The Online Prosperity Experience

What clients like to see

Most coaches, consultants and freelancers suck at meeting deadlines.

I’ve heard horror stories from disgruntled people complaining about coaches, consultants and small business owners they’ve worked with, in the past, and I’ve dealt with my own fair share of flaky coaches and freelancers.

Blown deadlines, forgotten deadlines, missed deadlines, stretched deadlines and the mysterious so-called “flexible” deadlines… no, coaches and consultants aren’t really known for being reliable people you depend on to deliver.

That’s too bad. Because there’s one easy way to create ecstatic clients who come back for more:

Set a reasonable timeframe to complete your work.

The keyword is “reasonable”.

Don’t say you can turn the work around in a day, especially when you know it may actually take you three days. Or four, because you have to be away from the computer for most of Friday and, well, after that it’s the weekend…

The client won’t mind that much if you write in at the last hour and tell him you’ll deliver on Monday instead. It’s only an extra day or two… right?

Wrong.

If you agree to a deadline, you have to hit it.

No excuses.

Do You Refuse to Work for New Clients?

“For that reason, I’m out.”

If you’ve ever watched Dragon’s Den (or its Aussie counterpart, Shark Tank), you’re intimately familiar with that final verdict. It’s uttered by some very successful entrepreneurs when they decide a particular investment opportunity isn’t a good fit.

So how often do you say it to your prospects?

Maybe you should say it a little more often.

You know how it goes: Some potential client emails you about working together. Perhaps he wants a new website, or some copy, or marketing advice. Doesn’t matter. You and him discuss the work a little further, and you realize…

Your potential client is about to make a huge, expensive mistake.

Even if you invest hours, even despite doing your very best work, you know in your heart of hearts that this person is about to waste his money on something that won’t work.

What do you do?

Most people shrug. “That’s what the client wants… not my fault if it doesn’t pan out as he planned!”

But here’s the thing: You do have a responsibility to serve your clients well. 

If you take on a project knowing that your work and his money will be a complete waste, it’s (in my humble opinion) wrong not to tell this person the state of affairs.

I see it all the time – some people get so excited about their ideas that they can’t see the forest for the trees.

• They don’t realise the business model is broken,
• or that the idea sounds fun but just won’t make money,
• or that there’s a huge gap in the marketing strategy that nearly guarantees a failure.

The money’s just burning a hole in their pockets because they want to see their idea become reality fast. And they want you to do the work.

You’re the expert. You should know better than to accept the job.

3 Simple Questions Your Website Should Answer

An eye-catching website design will set the stage for your business, obviously. But that powerful first impression only buys you a few seconds of attention.

If what you SAY on your website gives visitors the wrong impression, you’re chasing potential clients away.

And that problem is far more common than you think.

People visiting your website subconsciously look for reasons to bail.

They’re not asking themselves,

1. “Why should I stay here and look around?”
2. They’re thinking, “Is this website a waste of my time?”

Make them struggle to find the answers they need, and they won’t bother hanging around.

Don’t be hustling for nothing.

Instead, anticipate the questions your prospects are probably asking themselves.

Use this checklist to make sure potential clients will easily believe hiring you is the best choice they could make.

1. Who Are You?

2. Why Should I Care?

3. Can I trust you?

Read your own website today. Go through it line by line.

• Make sure your marketing message packs power.
• Answer the questions your potential client is already asking.
• Show that you understand where your potential client is coming from, and tell him why you’re the solution he needs.

Your turn: What else is important to answer on your website?

What more do potential clients want to see?

Let me know in the comments – and by the way, what’s stopping you from making that change to your site today?

Exactly how should you set up that ebook-based workshop?

I recently published an episode about a sure-fire way to maximise your business potential, and it was a big hit: Just turn your ebook into a workshop.

Then get ready to impress the socks off new prospects.

But exactly how should you set up that ebook-based workshop?

How can you make sure it’s a win?

I’ll tell you that too. Keep reading…

No matter what type of coach, consultant or business owner you might be, and no matter what sort of product or service you sell, hosting a workshop is a great idea that could bring huge benefits to your business.

Think about it:

A workshop:

1. Lets you show off your expertise, in person.
2. You get to demonstrate how you solve a specific problem.
3. You have the opportunity to engage with fresh prospects. 
4. You can talk with people one-on-one, answer their questions directly, give them some personal attention and show them just how nice a person you are.

Oh yeah, and you get to promote something you sell. Bonus.

Here’s another bonus:

Hosting a workshop lets you pick up some public-speaking experience, and that’s a very valuable skill to have in your back pocket.

• Your event could lead to other speaking opportunities in larger venues in cooler locations.
• You could meet new networking contacts who tell other people what a great speech you put on.

A workshop could bring you fame. Fortune. And greater confidence.

How to Create a Workshop From Your E-Book

It's no secret that a big part of being a successful coach, consultant or small business owner is creating and selling your own products.

And one of the best ways to do that is to create a workshop from your e-book.

In this podcast, I'm going to show you how to create a workshop from your e-book.

You'll learn :

1. How to create a landing page for your workshop,
2. How to price your workshop, and
3. How to promote it.

Most people just slap their e-book up on their website and offer it to blog subscribers as a free download.

A few others stick a price tag on their e-book and try to make a few bucks.

And while there’s nothing wrong with that, passive action leaves potential on the table, collecting digital dust.

Want an idea that can turn your e-book into your best business asset ever?

Use your e-book to create a workshop.

Are you terrified of public speaking?

Do you get sweaty, shaky, and feel like you're going to vomit?

You're not alone. In fact, public speaking is one of the most common fears in the world. But it doesn't have to be that way.

In this podcast, I'm going to teach you how to get over your public speaking nerves using a simple 3-step process.

This process will help you feel more confident, relaxed, and in control when speaking in front of a group.

So whether you're giving a presentation at work, speaking at a conference, or just leading a team meeting, use this process to help you overcome your public speaking fears.

The key to a successful sales and marketing strategy is knowing — at a broad, deep, and ultimately very specific level — what’s troubling your prospects.

Especially when selling in to larger organisations, understanding the pain points of everyone involved in the decision-making process is critical.

I’m a client. I get approached by designers, web developers and copywriters all the time. They pitch me the same thing – over and over.

I don’t like being blunt, but the whining at the other end of the phone, Skype session, Zoom or whatever-technology-choice-du-jour just comes off as pleading. Painful, desperate pleading.

Angry yet?

Good.

If you want to differentiate yourself from the rest of the poverty herd, here’s a checklist of what a client really wants from you – directly from a client’s perspective.

1. Measurable Results
2. No Mumbo-Jumbo
3. Your Best Work

Start contacting people who can pay you. ASX listed companies are always – and I mean always – looking for coaches and consultants.

Departments like engineering, communications, sales and marketing are always looking for coaches and consultants who can get their ideas onto paper in a crisp, concise manner.

Why not make it you who gets hired?

Decide how you’ll use your coaching and consulting talents to create the lifestyle you desire.

Make the decision to be confident in your ability.

If you won’t, then who will?

When was the last time you put some thought into your About us page?

If you’re like most coaches and consultants, the answer is probably “I never think about it if I can help it. I hate writing about myself.”

You might struggle for the right words to describe your work or be uncertain about how to position yourself. Odds are pretty good that you wrote your About us page in a fit of desperation when you really needed one, and you’ve studiously avoided looking at it since.

I’m going to show you why nailing your About us page is one of the best things you can do for your business, helping you secure ideal clients and make them fall in love with you – just by following a few simple tips.

1. Prove You’re Not a Robot

If your About Us page gives an accurate idea of who you are as a person, the prospects you draw in will be more willing to form strong working relationships with you.

2. Become Their Storyteller

Being a coach, consultant or small business owner is a tough gig, and storytelling is a powerful strategy to “soften up” potential clients and your journey.

Your About Page Deserves Better

Stand out from the crowd and attract the ideal customers you deserve by using some of these strategies on your About Us page today.

Which ones appeal to you? Why?

What’s stopping you from putting them into action on your website today?

Let me know in the comments which one you’re going to use – and come back and tell me when you get it up, too, so we can check it out and give you feedback and encouragement!

How to Turn a Prospect into a Paying Customer

I’ve owned a successful Digital Marketing business for nearly a decade, and if I’ve learned one thing in all that time, it’s this:

There are people who agree with what you’re doing – and there are people who believe that you’re the only one who can do it right.

Paying clients don’t come from the first category. The first category is a mishmash of your regular readership, colleagues and competitors who respect you. They all feel you know what you’re doing, but they’re also confident they can do the same or similar themselves.

Your clients come from the second category.

• They agree with what you’re doing,
• and they don’t think they’re capable of doing it without you.

To get the clients you want, to build a base of people from the second category, you need to create content that persuades this group that you know a lot more than you’re letting on.

Here’s how:

Do you want to be popular or do you want to make money?

Popularity and success require different tactics, so you have to decide between fame and fortune. Ask yourself this:

What’s more important for your business right now?

For most, the answer is as obvious as the balance in your bank account: you need fortune, not fame.

Popularity has its perks. If you’re financially comfortable, you can afford to take the time to build up a larger audience so that you can eventually pitch them your services or products. If your business is already succeeding, you can rest on your laurels a little to network with peers in your industry and create bigger opportunities down the line.

But you’re fooling yourself that getting tons of retweets on Twitter is going to put money in the bank. You’ll need to rethink your decision – or you’ll end up with a huge following but no rent money.

The biggest difference between success and popularity is how you measure results.

For success, you don’t count followers, fans, or even subscribers. Instead, you count the number of leads your marketing generated. You keep tabs on how many of those leads turned into sales and paid work. And you calculate how much money you earned in three months, in six months, in 12 months.

In short, it’s all about money.

It’s the opposite for popularity.

• You’re still counting numbers, but instead of money,
• you’re counting how many people follow you on social media.
• You’re keeping tabs on the retweets your status updates get.
• You’re calculating how much your following grew in three months.

In this case, it’s not about money.

This is a really simple way to determine whether your efforts are pursuing success or popularity. If you’re doing a marketing campaign on social media, for example, you may be getting lots of retweets and likes and shares – but you’re counting the number of sales you make.

In that case, you may appear to be pursuing popularity, but the fact that you’re counting the money as a measure of whether you’re doing well means you’re pursuing success.

The same goes for the reverse:

• if you launch a new website and ask people for their opinions on social media,
• you’re counting the likes, shares, and retweets.
• You’re not counting the money – because there isn’t any.

That’s pursuing popularity.

The next time you want to make a big move for your business, ask yourself honestly what results you’ll be measuring: popularity or success?