Whenever I’ve got a client who’s panicking about money (“I need more clients!” “Nobody signed up for my program yet!” “Helllllp!”) I always encourage them to…
- Breathe.
- Get back to basics.
What does “back to basics” mean?
It means instead of spending the next 17 hours staring sadly at your computer screen and fretting and fiddling with your “pink spoon opt in incentive” or your “split-test email sales funnel” or your “Facebook ad campaign analytics,” keep it simple.
Think: old school.
Think: personal touch.
Think: more heart, less grind.
Think: Cary Grant. Aretha Franklin. Grace Kelly.
The classics.
Try…
* Snail mail. Send a handwritten thank you note to the last five people who hired you. They’ll probably stick your gorgeous note on their fridge and stare at it daily. Every time they walk by, you’ll be in their mind. Guess who they’ll recommend to a friend? You. Guess who they’ll remember to contact and hire again? You.
* Personal emails. Send a personal email to a dream client. Invite them to hire you now, or in the future, whenever, no pressure. Just express that you’d love to be considered. (Say something like: “If you’re ever looking for a [publicist / project manager / video producer / whatever you do], I’d love to be considered! I’d love to work with you.”)
* Generosity. Make a helpful introduction for a colleague. Introduce them to a podcast host, to a potential client, to someone they ought to meet. Open a door for them. No strings attached. Generosity comes back to you tenfold.
* Bulletin boards. Get an old-school cork bulletin board (a big one, like two or three feet wide) and a big piece of paper. Write your financial goals on it. BIG LETTERS. Put it above your coffee maker and stare at it daily.
* Day planner. Every day, for the next forty days, challenge yourself to take one action step—big or small—to sell your services and earn more money. Write each step in your planner—by hand, ink and pen—to keep yourself on track.
These old school moves are power moves.
Over and over, in my own business—and in my clients’ businesses—I’ve found that old school moves lead to big, new, exciting victories. Financial victories. Other kinds, too.
Real talk? You probably don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to develop a smartphone app. You probably don’t need to tweet 27 times a day. You probably do need to send a personal email to ten of your dream clients. Start there. Keep it simple.
It’s incredible what simple, basic moves can do.
Classics are classic for a reason.
PS. Even though I love technology, I still write all of my priorities in my old school paper day planner. Annnnnnnd… exciting news! I’m creating a 2019 GO TIME! Day Planner for YOU. Here’s a sneak peek. More photos and info: coming soon.
