Looking for a meaningful relationship? Maybe you need to apply some business success tips.
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Here’s a thought for all you singles: consider viewing your quest for a true loving relationship as a marketing plan that needs to be implemented in a similar fashion as how today’s business leaders develop an advertising or sales campaign in a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Every good business plan begins with the desired end result in mind. In the case of your romantic life, this can be like your own personal mission statement.
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The good news is it doesn’t take an MBA to put together a list of crucial steps on how to find true love and happiness. Simply put pen to paper and make it happen. Here’s how:
Know Your Objective
Every good business plan begins with the desired end result in mind. In the case of your romantic life, this can be like your own personal mission statement. For example, “I deserve love and happiness therefore I am going to take a pro-active approach to meeting new people by stepping outside of my comfort zone.” Once you establish your objective, the next steps will be easy to follow.
Review Your Inventory
Once a business figures out what it is trying to accomplish, they take stock of the tools they have to do it. Your love marketing plan is no different. First let’s start with your personal inventory. What do you have to offer a potential partner? Do you feel lonely and desperate, or are you self-assured and willing to be patient as your future unfolds? How is your self-esteem? Are you strong and confident – or have your previous relationships left you doubting yourself and your potential? Do you feel like a loveable person?
The take-away message here is to always remember “like attracts like.” If you feel lonely and desperate, you will probably attract someone lonely and desperate to fill a temporary void in your life (often because they are lonely and desperate to fill a void in their life).
The compatible feeling here is loneliness and it becomes like an addiction similar to how drug addicts fall in love in rehab and then once they are out in the real world their relationship falls apart because their lives are no longer ruled by addiction and needing support. The bottom line here is to take real stock of yourself and determine if you are the kind of person you want to be with. Love yourself and the rest will follow. Work on becoming the person you want to attract and if you desire it deeply enough, and The Law of Attraction will be your guide.
Create a Situational Analysis
Let’s say you have already found a way to love yourself. Your life is physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually balanced. How are you going to expose yourself to similarly attractive successful professionals like yourself? Walking yourself through a simulation of the kinds of situations you might be exposed to can be a powerful tool in making your plan real.
Discover Your Opportunities and Explore Issue Analysis
There are opportunities everywhere to meet the person of your dreams. Let’s start with smiling and saying hello to strangers. Don’t think of it as trying to meet other singles, that is not the point. Standing in line at the grocery store, getting your coffee at the corner coffee shop, at the gas station, or in the elevator is a chance to interact with a fellow human being that is a potential love mate. Once you start getting positive feedback and self-validation, it will make you feel more and more confident. Plus, you are acknowledging another human being’s existence. You are affirming that they matter on this planet.
Design Your Strategy
Now that you are comfortable talking to new people and approaching them in many different environments, develop and implement a detailed strategy and action plan for how you are going to meet three to five new single people a week. These new friends will have other single friends and will allow you to expand your social life tenfold. Now the question is, “Where am I going to meet these people?”
Create an Action Plan
No business plan ever works if it remains just a strategy, even if it is written down and extremely well thought out. You have to have some ideas about how to put your strategy in action. To meet new people, consider some of these ideas:
Remember a judgment is made within about 30 seconds of meeting someone.
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NOTE: You can see that nowhere on this list do you find “Hang out at ladies’ night at the local single’s bar.” That’s because we have focused on ideas that can actually be successful in meeting new people in the right circumstances for having a strong chance to find love.
- Read the social calendar and identify two charity events to attend every month, or at least every quarter. These charity events often attract single people because they are the ones with extra time to be on the committee and other types of volunteering, their company is sponsoring a table, etc.
- Join the board of a non-profit. Again, many single people are on these boards because they need to build their resume, they care about the cause, and again have time to be a leader in their community. Plus, you’ll be doing good on a wider level.
- Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.
- Exercise in public places at a set time and day. Saturday mornings are always a good time and since most people are creatures of habit you will start to see “regulars.”
- Join a club. Golf and tennis are always good sports to participate in because it attracts people of all ages and you always need a partner, right? Many clubs have groups specifically for singles as well as organized monthly social events.
- Participate in your college alumni group including fraternity/sorority groups.
- Accept every invitation you receive even if it doesn’t sound like other singles will be there because you never know. Many married people who are your friends love to play matchmaker, so why not take a chance?
Develop Your PR Plan
What kind of first impression do you make? Who is someone you trust that will give you honest feedback? Seek them out, and get a direct assessment of the kind of persona you represent. Remember a judgment is made within about 30 seconds of meeting someone. If you find yourself stumbling with what to say or drawing a blank stare, maybe it’s time to get some coaching in the area of public speaking.
If someone could find a way to sprinkle fairy dust and make two people fall head over heels with each other, they would be richer than Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Warren Buffet combined.
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Most communities have a Toastmaster’s group, which is known to be life-changing for many introverted or shy individuals. Or, maybe you are gregarious and need to tone it down a little bit. When you first meet someone, put the stand-up routine on hold and save it for the New Years’ party after everyone’s had a few cocktails. Regardless of the changes you need to make to improve your first impression, seek out advice and act on it.
Try the 7 “P’s”
Business leaders know that any good business plan has to incorporate the 7 P’s. We’ve taken these tried and true marketing principles and given them a fresh look at how they can apply to these situations. You can look at these and determine how they apply to your love life.
- People — What kind of people do you want to attract?
- Price — The amount of money needed market yourself. You may want to set a budget for self-improvement or otherwise increasing the likelihood of realizing your love objectives.
- Product — You are your product; know who you are and what you want.
- Promotion (advertising) — How will you get your product (you) known?
- Placement — Where are you going to place yourself for optimum opportunity and visibility?
- Physical environment — The ambiance, mood, or tone of the environment that you place yourself in will attract your ideal mate.
- Process — Are you committed to the process of finding love? Are you ready and willing to take the steps necessary to change your outlook, your approach, or your appearance to attract the kind of person you want to be with?
- Packaging — How will you best package yourself as the product you are marketing – you? How does who you are differentiate yourself from the rest – your background, travel and life experiences?
Be Action-Oriented:
Granted, it is hard to anticipate or predict mutual attraction. If someone could find a way to sprinkle fairy dust and make two people fall head over heels with each other, they would be richer than Bill Gates, Michael Dell, and Warren Buffet combined. However, by using business techniques from successful executives around the world, having a structured approach will build your confidence and therefore according to the Law of Attraction, increase your chances of success in finding your soul mate.
What do you have to lose? Take the bull by the horns and go out and take charge of your personal happiness. Are there any guarantees? Of course not. But we all know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If what you have been doing hasn’t given you the results you want, try these steps to change the outcome.
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Photo: Getty Images
I met a guy at atlanta.partyline.com and we had no idea what should we do at our first date..Plus I’m picky.
Whether you’re gazing from the back of a pickup truck or on a rooftop, stargazing is the right way to go! Don’t forget a cozy blanket, binoculars and a bottle of wine or a six pack. Best calm, romantic date ever. 🙂
Hey Julia, an awesome article. I never ever wonder that we can take business plan in this way.