The program included a full year of personalized accountability, including — for the first 20 — alignment and accountability coaching sessions every quarter.

In these sessions, I bring the GOALS they set for themselves during the training program back out. Line by line, we go over their progress….

In other words, the goals they set for themselves for 2018 will NOT be forgotten, ignored or — for the love of all things HOLY — dumbed down and made smaller with the passing of time.

So, back to this Women Who WOW rockstar…. She set an income goal for January of $20,000.

Not too shabby of a goal, in and of itself.

Despite several personal challenges and despite having six days left in the month…

she’d exceeded her goal,
by more than DOUBLE.

She’d brought in $50,000.

HOW DOES SHE DO THAT?????

Let me tell you her secrets, but not her name, as she can identify herself if she chooses.

SECRET #1: She invested in accountability.

Knowing you have to step on a scale each week is THE secret Weight Watchers offers. A scale, that’s it. This woman knows the power of accountability.

SECRET #2: This woman is a relentless implementor.

RELENTLESS…. She does what she says she’s going to do. No excuses, despite plenty of circumstances that could qualify.

SECRET # 3: She STOPPED DOING what she doesn’t love to do.

Those cheap speaking gigs? No more.

Those tasks that used to eat up her time? Now farmed out to an assistant.

In fact, we talked about this being one of the biggest game changers for her in 2018. She’s no longer doing work that she shouldn’t be doing.

LOOK, we all have a list of things that we think MUST be done. Most of it can HONESTLY be ignored with little to no consequence.

The rest can and should be farmed out.

Not just because you don’t love it, although that would be enough. You are GIFTED at something. You are BRILLIANT at something. You have a purpose and a calling on your life, your time, your energy.
So, just the fact that these little tasks are time-consuming, boring or irritating is enough. Get rid of them. You’ve got the REAL work to do.

But also, farm it out for MONEY.

The less time you spend in the “have to” or “should” energy… the more time you have to spend doing what YOU LOVE and what LIGHTS YOU UP and, of course, the more money you will make.

But only every single time.

When you farm out tasks that drain you, you’re free to spend more time doing what REALLY brings in the money: BEING YOU.

I invite you…
implore you to TRY IT. =)

Women Who WOW is THE place where seriously driven women entrepreneurs come for the strategy, support and accountability necessary to create wild success…. all on their own terms. if you are NOT YET a Women Who WOW member, you are missing out. Join us at womenwhowow.com or email me if you have any questions.

The post HOW TO AIM for a $20K JANUARY, BUT BRING IN OVER $50K WITH 6 DAYS LEFT: A WOMEN WHO WOW SUCCESS STORY. appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

“Michelle, I’ve been reading your posts and feel like you’re speaking to me. I’m a ________ and have been in business for ______ number of years / months. I’m doing everything you say to do, but my income isn’t budging. I’m in a situation where I need money to come in immediately and I was wondering if you could give me some advice.”

I can totally relate.
And I can help you.
But once I do, please KEEP doing what I tell you to do… EVEN once your cash crunch eases up a bit. You’ve got to keep doing these things in order to NOT END UP here again.

The feast-and-famine cycle in business is LARGELY created because we sell when we’re hard up for cash and then STOP selling once that need is fulfilled… we spend what we earned, find ourselves AGAIN hard up for cash, so we SELL again… and then we stop again.

Round and round we go. But, if you need cash (like, yesterday) here’s what to do:

1. Figure out who you want to help. This is your “HIT LIST.” If you need money NOW, it is not enough to do a post or two… hoping the right people see it. You will need a list of WHOs… warm leads of people that you KNOW you can help. A personal invite is INFINITELY more effective for selling than a general post.

Do not skip this step.
Do not assume you are the exception.
Do not buy into the “but my business is different” B.S.
Do not try to AVOID going one-on-one with a prospect and asking them them to buy from you. This timid behavior doesn’t work.

Yes, I know it may be uncomfortable for you.
But timid salespeople have skinny kids.
Trust me, you’ll get more comfortable with it the more you do it.
And the more you do it, the more you’ll sell.
And the more you sell, the less money challenges you face.
And the less $$ challenges you face, the more confident you are as a business owner…
And the more confident you are as a business owner, the more magnetic you are to your target market.

THIS is a GREAT cycle…
But it begins with getting over your DISDAIN or DISLIKE for — or avoidance of — direct selling.

2.  Figure out exactly how you want to help them. Create an offer that will give them UNREASONABLE value… It should be a HELL YES for them. They should read it and think, “could this be a mistake? Is this for REAL?”

This does NOT mean lower your prices.
But it DOES mean STACK YOUR OFFER so that it is an insane value.

3. INVITE your list of WHOs (step 1) with a generous spirit. In other words, focus on what you’d like to GIVE them… how you’d like to HELP and SERVE them…

This prohibits THEM from feeling like little more than a paycheck to you.

4) For the love of all things Holy, REPEAT. Repeat until your immediate financial need is met and then KEEP GOING. Day in and day out. Constantly create — and then nurture — warm leads.

Doors to Women Who WOW are open again and you can save of $500 dollars by joining in the next two days. PM me for details!

The post How To Sell When You (Desperately) Need the Money appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY — EVERY DAY — TO MAKE YOUR SALES PROCESS SHORTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE.

Is your sales cycle too long?
Too unpredictable?
Does it feel like pulling teeth?

Well, who designed this sales process? Who created it? YOU, of course, and as an entrepreneur, it is also UP TO YOU to perfect the process through which you gain permission to help people.

This is what selling is, right? Whether you’re a mechanic or attorney, or physician or coach… You see a problem and offer to help. Permission to help is granted through payment.

10 ways that you can sure up your own sales process, so you can help more people, and — also, of course — so sales actually FEEL great in your business.

1) Get with the sales program. You SELL not because you’re greedy, but because you need their PERMISSION to roll up your sleeves and help. A better sales process means you help more people and help more people SOONER than if your sales process sucked.

2) Make tweaks to your sales page. Words MATTER. tweak ONE thing at a time on your sales page until it is performing optimally. Look at the words you use, the images you use, the promise you make EARLY on the page, the benefits you’re selling. Today — any day — is a great day to take a FRESH look at your sales page or offer.

3) Pick better targets. Are the people you’re targeting IDEAL? Do they have a problem you solve? Do they KNOW they have a problem you solve? Are they motivated (and able and willing to pay) to have this problem solved? If not, choose a better-qualified target.

4) Sweeten the deal. How can you make your core offer BETTER?

5) Remove the risk. You don’t have to have a 100% money back guarantee in order to remove risk. Get creative. How can you make them feel SAFE choosing you? For my “enterprising experts” events — which are $5 a pop — I offer a 6-month support program for participants, greatly removing the risk inherent in attending an event and going home and doing NOTHING.

6) Go to the NO. Ask someone — today — why they said NO or didn’t respond to your offer. DO NOT try to re-sell them. Give them permission to be blatantly honest with why it wasn’t a HELL YES for them.

7) Invite more people to work with you. How many people do you OFFER to work with each day? This matters. You’ve got a LOT to offer your chosen market. So, make the ask. Offer to help. Make the sale.

8) Follow Up. I can not tell you the number of people who thank me — profusely — simply for not forgetting about them… for following up with them. Follow up, because it’s a GENEROUS and CARING thing to do. Do you ONLY care about them when making the original SALES ASK? If so, this isn’t caring or generous at all. Follow up. SHOW you actually care.

9) RE-invite people who didn’t respond. Re-invite them because you don’t want them to miss out!

10) ADD value to the sales letter itself. Even your sales letters should add value to the reader. So should your sales conversation. Does it open their eyes to new possibilities? Does it encourage them that MORE is possible for them? Does it reveal tips they can implement right now? (P.S. if you are messaging every day, this is easy to do…. you message and then you offer. )

Speaking of? Do you KNOW that 2 years ago, I began meeting with TEN women entrepreneurs EACH MONTH? Private, extended strategy sessions designed to help you identify the next BEST steps to take to move your business dramatically forward. When you aren’t sure what to do next… when what you’re currently doing is leaving you VERY DISAPPOINTED when it comes to results… when you need an expert opinion, an outside view of what you’re missing… and what specific tweaks will make all the difference, well… I’m scheduling private strategy sessions for July.

Affordable.
Transformative.
Potent.

you can secure your spot here: http://www.bmichellepippin.com/private-strategy-session/

The post 10 Things You Can Do Today To Make Your Sales Process Shorter appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

Perhaps they suggest a new website, an aggressive media campaign, SEO work, blogging conference, hiring a virtual assistant, or — one of two newly crowned top favorites — a program to help you create additional programs to sell or a new app. lol…

Are any of these things inherently bad? Of course not. Last week, I spoke to one of my clients about hiring a PR person. He’s making $60K each month in his practice, and this is the next logical step. I often recommend updating your website AND blogging.

BUT, when you have an income problem, any “business expert” who doesn’t FIRST DEMAND you have some foundational, well-choreographed plans for 1) generating leads and  2) converting them into sales should be — at least — fired.   And maybe worse. =)

Bottom line: When you have an “income” problem, you have a SALES problem. You’re not struggling because you don’t have the right “stuff” to sell. You’re struggling because you don’t have enough paying clients. Period.

The simpler we DEFINE an issue, the quicker we can fix it. My hope is that this article helps you create your own customized “fix.” Any questions, you can find me hanging with our members in our free Facebook group.

With no further ado, here are 7 steps to take… 7 things to do… when you need money now. Right now.

Below isn’t just 7 steps to “right now” money… it’s also an example of what a SOLID income plan looks like:

1) Set a Monetary Goal.

Don’t yawn just yet. You’d be surprised how many business owners attach a non-income goal to an income problem. They say, “I need to generate sales.” But their (often prescribed by an “expert”) goal has something to do with “increased traffic, more impressions,” etc.

So, start with a goal that has two components: 1) it is monetary. 2) It has a deadline date.

2) Define what you will sell to reach that goal.

Quick note: This isn’t an overall business or marketing plan article. Our singular focus is on GENERATING INCOME now. That’s why we’re putting “what you’ll sell” before who you’ll sell it to. I AM assuming that you decided on your own “menu items” of services or products based on your exact target market. A perfect fit is a great sale — every time. But, what will you sell and how many will you need to sell to reach your income goal above? Be specific.

3) Who will you sell to?

Make a list. A real list, not a demographic sketch. WHO will you sell to? Maybe it’s a list of neighborhoods around your practice. Maybe it’s a list of 50 people you’ll invite to your event. Maybe it’s your current list of paying clients. Again, be specific.

4) Make them raise their hands

You must generate interest before you generate sales. SOMETIMES you need to more accurately define their need before they feel it. BUT, either way, you need to do something to generate the INTEREST of your target market.

You want them to nod their heads, raise their hands and say, YES — I know what you’re saying… I need more information about that. SPEAKING — whether you’re a speaker or not — is a fantastic way to accomplish this.

5) Let them trust you.

As you’re speaking with those on our list, be sure to 1) highlight points on which you know you and your market agree, 2) identify issues over which you share a common bond or affinity and 3) show clearly how you’re DIFFERENT from those they’ve trusted in the past.

6) Take them beyond a reasonable doubt.

Show them evidence that what you’re saying is true. Show testimonials, interview your own clients, share stories that offer PROOF.

7) Let them taste it.

Give them a “taste test” — a sample. Now, this is easy if you sell ice cream or macaroons. You have to be a bit more creative about this sampling if you’re selling windows, chiropractic care, or tummy tucks. But it CAN and SHOULD be done.

Our market — yours and mine —  have fingers that are burned and bruised by buying from and trusting the wrong people. So, they (your clients and mine) are very likely apprehensive about whatever it is you’re telling/selling them. So, give them a taste.  And then, ask them if they’d like to continue with you.

Does this help? If so, let me know.  Have additional questions, catch up with me and our other members in the Facebook group.

The post 7 Steps To Take When You Need Money NOW appeared first on b. michelle pippin.

the event that used to fill quickly,  but now won’t sell…
the signature program that used to sell without effort now hasn’t been purchased in over a month… 
the package, offer or invite that used to be a “quick buy” that’s now hearing crickets…

First of all, you’re not alone.  That’s the good news.   Now, for the bad news, which is gonna hurt:

It’s Your Fault.

Listen…. maybe the economy has shifted, ever so slightly and it’s impacting your sales.  That’s possible and I’ll address it .  But, how profitable is it to blame “the economy?”  I mean, whatever can you do to impact THE economy (hint: VOTE!) pales in comparison to what you can do to impact YOUR economy.

So, we start with the truth that when sales lag — for any reason — it’s your fault and you should look at your own business behavior FIRST.  (Any other assumption or direction delays responsibility… and action.)  If sales are lagging for you, right now, ask yourself these “tough” questions to see where you can pivot, shift or ramp up in order to see a HUGE sales increase:

• Have you gotten lazy?  Was something so easy to sell before that you’ve gotten lazy in pushing it? Or perhaps you’ve gotten lazy on your own self-promotion or positioning?  Have you stopped doing something (or a group of somethings) that you used to do before?  Look backwards and see how your own selling behavior may have changed, leading to poor results.
• Have you fallen out of love with what you’re selling?  I recently wrote about what LOVE has to do with selling more (You can find that article here.) but if we’re no longer excited about something, it’s awfully hard to compel our market to fall in love with it.  Dust off that program, offer, product or service and look at it with fresh eyes.  Can you fall back in love with it “as is” or is a makeover / update necessary?
• Is it possible you’re sabotaging sales because you’re overwhelmed, don’t have time for new clients or don’t really want “additional work?” If so, clear the decks, catch up and start fresh.
• Have you somehow tainted your “on ramp” or lead generation techniques?  If this happens, it’s possible you’ve changed something about how you generate leads at the top of your sales funnel, and — frankly — you’ve found yourself selling to the wrong people.  (If you suspect this is you, let’s talk. Schedule your appointment with me here.)

Maybe it IS the economy… or some outside force.

AFTER — AND ONLY after —  we look at our own business behavior, it is prudent to consider outside factors.  The world — and the world economy —  is a topsy turvy place right now.  Insecurity and fear is more common than confidence and peace.  This can impact sales.  Perhaps it’s time to take that offer and let your world know that after this last “launch” it’s going back in your business “vault” for an undetermined amount of time.  Or maybe you look at your payment options…. considering monthly payments vs. (or in addition to) paying in full up front.  Maybe you simply need to offer a guarantee, or a stronger or more creative guarantee.

In the end, there’s always something you can do — today — to make a difference in your bottom line.  So, dig deep.  Look AT YOUR OWN BEHAVIOR first… and course correct as necessary.  (Of course, if you have additional thoughts or questions, put them in the comments below… or reach out to me in our private Facebook group!)

The post Help For When Sales are Down appeared first on b. michelle pippin.