Ask Clients for Feedback on Their Experiences
Do you ask your clients to give feedback on their experience? This is incredibly effective, but few business owners send surveys to their clients. The truth is – business owners don’t want to take the time to ask for various reasons. It takes time to not only create surveys, it takes time to conduct them and collect the information. Then there is the challenge of implementing business models changes, if you like any of the ideas or suggestions provided. The difference between an everyday business and an extraordinary one is a client survey. I would highly suggest conducting a client survey because it can be a powerful transformation tool.
Listening to your clients and truly comprehending their needs is the most important factor when building a business that’s all-about-them. Your business is completely dependent on your clients and if you don’t make it all-about-them, it won‘t reach its true potential.
Here are a few websites that you can use to quickly and easily conduct surveys:
1. http://www.opinionpower.com – All our quick polls and surveys are free and available to your audience for 30 days.
2. http://www.surveymonkey.com – SurveyMonkey has a single purpose: to enable anyone to create professional online surveys quickly and easily.
How do you transform your business to put clients first? How do you take an existing business that’s all-about-them, to the next level?
Leverage Assessments to Find the ‘Right’ People
For as long as people have sought to commercialize their resources, so has there been an interest in improving productivity. This is the only logical way to build an organization, if you want to grow and have an organization. After all, an organization is not made up of a multitude of independent parts. Every part must work in complete harmony in order for the organization to function efficiently.
When a company employs workers it is not meant to take the place of a democratic government. These employees are paid for their services and actually volunteer themselves to be used as functioning parts of a successful organization. Entrepreneurs and company heads want to maximize their profits and get the optimal performance from each and every employee.
The DISC assessment is one of the most popular forms of psychometric analysis. This system teaches that there are four quadrant behavior models of human behavior that are of primary importance in the workplace. They are Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness. Besides the DISC assessment test, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Kolbe Index are other popular tools for work testing.
The goal of these types of assessment tests is not necessarily to discriminate against some personality types, or even to favor one personality over another for advancement. Rather, it is so management can learn these personality types and approach counseling and training on a more individual basis. Learning these systems can teach management personnel how to approach various personalities and the best way to mold them into a workable component of the organization. Leverage the resources available to you to help you be as successful as possible and use the skills and abilities of people that are inherent within them.
Make the Investment in YOU!
I’m sure you have heard and read lots about the importance of investing in yourself now so you are positioning yourself for the future business opportunities, and how when you invest in yourself now it positions you better than your competitors now and into the future. It is hard to consider for some with cash flow very tight; however, this is true. The more you can invest in yourself and your business right now, the better it positions you for getting business that you may not have gotten.
Make a list of all the professional and personal development things you can do, all the marketing opportunities there are for you to consider, etc. Put them in priority order of the ones that would have the biggest impact on your life, if you did it. Then review the list and make sure the priority order is correct. Determine the amount of the investment and the time it would take you to do it or implement it next to each item. Remember, if you could only do one thing on the list, you want it to be the one thing that puts you in the highest probability position to have the biggest effect on you achieving your goals. Then begin. Do the first one first. Then the next one. You may have to finance these opportunities on a credit card and pay them off little by little, and that is okay.
Investing in yourself while others aren’t is better for you. Consider the impact to your business and begin with the most important thing on your list today.
Is your revenue and profit up compared to last year?
In working with one of my clients today, he mentioned to me that his revenue as of the end of April is up 25% over last year at the same time. His company profits are up 240%.
The financial situation last year at this time was not as bad as it was at the end of the year, as you may recall. This is just another example of someone who is focused and works on their highest payoff activities in order to put himself in the highest probability position to achieve his goals. He did mention to me that the one idea I pushed a little hard on last year was one of the main reasons that their business is doing so well now. It was his execution of this idea that created his success.
Sometimes things may not happen as quickly as you would like them to. Sometimes you have to plant a lot of seeds to reap the rewards. It is the continual planting of the seeds that will set you above the rest. There are still so many people whining and moaning and doing nothing. Those who are planting the seeds are the ones making things happen – now and into the future. Keep planting those seeds and they will grow. Do it today, and every day.
Review the educational tele-seminar topics and choose those that you think would be of the most value for you and help you focus on your highest payoff activities so you can achieve your goals. Listen to them over and over again. Complete the exercises and reap the rewards. http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/bw/resources_teleseminars.php
“Show up ready to be no place else” – Max Dixon
This is a great quote by Max Dixon! When you think about it, what does it mean to you? Show up ready to be no place else….
When you are talking with a client or a prospect are you thinking ahead of the conversation about what you are going to say next?
When you are talking with anyone, are you thinking about something else other than what that person is saying to you right in the moment?
Are you watching other things going on around you instead of listening to someone – in person or on the phone?
When you ‘show up’ are you as prepared as you need to be to be in the highest probability position to achieve the goal you have set?
How is your ‘way of being’ when you are communication to someone or a group of people? Can they sense from your non-verbals or your tone that you aren’t focused on the task at hand?
How would showing up, in everything that you do, like you are ready to be no place else impact your success – professional and personal?
What does this quote mean to you in your life? How will you implement the concepts in you life? Try it today and see how applying this concept positively impacts you. Enjoy!
10 Tips to Break Bad Habits – So you Can Achieve Your Goals
Bad habits can be difficult to break. Bad habits are a repetitive form of behavior that becomes so enmeshed in your psyche, they quickly become instinctual and involuntary.
Each year people spend thousands of hours and dollars attempting to break free of a pattern of bad behavior, but the majority fails.
Why?
Because there is no magical solution. Breaking a bad habit requires hard work and there are no shortcuts.
To effectively change a bad habit, you need to firstly recognize that the habit exists, and then make a conscious decision to overcome it.
10 Step Action Plan to Break Bad Habits
1. Affirm Your Conviction
If you don’t consider the price you pay for repeating the bad habit worthwhile, then it’s likely you won’t break the habit.
Be honest with yourself and take into account not only how the habit impacts on your life, but also how it impacts on those around you.
Make a decisive choice to become a better human being by breaking the repetitive behavior.
2. Focus on the Benefits
Make a list of all the positive changes that will occur once you have broken the bad habit. Include the improved health factors, the opportunity to improve your personal relationships, or the emotional benefits.
Refer to this list every time you believe your resolve is under threat.
3. Take Action
The time to start your new behavioral pattern is NOW. The right opportunity is NOT going to present itself in a few days or at the start of a new week.
Once you have resolved to change the bad habit, put your action plan into top gear straight away.
4. No Excuses!
Provide yourself with a safe haven in which to activate your plan for change. As an example, if you decide to give up smoking, get rid of any leftover cigarette packets, remove ashtrays, lighters, matches or anything else that reminds you of smoking.
Bad habits are often triggered by stressful situations, so work on a plan of attack to counter your lowered resistance during times of stress.
5. Plot your Progress
Take note of your daily/weekly/monthly progress in your diary or on a calendar in full view. Nothing is an inspirational as seeing how far you’ve come and what it would cost if you had to begin the process all over again.
6. Maintain Motivation
After the initial novelty of making a life altering change begins, boredom can set in. Continually challenge yourself to stay on target, and focus on the good things you will achieve once you’ve broken the back of your bad habit.
If necessary, practice a daily affirmation like “Every day in every way I am becoming a better person.”
7. Set Up a Support Structure
Keeping your action plan to yourself is a great excuse if you fail. You figure: “Nobody knows about what you I’m aiming to achieve, therefore nobody will know when I fail.”
Tell your friends, colleagues and family about what you are proposing to do and enlist their support and encouragement.
They can often foresee your trigger points or notice your behavior slipping into dangerous territory. Their feedback may not always be welcome, but their support will keep you accountable.
8. Falling Off The Wagon
Failure only turns into reality when you stop trying. Don’t allow one small slip up to be reason enough for failure. Accept that your action plan had a slight “bump” and then get straight back on the wagon and continue the journey.
9. Acknowledge and Reward Yourself
Daily or weekly achievements are an acknowledgment of your success. Take the time to stop, think and give yourself a pat on the back in acknowledgment of how far you’ve come.
Reward yourself. Let’s say you’ve gone an entire month without eating one junk food meal; so it’s time to congratulate yourself by taking in a movie, or going to the park to play with the kids. Better still, go to the park and do a 20 minute brisk walk!
10. Maintain Your Focus
Bad habits can take years to develop into subconscious behaviors. So it’s unrealistic to expect that after one or two months of altering your behavioral pattern, those bad habits will be eliminated altogether.
Be aware that it’s easy to re-establish old, practiced forms of behavior.
When you feel your resolve slipping, recount the journey you’ve been on to get to where you are now and focus on all the positive changes you’ve made.
Remember: bad habits may be hard to break, but new habits can transform your life.
Go to www.AccountabilityCoach.com and review the resources available to help you apply new habits so you can achieve your goals.
Do you have a written, comprehensive game plan so you achieve your goals?
Do you have a game plan for how you will achieve your goals and ultimately fulfill what is truly important to you? I find it very interesting that many people don’t have a game plan for how they will get from where they are now to where they want to be. Some might have a business plan that they create or update every year but then never look at it during the year to know if they are on track or off track. At the end of the year they got lucky and hit their goals or they wonder why they didn’t achieve their goals.
It seems that many people don’t have a clear idea of how much money they need to live their current lifestyle, pay their taxes, and fund their future (so they have what they want to have by the time they would like to retire or experience financial independence). Everything seems to be a guess based on what they think would be nice to make in a year and no game plan to achieve it or even know if they do achieve it, will it be the right amount of money to help them be on the path to achieving their goals.
If you don’t have a written game plan so you know what you need to do every day to be on the path of achieving your goals, you need one!
Begin with the end in mind as Stephen Covey would say. How much money would you want to have (not need necessarily) per month or per year to be financially independent or be retired? This doesn’t mean you have to stop working but if you did, you would have all the money you want to live the kind of life you want.
When would you want to be financially independent or retired? List a specific month, day, and year.
How much money would you then need to ensure that you generate the money you want at that time? A general rule of thumb might be for every $50,000 of net money you would need $1 million. Another general observation is that many people spend more money when they aren’t working then when they are working. Think about it, you have more time to do more things that you want to do.
So how much money do you need to make each year to live your lifestyle, pay your taxes, and save for your financial independence or retirement so that you have this amount of money you want by the date you have set?
What do you have to do each day to help put yourself in the highest probability position to achieve your goals so you can achieve the number you have stated you want by the time you want?
If you are like me, in order to determine how much you need to make each year, you will need to hire a financial professional to help you. You can guess and maybe you start there. However, having a written, comprehensive, financial game plan so that you know what you need to do to achieve your goals is important for everyone.
If you don’t already have a Financial Advisor who you trust, get one to help you so you know you are on the right path to achieving your goals for the reasons that are important to you.
The Opportunities Are Out There – You Have to Find Them!
A friend of mine was laid off at the end of last year. She was obviously very upset and concerned how she would make ends meet if she couldn’t get another job within 6 months. She had her ‘poor me’ pity party and after about 30 days, put her ‘big girl pants’ on and got focused. She found some consulting work and just got hired for a job that is paying her $13,000 per month. WOW! This is more money than she has ever made in her career. When times are tough, things are still very possible.
This is just one more example of people out there doing well and making money. I know people are getting raises at work, entrepreneurs who are having a better year, this year, than they did the first part of last year in their business.
Yes, some companies are trimming the ‘fat.’ In many cases this was necessary – it was ‘fat.’
When I look around, I still see people drinking their (what I call) expensive Starbucks coffees, taking vacations, and living their life.
What do you have to do to get even more laser Focused on the high pay-off activities that will put you in the highest probability position to achieve your goals for this year? What do you have to do to enhance your belief in yourself and what you can truly achieve this year? How much better do you have to get at time management and honoring your calendar? Don’t be part of the people who are ‘getting ready to get ready’. Get focused and get busy. You have lots of opportunities when you get focused and believe. You can do anything you set your mind to achieving.
Specific Ideas to Keep You Focused so You Can Achieve Your Goals, in Any Economy
This tele-seminar is for Financial Professionals and Entrepreneurs and discusses basic concepts that all successful people apply to achieve their goals:
- Why it’s a great time to be a Financial Professional and how to capitalize on it to achieve your goals.
- Define Your Highest Payoff Activities
- The Power of Focus, Belief, and Confidence
- Effective Calendaring / Time Management
- Minimize Distractions and Time Wasters so you can Improve Efficiency
- Your Next Actions
Download your FREE copy today!
http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/bw/AchieveGoalsInterviewOrder.php
How good are you at staying focused on the activities required to achieve your goals?
I found out that a women’s publication was looking for a financial expert to talk to about doing some question answering on financial issues for women. Because I know a woman who is in the financial area, I forwarded her the ‘opportunity’ to respond if she was interested.
I received what I thought was the perfect response back. She said, “Thanks, Anne! I’m worried it would be a bit distracting from my goals.” She then mentioned that she wants to stay focused only on those activities that support her achieving her goals in the timeframe she has set. How many people would think about the opportunity of obtaining more national recognition which may not lead you to the achievement of their goals? I think most would jump at the chance. Let’s say you got chosen. How much time would you have to spend responding to general financial questions for people all over the country? How much time does that take away from serving your current clients and helping them achieve their goals, and how does that impact your goals?
I was very impressed with this and had to share it with you. How focused are you on doing the activities required to achieve your goals? How easily are you distracted? What is the effect of those distractions on your goal achievement? What has to happen for you to be this laser focused so you can achieve all you goals in the timeframe you have set – professional and personal?
