Thought Leadership Archives - Page 2 of 10

Close Clients Consistently with Less Time and Energy

April 21, 2023 by Jason Van Orden

Sometimes, selling as a coach or consultant feels like you are adrift in the ocean, trying to decide which direction to go to land more clients.

There are so many options; the wrong one could take you further from land, wasting precious energy and time, and leaving you in the same situation, perhaps even closer to disaster.

All it takes is one swell or storm to knock you around or, worse, sink you.

That’s how my client, Jill, felt when we started working together.

“No matter what I do, I’m left with the anxiety that I’m just a few months away from financial disaster.

I pray and hope every month that I can find the clients I need to keep my business and life afloat.

And when I do land a client, it feels like I had to work too hard for it.”

💼 Marketing Like Mad with Little to Show For It

Jill was always “busy” marketing and selling, but it was like she was using trying to use ten oars to move her boat, each paddling erratically, sometimes in different directions. She was spending too much energy for too few results. Here’s how the conversation continued.

The bad news and good news about filling your courses

February 14, 2023 by Jason Van Orden

Want to enroll more ideal clients in your courses or programs in the next 30 days?

I have a bit of bad news, then some good news.

📰 😢 The Bad News

Every day, ideal prospects pass by your content and offer(s) without realizing you have a unique solution that is the perfect fit for them.

Likely, one of three things is happening.

They don’t immediately see the connection between your offer and their needs.
They quickly dismiss it as something they’ve already considered or tried without success.
A fear, challenge, myth, misunderstanding, or other stumbling block related to your solution leads them to dismiss it as being the wrong fit for them.

📰 😁The Good News

A few tweaks in your messaging may be all that is needed to get them to lean in, take a closer look, and sign up.

So how do you find the right language? You look inside their head.

Key Parts of An Effective Customer Journey

January 31, 2023 by Jason Van Orden

In this post, I'll help you identify hidden gaps in your customer journey that might be costing you sales.

The lack of a well-constructed customer journey (or failure to have one) is one of the most common problems costing coaches and consultants sales.

Your customer journey is the sum of all the touchpoints and experiences a client has with your brand, starting when you first gain their attention and continuing through to their first purchase and beyond.

A customer journey consists of the messaging, channels, and experiences you use to gain the attention of your clients, earn their trust, inspire them to buy, and provide them with exceptional value.

In this post, I’ll help you identify hidden gaps in your customer journey that might be costing you sales.

The Failings of the Sales Funnel

We frequently hear about sales funnels. A sales funnel is often one part of a customer journey.

A customer journey is a more holistic view of the experience prospects, and customers have with your brand. Thinking in terms of a sales funnel costs you sales and lasting impact.

Attract a steady stream of best-fit clients with this proven strategy

January 10, 2023 by Jason Van Orden

Let's see if you can figure out the critical resource that will turn visibility into a steady stream of best-fit clients eager to work with you.

As a coach or consultant, you know firsthand how challenging it can be to attract your ideal clients, especially in light of how many new coaches and consultants have entered the market in recent years.

It’s frustrating when your visibility efforts don’t lead to a steady stream of best-fit clients banging on your door asking to work with you.

How can you ensure your significant investments in visibility aren’t wasted, leaving you scraping and scrounging for good-enough clients?

The first step is understanding that visibility is only the first step and a fraction of what’s needed to win over new clients.

There’s another more vital and valuable resource that must accompany visibility.

Otherwise, you’ll spend valuable time and money on being seen only to find your audience shrugging their shoulders and moving on with their day.

Look at the following story and see if you can figure out the critical resource that will turn visibility into a steady stream of best-fit clients eager to work with you.

How to Scale in 2023 as a Coach or Consultant

November 22, 2022 by Jason Van Orden

Today, I’d like to share with you what I see as one of the most significant opportunities for coaches and consultants to grow their business in 2023. This is a necessary shift in thinking and operating that any expert-based business must adopt to grow successfully in today’s crowded market.

First, I’d like to share a quick story to illustrate.

In 2010, I met Dan Sullivan at a networking retreat and had the privilege of sitting through a workshop with him. During the seminar, Dan walked us through a handful of his mental models to upgrade our thinking and uncover growth opportunities in our business. By the end, everyone in attendance was raving about the experience.

I was blown away by how effectively Dan was able to help a roomful of 50 business owners because his tools and methods were so well thought out and organized. Each idea he taught had diagrams, models, and exercises focused on a specific need or challenge experienced by entrepreneurs.