Sandra Martini's Success Strategies

Small Business Retreats: The 1st Step to Getting Off The Revenue Roller Coaster

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Do you spend so much time working in your business that you never work on your business and, as a result, ride the revenue roller coaster month in and month out?

The corporate world knows the value of taking time out for a step back, taking time to assess what is going right, what is going wrong and what just plain isn't going anywhere. As a business owner, it’s critical to take time out to plan, be it for a year, 6 months or even a long-term goal.

When F-R-E-E Isn't. . .

These days everyone and his sister is offering a FR*EE report, audio, ezine, teleclass, Facebook group, etc., all designed to get us *on the list* so we can be marketed to again and again.

But all these *FR*EE* goodies aren't actually FR*EE:

• They take time and energy to read and digest • In many cases, they make us feel more overwhelmed • They take time away from the actions we should be taking "in", and "on", our businesses • In many cases, they try to upsell you to something else

It's time to be hyperselective about who you give your time, attention and energy to while unsubscribing from the rest -- after all, you can read their blogs when you want to catch up with them.

5 Strategies To Getting Your Money's Worth At Seminars & Workshops

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You open your email to find a notice about an upcoming seminar or workshop on a topic you desperately want to learn more about.

Later that day, you get the mail and there's a postcard inviting you to the same workshop.

"Should I go?" you think.

"It's expensive, I'll have to pay for airfare and hotel, but I'll learn *so much* and will really be able to propel my business forward," you say to yourself.

After much wrangling between those two guys that sit on each of your shoulders, you decide to go for it. You tell your clients you'll be gone, you buy the plane tickets, book the hotel, pay the workshop fee and you're excited!

The day finally arrives. You can hardly wait. You get a seat and wait for things to start.

Business Systems – the real way to create a lifestyle business

Goodness knows systems may not sound like the sexiest thing in your business – after all, marketing usually wins that title.

Systems however, are what allow you to take time off without worrying what’s going on in the business and they ensure that all of your clients have the same experience – regardless of how busy you are – from start to finish.

To keep things simple, let’s take the creation of one system today – this is one that I use and will show you how valuable they can be.

New Client Process

1. Prospect inquires about services and chooses which is best for her after reading “Interview with Sandy” and reviewing different services offered.
2. Prospective client registers as a client either through information page (often called “sales page”) or by emailing assistant, depending on program.
3. Sandy sends personalized card welcoming client into X program/service.
4. New Client Information Packet (has Client Agreement, intake questionnaire, describes how we work together, may contain “Getting Started” or “Checklist” depending on program) is emailed and snail mailed within 24 business hours of registration.

What happens after that depends on the program – is it a “Done 4 You” service or is it a “Done With You” service?

Each program then has the appropriate process steps that go with it.

Make sense?

It’s set up this way so that if the team member who regularly handles this function is out of the office, any other member of the team can pick it up without delay AND without my constant involvement.

Make It Real -- My Request to You

Pick one thing. . .just one in your business to write a system for and start documenting it this week.

Do this each week until you’ve created systems for everything in your business – from how the phone is answered to how your new clients are greeted and your current clients leave.

And, if you take only one thing from today’s article, let it be that your business growth comes from your ability to get new clients (a.k.a. marketing, which has systems all its own), but your business lifestyle comes from your ability to create systems which don’t require your attention every minute of every day.

This is the real key to creating a lifestyle business. . .

2 FREE Visibility Tools for Your Business

It's almost impossible trying to keep up with everything you should know in your business, let alone all the places you're mentioned online. . .especially if you're doing any marketing outreach such as article marketing.

An easy way I've found to know what people are saying, tweeting and which articles are getting picked up the most is to sign up for two free visibility tools:

1. Google Alerts (sends email digests based on keywords you've selected for the Internet) and

2. Tweetbeep (sends email alerts based on keywords you've selected for Twitter "tweets")

These sites not only allow you to follow mentions of your own name/business name, but any topics you want: your competitors, a certain trend, your clients, etc.

A recommendation for Google Alerts: put whatever words you're looking for in quotes if appropriate. When I first signed up with Sandra Martini (no quotes were used), I got every mention of "Sandra Bullock" and the best new "Martini" bars, recipes, etc.

Now I search on "Sandra Martini" and just get me. . .oh, and occasionally the other "Sandra Martini" who lives in Germany.  :-)

Happy AUTOsearching. . .

PS: If you're a member of my Social Networking Done For You program, these have already been set up for you, so no action needed.  :-)

Gmail and Your HTML Newsletter

I wanted to make you aware of a recent problem with Google's gmail accounts.

Take a look at the snapshot of my ezine from yesterday below - this was sent to my test gmail account...all the line breaks (spacing between paragraphs) are gone which makes it pretty ugly and hard to read.

 

Google's gone and done something to the gmail code so that your html (pretty with pictures and formatting) ezines will appear this way for anyone with a gmail account unless...

Where do you go from here?

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Just yesterday I was talking with a new client who’s invested thousands of dollars on programs, plans and info products and came to me asking “What should I do?” as she was so overwhelmed with all the options and wanted to get the *right* things done in order to achieve her goals.

In a time when information – good and bad – surrounds us and we’re hit (it actually feels like I’m being hit sometimes) with thousands of marketing messages every day around what we should do with our business, it’s no wonder you’re confused about the best way to get where you’re going.

Mapquest gives you a choice when it comes to driving directions:

• Shortest distance or
• Scenic route

I’m guessing you want the “shortest distance” to your business goals as opposed to the longer scenic route.

Knowing that, it’s time to decide which steps, in which specific order will get you there:

1. Write – don’t type -- a list of all your goals (there’s a greater connection to our desires when we write them out)
2. Put each goal on a separate piece of paper
3. Write the projects which will culminate in the completion of each goal
4. Decide which goal you want to work on FIRST (now I know you want more than one, but you can only do one thing well at a time, so pick a #1)
5. Decide which project within that goal you want work on FIRST
6. Write a list of tasks/action steps for that project – complete with timeframes
7. Delegate what you can to your team
8. Do what only you can do (if you don’t yet have a team, prioritize the tasks – there is usually a natural order to these)
9. Take this goal as far as you can and move on to the next

It’s key to remember that no matter how much you “want it all”, you’ll get there quicker by picking one thing, getting it done and moving on to the next. The “all” will come before you know it.

And if you’re confused about which goal/project to start first?

Answer this one question: “What *pain* keeps you up at night or which goal makes you giddy with joy?” and you’ve got your first goal.

If you want help sorting out which priority is THE priority or need to brainstorm the right steps to get you there, you’ll want to see if a strategy session with me works for you.

7 + 1 Summer Resources To Keep/Get You on Track

Despite the rain, wind and chilling temperatures today, it's officially the first day of summer here in Massachusetts.

As you prepare to have the kids home from school and determine your own summer projects, here are a few resources -- both business and personal -- which may make things easier:

For the kids as they start hanging around the house (and your office) asking "What can I do? There's nothing to do, I'm bored", etc. -- free guide on 50 Easy Ways Your Kids Can Make Money

Okay, now that they're taken care of, on to you. . .

1.  If you've been struggling to get your first ebook out, I recommend Connie Ragen Green's Ebook Writing & Technology Home Study Course 

2.  If you've been wanting to get your first teleseminar under your belt, but have been unsure of how to pull it all together, I recommend my own "How to Host Your Own Teleseminar: The Tools to Make It Happen...without fear

3.  If you're looking to clean up your eating habits some, summer is a perfect time to do it and I recommend Karen Knowler's ebooks on incorporating more raw foods into your meals (note that you don't have to be a total raw foodie to get tons of ideas and recipes from Karen's stuff!)

4.  If summer's the time you're going to get your article marketing in gear, my favorite places include: Ezine Articles, Best Article Marketer and Submit Your Article. Submit Your Article charges about $37/month, but they'll forward your article out to several other sites for you which makes it a bargain (cheaper than doing yourself or hiring someone to do it for you)

5.  If you're thinking about turning your knowledge into product, but need a little nudge, here's a free (no opt-in required) video for you. . .

6.  And if you're planning on hanging out and manifesting some great things, here are two of my favorite manifesting tools: Magnetize Absolutely Anything audio and workbook and Wildly Wealthy book and workbook

7.  Or if you're looking for some organizing tips, tools and assistance, you'll want to check out my two favorite organizers: the MomMentor, Debbye Cannon and Elizabeth Hagen

My best wishes for a VERY Happy AND Productive Summer!

 

 

Facebook Profile -- be sure to get your name

Facebook opened up their system last night to let us create our own Facebook profile URL.

 

Rather than the former hideous URL which looked something like:

 

www.facebook.com/people/yourname/123456789  (this isn't a real URL, just an example of what Facebook profiles looked like -- not the prettiest URL I've ever seen!)

However, now you can have www.facebook.com/yourname

I set mine to be www.facebook.com/sandramartiniso it's consistent with my Twitter name (@sandramartini) and website URL (www.SandraMartini.com)

To get your own Facebook profile name, go to http://www.facebook.com/username

You will see a form that will give you several suggested usernames, and the ability to choose your own. Either choose one of the names suggested or type in your own.

Now here is NOT the time to get creative.  After all, you want people to be able to find you without having to search and wonder what you may have come up with in a creative moment.

The goal is to make it EASY for everyone -- when it comes to branding your business, consistency is key.

You may choose to use your name, your business name, your title, etc., but know this. . .once chosen, you can't change it.  Facebook doesn't allow changes or edits so be sure to choose well and double check spelling before confirming.

And, if we're not yet friends, I'd love to connect with you:

http://www.facebook.com/sandramartini or @sandramartini (Twitter)

Marketing Mess of the Week: Why Won't You Let Me Give You Money?

I was recently out on a site related to feng shui (a hobby and great love of mine) and wanted to purchase a new crystal for my office window.

After clicking NINE different links, I finally got to the shopping cart only to find that there was no "checkout" link.  When clicking to "checkout", the site kept bringing me back to the product description page.

Now it only took about 3 tries for me to get that things weren't going to change and start to hunt for a phone number to call and order this $16 crystal.

No such luck...another site with no contact information on it.

When all was said and done, I left the site grumbling, frustrated and having spent well more than $16 of my time. . .and without the crystal.

Somehow I don't think the business owner intended this to be her clients' experience.

Whenever you create a new product or service, be sure to walk through the steps you're clients will experience as if you were one -- even better, ask your mother (or someone unfamiliar with what you're doing) to order the product WITHOUT you standing over her shoulder.

Is the experience simple?  Or are you frustrated by the amount of time and energy it takes?

Test, modify and test again until the process becomes effortless. :-)