Business Owners Need a Shot of O2!
‘That was like a shot of O2!’
This was a comment from one of my clients last week after our one hour session. He was motivated and pumped about his business again and felt like he’d had a shot of O2.
So often we focus on the financial rewards or reducing long hours and stress…but passion, excitement, motivation, enthusiasm and love for the work is equally important. And something I definitely can bring back to your life and business.
How did this particular client get a shot of O2? He was in a common situation of not knowing how to attract more work.
Finding and winning work is my specialty.
In our one-hour session we did two key things that gave him his O2 shot:
1. Build a quick table of existing customer categories ranked by dollars they spend, ease of dealing with them (A, B, C types, A are awesome, B are bread and butter, C are complainers and challenging), how he won them in the first place, and growth potential.
2. He was then able to look at this table and confirm which type of customer he wants more of. Great – all I need is to know is what type of customer you want and I’ll tell you have to get more of them. And that is what I did. I gave him a clear plan on how to win more of his target customer.
He came into the session starved of oxygen due to confusion about how to get more business. And I totally understand and appreciate this. When we do laps in our heads we burn ‘oxygen’ and it’s draining. We all need external input, help, advice in business, ie oxygen shots. I have my coaches and mentors.
If you are feeling you need a shot of oxygen – I’m here, at your service. Bottles of O2 in abundant supply!
5 Essentials to Include in Your Business Development Plan
SITUATION: You feel you need to write a business development plan for 2018 but the thought of it bores you to death, or you can’t decide what to put in it, or you don’t have the time…or all of the above!
SOLUTION: Try my C-L-E-A-R business development plan format. It might be just the thing you need. It’s quick and simple but covers the absolute essentials that will make a difference.
C = customer.
What customers do you want in 2018? Most businesses have three main types, A, B and C.
‘A’ stands for awesome. They buy big, don’t mind paying and they love you.
‘B’ are bread and butter customers. They are the regulars, they just keep coming and provide the bulk of your revenue.
‘C’ are the complainers. Never happy, haggle on price and take the most time to serve.
You can’t buy more time in life. Don’t waste time chasing customers that aren’t going to take you to your goal. Do you need to change your mix of customers in 2018? Who will you focus on? Get real clear on this. Your marketing, your presentation, your strategies, your staff, your product, your pricing…everything, is dictated by who you want as a customer.
L = looking for?
What are your target customers looking for in 2018? Features, pricing, packages, service etc. Get clear on this. Brainstorm with your team, customers, partner, colleague, customers, suppliers, customers, coach, and customers. Hint: ask your customers what they want! 🙂 In order to win more of a particular customer you would like in 2018, what do you need to provide?
E = earnings.
How much do you want to earn in 2018? How much do you want to pay yourself? How many customers do you need to achieve this? Or how many sales of products XYZ?
There is immense power in writing this number down. It makes a very powerful statement to the universe and your subconscious. Our brains prioritise what they focus on and notice. They have to. Our brains are processing millions and millions of bits of info every second. If our brains didn’t filter this info they would bog down like a computer with too many programs running. By writing your goals down, you help your brain know what it should focus on. The result? You will ‘miraculously’ notice opportunities you didn’t before because your subconscious is showing them to you. It’s the red car effect. You buy a red car (or a particular model) and suddenly there seem to be hundreds on the road.
A = actions required?
What actions are required to achieve the above? You might want to break it down into monthly actions, quarterly actions. Or weekly. Just as you don’t plan a dream holiday and then do nothing about it, get clear on what actions need to be taken. And this can include what different actions you need to take. What type of person do you need to be?
Workshop the actions required with your team. Very important if you want them to be clear on your plans and vision for 2018.
R = roles and responsibilities?
Now you have your action list, put names and dates to each action. Who will do them? If your team is involved, it is best to workshop this with them so they are on board. Do you need an accountability buddy to keep you on track? Break actions down into bite size pieces so they get done rather than delayed.
If you have staff that are not doing the actions you want, I have a module on the 5 common reasons and what to do about it. Email me if you want to know.
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So there you go! Simple business planning with the essentials you need to kick goals.
Have fun with it. Here if you need help.
‘About You’ page should be about THEM
Situation: your ‘About You’ page is about you and not about your potential customer.
Solution: write your About You page from the perspective of your customer.
They are tuned into WIIFM and want to know whats in it for them.
Ironically an ‘about you’ page is NOT about YOU, it’s about them.
Word it so that it is clear how your background, your experience, your quals, your awards, your life experiences, your roles, your age, your location, your industry, your personality, your nationality, your hobbies…can benefit the prospect reading it.
Think of a dark cave…we are biologically wired to avoid scary places like a dark cave. We don’t go running in do we? Sharing about you on your website is like turning on a few lights in that ‘dark cave’. It helps your potential customer feel comfortable taking a step inside. They get to see things they can relate to and even like.
STAFF NOT DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD
SITUATION: STAFF MEMBER NOT DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD DO
SOLUTION: REVIEW THESE 5 COMMON CAUSES
These five causes are the common ones I see with my clients. The trick is to accept responsibility for the them not doing what you want and be open to exploring these five causes.
