Blogging With Credibility

Stop the NOISE!

So many people have opinions they want to voice when crisis strikes close to home, at election time and ... well ... when everyone else is voicing their opinions.

Let's think about this for a moment.

• Say you openly share your personal political views with a potential client you've been wooing for months. Say your favourite party wins and then makes a mess of the system ... in the eyes of that potential client, who asks himself "What idiots voted this government in anyway?" ... and remembers you ... as the idiot? Or ... your party does NOT get in power and the party who does makes wise and prudent decisions and gains popularity ... and you change your opinion ... Unless you make a living from your political opinions, keep politics out of your personal brand!

• In times of personal crisis are you a completely rational person? Or later, when someone calls you on a bad decision you made, do you say "I was going through a crisis at the time."?People can build a solid reputation over a lifetime and completely destroy their credibility with half their audience in a paragraph.

King Solomon, the wisest king in history, left us these words:

• "A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness" Pr 12:23 and

• "He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." Pr 17:27-28

In a time when so many people have so many things to say, it's hard to hear what's right. Here's what we do know:

• The sun will rise tomorrow.
• This too shall pass.
• People's words - written and spoken - are permanent. They will either be judged as fools or considered right.
• Those who do not panic and offer advice and opinions but forge ahead, keeping their lives and businesses credible and useful will be recognized, respected and trusted.

Please, if you have opinions you are compelled to share:

1. Look at your vision and mission statements.
2. Review your values.
3. Make sure that everything you say reflects these things.
   

• If it doesn't it is not in the best interests of you or your organization to express these opinions.
• If it will not help to better establish your brand and there's a possibility of hurting your brand, don't do it.

Write your opinions in a journal which you can publish years from now ... if it turns out your opinions proved correct. In the meantime, stay grounded, stay on purpose, know yourself and be your brand.

Getting Organized (a.k.a. Becoming an "ORG NINJA"!)

I am a fan of organized people. They amaze and confound me. They make being organized look so effortless and logical, yet my reality is just so not that.

I know I'm not alone.

Because of people like me, there's a whole "organizing" industry. There's even a professional non-profit association of organizers in Canada where you can actually find someone to help you get organized! I kid you not! Go to www.organizersincanada.com for more information.

I HAVE been very organized ... at different times ... in one or two areas of life ... while everything else fell apart.

Organizing is actually my favourite avoidance technique. I give the illusion of being very busy and productive, while preventing myself from tackling something extremely important and difficult. I've come to terms with this habit. When the energy is there I go with it. At least I'm getting my most non-favourite task of filing out of the way.

When I get going, I'm very good at filing. So why can't I STAY organized?

Well, in a nutshell, some of my top core values are Variety, Creativity and Challenge, while Organization is third from the bottom. In my Personal Style Indicator, I am very people oriented, as opposed to task oriented. I really gather no joy or fulfillment from filing every piece of paper that travels my way.

I am not that way wired.

Are there benefits for people who ARE wired that way? ABSOLUTELY!

• They don't break into a sweat at the word "Taxes".
  
• They save great amounts of money from rebates and coupons that have not expired.
  
• They will never panic when I call them to ask if I can pop in and see them in ten minutes as I'm in their neighbourhood (people dropping into MY neighbourhood will have to meet me at the Starbucks or Tim Horton's down the street).

As we all know, our Personal Style and Core Values are not EXCUSES for our behaviour, so to prevent myself from being completely inept I have developed some survival systems ... which I of course change from time to time, fulfilling my value of Variety ... and telling myself THIS one will work!

If you're organizationally challenged like me I recommend you create a system that YOU WILL USE!!! There are terrific people out there with amazing systems I could never in a million years put into practice. The best paperwork system I've found yet for me is a set of four file folders that travel everywhere with me ... YES, ONLY FOUR!!!

1. Inbox - these are the things you need to act on within the current quarter.
2. Outbox - these are the things you need to redistribute, take somewhere else or discuss with other people
   
3. Expenses - This is a huge one for me! All your receipts go here to be filed into a tax file at home or written on an expense form at work, held for 30 days in case you need to return something, etc.
4. Future Ideas - all the pieces of paper, magazine articles, brainstorms, etc that I am not going to act on immediately go here to be reviewed quarterly and prioritized

Duplicate this set up as baskets on your desk at work (or files in your drawer) and trays on your office wall at home.

This system has freed my mind from the constant nagging worry of misplacing or burying a paper of high importance. My ever treasured mound of amazing ideas now has it's own folder, which I can pull out and peruse whenever I need a creative break.

Like it?

No, I can't claim responsibility for this idea. I recently had the opportunity to hear Krista Green, TV Show Host, author and speaker, in person. Her relatable, practical advice in her "Travel Light, Fly Faster" presentation will revolutionize the way I approach my briefcase, office and even my purse (love that "Butler Bag")!

For more information about Krista see www.organizedforlife.ca.

If your focus and productivity is impeded by the pile of paperwork in your office, do yourself a favour:

1. Schedule time in your daytimer or electronic calendar that is UNMOVABLE and call it ORG NINJA TIME or something that makes you look forward to that event.
2. DO NOT answer your phone or door during this time. You are booked! It is a meeting! It is important!
3. Start with Krista's simple system, but use boxes the first time. Add an additional box called Reference Material. That will include all things you can file and may or may not have to look at in future. DO NOT GET DISTRACTED! If you find a paper you need to act on, put it in your "INBOX" to deal with AFTER your ORG NINJA TIME.
   
4. Clear your work area and backlog of paperwork once and for all into workable sections that are within reach, but not front and center (close drawer or accordion file).
5. Place all Reference Material in a less accessible location - a further away file cabinet or bankers box in storage room.
   
6. Clear your briefcase and any other stashes or piles of "To-Do's" so all your priority work is in one place.
7. When you leave each location, take your "OUTBOX" items with you. When you arrive, go through your OUTBOX folder in your briefcase to see what needs to be left in the new location.
   
8. Schedule time each day to file all rogue paper into your system (to be done, to go somewhere or be filed, expenses, ideas for the future). Remember: A system you actually use is a system that actually works. The more you use it, the more systematic it will become and the more it will work for you!

Most of all, make it fun! Be a happy but ruthless ORG NINJA!!!

When Running on Empty

I'm waiting (and praying) for this latest fuel assault on my bank account to subside. Never in my life have I seen so many bitter and angry truck, SUV and V6+ drivers. Road rage is taking an interesting twist and "drafting" behind other vehicles is a new daily sport.

I personally never fill my tank to full anymore, hoping beyond hope I will see some honest gas station that is not gauging the desperate fuel consumers. It creates a bit of daily anxiety ... especially when my fuel light flickers on and I hear that ominous "ding".

This is no different from life in general. When we're stretched to the limit, "running on empty" and forced to make unwanted choices that consume our valuable resources, we become bitter and angry. Unfortunately all others see is your bitterness and anger ... which do not attract, if you follow any of the trendy "Law of Attraction" blurbs. These definitely repel people and leave you little energy to focus on all things plentiful, proactive and positive.

So how do we avoid finding ourselves in this mode?

It IS avoidable. There are some people you can count on to always be consistent, professional and pleasant. How do they do it?

Investment.

There's a prickly word in today's economic climate, but let's face it, if we had fuel tanks in our backyards and invested in additional fuel when prices were low, we'd be laughing instead of crying (which is what the fuel companies are doing).

No, of course we're not going to install fuel tanks in our backyards ... but what about our own business and personal resource tanks? If this present climate is as good as it gets, what should you stock up on to weather an upcoming storm? What resources are most important to you?

• public relations?
• goodwill?
• talented staff?
• personal friendships?
• time with family?
• paperclips?

It's no different from the saying "Make hay while the sun shines" or the story of the ant who stored up for the winter and the grasshopper who sang away the summer.

Invest NOW in the resources that are important to you! Go extra miles while you can. Ensure you have plenty ALWAYS. Stock up on the things that truly matter and you will have plenty of resources available to draw from through the tough stretches.

The key is to know what truly matters to you. Just like last week, I recommend two vital resources to get you started:

Online Personal Style Indicator (PSI) and the Online Values Preference Indicator (VPI)

These will show you your inherent strengths and your true core values you need to honour and utilize in whatever direction you take.

Happy investing!
May your dividends and ROI be abundant!

How Did I Get Here?

If that title made you sing a Talking Heads song, you're as old as me.

The concepts suggested in the song's words "Letting the days go by ..." and "Same as it ever was ..." are tragically all too real for most of today's society. The character in the song wakes up in a world he's created and become trapped by while sleepwalking through life.

In careers, we see this happen when people follow convenience, jobs offered by well-meaning relatives or friends and a need for a paycheque. We see this in people setting goals that are not in line with their passions, strengths and purpose.

Where Do I Go From Here?

If you've been at that crossroad described above, you know you really have three choices:

1. Go back to your familiar sleepwalking;
2. Go to sleep somewhere else thinking the new environment will make a difference; or
3. Get out of bed, take a good look in the mirror and start working on a purposeful life!!!

#3 is exhausting, but well worth the journey and does not alienate those who have grown to love and depend on you. As entrepreneurs #3 is vital to your ultimate success or all you've grown will dissolve "... into the blue again after the money's gone ..."

A good start to this journey is "the mirror" - a clearer picture of who you are, your inherent strengths, how you show up day to day and your true core values. You can sift through feedback from those who know you, engage the help of a life coach or psychologist, or take a few self-directed assessments. I recommend the triple-threat:

1. Start with the assessments
2. Discuss your self-discovery with those closest to you and engage their feedback
3. Round it out with targeted life coaching

Two self-scoring self-interpreted assessments I highly recommend are:

The Online Personal Style Indicator (PSI) and the Online Values Preference Indicator (VPI)

Both hold the mirror up at different angles, and also teach you how to look at others in a whole new way! There are many life coaches available, each with a different background or focus. There are many ways to find a coach in your area. Talk to other professionals you respect and see if any of them have a coach they would recommend to you. There are coaches who work over the phone as well.

Life is a journey, not a destination. The day we stop growing and learning how to be the best possible version of ourselves is the day we stop inspiring others ... and the day we begin to stop mattering to anyone but ourselves. What a sad day that is.

Clarity, Direction, FOCUS!!!

One of my clients pointed out the fact that September, not January, is actually the NEW YEAR! It's true. Everything is suddenly kicking into high gear, people are revisiting their goals with renewed enthusiasm, school is starting, there is a run on food and consumer goods ... September IS when everything seems to start fresh.

There are a few of us who are completely prepared for this frenzied flurry of activity, and there are those of us who are very creative ... this energy on everyone else's part seems to pull us into a mode of renewed possibilities. It is vital now more than ever to have your VISION and your MISSION statements completed and close at hand - displayed prominently in your office, at the top of your inter-company correspondence, on the front inside page of your daytimer ...


Here are two inevitable and well proven truths:

1. The longer you look at something, the clearer and more in focus it becomes.
2. When skiing through trees, your skis travel directly where you focus.

So ... an interesting opportunity presents itself (as so many are right about now). Look at your goals, your vision and your mission statements LITERALLY and ask these critical questions:

• "Will putting energy into this idea help achieve my goals?"
• "Does this opportunity fit my vision?"
• "Does this activity help fulfill my mission?"
• "Will taking action in this direction help or hurt?" (picture skiing through the trees)
  

Go with MAXIMUM IMPACT (on your goals, not the trees) lasting over greatest time period ALWAYS!!!

This is a good time to revisit your Vision and Mission, review and revise your goals and create a plan of action for ultimate success. Write it in a fresh document and design ways to chart your success.

Don't wait until January!!! Make September your fresh start and sail into the official New Year already ON PURPOSE!!!

SALES ... the Big White Elephant in the Living Room

A friend of mine is a creative genius. Every thing I think of creating he has either done, attempted or "could probably do it pretty easily". He should be a multimillionaire with all the talent, brilliance and inherent skill he has. His portfolio of past projects is impressive and diverse and his desk is plastered with sticky notes, each with creative and viable ideas "to work on".

So why isn't he rich?

One BIG reason is he keeps saying "I'm no good at sales."

Sound familiar?

So many entrepreneurs struggle in the sales department. Many who do their own sales become very discouraged at results versus effort, while feeling like fish out of water the entire time. Other business owners complain that sales people they contract or hire promise the world and don't deliver. So many sales courses have great information, but few seem to make a real difference besides sparking renewed confidence for a brief period of time.

What is the secret to the sales factor?


Here's the #1 key:

Sales without a proper marketing plan in place is like walking uphill on rollerskates ... a whole lot of effort with little or no progress and much exhaustion and frustration.

If you hire a sales team and have no solid marketing in place for them, you cannot fault them for struggling, losing momentum and eventually disengaging. Your marketing should be aimed at your perfect customer to attract the right kind of leads to your sales team, who then do what they do best, leaving you free to do what you do best.


Here's the #2 key:

Marketing without a proper sales plan and follow up structure in place is like buying a new wardrobe, taking a lovely picture of it and throwing it away.

Your marketing MUST be followed up be consistent and targeted sales effort by people who CARE and believe in the value of what you are selling or it will simply be a permanent reminder of money and effort that amounted to nothing.

• Most sales leads are the result of marketing.
  
• Marketing enhances and authenticates your sales efforts.
  
• The two go hand in hand and one without the other is dead or very weak at best.

People will buy from who they know, like and trust.

• Marketing creates awareness (know),
  
• attracts people who identify with your message (like) and
  
• creates the impression that you have been successful enough at what you do to broadcast your abilities to the community (trust).

Follow that up with a personal and caring sales approach and you have the recipe for customer engagement, followed by tremendous word of mouth ... your least expensive and most successful advertising method.

By the way, if you've created a satisfied customer,

• ALWAYS ask for a testimonial and a few referrals.
  
• Ask your customer if you can contact them at a later date to see how your product or service is working out for them and then
  
• MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW UP! Emails or snail mails should always have an easy way your client can supply feedback and a reason to. I guarantee the phonecall is more effective at creating customer relationships, loyalty and even more positive word-of-mouth. It also gives you a chance to ask for MORE referrals!!!
  

Anyone can sell as long as they CARE about what they are selling, who they are selling to and have consistent and caring follow up. With the right marketing methods in place and a targeted sales and follow up plan, you will have more time and budget to concentrate on developing all of your other BIG IDEAS for your business!!!

Want quick, effective and inexpensive sales skill development?

• Find out how you show up when you are in your own "Sales Mode".
  
• Identify your customer's "buying style".
  
• Learn to "style shift" authentically to serve your client more effectively.

Purchase CRG's Sales Style Indicator and unlock your Personal Sales Potential.

Online Sales Style Indicator (SSI)

Swimming Through Information

Someone mentions the word "Laminin" to you over the phone and you can instantly Google search it to see pictures, gain insightful and provocative information, gathering your sources to verify credibility. Excellent! Saves a trip to the library, calling all the friends you know in the scientific or medical field and gives you yet another piece of trivia that may be useful in a board game at some point.

Now try sitting at your computer to research "Entrepreneurial Growth Tips" ... Good luck with that! Every coach, trainer, publisher, reseller and anyone who has been paying attention to the "How to brand yourself" people ... myself included ... has a blog, website, article, etc that they have tried to optimize on the Internet, hoping people will randomly find them through all the other noise.

How do you swim through this sea of information to get to the pearls you need and can best use? How do you know what is credible and what is regurgitated, trendy fluff? It seems whoever yells the loudest attracts the most fish, but is that the right direction for you?

I am not a big name dropper. People ask me if I know some great name and I say "yes" but I usually know some deeper, negative side to their story of fame. Usually that's the information that sticks. If reputation is based on number of website hits, what THEY say about themselves, frequency of mentions and Googleability, those who are up on the latest tech-trends win.

I prefer a reputation built on what you've actually done, how you've impacted people, what those people know to be true about you.

I want people to say "Carol Carter is authentic, caring and creative. This is what she did for me ..." . I want to be known for how I help others using my inherent strengths and how I remain true to my top core values while honouring others. If I'm only known for the number of times people see my name, my reputation has no substance and can easily be destroyed.

So what is the answer for wading through the quagmire of sheer volume of information on the World Wide Web? Well ... what do you NEED to know? If you need to know how to be successful in a certain area, talk to someone who is doing it!! Network. Seek them out and ask them questions, including where to source the information they found that helped them and what reading they would recommend. Sure, take half an hour and browse the web for the latest buzz and trends, but then ASK someone in the know what they think of those trends and how valid they are. Examine them together and test their validity.

Whatever you do, when on the net, ask yourself every ten minutes "Is this the best use of my time right now?". Chances are you already know the answer.


Recommendations for the rest of the summer:

1) Make a list of questions you want answers to.
2) Do a small amount of prep research on the Internet, not only writing down potential answers, but also listing your sources.
3) Seek out successful professionals (more than one) and ask them for their valued opinions on your findings, as well as their answers to the same questions. You may just develop some very lucrative connections and/or mentors through this process!
4) Ask what books and articles the professionals recommend.
5) READ the recommended articles and books, touching base with the recommender during and upon completion of your reading.
6) USE the new found knowledge and advice!
6) Share your new found knowledge with people like you.

Enjoy! Learn! Grow! Reach out to grow others!

-Carol Carter-