THE AFS METHOD PT3
The year is now 2009. The date is December 25th and it’s Christmas. The AFS EFFECT was about to reveal itself in full but let me take you back a little in time.
Over the past 10 years or so before 2009 in fact way before then back to my hairdressing salon days THE AFS EFFECT had literally made clients millionaires, made others very very wealthy, transformed the lives through their business of others and turned business around overnight.
How one EFFECT could make such a huge difference at that pint I didn’t really know because I wasn’t as aware but all I knew was the things I had been doing for my own clients and my own business for years now had to do something very special for me.
Just a few weeks before December 25th 2009 a crippling, devastating and destructive divorce has left me with no real business to speak of, no home that was either rented or paid for and absolutely not a single penny in the bank.
Yes I was feeling very sorry for myself until the moment arrived when I had to pull myself back together but how?
One day sitting in an ancient graveyard behind my parents home I realised I had two options. The first one was to sink without trace or the other option was to get a grip and start all over again.
The problem was I had nothing – not a single thing – so how was I going to do this? I thought about it carefully and looked back over time at what had taken place in my life, my businesses and the lives and businesses of clients for years.
I simply told myself that if I have done those things before there is no reason why I cannot use those same powerful lessons from the past and apply them in my life right now. The EFFECT from what I did was huge to the point it turned everything around for me and very fast. Remember I had no cash at all, not a single penny. I had to do in months what I had spent the previous 27 years doing.
Make cash, build a business and get myself a home.
Within 6 weeks I had raised enough cash to pay for one years rent in advance. Now I had a base to build a life and business from. My plan was to make all of this happen within 8 weeks. After 4 weeks I moved into a home and paid rent of one year. Whilst in that small house (and it was small compared to what I had previously) I then had to promote, market, brand, position and carefully take the next steps of pushing my business out again from Orange Beetle. I did exactly that. I used what I had been doing for years but a ramped up and consolidated version of everything so my own personal results would arrive quickly.
They did.
Now I had a home (with NO furniture) I had cash and my business started to move again very quickly despite it being stagnant for over 6 months due to parasite solicitors and some very bad behavior from people close to me (that’s a book in itself).
Yet there was and still is today one thing that takes me from zero to where I am now that has an effect so powerful that most will never use it, most aren’t fully are of it and most would reject it if they knew what it is.
THE AFS EFFECT taught me one thing from my salons to my Orange Beetle business today and it’s my prime tool for most of my clients and it is this.
Positioning.
Positioning gives presence, presence gives power and the power gives me a perception. Supported by good services this puts me way ahead in my market place always and this can do the same for you because THE AFS EFFECT is powerful yet relatively unknown so if you do this you are always miles ahead of your competition.
Positioning gives you and gave me the ability to present myself as the ONLY option to deal with. Being the ONLY option (despite there being lots of options) also allows you and myself to charge premium. Once you have the ability to charge premium you also have the ability to give a project 100% at all times rather that running one project whilst running man other projects at the same time.
This is one of the most powerful tools from the AFS EFFECT. Its EFFECT can be felt for miles and miles and months and years as long as it is maintained and continually upgraded. Even in the busy world of those offering marketing services these days it is still possible to standout, to dominate and take control of the marketplace.
Even in your industry you can do the same once it is carefully planned and supported by strong strategy, strong imagery and strong branding with clever, stealth and guerilla tactics in place it really is possible.
Over the years I have seen THE AFS EFFECT (or strategic systems) have incredible effects on business outside of my own. One client went from broke to becoming a millionaire in under a year. Time and time again I have seen the power of strong positioning dominate and conquer even the smallest to the largest of markets. Once done well and once done carefully the AFS EFFECT is powerful.
Thank God my drama of divorce and everything that came with that has passed. It does pass it always does and the lessons learnt were so huge no manual could have ever taught them. Yet I am happy today I have more than what I need again. A large detached country cottage style home with 13 rooms in total, 12 weeks of travel a year minimum, cars paid for in cash and everything else needed to create a happy life.
And yes your business is about a happy life it really isn’t about business. When business is bad you are unhappy, I know that because my failures tried to destroy me with stress and pain.
And I also understand cash doesn’t equate to happiness and even the AFS EFFECT won’t guarantee to make a truly miserable person that takes no action happy but I have been without cash and been with cash and in this word I know which makes my life easier.
December 2009 was a morning I awoke after major life drama that I would never want to face again. A tiny cold house but a home with no more than a cheap roll-out bed from IKEA. It was fine though because I knew that this small seed had now been planted and the AFS EFFECT would create a momentous roll that would change everything.
Today it’s all-fine. I have good clients and a wonderful woman in my life, happiness has returned and the AFS EFFECT is truly visible again in my own life and the lives of my clients. Working with myself and what I know can change everything for your business. If your business is good your life is even better.
What I have shared with you over 3 parts is all true. I’d love to help you position, brand, strategize and build and empire with you in 2015.
You know how to get hold of me.
Your eternal hero in marketing
The effected and effective whilst sometime arrogant and knowing
Alan Forrest Smith
P.s next time I will share the 4 Ps with you and the secret ingredient that changes everything.
Pps. I am still interviewing for my one big client for 2015 – is that you? This is NOT for if you feel you need no help with your business.
I am planning on 2015 being even better than 2014 since my divorce and destruction recovery.
I’d love you to join me in that. And by the way listen to this. NEVER ONCE has a single client that has invested with my that has listened close and taken action failed to make huge changes in their business with new sales to support that.
Are you ready to feel the power of THE AFS EFFECT through the most powerful AFS METHOD!