Month: March 2016

Contrary to what many people believe, success is not found overnight due to some dramatic endeavor, but rather, comes after months or even years of consistent effort. Small habits, refined over time, can make a huge difference in your future success. Consider implementing some of the following habits, as well as others, in an effort to ready yourself for what is ahead:

• Study your craft. Know it well, even better than anyone else. Knowledge is power, and studying, reading and asking questions allows you to act with authority and confidence.
• Set reasonable goals. “Become a millionaire by the end of the year” is a goal, but perhaps not necessarily an attainable one. Instead, set smaller goals, such as “Increase profits by 25% by the end of the year”. When your goals are actually attainable, you will be more motivated than you would be if you were chasing a pie-in-the-sky, undefined purpose.
• Plan and organize. If your business is still small, this is the right time to establish practices that will ensure smooth operating procedures and future growth. Organize now, avoid chaos later.
• Prioritize self-care and personal life. Most successful entrepreneurs put in a significant amount of work hours during the week, but they also take the time to care for their mental and emotional well being. Commit to an afternoon or evening off every week, make it a priority to attend your kid’s softball games or establish a routine of exercise. To be the best version of you that you can be, you must take care of yourself.
• Network and master social media. The way that all types of businesses attract new customers is always changing. To keep up, work with smart people, learn from their success and establish connections through networking. If you haven’t already grasped the importance of social media in terms of your business success, don’t waste another second.

You may not be in sight of your goals just yet, but that’s okay. The foundation of your future is built on what you do right now, today and tomorrow. Success is more than a great business idea or fabulous marketing plan–it is built on the unseen efforts and habits of those who are hungry for more.

There are countless books, blogs and motivational speakers who claim to have found the secret to increasing sales. Entrepreneurs can waste countless hours and endless amounts of money chasing a trick, foolproof method or 10-step program that claims it will automatically grant an uptick in sales and increase in profits. These claims are tempting, but sales doesn’t have to be as complicated as many “experts” make it to be. In truth, sales is about people and relationships, not profits and products.

Success in sales largely depends on making a connection and building a relationship with potential customers. Instead of approaching a potential sale like an object, be genuine and passionate about the derived benefits of your goods and services. If you genuinely believe that your product will positively impact a person’s life and feel passionate about your offerings, people will pay attention. When a person is treated like a means to an end, or rather a means to a paycheck, it’s a turnoff. Customers and clients tend to patronize businesses that treat them like valued human beings, not walking dollar signs.

You’ve heard the old saying, “Listen twice as much as you speak”. While this is great advice for life in general, it could be crucial to your success in sales. The majority of consumers are inundated with hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of advertisements throughout the week. How can you make your sales pitch stand out over the noise? LISTEN. People are used to being “talked at”. Ask questions, be attentive to the response and remember what you’ve heard. Work hard to improve your listening skills, and don’t jump to conclusions. Whether you realize it or not, these small efforts can have a HUGE impact when trying to close a sale.

Ultimately, it is critically important to remember that sales is, first and foremost, about people. Potential customers and clients may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel. A radical people-first approach could be the key to a radical turnaround in your lagging sales.

How can you engage online readers with engaging web content? When people visit your website, blog, etc., you have an extremely small window of time to “hook” the reader before he or she moves on. With multiple distractions tempting internet users, including Netflix, news, games and social media, you need to clearly communicate the point, and you have to do it fast.

The key to attracting and then retaining readers is with engaging content. Online readers are particularly prone to skimming, which means that what your site “says” must be succinct, yet informative. Large blocks of text causes some readers to zone out, which means that the beginning of the paragraph or sections of text should begin with a sentence that hooks the reader, convincing him or her to continue reading.

Bulleted points or lists are a fantastic way to provide a quick overview of what can be found in the content. The popularity of articles and blogs with list-based content, such as Buzzfeed, speaks to the benefit of small amounts of content provided at a time. In a time where most Internet users are multi-taking or distracted by another site, it can be beneficial to communicate with readers in short bursts of information instead of large blocks of text.

The use of key words in web content is important for SEO purposes, but the use of these words throughout the text could be bolded or link to other sections of your site. Drawing the readers eye to a certain word or phrase can initiate further exploration of the site, which offers you an extended opportunity to communicate with new site visitors. Web content should be visually stimulating in order to capture the attention of people who tend to skim.

Engaging and captivating web content is a critical component when pushing to increase site traffic or retain people who visit your home page. First impressions count, and in a world of ever increasing competition and distraction, the power of the written word cannot be overstated. It’s not just about saying things but about saying the right things. If your site isn’t “hooking” readers, it’s time for an honest evaluation of your site and content.

A business school education is great, but there are skills that you simply cannot learn in a classroom. There is a high premium placed on a diploma, but plenty of people manage, own and operate successful businesses without a business degree…or a degree at all. Many important business skills are learned from experience or a good mentor. You don’t have to hear it from a professor in order to have good business sense.

Communication is a skill that many people simply do not have, yet it is essential for business success. Proper communication is much more than just knowing what to say, but rather pertains to when to say certain things, how to say them — and when to keep your mouth shut. Talking is easy, but it can be rather daunting when you are uncomfortable with verbal communication. Fortunately, communication is a skill that can be fostered and developed over time. Work with a mentor or professional coach to improve your speaking skills, if necessary.

Discipline is a trademark of every single person who has found success in the business world. The discipline to simply do what needs to be done is rather rare, as it requires hard work, extra hours at the office and a willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. People in positions of authority have to juggle many different tasks at the same time, and discipline is required in order to effectively complete them. Disorganization or a general feeling of being overwhelmed may indicate that a person should cultivate and intentionally strive toward a more disciplined approach to business.

Attention to detail and an overall vision are two seemingly polar opposite things, but are rather two sides of the same coin. Small business owners and entrepreneurs must be able to recognize the small details that are necessary to propel the ultimate vision forward…and must be able to flip the switch between “small details” and “the overarching vision” at will. This is not an easy task, and business school does not have a class on multitasking. As a person develops his or her personal discipline and gains experience, this skill becomes more clearly developed over time and with intentional effort.

There are many benefits to a business school education, but success can be found without a degree. Learning the skills to properly and successfully operate a business does not require a 10-step process or graduate-level class, but can be developed over time. Don’t be afraid to work with a coach or mentor to further develop these skills, and try to be specific and honest about areas where you struggle. Acknowledging a shortcoming is the first step toward overcoming it!