Your Expert Position – Part 6
I hope you started creating your Positioning Statement.
More importantly – I hope you started realizing the power of a good, emotional, focused position statement.
Just in case you didn’t start yet (or you missed it today)… CLICK HERE to do it NOW.
Tomorrow is our FOURTH Hot Seat ZOOM session (or the way we like to call it “What Would Nisandeh Do”).
Practicalities
When: Thursday, October 13 – at 8pm CET (NL, BE, DE, AT, ES).
The meeting will go on for 90-120 minutes.
Please join the meeting 5 minutes before 8pm, so we can start exactly on time.
CLICK HERE to enter the Zoom meeting
If you are asked for, use:
Meeting ID: 846 3291 5928
Passcode: 269804
This is your opportunity to ask any question related to working ON your business (not necessarily to this week’s topic) – to make sure you get the maximum out of the program.
Please be aware, my focus will not be on solving your problem/challenge/setback – but on offering ways of thinking or approaching that problem/challenge/setback – so you develop your “thinking toolbox”.
I cannot promise to answer all your questions during the live ZOOM call, but those that I won’t manage – I’ll answer in the next days in the comment box below.
If you have any question, problem, challenge or setback you want me to show you how I would approach – please post it IN ENGLISH in the comment box below, on Wednesday – October 12th.
I will ONLY refer on the ZOOM meeting to questions that were submitted on Wednesday.
Top Commenters – last 30 Days
Your Expert Position – Part 6
I hope you started creating your Positioning Statement.
More importantly – I hope you started realizing the power of a good, emotional, focused position statement.
Just in case you didn’t start yet (or you missed it today)… CLICK HERE to do it NOW.
Tomorrow is our FOURTH Hot Seat ZOOM session (or the way we like to call it “What Would Nisandeh Do”).
Practicalities
When: Thursday, October 13 – at 8pm CET (NL, BE, DE, AT, ES).
The meeting will go on for 90-120 minutes.
Please join the meeting 5 minutes before 8pm, so we can start exactly on time.
CLICK HERE to enter the Zoom meeting
If you are asked for, use:
Meeting ID: 846 3291 5928
Passcode: 269804
This is your opportunity to ask any question related to working ON your business (not necessarily to this week’s topic) – to make sure you get the maximum out of the program.
Please be aware, my focus will not be on solving your problem/challenge/setback – but on offering ways of thinking or approaching that problem/challenge/setback – so you develop your “thinking toolbox”.
I cannot promise to answer all your questions during the live ZOOM call, but those that I won’t manage – I’ll answer in the next days in the comment box below.
If you have any question, problem, challenge or setback you want me to show you how I would approach – please post it IN ENGLISH in the comment box below, on Wednesday – October 12th.
I will ONLY refer on the ZOOM meeting to questions that were submitted on Wednesday.
I am looking forward to celebrate your progress and results on Friday (I’m curious to hear what plan you’ll come up with).
Until then…
Live fully, stay awesome,
Nisandeh
95 comments
Hello Nisandeh, I am late, but a question anyway.
It happens frequently that I have received a request in which the customer states exactly what they want, but after I have answered them, they do not respond anymore. I then send an email to that customer, but even then I get no more response. How could I make sure that the customer stays in touch with me. Thank you in advance for your response. Greetings, Peter
329 comments
Dear Nisandeh,
I have the tendency to complicate simple things (overthinking?). I truly admire your ability to simplify complex things. I would love to learn this ability from you!
Questions
1. How can we train our mind to simplify complex things?
2. What methodology/ thought process would you recommend?
Many thanks in advance for your reply,
117 comments
Hi Nisandeh,
This running car with a break on it is very applicable to me.
117 comments
I said for myself, what ever I have written I post at 23.59 latest. So the problem is one part postponement. So I asked about it before, your answer was basically Start With Why! Thanks for that. So I really take this weeks assignment to heart and I try to start with why.. I'm working on it. So far yes, no questions asked, I know that postponement has a lot to do with why.. one clarification question: is this self sabotage, or a matter of choice? Or whatever it is, is it a common thing? Sometimes I feel I have gone crazy. May be it has something to do with choice? I get mad making choices.. what would you do..? Can I cut this through this fear? For ever? I am fed up with it.
addition 1: And every time I go deep, I feel a lot of confidence I have so much to bring.. and many "why" answers pop up. How ever, I immediately start to question them. To be honest, I doubt every why I bring to table. And somehow it has a lot to do with doubt/fear concerning opening up myself. And regarding the market of homeowners I feel so much tension all the time.. many clients not knowing what to do, fearful, some times even passive-aggressive towards me, pushing me to work. And honestly I feel sometimes so much resistance to put myself into more work.. every time I get a new client I get more work and every time this happens it feels the need for "hiding" gets bigger. Of course I set myself to the viable minimum to get enough projects to keep on running but I cannot come up with a solution to "shine" without all the time feeling small, knowing what I lacked all the time, the failure to organise the whole thing etc.. (sorry for this depressing tone of voice, you know I often feel depressed, but through it I all the time have the feeling I am so close so it is not a give-up-depression but more a giving-it-all-depression, I give it so hard a try but the more successful I become the more I feel I lack the skill to get it running).
addition 2: I am determined to re-invent my business and put myself in the expert-position and organize the way I work with my clients more around that proposition, instead of around my product. But still people know me because of my product. And people that get to know me "want me", so it feels.. even the suppliers of great new products/opportunities I try to understand and add to my portfolio want me. And preferably they want me complete.. 100%. And on the other hand I try to stand independent and I try to give good care to my colleagues/people working for me.. so that the workday is still a worthwhile time and energy investment (for return in fulfillment, money, fun, cooperation, development, self-confidence).. you know the work still needs to be done. Can you advise me on how to deal with this feeling of being wanted? And how to organize it in a proper way and get the work done.
(so, 1 hour later, a little bit ashamed to present myself ones again back with these setbacks, I wish I could bring some good news, may be one small additional question: do you see any potential in the above for any good news/what's the good news/how can I turn it for the good/make use of these doubts?)
154 comments
Hi Nisandeh,
My biggest issue is getting into stages of 'overwhelm'. I have so many ideas and during these past months in WOMB many were added. You mentioned before to stick to the exercise and trust the process, but I can see the potential of many things you talked about and I the 'overwhelm' hits regularly when I can't see when and how to implement them all. My brain works quite chaotic, I'm easily distracted and when there are too many things on my mind I procrastinate and don't do very much (or not as much as I wanted).
So copying your last example question: How do I effectively manage my time and prioritize?
477 comments
I totally recognize it, Lucie!!!
The list of implementations just keeps getting longer, despite the fact that I've already implemented so much. I structure and plan everything with the right priorities and yet I feel that same overwhelming feeling that you describe from the amount of information. There have been so many holes in my approach to recruiting clients that I'm closing and yet the leak remains.
178 comments
Prior:
* I read Nisandeh's answer to Manny about the Idea generator. I will certainly apply it again according to Nisandeh's advice;
* This morning Max, Logan and I discussed a few dilemmas that they have already articulated very nicely in their questions;
Me now invaded:
I consult the I Ching with the question: 'What should I ask Nisandeh (today)?'
and the following hexagram emerged: (Self-Expression & Staying True to Your Inner Truth (No. 61 from the I Ching, without changing lines).
My question to Nisandeh is:
In the service of your life and your business, how do you stay true to your inner truth?
(What helps best to maintain that connection).
412 comments
Goodevening Nisandeh,
I used the Idea Generator and here are my questions. I'm not sure they're in the right order.
1. I really want to positively dazzle the first women who will participate in my first livingroom session; how would YOU go about that?
2. What mistakes should I avoid doing my first session in my livingroom?
3. Should I ask an entree fee for this first session? (I am hesitant, at the same time doing something for free doesn’t seem a sign of selfrespect.)
4. What should be my most important goal with this first session?
5. How can I structure my session in a way that captivates my audience?
6. How do I deal with questions I am not prepared for?
7. What is the one thing I must do before the session is over and the attending women go home?
8. What can I give the participants after the session to make them want to take the next step with me and eventually sign up for a retreat (I am thinking about the first chapter of my book as a preview).
9. My goal being to give VIP-retreats in the Algarve, Portugal 3 to 4 times a year, what step / service would you create between the livingroom session and a retreat?
10. What do you wish you knew at my stage?
11. How do I avoid thinking small and act like a zzp’er?
Thank you!
718 comments
Great questions, Manny.
Please choose 2-3 questions you want me to answer tomorrow…
412 comments
Thank you, Nisandeh.
I choose questions 1, 2 and 9
1. I really want to positively dazzle the first women who will participate in my first livingroom session; how would YOU go about that?
2. What mistakes should I avoid doing my first session in my livingroom?
9. My goal being to give VIP-retreats in the Algarve, Portugal 3 to 4 times a year, what step / service would you create between the livingroom session and a retreat?
477 comments
Hi Manny,
My wife is 40 and has a great need to spend a few days in a place that leads to relaxation and depth and where she is spoiled with good food, good wine and everything you find in a sauna. Preferably in the company of a small group of equal women. Could you provide this?
412 comments
Hello Marcel,
In short: yes I can. That's exactly what I want to do.
So I'll be honoured to do that for you wife. Shall I inform you as soon as I know more?
276 comments
How does it all fit together?
We had ideal clients, positioning and describing our expertise (for the book workshop).
With the expertise, we wanted to be broad and general: scrum, web development, branding.
With positioning, we want to be narrow. So we can be the big fish in the small pond: scrum for front end developers in companies with 20-50 employees, web development for hairdressers, branding for expert businesses.
And then we have our ideal clients, who might be a subset of the positioning.
------
My answer is that it's a funnel like structure. We start broad to describe what we do in a way that people can understand it. We then say WHO we can provide for, in such a way that people recognise themselves or someone they know who they can recommend. And in the best cases, the WHO is a direct match with our ideal clients.
120 comments
How much do we compromise before it gets too much?
For years I read and hear you talk about niche markets. The last weeks I feel like we try to fight for a part of the sector we are in. I know in terms of SEO it's better to use common words, but at the same time, we have to battle more companies to be visible. For example I battle of some visibility on the term MARTIAL ARTS with the World Wide Web (pun intended) SIBPALKI with maybe 2 and only a hand full that will find it. 😉
I understood this already 10 years back before is started my school. I never heard about Sibpalki so a wild guess made me believe most people didn't. Especially considering I was looking for this kind of martial arts. So, early on I changed it to "Sibpalki, Korean Kung Fu". It gave me a lot of trouble with my master but I became bigger than his whole association (4 schools) in 2 or 3 years. Now I'm even 4 times bigger if not more. So I have seen the differences in compromising certain things, like a name.
Same goes for anyone in, let say Website development. If you only serve a certain nishe. When are you compromising too much?
Also, in my little world, there are written and unwritten rules about things. Titles for example, grading and more. Non of them are official and only will be official if you have some self-claimed association that tells you it's official. I compromise here by calling myself a 'master' because it's quite common in the Netherlands to start your own school early on (in Asia most people really need the title to be given (higher Dan-grade is needed)) and what is a school without a master (meester in Dutch)? Also, most of the certificates are non-valid because they aren't in any way connected to any official governmental body. Knowing that, do I still market my services as something that is quite vague and present it as something of meaning? For example: I can teach you to become a blackbelt in x time? What is a blackbelt? I decide on that (or an association, which I'm not part of anymore). You can start tomorrow with Nisandeh-Jitsu and serve blackbelts after one week of training if you'd like.
How did/would you deal with this kind of situation? How much can, or even better, should you compromise for the sake of marketing?
Towards my students, I'm very open about everything but I can imagine for marketing you might need a different approach.
412 comments
Hi Nisandeh,
I feel like I am missing a great opportunity here, knowing that I can ask you all the (strategic) questions I want, but at the same time completely focussing on doing the assignments and just taking it all in. Being high sensitive, I know my questions usually will come later. So I wonder how to speed up this proces in me. And my question to you is:
What would YOU do to get your brain into asking-mode?
718 comments
That’s a great question, Manny… and if I were you (or anyone else here in the WOMB ) I would invest 10 minutes and use the Idea Generator on it…
So I just did this exercise myself and came up with the following (in just 10 minutes):
1. My biggest challenge now is… xxx… what would Nisandeh do?
2. My biggest fear right now is… xxx… what would Nisandeh do?
3. I just had this xxx setback… what would Nisandeh do?
4. What can I do to simplify xxx?
5. What can I do to change/transform xxx (can be a situation/habit/mindset…)?
6. How can I best reach xxx goal?
7. What could I be doing better when it comes to xxx?
8. What mistakes should I avoid when doing xxx?
9. What should I NOT be doing about xxx (or in xxx situation)?
10. How do I measure success when it comes to xxx?
11. How do I decide which areas of my business to focus on?
12. If I wanted to generate innovative ideas, how would I go about it?
13. What can I do to challenge my beliefs, paradigms and assumptions?
14. When is breaking the rules okay?
15. How to deal with the unknown in xxx situation?
16. How to keep my feelings from clouding my decision-making?
17. What’s the best way to keep my eye on my goals?
18. How to bring courage and confidence to risky situations?
19. What to do to live a balanced life?
20. What do you wish you knew at my stage?
21. How to effectively manage time and prioritize?
Etc… etc… etc…
I hope that helps.
But SERIOUSLY take 10 minutes and do the Idea Generator yourself…
You’ll get better questions (although you’re welcome to “steal” any of mine…)
412 comments
Love it! Thanks, Nisandeh. I will do this tonight.
366 comments
It would be helpfull to know what length you have in mind for these positioning statements. I've got versions between 2 pages and 10 words, depending on the use case. A bio is different from a book cover or the 'who am I' section in a presentation template?
What length and use case do you have in mind with this weeks assignment? Do you see a bio as a 3 sentence thing on linkedin for instance, or a bio on a website?
718 comments
The length doesn’t matter, Sin…
I answered that directly to you as a response to your comment.
As soon as you distill the message in answering the 4 answers - you can make it as long as it needs to be.
120 comments
In your opinion, is it better to answer the 4 questions shortly and then let yourself go pages deep indept your positioning statement or doesn't it really matter?
78 comments
Dear Nisandeh
I keep thinking and communicating in long texts and many different types of clients. I tried to resrict myself to couple work but that just does not fit. It is like pourung myself into a too little cup. What can I do to positioning myself in one or maybe two scentenses?