Breaking Down Your Business | Small Business | Business Owners | Entrepreneurship | Leadership

What’s In This Episode:

Jill hates proposals. Like, really hates them. Why spend time sending them out and then getting nothing back? Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients withoutproposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales.

But when Jill gets a proposal, what does she do? Like many, she scrolls right down to the price. But a lot of the time, you do extra work when you don't need to.

 "Time to give it up!'" - Jill

Jonny Cooper calls in to discuss how he has a really authentic brand; he hates marketing, but he loves what it does for him. He's able to simplify things for others but finds it difficult to have time to do the things he wants to do.

He takes too much on and has a hard time saying no. Brad advises Jonny that he doesn't need to get all his needs met in his business. He also doesn't need to learn everything that has to do with his business; instead, he can let other people do it for him.

"We need a compelling vision of the future." - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 things you should ALWAYS have in a proposal:

  • Summary of the problem. Put it in the words they use.
  • The result one might achieve by working with you.
  • More than one option; give a range of prices. It's all about the context.
  • A signature line for their approval - this is a way for people to say YES. Or you could use your proposal as your contract
  • And this last one is so, so, so important...

Want to know what it is?

Guest:

  • Jonny Cooper is the founder of Jonny Hates Marketing, THE group for professional coaches, therapists, consultants and trainers who are serious about finding more of their ideal clients, more easily.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_255.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Has Jill changed her mind about proposals? That would be a NO. Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients withoutproposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales.

Brad's got a confession: He wants everyone to think he's a fearless leader, but he's got some fears... and they might be keeping him from being as successful as he could be. He actually thinks he could be afraid... of success? Clients keep you really busy, which means you hire more people, which means you manage more people... which is all a pain. Jill used to worry that if she got so busy, she wouldn't have time for things outside of work - her kids, or having a simple dinner in a restaurant. But she's realized that she can do both in a way that works for her, and she's not working 24/7 anymore.

 "What I want to have is work that I really enjoy and am really engaged in, and a life that I really enjoy and am really engaged in.'" - Brad

Kris Reid, the coolest guy in SEO, calls in to tell us what SEO actually is (with an Australian accent and everything). It stands for Search Engine Optimization, and you can use it to tell the all-knowing Google more about your site so that you appear at the top of the search engine. He's been working in SEO ever since 2008 and really loves it.

The good news is his business is growing. He's got 50 staff members (25 in office, 25 remote) but he finds the communication somewhat challenging and he doesn't know how to inspire people to learn. Kris personally always wants to sharpen his skills and so he listens to podcasts and reads books. Brad suggests having Kris convey the message through his team leads because it will make it that much more impactful. He also tells Kris to think about having a career ladder with respect to positions in the company, so that people have something to aspire to. Jill one-ups that thought and says that Kris should gamify the situation - have a leaderboard and make a fun culture for a love of learning.

But, she cautions, not everyone needs to learn like you do. So if he really wants everyone to get something out of learning something new, do more webinars face-to-face.

"I have a fear that people will find out that I'm just a regular person." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 fears that are holding me back #realtalk:

  • Constant fear of losing all your income.
  • Thinking people think you're an egomaniacal showoff or that people won't take you seriously.
  • Imposter syndrome.
  • Avoiding hiring because people will let you down.
  • And this last one is rough...

Want to know what it is? Listen in

Guest:

  • Kris Reid is the founder of Ardor SEO, a company that helps businesses achieve utmost success in their respective niches. By using the most innovative methods of marketing online, they offer a wide range of services with awesome results including search engine optimization, search engine ranking, and link building.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_254.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Guess what Jill's favorite thing is? If you said proposals, you'd be... wrong. She doesn't like anything about them. Luckily for her and others, Brad's got a FREE webinar coming up on April 27th where he'll discuss how to win clients without proposals. He'll break down how to close a deal more effectively, how some agencies get a client to pay them to create a proposal, and how to focus your process only on the prospects most likely to buy. Sign up here to get your pipeline moving and have more predictable sales.

Brad admits he's a little bit of a control freak, especially when something's going to a client and it's wrong - or not the way he wants it done. He wants things to be right and he doesn't want to look bad. He gets loud and a bit sarcastic. Jill's the opposite: She gets quiet and goes away until she figures out how she wants to deal with the problem.

 "Go to someone else and say, 'Hey, if you were to explain my business, what would you say I do?'" - Jill

Marina Darlow calls in to discuss how she builds systems for entrepreneurs. In order for businesses to operate sustainably and keep owners' sanities in check, Marina creates processes to manage the aspects of a business: money, time/energy, people, and how to keep information accessible and understandable. She designs the templates to match the owner's personality.

But while she knows what she does, she has a hard time explaining it to other people. Jill suggests that she ask people familiar with her business to describe what she does, and write down the words that they say to get a different perspective. Brad also suggests asking her clients, "What was the outcome of our time together?" For people who are not systems-oriented, Marina can touch upon what's familiar to them: people want more money, or more time, and so on. She can also consider a positioning statement to make it clear that she doesn't deal with mindset, but she does deal with operations.

"How bad is this, really? Is your response appropriate to the situation?" - Brad

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 ways to curb your control freak:

Go for a walk.
Look at the person you're angry with; this person is trying to help you.
Check your stress level.
Take a step back and assess.
And this last one might be hard to do but it's necessary...
Want to know what it is? Listen in!»

Guest:

Marina Darlow is the founder of Vision Framework, a company that builds heart-centered businesses from the inside. She helps entrepreneurs run their companies with ease, putting easy-to-use, effective, and fun (yep!) systems in place.

Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_253.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Brad's feeling anxious because one of his suppliers shut down with only a month's notice. It's not like he's not used to disasters happening in business; he used to love them because it gave him a chance to feel important. But now he'd like things to just get back to normal and just be thankful for things.

"We want people who will participate in their own solution." - Brad

Saul, our BDYB producer, turns the tables on Jill and Brad and asks hard-hitting questions, like... what is it that they do?

Jill explains how The Founding Moms has built community in over 60 cities. She offers video courses and accountability coaches (and many other services). Her goal is to be the universal hub for all things business education for mom entrepreneurs.

How does Brad get clients to trust him when they first come to Anchor Advisors? He offers something of value, is very transparent, and uses case studies and testimonials to establish credibility. What types of clients are the best ones for him? Those clients who have big goals and they're honest about the challenges they face. But they must be willing to put in the work.

"You need to remember to go back to yourself; focus on you." - Jill

Jill and Brad then discuss the top 5 reasons to pay attention to your mental health because if you don't:

  • You're more likely to take things out on other people.
  • You treat yourself poorly.
  • If your mental health isn't in check, it can affect your attention span.
  • Your relationships suffer.
  • And this will absolutely put a cramp in your entrepreneurial style...
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_252.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

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