Intentions Coaching & Training Blog

excited about the amazing mastermind group forming at http://ping.fm/0CxqN

Bono captured my soul again http://ping.fm/dNz0a

as I make big leaps, who I am becoming feels more familiar to me than who I currently am.

"whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve regardless of how many times you may have failed in the past" http://ping.fm/ZpWEB

Are You Playing BIG?

There is a lot of talk about reaching your full potential, peak performance and business success principles. These tools and teachings are important, however there is one single underlying condition I notice with my clients that trips up entrepreneurs. It shows up as a sense of struggle, under-performance and frustration. What's the condition? They are not playing big enough.

Not don't get me wrong, it's not that these capable people aren't working enough or need more commitment. Far from it! Many times they are overworking and not seeing the results they want. They feel unprepared for a bigger game.

If you are feeling these frustrations there is a quick way to boldly move through them.

1. Get out a piece of paper and write down everything you want to do in this lifetime. Just let it all out. Your mind will appreciate getting it down on paper. Next, go through and circle the things that most excite you from your list. There will be a few items that scare you slightly, yet also excite you. Pay particular attention to these items.

2. Choose one or two of the BIG items and schedule a due date for completion. Challenge yourself here. You may notice your fears kicking up. This is a good sign. You are officially outside your comfort zone and that is where all growth occurs. It is important to learn to feel certain with uncertainty. It's a sure sign you are onto something big.

3. Decide what you will feel like once it is completed and begin making all your decisions from that feeling. Tell someone what you will do. Write it in your planner then take at least one action step to begin the process. Boldly ask for help. Hire a coach, enlist a friends support, or tell your team members what you will do.

4. Feeling unprepared is a sign that you are on the right track. The truth is in your desire, not your ability to create it. Stay laser focused on what you want and why you want it. Allow support to show up and lead you to the "how-to" steps.

5. Remember you are either growing or you are dying. Growth feels exciting, a little painful as you stretch, yet stronger as you stay with it. Death feels heavy, slow and stagnate. Use these feels as a barometer for your actions.

Learn to live outside your comfort zone and in the path of potential.

Now you are playing big!

©2009 -2010 Patricia Keating LLC

DO YOU HAVE A "PLAYING BIGGER" STORY TO SHARE?
We love to hear about your results! Send it to info@intentionscoaching.com

What’s Your Offer?

 “Anna,” a past client of mine was a business coach. She was great at business but her client load was slim. When Anna came to me she was looking for ways attract more clients.

In our first session together I taught Anna "The Curious CEO Method", a sure fire way to get more clients into your business. "The Curious CEO Method" is a four-step process to identify your potential clients. Be Curious - Connect – Engage – Offer.

Be Curious – People love to talk about themselves.  Get curious and ask questions. I’m in business because I LOVE to help entrepreneurs leverage their knowledge and make money. Because that’s my passion I look for it everywhere. When someone mentions they are a business owner, I ask, “How is it going?” I can’t NOT ask. I’m so curious about small business! What fuels your curiosity? Look for it everywhere you go. Ask questions! Be curious.

Connect – You must connect with your potential clients. Start conversations with people. Ask questions about THEM. Simply start a conversation based on curiosity and get to know a little about their needs.

Engage – Engage in a dialogue. Look for ways to help them. Rather than talking about your services, engage in an interaction and exchange based on their needs and problems. Brainstorm with them. Become a solution right away.

Offer – Always have something free to offer. Once you have engaged in conversation, invite them to DO something more. People want to learn more about you and a free goodie is the perfect way to get them into your marketing funnel.. Make it super easy for them to sample your services. Offer a complementary session, a free teleseminar, an audio training, or a subscription to your ezine. When they accept your offer, schedule a follow up conversation.

Anna wanted individual coaching clients so I challenged her to schedule 10 complementary sessions in the next week.

I see many consultants and coaches who want more clients but they are not offering a sample of their incredible services. Be generous with your offerings, yet clear that it is a sample to see if  you are a good fit to work together. Make offers at each interaction and you will lead your prospects down the marketing funnel and into your programs.

I helped Anna craft a complementary session that  provides extreme value and SELLS.

When you give away your offers  make sure you do it with the intention of working together.

By stating right up front, “Let’s schedule a complementary session and see if coaching will help you get the results you want” you set the space for a client to say “yes” to working with you.

Decide on your offer and invite your prospects to learn more about your services!

13 Reasons People Struggle In Business and What You Can Do To Change It!

1. You don’t believe you have enough value to contribute.

Assignment: Go on a treasure hunt to discover your strengths. What are you good at when you start a project? What do you volunteer for? What comes natural? Your value is sometimes so innate you can’t see it. Ask your friends and family what your strengths.

2. You get stuck in your story about why you CANT have what you want.

Assignment: Remember what you do want and keep a laser focus on attaining it.

3. You make future decisions based on your current results.

Assignment: Get clear about where you are heading with your goals and make decisions based on already reaching them. What decision would a person who has accomplished your goal make?

4. You sometimes place more attention on what you don’t want than what you do want.

Assignment: What you don’t want is always a beautiful reminder about what you do want. It is a guiding system to keep you on track to your goal.

5. You find yourself more concerned about other people’s opinion of you than your own truth.

Assignment: Embrace the idea that what other people think of you is none of your business. What you perceive their opinions to be is 99% wrong anyway so give it up and be who you really are.

6. You let distractions intrude on the daily activities that lead to success.

Assignment: Commit to your success with focus and follow through. Make lists and celebrate your achievements!

7. You let unconscious childhood patterns determine your current results.

Assignment: Be grateful for your old patterns and experiences, they served you well and made you who you are today. Now decide what new patterns you would like to bring in and make decisions from those patterns.

8. You interpret discomfort as a sign to stop, rather than an indication to move forward.

Assignment:  Embrace discomfort as an indication you are about to grow into something bigger. Don’t stop now! Move all the way through and you will get what you want!

9. You surround yourself with people who are achieving similarly unsatisfying results.

Assignment: Find a group of like minded people to mastermind with. Look for people who are ahead of you in one or two areas. Ask them how they did it? People love to talk about their success. Tap into others knowledge and skills.

10. You look at people who are accomplishing what you want, and have a feeling of resentment.

Assignment: Resentment is a signal that you are underperforming. It shows you exactly what you want to do. Use it as a positive indication that you are finding out what you really want!

11. You place limitations upon your income level.

Assignment: Begin to think in bigger numbers. If you want to break 6 figures how much will you bring in each month? What is the monthly amount required to break 7 figures? Think bigger to be bigger.

12. You undervalue your services.

Assignment: Write down everything you offer and assign it a dollar value. Be honest what was the total benefit the client received?

13. You avoid focusing on what you really want because deep inside you are afraid to go for it.

Assignment: Remember you can have what you want, you just need to say YES! Practice saying yes to what you want, no to what you don’t want and asking for help in getting your needs met. Soon you will find the confidence to go for it!

5 Ways To Create Meaningful Experiences With Your Customers

1. Respond Immediately

Celebrate their decision to invest in you. When a customer decides to use your products or service let them know that you are excited to share your wisdom with them. If they make the purchase online give them an immediate thank you and a sneak peak at what they will receive. When I coached individual clients I sent out their prosperity plan, empowering language document, and values list the moment they signed up even though we sometimes would not meet for weeks. It gave them a taste of what was coming and got them involved in the experience of being a coaching client. What can you give your clients and customers the moment they say “YES”?

2. Make It Personal

Personalize your responses to them. Know their names and recognize them. Tell them you appreciate them. Customize your emails to include their names. Call them by name when you speak to them and ask about their children, pets, or a project, whatever you know is special to them. To quote John Maxwell “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

3. Ask Them What They Want

Let them know you care about them and their needs. Ask your customers to identify their biggest challenges, what stops them, what areas do they most need support, and where do they really shine! Not only will you create more meaningful relationships, your customers will tell you what products and services they will buy from you! When you deliver what they ask for your clients will adore you!

4. Give Them Gifts

Everyone loves a little extra gift. I have purchased more than one lipstick or eyeliner to get that “Gift with Purchase” set. Give a little extra bonus when they buy. Giving them an extra info product when they opt in to your ezine or teleseminar is also is a great way to create memorable customer experiences. Send them birthday cards (or write on their Facebook wall) Everyone likes to be recognized and appreciated with a gift.

5. Share your Secrets

My 10-year-old son LOVES to hear stories about my childhood and the activities and antics I was up to when I was his age. The juicier the better! I tell him the secret feelings I experienced behind the story. He lies frozen in time and wide eyed next to me as I reveal my soul. I’m talking about a 100lb linebacker who is tough to stop (other than at meal time.) It got me thinking. If I can captivate his 10-year-old attention, maybe my customers would like to know more about the “behind the scenes” secrets too! Let your clients know how you felt when you were learning what you are teaching them. They will love you for it and feel more connected and less critical of themselves.

The point is… by giving a little extra you will create long-term relationships in your business and personal life. As you give more in the world, the world gives more back to you and in the process everyone is elevated. Our world blooms and transforms before our eyes. This is the path of Conscious Wealth.

©2009 -2010 Patricia Keating LLC

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? You can as long as you include the following in it’s entirety, “ Mindset Mentor Patti Keating publishes the award winning ezine “Focused Intentions” filled with hot tips and free tools to help you create wealth in ALL areas of your life. If you are ready to increase your income, create your ideal business and experience personal freedom get your FREE tips now at www.intentionscoaching.com”

5 Keys to Kick Start 2009

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."
- Mark Twain

Key 1 - Design Your Blueprint. Before anything is built, a blueprint is drawn. Blueprints begin as a vision. Start by visioning your goal and drawing it out. A simple one page description or mind map works perfectly. Sticky notes are fun for mind-storming as well a logical outline. Simply get it down in whatever form you enjoy. Map out the actions to get you to your desired result. Create a step-by-step plan from your action map. This may change overtime so detach from the steps, let them be your starting point.

Key 2 - Discover Your Life Purpose. You have unique talents and gifts. You were born with them. You are called to express them. When you embrace and express your purpose, you feel joy, passion and fulfillment. You can identify your purpose by your deepest desires. What are you passionate about? What do you love to do? What sparks your creativity? Notice any feelings of envy toward others. This is a sign that you have the ability to become what they are. When you harmonize with your inner purpose your outer world flows easily.

Key 3 - Understand Your Mindset. Are you a half empty, or a half full person? Both perspectives offer great value. The secret is to understand how to use your perspective.  When your thoughts are focused on your goals and desires, you will take inspired action toward them. When your thoughts are focused on your struggles and challenges, you are being directed toward new opportunity. What you don't want is like a guard rail, showing you its time to correct your course. Your success path is carved by your ability to observe your perspective.

Key 4 - Collaborate With Everyone and Everything. The more you consider and contribute to the greater good for all, the happier and healthier you will be. Happiness and health are catalysts to success. Collaboration begins with your relationship with yourself. Nurture and support yourself and your greatness will bloom. Accept your weaknesses as opportunities to accept help from others and to  learn and grow. Offer your strengths to those who need them, in your home, your community, your nation and your world. We are one. The more you see yourself as part of the whole, the easier life becomes.

Key 5 - Embrace Change and Dance with Life. Happiness is a choice and change is the only constant. To flow with ease, accept whatever life brings you. Whatever your resist persists. Stop resisting and begin flowing. Learn to move with the steps that guide you. This is the dance of life. It will being you joy beyond measure, laughter, and happiness. Revel in the awe of your unique expression. Take action from your inspiration toward the goals you set. Build your blueprint through inspiration,  knowing its form will come in perfection. It may even surprise you along the way!

Happy 2009!

What Is Your True Calling?

Everyone is born with an innate sense of their life purpose. It waits within for it's moment to shine. Some people are in environments that support and allow their purpose to shine early in life, others have more of a discovery journey before it blooms. The timing is less important than your willingness to allow your gifts to be expressed and received in the world. Our global community is like a beautiful garden, sprinkled with glorious seeds of infinite possibility. The more seeds that grow into fully developed plants and bear the fruits of their true potential, the more grand the garden becomes.

In this time of economic upheaval, we are simply (and powerfully) being reminded to listen. By tuning in to your own inner wisdom you will uncover a deep and endless well of opportunity. It's like mining, however this source is infinite. Once you tap in, it continuously flows.

Here are 5 questions to get you started.

1. What do I love to do so much I lose track of time?

2. What do people ask me to help them with?

3. Who is my role model and inspiration?

4. What makes me laugh?

5. What is my favorite quality in myself?

Once you answer these questions make a list of the things in your life for which you are the most grateful. Notice the crossover between your gratitude list and your 5 answers.

After your exercises are complete, schedule time on your calendar to sit in stillness. Intend to receive the information you need in order to move forward in serving your purpose. This act of receiving is one that is becoming a strong component in the emerging business model.

You can visit my website for your free Conscious Wealth Kit, which takes you through more exercises to uncover your true calling!

Love and Joy,

Patti

The Mindset Mentor