Simply Business Coaching

It's Half-Time - how are you doing?

'We spend, I am very certain, the half of our time among people that we do not particularly like and on things that do not particularly amuse us, and consequently have no time for the people and things that do really matter to us."  Alec Waugh

Unbelievably half of 2010 has been - and gone.  Now is a good time to take stock and make any necessary adjustments to goals and plans for the rest of the year.  When I worked in the corporate world, the year was divided into periods 'A' and 'B' and each period covered 6 months.  It's something I've carried on doing.

First I review progress against targets set at the beginning of the year - both financial and performance.  This is the point where you find out just how much you did achieve!

It's important to do this exercise and then put the results firmly in the past.  Those six months have gone forever and nothing that happened, or didn't happen, can now be changed.  Looking forward to the next six months, and keeping the above quote in mind, be sure to include people and things that do matter to you!  Here's how I do it.

Make separate plans for  life and business

Personal Growth
Family get togethers
New skills to learn
Friends to meet up with
Books to read
Health & fitness targets

Hearth & Home
What major repairs need doing before winter?
Which rooms to decorate
Any kitchen appliances to replace
Maintenance/service calls to arrange

Business
Projects to start/complete
New products to launch
Schedule networking events to attend
Book conference & seminar places
Arrange meetings with strategic alliance partners
etc.

I think you get the idea!  This is by no means a comprehensive list, just a few things off the top of my head.

What I'll do is take this first draft and keep adding to it over the next few days, until I can't think of anything more.  Next, I'll do a reality check for each item and ask myself how feasible it is to get it done by the end of the year.  This will probably result in a few crossings out!

For the items that remain I can then start planning out the smaller individual action steps, write them down too, and get started on the first one!

Do you do a half-year review?  Please share what works for you in the comments below. And if you found this helpful, I'd appreciate a RT.

How active is your marketing?

You'd think going out networking was active marketing, wouldn't you?  Not always.

At a networking breakfast the other day, I listened politely to everyone's 60-seconds and to the many heart-warming spoken testimonials that were given.

It occurred to me that, lovely though these sentiments are, they don't really do much good for the recipient's business unless made into a written, audio or video testimonial to use on a website.  Yet how many people go to networking meetings, feel the warm glow of testimonials exchange and do nothing more than say thank you?

Get active!  Write someone (who deserves it) a testimonial today.  If they're on LinkedIn, it's so easy to do.  Oh, and if someone goes to the trouble of writing you a testimonial, don't forget to thank them.  While they may not expect you to return the favour, it is polite to acknowledge the time & trouble they've taken.

Later at the same meeting, a fellow business owner (an accountant) mentioned that his website didn't seem to be bringing in many enquiries.  When I asked what action he was encouraging his site visitors to take, he said his phone number was on each page and a sign-up box to capture email addresses was on the home page.  (When I had a look after the meeting, this sign-up box was at the bottom of the page, offering an update (that didn't actually exist!) and with no 'enticement' to fill in the boxes.)

It's hard enough competing with all the other accountants in the area, but if you don't get active with your website (and other online marketing), finding enough clients is always going to be an uphill struggle.

Get active!  Ask your website (and blog) visitors to do something - on every page.  Give them a good reason to part with their email address, and then keep in touch with them.

(There are plenty more examples to share, so I'll revisit active marketing again soon!)

How do you get active with your marketing?  Let me know in the comments below.  And if you found this post helpful, please share it around!

Working from home - doesn’t mean working alone

I’m very fortunate in that, most of the time, it doesn’t bother me to work by myself.  But I know it doesn’t suit everyone, and for many ‘new’ business owners who have been used to having colleagues to chat with when they were still in employment, the feeling of being alone can be really hard to get used to.

A possible solution is to rent an office or working space in one of the many small business centres around the country.  Some have communal coffee shops, meeting areas, even restaurants on site, or arrange events that are opportunities to meet fellow ‘tenants’.  But not every budget can stretch to that in the early days.  

Joining a regular local networking group is as important for the mutual support each member offers, as it is for the business opportunities sought and exchanged.  Some are better at being supportive than others.  If committing to a regular meeting on set dates is impractical, there are many other groups where you can ‘pay as you go’, as well as ad hoc networking opportunities.  Consider conferences, seminars, workshops, trade shows and exhibitions are all good ways to combine business with meeting and chatting to fellow business owners.

Belonging to a Mastermind, whether formal and paid for or an informal meeting of like-minded business owners has a lot going for it.  Good Mastermind groups are a blend of support, encouragement, learning, sharing, accountability and action focused.  I’ve found them to be a great way to help me get things done!

One of the reasons coaching is so effective is the regular contact (by phone or in person) and knowing there’s someone who is always there, through all the ups and downs of business life.  Group coaching environments bring the additional support of the other members, which often develop into deeper business relationships outside of the meetings.

There is no need to feel isolated because you work alone at home, and it’s important to the success of all small businesses to set up support systems.

What support systems work for you?  Please share your experience in the comments below.  And if you found this post helpful, a retweet would be appreciated!

Weekend Reading Issue 4

I read a lot of blog posts (more than I should!) every day & share what I believe to be the best, most interesting, small business relevant - as well as sometimes stuff that just tickles me - with my 'followers' on Twitter and more recently on Google Buzz.

Obviously not everyone gets a chance to keep up with their reading list during the busy work week, so I've started sharing just a few random posts I enjoyed during the week and hope there'll something you like reading at your leisure over the weekend - over a beverage of your choice of course!  Here are this week's offerings:

Outsourcing to your virtual self - I'm all in favour of doing a job once and benefitting from it many times over and with so many low cost ways of recording, there's no excuse for not having a go.

How to build an emarketing strategy to drive sales (Webinar Q&A) - Although this post may seem disjointed from the webinar it refers to, I like the emarketing tips given here.

12 ways to make your blog posts more credible - Applying these suggestions will raise the standard of the 'average' blog posts, of which there are far too many ;)  (Me?  I've taken plenty of notes too!)

10 things I learned from my first webinar - I love it when people share all the stuff that went wrong -
makes me feel better about my own mishaps!

How to manage your social media marketing in 10 minutes daily - While I'm not convinced this is feasible for all businesses, it's a good starting point for the overwhelmed.

If you enjoyed this eclectic selection, please let me know! And if you think others may like reading these posts, feel free to pass them on by retweeting or sharing ...

When Pleasing the Customer has to Stop

There's a fine line between providing great customer service and being too accommodating.

With great customer service you deliberately set out to provide an exceptional experience and delight your clients. You may periodically send little cards in the post to inspire or congratulate; surprise them with a small gift (a thought-provoking book, or some cinema tickets perhaps).  However you do this, it's part of the client package and overall experience you chose to create.  Both of you feel valued by the other.

Being too accommodating is where you break your own boundaries in response to a request.  For example, a client may ask for an appointment outside of the hours you normally work or for special payment terms that will play havoc with your cashflow.

In my (sometimes painful) experience, if you agree to these special requests once, the client will expect the same treatment in future and you'll feel obliged to continue being accommodating.  In fact, your customer probably won't even be grateful after the first time, and you may come to resent the arrangement.

It has taken me several years to realise I won't lose business by clearly stating my terms upfront and sticking to them.  Of course there is some room for flexibility, but only as far as it suits me.  For example, I work best in the mornings so no longer make evening coaching appointments (I don't want to give sub-standard service).  So to be flexible, I'll offer an 8am or even 7am call if asked.

Providing great customer service isn't the same as accommodating every wish and request.  Being business-like will result in mutual respect and understanding.

Have you ever been 'over-accommodating' with customers? Do comment below.  And if you enjoyed today's post, I'd appreciate if you shared it by retweeting!

Does a Lack of Confidence Hold Your Business Back?

As a little girl I was painfully shy.  My lack of confidence kept me from joining in the games my friends were playing - I was so worried I wouldn't be able to do whatever it was or, even worse, do it wrong and be laughed at.  An only child, I learned to amuse myself with mainly solitary pursuits and reading still is my favourite pastime.  But I sometimes think of those those lost opportunities to have fun - because I lacked confidence.

It wasn't until many years later that I found out people often aren't as confident as they appear to be, and since becoming a coach, I've learned several very effective ways to gain confidence, one of them is to model someone who appears confident in whatever it is you want to do.

Unsurprisingly, I used to be terrified of speaking to groups of people.  My mouth would dry up, hands would shake so much I couldn't read the words on the pages I was holding, it would feel as if my knees were knocking together and my mind would go completely blank - not very promising at all.  Through most of my corporate career I managed to avoided giving many presentations but once I worked for myself, I knew giving talks was an important part of marketing.  The first part of my solution was to start a small networking group as I knew I would have to stand up and speak every week.  This helped to calm some of the nerves, and then I received an invitation to speak to around 60 business owners!!  With pounding heart, I accepted and started preparing for the big day.

I've always admired Winston Churchill and JF Kennedy for their powerful speeches, so I read their biographies, listened to audio recordings and watched snippets of old film.  I discovered they both used to rehearse their speeches many times before the 'real thing', so I did that for my little talk as well.  Knowing I was modelling people who had been so great at doing what I wanted to do, was a very powerful boost to my confidence.

On the day of the talk I was very nervous but knew I was as prepared as I could be.  Everything went well and that gave me confidence for the next time ....

While my 'speeches' are unlikely to ever be recorded in the history books, because I modelled people who were really successful at public speaking, I'm pleased to report that at least my hands have stopped shaking and I only feel a little bit nervous before giving talks now.

Do you get very nervous at the thought of 'public speaking'? Please let me know in the comments.  If you found this post helpful, do share it with others by retweeting.  Thank you :)

Book Review: The New Rules of Marketing & PR

This book is divided into three main sections:

‘How the Web has changed the rules of Marketing & PR’
‘Web-Based Communications to Reach Buyers Directly’
‘Action Plan for Harnessing the Power of the New Rules’

There are easily understandable descriptions of the different media covered (thankfully just the main ones) and guidelines on how to use them (this is by far the longest section).  I wasn’t disappointed by this book and was pleased to learn some new techniques to include in my own marketing campaigns.

While the author is keen to point out that online methods shouldn’t replace the existing offline marketing & PR efforts, there is a definite bias towards the new; and a veiled warning that traditional media needs to look to its laurels and keep up.

What makes this book so valuable is that the comprehensive content can be applied to such a wide variety of organisations – from corporation to solo consultancy, non-profit, church, school – the list is all-encompassing.

There are plenty of case studies to demonstrate the major points, including some of the author’s personal experiences.

I have been using many of the techniques covered to promote my business for some time, and was pleased to find that this book still provided new ideas for me to try, as well as explaining others which had been a bit unclear beforehand!

A complete novice might find the comprehensive contents overwhelming, but should still be able to follow the step-by-step action plan to extend their online presence.   By keeping each chapter short, the author ensures there is time to absorb one concept before moving on to the next.

Because of the incredibly fast-moving nature of the internet, elements of this publication are probably already out of date.  However, the overall concepts surrounding the use of social media in marketing will remain true for a while longer.

Any business making the transition to online marketing will find useful guidelines in this book.

The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly (New ... & PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs,)

Profile Photos to Do You Proud

OK, I'll admit the photo I use on this site - and just about everywhere else on the internet - is due for updating!  But at least people still recognise me from it when we meet in person for the first time.

With more people than ever joining online networking sites, choosing the right photo (also called an avatar) to use is a very important part of creating your profile.

You may want a less formal photo on your Facebook personal profile, especially if this is going to be just for family and friends, but I would caution against uploading any shots you may regret sharing in future.  I very recently created a Facebook business Page and am trying out a logo rather than photo of myself for the first time - to avoid confusion with my personal profile.  (Do let me know what you think!)

When it comes to your LinkedIn profile, as this is a professional network, remember the impression you want to give and choose an appropriately professional photo of yourself.

You should be smiling, look friendly and approachable, be close enough to identify, in focus and on your own.  If the only decent photo of you was taken in a less formal setting, then use your computer's picture editor to 'crop' and resize.

With Twitter, if your account is in your name, then use a photograph of you (I do like to see the person I'm tweeting with!).  For a company account, especially if you won't be the only person tweeting, then a logo is probably more appropriate.

Here are a couple of useful free online tools to help get your photo just right:

Easy Thumbnails: If the image file you want to upload is too big, download this handy little conversion tool:  (Windows only)

Create a 'Gravatar'  to use and be recognised whenever you comment on other people's blog posts.

(You may also be interested in this post I wrote about profile photos for Savvy Marketers)

What's your view about profile photos?  Do let me know by commenting below.  If you enjoyed this post, please retweet it!

Weekend Reading Issue 3

I read a lot of blog posts (more than I should!) every day & share what I believe to be the best, most interesting, small business relevant - as well as sometimes stuff that just tickles me - with my 'followers' on Twitter and more recently on Google Buzz.

Obviously not everyone gets a chance to keep up with their reading list during the busy work week, so I've started sharing just a few random posts I enjoyed during the week and hope there'll something you like reading at your leisure over the weekend - over a beverage of your choice of course!  Here are this week's offerings:

Make the Ask - Another way of how to approach asking for the sale (if you've ever hesitated).

5 Ways to Get More from Local Search - Using the internet to get more business, even if your customers are only just down the road.

How the Internet Helps you come up with ideas for topics - Whether writing articles, blog posts or newsletters, everyone needs a little extra inspiration sometimes.

What to Do When Someone Steals Your Content - A few ideas on how to deal with this serious issue.

Effective Email Marketing has to be relevant

If you enjoyed this eclectic selection, please let me know! And if you think others may like reading these posts, feel free to pass them on ...

Have you got any buried treasures in your business?

If like me, you've been in business for a few years, you've probably accumulated a lot of materials - written, audio and even video.  Let me ask you a question.  Are they still working for you, or are they gathering dust in a filing cupboard somewhere?

While searching for inspiration for a bonus to a product I'm 'relaunching' soon, I came across several folders full of notes from workshops I've presented over the past few years, and then it struck me .....

.... like a flash of the blindingly obvious!!

Why don't I use this material to create information products to sell?  Most of the content is already prepared and the topics should be popular because the workshops were.

Back when I originally wrote this material, I simply presented the workshop a few times, then put the folder on a shelf and moved on to the next project.  I've always been so keen to learn lots of 'new stuff' to pass on that I forget not everyone knows the topics that I taught in the past, only the relatively small number of people who attended the workshops.

Stunned, I sat there for a while, berating myself for not seeing the possibilities and taking action months or even years earlier.  But back then I didn't have a lot of the technical tools or online know-how, so perhaps now is the right time after all.

By far the biggest surprise came when I went through all the old folders the other day and found, not just a couple of possible new products, but six!  Definitely a 'duh' moment!  It's going to be a busy summer.

Don't let your 'old treasures' gather dust - get them out and polish them up!

Have you got any 'old treasures'?  Do comment below if this has happened to you!  And if you enjoyed reading this post, please retweet or share ;)