Wednesdays at 9 am CST

Online on Unity.FM

Did you miss my June 29  show?

You can listen to it now!  Click here

How to Create a Successful Soul Infused Art Career

Michele Theberge , Artist and Artists’ Mentor

It is possible to leave the “starving artist” archetype behind.

Join us as we talk with Michele Theberge about just how she did it and how           she mentors other artists to do the same.

micheletheberge.com themindfulartist.com

Wednesdays at 9 am CST

Online on Unity.FM

Did you miss my June 15  show?  You can listen to it now!

Click below to listen now.

Snap Selling: How to Successfully Sell to Crazy Busy Prospects

Jill Konrath, Sales Strategist

Everyone is time-starved. Join us as we talk with Jill Konrath, sales strategist and best-selling author of Snap Selling. We’ll talk about strategies for capturing the attention of your ideal prospects in these crazy-busy times.

Q:  I know I need help but I can’t afford it. It’s a vicious cycle, it’s like you need money to make money. How do I get it?

A: It’s true that you have to invest = have money, to make money. But there’s a way to do it. What I find is that many entrepreneurs get in trouble by trying to do too much at the same time. You need

• Clear priorities,
• An estimate of your costs to create/obtain those priorities, and
• A revenue plan based on assets/products/services you currently have available to you. Are you charging for your expertise? Are you focused on offering your best to your best clients? Have you circled back to your existing clients for insight on what they may need?

Then you can create an account to put the money aside until you have what you need. You may feel like you need every penny you generate just to keep moving, but even small change will grow over time.

Q: I just can’t seem to catch up.  I’m a solo-entrepreneur . If I focus on sales, operations fall apart. If I focus on the current project, I don’t have anything in the pipeline. Help!

A: Sounds like it’s time for an upgrade to your team. I believe that even a one person shop needs administrative help. You’re right, you can’t do it all by yourself. Start with repetitive tasks bookkeeping, newsletter production, web design or updating.

Look for the big time absorbing activities and try to begin to use that time for high revenue/high impact tasks only you can do.

Q: I can never seem to catch up. I’ll book a new project and then sit in a dry spell running around trying to get the next new project. Suggestions?

A:  Plan your revenue stream. Take a look at the next 12 months (no you don’t have to start at January, start now.) and decide on your revenue goal. Then, based on your products/services, determine the combination of sales that you’ll need to hit that number.  Sounds simple, but it will begin to affect the decisions you make today.

Q: I can’t seem to find what I’m passionate about. Any idea on how to find out?

A:  Sometimes it can be hard to feel what we’re passionate about. For many of us, we’re socialized out of following our dreams somewhere around the age of 10. Instead take a look at your convictions. What do you think should be different in the world? What would you like to change? This can often lead you to your passion.

Q: I want to move forward and bring more passion and profitability into my business, but my employees don’t have any excitement. They seem to just show up for a paycheck. What can I do?

A: Honestly, there are a number of things that would be helpful for me to know in order to better help you. But in any case, here are 4 things that I will always ask a client to do if we’re working on their team alignment.

1)      Walk your talk. You have to be a living example of the behaviors you want your people to exhibit.

2)      Be sure that as the leader you’ve clarified and shared your mission – why we’re in this business and your vision – what you see as the possibilities for the company.

3)      Buy a copy of StrengthsFinders for yourself and everyone on your team. This will help everyone understand how to more fully express themselves and bring their “A” game to the table.

4)      Be willing to let go of the people whose knowledge, actions and behaviors don’t line up with the culture.

Q: Karyn, I’m working really hard to get more sales, I’m in the design business but the economy has dried things up. I’m about ready to throw in the towel. Any suggestions, I’m desperate. –Tom

A: Hey Tom, the best thing you can do right now is to leverage your six degrees of separation.

• Look at your current customer base and take 30 minutes of each day to call one or two of them (not email, call) to see how they’re doing and what would help their business the most right now. (Yes, a general question, not a sales call)
• Listen.
• Listen.
• Can you help them in any way with what they need right now? Connections you may have? (this is not a quid pro quo set up where you do for me and I’ll do for you.)
• Make some calls or send an email to your connections to see if they can help.

This is an experiment in the power of goodwill. It will cost you 45 minutes a day, (30 for the call, and 15 for the follow up) but the value of building the relationship is priceless. Whether or not you make a connection for them, your customer will remember the effort. If there’s a business opportunity with them, they’ll speak up without you asking.

Q: Karyn, you talk about claiming a niche. I understand the concept but I don’t want to cut myself off from potential sales by focusing on one group.

A:  You are always the decision maker with respect to your business. So of course, do what feels right to you. However, if you want to reduce your costs, close sales faster, and have more energy, a niche will help you do it. It reduces distractions and focuses your actions and how you use your resources. No more scatter shot. In the end, do what feels right.

Q. Any tips for quickly improving sales?

A.  Hi  the first tip is to check your mindset. Are you holding a mindset of improvement or are you finding all the places where there’s  lack?

Second tip is to focus on existing clients/customers. What do they need from you? How else can you help them? FYI, it could be that for now, the best way you can help them may not be through anything you sell. Can you facilitate something for them?

Tip three, listen for the opening – the opportunity to help them solve a problem. This is the fastest way to build relationship equity.