SMILE January 2019

The ‘Motivational’ Issue























































January 2019

Welcome to the January issue of S.M.I.L.E





We love the new year! It’s such a period of optimism and excitement.

Dreams are chased, goals are set and there’s a buzz of possibility in the air.




This issue we’ve got lots of ideas and tips for channelling that motivation into
clearly defined and achievable goals that will keep you focused for the whole

year.




We also have a look at how to take your business relationships to the next
level to ensure you get the most out of them.




If improving your networking skills was one of your Resolutions this year, why
not tick it off the list nice and early by signing up to our professional business

networking training, NakedNetworkerz. An action-packed 1 day course, it’s

perfect for anyone who would like to grow and develop their networking skills.
Find out more here:

http://www.opendoorz.biz/naked-networkerz




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CONTENTS









Support


Don’t Leave Your Business Success to Chance This Year!


Motivation


How To Stay Motivated In 2019


Inspiration


YOU are enough. A talk by Adam Roa.


Light bulb moments



The 7 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Expertise



2019 – The Year Of The Relationship

SUPPORT Don’t leave your business success to chance this year!





How was 2018 for you? Like most business professionals I’m sure you have a good sense of how it went even if you weren’t

closely monitoring progress against well-defined goals (well done if you were – you’re in the minority!).

Business goals are a bit like New Year’s Resolutions – easy to set, hard to stick to. The majority will be abandoned by Easter.

So how can you make sure that this year your goals are achieved month after month right up till 31st December? Here are our three golden
rules for setting goals.

#1 Write down exactly what you want to achieve.

Writing something down is proven to dramatically increase your chances of achieving it. Then pin it up in your office or somewhere you will
see it daily. If you’re a visual type of person, draw out your goals, create a mind map or do a vision board that you look at regularly.


#2 Visualise what success looks like.

Spend some time visualising how achieving your 2019 goals will look, feel and play

out. Think it through in full technicolour imagination. How is this making you feel?
You should be excited. If not, ask yourself why. Is it that the goal is not that important

or is it too vague? It’s worth the time investment to understand at a deeper level

what achieving your goals means to you and your business. What are the
consequences of not achieving your goals? It’s important to have a strong emotional

response to why you’ve set those goals as it’s that that will put the fire in your belly

to achieve them.
#3 Be specific

Is your goal specific enough? You need it to catapult you into action and if it’s too vague that won’t happen. Your head,
heart and gut all need to be in agreement! A good test for its specific enough is if there are tangible measures to show it’s

been achieved.

SUPPORT Don’t leave your business success to chance this year!





So, you’ve got your goals planned for 2019 and you are confident that they are specific and realistic. What next?

Well, it’s all well and good to have an annual goal but in order to achieve it you need to break it down into steps that one after

another take you forwards towards sure-fire success. You will be overwhelmed if you just look at the big goal and it will be very difficult to

plan for success.

A good way to start is to tackle the year by quarter.

What quarterly goals do you need to have in place in order to
ensure that by the end of Q1 you are a quarter of the way towards

your annual goal. A good tip is to set no more than three goals per

quarter. Any more and it can be over-whelming.
Take each of these three goals and write all the

actions required to hit your goals. Once you have these you can

create a step by step monthly plan and from that a weekly and
even daily plan. For example if your goal is to increase you profit

by 20% this year there will be a number of ways you could do this:-

• bringing in new clients

• selling more to existing clients
• increasing your price

• taking on staff

• adding new products/services
These are just a few examples of what you could do and in reality, you will probably implement a mix of

several to achieve the goal but let’s look at bringing in new clients.

SUPPORT Don’t leave your business success to chance this year!





There are a few things you could do to achieve this. For example:

• ask existing clients for introductions

• do some results focussed business networking

• increase your traditional marketing
• improve your digital marketing

• arrange seminars/workshops or opportunities to be an event speaker

Again they’ll be many more options and a blend of many be the best plan. But to use our above example we will stick with
doing some more focussed networking in quarter one. So you might want to plan something like this:


Month One sub goal: Month Two sub goal: Month Three sub goal:
find the right types of networking events to go to choose the right one for you commit and begin developing relationships
Actions/Tasks for the month: Actions/Tasks for the month: Actions/Tasks for the month:


• Prepare and practise your networking
• research online the different groups available • Attend 4 events
message/pitch
• Start meeting members on a 1:1 basis to get to
• Ask your existing contacts where they network • Speak to existing members
know each other
• Look at the networking groups websites to make • Get the skills/training to network confidently and
effectively if you’re not comfortable • Look for way you can give to others
sure they’re it is right for you

• Speak to anyone you know who is involved • Join a group • Measure you activity and the results


• Book to go to some events

SUPPORT Don’t leave your business success to chance this year!





By creating a step by step plan your actions can be listed, checked off and built upon to achieve your monthly, quarterly and

big 2019 goal.

Last but not least, when it comes to goals they tend to be much more successful when you tell the world about them up front!

Finding a buddy or a group that will act as critical friends to help keep you on motivated, excited and on track will also significantly improve
your chances of success. If this is something you think you might benefit from have a look at ConnectingDoorz – a networking group that

provides a huge amount of business support, buddying and accountability.

Have fun with your goals and watch your business thrive one step at a time…

MOTIVATION
How to stay motivated in 2019




The great thing about breaking a goal into monthly stages is that you know quickly if you are on track or not. Whether the month just gone

was a success in terms of achieving your goals or if you didn’t quite get there, there’s lots to be learned either way and a little bit of reflection

can help us see what to do better next time. Questions that will help you learn from your success:-

• How did I approach the month (mindset)?
• How was I feeling about the goals (confidence)?

• Who was also involved (support, accountability, encouragement)?

• How did I overcome hurdles (physical or emotional)?
Questions that will help you learn from not achieving your monthly goal:-

• How did I approach the month (mindset)?

• How was I feeling about the goals (confidence)?
• What came up that I wasn’t expecting and that had a negative outcome on the month?

• How can I deal with that differently next time?

• Who else could I have involved to support and encourage me and/or hold me accountable?

• Where are their gaps in my knowledge/skills?
• If I could go back to the beginning of the month what three things would I do differently?

If you miss the mark one month then it’s important to know why so that you can make the necessary changes and avoid it

happening again. It is also much easier to make up one month’s deficit in an area than to let things drift for several months and have a
mammoth, if not impossible, task of getting back on track.

Your motivation will also be improved if you stay focused on the goal and why it is so important to

you to achieve it. Again a vision board and your goal written down will make a big difference especially if they

are somewhere you see them all the time.

MOTIVATION
How to stay motivated in 2019


Another important factor is to reward yourself regularly. We all respond well to a reward and it really helps maintain motivation.

Rewards don’t have to be massive or cost a fortune but it is really important to decide in advance what and how you will reward yourself for

a successful month and then stick to it.

If you’re still looking for some motivation, here are some poignant quotes I love around this topic


There will be obstacles.

There will be doubters.
There will be mistakes.

But with hard work,

There are no limits.

Michael Phelps







“Who you are

tomorrow begins


with what you do


today.”

Tim Fargo

INSPIRATION Why the secret to set is setting the right goals




Our leaders and institutions are failing us, but it's not always because they're bad or unethical, says venture capitalist John Doerr --


often, it's simply because they're leading us toward the wrong objectives.!






























Click here to watch the video


John Doerr is an an engineer, acclaimed venture capitalist and the chairman of Kleiner Perkins. In this practical talk, Doerr shows us how

we can get back on track with "Objectives and Key Results," or OKRs -- a goal-setting system that's been employed by the likes of
Credit: Vine House Studios
Google, Intel and Bono to set and execute on audacious goals. Learn more about how setting the right goals can mean the difference

between success and failure -- and how we can use OKRs to hold our leaders and ourselves accountable.

LIGHT BULB
The 7 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs





Contrary to conventional wisdom, you don't have to be an

overachieving, hyper organised workaholic, or an extrovert to

launch a successful business. Equally, straight A students are less
likely to become entrepreneurs than your average C grade

student.



However, the best entrepreneurs do share a collection of

characteristics that seem to be crucial to a successful venture. An

analysis of 23 research studies published under the title “The Big

Five Personality Dimensions and Entrepreneurial Status” found
that entrepreneurs have different personality traits than corporate

managers. Entrepreneurial types score far higher on traits such as

openness to experience (curiosity, innovation) and

conscientiousness (self-discipline, motivation) and considerably
lower on neuroticism, which allows them to better tolerate stress.


Credit: Vine House Studios
Entrepreneur.com have cited the 7 traits that make for a

successful entrepreneur – how many have you got?

LIGHT BULB Tenacity


So much of entrepreneurship is dealing with repeated failure. It happens many times each week


Passion

Most entrepreneurs believe they will change the world. There's an excitement and belief in what
they're doing that gets them through the hard times.



Tolerance of Ambiguity
It all boils down to being able to successfully manage fear. Fear of humiliation, running out of cash,

bankruptcy, the list goes on.



Flexibility
Business survival, like that of the species, depends on adaptation. You have to have a willingness to

be honest with yourself and say, 'This isn't working.' You have to be able to pivot.



Vision
Entrepreneurs have a curiosity that identifies overlooked niches and puts them at the forefront of
innovation and emerging fields.



Self-belief
You have to be crazy-sure your product is something the world needs and that you can deliver it to

overcome the naysayers, who will always deride what the majority has yet to validate.


Rule Breaking

Entrepreneurs exist to defy conventional wisdom. Doing what the majority isn't doing is the nature of
entrepreneurship, which is where the supply of inner resources comes in.

EXPERTISE
2019 – The year of the relationship
































‘Meet, Know, Like, Trust’ is a phrase we use a lot in Opendoorz and really sums up the philosophy behind our business.


Essentially, it means that in an environment where business professionals are able to really get to know one another, trust and friendship

grows and from there business opportunities naturally follow. It’s a model that has proven very successful for many of our members but it’s
not without effort. Getting to know others and understanding their businesses requires time and commitment, both of which can be in short

supply when you’re running your own business. However, like most things there are strategies you can employ to make this process a bit

easier. Here’s the Opendoorz top tips to switching your business relationships up a gear.

EXPERTISE
2019 – The year of the relationship




First impressions count
Most professional relationships won’t

get past first base if you make a bad first

impression. Get your connections off to a winning
start by arriving early, being calm and giving off a

relaxed and confident persona (even if you feel

nervous as heck inside!). Being well prepared is a

good way to achieve this. Being concise and clear
in your messaging instantly creates feelings of

authenticity and reliability. And although it won’t

instantly get you through the door it certainly gets
you off on the right foot and gives you a solid

foundation to build upon.



Get personal

As you meet people you will naturally find that you have better chemistry with some than others. That’s just life – we tend to

connect better with those who are similar to are our own values and beliefs. Put your energy into building relationships with these people.
It will be easier and ultimately, more enjoyable. A great way to do this is to arrange a 1:1 meeting, or as we prefer to call them in

Opendoorz, insight meetings. Insight meetings do exactly what they say, help you both gain a greater insight into each other’s businesses,

values, products, services and ambitions. They help you understand how to support each other with really
focused introductions. The great beauty of a well-executed insight is that both parties come away knowing

EXPERTISE
2019 – The year of the relationship




exactly what each other is looking for by way of introductions and referrals. Think of it as an education process, you are both trying to

educate each other about your businesses. Do bear in mind though that the role of the introducer is simply to introduce with confidence
and enthusiasm not to close the deal. The person introduced is far better equipped to assess a potential client needs and demonstrate

how they can satisfy them, hopefully resulting in business happening between the two parties.

Plan your insights
To get the most out of an insight meeting it is worth spending a bit of time thinking through what kind of questions and

information to include. Here are our top tips on what to ask them and the questions you should have the answers to!

• What results do you deliver to your clients?
• Think about the benefits you deliver, the pain you remove and the potentially unpleasant situations you prevent.

• Why should I have confidence in you?

• What are you the expert in and how can you demonstrate that? Stories of what you have done are powerful.

• What differentiates you?
• What do you do differently and how? If we can reply ‘so what’ then it’s not a compelling differentiator.

• Avoid saying things like “we provide exceptional customer service”. Firstly that should be a given and secondly everyone says

that and it has little impact. Saying something like “on average our members stay with us for 5 years or more and the norm in our
industry is 3” will differentiate you.

• What does your ideal client look like?

• Describe an ideal client – what do they look like? This is something you may have already done for your marketing and if not will

be useful to you going forward.

EXPERTISE
2019 – The year of the relationship


• What would be a great opportunity?

• Be very clear about what represents an opportunity. If you’re an estate agent it might be logical to think you want to be introduced

to buyers. However people selling houses are more valuable to you – make it clear.

• Specifically, which professions/businesses/people do you want to talk to?
• Do your research here so that you not only highlight an industry but go further to state an exact company, the position within the

company and the name of the person in that position.

• Questions you could ask to explore if your client has a need for the product or service.
• When done well these can be built into a fact find or conversation and should feel natural and comfortable to ask.

• How to introduce you

• Again this is not closing the deal it’s simply getting permission to make an introduction once interest has been achieved
You don’t have to cram all of the above into one insight meeting. Ideally, insights should be held regularly.

This really helps you get to know each other. At the end of the meeting agree on any actions with a clear idea of when it

will be done. As a rule, always have at least 1 action but no more than 3. Once you get to the point

that you have covered this for both of you then include discussing clients and contacts, explore

where opportunities may lie and how to progress them towards becoming

introductions.
Follow up, stay in touch and invest well in these relationships as

they really are worth their weight in gold.

The Last Word


Cathy Dunbabin & Sonia Kearns launched Opendoorz a professional business network for either established businesses owners, partners

and directors in January 2011, a few years later ConnectingDoorz was born as a more supportive, development based networking group

for start-up businesses and solopreneurs. The newest addition to the business is NakedNetworkerz, training workshops that share

techniques and skills to help make networking an effective part of your business.


Cathy Dunbabin

Motor sport fan, adores heels, fizz and things that sparkle. Lover of anything (legal) that makes
your heart race! Fantastic at uncovering synergies, connecting people and teaching others to

become cool, collected and confident with their networking so that it delivers time and time again!


Sonia Kearns
Is famous (amongst friends) for renditions of ‘I Will Survive’ and hosting fantastic parties – you will

dance! Has a canny knack of creating great business opportunities for others. Loves nothing more

than seeing those relationships flourish and enjoying a glass of wine to celebrate!


Both love meeting new professionals and making new connections. Why not get in touch…


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Credit: Vine House Studios
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