How consistent are you?

I always found it fascinating when a new brand manager would take over a brand. On too often an occasion, they would jump in with tonnes of enthusiasm and systematically work to re-invent a brand that was in pretty good shape! I witnessed many dollars being wasted as brands without consistency, consistently failed to make the grade. When it comes to brands, consistency is normally a good thing... when it comes to good quality people in business, consistency is even better.

People like to work with people they know and trust. If you were someone you worked with, or if you were the person you work for, what three words would you use to describe YOU? Would you have said the same words last week? Last month? How would you describe the quality of the work you produce?

When people call you for assistance, can they expect a helpful, respectful response or a bit of pot luck?

Don't confuse consistency with lack of imagination or laziness, but do consider delivering consistently on what you promise.

5 consumer trends to watch

The team at trendwatching.com have just released an inspired summary of 5 trends to keep your eye on for 2007. If you haven't spent some time thinking about how TRANSUMERS or TRYSUMERS will affect your brand (or are already affecting your life!), then spend ten minutes absorbing their report:

www.trendwatching.com/trends/2007top5.htm

What opportunities could these trends inspire in your business? What new markets will the brave be exploring as a result of these trends?

Don't just watch these trends, consider how you can leverage this knowledge through your brand...

It's all in your mind

Consider the following quotes:

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Albert Einstein

“Whether you think you can, or think you can’t – you’re right”
Henry Ford

"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes"

Ghandi

“It is neither good, nor bad, but thinking makes it so”
William Shakespere

“We are formed and moulded by our thoughts”
Buddha

What is it that the world’s greatest thinkers might have known that so many of us today don’t know?

It really is all in our minds.

If you are curious how the power of your thoughts does and will shape your world, visit:

http://www.whatisthesecret.tv/

It might be a stretch, but it will give you something to think about.

How to lose customers for good

Popular thoughts is that a disgruntled customer will tell upwards of 20 people about their bad experience. Over the Christmas break, we experienced just this and this blog confirms that as of today, we are on track to prove this theory right!

Our amazing holiday to Ireland was all but dampened after 2 bad experiences with a notorious low cost airline ("...well serves you right for choosing them!" I hear some of you say).

It wasn't the fact that our flight was cancelled almost 2 hours after it's scheduled departure at 11pm on the 22nd December, or the fact that on our return flight on 30th Dec our crew got off the plane and went home, forgetting they were meant to fly with us, causing a further 8 hour delay, it was the fact that we received absolutely no assistance or energy from the airline.

Delivering value to your customers is the single most important thing to remember. Forgetting this is a sure fire way to lose them.

After our flights were cancelled we were shepherded down to retrieve our bags, boarding passes in hand and pointed in the direction of yet another counter. After the long ques formed, someone noticed a pile of papers sitting on the desk (no attendant was in sight). The paper instructed us to either go online or call a customer service number to re-book our flight. To our dismay and complete surprise, the customer service number we called announced the service centre was closed till the 2nd of January and promptly charged us for our call! On trying the online option, this service was also disabled and we were directed to that same, desolate service centre.

3 trains, 1 ferry and a bus ride later we reached our destination. I hate to think what the flocks of families with small children did as bookings were as rare as hens teeth on Christmas Eve.

Our experience highlighted so strongly to me how when things don't go to plan in delivering a product or a service, be there for your customers and ensure their final experience leaves them feeling like they have received the value they deserve - or more. It's a key opportunity in the relationship that will make or break your interaction with them.

In this case, the relationship is over and we have all told about 10 people about our experience, so the damage to your brand (and we are all brands in our own right) will be exponential if you don't get this right. Leading marketing commentators often talk about the power of word of mouth. Negative messages about you, your brand or service, will travel even faster and further than positive ones.

We are all in the business of providing a service, whether it is to clients, to our employers or to our families, it's the value we create for other people that determines what we get back from them (either through the fees we are paid, the salary we earn or the way our loved ones respond to us).

Treat your customers as you would expect to be treated. It has been proved time and time again that in the long run delivering the best value and forming a good relationship will win over the cheapest price.

The power of focus and being present

I often meet clients who have trouble switching off from work when they get home, or switching off from personal or family issues when they get to work. I'm not sure if you can relate to this as well, but it's one thing that is likely to rear it's ugly head as we continue to cram more and more into our day.

But why is it that some people seem to switch off so easily? One reason is likely that they recognise the power of focus and of being present. Where you focus on is where your energy goes... and where your results will show... if you are half-heartedly working on something, then you can expect a result that you're probably about 50% happy with! It is actually as simple as that.

Choose to focus on work when you are there and give it 100%. When you leave, do yourself and you're loved ones a favour and choose to focus 100% on the other parts of your life.

Make a commitment to be present and focused wherever you are. When you get in the door from work each night, remember to take your work shoes off before you put on another pair to walk around the house (or go bare foot if you're like me).

Those around you will appreciate you showing up 100% and you are likely to get much more out of whatever you do. Your work shoes will no doubt be waiting for you when you get ready for work the next day, you can almost guarantee it!

10 tips for setting (and getting) great goals in 2007

Setting S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Tangible) goals is just the beginning. Here are 10 simple tips that will set you well on your way to achieving your professional, personal, health and any other brave goals you may want to put out there into the new year!

1. Get Real.
Think about how you have worked with goals in the past. Do you tend to set goals too high and not achieve them? Consider setting goals that are a little easier, and work upwards from there – success does breed success! Do you tend to set the bar too low? Stretch yourself a little. The achievement will be even sweeter.

2. Be Brave.
Most people underestimate what they can achieve over a long period of time. It’s important to be realistic when setting goals, but focus on what it is you want to CREATE. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

3. Get a pen.
Goals are much more effective when they are visible to you. Write them down, loud and proud and keep them somewhere you can see them. A study on Yale graduates in the 1950's, showed that only 3% had written down their goals for the future. These graduates went on to achieve much of what they had originally wanted, and had a net worth well beyond that of the 97% of their class mates who didn’t set goals – combined!

4. Be flexible.
Be willing to try different things. There will be many ways to get what you want, so explore the alternatives and be open to thinking differently about how your goals can be achieved.

5. Chunk big goals down.
It’s hard to know where to start when your goal seems REALLY big. So break your big goals into smaller, more manageable goals. Smaller goals are much easier to conquer and you will be surprised at the momentum you will create.

6. Picture it.
Our brain works in pictures. When setting your goal, get as clear as you can on exactly what it will look like and feel like when you have it. What exactly do you want to create? Change? What will be different? Create a clear picture. Better still, get out your scissors and crayons and make it come to life. Pictures are much easier to remember and more inspiring!

7. Present tense.
When you write your goals, state them as if you have achieved them. This makes the goal more powerful. “I have increased profit by 30%” is better than ‘I will increase profit by 30%’.

8. Get regular.
As the very famous philosopher Rachael Hunter once said – It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. There are very few true cases of ‘overnight success’. Even the fastest growing companies and most respected business people report years of focus on their goals. Achieving your goals requires regular focus and attention. It’s important to regularly evaluate your progress and keep the momentum going.

9. Have fun!
Goals don’t have to be chores. Celebrate little wins along the way.
Tell Others. Make it hard NOT to achieve your goal. Tell your partner, a colleague, your family. There’s no better way to make it feel REAL. Who knows, they may even support you...

10. Tell Others.
Make it hard NOT to achieve your goal. Tell your partner, a colleague, your family. There’s no better way to make it feel REAL. Who knows, they may even support you...

Why not sit down for 10 minutes and write down some BRAVE goals for 2007. Forget New Years Resolutions, get real and set yourself some goals.

Best of Life,
Bel
www.bravecoaching.com

The virgin blog - Worry is a wasted emotion

Yay... my first foray into blogging. I must say it's a little scary! One of the best bits of feedback I often get from clients is that they love the random e-mails I send to them with thoughts, challenges, links to great articles, templates, books, events and ideas. I've set up this blog so that I can continue to share these types of things with even more people. So enjoy!

Christmas time is my my favourite time of year, but it is also a time that is often filled with emotion. In the spirit of giving and keeping things short, my first Little Gem is a fabulous quote:

"Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn't get you anywhere." Anon

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Best of life,
Bel

www.bravecoaching.com