20 Mart 2017 Pazartesi

4 Principles to Grow Your Consulting Business

I used to compete against an Olympian – a guy I called The Incredible Hulk.

His name was Dylan Armstrong, and he was my nemesis back in the days when I was a serious track and field athlete in high school. After I won the city championships in javelin, discuss, and shot put, I participated in the provincials – the state championships. But the one guy I couldn’t beat was Dylan.

They want big results with little effort; lifetime success that comes quicker than a mouse click.

In high school Dylan was a kid in the body of a monster of a man; a teenage Hercules, who went on to become an Olympian and represented Canada in at least two Olympics.

I didn’t call Dylan The Incredible Hulk just because of his size. His determination was monumental, and he never gave up.

These days, I see and speak with many consultants who want Olympic-level results in their businesses, but their commitment doesn’t match their ambition.

They want big results with little effort; lifetime success that comes quicker than a mouse click.

Unfortunately, however, most people with this short-term mindset fail in their endeavors.

If you want to succeed, here are four principles on which you can build your foundation for success.

I have personally tested and proven each of these principles in our own business and have seen it first-hand with the hundreds of consultants I’ve coached as part of the Accelerator Coaching Program.

However, if you have a plan in place, stick with it. Get good at saying NO to something that may seem more exciting or lucrative. The more focused you are, the more you will accomplish.

1. Say No and Stop Jumping Around

Today, more than at any time in history, the options available for achieving success are overwhelming. There are so many ways you can grow your business, from Snapchat to social media and everything in between.

Many consultants get excited about some new technology or tool. They hear about some amazing result someone else has achieved with a new tactic…

…and what’s the first thing they do? They jump to it.

However, if you have a plan in place, stick with it. Get good at saying NO to something that may seem more exciting or lucrative. The more focused you are, the more you will accomplish.

This one principle has generated millions of dollars for our business.

2. Committed vs. Interested

There’s a big difference between being committed and being interested.

Many people say they are committed, but what they mean is they are actually interested.

Interested means you have good intentions. You’re excited about exploring something new. You gather and consider information, but you are not ready to make a decision.

And even if you do make a ‘decision’ while being interested, you will have no problem giving up or changing to something different at the first roadblock or challenge you encounter.

Being committed, on the other hand, is very different.

When you make a commitment you make a decision you don’t waiver from.

When the going gets tough and you’ve been knocked to the ground, you get right back up and continue moving forward.

The problem is that more information usually doesn’t mean more success.

You don’t let obstacles or challenges force you to abandon your plan. You will do whatever is necessary to reach your goal and be successful.

The most successful people are committed. When they want something, they commit to it and make it happen, irrespective of the challenges confronting them – be they financial, logistical, or skills related. These people don’t back down. They make it happen.

3. Action Over Information

Information is power. The more information you have, the more powerful you feel.

The problem is that more information usually doesn’t mean more success.

More information can actually increase your chances of failure.

How?

I’ve seen many consultants and other professionals spend months, even years, reading, studying, and planning in pursuit of their Holy Grail – Success.

Yet most of them never take action. And if and when they do, they jump right back to more information, rather than taking more action.

Why?

Because taking action can be scary. It can push you into the waters of the unknown.

It moves you from that safe harbor of the known into the sometimes choppy and unpredictable tides of opportunity.

But here’s the thing. Information without action is useless.

Someone who knows a lot but doesn’t use this knowledge won’t be successful.

It’s not information that is true power, it’s the application of that information.

So, if you find yourself waiting for that perfect moment to take action, for your plan to be just right,

you are doing yourself and your business a disservice.

If you’re allowing yourself to create an excuse that you need to wait for your website, logo, business registration, time of year, or anything else to hold you back from taking action, you are betting on failure.

The more action you take, the more momentum you build. Of course, your actions should be the right ones that will really move your business forward.

But that momentum is what helps you make more progress. And progress is what leads to results.

If you’re spending too much time in the building planning and thinking, it’s time to get out of the building and take action.

4. Don’t Do It Alone

“If you’re the smartest person in the room you’re in the wrong room.” Have you heard that saying before?

It’s actually spot on.

The most successful people don’t get where they are by doing everything themselves.

They find someone who has been there done that, and is able to formulate the exact steps to take to create the results you want,

Of all of the successful people I know, I can’t think of one person who doesn’t intentionally surround himself with a coach, mentor, or group to help him get where he wants to be.

Think about it… if you want to accomplish something and there’s someone who has already accomplished it and knows exactly what you should do to get there, will you be able to achieve a better result faster than doing it yourself.

The answer is yes, right?

That being the case, the real question here is: Why not get that support now? The longer you wait, the longer it will take to achieve your desired result.

If you want to improve any aspect of your business or personal life, do it collaboratively – find the person or group that can help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently. Every successful athlete, singer, chess player, and exceptional leader has done just that – with the help of a coach or mentor.

You don’t have to be The Incredible Hulk to achieve Olympian dreams or reap business success. Just apply these four principles and watch their power unfold.

And if you’re a consultant looking for guidance and coaching to develop a marketing system that consistently attracts your ideal clients, helps you to earn higher fees and win more proposals, apply now for the Accelerator Coaching Program.

Enrollment is limited due to high demand. Hundreds of consultants have used the Accelerator Coaching Program to grow their revenues, scale their business, and do it while enjoying more time and freedom with their family and loved ones. For full details and to apply >>

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19 Mart 2017 Pazar

Word choice

Clearly, eloquence has many parts – content, structure, conviction, tone, pacing, empathy, and word choice. Ah, words. Let’s not forget the words. Word inflation. Seems like we are bombarded with words constantly – most of them advertising or loose “pseudo-news”. The endless stream of facebook / linkedin “forwards” and “likes”.  So many words for such limited and often… Read More »

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10 Mart 2017 Cuma

Bill, Melinda, Warren

I recently read the 2017 Gates Foundation annual letter.  It starts with this alarming and kitschy picture. Whoa – this caught my attention. Huge fan of Warren Buffett – for his intellect, quirkiness, and generosity. In 2006, Buffett donated $31B to the Gates foundation – the biggest gift in history. Remember, he could just as easily donated… Read More »

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8 Mart 2017 Çarşamba

Bain: Global private equity report 2017

Bain published its 2017 Global Private Equity Report here. For those interested in private equity (who isn’t?), this is a simple and easy read. The PE business continues to do well (fund-raising, exits, returns), with two big caveats: the NAV of funds is going down and assets are getting pricier. As a simple and graphical way to… Read More »

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7 Mart 2017 Salı

Mastery in the Consulting Business

Recently I watched a movie about Ernest Hemingway called “Papa Hemingway in Cuba”. The true story features the relationship between Denne Bart Petitclerc, a Miami journalist and Ernest Hemingway. Petitclerc had a tough start in life. His father abandoned him in a store one Christmas as a young child. He spent some time in an […]

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6 Mart 2017 Pazartesi

Consulting tip: Read the Snapchat prospectus

If you have never read a prospectus, you should. First, it’s useful. With an initial public offering (IPO), it is often times the first time outside investors are given a chance to understand how the company makes money and how sustainable their competitive advantage really is. Second, it’s refreshing. In the US, the Securities and Exchange… Read More »

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3 Mart 2017 Cuma

Consulting tip: Blogging

Over the past few weeks, I have recommended blogging to several people. (Yes, I know how cliche it is to write a blog post about blogging). In a way, this has been my short-hand way of telling them to 1) invest in their craft, 2) develop a point of view, find their voice, 3) create remarkable content so… Read More »

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