The Power Of Video

Tags

Business Coaching, business planning, Coaching, coaching coaches, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Drums, Entrepreneur, goal setting, Goals, Hypnosis, Motivation, Networking, NLP, planning, Referrals, Sales, Sales Calls, sales process, success

I recently asked a former client (Mark Smith) to share his thoughts on the 12 Month Coaching Programme that we went through together. Mark was my perfect client – motivated and committed to making the changes he needed to achieve his goals and we had a great 12 months working together.

I asked him to do a video testimonial as I wanted to put a face to a testimonial for a change. I want people visiting my blog to see a real person telling them about what I do and how it works. A big thanks to Mark for taking the time to record his thoughts

This is what Mark had to say.

Have a great day.

Angus

Falling Off A Bicycle Is Like Running A Business

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bicycle riding, Business Coaching, business planning, Coaching, coaching coaches, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur, goal setting, Goals, Motivation, NLP

No – I haven’t gone crazy. Falling off a bicycle is like running a business. There is a little story behind this statement, so have a read and let me know what you think.

A week ago I went for a bicycle ride and picnic with my daughter. After 1 1/2hrs of riding and picnicking we got back to the village recreation ground and my daughter wanted to try the bike park. There is a little obstacle course with ramps, half pipes and a balance bar (like a seesaw but without handles). My daughter asked me, “can you do it dad?” I thought about my age and mortality for a second and then decided, “I can if I try”. So I did! And it hurt – a lot!

I have to admit that some parts took more than one attempt: the balance bar (seesaw) took 3 attempts, the half pipe took 2 and the table top took 2 attempts. I fell over a few times, I pulled the muscles in my upper back and I squashed my ankle so badly it was blue in minutes. I was battered and bruised but it was so worth it. It was fun. The pain was the pain of achievement! I had learnt what I was doing wrong and then got it right. I also learnt that a mountain bike really is not designed for a bike park.

The whole process got me thinking about how some of the basic life lessons that we teach our children also apply to running a business.

• Self Belief and Motivation – you sometimes just have to go for it and learn as you go. Avoid analysis paralysis – create a plan and then go for it. Self Belief will take you a long way. Motivation will keep you going. Cultivate a healthy level of Self Belief and Motivation.

• Keep Learning and Keep Trying – if you don’t get it right first time then you have learnt how not to do it. Every time we get something wrong we get closer to getting it right. Its not failure – Its feedback.

• Tell Someone Who Cares – if you tell someone who cares then you are less likely to give up and you will have their support when times get tough. When I fell and hurt my ankle I couldn’t even stand on it for 5mins but I knew what I had done wrong and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. My daughter told me I was crazy but cheered me on when I got back on my bike and got it right! I held myself accountable and I had her support. It was also a good example and a valuable lesson for her.

• Push Through The Pain – life and business can be tough physically and emotionally and there are times when you just have to push through the pain and keep going. Know your limits and then push them. Remind yourself why you are in business for yourself and you will find you have the strength to endure the tough times. For me its about having the flexibility to have more time with those I care about. Get the balance right and the gain will outweigh any of the pain.

• Have Fun – you must enjoy what you do in business and in life or it will grind you down. My 1st objective each day is to have an awesome day. My 2nd  objective is to do whatever it takes to achieve number 1. I teach my kids to win and to have fun doing it. Winning is great but without a bit of fun in your life and business then winning wont carry the joy it should. Approach everyday with passion and a sense of fun and you will enjoy what you do, inspire your clients and attract more prospects to you.

If you run a business it is important to remember why you are doing it, learn from what you do wrong and what you get right and keep focused and motivated. Its like falling off a bike. You have to have the motivation and desire to get back on and try again until you get it right. When you are in flow there is no feeling like it in the world.

Have a great day.

Angus

Coaches Need Coaches Too!

Tags

Business Coaching, business planning, Calls, Coaching, coaching coaches, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Entrepreneur, goal setting, Goals, Jim Rohn, Motivation, Networking, NLP, planning, Referrals, Sales, Sales Calls, sales process, success

Every coach should have a coach if they want to succeed! I have a coach and I have coached many coaches over the last few years. Coaches who were great at helping their clients get the results they need but not so good at making a living from coaching. The reasons tend to be the same – they need help with what I call the Business Essentials.

Some of the basics that need to be covered in any coaching business are:

• Clear Message – have a clear and concise message. Many coaches try to be all things to everyone they meet. You need to have a good answer when someone asks you what you do and you need to get it across quickly. I recommend you have a niche and know how to pitch to them – across social media and face to face. If you can’t explain your offering and how to buy it in four points then you are overly complicating it. Keep it simple and interesting and people will want to know more.

• Business Plan – without a plan you are guaranteed to struggle. Keep it simple. A one page plan is a good place to start. Make sure you answer all the questions you need to in that one page and you will know where your business is going and what you need to do to get there.

•  Marketing Plan – you need a marketing plan to succeed. Coaches who want to be successful need to create a plan and work it consistently. Something simple is what I recommend. If it is longer than one A4 page then you are going into too much detail. It should cover online media, networking, referrals, direct marketing, newsletters and advertising. Focus on where your target market “hangs out” – online and off. Remember that action gets results and massive action gets massive results.

• Financials – always be on top of your incomings and outgoings. Have a simple schedule to invoice and a procedure to follow up with anyone who pays late. I personally ask all my clients to set up their retainer payments by Standing Order payable at the beginning of the month. Charge fees that reflect the actual cost of doing business. The money you charge for one hour actually pays for the many hours you put into the client including your preparation time and follow up time.

• Time Management – manage your time or it will manage you. If you are not getting the results you want then go back to basics. Have a prioritised To Do List, SMART 90 day goals and make sure you manage your interruptions. I recommend the Spinning Plates Process. It’s a great process to get your business and life under your control. Create a weekly schedule that includes all the key results areas in your business and then stick to the plan until you start seeing the results.

Running a successful coaching business is not easy but it can be simple. Focus on the Business Essentials and make sure you have someone to hold you to account and you will get the results you deserve. Get yourself a coach!

For an introductory Coaching Session follow the short link http://bit.ly/bLrhrM

Have a great day.

Angus

(Originally posted on http://www.coachingconfidence.co.uk/coaches-need-coaches-too/)

Growing A Business Is Like Losing Weight

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Business Coaching, business planning, Calls, Coaching, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Entrepreneur, goal setting, Goals, Jim Rohn, lose weight, losing weight, Motivation, Networking, NLP, planning, Referrals, Sales, Sales Calls, sales process, success, weight loss

I have lost 23kg, reduced my waistline by 22cm, taken my body fat from 26.5% to 9.7%, have visible abs for the first time in 15yrs and have not visited a gym once. I did it by using my business coaching principals to create a system and a plan that works.

I get asked all the time how I did it. When I tell people how, they tend to fall into one of two categories – 1) “I could do that”, and 2) “I could never do that”. When they find out that it takes consistent effort, motivation and clear goals most people lose interest. What they forget is that it takes time to get overweight and unfit. Obviously it will take time and effort to get fit and healthy. They want to lose weight but won’t put in the effort required.

Running a business is the same. Growing a successful business takes a plan and a system that works. You need clear goals, motivation and focus and you must apply yourself consistently. This applies to all businesses – from those just starting up to those that have been around for years.

As Jim Rohn said: Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn’t going to get the job done.

 A great place to start is with the basics. If you are not happy with the state of your business then you should think about the following:

• Goals – have clear and concise goals. This is critical – know what you are aiming for and put in place action steps to help you get there.
• Research – know what you have to do to achieve your goals, who you should target and where they “hang out”.
• Planning – plan the actions you need to take to achieve your goals. Having a strategy means you are planning for success. As the saying goes: Failing to plan is planning to fail.
• Sales Process – Know who you have to talk to, what you need to say and how to say it. Have a step by step plan and work it.
• Motivation – find what motivates you and focus on that. Motivation will keep you going when times get tough. Real motivation is the difference that will make the difference.
• Action – Take action! Action leads to results. It’s simple.

Many business owners want to know what they can do to grow their business into a profit making machine but when I say the first step is to book a free session with me some say, “I don’t have the time”. It blows my mind! If they can’t spend an hour finding out how to grow their business then it’s obvious why they are not happy with the way things are. You would think a free session is a no brainer. Book yours by dropping me a line:  Email Me

Growing a business is like losing weight! It takes goals, a plan, motivation and action every day.

Good luck.

Angus

Sticky Goals – Setting Goals And Sticking With Them

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Business Coaching, Calls, Coaching, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Entrepreneur, Goals, Jim Rohn, Motivation, Networking, NLP, Referrals, Sales, Sales Calls, success

Setting goals is easy but setting goals that you stick with can be a challenge.

As Jim Rohn said, “Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them.”

It is important to set goals you can stick to. These tips should help you set goals that you can and will achieve:

Setting Goals – Set realistic goals that challenge you but are achievable.

You cannot just set massive goals 5 years out and rely on the law of attraction to turn you into the next Richard Branson or Anita Roddick. The first thing to learn from all successful business people is that you need to start with realistic and achievable goals. Set goals that stretch you and make you work for them but the best Entrepreneurs started small and grew their businesses using achievable goals.

Think about where you want to be in 5 years time and set those goals. Then think about where you want to be in 1 year and set those goals. Once you have done that set your 3 month and 6 month goals – they are the goals that you need to achieve to reach your 1 year goals. They are your stepping stones to your medium and long term goals.

Make your goals:

• Specific and Stretching,
• Measurable and Motivational,
• Achievable and Action-Oriented,
• Realistic and Results-Oriented,
• Time-Based and Trackable

A quarter is a good period of time to measure results and track success so have goals that you can achieve over 3 months and you will find you stay on track and keep yourself motivated and focussed.

Motivation – What motivates you to reach your goals? Take some time to think about what will keep you motivated on the way to achieving your goals. Some people need to experience the pain of loss to motivate them while others use a clear image of success and achievement to keep them motivated.

When I wanted to shift some weight I used the negative and the positive to keep me motivated – I got clear on exactly what I didn’t like about my weight (negative) and got equally clear on exactly what I wanted to look like when I lost weight (positive). That means no matter what happened I was motivated to keep going. With the right motivation I lost 21kg and 21cm off my waist.

Reason Why – We all need a powerful reason to embark on the Entrepreneurial road and even more powerful reasons to keep us on the road to success when times get tough. Running a business can be a lonely experience and many people falter and end up back in full time employment.

To keep on track remind yourself of the Reason Why you do what you do. We all have our own reasons and they are what keep us going when times get tough. Write yours down and when you are having a bad day then pull them out and remind yourself WHY.

I have a client who carries his around in his wallet and every time he has a bad day or a tough meeting he pulls out his list and takes 30 seconds to remind himself that he works for himself so he can have the time and the things in his life that he wants.

Focus – Sticking to goals takes focus and commitment. Write your goals down somewhere you can look at them regularly. This will keep them firmly in your mind and allow your mind to come up with ways to achieve them. It will also keep your focus laser sharp and on target.

Action - Take action. Without activity your goals are just dreams. The secret is that you must take action if you are to realise your goals. Productive activity is necessary to achieving any business goal.

Achievement – Goals are designed to be achieved and enjoyed. Make sure you celebrate when you achieve your goals – you deserve it. No matter how big or small the goal is you should celebrate your achievement in some way. A sense of achievement is a powerful way to help you keep moving towards your next goal.

Reaching your goals takes clarity of mind, motivation, focus and track-ability. Set goals that stretch you, drive you, pull you and excite you and then with the right focus you will achieve them.

Good luck.

Angus

Networking For Coaches (and other people too)

Tags

Business Coaching, Calls, Coaching, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Entrepreneur, Goals, Jim Rohn, Networking, NLP, Referrals, Sales, Sales Calls

Over the last few years I have found networking to be a great way to get new coaching clients. During this time I have met a number of coaches while out networking. Some coaches were great at networking and I learnt a lot from them. Unfortunately, some were not as good and found networking was not working for them.

It is important to realise that Coaching is a business and must be approached like a business. Networking is a great client development tool for any business if it is done properly. I suggest my clients focus on a few key points that help them get the most from networking. They are:

• Your Niche: Have a clearly defined niche. Without a clear niche you cannot have a clear message. When you are out networking you need to have a clear message.

• Your Message: A common mistake is to dilute the message with too many offerings. When you go out networking you must have a clear message. Make it easy for people to understand exactly what you do.

Most coaches are multi-skilled and happy to work across many fields. The problem is that this becomes confusing when you try to explain what you do. Most people will not get a clear understanding of what you do if you tell them you are a Life Coach, Business Coach, Hypotherapist and NLP specialist.

Even if you do use all of your many skills when helping clients I suggest you pick a niche and message and stick to it. Networking works best when you have a clear message that people understand quickly and easily, so don’t confuse them with your list of skills.

• Business Cards: Make sure you only have one card that carries a clear message about you and your niche. I have met too many coaches who hand out multiple cards for multiple “Businesses” at networking meetings and it can harm your credibility.

• Be Professional And Organised: Make sure you come across as a business person. Coaching may be your passion but if you are out networking then you are talking to people who are there to make connections and do business. They want to talk to other professionals who are serious about doing business. Making friends with them may come later but if you want other networkers to refer you on then they must have confidence in you as a business person.

• Talk To People: Be friendly and open and make an effort to talk to people. As a Coach you are skilled at this part but a common mistake I have observed is that Coaches get talking to one person and get stuck. If you can, identify the people you want to speak to before you arrive and then target them. If you cannot do that then make sure you break rapport if necessary and move on. Talk to as many of the right people as you can. You don’t want to be seen to monopolise one person’s networking time so moving on will be good for both of you.

• Follow Up: Always follow up with people who express an interest in you or your services. Make sure you develop a professional and focussed system for following up and it will become a habit. It could be a letter, email or a call but make sure you connect with everyone who expresses an interest.

• Your USP: Have a Unique Selling Point clearly defined and put into a short simple message. This will come out of a combination of your niche and your strengths. What do you offer that is unique? With Six Billion people in the world the chances are your unique selling point is not that unique but make it something unique to you, your area or your particular offering. Don’t re-invent the wheel but have something interesting that will make people take notice and remember you.

• Have A Sales Ramp And A Sales Process: You are in business and if you want to do business then you need to have a Sales Process to take your clients through. Link it to a Sales Ramp that allows you to sell different products to different people, to up-sell when possible and catch people who are not ready for your top product. Multiple points of sale are a great way to form relationships that you can build on.

• Elevator Pitch: Create a 20 second pitch that answers the question: What do you do? Too many coaches I have met cannot answer that question in less than a minute or two. Create a short answer focussing on your niche and then practice it until it sounds natural.

• Your 60 Seconds: Have a 60 second speech and practise it until it sounds natural. It should include the following:
  • Name, Company and Location (if relevant)
  • What you do – your niche
  • Why should they come to you – your USP
  • Who you want to meet – be specific about the referrals you want
  • Make an offer or have an anecdote – something to ensure they remember you
  • Close with Name and Company

• Stay After The Meeting: Hang around and talk to people after the meeting. The primary purpose of networking meetings is to build relationships. Focus on building relationships by asking the right questions and listening to the answers. Remember that people love to talk about themselves so ask more than you tell. It is the relationships you build in the meetings and in the 1-2-1s that get you the referrals. People will only refer you if they like you, trust you and believe you have a worthwhile service.

• Debrief: Always debrief yourself after the event – what worked and what you can improve on. Networking is a learning experience so make sure you learn from your successes and mistakes. Pay attention to the networkers who stand out and model some of their behaviours and phrases.

I have worked with a number of coaches who came to me to help them get better results from networking. The points above have enabled them to focus on what they should be doing. Start with the basics, practice and the results will follow. Networking is an important tool for getting clients so get out there and network.

Have a great day.

Angus

PS First published last week as a guest post on http://www.coachingconfidence.co.uk/networking-for-coaches

7 Top Tips for Entrepreneurs

Tags

Business Coaching, Calls, Coaching, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Entrepreneur, Goals, Jim Rohn, Motivation, Networking, NLP, Referrals, Sales, Sales Calls, success

Many entrepreneurs share a common set of difficulties in their businesses – reasons why they hit a plateau in their business growth. They are great at the specialist “technical” aspects of their profession but they often struggle with business development and the daily business tasks involved in running a successful business. The more successful they become the bigger the problems they face.

Below are 7 points I recommend all Entrepreneurs focus on to help them grow their businesses with less stress.

1. Business Plan – take the time to create a proper business plan. It is time well spent as you think about your business grow in the medium to long-term and not just the short-term. It doesn’t have to be complicated but you should have a plan. Without a plan how can you know where you are going? Most High St Banks have free software that will help you create a plan.

2. Marketing Plan – create a structure marketing plan that lays out how you will take your brand and products to the market place. Be creative and think about everything from social media to traditional networking and word of mouth. Think about your target market, where they meet online and offline and how you can get in front of them with your message.

3. Sales Process and Sales Ramp – work out a sales process and develop a sales ramp with multiple price points. Consumers are looking for choice so give them more opportunities to buy and you also create opportunities to up-sell. People are now used to having more options so give them options to buy and have a sales ramp that takes them from the low-end products or services all the way to the high-end products or services.

4. Time Management – manage your time and not just your client time. Running a business is not just about seeing the client or doing your admin so you have so have a system to mange your time. Allocate time every day to working on growing business. Marketing is key here.

5. Joint Ventures – create joint ventures, associate and affiliate relationships with other businesses. Form alliances with like-minded people and promote each other. This is a win-win and will help you reach a wider audience.

6. Cash Flow – control your cash flow or it controls you. Know what is coming in, what is going out, who you owe and who owes you. Take time each month to plan ahead and check in at least once a week. Having control of your cash flow also relieves stress and allows you to focus on your work. It’s a great reminder to get out there and build your business and a great way to measure your financial goals.

7. Delegation – where possible delegate the tedious work so you can focus on your strengths. Don’t let your business growth stall because you do not like the business of running a business. It is a simple task now to hire in virtual staff who work remotely on an hourly basis. Your time is valuable so if you can then use someone else to fulfill the daily tasks so you can focus on business development. This should earn you more than you pay out.

Entrepreneurs are great “technicians” – they are experts in their chosen professions but often struggle to manage the grow of their business. This tends to become a problem as their business grows and they reach a plateau. Get these areas under control and you will grow your business with less stress.

(This is a revamped and updated version of a previous post. I had a number of requests to re-write this as a more general post. Hope it helps.)

Have a great day.

Angus

Top Tips For Making Great Sales Calls

Tags

Business Coaching, Calls, Coaching, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Goals, Jim Rohn, Motivation, Networking, NLP, Referrals, Sales, Sales Calls, success

Making calls is an important part of any business and as a business owner in a Small to Medium Size Enterprise you will be making some or all of those calls yourself. Having a system and getting it right is crucial if you want to get those important sales.

I have put together some Top Tips to help clients make sales calls:

1. Script – have a script and practice it until it sounds natural. Tweak it as you go until it feels and sounds just right.

2. Agenda – have a simple agenda you can follow during the call and stick to it as much as possible. Think of your call as a meeting and design an agenda to fit with your script and the goal for the call.

3. Practice – do as many practice calls as possible with someone who is willing to give you honest feedback. Someone in the same or a similar business as your target market would be ideal but if that is not possible them make it someone in business who is willing to give constructive feedback. Practice makes perfect so get in some practice.

4. State – get in the right state of mind before the call. Find something that works and use it to keep your mood up. Music, visualization or affirmations are popular among successful sales people. Having an upbeat state of mind during calls will make them easier and it will come through in the conversations you have. There is nothing worse than getting a sales call from someone who sounds miserable – so get your state right first.

5. Outcome – have a clear outcome. Set a clear goal for the call and structure the call to achieve it. Keep the goal simple and focus on selling the next step on your sales ramp. Only the next step!

6. Smile – when you make the call make sure you smile. This comes through in your voice. People can hear a smile over the phone and smiling helps you keep in the right state.

7. Analysis – stick to the plan but make sure you debrief yourself so you can tweak and improve your process. It is important to know what is working and what is not so tweak your script and process every day. If possible record your calls and use them to train yourself.

Sales calls can be daunting but if you follow these simple tips and you will make better calls and get better results.

Remember that every NO will get you closer to your YES so make that next call. Get your head down and keep going and you will get the sale or the new client.

(This is a revamped and updated version of an older blog post. I had enough requests for further info it seemed appropriate to post an expanded version.)

Have a great day.

Angus

7 Top Tips For Complementary Therapists

Tags

Business Coaching, Calls, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Complementary Therapy, Entrepreneur, Goals, Jim Rohn, Motivation, Networking, NLP, Referrals, Sales, success

I enjoy working with successful complementary therapists – helping them manage their time, implement marketing systems and grow their businesses. There seems to be common themes across the various types of practitioners – reasons why they have hit a plateau in their business growth.

Generally they are great at what they do but they do not always enjoy the business side of working for themselves – great at the technical aspects but they often struggle with the business development tasks. The more successful they become the bigger the problems they face.

I have put together a list of areas I recommend my clients focus on. These are true across all businesses but if you are a complementary therapist then these will help you grow your business with less stress.

1) Business Plan – take the time to create a proper business plan.  It is time well spent as you think about your business grow in the medium to long term and not just the short term.

2) Marketing Plan – create a structure marketing plan that lays out how you will take your brand and products to the market place. Be creative and think about everything from social media to traditional networking and word of mouth.

3) Sales – work out a sales process and develop a sales ramp with multiple price points. Consumers are looking for choice so give them more opportunities to buy and you also create opportunities to up-sell. People are now used to having more options so give them options to buy and have a sales ramp that takes them from the low end products or services all the way to the high end products or services.

4) Staffing – use staff or virtual staff to delegate the tedious work so you can focus on your strengths. Don’t let your business growth stall because you do not like the business of running a business. It is a simple task now to hire in virtual staff who work remotely on an hourly basis. Your time is valuable so if you use staff to fulfill the daily tasks you can focus on client/patient time which will earn you more than you pay out.

5) Joint Ventures – create joint ventures, associate and affiliate relationships with other businesses. Form alliances with like minded people and promote each other. This is a win-win and will help you reach a wider audience.

6) Time Management – manage your time and not just your patient or client time. Running a business is not just about seeing client or patients so have a system to mange your time – so you have time to grow and manage your business.

7) Cash Flow – control your cash flow or it controls you. Know what is coming in, what is going out, who you owe and who owes you. Take time each month to plan ahead and check in at least once a week. Having control of your cash flow also relieves stress and allows you to focus on your work. It’s a great reminder to get out there and build your business and a great way to measure your financial goals.

Complementary therapists are great “technicians” – they are experts in their chosen professions but often struggle to manage the grow of their business. This tends to become a problem as their business grows and the reach a plateau. Get these areas under control and you will grow your business with less stress.

Have a great day.

Angus

7 Top Tips To Get The Most From Referrals

Tags

Business Coaching, Calls, Coaching, Coaching Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneur, Goals, Jim Rohn, Motivation, Networking, NLP, Referrals, Sales, success

Getting referrals from clients and contacts is an important part of growing your business. Word of mouth marketing is even more important in this age of social media marketing and networking. Having a referral from a client or fan will get you past gate keepers and talking to the right person. It will have you part way down you sales process with minimal effort and improve your conversions.

I have put together 7 Top Tips to getting the most from referrals:

• Create a list of top referral sources: Put together a list of top 20 referral sources from your clients and fans. Take some time to create a list of people you can ask for referrals. Make sure they are believers in your product or service. Don’t worry if you think they may not give a referral – they could surprise you, especially if they like your product or service.

• Ask them for referrals: Contact them all and ask for referrals and testimonials. Call everyone on your list personally and ask them for a referral. You should be looking for at least one name from each of them that you can contact directly. When you ask for the referral make sure to also ask for a testimonial and get it onto your web site and into your marketing material.

• Follow up on your request: Follow up and make sure you get the referrals. If your client is busy then make sure you follow up. Most clients are happy to give referrals but sometimes need the extra reminder to get it done. Be friendly and push gently – but do push a little.

• Contact the referrals: Call the referrals as soon as possible. It is critical that you make the call as soon as possible and that you start building the new relationship. Remember when you make the initial contact that you are not trying to sell but rather to create a new connection. When you speak to the referral make sure to point them to your testimonials – especially the one you got from the person who referred them.

• Build relationships: Create a relationship and get them onto your sales ramp. Make sure you connect with everyone on your list and start to build a relationship with them – online and offline. Focus on building a relationship, adding value for them and getting them plugged into your process and onto your ramp. This is where your Sales Process and Sales Ramp are critical.

• Have a Sales Process: Have a clear Sales Process to take your new contacts through. A successful business relies on a successful Sales Process – get clear on the steps you will take you new contact through from initial call to initial purchase and beyond.

• Have a Sales Ramp: A Sales Process needs a Sales Ramp. You need a ramp to take your new contact up – from initial contact to intermediate product to premium product. Without a Sales Ramp you may get a high drop out rate so have multiple price points for your new contacts so they become new clients.

Take action, get those referrals flowing and turn the new contacts into new clients and fans. Remember it is a process so get going and start building those relationships.

Have a great day.

Angus