Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Davo on December 31, 2007, 09:35:39 am
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Its all about perception, how you see yourself and your business and more importantly how the customer sees you and your business.
A good example of this was a recent post regarding conservatory cleaning and in particular the vast difference in prices charged for the clean. One particular poster was met with replies of disbelief, that is until he demonstrated the prices he charged were being obtained, and just as importantly he was achieving good levels of new and repeat business.
Why was he able to charge more than the many other posters on that particular topic??
PERCEPTION.... His own perception of what the service he was offering was worth, other posters didnt agree, but he had belief in the value of what he was doing. He knew that if he could show his potential customers the value in the service that he provided then work would follow. Which leads onto the most important part of the perception of value.
THE CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION OF THE VALUE OF THE SERVICE YOU OFFER.
The customers perception of value is what really counts, this is created by many things, but they all work together to create what the customer thinks the service you offer is worth.
If, as a business, you can improve the customers perception of you and the service you offer then an increase in business WILL follow, the rates you charge WILL increase.
However that starts off with your own perception of yourself. Look at ways of changing the customers perception of you AS ONLY A WINDOW CLEANER, because unfortunately, as far as most customers are concerned, you are at, or near, the bottom of the pile.
If any members would like me to expand on the points I have mentioned then please let me know.
Have a prosperous 2008.
Mark
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Mark, its an interesting point you make and I agree to a fair extent that perception on both the service provider and the customer is important however I would also emphasise that there is a customer for every service.
I know of companies that will charge you €500 plus for gutter soffit and fascia cleaning, and their rational is that if they get two a week they are laughing all the way to the bank.
There is also the issue of competition, the greater the competition levels the better the customer knows what a particular type of service should cost them and the lower the chance you have of getting high prices.
The core point of valueing the service that you povide and not being afraid to charge decent prices is a good one and it is especially valid when it comes to niche areas like cons, gutters, etc IMO .
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Totally agree with your points. What I've found when working is that people don't get to see how you'll clean their windows until they've accepted the price, but are trusting you with access to their garden and even their house if they want the insides done. Having a clean, embroidered uniform; a signwritten van and looking smart and professional go a long way towards them saying yes.
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The most important thing you can give a customer is the knowledge that they can trust you 100%,if you can establish this you can charge what you like or there abouts.I in some cases charge a lot more than other WC`s and customers know this,but wouldn`t have anyone else bacause of the trust issue.If they can trust you and your reliable and you can do a good job you`ve ticked all the boxes.
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I think the trust element is 99% of the job especially if you're doing insides as well.
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I do loads of inside work and speaking to customers they say it`s all about trust,even when it`s just doing the outsides they need to know they can trust you,lots of different jobs i have keypad entry numbers and keys.
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You really are very good at this Mark, I agree totally and had similar thoughts about the Mick Hay thread. I don't charge or market as well as he does but it is a lesson learned. I very often charge about £40.
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So it's worth thinking about leaflets just for this.
My hot thing is very similar(perception) but did you notice the back lash.
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Its all about perception, how you see yourself and your business and more importantly how the customer sees you and your business.
A good example of this was a recent post regarding conservatory cleaning and in particular the vast difference in prices charged for the clean. One particular poster was met with replies of disbelief, that is until he demonstrated the prices he charged were being obtained, and just as importantly he was achieving good levels of new and repeat business.
Why was he able to charge more than the many other posters on that particular topic??
PERCEPTION.... His own perception of what the service he was offering was worth, other posters didnt agree, but he had belief in the value of what he was doing. He knew that if he could show his potential customers the value in the service that he provided then work would follow. Which leads onto the most important part of the perception of value.
THE CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION OF THE VALUE OF THE SERVICE YOU OFFER.
The customers perception of value is what really counts, this is created by many things, but they all work together to create what the customer thinks the service you offer is worth.
If, as a business, you can improve the customers perception of you and the service you offer then an increase in business WILL follow, the rates you charge WILL increase.
However that starts off with your own perception of yourself. Look at ways of changing the customers perception of you AS ONLY A WINDOW CLEANER, because unfortunately, as far as most customers are concerned, you are at, or near, the bottom of the pile.
If any members would like me to expand on the points I have mentioned then please let me know.
Have a prosperous 2008.
Mark
Mark.
You have got it bang on there. My own business has only improved since I started believing that the service I offer is quality. After all, I turn up year on year at regular intervals. The customers know I'm trustworthy. And, apart from a very rare complaint, they are happy with what I do for them. It may not sound a great deal to some, but when you consider that the percentage of people who start window cleaning but don't continue with it is in the high 90 per cents, it makes me realise that it is very much an acquired taste that most potential W/Cs don't like.
Just for persevering over the years makes us worth a much higher rate than the fly by nights. But persevering all year round, doing a decent job, and being reliable stands us out from the crowd,
Self esteem is the key though IMO. By that, I don't mean self inflated egotism. I mean a genuine belief that we deserve good businesses and the rewards that can bring.
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There is also the issue of competition, the greater the competition levels the better the customer knows what a particular type of service should cost them and the lower the chance you have of getting high prices.
I agree that alot of competition will drive down prices, which is even more reason to alter the customers perception of you and your business.
Move your business upwards away from your competitors, then you're not competing on a LIKE FOR LIKE basis.
Takes a bit of thinking about
Mark
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So it's worth thinking about leaflets just for this.
My hot thing is very similar(perception) but did you notice the back lash.
Yes you got "back lash" some posters on this forum are (being kind) quite negative. Comments such as ".....getting above your station..your ONLY a window cleaner". Comments that suggest that cleaning windows too regularly is "conning" customers. The general belief that earning good money is somehow disshonest. Doesnt make sense to me, however with a mind set that theyre ONLY window cleaners, it doesnt really suprise me.
They could be so much more. If thats how they perceive themselves then what do their customers see????.
Mark
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I think that Mark is spot on, total belief in the product/service allows the individual to sell a product or deliver a service.
I'm just going to use Squeaky as an example (sorry rog, it isn't a dig) We both work the same patch, or rather our patches overlap, I have a lot of very well paying accounts, I'm proud of the fact that I don't attempt to short change my customers (neither does Squeaky by the way), I'm thorough in the work I do. I'm quick and efficient too.
I make no claim to be perfect, I know full well that at times I'll leave spots behind, we all do, but the overall job is to a high standard.
I picked up one job that Squeaky once had, she moaned and groaned at Roger about hating WFP (he was still trad at the time).
For Roger it was a £20 job, when he tried to put it up she bluntly refused to accept it.
They have had an extension so there is more work now, but I'm charging her £85 and she accepted the price happily and was more than happy for me to WFP the lot.
Rog was telling me I'd better blade off the downstairs as she won't stand for it...she did of course.
I even tried to palm the job off on Squeaky, nagging him several times to go and give her a quote, but he'd already convinced himself it would be pointless, and when i told him the price he exclaimed that he'd have never got that much for it.
And he is probably right, she would have unconsciously picked up on the fact that he would be expecting knock backs, he would be defeated (even if he didn't realise it) before he'd even started.
We have all heard how Roger has had so many problems, has lost so much business, yet myself and Tosh have not had anything like the problems Roger has had, Tosh has only been going a few years and he has already had to sell a chunk of his round off because he had so much.
And since I converted to WFP the work has kept coming in, and I've done no canvassing whatsoever.
Roy Harding has a tremendous round, some incredibly well priced work and mostly residential, I was shocked when I learned his income level.
Over the last year or two, partly as a result of Knowing Roy, and what is possible my income and hourly rate has climbed a long way.
I have some accounts where up until the middle of last year my base rate was £8.00 per house, a new regiment is in there now and my base rate is now £12.00 for the smallest house, and they accept my prices without a qualm, even though I know that there is another guy charging less than the £8.00 I was charging before.
Perception, you truly do have to believe deep inside that you are worth every penny you charge, if you've made the change to WFP, then you also have to believe utterly in that too, I don't mean blind faith, you have to be aware of its shortfalls of course.
Squeaky has a great many negative thoughts, no end of you have picked up on that fact.
Roger would claim he is simply being honest, perhaps he is, but in Roger's case I can think of no other reason why he has so, so many problems, where others - myself included - have no such problems.
And I also have to stress, cos this might all seem like a dig at him, he always does a top job, there is nothing at all wrong with the quality of his work...I will of course take the credit for that...cos I trained him!! ;D 8)
If you make the mistake of trying to compete on price, then you will certainly drive prices down...your own prices that is, of course there is competition out there, and there is always someone who is willing to do it cheaper than you, that's always been the case.
This year I've now set myself new goals to be achieved by the end of 2008, and I think I will be in with a very good chance of achieving that goal too, and it is double the one I originally set myself when I went WFP, I've bypassed that goal a long time ago....
Ian
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A lot of truth in what you say there Ian (though I can't comment on the specific stuff about Rog as I've never met him).
I did a small thing today that ties in with what you wrote. It may not seem much but is is all tied in with what's being said about self perception. I have a job that I originally did trad before I went to WFP. I charge quite well for it and it used to take me an hour to an hour and five minutes. Inevitably, as I got used to WFP, I gradually knocked some time off the job. I even got it down to 25 minutes at one point but I'm more comfortable doing it in 30 - 35 minutes. It's just one of those jobs that are wonderfully suited to WFP. Anyway, the people are nearly always out but, on the rare occasions they are in, I did the job more slowly because at some level, I felt a bit guilty about earning so well from it. Anyway, I did it differently today. They were in. I did it in half an hour. No-one batted an eyelid.
Of course it's impossible to say but if:
a) I seemed unsure about WFP
b) I appeared short on confidence
c) turned up in a tatty old motor
or
d) was a scruff bag with my rear end hanging out of my trousers
perhaps they would perceive me differently and query my charges.
Perhaps they wouldn't - but I'm sure you get my drift.
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N
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We do pick on squeaky, but that is only because he is very honest in his posts. He is also very humourous and witty and argumentative. He was the big nemesis of WFP on here. That's why so many had so much to say when he came over. But Squeaky can always hold his end of an argument and does have some insights. (but not about business.)
Ians his friend in real life, so I suppose that's different.
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I really wasn't having a pop at Squeaks, but he was a good example to use with regards to self perception.
No doubt he would not agree with my observations, he is certainly confidant in what he does.
But I honestly cannot understand why he has had so many problems.
Look at most policemen, they often exude an aura of authority, I know the uniform helps them, but individually you feel they have that certain something.
Other people can be massively charismatic, they only have to walk in a room and you can feel it, they have an aura about them, they don't have to speak to you for you to feel it.
It may not necessarily be self perception as such, more perhaps a confidence in themselves, a belief in who and what they are, it shows in the way they carry themselves, the set of their shoulders and no end of others things I'm not bright enough to be able to see and point out!
I was once working at a paper mill when a major fire broke out, (I was a decorator at the time and had a major contract there) we were working on a tower and looking down at at people running around with faces slack jawed and wide eyed with panic.
But there was one guy, a foreman there who strode through everyone, and even at the distance we were at, you could feel a confidence in him as he controlled and organised things...
Enough musing, I need to be at work!
Ian
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Hi Folks,
Thanks for this thread :)
I've been thinking the same ::)
I have changed my perception of myself:
From; Dave the window cleaner
To; David Salkeld, Managing Director of D.Salkeld.Ltd Window Cleaning Business.
The main belief I have is:
I'M IN CHARGE!!!
I don't mean that in a belligerent way. This brings a higher responsibility as well as a higher perception of myself.
I have learned to listen to the advice around me then not be afraid to make the decisions myself.
I am blessed with a fantastic group of supporters around me. They don't always agree with me but they TRUST and love me.
Changing over to WFP has really challenged my belief in myself and given me the opportunity to prove, TO ME, just what I am capable of.
Now I am reaping the benefits:
Higher Income.
Praise from others (even those who didn't believe in WFP!)
You folks have, and are, a great help to me. I feel confident enough to offer help to others on here.
As for our good friend Squeaky. I totally agree with Ian. Obviously Ian knows Rog personally and has confirmed what I was thinking.
Squeaky seems to be too big headed to listen to advise and seems to have gone over to WFP for 2 reasons:
1. He thinks he can do his work lazier!
2. On here he can prove all what HE said about WFP is true ::)
I believe Rog is jealous of Ian and Tosh! And if he got his act together he could wipe the floor with the both of them ??? :o
Come on Squeaks. Have you got it in you!!
As Ian says; Not having a pop at Squeaks - just want him to enjoy the success we are enjoying ;)
Thanks
David
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Fabulous thread, this describes so much how my attitude to my career has altered gradually over time.
I was talking to a very close friend recently, about my mother, she abhores the fact that Im a window-cleaner, cant bear it, I dont believe she tells her friends what her son does for a living; anyway; I was bouncing this issue off this confidant recently about my mother, and he said 'Matt, you are a window-cleaner, true, but you are also the Managing Director of House and Garden Window Cleaning too'
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Fabulous thread, this describes so much how my attitude to my career has altered gradually over time.
I was talking to a very close friend recently, about my mother, she abhores the fact that Im a window-cleaner, cant bear it, I dont believe she tells her friends what her son does for a living; anyway; I was bouncing this issue off this confidant recently about my mother, and he said 'Matt, you are a window-cleaner, true, but you are also the Managing Director of House and Garden Window Cleaning too'
I once had a girlfriend who wouldn't tell her mother that I was a window cleaner. I hadn't been doing it very long at the time so I was driving one of those weird looking advertising wagons around to help with the income (it had a big canvas on either side advertising Superdrug). Anyway, she was so ashamed of what I did that she told her mother that I was in advertising ;D
Anyone want to guess how long that relationship lasted? ;D
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As usual you've all gone of on a totally unrelated tangent and ended up talking about yourselves/ourselves.Talk about self obsessed. Me, me and a bit more me This thread is about perception in the business sence, that someone, and I believe Mick Hay was the example, could target a niche' market by doing everything very professionally and attract a high volume of customers at prices nearly double what a lot of us charge and still leave customers with the perception that they had had very good value for money and that their conservatory returned to nearly new.
As we are doing bios though I have always been a winner, but have found w/c very difficult. Particulary at the start when I just went knocking doors to set up a test market. I was so embarrassed, and humbled by this, especially as I say I have already been successfull.For a long time my wife said I was playing at it, and thought I wasted far too much money on it.
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As usual you've all gone of on a totally unrelated tangent and ended up talking about yourselves/ourselves.Talk about self obsessed. Me, me and a bit more me
Well, we are ONLY window-cleaners afterall, surely you didnt expect anything intelligent?
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Its good that members can think about issues that can make a very real difference to how they run their business and ultimately earn their living.
It just strikes me as rather a shame that certain members dont contribute to threads that could DRAMATICALLY improve their business.
Why is that??
Are they too embarassed to ask questions, or is this "psycho babble" beneath them?
This topic forms the very basics of successful marketing, And every successful business knows the value of that.
Mark
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The physco babbles my favourite bit. I know what my unique selling proposition is, I know what my value and mission statements are too. I'm also very aware of my target market. When I design a leaflet I use a heirachy of benefits.
Does this make me better than any body else? I think so, yes.
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I am a real big believer in perception.
My ex hated me for it and still tells me to get a propper Job to pay the bills
Erm I still manage to pay the mortgage and for my children always on time and never without a proplem
In her eyes window cleaning is not a real job as we can choose when to do our work.
I am lucky enough to have unlimited texts with my phone and offer this as a service to customers to text them when i am doing there windows so the can leave me access to their propperties.
they leave garages open for me and keys in the back garden i lock up after and post the keys through the front door
I always try to look fairly smart and it has been commented on another perception
I was watching three young lads barrel out of a car the other day,
all only as i can describe as propper Chavey looking. you know baseball caps jog bottoms the lot.
I was quite content although I was also in a car to be climbing over a 400k house charging a lot of money knowing i looked the part and knowing i do a good job. (not that there work was not)
this has helped me increase my prices and my confidence when telling the customer why it is that price I charge.
The van will be next on my list but one step at a time
Over the last 4 moths I have picked up 30 customers a month and nearly all are in walking distance when I park my car.
Another thing is, people I used to work with are agast when I proudly say what I now do
They ask me if I am challenged anymore and do I not get bored.
I find this offencive but bite my tongue as I know I am my own boss I do as I please answer to me and will earn more than them when I am fully established
Many thanks to the people on here and other window cleaners I have Met to help me be like this.
Happy 2008
Regards J
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A lot of people have problems with the image of the job. This can have a corrosive effect over time. The popular perception of a window cleaner is a loser who couldn't handle a proper job. I can understand this and I have picked up the vibes on many occasions when talking to people. Its the "Oh, and what do you do?" then when you tell them there is a pause before they say something like "thats nice".
You have to overcome this. If you don't it will drag you down.
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So it's worth thinking about leaflets just for this.
My hot thing is very similar(perception) but did you notice the back lash.
Doesnt make sense to me, however with a mind set that theyre ONLY window cleaners, it doesnt really suprise me.
They could be so much more. If thats how they perceive themselves then what do their customers see????.
Mark
... and going around calling people 'upper class twits/toffs/snobs', and moaning about the 'class system' and the like is hardly going to endear you to get their custom. Hey, if you don't want it, I'll take it, thank you.
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As usual you've all gone of on a totally unrelated tangent and ended up talking about yourselves/ourselves.Talk about self obsessed. Me, me and a bit more me This thread is about perception in the business sence, that someone, and I believe Mick Hay was the example, could target a niche' market by doing everything very professionally and attract a high volume of customers at prices nearly double what a lot of us charge and still leave customers with the perception that they had had very good value for money and that their conservatory returned to nearly new.
As we are doing bios though I have always been a winner, but have found w/c very difficult. Particulary at the start when I just went knocking doors to set up a test market. I was so embarrassed, and humbled by this, especially as I say I have already been successfull.For a long time my wife said I was playing at it, and thought I wasted far too much money on it.
got to disagree with you in part as I think that with self perception you can only really highlight it with examples of your own experience and observation.
By getting your customers to believe in you you have to portray a whole host of things, much of which you are not going to be aware of as it will be subliminal.
There is the obvious stuff, smartly turned out, polite, perhaps the signed van and so on, and of course the quality of the work you carry out.
Much better the personalised invoices and stationary rather than a generic invoice or receipt pad from the local newsagent (er...I do use them as backup when I've forgotten to print out enough stationery :-[)
your self perception comes from inside of course, some have commented on how others might see them as 'just a window cleaner' lowest of the low on a par with road sweepers....
Well in our little town of Chepstow we have two road sweepers, the one is a road sweeper you may well get the impression he is in fact the lowest of the low.
The other is an intelligent man, well spoken and with a proud, confident demeanor, with him you get a totally different perception.
He is a man who understands the importance of the job he does.
To change yourself from the inside out is of course something that no end of american self help books are all about, and to a degree this forum does a similar thing.
You might read of someone else's experience, or several on a particular thread that will help fire you with enthusiasm and leave you eager to go out and practice the advice you have read.
When you have had a downer, feel the world is against you, you may well share your 'bad day' on here, and your spirits will be lifted and your confidence restored by the many helpful replies you will receive.
although I have been a window cleaner for 25 years, and thought I knew all there was to possibly know about window cleaning, I've learned so much on here and over the last 3 or 4 years it has enabled me to change my perspective and as a result my 'self perception' or 'self belief', and this of course get unconsciously transfered outwardly to my customers.
I cannot say it has been a deliberate conscious thing I have done, but as I look back over the last 3 years or so I can see the change for myself, and I only have to look at my business now to see the very real and tangible evidence.
For over 20 years I basically kept my head above water, never really had much, just made a living...but it is bloody different now....
Ian
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Yes after I'd castigated everyone for talking about themselves I proceeded to ramble on about myself. You have some good insights Ian, but the nuts and bolts are no matter how much you personally believe in yourself if my leaflets(marketing) are better, and my hot system better(and it is) and more appealing I will get more customers than you.
The fundamental reason your life turned around is WFP and it's benefits. You were given a chance, and you took it. Had it come early in your life you may well have been prime minister by now with squeaks as home secretary.
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Yes after I'd castigated everyone for talking about themselves I proceeded to ramble on about myself.
Yes I noticed that too ;D
I decided that sometimes it's better to sit on my hands rather than type with them.
I had to make WFP work. I was in debt and struggling to pay it. I borrowed some more to set up WFP. For me, WFP was like Custer's last stand. Looks like Custer is going to win this time.
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You deserve a bit of good luck mate. You invested in yourself and it worked. The next time you face an investment decision remember that.
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If an investment is not going to benefit you and your family you wouldn`t invest would you,you went through the worrying period and came through it and it sounds like it`s working for you,well done onwards and upwards,it only gets better in my experience happy 2008.
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Disagree. The sooner you stop dithering and get a hot system the better nwh. You decide which one and how much. Immediate benefit to family is another matter. In the case of who we were talking about, I believe he has had a raw deal from childhood on which includes religous stricture, family rift,serious illness, and maritals.(this only my take and probably completly wrong) This can sap confidence, but it is a fact that when he invested in himself it worked, and there is a high probability it would work again.
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I agree with you lol,have you got out of the wrong side of the bed. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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No did I come over as snappy. I was trying not to be a know all by poking my nose into your biz,(and shiners life)but it is better to make a decision.
Lpg on demand is way better than diesel on both performance and cost.
Diesel is better on safety.
As far as I know there has never been a post on here from a concept 02 user, or any other successfull lpg system user. There are two uk makers of heaters rinnai with it's infinity series and morco. The top ones have powered flues and do not need outside ventilation. The cheaper ones do, are simpler, but have a pilot light which the top ones don't.
Diesel is expensive, about six pounds a day to run(please put me right on this if you know better). You can use red but who wants a 1000l tank in their back garden.
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Disagree. The sooner you stop dithering and get a hot system the better nwh. You decide which one and how much. Immediate benefit to family is another matter. In the case of who we were talking about, I believe he has had a raw deal from childhood on which includes religous stricture, family rift,serious illness, and maritals.(this only my take and probably completly wrong) This can sap confidence, but it is a fact that when he invested in himself it worked, and there is a high probability it would work again.
Sounds vaguely familiar ;D though I'm sure there are plenty of people that such things can apply to.
Not wanting to sound like a psychobabbler but the key phrase for me is:-
We are not responsible for the hand we are dealt but we ARE responsible for the way we play it.
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I use to be very quiet and shy as a schoolchild.
I joined the army and all that changed.
I am now very confident and not afraid to stand in a room full of total strangers and give a speech about anything absolutely daft just for the hell of it. I am the type of person that would start a team conversation going in a room full of quiet strangers who are too afraid to make the first move, too afraid to make a sound. Why, because it's second nature to me now. I don't even have to think about it because it just comes naturally because once I start talking, you'd have a hard time shutting me up :) I greet people with a firm handshake, look them directly in the eyes and my body language is open to their space as I don't feel threatened.
I run my window cleaning as a business and try my hardest not to let personal grievences with some awkward customers get the better of me. I am proud of what I do, I enjoy my job and it allows me to live a reasonably comfortable life with flexible working hours. I am fortunate that I have 2 trades to fall back on, however I am happy cleaning windows and have no intentions on falling back on my other trades because I have the confidence and self belief in what I do and wouldn't want to change it for anything regardless of what other people may perceive of my job ;)
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Dear Clive,
There is a specific element of Entrepreneurial Success that most business owners never truly grasp and as a result, never come close to creating the financial results that they desire.
It relates to their ability to take Action. Every Entrepreneur I've met, with a net worth of more than one million pounds has an ability to take consistent, large scale action at a level that leaves most of the people around them exhausted.
The extent to which you are able to cultivate this focus on action, is going to be directly related to your income and profits as your business grows.
There are three key principles here:
1 Getting access to the knowledge and information that you need to become a highly successful Entrepreneur is no longer an issue. Whether you choose to get that knowledge from me or someone else, the strategies for creating rapid Entrepreneurial success are clear. The issue is whether people take action on that knowledge. One of the biggest barriers I see to success is people hesitating and procrastinating. Defeating that hesitation and taking massive (but always low risk action) is both liberating and financially rewarding.
2 This is the key one: We've been conditioned to take action 'sequentially' meaning one step after another. For example, this month I'll write a new sales letter, next month I'll hire an assistant, the month after that I'll sort out my website" etc. 'Sequential' action is considerably better than nothing but the ultra successful are obsessed with 'simultaneous' action. Simultaneous action means that you start taking action in all the key areas as soon as you decide it's an action worth taking. So you start doing things in several areas at the same time. You ignore all the excuses for not taking such action, get the ball rolling and then deal with the results. Be warned - those results may include an element of chaos. But it's out of that type of chaos that most Entrepreneurial greatness emerges. You won't find that strategy in the business books but when you talk to successful Entrepreneurs it's how they do it, almost without exception.
3 Once you develop the Action habit, the next step is being very focused on which Actions are worth focusing on. Most of the drudge that fills up peoples' week is a highly ineffective use of their time. People use the 'too busy' excuse to avoid taking important actions (such as implementing new Marketing and Internet Marketing strategies.) But the problem often is not that they're busy. It's that they are busy doing ineffective things. Realise that there are a handful of actions you take or could be taking every week, that are probably ten times more effective and profitable than everything else you do.
Focus on doing more of these and doing whatever it takes to 'delete' the ineffective uses of your time and you'll see a direct impact on your profits.
On the subject of Action, if you've not yet taken me up on my Free gift of my Six CD set 'Essential Profit Strategies' and two months Free membership of my VIP Inner Circle, that's definitely an action worth taking. I'll send the CDs to you and share with you the most effective profit strategies I know. Your Free gift from me is here:
http://www.yourbusinesssuccess.co.uk/sign-up
As someone once said: "He who hesitates is lost" Your Free gift is here:
http://www.yourbusinesssuccess.co.uk/sign-up
Best wishes
Chris Cardell
A very special gift from Chris Cardell. The six CD set 'Essential Profit Strategies' plus two month's membership of Chris's VIP Inner Circle. Get your Free gift from Chris here: http://www.yourbusinesssuccess.co.uk/sign-up
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Um, is this still the windowcleaning forum? Bit deep for me man.
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Dear Clive,
There is a specific element of Entrepreneurial Success that most business owners never truly grasp and as a result, never come close to creating the financial results that they desire.
It relates to their ability to take Action. Every Entrepreneur I've met, with a net worth of more than one million pounds has an ability to take consistent, large scale action at a level that leaves most of the people around them exhausted.
The extent to which you are able to cultivate this focus on action, is going to be directly related to your income and profits as your business grows.
There are three key principles here:
1 Getting access to the knowledge and information that you need to become a highly successful Entrepreneur is no longer an issue. Whether you choose to get that knowledge from me or someone else, the strategies for creating rapid Entrepreneurial success are clear. The issue is whether people take action on that knowledge. One of the biggest barriers I see to success is people hesitating and procrastinating. Defeating that hesitation and taking massive (but always low risk action) is both liberating and financially rewarding.
2 This is the key one: We've been conditioned to take action 'sequentially' meaning one step after another. For example, this month I'll write a new sales letter, next month I'll hire an assistant, the month after that I'll sort out my website" etc. 'Sequential' action is considerably better than nothing but the ultra successful are obsessed with 'simultaneous' action. Simultaneous action means that you start taking action in all the key areas as soon as you decide it's an action worth taking. So you start doing things in several areas at the same time. You ignore all the excuses for not taking such action, get the ball rolling and then deal with the results. Be warned - those results may include an element of chaos. But it's out of that type of chaos that most Entrepreneurial greatness emerges. You won't find that strategy in the business books but when you talk to successful Entrepreneurs it's how they do it, almost without exception.
3 Once you develop the Action habit, the next step is being very focused on which Actions are worth focusing on. Most of the drudge that fills up peoples' week is a highly ineffective use of their time. People use the 'too busy' excuse to avoid taking important actions (such as implementing new Marketing and Internet Marketing strategies.) But the problem often is not that they're busy. It's that they are busy doing ineffective things. Realise that there are a handful of actions you take or could be taking every week, that are probably ten times more effective and profitable than everything else you do.
Focus on doing more of these and doing whatever it takes to 'delete' the ineffective uses of your time and you'll see a direct impact on your profits.
On the subject of Action, if you've not yet taken me up on my Free gift of my Six CD set 'Essential Profit Strategies' and two months Free membership of my VIP Inner Circle, that's definitely an action worth taking. I'll send the CDs to you and share with you the most effective profit strategies I know. Your Free gift from me is here:
http://www.yourbusinesssuccess.co.uk/sign-up
As someone once said: "He who hesitates is lost" Your Free gift is here:
http://www.yourbusinesssuccess.co.uk/sign-up
Best wishes
Chris Cardell
A very special gift from Chris Cardell. The six CD set 'Essential Profit Strategies' plus two month's membership of Chris's VIP Inner Circle. Get your Free gift from Chris here: http://www.yourbusinesssuccess.co.uk/sign-up
loved reading that post ;D
did you also do amway?
I love this sort of thing, magic of thinking big is my 1st choice of book to read.
Happy new year all
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Mr Solubility that was a good post and worth the read,i have read such books in the past and they all aim towards the chaos factor you mentioned,some say that being able to handle the chaos bit or (stress) as others would put it is the key factor.How many times do you here people say i don`t want the stress of it,i know i`ve done it myself in the past and it`s one of those things i`m trying to eliminate from my life-mind,it`s a bit like taking on a big morgage where`s in the outset you worry like mad about the payments but you find as time goes by the stress-worry gets smaller and you start to wonder why you worried in the first place.As they say you just have to jump in and give it a go or you`ll never know.
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Mr Solubility that was a good post and worth the read,i have read such books in the past and they all aim towards the chaos factor you mentioned,some say that being able to handle the chaos bit or (stress) as others would put it is the key factor.How many times do you here people say i don`t want the stress of it,i know i`ve done it myself in the past and it`s one of those things i`m trying to eliminate from my life-mind,it`s a bit like taking on a big morgage where`s in the outset you worry like mad about the payments but you find as time goes by the stress-worry gets smaller and you start to wonder why you worried in the first place.As they say you just have to jump in and give it a go or you`ll never know.
thats another good one.
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Its good that members can think about issues that can make a very real difference to how they run their business and ultimately earn their living.
It just strikes me as rather a shame that certain members dont contribute to threads that could DRAMATICALLY improve their business.
Why is that??
Are they too embarassed to ask questions, or is this "psycho babble" beneath them?
This topic forms the very basics of successful marketing, And every successful business knows the value of that.
Mark
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Its good that members can think about issues that can make a very real difference to how they run their business and ultimately earn their living.
It just strikes me as rather a shame that certain members dont contribute to threads that could DRAMATICALLY improve their business.
Why is that??
Are they too embarassed to ask questions, or is this "psycho babble" beneath them?
This topic forms the very basics of successful marketing, And every successful business knows the value of that.
Mark
and that post is top of the table at the moment, every business has do do marketing in one way or another, many people on here will read this post many dont post because they dont know how, some just dont want to and some may think they are better than us! (you are not by the way :P ), each to there own I say. if anything posted on here helps just one person then that is a valid post IMO, I try and help where I can, I also take a bit of stick which I love ;D
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I`d rather give stick,taking it makes me cringe lol. :-* :-* :-*
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I`d rather give stick,taking it makes me cringe lol. :-* :-* :-*
i didnt mean that type of stick lol