Brand You - be a winner

When you go to the supermarket do you always buy the same items or do you vary your selection?  Are there brands that you trust and you never stray to another?  Ketchup, baked beans, tea, coffee you know the ones you like and you always choose them.  Or maybe shampoo or cosmetics perhaps you’ve got your favourites there too.

So how would you feel if one day your favourite brand of tea changed their packaging to a rather tatty, unclear, badly presented design?  Would you still feel the same about it?  Would you still buy it?

What about a brand of car, would you still stick with the same brand if it didn’t keep up with the times or used the most up to date technology?  Would you still stay valiantly with the same brand of clothes if they didn’t change with the times and with fashion? I don’t think you would.

Whether you’re looking for new clients, for a new job or a promotion.  You are a brand.  How you appear to others, the quality of work you deliver, your appearance, your behaviour, they all count to make up Brand You.  Back in 1997, Tom Peters wrote a lengthy and insightful article entitled ‘The Brand Called You’.  I read it long ago and having reread it now I am pleased to see that it still stands the test of time.  In fact in today’s economy it’s even more vital to follow the Tom’s principles.

Start looking for ways to set yourself above your competition.  Accept new challenges, attend trainings, read more, develop your interpersonal skills, dress the part.  Ask yourself why do you do what you do, is it useful doing what you do?  Does it serve your long term goals and aspirations.  You may have to work hard at it, but by being the best you can be, you will put yourself ahead of your competition.  And in the long term this will pay off and you will put yourself in the path of success.

A word of warning.  One thing that has changed since 1997 is social media, we can all be tracked more easily. So next time you think to put that cavalier comment on Facebook, or fire off that inflammatory tweet.  Ask yourself, does this serve brand you?

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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25 years old and still the best self-help book out there

Yesterday’s Daily Mail carried an article in which I discovered that my favourite self-help book was 25 years old.  Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway written by Susan Jeffers has been going strong for 25 years – wow!  That’s amazing!  I am sad to say I only discovered it five years ago when I was studying for my life coaching accreditation.  But, boy did it have an impact on me!  It made me think very differently.

This powerful little 200-odd page book will give you the power to choose, the power to recognise the control you have over your responses to absolutely everything  I recommend it to many of my friends and my clients, both male and female.   The results have been astounding, used in conjunction with a programme of coaching it’s been remarkable.  The message is simple.  To use an over-used phrase ‘it does what it says on the tin’ and that’s a fact.

Below is an extract from Susan Jeffers’ website which sums up perfectly what the book is all about.

The Five Truths About Fear

FEAR TRUTH #1
The fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow!

Every time you take a step into the unknown, you experience fear. There is no point in saying, “When I am no longer afraid, then I will do it.” You’ll be waiting for a long time. The fear is part of the package.

FEAR TRUTH #2
The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and…do it!

When you do it often enough, you will no longer be afraid in that particular situation. You will have faced the unknown and you will have handled it. Then new challenges await you, which certainly add to the excitement in living.

FEAR TRUTH #3
The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and…do it!

With each little step you take into unknown territory, a pattern of strength develops. You begin feeling stronger and stronger and stronger.

FEAR TRUTH #4
Not only are you afraid when facing the unknown, so is everyone else!

This should be a relief. You are not the only one out there feeling fear. Everyone feels fear when taking a step into the unknown. Yes, all those people who have succeeded in doing what they have wanted to do in life have felt the fear – and did it anyway. So can you!

FEAR TRUTH #5
Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the bigger underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness!

This is the one truth that some people have difficulty understanding. When you push through the fear, you will feel such a sense of relief as your feeling of helplessness subsides. You will wonder why you did not take action sooner. You will become more and more aware that you can truly handle anything that life hands you.

These five truths about fear have been adapted from Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway® and its sequel, Feel the Fear and Beyond.

Once you realise you have a choice, you will have the power.  You will be able to feel the fear and do it anyway in any situation!

If you want to change something in your life, ‘Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway’ is phenomenal.  Have a look on your book shelves see if you have a copy that’s been lurking there for years and if you do re-read it.  If you read it two years ago, read it again, make it a yearly task.  Or buy your copy now!

How has ‘Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway’ helped you in your life?  Share your stories in the comment section here.

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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It’s back to school time!  I remember it well; the sweet heavy smell of Autumn in the air, the shiny new Clarks shoes (how I hated them!), the three sizes too big blazer and the disillusioned feeling of wishing the holidays could go on forever.  It’s a familiar feeling as September begins.

It’s time to get refocused.  If you’re running a business, it’s a very important time to make these last four months of 2011 count.  What needs to happen?  It’s highly likely that your answer will be along the lines of make more sales, get more clients and earn more money.  With the tough financial situation continuing, if you are struggling to make sales or convert sales leads into customers  it’s time to get focused and hone those sales skills.

I have recently interviewed sales expert Dylis Guyan, of www.IncreaseYourSalesIn30Days.com Dylis is a power-house of sales and an expert in her field.  In the interview she shares her top tips on getting focused and making more sales.

This exclusive free interview is packed with valuable information and Dylis gives a step by step guide on how to stop struggling to make sales and instead hit your sales targets.   So ask yourself the following questions.

Are you struggling…..

• To deal with the “Financial Crisis” and the impact it is having on your sales?
• To find the type of customers you want to see you?
• To convince your customers that your product/service is the best?
• To hit your Sales Target.
• Do you have a team or teams struggling to meet Sales Targets

Register below to receive your free copy (I am giving the first 50 copies away for free, after that I will be charging for this)

 

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:

We respect your email privacy

Email Marketing by AWeber

 

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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Louise Reynolds, Property Venture, busy working mum

I started my company Property Venture with a view to striking a positive work, family-life balance, as well as pursuing a passion in property. I had done all the city-commuting bit, doing a demanding job and still trying to have a family life, but cracks were starting to appear.

So Property Venture® was born, to make an ethical mark in the overseas property scene, operating a low overhead business model and allowing for home life. So,am I achieving it?

Well a typical, recent, Monday looks like this…

My alarm goes off at 6.40 a.m. but my alarm clock knows that there is a big difference between it going off and me getting up!  But, I am in action at 7.20 a.m. corralling, cajoling, chuntering and just generally getting the kids ready for school.

By the time I have dropped off at their schools at 8.25 a.m. and 8.35 a.m. respectively, I can be at my office desk at 8.45 a.m.  My low overhead business model means that my work is close to the childrens’ schools.

I check e-mails first thing to see if anything urgent needs to be dealt with and my Twitter Direct Messages, through my Hootsuite panel, as well as a whistle-stop at my Facebook Property Venture Company Page. When I first started using social media for business I was scared stiff about how much of my time it would sap away from doing productive, “hard-nosed”, work.  Now it has become part of my weekly routine and by using all the support tools, management suites and pre-saved tabs on my internet browser Firefox ( I find it more robust than Internet Explorer), I believe it has helped me become a more prolific and efficient business communicator.  This and property-forum posting have helped build the business profile on the property scene. I now have a following of over 1200 on Twitter (I like to think it’s because I have something valuable to say about property and investing, but it may be some people have nothing better to do…), and on LinkedIn and Facebook I have over 500 valuable connections respectively.

I try to limit my time on this so I can start with meaty projects.  It’s that time of month again…(no not that one…) when I send out my e-newsletter to my database.  I make sure I have all my Property Blogs and Press Room posts up to date (my latest mention has been in A Place in the Sun for my Turkish tips), as I feature them all in my newsletters. This mailing can be quick, or really time-consuming, depending on technology.  I use 1shoppingcart to manage my database and if I don’t work in the mornings, it chugs along more slowly when the USA wakes up in the afternoon.  Still, I console myself that last month’s newsletter got a promising 19% open rate, so there must be interest in all my latest tips on overseas property buying.

I manage to grab time to follow up on a Spanish property enquiry and have a conversation with the Spanish Lawyer I am working with to help people who have paid a deposit on an off-plan property, but have not got a finished property to show for it. This has hit a nerve for many, who have had a frustrating time dealing with this from afar.

I don’t usually take a lunch break, which is part of my way of extending my working day.  This is even better if the children have after-school clubs, so I don’t have to pick up until 4.15 p.m. I then get home and do a bit more work, although this isn’t a great way of making sure the children do their homework properly.  I have often found myself feeling guilty at Parents’ evening for not doing better at this!  Anyway, it seems a small price to pay for that ever-seemingly-elusive, work life balance.

Louise Reynolds is the Director at Property Venture® and would love to connect with other Business Ladies either through Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn

Property Venture® has been featured or mentioned in: The Sunday Times, The Times Online, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Independent on Sunday, Homes Magazine, HSBC Liquid Magazine, Easyjet Magazine, London Homes & Property, A Place in the Sun

If you would like to write about a day in your life and how you manage your own work/life balance, please get in touch with sue@thecoachingzone.co.uk.

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Sue Bown

It’s day seven of my 30 Day Blog Challenge, today’s assignment is to write a ‘day in the life’ – hence the title.  It’s been a beautiful spring day today and that’s good because it’s Saturday and to me that means golf.  Whilst I could bore you witless with a blow by blow account of my round of golf, I think I’ll desist. 

Therefore, I’ll tell you about my day on Thursday.  It was another beautiful April day, a cloudless blue sky.  Inspired by this, I started bright and early.  I was a little bit bleary-eyed as I‘d had a late but enjoyable Wednesday night acting as a judge at the Toastmasters Area level of International Speech Evaluation Contest.

My work is much more enjoyable these days since I left my corporate career four years ago.  At that time I was in a cosseted corporate role, by cosseted I mean that I didn’t fully appreciate the regular monthly paycheck I received and I didn’t appreciate the benefits working for a large corporate company.   It took a huge brave leap to leave, to be honest I surprised myself.  It has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.  In the relatively short time since leaving  I have learnt new skills, enhanced old skills, made new friends and contacts, got to know myself better and it feels like I’ve transformed myself into a completely new person.

Back to Thursday, I got started with my first client of the day, a telephone coaching session.  This lady has  recently started working with me she is working on her work/life balance and managing her stress levels.  She has a session weekly, she is doing very well and feels much calmer.

My next client was another telephone session, this time a Business Breakthrough client who is working to grow his small business.  We speak monthly, each session is focused on creating an Action Plan to move him towards his targets.  He too is making good progress and is much more focused and motivated.

Then I took some time to update my own Action Plan following a meeting with my coach and mentor on Wednesday.  I intend to continue to grow my business, so it’s important to plan and have my own targets and goals.  In my opinion everyone needs a coach, even coaches need a coach.  It’s vital to maintain the focus and forward momentum.

After lunch it was time to visit another Business Breakthrough client, we meet in a coffee shop in a local hotel.  We have worked together for eight months, in that time she has increased her sales by an amazing 300%/

Following this meeting I drive back to my office, it’s time to catch up on some emails and phone calls.  That’s about it.

My evening, well, once I have received my 30 Day Blog Challenge email it’s time to start blogging again and of course to watch The Masters golf on TV.

The great thing about what I do now is the variety, every day is different.

I have found myself a freedom that I didn’t know existed.  I am happy.

___

About the Author: Sue Bown: Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

Twitter @thecoachingzone
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCoachingZone

Other blog posts:

Would you buy more time?
Sarah Martin – aiming high and far
How do I indentify my target market?

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

Do you have dreams or ideas in business?    Maybe you’d like to start your own business.
If you already have a business you’ll know that by focus and determination you’ll get the rewards you deserve.  The Coaching Zone can help you zone into your business and turn your dreams into reality.

Our ‘Zone into Business’ package will help you to:

• Set achievable goals and targets.
• Devise effective marketing plans to build your business
• Work with employees to track performance and strategies.

‘All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”.
Walt Disney

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Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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It’s been a strange start to 2010, don’t you think?  New Year’s Day was a beautiful sunny day, inspiring new thoughts, perfect for setting goals and making New Years resolutions.  Then it snowed and then it snowed some more.  Did you fall into the ‘oh well no need to start my resolutions till the snow’s gone club’?  If you did you’re not alone.  I spoke to someone last week who had put on 7lbs ‘because of the snow’.   It’s time to forgive yourself, get started and move on.

What does 2010 hold for you? More importantly, what do you want it to hold for you?  This year as you write down your goals, ask youself what’s stopped you from achieving this goal before?   An easy way to check is to reread your goals or resolutions, read them out load.  I wonder if when you reread your goal you hear yourself adding an imaginary ’but’ to the end of the sentence.  If you do, that could be because you’re limiting youself.   We stop ourselves from doing what we want to do with all kinds of reasons.  “I’m too tall”, “I’m too old”, “I’m too busy”,  the list goes on.  So revisit your goals and have a look at your “buts”.  Ask yourself if these “buts” are true or just false reasons.   Once you understand yourself more you’ll get better results.  Let me know how it goes.

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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I know what you’re thinking ‘here we go, another one of these New Year, New You articles’.  Please stick with me here!

New Year is an inspiring time, chance to start afresh, make changes and focus on new things.  It’s a time full of hope, but how long do you let that hope last?  Think back – how long did it take you to give up on last year’s resolutions?  How long before hope dwindled, old patterns returned together with the frustration of not achieving what you want to achieve.

Why set goals?
In order for us to achieve something, however small, we need a focus.  Even if it’s to tie our shoelaces or to do up a button.  You focus on getting your shoelaces tied or your button done up and you do it.  In fact you’ve probably done it so many times it’s second nature to you.   There was a time when it wasn’t second nature and you had to consciously make an effort to do it.  The same can be said of anything you want to achieve.  You just need to get started, take small steps and soon it becomes familiar and comfortable.

What type of goal setter are you?
Do you set goals or resolutions every year and give up before January is out or sooner?  Or do you purposely not set goals because you don’t want to disappoint yourself?
Both situations result in stress, frustration no focus.  Not having a focus is giving up on what’s important to you and potentially going where others decide to take you.  Would you ever get into a taxi and say ‘Take me anywhere’?  Probably not, but by not setting goals that’s exactly what you are doing.

Some tips for making 2012 your best year yet.

1. Write down 3 areas in your life that are important to you.  This could be home, work, family, money, personal development, health and fitness.
2. Decide how you could make 2012 even better in each area.  Write down an outcome or goal for each area.
3. Now get started in each area, however small, just get going.  (Top tip – if you’re doing this before Christmas, start now!  By January you’ll be ahead of the game)
4. Do something every day towards your goals.
5. Sign up for my free newsletter, packed with tips, interviews and exercises all to help you reach your 2012 goals.

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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Are those toes a bit too cosy?

At the Ladies at 11 2011 conference I suggested that everyone in the room should set a goal that ‘made their toes curl’.  Since that fabulous September day it’s been remarkable how many people have referred to that statement.  It clearly struck a chord with many.   The more I think about it I guess it’s quite visual.  Also, if you concentrate for a moment you can probably create the feeling easily.

Regardless of your favoured goal setting theory, smart goals, realistic goals, action goals. How about getting started by identifying one thing you need to do but just thinking about it makes those little digits on the ends of your feet scrunch up in fear or avoidance?

• Is it making a phone call, maybe to a potential new client or prospect?
• Is it dealing with a fear about technology?
• Is it talking to a partner about a communication issue that is bothering you?
• Is it speaking to your bank or a financial advisor about a money worry?
• Is it addressing a work issue that’s got out of hand?
• Is it facing your time management issues?

Whatever it is, give it a go, by getting started and taking action you’ll create momentum, you’ll feel better about it.  Test those toes!

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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Ladies at 11 Business Awards, winners, sponsors and finalists

Friday 7th October saw a lively evening at Sandown Park for the inaugural Ladies at 11 Business Awards. The sparkling evening, sponsored by Natwest began with a champagne reception.  A difference on this occasion was the inclusion of men in this event, it was lovely to be able to take our husbands and partners along too.

Sarah Martin, Founder of Ladies at 11 welcomed us all before we filed through into the main room for a delicious dinner.

I’m sure I wasn’t alone in probably not enjoying my meal as much as I could have done as I was quite excited and apprehensive about the main event which of course was the award presentation. Imagine my dismay when I read the programme for the evening to find that we had to wait until 10.20pm for this to start.

The evening was expertly compered by Lynne Parker from Funny Women.  A raffle was held to raise funds for Eaves, a London-based charity that provides high quality housing and support to vulnerable women.

Throughout the evening guests were wowed by the creations of Miss Ballooniverse.

Carolyn Currie who heads up the new business development team for women for Natwest gave a presentation about women in business and female entrepreneurship.

Then came the presentation of the awards and the winners were as follows:

1. Inspirational Woman Award sponsored by MDM Associates – Winner - Lynne Parker, Funny Women

2. Entrepreneur of the year award sponsored by Tony Purslow Ltd. Mercedes- Benz Guildford – Winner - Samantha Kelly, Funky Goddess

3. New Business Award sponsored by Sandown Park – Winner - Diane Dunkley, RM2 Music

4. Continued Business Success Award sponsored by The Surrey Chambers – Winner - Zoe Brown, BWebsites

5. Networking Champion Award sponsored by Best of Guildford – Winner – Laura Hart, Voice Coach

6. Ladies at 11 Outstanding Contribution Award – Winner – Sue Bown, The Coaching Zone

7. The Natwest Award for the outstanding business success, judged from all the winners – Winner – Lynne Parker, Funny Women

Me winning my award, feeling very chuffed!

So I won the Ladies at 11 Outstanding Contribution award!  I am delighted for this award because I believe completely in what Ladies at 11 stands for.  I attended the second ever meeting of Ladies at 11 over three and a half years ago.  I have coached and mentored Sarah Martin along the way.  I know that Sarah and Ladies at 11 will go far, just you watch.

I am flattered by Sarah’s very kind comment on the night that without my support there would be no Ladies at 11. Wow, what can I say!

Congratulations to all of the winners and the finalists. With thanks to the sponsors and judges for an excellent event and to Ladies at 11 of course.

Sue Bown

Works with businesses and individuals to get better results, more efficiency, less stress AND more success. I play golf too, especially in the sun!

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