4 Power Networking Strategies for Successful Self Employed Women

Many of the women who work with me are shy. And so was I when I first left my “job job” and began networking. When I worked in the university setting, the only networking I did was at conferences where we’d share our curriculum and research findings with others… it didn’t feel like "selling".

When I left behind that "academic identity" 10 years ago, I knew it would be important for me to get out and meet people to share information about my career coaching services and to establish myself as an expert in this field that was new to me. I was quite nervous about this activity but recognized the value enough to talk myself into attending 3 different networking meetings each month. This week, I want to share what I learned with you about what works in networking.

Strategy #1: Intention. Before you attend a meeting, get clear in your own mind, what you would like to have happen. Play the scenario out in your mind like a movie. My intention is usually to meet at least 2 people who can help me by referring clients to me and whom I can help in some way that will be powerful for them.

Try out a networking event before you join. Each has a different flavor –find the ones that are comfortable for you. I recommend joining three. I currently belong to my local Chamber of Commerce, my local chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO.com) and a mastermind group. I usually attend 1 breakfast meeting, 1 lunch meeting, 1 dinner meeting and one 5:00-7:00 pm “mixer” each month.

Strategy #2: Be curious about people. Here’s a simple formula that works every time. Set a goal to have this conversation with at least 3 people each time you attend a networking event. Approach the person and say “what is your business or what is your work?” Once they tell you, say “what kind of person is your ideal client?…I’d like to know so I may be able to refer people to you.”

Ask them for 2 or 3 cards that you can share with others. When they hand you their card, look at it for a moment, comment on it if you like something about it and jot down a note on it to remind you of how you might help them.

When you get back to your office, put them in your database. If you have an ezine or newsletter, send them your most recent issue with a note saying “this may be of interest to you or may benefit someone you know. If you’d like to subscribe…click here (to your subscriber link) or if you don’t yet have an electronic database set up, say “if you’d like to subscribe, shoot me a message back and I’ll add you to my list.” “If you know of someone who would benefit by this information, I’d appreciate it if you’d forward it along.” “If you have a newsletter or ezine, I’d also like to see yours."

During the following weeks, if you see an article that contains information that pertains to that person, forward it to them with a note. If they are helpful to you in anyway, send a thank you card. The fact that are thinking of them and wanting to help them will help establish a relationship.

Strategy #3: Practice answering the question – “what is your business?”

You need to have a quick, specific answer that you can say with ease and confidence.

This takes practice and fine tuning and that’s ok. As I mentioned early in this ezine, I just attended a conference this past weekend. I was struck by how many people could not answer this question easily when I asked it of them. Many people said to me “wow, you are so clear.”

Here’s what I said when someone asked me what my work was: “I work with women over 40 who want to be self employed. They either can’t decide what business to start, or they have started a business and need help growing it so they can make plenty of money.”

Strategy #4: Use Both Sides of Your Business Card. Don’t agonize over your first business cards and don’t spend a ton of money on them. No doubt, you will change your mind about the design/content over time. I recommend Vistaprint.com. Don’t forget to use the valuable space on the back of the card. You can use this space to list your key services or speaking topics or include a great testimonial here.

4 Success Strategies for Getting and KEEPING Ideal Clients

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Strategy #1: Mindset

In building your business, you have to work as much on your mind as you do your actions. You have to have both. Books like Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill never go out of style because they contain truths that stand up over time. Here’s one of his quotes: “All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination; imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.”

The new psychology of mindset tells us that if you have a fixed mindset, you believe that your talents and abilities are set in stone–either you have them or you don’t. You must prove yourself over and over, trying to look smart and talented at all costs. This is the path of stagnation. If you have a growth mindset, however, you know that talents can be developed and that great abilities are built over time. This is the path of opportunity–and success.

Strategy #2: Keep in touch with people who express interest in your services/products

Stay in touch regularly with your potential clients by giving them something of value. Some examples: Offer them an email newsletter like this one –send it out at least twice a month. Paper newsletters delivered by postal mail are also welcomed- these can be sent monthly or every other month.

Give small gifts. For example, I’ve recognized that during the last several months the fear level of many folks I’m in touch with has risen to an amazing crescendo. I also know that you cannot feel gratitude and fear at the same time. So, I offered to each of you (and the offer still stands!) a gift. Each of you who sent your postal address to patty@AuthenticLifeInstitute.com received a gratitude stone and a written meditation from me. The responses have been great! Another example is our recent “No Complaints Throwdown” where we sent folks silicone customized bracelets and instructions for how to free up your mind energy from complaints so you can focus on creating your ideal life.

For a small, creative investment, I am able to keep in touch with you all in a meaningful way.

Strategy #3: Form Joint Ventures

You do not want to be the lone ranger trying to make it alone! When you partner with someone else who has a client list that could benefit from your services, you can expand your own list quickly. Here’s just one example of the joint ventures I’ve participated in. My self employment system is of interest to many folks who are on the verge of retiring after a long career. They are still vibrant and want to share their gifts with the world in a way that continues to bring in money while allowing them the lifestyle they desire.

I have partnered with a financial planner whom I admired and we’ve promoted each of our services to our lists. She often has clients who want more from her than just financial advice –they want to get answers to issues like “what’s my real purpose?” and “what would give me fulfillment once I retire?” She doesn’t feel equipped (nor does she want to take the time for these conversations) and I don’t have the training or interest to provide financial advice.

So we both expand the number of people we can reach by working together. We have given seminars together which were very successful –I do a section on purpose, passion and self employment after retirement and she does a section on the top financial decisions that need to be made at retirement.

Think about 1 or 2 folks you could partner with to create this kind of win-win-win situation!

Strategy #4: Referral Circles & Professional Consortiums

A referral circle is 5 or 6 professionals who agree to pro-actively and enthusiastically refer clients to one another. There is no compensation to each other –just a willingness to support and grow each other's businesses. I have this type of relationship with several women I’ve met at local networking groups.

A Professional Consortium is a group of people who serve like business partners. They may visit clients together, submit proposals that include each other’s services, and deliver joint services under one contract. They may create a brochure listing each of their expertise. If one person in the group receives a large contract –they typically subcontract out some of the work to others in the consortium with specific expertise for each piece.

I’d love for you to take one idea from this article today and make it a specific action step you will take, with a vision for what it will look like when you’ve accomplished it and a deadline for when you will do it. Email me your commitment (ann@AuthenticLifeInstitute.com)–I’d love to see them AND it gives you great power to put your word into writing.

4 Proven Steps to Positioning Yourself As An Expert: Even When you Don’t Feel Like One!

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The Dictionary definition of an Expert?: a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field. My definition of an Expert: YOU!

Trust me, this was one of my biggest stumbling blocks when starting my business…given that I came from the field of medicine where one of the most famous worldwide heart surgeon “experts” performed his miracles...ahhhh...I had no confidence that I, little Ann, could EVER be an EXPERT!

Well, I’ve overcome that belief and today I want you to also.

Here is my proven system for authentically positioning yourself as an expert.

Step #1: Read and Study in a field that you are passionate about:

The first message I heard that helped me came from Earl Nightingale, motivational speaker and creator of motivational products – he said one hour per day of reading/study in your chosen field is all it takes. One hour per day of study will put you at the top of your field within three years. Within five years, you'll be a national authority. In seven years, you can be one of the best people in the world at what you do. So I have done that in the field of entrepreneurship for the last nine years.

But what about the first year – I was studying and reading and out there speaking – how could I feel like an expert?

Step #2: Write and place articles. Nothing gives you “expert” status like being published. Write short articles (500-900 words is 1-2 pages) on your topic. Get your articles placed in publications online and in print that your potential client/customer reads. Have a “call to action” at the end of the article. Send the article to your local professional association. Make copies and give them out everywhere you go! At the end of the article tell the reader to take action! You can give your website link for a free tip sheet or booklet. Now, that person is in your “leads list.”

Step #3: Lose the Fear of Speaking

You owe the world your life. That’s a big statement huh...I wanted to be sure you were still awake! AND I truly believe you do. The world doesn’t owe you anything. You were put on this planet with your own unique gifts to share and it’s your job to share them with others and prosper as you do so. Simple. So get out there and share yourself with the world.

Find a way that works for you. I enjoy speaking in situations where I am facilitating interaction among the participants. I’m not as fond of “keynote” speeches where I am the only one speaking for any length of time.

So 20 minute talks with Q&A or workshops and seminars where I can have people interact is the way I do it. This is a top method of becoming known as an expert.

If you want more support on this, join our Success Circle –I’ll be conducting a 6 part teleclass on just this topic.

Step #4: Get Testimonials

Testimonials help build trust. Haven’t you ever bought a product or service because the testimonials made you say “I want THAT!” A good testimonial talks about a problem, how you helped the person solve it, and concrete results.

Even when you’re just starting out, you can get testimonials. Listen very carefully to your first clients...any positive feedback is a testimonial. Ask them if you can use their words... I always write the testimonial for them, building on the few words I heard. I send it to them, asking if I can use it as is, or if they’d like to edit it. I always want to include their name and geographical location –this makes it feel like it’s the real deal and not made up. I also offer them the opportunity to have their email and/or website included.

You can also send your product around or invite someone to experience your service and get their testimonial. It helps if you get recognizable names, but people with the right titles or degrees can also help. Start where you are. A good testimonial from an “unknown” person is still worth its weight in gold.

Here’s the latest one I received. “After participating in Ann Ronan’s coaching program, I got very clear on my ideal work and realized that I was happy being an employee... just not with the company I was with. Then the Universe helped me move forward... I got laid off.

Within a short four weeks of making this decision and creating a plan, with Ann, for finding ideal work... I landed the new perfect job (in this economy during 03/09!). In fact, I had 3 job offers - amazing. Of equal importance, Ann was instrumental in helping me use my precious 4 weeks off for rest, personal growth and focusing on things that I normally did not have time for. It was truly magical.

If you too are yearning to create your ideal work - whether in an organization or in your own business - then look no further than Ann Ronan -- an investment in her program is well worth every dollar.” Diane Hankison, Melbourne, FL

4 Secrets to Setting Goals (Goals You'd Really Love to Achieve!)

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One of our Success Circle members recently asked for more specific guidelines on setting goals. The members each set a 60 Day WOW Goal – an achievement that they will feel really terrific about sharing with other members at the end of 60 days.

Here are my best secrets for setting great WOW goals and achieving them.

Secret #1: Create a vision for your ideal life first. Most people skip this step –don’t be one of them. Write it out in detail, including everything you’d love to be, do or have. Then create a vision board of two or three. You can have one for your business, one for your health goals and one for things you’d like to have. You can have one for things you’ve already achieved to remind you of how far you’ve come.

Vision boards are not a “whoo whoo” deal. Ready for some science? Your brain processes over four hundred billion bits of information every second –you are aware of only about two thousand. What determines what you pay attention to and what you skip over –the part of your brain called the reticular activating system (RAS).

It’s like a sentry at the doorway of your mind, sorting through all those bits of information bombarding you, deciding which best match patterns already established in your brain. It is the most intelligent and sophisticated alarm system we know of.

When you create that vision, with a clear, focused picture of what you want, this part of your brain kicks into high gear, and won’t stop till it finds what you’re looking for. All kinds of “miracles” and coincidences begin to occur to help you reach your ideal life.

Secret #2: Set your first goal as something that both makes you happy NOW and leads towards the rest of your dream. Chances are there is a big gap between your life now and your ideal life and that’s ok. Think about which elements of your ideal day you absolutely must have, those that are desirable and those that are icing on the cake. Then ask yourself “What is the most important thing that is missing from my life right now?” If you can come up with a single, solid answer –that’s your first WOW goal.

Secret #3: Brainstorm (ideally with 2 or more supportive people) and list EACH and EVERY step that needs to be done to reach your Wow Goal.

Be very specific in listing each and every step, even if you don’t know how to do it. Knowing how is NOT necessary to reach your goal. For now, stay focused on your “what,” not the “how.”

Next to each step, write the estimated completion date. When you have each step and date written down in detail, pull out your calendar and schedule each step. You may have to change your success dates, get extra help, or make a step simpler. Putting each step on your calendar is a great reality check that ensures you'll reach your Wow Goal.

There is no “right” way to do this scheduling. I start out in January with a one year plan of where I’d like to be in key areas of my life in December. I then break it down into monthly targets and then weekly. I end my Fridays at about noon by creating my schedule for the following week. I make adjustments –it’s not set in stone- I allow for the unexpected opportunities or challenges that pop up!

Secret #4: The Biggest Secret: creating time for your action steps. Do you procrastinate? You’re not alone. Or maybe you’re the opposite and find yourself always “doing” but it's mostly doing for others.

If you are serious about getting to your ideal life, you’ll have to take a frank look at how you are spending time now. For one week, record what you actually do with your time.

If you find a lot of time is “wasted” don’t beat yourself up. We all need time to unwind and to be self indulgent. The way to manage these “down” times, so they don’t derail your path to your ideal life, is to schedule them just like everything else.

It can be a block of time each day or a few times every week, but be consistent in the time/days you choose for yourself. And then take half of your designated “me” time to take actions towards your goals and use the remaining half for whatever you love doing…play solitaire, read a novel, stare into space, surf the net mindlessly. You’ve earned it!

A last tip: Each day take time to read, see, and feel your ideal life. And as you make decisions about how to spend your time…ask yourself “is this getting me closer to the life I was meant to live?”

Faith It Till You Make It: 3 Steps to Authentically Grow Into Your New Business Identity

What keeps you from staying in action towards your desired goals? I can bet it’s that four letter word….FEAR. Maybe your first few baby steps toward your goal were a breeze. And then…it’s time to make a specific request from someone or get out to a networking meeting and say “who you are and what you do” in 30 seconds (when you’re not exactly sure who the heck you are yet!). Taking what feels like a big risk can stop you cold.

Now…you’ve probably heard that you’ll have to “fake it till you make it.” That all successful people have had fears and doubts but persevered with apparent confidence…even if they weren’t feeling it. Well, I don’t care for the word “fake it” so much (my business name is AUTHENTIC Life Institute!). So I say “Faith it Till You Make It.”

I do believe you have to take steps that scare the pants off you…those are the ones that really move you toward your goal AND even more importantly, these scary steps are the ones that stretch you more fully into who you truly are as a human being (not just a human doing). Have faith that these are the steps that bring you closer to your essential self and not the self you’ve created to get the world’s approval.

To help you past this fear, I’m going to share 3 things I did as I grew from my “feeling trapped but secure university professor self” into an entrepreneur who feels freedom, ease and grace while providing products and services to the world that ideally fit my life purpose and lifestyle choices.

Problem #1. Fear stops you when you are doing something for the first time and don’t know how. I’ll never forget the first time I attended a networking meeting –I went in with much trepidation and absolutely no clear intention of what I wanted to get from it. I hadn’t thought about how I’d introduce myself and did it badly. What could you do in this situation?

Solution: You could ask a friend who attends many networking meetings to tell you what to expect when you go to your first meeting. You could also ask her to tell you what her introduction is to get an idea of what’s expected.

You can look up “elevator speeches” on the internet to get tips you can use. You can write up your first draft and practice it aloud, editing it and practicing until you can at least get it out without totally tripping on your tongue.

Problem #2. Fear about lack of experience. For the many of you who have been reading my ezines, taking teleclasses with me and participating in our Success Circle, you’ve witnessed my many “fall flat on the face” efforts. And I can gladly say, that it doesn’t bother me a bit to make mistakes, learn from them and move on now. I couldn’t always say that though!

Solution: You must be willing to tell people if you are brand new to something.
It’s fine to admit it’s the first time you’ve done something AND don’t forget you are bringing tons of valuable experience and skills to this first time situation.

I once facilitated a group on preparing yourself to attract a relationship. I have no training in relationships…I wanted a group to work with me as I was preparing myself for a relationship! I was honest. Right at the start of the group I shared that “I’m not a relationship expert, I am looking to be in a relationship myself…AND I have facilitated hundreds of teleclasses on many subjects and I have a natural gift for this…so I know together we will learn a great deal about ourselves and how to attract the right relationship while having a great time!” And we did. (And I met a man exactly 12 months later who I am now married to.)


Problem #3. Lack of support

When you’re stuck in your rut and not doing anything new to stretch yourself more into who you REALLY are, everyone around you is probably comfortable with you just the way you are. Then, when you decide to step over a threshold and begin to make changes, everyone around you is going to get shook up.

When I announced I was leaving my “secure” job, I got all kinds of responses and none of them was supportive. "You’ll lose your health benefits and retirement." "Do you REALLY think you can succeed in something so different from what you’ve done?" "You’ll be lonely working from home." Get the picture?

Just when you need support the most, those who have given it to you in the past, just might not be able to. They are afraid for you. Some are even envious because they have a buried dream and are not courageous enough yet to move towards it.

Every successful person has at least one supportive person (and most have more!) to provide a strong foundation on which they can lie their dreams and ideas and not have them get squashed. You need people that will say “yes you can!” and help brainstorm ideas with you when you’re stuck. So early on in any change you are making, get some support!

I would love to be part of your support team by offering you a very affordable way to work with me directly. For only $9.99 you can be part of our Success Circle…so why wait? Join us today!
http://www.authenticlifeinstitute.com/SuccessCircle.htm

3 Steps to Choosing Authentic Goals and Achieving Them Easily!

I’m noticing that many of my clients have lots of trouble choosing goals. I ask them to set a 60 day WOW! goal and they freeze up…I can’t see them over the phone, but I imagine they have that “deer in the headlights” look…they stammer and squirm…and I usually let them off the hook and tell them to think about it for a few days…and then I revisit the question with them again, until they can at least whisper a goal to me. Can you relate?

This problem has 3 reasons …I’ll give you each problem followed by a solution.

#1 People who don’t set goals don’t believe they deserve to have a wonderful life. They are in a mindset of just “getting by,” going to work, doing errands, maybe watching too much t.v. or mindlessly surfing the internet for hours.

They don’t think about what they love to do. Since I was in my teens, it has been my life purpose to get people to ACKNOWLEDGE what they love AND to do more of it…whatever it is…for this is their core –their reason for being here…and I’ve seen it from first hand experience…if they don’t use some of their valuable life force, time and energy on the things they love…they wither and often look back at life with regret.

Solution: Give yourself some inner time with the tv, radio, internet turned off and remember what it is you love to do. Allow whatever it is to emerge. Write it down. Cut out pictures of it and keep them with you. Don’t tell just anybody about it yet…only a person or two who will support and encourage your ideas.


#2. We’re not taught about how to set goals. I remember vividly a moment in college when I realized that the teacher was giving me a strategy to achieving goals and I thought … Eureka! I never knew how to set goals…not one adult ever talked to me about this very cool and important thing…I knew somehow that this knowledge would change my life…and it did!

Solution: Your goal must be concrete. Almost without fail, when you first start out to set a goal, it will be vague. My clients laugh as I gently but relentlessly keep asking laser questions to get them crystal clear about their goals.

Your goal has to be a concrete action or event with a target date. And your goal must give you something you love. Here’s an example from my business. I have a goal to increase this Authentic Institute “tribe” by 50% (or more) by December 31, 2009. That will allow me to help MORE people acknowledge what they love to do and do more of it…and THAT makes my heart sing. So there is that emotional component to the goal that pulls me forward. Now I have a concrete and specific goal with an emotional component but it’s also a WOW! goal. So that takes us to problem number three.

#3. We don’t take baby steps consistently and persistently.

I could easily be overwhelmed if I thought I had to increase our tribe by 50% overnight…but I don’t. I have 12 months (I set the goal in January). In January, I brainstormed what I would need to do to achieve this goal. I brainstormed alone and then with the two coaching groups I’m part of to get the ideas of others.

I took all the steps I came up with and used a flow chart kind of diagram, using post it notes, to put the steps in the order that made most sense to do to get me to the goal. Here were some of my steps:

#1 get ezine out regularly (I’d gotten away from it in my last year of ministerial school). I started with twice a month Jan-March and am now moving to weekly in April. This would rebuild the connection I had with all of you!

#2 use the articles I write for the ezine to draw new members into our tribe…through posting the articles online, in print newspapers and by editing them into press releases and sending them out.

#3 book speaking engagements (2-4 a month from March –December). This will allow many people to get a “taste” of who I am….I’ll give them a valuable booklet or report in exchange for their email address and then they’ll begin getting my weekly ezine… the relationship begins and they become part of our tribe!

That gives you an idea. Each step is entered into my calendar. And I then take ONE step at a time! I take at least one step towards this goal five days a week….sometimes more than one step…some steps can be done in five minutes…some need 3 hours. But it's still one step, one moment at a time. I’m enjoying each one of them AND I’ll achieve my goal. Ready to set your goal? Want the same type of support I receive in the coaching groups, I’m part of? Your next step then is to click here and join our Success Circle.

5 Steps to Generating Authentic & Powerful Leads…FAST!

Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people who offer services. They're coaches, consultants, creatives. They’re amazing people with huge hearts and their own unique gifts and genius to share with the world.

But here's the problem: I see many of them focusing on the wrong things. They create a snazzy web page, decide on their services and pricing (90% of the time too low by the way…a topic for another day!) and wait for people to find them.

Sadly, it just doesn’t work that way. You have to shine your unique light out into the world like a lighthouse so that just the right people are drawn to your safe harbor.

Here are 5 proven and powerful ways to fill your database with high quality leads who can’t wait to buy your products and services.

#1. Create a blog or website –it doesn’t have to be complicated…you can write your words (copy) from your heart (AND use powerful words –I keep the book “Words That Sell” right at my fingertips.) Give your copy to some techie person, could be one of your kids for heaven’s sake and have them get the blog or website up!

#2. Purchase a contact management system with autoresponders. Aweber.com is my favorite. Constantcontact.com is another that many people use.

This will allow you to collect all your emails in one place and to create autoresponders and broadcast messages. What the heck are those, you ask? An autoresponder is one of the greatest tools a solo entrepreneur can have. Here’s how it works. You buy aweber.com. They tell you how to put up a “sign up box” on your website (have your techie person do this for you). You filled one out on my website –that’s how you got on my list!

Now people are not going to just sign up. They want to receive something in return. So you need to create a free give away that let’s them get a feel for who you REALLY are and what you can do for them. This can be a special report. A directory of resources. An e-course or an audio recording.

#3. Now you have your lead’s email address. The next step is to keep in touch REGULARLY. This builds relationship. I know many of you have been on my list for more than 8 years and even if we’ve never met in person, you feel you know me. You’ve watched me grow and change, divorce and remarry, become a minister and move to my dream location.

When you build relationship, people trust that you truly want to solve their problems and now they are willing to buy your products and services.

The easiest way to keep in touch is with an ezine. You can write a very simple article (400-600 words) on a topic related to your service, add a little personal touch and then use aweber.com to “broadcast” it. That means you go into your aweber software, post your article, hit send to entire list and poof! Everyone on your list receives the ezine at once. You can even write several and set the broadcast to send out each one on a different day.

#4. Post your articles. Ok, now I’m going to urge you to LEVERAGE everything you do. Remember that article that you sent to your email list? Well now it’s time to send that article to people who don’t know you yet!

There are many internet sites looking for free content. To get started, you can post your articles on ezinearticles.com and ideamarketers.com. There are loads of places, but I usually only use 4-6 of them.

The most important thing about posting articles is that you get to create a “resource box.” That’s a fancy term for your short bio. Not just your bio though! Write just a sentence or two about your business and then put in a “call to action.” Right now at the end of all my articles, I’m giving the link to join our Success Circle for free. I know that once these people enter my community, they are going to receive so much information, and support and love from me and our community, that they’ll want to hang around for a long time!

I also publish those same articles in local magazines.

#5 Public Speaking. Have you fainted yet?

I know that this is a huge fear for many people. HOWEVER, it was one of the best ways that I got quality leads FAST. People got to get a taste of me and my presence.

Everytime I speak I offer to send participants a weblink to a free downloadable booklet called “70 Practical Marketing Tips for Solo-Entrepreneurs” IF they will give me their email address. Typically 95% of the audience will give me their business card or write their email address on a piece of paper being passed around that says “Yes! Please send me the booklet." You can get 25 or more leads in one swoop with this method. And they are people who have MET you and asked for more!

If you have fear about this, I strongly encourage you to join our Success Circle where I can teach you all the strategies I used to overcome this fear and become a sought out speaker (and I’m a true introvert!).