Repeating small disciplines

"Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time" - John C. Maxwell.

That quote is out of the leadership book "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth" and an example of hundreds of areas in which marketing and leadership overlap.

Email me for a copy of my handout on "22 Marketing Competencies." Print it out, date it with today's date, review the competencies, score yourself in each area (1-10), look at it every morning, set a reminder for each Tuesday morning to re-score yourself.

This small amount of "paying attention" will cause you to gradually improve your marketing competencies.

Data mining to end the year well

A good marketing exercise is to casually look through the names of people you've met. These names are "ideally" in a database/CRM, but are likely in numerous places; business cards lying in/on your desk, contacts in phone, contacts in Outlook, emails, friends/connections on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Pinterest/etc.

Casually looking is a minor form of "Mining." Mining a database is a daily activity for Professional Marketers. You're likely a Business Owner or Sales Person that should practice Professional Marketer activities.

What is 'mining a database?' I'm going to give you a rambling approach to this, again, on the minor side.....

Data-mining, for many an entrepreneur, starts with thinking through the meetings, names, cards, emails you've had, collected, sent, received...reconnecting in your head and on paper with the people, who they are, what they need, what you can provide them, how you fit together, where's the win/win, is there a win/win. Data-mining is looking at the data you have and learning from it, extracting information and transforming it into understandable information...it's finding needles in haystacks.

Data-mining can be very sophisticated, but it doesn't have to be. A glance through my database this weekend showed me a list of people I could possibly add value to through an online tool.

Data-mining is a primary discipline Professional Marketers are constantly practicing. I'm using it in my Process as I finish-up 2013. I'm looking at "what" I could have done better, "where" I can improve and "how" it will need to come about.

I'm asking what, where and how questions about the past, not why and when.

I'm thinking about "if" I'd done some things differently, what that would "feel" like right now.

Once I have all that down, asked myself good questions, pondered and reflected....then I'll start working on 2014.

A great way to start the day is by asking yourself these questions -

What's my purpose?

What do I have to be thankful for?

What new potential can I tap into today?

And, add hope.

The 3 Rs

My mentor Christian Simpson reminded me this morning that the top 1% of the most successful entrepreneurs develop themselves out in front of their business (Christian is regularly pounding that into my head).

Here's a John Maxwell tip he gave me: The "3 Rs" -

1. Required - What's required - what must I do that nobody can or should do for me? This tends to sort out the noise that doesn't serve me in pursuit of my your dreams/goals, and identifies what can be delegated elsewhere if it's not necessary for me to do (and you're not skilled in doing it!)

2. Return - What gives me the greatest return? Maxwell says "leaders should get out of their comfort zone but stay in their strength zone. What are my strengths? And what should I be letting go of?

3. Rewards - What brings me the greatest rewards? What brings me personal fulfillment? What could I do more of that will energize me and transform the my productivity in my business?

Make today the beginning of a great day, and a better life.

How much abundance can I possibly stand today?

Coach @EdDeCosta asked this morning "How much abundance can I possibly stand today?"

I know Ed a bit. He's part of the JMT faculty and he's serious about that question.

How about this question, "How much abundance did I miss out of this week?"

That's a question I wonder about. Normally I'll look back over my shoulder, review my calendar, phone calls made and received (missed?!) and emails - on Saturday morning. Not Friday.

Today, I'm doing that so I can finish the week with a bit more abundance, a tad more purpose, and reach harder for my potential. And abundance.

Join me by looking back at your calendar, phone calls and emails. Let that exercise jog your thoughts, mess with what's "in-the-box" (your head and heart) and finish the week well.

Reach for abundance today.

CRMs and Processes; mining your database.

What CRM(s) do you use? Do you still use a paper version to supplement your software?

What is marketing?

Marketing is everything you do; how you show-up, showing-up (face-to-face and online), how you act, respond, look, etcetera, etcetera. 

Be purposeful and thoughtful about picking and using your weapons.

Marketing and The Law of Consistency