The Proactivity Index. How do you rate?

Proactive people win more. In business and in life.

Proactive people create a forum where opportunities are born for themselves and others.

Proactive behavior is like mining for precious metals. You never know what you'll find when you go prospecting but you still commit to prospect.

Being proactive is a mindset. Proactivity creates opportunities. Opportunities create momentum.

And momentum is your friend.

Momentum makes things happen. People connect. Ideas are born. Things happen. Often big things.

Hiding in your office isn't proactive. People won't break in to talk to you.

Proactive people make the effort to create forums in which they discover like-minded souls and create winning connections. They seem to effortlessly position themselves around the action within their industry.

One objection I hear on proactivity is that it only suits extroverted personalities. It is alleged that introverts can't be proactive.

But that's not true.

Introverts can choose outbound or inbound activities that they are comfortable immersing in. One-on-one interactions may suit them rather than larger groups or noisy social forums. Small roundtable think-tanks, intimate workshops, and webinars are suitable.

Learn to balance your proactive behavior and tailor it to personality types.

But be proactive, not passive.

To help assess your proactivity, I've designed a simple Proactivity Index.

And please remember, to be honest.

The first table assesses your 'outbound activity'. Outbound activities are where you initiate an activity and invite others. It could be breakfasts, lunches, dinners, coffees, in-house meetings, roundtables, charity events, training sessions, webinars, workshops, seminars. The list is endless.

Mark yourself on whether you organize activities often, sometimes or never. You get more points for outbound proactivity because you have to create the activity and organize it.

The second table assesses your 'inbound activity'. Inbound activities are where you receive an invitation to attend.

Mark yourself on whether you accept invitations to inbound activities often, sometimes or never. You get fewer points for inbound proactivity because you simply have to show up to the event.

5 or more Golden Nugget – You are of rare value and create opportunities

0 – 4 Hidden Gem – You need to expose yourself and shine

Negative Hard Rock –You are tough to crack. Come out from underground and surface

Think deeply about how you can change your proactivity and let me know your score on the Proactivity Index.

If you want to work on playing a bigger game in business, contact me at darren@darrenkbourke.com

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I really want you to start creating sustainable success in your business and life. Simply check out my FAQs videos HERE on what business owners most commonly ask about sustainable business success. If they help you, simply sign up and get the other 20x videos free.

Claim your Giveaways now, find out what the Fourth Moon is and reach your goals sooner!

Cheers, Darren K Bourke

Helping not selling

Let’s face it. Most of us struggle with the thought of having to sell. Our fears are often based on perceptions around how others will judge us.

Salesy. Sleazy. Self-promoter. Slick. Needy. Desperate. Greedy. Selfish.

These are just some of the words that our self-talk throws at us through our inner monologue.

But ultimately we all have to sell something in business.

So how do we do this authentically, ethically and gracefully?

Selling in a stereotypical manner can create two problems for most of us.

The first problem is that a traditional sales approach can change the way you behave. You morph into a different person. You hear yourself saying things that you’d never normally say. You answer questions like an FAQ page, or worse, an advertorial.

The second problem is the way the other person sees you. They pick up on the subtle body language changes in you. You sound different to them and your message gets lost through your words.

The solution to this problem is helping not selling. 

When you adopt a helping philosophy in your interactions with people, the real you shines through.

Helping people shows your authentic self. You own your words and you don’t have to concentrate on what you’re saying. Your body language is relaxed. Your message clear.

You are your higher-self in helping mode.

The other person sees the real you. Your body language is magnetic. Your words natural and your message clear. Your generosity disarms their objections and they engage with you.

But I can’t do that I hear you say. I can’t just go around giving away my knowledge and resources. People will take advantage of me and I’ll spend all my time helping others.

This reaction is understandable and it’s based on pride and fear.

Pride around reputation and humility.

Fear of scarcity of time, money and resources.

Get over yourself.

The reality is that there is more than enough time, money, and resources for you and all of us. You merely need half a fingernail of the entire body of your market to have more than enough.

And pride. No-one has ever thought someone weak for asking what their challenges are and helping them.

Adopt a philosophy of helping not selling and watch your world change.

When meeting people, start helping them straight away. Don’t wait for engagement or payment. Just help them straight off the bat. Not in an over-the-top way. Just be subtle. Offer to workshop a problem. Introduce a trusted person that might help. Offer a resource (a book, a blog or app).

Ask insightful questions. What are the major projects you have on at the moment and what are your biggest challenges? What are your three major frustrations in working with XYZ at the moment?

What’s keeping you up at night? What talent do you need to attract? Who’s missing in your network?

Then follow through with your help. Send a short email outlining your suggested solution. Make the introduction. Call or email with the resource.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?

You spent an hour of your time, provided some free advice and nothing comes back to you. So what.

You provided a hand-picked expert to help them with their problem. Good karma.

You personally forwarded a book, resource or app to help them. Double good karma.

What’s the best thing that can happen?

You have an enjoyable meeting over breakfast and make a new friend.

You feel Zen-like in helping others without expectation. Your confidence and self-esteem soars.

You look forward to meetings and have fun being authentic and free.

Following your meeting and follow up actions, they book a further meeting at their office and engage you in working for them.

They refer you to their friends and colleagues who also do business with you.

The hand-picked expert you introduced to them gets engaged also. As a result, he introduces you to his clients who engage you.

Get it?

Downside low.

Upside huge.

So start your trial today.

I’d love to hear some of your success stories through helping not selling.

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I really want you to start creating sustainable success in your business and life. Simply check out my FAQs videos HERE on what business owners most commonly ask about sustainable business success. If they help you, simply sign up and get the other 20x videos free.

Claim your Giveaways now, find out what the Fourth Moon is and reach your goals sooner!

Cheers, Darren K Bourke

Complex Simplicity

When you are developing your skills, your focus is on complexity. There is good reason for this.

During your apprenticeship, which I believe is your first seven to ten years of experience, it is imperative that you understand technical detail and how to execute complex procedures.

You must establish the ability to carry out a series of steps, in the exact order to produce a predictable and satisfactory result.

Complexity and technical proficiency is the key.

But that's your first life on the business journey.

In your second life on the business journey, you must shift to complex simplicity.

I like to think of an analogue clock. Over a day, the clock's hands move around the face twice.

Think of the first time you move around the clock from 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock as your apprenticeship on the business journey.

The first time around the clock you've never seen 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock. These times represent a progression on your business journey.

Each hour represents lessons and achievements throughout your apprenticeship. Having never been around the clock face, each hour represents a new destination.

Time moves slowly the first time around the clock face as lessons and experiences are gained. Each hour the hand moves represents an important incremental step in your technical development and experiential environment.

You make mistakes. You learn. You make mistakes. You learn.

You fall over. You get up.

 The evolutionary process of your first stage development continues.

 You learn the complex. And you have to.

 If you don't learn the complexity of your craft during your apprenticeship, you never will.

These years from 1am through to 12 midday on your first journey around the clock build your technical chops. You are recognized and promoted for your technical ability.

 You become competent and experienced at complexity.

 Over your apprenticeship, you have come to understand complexity through a range of experiences resulting in a high level of technical competency.

 But now it's midday. You've been around the clock face. You understand complexity within your field.

 So now you begin your second rotation around the clock face from 12 midday to midnight.

 But now you must pivot. Change.

You must now adopt Complex Simplicity. 

On your second time around the clock, it's now time to leverage your experience and knowledge of the complex technical aspects of your vocation.

As a master, you must adopt complex simplicity.

Complex simplicity is the art of making the complex simple.

It is the ability to go from A to Z in one step. From the question to the answer in one step.

And you don't know how you can do it. You just can.

In this second time around the clock, you simplify everything.

Focus on a philosophy of simplicity.

Everything on just one page.

Meetings with standard agendas run smoothly and effectively - in a minimum amount of time.

Systems are reliable and quicker.

Interactions with your team lead to greater productivity, employee and customer satisfaction.

You only focus on the key metrics that matter. Just drive those and nothing else.

Your diary is less busy and openings allow more opportunity into your life.

You have a regime of nominated 'non-negotiable activities' that you respect and honor.

Beyond them, your time is yours.

You solve employee, customer, supplier and shareholder problems quickly and effectively.

You have complex simplicity.

Everything is faster.

And simpler.

More effortless.

It's not that you cease understanding or attending to the complex and technical aspects of your business. It's just that you've been around the clock the first time.

You've served your apprenticeship and know your technical stuff.

It is the adoption of a philosophy through experience that makes the complex simple.

I encourage you to review your activities through the principle of complex simplicity.

Think how you can make every activity simpler, more effective and more enjoyable.

Simplification doesn't mean you're dumb on the second time around the clock.

It means you're smart.

Real smart.

Maybe even a master.

Times ticking.

Midnight is just a few hours away.

Time is of the essence.

Adopt complex simplicity.

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I really want you to start creating sustainable success in your business and life. Simply check out my FAQs videos HERE on what business owners most commonly ask about sustainable business success. If they help you, simply sign up and get the other 20x videos free.

Claim your Giveaways now, find out what the Fourth Moon is and reach your goals sooner!

Cheers, Darren K Bourke