Sandra Martini's Success Strategies

AHA moment while walking my dog this morning

It all started by my shutting down earlier than usual yesterday and not going through my regular process of setting things up for the next day -- what am I doing, when am I doing it, how much time will it take, etc....

As Sasha (big lab/rotti mix) and I went for our "Mommy and Me" morning walk this morning (Sasha's MUCH less demanding than my shepherd or llasa apso and so I'm sure to get this focused time in with her), I was thinking about everything that I "had to do today":

• Grocery shopping after being gone for over 2 weeks (thank heavens for PeaPod!)
• Finishing information page for new group program
• Sending "CONGRATS" gifts to everyone who completed 30 Day Blogging Challenge (gifts just arrived from Amazon!) -- this is something I wanted to do myself given the great accomplishment
• Planning menu (& get ingredients) for band's practice tomorrow night (something more than appetizers, but not as much as a dinner)
• Creating affiliate materials for upcoming program launch
• Complete and send "Online Essentials" info page to Team to get up on site
• Hosting Nancy Marmolejo's Women of Impact Implementation call this afternoon

There are several more, but you get the idea...

And as a slight feeling of overwhelm started to creep in from the "had to do today", I tweaked the words a bit to "wanted to get done today" and instantly felt a sense of relief.

I wasn't "doing", I was "done'ing" -- these things were going to be completed and I WANTED to do them, I didn't HAVE to do them.

That shift in verbiage created a HUGE shift in how I felt about the day.

The next time you feel a little overwhelmed, check out which words you're using to describe what you're doing and see if you can't tweak them a bit.

MAKE it a great day! :-)

7 Strategies Guaranteed to Increase Your Productivity

Have you ever felt exhausted at the end of the day, knowing you worked your butt off and yet wondering what the heck you actually accomplished toward your goals or, worse yet, wondering why nothing has been crossed off your “to do” list? It’s more than a little frustrating to say the least and can lead to a feeling of overwhelm.

Here are seven "implement today, let's get things moving" strategies guaranteed to increase your productivity!

Celebrating #30DayBlog Challenge Completers/Finishers

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who signed up for the 30 Day Blog Challenge!

It's tough to commit to doing something every day, especially when life interferes and things seem to conspire to take you off course.

Of those who officially registered, the following achieved their goal of blogging 30 times in 30 days:

A lifestyle business for real people

Just a week ago, I drove down to South Carolina to spend a few days helping my Mum settle in to her new home near Myrtle Beach -- well, that and drive her four pets down with me (here's a picture of Mini). 

The original plan was for me to leave last Tuesday for the 900-mile trek home (gotta love audiobooks and recorded teleseminars!), but Mum still needed a few things to feel at home.

No biggie...call the hubby and let him know I'll be driving home on Saturday (today).

My clients may know I'm here based on my tweets and Facebook posts, but otherwise have no idea, nor do they need to.

Then one of Mum's mini pinschers, Mini, got sick.  I found a vet and took her in.  It seems she's eaten something toxic and we're currently in a wait-and-see mode and giving her a combo of meds.

For obvious reasons, I didn't want to leave Mum without family in the area when we're not sure what's going to happen.

Once again, I called the hubby and told him that Mini goes back to the vet on Wednesday and I'll be leaving on Thursday.

A quick email to my Team and we're all set.

Can you imagine if I had a regular 9-to-5pm job?

For me, this is what a lifestyle business truly is -- being there for my family and friends when needed, the extra vacations are just a bonus. :-)

Isn't this reason enough to be sure YOU'RE business is a success?

It's time to face the facts!

I don't know about you all, but I've had enough with receiving emails with subject lines of "this one will work", "the secret pill", "do this and thrive", "are you good enough", "you're an idiot if you don't do this", etc.

While helping my Mum settle into her new home, I've been checking emails a lot less than usual and so am seeing more of the above types of subject lines all clustered together.

The above all came in within the last 2 days (and I've been unsubscribing at a record pace).

It's really very simple. You want to succeed?

Is your business client friendly?

There was a teleseminar I was interested in attending last week (promoted in a colleague's e-newsletter) and so I dutifully clicked the "register here" link.

That link took me to another web page (after 3 tries), which gave me another description of the same teleseminar and asked me to "register here". I clicked that second link and it brought me to yet a third page which asked me to, you guessed it, "click here to register".

Enough is enough!

7 Tips for Writing Great Articles for Your Ezines and Blog Posts

Do you find yourself needing to write more and more?

Here are 7quick  tips to get you writing effective articles:

7 Ways to Get More Ezine Subscribers

If you read my post from yesterday about "How many ezine subscribers do you really have", chances are good you're looking to get more targeted subscribers.

Here are 7 simple ways for you to grow your ezine list - - with integrity and authenticity!

1. Make it easy.

It's amazing to me how many people have only one sign-up spot on their website or don't include an invitation to sign up for their newsletter in their email signature.

You need to make it glaringly obvious to EVERYONE that you would like to share your newsletter with them: put a sign-up box on *every* page of your website, include an invitation in your Resource Box and on your email signature. Include a note on the back of your business card and any brochures or flyers you send out.

2. Coregistration.

Speak with ezine publishers who offer products or services which are complementary to yours.

When someone signs up for your newsletter, you refer your colleague's newsletter and vice versa. Coregistration has the benefit of adding subscribers to both your and your colleague's newsletter with no real effort.

3. Squeeze Page.

A squeeze page consists of either a simple one page website where the sole goal is to collect email addresses for your ezine OR it's a "front page" over your actual website where visitors can either choose to enter their information, click away or, in most cases, click to "enter site".

You can see an example of a one page site at www.GetControlOfYourBusinessNow.com. This is a simple one page website which I'm using while my new site is being redesigned.

4. Ezine Directories.

You can submit your ezine to online directories such at Charlie Page's Directory of Ezines (www.directoryofezines.com). The Directory allows people to search ezines by topic and decide if they wish to subscribe. It also allows other ezine publishers to contact you about using one of your articles in their newsletter.

5. Advertising.

Take a good look at other websites/newsletters which cater to your target market and advertise either on their sites or in their ezines.

By focusing only on those sites/ezines which cater to your niche, you will have a higher chance of getting interested prospects as subscribers.

6. Direct Mail.

Send a postcard to members of your target audience where you do nothing aside from inform them about your ezine and invite them to sign up.

If you are a virtual assistant who works with real estate agents, you could send a postcard to all the local (and not-so-local) real estate agents and invite them to become a subscriber.

7. Speaking.

One of the fastest ways to get sign-ups for your newsletter is to speak at public events and offer a susbscription to your ezine. You can speak at your local chamber of commerce, BNI Chapter, real estate company, or any civic groups such as the Rotary Club or Lions.

You can also offer a drawing where you give something away in exchange for names and email addresses. Just remember to let your audience know that everyone *wins* a subscription to your newsletter!

There are dozens of additional strategies to get people to sign up for your newsletter. Do some research and choose those which most resonate with you. Remember the old adage: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" -- the same is true in obtaining a thousand subscribers! :-)

Last day of #30DayBlog Challenge

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who joined -- whether you completed the Challenge (blogging at least 30 times in the 30 days, with each post at least 100 words) or simply increased the number of your postings, CONGRATULATIONS for stepping out and taking the Challenge!

 

The Challenge officially ends at midnight (your time) tonight.

 

Tomorrow, I'll be announcing everyone who signed up and completed the task -- both on this blog and through a few other means.

 

So if you're close, go ahead and get the last few posts done -- remember. . .you can repurpose previous ezine articles and other writings. :-)

 

I'll *see* you tomorrow!

Now THIS is an "iron cage"

I wrote a post late yesterday about the difference in providing a service versus an experience.

And something that happened this morning is a clear example of the difference...