Posts Tagged "strategic planning"

The Power of the MasterMind

Posted by LisaYoung in Big Ideas, Faith |

So today I’m hopping on a plane and heading to D.C.

Say a prayer for me for a safe flight, and for my husband for an uneventful week ahead.

This will be the first time since my son’s health issues that I’ve left him alone with the kids. And I’m doing it again next month, too.

In my last few posts, I’ve talked about priorities and sacrifice. Today’s Sweetest Day in the States, which is just another holiday cooked up by the greeting card industry to give Walentine’s day a partner in crime.

So on a day of remembering your love, I’m leaving town.

I swear, it’s not a Freudian thing.

This will also be the first time I’ve ever connected live and in person with the members of my amazing mastermind group.

These four fantastic women have made the commitment every week to hop on the phone, wherever they are in the world, and share their joys, concerns, wins, challenges, and ideas to help bolster each other, celebrate, and challenge both personal and professional growth.

Watch out Washington D.C.! If congress could work together like that, what an amazing country this would be!

In the months we’ve been together, there have been amazing milestones. Financial (the first $20,000 month), personal (dealing with serious family issues), and organizational (building companies from scratch right before our eyes). Breakthroughs, bonding and business building are a “weekly thang” for us. It’s truly remarkable.

We’ve called in on vacation in Hawaii, while driving in the mountains, or having a sleep over at a friend’s house. We’ve seen each other through family trials, business trials and courtroom “trials”.

And for the first time ever, we’re all going to be in the same room at the same time on Sunday.

Oh what a day that will be.

Now, I can’t speak for the others in my group. But for me, this has been (and continues to be) one of the most powerful groups in which I have ever been involved. thanks to the support of these amazing women, I’ve watched my business and my life blossom into something I never expected.

To be frank, I came to the group thinking I had little more than my wild ideas to contribute. I felt like I was going to be pulling down the average with these amazing women.

You know the Jim Rohn-ism “you are the average of the 5 people you hang around most”? Well, I was worried that after spending most of the day with my children, I’d have little to offer these fine ladies.

And yet, this has been the most amazing give and take, idea-generating, business boosting group. And they all tell me the same thing – so I can hope that I’ve had SOME hand in all that positive energy going around.

I’ve been re-reading Think and Grow Rich this week as I prepare for both my trip to D.C. and to Ali Brown’s SHINE event in Vegas. (shameless plug)

Regardless of your stance on the whole “law of attraction” philosophy, there’s something to be said for having a mastermind type group. When you are able to brainstorm and bounce ideas off other people, inevitably, something bigger and better comes out of it.

For this reason, if for no other, I am a firm believer that everyone needs a mastermind of their own.

And so, I’m boarding a plane today, to not only connect with these wonderful people, but to share my gratitude in person. I already know there’ll be laughter, tears and a ton of fun on this trip.

I’m also doing major league annual planning – something on a bigger scale than I’ve ever done before in my business. I’m nervous, excited and can’t wait to report back all the exciting news and developments from the weekend.

Overnight Success: Your Magic Pill Has Arrived.

Posted by LisaYoung in Big Ideas |

Michael Jackson did the elementary school talent show. Judy Garland sang with her sisters in her folks’ theater. And dozens of celebs and would-be celebs talk about how they are an “overnight success ten years in the making.”

An overnight success rarely is. And the ones that are work like hell to make it happen. In a recent post by Chris Brogan, he demonstrates just what kind of sacrifice it takes to achieve that level of status.

Most of us just don’t have the gumption to go there. And in truth, most of us don’t NEED to go there to be successful.

Part of the issue is that so many of us get wrapped up in the comparison game – the “keeping up with the Joneses” kind of bull-hockey that puts us on a hamster wheel from which we’ll never retire.

I maintain that success holds a personal definition for each of us, and under no circumstances should we allow ourselves to be taken prisoner by someone else’s success.

I love the idea of 1,000 true fans that Seth Godin shares in his book, Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us.

(Full disclosure: that’s my amazon affiliate link. Buy the book from my link and I might make twelve whole cents, woo hoo! Don’t get me started on the FTC again.)

Seth talks about how we really only need 1,000 true fans to attain a quality of life that most people would consider successful – not multi-millionaire successful necessarily, but happy, sufficient, and comfortably sated in our life. It’s not his original idea, but that’s where I first discovered it.

One of the planks of my “platform” – if you call it that – is that success has to be defined on your terms, not mine or anyone else’s. I can’t want something more for you than you do.

And along with that is the level of investment you’re willing to make to achieve that level of success. Investment of your time, energy and money. It’s not jsut abuot the money you throw at a problem to “make it go away”. There are no ruby slippers when it comes to creating success: just investment and a return on that investment.

Have you defined your success? Do you have a plan in place for it? What are you willing to commit to in an effort to attain those things?

That’s the difference between the “overnighters” and the rest of the world.

Overnight success is more a reflection of the amount of time one spends dedicated to their mission/passion – i.e. they stayed up OVERNIGHT (repeatedly) to complete everything already on their to-do list so that they could then devote additional resources to the attainment of their success plan.

I can’t count the number of people I’ve talked to who’ve said that they jsut don’t have the time to make something work – or they don’t have the money to invest – or they don’t have the energy because they’re not as spry as they once were.

It’s as if they’re looking for someone to tell them that it’s okay and they can still achieve success even if they’re not willing to make the investment. Or worse, that there’s a “magic pill” that will solve all their ills.

They COULD still attain success – but something has to give:
* it will take longer
* it won’t be at the same level
* it will be short-lived

Most people on the front end don’t want to compromise their vision of success. They want the best of the best and nothing less – until they see what kind of investment is involved.

My mom used to paraphrase Robin Leach: “Champagne wishes, and Kool-Aid money.”

Let’s be realistic. If you’re not willing to invest in your business (time, energy or money), you need to be willing to accept whatever you’ve already got going for you as your personal level of success.

If that’s NOT good enough for you, then something has to change. That change requires an investment – either time to analyze the situation and implement new changes, effort in throwing mud on the wall to see what will stick, or money to get expert help to improve the situation.

Usually, it’s a combination of the above.

The “magic pill” is called investment. Time. Energy. Money or some combination of the three. You can’t achieve anything in life without some level of investment/effort.

Chris is part of an army of entrepreneurs that get it. And people respect him for it. He’s bustin’ hs butt on the front end to enjoy the fruits of his labors on the back end. That’s the only known magic formula that gets results every time.

And with apologies to The Princess Bride: “Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

The Power of a List

Posted by LisaYoung in Finances |

Whenever clients ask me why they need their own (opt-in) list of contacts and customers, I tell them this:

“She who controls the list controls the marketing message.”

Then, I usually recount one story or another I’ve gathered from other consultants. Like the consultant that joined a new direct sales company after her previous company closed their doors. With less than a week to finalize any outstanding orders, most consultants are left cobbling together customer order forms, old guest lists, and email contacts as they try to rebuild their business with a new company.

Or perhaps you’ve left your company for “greener pastures” as did one top income earner I know. Eventually several of her downline team mates joined her. Naturally, you’re going to let all your past hosts and customers know about your the change. In doing so, you just might end up like she did – slapped with a lawsuit for “enticement”. Her former company claimed that she was using confidential company information that was owned by the company to “harvest” customers and consultants, causing them thousands of dollars in lost business.

If you look at most direct sales consultant agreements or policy manuals, you’ll see wording that says all customer and consultant lists belong to the company, and that you are granted a license to use that information as long as you are a consultant. Customer lists are confidential, and considered an important “trade secret” that could cause financial harm should they fall into the “wrong hands”.

Now, I’m not trying to put the fear of God in you. As a business owner, you need to be aware of all the details of any contracts/agreements that you sign. Make sure you’re reading the fine print in your consultant agreement and policy manual.

You hold NO ownership claim to any list that is controlled by your direct sales company.

That means whenever a client or lead visits your company sponsored website and signs up for the company sponsored newsletter, they are part of the company sponsored marketing system and their contact info is essentially owned by the company.

It doesn’t matter if the client is a lead from another state or your great Aunt Margaret. The company owns the lead.

As a business owner, YOU need to have a list that you control. As the owner of “You, Inc.”, you have a right to contact, market and serve anyone on your own list. Having your own marketing list – that your clients have agreed to be on (they have opted in) – provides you several walls of protection.

Legal protection

If you have clients that opt-in to your list BEFORE you recommend your company products or services, you can prove that they were YOUR leads first. It’s as easy as having them sign up for your monthly newsletter (not the company newsletter, YOURS). When leads opt-in, they have given you written permission to be added to your marketing list.

Don’t just add people to your list, or you could be accused of violating CAN-SPAM regulations. Get their permission. If they’re really your customers, they are usually happy to grant you that permission.

Portability & Flexibility

When you control the list, you determine how and when they are contacted. You can send them ANY message that is in alignment with the purpose of the list. Don’t send cooking recipes to a list about financial managment. You assume responsibility for any and all messages going out to your list. It is also your responsibility to keep the list clean.

Plus, if you move to a new company, you can take that list with you. If you use a mailing list service, you can automate a lot of the work, and make updating a snap!

Relationship Building

As the market continues to evolve, being able to communicate effectively with your audience begins with building a relationship built on trust, identity and likeability. If your leads don’t know, like and trust you, they won’t follow you from one company to another. Having your own marketing list, allows you to update them on the happenings in your life – not just the hot special your company has this month.A company can only develop a product centric relationship – because they don’t know your clients like you do. By sending out periodic updates about some of the personal aspects of your life, your clients get to learn more about who you are as a person, not only as a sales rep.Like Jeffrey Gitomer says:All thing being equal, people want to do business with friends. All things being unequal, people STILL want to do business with friends.

Real businesses own their list, treat it like gold, and protect it like Fort Knox. You should too.

© 2009 Lisa Robbin Young.

USE THIS ARTICLE FOR FREE IN PRINT OR ONLINE!

Please do not alter it and include the following information (with active links as appropriate):

Lisa Robbin Young is a certified direct sales marketing coach, teaching direct sellers to grow their business like a real business instead of an expensive hobby. Sign up for her free weekly ezine at http://www.homepartysolution.com

A Real Business Comes From the Real You

Posted by LisaYoung in videos |

So after a quick trip to the local library with my oldest child and his best friend, I scoped out the shelves for some new reads.

I found a couple of VERY good resources, and I had to share this one today:

Kaira Sturdivant Rouda is the president of Real Living, and “gets it” when it comes to personal branding. I’m half way through her book, Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shouted from the rooftops the importance of Branding yourself. Kaira’s book really gets it done.

Stay tuned!

2010 Update: This book is uber transformative. After a couple of years of living with this book, I can tell you it really gets to the heart of building a business around your passion. I use it every 6 months as my business bible when it’s time to review my progress, make sure I’m on track for goals, and to be certain I’m still following my passion in my business. I had the pleasure of interviewing Kaira for my Direct Sales Super Summit last fall and it was a dream come true in so many ways. Every woman should have this book on their shelves – or in their briefcase for easy access. It’s truly transformative for business and personal growth.

I am The Coolest Girl on The Planet

Posted by LisaYoung in Big Ideas |

It’s official. You can call all the kids from my high school days and tell them that I’m cooler than they are. And Google will back me up on it!

I checked Google today, and I am officially the Coolest Girl on the Planet. This is a title I’ve been striving for on and off for a few months.

I’m not gloating or braggin’ here. This is all about using Google’s own search algorithms to help you attain the top spot with your chosen keyword phrase.

In this case, I’ve done a little “web site optimizing” to help Google figure out just how cool I am.

All this started with a male ego contest a few years back. Dozens of Internet Marketers took up the challenge to become “the coolest guy on the planet” and well, I’m not a guy.

But I thought the phrase “coolest woman on the planet” didn’t roll of the tongue as nicely, so I went with “girl” instead. Besides, I can think of many women far cooler than I am, and this was just an experiment anyway. Plus, I figured, “guy” and “girl” were more equivalent than “guy” and “woman”. Although I suppose I could have gone with “gal”.

But I digress.

So when you do a Google search, you’ll find me. It’s kind of nifty. Almost cool.

And I really didn’t do that much work. Here are the things I did to boost my name into the top slot on Google:

I started using the keyword phrase as my name in all my blogger.com blog posts.
I positioned a link at the bottom of the home page of my site for my Direct Sales coaching program site, as well as other websites I’ve worked on. I also changed my byline credit on the website design for a local Dinner Theater website to read: “This site designed and maintained by the coolest girl on the planet“.

All those text links pointed right back to my home page.

I didn’t work on this non-stop for days, weeks, or even months. Basically, just when I remembered to do it.

And now, I can actually brag about being the coolest girl on the planet.
I think Mom would be proud – or at least shaking her head in disbelief.