I thought you might like to read a short coaching exchange I had recently with a customer on Facebook chat! I hope it brings you a more empowered state of mind! The blue text is me -- and the red text is the person with whom I was speaking (I've replaced her name with "Sarah" here; that's not her actual name).
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Sarah: So do you get most of your revenue from home or abroad? Sorry to be asking so many questions!
Jonathan: Its a big mix, now; about half of my 8000 customers are in the USA, and about half live outside the USA.
Sarah: Ah so a good balance then. You've done well to get some of them from here. Most of them here are pretty negative about training and development. But your guys are brilliant...they are always open to it.
Jonathan: Well I'd probably say that's a pretty strong sentiment in [City Omitted], not necessarily all over the UK. [City Omitted] always seemed resistant, yet still willing!! But I will caution everyone that right now is a terrible time to be producing information products (unless you do enormous product launches with lots of affiliates). Coaching is way up, however.
Sarah: Coaching is better...is that one to one or groups,or both?
Jonathan: One on one.
Sarah: OK. I suppose I'll have to revise my marketing strategy again then...I just seem to be going round in circles at the moment. So do you think it's better to just promote through website and advertising and networking, or doing an event to get them interested and signing up?
Jonathan: Live events seem to make a difference, if you can get people in the door, and if what they get when they show up was worth the effort of showing up. That breeds loyal customers / referrers. But I would do as much as you have time for, without stretching yourself too thin.
Sarah: Great! I've got my first "big" one next week...well, "big" for me, aiming to get 60 people there
Jonathan: Outstanding, I hope it happens!!
Sarah: Thank you...I appreciate that. It's great for someone successful like you to be giving me their time and advice...very valuable. Trying to get money out of people is like pulling teeth though!
Jonathan: Can I ask a potentially sensitive question?
Sarah: Yes, of course
Jonathan: I see in my records that you bought my NLP Skills Builder DVDs, so you are one of my customers.
Sarah: Yes.
Jonathan: Has your comment about other people -- getting money from them -- been true about you for other people ? I.e. if you turn the mirror back on yourself? Have you been -- at times -- for any reason -- tight with your funds?
Sarah: Yes I have, 'cause I'm struggling a bit with money at the moment...between you and me...people haven't paid me on time so I'm behind with payments and I'm catching up.
Jonathan: Understood. I ask, because... the experience of having trouble getting money from others is usually more of an issue for people who are not living & breathing comfort with money. You have to get through that, somehow, if you're going to speak.
Sarah: That's exactly right. I know. but when I'm speaking, I just become a different person. it's like I'm transformed
Jonathan: I recommend starting your speaking engagement with something "shocking."
Sarah: Yes? what?
Jonathan: Something like "I'm here on stage because I want your money."
Sarah: WOW!! NOW THAT'S SHOCKING.
Jonathan: And then laugh -- and say "NOT for no reason, and not just because I want more money -- but because I want to deserve every penny by delivering FAR MORE VALUE INTO YOUR LIVES.... such that you'd feel GLAD to have paid me for it. I don't want ANY money from someone I don't or can't help. I won't have earned it. But I got into speaking because I believed I could help people in specific ways -- and I wanted to earn a good living doing it.
Sarah: That's Excellent..I'm going to write it down...brilliant...I can feel myself relaxing when I'm reading that.. like a big weight coming off my shoulders
Jonathan: Continue with "So let me ask a question -- IF I showed you ways I could help you improve and transform your lives -- and you did it -- you made it happen -- how many of you would be comfortable paying me a worthwhile price for that measurable help?" Watch every hand in the place go up.
Sarah: Brilliant! you've just made me feel a whole lot better
Jonathan: I suspected I might! You have to be willing to ask for the money, and by admitting it up front, but explaining you only want their money when you deserve it, it paces and leads them all to be more willing to pay you when its earned.
Sarah: Thank you! because after giving the guys a great experience with stuff they could use, then I was aiming to get some good sales and that would get me out of my money trouble.
Jonathan: Exactly.
:)Sarah: That's brilliant....and so honest as well.
Jonathan: And here's my own call to action: IF/WHEN this helps YOU to close more sales and improve your money situation, I would love for you to explore some of my upcoming courses and possibly some of my other home-study titles. Quite a few will help with improving your stage presence and platform sales skills.
Now that's what I call an ethical sales pitch!Sarah: Yes!
Jonathan:
And while your abundance mindset is flowing, now's a good time for you to write or get some work done... !! It will likely show up in your writing.Sarah: Great, thanks Jonathan, you are brilliant! When I get some of that income next week I will invest in one of your courses...the best one for presenting.
Jonathan: Awwww thanks!
Sarah: No problem, it's true. I went from pissed off to much better in one conversation!
Jonathan: That's wonderful. I look forward to hearing back from you how much you'll have earned next week!
Sarah: Brilliant! our target is £10k worth of sales, when I get the 60 people... but the job is to get them first and not give up. I have to keep going till I've got them!
Jonathan: Nice! That's definitely a nice target -- to start with.
Sarah: A beginning target, yes!
