Hope you find this information of value. Let me know what you think!
From Manuscript to Marketing- Advice for New Writers
Through Hell & Back
We have all been there. Not quite rock bottom but definitely close enough to kick a pebble or two along the way. It just seems like nothing is working out the way that it should. We wonder if things will ever turn around.
They do… but change doesn’t just happen. It must be planned.
You need a re-building process.
1. Start by identifying what went wrong. Naming the issue can help you avoid making the same mistakes twice.
2. Find the silver lining… which in this case, can be as simple as, “it could have been worse.” Allowing yourself to see that you have not been counted out of the game is often a powerful catalyst in and of itself. My personal motto is, “I’m still here.” Despite what has happened, I am still standing. Feel free to borrow it. 
We spend so much time fretting over things that never happen that we must learn to be grateful for all that didn’t happen, embrace all that did, and move forward with renewed faith that not only can we make a comeback, we can conqueror the situations that challenge us.
3. Build a support team.
It is easy to slip back into the old way of thinking when you are going it alone. Find a support team. Surround yourself people who want to see you succeed. If there is no one in your life you can count on to offer positive feedback and support, there are tons of online communities with people who would love to build you up and become your accountability partner.
If you don’t feel comfortable enough to confide in a stranger, get a pet. No, they won’t talk back to you (at least we hope not) but they will give you unconditional love and I find them to be great listeners… and sometimes that is all we need to get to the next level.
My Accountability Partner, Big Sexxy the Saint Bernard
4. Take baby steps.
Whatever the situation, you did not get
there overnight unless it was something beyond your control (think stock market crash or house fire.)
Otherwise, everything else was a process… weight gain, severe debt, drug abuse, relationship challenges… it was all a process and will take a process to undo. Cut yourself some slack. Get an action plan/ to do list and start rebuilding your life.
When you make the effort to make things better, life will respond positively.
Envision the life you want.
Create a plan to get you there.
Then, just be.
~G
How to Grow (and Keep) Your Client Base
“Location, location, location” is everything…when you own a brick and mortar business. However, that is not true when your office is located in your den or spare bedroom.
The name of the game for Independent Sales professionals is “Network, Network, Network!”
Without a sign out front to promote your business, how will others know that you have a product or service to sell? You have to put your name out there. There are several ways to do this.
I have included tips on ways to grow and keep your client base. Put at least one new marketing technique into use each week.
1. Promote yourself at the places you do business.
Ask permission from the owner or manager to leave business cards or a flyer on their counter or bulletin board. Ask about placing a “lead box” in their establishment. Places you should consider include your hair stylist, fitness instructor, supermarket, laundromat, dry cleaner, and community center. Does your church have a newsletter? Ask about advertising there too! The worse they can say is no.
2. Start an affiliate program.
Create a joint venture by finding colleagues and business associates whose business compliment yours and do joint promotions. A great starting point would be your photographer, seamstress or hairstylist. Another great idea is to team up with your photographer and stylist to offer pro bono services to a senior’s home.
It may take a few hour out of your schedule but it would do wonders for the senior’s morale. It can turn into sales once the staff (and family) of the seniors have seen the end results. The same can hold true if you offer services to bridal parties, prom attendees and aspiring models (to build their portfolio.) You can offer services at a reduced cost or in exchange for credits in their program or portfolio.
3. Small talk pays big.
Polish up your 30-second introduction (anything longer than that the listener will lose interest.) Talk to as many people as you can everyday. Make a game out of it. Commit to talk to three people today. Set a deadline (a certain day or date) by which you will increase your number by one. Repeat the process until everyone in earshot knows you are an Independent Sales professional.
4. Personalize your marketing.
Make sure that every outgoing piece of paper and electronic document has your name and contact information on it. Make contacting you easy. Give clients options to reach you: phone, email, regular mail, voicemail, web, S.O.S….you get the point. Use your car as a rolling billboard. Get magnetic signs and bumper stickers. Have t-shirts made for your friends and family to wear while they are at the gym, little league practice or mowing the grass. You would be amazed at how much business you can pick up from these simple ideas.
5. Get referrals and follow up.
Give out your business cards in threes. One for the person you are talking to and two for them to share. Always be sure to get business cards from the person you are speaking to, if they have one available. If not, get their contact information. Follow up is very important. Who you know is not always as important as who they know!
6. Look happy about promoting your goods.
If you are not excited about it, no one else will be either. Look the part. Be prepared with samples, business cards etc. Think positively.
If all else fails, and it won’t, offer to give something away. People like free stuff and to think they are getting a deal. Offer coupons, discounts, merchandise…your ex. It doesn’t really matter what you give away. If it has value, (ok, scratch the ex), people want it.
Happy promotions!
Change…
Greetings from the great city of Houston, TX. I am in town for a conference.Being here caused me to think of all the family members and friends I have who have never left the state of Georgia.
Trust me, I get it… Vacations are not always financially feasible but I challenge you to save up enough to take one. Start small… travel to the next state or even the next big city. Make a day (or weekend) trip out of it.
You will never know what is out there unless you go looking for it!!
I have lived in six states (Georgia, Virgina, Kansas, Wisconsin, Tennessee, & Utah) and visited 38 states and three countries. There are so many amazing and truly beautiful things to see and do and pictures don’t do them justice.
This is not just about taking a vacation, it’s about:
1. Broadening your horizon.
2. Seeing all that the world has to offer.
3. Seeing life from a different perspective.
4. Opening your mind to change and exploration… doing so opens the door to change in other areas of your life.
Plan an adventure NOW!
Envision. Create. Be.
~Gloria
Great News!!
You can get FREE shipping on your OK to ENVY apparel between now and midnight on Oct. 28th!!
Breathing Space
The last couple of months have been crazy!
I thank you all for the writing and editing assignments that have come my way. Keep them coming! I don’t take this lightly. I am looking to transition to writing on a full time basis ASAP so I have more time to share with you!
In the meantime, if you are having withdrawals, you can always check me out on my Facebook page (OK to ENVY) or on Twitter (@oktoenvy).
In addition to the writing and editing, we were finally able to finalize the designs to release for the OK to ENVY Apparel Collection. YAY! I am so excited to say that they are already on-line and the feedback so far has been great.
You can check them out from the link on this page or by going to:
Please feel free to leave a comment for me on what you think of the designs and what you would like to see in the future so I can add it to Phase Two of the collection!
I think the designs are way cute but of course I am kind of partial.
There are tons of designs ready for purchase. We also offer the ability for you to select original OK to ENVY art to place on any of the products featured on the site. Therefore, you get the design you really want on the product you want. I try to please.
We shall talk again soon. (It won’t be two months, I promise. )
In the meantime,
Envision. Create. Be.
~Gloria
The Hamster on the Wheel Effect
I hope by now that you have been thinking (The hamster on the wheel effect) about what areas you can began to work on as well as some steps to help you get there.
If not, why not? (Check your hamster!) Have you embraced or refuted the idea that you need a shift of perspective? If you are still struggling with understanding why you have to look at yourself and your situation postively, go back and more time on the Follow Through exercise.
Otherwise, how that you understand the things you (and others) say about you and you have began to replace those thoughts, it’s time to make a plan for moving forward.
I suggest you write down 1-2 areas of your life in which you feel you could make sure changes. Next, list two measurable actions that you can do to make that change.
For example:
1. I want to lose weight
(a) in the next 30 days, I will lose 10 pounds by exercising 3 times of week, for at least 30 minutes
(b) I will make better food choices and track the things I am eating
2. I will be debt free
(a) I will order my credit report by 8/17/12
(b) I will commit $10 a month towards debt repayment
Set reasonable and attainable goals. Losing 80 lbs in 3 months is possible but not reasonable.
If your budget is already very tight, squeezing out $100 a month for debt may not be feasible but $10 may be.
Start where you are, work with what you have and see how quickly your dreams and goals manifest!
Envision. Create. Be.
~G
Word of the Day
What’s the word of the day boys and girls? FLEXIBILITY! That’s right! Flexibility. And no, I am not referring to yoga or stretching… I’m referring to life and your attitude towards it.
You have truly got to roll with the punches and be ready for whatever life brings at you… with a smile.
Since we last spoke: I bought and moved into a home, got a puppy who is bigger than any dog I have ever owned (a Saint Bernard), interviewed for (but did not get) a big gig, lost an important relationship and re-defined another one… and this is just the stuff that I remember… and of course this is in addition to my church, full time work, family and OK to ENVY obligations. It has been a VERY busy couple of weeks to say the least.
I could have easily throw in the towel and some days that may be how you feel… but that is not OUR reality.
Life is to challenge you, to make you stronger, to inspire you to want to grow, learn and do more.
We have been through worse! Every thing can be fixed with time and the right attitude.
Until next time… Envision. Create. Be!
~G
Follow through
Today ‘s post is super short but should get you to think about the thoughts you have and the words you speak about your situation.
Starting right now, I challenge you, for the next 24 hours:
1. Keep a list of all the negative thoughts that your mind can conjour.
2. Immediately replace those thoughts with a positive thought.
Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is not as easy as it seems.
Try it! You’re on the clock! GO!
Envision. Create. Be.
~G
Stinkin’ Thinkin’ and other Nuances
Stinkin’ Thinkin’ and other Nuances
You can have an awesome dream, make a great plan, have a lot of willpower but if you engage in negative thoughts or unproductive behavior, you are setting yourself up for failure. In order to create the life you want, your thought and behavior patterns have to be in line with the vision you have! If you can change the way that you think, you can change the way that you live!
Today, we will identify the four most common dream stealers: negative thoughts, complacency, procrastination, and a general bad attitude.
The first step in re-creating your life is reversing all the things that you (and others) have told you about yourself. Negative thoughts or as I like to call it, Stinkin’ Thinkin’, can rob you of your self-esteem, your motivation and your focus if not kept in check.
Some examples of Stinkin’ Thinkin’: You are not good enough, smart enough, funny enough, or have enough talent to complete the task you have set out to do.
This kind of negative talk could have come from family or friends, however; more often than not, it is the things we say to ourselves. It is said generally in response to our internal being that drives us to compare ourselves to others. We must break free of the desire to compare ourselves to anyone: our best friend, our sibling, the youth minister at church and even our (former) selves. Be realistic. Start today. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn’t gotten here yet. Work with who you are and what you have today!
On the flip side of Stinkin’ Thinkin’ is complacency… where you get to a point of self-satisfaction and a mentality that “life is good enough.” We should never want to rest on our laurels and take an attitude that the things we have accomplished until this point is enough and if you never do “all” the things that you wanted to do, at least you got to do most. It’s time to push ourselves to accomplish those things that consistently capture your attention.
We often become complacent and start to make excuses as to why we can’t have everything we dreamed of which leads to one of the biggest of the dream stealers… Procrastination! We tell ourselves things like, “I’m too old/young”, “I don’t have enough money/time” and “I don’t know if I am capable of success.” What are you waiting for? If you are not making an effort to pursue YOUR DREAM, who is going to do it for you?
Last but not least is a General Bad Attitude…besides the fact that others don’t want to be around you, it can cause you to not want to be around yourself. It is possible to make your own self miserable when you constantly complain and criticize. If you find yourself unhappy more than 50% of the time, you should commit today to finding out what it is in you (or your life) that makes you so unhappy and rectify it IMMEDIATELY!
Don’t fret! I’m not going leave you alone to figure it out all by yourself. We will look at how to create winning thought patterns and behaviors and rid your life of those toxic things that have your dreams held hostage! We both know that if I told you everything today, you would have no reason to visit next time… and I want you to come back! I enjoy your company. J
Until next time… Envision. Create. Be.
~G