Living Forward Business & Lifestyles Inc
In business there’s never a lack of opportunity to talk about money, and for some reason it’s always awkward, whether it’s asking for the sale, someone wanting a refund or a discount, or to hold their payment, or maybe it’s a team member negotiating their pay, or YOU’RE talking pricing with one of your vendors.
The way you show up in these conversations is KEY to having them be light, easy and graceful.
Have you ever been in a conversation with an acquaintance or someone you just met and you get the feeling they are likely an ideal client for you and you just have no idea how to transition this conversation from small talk to how you can help them? Do you worry if you do that you’ll come across as “salesy” or “sleezy”?
So instead of making an offer you just “hem and haw” around the topic and keep the conversation casual, or worse social. And then the conversation ends and you never know if that person could have been your next perfect client.
Frustrating isn’t it?
Imagine on your next project, event or launch, having all of your expenses taken care of before you even begin!
I was so thrilled when Charmaine Hammond from Raise a Dream agreed to be interviewed and to share her knowledge about how corporate sponsorships are a lucrative (and untapped) revenue source for entrepreneurs.
As entrepreneurs it’s natural from time to time to feel like we’re just so far in over our heads with “to-do’s” that we don’t know how we’re going to get it all done. And unfortunately, that thinking just makes it worse because it shuts down the ability to problem solve and think creatively.
Do you like to get paid but dislike asking for money?
A lot of entrepreneurs and especially women, really struggle to ask for money for their services. They’re not comfortable stating their fees or asking for non-refundable deposits, or they feel awkward asking the client to get current on their payments, or renegotiating when the client wants more than agreed upon.
You know what’s a total buzz kill for freedom? Burnout.
What separates the successful from the strugglers, is the successful do what they gotta do, no matter what.
But you know what? The truth is, sometimes you need a break, and the question is how do you know the difference between when you need to suck it up and push through, and when you need to take a break?
You’re not alone. Early on in my business, I noticed a trend in my masterminds, and with my own clients and colleagues, that those who had REALLY successful corporate careers, seemed to struggle the most in getting their business off the ground.
Here’s the thing – while technical knowledge is important, success in any endeavour ALWAYS comes back to who you’re being and how you show up. And the mindsets, decisions, and behaviours that make a person successful in their employment are usually exactly the opposite of what’s needed to succeed as an entrepreneur.
So if you’ve been also wondering “What Gives?” , don’t worry, you won’t be schlepping burgers or coffee any time soon. You CAN make this happen with just a few shifts on some BIG stuff.
If so, what’s stopping you?
Fear? Thinking “That’s crazy”? Wondering HOW to do it?
The funny thing about a crazy dream, is there’s really no perfect time, and circumstances will never be right. However when you make the decision (as evidence by taking ACTION), it’s amazing how circumstances an opportunities you couldn’t see before, just suddenly line up.
Today I’m interviewing Marketing & Mindset Mentor Simona Ksoll.
There are no lack of resources or trainings available out there on why you need to speak, how to write your talk, how to craft your offers and deliver your talk, etc.
The reason for that, is that speaking works! It’s one of the fastest and most lucrative ways to generate a buzz for your brand, to attract leads and to get you clients.
BUT….it seems that most of those trainings are missing a key ingredient. They don’t actually tell you with any depth of information or strategy how to GET those gigs.
Sure they may give a few tips, and give you directories to look up. But simply downloading a directory of venues and reaching out to places you don’t know without proper preparation, or just putting feelers out there – is a recipe for frustration and disappointment.
If you’re asking yourself how you can do that without being selfish, you’re asking the wrong question.
The question to ask yourself is “WHY does what I want and need make me feel guilty?”.
As women it’s in our nature to nurture and to take care of others. And putting yourself first isn’t about taking away from others. In fact it’s about adding to who you are so that you can really show up in the way you want to.
I’m sure you’ve heard the proverbial and, well, almost cliché example of airlines telling you to put on your oxygen mask fist. And while it’s true, you HAVE to take care of yourself before you take care of others, in my opinion that example doesn’t go far enough, its very nature is about SURVIVING.
