I know I'm not the only one seeing the constant Facebook ads and group posts:
"I made $45K in my first month of business and you can too!"
"I got five high end clients this week. Let me show you how."
Am I crazy, or is this stuff everywhere right now?
Obviously, making big money in business isn't a bad thing and if it's something you want, you should aspire to making it happen.
But here's my thing. I'm feeling like the notion of big overnight paydays are screwing with the mindset of most entrepreneurs that are still just trying to get things up and running and that this 5- and 6-figure month chasing is keeping far too many people stuck. They're trying to make a lot of money, before they've made any at all.
I'm a firm believer that, especially in business, you've gotta crawl before you walk. I certainly had to have $2K months before I had $10K months and had to sell less expensive, short term coaching packages before I booked six-month clients or high-end intensives. Do some people do it quicker? Sure, but it's the exception, not the rule.
If you're at the stage I was as a freelancer, hustling to get your business off the ground, but struggling to get those first few clients or sales, here are my three big tips for getting things moving in the right direction:
1. Start Bite Sized
Here's something I find kinda funny. We all feel like our business is one among a sea of competitors, and that might be true in a lot of cases, but here's one thing I can promise you: there is no shortage of specific problems and issues out there that you can solve.
Get out there and start solving those problems, even if it's one specific issue at a time.
Think about it this way: if you're just starting out or not making money quite yet, wouldn't you rather sell ten super specific offerings at $149 a piece, than struggle to sell a $1,490 package? Don't forget those ten initial clients will result in ten glowing testimonials, not to mention ten people who most likely loved working with you and want to move further to a bigger service.
I'm all for you valuing yourself and I would never advocate low priced services over the longer term, but you've gotta start somewhere, even if that somewhere is small, because it will lead you to bigger things.
2. Focus on Inspired Action
For many of us, we're so stuck on wanting to get in those sales and clients, that we're constantly in push mode, meaning every action we take in our business is something that we want to see result in sales. We're stressing and trying to force it, and forcing things to happen is almost never a good idea.
When you're struggling to make the money you need, I know it's easier said than done, but it's crucial that you operate from an inspired place. Meaning, you have to do what you love, deliver content that you care about and be of service to the people you want to help. Doing that will lead to loyal followers and fans and therefore paying clients who want and need what you offer.
3. Get Scientific in Your Approach
When doctors or scientists start a new study or experiment, they don't try once, fail, and then declare it a dead project, right?
I see so many entrepreneurs spend hours and hours putting together amazing packages or programs, try and promote it, end up with less than desirable results, and then say "it didn't work" and feel like a failure.
Truly, there have been more failures in my business than I'd like to admit, but honestly, I've come to love and embrace the failures, because I learn something big every single time, and the next thing I promote goes over well because I failed previously. My successes wouldn't have happened without learning from what didn't work
If a product or service doesn't sell right away, tweak, fix and adjust until you make it work. Trying once and quitting isn't enough.
BONUS TIP: Instead of guessing if your offering is going to sell, get out there and do market research so you know that what you're releasing is truly wanted by your ideal client.