What I’m talking about here is forecasts that are accurate.

Accurate enough to base key decisions on, such as whether to order more materials now, in order to be able to meet potential future orders within your stated delivery or lead times.

Accurate enough to be able to decide if you are going to avoid some short-term cash flow issues, or if you need some short term injection of cash – really critical in the smaller business.

Accurate enough to be able to decide when to let employees – or yourself – have time off for vacation.

Many production and operational processes are predictable enough – you, as the business owner or manager, have sufficient control over what’s going on, under normal circumstances.

But what about the sales operation? I mean, customers are in control, ultimately. You can’t force somebody to buy something – not legally or ethically (these 2 aren’t always the same thing!).

Well, you can reduce the degree of uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity that often reduces the accuracy of forecasts, by employing a solid, proven process-based approach to every aspect of your sales operation, not just to what happens once you’ve closed the order…

It won’t guarantee you sales success, but it will increase your chances of sales success overall. You’ll still lose some. But you should win more – partly because you’re better at selecting opportunities with a better chance of success for you, and partly because you’re better at ‘working’ those opportunities to a successful conclusion. You’ll also more likely be winning business at higher rates of margin or profit. And none of this needs you to have additional sales resources – such as sales people – or having to work extra hours – quite the opposite, potentially.

In future posts I’ll be exploring what these processes look like and how you can implement them.

For the moment, let me leave you with a couple of useful hints…!

1. Identifying the key players in a purchase decision, and understanding their position – how they see the need (or not) for the purchase in the first place, and what business results and personal wins they are looking for…
2. Connecting your products, services and/or solutions, in the minds of each key player (especially the very influential ones in this sale), to their individual required business results and personal wins.
3. Being very aware of what gaps you have in your knowledge (especially relating to points 1 & 2 above), what assumptions you’ve made, and taking steps, by way of an explicit strategy and plan, to reduce the negative impacts of these gaps and other knowledge, and maximise the positive impacts…

That’s a hint at some of the ‘what’ that is to come in future posts. The ‘how’ also comes later!

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You challenge the pros, sometimes in their own backyards, because they can become complacent, lazy and a little out of touch with the latest thinking and ideas. And if you don’t stay in touch with what is happening, with the directions your market might take, or with new techniques to help you stay efficient and effective, well, you’ll find yourself in trouble. Quickly.

Leadership is not about blind obedience to anyone or anything. Leadership is often about striking out in a new direction, or knowing what elements of the ‘old’ to keep, how to use them, and what elements of the ‘new’ to adopt…

If you have a ‘yes man’ working for you, somebody is redundant. Don’t let it be you!

If you are following the pack, and not striking out on your own… I’m reminded of Apple’s iPod. They weren’t first with a portable solid state music player (I almost said MP3, but iPods usually use a different format…) But they made that market their own, and few can name another maker of similar devices…

So what can you, what should you, challenge the pros about? Where, when and how? After all, this is not about destroying a person or their reputation – what would that say about you?

Let me know how you get on!

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Ben Arment (see his blog here) poses an interesting perspective: you can’t take a mediocre idea and make it viral, no matter how much marketing ‘savvy’ you have. Ben suggests that instead of focusing on the mission and ideology of what you are offering, just for a moment focus on this: is the idea of your offering a good idea or a bad idea for the community that is your target market? Could it be that you are answering questions nobody is asking?

Now, I don’t know about you, but this strikes a real chord with me.

I’m not suggesting for one minute that at the first sign of things not happening (if that makes any sense!) you junk your ideas and decide you are anwering the wrong questions – but at least consider the possibility sooner than you might have in the past…

So my call to action is simple: get clear, if you aren’t already, about the questions your community or target market are asking. What could you do to answer these questions in a more useful and accessible way for your community?

And just as I sign off, this last question emerges from the fog: are you even clear enough about who your community or target market is? (I think my next blog will be about identifying your target market!)

To your success!

Cheers

Martin

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OK, this simple recipe will be launching in just a few weeks time, and in the mean time you can start to think about how this simple recipe could be right for you.

I imagine you got here, to my blog, by way of some advert or recommendation or search related to online business or internet marketing or similar, right? If not, let me just tell you that this simple recipe is focused on getting cash easily, cheaply and quickly by using the Internet. You can use it off-line, and you probably won’t get the same kind of results as you could get on-line. So if you’re looking for an off-line approach you’re probably best off looking elsewhere – I’d hate for you to waste your valuable time.

If you’re still here then I’m guessing you’re OK with an on-line approach and still curious enough to find out more!

Well, in the time between now and when we launch you’ll be wanting answers to a bunch of questions, like:

• What is this simple recipe for generating money quickly, cheaply and easily?
• What is meant by ‘quickly, cheaply and easily’?
• I don’t have much (or any!) time available – how can this work for me?
• I don’t have much (or any!) cash to invest – how can this work for me?
• I didn’t have success with on-line businesses before – how is this one different?
• Can I apply this approach elsewhere, and if so, how?
• Can I be an affiliate, recommend it to others and get rewarded for this, and if so, how?
• I don’t have a list or any real presence on-line, so how can this possibly work for me?
• Is this just a rehash of pay-per-click or article marketing or promoting a list builder etc?
• Can others easily copy this approach, and if so, what does it mean for people who use this approach?
• If so many people start using this, won’t competition be an issue? If not, how and why not?
• I don’t have the means to accept credit card payments, can I still use this approach?
• What if I need extra support – can I get this easily, quickly and cheaply (ideally, for free!)?

And you’ll probably also have a bunch more that come to you over the coming days in the run up to launch.

Well, between now and launch date I will be answering these questions and more, so you can be in the best possible position to decide whether this approach is for you.

OK – I know – I haven’t said anything about what this will cost.

I haven’t made any mention yet of a special deal for early birds – people who sign up early, before the launch, to be able to use this simple recipe for generating cash.

The reason why I’ve not mentioned price so far is because I’m still in decision mode. I know this can make a reasonable amount of money, and a traditional business person would urge me to charge a similarly reasonable price. For example, if this recipe could typically make somebody say, $1000, then I should charge something over, say, $200. OK, but what about people who don’t have $200 to spare? What about people who have $200 to spare and are rightly being careful about where they invest it? So while I think this simple recipe is worth more than $200 a copy, given its potential, I have repeatedly referred to it as a “A Simple Recipe For Getting Cash Easily, Cheaply & Quickly” so I won’t be charging as much as $200. And I’m not even sure it’ll be anywhere near $100.

And you know what, as I sit here writing this blog entry, thinking about the many people like you who would love to generate some cash without having to put much time or money in to it, I’m wondering how I can make this simple recipe available for free!

So I think, as I finalise preparations for launch, that this will be my aim. To make this recipe available for free. And while I’m in this mood to challenge myself in crazy ways, let’s see if we can do this in a way that doesn’t require people to sign up.

Maybe you’ve some ideas or comments that might help? You can leave comments at the bottom of this blog, anonymously if you wish.

So, with that in mind I invite you to stop by regularly for updates on our preparations for launch, and to get the answers to those questions I posed earlier.

And, if you are anything like me (that is, a little forgetful and disorganised at times!) then I also invite you to leave your name and email address below or email me at martin[at]p-nrg.com, and I’ll drop you a line each time I post new information and answers on this blog.

Until then, have a great day, evening or night!

Cheers

Martin

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Terri Murphy has this amazingly effective approach to crafting an elevator speech. Learn more about her at the iLearningGlobal blog.

An elevator speech is a brief description of what you do and who you do it for – like a personal commercial. It’s a key part of any marketing strategy – you should have one!

According to Terri, most people state what they do but don’t describe how they help their customers improve the quality of their businesses or their lives.

They don’t even mention how they add value or include any benefits.

And most importantly, they don’t make the other person want to continue the conversation.

If you can keep the conversation going then you are on your way to building and strengthening a relationship that can lead to doing more business in the future.

How do you craft a great elevator speech?

Terri suggests that it be brief – ideally 7-9 seconds, though it can be as long as 15-30 seconds. The idea is you can share it with somebody in an elevator during a short ride.

The shorter the message, the easier it is to remember, and to say it smoothly, clearly and with conviction and passion. Being short, every word counts, so crafting it well really is critical! The easiest way to get started is to know there are a few simple steps involved, and to start at step 1!

• Step #1 is to write down all the services you provide your customers. Think about how you help them save time, money & improve productivity, for example.
• Step #2 brainstorm why people choose to do business with you – why customers want to continue to do business with you and what you do to make them raving fans. Sure, there’s plenty of people who can provide what you do – so why YOU and not them?
• Step #3 write out what you do in such a way that it encourages more conversation. Instead of saying “I sell real estate” say “I specialise in helping people get the most for their money when they buy or sell real estate.”
• Step #4 Break the statement down. First say what you do and then describe how the customer derives benefits from working with you.
• Step #5 Write out your actual elevator speech. It needs to become you, easily and spontaneously delivered, easily understood.
• Step #6 Practice – lots!!

Once you are happy with it – use it! These tips from Terri can help:

Having delivered your elevator speech your very next step is to advance the relationship by asking Qs about what they do, about what’s going on for them. And then follow up with this powerful script:

Mr X, it’s been delightful meeting you. I’d like to see if I know anybody in my database that could be a good prospect for your business. How can I best refer you?

This last sentence alone will make you standout, and allow you to discover what their wants & needs really are so you can see if they’re a good fit for you. And follow up – if you ay You’ll do something, do it. After a meeting etc follow up with a personal note so you can help them remember you and the event – making it easier for you when you call.

How is you elevator speech? Are you really happy with it?

Call to action: use Terri’s 6 step process and advice to recraft your elevator speech. Why not share it here? I’d love to read them!

Terri has made a short (<15 minute) video of all of this, with some great examples. Find it on http://www.ilearningglobal.tv/

(Surf over there, click on the Video Theatre Launch button coloured blue, on the right hand side. You may have to download & install a video player – it only takes a few seconds, then select Category Channels on the right and then Sample Category Videos – the player will open, then select the PLAYLIST icon on its bottom right, and choose Terri’s video – simple!)

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I think this is an area we can all benefit from giving more thought to. In a nut shell it’s about evaluating the compensation plan from an MLM company – ‘cos what works for somebody else may not necessarily work for you!

Cheers

Martin

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The 3rd of Colin Powell’s 18 lessons of leadership is “don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites” and could at first glance challenge many people’s perceptions, given the focus on gurus and elites in this industry!

“Don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites.  Experts often possess more data than judgment.  Elites can become so inbred that they produce hemophiliacs who bleed to death as soon as they are nicked by the real world.”

In our industry so many people will lionise gurus and experts and elite groups. There is no doubt that a small number of people – gurus – have done a fantastic job with the programmes and business models they’ve brought to the market. Also, there is a widely held belief that anywhere from 90-97% of people coming to the industry will fail to be successful. I’m not totally sure what this means and I haven’t seen the actual data & evidence…

Does this mean the gurus are talking rubbish or are the cause of so much failure?

No!

It’s a bit like the morality issue with a gun – you can use it to hunt for food and so stay alive, or use it to shoot another human being – the gun is not the issue, once it’s been invented. The issue is the intent of the person with the gun. And so it is with the products and mindsets on offer from the gurus. If people don’t put in to practice in a way that works for that person the lessons and tools on offer, then failure will be more likely. Equally, blindly following a guru, or lots of gurus, is equally asking for failure too…

So my call to action with this is simple – go in with your eyes wide open, be prepared to go ‘off piste’ as it were, to adapt things to your own situation and strengths, and be discriminating – choose your gurus with care!

Cheers

Martin

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The second lesson of General Colin Powell’s 18 lessons of leadership is summed up as follows:

“The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is theday you have stopped leading them.  They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care.  Either case is a failure of leadership.”

So what does this have to do with network marketing?

Well, if you have a download, they’re like the soldiers that Colin Powell refers to. So, if they stop coming to you with their problems, you’re leadership has, for them, failed.

How can you ensure they feel they can trust you, that you can help them in some way, either by pointing them to a solution, helping them find their own way to a solution, or just being there to hear and share the pain?

Years ago I served in my country’s air force on a helicopter squadron. One day we were told that we’d have to give up the weekend, that we’d have to work to support a short notice operation. It doesn’t matter here what the operation was. The squadron commander could easily have stayed away – the squadron personnel knew what to do and how to do it, and didn’t need a senior officer getting in the way… but the commander stayed, making coffee for lower ranks, making sure they were OK, getting fed and so on.

He was sharing the pain and being ‘one of us’ – so why wouldn’t we come to him with problems?

This is just one example – and I know you can find your own.

A great starting point if you are new to leadership is to take a look at the Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner – see www.leadershipchallenge.com or click here.

There you will find out more about their 5 element framework – the 5 exemplary practices of leadership, listed below. Nearly 30 years of research make this a very proven & robust model.

1. Model the Way
2. Inspire a Shared Vision
3. Challenge the Process
4. Enable Others to Act
5. Encourage the Heart

Good luck!

Cheers

Martin

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… questions that are answered by some of the Industry’s most successful marketers and business people.

You can find out more by taking a look at this video here.

I recommend you remove any distractions and give it your full attention for the next 15-20 minutes.

For those of you wondering about Tahir’s wonderful accent, he hails from the north of England – magic!

Get on over to www.easilyanswered.com to learn more.

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This obstacle is really 2-in-1 – they’re so closely linked. You see, it’s been my experience in helping people achieve success that so many of them have neither a sense of the end game, of what success for them looks like, or  appropriate expectations.

How many times have I come across people who have said their dream is to not be working for a living, to have stacks of exotic holidays, the fast car and maybe the yacht…? Lots, so much so that I don’t believe in most cases they really want all this – it sounds like they’re replaying the blurb from the MLM company marketing material. What they want is represented by the holidays and yachts, fast cars & big houses… not necessarily the actual house/yacht/car.

An how many times have they said they’d like to achieve all this ‘within 6-12 months’? Yup, too often. The bit I didin’t mention is that they’ve got 1 hour a week to invest, and almost no starting capital to speak of. Amazing!

So, their brains know, deep down, that this is all so much BS, the end result often being some kind og disengagement at a deep level. This shows itself as procrastination, buying in to lots of systems, methods and courses, switching from 1 opportunity to another every few weeks and a sense of desperation about recruiting or selling…. sound familiar…?

It’s OK to just want a few $K per month, enough that a standard job is less of an issue – especially in the current climate when 650K people are losing their jobs every month in the USA. And it’s OK to be looking for things other than a fast car, yacht and big house.

I often have to spend a fair bit of time helping the individual client to get find their true outcomes and expectations, and then get comfortable with them, as they tend to be much less grand than your typical ‘guru’…

If you know any good coaches, seek one out and get some help getting really, honestly clear and focused about what outcomes you are looking for, no matter what your day job is or second income approach is.

Once you’ve got this sorted out, look at what money and time you can truly devote to this cause and only then, look to see how long it will take to achieve first, just 10% of your target (as well as your ‘day job’ income), and then 25% and so on – ask somebody with a good business background to challenge your thinking & figures. What ever answer you come up with, this is likely to be the shortest time it takes you to get to 100% of your desired outcome.

You may not initially like the answers you get – trust me, they’ll be a heck of a lot closer to reality that your previous ones.

Good luck!

Cheers

Martin

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