Make Life Easier to Enjoy Greater Success
Make Life Easier to Enjoy Greater Success
Perhaps the answer is that they’re working too hard. It’s a common problem for generalists: those professionals who offer a wide range of services in an effort to meet every conceivable need the buying public might have.
Being a generalist is very demanding. You need to be prepared for whatever problems your customers bring through the door, whether it’s an everyday problem or a once-in-a-lifetime scenario. This requires a huge skill set, not to mention a nearly overwhelming need to keep up to date with all the developments in every corner of your field. I get exhausted just thinking about it, actually.
Let’s look at an example.
Rina is a financial advisor. She’s a smart cookie, bright and hardworking. She takes a great deal of pride in providing her clients with the ultimate in customer service. Today, on her agenda, there are three appointments.
The first appointment is a couple with two small children. They’ve started saving for their children’s college education, but aren’t sure they’re getting the maximum return on their investment. They want Rina to help them build the fund faster.
The second appointment is a local businessman. He wants to sell two of his smaller businesses and use the proceeds to buy a third, larger outfit. That is, of course, if Rina thinks it’s a good idea -- and if the tax bite on the proceeds of the sale won’t be too painful.
The third appointment is with an older woman, well past retirement age. She has a mentally disabled son, and it’s very important to her that she leaves a lasting legacy that will provide him with a lifetime of income.
It’s clear that each of these clients comes to Rina seeking something different. They each require unique assistance. They all expect Rina to provide thorough, complete, and correct information that pertains to their individual situation.
It would seem impossible -- yet many advisors attempt to handle such a disparate caseload, in an attempt to be all things to all people. This trend is not unique to financial advisors. It’s endemic among service professionals, who seem to think that some business is better than none at all.
Let’s go back to Rina for a minute. What does she have to do to prepare for her day? She’ll have to make sure she’s up to date on college planning and the latest in financial aid packages. At the same time, it’d be a good idea to read over the most current tax law regarding the disposal of small businesses. Meanwhile, she doesn’t even know where to start when it comes to fund administration for the care of a disabled adult-- some research is definitely in order. It’s going to be a long day for Rina.
Let’s imagine something else for Rina. Let’s pretend she’s decided to become a Nichepreneur, specializing in estate planning.
Right off the bat, Rina’s life gets easier. Her clients know what her specialty is, and they come to her with questions that pertain to that specialty. They don’t ask her how to set up a college fund or how to finance their next business acquisition. Rina’s schedule opens up -- she doesn’t need to study these topics. Instead, she can concentrate on the estate planning area, going more in-depth and gaining a deeper understanding of the topic than she ever had as a generalist.
This makes Rina more efficient. When someone comes to her with an estate planning question, she doesn't have to 'reacquaint' herself with the field, nor do some hurried research to bring herself up to speed on the latest trends in estate planning. She's ready. This means she'll be able to provide her clients with better, more accurate service, and far faster than her generalist peers.
At the same time, because Rina is a Nichepreneur, she can demand higher prices for her services. Customers know specialists cost more, and expect to pay more for Rina’s skills than they would for a generalist’s. This results in greater profitability for Rina.
Life has become easier. Rina’s work day is now more efficient and focused, and she’s making more money than ever before. Being a Nichepreneur combines the best of both worlds: greater profitability and easier, enjoyable work. Who could ask for more?
Make Life Easier to Enjoy Greater Success - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Friedmann's Website.
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I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve talked with skilled professionals who can’t figure out why their career has stalled. “I don’t understand,” they say. “I’m working so hard!”
Perhaps the answer is that they’re working too hard. It’s a common problem for generalists: those professionals who offer a wide range of services in an effort to meet every conceivable need the buying public might have.
Being a generalist is very demanding. You need to be prepared for whatever problems your customers bring through the door, whether it’s an everyday problem or a once-in-a-lifetime scenario. This requires a huge skill set, not to mention a nearly overwhelming need to keep up to date with all the developments in every corner of your field. I get exhausted just thinking about it, actually.
Let’s look at an example.
Rina is a financial advisor. She’s a smart cookie, bright and hardworking. She takes a great deal of pride in providing her clients with the ultimate in customer service. Today, on her agenda, there are three appointments.
The first appointment is a couple with two small children. They’ve started saving for their children’s college education, but aren’t sure they’re getting the maximum return on their investment. They want Rina to help them build the fund faster.
The second appointment is a local businessman. He wants to sell two of his smaller businesses and use the proceeds to buy a third, larger outfit. That is, of course, if Rina thinks it’s a good idea -- and if the tax bite on the proceeds of the sale won’t be too painful.
The third appointment is with an older woman, well past retirement age. She has a mentally disabled son, and it’s very important to her that she leaves a lasting legacy that will provide him with a lifetime of income.
It’s clear that each of these clients comes to Rina seeking something different. They each require unique assistance. They all expect Rina to provide thorough, complete, and correct information that pertains to their individual situation.
It would seem impossible -- yet many advisors attempt to handle such a disparate caseload, in an attempt to be all things to all people. This trend is not unique to financial advisors. It’s endemic among service professionals, who seem to think that some business is better than none at all.
Let’s go back to Rina for a minute. What does she have to do to prepare for her day? She’ll have to make sure she’s up to date on college planning and the latest in financial aid packages. At the same time, it’d be a good idea to read over the most current tax law regarding the disposal of small businesses. Meanwhile, she doesn’t even know where to start when it comes to fund administration for the care of a disabled adult-- some research is definitely in order. It’s going to be a long day for Rina.
Let’s imagine something else for Rina. Let’s pretend she’s decided to become a Nichepreneur, specializing in estate planning.
Right off the bat, Rina’s life gets easier. Her clients know what her specialty is, and they come to her with questions that pertain to that specialty. They don’t ask her how to set up a college fund or how to finance their next business acquisition. Rina’s schedule opens up -- she doesn’t need to study these topics. Instead, she can concentrate on the estate planning area, going more in-depth and gaining a deeper understanding of the topic than she ever had as a generalist.
This makes Rina more efficient. When someone comes to her with an estate planning question, she doesn't have to 'reacquaint' herself with the field, nor do some hurried research to bring herself up to speed on the latest trends in estate planning. She's ready. This means she'll be able to provide her clients with better, more accurate service, and far faster than her generalist peers.
At the same time, because Rina is a Nichepreneur, she can demand higher prices for her services. Customers know specialists cost more, and expect to pay more for Rina’s skills than they would for a generalist’s. This results in greater profitability for Rina.
Life has become easier. Rina’s work day is now more efficient and focused, and she’s making more money than ever before. Being a Nichepreneur combines the best of both worlds: greater profitability and easier, enjoyable work. Who could ask for more?
Make Life Easier to Enjoy Greater Success - To learn more about this author, visit Susan Friedmann's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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