Cathy Stucker - The Idea Lady

Attract Customers and Make Yourself Famous

The Secrets to Creating Good Habits

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Have you ever driven a familiar route, arrived at your destination, and realized you do not remember how you got there? You had driven that way so many times, you were not even consciously aware of making turns, stopping at traffic signals (At least I hope you stopped at traffic signals!) and making the hundreds of tiny decisions you make as you drive.

Driving that same route again and again had become a habit. Habits cause us to do things without even thinking about how we do them or even if we should be doing them in the first place. They are like a magnetic force that’s constantly pulling us toward doing the same things over and over again. And once we do those things over and over again over a period of months and years, that magnet pulls stronger and stronger.

A habit can be a good thing. There are likely things you do every day that are great for your health, family, and business. You do these things without really thinking about them. However, there are other things that aren’t so great for your health, family, and business. These things consistently lead to bad results and you may not be sure how to stop them. In fact, you may not even be aware that you do them. [Read more…]

You Can Do It!

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ice-rescueLes Brown tells the story of 2 young boys on an ice covered stream. One of the boys fell through the ice and the current carried him away from the hole he fell through. He was trapped, unable to get out.

The other boy looked around for help but he saw no one. What he did see was a stick, so he grabbed it and started pounding the ice above his friend’s head, pounding and pounding, trying desperately to shatter the ice and free his friend from certain death.

He did break the ice and pulled his friend to safety. A elderly woman who witnessed the scene called 911 and soon rescue personnel arrived.

And this is when it got weird. [Read more…]

Using Down Time

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downtimeYou’ve probably been running around like crazy all year, putting out fires, keeping your business running, taking care of family issues, etc. You’re not alone, most of us have hectic schedules.

When I worked for a corporation, my favorite week to work was the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. There were so many people out, no one could schedule meetings. The phone hardly rang, and it was quiet around the office. I got more done in that one week than in a typical two or three weeks.

Since being on my own, I’ve used that time to catch up on both business and personal projects that I have been trying to find time for. Here are some ideas of how you can use the down time you may experience during the holiday season:

Take care of those year-end accounting chores, such as gathering receipts and preparing for taxes.

Put together those new marketing materials you’ve been saying you need. Write brochure copy, choose a new logo or slogan, whatever.

Update your web site. Or create one if you don’t already have one.

Make a plan for next year. Think about your goals for next year, and how you plan to reach them. Put your plan in writing.

Write an article or two, and send them off to magazines, newsletters and/or web sites. Or get started on that book.

Not up to writing a book? Read one. Pick up that business book (or even a great novel) you haven’t had time to read.

Get organized. Catch up your filing, organize supplies, and get ready to get down to business.

Do you need a tax break? Buy a new computer or furniture before the end of the year if you need them and can deduct them. Or learn about retirement accounts that can reduce your taxes.

Relax. You’ve worked hard all year, so you deserve at least a day or two where you’re not running yourself ragged. Read by the fire, a cup of cocoa nearby. Go out to lunch someplace fun. Visit a museum. Get a massage. Indulge yourself–you’re worth it!

Get Everything You Want

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Zig Ziglar QuotationOne of my favorite quotations from Zig Ziglar is this:

“You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

I often say that I hate to sell. But I do love to help my clients reach their goals and achieve their dreams. Turns out, that is really the key to selling. When you help other people, both you and they benefit.

Selling is not about making people buy something. It is about helping them. When you focus on helping your customers instead of selling to them, you will be more successful.

Think about when you are the customer. Do you want someone to sell to you? Most of us love to buy things but hate being sold to.

Do you know what your customers want? If you do, and you can help them get it, you will be successful.

Whether you are selling a product or a service, speak to your customers’ dreams and desires to get them to buy. Then deliver on your promise to help them make their dreams and desires come true.

But what if you don’t know what your customers want? Ask! But don’t ask what they want to buy. Ask about their goals, their dreams, their desires. What is most important to them? When you know that, you will be able to see how you can help them.

Finding Your Inspiration

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InspirationIn business, like in life in general, there are two types of people: proactive and reactive. While one group is not necessarily better than the other, you need to quickly find out what kind of businessperson you are because this influences how you are inspired.

Proactive people are inspired by things they desire. They work towards things. They are attracted to certain goals and outcomes. In other words, proactive people are aspirational people-they aspire to things. They turn ideas that you can’t see into things you can touch, see, hear, smell, and taste.

On the other end of the spectrum are reactive people. These people aren’t inspired by things they like or aspire to. Instead, they are motivated by fear. They are inspired to produce solutions because they fear losing something. They work best when their backs are against the wall. They produce solutions when all other easier options are gone. These are the types of businesspeople that nail a three-point shot just in time for the game-ending buzzer. Know which type of businessperson you are so you can put together a strategy that will give you the right kind of inspiration. [Read more…]