Three Key Steps to Achieving Success
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When a business owner asks me what's the first step I recommend
they take in order to get their business off the ground, my answer is to
get very clear.
Clarity is one of the most important keys to success.
If you are not clear about the who, the why, the what and the when, then it's pretty much like putting your child (or pet) in the back of a taxi and saying, take him/her wherever you want and don't worry about the cost, how long it takes, or even if you go anywhere at all. In fact if you want to go round and round in circles, that's fine too!
I often liken our relationship with our businesses to that of a child or pet. It's really important to have that unconditional love for our businesses in the same way we do for our children and/or pets. So you if you wouldn't put your child in a taxi with a stranger and have no clear instructions for the driver, why would you do that with your business?
But so many business owners do.
They keep their heads down everyday, they work very hard, are always busy on one project or another, and then when they look up, there are still no new clients, no more money and lots of feelings of frustration, doubt and fear. They start wondering if they are cut out for the business world or whether they should just go out and get a job.
Sound familiar?
I was just the same when I first started out. I was always very busy and getting nowhere fast.
I had no clarity. And looking back on it, I didn't realise just how vague I was being. There was very little I was clear on, in fact, being honest, I was probably afraid to set myself clear goals just in case I "failed".
But being clear about what we want, how much we want, why we want it and who we want to work with is absolutely fundamental.
When you don't know what you want for your business, the Universe certainly can't deliver it to you. Remember the scene in the Secret, where the genie says: "your wish is my command". Have you been clear in your desire so that it can be delivered to you?
The Universe loves specificity, so get as clear and specific as you possibly can. It is the first step to all succesful businesses. Now some people will insist on having a business plan 20 pages long, a marketing plan of the same length and then never refer to it all year.
I much prefer the one page method myself, plus a noticeboard with hand drawn and handwritten goals that inspire me. For example, I have one of those cork-boards up on my office wall, covered with important reminders and goals I have set for me and my business. I look up from my computer and there it is, one of them covered in smiley faces, so it always makes me smile too:-)
I'm jumping the gun a bit here, sharing with you one of the most effective ways of getting clear and staying on track! Here you have my top 3 tips on getting clear in your business. If you haven't got these in place yet, I suggest that you stop whatever it is you are busy with now, and do it, if not your child or pet is going round in circles in that taxi!
If you aren't getting the results you want in your business, I encourage you to stop what you are doing, and take action on these steps NOW! And if you have any questions drop me a line at sheela@sheelamasand.com, I am happy to help.
Clarity is one of the most important keys to success.
If you are not clear about the who, the why, the what and the when, then it's pretty much like putting your child (or pet) in the back of a taxi and saying, take him/her wherever you want and don't worry about the cost, how long it takes, or even if you go anywhere at all. In fact if you want to go round and round in circles, that's fine too!
I often liken our relationship with our businesses to that of a child or pet. It's really important to have that unconditional love for our businesses in the same way we do for our children and/or pets. So you if you wouldn't put your child in a taxi with a stranger and have no clear instructions for the driver, why would you do that with your business?
But so many business owners do.
They keep their heads down everyday, they work very hard, are always busy on one project or another, and then when they look up, there are still no new clients, no more money and lots of feelings of frustration, doubt and fear. They start wondering if they are cut out for the business world or whether they should just go out and get a job.
Sound familiar?
I was just the same when I first started out. I was always very busy and getting nowhere fast.
I had no clarity. And looking back on it, I didn't realise just how vague I was being. There was very little I was clear on, in fact, being honest, I was probably afraid to set myself clear goals just in case I "failed".
But being clear about what we want, how much we want, why we want it and who we want to work with is absolutely fundamental.
When you don't know what you want for your business, the Universe certainly can't deliver it to you. Remember the scene in the Secret, where the genie says: "your wish is my command". Have you been clear in your desire so that it can be delivered to you?
The Universe loves specificity, so get as clear and specific as you possibly can. It is the first step to all succesful businesses. Now some people will insist on having a business plan 20 pages long, a marketing plan of the same length and then never refer to it all year.
I much prefer the one page method myself, plus a noticeboard with hand drawn and handwritten goals that inspire me. For example, I have one of those cork-boards up on my office wall, covered with important reminders and goals I have set for me and my business. I look up from my computer and there it is, one of them covered in smiley faces, so it always makes me smile too:-)
I'm jumping the gun a bit here, sharing with you one of the most effective ways of getting clear and staying on track! Here you have my top 3 tips on getting clear in your business. If you haven't got these in place yet, I suggest that you stop whatever it is you are busy with now, and do it, if not your child or pet is going round in circles in that taxi!
- Write out your goals for your business. I know some people will be groaning now....... oh no, not goals, fed up of hearing about goal-setting, I want to live in the now. And I totally agree with living in the now, I am all about being present and stopping to smell the roses. However, my take on goal-setting is this: it's not about necessarily achieving the goal, but it's about who you have to become to get there. And it's definitely not about "I'll be happy when.....(I get there)". The type of goal-setting I am talking about, is setting something that every time you think about it you smile. And that smile will be the result of your thinking why you want to achieve this goal and the whys are the fuel, the driving force, to keep you going. The same as the unconditional love you have for your child/pet and your biz, now you are having that for your goals. These are authentic, yessssss, goals.
- Services and Products. I am assuming that in your goals you have set your money goal. And so it's getting clear on whether the services and products that you have to offer now are the right ones to achieve your target. And when I say "right", I'm talking about whether once again, you smile at the thought of delivering the services and/or products. If not, perhaps it's time to have a rethink and restructure your offerings or create new ones. Getting really clear on what it is you are selling and how much of each you must sell to achieve your target will give you the invaluable information of what numbers to aim for in each area. So for example, if you have decided that you want to sell 10 places on a programme that you are running in July, then you can plan your marketing strategies geared around attracting 10 people in for the next 6 weeks. If you weren't clear about wanting 10 people for your programme, you would probably just be doing what you do everyday and going round in those circles.
- Ideal Clients. This is one of the steps that most business owners miss. They think that whoever comes along is going to be fine. Getting clear about who your ideal clients are is just as important as getting clear on how much money you want to bring in. Once again, it's about letting the Universe know who you want to work with, so that they can be delivered to you. Make a list of the qualities of your ideal client. If you find this is a struggle, start with what you don't want, this is always easier! And then flip it over and say what you do want. Write this list out, and have it handy when you are writing your marketing materials. There is no better way to write your marketing material than when you are really clear about who it is you are speaking to. And when you are having sales conversations with prospective clients, good to have that list there too. Ensure they tick all the boxes, if they don't you could find yourself with "over-challenging" clients on your hands, you know the ones, they say they will and then they don't, or they want to change your system to suit them, don't keep appointments, turn up late, don't have the money, and so on.
If you aren't getting the results you want in your business, I encourage you to stop what you are doing, and take action on these steps NOW! And if you have any questions drop me a line at sheela@sheelamasand.com, I am happy to help.
Sheela Masand was a co-founder and working partner of a multi
million Euro business for over 12 years. Having worked through the
struggle of how to find clients and make money in her own business, she
now specializes in helping other heart-centred service professionals to
do just that, all in a very authentic, non sales-y way.
Sheela can help you to attract more clients and make more money in a fun and authentic way. Visit http://www.sheelamasand.com to pick up a special free gift "Top 3 Secrets to Attracting Clients without Spending a Cent".
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Sheela can help you to attract more clients and make more money in a fun and authentic way. Visit http://www.sheelamasand.com to pick up a special free gift "Top 3 Secrets to Attracting Clients without Spending a Cent".
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