When something “pops up”, how do you know if it’s an opportunity to take advantage of or yet another “bright shiny object” intent on distracting you from your revenue-producing projects?

The easiest way I’ve found is to look at each situation and ask these questions:

1. Will pursuing the opportunity provide more revenue, profits, or exposure? How quickly?
2. How much time will it take me personally?
3. Is it a one-time investment (of time/m.on.ey/resources) or more? If more, can I delegate and will it still be profitable?
4. How long will it take to recoup my investment (time and m.on.ey)?
5. Does it make sense overall in my business? Why or how?
6. What will I not do in order to make room for this?

Once running through these questions, I generally know whether it makes sense.

A quick example:

Kathleen Gage (www.KathleenGage.com) recently offered a Kindle training that looked enticing. Running through the above questions, here were my answers:

1. Absolutely and as quickly as it takes to go through the course. My blog has been on Kindle for months and this is a great opportunity to add ebooks, articles, etc.
2. I like to go through the training first so I understand what my team will be doing and I can do it if I wish so, length of training.
3. Yes, a one-time investment for the course and yes, I can delegate and potentially earn revenue, definitely gain exposure.
4. If I offer as an added service to Team Sandy clients in addition to using for my business, can recoup investment in less than a month.
5. Absolutely – publishing on Kindle had been on my calendar for later this spring so it would just be moving it up some.
6. I chose to move a group training from January to March.

So I took the training and, within less than a week, added my first special report and now my team handles for me.

Rather than a bright shiny object, this class allowed me to move up a 2012 goal and see almost immediate results.

Another quick example. . .I’ve had “be more active on Google+” on my list for a while now and when Google® changed their algorithms again a few weeks ago, I knew it was time.

As luck would have it, Shelley Webb from www.OnTheWebbSocialMedia.com had just released a $10 Google+ ebook with checklist and has an extremely reasonable offer to set up a Google+ business page.

It took all of a few seconds and one email with Shelley to know the answers to all the above questions, with the best being that nothing else on my calendar had to move.

One of the many blessings of owning your our businesses is that we can adapt to changing situations much quicker than a larger company – there are no committees, no boards, no layers of staff to muddle through and if an opportunity appears, we can take advantage or it. . .or not, depending on what else is going on.

My Request to You. . .

Create a list of questions for your business so that the next time a bright shiny object appears, you can assess whether it’s truly a bright shiny object or an opportunity and act accordingly.

What opportunities are you taking advantage of this week?  I’d love to hear below.

And we received several comments in response and one in particular inspired today’s article around how we define “authorities”, “experts” and “masters”.  After all, I call myself a “Small Business Growth and Marketing Expert” and it got me to wondering if I’ve earned the title.

Out came the dictionary:

• An “authority” is defined as “an accepted source of information, advice” while
• An “expert” is defined as “a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field” and
• A “master” is defined as “a person eminently skilled in something, as an occupation or science”

And I thought about all the entrepreneurs who avoid the question altogether by selecting titles such as “maven”, “goddess”, “coach”, “mentor”, etc.  Titles which either have no standard definition when it comes to business or which cover all ranges of a skill set.

We’d be remiss without mentioning those titles which indicate how much revenue someone’s made from their clients: “millionaire this” or “multimillionaire that”.

Nothing wrong with it. . .just food for thought.

Let’s look at it from the business owner’s standpoint…

• How to choose a title which fairly and accurately represents our expertise/focus and yet also stands out from a branding standpoint?
• And if you’re new in business, what can you say about that?  (Note that I answered this in one of the blog comments.)

And from a prospective client’s point of view…

• Who to trust?  If titles mean nothing (and given that anyone can declare themselves anything, they really don’t mean much), whom do you trust?
• Read testimonials, check out credentials, review experience, speak with prospective vendor to see if you click, etc.

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MY REQUEST TO YOU

Ask yourself the following:

• Are you happy with your “title”?
• Does it fairly represent who you are, what you focus on or what your level of expertise is?
• Do/Will your clients “get it” or do you have to explain your business?
• If you’re calling yourself an “expert” or a “master”, can you back it up?  For example, while I can easily back up calling myself a “small business and marketing expert”, I’m not comfortable calling myself a “master” (yet).

And if you’re not happy or comfortable with your title, now’s the time to change it and/or plan what you want to do in 2012 to upgrade your skill set (or choose another field).

Last weekend the New England Patriots played the Denver Broncos to see who would move one step closer to the SuperBowl.

Now, living in Massachusetts, about 30 miles from the Patriots’ stadium, you’d expect that, even without being a major football fan like DH (darling hubby), I’d hear a lot about the Pats before that game.

I didn’t.

I did hear about the Broncos’ quarterback. . .in fact I heard about him SO much that his name now causes me to change the channel of whatever I’m watching or listening to.

The hype about this man was overwhelming.  The media built him up so much that it would have been difficult for anyone to attain their standards.  Yet still it continued.

Game day arrives and still he’s all I hear about.  Nothing about or from the Patriots.

The Patriots won that game decisively – 45 to 10 – and the media’s scrambling to recover.

What happened?

The New England Patriots kept their heads down and focused on preparing for the game.

• They didn’t get involved with the media hype,
• They didn’t justify or compare themselves to the other team,
• They just did their job

And, as a result, they dominated.

So what does this mean for you?

MY REQUEST TO YOU  

What if we were to take those same lessons:

• Avoid the hype
• Focus on what you do best and don’t be concerned about comparing yourself to others and
• Show up 100% in all that you do

And apply them to your business?  Imagine what you could accomplish in a day, a week and yes. . .even a year!

If you’re all over the place, not sure who you’re speaking to and trying to be everything to everyone, well. . .not so much.

Google customizes your searches based on previous searches, your habits, social media posts and friends, your photos and more. 

While Google’s customization may not be a surprise — have you ever searched for something on Google, found results, told your friend and she couldn’t find. . .even with doing the exact same search?  Well, they’re taking it to another level.

Here’s an excerpt from Google’s blog post about this:

“Say you’re looking for a vacation destination. You can of course search the web, but what if you want to learn from the experiences your friends have had on their vacations? Just as in real life, your friends’ experiences are often so much more meaningful to you than impersonal content on the web. With your world in search, you can find:

• Google+ posts. You can find relevant Google+ posts from friends talking about an amazing trip they just took, whether they’ve shared privately with you or publicly. You’ll find links shared by your friends, such as activities, restaurants and other things they enjoyed on their trip.
• Photos. You can find beautiful vacation photos from your friends right in your search results page. You can also find your own private photos from Google+ and Picasa, based on captions, comments and album title…

This is search that truly knows [you], and gives [you] a result page that only [you] can see.”

What do Google’s search changes mean for you?

Two things:

1. Since Google is personalizing our search results (and those of your potential clients), you want to ensure that you’re writing, talking, videotaping, etc. about things that are relevant to your ideal clients.  You want to be connecting with them on your blog and on social media — note that “connecting” here does not mean throwing out post after post which has you sharing and promoting.  “Connecting” does mean that you want to be reacting to THEIR posts as well — visit their pages, engage in conversation.  Post on their blogs.  It’s a two-way street.
2. One word. . .consistency.  You want to be consistent in everything you do — that consistency, combined with strategic, relevant content will have you in the same place as your ideal clients.

Remember, just like last February, Google cares about giving their clients relevant info — info which means their clients will come back and use them again and again because they’re getting meaningful results.  And which means advertisers will continue to invest with them.

If you’re connecting regularly with your ideal clients and sharing content relevant to your industry, keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be fine.

While I average about “totally for fun” book a week, I also read 1-2 business-related books — whether true business management, leadership, systems, mindset, wealth, marketing, social media. . .in some way, it’s related to business.

Last year I read 72 business books. Today I’m sharing the Top 10 which either inspired specific actions, motivated or just plain had an impact on me.

Thanks to Anita Kirkman of www.VisionInPurpose.com who suggested this post which required me to think back and take a good look at what still remains on my bookshelves (after a thorough office purge and reorg) and how those books affected me and/or my business.

Here they are (in no particular order):

1. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
2. Be Unreasonable by Paul Lemberg
3. No BS Time Management for Entrepreneurs by Dan Kennedy (read annually)
4. Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod
5. The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent by Esther and Jerry Hicks
6. Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham
7. The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk
8. The Simple Abundance Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach
9. Unthinking by Harry Beckwith
10. Fame 101 by Jay Jessup and Maggie Jessup

Whether you choose to read (paper or electronic), listen to audios or attend out-of-your-niche industry events, be sure to constantly access new ideas.  You never know where the next great one will come from.

After all, the idea of a restaurant drive through was inspired from someone using it at a bank and transferring it to their industry.

What can you learn and transfer in 2012?

What was your favorite book(s) from 2011?  Will you share with us below?

How confident are you in your business?  In your skills?

We recently took one of our dogs to our local veterinarian and he recommended a test for her – one that he felt was outside his specialty.

• He didn’t tell us he’d do the test.
• He didn’t hire someone else to do it as a pass through.
• He did give us 3 referrals, in his order of preference (with a “why” for each) and the exact language to use to get a quick (not “walk-in emergency”) appointment.

Are you that confident in your business?

• Are you happy to refer clients to someone else who can serve them better – whether for a single project or longer-term, regardless of whether or not you receive a referral commission?
• Do you focus on your gifts and either add more training or niche yourself as a specialist or do you act as an authority just to get the client?
• Is “what’s best” for your client/potential client always at the forefront or if they do a consult with you and others and choose someone else, do you feel you “lost” or that someone else “stole” *your* client?

There are several types of confidence and one of them is knowing that you’re great at what you do or. . .if that isn’t yet the case, that you get the training/skillset to make it so.

And, if you are great at what you do, you’re sharing that through a well-planned and implemented marketing strategy.

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My Request to You:

Do you have enough confidence in your abilities, and business, to actively refer clients to someone who is better suited, knowing that a more ideal client for you is around the corner?

If not, it’s time to assess your “business assets” – and this is a perfect time of year to do it:

• How do you serve your clients?  Can you add to your list of programs, products, and services?
• Do you have a marketing plan in place?  Are activities simply plunked in or is there a strategy behind everything?
• What media, besides online, do you use for your business (we use direct mail, fax, online, social media and phone)?
• What was the last training you took?  Is it time for another?  What subject?
• Do you have a mentor?  Do you need one to reach your goals?

Now that you’ve assessed your business assets, what are you going to do next?

© 2011 Sandra Martini

True?

Like most things, it depends.

Stressful?  To me, yes.  Some people thrive on it.  I prefer a business which I own, rather than one which owns me.

Owning a business designed for success means that you’re not scrambling asking yourself “How will I make money this month?” or “What can I offer that my list will want to buy?”

Owning a business designed for success means that you have a Business, Marketing and Extreme Client Care™ Plan which creates raving fans out of your clients so they, in essence, become marketers for you by talking about their positive experience in working with you.

Take the time now to step back and ask yourself what type of business you want:

1. A castle-in-the-air, launch-based-revenue-roller-coaster, OMG-I-have-to-grow-my-list, what-will-next-month’s-offer-be, EEK-I’ve-been-on-Facebook-for-3-hours-and-no-clients-yet business or
2. A well-thought-out set of offers where clients can naturally progress from one program to the next depending on where their business is today combined with a strategic marketing plan which makes each offer a logical progression from your content.

Hmm…seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it?  Yet, by not consciously doing #2, most business owners “choose” #1 by default and often spend years, and thousands of dollars, trying to determine what went wrong with their initial vision.

All #1 gets you, aside from a possible ulcer and mounds of debt, is a marketing “empire”.  You’re consistently marketing, marketing, marketing – always focused on the next thing to market.

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My Request to You:

If you feel like you’re currently creating, or already have, a launch-based marketing “empire”, ask yourself:

• What do I love about my business, as it is today?
• What would I love to change about my business, as it is today?
• What are my goals – short and long-term – for my business?  For my life?

These questions will help you get on the right track in designing a business to support you and, if you’d like support in setting up your business and marketing plan for 2012, email Gina@SandraMartini.com today.

© 2010-2011
Sandra Martini

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SANDY RECOMMENDS:  Great things to check out

With the holidays just around the corner, there’s a lot going on. . .here are some special things you may wish to check out:

• There’s only one person I’d recommend for learning how to host a telesummit: Dr. Ellen Britt of MarketingQi.  Ellen’s currently offering a Telesummit Success Secrets 4-week teleseries and has generously offered to give my community $100 off.  Additionally, if this opportunity is right for you (meaning you want to host a telesummit at any point), I’m also offering my Totally Teleseminars Teleseries as a bonus when you join at www.marketingqi.com/sandra (remember to use the coupon code “blue” to receive $100 off!)
• If one simple tweak to your message could make you Virtually Magnetic to the world, would you be curious to know what it is? Come and meet me along with 20 other experts as we share with you, what has been the turning point for us and what made a big difference in our success. In this “Fr.ee Gift Giveaway and Teleseminar Series”, you’ll learn from a panel of extraordinary people what simple yet effective changes you could make right now to skyrocket your business. Visit http://santacoachevent.com/
• Too Much on Her Plate Week is here – and it’s a holiday like no other because the celebration is in honor of you! That’s right. Dr. Melissa McCreery, psychologist and an internationally certified life coach, created Too Much on Her Plate Week to celebrate busy, high-achieving women like you who are ready to take control, make changes, and thrive in life and business.  Melissa has invited respected professionals, including me, to give away success tools to make this the ultimate celebration!  You can access these FREE gifts at http://TooMuchOnHerPlateWeek.com.

“Take a look at the services and programs on your website and tell me, would you hire yourself?”

Seriously.  Would you hire yourself for each and every thing listed under your services/programs?  No one will know your answer. . .this is between your site and you.

If the answer is anything but a resounding “OH YEAH!”, it’s time for some reflection and possibly additional training.

Wondering where this came from?

I’m seeing oh-so-many “experts” who can’t do what they purport to offer:

• “Marketing experts” who have no clients yet feel they can teach and charge others how to get clients
• “Online experts” without the basics like an opt-in box who feel they can do website reviews and evaluate our businesses
• “Marketing strategists” who see what others are doing and recommend you do the same – whether or not it works for your business, personality or industry
• “Launch specialists” who consider sending a few emails and posting on social media a sufficient launch “strategy” and shrug their shoulders blaming the economy when things don’t go according to “plan”

It’s beyond frustrating.  In fact, it’s unethical and fraudulent and subconsciously these individuals know this and so often repel the very thing they desire.

We all have gifts.  We all have training and experience.  We all have things we love to do and are great at.

If this article made you bristle or you felt targeted (you weren’t), you have a choice:

• Focus on your gifts, training and experience and do well in your business and life;
• Learn new skills, actually learn them, downloading an ebook or taking a class does not make you an expert, and do well in your business or
• Claim to be something you’re not, take inconsistent action in becoming that person and wonder why you struggle.

This may sound harsh and I don’t mean it to (really).  It’s a wake-up call for those who need it (and you know if you do).

If you’re focusing on your gifts, offering what you know and are still struggling however, the issue is likely one of consistency and/or marketing strategy and that’s a different, and also solvable, problem.

And “yes”. . .I’m saying “problem” and not “issue” as, while it’s a different problem, it’s just as serious and just as deadly to your business if not resolved.

If inspired, I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

• A Cornwell Tool Truck with the distributor’s name and info in beautiful script on the sides and back of the truck.  The problem?  He had one of those raisable loading docks which was blocking the back of the truck so all the person behind him saw was white.  A total missed marketing opportunity as the person behind him has no idea what he does/offers and that person could be a mechanic, an auto-shop owner, etc.

Upon arriving at the hotel in Atlanta, I saw the following marketing opportunities seized:

• While showering, I noticed the shower head had their name, website and an 800-number on it.
• After showering, grabbed a big, fluffy towel and noticed the tag has their name and website on it.

These two companies know the power of marketing — and the cost to them?  Negligible as they were already producing the showerheads and towels anyway.  A big contrast to the Cornwell truck above.

My request to you. . .

1. Are you marketing your business everywhere?  For example: car magnets, your voicemail, do you stick a label with your website on when paying bills, do your business checks have your website on them, have you pinned up business cards/postcards at your local grocery store/library/anyplace where your ideal clients are going, think outside the box. . .
2. If you host teleseminars or webinars, have you considered hosting a free one at your local library?  Many online-based entrepreneurs are so focused on the “online” that they forget they’re ideal client may just as likely be in their own neighborhood as across the country or world.

There are tons of low and no cost ways to market your business…as long as we’re open to receiving them.

I’d love to hear about marketing activities you’ve noticed missed or seized and your outside-the-box ideas for marketing your business — want to share below?

This Saturday, November 26 is a big day for small businesses. It’s the second annual Small Business Saturday®, when people across the US come out and shop to support their favorite small businesses.

American Express and SandraMartini.com/Escalator Marketing™ want to help you make a difference and benefit. Here’s how:

1. Get a one-time $25 statement credit when you register an eligible American Express® Card and use that Card for a purchase of $25 or more at a small business on November 26th. You can register your American Express® card here.
2. “Like” our Facebook business page here to receive a special coupon code to use on Small Business Saturday (note the code is good whether or not you choose to use your Amex card).

That allows for double saving on Saturday!

Want to check and see if your favorite small business is participating in Small Business Saturday®? Visit the Small Business Saturday® Facebook page and enter your favorite small business’ zip code to see if they’re registered.

For example, click here, scroll down to the “Find Businesses/Enter Zip Code” area, enter “02347″ and you’ll see my business “Sandra Martini Biz Expert”.

I’m looking forward to “seeing” you on Small Business Saturday®!

And if you don’t have an Amex card or aren’t in the US, no worries…you’ll still be able to take advantage of my special on Saturday!