You’ll never find me using “retail therapy” as a means of relaxation.  In fact, most of the time I walk into stores and instantly feel overwhelmed by the racks and racks of endless choices.

My brain goes on overdrive and I get frustrated and tired really fast. (Can you relate?)

But a few weeks ago I had a much different experience.

And it all was due to ONE big juicy, powerful word.

In fact, this one word makes all the difference between my business feeling like a hot mess vs. when it runs smooth like coco butta .

It’s also the secret to successfully marketing your products, services, and programs.

Let me explain.  

It was a Friday afternoon and we were going to a casual, “all white” summer wedding.  I had dressy, white jeans and needed a simple white top.

I didn’t have much time, so I figured I should go to the one store I knew would have a shitbunch of options.  Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most chaotic, overwhelming, nerve-frying stores in New York City.  Forever 21.

And get this.  It was a major holiday weekend.

I broke into an anxious sweat just thinking the store could be even more insanely packed than usual.

But to my pleasant surprise, not only did I enjoy myself (did I really just say that??), but I got exactly what I needed within about 25 minutes with zero frustration or anxiety.

Here’s what happened.

I walked in and instantly dismissed every pink, blue, black, green, yellow, orange, graphic, brown, gold, stripped, polka-dot, be-dazzled and NON-WHITE top in my visual path.

I darted around the store like a lightning bolt and quickly scooped up every viable option I could find.  Seriously, I was a fucking shopping ninja!

After about 10 minutes scouring two floors of a store that often feels like a teenage clothing explosion, I collected seven awesome “white wedding top” contenders.

I was in the dressing room for all of 4 minutes before I edited down my selections to the one top that worked. SWEET!

I grabbed a fun, multi-layered gold and pearl necklace, threw down my credit card and skipped out the door unscathed.

As I walked home smiling, I thought to myself,  “What happened? Am I in the Twilight Zone?  That place is usually a shit show,”

Then it hit me.  There was a big difference between this visit and how I typically shop.

This time I knew exactly what I was looking for.

I needed a simple, white top that would work with skinny white jeans. Period.  End of story.

That “exactly” thing is key.  It means I harnessed one of the most powerful business words ever.

CLARITY.

When there’s chaos in your business, clarity is often what’s missing.  Clarity, my friend, gives you instant speed, confidence and watch-the-fuck-out-I’m-a-ninja-like-effectiveness.

Think about it.   When you know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish, you instantly eliminate all the other distracting bullshit that makes you crazy.

Clarity also super-charges your marketing.

It makes designing your offerings and writing copy oh, uhm, about a gazillion times easier. You know exactly who you’re going after and more importantly, who you’re not.

And that, my sweet, leads to better, happier customers and a lot more money for you.

In short, clarity cuts through business chaos like a Ginsu knife.

If your business feels chaotic, here are two simple ways a little clarity can help you get your own ninja on.

1.  Know exactly what you want to accomplish, before you sit down to work.

The worst mistake many of us make is getting on the computer without a clear, prioritized task list to guide our time and actions.  And the busier and more successful we get, the more vital this practice becomes.

Think about it.  Without clarity of what you want to accomplish, it’s pretty much guaranteed you’ll get sucked into the abyss of the Internet and waste hours on porn sites.

(Just making sure you’re paying attention

Sitting down to work, especially online, without a a clear plan is like me walking into Forever 21 with 5 million pieces of clothing; ear-piecing club music and absolutely no clue what I’m supposed to be buying.  Not fun.

When you have clarity on what you plan to accomplish and why, you are sooooo much more likely to enjoy the process of creation and keep your business chaos to a minimum. 10 minutes of clarity work prior to any work session will do wonders.

2.  Know exactly who your ideal customer is before you create your marketing, product offerings and sales materials.

Right now, I’m launching a brand new program called Rich, Happy & Hot B-School (business school) for women who want to make it big online.  (Side note:  the free content we’re releasing for this is beyond awesome. If you want a heads up on all the videos as they’re released - go here.)

It’s the the most hard-core marketing and technical “how-to” business course I’ve ever offered.

My partner in this project (Laura Roeder) and I spent a loooong time getting crystal clear on exactly who our ideal customer is for B-school before we did anything else. We interviewed women and created a detailed customer profile for who this program is for, and more importantly, who it’s not for.

Surprise, surprise. . . it’s made the design and content creation process easier than almost anything I’ve done before.

When you know exactly who your ideal customer is FIRST, your marketing and offerings are more clear, compelling and powerful.

Now of course, there are loads more ways clarity helps cut through the chaos of your business and life.

But I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What say you?  Got any good stories, tips or strategies around clarity or your lack of it?

Leave a comment below and let me know!