If you’re just joining us, we’re going “backstage” in the world of email and personal development, and taking a look at the business-building methods that some of my best friends and favorite teachers are using, so you can not only benefit from all their fabulous freebies, but you can also start to develop a vision for your own marketing.
I’m going to get underneath the hype and examine each teacher’s:
unique style
smart strategy
ideas you could borrow for yourself
So you can discover what’s going on behind the curtain.
My hope is that this will make you both a smarter consumer and a better entrepreneur.
(Because – like it or not – all creative people are entrepreneurs in one way or another, yes?)
So let’s look a very popular list-building strategy: Summits.
The Manifesting Wealth Retreat
This summit promises that you will, “Discover Your Money Powers, Unlock the Secrets of Living Life on Fire and Design Your Best Year Yet!”
It’s being hosted by Paula Johnson, who’s a very nice Canadian lady with a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.
One person (in this case, Paula) reaches out to a bunch of experts (me) around a common theme (in this case, money). She interviews each of us, and we all agree to mail our lists promoting the summit.
It’s a great deal for the organizer, because if you have 20 experts, and they each have a mailing list of 10,000 or more, you are now in front of an audience of + 200,000. Even if only 1% of those people opt-in, you have still grown your list by over 2,000 highly-qualified prospects in one swell foop : )
It’s a so-so deal for the experts. We get to promote our message, and usually get to offer a freebie, so some percentage of the larger audience is now opting in to our list. (I usually get 50-100 new readers from a Summit, which isn’t great, but isn’t terrible, either.) Mostly I do it because I like teaching and I like helping other people build their businesses.
It’s an OK deal for the customers, too. They get access to a bunch of free wisdom and groovy freebies, and, especially for beginners, it can be a terrific introduction into the world of personal development.
If the Summit offers an upsell (and this Manifesting Wealth one does – you can get the recordings and some bonus materials for just $47) then the experts usually get an affiliate commission on those sales. To this day, I don’t I’ve ever made over a hundred bucks on any Summit upsell.
So no one is in it for the money – it’s all about the list-building.
I think the bloom is a bit off the rose for summits these days. Audiences are a bit burnt out on them, and especially the ones with 2-3 interviews a day are just too overwhelming to be consumed easily.
Also, they are a TON OF WORK to put together. Organizing the speakers, coordinating the interviews, creating the copy, making sure all the links work and then making sure that all the experts really DO mail…dude, it’s like herding cats. It’s a big, big job.
There are companies that will “produce” your Summit for you, but I can’t say I know much about them.
Bottom line: it’s a tried-and-true method to build up your email list, but it’s also an enormous amount of effort.
Idea You Could Borrow for Yourself
If you’re just starting out, then hosting a summit will give you a big boost, and appearing on summits will help you hone your message, practice your interview style and have something different to offer your list. So I wouldn’t say “don’t do it,” but I would advise you to be very clear about your desired outcomes.
I think there’s a lot of opportunity to take the underlying ideas and collaborative spirit behind the Summit concept and do them in new ways… What do YOU think?
Let me know what you come up with, OK?
Yours,
Sam
P.S. I am proud to be a friend, colleague, student, Big Fan and affiliate for many of the teachers, writers and healers I’m discussing in this email series. I trust that you will trust your intuition, do your own research and only get involved in things that are right for you. Good? Good. Thanks. – S.
Today we’re going to look at the brand-new, fresh-off-the-presses lead magnet from the International Institute for Facilitation and Change (IIFAC.org) which I thought would be interesting for you because:
they are based in Central Mexico (and offer most things bilingually)
the CEO is a brilliant woman in her 70s who is just starting to really leverage email marketing
they work predominantly with non-profits and NGOs all over the world
So if you’re working internationally, or are concerned that it’s “too late” for you, or if you work B2B (business-to-business) rather than B2C (business-to-consumer), then this example might be especially meaningful to you,
This is all part of a twelve-day series taking you “backstage” in the world of email and personal development, and take a look at the business-building methods that some of my best friends and favorite teachers are using, so you can not only benefit from all their fabulous freebies, but you can also start to develop a vision for your own marketing.
I’m getting underneath the hype and examine each teacher’s:
unique style
smart strategy
ideas you could borrow for yourself
So you can discover what’s going on behind the curtain.
My hope is that this will make you both a smarter consumer and a better entrepreneur.
(Because – like it or not – all creative people are entrepreneurs in one way or another, yes?)
So let’s look at the way that one of the my all-time favorite people is rocking her business:
Beatrice Briggs of the International Institute for Facilitation and Change
First of all – she’s my MOM!!
Yep.
My mom lives in an intentional community in Central Mexico and she travels the world teaching non-profits, NGOs and for-profit businesses how to have more effective meetings. And she’s in her 70s, whip-smart and fit as a fiddle. Is your mom that cool? Nope. No way.
When it comes to moms, I win : )
Beatrice’s Unique Style
Working with people around “bad meetings” can be challenging, because no one really thinks that their organization can change. People are willing to tolerate bad meetings – its a chronic, low-level pain. So part of Beatrice’s job is to give people helpful tips to improve their meetings and point out to them that with a little bit of training, they could save themselves hours of time while building a more effective team.
Really, she’s teaching leadership and communication skills.
Which means that – deep down – she’s changing lives.
Beatrice is smart, straight-forward and elegant. She is an American who speaks excellent Spanish, which sometimes confuses people, and she loves to dive into complicated problems.
Beatrice collected some of her best articles from her blog and edited them into an ebook filled with helpful advice and action steps. This is a generous “give” to her audience, and a great way to introduce people to her work.
Since Beatrice offers customized solutions and trainings, the Call to Action is to schedule a strategy call with her, during which she can better assess each potential clients’ needs.
First of all, I love it that mom was able to re-purpose a bunch of her newsletter articles and turn them into a valuable ebook. There’s a high “perceived value” in an ebook that’s that substantial, and it should speak loudly to her ideal client.
What do you have already completed that you could turn into a lead magnet?
Secondly, I’m so proud of Beatrice for jumping in to the world of email marketing and learning about how to succeed in this new world. YAY MOM!
What new skill are you willing to learn in order to increase your chances of success?
Let me know what you come up with, OK?
Yours,
Sam
P.S. Last night Justin Lofton and I did a VALUE-PACKED free training on the REAL DEAL with Facebook Ads and how to use them effectively to grow your business – you can check out the recording here: http://evergreenretreat.co/free-training.html
P.P.S. I am proud to be a friend, colleague, student, Big Fan, affiliate and daughter : ) for many of the teachers, writers and healers I’m discussing in this email series. I trust that you will trust your intuition, do your own research and only get involved in things that are right for you. Good? Good. Thanks. – S.
How are you enjoying this “backstage” tour through the world of email and personal development? Are you having as much fun as I am, taking a look at the business-building methods that some of my best friends and favorite teachers are using, so you can not only benefit from all their fabulous freebies, but you can also start to develop a vision for your own marketing? I hope so.
So today’s featured entrepreneur is a close friend and one of my favorite people:
SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) and her Succulent Wild Business Summit
SARK is gathering creative geniuses, healers, coaches, and world changers to change the world of business and bring more love and light into the world. Discover how to change the world while making a great living: https://www.facebook.com/PlanetSARK/?ref=233
SARK’s Unique Style
You probably don’t need me to describe SARK’s immensely popular, playful style, but if you’re not sure who she is, just check out her Facebook page and you’ll get the idea.
I once referred to SARK’s style as “aggressively whimsical.” She liked that : )
She’s been in business forever, and has been hugely successful selling both products (posters, blankets, etc) and courses. Oh, yeah – and she’s written 17 books.
So now SARK is offering something a little different – entrepreneurial coaching for creatives.
I’m so glad she’s sharing her deep wisdom from her years of experience as a business owner and artist. She’s naturally anti-authoritarian and she’s allergic to anything that isn’t 100% truthful, so you know she’ll give you the straight dope.
SARK’s Smart Strategy
SARK is taking advantage of the Facebook Live feature to offer 7 days of free teaching. During that training, she’ll encourage interested people to book a one-on-one call and from there, if it’s right for all concerned, she’ll invite them into her high-end coaching program.
What’s Facebook Live, you ask?
FB Live allows you to broadcast a live video feed for up to 90 minutes. And just like a post, people can Like, Comment and “blow kisses” to you as you air. Once you’re done, your video stays on your page, just like any other video you might post.
It’s very simple: You just log in to Facebook using your phone, go to your profile page and rather than writing a post, you hit the “live” icon. (You can’t do this on your computer – it has to be on your phone.) There’s a little bit of easy set-up (here’s a step-by-step how-to: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/facebook-live-guide) and then BOOM – you’re a star.
The great thing about this is that you can get quite a lot of viewers both during and after you record, and it’s fun to have your own instant tv show. It’s great for spreading the word about what you’re up to, building community and interacting with your fans.
I’ve only done it once or twice myself, and I liked it a lot. I probably wouldn’t try to sell anything directly during a FB Live, though – but I think it’s great for making free offers or, as SARK is doing, inviting people to a strategy call.
Idea You Could Borrow for Yourself
The average American spends almost an hour a day on Facebook – slightly terrifying, but true – so why shouldn’t they spend some of that time soaking up your fabulousness?
And so many of you have such an advantage here because, let’s face it, most people are kind of boring. But YOU, my little cabbage, are anything but boring. So I’d urge you to be brave and try it out.
Video is far and away the most effective means of online marketing. When people can see into your eyes, feel your passion and authenticity and also interact with you – there’s nothing better for building credibility and fans.
I think some people think that if money is involved, kindness isn’t.
But that’s not true.
Give these 5 statements and quick read and see how many of them are true for you:
I would rather shop where the staff makes me feel welcome.
I am loyal to my hair stylist, housekeeper, improv teacher, shoe repair guy and other service providers, partly because they are such kind people.
I love to refer my kindhearted friends to kindhearted service providers.
I love it when a shopkeeper greets me by name, and when the server brings me water with no ice because he remembers that’s how I like it.
I like it when businesses send me special coupons for being a good customer, or for my birthday.
Right? Me, too. Good.
Now — let’s revisit these with this question in mind:
If you are a small business owner, how many of those “kindness strategies” are you putting into action?
1) I would rather shop where the staff makes me feel welcome. Do you have a way to greet new people and make them feel seen, heard and welcomed? (This is important in a bricks-and-mortar location, of course, but it is also important in your website, your emails and your social media interactions.)
2) I am loyal to my hair stylist, housekeeper, improv teacher, shoe repair guy and other service providers, partly because they are such kind people. Do you have a way to guarantee that all of your interactions with your clients – as well as those of your staff and team – are grounded in kindness? Do you have templates? A process? Clear guidelines for client interaction?
3) I love to refer my kindhearted friends to kindhearted service providers. Do you have a way to collect referrals from satisfied clients? Do you have a way to follow up with those referrals so they don’t slip through the cracks?
4) I love it when a shopkeeper greets me by name, and when the server brings me water with no ice because he remembers that’s how I like it. Do you have a way to keep track of your clients’ preferences and interests? Do you have a way to let them know that they are not just a faceless number, but rather a valued member of your community?
5) I like it when businesses send me a special coupons for being a good customer, or for my birthday.Do you reward the loyalty of your longtime customers by offering them a special something every once in a while?I think you would love to be able to put your kindness into action in this way.And I bet it would make you a bunch of cabbage, too.So…if we took a day to create a customized, personalized plan designed especially for you and your business, complete with built-in “work time” so you actually got the thing done — I know that you could EASILY start to bring in an extra $2000/month or more.(Not with the “kindness strategy” alone, of course — that’s just an example 🙂
Sunday May 22 @ 10am – 5pm Pacific Time check your time zone: www.WorldTimeBuddy.com
You will actually GET THE WORK DONE as class includes both teaching time and implementation time.
Discover how to: – Patch the Holes In Your Profit Bucket – Double Your Sales the Easy Way – Break Through Your Invisible Income Ceiling – Pay Yourself First (for real – not just in theory) – Discover How YOUR Values Can Super-Charge Your Business
Plus you get: 1) One private follow-up session
2) One group follow-up session
3) A FREE ticket to “The Big Yes: How To Overcome Procrastination, Perfectionism and Self-Doubt and Make $10,000 (or More!) from Your Creativity” ($799 value), July 22-24 at the Westin LAX in Los Angeles, CA.
Go fill out the application questionnaire, even if you know that you do NOT want to do this workshop, simply because answering the questions will be illuminating for you.
I Can’t Possibly Raise My Prices Faulty Logic #1: “If I can’t get people to buy my stuff for cheap, how can I expect people to pay a lot?”
The problem is that it’s like you’re trying to sell a diamond necklace at the thrift store.
The people at the thrift store won’t buy it, and the people who WILL buy it aren’t at the thrift store.
Raise your prices and the right people will start to find you.
HINT: in fact, those “right people” are right in front of you. Those good folks who can and will pay higher prices are ALREADY in your tribe – they are just waiting for you to offer something at a price-point that makes sense to them.
I Can’t Possibly Raise My Prices Faulty Logic #2: “Well, I wouldn’t pay that much for XYZ …so I can’t imagine anyone else would either.”
Honey, you are not your client.
You do not have the same problem that your client has.
For example, you may not have just bought a big condo in Miami and be desperate to fill up those big blank walls with some challenging new art that will WOW your friends.
Or you may not be invited to attend a black-tie holiday party and not be able to find a plus-size dress that doesn’t make you look like a cheap chandelier…
Or maybe you have never spent a sleepless night wondering if you’ll ever find the love of your life.
But your clients do. They don’t just want to buy big art and a custom evening gown and relationship/dating coaching — they NEED to.
So, of course you wouldn’t pay to solve a problem that you don’t have. But think about a problem that you DO have — would you invest top dollar to get help solving that problem once and for all?
Yep. I bet you would.
I Can’t Possibly Raise My Prices Faulty Logic #3: “I don’t want to work with snotty rich people.”
If you’ve got this thought in your head, then first of all, that’s just plain old discrimination, and you should take a good, long, compassionate look at your assumptions.
(And I’m guessing what you really mean is that you don’t want to work with ANY snotty people, which is fine – don’t. There are plenty of warm, sensitive, well-off people in the world. Just as there are plenty of snotty broke ones.)
Secondly, just because someone pays a premium price for a thing doesn’t mean they are rich.
It means they VALUE the thing, and have prioritized it in their life.
And that’s great news for you — you want to work with people who value what you do.
You need help learning how to charge what you’re worth and how to feel good about it, and since Bill’s a musician as well as a writer/teacher/coach/creative genius, he’s the perfect person to show you how to do this all and have it feel great in your body, mind and soul.
Read it and then let me know what you think, OK?
I’m curious to know how all this lands with you….
REMEMBER: The World Is Eager to Pay Good Money for Your Art.
P.S. I am a friend, a Big Fan and an affiliate for Bill, but honestly I think his work is so great I would share it with you no matter what.
And if you have a friend who is caught in the undercharging/underearning/overdelivering cycle, please share “Mystery Solved: Where To REALLY Find High Paying Clients” by Bill Baren with him or her, or use the social sharing buttons. Thanks! – S.
