Grow Today

Humans are emotional. Plain and simple. It’s what drives us to make decisions whether good or bad. What that means to you is if you can manage to trigger any one of our more key emotions, you can up your sales and increase your customer base.

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Though we are a complex species that tend to act irrational many times, we actually are quite predictable. This is a good thing for those of us that market our businesses because we can find and use certain triggers to elicit desired responses most of the time.

3 Buying Triggers

I have found over many years of being in sales that there are 3 buying triggers that always work very well. Each of them tap into the strong emotions and cause a desire to acquire from the customer. They are each listed below…

#1 Anticipation

The core purpose of anticipation is to simply make people wait so that they will want it more.

Movie companies are the kings of anticipation. You know teaser trailers, right? Before the movie is released they market to you with those amazing previews that make you wish the movie was already out.

Sometimes, without even having finished filming, movie studios get the buzz going years before a release. That’s because the more hype they generate, the more people are dying to get their hands on it. This summer alone is proof of its success. Age of Ultron, Fury Road and Jurassic World were all teased, and their opening box office numbers show just how desperate people were to finally get something they’d been told to wait for.

#2 Curiosity

Though not as fun as movie teaser trailers, the Information Gap Theory is nonetheless an important theory to read up on. In layman’s terms, it describes that when there’s a gap between what we want to know and what we know, we actively seek out the answers that are missing.

On top of this, seeking this info activates the pleasure centers in our brains, making it even more addicting to customers. The best case for this trigger are the controversies that pop up around popular brands.

Remember when Harry Potter was called out for promoting devil worship? While many knew people were upset, they didn’t know why, and that drove them directly into the waiting arms of the craze swirling around the brand, making it even more popular.

#3 Scarcity

No one wants things that everyone can have. After all, what status does it give you if you’re not the only one that has it?

Take collectables. To boost the price of something as simple as artist prints, they only make a certain number. Once those are gone, they’re gone. Because of this, they charge double because they can guarantee exclusivity. The less there is, the more valued it becomes by society.

Be careful with this trigger, however, as scarcity marketing can easily backfire. Something that is exclusive initially then floods the market will quickly be tossed aside because you’ve cheapened it’s perceived worth.

To promote scarcity, make the content available for only a limited time. However, stick to that time limitation or you will lose respect and integrity from those who purchased during the limited timeframe.

Be Intentional

Don’t ever assume that releasing something will warrant its purchase. You might get some bites here and there, but if you’re aiming for actual growth, it’s time to implement the tactics used by all the major brands.

Also, don’t just stick with one trigger, either. Challenge yourself or your marketing team to incorporate at least two to create an ongoing sales pitch that lasts until your next big release.

If you have never failed, then you have never tried. The fear of failure is something we all face. It’s a part of our lives and will always hold us back if we allow it to. The good news is there are ways I have found that help to overcome that fear and win!

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First, you should know that I’ve always been one that’s very ambitious but also one that could not stand the thought of failing. These two traits were not a good combination as it would hit me hard when something did not work out well. I would take it so personal and become so ashamed, that it would crush my spirit to where I would begin to doubt myself and my abilities.

Start Failing NOW!

No, that is not a typo. I really do want you to START FAILING but only because I know that it’s part of succeeding. You see, I found out a long time ago that successful people are not immune to failing. It’s actually part of their story.

It is a little known secret that on the road to success, failure is part of the journey. Most of the times, those that have done great things in life have failed. Sometimes, they have failed a lot too!

The reason they fail is because they give their dreams a try. They do not let the fear of failure stop them. They are actually more scared of what may never be. So my question to you is:

“How many things have never happened in your life simply because you were too afraid to start them?”

5 Famous People Who Have Failed in Life:

Walt Disney – Fired from a newspaper and told that he did not have any good ideas or imagination.

Elvis Presley – Fired from the Grand Ole Opry and was told to go back to truck driving.

Abraham Lincoln – Lost many elections on his way to becoming president.

Stephen King – First book Carrie was rejected over 30 times.

Bill Gates – First business with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen failed.

Now that you know failure is not exclusively designed for you, it’s time to talk about how to conquer them. Understand that harnessing the power of fear for your benefit is a great way to succeed. It all depends on how you use it.

4 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Failure:

Research your dream – Find out who your competition is and how you can be either better or unique. Don’t try to create another Wal-Mart out of the gate. Take the time to research and strategize your plans and then set achievable goals to get there.

Stop Comparing – Much of the fear people face comes from comparison. We look at all those that have made it in our dream career and lie to ourselves that we can never be as good as they are. Understand that you have your own journey and you are set apart to run your own race. Realize that all those that have succeeded never started where they are at right now. It was a climb.

Be Aggressive – Find the path you should travel and push through. Obstacles will always present themselves no matter which course you take. Being so, you have to be aggressive and conquer them one-by-one. Never back down!

Just GO FOR IT! – Did you know that most dreams are destroyed before they ever begin? Too often people become so scared that they allow hesitation to take the forefront and soon nothing is done. Not even the first step. Don’t be one of them. Start stepping!

You can and will do great things in your life. That is if you believe in and are committed to yourself. Always remember that your unique success is not based on others and it will never happen unless you start down YOUR path and living YOUR life.

Know that if you have a pulse, then you have a purpose. So get up, get going, and make it happen!

Have you ever traveled a career path only to encounter a cliff with no way to advance over to the other side (hypothetically of course)? If so, did you set up camp and think that this is as good as it gets or did you become determined to reach your destiny and started “bridging the gap” to your success?

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To be successful, you will find yourself in situations similar to this many times and will need to know how to build those much needed bridges. You’ll need to make those connections for when your road suddenly ends and you find yourself stuck. It is then that building a bridge to success will keep you moving forward and down your path to personal and professional victory!

My Own Bridge to Success

I’ve been faced with a few circumstances like this over the years but one of them changed the course of my life tremendously. It happened one night many years ago and I have never been the same. Thank goodness!

I was just out of school and working on my goal to be in law enforcement. (Yes, me in law enforcement. Just doesn’t seem right anymore, huh?) Everything was mapped out and I was only months away from making this goal become reality. That is until my accident.

In one night and with one major car wreck, my life was completely brought to a halt. Now faced with some physical limitations in my leg, I would not be able to pursue my goal. So I was then faced with figuring out my next move.

What was I to do? After many months of confusion and searching, I finally did what I am telling you. I rolled up my sleeves and started building a bridge to another goal, another dream, another life.

That dead-end was crushing but bridging that gap lead to an even better and absolutely more amazing life than I could dream at the time. It was a driving desire deep within myself that connected my “Then Life” to my “New Life”. And I’ve been thankful ever since!

5 points to help you bridge your gap to success:

Be determined to accomplish great things.

Be intentional about your goals and direction.

Allow your passion to energize your journey.

Hold onto the vision of where you want to go.

Constantly seek wisdom and knowledge that’s needed for advancement.

Move Forward!

So if you are ever faced with another dead-end on your road to victory, I encourage you to never give up or give in. Do not entertain the thought that you’ve gone as far as you can go.

Rather reject those thoughts and get excited knowing that there is a new journey waiting just on the other side of the gap. And all you need to do is build that bridge to success and continue moving forward!

There’s no doubt that selling is a well crafted art that takes talent and practice. Your skills will be refined over the years and through intentional learning you will get better. And because we sell to peoples’ emotions, there are limitless factors and influencers that differentiate each sell. However, there are some that stretch across the majority.

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When selling to a customer, no matter the product or service, you want to touch on their purchase points. These points are the keys that unlock the door to a sale with the ultimate goal of acquiring a faithful long term customer.

Quality is not King

One of the most common mistakes that a new entrepreneur makes is believing that product quality matters most. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Yes, you must have a good product that provides what you say it does. But the success of your business doesn’t rely on its quality but rather on your ability to sell it.

Just take a look at some of the major brands you buy every day. Probably the majority, if not all, of them are not necessarily the best quality product of its kind. However, they do a great job at earning your business. And they are greatly successful because of that.

Take for example, Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. I love their soft batch chocolate chip cookies with some good, cold milk. Mmmmmm. But are they the best quality cookies out there? No, not at all! However, they do deliver a good product at a price that makes me happy. And it’s their marketing that sells their cookies to me and the masses.

Now, please do not get me wrong. I’m not saying that you should not produce quality products or give high quality service. You should. But just doing that will not keep you in business. At the end of the day, you must sell what you have. And that’s why quality is not king. Selling is.

5 Tips to Sell More

So what are some ways that you can position your offer that will reach the majority of customers? Below are 5 of the biggest I have used in my career with tremendous success.

1. How: Benefits Trump Features

Customers don’t buy features. They don’t. What they do buy though are the transformational benefits. It matters more to them that your product can better their life in “X” way, or save them “X” amount of time, or give them a better “X” experience.

Because of that, stop selling them on the specifics but rather sell them on the transformation they will receive from using your product or service.

2. Trust: In the Friend Zone

Think of someone you know that you go to for advice? I bet it is probably a friend or family member. Why is that? Because you trust what they have to say. They have your best interest at heart and will tell you the truth because they want to help.

That’s the same with customers. You need to reach the “Friend Zone” so they will trust what you are selling them. But never abuse that trust. Bond that micro friendship with integrity and honesty. By doing this, you’ll create returning customers for years to come.

3. Laughter: The Barrier Buster

Humans are emotional beings and unfortunately it doesn’t take long after being born for us to be lied to, lied about, taken advantage of, and mislead. Because of that, we tend to shop with barriers so that nothing or nobody will cause us more pain.

So how do you bust through their emotional barriers? A quick and highly effective way is with laughter. Laughing releases endorphins which is simply a feel-good chemical. When you make a customer laugh, it makes them feel good. And because it is you making them feel good, they subconsciously begin to like you and tear down their barriers.

4. WOW: It’s the little things

Ever heard that it’s the little things in life that matter most? Well, it’s true with selling as well. Those little extra things you include with your product or service that they didn’t even know about, gives them a “Wow!” moment. And those moments are money!

Maybe it’s a small 2% “Thank You” discount included in the payment. Or maybe it’s an extra week of service that wasn’t mentioned. And it could even be sending a handwritten follow up note that they wouldn’t get from a competitor of yours.

It doesn’t have to be big nor does it need to be costly. Get creative and start “wowing” your customers. It’s those little things that drive even greater sales.

5. Beyond Satisfied: Customer satisfaction is not enough

Want to stand out in the minds of your customers? Then give them an unforgettable experience. Get out of the mindset of just providing customer satisfaction and challenge yourself to exceed their expectations.

You see, anyone can “satisfy” a customer. It’s done every day by simply offering a good product at a low price. The customer gets what they want and is satisfied. But to take that a huge step forward and move beyond satisfaction is what will leave a lasting impression and reason for them to return.

When I was a young boy, my parents took me to a science museum one Saturday. Upon arriving, I was quickly in complete awe of all the amazing and fun exhibits. There was a large water tornado, some full size dinosaur displays, and even an indoor hot-air balloon. But there was another exhibit that I found fascinating and is  actually a perfect example for team unity.

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This particular exhibit was a tall and massive collection of metal rods and gears. It probably stood two stories tall and on top was a single large bulb. At the bottom, was a single wheel with a knob. As it was turned, it put this masterpiece of a  machine into motion creating the energy needed to light the bulb.

Gears and Rods

That exhibit is much like our teams. The many gears and rods are examples of the many different individuals that make up your team. They are all connected and designed for a single purpose. That purpose is to produce what’s needed (energy) for the business to succeed (light bulb). And it’s up to you, as the leader, to put the team into motion.

You see, for that machine to light the bulb, every part had to work in unison. Each gear and each rod had a different role but all of them were working together. As one gear turned, so did another, and another. As they all turned, the connected rods moved up and down and side to side putting even more gears into rotation.

Engaged and Productive

Now an engaged and productive team is much more complex than a exhibit of gears and rods. However, they are similar in the fact that every part has an important role in the overall purpose. If one breaks down, this causes the whole motion of the group to be directly affected.

So how do you build and keep a team unified? Let’s take a look at just 3 of the top ways.

3 Keys for Building Team Unity

Precision Alignment: A team that is in alignment with the vision, direction, and values of the company will be extremely productive and motivated.

Vision: One team, one dream. Be repetitive with the company vision and help them take personal ownership in making it happen.

Direction: Get everyone energized and headed in the same direction. Keep them on track and on target.

Values: Your team must have the core values of the company or there will be friction on the journey.

Grow together: A team that grows together produces an energy and momentum immensely greater than when done individually.

Feedback: Get them to build each other through friendly feedback. Nobody knows your business better than your team. Get them sharing among themselves on how to refine their skills and abilities.

Reciprocity: As one gives, the other feels the need to give back more. If you can get this started within a team, exponential grow will take place.

Education: Invest in their learning and allow them to do this in groups. From classes to books, get them learning together.

Build Community: Humans are relational and desire to be apart of a community. Create this environment and you will have highly driven teams.

Collaboration: The collective work of a group builds momentum. Individuals working in unison on projects, builds community.

Celebration: Take time to have fun and enjoy life together. Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and other achievements.

Communication: Create an open dialogue with everyone and encourage the same among the team. This is much easier when collaboration and celebration have been established.

Team Unity Success

A team unified is a team that is set up for success. Each member will be solopreneurs working collectively in the community for a grand purpose. Momentum and passion will occur through growth and all will be rewarded for their diligence and dedication.

As you are aware, selling is an art that’s crafted through education and experience. It takes time and training to master the process. And though there are different styles of selling, there are some basics that seem to work well for most. These are grouped into three parts that when implemented, can produce great results!

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Before we jump into these import parts of selling, it must be said that there is a difference between skillfully selling and order taking. Selling is the journey you take with a customer that produces an unforgettable and favorable experience. Order taking is simply a transaction with no adventure. The first gains loyalty. Now let’s take a look into the three essential parts of a selling journey that potentially can lead to much greater sales. Do understand that this is not an all inclusive listing for each section, though it is a great start for most.

#1 = Approach

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You only have one chance to make a first impression. So make it count.” Though that can be applied to almost anything, it resonates greatly with your business and your customers. And selling starts with approach.

How you approach a customer will never be the same for each one. You must quickly adapt and learn to “read” swiftly as they draw near. However, you can use the following 5 steps as a starting point for a positive approach in many cases.

5 Steps To A Positive Approach

Smile: Non-verbal communication makes up most of your connection. And it starts with your facial expression. Smiling sets people at ease and is a silent invite to connect.

Greet: Extend a greeting of “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” to all you meet. This instantly puts a positive tone on the meet up.

Welcome: During the approach, a solid and genuine welcome goes a long way. If they walk into your store, welcome them there. Say something like, “Welcome to ____.”

Introduce: Never miss the opportunity to introduce yourself. This gives you the easiest way to learn their name which you will want to remember and use later in the interaction.

Question: Give them a chance to state their reason of interest. Do this by a simple question.

So an example approach would be: [with a smile] “Good morning and welcome to ABC Store! My name is Jason.” [wait for their name] “It’s a pleasure to meet you Allison. What may I assist you with today?”

#2 = Align

Have you ever had a car that was in bad need of an alignment? Yea, it stinks to try and travel any distance when it is not aligned because there is a resistance that is constantly happening.

This is the same with selling. For an enjoyable and frictionless sales journey, you must get into alignment with your customer. Once done, you both will enjoy the ride and may even travel further into a larger purchase.

3 Ways to Align With Customers

Fully Focused: During your time together, that customer is the most important thing to you. Give him or her full attention and focus on what they say both verbally and nonverbally. Look them in the eyes when talking and resist the urge to glance elsewhere.

Ask Questions: Questions are the keys that unlock reasons of purchase. When you ask great questions, you gain great insight. This will also help you gain trust from the customer because you are showing them you care about their wants and needs.

Bridge Building: Because we are bodies of emotion, we love to make connections. Find a way to connect with your customers each time. One easy way is to simply call them by name. When you do this, it tells them you cared enough to learn and remember their name. Another fantastic way is through laughter. With every interaction, find a way to laugh and get your customer laughing with you. Laughter is one of these most powerful emotions and once you share a laugh or two, there is a bond formed between you and them. A by product of this is trust and people buy from those they trust.

#3 = Action

Once you aligned with your customer, you then move into the third stage. This is where the sale actually happens and you move your customer into Action.

Oddly, I have witnessed many times a great Approach and Alignment but when it comes to moving the customer into Action, the sales rep shuts down.

3 Steps to Action

Benefits over Features: A major part of the selling process is understanding why the customer wants to purchase. You should gain that insight through alignment questions. If you did, then you can speak to the benefits of what you are offering. You see, no one buys because of the features. They buy because of what it does for them…the benefits.

Visualize the Transformation: Once they understand the benefits your product or service offers, it’s easier for them to visualize the positive transformation they will gain. Be sure to help them in this and provide examples of just how different and better their life will become from the transformation that is gain through your offer.

Invite them to Purchase: The invitation to purchase should always be offered. Even if they had already mentioned a lack of interest in immediate purchase. Also, even though other customers will tell you they want your offer without the invitation, always try to offer the invite. It adds to the enjoyment of the experience. This makes it exciting and it even helps those that may have reservations make a move to purchase. And it’s not hard to do.

The Sales Challenge

Ask yourself if you or your team is executing these properly and effectively. Find the opportunities to improve and challenge each other to raise your level of excellence. Focus in on one area and see how you can tweak it for best results.

Do some A/B split testing as well. See which way works best and gets the greatest results. Record your results and share with others. Collaborate and progress as a team, fine tuning your 3 A’s and increasing your sales.

Years ago I sold cars for a living. It was a job I thoroughly loved because I enjoyed both selling and vehicles. This combination contributed to my being one of the top performing sales consultants each month. Now, many years later, I’m still learning valuable lessons from those days.

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I was fortunate to work for the top automotive group in our region. Being so, I and the other consultants experienced what it’s like to be apart of an award winning team year after year. And we didn’t get those awards by accident either. It was all due to an ongoing, finely tuned, high performance team training.

The Team Machine

What I learned was that your team is the machine that makes it all happen. This company knew its position in the market rode on the success of its consultants. That’s why they took every opportunity to fine tune our abilities so that we were a high performing machine.

As an entrepreneur, you are the driver of the vehicle. However, it is the engine that makes it move. If you have any breakdowns in the engine, then you’re stuck. Your company’s performance simply relies on the output of it’s team.

That being the case, you want to build a high performing team. Not only that, you also want to get top performance from them. And just as you wouldn’t purchase a Mercedes SL AMG Roadster (which is REALLY nice by the way) and then neglect it, neither should you put together a great team and neglect them.

So let’s take a look at 3 powerful parts to building and maintaining a high performance team machine…

3 Key’s to High Performance Teams

Invest: A powerful motivator is to invest in someone. We are emotional beings and if you invest in your team members, they will want to reciprocate. And they do this by giving back even more. But please, oh please don’t be like a man I worked for a while back and say “I invest in my employees by giving them a paycheck.” That’s not investing. That’s just purchasing someone’s time.

How: Pay for advanced training and not something that is just particular to your product. Let this be a life elevating experience.

Inspire: A top characteristic of great leaders is the ability to inspire. One great way to do this is from investing in them. People want to be apart of something great and are looking for someone to take them there. It’s our nature to give more of ourself when we are passionate about something and are attached to it emotionally. So if you can inspire your team and connect their passion to your goal, you will gain even more productivity and performance from them.

How: Constantly share the vision while showing them how it will enrich their lives and the lives of their family for being apart of it. Make it life changing.

Influence: If you invest and inspire your team then you will gain influence. And as John Maxwell is known for saying, “Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.” Once you establish a positive influence with your team, you create a machine that is virtually unstoppable.

How: Engage with them constantly. Let them know you care about what they do and how you greatly value their participation. Tell them how they are instrumental to the vision and that together the goal will be accomplished.

As with any high performance vehicle, to keep it running at top performance, it takes intentional attention. Continually invest in your team. Keep inspiring them to do their best work. And lead them with positive influence so that you all may reach great accomplishments and capture success.

As you know, business success doesn’t just happen by luck. It takes hard work, determination, and a lot of perseverance to make it come alive. And one key feature of a well organized and managed company of any magnitude, is the design and implementation of Success Systems.

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These types of systems can take a daily operation and turn it into a rhythmic task with higher efficiency. Understand that you can’t expect to achieve great results by simply “winging it.” That may work in some instances but not for the sustainability and growth of a truly successful business.

Unlimited Possibilities

So what are some systems you can implement? These can be anything from company wide payroll to key employee meetings or from product deliverables to customer generations. The possibilities are unlimited and so are the outcomes.

The good news is that there are many types of ways to effectively systematize your business. The hard part is actually implementing them. And just as there are numerous kinds of businesses in the world, there are even more ways systematize them.

Two Major Parts of a Business Success System

At its core, a Success System really only consists of two elements: Rhythm Points and Consistency. From there they are differentiated by the needs they are designed to handle.

Utilizing these two elements well will greatly enhance and enable your system’s effectiveness. Below is just a brief explanation of each.

Rhythm Points – Just as drum beats keep the tempo of a song, so does Rhythm Points keep a system on track and alive. Rhythm is natural to us all as our heart beats in rhythm. We can even increase or decrease for needed productivity. So can this be done with your well designed success system. Rhythm Points causes a system to be productive and efficient.

Consistency – Though very similar to rhythm, it’s what makes a rhythm continue and what causes it to be successful. Because of consistency, we gain a trust in the system that it will always produce a certain output. Those outputs create expected metrics. These metrics give us insight and insight helps us know how to grow.

As you can see, rhythm produces efficiency while consistency creates growth. Both working harmoniously leads you and your business down the road to great success.

Just a few years ago I entered into a downward spiral in my career which quickly crashed into my life and and wreaked my health. I was at a company that was failing but the worst part is that I was in a career that was sucking the joy and passion right out of me. By the time I started to hit bottom is when I finally started becoming intentional with my life and getting clear with what I wanted to do. That’s when I learned how powerful living in a state of awareness can be.

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Many things happened during that time in both my professional and personal life. But through conscious efforts to understand who I was, what I wanted, where I was, and where I wanted to be, it was only then that I began to make positive progress. Because of that awareness, I am finally living and doing what I was designed for and my life has never been sweeter!

Brutal Honesty for Clear Awareness

Having a clear awareness sounds simple enough but it actually can be a little tricky. That’s because we are simply not always honest with ourselves. Sometimes we mask or overlook our faults. Then other times we go to the opposite side of the spectrum and exaggerate our failures.

Another major factor is that we are so accustomed to who we have become and with all that is around us. Due to this, we fail to see some of the negative effects on our life by the environment we have created. Both at work and at home.

This is why clear awareness is tricky. You have to be brutally honest with yourself. Because full awareness is the beginning of positive change.

SWOT It Out

Being a business guy, when I decided to become more aware of myself, it was natural for me to perform a SWOT analysis.  I figured we do this for our businesses all the time and really, it’s a beautiful way to gain a legitimate awareness of who we are as well. Because let’s face it, in reality we are all solopreneurs as we trade our services for something we need and want, right?

So what I encourage you to do is take some time in the next couple of hours to do a SWOT analysis of yourself. Use the questions below to help you get started. But be HONEST and be as detailed as you can. The more detailed your SWOT, the more awareness you’ll gain.

Strengths

Questions: What are the things that you are particularly great at doing? What do you love doing the most?

Examples: Leadership, Communication

Weaknesses

Questions: What are the things that you tend to struggle to do? What do you love doing the least?

Examples: Accounting, Budgeting

Opportunities

Questions: What areas are you decent in that you can work on? What are you capable of doing more of that helps your team?

Examples: Employee engagement, Networking

Threats

Questions: What are possibilities that can cause you to fail? What are the issues that can become detrimental to your success?

Examples: Self doubt, High anxiety

Environmental Persuasion

Outside of who you are, another major factor in your life is the environment in which you live and work. It’s imperative to identify who you are but just as important is knowing your environmental persuasions. Because every environment is either draining or enriching your life.

Your environment motivates you in a direction but it may not always be in a positive one. The question is if that direction is where you want to go.

It’s important that you create an environment that is conducive to positive growth. Just as different plants require different soil, light, and temperatures to grow to their max potential, so do you need to have the right environment as well if you wish to build a life of great significance.

When building a business, there are many things to consider. So much so that even the very basics can get lost in the hustle. But one of the things you should never skip over is identifying your motives and motivations. And not just identifying yours, but also your teams’ and customers’ as well!

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When you acquire a firm understanding of these two things, it sets a solid foundation for success to be built. Once you identify these insights, you can better lead your business forward into prosperity.

Identifying Motives & Motivations

Motives and motivations are similar as they are both elements of the reason something is obtained. However, they are different in the fact that one starts you down a journey while the other keeps you going. And knowing them both very well will help you move closer toward success.

To put it simply… Motive is why you start. Motivation is why you finish.

As entrepreneurs, we all have different motives and motivations. As you take time to think through what they are, you need to also be sure you identify possible motives and motivations of your team members and customers.

If you are able to clearly list them out, then you are well on your way to success!

Some Thoughts to Help You Get Started

Below, I have listed out some questions and examples to help you start identifying motives and motivations. Notice they are separated into three core groups. Take a moment to go through these and then get a clean writing document open and start brainstorming your own answers.

YOU

Motive = What is your motive for being an entrepreneur?

Desire to build your own business.

Have an idea for a great product.

Motivation = What motivates you to build it?

Not working for someone else.

Creating more wealth.

TEAM

Motive = What is their motive for working with you?

To have a job they enjoy.

To help make a difference.

Motivation = What is their motivation?

Compensation & Benefits

Recognition

CUSTOMER

Motive = What is the customer’s motive for their purchase?

To get something they need.

To get something they want.

Motivation = What is their motivation for purchasing from your business?

They believe in the brand.

They receive an excellent experience.

A positive environment is a productive environment. And for entrepreneurs, it is critical you create one that allows you to S.O.A.R. It doesn’t happen through default, but by pure intentionality. Successful entrepreneurs understand the power and energy of a productive environment.

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Your environment is the collection of influences in which you reside. It masterfully controls your outcomes through emotional conduction. You abide by its parameters and prosper in its giving. But just the same, an environment that is depressive and binding will cripple your success.

Entrepreneurial Environment

If you live in an environment of positive influence, then congratulations because you are highly likely to achieve your dreams and goals. However, just the opposite is true for those in a confined and negative environment. They are enslaved in a daily grind that produces little to no fruit and so they become a company that starves.

Entrepreneurs that live here, never break through their mental barriers and SOAR. They lose focus and flounder in despair. But that doesn’t have to be the case. YOU control your environment and YOU have the ability to craft it for productive excellence. The question is, “Will you?”

An Environment to S.O.A.R.

What does it take to create a positive and productive environment for entrepreneurial success? There are many factors but I have crafted 4 of the most important ones into the acronym, S.O.A.R. and listed them out below…

Sacrifice: Are you able to give up to go up?

Success does not happen without sacrifice. If you want to create anything of significance, then you must be willing to trade up. This means giving up something of value for something of greater value in the future.

For us as entrepreneurs, the largest sacrifice is usually our time. But this will be very difficult if you do not have an environment that welcomes this needed sacrifice for success.

Optimistic: Do you see things done to you or for you?

Find and take hold of an optimistic mindset. From professional connections to personal growth, develop an environment that welcomes optimism. Stop looking at bad experiences as something done to you but rather look for ways you can learn and grow from them.

Learning from bad experiences is a fantastic teacher and elevator to success. Design an optimistic perspective for everything in life and start watching great opportunities begin to appear.

Agile: Are you free to move and groove towards success?

As new opportunities present themselves, you should be agile enough to quickly adapt and change to capture them. Our world is constantly evolving at a quick pace and you must position yourself to act and capture opportunities accordingly.

If your environment is restrictive and/or depressive, then you will not be able to “move and groove” very easily. To make things happen, the ties must be loosened so that positive changes can quickly take place.

Resilience: Can you comeback from a setback?

The journey of success is not an easy one and never for the faint hearted. It takes courage and resilience. You simply must be capable of bouncing back when knocked down.

Just as a baseball is designed to bounce back into shape after a hard hit, so should you bounce back from a tough blow. Your resilience will set the stage for a greater comeback after a temporary setback.

Entrepreneurs are visionaries and doers that have grand dreams of building, creating, and achieving great things in life. Our minds race with visions that dance day and night never giving rest, yet leaving us electrified and wanting to do more. However, the visions we have can never be accomplished alone and so we must impart that vision, that dream, that excitement into a motivated and determined team.

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The vision for our business is the story of our legacy. They begin and end with a desire and can take alternate paths to obtain victory. As we navigate through our journey, it is imperative that our team is on the same ship with us and not routing their own paths.

You First

Before you can expect a team of motivated professionals to share your vision and partake in the journey, you must give them someone they WANT to follow. This is why you must be intentional on Personal Growth if you want Professional Success. They go hand-in-hand.

The traits for a leader that others gladly follow are many. But there are 3 that seem to top everyone’s lists. They are:

Integrity

Competent

Motivational

“See the vision. Seek the team.” – Jason Hoover

Leading the Vision

For a team to share in the vision and have the passion for it as you do, they first must see it just as clearly if not more so. This is why a leader has to cast a HD VISION (Highly Defined Vision). It needs to be communicated in detail from what the end looks like, to where you currently are, and how you intend to get there. Never leave any part of the vision up to interpretation.

Repetition is essential. You should communicate the vision with your team constantly. Just as a space shuttle adjusts its course many times to reach its destination, so should you develop a rhythm of monitoring, calculating, and adjusting your path. But remember to adjust the course, don’t change the destination.

Vision Buy-In

So how are you to get a group of individuals to buy into your vision? You simply must build a solid relationship with them. Understand that a team must first believe in the leader before they believe in the vision. You do that through connection.

You must connect with your team so they can connect with your vision. Also, not everyone will share the passion for your vision and that’s okay. Depending on the circumstance and their role, you may need to let them leave and find their own passion elsewhere.

There are many ways to reach a solid and powerful connection with your team. Here are 5 of the top ways:

Do what you say and communicate what you do.

Invest in their growth and success. Let them know you care about their advancement.

Make the vision sing. What is the tonality of your vision?

Be the standard of the results you desire. You set the “lid” for your business growth.

Be fair. Nothing will destroy a team quicker than favoring one team member over others.

Rhythm by Patrick Thean hits on the importance of having not only consistency in your business, but creating a Think, Plan, and Do Rhythm. This keeps all on track and focused on what matters while advancing your business into and through each growth stage you encounter.

Commun.it is the master Twitter management tool. From Identifying unfollowers to new leads, it will help you grow a quality following and connect with great like-minded individuals in your niche.

Try It Today!

A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault.

As always, Simon Sinek makes a strong point in this TED talk. In our businesses, we must always lead from the heart and never manage from authority.

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell is loaded with fantastic wisdom for helping you experience true growth within. With laws such as Intentionality, Reflection, and Design, you are sure to acquire a deeper understanding of who you are and what you were designed to accomplish.