Know the target

I wanted to share this unsolicited testimonial we got the other day… sure, it’s great to read and share, but what I really wanted to use it for today was to comment on what works on the Internet now and why they are getting above and beyond the response they expected.

“I asked Impression Engineers to create a new website for my company SecurePro Technologies. We are an electronic security integrator and needed to upgrade our existing site to a more professional one. I met with the team from Impression Engineers, explained what we needed, and some detail about how it would be used. They went to work on it and came up with a site that works extremely well for us, our employees and our customers.

What we got was better than I imagined. First, the entire project was done on-time and on-budget. Secondly, we were trained properly on managing the online forms, etc. But lastly, the number of hits and unique visits to our website is up nearly 400% in just the last six-months since the site went live. We are consistently positioned on the first or second page of Google and other search engines, and under multiple search topics are Google’s #1 listing! All I can say is WOW. Great Job Impression Engineers! I would recommend them to anyone!”

Sincerely,
Eric Stinson
SecurePro Technologies, LLC
secureprotech.com

I’ll I can say too is Wow-Thanks Eric. Glad we can be part of your success team.

A Web Success

First, Eric knows his target market, so we had a big head start in creating the site. Eric’s site is an informational site directed to a specific target market. Read the rest of this entry »

I just got back from the Visionary Leadership Conference. What a whirlwind of new thoughts, creative ideas and information—matching the "mini hurricane" I experienced with last weekend’s weather in San Francisco. After the massive wind and rain for 3 days, I was wishing I had an ark…

One evening around a cozy fireplace as the power flickered on and off, several of us had a great talk on that ever exciting subject, procrastination.  Our conclusion was that many times procrastination is usually because we don’t have enough information about what we want or what we are trying to do.

So true — but before you begin to get information you need, answer these two questions:

1. Is this the best use of my time?
2. What do I need to really own what I’m trying to accomplish?

If you know the answers to those, one way to grab the reins of procrastination is to understand the entire “problem." Trick your procrastination brain by working backwards. To work backwards answer the following: Read the rest of this entry »

Can you believe…

It is almost the end of the year, can you believe it? Once again, where did it go? And, if you believe the “Big Business Guru” blogs right now, many are saying “It is time to plan again…” planning is a useful business tool, but can be a panacea. It is usually not the lack of a plan that causes failure; it is lack of action.

An action plan or a sales plan or marketing plan or any plan for that matter, is only as good as the action taken… Here are a few reasons that action, sales and marketing plans fail; in the order of frequency Impression Engineers coaches see: Read the rest of this entry »

We celebrate Thanksgiving just one day a year, but studies show that expressions of gratitude have “significant and consistent improvement" on our worldview. Viewing life as a gift "holds considerable sway…on achieving optimal psychological functioning…” in real world words, HAPPINESS.

Oddly enough, this same study found that the kinds of things that most people do to gain happiness, e.g.; new shoes, new car, does not have the consistent effects they assumed—only the expression of gratitude, seemed to have a long-term effect on the happiness and well-being of study participants. (1)

Three things I’m grateful for today and everyday

1. That I have another day to share. Another day to share my passion for life. Another day to explore and enjoy this grand adventure. Another day with my family and friends.
2. My family, friends, associates and clients: THANK YOU for loving (and putting up with) me. You are all highlights in my life.
3. The negative people I have encountered—a generous, heartfelt Thank You! The nay-sayers have been some of my best teachers, in disguise. That’s right, grateful for the nay-sayers—those who are more than happy to say “You can’t do something."

Think about one person who told you, "your idea was crazy” or “you can’t do that….” Now think about the things you accomplished because of that comment. Did you finish something because they said you couldn’t? Or perhaps in that moment, you decided never to treat others that way…even the nay-sayers can be a grateful gift, (even if it doesn’t feel that way at the time). It’s the challenges that make the success so much sweeter.

The dictionary says that gratitude is a noun… it should be a verb. Gratitude takes action. Express gratitude at every opportunity, you never know if you will have that moment again. Consider how far just a smile and kind word will go..

Cheerfulness is the best promoter of health and is as friendly to the mind as to the body.
~Joseph Adison~ I’d like to add gratitude and appreciation to the best list…

Have a great day in whatever your adventure,

To success! To Life!

_{1. Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life by Robert A. Emmons and Michael E McCullough, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Copyright 2003 by the American Psychological Association, Inc., 2003, Vol.84}

Last week, we talked about the look and feel of your company or brand. If the look and feel is the face of your company, then imagine that the management processes and systems is the skelton, while the service, price, quality, availability, selection, functionality, etc. are the various functions of the body. All should be functioning well to be successful.

It’s always been a competitive world out there. The Internet has opened vast markets for our customers, their attention is being pulled in many ways. Remember, your competitors, most likely, offer quality products, good prices and customer service too. So how do you differentiate yourself?

My friend, Michael Port, creator of the Book Yourself Solid system, calls it the "Who and Do What statement." He suggests, "Keep it simple and straightforward… Whom do you help and what do you help them do." Another term tossed around in marketing is USP—your own Unique Selling Proposition—what creates differentiation between you and your competitors in the mind’s of your clients?

1. What do you do better than anyone else?

2. How do you specifically and clearly convey what you do to your target audience?

"Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life – because in reality, it does!"~Laurelle Adrian~

Have a great day in whatever your adventure,

Sharon