Who are your dream clients?

No really, who exactly do you dream about doing business with?  Who will make the biggest impact on your top and bottom line, and who will make the biggest impact on your life?  What do these clients businesses, lifestyles and investing habits look like? 

Some experts claim your list should be 25 people or companies, some 50 and some 100 people or companies.   It really all depends on your sales cycle, industry and the number of clients you are capable of supporting.

For arguments sake, let’s assume you know the exact description of what your dream client looks like, and let’s assume you even possess their contact information (which you must).  Now what?  Now here's the absolute most critical series of questions period:

• What common ground or relationships do you have?
  
• Why exactly should they take your phone call, read your email, or accept your LinkedIn request?
  
• What exactly is in it for them?  And I don’t mean your marketing departments list of company or product and service features.
  
• How will you save them time?  Specifically, how much time, where’s it coming from and why?
  
• How will you save the money?  You must know exactly where the savings are coming from and have concrete results and testimonials to back it up.
  
• How will you save them aggravation?  What sources of stress are you going to cut out?  Can you prove it?

Once you have exact answers to these questions, you can focus on meeting them and building a winning relationship.  Until you have them answered though, the relationship is all about you and your pompous platitudes.  I’m sure those are wonderful, but they don’t support your clients or you long-term.

So, who are your dream clients and why should they become your clients.  Answer those questions and you set yourself and your dream client up to win.

Forgive my rant, but I’ve run into a rash of entrepreneurs lately who want it all yet aren’t putting the necessary effort in.  It got me thinking about entrepreneurship, parenting, athletics, really anything worth anything in life.

Let’s say you’re in your local electronics superstore and you see a television you really want.  The only way to take it home is to pay the price, and the only way to pay the price and take it home is to earn money by paying the price in your profession.

That doesn’t mean waking up at 7 am after hitting your alarm 4 times, daydreaming 80% of the day about what you wish you were doing, spending an hour with friends at lunch or the coffee shop instead of clients and prospects, going home at 5pm, and it certainly doesn’t mean hanging out in front of the TV eating Cheeto’s and surfing the internet for meaningless nonsense.

If that’s the price you’re paying, you’re getting everything out of life you’re asking for – nothing; failure at your job, in your personal life, and your health.  Life will pay you any price you pay it. 

So, if you want real success on your terms with your health, your happiness, your relationships, your business, your sales, and success as an entrepreneur then it’s time to start paying the price necessary.  Here’s your American Express Black Card plan for success (pardon the metaphor):

• Get up an hour earlier.  If 7 is your normal time, get up at 6
  
• No internet, no television
  
• Read something inspirational and uplifting for 15 minutes
  
• Get some form of exercise for 30 minutes 
  
• Review your goals – they’re written out, right?
  
• Eat a healthy breakfast, skip the pork fat
  
• Glance over the days schedule
  
• Get to your office before everyone if you have an office
  
• Schedule a coffee meeting or lunch meeting with any prospect or client – have a thank you game plan
  
• Spend 2 hours prospecting for business, a new hire, or whatever is the most pressing issue for you.  If you’re in sales it better be prospecting
  
• Take a ½ hour and hand write, no email, 5 thank you cards.  You’ll feel better, no one else is doing it, and whomever receives them will never forget your elegance and class
  
• Spend your day hustling with actions that drive you towards your goals.  There’s no such thing as the 4-hour workweek if you want success no matter an author tells you
  
• When everyone else has quit for the day, make one more call, send one more email, review your successes for the day and reread your goals.
  
• Go home and commit that time wholly to your loved ones

Life will pay you any price you ask of it, but you must be willing to hustle, to work your butt off, and commit to do whatever it takes to make it happen.  Don’t be like the entrepreneurs I’ve run into lately.  Get everything you want out of life.  You deserve it. 

There’s perhaps no greater skill that will get you ahead in life further than, listening.  This presumes you’re asking the right questions of course, but for arguments sake let say you are.

I call it, practice not art, because to be an effective listener you must practice every day.  Sadly it’s a skill most people fail miserably.  Most are so focused on what they have to say or contribute that they fail to understand and relate to whoever is talking.  It’s completely disrespectful and self centered.

Yet, effective listening does so much for you.  It builds instant trust with others, because they can tell you are genuinely interested.  You gain valuable insights, knowledge, skills, love, and respect.  If you’re in sales effective listening reveals all the critical information necessary to build relationships, handle stalls and objections, and make deals happen.  If you’re a parent or in a relationship, listening builds bridges of trust, rapport and love.

So how do you become a better listener?  Practice these 7 strategies with every conversation and you will drastically improve your skills and your future.

1. Give them your undivided attention.  Put down the iphone, blackberry, cell phone, stop emailing, texting, and tweeting and pay attention.
   
2. Look them in the eye
   
3. Listen to understand and empathize, so you can put things in your own words
   
4. Repeat back to them key points for clarification
   
5. If you have something to contribute or ask, write it down so you don’t forget.  But do not interrupt their train of thought
   
6. Take notes, nod, acknowledge them
   
7. When they’re done talking engage them with questions and your own insights
   

Follow these 7 strategies, and you’ll open up a world of respect, cause your success to happen easier, and build a more fulfilling future filled with rich and deep relationships and greater knowledge.

Ever hear the expression; “I’m a jack of all trades”?  I cringe whenever I hear someone bragging about knowing everything.  It’s obvious they’re not committed to excellence.

Being the jack of all trades is precisely the problem with the way most people attack their professions.  They feel as though they have to know everything about everything related to their job.  What ends up happening is that they become their own worst enemy.  They are good at lots of things but have mastered none, and therefore never come close to reaching their full earnings or happiness potential.  These people do 10,000 things 10 times.

On the other hand, the most highly successful people in any profession master the fundamentals.  They focus their attention on doing the dozen or so core fundamentals 10,000 times.  They master the core of their vocation that makes them exceed what would be considered the peak for most.

The best strategy for you is to go out and study the most successful leaders in your chosen field, and find out exactly what they are continually focusing on and mastering.  There’s usually between 10 and 20 core strategies that, when mastered, sky-rocket their results. 

The best part of is, their success is completely duplicatable.  Learn from their mistakes.  Learn their success strategies.  Cut down the learning curve.  Master what they continue focus on day-in and day-out. 

Michael Jordan said it best when he talked about mastering the fundamentals being the secret to his success.  Dribbling the ball on every square foot of the court, shooting tens of thousands of free throws, lay-ups, and jump shot from the exact spot every time.  Everything begins with the fundamentals and branches out from there.

I don’t purport to be an expert on many topics, but one area where I’ve absolutely mastered my life (by copying other successful people), is mastering my work life balance.

Do you plug in at home, or unplug?  For most, the line between work and personal life is completely obscured.  In fact, there is no line.  They simply blend together. 

The problem is when your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, etc. is texting and/or calling you all day long, you’re not fully engaged and committed to work.  You can’t give your all and function at peak performance levels.  It adds an entire layer of stress and anxiety to your already full plate.  The same holds true for personal time.  If you are constantly answering work calls, emails and texts, you’re destroying the time you need most to recharge your batteries.  Worse, you may be destroying valuable personal relationships.

So here’s a 10 point strategy to redraw the line and establish an effective work/life balance:

1. Define exactly what you want your professional and personal lives to look like – set your boundaries
   
2. Make it clear to everyone from your personal life, that when you are at work you are at work and not to be disturbed unless it’s an absolute emergency
   
3. Make it clear to everyone in your personal life that when you are at home, you will unplug unless it’s an absolute emergency
   
4. Hold a meeting with your key work colleagues and define the boundaries with them.  They will respect you more for your honesty.  And since we’re being honest, how many of those afterhours calls and emails could really wait until the next day anyway?
   
5. Also commit to everyone at work that you are there to work and you expect the same from them
   
6. If you have a specific commitment, make it clear in advance to those who need to know.
   
7. When you get home, shut off, or at a minimum, put your cell phone and computer in another room for all meals and connection time.  If I have to define connection time, then there’s a bigger issue present!
   
8. If you’re bound by a deadline or absolutely must engage a prospect or client afterhours, then schedule a block of time and separate you from everyone else.  You don’t want to disrupt them.
   
9. Create a game plan for your personal life of fun activities that you will commit too with loved ones.  Schedule them.
   
10. When you’re at work, schedule any personal activities for break or down times.

Image is everything, and how you present yourself paints that picture.  The best part is you can be your own Picasso. 

I don’t simply mean the clothes you wear.  It’s the whole package that makes up your image:  your professional attire, your business packaging, your social media contributions, and your reputation.  If any of these are out of place or incongruent, you image is in need of a makeover.

Here are 8 steps to creating a successful image:

1. Wear professional attire appropriate to career one level up, i.e., dress for the job you want.  You’ll perform better, be perceived better, and flat out feel better about yourself.
   
2. When you’re not working, still dress better than the norm.  You never know who you’ll meet.
   
3. Polish your shoes regularly. It speaks volumes about you.
   
4. Update your business packaging to reflect and benefit who your real customers are.  Your website, brochures, business cards (if you still use them), and your advertising must deliver a cohesive message that focuses on what’s in it for your customers – not how wonderful you are.
   
5. All your social media accounts need to be linked
   
6. Your LinkedIn profile and photo, should match that of your company website, personal website (if applicable), blog, facebook fan page, and twitter account.  When there’s incongruence, people sense it right away and lose confidence.
   
7. Deliver value messages to your target audience.  Stop spamming everyone with buy now offers.
   
8. Clean up your personal accounts.  If you insist on showing drunken, or inappropriate photo’s and posts, then set your privacy filters with restricted access.  But then again, how professional are you if the message you’re sending your network in private is not G-rated?  That will ultimately transfer to your work life and negatively affect you.  Clean it up.
   

These steps may seem simple, but take a look around.  You’ll find incongruence everywhere you look.  Use every advantage you have.  Image is everything, and you control yours.  What your customer sees, your family and friends and your colleagues is a direct reflection of your level of success.  Control your image and you start taking control of your destiny.

Do you have a weekly sales kick off meeting? 

I don't mean an elaborate over-the-top production, but rather a structured uplifting meeting that focuses on your teams goals for the week and celebrates victories from the past week?

It doesn't matter if you’re working for yourself or your sales team numbers in the hundreds or thousands.  Every team is broken down into divisions, so you can easily manage the process.

It's one thing to set goals for the year, quarter and ultimately the month as company.  It's an entirely different animal altogether to drill down even further and breakdown by the weeks and days.  Anyone can check in once a month and either praise or punish performance, but real leaders, real sales superstars need constant reinforcement and feedback.

They need to feel apart of something bigger than themselves. They need recognition on a regular basis, and the really competitive ones need effective coaching when they're not firing on all cylinders. 

Those not meeting expectations need consistent coaching and feedback, and it’s better to address specifics immediately rather than once a month.  And for these team members not performing, being apart of an upbeat environment surrounded by those who are winning, may be all the advantage they need.

Here are the 4 essential steps to structure a simple, yet effective weekly kick-off meeting:

1.      Schedule the start and stop time for every Monday morning
2.      Keep the meetings short, less than 20 minutes
3.      Have a set agenda (my recommendation):
         a.       Set the tone - play upbeat & inspirational music
         b.      Stretch & get your team movingReview & celebrate last week's successes
         c.       Share successful strategies
         d.      Give rewards if applicable
         e.       Go over this week's expectations
         f.       Congratulate & thank everyone - even the under performers
4.      When the meeting is over email all team members a follow up & thank them again

If your team is spread out throughout the globe you can still meet in smaller groups or via web conference. Technology today takes away that excuse.

Start your Mondays off on the right foot.  Set the positive success mood for your sales team and company for the week and the future.  You will be rewarded with greater sales, a tighter cohesive team, more loyal employees, happier clients and lest we all forget, bigger bottom line profits.   

If you really want 2012 to be your best year ever, you must ask yourself this question.  What am I absolutely committed to doing differently this year from last year to achieve my goals and make 2012 the best year of my life so far?

Forget worthless resolutions and empty New Year’s promises to yourself.  I mean, with deep sincerity, what behaviors and actions are you willing and capable of changing to make this happen?  All of us are capable and have the ability to achieve great things, but very few make the commitment to do so.

Start by asking yourself exactly what you want and why you want it.  When do you want to accomplish it by?  What must I do differently?  Who must I become to set myself up for massive successes?

It’s not who you are as a person.  It’s who you must become, what behaviors support your goals, and what type of person achieves the goals you’re after.  

Commit to being this person every single day.  Read and re-read these attributes every single day.  Vince Lombardi said it best; “Practice doesn’t make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.” 

Perfect practicing the person you must become to achieve your goals, and you will be infinitely closer and on a far easier path to achievement.  Don’t be guilty of insanity.  Choose and take action on a different path. 

What are your new year’s resolutions?  Actually, who cares?  New Year’s resolutions are a waste of time, and are fruitless.

How many times have you vowed to go to the gym everyday and get in shape, make more money, get out of a destructive relationship, or in a positive and loving one for that matter?  

New Year’s resolutions don’t work because they are hollow.  Sure people have the best of intentions, but they have no structured plan and no emotional drive behind their desires.  Worst of all they set themselves up to fail by setting ridiculous resolutions based on the pressure of the moment and fueled by alcohol.

The best approach would have been to already sit down and outlined exact results you want, why you want them, and a solid plan to go out and achieve.  If you haven’t done that make it an absolute must on your schedule and add the following 12 commitments for the New Year:

1. Get up 1 hour earlier every day, and read something positive or that will improve your life
   
2. Get some form of exercise every day, even if it’s just walk around the block and up and down the stairs at lunch time
   
3. Sign up for a one seminar or class per quarter to engage your profession deeper
   
4. Volunteer in your community a couple times throughout the year.  Your soul will thank you.
   
5. Find 5 customers you’ve ticked off and make peace – bring them referrals and business.
   
6. Commit to making 100 new contacts within the next 30 days or whatever number makes sense for your business
   
7. Cut out the junk food during the week and put the right fuel in the tank, so you have the reserves to achieve your dreams. It’ll also help with that whole “I’m going to lose 10 pounds” goal.
   
8. Have coffee or lunch every day with a different prospect.
   
9. Finally start using LinkedIn the way you know you should be.  It’s an unbelievable business resource and tool.
   
10. Post, read and visualize your goals at a minimum every week if not every day.
    
11. Practice technology etiquette – stop texting when talking, stop taking calls during meetings, stop surfing online when you’re talking on the phone.  Simply put, pay attention and give your undivided attention.  So few do.
    
12. And lastly, reward yourself for accomplishments.  Otherwise, what’s the point?
    

Resolutions are ridiculous, so don’t waste your time.  Commit to a real plan, and the 12 commitments listed here.  Your life will skyrocket. 

Many of the communications you receive this time of year are Holiday greetings filled with discounted offers to buy.

This is not.  Rather, it’s my wish for you – a wish of hope, love, thanks and gratitude.  There is so much wrong in the world, and yet there is so much more that is right, otherwise there would be nothing left.

I’m truly grateful to be connected to you, in a relationship with you – even though we may have never met in person, and grateful that we have the privilege to positively impact others through our personal and professional lives.  I’m so grateful that we have opportunities that most don’t, and hopeful that we can create similar opportunities for those less fortunate.

Thank you for the opportunity to grow our professional and personal lives together.  Thank you for spreading your message and positively impacting others.

I always reflect this time of year, and give thanks and gratitude for everything in my life.  I invite you to do the same.

• What and who are you truly grateful for?
• What opportunities and challenges are present that you’re grateful for?
• Who do you love, and who is truly special to you?
• How can you show your love, appreciation and gratitude to affect others?
• What can you give of yourself to help those less fortunate?
• Who sacrificed for you?

Answer these questions and you will understand the spirit of the season, and really set yourself up for success.  It’s about what you give, who you become, and what impact you create – not what you expect to get.  That’s where your real success is.

For those of you who celebrate, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  For those of you who don’t, Happy Holidays.