Archive for March, 2009
Principles and Integrity
Posted by: | CommentsIntegrity is how we behave when no one is looking. Will we cut corners or continue to live by our values? There are consequences when we compromise on our beliefs.
They say that it can take as little as two weeks to make or break a habit. It takes less time than that to destroy a lifetime of integrity. When you live by a belief system, your actions are guided by it on a daily basis. You won’t just go out and hit someone with your car if you value human life. Along the same vein, you wouldn’t wake up and stop working on your business because you didn’t feel like being a business owner this month.
These examples might seem far-fetched. Who would do a thing like that? You’d be surprised. When our integrity and standards are under fire, we won’t just get up one morning and decide to chuck it all in. There are a series of steps leading up to leaving our principles behind. It’s necessary to keep ourselves in check to keep that from happening.
Manning our principles is a twenty-four hour job. We are not coming under fire in all that time, but when we least expect it, something will happen and it could be a pivotal point on our business or lives. It’s like seeing the man in front of you drop his wallet as he attempts to put it in his pocket. Do you pick it up and give it back or keep it, thinking he should have been more careful?
The defining moments are the little ones. Each little decision changes us somehow. With each compromising decision, a little more of our integrity is chipped away. It becomes easier to give in each time. What we don’t realize is that we no longer look at ourselves in the mirror. We seldom go against the status quo for fear we’ll be labeled as a hypocrite. Our principles are less concrete now and almost completely fluid.
If you’ve felt this way that means you still mourn the changes that have brought you to this point. Regaining your integrity won’t be easy especially around those for whom you compromised. But, with the help of understanding and trustworthy people, your self-image can be restored and you can begin to rebuild your life.
Integrity Tips
1. Be above reproach.
2. Don’t give your word lightly.
3. Pay careful attention to any agreements you may make with others.
Build Your Brand and Retain Clients
Posted by: | CommentsCoach, Andrea J. Lee will be hosting a call tomorrow (March 12th) that you will not want to miss called “Success Strategies from the Life and Work of Thomas Leonard: A Revealing Look At How He Built a Global Coaching Movement and How You Can Apply His Strategies”.
In this 60 minute call, you will learn:
- How to create a high-value “signature brand” that will attract a loyal fan base
- The one thing almost nobody offers their clients (do this, and they’re yours for good)
- How 2 little letters can help clients see 10x more value in what you’re offering.
On March 12th at 7:00 p.m. ET (New York USA)/4:00 p.m. PT (Los Angeles, CA), Andrea will reveal three of Thomas’ most simple yet effective techniques to attract a worldwide following. These are techniques that will help you add extreme value to your clients and characterized the unique way Thomas operated – there’s no reason why you can’t adapt these to your own plans.
Click here to read more and register for this once in a lifetime call!
I recently had the pleasure of hosting a teleclass for Practice Pay Solutions with Michael Port. Michael is the author of Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid and The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (BIG) To Take Typical Sales Advice and Do The Opposite
Michael showed us a complete, easy-to-follow roadmap for starting and growing a service business that works:
93% of clients who have used the Book Yourself Solid system in Michael’s live seminars and intensive coaching programs have increased the number of clients they serve by over 34% and increased their revenue by over 42% within the first year alone.
Even so, it’s so much more than an ordinary how-to manual for getting more clients and raising a business profile. Michael draws his audiences into a journey of self-discovery that leads to a major and necessary shift in thinking about marketing and sales: If you feel called to share a message—your work—it’s because there are people in the world who are meant to receive it. The proven methods Michael teaches have helped thousands of service professionals realize their dreams.
The call is available for download now from Practice Pay Solutions. Just go to Practice Pay Solutions, click on Support, then Business Development. The recording is located about ½ way down the page.
About Janet Slack
Janet Slack is the National Education Director for Practice Pay Solutions and the principal of Life Adventure Coaching. She is a specialist in helping new coaches, therapists and consultants create the thriving business of their dreams. Janet is the author of Mind Your Own Biz: Discover the Secrets to Creating a Successful Coaching Business a step by step guide to starting your coaching business right and Biz Tips: The Book.
About Michael Port
Called a “marketing guru” by the Wall Street Journal, Michael Port has provided coaching and consulting services to over 20,000 business owners. As an expert he has been interviewed on TV networks such as CNBC and MSNBC and for numerous newspapers and magazines. As a speaker, he has headlined events with leaders like Jim Collins, Seth Godin and Tom Peters.
As an author he has written the mega-bestselling Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid and The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (BIG) To Take Typical Sales Advice and Do The Opposite which was selected by the Editorial Board of Amazon.com as the #9 Best Business Book of 2008.
Using the Google Labs Feature in Gmail
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Gmail is a wonderful thing. When speaking to others about it, there is either a love or hate relationship associated with it. For me, using Gmail gives me the confidence that I am totally mobile. I don’t have to rely on syncing Outlook on my desktop and on my laptop, plus it gives me an extra security of knowing that I can put my hands on an email at any given time, whether home or away.
If you are an Outlook addict, the additional features of Google Labs can help to make your experience with Gmail a little easier. For example:
Tasks – Tasks adds a to-do list to Gmail. After adding the lab, click the Tasks link above the chat box on the left-hand-side of the page. Your task list will appear on the right – click anywhere in the list and start typing to add a task.
Offline – Make Gmail go where the Internet doesn’t. Access your inbox through your browser and use Gmail’s familiar features when you’re offline. To get started, enable this lab and then click on the “Offline” link in the upper-right of your inbox.
Canned Responses – Save and then send your common messages using a button next to the compose form. Also automatically send emails using filters.
NavBar Drag and Drop – Allows you to reorder the items in your navbar using drag and drop. Great for making Gmail look the way you want it to.
Custom Label Colors – Lets you create your own combination of colors for labels. Instead of choosing one of the standard colors from the label dropdown menu, click on Add custom colors. Pick your combination of colors and hit apply.
Google Calendar Widget – Adds a box in the left column which shows your Google Calendar. See upcoming events, locations, and details.
The above is just a small sample of how you can harness the power of Gmail. You can even take Gmail a step further if you are using Firefox and add:
Gmail Backup – If you feel unsecure using Gmail because of a crash, don’t use Gmail Backup to backup your Gmail emails to your hard drive. Now you’ll know you’ll never lose another email.
Blank Canvas Gmail Signatures – If you need more than the one signature that Gmail allows, you can use the Blank Canvas Gmail Signatures add-on for Firefox. This add-on automatically inserts HTML signatures into your Gmail messages based on which address you are sending from. Supports up to four signatures for each address you have set up and works for Compose Message and Reply/Forward.
What is your relationship with Gmail? I would love to know your thoughts.
