Women Entrepreneurs: Make Soul Agreements in Business
Every woman small business is run on agreements. Some of the agreements are printed and signed, like in a contract. They can be felt, seen, read and discussed.
But what isn’t always so obvious is the unspoken agreement we’re entering into. This is the one that, when everyone is in agreement, makes our work a joy to deliver and a delight for our clients to receive. And, when not in harmony, it’s the type of agreement that can cause us hours of stress, unhappiness and messy situations that we wish would just “go away.”
I call these “soul agreements,” when I’m business coaching.
A contract is a legally binding document between two or more parties that clearly spells out obligations, commitments and expectations between everyone involved.
A soul agreement is a commitment, first with yourself, that says, “the action I am about to take is in complete harmony with what is right for me. My actions are a reflection of my speaking and acting from the truth of who I am, no matter what.”
The problem is that most women entrepreneurs ignore their own soul agreement when making commitments.
How can I tell? It’s easy.
My business coaching experience tells me that if you’re doing something you don’t really want to do, if you’re ignoring that awful gnawing feeling in your gut that’s trying to tell you something, if you’re holding back from a difficult conversation because you’re afraid of losing a client or hurting someone’s feelings, then you’re breaking your soul agreement.
Likewise, women entrepreneurs break their soul agreements if they hold back from charging enough, going after a more lucrative client or launching new marketing plans.
Sure, women entrepreneurs have to do practical things like build their lists, speak, send newsletters and gather testimonials.
But if you want your woman small business to be spiritually AND financial rewarding, then you must first commit to your soul agreement, then take action.
How?
Let’s say you’re about to launch a new program. Before you start your marketing plans, let me ask you, what is the soul agreement that you know you must make with yourself for your woman small business? (Hint: it’s something deeper than just saying to yourself, “I’m willing to do what it takes to make my launch work.”)
Try asking yourself this question, “What is the bottom line truth, where I know I MUST show up, no matter what?!”
What often bubbles up is an unmistakable (and unshakeable) feeling of strength, passion and commitment for what you believe in…and an “a-ha!” of where you’ve been sacrificing that commitment to please someone else.
With your soul agreement firmly in place the marketing actions you take will be more than just mechanical tasks. They will be soul inspired actions that pull you forward powerfully, even when you’re tired, uncertain or tempted to slip into self-doubt.
My business coaching challenge to you is to keep your soul agreement, no matter what, and watch your marketing plans leapfrog forward into success!
Business coach Kendall SummerHawk, the “Horse Whisperer for Business” delivers savvy ways for entrepreneurs to turn hectic businesses into 6-figure successes. Get her “7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price for More Money, Time and Freedom” at http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com.
Success Coach Asks: Why Are You Ignoring These Potential Clients?
If you’re looking to give your cash flow a boost then the easiest place to find new business is with your current clients. I know you’ve probably heard this before but I bet you haven’t heard exactly how to make this strategy work.
Marketing consultants call this is the “Low Hanging Fruit” strategy. I especially love this strategy because it’s quick and simple. It allows you to offer more of yourself to your client in a way that is abundantly authentic.
You see, I’m willing to bet that your clients want a lot more help from you than you probably realize. Unfortunately, many coaches and consultants minimize their value, and therefore limit how creative they could be in creating new programs or services that fill their clients’ needs.
Using the Low Hanging Fruit Strategy gives you the opportunity to create multiple streams of income for your business, and gives your clients opportunities to receive greater value and achieve more of what they want.
Here are 4 quick tips for picking (and profiting) from the Low Hanging Fruit Strategy:
1.) Create a “Platinum” type of program. This is the same strategy I used last spring to instantly add over $125,000.00 in revenue to my business. The program added intensive, highly-personal value for the women entrepreneurs who took advantage of the program. Platinum programs are incredibly fun to offer because you get to work in-depth with clients who are highly invested in taking action.
2.) Offer a “Private Day with You” option. This is another high-ticket offer that is easy for your current clients to say “yes” to. Why? Because they know that a day spent with you (at your site or at theirs) gives them intensive, hands-on support and information.
3.) Deliver a “Clients Only” teleseminar focused on their hot topic. I’m sure you’re hearing multiple clients struggle with the same issues. Create a short, intensive teleseminar designed to bring together your clients and meet their needs on their thorniest subject. Let them know that the teleseminar is for clients only. Keep the call tightly focused on a specific issue, and charge for it.
4.) Offer an accessory service that you see they need. It will amaze you how often clients are unaware that you can help them in additional areas! Invite them to take advantage of a special assessment, review or program that covers a “side” problem they’re having. For example: if you’re a leadership coach, it’s likely that you see problems in the area of physical fitness. Why not offer a one-day workshop, teleseminar or 90-day success coaching program on improving physical health as a means to becoming a fit leader?
Using the Low Hanging Fruit Strategy can easily add an additional 25%-50% to your income this year. It is the perfect blend of marrying money and meaning because it gives your clients opportunities to create greater results by working with you. And it gives you the opportunity to enjoy harvesting money that is authentically ripe for the picking!
Business coach Kendall SummerHawk, the “Horse Whisperer for Business” delivers savvy ways for entrepreneurs to turn hectic businesses into 6-figure successes. Get her “7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price for More Money, Time and Freedom” at http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com.
Your Marketing Soul Plan for 2008
If traditional marketing plans work so well how come more woman business owners don’t make them?
Because they’re boring, that’s why.
I mean, really, creating a traditional marketing plan is about as exciting as picking lint off of a sweater. Hardly the stuff to feed and nourish inspiration!
Plus, for the soul-inspired woman entrepreneur, a traditional marketing plan fails to capture the heart and spirit of our dreams and ambitions.
So I’ve created an alternative marketing plan that skillfully weaves together marketing must-haves with what matters most to furthering our Soul’s Divine Mission.
Here are five key elements you can use to create your own Marketing Soul Plan for 2008 and make this year, your year!
Marketing Soul Plan Element #1: Clarity
Who are you most attracted to working with who will pay for what you offer? There is no virtue in trying to help women entrepreneurs who don’t value what you do. Instead, choose a tribe of women entrepreneurs who are hungry and eager to have their problem solved and are generous in paying for that help.
Marketing Soul Plan Element #2: Money
Who else wants to be a Spiritual Millionaire? I do, and I am well on my way to achieving that goal with my woman owned business. If you’re one of those woman business owners who have been holding back from allowing money to flow abundantly into your business (and hence, your life) then it’s time to do some soul-searching to clear out your old money stories.
Yes, it’s okay to be spiritual and rich… so how much do you want to make in 2008? Choose a number to include in your Marketing Plan that is both a stretch and realistic. Write it down, and then decide how much you want to create every 90 days and write those numbers down too. Stay focused on your Marketing Plan numbers as you decide how you spend your time each day.
Marketing Soul Plan Element #3: Boundaries
The road to success isn’t paved with good intentions (or affirmations); it’s lined with great boundaries that honor you and your Soul’s Divine Mission. What are five boundaries that you’ve been soft on? Those are costing you big time in lost focus, lost income and a lost sense of your own personal power. List them out in your Marketing Plan along with one small action you, as a woman entrepreneur, are a commitment to taking to clean up each of them.
Marketing Soul Plan Element #4: Perfectionism
Perfectionism is fear in disguise. It’s simply a smoke-screen that women entrepreneurs’ egos create to keep them playing small or hiding out. Include in your Marketing Plan this statement: “I agree, commit and promise to take action before I feel ready, before I feel that I know enough and before I know how it’s all going to turn out!” Then do it and see how much you leapfrog ahead of where you are now.
Marketing Soul Plan Element #5: Receiving
There’s no point in practicing gratitude and attraction principles if you aren’t also practicing receiving. If you believe that the universe wants to give to your woman owned business then you must be skilled at receiving. So where to practice? How about starting by raising your fees, asking for a referral or even just accepting a compliment with a gracious “Thank you?”
My vision for you is that 2008 is truly your year. Use these simple guidelines to create your own Marketing Soul Plan and it will be!
Business coach Kendall SummerHawk, the “Horse Whisperer for Business” delivers savvy ways for entrepreneurs to turn hectic businesses into 6-figure successes. Get her “7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price for More Money, Time and Freedom” at http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com.
What Motivates Potential Clients to Hire You?
What motivates people to hire you? The answer can be summed up in one simple word. Connection. Why? Because connection is rooted in emotion, and we all make our buying decisions based on emotions.
Most women entrepreneurs mistakenly focus on explaining how they deliver their services. If you’ve been reading this Ezine for a while, then you know that our potential clients don’t care about service details. What they DO care about is:
*Can they trust you?
*Do you understand the complexities of their situations?
*Are you reliable? (Back to trust again.)
*Will you tell them the truth? (Yep, more trust.)
Whether or not you are a ‘feeling’ type of person, it’s vital to your woman-owned business that you create a way for prospective clients to feel a sense of connection with you. So how do you accomplish that? Here are my five favorite ways:
* Stay in touch and always offer value when you do. Have a resource handy, offer a copy of a great article, or give valuable feedback.
* Be direct and speak the truth. There is nothing to be gained by side stepping the truth because you “don’t want to hurt their feelings.” Weenie answers are not memorable. Nor do you need to be abrupt or critical. For example: Prospective business coaching clients usually ask me to look at their websites. When I see one that is particularly bad, I say, ‘I understand why you’re not getting response from your website. It doesn’t send the message you’re telling me you want to send. It needs to be much more (fill in the blank.)
* Ask more questions than you answer. The only way for your prospective client to feel connection with you is if you are an outstanding listener. Successful women entrepreneurs make sure that 80% of what you say is in the form of a question.
* Go for the deeper truth. If you talk about surface problems or issues, you’ll never get to the heart of your potential client’s feelings. Be bold, brave, and respectful as you probe to uncover their real issues. You can accomplish this by either asking a powerful question, or making a powerful statement that summarizes what they have said. By leaving out any judgment, and speaking with love and caring, you’ll actually see their eyes open with new respect and appreciation for you.
* Repeat your core message, repeat your core message, repeat your core message. You never know the timing of when your prospective client is finally going to say, ‘I’ve had enough of this situation! It’s time to take action.’ The woman business owner who has been consistent and powerful with her core message will be remembered and get the call.
Case in point: the core message of my HorseWise Brilliance Unbridled TM program, “You can leverage your brilliance into increased profits,” is repeated.
Just for today, take your first step: choose one of the methods above, and give it a try. Tomorrow, repeat Step One. I think you get the idea…
Business coach Kendall SummerHawk, the “Horse Whisperer for Business” delivers savvy ways for entrepreneurs to turn hectic businesses into 6-figure successes. Get her “7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price for More Money, Time and Freedom” at http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com.
Small Business Marketing: Five Simple Steps to Get Three New Clients, NOW!
I am naturally a competitive person. I like to set a goal, treat winning like a game, then see where I need to challenge myself to reach my outcome. This strategy is the reason why I went from low six-figures to high six-figures in just twelve short months.
Which got me thinking: why not give a “marketing coach’s challenge” to my readers to get three new clients in the next thirty days? If treated like a game (so you have fun!) this challenge can help you focus your marketing, your decisions and your actions in a positive, motivating and profitable way.
So, wanna play the “3 in 30 days” game with me? The rules are simple: decide, take action, and then repeat. Ready to get started? Here are five important steps to “win” at this fun and profitable game:
Step 1. What is the program or package you are offering to your three potential clients? List the results they’ll get from hiring you. By focusing 90% of your list on the results and 10% on the program’s features, your potential clients will clearly understand WHY they need to hire you.
Step 2. What is the specific problem your offer will solve? Time to throw out tired phrases like “improve your work/life balance” or “feel better about yourself.” With this marketing idea, you hone in on solving one specific problem, and thereby give the gift of simplicity and focus to your overwhelmed potential client.
Step 3. How many people can you reach each day? This is not the time to be shy! Set a direct marketing goal to contact a certain number of people each day. Choose from making contact with colleagues, network marketing, speaking, writing an article, giving a teleseminar, emailing your database, sending out postcards or connecting with potential referral partners.
Step 4. How many different ways can you follow-up? The fortune truly is found in the follow-up in small business marketing! If you did nothing but follow up with potential client contacts from the past year you would easily and quickly reach your “3 in 30 days” goal.
Simply pick up the telephone, dial, and tell your potential client that you are going through your files and saw that six months ago they were working on solving XYZ problem to reach ABC goal. You’re calling to see how that’s working for them.
Follow up again with a hand-written note. Follow up again with a postcard, an article you saw that made you think of them, or an announcement for an upcoming teleseminar. Truly, if you follow up with your follow up, you will have a never-ending source of referrals and you will never again have to attend another boring network marketing event!
Step 5. What daily action can you take to motivate yourself and your potential new clients into action? As a marketing coach, I recommend setting daily goals, such as a set number of phone calls, postcards, outreach emails, requests for referrals, etc.
Even better, write down your daily small business marketing goals, then check each off as it’s completed. Be sure and tackle your goals FIRST thing in the morning when you’re fresh. Get them done early and the confidence that they inspire, makes you even more attractive to potential clients all day long!
As far as motivating potential clients goes, set the intention to move your potential client forward with each contact that you make with them. Don’t be afraid to ask for their business. I have landed nearly all of my best direct marketing clients by telling them how much I wanted to be part of their solution to reaching THEIR goals. It’s honest, full of integrity and heart… and magnetizing!
One more marketing coach’s challenge for you: please print out this article and put it where you can see it every day. Visualize me by your side, encouraging you each day that no matter where you are in you business – brand new, just getting by, or already into six-figures – you will make your “3 in 30 days” goal!
Business coach Kendall SummerHawk, the “Horse Whisperer for Business” delivers savvy ways for entrepreneurs to turn hectic businesses into 6-figure successes. Get her “7 Quick and Simple Tips to Brand, Package and Price for More Money, Time and Freedom” at http://www.kendallsummerhawk.com.