LD Staff Writer
Fresh off the press, get it while it’s hot!
The author, Charles Gaudet, runs Predictable Profits, a leading marketing, coaching, and consulting company that specializes in helping small businesses grow and become leaders in their markets.
His advice has appeared in media outlets throughout the world, including Fox Business, Inc., Forbes, and Business Insider. He was selected as one of The American Genius Beat‘s “Top 50 Influencers.” His experiences range from a pet health insurance company (which was nominated One of the “Nation’s Best Seed-Stage Companies” by accounting giant Ernst & Young) to a multimillion-dollar real estate development company – and many others.
On top of all this, Charlie is also a long-time client of LongerDays, and not long ago, I called Charlie to discuss how he works with his Virtual Assistant.
My conversation with Charlie was amazing, and he was just talking to me in “chit-chat” mode… I can’t imagine what he’s like “on the job” with his clients.
Out of everything we talked about, my favorite part was when he said:
“Chad, LongerDays thrives because it allows small business owners to make every day a Focus Day.”
“Hmmm,” I wondered before asking, “What’s a Focus Day?”
Charlie told me, “An assistant, used effectively, enables a small business owner to have three types of days – a lesson for time management I learned from Dan Sullivan at Strategic Coach…”
The Free Day – When an entrepreneur needs to be protected, isolated, so he or she can do… Whatever their little entrepreneur heart desires. Without free days, the entrepreneur gets burnt out and loses creativity.
The Buffer Day – An ordinary day, during which the small business owner spends 80% of their time on operational activities and 20% on revenue generating activities. Most small business owners live life as though every day is a Buffer Day.
The Focus Day – The inverse of a buffer day, when the small business owner spends 80% of their time on revenue generating activities and 20% of their time on operational activities. LongerDays lives to enable small business owners to have these kinds of days!
Charlie’s success with LongerDays comes as no surprise. We noticed a long time ago that the clients who get the most value from our service use LongerDays to create Focus Days. We say as much in the “getting started advice” we provide to all of our clients:
“The most cost effective way to utilize our service, the single greatest way for us to free up your time, is to identify and delegate ongoing work. If there is a secret to successfully working with a virtual assistant, this is it!”
Delegating 1 hour a day adds up to 5 hours a week, which adds up to 2.5 days a month, which totals 30 days a year – a whole month of time saved over the course of the year! If you had LongerDays, what would you do with the extra time?
Charlie used it to write a book.
Here are a few tips from Charlie’s book, and I’ve added how a virtual assistant from LongerDays can help you execute Charlie’s expert advice:
1. Use Media to “Win” – What’s more compelling? Your ad in the newspaper that reads, “I am a real estate expert,” or a news story in which the reporter describes you as a real estate expert? The second is more credible.
As stated in the book: “Whoever has the attention of the media wins. I don’t care how small your business is and how large your competitors are. If you know how to get the attention of the media and they don’t, you win.” – Paul Hartunian
The more your customers see you positively positioned in the media, the more they begin to perceive you as a local authority and celebrity.
One of the most effective ways to get this media attention (and quite possibly, thousands of dollars in free publicity) is through the power of a press release.
Give LongerDays your news; we’ll write a press release and submit it for you!
2. Become Known as An Authority – Whether you become a columnist, blogger, or author of a white paper, content provides a strategic advantage for people actively searching for a solution to their problem.
If you continue to show up everywhere your customers are looking for help, they will naturally gravitate to you – providing your business with more traffic, more leads, and more sales. The more they see your name as the trusted authority, the more you become an obvious choice.
Don’t have the time to write content? LongerDays can take care of it for you!
3. Engage Your Prospects on Social Media – “Sales and loyalty happen in direct proportion to the quality of the relationship with your customers.” – Charles Gaudet
In today’s connected world, social media is a great way to engage your customers. LongerDays can implement your social media strategy on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms!
4. Creating a “WOW!” Customer Experience – The best companies understand that customer loyalty goes beyond the mere transaction at the shopping cart. The customer experience begins the moment they first interact with your company, and extends far after the purchase.
Each time they pick up the phone to ask you a question, send you an email, or post a question on a message board, they expect prompt, friendly, and valuable feedback.
LongerDays is committed to delivering just that. We’re not just order takers – we’re problem solvers. We love supporting your customers to make you look good!
Of course, we’re just barely scratching the surface of what Charlie covers in his book, and what we can do for you.
We understand that the best way to grow our business is to help you grow your business. We want you to have “Free Days” and “Focus Days.” Let us handle the Buffer Day tasks.
Click here to check out Charlie’s book!
Want to learn more?
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