Well, ok, COUNTING my home country of the USA.

 

Yep, Spring Break with my kids in Mexico, followed by a week-long all-adult scuba trip in the Philippines, then to Macau for 2 days, Hong Kong for a day, and back home.

 

I had some time to reflect, especially on the scuba trip, where I had no access to TV, WiFi, or mobile phone. We were completely cut off - which is rare and was very nice.

 

I did do a couple selfie videos reflecting on different business situations when I was in Macau.

 

Here, I'm admiring these old buildings as I realize they are yesterday's luxury, and their view has been completely cut off by progress.

 

And this one on global brands and the importance of keeping YOUR brand strong.

 

And in Hong Kong, I was SO lucky to connect with Ip Sang, an old business buddy of mine, and I was completely jazzed on how alive that city is. Check it out here.

 

In the Philippines, I was reminded how 3rd world it is there - undoubtedly partially due to corrupt government over the last 40 or so years, starting with Mr. Marcos. Such a kind, warm, friendly people there, with beautiful natural resources and a strong work ethic. And they just don't have the results. It's really too bad.

 

In Macau and Hong Kong, I was really taken with the speed and intensity of the place. Macau's gambling revenue last year was SEVEN times that of Las Vegas! And Hong Kong remains one of the most amazing cities on the planet, with 40-50 story buildings going up, surrounded by BAMBOO scaffolding. What a rich history in both cities! And I only saw ONE old man begging. No homeless, no beggars, no panhandlers.

 

So I'm back in business-building mode, and have a couple seats in my Accelerate 120 Class, if you're serious about building your business. And I have an exciting brand re-vamp being done in May, and I'm really excited about it.

 

In the meantime, if you have business questions or issues, don't hesitate to reach out!

 

Make it a great day!

 

--Rick

Marketing efforts:  social media, cold calling, website, print ads, SEO, email newsletter, direct mail – you’re doing it all! But are you leveraging your customer base to grow your business?

If I had a dollar for all the businesses and entrepreneurs who’ve told me that “word-of-mouth” is their best source of new business, I’d be a rich man!

Referrals! 

But how can you systematize this? How can you make it better, and more predictable?

The first thing I will say is that it’s a referral program – emphasis on PROGRAM. That means “system”. It has to be well thought-out, designed, implemented, and maintained.

It takes effort on a consistent basis. Yes, you have to work at it. But as I’ve said 100 times about marketing, “there’s no silver bullet.” So, add this to your business development efforts.

Here are some thoughts on how to get started, and how to maintain it over the longer term. 

* Who are your customers? Understand their demographics, why they buy from you, and what they appreciate about doing business with you.

* Where are they active online? What else do they buy? What other products are similar to yours, but don’t directly compete?

* Where else might they shop around town? Local merchants or dealerships?

* Can you engage customers directly to refer prospects to you? Sure! Do you ask for 1 or 2 referrals every time you provide a service or product? Make it a habit.

* Are there salespeople who sell other related products or services you could network with?

 

The easiest way to get referral business?  Ask!

Long ago, I bought a VW Jetta from my local Volkswagen dealer. On my birthday for the next several years, I would get a hand-written birthday card from Phil, the sales rep. In my birthday card, he would include two business cards, and would ask me to come see him or hand the business cards out to two of my buddies who were in the market for a car. Would I oblige? Of course I did. 

Referral programs can benefit other businesses too.

I remember a neighbor who was an insurance agent. You know - cars, houses, life, etc. One of his clients was a guy who owned a restaurant whose specialty was home-baked pies. My neighbor Ralph went to his client, and got some gift certificates for pies, and would give those to people who referred him business AND to the new clients. Here’s the kicker – the restaurant owner didn’t charge Ralph until the coupon was redeemed! Everybody wins, local business is supported, and no money is wasted on coupons that are never redeemed – like so many gift cards get wasted today. It was just smart.

If you look, you will find sales reps at other businesses similar to, but not competing with, your company, who will want to network with you. Think about what else your customer is likely to buy, and pick a few good people to refer clients to. If you sell yachts, for example, you might network with high-end auto dealers or charter airline sales reps. My advice: pick 1 or 2 and stop by regularly to see them and keep the fire burning. Keep their brochures on your desk and ask them to do the same to help each other out. 

Regarding payouts or finder’s fees: keep it simple. I much prefer a 1-time finder’s fee (like first month’s revenue for a new consulting client) to a recurring payment. It keeps it simple to calculate, and you’re not having to account for it every month. Keep it simple!

OK, so you have an online business – an e-commerce site. Even better! There are SO many options, and they’re easy to automate:

* Both parties benefit: referring customer and new client.

* Discounts to referring customers by giving them a code to give to others.

* Gamification - let your customers earn points for a cool prize or special recognition.

* Let them compete for who brings in the most new referrals.

* Think outside the box and keep it fun!

Check out the list of examples Visa from ReferralCandy.com provides on his blog called, “

How are you? How’s your year finishing up? Did you grow? Achieve your goals? Some, anyway? Good for you! Change is good. Growth is good! It’s not easy, though.

A client mentioned to me a few days ago that he was looking for the “one magic thing” that he could do to make his business grow faster. But usually it’s not just “one thing”. Usually it’s three or four small ones.

I’ve made a couple changes myself recently. Nothing big. Just a couple adjustments to my morning rituals. Wake up, get coffee, check news, check emails. You know, “the drill”. I’ve shaken things up.

 

And life’s getting better. (Frankly it was pretty good anyway!)

 

It didn’t happen at first. It took time. Sometimes change takes time, and you have to put something small in place and let it grow – like planting a flower. You have to do it right, water it lightly and consistently - and wait.

But we don’t like to wait, do we? As if shooting that little flower with a fire hose would make it grow quicker. Crazy right? Yet still, we want everything now, don’t we?

Some things take time. Like business growth. And just like planting that seed, you must start with a new idea,  make a small change that will grow over time and water it lightly and consistently.

 

What changes will YOU make in 2015?

 

NOW is the time to be thinking about it.

 

My recent webinar on how to build a great business plan was a huge success. If you missed it, you can watch the replay. Like my posts and podcasts, it’s short, and to the point.

Plan Your Kick-A$$ 2015!

 

AND…it’s only a start.

 

You know I am a business coach and I love helping people grow their businesses. Being an entrepreneur is harder than people think!

Having a coach drives accountability (like a personal trainer at the gym) and gives you access to information and expertise you would otherwise have to seek out yourself. Try that at the gym and you risk:

* not maximizing results, or

* injuring yourself.

 

Having a coach saves you TIME – the one resource you can’t get more of.

 

There are also additional advantages in being in a Group Coaching (or MasterMind) group. I can tell you all about it if you’d like to book a FREE 30-minute Strategic Growth Session with me.

And… EVEN if you invest the time and money to build an awesome plan, and hire that “personal trainer”, you still have to have one more key ingredient before you see things start to work:

The ability to EFFECT CHANGE. To NOT stay stuck in your rut.

 

It’s HARD.

 

A huge part of this is effecting change in your business….and in YOURSELF.

Yes, it’s EASIER to just keep doing what you’re doing. I get that. It’s easier :

* to NOT hire who you should hire

* to keep working IN your business, rather than reserving that time to work ON it

* to keep thinking that your destiny is controlled by anyone other than you or by outside influences

* to NOT raise your prices

* to NOT set up new services or suppliers

* to NOT reserve that time for yourself or for business planning

* to NOT create new solutions to old problems

* to NOT educate yourself in your field, or in leadership, or in finance or mangement

* to stay in your comfort zone!

 

But…one quote I LOVE by W.L. Batemen says it all:

“If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”

 

Plan. Coaching. Change. Patience. THAT is the MAGIC.

 

So what will it be for you next year? Will you “keep getting what you’ve always got”? Or will you plant the right flowers, hire the right personal trainer, and watch things grow over time?

Your choice. You’re the entrepreneur. Make the call.

Wishing you the best,

 

Rick

I’m a serial entrepreneur. I love starting, building, and selling businesses. It’s the challenge, I suppose, and the rewards of watching all of it grow:  revenue, people, systems, ...

It’s been an interesting week. Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and Halloween.

 

Let me ask you something. What haunts you?

 

Several months ago, I told a friend on Facebook what haunts me:

 

that I might not think “big” enough.  

 

I want my eyes and brain to open wider. That’s right. You see, I am just back from the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS).  In a word, it was OVERWHELMING.

 

One huge, amazing yacht after another, backed in to the docks, side-by-side, supplemented by Bentleys, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royce’s, helicopters, private submarines, and million-dollar “tenders” - the “little” boats one carries on a superyacht to shuttle oneself and guests to the marina and back.

 

One yacht we admired was being offered for the price of 37 million euros – that’s about 46 million US dollars at today’s rates.  We toured a new Monte Carlo (owned by France’s Beneteau) 86-footer that debuted.  Sale price – just a little over $8 million! The total value of yachts at last year’s show was over $3 billion, and this year had to be bigger.

 

Unbelievable.

 

As I walked past and admired these beautiful, amazing, floating palaces, I thought to myself, “who buys these yachts? What do they do? How do they THINK differently?” The boats and money being spent are just SO BIG, it must take an entirely new way of thinking, of visualizing, of making things happen.

 

A bigger way.

 

Allow me a quick side story.  My younger brother and I used to race mountain bikes in the early 90’s.  We were pretty good.  Won our fair share of trophies, and most people we rode with couldn’t keep up with us once the terrain turned downhill, fast and treacherous. That was how we liked it. We pushed and challenged each other, sharing braking techniques and lines through corners.

 

We were fast, no doubt.

 

One summer day, we were at a ski resort on a practice run before a downhill race. Away we went, dicing, passing, pushing, and trying to find that edge – to be just a little faster. Incremental.

 

And then it happened – some guy came blowing by and passed us like we were standing still. Monumental.

 

It was a gut-wrenching eye-opener. Amazing! It was like he was from another universe and rocks, roots, and ruts we saw didn’t even occur to him. It was a game-changer.

 

A whole new level. A whole new way of thinking. BIGGER.

 

So as this year comes to an end in two short months, as you start to think about next year’s goals for your business and career, how are YOU thinking?  Are you thinking about five percent growth? Ten? Twenty? How much do you want to make?

 

Go ahead, take a moment and do the math.  Build that forecast spreadsheet out for the next three years.  What does it look like? Good?  Know this: you probably won’t hit those numbers. Because we rarely reach our goals.

 

That’s why they’re GOALS.

 

NOW put that conservative, I’m-in-my-safety-zone, incremental growth plan aside for a few moments. Go ahead.  Forget it.  Think about what it would take to double your income next year.  Or triple it.

 

Or even move it 10X! I’m talking monumental growth.

 

Imagine. Dream. Visualize.

 

How could you get there? How could you serve 2X, 5X, 10X the customers you do today? Concentrate! Work that brain hard. I mean it. THINK.

 

BIGGER. (Thinking’s free – big or small. Go ahead!)

 

WOW, right?

 

Oh, and one last thing. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve also had my share of crappy customer service. People who say, “I don’t know” and drop the problem back in my lap, or who can’t return calls or emails, or who find some reason to shove my request off to someone else.

 

Drives me crazy! And yet they’re still in business?!

 

So if you’re passionate about what you do, how you serve your customers, and the value you can add, THEN GO DO IT, and do it well! Don’t just be good at it – be GREAT!