Marketing with Wine Events - How to Host a Wine Tasting Party

As you're putting together your business and marketing plans for 2010, think about the events you'd like to host for your clients and prospects.  What can you do that's special? How can you create an environment that encourages ease of conversation and a relaxed atmosphere that leads to referrals and new business?

"Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used." William Shakespeare

Many of my financial advisor clients have had great marketing success with wine tasting events in recent months. So I've put together this "How to Guide" for how to host a wine tasting party for your clients and prospects. This post will give you a step by step process to plan your entire wine event.

Wine is the alcoholic beverage of choice for many U.S. consumers. Wine consumption increased 10% in the U.S. from 2001 to 2005 (per http://www.wineinstitute.org) and events such as wine tastings, wine parties, and wine dinners have become the "in thing." The real bonus with wine is that not only does wine tend to appeal to the upper socio economic population, but financial planning and wine just seem to go together.  I LOVE wine and enthusiastically attend many events associated with the grape.

Here is a step by step process to plan your next wine event:

Decide the type of wine event you would like to host

Will your event be a party for a select group of clients and their guests? A celebration for a milestone your business has reached?  A "wine tasting" as opposed to an informal "wine party"?  For a wine tasting you will need a wine evaluation form to rate each wine and you'll need nibbles to go with each wine. For a wine party, you'll need heavy appetizers in addition to the wine.  For the purposes of explanation, the remainder of this "How to Guide" will deal with the planning of a wine tasting event.

Decide who you would like to invite

You can keep your event small and intimate by inviting your top five clients and their spouses. You can increase your circle of influence by asking your clients to bring a friend. This can provide a nice group of twenty or so people.

Decide your wine budget

How much do you want to spend? For a group of your five best clients, their spouses, and friends totaling twenty people, you can plan on purchasing one bottle per four attendees. You can find great wines for $12-$18 per bottle. So for wine you can plan on spending roughly $90.00 - $100.00 for five bottles of wine. You may also find that guests bring a bottle with them. 

You may want to select a theme for the wine tasting. You can go with "Reds" or "Whites." You could do "Chardonnays from California" or "Fine Wines of Australia" (which I'm quite partial to since I was born in Australia!).

Decide your food budget

You'll want to provide nibbles for each wine served otherwise you'll have a lot of tipsy guests falling all over the place. A variety of bread, crackers, cheese, fruit, and cold proteins like ham, shrimp, and chicken would be more than adequate. Plan on spending $200.00 or so for food. 

Decide the location

Many of my clients choose to host a wine tasting in their own home or at the home of a client. This encourages a relaxed atmosphere and saves on the cost to host the event at a restaurant or bar.

Invite your guests

·         Online via email: Use Evite if your event will be on the small side. Evite is an online invitation site that has wine-themed event templates that allow guests to submit their replies via email. You are then able to view attendees and their comments on the Evite web site.

·         Print invitations: Use if the event will be comprised of guests who don't know one another.  There are many wine-themed invitations you can use to "brand" your event.

·         Phone your guests ahead of time to confirm their attendance. Then send out your invitations three weeks in advance.

The evening of the event

Things to have on hand:

·         Clean wine glasses – larger sized glasses are best for wine tastings due to their ability to "swirl" the wine and view the "legs" of the wine trail down the interior of the glass.

·         Fine china – smaller sized plates for appetizers

·         Linen napkins

·         Cutlery and serving spoons

·         Water glasses

·         A pitcher of water

·         A small decorative bucket – this is for guests to rinse their glasses between wine samplings

·         Trays of appetizers

·         Basket of bread and crackers 

·         Wine evaluation forms – this form will give you a good feel for how to rate each wine

·         Paper bags (if you wish the tasting to be "blind")

·         Candles for ambiance

Actions:

·         Greet your guests at the door

·         Have pleasant music playing in the background, but not too loud to hinder conversation

·         Offer an appetizer right away to avoid guests feeling tipsy upon their first tasting

·         Make guest introductions

·         Half the fun of the event will be when guests are noting their preferences on the wine evaluation form and making comparisons. There will be some surprises and interesting conversation regarding opinions and preferences of each wine.  

·         Don't forget to mention what you do for a living when speaking with your client and guests.  Find a way to slip in a comment about the economy or the market now and then. While you want this to be a social event, you also want to ensure that guests know that you are a financial planner and that you have expertise in various areas.

·         After the event, you'll want to follow up with attendees in a pleasant, natural way.

Conclusion:

Whether you choose to invite a few clients and their friends or host a larger gathering, wine provides a social environment with intimacy and bonding that builds lasting relationships that will grow your practice in 2010.

Related Posts

Client Appreciation Event Ideas

How to Market Your Client Appreciation Events
How to Host a Golf Event

Suzanne Muusers

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Helping Independent Financial Advisors Build Wealth

http://www.prosperitycoaching.biz

Marketing Coach for Financial Advisors

Success Strategies - Plan for 2010

At this time of the year we are all busy going to holiday parties, buying gifts, decorating, and welcoming out of town visitors. There are meals to plan, activities to set up, and house cleaning to do. But wouldn't it be nice if we could be working on our New Years' Success Strategy while enjoying the holidays? Get a head start on your Success Plan for 2010 and be ahead of the pack! We'll talk about how to function at your best, how to clear out the clutter, update your Life Plan, ideas to start writing your Business Plan for 2010, and how to improve yourself next year.

Get active

You can't be the very best at what you do while carting around and extra twenty plus pounds. Add daily exercise to your life.  Make sure it's something you enjoy. Studies show that we will do what we enjoy and avoid what we don't like.  Make sure you exercise first thing in the morning. If you get exercise out of the way first thing, you are more likely to keep up with it.

Don't do what I did four years ago. I bought a $2000 treadmill thinking that if I had it I would use it. Guess what? It sat there unused all these years.  The truth is I hate the treadmill and love the outdoors. That's why I live in Arizona.  So I decided to combine walking my dog with engaging in exercise. Now I go for longer walks and kill two birds with one stone.

Clear out the clutter

We tend to accumulate stuff the entire year until it piles up on our desks and threatens to take over our office. Clear out the clutter and create space in your life for the great things that are coming your way. Go through the papers, documents, and to do lists and get rid of everything that is hanging around cluttering up your space and your mind.  Do a deep cleaning of your office and get ready for big success in 2010.

Update your Life Plan

A Life Plan is a document that lists your plans for your personal and professional dream life: Your partner/significant other, friends, family, health, self care, spirituality, travel, finances, hobbies, creativity, and home environment. The first week of New Years, my husband and I update our joint Life Plan to review what progress we made in the previous year and what we need to implement for the upcoming year.

Start writing your 2010 Business Plan

As things come to you, jot down ideas about where you want to take your business in 2010. What are your revenue goals? What strategies will you implement to stand out from the crowd? What wealthy niche markets will you target? What strategy will you implement to service clients? What expertise can you leverage to create passive revenue for your business? Start writing it all down as it comes to you and you'll have the beginnings of your new plan.

Improve yourself!

Create a list of the books you'll read in 2010. Where are your skills weak? What could you stand to work on? What would make you a well-rounded individual in 2010? Here's a list of recommended reading on my Web site if you'd like suggestions.

Be consistent - It takes 21 days to create a habit

Keep up your success strategies. Make a list of habits that keep you well and practice them on a consistent basis. For example, even if you only take a quick fifteen minute walk, that's better than skipping exercise altogether. You can have pizza, but pair it with a salad. You can have dessert, just not the whole pie.

There's no better time than the present to set yourself up for success in 2010. By focusing on a few success habits, you can put into practice skills and habits that will allow you to hit the ground running at a speed that help you create a profitable 2010.  Take care of yourself, clear out clutter to make space for better things, set intentions by updating your Life Plan, start thinking about your Business Plan, improve yourself, and be consistent.  I know you can do it!

Grow Your Business and Prosper!

Suzanne Muusers

Business Coach to Financial Advisors & Entrepreneurs

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone with Your Marketing

Have you allowed yourself to get too comfortable with your marketing? We all do it. We get used to being the Technician in our businesses which makes us relaxed, plump and happy.  It's nice to sit at your desk and wait for the phone to ring. When people call us it means they want something. If we have to make the calls, we are pushing ourselves on our prospects and clients.

In Lack of Progress on Your Goals I wrote about how to make more progress with your goals. Point number four "Not willing to step outside comfort zone – you don't want to leave your comfy chair" speaks to our propensity to do what's safe.  But to build a financially successful business we must learn to take risks and to do the scary things.

That’s what I help my clients do, but I also have to force myself to do the intimidating actions too. What kind of coach would I be if I didn't push myself?

Fear Rears its Ugly Head

A few weeks back I started coaching a new client. I could tell he was intimidated about coaching, perhaps because he didn't really understand how it works.  I had told him that I would ask him to "do more and be more" while working with me.  In our first official session I asked if he did much public speaking.  He said "No, I don't find it to be worthwhile."  I pressed further and here's what he told me. "By the time you put all the work into creating the presentation, setting up the venue, confirming the attendees, and having the wholesalers show up, it's just not worth it." 

Of course it's not worth it if you have others do the speaking. Prospects are there to hear YOU speak, not a nameless, unknown representative of a product-driven company. Your job is to connect with your prospects and let them experience who YOU are and what you're about.  Your job is to create a talk explaining the BENEFITS of working with you. You must show them your VALUE and AUTHENTICITY.  

So how can you step outside your comfort zone?

Do what's scary. Do what intimidates you. If you're comfortable you're not growing. When you're not growing personally it's doubtful you'll be growing professionally either.  Try new things. Speak up. Talk to people you wouldn't normally talk to. Volunteer for something. Take more risks. You'll find that you will grow into new skills and you'll be a better person for it!

Grow Your Business and Prosper!

Suzanne Muusers

Coach for Financial Advisors and Entrepreneurs

Are You Failing to Take Action?

In Lack of Progress on Your Goals I wrote about how to get a handle on your goals. Point number 3 "No action – you are simply not working on your business weekly." It can be difficult to take meaningful action to achieve your goals. So much can get in the way.

The Technician

In a normal business environment, we are busy being the technician in our business, as Michael Gerber writes in The E-Myth Revisited. We spend our time doing the work that's necessary to run a business like completing paperwork, opening mail, reading email, investing assets, sending statements, addressing compliance matters, chasing down lost paperwork, answering client's concerns, and the like.  When we are being the technician, we are living in the present and ignoring the future.

While the above are all necessary actions to run a business but they won't GROW a business. In order to grow a business, we need to be the Entrepreneur and work ON the business by taking action to grow. It's not always easy to take action because we may be so mired in busywork that we can't see the forest for the trees. 

So how can you take action?

For most of us, having too much to do can be the biggest challenge to taking meaningful action. When we write our "To Do" list with 47 things to accomplish, it's unlikely we'll get through everything.  You first need a clear, specific, measureable goal.

Start with your Business Plan. What do you need to accomplish to achieve your goals? Let's say you want five more ideal clients. What would that look like?  Imagine your day if you have achieved your goal.  With five additional clients what work and activities are you engaging in? If you can see yourself being this person, you are more likely to achieve what you want.

"You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you."  James Allen

What actions are necessary to get those clients? What strategies and marketing activities do you need to be taking action on, right now?  This is what should be on your "To Do" list at least one to two days per week.

Attitude of Gratitude – 5 Tips on How to be Grateful

It would be easy for many of us to end this year without gratitude, but that would be a mistake. There are so many things to be grateful for, we just have to notice what they are. Living a joyful life means learning to accept the things that we can't change and taking action to live the best life we can.  Here are some tips on how to be grateful now or at any time of the year.

Thank Your Clients. Create a list of your top twenty clients and send them a handwritten card thanking them for their business.  Add a personal message meant just for each person. Anyone can send a card with a pre-printed signature, but handwriting a card shows that you really care. Who do you know who would love to receive a handwritten card from you?

Thank Your Family and Loved Ones.  The whole point of the holidays is to spend meaningful time with those you love. Even though it may be difficult to convey your feelings, the joy you give others when you tell them what they mean to you is extremely gratifying. When was the last time you said to your brother, sister, mother, or father "I love you"? This point was brought home to me when I overheard my husband tell his mother that he loved her. I thought to myself, if my husband can express his feelings to his mom, so can I. To whom can you say "I love you"?

Make Gratitude a Daily Habit. If we make gratitude a part of our day, the negativity won't be so apparent. We may suddenly realize what a blessed life we lead.  At dinner each evening my husband and I tell each other three things we are grateful for that day. This shines a light on the many good things that happen to us daily. How can you make gratitude a daily habit?

Do Something For Someone Without Expectation. Yesterday at the grocery store I noticed a woman behind me with her arms full of Thanksgiving groceries. I asked her if she wanted to go ahead of me and the look of gratitude on her face was overwhelming.  What kind gesture can you bestow upon someone?

Realize How Wonderful Life Is.  Take stock of where you are and be grateful for what you have. There is always someone experiencing the pain of loss or rejection. This year my mother became very ill with a rare disease. She will be recovering for most of next year. I am very grateful she will be ok. My best friend lost her father last week. I feel her pain and have offered her my support.  Take stock of your life and be grateful!

I will end with a great quote by John Ruskin: "What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do."  Be grateful and show your gratitude this holiday season!

Financial Planner - Financial Advisor? What's In a Name?

I just returned from a Scottsdale Soroptomist meeting where I spoke about taking action to have more success in 2010. There were two advisors in the group so I listened with interest when they described what they do. One said she was a Financial Planner and the other said she was a Financial Advisor.  The former has several lettered credentials after her name and the later does not.   The former is an independent with her own firm and the later works in a bank.  Because I work almost exclusively with advisors I know the difference between an independent financial planner and an employee advisor as well as what the various credentials mean.

Confusion

There are many financial titles that confuse the general public - they don’t know the difference between an advisor and an insurance sales person.  I was at a networking event recently where a loan modification representative called himself a Financial Advisor. Additionally, most people do not know what it means to be a Registered Investment Advisor, nor do they understand the fiduciary standard that goes along with being an RIA.  The credential with the most recognition seems to be the CFP® mark.   

If advisors hope to counteract the negativity hovering around the profession, they need to address how they market themselves.  Advisors with a credential should explain what it means. Advisors should utilize their websites far more than they do now. More content and explanation around credentials and fiduciary standards would help clear up some of the confusion and would serve to position advisors better in the marketplace.    

Suzanne Muusers

Marketing Coach for Financial Advisors

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Marketing to Women –For Advisors

Marketing to women can be a profitable marketing niche for financial advisors as they tend to be one of the most underserved markets.  Think of it this way – during divorce, who gets the expert professionals? The CPA, the financial advisor, the property and casualty agent, the estate planning attorney, and the banker – they all go with the husband since he, more than likely, has maintained the relationship all those years.

Women come out of divorce seeking advisors in every area of their lives. For the most part, boomer women have not had a firm hold on their finances. They need you. They've got to figure out where they stand financially and then decide what to do with their assets.  

Provide Information

When marketing to women, it's very important to provide abundant information. This means that you must have a well written biography that talks about your expertise and the WIIFM. Don't just say who you are and what you do. Give examples of Case Studies of why your clients came to you how you have helped them.

Your Online Presence

Women will seek information from various sources and compare and contrast before making a decision. Often times they will do this anonymously through your website and social media sites. So make sure you have an impressive site that "sounds" good from a woman's perspective and that your social media is up to date. Be sure to say you work with women.

Simplify

The new woman investor doesn’t like be talked down to so make sure your copy is not condescending. Keep it free from industry jargon and complicated terms.

Understand Women

I usually recommend that my clients target one to three niche markets to position their practice apart from the crowd. If you are considering targeting women, here are two resources for marketing to women:

http://marketingtowomenonline.typepad.com/

http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/09/marketing-to-women.html

Suzanne Muusers

ICF-Credentialed Business Coach

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Are Cheap Clients Worth It?

An RIA client in Florida recently told me about a client situation that was really bugging him. This client had willingly transferred with him when he went independent from Schwab six months ago.   At Schwab he had paid less for a mutual fund than he was now paying on the new platform, however he is paying less in other fees and getting much more attention.  My client explained that overall he was actually paying less. The client just couldn't put his head around the concept and was doing far too much complaining.

Why do cheap clients want services for a lower price?  Do we shoot ourselves in the foot when we take on clients who don't value our expertise? Are cheap clients more work?

Cheap clients tend to want their "money's worth" which translated can mean working you ragged.  Many cheap clients don't feel satisfied until they've raked you over the coals because it's just in their nature.  They tend to be more work because they are never satisfied.  

Whether you're an advisor or small business owner, my advice is to always be up front about what you charge for a product or service. When billing issues are clear, there can be no dicey situations.  Clearly spell out what you provide and how much you charge. Don't let clients get away with getting more services, more time, and more effort. Because once they get more for less, you will be forever dancing around like a puppet trying to keep them happy.

Suzanne Muusers

Business Coach for superstar business owners

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Take Action to Reach Your Goals

"To guarantee success, act as if it were impossible to fail." - Dorothea Brande

Are you where you want to be with your business goals? In Lack of Progress on Your Goals I wrote about how to get a handle on your goals at this time of the year. The first point I made was about getting prospects in your pipeline. The second point I made is that we sometimes don't leverage our current clients to help us reach our goals. The third point I made is about taking action to reach your goals.

A Business Plan is no good without goals. Goals are no good without action. We can attend tons of seminars and workshops, conferences and classes, but if we don't take the knowledge we've gained and put it into action, then we've really wasted our time.

Get out your Business Plan and all the notes you took at the last conference you attended and decide the following:

What are the top 5 most important actions you need to take in order to achieve your goals?

Then start to chip away at each item on your list one by one in order of importance. Don't let the scary goals stop you from getting started. Do it today!

Also helpful: Success Ritual for Achieving Your Goals

Suzanne Muusers

Business Coach for Financial Advisors

Prosperity Coaching LLC

How Advisors Can Attract Wealthy Clients

Don't we all want to work with wealthy clients? More assets, less hassle, more income, and lots of wealthy friends. But do you know how to attract the rich? Many advisors think it's through the way they look or what they drive or the appearance of their offices. But it's really simpler than that.

You can attract wealthy clients by your business model. If you are paid solely via commissions, the wealthy client will not touch you with a ten foot pole.  They didn't accrue all that money by giving their business to someone who's going to push products at them.

Yes. You can attract wealthy clients by putting clients' needs first, way above your own and by focusing on long term strategies to accumulate wealth.

What else? This may come as a surprise, but a great website really helps too. The new way to find anything is via the internet. Yellow pages books are being tossed into recycle bins by the ton. Wealthy clients can investigate you on the internet anonymously without any pressure.  They look for hints regarding how you get paid, your asset minimums, your credentials, and your brand.  Here's a hint: a custom website is the way to go. Template websites are fine for your first three years, but later on, you'll need to spruce up your brand with a custom site.

Wealthy clients are out there right now shopping for an advisor. What are you going to do to attract them?

Suzanne Muusers

Marketing Coach for Financial Advisors

Prosperity Coaching LLC
Branding Packages

Are You Leveraging Current Clients?

Are you where you want to be with your business goals? In Lack of Progress on Your Goals I wrote about how to get a handle on your goals at this time of the year. The first point I made was about getting prospects in your pipeline. The second point I made is that we sometimes don't leverage our current clients to help us reach our goals.

Sometime ago, I asked a client to look into his book and see how he could leverage the relationships he has with current clients. He said something strange in return "I've had these clients for awhile. I don't want to go down this path."

Of course what he really meant was "I don't think I'm worthy of receiving referrals."  Your current clients are a gold mine if you handle the relationships the right way. If all you've ever done is invite them into your office once a year, then you may not be worthy of referrals. If you pick up the phone and call your clients routinely to ask how they are and if they have any questions, you will be worthy of referrals.

If you take your client relationships deeper and take them out to lunch or to events then you will become the trusted advisor.  Jim (not his real name) has been attending a golfing event each day this week. He's taken a different A client to the event each day.  Do you think these five clients will think about Jim in a more favorable light from here on out?

How can you leverage your current clients to help you achieve your goals? I have no doubt that if you do, you will be better off.

Suzanne Muusers

Coach for Financial Advisors

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Got Prospects in Your Pipeline?

Are you where you want to be with your business goals? I'm referring to a post about Lack of Progress on Your Goals I wrote in September. Summer is long gone and you've got about four to six weeks to aggressively promote your business. If you don't have enough prospects in your pipeline, you may want to set up an Outbound Calling Program.

Here's an example of an Outbound Calling Program:

Follow up on all your leads consistently by planning when you will pick up the phone –one hour a day or one day a week – schedule time. Follow up with those you meet at networking events, referrals given to you by your clients, and friends and family – research shows that close to 80% of leads are never followed up!!

Persistence Pays – research further shows that we tend to give up on prospects far too early. It can take between 4-10 contacts to book an appointment, so follow up consistently.

Use a Contact Management Program – You need to be keeping track of prospects – what they say, when they want you to call again, what they asked you to send them. I've heard good things about RedTail Technology.

Prospector - If your budget allows, use a non sales person to do the prospecting for you – hire a prospector who does nothing but make phone calls and book appointments. There are services that do this. These folks are accustomed to rejection and let it fall off their backs like water off a duck.

Many advisors are opposed to cold calling, warm calling, or any calling. The fact is that it's good for business growth to shake the bushes and get new clients through prospecting via phone. If you get a handle on getting more prospects in your pipeline, you'll be far better off than most.

Suzanne Muusers

Business Coach for Financial Advisors

Helping Independent Advisors Build Wealth

Success Coaching For Women Entrepreneurs

I'm starting a second October coaching group for women business owners and there's space for three to four gutsy go-getters. The group runs six months from October 2009 through March 2010. Our itinerary includes creating a BIG VISION of the life want for yourself, getting rid of unfinished business, learning success tools to create the income you want, and writing a mini business plan.

Freedom is cited as one of the main reasons women go into business for themselves. But that same freedom can hold us back because we may not have the knowledge or skills to create a financially successful business and we may avoid seeking help.

That's what this group is all about. Women Seeking Success is group coaching for women who want to learn Effortless Marketing – the skill of drawing business to you via marketing and branding.

In this group you will:

TAKE MORE RISKS!!

GET A MENTOR

CREATE A SUCCESS PLAN

Read a post I wrote last year about Women Seeking Success.

Add your name to the list

Suzanne Muusers

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Million Dollar Advisor Personality Success Traits

Do you think Donald Trump has overcome the fear of public speaking? Do you think he spends money to improve himself? Do you think he's persistent?

Of course the answer to all three is yes. But how about successful financial advisors? What personality traits do million dollar financial advisors have that contribute to their success? I was asked to answer this question yesterday which caused me to think about it deeply. So I wrote an article that explains what I think are the top three personality success traits advisors need to build a million dollar practice.

Suzanne Muusers

Financial Advisor Coach

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Success Ritual for Achieving Your Goals by the End of the Year

It's late in the year. Have you seen your goals? Have they shriveled up from too much summer sun? Have they become dejected due to inattention? Or have they developed muscles from being stretched to a comfortable repetition?

In a few short weeks, as few as six, many of us will start focusing on the holidays and all the festivities they entail. Neglecting your business or your goals could cost you dearly. Imagine the momentum you could lose if you don't maintain focus.

Here's a process I use to stay focused on my goals, even during the holidays.

First – Imagine your vision – What do you want your business to do during the next three months? What kind of income do you want? How many new clients do you want to attract? What Big Picture Goals will you find time to work on? How much free time do you want to enjoy? Plan NOW for what you want.

Second – Write it down – on a 3 x 5 index card, write down what you want to have achieved in the next three months. What would that look like? Write it down in the present tense as if you already have this success in your life. write the date you want to achieve it by.

Here's an example: "12/24/2013. I'm so happy that I have 5 new clients! Thank you bank account for delivering ten new passive revenue sales this month totaling $1500. And I have 8 new signups for my workshop!"

Put the index card in your top office drawer so that you see it every day. Or tape it to your office wall.

Third – Feel it! Every time you see your index card, think about what it would be like to achieve what you want. Would you have a great holiday? Would you be smiling? What would your bank statement look like? Believe in yourself and your capabilities! Feel the success!

The key is that you MUST do each step. Writing it down without imagining the possibilities is pointless. Not being able to see the index card will mean out of sight, out of mind.

Then, think about all the scary things you need to be doing to achieve this goal. Who do you need to call? Who do you need to email? What favors do you need to ask? Who do you need to BE to get what you want?

This works. Just keep doing it. Don't neglect your business during this season. You will be ahead of the pack because you never stopped.

Be the best person you can be!

Suzanne Muusers

Coach for Financial Advisors

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Marketing and Perseverance

"Victory belongs to the most persevering." Napoleon

What is the most necessary ingredient in a great marketing plan? No, it's not some funky, new, state of the art marketing tactic. No, there is no secret tip or tool that will be a doozie, whiz bang, huge success that brings clients screaming in droves to your front door.

The most necessary ingredient in a great marketing plan is your Persistence! Successful marketing means picking five to seven tactics and repeating them over and over again for at least six months, sometimes one year.

My client learned this recently. Despite sending Press Releases for his events, the media was ignoring him. Each time a new event was scheduled he reluctantly sent another release, at my urging. Finally, the phone rang. It was a new sign up for his event. Then it happened again. And again. He learned that several publications had published his event.

Perseverance

Repetition

Resolve

Determination

That's what it takes to build a business - more clients - through strategy.  If you create a good strategy and stick to it you will enjoy success.

Suzanne Muusers

Financial Advisor Business Coach

Prosperity Coaching LLC

The Power of a Positive Message

It's amazing how the power of a positive message can change our psyche. I listened live to Tony Robbins as he spoke today at the Twitter conference (via a live feed on my computer). Tony spoke about how fear is always bigger than the actual situation.

It made me think about a conversation I had last night with a bunch of ICF coaches at a living room salon at the home of Lee Vikre. Otto Siegel, MCC spoke about emotions during this recession and the difference between Germany and the United States. The pervading emotion in Germany is GUILT whereas in the United States it is FEAR.

This country seems to be paralyzed in FEAR. What do we fear? Do we fear lack? Do we fear failure? As long as we stay in FEAR we will not move forward. The challenge is for all of us to turn our negative thoughts into positive thoughts and to always take the high road. What is the worst that could happen?

Tony Robbins is right. The fear is always bigger than the actual situation.

Suzanne Muusers

Financial Advisor Business Coach

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Coaching Gets Results

Real success is happening out there in the world today! It's not happening from information. We have information overload right now. Join my ezine. Buy my information product. Get my free report. Follow this link. Watch this video.

You can be in receipt of all the right information, but it's meaningless if you don't do something with it. This is even true with me. I have a file folder full of free reports I've downloaded from various websites over the last year. I have read a countless number of books in the past twelve months. None of this is helpful unless I do something with it.

I'm working with a coach who holds me accountable to implementing new tools and strategies to get where I want to go. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be where I am if not for my coach. I get crucial activities accomplished just before I talk to my coach. It gets done.

We all want Results. Like the advisor who called me yesterday to find out the success traits he needs that will help him build a million dollar practice within three years. I don't have all the answers, but even if I did what would he do with it?

Information is great, but it's focused action that gets results. In order to break out of where you are now, you need to take focused action with a mentor or coach over a period of time. There's no better way to get results and achieve success. I am a living example and so are my clients.

Suzanne Muusers

Financial Advisor Business Coach

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Set Your Success Intentions

We've all be waiting quite some time for the US recession to peter out. The powers that be have said that since the recession has been so deep, that it would take some time to come out of it. Well, we are coming out of the recession. The signs are everywhere… except in our minds.

Here are snippets of what I've heard at networking events recently:

"…you do still have clients don’t you?"

"… I don't want those kinds of clients (the one who have bad credit) because they are difficult to deal with"

"…nobody has any money"

"…people are raiding their 401k plans"

"…you don't know how tough it is out there"

I propose that we stop complaining and start setting "Success Intentions." By focusing on what's possible if we take responsibility for our financial situation we can lose the "failure attitude" that is so prevalent.

Do you want success in your life? Do you want to reach your full potential? Do you want to stop suffering? If you answered yes to these questions, then I have some advice for you.

Here's the deal:

• Stop complaining
• Take control of your future
• Take action
• Invest in your business
• Envision the possibilities
• Get to work on the bigger picture of your business

Every time you notice that you are complaining, pinch yourself and turn the behavior around. I fell into the trap yesterday. I was driving along in my cute red sports car when I complained to my husband that the car had broken down in the past week and needed more work done soon. I said "I hope this piece of *rap doesn't break down on me." Then I realized what I had just said. I caressed the dash board, corrected myself and said "This is a great car and it's going to get me where I need to go without any problems."

Remaining positive in a world mired in negativity is difficult to do. But the alternative is wallowing in pity and being stuck in inactivity. Don't do it. Keep moving. Action cures anxiety.

Read this post about giving yourself an attitude adjustment if you need related resources.

Also helpful: Success Ritual to Achieve Your Goals

Suzanne Muusers

Business Coach for Entrepreneurs & Financial Advisors

Prosperity Coaching LLC

Lack of Progress on Your Goals? Common Reasons

"Success doesn't come to you, you go to it." Marva Collins

Here we are coming out of summer and finishing out September. It's a great time to be making progress in your business. But are you making progress? Or have you dug yourself into a comfortable hole?

There are many reasons why we don't make progress towards our goals. Sometimes we just get too busy and we don't have time to do the things we need to do to achieve significant success. Sometimes we don't make the time to work ON our business. At other times, we get all comfy and don't want to rise to the challenge.

Is one of your goals to increase revenue this year? And have you?

Here are some common reasons for lack of progress on revenue goals:

1. · Not enough prospects in pipeline – you haven’t been in business long enough to develop your pipeline
2. · Not leveraging current clients – for some reason, you don't want to ask your current clients for referrals
3. · No action – you are simply not working on your business weekly
4. · Not willing to step outside comfort zone – you don't want to leave your comfy chair
5. · Not booking enough appointments – not picking up the phone
6. · Not asking for the business – walking away from prospects and clients without closing the sale

If any of these apply to you, you may need to examine how you're doing things and you may need more activity. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that your Daily Success Ritual should include phone activity, in person meetings, networking, and getting out of the office.

In order to make progress on your goals, you may need to get out of your comfy chair!

Suzanne Muusers

Grow Your Business & Prosper

Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs & Financial Advisors

Prosperity Coaching LLC