marketing strategies

marketing strategies

Rear View Mirror – the Power of Vision Driven Results

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Your ideas, insights, gifts, skills, and experiences are money.

 

Uniquely being you delivers value to others. In a business environment, they (your customers) give you money for that value exchange. I refer to this as the fuel that runs your economic engine. Cash and profits are essential to the health and operation of your company. But how easily you make money, quickly you build a company, magnetically attract customers, and gain credibility all depends on you.

 

In this metaphor, you are the driver of your high performing entrepreneurial vehicle. Ultimately you are responsible for how and when you arrive at your destination. When it comes to significant goal achievement I find the “rear view mirror” technique to be highly effective for three reasons. It is future focused It engages your RAS (Reticular Activation System) Here is an excellent article on what RAS is and why it matters in goal setting.

 

Repeated use of the ‘rear view mirror’ technique will reveal self sabotage and detours that delay arrival at your destination. Here is how it works.

 

Let’s take a one year view and work backwards.

 

Based on your income or revenue goals, picture yourself and ask yourself.

 

“What do I see in my rear view mirror? What are the significant benchmarks that contributed to my goal achievement?”
 

  • If you are a service professional you might be celebrating sustainable marketing outreach that fed consistent prospects converting to clients you love all year long and a work/life balance with income that keeps you motivated.
     

  • If you are a consultant, speaker, or expert you might be celebrating new book sales, successful speaking engagements, new products released, recognition by peers, etc.
     

  • If you are an entrepreneurial rainmaker (you are building a company that depends on others labor while you attract and convert new business opportunities) you might be celebrating key people on your team, their achievements and contributions, your market penetration, recognition by peers, new product release, etc.
     

Next bring the view back to the short term. Picture yourself out 90 days or at the end of a quarter. What benchmarks do you see in your rear view that needs to be met this quarter to significantly move you toward that celebration?

 

Now, bring the view into this month and next week. What benchmarks do you need to see in your rear view next week and next month?Identify and make SMART commitments to the key activities that create forward movement.

 

Hindrances and helps for using the rear view mirror technique.
 

  • Master your motivators. Learn the people or activities that distract you and align with those who inspire, encourage, and accelerate you.
     

  • Find the juice in your future. When you are looking back on the benchmarks, achievements, and celebrations invest in feeling the full impact of emotions. Ask yourself, “What does this look like? How do I feel? How do others see me? What are they saying about me? What am I saying about myself? What is the financial impact of achieving this benchmark?”
     

  • Keep your head up for pot holes, road blocks and detours. What would you like to see in your rear view mirror next week? What’s going to keep you from accomplishing it? Strategize to work around them, avoid or eliminate the obstacles.

 

Key to monetizing your talents is creating practices that allow you to work in your sweet spot most of the time. Practice the future focused “rear view mirror” technique to get more juice in goal achievement process.

 

The ultimate business strategy is leveraging YOU! 

 

Getting fat feasting at the "Free Stuff" Buffet?

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There is no shortage of low-cost or fre-ee information in the world today.A veritable smorgasbord is only a Google search away.

 

Like you, I am guilty of partaking liberally, seeking that elusive secret success formula, enticed into clicking the link for a free download, believing that all it takes is just ONE more golden nugget to unleash the next big breakthrough…inevitably adding another mailing to my inbox.

 

 

The blessing and the curse of this information age is access to more content than we can possibly consume.

 

What’s the cost?

 

What I want you to think about today are some insights and perspective on the hidden impact and costs on your business, goals, and self-esteem when you linger too long at the “free stuff” buffet.

 

  • Fat-ness happens. You become obese with information. Your platter is overflowing with ideas, strategies, tips, and upsells from a variety of providers. (The cost: Overwhelm, doubt, and a work harder mentality takes over resulting in a poverty mindset.)
     

  • You question your gut, your dream, your talent, and results. You can become double-minded, waffling between what you know and the promise of a deliverable you want. The cost: Your confidence & self-esteem are impacted reducing your impact in everything you do.) Comparison is the root of dissatisfaction. -Anonymous
     

  • You lose track of time and the related desired results you are working to achieve. (Busy work increases without connection to results. Your progress is stalled and forward momentum delayed.)
     

You say to yourself, “Too much information? What can be the harm in that?” Right? Wrong! Too much data creates analysis paralysis, information overload, and too many options.

 

Let’s calculate the impact.

 

  • How many newsletters and info products do you subscribe to? Look through your inbox in the last week and do a quick count. Write down the number.
     

  • How many resources have you already invested in that sit on your shelf or are archived in your computer for reference? Write down the dollar amount you invested.
     

  • How much time do you spend a day, week, or month, listening to or participating in fre-ee webinars, teleseminars, attending fr-ee events, etc.? Write down the hours you spend.
     

  • Rate your confidence on a level of 1-5, 1 being low and 5, high. Just think about the impact on your business if your confidence is compromised.

 

Don’t get me wrong. I will always subscribe to new thought in the area of my expertise, people I want to follow and those I want to keep my eye on. I am simply suggesting in this post, is that it may be time to go on an info-diet. It’s up to you! Think about it. Courageously assess your company. Determine what you need to consume that will allow you to grow a healthy business on a balance of information then brutally cut the rest.

 

I’m taking the plunge. Are you in?

 

*I’ve already confessed, I am also a perpetrator of this phenomenon by offering my own selections of “free” stuff (but that is another blog post).

 

Fresh rules for networking! Need business? Connect up!

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Most of the people I know are networking to generate new business. Some are operating under the belief that networking is a new form of cold calling and start selling too early in the conversation. You know what I mean. I don’t know about you, but every time I network, I run into someone trying to sell me something. I am usually not their prospect but they don’t ask enough questions to know! They assume everyone is their prospect. Not so! 

 

There is so much available in the information sphere that addresses the ‘how to’ of networking that it is surprising that so many still are challenged using it to produce consistent results! Check yourself? How do you define the activity?

 

Let’s start with redefining the activity of networking. Instead of simply connecting or building relationships, look at networking as a strategic marketing tactic. As a part of your overall marketing strategy, you would likely be much more specific about where you network, who you connect with, and how you follow up!

 

Here are a few quick rules for networking strategically…and making contacts that lead to business!

 

  1. Target events that are rich with those with your target market or potential strategic partners.
     

  2. Don’t start with selling. Ask good questions!
     

  3. See the big picture. The person you meet may not be in need of your services but could connect you to opportunities you wouldn’t otherwise find.
     

  4. Follow up. Do your homework and identify your A prospects & partners (or cool people you meet). When you meet those who fit that criteria or close to it. Take the next step and follow up. This is where the money is made!

 

Next time you network, try these new rules! What about you? Do you have any tips for networking strategically?