The IM Inside Track

We are all remarkable human beings. There is no one goal-setting strategy that is perfect for everyone—but there are many goal-setting strategies that are perfect for just one person.

Here are twenty-one tried-and-true strategies: I challenge you to try each one at least once, to see which work best for you.

Brainstorm with Sticky Notes

The beauty of using sticky notes as a business planning aid is two-fold: You can create your own memory aid or category using different colors… and you can mix-and-match them. (Example: Moving them around a bulletin board as you brainstorm various approaches.)

Sticky notes are also less intimidating to many people, compared to writing things down in one static place. In fact, if you’re a perfectionist—the sort who has to completely print out a new Calendar page and redo it if you mess up one slot—it’s virtually guaranteed you’ll find sticky notes less intimidating for you.

And you can buy them very inexpensively at any local dollar store.

Create Your Elevator Goal

Almost everyone knows the famous “elevator speech” exercise, where you try to summarize your business in one sentence after being asked “what do you do for a living” by someone you meet on an elevator.

Try doing this when brainstorming your big goal for the month or year: Imagine you’re standing on an elevator, and either (a) someone you admire or (b) someone you hope will become a client or customer asks: “What’s your main business goal for this year, and how will you reach it?”

(Here’s a prompt, in case you are having trouble getting started):

I am going to ____________________ by __________________ for [date]

Use Affirmations To Reinforce Your Goal

How often has your goal disappeared from your mind while you grapple with the realities of daily life?

Keep your goal in your focus by using affirmations to cue and remind yourself daily. Here’s how:

Set an ambitious goal for the month—one that is slightly out of your comfort zone

Choose an affirmation that relates to that activity

Print it out in large letters (make an infographic of it, if you are a visual thinker, using an appropriate and striking background or template)

Pin it where it is right in your range of vision when you sit down at your desk

Say it out loud to yourself, with conviction, every time your eye falls on it

Mentally visualize achieving your goal while you do this

Fantasize Success

Many Olympic athletes know this secret—in fact, take it for granted: If you repeatedly visualize achieving a goal in complete detail, your muscles and neural pathways will develop as if you were actually performing those actions.

For example, the tennis player who visualizes performing a perfect serve over and over again; or the figure skater who visualizes her gold-medal Olympic performance, night after night, months before the Olympic games.

Do it by visualizing in absolute detail what it will feel like when you achieve a major goal you are working towards, for your business. For example, if you plan to create a successful webinar summit with eight guests, visualize what you will wear that day; what your guests are wearing; which questions people are going to ask; what you are going to answer; how you will introduce each guest.

Do this before bed or during a meditative break time every day.

Then make notes on actions your visualizations inspire you to take! (Example: “Send red dress to the cleaners and buy earrings to match.”)

Brainstorm with Friends

Try brainstorming methods of achieving goals with friends, fellow team members or peers.

Brainstorming is not planning: It’s just getting your creativity heated up—especially when it comes to taking things past the obvious ways.

Try setting a time limit and use a timer. Then challenge each other to come up with as many different ways to achieve your goal as possible within that time frame.

You have to understand a bit about human psychology if you want to be an effective coach. People can be disappointing. They don’t do things just because they know they should do them. You’ve dealt with it in your own life— you’d have gotten a lot furth...

While it’s a great idea to run your own finely-tuned Facebook Group, make sure you take advantage of other Facebook Groups too—as a member. If you search Facebook Groups, you will often find groups that actively encourage you to promote either free offers or paid ones.

Do look carefully into these Groups before joining: Some are more effective (and more active) than others.

Avoid any Group that seems “spammy.” And check out these twenty-one ideas for making the most of Facebook Group monetization opportunities.

Help Out Within Other Facebook Groups

Limit the number of Groups you join so you can participate fully. You should take interacting in other Groups as seriously as you take administering your own. Participate. Join the conversation. Don’t just look for opportunities to promote. Get to know the most active members, and help them at every (natural) opportunity.

Keep A Calendar Dedicated To Your Facebook Groups

If you belong to or run a number of Facebook Groups, keep a dedicated calendar. Mark on it upcoming promotional days, where you are allowed to join in a cross-marketing event or promote your book, et cetera. Assign different events and promotions to different Groups. (If the “calendar” format doesn’t work for you, use an Excel spreadsheet!)

Post mini-Reviews in your Facebook Group

If your group is built around a sport, product, hobby or anything that generates products, consider buying the products and posting mini “teaser” reviews (leading to a full review on your website). Put your affiliate link in the website review—and always use the same format, since this builds up confidence in your readers. (Create or use a Review template or Review blog theme.)

If you do it “right”, your Group members will actually start looking forward to your reviews, and trust you as their “tester.” But do make sure you actually buy the product or try the service, give it a real airing—and base your review on your own experience.

Carefully Proof Your Group Description

Remember that just as positive strategies help create engagement and growth, negative strategies can seriously harm it. Proofreading your posts and Group description and documents is a case in point.

Pay attention to not just spelling, but also to grammar, syntax and the correct use of words. You will not attract quality members if your description gives the impression you are illiterate.

And under NO circumstances use abbreviations such as “u” for “you” or “ur” for “your”!

Remember to “Go Local”

Join business referral groups for your area. Being a member of such a Group can lead to surprisingly well-aligned opportunities—and you can enjoy the added benefits of in-person meet-ups and networking, as well as the opportunity to create and promote local, in-person events such as workshops.

Sweeten a Membership Site or Product Purchase by Adding a Secret Facebook Group

Add extra value—and support—by letting customers or clients know they can get extra help and have daily access to your ear if they join your Facebook Group.

Position the Group membership as an élite reward, exclusive to your customers or clients.

(Making the Group privacy options “Secret” adds security and increases the sense of exclusivity. It also increases your work load, so choose carefully.)

Create Instant Polls with the “Add Question” Feature

Did you know you can create a poll very quickly, without an app? Simply…

Click on the “Add Questions” feature within your Group

Type your question

Add your answer choices.

When you click “Post”, the answer choices you provided will be displayed in poll format.

Polls can liven things up when interactivity has dropped—and point you towards better targeting. They are also a handy way to gain research data. The “multiple choice” format is so easy to respond to, your chances of getting answers are greatly increased.

Create Theme Days

For example, “Freebie Fridays”.

The premise of what you’re reading right now is that there are many things marketers forget or neglect to do. As you’ve gathered, there are simple tweaks you can implement to start earning more right away. I’m going to go very in depth about some of th...

As a coach, you’re going to work with many different people. That might seem like a very obvious fact, but bear with me. The point is that you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to coaching. What works for one person won’t work for the next person.

Part of this is getting to know who you’re working with. You’ll learn their background, needs, and goals. But you also have to have a good idea of how they learn best so you can present information in the best possible way.

There are several different learning style theories. I’m going to discuss two of them. Don’t fret about this— just read the information so you can learn how to best categorize the person you’re coaching.

Index of Learning Styles

Richard Felder and Linda Silverman developed the Index of Learning Styles in the 1980’s. They believed there were four dimensions of learning styles.

Category 1: Sensory/Intuitive

Category 2: Visual/Verbal

Category 3: Active/Reflective

Category 4: Sequential/Global

Ideally, there should be a balance between sensory and intuitive. There should be a balance between visual and verbal. There should be a balance between active and reflective. There should be a balance between sequential and global.

Take a look at what each of these things mean. Which categories do your coaching clients seem to rely on? If they lean to one end or the other, you might help them with skills to balance more toward the middle in each of the four categories.

Sensory: Need fact-based, concreted information.

Intuitive: Enjoy meaning and theory.

Visual: Need graphs, pictures, and other visual representations.

Verbal: Need to read or hear words or information.

Active: Enjoy manipulating and working in groups.

Reflective: Enjoy working alone and thinking things through.

Sequential: Enjoy putting details together and thinking linearly.

Global: Enjoy a holistic approach— the big picture.

It’s not wrong to have any of these learning styles over another. It’s only “wrong” if something appears to be hindering their business in any way. Consider strategies to practice and strengthen these skills if necessary.

Myers-Briggs Personality Types

Myers-Briggs personality types are very revealing. Developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs, the test helps people understand themselves, each other, and their way of approaching and interacting with the world.

You answer a series of questions on the quiz, which reveals one of 16 different personality types. These include ISTJ, ISFJ, INFJ, INTJ, ISTP, ISFP, INFP, INTP, ESTP, ESFP, ENFP, ENTP, ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFJ, ENTJ.

Keep in mind that even though there are different types, there aren’t any “best” types. This just signals that there are valid differences between people you work with.

You don’t have to administer this test to those you work with necessarily, though you could become qualified to do so. Still, you’ll be able to recognize personality traits if you’re aware of them. You’ll see some of these traits in yourself.

Summaries of Common Personality Styles:

ENFP: The champion

ENTJ: The commander

ENTP: The visionary

ESFJ: The provider

ESFP: The performer

ESTJ: The supervisor

ESTP: The dynamo

INFJ: The counselor

INFP: The healer

INTJ: The mastermind

INTP: The architect

ISFJ: The protector

ISFP: The composer

ISTJ: The inspector

ISTP: The craftsman

Learn more about the personality types and what these seemingly mysterious letters mean, here: http://www.myersbriggs.org

It’s great to find your own inspiration and way of doing things. But I’ve found over and over again that the fastest shortcut to success is studying those who’ve come before you. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. You can learn so much from those w...

I’ve had you switch from the mindset of a mentee to a mentor, but now it’s time to take that even further. Why am I hitting on this twice? It’s because your mindset is one of the most important things you have. If you don’t believe you can be successful, if you don’t believe you’re a true leader, you won’t be.

There are certain beliefs that set very successful people apart from those who aren’t as successful. This is true for business in general and it’s true for the coaching business. You can’t believe you’re a fraud or that you have nothing to offer. You can’t believe that your coaching isn’t as worthwhile as the next guy or gal. It’s not about bragging or putting yourself above anyone else— it’s about knowing you can deliver on your promises and knowing that you can really help people.

This Will Be Challenging Sometimes

There will be times where you’re really challenged by this business. There will be a personality or a situation where you’re really not sure you mesh well. Not everything in the coaching business is rosy. Sure, sometimes you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world because everything will fall perfectly into place. But other times, you’ll be really tested. You have to trust in yourself and know that you have the skills to adapt and adjust. You’ll get better at this over time. The things you’ve gone through and the experience you have makes you ready for anything that happens.

Take a Step Back Sometimes

You can’t let yourself get overwhelmed. When you do, that’s the signal that it’s time to step back. You won’t have all the answers, instantly. But you are going to be flexible enough as a coach to admit that you’d like to try this, or that, or that you’re going to research or investigate something further.

Be Truthful About Your Path

Part of being a successful coach is admitting that you don’t have all the answers. By the same token, you can’t pretend your success and knowledge fell from the sky. A successful leader makes it clear to his coaching students that he or she has worked hard for success. Some “coaches” make it seem like luck and some coaches are too boastful and make it seem like they have all the answers. You don’t want to be either of those. Be truthful about your path— it will help.

Know That There Is Something Really Special about You

There’s a reason your coaching students are going to choose you over another coach. Maybe it’s that you have similar backgrounds or similar styles. Maybe it’s that there’s something about you they inherently trust. Maybe their friend can’t stop raving about you. Whatever it is, it might secretly shock you. If it does shock you, it might signal some self-esteem issues you might need to get over.

Actually, some of the most seemingly self-assured people in the world are actually really insecure, so you’re not alone. Still, work on it. Work on having confidence so strong others can sense it. This will help your business and it will help those you coach. You know your stuff and you know how to help the people you work with. No, you’re not guru #1— you’re you. And that’s exactly why people are going to hire you and not guru #1.

Be Able to Admit Your Weaknesses

As much as you should be able to talk yourself up to others and in your own mind, you should also be able to admit your own weaknesses. Your coaching students are very vulnerable when they come to you. It’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers. It’s refreshing, actually. Being able to admit you don’t know it all leaves the door open for you to explore and learn more. It makes you more human and more approachable. It makes you much more trustworthy because no one on this planet knows it all.

What does it mean to improve? How many steps will it take before it’s inevitable that you succeed? What will it take to earn more?

I find it always helps to have some kind of number in mind when you talk about improvement. Being specific is the best...

Now you’re all set to go. You’re ready to make waves and change lives as a coach. Only, you’re not sure how to get enough credibility so that someone will hire you. You know what your level of experience is. You know how much you can help and what you can do to inspire. But, no one else does. Sure, it’s easy enough for experienced coaches to get clients, but how can you get clients as a new coach with little visibility?

Become Known

One of the best ways to gain credibility is to release a book in your industry. You need to release something fairly groundbreaking that will get you a lot of notice. This might sound kind of intimidating. But, it’s really not at all. These days, you can quickly write a book and self-publish. Consider it a giant business card that can get you a lot of recognition and some easy clients.

Take a look at what’s already out there, both on Amazon and in the eBook space. Are there books written by well-respected consultants and coaches in your area of expertise? Buy their books and analyze their strategy. Take notes on what you like and what you think you can do better.

For your own book, brainstorm what you have to offer that no one else does. You want to write a book on a topic that will help you get a lot of interest but that’s unique at the same time. Basically, put a new spin on a hot topic. You’ll get the benefit of getting book sales outright.

In addition to the book sales, you’re going to sprinkle information about your coaching throughout. You’re going to do “soft sells” for the coaching throughout, with a harder sell, like to an opt in page for more information, at the end.

Writing and releasing a book does wonders for your credibility. You’ll be helping people who buy and read your book for information. You’ll also be getting your name out there as an established coach. You’ll also be getting yourself out there as an authority, even if people don’t actually buy your book. Just the fact that you have a book for sale does wonders for your authority.

Network

As a businessperson, you’ve likely built a network of customers, clients, and like-minded businesspeople already. You communicate with them on social media like Facebook and Twitter. You chat with them on Skype. You send emails back and forth and keep up with their LinkedIn updates. This is all wonderful— and you can make use of it all for your new coaching business.

That’s the first step— start planting seeds about your new coaching business on all of your existing networks. Sometimes, all you have to do is take advantage of the credibility you’ve already built up. Let people know what you’re up to and they will support you based on your great reputation.

If you don’t have any sort of online reputation, now is the time to start building one. It’s very important for you to network online, no matter which field you’re in. You have to get to know people and let them get to know you. Join Facebook and create a page for your brand. Also, join and create groups related to your area of interest. Share your expertise so you can become known as an authority. Join Twitter and LinkedIn to network. Build your blog and rub elbows with other experts in your niche. Get your associates to write guest blog posts for you, and return the favor for them.

The goal is to get your name and brand out there in any way you can, even when you’re in the early launching stages. Plant the seeds before you’re fully ready to launch and you’ll likely have clients lined up when you’re ready to accept them.

Be “Seen” With Others of Authority

People tend to trust those who are liked by others they trust. So let’s say they are fans of business guru #1, and you are liked by or endorsed by business guru #1. You’re a near shoe-in for success with your coaching business,

Today I’m going to discuss with you the key to joint ventures. I’ve had a lot of experience over the last year dealing with joint ventures and I’ve probably made more mistakes than anybody else when it comes to joint venturing, I’ve messed a lot of these up. But through trial and error I’ve kind of figured out the real world view of joint ventures, the stuff that I don’t hear other people talking about, and I’m going to give you some really practical applications. Typically everybody teaches the worst way to do joint ventures, so I’m going to teach you four more important and positive strategies for getting joint ventures to work, and you’re going to notice here that there aren’t some magic solutions, there’s a little bit of upfront work before you take it into account, but it’s worth it.

Why? Because joint ventures are the simplest and best way to get traffic. Typically, all things being equal, joint venture traffic converts higher than every other traffic especially if you pick the right joint venture partners. And it’s fast and you only pay in advertising costs a percentage of sales, so you only pay out of profit, you don’t risk anything. That’s why joint ventures are absolutely the best. A key focus for anybody who really wants to do well in internet marketing should be joint ventures.

For example, let me show you this. I met Steven Schwartzman in Austin, he’s a really cool guy I like him a lot, a good friend of mine now, and I met him at a seminar. He promoted my time management product to his list and the thing about this is, Steven doesn’t have a very big list - I think he has a couple of hundred people on his list - and the upfront sales weren’t that great, I think we sold 4 or 6 products, so it only made me about $80 or $90 on the joint venture itself.

However that’s not a problem because a person on his list was actually somebody that Steven writes copy for - Roger. And so Roger purchased my time management product through Steven and then Roger liked it. So then he promoted it to his list and somebody on his list was Martin Messier, so Martin Messier purchased it. So then Martin loved it so much that he emailed me, he was like “Jason can you give me a discount if I purchase everything you have?” I’m like, “I think that could be arranged Martin”. So Martin then went out and bought everything including a very high end coaching program for my copywriting class and so that’s a high ticket item that Martin bought from me.

Then in that class I discovered some really cool stuff that Martin was doing and I made an offer to do a joint venture with him on that and actually do a fifty-fifty business equity split where we create the communications and we create the product together and we split all the profits fifty-fifty, and that niche is probably going to be more lucrative than my business in the internet marketing niche.

So that one connection with Steven has the potential to make me over six figures, and probably over seven figures, over the next couple of years. And in real world numbers it’s made me at least $3000 in actual profits just knowing Steven, he’s a cool guy, and now I recommend people hire him for copywriting because of this joint venture. But it all started because I met Steven personally in Austin, then I hung out with him again in Philadelphia and he’s a real cool guy. So then that’s how this joint venture came about.

So the power of joint ventures here is that they snowball - he promotes it to somebody, that gets somebody on my list, they then promote it to somebody else who gets on my list, they then buy a lot of my products and then I talk to them personally because they’re a good client of mine and then I work with them on a business because he had a lot of good opportunities set up that I liked. That’s the power of joint ventures.

The Art of Joint Ventures - Create a Personal Relationship First

Now here’s the art of joint ventures (and it’s an art more than a science).