Creative Life & Business Strategies

Life and your small business intertwine in so many different ways. What happens in your small business will affect you personally, which then impacts other aspects of your life.

With that being the case, it’s very important that the work you do is based on a passion you have for helping other people.

You’ll never find satisfaction from your work until you tap into that passion and understand the true value you’ve created and how it helps others achieve what they want out of life.

I have learned over the years that businesses that start with a heartfelt, personal story tend to do better.

The reason is people who hear the story resonate with it because it’s authentic. It’s based on how the owner of the business “feels” about the work she or he does.

This type of story resonates deeply with other people because it’s genuine and from the heart.

As a result, creating a story that is authentically your own is the most important thing you can do to find greater satisfaction from your work life.

Of course, when you’re happier in your work life you tend to be happier in your personal life as well.

How do you create your own Authentic Story?

It’s really easy. Start by taking out a paper and pen and get ready to write. Do that now, we’re really going to do this exercise together.

I’ll wait for a minute while you get your pen and paper out.

First, remember, this is not an exercise where you think. This is an exercise where you FEEL.

As you’re doing this exercise don’t think of the answer. Instead, write down the first thing you feel that just pops into your mind.

Remember, don’t think. Feel and then write the first thing that comes to you.

DEAL? Good.

First question; what was the greatest problem other people had that you set out to solve when you started your business?

Write down your answer in one minute or less.

What was it about the business you started that really resonated with you when you decided to begin? This would be the one thing that really helped you achieve the momentum needed to launch your enterprise.

Again, write down your answer in one minute or less.

What is the impact or result that your best clients gain when they engage your service or purchase your product?

One more time, write down your answer in one minute or less.

Now combine the problem with the thing that resonated with you most and the impact or result your best clients achieve and you have created your personal Authentic Story.

Now share your Authentic Story with people who are interested in your offer.

Notice the positive difference expressing your heartfelt story makes on your sales and marketing efforts. People will find you more credible.

If you struggle with doing exercise, call on me.

I’ll help you develop your Authentic Story in 15 minutes or less. No cost, my gift to you if you’re someone who needs help with expressing their heartfelt story in business.

You can request help here.

Or email me your completed story to bill@coachbillgluth.com and I’ll post the best few stories I receive on my blog, with your business name and link to your Web site.

Let’s share our passion and Authentic Stories to add value to the lives of others.

Are you with me?

When you have a business and are seeking attention what is the one thing that will help you reach your attention getting goal in the shortest time possible?

The answer is being relevant.

By relevant I mean that the conversation you are pointing at the marketplace must be something a niche group of people want to interact with. We’ll call that niche group of people your “Tribe”.

For example my friend, Jeff Fagin, The Money Master, had a dream for several years. His dream was to bring the Millionaire Mind work of T. Harv Eker to Phoenix, Arizona.

Jeff envisioned creating a community of people who were passionate about Harv’s work and to build a community and support network around it.

Jeff continued to take action on his passion. It was a labor of love that lasted at least 2 or 3 years. In January 2010 his new 2% Club was launched. At the inaugural meeting somewhere around 200 people attended.

WOW! Great turnout for the 1st event. How did Jeff do that?

Because Jeff had a true and unwavering passion that was directed at a niche group of people who wanted to share that passion with him.

How about you?

You can’t become relevant without a passion.

You can’t become relevant unless your passion is something a niche group of people gravitate toward.

To make that happen you have to realize one very important secret.

You can only become relevant when you communicate a message that is based on your true talents, knowledge and passion; like Jeff did.

And once you are truly relevant your Tribe will appear and interact with you.

If you don’t believe me, become a Fan of the 2% Club on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/2percentclub and be sure to check out the 2% Club Web site at http://www.2percentclubphoenix.com/ too.

I admire you, Jeff. You are a brilliant man. I love to see true passion in action. Go on over to Jeff’s sites now to see the power of passion in action.

Then ask yourself, “What am I passionate about that is relevant to the desires of one small group of like minded people?”

For me the answer to that question was helping talented, passionate and knowledgeable Entrepreneurs learn how to achieve balance, satisfaction and profit with freedom.

That happens by creating a value that enhances the lives of others.

So my Tribe is comprised of conscious people who want to achieve happiness by making a difference in the lives of others using their greatest strengths. The result of doing that successfully is true business and life satisfaction.

What is YOUR passion and who is your Tribe?

The comment line is open. I’d love to to learn more about your passion and the people you help.

Now here’s the thing to watch. Only the most passionate people will have something to add.

Watch those people, they are going to make a big difference in world with their small business.

The rest? Well they are mired in procrastination and will “Get to it when they have time.”

That is the status quo mindset. And the status quo is often ignored because their message is just not compelling. It sounds too much like everyone’s voice. The result is no one really cares to hear it.

If you suffer from status quo-ism realize there is help that you can ask for so that you can begin to see things a from a broader perspective.

Most people have had the experience of trying to make a point to a client or prospect only to have the response be a blank stare.

Those moments happen because you were speaking in a way the listener could not hear or understand you.

As human beings, we best learn from pictures and stories. Words alone tend to fall on deaf ears.

Think of California. Chances are you did not see the State name in your head.

Instead you saw an image of the shape of California on a map or pictured yourself on a beach, listening to the waves lap onto the shore.

If you were explaining California to someone, you would probably tell a story about an experience you or someone you know had there. Maybe you would show photos.

You would tell the story or show the picture to bring your point to life.

The same holds true for business and sales.

When you want to drive your point home, use the tools and techniques most human beings need to gain understanding. Use pictures and stories to explain your point of view.

How do you get started?

Chances are you already do it. Have you ever said “picture (or imagine) this …” and then went on to tell a story that created a mental picture in the mind of the listener.

Or, have you ever been to a class or seminar where the speaker used PowerPoint slides to make her point?

Of course, we all have. The reason the slides were used (or misused) is to provide a picture to help you remember the point being made.

The next time you’re on a sales call or creating marketing materials, try this.

Tell stories about client successes instead of giving your standard sales presentation. Take the prospect through the start of your relationship all the way through the success your client had.

I did this to build business for my client Celebrity Hairstylist Johnny G., the person who makes YOU look and feel like a star.

We did a mailing campaign to prospects around his Scottsdale salon when it was brand new.

The mailer was a cool looking flyer in an envelope. The only content on the flyer was testimonials from his happy clients. There was no “sales speak” at all.

We also included a hand written post-it note, inviting people to come in and experience Johnny’s services.

Within 2-weeks of the mailing he gained 7 to 10 new clients (at last count) in addition to referrals from some of those people. Needless to say, he was happy with the results.

All we did was tell stories of his client’s experience.

Put your sales presentation into PowerPoint but don’t use words, use pictures instead. Explain your point visually with pictures and minimal words.

I did this for a client who does in-home sales to consumers directly. We developed a sales presentation that was a flip chart using pictures to drive key client benefits home.

Using this idea resulted in two of three new sales reps closing a deal in their first couple of days; after only 3-days of training.

Prior to this the ramp up time to first sale for new reps had been a month or longer.

The pictures helped the reps remember the presentation and increased prospect comprehension; shortening the sale closing cycle.

Develop your storytelling skills and then put pictures to the words and see how much easier sales and marketing becomes.

Sales is that single business practice that if done effectively will sky rocket any company to success.

Unfortunately, 85% of businesses are not as good as they need to be in generating sales, which is why we have the staggering failure rate we do in small business.

Sales can be very complex. Or it can be extremely simple. It’s all a matter of the mindset of the practitioner.

Let’s take the simple road.

What does it take to be effective in sales? Just one thing; awareness.

Awareness of your client’s problem.

Awareness of the solution that is acceptable to your client; expressing that solution as a dollars and cents value.

Awareness of the process the client will go through to decide to purchase or not.

Jeffery Fox, author of How to Become a Rainmaker offers the following steps to sales success.

* Cherish the client at all times

* Treat clients as you would your best friend

* Listen to clients and decipher their needs

* Make (or give) clients what they need

* Price your product to its “dollarized” value (in other words don’t sell price sell the value received from purchasing)

* Give your clients more than they expect

* Thank each client sincerely and often

* Help clients pay you so they won’t be embarrassed and go elsewhere

* Ask to do it again

Six Figure Sales Coach, Kevin Nations, provides the idea of business rapport.

He says the rapport you want to have with your client is that of an advisor, someone who the client feels comfortable discussing challenges with (pain) and trusts enough to provide a solution.

I’ve found the best sales skill anyone can develop is the art of active listening.

Ask questions, listen, and write down what you hear.

Clients feel engaged and heard when you, as the sales person, take the time to make note of what is being discussed.

Note taking also “forces” you to become an active and engaged listener.

Next time you’re on a sales call, focus on your personal listening style. Are you really listening and engaged in what the client is saying or are you calculating your next response?

David Hepburn, Master Sales Trainer and Business Networking pioneer offers the following thoughts to consider:

The sales person goes in to a call without a plan. The client that you are trying to involve in your product (sell) has a plan.

They lie, steal/cheat and then hide. That’s the client’s plan.

They lie and tell you they are interested in your products, they love them, and they are the best.

They steal or cheat when they ask you to be an unpaid consultant and educate them on everything they need to know and then they tell you “they’ll think about it.”

And when you try to get back to them, they hide and you have to send out the Search and Rescue Team just to get them to tell you NO.

That’s the basis of the Buyer’s Plan. If sales people don’t have a plan to combat this plan, they will lose every time, even though they think that they have a chance to make a sale.

David sees the biggest challenge most sales people have is “Winging it.”

They are hoping for the best instead of practicing, preparing, maintaining positive thoughts upon entering the client’s office, etc.

Let’s face it, very seldom does a small business owner, in the role of sales person, prepare for the sales call. Yet preparation is the shortest path to sales success.

Here is the easy way to make your sales effort more effective.

The ACTION step you need to take is very simple. Take one idea from this article and practice it this week.

Next week take another idea and practice it.

By the end of a few weeks, you’ll be better at sales than you are today.

I’ve really grown to like Twitter. All you have to do is tell the story of your life in just 144 characters at a time. Well, it’s not really quite like that.

If you’re a regular reader of the Creative Life and Business Blog you’ll know that no one cares about your life, they care most about theirs.

So they really will not care very much about your story if that’s all you ever talk about.

But they DO care about your knowledge, information and people/things you find interesting.

Twitter is a perfect way to share all that you know, create and observe with a very large group of people.

Start by setting up your Twitter account. Use a real picture of yourself and make your brief bio interesting enough for people to want to learn more about you.

Then start using Twitter for just 14 minutes a day.

Be interested in others. When someone ‘Tweets’ and you find that post interesting give them a quick comment on it.

3-minutes to find the post and add your comment.

When you find an interesting Tweet with helpful information “Retweet” (RT) it and share it with the people who follow you.

3-minutes to find a Tweet that is RT-able and 1 minute to RT it.

When you are on the Web and find an article that you think is particularly helpful, share it on Twitter.

2-minutes; 1-minute to make the link a Tiny URL and post the article you enjoyed on Twitter.

Write a blog post that you share with your opt-in list regularly and add it to Twitter.

Assuming you’re marketing a business or promoting a product or service, after writing a blog post, save the  link as a Tiny URL and post it on Twitter.

2-minutes or less. We don’t count writing the blog post because you would do that anyway to promote your business.

Find an interesting person who provided great information and let others know about them. #followfriday is one way to do that.

Do this as you find interesting people. Then take 1-minute to let others know about them

When you run across interesting information that relates to your market make a Tiny URL and share it on Twitter

1-minute or less to post the information link on Twitter.

Twitter is a community of people who are passionate about the things that interest them.

But don’t get lost in the tool. Follow a plan (there are many great plans out there) and spend a consistent amount of time each day to build awareness for the personal brand called YOU.

Take a minute right now and follow me @billgluth on Twitter. I’ll return your follow and look forward to sharing great information with you.

One resource I’ve enjoyed is @GuyKawasaki. Check out his words of wisdom on Twitter at http://tinyurl.com/6fxmj9

Another tool I find helpful is TweetDeck. It’s free so give it a try.

Interestingly, the word vision can be interchangeable with the word passion.

But small business owners often forget to promote the true reason for being in business. They’ve lost touch with their passionate vision.

Passion is defined as an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction. Vision means unusual discernment or foresight – a person of vision.

Our vision (passion) is that intense driving conviction of unusual foresight that involves people in our story.

It is an authentic story because it comes from our heart. It’s the reason we do what we do. And authentic stories are how we persuade people to use our service or product (ideas) over many other choices.

But for a majority of people in small business, vision is lost somewhere between starting the business and dealing with the day-to-day challenges and opportunities that arise.

Ask Yourself This Question: Why did you go into business in the first place?

Like many people, you probably got started with a vision you felt passionate about.

Somewhere along the line you fell victim to day-to-day, reactive thinking and never returned to your original business vision. It became diluted and never rose from the ashes again.

What Can I Do to Rediscover My Vision?

Remembering the reason you started your business is the first step.

Next, tell people the story of how you got started and why you love what you do. That story should be on your marketing collateral, web site, sales presentations and phone messages.

Passion is that single, illusive thing that attracts clients. Passion helps you stand out from other businesses who are selling rather than telling a “passionate, authentic story about a unique business vision”.

Action Steps to Develop Your Vision

1. Create an Authentic Vision Story. Start by considering the reason you started your business in the first place. Think back, when you first started out, what were you excited about?

2. Write down one sentence that tells the value you provide to others. This is the true reason anyone is in business.

3. Next, write down your competitive advantage. How are you different than the competition?

4. List single sentence statements that tell people your identity. Remember, image is dead. Clients and prospects need a strong authentic identity to understand exactly who you are and what you stand for.

5. Add your niche to this list. What single group of people do you best serve?

6. List the type of client you most enjoy working with. Include both professional and personal qualities. Understand who your ideal client is.

7. Weave the 6 points above into a compelling story. This is your Authentic Vision Story.

8. Memorize that story. Focus on your ideal clients only. Tell every ideal prospect you talk to this week your Authentic Vision Story.

9. The results will surprise you. Your prospects will seem more receptive. Your clients will be more willing to help you spread the word. The reason is your sales and marketing story is authentic and comes from your heart.

Follow these steps and you will definitely find greater satisfaction and more enjoyment in your business.