Building an influential voice requires that you deal with SCARED. In my book The Influence Factor, I talk about this key element in your influential voice. I have noticed how when a small business owner takes a dip in the money they make, they feel fear, become scared and get stuck.
As I describe in The Influence Factor, fear is one thing, being scared is another. See, I believe fear is real. But scared is another thing. Scared stops you, it paralyzes you, so you are not getting results you actually need when you feel it.
Did we feel fear when our home burned down? Absolutely. But we did not move into scared, because scared would have stopped us from rebuilding.
I have noticed that many small business owners get stuck in scared…especially when money changes. Then they practice INSANE. You know what insane is right? Insane is: doing the same thing over and over again expecting to get a different result!
You’re watching your e-mail hoping a magical sale will come in.
You get stuck in routines that really don’t help make any money.
You’re on Facebook but you are not increasing your influential visibility.
You never had a smart system in place, one that you go back and replicate and continue to make money.
Ultimately, making money happens even when you’re making money! What do I mean? Don’t stop the process of continuously building prospects. Always have a means for building your sales base. Don’t just SELL when you need some money. But if you are stuck and not creating movement to make money it’s time to get aggressive and do so.
What is the most significant key to influential financial success?
Create a replicate-able system.
I can hear some of you: “I know but Ann, BUT I need to make money now!”
I get that and at the same time what you’re doing is chasing nickels to make a dime.
What do I want you to do?
1-Figure out what it is you want to most sell all the time.
2-Then build an influential voice marketing strategy that calls your tribe.
3-Build into your editorial calendar a MARKETING and SALES strategy for several times a year.
4-Follow your plan, then measure and monitor it for success.
Having an influential voice requires that you overcome being scared. Scared and stuck doesn’t cut it when it comes to making more money, or steady money!
“I use a grammar check tool because English is my first language.”
After you’re done reading this article, I want you to do TWO things:
#1. I want you to tell me a story about a time when you got scared and stuck and it just didn’t work for you long term. Tell me what you changed, and how it helped you. Leave a comment. Share anything you can that you think will benefit the Warrior-Preneur community.
#2. Do you have a friend who you think is stuck? Practicing INSANE? Someone like a life coach, a social media marketing expert, or anyone that offers products and services? Send them a link to this article.
The most important part of this key element in your influential voice is to know, and own, your story. Everywhere you go these days you were hearing someone tell you that your story is critical for your success. But so often I hear people say, “but Ann, my life is quite ordinary, I don’t have a story that people would be interested in hearing.” Here is the point: your story is about a way to connect with your tribe. Your tribe is the people who feel and think like you, who have had similar experiences that you have had and therefore feel bonded to you. You earn vulnerability (remember, marketing is about vulnerability, credibility and tribe) with those people through your story.
little voice in your head….”But Ann, my life is ordinary and boring I don’t have a unique story to bond with other people!”
Your story doesn’t have to be about extreme abuse, or loss, or overcoming some crazy obstacle. Your story is just who you are. I am always blown away when I start working on this with my clients. Because I hear it so often. For example, Linda said, when we started: “Ann, I am not a story teller, so you will have to drag it out of me.” You can look at her website and blog here and see how much story telling she now does.
So what is my client’s first homework assignment to their influential voice?
To write a timeline of their life. From birth to present time, I asked them to write down everything that happened: where they were born, where they went to school, what sports or games they played, their siblings, where they moved, what awards they got anything that happened in their lives.
From this timeline you can pull stories to share, excite, relate, and more importantly CONNECT. Did you swim as a child like my client Linda who didn’t realize the power of those stories to building your influential voice? Are you a mother? Do you enjoy running marathons? Sometimes our life is so EVERY DAY for us we forget how it connects us to others.
My storytelling builds my influential voice.
For example I am a gardener. I know some of you laugh because you see my crazy nail polish and wonder how that’s possible….duh, I wear gloves! My gardening stories connect me to my tribe. My tribe, believes in holistic living. My tribe understands that success comes from taking care of their whole being (remember the 6 core areas of influence?)not just their business. So when I share my stories about gardening I connect with them.
Does gardening seem quite ordinary to me? At times, absolutely. Until I post a picture on Facebook or write a blog about my garden and I hear the comments. This is a connection to your story.
So take some time and write out your timeline and start to tell stories about your life. This will empower your truth and build your Influential Voice!!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
Relationships are one of the six core influencers to develop in your life. I’ve noticed lately when someone invites me to an evening event, class or networking that falls on Thursday, that their reaction to my answers is interesting. See, Thursday night in my life is DATE NIGHT. Date night is a critical and pivotal part of building my influential self. You may recall that one of the six core areas to build your Influential Voice is relationships.
We didn’t always do date night for our relationship. We’ve been together, and through a ton over the years. Our choice to start date night (we go out for dinner, drinks and take dance lessons) was about creating a more powerful, stronger, sexier, more loving relationship. Our choice was because “for granted” started to happen. Our choice was because we had created the VISION of what it looked like, now it was time to truly make it happen.
Don’t you want that?
Don’t you know your business thrives when you have that in your life?
Do you understand that you become Influential when you choose relationship?
So back to my original point: the reaction to my response. My response is simply: “Thank you, but that is date night, I am unable to.” (Ah, there are boundaries yet again…did you read that post?) See, my commitment to relationship matters. The reaction often feels like one of “That’s all? Really?” Like it’s somehow a lame one. An excuse, A cop out. (Except for others that also focus on it, they GET IT. They are actually a minority though.)
Oh but I hear you! “ANNNNNNNN!! I have to GROW my business! I have to get out there right? So my relationship may not get the attention it needs while I am growing my brand. RIGHT?”
Yes. And no. Getting out there EVERYWHERE, with no clear goal? No alignment to who you are and what matters most? A waste of time. And when your relationships suffer, you energetically change at those events.
Don’t be offended by the fact that relationship is one of the six core infleuncers I choose to work on. Be happy for me. Honored maybe even a little that you know someone who does. And then decide how you will focus on yours.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
I love talking about building the influential you you can be! So, I wanted to share a great dialogue/interview I had with Stephanie C. Harper of Career Magazine and guest host Anetra Henry Hunting. Although we had some technical difficulties, and I sound a bit tinny (ok, I sound a LOT tinny, but this is powerful good stuff!) I would highly recommend you play it while working and if something strikes you, note the time and replay it! One of the best ways we can learn is while we are working to listen to informative audio in the background. So although this is a video, treat it like an audio and just let it play!
Here are some things I would suggest you think about, look for, and find answers for building the influential you and your business:
• Do you know what it takes to get people to willingly follow your business mission and values.
• Why “warrior” and how you want it in your business mindset.
• What influence really is.
• Why copying doesn’t work for long-term success.
• Why we shouldn’t get angry over copycats when they take our original ideas.
• What is the influence factor in why you want some.
• Why time and money are the same thing, and how important it is to think that way to have success.
• Why TRIBE instead of community or followers is a powerful way to lead your brand .
• How what you do has nothing to do with who you are.
• What are the six core influencers in building your influential you.
• And much much more!
I’d love to hear what you heard in this video that was powerful for building your influential you and business success!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
Do you ever wonder how do I get SO MUCH done ? lol- ok maybe not!
Do you ever feel like there needs to be at least two if not THREE of you? Hahahahaha! Wouldn’t that be nice. I have so many things I want to work on. I have all the raw footage from my 1.5 hour keynote that I’d love to turn into an online class. Heck, I’d love to just get a couple takes on my YouTube channel and website! I always have marketing to do…I would love to do more work with Dan, my coach. Oh got to get back to my list and sending some cool stuff. I’d love to get started writing my second book. But wait, my book site (geez so is my business site!) is behind in posts…
The life of an entrepreneur right?
And I didn’t even bring up my personal life; family, cooking, the 9000 square foot urban garden and the tomatoes that need pruning, exercise…sleep!
Then if you add SOS (a rare a special issue many of us have: Shiny Object Syndrome) distractions KILL me.
You relate?
Funny thing, I am ALWAYS asked how do I get SO MUCH done? (I laugh inside because I think of all the things I want to do and don’t get done) Then I realize, just in my coaching practice how much more I get done than other entrepreneurs I know. I think I can share why.
First, did you notice that I said “want to work on” versus “need to work on”? That is critical! I believe 100% in the mind/body connection, and you get more done when you WANT versus HAVE to do it.
Second, I don’t multi-task. Oh trust me as I said, SOS (shiny object syndrome ) is definitely a disease I have! I block out SMALL chunks of time, and actually SET a TIMER. Amazing what you can get done in 10 minutes of focused time!
Third, I believe that you ALWAYS focus on high payoff items first…and unfortunately it is often easier to focus on low payoff because they seem quicker and easier to do.
So, how do I get SO MUCH done? These tips help for sure! How do YOU get so much done?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
I love showing people the process of building their most influential life. Looking at how you become the extraordinary you are meant to be, is about understanding the six core influencers in your life, and how you develop them holistically. These core influencers are:
career,
health,
spirit,
relationships,
finances,
home.
When I developed The Vision of your Most Influential Life program in graduate school, I realized that these areas are much like the classic Beachball. Each of these areas support and build upon one another. So if your health core is not at maximum influence in your life, it will impact career, home, spirit, relationship.
I did a quirky little video about this in the online course that you are welcome to preview and get a stronger sense of what I mean. Look at Section 2, Lecture 4 of The Vision of your Most Influential Self
I often find that people think that all of their areas need work. Congratulations if you never settle for mediocrity and continue to develop into your highest self, at the same time you have to know where your strengths are in these areas to build upon them and get them to where you want them to be. This will create your influential life.
Ask yourself:
Which area is my strongest?
How can I build upon it to strengthen my other areas?
What can I do to support growth in my influencer that needs development through the places I am already strong?
Then dig deeper and ask:
What are my core values that tie my influencers together? That incorporate my entire Beachball, and way of life?
Where do I need to focus to build my most influential life?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
Building an influential voice requires that you deal with SCARED. In my book The Influence Factor, I talk about this key element in your influential voice. I have noticed how when a small business owner takes a dip in the money they make, they feel fear, become scared and get stuck.
