Ok, I’m going to self-indulge for a moment this week and I hope you stick with me, because this week’s blog really does have something for YOU too, if you just read on for the next 2 minutes or so..
They say people will never rise above their own opinion of themselves and sadly, even for the divas or self-publicists amongst us, that opinion tends to be fairly low. Yet in today’s competitive market place, where we’re all needing to find ways to show up and stand out from others in our field i.e. be that Purple Cow, we really can’t afford to hide our light under a bushel, or fade into the background of the canvas we’re creating, or be an extra in the play we’re performing – you get my drift, right?
In the last few weeks, I’ve had cause to become my own publicity agent on several occasions because:
1. FIT came of age on Valentine’s Day this year – David and I have managed to work, eat, sleep and live together 24/7 for the last 18 years (AND we’ve been married an additional 10 years on that) WOW! That’s something to shout about wouldn’t you agree?
2. We’ve been nominated as finalists in no less than FOUR categories in the National Entrepreneur Awards 2019, which will be presented by Lord Seb Coe on 4th March in Birmingham – we’re giddy with excitement, as you can imagine (well I am anyway). We’re up for Best Business Enabler, Most Impressive Growth, Most Inspiring Business Person and the BIG one (for me personally) is I’m a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year 2019. How cool is that?
3. We filed our 2018 accounts recently, reporting THE most successful year in business since we launched on 14th February 2001 – pretty impressive huh?
4. I’m about to become a published author, with my first ever business book entitled “Make Their Day” which I wrote all by myself (!) and which I’m incredibly proud of, given I completed it during snatched hours in various hotel rooms while away with clients during this last year.
5. I received the final draft of our first ever printed newsletter, FIT Matters, due to be released on 21st March from our fantastic design & print agency (Aarif Merali & the team at d2rCrossMedia really do rock!) and it’s looking abfab, so watch this space folks…
6. We’ve been personally recommended to pitch for 2 new business opportunities involving over 1000 frontline staff in total, helping these 2 blue chip organisations develop the talent of their frontline teams and leaders so they can become that Purple Cow in their field. Thanks to the Raving Fans we’re so blessed to have gathered into our field over the last 18 years, these 2 particular FIT fans have moved on and up in their journeys and want to take us with them – how awesome is that!? There really is nothing like a personal referral to prove ones worth, don’t you think? Fingers crossed for now….
7. Our big client project of 2018, just 6 months into roll-out, has reported some incredible stats and facts, providing some real ‘holes in hands’ proof that our unique approach to developing your Brand Ambassadors on the frontline, using our acclaimed S.H.A.P.E.TM Model, really can separate you from others in your field. Some of the highlights include:
- 325 (97%) frontline staff trained
- 53 coaches accredited in FIT’s Coaching Winners Programme
- 10 FIT Champions recruited internally, trained & accredited
- 5154 hours of training delivered
- 1534 hours of frontline coaching delivered
- Huge improvements in employee engagement ref. pre & post staff survey
- Sickness/absenteeism reduced by 40%
- SLA improved from 66% to 87%
- 12.2 point rise in Net Promoter Score
- FITs own NPS shows 100% Promoter Score
- 1.5% increase in Customer Satisfaction
- 2% improvement in Customer Effort Score
My biggest brag is the lovely email I recently received from the Group Chief Executive Officer, concluding that “….it’s been a terrific programme you’ve run for us over 2018 and it’s had a HUGE impact on the Frontline!” Proud as punch doesn’t even cut it.
I could go on – but for fear of becoming a prima donna, I now want to turn my attention back to YOU, my faithful reader…
YOU have got some recent claims to fame too haven’t you?
YOU have had positive client feedback through the likes of Trustpilot or Feefo lately haven’t you?
YOU have a star performer who’s smashed their targets or KPIs this last month and helped YOU to grow your revenues &/or business as a result haven’t you?
YOU have discovered a real GEM on your Frontline who’s Gone the Extra Mile for a customer or colleague over the last few weeks, who’s helped YOU show up and stand out like that Purple Cow haven’t you?
YOU have been shortlisted or won a large-scale project or blue-chip account to add to your impressive portfolio recently haven’t you?
So what are YOU doing to become your own publicity agent in this month of March?
What are YOU doing to let the world know that you’re different from all those other players in your field, so that you separate yourself from your competition?
What are YOU doing to become that Purple Cow!?
18 years ago it was actually a fluke that we chose the colour purple as our brand colour, however it’s no mistake or twist of fate that this colour has served us extremely well over the years, helping us to show up and stand out in our particular field – so, as Dr Seuss said “why try to fit in when you were born to stand out?”
Go on, become your own publicity agent today – be that prima donna for a moment or two and prove how different you are from all those other players in your field.
OK, back to ME to end this week’s blog….
6th March is my birthday and I’m off to Rome with David for a long weekend. It’s our treat to each other to celebrate just how purple we’ve become over the last 18 years AND reward ourselves for having the courage to show up and stand out, like no other training company can or will, perhaps because they can’t or won’t become their own publicity agent.
Will YOU join US and be more purple this month!?
In the meantime, keep FIT!
