A Man, A Plan, A Canal ... Suez

In my recent two-day Internet marketing Boot Camp in Auckland, one of the most important questions raised was, "How do I find the time when I've got so much else going on in my business?"

This is a crucial question. Because it doesn't matter how much good stuff you learn, if you don't put it into action, it doesn't count for anything.

How do YOU get things done?

You might have your own system for getting things done. If you've got something that works for you, stick with it.

If you don't, here's a simple (but not simplistic ) process for getting started:

Know your outcome.
Create a plan.
Get support.

You might think this looks too simple to be useful, but it really does work. Let's look at these three steps briefly.

1. Know your outcome.

Set a goal. Start with the end in mind. Know your outcome. Find another cliche.

Get clear, so you do what matters and ignore what doesn't.

Alicia Curtis, one of my clients, has just finished my mentoring program. She was a dream client because she came to me with clear goals in mind. So it was easy for us to set out a clear plan of action, and then she implemented it.

Alicia has just completed a twelve-month scholarship program with the National Speakers Association of Australia. If you'd like to see just how much she has achieved in that year, read her report here.

2. Create a plan.

In my Internet marketing boot camp, I taught many ways for experts to leverage their expertise into on-line marketing. If you've tried some of this stuff before and it's seemed overwhelming, here's a simple plan for making it sustainable:

Find out the most pressing problems of your target market.
Publish an e-mail newsletter every two weeks, with an article highlighting a problem and providing a solution.
Take that same article and paste it as an article on your Web site.
Take that same article and post it to your blog.
Read that same article out loud, record it, and publish it to your podcast.
When you have 7 articles, put them together in a special report "The Seven Fatal Mistakes People Make With XYZ (whatever your topic is)".
When you have another 3 articles, take the 10 podcast posts and combine them into an audio CD product.

The first point - finding out your target market's problems - is crucial. It ensures everything else is compelling, because you're hitting their hot buttons.

3. Get support.

You don't have to do it alone. Get a mentor - like Alicia did - or find others on the same path. This will help you stay on track and maintain focus and energy.

For example, the Auckland Boot Camp participants have decided to create a support group, which will meet monthly to assist each other along the way.

How can you use this?

What do you know you could be doing better with your Internet marketing tactics? If you're not doing that already, I bet it's because you're missing one of those three vital ingredients: Outcome, plan or support.

Key words: productivity

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Gihan Perera is the author of "Get Active: Web Sites for Speakers, Trainers, Coaches and Consultants" and "Fast, Flat and Free: What You Need to Know to Stay Ahead in a Connected World". Visit http://GihanPerera.com and get your complimentary copies now.

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