Lucia van Gerwin

Name:  Lucia van Gerwen

Business:  More Than Curtains

Vision for 2012

To forge impenetrable work liaisons, launch Designer Chicks (more about that in the future), and propel my brand into Cyberspace so that More Than Curtains is synonymous with service and quality unprecedented in Window Coverings.

Greatest business compliment you’ve ever received

A new Designer was recently referred to me by one of my existing Designers that I work with. She was told that I was the best asset her business could have!

Your most important motivators

My most important motivators are the gorgeous and talented Designers I work with, my delighted customers that keep returning and referring, and of course, my She sisters!!

Be Extraordinary is our tag line … what does that mean to you?

To me that means simply surpassing the level of service and quality offered by my industry peers.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/morethancurtain
Facebook: http://facebook.com/morethancurtains

With so many networking opportunities on offer and the associated excitement of meeting new and fabulous people, it’s tempting to jump into shiny new business relationships all too quickly. Just as we’ve had toxic friendships and bad romantic relationships, we’ve all had business relationships go sour. So with your business reputation at stake, it’s important to know how you avoid bad relationships that could have negative impacts on your business.

Here are 7 simple steps to minimise the risk of a bad relationship damaging your business:

Do your online research using LinkedIn and Google

5 minutes of online research can help you avoid some major headaches. Online resources, including social media and search engines, offer a wealth of information on possible business partners including where they’ve worked, who they’ve worked with and how extensive their networks are.

Ask for testimonials and references

A good business person will happily provide you with a number of glowing references at the click of the “send” button. But you need to do more than that!

Speak with someone they’ve done business with

Have a look at their website or ask for a previous client who you can speak with about their previous work and what they were like to work with. While people will willingly provide a wonderful written reference, speaking with someone directly can often give you a different angle.

Speak to people in their network who have a connection with them but may not have actually worked with them

How did you find out about this person? Was it someone within your network or otherwise “on the grapevine”? This is the person to ask about your potential co-worker, supplier or partner.

Ask to look at their work

Many professionals have a portfolio of their work on their websites or can email you examples of their previous work; all you need to do is ask!

Ask them for proof of their results

Just as you’d ask someone in a job interview about examples of their working relationships, by simply asking your potential partner how they’ve successfully worked with others to achieve results you can get a sense as to how well they work with others.

If you’re unsure start by giving them a small job

Test the waters with a small job with a short turnaround time, this way you can make a quick decision. You will soon discover whether they’re up to scratch.

Note: If they baulk at any of the above, run away quickly!

If, having done your due diligence, you’re ready to commit to the relationship it’s time to write a clear brief, create a structure for fulfillment, create milestone payments and start to get your happy, productive working relationship up and running and producing wonderful results!

Due diligence is your responsibility and a crucial aspect in creating world class connections.

Love to hear your thoughts. Have you suffered from a bad business breakup?

What I found most inspiring and interesting about The Biggest Loser was not the physical transformations but the great lessons in humanity. Through the coaching process contestants accessed information about winning mindsets that they’d never had access to before.

What I saw most clearly is this:

Winning is not always about the goal, it’s about the mindset and the process that will get you there.

The person who wants it most usually wins because they will spend every minute doing everything they can to achieve that goal.

The winner will go beyond what others are prepared to do.

Everyone has a story, how attached you are to yours and how quickly you’re prepared to drop it dictates how quickly you’ll achieve your goals.

The journey to success is far more important than the destination.

If you have high expectations of people you have to give them the tools to meet those expectations.

The source of your power is your mindset

Alex says that one of the reasons he went on The Biggest Loser was because he was lost but perhaps unknowingly he was also ready. From the very beginning he was a coach’s dream, he was prepared to throw off his ‘story’ and was willing to do anything the coach told him, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. He trusted the process completely.

Trusting the process means sticking with it, not deviating, not thinking ‘you know better’ but giving time for the process to work it’s magic.

By accompanying them on their journey I was reminded of those life lessons and how they apply to business. What life lessons could you apply to your business?

Love to hear your thoughts.

I’ve been working with a couple of clients lately on their unquestionable, but vastly over-used, talent for procrastination (one of these clients being, tragically, me…).

It seems that for most of us it’s a combination of giving too much power to the inner critic, a deep fear of failure or rejection or looking stupid or [insert your fave here] – and of course the overwhelm produced by the fact that we take on far more than any human being could achieve. Some of the stuff on my wishlist would take at least three lifetimes plus some serious superpowers.

So, what to do?

Firstly, things have improved greatly for me since I learned to do one project at a time. Even if that’s not possible, carve out sizable chunks of time when you focus solely on one thing. And yes, that means shutting out your online world. Yes, it does.

The other tool that has proved its worth many times for me and for numerous clients is Micromovements™. These were developed by Sark and rely on a well known principle. When trekking in the Himalayas, I was told that the way over a (seemingly endless) mountain crossing was ‘baby steps, baby steps’. (And the sherpas were right…I did get over the pass by following their advice.)

I have done most of the difficult things in my life through using this technique, and I have had clients who have turned their lives around with it, too. It’s simple, but very powerful.

It works like this: Just do a very little bit of your project (open a book, find that phone number, sharpen the pencil) then leave it for an hour or a day, then do the next step and so on – simple advice, but it really does work. The process is diabolically simple and very effective – a truly winning combination! Check out the full process – and Sark’s website – for yourself, it’s a treat. In the meantime, here are some tips:

•   Choose a tiny step – something you already know how to do. If you want to write more letters, a good step would be: Tuesday 2:00pm, find stamps, paper and pen.

•   Write it down with a date and time – it has more value when written down.

•   As soon as you’ve completed one step, choose the next and write that down.

•   Get support. Find a friend who is happy to help and check in regularly.

•   Be willing to get smaller. Most Micromovements are too large. In fact, we assign ourselves projects that are much too big and then get discouraged by our own inactivity. This only awakens the interest of our critic – a much better way to handle things is to keep it all below its radar, to sneak your project by the critic, tiny step by tiny step…

If you follow the technique, it might take you several days to read to the end of this article But once you have read it, what will you do (step by step) next?

Yet how easy is it to get distracted by small stuff like emails and facebook status updates, or by working to someone elses agenda or responding to the big stuff, like the promise of a shiny new seminar that promises you everything if only you part with a quick $5K!

I was speaking to one of Australia’s pre-eminent female corporate executives a couple of months ago and she introduced me to the 1% Rule.  She said ‘if people could just focus on doing everything in their business 1% better than they’re currently doing it, and continued with that mindset they’d stay focused on their core business, not live in the fantasy that there’s some secret success potion and they’d build businesses with the strongest foundations.  Just get 1% better.  While it’s tempting to think you need to make sweeping changes, it’s often in changing small behaviours we can achieve lasting results. I’m aiming for a 1% increase in effectiveness across everything I do to produce big results for my business.

What can you do 1% better? Start small, think big!

As many of you know, I embarked on a drive to increase my productivity and I’ve been using the 1% Rule. By implementing small changes, being prepared to tweek how I structure my days, over the past 4 weeks I’ve increased my productivity by 10-20% and experienced that delicious sense of achievement knowing I’m closer to achieving my goals.

How have I done this?

Set Weekly Goals

I used to create a daily to-do list that would amount to pages and feel deflated when I didn’t complete it. I’ve found it’s far more productive to focus on what I want to achieve in a week, write the goals on my whiteboard (as a constant reminder) and mark them off as I complete them. In doing so I create a focus and score-card for the week, it doesn’t mean I always fulfil on my goals but I figure that’s OK too. I just ask myself  ”Why?” Then I try to tweek it for the following week.

Plan My Day

Using my weekly goals I plan my day. Every day I estimate the time I think each task will take and then take note of the amount of actual time it took. I then assess the results and refine the process. (Writing articles and newsletters takes far more time than I EVER think!!)

Block My Time

By allocating time to each task I create structure in my day, I know what’s coming up next and it allows my brain to stop planning and the ideas to start flowing. I spend more time doing the tasks that fulfil on my vision rather than the time-fillers. I now only check my emails first and last thing in the day and have reduced the time I spend on social media. Instead of flitting from task to task and responding to someone elses agenda I create the agenda that will produce the results.

I’m taking the 1% Rule to every aspect of my business – customer service, sales, marketing, finances – and I’m excited by the results I’m producing. No sweeping changes just focusing on sharpening my tools and getting 1% better at everything all the time.

Would love to hear if you’ve tried the 1% Rule or if you can see an opportunity to use the 1% Rule

Nicola Rutzou

Name:  Nicola Rutzou
Business: Dennis Rutzou Public Relations

Vision for 2012
To return Dennis Rutzou Public Relations to profitability. Late last year and early this year has not been kind to us so our main aim is to get back on track.

Greatest business compliment you’ve ever received
The greatest compliment a client has ever given is when they say “I trust you”. You know you’re doing your job properly then.

Your most important motivators
Gratitude from my colleagues, staff and clients. There’s nothing more motivated for me than being appreciated.

Be Extraordinary is our tag line … what does that mean to you?
For me it means living up to your full potential and doing things in both your business and personal life that you are passionate about.

Twitter Handle: @NicolaR
Facebook page: Not applicable – I don’t use Facebook for business. My linked in profile can be found at http://au.linkedin.com/pub/nicola-rutzou/0/553/464

Jale Mills

Name:  Jalé Mills
Business name & description:   Gourmet Basket is an online retail gift hamper site with premium quality gourmet food, wine, pamper and baby hamper gifts in fabulous modern packaging. Eat, Drink and Be Merry!

Vision for 2012
Continue to grow the business organically. Acquire another online retail business. Master myself!

Greatest business compliment you’ve ever received
I continually get great testimonials about the fantastic presentation, top shelf products in our hampers and great service, but probably the best compliments I have received is from friends who have said they are very proud of what I achieved. They all heard me talk about having my own business a few years ago, and in 18 months I have acquired a business, turned it on it head and the results are showing in a quadrupling of revenue. And all while allowing me flexibility with my young son.

What motivates you?
Being in charge of my own destiny.
Being able to do what I want, when I want and earn good money.
Seeing other successful women in business and leadership roles.

Be Extraordinary is our tag line … what does that mean to you?
Be extraordinary is about being the best version of yourself that you can be.

Twitter Handle

http://twitter.com/#!/GourmetBasketOz

Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/GourmetBasketOz

Sheila Cabacungan

Name:   Sheila Cabacungan
Business:   Carnegie Financial Planning

Vision for 2012
To live this year in the driver’s seat and to stay the course no matter what challenges come my way in business. My clients need me now more than ever.

Greatest business compliment you’ve ever received
That I made life that much better for a client that she wanted me to look after her children and grandchildren.

Your most important motivators
To me business is personal I’ve never been able to separate who I am from what I do. So my greatest rewarded has always been a client referring me to their family and friends. Helping clients make smart decisions about money and seeing them make their goals and dreams a reality using the strategies we come up with together.

Be Extraordinary is our tag line … what does that mean to you?
Being Extraordinary for me is about creating my own vision of “success” and having the courage to stay the course until you achieve it.

Twitter Handle
haven’t crossed into twitterland yet

Facebook page
Carnegie Financial Planning

Website
www.carnegie.com.au

… you may hate it but it will make you and your business stronger

Until we have closed a sale it isn’t actually a sale. While you may dread putting the “hard word” on your customers, closing a sale isn’t as much of a challenge as you might think. Here are 6 key strategies to help you get to the close as quickly as possible.

1.  Define your goal. All sales are different and without a clearly-defined goal you won’t be able to evaluate your success. Whether it be signing up a certain number of people to your mailing list or selling a particular number of units, achieving your targets is a key part of your sense of accomplishment and your positive thinking. What is your goal?

2.  Think like a customer. There are so many variables that come into play in sales, we can never know a customer’s motivations however we can always play to our strengths. Every “product” has them, we just need to describe them to the customer in a way that they simply can’t say no. Be clear about your product’s “features and benefits” and the advantages of buying it from you. Many sales people spend their time talking about the product instead of talking up the product’s advantages. Make sure you concentrate on the positive of what you’re selling and this positivity will inspire your customers to buy from you.

3.  Go beyond “yes”.Customers have questions, lots of them, if you can anticipate them you will be able to quickly answer your customers’ questions and put them at ease. The quicker you can move your customer from the in-principle, verbal “yes” to something in writing, the more successful you are likely to be at closing a sale.

4.  Create a sense of urgency. Speedy sales are successful sales, whether you add an extra discount or longer payment terms, work out what “sweeteners” you have in your arsenal to close the deal quickly.

5.  Generate “late-breaking” news.Whether this is in the form of a fresh testimonial from a client or a recent press that ran on your product or service in the local media, these endorsements can be what it takes to convince your customer to buy from you, right now.

6.  Closing must be organic.You develop relationships with your customers, these relationships, ultimately stem from you being able to sell them something they want or need. Be empathetic to your customers’ needs; listen to your them and pose your product or service as the solution to their problem. After all, aren’t you the best at what you do?

Make sure your customers know this and you will develop stronger, more positive relationships with your clients.

If you’d like help in creating successful sales conversations and create a breakthrough in your sales results, join us at Release Your Inner Sales Guru.

So if they’re not interested in your product or service – what are they interested in? That’s easy – they’re interested in themselves. Your job as a business owner/service provider is to answer their most critical question – “what’s in it for me?” or WIIFM

7 Steps for employing the WIIFM principle

1.    Who do your materials talk to?
Take a hard look at your materials (presentations, brochures, website) and any other touch points you might have – through the eyes of your customer. Who does it really talk about – them or you? How many times do you use the word you and your vs the number of times you use I, we, our, my, etc. How does your receptionist greet your customers when they call or visit.

2.    Ask “So what?”
For every claim you make about your product/service (fast, cost-efficient, one of a kind) ask yourself “So what? Why is that important to my customer?” You should come up with reasons like (and these aren’t necessarily the right answers for you)

a. fast – gives your customers more time with to spend with their family or on their boat,

b. cost-efficient – because they’ll have more to money spend doing the things they love; or

c. one of a kind – they’re the envy of their friends.

3.   Use emotions!!

Paint pictures using those emotions. Don’t kid yourself that B2B buyers don’t buy on emotion. They do – it’s just a different kind of emotion. They want to succeed, have a bigger staff, be the one who saved the company all that money, gets that promotion, or just has less stress or more time with their family, boat, doing the things they love, rather than pfaffing around over a piece of equipment, technology, staff member who’s not performing as promised.

4.    Use a 2^nd set of eyes
Have someone not connected with your business (or industry) tell you what your product or service delivers and why that’s important to your customer. This is where external consultants can really help.

5.    Test drive it first
Once you know what you really deliver to your customers – try it on a couple of your best customers. Ask their thoughts and really listen – people love giving their opinion and they’ll love you even more for asking.

6.    Have one message
Once you’re clear on your message, use the same words and emotions in your brochures, sales calls, website, etc. Tailor it slightly for each customer – not everyone will have a boat (or a family). Find out what’s important to them and refer back to it from time to time.

7.    Put your customer at the centre of all you do
When you write or produce anything or plan or deliver a presentation, pitch or sales call, make sure your customer is at the heart of it – every time. All you really need to do is think about why your customer is talking to you, reading your materials or visiting your site. What are they hoping is in it for them?

All you have to do to transform your business is to make them feel they’re the most important thing in your world and then deliver your stuff – which of course really is the best in the world.

Kristin Austin is a marketing & communication strategist and trainer who’s been doing the marketing ‘do’ for almost 20 years. She can be found hanging out in social media land – for her clients’ benefit of course when she’s not working on client programs, strategy or writing them content. She also delivers training on social media, blogging, marketing for small business and WIIFM principle writing.

You can follow her @glitteratichic or connect on LinkedIn. If you’re not on social media and still want to connect – she’s happy to talk marketing and business boosting over coffee. For more details visit www.kristinaustin.com