Check out the top 5 tools that I use to efficiently run my business.

1. Teleseminar conference line:

Why talk to customers one at a time when you can reach dozens, hundreds, even thousands in one shot?

Telseminars can (and should) be integrated into every company’s sales flows. I’ve used teleseminars for years to help build my business, and I’ve seen lots of tools come and go.

So which conference line do I recommend? This one:

InstantTeleseminar.com

Why? They’ve designed their tool to fit into the way your prospects think. They’ve figured out how to help you get your prospects to take the next logical step, from the pre-event salesflow all the way through to the action you’re trying to get them to take…

…whether that’s opting into your list, buying their first product from you, or buying that big-ticket item.

2. CRM, Email Marketing, Shopping cart system and Automation in one:

I’ve been using Infusionsoft for years and it has everything I need to track, market and process orders online. With all the capability to automate many of my tasks, its like having another assistant.

3. Create Videos

Create a stunning video with your photos, video clips and music to share with everyone. Its fast, free and shockingly easy.

To learn more, watch a sample video and/or start creating your videos click here.

4. Share files with your team
Always have your stuff when you need it using Dropbox.

The all-new Box for Office, a free add-on for Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010.
*    Easily open, edit, save and share using Box within Word, Excel and PowerPoint
*    Connect your Microsoft Office content to the cloud
*    Share documents and collaborate with colleagues

To learn more about Dropbox click here.

5. Credit Card reader on the go (no application needed)

I love this free tool to process payments on the go using your iphone. No applications or approvals needed to get started.
To learn more and get your free reader go to www.squareup.com

I’ve been using all of these tools and they have really helped to make things easier for me and have worked well for my needs so I had to share.

Bring on 2012!

It is so powerful to plan your year in advance and be able to hit the ground running in January. I’ve experienced some of the following reasons myself so now I want to support you with recognizing if any of these areas sound familiar to you and how to avoid them so you can move forward with a powerful year.

#1: Too Busy

This is probably the number one reason some entrepreneurs get stuck in their planning is because they are too busy running the business from the inside with the day to day projects. I can relate to this one until I recognized that if I didn’t spend time working on my business instead of just in it, that I would only make small progress instead of Quantum Leaps…which is what I wanted.

#2: Not Sure How

Many people get stuck in trying to figure all the details of how things will occur in their business that can lead to lack of action on the actual plan. I’ve seen this happen quite often and when you feel stuck, or confused it makes it very difficult in the moment to take any action at all.

#3: Lack of Awareness

This is when you don’t know, what you don’t know. So maybe you have never experienced what it’s like to map out your year and just conduct business as usual. Maybe you’ve wanted to make more progress and to do that you just work even harder, more hours etc. I used to believe this as well, until I learned that there was an easier way to accomplish more, yet work less…If you haven’t been exposed to structuring your marketing and business development this way then you wouldn’t know, right? Just like I look to a CPA to help me figure out my tax advantages, many times I don’t know what I don’t know without that support.

#4: Set them and then forgot about them

This is also another common area that keeps entrepreneurs stuck is not taking action on the plan. For example, many people set new goals in January…or new year’s resolutions, and if there isn’t any structure to support these goals, they are quickly forgotten and then it’s back to business as usual. Out of sight, out of mind…this really applies not only to goals but even your whole business in general.

#5: Really Big Unrealistic Goals

Now I like big goals myself but if it is so big that I don’t even believe it, I am likely to not take action on it and it they just come and go…it creates frustration and people often feel stuck here, setting the same goals over and over again. I believe that if you set big goals, then it requires massive action and support….you don’t have to know how it will all happen but You DO have to believe it will.

Okay so how you avoid these five areas where you can get stuck in your planning?

Let’s take them one at a time…

#1: Too Busy

The entrepreneur who is too busy has to make it a priority to get support and schedule time to work on the business. I know for me, whatever gets on my calendar is what gets done…so I would encourage you to take time each week, to work on your plan and ensure that you are taking action on the highest priority projects that will move you forward.

#2: Not Sure How

The good news is that there are mentors out there that can support you here. Don’t waste time trying to figure it all out yourself unless of course it is part of an area that you want to grow in, that will support your business.

For example, I am not interested in becoming a CPA so I don’t spend much time researching tax advantages. I just go straight to the source, create a plan for my business and implement. On the other hand, in my business I help entrepreneurs with marketing, business development, systems, time management and I spend quite a bit of time investing in mentors and training to be able to best support myself and my clients in those areas…plus it is fun for me to learn those things so I know I’m in the right place.

#3: Lack of Awareness

This is when you don’t know, what you don’t know. So now you know, there is a better way to be able to map out your whole year now, create the structure that you need and have clarity on where to best spend your time and efforts to act on the plan. I do this process with my clients and I call it, “Creating Your Prosperity Plan”. It is amazing to see what happens and the doors that fly open when you have clarity, focus and momentum all focused on your big juicy goals.

#4: Set them and then forgot about them

I am glad that you set your goals, now it’s time to set a plan to actually implement them and see them come to fruition. This is the fun part! When you set up a plan around your goals, use tools to keep them top of mind, and keep taking action, you build momentum that moves you forward in a big way…and now your goals become REAL.

#5: Really Big Unrealistic Goals

I want to stress here that I do believe in setting big goals but the key is if you believe in them and actually take the actions to move you forward. You don’t have to know how it will all happen but You DO have to believe it will and just be willing to take the next step, be willing to commit to your goals and create the structure to support them including the people or partners.

So now, think for a minute how it would feel if YOU had your step-by-step plan ready for action right now to be a step ahead in 2012? If you had all the areas that are important to you incorporated into that plan so you not only moved forward on your big vision, but also enjoyed the process along the way; you had the tools to support you in staying on track; and a simple plan supported all of your big juicy goals so attained or exceeded them…

Well, I want to say it’s possible right now! I invite you to get the support you need to make this happen for you in 2012, and do it now before the holidays.

If you are ready, then I invite you to join me for, “Create Your Prosperity Plan for 2012” right now…and I’m even offering a special birthday discount…but hurry before it expires on my birthday, November 14th at midnight.

I’ve used this plan to double, and then triple my income this past 12 months, and now I want to share it with you for a very prosperous 2012!
I wish you well and I invite you to take ACTION! You can learn more about it here: www.TheCreativeSolutions.com/ProsperityPlan

Mindset Marketing Magic: Seeing the World through Your Prospect’s Eyes
By Rosey Dow The Prospect Profiler™

Marketing at its core means writing and speaking powerful words for sound bites, headlines, articles, or social media. No matter what the point of contact, getting into your readers’ mindset is crucial for success. The vast majority of solo business owners write from their own mindset, using their own viewpoint and their own words to attract prospects. But is this valid?

Some powerful and famous coaches claim that your prospects are just like you. They give strong advice to use your own mindset to write and speak to your market.

But is this valid?

Sometimes. But then again, sometimes not.

If your business targets people on a journey that you have walked—such as coaches helping others through challenges they have faced themselves—then yes. You and your prospects are on the same journey. You are ahead of them on the path, and you can show the way, i.e. cancer survivors helping others through the emotional trauma they have also faced. In that case, your prospects will resemble you in some area. You share the same mindset in this area of your lives.

However, if you offer a skill or insights where your prospect is weak—such as a business coach who is a natural at spotting and developing scalability for business growth—then your prospect will not be like you. Your strong points will bolster their weakness. Marketing to your own mindset will attract people who look at your programs and yawn. They’ll take your freebies and run with them. They don’t really need you at all.

Mindset involves stress points and framing. Stress points are the inner tugs that we all have, the problem we live with at the deepest levels. For example, leaders who are also caregivers feel a tremendous responsibility to be sure everyone within their sphere is safe and well. They crave fulfillment, the sense of a job well done with the status and respect they deserve as a result. They also long for time off, with nothing to remind them of their responsibility—no phone calls, no email, no worries—where they can rest mentally as well as physically.

If your prospect is a leader and caregiver, those 2 stress points create a frame for your marketing campaign. You could say, “Ever wish you could afford to get away where the only sound you hear is surf and sea gulls? Where someone else minds the phone and takes care of everyone while you snooze on the sand?” Your leader/caregiver prospect feels a physical reaction to this word picture. This is a powerful frame for your marketing. Using this mindset, you could create many campaigns with various images showing how your product or service will meet a deep longing she lives with every day. Now you’ve got something that’s every business owner’s dream—an irresistible offer.

Still puzzled about your prospects’ mindset? Pick up your free assessment at http://TheProspectProfiler.com
Rosey Dow is a Prospect Mind Reader. She’ll help you get a grip on how your prospects think and ferret out what they really want—so you can give it to them. She is a multi-published author and Internet marketing specialist. That’s why they call her The Prospect Profiler™.

Have you ever felt stuck in a rut or just not getting the results you have been working so hard for? I know this feeling really well because I used to think having success meant working really hard, having to do it alone and felt like I was just running in place because I wasn’t feeling rewarded for all the hours I put in…until I was supported by a mentor who said, that isn’t how it works.

She supported me in BEING more of who I am and ENJOYING what I am doing. This led to many different breakthroughs and then…the biggest one most recently! I would like to share the 3 things that allowed this breakthrough to flow with ease…

#1 When the student is ready the teacher will appear – You may have heard this saying before, but embracing this actually guided me to the teacher everytime I asked powerful questions on any place that I felt stuck. I would ask to be guided to the mentor that could help me understand why I wasn’t getting the results in a certain area of my life.

#2 Embrace the teaching – Because I was really clear about what I was asking for, I would quickly recognize when the mentors appeared and began to teach me EXACTLY what I needed to know, experience and understand. As I mentioned, I went through a really powerful breakthrough recently, when the teacher, Jenn August, taught me how to break through a block that I was experiencing, that I didn’t even realize was holding me back financially. I embraced the learning and got to the root cause of my current experience. After balling my eyes out (which is very powerful in moving your energy) and FEELING what needed to heal in my life, I felt a weight lifted.

I felt lighter…like I had released the brakes and could move forward with ease. This was really powerful for me because I could now embrace the new learning and re-inforce this with the support of someone who had went through this themselves.

#3 Take Action – This is important in moving forward and reaping the benefits of the breakthrough. Taking action on the learning consistently is what will support you in moving forward with ease. This action can be baby steps or immersion, however you work best but the goal is forward motion.

I heard someone say once that “you are either moving forward, or moving backward at all times…there is no such thing as staying still”. I have found this to be true in my life…when I don’t take action, it takes me back to past experiences, beliefs and patterns…BUT when I do, new experiences, beliefs and patterns emerge…and what a beautiful place that is and can be for you…if you CHOOSE!

What is a Mother?…

A Mother has so many things to do,
From washing, ironing, cleaning to tying a shoe.
She scrubs, she mends, she cooks and sews,
She bathes the children and washes their clothes.

When they forget to wash their faces clean,
And their clothes are the muddiest you’ve ever seen,
Who repairs the clothes and scrubs them like new?

Of course, that is what a Mother will do.

Who becomes the doctor or the nurse when they are ill,
Applying a bandage or giving them a pill?
Who becomes a teacher when a child has homework?
A Mother must never her duty shirk.
Who becomes a detective to find a toy or a book?
For missing things she must look and look?

Who becomes a listener to every heartache,
To every accomplishment that a child makes?
Who scolds their children when they are naughty,
Or remind them of God when they are to haughty?
Who tends her family with love and patience, too?

Of course that is what a Mother will do.

- Unknown

Wishing you a special Mother’s Day!

Your Core Concept: The Theme of Your Business

By Rosey Dow

Summary: Identify your BIG idea, the central thought that grounds your business and everything will come into focus.

Key: branding, copy writing, niche, target market, tribe, prospects, ideal clients, finding your prospects, understanding your prospects, how do I find my prospects

What is your core concept? It’s your BIG idea, the central thought that everything else builds on. In story writing we call it your theme. It’s the kernel of truth that becomes the strong foundation for your work. What special takeaway or benefit do you offer your clients? And what’s happens then? And then? When you add value to someone’s life, it’s like dropping a pebble into a pond. The effects ripple outward. Find the benefit from the last ripple your service creates and you’re on to your core concept.

Remember these 3 points about your core concept:

1. It has to be real.

Your promise must precisely match the results. Be careful about overpromising and also about under promising. When you are authentic, the results are real and your Perfect Prospect feels it.

1. It has to be exciting.

What’s the most thrilling part of your service, the thing that makes your clients breathe, “Wow!” Does that particular benefit fall dead center to your core concept? If it does, use this electrifying moment as your focal point. It will stir the imagination and curiosity of your Perfect Prospect and draw them in.

1. It has to be too good to keep.

Does the answer to #2 stir up an urgency to call Mom or share on facebook? That’s what you’re looking for. News that’s too good to keep will spur your business into the stratosphere with viral marketing. That’s the sweet spot you’ve been searching for.

If you’re an interior designer whose focus in on senior living, then your theme could be, “I’ll design a custom living space so you can enjoy the comfort and security of your home for years to come.” That’s a real, valid claim. It’s exciting to people facing the hard choices in life and it’s something to share with friends and family members facing the same challenges.

Once you have your core concept down, stick to it. Everything has to revolve around that one message. In a story, every single scene, every single conversation, every single incident must be tied to the theme and to the storyline. Yes, you might get a cute idea for a conversation or situation between 2 of the characters but unless that incident is vital to the theme, it has to go.

The same is true of your business theme. Every single product you offer, every single teleseminar and report must stick to the theme as well. Keep your message pure. Keep driving that message home, so you become known for that single concept. Become an authority in that precise piece of real estate although you can come at the theme in a lot of different ways. With one strong theme, you can create an entire 7-figure industry. Robert Kiyosaki did. Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield did. Oprah did. So can you.

Your theme should automatically lead to a call to action. Once you know your theme, you’ll present it in a way that naturally leads your prospects to the next step. Yes, your prospects want to build a blog that will help them connect to their tribe on a soul level. So, how will they get that benefit? By engaging with you and getting the help you (the best authority) can give them.

Once you understand the values and the pain of your Perfect Prospects, you will know how to frame your theme, your products, and your call to action. What do your prospects want? Legacy? Security? Health and wellness for their loved ones? Expanding on your theme, you will touch them at the deepest levels. Yes, they want to have a great lifestyle, but what will that do for them? When you mention the final ripple, you will get their attention. They will move for the mouse and the buy now button.

Can you see how this comes down to knowing who your prospects are and what they need from you? If you know that, then you can deliver exactly what they need every single time. You can craft your products and services, then talk about them using the very words that captures their attention and you’ll knock it out of the park every time.

Still need help nailing down who your perfect prospect is? Get your free assessment at http://TheProspectProfiler.com

Rosey Dow is Psychographics Marketing Expert helping you discover WHO your prospects are, WHY they buy, and HOW to attract them into your business.

1. Credibility – By becoming a published author in an area that you are familiar with, you have now positioned yourself as an expert in your field. You’ve taken the time to provide valuable information on a topic that others’ could benefit from so you will be looked at as a resource.

Having credibility means you have gained belief by others in your subject area that can sometimes take years to build.

2. Respect – You are the one who actually DID write a book, instead of the one who said they were going to write a book and never did. You have now identified yourself as a doer instead of being a talker or a dreamer.

A level of respect is gained by doing something that others may have only dreamed of doing. As mentioned earlier in this book, only .01% of those who say they want to write a book, actually do it.

3. Clients – You will attract many more clients than ever before. Being an expert in your field opens up many more possibilities to get your name out there (such as being a guest on radio shows, TV, Webinars and teleseminars).

The quality of clients will be better because you have now positioned yourself as the expert, which also allows you to charge more for your services. Because you have positioned yourself as an expert, your clients will no longer be trying to get you to discount your valuable services.

With a book, your message gets into so many others hands than you could possibly try to talk to one at a time. Potential clients have an opportunity to get to know you, what you are about and whether they want to learn more from you all before they have ever even met you.

4. Raving Fans – There is nothing more satisfying than when you have someone in front of you sharing how your book touched their life, or you receive an email or letter from a raving fan of yours. Your book is going to help someone get to where they always wanted to be and they are going to be grateful to you.

5. Testimonials – Once you receive these stories from people whose life you helped change for the better, now you have testimonials for your website, articles, proposals, bio and for your next book. Anytime a person shares how you have helped them, you can ask them to put it in writing so that you can share their inspiring story with others. It’s a win/win/win for everyone.

To learn more about Maribel Jimenez & Keith Leon, Best-Selling Author’s programs, coaching, and tools to get your book out of your head and onto the page visit www.BakeYourBook.com .

I’ve had some great conversations lately with business owners, authors, copywriters and even my sister at lunch today who is a store manager for Barnes & Nobles…. AND one thing kept coming up…the importance of telling a story. We were talking about what makes a best-selling book and how she is able to “call it” when a new book comes out..like clockwork just by looking at a few components. This doesn’t just apply to books though, it applies in business whether you are a speaker, coach, entrepreneur or author.

As a writer and coach myself, I realized that it is key to blend my writing styles from academic fact-based writing that I learned in school to more compelling copywriting that includes stories.

There is no separation…a story always adds value and makes it much more interesting to read. Interestingly, I read an article just today on the NY Times blog that elaborates on telling stories to connect with customers – check it out – http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/trying-to-connect-with-customers-tell-a-story/

I invite you to look at your website and see where you can add stories to share about your business, your ideas and vision. You will be reading more stories from me as I continue to mold my website …and I am having a lot of fun writing them too!

Have tips on sharing stories in your marketing? Share them below…

In building my business I will be the first to tell you that I was not using any of these strategies and it was HARD work getting my message out there. I spent a lot of my time doing consultations one at a time and responding to queries/questions one at a time and with frustration realized there had to be a better way to get my message out and get known.

Here are the top 3 ways that have worked for me and many of my colleagues.
#1 – Speaking. There are those who love to speak in public and those who don’t so the goal is to find the format that works best for you. Personally, I have done public speaking many times and it works great for connecting with a large audience and getting clients BUT I do prefer doing teleseminars on the phone. I enjoy it much more for a lot of reasons (no travel, no getting dressed up, can use my notes, unlimited number of people on the line from all over the world).

You can find my last interview with Troy White from ActionReaction Radio here on getting your book done.
#2 – Publicity. Getting publicity is a great way to get out there to huge targeted audiences with your message and it isn’t as difficult as you may think. It does not require a PR firm…unless of course you want to hire one. I get free media leads delivered to my inbox everyday using the Reporter Connection and it’s free to sign up. You can get your free media leads by clicking on the Reporter Connection.

A combination of responding to media leads, writing your own articles and submitting them to directories and tapping into your own network to connect with partners are great strategies and get ready to answer those calls.

#3 – A Book. There are many advantages to having a book (you can find the top 5 on my blog). One of them is the credibility it builds and the ability to get your message out to unlimited amount of people. Creating a book isn’t hard if you follow a proven system (it takes all the guesswork, frustration and time-consuming research out of it) and make a commitment to take action. Get your free webinar on how to Bake Your Book here.

Please share your comments here. Do you have any more tips to add to this list? What works well for you?