If you’re not an expert in your field and fully confident of your products and service your potential customers will sense your weakness and not be moved to desire your services.

Many businesses are held back because key people in the organization lack the proper skill set to either manage their business effectively or they lack the skills to utilize new technologies like the internet to leverage their business.
To be a successful business today you need to continue the learning process and learn new skills. You are the key to your success. You need to have an open mind and become and expert in your field and the only way to do this is to continue learning.
To do this you must take stock of your business:
1. Write down the top ten must improve areas of your business for 2010
2. Now divide the top ten in to the following areas of Sales, Marketing and Business Operation.
3. You will notice that one area will become painfully obvious
4. Now go buy a couple of books to read in that obvious area. (Possibly Marketing)
5. Monday to Friday get up early every morning or shut off the TV early at night and read every day for one hour.
Five days a week for one hour. Take notes of the things you like and implement as soon as possible.
5 hours x 26 weeks = 180 hours dedicated to learning.
To really achieve any goal or to learn a new skill that is worthwhile, we need to discipline ourselves to keep it on track until it’s accomplished. There are several ways to effectively track your goals.
• Keep a list and review your goals regularly, preferably daily
• Break down a goal into actionable steps
• Break down a goal into quantifiable results
• Track a goal by the amount of time you spend on it
The investment in learning will pay multiple dividends for the balance of 2010 leading into 2011 and help you to “Build your Business”

Donald Robichaud is the President of FloodLight Consulting and can be reached at 250-768-9415

In the last few weeks I have been involved with the Training of many employees throughout the Kelowna region.

In one session we were doing sales training with the emphasis on accessing the customers’ needs and in the other session employees were improving their Microsoft excel skills.

In both classes the feedback was very positive and many expressed how confident they felt once the session was over and they had started to utilise their new skills.

In one situation the salesman was able to re-engage a national account, once thought lost and due to the sales training they have put this 250 thousand dollar project back on the rails to success.

In business we sometimes look at training as a cost to the employer rather than the benefits of the training and how it will enhance our performance as a company and return on Investment. (ROI)

In fact many businesses have no problem dropping $1000.00 to $5000.00 dollars a month or more on advertising with little results when all they really had to do was pare down their advertising by 20% and funnel the dollars into the betterment of their employees and improving company efficiency.

The results are ever lasting and generally the employee will be very thankful for the opportunity to enhance their skill set.

Fifteen years ago I was that employee looking for an opportunity to improve my lot in life. My employer invested in training for myself and others.  At the age of 39 I embarked on a learning curve that has lead me to the present position as president of Floodlight.

It was not easy, but as I learned more I was able to move myself up the corporate ladder until such time I decided to begin my own company.

I am forever grateful for the opportunity that was given me to improve my skill set which allowed me to take better care of my family and my clients.

Learning new skills and enhancing old ones is the best way to improve your employees self esteem with the quickest rate of return.

Take a look at your present advertising and marketing budgets then funnel some dollars in to your greatest area of return, your employees.

Who knows, that salesman in cubicle number three may just be your next vice president and help you Build Your Business.

Donald Robichaud is the President of FloodLight Consulting

and can be reached at 1-888-768-9415  or at 250-768-9415

With the end of the Olympics, it’s a great time to reflect on the journey that our Olympic athletes have taken to reach their goals. I was very taken by the number of athletes that found interesting ways to motivate themselves to reach the podium, through innovation or with goals and persistence.

Many of the athletes challenged themselves in untraditional ways to achieve great results or set forth on a path to change their lives by reaching for an Olympic medal.

As with any business, goals were set and the training and learning of new skills and tactics were accomplished.

A few examples of out of the box thinking were:

Speed Skating – Men’s Team Pursuit – Utilized a new tactic where they gave a gentle push to the slower skater in their group and kept that skater from falling back. This tactic was only revealed for the Olympic Games in this event and gave them a clear advantage to help win the race. The push off had never been used before in team pursuit. Two of the skaters came from short track where this technique is used. Incorporating this skill won them a gold medal.

Snowboarding – Women’s Snow board cross – As a young girl Maëlle Ricker had two dreams: to compete competitively in snowboarding and to compete in snowboarding at the Winter Olympics, despite the fact that Snowboarding was not an Olympic sport at the time. Ricker was forced to skip the 2002 Olympics because of an injury. At the 2006 Olympics she placed 4th in her event. In 2010 Ricker won the gold medal just minutes from her childhood home in North Vancouver and described the Olympic victory “like a crazy dream”. The gold was redemption for her fall and concussion during the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. She said that “Turin was such a motivator for me. It just made me work that much harder and just go for it today.”

Alpine Skiing – Women’s Downhill – American Ski sensation Lindsey Vonn strives for dominance and consistency in every race. She does it under pressure, in good conditions and bad conditions, tough courses and easy courses; it’s a real testament to what an amazing athlete and ski racer she is. As an analytical perfectionist with great strength she skis with longer men’s skis which are more forgiving and allow her to smooth out the conditions on the course. This tactical advantage increased her times and allowed her to reach her goal and win an Olympic gold medal.

Skeleton – Men’s Skeleton – Jon Montgomery watched the Olympic competition as a young man and decided that he needed to find a way to experience the Olympic spirit. In 2002 he visited the track in Calgary and a love affair began with Men’s Skelton. In an interview with CTV, he stated that he has a tattoo of a maple leaf over his heart and also said that he hopes his gold medal performance inspires more people to enter amateur sports. When not skeleton racing, Montgomery works as a sales consultant and automobile auctioneer in Calgary.

Ice Hockey – As a young child Sydney Crosby envisioned winning the Stanley Cup and playing for Canada in the Olympics. Many sportscasters mentioned that, Sid the kid, was not having the type of Olympic Game they had envisioned for him. But when needed Sydney Crosby scored the goal that won the gold medal for Ice Hockey and set a new Olympic record for Canada of 14 Gold medals.

These Olympic athletes identified their areas of strength and weakness, created visions for themselves and determined areas to focus on in order to get the biggest payoff. They set personals goals reviewing weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly.

They also set achievable and believable challenges to move forward with their lives, and held themselves accountable by working with personal coaches and trainers.

March has arrived and the first quarter of the year is upon us. What can you take from these Olympic Games to help Build Your Business and propel yourself forward for this year and into 2011?

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at 250-768-9415

http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/

Well 2009 is over. Did you reach your goals?

Each year, people make New Year’s Resolutions, only to find that they didn’t achieve their goals, and then they make the same resolutions again the following year.

Regardless of the goal, one of the major reasons that people fail to achieve their goals is that they do not have a goal-setting process, or a formula for success.

So what makes a good goal? Goal setting provides a target to aim for so that you can make better decisions about how to utilize your time and effort for both business and personal achievement.

A good goal is one that is worthy of individual pursuit and is of course, highly subjective. So, far be it for anyone to define for you what your worthy pursuit ought to be! All goals, no matter what they are, start with a plan!

So what is your Goal-Plan? A good Goal-Plan is one that when followed, offers a reasonably high probability of success, given sufficient time.

Here are a few tips to get you started for 2010
• Identify areas of strength and weakness
• Create a vision statement for the year (What is your Purpose?)
• Determine which areas to focus on in order to receive the biggest payoff
• Set goals to achieve business and personal results
• All goals must be written (and reviewed weekly, monthly and quarterly)
• All goals must be believable
• All goals must be challenging (moving you forward in your life)
• All goals must be measurable and specific
• All goals must have a deadline
• You must hold yourself accountable for all your goals

Find other people to support and encourage you. It’s easier to make progress towards your goals if you have some support from a friend, coach, mentor, or a family member. Share your goals with them and the kind of support you desire so that they can help and encourage you to reach your goals.

This is a great way to begin the New Year!

With solid goals and a primary purpose you will be in a great position to “Build Your Business”.

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting – Build Your Business – 250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

In the Okanagan we had to deal with the summer fires and the downturn in the construction and tourism industry. Many families had to find a way to cope with layoffs and personal tragedies.

In the center of all this turmoil is the business owner who has to weather every day’s business upswings and downturns.

In our lives we get so caught up with the daily news and the negative side of life, that sometimes it’s hard to find the daily gems.

The little things that kept me focused this past year were the things that are most dear to me my family.

My father was declared cancer free after a battle with prostate cancer, my mother had successful hip surgery and is now moving around like a young school girl, my wife is in good health, and my sister just underwent successful surgery. (A family in the US would have been financially crippled.)

This past year I walked my youngest daughter down the aisle in San Diego with the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing below the Sunset cliffs. I was able to travel throughout the US visiting many spots that I had only previously read about. The visit to the Grand Canyon was the highlight of our tour of the US. My oldest daughter finished her education with her masters and landed a great job with National Resources Canada.

This past year I volunteered my time with the Chamber of Commerce and the Okanagan Mustangs and Fords club which allowed me to meet so many great people of the Okanagan. I hiked and biked many mornings around West Kelowna and I enjoyed many summer afternoons at various beach locations with family and friends.

It was a great year for many personal experiences and when it is all said and done I am thankful for the warm hand shake of a new acquaintance, the hug of an old friend and the love of my family.

It has not been an easy year, but when I reflect back it is those moments of time spent with the people that I care about that mean the most. I have been blessed with a healthy family, truly great friends and I look forward to 2010 with great enthusiasm.

This is an important time of year for reflection and gratitude and a great time to count our blessings.

I wish you all the best this holiday season and I trust you will reflect on those things that will allow you to build your business and personal growth.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

Today’s fast-paced climate demands that you develop a marketing strategy which allows you to deliver a solid message to your customers and helps you close sales.

Statistics show that 82% of people who inquire about a product or service will purchase a similar product or service from someone within the next 12 months. Will it be you or your competition? What will set you apart and allow you to make that first class impression in your customer’s mind?

Here are three examples of how you can leverage your sales and marketing message, and work smarter:

Position yourself in the Market: All things being equal, would you rather buy from a specialist or a generalist? The more important the purchase you make, the greater the need to purchase from a specialist. It costs you nothing more to introduce yourself as a specialist in your field and a leader in the industry for your product or service. If you’re a leader in your field and your services are unique and competitively priced, you will set yourself apart from your competition.

Testimonial Endorsements: What’s more powerful to you? A company that says something great about themselves or what someone else is saying about them? 10 to 1 the testimonial carries more weight and is more believable! 78% of consumers today trust peer recommendations – only 14 % trust advertisements! So where are you spending your marketing dollars? Total cost to add testimonials to your marketing message = zero dollars!

Unique Selling Proposition (USP): A USP is a clearly articulated statement about who you are, what you do, and most importantly, and answers why anyone should choose to buy from you vs. your competition. Your USP answers the questions, “why should I buy from you?” and “what’s in it for me?” Adding your USP to every piece of advertising or marketing material costs you nothing extra yet this it an incredibly profound impact on your bottom line.

Now take the same three principles and introduce it into your internet marketing strategy and you will be delivering hundreds or thousands of positive interactions with your potential clients without ever leaving your office.

This marketing strategy allows you to identify and harvest the lowest hanging fruit first, which leverages your time because you’re always working with people who are ready to buy now!

By following these three simple examples you can leverage your marketing and start advertising with a more powerful sales message, and you will successfully “Build Your Business”.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

In this tough economic climate it is very important to continue to market your products and services, and to raise your so-called ‘celebrity’ status for yourself and your business.

As a business owner it’s important to understand what we can do to become ‘celebrities’ in our own right.

Why?

Because as consumers; we view some people as “worthier” or “more expert” than others, just because they’re better known.

In fact, these people may not be any more talented than anyone else, but we assume that they are more skilled or talented just because they are more famous.

And because they’re famous, their names become currency in themselves. For example, think of how many movie stars make commercials for hair products, when they don’t even do their own hair!

It’s important for us to do what we can to add some sparkle of celebrity to our own names. Simply put; the better known we become, the more customers and clients we’ll be able to draw in, and the higher the fees we’ll be able to command.

One of the easiest ways to raise your celebrity status is to create your own ‘Special Event’ – one that will draw attention to your company and its core products and services. The benefit of raising your celebrity status with an event is that the event speaks directly to your target market and establishes credibility for you as a leader in your industry and makes you and your business better known.

Becoming better known is a stepping stone to achieving other goals like attracting new clients, participating in speaking gigs (especially paid speaking gigs), making connections with marketing partners, attracting talented employees, and other activities that generate more business.

I recently worked with a client and helped him create a ‘Special Event’ designed to draw attention and create awareness for a custom service he provided to his clients. It was a fun event, capped by a contest that allowed him to tap into radio, TV, and newspapers with traditional marketing strategies, and incorporate Internet Marketing Strategies, utilizing newsletters, a Blog, Twitter, and Face book. The event and contest were both successful and the client was subsequently featured on both Global and CHBC news.

Events like this take a little time to assess the opportunities, assemble the right marketing information, and apply the right marketing strategies.

If done correctly, it’s a great way to raise your celebrity status and Build Your Business.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been
with us for many years.. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth
records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

- Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
- Why the early bird gets the worm;
- Life isn’t always fair;
- and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than
you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing
regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual
harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using
mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student,
only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that
they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It
declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to
administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents
when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion..

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and
criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a
beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and
the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize
that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and
was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by
his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter,
Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone
Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you
still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
-
Donald Robichaud is the President of FloodLight Consulting and can be reached at www.floodlightconsulting.com

 or at 250-768-9415

I can’t help but think as I am awed by the beauty of the coast how we were able to pull this off. In less than three months the event was planned, invitations sent, the hall booked, and all the necessary things related to the wedding were put in place.

The last 90 days have been a whirl wind and in addition to the wedding my business has been strong with steady growth.

In the past year I have interviewed a lot of business owners who do not have a set direction for the year, let alone a 90 day plan.

Business owners need to look at a 90 day plan like a road map for their business. This a great time of the year to finalize objectives for the end of the year and then set forth a 90 day plan to begin 2010 with solid momentum.

Here are three steps to help you with your efforts and make a great road map for your business success.

1. List your priorities and desired outcomes. Going off in all directions only causes confusion. Make a list of your top priorities. Ask yourself what it is that you want. Focus on what will:

Excite and inspire you!!!

Improve the value of your business, your work life balance, and your client’s experience,

Boost your bottom line and add to your ROI

2. Are your goals really goals? Sometimes we add topics to our ‘To Do’ list that aren’t really goals.

Be specific with dates and outcomes. Example:

Is it time for a website?

a) When will it be done? Time specific.
b) Who will do the copy?
c) Who will build it?
d) Who will host it?
e) Who will manage it
f) How does this work with my Marketing?

3. Get rid of your behaviour or habits that no longer serve you.

Procrastination is a killer in business. Too many business owners wait until it’s the right time!!!! And the right time will never come……. It’s the small steps that we take every day that help build our businesses. The small steps must be tied to a destination which are the goals that we set for ourselves.

Begin with the destination and your outcomes in mind. Identify ‘what’ it is that you want and ‘why’ you want it. And if ‘why’ you want it, is strong enough, then the action plan and the steps to follow through will become crystal clear.

Just like a road map it will help you “Build Your Business”.

The internet world provides us with instant answers and information. Gone are the days when you could afford to wait 24 to 48 hrs to return a call or communiqué. Today it’s all about instant communication, but not always instant gratification. The warmth of a caring human voice in this cold text age seems a distant memory. Instead, we find ourselves getting aggravated trying to work through the menu of an electronic answering service!

Electronic answering systems encourage people to form hasty opinions and give quick replies rather than take the time to develop thoughtful, well-reasoned points of view and offer real help.
But has life really been made easier with the development of these technological advancements? We seem to be always wired to something, often interrupting conversations to answer a vibrating phone.

Last week I ran into a problem while I was working on a newsletter template within icontact. It wasn’t a major issue and I am sure that if I had taken more time to sort through the copy on the page I would have found the solution, but I was on deadline (aren’t we all?).

So I decided to call icontact, which is an email, newsletter service. (My wife would be proud: me asking for help and direction). On the dashboard page of my interface was the picture of a young lady with a phone number to call for help. I called assuming that I would get voicemail.

What a surprise!!!!

They actually answered the phone. I expressed my amazement and she proceeded to explain that she was my account rep, ready and willing to take care of my needs. Within a few minutes my problem was solved and I was back on track to meet my deadline.

The live interaction with a polite and knowledgeable person was truly an amazing experience. No voice mail, no message bubble with some far off help desk. A live voice that was able to help to solve my problem – wow!

It’s the little things we do in business that leave an ever-lasting impression with customers, such as: consistent, prompt, quality service; and a willingness to go the extra mile.

My provider at icontact delivered great service with instant communication, the old fashion way…..with a real, live person at the other end of the line!

How can you add a little human touch to your communications and make your callers and customers feel more special? What can you do in this area that will ultimately help you “Build Your Business?”

Donald Robichaud is the President of FloodLight Consulting and can be reached at www.floodlightconsulting.com