By Michael Port

Over the past year I haven’t read as much as is typical for me. And the last six months I’ve just been skimming the books I need to read for professional reasons.

I’m not proud of this. Especially because I advocate reading. Not only as a way to learn but as a tool for networking. (To understand why and how read Book Yourself Solid.)

So what happened to me? Did I finally reach the tipping point and know everything there is to know? Certainly not. Is there nothing worth reading? Hardly. Did I suddenly become lazy? That’s what I was afraid of. But it turns out it was something else entirely…

I couldn’t see what I was trying to read!

Today I picked up a pair of reading glasses and presto–everything was in focus. I sat for three hours and soaked up every word of The New York Times. Seriously, I think I read every word printed–even the obits. I didn’t loose focus or get fatigued. I’m ecstatic, as you might imagine.

But why did it take me so long to figure this out? Because loosing focus is often a degenerative and incremental process. Slow and steady. And I don’t do slow and steady very well so it’s hard for me to recognize.

This gradual loss of focus doesn’t just happen to our eyes. It happens in our work in our relationships and to our overall health.

The good news is that now I have four eyes which which to focus on the future. Four eyes to explore all options when something’s not working the way I would like. And four eyes envision my work and my life in the crystal clear high-definition.

Aside: Interesting that I got the glasses two days before my 38th birthday. I always thought one didn’t need reading glasses until at least 40. Oh, well, I’ve always been out in front.

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By Michael Port

Today, someone asked me what I thought about pay-for-results consulting because their potential customers were rejecting sales offers claiming they couldn’t afford the service.

I like the concept but it’s risky, especially if don’t have a lot of cash on hand at present. To see the returns you’re looking for, generally, it’ll take time for your clients to produce results. If you offered a service that was fast, meaning it showed results in a week or so, then it would make sense to set up a pay-for-results only fee structure. But if you’re going to rely on long-term results you best make sure you have a lot of cash on hand. Also, you best make sure you are serving only the most ideal clients. Not only the kinds of clients that energize and inspire you and allow you to do your best work but are people of the highest integrity and will actually pay you what they owe you. Because only they will really know what they owe you.

Of course, at the end of the day, you only know if something works if you try it.

But there’s something else to consider. There’s a funny thing that happens when you’re a service provider; customers mirror you and your actions. If you don’t invest in yourself they don’t invest in you. If you’re not willing to pay for the kinds of services you offer why would (or should) anyone buy they from you?

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By Michael Port

Today I found out that The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (BIG) to Take Typical Sales Advice and Do the Opposite, a book a wrote with Liz Marshall, was chosen by The Amazon.com Editorial Board as the #9 Best Business Book of 2008. It’s quite an honor.

Want to know what I did to make it happen? Nothing. Expect work with Liz and attempt to write a great book.

You can’t make these kinds of things happen. You can only do your work. And if you do good work it’s sometimes recognized but not often.

There really aren’t any shortcuts to the top. Sorry. Hope I’m not the bearer of bad news…

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By Michael Port

Being different is not necessarily a good thing. Sometimes, if you’re too different potential customers don’t know what to make of you. They don’t know what “frame” to put you in. Plus, too much difference can be overwhelming, confusing and even irritating.

Pick one thing.

Pick one area to be dramatically different in a way that matters to you and to your customers. Then, make sure everything else meets clients expectations and industry standards.

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By Michael Port

Lots of reasons:

• They don’t actually deliver a remarkable service.

• They are not very likable.

• They don’t fulfill the promises they make.

• They are afraid to commit fully to their business for fear that they’ll fail and look stupid (or worse yet) be criticized.

I could go on and on but I want to point out one very important reason that tops the chart but often goes unnoticed:

• They are afraid of the responsibilities that go along with being successful (AKA: booked solid)

Being successful is no small thing. Many added responsibilities are part of the honor of abundance. The big question… are you ready for the responsibility of being booked solid?

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By Michael Port

Here, in the BYS Network, you may want to set up an informal referral group with five or six other professionals who all serve the same target market but offer complimentary services and products. This way you can create a master marketing and referral team. You’ll greatly extend your reach and build your reputation by having others talk about you and your services. You may even want to do this with other professionals that offer the same services as you but to different target markets. It would be like setting up a group practice without actually having to set up a group practice. I’ve seen this done very effectively.

But don’t make assumptions. Show up first by seeing how you can add value. Once you’ve figured how you can add value and have absolutely done so… then see what type of reciprocal relationship you can develop. Most people skip this step. You’ve got to date before you propose.

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By Michael Port

The biggest problem I see people having when they want to do big things in the world and book themselves solid, is get totally stuck in overwhelm. Overwhelm from…

• Not knowing what to do

• Knowing what to do but thinking it’s going to be too hard

• Knowing what to do but not having a clue where to start

• Not being able to make a choice as to which direction to go

• From thinking everyone else is doing so much better

• From having too much on your plate at once

• Not having enough time in the day to do everything

• From trying to build your business AND have a personal life

Look, let’s get to the truth of the matter, okay?
Everyone, and I do mean everyone, goes through overwhelm from time to time. I had real, total, overwhelm around managing being a new father and all of the things I need to do for my business. Overwhelm hit me square between the eyes and I even pulled back from some things that were really important to me, like the Think Big Revolution, until I heard from people who were missing it, and I got myself back on track.

So, just make a list of three things you an do today to get things done… and then do those three things. Once they’re done, come back here and report on your success (use the comment feature).

Much love…

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By Michael Port

All sales start with a simple conversation and are executed when a need is met and trust is assured. The Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle helps us start the trust building process and helps us systematically, automatically, and authentically move the relationship forward.

If you’re good at making friends you’ll be good at making sales. Sales is often a confronting subject for many of us but as I mention above the sales conversation is just that – a conversation. If you can talk to people you can make a sale for the betterment of the person that is buying your product or service. It’s not about manipulation or coercion.

In order to design a Sales Cycle for your business, you must first establish your 6 Part Foundation and your 6 Part Trust Building Process. The combination of these two exercises will give you a Sales Cycle that will attract more clients than you can handle, even if you hate marketing and selling.

The 6 Part Sales Cycle Foundation – The Who, What, Where, When, Why and How

The foundation on which you rest your Sales Cycle is crucial. You need to have a solid foundation before actually designing a sales cycle. To build a foundation which will give you rock solid security you must clearly and concisely identify the who, what, where, when, why and how. This will ensure that the offers you’re making in your 5 Stage Sales Cycle Process are right on target.

• Who Is Your Target Client/Customer? Focus on one person (or organization) within your target market.

• What Are They Looking For? You’ve got to understand what your ideal client or customer is looking for.

• When Do They Look For You? What needs to happen in their personal life or work life for them to want the kind of service that you offer?

• Why You? What is unique about you or the solutions you offer?

• How Do You Want Them To Engage with You? What is it that you want a potential client to do when they find you?

The Book Yourself Solid 6 Stage Sales Cycle Process

In creating a sales cycle you’ll design a step-by-step way to ease your potential clients from the first stage; getting them to your website, to the end stage; your highest price-point product, program or service.

• Offer: The idea in this stage is to introduce yourself to your target market and begin to create awareness for the services, products, and programs you offer.

• Offer: Give/Engage: Now that you’ve got your prospective client to your website (or other meeting place) you need to offer solutions, opportunities and relevant information in exchange for their email address or other way of continuing the conversation.

• Offer: Keep giving low-barrier for entry offers of value-rich content, opportunities, experiences etc. Your goal is to build trust and deepen the conversation.

• Offer: If potential client responds to Stage 3, assess then make an email or verbal offer based on the most appropriate products, programs and services.

• Offer: If client accepts offer and becomes client/customer! Thank them, celebrate and then over-deliver. Surprise them with value.

• Offer: If prospect does not engage and become a client or customer, still go above and beyond to offer something of unexpected value and keep in touch, keep in touch, keep in touch. Always offering value and deepening the bond of trust between them and you. When they NEED your services you will be top of mind.

There are a multitude of ways to build trust with your potential clients and to ease them toward purchasing your higher price point offerings. There is no ‘one’ right way, so use your imagination and creativity to tailor your sales cycle to what works best, feels most natural, and resonates most with you. This can be done in a 3-stage process or a 15-stage process. It’s really up to you, but I’ve found through experience and research that a 6-stage cycle at a minimum is most effective.

The key is to remember that all of your marketing is about getting your message out to those who most need, and will most greatly benefit from, your services, products, and programs. It’s about connecting with your potential clients to develop and deepen genuine relationships based on trust. When you understand and incorporate this philosophy into your marketing, it makes the sales process easy, relaxed and wildly successful.

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By Michael Port

Today I learned that my dyslexia may be one of the reasons that I’m successful as an entrepreneur.

The New York Times published an article called Tracing Business Acumen to Dyslexia. Apparently, and amazingly, a new study of entrepreneurs in the US suggests that 35 percent of entrepreneurs are dyslexic. The study also concluded that, “dyslexics were more likely than nondyslexics to delegate authority, to excel in oral communication and problem solving and were twice as likely to own two or more businesses.”

Some famous entrepreneurs with dyslexia… Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways; Charles R. Schwab, founder of the discount brokerage firm; John T. Chambers, chief executive of Cisco; and Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinkos.

Apparetnly, Dyslexics better do it… I mean… do it better. Who knew?

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By Michael Port

1+1 is supposed to equal 2. But when you’re trying to build two unrelated businesses at the same time 1+1 often equals 0. Neither one gets off the ground. Like trying to build a computer consulting company and a basket weaving business at the same time. There’s a disconnect.

It’s very different than having a core business, like web design, and then also offering ancillary products and services like SendOutCards.com Each one compliments and builds upon the other. To me, this makes sense. In this case 1+1 can not only equal 2 but maybe 200 through the power of leverage.

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