Six Daily Practices
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 4:53PM Robert Middleton is one of my favorite resources for the solo entrepreneur on all-things-marketing.
Here is his list of Six Daily Practices for staying in touch with your clients. Enjoy!- Ana
1. Plan - Plan your day every single day
Yes, long term and weekly planning are also essential. But nothing beats daily planning - that is, committing to accomplish a small number of high-priority items every day that move you towards you goals. You don't need ten, twenty or thirty items on your list. You need four or five.
Simply ask, "What do I need to do today that will take me one or two steps toward attracting my ideal clients?" What we focus on and what we measure gets done. Then take decisive action.
2. Write - Write something every single day
At its core, marketing is about communication. And if you're writing, you are communicating. Most people are worried that they don't have much to write about. But when you commit to writing every single day, I promise you'll soon discover you have more ideas than you have time.
Write marketing materials, web content, articles, reports, white papers, books, blogs, emails and ideas/notes. You don't have to complete a written document every single day, simply make some progress every day.
3. Connect - Speak to one prospect every single day
Connect, whether it's someone you meet for the fist time in a networking group or a follow-up to a prospect you just sent a proposal to. Make it a priority to connect daily with at least one person who has the potential to be a client.
And if you can't connect with a prospect every day, connect with an associate or a referral source. Call to catch up; go out for coffee or lunch. This simple activity gets those in your network thinking about you, and that often leads to new business.
And as a last resort, connect on social media. But this should not be a substitute for live connections.
4. Track - Track your progress every single day
If you don't know where you are in the game of marketing and where your prospects are, how do you know what move to take next? You don't. Track everything that counts: the number of contacts you make, the number of appointments you set up and the clients you win.
5. Read - Read every single day
Knowledge about marketing and selling are not scare. But if you don't study this material it might was well not exist. You don't need to read a lot every day, but you always want the stimulation of new ideas.
Read blogs, articles and reports online, magazines and books. Read anything that helps you be a better person- personally and professionally.
6. Mindset - Work on your thinking every single day
What you think determines your actions, your actions determine your habits, and your habits determined your life. When I talk about working on your thinking, I mean challenging and questioning your limited thinking.
You can start with these thoughts: "Is it really true that I don't have time to plan, write, connect, track and read every single day?" If you believe you can't you won't. Use the "Getting Unstuck Process" as an aid:
http://actionplan.com/apmc/Unstuck_Work.pdf
Doing these six things every day have the potential to not only transform your business but to transform you in the process. You'll emerge as a more confident, informed, articulate person with the ability to attract more of your ideal clients.