Up Market |
- How Making Mistakes Leads You to Your True Purpose
- Sales Psychology: Why Referrals Are All You’ll Ever Need
- Bring Life to Your Work, and Change Everything
| How Making Mistakes Leads You to Your True Purpose Posted: 19 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
As a newbie in business four and a half years ago, I tried a lot of things that taught me many valuable lessons. Once, I offered a sale that almost put me out of business altogether, when demand far outstripped my ability to supply the work. Other times, I said yes to projects that were wrong for different reasons, and I can honestly say that the task of figuring out how to gracefully end those working relationships is the single hardest, most upsetting thing I've ever had to do in my business. Because of the mistakes I made, it became easier for me to see who were the clients I should be working with, and who were the clients I should not be working with. I could better identify the projects that had the goals and parameters in which I could shine and do my best work, as well as the projects that would be better for someone else with a different set of talents. Let's back up a little bit: what exactly does 'true purpose' look like? From my paradigm as a spiritual leader and business professional, I'm talking about the work you most want to do in the world. I believe that all of us are passionate to do some kind of work in particular, and that this passion is the unique piece of ourselves that we use to build businesses that serve people in remarkable ways. Your true purpose is the over-arching theme of this work, and it has to do with who you truly are, and what moves your heart and ignites your passions. Like the brand of your business expresses its core meaning, your true purpose expresses the reason you're here and the work you're here to do, for a specific subset of people who most need what you have to offer. Your true purpose, because it is so close to who you are, can sometimes take months or years to understand and express. This is where entrepreneurship serves us so perfectly: it enables us to make the mistakes and find the successes that focus our ability to know who we are and what we're here to do. I know that I work best with people who are on the path to using their whole selves in their work. My purpose is fully expressed when I am teaching, supporting, and encouraging those particular entrepreneurs. It took me almost five years of working, making mistakes, experiencing success, and journeying onward and upward and further up and further in, to get to the place where I am now. The path of the entrepreneur is an epic one, and it is made up of so many small, beautiful, important steps. Small steps toward deeper understanding of who you are. What small steps have you taken toward your purpose in your epic journey so far? Share with me. I love to hear the stories you tell. Image credit: plindberg |
| Sales Psychology: Why Referrals Are All You’ll Ever Need Posted: 19 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT
No matter what kind of business you own, if referrals aren't already a big part of your sales strategy then you're missing out. When most people hear about affiliates, recommendations and referrals, their first thought is referrals as source of new customers. This is a big part of it, for sure. When people start talking about your business and send their friends and family to buy your product, you know you've made it big. However, referrals go way beyond basic sales. The power of referrals affects your business in more ways than you can imagine. I use an RSS reader to keep track of the blogs that I like to keep up with. The more I hang out online, the more I discover. These days, the little counter of "unread posts" numbers in the hundreds. Unfortunately, I've forced to hit the "mark all as read" button to resent the counter pretty regularly. However, while I'm busy ignoring the blogs I know and love, I'm still reading a bunch of stuff, every day. I'm a sucker for links on twitterWhen someone I know and trust tweets the occasional link, coupled with a few compelling words, I almost always click. I ignore my RSS reader and all the blogs I personally selected as "favorites", instead choosing to go read the recommendations of others. Stop and think about that for a second. The power of referrals has literally ensnared my attention and my reading habits. Think about the last few movies you went out of your way to see at the cinema. If you're like most people, you would have done so not because of the trailer or posters you saw. You wouldn't even see it because of a review. You saw it because one of your buddies uttered these golden words "you have to see this movie". When someone tells you "you have to"… then you've got no choiceYou trust the people you know. You value their opinions. That is the power of referrals. It's not just about referring people into business deals. Here is how the power of referrals is affecting your business:
Word-of-mouth isn't just a marketing strategy, it's the backbone of all sales. No matter what your goals are as an entrepreneur, your business lives (and dies) by the power of referrals. Build a business that spouts out referrals like it's going out of style and you'll be made. I built a private therapy practice and a corporate business psychology consultancy with nothing but the power of referrals. The first client the practice ever worked with was a friend of a friend. When he loved my work, he sent a few people my way. Things spiraled out from there and soon enough, I was booked solid. During that time, I learned that there are three golden rules for getting boat loads of referrals. You'll spot salespeople violating these rules and making big mistakes in every industry. At best, it means they'll be ignored and forgotten – at worst, they come across as total assholes. Follow these rules and you'll fast track your referrals and sell up a storm! Don't be desperate – Golden Rule Principal #1Most salespeople think they act like pros when it comes to networking. They believe they don't come across as desperate and needy. Yet time and time again, they make the mistake of only networking when they need something. They only get in touch when they're after a favor, want a testimonial or need a new client. A needy salesperson can be smelled a mile away. When you network, connect and make friends just for the fun of it, you're building crucial relationships before you need to leverage them. You come across as a giving person, with an abundance of time, expertise (and coffee) to give to friends, colleagues and customers. Stay in touch and build connections in advance. Network without an expectation to "get something" – do it because it's fun. It is fun… and rewarding. Follow this golden rule and when the time comes that you need something, you'll find an abundance of people waiting to help. Get to know them, now. Don't be a jerk – Golden Rule Principal #2Even if you don't think you're a big shot or that your recommendations matter, they really do. They matter hugely. We've all got the power to refer and we all have people who take our opinions and advice seriously. Most of us get caught up in our own goals and forgot what our referrals mean to others. When you connect a friend with something they need or simply love, everyone wins and they appreciate you for it. If you're looking to do something significant with your business and you want referrals, you need to get karma on your side. Have a look around the people you know and see who you can help. Who could you connect? Is there anyone you know who would be just right for a certain product, service or job opportunity? Even emailing a friend a poignant, relevant article from your favorite blog is hugely useful. They'll appreciate you for it. I referred a friend for a job at a client's company. Years later, that friend got promoted, got a budget and hired me to consult on a lucrative project. You never know who might be important one day, so play it safe and help out everyone you can. Learn to enjoy the process too – even if my friend had never paid me back directly, I would still be just as happy they got a great job. It doesn't matter if you believe in karma, "doing unto others" or nothing at all. When you give referrals, good stuff happens. Hook up as many people as you can with ideas, opportunities and things they want, need or love and do it without expectations. It'll pay dividends in more ways than you can imagine. Sell something worth talking about – Golden Rule Principal #3People far smarter than me have great ideas about how to building remarkable products. I've included this last golden rule because failing to follow it will completely negate the effects of rules one and two. I think it's important, as we progress through this Sales Psychology series, that we keep things in perspective. At the end of the day, it isn't clever referral tactics that matter… If you want people to refer their friends to buy your stuff, go do something so unbelievably cool that people can't help but talk about it. Follow the three golden rules and you'll win big sales. Referrals are all you'll ever need. What do you think? Any great ideas for eliciting quality referrals from people? Speak up in the comments. |
| Bring Life to Your Work, and Change Everything Posted: 19 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT
For some it wasn't always this way. Many started their careers burning with passion and optimism, only to find their flames began to flicker as they encountered one obstacle after another that kept them from achieving what they thought would be success. Submitting to the unwritten rules of the organizations and other environments they found themselves in which suggested they must act or think in a certain way to get ahead, they may have slowly sold out on their dreams and relegated themselves to quiet complacency. Many of us were not brought up with the idea that work could be fun or gratifying in any way. That's why they call it work, we may have been told. As a result, we may have never really expected much from our careers or professional lives. And as the saying goes, life has a way of living up to our expectations. In just about every corporation, nonprofit or other organization, you will find people in jobs that do not ignite their talents and passions. Some remain dormant in those jobs because they fear that pursuing their hearts’ desires won’t put food on their tables. Many do not realize that there might be a better alternative. Most of us have learned how to switch ourselves on and off at will, in an effort to spare ourselves the pain of disappointment or frustration – or to maintain what we have come to believe is a professional demeanor. Many admit they are very different at work than they are at home. Those golden parts of ourselves that we think we are protecting suffer when we don’t let them live and breathe in the very spheres that provide us opportunities to learn more about who we are and what we are here to do in the world. We miss the chance to become a part of something greater than ourselves. And the organizations and communities we are a part of miss out on the unique contribution each of us can potentially make. We can no longer afford to fragment ourselves in this way, denying the fulfillment of our secret dreams and downplaying our insights about what we can do to make life better – for ourselves and everyone around us. As more and more of us feel the pain that comes with denying our spirits, we start to realize that the time has come for us to bring the totality of who we are to what we do, no matter our vocation, title or role. We are beginning to awaken to our unique callings. As we find ways to unleash our distinctive talents and passions at work, we will significantly increase the quality of our own lives and those of everyone around us. Corporations that take steps to create environments that allow people to thrive will be richly rewarded as ingenuity pours forth in ways that lead to increased profit and market share, as well as the creation of strong, thriving cultures that inspire people to achieve ongoing success by doing what they do best. There are people among us who have the ability to snap us out of our states of quiet desperation – and help us bring more of who we truly are to everything that we do. They can do this for others because they have done it for themselves. They are called leaders. You may be one of them. Image credit: theotherway |
Here in the online business space, it's well known that you can start a new business with nothing more than an idea, a website, and something for sale — and many of us got our feet wet with that exact business model.
I'm approaching selling from a different angle today.
For so many people, work is considered a necessary evil – merely what must be done to earn a paycheck. As they toil through their workday, the primary goal is to make it to the weekend so they can really live. Going through the motions, working alongside others whose hearts and minds they seldom truly connect with, they withhold the very parts of themselves that make them come alive.| You are subscribed to email updates from Upmarket To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu