What kind of year is 2015 going to be for you? Seems like a simple question, but it’s the first and most important for the year so, if you haven’t yet – it’s probably time to get cracking… In other posts we’ve discussed the best ways to make your goals and resolutions stick, but in this post, I want to get into the exact ingredients that is going to make 2015 your year, according to the world’s experts.
In a recent interview, Warren Buffet, the “Oracle of Omaha” said that in the midst of the current uncertain economy, the only safe investment in 2015 is a business basics education. There’s a reason that there’s only one Oracle, and its because he’s pretty much always right.
So what are the 6 business basics you need to learn to be competitive in 2015? I’ve compiled a list below with the best resources we’ve found:
#1 Learn basic coding
PLEASE READ!!! I’m talking to you! The NOTcoder who wants to scroll ahead to see what’s next that might be ACTUALLY interesting to you. Here’s the thing – like it or not, coding is here to stay. In today’s New Marketplace, a basic understanding of code is not just super handy, it’s imperative if you want a piece of the largest pie in entrepreneurial history. And it’s not just for people aspiring to build the next Google or Facebook. No way. In fact, if you operate at all online, or ever intend to employ or outsource any digital work, you’ve got to get a rudimentary understanding.
Think about it like this: would you let someone who doesn’t speak a word of English (or whatever commonly spoken language in your workplace) manage your business if they didn’t share a common language with the rest of your team?? Because that’s what you’re doing right now and you don’t even know it.
Phew! Made my point – now for the good news.
You can actually learn basic code really quickly and easily – FOR FREE – in a bunch of places. After some research, our favourite was the course at General Assembly. My whole team has done it and it’s instantly elevated the standards of work and technical conversation we can have to create solutions.
But if you couldn’t give a monkey’s toenail about css’s and html’s – why not spend a night learning to build a WordPress themed site. It’s simple, its quick, and you’ll have a better looking site than Obama in his election campaign… Which was also built with a WordPress theme…
#2 Learn basic design
This is another one of those areas where the professional world is divided into two very distinct categories – those that Photoshop, and everyone else. But there’s just no denying it: the best ideas and products, if dressed up like s#!t, will meet a premature end. Sadly, the same applies going the other way where even the worst ideas often do far better than they should if the packaging looks great. But if you don’t have a spare few months to master the infamous Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator and others…) there are a few free or almost-free services out there that will make you look first class:
Canva.com : This site is just cool. This simple drag-and-drop program is the designaphobe’s dream. The pre-built templates will make your blog, banner, pin or post post look straight out of a design agency in just a few clicks.
fiverr.com: If you don’t know this little beauty, it’s time for you to move out from the rock you live under. For five bucks you can get any number of design (and other) services including logos, ad images and photo touch ups. Go for a surf through the services on offer here and bookmark this page.
#3 Learn some basic finance
A few years ago if someone had asked me to pick the element that didn’t fit between Watching Paint Dry, Watching Cricket and Finance – I couldn’t have done it. But then I was forced to do a subject on Strategic Finance during my MBA and it was like discovering Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. You may not believe me, but learning the language is kinda important for a successful business. In fact, later that year I attended a short course on Financial Business Essentials held by one of my clients and within months our business was creating additional 6-figure savings that we’d been “losing” for years.
“Learn how to read financial statements” – Warren Buffett, 2014
Now I’m no Oracle of Omaha, but, Buffet (who is) says that “Accounting is the language of business.” It’s hard to measure the full impact of this learning in our business. Speaking the correct language has attracted new clients, new investors, countless new venture opportunities. If you’re not getting the financial results in your bank account to justify blood, sweat and tears you’ve poured into your passion and you haven’t yet done a short course on accounting – that might not be a coincidence.
Check out the BJT Financial course on Strategic Finance Essentials for Small Australian Businesses
#4 Learn how to sell
Ewww – I said the “S” word. It never ceases to amaze me how many people still find this word offensive. Was it the sleazy used-car-type sleaze from the 80’s? Was it the over zealous door knockers armed with James Franco grins and a vacuum cleaner at dinner time in the 90s through naughties? Whatever it is – your limiting beliefs about selling and salespeople is holding you back from the most important skill of all in business and life.
Whatever – so you don’t like the word. Let me give you some others: Influence, persuasion, communication, guidance. Its all the same – so pick the one you like and move on. Because if you haven’t built the empire you want, it’s probably because you haven’t learnt to build relationships and influence.
Communication is the thread that weaves humans into humanity.
In the New Marketplace, customers have no more patience for “salespeople who can do the deal”. Today, people expect business professionals who know how to communicate with impact – who know how to sell.
Selling in today’s marketplace is not about making people do things they shouldn’t do or buy things they shouldn’t buy. Its about knowing the right questions to ask to discover peoples real needs, sorting for a match and to see if you can serve, then helping them navigate their fears, doubts and objections so that they are empowered to take action they’re supposed to take. Having the ability to influence is as important in a successful business as it is in a successful personal relationship.
Discover Coaching is launching a Sales Mastery Masterclass in February this year. If you want to learn how to pitch and present your ideas and services clearly, confidently and powerfully with your language, jump on the early bird list at www.www.DavidCervelli.com and watch all of the videos. You’re welcome 😉
#5 Learn to market
More specifically, learn to build and market digital products.
From Ken Auletta’s biography of Google:
Among the first “old” media executives to awaken to the threat [posed by Google search] was Mel Karmazin, then the CEO of Viacom. He visited Google in 2003 and remembers how Page and Brin extolled the value of being able to measure everything, including the effectiveness of advertising.
This alarmed Karmazin, for it threatened how he sold advertising, which was based on salesmanship, emotion. Karmazin and the networks continued to charge steep rates because, Karmazin says, “advertisers don’t know what works and what doesn’t. That’s a great model.”
There’s no more “magic” or secrets about how to make your business digital. Building and marketing products online is far easier, far cheaper and far more effective than other alternative NO MATTER WHAT THE INDUSTRY, period.
There, I said it (I can already hear the hate mail flooding in).
SEE ALSO: Secret Language and Marketing
I’ve helped hundreds of business owners and entrepreneurs, from start-ups to multi-billion dollar and Fortune 500’s. I’m yet to find a niche that can’t be dramatically amplified by digital marketing.
I’m not going to beat this one any further – learn how to market in 2015 or find someone who will do it for you. If you still don’t believe me – give me a call on my mobile and I’ll explain it again slowly.
But if you want to get started, check out Jeff Walker’s book that he published this year, “Launch”. It’s an excellent starting point and we still build digital launch campaigns for our clients around the simple concepts that are explored in the book.
#6 Learn how to build an effective team
Man is it tough doing this stuff on your own!! In fact, success at the highest level is impossible on your own. If I had to nominate the one factor that’s been most useful in the multiple businesses we’ve built over the past 10 years, I’d have to say Learning to sell and learning to build an effective team (note: learning to count is mostly useless).
Attracting, developing and retaining world-class talent is your never-ending job. When we coach our clients on building highly motivated, high performance teams, we’re often faced with a few common obstacles like…
1. They recruit people who have similar interests / strengths that they do.
If you are recruiting externally (as opposed to developing people from within your business), remember the purpose of the activity. Recruiting people based on them following the same football team or having had similar work experience to you limits the potential diversity in the team. Look for aligned attitudes but diverse skill sets to increase the overall value of your business.
Differentiation breeds meritocracy. Sameness breeds mediocrity.
2. They underinvest in training
Remember the deep end? It’s where your parents taught you to swim. And while it’s a great place for learning, it’s a terrible place to be left alone. When someone is given a role, particularly a new one, it needs to come with an inflatable life jacket. That might mean extra support while they’re getting the hang of things, or well structured training and coaching to get up to speed. Just don’t leave them hanging, it really sucks being setup for failure.
Continuous learning is critical for success — make it a priority.
Some others that we coach on include:
-Simple, consistent, focused and meaningful communication
– Aligning company values and performance measures
– Rewarding and remunerating appropriately
– Building clear progression plans
– Motivation and engagement strategies
Again, there’s no shortage of info on how to do this. A good and easy read to get you started is “FISH!” by Lundin (et al.). Check out our full recommended reading list here.
BONUS: Build an advisory board
This last point is not so much a learning point, as it is a must for any business owner or entrepreneur at any stage of their professional development: BUILD AN ADVISORY BOARD. An advisory board has a few basic functions:
1. Help you strategise and hold you accountable to agreed targets
2. Give you guidance in areas that they have experience and expertise
3. Give you access to a much larger network of customer and partners
4. Save you from eff’ing up things that they already have previously
(that last one is the money maker)
Don’t be afraid to reward a good advisor on your board well. Paying a monthly retainer and /or sharing equity are not uncommon ways to ensure you have their attention. Remember, paying 5% for advice that grows you by 50% is a great deal any day of the week.
So that’s prosperity in 2015 in a nutshell. So have you decided what kind of year 2015 is going to be yet?
To your success!
DC
