It’s been a while since we’ve discussed one of the very foundational ideals here at MJTVgirl….your Ideal Client.
I have recently had the difficult experience of dealing with several people who are very knowledgeable in their business or trade with one small problem: they don’t know who they are. Why is that important, you say? Well, other than feeling completely lost, I imagine, that means they don’t truly know why they do what they do. That’s a big problem.
So – how does that connect to understanding who your “Ideal Client” is? It goes a little something like this: when you know who you are, you find it easier to see and understand what you have to give — and what you want to give. You also know what will work for you and what won’t work for you. Those important things get nailed down and all of a sudden its MUCH easier to see what you will DO and who you will do it for.
For example, our marketing firm Client Cycle Marketing offers marketing consultation. We have a program, we teach. We’ve built that program on a combination of who we are, why we do what we do and who we best serve with that information. There are certain kinds of clients who are generally successful — and certain kinds who are not. This is not a judgement in anyway — it’s just a truism. Some people respond better to certain types of stimuli — I work best with trainers who are engaged, supportive and generally curious about my goals. I do not work well with bullies. See? I know myself — and it works the same with you.
Who is your ideal client? Who is engaged and inspired by what you have to say or do? Who is not? Understanding these subtleties will help you build a practice full of clients who re-hire you again and again, rather than a bunch of clients who may work with you once and then you never hear from again. Which do you want?
[New Video] The Key to Saving Money on Marketing (hint: Always Be Ideal-Client Focused)
August 13, 2012
Strategy. It’s kind of a buzzword when we discuss effective marketing. That’s because the only TRUE way to be effective and efficient (i.e. save money) is to be laser-focused on your Ideal Client.
Don’t know who that is? Watch today’s video and think about this checklist:
1. Who needs what you have so much they will pay anything to get it?
2. AND who loves what you do?
3. AND who do you enjoy working with?
If they pass all three tests, you have yourself an IDEAL CLIENT.
5 Top Tips to Build Your Business…With Intuition
May 8, 2012
Under the heading of, “The Business of Is-ness” series – I want to give a shout out to developing your intuitive sense.
Since most of us are taught to develop our brains, there are a considerable number of us who may think that the left – or logical – brain is the only way we can get “smarter.” Untrue, my dear. Untrue.
We are all born with intuition. (true) We can all expand on that natural ability. (right again) ….really? For my business? (absolutely!)
To some. “business intuition” sounds a contradiction in terms – until you consider that business is about solving problems for people and intuition is an internal antenna, known as the quiet voice of inner wisdom, for truthful answers. It’s potentially the most important club in the bag.
1. How’s my business doing? Your intuition knows… By tuning in to your intuition, you know when you’re on track with what you’re doing and what your business is doing. It’s internal validation. If you feel a strong sense about your direction, regardless of outside evidence seemingly telling you otherwise, you need to follow that intuition and stay the course.
2. Intuition can help you set a strategic direction that is in alignment with a or your greater truth. One of the most discussed elements of business communication these days is “authenticity.” What you are doing is resonating with who you are – and with your internal belief system. A direction that is guided using this internal GPS will “ring true” to others and those who also align themselves with “why you do what you do” will follow you to the ends of the earth.
3. Your intuition serves as a roadmap of key decisions – pointing to success. We all make hundreds of decisions each day – who can keep track? Your intuition, that’s who. When you set that point as a guiding light, then all those hundreds of decisions will work together toward your goal – even if it doesn’t make very much sense to others. Follow your own map – and remember those who have also done this regardless of the chorus of voices telling them they couldn’t succeed. Keep them in your heart.
4. I think the most important function of your intuition is letting it determine who you partner with and what projects to take on – and which ones to leave behind. When you allow your “inner knowing” determine the “right” relationship matches for your business, whether business partners, associates, new hires, vendors, or whatever the possible association, you will never go wrong. How many times have you said, “I knew she was going to be a bad fit, but I thought because she had the credentials……” You DO KNOW. Trust it. By listening to your intuition, you will be able to determine who is, or is not, a good fit for working with you and/or your business.
5. Your intuitive sense is your biggest cheerleader and friend. As an internal monitor, your intuition supports you in doing more of what works and less of what doesn’t. Time is the only true currency we have, and it is vital to keep focus, minimize or eliminate distractions, and continue forward momentum. Your intuition will help guide your energy and time management effectively.
By understanding the power of your personal intuition, you have the ability to be your own best resource of information regardless of external circumstances.
P.S. This is NOT for women only. Some of the most intuitively-focused people are men. I believe Steve Jobs also worked this way – and that worked out pretty well for him.
by Dorie Clark
What’s the best productivity tool you’re not taking advantage of? Evernote? MeetingWizard? Dropbox? Think again. Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile says it’s journaling. In her new book The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work (co-authored with Steven Kramer), Amabile argues that keeping a journal is one of the best strategies for learning about yourself and improving your professional performance over time.
“One of the big reasons to keep a diary is to record small wins that otherwise might slip through your memory,” she says. “You can leverage the progress principle and allow yourself to get that boost from realizing you are making progress. And it’s also helpful to record major setbacks – or minor ones that recur – so you can think about how to get rid of inhibitors blocking your progress.” Here are four tips from Amabile on how to start improving your productivity today.
Start Small. Keeping a journal – fortunately – isn’t like starting a blog, where you face public humiliation if you slack off. You can try out journaling for a set period of time – Amabile suggests a month – to see if you like it and find it helpful. And don’t set yourself up for failure by chaining yourself to your desk interminably. “It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Write for five or ten minutes a day,” says Amabile, who is also Director of Research at Harvard Business School. “You can focus on one particular project or issue you’re dealing with, and use it to help clear your mind.”
Create a Ritual. When you’re tired after a long day, journaling might seem like the last thing you want to do. That’s why Amabile suggests leveraging the power of habit to help you keep your commitment. “Try to do it at the same time each day, when you’re not likely to be interrupted,” she advises. Whether it’s before work with your morning coffee, on your lunch break, or just before bed, find the time that works for you. The format (electronic or paper) doesn’t matter, says Amabile: focus on consistency.
Don’t Overlook the Positive. It’s easy to use a journal as a venting tool – and that can be useful at times. “But even if the day was frustrating or difficult, try to pull out at least one positive thing,” says Amabile. “Then you can write about the difficult things, as well.” Remembering something good – even if it seems small – can help you shift your perspective and break out of a rut.
Review the Past. Simply writing down your experiences can be cathartic. But, says Amabile, “it multiplies in utility if you use it to review your personal history. You can find insights or pieces of ideas beginning to emerge that you might not have realized if you look back a week, a month, or a year ago.” That was certainly the case for Charles Darwin, who – as profiled in Steven Johnson’s Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation– developed a “slow hunch” that built over time and turned into his theory of evolution.
If you want to improve your performance and productivity, sometimes the simplest solution is also the best. “A journal can help you learn things about yourself, and help you see patterns in your own reactions and behaviors,” says Amabile. “That can help you identify your greatest strengths – and weaknesses you might want to work on.” You can hear Amabile speak about journaling at Behance’s upcoming 99% conference, which – per Thomas Edison – honors the “99% perspiration” that makes innovation possible. (You can read my interview with fellow 99% conference speaker Jonah Lehrer on “How to Stay Creative at Any Age”.)
Have you tried journaling? What are your strategies for monitoring and improving your performance?
Dorie Clark is CEO of Clark Strategic Communications and the author of the forthcoming Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012). She is a strategy consultant who has worked with clients including Google, Yale University, and the Ford Foundation. Listen to her podcasts or follow her on Twitter.
Article: 15 Things Happy People Do Differently
April 26, 2012
I re-print this great post from the purposefairy.com. LOVE THIS.
What is the difference between happy people and unhappy people? Of course, it may be very obvious, happy people are happy while unhappy people are unhappy, right? Well, that is correct, but we want to know what are the things that these people do differently and that is why, I have put together a list of things that HAPPY people do differently than UNHAPPY people.
1. LOVE vs. FEAR. Well, I can tell you for sure that those people who are really happy, FEAR less and LOVE a lot more. They see each moment, each challenge, each person as an opportunity to discover more about themselves and the world around them.
2. ACCEPTANCE vs. RESISTANCE. Happy people understand that you can’t really change a situation by resisting it,but you can definitely change it by accepting that it is there and by understanding that there might be a reason for its existence. When something unpleasant happens to them, they don’t try to fight it, knowing that this will make the situation even worse, but rather, they ask themselves questions like: What can I learn from this? How can I make this better? and they go from there, focusing on the positive rather than on the negative. They always seem to see the glass half full no matter what happens to them.
3. FORGIVENESS vs. UNFORGIVENESS. Really happy people know that it’s not healthy to hold on to anger. They choose to FORGIVE and FORGET, understanding that FORGIVENESS is a gift they give to themselves first and foremost.
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”Buddha
4. TRUST vs. DOUBT. They trust themselves and they trust the people around them. No matter if they talk to the cleaning lady or the C.E.O. of a multi billion company, somehow they always seem make the person they are interacting with feel like there is something unique and special about them.
They understand that beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies, and because of that, they make sure to treat everybody with love, dignity and respect, making no distinctions between age, sex, social status, color, religion or race. These are the great men that Mark Twain was talking about: “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” Mark Twain
5. MEANING vs. AMBITION. They do the things they do because of the meaning it brings into their lives and because they get a sense of purpose by doing so. They understand that “Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life” like Wayne Dyer puts it, and they care more about living a life full of meaning rather than, what in our modern society we would call, living a successful life.
The irony here is that most of the time they get both, success and meaning, just because they choose to focus on doing the things they love the most and they always pursue their heart desires. They are not motivated by money; they want to make a difference in the lives of those around them and in the world.
6. PRAISING vs. CRITICIZING. Happy people would probably agree with Carl’s Jung theory on resistance: “What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size”. They don’t criticize the absence of the behavior they want to reinforce, but rather, every time the behavior is present, even if it’s not that often, they know that by praising the person and the behavior, they will actually reinforce the positive behavior.
When a parent wants to make sure that his 7 years old boy will learn to always put the toys back in the box after he’s done playing with them, he will make sure not to focus on the many times the child won’t do it, criticizing him and his behavior, but rather, every time the little boy does put the toys back, the parent will praise him and his behavior and that is exactly how he will reinforce the positive behavior, and in the end geting the wanted results.
7. CHALLENGES vs. PROBLEMS. Happy people will see PROBLEMS as CHALLENGES, as opportunities to explore new ways of doing things, expressing their gratitude for them, understanding that underneath them all lies manyopportunities that will allow them to expand and to grow.
8. SELFLESSNESS vs. SELFISHNESS. They do what they do not for themselves, but for the good of others, making sure that they bring meaning, empowerment and happiness in the lives of many. They look for ways to give and to share the best of themselves with the world and to make other people happy.
”Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted.”Buddha
9. ABUNDANCE vs. LACK/POVERTY. They have an abundant mindset living a balanced life, achieving abundance in all areas of life.
10. DREAMING BIG vs. BEING REALISTIC. These people don’t really care about being realistic. They love and dare to dream big, they always listen to their heart and intuition and the greatness of their accomplishments scares many of us.
“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.” Goethe
11. KINDNESS vs. CRUELTY. They are kind to themselves and others and they understand the power of self love, self forgiveness and self acceptance.
12. GRATITUDE vs. INGRATITUDE. No no matter where they look, no matter where they are or with who, they have this capacity of seeing beauty where most of us would only see ugliness, opportunities, where most of us would only see struggles, abundance where most of us would only see lack and they express their gratitude for them all.
13. PRESENCE/ ENGAGEMENT vs. DISENGAGEMENT. They know how to live in the present moment, appreciating what they have and where they are, while still having big dreams about the future.
“When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. The mind in itself is a wonderful tool. Dysfunction sets in when you seek your self in it and mistake it for who you are.” Eckhart Tolle
14. POSITIVITY vs. NEGATIVITY. No matter what happens to them, they always seem to keep a positive perspectiveon everything and by doing so, they tend irritate a lot of negative and “realistic” people.
15. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY vs. BLAMING. They take full ownership over their lives and they rarely use excuses. Happy people understand that the moment you choose to blame some outside forces for whatever it is that happens to you, you are in fact giving all your power away, and they choose to keep the power for themselves andtaking responsibility for everything that happens to them.
Inc. Article: 14 Easy Ways to Get Insanely Motivated
April 24, 2012
14 Easy Ways to Get Insanely Motivated
These simple strategies will keep you energized through the holidays and well into the new year.
Getty
It’s getting toward the end of the year, so with the holidays in sight, I thought it appropriate to give you all a little gift: a column that I guarantee will make you more more successful in the coming year.
Here are 14 quick strategies to get and keep yourself motivated:
1. Condition your mind. Train yourself to think positive thoughts while avoiding negative thoughts.
2. Condition your body. It takes physical energy to take action. Get your food and exercise budget in place and follow it like a business plan.
- Read More: Why You’re Still Overweight
3. Avoid negative people. They drain your energy and waste your time, so hanging with them is like shooting yourself in the foot.
4. Seek out the similarly motivated. Their positive energy will rub off on you and you can imitate their success strategies.
5. Have goals–but remain flexible. No plan should be cast in concrete, lest it become more important than achieving the goal.
6. Act with a higher purpose. Any activity or action that doesn’t serve your higher goal is wasted effort–and should be avoided.
7. Take responsibility for your own results. If you blame (or credit) luck, fate or divine intervention, you’ll always have an excuse.
8. Stretch past your limits on a daily basis. Walking the old, familiar paths is how you grow old. Stretching makes you grow and evolve.
9. Don’t wait for perfection; do it now! Perfectionists are the losers in the game of life. Strive for excellence rather than the unachievable.
10. Celebrate your failures. Your most important lessons in life will come from what you don’t achieve. Take time to understand where you fell short.
11. Don’t take success too seriously. Success can breed tomorrow’s failure if you use it as an excuse to become complacent.
12. Avoid weak goals. Goals are the soul of achievement, so never begin them with “I’ll try …” Always start with “I will” or “I must.”
13. Treat inaction as the only real failure. If you don’t take action, you fail by default and can’t even learn from the experience.
14. Think before you speak. Keep silent rather than express something that doesn’t serve your purpose.
The above is based on a conversation with Omar Periu, one of the world’s best (and best known) motivational speakers.
5 Books All Information Entrepreneurs Should Have on their Bookshelves (please read, too)
April 19, 2012
1. Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers by Seth Godin. The Cult that is Seth Godin is, well, there for a reason. This guy gets it. Not only that, but he’s able to translate what he knows and is learning to the rest of us in ways that are valuable and actionable as well as theoretical. This is not his latest book but I like it best of all, particularly for this stripe of entrepreneur.
2. The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, On-Line Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly by David Meerman Scott. Mr. Scott has a TON of valuable information in this book and I dare say, every time I read it I find something else useful and valuable about it.
3. Get Paid for Who You Are by David Wood. This is one of my all-time faves – probably because he celebrates each of us and it gives hope to all of us who may have niches not necessarily on the main track of business life. However, that is exactly his point: niches are for creating and if you create your business or product that fits a specific group of people who want it (niche lovers 
then that’s all you really need to do. Most entrepreneurs could fit into this category of micro-preneur and be very handsomely rewarded for their own sublimely, crazy interests. A good uplifting read.
4. Content Rules by Ann Handley and CC Chapman. This book truly focuses on audience. Who are you speaking to and WHY. As the Amazon listing says, it will show you how to:
- Understand why you are generating content – getting to the meat of your message in practical, commonsense language, and defining the goals of your content strategy
- Explore ways to integrate searchable words into your content without sounding forced (or sounding like “Frankenspeak”)
- Write in a way that powerfully communicates your service, product, or message across various Web mediums
- Create a publishing schedule that allows you to create different kinds and types of content at once
5. No list of mine would be complete without a reference to my intellectual crush: Simon Sinek. I just think this guy is it. Check out his book Start With Why. This is a book about leadership and inspiring others to take action — but it’s WAY more than that. This is a foundational principle on which you can build your business – and what ever it is, ya better know WHY you’re doing it. That type of authenticity attracts clients and customers to you in DROVES. Well, read it! Or you can check out his talk on Ted Talks. AWESOME.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, you know that one of my main topics…nay, beliefs…is that it all starts with the proper mindset. Possibly the most challenging part of climbing what ever hill you’ve chosen to climb – to change from where you are NOW to where you want to be — is getting over/around YOURSELF. Your mind, your brain, your training, your family, your beliefs. They all tend to conspire to keep you where you are NOW, whether or not it’s best.
Now….if you’ve decided to shift that perspective….in other words, CHANGE (change your job, your life, your outlook), you can do it. No question. Over the next few posts, I’m going to share with you the 12 No-Muss, No-Fluff, No-Foolin’-Around Slam Dunk Steps to Attracting Success.
Got a pencil? um…or a printer? OK….here we go.
1. Accept. That’s right: ACCEPT. Accept your truth – in other words, accept where you ARE. Radical acceptance is a concept that embraces embracing. Embrace the here and now. Your circumstances. Everything. Your job, your financial condition, your relationships as they really are, your life. You cannot change what you’re not willing to accept. Completely.
2. Accept. No, not a type-0….Once you’ve accepted the truth, now you must accept responsibility for HOW you got here. Take responsibility for those choices. After all, you made ‘em. Nothing exists in a vacuum, but at the end of the day, you are responsible for every element of your life. The only thing you can change? You. And how you approach things moving forward. You cannot change the past and to ruminate on it is a waste of time. Simply accept and move forward.
3. Manage and Change Negative and Harmful Thoughts. This is not a step that you can simply check off and move forward. This is an on-going practice. While you’re taking an inventory of your life, this step requires you to take an inventory of how you’re thinking about your life and your circumstances. Once you’ve accepted things – you can begin to change your thoughts. Thoughts become things and we are able to change how we think. Take 10-minutes and just listen to the inner dialogue that’s running around in your head. Whatever is blocking your path – remove it. And keep removing it. This will take time – have some patience with yourself. When you hear negative thoughts or beliefs that block you (like, “oh, I could never do that,” or “I can’t ask for that….”) STOP. And say, “I can do that.” Simple — not necessarily easy — but possibly the most important of all these steps.
4. Commit to yourself – and to your vision. A lot of us – myself included – have had to learn some hard lessons on power. We don’t truly know that we have power. Our energy, our creativity, our persistence — all have power. When you decide upon pursuing one of your dreams, commit to it. Don’t just say, “well, I kinda would like to maybe do this, if everything else works out and it’s OK with you…..”. No. Commit to your vision. Visualize it. See it happening. There is a LOT more we can say about this – and will say about this – in coming posts. See it happening. Every chance you get. Then, everything you do will be aligned with manifesting that vision.
5. Know WHY. This is the energy that will keep you running when money gets tight, when people doubt your sanity, why others will want to join your cause (see Simon Sinek’s TED Talks). Knowing why – and having a profound inner knowing that this is your direction – will shine through to others as credible and authentic. You won’t have to explain – you will just connect. Magic.
Next post: 5 More No-Fluff, No-Muss, No-Foolin’ Around, Slam Dunk Steps to Success
Article: Business Skills and Buddhist Mindset
April 16, 2012
I am SO GLAD this is happening. THANK YOU!
Check out this FAB article on integrating mindfulness and business here!
Start with “Why?” and go from there….
April 16, 2012
Before you do anything, it’s helpful to ask “why?”
This goes for your work, your life….from the smallest to the biggest choices on your docket. If you get in the habit of asking yourself “why?” you may save yourself a lot of money and time – and sometimes, even heartache.
In terms of work, especially when doing anything relating to your clients or customers, there’s a great article in FastCo. today expands on this critical principle. Enjoy!
mary jo cranmore
