Jacqueline Nagle — September 21, 2018 — September 21, 2018
I LOVE BUSY! When it’s the right kind of BUSY.
The last few weeks we in the world of SpeakableYOU have been incredibly busy; delivering our signature Speaking Workshops, working across the country to deliver our knockout Sales Training workshop, establishing a strategic partnership that will both lift our business and fill our soul, quietly and very successfully launching our intensive mentoring programming, and still working with the incredible people who just happen to be our clients.
But every single day – in workshops, strategy sessions, conversations, and our work with our clients – I am struck by one thing. So many people I talk to are getting caught up in the vortex of busy and losing sight of what really matters.
Which if you are in business – is building that damn business.
Which if you are in a career – is building that damn business.
Which whether in business or a career – is honing your skills to keep building that damn business.
And because I am a huge advocate of hard work, and an even bigger advocate of doing the right hard work, I thought I would share something that generally creates the biggest AH’s in the room and when I work with clients.
It’s a matrix – and it creates the AH’s because it simplifies options, gets us clear on what counts, and leaves room to do what really matters.
1. Your Networks
• Stop going to everything
• Start going to where your clients hangout – not your peers
• Choose the 3 best places for you to invest your time in – not just your money
• Eliminate the rest of them
• If you are involved in a charity, charitable event, sporting or community organisation, this takes 1 space
2. Your Professional Development
• Choose 3 activities for your matrix that will build your skills / your professional development
• Lock them in and get the dates for the next 12 months and set them in your calendar
• If you have a mentor, that takes up 1 of those activities
• If you are going to attend a major conference (more than 2 days) each conference takes up 1 space
• If you are doing an MBA, that takes up 1 space. If you are doing a full load, that takes up 2 spaces
3. Your Referral Sources
• Build 3 exceptional referral sources
• Build – because they take time, they often have to experience what you do, and you have to create them
• Get an exceptional referral strategy in place with each of them, and ensure they are valued
• They could be a client, a connector, a trusted advisor (to your clients), a peak body
• Just one of these will significantly lift your business; 3 of them working together will deliver exponential growth
As a very brief example this is how mine looked at the start of 2018:
1. My Networks
• Professional Speakers Association of Australia
• Business Women Australia
• Brisbane North Chamber of Commerce
2. My Professional Development
• Platinum programme with Ali Brown
• Global Speakers Summit, Auckland
• Influence, National Speakers Association Conference, Texas
3. My Referral Sources
• Raving Fan Number 1 (identities remaining confidential 
)
• Raving Fan Number 2 (identities remaining confidential )
• Currently building Number 3 – trusted advisor network to my ideal client
Originally published here.
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