Success Champion Magazine - July 2021

July/August 2021 • Special Summit Issue

SUCCESS CHAMPIONS

“Quote”

- Author

Special Badass business Conference issue

Success Champions

Contents 4

Editor’s Notes

30 Achieving Freedom & Success Through Outsourcing

Donnie Shares progress.

6

Positioning Yourself For Profit

Dr. Stevie Dawn shares how positioning can result in greater profit.

8

Networking at Events

Lorianne Vaughan Speaks preaches the ins and outs of networking at events.

10

Fine is a Four Letter word

Lori Saitz explains how you deserve better than “fine.”

12

Setting The Stage!

Donnie Boivin sets the Stage for the Badass Summit.

14 Covering Events with Your Social Media Sarah Ankney gives best practices for social media at events.

18 So You Want to Exhibit at a Conference?

32

Four Automation Mistakes to Avoid

36 Fuel Your Body 10 10x Your Productivity and Profits Jen Beck explains how a healthy body can improve your bottom AND your bottom line.

38 Beyond the Obvious -- Brand Images That work Melissa Henry shares effective ideas for getting the best branding images from a photo session.

42 5 Badass Branding Boss Secrets to Unlock an Awesome Brand Strategy 46 48

26 Do You Have Rockstars or Rocks on Your Team?

50

Dawn Michelle Schuler tells us how to have a Rockstar Team.

Seals - Chameleons - The Titanic

Kristan Getsy discusses combatting impostor syndrome through mindset change.

Kevin Snow dives deep with these four mistakes that are affecting your sales process.

2,000 Days in Prison Changed My Life

Sean Crane shares how his prison experience improved his mindset.

Build Your Badass Test Drive

Tom Bloomer drives home how you to pitch and present your brand as a badass test drive.

28 Getting Your Book Done: 3 Excuse Busters Laura DiFranco shuts down your bookwriting excuses.

www.DonnieBoivin.com 2

Building Your Brand With YouTube

Kevin Hunter broadcasts some great YouTube content strategies you can implement today.

S.A. Grant shares 5 Badass branding tips that will make you look like a boss.

Donald Dodson shares his experiences and advice of exhibiting at events.

22

Kathy Servoss leads us through outsourcing best practices.

Success Champions

Badass Business Summit 2021 special Issue

B

4

uilding a business takes a lot of work, time and energy. That’s why I am grateful for the contributors of this magazine. This issue is a specialy issue and I really proud of the team for pulling it together.

your business. Come hang out with other Get Shit Done people and go big with your business.

In 2020 we did the inaugural Badass Business Summit and it was a hit. So we knew we would do it again in 2021 only bigger and more badass.

So, this year we have brought together the biggest lineup of speakers to help you grow and scale

In this isuue you get to hear from most of the speakers at this years Badass Business summit and they walk you through strategy and tactics that you can deploy right away.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

This it’s not motivation, inspiration or some empty “pump up.” It’s concrete tools, tactic, and strategies to rewire your brain for lasting transformation that you can’t get anywhere else.

Success Champions you want to position yourself for profit, you have to know where you stand. Ask your friends. Ask your clients. When you start to see a trend, lean in. DO more and more of that work. Find your strength and make it your superpower. Become the sought-after expert by making sure everyone knows what you are famous for. Whether it is about a cool product you sell, a way you use social media, or how to help people hire great employees….make it known to the world. Put it everywhere. Say it loud and proud.

Positioning Yourself for Profit

SHARE your Insight

By Dr. Stevie Dawn

Y

ou have done all the things. You have been spending money and time on marketing efforts. Social media.

Podcasts. Vendor Tables. Anything and everything to get in front of more people, yet you are still growing so painfully slow that sometimes it feels like you aren’t moving forward at all. Sound familiar?

“The truth is that we must position ourselves for profit. It doesn’t just magically happen.”

The truth is that we must position ourselves for profit. It doesn’t just magically happen. Although trust me I wish it did. In order to reach six figures and beyond, you have to position yourself as the expert. To be the go-to person when people have a problem to solve. Why is it that some people are just always on the tip of your tongue? Need coffee – Go to Starbucks.

Need Motivation – Tony Robbins or Donnie Boivin (LOL). Need to Buy ANYTHING – Amazon.

STAY top of mind We meet new people all the time. Networking events, social media, referrals. So many new people coming in and out of our life, it is hard to remember everyone.

Which means that you have to remind people.

You have to stay top of mind and remind people of who you are and what you do. You can’t expect them to meet you once and remember forever.

You are memorable, but everyone is so distracted and busy all the time. Send emails. Make calls. Remind people of your value at least every 3-4 months, so that you stay top of mind. When those situations present themselves, you want to be the one person they

“What are you known for? When does your name come up? When do people recommend you? If you want to position yourself for profit, you have to know where you stand”

How do you reach such heights? Here are three tips to get you started:

DO your Research: What are you known for? When does your name come up? When do people recommend you? If

6

: Now that you know your strength, you need to share it with everyone. Find ways to use your voice to elevate your brand. Whether it is doing videos on social media, booking speaking engagements, doing podcast interviews, or writing a book…. you have to share. People need to hear what you have to say. Share your expertise. Share your services. Share your products. Tell people about your superpower. Help people. The more you share, the more you will become recognized. The more people who see your name and connect it to your superpower, the more you will be rolling in referrals.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Badass Business Summit Issue

can think of in that moment.

Taking these three steps will push you forward.

Will position you to stand out and make more sales. However, you will need a prospecting system to help you stay top of mind. And then, you’re going to need to kill it with sales to make a profit.

It is about using all three pieces to create the life of your dreams: Position. Prospect. Profit.

“It is about using all three pieces to create the life of your dreams: Position.

Prospect.

Profit. “

Join me at the Badass Business Summit to learn how you can use the 3 P’s to change your life.

As a professional speaker and coach, Dr. Stevie Dawn is focused on helping people to unleash unstoppable success in their business through the right combination of mindset and strategy. Her experience as a 4-time business owner, along with her work in the private and public sector, allows her to enhance her presentations with real life stories and examples that are applicable to every audience. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in sociology from Wichita State University and a doctorate in

leadership from Colorado State University. With over 20 years of teaching and training experience, Dr. Stevie Dawn approaches every engagement with humor, inspiration, and energy to get people moving towards their best lives.

Unleash Your Inner Badass

7

Success Champions expectations!

Networking at Events

By Lorianne Vaughan Speaks

W

hen the management team met to discuss this issue of Success Champion Magazine, our focus is on the upcoming Summit taking place in Arlington, Tx in September. Donnie asked me to change gears a bit and write about networking at events. Since there may be some of you streaming the event, I will talk about networking both in-person and virtually.

“The key is to keep it simple. This is NOT a sales pitch. This is just a “getto-know-you” request.

Make it easy for them to say “yes.”

Virtually – Over the last 18 months we have been limited to this way of networking whether we are in a Zoom meeting, Summit or webinar. If you have the option to click on the participant’s list (which will pop up on the right hand of the screen, jot down EVERYONE’S name. If you don’t have that option, however their name is listed within their “box” – write their name down! Throughout the meeting, take notes as to what they do, how they showed up and if they would be an ideal client for you. After the meeting is over, I go into LinkedIn and request to connect. (Depending on your platform of choice it may be another platform.) I do so with the following note: Hi (name) - I saw you on the (event name) call... and a few people have said we need to connect.

I thought I would reach out to see if you were open to the idea. No agenda, no pressure, no

8

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Lorianne

The key is to keep it simple. This is NOT a sales pitch. This is just a “getto-know-you” request. Make it easy for them to say “yes.” From there (if it makes sense) – see if they are open to a quick chat… (again – NOT a sales call). As I network with people, I am looking for people that I can truly help – not just to make a sale. Build the relationship first! That – in and of itself – will make you memorable.

A while ago Donnie said he always asks, “What would make this meeting (call) a success as far as you are concerned?” I love this! It shows that you are wanting this to be of value to them!

In-Person – This is coming back! - as is evidenced by the Success Champion Summit coming in September!

As you attend any event, scan the room for those that look like they would be in your “tribe” or who fit your ideal demographic.

Just go introduce yourself!!

Make a connection. Find out what they are about and what they need. Do NOT sell! Just know YOU need to do the follow up afterward, if warranted. Do not just go handing out your business card to everyone and sit back waiting for a call.

If you get their card, take the time to write a note on the back of their card about what you discussed (or promised to send them) so you remember when you get back to the office.

And follow up within one to two working days!

Usually, if you have a free guide or content that is of interest to them, they will be quick to give you their contact information. Once again – make it easy for them to say “yes.”

Now I admit, I hate to “work a room” but I do make it a point to sit next to someone new after each break. This way you touch more people. If you have someone that wants to hang with you the whole time (and they aren’t a downer) bring them

Badass Business Summit Issue

along – make the introductions for them as well.

You might be rolling your eyes at me saying I am too nice – but they will remember how you made them feel. And, in his book Your High Vibe Business Donnie says networking is “one thing and one thing only: growing other people’s businesses. So – be of service!

In closing, I will say you can actually touch way more people in a virtual setting unless there is an attendee list given out at your in-person events.

And, in this day and age, it is very rare due to privacy restrictions. Whether you ever do business in the future be a champion for their business and it will eventually come back to you.

Lorianne Speaks is an expert in the area of Speaker/ Author/Podcaster support. She amplifies the visibility of Authors/Speakers/Messengers while they do what they love - SPEAK! Lorianne has helped spearhead multiple

best-selling book campaigns - editing, proofing, through to launch and social media marketing to help authors create buzz and momentum throughout the social media platforms and increasing their message WorldWide. Lorianne and her team have made it their mission to empower these messengers to deliver their message by handling the rest of the details! https://www.LVSConsultingServices.com.

Unleash Your Inner Badass

“Do not just go handing out your business card to everyone and sit back waiting for a call.”

9

Success Champions Fantastic. I call it the Trilogy for Success.

It starts with Gratitude.

Fine Is A Four Letter Word

Finding and feeling gratitude for everything in your life. Even if it doesn’t look like a blessing in the moment.

It can be difficult to find gratitude when things are falling apart. When you don’t have enough time, money, health, etc.

By Lori Saitz

W

hen I started my first business, I threw my heart and soul into it. I’m a marketer. I’m good at branding. From the outside, it looked like a milliondollar company. Yet in reality, it wasn’t even reaching six figures and had $72,489 in debt.

Every day I’d beat myself up and questioned my worth. Because as I said, I’m a marketer and I couldn’t even market my own damn business.

“Deep inside, you KNOW you deserve better than fine. Settling for FINE when you deserve fantastic is not ok.”

If you asked though, everything was FINE.

Oprah Winfrey said, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

Even if you’re not naturally grateful, you can learn and become more grateful with practice. You’ll start seeing life circumstances differently. You’ll feel more grounded and calmer. You’ll be able to make better decisions by responding instead of reacting.

One day, after 11 years of – “If I just exhibit at this conference… “If I just send out this direct mail campaign” … “If I just learn how to write copy better” – my friend Christine said, “Lori, this is like watching you in an abusive relationship.”

The second part is Connections.

She was right. I needed to shut it down.

Humans are wired to connect interpersonally.

When we can’t or don’t, it causes all kinds of physical and psychological problems. Look at the effect the past 14 months has had when we couldn’t connect the way we are really designed to do.

Around that same time, my mom was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia and she passed away six weeks later.

As I was going through the grieving process for both my mom and my business, I reflected. Do I want to live the next 20 years the same way I’ve lived the last 20? And what will I do differently?

Maybe you’ve been living your life stuck at “fine” for a while now. Maybe you don’t see a way out.

Listen up, my friend. There IS a way out. It is possible to move from Fine to Fantastic. And you DESERVE to be better than fine. Here’s the path.

Be forewarned, it’s hard AF in some parts.

However, it IS possible. And it IS worth it.

There are three elements to moving from Fine to

10

Stop and reflect on what you DO have. It can be as simple as “I’m grateful for this cup of coffee.”

Find something!

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Connections are crucial to your well-being.

Connections to your family, friends, and community.

Most importantly, pay attention to your connection with yourself and your higher power. Whether you call it God, the Universe, or whatever, doesn’t matter. That connection is where you access your own inner truth. Where you get clarity on what it is YOU want. What it is that will make YOUR life fantastic.

No one is an island. We can’t go through this life alone. Our connections with others and our connection with ourselves, are what makes success so sweet.

Badass Business Summit Issue

The third part is Courage.

You can be in a state of gratitude all the time.

You can have all the most amazing connections with others and with yourself. And you still need courage to move off “fine.” Because it’s freaking SCARY! Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not. It is!

Fine feels safe and secure. Fine feels comfortable.

Like a warm blanket.

Courage is the opposite of all that. But on the other side of the fear is where your ultimate joy and fulfillment is. So, you have to take the leap.

You cannot have it both ways.

podcast “FINE is a 4-Letter Word.” She’s a nationally recognized expert in using gratitude and meditation for business success. Entrepreneurial professionals hire her to help them achieve their goals faster – without working harder.

Through her first business, Lori introduced the world to The Gratitude Cookie and built what looked like a million-dollar business. In reality, she ignored a key growth factor and ended up frustrated, in debt, and ashamed.

She’s now evolved that experience into creating tools for moving from that place where you say everything’s fine – but it’s really not! – to fantastic.

“You HAVE to employ courage and you HAVE to jump.”

When she’s not working, you can find Lori in the weight room at the gym, because she also loves baking and eating.

You HAVE to employ courage and you HAVE to jump. Sometimes you’re pushed from behind and suddenly you’re flying through the air in a freefall.

Either way, you need courage because you can’t see the ground below. You have to trust that your parachute will open, and you will land safely.

You wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t a badass. Deep inside, you KNOW you deserve better than fine. Settling for FINE when you deserve fantastic is not ok.

Do you want to live the next 20 years the same way you’ve lived the last 20? So, what will you do differently?

Lori Saitz is the CEO of Zen Rabbit and host of the

Unleash Your Inner Badass

11

Success Champions United Nations on pharmacies in impoverished areas. It’s a long story for another time, but let’s just say I was way out of my league.

Setting the Stage!

Attending the Badass Business Summit

By Donnie Boivin

“I didn’t know people actually made a living from speaking.

I was just having fun getting on stages and being in front of rooms full of people.”

I sat about six rows back from the stage. The lights dimmed, and the music started. The anticipation was heavy. One man walked out and stood center stage. With microphone in hand, a spotlight slowly lit him up and he smiled, looked at the crowd, and said, “HEY!” And the crowd went fucking wild.

You would have thought they’d just won the championship game. It was crazy and I was totally caught up in it.

To this day I don’t know where this was, why I was there, or who the guy on stage was. I just knew that one day I would be that guy.

It’s wild how memories stay with you. At that moment, I was doing a job I didn’t like. I worked for my best friend and his dad doing Heating & Air Conditioning in the Texas summer. It was stupid-hot and dirty work. Hell, one attic we worked in was about 140 degrees. We’d run up, work for five minutes, then come back down to cool off for 20. Those were long days and nights.

It was after that event that I started attending more conferences, trade shows, and summits.

I learned that people actually taught the stuff I needed help with: Sales, mindset, money, and so much more.

My first time on stage was when I worked in St. Louis. I was asked to present to a group from the

12

www.DonnieBoivin.com

I was nervous and the room could tell, but I did well and loved the thrill of speaking in front of a room full of people.

I really started getting on stages when I sold commercial printing back in Texas. I built a pretty solid personal brand through networking and people asked me to teach about what I was doing.

I didn’t know that everyone didn’t do what I was doing. I just thought it was how networking was done.

I stepped on stages and told people to make more introductions than they received. And, I had people nodding, smiling, and writing furiously. I’d say, “Go meet with someone and spend more time focused on them. Open doors for them.” People looked at me like I’d invented water. It was crazy.

I didn’t know people actually made a living from speaking. I was just having fun getting on stages

Badass Business Summit Issue and being in front of rooms full of people. It also helped significantly increase my commercial printing sales.

Around 2011, I transitioned from commercial printing to a sales training organization. I took the job because I wanted to sell, but I secretly hoped it would get me on more stages.

And it did. I spoke to thousands of people in conferences, training rooms, boardrooms, and at events. But it wasn’t my own content I was presenting, it was other people’s ideas. It had a Donnie flair, without the profanity because that didn’t start until I opened my own company and realized I could be me.

I found myself wanting to be on bigger stages more and more. I think this added to my desire to do my own thing and launch a business.

When I launched my company, Success Champions, I thought landing speaking gigs was going to be easier and that the world was just waiting for me to show up. What I didn’t realize is I didn’t have a personal brand outside sales training and Fort Worth, Texas.

So, I got to work building my brand and getting those gigs. Trying to get on stages and run a business proved to be a lot of damn work, and paying the bills became the priority. I had to focus more time on revenue building activities and build

a company that would allow me the time to get on more stages.

In doing so, I built a tribe of Champions, a bunch of badasses who were all going for it. This tribe was my support staff and helped me through the ups and downs of building a business.

One day while doing a Facebook live in the Success Champions Facebook Group, a listener said, “Hey Donnie I have a speaking gig for you in Corpus Christi, Texas.” Then some of the listeners said they wanted to go to Corpus and watch me speak. A conversation started about a Success Champions get together.

And that’s when the Badass Business Summit was born. It was based on Champions coming together and helping each other build their business.

Imagine that many badasses in one room!

I no longer chase the stage or teach other people’s content. I built my own fucking stage and invited other people to come hang out.

I don’t know if I’ll walk out on stage one day and the crowd will go fucking wild, but I love being around my Champions. I love watching their successes unfold, watching them step into that badassery, and watching them become champions.

It’s fucking beautiful.

If you want to experience some pure badassery you need to get your ass to the summit.

Unleash Your Inner Badass

“I no longer chase the stage or teach other people’s content. I built my own fucking stage and invited other people to come hang out.”

13

Success Champions

Sassy Social media

Covering Events with Your Social Media

By Sarah Ankney

“Your audience supports you and your business, so you want to make sure they feel included in the event whether they are attending or not.”

14

E

vents are important to growing and scaling your business. They are also a great marketing tool for you and your business. The social media strategy you create must be solid. It must help your audience see your value and trust you more. If social media is already part of your marketing strategy, why not use it to your advantage when hosting an event whether in-person or online? If you are unsure how to do this, here are some great tips.

Creating a Strong Social Media Strategy The first thing you need to do is create a promotional and announcement timeline. If you are in the Success Champions Facebook Group, then you have firsthand seen the promotional and announcement material provided for the Badass Business Summit. This produces the hype and the public knowledge that is needed to have attendees at the event.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

The second thing for a strong social media strategy is to know what social media channels you are going to use. There are a lot to choose from so choose where your audience is hanging out, and of course, where you hang out the most.

Lastly, use your social media channels to show love to your audience. Your audience supports you and your business, so you want to make sure they feel included in the event whether they are attending or not. You want to highlight the speakers and advocates of your event as well as the sponsors.

They are an important part of your event and should be acknowledged.

Be Prepared for the Event You want to capture the critical moments of the event, so you must know the schedule and be able to plan what types of posts you are going to use for those moments whether it is video or pictures.

You want to highlight the great moments to share with your audience which again makes them feel included in the event. A great way to be prepared is to have a timeline of the events at the event

Badass Business Summit Issue and delegate others to cover these. You can’t be everywhere at once.

good coverage of any event is to focus on the live action shots.

Have your cellphones ready as it is too hard to carry laptops everywhere. You want to be there for the moments that are great to capture. This includes the online events. You can capture via phone or screenshots to share with your audience.

Make sure that you as well as all those helping you are logged into all your social media accounts for easy posting. Have a station with a laptop where you can also use a scheduler to put some time between postings instead of posting all at once.

Invest in a Portable Charger

Online events are just as essential to be prepared for. Have someone there to help you capture important moments just as you would for an inperson event. You can use your laptop to capture screenshots as well as highlights of your speakers.

Don’t forget to post backstage and behind the scenes photos.

Edit Your Photos Before Posting to Social Media An important aspect of sharing to social media is to have permission for your attendees as well as those presenters.

This helps cover you legally and lets you know when to edit out someone of a photo.

A great way to edit the photo is to use applications on your phone so that you can tweak photos not only for permission but to make a positive difference.

Share Moments of the Event Live Whether in-person or online, take a few moments during the event to post a video live. This includes your audience and makes them want to attend the next event you have. It is exciting for all those involved including those not in attendance. This will give your audience updates and highlights. A

What would suck during any event is not to have full coverage of it. Imagine half-way through having social media updates for your charger to go down or have lapses in coverage. This would not be good for you or your audience. Remember people only have so much attention and will likely forget the event is going on if you have a lapse.

SO, BE PREPARED WITH A PORTABLE CHARGER. This would be essential for cell phones. I would say maybe have multiple if you have an all-day event.

Create Hashtags for the Event Have hashtags that are specific to your event. This will allow visitors, speakers, and your audience to use those hashtags when sharing information

“One way to ensure those hashtags are being used is to create signs at the event.”

about the event. One way to ensure those hashtags are being used is to create signs at the event. Don’t forget to mention them during speeches as well as when you post to your own social media.

Create a photo booth for in-person events with the hashtag so attendees of the events can take photos and post to their social media. You want word of your event to spread. This is also just a

Unleash Your Inner Badass

15

Success Champions fun add-on to an event.

Engage on Social Media Posts It is important to engage on social media posts whether they are your own or other people’s. This is where the hashtag will come into play a lot so you can find other people’s posts easily. Remember your posts will be shared as well. You want to like, comment, and share your audiences’ posts. This is where some of the delegated helpers will come in handy. Remember, you are only one person! Your engagement will show that you appreciate all the social media love you are getting.

“It is important to engage on social media posts whether they are your own or other people’s. You want to like, comment, and share your event audiences’ posts.”

16

Make Plans for How You are Going to Deal with Negative Feedback No one likes negative comments or trolls, but it happens when you have events. How are you going to deal with them? Here are a few tips: • Acknowledge and thank the person who brought the issues to your attention.

• Make sure you have a support team on call if the issue needs to be handled inperson.

• Take time to address each complaint.

• Ignore the trolls. Focus on those who are following you.

Creating a solid social media strategy before the event helps to remove any issues that may occur.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

It is important to have a supportive and reactive team behind you so that you can present your event in the best way possible. A great social media strategy will have people reposting and encouraged to come to future events you may hold.

Sarah Ankney of Sassy Pinterest is a Pinterest Account Manager. She wants to empower your business with a bit of magic to help you get visible. Sassy Pinterest creates graphics and descriptions as well as manages your Pinterest account so that you can do all the things you need to do and drive traffic to your business. If you need assistance in your business to get traffic to all your sites, please contact Sarah Ankney to add another powerful marketing tool. Sassy@ sarahankney.com.

WE HELP YOUR

WEBSITE

RANK BUILD YOUR AUTHORITY & TRUST

HELP PEOPLE FIND YOU EASIER

GENERATE MORE CALLS & LEADS

SHOW UP IN SEARCH ENGINES

Who We Are

We help impactful businesses establish an ideal presence in a digital world.

Why Choose Us?

Our business is getting your business more visible.

Our mission is to amplify your voice, expand your brand and grow your business.

• • •

We partner with you and support you in creating influence and adding value to your communities and the industries you serve.

Get Found Locally & Nationally Convert More Searches to Sales Build A Lasting Brand

TAVALLO (864) 402-4852 www.tavallo.com

Success Champions

Brain Drippings

So You want to Exhibit at a Conference?

By Donald R Dodson

“... carefully consider your audience. At a businessoriented conference, you probably aren’t going to do well selling home improvement services.”

S

o, you’ve been inspired by events like Donnie’s Badass Business Summit and want to exhibit or vend at an event.

What do you need to consider to do it successfully? Or is it even right for you?

This is especially important as more events, conventions and things are opening up to in-person opportunities, though perhaps with some twists to consider.

One of the first things to consider is what, exactly, you are promoting at an event. You may be service based, have products, or are promoting yourself such as a author. You might be doing all three!

We’ll be discussing these as we progress. But suffice it to say, some events are just better suited to service and promotion as opposed to products and, of course, vice versa.

This is really going to be important when determining if it makes sense to be at one of these gatherings. One of the biggest factors is one of the most common. Audience!

Audience.

Just as in any situation, carefully consider your audience. At a business-oriented conference, you probably aren’t going to do well selling home improvement services. It’s not that business folk don’t need those services, but that’s not the mindset they have at such a conference. They are

18

www.DonnieBoivin.com

seeking information to help them do better in their fields, or even products, like software that helps to that end. I have seen a jewelry person sell very well at such an event, because the attendees are away from home and want to get something for their loved ones at home, but this is a rare example. In some cases, they might not even be permitted to vend at that event.

Demographics are an important factor, too. The audience at a firehouse craft show, Comic Con, and a Business expo are likely very different.

Additionally, you need to consider your traffic.

Comic Con has tens of thousands of attendees, whereas a small show you might be lucky to see a few hundred. That density is important in determining if the expenses are worth attending the show at all.

Expenses While we are talking about expenses let’s look at this. Most inexperienced exhibitors just focus on the booth fee. Granted it’s a large part of your costs, but there are lots of hidden costs to consider. The two largest secondary costs are travel/lodging and labor. If you need to travel a significant distance, you are incurring travel and lodging costs. For the longest time, just starting out I would not vend at an event that required an overnight stay…it just simply wasn’t in my budget.

Labor? Yes, labor. Even if you are gonna man that booth yourself for the duration, there is a labor cost involved. What business production are you NOT doing because you are on the sales floor?

Plus - that travel time. My Econ 101 folks will recognize this as an Opportunity Cost. Of course, the potential sales and networking are a factor too.

Because prospecting and sales is very important.

It’s a balancing act.

If this is your first event, you are going to need all kinds of exhibit “infrastructure”. Everything from tables, display stuff, banners, etc. - to giveaways, marketing materials to hand out and if you sell products, a means of doing Point of Sales.

And events themselves might require certain things that create costs. I am doing a fine art show

Badass Business Summit Issue in November and I am required to have proper pipe and drape separating my booth. In this case it means I am renting it from the exhibit hall for 90 bucks. Outdoor shows might require a certain style tent with weights or stakes (those things can damage others stuff if not properly secured). You might need insurance and a sales tax or merchant license, too. Generally, the more organized and “official” the event the more rules to comply.

something to interact with, especially if they are waiting to talk to you or listening. It’s less awkward to read a brochure, fondle your other goods, while they hear your conversation or wait to get your attention. Some folks will even set up comfy chairs with cookies. Who wouldn’t listen for a bit when there are cookies?

Product-Based Things to Consider

This is an expense. But it works with human nature, too. If I take a key chain, I feel kinda obligated to at least look over your material or interact. If it’s a particularly useful item (notepads, pens, etc.) with your logo on it. It adds additional “touches”. For people who sell products, candy, stickers, etc. are a nice giveaway. Speaking of giveaways, Drawings for an item are a great way to collect contact information. Also, you would be surprised how many folks will fill out an email sign up clipboard (I start it with some names to get it rolling.)

Assuming you have done your research and you feel it’s a good fit, you have some specific concerns that service-based vendors don’t have. Firstly, inventory. Having the right items at the right price ranges can be challenging (assuming you have such a range in a first place). I sell leather goods and I have learned that to be successful I need a range of prices to be successful. In many cases a show success is made or broken with the small to mid-priced items. They look around, you have a conversation. You get a good connection, but they just aren’t in the market or ready for a 1500 bag.

However, they’ll buy a couple of key chains and bookmarks for the kids or a small wallet. Having “smalls” is critical to success.

Sure. I could get one or, if I am lucky, two big sales and “make booth” but that tends to be the exception. I still have some really cool looking and badass higher priced looking items. They attract attention and are great conversation pieces! They also serve as inspiration pieces. When they see the “epic build” armor or badass bag, then they often ask you to make smaller items. It sets up future sales too. It’s not uncommon for folks to contact me a month or so later asking to commission an item.

Display Whether you sell products or a service, you are (or should) have some to display. Small items should be at eye level. Varying the heights of your items or marketing materials creates visual interest and makes your booth more welcoming. It’s amazing what you can do with your packing boxes, lids and a few carefully used table covers. An important aspect of this is that regardless, it gives the visitors

Giveaways.

Technology has really helped us, because now you can have tablets or laptops playing slideshows of information, products etc.

Interacting with your Audience This is perhaps the most valuable thing you can master. Hundreds of small interactions that can lead to great connections. The very first rule: Be a Fucking good human being! Be nice and pleasant to folks. Not pushy. Don’t be a wallflower either. I just interact as if I am at a party, networking event or whatever. I greet people and because I am often surrounded by costumed folks or nerdy t-shirts, I compliment them on the t-shirt or costume. I am just merely making a connection. The subtext is “hey we have something in common, or I recognize your valid interests.” Sports teams, bands, etc. are also good connecting points.

“Demographics are an important factor, too.

The audience at a firehouse craft show, Comic Con, and a Business expo are likely very different.”

Of course, this isn’t always possible. Your audience might be a bunch of folks in business dress. Sometimes a simple greeting and offer to answer any questions is a good approach. There are a ton of things you can say and questions to ask to elicit a deeper conversation. I’m sure Donnie has a shit ton. I won’t pretend to be the

Unleash Your Inner Badass

19

Success Champions expert here. I remember more what I don’t like.

“Don’t be afraid to be creative. You may be one of a hundred or more booths they have seen in the last hour.”

Don’t be afraid to be creative. You may be one of a hundred or more booths they have seen in the last hour. Also remember you are representing your brand. Look and act the part. I have specific things I consistently wear at events that aligns with my brand. It builds recognition.

Remember, a big part of attending these events is that it helps build trust. We are “online” so much more of the time; and meeting you in-person will really help with “know, like, and trust.” I have even vended at some shows that I knew were likely going to be a “loss” because it increased my brand visibility! My post show sales typically jump after an event to that end.

Lastly, take care of yourself and your staff. Bring snacks and water. Move around the immediate area. And make friends with your neighbors because you will need a bathroom break sooner or later. Believe me I have done a 12-hour shift on the convention floor and its grueling. Wear comfortable but nice footwear.

Hopefully, you have some things to think about

20

www.DonnieBoivin.com

for considering exhibiting or vending at an event. Start small but with an eye to your audience.

Almost all shows kind of work the same way, so its good experience with the logistics part. And Good Luck!

Donald Dodson, owner of Dodson Designs, has been involved in artistic pursuits for as long as he can remember.

Starting at age 16 as a sign painter assistant, and after high school, he pursued a career in graphic arts, finding his home in graphic design and web design. After an eight-year stint as a teacher, Dodson, a combat veteran, longed to return to his passion for the arts and, at 49, started a fulltime leather working business.

He crafts handmade, creative custom leather goods and accessories near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Badass Business Summit Issue

Unleash Your Inner Badass

Success Champions

technology corner

Four Automation Mistakes to Avoid if you want a Streamlined, Revenue Generating Sales Process

By Kevin Snow

“…a lot of businesses fail to take advantage of some key functionality that automation tools offer”

F

or a solopreneur or a business owner with a small team, using sales and marketing automation can have a huge impact on your business. It not only helps your team be more efficient with their time and close more deals, but it can also help you generate high quality prospects and turn them into leads that are ready to talk to you about buying.

But…a lot of businesses fail to take advantage of some key functionality that automation tools offer.

And not applying this technology can have a huge impact on just how effective your automation efforts are.

So, to help you not make the same mistakes some of your peers have, here are the top four sales automation mistakes that businesses make:

1. NOT AUTOMATING YOUR FOLLOW-UP Expecting your leads to buy the first time they visit your website or right when they become

22

www.DonnieBoivin.com

aware of you is unrealistic.

This impiles an enormous amount of extra pressure on you and your sales reps.

Simply capturing leads isn’t enough, you need to provide consistent, personalized, and relevant follow-up if you want to keep leads in your pipeline until they’re ready to buy.

But the number one mistake that small businesses make when it comes to follow-up is expecting their sales reps to manually follow up with all their leads. Think of it this way: business owners and salespeople are normally overwhelmed with work, and the first thing that gets sent to the bottom of the to-do list is business development tasks (ie: follow-up). Even if they do get around to it, a high percentage of salespeople give up after one attempt. That’s why having a set sequence of automated follow-up messages makes such a drastic difference.

And we aren’t just talking about sending email or SMS messages either. The best automation tools include the ability to assign task to a specific person on your team and then track the outcome of that task. These tasks and outcomes allow you in inject person-to-person interaction throughout the follow up process rather than just sending an endless steam of emails. The outcomes can be used to trigger what happens next in the sequence base on how the person-to-person interaction goes (or doesn’t in some cases). These could trigger sending the prospect to specific follow up email campaign, scheduling a future follow up call, or end the follow up all together.

Automating your follow-up processes allows you to manage your follow ups so that you have a more consistent flow of prospects into your pipeline.

Badass Business Summit Issue

2. USING DISJOINTED SYSTEMS Business owners are notorious for identifying that they have a problem and then rapidly finding something to fix it. This is normally a great trait but when it comes to sales and marketing technology it usually results in a mishmash of tools that are each focused on one specific feature (ie: CRM, SMS, Chatbots, etc.).

A common problem with this situation is that these systems don’t “talk” to each other, meaning that your CRM database doesn’t connect with your lead management system, which are both, most likely, completely separate from your marketing and lead generation tools. This causes you or your sales team to have to do a LOT of redundant manual data entry to make up for these communication gaps. This often results in missing data in one or more systems, missed opportunities because of a lack of follow up (see number one above) and it also prevents you from having a 360-degree picture of your customer and the ability to send them relevant follow-up messaging.

information (engagement, website visits, email clicks, etc.) and the length of time that they have been in your database.

But to set up your lead scoring so that it is accurate, you first need to know what a “hot” lead looks like. If you’re a business coach or consultant, your ideal lead could be someone who has identified himself or herself as a business owner and has visited your pricing or programs website page. By understanding the characteristics and behaviors of your ideal client, you will be able to assign specific traits and behaviors higher point values while others get lower values.

Automatic lead scoring helps you to immediately identify who the most engaged prospects in your database are, and who are the coldest and in need of reengagement.

An all-in-one sales automation platform protects against this and ensures that your team is following a cohesive sales process.

3. NOT PROPERLY SCORING YOUR LEADS For most salespeople, there’s nothing more annoying than wasting time on leads who don’t match their specific client avatar or just aren’t ready to buy yet.

Automatic lead scoring helps you to immediately identify who the most engaged prospects in your database are, and who are the coldest and in need of re-engagement. You can set up the lead scoring so that scores are determined based on specific information that your leads provided you (ie: demographics, title and industry), behavioral

4. NOT SPLIT TESTING YOUR AUTOMATED FOLLOW-UP EMAILS OR LANDING PAGES

Even if you‘ve fixed number one in our list and you now have a fully automated sales follow up process, the last thing you should do is sit back and forget about it. You should be actively testing different elements on your webpages and emails, including copy, design and images.

Split testing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to continually improve the performance of your automation. The first items you should test are your automated follow-up emails. Test one part of an email at a time to see which option gets a better conversion rate and then optimize them for better results.

“An all-inone sales automation platform protects against this and ensures that your team is following a cohesive sales process.”

Some of the most effective elements to test within your follow-up emails are: •

Subject lines

•

Pre-headers

•

Header images

•

Calls to action

•

Body copy

Unleash Your Inner Badass

23

Success Champions

“Split testing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to continually improve the performance of your automation.”

24

By avoiding these common mistakes and fully incorporating sales automation software into your small business, you can completely streamline your sales team to boost efficiency and drive revenue.

Kevin Snow is the founder of Time On Target, a digital marketing agency that helps businesses effectively use technology to grow their business. Kevin has helped companies all across the United States shorten their sales cycle and increase their closing rates by utilizing sales automation to increase the time sales teams are in front of prospects selling. You can reach Kevin at kevin.snow@ time-on-target.com.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Success Champions

Do You Have Rockstars or Rocks on Your Team?

By Dawn Michelle Schuler

I

n your organization, your team is made up by the members, the roles they play, what they bring to the table, and their performance. Of course, you want the best on your team, but how do you get there?

Let’s look at the formula for A, B, and C Players first.

“What is a Rockstar?

The person who has those intangibles that make your company soar, the things you can’t train..”

1A=3B 1B=3C -----------1A=9C One A Player equals three B Players. One B Player equals three C Players. Therefore, one A Player equals NINE C Players.

We’re talking about performance. So, one A Player’s performance is equal to the performance of nine C Players.

You want A players, people who take initiative and get things done. However, it might seem reasonable that you might have some B players, who are essentially worker bees (pun intended).

They do their job, and you don’t expect them to take initiative. Maybe you really only expect managers or executives in your organization to be A Players. It may seem unrealistic to have all A Players on your team.

26

www.DonnieBoivin.com

But then you look through this new lens of an A Player’s performance equals the performance of three B Players. You might start to think, “Hmm, what would our organization look like if we had all A players?”

Those A Players? They’re your Rockstars.

What is a Rockstar? The person who has those intangibles that make your company soar, the things you can’t train. It’s what they walk in the door with: their passion, their energy, their values, their work ethic. They take initiative. They want to be better, whether in their own personal development or professional development. They are passionate about what they do. And they care about the company.

On the other hand, the B Player is not a Rockstar.

They’re just their skills, the stuff that shows up in the resume. Honestly, they’re just there to get a paycheck. These are also the employees who are not engaged and aren’t passionate about your company.

Now the C Players. These are the Rocks. These are the people who don’t really want to be there.

They could be anti-authority, which could mean anti-leadership in your organization or in any organization. They do whatever it takes to work as little as possible. (Think Peter in Office Space after he’s hypnotized.)

Kip Tindell, former CEO of the Container Store and author of Uncontainable, shared that his secret to massive growth was hiring the best employees possible. You focus on the employee rather than the shareholder. If you take better care of the employee, she will take better care of customers. And in the end, the shareholders are going to be happier because the company is more profitable.

The Container Store has an amazing workplace culture, and it does lead to higher profitability, more productivity, less employee turnover, and greater employee retention. The Container Store has been on Fortune Magazine’s Best Places to Work survey for 20 years in a row. (84% of employees at the Container Store say it is a great place to work compared to 59% of employees at a

Badass Business Summit Issue If we can help you create your Rockstar list and determine who you already have in your company, don’t hesitate to reach out.

typical U.S.-based company.)

Let’s come back to your organization. Obviously, you want to hire Rockstars. Again, what makes a Rockstar are those intangibles that you can’t train.

Each organization should have their own “what makes a Rockstar” list. What’s on your list?

In an ideal world, we would have all A Players. We would have all Rockstars. Maybe that’s realistic.

Maybe it’s not. What is the realistic team makeup for your organization?

Then what? First, look at your current staff and employees… are they Rockstars? Where are they in that ABC Player list?

Dawn Shuler serves as CEO of The Shuler Group, LLC, a company dedicated to helping organizations create sustainability, profitability, and productivity through their people, processes, and performance. Since 2001, she has been assisting individuals, corporations, organizations, and associations achieve more success and a competitive edge through better communication, leadership, and training. Whether it is through corporate training programs, leadership and management team consulting, coaching executives, or speaking at events, Dawn delivers impactful sessions. With over 30 years of teaching and training experience, Dawn delivers sessions with high energy, humor, and insights that leave all participants inspired.

“If you find yourself fighting against letting go of a Rock, remember that an A Player equals NINE C Players.”

Maybe you have some B Players you thought were A Players. Maybe you have someone who you really thought was a Rockstar but isn’t performing very well in their current position. Maybe they’re the right person, but in the wrong seat.

Finally, you might have to make the difficult decision to look at those C Players and remove them, because Rocks are heavy and they’re impeding the progress of your organization.

If you find yourself fighting against letting go of a Rock, remember that an A Player equals NINE C Players.

Rockstars, not Rocks.

Unleash Your Inner Badass

27

Success Champions

Getting Your Book Done: 3 Excuse-Busters

By Laura Di Franco

Y

our words change the world when you’re brave enough to share them. Your book won’t just change the world, it’ll build your business, and position you as a badass authority in your field.

“You have the time you make for the things that matter to you.”

You know this. And you still haven’t written it.

It actually inspires you to think about what your signature, business-building book might be, and the excuses fly into your brain and paralyze you.

“Maybe next year,” you keep saying. “I have too much on my plate right now.”

Do some math and inspire your own ass. Type for 15 minutes straight. Just pick a story you want to tell and type. Now look at your word count. Multiply that times four and you have how many words, approximately, you can write in an hour. Now, if you want a 100-page book (around 15,000 words), or a 200-page book (around 30,000 words), do some more math. How many hours will it take? Now go get your calendar out and protect the time. I know some writers who go away and do it all at once. I like the idea of a book-writing vaca.

You have the time you make for the things that matter to you.

“What I know for sure about that book you haven’t written yet is that someone’s waiting to hear your message and story in exactly the way only you can share it. It’s not about you anymore.”

What I know for sure about that book you haven’t written yet is that someone’s waiting to hear your message and story in exactly the way only you can share it. It’s not about you anymore. Your fear of not-good-enough is boring, along with all the lame-ass excuses you’re using to justify not doing it. What if your procrastination and excuses were preventing someone from learning something that could change (or even save) their life?

It’s time to do this.

It’s time to get your book done. And those excuses aren’t going to fly here.

28

The number one excuse I hear when I ask my business colleagues, “Have you written your book yet?” is, “I don’t have the time right now.” So, tell me, how many hours have you spent on Instagram or Facebook for puppy-pic type of gazing? How many hours of Netflix have you watched this past year? TV? TikTok? If your answer was even just three hours a week, guess what? You can get your book done, and you could probably finish it in three to six months.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Here are three ways you can get your book done with ease. Excuses begone!

1. Remember, your book doesn’t have to be an encyclopedia.

Sometimes we think about that first, signature book and have an idea about how long it needs to be, or the tons of content we want to share.

What if you broke that down into parts, and instead of one big book, you wrote the first, shorter book in a series? Now that’s a business mindset and your series could build, one book upon the next, to help you create your empire.

It takes 100 pages to have enough room to put writing on the spine of a book. Easy peasy. Get it done!

Badass Business Summit Issue

2. You don’t actually have to type it all.

You’ve heard of voice recognition software, right?

What if you “write” your book by recording it.

Then one of those cool tech programs can spit that out into words that you can send to your editor. Boom, book done. Or you could do a combination of typing and recording.

3. You don’t have to write it at all.

Ever heard of ghostwriters? An investment in a great ghostwriter could mean you end up the author of a bestseller that is building your business, all without having to lift a finger to the keyboard. Great ghostwriters are not cheap, but they’re worth it.

your writing time. You got this! The first time a fan sends a note that says, “Dude, this changed everything for me!” send me an email and let me know. Best. Feeling. Ever.

Laura Di Franco is CEO of Brave Healer Productions where they publish world-changing wellness books. With thirty-years of practice in holistic physical therapy, a thirddegree black belt, and 20 books and counting, she offers powerful expertise and energy that’ll help you leave a legacy with your brave words. BraveHealer.com

One last thing to make the writing easier: Having an awesome outline will make your book writing a breeze. Once you have a structure in place and all you have to do is follow that list of scenes, stories, and tools you want to share, you’ll be happy and excited to sit down for each of those writing sessions and get it done.

“Having an awesome outline will make your book writing a breeze. Once you have a structure in place and all you have to do is follow that list of scenes, stories, and tools you want to share, “

Bottom line?

This is easier than you think. Hook up with a great coach, come up with the idea that turns you on, structure your outline, and then schedule

Unleash Your Inner Badass

29

Success Champions way to expedite all sorts of work.

Achieving Freedom & Success Through Outsourcing

By Kathy Servoss

A “As a business owner your time can often be difficult to allocate efficiently however it is important to understand when a task can be better delegated.”

30

s a small business owner you never stop thinking about your business, how do you make it better, what product or services to launch, are you working on your business efficiently? Do you ever have time to visit with friends and family? How about watching your son play baseball or even take a vacation? As a business owner your time can often be difficult to allocate efficiently however it is important to understand when a task can be better delegated. Not every business needs a full-time employee or to be fully staffed but that doesn’t mean the burden falls completely on you.

Many tasks can more effectively be outsourced either to an employee or to a freelancer, opening your time up for tasks you are more efficient at. There are a few key differences between an employee and a freelancer. It is also important to know how to determine when you can use a freelancer and how to even find the right one for you.

Outsourcing a task or a project, when appropriate, is a means of time management. Both hiring an employee, or a freelancer are forms of outsourcing. Some of the key differences between the two deal with who sets the hours, how taxes and insurance are handled as well as how long you need to work with the hired individual. Hiring a freelancer can often be a cost and time efficient

www.DonnieBoivin.com

The process for determining when to hire a freelancer can be a simple process. With time and practice it can come naturally, however, to start try these steps.

Make a list of all the tasks you do in your business on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis.

Rank each task according to what you like to do and what you do well on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is the least and 5 is the most.

From that list, outsource the tasks you don’t do well at or don’t like to someone who can do them better, more efficiently, or even quicker.

Once you know the type of task to delegate you need to find who best to turn to. There are a number of online resources, like Upwork, Fiver, LinkedIn Pro Finder, and many Facebook groups to place an ad or ask for referrals. It is important to pair your search with the type of project or task you are looking to outsource. As a virtual executive assistant many of my clients are referrals from networking groups like Success Champions Networking.

When outsourcing to a freelancer it is important to check out more than one. It is important to have questions ready as well as a detailed list of expectations for the job at hand before you start interviewing. Depending on the task or project you may need to modify what you ask but the following is a good standard starting point: • What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• What is your turnaround time for projects/tasks?

• How quickly do you respond to communications from clients?

• How have you handled challenges in the past?

An interview is also the chance for the freelancer to vet and interview you as well. While you are determining if they can meet your business demands, they are also measuring you as a client.

With time, you will find a couple freelancers who become your “go-to” - but these relationships take time. Starting with a smaller task or project

Badass Business Summit Issue relationships.

can help both you and the freelancer grow more comfortable and aware of each other’s preferences and abilities.

While growing new relations there are a few tips that will ensure the best results: • Always have a contract- This can’t be stressed enough.

• Communication is key – Share the big picture and your freelancer might be able to help your business grow in other ways than what they were hired for originally.

• Set deadlines – This will ensure tasks are completed when you expect them.

• Check-in weekly – Keep the lines of communication open and stay on top of tasks, projects, and challenges.

• Remember you are not their only client – Don’t be a demanding client.

• Be responsive to requests – Not responding in a reasonable time frame will hold up projects.

Kathy has over 25 years of experience as an Executive Assistant, mostly in the government sector. She started her “Leadership Journey” in 2010 and is still going strong with learning the best leadership and entrepreneurial skills, which brought her to where she is today with running her own successful business. For more detailed interview questions, sample position descriptions or even Virtual Executive Assistance for your business, feel free to visit servossvirtualservices.com.

Kathy has a passion for learning and serving her community, like volunteering for a horse rescue and being elected to town boards. Kathy has a vision to give business owners across the country more time back in their lives to spend doing the things they love to do. She is on a mission to empower businesses to succeed.

“Outsourcing a task or a project, when appropriate, is a means of time management.”

I am positive that incorporating freelancers into your toolbox can make you a more efficient business owner. It also allows you to better allocate your time where your expertise is better suited.

By following the tips and tricks pointed out you can more confidently start and grow these expert

Unleash Your Inner Badass

31

Success Champions outcome is reported by a lot of people after applying their previous expertise to the world of YouTube. Let’s change that for you.

Building Your Brand with YouTube”

You were on the internet today. Do you remember the reason why? Let me guess. It was likely you were looking for one or more of the following: • Information • Education • Entertainment

By Kevin Hunter

A Does high quality video matter? Yes, but not nearly so much as quality of content.

s a long-time YouTube Creator with over 322,000 subscribers and an audience that has grown beyond 42 Million people, it’s fair to say I’ve become a bit of an expert on creating and maintaining a presence as an online influencer. Today, I hope to shorten your journey to success by giving you a few things to think about, and some extra tools to help you build a solid online presence.

For some of you, you’re reading this after the fact. You already tried YouTube. When the day came that you decided YouTube should be a part of your branding strategy, a little research gave you a few ideas: Create a channel, choose a target audience, research competition, learn from others, optimize your videos, create an upload schedule, optimize your channel, try some YouTube advertising.

They used their marketing expertise from other forms of media, all those places that gave them the stage to “Sell themselves.” They failed to consider why they frequent the internet themselves. Without realizing it, they created content that even they wouldn’t watch if they weren’t into themselves and their products so much.

You must focus on creating great informational, educational, and entertaining videos. If you can do all three in one video, you really have something!

If you can do an “Evergreen Subject,” even better (information that is true for years to come). Every channel must include some Evergreen Subject videos, or they are likely to die off.

“You must focus on creating great informational, educational, and entertaining videos. If you can do all three in one video, you really have something!”

Despite the soundness these ideas seemed to contain, your efforts brought nothing but failure. Why? Didn’t you have great success with other forms of media using these ideas? What happened? This disappointing

32

You did not go to the internet hoping to be “sold” something. Yet, many YouTube creators produce one video after another that is full of “salesy” and time sensitive updates that have “We’re the best, so call us” tones and attitudes that fall well short of what people were looking for. Why didn’t these creators give others what they hoped to find on the internet themselves?

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Does high quality video matter? Yes, but not nearly so much as quality of content. I’ve created very low-level quality videos that have generated millions of views, just because the content was right on the money. If you have great content, I’d start now, well before you have the most amazing video

Badass Business Summit Issue types I just mentioned. Never skip that.

Many of my viewers say “I wish you had been my instructor... in college… or high school… or my coach. I learn so much from you!” I like hearing that, but it’s not just me. It’s partly due to the fact that my videos always include the three learning styles I mentioned. Viewers get more out of it because their brain connected three different ways with my message, and they “get it.”

Let’s add more secret sauce.

production studio. The guy who spends all his time getting ready to be ready by building a fancy studio… but has lousy or sales-sounding content... will be eating your dust when you have a message people are thirsting to hear. Great content from an inspiring creator will blow up right from a laptop webcam and a handheld recorder. Or even a video done with animated picture stills. Content is King, and it matters that much more than a high-quality video. I’m totally serious.

Let’s recap. Inform. Educate. Entertain. And never violate the rule about sounding like a salesman.

Now, from this foundation, let’s add secret sauce.

With every video I produce, I present three learning styles. Without question, it has helped many of my videos go viral organically. That’s pure gold to growing an audience fast, and there’s no better way to do it.

My videos have: • Stimulating Visuals for Visual learners • A great voice presentation for Auditory Learners • Text Overlays for people who like to Read.

You won’t find me creating a video today that doesn’t take into consideration the three learning

I don’t just “create content.” As good as I am at what I do today, I don’t turn on a camera and wing it. I research ideas, I pay attention to stories that are generating lots of traffic, I track my peers, I search top hashtags for a subject I’m considering, and then I make sure I’m hitting the nail on the head with my story. In today’s messed up media world, it’s fair to say that it’s easy to find content that is filled with opinions, emotions, and wacky views that others don’t really care about. Don’t be that kind of content creator. Make your video count! Be factual, smack the nail right on the head, and your audience will notice… and then come back!

“With every video I produce, I present three learning styles.

Without question, it has helped many of my videos go viral organically.“

Length of message matters, too. My sweet-spot is 8 to 13 minute videos. Several people told me I was going too long, or too short. Some thought 90 seconds, others thought 2 hours. None of that was true. 8 - 13 minutes has been perfect. Online audiences want enough meat on the bone, yet they don’t want to be chewing on it all day either. As a former radio broadcaster there was a time when I was on-air for three hours every morning. Never again. Today, I won’t even do a 30-minute show.

There will be other creators in the lane you enter.

Don’t worry about it. There’s a lot of mediocrity out there. Don’t be mediocre. Do your thing, do it well, follow the basic principles I shared here

Unleash Your Inner Badass

33

Success Champions today, and be patient. With a little time, you’ll carve your niche. Just start. Today, Tomorrow, or the next day… but START!

“Online audiences want enough meat on the bone, yet they don’t want to be chewing on it all day either.”

34

Kevin Hunter is a longtime influencer and creator in the YouTube community, having acquired 325,000 Subscribers and 43,000,000 viewers... and growing. He career in media started with talk radio in 1999 on The Business Forum Show. He has interviewed business leaders from all walks of life, and is the author of a book on leadership, “Is that the best you can do?”

Kevin Hunter “The Homework Guy” www.youtube.com/kevinhunter Email: info@thehomeworkguy.com Website: TheHomeworkGuy.com

www.DonnieBoivin.com

quote

Success Champions husband felt neglected.

Fuel Your Body to 10x Your Productivity and Profits

By Jen Beck

What good is success if you have no energy to enjoy it? Why build wealth if you won’t physically be able to enjoy it, especially later in life?

36

A

s entrepreneurs, we wake up in the morning with a million things to do to grow our business, take care of our family and those we serve. If you are not taking care of yourself, chances are you are dragging through the day, with brain fog impairing your decision-making abilities and sabotaging your focus in sales conversations, or having your weight impair your confidence.

Then at the end of the day, having nothing left to give to those you love the most.

She was 60 pounds overweight, had high blood pressure with low energy and brain fog. She was a little short tempered in her interactions with her employees and wanted to just check out or pass out when she got home.

She was a master of getting stuff done and handling all that life threw at her, with one exception, her weight.

It’s not that she hadn’t tried. She had done lots of diets – keto, WW, counting calories, and many more.

She ate “pretty well” and even worked out some.

She couldn’t figure out why she was able to handle everything else in life, but just couldn’t figure out her weight.

One day, she caught herself looking at a picture from a few years ago and said, ”I wish I was that weight when I thought I was fat.”

If you have ever struggled with your weight, you know exactly what Sandy was feeling. She wanted to do better and feel better. She had done so many things to try, but nothing worked.

Why? Because diets are designed to fail. If they actually worked we would not have spent $71 billion dollars last year on the diet and weight loss

What good is success if you have no energy to enjoy it?

Why build wealth if you won’t physically be able to enjoy it, especially later in life?

Sandy had been running her non-profit business for the last 25 years. She had a very successful business that helped thousands of kids and families with a significant income. She had paid a price to create it though. Her team morale was down as well as productivity. Her kids complained she was tired all the time and her

www.DonnieBoivin.com

industry! Weight Watchers would not need a lifetime membership for those that have once hit

Badass Business Summit Issue R – Refined sugar – sugar has linked to diabetes and obesity and drives inflammation in the body which is at the root of all disease. It also spikes insulin again telling your body to store fat.

A - Alcohol – Increases your risks of cancer, heart and liver disease, and more.

their goal weight.

Diets are not designed to address your unique individual needs.

Diets do not address the root cause or the mindset that got you there in the first place. Extra weight is not the issue. It is a symptom of the issue going on under the surface.

Once restored, your body doesn’t need to hold onto the extra weight any longer. But only focus on the scale while ignoring the root cause and you will inevitably regain the weight.

Take baby steps to start moving in the right direction. Focus on one thing you can improve and begin.

Hydrate! – Water is the #1 thing you can do for your body. It is necessary for every single function in your body, for example digestion, detoxification, brain function joint health, energy, skin health, blood pressure, and more.

P - Processed foods – Packaged and processed foods contain high levels of additives and preservatives, many of them cancer causing.

Sandy started with these 3 and in just 3 months had shed 25 pounds, 3 pant sizes, was forcing herself to bed at 11:30 and her family LOVED having her fully engaged again. Her team responded to her changes and followed suit. She had a healthier, more productive team and she saw a 15% increase in profits the very next quarter.

What will be your first step?

Jen Beck is an international coach, author and speaker for men and women who have been struggling with weight and health issues.

Over the last 20 years, Jen has empowered thousands of people to transform their lives by ditching the diets and drugs, getting to the root cause and implement real health solutions that create long lasting results. She helps them discover their ideal foods, eliminate sugar cravings and end emotional eating.

Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water per day and add another 2 glasses for each alcohol, soda or caffeinated beverage.

“Diets do not address the root cause or the mindset that got you there in the first place.

Extra weight is not the issue. It is a symptom of the issue going on under the surface.”

Eat more live foods – Veggies are your best friend.

They are high in fiber and nutrients. There are lots of ways to make them delicious! Here is a favorite - https://www.completehealthrevolution. com/the-1-way-to-make-veggies-delicious/

Cut the C.R.A.P. – C - Caffeine is a diuretic and spikes your blood pressure and your sugar levels which releasing insulin, telling your body to store fat.

Unleash Your Inner Badass

37

Success Champions

Beyond the Obvious – Brand Images that WORK!

Not only are these images boring, they say absolutely nothing about your brand! I say, ditch the obvious stuff and instead focus on images that connect, tell your story and show emotion!

It may sound crazy but people don’t choose your products and services based solely on their effectiveness. They buy YOU and your story. If you really want no competition, you MUST lean into what is uniquely you.

Let’s look at how this worked for my client Christa…

What it feels like to work with you!

By Melissa Henry??

I “I say, ditch the obvious stuff and instead focus on images that connect, tell your story and show emotion!”

’m nervous about this photo shoot because I just don’t have any ideas about what images I need!”

My client, Talmar, and I had just started our brainstorming call together when she admitted this to me. She was feeling stressed because she thought she would have to figure out everything on her own!

NO!! That’s MY job! In less than an hour, she and I used her brand elements to flesh out a list of image ideas (22 unique concepts) that will help her brand STAND OUT! At the end of our call, Talmar said, “I’m so excited now but we have so many ideas, how will I be able to pick my final images!”

You might be thinking why go to all this fuss for a photo shoot, right?

I’ll tell you why – your brand attracts the RIGHT people to you. Unless you can communicate, to the RIGHT people, why they should pick you, they won’t!

How many times have you scrolled on social media through countless quote graphics, selfies and stock photos?

38

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Christa is a leadership coach who works with entrepreneurs who have come out of the corporate world to start their own business. What makes her different from other coaches is, in part, she incorporates breathwork into her coaching.

Christa wanted images to capture the experience her clients have when working with her.

We decided to bring a real client

Badass Business Summit Issue of hers into the session. In order to capture the true emotions between them, we set up a coaching session; her client actually talked through an issue with Christa while we photographed their interactions. We also staged a breathwork session and had them give a big hug at the end.

As you can see, these images will really speak to Christa’s target audience because they showcase emotions that grab their attention.

I mean, wouldn’t YOU want to work with Christa too?

the things you have in common with others that serve as the foundation for your relationship.

Relationships are EVERYTHING in business. In fact, you wouldn’t be reading this article in Success Champions Magazine if you didn’t believe that, right?

For Christa, we used the things she loves to connect. Prosecco, dancing and celebrating wins

Concept or Theme Images Concept driven images are so helpful in making your content stand out on social media.

For Christa, one of the things she often tells her clients is that they need to “throw out that rule book!” because her clients are so used to doing things they are “supposed” to do rather than things that light them up and help them achieve what they most want in life.

When I heard “throw out the rule book” I immediately imagined the image

with her clients! Her clients resonate with celebrating wins in their business and life too. So naturally, we created images that communicate this to her audience so they can “see” her personality and get to know her a little bit.

These are building blocks for her audience to begin trusting her and her brand!

you see here of Christa tossing that rule book out with a smug look on her face. We even took a series of images with this concept and created an animated GIF (https:// christadaviscoaching.com/) she now uses on her website and in social media.

Now I challenge you - next time you are getting ready for a photo shoot for your brand, use this article as a guide to help you come up with some unique ideas that match YOUR brand. No more obvious or boring images, okay?

You and your personality So much of how you connect with others is about who you are and what you do. It’s about finding

“Relationships are EVERYTHING in business.

In fact, you wouldn’t be reading this article in Success Champions Magazine if you didn’t believe that, right?”

When you’ve done that, reach out and connect with me. I’d love to see what you come up with AND I cannot WAIT to see how you boost your brand to scale your business!

Melissa Henry, “Brandtographer” and CEO of Melissa

Unleash Your Inner Badass

39

Success Champions Demple Photography (Personal Brandtography™), helps passion-driven women entrepreneurs strategically clarify, showcase and build their personal brands through the power of authentic photography. She does this through a combination of visual brand strategy, unique image creation and implementation assistance that helps her clients get more clarity, catapult their confidence in their brand and become irresistible to their target audience.

Featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global, a speaker on virtual and live stages as well as podcasts like The Rita Made Me Do It Show, No Fat Cats, and Two Girls Talking, Melissa understands the challenges of standing out in the crowded marketplace and will make sure you and your business do too!

Walk away feeling like a rock star with powerful clarity on your personal brand and unique images that make you irresistible to your target audience, help you sell out your programs and books, and win those coveted keynote spots!

40

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Success Champions

5 Badass Branding Boss Secrets to Unlock an Awesome Brand Strategy!

By S. A. Grant

Learn 5 Tips for a Strong Brand Identity from An Uncaged Boss

“The goal is to make your business recognizable and memorable in a positive way.”

Y

es, you can throw together a logo and call it a brand.

But to build a legacy brand that resonates with customers, you need to go deeper and create something much more profound. Although a company’s brand values are fundamental to the success of its business, many people do not understand what branding is or why it’s essential.

Using mixed branding strategy repeatedly like a muscle builds your brand equity and strength in the marketplace.

Observing the same logo over and over again is one of the most unavoidable aspects of internet marketing. It feels depressing sometimes. But contrary to popular belief, an influential brand identity isn’t about differentiating yourself from the competition. The goal is to make your business recognizable and memorable in a positive way. The key to this is Repetition.

This article will explore five essential facets of building a successful brand identity that people trust and want to be associated with and love.

“... the way you communicate your brand - through your website, social media, packaging, product names, etc. - should all align to create a cohesive and consistent look and feel.”

What Is Branding?

Brand creation is about defining your product and communicating your unique selling proposition. It is about building a look, feel and experience that generates positive associations with your target audience. The core of your visual brand identity is reflected in your logo, but your perfect brand identity must be cross-channel. That means the

42

way you communicate your brand - through your website, social media, packaging, product names, etc. - should all align to create a cohesive and consistent look and feel. A strong brand identity helps a company gain traction in the marketplace and be successful. Therefore, any business needs to create a strong brand identity regardless of size or structure.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

• • • • •

Here are five repeatable tips for a stronger brand identity:

1: Start with A Solid Foundation: A well-established brand identity requires time and effort. Shaping a brand is about finding your niche and building on it to create something people will recognize.

Define strong brand values.

Define your target audience.

Determine your brand promise.

Get to know your buyer persona.

Develop a unique selling proposition.

2: Pay Attention to The Brand Communication Details: If you’re not equipped for brand building, and you want a perfect brand identity, then hire a

Badass Business Summit Issue Standards

4: Be On-Brand at All Times: Your brand is so much more than just visually appealing; it has to be sexy and addictive.

Embrace it at every turn by wearing it, sharing it, talking about it, and making it, so your strong brand values become so immersive to you and your customers it becomes codependent.

branding agency that understands the importance of brand positioning.

• Know your competitors as much as you know yourself.

• Use brand colors effectively to portray your brand story.

• What brand voice are you using in your messaging tonality?

• Incorporate powerful typography into your current brand name.

• Create emotional branding, an icon that invokes an emotional connection.

3: Make A plan for Your Brand: Plan your branding effort, much like you plan for a vacation or a wedding. Branding isn’t the time to cut corners.

• Establish Your Branding Process • Develop Cultural Brand Management Process • Make sure you have a cross-channel style guide • Create a visual style Guide with Brand

• Start to establish personal branding.

• Get everyone on the same page (Companywide).

• Create a look that’s harmonious across social media brands and other channels.

• Consistency is critical in brand recognition; keep your brand consistent across all touchpoints.

• Ensure everything, including packaging, websites, communications, and marketing materials, are consistent with your brand.

“Your brand is so much more than just visually appealing; it has to be sexy and addictive.”

5: Build Your Brand into A Community: Branding combines how you communicate and how you look in international brand marketing.

• Develop ongoing brand communications • Create groups to help grow your brand experience.

• Don’t get carried away with brand image trends or fads.

• Embrace engagement, brand awareness, and brand loyalty.

• Surround yourself with people who promote you and help you achieve your branding goals.

“The best brands don’t compete; they co-create and deliver mixed branding strategies.” - S. A. Grant.

Unleash Your Inner Badass

43

Success Champions

“The best brands don’t compete; they co-create and deliver mixed branding strategies.” S. A. Grant.”

Takeaway: The best brands are built from giving birth to revised solutions and partnerships. When you’re establishing your brand identity, make sure you’re focused on creating something that will last for years to come with room to evolve and grow.

S. A. Grant is the Host of The Boss Uncaged Podcast, CEO of Serebral360, A design & marketing agency, and A Growth Strategist Consultant at sagrant.com. He has over 21 years of experience in helping businesses grow.

His focus is assisting entrepreneurs in creating strategies and tactics that consistently generate more revenue, build your business’s online presence, and develop systems.

Grant finds the most joy in coaching. Authors, Podcasters, Entrepreneurs, Educators, and Publishers gain a solid understanding of how to create content that gets results systematically and learn how to develop automation and redevelop multiple uses for existing content.

S. A. is the #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon. In 2020 he Published five books and also published two best-

44

www.DonnieBoivin.com

selling books for his clients. As a stroke survivor, Grant’s views of time and life make him very grateful to be still alive and make him a no-nonsense straight shooter who tells it like it is.

Success Champions

SEALS – Chameleons – The Titanic

By Kristan Getsy

S “You know what I’m talking about, that feeling that you do not deserve to be where you are, and you will be exposed as an ‘impostor’.

AKA Impostor Syndrome.”

46

o, I got the job: Navy Special Warfare (N.S.W.). I drove through Gate 1, showed my military ID to armed guards.

I proceeded to Gate 2, parked and GAVE my ID to an officer to keep until I left for the day. I was then escorted through Gate 3 to where the real badasses and their support teams live and train. To say I was nervous or scared is an understatement. I really just wanted to disappear. I didn’t belong. They were going to see right through me. Don’t they know I’m just a small town girl, living in a small town world, just visiting this badass compound? In case you don’t know, N.S.W. is more commonly known as the Navy SEALS. They were waiting for me to train them? What the what!?!?!?!

You know what I’m talking about, that feeling that you do not deserve to be where you are, and you will be exposed as an ‘impostor’. AKA Impostor Syndrome.

With one twitch of an eyebrow, or wrong word spoken, they’re going to call me out as a fraud. I had THREE DAYS to work with these amazing professionals. If they didn’t discover me as a fake on day one, there would be day 2. And when it didn’t happen on day 2, surely it will happen on day 3. Then what? Will they throw me in the brig?

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Imposter syndrome leaves many people feeling trapped. Despite successes, accolades and achievements, we bring anxiety into our lives with words and thoughts like: “I’m not good enough.”

“I don’t belong.”

“I’m unworthy.”

“I’m not enough.”

We go from “Uh-oh, I messed up.” to “I just screwed up so badly, now my career is OVER,” in two-seconds flat! Often, we talk negatively about others to make ourselves look or feel better.

As we find ourselves dealing with this after many years, we start saying, “I only got this far by luck,” or “They didn’t have anyone else for the job, so they chose me.”

After being educated in my communications field, earning a degree and having worked in front of TV cameras and microphones for more than 12 years, Hell yeah - I’m qualified to tell people how to talk to an audience. After giving hundreds, if not thousands of performances, after reading and studying non-verbal communication and best practices for presentations, after designing and instructing workshops for C-suites and military operations, I still second-guess my abilities.

So where do those insecurities come from? If you ask anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you I’m one of the most confident people they know. I’m an extreme extrovert. Yet, I’m scared of being rejected. I become a chameleon most places I go. In fact, that was exactly how I got my first 6/7 jobs. I would say, “I can do that. I’m a chameleon. I can fit in anywhere.” In the process of striving to meet someone else’s expectation of who I should be, I lost the deep essence of who I really was.

There IS HOPE for me (and you). I learned to evaluate my imposter story and change my narrative to support my ongoing success and wellbeing. Simply changing my mindset is like turning around the titanic after it hits the iceberg. I just can’t. So, I meet impostor syndrome with FACTS and fury. The FACTS are I do belong in the room.

Badass Business Summit Issue

Embracing the “Fear of Rejection” as a passenger in my life-ride is now commonplace. Making him ride in the backseat while “Success” takes the front seat works for me. The old adage, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”… well, I’m keeping them in the same vehicle. Hence the fury; they argue a lot.

Good news: Those of us dealing with imposter syndrome are over-achievers, high-achievers, successful people, and we are surrounded by highlevel people. If you feel like a fraud, an imposter, like you don’t belong, know you are not alone.

These people claim to own Imposter Syndrome too: • Tom Hanks • Jodie Foster • Michelle Obama • Meryl Steep • Lady Gaga • Amy Adams • Barbara • Renee Zellweger Corcoran • J-Lo • Kate Winslet • Penelope Cruz • Natalie Portman • Serena Williams • Michelle Pfeiffer • Padma Lakshmi • Emma Watson • Maya Angelou • Lupita Nyong’o • Albert Einstein • Ryan Reynolds

matter expert. From radio, to television, to CEO of her own creative agency, Kristan’s expertise has received numerous industry accolades. With over a decade of “boots on the ground” reporting experience in the news industry, she worked as a photojournalist, anchor, and news director before founding her award-winning multi-media production and consulting company, Life’s Eyes Media. Kristan is a friend to everyone, a public speaker, serial entrepreneur, wife, mother, publisher and author—currently working on her new book, “The Cussing Christian.” Yes, she’s a Christian, with a colorful history to prove God’s saving grace can reach anyone. Additionally, she and her husband are in the process of growing 2 non-profit organizations benefitting those with special needs (Seeds of Glory Farm) and women in lower-socioeconomic environments (Cultivating Women).

“There IS HOPE for me (and you). I learned to evaluate my impostor story and change my narrative to support my ongoing success and well-being..”

You should be proud of your achievements that have brought you to this level of success.

BTW, I survived my first N.S.W. assignment. And a decade later, I’m still training them.

Don’t let her southern accent fool you. Kristan Getsy is an accomplished communications professional and subject

Unleash Your Inner Badass

47

Success Champions massive action!

2,000 Days In Prison Changed My Life

Yes! I took massive action in my cell for 5 ½ years and emerged with college degrees, experience working with other inmates, public speaking skills and an entire new perspective on life.

While I was incarcerated, I was able to focus on the results I wanted despite the chaos all around me.

And most importantly, I was able to embody the right mentality and energy I needed to become successful even when success was nowhere to be seen.

Prison was a classroom and I learned how to master myself in that setting.

By Sean Crane

B “I was able to harness powerful mental strategies that gave me complete control over my mental and emotional state.”

efore I was arrested I lacked discipline, focus, and self-control. And because of this, I wasn’t able to achieve the success I dreamt of. Being locked in that box taught me so much about life - and myself for that matter. I was forced to adapt and utilize my mind like never before!

It was either live in misery and feel like a victim of my circumstances; or develop a way to persevere despite my surroundings.

I was able to harness powerful mental strategies that gave me complete control over my mental and emotional state.

Despite my negative conditions I was able to form a renewed perspective that allowed me to remain positive and optimistic every day.

This helped me to control my emotions rather than be controlled by them.

I have three children, two that are in diapers and I run a coaching business that helps men all across the world.

Without my experience in prison, I would be struggling to balance my busy lifestyle.

And even more importantly, I would lack the joy and gratitude that so many of us lose to stress.

I guarantee these mindset strategies will help you to experience a more fulfilling life if you apply them.

“I guarantee these mindset strategies will help you to experience a more fulfilling life if you apply them.”

I didn’t spend my days dwelling on the past and growing depressed; nor was I wasting my time worrying about the future and consumed by anxiety or fear.

I was able to block out all distractions and take

48

Those same principles and strategies are now helping me to find success as an entrepreneur and family man.

www.DonnieBoivin.com

I will be sharing my “secrets’ at the Badass Business Summit in September. More importantly I will help you recognize areas of your life that you can apply these strategies immediately.

After my presentation I am confident you will be able to elevate your performance in your personal and professional life, enhance focus and discipline, increase your energy & mental bandwidth and create alignment to your best self despite the challenges you face every day.

Badass Business Summit Issue At 23, Sean Crane was sentenced to 7 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. With nothing positive to show for his life up to that point and a massive challenge ahead he had a decision to make.

Would he give up and let the rest of his life pass him by like the first 23 did or could he face his fears, fight through the pain and pursue the life he always wanted..

From a small cement box Sean was able to take control of his life.

He completely transformed his mentality, his routines, and the results he got in his life. “ In that cell I started to create the life of my dreams that I am able to live today.”

Sean Michael Crane is a life coach with an incredible story of perseverance and determination. He has used his hardships and life experience to reach others and inspire them to conquer their fears and pursue the life they have always dreamed of living just as he has.

“ If I did this from a prison cell, I promise you can take control of your life too! You deserve it and you are far more capable than you realize” !

Unleash Your Inner Badass

“More importantly I will help you recognize areas of your life that you can apply these strategies immediately.”

49

Success Champions our upcoming Badass Business Summitt ’21, is to understand your unique traits and incorporate them into more of what you regularly do.

Build your Badass Test Drive

By Tom Bloomer

H “In many encounters you may only have a minute or two to set yourself apart and create the desired follow-up.”

50

ave you ever bought a new car? While some of you may dread the experience, like my wife does, I have always enjoyed it and looked forward to my next new car purchase. Being in sales only added to my enjoyment, as I loved watching the dance.

If you have ever experienced it, I am sure you can probably guess the first step that car salesperson always wants to make. It’s getting you in a car. “Would you like to take a test drive?” Of course, you would, and of course, they want you to.

So, let’s talk about creating your own unique “test drive” experience.

The one that includes the best version of yourself and your brand. One which promises good things to come to the prospects who choose to become your customers.

What are you most passionate about? For many small business owners and entrepreneurs, it’s the service you provide.

The ability for your company to solve problems your prospects may have. Unfortunately, you may not be as passionate about helping them find you, choose you, or begin using you. The habit I would like to see you begin developing during

“You have the opportunity everyday to create a desire in others to take you for a TEST DRIVE” What unique gifts have you been blessed with?

These need to be a key part of each test drive you set up. Take a moment to think about your past successes. What comes to mind? Winning, earning, achieving, being recognized, or maybe simply being told you have done a great job at something.

What elements of your business brand are you most passionate about? You need to have your gifts and passion on full display for every prospect.

Why is this test drive so important? It is your opportunity to make sure the prospect: • Takes you seriously • Pays better attention • Actually considers your thoughts or proposal • Gains a desire to see and speak with you more often.

These are the four outcomes you need to achieve in your dealings with most people. In many encounters you may only have a minute or two to set yourself apart and create the desired followup. Unfortunately, too often, it may only be a short DM or opening of an email. Showing how you are uniquely different from many of the other people they meet today, is critical.

“Think about the ways you can best set yourself apart. Eye contact, listening skills, and an air of persistence are important and take no time to share.”

www.DonnieBoivin.com

Think about the ways you can best set yourself apart. Eye contact, listening skills, and an air of persistence are important and take no time to share. Enthusiasm and confidence should go without saying, but often result in failed attempts. if you are comfortable with polite humor, use it. If you have a strong intellect, bring it out. If you are knowledgeable about a relevant

Badass Business Summit Issue topic or product, show it.

If you are creative, use your creativity to set yourself apart. These are some of your strengths, and they need to be a part of your brand and this important test drive.

Using your strengths are how you develop the needed enthusiasm and confidence for the ultimate test drive experience for each prospect.

You are a Badass Business owner, show it. Martial artist Bruce Lee once said: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

If you want more clients, practice showing what will set your business apart from the rest. Use your gifts and your passions, create your own unique test drive and find prospects taking you more seriously and gaining in their desire to speak with you more often. Picture your last new car purchase. Did the test drive close the deal? Will you close your next deal? Author and sales coach Jeffrey Gitomer taught me many years ago in his Little Red Book of Selling.

“If you’re not on fire, you will lose to someone who is”

14% - 29% increased profit 3% - 7% higher customer engagement 9% - 15% increase in engaged employees There simply is a strong connection between strengths and engagement that is fundamental to the employee experience. You have all heard the saying that most people leave a job because of dissatisfaction with their manager, but unfortunately, most SMB’s are not positioned to do anything about it. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing”. Your goal should involve a plan to do something. So, what can make you a Great Leader? Let’s get started....

I look forward to help stoking your fire. To help you better sell and market your business. Say hello to me at the Summit and show me your “Badass Test Drive”

“If you want more clients, practice showing what will set your business apart from the rest.”

Do you believe that strong management can only be done

by Leaders. There are many important characteristics of management like communication, positivity, motivation, creativity, trustworthiness, commitment, and more. There are plenty of necessary skills such as delegating, evaluating, planning, goal setting, and more. Proven results only happen when those characteristics and skills are delivered by a well-trained Leader. A leader using their strengths and in tune with the strengths of their team. A Gallop research study recently showed this approach leads to: 10% - 19% increased sales

Unleash Your Inner Badass

51