Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

Episode 68 – Keeping Up with Client Needs (or Demands)

February 7, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” ~ Jeff Bezos

There may be days that you don’t know which way to turn your head or what which direction you should go with the project as your client may have ever changing demands and needs. Before you feel like you’re going off the rails, remember that you are a client to others as well. Think about the expectations you have when you work with someone. Are they any different than what the client expects of you?

They hired you because they trust and have confidence in your abilities to deliver on what you said you would deliver. You are the one who listened, and remembered important timelines, and made a point to genuinely care about their results. Their results are ultimately your results.

If you feel like your clients’ needs or demands are unreasonable, consider the system or process you used to enroll them to get started with you. Did you set out expectations of yourself or your clients? Sometimes when clients are unsure of expectations or feel like they’re missing some information, they may come across as demanding as they are concerned about how it affects them. They chose you because of how they felt when they interacted with you. You need to reassure them by following through on meeting the emotional needs and outcomes they expect from you.

Here are some tips to help you keep up:

Create an experience. How your clients feel while they are working with you is important? Make them feel important because they are. Make their needs your needs and be genuinely interested in their success. You need to continue to build and nurture client relationships even after they have hired you.

Validate your client’s concerns. Take time to acknowledge your client’s concerns. There is often much to learn about how they see the ideal situation. Don’t use the word “but” to explain why you’re not reaching your client’s concerns. It sounds like an excuse and dismisses their concerns. You may think about saying, “I want to acknowledge _________________and share with you__________________”

Communicate regularly and provide updates as they arise. Clients do not like to be left in the dark as to results and expectations. If important decisions need to be made, don’t wait until the last minute to share information with them. Ask them how often they would like to be communicated with. Follow-up with a handwritten card or an e-mail to thank them for a conversation or follow-up meeting.

Keep them engaged. Clients like to be involved in the decision-making and how it impacts them. Don’t forget to set boundaries so that you can have down time outside of the work that you deliver.

Know your client. If you haven’t already done so, you should do your research and understand what is important to your client and what their needs are? What do they value?

Ask for feedback. You never know how you’re doing if you don’t ask. Ask questions to learn more about how old the service you are delivering is meeting their needs.

Anticipate their needs. If you have done your homework and have taken a genuine interest in getting to know your client, you will be able to anticipate some of the needs that they have. What a better way to impress them is to provide the need is an option before it’s needed. This demonstrates that you are paying attention and that they matter to you.

Under promise and over deliver. Many people run on deadlines and if you can beat a deadline with high-quality work you impress your clients and they will keep coming back for more.

Provide solutions. Your client came to you so you could fulfill their needs. Document and clearly articulate how you are meeting their needs.

There may be times when you need to release a few of your clients if agreements and expectations cannot be met or are violated. Always do what is right even when there is no one to witness it.

What are you doing to ensure you are meeting your clients’ needs?

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 08:40 min

Keywords: ask for feedback, communicate, keeping up with client demands, keeping up with client needs, know your client, under promise and over deliver, anticipate your needs, client engagement

How to Get Rid of the Fear of ‘Putting Yourself Out There’ Once and For All

February 5, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Anyone who wants to grow in their business or in their leadership skills has to learn how to put themselves out there. Putting yourself out there doesn’t mean exposing yourself and every little intimate detail of your life. It is about getting out amongst people and learning about the world around you. The secret sauce is about being curious about what matters most to people and putting yourself out there.

“Believe that if you make courageous choices and bet on yourself and put yourself out there, that you will have an impact, as a result of what you do. And you don’t need to know now what that would be or how will it happen because no one ever does.” – Dick Costolo

Does thought of networking make you queasy?

If you’re shy and feel uncomfortable in networking situations, you might find yourself hiding behind your computer with every excuse why not to go to a networking event. You tell yourself you don’t really like to meet people. Although this may be true, the greater truth may be that you’re more afraid to fail in front of others or say the wrong thing. You may also be afraid to succeed, for the fear of the unknown and how your life will change. Uncertainty can hold you hostage and you may sabotage yourself by letting your imagination go wild with all the “what if” situations that would not support you. You are in the people business. You need to connect with people.

Imagine what it would be like to meet like-minded people who could introduce you to other like-minded people to ensure that your pipeline of clients is consistently filled forget the promotion you have been longing for. How would that feel?

Pretty amazing I bet!

People don’t know how great you are and until you show them. They want to know how you will help them. Don’t let your own fears hold you back from providing value to others.

Focus on providing value instead of focusing on your fear. Every person does not like to be put in the spotlight as they feel exposed and vulnerable. You may worry about what others will think of you or wonder if people will like you or your ideas. You may fear being rejected as the expert you see yourself to be. When it comes to your clients, who knows more about your subject matter than you? Most people are wondering what you are thinking about them and their ideas.

If you want to grow and being known as the go-to resource for expert, exposure in the marketplace if necessary. You have to take the risk of putting your ideas and opinions out there.

No, you won’t appeal to everyone but that’s the beauty of it.

This is the exact reason why there is such abundance in the world. Each individual cannot serve everyone and they may not appeal to everyone and that is okay. There is more than enough business to go around for everyone.

“You put yourself out there in the truest way you can and hope others do the same. You’ll connect or you won’t, but you did what you could. “ – Chris Crutcher

Shift your thinking from self-promotion to self-expression. You may think that self-promotion is bragging and conceited. Self-promotion is about promoting oneself and it doesn’t have to mean that you’re arrogant or that you’re better than the next person. If I’m hiring you to do a job, I will look for the person who can best represent themselves and what they stand for. It will come down to how they express themselves. How you express yourself and what you stand for and how you take interest in others will demonstrate your core values and what you believe in.

Whether you’re putting a post on social media or writing your bio for an article, you want to be able to express how you provide solutions and can help others along their journey. Your expression may be in the form of photos, comments, or sharing a little bit about yourself in order to make yourself relatable to those around you. Think about what you’re expressing and how it may help others. Does it inspire? Does it encourage action taking? Does it help people reflect and think about their own situations?

Take action now. Too many people talk themselves out of taking action because they feel that they’ve missed the opportunity but what they’re really doing is coming up with an excuse as to why they haven’t taken action. You can always find evidence for whatever you believe to be true as it is your reality. It is never too late. If you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, you will miss out on those opportunities. New opportunities will arise for you to take action on. Remember that your work in progress in you can adjust your course along the way.

Every successful story from Eleanor Roosevelt to Oprah Winfrey required that they put themselves out there regardless of their fears to share their voice. Their circumstances weren’t perfect. They grew and learned along the way and put new knowledge into action. As one action didn’t work they would try another while they stayed focused and determined to move forward.

You can create your success story by taking the actions required to put yourself out there even when you are afraid. Know that you’re never alone as the like-minded people around you are often experiencing the same thing that you are but never have had the courage to share it with you. As you put yourself out there, you’ll quickly learn that many feel the same as you and you can be reassured that the courage that it takes for you to push through your fears, shift your thinking and take imperfect action, you will be inspiring others to do the same.

Debra Kasowski is an award-winning 2X bestselling author, professional speaker, certified executive coach, and podcast host of The Millionaire Woman Show which discusses topics of leadership, business, and human potential. She has interviewed influencers like Bob Burg from the Go-Giver, Dr. Mark Goulston, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur on Fire, and TEDx Speaker Teresa de Grosbois. Debra has the heart of a teacher and certified in the areas of Emotional Intelligence and Appreciative Inquiry a positive approach to change. Her work has been published in a variety of traditional and online media. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

EPISODE 67 – Raise the Bar of Excellence

February 2, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“If we don’t fight for what we ‘stand for’ with our passionate words and honest actions, do we really ‘stand’ for anything?”
―Tiffany Madison, Black and White

It is not until you start working with others that you realize that not everyone has the same work ethic as you do. Sometimes I hear people complaining and wishing that they had more in life yet they’re not willing to examine the obvious. It is easy to see what’s outside of us versus looking inside. What if you did something different? What would your life really look like? Remember you’re in charge – when did you hand over the keys or the reins on how you choose to live your life?

Are you settling for what you know you deserve? Deep down you might even question your worth the time. Don’t be fooled. You are worth much more than money could buy. You deserve everything that life has to offer. The trouble is too many people are waiting for someone to rescue them or hand them a Silver Platter instead of putting in the work required to get it. What gets you frustrated? What are you not willing to tolerate anymore? What is your repeating you that you wish you could change?

Don’t worry what others think – what do you think? People will pass their own fear passed you in hoping you won’t take this risk that they decided not to take. They are looking for the comfort that someone else won’t stretch like them. Will you be satisfied with your choice to not go after what you want?

No one’s going to hand it to you and the Prince Charming you’re looking for to rescue you IS actually you. It’s time for you to do something different in order to get different results. It is time to shift your mindset and raise your own bar of excellence. You are probably thinking – how do I raise the bar?

Expect more from yourself. It is so easy to pick out what others are doing wrong or how they are not working hard enough. It is important to focus on ourselves. When you develop and focus on mastering the different facets of your life, you can inspire and motivate others to do the same and theirs. Stop getting caught up in the drama of what everyone else is doing. When you think of what you’re not willing to tolerate any longer or where you are frustrated with yourself, you can start making a change. It all starts with self-awareness and really paying attention to the choices that you’re making and checking in to see if there aligning with your ultimate goal.

Think more about what you believe. Whatever you believe to be true is your reality. What happens if your thought is wrong? You may make the wrong choice or make choices that will sabotage your success. I’ve had some of my coaching clients share some of their big audacious dreams only to say, “I don’t know if it’s possible all.” It is only once we work through those self-limiting beliefs that they are amazed by what they are capable of accomplishing. I think many of us forget that we’re all works in progress. If you doubt your capability, shift your thinking to “I am in the progress of…” not only is it believable, it is happening.

Consider dropping the words “try” and “can’t” from your vocabulary. These words are disempowering. You can’t try to do something. You either do or you don’t – it is as simple as that. When you say you can’t you are saying that it’s not possible. It is often said before you even put in some effort but it may not have been 100% effort. You can do this. Focus on what you can do. Find yourself a mentor or someone who has been where you want to be or hire a coach that will help you shift your perspective and challenge some of the assumptions that you’re making.

Strategize more. People plan their vacations more than they plan to execute their goals. Take time to create a specific action plan to achieve what you know you want to achieve. You might say I don’t know what to put in the plan. Here are some questions to help you.

How do you want to show up in the world?
What qualities do you believe that you need to have in order to reach your goals?
What knowledge skills and abilities do you need to possess to get there?
To get to a new level requires strategic action, what actions do you know you need to take?

Map out the milestones and celebrate those successes along the way and evaluate whether you’re on or off track. There is no perfect time adjust your course as you go.

What is the one step you need to take that you know will be the game changer toward achieving your goals?

Time: 08:37 min

Keywords: goals, achievement, raise the bar, expect more of yourself, examine your beliefs, self-doubt, action plan, strategy, achievement, execution, find a mentor, hire a coach

Episode 66 – The Driving Force – Pain versus Pleasure Principle

January 31, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“One must learn to give up momentary, uncertain and destructive pleasure for delayed, restrained, but dependable pleasure.” Sigmund Freud, Pain-Pleasure Principle 1922

When we’re faced with a decision, we often make choices based on previous experiences and how we link pain or pleasure too. In Tony Robbins’ book, Awaken the Giant Within, he states “if we link massive pain to any behaviour or emotional pattern, we will it avoid indulging in it at all costs. We can use this understanding to harness the force of pain and pleasure to change virtually anything in our lives.”

What is it that you would like to change in your life right now?

Every decision you make is based on whether or not you believe that you are going to experience pain or pleasure. Many people make decisions based on the pleasure or instant gratification they will get rather than the long-term consequences of their decisions. When faced with making a decision, one of the most common techniques to make that decision is to make a list of all the positive outcomes and then another list of the negative outcomes. Pay attention to what you focus on. Is it positive or negative? Don’t let fear hold you back from living a bigger life.

Are you letting your imagination run wild with all the “what if” scenarios playing around in your head?

Is the pain real or imagined?

Remember what you believe and focus your attention on, you will find evidence you need to support it.

What is the payoff of not taking the actions that you know you need to take? What is the real reason that you continue to take the same actions and get the same results?

If you’re not getting the results that you want, it’s time to take different actions. It all starts with recognizing whether or not you are linking pain or pleasure to the action you need to take. What emotions come up for you? Your emotions will drive you toward pain or pleasure. If you are happy, you will take positive actions that support your goals. If you are sad, you may take actions that pull you away from what you want to achieve. Every choice you make can lead you to experience pain or experience pleasure.

Look at the choices people make around you. Are they choosing things that cause them pain versus pleasure? When people feel pleasure, they want to sustain it and will take further action to maintain that feeling or reward.

What you perceive to be true is your reality based on your own life experiences. A simple example I think of is the fact that I do not drink coffee. Growing up on the farm, I remember taking meals out to the field and there would be a big thermos of coffee. The aroma was intoxicating but as I saw it poured into a mug I could only think of tar. I think of tar every time I see someone drinking coffee. I experience pleasure when I put on an outfit and I know that my workouts and mindful eating have paid off. Working out at the gym brings me pleasure because of the results I anticipate – a toned strong body and mind. Again, I can easily push aside desserts for the same reason. Other people may think of working out or skipping dessert as painful so they would rather make different choices.

The anticipation of what may or may not occur in the future may also drive your decision making. Are you making assumptions about what may happen? Do you know for sure?

Focus on what the pleasure and the long term gain are of a decision you make.

What emotions are you experiencing?

When emotions are high, rational thinking goes out the window. Daniel Goleman, the Father of Emotional Intelligence refers to this as an “amygdala hijack” – a part of the brain that loses all reason in times of emotional distress.

You need to leverage your emotions and start linking your feelings to what you want to achieve. Look for inconsistencies and ensure your actions are aligned with what you say you want to happen. Imagine what your life would be like if you took the actions necessary to achieve your goals. Magic would happen!

What is really holding you back from taking the actions you know you need to take?

If you want to lose weight, why aren’t you avoiding sugary foods and soft drinks?

If you want to be financially free, why do you spend money you don’t have?

If you want to have better use of your time, why do spend hours surfing the internet or watching television?

Start associating pain with some of the behaviours you want to change. There is a power of association like coffee and tar. I have heard others like, “Kissing a smoker is like kissing an ashtray.” What would happen if you associated the pleasure of saving money so you could go on that trip you dreamed about or bought that house you have been eyeing. Create your own associations to help make powerful changes in your life.

How will you leverage pain or pleasure to get you desire outcomes?

Time: 09:19 min

Keywords: taking control, pain versus pleasure, pain principle, pleasure principle, emotions, control emotions, what is pleasure, what is pain, Tony Robbins, Daniel Goleman, leverage your emotions, Sigmund Freud, what is holding you back, self-sabotage

Episode 65 – The Rollercoaster Ride of an Entrepreneur

January 26, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“There’s lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world.” – Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote

When you became an entrepreneur, you never bargained that your choice would be compared to that of the roller coaster ride. I not a big fan of roller coasters; however, when my kids wanted to go on them, I would pull out my watch and I would look at how long it would take for the roller coaster complete its course. I would take a look at the loops in size them up figure out the risk and what I could tolerate and what I could not. At Knott’s Berry Farm, there was the Sidewinder roller coaster – 45 seconds. I told myself I can do anything for 45 seconds. The choice of becoming an entrepreneur is a big decision and it’s definitely more than 45 seconds in length. It’s not about instant gratification but it’s more like planting a seed and nurturing and watching it grow.

11986494 - rollercoaster ride (against blue sky) Many people believe that 90% of businesses will fail in their first five years. According to US statistics, the survival rate of the business increases as many years as it can continue which averages about 50 to 60% survival rate in five years. You may be asking yourself why is that so challenging to be an entrepreneur. Wouldn’t it be easier just to secure the 9-to-5 job?

No, not really. There may be many reasons that you decided to take the leap or start a business off the side of your desk for hopes of complete transition in the future. Many entrepreneurs choose the lifestyle and the business because they saw something different about the way things could be done, or they wanted the freedom to call their own shots. Maybe you wanted the life balance. For those of you who don’t know entrepreneurs, they work long hard hours more than the 9-to-5 person but they do have that flexibility to call the shots.

Where businesses fail is when they try to scale up their business too quickly, they don’t know their numbers, they try to do everything themselves, they fail to execute because everything needs to be perfect or they sabotage their success in getting their own way. You don’t just build it and they will come. You need to put in the work.

When I became an entrepreneur there was lots to learn and the majority of what I learned was not what I learned in school. My experiences have come from real life mistakes and successes and many trials and errors. To the outside world, it may look perfect but on the inside was someone working really hard to pay attention to every detail so that if there was a mistake or issue that could be resolved quickly or no one would notice.

The biggest thing with any business- is knowing your vision, mission, and core values. What’s that? Your compass. What is it that you do and how do you do it? Most importantly, it’s about knowing your why. Why do you choose to do which you do? When you use this as your center of guidance you will make in decisions that will help guide you.

As you get started in your business it is just like going up the first slope, it gets very exciting you may make a few sales see some money coming and get excited and suddenly challenges:

Why isn’t everything going smoothly?

Where is the money going to come for that? What you mean this cost so much? We need a return on investment?

What is the profit and loss statement?

Is it marketing or branding?

Should I hire or fire?

You start learning what you don’t know. The negative self-talk comes in and you can hear yourself saying: I’m not smart enough I’m not lucky I did not have the resources I don’t I don’t I don’t the list could go on. Your focus on all the reasons you can’t succeed “the lack” of this can be completely draining. Whatever you believe in your mindset, you will be looking for evidence to support it. Trust me you will find it. Let’s not go were negative self-talk takes you it’s only in a downward spiral.

Things you need to do to help propel you can keep you buckled into enjoy the ride of your roller coaster.

Quit beating yourself up!

Remember everyone started somewhere.

Silence your mind of chatter.

Determine what you want to accomplish.

Make a plan for deliberate action.

Each day take 3 to 5 steps toward your vision.

Create a structure that supports your actions.

Develop habits that support you. How many hours of sleep does your body needs to function at optimal level? How often do you need to exercise to stay mentally focused and strong? What are you doing to ensure that your help eating healthy and drinking enough water to stay hydrated?

Celebrate the wins along the way.

Ensure that you are measuring what you’re doing. What gets measured gets done.

Find a mentor or hire a coach to help hold you accountable or teach you some of the things you need to know.

Commit to continuous learning.

Establish routines and structure that will help support you in reaching your goals.

Embrace any uncertainty that you have as there will be many uncertainties on the roller coaster of the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs know that long-range success isn’t about instant gratification it’s about starting small and continuously growing. When you stop taking action, that’s when you break the momentum.

All I know is if you don’t hang on to what’s important to you and why you’re doing it, you will not enjoy the journey and you may reach the destination but it won’t have any fulfillment. You need to have that stick with it attitude to get through the tough times and know that you’re not the only one who’s going through these issues. Tap into your network get the support that you need and be the change you want to see in the world.

Time: 10:00

Keywords: entrepreneur, business, mindset, motivation, biztips, challenge, entrepreneur rollercoaster, marketing, branding, sales, entrepreneurial lifestyle, entrepreneurship, work-life balance