Are You a Turtle?

TURTLE  an order of reptiles that have a shell of bony plates usually covered with horny shields enclosing the trunk and into which the head, limbs, and tail usually may be withdrawn. The move at a slow, timid pace and are very rarely aggressive.

Does this describe you? Are you a turtle? Do you tend to be meek and timid? Like the turtle, do you pull up inside yourself any time you are challenged?

There is nothing wrong with being cautious, but always avoiding confrontations can hamper your success, both in business and life. Sticking your neck out, just a little, allows you to determine the facts so you can act accordingly. Hiding from reality, retreating any time your comfort zone is nudged only yields missed opportunities. The world is full of all kinds of adventures, information, and opportunity. If you are always hiding inside your shell you are guaranteed to miss out.

It may take some time and patience, as well as practice, to become more daring. Try a little at a time. At a mixer or party talk to the person alone in the corner; they are just as apprehensive as you are. See, you already have something in common. Remember, you are both at the same event so that is something else you have in common.

When all else fails, just ask yourself, “What is the worst possibly thing that can happen if I take this action? The consequences are probably tolerable so you might as well move ahead. You will probably find that reaching out is not that freaky, and can be very rewarding.

Marketing in Tough Times

Are you sitting in your store or office wondering where all the customers/clients went? In normal times we typically lose about 10% of our customers in any given year to competition, their changing needs, or other mysterious reasons; but these are not "normal" times. Our lack of customers is just a snapshot of the greater economy. When the economy is struggling you can also expect to be struggling. That is "normal."
During tough times it is imperative that you reach out more, do more to attract business. This also may mean spending money that is scarce. However, DO NOT consider anything that you have to spend on advertising or marketing as an expense. It may affect your cash flow, but it is not an expense, it is an investment in your future success. Without ongoing marketing efforts you can be sure that the 10% client loss will increase substantially.
When available cash for marketing or advertising becomes a challenge it is time to get creative. There are a number of avenues you can take to get your name out there that are free. They make an investment of time, but you have that if your traffic is down.

Take a look at social media, using your computer to reach out, newsletters to keep in touch, surveys to be sure you are offering what your customers want, blogging or article marketing, networking or press releases.
If you need some ideas that match your goals contact me. We never charge for the first hour of consultation and that may be all you need to get headed in the right direction.

Over Networked?

I hate (maybe that’s too strong a word) the first Wednesday of every month. That is the day I am in meetings all day. First at 7am for a lead club, then at 11:30 for a networking group, mid afternoon for an office meeting and 6pm for the Cultural Heritage Board. This whirlwind of activity leaves me exhausted. And am I really sure that these meetings are productive. I am making lots of connections, staying on top of what’s happening in the community and serving the public good, but what am I doing for ME?
Do you have hectic meeting days like this? How do you manage your schedule? Have you done an assessment of the value of all your meetings?
Several years ago my calendar became a red flag, I realized that I wasn’t getting my work done and didn’t know why. I searched my calendar for ways to improve my efficiency and discovered that I was spending an inordinate time in meetings. I quit or cancelled almost everything. My Wednesday morning lead club is important so I keep that one, but all the others had to go. What an amazing feeling when I lifted all that weight off my shoulders.
The same survey should be done of all your online networking. Are you spending too much valuable time on Facbook, Twitter, Linkedin and other sites at the expense of efficiency? Are you using these sites to avoid your real priorities? A serious evaluation of your time management may be in order to get you back on the top of your game. What do you think??