I'm going to start this article by telling you a part of the story of my beginnings that I have not shared before. When I made the decision to dedicate myself to Coaching and make helping others my own profession, I started "developing" a local business, limited in many ways. With a niche market defined almost by approximation, face-to-face services offered per hour and quite little knowledge of what was working in the market, I started with my first known clients, or referrals from my acquaintances. Ah! And promotion and advertising? Yes, of course, I will put a flyer (a brochure) in this or that place, some personal cards, advertising in a local magazine, I will do some free workshops in a professional association that is in the city where I live, etc. Does that sound familiar to you?
So it seems like the wheel should spin when you first start, right? Well, not really. But if I tell you this (which I have not shared with anyone before) it is because I really know that if you are experiencing this, you must be thinking that it is the right way.
How did my story continue? Well, just as everything comes at the right time (and because I'm really restless and love to read, learn, and research), I came across an international mentor who inspired me and started following her article by article every week. And when I hired one of her intensive trainings… this totally transformed my life and my business conception. My mind flew far beyond the borders of my city, country, but it is not about geographical barriers, but what I managed to destroy with this new concept, were the barriers of my own mind. What I wanted to create was a successful high-level international business. And why not?
Now we go with you. What can I teach you from this experience (and from everything I learned from then until today) so that you too have a successful high-level international business?
Let's start here, what does a high-level business mean? Well, for starters it is an expert business (dedicated exclusively to a specialization and a particular market - remember, the one that covers a lot…), with a strong position in the market (being recognized, having an expert reputation and being able to demonstrate in words of your clients what they have achieved by working with you) and with an important recognition in a whole community of thousands of followers (and this point I have achieved thanks to you, YES, THANKS because you are reading this and you are part of my community of followers who appreciate what I share each week). Do you have these three factors in your business?
Another fundamental point of a high-level business is that you offer services with high added value. This is - I already said - essential, because without this you will not make your clients achieve phenomenal results and really transform their lives (their business, their career, their partner, or whatever you do). You can learn more about these services in another article I wrote a long time ago: here.
But then, how do you manage to have all this in your business without working 14 hours a day ?! And this is the answer, you invest your time (and your other resources too) wisely. This is the key, and here are 3 success strategies that you can not fail to consider if you want to have a high-level international business, and not be screwed to your office chair.
Strategy 1 - A customer attraction system
One of the biggest hurdles that some freelancers and professionals encounter when they start selling their professional services is that they are exhausted from knocking on doors, their prospects don't seem as interested at the end of the talk and, metaphorically speaking (or at least I hope so), Many potential customers run out of the back window when you approach with your sales proposal.
With a customer attraction system what you will achieve is precisely to attract the ideal customer who is interested in your service. You save yourself a good chunk of "cold selling" techniques that usually gives you a lot of headaches if you're not a born seller. On the other hand, there are other strategies (such as training and connecting with your community) that shorten sales cycles. There is a statistic out there that says, for a customer to buy from you, they must have at least 12 positive interactions with you. Can you imagine having to talk 12 times with a person to become your client? And still, you are not sure!
This is not magic and a customer attraction system will not make all your prospects buy from you. Not at all. But it will help you invest your time much more intelligently in those people who are really interested in your services and who are also ideal for what you have to offer for them. This will make a difference in your sales statistics.
Strategy 2 - Don't want to do it all yourself
As I mentioned before, you must face the growth of your business through a formula that allows you to intelligently invest your resources. One of your most important resources, your time. What are the most important activities in your business, those where your talent and experience will make a real difference and allow you to leverage your results? Certainly, I doubt that you will answer "social media strategies" or "the agenda with my clients". However, someone has to do it.
A business is full of operational tasks and activities that someone else would be better off doing (especially since they are not my forte and would take me a long time to learn). For example, in my case, I have an assistant who helps me with network strategies, my schedule, and other operational tasks that allows me to earn a few hours each week that I can spend working with my clients, talking to prospects. or to do the strategic planning of the next thing that I will launch in my business. Tasks that put money directly in my pocket.
On the other hand, the image of my business is also essential and although I can be very creative and have good taste, let's face it, nobody is good at absolutely everything. So I have a friend who is a post-production specialist (sounds more complex than it is, I assure you) who helps me with the whole image of my business: my website, my photos, my banners and electronic brochures, my ebooks, the aesthetics of everything you see and even an important part of my promotional campaigns.
You don't have to have a huge group of collaborators working with you. Start by knowing what things you could delegate and find someone who can do it for you. It will be paid only in the time you will earn (and also in the quality of what you get).
Strategy 3 - Marketing campaigns that put money in your pocket
It sounds complicated but in reality it is not so much. Once you do a first campaign and understand how it works, the others will only be more fun and creativity for you. But of course, the most important thing in a marketing campaign is that it is profitable, that is, that it puts money in your pocket.
We already know that advertising is important and all businesses, to a greater or lesser extent, do or should do advertising to promote themselves. The point is to invest intelligently in campaigns that only reach your ideal clients and with what they want or need. Otherwise, it is highly probable that you “spend gunpowder in chimangos” (do you know that saying?).
An important tip, advertising on social networks or google cannot be the center of your campaign. These are just a couple more ways you can use to bolster your campaign, but you can't just focus there.
Bonus track - An additional strategy that will be special for you if you have read all this and you have been astonished, astonished thinking how the hell are you going to achieve all this in your business if you don't even know how to take the first step? Ask for help. Hire a mentor to help you get out of your comfort zone, to get you started, and to teach you not only what to do, but how to do it.
If you feel that this is your time to take that step forward, if you are determined and there is no excuse that can stop you, I offer you this opportunity to turn your local business into an international business. Check out the details here.
Uff today I have shared a little part of the story of my beginnings that I honestly had not told anyone. It has been strong for me but I do it because I know it can make a difference to you if you know that I have also been where you are now and have managed to transform my business. How about you get inspired by my story and also tell me how this story that I have told you has impacted you today? How have I been able to make a difference to you? I hope you feel encouraged to write me in the comments below!
