Happy Summertime! Here in the USA, we are about to have a long holiday weekend that marks the unofficial end of summer.
The grass is growing like cray-cray, and being a first time non-NYC-apartment homeowner, I now have LAND ….over 3 acres of it. With trees, plants, woods, and a whole lotta 🌱lawn 🌱. Which needs a whole lotta mowing. So, I had 2 options:
(1) Get a tractor-mower and ride it for +2 hours. (didn’t think I could take calls while riding it, though…)
(2) Hire someone to mow my lawn for me.
LESSON #1: In most cases, your TIME is more valuable than your money. Which is why you actually SAVE money by hiring help with your business!. For example, when you work with a coach, you learn what you need to know so you can get more clients, start making consistent income, and quit wasting your time and money “winging it” all alone and trying the wrong strategies at the wrong time that don’t work.
So, I called around for lawn-mowing services, asked neighbors, got estimates. People were all over the place…one said $75 per cut, but it ended up costing me $90. Others said $225. Some didn’t show up for the estimate; some showed up and then never sent an estimate…
Then there was this one guy, Mike, who stood out. He texted me this right after our meeting:
Mike’s estimate at $300/mo was more than the $150-180/mo I was already spending. I don’t like spending more than I have to, of course.
But he did some things that impressed me that NO ONE else did!
(1) He offered me recurring payments on a yearly contract that includes 4 mows a month during lawn season, added bonuses like weedwacking, and other care I hadn’t even thought about yet to cover the winter and other seasons.
LESSON #2: Packages FTW! Focus your energy on securing longer-term, higher-paying clients so you have consistent, recurring income coming in. Stop offering “one-off” single sessions, or short 2-3 month programs that don’t give much income, or lead to longer, high-ticket programs. Yes, even YOU, you healers and therapists!
Soooo, I was back and forth with Mike, questioning spending more, but also loving the idea of not having to worry about my lawn or a snow-covered driveway at ALL for an entire year.
I had told him I like his approach, and mentioned I teach my own clients to do the same thing. 🙂
But I was stressing over the decision…I didn’t realize how big my lawn really was until I moved in. Oops. I had said “no wonder my dad got rid of his lawn and put in desert landscape!” (although my dad lived in an actual desert in California).
THEN Mike sent me this other text a few days later…
LESSON #3: Focus on your benefits! How does your offer solve your clients pains and give them their desires? You reallllyyy need to understand your ideal clients and their needs, and then you must know how connect to them and their pains/desires with your messaging. (This is one of the first things I teach my clients how to do, since most people are “just guessing”, which doesn’t work).
If you haven’t noticed, Mike knows how to sell. He sold me — I signed his annual contract last week. I’m paying a bit more than I have to, but I do feel I got a better deal… now I have someone dependable, and my time and energy is free to focus on other things (like serving my awesome clients!)
LESSON #4: Master sales! You need to learn how to sell to make the money you want. Few people have the natural ability, you need to study it, practice, practice more and master it all the time.
These are 4 simple lessons that I see soooo many people missing in their business. And they wonder why they’re in feast or famine….or why they feel stuck and frustrated all the time.
You do NOT need to be stuck or frustrated! Once you ask for help, you only need to receive it.
I get where you’re at, and I’ve got you. Let me help.
(If someone you know is struggling with their business, feel free to share this to them, too).
