When is it in life that we stop asking for what we want?

I watch our four yr. old daughter everyday whinge, whine and try everything under the sun to keep asking and asking and asking for things she wants over and over. If I say no, does she stop? No… she keeps going.

So I look at my daughter trying her hardest to convince me to buy her that ice cream. It’s a natural instinct for her to know, if she keeps going and wears me down we could both benefit. She will stop whinging and whining, hence easing up my headache, so I will feel great and she will benefit from getting what she wants it’s a Win, Win situation for her so why give up… keep going.

So when is it we as adults stop asking and just accept No or mediocre?

I do feel like the older you get the more that drive and determination can get beaten out of you.

One thing I really admire about my husband Ambrose is his ability to keep going. (Obviously this trait was not beaten out of him as a kid).

I have been learning from Ambrose and my daughter the art of accepting No but waiting for a moment in which there might be a glimpse of a “Yes”

Ambrose keeps telling me that a lead is never a No, it’s just a not right now.

Sales can be a bit like that. A “NO” sometimes can come as a bit of a knock back but keep going if you know your customer can benefit from your services then keep going.

Touch base with them every now and then.

Remember details from your last contact with them and engage them in the conversation.  Just let them know you are still there.

Remember the 5 points of contact.

Who knows you might one day get that “YES”.

Just keep going!

“Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” Steve Jobs

Here's a link to our latest Sales Course if you want to make sure you turn that "NO" into a "YES"
events.themarketingcompany.co.nz/courses/2-sales-ignition-day

Procrastination

Over the past month I have been faced with an important decision, one I knew had been coming for a while and yet I kept putting it off and putting it off. Why? Because I was going to make somebody else feel bad, and because at the center of things it made me feel uncomfortable, the thought of it made the pit of my stomach sink, the stress levels inside my body flared every time I thought of it and, it made my temperature rise by 10 degrees and the palms of my hands sweat. I also developed toothache that only came on when I thought about this meeting and the decision I had made. Not to mention the flashing neon sign inside my head saying “AVOID, AVOID, DO ANYTHING ELSE BUT DEAL WITH THIS”

The meaning of Procrastination as per Wikipedia, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one derives enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.

I bit the bullet and dealt with my decision I had been procrastinating on. And this is how I broke free of my procrastinating.

1.     I decided to stop thinking about it and take action. I realised I was procrastinating, so I bit the bullet. I made the call to set up the meeting. It almost made me physically sick and I prayed that there would be an answer phone at the end of the call, so I wouldn’t have to speak to the person. (I had no such luck). I kept the conversation brief and made the appointment.

2.     I stopped blowing my decision out of proportion. I broke it down to what outcome was I wanting from the situation, and how was this decision going to effect me long term and what benefits will I get if I follow through and attend the appointment.

3.     I planned and planned the appointment and what I was going to say regarding my decision. I also got advice from a couple of trusted friends who advised me to approach it as a positive decision. I decided to focus only on my decision and didn’t talk about any past events that had lead me to my decision. I had also decided to keep the meeting brief and straight to the point. I also had an exit strategy of what I was going to say in order to leave and also I preplanned where I was going to park the car. (I know it sounds silly but while at the meeting I didn’t have to think about any of this as I had already preplanned it).

4.     I went to the meeting. (Not without being physically sick in the morning) but I did it! I went with my notes and a clear plan of how to approach it and a well thought out exit plan. It is one of the most feared appointments I have ever had, but one of the most organized.

5.     Relief – After the meeting relief came. Relief that I could finally tick it off my to do list, Relief that the stress was gone, Relief that the toothache had disappeared and relief that I had finally dealt with what had been eating me up for weeks.

Procrastinating. We all do it at some stage in our life! Most commonly in business we do it regarding sales. My Procrastination wasn’t anything to do with sales, however I am also working on overcoming my sales procrastination too!

Hopefully, reading my blog might give you the jumpstart to tackle your procrastination or give me a call if you need or want a good kick up the bum, to help get you over that decision, sale or procrastinating bump. I can’t say I’m an expert on it but I’m taking small steps.

By the way, the decision wasn’t to divorce Ambrose, LOL Thankfully he helped me make the decision.

My name is Jo Blowfield and I am becoming a reformed Procrastinator!

A great little article in the Taranaki Daily news about THE Marketing Company and the growth we have gone through. Anything is possible when you grit your teeth, get over your ego and let others take the reins.
It's amazing how much you can achieve, when you have the right team around you, who all think as positively and share the bigger vision. Not to mention the little part about loving what you do!

Looking back at the Honeymoon

Now in our eighth year of business, we’re keen to use this blog to help pass on tips and tricks to help your business work better. We’ve certainly grown and learnt a great deal over the last few years, and it makes sense to pass some of that on to you too!

The Marketing Company started with Jo in a pulled together office in a small residential home, the grand sum of $1500 and a huge amount of passion and excitement.

It was a whirlwind romance between us and our business, as we acted on an idea, then worked out how to make it happen. While it certainly meant we learnt a huge deal, it also meant we made some decisions on the fly that we regretted long term.

We did, of course, create a full business and marketing plan that was meant to provide the framework, but we learnt there is a lot to be said for planning, experiencing, evaluating and then re planning!

If you’re in the early stages of your new business, here are some  tips to keep the romance going well past that first year of infatuation and beyond:

1.     Prepare

We started out with $1500, and a business plan. It felt like a lot but the money was used up very quickly with some office and marketing supplies which made the business plan difficult to use! In retrospect it would have been better to save a little more to have some back stop. It’s a little like all the time and money you invest in a relationship right at the beginning, and it’s not that fun having to go begging to friends and parents in the early days!

2.     Invest

When you first fall in love you can’t get enough of each other. You’re besotted. You talk about your partner all the time, you have that special glow, and you seem to live on adrenaline and air. All you want to do is spend time with them.Starting a business can be the same – if it’s something you’re passionate about! Passion is contagious and it's important in the early days.. It helps push us through all the boring and horrid bits. Invest your energy and passion into building a strong business foundation.

3.     Commit

Just like in a relationship, nothing feels set and committed until you decide to fully invest yourself in it. You can’t casually date your business. It’s got to be an all or nothing thing for it to grow. Make a commitment to the business and stick to it. If you are committed and struggles come, you’ve got a reason to keep on going and push through. And you’ll make it through the infatuation stage... and into your second year....

Thanks for answering our Christmas questionnaire on Facebook!

Convert Your Facebook Profile into a Business or Fan Page

Facebook is now allowing personal user profiles to be converted into official business Pages, turning all their friends into fans. The “Profile To Business Page Migration” tool will help people who either created a personal profile for their business before Facebook Pages existed, or who accidentally started gaining fans as friends instead of Likes. The migration tool is exciting news for business owners who are struggling with the decision of whether to continue a personal profile with limited capabilities, or start a Facebook Page from scratch with zero fans. This is a huge advantage for those using a Facebook profile page for a business page as it helps businesses comply with the Facebook terms of service, as representing a business or other non-human entity with a profile instead of a Page is prohibited.

There are a few drawbacks to consider when making the decision whether to convert your Facebook Profile into a Business or Fan Page. You won’t be able to write on the walls of friends, see their updates in the news feed, or access your messages once they become a Page. Users won’t be able to register for a new account using any of the email addresses or phone number associated with their old profile. In some cases, the migration can cause a user’s Facebook vanity URL to longer work.

Overall, this option to convert your Facebook profile page to a business or fan page is a huge win for those who created a personal profile for a business before Pages existed, or accidentally started gaining fans as friends instead of Likes.

How to: Convert Your Facebook Profile into a Business or Fan Page

Before heading over to use The “Profile To Business Page Migration” tool, it is recommended that you head on over to the Facebook Help Page set up specifically for dealing with the Facebook Profile to Business or Fan Page conversion and read up on the process and to fully understand it before undertaking it. You can find the Help Page here: http://on.fb.me/hiSxDd

Now that you have read the information regarding Facebook Profile conversion it is also recommended that you head over and download a back up of all of the data on your Facebook account. You can do this easily by heading to this link: http://on.fb.me/hZApDv and clicking on “Download your information”.  Read the information on this page about downloading your information and then proceed by pressing ‘download’.

Now that you have a backup of your information including your photos and videos, posts on your Wall, all of your messages, your friend list and other content you have shared on your profile, you are now ready to convert your Facebook Profile into a Business or Fan Page.

Converting your Profile to a Page is easy. Simply follow this link: http://on.fb.me/fJh1sx and choose the category that is most suited to your business. From here, you can fill out the required details and then proceed.

For help with any part of this process, check out the official Facebook Help Center page here: http://on.fb.me/hiSxDd