While the message and the market of your business may be different, there are some stumbling blocks that seem to pop up for even the seasoned entrepreneur.
Here are four of the ones that I frequently coached on with my private clients:
1. Not moving ahead even when they know what to do.
Almost always, this is a fear-based immobility. Whether it’s fear of failure or fear of success (the later seems more prevalent for entrepreneurs, including myself). We come up with all kinds of excuses as to why something isn’t getting done, but most often it has nothing to do with anything other than fear of the possible result of moving forward.
If you’re afraid of failing, remember that in our online world, we get to test things out with very little risk. My favorite strategy is to ‘fail fast’. Put it out there, see what happens, tweak until you get the result you want.
If you’re afraid of success, then you need to take a look at your Big Money Why (BMW – see #4) to see how you can make it more powerful and motivating (tip: money is never enough of a motivator, believe it or not). And you need to put in place a process for how you will handle the abundance that’s too come.
2. Being self-disciplined enough to make and stick to self-imposed deadlines.
The wonderful thing about being an entrepreneur is that you’re your own boss. The tricky thing about that is most, if not all, of our deadlines are self-imposed. Which makes them very easy to move, doesn’t it? I know because I’ve struggled with this one more than once.
If we go back to knowing what your emotionally driven motivator is for the success you desire, you’ll be more likely to stick to those self-imposed deadlines – but only if that BMW is strong enough.
Here’s a simple but very powerful tip for you in sticking to your own deadlines: Make them public. When I launched my first info-product, I told my ezine list that they would be able to buy it on a certain date, which gave me about 3 weeks to get it done. And done it was.
3. Claiming leadership status and fulling stepping into the role of the CEO of your business.
Once an entrepreneur gets the foundational pieces in place for their business, it’s actually easy to stay in the start-up phase, because it’s comfortable. And because often they don’t know what the next step is, what the next layer of the business should look like, to take them to the next level.
The sooner they can take on the leadership role, by becoming the CEO of their business (even if they don’t call themselves that), the faster the growth of both the entrepreneur and the business.
One of the ways you can step more fully into that role is by delegating. So if you’ve been in business for a couple of years and you’re still doing too much of the managing of it, and especially if you’re doing all the admin work, and you haven’t hired an assistant yet, it’s time. Start with one small project and add from there,
For every task in your business, ask yourself, “Is this something I should be doing?”
Because remember, even if you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
If the answer is no, then pass it off to a capable assistant.
4. Having an emotionally driven motivator for your Big Money Why (BMW).
This is probably the most important one…
Money is NOT enough of a motivator, no matter how much you want it, or are attached to the ‘6-Figure’ or “million-dollar’ mark. There has to be a reason behind wanting it, something that is so strong that it drives you and the business forward, no matter what.
If you find things aren’t moving as quickly as you’d like, or it feels too hard much of the time, or you just aren’t using your time and talent effectively, take a look at your Big Money Why. And if you haven’t done this before, then that’s your coaching homework.
In as much detail as possible, write out why you want the financial success you do. Is it to give to your family, is it to give to others, is it to create a charitable foundation, is it to take care of elderly parents, is it to enable your children to get the best education you can give them, is it to travel and expand your world view, is it to buy a nicer home for your family, is it to give experiences to those you love – they are a thousand reasons why, but you need to be very clear of what they are for YOU before you can make them happen.
Do you Have the Courage to Create Wealth?
Other than with my Platinum clients, I don’t talk about this too often, but your mindset is as important to the success of your business as your skills are at what it is that you do. In my brand-new L.E.A.P.™ GOLD* program, we’ll cover this topic first so we can get you in the perfect frame of mind to have the clarity and peace to boldly move forward in your business.
This one topic alone could unlock the door to unlimited prosperity for you.
Reserve one of the *very* limited seats TODAY
I’d love to hear which of these four mindset shifts you’re willing to embrace today. Feel free to share with me below.
As part of your launch strategy to boost your online sales, create partnerships with colleagues, and increase the overall value of your product or service, add a bonus (or several) to your offering.
Here are 5 ideas for bonuses you can use to increase your sales:
1. Offer a special report.
Take several of your articles with a common theme that complements your offering and compile them into a special report. If you don’t have articles that seem to fit, think of additional information that you did not include in the original product and write it up as a special report. Use your word processing software to write it, then convert it to Adobe PDF to make it look nice. Or offer a special report written by a colleague of yours with information that complements your offering.
2. Offer an audio.
If you are selling a product that is education-based, offer a follow-up teleclass to answer any questions that your customers may have about the material. Or record a special audio to go along with your product that offers some additional material that you didn’t get to cover in the actual product itself, or that is an introductory or overview of the material covered in your offering.
3. Offer a resource file.
If you want to increase your customer’s satisfaction with your product, offer a quality resource list, so they don’t have to waste time and money searching for where to go or who to hire to follow your sage advice. Put together a list of the service providers, websites, ezines, books, magazines. etc. that you personally use (or that come highly recommended to you by your trusted colleagues) and that are related to your product or service. Create a PDF of your compiled resources to offer as a bonus. For example, one bonus that comes with my 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success System™ is Alicia’s 6-Figure File of Recommended Resources, which is a list with links of who and what I personally use to make my business run successfully.
4. Offer a workbook.
Just like so many self-help books do, create and offer a workbook, action guide, success journal, or the like to go along with your product or service. Pull out the main points of your material and create exercises to deepen your reader’s understanding, or create sections in which your reader can add their own thoughts and ideas as they work through your information.
5. Offer a discussion list.
You can do this a number of ways, but the easiest and the one that will require the least amount of effort on your part is to create and offer a discussion list via Google Groups, Facebbok Groups, or NING. It’s free and can help to build a community of people who have YOU in common, and it gives them a place to offer each other support. You can pop in and out at your leisure, maintaining and strengthening your relationship with your customers.
Another way to do this is by offering a membership site as a very valuable bonus. For example, with 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success System™ I offer a trial membership in my L.E.A.P™ MasterMind as a bonus.
If you haven’t tried tacking on a couple of bonuses to your offerings, do so and see what happens. My bet’s on increased sales… 🙂
Are you ready to learn how to “Launch Your Products, Programs, and Services to Instant Success”?
In my brand-new L.E.A.P.™ GOLD* program, Once your product or program or service is complete and you’re ready to offer it to your market, if you don’t know how to effectively launch it, you’re leaving a ton of money on the table. There is a science to it and I’m going to teach you the precise steps to take, pre-launch, during the launch, and post-launch to guarantee you get the biggest return on your investment in your time, energy and money.
Most entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to offer their products, programs and services to make the most of them in sales and clients. It’s a simple process that you’ll learn from me (the first launch I did using this formula converted 40% of my list from potential buyers to paying customers (many of whom turned into clients as well) – that’s unheard of in the industry).
To make it even easier for you to follow this process, I’m including the same checklist we use in my business every time we launch something new.
Interested? Reserve one of the *very* limited seats TODAY
I’d love to hear which of these bonuses you’ll offer next and what your results are. Feel free to share with me below.
Want to increase your sales BEFORE you launch your product or service? The following are some of the most effective ways to do just that:
1. Use Social Proof
What is “social proof”? Simply put, we are all conditioned to watch what others are doing and follow along (think teenagers). Using social proof in your marketing helps you to influence your customers to purchase your products/services, get new prospects to sign-up for your list, and get people talking about you and your offering – and that’s just the start.
So, how do you use this psychological trigger in your marketing?
One way is to use results-based testimonials. Ask your current customers or clients to give you results-based testimonials. They literally say, “I used this product and these are the results I got.” Having celebrities give these to you is great, but make sure you have testimonials from REAL people. Those are the ones that are really going to cement the idea in your potential buyer’s mind that they can do it, too.
2. Answer your prospects #1 objection
To take “social proof” to a deeper lever, anyone who is buying anything almost always has this #1 objection: “Sure, you can do it, but can I do it?”
In addition to using yourself as an example (if appropriate) as evidence that what you are offering does what you say it will, it’s also important to make sure you get “social proof” from people in your client/customer’s peer group. Then your potential buyer sees people like themselves and understands that “Hey, it worked for them, it can work for me, too.”
3. Use a time limit
Creating a sense of urgency around your product or service will make it that much more enticing to potential buyers. For example, offer special pricing for one week only and tell your buyers that after that week, the price will go up. You don’t even have to say by how much (but DO raise it if you say you will). Just knowing that there’s only have one week to buy at a lower price creates that sense of urgency.
4. Use a limited quantity
If you are selling a physical product and you are only having 100 produced, then use that information to create the same sense of urgency you would with a time limit. Use a countdown on your website to further create the feeling that if your potential buyers don’t buy now, they may miss out.
5. Use a time or quantity limit on bonuses
Additionally, you could offer bonuses for a certain length of time (first week only) or for a certain number of products sold. For example, the first 30 buyers would get an additional special report (valued at $XX).
The last three strategies also help your buyers feel like they are part of your “club” when they join by purchasing your product or service.
Obviously, you can use these tactics unscrupulously, and I’m sure you’ve seen it or experienced it yourself. But if you want your business to truly be successful, in all the ways that are important and meaningful to you, then you must only use these strategies with integrity and honesty.
If you really are only going to print 100 copies of a physical product, then only print 100 copies. That doesn’t mean that you can’t do another print run. It just means that you tell your market that you’re only going to print 100 now, and if you do decide to do another run, then they will have to wait before they can get their copy.
If you really are going to raise your price after a certain date, or after a certain number of items are sold, then you must follow through. You can give your current base a chance to buy at the “original” price before you raise it, but you still must raise your price if you say you will.
Your integrity using these strategies will create more sales for you than ever before. Choose one to try and enjoy your results!
Are you ready to learn how to “Launch Your Products, Programs, and Services to Instant Success”?
In my brand-new L.E.A.P.™ GOLD* program, Once your product or program or service is complete and you’re ready to offer it to your market, if you don’t know how to effectively launch it, you’re leaving a ton of money on the table. There is a science to it and I’m going to teach you the precise steps to take, pre-launch, during the launch, and post-launch to guarantee you get the biggest return on your investment in your time, energy and money.
Most entrepreneurs simply don’t know how to offer their products, programs and services to make the most of them in sales and clients. It’s a simple process that you’ll learn from me (the first launch I did using this formula converted 40% of my list from potential buyers to paying customers (many of whom turned into clients as well) – that’s unheard of in the industry).
To make it even easier for you to follow this process, I’m including the same checklist we use in my business every time we launch something new.
Interested? Reserve one of the *very* limited seats TODAY
I’d love to hear which of these tactics you’re going to try and what your results are. Feel free to share with me below.
Do you get discouraged or stuck in building your business because you think there’s too many others to compete against in your niche?
A lot of entrepreneurs feel this way, especially when they’re first starting out. I don’t want you to give up before you really get started, so I’d like you to consider thinking about your competition in a different way.
1. There’s an abundance of clients and customers for everyone.
2. Your competitors are potential collaborators and strategic alliances for you.
3. The better you come to know your competitors, the more you will become aware of the uniqueness of your own message and your own offerings.
If you embrace this perspective, you’ll find that those feelings of discouragement and “what’s the point – I can’t compete” will melt away.
1. If you come from the mindset of abundance, you won’t feel discouraged by the competition.
There are more than enough clients and customers for everyone. And if you are building your business online, there is essentially an unlimited audience for your work.
Think about your market for a moment. How many of them do you need to serve to reach whatever your definition of success is? Then think about how many people there are around the globe who are your potential clients or customers. Could you really reach them all, even if you wanted to? 🙂 Of course not.
2. There are several ways that you can collaborate and develop strategic alliances with others in your market.
You could hold a webinar or workshop together. This is particularly helpful if you are new in business and can hook up with someone more seasoned, who already has a ready audience built (an email list). Doing this will also help you gain experience and confidence to hold them on your own.
Or you could offer a free product (a mini e-book, for example) to your strategic alliance’s membership, which is an added benefit to them, while it helps to build your email list.
3. Think about those whom you consider your competitors.
Are you offering similar products and/or services that they are, but to a different target market? Or turn that around: If the market is the same, are you offering different information? Of course you are, because your message, your offerings – and the way you write or speak them – is as unique as you are.
There is a certain segment of the population who can only hear your message from you.
Remember that when you start feeling frustrated, defeated or just plain stuck.
Once you make this shift, you can start seeing your competitors as potential collaborators. You can work together to develop programs, products, or services that will help grow both your businesses. It will also provide added benefits to both your audiences, so it’s a win-win-win!
Do you want to learn how to collaborate and not compete?
If you’ve been around me for awhile, you know that I don’t believe in competition, and since this seems to be a bit of a mind-stretch for many entrepreneurs (and a barrier to reaching the next level in income in their business), I felt it was very important to cover the topic of collaborating with your colleagues – and how to do it with integrity and authenticity – in my brand-new Lively Biz Mastery program.
I can tell you that a major factor in the dramatic increase in my revenues over the years has come from collaborations that I’ve done with people I admire and trust who also serve my market.
Learn how to approach a potential joint venture partner, what to say, how to discuss who does what, how to split the money – every critical factor you need to know in order to come across as a professional and be invited to do more lucrative ventures in the future.
Interested? Get on the VIP waitlist here to find out more
I’d love to hear about successful collaborations you’ve done already, and/or your comments or thoughts about teaming up with other like-minded colleagues. Feel free to share them here.
Do you know that one of the best ways to build a successful online business quickly is through joint ventures?
I know this concept can be a bit hard to grasp to those of us who like being a lone ranger (one of the common traits of being an entrepreneur, right?). But what I know is that since I’ve embraced the “no one reaches success alone” philosophy myself, I’ve enjoyed a huge increase in my business, in terms of clients, customers, revenues and fantastic opportunities that would not have happened otherwise.
To begin, what exactly is a joint venture?
Simple: a joint venture happens when two or more business owners decide to do something together that benefits all parties.
For example, when two authors write a book together. Or when three colleagues produce a live event together. Or when twelve experts come together to hold a telesummit.
The purpose is for each of the business owners to promote the others’ wares. In other words, you tell your list about my stuff and I’ll tell mine about yours. 🙂
Besides the obvious benefit of helping each other build your email list of potential clients and customers, there’s also the added value you give to your own list by introducing them to something that can benefit them in addition to your own offerings.
And you simply make more money!
How? Well, if you’ve been following along with me for awhile, you know that the way to build a successful and sustainable business online is to 1) find out what your niche wants; 2) create it; 3) offer it to them via the list you’ve been building all along.
Because it’s those people on your list who have raised their hand to tell you that they want more information from you. They are the people who will tell you what they want and then buy it from you when you offer it.
Joint venturing can also make the work you do easier, more creative, and more fun simply by sharing the idea and tasks involved.
To get you started, here are some things you should do when considering a joint venture:
1. Get to know your potential partner first.
Sign up for their Free Taste and/or ezine. Do some research and reading to see what they are about and how you can potentially complement each other.
2. Partner with someone who shares the same audience as you.
A great potential joint venture partner is someone who already has an email list whom they’ve developed a relationship with and to whom they can and do make offers to periodically.
3. Pick 1 or 2 potential partners to approach first.
Create a list of 5 or so potential joint venture partners, and pick your top 1 or 2 to approach with an initial “I had an idea of something we could do together that would benefit us both as well as our audiences” email. Be sure to tell them what’s in it for them, but keep this first contact simple and somewhat casual (yet professional) in tone.
Once you do your first successful joint venture, you might find that it was so easy and enjoyable that you’ll start doing more and more of them. I know I will!
Do you want to learn how to “Collaborate, Don’t Compete”?
If you’ve been around me for awhile, you know that I don’t believe in competition, and since this seems to be a bit of a mind-stretch for many entrepreneurs (and a barrier to reaching the next level in income in their business), I felt it was very important to cover the topic of collaborating with your colleagues – and how to do it with integrity and authenticity – in my brand-new L.E.A.P.™ GOLD program.
I can tell you that a major factor in the dramatic increase in my revenues over the last few years has come from joint ventures that I’ve done with people I admire and trust, who also serve my market.
Learn how to approach a potential joint venture partner, what to say, how to discuss who does what, how to split the money – every critical factor you need to know in order to come across as a professional and be invited to do more lucrative ventures in the future.
Interested? Reserve one of the *very* limited seats TODAY
I’d love to hear about successful joint ventures you’ve done already, and/or your comments or thoughts about teaming up with other like-minded colleagues. Feel free to share them with me below.
Recent Comments