Category: Mindful Marketing

28
Jan

Marketing Your Small Business: Target the Right Audience

As a small business owner, every dollar counts. That’s why it’s essential to be efficient and make sure your marketing efforts are reaching the right people. The key to success is to clearly define your target audience and tailor your marketing efforts to appeal to that specific group of people. Talk to them where they are.

“Stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.” —Craig Davis

To be the most compelling in your efforts, it is important to talk to the right people about the things that are of interest to them. One of the first steps in identifying your target audience is to determine demographics. This includes things like age, gender, income, and education level. Understanding these factors will help you create campaigns and messaging that will resonate with your target audience.

“Focus on the core problem your business solves and put out lots of content and enthusiasm and ideas about how to solve that problem.” — Laura Fitton

But demographics alone aren’t enough to fully connect with your target audience. Understanding your audience on a deeper level will fortify your ability to personalize messaging and the customer experience. To know your audience more intimately, consider psychographics, which include things like lifestyle, values, and interests. With awareness of audience psychographics, you can create campaigns that align with their values and interests, making them more likely to engage with your brand.

“Content marketing is really like a first date. If all you do is talk about yourself, there won’t be a second date.” – David Beebe 

Another important aspect of targeting your audience is understanding their behaviors. For example, if your target audience is primarily on social media, it makes sense to focus your efforts on building a strong presence on those platforms. Or if your target audience is more likely to search for products or services online, it’s important to focus on local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to increase your visibility in search results.

“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” — Andrew Davis

Building a strong online presence is essential for any small business. A well-designed website and active social media channels can help you reach a wider audience and increase brand awareness. Additionally, by optimizing your website for local SEO, you can make it easier for potential customers in your area to find you. An email platform can assist you in delivering the right message to the right people at the right time. 

“When you combine the Buyer Profile with Buying Insights, you will have clear guidance for the decisions you need to make to win their business.” Adele Revella,

Create a persona for your buyer. Buyer personas are detailed descriptions of a company’s target customers and can be time-consuming to create and maintain as they change with market trends and the company’s offerings. Invest in the process. Explore the variables that affect how prospects decide to purchase. What is the customer journey? What does your buyer care about? What are their needs? What features matter? What holds them back from deciding to buy? With this insight, you can create messaging and efforts to actually affect change. Revisit the persona regularly and update it to reflect changing landscape of the the times.

For every business owner, it’s important to take the time to understand your target audience in order to tailor sales and marketing efforts to reach and appeal to them. By understanding customer and prospect demographics, psychographics, and behaviors, you can create customized campaigns that will resonate with them and ultimately drive conversion. With consistent messaging, building a strong online presence and utilizing local SEO techniques can also help increase visibility and reach potential customers. Having the right strategies in place to address the needs of your prospects, you can make the most of your marketing budget and see real results for your business.

22
Apr

The ABC’s To Make Your First Impression Last

Making a lasting first impression is crucial in personal and professional settings. A strong first impression can open doors and create opportunities. However, making a lasting impression can be challenging, especially in a world where attention spans are short and competition is high. Fortunately, by following the ABCs of making a good impression, you can increase your chances of creating an unforgettable experience for yourself and your audience.

A. ALIGNMENT with your WHY
The first step in making a lasting first impression is to align with your “why.” Knowing and understanding what drives you is essential in presenting yourself authentically and naturally to those around you. When you’re clear on why you’re doing something, it allows you to express that passion in everything that you do, making you more memorable. As motivational speaker Tony Robbins once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

B. BREAKTHROUGH the clutter
To make a lasting impression, you need to stand out from the crowd. As marketing expert Seth Godin once said, “Being average means you’re as close to the bottom as you are to the top.” Don’t blend in; differentiate yourself by using your style, sharing unique stories, or incorporating other creative elements that give you an edge. This will help people remember who you are and keep their attention focused on what you have to say or offer.

C. CONSISTENCY with your message
Once you’ve made an initial connection, don’t let up. Consistently amplify your message by networking with relevant people in person or online, reaching out regularly with thoughtful comments or resources related to the topics of conversation at hand, and striving to stay top-of-mind when interacting with others. Remember, first impressions are just the beginning, and it’s up to you to maintain that momentum. As writer and consultant Dale Carnegie once said, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” tailor your message to be relevant to your audience, letting them know

Making a lasting first impression takes effort. By aligning with your why, breaking through the clutter, and maintaining consistency with your message, you can increase your chances of creating an intentional, memorable, and lasting impression.

15
Jan

How to Create an Effective Marketing Event Calendar and Massively Change Results

Create a marketing calendar of actions that works backwards from desired annual revenue. 

Creating a 12-month launch and promotion calendar that works backwards from your desired annual revenue can be a game-changer for your business. It’s a powerful shift in thinking that can help you scale a profitable business that works for you, even when you’re not working.

CRITICAL PRIORITIES: It is essential to focus on your critical priorities and sequence your efforts so that you’re not working late nights and weekends. By following these steps, you can create a marketing calendar that will generate the leads you need to fill your programs and help you achieve your goals.

CALCULATION: The first step in creating this calendar is to calculate the number of people you need to say “yes” to in order to achieve your goal. Once you know this number, you can work backwards to determine the number of leads you need to generate, and the promotions and launches you need to execute.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: A great way to start creating your calendar is to think about the different stages of the customer journey. This includes awareness, consideration, and decision making. For each stage, you need to create content that is tailored to the specific needs of your target audience. For example, during the awareness stage, you might create blog posts or infographics that provide helpful information to people who are just learning about your industry. During the consideration stage, you might create case studies or webinars that demonstrate the value of your products or services. And during the decision making stage, you might create email campaigns or social media ads that encourage people to take action.

CHANNEL PLANS: You also need to think about the different channels you’ll use to promote your business. This includes social media, email marketing, search engine optimization, and paid advertising. For each channel, you need to create a plan that outlines the specific tactics you’ll use to reach your target audience. And it’s important to sequence these tactics so that you’re not working late nights and weekends.

CONTENT CREATION: One of the keys to success is having a clear and focused content strategy. This means creating a 12-month content marketing calendar that will help you generate the leads you need to fill your programs. Knowing your critical priorities is essential to making this happen. Focus on creating content, promoting your business, and serving existing clients all at the same time. And again, it’s important to sequence these priorities so that you’re not working late nights and weekends.

Working backwards from your desired annual revenue to plan key marketing activities is a powerful shift in thinking that can help you scale a profitable business that works for you. By focusing on your critical priorities and sequencing your efforts, you can create a marketing calendar that will generate the leads you need to fill your programs, and help you achieve your goals.

  • Calculate the number of people you require to say “yes” in to achieve your goal, then work backwards to determine the number of leads you need to generate, and the promotions and launches you need to execute.
  • Boost business with a powerful shift in your thinking to support you in scaling a profitable business that works for you (on autopilot—even when you’re not working)
  • Build your 12-month marketing calendar so you have enough leads to fill your programs
  • Know the Critical Priorities you must focus on to create content, promote, and serve existing clients all at the same time, and sequence them so you aren’t working late nights and weekends.
28
Jul

Sales & Marketing Go Hand in Hand to Boost Your Bottom Line

As a business professional, you understand the importance of generating revenue and increasing profits. One of the key ways to achieve these goals is through effective marketing. Many people think of marketing as a separate entity from sales, but in reality, marketing plays a crucial role in supporting and driving sales.

When it comes to building a successful business, marketing and sales go hand in hand. Marketing sets the stage by creating awareness, building interest, and generating leads. Sales then takes over by closing the deal and turning leads into customers. But it’s not as simple as just having a sales team in place. Without effective marketing, the sales team may struggle to find and engage with potential customers.

The purpose of marketing is to attract and engage with potential customers, and ultimately drive sales. This is done through a variety of tactics such as advertising, social media, content marketing, and public relations. By creating a strong brand and consistent messaging, marketing helps to establish trust and credibility with potential customers. This sets the stage for the sales team to come in and close the deal.

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to marketing is that it’s not just about creating pretty ads or catchy slogans. It’s about understanding your target audience and tailoring your message to speak directly to their needs and pain points. By doing this, you can increase the chances of turning leads into customers.

Another important aspect of marketing is measuring and analyzing the results of your efforts. This allows you to see what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments as needed. By constantly testing and optimizing your marketing strategies, you can continuously improve your results and drive more sales.

Marketing also addresses product development. By understanding the needs and pain points of your target audience, you can design a product or service that meets those needs better than any alternative. This is a pivotal facet of marketing as it ensures that your offer is aligned with the needs of your customer and is more likely to be successful in the market. Additionally, the process of creating a compelling solution for your target audience can also help to inform and guide other aspects of your marketing strategy such as messaging, positioning and pricing.

Marketing makes money. Or it fails. In short, marketing and sales are two sides of the same coin. Without effective marketing, the sales team may struggle to find and engage with potential customers. By understanding your target audience and tailoring your message to speak directly to their needs and pain points, you can increase the chances of turning leads into customers. And by measuring and analyzing your results, you can continually improve your efforts and drive more sales.

As a strategic director, fractional CMO, business consultant, or hired gun, my job is to help you win by making you more money. And one of the best ways to do that is through effective marketing that supports and drives sales. So, let’s put the ball in play and get in the game. Together, we can make you rich while enriching the lives of those you serve.

 

11
Mar

Pricing Strategy: Keep It Simple

Don’t overcomplicate pricing. When it comes to setting prices, many people get overwhelmed.

Pricing is based on many factors. Ask yourself: How are your services delivered? Hourly? One and done? In the service industry, packages are most popular. What products do you offer? How are you positioning your offer (mass appeal, high value, luxury, etc)?

Three pricing models for service businesses:

  • HOURLY: your client pays for your time
  • PROJECT: your client pays for a tangible deliverable such as a logo or a time-based deliverable such as consulting — this is the easiest price model
  • RETAINER: your client pays a recurring monthly amount for a specific number of hours whether used or not

Three general pricing strategies and the +/- for each:

COMPETITIVE: Charge standard industry rate, plus or minus. This is easiest to start, establish price aligned with competition and increase as your reputation grows.
+you know what the market will bear
-clients may be willing to pay more based on value and positioning

PENETRATION: price your product or service at your lowest agreeable rate to build a base of clients or consumers
+get clients quickly
-likely you will be undervalued

NEED: what you require for income (what do you want to earn, and divide it by hours for service or units sold for a product)
+you get what you need
-this doesn’t account for all time or all value

A HYBRID approach with these strategies is optimal. Determine a price for your offer or package, then discount to build your client base and get results, then reduce the discount to raise your price as demand grows. Alternatively, add value with bonuses. This keeps the price for your product or service at the highest level.

Consider who you serve and what the competitive arena of alternative solutions available to them. This will give you an indication what the market will bear and you can adjust for penetration and necessary income. It is important to price at the highest level because you can always discount or reduce, which is easier than to raise prices once established.

31
Jan

Show and Tell to Sell: Building Trust in the Online World

In today’s digital age, more and more businesses are conducting transactions online. However, building trust with potential customers can be a challenge, especially when they are unable to meet you in person. To overcome this obstacle, it’s important to let visitors to your website know who you are and what you stand for.

“The first step in building trust is to let people know who you are.” – Brian Tracy, Author and Speaker

Start by telling your visitors about your company. Share why you started your business, when it was founded, where you are located, and who the key players are in your company. Highlight some of your customers and explain what your company does. This information helps visitors understand your background and credibility.

“Transparency is the best policy when it comes to building trust.” – Stephen Covey, Author and Speaker

Next, show your visitors what your company is all about. Give them a virtual tour of your office, show them photos from events you have attended, and highlight your products and services. Showcase key personnel and customers to give visitors a glimpse of the people behind the brand.

“People do business with people they know, like, and trust.” – John Jantsch, Author and Marketing Coach

Visual aids are especially important in the online world, as visitors can’t physically see your office or credentials on the wall. Show them virtually by including photos, videos, and other multimedia elements on your website. Give online visitors a perspective as if they were walking into your office for the first time. What is in your lobby or in your office? Do you have photos on your desk? Do you have credentials on the wall? Show them.

“Building trust is like building a bridge. It takes time, effort, and a solid foundation.” – Simon Sinek, Author and Speaker

Here is a list of things to tell about your company:

TELL:
a. what you do
b. why you do what you do
c. where you are located
d. who the principals and core management team is
e. who some of your customers are
f. when founded – how long have you been doing it?

And, here is a list of things to show them about your company:

SHOW:
a. behind the scenes at your office
b. events you attend (trade shows, symposiums, seminars)
c. your products and services
d. key personnel and customers
e. activities with clients and staff members

By showing and telling your visitors about your company, you build trust and credibility with potential customers. Remember that the more transparent and personal you are, the more likely people are to do business with you in the online world. When they know that you are a real person,  that will clear a hurdle in getting business in the online world.

30
Aug

3 Things I Learned from My Recent Failure

Every failure feels like a crushing defeat that makes me question my self-worth and purpose. While I desired to wear multiple hats, meet every request, and bring a success, my toolset is incomplete and my skill across all disciplines is far from mastery. I can be chef and sous chef and wait tables, but that dilutes my genius. Attempting to focus on my strengths, I was asked to “stretch” and I agreed. In this effort, I could not reach far enough fast enough—though I gave my all in every attempt.

The course-corrections taken did not lead to smooth sailing. Resources were slim to none and new demands came on so strong, it was like drinking from a fire hose. I kept trying … and I will continue to seek the most productive outcome in every endeavor… still, I have not met with the delight of complete satisfaction.

Sometimes when you try to be and do everything, you become nothing, or a lot less than all.

However, when asked to step up to the plate, you gotta give it all ya got! Especially with a startup gig. The rush to get on base often requires concurrent planning and execution. Stutter steps happen along the way as the path becomes clarified and players come in and out of the game.

My “lane” is the strategic development. I create the brand plan—and the client team implements it. Areas for possible trip-ups include that there isn’t complete buy-in and there aren’t resources for implementation. Both of these bumps were present on this path, along with other challenges.

Still, when working for the vision, it is tough to realize disappointment. The victories drive action while defeat deflates momentum. I can only own my role — the few ways I could make a stronger player.

There were moments of victory. The joy of accomplishment fed my spirit till the next shoe fell behind in the race to forge ahead. When the brand plan was embraced and approved, things looked promising. And then there were the “squirrels” and distractions. Clients often desire to refresh the look before it takes hold. They want variety for the sake of amusement—not for the efficacy of impression. And, in the end, the client is always right. I can only create the plan, get approval, and remind them to stay on plan. When it is insisted to veer, I can only attempt to redirect traffic. And, often, I did.

I dared and I fell short of desired results. It would be tempting to come up with a single reason that things didn’t work out. But it isn’t that simple. And I must wrestle with, scrutinize, and learn from every misstep—as well as the few successes along the way. Perhaps I shall awaken to a new calling—all I know is that I’m trying to find my way. Here are the key takeaways from this unanswered prayer.

FIRST, make sure there is a PLAN.

If there is no plan, then there are only two choices. One is to create a plan and two is to walk away. I accepted an invitation to assist with marketing and branding projects for a startup in transition. There was a website, there was a business structure that was being revised for multiple entities — The Icon, The NonProfit Organization, The ForProfit Organization.

There was no plan. No vision. No mission. No strategy. At least, nothing in writing. Nothing shared. Here I offered to craft a short-term solution but the priority was set otherwise. I should have insisted on that being created or established in writing before proceeding. Instead, I took the carrot and ran with the project and its evolving particulars.

Thus, when I agreed to create a brand strategy for The Icon, it was an effort that stood alone and actually would be expected to lead all other actions. However, I was not in a position to be a leader in the developing organization structure, and there was no staff on board in the organization(s) to lead.

This leads to, SECOND, make sure there is staff or PERSONNEL to assist with execution. 

After attempting to bring in colleagues to flesh out the talent pool, and realizing personality conflicts with the client, I made the mistake of attempting to fly solo and find resources along the way. I was in charge of developing the overall strategy for The Icon brand, however, it became clear that there was no implementation team. While there was an intention to assemble and hire a team, there was not a network in place.  

Wanting to bring my “superpowers” and to realize success for the project, I took on the tasks of implementation across platforms that, strategically, required being revised, updated, or created. I spread myself too thin and I employed my adequate but not masterful skills of design, webmaster, leader, and etc to attempt translating the brand strategy across marketing efforts. I called for help and called out the gaps. Some were filled. Others remained gaping.

It was a disaster at best. The issues were many-fold. Time ticked away at its unforgiving pace and I was losing efficiency bouncing from one last-minute priority to another as deadlines flew in my face like pixels in a video game. People came in the fold for a while — for instance, a woman stepped up to take charge of social media — and the relief of assistance was further taxed by the need to train and align them. 

For this, I created a plan — the Social Media Strategy was developed to assist brand presentation across Facebook and YouTube. From distinguishing a Profile from a Page and then concurrently creating a Celebrity Page on top of the existing NonProfit Organization Page plus planning for an eCommerce Page for exquisite items in the warehouse, this effort quickly scaled beyond reach. And, then the social media manager left the building.

With my hands full, I failed to pick up the threads and weave them into place, and I realized there was no clear path for reconciling all the loose ends. There was nowhere to turn.

So my last major key lesson is, THIRD, make sure there is a PROCESS—or that there are many processes—in place to support success. 

Key processes include Defining, Supporting, and Reporting. The reporting structure needs clear definition so that attention can be brought to the weaknesses and shortfalls in order to thwart disaster. In the changing business structures, the Board of Directors members revolved in and out of the organization, and then disappeared. The one consistent Director traveled for work and was not a businessman so had little efficacy in leading the pack, though he took responsibility for funding all.

Expectations were often unclear and the scope of work changed during each project. I created and executed a series of Social Media posts that were determined to be off-brand after the fact — so I deleted all of them. Getting aligned was difficult and getting approvals was even more difficult. All input and feedback came from The Icon, who really should not have been bothered with such detail, and yet there was nowhere else to turn.

A process for defining the details including deadlines and every duty would assist progress to the plan. And a system of support is critical. Weekly meetings would veer off agenda so effective review didn’t happen and next steps were not certainly determined. I failed to create a place to give shared visibility to all so that changing dates and demands would be communicated undeniably and in a timely fashion. 

I failed to uphold “no” when demands grew beyond my ability to stretch. I failed to “stop” and regroup to ensure alignment and support. I failed to find a way to voice requirements for success in a way that would capture attention and yield success that was better than haphazard. “Step up!” it was commanded. Get ‘er done! Then, even the victories got lost in the fog of let down.

I couldn’t dissuade the escalation of activity so disappointment was the way. This won’t be my experience next time, not at the next opportunity.

And a bonus key comes to mind; FOURTH, make sure you are a fit, PERSONALLY.

Camaraderie and cohesion aid accomplishment. While I met weekly with The Icon, I rarely felt heard. While I respect and revere the position of The Icon, I worked to remain objective. I did not find a way to drink the kool-aid and still serve in my hired role. Keeping out of the grey area meant keeping out of the cultural current. I attended a couple events to get to know the energy of The Icon’s work, as direct experience assists understanding and the ability to message it. Still, I felt it important to serve in my role rather than be served by The Icon. I stayed on the sidelines, in my lane of hired hand.

So again, perhaps I am not a fit in this as I see the newly hired full-time staff immerse themselves in the flow while taking on challenges full force. Or perhaps this is the plight of a contractor vs an employee — always on the outside looking in.

While I am drawn to The Icon and the work, I have a perspective of an observer and I keep my personal boundaries with great care. It is, perhaps, not the best alignment for this particular client. With full-time staff on board, there is a new direction emerging. So be it. I will hang on to the glimpses of achievement in the sea of simultaneous engineering this startup went through. Growing pains. Awkward like adolescence. Now taking off to experience the next stage of expansion.

My goal is to learn from this adventure in failure. To hone my strengths and shore up my weaknesses. And, one day, the people who doubt me will be the ones who talk about the one day when they met me. I might even be one of them.

I should have declined projects when we discussed that I was the wrong person for the detail work. It was out of alignment with my skill set. When asked to step up, I did. I should have said no. Still, some things went well. Overall it was disappointing. In trying to be everything, I was reduced to nothing.

8
Mar

Pearls of Wisdom

It was an honor, a privilege, and a joy to step out on stage and present “Script Your Shift” to the Pearls of Wisdom tribe. What a perfect place to cut a groove in this new chapter of my life. In case you missed it, here is the video. For a Pitch Perfect session, eMail me at Tamara@TamaraParisio.com. Let me assist you to create the script for your starring role in your success!

SCRIPT YOUR SHIFT. Write down your goals. Business Plan, Personal Manifesto, or Strategic Map, put pen to paper to improve performance. Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, did a study on goal-setting with 267 participants (it only takes 30 to be statistically significant). She found that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals just by writing them down. A modality employed to make the process entertaining rather than daunting is to approach your plan as a script for your success. And, you are cast in the starring role as the lead character. Here are three examples of clients who stepped into the celebrity of their success.

Anita Miranda the Official Lipstick Reader

CHARACTER

From psychic fairs to celebrity parties and luxury events, Anita Miranda stepped up into high heels to expand in stardom as The Official Lipstick Reader.  

CAST

After establishing her starring character, Sherry Anshara attracted the supporting cast, including influencer Vishen Lakiani of mindvalley.

SCENE

To set the scene, Donna Sparaco shows up in full character, Daily Dose A Donna, to motivate and inspire with her proprietary program, Set Your Dial to Joy.

Download a pdf of the Script Your Shift handout.

22
Jan

Six Keys To Learning From Failure in Your Startup Endeavor

Most startups fail. Much like the game of baseball, failure is part of the process. How you deal with failure will determine your success.

“Learn from failures. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” — Steve Jobs

Understand what caused the failure. Identify the error and find the solution for it. Then, every mistake becomes a lesson. Study it — grow from it. Forge ahead to success.

STUDY FAILURE

In every startup failure, there are many details in the process. Looking at each step, every decision, and finding which play worked and which didn’t will reveal the cause of the failure. It might be one choice, or a series of choices that didn’t work together. Assess and learn from the mistake.

“There are no negatives in life, only challenges to overcome that will make you stronger.” ― Eric Bates

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Take full and complete responsibility for your own actions, decisions, and intentions. Own it. Say it out loud — I was wrong. I struggled. I made a mistake. Understand your justification and the rational for decisions you made; and realize where your thinking was wrong (even though they seemed right at the time). This will give you the power to adjust. And, it will build confidence for going forward.

“The harder you fall, the stronger you rise.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo

HAVE CLARITY

Struggle is often perception and projection more than reality. When confronted with a hurdle, ask yourself “If I were to let this be easy, how would I approach it differently?” Get your subconscious aligned and in gear to see the solution.

“Life always gives us another change: It’s called ‘To Move On’.” ― Ana Claudia Antunes

BOOST CONFIDENCE

Your brain registers every goal achieved — small goals and large ones. Every accomplishment motivates you to achieve more success. You just have to deliberately be conscious of them. To do this, keep a list of your accomplishments. At the end of the day, every day, write down achievements — large and small — and take a few minutes to savor them. Let this boost confidence and self esteem as you forge ahead. Look for the possibilities. Seize the opportunities.

“The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.” ― George Bernard Shaw

MANAGE WORRIES

When you start to imagine pitfalls, visualize what will go right instead of what will go wrong. Don’t repeat or dwell on stories of past mistakes. Move on as fast as possible.Focus your mind on the positive, like that fresh idea, the easy commute to the office, and the latest accomplishment, rather than focusing on what bad thing could or did happen. Stay in the present moment.

“Never feel intimidated by defeat nor death, but rather intimidate life with your dreams.” ― Auliq-Ice

CARRY ON

Push through your resistance to failure and liberate yourself from fear. Relax and remain focused on the task at hand. Trust your intuition. Rather than worry about what could go wrong, generate solutions to any imaginable problem. This will give you confidence to proceed.

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” — Paulo Cohelo, The Alchemist

Treat failure as a lesson. Ask yourself, “What did I learn?” rather than beating yourself up for making a mistake. Don’t bring the negative energy from yesterday into today. Today is a new day.

1
Dec

Manifest Destiny in 8 Key Areas

Take Action in 1 Area at a Time with These 6 Steps

There are eight key areas to self-actualization: Visibility and Voice, Relationships and Love, Purpose and Destiny, Career and Prosperity, Health and Vitality, Spirituality and Connection, Impact and Influence, Creativity and Manifestation.

Select one area and focus your intention to create a change. The other areas are affected. Success in one area leads to improvement in another.

“In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision.”— Dalai Lama

  1. Set a Bold Intention. Break through a pattern of being stuck with focus and intention. Focus your energy from your heart. Select a specific outcome in a key area. Then, allow your mind to open and create the strategy.
  2. Remove Inner Barriers. Identify and release your limiting beliefs. Connect with your deeper truth so you can show up authentically and realize the experience you desire.
  3. Create from Inside Out. Cultivate your intuitive mind. Ask yourself, “If all of life organizes around my success, what do I desire to create?” Connect with your self. Allow yourself to access an inner source of knowingness. Be curious and receptive.
  4. Generate Support. Surround yourself with people who encourage you. Create partnership. Enlist assistance.
  5. Create Accountability. Design a project where you are accountable to something bigger than your self. Show up. Grow into every step.
  6. Make a Commitment. Do what it takes every day. Get organized. Get training. Get going. And, as advised by Wallace D Wattles, “Do, every day, all that can be done that day, taking care to do each act in a successful manner.” 

Spend time every day with your Playbook. Review your vision, contemplate your dream, feel your purpose, and list your actions. Share this process with those who support you. Let me know which area you are working in and how that work changes everything.

21
Aug

Positioning Your Product or Brand

Positioning is a facet of the marketing strategy that aims to give your product or brand a distinct perception — relative to competing brands — in the mind of the customer. An historic campaign for Avis reflects this: “Avis Is Only №2, We Try Harder.”

In developmental stages, determine the positioning you intend for your product or brand. Research and market feedback will help you discover if it is aligned with actual consumer attitudes. If not, then marketing messages can help close the gap or change perception.

Positioning is an art. Great positioning tells a compelling, attention grabbing story — a story that resonates with your audience. — Rebel Brown

The positioning process begins with identifying a market problem or opportunity, then developing a solution — often based on market research, segmentation and supporting data. Once positioning is determined, it will help align and guide marketing efforts and business objectives. The perfume I use is the indulgent scent for pleasure seekers. Thus, the tone and manner of messages, images, events and PR are created to consistently express this in all communication.

Again, positioning is the perception of your product or brand in the mind of the customer. Perception is reality. Aim to establish the highest and best use for your brand among your audience. And, be open to emerging alternate audiences, too. Here are some examples of common positioning strategies and how they might translate in the marketplace.

DEMOGRAPHICS Place your solution among those best served by gender, age, income, area, etc. If you try to be everything to everyone, you may not appeal to anyone.

PRICE Present your solution as an affordable option with a low price point or elevate your products or services among the competition with a high price point to create a perceived value (or reflect a real value).

DISTRIBUTION The environment and locations where you sell your product communicate quality and value propositions like convenience or specialty items. Select your sales channels to align with your desired positioning.

AFFINITY Find your tribe. Those who desire to align with your proposition. Position your solution to engage group loyalty of customers with a common, personal denominator.

Positioning is how you communicate benefits of your solution to your audience. Everything from where you make your product, how you make it, where you sell it, and for how much will convey subtle queues to the market. Align positioning elements with the overt messages employed in promotions, advertising, and public relations. Ultimately, positioning is how your market sees your solution among the alternatives.

13
Aug

How to Realize your Vision in 3 Key Steps: Think it up. Feel it in. Act it out.

Think it up. Feel it in. Act it out. These three steps are crucial on the path of realizing your vision for your life—personally or professionally. Every entrepreneur starts with an idea. For successful dreamers, this vision drives action aligned with achieving the end result. Oftentimes the process is automatic. And, to amplify the probability of success, you can make this a mindful method.

Let’s look at each one a little more closely.

Step 1 — think about it. Be conscious of your thoughts and manage them. Intentionally think about your dream in productive ways. Create your thoughts. Then let your thoughts create  your plan. Ponder openly and confidently about your vision. Consider the highest good that will come from your goal.

In your daily life, think of ways to step into what you aspire to create. Write down these ideas and the milestones on your path to realizing your vision. Make a map of the journey. Think through each facet of  your adventure. Your thoughts are very powerful, because they affect how you feel.

Step 2 — feel inside it. Allow yourself to feel what it is like to experience your dream. What does it feel like to be on the path to achieving your dream? How do you feel doing the work you long to bring forth in the world? Touch the textures. Smell the aromas. Taste the flavors. Listen to the sounds. See the results. Take your thoughts and feelings very seriously.

Meditation is a great tool to assist you. Meditation is a game-changing practice. For just a few minutes each day, take the time to cultivate the feeling of what it is you desire, and experience it. Allow yourself to dwell in the feeling, the excitement, the joy of realizing your life’s vision. The feelings that come forth in meditation manifest in your life—whether only in the meditation or echoing it in your experiences when you take action.

Step 3 — act on it. Take action from a place of alignment with your vision. Many who pursue big dreams take action from a place of ego. They push with the force of “I’ve got to make this happen!” Or they fall prey to beliefs such as “I’ve gotta hustle and work hard.” Or they come from lack and think “I need to do this.” Or they shut down and play small wondering “Who am I to do this?” So they never do anything. Align with your vision and recognize limiting beliefs to thwart them along the way.

Acting in alignment with your thoughts and your feelings, engage others. Support from friends will boost your confidence beyond the limits of your logical mind. Connect with your dream personally and this equips you to notice when you are out of sync so you can quickly realign with your vision.

Take a pen and paper and jot down the three steps. Note your thoughts. Write out your feelings. And list the actions you take every day toward living that vision, personally or professionally! This is a plan for your business and a plan for your life!