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Action planning

The Practicing of Purpose

Jan 2nd, 2012
by mcmolitor.
1 comment

As we enter into a new year – it’s a great time to reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going. Looking at what’s served you and what needs to be released to make room for new opportunities and ideas.  This mental clearing is a good practice for remembering what’s important to you and how you want to utilize your gifts and talents in the coming year.

I’ve found that in going through life it’s easy to get caught in a rut – in a perpetual way of “being” that at first started out as a good thing but somewhere along the line it stopped being the best use of you and your talents. Or perhaps you got off track without even knowing it, working with the stuff that showed up but wasn’t necessarily truly aligned with your purpose and gifts.

So how do you get back on track? How can you make sure that what you’re doing is actually in alignment with who you are and what you have to offer the world?

The answer is simple but not always easy.

 

Here are 5 steps to help you get back on track for the New Year.

1. Pause. Take time out of your busy schedule and full life to get quiet. Find your own place and space to do this, away from distractions. Disconnect completely from your electronic world – cell phone, email, telephone, computer etc., just for a while.

2. Reflect. Look back over the last year and make a list of your accomplishments, what can you celebrate? Notice where you missed your mark as well. What could you have done differently? What lessons are here for you to take forward into the New Year with you? Write all of this down.

3. Remember. What is it that fills you with joy? Both personally and professionally? What activities light you up, use your gifts and talents fully and allow you to be of contribution to others in some way big or small? How can you bring more of these activities into your daily life and routine? Conversely, what activities drain your energy? What needs to be reconfigured or removed altogether?

4. Choose. What do you need to say ‘No’ to in order to make room for these activities? What do you need to say ‘Yes’ to in order to have more “On Purpose” moments in each day?

5. Practice. Practice getting quiet in each day to pause and reflect, ask for guidance and express your gratitude. Then go out into your world and contribute your talents, skills and wisdom to the best of your abilities.  Each day is a new day to practice being On Purpose – aligning your work with your core values, talents and wisdom in such a way that not only fills you with joy but also leaves positive imprint on those around you.

 

Wishing you much happiness, good health and prosperity in 2012!

Happy New Year!

To Your Success~

Michele

What makes you happy?

And how can you bring that joy to your work in each day?

 

What makes me happy is helping others bring out their personal brand of brilliance through their work. Encouraging and guiding others to get out of their own way and create what their version of success looks like.

Want to put your brilliance to work in bigger, bolder ways this year? Contact me for a complimentary consultation – Together, we’ll help you dive into 2012 with a clear vision for yourself and determine what the next steps are for you to create a happy and prosperous new year!

5 Steps to Getting Unstuck

Aug 31st, 2011
by mcmolitor.
No comments yet

In life and in business, we get stuck on the side of the road. The road of where we want to go. The road where we are traveling towards our goals but somehow we’ve gotten off track, keeping us from getting to where we have our sites set on going.

Besides the ever-popular Tow Truck that you can call to get you going again, what can you do to get you back on track and moving forward again?

Here are a few suggestions that have worked for me along my path…

(0)   Tow Truck… (I actually wrote this while waiting for the tow truck the other day when my car temporarily stopped going forward…LOL!)

(1)   Keep breathing – noticing where you’re holding your breath. Keeping from fully taking in what’s available to you to help you.  When you take a deep breath in, letting it out more slowly than the inhale, it slows down your sympathetic nervous system which helps you tune into what your body and heart need more than your perhaps racing mind.

(2)   Figure out what you might be afraid of. What are you avoiding? What’s really in between you and achieving your goals?  When you can get at the underlying issues, it’s much easier to figure out what corrective measures are needed. Otherwise you might be putting a band aid on the problem while not really finding a true solution.

(3)   Get clear on what your goals are from Today’s perspective. Not yesterday’s, or last year’s and Certainly not the goals that someone else may have “loaned” you (No parents have ever done that…) And while you’re at it, don’t be plain vanilla with your goals – be outrageous! What’s the Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) that you dare to dream? What would it take to achieve it? And when you DO achieve what will it FEEL like?  As you get clear on what your heart’s desires are – the ones that stir you passion and purpose, you’ll be far more motivated to get into high gear and creating your dreams!

(4)   Now you can get into action! Determine your plan first, don’t go running all willy-nilly in circles. Write out what steps are needed and by when. Who can help you with each of these steps (remember, you don’t have to do this on your own – ASK FOR ASSISTANCE!) And once you determine what the steps are, then you’ll want to put them down in your calendar. Earmarking time in each day or each week to make your way through your list. Just think with each checked off item, you’re one step closer to reaching your BHAG!

(5)   Take time to celebrate as you achieve each of your mini goals leading up to the Big Goal! You’ve worked hard to get this far, be sure to take time to notice and appreciate your accomplishments. Setting up rewards along the way is helpful too – everyone appreciates a break for a job well done. What are the little or big things that you can dangle as carrots out in front of you to help you reach each of your milestones with more joy and fun?  Celebrating along the way with each of these little accomplishments will also help you keep your momentum, energy and enthusiasm for your dream – fanning the flames if you will to give you more go juice and inspiration for the road ahead!

 

A big thanks to the many people who have helped me along my path and inspired me to see new opportunities, especially when I was stuck or off track!

With Gratitude!

Michele

Founder Nectar Consulting, Inc. If you need some additional assistance in getting unstuck and moving forward again, contact me to schedule your complimentary executive strategy consultation. We’ll see where you’re at and what’s need to get you headed towards your goals & continued success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 27th, 2010
by mcmolitor.
No comments yet

“With a powerful desire, with a strong determination, and with a commitment to yourself, you can find ways to achieve your goals, and overcome challenges.”  ~ Catherine Pulsifer

You may feel a need to think about your future, and make plans to achieve your objectives. You could feel optimistic about the prospects of new possibilities in your life, and want to explore new ideas for using them to their best potential.

A good way to apply this optimistic attitude is to seek opportunities to further your goals. You might consider taking classes to enhance your knowledge or consulting a mentor about the best way to proceed with your plans. You could also be a little bolder about pursuing your goals by applying for a new position that offers growth potential, or asking for a promotion at your current job.

Being courageous enough to take action is often the key to inviting new opportunities into our lives. Though planning and preparation is always a good idea, many of us don’t allow ourselves to get beyond that stage.

At some point we need to be willing to release our fear and hesitation, and go after what we want. If we can gather the confidence to begin by taking a small step, our willingness to take action will usually open doors that were previously closed to us. With repeated effort and an optimistic attitude, we gain the confidence to be a little bolder in our actions and create more powerful results. Combining your optimistic outlook with the courage to take action to achieve your goals can be a powerful recipe for success.

May you always find the courage to take action.

To your success!

Michele

Power Marketing Secrets for Today’s Economy

May 13th, 2010
by mcmolitor.
2 comments

I wanted to let you know about a great opportunity to help you expand your thinking to grow your business – coming up on May 20th.
The Livermore Chamber of Commerce is hosting the  “Power Marketing Secrets for Today’s Economy”

In 2010, the economy has a different kind of playing field and the old advertising rules no longer work. Learn and practice 4 powerful systems to push your company to the top in this engaging marketing workshop for businesses. Four Bay Area business experts come together to teach you the secrets for thriving in today’s economy.

This one-day workshop will help you clarify your marketing message, strategies and tactics to help your business soar this year.
We’ve got four great speakers lined up to fill your brain with useful knowledge you can immediately put to good use:

STU CARTY  – Constant Contact
Easily get permission to market directly to your customers.

LEE RICHTER — Richter Communications & Design Group
Is Social Media Right for Your Business?

THOMAS PETTY — Bay Area Search Engine Academy
Laser target your Internet presence quickly.

MICHELE MOLITOR — Nectar Consulting
Master your marketing message for greater impact.

Each participant receives a bonus CD loaded with extra material not covered in the workshop as well!
If purchased separately, this expert advice, lessons and materials would cost you more than $2500!
Don’t miss out, register today to get the early bird price.

Check out the website for more detailed information about each of the presentations:
http://www.livermorechamber.org/news-and-events/2010-marketing-summit.aspx

LOCATION:
DoubleTree Hotel
720 Las Flores Road
Livermore, CA 94550

DATE:
Thursday, May 20, 2010

TIME:
9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

COST:
$99 through May 15, 2010
$119 after May 15, 2010

Lunch is included.

For More Details & Registration Information Call: (925) 447-1606
www.LivermoreChamber.org

I hope to see you all there~
Thanks and please pass this along to other business owners who are looking to get new ideas and support for growing their business.
With kind regards,
Michele

Tips for Overcoming Small Business Challenges and Failures

Apr 5th, 2010
by mcmolitor.
3 comments

No one has the perfect small business strategy for starting a small business without encountering a certain number of challenges and outright failures. Even new entrepreneurs who have years of experience as an employee and the help of a mentor must face and overcome failures and challenges. What can you do to handle and rise above business failures?

Have a Plan

First and foremost – have a plan. Decide before you leap into business for yourself, what you’re creating, what service or products you’re going to offer and for the sake of what? What difference do you want your offering to make in the world, big or small? Write out your goals with weekly, monthly and yearly action plans. Review them consistently and adjust as necessary.

Realize that Failure Is Always an Option

Too many entrepreneurs try to establish a small business strategy that does not include failure as an option. The problem that these business owners encounter is any and all unforeseen and unpredictable external actions that may affect their strategies.

Weather, economic downturn, serious illness: all these are examples of issues that could affect a small business strategy and cause it to fail. If you recognize that failure is an option, you can be more prepared to overcome them when they happen.

Be Persistent

Thomas Edison “failed” to invent a suitable and practical light bulb thousands of times. When asked if he felt like a failure and should give up, Edison said, “Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.”

Would you consider Edison a success? Absolutely! His persistent efforts paid off and created a timeless, universal product used in all households and businesses. Don’t think that failure is a reason to give up. Be persistent.

Review and Learn

Like Thomas Edison, you can learn what “not” to do in the future by reviewing a small business strategy that did not work. It is always helpful to keep a log of your new business strategies so you know what actions you took along every step of the way. Managing challenges means reviewing steps and making changes as appropriate to meet the goal you have set.

Ask for Help

A small business owner should never be too proud to ask for help when managing challenges. Use a mentor. Hire a consultant. Those with experience and wisdom and are willing to share are some of the best resources that a small business owner can use.

Who’s on Your Team?

It’s OK to ask for support. You may be an expert in all facets of running your business but most likely, you’re an expert in just a few areas of your business. For those areas that are not your strength’s, find great people who are and utilize their services! For example, I can do my bookkeeping but it’s not my passion, nor my forte, so I hand that off to Ann Valliant with Business Savvy Bookkeeping and her team.

Here are a few other fine folks on my core support team to help me effectively manage my business that I highly recommend:

Review Your Successes

Sometimes an entrepreneur can become discouraged due to failing a small business challenge. It never hurts to sit down and review things that have gone right in the past. What small business challenges did you overcome previously? Did you win an award for best business practice? Did you outgrow your first office and are now occupying double the space? Did you form a successful joint venture with another business owner for a specific event?

Look back at what you have accomplished, and you will be encouraged to continue striving to overcome failures.

Remember, failure is always an option. Be encouraged. Be persistent. Ask for help. And keep in mind that you have succeeded in the past and will do so again. With these tips, you can rise to the occasion and continue to grow your small business.

Great Resources

If you’d like a ton of other free resources and ideas to help you grow your business, check out www.morebusiness.com to help you build the business of your dreams.

You can also check out all the resources available on my website as well at: http://www.nectarconsulting.com/valuable-resources.aspx.

To Your Success!

Michele

How Would You Rate Your Marketing Strategies?

Aug 11th, 2009
by mcmolitor.
1 comment

This year our economy has a new playing field. The old advertising rules no longer work. So for today’s economy,  you have to change your game!

How are you doing with your marketing? Rate your company’s efforts and effectiveness from today’s viewpoint using our Marketing Scorecard below and see how you’re really doing in each of the Five P’s of Service Business Marketing.

The only real way to know if your marketing needs a new game plan is to score yourself as objectively as possible. This Marketing ScoreCard is designed to help you understand exactly what’s working or not working with your current marketing strategies. It will give you a fresh perspective on what areas need the most attention to improve your marketing success in today’s economy.

Marketing ScoreCard……………………………………………………………………….

Score yourself from 0 to 5 for each statement below. Just put your score in the area to the right and then add up each of your totals.

A Note About the ScoreCard. The areas on the ScoreCard are all action-oriented items. They are the things you need to be, do and have for powerful marketing. My experience has proven that improving any of these areas can have a major impact on your marketing effectiveness. The trick is knowing what to improve and how to improve it.

Area of Marketing – Positioning:

Target/Problem. I know who my clients are, where they are and what problems, issues and challenges they are facing. (Audio Logo or elevator pitch)    Score_____

Ultimate Outcome. I have a clearly articulated outcome statement for my business that tells what my clients get when they use my services.    Score_____

Value. I have outlined a number of specific client-centered benefits that my clients receive when they use my services and that answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Score_____

Uniqueness. I have a Unique Competitive Advantage that explains why I am different than my competition and what that means to my clients.    Score_____

Proof. I have a number of client success stories, both written and verbal, that I can employ to prove that I am able to deliver the outcomes and value that I promise.    Score_____

Sub Total  Score = _____ A low score in this area indicates that you are not communicating clearly about your value. People are likely not showing interest in your services when you talk about what you do. If you ask your friends what you do, most of them won’t be able to communicate it clearly.

Area of Marketing – Packaging:
Web Site. I have a professionally designed, content-rich web site that provides detailed information on my services and includes plenty of valuable free information such as articles and reports.    Score_____


Clients Issues. I have information on my web site that clearly outlines the problems, issues and challenges my clients are dealing with. I show that I understand who my clients are and what they want to accomplish.    Score_____


Services – What You get. My services, what I do and how I do it, are clearly presented in my web site. It’s no mystery what my clients get, how I work or what my approach is to solving clients problems.    Score_____


Pricing and Proposals. I have a well-defined pricing strategy and proposal outline that explains what my clients get from me, not just what I do.    Score_____


Business Presentation. Everything about my business, including my personal presentation, marketing materials, etc. are presented in a way that truly represents who I am.    Score_____

Sub Total Score = _____ With a low score in this area you may have gotten initial attention, but now interest is dropping off. People are not really clear about what you can do for them and why your services are a solution to their problems. There are more questions than answers.

Area of Marketing – Promotion:
Relationship. Through all my promotional vehicles people get a sense of who I am and what my services are really about.    Score_____


Referrals Systems. I have several ways to actively generate referrals from existing clients. Referrals are one of my strongest sources of new clients.   Score_____


Visibility Systems. I stay visible to my target market and expand my credibility through networking and a web site.    Score_____


Expertise. I communicate my expertise to my target market through speaking to groups and writing/publishing articles.    Score_____


Keep-In-Touch Systems. I send information to clients and prospects on a regular basis through a newsletter, eZine or other mailings.    Score_____

Sub Total Score =______ With a low score in this area you simply don’t have enough visibility and credibility to make much of an impact. Essentially you are an unknown quantity and you haven’t built enough trust for people to respond to you.

Area of Marketing – Persuasion:
Focus. Whenever I speak to someone about my services and their needs, I am totally focused on what I can do for them – how I can help.    Score_____


Needs. I am skilled at building rapport by learning the past and present situation of my prospects through a series of well-thought-out questions.    Score_____


Objectives. I am skilled at motivating my clients to use my services by discovering what future objectives are the most important to them.    Score_____


Presentation. I have a well-structured and well-organized presentation designed to inform my prospects about exactly how I can solve their problems and meet their objectives.    Score_____


Recommendation. I am successful in asking for the business. I know what to say and do to win a prospect’s commitment to my services.    Score_____

Sub Total Score =______ With a low score in this area you are having real problems converting prospects into clients (if you can get them into appointments in the first place). Too many prospects put off buying your services and follow-up doesn’t help much.

Area of Marketing – Performance:
Communication. I understand that the key to successful client engagements is clear communication. I work constantly at improving this skill.    Score_____


Promises. I make clear, unambiguous promises for what I will deliver and what results clients can expect when I undertake an assignment or project. I keep my word.  Score_____


Requests. I make crystal-clear requests of my clients so they know what I expect of them in a client engagement. They understand that we are partners.    Score_____


Extra Mile. I don’t just offer good service. I do everything in my power to deliver service that consistently exceeds clients’ expectations.    Score_____


Personal Performance. I stay motivated and true to my personal vision of my business. I get the things done not only for my clients but for myself to make my business successful.    Score_____

Sub Total Score =______ With a low score in this area you are not getting much repeat or referral business, even if you’ve done well in the top five areas. You need to realized that performance is just as much about marketing as all the other areas above.

Grand Total Score = _______(out of a total possible 125)

With a low overall score (under 60) you are having a real struggle finding clients. People don’t understand what you are offering, aren’t responding to your messages, are not willing to meet with you, are reluctant to work with you and avoid sending referrals your way. In short, your marketing is in real trouble.

If your score is high, congratulations! If it’s not, the good news is that I can help you improve your marketing dramatically and increase your marketing score in all of the areas above. It’s a matter of know-how, practice and implementation. I have the tools and resources to help you.

If you need more assistance to clarify your marketing strategies and actually get into action around those strategies, I’ve got two ways to help!

Check out the one day workshop: Power Marketing Secrets for Today’s Economy. This will be an action packed day with 5 marketing experts from the Bay Area speaking on a variety of marketing topics to give you a variety of tools and ideas that you can immediately put to use.  You’ll hear from Thomas Petty from the Bay Area Search Engine Academy, Chip Doyle from Sandler Training, Stu Carty from Constant Contact, Elaine Betts with Go Far Consulting, and Michele Molitor from Nectar Consulting, Inc.

And if you’d like some one-on-one customized marketing consulting and coaching, contact us to see how we can expand your thinking and help you to develop new marketing strategies to meet today’s economic challenges.

To Your Success!

Michele

10 Keys to Business Growth in a Shifting Economic Landscape…

Jun 2nd, 2009
by mcmolitor.
No comments yet

Today’s economic landscape has been a bit unsteady to say the least. We’ve all heard about it and certainly have seen the effects of it on our bottom line. No matter if you’re a CEO, manager or a one-man-band business owner, today’s economy has sent tremors through us all in different ways.

Here are some time tested keys to growth to help you stay focused and moving forward in a positive direction.


Key #1: For The Sake Of What – What’s your vision? Where do you want your company or department to grow to and for the sake of what? What outcomes do you wish to achieve and what impact do you want to leave your customers and your community with? The clearer your vision is, the easier it is to create tangible goals to achieve.

Key #2: Identify Your Goals – What goals do you want to accomplish this week, this month and this year? Have your goals written out and refer to them daily or weekly to keep them front of mind. These written out goals also serve as the stake in the ground that can help you get back on track when you get pulled in too many different directions.

Key #3: Determine Your Mindset – What is your current marketing mindset? Is it working for you or against you? Identify the limiting beliefs that are getting in your way and then ask you coach to help you shift those beliefs to ones that empower you and move you forward.

Key #4: Make New Friends – Refine or reconfigure who your target audience is based on today’s market. How might you shift or narrow the focus of who you want to be working with? Once you’ve clarified who your target audience is, then it’s time to make some new friends. Find the places, events or businesses that meet your client profile and develop relationships with them. People do business with who they know and trust, so aim at developing the relationship first to create a win-win outcome.

Key #5: Think Outside the Box – Take a hard look at your current business and marketing activities. Which ones are still working well and which ones are not delivering the ROI you need? Today’s economy requires businesses to think differently and come up with new creative strategies to out smart the competition if you want to remain a player in the game.

Key #6: Listen Carefully – Talk with your current customers and listen carefully to what they have to say. What problems do they have that you can help solve? What issues might be an untapped market for you explore? The company that succeeds in today’s economy is the one that has their ear to ground and is constantly innovating to meet the current market needs.

Key #7: Create An Action Plan – Determine what your top 3-5 priorities are for the day to reach your weekly and monthly goals and do those first. This way you’re setting yourself up for small successes along the way, which builds confidence and morale of you and your team.

Key #8: Follow-Up And Follow-Through – As you build your connections, make sure that you follow-up in a timely fashion. This is where a lot of business professionals fall down. You can continually build your business relationships i.e. build trust, through phone calls, emails, one-to-one meetings, sharing relevant information via blogs, newsletters and a variety of other strategies that keep your business and “brand” front of mind.

Key #9: Select An Accountability Team – Often times having someone other than yourself to keep you accountable to your goals makes all the difference. Find one or two people you know who are interested in accelerating their business growth as well (either inside or outside of your organization). Share your weekly goals at a brief Monday morning conference call. This helps to set the tone for the week, clarify the direction you’re taking and the action steps you intend to follow-through with. Knowing that there is someone who is going to ask you what you’ve accomplished this week (other than your spouse) has an amazing effect of helping you get things done!

Key #10: Start With The End In Mind – Start your day by envisioning how you’d like it to go. What intentions do you have for the day? What would you like to accomplish? What impact do you want to leave others with? By focusing on your positive intentions, you’re paving the way for it to unfold at your feet with grace and ease.

I’d love to hear about some of your keys to growth too – what tips can you share that have helped you stay positive and on track with your business grow? I look forward to hearing from you!

To Your Success,
Michele

Short Term Action Planning

Apr 29th, 2009
by mcmolitor.
1 comment

As a business owner or busy executive, time is a precious commodity. So to help you stay on top of your game it’s important to have your short term goals defined to keep you focused and on track.

The more you can consistently focus on the actions and strategies you need to take, the more quickly you will reach your vision and your goals. Energy is key – you must gain and maintain momentum. Your actions must be immediate and aligned with your core values and passions.

Below are some questions to answer and post in a visible place where you can review them daily or weekly.

Use your ideal day activity to identify a 1-year vision.

30-Day Vision and Action Plan (50%)
Write your 30-day vision and the actions you will take this month to accomplish that vision.

7-Day Action Plan (30%)
Write the actions you will take in the next 7 days to accomplish your 30-day vision.


1-Day Action Plan (20%)
Identify which of your 7-day actions you will take tomorrow to get the momentum going.


Accountability

What structures will you put in place to hold yourself accountable for taking these actions?

What are you willing to trade in order to implement new habits of aligned action?


Clarity = Focus = Action

Once you achieve more clarity around  what you need to do and by when, the easier it will be to focus on the daily tasks required to generate the necessary momentum and actions to to reach your goals.

I’d love to hear from you! What helps you stay on top of your goals to reach them more quickly? (more…)