Out of the Blog, Into the Light

Keep Your Attention Focused on the Right Activities

Forms are at the end.

Years back I taught Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”  And even though I knew the system well, I find I need to return regularly to his priority-setting evaluation method.

Fact is, most people who learned this theory found it great stuff to learn yet few ever really sat down and applied the exercise.

Today, I’d like to persuade you to open up some space, take however long is needed, and apply this exercise.  You will find the process rewarding and enlightening.  If you’ve previously completed this exercise, but haven’t in awhile, now is a good time to complete again.

If previous attempts to complete this exercise were unsuccessful, then there is a good chance your inner critic swept it under the carpet with the message “too trivial.”  This message covers a common fear.  As you continue through this process you will learn the answer to your fear.

Enough analyzing for now.  First, I’m going to discuss the exercise.  This could be a review for you.  Next, it’s your turn to apply the exercise to your life, projects, or business now.  Whether you begin with your personal priorities, career or business priorities, it doesn’t matter.  If you are learning this exercise for the first time, allow me to suggest to practice with your personal priorities first.  And since I know how important this is, and how difficult this could be, I’m also attaching a few forms to help you complete the process.

Imprint Onto Your Brain

First, draw a square and divide it into equal quadrants.  Outside the box draw a vertical axis labeled “Importance” and a horizontal axis labeled “Urgency.”  Yes, you’ve seen this before. 

Here’s a visual of what you will be drawing.  It’s important to complete this in your own hand.  This imprints your brain and is a visual learning process.  Just thinking about it will not imprint memory.  Drawing, especially with colored markers, will. 

If your brain’s message chimes in with “this is too easy” or something similar, ask it to step aside and do it anyway.

This next step is one I created that has helped hundreds of others improve the visual imprinting process…

Step 1: Place a number inside a circle in each box.  For instance, the top right, the “More important. More urgent.” box would have a “1” with a circle around it.

The “2” with a circle would be the top left.  The “3” with a circle for the bottom right.  And the “4” with a a circle for the bottom left or “Less important. Less urgent.” box.

After using this circle method several times, your mind will begin seeing the circled number when reviewing a task list not created in this process.  (See #1 below on how to apply this.)

Applying To Your Priorities

Now it’s time to find out if you have been prioritizing well or you need to correct your process.  And you can do this several ways.  Here are the choices:

1.  Print your current computerized task list.  On the printout, one task at a time, place the appropriate circled number next to the task.

2.  There are two attachments.  One is a PDF file and the other a MS Word file.  If you prefer to work on this exercise in writing, print out the PDF file.  If you prefer to type the list, use the MS Word file.

Whichever form you use, continue by placing each task in the box you think it needs to be in.  If your inner critic is chatting away during this process, take a deep breath in between each one to allow it to pass.  Your inner critic has been getting away with convincing you, you didn’t need to do this for so long, it wants to continue having its way.  Take this slow, easy, and love through the chatter.

Here’s where the new awareness may come in…

What If

If everything or the majority of your priorities fall into the top right-hand quadrant, it’s time to get more realistic with what type of priorities you have.  To solve, divide the “More important. More urgent.” category into four quarters and re-plot.  If you’re using the written method, you may want to start with a clean diagram.  If you’re using the Word method, cut and paste and move them to the “get real” box.

If your priority management isn’t great, you will want to complete as many as five or six processes.  Each session will overwrite beliefs and memory just a little more.  Be gentle with yourself during this process.  You’re reprogramming your brain.  This always takes longer than expected.  This is why implementation didn’t fully complete in the past.

If you find you are completing items in “3” box (lower left, “Less important. Less urgent.”) more often, this means you are more concerned with checking-off items as completed rather than focusing on the truly important activities that will progress you forward.  You think you are accomplishing a lot; however, the outcome isn’t working in your favor.

Pay attention to where you’re paying attention.

Clarity in life determines your outcome.  And gaining clarity in life is what “Out of the Blog, Into the Light” is all about.

PDF priorities form Click to open

MS Word Form Need Word to Open

(c) Copyright 2009, Catherine Franz.  All rights reserved.

Technorati Tags: Stephen Covey,The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,setting priorities,article,blog post,time management,tips,techniques,priority setting,Catherine Franz,Out of the Blog,Into the Light blog

Web Sites Offering Layaway

Read this interesting article in DM News this morning about how Web sites offering layaway plans are selling more.  If you think outside of the box on this you maybe you can see how you can do something like this, or something similar.

Here’s a copy:   

PDF reading

Technorati Tags: retailers,layaway plans,DM News,retail web sites

Seven Ways to Level Off Cash Flow

By Catherine Franz

Jannice K., a past Virginia resident, now California resident, worked in Burger King for ten years.  Back when I was a junk food addict, she passed me the bag and drink through the drive through window.  Occasionally, I would go inside to eat.  We became friends and soon had regular times together early afternoons during her break.  It wasn't long before I discovered Jannice’s real buried passion was grooming dogs.  She sparkled whenever the topic came up.

Later Jannice and I worked together to write articles and other materials on her passion.  Now, Jannice lives in California, owns three grooming parlors, and is quite, quite well off.  During a recent phone conversation she shared how
no matter how far she’s come in just the few years, she says she’s never gotten used to living with a fluctuating cash flow.

This is an experience shared by many self-employed individuals.

After living on predictable cash flow, having a variable cash flow can be nerve racking.  Even over time, as you grow maturely philosophical about money, knowing that it can be here today and gone tomorrow requires being on your toes.  And, in order to transition from toes to flat foot you must learn to integrate a prosperity consciousness in order to survive emotionally.  A prosperity transfer means shifting from the perception of scarcity, to being in abundance.

The secret to handling this elevator ride is to get to the point of contentment with who you are and what you are doing, and not have an emotional response to money.  This platform, of course, takes discipline and experience.  Over
time, as you learn and become comfortable with a new way of thinking, you also learn to stay focused, know what "really" matters, stop wasting time, and relax into a set of processes and systems that become the rhythm for your business.  This calm approach always accelerates prosperity and, in turn, allows the cash flow elevator to slow down and stop on various floors.

During the fast elevator days, tips always help to remind us to punch the button in order to stop at the next floor.  Here are a few tips to help you push the right buttons:

1.  Where you focus is what you will attract.  If you focus on your surplus, the surplus will grow.  If you focus on lack, the lack will grow.  Hence, it’s common sense to focus on surplus, wouldn't you say.  Learn to see abundance in all that you do, say, and feel.  This doesn't mean giving away your services if you are business owner.  It means in being in balance with it.  Be abundant with your gestures, open the door for a person, it doesn't matter on gender.

When someone takes you to lunch, see that as surplus, the money didn't come out of your pocket.  It’s abundance from their life to yours. Yes, the good ole, attitude of gratitude, philosophy is what I'm talking about.  It actually is a secret weapon of the wealthy. Again, of course, in balance.  This same attitude is available to everyone, including you and I.  If it takes fewer muscles to smile, then of course, it takes less energy to be nice.

2.  Know what you're worth and be consistent about it.  If you take a long lunchtime or spend time browsing the book aisles or Net, associate your hourly rate to this.  When you associate time to money consistently in your thinking
process, cash flow will follow.  With a focus on what "really" matters and you follow that up with massive action, it all begins to sink in.  This internal awareness will, of course, again, be attractive.

3.  Some is better than none.  Partial payments are better than no payments if you can't meet your obligations.  Even the telephone and utility companies can cope with partial payments.  Send what you can with an explanatory note.

We both know that bill collectors aren't the most compassionate souls.  If you deal with them, try not to be defensive nor try to ignore them.  Silence isn't golden in this instance.  However, you can't let them intimate you or make you feel guilty either -- and they surely will try too.  Bring no emotional attachment to their call, conversation, or even after you hang up.  This will affect your energy and zap your progress.

Just imagine having one of these a day, and if you do, it’s a-no-wonder why you're feeling drained, unattractive, and not making any money.  This spiral emotional ride puts you on the fast elevator ride to the basement.

Writing an Executive Summary for Your Business

You may or may not have written an executive summary for your business. 

You can use this information in your print materials, on the Internet, in presentations and proposals, and more.

The three top reasons people don’t write one are: 

(1) They don’t know how;
(2) They haven’t even heard about it before; and
(3) They have no clue why they should. 

If you’ve already written yours.  Congratulations!  You ahead of the crowd.  Now, if you haven’t look at it in a year or more, then subtract seven of those points.  It’s time for a review and probably update.

Sell the Happy Hen

 

Last Saturday was the first day for my volunteering at the Arlington County weekly Farmer’s Market.  I’m one of their roving reporters.  My assignment for my first visit was to observe.

So I did.

I talked to the vendors, gathered names and ideas for stories and sat and watched buyers.

Strawberries is a big seller this time of year.  So I sat on the lawn and watched the three vendors I could see who were selling them.  Two had about 10 pints for sale.  The third about 40 displayed.  The one with more had a line of 30 or so people waiting to purchase.  The other two no line at all.  It was extremely fascinating to watch.  I was so curious as to why the one had a line and the other’s weren’t making any sales.  I was hoping to have enough guts to approach a few people in line to find out but never could get up the courage.  I’m going to be watching for this again on my next visit. 

I want to know was it because their pints looked fuller – and they did. Was it because their strawberries looked bigger – and they did.  Was it the strawberries?  Was it because they were under a tent and the other two were not?  Was it because of the other items they were selling?  I’m returning next week just to see what changed and to continue watching.

Across from the strawberry vendor with a line I saw this Happy Hen ad.  It was on 6 x 9 white cardboard. I watched.  Then I walked around to see who else was selling eggs and how they were selling them.  No contenders.  The vendor kept revolving the two cartons. Someone would purchase a dozen and the vendor would replace it with another dozen carton.  Always having only two on display.  They were selling well too! 

When I looked at the eggs they weren’t even medium size.  In the store they sell extra large, large and medium.  Well these were even smaller than medium.  And the price wasn’t a bargain for sure.

So why were they selling?  Was it convenience?  Could be.  They could be thinking, “Well, now I don’t need to go to the market just for eggs.”  I even thought this.

Actually, she was selling the story behind the product.  She was implying that if the hens were happy you would be as well when you ate them.  Cool huh!  I asked one purchaser.  She said she liked the idea she was buying from someone who took better care of her hens.  Hmm, nothing in the sign said that.  I actually heard this three times from different purchasers.

This proves many marketing principles.  First, perception is created by the story people connect to it.  Happy Hens paints a picture for the prospect immediately in just a few words.  There was a implication that her hens were happy and the ones who lay the eggs that you purchase in the story weren’t – the differentiation.

I wonder if the other strawberry vendors could have added a sign “Happy Strawberries” or “Happy Strawberry Plants” and sold more?

Of course, there were many other marketing principles being worked here.  Think about it and learn how to use the Happy Hen sign to your advantage.

I know I am . . . where can I place a Happy Hens sign?   

Technorati Tags: Happy Hens,marketing principles,Arlington Farmers Market,Arlington,Virginia,booth selling,sales,market sales,farmer market selling

Time to Dump Your Money Wasters

Don't be afraid when something isn't working to dump the pocketbook drain.

Are you wasting time networking? So many people are always talking about how they love to network. But is it really working or are you just afraid you don’t have anything else? If you belong to an organization for the specific purpose of generating leads and you don’t close any transactions, you need to get off your assets and openly solicit leads (stop being a secret) or you need to dump this activity because it's both a time and money waster.  Empty promises don’t pay the bills.

Who needs to be deleted from your referral database? If you haven't been consistently contacting people in your referral  database at least three to five times a year either by e-mail, phone or a letter, and you haven't received a referral from these people, it's time to stop spending money on them. And time is money. Spend your money on people who refer you business and stop wasting time on any money on those who don't.

Are you wasting money on a website you don't you? Has your website produced more then one transaction in the last year? Is your website up-to-date or have you been promising yourself you’ll do it soon but haven’t? Can people find you easily on the web through the search engines.  If you answered no to any one of these questions, you need to seriously rethink the money you are spending on marketing via the web and whether or not this money would be better spent on more profitable activities.  Just because you have a business doesn’t mean you need multiple web sites.  There are thousands of people making millions without one.

Are you throwing away money because you don't check your e-mail? If you don't have a valid e-mail address that you check daily, then you are better off redirecting leads to your office or home phone where you will at least receive the message.  Just last week I sent a follow-up message to several people I met at a networking event.  The messages bounced.  I called to let them know thinking something technologically was wrong.  After I called them each said  they don’t check their email messages but maybe once a week or two.  I had two referrals for one of them.  Upon hearing this I didn’t give them the referrals. 

The bottom line is…find what works for you and concentrate on those activities and dump the rest.  Don’t try playing a game you don’t want to play.  It reduces your credibility. I have plenty of people in my database today who don’t have an email address because they love to give personalized direct service. And that works for them very well.

Technorati Tags: money wasters,time wasters,money management,money saver ideas for business

How to Express Your Core Marketing Message

When someone asks what you do, how do you respond?  Here is a time-tested format that gets the attention and interest you want. You don't start out talking about what you do, but who you work with and what their problem is. This takes the focus off you and onto your clients. This always generates a better initial conversation about your services.

This is a very simple but powerful method for gaining interest and attention for your services. Note carefully that the discussion is always focused on what you do for your clients and what they get from working with you. What people tend to do is talk about what they do, their services, and processes. What's missing when you do that is the "what's in it for me?" factor.

The Question: What do you do? Here's how to respond.

1. Target Market -Say who you work with first. Let your listener know your service is for them, not someone else.

"I work with IT executives in Fortune 1000 companies…"

2.. Problem -Articulate the problem or predicament or pain your target market is experiencing in terms that are meaningful to them,"

"...who are having difficulties getting their top talent to stay around."

-Pause - Wait for response or question.

3. Problem/Stories -Tell them more about the problem and discuss examples of those you have worked with.

"Many IT managers are losing people because they are so bad at managing people, For instance, a client we worked with was losing 30% of their best technical people every year...."

- Conversation about various problems and challenges.

4. Solution/Uniqueness - Tell them your solution and what makes you different.

"We've had very good results in turning around the attrition problem for clients. Typically we can cut their attrition in half in less than six months."

- More conversation about solutions and results.

Technorati Tags: What do you do,meet and greet response,expressing your marketing message

How to Develop Your Core Marketing Message

Central to effective marketing is a message that speaks powerfully to the needs of your prospective clients. This message becomes the foundation of all your marketing. This message is developed by first answering the following questions.

1. Target Market: What clients do you serve? Give a detailed profile of your ideal client including demographics (basic facts such as industry, geography, etc.) and psychographics (values, character, interests).

2.. Problem: What problem, issue, pain, predicament or challenge are your clients facing that would make them seek assistance?

3. Solution: What results do you produce when working with clients? Or, in other words, when you’ve completed working with your clients what can they expect their condition will be?  (Before:  struggling to do X – After:  successful in doing X)

4. Proof: What do you have that can prove you can in fact deliver that solution? Do you have references, testimonials and case studies that make a strong case for your results?

5. Differentiation: What makes you stand apart from your competitors? What makes you unique, special, memorable? What is it about your business that offers a true advantage to your clients?

Technorati Tags: developing a core marketing message,sales,pitch,networking

Are You a Freelancer?

Freelancer for anything.  Then you will want to travel to my other blog and read today’s post.

http://www.ProNFwriter.com

It explains how you can find 30 web sites, blogs and forums too, that will help you:

* improve your skills
* help you market
* help you find some additional jobs / projects

Go, read, investigate, learn, grow, and prosper!

Technorati Tags: 30 sites every freelancer should visit and utilize,freelance folder,job posts,forums for freelancers

Hourly Rate Calculator

This morning I found a resource that’s an eye opener.  As an ex-accountant I know how difficult it is to calculate a true hourly rate.  Before today I laughed at the automatic calculators I’ve seen on line.  They left out so many critical calculations.

This one is different.  It takes into account many of the factors, the other calculators haven’t.  It still will not give you the best calculation.  I still think your accountant will do this.

Check it out.  No sales blasting happened and I didn’t have to submit any contact information.  I liked that.  You will too. 

Will it be an eye opener, most probably.  Write down the questions and answers you’re giving in that particular calculation.

I began by using the actual numbers I sent last year.  Then I calculated with the amount I need to make.  That was my “awakening.”

What I thought was the best feature . . . the break-even calculation at the end.

FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator

P.S.  I’m wondering if this works for an employee.  So, if you are.  Try it and share what happens.

Technorati Tags: hourly rate calculator,business,accounting,figure out hourly rate,accounting calculator