Humility, in its purest form, has been hailed in movies, honored in classrooms and preached from the pulpits. But what is it really? What is at the heart of humility? Look up humility on line and you’ll see it defined as the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance, rank, etc.

My view of humility comes from a deeper place based on my own personal experience. I believe when we stand in a place of humility we are in essence honoring the value and brilliance of others. Not just the ones we have put on the pedestal or who by rank, serve as our leaders and mentors – I’m talking about those behind the scenes as well.

I’m reminded by a beautiful quote by Mary Kay Ash that went something like this… “To be a leader we must honor the person who cleans the floors as much as we honor the person that owns the floors.” Doesn’t this pretty much sum it up? Is anyone really any more brilliant than the other? I think not.

However, humility can be an interesting thing when it comes time to market our services, ask for business and close the deal. To do this, we are holding ourselves up as the “keeper of the keys” to the answers and solutions they are looking for.  I know that it sometimes feels a little odd to hold myself up as an “expert or guru” despite the fact that I have evidence after evidence of the impact I can have on a personal business and personal life.  Thank goodness I have friends, a coach and many clients who remind me of the value I offer.  Their experience of my work nudges me to “step into my power” and let her rip! I write the blog (you are reading evidence of one now), I make the call, I extend the invitation to work with me – all from that place of remembering the valuable impact I have on others.  Sure, there is a little voice inside telling me “it’s not right to brag.”  I hear that, check to make sure I’m coming from the right place and then keep on keeping on!

I believe I’m not different from you! The landscape of my day may be different. I may be talking to different people and my list of things to do might involve different tasks, but aren’t we all looking for a way to express our value to others in a way that’s comfortable and effective?  Aren’t we all simply looking for a way to express the difference we know we can make? I get it and I’m with you!

So let this serve as a reminder to myself and you that if the ultimate goal is to create the life we truly want to live, we will need to stand in our greatness and do the stuff that sometimes scares us. But what’s a little discomfort today if it leads to having what we truly want tomorrow?

So I invite you to find a comfortable blend of humility and power. To honor the greatness in yourself as you see the greatness in others.  It’s from this place that we can use our talents for the greater good of all.

Business Growth, Marketing Innovation inspiration, marketing

It started off as a typical strategy call with me and the client quickly diving into the nuts and bolts of their business. Our goal was to uncover the missing links that were blocking this client from getting the sales they wanted from their marketing efforts. Like Sherlock Holmes, I got out my magnifying glass to see what I could see.

Eureka! What we found was actually quite typical of businesses who now find themselves struggling in this oh-so-interesting economy. What we discovered is that this business didn’t need an entire overhaul or a five-figure marketing budget. What they needed was a few small but significant shifts in their Four Pillars of Marketing. Read on…

The Four Pillars of Marketing™ is a tool I developed that serves as a starting point for my work with any small business. By looking here to make sure the foundation is strong, we can then start to build a formidable empire. The problem is most business owners never really took the time to lay this foundation. They were too busy “taking action”, never realizing they were building a house of cards.

So what are the Four Pillars of Marketing?

The MARKET: This is your ideal client that you are best equipped to serve. They want, need and are willing to pay for what you offer and are totally pleased when they invest in it.

The MESSAGE: These are the words and sound bites you use to describe the impact of your product or service in a way that speaks to your prospects’ pain and inspires them to take action and BUY.

The MODEL: This answers the question, “How will you bring in the cash?” It must be trend supported, manageable and diversified so that all your eggs are never in one basket.

The METHODS: This describes the three to four marketing avenues you will use to move through the three stages of marketing – visibility, credibility and profitability.

What my client really needed was a “Four Pillars Makeover” so we…

• Redefined her target market so she was reaching out to those most likely to act on her offer.
• Tweaked her marketing message so she connected with the pain her prospects were feeling.
• We diversified her revenue streams so she had more ways to bring in the cash.
• And… we had her focus on only three marketing avenues that fit her budget and expanded her network.

What’s the moral of the story? The Fundamentals NEVER fail! The challenge is that as entrepreneurs we can’t see the forest through the trees. We can’t see our own business objectively because we are knee deep in it every day! We can’t see when we are going for the wrong market or that our message isn’t inspiring action. We can’t see opportunities for revenues or creative ways to expand our market because frankly… we don’t know what we don’t know!

This is why I have always had a business coach of my own. How about you? Could you benefit from an informed third party’s take on your business? Find out where you can sheer up your Four Pillars of Marketing by taking the Business Innovation Quiz here: http://www.janedeuber.com/free-assessment. Then take advantage of this limited time offer for a Kick-Start Strategy Session with me! We’ll have a blast pinpointing what you can do to strengthen your Four Pillars of Marketing.

Business Growth, Business Vision productivity, progress, strategies

Usually when I pose this question I am using it to help a client more clearly define their ideal customer.  But that’s not the intent of my question today.  My question “Who does your business serve” is a check in for you regarding who you want your business to ultimately benefit.  Is it your customer, your employees, your creditors, or perhaps YOU?

Certainly… your business needs to serve your customers. I’m a huge proponent of making sure every coaching client has a crystal clear picture of their ideal customer and a game plan on how they will serve them. Without knowing who we serve and how we’ll do that we can’t possibly have a profitable, thriving business.

My invitation to you is to go deeper with the question, “Who does your business serve?” What is your life as an entrepreneur really like? Is it a never ending marathon moving from one item on your to do list to the next? How do you feel on the inside? Is there tightness in your chest or an uneasy feeling in your belly? How about your schedule? Is there time woven into each day for you – time to eat well, to exercise your body, to connect with your inner world and be with your loved ones or are you moving so fast that you miss the moments that make up an extraordinary life?

I ask this because I have had a business that served everyone BUT me. That business had all the signs of success – healthy revenues, national notoriety, successful teams and paychecks that afforded me a beautiful lifestyle. But behind the scenes I was in pain – working too much and sleeping too little. I spent too much time in front of my computer and not enough in nature or at the gym. I put client calls before talks with my loved ones and began my mornings answering emails rather than connecting with my higher power. The business clearly did not serve ME.

Thankfully, this time around I’ve gotten smarter. I now have a business that serves me as well as my customers, team and the bottom line. I start my days with a morning practice that keeps me clear and centered throughout the day. I get my butt to the gym or run to the beach at least five times a week. I schedule in time for myself, my loved ones and time for play. In essence – I have a business that leaves space for all of me.

What’s exciting is that the more my business serves ME, the more I show up in both my business and my personal life. I am productive, creative, focused and incredibly happy.

How about you? Do you need to make some adjustments in your business model so there is more room for you?  If yes, begin with a good hard look at the past two weeks of your life. If you found yourself crowded out by your never-ending list of emails, phone calls and obligations – it’s time for change and I would be honored to help.

Jane Deuber is an internationally known business strategist, best-selling author and highly sought speaker.  Jane has also served as a leader in the virtual training movement. Over the past four years Jane has helped over 3000 entrepreneurs experience higher profits and greater fulfillment. Let Jane show you how to create a business that serves YOU as well as the bottom line. Take Jane’s Business Innovation Quiz and find out if you are on the path to having a business that serves you. Email us at: support@janedeuber.com or call 831-375-6856.

Business Growth, Maintaining Mindset inspiration, prosperity