Professional development Archives - Page 8 of 27

The trick is, be an April person!

By Jim Connolly | December 23, 2022

Every year since 2008, January has been the busiest month for visitors here on Jim’s Marketing Blog. By the end of March, the numbers revert back to normal. This year will be no different.

January is also the busiest month of the year for new gym memberships. By the end of March, the gyms are way less busy.

Those 2 facts are not disconnected. And they bring with them a very useful insight into human motivation.

The trick?

The trick I referred to in the title of this post is this. Whether it’s growing a business or getting healthier, the ‘trick’ is to understand that success comes from an ongoing commitment.

Success comes from turning up, being there and doing the work.

Not in January when the motivation is strong, but in April [and beyond] when the average person has quit. So, become an April person and stay the course.

The rewards go to those who finish the race well, not those who start well and fail to finish.

Maximum or minimum can make you a fortune

By Jim Connolly | December 13, 2022

There are 2 business models, which have proven time and again to be extremely successful.

In today’s post, I’ll show you how both of them work, PLUS how to keep your current business model and open up a whole new marketplace!

The 2 models I’m referring to are:

Focusing on the maximum you can deliver.
Focusing on the minimum you can deliver.

Let’s start by looking at those 2 models.

The maximum model

The business owner who takes the first option, will focus on providing excellence. They’ll place a premium on exceptional customer service. They’ll set the highest possible standards and achieve them. They’ll need to unceasingly focus on delighting their customers at every opportunity.

There is a marketplace who are desperate to be treated this way. And they eagerly, willingly pay a premium. It’s an exceptionally profitable marketplace, too.

The minimum model

The business owner who takes the second option, will focus on cost efficiencies. They’ll consistently search for ways to lower their overhead. They’ll embrace automation and AI. They’ll know exactly what the minimum required is and then deliver on it.

There is a huge marketplace willing to pay for a stripped back product or service. We see them everywhere; no-frills airlines, feature phones, low price stores, etc.

The minimum model works. Really, really well.

Just don’t land somewhere in the middle

The problem comes if you fail to choose, and end up somewhere in the space between those 2 successful business models.

For example.

Better than the minimum quality, but not premium either.
Less expensive than the premium brands, but not inexpensive enough for the price-sensitive buyers.
Products or services that are absolutely fine, but not remarkable enough for people to tell their friends.

By failing to choose the maximum or minimum model, you land in the anonymous middle ground; where there’s very little interest and where it’s really, really hard to get noticed.

Middle ground businesses are why networking groups exist. They have to push for referrals, because their message doesn’t spread wide enough or often enough by itself. They’re stuck in a frustrating, unending and very expensive fight for attention.

Your highly lucrative, new income stream

Here’s something worth considering. Something that can help your business thrive, whilst still retaining your existing model.

What is it?

Develop an additional, new brand; dedicated exclusively to either the maximum or the minimum edge of your marketplace.

Think about that for a moment.

This gives you the safety net of your existing model. Plus, it provides you with all the amazing opportunities that come from serving one of those highly lucrative edges. It opens up a lot of potential, yet with relatively low risk.

Yes, it takes planning. But I’ve worked on this with many clients over the years, and the results can be spectacular. It will allow you to open up a whole new legion of prospective customers or clients. I’ve seen what’s possible and it’s definitely worth considering, as part of your business development plans.

A lazy attitude limits your altitude

By Jim Connolly | December 10, 2022

Back when I was at school, I remember one of my teachers grading my work with an F, and I was lucky to even get that! Mr King also included the following 2 words: Lazy attitude! He was a great teacher and he was absolutely right.

He knew the distance between what I was capable of, and what I actually achieved. It took me a while, and a few more failures, but I eventually learned from it and have benefited from an industrious attitude ever since.

Working attitudes

Today, aspiring business owners often ask me for a tip that will help their business idea to succeed. I tell them that no matter how amazing their business idea is, it’s no match for a lazy attitude. Doing the work, all the work, is essential for success.

I then share how an industrious attitude to business manifests itself, compared to a lazy attitude.

Industrious attitudes

Those with an industrious attitude will get an amazing business idea. Then, they’ll find out what needs to be done, and do all the work required. Their idea stands a good chance of success.

But that’s not all.

Because these people have an industrious attitude, they’ll keep on working at it. They’ll keep on doing the right things correctly, achieving success upon success.

Lazy attitudes

Those with a lazy attitude will get an amazing business idea. Then, they’ll find out what needs to be done. But they’ll refuse to do all the work required. They will avoid tasks that are essential, but are outside their comfort zones. Consequently, their idea has absolutely no chance of success.

But that’s not all.

If they choose to stay in their comfort zone, they’ll keep failing to do what’s needed, suffering failure after failure.

Ditching a lazy attitude once and for all

1. There’s no comfort in your comfort zone. None. It’s a place of regret and lack.

2. Hard work is overrated. Great ideas are overrated. But when you put the two together, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

Any of us can choose to leave the fake comfort of a comfort zone. It will take time. It will be hard. But it’s literally the only possible way to succeed and keep on succeeding.

Forget networking events!

By Jim Connolly | December 3, 2022

A caller once asked me on a live radio show, for tips on how to work the room at a networking event. I can still remember the shock in their voice, when I gave them my answer. However, the listeners found it really useful, so I thought I’d share it with you.

Here it is. Drum-roll please…

Forget it!

I explained that I wouldn’t spend much time, learning how to get the most from networking events.

No. I wouldn’t spend any time whatsoever on it… none, zero, nada.

Instead, I suggested they focus on ‘why’. Specifically, why they needed to go to networking events. Why their clients, website, social networks, newsletter, customers and contacts weren’t providing all the leads their business needs.

Whenever a business isn’t attracting enough sales or new clients, it’s always because they’re neglecting something. So, rather than pestering strangers at networking events, I offered a few alternative strategies.

Attract interest rather than pestering strangers

Here are some of the things I do for my clients, which work extremely well.

I bake marketing into my client’s products or services. This means making their products or service so remarkable, that they almost market themselves. Just think about that for a moment.
I create a story about their business, which is so remarkable their marketplace want to share it.
Most importantly of all, I put an FTA structure in place for my clients. It’s extremely effective. Here’s what an FTA structure looks like.

So, be kind to yourself. And choose marketing that actually works for you. Marketing that allows you to focus on what you do best.

On reflection

By Jim Connolly | November 29, 2022

Someone emailed me with a question, which I’d love to share with you.

She wanted some free advice, on how to “deal with the losers” who ask her for free advice.

The lesson here? It pays to look in the mirror before we’re critical of others. With a little reflection, we may learn something about ourselves… or avoid looking silly.

How to avoid an ongoing cash flow crisis

By Jim Connolly | November 26, 2022

cash flow crisis, avoid cash-flow problem

A reader emailed me this morning, about his latest cash flow crisis. He asked me for some advice on how to overcome it. I promised I’d answer here, as it’s a very common problem for a lot of business owners right now.

My reader put his problem like this: “I need to sign-up 5 new customers by the end of December, to avoid another cash flow crisis”.

Here’s my advice, which is relevant to almost any business owner with an on-going cash flow problem.

The wrong focus blocks cash flow

In my reader’s case, if he does focus on getting those 5 new customers, there’s a reasonable chance he will make it happen. Or come pretty close to making it happen. I don’t have any details about his business. But I do know that in business, we tend to get what we focus on – good or bad.

So, whilst there’s a good chance that he will be motivated to get those 5 new customers, if he does get them, he will have also just planted the seeds of his next crisis! That’s because those 5 new customers will simply buy him some time until he’s in the same position again.

Here’s a far better way forward. It’s based around 2 adjustments that can radically improve your financial situation… and your life!

1. Fund your business correctly

Cash flow can be resolved relatively easily. But only after you understand that on-going cash flow problems are rooted in the way you feel, think and act regarding money. When you overcome this block, the cash starts to flow like never before.

Your accountant will be able to explain how successful business owners fund their businesses correctly. If you don’t have an accountant, ask your financial adviser or business banking manager. It’s extremely straightforward.

2. Set exciting, compelling sales targets

Always, always set motivating targets that correspond with a thriving business. The kind of epic targets that will lead you to a massively better quality of life. Never set targets that merely help you to scrape by.

Here’s why the right type of targets are critically important for you and your business.

Targets that inspire you to thrive are exceptionally motivating. They also cause you to make decisions based on what you want. They bring energy, ideas and confidence. Confidence that encourages others to buy from you, hire you and believe in you. These combine to dramatically improve your results. And fast!
Targets that are about surviving your latest cash flow crisis are motivated by fear. And even if you hit the target, you’re still in a precarious situation. You just scraped over the line. And you’re left waiting for the next cash flow crisis, because your underlying problem remains. So, you end up with anxiety and stress, regardless of whether you hit the target or miss the target. That’s a self-defeating loop, which makes it impossible to build a successful business.

In short, a poorly funded business, focused on trying to stay afloat, is guided by fearful, short-term thinking. It has an extremely limited horizon.

The answer is to resource your business correctly. And set exciting targets that motivate you to build a financially powerful company.

Your sales figures. Going up!

By Jim Connolly | November 21, 2022

Did you know that you can increase your sales in multiple ways, by using a great elevator pitch? Well, you can. It will work for you online and face-to-face. It will open doors for you and help you get noticed. It will help you be remembered by prospective clients or customers, too.

Here’s how you and your business can benefit mightily from this powerful, often misunderstood marketing tool.

It’s not actually a pitch

There are lots of variations, but a common definition of an elevator pitch will go something like this.

A sales pitch that can be delivered in a short period of time [the time it takes to ride an elevator].

That is incorrect. It’s a narrow, literal interpretation of what an elevator pitch is. You are never going to sell anything of value to a stranger in 20-30 seconds. What you absolutely can do, is give a compelling introduction to someone, which will motivate them to want to know more.

In other words, an elevator pitch is a pre-pitch. It’s a short, well-crafted message that inspires the person(s) listening to become interested. Interested enough to give you more time, where you can actually pitch your service or products.

Why you need an elevator pitch

Here are the core business benefits of having a short, well-crafted sales message.

You’ll create a great first impression, fast

When you connect with a prospective client for the first time, you need to be able to make a positive impact quickly. This is true whether it’s face-to-face or online. A motivating elevator pitch will allow you to do exactly that. People are busy and your pitch will ensure they hear what they need to know, with clarity and without delay.

Preparation

It takes time to develop a great elevator pitch. By the time you have it down, you’ll know it by heart. And because it’s a short message, it’s also an easy message to remember. That means it will stick. It also means that whenever you’re in a situation, where someone asks you about your business, you’ll have the perfect answer to hand.

And that’s not all. The feeling of being prepared and knowing you have a powerful message to share, boosts your confidence. And that confidence is then transmitted to whoever is listening, which makes your message vastly more compelling.

How to write your elevator pitch

I strongly recommend you don’t write one from scratch by yourself. Instead, find a free one from a credible source online and refine it, so that it’s directly relevant to you, your services or products. There are hundreds of free examples and templates for you to choose from via your search engine of choice.

Why refine an expertly written elevator pitch, rather than write your own? The toughest form of written marketing is what’s known as writing short. Even professional copywriters struggle with writing short. That’s because you have very few words and every one of them needs to count. You’re trying to motivate, educate and leave a powerful first impression, within those tight confines.

If at all possible, find an industry-specific example to refine. That’s because a different approach is required for every industry. Here’s what I mean. The pitch used by a family law firm will need to be different from that of an oven-cleaning franchise. The pitch used by that oven-cleaning franchise will need to be different from that of a private school.

It’s reasonably easy to create an effective elevator pitch and the benefits massively outweigh the time it will take you. Start with a good quality example or template to work from and you’ll be good to go in no time.

Seek context before you move on

By Jim Connolly | November 15, 2022

You heard what the customer or client said, the words they used. That doesn’t mean you also know what message they were trying to convey.

In our normal conversations, this is no big deal most of the time. But in an important conversation, it can create major problems.

Imagine someone tells you their business grew by 15% last year. They might want your congratulations. Equally, they might want your commiserations. Without clarity regarding the context, your reaction and response could be way off.

Always get the context before you respond.

How to break the cycle that’s holding you back

By Jim Connolly | November 5, 2022

You have a business problem. However, you’re not ready to talk about it with an expert.

You now have two problems.

Those two problems soon combine to create additional problems. These additional problems do the same.

The cycle begins.

Break that cycle

Advice and support from an experienced expert equips you to eliminate the problem, fast. This also protects you from the follow-on problems.

It breaks the negative cycle.
A new, positive cycle is created.
Everything improves.

Whatever your business problem is, erase it. Ask an expert for the solution and free yourself to move forward with clarity, enthusiasm and confidence.

The story you’re telling yourself that’s blocking you from getting expert advice, needs to be called out for what it is. It is not working FOR you. It is working against you. Causing you to waste time, lose momentum and miss out on opportunities.

Jim Rohn used to tell us that failure is so common because it’s so subtle. Another day on the wrong cycle doesn’t seem to matter much. But that day soon becomes a week, a week becomes a month, a month becomes a year, and a year becomes yet another year… or it doesn’t.

You can absolutely decide right now to break that cycle and thrive. But, as with solving every major issue in life, it starts with you taking that first step.

Scale your business for success

By Jim Connolly | October 15, 2022

What’s the best way to scale your business for success?

Here are my thoughts.

But first, I have a very quick question for you.

What do the following all have in common?

Kindness.
Honesty.
Caring.

The answer is that they’re attributes that are valued, extremely highly, by everyone. We are attracted to people who are kind, honest and caring. And given the opportunity, we prefer to do business with people (and brands), who are kind, honest and caring, too.

Now. Hold that thought.

Scaling your business to success

One of the BIG buzzwords right now, is ‘scaling’. Business owners are being told that it’s a cornerstone of commercial success. And that the best way to scale their business, is to automate pretty-much everything.

For example.

To let AI chatbots handle first-line customer service enquiries.
To have call trees handle incoming phone calls – especially customer service calls.
To automate their social media accounts.
To create impersonal, email / forum-based, drip-fed versions of their services.

In short: To cut back on the human touch as much as possible, whenever possible and wherever possible.

The huge limitation with that approach is clear. Automation software is…. well… software. And as such, is incapable of the human characteristics of kindness, honesty and caring.

The reason for the growth in automation-based scaling, is that it promises a lot and is extremely simple. It requires almost no effort. And it’s sold by the gurus pushing it, as a magic way to cut your overhead back to the bone, both in time and money.

Here’s the snag with automated scaling

As more business owners embrace automation-based scaling, prices and fees in their industries are being driven down and down. It’s a race to the bottom for those who’ve bought in.

Paradoxically, it’s also a race, which no one actually wants to win. This is why we hear these same business owners complaining about attracting fee-sensitive clients and how hard they find it to stand out and get noticed.

They’re discovering that it’s extremely difficult to build a successful business, with the most fee-sensitive clients, wafer thin profits and a customer base who will drop you in an instant, for a lower priced competitor.

That’s a toxic mix.

Another way to scale… that actually works

While some business owners embrace the race to the bottom, where the winner is the cheapest provider, others have identified a far more profitable way to scale.

It’s a different race. A race to profitability and success. A race, where the winners attract the best clients, work on the best projects and earn the best fees.

You see, it turns out that kindness, honesty and caring, scale. In fact, they scale to infinity. People tell their friends about remarkable service. So, the word spreads. And they remain loyal to providers, who go the extra mile to look after their needs. So, they keep their clients for way, way longer too.

Yes, the cheapest prospective clients in your marketplace will always shop for the bottom dollar provider.

That’s perfectly fine.

Because every marketplace has a large and massively profitable niche, who eagerly pay a premium fee for a premium quality service. People hate automation and only opt for it as a last resort.

And even the bargain basement crowd seldom remain with an impersonal service for long. They often realize their cost-cutting error, once they’ve tasted the frustration and expense, of suffering with a problem, which can’t be resolved by automation software and requires a person. And there’s no person available.

So my friend, I suggest you scale your business for kindness, honesty and caring. It’s an excellent foundation on which to build a sustainable, valuable business.

12 Ideas I shared in business this week

By Jim Connolly | October 8, 2022

Here are a dozen of the ideas I shared with business owners this week.

Be quick to forgive. While you’re holding a grudge, they’re out dancing.
Either you run your day or the day will run you.
Following the crowd is almost always the wrong thing to do. Warren Buffett made billions by zigging when the others were zagging.
No excuse ever sounded as good as: “It’s completed, on time, as promised”.
Avoid negative people. They sap your energy.
If you don’t make a decision, time will make the decision for you.
Intelligent action is the cure for every business challenge.
A thousand great business ideas are no match for a lousy attitude.
A prospective client can find 20 alternatives to you, in seconds, on a search engine. Embrace what makes you unique.
Always leave the people you connect with, better than when you found them.
Fire your worst clients. You’ll be free to invest the time you wasted on them, doing better work for your amazing clients. This works surprisingly well as a business growth strategy.
In business, the winners get moving.

If you found these ideas useful, use them and share them.

Image isn’t everything. But it matters a lot

By Jim Connolly | September 26, 2022

New service, new product, jim connolly marketing

In business, the image you create isn’t everything.

But your image does matter. It matters a lot.

That’s because people are paying attention. Your prospective clients or customers, your marketplace and your competitors are watching. They’re looking for clues, pointers, tips and hints on how to judge your personal brand and commercial brand.

They want to know why, how or if you should matter to them.

Here’s the thing. When you take time to give people a hint, they’ll take the hint. No, not all of them. And no, not always. But enough people, and often enough, to greatly increase your sales.

With that in mind, there are two important questions for you to consider

What kind of hints are you giving?
Are they attracting the right responses from the right people?

If you’re unhappy with either of your answers, improve one part of your marketing so that it connects with the right people, in the right way. Measure the results. Then find another area of your marketing and do the same.

Repeat this, until you’ve made it obvious that you’re worth your prospect’s attention, and that hiring you or buying from you is the obvious choice.

Give yourself an eye opening experience

By Jim Connolly | September 12, 2022

Just how amazing could your service be, if you had access to all the resources you need?

When I ask business owners that question, they give me a series of extremely valuable enhancements. They tell me about changes, which would radically improve things for their clients and future clients. They tell me about service adjustments, which would give them a massive advantage over their competitors. And they tell me all this with great excitement in their voice.

I then ask how much would it cost for them to get access to the resources required.

In every case, they reply by telling me they have no idea. And in the vast majority of cases, after giving it some thought, they quickly figure out that it’s surprisingly little (specifically when compared to the huge pay-off they’ll receive).

Eye opening

Why not ask yourself that same, initial question. And then do the numbers. Determine exactly what the investment would be, for you to own such a spectacularly more rewarding business.

It will be an eye opening experience. Especially when you see how you choose to respond when presented with all that potential.

Business success is a decision

By Jim Connolly | August 27, 2022

risk reversal, risk reduction, marketing, risky

Photo | Pexels.com

At it’s core, business success is a decision. A decision from which everything else flows.

I was originally prompted to write this, after taking my friend to his chiropractor. As we arrived, I asked him if he was sure he had the correct appointment time, because the place wasn’t open. “Oh, it is open”, he replied. “It always looks like it’s closed”. There were no lights visible from outside, the door was closed and the ‘open’ sign was tiny. It looked to all the world (and every prospective client) as if it was closed.

I was introduced to the chiropractor and as always when I meet a business owner, I asked him how business was. He explained that business was slow. Hardly surprising. He’s paying a premium rent for a high street location. But he’s losing the vast majority of the passing trade he’s paying for… because they simply pass by unaware he’s even open!

Like the chiropractor in that example, most small business owners are genuinely unaware of the marketing mistakes, which are needlessly losing them a fortune. They wrongly assume their poor results are due to a lack of demand, a quiet period or aggressive competition. Instead of the reality: They never made the decision to succeed in their business.

What is the ‘business success decision’?

It’s the decision to do the right things, correctly.

Poorly performing businesses are not provided with the expert help they need, in order to grow and thrive in a competitive marketplace.

Instead, the business owner chooses to dabble.

Why?

Much of the time, the reason is fear. Their fear of investing in professional help is GREATER than their fear of failure. That’s what happens when a non-entrepreneur starts a business. They’re guided by fear from day one.
Sometimes the business owner lowered their expectations after years of sluggish growth, so slow growth or no growth is now acceptable to them.
Other times, they have no idea what effective marketing looks like or what it does, so they suffer in ignorance.
And in some cases they are so used to dabbling with their marketing, that they have a mental block about getting expert help.

A mental block?

Yes.

They insist on using experts to style their hair. However, they will watch their business stagnate because they insist on treating it as a DIY project.

Business success is a decision we make, to provide our business with the expert help it needs.

If your website is a sales generating machine, if your contact forms are a regular source of high quality enquiries, if your newsletter is a gold mine, if the profile of your business is rising like a star, if you’re attracting attention from all the right people and if your business is thriving… you’re good to go.

I hope that’s where you are right now.

If not, remember that business success is a decision. A decision to do the right things, correctly.

How to be utterly irreplaceable

By Jim Connolly | August 19, 2022

How hard would it be for one of your clients or customers to replace you with an alternative provider?

I was thinking about this recently when a salesman came to my home. He asked if he could quote me a price to look after the trees and hedges, which surround our house. I said that I wasn’t interested. He then said that if I told him what my current guys charge, he’d beat their price. I explained that I still wasn’t interested. I thanked him for his time and he left.

Just think about that for a second. Because it contains a massively powerful marketing lesson.

Imagine being so valuable to your clients or customers that they send competitors away, uninterested in hearing about their lower prices or ‘better’ deals.

Let’s look at how this applies to you and your business and what you can do, to be (or remain) utterly irreplaceable.

Being irreplaceable

If that salesman had been a little wiser, he’d have asked me what made my current provider irreplaceable. If he’d asked, here’s what I’d have told him.

The team who look after my hedges and trees have worked for us for years. They know exactly how we like things. They are extremely reliable and when we needed them in an emergency, they responded fast; removing a tree that had fallen down in a storm. They provide a great service, which they are well paid for.

They’re happy and we’re happy.

They’ve made themselves irreplaceable by building trust. They’ve earned that trust by doing great work over the long haul and being extremely reliable. I have recommended them dozens of times over the years to friends, all of whom are equally delighted with them.

There are 2 pieces of gold dust in the previous paragraph.

The best way to become irreplaceable is to earn trust. It was during our first year with the tree company that they came out to remove that tree, which was blocking a road on a dangerous corner. They were here in 40 minutes and charged us their normal rate, when they could have exploited the situation. Their attitude to service has remained every year since.
When a provider earns our trust and does great work, it’s easy to recommend them to our friends.

Clearly, every business owner should strive to make their business irreplaceable. It improves customer retention, whilst also generating a regular flow of word-of-mouth referrals.

It’s not about one huge action. In the above example, my tree problem gave them an opportunity to shine. However, it was followed by years of excellent customer service. It’s certainly not about being the lowest priced.

How do you become irreplaceable?

It’s about the daily interactions you have with your customers and your marketplace. It’s the compound effect of many positive experiences. You earn the position of being irreplaceable over the medium and long haul. Every interaction should be viewed as an opportunity to increase your value to your customers.

That’s how you earn (then re earn) the position of being irreplaceable. Yes, you need to re earn the position. If you earn trust and then casually assume you’re permanently irreplaceable, you’ll soon be replaced by someone who out manoeuvres you. A casual approach causes casualties.

Now let’s look again at my opening question. Ask yourself, how hard would it be for one of your clients or customers to replace you? If you don’t like your answer, do something about it today. Then make the process of being irreplaceable, part of the rhythm of your business.

Your reward is a business built on a rock solid foundation. A foundation of clients who regard you as utterly irreplaceable.

I made a mistake. And I’m sorry

By Jim Connolly | August 7, 2022

marketing, referrals, word of mouth recommendations

Mistakes. We all make them.

Much has been said about the need to learn from our mistakes. It’s extremely important. After all, it’s how we improve. It’s how we build better relationships and stronger businesses.

There’s something else about mistakes, which every business owner needs to understand. I’m referring to the importance of taking responsibility for our mistakes and then apologizing. The sooner the better.

Because…

By taking responsibility, you demonstrate leadership. As a business owner, there’s a direct link between your ability to lead and your commercial success.
By saying sorry, you switch the situation from confrontational to conciliatory. Instead of blaming one another, both sides can now focus exclusively on putting things right.

Learn from the mistake. Take responsibility. Say sorry. And then work on the resolution.

P.S. Read this » 10 leadership habits of highly successful business owners.

Success isn’t an accident: These habits make it happen

By Jim Connolly | July 31, 2022

Over the years, I’ve worked with thousands of business owners. Some have achieved extraordinary success, and I noticed they share certain habits… things that set them apart from the average entrepreneur.

Curious to see if these habits could work for me, I implemented them. Many didn’t seem to help much. However, others had a profound and transformative impact. Today, I want to share some of these habits with you.

In no particular order.

They know when to rest. Yes, when it’s time to work, they certainly work. However, they make sure they regularly relax when it’s time for family and friends. They know that balance isn’t a luxury, it’s absolutely essential.

Small business owners in general tend to work hard and many, maybe most, also take too few vacations. It’s very hard to operate at your best, when you’re overworking. Be kind to yourself. Take some time out to sharpen the saw. Even if it’s to close an hour earlier occasionally and go for a walk. It’s hard to be productive when you don’t feel productive. Go on. Give it a try.

They learn how to be great decision makers. Great decision makers get all the information required. They study it. They then request expert advice, if needed. Next, they consider the benefits and the costs of making the decision. They then consider the benefits and costs of doing nothing. Finally, they decide.

I’ve learned that the most common error business owners make, is to ignore the costs and benefits of not making the decision. The cost of not making a decision, even a risky one, can be absolutely massive.

They out-think their competitors. Successful business owners learn to think strategically. Other’s waste years trying to copy an idea, because it’s claimed to have worked for someone else or they read it in a book or they heard it on a podcast. They have no idea of exactly how that idea was planned, or if it applies to their business, or if it’s even effective today with the economy extremely unpredictable.

Strategic planning gives you the power to decide what you want, then create your own success map, based on your specific needs. Such as your resources, personality, strengths and the economy you’re working in.

They do it their way. They write their own playbook for success as they go along. They know that by having a less prescriptive approach to business, they get noticed. This is something I picked up on at a very early stage.

When I started my current business in 1995, I intentionally did things differently. This included identifying the managers at all my local banks, accountants and office supplies companies, then inviting them to local business events. As I got to know them, I also referred them to prospects. All for free. The word spread. Without spending a dime on ads, just a few months after starting my business, I was known by hundreds of local business owners. I had more clients than I could handle.

Look for smart opportunities to zig when your competitors zag. Tip: Remember that the process of giving and receiving, starts with the giving part. So, give something useful. Be helpful. You’ll attract more bees with sugar than with vinegar.

They are selective about their inner circle. As a mentor once told me, ‘If you hang around with people who’re going nowhere, one day, everything they have will be yours’.

They master time management. Every minute counts, and they make sure their time is spent on high-impact activities.

They make connections in advance. A strong network is an asset that pays dividends when opportunities arise. As I mentioned earlier, I invested a lot of time 30-years ago

They keep their promises. Reliability builds trust, which is the foundation of great reputations and strong businesses.

They do more than expected. They know that it’s the additional, unexpected ‘extra’ that people remember.

Final Thought

I hope these insights resonate with you. More importantly, I hope they encourage you to take action.

What next?

I started, by using and implementing just one of these habits, to see where it would lead me. I then selected another, and another. You get the idea. One at a time.

The question now is, which one habit are you going to start with?

How to have zero competition

By Jim Connolly | July 20, 2022

no competitors, zero competition, niche marketing

One of the things I work on with many of my clients, is the development of a valuable niche for their business. A highly profitable niche, with literally no competition.

Here’s a quick look at the approach I use, plus some ideas you can adapt into your own business.

The niche model I use is based on the strategy I developed for my own business. Here are just 3 of over 70 processes I’ve developed.

Enriching my competitors

Instead of focusing on crushing the competition, I focused on enriching the competition. When I started my business in 1995, my strategies were so different from the other providers in my industry, they were no longer competitors. This gave me the freedom to enrich, elevate, connect and promote their marketing businesses. That remains to this day.

The following is from a previous article I wrote on this subject – the full article is here.

“I chose to proactively seek out opportunities to help my competitors flourish, to open doors for them, to share new ideas and strategies I’d developed with them, to connect them with useful people, etc. I was in my twenties at the time and many in the industry said I was young and naive. I saw things very differently…”

Tip: If you found that interesting, I strongly recommend you read the full article.

Closing sales replaced by opening relationships

Instead of focusing on closing sales, I focused on opening relationships. It has always struck me as odd that good salespeople are referred to as good closers. So I decided to focus on opening instead of closing.

Opening relationships, to be precise.

Whilst sales closers have a toolkit of psychological closing techniques, I didn’t. Instead of seeing the sales process as a game of chess, pitting me against the prospect, I wanted to be on the same side of the table as the prospect. In their corner. Looking out for their best interests, exactly as I would if they were already my client. This transforms initial meetings with a prospective client. It switches things 180 degrees, from the usual chess game.

Yes, it does mean being willing to openly, honestly tell a prospective client if you don’t think you can help. When this happens, you’ve still planted some amazingly positive seeds.

You’ve just demonstrated to a prospective client that you can be trusted. You’ve also demonstrated that you offer an exceptionally professional service. In my experience, these same prospective clients often go on to become regular sources of high quality referrals.

This approach has set me apart and allowed me to further develop my reputation as a trusted adviser. That’s because it’s in such stark contrast to the usual strategy, of closing tricks and needy follow-up emails.

Building an influential network, not a big network

People in the marketing industry are known for the size of their networks. They’re at every networking event. They’re amongst the most active people on Linkedin. I took a very different approach. Instead of focusing on growing a large contact network, I focused on growing a small, but influential network.

Even when I was starting out, I never saw the value of what’s usually thought of as ‘networking’. For example, I think I had my last lot of business cards printed around 2002/3.

Oh, and I’ve never had a Linkedin account or had any need for one.

Why?

Business is all about people and the depth of the relationships you have with them. I chose to intentionally develop strong, meaningful relationships with people who I believed to be the best fit.

Initially my main focus was senior media people, marketing experts and mentors. I was 29 when I started my business, no one knew who I was and I needed to be around people who were able to help me get known and develop. If you followed the link I shared earlier, you’ll have seen how my first 6-months in business went.

As with every person I have shared this selective networking approach with, I too have found that you automatically get many of the benefits of a large network. Such as massively expanding the reach of your work, your opinions and your ideas.

For example, you’ll find that from time to time, your influential contacts recommend you and your work to their audience. An audience that respects their endorsement. Another example is media coverage, something I have professionally benefited from enormously. Lots of journalists have known me for years. They trust me and are comfortable enough to contact me, and cite me, when they need expert opinion.

Tip: One way to get started is to think who would be really useful for you to know in 12-months or 18-months time. And today, start to look for ways to earn their attention and then their interest. It’s not by cold emailing them or pestering them. It’s about being useful to them. Gently. Over time.

I hope that quick look at 3 of the 70+ processes I’ve developed, has encouraged you to seriously consider a more niche approach to the growth of your business.

Ultimately, you can choose to compete against the masses or develop your own, wonderful niche. You can choose to blend in or stand out. You can choose to be ‘yet another’ or uniquely you. It’s always a choice.

Turning upism

By Jim Connolly | July 8, 2022

Turning upism is the philosophy of staying around long enough for something positive to turn up. It’s about buying time for a positive change or opportunity to arrive.

Though the term may be new to you, you see examples of turning upism regularly. Just consider the countless actors who achieved worldwide fame late in life, when the right casting opportunity turned up. And those politicians who only achieved high office after decades in politics, when the right opportunity to stand for office turned up.

What does this have to do with business?

Quite a bit, actually.

Turning upism and business

In business, success comes to those with the persistence to keep on doing the right things, correctly. However, as in the above examples, turning upism isn’t merely about persisting or waiting.

We also need to be prepared for when the opportunity turns up.

I wrote a while back about a friend of mine who was invited onto a popular, national radio show. She’s an amazingly gifted architect and the show is an absolutely perfect fit for her. After she told me about the invite, I was just about to congratulate her… when she said that she turned the offer down! She went on to say she just couldn’t do it because she’d be too nervous.

Prepare for your opportunity

Here are a few useful ways to prepare, for when turning upism presents you with the dream project or major client / customer that you’ve always wanted.

Make it a habit to be on the look out for people who you can put in place, in case you need additional team members.
Talk with your suppliers. Find out how quickly they can scale up if you have a sudden, vastly higher demand than usual for whatever they provide.
Make sure your financial details are clear and detailed, should a serious party ask about acquiring your business. This will help you get the best possible price and show them you’re a serious operator.
Talk with your bank manager, in anticipation of a future, major project. Make sure you have access to the cash flow required, for what can be a sudden, huge spike in your outgoings.
Get some media training, before you need it. Learn how to speak on camera, how to talk with clarity and how to overcome any fears about there being a huge audience.
And if you’re hoping to go ‘viral’, contact your web host to make sure it has the capability to handle huge volumes of traffic. I’ve seen what happens when a server can’t cope, and masses of valuable traffic is lost.

You get the idea. Prepare in advance.

Whether someone knows about turning upism or not, the longer you’re in business, delighting your customers or clients, building your reputation and your brand, the more likely it is that something wonderful will turn up. So be ready. Get the maximum from the opportunity. Because you’ve earned it.

Marketing 101: Pick a frequency

By Jim Connolly | July 4, 2022

Here’s a content marketing tip, to help you attract the attention of prospective customers AND motivate them to buy from you or hire you. It’s all about one word that has two extremely useful meanings. That word is Frequency.

Allow me to explain.

I was prompted to write this after 2 emails I received.

The first was from a long time reader. Sophie got in touch to find out why I hadn’t published quite as many newsletters recently.
The second email was from a former reader. Rick emailed to say he’d unsubscribed from the blog, because I publish too often.

There’s a powerful lesson here for anyone who wants to grow their business.

Frequency

Clearly, I’ll never be able to keep everyone happy with the frequency of my newsletter. For some it will be too little. For others it will be too much. If I keep Sophie happy, I lose Rick. If I keep Rick happy, I lose Sophie.

So, here’s what I do.

Rather than try and get the frequency right for everyone, I use a different kind of frequency. A frequency that works. Every. Single. Time!

More importantly, it’s the kind of frequency, which you can use to attract more clients or customers and build your business.

The other type of frequency

There’s another kind of frequency. The kind radios use. If you tune your radio into the same frequency as a radio station, you receive their signal. You’re (literally) on the same wavelength as them.

When you’re on the same wavelength as your marketplace, you’re in harmony with them. And they’re in harmony with you. Sophie and I are on the same wavelength. If you’re a long time reader, you and I are on the same wavelength, too.

In short: I only write for you and Sophie.

Now, that won’t be the right frequency for everyone. But I don’t write for everyone. And there’s a very good reason why. It turns out you can’t keep everyone happy. And the harder you try, the weaker your signal becomes. Before you know it, no one is on your wavelength.

Though I used the example of newsletters / blogging for this post, the exact same strategy works for every kind of content marketing.

Supercharge your marketing

If your marketing isn’t resonating with your marketplace, it’s entirely possible your signal is too weak. This happens when you try to be relevant to as many people as possible.

You land in the middle. In my earlier example, you’d be too infrequent for Sophie and too frequent for Rick. Lose, lose.

By landing in the middle, you become directly relevant to no one. This means your marketing message will lack the motivation it needs, to inspire your prospects to take action. Only clear, directly relevant marketing has that kind of impact.

So, pick a frequency.

Shun the masses.

Embrace the community you wish to serve. Focus only on them, their needs and their wants. Be generous. And be generous as often as you can.

Pretty soon, you will have a community of people on your wavelength.