Ideas To Help You Power Your Vision From Passion To Profit

To me, Facebook is all about sharing ideas and resources. Here are some interesting entries that I've shared on my Facebook wall recently. For each entry listed below, I've included a link to the resource I'm talking about, and a link to the individual wall post, so you can see the comments.

Note that each entry you make on Facebook is a web page that can be linked to and indexed (depending on your your privacy settings). Instead of worrying about FB privacy, post good stuff on your wall that you're proud to share with the world!

Let's connect and exchange ideas, tips and resources on Facebook!

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Why do so few people live up to their potential?

In his book “Linchpin”, Seth Godin posits that people who are remarkable are those who are totally dedicated to their “art”, exhibiting a willingness to plunge forward despite the fear and the risks, and deliver results that change the world around them.

In one of his blog posts, he asks the further question: How much support does someone need before they create remarkable results?

His observation:

“(…)Most mentors and coaches and teachers will tell you that few of their students ever do, not in comparison with their potential. A few break through and change everything, and we celebrate them, but what about everyone else?
The artists are different. They took a leap.
They weren't pushed. They jumped.”

What is the difference between jumping and being pushed?

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We are programmed from an early age to think: "If I just work harder, I can reach my goals faster." This attitude is reflected in Daft Punk's hit "Harder Faster Better Stronger":

Work It. Make It. Do It. Makes Us
Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.
Work it harder, make it better,
Do it faster, makes us stronger
More than ever hour after
Our work is never over

But what if this belief is false? What if working harder, instead of making my results happen faster, just contributes to burn out?

Does turning the thermostat all the way up make the room heat up faster? So why would just "working harder" accelerate success?

My realization is that I should "work smarter": find the right level of effort that yields the best results. And take care of myself better so I can build a stronger personal foundation to support results that last longer.

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Low-level anxiety about the future is an insidious form of stress that can sap your confidence just like a slow leak in your car's radiator compromises the engine's power. However, not knowing is a normal part of life. At the extreme, we do not usually know when or how we will die, yet few of us obsess about that. Instead, we waste precious mental cycles and heartbeats worrying about little things outside of our control, over which we crave an unattainable certainty.

A professional driver checks his car's tire pressure, fluid levels, belts, hoses and lights before he sets out for a day of driving. You can also take control of these confidence leaks and restore your mental and emotional energy by performing this ten-point inspection on a daily basis.

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Wow... We are already 15 weeks into 2010...what are you doing different now compared to the beginning of the year? How is it working for you?

On my end, the FREE SoloSuccess Webinars and my Blog are two big projects that are establishing a good momentum.

Here are some updates I've made recently to these two projects, to help you Power your Vision from Passion To Profit!

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Ask five friends to describe, in their words, what you do...you will get back as many different answers. Your "Positioning", or the set of impressions people have about you, speak so much louder than any marketing campaign or snazzy logo.

In this webinar, you will understand the anatomy of your positioning, and discover a simple process to ignite a powerful word-of-mouth buzz about who you are, what you offer and what kinds of clients you really want.

(Notes, mp3 and other resources below the fold)

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A coach colleague asks a question about how narrow should a target market be:

"I have a client who is a Web developer.  His real love is working with arts organizations, and nonprofits in general.  However, he's concerned that that arts organizations are not a viable target market.  Arts organizations tend to be small and strapped for cash, though there are large arts organizations such as the art museums, symphony, ballet company, larger theaters.  His question - and mine - is whether the larger market of nonprofit organizations of any kind is narrow enough, or is it too diffuse?"

Since this question is common to many people, I decided to respond via a blog post in order to share my view on this with you.

Let's parse this idea down to three questions:

1. How to properly define your target market?
2. When is a target market too narrow or too broad?
3. Should "ability to pay" be a criteria in defining a target market?

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Here is my newsletter dated April 8 2010.

Subscribe to my mailing list and receive a FREE 6-part e-course called "Get More And Better Clients". The registration link is on my blog in the upper part of the right-hand column.

So much is happening lately that I've been wanting to share with you! Here are some highlights, and previews of upcoming events (April 8 Newsletter):

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I am an unabashed fan of Social Media as a powerful positioning and marketing tool for solopreneurs. Too many solos agonize over building the perfect web site, unaware that the old Web 1.0 model of "build it and they will come" is quickly becoming obsolete.

It doesn't matter how pretty, easy-to-navigate or flashy your site, people will spend far more time on and interacting with Facebook and Twitter (20 minutes a day and more, according to recent Nielson studies), vs seconds visiting your site just once.

You gotta be where the people are: instead of staking out a homestead in the wilds of GoogleLand hoping people come to you, move to FacebookCity and mingle with the vibrant community that is already there.

Recently, the networking group I belong to held a "Social Media 101" workshop, after which some participants asked me what resources I have to help them get started. Here is a list of posts, articles and other tools to guide you to use the Web 2.0 in a way that helps you attract More and Better Clients:

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What would your business be like if you had clients who want what you offer and who are ready to pay what you deserve? That's the power of the referral: prospective clients who are ready to buy.

Referrals are a very important part of your marketing strategy. Too many solos advertise, hoping people will respond, but rarely do they "prime the pump" by giving referrals first. When I had to restart my business in a new city and a new language, my first step was to make sure I gave out lots of referrals, even though I did not know anyone...and that soon changed - because I demonstrated my credibility through my skill at giving great referrals. People saw that because I was comfortable giving quality referrals, and so they became comfortable sending referrals to me.

In this FREE webinar you will discover what referrals are and learn a powerful technique to give them and receive them, making your prospecting much more effective.

Specifically, you will discover:

- The anatomy of the referral
- Picturing the perfect referral
- The Referral Cycle
- Giving Great Referrals
- Kickstarting Your Referral Stream

Connection info, recordings and other resources after the fold:
(I will be updating this post during the week as I add more resources...)

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