smart strategies

Elevate 2023: Evaluate the Numbers for Better Lead Generation

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Lead generation… WOW. If you want to get me woohooing all over the place, just give me an hour to talk about maximizing your lead generation efforts.

Since I realize not everyone gets jazzed about numbers and lead gen, I’ll keep it simple.

Because – love it or hate it – you have to do lead generation. You just don’t want it to take more time than it needs to, right?

Me neither.

So every year, I let my data guide my decisions in order to make my lead gen more effective and streamlined.

A.K.A. mo’ money and clients, less hustle and grind.

Here are a handful of key questions I answered for myself to make sure I’m on the right track as I build my action plan for 2023. I don’t want to repeat past mistakes, and I want to double down on the things that got great results!

  1. Where are clients coming from (lead generation activities)?
  2. What is my closing ratio?
  3. What is the average income per client? 
  4. For speakers: which topic results in the most new clients? What groups result in the most new business?
  5. What percentage of clients are new, repeat and renewing?

This video goes into more detail about what I’m doing with these numbers to get better results in 2023. (And yes, there is a spreadsheet!)

Elevate 2023: Schedule Your Personal Life FIRST

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When I first committed to putting my personal life on my calendar first, I remember the questions that popped into my head:

  • What if something comes up?
  • How do I know when to go on vacation if I don’t know what my clients need?
  • What if I get it wrong?

So much of this came from years of working a job where other people dictated my time off. And here’s the truth about the answers to these questions.

  • If something comes up, you can change your schedule.
  • Let your clients know when you’re going on vacation.
  • You will get it wrong sometimes, but no one besides you will notice.

All good? Ready to start planning your wonderful life?

Here’s what I put on the calendar each year, to get things started:

1. One 3-day weekend per month (last Friday of the month off)

2. One planning day per month (last Monday of the month)

3. Speaking events

4. Travel for work (conferences, speaking)

5. Vacations

One last thing: while I live and die by my google calendar, I highly recommend getting a wall calendar so you can see everything at a glance for the year!

Step 6 – ask your cat for feedback (this step is optional and actually not recommended)

Digital Marketing: Get Ready for 2018!

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Contributed by guest writer, Margaret Brown, SocializeLA

It’s my honor to give you some simple and strategic tips to get your digital marketing in gear for 2018. You’ll also find three ways to connect with me for more info (hint: 2 FREE options, and 1 Premium).

Let’s get started! Here’s what you should consider for your 2018 digital marketing:

What is successful digital marketing- and what ISN’T successful digital marketing?!

Successful Digital Marketing IS about building relationships. It ISN’T incessant selling. It IS a great place to funnel people into your Customer Journey. It ISN’T something that happens overnight. It IS a strategy of content, calls-to-action, and multiple layers.

What does successful digital marketing look like for your business?  

Successful digital marketing looks like your social media, email marketing, blogs, webinars, and/or ads are converting to new clients. Or, your social media, email marketing, blogs, etc. are growing in engagement (LIKES, Number of followers, Shares, sign-ups, etc.). It can also look like website traffic is increasing, consistent content (planned and published strategically), and multiple layers working together: website, landing pages, webinar registration, video, email marketing, blogs, and social media.

What is a Customer Journey, and how do you use it in your business?

A Customer Journey is how you lead your audience to learn more about you and ultimately become a client!  The journey is also known as a funnel. It can look something like this:

  • A social media post with a call-to-action
  • The call-to-action leads to a landing page
  • The landing page is a series of text, images, video, calling people to either sign up for a webinar, purchase a product, or some other option in addition to an instant sign-up or buy.  A call-to-action could be a value carrot of sorts to prompt the viewer to download the freebie and in turn signs up for your email marketing campaign.

The Customer Journey can be simple or intricate. You can start small and grow from there.

When is it time to review your digital marketing strategy, and how do you conduct a self-audit?

To determine when to review and how to self-audit, re-read the section on what success looks like.  Are you seeing this? Do you have a Customer Journey in place? You can also utilize this Free Self-Audit Download inside The Plan the Year Course (FREE) for more information!

What other questions should you consider for your digital marketing?  

Some other questions to consider are:

  • How much time should I spend on my social media?
  • Why isn’t my current plan working?
  • How can I make my current plan work more effectively?
  • Is this relevant to my business/industry?
  • Where should I turn for help?
  • How much should I spend in ads?

Now that you have an overview of how to kick off your 2018 digital marketing, please take advantage of these offers from myself and The SocializeLA.com Team! Join our Facebook Group for fun virtual co-working sessions, training, and more! You can also Sign up for a FREE call with Margaret, or Book a Discovery Session $97, with code MARYCRAVETS (Valued at $500). The Discovery Session includes:

  • 1.5 Training/Brainstorm Session with Margaret
  • Professional review of your current digital marketing efforts
  • SEO review and more!

I hope these tips sparked an idea and action for you to improve your digital marketing.  It’s essential to your business in 2018.  Be ready!

Don’t Miss the Easy Close

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Recently I attended a presentation and decided I’d like to speak with the presenter about possibly hiring her.

I said, “I’ve been thinking about hiring someone like you, can I get your information?”

She said, “Why don’t we just get together to brainstorm over coffee?”

I accepted her offer, but it’s important to note that if she had told me that the next step was to have a conversation about options for working together, I would have said yes. Or if she’d said that the initial consultation is $500, I would have given her my credit card.

She missed an easy close.

Running a business is hard enough some days, so make sure you’re prepared to take the easy wins when they come your way!

Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help you when these excellent opportunities come your way:

DO be prepared for a prospect who is ready to hire you now. Have an abbreviated sales process ready to go for this opportunity!

DON’T skip the process altogether. Ready buyers become the best clients when you take a little time to clarify their goals and expectations.

DO move quickly. If someone says, “I want to hire you,” let them! Find out their timeline and then get terms sorted out – yes, that includes payment – ASAP.

DON’T bog down the process by worrying that before they hire you, a prospect needs to know more about how you do what you do. Or they need to know all the program options and pricing. Or they need the history of your company and how it’s different from other companies. They have a need, so simply recommend the best option, and get hired.

DO have an easy way for them to pay you immediately. Once someone has made the financial investment, their commitment is solid. Delaying this is one of the top reasons a hot prospect fizzles out.

DON’T be afraid that you’re rushing a prospect who wants to hire you quickly. You’re only rushing if you’re trying to push your agenda over theirs. Trust yourself. Moving fast to serve a prospect’s immediate need is not rushing them; it is serving them at the highest level.

And you want to know the best part? Now that you’re aware this can happen, and you are clear about how to successfully navigate them, you’re going to start noticing these opportunities popping up more often.

You’re welcome!

When Your Business Choices are Challenged

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Recently, I forwarded a resource out to my email list, because it offered me some helpful insights, and I believed it would do the same for others. Within 24 hours of sending, I received two emails in response.

The first email said, “This is brilliant! I really found value in it.” Well, great! I thought. Mission accomplished- I’m glad I could help!

I opened the second email expecting a similar message. Instead, it said, “This is pretty offensive! Why would anyone want this?” Wait… what?! This is the exact opposite of the first response! How could two opinions differ so drastically about the same subject?

I had a moment of debate with myself: Had I missed the point? Was I actually unhelpful? Should I refrain from sending similar resources in the future?

After a quick assessment, the answer was clear: Nope! I have a clear vision about my business and my clients, and I know what path I’m on to see success in both. The resource I sent was important to me, and others had found it valuable—even if there had been a difference of opinion.

The problem with hearing conflicting opinions is that they can lead you down a wrong path if you aren’t clear about your path. Being uncertain when confronted with differing opinions can leave you terrified to try a new approach, doubtful of your strategy, or paralyzed in the pursuit of your goals.

In order to stay moving forward with purpose down the right path—the one you’ve mapped out for yourself and your business— it’s important to always be clear about your vision and your ideal clients. That way, when conflicting opinions cross your path, you can decide quickly whether you need to adjust or stay the course!

“When Should I Raise My Prices?”

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This is a question I get asked a lot, and the simple answer is to raise them whenever you want (it’s your business, after all!).

You don’t need a new certification. You don’t need 2 more years of experience. You don’t need to build a new website.

And you certainly don’t need approval from anyone.

As Nike says, “Just do it.”

But in case you’re like 100% of my clients 😉 … know that it’s completely normal to feel resistance to raising your prices.

Let’s go through some guidelines and strategies together to help you get clear about when, why and how to raise your prices. (Be sure to read to the end for a tip to make the whole process easier!)

When should you raise your prices?

• You are at or close to capacity with client appointments in your calendar.

• Prospects tell you they would have paid more.

• You’re starting to resent the time you’re spending with clients.

• You realize your pricing model won’t allow you to make the income you want.

Before I go into the why and how of changing your pricing, I want to be clear about something. Adjusting your pricing doesn’t mean charging a sky-high price for your services. One great way to get more income out of your time is to look at different delivery models, like creating knowledge products or group programs to supplement or replace one-on-one work.

 

With that being said, don’t be afraid to charge a premium for your time.

Why raise your prices?

• Reduce your stress level around money so you can take care of yourself and continue making a difference through your work

• To model a healthy relationship with money for your clients and customers (everyone has money issues!)

• Your clients will engage more fully and see better results when they are more invested financially

That last one always struck me as strange, but I’ve seen it prove out time and time again. Think about it. If you paid $5 for a personal trainer to meet you at the gym twice a week, how motivated would you be to show up? Now what if you paid $2400 for 3 months for the same personal trainer? At which price point are you more likely to show up and, consequently, get better results?

Same goes for your clients.

How do you raise your prices?

1. Adopt a philosophy of generosity. Instead of approaching pricing from the mindset of “how much can I get from people,” I highly recommend a different question: “What pricing will make me feel 100% free to generously give to my clients without resentment or feeling like I have to charge extra if I invest a little extra time with them?”

2. Ignore what people think. Or rather, what you THINK other people think. The truth is, people do not wonder about how you came up with your pricing. They don’t. Really. I mean it.

Just as you don’t quiz the clerk at Starbuck’s about their exorbitant latte prices, prospects are wrapped up in their own lives and trust you know how to run your business and set your prices.

3. Create a communication plan for existing and new clients. This is both the most difficult and most important step. But once you have the timeline for rollout and the words to express your value, then everything else flows.

How do you make raising your prices MUCH easier?

Have a clear marketing plan, compelling messaging and a simple sales process. What people will pay for your services depends significantly on the value you establish up front. With a clear marketing plan to establish credibility with prospects, compelling messaging to make them say “I need YOU” and an sales process that consistently closes the sale, by the time you’re discussing pricing with a prospect, the investment isn’t much of an issue. This happens for my clients and me all the time.

One last thought… give yourself raises on a consistent basis. In the corporate world, we could depend on cost-of-living increases and promotions. It was structured and determined by the corporate machine.

When you run your own business, you only have yourself to depend on for increasing your income. Don’t be afraid to get paid well for your gifts and talents. You’re worth it!

Thanks for reading! If you’d like individual mentorship on how to raise your prices and communicate your value, please get on the calendar for a time to talk!  http://marycravets.com/breakthroughwithmary