Posts Tagged ‘success’

How do I Stay on Top?

If you want to stay on top – embrace change.

LinkedIN just sent me an email highlighting all of my connections who changed jobs in 2010.  Facebook regularly catalogues the people who have changed their profile picture or status, and my RSS feed only gets updated when my subscriptions change their content.

Here is the common denominator – change.  The only way to stay on top in online media (AND in business) is to change.

Take a look at how you are getting new prospects, examine how you sell each new opportunity, and evaluate the experience that clients get when using your product.

If something could provide a better experience or make you more money, change it.

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them.  For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars.

Guilty Pleasure

“The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of the river without feeling guilty about it.” – Author Unknown

Most people provide the following 3 words when I ask them to tell me what’s important in their lives – faith, family and friends.

Unfortunately, their calendar and pocketbook don’t refelct these same values.

How about you?

CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them.  For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars.

An off topic email about football, with an important lesson (promise)

By: Scott Manning

You ever wonder why some teams are pretty much always good, or at least always ‘in the hunt’.  Sadly, perhaps, I think a lot about this.  And I’ve got answers.

I’ve narrowed it down to THREE, count them, 1, 2, 3, major reasons why this is the case.  And it just so happens if you apply these principles in your business, and especially focus on them now in the New Year, you’ll find the same consistent success they have.

So, here you go…

1.  They PLAY/COACH to Win.  All the time.  There’s no ‘down-time’, or ‘take-it-easy’ plays, quarters, or games.  They are in competition with themselves as much as the other team.  So they drive hard and fast even when it’s not necessary.

If there is one thing that I see more Entrepreneurs fail or simply never win in their businesses, it’s because of this reason right here.  They play as if they are trying not to lose, instead of going full out, all in, and marketing, selling, running, etc their business to win and succeed.

For example, just the other day someone said to me when asked about what marketing they were doing, “I’m just waiting to see how people respond and what the word-of-mouth will do before I put money into other marketing.”  And of course, you know me, I HATE when people say ‘word-of-mouth’.  I say to myself words I can not repeat in this [blog].

Play to win or sit in the bleachers.

2.  They ADJUST immediately and ADAPT fast.  To save you examples, this means that when something doesn’t work they do something different, they don’t think about it, wait on it, dwell for weeks, or even plays, they just adjust.  In fact the best teams are looking for ways to adjust to improve effectiveness all the time.

We might call this, “testing” in marketing and sales.  Also, it’s making decisions quickly, having back-up plans, and staying the course with adjustments on the move versus pausing, delaying, or taking a break to figure something out.  No time, not for winners, movers, shakers, and money makers.

And, by the way, this means you have to expect to change, adapt, and adjust.  No one gets it perfect and pretending that’s what you want or expect is simply amateur and immature.

Be ready to create change, make adjustments, and keep on marketing.  The faster you do all of this, the faster you get to the results you want and system you can repeat and rely on.

3.  This one is hard to explain so you’ll have to try a little harder here.  What I notice about the ‘winning teams’ is that the Coaches and Players are like one.  They understand each other.  They don’t overpower each other, they have balance.  They work together.  They apply the first 2 rules as a unit.  It’s more of an entrepreneurial situation.

Other teams it’s quite obvious the coaches are more ‘executive’ like, not seemingly ‘in the trenches’ as the Players.

Coaches that were fired this year, in my opinion, fell victim to this rule.  And it’s why they didn’t and don’t cohesively win.

About you, well good news, You’re the Coach and the Players, even if you have employees, you’re still a player in one form or another.  Certainly if you’re solo-entrepreneur you are.

Either way, you must learn this balance of being entrepreneurial while being a leader, a coach.  You are ‘in the trenches’ because that’s where the action is.  Embrace it, enjoy it, profit from it.

Scott Manning, MBA, is a Certified No B.S. Business Advisor, who teaches Dan Kennedy’s secrets of marketing success.  To learn the single most secretive and empowering success strategy where you can literally, just show up, and make money, click http://www.NoBSIndy.com/chaptermeeting, and register for his next event.

Tune Your Brain to Success

I finally watched Inception – the 2010 blockbuster film that Leonardo DiCaprio starred in.  I liked it.  The special effects reminded me of The Matrix, and the heady plot tickled my nerdy brain.

If you haven’t seen it, the movie is basically about a group of “scientists” who enter people’s dreams to steal and implant ideas into their heads.

During the first 1/3 of the movie, the characters mention that the subconscious is what controls us, and is stronger than our conscious mind.

I think about this truth every morning while I get ready for work.  What we see, hear, and experience is imprinted into our subconscious, which eventually comes to the surface as the new realities that we create.  Long story short, what you put in comes out.

That’s why I stopped listening to rap music (as often) in the morning.  All of the talk about killing people, having illicit sex, and cursing, started to get into my psyche.  Someone would cut me off in the McDonalds line on Saturday morning, and I would begin to pull my “gat” out to bust a “cap”, and then would quickly remember that I am not gangsta.

What I started listening to instead were auto-suggestion tracks; which are positive affirmation statements set to music.  The one I have been listening to lately is Today is the Day, by Bryan Meyers and Tony Scelzo. This is the hippest auto-suggestion track that I have found that tells me that I am going to be “successful” and “conquer my day”, over and over again.

If you truly want to tune your mind for success, I would start my training your subconscious by listening to auto-suggestion audio at least once a day.  With time, you will begin to notice that the positive affirmations will automatically come into your conscious mind throughout the day.

Your brain will appreciate it.  The encouraging thoughts will be a nice change from the gangsta stuff that’s usually there.

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them.  For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://goreachmore.com/blog.

Langham’s Life Lessons

This year, I was accepted into the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series.  This program is designed to educate our community leaders on how to have a greater long-term impact on the future of Indianapolis.

As a result of my involvement in this exclusive program, I gain access to some of our city’s great business and civic leaders.  One of those leaders is Cathy Langham, President of Langham Logistics, a member of multiple for-profit boards, and a key member of the committee that petitioned the NFL to bring the Super Bowl to Indianapolis.

Cathy sent me a letter a couple of months ago, that included 14 choices that can help me move toward the life I want.  I was so honored to receive these from an uber-successful business and civic leader, that I thought I would share them with my reading audience:
1.    Get your inner game tuned up – become an expert in your industry.
2.    Get out of your own head, and help somebody!
3.    Get connected in the community and give back
4.    Step up accountability
5.    Have fun!!
6.    Slow down to speed up.
7.    Call 5 people per day and let them know you appreciate them
8.    Surround yourself with people that give you energy, and don’t spend time with the folks who don’t!
9.    If you want something and don’t know how to get there (relationship, money, business, etc) model someone who is already there.
10.    Find a mentor (but don’t tell them they are one!)
11.    Quit swearing (her 10 year olds suggestion)
12.    What is the one goal that makes your palms sweat?  Do 3 things to work toward it every day.
13.    Do something extraordinary for someone each day.
14.    Choose language that inspires and empowers you.

The final note from Cathy read, “Believe that you are worthy of the space you occupy on the planet.  You demonstrate this by insisting that every last one of your choices – from the food you put in your mouth, to the commitments that you put on your calendar – moves you toward the life you want.”

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them.  For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://blog.goreachmore.com.

Authentic Accountability Grows Business

During our 7 Tips Seminars, we ask the participants why they decided to get into business for themselves.  Most of them respond that they wanted freedom and they were more talented than their leaders.

As a result of their desire for freedom and autonomy, we have a group of entitled know-it-all small business owners who don’t want to be managed.  If you’re offended right now it’s okay.  You are one of them, and so am I.

To keep small business owners on the right track, we still need leadership in order to “right” the performance of business in the marketplace.  If every business owner was just doing their own thing with no system of checks-and-balances, small business would no longer be the spine of a healthy economy.

Some of the systems of check-and-balance are customer satisfaction scores and repeat buyers.  Sometimes a check-and-balance will come from a mastermind group or a business coach.

What business owners really need to do is give each other authentic feedback about how they’re running their business.

A new referral partner of mine came to my referral team meeting last month.  After the meeting, I asked him what he thought of the meeting.  He said that it was run well, but he was disappointed that there weren’t more people there.

At first I was offended.  How dare he come into my team, which is one of the best in the association, and tell me that we weren’t up to snuff!  But, he was right.  We were slipping, and it took an authentic outside perspective to shine a light on where we needed to grow.

Help the small business community get stronger by giving authentic feedback to your colleagues.  Tell them where they’re falling short, and where they’re shining through.

They need it, and you need it too.


Jamar Cobb-Dennard
is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them.  For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://blog.goreachmore.com.

“Be Love” to Captivate People

We buried my Great-Grand Aunt Mae Mae last Thursday, and at the funeral of this 91 year old woman I saw something amazing…  The church was completely packed!

I don’t know if you have ever been to a funeral for someone over 90 years old, but there typically aren’t that many people there.  Most of that person’s friends and extended family members have passed away, and all who are left are close family members and a few scattered community members.

This wasn’t the case for Aunt Mae Mae.  Every single seat was taken, the balcony was full, and there were over 15 personal tributes spoken for my Aunt’s life.  Most of those tributes mentioned something of her ability to love wholly, unconditionally, and without respect of person.  She had over 60 kids, grandkids, great grand kids, and great-great grand kids, and a handful of others who considered her their “adopted” mother.  Not only were those family members at the funeral, but also the friends of those family members who may have not even met my Aunt.  People who didn’t even know Aunt Mae Mae were recipients of her love through those that surrounded her.

That is a powerful love; a love that is so deep and stretches so wide that it impacts an entire community for generations.

Aunt Mae Mae did not just love.  Nor was she just a caring soul.  Aunt Mae Mae was love.  Love permeated and drove every decision and interaction she had with people.

I learned the power of being love last Thursday.  Love is what draws people, influences them, and holds them close to you for a life time.  Be love and emote that energy to your family, to your employees, and to every stranger you meet.  You will see a magnificent difference in how your life’s dreams manifest themselves.

Be love.

Thank you for the lesson, Aunt Mae Mae.  I love and miss you.

Jamar Cobb-Dennard

Feedback

About 1 year after I began coaching business owners I started sending out a customer satisfaction survey asking my clients how I was doing.

The first few response were great.  I had responses like, “For the first time in my life I have a clear direction for my business” and “one of the best investments I have made as a business owner”.  I felt great!

Then it happened.

I was sitting in my office and heard the familiar hum of the fax machine indicating that a message was on the way.  I looked over and noticed that it was coming from a current client who had recently received the customer satisfaction survey.  I was seconds away from reading another glowing testimonial about how my coaching had transformed another business owner.

Unfortunately, that’s not what I read.

Instead, this feedback form was filled with comments like “this isn’t what I expected” and “I am receiving very little value from this program”.

My heart sank.  I literally felt like I was going to cry.

But guess what?  I am a much better coach today because of feedback from that very honest business owner (who remained my client for more than 3 years).

There is no better teacher than a very honest assessment of your performance.

I realize that sometimes the feedback might be negative.  That’s OK.  This feedback is by far the most valuable of all.


CJ McClanahan
is the Founder of reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives.  Email CJ at cjm@goreachmore.com for the latest on reachmore’s revolutionary executive coaching program, Summit.

Practice, Practice, Practice

A few weeks ago I completed one of the best books I have read this year called “Talent is Overrated” by Geoff Colvin.

Colvin argues (persuasively, I might add) that the difference between the remarkable achievers in the world and everyone else comes down to one thing – practice.

If you want to be the great musician you need to practice several hours a day seven days a week.  You want to be the next Tiger Woods (let’s focus on his record in golf, not with the ladies)? It would be helpful for you to have a dad who is an actual drill sergeant start you playing the game when you are 2 years old.

That got me thinking – how does this apply to my work with executives and business owners?

There are a handful of behaviors that will almost always lead to success in business.  They include – always exceeding expectations, making more prospecting calls, setting clear expectations for your staff, etc.  Unfortunately, most of the clients and prospects I work with always want to focus on something new instead of mastering any of the fundamentals.

For example, I have met tons of salespeople who are in a non-stop quest for a “silver bullet” lead generation strategy that will allow them to eliminate prospecting from their daily schedule. Guess what?  It doesn’t exist. If you want to increase your sales you have to prospect – period.

Steven Covey has a great quote – “To know and not to do is really not to know.” In other words, just because you understand the basics for improving your business it doesn’t mean a thing unless you implement these simple tactics.

Before you make an investment in a new marketing, operations or leadership strategy ask yourself the following question – “How am I doing with the basics?”  Maybe it’s time for you to practice, practice, practice.

CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives.  Email CJ at cjm@goreachmore.com for the latest on reachmore’s revolutionary executive coaching program, Summit.

Are You Open for Business?

You know what really grinds my gears?  A business that supposedly wants to grow and get new clients, but is never “open for business”!

I have been searching for a downtown loft.  Last Friday, I ended my workday 2 hours early, so I could view apartments while the leasing offices were still open.  To my dismay, 3 out of the 4 places I went to had no one attending their offices! I went back to my first stop, and a leasing agent finally came back to greet me.  I called the numbers on the door of another building, only to get two disconnected numbers, and left a voice message on the third, which has yet to be returned.

Here is a second example.  We sell business coaching to business owners of companies with an average of 1-5 employees.  Most of the time, the business owner of a company that size is the point-person for business development.  It amazes me how many times I have to call a client before they pick up the phone.  They have no clue who I am (I typically don’t leave messages), so one would think, “Hey, if I want more business, I should probably pick up the phone – this could be a prospective client calling!”

How easy do you make it for clients to contact and initiate the sales process with you?

Do they have to figure out, work, and guess at how to buy from you?

Are you available and quickly respond to office phone calls, cell phone calls, email, web inquiries, twitter, facebook, tungle?  If you don’t have the capacity to instantly respond to each of these methods of engaging you as a provider (or at BARE minimum, give them a same day response), then you need to create a new system to do so; immediately.

If you don’t, your business stands no chance of ever running without you.

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them.  For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://blog.goreachmore.com.