Your growth is our objective

The strategic integration of coaching, branding, and marketing creates a unified means of helping you to achieve growth in your business or career—and the personal fulfillment that comes with it.

Canyon Concepts focuses exclusively on establishing collaborative relationships that empower our clients to:

  • make informed, measurable decisions about their business or career;
  • create a powerful company brand; and
  • implement thoughtful and effective marketing techniques that capture market share.

Your aspirations are always central to our service offering. Your growth is our objective.

With extensive in-house services and a network of professionals who offer additional support to meet your goals, Canyon Concepts is prepared to accelerate your business.

All services are offered in person or remotely. Telecommuting is offered for coaching and all marketing services.

Make 2013 The Year Of Less Stress

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My friend Charles forwarded this story to me, and I found it very timely. Many of my conversations so far this year have been about the stress some of my clients feel at the prospect of having to do the tasks they set out for themselves in 2013. Before leaving you with the story, I have two quick pieces of advice for tackling this year’s goals:

1        Chunk it down. Use your year-end goals as a rudder that gives 2013 its general direction, but don’t take on so many tasks at once that you drift off course. Make a list of the things that need to occur between now and December, then prioritize the list, making sure the items build on one another. By tackling one thing at a time in a logical sequence, you’ll avoid both becoming overwhelmed and working at cross purposes.

2        Plan time off. Part of being an effective, strategic leader is maintaining a clear vision of your business. If you’re exhausted and stressed out, you’re not going to have the energy or clarity to be truly productive. While this is common knowledge, it nonetheless seems to be a difficult concept for many to put into practice. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to set aside — and protect — time in advance for breaks in the action.

And now for the story:

A woman confidently walked around the room holding a raised glass of water while leading a discussion and explaining stress management to an audience. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, “half empty or half full?” She fooled them all, asking instead “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.

“In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden, holding stress longer and better each time practiced.

“So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Pick them up tomorrow.”

10 Ways To Get Clients In 10 Minutes

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With the beginning of each new year, most business owners naturally turn their thoughts toward increasing revenues over the previous year. This common goal also comes with two common problems: 1) Not knowing where to start, and/or 2) feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of numerous time-sucking marketing obligations. But there is a solution!

CJ Hayden, author of Get Clients Now!, has a knack for breaking down seemingly vast marketing tasks into reasonable, actionable bites. Her advice is unwaveringly practical, and I enjoy her newsletters. The following is reproduced with permission from one of her recent editions. I offer it here in the hopes that it helps my goal-oriented brethren increase sales without increasing stress.

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Does it seem like you can never find the time to market for more clients? It’s hard to find open hours in the middle of a busy week. But not every marketing task requires big chunks of time. Here are ten productive things you can do to get more clients when you have just ten minutes.

1. Place a call. Which of your past clients have been totally happy with your work over the past couple of years? Think of one you haven’t been in touch with recently. Call to see how he or she is doing. When your fans are reminded of your good work, new projects and referrals often ensue.

2. Send an email. Who has referred you the best client over the last year? Send an email to express your continuing thanks. Showing your appreciation to referral sources frequently results in more referrals.

3. Make a date. Think of a prospect or referral source you have always wanted to know better. Contact that person and make a date to have coffee or chat by phone. Informal conversations deepen relationships and build trust.

4. Expand your network. Log on to your social media channel of choice, and choose a colleague you think of as well-connected. View that friend’s connections. Send connection requests, or follow, every one of those people you recognize. More people in your network means more potential prospects.

5. Review your image. Browse through your website or social media profile with a critical eye. View each section as if you were someone visiting for the first time. Note any areas you think could improve and schedule time to make some changes. First impressions make a difference to surfing prospects.

6. Examine your contacts. Scan your contact database seeking anyone who might be a prospect that you haven’t made contact with in the last 30 days. Reach out to that person with a personal call or note. People who already know you are more likely to become clients than new, cold contacts.

7. Send an article. What’s the last article you read that might be helpful to some of your prospects? Email them with a link to it or mail them a copy. When prospects perceive you as a helpful resource, you gain their confidence.

8. Follow up a meeting. What was the last meeting you attended where you collected business cards? Did you follow up with those people? Find the stack of cards and send one or two a nice-to-meet-you note. Repeated contact helps people to remember you.

9. Touch your network. Visit your favorite social network and peruse recent posts by the prospects and referral sources you’re connected to. Post some likes and replies about what they’re saying. Relationships build when communication is two-way.

10. Find a referral partner. Think of occupations who naturally come in contact with your ideal clients. Then consider who you already know in any of those occupations. Send a quick note to suggest you talk about becoming referral sources for each other.

Reproduced with permission. Copyright 2012, C.J. Hayden. All rights reserved. Get Clients Now! Phone/Fax (415) 981-8845 or (877) 946-4722 www.getclientsnow.com.

“The Power Of Contemplation”: A True Story

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I was chatting with my friend John the other day, and a story he told me inspired this month’s newsletter. John used to work for a company in Texas, and his boss approached him one day about launching an entirely new division of the business. This was a company with large-scale projects and resources at stake; there were high expectations for the new division. John had never done anything like a division launch before, but he embraced the invitation as a challenge and a chance to stretch his intellectual muscles.

John’s boss gave him the use of an adjacent office to start the project, and John chose to kick things off by spending a full day sitting at the table with nothing but a notepad. John sat there hour after hour thinking about how to create a division from scratch — what had to be achieved, who were the best subject-matter experts, how they would proceed as a team, etc. As he began to mentally assemble the pieces of this puzzle, he would occasionally jot down some thoughts.

Here’s what I found most interesting about his story: His approach drove everyone but his boss crazy. People kept passing by the office, pausing to watch John’s quiet contemplation. Finally, one person just couldn’t take it anymore and, irritated, demanded “What are you doing?” John matter-of-factly replied, “I’m working.” That same person popped in several more times in disbelief that John was in fact working. It was just too difficult to believe that someone not engaged in a flurry of activity was doing something constructive.

The result of John’s day of thinking was the successful launch of a highly innovative and profitable branch that picked up an entirely new market share they had never previously enjoyed. Why? Because John didn’t confuse activity with productivity. He knew he was using his time wisely by visualizing his outcome and specific ways of getting there.

I confess I have a bias of admiration for John’s brain; nonetheless, his approach to solving this particular problem was spot on. Too many of us — myself included — can be quick to jump into action to “fix it.” Or there’s even a pang of guilt that sitting quietly and thinking strategically is somehow wasting time. As we start a new year, it’s important to add “quiet contemplation” to our list of business resolutions. Embrace the idea of taking some time each day — even 15 or 20 minutes — to reflect on the outcome you’re striving for and whether your actions are productive or just busy. Stay clearly connected to the reasons motivating your choices, not just on making them.

And if you feel uncomfortable by the stares of people while you quietly contemplate, think instead of how amazing it will feel when you’ve accomplished your goals because you took the time to imagine them in the first place.