1.  Really listen to your customers. You are in business to service your customers needs, and you can only do that if you know what it is your customers want. When you truly listen, they let you know what they want and how you can provide good service. This practice can save you many mistakes and makes sure your focusing on what really works in your business. Never forget that the customer pays your salary and makes your job possible. Listen to their words, tone of voice, body language, and most importantly, how they really feel.  Offer effective listening with your undivided attention. To find out what they want, ask them directly, offer surveys, get feedback through social networking and focus groups. If you don’t ask, then you are assuming. And we both know what happens when you assume.

2.  Get to the root of what your customers want, and give that to them. Customers don’t buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to their problems. Ask them what is the end result that they desire. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical. For instance, they are not buying paint from you, they are buying happy walls, or a feeling they want when they walk into the room. In my office, I wanted a very calming feel when people sat in my waiting room. So everything I purchased for that room created a Zen feeling.

3.  Give your clients your full attention with complete sincerity. Treat all of your customers as individuals. Always use their name when talking to them, and find ways to compliment them, but please be sincere. Look directly at your customers when talking to them. A few years ago I went to buy a car and the salesman was texting on his phone the entire time with other potential customers. Even though I wanted the car, I did not feel he deserved the sale, so I bought it somewhere else. People value sincerity. It creates good feeling and trust.

4.  Make your customers feel important and appreciated. Especially during a challenging economy, businesses are going back to the basics of taking amazing care of their clients. Educate them, give bonuses and appreciation gifts to help them feel special. Give more than expected and they will keep coming back for more. When I find a good vendor or service provider, such as my website designer who I have worked with for 5 years, my accountant for 20 years and my fitness trainer for 15 years, I will not stray to the competition. Why?  Because they take incredible care of me and my business. I would rather pay more money and know that they are there when I need them, giving amazing support and service, then a quick fix that I have to end up scrambling to fix again. Can you relate?

5.  Say Thank you, again and again. A simple thank you goes a long, long way. Think about what you can do to follow-up and thank people, even when they don’t buy? Can you imagine how good that will make them feel? And don’t be surprised if you are the one they call next when they are ready to buy. Think about what you can give your customers that is totally unexpected?  What is a special gift that you can give so that they are blown away, and you are remembered? In my homeopathy practice, I have often given gifts for referrals, such as body and bath baskets, or bonus visits. In my Pinnacle program, I am always giving special surprises to my entrepreneurs. Who doesn’t love gifts? In this case, the giver AND receiver always wins.

6. Know how to apologize. Lets face it. Mistakes happen. When something goes wrong, apologize. Just do it. It’s easy and customers appreciate you taking responsibility. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done, rather than leaving things to simmer and eventually explode. Value their complaints. As much as we dislike them, it gives us an opportunity to improve and grow. Sometimes they are just having a bad day. If this ever happens, I always take the time to talk to clients and get to the root of the issue. This always turns the experience into a positive one.

Think of your customers or clients as family. Treat them with respect and appreciation, and they will become your biggest fans and promoters.

Named One of the Top Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire Us by Self-Made Magazine, Allison is a No. 1 Bestselling Author, Pres. of Blast Off! Business & Life Mentoring and The Pinnacle MastermindProgram.  http://www.myblastoff.com

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What if you were able to stay grounded, no matter what your day threw at you? Take a look at the qualities and behaviors of The Grounded Woman and The Grounded Man.

The Grounded Woman

␣ Knows how to take a deep breath and a little time to calm down.

␣ Is forgiving of herself in every moment.

␣ Has no problem prioritizing items on her to-do list, or even dropping tasks from the list.

␣ Realizes that she was only given two hands, and is comfortable delegating responsibilities to others.

␣ Knows the meaning of “one day at a time.”

␣ Puts herself up on a pedestal.

␣ Gives herself the accolades due for a day well done, even if others are not recognizing her efforts.

The Grounded Man

␣ Takes good care of his body and mind by making the commitment to exercise and eat in a healthy way.

␣ Has learned to follow his heart in his career/busines path and in love, rather than making choices to meet others’ expectations.

␣ Cultivates good friendships with other men and feels comfortable being open with his emotions.

␣ Knows that feelings of sadness and fear are healthy and will heal faster when they are released rather than suppressed.

␣ Balances his drive with fun and adventure. ␣ Knows that laughter and balance feed his soul and therefore will feed his personal and professional life.

After reading about Mr. and Ms. Grounded, what changes do you want to make that would help you feel less frazzled and more fulfilled? Can you think of any improvements that would help you feel grounded that were not on either of the above lists?

What do you think about Mr. and Ms. Grounded? Leave a comment and give me your thoughts on this topic.

Allison Maslan is the CEO of Allison Maslan International. She was recently named “One of the Top Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire” by Self Made Magazine. A born entrepreneur and No. 1 Best Selling Author of the book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality, Allison has built nine successful companies from the ground up starting out as a single mom on her own. Get a copy of her Free CD, The 8 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs. http://www.myblastoff.com/freecd.html

For passion to sustain the long journey of your business and your life, it must have a front end and a back end.

The front end of passion is the blossoming intensity from which your passion is directed. This exploding energy is powerful, yet fits you so perfectly that it supports you with ease toward your big dreams and goals. It is an energy that comes from deep within your life force and cannot help being expressed outwardly in an enthusiastic and contagious manner. The front end of passion is a positive expulsion of energy. However, if you are not prepared, this continuous momentum can deplete you in a flash. As a homeopath and serial entrepreneur, I understand that to win in business, a healthy body and mind comes first. Here are some simple tips to keep you feeling fit and on fire during the summer months. When your health is a priority, you can blast off in your business and your life!

1. Establish good nutrition. It’s easy to fall into fast food or snacking when you are so engrossed in your passion that you’re not taking the time to eat right. (More detailed nutrition information can be found in Chapter Six).

2.Eight hours of sleep each night. Sleep is one of the most healing,energizing medicines, and it is absolutely critical for a creative mind. Did you know that sleep deprivation is used as a brainwashing technique? Without sleep, you are living in survival mode, which is the opposite of a passionate life.

3. Take a passion break once a week.Most of my creativity comes when I’m not working. When my mind is clear and I’m exploring or having fun, the ideas have room to appear. Turn off your phone. Shut down your computer. Go spend the day outdoors in nature, go to a movie, take a bike ride, or visit some friends. Talk about things other than your passion. (For a few minutes, anyway.)

4. Get physical. Especially if your passion is of the intellectual persuasion, you must get into your body. If you’re living from the neck up, your body needs to be enlivened. Choose exercise that you can sustain by doing activities that you will enjoy, such as dance, running, swimming, biking or boxing. Mix it up! It’s more beneficial to incorporate more than one activity to stimulate various muscle groups in the body. You will also stimulate the serotonin in your brain for more creativity and mood enhancement. You will prevent fatigue and burnout as you stimulate your cardiovascular system, get your blood pumping, and your billions of cells moving. Ahhhhhhh!

Come find your Champion Within at Allison Maslan’s live entrepreneurial event called The Blast Off Business Breakthrough on September 16-18 in San Diego, CA where you will experience, in person, an exclusive combination of unending inspiration, magical bursts of clarity, extraordinary breakthroughs, and laser-sharp strategies you can apply immediately to amp up your business and your life like never before. You will leave with a completely unique step-by-step plan for your new or advanced small business. Click the photo below to learn more about the event.

Allison Maslan is the No. 1 best selling author of Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality and the president of Blast Off Business and Life Mentoring. As a serial entrepreneur of nine of her own businesses including being world renowned homeopath, Allison has guided thousands to reach their potential and launched many into dream businesses of their own. She was recently named One of the Top Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire by Self Made Magazine and has been on ABC, NBC and Fox stations across the US. www.MyBlastOff.com

This is dedicated to: The believer, seeker, survivor, visionary, idealist and pioneer who is impassioned to live the life of their dreams.

It takes the kind of passion that is born deep within the belly.

It takes the magical marriage of creativity and commitment.

It takes continued persistence toward your dream when everyone is telling you to let it go.

It takes jumping in with both feet because there is absolutely no other possibility than going for it… full on.

It takes a willingness to get knocked down and then get back up stronger
than ever before.

It takes pushing yourself beyond what you thought you were capable of.

It takes stepping out and rising up, full of grace and fire.

It takes prevailing against all odds.

It takes a courageous heart and an independent spirit that cannot be reckoned with.

It takes a ‘failure is not an option’ stance with a desire to win, and win again.

It takes knowing when to be humble, listen and learn.

It all starts with a yearning, then evolves into embracing the dreams that absolutely must be realized, no matter what, no matter how, no matter when.

Entrepreneurs are a unique blend of creative artists, and champions. They need the right steps to work their strategy, have a mission to live their true calling and relentless persistence to glide to victory, often against all odds. It takes unending faith, a courageous heart, and a willingness to jump in with both feet to shine and rise to the top. We would not have it any other way.

Come find your Champion Within at Allison Maslan’s  live entrepreneurial event called The Blast Off Business Breakthrough on September 16-18 in San Diego, CA where you will experience, in person, an exclusive combination of unending inspiration, magical bursts of clarity, extraordinary breakthroughs, and laser-sharp strategies you can apply immediately to amp up your business and your life like never before. You will leave with a completely unique step-by-step plan for your new or advanced small business. Click the photo below to learn more about the event.

Allison Maslan is the No. 1 best selling author of Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality and the president of Blast Off Business and Life Mentoring. As a serial entrepreneur of nine of her own businesses including being world renowned homeopath, Allison has guided thousands to reach their potential and launched many into dream businesses of their own. She was recently named One of the Top Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire by Self Made Magazine and has been on ABC, NBC and Fox stations across the US.

Photo above of Sheila Taormina-The only woman to ever qualify and compete in three distinctively different sports in different Olympics

MOJO means living your magic on a daily basis. MOJO is your special spark which keeps you motivated. It is the buzz of life  that inspires you to believe in yourself and achieve goals beyond your wildest dreams. It helps you stay strong so you can power through your fears. You need it in business because it gives you undeterred focus, bulldog persistence ( I have an English bulldog, Daisy, and believe me, they are persistent!) and fanatical obsession to achieve whatever your desire. You need MOJO so that you don’t get thrown off course at every little hiccup.

Have you lost your inspiration, your creative genius or that special spark? Do you hold yourself back because of fear or old negative beliefs? Just think what life would be like if you had no fear. How would you live your life differently on a daily basis? What bold dreams would you go after? Seriously, if you had no fear, you would never question your gut instinct, you would see the possibilities in everything, and you would have the power and the moxie to build a rockin’ business by making smart and bold moves whenever necessary. You would become more free spirited and adventurous, maybe even travel the world , buy the house you always wanted to live in, have that ranch with horses and give generously to those in need. All this, because you have your MOJO going on!

Without harnessing your MOJO, you will often feel stuck, trapped, frustrated and over time, depressed. Why? Because you know deep down that you have the capacity for more. You know deep down that you are choosing to stay stuck. You know deep down that you don’t want to live that way anymore. Guess what? You have just as much MOJO as anyone else.

Now let me tell you what  MOJO is not. It is not arrogance, it is not bragging, it is not being judgmental or critical of others. No, that’s cocky. Totally different.  Mojo is bravery with humility. It’s  saying goodbye to the cowardice in you, elevating yourself and your spirit to a higher calling so you can serve humanity in a broader way with your beauty and your gifts. It is reaping  the rewards for all your hard work so you can embrace all the joy, prosperity and peace you so deserve.

The word Mojo really means faith. Wake up each day knowing that someone will say yes and give you a chance. If you call enough people or email enough prospects a deal has to happen. If you keep trying to reach your dream, even though it feels pointless at the time, you will prevail. You have as much MOJO as Donald Trump or Oprah. You just have to choose to wear it, live it and breathe it.

And when you do, watch out world. Because you have arrived.

Check out my FREE Videos on How to get your Business Mojo and more at: www.allisonmaslansfreevideos.com and make sure you register for my FREE Webinar that I will teach live on June 8th at 5:00pm PST and 8:00pm EST. Go to: www.MyBlastOff.com/2011goals

Business and Life Mentor, Allison Maslan, was recently named One of the Top Women Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire by Self-Made Magazine. She has built 9 successful companies and has guided hundreds of others to do the same. She is the author of the #1 bestselling book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality. Allison is available for one-on-one coaching and her exclusive mastermind program, The Pinnacle. www.myblastoff.com

Tip #3

Have you ever had a big lofty goal or dream for your business or your life?  You put a lot of energy toward it, made great headway, yet because of this big picture focus, you lost momentum in the important day-to-day projects and responsibilities, causing major overwhelm and chaos?

Or do you feel like you are stuck spinning in the short-term goals and projects, getting stuff done, yet only making it month to month without the potential for the big time growth?

Your diagnosis: Too much focus on either the short-term or long-term goals.
The remedy: You need to focus on both.

In order for you to grow as an entrepreneur, you need to have a vision for the next level in your business. You need to have a creative, strategic plan in place that is developing and moving you toward higher levels of achievement and success.  Maybe you are working on the newest widget that will take the tech world by storm?  Or maybe you are so close to discovering the cure for baldness and plan to add it to your savvy hair product line?  This idea development, what I refer to as ‘The Magic’ in business, is crucial for your expansion in your marketplace.  At the same time, if you only focus on the long-term, the Big Kahuna, you will begin to lose traction in your day-to-day business needs, such as cash flow to pay your office expense and staff. Not good. 

I am a true entrepreneur. A trailblazer of sorts as I have built 9 of my own companies and mentored hundreds of others to do the same. In my own journey, it took me a while to really understand the importance of this concept.  My deepest passion is helping people find their true calling and guide them to express their gifts through a successful business.  One of the important rules you must understand in Business 101 is that your entrepreneurial entity needs to turn a profit. If it’s not, it won’t be long for this world, even if you have invented the  miracle cure to wrinkles. So keep your eye on the dream and the pulse during each business day. It can often feel like a juggling act, but with practice, you will become a gifted, profitable and high-flying juggler.

This is one of the reasons I invented my web-based software, The Interactive Life Coach, www.InteractiveLifeCoach.com.

I wanted my clients to have a fun, inspiring and easy-to-use tool that would help them create their beautiful Big Picture Visions, make them easy to attain by breaking them down into baby steps I call “Mini Feats” and at the same time help people continue to keep the steady business flowing in on a daily basis.

Keep moving forward and don’t lose focus on any goal, short- or long-term.  YOU deserve to suceed!

~Allison
Life and Business Strategist, Allison Maslan, was recently named One of the Top 50 Women Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire by Self-Made Magazine. She has built 9 successful companies and has guided hundreds of others to do the same. She is the author of the #1 bestselling book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality. Allison is available for one-on-one coaching and her exclusive mastermind program, The Pinnacle. www.myblastoff.com.

As I am mentoring my clients I help them get clarity on their ‘True Choice’, what they really WANT to do with their time. And they realize that many of these extra obligations are exercised out of guilt rather than desire, leaving their personal goals and dreams suppressed and unfulfilled.  When it is not your true choice, but a choice made out of guilt or feelings of obligation, overtime this will create resentment, and on a deeper level, depression and illness.

To reach the goals and dreams that I know you want to attain, NO needs to start becoming one of your higher ranking keywords. I am not saying to drop all of your responsibilities and go have a party. (Okay, maybe I am saying that. ) I know you love spending time with your families and friends. This is obviously extremely important. But if you don’t make ample time for yourself and your business, you will be so frustrated and restless that  when you are with your loved ones, you often won’t be very present.

Life and Business Strategist, Allison Maslan, was recently named One of the Top 50 Women Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire by Self Made Magazine. She has built 9 successful companies and has guided hundreds of others to do the same. She is the author of the #1 best selling book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality. Allison is available for one-on-one coaching and her exclusive mastermind program, The Pinnacle. www.myblastoff.com.

I recently did a survey to ask readers what they want and need most in regards to business support, implementing strategies, and guidance.   I heard an overwhelming response from both new and long term entrepreneurs, asking for a road map to lead them and take their many fabulous ideas from idle to moving forward.

I heard so many say they have tons of fantastic ideas, so many, in fact, that they simply don’t know where to start.  They also said when they start creating and developing an idea, they find them selves distracted with another idea, and then sidetracked by yet another, and end up thoroughly confused and getting nowhere.

For the next several posts on my blog, I will be sharing my valuable secrets and tips on how to manifest your brilliant ideas so they can finally show up and be seen in the real world.

Allison’s Success Roadmap Tip #1 : It all starts with ‘The Decision.’  Challenge yourself to make one MAJOR decision by the end of today.  You have many phenomenal ideas and,yes, you can do them all, but it is important to start with just ONE.  Too many projects going on at one time will ultimately dilute any forward movement.

It is important to just pick ONE path. To reach your dreams and goals, there is no room for limbo. There is not room for hemming and hawing.  Not making a decision is making a decision. It is  choosing to stay stuck. Even a the wrong decision is better than no decision because it begins the forward movement of your roadmap.

Please let me know what decision you make today on the start of your phenomenal and exciting path towards success.

What Is Your “I Can’t”?

• I can’t get in shape because I just don’t have time to exercise.
• I am miserable in my career, but I can’t develop a new line of work because the economy is so bad.
• I would love to start my own business but I can’t because I don’t know what I would do or have any idea where to start.
• I can’t make any money and I am spinning my wheels?
• My relationship is so, so. I can’t seem to make it any better so I am pretty much stuck.
• I can’t because I don’t have enough money.
• I can’t learn to dance because I have two left feet.
• I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!

I have a challenge for you. Pay attention to your language throughout the day and count how many I Can’ts fall out of your mouth from morning to night. These two words are the wall between you and your passion, you and your joy,  you and all of the abundance that awaits you. When you stop saying no to life and knock down the barriers between you and all the good stuff, your entire reality will begin to change. Instead, say, “Yes I Can.” This short statement alone is very powerful. Just by uttering these three words, you will begin to build your accomplishment muscles. Follow up these words with small daily action steps, and before you know it, you will be sailing to the top of your intimidating mountain. This is my internal mantra as my fitness trainer is pushing me to run just one more minute or do one more push-up. I cannot say I am having a blast during the work-out, but I am so happy that I have stepped up to the plate and challenged myself. Are you really ready to make the changes in your life that you have been dreaming about for years? Do you want a more fulfilling career, but have no idea what that could be? Do you want more satisfaction in your life, but have no idea how to make it happen? I would love to hear your comments? Tell me if you are ready to make the changes happen now! Life and Business Strategist, Allison Maslan, was recently named One of the Top 50 Women Women Entrepreneurs Who Inspire by Self Made Magazine. She has built 9 successful companies and has guided hundreds of others to do the same. She is the author of the #1 best selling book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams Into Reality. Allison is available for one-on-one coaching and her exclusive mastermind program, The Pinnacle. www.myblastoff.com.