Archive
12 August, 2009
- Summer in London
- BTS Tip: Accepting Feedback
- Feature Article: A Simple Strategy To Boost Your Profits This Month
- Joanna Recommends: The Silver Mentoring Program
- We Support Opportunity International
Summer in London
This weekend was true summer. I spent all day Saturday in a field at St Albans practicing Kung Fu in the sunshine (getting sunburnt- whoops!), and all Sunday with Greg in Regents Park listening to jazz and reading a great book. I’m reading “The Horse Boy” by Rupert… I highly recommend it- even though I haven’t finished yet! It’s about a father who takes his autistic son on a journey through Mongolia on horseback to be healed by the shamans there. It’s a true story and very eye-opening.
After the success of our online product launch a few weeks back, we sat down on Friday and planned out projects for the next 6 months. And I am excited to say that we have lots of seminars and workshops planned over the coming months- especially in the UK. So keep an eye on your inbox for details of these over the coming month.
Perhaps the thing that is most exciting me at present though starts this Thursday. I’m off to Paris –solo this time. I have finally managed to sequester a few days out of the flow of the business to pull together my new book. I’ll be there til next Tuesday sipping Veuve Clicquot, nibbling on yummy cheeses and generally pretending to write the book ;-) No really- if I don’t come back with it all ready to go I think I risk being sacked by Greg, so I will be finally pulling together all the pieces and creating the manuscript this weekend!
The book is all about the journey I went from a disenchanted, narrow-minded doctor to a millionaire business woman, with a lifestyle that I love! And I’m spelling it out in easy steps that anyone can follow so that you don’t just dream your dreams but live them every day.
I’m being mentored through the book writing process by Darren Stephens- the marketing genius behind the Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus phenomenon. And his suggestion is to get feedback from you about what you think I should call the book. So I put together this little survey and when you answer it you can go into the draw to win a free copy of the book when it comes out later this year. I have 5 to give away- so get if you’ve got 30 seconds- go for it!
Click here to see my book titles and help me choose! (link will open in a new window)
This time next week I’ll be updating you with how it’s coming along- so make sure to check out next weeks newsletter.
Cheers,
Accepting Feedback
- Recognise that every time you step on stage or put yourself out there, you are opening yourself up to feedback.
- Keep your energy in while hearing the feedback, and filter it based on
- Does this person want the best for me
- What is their experience or education in this area
- Make the choice whether to listen to the feedback, and try it.
- Sometime you will get feedback that hurts, or doesn't seem fair. It's a good idea to do some writing on it - have a whinge on paper to get it out and heal it.
- Overall, be open to feedback from the right places, as it is this feedback that will help you go from strength to strength.
One Simple Strategy to Boost Your Profits this Month: The Client Appreciation Night
Host your own “Client Appreciation Night” to boost sales instantly. The biggest mistake that most people make is looking outside of their business for profit making. Your current customers will buy again and again if you give them the chance.
For a successful "Client Appreciation Night", consider the following points:
1. “Invitation to thank your clients”
Send out invitations to a selection of your best clients who you believe, will have a high chance of buying new products or service you will be offering. Provide all the elements and the atmosphere that will have your participants in the right state and you will have your audience eating out of your hands.
2. Teach something new…
Load your “Appreciation Night” with good quality content – or you will risk losing their trust. Your hook is the one-off, not to be missed opportunity to learn something new. This new “tool” or “technique” is key to their success.
Now that you have a relaxed, happy and captive audience, it’s time to make an offer on a new product or service that will benefit them!
3. Friends of Clients
Ask your clients to bring a friend! Give them a reason to follow through… give a free information product gift, CD or DVD. This is a cheat sheet to filling the room with little effort and has the added benefit of introducing a new audience to your services
4. Food and Drinks
It’s not necessary to throw a banquet. Some venues provide package deals – room plus food and beverages. You can save time and money by purchasing inexpensive snacks and drinks well in advance.
5. Your Network is Your Net Worth…
It’s an oldie and still holds true. It’s a great opportunity for your clients to network and create relationships that will create a community.
6. Playing the numbers game…
Be realistic – more is not better! You need to ask yourself these questions:
- How many people do you want to attend?
- How many people can you manage?
It’s a great idea to ask your clients to reserve their seats to avoid disappointment. You will have Importantly, you need to know how much new business that you want to achieve to make the night profitable.
7. Location, Location
Find a suitable venue. Pick a date.
Give yourself a good 4-6 weeks to prepare and market, especially if this is your first time. Once you have a fair idea of how many people will be there, it will help your process of finding the best venue that your finance will allow and a central location that everyone can get to.
8. Make it Fun
Make it a fun evening for everyone! A boring “appreciation night” with bad food, low quality information and not so good location/venue will only hurt your reputation. Hitting all the right buttons will not only give you the profits that you desire, plus you and the audience will have a fantastic night.
Would you like to use this article on your website or in your ezine? You can, as long as the information below stays intact.
About the author:
Dr Joanna Martin
Dr Joanna Martin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and sought-after educator who has taught over 40,000 people on three continents.
Today, she trains entrepreneurs and professionals alike in key communication, leadership, and presentation skills. With her partner Greg, through their business, Shift Lifestyle they provide strategy and support for business owners who want a lifestyle, not just a living.
For more information go to: www.ShiftSpeakerTraining.com
The Silver Mentoring Program
Are you ready to make more money from your speaking efforts? Get your own personal “Virtual Mentor” for less than a cup of coffee a day. Have your hand held every step of the way as you transform your business into a cash-spitting fun factory!
The Shift Speaker Training Silver Mentoring Program focuses on Three Key Areas:
- Making money from your speaking with “Effective Presentations”
- Structuring your business so that you make money while you sleep with the “Elegant Business Model”
- Speaking and business skills that put you ahead of the competition.
To find out more, go to…
www.shiftspeakertraining.com/join
Opportunity International Australia provides people living in poverty with access to basic financial services – including small loans, savings accounts, insurance and business training. These services are know as microfinance, and they assist people who wouldn’t usually qualify for regular banking services because they have no form of collateral or formal identification.
Here’s how it works…
By helping a mother to buy a sewing machine to start a tailoring business or a father to buy seeds to plant a vegatable garden, small loans enable people in poverty to earn an income and provide for their families. 97% of loans are paid back, so the cycle can continue for years! Each successful business feeds a family, employs more people and eventually helps to empower a whole community.
Did you know that for only a $200 donation you can help one family start a business and employ one other person? This one loan once paid back can be used again and again. Many of us spend more than that on a night out with friends and once that money is gone, it’s gone!
Find out more about Opportunity International and how you can make a difference by visiting their website:
