The first article in this series listed 25 tactics that you can use to increase your business success. Each of the rest of the articles in this series looks at one of the 25 in detail.
All of them have helped me to reach a high level of business success, even though I started with nothing and did not attend college. You can use these tactics to become highly successful, regardless of where you start from or how much education you have.
E-mail me to get the first article or any of the others you have missed. I am glad to share them.
One of the first lessons I learned in business was to be assertive in promoting myself. When I’m successful, I talk about it. I am also willing to share what I have learned from a long career in business as a mentor.
In business as in life, you will find that what goes around comes around. Your reputation as a helper of other businesspeople will be remembered and repaid in ways you cannot foresee.
However, know that when you begin to promote yourself, you will find that some peers will resent you for doing it. Don’t let that stop you. They are a minority. Don’t let them deprive you of opportunities by creating too much anxiety about what others think.
Years ago, Donald Trump spoke about this at a seminar I attended. Yes, he’s polarizing, but he is not shy about promoting himself and has been very successful as a result.
If you get nothing else from this article, remember this: No one is going to be your advocate; you must do it yourself.
If you don’t tell your story, who will know when you do charitable things? When you do innovative things? When you achieve new milestones? When your business gets so successful you have to hire new staff or give a star in your organization greater responsibility? All these events are newsworthy, whether you share them in an employee newsletter or send out a press release.
You do have a news mailing list, right? This would be key business contacts, bankers, and close friends. You should be gathering contacts and networking continuously, but if you want to start on a small non computerized scale, take a sheet of mailing labels and handwrite labels for the key people. Now when you have news, a new brochure, anything (try to mail something at least quarterly), copy the labels in your copy machine and slap them on some envelopes. I maintain my list on my IPhone, syncing with Outlook, and have over 3,000 contacts divided into categories like business, personal, news, etc. I can output and create labels in a minute. Many of you have received various things from me through the years.
How are people to know if you don’t tell them? Make sure you add your bankers to your good- news mailing list; they will love getting news about your business and sharing it will strengthen your relationship. Most business owners don’t make a habit of sharing successes with their bankers, and so they miss a chance to show how “on it” they are.
You have a lot more news opportunities than you think. Just added a new delivery truck? Added a new water recycler? Put 3 more employees to work? Promoted someone to a management position? Put a new quality control system in place? (Even if it sounds simple to you, it sounds great to others, and can even become part of a unique selling proposition).
My girlfriend sells insurance and uses events to connect with prospects. (We have co-written a book about how to use events to grow your business. You can find it on my web site or amazon). Because of the events, she routinely has customers come to her and say, “I feel like I know you. I see your name all over town.” This HAS TO BE GOOD for business. When you are out telling your story, sharing, and mentoring, customers feel connected with you and that connection will lead them to you when they need what you sell.
Even a carefully chosen failure and the lessons you learned from it can be part of your story. Don’t be afraid to speak at the local Lions Club about your success or something innovative about your business. Ask to speak to budding entrepreneurs at the local high school or college. To them, your real-world experience is much more interesting than a textbook or journal article by a Ph.D. And, yes, that speaking engagement is newsworthy; your banker respects those who give back. Your employees will love a boss who is a mentor. By the way, the public speaking will also make you much better at leading when it counts.
Remember only you can make business great!
Ron Sturgeon, Mr. Mission Possible, has been a successful business owner for more than 35 years. As a small business consultant, he can wisdom and advice gleaned from an enviable business career that started when he opened a VW repair business as a homeless 17-year-old and culminated in the sale of several businesses he built to Fortune 500 companies.
Ron has helped bankers, lawyers, insurance agents, restaurant owners, and body shop owners, as well as countless salvage yard owners to become more successful business people. He is an expert in helping small business owners set the right business strategies, implement pay-for- performance, and find new customers on the web.
As a consultant, Ron shares his expertise in strategic planning, capitalization, compensation, growing market share, and more in his signature plainspoken style, providing field-proven, and high-profit best practices well ahead of the business news curve. Ron is the author of nine books, including How to Salvage More Millions from Your Small Business.
To inquire about consulting or keynote speaking, contact Ron at 817-834-3625, ext. 232, rons@MrMissionPossible.com, 5940 Eden, Haltom City, TX 76117.
