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Tuesday, 15 November 2011 18:51

How Students Make or Break Businesses

Students have always been big customers for many businesses. However, with the rise of the technological era, getting sales from these students is becoming harder and harder. Young people from high school to master's degree programs know exactly what they want, and with the Internet at their fingertips they're more willing to reach companies online than go out of the way to do business with anyone else. Unless you want to exclude students from your customer base (which few businesses can afford) you have to learn how to use the Internet to your advantage, and nothing does that better than social media.

Since the advent of services like MySpace, FaceBook, and Twitter, the majority of students have become a deluge of socially networked users. Social media give them ways to keep with the second-to-second and minute-to-minute dealings of friends, family, and even businesses. Many students connect with businesses online through these services, if only just to know when they are having sales or updating their product lists.

If this sounds like an opt-in mailing list, it should, because it basically is. Few marketing materials have the same power as a simple social networking page. Students can find these pages very easily, so you don’t have to worry about search engines mucking up your rankings. Failing to take advantage of this marketing method is like pulling all your commercials, stopping the mailed postcards, refusing to send e-mail, and erasing all your newspaper and radio ads. Doesn’t sound very smart, does it?

When you use social media to reach students, you can't be timid. That doesn't mean you have to be brazen about everything, but have some confidence in what you're saying. Speaking of which, what should you be saying? This is the problem many businesses have at first, because they aren't used to reaching out to students as a particular class of customers. Talk about what's going on inside the business, share a funny story, mention discounts, or talk about that new product launching in a few days.

Also, always reach out to the students and ask them to comment back. Nothing is worse than a post with absolutely no comments. Even if other readers think the post is interesting, they may dismiss it because no one is saying anything. It’s like having a commercial that everyone watches but no one responds to. Of course the number of comments your business' posts receive depends a lot on how many customers have connected with your social media presence. On the other hand, keep in mind that more comments may lead to more followers as other users see what their friends are commenting on.

Always add a small something at the bottom of your post to invite comment or interaction. Oftentimes opinionated students are more likely to take you up on this invitation than other kinds of customers.

Building up a social media page to help your image and connect with students is a great idea sure to help you build a list of loyal customers. The time investment to maintain a social media presence is quite minimal, but the payoff for businesses is immense. The investment is most worth the effort when you target your social media use, and in doing so it's critical to keep in mind that students are the prime users of social media and your most receptive audience.

Provided by Guest Blogger Cyndi Laurenti - While she figures out her next career move, Cyndi Laurenti works as an online writer and editor. Her primary interests are education, technology, and how to combine them. She enjoys the trees and beaches of the pacific northwest, and looking things up on other people's iPhones.

Monday, 07 November 2011 12:27

Why has social media become so huge?

We know social media has taken off like wildfire. Ten years ago if you’d even said the phrase “social media” you would have gotten funny looks. But today’s it’s a fundamental part of our everyday lives. Why is that? Here are six reasons why social media has become so huge:

  1. Social media is fast. The internet gives us a means to exchange information more quickly than we ever thought imaginable before. Social media combines fast information exchange with human influence. There’s no longer a need to wait for news reporters to gather and prepare information. Everyone with a smart phone and a Twitter account can become the “eyes on the ground” providing minute-by-minute updates when news is breaking.
  2. Cultures are shifting. In the world, there is good and there is bad. As our access to the knowledge of both increases, so does our desire to be aware of the very best and the very worst—and to give our opinion of both. Sharing of opinion is something mankind has done since cave man days, but never has it been so easy to share with so many, so fast.
  3. Driven by Generations X and Y. The baby boomers’ kids, and their kids. If you were born after 1975 in a civilized environment, there’s a pretty good chance you use the internet. And if you’re an internet user in that age range, there’s a really big chance you use social media. And social media is built in such a way that using it drives it to grow. Sharing pictures of a party, posting to your blog, making a statement through a video or just gossiping in your Facebook status all drive social media and fuel its ongoing success.
  4. Create a new you. Call it a benefit or call it a drawback, but social media gives everyone the ability to define themselves and to promote that identity widespread. Create your own “place” in life. What’s “class” when even the poorest people can be trendsetters and tastemakers thanks to social media. On the flip side, those who are famous, rich and powerful can suddenly and safely interact with those perched on less tall pedestals.
  5. Social media makes money. Facebook generated $2 billion in revenue last year.  Twitter made $45 million.  LinkedIn netted $4.5 million in profit in its last quarter alone.
  6. Social media is new. We like to try new things, and as a society we were ready for social media. The timing was right you might say. Television was getting old, and books… what are those? The bar scene’s bland and three-way calling never really caught on. We were ready for something new. Social media means mass interaction that’s super-fast and far-reaching.

Have I missed something? Are there other factors? Or, do you disagree with some of my rationale? Please share your comments!


Daniel Mark Wheaton
is an Internet and Mobile Marketing Consultant with Flipside Marketing. He is a self-taught internet guru with a background in journalism who’s been dabbling in web design and online marketing since 2000. He enjoys showing small businesses ways they can reach out to new customers and build relationships with their existing customers using the internet and mobile technology.

Thanks

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by Daniel Mark Wheaton, Flipside Marketing

Wednesday, 25 May 2011 00:04

The Phone's Ringing...

The phone’s ringing and you know there’s a reporter on the other end of the line. How you handle the call that can be the beginning of a mutually beneficial ormutually rotary_phoneantagonistic relationship?

The good news is that the choice is, largely, yours and there are a few simple things you can do to make it a good one.

  1. Understand the role of the media: Journalists and editors take their role as public watchdog, advocates, gatekeepers and recorders very seriously. You should respect that.
  2. Understand that the media operate in an environment of information overload just like the rest of us. In addition, news outlets are going out of business and there are fewer reporters to cover increasing volumes of news.
  3. Know your role: If you want to be part of the conversation, you have to provide good service to the reporter. Find out their deadlines, know what they want from you and deliver clear, accurate information on time.
  4. Be honest. Don’t lie, tell half-truths, make up an answer when you don’t know what the answer is, exaggerate, make false claims. The truth is usually found out and not only will you look like an idiot, you will have killed your credibility with reporter and the public. If you don’t know something but have access to the information, offer to get it and then do so – before the reporter’s deadline!
  5. Don’t feel that you have to take a reporter’s questions the second the call comes in. Take at least a few minutes to prepare and be sure to ask questions that will help you to prepare properly. Find out when the deadline is, the story topic and angle, ask what the reporter is looking for from you and who else is being interviewed. Schedule a time to do the interview whether it be in 10 minutes or two hours, then gather your information, jot down two or three simple points that you want to be sure to make and you’re ready to go. Feel free to keep your notes handy and refer to them as needed.

If you’re looking for other pointers on media relations, visit www.SeventhEstatePR.com/blog or check out the Top 10 Dos and Don’ts Lists that reporter Alison DeLory and I recently presented to a third-year PR class.

If you have any questions about media relations, I’m happy to answer them.

Colleen

colleen_edited_from_group_at_picnic_tableColleen Gareau has 20 years experience providing public relations services to public, private and non-profit sector clients. She was a senior consultant on the overhaul of Canada’s pension systems, created the national communication department for the RCMP and developed and implemented the first communication programs for the Force as well as organizations within Health Canada and at the Nova Scotia Public Service Commission.  She has handled public affairs at a natural disaster site, led a crisis communication team, and provided advice to senior officials on highly sensitive issues.  Colleen taught the public relations program at Eastern College for two years and launched her carbon-neutral company, The Seventh Estate Public Relations Group, last year. She was a recipient of the 2011 Halifax Regional Municipality Volunteer Award.



Public relations professionals regularly deal with people’s perceptions – how individuals see a particular situation and figuring out how to deal with their reactions.

Anyone who has ever had an argument with someone knows that we don’t all see things the same way.

Customer perceptions about the service you provide have a big impact on your business, but not all service issues can be dealt with by addressing someone’s point of view.

woman_at_cash_registerPerceptions of service

A friend of mine owns a family restaurant and received an email from a customer complaining that she had been told to sit at a table (rather than being escorted there) and had then been told that all the menus were being used and would have to wait for one. She was quite put out, feeling that she had been dealt with poorly.

What is your view? Had she been treated badly?

The situation in which it happened was that it took place at the height of Sunday brunch rush. There was a line-up of people waiting to be seated and another line-up of people waiting to pay their bills. The hostess had gone to seat a table and the owner was stuck at the cash register. When the owner noticed a clean and vacant table, she told the customer that she could seat herself rather than continue to stand and wait for the hostess to return. Two tables of 20 had also come in, using up the last of the menus. The customer was informed of this and told that one would be brought to her as quickly as possible.

Does that change your view of the situation? Had the customer been treated badly?

Whether you think she was or she wasn’t, the point is that under the circumstances, her complaint could be seen as reasonable or unreasonable depending upon one’s point of view.

When it’s not about perception


Not all customer service complaints are about perception. I bet you can think of a few instances when you have received poor service that was just that – poor.

Visiting a service centre for a company and having staff tell you they aren’t equipped to deal with your issue, for example, is just plain annoying.

Going to a store to return a previous purchase and being told that only the manager can deal with refunds and the manager isn’t there, is irritating.

Phoning a company to seek advice only to be met with one-syllable answers is maddening.

Four factors of customer service

In my view, most customer service failings are due to four things.

The first is the company’s culture. If poor service is tolerated by a manager, staff will see poor service as being the norm.

The second is lack of training. If staff isn’t trained to do the job properly, they are bound to deliver poor service.

The third factor in poor service has to do with not providing employees with the tools they need to do their jobs. A hair dryer that doesn’t heat up at the salon or dial-up Interac machines that are connected to the business’s phone-line (and are therefore slow and often cut out when a call comes in during a transaction) are two examples. People need proper tools to do their jobs satisfactorily.

The last is lack of trust or empowerment. If managers don’t allow staff to do what’s needed, service suffers. Rules that stop employees from assisting a customer complete a transaction is going to result in unhappy customer. The example of not being able to handle a refund as mentioned above is one good example. Another would be visiting the local store of a national chain and having to deal with part of the transaction locally and having to call to the national office to do the rest.

Your customer service

How important is customer service to you and your business?

It’s critical, isn’t it?

If you haven’t thought about it lately, maybe it’s time to give some thought to your customer service. When customers complain, is it their perception that they have been given bad service or is it reality?

Does your business have the culture, tools, training and empowerment necessary to ensure your customers have the best experience possible?

If not, what can you do to put these things in place?

(I am not, by the way, suggesting that customers who perceive bad service should be ignored. Quite the contrary. Their complaint must be handled appropriately and with a view to keeping them as your loyal customers.)

If you have employees, one good place to begin is with a team meeting. Ask them about customer service. Discuss what you want your clients to think about your service and find out whether staff has what’s needed to deliver.

You might be surprised at what they tell you.

Colleen

colleen_edited_from_group_at_picnic_tableColleen Gareau is the principal of The Seventh Estate Public Relations Group, a carbon-neutral, goal-focused communication firm in Halifax, NS. She created the communication branch at the RCMP and the first employee communication programs for a branch of Health Canada, and had a planning role in media relations for the 2011 Canada Games. Seventh Estate PR specializes in public relations counsel, communication strategy and implementation, internal communication, media relations, social media, change communication, training and facilitation, writing and editing, and website advice. Seventh Estate PR publishes PR to Go each Monday and Wednesday. Please visit http://www.seventhestatepr.com/ for more information.

 

In December, I wrote a post on what you should expect from your PR person. I’m following up on that today with a few thoughts about what your PR person should be able to expect from you.

Honesty:

Don’t make claims about your product, service, experience or company that aren’t true. I have had two clients who made false claims. Neither are clients anymore.

The first claimed their line of leather products were made from Inuit seal hides when the items were made using seal hides from Newfoundland. I am not making a moral judgment about either, but you can’t market something using a specific cultural reference when it’s a lie. Just imagine the position I was in when, at a trade conference in Yellowknife, I was faced with questions about why this company wasn’t buying sealskin from Inuit hunters.)

The second was a client selling a luxury good. She insisted she was the sole Canadian distributor of this item. It seemed far-fetched to me and so, over the course of three meetings and a number of emails, I pushed for clarification. She finally admitted that others carried the product, but that she was the manufacturer’s recommended distributor. Quite a difference.

How can a trust relationship develop – and there must be one to be successful – if your consultant can’t be sure of what you’re telling him? What if your consultant were to claim an expertise she didn’t have?

Exactly.

handshakeRespect:

It won’t come as a surprise to you that good relationships are based on respect. It’s just as true in business relationships as it is in friendships. The most common ways clients disrespect consultants, in my experience, is by wasting time and misrepresenting their intentions.

Your consultant’s time is as valuable as yours. Meetings, phone calls, texts, emails all take up limited time. There is no question that you must have good communication with your consultant and should be able to contact you’re her/him as frequently as a project requires. (It can be numerous times a day, for example, before a special event or once-a-week on a longer-term research project.) Once discussions have been had, however, decisions have been reached and you’ve reviewed your decisions – let it go. Calling your consultant nightly or over the weekend to discuss anything that isn’t urgent isn’t the basis for a good relationship. I once had a client who called me almost nightly for two to two-and-a-half hour rants about the difficulties of her project. She invariably called during the dinner hour and on Sunday afternoons. Her rants had nothing to do with communication, I might add, she just needed an outlet. I finally started to bill her for these calls. As you can imagine, they ate away at the budget quickly – a situation that was satisfying to neither of us. (Yes, I did tell her in advance.)

This brings me to the second issue: intentions.

In the same way that a consultant couldn’t ask you to renovate her bathroom and not pay when the job is done, don’t waste consultation hours with the announcement that you have no budget and “just wanted someone to tell you what you should be doing.” Most PR people are happy to answer a few questions over the phone. I know I am. I am less happy about driving out to a meeting location, perhaps paying for parking and picking up the tab for refreshments, chatting about your communication issue and discovering that you have no intention of hiring me – or anyone.

Ability to make timely decisions:

You should be prepared to make decisions as required. “No kidding,” you may be thinking to yourself. If you are, that’s because you haven’t taken on a client who is incapable of making decisions when they are needed to move a project forward. Not only does this waste time, but can cost you in the form of missed opportunity. One client, for example, vacillated on an advertising opportunity and missed out on a once-a-year vehicle that would directly reach her target audience. It was a tactic that she had agreed to in the plan that we were implementing, but when the time arrived, she couldn’t make the final decision on time so the deadline was missed.

Final words:

I believe that the Golden Rule is a good one in business relationships and one that both clients and service providers must employ. Ultimately, you and your consultant are in this together. You should have a partnership in achieving the results you want for your business.

I’d love to hear what your experiences with your clients or customers have been. Have you run into any of the above?

All the best,

Colleen

colleen_edited_from_group_at_picnic_tableColleen Gareau is the principal of The Seventh Estate Public Relations Group, a carbon-neutral, goal-focused communication firm in Halifax, NS. She created the communication branch at the RCMP and the first employee communication programs for a branch of Health Canada, and had a planning role in media relations for the 2011 Canada Games. Seventh Estate PR specializes in public relations counsel, communication strategy and implementation, internal communication, media relations, social media, change communication, training and facilitation, writing and editing, and website advice. Seventh Estate PR publishes PR to Go each Monday and Wednesday. Please visit http://www.seventhestatepr.com/ for more information.

By W. Lau, who is interested in obtaining a forensic science education and has written about the ins and outs of attending a sonogram technician school.

Social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, are growing in popularity as a job hunter's resource. LinkedIn has more than 85 million professional users signed up to its site. A greater number of recruiters are also relying on social networking sites to find job candidates.

We know that one of the most effective methods to find a job candidate is through direct referrals from employees. Another method is through networking, which is what social networking sites, like LinkedIn, allow you to do.

So, is signing up with LinkedIn's basic account good enough for job hunting or is there value in paying LinkedIn for premium service?

The major differences between a LinkedIn Basic and a LinkedIn Premium account

  • InMails: With InMails, a LinkedIn user is provided an allocated number of opportunities to send private messages to contacts that are not part of their network. This feature is advantageous when you want to contact a recruiter or HR contact that you have no other means to contact. Premium accounts include 3 to 50 InMails per month depending on the premium account you select.

  • Profile Search Results: Premium accounts afford more search results. The premium account offer 300 to 700 results per search, compared to 100 results per search with the basic account.

  • Profile Organizer: This feature provides you an allocated number of folders so that you can organize notes on particular contacts. Premium accounts include 5 to 25 folders depending on the premium account you select.

Whether you choose to maintain a basic account or spend and obtain a premium account with LinkedIn, if it helps you secure a job, the money you spend to upgrade your account will pay for itself. However, even if you don't upgrade to a premium account, LinkedIn offers many features that add value to your job hunt to help you get hired.

LinkedIn feature benefits for job hunters

  • Recruiters Can Find You: A complete profile ensures you are part of recruiters' search results. Completely fill out your profile to enhance your profile visibility in search results. Adding key search terms within your profile that recruiters may use to find candidates will also improve your visibility.

  • Networking Opportunities: Your network of contacts can help connect you to the right people for job opportunities, job advice and more. A premium account will also open opportunities for you to make direct contact with HR contacts and recruiters at companies of interest to you.

  • Recommendations: Your contacts may write you recommendations, which HR contacts and recruiters can view from your profile to help better qualify you as a job candidate.

While LinkedIn offers an opportunity to be social and network, keep in mind that this particular networking site is meant for professional networking. All information, photos and links you post to your profile should continue to project a professional persona. You never know whether an HR contact or recruiter is viewing your profile. Even if you are job hunting through some other means, more and more employers are conducting audits of potential candidate through social networking sites to see if there is any information or impression they find that can help disqualify you for a position.



Part-time blogger A. Matthews has an online accounting degree and is enrolled in other courses online to improve his education and strengthen his resume.

Like an artist critiquing their work, any good blogger must be able to step back and objectively take a look at their blog. A good blogger can look at their work, both individually and as a whole, and think hard on what is working and what is not, and more importantly, what is attracting readers and what is driving them away. Remember, a blog is not for the writer; it's for the people currently reading, the people you want to be reading, and hopefully, the advertisers who are going to pay you to write. Looking at your own work objectively is not always easy, so here is an Objectivity Checklist to get you started.

 

  • Do you entries have catchy "hooks?" Web surfers are notoriously fickle. If they are not grabbed immediately, they will turn their attentions elsewhere in a matter of seconds. Therefore, it is essentially that blog posts begin with catchy "hook" lines to "hook" the reader into reading the rest. Make opening sentences dynamic, exciting, surprising, controversial -- basically any action verb that will entice others to read on.
  • Are your post titles just as catchy? This may be even more important to grabbing the reader's attention than "hook" sentences. Titles appear in bigger letters and should sum up the post's subsequent content, but do so in a manner that makes the viewer want to read in the first place. Also, if titles can have searchable terms even better. More often than not, the terms used in a post's title will be what shows up in search engine searches and drive traffic towards that specific post, and the site in general.
  • Are paragraphs short and scannable? Notice how in newspapers and magazines paragraphs always consist of just a few short, concise sentences? That's because most readers are going to turn the page if they see at first glance what looks like a college-level essay. Same goes for your blog: visitors are going to click away if the task of reading a post looks too daunting. Break up posts into bite-size chunks that allow readers to quickly scan the article for the pieces of information they want.
  • Is your blog readable? Is the content of the posts presented front and center, and is it done so in a way that makes for easy reading? Or is it chock full of Flash video, ads, and GIFs? If the latter, you need to redesign your blog. Appearance is everything and a blog needs to be attention-grabbing, but even more so it needs to clean, concise, and readable. Clean it up and have some close friends take a look for more feedback.
  • Would you want to read your blog? Ah, there's a doozie, but it's the most important question you can ask yourself. Think hard on whether the writing is engaging and informative, and whether the subject matter will appeal to more than an audience of one. Decide whether the blog needs a redesign to look more professional. Think on whether your blog can move up to the big leagues and start earning an income.

Wednesday, 01 December 2010 12:36

PR Budgeting

Hello Activ8 Blog Readers:

It’s a pleasure for me to be with you as a guest-blogger on Lynne’s blog. I’m always happy to reach out to anyone interested in public relations – it’s an area that isn’t only my business but my passion.

I hope to hear back from you on your thoughts about what can be a polarizing topic: public relations and the difference between good and lousy service.

It’s a particular soapbox of mine. I see, far too often, the budgets of small- and medium-sized businesses (big business too, but they can usually afford the loss) being squandered on some silly publicity campaign or other communication project that won’t pay off for them.

Let me tell you what to look for so your communication budget isn’t blown.

First, please believe that you need PR. Yes, I am biased. It’s how I make my living, after all. But you wouldn’t accuse a dentist of being self-serving were she to tell you to get twice-yearly check-ups, would you?

A good public relations program helps create a positive environment where potential customers and clients will get to know you and will want to buy from you. Good PR is more than flash. It’s about building solid relationships with the individuals and groups your success depends upon.

The challenge for you as a business owner is this. How do you know where to spend your finite resources so you get the most return, and how to know if you’re getting the best advice for your business?

Let me tell you.

You have to be willing to focus, which means sometimes having to say, “No.”

That’s it. Focus. And a good PR person should be able to help you with that.

goalIf you’re working with someone who doesn’t care about your business, doesn’t seem to understand what you do or what your goals are, someone who spends your money like you mint the stuff, find someone else.

I work with a few small business owners. One recently spent $4,000 on a radio ad campaign that did not result in one new client. Not one. Another spent nearly $5,000 on a special event with little result. Another buys up print advertising every time an ad rep from a newspaper calls her – the scattershot approach.

I am not suggesting that any one of these activities might not be good ones. They may be, in the context of a larger plan with clearly articulated goals. But a one-shot deal that blows your budget for the year isn’t going to get you anywhere. A communication or publicity program must be sustainable.

A good PR person should be keen to learn your business and understand your clients (current and wished for).

Certainly, all your clients are important, but there are one or two or three groups upon whom your business really depends. Without this group or groups, you’d flounder. Unless you have a large communication budget, these are the key people you have to spend your PR budget on and no one else.

It’s harder than it sounds because you are likely bombarded with advice and great deals.

Each time one of these great deals comes along, you should confer with your PR person and/or ask your self the questions:

  • Will this reach my target group?
  • Will this help me achieve the goal I’ve set?
  • How will it do this?
  • How does this fit into my plan and budget?

You also have to be willing to plan for the long-term. The truth is that PR takes time because relationships take time to build.

If a PR person is guaranteeing a particular result for you, run away. Not only is that unethical, it’s a lie. It’s the old saw about having crystal balls and being rich. If we had the former, we’d be the latter.

compassYour PR person should ask lots of questions about your business and what you want to achieve. S/he should set communication objectives that help you meet your business goals, that target your key clients and that set out tactics to reach and appeal to those groups.

Did you know that it takes between seven and 30 “touches” before someone buys from someone? That’s right. A potential customer has to have heard of you or about you or from you between seven and 30 times before they buy.

That’s why it’s so important to build name recognition and a great reputation while they’re deciding.

And that’s why a long-term plan is necessary and why a one-time radio ad or single event won’t get you the results you want.

Here’s a quick checklist you can use next time you’re shopping for PR expertise.

  • Does this person care about my business?
  • Does s/he seem willing to understand my goals and/or help me define them?
  • Does this person seem to know how to identify my key clients?
  • Does this person want to implement a sustainable plan that respects my budget and is geared toward helping me be successful?
  • Am I willing to spend time on promoting my business? (Unless you have an ample budget, you may want to do some of the implementation work like writing a blog or keeping your Facebook page up-to-date.)
  • Am I prepared to commit to a partnership with my PR person? (Because a plan to build your business will take time, you have to be willing to work with your PR person over a longer period.)

I hope this has been more than just a rant for me and has been helpful to you. I really hate seeing new business owners being taken advantage of through a flash-in-the-pan offer.

I’d love to hear what your experiences with PR have been and where you have found success.

All the best,

Colleen

colleen_edited_from_group_at_picnic_tableColleen Gareau is the principal of The Seventh Estate Public Relations Group, a carbon-neutral, goal-focused communication firm in Halifax, NS. The company specializes in public relations counsel, communication strategy and implementation, internal communication, media relations, social media, change communication, training and facilitation, writing and editing, and website advice. Seventh Estate PR publishes PR to Go each Monday and Wednesday. Please visit http://www.seventhestatepr.com/ for more information.

 

 

Thursday, 14 January 2010 01:55

8 Easy Steps To Setting Monthly Goals

While everyone is ready to ‘start the new year off right’, they set themselves up with a list of resolutions which they vow to keep... well, for at least a few weeks.
Today, I want us to take a closer look... Go get your resolution list – It’s ok I’ll wait.

Did you get all 3,465 pages? Are you ready?

The following 8 easy steps have been proven efficient for all resolutions alike.

  1. Reach for your metal trash bin.
  2. Empty it.
  3. Set list in bin. Go ahead and be creative.
  4. Light match.
  5. Let out evil laugh... Come on, I know you can do it!
  6. Allow the match to slowly and carefully drop into trash bin.
  7. Watch your list burn.
  8. Ok you can let another evil laugh out. From the gut this time.

Those 8 steps were easy enough weren’t they?
Feel better? Did you feel a load off your back?
Why do we insist on adding stress to our lives by setting ourselves to fail with unrealistic goals?

upOn to the real 8 steps...

In last week’s blog post, your homework was to write down a list of goals. These were not ‘resolutions’ but goals you wanted to achieve in 2009 but for some reason or another, it just didn’t happen. Our plan is to make them happen in 2010.

Because your goal in January was to decrease our stress by re-establishing your old routine, we’re going to continue practicing this new found skill by planning our next objective – February’s goal. I promise you it’s easier than it sounds. And because we’re only working on one at a time, you won’t get overwhelmed with a new list of resolutions to maintain... well, for at least a few weeks.


  1. Write your February goal down. If you are a visual person, add colour, shapes, stickers, motivation words to your sheet. Make it inviting, exciting, visually noticeable.
  2. Place it (more like TACK IT) somewhere you can see it on a daily basis. (Not on your desk where it will get lost in a shuffle of papers)
  3. Plan it. Make a bullet list of steps to achieve this goal.
  4. Don’t make it complicated – you’ll overwhelm yourself.
  5. If you can’t honestly, 100% commit to your new goal, break it down even smaller.
  6. Now take your plan and mark each step’s (and deadline) in your agenda, calendar, whatever it is you use (and if you don’t use one... you should. If you still don’t... hire a VA to keep you on track!)
  7. Don’t allow yourself to excuse you from this exercise. It’s just ONE GOAL.
  8. For personal goals such as I’ll quit smoking or I’ll reduce the amount of caffeine I drink, detailed plans are still quite useful. Take it slow if you have to. You don’t have to accomplish the total goal in a month; you just need to accomplish the steps you planned to reach that goal.
  9. Now accomplish the first step in your plan. Don’t wait for a better time... the perfect time is right away. Again, it’s just ONE step... don’t get ahead of yourself either by attempting several steps at once.
  10. Don’t stress about the next goal. Focus on your current one and make it successful!

By the third week of February, you can start planning your next goal – the one for March... don’t worry, I’ll send you a reminder.

Happy planning!

Thursday, 07 January 2010 16:50

Re-establishing Your Routine

Monday, January 4th 2010 – if we could have heard everyone wake up at the same time throughout North America, it would have been a true screeching fingernails-running-down-blackboard sound similar to something like:
UGH!!!
No No! … Louder – much much louder!!!! And with more disgust:

UUUUUGH!!

Do Not DisturbGetting back into the swing of things after the holidays is often difficult. Children everywhere suddenly become ill with tummy and head aches. My nephew said it best. After arguing strong points on why he shouldn’t have to go to school, he left the house declaring:

“Fine! But Tuesday is a DAY… OFF!”

Although we look forward to sending those little children over the threshold, for us adults it’s not any easier! We find ourselves yearning to sleep-in for ‘just one more day’ – and this time make it a ME day! What an enticing plan after bewildering holiday stress with dashing here, sprinting there, family and friends demanding our attention all around us. Who wants to get back into the swing of deadlines?

UUUUUGH!!

But alas… we have a mountain of debt to recover from so off to work we go, dragging our feet along the way, day dreaming of a million and one other things we’d rather be doing instead.

Re-establish your old routine

In order to get past these me-time-blues, it is critical to focus on maintaining the same routine you were accustomed to prior to the holidays. Re-establish the comfort of your daily schedule and forget adding on more stress with New Year’s resolutions… for now!

We fail in keeping our resolutions because we try to integrate new plans into an already stressful period!

Set Realistic Goals

Plan to succeed. Set some realistic goals for yourself starting with not stressing yourself out in January. Focus on re-establishing your routine, morning, afternoon and evening. (If you must call it a resolution… I’ll forgive you! But don’t plan anything else – promise?)

Mental exercise to get you motivated

HOMEWORK:

Mentally prepare yourself for a great year.

1.    Reflect on what you did accomplish in 2009 and take ownership of it. Be proud of yourself!
Now move forward knowing that 2010 will be even better!

2.    Think back at the goals you did not accomplish in 2009.
Don’t just make a mental note of these and start feeling bad for yourself.
Jot them down and save the file under “2010 Goals”.
But don’t start planning just yet – that’s an entirely new blog to come. We’ll come back to it later.

My #1 goal for 2010 is to write more frequently. I thought about it in 2008, I talked about it in 2009 and I will plan it in 2010!