Susan Baroncini-Moe – Entrepreneur, Author, Business Blogger, Business and Marketing Strategist

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Sneaky Ways to Conquer Business Obstacles

Sneaky Ways to Conquer Business Obstacles

Every entrepreneur faces business obstacles at one time or another…right? Or do they? I’ve never faced an obstacle in my business. Want to know how it’s even remotely possible that this is true? I promise, it’s not because I’m luckier than anyone else or because I’ve had an easier life. That’s not why. Read on to find the sneakiest way to conquer obstacles that you’ve ever heard.
Tell Me About an Obstacle You’ve Faced…

In an interview last week, someone asked me to tell them about one of the business obstacles I’d faced. I’m not often stumped when I do interviews, but this question stopped me in my tracks. I literally had no answer. I thought and thought, but…I couldn’t think of a single obstacle I’ve faced.

How could that be right? Surely I’ve faced obstacles and challenges, just like everybody else, right? I don’t lead a charmed life…or do I?

If you look at […]

By Susan| |Personal Growth, Productivity, Stuff to Inspire|2 Comments

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“There’s No Such Thing As A Solopreneur.”

“There’s No Such Thing As A Solopreneur.”

This post begins a new series. I’ll be breaking down my favorite presentations from my 36-hour long Break A Record With Susan event and sharing the lessons that stood out to me the most. I want to start with Michael Gerber’s keynote, because, obviously, it’s where we started the big event. I’m actually going to do two posts on this keynote, because Michael delivered so many wonderful inspiring lessons, but today I want to start with the one thing that’s been ringing in my head ever since the event, his comment about being a solopreneur.
“There’s no such thing as a solopreneur.”

When Michael said, “There’s no such thing as a solopreneur. There are just people who have created jobs for themselves,” at first I thought, “Wait, what?” But then I realized: he’s right. If you’re a solopreneur with no intention of growing your business beyond just you, you’ve simply created a job […]

By Susan| |Business, Mindset, Stuff to Inspire|1 Comment

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“What Does It Feel Like To Break A World Record?”

“What Does It Feel Like To Break A World Record?”

Ever since my “Break A Record With Susan” event, in which I broke the world record for the longest live uninterrupted webcast, people have been asking me, “So, what does it feel like to break a world record?”

I had a hard time answering this question at first. There were so many pieces to this puzzle, so many moving parts in this event that actually breaking the record was…unlikely. So many things could’ve gone wrong. And even though I took precautions and had a truckload of risk management strategies in place, I was pretty sure that with the odds being decidedly not in my favor, I wasn’t breaking that record.

I was so sure it wasn’t going to happen, though, that the fact that it did happen didn’t really sink in until a few days later. I was driving in the car with my husband, Leo, and I suddenly said, “Hey, I totally just […]

By Susan| |Stuff to Inspire|4 Comments

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The Day Gary Vaynerchuk Got On My Nerves

The Day Gary Vaynerchuk Got On My Nerves

The Thing That Started It All.
Last week, as I was noodling around looking at various blog posts, I happened upon one that included this video by Gary Vaynerchuk:

Let me preface this post by saying that I don’t know Gary. I think we might’ve tweeted back and forth a couple of times, maybe. I’ve read his books, Crush It! And The Thank You Economy and I think his stuff is decent. We do have several friends in common, and I trust them when they say that Gary’s a good guy. Plus, I feel some connection to the dude, as a fellow owner of a difficult to spell and pronounce last name.

But, man, this video really got on my nerves in a bad way.

It wasn’t the gangsta hoodie (hey, we all travel in major comfort these days, and I know all too well the hair tragedies that can occur on overnight […]

By Susan| |Personal Growth, Stuff to Inspire, Success|1 Comment

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If you feel like your head's about to explode, then you can rest assured: that client is a bad fit.[/caption]
Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Make This Mistake
I've seen entrepreneurs make this business mistake for many reasons:

They're just starting out and need to fill their calendar.

They're in a business slump and need more clients so they can pay the bills.

They think they have to take all clients who want to work with them.

They haven't clearly identified a target market or an ideal client.

They don't know how to qualify and educate clients properly before taking them on.

So how do you alleviate these problems and get rid of all of the reasons for taking on clients who aren't a good fit for you?
Why a Client Might Not Be A Good Fit
The primary reason that you might not have a good fit with a client is because you haven't gotten clear on who your target market is- if you aren't clear about who you want to work with, then you'll most likely end up with a bunch of clients who are a bad fit, simply because you don't know what a good fit for you is. So start by getting a clear sense of who you enjoy working with most and who you can serve best, because the more you get "bad fit clients" the more you'll be frustrated and annoyed at how little you can accomplish for them. But even if you are clear on who your target market is, clients might not be a good fit in several other ways. For example, they might have a temperament that doesn't fit with yours. One of the characteristics of my ideal client is that they're pleasant and friendly to work with. If you're not a generally friendly person and you don't laugh occasionally, then we probably won't work well together. Clients might have a working style that doesn't fit with yours. If you work slowly and methodically, you won't work well with someone who wants to move very quickly. Clients also could be a poor fit if they aren't committed to getting whatever result you can help them get. If you're a coach, for example, you know that your best clients are the ones who are willing to let you help them and who are willing to do the work to get results. If you're a personal trainer, the clients who show up for sessions and put in the sweat are your best ones, right? Sometimes clients just don't know they have a job to do, too. If you're a web designer, you know there's nothing you can do for a client if they don't give you the content for their web site. If you're a chiropractor, you know you can't help your patients if they don't tell you where it hurts. And let's face it, it's not just about who's a bad fit. On rare occasions, you come across a client who is rude or disrespectful of your time.
Qualifying and Educating Your Clients
It is for all of these reasons that I encourage you to qualify and educate your clients, even before you start working with them.
Qualifying
Qualifying your clients requires some forethought on your part. What are the characteristics of your ideal client? What would the best client you can imagine working with be like? What are some red flags that you need to pay attention to, in terms of clients you won't work with? Think back through the history of your business to the clients you didn't enjoy working with. What were some key phrases that they used that you could look out for now? What things that you can see now were red flags that you might have missed? Create these lists and then design your initial consultations to ferret out the red flags and weed out the folks that aren't a good fit for you. When you do this, you'll enjoy your business more and you'll get much better results (and have happier clients!)
Educating
Educate your clients from the first moment you begin talking with them. When I'm talking with a prospective one-on-one client, I let them know what my expectations are for our working relationship and what I will give to them. For example, one of the things I tell them is that I will be on time for our meetings and will be fully present during every meeting, and I expect the same from them. Likewise, you should let your clients know upfront what you need from them to be successful. So make a list of what you need to do your absolute best and then be clear with your clients so that they know they have a job to do as well.
When to Let Go
Sometimes, no matter how well you qualify and educate a client, a bad seed slips through. The first thing to know is that it's not your fault. We've all been fooled. The second thing to know is that, as soon as you know it's a bad fit and it's not going to be a successful relationship, don't wait, don't (as my mom would say) dilly-dally about. Just make the break and get on with your business. That said, if you work on a monthly fee or retainer, you'll find it easiest to let a client go right before the start of a new month, before they've made their payment.
How to Let Go
In my experience, the straightforward, polite approach is to let your client know as soon as you realize that it's not a good fit. Diplomacy and kindness are key here, because the last thing that you want is someone leaving your business with a bad taste in his or her mouth. Sending a client away with an unpleasant feeling is a sure way to get bad word of mouth going. Instead, focus on the positive as much as you can, and never make accusations. It's super easy to make the big business mistake of taking on clients who are a poor fit, but if you put the time and energy into qualifying and educating your clients upfront, you'll end up with clients that are a great fit, and those are clients that you'll be able to make real difference with. You'll be doing the best job you possibly can, and you'll be much, much happier in your business. Have you made this mistake in your business? Tell us how you realized it, how you handled it, or how you stopped making this mistake again in the comments. Looking forward to your stories!">Gallery
5 Success Tactics You Need to Know

5 Success Tactics You Need to Know

This past week in LA, I hobnobbed with some of the most successful people in music at the major industry event of the year (okay, well, more like I saw most of them, but I did meet David Meerman Scott!) . Having talked over the years with mega-successful entrepreneurs about what success really means, I decided to share some of their success tactics with you.

Mega-Success Tactic #1: Define Success For Yourself.

Consider this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“To laugh often, to win the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”

Think about it- what is your definition of success? Is it freedom, financial independence and wealth, […]

By Susan| |Business, Mega-Success, Mindset, Productivity, Self Care, Stuff to Inspire|0 Comments

Three Steps To Starting The New Year Right!

The end of 2011 was a mixture of absolute holiday perfection and complete technological mayhem for me. When last we left the story of my laptop disaster, Lenovo was sending a technician with a new motherboard in mid-January.

However, the very next day after I posted my story about “How A Laptop Meltdown Forced Me to Create Balance,” I received a phone call from Lenovo’s tech support saying that “middle of January” had turned into the middle of February.

Once I stopped alternating between hysterical laughter and mild crying (LOL) I decided that enough was enough and initiated return proceedings for the Lenovo laptop that was supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Moments later, I had ordered a new Macbook Pro and was driving to the Apple Store to pick up a new iPad (upon which I’m writing this post, as I await the new laptop). […]

By Susan| |Mega-Success, Mindset, Personal Growth, Productivity, Stuff to Inspire|0 Comments

How A Laptop Meltdown Forced Me to Create Balance

One month after purchasing my mega-laptop, a Lenovo Thinkpad T420s that, once it arrived, had delighted, amazed, and amused me, it died. It was a sudden death, apparently caused by a fried motherboard, which is apparently a known issue with this machine (note to self: search for “known issues” next time).

These days, when you call technical support, you never really know what to expect. Will my problem be solved or will I walk away frustrated and confused? You never really know.

And indeed, today, I was left frustrated and confused when I learned that a) the motherboard on my brand-new, 29-day-old laptop had died, b) there were no motherboards in stock, c) there was no estimated arrival time for the motherboards, and d) any further assistance had to be found in a completely different department, which wouldn’t even have my case information until “at least” tomorrow.

So of course, I called […]

By Susan| |Mindset, Personal Growth, Stuff to Inspire|0 Comments

5 New Year’s Resolutions That Will Multiply Your Profits in 2012

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Every year, I’m surprised by how many people don’t make them. I love making New Year’s Resolutions, and I even have a strategy for keeping them. Mostly, my strategy involves making sure I keep my resolutions visible in my office and check in monthly to see how I’m doing in terms of making progress with those resolutions…and I could talk today about how to make resolutions you’ll keep. But instead, today I want to talk about the most powerful resolutions that can not only transform your business, but multiply your profits within 2012.

Resolution #1: This Year I Will Think Of My Business As A Business.
You wouldn’t believe how many times clients come to me for our second meeting, after doing their “homework,” only to tell me they’re shocked to discover that they never really thought of their business as a real business.

To be […]

By Susan| |Business, Mindset, Personal Growth, Productivity, Stuff to Inspire|0 Comments

What Santa Claus Can Teach You About Business Success

This time of year, many of us are thinking about Santa Claus and looking forward to his visit down the chimney (and trying to remember not to light a fire on Christmas Eve!)It occurred to me this morning that Santa is a deliverer of quintessential customer service.

Is anyone truly unhappy with Santa’s work? Not really. People return year after year to Santa to put in their holiday wishes, and he rarely gets complaints. So I thought it appropriate to share with you some of the business lessons I’ve learned over the years by observing St. Nick.

Pay attention to detail.
Santa makes a list and checks it twice. He really pays attention to detail and makes sure no mistakes are made. Are you as careful? Be diligent with your customers and clients and give the same attention to detail as Santa, and you’ll have loads of happy customers, which translates […]

By Susan| |Business, Customer Service, Marketing, Stuff to Inspire, Value|0 Comments

A Response to “Passion Has No Value.”

Recently, my friend and informal mentor, Larry Winget, posted a fairly controversial blog post entitled, “Passion Has No Value.” When I saw that post, I knew that once again, Larry was going to light some fires. And indeed, after a week and a lively debate on Larry’s site, it seems I was right.
I might have opted into the dialogue on Larry’s site, but I wanted to spend some time with this one, rolling it around in my brain.
My initial gut reaction to Larry’s post was that indeed, passion itself isn’t enough for success. As Larry and I have always agreed, it takes expertise (and other things) to be successful. Ultimately, you’ve got to have the goods to back up whatever you promise, there’s no way around that. If you’ve got passion but no expertise, you can look forward to a short business life, leaving a lot of unhappy clients […]

By Susan| |Business, Mega-Success, Mentors, Stuff to Inspire|0 Comments