My buddy, Keith went to a car dealership with a friend one day. The friend needed service on his car and, while they waiting, the two wandered the lot. It was early in the morning so they came across the guy hosing the dust off the cars. Keith and his friend stayed out of the man’s way while they looked at the new cars. Soon, the man with the hose turned off the water and walked over to them. He asked if he could be of service to them. Did they want to look inside the car? He was more than happy to get the keys to any car they wanted to see. They assured him they were just killing time until the car was done in the service area. At that point, the man offered them something to drink, giving a list of all the beverages available. As Keith told this story to Mr Diva, he had a note of astonishment in his voice. After all, this man’s job was to keep the cars looking shiny, clean and new. Not to make light  of his work but he wasn’t part of the sales department. Or was he?

Mr Diva is quick to point out that, at this car dealer, “Sales” is obviously not a department or title. Everyone working there is dedicated to “Sales.” Not in a pushy, in your face way. No, they are selling through customer service, the missing ingredient in business today.

For the moment, I want you to think of your business as a dish you make in your kitchen, like a casserole. The name of the finished item is “My Successful Business.” To create this item, you must bring together a variety of ingredients and take different steps to make it turn out just right. Have you ever made a cake from scratch and had it turn out flat? Looking over the recipe, you realize you left out baking powder, a vital ingredient to the success of creating a cake. Well, customer service is a vital ingredient to creating a successful business. Unfortunately, too many businesses refuse to include this ingredient in their businesses. Or, if they do include it, they list it at the bottom of the list. Customer service must be given the importance it deserves. It must be at the forefront of everything you do. Remember, it is ALWAYS about the customer. As soon as you move someone or something else ahead of them in your business, you have effectively slowed down the progress of your business.

How does this relate to Keith’s story? I don’t think the man hosing off the cars saw himself as a member of the sales team. He saw himself as a vital ingredient in the success of the business. He knew customer service was the primary ingredient in his job. No one at the dealership was going to criticize him for not hosing the cars off fast enough if he is spending his time seeing to the needs of customers.

It has been said that nothing happens until something gets sold. Well, I want to update that expression. Nothing happens until something gets sold and nothing gets sold without exceptional customer service. If a man hosing dust off cars on a dealer’s lot is able to understand this, and apply it to everything he does, how can any of us do less?

There are a ton of marketing tools available to you as either an author or sales consultant. In order to run your business, any type of business, you need to learn to effectively use marketing tools. It is easy to go crazy, spending too much money trying to market your business. The best marketing tool you have at your disposal goes anywhere, can be used anytime, is versatile and doesn’t cost you a penny! “What is this magic tool?” you ask. It’s YOU!

You are the greatest marketing tool in your arsenal.  Before you can use this tool effectively, you must accept the power you have marketing yourself. You must create your 30 second speech and learn it by heart. When people ask you what you do for a living, be sure to tell them in 30 seconds or less. Leave them wanting more, asking you questions so you can go into more detail.

Never go out of your house without dressing for success. In other words, look professional. I admit it, I have run out of the house to do a quick errand without a thought about my appearance. If an opportunity would come up to market my business, I would be too embarrassed to speak up. I know I must look the part to be believable. Now, I FORCE myself to dress for work even if I plan to work in the home office all day. I may never leave home but I have a professional mindset with my appearance.

Never go out of your house without taking marketing materials with you. Again, I have a confession: I have left home without business cards! So there I am giving my 30 second speech and doing a great job when a prospective client asks for my card and a catalog. OOPS! There goes an opportunity. Practice makes perfect but how amateur does that look. I have wasted their time and made myself look foolish. Never again. I have a tote bag with my cards, catalogs, brochures and product examples all ready to go wherever I walk out the door.

Never leave home without product in your car. You look great. Your speech goes well. They take a business card and catalog. Wow! You’ve done such a great job that the client asks to buy your product right now! Do you have it with you, ready to pack up and sell to the client? At the very least, you should have samples for prospects. And make an appointment to meet with them as soon as possible to share more about your business.

It doesn’t take much to become your own top marketing tool. Just practice your speech, dress for work everyday, pack up your marketing tools and carry products with you. Before long, you are running a successful, and low stress, business.

For Authors & Consultants

I’m sure many of you are going, “Duh!” I contend you only THINK you know what business you are in. Some of you are half right and some of you are, well, not wrong but you are approaching your business from the wrong direction.

Whether you are in direct sales or are an author, you are in sales. Believe it or not, both groups sell the exact same product: Their message. As an author, it is absolutely mandatory you define your message. If you had to sum up your writing into a category, what would it be? Just what exactly are you writing about? If you can’t define your message, then you need to rethink your business. Your message is the primary product you are offering your customers. Everything else is support material that reinforces your message. For example, my message is Simple Joy. I teach women ways to reduce stress in order to increase the joy in their lives. Everything I do is based on that message. Makes it really easy to decide which book, presentation, article, podcast, etc to produce. A;ll I have to do is ask, “Does it support my message?” If the answer is, “No!” then my response is, “Next!” I don’t waste my time on anything that doesn’t promote and support my message. Even when it comes to the company I run. Everything I do in the company has to support my message, that’s all there is to it.

As for sales consultants, we get so wrapped up in the products we offer that we often forget about the message. What is the message your company is offering your customers? Not certain? Study the promotional material for your company. What points do they focus on? What feelings are they trying to arouse in your customers. Feelings? Yes, we buy based on feelings. Watch commercials on television. Each is working to arouse an emotion in the viewer: safety, comfort, love, humor, even the old stand-by sex. Your company has a message that lies at the heart of everything they do. By learning that message and basing everything YOU do as a consultant for the company, you make your job much easier. You should get twice the response for half the effort because your work is in tandem with the company.

So, authors, work on your message and begin building your business on that message. Consultants, identify your company’s message and create a stronger business for yourself. Remember, the trick is to work smarter, not harder to achieve greater results.

For Sales Consultants & Authors

I am currently reading the Social Media Bible. There is lots to learn in the book which is huge. However, there is so much information, I hardly knew where to begin. Then I hit a wall. The book began discussing a topic near and dear to my heart: nailing your niche. I preach to authors all the time that it is necessary to narrow the focus of their message in order to succeed in business.

I have often been concerned that my message is too thin. I try to focus on my Simple Joy message, offer advice for sales consultants and guidance for authors. How could I have any impact with so many markets? Then, it occurred to me that two of the markets may have different names but they all have the same goals. And the third topic focused on a market shared by the other two.

I believe sales consultants and authors have the same needs. Both need to learn ways to begin and build successful businesses. In fact, as I looked over the training material I recently developed, I realized the exact same advice applies to authors. With both groups, THEY are their #1 marketing tool. They each must market and share their business everywhere they go. They must never miss an opportunity to promote their business. As for my Simple Joy message, it offers  an example to both sales consultants and authors on ways to use the internet to promote their business. And amazingly enough, all three have the same market.

Problem solved. I wanted to have a blog that offered ways for consultants and authors to build their business. I thought I would have to begin a new blog and really didn’t want to do that. Now I realize I can continue to use this blog. Some post will only be for one group while other posts will offer advice suitable for both groups. At the top of each post, under the picture, I will put a headline saying whether the post is for sales consultants, authors or both.

Next up: What business both groups are REALLY in!

Jesus told a story about a farmer scattering seed on 4 different types of ground. The first fell by the side of the field. Soon the birds came along and ate the seed. The second batch of seeds landed on soil that was rocky. The seed quickly took root but when the sun grew hot and the strong rain fell, the weak little seedling perished. The third batch of seeds feel among thorns. While the seeds took root and grew, the thorns soon choked them out. The final batch of seeds fell on tilled soil that was fertilized. The seeds took root, grew and produced fruit.

After sharing this story with a crowd, Jesus explained the meaning to his followers. It is really a story about the different people they would come across as they shared the message Jesus had taught them. Some people would not understand the message so it would soon be snatched away.  The second group of people would quickly embrace the message but it would not take root in their lives. When adversity came along, the message would be swept away. The third group is overwhelmed by the ways of the world. They would be unable to apply the message to their life. Only the last fourth would take the message into their hearts and grow.

This story still applies, especially when it comes to direct sales consultants. We have all stood in front of a group of women and shared our message, regardless of the product we are offering. We need to identify each group and each woman so we are able to effectively interact with her.

The first type hears our presentation but are unsure how it applies to them. Our words hit them and simply fall to side, having no impact on them or their lives.You can often recognize them because they lose interest in your presentation. They are looking around or fiddling with something. Sometimes, they become stubborn, refusing to be swayed by your words. You see the firm set of her mouth and the doubt in her eyes. Be polite to her but do not spend a lot of time trying to bring her around. You are only wasting your time and aggravating her. Be polite and thank her for coming.

The second group hears our message and quickly embrace it. However, they quickly embrace almost an message that is delivered well. They flit from one thing to another as each comes along. She may be incredibly enthusiastic about your products and message. Sometimes this type gushes. She may quickly offer to host an event and even show a desire to become a consultant. Be careful. As soon as something else comes along to attract her attention, she moves on. Also, she may have extremely high expectations for you, your products and company. When all three are unable to live up to her unrealistic expectations, she withers. How do you recognize her? She is too quick to jump in. She is a bit TOO enthusiastic. Listen to your gut. How do you interact with her? If she really wants to host an event, try to schedule it as soon as possible. Be prepare to lead her each step of the way as she prepares for her event. As for becoming a consultant, well, try to put her off for a bit to see if she remains interested. If she insists, she is an adult. Let her make the decision. Work with her, mentor her but do not be disappointed when the next shiny thing takes her away from you.

The third type can be problematic. As my mother used to say, “She knows too much for her own good.” She has attended a number of direct sales presentations. She has study information on the internet. She is very difficult to convince. In fact, sometimes she may challenge you. Other times, she purchases your product only to complain about it later. She may never be satisfied. These are her “thorns” rising up to challenge you. How do you cope? Answer her questions. Be polite. If she tries to hijack your presentation, offer to meet with her when you are done in order to address her questions. Avoid taking her comment personally. It is not about YOU. She does this with everyone. How do you know that? Look at her friends. Are they hiding little smiles and slight eye rolls? They have seen this before. If she buys product from you only to complain later, handle her complaints professionally. However, if it goes on and on, you may have to tell her that you are sorry but it appears your product simply doesn’t work for her. Suggest with a polite smile that she would be much happier with another brand. Thank her for trying your product and let her know quite firmly and politely that you wish her well. In other words, you are finished with her.

We all live for the fourth type. They are the ones that listen to our message and purchase our products. They show an interest in learning more. They may host events and become consultants. We may have to watch them for subtle signs.  They encourage us during our presentation, smiling and nodding. Talk to them. Listen to them. Learn more about them so you can be of service. Spend time with them since this type bears the most fruit. They more than make up for the other 3 types.

We don’t have an even mix of all 4 types in each presentation. Sometimes, a group is almost entirely one type or another. If you realize they are mostly members of one of the first three groups, press on with your presentation and look at the experience as practice. Your events attended by lots of women in the fourth group makes up for these events. Watch the women in your audiences. Read their faces and reactions as your speak. Taking time to get to know your customers allows you to plant your seeds where they bear the most fruit. A job well done!

Today, I have two ingredients for your business as an author.

Creativity

I know many authors may argue with me but these days, if you can find someone, like a publisher, to pay to have your book printed, you are doing well. Unless your book is headed for the best seller list, your publisher might not do much to promote your book. Even if they do, you absolutely MUST take ownership of your business. If your book and your business are to succeed, if you want to share your message with as many people in your market as possible, then you better get busy and this means get creative. You need to find every way imaginable to share your book and message with as many people as possible. In another post, I wrote about thinking outside the box. In the post, I pointed out the ideas IN the box were just as important as the ideas outside the box. I believe it is necessary to act as if the box doesn’t exist. You must incorporate the ideas inside and outside the box if you want to succeed. Have fun with it.

Do not wait for your book to show up in the mail. Spend part of the time waiting for the finished product developing your promotional plan. Spend the rest of the time working on your next project. Yes, there is no rest for the successful. Back to promotion. Be a free thinker. Make a list and put down all the different ways you can think of to promote your book. Be wild. You don’t have to DO all of them but sometimes out of the most far fetched ideas evolve the most successful ideas. Make a list, then let it set for a day or two. Come back to it and make a new list of the first 10 things you are going to do, things you can do right NOW! When those are done, move on to the next items and so on until you finish your list. Whew! Done! Uh, not so fast. Now go back and start at the top of your list and go through it again. There are always things you can be doing to promote yourself, your message and your latest book. Be creative and have fun with it. Your enthusiasm for your message is always the #1 promotional tool you own. USE IT!

Courtesy

I will make this brief. I have said it before. I will say it again. I am really tired of rude people. Let me give you my specific pet peeve. When a new author, or inexperienced author sends me their query/proposal and I see flaws in it that are going to stop their progress, I try to take a few minutes to point out some of the changes they might consider making before they proceed. I remember how frustrated I would get when no one wanted my project but they would never tell me where I was going wrong. Most of the time, the project just doesn’t fit the publisher’s needs. However, there are times when the query is vague or, sorry to say, poorly written. I am not rude. I very gently offer advice and guidance. If you have an editor, agent or publisher take the time to offer you some guidance, take it graciously and take the time to thank them. Most people just say “No” and move on to the next envelop or email. Being polite never hurt anyone and it may pay off for you in the long run. You never know what the future holds. Approach writing like the business it is, remember your manners, ignore the box and you are on your way to building a successful business.

In business and life, it is mandatory to set goals. Earl Nightingale defined success as the progressive realization of a predetermined goal. Without goals, you are proceeding on the journey of life without direction. Would you begin a long trip with no idea which road to take in order to reach your desitnation? Then why would you continue on the most important journey of all, your life, without a crystal clear idea how to proceed? Perhaps the problem is a lack of vision. I find many people are unable to set goals, to lay out a predetermined path for their lives because they have no idea where they want to end up once they arrive. In that case, it becomes necessary to establish your ultimate destination before you begin. This enables you to set goals that take you farther and farther along your path, toward your goal.

As the CEO of Extreme Diva, I must constantly set goals for our company. I must have a clear idea where we are and where I want us to go in order to lead the company along that path. When I first began this process, I found it to be overwhelming. How do I determine where we need to go? How do I decide where we should end up at a predetermined time in our history? What steaps do I take along the way to ensure we arrive at our destination? I was working to set goals for the coming year in our company and found myself unable to proceed. I was in trouble.

As I reflected on goals, I realized it was not enough to think only of the coming year. In order to have a productive year, we needed to be working on goals that help us accomplish our long term goals. That meant we needed to set long term goals for ourselves and our company.

When I first sat down to do this, I came up with a long list of items that I wanted to accomplish in the coming year alone. As I studied the list, I realized I was setting myself up for frustration. All I was creating was a list of items that would be carried over, uncompleted, from year to year. I didn’t want this. I believe goals should be achievable but have stretch. I wasn’t certain what to do.

Then it hit me. I remembered something I had read in one of my Mary Kay books. Mary Kay advised the sales reps to follow her example of only setting 5 goals a day. By listing only 5 items on their to-do list, Mary Kay from her own experience knew that anyone could easily accomplish the things they needed to get done for the day. The list was to be created at night before going to bed. I had been using this technique for awhile and found it worked very well. If I needed to make phone calls, I would make the calls 1 item on the list but no more than 5 calls. If I needed to make more than 5 calls, then I would create another item on the list.

So, I began to think, why not use this same technique for setting long term goals? The Power of 5 was born. It is very simple. I went 5 years into the future. I personally find it is easier to go forward and work my way back than the other way around. I thought about our company. What did it look like? What had we accomplished? What were we on the verge of accomplishing? Then I made a list of 5 things that we were accomplishing at that time in our company. (The different lists are at the end of this article.) I always write each goal in present tense, as if it were a reality, which it is. You see, once I create the goal and commit it to paper, once I accept the possiblity of it being accompished, my mind begins to subconsciously create ways to accomplish the goal. My mind accepts each item as reality and acts on it accordingly.

Next, I considered a year from now. In order to be a year closer to accomplishing our 5 year goals, what 5 things do we need to accomplish in the coming year? Then, I thought a month ahead. What 5 things did we need to do to bring us a month closer to the annual goals? Each week, I study the monthly goals and set 5 goals for the week that bring us closer to accomplishing the monthly goals and each evening, I study the weekly list so I can set goals that insure each day helps me to complete the weekly goals.

I am finding it much easier to accomplish the items on my list because they are not overwhelming. If I finish all 5 things on my daily list, then I refer to my weekly list and decide what else I might do to whittle away at the week tasks. Just like eating an elephant, I bring myself and our company one bite closer to those 5 year goals everyday.

You can create your Power of 5 list anytime. In fact, right now is the perfect time. Sit down and look 5 years into the future. Who are you? What are you doing? What are you about to accomplish? Create a list of 5 things that you see happening right then. Your goals should reflect the different aspects of your professional life. For example, if you are an author and speaker, you want a goal for each of these areas. You want each item to be as specific as you are able to make it. If the items are vague, you are not going to accomplish them. Your mind cannot act upon a vague idea. You need to give your mind a specific goal upon which it may act and accomplish.

Next, come back to one year in the future. What 5 things do you need to accomplish in one year’s time in order to be on schedule for your 5 year goals? Then go to a month out. What do you need to accomplish by then in order to complete your annual goals? Then set goals for the coming week to nibble away at your monthly goals. Finally, each evening before you go to bed, make your list of 5 for the following day. Study the list from that day. If you did not accomplish something, determine why. You might have set a goal that was too big to be finished in one day. Learn from that mistake and create more realistic goals to avoid frustration. Perhaps something came up to prevent you from finishing the list. That happens sometimes. Resist the urge to beat yourself up and add the item to tomorrow’s list. Perhaps the task doesn’t even need to be done. Then cross it off the list and forget about it Tomorrow is an opportunity for a fresh start. Take advantage of it

The Power of 5 is a great tool to help you accomplish the incredible goals you see ahead of you. That is a wonderfully Diva-licious thing to do!

You are running a business. It is no different than running a store, say a boutique. Like a boutique, you must have a place where you do business as I discussed yesterday. In addition, you need specific equipment in order to run your business. It is difficult to schedule regular time for writing if you must work around the entire family using the computer. If you owned a store, you wouldn’t have equipment going back and forth between work and home. Equipment would be purchased specifically for your business. The same is true for your writing. You need dedicated equipment so you are able to preform your job in a professional manner.

This does not mean you must rush out and purchase the latest technology and doing so will make you a professional author. No, getting published regularly is what makes you a professional author. Having the tools to do the job helps you accomplish this goal. Developing your business takes time. You may have to use the equipment on-hand at first, saving up to purchase dedicated items. Laptops are reasonable these days. In fact, with back-to-school just around the corner, retailers should be offering great deals on laptops. A laptop gives you mobility which you might need from time to time.

Make a list of items you need, the prioritize the list. Determine cost of each item. Watch for bargains. Consider other ways you can acquire the things you need. The get to work. Even if you have to use paper and pencil, you can still write. A lack of equipment is no excuse for slacking off. Writing makes a writer, not technology!

We have all been told to think outside the box if we want to be more effective in the ever-changing business world. Items in the box are considered “old thinking.” The box contains ideas that are too passé for today’s world, especially for those of us that consider ourselves forward thinkers. Many of us like being on the cutting edge professionally and we find the ideas found in the box slow us down, hold us back and prevent us from achieving the success we desire.

So, we spend our time pursuing the ideas found outside the box. In fact, we often spend hours creating our OWN “out of the box” items. We pat ourselves on the back and sometimes ridicule those who are not as clever as us. Meanwhile, many people, our customers and clients included, hesitate to embrace what they consider our “radical” ideas and creations. Sigh! What is an entrepreneur to do?

I would like to offer a compromise. Rather than thinking outside the box or continuing to embrace the comfortable, reassuring ideas in the box, I suggest you act as if the box does not exist. The problem I find with outside the box thinking is it ignores ideas that are tried and true. Yes, they may be outdated but that doesn’t mean you eliminate them from consideration. Instead, when you act as if the box does not exist, it allows you to consider ways to combine the tried and true with a brand new approach. Remember, many of your clients and customers find comfort inside that box. By evolving the traditional with the innovative, you add the ingredient of familiarity to your creation. Suddenly, your creation is not so radical that it scares off people. Instead, it is fresh, fresh enough to pique their interest, fresh enough to attract new clients and customers.

Remember, when you find a way to incorporate ideas on both sides of that box, you get the very best of both worlds. What more could any of us possibly want?