Often you will hear me say that
“as an entrepreneur, it is your obligation to evolve”. It’s simply a mandatory requirement that all
of us must obey or we suffer the consequences of stagnation or failure – plain
and simple. Many want to know, how can this be done? What can I do to stay on
the rise? Or better yet, how can I rise above it all? Recently, three of
today’s hottest music artists revealed several impeccable strategies on how to
get on top, stay on top and how to totally redefine the definition. #CheckIt:
1. Be a Game-changer
In July 2013,
Jay Z did the unthinkable, but was rewarded all that he imagined. He keenly
strategized a way to make his new album platinum before it reached public
distribution. Who does that? A game-changer.
He created his own game by making a deal with Samsung to cross-promote
his album with their equally identified target audience. Samsung agreed to purchased 1 million units of
his new album and offered it to their Galaxy III and IV customers as a free
download on the 4th of July. This cross-promotion gave the album instant
platinum status, Jay-Z received a huge check and in exchange the Samsung Galaxy
sales increased because everyone wanted to hear Jay-Z’s latest music.
Business Lesson Takeaway: Do the unthinkable and offer massive
propositions to strategic partners to reach revenue goals quickly.
2. Get Noticed by Being Bold
In August 2013,
an up and coming rapper named Kindred Lamar boldly and bravely took advantage
of an opportunity to show his competitors that he was a force to be reckoned
with by openly challenging them to step up their game. His action created
instant publicity and more traffic to his website, social media accounts and
music downloads.
Business Lesson Takeaway: Do what
others won’t and boldly make moves to expose and expand your brand to the
masses.
3. Be Radical and Risky
Also in August
2013, Miley Cyrus unapologetically let it all out. She was liberated, fearless
and self-expressive to the max. Although
her form of self-expression was risky for her brand, she made the move anyway
and in the end caught everyone’s curiosity to find out what she was currently
involved with and she picked up new a group of new followers along the way.
This strategy positioned her to remain relevant and put a mark on the world
that would be noticeable and unforgotten.
Business Lesson Takeaway:
Be authentic, take calculated risks to gain a
higher and sustained returned._______________________Get a Partner, Grow Your Business!
One of the best strategies to help grow your
business is to partner with other people who have access to the same audience,
but aren’t in competition with you. Developing partnerships, collaborations and
joint ventures offer many growth opportunities, so knowing how to secure a long-lasting
partnership is an essential skill that every entrepreneur should have.
Partnerships are built on layers of a solid
foundation (know, respect and trust). Here are three tips to help you seal
great partnership deals:
- 1. Get to know the person(s)
Take time out
to get to know the person/people that you want to partner with to ensure that
the synergy is authentic, creative and motivating. Starting collaboration with
someone that you don’t know leaves a grey area that can later become a hindrance
in the development stages of your progression. Invite the person to meet you
somewhere for a cup of coffee or for a light meal. Make this an informal
meeting so that you all can be open, honest and free to express your thoughts
and ideas without feeling like you’re being analyzed or criticized. If you’re
considering a partnership with someone who isn’t local, schedule a few meetings
via Skype or Google Hangout to chat about your vision.
- 2. Respect their stance
We’ve all
heard the phrase” you don’t have to like me, but you have to respect me”. This
is a true statement, and respecting the person’s stance is significant when
eliminating confusion or distraction to meet a specific goal. Show respect for
the potential partner by acknowledging their unique strengths and honoring
their ideas as a valuable part of the decision making process.
- 3. Build trust for longevity
Always
present a completely fair “win-win” offer. Pitching referral fees, offering
invaluable barters and trying to hustle people out of their profits isn't going
to get you a strong, long-lasting alliance. Instead you will get a
"rent-a-buddy" and a lot of unreturned calls or no-response emails.
Put more focus on building the relationship and less focus on what you can get
out of the deal. This mindset and approach will help you double if not triple
your profits much quicker than you expected! Lastly, be honest about
shortfalls, reliable, committed and willing to have open communication.
__________________________
There’s Opportunity in Your Purpose
When you think of your life’s purpose and how
valuable it is, you might also consider all of the things that could devour its
health and longevity. Think about that. Now transition this thought to your
business. What is your business purpose and value? What jeopardizes its health
and sustainability? Often as business owners we depart from this way of
thinking, but being able to quickly recognize this “slip” will help you “fall”
back into place. Staying focused on the
purpose of having a business will ultimately keep you focused on
accomplishing your goals. Don’t be your own threat or limit your business from
its fullest potential due to poor alignment. Take the time out to “check
yourself” before you wreck yourself and miss opportunities that are in plain sight.
Avoid these (5)
opportunity-crashing mistakes:
1. Depending
on others to birth your vision
Your
vision has been assigned directly to you to birth. Although a well-qualified
team can help you deliver, monitor and nurture your baby; they can’t help you
birth it for you. Don’t sabotage your opportunities by depending on others to
birth your vision. Do the work!
5. Poor planning
Organize
your thoughts and devise a plan for your business activities. Planning yields
measurable results, while making impulsive decisions yields unknown results.
Remember that you're in business to embrace growth and eliminate
stagnation. Don’t plan to fail!
2. Frivolous spending
The
ultimate goal to having a business is to make a profit. Making unnecessary
purchases or using your financial resources ineffectively will put you in the
red before you see the color green. Let
every dollar make cents!
3. Procrastination
Each
day, minute and second is an opportunity to manifest your purpose. Procrastinating
on executing your next step not only hinders your growth, but puts you at risks
of losing valuable relationships. Clients need immediate solutions and when you
don’t respond quick enough, oh well consider that opportunity lost. Don’t drop the ball!
4. Having a “know it all”
attitude
Unless
you are yielding multi-millions each year, having a “you can’t tell me nothing,
I’m the expert, this is what I do” attitude will dissolve potential
opportunities before they form. Your actions will show what you know. Instead
of saying that you know it all, show that you’re willing to learn more. Even
millionaires will tell you that they don’t know everything. Perfection is a
constant craft. Be a never-ending
learner!
You’ve just “strengthened your opportunity intelligence™”!
------------------_______Be Prepared For All Opportunities!
A critical part of being a decision maker is knowing how and when to approach an opportunity when it originates. This is also a part of the concept that I created called “opportunity intelligence™”. Keep in mind that an opportunity is simply a possibility to advance or grow, hence all activities in your business are opportunities. For example, if you decide to launch a new program or product; there are growth possibilities in this idea. The way you approach this possibility is based on your sense of clarity, method and expected outcomes.
The next step is to execute your idea to make this possibility a monetized reality. Are you prepared? Being prepared requires you to know what you want, how you want it done and what you expect as the final result. If you are seeking a professional to help you develop your program or product, show up ready. Scheduling consultations and completing forms are a total waste of time if you’re not prepared. To ensure that you are prepared to seize all opportunities, develop your “ready kit” to include:
· Clarity
Write down your vision and its purpose. Why are considering creating or accepting a new opportunity? Why do you want to do this? How will it benefit your personal mission as well as business goals? Knowing this will help you categorize and prioritize which opportunities you should leverage.
· Positioning
Next write down how you will reach your audience (workshops, group meetings, client portal, etc). What systems will need to be in place to execute your opportunity? Identifying this from the beginning will help you get very clear on your intentions, further helping to craft or accept a new growth possibility.
· Expectancy
Identify your expected outcome. This can be a specific revenue goal, number of units sold, registered attendees, etc. Always know what you seek to accomplish with each opportunity. Again, having clarity is pivotal because you can’t set expectations without knowing what you want.
Tools for Success
SpiderScribe.net is a great mind-mapping tool for brainstorming and collecting your notes, documents and pictures.
Tieshena is the Founder & President of Siva Resolutions Management Group™, a business consultancy firm and Purposely Created Publishing, an independent boutique publishing company. With over 15+ years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies such as Marriott International, ARAMARK, Sodexho, Morrison Management Specialist and local non-profit organizations, Tieshena will apply her management expertise and highly-effective strategies for you to leverage opportunities and resources. She has a proven track record of helping business owners to improve their bottom line as she merges leadership, strategic planning and efficiency techniques to help others become successful. Visit online at www.SivaResolutions.com / www.TieshenaInspires.com.
