business goals Archives - Cuppa SEO

Do I Really Need One of those CRM Things?

Jessica Reilly — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 16:18:15 +0000

Yes.

Sorry I don’t have a more witty response than that … If you have a business with customers, you really really do. If you are a nonprofit, your donors are your customers and the answer is the same. Excel spreadsheets or handwritten client files just won’t cut it anymore. Today’s consumer expects customized messaging and real-time data.

Let’s Start with the Basics

A CRM is a Customer Relationship Management system. Businesses use this software to manage their B2B and B2C relationships. They provide both current and historical data on clients/prospects in one location and help you more effectively communicate with those contacts. Many even allow you to automate previously manual processes.

A Couple More Things You Should Know

By centralizing your data in one location, you now have the ability to generate more qualified leads. For example, let’s say your organization collects leads through a variety of channels (social media, “open house” events and surveys). Through your use of a CRM, you might discover that once a lead has engaged with you via all three channels, your rate of conversion increases exponentially. Great news, right? Now you have better data for your sales funnel and you can ensure more attention is paid to these qualified leads before moving on to the rest of your prospect list.

Now let’s talk automation. My favorite example of this is the quoting process. Think about your current method for quote requests. Perhaps you hear from a prospect verbally or via email. You ask them a series of questions, plug their responses into your formula, create a “custom” pricing proposal and send it off to the prospect. Perhaps you hear back from them immediately; perhaps you follow up in a week.

Now the fun part. Let’s imagine this process with the right CRM for your business! Your investment in an optimized website pays off and a prospect arrives on your homepage. Engaging content prompts the lead to get a quote. Because your website is already integrated with your CRM, the lead is able to click on your call to action to request a quote and answer a series of questions. In addition to capturing the prospect’s data and activity, the CRM is programmed to generate the appropriate quote based on their responses and deliver that proposal to the email provided. If that lead shows no new activity for a predetermined amount of time, you can arrange for a follow-up email to be sent automatically.

You’re in Good Company

According to CRM Magazine, 91% of companies with ten or more employees have a CRM. LinkedIn says 64.2% of those rate their CRM tool as “impactful” or “very impactful.” With countless options on the market, each offering varying levels of customization and automation, odds are very good you will find one that is a fit.

Want more tips and insights from Cuppa SEO?

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Running a Small Business & the Art of Setting a Date on Your Goals

Joey Donovan-Guido — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 18:05:43 +0000

Many years ago, when I had less grey in my beard, I hadn’t yet gotten into the habit of setting a deadline for my goals.

At best, the specifics of my due date were relegated to, “a year from now I will have accomplished … (insert specifics of goal here).” At worst, my thinking was that I’d work as hard as I could to accomplish my goal, and that it would be completed ASAP.

Boy was I wrong.

What I’ve found is that having no due date adds ZERO immediacy to accomplishing a goal. And having a due date of “a year from now,” meant I was the guy who had a rolling due date of exactly ONE YEAR FROM NOW — so I was never getting any closer to the due date!

In both of these circumstances, there was no sense of urgency. Adding a deadline gives us two “action drivers” — immediacy and urgency, motivating us to move forward instead of being in a place of stasis.

Plus, a deadline does something else useful — it helps us be mindful of a goal.

This is especially true if we review our goals on a daily or weekly basis, which I highly recommend. Maybe you’re geeky like me and have a reminder app or goals app to help you stay on track. Or maybe you prefer an analog process of stay mindful of your goals — like a nice notebook.

When we’re mindful of a goal, we’re much more likely to take action on it because it’s literally top-of-mind on a daily basis.

Regardless of your exact process, placing an actual date on a goal moves you closer to the deadline each day. And as we all know, when a deadline we’ve committed to draws closer, we get moving in an effort to accomplish our goal (or project). The pressure of an oncoming deadline creates the momentum necessary to accomplish it. Otherwise, it’s just too far away to take seriously.

Missing Your Deadline

What if a deadline arrives and we haven’t accomplished our goal?

We reassess, and figure out why we weren’t able to accomplish our goal. Maybe our initial time projection was unrealistic, or we had more to learn/do than expected.

Regardless of the details, this should not be looked at as a failure. Instead, it’s an opportunity to refocus our course on a goal, reassess the steps we need to take to get there, and set a revised plan of action into place. Of course, we will also need to update our deadline.

Discovering, Defining and Setting Goals

These days, I have one-year, two-year and five-year goals for my business. I’m always looking a few steps ahead, as well as a few miles down the road. I’m able to do this because I’ve learned how to discover, define and set my goals (in large part, thanks to Mr. Zig Ziglar).

If you’d like help discovering, defining and setting your business and personal goals, check out the other installments of our series:

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Running a Small Business & the Art of Overcoming Obstacles

Joey Donovan-Guido — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 02:11:44 +0000

So far in this series, we’ve talked about Running a Small Business and the Art of Balance, Discovering Goals, Defining Goals and Setting Goals.

In this installment of the series, we’re going to be talking about obstacles.

I know — unpleasant, right? At least at first glance.

I say at first glance because, when you think about it, isn’t it how we perceive an obstacle that colors whether it’s negative, neutral or even a positive?

When an obstacle arises, we always have a choice about how we’re going to deal with it. And although the initial action we want to take may be to REACT to the problem, we can also choose to RESPOND to it.

In essence, we have three choices:

See the obstacle as a problem.
If we perceive it on an emotional level as something that’s in our way, it’s going to be hard not to see it as a a big, fat negative.
See the obstacle with a Buddhist mentality.
Accepting that “it is what it is.” This allows us to view the obstacle neutrally, making it less frustrating.
See the obstacle as an opportunity.
You’re probably thinking, “this guy has had way too many cups of coffee! How can he think an obstacle could be an opportunity?” But what if the obstacle helps us look at the situation in a different way? Maybe it gives us a more efficient process in attaining a goal, or sheds light on something we hadn’t realized before.

Like anything else, if we look for the positive in something, there’s a good chance we’ll find it.

Many years ago, I almost died from a condition called Crohn’s disease. When I was sick, I had a decision to make. Was I going to listen to the doctors and continue to take 20 pills a day? Essentially putting a bandaid on my condition? Or, was I going to find a long-term solution to better health? This would mean self reflection to figure out why I got sick in the first place. I also knew this would most likely spark lots of change.

I chose the latter, and I have been feeling healthier — and pill free — for almost 20 years! The Crohn’s disease, a huge obstacle, wound up being one of the greatest gifts of my life because it put me on the path to being true to who I am.

An obstacle is like a hurdle …

The good news is that you’re most likely NOT an olympic hurdler. So, instead of trying to jump the hurdle, it might be just plain easier to walk around it! In other words, keep your eye on the finish line (your goal), but alter your path to get there.

Just remember that a positive outlook — even in the face of adversity or failure — plays a major role in overcoming an obstacle and moving closer to your goal. Keeping your plan of action to goal attainment bite-sized, and being open to making revisions, greatly increases your odds of success.

I also recommend frequent cups of coffee, too!

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Running a Small Business & the Art of Setting Goals

Joey Donovan-Guido — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 17:40:02 +0000

So far, this series has talked about three major topics involved in running a small business: The Art of Balance, The Art of Discovering Goals, and The Art of Defining Goals.

In today’s installment, we’re going to dive into how to set goals in a way that increases your chances of actually accomplishing them.

It All Starts with a Step-by-Step Plan of Action

Once you’ve discovered and clearly defined your goals, the next step is breaking them down into what I like to call “bite-sized” steps. Why bit-sized? Because bite-sized steps can be accomplished on a regular basis — even by people with ridiculously busy schedules.

Think of it like a pizza. How many people do you know who can sit down and eat an entire pizza in one bite? Nobody, right? In order to eat a pizza (or at least part of a pizza) it first needs to be cut into slices. Being from NY, these must be triangular slices — not square!

Once your pizza is cut into slices, it’s a little more manageable, but you still have to take one bite at a time in order to eat the whole slice.

It’s the same with your goals.

Ultimately, if we take steps on a daily basis (no matter how small) we’re moving ourselves closer to goal attainment.

Here’s global view of what my mentor, Zig Ziglar, has to say about the goals process. His fantastic book, See You At The Top, goes into great detail about this subject:

Identify EXACTLY what you desire
Spell out exactly why you’d like to reach these goals
List the obstacles you need to overcome in order to get there
Identify the people, groups and organizations you need to work with to get there
Identify what you need to know (learn) in order to reach these goals
Develop a plan of action
Set a date on it — when do you expect to get there?

Regarding that last point, it’s important to remember that we may not reach a goal on the intended date — but we’ve still got to set an exact deadline. Without an actual date, you may find yourself perpetually on the road to accomplishing a goal “one year from now.”

That being said, it’s important to be kind to ourselves during the process, because things like missed milestones happen — even to the best of us.

Plus, some things are out of our control. And if you’re a parent, lack of time and energy are real obstacles that may hinder rapid accomplishment. Fear not, it’s still possible, as long as you become a master at setting a step-by-step plan that can easily be accomplished.

And if part of a plan simply doesn’t work? This is not only OK, but a healthy part of the process.

If this happens, it may feel like a failure — but it’s NOT! In fact, it’s a mini-success because it’s given us the opportunity to ADJUST THE PLAN. And with proper adjustment, we can realign ourselves more closely with the end goal.

If all of this seems overwhelming, that’s normal. But if you allow yourself to believe that you can do this, you will. If you believe that you can’t, you won’t. In other words, your perception will create your reality.

Goals & the Kindergarten-to-College Analogy

I’d like to take a deeper look into the process by sharing what I call the “kindergarten-to-college analogy.” ANYBODY who tried to look at this scenario as a point A to point B endeavor would be completely overwhelmed. Here’s a way it can be broken down:

THE GOAL: To graduate college
WHERE I’M AT: Kindergarten

Here’s the step-by-step hierarchy to accomplishing my goal:

Section it off by grammar school, middle school, high school and college
Now break it down by grade (year): kindergarten, grade 1, etc.
By semester
By month
By week
By day
By class

You get the idea.

Each step leads us closer to our goal of graduating college, but could you imagine trying to leap past all of those steps at once?

Do you do this to yourself with your business goals?

It’s much easier to complete your goal if you look and act upon it from the “by class” level. Now it’s manageable — a small enough bite that you can actually chew on it, instead of choking.

One Final Note on Setting Goals

You may not have the whole plan in place when you start, and that’s OK. As Zig Ziglar always said, “go as far as you can see, and you will see further.” In other words, lay out as many steps as you can, adjust as necessary, and as you move forward more steps will clarify.

The biggest trick here is making sure each step or action you take is bite-sized.

Thank you for visiting Cuppa SEO! I wish you the best of luck in accomplishing your goals.

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Running a Small Business & the Art of Defining Goals

Joey Donovan-Guido — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 16:49:37 +0000

Actively discovering, defining and setting goals has become a big part of my professional and personal life. These days, it’s a process that I think about on a daily basis. But it wasn’t always that way.

I still remember a time when I was working as a senior copywriter for Lands’ End, commuting 90-minutes a day. My goals were unclear, until I started listening to the likes of Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield on that commute — day after day.

Simply put, this simple act transformed my life — especially listening to Zig. I wouldn’t be who I am, or where I am, without his insights and advice. The reason I bring this up is because everything I’m sharing in this Small Business series is derived from Zig, and others like him. I can’t take credit for these concepts, but I sure as heck can share them!

In the last installment of our Running a Small Business series, we talked about discovering goals — which is the first step in the process of transforming your business and/or personal life. If you missed it, be sure to check it out before reading this article.

Next up, let’s dive into defining your goals …

How to Clearly Define Your Business & Personal Goals

A goal is very much like a trip across America. If you’re driving in the dark with no headlights, and no directions, there’s no way you can reach your destination.

Trying to accomplish a goal without gaining a clear picture of what it looks like is just as impossible. Success is in the details — the more the better — until you’re looking at a hi-definition picture of your goal.

To keep with the driving analogy, a clearly-defined goal is the same as entering an exact address into your mobile phone’s maps program. It’s very specific — with every turn, street and highway name spelled out (and spoken). In other words, there’s no doubt about where you’re headed.

Brian Tracey has an excellent strategy that can help clearly define goals. Here’s what he has to say …

“Imagine that 5-years from now your whole life has been made perfect in every respect, every aspect of your life. All your dreams have been fulfilled. Every goal has been achieved. What would it look like if 5-years from now your life is ideal in every way?”

Very powerful.

Brian goes on to ask questions that help you flesh out the details:

Where would you be in five years?
Who would you be with?
What would you be doing?
How well would you be doing it?
How much would you be earning?
What kind of home would you live in?
What would be your level of physical fitness?
What would your family be like and your relationships?
How would your children be doing?
If your life were perfect 5-years form now in every respect – what would it look like?

He then emphatically states “the 5-years are going to pass. No matter what. And if you’re crystal clear about what your life is going to be like in 5-years, your chances of making that a reality go up about 1,000%.”

I like those odds — how about you?

According to Jack Canfield, “one of the easiest ways to begin clarifying what you truly want is to make a list of 30 things you want to do, 30 things you want to have, and 30 things you want to be before you die.”

If you’re interested in leaning more about goals, I highly recommend the incredibly affordable Goals CDs by Zig Ziglar. Although the cover art (from the 1970’s) could use a revamp, the material is timeless.

If you subscribe to Audible, you can listen to Zig’s Goals program for free!

I hope this article helps your clearly define your goals. In the next installment of the series, we’ll talk about setting a realistic plan of action to attain our goals.

Thank you for visiting Cuppa SEO!

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Running a Small Business & the Art of Discovering Goals

Joey Donovan-Guido — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 23:38:25 +0000

Beyond this week’s to-do list, do you have a clear idea of where you’re headed professionally and personally?

It’s VERY easy to be distracted by the minutia of the here and now — what seems so urgent in the moment. The problem is, when we do this the important long-term stuff gets neglected and we wind up remaining where we are as opposed to where we want to be.

The good news is you can train yourself to look past the to-do lists of today and tomorrow, and start focusing some of your time on your mid- and long-term goals.

The First Step — Discovering Your Goals

Most people fall into one of three categories when it comes to goals:

You Know What Your Goals Are
If this is the case for you, are they clear and well-defined? If they are, great! WRITE THEM DOWN — IN DETAIL.
You Kind of Know What Your Goals Are
You have a general idea of what your goals are, but things aren’t so clear. In fact, they might be pretty ambiguous. You’ll need to do a little work to flesh them out.
You Have No Idea What Your Goals Are
If you don’t know what your goals are, that’s OK! But you’ll need to discover them. And if you’re looking to discover your goals, it’s helpful to take a global view. You can do this by making a list of all the things you’d like to do personally and professionally. Think of it in terms of what you want to accomplish, short-, mid- and long-term.

Before you start writing out your list, even if you are very clear about your goals, ask yourself the following:

What is it that I love to do the most?

Things you “kind-of like to do” need not make your list. If you focus on doing what you absolutely love, you’ll be more apt to stick with it (even when things are hard) and do a great job at it. Once you complete your list, set it aside for a couple of days before going back to it and eliminating all but the most interesting things you are most passionate about. Now you have a list of goals to choose from — some big, some small, all awesome!

This is only the first step in the process, so don’t worry too much about the details — yet. That being said, if you are aware of some or all of the details connected to a goal, it would be a good idea to document them while they’re fresh in your head. The great thing about this list is that it’s flexible, so don’t stress about whether each and every goal or detail is exactly right!

If you’re having trouble figuring out your personal or professional goals, you’ll need to call upon the “magic if.”

What is the “Magic If?”

If you have no idea what your goals are, or if you’re having trouble thinking of anything at all, there’s a simple, effective question you can ask yourself.

In my research with clients, friends, colleagues, family and facilitating goals workshops, this very simple question melts away the feeling of “not knowing” nearly 100% of the time — and a clear answer manifests.

So what’s the question?

What if?

What if you did know what your goals are? Who would you be? What would your life look like five years from now?

This question actually comes from the famed director and teacher, Constantine Stanislavski, one of the greatest contributors to modern theater and film acting. It was a strategy actors used to get “into the head” of our characters.

In our case, this question has the ability to untether us from reality, at least for a moment. Now, when we ask ourselves “what if,” instead of worrying about whether our answer is going to be right or wrong, it becomes more hypothetical, a postulation of sorts.

I believe this simple question frees the subconscious mind, allowing the answer — that’s always been there — to become conscious. These answers can be VERY powerful, so write them down.

One Final Note

Sometimes when you’re thinking about goals (and the change that’s often associated with them), fear rears its ugly head. Thoughts like, “that’s too hard,” or “what if I fail,” may arise. There may resistance associated with embarking on a goal. But if you don’t try, there’s a good chance you’ll remain in the same exact spot you’re in.

That’s not a way to double your business revenue, get healthier, free up time to spend with family, or accomplish any other goal on your list.

And what if you DO fail at attaining your goal? Well, failure is sometimes part of the process. It’s what we do with what appears to be failure that defines our future.

It took Thomas Edison over 10,000 “failures” before he invented a working light bulb. It took Colonel Sanders (Kentucky Fried Chicken) 1,009 “failures” before he received his first yes from a restaurant to sell chicken with his secret recipe.

If they’d have given up, we’d all be eating grilled chicken in the dark!

So what are you waiting for? Get out that notebook, or laptop, and get started making your list.

I hope this article helps you discover your goals. In the next installment of the series, we’ll talk about how to clearly define them.

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