Vital information for prospective entrepreneurs, and for business owners working to regain their passion and build better relationships with their customers.

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4. Understanding ME Who Are You Really? The value of accurate personality assessment Swallowing the bitter pill Get over it – allow the “hit” to your ego Who Are You Profiler – Private Session Read Group 1 – Which describes you best? Read Group 2 – Which describes you best?

5. Understanding ME Who Are You Profiler – Partner Session Discuss your results with your partner. What was your immediate reaction to the profiler results? What was one of the most revealing parts of the results? What did you learn about yourself?

6. Understanding ME Time to Get on the SWOT Team SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats This is a great tool for helping you be realistic about what you can really achieve. Your SWOT analysis needs to be focused on a particular “Life Aspect.”

7. Understanding ME What Is A “Life Aspect?” Examples of Life Aspects are: Family, Career, Finance, Health, Recreation, Personal, Friendship, Community, Household, and Spiritual Entrepreneurial Focus Life Aspect = Career and Finance

8. Understanding ME Career Life Aspect Career is “what you do” and is likely the most time consuming aspect of your life. Career is usually at the top of the list of importance in the “big picture” of life. Career aspect includes career satisfaction and development. Balance is the key – try not to let Career get ahead of other important aspects in life.

9. Understanding ME Finance Life Aspect Unfortunately, money is essential to sustaining life in modern society. By necessity, the Finance Life Aspect is fairly high on the list when you are determining what is important. DO NOT LET IT RULE YOUR LIFE!!!

10. Understanding ME Finance Life Aspect The Finance Life Aspect can pertain to making the most of what you have today, investing correctly, as well as earning more. Again, balance is the key – DO NOT over emphasize the Finance Life Aspect. Assignment: Read Think and Grow Rich

11. Understanding ME Undertake a personal SWOT analysis for the LIFE ASPECTS you’re considering Write down everything you can think of in each category – Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities | Threats – whether you think it’s really relevant or not.

12. Understanding ME Strengths - Identify key strengths that will pertain DIRECTLY to achieving your goals The Strengths that you identify MUST apply to the Life Aspect focus of your SWOT. For Example: You may be able to throw a football 50 yards, but if you are looking to be a successful real estate investor, this would NOT be applicable.

13. Understanding ME Strengths - Identify key strengths that will ultimately help you achieve your goals Don’t confuse Strengths with necessity. If there is a skill that you possess, but so does everyone around you… it is a necessity! To uncover your Strengths, ask yourself, “What do I find easy that others find difficult to do?”

14. Understanding ME Did You Know .…Part of Albert Einstein’s brain was abnormally large while another part of his brain was unusually small? Which part was larger than normal? The area used for math and spatial intelligence. Which part was smaller than normal? The area used for linguistics.

15. Understanding ME Did You Know .… Most children start talking between the ages of one and two. Einstein, who is generally regarded as one of the smartest people ever, didn’t start talking until he was three. Einstein failed a language exam when he was 16. He was known to be a terrible lecturer and was not a cunning linguist.

16. Understanding ME Einstein’s Brain Size Story: What’s the Moral of the Story? “Be thankful for your WEAKNESSES because they may be the source of your STRENGTHS!” - Anonymous

17. Understanding ME Weaknesses - Identify Weaknesses that pertain DIRECTLY to getting in the way of your goals and expected achievements The Weaknesses that you identify MUST apply to the Life Aspect focus of your SWOT. For Example: You may be a horrible cook, butwill that stop you from being a successfulbusinessperson?

18. Understanding ME Opportunities – Identify positive external conditions that you can use to your advantage The Opportunities that you might identify could be TREND-driven, or TIMING-driven, or TECHNOLOGY-driven, or RELATIONSHIP-driven. Examine all of your resources. Drill down through the layers of personal relationships. There are always people who want to get involved in a great deal.

19. Understanding ME Opportunities – Identify positive external conditions that you can use to your advantage Examine any and all previous Opportunities. You would be shocked at how much more can be harvested from a previous win. “Opportunity is often missed because we are broadcasting when we should be tuning in.” - Anonymous

20. Understanding ME Opportunities – Identify positive external conditions that you can use to your advantage The Opportunities that you might identify could be TREND-driven, or TIMING-driven, or TECHNOLOGY-driven, or RELATIONSHIP-driven. Examine all of your resources. Drill down through the layers of personal relationships. There are always people who want to get involved in a great deal.

21. Understanding ME “Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.” - Anonymous “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” - Helen Keller

22. Understanding ME Threats - These are the negative External Conditions that you cannot control but their effects can lessen your potential success Threats can be simply an extension of your weaknesses. Threats can come from: Competition, Personality Conflict, Industry Change, Technology Change, Government Regulation

23. Understanding ME Threats - These are the negative External Conditions that you cannot control but their effects can lessen your potential success Threats can be changed in Market Conditions, Economic Conditions, Skill Set Requirements, Supply and Demand, Personal Situation, Professional Standards, Licensing Requirements, etc.

24. Understanding ME Performing the SWOT Analysis Draw a two-by-two grid on a sheet of paper. Label the upper two quadrants “Strengths” and “Weaknesses”. Label the lower two quadrants “Opportunities” and “Threats”. “Strengths” should be directly above “Opportunities”; “Weaknesses” should be directly above “Threats”.

25. Understanding ME Performing the SWOT Analysis In each quadrant, write out ideas in bullet-point form. Be as specific as possible. Stretch to come up with true insights. Take a break if you have to, and revisit your analysis when you are fresh. Edit. Delete repetitive ideas and sharpen less specific ones. Analyze what it all means.

26. Understanding ME Performing the SWOT Analysis Validate your current position. Understand the skills, attributes and experiences you should emphasize and the ones you should downplay. Brainstorm possible directions. Be creative - there is no such thing as a STUPID idea, just ideas that you might not utilize.

27. Understanding ME Performing the SWOT Analysis Highlight opportunities you can use to your advantage. Flag possible threats. Determine Possible Actions. There are Four Types of Actions You Could Take: Strengthen a specific skill or add something to your strengths quadrant. Minimize or eliminate a weakness.

28. Understanding ME Determine Possible Actions. There are Four Types of Actions You Could Take: Pursue or exploit an opportunity. Protect yourself from threats. Revisit and Update Your SWOT Chart Periodically to Add a Level of Sophistication and Effectiveness to Your Planning.

29. Understanding ME IT IS TIME TO DO YOUR SWOT ANALYSIS!

30. Understanding ME What Did YOU Learn?

31. Understanding ME A Lifetime of Lessons has Taught Me: Never complain about your challenges, because 95% of the people don’t care, and the other 5% are glad that they happened to you. You are the same today as you will be in five years, except for two things: the PEOPLE that you MEET and the BOOKS that you READ.

32. Understanding ME A Lifetime of Lessons has Taught Me: You are a product of your environment. I truly believe that “you can’t soar with eagles if you hang around with turkeys.” The most common cause of failure is QUITTING.

33. Understanding ME A Lifetime of Lessons has Taught Me: “Success is a journey and not a destination. Success is a way of life that you will continue as long as you live. It is about discovering your ultimate purpose and pursuing it with everything that you have and everything that you do.”- Ben Sweetland R. U. Darby and his Uncle Story: Three Feet from Gold

34. Understanding ME A Lifetime of Lessons Has Taught Me: Before great success comes, you will surely meet with temporary defeat. Select your path and then: ONE - Seek the counsel of those who have expertise and educate yourself. TWO – Never, NEVER, Never Quit. THREE – When you find success, seek others to mentor and share with them the valuable lessons that you have learned.

35. Understanding ME A Lifetime of Lessons has Taught Me: There is a difference between being interested and being committed. To succeed you must have “STICKABILITY.” READ:Three Feet from Gold by Sharon L. Lechterand Gregg S. Reid Presented by: The Napoleon Hill Foundation

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38. Understanding THEM Relationship Building is your single most important entrepreneurial skill. Relationships must be mutually energizing. Relationships must accommodate feelings and meet needs.

39. Understanding THEM Relationship Building is the Key to Personal Success as an Entrepreneur. Are You A “People Person?” If not, become one. Relationship building must be sincere and genuine. It’s easy to spot a “phony.” Relationship building requires the building of mutual trust.

40. Understanding THEM No Man Is An Island. Name a business where you do not have to deal with another human being. As a Business Professional, You Should Ask Yourself: "What Business am I in?" The answer is quite simple. If your business has anything to do with people - and ALL businesses do - you are in the business of building relationships.

41. Understanding THEM Some People Think That If They Sell Things, They are in the Business of Selling. They aren't. They are in the business of building relationships – because that is how you sell things. The more people that you are comfortable building a relationship with, the greater your network will be, and the more success you will have in business.

42. Understanding THEM Your NET WORTH is in direct Proportion to Your NETWORK. Personal relationship-building skills are essential to cement and bind customer friendship, trust, credibility, rapport building, and to make the buyer look and perform well in the association.

43. Understanding THEM Remember your SWOT Analysis? Use your NETWORK to minimize or delegate away your weaknesses. Leverage your strengths to assist others and build relationships. Exercise: SWOT Mart Break up into groups of 10 – form 2 lines opposite of each other. Get ready to swap strengths and weaknesses.

44. Understanding THEM What Did YOU Learn?

45. Understanding THEM Relationship Building Blocks Send notes of congratulations for all occasions. The smaller the event, the bigger the impact of the card. Send holiday gifts. When possible, try to make the gift personal or at least choose something you think the individual would like. Ask about their spouse and children. If you happen to be in their office, ask if the pictures on the walls are their kids.

46. Understanding THEM Relationship Building Blocks Plan an activity with your children (if they have children who are around the same age). Offer to help with any volunteer work that they do and ask if you can invite others to help, too. Offer to share your material possessions with them, if it would help them. Lending a wheelbarrow or a lawn mower can build a lot of trust in a new relationship.

47. Understanding THEM Relationship Building Blocks Establish a common connection. Same school, town, common professional or personal contacts, hobbies, sports teams – anything – then NEVER FORGET IT and refer to it often. Let them know about your significant life events. Make the time to go to their functions when they invite you.

48. Understanding THEM Relationship Building Blocks Find out what organizations they are involved in and join one that interests you. Attend a presentation that the contact makes and send a note or a comment about the presentation. Invite them to a sporting event. Make sure it is a sport that you both like.

49. Understanding THEM Relationship Building Blocks Participate in a charitable cause that they are involved in and donate. Refer business to them. One of the best ways to generate business referrals is to make referrals yourself. Be sure that the referrals you make are "quality" referrals. Lend them an uplifting book that you really enjoyed. Tell them that you were thinking about them while you were reading it.

50. Understanding THEM Relationship Building Blocks Introduce them to someone who can solve a problem they have. Perhaps they need a good computer consultant to help set up an office network or a good plumber to unclog their sewage line at home. Either way, referring good vendors to your contacts shows that you are resourceful. Always follow up on the referral to make sure that the new relationship is a happy one.

51. Understanding THEM Relationship Building Blocks Recommend a good movie, book, play, or other cultural activity. Introduce them to a hobby or activity that you are passionate about. Send them a brochure for a seminar that might interest them. Tell them about a Web site that might be helpful or interesting to them.

52. Understanding THEM Professional relationship-building skills consist of adding significant value to the customer's business Contribute toward reduced costs of their business. Contribute toward the increased profitability of their business. Work to guarantee their business success through shared resources, relationships or ideas.

53. Understanding THEM “People are insecure; give them confidence.People want to feel special; compliment them.People want a better tomorrow; show them hope.People need to be understood; listen to them.People are selfish; speak to their needs first.People are emotionally low; encourage them.People want to be associated with success; helpthem win.” - Pete Vossler

54. Understanding THEM Synergistic Relationshipsare Critical to a Long-Term Successful Business Relationship. Create WIN-WIN only transactions Give & Take – stay in balance Know what is important to you in a business relationship. Do not compromise your value system – EVER!

55. Understanding THEM Synergistic Relationshipsare Critical to a Long-Term Successful Business Relationship. Learn the truth about your business associate. Turn the other cheek - we all make mistakes, but DO NOT turn a blind eye. Compassion in action. If you are angry, count to 10. If you are really mad, count to 1000.

56. Understanding THEM Synergistic Relationshipsare Critical to a Long-Term Successful Business Relationship. It takes a lifetime to build trust and a split second to take it away. Learn to walk away from temptation that would destroy trust. The grass is always greener, or so it appears until you hop the fence.

57. Understanding THEM Learn the Weapons of Influence Assignment - Please read: INFLUENCE - The Psychology of Persuasion.By Robert B. Cialdini, PH.D.

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60. Understanding IT What is Your “IT” and How Do I Find “IT” in My Life? Work within your PASSION. Keep grounded and remember your goals. Don’t lose FOCUS – chase two rabbits, catch none. Leverage your SWOT analysis. Maintain Success-Able expectations. Dreams are GREAT; reality is ESSENTIAL.

61. Understanding IT What is Your “IT” and How Do I Find “IT” in My Life? Does the “IT” have potential? Are other people succeeding at “IT”? Do you see yourself doing “IT”? Do you see yourself growing personally and professionally over the long term doing “IT”? Where do you see yourself in five years or 10 years, if you become successful at doing “IT”?

62. Understanding IT What is Your “IT” and How Do I Find “IT” in My Life? Do you enjoy the people who you meet who are professionals at doing “IT”? Or are they people who you would rather not associate with? Does the industry that “IT” resides in have long-term potential or is it a fad? What would be your exit strategy if you developed your business around “IT”?

63. Understanding IT What is Your “IT” and How Do I Find “IT” in My Life? What difference can you make in the world as you become good at “IT”? Does the thought of doing “IT” EXCITE you? Do you DREAM of “IT” at night and constantly think of things that you can improve while you are doing “IT”?

64. Understanding IT What is Your “IT” and How Do I Find “IT” in My Life? Is doing “IT” something that you can be proud of as a vocation or career? Is “IT” something that you are proud to speak about in social settings? Is “IT” something that you want your children to tell their friends Mommy or Daddy does for a living?

65. Understanding IT The Process of Evaluation – Critical to Success of ALL Ventures in the Entrepreneurial World Gather all information that you can about the opportunity. Do your homework on the opportunity - investigation and due diligence is an art. Validate the information as reliable and accurate.

66. Understanding IT The Process of Evaluation – Critical to Success of ALL Ventures in the Entrepreneurial World Gain the assistance of a group of SMEs. Understand the Business Model completely and develop an “elevator pitch”; then test your pitch on some friends whose opinions you respect. You build an economic model that makes sense from your own due diligence.

67. Understanding IT The Process of Evaluation – Critical to Success of ALL Ventures in the Entrepreneurial World You build a marketing model that makes sense and then “test” market it before committing to a large amount of Human Capital, Time, or Monetary Investment. Never access your business relationships until you can answer all anticipated questions they might have.

68. Understanding IT The Process of Evaluation – Critical to Success of ALL Ventures in the Entrepreneurial World Put together a “think tank” of people who you believe would have great suggestions. You want people who would understand the opportunity and have interest in it. Limit the time for brainstorming – lack of time limit creates lack of urgency for creativity and turns it into a committee.

69. Understanding IT Exercise: Finger Weights, LLC Break out into groups of 10 Read Executive Summary Discuss in your group Report on: findings, processes, solutions, plans, next steps, possibilities, recommendations, suggestions, etc.

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71. TEST Exercise: I thought this was going to be FUN – what happened? Take the TEST – you have five minutes. Exercise: OH – it IS going to be FUN! Take the test as a group – you have five minutes.