Growing Your Business
(What you need to know; what you need to do)
Notes from Mark LeBlanc’s book
Create a business model that drives you:
1. The most successful businesses are those that have awritten plan. From that plan you can create a daily checklist of activities that keep you focused, on track, and on purpose. Evaluate this plan on a regular basis.
2. You are in control of your business, and now is the time totake charge. If you don’t, your prospects and clients will be in charge. (These are the wrong people to put in charge of YOUR business!) In an ideal month, your business will reach the following:
-- Gross monthly revenues will be $____ (make this an optimistic number)
-- Owner’s monthly compensation will be $_____
Do not move forward until you answer this question. You can reach your goal sooner rather than later when you are focused. If you are clear about how much you want and what you are willing to do for it, you can make things happen sooner rather than later.
3. Write youroptimistic goalon a Post-it note and keep it where you will see it often. It will serve as a reminder of what you want. Now, ask yourself these two questions daily for the next 30 days
In the a.m.: What am I doing today to reach my optimistic number of $___?
In the p.m.: What did I do today to reach my optimistic number of $___?
4. Evaluateyour optimistic number every 90 days. Increase or decrease it according to business decisions you make.
5. You are never too small tosurround yourself with the right resourcesthat will ensure a strong foundation for your business.
6. Strike a balance between a marketing project vs. a strategy. A project is a single initiative with an anticipated short-term result. A strategy is an ongoing initiative with anticipated results over time.
Projects:
· Direct mail to 1000 people
· Send out a newsletter
· Ad in the newspaper
Strategies:
· Direct mail sent to 250 people each month
· Develop a monthly newsletter program
· Spend $500 on display ads each quarter
7. Communicate effectively what you do and who you do it with best.
Position yourself by conceptand zero in on the outcomes of your work. (Most people position themselves by their title or their products and services.) 50% of the marketplace will have a negative perception of your title.
If your primary efforts, introductions, and promotional materials are title-centered and product/service focused, they you must do anything you can to set yourself apart from your competition. Identify and focus on the outcomes of your work or what happens when customers use your products and services.
Make a list of the 10 primary outcomesof your company, products, and services:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
If you identify the outcomes and then build your conversations, web site, social media, and collateral materials around these outcomes, you will attract more prospects, which leads to more sales.
Defining Statement:
What do you do? When you can answer this simple question in a concise way that attracts people, you will have reached a deeper level of connection with your prospects.
The best reason for creating a great defining statement: Whatever you charge for your services will most likely be perceived as an investment in the outcomes you provide rather than a cost of satisfying a need or solving a problem.
Seven Rules for creating a great defining statement:
1. Use eighth gradelanguage. Keep it simple & concise.
2. Make itconversational. If you cannot easily say it when people ask what you do, it will not work.
3. It mustattractpeople to you.
4. Focus on thedreamof your prospect rather than focusing on their pain. (People are motivated by either increasing pleasure or decreasing pain.)
5. What and who: What are the outcomes and who would be best served by working with you?
6. Create a two-part statement– dual outcome.
7. Must be repeatable. If another person can repeat it, referrals will go way up!
Components: Use “work with” … “want” … “and” … 3-5 word outcomes.
My defining statement: I work with self-employed and independent professionals who want to de-clutter their schedules, spaces & minds so they can focus on what’s most important.
Ways to use your defining statement:
1. Introduce yourself.
2. Turn into a headline for an ad or brochure
3. Use on home page of web site
4. Use in voice mail message
5. Put on fax cover sheet
6. Put in signature file of email messages
7. Write articles built around it
8. Print on promotional gifts
8. Understand the mindset of a prospect -- four mindsets:
Thinkers:
I am thinking about hiring a professional organizer.
They want: to make a decision
Their need: information in order to make a decision
You ask:
· What information do you need to make a decision?
· What is your timeframe?
Don’tpush, don’t sell. If you move too quickly, you will overwhelm and alienate them.
Doslow down and provide information. You’ll earn their trust and respect.
Doers:
I have decided to hire a professional organizer.
They want: Action
They need: Your sense of urgency
You ask:
· How soon would you like to begin?
· What is your target date for completing the work?
Don’twaste time.
Dotake charge. Keep an eye on being productive and moving forward.
Strugglers:
You charge HOW much? I’d never pay that much! What kind of deal can you offer me? (focused on cost – time, money, energy, etc.)
They want: a quick fix
They need: a new perspective
You ask:
· What do you choose to do at this time?
Don’tget wrapped up in their problems. Don’t let them sucker you or bend the rules to accommodate them.
Dodraw them out and help them think through before making a decision. Stick to your terms.
Achiever:
I’m looking for someone I can trust who will… (focused on the outcomes of what will happen when they work with you)
They want: teamwork
They need: a resource
You ask:
· What’s most important to you?
· How have other organizers worked with you? (uncover the pros and cons)
Don’t take this person for granted.
Do uncover the pros and cons of your competitors. Get the prescription you need to succeed with this person.
9. Create an Advocate System
Identify 25 people in your life that you most need to listen to and to be in relationship with who will impact your business life in a positive way.
· Never let an advocate get more than 30 days away from you. Communicate regularly by phone, text, mail, email, and personal visits.
· Your advocates must know and be able to repeat your defining statement.
· Make a list of 12 things you can do over the next 12 months to stay connected with your advocates. Ways to stay in touch:
o Call
o Send bio and business card
o Write or find an article and send them a copy
o Postcard
o Email a quick note
o Face-to-face visit
o Holiday card or gift
o Newsletter or blog
o Send info about a special you are running
o Forward a web link of interest
o Invite to a teleclass or workshop
· Keep it simple and be gracious and respectful. It’s hard to get down for too long when you realize you have a small army of advocates who really care about you. Your advocates will go out of their way to say good things about you and initiate some type of connection on your behalf. Some of them will use “got to…” “You’ve got to call Kathy and find out about her teleclasses.”