By Michael Port

Besides initiative, which you have loads of or you wouldn’t be building your own business, let’s look at what else it takes to be a great leader.

No surprise that one of the hallmarks of great leaders is that they are “in touch” with themselves and with the people who work with them. It’s the best way to be a good role model.

What’s necessary? Clarity, honesty, integrity, openness, self-respect, and treating every individual with dignity—not once in a while to get something done or get something from someone—but all the time.

Great leaders rarely, if ever, deviate from these principles of behavior. If and when they do, they take full responsibility through openness and self-awareness, and they make it right. By doing this, they generate the same kind of behavior from their employees, business partners, and customers.

The old saying,“Do as I say and not as I do,” never worked in parenting, and it sure doesn’t work in leadership. Lead by example.

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By Michael Port

Revolution is more than just a political necessity. It is also a personal necessity.

Revolution is about one person at a time experiencing their own personal empowerment against an existing, deficient (small thinking) system.

The deficient system may be something as big as a whole political system, or more local, like the system of a family, job, or relationship structure. It may just be the way you think about yourself and your capabilities.

Any revolution, global, local, or personal, is about being fully self-expressed in the face of all the forces that conspire to pacify your drive, your hunger to be the most you can be.

At first, others may not even know about your revolution. It starts inside you. And that’s how it should be. This is your revolution—to think bigger about yourself and what you are capable of.

Yet it is inevitable that your transformation will set an example for others. The rest is organic. As people experience personal revolutions, they will join with others to bring about bigger, more sweeping changes.

Although your revolution will start with you changing the way you think, yours in not just a revolution about individual thinking and personal success (though you will achieve more than you imagined possible when you start thinking big); yours is a revolution that will bring us together to achieve something even bigger—the changes we need to make a better world.

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By Michael Port

If you have a people- and process-related focus, rather just one or the other, you can create a culture for your business that changes work and work habits.

(You’ll find this illustration in Beyond Booked Solid)

People have misconceptions about their role in standardization:

• Misconception #1: Managers or team leaders (you) often think standardization is about finding the one and only best way to do something and then freezing it.
• Misconception #2: Team members often think that standardization is a coercive tactic designed to enforce rigid standards that will make their job boring and demeaning. They also often assume that once what they do is standardized, they’ll be replaced. If not immediately replaced, then they will be as soon as someone else is found who is cheaper.

In order for you and your organization to grow, these misconceptions that a process is a negative thing to be fought against must be overturned.

Don’t hire people who won’t document what they do.

Early on in my business, I had a team member who would not document her processes, no matter how many times I asked, begged, and pleaded. I spent hours coaching her on how to do it. I offered to hire someone to walk her through the process and essentially create the system for her . . . all to no avail.

She eventually admitted to me that she thought that if she documented what she did, then I would just let her go. She seemed to think that standardizing might render her useless, as if it were somehow like mechanizing her job. Or maybe she thought that if I saw what she really did, I wouldn’t think she was doing a good job.

I told her that I wanted to standardize her tasks so her job would be easier and improve workflow throughout the organization. And furthermore, at this point, if she didn’t document and standardize her tasks, I would be forced to hire someone to fill her shoes. Sadly, she didn’t come around, and we parted ways.

Of course, this was ultimately my responsibility for not testing an applicant’s ability to document a process during the hiring process.

Systems are positive constraints.

They create ways of doing things that constrain people from doing things any old way. They also can create constraints that actually foster continuous improvement.

Here’s a checklist of how to think about whether the systems you are creating are coercive or enabling:

• Performance versus best practices: A system that sets performance standards risks highlighting poor performance, without offering any constructive solution. Instead, create a system that focuses on best practices and how to achieve them. If you can provide people with the information and tools they need to do a good job, then the likelihood is that they will, if they can. Best practices guidelines are one of the surest ways to ensure good performance. If people know exactly what is expected of them, it’s much easier for them to deliver what is expected. Without such guidelines a performance standard operates in a vacuum.
• Standard versus custom: It’s true that you want to create a system that reduces the possibility of disorganized and irregular behavior and monitors costs to keep them low. But too much standardization can bind good people and prevent them from doing the best job possible and eliminate the desire to continuously improve. It is better to build a system that allows some flexibility for good people to customize a process to suit their level of skill and experience. I don’t mean a free-for-all, of course, just enough play in the system to enable people to work to their best potential.
• Out of control versus in control: Systems should not be used to control people. There is an idea that for processes to work effectively, employees need to be left out of the control loop. Not so. Systems should be there to help people control their work, not vice versa. When people have control of and understand the workflow they are part of, then they better understand the importance of their role and will perform better. This is what P.S.Adler in his article “Building Better Bureaucracies” in the Academy of Management Executive called a “glass box” system design. Just as it sounds, it means a system we can peek inside of, a process that is visible to everyone.
• Ironclad instruction versus best practice: Systems in and of themselves should be templates for the best practices in your business. That’s why they are always in a cycle of improvement. A best practice implies something that adapts to the future—new imperatives or new demands of the business. A system cannot be an ironclad rule to be followed and never challenged. You’re creating dynamic systems in your growing, changing business.

The perfect place to work.

Ideally, enabling systems foster extensive team involvement, high levels of communication, innovation, flexibility, great morale, and a strong customer focus. Sounds like the perfect place to work.

Untimely, the ideal enabling system contains two seemingly opposing principles:

1. You need to build information processes right the first time. It’s much more effective and less costly than inspecting and repairing process and quality problems after the fact.
2. But once you’ve standardized and, thus, stabilized the process, the cycle of continuous improvement starts.

Stability and change. Standard and flexible. Controlled and open. The challenge is to develop a learning organization that will constantly find ways to reduce waste and improve productivity.

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By Michael Port

If you’re working with others and you finish a task or achieve a milestone and don’t say, “Done?” to the people effected by the work, it’s not done. And, if these people don’t reply with, “Yes, that’s done,” it’s still not done.

The same thing is true when someone asks if you will complete a task. If you don’t respond with a “Yes, I will by this date,” and they don’t respond with, “That’s great, thanks,” then it’s not in the plan.

Think of it like this…”If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?” Yes, of course, it does, but no one knows it fell so no wood will be chopped and no fire lit.

Open ended work and unconfirmed completed tasks are a recipe for project breakdown.

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By Michael Port

My latest post at the Huffington Post.

Every successful entrepreneur, indeed every successful person, is an innovator.

You might be saying to yourself, “Not me, I’ll never invent the light bulb. Don’t confuse the idea of innovation with the idea of invention.

An innovator can change perspective and adopt new habits. Innovation is changing the way you do and see things. It is asking yourself, “How will I view my business differently today than I did yesterday?”

Continue reading at the Huffington Post.

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By Michael Port

You express your values through what you buy. If I know what you spend your money on, I know what’s important to you.

The same thing is true in your business. If I know what you spend your time on, I know what’s important to you (and whether you’re likely to reach your goals).

The key to success, in almost any endeavor, is spending time doing the right next thing.

When you spend your time on unimportant items or seemingly important items but at the wrong time, you spin your wheels or, worse yet, back peddle.

There is so much to do and everything seems so important. But spending a day discussing whether or not the help desk program is going to send an email to a customer to confirm that a ticket has been closed when there are no revenues and about 150 other things to do to get to the first sale is not a good use of time.

So, ask yourself, “Am I spending my time on the right things (and with the right people) or am I doing trivial, busy work to avoid the difficult of putting yourself on the line?”

You must be vigilant. Others are often unaware of (and don’t care about) your priorities. They’ll send you a hysterical email (not the funny kind) screaming about 10 things that must be done immediately! But, if you look closely, the items aren’t important—now. Instead, they belong on a to do later list.

If you’re working with a team, this kind of hysterical behavior takes them off of higher priority items.

If you’re working by yourself, and work yourself up into this same kind of frenzy, you’ll accomplish little. You don’t want that. You want to play big.

You know what they say… time is money.

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By Michael Port

When you start your business, getting clients in your number one concern.

Even when you get booked solid, getting more clients continues to be important.

To help you, in either situation, I’ve put together a “Get More Clients” resource page of blog posts that will give you simple and effective tips for generating leads and booking more business.

As always, my blog is free of charge to help you get clients and think bigger about who you are and what you offer the world on a daily basis. If you have a question, feel free to ask it in the comments section. I review all comments and respond personally.

And, if you find value in these resources for getting more clients, go ahead and share them with a friend on Twitter or Facebook. I’d certainly appreciate it.

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By Michael Port

Know your responses to these six keys. If you do, you’ll ensure that the offers you make are right on target. The result? More sales, of course.

Your marketing works when you know:

1. Who your target clients are.
2. What they are looking for.
3. Where they look for you.
4. When they look for you.
5. Why they should choose you.
6. How you want them to engage with you.

Key #1: Who Is Your Target Client or Customer?

Identifying and gearing your marketing to a specific individual (or organization) allows you to make the important emotional connection that is the first step in developing a relationship with your potential client. When you have made the effort to speak and write directly to your ideal client, she’ll feel it. She will feel as though you truly know and understand her needs and desires—because you will. That task alone will go a long way toward building the trust you desire with the clients you seek.

If you’re not super clear on whom specifically you’re targeting, whom you want to reach out to and attract, it’s going to be hard to develop a sales cycle that works because you’ll be chasing after every potential opportu­nity and you won’t be making a strong connection with anyone.

Key #2: What Are They Looking For?

You’ve got to understand what your ideal clients or customers are looking for—the kinds of products or services they think will solve their problems or help them reach their goals. It’s very important to be clear on your answers because if you don’t know what your potential clients are looking for, you won’t know what kind of product and service offers to make in your sales cycle. We usually make offers that we think are relevant. It’s time to put your target market first and work to truly understand what they know is relevant. Then you can decide what you’re going to offer them that will meet their needs, according to the amount of trust that you’ve earned, at various stages in your sales cycle.

Examples: In my case, they want a book that can help them get clients.  They want to read an article or report on how to use social media.  They want private coaching. They want to attend a marketing seminar. Etc.

Key #3: Where Do They Look for You?

Do you know where your target market looks for you? Do they search online? Do they read magazines? Do they call their friends for referrals for the kind of service that you’re providing? What other types of business professionals do they trust to get their referrals from? If you don’t know, survey your current clients. This should always be one of the first questions you ask a new client: “How did you come to find me?” If you don’t have any clients of your own yet, ask a colleague how her clients find her.

Key #4: When Do They Look for You?

When do the people (or organizations) in your target market look for the services you offer? What needs to happen in their personal life or work life for them to purchase the kind of service that you offer? How high do the stakes need to be before they decide to purchase the service you’re offering? They may be interested in what you do, and your offerings may resonate with them, but they might not need you at the moment they find you.

This is why the Book Yourself Solid Sales Cycle is so important. You’ll want to make it easy for them to step into your environment and move closer to your core offerings over time. When their stakes rise, they’ll reach out to you and ask for you. But you’ve got to keep the conversation going.

What are the situations that are likely to drive po­tential clients to seek your services, products, and programs? When do they look for you?

Examples: They’ve lost their job. They’re starting their own business. They’re so disorganized that they’re losing business. They are experiencing extreme discord in their relationship. They’ve just had a baby and can’t seem to lose their baby weight.

Key #5: Why Should They Choose You?

That’s a big question. Why are they going to choose you? Are you a credible authority in your field? What makes you the best choice for them? What is unique about you or the solutions you offer?

For this exercise, it’s crucial that you set your modesty aside and express yourself clearly and with confidence—no wishy-washy answers to these questions. Think back to the last time you went in search of expert help. When you first spoke to the service provider to inquire about his ser­vices, his expertise, and whether he could help you, the last thing you wanted to hear was, “Well, I kinda know what I’m doing. I might be able to help you. I’ll give it a shot.”

While it may feel uncomfortable at first, you’ve got to get comfortable saying, “The best thing for you is me!”

Granted, saying you are the best may be a bit too bold for you, but at the least you’ve got to be able to say, “You’ve come to the right person. Yes, absolutely, I can help you. I’m an expert at what I do and this is how I can help.”

Bragging is about comparing yourself to others and proclaiming your superiority. Declaring your strengths, your skills, your expertise, and your ability to help is not bragging. Expressing confidence is what your potential clients expect, want, and need to hear from you.

Why should your potential clients choose you? (Don’t you dare skip this one! Be bold! Express yourself fully. Remember, this is not the time for modesty.)

Key #6: How Do You Want Them to Engage with You?

Once potential clients have learned about your services, how would you like them to interact or engage with you? Do you want them to call your office? Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter on your web site? What is it that you want potential clients to do?

Naturally, you’d love for them to immediately purchase your highest-priced product, program, or service, but this is rare. Most of your potential clients need to get to know you and trust you over time. They need to be eased gradually toward what they may perceive to be your high-risk offerings. It’s often said that, on average, you will need to connect with a poten­tial client seven times before they’ll purchase from you. Not always, but if you understand this principle you will be on the road to booking yourself solid a lot faster than if you try to engage in one-step selling. “Hi, I’m a consultant, wanna hire me today?” isn’t going to be effective. That’s defi­nitely not the Book Yourself Solid way. Maybe we should call one-step selling one-stop selling because that’s what it’ll do—stop your sales process dead in its tracks.

How do you want your potential clients to interact or engage with you? (Note: Establishing a line of communication is the first step in developing a relationship of trust.)

In Conclusion:

Clearly defining these six keys will help you to determine what you want to offer your potential clients in each stage of your sales cycle and will help you craft the most effective sales cycle possible. Moreover, defining these six keys will also help you tremendously when implementing the Book Yourself Solid 7 Core Self-Promotion Strategies.

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By Michael Port

In Book Yourself Solid, I devote a chapter to creating brand building information products. In that chapter, I discuss a five-part process to successfully creating information products. However, I think the most important part of the process is choosing a framework for the products you create.

A framework helps you organize and present your content. A framework will make it easier not only for you to develop your content but also for your potential client to understand it and get the greatest possible value from it.

You may find that your content is ideally suited to a particular framework. If, for example, you’re developing content for a product on pregnancy, the chronological framework may be the logical choice.  When you first discover you’re pregnant, you’re not really ready for what’s going to happen in week 36.

Your content, however, may work well in more than one framework. An information product or program often uses a combination of frameworks. Here are six of the most common (there certainly may be variations on the themes below):

1. Problem/Solution. State a problem and then present solutions to the problem. The Magic of Conflict: Turning Your Life of Work into a Work of Art by Thomas F. Crum is written in this framework. He presents a number of problems that people face in their life and at work and presents solutions to those problems using the philosophical principles of the martial art of aikido.
2. Numerical. Create your product as a series of keys or lessons. A well-known example of this would be Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
   
3. Chronological. Some products need to be presented in a particular order because that is the only way it would make sense. As I mentioned above, Step A must come before Step B, as in Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glade B. Curtis and Judith Schuler.
4. Modular. Book Yourself Solid is a good example. The book consists of four modules: Your Foundation, Building Trust and Credibility, Perfect Pricing and Simple Selling, and the Book Yourself Solid 7 Core Self-Promotion Strategies. Within each module are additional tracks presented in a chronological framework. So you see that the book has both a main framework (modular) and a secondary framework (chronological).
5. Compare/Contrast. Showcase your creation in terms of presenting several scenarios or options and then compare and contrast them. Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, compares and contrasts successful and not-so-successful companies.
6. Reference. Reference is just as it sounds. You may be creating a product that becomes a valuable resource to members of your target market—a compilation of information is best showcased in a reference format like that in Words that Sell by Richard Bayan. It’s a reference guide of good words and phrases that help sell.

Which framework(s) would you choose for the information product you’re creating?

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By Michael Port

This week I led a teleseminar about my 3-month elite mentoring program and I received the following question from a very eager but hesitant new business owner:

“I’m not sure if I’m ready. I just don’t know if I’m far enough along in my business to be mentored by you. I guess I’m a little scared.”

I understand how she feels. I explained to her that, to me, those in the top 5% are NOT necessarily those who are making the most money or who have the most experience, rather they are the people who are the most curious, ambitious and creative — no matter how far into their journey as business owners.

Too many talented, potentially big thinking entrepreneurs paralyze their dreams with fear and a disease called, ”I’m not quite ready.”

Tinkering can take a lifetime. There is no better time to share your gifts and change lives than right now.

Pick up your dreams and run full speed ahead.

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