Daily Content Machine

We pick up from where we left off in Part 1: the middle of a client meeting role play.

Ben had just finished pretending to be a "client from hell" and I'm about to demonstrate how to wrap up the client meeting professionally once I've recognized the red flag and decided to pass on the client.

This episode produced some great "aha!" moments for people—things started to click.

I think you're really going to get a lot out of being a fly on the wall.

Wow, what an episode!

This recording was so jam-packed, we had to split it into two parts.

Ever wondered what happens in a client meeting—or, at least, what should happen?

You're in the right place.

Today, we're talking all about how and when and why to meet with your client. Learn what you need to prepare for, how the meeting should go, what you should say, and more.

Feel confident going into the meeting and build trust with your client.

I used to hate naps. I worked for a decade without ever taking a single nap.

But now, I take naps on a regular bases.

What changed? Why 20-minute naps? How did I go form someone who wasn't a "nap person" to someone who takes naps?

Well, a few things changed: waking up at 4:30 AM consistently, my mindset around naps, and buying a $10 sleep mask.

I share details about how I relax my mind, my thoughts, and my body to rest long enough to quickly rejuvenate in the middle of the day and avoid the early afternoon slump.

You want great clients and you don't want bad clients.

That's simple enough.

But you can't convert bad clients into good clients. So how do you get the clients you want?

The only way to get great clients is to filter the bad clients out. The way you filter is by using a questionnaire.

A questionnaire is a form with a series of questions you ask potential clients before they are able to get in touch. Based on their replies, you can determine if it's worth your time to talk to them.

You can learn a lot about someone by their answers to a few questions—but they need to be the right questions.

In this show, we cover the right questions to ask on your questionnaire!

Want clients and want them NOW?

Good news: I'm going to share all of the ways I know to get great clients.

I've got half a dozen different methods you can use to attract clients. No one method is the silver bullet, but you're going to have success if you try these.

The goal is to get clients to knock on your door, but that doesn't mean you have to be passive. We talk about some ways you can be PROACTIVE in getting new clients.

Do you have two hands and a willingness to work hard?

Good news! You can make some money.

You have skills and experience that others don't have. You can use those skills to do work for people to make some money.

Client work is the best place to start and it's the fastest way to make money in the short term.

Now, you may have heard some horror stories about working with clients, but this doesn't have to be your future. We're going to tell you how to avoid all of those headaches right from the beginning.

What you have to say has already been said. Here's the good news: say it anyway.

It's a new time, a new place, and a new context. Share your message and don't hold back.

It takes hearing new information 7 times for us to retain it. That means if someone else has already said it, say it anyway. If you've already said it, say it again.

Your voice matters. Context is everything and your unique perspective makes what you have to say new and valuable for someone. More than likely, what you have to say will resonate with MANY people.

If you feel like you have nothing new to say or that other smarter people have said things better than you ever could, listen to this episode.

You did good work and you know your customer or client is happy, but it's another thing entirely to turn that great experience into an awesome testimonial.

What should you ask? How should you ask? When should you ask?

What if the testimonial they provide isn't very good?

We answer those questions and also give you exactly what to say to get testimonials that will win you new business.

You're doing all the right things: providing value up front, helping people, giving them clarity, and building a relationship.

Now you need to make the transition to actually selling something—and it feels awkward.

There's a reason it feels awkward (but it doesn't have to).

If you've ever edited a video before, you know there are different transition effects you can use between video clips. Most commonly, one clip will cut straight to the next. But you can also use a transition. A transition isn't instant but rather gradual. It's not overly long—maybe just a second or two—but it's enough for the viewer to follow along.

If you say, "Nice to help you, buy my thing," it's no wonder you feel awkward. You need a transition. Done right, it can feel natural. It should feel natural!

This topic applies to your conversations as well as your emails and other content.

Today, we primarily talk about making the transition from providing value to selling in your email autoresponders (as a continuation of our sales funnel series).

After recording what you’ll hear as next week’s episode, I shared a thought I had with Ben in the “after show”.

Among a number of things, we talked about a concept Gary Vaynerchuk frequently stresses: self awareness.

I’ve noticed a pattern personally over the years where I will develop my skills until I reach the top 10% in a given field and lose interest shortly after. I then systematize what I’ve built and move on.

It seems the common denominator across everything has been my fondness for systematization and creating processes for things. This proclivity shows itself in programs I’ve made such as Hiring Bootcamp, Value-Based Pricing, and 30 Days to Better Writing, as well as with pursuits like computer repair, web design, and spending 9,000 hours doing hand lettering.

On the topic of self awareness, this line of thinking lead to my recognition that maybe I’m not meant to be “the person doing the thing”, but rather “the person helping someone do their thing”. In other words, the person focused on the “business of business”.

We get into an interesting discussion about supporting our spouses' entrepreneurial ventures, and overall it was a fun talk.

It’s a more raw and conversational show (since it was originally “after show” banter, after all), but it seemed appropriate to share it on a sabbatical episode as food for thought. At the very least, it may give you some ideas.