You are extraordinary – believe it

The first, and one of the most challenging but crucial strategies for bolstering a sense of vitality in our lives, is to believe that as individuals, we are extraordinary people capable of great things. That sentence may make you wince, but I believe it. You are an extraordinary person. You are capable of great things.

Your past doesn’t equal your future
It doesn’t matter what we’ve done so far (or what we haven’t done). School grades don’t matter, nor do all the times we’ve totally messed up and gotten things wrong. We’ve all had embarrassing failures; we have all missed opportunities, said the wrong thing, or let ourselves down. None of that alters the fact that we are capable of much more than we are allowing ourselves to believe. I mean that in all seriousness.

Most of us resist the idea that there’s anything very special about us. We think our achievements should speak for themselves and anything else is blowing our own trumpet.

As children many of us were taught that showing off is bad manners, and many of us have internalised that to mean that self-deprecation (at best) or outright hostility towards ourselves (at worst) is the decent thing to do. I am not advocating that you turn into a raving monster of egotism – nobody likes them, for good reason. But there’s a lot of room between believing we are average at life, or even bad, and running around demanding attention and praise like a two-year-old.

Convince yourself
I’ve struggled with this concept in my life too. I’ve finally come to realise that it’s only me that I need to convince of my fabulousness. You are the same. Just focus on convincing yourself. Sadly, we are our own greatest enemies. In all honesty, we have nothing to prove to our friends on Facebook or our families or anyone else. I’m not asking you to get all “braggy” with other people, only to big yourself up to yourself. It’s called self belief.

And this is not based on the idea that only mega-achievement counts. You are extraordinary because everyone is! For me, extraordinary doesn’t mean ‘a person who will win the Nobel Prize for Physics’ or ‘a person who will become president of the board’. It means ‘someone who knows what their passions and values are and lives in accordance with them.’ That is not the preserve of geniuses. It’s available to every single one of us.

We can do great things. We can go way beyond the limits we’ve created for ourselves. The world is full of people little different from you or me who have done it. The only difference between them and anyone else is hard work and persistence, laced with self-belief.

You are talented – practice it
‘Ah, but what about talent?’, I imagine you might be thinking. ‘Some people are just more naturally gifted than others. We can’t all win Olympic gold.’ Well, yes and no. For starters, we don’t have to win Olympic gold in order to be extraordinary. And secondly, although innate ability is a factor in outstanding success, it is way smaller than most people believe, even in physical disciplines such as sport.

In his fantastic book, Bounce, Matthew Syed debunks the myth of talent and draws on scientific research to demonstrate that success comes via the power of practice. The book is filled with the stories of supposedly ‘talented’ people who are exceptional not because of natural-born brilliance, genetic make-up or social background, but due to the huge amount of time they have dedicated to mastering their discipline.

Talent is nurtured, not heaven sent, which means that it is open to us to be as talented as we are prepared to make ourselves. We just need to get used to the idea that we’re way more talented than we give ourselves credit for, and then we must practice whatever we want to excel in, be it the guitar, stand up comedy or business.

Your potential, your joy
Don’t cut yourself off from your potential, your joy. We all have the right to be extraordinary – it’s not just for geniuses. And don’t feel you need to do anything at all in order to be special. You already are!

ACTION: What are your thoughts on this blog? Load of rubbish or does it resonate with you? I’d love to hear your comments, either way. How about leaving them below?

Could some guidance from me be helpful to you? If so, please arrange a free 30 mins Skype strategy meeting with me. Here’s my calendar to book a meeting. I’d love to support you in some way to gain ‘seductive clarity’ in any aspect of your business or life.

What can we learn from the Athletics World Cup?

Don’t you think it’s a special privilege observing someone pushing themselves to their limits to achieve a goal – big or small, and to share in the elation and excitement of their achievement? I certainly do. I’m a bit of an achievement junkie and get huge vicarious pleasure in observing the achievements of others.

So it was fantastic to sporadically hook into the TV over the weekend to watch the massive achievements of so many athletes at the Athletics World Cup championships in Beijing. Despite athletics being in chaos due to ongoing doping scandals, the ‘clean’ athletes were awe-inspiring in their achievements.

The highlights for me were:

• The marvellous Mo Farah winning the 10,000m race.
• The multi-talented Jessica Ennis-Hill winning the Heptathlon world title.
• The legendary Usain Bolt retaining his 100m world title – by a whisker!

They struggle too

The thing is, while Mo, Jessica and Usain are known to many of us as magnificent athletes with phenomenal achievements behind them, often we don’t know their back stories, the struggles they’ve had to get to the level they’re at now.

While Usain Bolt is the undisputed fastest man in the world, by all accounts, he’s had a very unpredictable year this year. Injuries, average performances on the track, the swirl of drugs allegations affecting his sport (there is no suggestion he’s a drug cheat) have all taken their toll on him. Usain stumbled during his heats race too… and risked not being in the final. He certainly wasn’t the favourite to win this 100m final. Twice convicted drugs cheat Justin Gatlin was, so that added to the pressure.

Jessica Ennis-Hill took a couple of years away from her sport after the London 2012 Olympic Games to have a baby. She’s only recently returned and wasn’t sure until a couple of weeks ago whether her performances in the lead up to Beijing were good enough for this event. As she says, she’s a mother first and an athlete second. These world champs are the first time she’s had to be away from her young son, and her heart has ached as a result.

Mo Farah’s coach is under investigation for supplying a number of athletes with performance enhancing drugs. Mo is not implicated in this scam, but the accusations against the man who has been a major influence in his life and athletics career have certainly taken their toll on Mo.

What can we learn?

Quite simply, to never give up on the dream! Regardless of how hard it gets on the journey, if the dream, the vision, the goal is important enough to us, we can find a way! We will find a way. If we believe we can achieve it, we will.

Focus and determination in the face of challenge and difficulty is key to success – for everyone – not just elite athletes or ‘other’ people. Steely focus on the goal is critical.

Going the distance (excuse the running pun) by doing the work is fundamental to achieving the success we want. Yes, there are times when we’ll be on the wrong path and we’ll have to turn back or turn left or right to get back on track… that’s just another way of going the distance.

I love Shakespeare’s quote: ‘Nothing comes from doing nothing.’ We need to continually take action. Movement propels us forward. While it may take a while, if we want it enough, if we are determined, we will achieve our goal.

Our own gold medal

What’s on offer when we get through the challenge, the twists and turns, the struggle? What’s on the other side of pushing through our own lack of belief that at times will attempt to limit and control us?

Our own success! Our own gold medal! Our own jubilation, joy and satisfaction at a job well done! Now, that’s something to behold. That’s something to keep striving for.

“A dream! A belief! An action! That’s all it takes to create the life you want.” – Adèle McLay

ACTION: I’d love to know if you’ve been inspired by the very many sporting heroes who are competing around the world at present. What inspires you the most about their journey, successes, failures and achievements? How about letting us know in the comments below?

Your Sizzling Life

The life of your dreams is waiting for you to bring it into being.

Close your eyes and summon it up. Paint a mental picture of success in every aspect of your existence. You’re living with passion and energy, you’re in control and running the show on your own terms. You feel truly alive. Your life is so exciting, so buzzing with energy, that it sizzles. It fulfils you and nurtures you, inspires and challenges you.

It’s a life full of love, laughter and extraordinary achievement. You wake every day with the desire to get out there and do more, know more, be more. Even when you’re down you’re never out because you have a sparkling vision of what a sizzlingly successful life means to you, and you have strategies for making it happen.

The rewards are more joy, more connection, more energy, more purpose – a super-charged existence that you experience in technicolour.

Now, open your eyes. Get ready to bring this gorgeous vision right into your everyday world. You have to believe it so you can work it. And you’d better believe that your sizzling life isn’t a pipe dream, a saccharine-sweet fantasy that only exists in your head. In fact, the sizzling life happens when you get real, when you refuse to accept defeat, when get back up again, even though you’ve been knocked sprawling.

Sizzling is what happens when you fear you can’t go on fighting to bring your dream into reality but still you take just one more step, and then another. It happens every time you say no to the old ways of thinking that kept you stuck and choose to believe in the life of your dreams. Your sizzling life happens when you achieve the things you’ve been working towards for years and your family, your friends, your team, are there to watch you winning, with tears in their eyes. The sizzling life is what happens to us and for us when we stop struggling, reject mediocrity and choose to be truly alive, passionate and extraordinary.

A sizzling life takes guts and vision, hard work and determination. You have to craft your strategies in order to live a sizzling life. But when you choose to step centre stage and take responsibility for remaking your world and creating the life of your dreams, you will be unstoppable. I believe in your sizzling life. It’s time to make it a reality. Let’s get started.

ACTION: I’d love to hear how you are creating a life that for you is sizzling. How about sharing your experiences and thoughts below?

Is Your Business Irresistible?

“Mystery, sensuality and intimacy are the future of successful businesses! Businesses must be irresistible to be successful.” – Kevin Roberts, Worldwide Executive Chairman, Saatchi & Saatchi

Remember when you fell in love? Think of the emotions you felt at that time.

You probably loved the mystery, the unknown aspects of the person you fell in love with. Those slowly unfolded as you got to know them better over time.

Do you remember loving hearing their stories of life before you? Then you became part of their story, and they became part of yours.

What emotions were activated when you fell in love? Was your breath taken away?

Did you feel like you couldn’t imagine life without the person you’d fallen in love with?

How about intimacy? Ahhh, those moments of pure pleasure!! Remember them?

“What an idiot” or “She’s fallen off her rocker” – is that what you’re thinking? – Why write about falling in love, when this is a business blog?

Well, I’m being totally sane….and very serious in my comments.

Business is so competitive these days. Everything is branded. A brand is the new commodity or the new normal, therefore there’s nothing special in being a brand.

What we need in business is “brand loyalty beyond reason”, according to Kevin Roberts. “Loyalty beyond price, beyond product, beyond design!” We want to create brand love; we want to be irresistible to our customers.

Apple is not irreplaceable, yet it is irresistible!

How does your business measure up? No business is irreplaceable. These days, due to the internet, we’re all a ‘dime a dozen’ – another business like ours can so easily be found.

So, we need to be irresistible to our customers. Kevin calls it becoming a ‘Lovemark’. Be a Lovemark not a brand. “Create mystery, sensuality and intimacy with your customers and target audience”, says Kevin.

It’s about creating a movement of people who connect with you and your brand – your Lovemark.

So how do we do it? Firstly, look out for the interview I did this week with Kevin Roberts (it’ll be in your inbox on Sunday, 12 July) where we discuss these topics at great length.

But to get you started…

Create mystery with your customers by telling and sharing stories. People want to be part of stories, so let them. Create opportunities for your community to create and be a part of your story and the evolution of your business.

Create sensuality. As Kevin says, we live life through five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Most businesses use two of them when marketing – sight and sound. How can you use all five senses with your community?

Create intimacy through empathy and give your customers what they never dreamed possible. Go beyond their expectations. When the industry norms are ABC, do XYZ instead. Stand out, get noticed. Get to know your customers, their dreams, aspirations, needs, wants, and their fears. Understand your customers, add value to their life, and wow, you’ll become a Lovemark for them.

Now you may be thinking: “What a load of rubbish – this Lovemark stuff is for big business”.

No, it’s for everyone – big or small. Fail to understand this and you’ll be left behind as other players in your industry are doing all this.

I love Kevin’s winning company quotient. IQ + EQ + TQ + BQ wrapped around CQ.

IQ – is hire well. Recruit the best as you need them to compete.
EQ – create an emotional vibe across your business. Value your people and your customers.
TQ – make technology work for you; let it be your slave.
BQ – be ‘bloody quick’ as business changes fast and you need to too. Be agile. Be willing to change.
CQ – is customer quadrant. Wrap IQ + EQ + TQ + BQ around your customers are you will be a winner.

So, let’s all focus on becoming a Lovemark for our community. That’s what I focus on in my businesses and with my clients. I help them to achieve brand love with their customers and community. It’s really exciting stuff.

Stand out and be proud. Be irresistible. Be a Lovemark and have a legion of cheerleaders who are loyal beyond reason. Now, that’s a successful business in my mind.

ACTION: I’d love to hear more about how you create irresistibility for your business in your community. How are you a Lovemark for them? Please leave a comment below and share your story.

7 Secrets of Business Success

They say the teacher teaches that which they need to learn. Yep, I have to agree!

I’m establishing a new branded products business in the USA at present, and blimey, am I having some challenges! Some days it’s two steps forwards and one back, and then on other days it’s one step forward and two back…. just a regular day in the office for an entrepreneur, I guess!

So in thinking about the new journey I’m on, I was reflecting on the challenges that all business owners and entrepreneurs experience, and the questions I asked myself, were: “What stands successful entrepreneurs/business owners apart from others? What are the secrets of business success?”

Based on my +20 years of experience as a business growth coach, my own journeys in entrepreneurship, and as a learner – forever reading and learning about business and success – here are my brief thoughts: the 7 Secrets of Business Success.

Secret 1: Self Belief
Successful business people believe in themselves, and they think BIG! They have great vision. In my experience, they have an unrelenting belief that they’ll achieve everything they set out to do! And they are passionate about their business too.

Vision and belief is one thing, but massive action is key. Successful business people are not afraid of failure – well, they probably are, but they risk failure in pursuit of their dreams anyway, and they’ll tolerate ambiguity and risk too. You see, for every mistake they make, they learn the lessons and move on.

Secret 2: Set a Goal and GO!
Successful business owners set goals and then act to achieve them. They go for it – there’s no mucking around! They’ll also quickly evaluate the outcomes, so if the goal and actions were wrong, they’ll change direction and move on.

Secret 3: Stand Out
Success in business means not looking at what others are doing and copying the idea. Business success means stepping outside of the box, and heading the other way. Successful business owners often break the rules! They forge new and exciting frontiers, or they find new and interesting ways of doing things.

Successful entrepreneurs also network widely as they know by networking they’ll be increasing their netWORTH – not just in monetary terms, but as an expert in the market. They build rock solid reputations in their industry/market or in business generally.

Secret 4: Seize Your Market
Having a laser focus on the market that you want to conquer is another secret to business success. Consider the differences between a machine gun that scatters bullets versus a sniper gun that aims and hits the target. Successful entrepreneurs are snipers! They hit their target, often with a bull’s eye.

Follow-up and feedback is important to success. Successful business owners are fuelled by customer feedback as it helps them improve their products and services.

Secret 5: Strong Leadership
Strong leadership is another secret to business success. As leaders, successful entrepreneurs impart their vision to staff, customers and other stakeholders. They also ‘walk the talk’ around their vision.

Strong leaders are positive and tolerate ambiguity while heading towards the achievement of their vision.

As leaders, successful entrepreneurs surround themselves with excellent people who manage their businesses. Delegation is another key to success in business.

Secret 6: Sacrosanct: Time!
Time is money, and successful entrepreneurs understand the value of time (and money). They know how to focus on what is important for them, while delegating the rest.

Secret 7: Self Improvement
Self improvement is one of my favourite topics. Successful entrepreneurs spend time (and often lots of money) improving themselves. They are attracted to ongoing learning and knowledge in order to constantly improve their skills.

They also allow time to re-energise; they take time out with family and friends for recreation, and for health and fitness.

And finally, will you allow me another secret or two?
I want to sneak another couple of secrets in as these ones feel very real for me this week.

Secret 8: Steadfast Focus and Persistence
Successful business owners hang in there. They ride out the twists and turns, ups and downs of business. They don’t give up on their quest to be successful, although they may close a business if they realise it’s not viable. Successful people focus on the end goal, and their ability to persist even in the most difficult of times is awe-inspiring.

Secret 9: Sensational Mindset
Business is not always easy and it seldom happens the way in which you expect it to or when you want it to. The little voice in the back of our minds can start undermining us with all that negative talk – remember that voice?

In my experience, the most successful business owners and entrepreneurs have ways of controlling their mindset. They are human too, and they will have the voice annoying them too. They find constructive ways to deal with the doubt, fear and beliefs that creep in from time to time.

Well, that’s it – the 7 Secrets of Business Success (well 9 actually)
I feel better for writing this. Along with my business growth coaching, book writing work and other businesses (that others manage for me), I’m forever the entrepreneur looking for new business opportunities. Personally I believe that the best business coaches have ‘been there and done it’ themselves, and therefore, can impart greater wisdom and firsthand experience about business success.

I also believe that there is a reason for every experience we have in life, and I’ve decided to find some meaning in my current topsy turvy new business journey.

So while the path is rocky as I establish my new USA based branded products business (while living in London), I continue to learn each day, and that knowledge and my journey will no doubt shortly support another business person, perhaps a client on their journey towards business success. I’m good with that!! 🙂

I also believe that this new business will be VERY successful in the USA, so the trials and tribulations are worth it. That thought alone keeps me focused and motivated.

ACTION: I’d love to know what challenges you’ve faced in business that you’ve pushed through – however big or small. Let’s get a conversation going below to inspire others to keep on with their business success journey.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
Sir Richard Branson Asks…
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Thriving within the Juggling Act
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

Sir Richard Branson asks….

“What business do I really think I could improve?” ~ Sir Richard Branson

I’ve just listened to an interview that Sir Richard Branson gave late last year and, as you’d expect, the topic was his take on entrepreneurship success.

Sir Richard expressed great concern for entrepreneurs who are establishing businesses purely on the premise of ‘where I can make money’, rather than looking at business from the point of view of improving an industry.

Sir Richard always asks the question, “What businesses frustrate me?”, then he goes off and starts businesses in industries he wants to clean up and improve.

The stories of Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Rail, and more recently, Virgin Money are legendary, and certainly these Virgin businesses have disrupted the industries they compete in so that we, the customers, are winners. Why? Because in improving an industry, all players must follow and up their game or else they fail. Therefore, the industry improves.

Virgin Airlines is a brilliant example of this. Virgin Atlantic was the first to introduce individual TV screens on the backs of airline chairs so that we could watch the movies we chose, rather than what the airline wanted us to watch on the communal screens. Now all airlines flying long haul have this feature. If they didn’t, no-one would fly with them as this is the ‘new normal’ that we as customers have come to expect.

Sir Richard Branson’s comments got me thinking.

If we’re already in business, are we as business owners disrupting and improving the industry that we’re a part of or are we just like all other players out there, delivering the same old homogeneous products and services to our customers?

Now you’re probably thinking, “But I am just a small player in my market, and I don’t need to disrupt anything, I just need to get on and do the work”.

Yes and no! Yes, you may be a small fish in a big sea, but you will have lots of competition, even if you only compete in your local market.

And no! You can’t just get on and do the work. You and your business must stand out and do things differently and better otherwise someone else in your industry will create the new normal and you will be left behind. You and your business will irrelevant; a dinosaur!

Size is of no importance in disrupting an industry. Doing lots of things a little bit better than everyone else is what stands the best players out from the rest. Any business can do that.

How about thinking of businesses that you as a consumer or business owner support because to you they are better than and different from the rest? What stands them apart from the rest for you? Often it’s lots of little things and not just one BIG thing that make the difference.

Now for some big questions:

How are you and your business standing out from the crowd? What distinguishes your business from others in your industry?
What does your business’s brand represent?
What part of your industry are you improving?
What about you, the business owner/entrepreneur? How do you stand out?
What impression do you leave? Are you personally branded so you are different to all the other business owners out there in your industry?

Food for thought? I hope so.

You as the person behind your business must stand out. Your business must stand out. Be different. Disrupt and improve your industry. Be better than the rest. Do all this well and the money, the profit, the success will follow. I promise.

How about starting a conversation and letting me know how your business is disrupting and improving your industry at a macro or micro level? I’d love to know.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
7 Secrets of Business Success
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Thriving within the Juggling Act
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories : Meet Bice Awan

Bice Awan
Social Entrepreneur, CEO – Skylight Trust (up to Dec-14)

Social enterprises around the world are on the increase, which is a really good thing.

As defined by Social Enterprise UK, “businesses are defined as social enterprises when they trade to tackle social problems, improve communities, people’s life chances, or the environment. They make their money from selling goods and services in the open market, but they reinvest their profits back into the business or the local community.”

Meet my good friend, Bice Awan. Over 15 years ago she lead the establishment of Skylight, a New Zealand based social enterprise that supports people who are experiencing grief, trauma and stress.

Testimony to Skylight’s success, a leading Government official once told Bice that “If Skylight didn’t exist, New Zealand would be a sad place”.

Listen to my interview with Bice. Her commitment and energy for the cause is heart warming.

While having a strong community centred vision, Skylight also recognised the importance of financial independence so over the years has developed a number of revenue streams which as they continue to grow, will further support the increased financial sustainability of this wonderful organisation.

As well, the services offered are of such a high quality that Skylight is now an international enterprise, providing services to a number of countries around the world.

I’d be delighted if you shared this interview with anyone you know who is thinking about establishing a social enterprise. Bice demonstrates all that is possible when one has true belief in the cause. Enjoy.

You can listen to the original Interview with Bice Awan here:

To connect with Skylight:
W: www.skylight.org.nz

Adèle hosts an interview series entitled:

• Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories : Adèle McLay Interviews…..
• Business Success Tips : Adèle McLay Interviews …..

…where she interviews successful entrepreneurs from around the world, asking them to share their entrepreneurial stories, and other business ‘subject matter experts’ who share business success tips. If you would like to be part of Adèle’s success community and receive the interviews and much more directly into your inbox, please click here.

Listen to more Successful Entrepreneurs and be inspired in the Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories: Adèle McLay Interviews….. YouTube and Podcast series:

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Entrepreneurial Success without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
Millionaire Mindset
NZ Entrepreneurship Success

What ice cream flavour is your business?

An ice cream is an ice cream. A laptop is a laptop. A plumber is a plumber. A business coach is just another business coach. They are all homogenous ─ basic commodities that can be bought anywhere in a competitive market. Right?

Yes and no. Many entrepreneurs operate as commodity businesses. They look and sound the same as everyone else in their industry. They trade on price, often reducing their price to ‘win the business’. Nothing makes them stand out from the crowd. They are like plain vanilla ice cream; something that can be bought anywhere.

Yet, one of the most pressing issues facing many businesses is how to attract more quality customers. That is the constant concern I hear when networking with and coaching entrepreneurs.

Why? Often is it because they have not identified and communicated to their customers the value they offer with their products and services.

When we are selling value to the customer, we are selling benefits – things they want and need; an emotional connection to the product, and often an experience too. When we do that we are selling something that stands apart from the rest and cannot be bought anywhere.

Let me explain.

I am an ice cream ‘snob’, yet we could argue that most ice creams taste very similar. In London, I will travel to Notting Hill just to visit a particular store to marvel over their range of gorgeous flavours, buy one, and then sit and savour it. When in New Zealand I will only eat one brand of ice cream. I can buy it from a handful of stores or in tubs in the supermarket.

So why do I bother being so finicky over ice cream? Because I am buying something more than just ice cream. I am buying an experience – a moment when time stops as I savour the joys of the ice cream. I am also buying a perception of luxury – as defined by me. The personal benefits of the ice cream brands I buy are worth the inconvenience of travelling far and wide to buy them.

The same goes for many other products and services I buy. I will return to buy certain products and services time and again, as they are selling something that is of value to me.

Look at your business. Is it selling something that is highly valued by your customers? Do you have differentiated products and services that your customers can only buy from you? Do your products and services emotionally connect with your customers so they come back time and again?

Starbucks is great example. They enjoy customer loyalty that most businesses can only dream of. Yet, I am sure the same quality of coffee can be bought in many coffee shops around the world – and more cheaply. But Starbucks is selling an experience that its customers will pay for.

Value is often intangible. It’s in the mind of the buyer. So as business owners, we need to get into the minds of our desired customers and understand what benefits, value, and experiences they are seeking when buying the products and services we offer.

Once we understand, it is our duty to effectively communicate our ability to deliver those values, benefits and experiences to our potential customers. If we do that effectively, we will be seen as different, relevant, and necessary by our customers.

Our businesses will be branded differently from our competitors… so long as we deliver on the value and benefits we promise. If we don’t, we are doomed to be seen once again as a commodity business.

Get value, benefits, and experience right in the eyes of our customers and we will be able to set premium prices for our products and services. Price is only an issue when value is not perceived.

And finally, not all business coaches are the same. I have branded my business to work with business owners/entrepreneurs around the world who want to be ‘mega performing’ – achieving all that they desire in business and life – as they define it. My business is a Swiss chocolate ice cream made with only organic products, and with little ‘sweet treat surprises’ scattered throughout… and it can’t be bought anywhere else other than from me.

What ice cream flavour is your business? And where can it be bought?

Let’s start a conversation. What makes your business stand out from others in your competitive market? How do you define and communicate the benefits you offer your customers? Write your thoughts below.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
7 Secrets of Business Success
Sir Richard Branson Asks…
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Thriving within the Juggling Act
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?

We all know of great entrepreneurial leaders – current and past. What makes them great? What principles have guided them to achieve the beauty of their dreams; their big and magnificent visions?

Firstly, they have the ability to envision their future. They have the audacity and confidence to dream big regardless of how ridiculous their ideas seem at the time.

In my terms great entrepreneurial leaders are alive with possibility of creating something magnificent. I call it Vision – ALIVE™; envisioning the future; the possibility of creating and achieving something magnificent.

So, what is Vision – ALIVE™ in practical terms?

A = Accountable Enrolment: Great entrepreneurial leaders engage with others – team, stakeholders, business partners, community – to create enthusiasm and engagement in the big vision, the big dream they have created. They have such clarity over what is possible that those around them are enrolled in participating in the achievement of the vision. A vision cannot be brought to life by one person alone. It requires a fully enrolled team to transform the vision into a mission to a reality.

L = Living Embodiment: Great entrepreneurial leaders create the footprint for others to follow. They live and breathe the values the entrepreneur wants all others to embody; they lead by example, and as a result, others will want to follow.

I = Individual Empowerment: Great entrepreneurial leaders provides the environment for all to shine; to be accountable for their part in achieving the magnificent vision. They bring together people who are collectively focused and determined to win.

V = Validation and Encouragement: Great entrepreneurial leaders understand the need to validate, support and encourage all those who are a part of the journey towards the achievement of the magnificent vision. This is especially important during times of challenge. Future leaders are created when they are strongly led and encouraged.

E = Evaluation and Improvement: Great entrepreneurial leaders recognise that relentless execution, evaluation and improvement is critical towards making progress and eventually achieving the magnificent vision.

That’s it, the defining principles of great entrepreneurial leaders. How do you measure up? How can you improve your leadership style and skills in order help you achieve the magnificent success you are seeking in your entrepreneurial pursuits?

The most exciting aspect of great leadership is that is can be learned. I am firmly of the view that great entrepreneurial leaders can be bred and are not just born. So, go for it. Become a great entrepreneurial leader.

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Entrepreneurial Success Without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
NZ Entrepreneurship Success
Millionaire Mindset
7 Secrets of Business Success
Sir Richard Branson Asks…
Ordinary vs Game Changing
Thriving within the Juggling Act
Business Success and Cookie Dough
What Ice Cream Flavour is Your Business?

Do You Compete On Price? Bad Business Decision!!

The price a business owner establishes for the sale of their products and services is arguably one of the most important business decisions they will make. And yet, pricing is one of the most feared elements in managing a business.

One of the many conversations I have with business owners is on pricing, and those discussions usually start with me saying, “Your prices are too low.” They look at me in shock and often respond with all the reasons why they cannot raise their prices:

I’ve lost jobs because I was too expensive.
I’m more expensive than some of my competitors.
I’m barely making enough profit as it is, and I can’t afford to lose customers by raising prices.
You have got to be joking— put my prices up in this depressed market?

Responses like that generally indicate those business owners don’t understand the impact pricing has on a customer’s perception of their business and its branding in the market. I have a business mantra: “Never compete on price”.

If your prices are too low, your market will label you a low-end player and you’ll attract bargain hunters who will invariably try to get you to discount your products even further. Lower prices also make it unlikely your business will build long-term relationships with customers, who by their very nature will shop around to get the best prices on a product or service, not staying loyal to any one business.

Higher pricing raises customers’ expectations of a business, which can be a challenge. But if you constantly deliver on those expectations your business will usually enjoy customer loyalty, and you will attract a better quality customer that is willing to pay more for quality customer service.

It comes down to branding. What does your business, your brand stand for? What is the promise you make to your customers? Branding is about building a relationship with your customers, and over time they expect certain things from your brand, as that is what you have promised them.

A brand can turn something that is pedestrian or homogenous into something that is unique and that stands out from the crowd, regardless of the market. If a business is branded it can set you apart from the rest. A strong brand builds respect, loyalty and retention, and allows a business to set its pricing strategy accordingly.
Dr Michael LeBoeuf, international business consultant, focuses a lot of his work on how to win customers and keep them. He created a matrix based on extensive research on why customers leave a business.

Based on that research, of those customers who leave a business, only 9 percent leave due to pricing, whereas 82 percent of customers leave because they are not treated as special or there is an unresolved conflict. In essence, they leave due to a lack of customer service.

Therefore, key to the success of your business is not worrying about the price you charge your customers, but concentrating on the customer value proposition you deliver to your customers to keep them happy and returning for more. It’s about going beyond the call of duty to provide value and service to your customers. It’s about creating customer cheerleaders, customers who will be loyal to your business for a long time and at the same time, will refer their family and friends to your business too.

Pricing is not an arbitrary decision; all businesses should have a pricing strategy. When determining your business’s pricing strategy, the key is to determine your value proposition for your customers, rather than pitching your business against your competition and attempting to undercut them to win more customers.

Get that right and your brand will create an impression in your market, and you can price your products and services according to that positioning.

Never compete on price. That is a business decision that will see you, your business, and your staff and suppliers lose in the end. Why? Because, if you are prepared to discount your price once, you will do it again and again. At the beginning, in order to maintain your profits, you can create increased operational efficiency within your business to compensate for reducing your prices. If you continue to reduce your prices, then eventually you will need to reduce your staff numbers or their pay (or both), and no doubt you will also be asking your suppliers to reduce their prices to you. Do that for long enough, then your staff can’t afford to work for you and your suppliers won’t be able to afford to supply your business, so you won’t have a business. It is a lose/lose business strategy.

A brand is a differentiator. A brand is an image. A brand is a promise. A brand is an experience. A brand is a perception. A brand can move a business or a person from the ocean of obscurity to the river of relevance and riches. Focus on building your business brand, and the need to compete on price will be a thing of the past as will the fear of making pricing decisions.

Other articles on Branding, Marketing and Pricing:

Is Customer Service YOUR Key to Business Success?
Creating Superior Customer Value – do you do that in your business?
Which are Your Most Profitable Customers?
Finding Customers via LinkedIn
Using YouTube for Finding Customers
Who Wants High Customer Retention?
Increase Your Prices and Make More Profit
What is a Customer?
What is Business Marketing?
What’s your Personal Brand?