Nothing Happens Until Something Moves
“Nothing happens until something moves.”-Albert Einstein
You must take action to be successful in your life and especially in your business, that is if you want to see results. What kind of action should you take and when?
First: You need a clear vision of what you want to achieve and affirm it in your thoughts as a belief -knowledge that you can have it. This sets off a process which inevitably brings your intention into the physical world. This process is beyond our control, and is all to do with the way we, and the universe we inhabit, are set up. It might seem, on the surface, that we are all individuals, isolated from each other and standing alone in a huge, complex and hostile universe. But the reality is that we are not separate - all the great teachers throughout history have said this -. There is only one intelligence - we can call it the Universal Mind - and we are manifestations of that intelligence. Our minds are to the Universal Mind as a drop of water is to the ocean - they are made of the same stuff. Our subconscious mind is where everything happens.
In The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, Joseph Murphy explores how everything is possible to us through this part of our mind, and this is so because our subconscious mind is open at both ends. On one side, it is open to the conscious, thinking, directing mind; on the other side, it is open to the Universal Mind. Our conscious mind’s job is to think, and our subconscious mind’s job is to actualize those thoughts - to bring them into reality. It does this by accessing the Universal Mind. Our thoughts and our beliefs, then, are the key to creating our experience of life.
Centres of Influence
A Centre of Influence is a fancy way of identifying people that have a hugely positive impact on your business. They often refer people and business to you, and are actively glowing about what you provide and how you provide it. Every business needs a couple of these gems, and once you have them, you should bend over backwards to make sure they continue to think positively about you.
But how do you find and connect with these people? Here’s an Action Plan that will help make things move faster.
1. Let them know they are special
Tell them they are a top client, and let them know about any special treatment or offers that entitles them to.
2. Keep them updated about your business
If you want them to continue to refer ideal business to you then you need to let them know what a perfect client or opportunity looks like. If you take on a new direction, or change your products and services, why not take them out for coffee and update them on what’s happening.
Driving Without a Roadmap
For any business to succeed it must know what it is about. It must be able to explain what it is there to achieve, and where it ultimately wants to end up. Unfortunately the majority of businesses can’t describe, or don’t have a picture of what they are trying to become. Either it’s just not considered important enough, or they get so caught up in the daily running of the business that there’s no time for thinking beyond the next cycle.
Having a vision and long term goals is essential. After all, if you don’t know where you are going, you’ll never know when you get there.
How Up To Date is your Street Map?
Think of it this way. When you get into a car, turn on the engine and roll out of the driveway, 99.9% of the time you always have a destination in mind. Whether it’s the office, the fast food drive through or a town that is miles away, you know exactly where you are going. And because you know where you are going, you can choose from several routes to get there. Each route will take you where you want to go, but there may be pros and cons associated with choosing one over the other (traffic considerations, length of the trip and so on). Still, you can consciously choose a specific path, to meet your needs on that particular day.
Now imagine getting into your car with no destination in mind. You wouldn’t know when to turn right or left, or when to stop altogether. You could go forwards or in reverse – depending on your mood. You could keep driving around aimlessly forever - until you run out of petrol or the car breaks down.
Getting the Marketing Groove
Wouldn’t it be great to have a year where your marketing efforts were streamlined and got the results you were after? None of us want to struggle with marketing, and yet this is the one topic that continues to be highest in the minds of small business professionals. Let’s really consider some of the reasons that can sabotage our marketing efforts, and how we can turn that around.
Lack of a marketing mindset – we don’t see ourselves as in the marketing game.
The truth is, if you are out there running a business, thinking like a marketer has to become your priority. It’s no use having a great service if nobody knows about it, or you. Lack of knowledge is your enemy. Start by reading whatever you can. Speak to successful people in your field and ask them what strategies they use. The information you need is out there for you to take.
Lack of investment
For many small business owners, the focus on cost control prohibits them from ever investing enough money into marketing and promotion. These activities are seen as costs rather than as an investment. So this year I encourage you to reframe your attitude towards marketing. Once you know what marketing activity to do, and have confidence that it will bring results, spend the money enthusiastically.