How to Determine Your Success

How to Determine Your Success

When you think about your goals in your professional life, does the word “success” come to mind? If so, what exactly does it mean to you? Success can be defined in countless ways, so it is important for you to determine just how you measure your own success. In doing so, you are creating a true motivational tool for yourself, a super-objective for your business, and the foundation of a plan to achieve that goal. Today’s post will focus on two ways for you to determine your own success; those are perseverance and passion.

Perseverance – Your commitment to staying the course no matter how difficult things become or what obstacles pop up along the way is a good indicator of perseverance. To really assess your level of perseverance, ask yourself this question and answer honestly: at what point will you give up? For many, the answer to that is “never,” others may have a definite breaking point, and still others fall somewhere in between. It is up to you to decide where you fall on that spectrum, what your goal is, and what you are willing to do to reach it. For example, a recently retired small business owner tells his story of how he decided to leave a very secure job as plant manager of a very large photo processing lab to open his own small lab and retail store. He sat down with his wife every night for weeks after the kids were in bed formulating a business plan and crunching the numbers. It became clear that if the business didn’t take off, they would lose their house and have to move to an apartment. Keeping this possibility in mind always helped him make smart decisions and persevere. Not only did he not lose his house, but he was able to buy a much bigger one in which to raise his family, send them all to college without loans, and kept a successful business for nearly thirty years. Without perseverance, none of that would have been possible.

Passion – Without passion and a love for what you are doing, there is no way you will be able to persevere and find long term success. Your passion will be what constantly drives you to make your business the best it can be. Ask yourself how strong your belief is in what you desire. Dig deep to find the answer to this very important question. The retiree from the example above recounts how passion played a large role in his successful small business career. He knew that he was the best in his field and had areas of expertise that could edge out competition. Seeing flaws in how others did things and knowing he could do them better always motivated him to seek improvement and resist shortcuts. His passion for his field of work and his desire to be the best were major contributors to his success.

Taking an honest assessment of your level of perseverance and passion is a critical step in determining your personal definition of success. These two elements go hand in hand, so don’t underestimate their importance.

What roles do perseverance and passion play in your professional life? Do you consider them crucial to success? Please share your ideas in the comments below!

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Free eBooks to Grow Your Business

Building a bigger business starts with a decision. It’s the decision to do whatever it takes to grow. Typically this involves stepping out of your comfort zone, seeking the advice of mentors and your upline, and learning and stretching to achieve bigger and better results. As they say, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll have what you always have. If you want to have more, you have to be more and do more. In short, you have to be willing to grow.

Part of growing involves learning. And that’s why we’ve put together a set of free ebooks designed to help you grow your business. The titles include:

Business Owner’s Roadmap to Success: This e-book is designed to help you learn the skills you need to be a successful small business owner. Whether you are new to entrepreneurship or a seasoned veteran, you will find techniques and ideas here to help you grow your business.
Creating Your Success Mindset: How do you stay motivated in your business when you’re reaching for success? How do you encourage yourself to overcome obstacles and keep driving towards your goals? This eBook is designed to help you create a winning mindset for yourself, so you can enjoy the success you’re striving for.
Reflections on Success: This 30-day journal, Reflections on Success, is designed to help you meditate on areas of your life and business that will help you grow both personally and professionally. We hope that you find this journey to be a powerful one in your growth as a successful business leader.
15 Days to Greater Success: An essential part of reaching your goals is building up the momentum you need to reach the finish line. This workbook lays out a 15-day process to build that momentum and create the environment you need to achieve your goals!

The best part is, these books are all free! They’re created by the direct sales industry to help you grow your business and achieve your goals.

So if you’re ready to do what it takes to grow your business, click here to download these books now.

*NOTE: This download works best on a desktop browser. If you have trouble accessing this page from a mobile device try it from a desktop computer.

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Find Your Purpose

Find Your Purpose

What is the main purpose of your business? Your answer should not be “to make money.” Of course, turning a profit and supporting yourself should rank pretty high up there, but it shouldn’t be the most important one. Small business expert Susan Solovic writes in her blog for Constant Contact that we should consider the purpose of companies like Apple and Zappos. They have an almost cult-like following because of what they are trying to accomplish with their products other than selling as many as possible. If you are having trouble finding your deeper purpose, take a look at our list of suggestions on where to begin.

Listen to your inner voice and hold off on asking others what they think. Before you start seeking opinions on what your purpose should be, tune into your inner voice for inspiration. You will no doubt be influenced at least partially by what others think, so define your purpose for yourself before asking around. Brainstorm some ideas, read up on the origins of other successful companies, and listen carefully to that inner voice we all have that helps us make decisions and think clearly. Once you have a definitive idea, then it’s time to gather opinions from others.

Follow what is exciting, not what is easy. In business, just as in life, the easy choice may not always be the best one. If you’ve ever read about the history of Apple Inc., you would see that Steve Jobs, on more than one occasion, did just that. He and his team continually spent a great deal of time and resources creating products that excited him. Many times, his investors didn’t believe in the idea or didn’t think it was worthy of pursuing. Keep in mind that because of Jobs’ tenacity and commitment to follow his passion for the exciting, Apple created more instant millionaires when it went public than any other company in history, and helped make Apple the brand it is today.

Tap into your instincts and emotions rather than logic. You obviously don’t want to ignore logic completely, but when finding the purpose for your business, your instincts should take over. Instincts and emotions are powerful enough to guide us to do great things. When faced with a difficult question or decision, listen carefully to your initial gut reaction. This does not mean to act impulsively, but rather to let that gut feeling lead the way on your journey. Keep listening to it as you conduct research, bounce ideas off others, and take any other logical steps toward making the final call. For many hard-working and ambitious people, this is not always the easiest thing to do, but it certainly is important if you want to find your true purpose that drives you toward success.

When finding your purpose, you don’t have to set out to change the world. You only have to do what makes you passionate, what motivates you, and what excites you. This is one time in business where your emotions should dominate.

What have you done to find your purpose? Would you add to our list? Please share your ideas in the comments section below!

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Four Ideas To Take Your Business To The Next Level

Four Ideas To Take Your Business To The Next Level

Ask any successful small business owner what he or she envisioned when first launching the business. Most of them will tell you that this vision is what helps them to keep moving forward and take their business to the next level. In today’s post, we offer four things you can do to grow your business and achieve your vision.

1. Do what you truly love and find ways to make money from it. If you aren’t doing something you’re passionate about, it will be very difficult to succeed long term. It’s important to tap into your interests. Ask yourself what drives you, what you care about, and what you’d like to spend every day doing with your time. For example, after spending years as a full-time parent, Jean decides to break back into the work force by using her experience as a competitive dancer to teach dance to local children. She starts out with a small clientele, but through word of mouth, eventually grows enough to purchase her own space and send her students to competitions. Nothing can motivate you more to succeed than doing something you truly enjoy.

2. Find and team up with great people to help you grow your business. When expanding her dance studio, Jean didn’t do it alone. She contacted people from her circle of dance friends from her youth, some of whom were also making a living in the arts. She picked their brains, asked for advice, and even recruited some to come work with her. Use your expertise in conjunction with your passion to identify smart, hard-working people with whom you surround yourself. Your network is essential to the success of your business.

3. Use and leverage your failures to improve. Each business endeavor is sure to come with its fair share of challenges. Instead of letting yourself get bogged down in the disappointment and stress of it all, use these experiences to learn and grow. What went wrong? How did it happen? Could it have been prevented? How could you improve for next time? The better able you are to turn your weaknesses into strengths, the more likely you are to find success and make your vision a reality.

4. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, personalize and make it better. It can take a lot of time to come up with strategies that are truly original and, most of the time, there is no need. Put your own spin on existing ideas to improve them and attract others to your business. Part of the reason Jean’s dance studio was so successful was because she personalized her services. It’s easy to find jazz and acrobatics classes for toddlers, but very few places teach tap to such young children. Since that is Jean’s specialty, she promoted that particular class more than the others, gave them a special mid-year recital, and was able to beat her competitors for those students. Identify what you bring to the table, and commit to it. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Remember to keep in mind your vision for the business, and know your strengths to help you get to the next level. Be passionate, ask for help, and learn from your mistakes.

What else would you add to our list? Please share with us in the comments below!

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Our Top 10 Posts in 2013

Our Top 10 Posts in 2013

Here at DSEF, it’s our goal to provide you with great content you can use right now to build your business. And it’s content you can use any time. So we dug into the archives, to provide you with our Top 10 posts of 2013. These were your favorite posts this past year. Which one is your favorite?

Thanks for being such a great community! We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to serve you this year!

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5 Ways to Be More Successful in Sales

5 Ways to Be More Successful in Sales

How do you achieve success in your business? Most likely, you strive to set goals for yourself, stay organized, delegate appropriately, participate in professional development, and prepare adequately for a day’s work. Doing all these things is an excellent start on your road to success, but we’ve come up with a list of actions you can take that will help your business thrive. How many of them have you mastered?

Be assertive without making prospects uncomfortable. There is a fine line between assertive and pushy. Prospects have confidence in those who are assertive because it’s easy to tell that they are knowledgeable and believe in their product. Those who are pushy, on the other hand, tend not to listen to the prospect, fail to ask appropriate questions, and sometimes make him or her feel pressured to take action right then and there. Potential customers often shut down in response to a pushy salesperson because they don’t want to be rushed into a decision that may not be right for them. Always be sure you are listening to your prospect and responding to his or her social cues (eye contact, body language, etc.).
Don’t rely on your prospect to make the next move. In your effort to avoid being that pushy salesperson, don’t go too far in the other direction by leaving the ball in the prospect’s court. You must still be the one to take action in order to close the deal. That action may be to come right out and ask for the sale when appropriate, or possibly to follow up at a later date by sending an email or making a phone call. Even if the prospect leaves the meeting saying, “I’ll be in touch,” it is important that you follow up after an appropriate amount of time has passed. Reach out to him or her and find out if there are any questions that still need to be answered or where he or she is in the decision-making process. A follow-up is an effective way to seal the deal.
Be positive by limiting negative thoughts. Negative thoughts and self-talk have a way of taking over your brain. When this happens, you begin to doubt yourself and lose motivation. Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations, pep talks, and reminders of all you have accomplished. Don’t just be your own worst critic; be your own best cheerleader as well. By reminding yourself regularly that you are intelligent and capable, you are driving yourself toward the success you so greatly want and deserve.
Think from a customer’s perspective. Avoid getting wrapped up in how a customer’s action or response affects you. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes; doing so allows you to better understand where you may be falling short in some aspect of your business. For example, you’ve recently replaced one of your products for a higher quality, but pricier version. At the same time, you notice that some of your most loyal customers haven’t been around lately. After reaching out to them, you find out that they are disappointed that their favorite product is no longer available. You may have been so excited about the new product that you failed to see how a customer would be hesitant to try something new, especially if it costs more and they loved the old version. Taking a walk in your customers’ shoes is essential to the success of your business.
Become a problem solver. Instead of being someone who sells a product or service to make a profit, be the person who provides solutions to customers’ problems. When the owner of an in-home daycare seeks out new customers, she emphasizes that her business provides the professional quality of child care in the comfort of her home. This solves a problem many parents have: where can I send my children while I’m at work that will be educational and nurturing at the same time? Her clients know that their children are getting the individualized attention and stimulation they need during the day so they can be the happy and well-developed children their parents want them to be. Figure out what problem you can solve for your customers and make it your number one priority to do so.

You can learn how it feels to be successful by putting your customers first. Listen to their needs while being assertive, think from their points of view, and solve problems. Your genuine interest in helping people will certainly shine through, and your business will succeed. What do you think of our list? Please share your comments below!

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Using Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

Using Facebook Ads to Build Holiday Business

Facebook Ads can be a powerful tool in helping you build business during the holidays. For a rather small investment, you can specifically target people you want to reach with your message. Whether your message be related to sales or recruiting, Facebook Ads can help you reach the right people and build your business.

The easiest way to get started with Facebook Ads is to use Facebook’s built-in Ads Manager. To get there, click the wheel icon in the upper-right corner of any page on Facebook, and click Create Ads.

Next, you’ll choose an objective for your ad. If your goal is to increase the Likes on your Facebook Page so that you can build your community and engage them through a series of posts filled with content as well as promotions, choose “Page Likes.” You might choose “Clicks to Website” if you want to point your ad towards a sales or recruiting page on your site, or a custom landing page designed to capture visitor information. If you are going to be hosting a special event for the holidays (an open house, a table at a bazaar, etc.) you might want to choose Event Responses, and set up an Event on Facebook with the details of the event. If you’ve set up a special Offer on Facebook, such as a special discount on a product, you might choose Offer Claims. Choose the type of result you want for your ads, and select the objective from the list.

Once you’ve made your choice, select the options that make sense for you. In this case, we’ve chosen Clicks to Website. Note that we are adding additional tracking by using bit.ly (a link tracking service) that will enable us to count the number of clicks that our link gets. (For advanced users, you can use Google’s URL builder in conjunction with Google Analytics to track the source and medium of your links, and tie it to specific campaigns that you can track within Google Analytics. Shorten the tracking URL that the URL builder creates with bit.ly, and use that URL here.)

Next you’ll choose images for your ads. You can select up to 6 images, and Facebook will create up to 6 versions of your ad with each of the images.

Now it’s time to write your ad. Connect your Facebook Page to your Ad, and then write your ad copy. (Depending on the type of ad you choose, you may have slightly different options here.) You can choose to place your ad in the News Feed, the Right Column, or both. By default both are selected. If, for example, you want to remove the Right Column, simply select “Remove.” For tips on creating your Facebook Ads, read this post. (Facebook has recently changed its ads interface, but this post still has some useful information.)

Your next step is to make choices about who you want to target with your ads. You can choose geographic location, gender, age, interests and more. If your advertising budget is limited ($5 or $10 per day) try to keep your advertising target market small. You may also wish to target people whose friends are connected to your Page, as they may be more likely to engage with your ad because their friends already like you.

Targeting is the most important part of the ad process. Especially if your budget is small, be very specific about the type of people you want to reach. You may wish to limit your geographic area to where you actually live and can service customers, and be very specific about the interests, education level, etc. of the people you want to reach. If you’ve never done an ideal customer profile, now is the time to start. What does your most profitable target look like? What are their interests? What is their lifestyle? The more specific you can be, the more likely it is that you will reach them through your ad campaign. Experiment with this to see which target markets give you the best results.

Your final 2 steps involve creating a campaign and deciding how you will pay for your ads. Now mind you, you must have a billing source associated with your Facebook profile (personal account) in order to advertise.

First you’ll create a Campaign with a daily dollar limit associated with it. For example, you might create a campaign called “Holiday Sales” and add a daily spend limit of $10 per day for that campaign. All the ads you create will be lumped together under this campaign. You can create as many ads as you want for the campaign, but you will never spend more than $10 daily for this campaign. Once you reach that spend limit, Facebook will no longer display any of your ads that day.

Next you’ll decide how much you want to pay for your ads. If you Optimize for clicks, you’ll only get charged for the number of people that click on your ad. This is our favorite method. If you Optimize for impressions, you get charged for the number of times Facebook displays your ad, regardless of whether or not someone interacts with your ad.

You may want to choose “Manually bid for clicks” and then enter a dollar amount you’re willing to pay up to for clicks. Keep in mind that this is a bid, not a set amount. You will never pay more per click than the amount you specify, but you may pay less. Facebook recommends a range for your pricing bid. If you want to ensure your ad is displayed, you may want to work on the high side of this bid.

After you have made these choices, review and place your order. Once Facebook approves your ads (can take up to 24 hours) they will begin to run within the Facebook platform. It is important to continually monitor the success of your ads, and write new ones as needed.

Facebook Ads can be an excellent way to build your holiday business by helping you connect with more people. Start with a small daily amount, and monitor the success of your ads daily. This can be an excellent way to grow your business.

Do you use Facebook Ads? How successful have they been for you? What advice would you give to someone trying them for the first time? Would love to read your experiences in the comments below!

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3 Sure Ways to Stay Laser Focused

3 Sure Ways to Stay Laser Focused

Because you are your own boss, you can usually establish your own work schedule and daily agenda. As wonderful as this can be, it can also be challenging to resist all the distractions that come your way. These distractions can stem from your personal life, the abundance of convenient technology available at your fingertips (checked your Facebook and Twitter feeds lately?), or even the feeling of being overwhelmed with how much you need to accomplish. In order to keep these distractions to a minimum, follow these tips for staying as focused as you possibly can.

Establish clear and concrete goals or benchmarks. Yes, this means putting them in writing. Keep a file on your computer listing your goals along with realistic deadlines. This list can be short term (daily, weekly) or long term (monthly, yearly). Find a system that works best for you to not only make the most of the hours in a day, but also to reach your overall professional objectives. For instance, a music teacher who gives private lessons from his home studio wants to expand his business by acquiring five new clients each month for the next six months. His list of goals includes seeking referrals from existing students and giving free weekly workshops at the town’s youth center. By referring to these goals regularly, he will be on his way to achieving it in his desired time frame.
Track your results and continually make adjustments to reach your target. When you do become focused, it is important to stop and evaluate your progress every so often. If you fail to do this, it’s possible you may not be using your time as efficiently as possible. The music teacher trying to acquire new clients finds that seeking referrals has been more successful in helping him find new students than his workshops have. So he decides to cut down his workshops to once a month instead of once a week, and invest more time in following up with his referrals. Tracking your results will allow you to make the most out of your time and increase your chances of reaching your goals.
Have someone hold you accountable. Even the most disciplined person can give in to distractions and lose focus. To prevent this from happening, reach out to a trusted family member, friend or colleague to hold you accountable. Find a creative way to do this that will help your cause. For example, while training for her first 5K race, a novice runner decided to post each of her morning runs to her best friend’s Facebook timeline. If she was ever late in posting or didn’t run at all, her friend sent her a motivating message via Facebook and text. This simple task kept her focused and motivated to continue because she knew someone else was expecting something from her. Increase your chances of success by holding yourself accountable.

These tips for staying laser focused can be customized to fit any of your professional and even personal goals. Establish clear objectives, track your results and make adjustments, and find someone to hold you accountable. What else would you add to our list? Please share your ideas below!

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Five Ways to Keep Customers When Prices Go Up

Five Ways to Keep Customers When Prices Go Up

Throughout the course of your business, you will undoubtedly be faced with the prospect of increasing your prices while making sure you don’t lose your customers. As long as you are truthful and you maintain your high quality products and customer service, you can rest easy with the knowledge that your clients likely aren’t going anywhere. If you find yourself in the situation of having to increase prices, here are some tips.

Give an honest explanation for the increase and thank them for being loyal customers. It won’t take long for customers to notice a price increase, especially for items that they buy on a regular basis. The most important thing is for you to be honest. For example, a local business owner who designs and makes window treatments (curtains, draperies, etc.) gets most of her materials from out of state. Because of a recent increase in gas prices, her distributor is charging more for shipping. In order for her to maintain her profit margin and keep her business afloat, she must increase the price customers pay for both her supplies and services. Customers will understand and most likely relate to your reasons, so don’t keep them in the dark. Instead, thank them for understanding and show your appreciation for their loyalty. They won’t want to bring their business elsewhere if they know you sincerely care.
Offer another lower price item. There will be times when a customer is unable or unwilling to pay the higher price, so in this situation you may want to offer an alternative. The window treatment designer offered her customers a similar fabric that is less expensive for her to buy, so she is able to pass that savings on to her customers. Again, be honest about what you are offering and why it is a lower price, but be sure to emphasize that it is of the same quality that your customers have come to expect.
Add more value to your existing items. This is a great way to keep your customers happy despite the price hike. Add value to your items by offering an extra service or perhaps a discount on a future purchase. Listen to what your customers want, and be creative in finding ways to make them happy. In most cases, they won’t mind spending a few extra dollars if they know they are getting more for it, instead of less.
Show how the increase gives them more for their dollar. When the window treatment designer explains the reasons for her price increase to her customers, she also makes a point of explaining that without the price increase, she wouldn’t be able to offer as wide of a selection of fabrics. This is a big selling point for her because her business is among only a handful of those like it in the region, and by far the one with the most choices. So for customers who are willing to pay the higher price, they are getting an expert who can offer them exactly what will be best for their needs.
Demonstrate how the increase in price is not to increase profit. If you have been honest in your explanation and fair in your increase, it will become apparent to your customers that you are increasing your prices out of necessity, not greed. All too often, we read in the newspaper how large corporations are posting record profits, even in times of economic distress. Show your customers that your small business is unlike those corporations and that you need to increase your prices to maintain your business and livelihood. They will likely agree with you and understand the reasons for your actions.

By being honest with your customers and adding value to your products and services, you will maintain your clientele despite your prices going up. Your customers will appreciate your honesty and will remain loyal if they know you sincerely appreciate them in return. What are your ideas for keeping customers while raising your prices? Please share your comments with us!

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A Simple Way to Make More Sales

A Simple Way to Make More Sales

When you are in the process of making a sale, your enthusiasm and adrenaline kick into high gear. These may help you close the deal, but they can also hinder your progress. The most important thing to remember about making a sale is that the sale should never be a one-sided presentation. Think back to your school days. Were your favorite teachers the ones who lectured on the material the entire time or the ones who engaged you with thoughtful questions and hands-on experiences? It is most likely the latter, since we tend to grow bored and stop listening if there isn’t a dialogue involved.

In order to prevent your sales presentation from becoming one-sided, focus on keeping your customer engaged with questions. These questions should elicit more than “yes” or “no” answers. They should allow a dialogue to take place and give you an opening to present more information. For example, you’re about to demonstrate the effectiveness of your all-natural carpet cleaner on your sample red wine stain. Ask the customer, “Have your children or pets ever stained your carpet so badly that all the scrubbing you’ve done just won’t get rid of it?” When the customer answers yes, ask them to tell you that story. This shows that you are interested in what the person has to say, and that you are not simply giving a generic presentation. Continue asking questions throughout your presentation, and customize it based on what the customer shares with you.

If you have asked the right types of questions and have followed up with related ones, you have learned a bit about your customer. Use this information and keep referring to it while you interact. When you asked the customer to tell you the story about the carpet stain, you notice she mentioned that she has a newborn baby in the house. When you get to the part in your presentation where you tout your product’s environmentally friendly ingredients, emphasize the benefits of reducing the amount of chemicals her baby is exposed to. This might lead her to ask what exactly is in your carpet cleaner, and the conversation continues. Remember that the more questions a prospective customer asks, the more likely you are to make the sale. Think of this as time well spent, as it is an investment into your business. Take the time necessary to grasp every opportunity you can to continue the conversation and lead the prospect to ask more questions. You will be sparking and maintaining interest in your product or service, which will likely lead to a sale.

By simply focusing on your customer, engaging him or her in the presentation, and investing your time well, you will certainly find yourself making more sales. Enjoy this part of your business; interacting with others is fun and interesting work. Use it to your advantage while you help others find solutions to their problems with your products and services. How do you engage your customers while making a sale? Please share your comments below!