Every moment is an opportunity to receive

Recently I attended a workshop with Debbie Rosas, founder of the Nia Technique, called Awakening The New Feminine Spirit. At the beginning of the workshop, Debbie lead us through a powerful exercise on receiving.

All around me, women were experiencing breakthroughs. Meanwhile, I was having a mini-meltdown.

(This is what the coaches in my mastermind call “The Elizabeth Purvis Transparency Model” – ha!)

During the discussion that followed, women shared their insights – some small, some profound… almost universally positive. Am I the only one struggling with this? I thought.

Finally, I raised my hand. “Um…” I said tentatively. “Am I the only one with the big blocks to receiving right now?”

Debbie smiled at me with kindness and said, “How can it be hard? You’re receiving all day long.”

I pondered that as she walked over (in possibly the most awesome boots ever in the history of anything) and held out her hand. “See? Hi, I’m Debbie.”

And finally, I got it. Hi, I’m Elizabeth. We are receiving all day long.

Receive a breath.

Receive your food.

Receive the sunlight.

Receive a smile.

Every moment is an opportunity to receive. Problem is, we don’t stop, so we don’t receive. And so we want more, more, more.

As women, we are designed to receive. “And when you do,” says Debbie, “all sorts of amazing things begin to happen.”

(Yeah, I can vouch for that. )

My coach’s request to you this week is to consciously receive. To help you, I’ll share a little mantra I created for my Goddess Business School goddesses:

As a goddess, I receive.

Bright blessings and massive success to you…

Want more Debbie wisdom? Be sure to register for 6-Figure Secrets Of Divine Feminine Entrepreneurs, where she’ll be sharing on how to create a sacred livelihood, and so much more. Register here: http://www.DivineFeminineEntrepreneur.com

An “expensive mistake” is NOT a reason to quit

I often see many spiritual women solopreneurs cheating themselves out of getting the support they need to grow their businesses because of past decisions that didn’t quite work out as planned. Let me tell you about one of my “expensive mistakes”…

Once upon a time, I was working on a project in my business. I made the decision that it was going to rock… and to match that commitment, I hired a mentor to help me.

My intention was to do the right thing, of course. But the minute I showed up for my private intensive, I knew it was the wrong choice.

Now, I’m not hating on the mentor – this person is doing great work in the world, is excellent at what they do and we’re both responsible for what went down that day. But it was kind of a disaster. And I ended the relationship shortly thereafter.

Total investment for one day that didn’t work out: eight thousand dollars.

What’s funny is that even though I didn’t get what I quote-unquote “wanted” to get out of it, I got exactly what I needed. (Truthfully, on the inner growth front, that eight grand was a real steal.)

The lesson, my dear goddess? There is just no way you’re going to create a thriving business without a few mistakes. There’s just no way. (Team is another part of your biz ripe with painfully expensive learning potential.)

And when the “expensive mistakes” happen, you might be tempted to contract. Pull back because the people around you give you crap (“I can’t believe you did XYZ, what were you thinking?!”). Or worst of all… tell yourself that it wasn’t meant to be.

Don’t do that. Those expensive mistakes are when you need to trust yourself the most. This is your Divine Feminine Gift of Owning Your Own Authority.

Looking back, every “expensive mistake” I’ve ever made in my business came from a place of fear and lack, usually masquerading as intuition. When that happens, you have two choices: let the fear win, or… reaffirm your commitment to your dream, and make a new choice based on Divine wisdom.

For me that meant investing in TWO high-end programs this year – the right ones. And I’m more supported than ever before.

Besides, what are mistakes but learning opportunities?

What is the gift in the “mistakes” you’ve made in the past? What have you said “no” to out of fear and lack? What new choice can you make instead?

What to say when they say “Yes, but…”

So you’re sharing your fabulous program with a potential client. You both know it’s perfect and you can feel her getting excited about the transformation within her reach! You say your new higher fee (without choking – yeeha!) and…

… the next words you hear are “I’d love to, BUT…”

“… I can’t afford it…”

“… It’s not the right time right now…”

“… I need to check with my spouse…”

“… I need to check with my gut – can I get back to you?”

First things first: don’t freak out! The “yes, but” is a concern, or objection… and you’ll hear them around 80% of the time. (Remember, where there’s massive transformation afoot, there is also fear.)

Many spiritual solopreneurs get wiggy about objections, but they’re actually a great thing. They mean that your client is really interested. They know you’re offering them an opportunity to change their lives and they want to step into it. Problem is, they’re just a little afraid. And they need you to support them through it.

Now here’s the secret behind objections and what you MUST do when your client says “I’d love to, but…” (This is the key to smoothly sailing through concerns so that they can embrace the transformation they truly want…)

Their “Yes, BUT” is the real reason why they’re on the phone with you today, right now. That’s what they really and truly need support on, in this moment. Because no matter what “yes, but” may be… it has stopped them before, and it is showing up somewhere else in their life to stop them over and over again.

That’s why coaching your potential clients on their “Yes, BUT”s is actually a tremendous gift. Here’s how to sail smoothly through the top 3 (make that only 3) “I’d love to… but”s so they can say yes to the transformation they truly want…

1. “I’d love to, but… I don’t have the money.”

Most solopreneurs take the money objection at face value, without realizing that “I can’t afford it” is rarely, if ever, really about the money. Your job in that moment is to find out if it’s really about the money, or it’s about something else. (Again, 90% of the time, it’s the latter.)

Here’s the question that will instantly give you your answer:

“Assuming money wasn’t an issue, is this something that you’d like to do?”

If they say “yes” hesitantly… then it really isn’t the money. You can just say, “You sound hesitant, is there something else?” This will open the door to discovering the real issue… and coaching them through it.

2. “I’d love to, but… I don’t have the time.”

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so the time objection is really about priorities. You can find out if they’re truly swamped (or just a little scared) with this question:

“If I waved a magic wand and created all kinds of time in your schedule, is this something you’d want to move forward with?”

If they say “Yes, absolutely,” then they only think they don’t have time. You’ll help them by exploring what’s eating all their time and get clear on what’s really important to them.

3. “I’d love to, but… I need to think about it.”

You need to be careful with this one, because without your love and support, because the fear your client is undoubtedly feeling can quickly take over during “thinking time.” And that would be tragic.

If your program is a fit for them, “I have to think about it” usually means “I’m afraid” or “I don’t know if I can do this.” To open the dialogue, simply say, “What is it that you need to think about?”

That might sound a little blunt, but when delivered with sincerity and grace, your client will actually breathe a sigh of relief. They will know that you care and that they need not be alone with their fear as they take this powerful next step.

Bonus tip: don’t be afraid to say what you really think and feel. Remember, your client’s “yeah, buts” are what they need healing on, in this moment, to move forward with their dream. Being fully present and pointing out what you see is blocking their success is a gift of caring, generosity and love.

Want more word-for-word scripts on what to say during sticky enrollment situations, and a proven template for providing massive value during the conversation?  The Get Clients In 30 Days! Homestudy Course is available NOW (woot!), complete with all the training, tools, scripts, templates and examples you’ll need to authentically enroll clients fast. HURRY: when you reserve your copy by Tuesday, FEBRUARY 22 at 11:59pm PT, you’ll get a 90-day bonus coaching program, my treat! http://www.GetClientsIn30Days.com

Are Your Clients Missing Out Because You’re A Marketing Perfectionist?

My friend and colleague Helen Graves of CrackerJack Online Marketing has a saying that I just love.  “Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time.”

I love it because the idea of “perfect inaction” totally cracks me up.  I mean, really – when you really think about it, “perfect inaction” is pretty ridiculous, no?  And also because it speaks to a challenge that just about all of us spirited, heart-centered entrepreneurs have struggled with: waiting until something is perfect before taking action.  (Also known as “the perfectionist trap”.)

Helen also calls it the “just one more” cycle.  Just one more tweak to the website, just one more training, just one more revision, just one more whatever until… your program, your product, or your marketing is finally ready “for prime time” and you can get out there and get results.

Here’s the thing about the perfectionist trap and the “just one more” cycle.   Not only is there always “one more,” the reality is you’ll discover the tweaks that actually matter only AFTER you bring “your baby” into the world.

More importantly, when you’re stuck in the perfectionist trap, you’re not helping clients. You’re not changing lives.  You’re not having an impact.  You’re not living your dream. (That’s a pretty high price to pay, no?)

Bottom line: When you’re a marketing perfectionist, your clients are missing out… and so are you. Here are some simple tips that make taking purposeful, impactful, and yes, imperfect action a snap…

1. Focus on one thing at a time. You may have heard about what I like to call “the power of one” or “the rule of one” in marketing.  Just as you will get much better results when you make only ONE offer at a time (because a confused mind always says no), you’ll fly by the stumbling blocks in your marketing tasks when you focus and just get ‘er done.

2. Break it down. Find yourself in a project that’s even mildly big, let’s say, and what’s the first thing that happens?  Well, if you’re like most entrepreneurs (me included), you get overwhelmed.  Perfection follows overwhelm, just as sure as night follows day.   And then you’re stuck.  Yuck!   Instead, break it down into small chunks and focus on the chunks.  Success creates momentum and leads to more success, so be sure to celebrate each one!

3. Realize that nobody is looking at this thing as closely as you are. When I was a little girl, I used to live in mortal fear of being publicly scolded or called out – like if I was talking too loudly in class, say.  I have a voice that carries, and often adults would tell me that I was “too loud.”  I would be so embarrassed, so humiliated!  And then I realized that the kids in my class were waaay too busy passing notes and snapping rubber bands at each other to even notice the teacher “yelled” at me.

The truth is, nobody looks as closely at your stuff  as you do.  Yes, your clients take note… but 9 times out of 10, the those little niggling things YOU notice are not the ones THEY notice.  Which leads me to the next point…

4. Choose to view your project as an opportunity to get valuable feedback from the people who matter most. If there’s one thing that never, ever ceases to amaze me, it’s that the feedback I get from my clients is rarely what I expect.  You will learn so much from “getting it out there” that you ever will from hanging out in your own head, churning over how to make something perfect.

Instead of sweating the details, choose to focus on how cool it’s going to be when you get real feedback from real clients… which you can then use to make the next go-round even more life-changing for them.

5. Get in touch with your why. Remember, you’re not in business just for the heck of it – there’s a reason why it’s so important to you.  For many of us soul-centered business owners, it’s about living our purpose: making a difference for our clients and the world while creating a lifestyle that truly supports us.  Every project you complete pulls you forward, no matter how it turns out!  Your “why” is so much bigger… and so much more important… than any tiny imperfection.

© 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.