Recently I shared that I am committing to the niche of Coaches, but for 12 years, I didn’t have a niche and brought my business to multiple 6-figures anyway!
So if you’re stressing out because marketing gurus are insisting you niche or perish, take a breath. Let me share when NOT to pick a niche, why this is so important to the growth of your business, and what to do instead in order to get clients faster.
After two years of virtual events, even very experienced speakers may have forgotten how to navigate speaking at a live event.
Including this girl.
Having knocked out my first 4 in-person gigs, here are my top 5 tips with details about how to get back in the saddle!
Tip #1: Micro-manage in-person events.
Tip #2: Deliver full presentation, no matter what.
Tip #3: Set your criteria for speaking for free (and stick to them!).
Tip #4: Practice, practice, practice your offer!
Tip #5: Be mindful of your need for approval.
The #1 way that coaches and most other service professionals get client is… drum roll please… referrals!!!
Admittedly, referrals have an image problem.
Referral generation sounds downright dull compared to “ultimate digital content planner” and “master Facebook ads in 5 days” or “the underground playbook for building your company online”.
It’s easy to get distracted by shiny new promises, but consider this: to generate referrals, there is almost no cost to you (awesome!), the technology is limited to email and phone so there’s no learning curve (yay!), referrals are warm prospects so the sales process is easier (yes!), and those referred prospects generally invest in higher level packages (cha-ching!).
Did referrals get just a tad more attractive?
Sweet!
But there’s another problem…
Most people don’t know how to generate referrals intentionally. It seems like it’s a random thing, with no stability or consistency. So even though you KNOW referrals are great, knowing isn’t enough.
Luckily, it’s easier than you think to get referrals rolling in. Let me show you what I mean:
To generate referrals consistently, there are really only 3 steps:
The key to making this step work: Only invest time nurturing referral relationships with people who are in a position to, and are willing to, refer you
The keys to making this step work: First… before you say, “But I don’t want to be pushy,” let me assure you that people LOVE to help. They LOVE to contribute and be a part of your success. And second, make sure your “ask” is crystal clear: know who your ideal client is and describe them simply in your request for referrals.
The key to making this step work: Make this a priority every single month by scheduling an appointment in your calendar to connect with your list.
Now for confession time: as amazing as referrals are for a business, I still struggled to do the actions necessary to generate them. So if you find this challenging, please don’t beat yourself up.
Here are a few things that help to melt resistance and get results:
And remember to ask for help. Adam (the expert on my team who grew my referrals exponentially) has a variety of ways to help you succeed with referral generation. Contact Adam here to explore how he can help you build your business through referrals.
It’s a simple thing, isn’t it? Asking for someone’s business card, that is. But it’s an action that implies a lot – “I’m interested,” “I want to remember you,” “You’re important.”
Remember, when you’re networking, you’re making impressions on people left and right, and you don’t have a lot of time to do it. Take advantage of any action that will make a positive impact!
And absolutely everyone wants to experience the positive feelings that go along with being asked for their card – even event speakers and organizers. I’ve been speaking at and leading a lot of events lately and I have to tell you, 9 times out of 10 when I meet someone and ask for their card, they do not ask for mine.
Now I’m not here to criticize people who have neglected to ask for my card. I just want you to know that when I ask for their card, and the courtesy isn’t reciprocated, the exchange leaves me feeling flat. And who wants to make an impression like that? Especially when it can so easily be avoided!
The moral of the story is: ask for everyone’s cards. Yes, it is important so that you can follow up with people, of course. But just as important, although often overlooked, is the fact that through this simple action, you can help make someone else feel great!
Recently I was at a Speed Networking event, and just as I was about to sit down in front of a new networking partner, I watched her lick the first two fingers of her right hand and to pick up one of her own business cards.
Now, most of us do this kind of thing from time to time in order to dislodge a topmost piece of paper. But at a networking event? Ick.
As you can imagine, I really didn’t want to shake hands with this woman, but I also didn’t want to make her feel bad, so I handled the situation the best I could. I sat down, put my hands in my lap and leaned forward – effectively trapping my hands under the table. Thankfully, my body language diplomatically said it all, and she made no move to shake my hand.
Here are a few tips on ways to be considerate and hygienic at networking events:
Is this stuff important? For your health, yes, but also for your business.
Because as I got to know the woman I mentioned who licked her fingers, I found she was nice enough. But my very first automatic reaction to her was to cringe – not the most positive impression. In networking, you have precious little time to make a positive first impression, so anything you can do to keep people focused on your good qualities, the more successful you will be.
SALES. It’s treated like a curse, and yet anyone who is in business for themselves must to be familiar with salesmanship. So, we’ve come up with a more acceptable word – “conversion”.
Conversion means to take a prospect and to convert them into a client. Again – convert. There’s something that still seems forceful about this word.
I suggest a different sales concept: conversation.
First of all, I don’t believe that “sales” is a bad word. We must sell in order to move ANY business forward – even a non-profit organization. But the meaning that we tend to assign to the word generates the mental image of a used-car salesman in a plaid suit, desperate to sell you a lemon.
My version of sales is about conversation, being genuinely interested in people and finding out IF they can use your services. The worst thing to do whether you’re at a grocery store or a professional networking event is to start selling to someone BEFORE you find out if they have a need for your product. At best, it’s irritating and at worst it’s insulting.
For example, what if I interrupted someone who is talking to me about their business and said, “Well, I work with entrepreneurs like you, and I can help you fix your business”? Best case: they are secure in their business and are only mildly annoyed at being interrupted. Worst case: they hear what is implied – your business is broken – and make an excuse to leave the conversation to complain about me to someone else.
Here are a few tips on sales through conversation:
So don’t be afraid of sales, just pace yourself! Make connections through conversation, establish rapport, create referral partners, and find sales opportunities when the time is right.