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Just recently hubby and I went on a fabulous touring holiday through the NSW South Coast in our campervan. We ended up in Bateman’s Bay at a caravan park just over the bridge. This caravan park had been recommended to us by a couple we met whilst staying in Merimbula. When we arrived we found we had a little problem that was going to take some days to sought out. This little problem meant that the accommodation we had booked was no longer suitable and we needed to change the accommodation style for 5 days. The staff there, particularly the receptionist, were amazing and were absolutely wonderful to us.

Now, this is where I saw the power of word of mouth marketing in action. We had been recommended to stay at this park from another couple. Normally we probably wouldn’t have even given it a thought. As they spoke so highly of the amenities, location and the staff we decided to go with their recommendation. This was a ‘sale’ due to word of mouth. Whilst staying in Bateman’s Bay we toured around several surrounding townships and as travelers do, you start chatting to others. Each time we were asked where we were staying we mentioned the place and how fabulous the staff had been. A couple we spoke to decided they also would give the ‘park a go’.

Now the recommendation from the first couple to us sparked a sale. Our recommendation to the next couple sparked a sale and so you can see how the ball will roll. The power of word of mouth marketing should never be underestimated. Give great service, be pleasant to deal with and be priced at market expectation and you will see the power of word of mouth. The same applies for negative word of mouth marketing, give bad service, be grumpy and price yourself out of the market and you could see the power of word of mouth marketing from a totally different angle.

Word Of Mouth Marketing – it costs you and your business absolutely nothing, not one cent but the benefits could be amazing! Sometimes, this marketing strategy can be lost in the hype of more exciting marketing strategies, it’s worth doing an analysis of your business to see which angle you would see the impact of word of mouth marketing.

Do you have a story to share?

When Your Plan Doesn’t Go To Plan 06/09/2010

For months now I have been very excited about the 2 week holiday my hubby and I were going to take together. For weeks there was a mass of preparation to go on our campervan holiday through the NSW south coast. Preparations included having the campervan mechanically sound, clothing for all seasons, food, and where we were going to visit. I am a planner so the months leading up were rather exciting in itself as I do love to plan. In fact I know I am on a roll when I start creating lists and getting underway.

I had left nothing to chance and had lists galore, maps galore and plans galore. The holiday started with a fabulous trip down to Lakes Entrance followed by a leisurely drive to Merimbula. The holiday was going to plan and I was in my element. As the first few days unfolded we found the campervan was a little restrictive. We had always only gone on short weekend trips of no more than 3-4 days. We found packing up the campervan to go out on a day trip a little cumbersome so we ended up spending more time walking and cycling, not actually venturing too far out of town.

Over the course of the first week we decided that on our return to Melbourne we would look at upgrading the campervan to a small caravan or similar. By the time we reached Bateman’s Bay we had convinced ourselves that this was the best option. A few technical and physical hitches (my husband’s aching back) found us preferring to spend time staying in caravan park unit accommodation over staying in the somewhat cramped campervan.

My plan had been to be the intrepid campervanner enjoying happy hour under the awning, sipping wine and chatting with other caravanners. This ended up not being the case as you were more removed from the action as you are in a unit. By the time we were heading home we had traded the campervan in on our own little caravan and are off next week to complete the transaction. Not what I planned? Far from it! I have to say you, can get so caught up in your plans that sometimes you miss the things right there in front of you that present themselves to you.

It is the same in business; you can be so caught up in the planning if you’re not careful you may miss opportunities that present themselves out of nowhere. It is always ideal to have a plan, a road map of where you want your business to be heading, don’t be scared to divert off the route and pursue other opportunities, you never know where it may lead you.

Do You Have A Formula For Excellence? 09/08/2010

Many, many years ago I started working for a retail group. This group was so far ahead of their time it wasn’t funny. When I look back now at what I was taught back in the early 80’s this is what business are still trying to replicate to this day. It doesn’t matter if you are an on-line business or an off-line business the principles I was taught back then are still very relevant.

I was a young, green and naive girl back then, I was a sponge and very keen to soak up whatever was sent my way. I remember when I first started with this group I was sent home with two files of information that I was required to read before my first shift. One file contained basic product information and the ‘how to’ of the business. The second file was much more interesting to this enquiring mind. The second file was a “Formula For Excellence”. Boy, I ploughed through the information over and over again, soaking up all the information that was laid on the pages. The pages had been painstakingly typed by an old typewriter and diagrams were hand drawn. The information however, was up to date, exciting and most importantly relevant.

Now, I hear you ask why am I bringing up something from over 20 years ago? Well, just recently I found my file, my formula for excellence, I sat and read through the pages one by one, reminiscing a little, becoming that brash young 20 year old and then realizing that what I was reading was the formula I had put in place in my business. Without realizing I had been using that same formula throughout my working career and my business.

When I started my business I created a formula to work by using the word ‘Clarity’, although the wording is different the principles are the same. Although I had not read the old file from the past I realized that if I wanted my business to be a reflection of me, a reflection of my professionalism and a well regarded business I would need to have a formula to work by. When you are a soloist it is sometimes difficult to stay focused and on track so I spent time putting together my ‘Clarity Formula’. To this day I continue to use the formula in my business and with my business coaching clients.

Who would think that over 20 years later what was an exciting induction file for a retail group would end up becoming my formula for excellence?

Do you have a formula for excellence?

What's been happening? 26/07/2010

Boy, can you believe we are already into the second half of the year? Just the other day a friend of mine called me who I hadn’t spoken to for a few months. Both of us had been busy with life in general so our regular coffee or phone catch up had been postponed. We both asked the other “so, what’s been happening?” After hearing how her little baby just turned one and is walking along with a variety of other fabulous updates it was my turn.

I mentioned how hubby and I had headed off at Easter for a trip in our campervan, I had been to Cairns for work, a trip to Perth to spend time with the family and then what had been happening on the work front I realized the last few months had passed by very quickly.

Once I got off the phone I sat down and started to make a list of all the fabulous things that I had done over the last 6 months. It was quite amazing when you start listing all the wonderful things you get to do in life, the opportunities that present themselves, the fabulous people you get to connect with. Sometimes we get so caught up in the rush it is hard to see the wood for the trees. You get so caught up that you forget to take the time to appreciate all the wonder that makes up your daily life.

I have decided that every three months I am going to create a gratitude list. A list of all the wonderful experiences, opportunities and people I am grateful to have connected with. It is amazing how lucky and truly blessed we are to have all this experience.

Do you have a gratitude list? Have you thought about creating a gratitude list? I would love to hear what you are grateful for in your life.

I went from overwhelm to Pomodoro in 1 hour 05/07/2010

Just recently, I felt so overwhelmed with everything that was going on in my life. It seemed like every which way I turned there was something or someone that needed my attention. I got bogged down in the day to running around that comes with running a home, a business, a radio program and then throw in a social life to the mix. All of a sudden there just didn’t seem to be enough time for me in there.

The first thing I did was get someone to help me with some business issues that were on a timeline. A VA (virtual assistant) can be such a treasure at high times of work load, it can take the pressure off. The second thing I did was prioritise the most pressing tasks at hand. The third thing I did was sit down and read an e-book. Probably something you would think would be high on the priority list. I had heard about a technique for time management and so I googled this technique and came across a fabulous e-book. I am so glad I didn’t do overwhelm for that hour and instead armed myself with a very valuable tool. This technique is called the ‘Pomodoro Technique’.

As a business coach I coach people on time management so I should know what I should do. Coaching can be just like the cook, who doesn’t like cooking at home, or the mechanic that never gets around to fixing their own car. Well, coaches can be just the same, they never get around to practicing the time management skills they instill in their clients.

So, back to my hour time out of reading the Pomodoro Technique, I have to say it was the best hour I spent arming myself with a really easy technique to get myself out of overwhelm and back into productive mode. Any of us can do overwhelm so well that we waist time agonizing over what has to be done and what hasn’t been done that we actually don’t achieve anything. Next minute a few hours or even worse a whole week has gone by and nothing has been achieved. Once I read the e-book, I decided to give it a go and see if it worked. By the end of the day my ‘to do list’ had shrunk and I was no longer feeling overwhelmed and drained. I somehow felt relieved and satisfied that I had achieved so much in such a short space of time.

Do you do overwhelm well? If so, I recommend spending an hour or two and have a read of this e-book, you might end up just like me and pleasantly surprised. Now, I don’t do overwhelm so much anymore, I do Pomodoro instead!

Skills Trading 18/06/2010

On my last webinar "Maintaining The Passion In Your Business" a couple of weeks ago, I touched on the topic of skills trading. This has sparked some major conversation with the listeners and some of my clients since the webinar.

What is skills trading and how can it help me? Do you have a particular task that makes you cringe when you have to do it? Is there a task that you don't have the skill set for? I am sure you have answered yes to at least one of these questions. I actually answered yes to both of the questions.

Whether you are a stay at home Mum, small to medium business owner or working in a large organisation there are tasks that just don't fit with our drivers or skill set. We are all very different beings and something I love to do is a loathe to another. As a small to medium business owner I don't have every single skill required to run a small to medium business. I have my limitations. The smart thing is I know I have limitations and have identified them.

Skills trading is not new, it has been around for centuries. You have what someone else needs and you barter for a win/win outcome. The difference is there is no physical product exchange but trading of your skills.

A few months ago I had a task that needed completing. I didn't have the time, the skills or the inclination to even attempt doing this particular task and I was on a dead line. I dug deep intp my little resources kit of 'people I know and trust' and phoned around to see if anyone in this little kit had the time and the skills I required. After a couple of phone calls I hit jackpot. Another small to medium business owner had exactly what I was looking for and enough time on their hands. After some discussion we came to an agreement my task would be completed by the other business owner and in return I shared my skills and did some of her tasks. It was a win/win for all involved. The best part was there was no financial exchange which kept our costs down and our jobs completed.

An ideal way to identify skills you can share and trade is to complete a skills and resources assessment. This assessment helps you to identify areas you can trade. It is amazing when you are working to a limited budget what can be achieived by thinking out side the square. Ask yourself what skill do I have that would be a benefit to another and I love doing? This is an ideal way to kickstart you in thinking beyond financial payment and into a skill trading mindset.

For me, I use skills trading on a regular basis. Just this week I used skills trading to have manuals and seminar bags made up for next weeks seminar. I have less stress, less mess and all my seminar manuals and bags ready to go for my seminar. My manual maker has 2 hours of sales calls to potential clients to take her business to the next level. How can you use skills trading in your life or business? I would love to hear some of your ideas or how you have already used skills trading.

Super, Fabulous, Awesome Service 02/06/2010

Wow, what a bold statement. Sometimes you get great service, sometimes ok service and rarely super, fabulous, awesome service. Occasionally you can feel like it is a privelege to be served by the service provider in some establishments.

Well, last weekend, hubby and I headed into Melbourne for a weekend just the two of us. We stayed at a particularly grand hotel at the top of town in Spring Street. I am so in love with this hotel, just this morning I mentioned my wake should be there if anything should happen to me.

From the moment you pull up outside in your car to the moment your weekend draws to a close the service is absolutely awesome. You are made to feel like you are the only people in the hotel for the weekend, nothing is too much trouble.

Once we checked into the hotel we preceded down to the wonderful walkways and arcades that Melbourne is so famous for. We decided lunch was in order and plonked ourselves down in a little laneway cafe. The service there was just fabulous. The waitress came back to make sure everything was in order, we were happy with the food, did we need another cup of coffee. The waitress returned several times and was unobtrusive, not pushy or 'selling', just very helpful and polite. In fact the whole weekend we encountered the most super, fabulous, awesome service where ever we went.

The art of fabulous customer service is not a dying practise, it is alive and well. Everywhere we went from small family run restaurants in China Town, large national department stores and laneway cafes and bars we encountered amazing service. Even the horse drawn carriage ride around the city on Saturday night, the driver was keen to oblige and take our photos for us on the carriage, even if there was a small queue of eager customers behind us.

This got me thinking, do we get back what we project? If we are a happy friendly customer do we automatically receive a happy friendly service?

Just recently on my free webinar series the end comments went something like this... customers and clients only remember two types of service, really super, fabulous, awesome service or really stinky service. Nobody remembers the mediocre service from a provider.

Of all the establishments we visited over the weekend, I have already told friends and family, recommended places and gave a big thumbs up on the services and places we ventured. The power of word of mouth marketing!

Guess what? It hasn't cost any of these businesses one cent!

Two heads are better than one 19/05/2010

For weeks now I had been agonizing over a small issue I wanted to do with some of my technology. I had surfed the web trying to find the answers, spoken to different people and racked my brains. All to no avail.

Yesterday, I had a my regular catch up with a friend and fellow business owner. We were discussing all the bit and pieces from the past month about business and life in general. Through the discussion I mentioned my little technology issue. My friend had also been pondering this same issue for the last month. A small comment from my friend spurned a longer discsussion and from this, a couple of suggestions were thrown around and then voila! The answer came to us both. It had been sitting there all along, we just didn't know it. You can imagine the elation we both felt at this little issue being fixed in just a matter of 10 minutes or so.

The conversation caused a Synergistic effect which helped solve both of our problems. Synergy is the combined action or functioning, the co-operative action of two or more. In other words, two heads are better than one. As we joined forces on our little issue we worked better as a team to create a solution. Two parts being greater than the sum of one.

I wonder how many times in our lives we can create a Synergy to build a better outcome for both parties?

It gets you thinking doesn't it?