responsibility… they:

1. 1. Look for opportunities to be responsible.
   2. Are willing to be judged on performance
   3. Are willing to take responsibility for the actions of their team
   4. Do not blame of make excuses when things go wrong.
   5. Are accountable to their actions

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders have clear vision… they

1. 1. Are clear about where they are going
   2. They know what they want from each situation
   3. They take action to make their vision come true
   4. Give a sense of meaning and direction to those around them.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

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1. Leaders have confidence… they
   1. Believe in themselves
   2. Say, “we CAN do it and we WILL do it.”
   3. Build confidence and bring out the best thing those who are on their team.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders are competent… they

1. 1. Have a high level of experience and a solid track record in their area of expertise
   2. Have a level of mastery that builds the respect of others and also gives leaders the ability to deliver on the things they promise.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders are action-oriented… they

1. 1. Are always in motion
   2. Usually doing more than one thing at a time
   3. Are very results-oriented
   4. Have a “ready fire aim” approach
   5. Take action even when they are uncertain

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders and good communicators… they

1. 1. Make it easy for others to understand their current situation, their vision and their plan of action
   2. Communicate their message in a way that is clearly understood and that inspires those around them.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders and trustworthy… they

1. 1. Trust and are trustworthy
   2. They know that trust can take time to be earned but can be destroyed in a moment
   3. Value the trust of others and treat their leadership role as a privilege.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders make others feel important… they

1. 1. Are compassionate
   2. Are empathetic
   3. Care about people and have an ability to make people feel like they belong and that they are important and have something valuable to offer.
   4. Know that every person is special and unique and they respect each individual.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders are decisive… they

1. 1. Make decisions quickly
   2. They gather the info they need, trust their intuition and make decisions in a timely manner
   3. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE
   4. Prefer to keep moving now and make corrections later than to bring things to a halt while a decision is made.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Leaders have strong commitment… they

1. 1. Are willing to take a stand for what they believe in
   2. Will do everything in their power to make things work
   3. Naturally attract followers because of their high level of commitment
   4. Are virtually unstoppable in reaching their goals.

Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10: _____

Now, look at the areas where you scored an 8 or above. These are the areas in which you excel the most. What are some examples of where you live these characteristics with your business?

Look at the scores where you scored less than 8. These are the areas where you could improve. Which areas need the most improvement?

How can you implement change in these areas?

What benefit would there be to your business if you were to practice these characteristics more regularly?

I get asked regularly the difference between successful business owners and entrepreneurs, and ones that don’t seem to get ahead.

Here is a short video clip that will get you thinking….

Business Owners are Addicts!

Enjoy and feel free to add comments below.