2. Tasks and Projects

I’m a raving fan of a software called Things by Cultured Code and have it on both my laptop and my iPad. From the first day I bought a MacBook Pro, I’ve used Things because iCal task management is just deplorable (Let me tell you how I really feel). The iPad app is even better than its software cousin. At $20 it’s a bit on the expensive side for an app, but, in my opinion, Things is worth every penny.

Things allows me to closely manage the dates and deadlines for both my tasks and projects, set reoccurrences, assign tasks to areas of responsibility, and tag them for quick reference–all quickly and easily. The underlying architecture of Things is based on David Allen’s immensely popular book, Getting Things Done, but it’s not overly dependent on it. The iPad app automatically synch’s with my laptop via the wireless network in my office and allows me to stay on top of everything I need to do everyday. Cultured Code’s online support and resources are second to none.

So Dr. Angela Duckworth and her research team at the University of Pennsylvania have performed an incredible service by giving us this succinct–and profoundly useful–definition. True grit is “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” Grit is courage, not just in the moment but sustained over time, in the ongoing pursuit of challenging objectives. And, according to research, it outperforms both talent and intelligence in activities as diverse and graduating from military school and competing in the National Spelling Bee.

The team identified 17 distinct elements to the perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Some of these are predictable, like not being discouraged by roadblocks or setbacks, having a strong inner drive, and working hard. Others I found surprising, like enjoying the latest and greatest innovations and having an array of outside interests. Turns out, while these things may make you a better cocktail party guest, they distract you from achieving long-term success. How true is your grit? Go to the web site and see: Grit Survey.

The Window or the Mirror?

With due respect, however, to the researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, I would like to add one more item to the list. I’ll pose it as a question, “Where do you look when things go wrong?” I’ve found when things go wrong that people look one of two places: out the window or in the mirror.

When people look out the window, they blame external forces for things that have gone wrong. It’s the economy, the competition, your stupid boss, or your lame web site. The list is endless, but the outcome’s the same. When results don’t meet expectations, looking outside the window seeks a solution external to one’s self, yielding your power to forces you cannot control. Long-term goals languish because victims don’t climb mountains, finish marathons, or bring revolutionary products to market.

When people look in the mirror, just the opposite occurs. They discover solutions to problems that lie within their power to control. Instead of being overwhelmed with guilt, they are empowered by the steps of action they can take to change the status quo. They reach their long-term goals in spite of the roadblocks in their way because they refuse to allow external factors to become an excuse for inaction.

And here’s a very, very important final point. Looking in the mirror doesn’t mean committing intellectual suicide. Yes, the economy has been challenging and your competition may be cutthroat. You may have a stupid boss and a lame web site. So what? Stop letting external forces dictate your success and stop being a victim. Perfection never exists, so get over it. And get on with it. Grit, true grit, find the guts within oneself to get things done, in spite of any obstacle or excuse.

In August the MAC has its second birthday. We are now up to 15 members, with an additional two just about to come on board. Some of our original members have moved on due to job changes or relocation. In Internet years, this might mean the MAC is coming of age. Things are evolving. We miss our colleagues who leave but we welcome new blood and the strength it gives the group.

BILL:

The same happens in our small businesses. Customers we had at first, go somewhere else. Employees we hired at first, move on. And we reminisce about how wonderful the “old days” were. Maybe they were wonderful, but they’re in the past, and businesses that are successful relentlessly focus on the future. In other words, nostalgia’s not good for business (unless you’re an antique dealer).

Yes, I remember my first big client. It was thrilling and rewarding. But what was exceptional for me then, is normal now. In fact, I’ve come to believe firmly that the best clients I’ll ever serve have not yet presented themselves.

I remember my first big hire. I was so excited to steal him away from a large corporation. But again, as wonderful as he was (and still is), attracting top talent to small business quickly became my new normal.

LAINIE:

And yes, we remember with fondness–great fondness–the first members of the MAC. They are wonderful, talented, creative professionals, every one of them! But the best MAC is yet to come, which challenges all of us to be our best.

And that’s good for business.

Lainie Turner
Bill Zipp

Nevertheless, using email well is a critical skill for any independent consultant wanting to grow their business. Here are six rules to follow without exception:

RULE ONE: The subject line is king

In medieval society, the king was everything: all wise and all powerful. That’s the role the subject line plays in all of your outgoing email. Like a headline in a newspaper article, it must be short–6-8 words–and it must be compelling.

As you know from using email yourself, if you don’t know the sender, you read the subject line. If that doesn’t grab you, the email is trashed. According to a 2007 study by Juniper Research, 35% of all email users open messages because of what’s contained in the subject line.

Here’s an example of a good and a bad subject line:

BAD SUBJECT LINE: Advertising deadlines for our eighth annual summer shopping guide are fast approaching

GOOD SUBJECT LINE: Reach 1000’s of women with your unique summer shopping tips

Apart from being way too long, the first subject line is sender-centered instead of recipient-centered. I’m sure the sender thinks that mentioning the fact that their summer shopping guide is in its eighth year will be inspiring, but the recipient of this email doesn’t care about that. And I am also sure the sender thinks that mentioning approaching deadlines creates scarcity (Which everyone knows, sells. Right?), but, again, the recipient doesn’t care about your approaching deadline. Really!

What does the recipient care about?

The recipient, along with every other business leader right now, cares about building their business. In other words, they care about their products and services and the audience they need to reach to sell them. You must show from the very start of your email that you are a serious business person as well. Work on your subject line until you’ve achieved that objective.

RULE TWO: The first sentence is queen

Still royalty, the queen in medieval society was also powerful, just not as much as the king. After your subject line, your first sentence is critical in using email effectively. Once opened, you’ve got five seconds to keep the momentum going. That’s all, five seconds. This rule, like rule one, is about being recipient-centered and not sender-centered based on your understanding of the prospect’s business needs.

Again, here are two examples:

BAD FIRST SENTENCE: Yes, it’s that time of year again! Our eighth annual summer shopping guide is here!! This award-winning, 100-page glossy-printed publication is packed with fun and amazing ideas for every thing you’ll need this summer!!!

GOOD FIRST SENTENCE: I noticed that your company just released a line of learning puzzles for school-aged children. Congratulations. This is just the sort of unique family item moms are looking for this summer as an alternative to video games and re-runs on TV.

What rule one and rule two mean for you is: outgoing email must not be sent generically from a distribution list (otherwise know as spam). Every email must be customized to your prospect as a result of basic research regarding their products, target audience, and business cycles. This will result in fewer email sent, but significantly increased response rates. That’s the point, right?

RULE THREE: Keep the body short

Okay, now it’s time to talk about yourself. But do it carefully, and do it briefly. Avoid all the self-congratulating terms (like amazing, award-wining, cutting-edge, blah, blah, blah) that litter email communication today. And please, please, please lose the exclamation marks. Keep it real and keep it short, 150 words or less.

You should, however, talk about actual business results. Just don’t do it in a self-congratulatory way. State the facts and use recognized business terms like increased sales, reduced down time, improved productivity, etc… Also, use actual numbers and actual names (if possible).

Here’s how I would do this for the summer shopping guide we’ve been discussing:

Every year we print a shopping guide to help crazy busy mom get the stuff their family needs for the summer. This is a high-quality publication that’s distributed directly to professional women from an opt-in subscription list. One of our clients, Thinker Toys, LLC , experienced a 45% increase in retail sales last summer from this publication alone. What would a 45% increase in sales do for you?

RULE FOUR: End with a call to action

Outgoing email is, of course, one step in the larger sales process. Know what the next step is and state it. Then follow-up that step without exception. For most of us this means not mentioning price in any way, even a great, limited time sale price. For most of us email is a way of opening up a relationship and expanding the know, like, and trust quotient. Jumping right to price and product destroys that possibility.

Here’s how I would close the email we’ve been working on:

I’m sending you a copy of last year’s summer shopping guide and placed sticky notes on the pages I thought you’d find interesting. I’ll be calling you next week to discuss this year’s publication. If you’d like to speak to me before then, my direct number is …

RULE FIVE: Keep the signature simple

Lose the fancy signature line with colorful graphics and handwritten autograph. Not only is that distracting, but you’ll get sent straight to junk mail by a spam filter. List your name, position, company, and basic information in straight type (add color if you must). Again, this is not the place to throw in a self-serving tag like, “The World’s Leader in ….” Drop it. Your signature should be limited to three lines, four lines max.

RULE SIX: Do not send attachments

Like the signature rule, following the attachment rule will keep you from the junk mail folder. It’s tempting because we love our colorful graphics and beautiful documents, but don’t do it. It’s also considered rude to send something that will use up precious hard drive space without being asked to do so. If you must provide a sample of your work, do it through an HTML link that the recipient can follow.

BONUS: 35 words to avoid being sent to spam filter purgatory

Purgatory, how’s that for another medieval concept? Here are 35 words NEVER to use in your email because they have been deemed as being associated with spam according to Josiane Chriqui Feigon in her terrific book Smart Selling on the Phone and Online:

free
specials
market
no obligation
gift
bonus
offer
bargain
click
limited time
marketing
advertising
deal
discount
ads
sales
pleasure
sell
pricing
lowest prices
shopping
guarantee
clearance
package
renewal
final days
finance
just released
performance

Can you top this???

“Building a brand today is very different that building a brand 50 years ago,” Tony writes. “It used to be that a few people got together in a room, decided what the brand positioning was going to be, and then spent a lot of money buying advertising telling people what their brand was. And if you were able to spend enough money, then you were able to build your brand.

“Over time, as we focused more and more on culture,” Tony continues, “we ultimately came to the realization that a company’s culture and a company’s brand are really just two sides of the same coin. The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company’s culture.”

For instance, if you saw an ad that announced in bright, bold letters the words, “BP Cares.” What would you think? Their culture of recklessness and callousness speaks louder than any marketing campaign, and their brand is in ruins. The same is true for our endeavors, they’re just not the fodder for daily news coverage.

Here are Zappos’ ten core values. Which of these do you like? Which would work for you? What values do you embrace that are different than these?

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

The conversation then turned toward whether or not they should hire an independent contractor or an employee. Knowing the difference between the two is critically important. If you get it wrong, IRS penalties can be painful. Also, sometimes as independent contractors we get ourselves into situations where it is not clear what our role is exactly: independent contractor or employee?

Here’s some help:

An independent contractor:

• Negotiates their rate of pay.
• Sets their own schedule.
• Can refuse work or projects.
• Provides an invoice for services performed.
• Often works for other people.
• Uses their own supplies.
• May get reimbursed for expenses.
• Usually works on a project by project basis rather than for an indefinite period of time.
• If an independent contractor’s services are terminated, they are not eligible for unemployment benefits.

An employee:

• Is under the employer’s direct control, whether full or part-time.
• Works for a set rate of pay.
• Works a schedule determined by the employer.
• Is provided the work space, tools, and supplies needed for the job.
• May be required to punch in and out or keep a time sheet.
• Is offered benefits such as health insurance, worker’s comp, and retirement that an independent contractor is not eligible for.
• If an employee is terminated, they are eligible for unemployment benefits.

Here’s how to avoid IRS troubles:

• Incorporation: If an independent contractor has incorporated his or her business, then the IRS will not question the status as an independent contractor.
• A written contract: A good written contract will help set an independent contractor apart from an employee.
• Other clients: If a contractor can point to references or testimonials from other clients, the IRS will accept the status as an independent contractor.
• Benefits: A company providing benefits–such as health insurance or paid vacation–to a contractor is a big red flag for the IRS.

On the way home, however, a huge semi-truck sped past me, spraying gravel on my windshield. A star-shaped chip appeared in my line of sight, and, by the time I got home, a crack stretched across the entire windshield.

This is what marketers call a trigger event: a series of activities that initiate a buying decision. For most businesses, trigger events aren’t as obvious as a crack in a windshield, but they exist nevertheless. Identifying them and talking about them on a regular basis is a key to marketing success.

One of the best ways I’ve seen this done is offering a free up-front assessment to potential clients. Here are some examples:

• For a web designer, a free website evaluation
• For a coach, a free personality profile
• For a heating and cooling company, a free energy audit
• For a painting contractor, a free exterior home inspection
• For a marketing firm, an free ad impact audit
• For an insurance agent, a free coverage review

All of these tools educate a prospective client about the crack in their windshield and initiate a buying decision. Even better, it focuses the sales process on helping a person solve a problem that could ultimately hurt them, rather than persuading a total stranger to spend a ton of money.

What could you offer for free that would help prospective clients clearly see their need to use your products and services?

“The typical response is, ‘I’m a business consultant,’ or ‘I’m a massage therapist,’ or ‘I’m a graphic designer,’” says Michael Port in Book Yourself Solid.  “Unfortunately, a polite nod or comment, or worse yet, an awkward silence and a completely blank stare, follow. Once you get that response, anything more you say about yourself or your services is likely to sound pushy.”

The reason is most people have a preconceived idea of what a business consultant or a graphic designer does, and, whether that idea is right or wrong, they’ve already put you into a box marked, “Services not needed.” Furthermore, a mere reciting of your business category does nothing to set you apart from the dozens of other service providers who, on the surface at least, do exactly the same thing as you do.

“A primary reason many service professionals fail to build thriving businesses is that they struggle to articulate—in a clear and compelling way—exactly what solutions and benefits they offer,” Michael Port continues. “You are so much more than your profession. Let’s toss out the generic labels: teacher, doctor, designer, accountant, acupuncturist, personal trainer, yoga teacher, consultant, coach, or other bland description that defines you as one of the masses.”

In other words, when asked the question, ‘What do you do for a living?’ Your professional business category is the wrong answer.

What’s the right answer?

Book Yourself Solid proposes a five part response that can be used in its entirety–if you have time for an extended conversation–or in bits and pieces for shorter interactions. The five parts are:

Part I: A summary of your target market in one sentence.

Part II: A summary of the most critical needs or challenges facing your target market.

Part III: The unique solutions you provide in meeting the critical needs/challenges of your target market.

Part IV: A sampling of the actual results your clients have achieved.

Part V: The deepest benefits your clients receive from working with you.

These five parts are then woven into a dialogue in the following way:

• You know how [insert Part I] do, are, or feel [insert Part II]?
• Well, what I do is [insert Part III].
• The result is [insert Part IV].
• The benefits are [insert Part V].

Here is how I use this formula to explain what I do:

You know how people start their own business and are very, very good at what they do, yet somehow their business never takes off? So they keep at it, working harder, longer for less money than they ever would for someone else. Do you know anyone like that?

Here’s what I’ve found. It takes more than being good at something to have a successful small business. You must also be good at business. I have the privilege of working with very talented people helping them with the business-side of their business in these five areas: planning, people, sales, marketing, and money.

The results I have had with clients over the years is remarkable: 20, 30, and 50 percent growth. Some of my clients have even doubled and tripled their annual revenue. But you want to know the best part? When a small business owner gets control of their business, they also get their life back again, because most of the business owners I know their business is running them and not the other way around. We get to change all that.

Now if this sounds a little long to you, it is. A response like this is designed to be delivered in a real, live conversation. That’s why there are questions along the way. However, not every interaction allows for such an extensive response, so Book Yourself Solid suggests the following options:

The Long Version: All five parts as outlined above

The Medium Version: You know how [insert Parts I and II]? Well, what I do is [insert Parts III and V].

The Short Version: I help [insert Part I] so that they [insert Part V].

Now it’s your turn. To make this approach work for you, do the following four things:

1. Determine your business’ answers to Part I, II, III, IV, and V as listed above. This may take some time and thought, but work that is worth it in every respect.
2. Script out each of the three conversations–long, medium, and short.
3. Practice, practice, practice. Recite your written responses over and over again until they naturally flow from your tongue. Have a friend or colleague ask you at random times throughout the week, “What do you do for a living?” Feel free to return the favor!
4. Keep improving. As you use this method, you’ll find new and better ways to say things. Rewrite your responses and keep on getting better at talking about what you do.

Michael Port says in closing, “Once you’ve clearly identified your target market, understand their needs and desires, and can articulate how you help them by identifying the core benefits associated with the results of your services, you’ll never be caught off guard again. I suggest you continue to hone and refine your message and the practice it over and over. I do.”

So, what do you do for a living?

Instead I lead my clients in an exercise I call The Class A Client (or Customer) Profile. We start with listing all the characteristics of an ideal client, but then add to that list other information like business size, buying motives, geographical limitations, and budgetary requirements.

The end result may be pages of information that we edit, edit more, and edit again, getting the list down to five essentials that total no more than 50 words.

Here’s the tenth or twelfth version of my Class A Client Profile:

1. I work with independent small business owners
2. In business for 2 years or more
3. With 25 employees or less
4. Who are working harder, longer for less money than they ever would for someone else and want to change that reality
5. By engaging in weekly consulting for 3 months or more

How do I use this profile?

If a prospect meets only one or two of the criteria that I have learned over time is a good fit for me, they get a RED LIGHT, which mean STOP. Nothing good comes from misaligned work. I refer them to a friend or colleague and everyone thanks me later (including my wife). If a prospect meets four or five of the criteria, they get a GREEN LIGHT. In other words, GO. I get started with them immedately.

But, let’s face it, there are times when our client load is not full. Here’s  a way to identify those who are close to ideal: if a person possesses three out of the five criteria, then it might make sense to work with them without the down-side of opening the doors to anyone who could fog a mirror and sign a check.

In other words, they receive a YELLOW LIGHT, and yellow means CAUTION. You may GO. You may STOP. Just think it through and have very good reasons for moving forward.

Finally, look at your five-point list (You’ve started working on one, right?), you may find one or two of the things on the list are deal-breakers for you. That is, there are no conditions under which you would do work if these criteria are not met. It may be as simple as working in a Windows environment versus Mac, or working with engineers versus graphic designers (or visa versa). If there’s an item on your list like this that’s true for you, make sure that it’s present every time.

How do you see the red light, green light, yellow light approach working for you?