April 1, 2020

Who are you in this time of crisis? Are you solution focused or are you getting caught up and distracted in the moaning and negativity? If you’re planning on leaving this crisis stronger than you were before then you’ll need to create a prevailing mindset and a pandemic proof business…

In this episode we cover:-

  • Tough love on the things that are distracting you from coming out on top.
  • The drastic measures some businesses are taking that WILL leave them crippled AND the drastic measures businesses are taking that will allow them to survive and thrive.
  • What you need to be thinking and doing to stay relevant and WANTED by your market.

Useful Links:-

Download my free Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Market Leader – http://bit.ly/MARKETLEADERGUIDE

Book a Call with Jen  – bit.ly/claritycallpodcast

Send your emails to jen@jen-hall.com

Read Full Transcript

Please note this transcript is machine generated so it is not perfect and should be used for reference only, you will get the best from the podcast by listening to it in it's designed format.

(00:00):

It's time to bypass the negativity and create a pandemic proof business.

(00:15):
Hello everyone. This is Jen Hall here, your market leadership expert and business positioning coach. I'm here today on day five of the schools being closed and I'm probably on probably week two of my self personal self isolation. And I don't know about any of you, but I'm only just finding my feet. It's all about creating that kind of new normal, isn't it? And I've certainly at the beginning of this week, particularly with the schools being shot, I found my whole routine being completely out of kilter. I've been working from my home for like I say a couple of weeks now, but it's, it's interesting as soon as your kind of told that you can't go out, everything feels a lot more restricted. And I'm used to it like before before we got our, you know, big time offices here in Wales.

(01:14):
I used to work at home all the time and in a way, little secret here. I actually prefer working from home. I get a lot more done and much less distraction and I can really get my head into stuff. So I've actually been really, really relishing that. But obviously since the schools had been out, don't know about you guys. I found it quite difficult. However we create a a call schedule. And we put boundaries and be really been supporting each other in our households. So huge thanks to my daughter and my other half. We were all doing really well I think in supporting each other and I really hope that you guys are kind of creating your own version of your new normal and you are all coping well and yesterday in particular was a full on day and evening or supporting my clients through this turbulent time and ensuring that we are adapting and we're still staying on top of things because at the end of the day we need to ensure that we keep selling here.

(02:14):
If we want to keep our economy alive, if you want to keep your business afloat, if you want to keep the momentum going as much as possible, then we have to, at the end of the day, the money is still there. The differences is that the flow has slowed down ever so slightly. And so it's really important to recognize that, that it is there. And you'll be experiencing more nos. There still will be a conversion rate somewhere along the line, especially if you're looking to be solution focused. And just a quick reminder about a couple of things. If you want to talk to me about how I can help you through this period to help you come out stronger than you were before, position your business. Is that number one choice? And do you make sure you book a call with me?

(03:06):
The link is in the show notes, but that is bit.ly/claritycallpodcast. And you've also got access to a completely free ultimate guide to becoming a market leader, which is more relevant now than ever. People are focusing on, Oh my goodness I need to keep my business afloat. We actually, in order to do that, need to be thinking much bigger. We need to be more ambitious than ever and we need to start implementing some really critical things into our business. And that's what this guide highlights. So make sure that your business is relevant and that it's speaking to your audience at a time when things are happening to them. That's what we need to recognize right now is what's going on for your people, you know, and how is this, this crisis affecting them and how can you adapt and you know, talk to your following and your audience to show them that you have something that's of need to them, that you have a solution for them that's so important.

(04:05):
So you make sure you download that, that guide is in there again in the show notes. So do you make sure you go and grab that from there? It's completely free. And also it's got a ton of amazing information off the back of that as well. Which will help you set your market leading intentions. That's where it needs to be heading. Guys. If you're serious about your business and you're looking to come out the stronger and grow it, moving on from this crisis process during this crisis, then make sure you do download that or book a call with me to discuss how we can sort of make that happen for you. So yeah, it's so important to adapt. And at the minute we're seeing a lot of negativity going round with governmental decisions around what's the self-employed can have. And if you're kind of listening and jaw in our boat in terms of being a limited company and you slip through the cracks, there's a lot of things out there where I'm seeing people getting, I say quite rightly they feel left out.

(05:11):
Absolutely. But what I would like to do instead of this outcry is to just focus on what you can do because the negativity is all very well and we will have to process it and whatever else. And I'm seeing quite a lot of it being used to kind of, you know, rial and rally the troops to be a yes. Yes. You're so right. You know, we're being left behind. You can carry on doing that. You can continue to blow that trumpet and go down that route, but at the same time, if you're going to do that at the end of the day you're distracting yourself from what you really need to be focusing on and that is becoming a solution focused business right now adapting to it. And I was speaking to my very good business friend. She is a mindset and resilience coach. And she's based up in York and she was telling me about a brewery who has adapted perfectly to the current situation where they've stopped making beer.

(06:19):
Although, you know, perhaps I might be considered a, a problem for some, but stopped making beer and they have instead use the same equipment to create hand sanitizer. So yes, it's not what they do on a day to day basis, but they're doing what is necessary to support people at this time. Now, it's not necessarily something that I suggest you need to do is completely change your business entirely. But there are people out there who have to do that. And if you were one of these people where I've had businesses who are purely based on YouTube as their main source of income and it's all about traveling to a particular place and she's lost all of her income overnight, completely. So she's having to look at how she can adapt her business. And what I'm pleased to see is that she's being very solution focused around that and looking at what else she can do to create income when it comes to being a market leader and running a business versus running something that, you know, we hear this all the time, you know, you've gotta be, you know, it's got to be in line with your purpose and it's gotta be aligned with your passion.

(07:31):
And yes, it's great if you can marry those two up. But sometimes it's not the case when you're running a business it's about making money. And if your passionate purpose, it's not making money, they're maybe not saying don't do it, do it as a side thing and focus and knuckle down on a business that will, and I guess who are you, which, which one are you? Are you the kind of business owner who are, who is in it to grow and become truly financially successful at it? Or you, somebody who, who is more inclined to not worry about the money? And I was actually more focused on purpose and passion. I'm going to be quite honest with you now if that issue then this probably isn't the best podcast to be listening to because whilst I'm all for that you know, if as much as you possibly can to merge the two together, if possible.

(08:27):
Running a business for me it's about making money and we got to do what it takes to make it. And whilst all this negativity is going on, it's a big distraction from actually what you could be focusing your time and energy on, which is being solution-focused, adapting and really focusing on how you can really help your current customer base with what they need right now. My coach has been bloody accident, I've got to say. She's got her and her have rallied round to try and find solutions for people with kids, you know, doing readings. So we've got time to go and do bits and pieces. Yeah. She's really thinking about how we are all being affected. So the thing is we could sit here and we can moan about how is unfair and all of these things and you in some instances you are quite right.

(09:17):
Sometimes it is unfair, but life is unfair and you're not going to make any progress sitting there worrying about it, moaning about it. We've got to make the most of that hand that we've been dealt. And so it's time to quit whining, quit moaning, and it's time to actually step into action mode. Now to look at your business from the perspective of how can my business not just survive, but how can it adapt and move forward positively and come out of this crisis stronger than ever. That's where our focus needs to be now, not on what the government has or hasn't done not on well, they're lucky because their business was already online and all of these things we all have to adapt. We've all been impacted in some way, shape or form, some more than others.

(10:11):
I run two businesses. One of them is an online business, great serving by the way, clients who actually don't have an online business. So I have to help them adapt. They are impacted. And on the other side I run a travel business. Okay. That has been hugely impacted, but we're doing everything we can to stay on board and we're still making sales. We are still moving forward and we are utilizing this time. Normally around about this time. We'd have hundreds of customers over in Nepal. We'd meet the managing that scenario. Now we're managing the situation of the fact that they're not there and how we can best support them first and foremost. And then we're making use of the time that we're not rallying around making sure that they're okay on the ground and actually using that time to really dig into all of the stuff that was on the list to do and it's never got done.

(11:10):
I see so many businesses at the moment closing their doors and just being up, well I can't do anything, so therefore I'm, you know, I'm not gonna do anything. Okay. The danger of doing that guys is that your customer base will leave and go somewhere else to somebody who has adapted and they will form new relationships and new loyalty towards those people. If you're lucky and you've built a really strong relationship, some may come back, but you're risking a lot here and you're assuming a lot here. The pub in the road from us had to close. They've turned themselves into a off license and a pop up shop. They are adapting. They are keeping the customer loyalty going. It's more convenient for me to go to them for my essentials. A because actually it's less people than there are in the supermarket.

(12:01):
So from a health perspective, great. And also they're, they're just up the road. They're actually closer. So they're actually serving a new need and a new want. They're adapting and they're doing a brilliant job at it. But I see so many people doing that whole, I don't want to go online thing. Okay. I get it to some extent, but it's up to you. Okay, fine. Don't go alone. Lose your business. You know? And it's as simple as that. If you're not willing to do the things that you need to do to keep your business going, then you only have yourself to blame. And I know I don't want to be miss negative and I am sympathetic and I really am empathetic and you know, I've been here and you know. I've done a whole other episode on, you know, the things that you can do to help you.

(12:45):
And, and I will continue to do so because that's what I'm here for. But who I am not here for those who are not willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears into keeping their business going, I don't have time. I don't have time for that. And that's what you need to do in terms of getting that prevailing mindset is to put the blinkers on away from all of this noise of the complaining, the moaning, the fear, and actually just be more solution focused and look at becoming a stronger business and doing what needs to be done at this time to keep moving and to utilize the spare time that you may have. Keep selling, keep going forward, sell. There are things that you can do, you can get deposits for things in the future. There are parts of your business that might be able to be done online and the other part might have to be done in person.

(13:37):
Why don't you do the bits that can be done online, online with, you know, you've started that service, then they're committed to continuing with it. When this dust settles, then you can continue the rest of it in person. You know there are ways around everything and there are new things that you can do and I've already given you a couple of examples of businesses that have done just that who have adapted, might not necessarily be doing the thing that they, you know that they want to do right now, but they do it for the sake of their business and the more work you put in now, the better it's going to be for when this is all over because you're going to come out so much stronger this, this period of time with all these pressures coming from every angle they create diamonds or it'll crush you, one of the two, which one are you going to be?

(14:23):
You're going to, you're going to be a diamond or are you going to get crushed? We need to start thinking, adapting, innovating, and being strong minded and strong in your heart to continue on regardless of the situation and look out for those distractions, create that new norm, create that new schedule for yourself so that you can ensure that you can get the things done that you need to do. Be strategic. If you're a single parent, like I'm lucky enough to be here with Andy who, you know, we are trying to juggle where we've got about half the time we normally have, but my gosh, doesn't it make you more productive when you have, when you only have half the time, you know, we've obviously got that perk for single parents. Don't be, you know, worried about the fact that you put your kid on a, on a laptop for a little bit or their iPad or on your phone while you get stuff done.

(15:17):
I've had Ellie when she was tiny, you know, at that point there was no distraction. You know, there was only so much baby TV, the phone that would do it. You know, I've run businesses when she was that young and do you know what I did? I got up early and I worked until the night because that's what you've got to do and you've got to decide who are you, someone that's going to be laid down and crumble under all of this mass or you're going to become that diamond. Are you going to do what you can do without burnout? I'd like to add, look after yourself guys. Put in your self care time with your kids. Teach them to meditate so that you can have fun with them and learn to relax with them around so that you can focus when you need to focus, you know, adapt, change, do things differently, think differently.

(16:02):
You know, in the words of Addenbrooke's who is another business coach out there who I massively respect, you know, he said in an a video recently put together online around we're all in this together. He said, I challenge you to think differently when everybody else is losing their heads and that is where you are going to shine. That is where you're going to stand out. You can really use this time to push your business forward. It doesn't have to be devastation. You can absolutely make an impact and continue to move forward. I know so many people who are so excited about this time, they're using the situation is rocket fuel. They're like, brilliant, okay, I have X amount of content ideas. I'm really excited about how I can actually adapt and change my message at this time. There are people that have to pulled back on their content because they're just like, well, you know, everyone else is talking about it.

(16:55):
Well, do you know what? Why? Because it's affecting all of us and we all need to do that, but we need to look at the situation and the relevancy of what is happening for our ideal clients, what's going on for them, how is that impacting them? And that's by looking at that specifically, you can find your unique angle and a way to stand out and to own a way to innovate and create new and amazing USPS that you might not have thought of without this crisis on our hands. So if you are somebody who needs help with that, who needs help, you're totally on board with ignoring all of the negativity. You're totally on board with you know, adapting and moving forward. But you actually, you're just stuck and you're stuck. Perhaps like a rabbit in headlights or maybe even stuck in fog in your head where you're just like, I don't know in my situation how I could help my customer base or how I can move forward to adapt my, adapt my business so that it starts making money again.

(17:58):
If you're stuck in there, let me know. Tell me about it. Book a call using the link in the show notes, you know, let's get on a call and let's talk about how I can help you do that and how I can help you adapt. You've got a few ideas and a few bits and pieces inside of this podcast, but I get it. I get that it's easier said than done. But where there is a, well, there is a way and there is always a way to adapt and change and sometimes it just helps to have that fresh pair of eyes to help you do that. And so if you're serious about continuing on, you know, well after this crisis coming out stronger than ever with, you know, with the, the highest ranking relevancy for your market possible, which is what you want to aim for, you've got to, for the rest of this year and beyond, you've got to be relevant if you're not relevant to what irrelevant, you know, be relevant to the needs of your ideal clients.

(18:52):
Okay? So I'm here for that. If you need help to do that, book a call. So that's all I'm going to say. I know it's been quite a shouty ranty episode. I feel like it's necessary. It's necessary to get the message or ignore all of the crap that's going on. Put your blinkers on, move forward and hold yourself accountable to adapt, innovate, and stay positive and biggest strong business that will prevail. And think about how you can change your business or add to it to make it stronger than ever. Please do make sure that you leave a review. I'm not sure this is the best episode to ask you to do that. Hilarious. If you are enjoying listening to the podcast, I would absolutely love it if you're finding it useful and you know, you're finding it in spotting it, whether it's inspiring or useful, whatever it is, please do leave me a review on iTunes. It really does make a difference to the rankings. It means that this podcast out to way more people that needs that need to hear these messages. So I'd really appreciate it if you could. Just a couple of things I've already mentioned, make sure if you want to book a called blinkers in the show notes and to download the ultimate guide to becoming a market leader, that link is also in the show notes. It's been fab speaking to you and I'm really looking forward to seeing you in the next episode.

About the author 

Jennifer Hall

Jen Hall is Business Clarity Coach for Coaches, Consultants & Experts who want to become Unrivalled Go-To Experts.

Jen not only gets you clear on your micro-niche, message and what makes you unique and desirable, but she helps you to define what makes you an irrefutable offer to the market so you can position yourself as a high-end 'must have' option for your prospects.

She is a Multi-Award Winning Speaker and Best Selling Author of Expert Unrivalled.

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