Monday Mindset: Mind, Body and Business

Posted on 09 April 2012 by

Taking Care Of It AllThere is a basic principle of NLP that says ‘the mind and the body are all one system’. So as well as taking care of your mindset, how about taking care of your body?

It’s probably all too familiar to you that it’s hard to do your best work or make good decisions if you haven’t had enough sleep, had too much alcohol or you’re suffering with some physical ailment. Most people will do the ‘sensible’ thing and go to bed early the night before an important meeting or event.

How often though, do you take care of yourself simply to face an ordinary day in the office? And do you know what physical factors make the greatest difference to your overall well-being? For example, lots of people drink several cups of coffee in a day. For some, that’s fine. For others, who are not aware of their sensitivity to caffeine, those regular cups of coffee could be causing a level of physical stress that would be a barrier to working effectively.

Some people work in cramped conditions, huddled over a laptop in a corner of the dining room or spare bedroom. If that’s you and you don’t remember to stretch regularly, your mind will become as cramped as your body.

So today, take stock of how well you’re treating your body and become aware of how you can enhance your mindset by boosting your physical well-being.

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Guest blog post – written by:
Dianne LowtherMaster Trainer of NLPDianne Lowther is a Master Trainer of NLP and Principal of Brilliant Minds. She specialises in applications of NLP for leadership and business results.

Blogging – Business and Personal

Posted on 04 April 2012 by

Blogging!Blogging for business doesn’t have to be boring, but it does have to be you!

If you are a business, coaching or not, and you have found your way to the internet then you have no doubt also found your way to your very own blog. Consciously we know that using blogs to advertise our products and services makes a dent in our business. If you are like many others when you start to focus solely on the business you start losing the personality that you bring to the party. No matter what you blog for, it’s important that you retain the best part of your organization – YOU!

So let’s talk about using the blogs for business. True, it is about blogging to talk about your company and give your clients (current and future) the facts about what you do. It’s also true that making an impression is and defining your place in THEIR success story. Make your blog not just one that meets their business needs, but one that introduces you as a coach and as someone that they need in their lives. Insert your product or service into their dreams of attaining whatever goal is at the forefront of their minds and let them know YOU understand what they are going through because you have:

  • Been there.
  • Shared similar experiences.
  • Can relate because you’ve helped others in similar situations.

Use the blog to give them the 5 W’s: Who, What, When, Where, and Why they need YOU specifically. Don’t drown those clients in the “OMG MUST BUY NOW”, be an effective marketer by connecting and the convincing. Remember, whatever you promise make sure that you can commit to and provide. Give the outside world an in-road into your expertise so that you become the only expert they turn to when they need an infusion of the possibilities that exist to them.

You are the catalyst of change in the lives of those that find you. Show them the light that you provide.

Affiliates – Contacting Your Peers

Posted on 15 March 2012 by

We Talk. He Talks. She Talks. We all talk - Affiliate ContactsOver the last few weeks we have touched on a lot of the finer points of what makes an affiliate program run. We have explored the JV and Affiliate partnership, we have looked at the reasons why these relationships are so beneficial to how our businesses grow, and we have even explored what content we need to provide to our affiliate databases to make it a true success.

In this final “final” section on affiliates I want to talk about one more area of affiliation that I feel we don’t open up enough about – the affiliate contact.

When I first began dabbling in any kind of affiliate management, it was very low grade and it was mainly passing along e-mails from one side to another with personal contact at a minimum. Transitioning into managing affiliate programs meant a very treacherous road dealing with the various rules and regulations that one side or another had, keeping the contact personal and engaging, and hoping beyond hope that other affiliate managers would respond. These are fond memories for me because they keep me on my toes and ready to rock – regardless of the obstacles.

Making and maintaining that affiliate contact can be difficult – but it doesn’t have to be insurmountable. Here are the tips you need to remember to just step forward and start walking the affiliate “walk”. The same tips can be applied to your JV Partnerships as well.

Strategize – Look through your affiliate database and look for the affiliates that are actively promoting your organization. Make a spreadsheet or a list and include the contact name, position, company name, e-mail address, and the product you would like them to mail out for.

Prioritize – Don’t tackle it all at once – you could quickly lose track and thus lose any focus you may have had when delving into contacting your affiliates. Pick two or three per month and focus on what they can do for you, what you want them to promote, and what you can offer to them in terms of negotiable rates or cross promotion that would make them WANT to promote for you.

Gather your nerves – This is especially for the new Affiliate and JV Managers out there. All of us were and in some cases are in your shoes. It’s harrowing – taking those first initial steps and contacting affiliates or assistants however you have to realize – it needs to get done so take a deep breath and take ON the task. Be prepared by making a short list of the message you want to get across, be personal, don’t be wordy, be efficient, and most of all be YOU. The best step is the first step. It gets you out there, it gets you moving, and it gets you the experience you need.

Wishing all of you so much success!

JigsawBox Tip: When Should You Create New Modules

Posted on 09 March 2012 by

Using Modules!One of the most frequent questions that we get on the support desk and across live chat is with regard to how someone can copy, edit, or create new versions of existing modules. Every once in a while we list to ensure that you have the latest information on how to make these changes. This week’s tip is going to highlight when and why you should create new versions of your modules.

First – why should you create a new version of your modules?

It is appropriate to create new versions of existing modules when you either have created a module and made it live, but need to edit or delete a question, or when you need to edit that module for your NEW clients only.

When creating new versions of modules it is important to remember the following:

  • You can always add modules to a package so if you are unsure if the questions you are including is right, simply add them to the package later once you have made your decision.
  • All NEW versions of your existing modules will be seen by your NEW clients only. Existing clients only see their older modules so please be careful when releasing your modules!
  • When creating new modules please be sure that you have renamed them. Why? Because by not renaming them you stand a good chance at 1. Confusion and 2. It will mess up the order in which your modules appear to your clients.
  • If you ONLY need to edit the content in one of your existing modules then STOP! No need to make a new version! Simply go into your existing modules and edit the content areas at your own leisure. If you don’t have to add new questions, there is no need to make a new version!

I hope that this helps and serves as a guideline for when it is and is not appropriate to create those new versions of your modules.