So many options!

Recently, I had a conversation about information overload with a local community college instructor named Don. He and I were discussing the various ways I could attack my biggest project – the renaming of my company from “Mattson Business Services, Inc.” to something a bit more exciting, easier to spell, and more descriptive of what my company does today.

As we kicked around ideas, he encouraged me to use Google as I searched for word combinations, phrases, and definitions.  He also gave me two great pieces of advice:

1. He encouraged me to give myself time to dive into the re-naming project – but to not give myself too much time.

His next piece of advice made me laugh out loud…

2. He told me not to become a digital squirrel.

I immediately imagined myself searching the web for phrases, words, ideas, and images and stuffing them into my cheeks for later use. After I’d stuffed myself with those things, I imagined myself running around my office and putting sticky notes everywhere so I wouldn’t forget what I’d found.

And this led me to realize: We are ALL in danger of becoming digital squirrels. Our “virtual” cheeks are about to explode!!!

Think about it! How many times do you go and research a subject and (a) end up with a four inch stack of articles you printed out; (b) end up with 56 new browser tabs opened of information to read; or (c) you ran out of room in your physical files because you are an obsessed (prolific?) newspaper article clipper or magazine page tearer?

Or better yet, are you addicted to using Evernote, the online service that literally lets you “capture anything – save your ideas, things you like, things you hear, and things you see.”

Gads! If I tried to save all my ideas, all the things I like that I read, see, or hear, I think my virtual cheeks would explode and I’d crash the servers at Evernote.

I wonder, though, how many of you reading right now are looking sheepishly at your computer. Yes, the one in front of you that is covered with real sticky notes? How about those virtual sticky note apps – yep, you own a virtual sticky note factory right there in front of you. You’ve stuffed your physical and virtual cheeks with things to remember, things to not forget, things to do, things to buy, thing to put on your To Do list for later. Whew! Enough already!

And oh, the worst might be the digital squirrels who stuff themselves with email! And are those inboxes STUFFED! Whether unable to keep up with the sheer volume of email received (some people get upwards of 250 messages a day) or you’re playing “CYA” and decide to keep everything – just in case.  Whether you don’t know how to use your delete key or are perhaps simply too busy (or distracted) to file messages away, you become an email hoarder.

To all of these people acting like digital squirrels in order to stay on top of this flood of information, I say: STOP!

Here are my Top Ten Rules to Stop Acting Like a Digital Squirrel:

1. Be discerning. Have nothing in your inbox that doesn’t add immediate and lasting value.
2. Use discretion. You can’t read it all, no matter how much you try.
3. Have some faith. When you need the information later, you can find it again.
4. Prioritize. What matters? Focus on that.
5. Be exclusive. Only the best gets your attention.
6. Raise the bar. There’s a lot of mediocre information out there. Don’t consume junk.
7. Be ruthless. You can’t keep it all, nor should you want to. Delete. Shred. Recycle. Toss.
8. Stop procrastinating. Lots of time is wasted clicking through…
9. Unsubscribe. This includes everything that doesn’t serve you (newspapers, magazines, blogs, e-zines, memberships you’re not using…)
10. Let go. Give yourself permission to not know it all, have it all, do it all, keep it all, or worry about it all.

That last one should probably be #1 – it’s the hardest to admit and is even harder to practice. So, right now I give you permission to let go.

Notice that big sigh you just took?

It’s called relief. Your cheeks will thank you for it!

To that end, I want to talk specifically about the ongoing process of prospecting and how it relates to organization, systems and processes.

Over coffee at my recent monthly accountability meeting, my fellow business owners and I were talking about cold-calling.  Roger wanted to know how many of us engaged in the anxiety-inducing act of the cold-call regularly. Only two of us raised our hands.

It was the next question, though, that really got me excited. He asked, “Have you noticed that the very act of doing cold calling regularly creates a stream of business from other areas you wouldn’t expect?”

I vigorously nodded my head in agreement.  It’s a phenomenon I’ve noticed for several years and one I hadn’t talked about much with others.

In a nutshell:

The simple act of reaching out, showing up, sharing, and asking for business actually creates momentum in ALL areas of your business!

It works like this – network regularly and the phone will start ringing. Send out an e-zine regularly and the phone will ring. Start making cold calls and suddenly people in your networking groups will start asking for one-on-one meetings to learn more about your business.

The art and practice of keeping continuous, gentle pressure (forward movement) on the prospecting and marketing aspects of your business creates results!

No kidding!  Ask any successful business owner. They’ll tell you, “The act of showing up – by phone, in person, and through thoughtful and impactful marketing – will continuously feed that pipeline for future business.”

If you don’t have a schedule to keep you on track and on task that includes some or all of the following, you’re missing out on some BIG business opportunities.

• Cold calling
• Referrals (warm calling)
• A system to follow-up on emails and calls from prospects who contact YOU
• E-zines or newsletters – sharing information/adding value
• Participation in Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, others?)
• Postcards and letters via snail mail
• Handwritten correspondence
• Joining, attending, and being involved in targeted networking groups
• 1:1 meetings for coffee, lunch
• Volunteering in the community
• Advertising with a clear and compelling Call to Action

Other suggestions? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

So, my questions for you are:

1. What systems and processes have YOU implemented in your business to create a steady stream of customers?
2. How do you organize your time – and does it include time blocks for prospecting?
3. And most importantly, how are YOU showing up regularly to let others know you’re ready to do business with them?

If you don’t have a schedule, feel inconsistent, or don’t even know where to start, let MBS, Inc. get you organized for a reason – in this case, to load up your pipeline of current and future business opportunities! Call (704) 553-8082 or email angie@mattsonbusiness.com.

Unfortunately, many professionals in business today feel that not only is email the boss of them, it’s Ruler, Jailer, and Taskmaster combined in one.

So what’s a person to do? Is there a solution to email overwhelm? Can someone actually manage it without spending ¾ of their day on it?

In the book, Take Back Your Life, author Sally McGhee relates the following story:

Dear Sally,
Yesterday I deleted every single email in my Inbox. I sent a message to all of my staff and customers and informed them that my mail had been deleted and if there was anything I’d missed to get back to me ASAP!

Of course, that’s a very extreme example, but how’s that for taking back control?!? If you didn’t want to go that route, you could simply “archive” all those messages and send a similar email. See what happens – you might be surprised and delighted at all expected emergencies that never actually materialize!

Now, most folks in Corporate America I know receive upwards of 200 email messages a day.  The ability to manage that load with any kind of real attention to detail is impossible. What we need is a better way to manage our email that includes:

• Making efficient decisions based on pre-determined guidelines;
• Effective filtering and filing methods;
• An attitude of responding rather than reacting; and
• More-often used DELETE button

That last part – about the DELETE button – is what freaks people out the most. In the past, deleting an email meant probably never being able to retrieve a message (easily) again. Thanks to an upgrade in usability, most email systems nowadays have very good search and retrieve functions that include deleted messages as well.

And, many people are AFRAID to use the delete button OR to file things away because they “might need to reference them again.”  Going back to the list above and implementing these strategies will eliminate the fear of losing something important forever.

Finally, many people use their Inbox as a storage or reminder vehicle. Unfortunately, that results the average Inbox holding 1,500 – 2,000 messages at any one time! Holy smokes – that number stresses me out just writing it down!

With a few simple changes, priorities, and an easily learned new skill set, anyone can tame the email monster!

Let MBS, Inc. take you or team through a one-hour webinar on “How Not to Have 2,148 Emails in Your Inbox” (using Outlook).  This is a great starting point and usually leads to one-on-one instruction for those who really struggle to find control. If you’re not using Outlook, there are still a variety of tips and tricks to help you manage that email monster using Gmail, Webmail, or another email provider.

Let us know how we can help and when you’d like to schedule your webinar: (704) 553-8082 or angie@mattsonbusiness.com.

If you find yourself struggling with the “why” or see yourself (or a team member) in many of these examples, give MBS, Inc. a call. From weekly accountability calls to hands-on organizing, we can help you tame the clutter beast, manage time, or create orderly systems and processes for increased efficiency. angie@mattsonbusiness.com or (704) 553-8082.

Unfortunately, Carolyn hasn’t ever sat down to prioritize her client list.

I know, I know – “My clients are all equally important,” you say.

And in a sense, that’s true.  But let’s also look at your client list differently.  If you’ve been around me much, you’ve probably heard me talk about Pareto’s Principle – otherwise known as the 80/20 rule. Broadly speaking this rule states that 80% of your revenues come from 20% of your clients. And 80% of your headaches from 20% of your clients (but hopefully from a different 20% than those revenue generators).

When you think in these terms, it becomes easier to prioritize which clients should get your time and attention first.

So, it’s time to pull out those financials you so diligently keep month after month. (You do keep track of your financials, right?)

Run some reports that show revenue by client. If you can, do a three year analysis. Rank those clients #1 – #12 (we’ll use 12 for illustration purposes) strictly by revenue. Those are hard numbers. Next, rank your clients according to “goodwill” (i.e. how ideal a client they are, how much you and your staff like working with them) and perhaps by referral potential (i.e. some clients constantly refer other great clients to you). While these things aren’t directly tied to a client’s revenue number, those added benefits do matter to the bottom line.

Re-order your client using these three criteria. You’ll soon have a very clear picture of who comes out #1 (your highest revenue, highest goodwill, and highest referrers), #2, #3, and so on.

Now, review how you and your staff spend time – is the majority of your client time being spend helping those clients with the #1, 2, and 3 rankings?

No?

Hmmm, it’s time to re-prioritize where you’re putting your energy and time (and that of your staff)!

So many businesses spend day after day reacting to what’s coming at them rather than responding in an organized fashion. Sure, emergencies happen – go ahead and react as needed. But the other 95% of your time should be scheduled and organized to allow you to respond. And your time should definitely be spent responding and serving those high priority clients.

If you’re not currently working this way, how much is it costing you in terms of revenue, aggravation, and potential referrals?

As Jean recovered from illness over the last two years, she made radical changes in her life. She moved into her dream home in Southern California – a beautiful ranch with high ceilings and lots of windows to let light in. The backyard was lushly landscaped and there was a sparkling blue pool that made Jean feel calm every time she looked at it.

To support her health, Jean was careful about setting the mood in her living space – flowers, colors that calmed her, scents that soothed her. And visually, she was diligent about keeping her space clutter-free.

So, I was interested to learn from her how chaotic and disorganized she felt in her business – specifically in her office space in her tranquil home.  As we talked on the phone she revealed to me that she just couldn’t seem to conquer the mess that was her office.

Jean gave me a virtual tour of her workspace by sending pictures via email. It was indeed cluttered, but not overwhelmingly so (to me, at least).  But as Jean talked about the space, I could *feel* her voice get higher as her exasperation rose.  Describing piles, she kept saying, “And I just don’t know what to do with all this shit.”

And it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Jean had put enormous effort into her personal living space to make it feel, smell, and look just right. It was deeply important to her that her home support her health for a long time to come.

Realizing this, I asked Jean, “How emotionally connected are you to having an office space that supports your health?”

The silence on the phone spoke volumes.

About a week later, Jean wrote to me to express her gratitude and to give me an update.  The clutter in her office was being moved out with speed. Separate boxes were set up for donation, shredding, and trash and she was quickly moving from chaos to calm.

Jean finally realized that what had worked about keeping her home environment clutter-free could work in her home office, too. She just needed to get emotionally involved with the idea.

My question for you this lovely February day: how much do YOU love your office space? Does it support your health in ways that are very important to you? Have you taken time to think about the color of the walls, the chair you sit in, or even how the space makes you feel?  And what about the clutter? How much of your energy is it draining?

If you’re ready to do something about it – to get emotionally involved in LOVING your office space – give MBS, Inc. a call at (704) 553-8082. We can help you LOVE where you work.

Over and over I see business professionals struggling to stay organized; to manage the e-mails messages that multiply exponentially throughout the day; and to stay on top of their ever growing “Must Do” list of responsibilities.

Most fail.

Miserably.

So, in an effort to get you to think “out of the box” for the New Year, I’m going to ask that you NOT set the normal New Year’s Resolutions.

Rather, I’m to share some radical suggestions with you:

1. Set boundaries – in relationships, in communications, with finances

2. Set priorities – this will help you decide what – and what NOT – to focus on

3. Set a timer – to keep you focused on your task at hand (contrary to popular thought studies prove we are less effective when we multi-task)

4. Set an alarm – get up an hour earlier to exercise, read, or create something of value for the world

5. Set down the phone while you’re driving – not talking, no texting, no reading e-mail

6. Set a schedule for being in contact with your clients – regularly (especially now, they need to hear they are important, they’ve made a wise investment with you, and that you give a damn)

7. Set aside time for reflection and silence – it really matters in our chatter-filled lives

8. Set out some boxes of stuff for Goodwill – decluttering your house and/or your office provides much needed breathing space and room for creativity (“have nothing in your space that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful”)

9. Set your eyes on something amazing – artwork, nature, people – it does something wonderful to your brain

10. Settle in the knowledge that sometimes good is good enough – but next time set your time aside to create something that makes people go “WOW!”

Happy New Year, everyone!

I have a couple of very specific opinions about “family heirlooms” stuff and they go something like this:

I see people placing FAR too much emotional weight onto stuff – I call this “incorrect emotional attachment.” And I see too many people drowning under clutter for two reasons: they feel that gifts (given in a will or otherwise) are obligations, or they fear getting rid of stuff will force them to stop living in the past and own up to who they really are today.

So many people believe that keeping “family heirlooms” stuff is an obligation — something they cannot refuse. Gifts are not obligations. Items that have been given to us by way of a will or passed down through generations are not an obligation. Admitting you do not like a particular piece of stuff is not rejecting the PERSON that gave it to you – it is simply you saying, “This is where I am today. Accepting this stuff will not enhance my life. No thank you.”

And stuff is just stuff. At the end of our lives, it will do us no good to have accumulated anything except love and memories. And even those we may not be able to take with us.

“But that sideboard was passed down through generations. My grandmother gave me that sideboard – it was written in her will that she wanted me to have it.”

My question ALWAYS is: And do you love it? Does it bring you joy? And are you delighted to add it to the things already in your house?

If there is any measure of hesitation in the answer, or if I begin to hear a story about keeping the piece out of family responsibility, I know we have an issue of incorrect emotional attachment.

Consider how easily the emotional attachment can be severed from stuff:

1. An episode of a popular appraisal show: a family is clearly excited to display their prized family heirloom for the host to appraise. They launch into a story about the history, charm, beauty, and worth of the object that had been passed down through generations. However, upon examination, the host regretfully informs the family that the piece they have a fake. Watching the family literally step back from the formerly treasured object, they are totally deflated. Their parting comment, “Guess we don’t need to keep that old thing around anymore.”

2. A family keeps a box of tea pots and mugs in a hall closet. When Nana comes to visit, they prominently display the mugs and pots on the living room table. The minute Nana is out the door, the mugs and pots are swept back into the closet until the next visit. Nana dies a year later. During spring cleaning, both the husband and wife feel genuine relief donating those pots and mugs to Goodwill.

3. The chic California couple has a modern home, filled with fabulous art, retro furniture, and gorgeous white rugs. Neither the children nor the two fluffy Persian kittens are allowed in the living room, dining room, or library. Entertaining is a popular past time for the couple, and they take enormous pride in giving their guests a tour of the home. They are careful to drop artists’ names and sometimes even prices they paid for the pieces. However, very early one morning, California wildfires begin to rage. Police drive their cars up and down the street, shouting into the bullhorn, “Your neighborhood is being evacuated immediately. Gather your family and GET OUT NOW.” As this chic California couple faces the prospect of leaving their home, their only thoughts are to gather the children and the kittens. Everything else is left behind with barely a second glance. As they drive away, the fire advances and their home and belongings burn to the ground.

Consider the post I wrote a few weeks ago: imagine you have to leave your house and can only take one or two objects from each room. Really, are you going to grab the shell mirror that great aunt Bertha made and left you in her will? The one that has never matched your decor or style and that is a bitch to dust anyway?

I didn’t think so.

When I’m working with clients to clean out their homes and offices, our biggest struggle comes when they are holding onto something that they are falsely or incorrectly attached to.

They think by holding onto the art supplies, maybe they will take up being artist again. Never mind that they haven’t touch the stuff in over 20 years, the space it is cluttering up could be make more available for something more life affirming, or more practically, that ALL the paint is dried up and unusable.

By throwing this stuff out, they have to admit:
1. I don’t use this stuff anymore.
2. I feel that by throwing it out, I’m being wasteful. I feel regret for not using this stuff when it was good.
and
3. By getting rid of this stuff, I will be admitting to myself that my art is not as big a piece of my life as I’ve been telling myself (and everyone else?) that it was.

It’s really all just stuff. Who you are today is FAR more important that who you used to be. And having things in your home that are appropriately functional, bring you joy, and provide beauty are FAR more important than living with stuff from your parents’ or grandparents’ homes simply because you have incorrectly attached the emotion of the story or the people to their stuff.

If you can begin to look at STUFF as simply objects made of different materials; if you can begin to view stuff from the perspective of who you are today; if you can look at stuff with a mentality of abundance (I am enough, I have enough), rather than lack; then and only then does the process of cleaning out clutter become easier.

If you’re stuck clearing out clutter from your home or office, let me know. Let’s get to the root of your emotional attachment to something that is essentially bits of wood, plastic or metal. Let’s get clear on why you’re saving something – and if in the end, the real reason isn’t good enough for YOU, then you’ll have made great strides in clearing out the clutter.

It goes something like this:

I’m too busy. I’m working a ton, but not quite billing enough hours. I need to be marketing more regularly, but can’t seem to find the time. My list of potential contacts is terrific – but I’m not staying in front of them regularly enough. I need someone to help me remember to write marketing materials, post articles on this blog, submit them to E-zine Articles, and to update my teaching website and e-zine at Define Your Day. I also have two book ideas and need someone to help me self-publish and promote them.

Does any of this sound familiar? If you’re a small business owner, I bet it does!

And what does it mean? SYSTEMS. PROCESSES. ORGANIZATION.

All the things I preach and teach – well, frankly, it’s time for me to implement them, too. So, starting today, I’m on the hunt for a worthy team member. Someone who will be interested in helping me grow my business. Perhaps someone who would want to learn from me – to do what I do, both for me and for their OWN clients.

If you know of such a person – highly qualified, technologically savvy, interested in research, great at editing, and interested in adding a new client to their growing Virtual or Mobile Assisting practice – please have them contact me.

At the same time, if you’re interested in learning from me and having a real partner for your growing business, I’d love to help you systematize, organize, and create processes that move you forward towards reaching YOUR business goals.

Cruise through any national retail chain and you’ll see a huge variety of “stuff.”

Heck, take a walk through your local grocery store and you’ll be overwhelmed with choices for “stuff” — and I use the word STUFF rather than FOOD because in reality, more than half of what’s in those stores isn’t really food. Or isn’t REAL FOOD, to be very specific.

Why am I on this soapbox today?

I guess it’s because I received a panicked call from a client recently. She had driven out west to clean out her ailing father’s house. Her 10 pm call was filled with frustration and anxiety mostly because of the amount of STUFF in her father’s house. Stuff that he hadn’t looked at in over a year, because he was living in a senior home near my client.

And her anxiety-filled call wasn’t about starving children, her ailing father, or fears of imminent physical harm. These weren’t the things stressing her out. STUFF was!

And without even stepping foot in that house, I bet you there were probably 20 items in that structure really worth worrying about – that had real monetary or sentimental value. The rest of it? Cheap crap that will end up in our landfills, polluting our soil and water. And I won’t go into the labor that created all that cheap crap, or the fossil fuels burned to ship that cheap crap over to America.

Here’s a great exercise for you to go through when you are overwhelmed with stuff in your office or in your home.

Pretend you have to leave your house and can never come back.
You can leave with your car and perhaps a trailer.
You can take enough clothes to fill one suitcase. Enough toiletries for your overnight bag. And your pets.
And you can only take two other things from each room. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. But ONLY two things.

You will get very clear very quickly about what matters to you.

In this country, we have so many options, so many choices, and consistently exercise that power of choice by buying STUFF. Stuff we don’t need, stuff that serves a very shallow purpose, and stuff that will, again, end up in our land fills, polluting our soils and water, and perpetuating the myth that cheap crap is easy to get and has no consequence for the future (because it seemingly has so little consequence for our wallet).

I challenge you to see how long you can use a pen before buying more. I challenge you to run out of paper towels, envelopes and toilet paper before you “buy more.” I challenge you to always buy recycled – even if it costs a little more. I challenge you to buy REAL food that will nourish your body, rather than just shoveling in empty calories while driving down the interstate.

I challenge you to think before you buy – to ask yourself: whose labor make this? was it under good working conditions and a fair wage? did the production of this thing pollute, spoil, or otherwise degrade our precious natural resources? if I died, would ANYONE want this (and would I want a house full of this stuff and force my children or family to deal with it later?)

I understand that spending money keeps the economy chugging along. All I’m asking is that you spend your dollars wisely – buy the best you can afford, buy only what you need, be sure your purchase is making the best use of our precious natural resources, and don’t succumb to the easy seduction of buying cheap crap.