Posts Tagged: Business Analyst
How Do You Clone Money In Your Business?
I was recently talking to a client about her business. She is in the service industry and needed to make more money. I told her that her time is limited and if she could duplicate herself she could help more of her clients.
Since cloning has not been developed yet, I suggested she create videos and worksheets to guide her clients through her main process. Then, offer to help them on an individual basis if they needed further instruction.
Creating a product like this does two things:
- It prepares her clients to work with her.
- It gets her clients familiar with her.
Imagine if all your customers and clients came to you prepared to do business with you. You would not need to sell them on what you do because they would already have the ground work. They have taken your ‘course’ and prepared themselves to do business with you.
This may sound like ‘pie in the sky’ thinking, but let’s get into real life for a moment. One of my clients is a door company. They spend lots of time on the phone educating their clients how door styles, sizes, and terminology. I suggested they create a worksheet or video that talks about the common questions they answer for their customers. This would free them up to answer questions after the customer had pre-qualified themselves.
When you create valuable information for your customers, you become their trusted authority. That is why we talked so much about blogging and creating products. Doing these things gives modern day consumers the information they are searching for and helps them get to know you.
Honestly, business is built on relationships. If you can find a way to really build a relationship with a customer, you will have a customer for life. They will trust you and refer you to all of their friends.
You can do that with checklists, worksheets, videos, audios, images . . . the sky is the limit. Simply figure out what your customer relates to and relate to them. That is how you duplicate yourself and put your business on autopilot.
Here are some other helpful articles:
- Creating Profitable Digital Products
- How to use an Autoresponder
- Tips on Writing a Great Business Blog
If you need help brainstorming an idea for your product or coming up with a plan of action, use my contact page to get in touch with me about coaching.
http://youtu.be/9sxc1aHqKnM
5 Reasons Business Owners Don’t Create Videos for their Business
They think the equipment is expensive.
There was a time when camera equipment, and broadcasting in general, was out of the hands of most people. That all changed when we started carrying around computers in our pockets.
When I got started making videos I literally had a fourteen dollar camera and a nine dollar video program. If you have a computer, you probably already have a simple video program. If not, Youtube provides simple editing including putting text on your video, chopping off parts of the video and a few more neat things…all for free!
This excuse is the easiest to overcome. Smart phones today are more powerful than expensive camera used to be. If you don’t have one, I bet you know a friend who has one that will help you get started. Or you can buy a cheap camera on a site like ebay or even use a webcam to do your recordings. Equipment should never stand in the way no matter what your budget.
They think they don’t have time.
#1 – Let’s assume you have a smart phone. You can pull out your phone, record yourself and have a video directly uploaded to Youtube in less than a minute. Time is not the issue. The issue is purpose. If you have a purpose for your video, then creating it will be simple.
#2 – If you are a business owner, I bet you have at least one employee who would be willing to shoot a quick video and upload it for you. You simply send an email with basic instructions then ‘empower’ that person to create the video for you. There is power in delegation and it did not take you much more time than creating an email.
They think they can’t edit.
The purpose of editing is to remove unwanted content. If you don’t like editing, shoot the video a couple of times till it looks like you want it. Then, you just upload it like it is. Taking time to plan out your video and putting some effort into making your message clear is important.
If you have to edit, Youtube has everything you need. Just shoot the video, upload it to Youtube, chop off the front and the end of the video, and boom, you are done. Editing does not have to be fancy. The key is to effectively communicate to your audience.
If you really want your videos to look good consider hiring a professional video company or just find a video student at the local college. They will gain valuable experience and you will gain valuable videos. Just keep in mind, they are learning and you really want to consider what you need them to do for your business.
They think they are not technical enough.
In today’s world, if you can get online, you can create a video. If you can operate a smart phone or even a modern TV, you are ‘techie’ enough to create a video. Creating a video is not about being techie, it is about effectively communicating. (I have heard that somewhere before!)
Your message will be more powerful than any lack of technical ‘know how.’ If you have a message, then it ought to be important enough for you to get outside of your comfort zone. Take a moment to learn something new about creating videos and challenge yourself to be better. Your message is important enough for people to hear it. (We can even provide you will specialized training if you need it. Just contact us on our contact page.)
They think they can’t be on camera.
I want you to think about your day today. How many times did you look at yourself in the mirror? If you can look in the mirror, you can be on camera. It is just getting comfortable talking. You already know your subject, probably your business, right? Now all you have to do is pretend you are telling an employee what you need to tell him. Or pretend the camera is one of your favorite customers, what would you tell her?
The point about being on camera is about having something to say. People see you every day, so whether you are online or now, you are seen. It is not about how pretty or ugly you think you are, it is about being confident about your message. Get it in your mind that the camera is just ONE PERSON that needs to hear from you. Talk directly to that person and you will do just fine.
Option: I mentioned creating a slide presentation and just using your voice. These can be effective videos and you don’t have to show your face. You can uses a free online program called Jing to record a video directly from your screen. Now all you need is a microphone. Create your presentation, start the online software, speak as you go through your presentation and save your recording. (Note: the free version lets you create a video for five minutes. If you have a longer presentation, break it into five minute segments!)
Why do you think you CAN do video. Share with us on Youtube or GooglePlus.
This is my take on a list from James Wedmore. He has some great videos if you want to visit his Youtube channel.
http://youtu.be/9B-2H4KcQoU
The power of pause for productivity
The power of pause is one of the most underutilized productivity hacks. I know it seems counterintuitive to pause when you are trying to be productive, but it will make all the difference in the world.
There is an old fable about a lumberjack competition between a young strapping lumberjack and an old grizzled lumber jack. Each was handed an ax, they stood up at ready and as the gun popped to release them to chop, something interesting happened. The older guy, stopped, sit down and sharpened his ax.
The young guy thought to himself, “I got this. I am surely going to win.” He would be wrong. The older guy not only finished quicker, but he had a better stack. It was more clean and consistent. The younger guy was worn out so much that the older guy went over to help him finish!
The older guy understood the value of sharpening the axe. He knew that his instrument works best when it is sharp. You most valuable tool is your brain. If you take time to rest, it allows your brain to do what it does best, synthesize information.
Trust me, I love productivity. I have a standing desk and a white board system to keep me on track. Productivity without reflectivity will burn you out. When you take time to reflect on what you are doing, you take time to power up the full resource of your brain. In essence, you are sharpening your ax.
Tips for sharpening your brain:
- Start by turning off electronics. Turn off the phone and don’t listen to music. It is important to let your brain relax and just take in what is around you.
- Take a walk in a natural setting: park, garden…something with lots of trees and nature.
- Take a scenic drive and let your mind wander.
- Take a bike ride around your neighborhood or park area.
- Go play on a playground, if there are no kids around. You don’t want to be creepy.
- Laugh. Watch a funny movie, comedian or youtube video. Give yourself permission to laugh.
- Go to church. Religion plays an important role in your values and beliefs. Prayer does wonders for stress.
- Take a nap. Science shows that 20 minutes is the ideal time for taking a refreshing nap.
- Spend some quality time, face to face, with a loved one. Just listen and let them talk. Your brain will smile and so will the other person.
There ya go. I give you permission to at least once a week take time to pause and sharpen your best tool. It will help you stay more focused, more centered, and more productive.
Share with us your favorite thing to do when you pause on our Youtube or GooglePlus.