Directions from Hell:
So, just a little piece of advice about business.
If it were easy everyone would do it.
If it were easy no one would need me (or many of you.)
If it were easy you probably wouldn’t be reading this.
And not only is it not easy- some of it can be hellish. I talk to lots of you each day via calls, emails, social media and I hear the tough stuff. And listen, I get it. I go through the tough stuff, too. That launch that failed, the employee that quit, the client that bailed, the nasty email… there are days you can feel like you are going through hell. I thought since you ended up there not on purpose you might want some directions out of there.
Directions from Hell:
1) OK, let’s start here. If you are going through hell- don’t stop! That’s the worst thing you could do. You never want to pull up a chair and sit at that table. It will feel like the right thing to do is throw in the towel, but this is just a big red firey flag (joke intended) saying- don’t stop here! Keep moving.
2) Get out as fast as possible- look for the exits. I read a great quote today that said: “We all come with baggage. Find someone who loves you enough to help you unpack.” Here are the best exit plans:
a) delegate- sometimes others have a better view point of the exit
b) stop thinking- don’t try to figure out how you got there (yet)
c) see if you have any ideal clients there- sometimes what appears to be “hell” is actually just an opportunity to stretch
d) get factual- work from truth and not emotion. Emotion will never allow you to see the exit.
3) Once you find the exit get a drink of water. Pause, rehydrate, and analyze. I keep saying business is math, metrics, science, and numbers… get clear on what didn’t work and what happened.
4) Tell the story. We never go through hell unless we were meant to teach about the trip. Don’t wallow in what happened or whine about getting lost. Just make the mess your message. Find a way to market it. People love that stuff!
Hope this helps to turn your hell into a hell yeah!
My greatest classroom has been my office
Happy New Year, folks! I hope everyone has started it off with a bang… I am excited to be back into full swing with my New Hell Raisers (that’s my private client Master Mind) and our Tour kicking off here soon!
A few days of R and R was just what I needed to take time to reflect on last year and all the good stuff that happened… that is what I love about reflection: the life happenings that seemed hard, the challenges, the shocks…they all are brilliant lessons with some distance and some clarity.
I love what business teaches me. My greatest classroom has been my office. My greatest teacher has been my clients and my team. Here’s to an amazing 2012 with lots of frozen beverages! ;-)
Does Your Business Have Values?
I first realized the importance of a value-based company when I visited Zappos recently and was inspired by a business that operates daily off of a specific set of values to serve the company and the customers. It really got me thinking about my own values for Team Suzanne and how living those values daily serves my clients, my subscribers, and my life.
We often get so busy marketing, strategizing, and serving that we don’t take the time to identify our core values for the business. I think this is one of the most important visions I have created for myself lately and when you can stay on track with your business values, you naturally help more people and make more money. It is really key to have them in writing so that you can be reminded of your purpose. We all get busy, overwhelmed, and frustrated. When your mission gets marginalized by life, you can revisit these and get back on track.
Here are the values of Team Suzanne! I am proud to say that I strive to work and live by these daily as does my office and support team:
The Ten Thousand Dollar Postcard
I still look forward to getting mail, cards, and goodies through the good ole fashion US Mail. There is a child-like excitement about holding, opening, and reading mail. AND in the day and age of email onslaught and Viagra spamming (it really is amazing how many of these still exist), direct mail can make you pay attention.
About a year ago I had just moved. I kept thinking we need to get some things organized … but I kept putting it off.
Boom — the mail arrives on a Wednesday and in it is this postcard. Why did it get my attention?
I was in pain. I needed help and there it was in front of me. I went on to call this organizer and spent thousands of dollars with her. She was wonderful and efficient. She, in turn, joined my 10k program to build a new business of her own and we developed a wonderful relationship.
THAT direct mail postcard generated almost $20,000.
Marketing Sherpa recently released a chart that shows that direct mail is still considered an important part of any B2B marketing campaign. It may not have the “flash” of the latest social media trend, but it works.
So … think about shaking thing up a bit and send some direct mail. As much as I love Jaime, her postcard wasn’t that great, but it still worked. Here are some tips to make yours super effective.
