To ignite anything you must first have a spark, and to create a spark (in the more literal sense) you must have flint & steel.  In the world of business, flint & steel are you, and those you network with.  It doesn’t really matter who the flint is, and who the steel is.  What matters is that you come together, and together you can create spark that neither one of you could create on your own.  It’s all about relationships, and in business that means networking.

Step Two: The Spark (Learn)

To create the spark with another person (the business spark that is) you must have some knowledge of business, marketing, sales, relationships, communication, etc.  Networking with others without the knowledge you require is like having the flint & steel, but not knowing you need to strike the steel against the flint.  Take the time to educate yourself in critical areas of business, such as the ones mentioned above.  That way when you bring the flint & steel together (you and someone else) you will have the knowledge you need to create the spark.

Step Three: The Bonfire (Synergize)

There are fires, and then there are Bonfires.  Bonfires are typically much larger, and they are usually associated with celebration.  There is, indeed, much to celebrate when two people come together and as a result they create something that neither of them could have achieved on their own.  Something more than just 1 + 1 = 2, but rather 1 + 1 = 10, or 100, or more.  To synergize means that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  It’s all about the bonfires we can create as we synergize with others.

So, go get started!  Gather your flint & steel (network with others), create the spark (learn what you need to learn about business), and build a bonfire of success (synergize with others for maximum results).

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

It is time for the final installment in our series on S.T.O.R.M. – a method of building your own personal Storm of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the fourth step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to REFLECT.  Today I will address the final step which is to…

MOVE IT!

In the words of the great King Julian from the movie Madagascar, “I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!  I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!”  Excellent advice.  In fact, all storms move!  In order for your STORM to be successful you’ve got take action and Move It!

Ashleigh Brilliant said, “Unless you move, the place where you are is the place where you will always be”.  According to Wayne Gretzky “we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take”.  That is equally true of plans and goals.  We fail on 100% of the goals we don’t take action on.  In other words, we fail when we don’t MOVE IT!

Remember this formula:

Action X Time = Success

Lack of Action X Time = Fossils

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Once again we continue our series on S.T.O.R.M. – a method of building your own personal Storm of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the third step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to ORGANIZE.  Today I will address the next step which is to…

REFLECT!

It’s important to reflect on what matters most to you.  What’s your mission in life, and business?  What are your values?  What’s your vision for fulfilling important roles.  Who do you want to be?  It really does matter how you see yourself.

I recommend that you take the time on a weekly basis (at least) to sit down and reflect on your life and your purpose.  If you want to be “on purpose” you have to have a purpose.  Create your vision for who you want to be and how you want to be.  Reflect on the vision often.  Decide just how you want to “see” yourself.  First you have to conceive your vision, then believe your vision, then ultimately you can achieve your vision.  Just like the kitten in the picture, there is a lion inside of you waiting to come out, if you will just let it.

Once again, check in with us next week for the final step of S.T.O.R.M – MOVE IT!

To Your Success!

Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

This week we continue our series on S.T.O.R.M. – a method of building your own personal Storm of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the second step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to TAKE INVENTORY.  Today I will address the next step which is to…

ORGANIZE!

First, I’d like to share one of my favorite poems on the subject:

If I Could Get Organized by Baidurya Mukherjee

The morning goes, noon is here,
Before I know the night is near,
and all around me, I regret,
are things I haven’t finished yet.

If I could just get organized!
I often times have realized,
not all that matters is the man,
The man must also have a plan.

I do this, I do that,
But never finish what I’m at,
I work as hard as anyone,
And yet, I get so little done,

I’d do so much you’d be surprised,
If I could just get organized!

Being Organized is critical.  An organized environment is the number one catalyst to enhance productivity and creativity, two key components to being personally effective and successful.

Allow me to recommend my favorite book on the topic.  It addresses both Physical, as well as Procedural Organization.  It’s called, “To Do, Doing, Done!” by G. Lynne Snead.  If you’re like our friend in the picture above you may want to jump straight to Chapter 5.  The title of that chapter?  “It’s Hard to Manage Your Project If You Can’t Find Your Desk.”

Once again, check in with us next week for the next step of S.T.O.R.M – REFLECT!

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

As I said last week, few things in this world have the raw power & energy of a storm.  You can create your own personal S.T.O.R.M. of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the first step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to STOP.  Today I will address the next step which is to…

TAKE INVENTORY!

Take Inventory of where you have been, where you are, and where you want to be – Take Inventory of your resources, talents, abilities, relationships, and all that you have to help you reach your goals.  Know that your ultimate Success Story starts with a Personal Inventory.

You must know yourself and what matters most to you, and it is crucial to Take Inventory of all your resources that can help you get what you want.

I suggest you make it a somewhat formal Inventory, meaning don’t just think about your Inventory, but rather WRITE your Inventory down.  It’s makes the process far more powerful.  If you want to be even more creative with the way you Take Inventory try creating a Mind Map instead of just writing it down in a linear fashion (although this works fine, too).  Mind Maps look kind of like this:

This particular Mind Map was created using Mind Manager 8 from mindjet.com.  They happen to offer a 30-day free trial if you want to give it a go.

So, remember, to build your S.T.O.R.M. of Success, first STOP, then TAKE INVENTORY.  Be sure to tune in next week when I will be writing about the next step of  S.T.O.R.M. - Organize!

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Few things in this world have the raw power & energy of a storm.  You can take the world by storm if you will focus your power and energy in the direction of your goals and dreams.  For you to take the world, and your goals, by S.T.O.R.M. may I suggest you follow these five simple steps…

• Stop
• Take Inventory
• Organize
• Reflect
• Move It

In today’s post I will address the first step of S.T.O.R.M., which is to STOP.  I will write about the remaining four steps over the course of the next few weeks.

STOP!

We are in such a hurry.  It’s easy to miss things; easy to get stuck in the rut of reactivity, repeating the same old ineffective behaviors over and over again.  So often we confuse activity with accomplishment.  So, the first thing we need to do in creating our own personal and powerful S.T.O.R.M. is to STOP!

Stop what you’re doing.  Stop where you are.

In fact, stop right now (well, not until you finish reading this blog of course).  Stop and be silent for a few moments.  Stop and think.

Listen to your thoughts, without the noise and the clutter created by the world around you.  They say it is quiet and calm in the eye of the storm.  You need to stop and create you own personal “eye of the storm” long enough that you can gain some focus and clarity.

Once you have made this initial STOP, I suggest you schedule other “stops” in the near future.  What are you going to do during these “stops“?  Well, continue to build your S.T.O.R.M., of course.  Tune in next week to learn more about the next step of S.T.O.R.M. – Take Inventory!

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

They both have their place in business to be sure.  But, what is the difference?  In business most Relationship Building starts with Networking.  Networking is certainly critical, as it is the initial contact, the handshake, the exchange of names, business cards, and hopefully enough interaction that the seeds of a possible relationship have been planted.

Relationship Building however goes beyond Networking.  Once the seed is planted it needs to be nourished, taken care of, supported.  Attention needs to be paid to it.  If not, it withers and dies.  Relationship Building requires Follow Up, and a lot of “Just Because” attitude.  If you are building the relationship purely for the purpose of getting business it just won’t be the same, no matter how hard you try.

I love the mantra that I always hear at Corporate Alliance functions such as the recent Reunion Tour held at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, “Every opportunity has it’s root in a relationship!”  Now, break that down a little and you will realize that the relationship comes first, then potentially an opportunity.  It is NOT the manufacture of an opportunity through a contrived relationship.

So, be genuine.  Be sincere.  Network?  Yes, but don’t stop there.  Build relationships, learn about others, seek opportunities to serve them “just because”, and your relationships, both business and personal, will experience significant growth.  As a side benefit to those quality relationships you never know what opportunities may come your way.

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

PS: Don’t forget to RSVP for Crunch Lunch, December 4 at Novell. I’ll be one of ten presenters at this fast-paced informational event. It’ll be a great place to build a new relationship, too!

It is important that you let them decide for themselves, at every phase of the sales cycle, beginning with whether or not to even hear more about what you have to offer.  Remember, IF YOU DON’T ASK, YOU WON’T KNOW!  If you look at a person and say to yourself, “Nah, she wouldn’t be interested” how can you be completely sure that’s true?

I recently purchased a new 58″ plasma TV from Matt Anderson at Wholesale Works.  Honestly, it was the deal of a lifetime in my opinion.  However, I didn’t go to Matt and say, “Hey, I’m looking for a TV!” because I wasn’t at the time.  But I am very glad that he didn’t assume that I wouldn’t be interested.  He approached me and told me about his special offer, and now his offer is mounted on my wall for my viewing pleasure.

I’m not suggesting your product/service is for everyone in the world, and that you should offer to everyone.  However, I am talking about those people who otherwise fit your target demographic, but for whatever reason you find yourself choosing for them by never approaching them at all.

So, be bold!  If you think someone will tell you no, then prove it.  Ask them and see if you were right.  If you hear the word “No” you won’t melt, and if they say “Yes” then you will simply have to admit to yourself that your initial assumption was wrong.  Don’t worry though, the additional revenue will make that pill easier to swallow.

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

There is tremendous power in laughter.  Human Beings are so-wired that we need to have fun and laugh and smile. In fact, we are hard-wired for this. It is a proven fact that just smiling, even when you don’t feel like doing so, will release a small amount of endorphins in the brain, the very chemical that causes us to feel good. Keep smiling long enough, and eventually you really do feel like smiling. Add laughter to that equation and look out, you’re feeling pretty great before you know it.

So, what if you are sharing smiles and laughter with another person?  What happens when two people are simultaneously experiencing the sense of well-being that comes from laughing?  Those two people are drawn closer together.  Laughing together with another person strengthens bonds, including bonds that are brand new and just forming, and shortens the distance between them.

This applies in the world of business as much as any other part of life.  I know we tend to think of business as “serious stuff” but business is all about relationships, and influence.  We have more influence with those we are close to.  We draw closer to those that make us feel good when we are around them.  The distance is shortened significantly when we laugh and share good humor with one another.

So, lighten things up.  Have a laugh or two with your prospects, clients, and associates.  I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to improve your business relationships and your influence with others.

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

In her book, Get Clients Now, author C.J. Hayden says, “Following Up is at the center of the Universal Marketing Cycle for a reason: consistent and persistent follow up is central to successfully moving a prospect forward to making a sale.”

I have a card that I like to send to my coaching clients, especially those who are trying to improve their marketing and sales.  On the front of the card it reads:

Sales Statistics:

• 48% of sales people never follow up with a prospect
• 25% of sales people make a second contact and stop
• 12% of sales people only make three contacts and stop
• Only 10% of sales people make more than three contacts
• 2% of sales are made on the first contact
• 3% of sales are made on the second contact
• 5% of sales are made on the third contact
• 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact
• 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact

Fear is one of several reasons people don’t follow up with their contacts.  On page 181 of Hayden’s book she writes:

“If I follow up that lead, I might be rejected,” reasons the voice in your head.  “So I’ll avoid the pain by not making the call in the first place.”  Or conversely, you may be thinking, “If I place the call, I might get the business, and then I’ll have to do the work, and people will have all these expectations of me.”  But the reality is that if you don’t place the calls, you’re going to fail even more dramatically than in these two imaginary scenarios.

I encourage my clients to remember that ‘fear’ is really an acronym; ‘F.E.A.R’ for ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’.  When you take action in the face of your fear, by following up with prospects for example, you can then expose that false evidence for what it is and move past it, and your fear.

In summary: Following up is king.  Take the time, get organized, and follow up with your prospects, again and again, and again.

To Your Success!
-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Illustration titled The Universal Marketing Cycle from page 32 of the book Get Clients Now, by author C.J. Hayden