Why it takes more than intentions for success to occur

I’m on a flight returning from a couple of days of high energy, teaching, networking, inspiration and motivation. I had the opportunity to keynote and coach at a private event for over 150 private clients of powerhouse entrepreneur, Suzanne Evans.

As is true for most conferences, participants left on a high note with a lot of information to process. Most left filled with the thought they would implement so much of what they learned. I sure know I have a lot to process and have every intention to implement the most important things I committed to.

You see, even as one of the faculty, I always learn something that is going to be instrumental in my personal and professional growth.

Although the intentions of 99% of the entrepreneurs are sincere, the reality is, many get caught up in their usual routines putting off until tomorrow what they committed to starting today.

I’ve been on both sides of the participant and trainer fence at conferences for years. In the decades I’ve been attending and speaking at conferences, I’ve watched what seemed like magic happen for some, while most fell right back into their daily habits.

The thing that amazes me are those people who will go to conference after conference, buy book after book, invest in training after training, and not do all they can to implement all they can that applies to them. They continually look for the “one thing” they need to do to make changes, yet, what they ignore is the “one thing” has been shared with them over and over and over.

What is the “one thing?” Different action for different results. Different actions will likely take effort, risk and money. Contrary to what one popular office supply store would have you believe, there is no easy button. Success takes work. Success takes effort. Success is not always convenient.

No matter how often some people hear this they continue to search for the easy button, the magic dust, the quick fix pill. Truth be told, none of these things exist.

Many people have a misguided belief that when someone who is extremely successful is having fun, being playful and having an outright incredible attitude that this means the person didn’t have to make any sacrifices for their success.

Consider this; one reason people who are incredibly successful are having so much fun is they know what they had to do to get to where they are at. Mind you, incredibly successful is relative to one’s definition of success. It’s not based solely on the externals. Actually, many of the externals people enjoy are a result of first starting with what goes on inside their head.

They learned to manage their state, focus on their big why and take action in spite of setbacks and obstacles that would stop most in their tracks.

Although most people can use a daily shot of inspiration and awareness, most appear not to do anything to get on track with a great state of mind.

I experienced this throughout my morning. From the 20 minute cab ride from the hotel to the airport I was a very captive audience to the miserable cab driver who packed years of how unfair life had been to him into a nonstop monolog, to the airline representative checking my bags telling me how unhappy and tired she is of her job, to the security team who must have all swallowed their sour pills and just about every traveler I observed, most seemed to be in a very grumpy mood. Granted, I don’t know what their personal situations are and yet, I do know that our mood isn’t dependent on outward circumstances, but rather our perception of what is going on around us.

As with taking action on an idea, consciously choosing to be happy is just that; a choice.

Every day we make choices. Most are unconscious due to our daily routines and habits. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to become more aware of what we are doing. Be fully in our bodies moment by moment. Be aware of how we are impacting others in either a positive or negative way.

It’s amazing what this can do, not only for our well-being, but for the domino effect it has on others. We never know what the impact of being kind to the person who seems to need kindness can do. Often, something as simple as calling the security guard, clerk or ticket agent by name and sincerely thanking them for what they are doing can have an incredible impact on them.

By being fully present in the moment we tend to get more done in our day. We are more aware of the time wasters and energy suckers that are obstacles to achieving what we say we want.

Life truly is about choices. The choice to be kind… or not. The choice to be happy… or not. The choice to take action on what we committed to… or not.

What is your choice for today?

Why it takes more than intentions for success to occur

Why email marketing is less effective than ever before...and what you can do about it

Ask most anyone who’s been online for any length of time if open rates on broadcast emails have gone done and the majority will give you a resounding YES!

By some accounts email marketing is in proverbial toilet. Yet, there are others who say email marketing is still one of the most effective methods they use to promote products and services.

So who’s right; the majority or the handful who swear email marketing is alive and well?

Actually, both. Here’s why.

The majority of people who use email marketing are still throwing mud on the wall and hoping something will stick.

Those who are getting incredible open rates are doing something the others are not; segmenting more than ever before.

You’ve heard how important it is to have a “sweet spot” niche market, but have you heard you need to go deeper into the process?

Case in point… The Women In the Pet Industry Conference. By far, it is one of the best conferences I’ve not only participated in, but also presented at.

As the title indicates, it is for women – and a few brave men. Additionally, the majority of those in attendance are entrepreneurs. Some are in manufacturing. Others are dog trainers. Still others are service providers such as Debra Hamilton, attorney at law, who is committed to educating pet owners on the ins and outs of making sure you and your pets are protected in case of accidents, illness, death and any unforeseen circumstance life may throw your way.

Although a woman who owns a multi-million dollar company that manufactures dog doors is in the exact same industry as someone who has a $100,000 dog training business, how you market to each is likely different; or at least it should be.

It’s the same with your niche market; there is likely an umbrella industry that has multiple segments within the industry.

Let’s say your market is the dental industry. Would you market the same to dentists as you do hygienists as you do office managers?

If you market the same to each segment there’s a great chance your email open rates are minimal at best. If you segment your marketing, there’s a great chance you’ll have a much better open rate by not throwing “marketing mud” on the wall and hoping it will stick.

According to one report by MarketingSherpa, 32% of marketers say segmenting their email database is one of their organization’s top objectives, while 52% of marketers say they have a great need to improve email database segmentation.

Not all buyers in an industry are alike. Nor do all buyers have the same buying cycle. Nor will they all buy the same thing.

In my business, I have various levels of investment my buyers make. There are those who are very seasoned, have been in business for years, make a great living and need something very different than those who are just starting out.

More seasoned entrepreneurs may choose my private consulting services over a $27 eBook. Or they may find a small group coaching program is far better for their needs than a $7 report.

What an entrepreneur who has been in business for 20 years needs is very different than the person who is just starting out, doesn’t even have a DBA and is trying to grow their business on a shoestring budget.

What the entrepreneur who has a wealth of knowledge looks for when they create multiple streams of revenue is night and day from someone who wants to create their first eBook.

So before you jump on the bandwagon of those yelling from the mountain tops that email marketing is dead, perhaps you need to look at your marketing behaviors and your overall messaging. Are you lumping all your subscribers into one group over and over? Or are you fine tuning what you’re doing in order to more fully serve your market with your messaging?

Here’s a real life example. On August 27th I’m hosting a webinar for established experts who are ready to turn your knowledge into multiple streams of revenue. This event is perfect for bona fide experts who are ready to quit trading dollars for hours.

If this describes you, join me for a content driven hour of exactly what you need to do to set yourself up for the next level of success.

http://www.powerupforprofits.com/wp/pcwebinar

So what are you doing to fine tune your marketing efforts? Are you clear on the needs of the various segments of your market? If not, isn’t it time to make the necessary changes in order to have a laser beam approach to what you do? I daresay it is.

Why email marketing is less effective than ever before...and what you can do about it

Social Media Marketing Plan Built During Free Workshop!

Get Your Social Media Plan Built for You by These 7 Special NAMS Experts Live on Thursday, July 16th!

You are so lucky! You know how important it is to have a viable social media plan. But you also know how tough it is to build one that gives you the results you want.

On Thursday July 16, 2015, 7 NAMS Insiders and Instructors will show us exactly how to get BIG results on their favorite platforms.  Click here.

These experts reveal:

• Their favorite Top Tool they use to create their social media plan


• The steps and strategies to devising a social media plan that works


• How to deligate and outsource the day-to-day work needed to make their social media plan pay off

And these experts are:

• Sarah Davidson -Instagram


• Brian Basilico – Podcasting


• John Paduchak -Hangouts on Air


• Ray “The Video Guy” Lane – YouTube


• Ellen Britt – Facebook Communities


• David Baer – Facebook Advertising


• Nile Nickel – LinkedIn.

What is a Micro Workshop anyway? Find out CLICK HERE

A workshop means focusing on implementation. And most live workshops are weekend or weeklong events in a hotel and require airfare. A micro workshop is virtual using Google Hangouts techology.

And it’s built in two parts:

Part 1 is Discovery

We dig into an essential business topic, grill the experts, and extract as much specific and actionable information as possible from them that we can duplicate to build our success.

Part 2 is Implementation

We take everything we learned in Part 1 and build a checklist / project plan for implementing all the strategies and techniques revealed by the instructors.

Resources

Students who attend these workshops get access to the Mindmap and checklist for the entire implementation.

Normally this Micro Workshop sells for $197. MyNAMS Insiders get access to all of our 2 dozen micro workshops as part of their membership!

Signup here to get your spot.

Be sure to share this with your friends.

Social Media Marketing Plan Built During Free Workshop!

Podcasting is a GREAT way to gain visibility

You’ve got the book. You’ve got the speech. You’ve got the expertise, but very few people know you exist. It takes more than simply having the “thing” to be successful. You also need the visibility.

Years ago there wasn’t much competition online. Seems like whatever an expert introduced to market was a novelty and people ate it up. It was also much easier to stand out because of the fact there were very few people vying for people’s attention.

Today, this is definitely not the case. Today, your message is likely, unless you position it correctly, to be one among many, literally getting lost in the shuffle.

You have to also find ways to be viewed as more than a commodity. One way is to let your personality shine through. For example, I’m very transparent about my love of animals, my involvement with rescue issues and my passion for power walking.  Click here to see what I’m currently involved with.

A great way to move from commodity to exclusivity is to get visibility and as much as you can, for you, your message and your point of view. Why? Simple. The more visible you are, the more you are unique to the “middle of the road” experts, the more people will turn to you for solutions they seek.

You have numerous options to position your point of view and perspective.

PODCASTS

This is one of my favorite strategies to get in front of my community. Leveraging podcasting can give you an incredible marketing edge that can substantially increase your online visibility, build a loyal following and increase lead-generation and client-conversion rates.

You can certainly host your own show or, if you want incredible market reach, why not be a featured guest?

Want to learn how to become an in-demand expert on podcasts? Join my good buddies, D’vorah Lansky and Doug Foresta for a FREE webinar

Expand Your Reach and Increase Your Credibility by Being

Featured on Other Peoples’ Podcasts!

Takes place Monday, May 11^th at 3 p.m. Eastern. Click here to register..

 

GOOGLE HANGOUTS

Hangouts are fast becoming a favorite of many experts, who not only want to build solid connection with their community, but also to get great SEO.

Hangouts have a very low startup cost and yet, a very high perceived value when done right. A few things to keep in mind when either hosting or participating in a Hangout is what viewers see in the background.

Whatever is within view needs to be consistent with your branding. In other words, no unmade beds in view.

TELESEMINARS

An all-time favorite, teleseminars are once again on the rise in popularity as a great way to reach a market with a strong message. There are plenty of free services for anyone on a limited budget.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Although some videos get no traction at all, many have been known to get hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and even millions of views. With over four billion views per day, it’s no wonder smart entrepreneurs are using YouTube as a huge part of their promotions strategy.

To get lots of traction, add short videos on a fairly regular basis to your subscribers. After all, if they subscribed obviously they want to see more of your videos.

MEDIA RELEASES

There’s no shortage of people saying that media releases are a thing of the past. This is absolutely not true. There is plenty of call for well-structured media releases.

An eye-catching media release can get the attention of writers, publishers, journalists and freelancers for trade journals, magazines, blogs, podcasts, and other publications that cover your industry. Don’t underestimate the power of a well thought-out media release.

BLOGGING

The best part of blogging is that you have complete control over what you write about. There are virtually no barriers to entry on stating your perspective and point of view. You can be as low-key or as controversial as you want.

GUEST BLOGGING

For anyone seeking lots of exposure to a specific market, guest blogging is a great choice. Guest blogging also increases your credibility. After all, when you are a featured expert on someone else’s blog, you are considered an expert right out of the gate.

ARTICLES

Going the same route as media releases, there are plenty of people who claim article marketing is dead. Article marketing is alive and well.

Actually, writing and distributing lots of articles is one of the best ways to gain visibility, position your expertise and reach more of your market.

JOINT VENTURE PARTNERSHIPS

When you partner with other experts on their campaigns, or yours, you are again positioning your expertise in a very effective way.

Imagine what kind of traction you can get by partnering with anywhere from six to twelve experts promoting one another. It’s a powerful way to jumpstart your visibility.

SPEAKING

Although not an online strategy, speaking at industry conferences is a highly valuable way to stand out. Not only are you an assumed expert, there likely will be online promotions by the conference coordinators, thus giving you even more visibility and credibility.

SUMMARY

Visibility is absolutely essential for any expert who wants to be viewed as more than a commodity. To achieve the greatest result for your efforts, have a well thought-out plan, commit to consistency, and be willing, in a big way, to be completely who you are.

The more you are authentic and transparent, the more you will build a following of raving fans.

Here’s one thing you can do to skyrocket your visibility to get in front of your sweet spot clients. Join my good buddies, D’vorah Lansky and Doug Foresta for a FREE webinar

Expand Your Reach and Increase Your Credibility by Being Featured on Other Peoples’ Podcasts!

Takes place Monday, May 11^th at 3 p.m. Eastern. Click here to register.

 

Podcasting is a GREAT way to gain visibility