by Martha on December 27, 2011
Have you had another unsuccessful year building a business online? Are you blaming it on some product you bought from a guru that didn’t deliver on his/her promises?
You’re not alone!
Many people blame their chosen guru for their failure. He/she didn’t give them enough information, overloaded them with information, or just didn’t give them the right information.
Sound familiar?
I have to ask this question: Why? Why are you blaming the guru?
You know, there’s a reason weight loss ads run 24/7 in our country. It has nothing to do with the overweight people in the world. In fact, if all the people that bought the products lost weight, the ads would disappear.
Think about the yo-yo dieter (my own problem). Always going on the next “best” diet. Probaby has a shelf full of “how to lose weight” books sitting there half-read or unread. Now, I ask you, if no weight is being lost, who is to blame?
The weight loss expert?
Maybe, just maybe if the overweight person took the action promoted in the book, maybe, just maybe, they might be a weight loss success story and sitting at a healthy weight today.
Connecting the dots yet?
I actually run around with a few gurus in our industry and many of them lose sleep over the fact that people don’t find success after purchasing their products.
Surprised?
Don’t be. Gurus are (in my experience) very passionate people when it comes to helping others. In fact, their very status as guru (which, by the way, they would never call themselves) is evidence their message resonates with more than a few people. In fact, most gurus help a LOT of people and are not full of hype at all.
Calm down.
Are you in the group that thinks gurus are all hype and no substance? (I actually read a blog recently that said online gurus would be “real” if they stated it takes 10 YEARS to be successful instead of a shorter length of time!) Well, I challenge you to actually take action on any guru’s material that you own, follow it to a T, and see if you don’t get results.
Still not convinced?
“But my guru took me to the cleaners,” you say. Maybe, maybe not. It’s impossible not to have a couple of bad apples in the bunch, BUT I’m still throwing the responsibility back on you!
On the front end, did you do your homework? Did you check out the testimonials? Ask for people’s names that have actually used the product or program? If not, shame on you! It’s really too easy to do your due diligence today. If someone left a testimonial, track them down on the internet and ask them what you can expect. You might want to ask if they actually DID everything that was asked of them!
Find out if they followed through on the action recommended by the guru.
Therein lies your results.
Peace,
-Martha
by Martha on December 22, 2011
Are you ready to UP your game?
That means looking realistically at what didn’t work this year and making improvements for 2012.
If you aren’t at the top of your game, I have to ask why not?
Were your goals unattainable, maybe too vague, or (worse) you never got around to setting those goals?
How BIG can you stand it?
In my case, I have some really BIG goals I want to achieve next year. Just to let you have a peek inside my own business, I’m going to be doing more product creation, publishing another book and accepting more speaking gigs, along with hosting a couple of live events. Yes, I plan to UP MY GAME!
If we’re honest with ourselves, upping our game is really what success is all about. Who wants to stay stagnant? Not me!
Come on, dream BIG!
OK, your dreams might not be as big as mine yet (they could be bigger!), but what about some goals that look like this:
- Putting a social media marketing strategy in place
- Hiring a VA (If you need a recommendation, let me know!)
- Joining a coaching program
- Guest blogging gigs
- Writing a book
- Learning a new marketing technique (article marketing, content marketing, etc.)
Begin brainstorming and see where your mind takes you. Then, formulate a plan and get going!
You know, sometimes the hardest part is just visualizing in your mind what success looks like. Play with that idea for a while and see what you come up with. Success is different for everyone.
You see, whatever your goals for next year are, it’s the stretching and reaching for the higher lever, the bigger cause, etc. that expands our life. We never stop growing. We are created to expand and I think that means never being satisfied with plateaus. I think that means knocking those goals down and then dreaming the next big dream. Are you with me?
Let’s make a commitment to up our game in 2012.
I’m in, how about you?
Peace,
-Martha
by Martha on December 16, 2011
Do you want a blogging audience that keeps coming back?
Of course, you say. Who doesn’t?
OK, let’s get into the heart of what you need to know to keep those readers coming back for more. And more.
5 Surprising Secrets!
- First, who the heck IS your audience? Does this question come as a surprise? You’d be astonished at the people who are just writing to hear their fingers click. Oh, they don’t know that but, the fact is, without a clearly defined idea of who you’re blogging to, chances are, you’re missing your audience. In my case, I help new online marketers. Do you think it would help to know if they are baby boomers, possibly on a tight budget, and new to the tech world? How about if they are retiring from the corporate world, are tech savvy, and have deep pockets?
- Second, what do they want? People have landed on your blog because you can help them in some way. You feel their pain, had the same problems and have lived to tell about it. Know what it is they are looking for and you’ll hit a home run every time!
- Third, do you solve their problem? Do you offer products or services that can actually help or are you all talk? Nobody wants empty advice. Have products or services available that bring real solutions for your readers. That’s what it’s all about!
- Fourth, do you invite conversation? Think about it. Do you want to read a preachy blog? Of course not! You want to be brought into the conversation. So do your readers. Simply invite them along on your own journey where they can see a relevance to their own lives and let them know you want conversation. Make it easy to comment, connect on social media, and through e-mails.
- Fifth, be willing to listen. Sometimes you just have to be quiet. Shut up and let them tell you why they like you, your blog, and your products. Or why not
The best readers are your loyal readers. They keep coming back for more. There’s a reason for that. You know your audience!
The secret to that? It’s all about them. (Actually, this whole blog could have been summed up in that one sentence!)
If your blog is not pulling in readers, get started today making some changes. Then, go out there and connect with your audience!
Peace,
-Martha
2012 In One Word: What’s Yours?
by Martha on January 2, 2012
Happy New Year!
Have you thought about what 2012 will look like for you? Have you painted that picture of success with yourself as the star?
What does real success look like to you?
Put it in one word.
I challenged people on my Facebook Page to select one word to define what they wanted 2012 to look like for them. They communicated their hopes and dreams for this year into one word.
Mine is “inspired.”
For the last few years, I have been intentionally living an inspired life, and I can’t help it. I want more inspiration in 2012!
Here’s what the FB wall looks like:
One word. What do you want 2012 to be like? Mine is “inspired.”
· · Share · Friday at 11:35am ·
Wow! Plentiful, passionate, fearless, and so many more! What’s YOUR word? Think about it. Then, how about leaving it in the comments on this blog or joining in with the others on the Facebook Page?
Can’t wait to see what your 2012 word is!
Peace,
-Martha
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