If you answered yes, let me first congratulate you. A decision is a goal that has been made. Next, let me ask you what clear action steps are you
 taking right now to get your goal?

I am sure you have heard the old adage attributed to Albert Einstein: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Now is the time to take new, innovative, and consistent action in order to attract new leads, clients and revenue.

If you are like many small business owners, you are looking to upgrade your sales and marketing efforts, but you are not sure what to do or how to start. Often other more immediate things get in the way and your good intentions never come to fruition.

I am sure you have lots of great reasons for not getting to your sales and marketing, including your social media activities. The truth is, however, without consistent action over time, whatever you do in any of these areas will not grow your business in any significant way.

I understand. I know it can be frustrating.

That is why I am determined to do everything I can to provide affordable and practical business development programs that will quickly and easily grow your business, including an easy solution that will provide a strong boost for your business and give you a solid foundation from which to grow and flourish.

To find out more, just go here. This is a brand new offering that I have designed with two goals in mind: quick results and making the most of your valuable time. This four week program starts this Monday, so you need to move quickly.

P.S. There is a bonus at the bottom of the page that is invaluable and worth three times the cost of the program—if you register in the next two days. Visit http://www.attractclientswithease.com/bbintensive.htm now.

I was speaking today with the head of a communications firm who has been growing her business every year for the past several years and now her revenue has plummeted. Here is why: all her clients were in the real estate development industry: that industry that has also plummeted. The question is clear- I ask it of you: Are you serving only one industry?  Is that industry suffering? Is it time to diversify your client portfolio?

I do agree with the idea of going deep in a niche, or becoming a big expert in a small pond. However, perhaps it is time to rethink the basic premise of creating a niche and instead ask if it is time to start a second niche or a second specialty. For example, if your firm provides high- end catering perhaps it is time to build a box lunch business, if your firm specializes in professional organizing for people working from home, perhaps it is time to add professional organizing for small offices.

Here is one of my big secrets- I have 3 business cards- the business is the same, business coaching, consulting and speaking, however the niches are different. It may be time for you to get a second or third card. Is it more work? Yes. Does it cost more to market to two niches? Yes.  Is it more profitable? Absolutely, and more importantly, it makes your business less vulnerable. Our world is changing ever faster, business is changing ever faster. One of the ways to ensure your business remains stable is to diversify. Let me know your thoughts.

Okay – well what about a blog site? That would be your second site. Think of the Internet as a Monopoly game board. Just like with the board game, you want to own as many places a possible- the more real estate the better: it is the same with the Internet. 

DO NOT eliminate your content rich site. Sure, add squeeze pages or landing pages for specific purposes when you have an Internet campaign to support the sales from those sites.

There is a lot to do on the web and a lot of exciting ways to do it. If you have a service-based business that takes place in the real world, start with a value-based website and build from there.

What I have come to realize is that one of the best things you can do for your business is simple, yet significant and can be easy or incredibly hard.

This “it” factor is cultivating a highly effective implementation team. These are the people that help you complete the to dos on your list- everything from your billing, database management, and auto-responders to your sales generation and service delivery.

I am not talking about employees, or your virtual or executive assistant I am talking about people that sign on to and are committed to you- your success and the fulfillment of your mission.

Through much trial and error, a lot of misses, and a lot of money I might as well have burned in the fireplace and roasted a marshmallows over, for all the good the expenditure did me, I can finally say I have an awesome and highly effective implementation team. I want to share with you a few of the key qualities I have found in formulating a criteria to get great results for my business and many of my clients businesses.

1. Look for someone with a positive disposition. Positive people keep you positive and more importantly they give you vitality- that keeps your business vital.

2. Become the client of an entrepreneur. Rather than working with someone who considers himself or herself an independent contractor or an employee, an entrepreneurial attitude is worth its weight in gold to your business.

3. Professionalism. If it is not there you will spot it fast and in most cases. It cannot be taught because professionalism is a value as much as a skill. Professionalism is made up of genuine caring, kindness, courtesy, consideration, and integrity.

4. Integrity deserves it’s own mention. If you do not implicitly trust whomever you are working closely with, stop working closely with them.

5. A willingness to learn. I have found that someone who meets the other criteria but lacks certain skills can still be a huge asset to an organization if they are willing to learn. Be willing to invest in them.

If you are looking for the right webmaster, database manager, graphic designer, virtual assistant or PR professional, use these criteria to find someone you can build a long-term relationship with and make them a member of your highly effective implementation team.

If you need a referral for anything–ask me. I have used these criteria to assemble a team strategic alliance partners I am so proud of. Use these criteria, and soon you will be saying the same thing with a smile.

Most groups these days do not have a requirement that you bring a lead for someone to the meetings. However, the more you look out for the other members of the group, the more they are likely to give you referrrals to people in their lives.

To find groups in your area just do a Google search
networking+(your geographic area)+ 2009

I am sure you will get lots of search results.

Otherwise start your own group. I have a innovative strategy to make this a business breakthrough strategy. I call it a Circle of Eight. Check out this concept here.

Please post a comment once you try this free networking opportunity. I would love to hear how this works for you.

For a free special report on twenty proven strategies to grow your business with ease, go here and sign up.

I love the new year! I love resolutions, and I love the optimism and possibility thinking that goes along with them. I have seen many times that they can work and believe in making them. Just like in your personal life you probably have some ideas for what you want to be different this year in your business.

As you make resolutions and do your business planning for this year, apply these principles to ensure that your business is more solid, more prosperous and running smoother this time next year.

Know The Truth
Often times business owners make plans and set goals before they have sat down and taken a good look at the truth of what really happened in their business for the proceeding year. Do you know your cost of goods sold or how many marketing dollars it takes to acquire a new client? Can you say what percentage of your business is repeat business? Are you aware of what percentage of your revenue was generated by which products or services? These are just a few of the many questions to answer to better formulate your goals and plans for this year.

Be Optimistic
If you are a positive person, an optimist, you might even be avoiding planning right now because you do not want to set any goals because of you is afraid you might not achieve them due to the current economic reality. Plan and set goals anyway.

Attitude matters a great deal in business. Everyday, make sure you and everyone you work with has a positive disposition. It will result in more productivity and a better business experience. Hold the intention to be positive in the running of your business. You will feel better and have more fun.

Cultivate a Team of Super Stars
To truly have a business breakthrough, most businesses would benefit from focusing on this area. Are you happy with your webmaster, your accountant, your strategic alliance partners, your business coach or consultant? Can you say that they are doing a great job for you? If you are not thrilled with everyone that helps you meet your business objectives, then make a change. Finding good people who are experts at what they do, who do their work with a positive attitude and who genuinely care that you are successful, are the kinds of people you want on your success team. Do not settle for less because you are too busy to find someone better. It will be worth you’re the investment of your time and attention.

Thinking and Planning
Taking time for thinking and planning is key to moving your business forward. Thinking and planning should be a daily success practice: something you do everyday to have a productive day today, while also moving you toward your longer-term goals. Find your optimal time for thinking and planning. Both the beginning and the end of the day work great. Choose one and stick with it.

Review Regularly
When I ask a client what there goal is for an area of their business – sales, new clients, new products – and they have to find their goal sheet or file before they can answer my question, I know they are nowhere near their goal even before they respond. I have seen this hundreds of times. You want to review your mission/objectives/goals and plans at least daily – twice a day is better. The more your goals are in your head as well as on paper, the more momentum, focus and great ideas will flow to support you in getting where you want to go.

Minimize The Grabbing The Shiny Objects
One thing that happens when you are a successful business owner is that everybody wants to partner with you, offer you a business opportunity, share their latest venture with you and get you somehow involved.

Even though sometimes you might say “yes,” learn to say “no.” Remain focused on what you have set out to do. These exciting opportunities can be considered if they are in alignment with your mission, vision and goals. You have to be diligent in determining if an opportunity is something that will help your move forward or if it is something that is clearly a distraction.

Follow The Energy
Everything you do takes not only time, it also take physical energy, and mental brainpower and focus. The more things on your plate, the more mentally scattered you could feel. That’s why too many things on your plate can be a deterrent to your business success.

The other thing about energy is that you want to pay attention to what in your business draws you. What you go to first, what you do with enthusiasm and what feels like a struggle or hard work.

Energy is a great assessment tool. Use it to determine the truth about where you should put your energy in your business and where you should take your energy and attention off to maximize your effectiveness.

Stay the Course
One of the great things about having your own business is that you can change something in your business in an instant. You can add or subtract a new product or service rather quickly.

This can sometimes be a big mistake. If you try something once and it is not a huge success, do not scrap it. Instead upgrade it from what you learned the first time and try it a couple more times to get a true read if it is right for your business. What have you done in the past that deserves another shot?

The Old Adage Still Applies
There is a lot of talk about work less – make more, and ways to build a profitable business in only a few hours a week.
I love the concepts and principles and they are worth exploring and applying to your business as appropriate.

The old adage that there is no substitute for hard work still applies. Hard work still works. You do have to show up most of the time to accomplish what you want in your business. Hopefully, you love your work so much that there are times it feels more like a privilege then work. This is the place you want to get to. I mean, really how long can you lay on the beach with an umbrella beverage before it feels boring? I give it a week –maybe 10 days.

Apply the principles outlined above and you will find that this time next year you are happier, wealthier and ready for your next resolution.

There are some key and fundamental business practices that are rather boring, that you must embrace in your business to reap the rich rewards that come with building a profitable and sustainable business.

#1 Evaluate The Numbers
Do you know how much revenue each of your products and services generated this year and the last? Do you know what your average earnings was per client? Do you know where most of your business came from? How about how much it cost you to close a new client? What percentage of your business is from repeat clients?

There is no place where the saying “information is power” is more applicable then in your business. Answer the above questions and use this information to determine if you should continue to offer all your existing products and services. Use this info to reduce the cost of adding new clients and to increase the amount of money each customer spends with you, and of course to increase your repeat business.

#2 Learn the Difference Between Now Money Now
and More Money Later and Develop Both
This is another one of my favorite business building concepts. Now money now is when you provide a service and get paid for that service right away. More money later is when you invest time now in developing a product or service that will pay you much more in the future for the time you are investing now, like when you write a book, or write a training program or a software program. A sustainable business needs both now money now and more money later.

In a service-based business you are trading your time and expertise for money. You want to make sure that you have other ways of generating revenue that do not involve to much of your time. With each passing year you are in business you want to increase the products or services you offer that do not involve your time. This is another key factor in building a sustainable business.

By the way this is something we cover extensively in the Business Breakthrough Program.

#3 Create an Additional Revenue Source
As you evaluate the numbers also assess what else your company can offer in the way of products or services. Determine if there are other needs your clients have that you can provide. The more ways your company has to generate revenue the more sustainable and profitable and secure your firm will be. For example if you provide image services, also consider providing company training, webinars, information products perhaps a line of accessories or even top notch briefcases for your executive clients. These ideas may or may not be right for you still you need to come up with more than 1, 2, or 3 ways to generate revenue for your company.

Again we cover shine the spotlight on this in the Business Breakthrough Program.

#4 Get Credit, Increase Your Credit
A business needs credit. Cashflow is key to fulfilling your marketing and business plan and ensuring delivery of your products and services. Too many times I have seen business owners embarrassed and paralyzed because they can not pay their bills while waiting for their clients to pay them. Also your business will be severely limited if everything has to be paid for with cash on hand all the time. Consider that most businesses have high and low revenue producing periods throughout the year and at these times you still have to keep things moving.

A lack of credit indicates a lack of professionalism and business acumen. If you need to start at getting your credit score in order do it. Then start with the largest line of credit you can get. Then use it and each year focus on increasing it. One client recently got her first line of credit for $1000.00. I told her that was fantastic- you start where you are and increase your credit line as you can. Do not over look this important business fundamental strategy.

#5 Use Value-Based Marketing
Today’s marketplace is crowded and today’s potential clients are bombarded with marketing and advertising messages at unprecedented numbers. To make your marketing messages stick and actually be welcomed you have to always be providing value through your marketing while establishing yourself as an expert. A few of my favorite value-based marketing methods are speaking, teleclasses, articles and webinars.  For more on value based marketing read The Expert Advantage – How to be Recognized as an Expert in Your Field.

By the way we cover value-based marketing extensively in the Business Breakthrough Program.

#6 Put Together a Marketing Plan, Calendar and Team
If you have been around me for a while you have heard me say it a thousand times – consistency over time creates results. If your marketing plan lacks consistency it will be ineffective. That is why your marketing calendar for what you are going to do when for the next 12-18 month is key to your success.

By the way, make sure your value-based marketing plan has variety. You should be doing at least three things consistently, plus some things added in as you can. For example, you could write your blog every week, send out a value-based email with an offer twice a month and write an article once a month for a newspaper or magazine. Then you could speak to groups of your potential clients occasionally, and do radio interviews occasionally and send out a value-based direct mail piece quarterly.

Once you have your activities, decide when you are going to do what, what needs to happen beforehand and who is responsible for what to fulfill your calendar. Again, this is not innovative stuff, and it is what works effectively to attract clients.

#7 Put Together Your Daily/Weekly Productivity Plan
Now here is a concept that any success expert since the beginning of time will tell you is a must for your business – and it’s something you know. Yet, are you doing it?  You significantly increase your productivity when you have a routine.

Decide when are you seeing clients, when are you focused on marketing, when are you focused on sales, when are you doing your business planning, when are you taking some time off?  Yes, I know that you will not always be able to stick to your plan, yet not having one at all will result in your business running you – not you running your business. You will be reactive to the challenges du jour, rather than being pro-active and moving your priorities forward.

Okay! There they are – your boring business ideas that will reap you exciting business benefits in 2009. Get busy!  There is not time to waste.

Click here to get an automatic feed.

If you are in a personal service business, life coach, image consultant, or professional organizer, it is a lot less likely to be an effective strategy.  The whole idea of value-based marketing, which is one of the principles I teach in my Business Breakthrough Program, is that you give people value of some kind first before you ask them to be a client. I think you will find that far more effective than cold calling for personal services.Consider whoever you would cold call and instead invite them to a live workshop, special event or a free teleseminar; that way they will have a personal experience of you and be ready to sign up by the end of the event.

Let me make an important distinction here. Cold calling is selling not marketing, and you want to have provided some value to your prospects before you try to sell them. Remember that potential clients sometimes need up to as many as 11 contacts with you and your firm before they are ready to buy.

If you feel you have no choice but to cold call, you are failing at your value-based marketing. Begin by building up your value-based marketing strategies and then go to your warm leads, focus on creating more warm leads and you will never have to pick up that icy phone.

Here it is- you can not get by on marketing alone, you have to sell more than you have been doing in the past and probably more than you are used to.

Your Fortune Is In Your Follow Up

If you are an entrepreneur on top of your marketing, you have a great website with valuable content that you keep updated, you regularly get out your newsletters and you love to go networking and connect with people face to face. Recognize these are all great marketing activities and they are not sales.

To have a successful, profitable and sustainable business, you must recognize that there is a huge difference between sales and marketing—and right now is the time to increase your attention on selling.

Know The Difference

Marketing activities are those things that you do to get the word out, create exposure, introduce your product or service to people. Sending out an email announcement, sending out postcards about a special offer, participating in a trade show or advertising are all marketing activities.

When you follow up with a phone call and ask someone if they saw this month’s special you sent out and would they like to take advantage of this great offer- now that is selling. When you ask someone at an event if they have heard about your company-that is marketing, if you ask them if they would like to hear more about what your company can do for them and you sit down with them to have an conversation about how you can help them now that is selling.

Selling is asking for the appointment, the order, or the contract. Marketing are all those activities you do to find people or companies to sell to. Make sure you understand the distinction. Marketing activities are a lot easier and sometimes a lot more fun like when you go out networking and meet so many fabulous people.

I encourage you to evaluate if you are doing more sales or more marketing these days and I want to you to check in with yourself and ask you if you are mostly marketing. While marketing is great and sometimes you can get clients and sales from just sending out emails, you can significantly increase your sales if you start picking up the phone and asking for the business. Up your sales activities this week and let me know how it goes.