I was talking to a prospective new client towards the end of last week about how the Business Accelerator Programme could specifically help her get off the starting blocks with her business idea and propel her to the position of business owner as opposed to where she currently is as a dreamer.
Quite rightly she had a lot of questions: How does the programme work? Can you guarantee it will be successful? What are the precise steps I need to take to get a good return on my investment?
All valid and very important questions that any prospective client should be asking and I totally understand the concerns. Over the years I have invested in many coaching, marketing and mentoring programmes but not all of them have delivered the results I'd hoped to achieve.
Was it the coach? Were they not knowledgeable enough? Was I attending the wrong seminars? Was I learning the 'wrong' approaches to marketing?
No not at all, every single seminar, conference I have attended has been full of high quality content, every book I have read has given me at least one or two new ideas or insights. So why in the past wasn't I getting the results I desired?
Neil Fellowes explains all in his article If they're not buying what you offer...
What's going on you might ask... you seem to be telling lots of people about what you do and how you can help them, but still they're not buying? You need people to buy from you because you can make a big difference to them personally or to their business.
Marketing methods that fail
Have you ever been to a networking meeting, not felt comfortable and not picked up any business? When this happens it's easy to say "I went, I met 20 business owners and not one of them bought". And you can be forgiven for thinking: "Networking doesn't work."
You could also try advertising. Spend a few hundred (or thousand), get little or no interest and say that doesn't work either.
You might not like writing, but because you hear articles or newsletters work, you try writing a half dozen. But still you have no interest and you conclude that doesn't work.
You could try direct mail and have that bomb too. You could try flyers, telesales or a hundred other marketing methods and still get the same response.
Why?
It's not the marketing method that doesn't work, it's something else.
Marketing Methods that work
Not so long ago I was chatting with a guy who makes a very nice six-figure income and his only marketing method is networking. One of my peers tells me one advert she runs generates a 38% response. I can tell you one writing method we use builds confidence and awareness which in turn creates sales for us.
So how come these marketing activities are no different from the ones people claim don't work? What makes the difference?
Using the strategy of Olympic Medallists
Olympic medallists are not just born, they dedicate time to making minor adjustments that give them an edge - sometimes a fraction of an inch that makes that difference between being a champion everyone remembers or the competitor who got forgotten.
It's most often about small improvements, made over time, and sometimes you need outside expertise on these things.
We made a change on one of our web pages recently that changed the take up by just 3%. That doesn't sound much, right? But 1000 people hit that web page and that product has a value of £1200, it's a worthwhile adjustment.
So, when people are not buying what you offer, it's not necessarily that the strategy doesn't work, it's likely to be the way you're currently using the strategy that hasn't worked... yet.
With marketing you have to keep refining things until you get results you want. It's all testing.
Neil Fellowes publishes his fortnightly CommunitySoul newsletter for businesses that take an ethical, sustainable or holistic approach to be strong thriving businesses and practices. If you want to make a big difference through your work and make a big profit, then join in our free tele-seminar www.communitysoulbusiness.com
Monday, 26 October 2009
Friday, 23 October 2009
Are you Attracting Enough of What You Want In Your Life?
Many years ago during a challenging period of my life I decided to explore the possibility of becoming an interior designer and signed up for an introduction course. I've always loved colour and shapes so I was in my element collecting samples and swatches offabric for my mood boards.
I spent many weeks dreaming up fantasy rooms sourcing ideas and drawing designs based around my own personal tastes to create my portfolio. Money was particularly tight at this point in my life so my designs and plans were based totally on dreams.
Life then took a new turn and I found myself training to become a teacher, that’s a story for another time, however, a decade later we moved to a new house. As I unpacked I was drawn to a particular packing box that contained the portfolio from that interior design class. Sentimentally I flicked through the pages and was amazed to see that the carpet I’d once desired and could only dream of in my portfolio was the very flooring I was standing on in my new house. It didn’t stop there, there were several other coincidences appertaining to that portfolio like the bathroom fittings and the splash back behind the oven.
You may call it coincidence but I believe it was something much more powerful at work, the Law of Attraction states that what you think about most you ultimately attract and believe me I spent endless hours working on, thinking and dreaming about the designs in my portfolio.
The Law of Attraction was our topic for Winning Women networking group
last evening, I wasn’t surprised by how many of us have experienced the law of attraction at play. My thanks go to our guest speaker Roberta Jerram for the wonderful insights she shared.
It’s so true that you get what you focus on, so as you go through your daily life running your business I urge you to focus on what it is you want and why you really want it. Get clear, get specific, write it down and believe it can be yours.
Want to learn more about this fascinating universal law?
Here are few resources to check out.
Books
The Secret: by Rhonda Byrne
Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't: Michael J. Losier
The Missing Secret :Dr Joe Vitale. Activate the full power of the Law of Attraction
The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) From the Inside Out: Joe Vitale
Websites
http://www.rebeccahanson.com/
www.michaellosier.com
www.mrfire.com
I spent many weeks dreaming up fantasy rooms sourcing ideas and drawing designs based around my own personal tastes to create my portfolio. Money was particularly tight at this point in my life so my designs and plans were based totally on dreams.
Life then took a new turn and I found myself training to become a teacher, that’s a story for another time, however, a decade later we moved to a new house. As I unpacked I was drawn to a particular packing box that contained the portfolio from that interior design class. Sentimentally I flicked through the pages and was amazed to see that the carpet I’d once desired and could only dream of in my portfolio was the very flooring I was standing on in my new house. It didn’t stop there, there were several other coincidences appertaining to that portfolio like the bathroom fittings and the splash back behind the oven.
You may call it coincidence but I believe it was something much more powerful at work, the Law of Attraction states that what you think about most you ultimately attract and believe me I spent endless hours working on, thinking and dreaming about the designs in my portfolio.
The Law of Attraction was our topic for Winning Women networking group
last evening, I wasn’t surprised by how many of us have experienced the law of attraction at play. My thanks go to our guest speaker Roberta Jerram for the wonderful insights she shared.
It’s so true that you get what you focus on, so as you go through your daily life running your business I urge you to focus on what it is you want and why you really want it. Get clear, get specific, write it down and believe it can be yours.
Want to learn more about this fascinating universal law?
Here are few resources to check out.
Books
The Secret: by Rhonda Byrne
Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't: Michael J. Losier
The Missing Secret :Dr Joe Vitale. Activate the full power of the Law of Attraction
The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) From the Inside Out: Joe Vitale
Websites
http://www.rebeccahanson.com/
www.michaellosier.com
www.mrfire.com
Monday, 19 October 2009
If You Aren't Getting The Results You Want Then Ask Yourself Better Questions
If you’ve read any of my previous posts you will already know that I tend to come up with many a good idea when taking a shower. Our minds constantly search for the answers to the internal questions we pose.
It’s a well known fact that if you can ask yourself better questions, you’re going to come up with better answers, but are you putting this to the test?
Just a few weeks ago I was stuck in a time trap unable to see a way clear that would free up some extra time in my hectic schedule to work on creating and developing some of our new programmes planned for the New Year.
So why wasn’t I asking better questions? I’d allowed myself to fall into the trap of lack, focusing on the lack of time I had rather than asking myself ‘what do I need to do to find an extra 30 minutes each day to concentrate on this activity ’. Immediately I made the decision to ask myself better questions I began to receive better results.
Asking better questions expands your thinking and your experiences too, remember this the next time you think you can’t have something you really want like an expensive new outfit, an expensive training course, or a foreign holiday. It’s only your perception of your current thinking holding you back. By simply asking better questions and getting your mind thinking on a different path can be wonderfully illuminating.
Test it yourself and see.
It’s a well known fact that if you can ask yourself better questions, you’re going to come up with better answers, but are you putting this to the test?
Just a few weeks ago I was stuck in a time trap unable to see a way clear that would free up some extra time in my hectic schedule to work on creating and developing some of our new programmes planned for the New Year.
So why wasn’t I asking better questions? I’d allowed myself to fall into the trap of lack, focusing on the lack of time I had rather than asking myself ‘what do I need to do to find an extra 30 minutes each day to concentrate on this activity ’. Immediately I made the decision to ask myself better questions I began to receive better results.
Asking better questions expands your thinking and your experiences too, remember this the next time you think you can’t have something you really want like an expensive new outfit, an expensive training course, or a foreign holiday. It’s only your perception of your current thinking holding you back. By simply asking better questions and getting your mind thinking on a different path can be wonderfully illuminating.
Test it yourself and see.
Friday, 9 October 2009
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Do You Want To Get Ahead In Business?
I know I do. I have high expectations and want to deliver great value to my clients.
But, I need to be honest here, for the past nine or ten months http://www.allisonmarlowe.com/ has been ticking over nicely but growth has been inconsistent. Don’t mis-understand me, we are doing very well, we are currently at full capacity client wise and feedback is always highly positive.
At the same time there has been this uncomfortable niggling feeling that I need to be doing far more in terms of growth and development to step up to the next level. My ideas are plentiful, I know what I need to do, but I've been lacking direction which commonly results in lack of action.
I'm a great believer in learning from others, people who have already trod where I dare to tread and for that reason I have several mentors supporting me and holding me accountable at any one time. When a recent opportunity arose to spend a half day exclusively on developing my business with business coach and mentor Rob Cuesta I jumped at the chance. You just can’t let opportunities like that pass you by.
During the course of the morning something major shifted, suddenly I could see a way forward and by lunchtime the pieces of the jigsaw began to fall slowly into place.
By late afternoon a clear step by step detailed action plan was shaped and formed. The plan felt comfortable and I know I can realistically achieve the targets set. Having a plan, a way forward was its self tremendous value but that’s not all, I also learned huge amounts about myself, I gained an insight into the reasons my beliefs have been holding me back, new tools and strategies, but the icing on the cake was unearthing a potential £20,000 of additional revenue that I'd previously overseen.
So what about you - are you going to wait for the ‘business fairy’ to come along and wave her magic wand or are you going to take responsibility and find a mentor for yourself – TODAY.
Find out more about Rob Cruesta here
But, I need to be honest here, for the past nine or ten months http://www.allisonmarlowe.com/ has been ticking over nicely but growth has been inconsistent. Don’t mis-understand me, we are doing very well, we are currently at full capacity client wise and feedback is always highly positive.
At the same time there has been this uncomfortable niggling feeling that I need to be doing far more in terms of growth and development to step up to the next level. My ideas are plentiful, I know what I need to do, but I've been lacking direction which commonly results in lack of action.
I'm a great believer in learning from others, people who have already trod where I dare to tread and for that reason I have several mentors supporting me and holding me accountable at any one time. When a recent opportunity arose to spend a half day exclusively on developing my business with business coach and mentor Rob Cuesta I jumped at the chance. You just can’t let opportunities like that pass you by.
During the course of the morning something major shifted, suddenly I could see a way forward and by lunchtime the pieces of the jigsaw began to fall slowly into place.
By late afternoon a clear step by step detailed action plan was shaped and formed. The plan felt comfortable and I know I can realistically achieve the targets set. Having a plan, a way forward was its self tremendous value but that’s not all, I also learned huge amounts about myself, I gained an insight into the reasons my beliefs have been holding me back, new tools and strategies, but the icing on the cake was unearthing a potential £20,000 of additional revenue that I'd previously overseen.
So what about you - are you going to wait for the ‘business fairy’ to come along and wave her magic wand or are you going to take responsibility and find a mentor for yourself – TODAY.
Find out more about Rob Cruesta here
Friday, 2 October 2009
Shut the BUT up!
Have you ever caught yourself saying things like this before?
‘………but I’ll never have the confidence to do that’
………..but that’s probably wishful thinking’
‘I’d love to ……..but ’
It would be great if I could just…………but ’
I know I certainly have. We all make excuses, some of us more than others.
When we insert a tiny word like ‘BUT’ into a sentence it moves your focus to whatever follows the ‘but’.
‘but’ can lead us to procrastination, it becomes all to easy to fall into the trap of believing our own excuses and that points to inaction.
Think about this for a moment, -The quality of your excuses determines the quality of your life.
So stop making excuses, nobody else is listening anyway, instead take responsibility for your life, no complaining, no blaming, no whining.
Winston Churchill said 'Responsibility is the price of greatness'.
Its your choice.
Do you really want to look back at your life and say ‘I nearly did……………but’
Or
'
I was going to become………… but’
Shut the BUT up!
‘………but I’ll never have the confidence to do that’
………..but that’s probably wishful thinking’
‘I’d love to ……..but ’
It would be great if I could just…………but ’
I know I certainly have. We all make excuses, some of us more than others.
When we insert a tiny word like ‘BUT’ into a sentence it moves your focus to whatever follows the ‘but’.
‘but’ can lead us to procrastination, it becomes all to easy to fall into the trap of believing our own excuses and that points to inaction.
Think about this for a moment, -The quality of your excuses determines the quality of your life.
So stop making excuses, nobody else is listening anyway, instead take responsibility for your life, no complaining, no blaming, no whining.
Winston Churchill said 'Responsibility is the price of greatness'.
Its your choice.
Do you really want to look back at your life and say ‘I nearly did……………but’
Or
'
I was going to become………… but’
Shut the BUT up!
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