Road Signs: an important lesson for businesses!

If you're anything like me as a driver; you'll have 3 points on your license (for speeding), you'll have attended 2 speed awareness courses in the last 5 years, and yet, you'll still have the audacity to complain about the speeding idiots who race down your road! To be fair, I'm much better now that I used to be and the speed awareness courses were more interesting than I expected ... and at least I'm open about my motoring-related hypocrisy!

Recently, I've noticed that somewhere in the Highways Agency, there's a creative genius who could teach many businesses a thing or two about marketing.

Do you experience those moments when you're coasting along the motorway; you've made good progress, you're keeping an even speed of 80mph, you're already tasting the cold beer waiting for you in the fridge and you're seriously keen to get home from the long day you just had?

But then, out of nowhere, the dreaded signs appear and your imaginary cold beer is replaced with real cold sweat. It's bad news, there's roadworks ahead and for 3 whole junctions, it's a 50 mph limit because where there's roadworks, there's workman/people: not gremlins in yellow coats who delight in your inconvenience, just decent, honest and hard working folk who wish they were on their way home too!

You groan, you curse your luck and depending on how much of a rush you're in, you keep to 55mph, maybe 60mph, pushing the boundaries as far as possible without risking a fine. Whichever way you look at it, those red signs are just so unfair and given the barriers between you and the workmen anyway, what does it matter if you're going at 60mph or 65mph rather than 50mph?

Now, imagine the same situation but instead of a number circled in red, you see this on the motorway instead:

If you're anything like me, your heart skips a beat and instantly you kill the speed. In fact there's no question of you pushing the boundaries and in spite of the rush you're in, it seems fair enough: after all, who wants to risk taking out Alex's daddy?

The difference between the road signs is simply this:  

• One is just a boring statement on a placard with limited impact.
• The other conveys a deeply emotional message which stirs our hearts and compels us to take action.  

When you think about the message you convey to your customers and prospects (which includes the people you meet at your networking breakfasts, your Linkedin connections, your Facebook likers, twitter followers and circled folk on Google+) do you convey the equivalent of a boring statement on a placard? Or an imaginative message which stirs hearts and inspires action?

Tip: 

When you think about your marketing message, whether you intend to convey it digitally or in person, rather than think about your business function and the features you offer, ask yourself two key questions:

1) What would happen to my customers if my business and industry did not exist?

2) What becomes possible for my customers because I exist?

Available now on iTunes & Amazon: The Impact Code - Unlocking Resilience, Productivity & Influence  http://goo.gl/619iE4

Thanks for reading - I help people achieve more in their lives by developing their resilience, influence and productivity.

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946
Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk
Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain
Connect with me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK
Connect with me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

 

What's The Impact Code about?

The Impact Code is not a book about goal-setting, being passionate and living the dream. You can already find lots of those.

The Impact Code isn't a long and wordy book, which takes you a month to read but six months later you can only remember one or two of its key points. You can find lots of those too.

The Impact Code is a book which gives 24 memorable insights to develop your resilience, productivity and influence, so you're equipped to make a lasting impact on the world around you. Whether you're a business leader, a team manager, an entrepreneur, a parent, an aspiring professional or young person, your ability to make an impact will define how successful you become and how happy you feel. Imagine how your life would be if you could:

• Attract more people to follow you - out of choice not obligation
• Bounce back quickly from your disappointments & set-backs
• Overcome your fears and live beyond your current horizons
• Achieve more without adding to your overstretched 'to-do' list

Choose to make an awesome impact in your world or don't - it's up to you!

Grab your digital or paperback version via Amazon at: http://goo.gl/619iE4

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946
Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk
Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain
Connect with me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK
Connect with me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

How to create maximum influence - 2 tips

We've all been there and we've all done it:

"Don't eat too many sweets, they're bad for your teeth"

"Don't step in the road, you could get hurt." 

"Don't play on the fence, it might break."

"Don't send it like that, she's our best customer."

Whether it's business or home, most of us at some stage in our lives will fulfill roles, which require our positive influence. It might be eating too much sugar, walking in the road, playing on a flimsy fence or sending a sub-standard piece of work to our best customer, but regardless of the scenario, we want the other person to obey our command in the here-and-now and also to remember for next time.

But more often than not, the more we repeat the same old negative commands, the less effective we become because the person on the receiving end sees us as an old nag. When this happens, delivering any sense of meaningful influence becomes a major struggle.

If you want other people to respect your authority, whether you're leading a team at work, or leading your family unit, I suggest you ditch the word "don't" from your vocabulary. It doesn't matter how many times you issue a command, if it begins with the word "don't", the brain of the person on the receiving end will fixate on what follows this word rather than not doing the thing you want them to avoid.

Example:

Imagine it's a hot day and you've had nothing to drink for a few hours. The sweat's pouring down your brow and I say, "don't think about a cold, lemonade ice lolly, the sharp, sweetness of the lemons, the ice cold lolly in your mouth, just don't think about it". Of course, your brain will think about the lolly and will conveniently bypass the word "don't". It's the same for adults and for children and happens regardless of the situation.

Tip 1) Issue positive commands and be specific about what you want to happen. Practise your new style of command so it becomes a habit. I can personally vouch for the fact that getting rid of "don't" can take some getting used to:

"Don't eat too many sweets, they're bad for your teeth

"You need to eat less sweets in order to take care of your teeth."

"Don't step in the road, you could get hurt"

"Walk on the pavement because it's safer."

"Don't play on the fence, it might break"

"Get off the fence and leave it alone, it's flimsy and might break."

"Don't send it like that, she's our best customer"

"This document needs more work on it, it looks messy and I've already spotted a few typos in the text."

Tip 2) Coach rather than command, particularly in situations where there's no immediate danger. Ask questions which encourages the other person to think about the situation so that they engage and come up with their own answers.

Whilst it may feel easier to issue commands, easy is not necessary effective and people on the end of constant commands become passive spectators and immune to your authority. They may appear to listen to you but their minds will usually be elsewhere and they'll forget what you said ... that's if they ever heard you in the first place!

"How is eating too many sweets a problem for you?"

"Why is the pavement a better place to walk than the road?"

"What could happen if you keep playing on the fence?"

"If you send the document like this, what do you think our client will think?"

Now available on iTunes and Amazon: The Impact Code - Unlocking Resilience, Productivity & Influence  

http://goo.gl/bSd6M6

Thanks for reading - I help people achieve more in their lives by developing their resilience, influence and productivity. 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain
Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974

Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

Influencing Tip: Using 2 powerful words

There's two words which I love to use because when used at the right time, the other person is compelled to follow you wherever you want to take them ... just for a while at least!

When we hear the words, Imagine that/Imagine if ... for the briefest of moments, we drop our agendas,  lower our guard and give our full attention, even if the phrase that follows is absurd and even if we don't like the person who's speaking.

Example 1)

"Imagine that for the next two weeks, you had your own Michelin-starred chef to do all the cooking for you and your family including your breakfasts, lunch and supper as well as an assistant to do all the clearing up."

Whilst for most of us, this is a most unlikely scenario, our brains will still get to work imagining the convenience, the taste of the sumptuous food and the sheer decadence of such an idea.

Example 2)

"Imagine if your website produced so many leads for you that you no longer had to make cold calls."

For those of us who still labour with making cold calls, whether or not we trust our web designer to deliver something that good, we still can't help but be lured into imagining a life without cold calls as well as a new all singing and dancing website producing effortless leads.

Given the power of Imagine if/Imagine that, it's our job as business developers or as leaders to work out:

- How to deliver the phrase naturally and as part of a flowing conversation

- What we most need our customers to imagine in order for them to buy from us, or what our team members most need to imagine in order to follow our lead

- When to use the phrase so it delivers maximum impact

Thanks for reading

I help people to achieve more by developing their resilience, influence and productivity:

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

Influencing Tip: Using 'some' and 'MOST'

When you want to guide someone else to say "yes" to your course of action, whether it is your child, a colleague or a business prospect, it obviously helps if you know what makes them tick, that you also understand their pains and aims and if it's a business prospect, that you have a product/service which meets what they need/want. Trust and rapport are also crucial … and there are some language tricks which you can use to your advantage.

One of my favourites is some and MOST - check out the example below to see how it works ... 

Example: 

I want my business prospect to purchase a series of short development workshops delivered over a period of time rather than a one-off, full-day workshop because I know he/she will experience better long term results with the former option. So I say ... 

Some of my clients prefer full day workshops as getting people together can be very challenging, but MOST of my clients prefer regular and concise 1-2 hour long sessions delivered over a number of weeks because they deliver better long term results and offer better value.

In this scenario, I'm still offering choice and will ultimately respect my prospect's wishes, but I'm using the word "MOST" to emphasise that the best long term option is the regular and concise 1-2 hour sessions.

As people, we generally prefer to go with what MOST people do and in business, even charismatic buyers who are open to risk, still prefer to take risks with a mass market appeal, so they're more likely to opt for what MOST people will do rather than what some people do. By putting your verbal emphasis on the word "MOST" and supporting it with valid reasons, you lead the other person to the logical and natural conclusion that they should opt for what MOST people do. 

In what situations should we avoid using this language trick? 

A) When your business prospect is clearly set on the option that some people do, a small language trick is unlikely to change this. In this scenario, it's better to find out the reasons behind your prospects' thinking and honour their wishes.

B) When the option for MOST lacks credibility, this language trick will not be enough to influence your prospect. For example, could you imagine trying to encourage your child to eat more healthily with:

Some children prefer eating chocolate ice creams, but MOST children prefer eating carrots

This statement clearly lacks credibility and as a result, it will carry no influence! 

Available now on iTunes & Amazon: The Impact Code - Unlocking Resilience, Productivity & Influence  http://goo.gl/YAynef

Thanks for reading

I help people to achieve more by developing their resilience, influence and productivity: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

Business Development Tip: Matchmaking a most important union

I recently worked with an organisation, who's sales and marketing teams function as separate and isolated units. Whilst the company team mission statement is all about collaborative working, joint aims and the normal jargon you tend to associate with mission statements, the reality is very different. The fact is that the marketing department is deeply possessive of their work, viewing the sales team as nothing more than glorified administrative assistants, whilst the sales teams views the marketing department with contempt and suspicion.

The result?

The delivery of a marketing strategy, which is totally out of synch with the delivery of the sales strategy.

So what?

The clients they serve receive a message one week from the salesperson they're dealing with, only to receive something entirely different from the marketing department the following week. At it's worst, it's irritating and confusing for the client. At it's best, by allowing marketing and sales to work separately, the organisation in question does not make the most of it's potential sales revenue.

The best scenario is that:  

1) Marketing departments recognise that they exist to serve the needs of the sales departments.

2) Both units need to work as one, without mutual contempt or suspicion and with the greatest of respect for each other's skills.

3) Because it's normally the salespeople who have direct contact with the prospects, they can offer invaluable insight to their marketing departments as to what would work best and how to create targeted and effective campaigns. For example, winning over a 'controller' buying personality requires a different approach from winning over a 'follower' buying personality and unless you have a sales team who can spot the difference and communicate that with marketing, you'll fail to deliver campaigns which are shaped to the unique needs of your buyers. 

Tip (for organisations large enough to have sales and marketing departments!):

Stop your sales and marketing departments from living the carefree, single life. Introduce them to one another and encourage them to get together. Get them to spend time with each other, to talk to each other, to trust and like each other ... and then step back and enjoy the incredible power of a happy union between sales and marketing.

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

Business Development: Scattergun approach backfires

It's possible that because I'm nearing 40, I'm simply grumpier than I used to be ... but there's something which is really irritating me and it's happening more and more.

I'm receiving an increasing number of emails (particularly from Linkedin contacts) asking for my help. In nearly all cases, the help requested is to click on a link in order to add a vote, so that the person who emailed me can win an award for which they've been nominated. Now I like to think I'm a decent chap but there's a problem ... I've never met the people in question or used their services, so how on earth could I vote for them with any sense of credibility?

On the one hand, it's no great problem to delete such emails but on the other hand, if you're serious about your professional reputation, how could you send a blanket message knowing that it will be utterly irrelevant to a large proportion of people who receive it? Unless of course you're just hoping that they will vote for you anyway, in which case the awards are utterly meaningless because it comes down to who has the largest email database, rather than a mark of quality.

In my opinion, people who ask me to vote for them, but yet I've never met them or used their services, are lazy email marketers and it smacks just a little of desperation. Note to self ... if they're lazy about their e-marketing, what would their customer service be like, particularly if there are issues after I've made the purchase?


Tip:

Be relevant in your communication: Spend the extra time filtering and ordering your contacts so whether you are communicating via phone, email or post, everything you say is of complete relevance to those who will read/hear it.

Avoid the blanket/scattergun approach: Whilst it feels better to send your message to thousands of people rather than hundreds, if it's not relevant to many of those who receive it, it will undermine your long term credibility ... unless of course your message genuinely has a mass market appeal or it offers mass market value.

ps - when asking for help, whether it's home or work, you'll get better results if you ask the people who actually know you!

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

Business Development Tip: Keep it real

"It's very very different from anything that's ever been tried before"

Wow - that's certainly a bold claim from the businessman who emailed me promoting a new service he was offering. It certainly caught my attention and to be fair to him, the strength of this statement alone encouraged me to sit through the entire two minute video on youtube just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

So congratulations on the title, but sadly it only got worse from there because as he explained his USPs in his video, there was clearly no substance to back up his claim.

So What?

It left me feeling disappointed with what was being offered and frustrated that I'd wasted two minutes of my time watching the video.

Outcome?

I won't be using his service and when his next email arrives, I'll unsubscribe because I don't trust him. In my experience, people who make bold claims which they can't substantiate are not worth spending any time on.

Fact: 

Your ability to attract new business is far easier if you have knock-out claims, which stop people in their tracks ... but those claims must be genuine if you want to be taken seriously. If people suspect that you're exaggerating, then your credibility gets damaged and if your credibility is damaged, it's very difficult to influence people.

Tip:

Consider how you promote your service/business in all situations ... at networking events, at presentations, on video, or on your website. Are all your claims really true? Or has your desire to win business caused you to go over the top? Develop a message for your business which is attractive, yet which has integrity at it's heart. 

Example:

It's very very different from anything that's ever been tried before

1) It's a fresh approach to X, because ...
2) You'll love it when you try it, because ...
3) Being part of it will make a huge impact on your business because ...

I've protected the identity of the businessman who sent me that email to spare his blushes, but knowing what he's offering, the above statements (1, 2 and 3) would have been fine.

Not even Carlsberg claimed to make the best lager in the world, they just argued that it was probably the best!

Now available on iTunes and Amazon: The Impact Code - Unlocking Resilience, Productivity & Influence
http://goo.gl/bSd6M6

Thanks for reading

I help people to achieve more by developing their resilience, influence and productivity:  

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk

Business Development Tip: Titles tip the balance

                 37 new clients gained in one month 

I received an e-shot recently and the title of the message began with the fatal word "Hurry". It certainly did make me hurry, but only to the delete button on my laptop!

I received another e-shot with an abrupt question, "do you like chocolate?" to which my only thought was "SO WHAT"? followed by the next predictable action ... delete!

Does this happen to anyone else?

Because we're so inundated with emails, some of which are spam, some of which we signed up to in years gone by, and some of which are genuinely important, we've become ruthless in sifting through our emails and weeding out the sales stuff as quickly as possible.

More than ever, if you want someone to read your e-shot, the title of that e-shot is absolutely crucial. It needs to find the balance between catchy, punchy and interesting and then of course, be followed by a message which gives value to the reader, rather than (or as well as), buy - buy - buy!

My most successful e-shots in both terms of number of people opening them and the positive feedback which followed, were titled:

- Business Development: What NOT to do (4 cardinal sins)

- Standing out from the crowd on Linkedin

- Time Management Tip 1: PUB Power

Given you'll never have met or spoken to some (or many) of the people who receive your e-shots, do your messages really tread the careful line of Catchy v Rude? Clever v Cheesy? Punchy v Abrupt? Mysterious v Pointless?

Thanks for reading

I help businesses become more profitable by developing their people: 

Call me - 0121 420 3457 / 07760 444 946

Email me - enquiries@impactlife.co.uk

Connect with me on Linkedin - http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpain

Like me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ImpactLifeUK

Follow me on twitter - www.twitter.com/andrewpain1974
Check out my website - www.impactlife.co.uk