At times, I have to be reminded that prior to the Industrial Revolution, MOST Americans were self-employed. “Back then,” it wasn’t complicated or hard. We didn’t have a dismal small business success rate of 20%. We didn’t have coaches or the internet or anything like that. Yet, somehow we figured it out and supported our families as self-bossers.
Fast forward to 2017 and all of the sudden, being a self-bosser is hard, scary, risky. I call B.S.
Business is STILL simple. It’s not EASY, but it is simple. It’s not a “phone it in” sport… it will require ALL of you (especially if you are determined to create WILD success and ONLY on your terms)…but it is NOT complicated.
So, whether you are a physician or lawyer, a coach or cupcake maker, in finance or furniture sales…. here are 5 TO DOs and 5 NOT TO DOs that will help SIMPLIFY (and increase, of course) PROFIT for your business.
5 To Dos for Profit
DO #1: Know your market intimately. Know their motivations, their fears, their frustrations, their heroes and their villains. Read this to know more about what you should know about your target market.
DO #2: Show Up EVERY DAY and SERVE. There’s a lot to be said for consistency and messaging. Show up. Speak to your market. Serve them out of your expertise. Share your story and the stories of your clients or customers.
DO #3: Take the DIAGNOSE and PRESCRIBE approach to sales.
DO #4: Follow Up. It isn’t up to THEM to remember YOU. We’re all busy… and your offer, your sale, your invite, your proposal MAY NOT BE top of mind for them. It is up to YOU to stay in a relationship with THEM. Follow up, not in a “did you forget to send me a check?” way, but in a direct, caring “how can we move this forward?” way.
DO #5: Become a MASTER of TIME… a HaCKER of TIME. Here’s a list of things you can do in just TEN MINUTES to move your business forward.
BONUS: LOOK for areas in YOUR business in which YOUR prospects are “disappearing.” SIMPLE FIXES can create dramatic increases in income.
5 Not to Dos for Profit
NOT TO DO #1: You are a grown up… so waking up and taking your emotional temperature before doing what you KNOW you need to do has got to stop. You CAN do what you need to do without feeling super motivated. You have a mission. That mission requires action. Wake up and take action… even if you FEEL like staying in bed.
NOT TO DO #2: Don’t answer unscheduled phone calls nor remain tethered to your email all day. Interruptions and distractions can be constant — IF THEY ARE PERMITTED. Forbid them. Get your most important work done first, and then give each phone call and each email the focus it deserves. Boundaries are HEALTHY. Without them, you will feel like you’re putting out fires all day, every day.
NOT TO DO #3: Don’t forget to be human when selling. Don’t be one person when getting to know a prospect and then “pull the covers off” when you “go in for the sale.” Be yourself. Sell to people you WANT to serve. And make the ask. Simple. Human. Beautiful.
NOT TO DO #4: Do NOT tolerate problem clients. Listen, the 80/20 rule is alive and well in business… and it works BOTH WAYS. You will — somehow — attract clients who make up 20% of your income but take up 80% of your time. This isn’t fair to YOU, but it’s also not fair to your other clients. These “problem clients” are energy blocks and must be set free so they –and you — can find better fits elsewhere.
NOT TO DO #5: Don’t BEG, PUSH or PROD for the sale. Offer to help, yes. Lead the horse to water, but do NOT attempt to force them to drink. If you must force them to say YES, they will become PROBLEM clients. (See NOT TO DO #4.) Let their “no” be no. Let their (unprofessional) LaCK of a response be no. (They’re just not that into you.) Let them walk away gracefully, so you can make room for your PERFECT prospects.
See…
Profit.
Simplified.
