By Iqbal Thokan
A game without a plan can leave us stranded in the field. Have a plan to stay in the game and come out a winner.
As a business owner we are the star players of our team and when it’s any crunch game everyone wants to see the star player in action and perform for the audience. After all it is the star player that knows the game best. As business owners we need to get our selves out there and show our support the rest of our team and make sure we entertain our audience, our customers, in a way that makes them want to buy the next game ticket and watch us in action again.
What do I mean by this? Well as business owners, now is the time to be out in front, edging our team on and making sure we have the right plays in our playbook to play a winning game. Each step of the game requires us to define a success level. For example, when Muhammad Ali was boxing his game plan was to tire the opponent out and finish him in the last round and that took a lot of mental and physical strength which did not only come from the plan but more importantly the preparation and training before the game.
Most of us have been in lockdown for quite some time, and many of us are still in some sort of a phased lockdown. While we are experiencing this downtime now is the perfect time to start training, preparing and putting a plan together for a winning game.
A winning game plan needs us to know where we want to be at each part of the game and this requires us to plan for several aspects. Part of the preparation requires us to understand our opponent (competitors), know who
they are and what are their strengths and weaknesses. Having worked with many businesses I find it interesting that only a few owners actually take the time to understand their competitive landscape and I’m not just referring to knowing what your competitor’s prices are, but truly understanding them and knowing what makes them tick. This allows us to know exactly when we want to play which play. When exactly do we want to throw those jabs or hooks or the knockout punch. What will cause them to be fatigued and what does that look like?
Everyone has weaknesses, and so do we. Knowing our weaknesses allows to focus our training and preparation on strengthening them or at least being able to defend or protect them with our strengths.
Many of us look for the perfect conditions for a winning game, but how many of us have seen many games being won in the worst conditions and sometimes even the underdog coming out on top. And that is not based on how much resources we have but rather how effectively and efficiently we can use them and this is very much dependent on our mindset.
Simon Sinek, a great mind and motivational speaker of our time, in one of his most famous talks, how great leaders inspire action, makes a profound comment; most of us believe that we need the right market conditions, or the perfect amount of capital or the right people forus to have a winning product or business but the reality is that success is always defined by the determination and true-grit of the visionary, of us, the business owner. Game plans might not always work but they get us going in the right direction. A great game plan needs to be flexible and agile, so that we can “fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee” Muhammad Ali.
In the ‘70’s, Shawn Carter was raised by a single mother in very difficult conditions in a rough neighbourhood. Living conditions were not great and crime was a norm. Growing up he decided to start selling drugs to making some money, however he soon realised that this lifestyle was not for him and soon he figured out he was great at creating lyrics and decided to go into music. Thus, Shawn Carter was reborn, into what we know him today as, Jay Z. Using his talent for writing lyrics and rhymes as the basis of his game plan, he started developing and tweaking how he positioned himself, facing many obstacles, tackles and tough conditions, until 1998 when he released the song, “Hard Knock Life”, which sprung him into the winning yard. True grit and determination is what has made him the first rap artist billionaire.
Our determination to want: to want to succeed, will all us to truly find the creativity we need to come up with a winning game plan that will allows us to stay relevant, survive and thrive.
Iqbal Thokan is an experienced business management consultant and the founder and co-owner of breedingpositivity.com
So this is a Game Plan to SMASH 2018 … It is in fact My Game Plan to SMASH my business Goals in 2018.
If you are looking for a plan to REALLY Grow Your Network Marketing Business, then you are welcome to follow along with the steps I am taking. It’s all too easy to make goals, but these have to be put into a plan, that you will action consistently, and they must be very clear and specific to keep your focus.
Step #1 … Create Your Vision
Can you see the life you want?
Can you see the people and things in it?
Can you see where you are living?
Can you see what you are doing?
The fact is …Seeing IS Believing IS Receiving
You need to picture just how you want your life to be and then set out on your business journey with this as part of your daily life.
I have summarised this info into one Blog post for you: Seeing IS Believing IS Receiving where you will find options for creating your own Vision board.
Top Tip – Hang it where you will see it often and everyday.
- above your desk
• on the fridge
• as a screensaver (thanks Carol for that tip!)
• on a Pinterest board
• any wall you look at during the day
Ready for action?
Step #2 … Define Success
So, having created a vision of what you’d like your life to look like… it’s now time to choose the 1 thing you must achieve in 2018.
Pick THE one BIG thing which will make a difference to you and your family, and be really specific.
There is NO avoiding this Goal, so you must be totally clear on your objective.
If you need to, write down all your goals, then decide which ONE will DEFINE YOUR SUCCESS in 2018.
Here are a few ideas.
Go to Australia for Christmas
Save the deposit for my New Forever Home
Replace my F/T Income with my home businesss income
Travel to XX to visit XX
Make my first £1000 or $1000 online
Buy my Dream Car
Give this some thought, then write it down as your “step 1” in a document or on a notepad, and add the rest of your plan as it develops!
Step #3 – Define Your Financial Requirement
Now you have your Goal, you will know exactly the amount of money you need to make to achieve it.
This is the benefit of being really specific when you decide your success goal for the year.
Divide this figure into monthly and weekly targets, so you can see how much you need to be making and saving on a realistic timescale.
For example…
Visit to Australia for Christmas 2018 = $10,000
Target each month = $ 833
Target each week = $ 208
This simple weekly figure gives your brain a clear focus for what you need to achieve as you work on a weekly basis. You do not have to hold that huge figure of 10,000 with you!
Smaller figures are easier to grasp, and much more achievable.
So, in this example you need to be achieving $ 208 per week.
Add this to your Game Plan Document, and get ready for step 4!
Step #4 – Define Your Income Source
OK, so now you know how much money you need to produce each week and month…
it’s time to decide which Income Source you are going to use to make it.
Once again, you need to Focus on ONE choice for the purposes of you Game Plan.
If you have several businesses or income streams, then choose one to focus for this plan. If you are juggling several things, then your attendion is divided and no-one ever hit a goal by working two, three, four or more times harder.
What happens is overwhelm, and you can’t keep all the balls in the air.
Focus on ONE for your Game Plan … either let the others tick over, or pause them until your Game Plan is rolling and you have some spare time!
So, What is your Income Source?
If you are in Network marketing, you could have a product and a business stream of income, or they could be the same thing, like my Company, where product sales increases businesss.
Again, it’s best to choose ONE of these for the purposes of your Game Plan, because they probably involve different Marketing strategies.
Network Marketers generally focus on growing their business referrals. It is simple to work out from your Company Compensation plan, how many recruits you need to get ahead in your rank, and exactly how much money you will make.
Work out how many people you need to recruit per month to hit your £ / $ Goal.
So work out HOW you will create your money… and add this to your Game Plan document
Step #5 – Define Your weekly Marketing
So, if you need to recruit 1 person per week, or sell $200 per week, then you need to define how you will do this.
I expect you are using social media, but you could also have offline prospects and customers who are already in your ‘follow-up’ list or maybe you could attend local business or product selling networking events, and follow-up with the people you meet.
The thing is, to make a decision on how many, and who, you need to be talking to to sponsor or sell your weekly amount.
How many presentations do you need to show?
How many $ of products do you need to sell?
Set up the ACTIONS you are going to do for networking and content sharing online.
Look at what you do successfully already:
Blogging
FB Lives
Prospecting
Networking online / offline
Attracting Leads
DECIDE on your Weekly and Daily Marketing Actions and add these to your Game Plan
It’s a great idea to make yourself a tracker, with points!
Then you can monitor your progress against your plan … and catch up when you get behind!
Step #6 – Set up Your Big 3
It’s time to put some LAUNCHES in your diary
So let’s look at how your plan is working so far…
You’ve set up a plan of what you are doing each week / day for marketing and networking and as this continues, you will be gaining more followers, connections, and people interested in what you are doing.
So, setting up 3 dates for a launch of some kind, will pull them all together.
Ideas are:
- a Community / Group
- a product / course
- a book
- a service
- a company event promo
- a blog
- a webinar
- a youTube channel
- a bonus package for your MLM or affiliate product
and I’m sure you can think of more!
Add 3 dates during the year to your Game Plan, these can be amended, but if you put the dates in now, you will have some Focus for increasing your prospects / fans / followers to introduce them to your business down the line.
If you would like to hear more about how I action all these things into my business, then I have Group Coaching every week for those of you who want to really SMASH 2018 in an environment totally Focused on Support and Community as you Build Your Business.
Step #7 – Who will it take?
Success is the culmination of your habits, and it’s rare that people have businesss problems … usually they are held back by personal issues, [we all have them] and these show as lack of self-belief, procrastination and inconsistency … which usually boil down to fear of something.
We all have barriers to overcome to succeed, otherwise everyone would be out there making 6 figures online!
We have to be brave, and be prepared to upgrade ourselves, and our skills to be THE PERSON IT WILL TAKE.
So…
- Who do you need to be to be fit for the result you want
- What habits do you need to commit to?
- Use your time wisely … are you in a Content trap?
- Do you have a daily planner for Business and YOU?
Every 7 days review yourself! Adjust your actions and your progresss. Get rid of things that don’t work
Develop an all round daily, monthly, 3 monthly planner for your Game Plan
Being Supported and Accountable in group or team coaching is truly valuable.
Step #8 – SHINE Now!
Time to get started!
Remember, at the end of the day… YOU are your Brand, and NOT your Company name, so get yourself OUT THERE
- Use the right places and channels to educate and entertain people
- Show the benefits of ‘it’ and not what ‘it’ is
- Be professional and have posture
- Separate yourself from the amateurs
- Show energy and enthusiasm
- Have passion in what you do for your audience
Just a couple of tips I use with my team:
“Love them where they are”
“Only do things to recruit that they can do too”
Hoping you enjoyed this series, and you picked up some tips to get your Game Plan ready to go!!
SUCCESS TO YOU!!
Is it too late to put together a game plan for 2018?
Of course it’s not too late.
That’s the classic mistake procrastinators make. Many of us feel like if we don’t have a plan, there’s nothing we can do about it.
Well, there’s no need to get stuck in that rut. You are not alone. It turns out that very few people have a plan with attainable goals and even fewer have them in writing. So, take action right now to set yourself apart and take advantage of the growing economy and get your piece of the pie.
Here are five easy steps to get motivated and step apart from the masses.
1) Imagine your success
Imagine the accolades you’ll receive, the money you will make and how you’ll spend it. Imagine who will be with you celebrating your success. Your team? Your family? Visualize exactly what you want and feel your success.
In Dr. Joe Dispenza’s latest book, “Supernatural,” he includes studies that show an elevated emotion tied to a specific future event can actually change your brain’s chemistry. Visualization is a powerful tool, and it’s free. Take a few minutes to use it to your advantage.
2) Get focused
Be crystal clear on what you want and exactly what you need to get there. Do you need to hire five more employees to meet your expansion goals? Fifty more employees?
If you want to increase your sales, do you need to hire more sales people or get more leads or do both?
3) Most importantly, make your goals attainable
If you have three employees, the likelihood that you’ll grow to 50 employees is slim. So, get real and put your goals in writing. Plus, you’ll want to enjoy celebrating your wins along the way.
4) Set a realistic timeline for your goals
If you want to achieve a specific goal in the next three months, what are you going to do each day or each week to hit your goals? Let’s stick with the employee example. Can you actively participate in at least one networking event a week and ask to be introduced to the best and brightest talent in your field? Will you hire a recruiting firm? If so, by when? How many will you meet with and screen this week to make your goal happen?
5) Execute
Some people go so far as to plan, but don’t execute. Get started now. Do something right now to make your goal happen. This can be setting up appointments, reaching out to business associates in your industry, whatever it takes to make it happen. Take at least one action right now. Pick up the phone.
You may be thinking that you are too busy. Yes, we can all make excuses. We are all busy trying to juggle work-life balance.
But where will you be at the end of the year if you don’t do anything?
A simple, executable plan can easily set you apart from the masses. Business is booming; get out there and get your share!
Credit: bizjournals.com
God’s Word reveals the keys to success in business as it does to success across all areas of our lives. Continued success in business is based upon consistently meeting the needs and expectations of your customers, employees, suppliers, and investors. Plotting your course with a successful, intentional plan to get where you want to go requires time and thoughtful leadership. Consider these seven key steps to get you there:
1. Steadfast Leadership – A comprehensive and well-communicated business plan breathes life into your vision and enables others to see the exciting possibilities that you see for the future. Develop a plan that clearly communicates your goals for the company and inspires everyone to work towards a common purpose.
2. Aim for the Best Results – Determine what results would be a “win” for your company and develop a plan focused on hitting your targets. Make your desired results clear and attainable.
3. Provide Clarity and Focus – A good plan brings increased clarity and sharper focus on why you do what you do, and how you go about doing it. Help you team understand what it will take to accomplish your plan and how everyone can use their unique strengths to contribute.
4. Overcome Obstacles – Challenges are inevitable. Let’s face it, business is an adventure, and an adventure by its very nature brings about unexpected challenges. Be sure to factor in the likelihood of unanticipated hurdles that could impact your plan.
5. Create a Healthy Culture – Your values determine the culture of your business. That culture influences the behavior of your people, and it is ultimately the behavior of your people that determines your results. Be sure that your plan helps establish culture by clarifying and communicating your values.
6. Actions are what we do; Everything else is just talk – It’s important to find the right balance between ideas and execution – between having lots of great ideas that don’t get implemented and achieving the potential of your business with the successful execution of those ideas. Make sure your plan is more than just good ideas, but is made up of things than can efficiently and effectively get put into action.
7. Build a Solid Structure – A plan with too little structure can lead to a lack of focus on getting things done. Things slip through the cracks causing chaos and uncertainty. Too much structure can lead to an over-emphasis on unnecessary rules and organization which can stifle creativity and responsiveness. Build a plan that provides results-driven structure – not red tape.
Credit: c12group.com
When we think about people who have clawed their way up to the greatest heights of success and fame from the very lowest places, we should probably put Jay Z on that list. Born Shawn Carter, in 1969, in the projects of Brooklyn, the man we now know as Jay Z was raised by a single mother with his three older siblings after being abandoned by their father. His neighborhood wasn’t the best. Crime was rampant. Jay Z himself dropped out of high school, despite showing a great deal of potential, to sell crack to make money. He even shot his brother in the shoulder once during an argument.
Luckily, Jay Z was able to turn some of this depravity into art. An incredibly talented lyricist, he would compete and win freestyle competitions, making a reputation for himself. He’d even read the dictionary cover to cover on multiple occasions, scouring for better rhymes. He was able to start telling his story through his music.
After being shot at on a few occasions, and tiring of the drug life, Jay Z partnered with a fellow rapper on a single called “The Originators,” which earned him a feature on MTV. He kept working with DJs to try and get more tracks recorded, but had little to no success securing a record deal. Every major label in the country turned him down. It became clear that he would never make a living as a hip-hop performer.
Rather than let that news get him down, and turn him back to his old life and all the crime, Jay Z tried it from another angle. He became a producer himself and started his own label—aspirationally titled Roc-A-Fella—with two friends. It was a rocky road. Almost all of their artists left the label before making an album. By 1997, only Jay Z had managed to release one. But they persisted. They worked with Notorious B.I.G., and when he died, Jay Z was asked to collaborate on the posthumous album Life After Death, allowing Roc-A-Fella to get a little press.
The following year, in 1998, Jay Z released Vol. 2 and the song “Hard Knock Life” and, well, the rest is history. Roc-A-Fella shot up and became quite successful, and was later sold to Def Jam Records for millions of dollars. As for Jay Z, he became the President and CEO and took the whole merged label by storm. He is now worth roughly $520 million, and was ranked the 6th most powerful celebrity of 2014 by Forbes. He has sold over 75 million records, won 19 Grammies, owns a record company, designs clothes, owns or part-owns real estate, hotels, businesses, even an NBA team, among other claims to fame.
In his book Decoded, he says this about his song “This Can’t Be Life” and about failure:
“It was a verse about fear of failure, which is something that everyone goes through, but no one, particularly where I’m from, wants to really talk about. But it’s a song that a lot of people connect to: The thought that “this can’t be life” is one that all of us have felt at some point or another, when bad decisions and bad luck and bad situations feel like too much to bear, those times when we think that this, this, can’t be my story. But facing up that kind of feeling can be a powerful motivation to change. It was for me.”
So the next time you start to feel down on yourself, thinking of all the ways in which the deck was stacked against you: bad parents, bad poverty, bad everything, just remember a man named Shawn Carter turned everything around for himself and became a household name. He even got to marry Beyoncé. How’s that for failure being a productive force for success?
Credit: thejobnetwork.com
