Business Strategies That Work!

Friday is typically an aaahhhh day.  End of the week, many things have been accomplished, and now we’re looking forward to the weekend.  Let’s take a look at some things that we can do to make every day an aaahhhhhh day:

• Exercise We all know that exercise is good for us. We some times forget that exercise is also good for our mind.  The same exercise program that helps prevent disease and build muscle can also help manage stress.  Time, or lack thereof, seems the most common reason for exercise programs to go by the way side.  Fitness expert and owner of LeanDream, Alan Zimmerer, understands this.  Zimmerer said ” The single, most valuable resource for nearly all entrepreneurs is time.  No stranger to late nights, the twenty-hour work day, or frequent travel, it’s even easier for those chasing the dream to put exercise and health on the back burner, if not off the stove all together.  What many fail to realize is that maintaining your health doesn’t take a significant time investment if done correctly.  Additionally, maintaining your health will leave you with more energy, less stress, a more focused mind, and a more productive day – ultimately saving you more time than you actually put in.”  How to make this happen? Read more…

• “Your mind will overcome anything. That is, anything that matters to you”. -km Okay.  That sounds good, but how can we get mind and matter to work together?  Autogenic training is often associated with deep relaxation and stress relief.  Today’s practitioners recognize that autogenics can aid in overcoming addictions (such as smoking or gambling), change unwanted behaviors (such as OCD), and resolve anxieties (such as fear of failure or public speaking). In fact, you can use autogenics to help overcome a variety of psychological or physiological problem.  How’s that for Fabulous Friday news?  Personally, I’ve practiced autogenic training for about 4 months, and I’ve been amazed at the almost instant results (both physical and mental).  It can’t hurt to learn more about it, right?

• Approach with optimism. There are days when it’s tough to say things are going well, and some days when it seems like things aren’t going at all… well or otherwise.  That kind of  day can get the most optimistic entrepreneur down.  A personality makeover isn’t necessary, but perhaps approaching situations from a different perspective can make it all seem easier.  On hold indefinitely waiting for a tech when it looks like you’ve fried your iPhone?   Pass the time while improving your eye-hand coordination with an online jigsaw puzzle.  Stuck in traffic after a client meeting that started poorly and went from bad to worse?  Pop an audiobook in your CD player. I like The Success Principles by Jack Canfield.

Above all, just as I wrote in an earlier post… be good to yourself.  Take time for yourself, and the people and activities you enjoy.  Goals and plans are great, but when they control our lives they become the same ball and chain we sought to steer away from when we chose entrepreneurship.

Happy Friday!

Holiday cards are a remarkable marketing tool.  They remind customers that you exist, solidify budding client relationships, and offer a marvelous opportunity to show your customers you appreciate them.  But with everything… there’s a right way to do it, and a wrong way.

It seems like it should go without saying, but you’d be surprised how many folks forget:

Don’t use cards that are Holiday (Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, etc.) or Gender specific.

Don’t use humorous or political cards.  What’s hilarious to you may be offensive to your recipient.

Don’t address the envelope informally.  Always use titles, as in Mr. Alan Zimmerer or Mrs. Lisa Cole.  I realize there are business owners that may disagree with this, but the bottom line is always, always, show courtesy and respect for your client.  The form of address you utilize is the first opportunity to assure your client that the relationship is important to you and your business.

Enough of “Don’t”.

Do buy quality cards.  Heavy card stock is always preferable.  It not only feels nice and communicates professionalism, but it also stands out amongst the other holiday cards in the daily mail delivery.

Do handwrite your cards, both the address on the envelope and the message inside the card.  5000 clients to send cards to, so this is impossible?  No, it’s not.  Hire someone to perform this task for you.  (Be sure to check and double-check their penmanship prior to giving them this assignment.)   Why is this important?  Isn’t one of your selling points Customer Service?  Don’t you make every effort to show your Client that they are important to you, they are special?  Don’t undermine that by slapping a mass-produced label on the envelope, with only an imprinted message inside your card.

Do get your cards in the mail during the first week of December.  You never want a client to think their card was an afterthought.

Do spell your client’s name correctly.  Mrs. Kathy Smyth may actually be Ms. Cathy Smith.