Debra Kasowski

Are You Giving Away the Farm?

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How much is too much? As a business owner and entrepreneur I have asked myself this question over and over. In my mind the voices battle it out saying, “Don’t be too salesy. You are a teacher at heart.” When it is right to sell and when is it right to educate?  How much should I be sharing?

I say…give it all away!

No, I am not talking about giving away all your products and services for free!

I am saying you need to be sharing your best stuff! Your best information, tips, and techniques!

I can hear you from here…What? Has she gone mad?

No I have not gone mad!

I want to share with you what sharing your best stuff does!

Breakdown Barriers and Build Trust – As people see you interact online, read your articles or books, or hear you speak; they get to know you, your personality, and what matters to you. Ensure that you are sharing content that speaks to your core values and about what you stand for. People get to know, like, and trust you when you share content that resonates with them. It can about anything from the challenges you face whether it be creating engaging teams to your personal journey of empowering yourself at the gym. They want to know that they can trust and believe in you to do what you say you’re capable of doing. That is when they will consider working with you. Building the connection and relationship is important.

Establish Credibility – When you write articles, speak on stage, write a book, or share information with others even one on one, you are building your credibility. You are perceived as someone knowledgeable and helpful. If people implement what you share and get results, BOOM! You create loyalty. They will want to tell others about you and the VALUE you provide. You never know who you may inspire.

Extend Your Reach. Ideas are abundant. You will be continuously coming up with more awesome high value content. If your content helps people take a leap in the business or take the next step in their career and get the results they are looking for, don’t you think that they will want to share what your information, tips, and techniques have done for them? They will be champions of yours and want to share your content. The more people who have your content, the more chances your content will get shared with others. Be sharable!  At some point, you may put out an offer and people may jump at the opportunity to work with you directly because they have gotten to know you and the social proof is already there.

The question comes back to selling versus educating…

It is important to meet the emotional needs of your clients by sharing information with them that will help them make an informed decision. Is that selling or educating? There is a fine line. Can you do both? Absolutely! Pay attention to how you feel in the process and take note of the body language and how your clients appears to be feeling. If you notice that they seem disinterested or they are turning their body away from you, you may have given them too much and they are overwhelmed or you are not meeting their needs. You will know if you hit one extreme or the other.

Ask questions to make sure you are on the right track in meeting their needs. Find the right balance for each conversation you have and have them coming back for more of your great content!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

 

 

Episode 65 – The Rollercoaster Ride of an Entrepreneur

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“There’s lots of bad reasons to start a company. But there’s only one good, legitimate reason, and I think you know what it is: it’s to change the world.” – Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote

When you became an entrepreneur, you never bargained that your choice would be compared to that of the roller coaster ride. I not a big fan of roller coasters; however, when my kids wanted to go on them, I would pull out my watch and I would look at how long it would take for the roller coaster complete its course. I would take a look at the loops in size them up figure out the risk and what I could tolerate and what I could not. At Knott’s Berry Farm, there was the Sidewinder roller coaster – 45 seconds. I told myself I can do anything for 45 seconds. The choice of becoming an entrepreneur is a big decision and it’s definitely more than 45 seconds in length. It’s not about instant gratification but it’s more like planting a seed and nurturing and watching it grow.

11986494 - rollercoaster ride (against blue sky)Many people believe that 90% of businesses will fail in their first five years. According to US statistics, the survival rate of the business increases as many years as it can continue which averages about 50 to 60% survival rate in five years. You may be asking yourself why is that so challenging to be an entrepreneur. Wouldn’t it be easier just to secure the 9-to-5 job?

No, not really. There may be many reasons that you decided to take the leap or start a business off the side of your desk for hopes of complete transition in the future. Many entrepreneurs choose the lifestyle and the business because they saw something different about the way things could be done, or they wanted the freedom to call their own shots. Maybe you wanted the life balance. For those of you who don’t know entrepreneurs, they work long hard hours more than the 9-to-5 person but they do have that flexibility to call the shots.

Where businesses fail is when they try to scale up their business too quickly, they don’t know their numbers, they try to do everything themselves, they fail to execute because everything needs to be perfect or they sabotage their success in getting their own way. You don’t just build it and they will come. You need to put in the work.

TMW_PDFclickhere.fwWhen I became an entrepreneur there was lots to learn and the majority of what I learned was not what I learned in school. My experiences have come from real life mistakes and successes and many trials and errors. To the outside world, it may look perfect but on the inside was someone working really hard to pay attention to every detail so that if there was a mistake or issue that could be resolved quickly or no one would notice.

The biggest thing with any business- is knowing your vision, mission, and core values. What’s that? Your compass. What is it that you do and how do you do it? Most importantly, it’s about knowing your why. Why do you choose to do which you do? When you use this as your center of guidance you will make in decisions that will help guide you.

As you get started in your business it is just like going up the first slope, it gets very exciting you may make a few sales see some money coming and get excited and suddenly challenges:

Why isn’t everything going smoothly?

Where is the money going to come for that? What you mean this cost so much? We need a return on investment?

What is the profit and loss statement?

Is it marketing or branding?

Should I hire or fire?

You start learning what you don’t know. The negative self-talk comes in and you can hear yourself saying: I’m not smart enough I’m not lucky I did not have the resources I don’t I don’t I don’t the list could go on. Your focus on all the reasons you can’t succeed “the lack” of this can be completely draining. Whatever you believe in your mindset, you will be looking for evidence to support it. Trust me you will find it. Let’s not go were negative self-talk takes you it’s only in a downward spiral.

Things you need to do to help propel you can keep you buckled into enjoy the ride of your roller coaster.

Quit beating yourself up!

Remember everyone started somewhere.

Silence your mind of chatter.

Determine what you want to accomplish.

Make a plan for deliberate action.

Each day take 3 to 5 steps toward your vision.

Create a structure that supports your actions.

Develop habits that support you. How many hours of sleep does your body needs to function at optimal level? How often do you need to exercise to stay mentally focused and strong? What are you doing to ensure that your help eating healthy and drinking enough water to stay hydrated?

Celebrate the wins along the way.

Ensure that you are measuring what you’re doing. What gets measured gets done.

Find a mentor or hire a coach to help hold you accountable or teach you some of the things you need to know.

Commit to continuous learning.

Establish routines and structure that will help support you in reaching your goals.

Embrace any uncertainty that you have as there will be many uncertainties on the roller coaster of the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs know that long-range success isn’t about instant gratification it’s about starting small and continuously growing. When you stop taking action, that’s when you break the momentum.

All I know is if you don’t hang on to what’s important to you and why you’re doing it, you will not enjoy the journey and you may reach the destination but it won’t have any fulfillment. You need to have that stick with it attitude to get through the tough times and know that you’re not the only one who’s going through these issues. Tap into your network get the support that you need and be the change you want to see in the world.

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 10:00

Keywords: entrepreneur, business, mindset, motivation, biztips, challenge, entrepreneur rollercoaster, marketing, branding, sales, entrepreneurial lifestyle, entrepreneurship, work-life balance

 

Episode 52: Stepping into Becoming a Go-Giver

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[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIz6BAY5eao[/embedyt]

Meet our Guest:

Bob Burg is a sought-after speaker at company leadership and sales conferences sharing the platform with everyone from today’s business leaders and broadcast personalities to even a former U.S. President.

Bob is the author of a number of books on sales, marketing and influence, with total book sales of well over a million copies. His book, The Go-Giver, coauthored with John David Mann has sold over half a million copies and it has been translated into 21 languages. It has been released in a new, expanded edition, with a foreword by Huffington Post founder and publisher, Arianna Huffington.

Bob is an advocate, supporter and defender of the Free Enterprise system, believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve. He is also an unapologetic animal fanatic, and serves on the Board of Trustees of Furry Friends Adoption & Clinic in his town of Jupiter, Florida.

How to Attract More Clients and Attract More Cash

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In economic downturns, there are individuals who think that attracting clients is just not possible. They think people are nickel and diming it to make ends meet and stuffing every dollar they make into their mattresses. The reality is some people may be, but the majority are still buying what they feel they need and what they want. Take a stroll through the malls, people are still walking out with bags of purchases.

Courtesy of Andy Newson/freedigitalphotos.net
Courtesy of Andy Newson/freedigitalphotos.net

The biggest point I want you to think about is when attracting clients, you do not just want anyone. You need to be clear about why you do what you are doing (what’s your mission),  who is it is you are serving, and what is the benefit to the client. Clarity is key in delivering your message and helping people get what they want. People need to know what you are offering. You will need to build rapport and a sense of trust either in person, attending networking events, volunteering in the community, through video or audio, articles, and social media. Your job is to demonstrate value and the benefits of what you have to offer. It all comes down to “What’s in it for me?”. This is why being a good listener is so important. You need to ask key qualifiers to gain a better understanding of the needs of your client.

Questions to ask:

  • How can I help you today?
  • What are you looking for?
  • Why do you feel you need it?
  • Why now?
  • When do you need it by?
  • What experience are you trying to create?
  • What benefit is it to you – the potential customer?
  • How will it make you (the customer) feel to have what you offer?
  • Is what you offering freeing up time, make money, or increase their resources?
  • What will be the return on investment?

When you ask the key questions, not only do you better understand what your potential client is looking for or their pain points or challenges. You can now respond to how you can help and serve them in getting what they want.

Other ways you can attract clients:

Ask for referrals from your ideal clients.

Keep in touch with your newsletter or a planned phone call and keeping them in informed (do not sell – inform)as to what you are up to – continue to offer VALUE.

Be a great role model by inspiring people to take action through example. People are naturally attracted to action takers and people would exude liveliness.

Offer teleseminars or tele-classes to support the people you serve – nurture ongoing relationships.

The more ideal clients you attract, the more cash you will take to the bank!

How to do attract your ideal clients? Please comment below to share you client attraction tips and techniques.

 

How to Make the Sale Without Being Salesy

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We are all in sales-selling ourselves out in the world. Selling is a relationship between the seller and the prospect. Selling doesn’t have to sound like a dirty word. I do not like high-pressure sales, gimmicks, or tricks to get the sale. I do like to study salespeople when I go into showrooms to see if they create relationships with their customers. I want to know if there truly listening to hear what their prospects needs and wants are. A salesperson should be able to answer the question, “What’s in it for them?” before looking for the sale.

As a customer, I do not want to walk into a store or show room looking like I am walking dollar bill that needs to be collected. A couple weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon, my husband and I were out vehicle shopping and when we came to the number crunching time and were negotiating the offer, we had for different salespeople sit in the chair before us trying to get the sale. One of the sales persons was even going to throw in a Wii console for my children to have in the car. I did not purchase a vehicle there. I am still looking for what I want.

This is where active listening plays such an important role in getting a sale without being salesy.  When you were actively listening to your prospects or your customers you are in fact building a relationship and gaining a better understanding of their wants and needs and how you can be the key to fulfilling that.

Active listening also involves asking the right questions.  Here are some examples of active listening techniques as well as some ideas of what questions you should be asking.

Active listening:

  •  be present and focus in on your prospect or customer
  •  smile and maintain eye contact
  •  nod if appropriate when responding to conversation
  •  listen and hear the words that are being said

Asking the Right Questions:

  •  ask your prospect or customer what they are looking for -get a clear picture
  •  probe for more detail if necessary
  •  discover their goals and challenges – what experience are they hoping to have
  •  what are the features and benefits for your customer
  •  discover a common interest which makes you relatable to the customer

Active listening and asking the right questions makes your prospect and customer feel that they are important to you and that you value their business and and appreciate their time.  and Create conversations around service and meeting your customers needs.   your prospect or customer may make the decision to go through with the purchase and sometimes you may ask the sale.  When you use conversation, you can get to the sale without pressure, without gimmick,s or tricks.  Be real. Remember your time is valuable to why not  use it to serve others in a big way.