Strategy

I’ve spoken with a lot of people lately, and I hear the same frantic questions and concerns…

“What is my marketing plan? Who is my ideal client? I think I need to do search engine optimization. I have to incorporate social media. Should I brand myself? How do I control my email? I need to network more often. How do I generate more referrals?”

In all of this spinning and worrying, do you notice one factor that is not mentioned? Money.

We can get so tangled up in the strategies we make the mistake of overlooking whether or not money is flowing into our businesses. Trust me on this, I know what I’m talking about. At one point in my entrepreneurial career, I got so caught up in finding the perfect strategies, branding, and systems for my business that I forgot how to stay in business.

Confession time: I got so caught up in the chaos I went bankrupt. Literally.

I don’t share this story often, because it is painful and embarrassing. No one likes to admit they totally screwed up in the money department – especially not a business coach. But it’s so important to understand how taking your eye off your income can lead to being out of business, out of your home (yes, I lost my house, too), and totally demoralized.

What are some reasons business owners take their eyes off money? They –

1. Don’t want to be seen as greedy
2. Are so focused on serving others that they forget to take care of their own needs
3. Think if they build it, clients will come
4. Are afraid of the reality of their situation
5. Confuse busy-ness, recognition, and involvement for profitability

The last reason is the worst offender, and the one I see most often. What can you do to combat this confusion and lack? In 2014, look your cash flow squarely in the eye and…

• Let go of what isn’t working
• Look for additional income streams
• Keep track of the money coming in
• Tie your goals, strategies and actions to income

Let me help with the last reason. I’m giving away free passes to my class “How to Set Dynamic, Income-Producing Goals”. If you want a pass, just email me and I’ll set you up!

Recently I’ve trained a lot of people on the subject of creating effective e-Newsletters, and it seems people have the hardest time getting started. To encourage one of my clients to get her newsletter going (even if it wasn’t PERFECT), I sent her a copy of my first e-newsletter from July 2009. It was a great example of how getting started isn’t always pretty.

In my first newsletter, I had no social links, way too much text, no blog link, and a company name that a well-known marketer uses to this day on big screens at her events as her “what not to do” example (thanks Lisa Cherney!).

It was unsophisticated, and clearly an amateur’s first attempt. But There are people who were going to start their newsletter back in 2009 who still haven’t gotten their first issue out! And do you want to know how much of my business comes as a result of my e-Newsletter today?

25%. That’s a big chunk of business that wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t gotten started. What project could you start today – even if it isn’t perfect – that could seriously improve your business? And what is keeping you from getting started?

And as promised, here is a link to my first eZine…

Any time you encounter confusion, stress, or indecision, I have a tip that can help every single time. Seriously.

Simply ask yourself, “Am I open to the possibility for this to be easy?”

Some examples:

• Stressed out about a deadline? Ask yourself, “Am I open to the possibility that it could be easy to meet my deadline?”
• Struggling with a problem? Ask yourself, “Am I open to the possibility that I can discover an easy solution?”
• Worried about a conflict? Ask yourself, “Am I open to the possibility that there is an easy resolution?”

When you shift your focus away from the problems and the chaos, your stress level goes down and simpler solutions become apparent.

Have you ever used this kind of question to help gain clarity? I’d love to know how it’s worked for you!

Contributed by guest blogger, Sales Guru Jane Garee

Speaking gigs and presentations are a great way to get exposure and business but often you’re not allowed to sell from the stage (either a literal or a virtual one). Although speaking is a labor of love for many business owners, you still have to be strategic about leveraging your time and talents. Loving what you do is one thing. Loving it so much you don’t make enough money to live is another. That’s called a hobby, not a business.

So if you’re called upon to speak and then told you’re not allowed to sell, what do you do? Here are three simple things that will stay within the integrity of not selling, while still positioning yourself for additional and future business.

Offer something free – this is one of the most effective ways to get people to “buy” from you when you’re not allowed to sell. Essentially a verbal opt-in, make the offer irresistible, valuable and useful.  Come up with something specifically for your presentation and the people who attend (this can be done from the stage or any virtual speaking gig). This is the time to give away your good stuff so don’t hold back! If you’re doing this live, have them write, “YES” on their business card and place it in the basket that’s being passed around (make sure this happens). If you’re speaking virtually, have them send you an email with a particular word in the subject line. To avoid any problems with spam, let them know they will start receiving your emails AND they can easily unsubscribe at any time. This takes the pressure of the “dreaded on-going email I’m now going to get” away so your prospects are encouraged to take advantage of the offer.

Seed strategically – listen to any good speaker, and you’ll notice they do this frequently, and it’s such a part of their presentation it never feels likes selling. Seeding simply means you’re layering in testimonials and real examples of people who have worked with you and the results they’ve gotten. It also lets people know the ways in which they can work with you. Examples usually sound like; “One of my VIP clients saw her revenue increase by 35%” or “My workshop students tell me that the biggest result they see from working with me is their increased confidence”. This seeding technique does two things. First, it lets people know how they can work with you (VIP or workshop). Secondly, it shows them what possible results can happen when working with you. When you seed properly, you paint a clear picture of how something is possible and what that possibility looks like.

Create the beginnings of a love affair – People will naturally want to work with you if they fall in love with you, so make your presentation the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Who you are naturally should be dialed up just a bit in a presentation because it’s that little bit of “over the top” that spurs people to action. Whether you’re funny, lyrically poetic, bouncy, soulful or edgy, make sure that comes through in a powerful way. Your ideal clients will gravitate toward you; in fact, they’ll almost feel magnetically pulled, while your non-ideal clients will become very clear you’re not for them. That’s exactly what you want. You’ll get farther, faster, not by pre-qualifying but by dis-qualifying. The less time you have to take for people who are unsure about working with you, the more time you’ll have for people who know you’re the one. See? It’s the beginning of a love affair.

Ultimately, you’re selling yourself all day, every day and that’s the very definition of having to sell when you’re not allowed to sell. Whether you’re doing a presentation or not, the rules are pretty much the same. Provide something of real value, paint a picture of what’s possible when working with you and always, always be yourself. If you do this, your tribe will not only find you, they will buy from you, love you and celebrate you. That’s the genius of selling without selling.

A much sought-after speaker, radio show guest, feature article writer and author, Jane Garee is the Founder and owner of Lilyflower Entreprises. With over twenty years experience in three different industries as a top producing Sales Manager, she is known for breaking revenue and income records in the first year of a new business. Her presentations have been described as, “A cross between education and a stand- up comedy routine”. She is now on a quest to teach others that selling is not just necessary, it’s actually fun. You can visit jane at www.janegaree.com or email her at jane@janegaree.com.

This week has been unusually stressful, so I took time to clear my head with a hike in Sedona. As I walked, I glanced down at my feet, and it brought to mind a common question I get asked by clients – “How can I be sure I’m on the right path?”

My answer? Look at your feet. Trust me, this works whether you look at it philosophically or practically.

Philosophically. Personally, I believe that we have purpose in life, and that it is impossible for us to be on the wrong path. Look at your feet, and they will always show you exactly where you’re “supposed” to be.

Practically. Even if you don’t share my philosophy, look at your feet for a practical perspective. If you’re questioning your path, your any change in direction must start from precisely where you are right now.

This is a good mantra for pretty much any area of business, but today let’s focus on networking, shall we? Here are a few tips to help you feel confident about your business-to-business networking, and make it a profitable investment of your time.

1. Be there to listen. People are more attracted to people who are interested, rather than ones who try to be interesting.
2. For every networking meeting you schedule, block out time the same day or the following day to do your follow up. This way, it gets done!
3. Successful networking is about farming rather than hunting. Ever meet someone at an event who was a hunter? A hunter is the person who is trying to sell you their product or service before they find out whether you even need it. Don’t be that guy.
4. If someone is in the market for your service, don’t hesitate to transition into sales mode. I’ve watched business people who were so afraid of being perceived as pushy, they literally walked away from people who were ready to pull out their wallet and buy.
5. Have a long-term follow up system (e-newsletters are great for this!) so prospects and referral partners won’t forget about you!
6. Be yourself. If you like to reconnect with people you know, do that. If you like to meet new people, do that. Stay authentic and you’ll attract the best fit for what you have to offer!

All of this adds up to make for a much calmer, more fun experience – and one that will yield results in the long term!