There are many many things to consider when sitting at the helm of your own business.  Employee training, systems, overhead, accounting, bookkeeping, legal structure, schedule, cash flow, marketing calendars, content creation, product or service fulfillment, launches, hiring goals, social media, potential partnerships, and more.  Some of these are legitimately complicated. Others are just “hard” because we’re inundated with so many options to consider. Still others are taxing simply because they are time-consuming or emotionally charged.

But sales can be simple.

Oh — we often over-complicate selling.  For sure.  We complicate it with our own “need” to close. We complicate it by doing some weird dance with our potential clients.  We complicate it by consistently changing our offer, our pricing structure or our branding. We complicate it by blaming the economy or some other outside factor when sales seem out of reach.

 ALL of this, by the way, puts increasing distance between our POTENTIAL in business and our PROFIT.

And who wants to do that?! I won’t begin to delve into the anti-success mechanisms at play here.  Fear of success. Repulsion of wealth. blah, blah, blah.  These things are important, and I have people to refer you to if you KNOW you’re sabotaging your own success. But, for today, let’s get down to the nitty gritty about WHAT’S TO BLAME WHEN YOU’RE NOT MAKING THE SALES YOU WANT.  Shall we?

It’s always one — or more –of these three things:

1) Market

You may be — simply —  selling to the wrong market.   This is often the case.  When I first began offering private business consulting, I focused on other small businesses like myself…. most of whom worked from home.  I had a great offer, authentic and powerful positioning, and a spot on message.  BUT, my fees placed me out of the typical WAHM budget.  So, I changed ONLY my market. I began targeting businesses with some more “skin in the game.” Those with commercial space and / or anywhere from 3 – 14 employees.  Same offer. Same exact wording.  Same exact fees.

Enrollment for my premium services skyrocketed.  

Now, micro-businesses and solo-preneurs are still a market I love to serve.  And I didn’t want to walk away from those whom I knew I had so much to offer.   So, I had to change my:

2) Offer

While my private copy work or business strategy work may have required an investment many solo-preneurs found “prohibitive,” my intensives, working pajama parties, online programs and one day events offered a great fit for them.  They didn’t get the ATTENTION of my (very few) private clients, but they got what they needed to catapult them in their business.  Same market, different offer = success.

I have (had and) seen offers, though… that were just — frankly —  bad offers.  BAD in the fact that, while I may have loved the idea, my market found no value in it.  A perfect example of this came my way about 7 months ago.  I was approached about an online “forum” that would serve a very specific demographic.  There were parts of this idea that seemed brilliant.  BUT, overall, it was a bad offer. Bad, because while some people would LOVE the idea, they were VERY accustomed to this information and camaraderie and support being provided for FREE.  Changing the market wouldn’t help. Changing the price wouldn’t help.  The offer is one that — nowadays — is offered everywhere FREE.  And the model itself is losing perceived value — even when you’re not paying for it.  As predicted, all of the “attagirls” this poor business owner heard in the “growing” phase went silent when he “opened the virtual doors.” Gulp.

So, these “bad offers” DO exist.  They’re more rare than you think, though.  Typically most offers or ideas can be tweaked, and made to be profitable.  Now, on to the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of your sales “system:”

3) Message

Message.  Your MESSAGE — for our purposes here —  is simply defined as what you SAY  (on paper, on line or in conversation) when selling. It’s your “copy.”  Your message includes how you DEFINE and POSITION what you’re selling.  It includes the ANSWER to your client’s top question:  What’s In It For me?  It includes a SO-ACCURATE-YOUR-PROSPECT-CANT-BELIEVE-YOU’VE-BEEN-READING-THEIR-MAIL summary of their hot button “problem” or “opportunity.”  It includes a powerful RISK REVERSAL for your client.  And more.

And it’s the most important — in my opinion.   Because without a compelling message, even the best offer to the exact right target can fall flat.

Likewise, I’ve seen great copy and great messaging rescue a luke-warm offer to a less than ideal target. Many times.  Words are powerful.  Profitable.  If you know how to use them.

Recently I offered a COPY CLINIC to help people draft a “sales letter” (invitation, sales page, etc.) that will prove to be THE MOST PROFITABLE for them.  Twenty people — and for a crazy low-feebie February rate — will learn how to leverage their time and sell with the printed word.  But, more than that, they’ll learn what most truly profitable copywriters call “how to legally print money.”

WHAT IF YOU COULD — LITERALLY — WRITE A SALES LETTER THAT COULD MAKE YOU AN EXTRA $1296 WHILE YOU’RE OFF CELEBRATING YOUR BIRTHDAY?  (On February 6th, this is what happened for me.)  Or WHAT IF — WITH ONE LETTER SENT TO 47 PEOPLE  VIA EMAIL — YOU COULD COLLECT $5940.   IN FOUR HOURS.

All without the use of social media, joint ventures, or a big list.

But, this is just a drop in the bucket of what’s possible. I’ve written sales letters that have brought in over six figures of income. (This is a bit more complicated of a dance, but not at all out of anyone’s reach.)

Anyway, I’m RE-opening one more Copy Clinic to begin March 4th.  For the SEVENTY SIX of you that either had tons of questions or were shut out of the initial group, don’t miss this “encore.” Just email me and get the updated details.  (michelle@bmichellepippin.com)  For the rest of you… who for whatever reason STILL think “this isn’t for me.” lol…. here’re some great guidelines for writing COPY that SELLS:

• Be SURE you know who you’re talking to.  INTIMATELY.  Here’s a great blog post about what you should KNOW about them. 
• Be SURE you call out — so there’s NO confusion — how what you’re offering will meet THEIR goal. 
• Be SURE to identify the problem you solve.  Let your market KNOW that you “Get it.” In this case, my market wants to make MORE money while LEVERAGING their time.  (We’re busy, after all.)  Writing copy that sells is solution numero uno that will help them do both. NOTHING has proven more profitable for me.  Enter:  The Copy Clinic. Message me to get in on “Round Two.” (michelle@bmichellepippin.com)
•  Be SURE to tackle common objections — in the copy itself. Leave NO elephants in the room.
• Be SURE to REVERSE their RISK.  Creative guarantees are CRITICAL to “printing money” legally… and these guarantees are OFTEN not what you think!

There’s other stuff.  Positioning. (Why your market should listen to you.)  Social Proof.  (It worked for others.) Limitation.  (You can’t wait forever.)  Pricing strategies.  Etc.  But this list above will serve you well… if  you make sure you’re accomplishing EACH bullet point.

It’s time for me to “run.” Not physically.  It’s too cold here for that.  But for me to get on with the rest of my day! =) READY TO BE MORE PROFITABLE THIS WEEK, BUT DON’T WANT TO PAY TO WORK WITH ME IN ANY CAPACITY?  lol… Here are some GREAT blog posts that will prime your profit pump:

• INTEREST, but NO TAKERS! https://www.bmichellepippin.com/i-have-lots-interest-believe-it-or-not-but-no-takers/ (The workshop offered in this post is long past.  So, don’t register. =) )
• NO MONEY TO MARKET — https://www.bmichellepippin.com/no-money-to-market-what-you-must-do-now/
• SELLING when “NO ONE” is BUYING:  https://www.bmichellepippin.com/selling-when-no-one-is-buying/