I always giggle at the notion of imagining Tiger Woods trying to achieve the greatness that he has by himself, practicing alone in the basement. Or the legendary championship Chicago Bulls of the 90's without superstar coach Phil Jackson.

For some reason, we know that high performance in sports requires expert guidance. But for some other, unfathomable reasons, we don't get that business performance is the same way.

I keep sharp with a world-class team of support around me and you should too. Here are some tips for pushing yourself to excellence with the right people...

First, know who you’re dealing with. I can tell you some horror stories of people who have never coached anyone calling themselves “super-star coaches” and people who have never sold anything on the internet calling themselves “internet gurus.” You know that there is a lot of fluff and puffery out there. So how do you know who’s the real deal? Listen to people you trust (both online and in your every-day life), do some research and follow your gut. If you consistently get good ideas and materials from someone, then you know you can trust what they say.

Second, don’t be afraid to invest. Most solo professionals mistakenly think, “When the money is rolling in, that’s when I’ll go to all the cool conferences or get the power-house coaching.” That’s backwards. Imagine a new restaurant opening up in your area and the proprietor saying, “As soon as some money comes in, that’s when I’ll get some tables and chairs.” Some things are just a cost of doing business. If you’re running a business where you need to get out there and promote yourself, well, then you’d better darn well invest in knowing how to promote yourself in today’s business environment. Being stingy with your growth and development is not fully investing in your business.

Third, make a plan. I know through the end of this year how I’ll be getting my professional development. Do you? Research conferences, seminars, virtual programs and mentor/coaching programs that you know will help you grow your business and schedule them and budget them in. To stay on the cutting edge, you’ll want to consistently challenge your assumptions and learn about what’s new in your field and in marketing. Remember, much training can be deducted as a business expense, so you’ll want to talk to your accountant about that.

Fourth, check out the movers and shakers. One of the things that keeps me at the top of my game when I work with clients is that I am always learning new things from the best.

Remember, if you want to be a champion, you’ve got to do what the champions do and get champion-level support.

Maria E. Andreu
maria@andreumarketingsolutions.com

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