9 hours ago

Whew!  April has been a full month!  We’ve had April Fool’s Day, Passover, Easter, National Siblings Day and Earth Day. And though it probably wasn’t cause for much celebration, Tax Day.

And we’re not done yet.

There’s one more holiday I’m celebrating this month. One that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s TODAY and just in case it’s not on your calendar I wanted to give you a heads-up.

Don’t worry. You don’t have to go shopping for presents, a special outfit or elaborate decorations. It’s not that kind of holiday.

So, what is this mysterious holiday, and why am I inviting you to celebrate with me?

It’s NATIONAL TELEPHONE DAY!

That’s right…National Telephone Day!

The phone is the most important piece of equipment in your business. When you use it well, it’s the lifeline between you and your customers. That’s why we insist our coaching clients set aside a “Power Hour” every day to be on the telephone with prospects and with current and former customers.

The Power Hour is a non-negotiable date you make with yourself and the phone every day. We’ve watched businesses completely transform themselves by implementing this one single strategy. It’s the fastest path to cash.

Every. Single. Time.

In a world where there are dozens of different ways to get your message out, nothing beats the personal touch. A friendly voice on the other end of a phone provides a welcome change that delivers on a more personal note. It’s the way you make connections that grow into relationships, relationships that build your business and keep it going.

If you’re like many of our clients, at first, the phone feels as if it weighs 100 pounds. You dread picking it up.

But once you start to see results, you’re going to love the Power Hour. To get you on the right track with your Power Hour, we suggest the 10-2-5 guideline.

• Make 10 calls every day. At a minimum. You might not reach everyone on the first attempt, but keep trying.
• Set 2 appointments every day. Those appointments might be for the next phone call, a cup of coffee, or an in-house visit. When you initially reach your prospect, she might not have the flexibility to talk to you for any length of time. Be brief, share a bit about how you might benefit her business and set the “real” appointment at a time when she can focus on a more in-depth conversation.
• Get 5 new referrals every day. Acquiring new prospects through referrals keeps your business growing. Who might your prospect know that you should be talking to, besides them?

Today, I’m celebrating National Telephone Day by adding a little more time to my Power Hour. By taking some time to be grateful for this simple, but powerful tool. By valuing the connections I’m making with the people on the other end of the line.

Come on. Celebrate with me.  Pick up your phone.

It’s National Telephone Day!

Go forth and do great things,

Martha and Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 27, 2019

Every now and then, you read something that sticks with you and just won’t let loose. Know what I mean?

You wake up thinking about it…see examples everywhere…can’t wait to tell other people…wish you’d thought of it first.

That’s been going on for me for the past couple of months as we prepared for our recent Lead Her Up Retreat. Try as I might, this concept just wouldn’t let me rest.

So, let me ask you…

Got Grit?

You heard right. Grit.

Ever since I read Angela Duckworth’s 2016 best seller, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, I can’t get the concept out of my mind. Duckworth says that high achievers are not necessarily the ones with most talent, but those with the most “grit.”

Grit, she says, is a combination of passion and perseverance in pursuit of an important goal. She has years of research to back up her theory.  The more I think about it, the more I believe she’s really onto something.

Thomas Edison is a great example. It’s no secret that Edison made many attempts before getting it right with the electric lightbulb. His take on it? “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  Now, that’s Grit!

Henry Ford is another. Before making it big with the Ford Motor Company’s assembly line, Ford went bankrupt 5 times! A lesser person might have given up or turned to another line of work. But Grit in the face of failure is the reason that Ford is a household name today.

Without Grit, Harry Potter might never have become one of the most famous characters in the last century. Millions of books, several blockbuster movies and a theme park are the result of the perseverance of author J.K. Rowling. When Rowling took the first manuscript of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to publishers, it was rejected a total of 12 times before eventually being published. That publication opened the gates of fame and fortune for Rowling. Today, she is one of the richest women in the world…a far cry from the divorced single mother living on welfare who wrote that first book!

Grit is not just for famous people, though. It’s something all of us can bring into our lives.

Here’s what it takes:

First – Discover what you’re good at and make a list of those things. This is your list of possible areas where you can be a high achiever.

Then – Find the thing that you’re good at that also lights up your heart. Remember, talent is not enough. There are plenty of talented people who never make it to those highest levels of achievement…because they don’t love what they’re good at with the single-minded, “it’s-as-important-to-me-as-breathing” kind of devotion. This is the passion that’s essential to Grit.

Finally – Bring in the perseverance…the “I won’t let anything stand in my way” attitude. Talent and passion, without persistent action in the face of obstacles, will only get you so far. Perseverance is the secret sauce that takes you to the full expression of your talent and passion. It puts the cherry on top of the sundae.

Now, let me ask you again.  Got Grit?

Go forth and do great things,

Martha and Chris