Authentic marketing secrets for spirited entrepreneurs

There’s probably nothing more frustrating than pouring your heart and soul into creating a program, putting it out there into the world and… nobody buys.  It’s like planning an incredible party and then nobody comes.  Not fresh!

The great news is, the reason why nobody’s buying usually comes down to one of just a few things.  Once you get a feel for what makes an offer fizzle or fly-off-the-shelves, you can design your programs and offerings to be irresistible.

Here are 4 questions to ask yourself the next time you’ve made a great offer and are still wondering, “Why won’t they buy?”

1. Is there a demand for what you’re offering?  (In other words, do they really want it?) I often hear my clients say they need to “drum up interest” in their latest product or program.  Straight up: drumming up interest is not only exhausting, it’s a losing battle.  It’s much, much easier to find a demand and fill it.

Now before you start groaning or pulling your hair out in frustration here… this is easier than you think!  I’m willing to bet a milkshake (my favorite wager) that at least one of your offerings provides an outcome that your clients already want.  What do they say they want solved, in their own words?  Which of your products or programs provides that outcome?

Your job is to position that offering so that it meets your clients where they are.  Which leads me to…

2. Are the benefits and outcomes stated clearly? We transformation pros loooove our process.  For example, I heart coaching.  However, nobody really pays me for coaching.  People invest with me to build their business, to create fabulous income for the work they’re meant to do, and to create freedom in their lives.

Your clients are not paying you for your process, either.  They want a very specific transformation… and they must value that transformation enough to invest in it.  When you show them that what you do will provide what they want, they’ll happily invest.

Bonus tip: One tool to powerfully communicate the value of your work is a Signature System.  Packaging your process into a step-by-step system positions you as the go-to expert and makes it easy for clients to “get” what you do.

3. Do you have payment plans to make it easy? One of my mentors loves to say, “Don’t make it hard for people to give you money!”

Payment plans are a great way to support your clients in saying yes to your offerings AND they help even out your cash flow.  Always offer a full pay option and at least one other payment plan.  (Important tip: make sure to structure your plan so that you’re NOT giving away a ton of service before your program is complete!)

4. How’s your energy? Whatever your doubts, fears and insecurities around your offerings are, they’ll be mirrored back to you in your clients - guaranteed.  So if you’re wondering, “Will they pay for that?” don’t be surprised when you attract a lot of people who can’t - or won’t - invest in your program.

Make sure you’re crystal-clear-certain on the value of what you’re offering first.  Also, remember that you don’t have the right to decide what people will or will not pay.  (This is a biggie!)

While there will always be people who truly can’t pay, 99% of the time “I can’t afford it” is an excuse.  When you’re certain that your deal is a no brainer, and you refuse to accept excuses, the clients you attract will match your energy with their energy… and their commitment and their money.

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Have you ever wished for more clients because you want to help more people and increase your in-come, AND at the same time, felt a little hesitation at the prospect?

Often I hear “spirit-and-soul-preneurs” say they want more clients.  But when it gets right down to it, they don’t really want as many clients as they think they do (or think they “should”).

The biggest fear?  Overwhelm. (Otherwise known as “too many clients, not enough time.”)  Sometimes they’re conscious of this fear, sometimes not.  Either way, they hold themselves back, and end up more frustrated than before.

The good news is, as a purpose-driven service-based business owner, you CAN design the business that supports you best. Here’s a simple 6-step formula to hit your target in-come while working with “just enough” clients.

1. Be honest with yourself. One of the very first articles on business I ever read was by James Wells, one of my favorite Tarot consultants.  (We both wrote for Llewellyn’s now-defunct almanac The Tarot Reader.)  James presented a formula:

Money you want to make = (Number of clients) x (Amount you charge)

It was the first time I’d heard the notion that I could decide how much money I wanted to make, instead of just taking what I thought I could make or what was offered.  My mind was blown!  (Funny how the simplest ideas are the most powerful, no?)

First things first: decide on your numbers. But beware: there’s little point in designing your business unless you’re really honest with yourself.  Don’t worry about what you think is “right” or what you think is possible.  Think about the numbers you really want, and WHY you really want them.

2. Drop the “shoulds.” Divide your desired in-come by the number of clients.  That’s how much you’ll have to charge each one. Simple!

Want to make six figures while only serving 10 clients one-on-one?  Sweet!  You can do that.   Trouble is, many spirited entrepreneurs see that number and hit a wall… because it’s a lot bigger than they’re used to.  And they feel really uncomfortable raising their fees.

You CAN raise your fees and stay in integrity. Remember, it’s all about the value you provide your clients.  Get clear on what they’re really getting out of working with you, and put a real dollar value to it.

If you find yourself saying “yeah but…”, ask yourself, “Yeah, but WHAT?” As your clients will undoubtedly have to do the work to get those results, it’s their responsibility to show up and get them.  Your responsibility is to provide the way and the support.  Both have real value to the client who takes the work seriously.  (Which are exactly the kind of clients you want, no?)

3. Think outside the one-on-one box. Classes, information products, programs, affiliate programs… the possibilities to be of service to your clients are endless!

Ask yourself: Can I leverage my time and work with more clients by designing a package or program?  This can help you create more in-come in your business while working less, and also provides help and solutions when raising your fees is too much of a stretch. (We all grow in stages!)

Creating a high-value program with a focus on results will also allow you to confidently increase your fees.  You can offer more to your clients when you work with them over longer periods of time, and charge accordingly.

4. Leave some wiggle room. When designing your business, your solutions will always be based on your current experience - i.e., what you already know.  Undoubtedly, there are solutions out there that you haven’t heard of yet.  Leaving a little “wiggle room” will invite the Universe to send a better idea your way and allow you the freedom to act on it without feeling overwhelmed.

For example, let’s say you decide you want to make $80k and work with 20 clients total.  You can see how to do it: Create a package or program for $4k and enroll 20 people.

It’s a good solution!  But there might be an even better way to reach your goal out there - an idea from a future session with your coach, a class you haven’t attended yet, a conversation with a friend, whatever.

So leave yourself a little room.  Instead of 20 clients, focus on the first 5 or 10.   This way, you’re in action and building momentum while leaving room for new and exciting possibilities.

5. Get into action as quickly as possible! What steps will you need to take to reach your goal?  Create your plan and begin implementing.

6. Course-correct with confidence. With entrepreneurial power comes the need for flexibility.  As you implement, you’ll make new discoveries (including, perhaps, a better way of reaching your goal, as mentioned in step 4).  Pay attention to what works for you and what doesn’t, and don’t be afraid to adapt to what you learn.

© 2009 Elizabeth Genco Purvis.  All Rights Reserved.

Want to use this article on your website, blog or in your own ezine? No problem! But here’s what you MUST include:

Elizabeth Genco Purvis, “The Marketing Goddess” teaches spirited solo business owners and conscious entrepreneurs how to attract an abundance of clients, income, freedom and satisfaction in their business while staying true to their values.  Visit MarketingGoddess.com to claim your copy of “Grow Your Business With Spirit And Soul,” a 7-part audio workshop with everything you need to begin attracting more clients right away.

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