 Attribution: Seth Godin "What To Do When It's Your Turn" I've recently read, Seth Godin's "What To Do When It's Your Turn (and it's always your turn)" - click here if you're interested. The message, as I understand it, is around being brave enough to step up and take your turn in life, rather than waiting to be asked - basically the cost of a fear-based life v the benefits of bravery and freedom. The eclectic fonts, anecdotal wisdom, unusual imagery, pace and general sense of disjointedness of the book made me feel, well in truth kinda old (definitely not hipster) and also a little frustrated (I am a bookkeeper, after all, so I like all to match up nicely). But there was one chapter that stood out for me and has bounced around in my head for the last few weeks.   Good question, Seth. Good question. By all means take it very seriously and do our best, but don't take it personally.
This particular chapter resonated with me and has made me realise that I have inadvertently tangled up my basic self-worth with my work and I'm guessing I am not alone. You only have to stand around a few sizzling sausages at a BBQ on the weekend and pretty much the first question anyone you've just met asks, "So what do you do?" As a society we look to our work-life performance as a worthiness gauge. There is a plus side of appending the two - for me, it makes me work hard (prove, prove, prove), and always seek to do my best. The downside - well actually there's a few. And they outweigh the good really. 1. We all make mistakes. Everyone does. Everyone. But if you're taking it personally, it obviously cuts deeply. " I am hopeless" or "I am useless" ...that kind of self-talk. Never useful. In an industry that's complex, dynamic and compliant-based, broad- brushing errors onto our self-worth is not the path to learning nor happiness. 2. If you're self-worth is hooked to your work life, then it's a never-ending round-a-bout that you must jump on every single day to keep re-proving that you are a 'good' or worthy person. You can't just rely on how you went yesterday, or last quarter, every single day, every single client interaction is about demonstrating again and again that you're good enough and that becomes exhausting. And it's actually impossible. 3. It's also stifling because, to paraphrase Seth, taking it personally means we become fearful of looking stupid and therefore, prefer to retract and hide - diminish ourselves. You're too scared to ask, because that question might be dumb (side note: there are no dumb questions), which, when you're taking it personally, translates to - ' I am dumb'. It robs us of our braveness and restricts our capacity to grow. And really growth is all about learning, stumbling, asking questions, falling flat on our face, standing up again, brushing off and keeping on, keeping on. But if in the falls, we say to ourselves ' I'm hopeless', we weaken our ability to rise again - and as we know fortune favours the brave. So this little gem in all the uncomfortable mixed font and hipster images for me was, exploring how we guard the space between showing up and doing our best at work, that is - be a professional, and who we are as basically good and worthy humans. I'm not there yet, but I'll keep you posted. So go forth and be professional! Be brave, TAKE YOUR TURN without being asked to, but remember, deep down, you're awesome just as you are! A shout out to Unicorn Business Solutions for giving me the book - meet them here. Gabrielle Osborne (BAcc) is a small business specialist who loves to help business owners focus on what they do best. An innovation enthusiast and determined problem-solver, Gabrielle is also fun to work with. e: [email protected] m: 0410 546 000
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"Be Yourself, Because Everyone Else Is Taken" - Tips On Positioning You and Your Practice.14/7/2016   Widely attributed, but never proven as an Oscar Wilde quote, there is, nonetheless, no doubt that this message is more important today than ever. In an era where the number of social media users is approaching 2.5billion, getting yourself or your practice noticed has never been harder. Yet, with an audience that large (about 1/3 of the global population) it has also never been more crucial. In the 1990's (*reveals age somewhat) I worked in a marketing agency. One of my major clients was Pepsi Cola, perhaps the corporate world's longest-suffering runner up. Like any solid competitor, it meant they had to find ways to fight harder, be more innovative and, of most relevance to this post, develop their unique positioning in the eyes of their consumers. In fact, a 1970's Pepsi Cola campaign is recognised as one of the earliest examples of brand positioning. Understanding the difficulties of competing head to head with a global mega brand, they had to create a new niche. Their launch of 7-up as the 'UnCola' was a pioneering play in brand positioning. Read more about it here As explained by Brian Sutter in the previous link, brand positioning is about your audience's perception of you or your practice. Back in my day, it was all about your brand's USP (Unique Selling Position) and while these two concepts are undoubtedly related, the difference is that your USP focuses on the attributes of your product or service, that is to say somewhat 'sales focused', whereas your positioning is client-facing - that is, how you position yourself so that your clients see you distinctly in the market-place. I literally think of it as 'what position do you want to occupy in the minds of people'? When they think of you, what attributes come up? Successful global examples are - Volvo and 'safety', Subway and 'Eat Fresh' and the classic competitor positioning, Avis - 'We Try Harder' . So, no panics - it's a matter of breaking it down and knowing where to start? Whether you're considering yourself (a personal brand) or your practice, the principles are the same. Ultimately, you need to develop an authentic brand positioning that speaks to your audience and then reinforce it on every level of your communication. Here's a few tips and resources to get you started. Step 1: Start with what sets you apart. What do you continually get complimented on? What do you naturally do that other people think is great? What could you lose an afternoon immersed in? You need to get a bit awkward and ask your family, friends and colleagues what they think are your key strengths, particularly for a personal brand. You could also ask your long-standing clients why they love working with you and your firm. We need to ask others because our talents and strengths aren't obvious to us, it's just part of who we are, it's what we do. You could also try Marcus Buckingham's Strength Finder here. Look for patterns in your feedback. Are their clusters of words - and how do they flow into your practice? Is it the gentle yet firm way you keep your clients compliant? Is it that you can always be relied upon to get the job done? Do your peers turn to you because of your reputation as a generous mentor? Is it the way you constantly come up with new efficiencies for your clients? Maybe you're just so dang pleasant to deal with? A recurring theme for me in this exercise from family and friends was ' good dancer' - not that useful, but, hey, good to know! Step 2: Use information about your talents, abilities and uniqueness to develop your positioning. Hey, you say, I'm way too small to have a brand - but let me tell you, right now, at this very moment, big multi-nationals are spending gazillions of their marketing budget trying to understand how they can position themselves to appear as a small, niche business just like yours. You see social media, lets us talk to an engaged target market. Whereas, big multi-nationals have historically had the upper-hand in pre-social media channels such as traditional tv ads, social media enables ALL size businesses to have a connection with responsive markets. Greater engagement= greater results. I love this line from Jason Demers, "Specificity is a trade of volume for significance" Another way of saying it is, don't try to get the whole world to like you, focus on communicatig to your people, your tribe, your peeps. The part of the market that your positioning resonates with. You can read Jason's article on personal branding here. So embrace your smallness, consider it an advantage and set about developing and communicating your brand. Knowing some key strengths and abilities - think about what kind of website will support this positioning? What colours? What writing style? Choose a profile picture that you feel captures this and be consistent across all social media channels. Think about what content will confirm and reinforce your positioning? The key words here are consistency and authenticity. There's no need to pretend to be loud and extroverted, if your true strength lies in your introverted and quite persistence. Branding and positioning distinguish us from our competition. As human beings we are hard-wired to notice what is different. In a world where we are bombarded daily by thousands of advertising messages every single day, differentiation is crucial to your branding success. Click here for another great resource. As Dr Suess put it, ' No-one is more you than you' . Find some keywords that capture your or your firm - ideally be able to express your positioning in a sentence or two. Step 3: Now Get Amongst It! You can ask around, formulate an amazing brand positioning but ultimately you gotta put it out there so you can connect with your customers. Share your enthusiasm, demonstrate your skills, abilities and knowledge, keep reminding your audience of your strengths and re-iterating your uniqueness. Ideally aim for weekly engagement, but don't over-think it. You don't have to alter the spin of earth with every single post. It's consistency of new content that is the key, particularly as Google loves frequent updates so it assists with your rankings. Read more about the benefits of fresh content by clicking here. And lastly, some tips - the ABC of positioning: A is for authentic. It must resonate with you. It's not what you wish you were. #keepin'itreal B is for branding. Everything you do must support this positioning. From the fonts you chose, the colours on your website, the language-style you write in and the social media platforms you use. C is for character It's all about PERSONALITY NOT PERFECTION. Revealing some human-ness, some flaws, some humour and some vulnerability (authentically, of course), helps people to connect with you. In fact, developing a brand personality including showing some vulnerability and humanness can work to your benefit - click here to read more. Got you thinking? Let me know your thoughts about positioning statement. And gratuitously, here's me in an apparent strength - having a dance with my family a few years ago!! WARNING: Can't be unseen! Click here. If you've got no idea, where to start with getting online, click here for a recent post I wrote about getting your business on-line.
 Here we are again in the midst of the crazy end of financial year period. I am trying so hard this year to avoid the usual pitfalls. You know the one's - eating the food pyramid in reverse, sitting so long that the back of your thighs prefer to stay with the seat of the chair when you finally remember to leave, thinking, 'I'll just get this done, then shower", and then looking up to see the sun setting out the window. In the past, at this time of the year, I've hunched over my computer in such a bad posture for such a long period, that I lost the feeling in the little finger of my right hand (true story), and another year, clenching my teeth so hard my jaw locked (another true story). And let's not even start on the infuriating emails we all know so well at this time of the year that start with, " I am not meaning to hassle you but when will my Group Certificate be ready?" and desperately fighting the urge to reply "PAYMENT SUMMARY! It is called a Payment Summary!! " (add in your own expletives) and smugly sliding that person to the bottom of the list. I am determined to get through this year more calmly with my health and sanity intact. And, of course, be super productive. Like all of us, I have developed a few good habits over the years to be more effective and productive.
All good intentions, right? But here's the thing, I multi-task. All the time. It's my modus operandi. I am peeling potatoes, trying to figure out what conjunctive adverbs are for the eldest child's homework, with Facebook open on my i-pad while mentally planning whose Payment Summaries I'll tackle first tomorrow. I'm not the lone multitasker. I mean who amongst us hasn't proudly boasted to a colleague or, even better, a potential new employer that we are 'excellent multitaskers'? Isn't it a good thing? Well apparently not anymore. Multi is gone ... and now it's all about the Mono. No, not eyebrows - but monotasking. Monotasking. In a nutshell focusing on one activity at a time. Just one thing. Kind of the close cousin of mindfulness whose focus is more on emotional awareness. If you're watching TV, don't look at LinkedIn. If you're chatting to a friend, put down your phone and give them your full attention. If you're working on a project, shut down emails and Facebook and just focus. It's harder than it sounds, in a world where we are so connected and available and bombarded. More and more, research is showing that multi-tasking, is not only ineffective but actually not good for our brains - and that the constant switching between activities depletes it. We might feel like we're achieving more but the reality is that we not only get less done but are more likely to make errors. Read a great article here published in the New York Times. So there in lies my new challenge - monotasking. I'm giving it a whirl, and I'll let you know. Yours in Mono-ness Gabrielle  Gabrielle Osborne (BAcc) is a small business specialist who loves to help business owners focus on what they do best. An innovation enthusiast and determined problem-solver, that's fun to work with.
e: [email protected] m: 0410 546 000   1. "What have you got to say?" Identify your point of difference. Before, you put it all out there, let's have a serious moment - make sure you're compliant. There is a level of competence required if you're going to launch yourself out to the world. If you're intending to offer BAS Services, you need to ensure you are a registered BAS Agent. That's the law in Australia. Click here for more information. From there, you need to, firstly, think about what makes you or your practice different to the next bookkeeper/BAS Agent. Saying you are proficient and experienced, just won't cut it. Take a moment to reflect on what you do that's different to other businesses in your space. This is really key to finding your cut-through, your unique voice in the big wide world web. Is it the industry you specialise in? Is it your amazing ability to break down complex ideas into simple language? Are you a systems guru? Is it the one accounting programme you are an expert in ? Or the fact you know how to use a lot of them? Is the proof in the pudding the huge number of clients you have or the fact you're small and boutique? Also think about what people compliment you on? Often what we take for granted about ourselves, because it's easy for us, is in fact a strength and point of difference. Why do you do what you do? Click here to watch a great TED Talk about finding your Why. 2. "Who are you talking to?" Define and engage your target market. There's plenty of work out there. The challenge is defining who needs your unique services and offerings (your target market) and how to reach them, because right now, in this very moment, they might be looking for you. Point one (above) should naturally should give you an idea of your target market. Whether it's builders, retail stores, medical practices, a geographical region or training colleagues in the industry, you need to speak their language. 3."Hello, can you hear me?" Get over it and get online. Did you know right now there are about 876,812,666 websites. This says two things; one, you've got to find your unique voice (point of difference) to cut-through the masses, and two, don't over think it. As the great sage, Nike once said - "Just Do It". Don't get too caught up in over-thinking every word, second-guessing yourself and freezing up. The whole world is not watching, and it takes time to build up some traction. So just make a start. A great place to start if you're feeling daunted is a Facebook Business Page. Invite family and friends, post regularly and ask them to share. You can also easily create a Facebook Event in your area. If you're even half tech savvy use a website template such as Weebly, Wix or Squarespace to build a simple website. There is no need to know how to code and it's relatively easy to hook these up to your other online activities such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Give it a whirl - you might surprise yourself. You can really get away with just three pages - a Home Page where you clearly communicate your point of difference (even better if you can get some client testimonials on here), a page to Blog and get your story out there and a Contact page so your tribe can get in touch. Think about the lay-out, the colours, the fonts, the content in the context of your target market. Speak the language of your people. If the thought of doing it yourself is overwhelming and going to stop you, then get someone to build it for you. Get a quote, as it really shouldn't be an expensive exercise these days (have a look at fiverr herre - see what I did there?) and make sure you communicate to the website developer your vision of your brand and target market. Then make it happen. Regularly. Consistently. Confidently. Your next client is trying to find you - RIGHT NOW. Feel free to add any ideas and comments below. What worked for you? Where do you get stuck? What's your unique voice? Gabrielle Osborne (BAcc) is a small business specialist who loves to help business owners focus on what they do best. An innovation enthusiast and determined problem-solver, that's fun to work with. e: [email protected] m: 0410 546 000  |
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