In the ezine of June 24th, I talked about The Action Plan (click here for that issue). Today I want to follow this a bit further and talk about how to track your progress. It’s great that you have a written goal (and you do, right?). Now we need to discuss how you track your progress for that written goal. Yes, you should be tracking your progress! After all, how do you know when you’ve achieved your goal if you don’t track your progress? Equally important, do you know how you achieved that goal? Hint: Successful activities always produce successful results. No matter what your goal, a clear understanding of the “how” is critical.

There are some important ideas wrapped up in this concept of tracking your progress. First, writing a goal makes it more likely that it will be achieved. Writing down your progress toward that goal, i.e., activities and actions, also makes it more likely that you’ll reach your goal. Writing makes it real! The second idea is that people often remember setting goals and achieving them, but have a much more difficult time recalling how they did it. From the perspective of having a profitable business, the how is in many ways more important than the goal itself. Tracking your progress lets you see what worked and what didn’t work. It is a blueprint for success. When dealing with a new goal, the ability to look at methods, techniques, and activities that have been successful is invaluable – not to mention a huge timesaver. The cool part about writing all this down is that you now have the resources, methods, and techniques that work for you. In effect, you have a case study.

If you are working with a coach/mentor this tracking is hopefully part of your program. It allows you to be very specific with your coach/mentor about your activities and the results of those activities. Speaking from the coach perspective, the client who utilizes the Action Plan and then tracks their progress is always successful, because it combines both thought (planning and goal setting) and action (activities and actions), the perception of progress is matched by actual progress. The client is more energized, focused, and likely to reach their goal ahead of target. One of the positive spinoffs of this process is a heightened creativity by you, the client.

Download a copy of the form I use with my clients. Feel free to modify it to suit your needs. Happy tracking!

©2010 Cindy Hillsey

As entrepreneurs we work very hard to discover, attract, and keep our Ideal Clients. They provide us with remuneration, satisfaction, and (hopefully) referrals. I hope it has occurred to you to ask yourself, “What am I doing for my clients to thank them for their business?” While it’s always been important to make certain you thank your clients, today it’s even more important to not only thank them, but to provide them an incentive to continue to do business with you. If you think for just a moment about all of the reward programs you see (airlines, bookstores, credit cards, restaurants, coffee shops) available it’s obvious the idea is key to running a successful business.

Those of you who are familiar with me know that I practice what I preach. Because I believe very strongly in what I wrote above, I’ve put together a Client Appreciation Program (C.A.P.) for my clients to show them just how much I appreciate them and their business.

Here’s what my program looks like:

Why I came up with this Program?

I have a number of clients who’ve worked with me for some time, and I’ve always felt that businesses should reward those clients that do repeat business. Therefore, I’ve decided to offer a Client Appreciation Program!

How will the Program work?

Basically, the program will work like this: Your 4th purchase will qualify you for 10% off; your 7th purchase will qualify you for 15% off; and your 10th purchase and beyond will qualify you for 20% off.

So how do you receive your reward? You will need to keep track of your purchases and once you’ve qualified you will send an email to Jackie@virtualpartnering.com listing the purchases you’ve made. Upon verification, Jackie will then send you via email a coupon code. This code will be good until you reach the next level, at which time you will again email Jackie with your purchases and she will send you the new coupon code. You will repeat this process until you reach the 20% limit. Once you reach the 20% limit, all future purchases will receive 20% off as long as you use the code Jackie has provided you. (It goes without saying this code is to be kept private and for your use only! If the code is abused, it will be revoked.)

Example of how the Program will work:

Amanda purchases a coaching package. This is her first purchase with Virtual Partnering (VP). She has a good experience and books another series of coaching sessions. This is now her second purchase with VP. Amanda then decides to purchase a product. This product is her third purchase. This third purchase qualifies Amanda to receive 10% off her next purchase. Now would be a good time for Amanda to email Jackie and let her know what three purchases she’s made. Jackie will then verify the purchases and send Amanda the coupon code for a 10% discount on the next item Amanda purchases. The next item that Amanda purchases will receive 10% off, providing she uses the coupon code that she was given. This means Amanda will receive 10% off purchases four, five, and six, at which time she again emails Jackie for the coupon code of 15% off her next (or seventh) purchase. Again, purchases seven, eight, and nine will receive 15% off until Amanda has purchased her tenth item, at which time she emails Jackie for the coupon code of 20% her next (or tenth) purchase. Amanda has now qualified for 20%off all future purchases. Woo hoo!

Here is how it looks visually:

What products/programs are eligible for this program?

All fee-based products and programs are eligible for the Client Appreciation Program, with the exception of ChatsOnDemand*. The Free Taste and any other free items are *not* eligible for the Program.

• 1:1 Coaching packages are eligible based on each package purchased (not each session).
• Products are eligible per product purchased.
• Focus Days are eligible per purchase.

*ChatsOnDemand is NOT eligible for either a product purchase discount or eligible to receive a discount due to your other purchases. This is due to the nature of the program.

Who is eligible for this program?

Everyone!

If you want to see the “pretty” version, click here.

Now it’s your turn! What are you doing to show your clients you appreciate them?

©2010 Cindy Hillsey

In the last ezine, we discussed goal setting (click here to read). Today we are going to discuss how you implement your goals. The form below is something I use with my clients. Once we’ve determined the goal(s), I have my clients complete the form you see below. Let’s cover each of the sections and how they work:

Click here to download a printable version of the Action Plan

The first thing you will need to do on the form is fill in the center circle. This circle is the goal. You will want to be as specific as possible in this section. I usually tell my clients to pull this circle out, put it on a clean sheet of paper, and write down all the specifics pertaining to the particular goal. This way you can see in detail what you want to accomplish.

Once this step has been completed, the next step is to complete each of the squares that surround the circle. These squares are the implementers. They are the means by which you make your goal real. Let’s take a look at each one.

• The right box is where you will list the resources you have available to help you attain your goal. These resources can be people, places, and/or things (i.e., books, music, Internet, coffee, tea, candles, etc.).
• The bottom box is where you will list the reasons and benefits for achieving your goal. This is your motivation. It is important to understand what motivates you and what the pay-off will be when you reach your goal.
• The left box is where you will list the successes and strengths of previous goals/things you’ve achieved. This is to remind you that you DO have what it takes to make it happen.
• The top box is where you will list the steps necessary to achieve your goal. This box is important because you can’t eat an elephant in one bite. You must make the steps bite size or you risk frustration and self-doubt.

OK, take some time and do this exercise for a goal you have. See how you feel when you have all of this written out in front of you. Are you excited? Do you see the possibilities? Hopefully, you do.

One of the biggest benefits of doing this exercise and going through the process is the act of writing it down! This is where most people fail. They fail not because they can’t do what’s necessary to achieve the goal. They fail because they don’t take the time to think through the process and write it down.

Have some fun…implement a goal today!

©2010 Cindy Hillsey

In the last two ezines, we discussed the Ideal Client and being a Business Owner/CEO. Today I want to touch on what comes next, and that is effective goal setting. Now that you know who you are doing what to (Ideal Client) and you have on your Business Owner/CEO hat, it’s time to look at what you want to achieve in your business. ?This is best accomplished by setting goals. I’m sure you are all familiar with the acronym S.M.A.R.T. for setting goals. In case you haven’t seen this acronym, here is what it stands for:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable

R – Realistic

T – Time bound

As you look at each of the elements, it should be obvious why they are part of an effective goal. Without all of these elements, it is easy to create a goal that you can not attain. Needless to say, that is self defeating! For example, it is ok to have a vision that your business will be the best of its type, but it is not ok to have a goal that your business will be the best of its type. This goal tells me nothing and provides no plan of action. In other words, it’s missing the how-to piece.

The above illustration shows the proper relationship in effective goal setting. That is, the translation of your vision into actionable items and measureable results. Using the S.M.A.R.T. acronym, let’s take a look at Amanda’s VA business. Amanda wants to be THE “go-to” VA for her Ideal Client (Amanda has already done the work around who her Ideal Client is so she knows who she’s doing what to). One way Amanda can become known as THE “go-to” VA is for her to have a full practice. This becomes one of her goals. Let’s lay out this goal based on the S.M.A.R.T. formula.

1. Specific – Amanda says she wants 4 clients that provide her with a total of 80 hours/month.
2. Measurable – Both the number of clients and hours are measureable. There is no guesswork involved. Amanda’s decision will come with how many hours she wants each client to have. Does she want each of the 4 clients to do 20 hours/mo or is looking for 2 40 hour/mo clients, etc.
3. Attainable – Are the numbers above attainable? In Amanda’s case, yes they are. She wants to work 80 hours/mo and have no more than 4 clients. In her world, these numbers are very attainable and common.
4. Realistic – While these numbers are attainable and common, are they retainable and common for Amanda? Again, the answer is yes. As a VA, Amanda has the skill set necessary to attract, and maintain, a client load of this size.
5. Time Bound – Now the only question Amanda needs to answer is by what date does she want to have 4 clients at the 80 hours/mo? She might want to break this goal down and say that in 3 months she will have 2 of these clients doing between 30 and 40 hours/mo, and in 6 months she will have all 4 clients doing the 80 hours/mo.

While these steps may sound simple, many people do not go through all of them when setting goals. Most people do the Specific part of the goal and then wait for something to happen. As we all know, action is what drives the goal. You must be specific about what you want, but you must also be realistic about the time frame. Putting your goals through these 5 steps will assure you that you’ve covered what’s necessary to achieve your goal. Remember, THINK and DO will get you where you want to be. THINK and HOPE keeps you where you are.

In the next ezine we’ll discuss the steps needed to implement your goal (in other words, your action plan!).

©2010 Cindy Hillsey

Today I want to talk to about the other Business Basic that I believe every business should have: Thinking like a CEO/Business Owner. I believe this is just as important as finding your Ideal Client. (If you want to re-read the article about the Ideal Client, click here)

The biggest challenge as I see it is this: Many people are used to being the Technician and not the Owner. As the Technician, you are very good at what you do (your craft), and typically this skill is what leads you to opening your own business. Where the challenge comes in is when the Technician has to operate her business as a CEO/Owner.

First and foremost, being a CEO/Business Owner involves a mindset shift. For many of us, especially “corporate refugees,” the shift from employee to owner can be very difficult. As an employee, you are discouraged from thinking outside the box. In fact, this type of thinking usually begets trouble! As a CEO/Business Owner, thinking outside the box is essential! So how does one get from inside the box to outside the box?

Here are 6 steps to help you get outside the box:

1) You need to be aware that you are it! This may sound simple, but it’s not. You report to you. There is no Manager. There is no CEO. There is no Board. You are it. Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of all titles. You are now the CEO/Board of Director/Manager/Customer Service Department/Chief Cook and Bottle Washer all rolled into one.

2) The good news? All decisions are yours. The bad news? ALL decisions are yours. This means everything from setting your fees to taking care of unhappy customers to answering the phone to marketing to motivating yourself. All are up to you!

3) You need to surround yourself with those who think like CEOs/Business Owner’s. Get involved. Ask questions. Seek advice. Ask to be mentored. Join a MasterMind group. Hire a business coach. Don’t go it alone! Remember, the most successful businesses don’t get there by going it alone.

4) Act like a CEO/Business Owner rather than the Technician. Easier said than done sometimes, but if you put yourself in the frame of mind of a CEO/Business Owner and ask yourself, “What would a CEO/Business Owner do about this decision?” you might find the task a bit more manageable. Make decisions. Don’t procrastinate! Think about what you want for your business, and then make decisions accordingly.

5) Do you want to work with just anyone? (The answer to this question should be NO!) Do you have an Ideal Client in mind? (The answer should be YES!) Be clear on who you are doing what to. If you are not clear, your time and energy will be spent dealing with less than ideal clients on a daily basis, and who wants that? Don’t say “yes” to everything that comes your way. Remember, saying “no” allows you to say “yes” to your business vision. Be consistent, and be sure it matches the vision you’ve set out for your business.

6) Be sure you have standards and boundaries around your business. This is just another way of saying, “What will you tolerate in your business?” Good and bad. Then make sure to respect those standards and boundaries. If you don’t respect them, trust me, your clients won’t either! Your clients want to work with a business owner that knows who they are and what they stand for. Make sure that person is you!

Remember, the object of going into business is to create a profit. In order to do this successfully, you’ll need to shift your thinking from that of Technician to that of CEO/Business Owner when it comes to making decisions about your business. Are you ready to think like the CEO/Business Owner you are? I’m tipping my CEO/Business Owner hat off to you as you either begin or continue on this adventure!

©2010 Cindy Hillsey

You are your business! An investment in yourself is an investment in your business. Unlike most work situations, it’s also an investment in YOU, not just your business. There should be no question about why you should invest in yourself. So let’s talk about how you should invest in yourself, shall we?

What are the ways you can invest in yourself?

1. Hire a coach. Click here for a previous article on how to do this. Now, what are the benefits of hiring a coach? Personal and professional growth. Accountability. Safe place to discuss you and what you are doing.
2. Continuing Education in your field. There are always new things to learn no matter what you do! Be certain you are current in all the new tools, applications, etc. What are the benefits? Become an expert in your field. You’ll have the skill set your clients are looking for. Full practice. Increased income.
3. Health Regime. You are your company’s biggest asset. Be certain you are taking excellent care of yourself! Are you giving yourself enough time away from the business to regenerate? What are the benefits? Increased stamina. Work is still a joy not a chore. More ideas. More creativity. Harmony is its own reward!
4. Volunteer. Pick a cause you really believe in and volunteer! What are the benefits? It is fulfilling and energizing. It satisfies a human desire to help others without expectations of anything in return.

In summary, any business needs a plan, and all plans should include some form of development. In larger corporations there is usually a Research and Development department. For us solopreneurs, we ARE the Research and Development department! Make certain you include these elements in your plan. The benefits FAR outweigh the initial investment, wouldn’t you agree?

Want to comment on this article? Have a thought to share? I’d love to hear it!

©2010 Cindy Hillsey and Virtual Partnering

You are free to use material from the Bridging the Gap ezine as long as you include complete attribution, including live website link. The attribution should read: “By Cindy Hillsey of Virtual Partnering. Please visit http://www.virtualpartnering.com for additional information.”

In the last ezine, we talked about who is your ideal client, what do they do, where are they going, and what kind of values do they have. Let’s go one step further with your ideal client and determine what kind of problems they have. You need to know exactly what kind of problem, or problems, your ideal client faces so that you can not only assist with the problem(s), but be certain your website, elevator speech, social media sites, and networking groups you are involved with speak to the problem(s) your ideal client faces.

In looking at the profile of your ideal client, you should know the specific problems they encounter on a regular basis. You can’t solve all their problems at once. What you can do, however, is pick one or two major problems your ideal client is having and assist them in solving these problems. For example, if your ideal client is a CPA you should know that one of their problems is time management during tax season. Knowing this, what services do you provide to solve, or mitigate, this problem?

This kind of identification process should be pursued with the same attention to detail that defining your ideal client required. Take some time to sit down and make a list of known problems your ideal client faces, and then directly across from this list write down your products or services that would directly remedy the problem(s). You may even find problems for which you do not have a product or service. This is an opportunity for you to create additional products and/or services for your ideal client.

Now that you have a list, you should verify that your perceptions are accurate. How? Talk to your ideal client! Yes, it really can be as easy as that. You may even want to construct a survey of your ideal clients and get some feedback. Remember, the more closely attuned you are to their situation, the more likely your products and services will resonate with them. And when this happens, marketing becomes almost effortless!

Want to comment on this article? Have a thought to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

(c) 2009 Cindy Hillsey

You are free to use material from the Bridging the Gap ezine as long as you include complete attribution, including live website link. The attribution should read: "By Cindy Hillsey of Virtual Partnering. Please visit http://www.virtualpartnering.com for additional information."

The topic of the ideal client is frequently discussed. Look around you. How many times have you read an article, attended a teleseminar, and/or had a conversation with someone where the topic turned to, “Who Is Your Ideal Client?” Why do you suppose this is? In fact, you may have gotten to a point where you’ve heard this question posed so often that you dismiss it with a wave of the wand and think, “of course I know who my ideal client is, who doesn’t?!”  A truism in business is that if it’s a recurring theme it means that it’s not only important, but that it’s not being done by the majority. If everybody was doing it, there would be no need to discuss it.

If I were to ask you right now, “Who is your ideal client and why?” what would you tell me? Would it be without hesitation and in a crystal clear and concise manner? Would you have to pause before you answered the question? Very few people can answer this question without hesitation and pause. If you can answer without hesitation and pause, I want to congratulate you. Keep doing what you’re doing. For the rest of us, the ability to answer this question could mean the difference between having clients and not having clients.

While this seems like a very simple question, it really is not. It is a question you should spend a significant amount of time thinking about and getting very clear around. Let’s take a moment and review some essential elements of the ideal client:

• It’s counter-intuitive in the sense that it is most effective when your ideal client is highly specific and narrow.
• When you try to be everything to everybody, you end being nothing to anybody.
• There is a common center of interest and/or lifestyle of your ideal client.
• Your ideal client exists in a sufficient quantity.
• Your ideal client has the ability to pay you.

What does having an ideal client do for you and your business?

• An ideal client provides you with a clear vision and an obvious focus.
• It enhances your credibility and your reputation.
• It increases the demand for your services because of the specialized market.
• It greatly simplifies marketing and increases your return on investment (ROI).
• It provides a firm base from which you can expand your business.

So, how do you go about determining who your ideal client is? Yes, this is the part where you spend a significant amount of time crafting your ideal client profile. I would suggest you write a story about your ideal client. Give him/her a name, an education, a family life (single or not), a social life, a business, and a problem they have in their business that you can help them with. Get very detailed. Let me repeat that…get very detailed. I want you to know this person  like you know your family! This way, when asked who your ideal client is there is no hesitation.

These questions should help you craft your ideal client:

1. What are the basic characteristics of your ideal client? (demographics, age, gender, salary, education, location, etc.)
2. Who are your clients? Are they business executives, artists, small business owners, micro business owners?
3. What kind of values does your ideal client have? Do these values match yours?
4. What exactly do your ideal clients do? How do they need your help?
5. How do your ideal clients treat you? Do they pay on time?

Whether you know exactly who your ideal client is or not, please take the time to answer the above questions. In doing so, I hope that it will help you realize where you are in relation to where you need to be on this critical topic.

Want to comment on this article? Have a thought to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

(c) 2010 Cindy Hillsey

You are free to use material from the Bridging the Gap ezine as long as you include complete attribution, including live website link. The attribution should read: “By Cindy Hillsey of Virtual Partnering. Please visit http://www.virtualpartnering.com for additional information.”

When I ask people what gets in their way in building a business, the answer I frequently receive is they don’t think they deserve success. They don’t think they are successful, and they don’t know what success feels like. Why is this? What are the necessary steps we can take to better equip ourselves for the recognition and acceptance of this thing called success?

The first thing we need to do is understand what our own definition of success really is. Notice I did not say Jane Sample’s definition of success. This is something you need to determine for yourself. Is the fact you own a business your definition of success? Do you base your success on the number of clients you have? Do you base your success on the amount of money you make? Do you base your success on the number of lives you touch? Do you have a definition of success? I believe this is the one area we overlook in our quest to become business owners, and it is the one area that can hold us back if we do not spend the time defining success.

In order to be successful (whatever your definition is) you need to be able to identify and measure the indicators of success. For example, making a certain amount of money makes you feel a certain way, and that may be your real goal; however, there is a certain dollar amount at which you feel successful. That dollar amount is your measure of success. If you can’t measure it, how do you know you’ve made it?

The second thing is realizing the steps necessary to achieve that success. Just knowing the amount of money you wish to make does not in itself make it happen. You need to create a plan that will allow you to engage in the activities necessary to generate the dollar amount. Take the time to write out the steps you are going to take, and then take them! Remember, you can’t eat an elephant in one bite. Start small and build from there. No one expects you to be successful overnight. If they do, send them to me and I’ll have one of my famous “chats” with them. LOL

The third thing to achieving success is creating the mindset that you do indeed *deserve* the success you are experiencing. If you do not believe in yourself, how can you expect others to believe in you? Yes, this is easier said than done in many cases, but it is probably one of the most important steps to achieving success. Remember, you do not have to do this alone. Surround yourself with people who support and encourage you. Hire a coach if you need someone to keep you on track. Create a MasterMind group of like individuals and then support each other in your successes. Most importantly, you need to get to the place where YOU believe in you and YOU believe in your ability to be successful and are able to recognize that success.

Let me leave you with this thought … you are a unique individual. No one else does things like you do them. Why should you compare yourself to them? They are not your measure of success. You, and you alone, set the standards for your success. Follow your heart and know I’m rooting for you!

Want to comment on this article? Have a thought to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

(c) 2009 Cindy Hillsey

You are free to use material from the Bridging the Gap ezine as long as you include complete attribution, including live website link. The attribution should read: “By Cindy Hillsey of Virtual Partnering. Please visit www.virtualpartnering.com for additional information.”

Traditionally, the winter holiday season is typified by gift giving. What better time to ask this question than now, right?

What is a gift? What does that word “gift” mean to you? For all intents and purposes, a gift is something of value that is given because it fits the person you are giving it to. As an entrepreneur providing services, this concept is directly applicable as well and it is directly applicable 12 months out of the year. Your gift is how you express your talent and/or skills, and these skills are what you give your clients because they are appropriate to them.

What makes a gift memorable? Usually, it’s given from the heart and it fits the recipient so well they either would have obtained it themselves or can’t live without it. So my question to you is this: What gift are you giving to your clients? Does this gift come from the heart? Does it fit your client? What are you doing differently? Does your client understand that this is your gift? If so, congratulations! You are working in a relationship that fulfills both of you. If not, what are you doing to differentiate yourself from others providing similar gifts?

This is a great time of the year to really look at and assess what your gifts are. In other words, what are your services, how do you provide those services, do you enjoy providing those services, and who do you provide those services to? Take some time to really think about these questions. Once you’ve given them some thought, take out a piece of paper and pencil (or fire up your computer!) and write out your answers. Are you heading in the direction you want to be?