Monday, November 22, 2010

Helping your Team see the Big Picture

Helping Them See The Big Picture
The foundation for creating a meaningful work environment is to help team members see how they fit into the big picture. People will naturally become more passionate about their work when they clearly understand they are part of something bigger than themselves. As a leader, you must be able to answer the four questions team members commonly ask (and they are asking these questions  whether you hear them or not):

1. Where are we going? (Strategy)
2. How are we going to get there? (Plans)
3. How can I contribute? (Roles)
4. Whats in it for me? (Rewards)

Help your Team members see the Big Picture by providing images in their minds eye. Remember, The words you say will create those images.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Creating a Facebook Fan Page: Eight Easy Steps

Eight Easy Steps to Creating a Facebook Fan Page
If you already have a personal Facebook page, you can create a Facebook Fan Page to promote your business. Below are step by step instructions for how to create a Fan Page on Facebook. Generally a facebook profile is great for talking about personal day to day things with friends but a Fan Page is an awesome opportunity to Brand Yourself as a Leader in your Industry and really is the way to go for marketing your business.
So Lets get started on some easy steps!

1) Go to create a Facebook Fan Page and:

Choose a category. Choose from Local, Brand, Product or Organization, or Artist, Band or Public Figure. There is a drop-down menu under each for you to make a more specific choice.

Give your page an appropriate name. This is the title that will show at the top of your page so, simple is good. People need to know what your page is about at a glance. For instance, I've name named my page The Home Career Network rather than something such as Michelle's networking.

Hit the Create Page button.

You're done!

It looks pretty bland though, doesn't it? Best to add some material that will interest people.

2) Add a picture.

Worth a thousand words or not, people will want to see one. Maybe of you, if you provide personal services. Maybe of something that shows your business in action. A business logo would also work. Click Edit Page on the left side of the page.

3) Edit your Information section.

In the box on the left hand side under the Suggest to Friends feature, write something welcoming. You'll notice my Facebook Fan Page acknowledges visitors and welcomes their participation: "Feel free to post a hello, a question, or a comment."

Include your other contact information, such as a link to your website and/or Twitter account.

4) Edit your Info tab.
Click on the Info tab and edit the page to add information about your Website, Company Overview and Mission. (This is a great place for your mission statement of course!)  Learn more About Mission statements and help with writing one

5) The next step to create a Facebook Fan Page is to add content to your Wall.

You can add comments by typing directly into the "What's on your mind?" box and then clicking the Share button. (Your fans will be able to do this too if you leave the Facebook Fan Page settings for the Wall on default.)

Directly underneath this box, you'll see the word Attach and icons representing different applications that you can use to add content to your Facebook Fan Page (Links, Photos, Events or Videos). You can find out what each of these applications does by clicking on the Edit Page link directly under the photo box.

(This page also allows you to adjust your application settings. You can also adjust application settings by going to the top right hand corner of your Facebook Fan Page and using the drop down menu to select Application Settings.)

Find other applications that you might want to use on your Facebook Fan Page by scrolling down to the bottom of the list; you'll see a More Applications section that you can browse. One thing you will definitely want to do if you already have a blog is to import your blog directly to your Facebook Fan Page. So:

6)Import your blog.

Go to Edit Page on your Facebook Fan Page and scroll down to the Applications section. From the list of Applications, choose Notes and click on Edit. A page will appear that shows Note Settings. At the moment there will be a message saying, "You are not importing notes from an external blog". Click on Import an External Blog.

On the dialog box that appears, enter your Blog's URL/RSS feed and check the box to accept the agreement. A preview of your blog will appear. Click on the Confirm Import box and voila! Your blog will now publish on your Facebook Fan Page when you write a new blog post without you doing anything! I be sure to keep my blog updated with valuable nuggets on a consistent basis.  So this is a great way to do it all in one shot!

You can also import your blog to your Facebook Fan Page by adding an application such as Networked Blogs.

To use Networked Blogs to do this, first go to the NetworkedBlogs.com application and add your blog by clicking the Register a new Blog button in the top right corner of the application. (Once all the information is complete, be sure you take a second to bookmark your blog page to make it easier to find again.)

During this process, you need to be sure you allow the application access. Once you do, it will appear in your applications which you access through the bottom left hand corner of your Facebook Fan Page.

Once you see it there, go back to your blog page in the Networked Blogs application. On the right hand side, under the Thumbnail Coming Soon box, is a menu. Choose Feed Settings which will bring up a page where you can configure the application so it will "auto-publish blog posts to your page wall" . (You can also set the application to auto-publish your blog to your personal profile as well.)

7) Promote your Facebook Fan Page.

You're ready to share your Fan Page with the world.

Click on the Suggest to Friends link on the top left of your Facebook Fan Page. A box will pop up that lets you select friends and send them invitations to become fans of your page.

In the same location on your Facebook Fan Page is a link that you can follow to promote your site with a Facebook ad. You can purchase Facebook ads on a per-click (CPC) or per-impression (CPM) basis. Ads for Facebook Fan Pages include a "Become a fan" link.

You might also want to add a button to your website so your website visitors can easily share your site with their friends on Facebook.

Or use Facebook Connect to increase the activity on your site.

And of course, you'll want to visit other pages and become their fans and post on their walls to build up your Facebook presence.

8) Give your Facebook Fan Page a user-friendly name.

One more handy tip on how to create a fan page on Facebook. When your Facebook Fan Page has gotten at least 25 fans, you'll be able to create a user-friendly URL for it. Go to the Facebook Username page. Choose your Facebook Fan Page and give it the username you want it to have. Having a user-friendly URL makes it easier to promote your Facebook Fan Page.

That's it. How to create a Fan Page on Facebook in eight easy steps.

 Keep your Facebook Fan Page fresh and appealing by continuing to add interesting content so when people visit they see why they might want to become a fan of your page. The more interaction and opportunities for involvement your Facebook Fan Page offers, the better – and the more useful for promoting your business your Facebook Fan Page will be.

So don't wait for the Perfect time to get it started. There is never a Perfect time for anything. The best thing to do is get it up and running and as you continue to consistently use it and add content the better and better you'll get at it. There's an array of mentors to follow with this subject.
I recommend Jo the Entreprenette. The best one I have found. Her name is  Jo Barnes  She Provides step by Step Tutorials that Anyone, even a newbie, will understand.

Friday, November 12, 2010

The One Word that will change Everything with your Presentation

As I continue to Train and mentor with Top Leaders in the industry, Its hard not to succeed.

And it wouldn't be any fun if I didn't share with you what I have just learned.

It is absolutely amazing and really has changed the way I open with my presentation.

Ready?

Say LESS to MORE people.

It's so simple but most people try to EXPLAIN their

opportunity to their prospects. I'll admit it. I used to do

that BEFORE I knew HOW to talk to my prospects.

Here's the key: That's what TOOLS are for.

If you're in a great company with a great team, you are

bound to have some great tools at your fingertips to open

your prospects. Notice I said OPEN.


Remember this...another KEY:

Everyone is OPEN but few are INTERESTED.

If you ask someone if they are interested in an opportunity

to make more money, most will say NO...I"m not INTERESTED.



But if you ask them if they are OPEN to an opportunity to make more

money, most will say: Sure, I'm OPEN, I may not be INTERESTED,

but whatdya got?

Do you see the difference? One little word could make or break

your success in prospecting?

Once they are OPEN, then it's EASY to get them to a presentation.

I hope this note has Blessed you as much as it has Blessed me.



Michelle Stefferson

National Sales Director

Leaders of Tomorrow 2008

Top Producer 2010

Ace Council 2010

Thursday, November 11, 2010

The Power of your Own Mind

A Power so Great.. Greater than Poverty. Its the Power of your Own Mind.
Everyone of us is blessed with the Power of taking possession of their own mind and direct it to the end result.
You Have the Power to direct your own mind to whatever ends you desire!


Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Applying Techniques for Staying Focused

Applying Techniques for Staying Focused


Each of us has our busy lives and in this world of constant distractions, how can we stay focused on our goals?
For me, there are always several things constantly competing for my time – The Daily Routine of being a Single mom, exploring new ways of marketing, links to follow up, my daily work, personal commitments etc. In my experience whenever I try to work on many things at the same time, none of them actually gets done.

I’ve incorporated the following techniques for staying focused into my work patterns and daily Routine. Once applied, I am confident that they will work for you too:

1. Having well defined goals. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. Having goals which are well defined along good guidelines is the key. Writing your goals down is a very important step. Whenever I get distracted, I read my goals and I’m reminded of what I am working on and why. This is a task that should be defined and read Daily.

2. Breaking things into bite sized chunks. Having broad high level goals are essential but having an actionable plan is critical. A plan can identify how you can get from where you are to where you want go. Breaking goals into smaller actionable chunks (Daily tasks) is the key – it gives motivation to start and allows for you to get things done in one sitting. Set a Goal date. Without setting a date you are merely wishing. Work on Daily Goals which will break down the goal into smaller chunks therefore allowing you to reach your Broad High Level goal more efficiently.

3. Prioritizing constantly. To allow for which task I should be working on, I prioritize constantly. Some tasks are more important than others. Some tasks are more urgent than others. Work on urgent tasks followed by tasks which have the greatest impact– urgent tasks allow you to get things done on time and important tasks will allow you to maximize the benefits. Sit down the night before and write out your plan of action for the next day.

4. Tracking progress vigorously. Each of us wants to improve our lives. However, it is easy to start with good intentions but more difficult to sustain commitment. I’ve found that by tracking/benchmarking my progress daily, I have more visualization on what I’ve done and can better gauge how much effort is left.

5. Planning ahead without fail. Concentrating on the remaining effort can help reinforce commitment. Some might think they’ll get discouraged, however, this is not the case because by writing tasks that are bite sized and easy to finish it helps to look at your goals and task lists periodically, so you can assess how much time it’ll take to do something and determine the best time to sit down and work on it.

6. Rewarding yourself . By all means focus on what’s outstanding, but also take stock of what you’ve done. Don’t under sell yourself. Always reflect on what you’ve done, whether it is reading a post you did awhile ago or looking at the bullet points you’ve made alongside your task lists. Whenever you accomplish a goal, always reward yourself. It does help with maintaining motivation.

7. Having positive patterns in my routine. I’ve found having good habits and positive patterns to be critically important. At the moment, I can consistently get more done. As these patterns continue to establish into a routine, I’m finding that I can better judge the periods of the day in which I really need to focus and work. Consistency is the key. This will eventually work itself into a Routine. As mundane as that may sound, It is key to maintain focus and consistency.

8. Removing distractions as best I can. The best way not to give in to temptation is not to have the option to. What works for me is making the distractions difficult or inconvenient to access. Because it takes too much effort to indulge in the distraction, I find it is less likely for me to give in.

9. Blocking out some time. Waking up early and consistently. I’ve found that having quiet time, set aside specifically for accomplishing a given task, to be very productive. I also tend to be more focused in the morning after a restful night. Although, I know myself well, I find to be more productive in the evening. Know what works best for you so you can be more productive during the times of day that work with the alignment of your schedule.

10. Keeping the results clear in mind. Instead of concentrating too much on the task at hand, sometimes I put attention on the feelings I ultimately wish to experience. By focusing on the results, it is easier to maintain motivation especially when you are working on things that you are not by nature motivated by. The End justifies the means. Focus on The End result.

11. Enlisting my family and friends for help. I communicate with my family and friends about my goals all the time. Not only have they been helpful with gentle reminders whenever they see my behavior is not consistent with my goals, but they also give me constant incentives to work at my goals and succeed. Be sure that the people you enlist are People that encourage you on a regular basis and are not dream stealers on any level.

Here are some examples of how I have applied these techniques:

•Having a goal to Read at least 6 books a year
•Working on articles for my facebook fan page and blog
•Prioritizing tasks
•Tracking the number of presentations I do every day
•Planning topics for future Training calls
•Taking time out to do searches on Google for personal development
•Waking up at 8am and working on tasks that may cause distractions later.
•Asking my son to wake me up if I fail to get up on my own.
•Unplugging the Xbox and putting up a sign on my door to remove distractions.
•Reading or sitting quietly to relax my mind after completing a emotional task
•Visualize the growth in my business. Focus on the End result.

These 11 techniques can be applied to any aspect of your personal and business life. If you find you have trouble staying focused for whatever reason, apply some or all of these techniques. These have worked for me and I know by applying these techniques, they will work for you too.

I have found the following resources to be helpful to me as well.


How to have a more focused day – Steve Pavlina

Radio interview with David Allen (Getting Things Done)

Getting and staying focused

How to stay focused and achieve your goals

7 simple ways to stay focused

How to get work done in a home based business

Staying focused in your home office



Stay Focused! Be Blessed!

Michelle Stefferson
National Sales Director
Leaders of Tomorrow 2008
Millennium club Member
Top Producer 2010
Ace Council