No matter what business you’re in, there are certain things you need to do in order to be successful.  The first thing on that list is staying in contact with your past clients.

Surely, you’ve heard the phrase, out of sight, out of mind.  That rings all too true when it comes to being a success in business.  Just seeing a client one time usually isn’t enough.  Statistics say that it often takes seven times to be in front of a prospect before they become a customer.  Once they do become a customer the real work begins.  If you forget about your clients, your clients will forget about you.  However, most people are surprised when they go to renew a contract or sell something new, that the past client is now doing business with someone else. 

Stay in touch with your past clients.  One thing and one thing for certain, if you’re not talking to your past clients someone else is. 

The people you’re selling to are relationships.  Like all relationships they need attention.  How many times have you been disappointed to have lost a new sale to an old customer because you didn’t stay in touch?  Maybe you don’t know because you have never made contact with a past client before.  You already have a relationship, they’ve purchased from you before.  If you don’t stay in touch with your past clients you are missing many opportunities.

There is at least one reason every month to stay in touch with past clients.  For example:

January- New Years and Martin Luther King Day
February- Valentine’s Day and President’s Day
March- St. Patrick’s Day, Daylight Savings begins
April- First day of spring, Easter, Passover
May- Memorial Day and Mother’s Day
June- Father’s Day and the first day of summer
July- Independence Day
August- End of summer, back to school
September- Labor Day, first day of autumn
October- Halloween and Columbus Day
November- Daylight Savings Ends and Thanksgiving
December- Christmas, Hanukah, First day of winter

Every month you have at least one reason to drop a note in the mail or send an email to say hello to your past clients.  Remember, history repeats itself, so it may as well be on your terms.

Have you ever thought about how people are created equal? Did you know that there is one way and one way only that we are all exactly the same? That way is time. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, or what school you went to, or where you were raised… you only get 24 hours in a day.  That’s 86,400 seconds in each 24-hour period. 

The way to be most efficient and effective with your time and get the most out of your 24 hours is to follow these five simple steps.

Write. Everything you need or want to get done in a day, write it down.  You don’t have to overcomplicate this one.  Just get a simple legal pad of paper and write "Things To Do Monday" at the top. Then start your list. I do things to the ridiculous. 1. Wake up at 6 a.m. 2. Go to gym by 6:30. 3. E-mail Mike regarding marketing. 4. Call Mary about business cards. 5. Pick up dry cleaning. 6. Drop off bracelet at jeweler. 7. Buy stamps…etc. If you simply write down what needs to be done you will free up your mind and instantly be more focused and get more done.

Eliminate distractions. Distractions or interruptions are the primary cause for people to not be efficient and get what needs to be done, done. Here you have two options.  Option A - remove the distractor. If it’s the phone, turn it off.  If it’s e-mail, don’t even log into your account until your project is complete. If it’s television, don’t turn it on.  Option B. Remove yourself from the distractor.  If you work in an office where others are constantly being a distraction or interruptive, then you need to not be in that environment.  If possible work from home to complete a project.  Go to an available conference room or empty office and close the door.  If you are in a cubicle put up a sign that reads, Do NOT Disturb or Quiet time from 9-noon, no interruptions please.

Stay in the moment. Many times people do not use the present moment effectively because they are projecting in the future or dwelling on the past. The future is not here yet, so it is most efficient and effective to get the most you can out of this moment, right now.  By writing a things to do list you will be eliminating, or a least reducing stress and random thoughts. You will be more organized, together and know what you need to do and when you need to do it by.   If you are dwelling on the past, with all do respect you need to get over it and move on.  Here’s the thing, no matter how much you ponder and percolate on something that has already happened , it isn’t going to change what happened.  It is what it is.  Think about where you are now and what you can do in this present moment to make the best of any situation.

Set an alarm. If you need to get something done in a specific amount of time or if you need to dedicate minutes, hours, etc  to a project to complete it by the deadline, set an alarm. Use one on your computer, watch, cell phone, egg timer, or an actually alarm clock.  Until that alarm sounds, you stay focused and only work on that one project.  Allotting a specific amount of time will enable you to concentrate on just the matter at hand without concerning yourself with the clock or other things around you.

Have a reward. Nothing is better than having a little incentive when you are learning a new habit. The next time you are struggling with managing your time, give your self a reward.  Say when I have my entire things to do list complete every day for one week, I will give myself blank, as a treat.  Now you have a reason to stay focused, avoid distractions and get what needs done, done.

Those are the five basic steps for Time Management.  What are you waiting for??? Get to writing your things to do list today!

Successful people understand the difference between can’t and won’t.  There is a lot of power in words.  They can strengthen and empower us.  They can build an army or start a war.  Think about the words you use to describe yourself, and what you are capable of.  Do your words say victim or victor?

Think about the words can’t and won’t.  How often do you say I can’t when you really mean won’t?  Can’t means that you are physically not capable while won’t means that you are choosing not to. 

I can’t go up to a perfect stranger and introduce myself.  Yes you can. You are physically capable of walking up to someone, sticking out your hand and saying “Hi, I’m Sharmen Lane, what’s your name?”  Many will say, “I can’t do that.”  Yes you can.  You may have to dig deep and find the courage in you, but you are physically capable of it.

In business or your personal life the words you use can make a powerful statement.  I once had a woman in sales tell me she couldn’t walk in to potential client offices and ask them for business.  That’s when it dawned on me that there is a tremendous difference between can’t and won’t.  I responded to this woman with “You can’t. So you are telling me that you are not physically capable of walking to the door, sticking out your hand, grabbing the knob, turning it, pulling the door open and walking through the opening?’ Of course with resistance she replied with “Well, yes I can do THAT”.  That is the difference between can’t and won’t.

This isn’t to say it will be easy.  It may be difficult.  It may require some extreme mental discipline, or having a talk with yourself to make you do something you previously “couldn’t”.  I never said it was easy, and sometimes you will have to psych your self up and literally force yourself do it. But you can. As soon as you take responsibility and the empowering position you will be amazed at the things you can and will do.

The next time you hear yourself saying "I can’t…” stop for a moment and ask yourself, it is really that I can’t, that I’m physically not capable, or is it that I won’t?  If you determine that you could but you choose not too then it’s wont.  At that point you can choose to change your way of thinking, step up to the plate and do it!

Are you looking for change in your life? Are you looking to go to the next level?  Are you stuck in a rut?  Do you have no idea what you want, or if you do know what you want, do you have no idea how to go about getting it?  If you answered yes to any of these questions then you need Average2Awesome Life coaching.  Go to Average2awesomelife.com to find out more.  Start now and create the life you want!

By Motivational Speaker and Success Expert Sharmen Lane

Guest:Ethan Ewing and Kim Kiyosaki

Topic:  Tough Times Create Tough People

 

 Tough Times Equal Tough People [55:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

by Success Expert Sharmen Lane

Not long ago I was speaking to an author.  I had noticed that she had an endorsement from Deepak Chopra on the cover of her book.  I was surprised and impressed, and was curious how she managed to get an endorsement from the one and only Deepak Chopra.  A few days later, curiosity got the best of me, and I called her and said, “How did you get Deepak Chopra to write you an endorsement?”  She replied, “I wrote him an email and asked him for it.” 

Is it really that simple?  After all, there is the old adage "ask, and you shall receive”.  This got me to thinking.  Why don’t more people ask for what they want?  I mean if you ask for something, and you don’t get it, you are no worse off than you already are right?  Look at children.  They have no problem asking for what they want.  Even if they don’t get it, many times they will continue to ask until they do. 

This sent me on a new mission.  As an author, motivational speaker and radio host, I could really gain a lot by just asking for what I want.  Now, I had always been pretty good about going out and getting what I wanted or making what I wanted happen, but it never occurred to me to ask someone else to give me something I wanted.  First stop, endorsement for my book.  Who do I admire and respect, and would like to have endorsement from?  Brian Tracy.  I went to his website and find his email address and sent him a request for an endorsement.  A week or so later, he replied with “yes, It’d be my pleasure to endorse your book.  Please see below.”  Hhmmmm. Maybe getting what you want is as simple as asking for it.

A few nights later, I got an email advertising a new workshop by Michael Gerber, author of The E Myth.   “I bet he would be a great interview”, I thought.   I went to his website found his email address and asked him for an interview on my radio show, Success Made Simple on webtalkradio.net.  Then, days later, I was watching A Big Idea with Donny Deutsch on CNBC.  One of the guests was Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid and Beyond Booked Solid. This again led me to think, he has great information that listeners on Success Made Simple would find valuable.  Yet again, I went to his website and asked for an interview.  And yet again, he said yes.

How could I have gone my entire adult life and not realize how easy it was to not only ask for the things I wanted, but actually get them?  Now, people started asking me, “How did you get Michael Gerber on your show?” or “Wow, Brian Tracy endorsed your book.  How’d you get that?” Of course now it was my turn to say, I asked for it.

Think about the things you want it your life.  Do you want a raise, or different behavior from your spouse or children?  Do you want extra dressing for your salad at dinner? Do you want a new bike for Christmas?  Think about the things you want in your life and ask yourself if you don’t have them because you haven’t asked for them.

Moral of this story is, ask for what you want.  No matter what it is.  If you are told no then you’re not any worse off than you already are.  You don’t have what you want or need now, but if you ask for it you may just get it. Either way, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

What are you waiting for?  Just ask.

For more information please visit www.sharspeaks.com