Cavalletti Communications

Who are you?  I am passionate about…

Regular readers of my blog have heard me (well, “read me”) talk about passion in the past. A lot, in fact.

Passion – and the excitement of getting right into it, getting my hands dirty, give whatever I do intense focus and the best I’ve got – sits at the core of my personality.

Enthusiasm for and commitment to a person, an event or subject is something I cannot do with less than 100%. Whether I talk about a book I love (as a copywriter, words are my passion, of course), revel in the glow a beautifully shot film can evoke, share my passion for my sports (diving, martial practice and holistic exercise) – or talk about and work in my business.

It’s catching!

And I find that passion is infectious: I converted a number of girlie girls to try krav maga, a full-on self defence style. Without trying hard I managed to get a better price with a vendor because he saw my passion for my work. And my clients are regularly repeat clients (and that’s the type of client all us entrepreneurs and business owners like best!) because, as one of them put it, I show “passion and care for their business, as if it were my own”.

Passion = Success

I am not telling you all this because I like to blow my own trumpet, but because it took me a little while to distill that passion breeds success. And you do not have to be an extrovert to show passion: quiet enthusiasm and commitment to your interests, work and clients works just as well.

Get it back! It’s worked so hard for you.

But even the most enthusiastic person has an off-day every now and then and finds it hard to muster the passion for what they do, and usually love. Be it that you have the ‘flu that’s going around (again!), your kids have turned the house into a right royal mess when you need some quiet time, or you simply need a break from the daily grind. Take it.

Take out some time for yourself to reflect on why you started that fitness programme that you are now neglecting, remind yourself why you took that job, or what motivated you to started your own business. Get your passion back!

Simon Smith from Southern Cross Coaching put it well in his recent blog post on passion and success. He says:

“The first point is that no matter what you do, you can – and people do – lose the passion for it. We forget the whole reason why we’re doing it. We forget what we love about it all. It slips away from us. At some stage, we all need to stop & make time to realise what we do, why we do it, & how much we really do enjoy it, and how much it really means to us – despite what might be some seemingly tough times.

The second point is that passion sells! Passion is contagious. People buy passion. Be it in your business, an interview, at home. And they will often buy your passion & enthusiasm over & above the most polished, unpassionate product or presentation. So, before any important business or sales meeting, before that interview: Stop! Think. Smile. You will make more sales, you will have better client relationships and better clients, you will do better business. And you will be a happier business owner!”

I couldn’t agree more.

How do passion and enthusiasm influence what you do?
How you see the world, your relationships and the work you do?
I look forward to your thoughts.

Until soon,
Daniela

We are all prone to a good dose of procrastination or “what are my priorities again?!” struggles.

Some days (or weeks, months,… years) just don’t flow the way we want them to.

There are many, many different reasons why we tell ourselves that we will just do that particularly nasty-looking thing later:  The summer sunshine is too tempting, the winter cold too paralysing and plunging us into lethargy.  Or something needs to be done first, urgently. Now. Sorry, just can’t wait. Honest, the world will end if I don’t deal with that (more pleasant looking) thing right now. Uh-uh!

But let’s face it, most of these oh-so-urgent (read: preferred) things can wait a while.

What it really comes down to is this:
We all rather deal with the pretty prince(ss) than the ugly frog first.
That ugly amphibian can wait, thank you very much!

Well, it can’t.

More often than not, the things we like to do least are the ones that are the most important to tackle.
If not for what they are in themselves – the insurance for the car or business IS important, even if it is boring and mind-numbing to get through the forest of paperwork and jargon – then for the challenges they pose.

What is the real reason I keep postponing a particular task? Do I worry about spending money and my financial security, or perhaps about not understanding the insurance jargon and subsequently getting the wrong cover?

So, what to do?

I have used a few techniques to help me hone in on the nasty-looking items first, get them out of the way. I find that the smaller, less daunting tasks end up looking quite pretty afterwards – and are a lot easier and faster to deal with once the dread of  the ugly toad has vanished.

To kiss the ugly frogs good-bye efficiently check out Ask Rebecca How’s own Rebecca Well’s blog here.
Or perhaps you prefer to chuck a tomato at the little blighters? Try the Pomodoro Technique.

What works for you?

How do you set your priorities & overcome procrastination?

And now, I better sort that insurance out…
Until soon,
Daniela

As an entrepreneur, business owner or marketing manager, you all face the same issue: how to create engaging and on-target marketing messages, and truly connect with your audience. How to create leads and convert them into (preferably repeat) customers.

Here are five steps for creating an effective marketing message:

1. Identify your Target Market
2. Understand your Target Audience’s unique Problems, Needs and Wants
3. Offer a Solution to those Problems, and Fulfill Desires
4. Provide Testimonials (customer experiences) as a Proof of your Solutions
5. Differentiate Yourself from your Competitors

And remember: what your prospects and customers really want to know is “what’s in it for them” when they buy your product or engage your services. How you achieve that result for them that (i.e. what you do), is of secondary interest to them. So, your audience mainly wants to know you provide a specific benefit that’s important to them. For example, that what you sell provides security and safety – not so much the details of the insurances you offer or the technical specifications of a security system.

Read more on how to create a strong marketing message here.

Until next time,
Daniela

Are you a soloist, entrepreneur, micro- or small to medium business?  If so, sometimes, as the owner of such a business, it can feel like you are all alone, out there on a big big ocean and only a few islands in sight.  But you are not alone.  And dry, solid land is there for the taking – if you know how to look for it and stake your claim.

In their book The Risk Takers Renee and Don Martin identify ten common traits, challenges and ultimately opportunities for entrepreneurs:

1. Trust your Instinct
2. Challenge Convention
3. Persist
4. Find your Niche
5. Spot Trends and Act
6. Fill the Gaps your Competition’s Left
7. Just Start – there is no Perfect Time
8. Get Creative in Marketing
9. Competitor’s Weakness = Your Strength
10. Never stop Changing
11. I like to add another point here: Be Clear and Consistent about your Brand.
    Ensure you communicate clearly, regularly and in an engaging way with your target audience, i.e. your potential and existing clients.
    Be relevant, give them something for free, don’t just hard-sell. Be professional, yet personal. Put yourself in the client’s shoes and think how you would like to be communicated with and treated.
    There is much you can do yourself towards this aim. Everything else a good copywriter and communications expert can help you with.
    Help is at hand – for all budgets.

Read more on how to get motivated, find your niche and not lose the edge over your competition here.

Until next time,
Daniela

As a consumer or client, we all can get riled at bad service or a product that looked oh-so-enticing but fails to deliver what it promises.  And we all appreciate getting a good result when buying a product or receiving a service.

But what about those businesses, services and items that surprise us, that deliver extraordinary experiences? Those are the ones that stick in our mind, that we recommend and which we will go back to over and over again.

I live by the belief that it is the extraordinary  – experience, service and reputation – we should aim for. As employees, service providers or manufacturers, no matter which.  Putting in that extra bit of effort, passion, care, quality and professionalism will set you apart from the crowd, distinguishes us from our competitors and makes our business or career flourish.

Marketing “guru” Seth Godin talks about the disproportionately positive effect of the last ten percent of effort here.

Until next time,
Daniela