Goal Setting & Achievement Podcast: Business|Productivity

Today we are talking about 3 Tips for Building a Team that Increases Your Firm's Success. If you want to learn how to build a team that builds success, you will want to take a look at the big picture. Take any successful entrepreneur, and behind him or her, you will find a well-suited team of supportive, knowledgeable, and energetic members all dedicated to increasing the success of your business. Tip #1 for building a team that builds success. If you’re trying to understand how to build a team that builds success, you should first pinpoint the mission of your business. Only when you have a clear understanding, as a leader, of the mission of your business, can you build the right team. When you can clearly identify and emotionally connect with the mission, you are able to identify the right people who are best suited to support the success of your business. Depending on the mission statement of the business, you may need to focus on building a team of creatives, analytics, intellectuals, or spiritualists. For example, a PR (public relations) firm wouldn’t necessarily build a team of spiritualists; that personality would be better suited for a business that is motivational or inspirationally based. A PR firm would more likely hire creatives and intellectuals. Another example of personality matching would be an accounting firm; they would look to building a team of analytical members, not necessarily creatives or spirituals. Always start with the mission of the business, and then build your team. Let’s say you need an assistant to travel with you to help you with live events such as seminars and guest appearances. An important personality factor would be to ensure the team member has the following qualities: • reliable and punctual • great organizer • keeps you calm under times of stress • takes care of the small details so you don’t have to • loves traveling • love meeting new people • has a personable, magnetic personality Action Step #1 Revisit your professional mission statement. If it doesn’t “sit right” with you or isn’t specific enough, rewrite it. Your mission statement should always begin with benefit(s) to your clients (and who those clients are), followed by a reason(s). It should always invoke some meaning for you, as in a passion or personal mission. For example, “ABC International is dedicated to providing expert overseas investment advice to small business owners (less than 20 employees) in the U.S. and Canada, so they can increase their wealth, leverage their financial worth and grow their business.” Present your professional mission statement to new hires and explain what it means to you personally, as well as professionally. When they can grasp why it’s important, they can incorporate that into their actions. Tip #2 for building a team that builds success. Think about the areas of your business where you struggle and could obviously use the help. Make a list of those tasks you would like or need help with and then look for those strengths in potential candidates. Additionally, take into consideration the kind of personality you tend to gravitate towards. Do you enjoy being with people who are: Funny? Serious? Energetic? Go-Getter? Talker or silent-type? Make a list of the kind of personality you tend to enjoy the most and then look for those additional traits in candidates. Unfortunately, interviews are not the ideal situations to explore personality traits, since potential candidate are generally nervous, but you could ask them to complete a personality profile as part of the application process. There are several sources for free or low-cost personality screens, but the Myers-Briggs Personality (MBP) Test is best suited for career related insight. Are you worried about how a potential candidate will fit in with an existing team? While this is a viable consideration, it should not make or break your decision. You, better than anyone, knows what your business needs to suc

Today we are talking about 3 Tips for Building a Team that Increases Your Firm's Success. If you want to learn how to build a team that builds success, you will want to take a look at the big picture. Take any successful entrepreneur, and behind him or her, you will find a well-suited team of supportive, knowledgeable, and energetic members all dedicated to increasing the success of your business. Tip #1 for building a team that builds success. If you’re trying to understand how to build a team that builds success, you should first pinpoint the mission of your business. Only when you have a clear understanding, as a leader, of the mission of your business, can you build the right team. When you can clearly identify and emotionally connect with the mission, you are able to identify the right people who are best suited to support the success of your business. Depending on the mission statement of the business, you may need to focus on building a team of creatives, analytics, intellectuals, or spiritualists. For example, a PR (public relations) firm wouldn’t necessarily build a team of spiritualists; that personality would be better suited for a business that is motivational or inspirationally based. A PR firm would more likely hire creatives and intellectuals. Another example of personality matching would be an accounting firm; they would look to building a team of analytical members, not necessarily creatives or spirituals. Always start with the mission of the business, and then build your team. Let’s say you need an assistant to travel with you to help you with live events such as seminars and guest appearances. An important personality factor would be to ensure the team member has the following qualities: • reliable and punctual • great organizer • keeps you calm under times of stress • takes care of the small details so you don’t have to • loves traveling • love meeting new people • has a personable, magnetic personality Action Step #1 Revisit your professional mission statement. If it doesn’t “sit right” with you or isn’t specific enough, rewrite it. Your mission statement should always begin with benefit(s) to your clients (and who those clients are), followed by a reason(s). It should always invoke some meaning for you, as in a passion or personal mission. For example, “ABC International is dedicated to providing expert overseas investment advice to small business owners (less than 20 employees) in the U.S. and Canada, so they can increase their wealth, leverage their financial worth and grow their business.” Present your professional mission statement to new hires and explain what it means to you personally, as well as professionally. When they can grasp why it’s important, they can incorporate that into their actions. Tip #2 for building a team that builds success. Think about the areas of your business where you struggle and could obviously use the help. Make a list of those tasks you would like or need help with and then look for those strengths in potential candidates. Additionally, take into consideration the kind of personality you tend to gravitate towards. Do you enjoy being with people who are: Funny? Serious? Energetic? Go-Getter? Talker or silent-type? Make a list of the kind of personality you tend to enjoy the most and then look for those additional traits in candidates. Unfortunately, interviews are not the ideal situations to explore personality traits, since potential candidate are generally nervous, but you could ask them to complete a personality profile as part of the application process. There are several sources for free or low-cost personality screens, but the Myers-Briggs Personality (MBP) Test is best suited for career related insight. Are you worried about how a potential candidate will fit in with an existing team? While this is a viable consideration, it should not make or break your decision. You, better than anyone, knows what your business needs to suc

Today we are talking about 10 No-Cost, Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Business for Increased Success. Great marketing goes beyond traditional marketing strategies. We’ve been experiencing a whole new era of online and offline marketing that allow you to market one-to-many for the best results. You don’t need expensive marketing resources to produce great results - here’s where you can get creative and have fun! Here are 10 No-Cost and Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Businesses. Tip #1: Reach Out To Strategic Partners Strategic Partners are a complement (not competition) to your business (as your business is to theirs). Provide an Ideal Client Description and ask if they know someone who is an ideal fit. If they do know someone who would benefit from working with you, ask them to pass along your contact information to the prospect. (Asking for the prospect’s contact information - and contacting them directly - may not always be appropriate. Follow the Strategic Partner’s client privacy policy before contacting the prospect.) Last but not least - return the favor. Tip #2: Develop Joint-Venture Projects Joint-Ventures are gaining popularity as we find it’s not only more effective, but sometimes necessary, to pool resources together. This marketing strategy accomplishes two goals: 1) Gets your business in front of a new market and 2) Allows opportunities for new or creative products or services you may have previously been unable to provide. *Choose Joint-Venture Partners wisely… once a partnership is formed, reputations will inevitably be tied to one another. Tip #3: Build a Community The power of the community deeply serves us. Create an in-person or virtual community where like-minded business owners can meet once a week to discuss marketing strategies that work or brainstorm new and innovative ways to attract ideal clients. Use your business brand or personal philosophy as an anchor to the community and you’ll be providing what no one else can. Tip #4: Update Client Success Stories You may have client testimonials, but do you have updated success stories? Contact clients who have worked with you and ask them to provide their latest success story by specifically tying at least one piece of their success to something they learned or were provided by your product, program, or service. The greater the success story - the greater the value that directly ties back to your business. Promote the updated testimonials and remember to put them on your website. Tip #5: Hold an Open House In-person networking is powerful! Host a lunch, happy hour or networking meeting at your home or office. Invite a small group of key people who can help you spread the word about an upcoming program/event or time-sensitive promotion. (“Key” people are colleagues, partners, friends, associates who have direct connections to your ideal clients.) You may want to consider asking these key people to bring other people who they think could benefit from your product or services to meet you in person. Tip #6: Leverage Your Resources Every aspect of your business from your voice mail to in-person networking should be highlighting reasons why people should be working with you. Share client success stories and current promotions year-round on/in/at: your website | outgoing voicemail message | email footer | social networking accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) | printed marketing materials | networking events | seminars and live events | business cards | articles | etc. Tip #7: Leverage The Internet While in-person networking remains one of the most powerful ways to connect with prospective clients, the leveraging power of the internet is undeniable. Thanks to the internet it is possible for you to transform your marketing plan from a one-to-one approach to one-to-many. Article marketing and social networking are just two powerful examples of how to market one-to-many online. Tip #8: Blog for Business A blog can be an essential part of your website’s abi

Today we are talking about 10 No-Cost, Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Business for Increased Success. Great marketing goes beyond traditional marketing strategies. We’ve been experiencing a whole new era of online and offline marketing that allow you to market one-to-many for the best results. You don’t need expensive marketing resources to produce great results - here’s where you can get creative and have fun! Here are 10 No-Cost and Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Businesses. Tip #1: Reach Out To Strategic Partners Strategic Partners are a complement (not competition) to your business (as your business is to theirs). Provide an Ideal Client Description and ask if they know someone who is an ideal fit. If they do know someone who would benefit from working with you, ask them to pass along your contact information to the prospect. (Asking for the prospect’s contact information - and contacting them directly - may not always be appropriate. Follow the Strategic Partner’s client privacy policy before contacting the prospect.) Last but not least - return the favor. Tip #2: Develop Joint-Venture Projects Joint-Ventures are gaining popularity as we find it’s not only more effective, but sometimes necessary, to pool resources together. This marketing strategy accomplishes two goals: 1) Gets your business in front of a new market and 2) Allows opportunities for new or creative products or services you may have previously been unable to provide. *Choose Joint-Venture Partners wisely… once a partnership is formed, reputations will inevitably be tied to one another. Tip #3: Build a Community The power of the community deeply serves us. Create an in-person or virtual community where like-minded business owners can meet once a week to discuss marketing strategies that work or brainstorm new and innovative ways to attract ideal clients. Use your business brand or personal philosophy as an anchor to the community and you’ll be providing what no one else can. Tip #4: Update Client Success Stories You may have client testimonials, but do you have updated success stories? Contact clients who have worked with you and ask them to provide their latest success story by specifically tying at least one piece of their success to something they learned or were provided by your product, program, or service. The greater the success story - the greater the value that directly ties back to your business. Promote the updated testimonials and remember to put them on your website. Tip #5: Hold an Open House In-person networking is powerful! Host a lunch, happy hour or networking meeting at your home or office. Invite a small group of key people who can help you spread the word about an upcoming program/event or time-sensitive promotion. (“Key” people are colleagues, partners, friends, associates who have direct connections to your ideal clients.) You may want to consider asking these key people to bring other people who they think could benefit from your product or services to meet you in person. Tip #6: Leverage Your Resources Every aspect of your business from your voice mail to in-person networking should be highlighting reasons why people should be working with you. Share client success stories and current promotions year-round on/in/at: your website | outgoing voicemail message | email footer | social networking accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) | printed marketing materials | networking events | seminars and live events | business cards | articles | etc. Tip #7: Leverage The Internet While in-person networking remains one of the most powerful ways to connect with prospective clients, the leveraging power of the internet is undeniable. Thanks to the internet it is possible for you to transform your marketing plan from a one-to-one approach to one-to-many. Article marketing and social networking are just two powerful examples of how to market one-to-many online. Tip #8: Blog for Business A blog can be an essential part of your website’s abi

Today we are talking about ideas to help you with your mindset because I believe mindset can make all the difference in your success. Whether or not you realize it, your business success and revenue will always be in line with your mindset. Think big and you will get much bigger results; think small and…well, you can guess what that brings. The key to growing your business is thinking big! What happens when you think small? You end up thinking about how you’re going to “get by,” or “make it one more month.” Chances are you’re thinking of the immediate short term, just enough to save you temporarily. Another aspect of thinking small is thinking in terms of compensation on an hourly scale. You can’t even think in terms of investments or what would benefit you long term, because you can’t afford to. When you think small, you can only focus on making money for the here and now. What’s the first thing when you consider a new project, application, or business expense? Could it be how much it’s going to cost you? That mindset alone will keep you trapped where you are until you figure out a new way of thinking. To break out of the “thinking small” shell, start considering the value of what it is you are investing in. What will it help you accomplish? What benefits will it deliver? Will it help drive sales? Will it help build your business? Will it free up your time? Those are the questions you should be asking yourself. What happens when you think big? Wealthy people think differently, and that’s no secret, but, what may not be so obvious is how their mindset directly affects their ability to continually grow. They have simply learned through experience or from the guidance of a mentor that there are successful ways to do things - and they know it all starts with mindset. They learn these traits, study them, and perfect them until they make calculated moves that are more times successful than not. I believe that because successful people think big, they have learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that consistently pushes them to do activities that get them to their next level, then the next level, then the next level. Remember the software that you didn’t want to invest money into because you thought it was too expensive? Well, that was the first thing your successful counterpoint purchased! Why? Because it cut time by a third, reduced expenses and increased revenue. While you’re still struggling, the wealthy have learned to leverage their business to allow it room to grow. See the difference in the mindset? Now this isn’t to say you should waste money on non-essential or even useless tools, but there is something to be said for the benefits of thinking big. Something else the successful do that the people who think small or who are struggling do not, is know when to take calculated risk. While you may not be in a position to take any risk at all, the wealthy are continually leveraging their investments. Whether those investments are in the real estate, business acquisition, outsourcing, product shifts and redesigns, or any other number of examples, each investment is essentially a step up. What steps up have you taken lately? They also watch for viable opportunities to build additional income streams. How many income streams does your business have? If your answer was one, maybe it is time to start thinking big or bigger. Adjusting your Mindset If you want big results, you have to learn to think big. By becoming a go getter and ignoring your inhibitions you’ll become more confident and therefore be able to accomplish business growth. There is simply no trick, no silver bullet, method or product that will successfully turn you into a successful entrepreneur if you continue to think small. You’ve got to push the limits, step outside your comfort zone, and reach farther. Here’s how you can get your juices flowing and start…. Think of three ways to increase your income.

Today we are talking about ideas to help you with your mindset because I believe mindset can make all the difference in your success. Whether or not you realize it, your business success and revenue will always be in line with your mindset. Think big and you will get much bigger results; think small and…well, you can guess what that brings. The key to growing your business is thinking big! What happens when you think small? You end up thinking about how you’re going to “get by,” or “make it one more month.” Chances are you’re thinking of the immediate short term, just enough to save you temporarily. Another aspect of thinking small is thinking in terms of compensation on an hourly scale. You can’t even think in terms of investments or what would benefit you long term, because you can’t afford to. When you think small, you can only focus on making money for the here and now. What’s the first thing when you consider a new project, application, or business expense? Could it be how much it’s going to cost you? That mindset alone will keep you trapped where you are until you figure out a new way of thinking. To break out of the “thinking small” shell, start considering the value of what it is you are investing in. What will it help you accomplish? What benefits will it deliver? Will it help drive sales? Will it help build your business? Will it free up your time? Those are the questions you should be asking yourself. What happens when you think big? Wealthy people think differently, and that’s no secret, but, what may not be so obvious is how their mindset directly affects their ability to continually grow. They have simply learned through experience or from the guidance of a mentor that there are successful ways to do things - and they know it all starts with mindset. They learn these traits, study them, and perfect them until they make calculated moves that are more times successful than not. I believe that because successful people think big, they have learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that consistently pushes them to do activities that get them to their next level, then the next level, then the next level. Remember the software that you didn’t want to invest money into because you thought it was too expensive? Well, that was the first thing your successful counterpoint purchased! Why? Because it cut time by a third, reduced expenses and increased revenue. While you’re still struggling, the wealthy have learned to leverage their business to allow it room to grow. See the difference in the mindset? Now this isn’t to say you should waste money on non-essential or even useless tools, but there is something to be said for the benefits of thinking big. Something else the successful do that the people who think small or who are struggling do not, is know when to take calculated risk. While you may not be in a position to take any risk at all, the wealthy are continually leveraging their investments. Whether those investments are in the real estate, business acquisition, outsourcing, product shifts and redesigns, or any other number of examples, each investment is essentially a step up. What steps up have you taken lately? They also watch for viable opportunities to build additional income streams. How many income streams does your business have? If your answer was one, maybe it is time to start thinking big or bigger. Adjusting your Mindset If you want big results, you have to learn to think big. By becoming a go getter and ignoring your inhibitions you’ll become more confident and therefore be able to accomplish business growth. There is simply no trick, no silver bullet, method or product that will successfully turn you into a successful entrepreneur if you continue to think small. You’ve got to push the limits, step outside your comfort zone, and reach farther. Here’s how you can get your juices flowing and start…. Think of three ways to increase your income.

Interview with Chris Atley – Mindset Expert Chris Atley is a Canadian living her dream in a small beach town in California! BUT her dream almost didn't happen. Thankfully, she made the decision to live her life full out, put other people's expectations to the side and got out of her own way! When she learned and shifted the disempowering beliefs that were running her life, she was able to grow her business 10x in just 10-months, and move to her dream spot by the beach with her family. Chris has a BA in Psychology and is a Master NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Practitioner. Chris enjoys sharing how our beliefs dictate every single action we take (or don't take), and what we can do to manifest our hearts desires! Because BELIEVE is one of my favorite words and has a big impact on how we go through life, and because success is 90% mindset, I thought she would be the perfect guest!! Here are some questions I asked Chris that you will benefit from by listening to her answers: 1. After you spent a gazillion dollars learning how to run a business, not getting to the next level, and feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and depleted, you said you realized that you were the common denominator in the equation. How did you realize what your limiting beliefs were that were living in your subconscious mind, and then how did you dig your way out of that situation? 2. After plateauing for 4 years with your business, what was the single most important mindset or action you had to have or do to grow your business 10 times in 10 months? Look at “sales” from an empowered place and being of service. Not all people understand how to really view sales in this way. 3. What was the “inner work” you had to do in order to take a stand for achieving your big dreams? Perseverance to do the work no matter what it takes. She used the crabs in a bucket analogy. 4. What makes you say that “success is 90% mindset”? And what is the other 10%? 5. How do people know they have limiting beliefs that are holding them back, because I think sometimes people don’t even know they have these limiting beliefs that are holding them back? It comes from looking at where you are at, and if you aren’t at the level you want to be at and you keep trying and come up against some kind of block or resistance, and you can’t figure out why what you are doing isn’t working, then there is something going on inside of you. What is the thinking and the story that is keeping me from reaching my next level and holding me back from getting to where I want to be? 6. Once they realize they have limiting beliefs, what is the most important action they do first to change that limiting belief record from playing, so they can make progress? Our subconscious mind wants to keep us comfortable and stop us from doing things that aren’t comfortable. 7. What typically prevents entrepreneurs from reaching their income goals? Convert your limiting belief to an empowering belief. What stories are you telling yourself that are holding you back and keeping you where you are that related to money? I tell people that successful people are comfortable with being uncomfortable all the time and that is why they are successful. Her affirmation is “My Success is Certain!” 8. What are the top 3 things people can start doing now to achieve their goals and ultimately their dreams? --Shine a light on the thinking that is causing you to get the lack of the results and stay where you are right now. --Getting clear on the empowered belief instead of your limiting belief. --Universal Laws. For example, what we put out, we get back. Focus on receiving as that is where she sees people falling short. Manifest what you want. We are natural givers but receiving can be tough for most people. Making self-care a practice and it is a very important aspect. Chris is giving away her power of self-care book as a gift to you for listening. You can download the book by going to: www.chrisatley.com/power. Peopl

Interview with Chris Atley – Mindset Expert Chris Atley is a Canadian living her dream in a small beach town in California! BUT her dream almost didn't happen. Thankfully, she made the decision to live her life full out, put other people's expectations to the side and got out of her own way! When she learned and shifted the disempowering beliefs that were running her life, she was able to grow her business 10x in just 10-months, and move to her dream spot by the beach with her family. Chris has a BA in Psychology and is a Master NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Practitioner. Chris enjoys sharing how our beliefs dictate every single action we take (or don't take), and what we can do to manifest our hearts desires! Because BELIEVE is one of my favorite words and has a big impact on how we go through life, and because success is 90% mindset, I thought she would be the perfect guest!! Here are some questions I asked Chris that you will benefit from by listening to her answers: 1. After you spent a gazillion dollars learning how to run a business, not getting to the next level, and feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and depleted, you said you realized that you were the common denominator in the equation. How did you realize what your limiting beliefs were that were living in your subconscious mind, and then how did you dig your way out of that situation? 2. After plateauing for 4 years with your business, what was the single most important mindset or action you had to have or do to grow your business 10 times in 10 months? Look at “sales” from an empowered place and being of service. Not all people understand how to really view sales in this way. 3. What was the “inner work” you had to do in order to take a stand for achieving your big dreams? Perseverance to do the work no matter what it takes. She used the crabs in a bucket analogy. 4. What makes you say that “success is 90% mindset”? And what is the other 10%? 5. How do people know they have limiting beliefs that are holding them back, because I think sometimes people don’t even know they have these limiting beliefs that are holding them back? It comes from looking at where you are at, and if you aren’t at the level you want to be at and you keep trying and come up against some kind of block or resistance, and you can’t figure out why what you are doing isn’t working, then there is something going on inside of you. What is the thinking and the story that is keeping me from reaching my next level and holding me back from getting to where I want to be? 6. Once they realize they have limiting beliefs, what is the most important action they do first to change that limiting belief record from playing, so they can make progress? Our subconscious mind wants to keep us comfortable and stop us from doing things that aren’t comfortable. 7. What typically prevents entrepreneurs from reaching their income goals? Convert your limiting belief to an empowering belief. What stories are you telling yourself that are holding you back and keeping you where you are that related to money? I tell people that successful people are comfortable with being uncomfortable all the time and that is why they are successful. Her affirmation is “My Success is Certain!” 8. What are the top 3 things people can start doing now to achieve their goals and ultimately their dreams? --Shine a light on the thinking that is causing you to get the lack of the results and stay where you are right now. --Getting clear on the empowered belief instead of your limiting belief. --Universal Laws. For example, what we put out, we get back. Focus on receiving as that is where she sees people falling short. Manifest what you want. We are natural givers but receiving can be tough for most people. Making self-care a practice and it is a very important aspect. Chris is giving away her power of self-care book as a gift to you for listening. You can download the book by going to: www.chrisatley.com/power. Peopl

Today we are talking about Why You Might Want to Consider Hiring an Accountability Coach to help you Accelerate the Achievement of Your Goals. Many entrepreneurs have a difficult time managing their time efficiently, unknowingly sabotaging their own success. They often spend months, even years, struggling to discern between the low-priority and high-impact tasks, and where their efforts drive the biggest results. Unfortunately, this type of unawareness can lead to a failed business. How do you prevent self-sabotage of your business? Hire an accountability coach! Here are four reasons you should hire an accountability coach: An Accountability Coach can help you… • Understand how your actions either lead you toward or away from your goal(s) • Nip procrastination and other timewasters in the bud • Break free of your limiting beliefs • Achieve success by refining how you approach personal and professional goals An Accountability Coach can help create direction: An accountability coach understands how each of your actions (or lack of action) leads to your results. It’s fairly simple for someone to define their end goal (e.g. make $15,000 each month), but choosing which road to embark on to reach the goal is an entirely different endeavor. A quality accountability coach will provide you with the tools to understand the direction your actions will take you and teach you how to forecast the results, so you know which road to walk in the future. He or she will also teach you how to create the most efficient and effective direction to produce the biggest results. You can be sure that you will develop a clear mindset of what works and what doesn’t. An Accountability Coach can help eliminate procrastination: Procrastination is the worst enemy of any business owner. Regardless of how many books, tapes, or tickets to seminars you purchase for achieving success, if you lack the discipline, you will not see results. Thankfully, an accountability coach will put an end to your procrastination by establishing clear accountability rules. Accountability coaching will help you by making you fully aware that you’re completely responsible for how you spend your time. Your success lies in your hands and your success is directly dependent upon the effort you’re willing to put in to realizing your goal. Your accountability coach will certainly put you to the test, asking you to honestly account for your time, actions, and results. An Accountability Coach can help you break free of limited beliefs: One of the main reasons people fail in business is because they allow their limited beliefs to stifle their success. This not only applies to your business, but your personal life as well. We all have limiting beliefs to some extent; the goal is to identify those limiting beliefs and shatter them. You will only ever be as successful as your beliefs allow you to be. Accountability coaching will help you see how your own belief system has been preventing you from realizing your full potential and achieving goals. With firm guidance, an accountability coach will assist you in identifying each limiting belief and show you how it is directly affecting your results. Again, you will be pushed outside your comfort zone, but this is the only way to build your business and your success. When you overcome inhibitions and learn to believe in your ability to succeed, you’ll learn how to increase sales, exceed goals, and build a better business. An Accountability Coach can help you achieve success! Accountability coaching spells success for any individual committed to personal and professional improvement. Overall, an accountability coach will help you succeed by guiding you in the right direction, holding you personally accountable for your time management and actions, and acting in a supportive role by helping you overcome the hurdles that have prevented you from achieving your goals in the past. He or she will also bridge the gap betwe

Today we are talking about Why You Might Want to Consider Hiring an Accountability Coach to help you Accelerate the Achievement of Your Goals. Many entrepreneurs have a difficult time managing their time efficiently, unknowingly sabotaging their own success. They often spend months, even years, struggling to discern between the low-priority and high-impact tasks, and where their efforts drive the biggest results. Unfortunately, this type of unawareness can lead to a failed business. How do you prevent self-sabotage of your business? Hire an accountability coach! Here are four reasons you should hire an accountability coach: An Accountability Coach can help you… • Understand how your actions either lead you toward or away from your goal(s) • Nip procrastination and other timewasters in the bud • Break free of your limiting beliefs • Achieve success by refining how you approach personal and professional goals An Accountability Coach can help create direction: An accountability coach understands how each of your actions (or lack of action) leads to your results. It’s fairly simple for someone to define their end goal (e.g. make $15,000 each month), but choosing which road to embark on to reach the goal is an entirely different endeavor. A quality accountability coach will provide you with the tools to understand the direction your actions will take you and teach you how to forecast the results, so you know which road to walk in the future. He or she will also teach you how to create the most efficient and effective direction to produce the biggest results. You can be sure that you will develop a clear mindset of what works and what doesn’t. An Accountability Coach can help eliminate procrastination: Procrastination is the worst enemy of any business owner. Regardless of how many books, tapes, or tickets to seminars you purchase for achieving success, if you lack the discipline, you will not see results. Thankfully, an accountability coach will put an end to your procrastination by establishing clear accountability rules. Accountability coaching will help you by making you fully aware that you’re completely responsible for how you spend your time. Your success lies in your hands and your success is directly dependent upon the effort you’re willing to put in to realizing your goal. Your accountability coach will certainly put you to the test, asking you to honestly account for your time, actions, and results. An Accountability Coach can help you break free of limited beliefs: One of the main reasons people fail in business is because they allow their limited beliefs to stifle their success. This not only applies to your business, but your personal life as well. We all have limiting beliefs to some extent; the goal is to identify those limiting beliefs and shatter them. You will only ever be as successful as your beliefs allow you to be. Accountability coaching will help you see how your own belief system has been preventing you from realizing your full potential and achieving goals. With firm guidance, an accountability coach will assist you in identifying each limiting belief and show you how it is directly affecting your results. Again, you will be pushed outside your comfort zone, but this is the only way to build your business and your success. When you overcome inhibitions and learn to believe in your ability to succeed, you’ll learn how to increase sales, exceed goals, and build a better business. An Accountability Coach can help you achieve success! Accountability coaching spells success for any individual committed to personal and professional improvement. Overall, an accountability coach will help you succeed by guiding you in the right direction, holding you personally accountable for your time management and actions, and acting in a supportive role by helping you overcome the hurdles that have prevented you from achieving your goals in the past. He or she will also bridge the gap betwe

Today we are talking about 3 Reasons Why Beck-and-Call is Not Better Business and working by appointment only increases your productivity and effectiveness. There is a huge misconception that the best business is a business that is at the beck-and-call of its clients. The truth is that the best business is a business that effectively sets boundaries, and manages and exceeds client expectations in order to maintain a productive and effective flow. If you are constantly juggling clients, answering the phone at all hours of the day, interrupting your personal time to fit in business, and feeling stressed, here are 3 Reasons Why Beck-and-Call is Not Better Business. 1. It’s Impossible to Manage Client Expectations Without structure and a solid foundation of rules and regulations, managing client expectations is impossible. They will expect the world, and will be sorely disappointed, when you do not deliver it. In other words, without boundaries, it’s quite possible they will expect everything. You may find yourself, at one point or another, running yourself ragged juggling multiple clients, all of whom expect your undivided attention. When you find it impossible to meet the expectations of your clients, your business will suffer in more than one way. You’ll be exhausted and clients will be left dissatisfied. No one wins. Client expectations can only be effectively managed by outlining specific deliverables from the very beginning. If this isn’t possible (if the working relationship has already begun), then establish and communicate boundaries to clients as soon as you can. If you can find a way to establish some ground rules (and stay firm to them), your clients will maintain healthy expectations and be satisfied (if not extremely happy) with the results. Establishing ground rules to manage client expectations is much like the tasks you schedule in your planner/calendar: Write it down and honor it. 2. It’s Impossible to Effectively Manage Your Business Imagine how effectively you can manage your business when you’re struggling to meet multiple demands of multiple clients? Instead of having time to focus on building your business, you’ll be struggling just to maintain it. That’s no way to run your business. It’s much like multi-tasking - it doesn’t work well. If you’re consumed with meeting the high demands of unbridled client expectations, your business isn’t running with the greatest effectiveness or efficiency. You’re spending too much time on an overly demanding client, instead of focusing on other areas of your business that also require your attention in order to be successful. You know you’re not effectively running your business (it’s actually running you) when: • You become exhausted and resentful of demanding clients (and eventually become resentful of your business, which detracts from your path of success). • Highly demanding clients without a ceiling on expectations are impossible to please (and miserable to work with). • Clients with irrational or unreasonable expectations never provide glowing business reviews (they’re often negative and damage your professional reputation). • You must have time to focus on other areas of your business other than client service (like finding and signing on prospective clients). • Instead of creating a straight path to success, you’re running yourself (and your business) into the ground. If a client requests a service or special attention, offer an additional service or upgraded package in which the client has the option to pay for that additional service. By honoring the ground rules you establish the value of your service, as well as the investment your client makes. 3. It’s Impossible to Maintain Peace and Balance If you’re constantly juggling unreasonable client expectations, it will be impossible to maintain any sense of peace and balance in your personal or professional life. You may feel like you’re sacrificing your personal life for your business, or the impo

Today we are talking about 3 Reasons Why Beck-and-Call is Not Better Business and working by appointment only increases your productivity and effectiveness. There is a huge misconception that the best business is a business that is at the beck-and-call of its clients. The truth is that the best business is a business that effectively sets boundaries, and manages and exceeds client expectations in order to maintain a productive and effective flow. If you are constantly juggling clients, answering the phone at all hours of the day, interrupting your personal time to fit in business, and feeling stressed, here are 3 Reasons Why Beck-and-Call is Not Better Business. 1. It’s Impossible to Manage Client Expectations Without structure and a solid foundation of rules and regulations, managing client expectations is impossible. They will expect the world, and will be sorely disappointed, when you do not deliver it. In other words, without boundaries, it’s quite possible they will expect everything. You may find yourself, at one point or another, running yourself ragged juggling multiple clients, all of whom expect your undivided attention. When you find it impossible to meet the expectations of your clients, your business will suffer in more than one way. You’ll be exhausted and clients will be left dissatisfied. No one wins. Client expectations can only be effectively managed by outlining specific deliverables from the very beginning. If this isn’t possible (if the working relationship has already begun), then establish and communicate boundaries to clients as soon as you can. If you can find a way to establish some ground rules (and stay firm to them), your clients will maintain healthy expectations and be satisfied (if not extremely happy) with the results. Establishing ground rules to manage client expectations is much like the tasks you schedule in your planner/calendar: Write it down and honor it. 2. It’s Impossible to Effectively Manage Your Business Imagine how effectively you can manage your business when you’re struggling to meet multiple demands of multiple clients? Instead of having time to focus on building your business, you’ll be struggling just to maintain it. That’s no way to run your business. It’s much like multi-tasking - it doesn’t work well. If you’re consumed with meeting the high demands of unbridled client expectations, your business isn’t running with the greatest effectiveness or efficiency. You’re spending too much time on an overly demanding client, instead of focusing on other areas of your business that also require your attention in order to be successful. You know you’re not effectively running your business (it’s actually running you) when: • You become exhausted and resentful of demanding clients (and eventually become resentful of your business, which detracts from your path of success). • Highly demanding clients without a ceiling on expectations are impossible to please (and miserable to work with). • Clients with irrational or unreasonable expectations never provide glowing business reviews (they’re often negative and damage your professional reputation). • You must have time to focus on other areas of your business other than client service (like finding and signing on prospective clients). • Instead of creating a straight path to success, you’re running yourself (and your business) into the ground. If a client requests a service or special attention, offer an additional service or upgraded package in which the client has the option to pay for that additional service. By honoring the ground rules you establish the value of your service, as well as the investment your client makes. 3. It’s Impossible to Maintain Peace and Balance If you’re constantly juggling unreasonable client expectations, it will be impossible to maintain any sense of peace and balance in your personal or professional life. You may feel like you’re sacrificing your personal life for your business, or the impo

Most entrepreneurs experience a critical stage in their business where they need to consistently build their client base, yet they don’t have the time or resources to devote to serving more clients. So, how do you get more clients without working harder? Let’s talk about 6 tips to help you do this. Idea #1: Create Information Resources Regardless of your industry, your business has a powerful point of leverage that can be used to find and keep more clients: information. Create free and low-cost channels through which you can introduce yourself and your business - without significant time or effort investment on the backend. This is the “Create-It-And-Leave-It” method that creates not only more avenues for prospects to learn about you, but also expands your market reach and/or revenue. *The goal here is to create a hands-off/low-touch method to allow prospects the opportunity to Know-Like-Trust you. As we all know, this process takes time and effort. By providing these hands-off/low-touch resources, you will free up your time which will boost revenue because you’ll have more time to focus on the clients who are ready to work with you now! Examples: Downloadable Information Products (ebooks, special reports, etc.) - Blog - Free Articles – Free Podcasts – Free Videos – Free Information Calls or Webinars. Idea #2: Stand Out To get the attention of ideal prospects, you must stand out from the crowd. Everyday information isn’t unique information. You have to show ideal prospects what makes you different from others in your industry. Be willing to share personal and professional experiences - and the lessons you’ve learned from those experiences. You have a unique perspective that separates you from the crowd. When you begin sharing what makes you different, it becomes easier for your ideal prospect to identify you from the rest of the crowd. Examples: Your unique experience is your Unique Selling Point (USP). You are your greatest USP. Even if you’re selling a corporate product or service, what makes it unique is what you bring to the table because no one else delivers that in the way that only you are able. Let me share a quick story with you. A real estate agent friend of mine had a client who wanted a specific house in a specific area of town. They agreed on a fair price for the house based on the comps for that house in that area and the agent went to the owners house with a bottle of champagne and said that he just sold his house. The home owner said that his house wasn’t up for sale. The agent then said to the home owner that he had another house for him that he thinks he will really like owning. This whole situation worked out for everyone. Wow. That is being unique and creative which won the business. Idea #3: Create Low-Touch, High Volume Programs A common mistake among many entrepreneurs is spending too much time on non-paying prospects and low-end clients. This is you if: you find your schedule is maxed out, and you’re not creating enough revenue. The solution is to create a way to reach low-end clients that does not require a direct exchange of your time or effort. Create free and low-end solutions like the ones mentioned in Tip #1 where you can reach a larger pool of prospects and paying clients without having to work harder. Go to www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/inner-circle-store/ and sign up for my FREE Silver Membership, so you can take advantage of complimentary online resources and tools such as the Ideal Client Profile exercise tool to help you hone clients to those who are best served by you and you really want to work with. Examples: Information Products - Virtual Memberships (Information, Videos, Training Calls and Webinars, interviews with other experts who provide value, how to audios, etc.) - Internet Networking Group or Virtual Association - Books Idea 4: Create High-Touch, Low Volume Programs Your unique expertise and personal attention are your greatest points of leverage in y

Most entrepreneurs experience a critical stage in their business where they need to consistently build their client base, yet they don’t have the time or resources to devote to serving more clients. So, how do you get more clients without working harder? Let’s talk about 6 tips to help you do this. Idea #1: Create Information Resources Regardless of your industry, your business has a powerful point of leverage that can be used to find and keep more clients: information. Create free and low-cost channels through which you can introduce yourself and your business - without significant time or effort investment on the backend. This is the “Create-It-And-Leave-It” method that creates not only more avenues for prospects to learn about you, but also expands your market reach and/or revenue. *The goal here is to create a hands-off/low-touch method to allow prospects the opportunity to Know-Like-Trust you. As we all know, this process takes time and effort. By providing these hands-off/low-touch resources, you will free up your time which will boost revenue because you’ll have more time to focus on the clients who are ready to work with you now! Examples: Downloadable Information Products (ebooks, special reports, etc.) - Blog - Free Articles – Free Podcasts – Free Videos – Free Information Calls or Webinars. Idea #2: Stand Out To get the attention of ideal prospects, you must stand out from the crowd. Everyday information isn’t unique information. You have to show ideal prospects what makes you different from others in your industry. Be willing to share personal and professional experiences - and the lessons you’ve learned from those experiences. You have a unique perspective that separates you from the crowd. When you begin sharing what makes you different, it becomes easier for your ideal prospect to identify you from the rest of the crowd. Examples: Your unique experience is your Unique Selling Point (USP). You are your greatest USP. Even if you’re selling a corporate product or service, what makes it unique is what you bring to the table because no one else delivers that in the way that only you are able. Let me share a quick story with you. A real estate agent friend of mine had a client who wanted a specific house in a specific area of town. They agreed on a fair price for the house based on the comps for that house in that area and the agent went to the owners house with a bottle of champagne and said that he just sold his house. The home owner said that his house wasn’t up for sale. The agent then said to the home owner that he had another house for him that he thinks he will really like owning. This whole situation worked out for everyone. Wow. That is being unique and creative which won the business. Idea #3: Create Low-Touch, High Volume Programs A common mistake among many entrepreneurs is spending too much time on non-paying prospects and low-end clients. This is you if: you find your schedule is maxed out, and you’re not creating enough revenue. The solution is to create a way to reach low-end clients that does not require a direct exchange of your time or effort. Create free and low-end solutions like the ones mentioned in Tip #1 where you can reach a larger pool of prospects and paying clients without having to work harder. Go to www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/inner-circle-store/ and sign up for my FREE Silver Membership, so you can take advantage of complimentary online resources and tools such as the Ideal Client Profile exercise tool to help you hone clients to those who are best served by you and you really want to work with. Examples: Information Products - Virtual Memberships (Information, Videos, Training Calls and Webinars, interviews with other experts who provide value, how to audios, etc.) - Internet Networking Group or Virtual Association - Books Idea 4: Create High-Touch, Low Volume Programs Your unique expertise and personal attention are your greatest points of leverage in y

Robby Slaughter is a workflow and productivity expert, and you know how important I think having workflows and being productive are to the success of your business. His consulting practice assists a wide variety of organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, regional non-profits, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs to help increase productivity, simplify workflow and optimize business processes. He discovered that to become more effective and efficient at work, we need to empower individuals with authority and responsibility, and I couldn’t agree more. Here are some questions I asked Robby that you will benefit from by listening to his answers: 1. What is the #1 reason people struggle with being productive at work? Inability to understand the emotional impact of tasks and the people around those tasks. Please elaborate on this for us. 2. When asked, most business professionals tell me they waste about 2-3 hours a day. How can the average business professional become better at time management, so they aren’t wasting so much time each day? Step one is self-forgiveness. Accept that you’re going to have bad days, and forgive yourself. Step two is to identify and manage the distractions and interruptions that impact you. Turn off email notifications. Set your phone to do-not-disturb for 30-minute stretches. Ignore social media. Ask people who call you if they can send you an email instead. Anne: To download my complimentary Time Log Exercise and help you and your team members be even more time efficient, so you are in a higher probability position to achieve your goals, go to: https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/time-log/. Simple instructions come with the sample document to help you know how to complete the time log. 3. What do you recommend people to help them reduce interruptions and distractions that plague most offices? Get out of the office. Go to a conference room or a coffee shop. Work from an empty cubicle for a while. Close your door if you have one, or wear big headphones (even if they aren’t playing any music.) Put up a sign to let people know you are focusing for blocks of time, and put that on your calendar as well. Anne: To claim your free audio training, Focus on Your High Pay-off Activities and Achieve Your Goals Using Effective Time Management, go to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/landing/. 4. How do you suggested people create their To-Do List, so they make the most progress on their activities? At the very least, try adding a face next to each item, indicating how you feel about the task. Most people can quickly sketch a face with a smile, sadness, anger, boredom, etc. That way you can quickly scan the list for something you’re willing to tackle, keeping the balance of high energy and low energy tasks. Beyond that, asking what tasks can be delegated is especially powerful. Anne: I recommend to my clients that they use, what I call, a Prioritized Action List (PAL) which is like a glorified To-do List. It is simply your To-Do List in priority order and with the highest payoff activities on it that will you to make progress on the achievement of your goals. These are activities that only the business owner or business professional can do and can’t be delegated. Anne: To download my Free Sample Prioritized Action List (PAL) that everyone in your office can use, go to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/pal-sample/. You can of course use this format to customize your To Do List that may reside online in your contact management system. I consider the PAL a glorified To Do List. 5. What does it mean to have a “workflow?” How can you design and improve on a workflow? It means to have a larger meta-pattern for how you operate. A good example is batching: do you turn on your computer, then go get some coffee, and by the time you return the computer is ready? Do you reply to emails during certain times of day? How do you decide when to call someone and when to send them a text? An