Making the time for you, in order to achieve success

You've read this from me, before, all about the importance of incorporating balance into your life. But are you practicing it, yet? Are you making the time to relax and regenerate? Let's talk about why it's important and what it can cost you to NOT walk away and make the time to relax.

Why it's important to take time off
This is an area I'm always helping my clients work through, but I have to also work through it, myself, on an ongoing basis. It doesn't come naturally. However, because I've SEEN the results, I believe in it as much as the value of exercise and healthy eating!

Here are three reasons why it's important to make the time to relax and walk away from working:
1 - Removing yourself from work helps you renew and regenerate, so you are more energized and excited and passionate about what you're doing.
2 - Walking away and taking time off helps you revamp your creative side.
3 - When you allow yourself to make time to relax, you then are more focused when you return.

What it costs you to NOT make the time:
1 - You get lost in the 'doing' and lose the 'creating' of business. This costs you the ability to focus on what's most important in your business.
2 - When you get stuck in the doing and doing and doing of every day, you lose that energy that people can see and feel in you. You soon get passive and bored.
3 - It costs you MONEY to not take time off, because of the focus and creativity you have lost.

How can YOU start practicing making time to take off? I challenge you to try it just ONE day this week and let us know what happens and what you learn from the experience!

Margie
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
MEG Enterprises

Creating a contract to protect yourself and your relationships

Many nutrition professionals consider contracts as something scary and a detail that they don’t need to concern themselves with. They don’t want to offend the other party, or want the other party to assume they mistrust them, yet the problem is not one of honesty, but one of protecting the relationship.

Why should you create a contract?
The obvious reason is to protect yourself. If you were to see clients in an MD office or sports clinic, you want all aspects of the agreement spelled out. If you are contracting with a corporation, you want to be very clear what you are doing, for what length of time and in exchange for what compensation.

A huge issue develops when friends decide to go into business or collaborate on a project together. Nothing will end a friendship faster than a misunderstanding around business! An oral agreement can include items/issues that each party may remember differently with the passage of time, yet if it is in writing, and the friends came to a mutual agreement on each item, the friends can refer back to that agreement.

Studies have shown that people tend to be unrealistically optimistic about the future of their personal relationships. It’s this optimism that leads to the importance in drawing up a contract when doing business with someone you have any type of relationship with.

What makes up a contract?
A contract can actually be a very simple document. In order for any contract to be legally binding, there are four basic requirements they all must have, written or oral:

1. Offer and acceptance:
a. An offer is a statement by a person that indicates a willingness to enter into a bargain on the terms stated.
b. An acceptance occurs when the person to whom the offer was addressed indicates a willingness to accept the proposed bargain.

For a dietitian, an example would include an offer to pay a certain price or percentage of business in exchange for space to see clients and acceptance of that offer from the person with the space.

2. Consideration:
a. This is anything of value that is exchanged between the parties. It can be money, property, a promise to do something or a promise to not do something. It literally means ‘a bargained-for exchange’. The requirement is met when one party gives up something of value in exchange for the other party’s giving up something of value.

An example would be the exchange that one person would provide space and the other person would pay a certain amount for the privilege of using that space. An important key is that both parties must provide something of value.

3. Both parties must have the capacity to enter into a contract:
a. This just means both parties must be mentally competent and not a minor

4. The contract must have a legal purpose:
a. This would be what the purpose of the contract is all about.

Using the above examples, the legal purpose of the contract is that the offeree is offering to pay the offeror a certain sum in exchange for the use of space.

A final section of all contracts should also include an ‘integration’ or ‘merger clause’. This is a statement at the end that states, “this agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, representations, and understandings of the parties.”

Consider a contract as a sign of potential growth for your business and a tool to enhance all of your professional agreements and collaborations. You are in business to succeed, and I strongly believe that contracts with all parties is one sure way to continue that success.

Margie
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
MEG Enterprises

Taking a Stand as the Nutrition Expert – Overcoming the Fraud Factor

Eleanor Roosevelt said that you must do the thing you think you cannot do in order to achieve the success you desire.

When most people start their business, they tend to feel like an impostor. A question I hear quite often is, “Why would people contact me instead of someone else?” They always site the fact that others know so much more than they do.

This is absolutely normal!

And, quite often, because of your specialty and education, many people do NOT know what you know!

You decide to step out of your comfort zone and take part in a networking event. This event consists of people in the local business community and you have just started your practice. It’s time to get out and mix, you decided. But, as you walk into the building, you’re wondering, ‘What WAS I thinking?’ After all your hard work to get the doors open to your dream practice, and although you are very clear about what makes you shine above the others, suddenly you doubt you can even have an intelligent conversation with these people who MUST be more experienced and sophisticated than you are!

Or are they? Do you realize that most of the people in that room feel the same way you do?

But what is this all about? For women in particular, they feel that, regardless of the accomplishments and education they have attained, they really have fooled others into thinking they are knowledgeable and deserving. One day they will be found out, they think! However, they continue to volunteer for high positions, get that next degree, and accept organizational honors, only to feel they just have everyone very well hoodwinked. If they continue to grow, maybe no one will really ever find them out. We can definitely see that in sports dietetics, we have a wealth of extremely educated professionals.

What is this all about? It’s all about self-confidence and being ok with not knowing it all. It’s taking little steps at a time out on that high wire, and realizing that we won’t fall. And if we DO fall, that we’re only a foot from the ground. Then, once you have done what you believed you could not do, and you start to see the success that’s possible, you are ready for the next step!

And, thus success is born.

Margie
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
MEG Enterprises

Raising your income level by knowing your value

What is your value?

When you contact a company with the proposal that they use your nutrition services, what are you selling them? If you think you are selling them a service, it's time to reconsider!

Organizations don't buy consulting services, they buy access to your ideas, your knowledge, your expertise. They sign up to secure access to you and your company so that they can perform better, whether it's the athletes or employees or executives.

As a result of this, as a consultant, you do not want to minimize your services by giving the company a quote for the number of hours worked. You want to give them a quote for the value you are bringing to the company.

Do you know what that value is?

Think about something special that YOU spent money on in the last six months. Why did you purchase that product or service? Really think about it. Chances are, it's because it met some type of need. And the way it was presented was in such a way that you could visualize what it would cost to NOT meet that need.

Think about this:
** You ask the company these questions: What is it they want to accomplish; how will they know they have accomplished it; what will it cost them to NOT accomplish this goal; and how will it look when they've accomplished this goal? Most corporations looking at bringing in a corporate wellness consultant are doing so in order to cut costs.

Here is an example of some of what you'll say:
So, they will be able to save X% of its healthcare costs as a result of working with you. Will this interest them? Most likely.

* Previous companies who have contracted with you have been able to decrease healthcare costs by at least X%. Will this interest them more? Yea!

* You have several programs the company can choose from, so instead of choosing between contracting with you or NOT contracting with you, you can ask, "Which program would fit your needs better?" This gives the company choices that do NOT include "Yes" or "No" to working with you. Do you have a new contract, now? Probably!

How will you 'sell' your value?

Often we look at the features we are selling, not the results. As indicated above, focus on results and be clear about what your value is.

Then sign on the bottom line and smile on the way out the door.

Now your value is MORE than the dollar amount to that contract. Now you have increased confidence and are ready for the NEXT company! And the income level is rising...

Margie
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
MEG Enterprises

Time + Perception = Challenge

I’ve been asking people, “What is your biggest current challenge” and have noticed a trend. We see it on here, too; when I write about time management, people take notice.

We’re all looking for how to manage the time we have better. What people told me in reply to my question above was this:
• Having time for myself
• Balance
• Balance
• Finding time
• Learning how to say no

Do you hear yourself in any of these? Do you see a trend??

I’ve written about time management in this blog before, so I’m not going to repeat myself. If you haven’t read them, check old SCAN blogs and read them, now. What I am going to discuss, though, is our PERCEPTION of time.

What do I mean by “perception of time”, you ask?

We all have the same amount of time in a day. Often we observe very successful people and wonder “How DO they fit it all in?” Yet they have the same number of hours in a day you do!

Sure, they might have better organizational skills. And I totally believe in the value of help (we can build a small business on our own, but to take it to the next level, you do need other people). But, above it all, they all have two things in common:
- They have a clear vision and a plan for achieving that vision
- They PERCEIVE that they have the time to achieve that vision (each day, week, month, etc)

So, great, I’ve now shared with you what the most accomplished people have in common, and have basically told you that you need to change your PERCEPTION! But you’re probably now asking, “Now what?”

This is where coaching comes in! What is your belief around your time (or lack of)? Do you moan that you just have way too much to do, with school and your business and children, etc? Do you believe you can’t do something yet, because you ‘don’t have time’? What would you like your time/days to look and feel like? How would you feel if your reality was your ideal vision?

This the first place to start in looking at your perception of your time issue. And I was tempted to walk you through a great exercise that is called “The Work”, but instead decided to give you the link to the specific exercise. If this is truly an issue for you, take your belief around time into that exercise and share with us what comes up for you! (And, as an aside, if you are not familiar with Byron Katie and The Work, I also suggest you check out her videos of her DOING ‘The Work’.)

There is a way to be in control of your day, your business, your life, your time. We all strive for that control. When you have it, things couldn’t be better! And it IS possible!

It’s all in your perception.

Margie
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
MEG Enterprises

Build your Platform so they come

Generally when we discuss a “Platform” we are discussing book publishing. However, it dawned on me that it can have just as much value for “just” a business as for a book! So, let’s look at what it means to develop your platform and why you would want to do it.

Although my book, Just Jump, has been out for a couple of years, I am always looking at new ways to promote it. It really has helped change lives, which I’m extremely proud of, so I want to continue to spread the word, and expand into new audiences.

And, I DO plan to write the sequel (for ‘service professionals’) one day.
I share this because I’ve been listening to a lot of audio programs all around book writing and promoting, etc, and a constant term that keeps popping up is building a platform for the book. And, just as a side-note, apparently the key to getting an agent is to already HAVE a platform!

So why not start now??

Build the platform and they will come
Many times professionals think that if they build a website or blog or rent an office and run an ad, that people will start swamping to them. I don’t need to tell YOU that this just isn’t the case! However, once you’ve built that PLATFORM, they DO come!

But what the heck is a platform!? Is it like the stage an act will perform on? Is it for loading/unloading goods?

You can consider your platform your stage and where you will unload your goods/services from, actually. It’s the whole package of who you are to the world.

It’s the combination of attending networking events, offering workshops, presentations, creating your website and blog, it’s showing up on all the social networking sites. It’s writing articles for both online and local venues.

It’s showing up EVERYWHERE!

I like to say that the big sign that you’ve made it is when someone you have never met and you didn’t think knew you says, “Oh yea, I know who you are”. Or, I love the one where someone local says, “You are EVERYWHERE!” YES!

That’s your platform.

One of the speakers I listened to last week talked about being short on the New York best sellers list by ONE POINT! She said she had done EVERYTHING. Except one thing: She was not posting on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Would it have made the difference? Probably.

Now, what is YOUR platform?
What are you NOT doing right now that you’ve been thinking you really should? What can you do to change that?

Margie
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
MEG Enterprises

Marketing Success: Tapping into the Feelings

I know that as soon as I mention ‘Marketing’, dietitians do two things: They shudder with dread, and their ears perk up, because they want to know more.

First, marketing is just speaking to the goals or aspirations that your clients want. And this is why so many RDs struggle with it! Many will put the word out there about what THEY do, and they skip the part that addresses that chronic question potential clients have, which is “What’s in it for me?”

But how do you gain success with marketing? You have to tap into their feelings! THAT will tell them what’s in it for them: What problems you’ll solve, how they’ll resolve the struggles they deal with.

Think about it: What do you see in a car commercial? For family cars, you may hear all about their safety features. For the more sporty cars, though, you don’t see any mention of car seats or TVs! No, it’s fancy ladies and handsome men, looking sexy and attractive, and flying around rural curves. They are saying, “This can be you.”

They are tapping into the feelings.

Now, because I’m a coach, I use a lot of coaching techniques, but imagine this: You are targeting active women who want to become more fit and start training for events such as marathons or tri’s. If you promote yourself that you are an RD who is an athlete and went to this school and have these degrees, etc, and can provide them with meal plans, blaw, blaw, blaw… it will get their attention.

HOWEVER, talk about the benefits they will get through working with you, such as dropping that stubborn body fat, increasing their time, feeling more energized and looking GREAT, and now you will also get their call.

One more example: A woman who wishes to lose weight but just can’t seem to find anyone who really can help her. She hates what she sees in the mirror, and feels sluggish and unsexy all the time. She avoids thinking much about what she eats because she has never been successful with each ‘diet’ she has gone on. Why bother, she thinks.

YOUR message? It’s that mirror image to her problems!
* You can help her look fantastic, and love what she sees in the mirror.

* You can help her get to where she LOVES to go clothes shopping. Afterall, after working with YOU, she’ll have to go clothes shopping!

* Not only will she feel sexy again, but she’ll be more energized.

* She’ll become more active and enjoy it, and understand the role that food plays in her health.

* She’ll learn, through working with you, that food is fuel and something to look forward to and not fear.

* She will eliminate the diet mentality and learn how to eat to live, rather than live to eat.

YOU are the solution to her problems!

What else comes to mind for you? What are your clients’ struggles? Write them down and then literally write down the mirror image of those struggles, just as I did above. See what comes up for you, and then see what develops in your business as a result.

You know what your clients' struggles are. Now you just need to tap into the feelings and focus on your marketing SPEAKING to those feelings in order to achieve marketing success.

Margie
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
MEG Enterprises