Do You Have Challenges Managing Your Time?

Let me tell you one thing, “You are not alone!”

The #1 complaint of most Business Owners and Entrepreneurs is that they have no time and wish they could have more hours in the day… is this you?

If so, this post is something that will assist you in getting your time management back on track.

The joke of the whole thing is that you cannot manage time. There are only so many hours, minutes and seconds in a day, it’s what you do with them that is important!

You can truly only manage your commitments!

Here are a few major suggestions as we head into 2012:

1. Office Hours: If you work from home set office hours and only do income producing work during these hours! Print them out and put them up on the outside of your office door. I joke about it with my kids as I often work from home and I tell them that the only time they can disturb me is outside of office hours or if they have one of the following situations: blood, water, fire or wind.

2: Friendship or Personal Hours: Having lunch and tea with personal friends and not business opportunities during office hours is a loss of income producing time for your business. Book friendship times for evening and weekends – just like you would do if you worked in a standard office environment in a job.

3. Meetings: There are many people that will monopolize your time if you allow them. Ask people that want to meet with you to send you an agenda of what they want to talk about – you will be amazed at how short and focused your meeting become! Some people do get irritated when you ask for an agenda – it’s your right as your time is extremely valuable.

4. Saying NO more often: Often you say “YES” to all meeting and opportunities without understanding why you are meeting. If something does not interest you or someone will not send you an agenda, you have the right to say “Thank you for wanting to meet, and maybe we can do it another time”. There will always be opportunities out there, focus on meetings that can bring you results in your business. Learn to say “NO” more often and free up a ton of time in your business for growth and income generating meetings.

5. Set Intentions & Expected Results: Before you go to any meeting do you set intentions of what you want from the meeting? What results are you looking for; take the order, book the next appointment, have a demo, what are you after? You can sit and chit chat and have a meal or a tea meeting, but why are you there in the first place?

6. Set Your Commitments:

a. Take a weekly calendar and sit down on a Sunday evening and plan your week ahead.

b. Fill in all your commitments – eating, gym, yoga, kids to school, etc. All the activities that you have to do! Not your business activities.

c.  Now, fill in your weekly business activities you know you have to get done: blogging, marketing, emails, social media, follow-up, etc.

d. Now you will see the time you have left in the week to get all the other items on your to-do list done. Often, you will see that the time left over is a lot less than the number of items on your list. Great, you now know what you have to get done and what will have to wait for next week – this truly does assist you with prioritizing what needs to get done from week to week.

Planning your week and realizing that COMMITMENTS are your issue, not TIME MANAGEMENT!!!

In business we have limited time every day and by implementing the items above as you go into 2012 you will start to see that TIME is NOT an ISSUE!

The ISSUE is YOU and the commitments you make that uses up tons of your time doing activities that are not focused on growing your business.

I meet 1,000s of business owners throughout the year and it amazes me how many of them want to be successful, yet they are not prepared to do what ever it takes to achieve the results that they desire.

There is a huge difference between you having a DESIRE to be successful and having a HUNGER to achieve outrageous results.

You may ask what is the difference between DESIRE and HUNGER?

DESIRE is a nostalgic feeling that we get when we really want something – we can visualize it and feel it and that’s about how far it goes…

HUNGER is a deep seated core feeling that you will do whatever it takes to achieve the result you are after and you will not stop until you achieve it. In fact, you will not listen to people around you that are naysayers or have not built a successful business – you just go out and build until the result is achieved.

I often ask people if they want to be successful and they always reply “Of course I do!!!” then I say great, there is a networking event in Vancouver tonight where they expect 100s of business owners and potential customers… let’s go!

Then all the excuses start… I can’t, I have prior engagements, I am tired, I have had a long day already, I have to organize a sitter and it costs money… blah blah blah blah blah!

If you want success you have to cut the excuses and get off your butt and do whatever it takes – Cut the DESIRE and get a HUNGER for what you are doing!

People who are full of excuses & reasons & justifications are the ones who DESIRE to have success – and who bubble along and years down the line are still in the same place they were a few years back.

One of the key ingredients to convert you from DESIRE to HUNGER is making sure you are PASSIONATE about what you are doing. If you do not jump out of bed with a bounce in your step to go and do your business every day then how can you expect to have a HUNGER to do whatever it takes?

Are you prepared to do whatever it takes? And, I mean do whatever it takes?

You only have to be extreme for 6 – 12 months and you will be amazed by the results you will achieve! Let your loved ones know that you are going to be scarce and that it’s part of achieving results for the entire family!

This is a topic that I am hugely passionate about and it drives me crazy when people do not get out of their own way!

It’s really simple!

Cut the Excuses, Justifications and Reasons… convert DESIRE to HUNGER and you will be amazed by the RESULTS!

Making Money is One Thing… Keeping it is Another!

Are you making the money you want in your business and when you are making it do you know how to keep it and ensure your business is growing?

You are no alone, this is like most business owners – even some seasoned business owners could be significantly more successful if they just had processes in place for ensuring they had complete control over the money they are making, and ensuring that they achieve their goals of making tons of money and having lots of time off.

When you manage Cash Flow and know where your business is going to be in the next 12 – 24 months in detail, you get to understand the following:

1. HOW, WHEN and WHY to find financing for your business long before you need it!

2. How to truly understand all aspects of PROFITABILITY in your business.

3. HOW to make key financial decisions with minimal impact on your business.

4. How to work with your VENDORS to benefit your business and Cash Flow.

5. How to accurately determine your break-even point and what each dollar spent truly costs you!

6.) How to keep an eye on your dollars to ensure you know what your bookkeeper and accountant are doing.

7. How to stop financial disaster in your business… and smooth out the HUGE economic swings.

If you would like a basic Cash Flow Predictor to assist you with managing your Business and Personal finances for 2012, yes, the same sheet can be used for your personal financial management – please Contact me via our Make Your Mark Training and Consulting Inc FaceBook Page or send an email to Social@MYMSuccess.com with “Send Me My Cash Flow Predictor” in the subject line.

To learn more about how to build a powerful Cash Flow Predictor for your business you can come and attend PROFIT WARRIOR, a 1-day event for 9am – 5pm. Call the office (778-565-4090) to learn more from Karly and if you mention you saw this on our BLOG she will give you a BLOG SPECIAL price.

Be the EXPERT is really getting YOU to realize that you need to sell your products and/or services with confidence and RIGHTSELL the customer.

What’s RIGHT-SELLING?

Some people call this upselling, at Make Your Mark Training, we call it right-selling – making sure you sell your customer the right products and/or services to ensure they get the results or the solution that they want.

At Make Your Mark we say, “When you have a great product or service, you owe it to your customer to sell it to them well!”

In many instances we do not think about the opposite of not selling somebody the most appropriate combination of products and/or services that best suits their needs, and have clients returning or going somewhere else disgruntled because you did not deliver the RESULTS or SOLUTIONS they were looking for!

A few good examples to get your creative juices flowing:

A SERVICE: Chiropractor

When you go to see a Chiropractor and they do their evaluation and give you only the one treatment you are looking for and then let you leave their rooms, knowing that according to the injury you had, that 5 treatments would be ideal to get you back on track, they are doing you a disservice by allowing you to leave their practice. If you ask the Chiropractor WHEN should I book next and they say… maybe 1 – 2 weeks from now… they have done you a disservice.

They know what is ideal for you and should be informing you that according to your injury and after the initial treatment  that you need to return each week for the next 5 weeks to ensure the injury is easily overcome and that no further damage is done.

If they demand only one treatment and that’s it. It’s your choice to treat them knowing that it’s your reputation on the line. You may turn them away or convince them otherwise, but if you do just a single treatment and let them go… you have done them a disservice that could hurt your businesses reputation.

Of course this has to be done with integrity and heart – you only sell a package when you know it’s the RIGHT thing to sell your clients!

What packages can you sell in your business?

A PRODUCT: Migraine Product

If you sell a migraine product and only sell customers what they ask for, you are not right-selling them, especially if you know that people that suffer from migraines often suffer from insomnia and lethargy. By packaging products in groups you can let them know you are the expert by selling them the Migraine Relief Package that consists of 3 products; Migraine, Sleep and Energy – this is truly being the EXPERT and RIGHT-SELLING the clients.

A SERVICE: Bookkeeper/Accountant

As a bookkeeper you know that it’s best for a client to have their books done weekly or monthly or daily dependent on the size and type of business. If you ask a client how frequently they would like their books checked and updated, and you know it should be weekly, you are doing them a disservice.

What are some of the KEY things to focus on – starting NOW!

1. What can you do to RIGHT-SELL your clients?
2. What packages can you create that you believe you can sell? Remember to keep your packages simple, create VALUE and make them a better price than individual units, sessions, etc.
3. It’s also recommended to keep the number of packages to 3 – too many creates confusion.
4. Think about what your product or service does for the customer in terms of days/weeks/months after they have used it. What could they be experiencing that you could call and check-in with them about? Example: If you start a body cleanse and you drink a lot of coffee you will possibly experience headaches – you can call 48 hours after the start of the program and check-in with the client. Let them know you are the expert and what they may be experiencing. It’s amazing.

What can you do to increase your CONFIDENCE in what you sell?

1. You are an EXPERTS in your own right – own it!

Finally, remember that packages, programs, etc. do not sell themselves… FOLLOW-UP is critical!

How to grow your client base, stop cold calling and grow your referrals!

Are you struggling financially in your business?

There are so many business owners who struggle in their businesses and it’s mainly because of one or more of the items below:

1. You have no vivid vision for where you are going!

2. You do not have dynamic focus to keep you on track.

3. You have no defined structure in your business and that keeps you wondering aimlessly around – structure = results = success.

When you have a vivid vision for where you are going you will always get somewhere and achieve incredible results. When you have a target you know where to aim and not much can take you off track. When you have no target you can aim anywhere and hope and pray to get a result – I watch this and find it amazing that you want success yet you do not know how to get there. Success is a recipe and I wish more would follow it.

Focus keeps you on track and ensures that you are always aiming in the direction of your vivid vision. The more focused you are the less likely you are going to be impacted by distractions and the better for your business. You also have to give your business, products or services a chance of being successful. Do not give-up easily, be tenacious, as you started with a passion and because you do not make sales you should not lose your passion. Keep that vivid vision of what you set out to do and go and get it! There will always be challenges and learning experiences along the way – it’s what you do with them that is important. By flipping from one product to another or adding new items or services without having huge sales with what you have, you will always be struggling because obviously you do not have a vivid vision for where you are going.

I also find that structure in your business is directly related to the success you achieve. The more rules & structure you have and adhere to the more your customers respect you and the better your results. If you do not respect yourself and have rules in your own life and business, why should a customer respect you? Mostly if you have no rules your customers make them for you or you make them up on the fly, which causes long term problems and challenges – this is where we end up with clients in our databases that we would love to fire – it’s not their fault we had no rules!

We find that though our BEST Mindset Groups that people who find the structure challenging are often the entrepreneurs who have challenges with structure and the success of their businesses. The more structure you get the better your results… guaranteed!

If you want better results in your business… get structured.

Put rules in place for HOW you do business, WHERE you do business, WHEN you do business and you will start to see dramatic shifts in the results in your business and in your life.

A business with no structure is like having no rules or structure with your children… need I say more?

You are leaving cash on the table?

Have you ever heard of any of the following:

1. I have to speak to my spouse.

2. I don’t have the money right now.

3. I am too busy.

4. You are too expensive!

5. I prefer product XYZ!

These are all sales objections that many of us hear every day, and most of the time we accept or agree with the sales objection and let the prospect go. When you follow the 3 step process that is clearly outlined in the sales training video below you will see that the objection first given is not the TRUE Objection. When you get to the true objection you will find that it links to emotions and often a completely different reason.

You must get down to the TRUE Objection in order to be able to discuss the topic, build relationship and really assist your prospect.

Here is a Sales Objection example to assist you!

Objection: I am not interested in your product/service!!!

On the surface you may say that this person has no need for your product/service until you use the method in the video below and realize that the person’s TRUE Objection was that they had used a similar product/service to yours and that it failed and had caused them embarrassment and problems with their boss, etc. Now, that you know TRULY why they are objecting you can start to overcome the objection and assist them.

The entire process is about caring and building relationships to give your prospect the peace of mind that you are not going to cause the same problem or situation as another vendor may have done.

This is a SIMPLE yet very powerful process and when you get it working for you with some practice you will start to see amazing results!

Here’s the LIFE SUCCESS RECIPE:

1. Take ONE human-being.
2. Add a great learning & giving attitude.
3. Turn up the heat to achieve discomfort.
4. Add a detailed life-map.
5. Add some good income.
6. Exclude costly ingredients that do not add value.
7. Remove toxic negative influences.
8. Add a positive, reinforcing and supportive environment.
9. Add heaps of commitment & tenacity.
10. Do  not add bling to keep others happy.
11. Add tons of money & time off.
12. Add influencers to improve 1 – 11 above.

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.