Jon Cooper - Mastermind Groups ensure you are not alone.
Life in business is necessarily tough; if it wasn’t, everyone would be doing it!
And yet one of the biggest challenges to success often comes from your own isolation as the boss. Quite simply, you have no-one to discuss ideas and voice concerns with. In that environment, judgement and motivation can desert you just when you need it most.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could meet regularly with a group of like-minded individuals, who could share experiences, skills and support?
This is the basis of Mastermind Groups, a concept first penned by the legendary Napoleon Hill in 1937.
He said that "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the master mind]."
There are such groups now across the globe, spanning every sector of commerce and human interests.
One of my clients runs a successful Financial Advice firm, and has put together his own Mastermind Group to develop and promote industry best practice for its five members. This is what he does to make it work –
1: Meets regularly, every week or month.
2: Selects members with similar success and experience levels.
3: Ensures members are not direct competitors who may not be comfortable opening up to the Group.
4: Insists on commitment to meeting schedules and effective participation.
5: Develops a spirit of harmony, trust and respect. Eliminates argument; instead fosters constructive discussion.
6: Agrees a Group objective that this year is going to be the best ever for all members.
7: Accepts and gives honest feedback on himself and others.
8: Encourages each member to make his or her own plan, with defined goals for which the Group then holds them accountable.
9: Brings in guest speakers to inspire and educate.
10: Provides an immediate and perpetual support network.
The way to set up your own Mastermind Group is simple; pick up the phone to half-a-dozen or so of your peers and invite them to join with you.
Incidentally, the concept works equally well if you are work colleagues employed by an organisation, or if you want to form a group of participants in your sport, leisure or recreational activity.
Have a question you'd like Jon Cooper to address? You can submit it by either adding a comment to this post online or by e-mailing it to jon@jupiterdawn.com
Showing posts with label success. Show all posts
Showing posts with label success. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
Jon Cooper: Top ten biggest sales mistakes.
Easy ways to ruin a sale.
As you read this, salespeople around world are doubtless hard at work inventing
new methods of screwing up their chances of success. To give them a helping
hand, here are my top ten ways to lose a sale!
1: Talk about yourself. No prospect wants you to listen to his story, and in any
case, you are far more interesting than he is.
2: Talk technical. Make sure you baffle them with enough confusing jargon, so
they have to buy just to find out what you were on about.
3: Let the customer take control. You need them to call the shots. Anyway, it’s
only polite, as they’re the ones paying your wages.
4: Make sure you recite your canned pitch. Everyone loves being assaulted with
a heavy sales spiel.
5: Insist they hear all the features of your product. Don’t bother talking benefits;
how should you know how they’re going to use your stuff anyway? They’ll have
plenty of time to work that out for themselves once they’re bought it.
6: Don’t worry about asking for the sale; after all, nobody ever makes decisions
on the day, so just assume they’re going to get at least three more quotes and
then want to think about it, like all the others.
7: Don’t waste time chasing prospects. They’ll always come back to you if you’ve
done your job, right? If they don’t, it just means they were wasting your time all
along.
8: Aim your pitch at the lowest-ranking employee. Get him excited and he’ll tell
his boss, who’ll tell his boss, and so on, until your sparkling message reaches
the actual decision-maker.
9: Don’t bother checking early on if they need or want your product. Just hit
them with your standard pitch, and they’ll sure as heck want it by the time
you’ve finished.
10: Love ‘em and leave ‘em. Your job is to make the sale, not deliver the goods.
The only reason they want to speak to you later is to complain about something,
so leave all that to Customer Service. Wouldn’t be so bad if they rang you with a
recommendation or referral every now and again, but of course; they never do.
Have a question you'd like Jon Cooper to address? You can submit it by either
adding a comment to this post online or by e-mailing it to jon@jupiterdawn.com
As you read this, salespeople around world are doubtless hard at work inventing
new methods of screwing up their chances of success. To give them a helping
hand, here are my top ten ways to lose a sale!
1: Talk about yourself. No prospect wants you to listen to his story, and in any
case, you are far more interesting than he is.
2: Talk technical. Make sure you baffle them with enough confusing jargon, so
they have to buy just to find out what you were on about.
3: Let the customer take control. You need them to call the shots. Anyway, it’s
only polite, as they’re the ones paying your wages.
4: Make sure you recite your canned pitch. Everyone loves being assaulted with
a heavy sales spiel.
5: Insist they hear all the features of your product. Don’t bother talking benefits;
how should you know how they’re going to use your stuff anyway? They’ll have
plenty of time to work that out for themselves once they’re bought it.
6: Don’t worry about asking for the sale; after all, nobody ever makes decisions
on the day, so just assume they’re going to get at least three more quotes and
then want to think about it, like all the others.
7: Don’t waste time chasing prospects. They’ll always come back to you if you’ve
done your job, right? If they don’t, it just means they were wasting your time all
along.
8: Aim your pitch at the lowest-ranking employee. Get him excited and he’ll tell
his boss, who’ll tell his boss, and so on, until your sparkling message reaches
the actual decision-maker.
9: Don’t bother checking early on if they need or want your product. Just hit
them with your standard pitch, and they’ll sure as heck want it by the time
you’ve finished.
10: Love ‘em and leave ‘em. Your job is to make the sale, not deliver the goods.
The only reason they want to speak to you later is to complain about something,
so leave all that to Customer Service. Wouldn’t be so bad if they rang you with a
recommendation or referral every now and again, but of course; they never do.
Have a question you'd like Jon Cooper to address? You can submit it by either
adding a comment to this post online or by e-mailing it to jon@jupiterdawn.com
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Sharp lessons from a wily creature
Are you a hedgehog or a fox? And which provides a better model for leadership and success?
According to business guru Jim Collins, and contrary to what you might imagine, it’s the prickly one we should be emulating!
The reason is all about focus; developing a single idea and doing it superbly well, rather than creating endless new strategies, divisions and projects in an attempt to stay ahead of the competition.
Embedding the “Hedgehog Concept” into your enterprise requires you to understand your answers to the following three fundamental questions -
1: What can you truly be the best in the world at? This won’t necessarily point you to your current endeavours, qualifications or experience. In fact, if you’re engaged in something which you’re not particularly good at, you need to look further to discover your true calling. Do you go to work feeling that you were born to do this, and that you have found your niche? If not, why not?
2: What drives your financial success? All the great achievers and organisations understand where their cashflow and profit comes from. Both are essential to business survival, so you shouldn’t waste time on anything which rewards you with only one or neither. Furthermore, eliminating those parts of your activity which are holding you back financially gives you more time to concentrate on the worthwhile stuff.
3: What are you passionate about? Here’s a test. Today, you win the lottery. Do you enjoy your work so much that you would carry on doing it tomorrow? If you would, you’ve already found your true calling. Furthermore, in your business, is there a universal culture where everyone feels motivated, excited and valued in everything they do?
“Hedgehog” thinking operates in the space where the answers to all three of those questions overlap.
In case you’re wondering about the analogy with forest wildlife, remember that whether the fox creeps towards him slowly, lunges at him from behind a log, or leaps from the bow of a tree in an attempt to surprise him, Spiny Norman only ever has to execute his one single, perfect move.
He curls into a ball and leaves his “cunning” attacker reeling in defeat, usually with a bloody nose!
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
According to business guru Jim Collins, and contrary to what you might imagine, it’s the prickly one we should be emulating!
The reason is all about focus; developing a single idea and doing it superbly well, rather than creating endless new strategies, divisions and projects in an attempt to stay ahead of the competition.
Embedding the “Hedgehog Concept” into your enterprise requires you to understand your answers to the following three fundamental questions -
1: What can you truly be the best in the world at? This won’t necessarily point you to your current endeavours, qualifications or experience. In fact, if you’re engaged in something which you’re not particularly good at, you need to look further to discover your true calling. Do you go to work feeling that you were born to do this, and that you have found your niche? If not, why not?
2: What drives your financial success? All the great achievers and organisations understand where their cashflow and profit comes from. Both are essential to business survival, so you shouldn’t waste time on anything which rewards you with only one or neither. Furthermore, eliminating those parts of your activity which are holding you back financially gives you more time to concentrate on the worthwhile stuff.
3: What are you passionate about? Here’s a test. Today, you win the lottery. Do you enjoy your work so much that you would carry on doing it tomorrow? If you would, you’ve already found your true calling. Furthermore, in your business, is there a universal culture where everyone feels motivated, excited and valued in everything they do?
“Hedgehog” thinking operates in the space where the answers to all three of those questions overlap.
In case you’re wondering about the analogy with forest wildlife, remember that whether the fox creeps towards him slowly, lunges at him from behind a log, or leaps from the bow of a tree in an attempt to surprise him, Spiny Norman only ever has to execute his one single, perfect move.
He curls into a ball and leaves his “cunning” attacker reeling in defeat, usually with a bloody nose!
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
Monday, 16 February 2009
Gain market share in bad times
Survive and thrive – it’s all in the maths.
We’re in an economic downturn, right? Everyone feels financially vulnerable, with markets and property values falling faster than Robbie Williams off the end of the charts.
Every day your customers are telling you they’ve got no money, that their expansion plans are on indefinite hold, and that they may even have to lay people off so they can ride out the storm.
Aside from the fact that much of the doom and gloom is self-perpetuating and self-fulfilling (you think it’s bad, therefore it becomes so), what can ambitious business owners do next?
The first thing to do is look at some maths. How much of the total market for your products or services did you enjoy back in the “good times”? Unless you have a unique offering, chances are you would never have met much more than 10% (at best) of the available demand in your sector.
One of my clients is in car leasing. Last year they financed 200 cars, which represented about 1% of all cars leased in their area.
This year, they’re on track for only 100 cars, which still equates to around 1% of the now depressed market.
The market doesn’t need to bounce back – you simply need a bigger share of it!
Instead of resigning themselves to similar results next year, they want to get back to 200 cars in 2009. I’ve shown them that although the market has contracted, there’s nothing to stop them getting a bigger share of it. In fact to recover their position, the market doesn’t even have to bounce back; they simply have to double their market share to 2% of the available business!
Whilst their competitors are battening down those hatches and tightening their belts, a process which inspires neither customer confidence nor loyalty, they need to pick up just a tiny proportion of disillusioned clients from each of them to get their business back on track.
There’ll never be a better time to gain new customers, and if you can impress them now when they really need you, they’ll probably stay with you for ever.
I’ll leave you with this thought – If my clients double their market share now to 2%, when the economy bounces back to normal they’ll be doing 400 cars a year; or twice as many as they ever did before!
Like I said, it’s all in the maths.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com - business consulting that works!
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
We’re in an economic downturn, right? Everyone feels financially vulnerable, with markets and property values falling faster than Robbie Williams off the end of the charts.
Every day your customers are telling you they’ve got no money, that their expansion plans are on indefinite hold, and that they may even have to lay people off so they can ride out the storm.
Aside from the fact that much of the doom and gloom is self-perpetuating and self-fulfilling (you think it’s bad, therefore it becomes so), what can ambitious business owners do next?
The first thing to do is look at some maths. How much of the total market for your products or services did you enjoy back in the “good times”? Unless you have a unique offering, chances are you would never have met much more than 10% (at best) of the available demand in your sector.
One of my clients is in car leasing. Last year they financed 200 cars, which represented about 1% of all cars leased in their area.
This year, they’re on track for only 100 cars, which still equates to around 1% of the now depressed market.
The market doesn’t need to bounce back – you simply need a bigger share of it!
Instead of resigning themselves to similar results next year, they want to get back to 200 cars in 2009. I’ve shown them that although the market has contracted, there’s nothing to stop them getting a bigger share of it. In fact to recover their position, the market doesn’t even have to bounce back; they simply have to double their market share to 2% of the available business!
Whilst their competitors are battening down those hatches and tightening their belts, a process which inspires neither customer confidence nor loyalty, they need to pick up just a tiny proportion of disillusioned clients from each of them to get their business back on track.
There’ll never be a better time to gain new customers, and if you can impress them now when they really need you, they’ll probably stay with you for ever.
I’ll leave you with this thought – If my clients double their market share now to 2%, when the economy bounces back to normal they’ll be doing 400 cars a year; or twice as many as they ever did before!
Like I said, it’s all in the maths.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com - business consulting that works!
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
CRM for success
Get the sales cream with CRM
Most businesses know their products, their message and their market well enough to produce a sales strategy that works pretty well. But they forget how important TIMING is in the whole mix.People will buy when THEY'RE ready, not when YOU’RE ready to make a sale.
We all know sales calling can be a tedious, stressful time-consuming process, which is sometimes easier to ignore. After all, if the customer doesn’t buy now, he’ll come back to us when he’s ready – right?
Wrong! Your “customer” will buy from the last person he talks to before he’s ready to make the decision. If that’s not you, it will be one of your competitors.
So, you have to be in front of your customers when they're ready to buy. In other words, you have to follow-up constantly to stop someone else catching their attention!
And in today’s contracted market, the last thing you want to do is to leave business, and money, on the table for someone else to grab.
Fortunately, there is a simple and easy way to ensure that you leave no stone unturned, and no opportunity open to your competition.
It’s called a Customer Relationship Management system, or CRM for short.
This is basically a log, detailing the last contact you had with your customer, and containing a date and time for the next agreed contact with them.
In the old days, this could have been no more than a note in your diary, or some kind of card index. I know people who still use a 1-31 filing drawer-based system for their personal follow-ups.
In 2009, however, there’s no excuse for not running a fully automated system, often linked in with your email software. If you’re not yet using MS Outlook for email, diary and task management, try it out right now, as it’s an accessible and cost-effective way to keep on top of things.
In fact, one of the main reasons my clients log on to their PCs in the morning is to open their CRM systems and check for that day’s follow-up calls.
I read an industry survey recently which estimated that a staggering 99% of SMEs don’t effectively follow up on sales enquiries. I want you to be part of the enlightened 1% this year, so get that CRM system in place, and use it religiously!
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
Most businesses know their products, their message and their market well enough to produce a sales strategy that works pretty well. But they forget how important TIMING is in the whole mix.People will buy when THEY'RE ready, not when YOU’RE ready to make a sale.
We all know sales calling can be a tedious, stressful time-consuming process, which is sometimes easier to ignore. After all, if the customer doesn’t buy now, he’ll come back to us when he’s ready – right?
Wrong! Your “customer” will buy from the last person he talks to before he’s ready to make the decision. If that’s not you, it will be one of your competitors.
So, you have to be in front of your customers when they're ready to buy. In other words, you have to follow-up constantly to stop someone else catching their attention!
And in today’s contracted market, the last thing you want to do is to leave business, and money, on the table for someone else to grab.
Fortunately, there is a simple and easy way to ensure that you leave no stone unturned, and no opportunity open to your competition.
It’s called a Customer Relationship Management system, or CRM for short.
This is basically a log, detailing the last contact you had with your customer, and containing a date and time for the next agreed contact with them.
In the old days, this could have been no more than a note in your diary, or some kind of card index. I know people who still use a 1-31 filing drawer-based system for their personal follow-ups.
In 2009, however, there’s no excuse for not running a fully automated system, often linked in with your email software. If you’re not yet using MS Outlook for email, diary and task management, try it out right now, as it’s an accessible and cost-effective way to keep on top of things.
In fact, one of the main reasons my clients log on to their PCs in the morning is to open their CRM systems and check for that day’s follow-up calls.
I read an industry survey recently which estimated that a staggering 99% of SMEs don’t effectively follow up on sales enquiries. I want you to be part of the enlightened 1% this year, so get that CRM system in place, and use it religiously!
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
Reading and meeting for a Tremendous Life
Reading and meeting are the keys to a Tremendous life
Like many in business, and with an interest in the success habits of others, I’m an avid reader.
I was reminded again of the power of a well written phrase when I picked up an article celebrating the life of Charles “Tremendous” Jones, an inspirational American speaker, author and life coach who died in 2008.
For six decades he toured the world imparting his wisdom and touching the lives of millions of people, but the one thing he’ll be remembered for above all else is a simple 26-word mantra –
“You are the same today as you will be next year except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”
It’s a beautifully simplistic view of course, but how true! If you read nothing and meet no-one for 12 months, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be particularly successful.
It’s also a given in that statement that it matters what you read and who you meet. If you read the Beano and meet only the postman every day, you’ll get what you get.
In a life devoted to advancing the understanding of business fundamentals, Jones published nine books, all of which have become reference works of their kind.
I’m about to re-read my copy of his 2 million selling “Life is Tremendous”, still available online and in bookshops.
Peppered with memorable quotes such as “To know what to do is wisdom. To know how to do it is skill”, his output consistently redefined how we should think about generating lasting wealth and happiness.
Like many business icons, he was a passionate philanthropist, and firmly believed not only that to receive anything you first have to give something, but also that giving is simply returning what you owe anyway. “Everything I have was a gift from someone”, he said recently.
Charlie also said that the secret to success is two words – “I will”, as against “I’ll think about it” or “I might”, or (God forbid) “I can’t”.
This year I’m going to follow Charlie’s “Tremendous” guidance. I WILL meet some more exceptional people, and I WILL read some more amazing books. I hope you do too.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
Like many in business, and with an interest in the success habits of others, I’m an avid reader.
I was reminded again of the power of a well written phrase when I picked up an article celebrating the life of Charles “Tremendous” Jones, an inspirational American speaker, author and life coach who died in 2008.
For six decades he toured the world imparting his wisdom and touching the lives of millions of people, but the one thing he’ll be remembered for above all else is a simple 26-word mantra –
“You are the same today as you will be next year except for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”
It’s a beautifully simplistic view of course, but how true! If you read nothing and meet no-one for 12 months, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be particularly successful.
It’s also a given in that statement that it matters what you read and who you meet. If you read the Beano and meet only the postman every day, you’ll get what you get.
In a life devoted to advancing the understanding of business fundamentals, Jones published nine books, all of which have become reference works of their kind.
I’m about to re-read my copy of his 2 million selling “Life is Tremendous”, still available online and in bookshops.
Peppered with memorable quotes such as “To know what to do is wisdom. To know how to do it is skill”, his output consistently redefined how we should think about generating lasting wealth and happiness.
Like many business icons, he was a passionate philanthropist, and firmly believed not only that to receive anything you first have to give something, but also that giving is simply returning what you owe anyway. “Everything I have was a gift from someone”, he said recently.
Charlie also said that the secret to success is two words – “I will”, as against “I’ll think about it” or “I might”, or (God forbid) “I can’t”.
This year I’m going to follow Charlie’s “Tremendous” guidance. I WILL meet some more exceptional people, and I WILL read some more amazing books. I hope you do too.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
No whine in 2009
No Whine in 2009!
I’ve been isolating myself from pessimists for as long as I can remember. As soon as I feel a negative “vibe” from someone, I always make a mental note to be in a different room next time they’re around.
That particular skill is one I’m calling on more and more these days, as finding people without the doom-bug can be quite tough.
One thing which hasn’t changed with the economic climate is pretty much a fundamental law of the universe. Whether or not you believe some of the more spiritual stuff preached by Dale Carnegie, or in recent publications such as “The Secret”, it will always be an irrefutable fact that you get back what you put out.
If you think negatively, you will get negative results.
Even more obviously, if you say and do negative things at work, those around you will mirror those words and actions, producing a spiral of bad outcomes for your business.
The fact is, thriving in 2009 is far from impossible; here’s my 3-point plan to ensure that you keep your ventures on track when others are falling off the rails.
1. Review which of your goods or services are selling best, and focus on making those even more attractive. Pricing, features and delivery can usually be tweaked if you look closely enough. Conversely, consider dropping whatever isn’t selling well or making you a profit.
2. Use PR to get your message to the market cheaply, and ahead of the competition. Standing out from the crowd as a fashionable, desirable business can cost less than you imagine. Newspapers, TV and BBC Radio offer great opportunities for entrepreneurs to broadcast interesting, recession-busting stories.
3. Banish negativity from your business. If suppliers are talking doom and gloom, agree with them and get better prices and longer payment terms. If customers are whining, find out what it would take to make them happy again. If staff or colleagues are getting you down, re-arrange your office so you don’t have to listen!
In summary, identify the key success factors which made your business great in the past, promote them and focus on them, whilst eliminating waste and negativity.
I know 2009 is going to present some brilliant opportunities; make sure you are set up to grab them with both hands! Merry Christmas.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com - business consulting that works!
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
I’ve been isolating myself from pessimists for as long as I can remember. As soon as I feel a negative “vibe” from someone, I always make a mental note to be in a different room next time they’re around.
That particular skill is one I’m calling on more and more these days, as finding people without the doom-bug can be quite tough.
One thing which hasn’t changed with the economic climate is pretty much a fundamental law of the universe. Whether or not you believe some of the more spiritual stuff preached by Dale Carnegie, or in recent publications such as “The Secret”, it will always be an irrefutable fact that you get back what you put out.
If you think negatively, you will get negative results.
Even more obviously, if you say and do negative things at work, those around you will mirror those words and actions, producing a spiral of bad outcomes for your business.
The fact is, thriving in 2009 is far from impossible; here’s my 3-point plan to ensure that you keep your ventures on track when others are falling off the rails.
1. Review which of your goods or services are selling best, and focus on making those even more attractive. Pricing, features and delivery can usually be tweaked if you look closely enough. Conversely, consider dropping whatever isn’t selling well or making you a profit.
2. Use PR to get your message to the market cheaply, and ahead of the competition. Standing out from the crowd as a fashionable, desirable business can cost less than you imagine. Newspapers, TV and BBC Radio offer great opportunities for entrepreneurs to broadcast interesting, recession-busting stories.
3. Banish negativity from your business. If suppliers are talking doom and gloom, agree with them and get better prices and longer payment terms. If customers are whining, find out what it would take to make them happy again. If staff or colleagues are getting you down, re-arrange your office so you don’t have to listen!
In summary, identify the key success factors which made your business great in the past, promote them and focus on them, whilst eliminating waste and negativity.
I know 2009 is going to present some brilliant opportunities; make sure you are set up to grab them with both hands! Merry Christmas.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com - business consulting that works!
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
Surviving redundancy
Make redundancy the start of a new life
I was with a friend of mine last weekend, who shared with me the seemingly bad news that, after 12 years grafting as man and boy for a major energy company, he had been just made redundant.
His severance package of almost a year’s pay gave him, I observed, the luxury of being able to consider his next move without worrying about next month’s bills.
I understood his natural desire to find another job as soon as possible, but, I asked him, why not take the opportunity to become self-employed?
Without straying too much from his field of expertise, there will be many companies to whom he could offer his services as a consultant.
He would be spreading his income risk across more than one source; paying less tax, taking control over where he works and when, and would be able to employ others, thereby multiplying his earnings.
His clients (including maybe his former employers) would benefit from transferring the financial burden of using his services from that of a fixed cost employee to that of a variable cost consultant, paid by the hour/day/project.
Here’s my 5-point action plan for anyone facing redundancy –
Offer your employer the prospect of retaining you as a consultant, particularly if your role or your particular skills were unique.
If the company already engages consultancy firms, go and talk to THEM about becoming a consultant in your field.
Consider teaming up with other colleagues in a similar position to form your own consultancy business. Your accumulated experience, offered on a variable cost basis, could be hard for an employer to resist.
Don’t panic and take the first, or any, job you are offered. Your new boss could sideline you again at any time in the future, and you will be back to square one again.
Talk to others who are already consultants in your industry. They are likely to be suffering far less than their employed counterparts in today’s climate, and should be happy to give you some pointers.
Most consultancy businesses were started by people who were previously employed in similar roles, and some grow to be massive global ventures.
For many though, the simple knowledge that never again will they have to hear the words “We’re going to have to let you go”, will be incentive enough for them to join the ranks of the self-employed.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
I was with a friend of mine last weekend, who shared with me the seemingly bad news that, after 12 years grafting as man and boy for a major energy company, he had been just made redundant.
His severance package of almost a year’s pay gave him, I observed, the luxury of being able to consider his next move without worrying about next month’s bills.
I understood his natural desire to find another job as soon as possible, but, I asked him, why not take the opportunity to become self-employed?
Without straying too much from his field of expertise, there will be many companies to whom he could offer his services as a consultant.
He would be spreading his income risk across more than one source; paying less tax, taking control over where he works and when, and would be able to employ others, thereby multiplying his earnings.
His clients (including maybe his former employers) would benefit from transferring the financial burden of using his services from that of a fixed cost employee to that of a variable cost consultant, paid by the hour/day/project.
Here’s my 5-point action plan for anyone facing redundancy –
Offer your employer the prospect of retaining you as a consultant, particularly if your role or your particular skills were unique.
If the company already engages consultancy firms, go and talk to THEM about becoming a consultant in your field.
Consider teaming up with other colleagues in a similar position to form your own consultancy business. Your accumulated experience, offered on a variable cost basis, could be hard for an employer to resist.
Don’t panic and take the first, or any, job you are offered. Your new boss could sideline you again at any time in the future, and you will be back to square one again.
Talk to others who are already consultants in your industry. They are likely to be suffering far less than their employed counterparts in today’s climate, and should be happy to give you some pointers.
Most consultancy businesses were started by people who were previously employed in similar roles, and some grow to be massive global ventures.
For many though, the simple knowledge that never again will they have to hear the words “We’re going to have to let you go”, will be incentive enough for them to join the ranks of the self-employed.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
Let them moan!
Let them moan!
Regular readers will know I have a magnetic repulsion to negativity; in particular to anyone who tries to drag me down into their whine cellar with them.
Something happened this week though, which made me think we should be grateful for those people who constantly find things to moan about.
Maggie, one of my clients in the contract catering industry was waiting for a call from a big potential customer after she’d put in a rather large tender. Sure enough, the phone rang and her contact at this firm asked her how she was. Maggie replied in her usual cheery way that she was fantastic and that business was great, thanks! He seemed taken aback by her upbeat mood and when she told him that she had loads of work lined up, so she was now focussing on delivery rather than sales, she heard him take a big deep breath.
“Well”, he said awkwardly, “I was calling to tell you that we had unfortunately decided to go with your competitor on this job”. Maggie hid her disappointment professionally, until the customer continued, “But, you know what? I’ve been dealing with this guy over there who always goes on about how bad things are. In fact he said his firm would give me a discount because of the recession, and to be honest, he always sounded desperate to get the work. Give me ten minutes and I’ll call you back!”
When she picked up the phone a short while later, she was greeted by the same customer confirming that he’d talked to his MD, who’d agreed to give Maggie the whole contract, worth over £120,000 in the next 12 months. He added that the other quote was for around £20,000 less, but they just couldn’t face the prospect of dealing with this miserable guy for another year!
What’s the lesson here? Well, apart from the obvious “People buy from people”, there’s another more subtle message.
If you emit positive thoughts, words and deeds in everything you say and do, you will actively attract success.
In fact, these days, the moaners’ predictions of doom and gloom are far more likely to be self-fulfilling prophecies, and you will, like Maggie, find it even easier to steal their business with a smile on your face.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries
Regular readers will know I have a magnetic repulsion to negativity; in particular to anyone who tries to drag me down into their whine cellar with them.
Something happened this week though, which made me think we should be grateful for those people who constantly find things to moan about.
Maggie, one of my clients in the contract catering industry was waiting for a call from a big potential customer after she’d put in a rather large tender. Sure enough, the phone rang and her contact at this firm asked her how she was. Maggie replied in her usual cheery way that she was fantastic and that business was great, thanks! He seemed taken aback by her upbeat mood and when she told him that she had loads of work lined up, so she was now focussing on delivery rather than sales, she heard him take a big deep breath.
“Well”, he said awkwardly, “I was calling to tell you that we had unfortunately decided to go with your competitor on this job”. Maggie hid her disappointment professionally, until the customer continued, “But, you know what? I’ve been dealing with this guy over there who always goes on about how bad things are. In fact he said his firm would give me a discount because of the recession, and to be honest, he always sounded desperate to get the work. Give me ten minutes and I’ll call you back!”
When she picked up the phone a short while later, she was greeted by the same customer confirming that he’d talked to his MD, who’d agreed to give Maggie the whole contract, worth over £120,000 in the next 12 months. He added that the other quote was for around £20,000 less, but they just couldn’t face the prospect of dealing with this miserable guy for another year!
What’s the lesson here? Well, apart from the obvious “People buy from people”, there’s another more subtle message.
If you emit positive thoughts, words and deeds in everything you say and do, you will actively attract success.
In fact, these days, the moaners’ predictions of doom and gloom are far more likely to be self-fulfilling prophecies, and you will, like Maggie, find it even easier to steal their business with a smile on your face.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries
Focussed Upstream Networking for success
FUN takes practice!
One of the hardest things to do in business, as in life, is to make connections with those people who can truly enhance your prospects for success.
Most of us are reasonably good at networking, but often only in a close comfort-zone, interacting with those in a similar position to us. Doing that can be great for shooting the breeze and comparing tales of woe, but isn’t always a recipe for creating any radical change.
I have a friend and client with a plot of land which he wanted to develop, but wasn’t sure what to build or how. He asked me who I knew who might be able to help him. I suggested he picked the phone up to the wealthiest and most successful property developer in the City over recent times. I’d met him recently, and felt sure he would listen to my friend’s dilemma and try and help.
Sure enough, when asked “can I have the benefit of your opinion on a project I am considering?”, Mr Big invited my friend to come along to his office, and not only offered advice, but is now working with him to create a fantastic new site which will reap far more than either of us had imagined.
The technique we used there is what I call FUN, or Focussed Upstream Networking. It’s a massively powerful way to move your business forward, and easier than you think.
Start by making a list of the ten most successful/wealthy (often one and the same) people you know. Even if you only know someone else who knows them, put them on the list if you can get their contact details.
Then, email or call each of them with a (very) brief intro and a request such as “I’d like to get the benefit of your experience on…” or “as I know you’ve been very successful at…can you spare half an hour to look at my situation?”
You’ll find most people are flattered and more than happy to open up to you, and you will create at least 2 or 3 worthwhile lasting relationships.
Remember the key is to choose your network carefully, and always be looking to expand it outside of your current reach.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
One of the hardest things to do in business, as in life, is to make connections with those people who can truly enhance your prospects for success.
Most of us are reasonably good at networking, but often only in a close comfort-zone, interacting with those in a similar position to us. Doing that can be great for shooting the breeze and comparing tales of woe, but isn’t always a recipe for creating any radical change.
I have a friend and client with a plot of land which he wanted to develop, but wasn’t sure what to build or how. He asked me who I knew who might be able to help him. I suggested he picked the phone up to the wealthiest and most successful property developer in the City over recent times. I’d met him recently, and felt sure he would listen to my friend’s dilemma and try and help.
Sure enough, when asked “can I have the benefit of your opinion on a project I am considering?”, Mr Big invited my friend to come along to his office, and not only offered advice, but is now working with him to create a fantastic new site which will reap far more than either of us had imagined.
The technique we used there is what I call FUN, or Focussed Upstream Networking. It’s a massively powerful way to move your business forward, and easier than you think.
Start by making a list of the ten most successful/wealthy (often one and the same) people you know. Even if you only know someone else who knows them, put them on the list if you can get their contact details.
Then, email or call each of them with a (very) brief intro and a request such as “I’d like to get the benefit of your experience on…” or “as I know you’ve been very successful at…can you spare half an hour to look at my situation?”
You’ll find most people are flattered and more than happy to open up to you, and you will create at least 2 or 3 worthwhile lasting relationships.
Remember the key is to choose your network carefully, and always be looking to expand it outside of your current reach.
Jon Cooper is the founder of JupiterDawn.com business consulting.
Email jon@jupiterdawn.com with feedback and business strategy queries.
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