Get More Clients & Build a 6-Figure (or more) Business for Women Entrepreneurs » Business Building

Pricing Perils: Why selling on price (and not on value) can cripple business growth

Annemarie Cross — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 06:03:59 +0000

Fallen victim to these pricing perils?

As a solopreneur you’re passionate about what you do and the people you support, but the thought of having that ‘selling’ and ‘pricing’ discussion with a prospective customer is enough to send shivers down your spine.

Sound familiar? You’re certainly not alone.

If you’re happy to run a hobby business, or you can afford to keep offering your services for free, that’s fine. There’s no need to read on.

However, if you want to build a 6-figure (or more) business, then getting comfortable with ‘that selling/pricing conversation’ is something you’ll have to get used to.

So what are the important things you need to know?

If you’re a coach, consultant or trainer (or other service-based professional) it’s critical to remember that you’re NOT selling your time.

You’re selling your expertise; your knowledge; your years of training. And, more importantly the results and outcome your client will achieve through investing in your services. That’s the real value you offer.

Many service-based solopreneurs forget this and find themselves justifying their prices, or caving into discounts. Or they end up offering way too much in comparison to what they’re getting paid, which only devalues their services and the expertise they offer. Not to mention the major withdrawal it makes to their self-esteem (and self-worth account).

If you find yourself justifying your prices, getting into a pricing war with a competitor or having to discount your services, just to sign up a client – you haven’t yet convinced your prospect of the true value you offer.

So how do you create value in the minds of a prospective client? Believe it or not, it’s way before you even get to the stage of having ‘that’ sales conversation.

Here are 5 areas you should review to ensure you’re building your credibility and reputation as an authority in your field. Then, when you finally do speak to a prospect, you can avoid having to defend your prices or that awkward conversation about why you are better than your competitors.

They’ll already know (and sense) the real value you offer because you have these 5 things in place.

1. Design a well-structured program – Your Signature System

For a prospective client, often coaching and consulting can seem quite intangible. Therefore developing a Signature System with a specific outline and process you take clients through, will present what you do in a far more tangible way.

What will be covered in your program?
How will the program be structured and over what time frame?
Are you including worksheets, recordings and done-for-you templates, etc to build additional value for your clients?

2. Promote the benefits of your Signature System – not just the features

Now that you’ve designed your Signature System, not only is it important to tell prospective clients about what’s included in your program (the features), it’s even more important to showcase the benefits and outcomes a client can expect to achieve through investing in you. This is a MUST.

Remember, features tell and benefits sell.

What are the benefits your clients can expect to achieve?
Is the benefit you’ve listed specific and relevant to the needs of your client, or is it too broad and uninspiring?
Is your benefit statement concise and free of confusing jargon? Or does it contain too many concepts, which could overwhelm your prospect.

3. Identify and build a powerful, authentic Signature Brand

As a coach or consultant, identifying and defining an authentic Signature Brand is one of the most important things you can do in your business if you want to build your credibility as an expert in your field.

With so many other coaches and consultants out in the market place who are trying to seize the attention of YOUR ideal client, how are you going to distinguish yourself from everyone else and continue to build amazing value in their eyes?

Can you bring unique strengths and talents to your programs that accelerate your clients’ success?
Can you tap into a wealth and depth knowledge and expertise that none of your competitors can offer?
When someone thinks about you and your business, what words, thoughts and feelings do you want to evoke? Are you exuding these qualities in everything you do?

4. Ensure your Brand Voice is authentic and your core Brand Message is consistent

It can be tempting to look at what your competitors are doing and trying to emulate what seems to be working for them.

Or, in the case of one of my clients, having someone else ‘tell’ you what your brand voice and brand message should be.

Are you kidding me?

Being told ‘how’ you should act or ‘what’ you should be just won’t work. Nor will trying to be someone you are not. It’s exhausting, uncomfortable and very hard to maintain. And, will soon become obvious to a prospective client.

Take the time to do some self-exploration to identify YOUR unique brand voice and core brand message. Give yourself permission to just be you! After all you’re pretty special, right?!

List your core values and select the ones you want your brand to emulate.
How do you want your brand to make people feel?
What unique (or quirky) characteristics can you weave into your brand voice, so that the essence of ‘you’ shows up in everything you do and say?

5. Make sure you have the right mindset (and money mindset)

You can have the most amazing Signature System, backed up with a powerful, authentic Signature Brand, however if you don’t have the right mindset (self –belief) and money mindset, it will be very difficult to build value in the eyes of a prospective client.

Why? Because they will sense this through how you are portraying yourself.

Remember, the first sale you make is to yourself. If you don’t believe in the amazing level of value you offer, it’ll be very difficult to confidently portray this to your prospects.

Do you doubt that you have the skills, strengths and talents to make a difference in the lives of your clients?
Do you think it’s impossible for you to charge a certain fee?
Do you struggle with speaking about your services and programs confidently?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, make sure you spend some time building and nurturing your self-confidence. Don’t remain stuck and unable to build a 6-figure business because of self-doubt or any other unhelpful self-beliefs.

By having all of these five things in place will certainly go along way to building value in the eyes of a prospect. That way, when you start speaking to them about investment levels, they’re already assured that you are an authority in your field and can help them reach their goals.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

So, what do you think? Do you have all five things in place? Or do you need to do some more work on one (or more) of these key areas.

Here’s to your success and till we meet again…

Stay inspired and brilliant!

Annemarie Cross

Drawing on her 16+ years' award-winning expertise in branding, personal marketing, personal development and transformation, Annemarie provides 'step-by-step' business- & profit-building processes alongside breakthrough business & money mindset principles so you can stand out, get hired AND paid what you're worth. >>>>>>> IS ONE OF THESE SPOTS YOURS? <<<<<<< Get first-hand breakthrough coaching with Annemarie by booking into one of her powerful Business Breakthrough Strategy Sessions (limited spots available). More information here: http://bit.ly/breakthroughstrategy

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51 Ways to Increase Your Credibility, Visibility and Hireability

Annemarie Cross — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 01:00:40 +0000

Want to increase your credibility, visibility and hireability? Read on…

Struggling to stand out in a competitive market place and unsure what else you could be doing to reverse this?

Here are over 50 ways you can increase your level of credibility, visibility and hireability so that next time an ideal client is ready to move forward – YOU are the person they decide to invest in.

Which will you start implementing today?

Increase Credibility with a Powerful Signature Brand:

Take the time to define and build a Signature Brand that is authentic and that will distinguish you from your competitors
Develop a professional bio across all your social media and online profiles to build a consistent on-brand message about you and the value you offer
Include a link on your social media and online profiles that directs visitors back to a web page that continues to add value and showcase your expertise
Create a well-written ‘About Me’ page that captures your brand voice so readers can get a sense of the ‘real’ you
Develop a succinct Media Page to make it easier for media representatives to learn more about you and how you can help them

Increase Visibility by Creating & Sharing Compelling Content:

Answer a pressing question that your ideal client often asks and publish this on your blog
Search for other popular blogs (relevant to your field of expertise) and contribute thoughtful comments on selected blog posts
Write a book/product review
Write a book and self-publish it
Write an ebook
Write a white paper
Setup a YouTube channel and continue to create informative videos
Setup an iTunes channel and continue to create inspiring podcasts
Establish an online Radio show / podcast
Record a podcast with Audacity and include in a blog post
Record an audio tip (with Audioboo.fm)
Be interviewed by a colleague and use the audio as part of your next blog post
Write a series of helpful tweets using relevant hashtags to get your message in front of your ideal client
Know target keywords and phrases you ideal audience uses and sprinkle throughout your blog post
Write a guest blog post/article and submit for consider to a popular blog that you know is frequently visited and read by your ideal client
Get invited to be a keynote speaker on a Telesummit that targets your ideal client
Attend a conference and write a number of posts about the speakers/topics and share your viewpoints
Regularly update your social media feeds with relevant, helpful information
Write a series of blog posts and schedule these to go out every second day. Make sure you tell your followers beforehand to create interest and anticipation for each upcoming post
Answer relevant questions on your topic of expertise on LinkedIn Answers
Join relevant LinkedIn groups and continue to build relationships with group members
Contribute to discussions and share your viewpoints on LinkedIn groups
Start a discussion on LinkedIn groups and encourage feedback
Share relevant resources (including articles, videos, podcasts etc) that will be helpful to your followers
Join a local networking group and continue to build and strengthen relationships within the group
Offer to speak at networking groups
Send out a well-written press release to capture attention of journalist specializing in your industry
Foster relationships with journalist/bloggers in your industry and become known as a reliable source
Seek out joint venture opportunities and create an amazing product/service through your collaboration that continues to showcase your expertise in front of a larger audience
Write and send out a regular newsletter to your database/list
Monitor your social media feeds and contribute to conversations relevant to your field of expertise
Start a conversation on a forum relevant to your field of expertise and invite other people to comment and share their viewpoints

Increase Hireability by Maintaining a Solid Reputation

Don’t destroy all the hard work you’ve done (through implementing the steps above) by creating digital dirt. Remember, it can take a life-time to build a solid reputation, which can be tarnished overnight by doing, saying or sharing something that is totally inappropriate
Continue to portray a consistent on-brand message in EVERYTHING you do and say, even the groups you join and the people you associate with
Monitor your social networks /online discussions about you and your company and respond accordingly
Compile testimonials from satisfied clients and showcase these on your website. Ensure comments include specific measurable outcomes
Collate snapshots of ‘thanks you’s’ and other impressive comments about you (with permission of course) mentioned across social media platforms and showcase these on your website
Ensure your ‘About Me’ page includes snippets/comments of satisfied customers as well as awards/other recognition
Bring your video camera with you when you are a guest speaker and record videos of individual participants singing your praise. Include in your ‘About Me’ and Testimonial page
Continue to do as much as you can from the ‘Creating & Sharing Compelling Content’ section above to build a reputation as an authority in your field
Build your Signature System and ensure you also have all the other 4 key pillars in place to increase your hireability

And in summary:

Plan and schedule your content development strategy outlining which ways you are going to implement in order to build your visibility
Make sure you are doing at least one of these things every single day
Be consistent in what you send out including being on-brand in everything that you do and how regularly you post/share information
Monitor and track what you do regularly so that you can identify what’s working and continue to do this, and identify what’s not working so you can tweak in order to get better results
Don’t give up if results aren’t immediate. It takes time and commitment to build credibility, visibility and hireability. Stick with it!!!!

Bonus Tip:

Ensure core elements of your Signature Brand are captured and communicated across all your brand touch points including your:

Logo
Business card
Business stationary
Answering machine message
Email signature
Website
Social media platform backgrounds/graphics
Office furniture
Your personal image/presentation
Presentation material
Email address, etc

Have Your Say:

So what do you think? Are you doing these things already? If not, which are you going to start implementing so that you can begin building your credibility, visibility and hireability? Let me know. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!

To your success and brilliance!

Annemarie Cross

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Creating an Effective Marketing Campaign for Your New Small Business

Annemarie Cross — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:12:53 +0000

Are you developing effective marketing strategies?

Guest post by: Sara Mackey

Developing solid effective marketing strategies for your new business is essential for your sustainability and long-term success. Marketing is the process of selling services or goods through focused efforts such as advertising. An effective marketing strategy employs a method that communicates to a customer why they should choose your business rather than your competitors.

The first step to creating a strategy is to create a new business marketing plan. There are marketing experts that can offer valuable expertise and insight, but if you are unable to afford bringing in the experts, there tips can help you develop an effective strategy for marketing your new small business.

Effective Marketing Tip 1: Target Market

Your business cannot be all things to all people, and you should not try to be. A successful business will understand they need to fit into a certain niche. Knowing who you are selling to can help you create a marketing strategy that communicates effectively to your customers.

Effective Marketing Tip 2: Market Research

If you want to know and understand your niche market, you must do some market research. By conducting research focused on your market you gain an inside look on who your customers are, what they want and what their demands are. Everybody knows that the basics of economics are supply and demand. You need to know what the demand is, so that you can supply it sufficiently.

Effective Marketing Tip 3: Know Your Competition

Not only is knowing your customers helpful, but so is knowing your competition. Figure out ways you can capitalize on their weaknesses and emphasize your strengths and how you can set yourself apart from them. A good marketing strategy will help promote your business; a great one will give you the edge over your competition.

Effective Marketing Tip 4: Brand Strategy

Your brand is everything you promise to deliver to your customer through your business. At the heart of branding is the logo. The logo is like a first impression of your business to your customers. Do not underestimate the importance of a good logo. When you brand your business, you can start to build brand equity which raises the intrinsic value of your goods and services.

Effective Marketing Tip 5: Be Consistent

Do not start advertising your business until you have a consistent marketing campaign. The time for testing out different logos, slogans and methods is during the market research phase, not when you are actually ready to begin marketing your new business.

Effective Marketing Tip 6: Have adequate financing

Many new businesses fail to realize the importance of marketing and do not allocate enough business financing to fund an effective campaign. They fail because they do not have enough working capital or fail to market effectively. A new business does not usually have vast amounts of money at their disposal, but in order to start generating a positive cash flow, you have to get customers to want to buy from you. That is why good, consistent and persistent marketing is so valuable for a new business.

Creating an effective marketing strategy is time-consuming and challenging, but it is well worth the time and effort as you begin to bring in those targeted valuable customers.

HAVE YOUR SAY

So, what do you think? Are there any other things you believe are important to consider when developing a marketing plan? Go ahead and add your comments below. It’s always nice to hear from our readers.

To your success and brilliance!

Annemarie Cross

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3 Assumptions That Are Losing You Sales – Recognize them?

Annemarie Cross — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:38:03 +0000

How many sales are you missing out on because of your ‘assumptions’?

This week, I was reminded of how critical it was for me NOT to make assumptions. In particular, thinking that something was clear, however in reality it wasn’t.

Let me rewind and fill you in on what I’m talking about.

I was speaking to a prospect who was interested in one of my coaching programs. Because she was located on the other side of the world she wasn’t able to fly to Australia and wondered whether I would consider working with her virtually, via phone/Skype.

I was stunned.

Stunned because I DO work virtually and I ASSUMED this was stated clearly on my website.

Thankfully she reached out and asked the question. Because more often than not, if a prospect can’t find what they need, you’ve lost the opportunity and they’re off to one of your competitors’ sites.

What about you? Are you assuming that your message is clear, yet in reality – it’s not?

In my experience there are dozens of instances where ‘assumptions’ are made and opportunities are lost.

Here are the top three assumptions I regularly see coaches, consultants and speakers make. Make sure you don’t fall into the same trap.

Assumption 1: Your Introduction

I’ve been to countless networking groups and have read hundreds of online bios of highly talented heart centered solopreneurs. However from their online and offline introductions you’d never know it.

Their introduction is so full of jargon that it’s confusing and they end up loosing the audiences’ attention within the first few sentences.

At one event I attended, a woman spoke about her new business venture. To be honest, I had no idea what she was talking about. She used jargon that was confusing and she spoke about a new piece of equipment that was set to revolutionize the industry because of what it could measure and track.

I know I wasn’t the only person who was confused; the glazed eyes around the room were proof enough.

Afterward I went up to her and asked her a few questions about her business. Turns out she was a health and fitness coach and helped people shed pounds quickly through a new eating regime she had developed. The new machine she spoke about could distinguish between and measure both muscle and fat. So while the scales didn’t show a decrease in weight, you may have lost fat but put on muscle. And muscle is heavier than fat AND burns fat, so it’s a good thing.

Combining her eating and exercise program along with being measured with this new piece of equipment would enable you to achieve your goal weight much faster.

After hearing that – I nearly signed up on the spot.

Now that’s what she should have spoken about, rather than the technical terms and jargon, which none of us could understand.

Here are a few great taglines that my colleagues use during their introductions. They capture people’s attention and often get quite a few chuckles from people. And most important of all – they’re memorable. People just can’t help but remember these tags lines because they’re funny! [I think so anyway J]

“I’m your local contract killer.” [Pest Controller]
“I take the SH out of your IT.” [Computer Repairer]
“We’re number 1 when it comes to handling your number 2’s.” [Plumber]

My coach’s tip: If you’re not generating interest and people’s eyes glaze over when you’re introducing yourself, you need to go back to the drawing board. Keep your language simple. No jargon. Talk about the benefits people will achieve through using your products and services. And try to make your introduction memorable by incorporating a witty tagline like the examples above.

Assumption 2: Your Program Titles/Description

After dedicating a significant amount of time and energy into developing your program titles and sales page it’s no wonder there’s disappointment when practically no one invests.

If written well, your title should captivate, increase desire and practically sell your program for you.

However, with many of the titles I’ve seen – the exact opposite occurs because they are full of jargon, present too many concepts, and fail to appeal to the need and desire of a target audience.

When it comes to the sales copy, one of the most common things I see is that there is too much emphasis on the features of the program and not enough on the benefits and results participants can achieve.

While it’s important for prospects to understand what the program entails, it’s far more important to share your promise of value and what people can expect should they decide to invest in you.

And, it’s also important to create social proof by incorporating testimonials and successes from previous clients who have had the pleasure of working with you.

Here are a few of my program titles as an example:

Social Media Marketing Brilliance – Dominate Your Niche Online, QUICKLY!
6-Figure Business Success Blueprint – Unlock the Secrets to Your 6-Figure (or more) Business
Get Noticed, Booked & Paid What You’re Worth Home-Study Program [coming soon]

Each of the above titles includes what the program is about and the results clients can expect.

Coach’s Tip: Don’t use jargon in your titles. Include results that people can expect. And avoid too many concepts as you’ll just confuse people.

Assumption 3: Your Call To Action

Picture this.

You’ve delivered an amazing presentation, you answer a few of the audiences questions, and you move quickly to the back of the room in the hope that people will flock to your table to enroll in your coaching programs.

But unfortunately that doesn’t happen.

So what went wrong?

You failed to mention that you offer coaching programs. Nor did you include a call to action that drew the audience’s attention to the special offer they could access if they were to make an investment, today.

In other words, you failed to include a compelling call to action.

I’ve been guilty of that myself. Several years ago in my career consulting business I spoke to a number of executives about personal branding and interview coaching.

I received an overwhelming response from the audience who loved the information I shared.

However, I didn’t mention that I was offering the book at a special price that evening, or that I had a special offer on my interview coaching and professional resume development packages.

It wasn’t until months later that I received an email from of the participants to say: “I had no idea you offered these programs. I wish I had known that earlier because I desperately needed your help then.”

How many sales opportunities are you missing out on because you’re not speaking about your programs? Nor are you including a call to action that motivates people to take immediate action.

Coach’s Tip: Whether you are speaking to a group of people, having a conversation with an interested prospect, or writing an article – don’t assume that people know how else you can support them. Tell them, include a special ‘tonight/today only’ offer, and reconfirm the benefits they will expect through investing in you.

HAVE YOUR SAY:

So what do you think? Are your introductions, titles, sales copy and calls to action clear? Or do you need to go back and do some tweaking? Perhaps you’re proud of some of your titles – go ahead and share them below! And, if you’ve seen some titles that have really impressed you – feel free to share them too!

To your success and brilliance!

Annemarie Cross

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Want to build a 6-Figure Business? Stop charging by the hour!

Annemarie Cross — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:49:21 +0000

Still charging by the hour? Stop!

Are you still trading dollars for hours?

That is, you charge a client by the hour for every hour they hire you?

While this is a common income model for coaches, consultants, trainers and speakers, charging by the hour has limited growth potential, especially if you base most of (if not your entire) business model on generating income this way.

There are only so many hours in the working week and working extremely long hours is unhealthy, both physically and mentally. And charging by the hour typically involves working with clients one-to-one, which again has limited income growth potential.

There IS a way you can increase your income that won’t require you to work ridiculously long hours, and that will allow you to increase the amount of people you work with at the same time.

How?

By creating packages and programs that can be offered either to individuals or groups of people.

Still not convinced?

Here are 3 reasons why you should create packages and programs so that you can experience exponential income growth to a 6-figure (or more) business.

1. Showcase the value and expertise you offer

Ever been in a situation where you’re justifying your hourly rate to a prospect comparing your services to a competitor that has nowhere near your experience or talent? Yet, here you are validating your hourly rate!

It’s important to remember that you don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour through your experience and expertise.

Unfortunately, charging by the hour will make it extremely difficult for a prospect to focus on value, benefits and outcomes you offer as they often will get fixated on the hourly rate.

Coach’s tip: Instead of charging by the hour, showcase your promise of value by creating packages and programs that include more than just your time. Make sure each of your packages and programs has a powerful results-driven title. And, ensure you include the benefits and outcomes your prospect will gain through investing in you.

2. Harness the one-to-many income model

There are only so many hours in a working week and cramming your schedule full of appointments as the only way to increase your level of income is unwise.

When starting off in business, it’s often a coach’s dream to be so busy with a schedule full of clients. However in my own personal experience (and what I’ve seen with dozens of my clients) they are often significantly under-charging for the amazing services they offer and are stuck at an income level they just can’t break through because there are physically no more hours in the day.

So, looking at the following examples, which would you prefer?

Coach’s Tip: Create packages and programs that involve more than just your time and that you can offer to a group rather than just individually. Other elements can include step-by-step processes, done-for-you templates, worksheets, audios etc. The list is endless and really depends on the services and support you provide your clients. Don’t be afraid to repurpose your material so that you’re not re-creating the wheel with each program and package.

3. Offer high-end packages

Now that you have a number of programs and packages that can be offered to a group of participants, there may be some prospects that just don’t want to work in a group environment.

Should you turn them away? Absolutely not.

Coach’s Tip: Create a few VIP (Very Important People) Programs, which can be offered to individual clients, however at a premium investment level. Working with you one-on-one means that they will get much more access to you, your wisdom and your expertise and therefore should be willing to pay for it.

Having packages and programs that you can offer to either groups or individuals IS crucial if you want to create a 6-figure (or more) income in your business this year. This is why I dedicate several sessions to creating packages in all of my 6-figure Breakthrough Secrets programs.

There are still a few seats left on our upcoming 6-Figure Success Blueprint Group Coaching Program, which starts this Friday. Will one of these seats be yours?

HAVE YOUR SAY!

So what do you think? Will you be offering packages to clients rather than just the one-to-one hourly coaching sessions? I certainly encourage you to do this, especially if you want to break through to 6-figures or more in your business.

To your success and brilliance!

Annemarie Cross

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5 Key Pillars to a 6-Figure Business

Annemarie Cross — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:56:11 +0000

Can’t breakthrough to a 6-figure business?

The thought of being your own boss and running your own business is an exciting prospect, wouldn’t you agree? After all, that’s why you’re operating your own coach, consulting or training business to share your talents and help people achieve their goals.

Can you still remember the day you hung out your shingle, launched your website and announced to the world through your social media channels that you were officially open for business?

You continued to market your business, attend online and offline networking events, share helpful resources and even reach out to help people, with the goal of raising your profile and awareness of your services.

Yet regrettably that excitement turned to frustration and confusion. Because despite everything you’ve done (and continue to do) the number of people who are interested in your services is not what you’d hoped for. And, they’re certainly not investing in your services. And when they do it’s not really at a level that is paying you what you’re worth.

You didn’t realise it was going to be so difficult (and exhausting) to get new clients.

So, you increase your marketing efforts, attend even more networking events, and stay up to the wee hours of the morning tweeting, blogging, commenting on other people’s blogs. You share other people’s information, and anything else you can think of to build awareness.

Can you relate?

Many service-based businesses can. So they increase their marketing, networking and social media efforts, which unfortunately will NOT make any difference UNLESS they have 5 key pillars in place.

Without these 5 key pillars the hours spent on marketing and networking won’t have the impact they’re hoping for therefore making it very difficult to get more clients, get paid what they’re worth and build a 6-figure (or more) business.

Are these pillars missing in your business?

6-Figure Business Pillar 1: Your Ideal Client (Niche) For Rapid Business Growth

While your products/services may be able to help ‘everyone’ – if you’re trying to market your services to ‘everyone’, you’re really speaking to no-one.

Why? Because trying to be all things to all people means that you’re not speaking directly to the needs of your ideal client. Therefore, you’re unable to seize their attention and show them that YOU have the solution to their issues.

Here’s an example:

Imagine you’re a Job Search Coach and I’m currently looking for someone to help me get a new job.

When reading your website, the information you provide is not really convincing me that you understand what I’m going through. Nor do you position your services in such a way that I feel compelled to invest in (or even make contact with) you. So I’m off searching for another Job Search Coach who can help me.

Let’s see what happens if you were to niche your services and specifically target my needs.

I’m a Senior Sales Executive that sells high-end IT solutions to the financial market. However due to a decline in profits my company is looking at downsizing. With a family to support and mortgage to pay, to say that I’m slightly apprehensive and anxious about my job prospects, would be an understatement.

Yet, you specialise in this area and you’ve helped hundreds if clients like me transition quickly into senior level roles with your services.

And, when reading the information on your website, on Twitter, LinkedIn and through your Facebook business page, I get to know and trust you, and can see that you are someone that has the solution and necessary support that will help me achieve my goal. So I call you, and the rest is history…

Figure 1: Defining Your Niche

By niching and getting to know your ideal client so well that the next time your ideal client visits your website (or reads one of your articles or posts/Tweets) your message will speak directly to the struggles they’re facing.

You show them you know exactly what they’re going through; AND more importantly you spark their interest and create a sense of hope and possibility so much so that they feel compelled to get in contact with you to learn more about you.

My coach’s tip: Identify your niche and ensure all of your marketing material speaks to and reaches that market. You’ll soon position yourself as an expert in that niche market!

6-Figure Business Pillar 2: Your Powerful Signature Brand to Outshine Your Competition

Many people mistakenly believe their brand is their business cards, their website, and letterheads etc. While these are important they’re really ‘branding elements’ or what I like to call your ‘brand touch points’.

Your ‘brand’ is your reputation. It’s the perception others have of you. It’s what they think of when your name is mentioned. More importantly, by building a strong Signature Brand YOU are the person who’s mentioned (and not your competitors) when someone is looking for a professional in your field.

If you’re unclear about what makes you unique, your brand voice, what separates you from your competitors, and why someone should invest in you, then you’re going to find it very difficult to position yourself as an authority in a crowded market.

My coach’s tip: Get clear on these elements and make sure you continue to portray these in all of your branding and communications.

6-Figure Business Pillar 3: Your Signature System to Gain Expert Status AND be Paid What You’re Worth

Are you still charging by the hour?

There are only so many hours in the day and charging by the hour will restrict the amount of income you make. Also you may find yourself in a pricing war trying to justify your hourly rate when a prospect compares your rate with one of your competitors.

Remember, you DON”T get paid for the hour. You get paid for the VALUE you bring to the hour and for the results your client will achieve through investing with you.

Offering clients to pay you by the hour tends to devalue the benefits and results you offer as well as making it very difficult for you to distinguish yourself from all the other coaches and consultants offering similar services.

Therefore it’s important to create your Signature System and various programs and packages that incorporate your system, which you can then position strategically (and influentially) to your prospect.

My coach’s tip: Develop your unique Signature System by defining the steps you take your client through, and then creating various packages and programs that involve more than just your time so that you can quickly gain expert status and get paid what you’re worth.

6-Figure Business Pillar 4: Your Irresistible Free Offer To Grow Your List

Have you heard the saying: “The money is in your list?”

Your irresistible free offer plays a key role in your list-building strategy.

While this is a well-known expression, I’m surprised at how many coaches and consultants aren’t pro-actively building their lists.

Are you sending out regular messages to encourage people to access your irresistible offer so that your list is growing on a daily basis?

If not, you’ll need to get this key pillar in place immediately.

Remember, it can take 7 to 9 individual communications from you before someone decides to invest. And in a tight and difficult economy it can take double that amount of time.

Adding people to your list on a daily basis will give you the opportunity to send updates and helpful information as part of your keep-in-touch strategy so that YOU are the person they think of when they’re ready to invest.

My coach’s tip: If you’re struggling to grow your list, create a free offer (such as an e-report, a video or audio series etc) and make sure it’s relevant and of value to your ideal client and continue to encourage people on a daily basis to sign up for your irresistible free offer.

6-Figure Business Pillar 5: Your Memorable Personal Marketing Statement to Spark Attention

If I were to read your Twitter or Facebook bio – would I feel compelled to follow you? Or if we were introduced at a networking event, would your introduction inspire me to find out more about you?

Or do you sound like the dozens of other professionals in your area, some of whom are attending the same event and using an introduction that sounds very similar to yours?

Unfortunately for many coaches and consultants, it’s often the latter.

Your personal marketing statement should include elements of your Signature Brand, Your Signature System and the benefits/value you offer your clients so that people feel compelled to get to know more about you and the services you offer.

When done correctly you’ll definitely give yourself the edge you need to distinguish your service from all of the other coaches and consultants working in your area of specialty.

My coach’s tip: If you’re still stating your job title, or you’re not generating interest with your introduction then go back to the drawing board and make sure it’s memorable or compelling and relevant to your ideal clients’ needs and desires.

These 5 key pillars are a must if your goal is to make this year the year you make your mark in the industry, become recognised as the ‘go to’ person in your field, while creating a 6-Figure (or more) business.

HAVE YOUR SAY:

So, what do you think? Do you have some work to do? Or do you need some slight tweaking here and there to strengthen what you are already doing. Let me know in the comments section below. It’s always lovely to hear from you.

And, if you feel you need some expert support in identifying and building these 5 key pillars, come and join me on my 6-Figure Success Blueprint Group Coaching Program, starting soon! I’d love to help you map out your 6-figure (or more) business.

Are you ready?

Till next time, stay inspired and brilliant!

Annemarie Cross

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Your Blog: Free or Self-Hosted. Which is best for your brand?

Annemarie Cross — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:30:33 +0000

Want to Use Your Blog to Build Your Brand?

Want to build your reputation as an authority in your field while build an audience of ideal clients who are interested in what you have to say?

My advice: Create a blog.

And, not on a free blogging platform (such as Blogger.com or WordPress.com) – but a self-hosted WordPress blog.

That’s the blogging platform that my blog www.annemariecross.com is built on.

The beauty of having a self-hosted WordPress blog is that it’s not just a blog; it’s also a fully functioning website, which I think is pretty cool.

When setting up your own self-hosted WordPress blog – while the WordPress (blogging) software is free (from WordPress.org) there will be some costs involved in setup, hosting and graphic design.

So why should you pay for something you can get for free?

Especially if setting up your blog over at WordPress.com has all hosting and management costs being taken care of by their team?

Well, if you’re serious about making a great lasting impression and money in your business (which I assume you are), then you’ll want to invest in a self-hosted blog. [I’ll share some of my reasons why I believe this so strongly, shortly].

To me, this isn’t an expense, but an investment. An investment in your reputation and overall professionalism – as a self-hosted blog that has been strategically designed and branded will enable you to continue building a professional and memorable online presence.

If you’re still temped to go down the free route and host your blog on WordPress.com, be warned – they frown upon users selling their products/services (or even making reference to their products/services). You may just find your blog being taken down overnight.

Just like two of my colleagues. They lost everything overnight and had to start from scratch after WordPress.com shut down their blogs.

I don’t know about you. To me, it’s just not worth the risk.

So, in answer to the question “Your Blog: Free or Self-Hosted. Which is best for your brand?” Here are my top 5 reasons why I vote for a self-hosted WordPress blog.

1. Build a Consistent Professional Brand

While there are many free great-looking themes available for your self-hosted WordPress blog, once you get some funds behind you, I would strongly recommend you invest in a graphic designer to develop a professional personalised banner.

In fact, I purchased a theme from WooThemes.com, which cost me $70 for two standard yet very professional templates with some great features.

I hired a WordPress programmer who tweaked the theme to my brand colours; added a signup box on the top right hand side of the page (prime real estate) as part of my list-building strategy; and changed some of the formatting/layout to personalize it.

I also worked with a graphic designer to create my banner with the colours and fonts matching my business cards, brochures, images and flyers.

Having your own corporate colours, banners and images on your self-hosted blog will help you build a consistent professional on-brand message and online presence.

To brand your free blog to your corporate colours and images will also cost you money as well. My advice is to invest in your self-hosted WordPress blog from the start.

2. Build Credibility with Your Own Domain Name

Read both of these domain names out loud:

(A) www.[yourdomainname].com

(B) www.[yourdomainname].wordpress.com

Which do you think is easier for people to remember AND looks more professional?

Hopefully you’ve selected A.

It speaks for itself. Yes?

3. YOU maintain full control of your content

Because it can take hours to craft a well-written blog post, and months (if not years) to build a solid repertoire of inspiring, informative articles on your blog, you want to ensure that you retain control of all your content.

With a self-hosted blog you CAN maintain control of your information, whereas with a free option you can’t. If they decide they don’t like what you’re posting – they can shut you down overnight. Period.

I certainly wouldn’t want to take that risk and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to either. Especially considering all of the hard work you’re going to be putting in to building high-quality content for your audience.

Yes, of course having a self-hosted WordPress blog will mean you’re responsible for the security and updating of your blog software; however to me that’s a small price to pay for keeping my information safe and secure.

As one of my colleagues on Facebook so aptly commented:

“If you don’t own it – you don’t own it.”

4. Send traffic to YOUR site

With all of the effort you’re going to put into driving people back to your website through your social media and communications strategies, means YOU’LL benefit from all the traffic.

With a free blog – you’re sending all the traffic back to their site.

Plus, with your self-hosted blog, once you’ve captured their attention and interested they are far more likely to stick around and click through to review some of your product and service offerings.

Another advantage of having a self-hosted WordPress blog is the myriad of free (and paid) plugins available. (A plugin is a customised piece of software that provides specific abilities and functionalities to your WordPress blog.) These are easy to install and use.

Some of my favourite plugins include All in One SEO Pack to help me with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation); Shareaholic, which allows my readers to share my blog posts with their social network; and of course the GoogleAnalytics plugin, which allows me to see how many visitors are reading my posts and where they are coming from.

You can’t add plugins to your free WordPress.com hosted blog (unless of course you pay them.)

And, as I mentioned before, if you’re going to spend money – invest in your own self-hosted blog and reap the benefits.

5. Build Your List

As many marketing gurus state: “The money is in your list”, and having your own self-hosted blog/website will allow you to integrate your list-building strategy into your overall website strategy.

As you can see on my blog, I’ve set up my list-building strategy into the banner and footer and on selected pages throughout the site.

This list-building strategy works for me 24/7, 365 days per year with new contacts being added to my list on a daily basis. They don’t have to click through to another site in order to access it. They can access it directly from my self-hosted WordPress blog.

This is difficult (if not impossible) to do with a free WordPress.com hosted blog, and is going to require some investment costs on your part. As I have recommended before, invest in your own self-hosted blog and continue to enjoy the benefits.

So there are just five reasons why I prefer a self-hosted WordPress blog to the free WordPress.com hosted blog.

I also reached out to my community on Facebook and asked them the same question. Here’s what they said.

Have Your Say!

So, what do you think? Do you believe free or self-hosted is best? Do you have other reasons why you believe this? Please share! It’s always good to hear from you!

Till next time – stay brilliant and inspired

Annemarie Cross

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How to Charge What You’re Worth and Get It

Annemarie Cross — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:40:01 +0000

Still struggling to charge what you’re worth and get it?

You’re not alone!

In fact, numerous entrepreneurs and service-based business owners I speak to find this difficult, which is why I spent an entire hour with my Get More Clients Booked members on this topic.

As a gift, I’d like to give you exclusive access to the webinar recording so that you can learn the key steps you need to implement so that you can finally charge what you’re worth and get it.

Find out:

8 reasons why you haven’t been able to charge what you’re worth
The importance of building a Signature Brand if you want to attract a steady stream of ideal clients to your door, who are ready to invest in YOU!
Why building social proof is a vital component to becoming known as an authority in your field, so that you can finally charge what you’re worth and get it
My secret 3-step formula that will enable you to compile and create client testimonials that will practically sell your programs for you
Why it’s so important to have a Signature System if you want to become known as an expert so that you can dominate your niche online (and offline)
How to craft powerful headlines that sell
Why your Money Mindset may be blocking you from being able to charge what you’re worth
And more…

Grab a pen and paper and be ready to take lots of notes.

Prefer to listen/download the audio?

Download Audio Version here

Listen to Audio Version:

Ready to take this a step further?

Treat yourself to one my limited complementary Business Breakthrough Strategy Session so you can make 2012 your best year yet!
Take advantage of my special offer to become one of my Rubies Biz Acceleration Coaching Club members
Join our Get More Clients weekly webinar sessions

What was your biggest ‘aha’ moment after watching the video? What will you implement in your business TODAY so that you can charge what you’re worth and get it? Leave your comments below. It’s always nice to hear from you.

Stay inspired!

Annemarie Cross

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Get More Clients: Features vs benefits – know the difference?

Annemarie Cross — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:04:23 +0000

Does this sound like you?

You’re a coach or consultant who is passionate about your work. Being able to support your clients reach their goals is extremely rewarding.

The program you’ve put together is EXACTLY what they need, and the techniques you use are pretty impressive. In fact the clients you’ve worked with have all been able to overcome their issues – and you can’t wait to help other people.

But, and here’s the clincher…

Despite the information you’ve provided on your website (that includes the list of benefits they’ll receive through participating in your program) – people are not signing up for your opt-in offer, not engaging with you on social media platforms, and certainly not investing in your services.

What are you doing wrong?

You just can’t get more clients booked into your programs.

Is this happening to you?

It’s a common issue for many service-based businesses, so you’re certainly not alone.

If you look closely at your program description, you’ll see that the problem is in the way you’re explaining the results/benefits your client will achieve when working with you. That’s because your benefit is not really a benefit, but rather a feature of your program.

I came across a quote recently, which describes what I’m talking about perfectly:

“People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill (feature). They want a quarter-inch hole (benefit).” – Theodore Levitt.

In reality, people don’t want to buy your coaching or consulting services – they want to buy “the outcome/result” that your coaching/consulting services will provide.

If you’re a career coach, people don’t want to buy your ‘innovative assessments’, powerful questioning techniques, or two hours of ‘narrative-based coaching’. They want to get rid of their confusion and frustration. They want to get off the boredom treadmill, and be able to bounce out of bed on a Monday morning because they have a job they love. They want the day to fly by because they’re so engaged in their work.
If you’re a résumé writer– people don’t want to buy a résumé that includes the latest in writing techniques, along with a powerful personal brand statement.They want a document that will get them noticed; a document that will open doors to exciting opportunities. They want a document that will secure them an interview for their dream job.
If you’re an interview/negotiation coach – people don’t want to buy your award-winning interview strategies or negotiation techniques.They want to be able to position themselves as a must-have candidate throughout the entire interview. They want to secure that job offer along with a salary package that pays them what they’re worth.
If you’re a life coach – people don’t want to buy latest coaching techniques provided in a relaxing, tranquil setting.They want to get rid of whatever problem is going on in their lives so that they can finally achieve their goal. This could be to rekindle passion in their relationship with their spouse; or to land the job of their dreams; or to finally be able to get a good night’s sleep without waking up several times a night due to fear and anxiety.

Here are two simple steps you can use to turn your program feature into a benefit that your ideal client will love.

Step 1: Know your ideal client

Do you know the answers to the following questions? You should.

The problems/issues they are experiencing
The words and phrases they use to describe their issues
The type of support/solutions they are typically looking for
The language/triggers that will catch their attention and prompt them to want to learn more about your services

The more specific and relevant the benefits and outcomes your program delivers to your ideal client’s goals and dreams, the more compelled your prospect will be to work with you.

Step 2: Complete the ‘So that…” process

Here’s where you put your statement through the ‘so that’ process to ensure you get to the ‘real’ benefit and result that will impress your ideal client.

Here are some examples:

Statement: I’ll help you build your brand to get you noticed and recognised as an expert SO THAT you get hired and paid what you’re worth.

Statement: I’ll help you get a ‘yes’ for your mortgage application SO THAT you can finally move into the home of your dreams and start your family.

Statement: I’ll write you a powerful résumé SO THAT your résumé stands out from the pile of résumés and gets you an invitation to interview for your dream job.

So, whatever statement you are currently using, put it through the ‘so that’ process to ensure you really are stating the benefits and results your client will receive through investing in your services.

Time to revisit and rewrite your list of benefits?

Was this helpful? How are you going to rewrite your statement so that it really does reflect the benefit/outcome your prospect can expect through working with you?

Till next time, stay inspired!

Annemarie Cross

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Rejected? Keep in touch strategies to turn prospects into clients

Annemarie Cross — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:12:22 +0000

You’ve spent countless hours preparing your program launch.

Everything is moving forward like clockwork and the last email is just about to go out. With the special offer you’ve included you’re expecting to generate some real interest from your list.

Then it happens – the thing you dread the most.

No signups.

Has this happened to you? You’re certainly not alone.

I’m sure we all have a sad story to share about a program launch that didn’t get any (or many) signups. Or a time when a prospect has just replied ‘no thanks’ to your offer despite the amazing presentation you’ve just delivered.

While this may feel like a blow to the stomach, it’s important NOT to take this personally. Doing so can lead to feelings of inadequacy in launching another program or presenting your offer to another prospect.

Just because he/she has decided not to hire you, doesn’t mean you’re unworthy of being hired.

One of my recent tweets said: “Received a ‘no’ to your pitch? Don’t take it personally. They may not yet be ready. Be there when they are.”

Notice how I’ve bolded the words ‘be there when they are’? I’ve done that for a reason.

Why you may feel like giving up on that prospect (or worse case – you feel like giving up altogether) it’s important NOT to walk away, but to maintain contact with him/her.

Here’s why.

In my recent interview with Meridith Elliot Powell – Author of “42 Rules to Turn Prospects into Customers” she stressed the importance of keeping in touch with your prospect, especially after receiving a no.

She states: “It can take between 8-12 touches (communications) with a prospect during a healthy economy before they say ‘yes’. However, in a shifting economy it can take double that amount of time.”

This is something we all need to be mindful of.

Are you regularly keeping in contact with your prospects? Do you have a keep-in-touch strategy in place that allows you to reach out to each of your prospects up to 20 times?

Many entrepreneurs don’t, and therefore end up doing nothing. Or their keep-in-touch strategy is completely ineffective and comes across as being too pushy or annoying.

Here are several ways you can remain top of mind with your prospect that won’t seem too aggressive or frustrating, so that you’re the first person they think of when they’re finally ready to move forward.

Seen an article that would be of interest to your prospect? Send them a copy along with a friendly note that you’re thinking of them and believe this article may be helpful.
Have you written an article recently that relates to something they are struggling with? Send them a copy (or link to your blog). This will not only keep you top of mind, but will also continue to confirm your expertise and credibility.
Are you connected to this person through your social media connections and continuing to position yourself as an authority in your field through articles and posts?
The more your name shows up in conversations and the more your articles get shared and Liked by your extended community, the more your expertise is confirmed as you show up on their social media feeds.
Has one of your clients recently completed your program and generated some amazing results and written an amazing testimonial?
Send a copy of this to your prospect and let them know that your goal would be to support them in achieving the same outcome (success) as your client when they are ready to move forward.
Have you recently won an award? Drop your prospect a note stating that your commitment to delivering outstanding outcomes is paramount and confirmed through the recent award.
Are you going to be speaking at a networking/business event? Sometimes organisers will give you some free tickets which you could then send to your prospect along with an invitation to join you.
If organisers don’t do this, why don’t you invest in a ticket (or two) for your prospect and invite them along as your special guest. They are going to benefit from the networking opportunities plus get the chance to hear your speak – thus allowing you to confirm your expertise and credibility in your field.
Keep an eye out to see what your prospect is doing in their business. Have they won an award? Written an article? Been mentioned by the press? Send them a card to congratulate them on their recent achievement.
Have you been interviewed on a podcast/radio show and have shared some tips that you know your prospect will find helpful? Burn a copy of the audio to CD and send it to them.
Alternatively you can send them a link to the recording, which they can download to their iPod or listen from their computer. Again, this is a great way to provide value to your prospect while confirm you are an authority in your field.

These are just a few of the ideas that I have come up with in the space of a few minutes.

Remember, your prospect may not be ready to invest in you yet. However by ensuring you have a strategic keep-in-touch system in place, incorporating some of the above suggestions will ensure they think of YOU when they’re ready to move forward.

Was this helpful? Which are you going to take action on today to allow you to reach out and connect with a prospect? Have you used other ways to keep in touch that you can share with other readers? Please leave your comments below. It’s always great to hear from you!

Till next time, stay inspired!

Annemarie Cross

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Get More Clients & Build a 6-Figure (or more) Business for Women Entrepreneurs » Business Building

Pricing Perils: Why selling on price (and not on value) can cripple business growth

Fallen victim to these pricing perils?

1. Design a well-structured program – Your Signature System

2. Promote the benefits of your Signature System – not just the features

3. Identify and build a powerful, authentic Signature Brand

4. Ensure your Brand Voice is authentic and your core Brand Message is consistent

5. Make sure you have the right mindset (and money mindset)

51 Ways to Increase Your Credibility, Visibility and Hireability

Want to increase your credibility, visibility and hireability? Read on…

Increase Credibility with a Powerful Signature Brand:

Increase Visibility by Creating & Sharing Compelling Content:

Increase Hireability by Maintaining a Solid Reputation

Creating an Effective Marketing Campaign for Your New Small Business

Are you developing effective marketing strategies?

Effective Marketing Tip 1: Target Market

Effective Marketing Tip 2: Market Research

Effective Marketing Tip 3: Know Your Competition

Effective Marketing Tip 4: Brand Strategy

Effective Marketing Tip 5: Be Consistent

Effective Marketing Tip 6: Have adequate financing

3 Assumptions That Are Losing You Sales – Recognize them?

How many sales are you missing out on because of your ‘assumptions’?

Assumption 1: Your Introduction

Assumption 2: Your Program Titles/Description

Assumption 3: Your Call To Action

Want to build a 6-Figure Business? Stop charging by the hour!

Still charging by the hour? Stop!

1. Showcase the value and expertise you offer

2. Harness the one-to-many income model

3. Offer high-end packages

5 Key Pillars to a 6-Figure Business

Can’t breakthrough to a 6-figure business?

6-Figure Business Pillar 1: Your Ideal Client (Niche) For Rapid Business Growth

6-Figure Business Pillar 2: Your Powerful Signature Brand to Outshine Your Competition

6-Figure Business Pillar 3: Your Signature System to Gain Expert Status AND be Paid What You’re Worth

6-Figure Business Pillar 4: Your Irresistible Free Offer To Grow Your List

6-Figure Business Pillar 5: Your Memorable Personal Marketing Statement to Spark Attention

Your Blog: Free or Self-Hosted. Which is best for your brand?

Want to Use Your Blog to Build Your Brand?

1. Build a Consistent Professional Brand

2. Build Credibility with Your Own Domain Name

3. YOU maintain full control of your content

4. Send traffic to YOUR site

5. Build Your List

How to Charge What You’re Worth and Get It

Still struggling to charge what you’re worth and get it?

Get More Clients: Features vs benefits – know the difference?

Step 1: Know your ideal client

Step 2: Complete the ‘So that…” process

Rejected? Keep in touch strategies to turn prospects into clients