Be honest. Have you ever procrastinated on making those sales calls? Are you ever feeling a bit ‘icky’ about picking up the phone and talking to somebody who may have expressed interest at some point about your program?
A lot of entrepreneurs don’t do it because they are afraid they are seen as ’salesy’ or pushy and they miss out on extra sales big time. And not only that, did you know that most clients leave you because they feel you don’t care anymore? And I know you do, so stand out and give your clients a chance to realise just how much you care!

Here are my three top tips for more successful sales conversations. You’ll notice they are very much about your mindset. Sales is a mental game and these three tips will make you more confident, put you in control and therefore give you a far greater success rate.

You can’t help them if they don’t give you permission
It’s all well and good to have an amazing even life changing service but if you don’t have permission to help somebody what good does it do? The sales conversation is where you get permission to help clients make change and get what they want. So avoiding it means not only do you miss out on money you could be making but you are also missing out on the opportunity to help somebody change their life and get what they want. Remember that at a time when you are hesitating to pick up the phone. Think of what it is that you have that they don’t. Remember why it is that they sought you out in the first place. Think of what it is that you want for them and that you have the power to give them. Then go and make that phone call and help somebody! Chances are the person will be delighted to hear from you (this is the case more often than not, you’d be surprised!)

Don’t get caught up in solving the problem
This is so common. Well meaning entrepreneurs who sell their expertise just get caught up in solving the problem right then and there, thinking they are doing the generous thing. But instead of coming across as generous they often confuse the potential client who hasn’t been brought along to seeing the solution that is obvious to you. The end result is that they are not convinced as you haven’t taken them through the steps they need to go through in order to follow how you got to the solution. So do yourself and your client the service of keeping it simple. Outline a clear pathway to the solution and give them enough information to build their confidence in you but never so much that they get overwhelmed.

Don’t crumble when holding the tension
Part of the skill in sales is to create motivation for clients to buy. Nobody wants to be sold to, everybody loves to buy. So part of your job as the one selling is to build the desire for people to buy by accurately illustrating the potential of the service you offer and by catering for what your client desires and wants. Once you have done that and it comes time to give them the price, you will feel there ’s tension in the room. And that’s good as it’s that tension that can only be released through the buying decision. It’s part of the process, don’t destroy it by justifying or making further suggestions after you named your fee. You have to be silent and let your potential client process what you said. Too many people hinder a client from making a decision by talking too much in an effort to relieve the tension. Don’t do it, be strong and hold it. Your client needs time to make a decision.

If you implement these three things you will most likely see a significant improvement in your sales conversion. If you want the step by step version, you can have it. I will be training my Six Figure Income Breakthrough Secrets Workshop participants on how to conduct the sales conversation and I’ll be doing it ‘paint by numbers’ style, it can be that easy. I want everybody to be really confident in holding the sales conversation by the time they walk out on Sunday and I know that’s very achievable. Do you want to join us? You can. Go to www.clientprosperity.com/workshop2010 to enroll or call me for a chat so I can answer your questions 02 98795850.

Are you getting overwhelmed with all the things you have to do in order to make your business profitable? Building the list, running campaigns and so much more? They are all important, I can assure you. And, sometimes it’s good to go back to basics and ask yourself, how many clients do I really need in order to be profitable? How many and which programs do I really need to run in order to make the money I want? Sometimes we over complicate things when what we really need to do to get our goals is just so simple.

When was the last time you looked at all your great ideas for programs and asked yourself:

What is the fastest and easiest way I can create the income I want while enjoying the programs I run and the people I work with?

I know what I most enjoy doing is running programs for my clients so I consistently look at how I can deliver more value and market less so I can be in my flow as much as possible.
Doing this means I stay energised, motivated and connected to the energy of abundance.
I am keen to share my top three tips for achieving just that with you so here we go:

1. Ask them what they want
When was the last time you asked your subscribers and indeed your clients what they want? Not many entrepreneurs do this on a consistent basis. Often they spend more time thinking about what they want to deliver than what it is that their clients and prospects might want. This can be as easy as running a survey, picking up the phone and asking them or creating something like focus groups or research teams (made up of clients and/or prospects) that you can run your ideas past and that you can ask for input over a coffee or lunch. Many clients and other members from your community would be more than happy to participate in something like this if asked.

2. Make your first offer a ‘no brainer’ one
The secret to creating repeat business is to build a strong bond of trust between you and your clients. Learn to look at the first program people attend with you as just the beginning. Sometimes it’s smart not to necessarily look at that first program as needing a huge profit margin in order to be worthwhile. It could be the ‘trust builder’ that sets up client relationships for years to come. It is so much easier to create repeat business with clients who already know-like and trust you rather than finding new ones all the time. Sure you will also need new clients but the more long term relationships you create, the better for you.

3. Pick up the phone
It’s easy to get caught up in working on big marketing campaigns and forgetting the basics: Sometimes it’s as easy as getting on the phone and having a personal conversation in order to win a new client or participant for your program. Actually, the two go hand in hand. A good marketing campaign will make it easy for you to pick up the phone and call people and they will be thrilled to hear from you.
Often people don’t take that last step though out of fear they will be perceived as pushy. Not so. As I said most people will be delighted that you go through the trouble of calling them as not many service professionals do this.

What are your thoughts on these ‘keep it simple’ tips? I’d love to know, please leave me a note.

At my Six Figure Income Breakthrough Secrets Workshop I will give my participants the skills to just ‘get on the phone’ and have the conversation, a skill that has added significantly to my bottom line and client loyalty over the years. I will also show them how to create the ‘no brainer’ offers and how to position them so they are most effective.

You can still jump in to this program, but be aware the bonus “Money Mindset and Pricing Strategy Secrets Series starts next week and is only available if you book your ticket by this Monday 19th July.

You can listen to this blog post here (5min 30sec)

Do you love what you do but crumble when it comes to selling yourself? Asking for a good bunch of money for your valuable services and promoting in adequate terms the amazing work you do?
I hear it so often from clients – I used to be so good at sales while I was employed but it’s all different now that I am selling myself. I just can’t ask for what I really want, I don’t know how to sell myself, somehow it’s awkward to ask for money for what I do.
I know, I’ve been there. Because we sell the invisible its far less easy to put a price tag on what we do. And on top of that, while we totally believe in our work, it comes so easily to us that it’s easy to fall into the old employee mindset trap and think that because it’s easy it mustn’t be worth a lot.
Were you also brought up to not blow your own horn and to never exaggerate what it is you do?
While obviously we never want to lie or mislead anyone with our statements about the results people can get from our work, it is essential that we are disclosing the full potential our service has and help our clients make an informed decision about whether to hire us or not.

And here is the real mindset shift that you must make as you leave behind the old employee way of thinking and fully embrace your entrepreneurial spirit:

Creating and attracting money to you is just as much part of the creative process as is helping somebody let go of fear, set a new goal etc. If you don’t pay attention and do the best job possible during the sales conversation, your potential client will always miss out more than you do.
Seeing sales as something separate from providing a service is wrong. That’s the old paradigm that we are led to believe as employees. The sales process is the first act of service that you provide your clients. Start on a good note by doing as thorough a job as you will once they are your clients.
Why is it that we created this funny separation between money and everything else? We are entrepreneurs, to me that means we create value – for our clients and ourselves.
Here are three ways to shift your perspective so you can make asking for money a natural part of the creative process you propose to clients:

1. You are not asking for money you are creating value for your client
Whenever you sell your services/programs to anyone, if they are the right client for you, they will gain more from it than they pay you. That’s the idea. And it’s up to you to show them and educate them on exactly how they will gain so much more than they pay. Because we sell the invisible, we the gain can often be unconscious, far in the future etc. And as consumers we are trained to only notice the immediate visible, so we have to do some more educating so people realise how much they really gain.

2. You must help your potential clients make the right decision for themselves.
What you can give your clients might be exactly what they are looking for. But if you don’t take the time and make the effort to give them what they really need to come to that realisation (or to help them move on if it’s not a good fit) then they might miss out on something that could truly change their life forever. Do you want to carry that burden? I don’t. I’d rather do a proper job even though it might mean help my clients feel their own pain so they know it’s important to do something about it.

3. You don’t want to be attached to the decision they make but you do want to be committed to helping them make the best possible decision
This is going to be the clincher for many people. This is how you get out of the “I don’t want to be pushy” mindset and into the mindset of a true servant to your tribe. You know so much more than they do. You have an obligation to do whatever it takes to help them make the right decision for themselves. One that helps them improve the quality of their life. No matter whether they buy from you or not, do them this service of giving them all they need to know in order for them to make the right choice.
People are often amazed at how easily selling comes to me and it’s because I believe what I share here 100%. Any sales conversation I have in the true spirit of service knowing it’s the beginning of every relationship where I can enrich others’ lives.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this, please leave me a note here on the blog.

There is just so much to do to grow a successful business, isn’t there? Sometimes I think starting a business is like having kids, if they told you about what’s really involved to build a successful business, maybe you would have thought twice about it. But then once you do it, you couldn’t imagine ever going back to getting a job. That’s certainly how I feel about it. I love what I do, but there ’s no denying it there’s A LOT to do and it’s easy to get a little off focus.

And time is a limited resource, so most of us can’t really afford to focus on the wrong things.

But what are the right things?

I believe there are three areas of focus that always must be front of mind and top of your to-do list in order to grow your business to six figures the fastest possible way. This is my way of doing it and
it has served me well, my business is growing fast this year and while I am certainly not perfect, I always keep these three things top of mind, which is what I believe has made me successful sustainably:

1. Make Irresistible Offers

Whenever you invite people to invest with you, make sure the package offers mind blowing value. People should feel that they are getting way more than they pay for. In order to achieve that you must 1. be truly generous with what you give, 2. get very good at highlighting the value you give to the people you serve. This is something that a lot of people are struggling with as they think its salesy to do that when in fact it’s not. If people are considering investing with you, give them enough information so they can make the right choice (look at last week’s post where I really discussed this in detail).
How much something is priced at is no where near as important as how relevant the offer is to them and how much value you provide in comparison with the price.

2. Create Value for current Clients

Your current clients will be your best future advocates so treat them well. I make a point of delighting my clients by giving them extra things they didn’t expect, which creates good-will. That way even if something goes wrong (something always does and its usually some small technical or admin thing) it’s not a big deal and the focus is squarely on the value clients are getting from you. In my longer term mentoring programs I make a point of reviewing how the program components are working for my clients and if I feel something needs to change in order to increase the value, then I do it. As long as its a change for the better people will be cool with that (you must still clearly ’sell’ the change though). I am very aware of the Good-will bank account I am aiming to create with my clients in everything I do and I believe that’s key.

3. Get in front of a larger Audience

Finally, for your growth to continue you must put yourself out there in a big way. People often underestimate this part and don’t seek out enough new audiences. While it’s true that you can grow your business with a small database of contacts, it certainly is a lot easier with a larger list (as long as the right people are on it of course). This is not a seasonal thing and must always be front of mind for you. The only way to do this really is by creating leverage through joint ventures, speaking engagements, social media etc, really all the things my panel of experts is talking about this week at Massive Client Attraction Week. (you can still register). You should do something to reach more people every week.

Would love to know your thoughts on this, please leave me a note here on my blog ok?

It’s the beginning of the year, a perfect time to review your fees. When was the last time you raised them? It doesn’t really matter how long it has been (unless it has been too long). As long as you are getting great results for your clients it’s time to review (and raise) your fees.

I know what you’re thinking. You don’t want to lose any clients. That’s what stops most Solopreneurs from raising their fees. And yet, raising your fees is the fastest way to improve your bottom line. And if done right it can actually draw more of the right clients to you.

Let’s face it if clients leave you because of a reasonable fee rise, weren’t they on their way out anyway?

Let me give you the three steps you can do right now to set you up for raising your fees today. Making that happen smoothly with your clients accepting the change and the potential for drawing even more clients to you.

1. Add specific new testimonials to your marketing that show results

Testimonials are THE most powerful tool in establishing the value you provide. It’s much better to have your clients raving about you than you doing it yourself. You must have strong results based testimonials. Make sure your clients clearly say where they were when they started working with you and where they are now as a result of working with you. Make sure you ask for these testimonials every time and coach your clients on how you want them written. Then display them on your website, brochure and everywhere else.

If you want to raise your fees now, make a point of asking a handful of your past clients for a testimonial now. Coach them through the writing process, make it easy for them. Most clients don’t know how to write the kind of testimonial you want but are eager to do it once you show them how.

2. Give your sales and marketing language an overhaul
How clearly do you articulate to your clients what their results from working with you are going to be? Check how specific you are. Put yourself into your client’s shoes and ask, would I sign up for this?
You want to create a package that is irresistible. If you want to raise your fees, make sure your client sees the value they are getting from the package as far greater than the fee you are charging. It should be an easy ‘yes’ decision for them.

3. Create an additional program so there’s choice

Create another program and give your clients choice. Make sure your premium offer is significantly different in outcome and fee so there is a clear choice. As long as there is a choice your clients are in control, so if they don’t want to pay premium dollar, they can opt for a different program. Once give your clients the choice of a higher and lower price point its easier to raise your fees because your clients won’t need to decide whether to work with you or not, just about the program they can afford and want to invest in. This is the way to keep them with you and happy about what they get.

Finally, remember it’s not the end of the world when a client leaves, especially when they leave you just because you have adjusted your fees (as long as they are appropriate for the value you create).
There is a certain group of potential clients waiting in the wings that won’t even look at your offers unless you are charging a certain level of fees. Think about that for a moment!

What do you think of these tips? I’d love your opinions. And, share what you’ve done with your fees, I’d love to cheer you on!
What questions do you have? I’d really like to know…

Click here to listen to this blogpost

Have you seen the movie “What Women Want” with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt? It’s really funny and well worth watching for another reason:

In the movie Mel Gibson, an arrogant and rather ignorant Advertising Executive, gets the gift of hearing women’s throughts, unedited. And it’s not pretty what they think about him. The pay off of this gift is that he is able to present ideas to his female boss that she had thought about and he therefore just repeated from what he heard her thinking.

While that may come across as not very creative (and by no means do I endorse how he uses that to manipulate her) – it’s actually incredibly clever and effective. What if you could hear your clients and potential clients think? And then you offered them exactly what they wanted?

Until you and I aquire that skill, we will rely on things that they tell us. And on what we know of ourselves as clients.

Knowing what works in Marketing and Sales, and having used myself as a study object, I am taking you behind the scenes, into your clients’ head. Letting you read their mind for a moment: What are they thinking when they are wondering whether to hire you or not?

Here are five things that are really high up on your clients’ Want list. Just adapt them to your ‘tribe’ and think about this, isn’t this what you want as well?

I have slipped roles for a moment and am now speaking as your client’s voice. And I’m telling it like it is. So please listen so you can serve me even better…

1. I want you to ‘get’ me

How do I know that what you provide actually works? It can only work if you know what’s going on for me. So do you?
Have you been where I have been? Or at least have you worked with people just like me? My biggest fear is to invest in false hope and then be bitterly disappointed. I’d rather not give it a go at all if I’m not sure.

2. I want you to be ‘real’

If I invest with you, I will need to be vulnerable about my shortcomings because that’s what you will be helping me to overcome. So I need to know that I can open up to you, that I will be emotionally safe.
I also need to know that you are not some kind of ueber-achiever because otherwise I don’t think I can recreate what you show me because I am only human.

3. I want you to be specific about what you do for ME

A lot of marketing out there just doesn’t speak to me, I can’t connect with it, its just generic words. The trouble for me is, I know what my problem is but I don’t know what the solution is. That’s where I need your help. My biggest challenge is to work out whether the solution you offer actually works for my problem. That’s why, the better you describe the problems you solve the easier for me to decide.

4. I want a good deal

I love a deal. Money is precious and it’s never easy to part with it. But if you want me to make a quick decision, just give me a really good deal. It’s easier for me to justify buying from you that way. You know when I want to, it just tips the balance, gives me the extra little nudge I need.

5. I want to feel cared for

I am special. And I want to be treated as special rather than just being one of your many clients. Once I know you are the real deal I am happy to invest a bit extra to get the special treatment I deserve.

Well, what do you think? Does this ring true for you?
Share your view about these ‘thoughts’, I’d love to know how they resonated with you. Do you have any to add? Leave me a comment here.

If you want to work with someone on your business to implement the above and therefore make you really attractive to your clients, then check out my Massive Momentum with Lifestyle Platinum Program. There are still 2 spots available in this 7 months mentoring program. A fantastic group is coming together. Act now, interviews happening as we speak.

If you are not doing this, you might be missing out on business:
Since I mentioned on one of my calls that I get a lot of business out of attending live events, a few people have asked me “How do you do it?”.

I actually see attending live events as an important part of my business development strategy. In fact, it is one of my most important ones. My business wouldn’t be where it is today without this strategy, I am totally serious about that.

Let me explain.

Apart from the knowledge and new ideas you attend a workshop for in the first place, it’s the people you meet that are one of the greatest assets a live event has to offer. It’s a unique opportunity to create Joint Venture Partnerships, meet new clients and create business relationships with people who supply exactly the missing ingredient to solve a problem you are having.
Sometimes payoffs from these side effects are much greater than what you expected from the workshop in the first place.

So do you want to know how I do it? I am going to share with you the 5 things I do to make sure every workshop I attend more than pays for itself. They are so easy everyone can do them now – immediately. It’s the fastest way I know to get business. So read on.

1. Set your intent
When I went to the States my intent was to create one new business opportunity and make a firm arrangement for my own mentoring for 2010. I was very clear about that, thought about it on the plane going there and wrote it down.
Then when getting there I trusted that it would all sort itself out and while it was in the back of my mind, I was unattached to this outcome and focused on having a good time. And it did all work itself out, I got exactly what I wanted.

2. Be strategic about who you hang out with
While good things often come from unexpected places, I still recommend you make some educated guesses as to who would be useful to spend time with, have conversations with, get to know.
If you know who is attending, plan in advance who you would like to meet and connect with.

3. Give and you shall receive
Listen and watch out for opportunities to add value. Be generous with your knowledge and give so others benefit from having spoken to you. I always aim to leave someone I spoke to a bit richer for having had our conversation. Sometimes it’s not your knowledge they need, sometimes it’s simply an opinion, an open ear, a compliment, a connection to someone who can help them.
All of these things will be appreciated and you will be remembered for it.

4. Be clear about what you can offer people you meet
If people want to know more about what you do, be sure to be prepared. What is the introdctory offer you can make them?
Is there a way to get started while you are there (if you are both travelling), or can you make an appointment for the near future.
Lock it in, it’s much more likely to happen if it’s in the diary straight away.

5. Don’t push your business cards onto others
This is a ‘Don’t’ that you are probably already familiar with. I generally don’t give my business card to anyone these days unless they ask for it. Otherwise the card will most likely end up in the bin or the drawer anyway and I don’t want that. Be choosy and don’t give your card to just anyone. They have to be qualified and really interested (they kind of have to earn the right to have your card).

If you do these things, then I’d be surprised if you didn’t generate new business from attending a life event. It has worked for me for years. I’d love to know what you think. What are your tips? Please leave me a comment!

One such life event that can bring a lot of opportunities is my Market your Brilliance Intensive, coming up this coming weekend, 14-15 November in Sydney. We still a handfull of tickets, hurry before they are all gone. Feel free to contact me if you want to know more. You can call 02 9879 5850 or use the contact us form on the webpage.

Last week was a big week here at Client Prosperity. We launched the Market your Brilliance Workshop and we we have already sold more than 1/3rd of the tickets! You can secure yours here at www.clientprosperity.com/workshop.html
The feedback on last week’s teleseminar has been fantastic thank you for all of you who wrote to me saying how much you loved it! It really means a lot to me!
My husband Bruce and I spent most of the weekend at the sunny Central Coast relaxing and escaping smokey Sydney, it was lovely!

Enjoying a glorious Sunday

I have had many conversations lately with people who tell me what their passion is and then in the next sentence tell me what they do to pay the bills, thinking that this is how it has to be and that they can’t make good money from their passion. I’m here to tell you: You can absolutely make good money from your Passion! It simply depends on how you market it!
I feel so strongly about this that I want to devote an entire teleclass to this topic “How to turn your Passion into a profitable business with smart Marketing”. Read my Teleseminar section for more details.

Today’s article is giving you one key element of your Marketing Strategy that turns your Passion into a profitable Business: Your Signature System. It’s the lynch pin of your business as it is how you create the value you create step by step. People love step by step, and a business with a signature system attracts ideal clients a lot easier than one without a signature system. Read on for the full scoop of what a signature system is, why you should create one and how to do it.

P.S. Workshop Bookings for the ‘Market your Brilliance Intensive’ are now open at the early bird price, check it out here at http://www.clientprosperity.com/workshop.html and secure your ticket as they are going fast! An amazing group of people is coming together and I can’t wait to share with you the powerful tools and systems that will totally transform not only your business but your life!