Welcome back! It's good to see you again. Please note that I am now publishing all new material at my hub site: StephenPSmith.com
I took this course for a while earlier this year, and it was massively educational. I highly recommend that you sign up for these free case studies ( I just did). Whether or not you sign up for ongoing training, that is up to you (not an affiliate link), but I do suggest that you give this free sample a chance.
Here are 3 quick examples of training areas that work in good times and bad:
* Right now, people realize that job security is an illusion. There’s never been more interest in starting up small and home-based businesses. It’s a huge training market that’s getting bigger due to uncertain economic times and general dissatisfaction with working for someone else.
* Technology is marching forward at a blistering pace. People need to be educated in software and technology tools for career changes and better productivity. The aging population needs clear instruction on how to do basic things that others take for granted. It’s a huge training market that’s getting bigger due to rapid change and the advancing age of the Boomer Generation.
* Personal development training is in high demand. Because basic needs are well satisfied in many Western nations, people are looking for more. They’re looking to the top of the needs pyramid, which is self-actualization. And due to the way our brains are wired, we value advice we pay for more than free and often untrustworthy information.
Those three huge training categories only scratch the surface of the potential. New opportunities for profitable paid training programs arise every day thanks to the relentless pace of change.
If you are interested on some Productivity Skill training, send me an e-mail (stephen @ hdbizblog . com) and we can talk about it.
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/ad85fy. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen
The Getting Things Done workflow is a very powerful approach to managing the actions and tasks that we need to accomplish every day. It may not have occurred to you that it is possible to apply the 5-step workflow as a framework for your business.
That is, clients and customers are inputs like any other, and as such you can manage them as you would an e-mail.
Apply the GTD Workflow to your business
The system itself is quite simple, and can be handled with a tool like HighriseHQ, Salesforce, or any other customer relationship system - or with a pencil and paper. You can adapt these basics to whichever system you currently use.
Collect - This first step is handling the initial lead, whether it comes in via advertising or a sales call, you collect as much information about the client and their situation as you can. Are you getting the right information? Are you asking the right questions?
Process - In step two the client’s wants and needs are analyzed and possible solutions are generated.
Organize - Create a proposal based on selecting the best of the possible solutions.
Review - Also called “the pitch”, go over the proposed solution with the client, presenting the features and benefits of the solution. This is also the step where objections will be raised. Since an objection is a request for more information, it enables you to further examine the client’s needs and determine the need behind the need. This will allow you to further customize and personalize the solution.
Do - Ask for the sale. Whatever business you are in there comes a time to close the deal and ask the client for their business, and then complete the transaction. Implement your solution and ask for a referral.
How could you implement this very simple framework in your own business? Do you currently have a formalized sales process in place? What do you suppose a workflow system like this could do for your training and retention expenses?
Leave a comment.
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/aatrpj. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen
My friend Ariane has updated her “getting organized” series of e-books: “The problem that many creative, spontaneous, and super-busy people like me have is that we have tried to use conventional organizing strategies that worked for our friends, or that we read in books written by “disciplined” people who like structure and schedules, and who really don’t mind putting a lot of effort into designing and maintaining sophisticated solutions. This book will help them too, because anyone can do simple, but really this book is for people who don’t have the time or patience for lots of details and steps.”
Ariane has worked as a professional organizer for many, many people over the past few years and she has taken the lessons learned from her personal coaching experiences and distilled them into a series of e-books that can show you how to overcome clutter and disorganization.
I have been meaning to write a series of books like this to share my own experiences, but why re-invent the wheel? I have read these books and they are written in a friendly and easy-to-understand style. Go get yours today! If you would like to learn more about Ariane and what she can do for you, visit her blog at Neat & Simple.
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/6s9b2v. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen
A brand new era has started for FFOP! I’ve decided to put my gazillion years of organization and productivity hands-on training to good use: I’ve gone out on my own as a Professional Organization & Productivity Expert!
Currently I’m running a 50% off special for one week. I also have my custom templates and eBook up for sale as well…
See what Kris has to offer at her services page, she knows what she is talking about!
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/657asr. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen
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February 6th, 2009 by Stephen
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