|
Reader, Today's newsletter is a little different than my deep dives, but it feels needed. We are one month into the new year - and let's just say, it's been interesting. Every week, I meet 1:1 with business owners who are experienced... Running high 6 and multi-7-figure businesses. And they are winning... but it definitely feels a little chaotic. People are buying, but things are not at all predictable, and so business owners are second-guessing themselves left and right. So - I thought this week, I might just share some truths (that NO ONE ELSE WILL SHARE)... that have come up on calls, to hopefully help you to stay in the game this year. Because you CAN win... But it will require some mindset shifts on your end! So, let's dive in. People are NOT making decisions like they used to. Including your team. I can't tell you how many times this comes up in any given week. So let me break this down for you... We are all at our max with information coming at us from 1000 directions. The effect of today's algorithms is terrifying to say the least, but at a minimum, you need to understand that ANY OUNCE of confusion on your buyer's end (or team's) will be a no. Not a maybe like it used to be. Not an "okay, let's try it" like in 2022. A no. What this means for you... People need 10x more repetition than they used to. You have to explicitly answer the questions they aren't asking. You need to remove ALL fluff from pitches and get super specific. You need to repeat yourself on lives, in emails, and on social. You may need DM convos for lower ticket items ($500+) to answer the ONE question holding buyers back. People are doubting themselves and literally everything they see and hear. I don't see this getting better. With AI videos and photos, the clickbait content is wildly out of hand, and makes buyers far more skeptical. Political agendas that are immediately polarizing put everyone on the defensive. The weight of what we see on any given day puts people in a general state of fogginess. Which means your job is to cut through the noise with PRECISION. Clarity, specificity, and repetition will go a long way to building trust and getting people to take action. Nothing is predictable. Nothing. You have to make peace with this so you can start taking action. One launch can crush, the next might not. One day, your ads are crushing it, the next, they aren't. One day, your bonuses drive massive action - the next month, the same bonus flops. This means you can't be too precious with any given wrapping paper. Launch topics. Masterclass topics. Messaging angles. Lead magnets. Launch bonuses. Structure of launches, programs, or offers. All of that needs to be held loosely. Stick to principles that don't change (trust needs to be established, clarity over cleverness, people buy solutions that solve their "hair on fire" problems). Everything else should be flexible. As long as you show up with integrity and sell things you can truly deliver on... You can confidently test new ideas when something stops working, and know it's normal these days. You will want to quit. Don't. I don't have much more on this, but I am telling you - you will probably want to, and you shouldn't. You aren't crazy for feeling this way. I work with experienced entrepreneurs who aren't afraid of hustle and hard work. They've all had their moments of wanting to throw in the towel. Often, those moments are literally just weeks (sometimes days) before MASSIVE breakthroughs. Do not quit. Channel your inner Backstreet Boy (they've been in the game for 30 years - literally started in 1993-peaked 8 years into their career with Millennium, lulled for about 12 years while still working and making records, then came back swinging in 2019 with an epic album and tour... 2020 derailed that tour... then they came back AGAIN last year at the Sphere and are making LITERAL MILLIONS every night - I think it's like $4M PER SHOW). If they can do it, so can you! Be a Backstreet Boy. Keep going. Your speed to execution will LITERALLY make you or break you right now. Your overthinking is costing you. A LOT. Since everything requires testing, your ability to have an idea, build it, and get it out into the world quickly will help you to test things and make money faster. I am not saying you need to be frantic. I am not recommending being careless. I am not saying to throw things out that ARE working, so you can test new things. I am not saying be sloppy. I am saying that if you are listening to your market, and want to try something out - do a Beta round, or throw it out to a small group to see how they respond. Do a small email launch to a segment of your list to see what happens. Get it out into the world to see how the market responds so you can iterate and move forward. You can't wait two months to test a new idea that came from your market today - it might be irrelevant by then. Ads are not a luxury anymore. If you want to grow your list, fill your launches, or make low-ticket sales daily, you need to run ads. I'm not saying you need to spend millions. I am definitely not saying to STOP the organic marketing strategies you are using. But, I am saying to start small to move faster. Even $1000 a month can go a long way to build your list and audience. The volume required to make sales consistently is more than it used to be. Running dialed-in ads helps you do that at a rate that sustains your pipeline. Be open to things you might not have previously been open to. Buyers have changed. They are more resistant to ongoing commitments. They are more resistant to general masterminds or group coaching programs. They want less info and more direct support and feedback. They want tiny, self-paced solutions to SPECIFIC problems, then will pay a premium to get the 1:1, DFY, or DWY support that helps them get the system implemented. It's okay to shift how you structure your offers. How you sell your offers. You can remain true to who you are, what you feel called to, and the impact you want to make while also staying agile in all other areas. "Danielle - that feels like a lot." It is. Here's what our most successful clients are doing (and what I do) to manage it all... 1-Tap into your purpose. You know that little clichè about knowing your WHY. THIS is a season where that isn't just a clichè - it is what will keep you focused. 2-Get some biz besties. I know this feels fluffy... But you need some peeps who get it... People who understand the grind, but will give you more grace than you will give yourself. People who will tell you the truth when you need it, but for your own good. People who will think through things with you - process, and ideate. 3-Pray. This one is mine - but it's honestly the most important weapon in my arsenal. Trust that God has the outcomes in the palm of His hand. Trust that He gives wisdom to everyone who asks. Trust that He is a good shepherd who leads his people well. He doesn't play games. Trust that He shows up even in the hard seasons. Trust that while I am not wise enough, strategic enough, or visionary enough - He is, and I have access to that. For me, prayer is a stabilizer - a guide - and an anchor. Here's the truth... Everywhere we look, our clients are winning. That doesn't mean they are coasting in ANY way. But, they are moving forward. You can too. Hopefully, you feel a little less crazy, a little less alone, and a little more ready to tackle things that come your way! If you want to work with us and aren't already, hit reply to this email and let me know: 1-What stage of business are you currently in (annual revenue)? 2- What is your main goal this year? I will make a recommendation based on what the best fit is for you! FYI... all of our offers require an investment, so if you are looking for more free resources, hang out here on this email list and you'll get plenty of good stuff coming your way! Talk soon, Danielle P.S. Kelly and I are hosting a new intensive in February... if you want to lead as a thought leader in your space, we are letting you in on our new favorite platform - Substack. Here's the link to check it out! |
Kairos Leadership and Thought Leader HQ
Reader, If you didn’t get a chance to listen to the podcast this week (here's the link if not!), Kelly walked through seven powerful questions to review January and set yourself up for a big leap in February: Everything from re-anchoring to your goals, tightening your time blocks, and identifying decisions or non-decisions that may be slowing down your momentum. Since the month is just getting started, this is the perfect moment to pause, take inventory, and make sure you’re actually on track...
Before we dive in – did you miss last night’s training on how to turn your book into an evergreen sales flywheel for nearly-passive sales + high ticket client acquisition? Watch the replay HERE! For most people, books are treated as a milestone, or an end game. They’ll do it when things “slow down” in their business, or when they finally have time to think again. It doesn’t feel as urgent as focusing on sales or marketing. They start it, put a pin in it, and don’t come back to it for a long...
members'Reader, Want more sales? Not loving the rate at which you are making sales. Every sales process has a few layers... First - The offer. You can't out market a bad offer. You can dress it up - but if it's not something people want, you have to ask yourself, is it the right offer. But, most people change their offer too soon. So, before you go messing with your offer ask yourself this... Have enough of the RIGHT people HEARD and seen my offer REPEATEDLY. Here's how to do that... Take...