Last week, we discussed the first 3 insights to a sensational strategic planning session.

As we continue this discussion, here are the final two insights:

1. Get clear about the impact you want to have on your client, community and the world in general! This insight underscores the power of having a Mission Statement that everyone can get behind. As we got clear about our Mission as a company, we got really excited because as a team, we committed to it; and we were excited to be innovative about this mission driving us on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. It’s a common thread across our team.
2. Give it the full time it deserves! Clarifying your plan for growing your business is one of the most important ways you can invest your time.  It will give you direction, peace of mind, clarity about where to invest your time and above all… improve the results you are getting from your business. So decide right now, that you are going to invest time to get this done. Grab your planner and schedule it this week! Whether it’s 2 hours with a buddy or 2 days with your team I PROMISE it will be an investment time that will return to you 10 fold.

Commit to your strategic plan this week:

1. Decide WHO you will enroll in the process of planning.
2. Decide WHEN you will invest time in beginning or furthering your plan.
3. Revisit a few pieces before your planning session – reconnect with what you’ve already done: your VISION, your PROJECT LIST and your REVENUE PROJECTIONS.

I’ll leave you with one final thought: trust your instincts—encourage yourself to move forward and have fun with this idea of strategic planning and get in action!

Business Growth, Business Vision business growth, strategies

As you may know, I am a huge proponent of strategic planning. Strategic planning translates to knowing what projects you will focus on when, why they are important and then how you will implement each one of the ideas to bring it into reality. Your strategic plan will help you get to your vision faster, it will allow you to be more profitable and it also maintains your sanity in the process of growing your business.

Recently, I reflected that with three businesses to manage, it was time to do some strategic planning for my own companies…I brought in 2 key team members in for 2 days of strategic planning, which allowed me to identify some brand new insights. Here are five of ten insights I gained during this session:

And, oh, by the way, these planning tips work whether for a team of 1 or 100 or whether or your sales goals ranging from 10 thousand to 10 million—these apply to every entrepreneur’s path.

This week, I am sharing the first three insights, here they are:

1. Choose an environment that supports you in being creative, comfortable and abundant. Make yourself comfortable and surrounded by abundance. What do you need to create in your world to be comfortable when you are doing strategic planning?
2. Get support. Whether you’re an entrepreneur with a team or a solo-preneuers doing it on your own, you can get the support you need. If you do not have a team, find an accountability partner to do your strategic planning together. If you have a team, and you can afford it, bring them in—having them physically in the room with you (or even via Skype) it helps your team to have more ownership and allows them to implement with greater ease.
3. Begin with a clear sense of who you are.  One of the most valuable hours of our two days of planning was the very first hour.  We took that time to talk about what was important to us individually and as a team. We found commonalities and then drew up our list of Corporate Values. I encourage you to create a “top 10 List of Values” for you personally and in your company.

Commit to getting in action on your strategic plan this week:

1. Set up your environment to support you in being creative, comfortable and abundant.
2. Get support—reach out for that accountability partner or get your team scheduled to gather for your strategic planning session.
3. Start with what is important to you…identify your values and those for your company.

Business Growth, Business Vision business growth, strategies

OK… I admit it. This is a bit of a trick question because for many of you your response is something like “Umm… what’s my zone of genius?”

Well, that my friend, is the “Million Dollar Question” and the underlying key to your personal and financial success in direct selling. So let’s explore it together!

Your “Zone of Genius” is the area of your business in which you 1) feel a state of flow and effortlessness and 2) create the greatest results for the time you invest. Notice, it’s not one or the other—it requires that both elements are present.

When you find your zone of genius and spend as much time in it as possible your income and level of happiness will soar.  Brush this off as mumbo jumbo and you’ll continue to get the same results you’ve been getting. Need I say more?

So let’s say I have sparked your curiosity and you are willing to go on a hunt for your Zone of Genius… where do you begin?

Step 1: Be aware. You can’t improve upon something you are not aware of. It’s essential to know where you are strong, where you need to grow and then commit to take steps to get there. In fact THIS is the name of the game for all of us.

Because this step is such an essential step we’ve designed a tool to help you find the missing links. Click here to take the assessment.

Step 2: Measure results. To discover your Zone of Genius you must take note of where your results are coming from. Look to where your best clients have come from thus far. If your answer is referrals from people with whom you have a connection, this may be a clue that “relationship building” is a Zone of Genius for you. Eureka!

Step 3: Be Mindful. Since your income and your happiness are impacted by the actions you take — be more mindful of where you invest your time! This tip transformed a client’s business and life in less than a week.

Program your smart phone to ring a simple “chime” on the hour. Let that trigger you to ask… “Is what I’m doing now moving me closer to my goals.” If the answer is no… make a more powerful choice!

This week… look for ways to work in YOUR zone of genius!

Much Love, Jane

Business Growth, Business Vision, Personal Growth business growth, growth, strategies

As you can imagine, I am a huge proponent of the power of business planning. Not only do I see its impact in the businesses of my clients, I experience it personally every day as I take steps to grow my three (yep three) businesses.  But the problem is most people HATE creating business plans. I get it! It’s not at the top of my list either.

SO while today I’m not going to dive into the “big kahuna” planning (that one year plan that details the goals, benchmarks and projects that you KNOW you truly need). Instead, I’ll share a tool for smaller scale planning for those important projects that will get you to your goal.

For clients in my 6 month Business Mastery Coaching Program, planning has become a natural and simple way of life. That’s because we make it simple by using a tool that walks you step by step through the process.  I’ll share it here just to give you a tiny taste of what’s waiting for you when you join the Business Mastery Community.

First, pick a project you’ve been meaning to make progress on – that project on your massive “To-Do” list that’s been screaming for your attention and has lots of “moving parts.” These are likely larger projects that when distilled to a list of action steps, is much easier to take on.

Then, set a timer for 15 minutes (no distractions or interruption please) and get your “Strategic Planning Groove” on by walking through these six steps to defining your plan of action on any project or intention…

1. Project Title – Give the project a name that you can get behind
2. Goal – Define a specific, measure able outcome that you can work toward
3. Time Frame – Define by when you want to have this accomplished
4. Objectives – Clarify benchmarks (small steps) that need to be met on the way to the bigger goal
5. Action Steps – Detail the small steps you need to take to hit the benchmarks and make the goal a reality
6. Support – Surround yourself with the people and resources that will help make this happen

Keep in mind, though, a project action plan is always a work in progress. It is not something you can write down, place in your desk and then forget about it. Keep it visible – display it prominently on your desk or computer. As your business changes and grows, you will want to revise it to fit your ever changing needs.

Remember, behind every great accomplishment is some element of a plan. Whether unconscious or deliberate, there needs to be, in some fashion, a step-by-step process to achieve your goal.

If you are looking to access your “Strategic Planning Genius” be sure to checkout my Entrepreneurial Edge video series. It reveals how to tap into the “Seven Entrepreneurial Power Centers” that reside within you. Go here: www.janedeuber.com/edge. You’ll love it!

Business Growth, Business Vision, Marketing Innovation business growth, business mastery program, business vision

As a business owner, one of the things that is becoming clear to me is the importance of imperfect action, or choosing progress over perfection.

In my world, imperfect action may look like:
The email that goes out with a typo, despite reviewing it twice
The timeline that isn’t as spacious as we would like but gets the job done
The sales video that isn’t as polished as I’d like but truly shares my heart
The website that is far from what I want it to be but still engages my tribe

I’m sharing this with you because in truth, imperfect action is not easy for me – it goes against my natural human tendency to want to look good and to model what I teach. But it always brings some kind of reward to both myself and the team. Sometimes it’s in the form of sales; other times it’s in the form of a referral. But we are always paid a huge dividend in the form of a new distinction that we can take forward to our next attempt or project.

So today, I am calling you into imperfect action. Because imperfect action always trumps taking No Action At All!

Embrace Imperfect action by…

• Looking to your list of good ideas or prohects you have been putting off and taking your first step – no matter how messy it might look!
• Being willing to get messy and feel awkward and clumsy at first
• Surrendering to the truth that no matter how hard you try, you will always want it to be better–and that’s what makes you so awesome!
• Celebrating that your imperfect action will be rewarded – with results or clarity!

Business Growth, Business Vision, Maintaining Mindset, Masterminding business growth, entrepreneurship

As you know, running a home-based business requires maintaining a balanced life. On one hand, you may develop workaholic tendencies, checking emails at the dinner table and taking calls at all hours of the night. On the other hand, especially if you’re feeling unsure of how to proceed with your business, you may become lax and unproductive.

Working from home requires that we develop regular habits that bring balance and keep us focused. About a year ago, I created a list of daily actions that enrich my life and my work. These activities are not directly related to the day-to-day tasks of running a business, but they help me to feel at ease with myself and the way I use my time. While I have 15 items on my list now, I started with 8 or so activities that I hold sacred and important to living in alignment with my values and vision. Each item, while simple and seemingly insignificant –form the foundation for keeping myself centered, healthy and happy. When I truly embrace them, they add up to a day filled with all the things that are important to me. Here’s what I hold for each day…

1. My morning practice
2. Revisit vision/intentions
3. Lemon water
4. Supplements
5. Power drink
6. Exercise/movement
7. Water, water, water!
8. Three outreach connections
9. Fruits & veggies
10. “Me” time
11. Family connect
12. No eating after 7:30
13. Look for the fun
14. Gratitude and reflection
15. No more than 80%!

Note action 15 – No more than 80%. In other words, you’re not expected to have a day in which you actually complete every item on the list – that could make you crazy! I can tell you, though, that when I have more checks, I can look back at a day that’s well lived.

What’s on the other side of sheering up your daily habits to enrich your life? Awe… so many rewards. For me it’s a sense of peace knowing that I am keeping the promises I make to myself. There is power in keeping this. When we keep the promises we make to ourselves we are acknowledging that when we take care of ourselves we are better equipped to take care of the rest of our lives.

So my invitation to you is to create your own list of daily activities that will give you a sense of balance and about your life. Try to take into account your physical, mental, emotional and intellectual health. When you write down these actions and track your progress at completing them, you put yourself in the best possible mindset to be successful in running your business.

Business Vision, Direct Sales, Masterminding business vision, direct sales

Despite evidence to the contrary, a couple of myths are pervasive in the direct selling world. Allow me to be your “Myth Buster” and provide some alternative ways of looking at your business success!

Success Myth #1: Success is a numbers game. The more you do, the more you get.

Myth Buster #1: Oh really? If massive action were all it took to succeed in direct selling, there would be a lot more people at the top of your company’s pay-plan, wouldn’t there? The world we live in today responds not just to action but to the “intent” behind the action. Today’s consumers (your prospects) can smell incongruity and ill intentions from a mile away, and when they do, they are running for the hills. What creates success in direct selling today is what’s behind the actions: the intent, the energy, and the value you bring to each interaction. Your success is an internal game. The person you are being, the thoughts you are holding and the vision you are striving for – these are the things that impact the actions you take and the results you enjoy. Your mindset and emotions are your single most important factor in your success as a direct selling leader.

Success Myth #2: If the strategy worked for others in my company before, it will work for me.

Myth Buster #2: There is only one thing wrong with this theory… our culture, our economy, our prospects and life in general are not even remotely the same as they were “back then.” Therefore, how we grow our business must change as well – from how we use technology to how we share the business opportunity.

The selling and sponsoring strategies you should incorporate today must be based on who you are and what you value in life. While you may be able to force yourself to take actions that feel out of alignment with your values and personality, you will likely not do them for long. When you chose strategies for building your business that are aligned with your vision, values, and personality you will be inspired to do them consistently for a sustainable length of time – two keys to success.

It’s time to choose business-building strategies that reflect YOU! When you stop trying to be someone else and move through your day, being an authentic expression of you… THAT’S when the magic happens and the results you’ve been wanting show up.

If you are a direct seller who is ready to bust through YOUR myths and limiting beliefs and step into a more committed and confident YOU, check out my complimentary training entitled, Quantum Leap Your Sponsoring in Four Simple Steps. It’s one more step on your journey toward being able to prospect, sell and sponsor with greater ease. Discover the truths about succeeding in direct selling TODAY and let’s grow your business together! Get access to my training here: http://www.janedeuber.com/dsdta.

Business Growth, Business Vision, Direct Sales business growth, direct selling, entrepreneurs

As a mentor and trainer, I help entrepreneurs to overcome the hurdles that keep them from success. One of these challenges is getting stuck – finding yourself in a place of inaction despite wanting to keep growing. You may have thoughts like, “I want my business to grow so badly. But for some reason, I just can’t get myself to make the phone calls. I can’t get myself to get on the phone, I can’t get myself out the door to network.”

If you’re finding yourself in a place of inaction–if you’re feeling stuck–sometimes it’s because the vision isn’t exciting enough, or as I say, juicy enough. Maybe you feel like you need permission to have a bigger vision for yourself. Trust me – you are permitted! Make it juicy, make it fun, make it a kind of vision that inspires you to jump out of bed in the morning to get to work.

Other times, we’re inactive because the vision is someone else’s. We’re living someone else’s dream, moving towards a vision that someone else said was a vision that we should have. If this is the case, you need to take a step back and think about what led you to enter this business in the first place. From there, you can redefine your vision and move ahead with clear motivation.

Inaction can also result when you’ve been in business for a awhile and achieved success. If you’ve met your goals, you need to make new ones! Perhaps you need to bring in an element of contribution and take your success out into the world. Making a difference in others’ lives is a key value for me, and knowing that other people rely on me keeps me from getting stuck.

Periods of inaction are common in direct selling, but they don’t have to keep you from growing. Examine the reason you are stuck, make the necessary changes and get back into the game!

Business Growth, Business Vision, Masterminding business growth, business owner, direct selling, entrepreneur, vision

When you are the CEO of your own business, you have the potential to be pulled in ten different directions at once. It’s essential that you find some way to structure your time so that all areas of your life receive the attention they need. My method of time blocking involves choosing a primary focus or theme for each day of the week. This way, I know which hat I’m wearing each day! And this way of planning allows me to focus on one of the five archetypes of entrepreneurship each day. You will develop a time blocking strategy that’s unique to you and your business, but here’s what a typical week looks like for me.

On Mondays, I focus on meetings, planning, and directing my team. The theme of the day is to keep the business moving forward and make sure everyone has what they need to succeed.

Tuesdays are my creative days. I get to access my knowledge and put it to work in new and exciting ways. It’s amazing how rejuvenating it can be to focus on your core strengths and messages!

Wednesdays are more open, flexible days. I can continue working on content creation from Tuesday, or I can catch up in another area.

Thursdays are my business coaching days – my opportunity to be a cheerleader, strategist, mentor, and whatever else is needed.

On Fridays, I focus on outreach. This is the day when I schedule meetings and phone calls and make a point to try to connect with people. It’s really nice to be able to tell someone, “I’d really like to get to know you better” and know that I have dedicated time for that purpose.

Whatever the elements of your schedule, setting up a daily theme will tell you who to be each day and help you to give the best of yourself in any situation.

As you look at the week ahead, look for 30 minute time blocks during which you will commit to making progress in a particular area of your business. It might be marketing, lead follow-up, connect calls, personal growth or answering emails – just to name a few. The key is to block off a particular chunk of time during which you will make progress on an important aspect of your business. I think you will find that time blocking helps you to be more focused, more creative and more satisfied in your work!

Business Growth, Business Vision, Maintaining Mindset, Masterminding business management, entrepreneur, scheduling, time blocking

Having participated in the human potential movement for two decades, as an audience member and professional speaker, it has become clear to me that the true mark of a successful speaker lies not just in what happens on stage, but more importantly, how participants are changed as they head for home. How are their lives impacted? What are they inspired to do? What positive change were you a catalyst in creating?

But here’s the rub: inspiring life-long change is a tall order when your time on stage is so fleeting. Even when your content flows perfectly and your story hits home, you still need a way to create lasting change after the lights are turned off and the attendees go home.

It may seem obvious that product sales are the way to keep your message in people’s minds after you’ve left the stage, and this is true. But not just any product will do. You need a product that:

• Brings in immediate cash.
• Warmly welcomes new clients to your “tribe.”
• Inspires clients to take action on your strategies.
• Creates a life-long connection between you and the client.
• Avoids adding to our planet’s landfill problem by offering a “green” learning alternative.
• Delivers on your promise of helping them experience more success, happiness, and so on.

So how can we accomplish these objectives easily, cost effectively and without headaches? The answer is a multimedia, e-learning platform that:

• Brings your content to life in a meaningful and inspiring way
• Encourages clients to take actions on the strategies you offer
• Holds them accountable and rewards them for every step they take
• Is a LOW overhead and HIGH return product for you

All this can be created through the power of an E-learning Program – an online, modular learning experience that walks participants through your content, offers simple yet specific action steps, and rewards them for staying in the game. Not sure if your content is ready to go virtual? Take our Virtual Viability Survey and see how close you are to making this life-changing opportunity a reality.

Business Growth, Business Vision, Marketing Innovation entrepreneur, online course, virtual training