There’s nothing more invigorating that having everything you need to start the new year with bigger and better goals! We have gathered 10 of the best advice and tips to implement for 2014. They are in no particular order!
Tip #1 – REMOVE THE NEGATIVE PEOPLE FROM YOUR LIFE ~ Bill Walsh from Powerteam International.
Negative people will drain you. They will take up your time, your resources, and possibly your motivation. Make positive changes in your life and “invite the negative people out of your lives” all at once. Start your year with a clean slate, condensed contacts and a strong intimate circle that support and inspire you to reach your dreams.
Tip#2 – BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS AND DREAM BIG. AND THEN AFTER YOU’VE DONE THAT, DREAM BIGGER. ~ Howard Schultz featured on OWNtv’s Super Soul Sunday
When Howard was younger, he believed in his coffee bar idea so much that he pitched it to over 200 people and got the same response, “NO.” But he never gave up and now, as you know, there are Starbucks on almost every corner of your city. Dreams are FREE and no one can stop you from DREAMING BIG. Allow yourself to imagine your success and what it looks like and when you are done dreaming, think of a master plan on how you can achieve it, for luck is not reality, you have to be prepared with a plan.
Tip #3 – CREATE A LIST OF AT LEAST 5 REASONS FOR WHY YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU DO.
If you notice, most successful people know exactly why they are doing what they are doing? They know their purpose and they stay focused on their reasons why they do what they do. You need to formulate your own reasons as to why you do what you do and publish it somewhere! Let the world know your WHY.
Tip #4 – GO MOBILE OR GO HOME.
Most savvy consumers own a smart phone. If you haven’t figured out how or why you should go mobile, then read this blog: GO MOBILE OR GO HOME.
Tip #5 – IMPROVE YOUR CRM – CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER
To increase your sales, you have to look at how well you manage your relationship with your customers. Do you have a way to track their recent purchases, their birthdays, or their favorite items? If so, send them emails to remind them or let them know when a new shipment of their favorite product has arrived or give them birthday perks, etc. Nowadays, CRM will make or break your chances of gaining loyal customers. It’s the ultimate customer service feature that consumers enjoy. They want to feel special and making a few changes to the way you accept transactions to track their purchases can make a big difference. One of the best ways to increase your CRM is to invest in an e-mail marketing program. Here’s a link you can use to try Constant Contact: http://bit.ly/eitcreferralcc
Tip #6 – AUTOMATE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITIES
If you have Facebook or Twitter, you can attest to how much time it takes to manage these accounts. When you log in, you tend to stay longer on these social media channels than you planned. You just get sucked into all the updates from your friends, etc. Well, if this is the case, it’s time for you to automate your social media post so that you can focus more on more productive activities online. My recommendation is to try Hootesuite.com. Sign up for a Free 30 Day Trial of HootSuite Pro.
Tip #7 – ATTEND AT LEAST 2 GREAT EVENTS PER MONTH
Do your research and look for events and conferences that pertains to your industry where you can most likely learn something new and meet new people. It’s important to get out of your office or home once in a while to put on your best suit and network! When you network, make sure you focus more on what you can do for others instead of what they can do for you. Ask for their business cards and follow up right away. Spark significant conversations so they will remember you. Ask them what it is you can help them with and if you can’t help, refer one of your friends or colleagues to help them. Events in the City partners with a lot of great players in the business industry to bring you the best events. Visit the upcoming events list here: http://eventsinthecityla.com/upcoming-events/
Tip #8 – SPONSOR AN EVENT!
It’s time to play big and attending an event where you are the main sponsor gives you a plat form to speak in front of all the guests instead of speaking to people one by one. Find local networking events and let them know you would like to sponsor. This, essentially, can be one of the biggest way to get the most bang for your back because as you know, you have to spend money to make money. So, why not sponsor an event where you can speak in front of a mass of people?
Tip #9 – RE-EVALUATE ALL OF YOUR MARKETING COLLATERAL
For 2014, you want your business cards to match your flyers to match your brochures to match your website. It creates a more cohesive message and not to mention a very professional look. When people are shopping for who to work with, they look at all of that. Perception is everything. Make yourself look good by investing in your branding image. Click on the image below to save 10% on your next printing order.
Tip #10 – SET YOUR GOALS AND WRITE OUT A PLAN TO ACHIEVE THEM
How can you measure your success for the year if you do not establish the metrics for which you can gauge how well you are doing? Set clear goals about how much you want to make, the number of clients you want to have every month, etc… and create a plan of how you will achieve your goal. Then, every month, review your progress and see how much closer you are to achieving your goal.
Mae Day Marketing 