Top 10 Key Strategy Points

Top 10 Key Strategy Points

1.   You are in business for yourself
2.   Whatever happens in your business is up to you
3.  The more you accept it, the more others will line up to help you
4.   If it's meant to be, it's up to me
5.   The aim in strategic planning is to increase your return on energy
6.   Get the highest return on your energy - you put just as much energy out there to get nothing in return as you do to get everything in return
7.   Have a good personal strategic plan
8.   Some people work 40 years and end up poor, others work the same number of years making the same amount of money and end up wealthy - just look at Professional Athletes!!  They're all making millions of dollars a year, but so often we see in the media that so and so is millions of dollars in debt - they had no personal strategic plan.
9.   The people who are wealthy stick to their plan
10.   Plan your work and work your plan!

"The Hunger Games" and Your Business - Part II

I'm still blown away at the parallels I was able to make between the movie The Hunger Games and how business owners must think, feel and act in order to reach success and stay in business!

 

A few days ago, I posted a blog full of business tips based on the movie which included believing in yourself, becoming excellent at your skill and preparing for opportunities just to name a few.  I kept thinking about the movie and couldn't pass up the chance to give you some more insight on the business parallels that I found in the movie.

 

Business Tips Continued.....

 

1.  Dance With Fear:  In the movie, it was very obvious that Katniss, the main character was utterly frightened for her life and what to expect once the games began.  But, she didn't let it stop her, ultimately, she won.  In part because she moved through her fear with courage.

In our businesses, we are faced with daily fears like not being able to pay our household bills, appointments/clients canceling, picking up the phone to call someone on our "chicken list" and even promoting ourselves and what we have to offer.  If we allow the fear to STOP us, we'll never know what ind of life exists on the other side of that fear.  And you know the old saying, "Everything greater lies on the other side of fear so RUN into it full speed ahead!"

 

2.  Make A Good First Impression:  When the 24 children competing in the games arrived in the main city/hub area where the games would take place, they were introduced to the town in a parade of sorts.  They each rode in on a chariot in costume and waved to the onlookers.  Katniess and Peeta rode in last in attractive, black leather outfits that would spit out fire as a result of the breeze they created by the moving chariot.  It was a complete hit and the crowd loved them from the get go!  They made a lasting first impression!

 

 

In business, everyone we come into contact with is a potential client, customer, giver of referrals or a connection to great leads for speaking engagements, etc.  We must remember, that hundreds and thousands of other business owners are out sharing, selling and telling the same thing we are, so what makes us stand out?  Why should someone work with us?  Always make a good first impression in the first 5-11 seconds!!  People make 11 assumptions about you in 11 seconds.

 

 

3.  Who Is Your Target Market?:  In order for Katniss and Peeta, Katniss especially, to make a good first impression and build supporters in the city where the games were held, they needed to find out what to "give" the audience.  What did the audience want?  What would make them follow Katniss and support her along the way?  In the movie, the competitors could be given items that would help them during the games from their audience, also known as sponsors.  The more the audience liked the competitor the more included they were to sponsor the child.  Katniss discovered that the audience was drawn to a "love story", which is how she eventually won.

 

 

In business, know who you want to serve and how you want to serve them.  Know what problems they have and how you can solve them.  Know what goals they want to achieve and how you can help them achieve those goals.  Be extremely clear with your specific niche in that target market.  It will make your messaging must more clear for your audience to understand, therefore, they will be more included to BUY from you.

 

 

4.  Develop a Support Team:  In the movie, each competitor had a support team or a team of coaches.  It was important to have a great connection with your support team and surround yourself with people who would help you get to the top.  Katniss and Peeta were paired with a man from their own district who had competed and won the Hunger Games years prior. He was able to give them incredible insight (at times).  They were also paired with a designer for fashion and advice that really helped them along the way.

 

In business, it is important to surround yourself with people who lift you up, not pull you down.  Being in business for yourself goes against the grain of "feeling secure" in America.  90% of the population who WORK for someone else share 10% of the money that exists.  10% of the population shares 90% of the money that exists.  You've got to hang out with the 10%!!!  They know what it takes to be successful.  They've made all the mistakes for you.  What you are doing has already been done by countless experts so draw on that expertise.  Think about the 5 people you spend most of your time with and find the average of their total income.  You will make the average income of the people you hang out with.  

 

I hope I have not totally spoiled the movie for you!  Even so, go see it and think BUSINESS while you're watching it.  I actually want to go see it again with a pen and paper this time!!

 

Disclaimer:  I am not getting paid to promote the movie - haha!

 

Start Your Engines,

 

Megan

If you are ready to invest in your business with coaching, go to http://www.structuredwellness.com and click on Contact Megan to schedule a 15 minute Start Your Engine session with Megan.

Learn About Business Through "The Hunger Games"

My husband and I went on our first "date" sans our daughter in over a year, FINALLY!!!  One thing I've learned, if you're married with children, it is so vital to the well-being of the entire family to court one another.  

On our date, we went to the IMAX version of the movie Hunger Games.  Wow!!  I loved it!  I know there is much controversy surrounding the basis of the movie - children killing children, however, I was thinking BUSINESS the entire time I watched the movie - well, at least parts of the movie.  

If you are unfamiliar with the movie, let me fill you in.

The main character, Katniss Everdeen, along with 23 other competitors (all of which were 12-18 years of age), battled one another to stay alive in a forest.  They were given one chance to grab some sort of weapon or "bag of goodies" to use on this two week journey.  Once in the forest, they were on their own for food, shelter, water and safety.  

Here are the business tips I drew from the movie:

1.  Believe in yourself: Only one child would come out alive and if you didn't believe you could "win" you would more than likely die pretty quickly.

The same goes with business.  It's not necessarily life or death, but if we don't believe we can do it, if we don't believe in the value of the product or service we offer, if we don't believe we can deliver - our business will more than likely fail within a year or shortly thereafter.

 2.  Prepare for the Opportunity:  Not that dying in a game is an opportunity, but the opportunity to be thrown into this come and come out alive. It was quite obvious that certain children had prepared themselves for this day not knowing whether it would ever come or not, but they were prepared both mentally and physically to take on the challenge.

We don't know what our future holds, but we better be prepared and OPEN to any opportunity that opens it's door to us.  Keeping our eyes open at all times.

3.  Take Risks:  In the beginning of the movie, we found out how a child's name was put into the lottery more times - they were trying to earn more food for their families.  By placing their names in the lottery more, not only did they earn more food, but they also increased their chances of being selected for the Hunger Games.

In order to be successful in business, I mean REALLY successful, you have to take risks.  Now, just because you are taking a risk doesn't mean you don't have to think about it first, I encourage you to do so.  Know what you're getting yourself into, but you must be willing to take them!

4.  Become Excellent at Your Skill:  Katniss Everdeen, who eventually won the Hunger Games, was a phenomenal archery shooter.  She practiced hunting for squirrels in the woods of her "district" for her family to eat.  She was incredible and used this to her advantage multiple times throughout the Hunger Games.

What are you good at?  You must set yourself apart from the competition.  One of the three things to look at when going into business is "Can I do it better than my competition?"  If you can't, then your competition has a better chance of getting the clients and customers they want.

5.  Be a Giver:  During the movie, Katniss put herself on the line multiple times by helping other competitors LIVE during the Hunger Games.  She put herself in danger and expected nothing in return.  It paid off in the end.

We'll all heard it.  In business, you must be a giver.  Now, I don't mean go sacrifice the well-being of your family and give away your services for FREE.  You have to put food on the table, remember!  We are here to serve others, to live out God's purpose for us - it's really not up to us what we're meant to do, but it is up to us to figure it out.  Give back to others and expect nothing in return.  If you expect something in return, you aren't a true servant.

My point?

You can look at most situations and spin them into some sort of business-like connection.  Learn from everyone and everything around you.

Start Your Engines,

Megan

http://www.structuredwellness.com

Click Contact Megan for a free 15 minute Start Your Engine Coaching session - only for people serious about investing in themselves!