How I Tripled My Business Leads in 8 Weeks
By Christine OKelly | April 16, 2008
This post offers more of a “mindset” how-to vs. a step by step guide. Every business is different, but I think these concepts are universal.
For years I’ve been doing what I think a lot of entrepreneur’s are guilty of… I’ve been purposefully, and yet largely unknowingly, holding back my business growth. I fell into the trap that all of us fall into at some point or another - my current status was comfortable. Making the necessary changes to grow meant navigating into uncharted waters and forcing myself to change.
But then a few things happened that changed my thinking and helped me to make some dramatic growth steps with my business.
Working With a Coach: Dave Navarro
This point is first because if I hadn’t taken this step, I may not have seen all of these other opportunities. When I called out Dave Navarro to see if he could help me find more time in my day… I got far more than I bargained for. I “knew” cognitively that having a coach was a smart idea since most successful people recommend this, but I didn’t really KNOW how much of an impact it could have on my life and my business.
I’ve learned that if you are really dead serious about taking your business to the next level, you’ve got to bring more people into the picture that are invested in your success. Working as a solo entrepreneur for too long can put you into a place where you are unable to really see all of the opportunities you might be missing. Having a coach on your side that can see things from the 30,000 ft. perspective vs. the ground level where most small businesses and solo entrepreneurs are operating is in my opinion, one of the smartest moves you can make.
Many of the things Dave suggested were things I “knew” but that I was making excuses for not doing. Perhaps the most critical of which was that I needed to outsource a lot of the busywork that was taking time away from doing what I was most effective at. I had thought about this before, but had several excuses:
- It’s easier to just do these things myself rather than training someone else
It does take a bit of time to train someone on your way of doing things… but if you invest that time once, you can free up countless hours in the long run. As a way to counter this, I’m creating written training and screen casted training modules so that I can do the training ONCE, but apply it multiple times.
- Trying to manage someone else will take as much time as doing it myself
If you have good systems in place, managing a team is much easier. I started using Basecamp as a way to manage communications. I highly recommend this for anyone managing multiple projects and/or multiple team members.
- I need to get more business in so that I can ‘afford’ to pay someone else to handle things
This is the biggest lie of all. Filling your time with busywork is a sure way to stop your business growth in its tracks. Until you can free up some of your time, your ability to grow your businesses is severely threatened.
If you are thinking something like “well… that sounds great but [insert excuse]” then you are thinking the exact same way I was in my pre-Navarro days. If you are dead serious about growing your business, I highly recommend finding yourself a coach - even if you can only afford a few short hours a week. Dave Navarro and Akemi Gaines are coaches that work specifically with small businesses.
Action Plan: Figure out exactly how much you need to get by and set a cap for your own earnings - then outsource as many tasks as you can that do not require your core competency. As a freelancer or small business owner, it is tempting to think…”well… if I did the entire project myself I could get x - but if I outsourced I would only get a fraction of x.” That’s not thinking that is indicative of growth.
Business Promotion
With my extra time, I took measures to promote my own business more - things that I was too busy to do before freeing up my time. There are many, many ways to promote your business online aside from developing your website and blog. I wrote articles, press releases, created a HubPage, a Squidoo Lens, sent out emails, enhanced my Marketing Kit, promoted my slide show on Slideshare, added some pages to my website, researched new methods of link building.
All of these measures have helped me improve my ranking in the search engines and convert more visitors to customers. I have many more things planned and am thrilled that I am taking measures to free up my time - what was I thinking before?!? The more I’ve put Dave’s advice into practice, the more ridiculous my original excuses seem.
Action Item: Instead of focusing 100% of your efforts on your blog or tweeting on Twitter, write and publish content on multiple sites.
I Heard This Saying: “Are You Playing to Win, Or Playing Not To Lose?”
Whoa. This saying was like a slap in the face. When we achieve a little bit of comfort, we start becoming afraid to lose it, so we stop playing to win and start playing not to lose. We say we want to win, but our actions don’t reflect that. As a result, I’m taking some risks that I was too ‘afraid’ to take before. I’m starting a 50/50 partnership with the wonderful Tara Geissinger, a chick with a self-made mindset and a skill set necessary for creating a business that was playing to win vs. playing not to lose.
Even if you don’t want to partner legally, there is an important psychological event that takes place when your business becomes more than just you. When it’s just you, you can become complacent. There is no one to keep you accountable. If you fail, you’re only hurting yourself. When you partner, there is a much greater responsibility to succeed. If you truly want to succeed and believe you can, why wouldn’t you take this step?
Here were my excuses:
- Partnering with someone means I’ll be sharing 50% of my earnings
True. But if you partner with the right person, you’ll position yourself to bring in more revenue.
- I haven’t found a person I trust to partner with
This is a legitimate excuse. I wouldn’t recommend picking someone out of the blue. Blogging is a great way to meet people. Tara and I casually knew each other before but only started realizing that we had this incredible like-minded kinship after I started blogging. A person’s blog can tell you a lot about them and help you decide if this is someone you want to partner with. Commenting on blogs and sending a blogger ideas for how you could make their business better is a great way to build relationships that could turn into a partnership. Tara originally approached me with ideas - and I’m glad she did.
Action Item: If you are truly committed to ‘winning’ (whatever that means to you) ask yourself at least once during the day - “Are the actions I’m taking indicative of someone who is playing to win, or playing not to lose?” Playing to win typically requires building strategic relationships with others. Keep your eyes open for people you think your skills would be a good match for and contact them with ideas. If you’re a blogger and receive such comments, be open minded to them.
I’ve Been Listening to Steve Chandler Almost Non-Stop
When I read this 78 word blog post on Michael Warner’s Dream Jobs Dialog Blog, I had no idea that it would completely transform my life. I feel like I’ve discovered a gold mine by being introduced to Steve Chandler’s work. How had I never heard of him before? After Reading “17 Lies That Are Holding You Back and the Truth That will Set You Free,” I went to Steve’s site and bought 3 more audios - all equally amazing.
Thanks to Steve’s editor Maurice Bassett, I’ve also received an advance copy of his 10-part audio series “Mindshift” - wow. In all of his work, Steve Chandler talks about how most of us are using our minds ineffectively and thus holding ourselves back from success. Chandler first learned about the power of the mind when doing psychological warfare in the military. He says that in order to change someone’s mind, you must know how the mind operates… and he does.
Action Plan: Get some of Steve’s books and audios! I’d love to hear your a-ha moments after learning from Steve.
What has worked for you?
What actions have you taken recently or in the past that have significantly grown your business? Have you tried anything that didn’t work - oftentimes knowing what didn’t work is just as valuable as knowing what did work! Have you had some a-ha moments that we can all learn from?
Special Thanks
This week I’d like to give a special thanks to Samuel Ryan, the mastermind behind the Wake Up Later blog, for affording me the opportunity to interview on his blog earlier this year. Samuel is “a web designer and developer and admits to having already experienced about a dozen mid-life crises which nearly led him to become a teacher, med student, breakdancer, clarinetist, monk, or nomad. For a great blog that focuses on website building, freelancing, blogging, online entrepreneurship, and free stuff for freelancers, check out Samuel’s blog - Wake Up Later.
Topics: Business Development, Uncategorized |
38 Comments »
« How I Made $2,952 Online with a $0 Investment | Home | Hunting Down and Exposing Deep Dark Challenges »
You go!
When I’ve read biographies of people who accomplished great things, I am always amazed how good they are at organizing, delegating and letting others do their thing.
I want to outsource as much of the stuff I struggle with so I can focus more of my energy on the stuff I am good at. It’s cool to hear how you are doing this.
Exactly Tim! Build a team of great people and allow them all to focus on their core competencies - it just makes sense!
Hi Christine!
I’m not outsourcing anything yet, too busy eliminating first. I have come to the insight in the past months that I have so many different things demanding my attention, that I’m finishing, canceling and simplifying before I start to outsource.
Outsourcing should only be done on stuff that really needs to be done. Outsourcing stuff that can be eliminated is only “added cost”.
I will check out Steve Chandler’s book and audios, you sound SO enthusiastic about them
SMART idea Lodewijk - that makes perfect sense. I hope you really enjoy Steve Chandler! I’m hooked. This is the 3rd blog post in a row where I’ve ranted and raved about him
Spot on article, as usual, Christine. I read your posts religiously.
One cautionary note about outsourcing, getting others involved, and the like . . . be careful not to go too far with that, less you end up not doing anything you love.
I got so good at outsourcing and hiring employees that, before I knew it, I’d hired 150 people to run my business, and most of them were doing all the fun stuff that I used to love to do while I was pouring over financial statements, meeting with lawyers and bankers, dealing with troublesome employees and issues . . . all of the things I hated doing. Full time.
In fact, I often long for the day when I’m just a one-man-do-it-all-show again. Ahh, that grass is always greener on the other side, eh?
Adios,
Michael
That is VERY good advice Michael - I will definitely heed that. One thing I’ve learned throughout this whole process is to find people you trust and then LISTEN to them. Thanks!
Excellent advice Christine!
Having a coach or just a “business buddy” can do wonders for you. The most important thing being it makes you more accountable.
Besides getting a coach or a mentor, I also recommend becoming part of a mastermind group.
Did you know that Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, John Burroughs and Luther Burbank had created a mastermind group together? All 5 of them became successful because of each others help.
Cool Ankesh - I didn’t know that!
I wonder if there an online resource for people to connect and build Mastermind Groups… If there’s not… that would be a great idea!
Christine,
Thank you for the mention! I started reading your post just as usual and was totally taken by happy surprise when I saw my own name!!
As a coach, I am always interested in what people have to say about coaching from the clients’ viewpoint. It looks you are doing great with Dave and I am so glad. It takes courage to seek assistance like coaching, and I congratulate your decision to work with one.
Outsourcing and strategic partnering — what I call “team building” — is a critical, yet often neglected area of entrepreneurship. It’s one of the points I made in my e-workbook “7 Check Points For Aspiring Entrepreneurs”. Men and women alike, new entrepreneurs too often try to do everything by themselves. As you experienced, however, good team building can increase productivity by the multiples.
Thrive, don’t just survive!
My blessings for your business and personal life,
Akemi Gaines
I absolutely agree with your third paragraph… it’s something I didn’t ’see’ as clearly before working with a coach. Doing everything yourself is not a good way to serve your clients.
It’s fine in the beginning when there is more time than work. But as you grow, continuing to hold on to those old habits can halt the growth and/or take away from the customer experience.
Thanks!
You rock!!
I know I say that often, but I don’t say ‘you rock’ to everybody, I’m very picky about this hehe and you and Dave definitely rock (@Dave, you already know this!)
Outsourcing has really helped my business (and helped me stay sane too), but I wouldn’t outsource too much though (in reference to Michael’s comment) working with a very small team of freelancers makes it easy for me to keep doing the stuff I love, and not go crazy.
I love the idea of creating training modules! That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?
Thanks Jon - I know that your business has been growing like crazy too! I can speak from experience when I say that you not only do great work - but are also an awesome person to work with.
Christine
Oh the struggles for a one person entrepreneur. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve tried hiring assistants. By the time they are any use to me they’ve moved on - new boyfriend/girlfriend/ work in the city / want a more social work environment / have a baby etc etc. And then I figured it out - find someone who is really interested in my business and already has some idea of what to do. As Michael says, offload / outsource the boring stuff, accounts, routine admin BUT don’t kid yourself that the stuff you like doing is effective in moving your forward (read generating income)if what you like doing is tidying your desk!!
Time for total honesty
I agree with you here: “find someone who is really interested in my business and already has some idea of what to do.”
I don’t think it’s necessarily about outsourcing all of the boring stuff and keeping only the stuff you like… It’s about building a small team of people doing what they like and are best at.
There comes a point where it becomes difficult to serve your clients well and in a way that is cost effective if you are trying to handle every single little thing. If I’m paying a web designer $100 an hour for their talent, I want their time to be spent doing the design, not doing all of the extra things needed to run their business.
Thanks Mark!
Christine,
This is the first of your blog posts that I have truly been able to view from behind the scenes and it is a weird feeling! I know how much planning and effort you are putting into growing your/our business and really think that outsourcing a little bit is a good idea.
You have an amazing ability to create successful marketing strategies and products — but right now you need the gift of time to fully realize this. I know you enjoy writing and don’t want to outsource it all out, but you also enjoy the freedom of brainstorming ideas, researching their potential and starting new business ventures. Right now you can’t do that effectively.
I agree with the PP that we have to be careful to not outsource to the point where we are both handling management and payroll duties and no longer able to find the time to do what we love! I for one am excited about partnering with you and can’t wait to see what this year brings for us!!
Tara
This is going to be an exciting year for sure! As you know, we are building systems to provide the most effective client experience and deliver the highest value. Keeping this as the main point of focus, in my opinion, is at the heart of any true success.
Another great post, before I was done reading it I took the action of emailing someone that had contacting me about being a virtual assistant a few months ago. I emailed her to set up a phone interview.
To be honest with you I can’t imagine how someone else could do these things faster than I can, BUT if I try it out and it doesn’t work no big loss! And if it does work I can definitely see some huge gains.
Hi Laura! I’d love to find out more about your VA services too… send me an email with your info!!
Oh the way I phrased it wasn’t clear, I am using someone else’s VA services, I am not a VA myself. I’m going to send you an email anyway though.
Lol Laura! Now the second part of your comment makes more sense! I totally relate to what you’re saying. I held off for so long because I figured I could just do it faster and the thought of helping someone else over that learning curve seemed so frustrating! But then this ‘busy work’ began taking over to the point where I have to do something about it. Let us know how it goes with the VA if you decided to go that route!
I’ve been working with a business coach as well (Greg Balanko-Dickson) and it has been transforming.
I’ve been looking at both Basecamp and Zoho stuff and I think Basecamp looks like a winner, so it’s nice to see you liked it too.
Good for you on your progress and breakthroughs!
PULL THE TRIGGER.
Michael - thanks for the head’s up on Greg - wow - he seems to have a ton of great info there on his blog. I’m definitely subscribing.
Here’s the link: http://www.smallbusinesstransitions.com/
I like Basecamp because it has the most features that I’m looking for and I’m familiar with it from using it with other’s projects. But I’m still on a quest for the ‘perfect’ project management/collaboration tool if such a thing exists… it has to be easy to use and learn (because I don’t want clients to have to climb a steep learning curve to communicate with me). The harder part seems to be finding one that makes it simple to see the project at a glance so that everyone can ’see’ exactly which stages a project and it’s pieces are in at any given time.
If anyone has any ideas please, please send them my way!
[…] and activities, that are aligned to my goals is getting nearer. And when I’m there, I need to shift focus and get busy to really propel me forward. These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web […]
Hi Christine - I’m glad Dave benefitted you. Partnering with someone else seems like a smart move for you. Also, at least you’ll be able to take time off without worrying if you have someone to cover for you.
I think the growth part is difficult for many people. I’ve seen myself in situations where I’ll employ people, but not delegate enough. As you say, it’s easy to tell yourself that it’s less hassle just to carry on doing things yourself than training people.
The difficult part, I think, is the bit you mentioned about getting more business in before you take someone on to help you. I have struggled with this. I’ve been in situations where I didn’t take people on soon enough - that is bad, because then you get to the point where you’re actually too busy to train someone.
And I’ve also been in the position where I employed too many people too quickly. It really is a difficult thing to get right. But it sounds like you’re on the right track.
You’re so right Cath - growth is much more difficult than I imagined! I certainly haven’t been taking any time off with the new changes though - it’s been more work than I possibly imagined - but exhilarating work and I’m enjoying the journey.
I can tell you’ve been in the same situation with balancing growth - congrats - it’s a good ‘problem’ to have!
Christine
Hey Christine,
Where are you shorty? We (I know I do) miss you terribly out here!
You must be flooded with work! It’s been a minute since we heard from you!
Anyway you had said, a while back, that you would delve more into the nitty gritty of SEO copywriting.
I would love to hear more about this when you do get the chance.
Also let us know, aspiring copywriters, if it’s that busy in SEO copywriting land. Is that why you don’t blog as often? Is there a lot of work out there?
Thanks Christine!
We love you!
Ohhh! You just made my day Robert! You are exactly right - I’ve been so unbelievably busy lately and that is why I’ve been slow to update the blog. However, it does bug me every day that I don’t have a new post up!! I’m also building a huge product for SEO copywriters, building 2 new websites, and coordinating the new LLC.
I’ve got a post in my head… just need to get it out there. Thanks for the kick in the butt!
She is alive!
Damn gal, don’t give a brotha a heart attack like that! Looking good as ever, I see…LOL!
And…
No, thank you for the kick in the butt!
It is solely because of you that I now have a new “SEO freelance writing career” that I’m working on. And I thank you IMMENSELY for that.
I cannot wait for your huge product for SEO copywriters. Cannot wait!
take care gal!
I just want to thank you for getting me off my ass and taking care of what I need to take care of. I have always been playing so as not to lose. Now I am on my way to becoming a winner. It’s time to lose the dead weight and since December I have been shedding the people out of my life that don’t want to help or encourage me. I put your blog on my site hoping others will learn from you, through me.
You are kind of, sort of, my coach.
Thank you,
Jason
voteformeontuesday.com
Oh wow Jason - thanks! This is such an inspirational story - I want to hear more!
What a great testimonial to why someone would need a coach. Dr. Joe Dispenza (of “What the Bleep” and “Evolve Your Brain”) writes about hiring a swimming coach when training for a triathelon. He said he’d been swimming for a long time, but that he needed to be taught to swim - not in the sense of learning not to drown (he already learned that), but someone who could break down his stroke and build it back up with “improved technique.”
For many small business owners they’re somewhat acquainted with the strategies to “survive” but not to really take off and thrive! THAT’S what a coach can do for the Small Business Owner!
What to Go, Christine!
Christine, I miss your posts, hun. Please post up another one soon. No pressure though.
Hugs. Dreams. Chocolate.
ebele.
[…] This is what Steve Pavlina says he did in his post Life Coaching. As a business owner, the amount of money he would make was dependent on his performance, and his coach helped him work smarter. Christine O’Kelly, another entrepreneur, also claims she tripled her sales leads by working with her coach. […]
Hey Christine,
Glad to know you haven’t abandoned the blog! I will keep looking out for a post from you. Glad to hear things are so successful!
I hired a coach, and though he is a very nice guy, and I made some tremendous strides in my business….the bottom line still sucks.
I had to let him go. He has several clients and several franchises going, and though he had some great insight when I asked him for guidance, he didn’t really “get up in my face” enough.
One thing he and I agreed on with regard to outsourcing: you need to thoroughly know how the task is done first BEFORE you farm it out.
[…] I like it when I can cross the time consumers from the list. I love it even more when the list shortens, and it does at the moment. The moment that I’m mainly working on projects and activities, that are aligned to my goals is getting nearer. And when I’m there, I need to shift focus and get busy to really propel me forward. […]
[…] This is what Steve Pavlina says he did in his post Life Coaching. As a business owner, the amount of money he would make was dependent on his performance, and his coach helped him work smarter. Christine O’Kelly, another entrepreneur, also claims she tripled her sales leads by working with her coach. […]
Achieving success in your business isn’t that easy. You just need to have a strategy that will surely work on you for you to maintain your productivity level. Outsourcing some of the jobs can help you manage your time too, as you’ve said.