February 28, 2017 by Sharla Jacobs

The 3 Ways Clients Say Yes

When most Coaches and Holistic Practitioners think about creating a Marketing Plan, they get really uncomfortable, because they have NO idea where to begin.

On today’s video, I reveal the 3 Ways Clients Say Yes to working with you. And when you decide which (or how many) of these ways you’ll get the Yes, it’s super easy to figure out how to get more clients.

Watch the video, 3 Ways Clients Say Yes, now:

No time to watch this short video? Read the transcript below:

Hi. This is Sharla Jacobs from Thrive Academy welcoming you from my home office in Santa Cruz, California. (And shhh my kids are asleep but I wanted to make this video for you because I got so excited about what we were teaching at our live event today. I just can’t wait.)

Alright on today’s video I’m talking about the three main ways that people will say yes to you so you can get crystal clear about your marketing and you don’t have to be distracted or confused or wondering what to do. My intention is that after you watch this video you will be so clear about what you need to do and what you don’t need to do, that you’ll be able to simply be in action.

In order for your business to thrive or for you to have all the clients you want, you’ve got to have a way that people say, ‘Yes” to working with you. Right? And if you haven’t figured this out then you might be kind of feeling like you’re aimless, shooting in the dark when you’re trying to figure out how to get clients. So I want to make it really really simple for you because once you figure this out it allows you to have that focus and that clarity to be really clear about what to do next.

When you think about that moment when somebody goes from – they weren’t yet ready to hire you but now they are -- there’s this point of transformation really that they went from a “Not sure”, “Not ready”, “Not clear”, maybe all of the places that they could be and they finally became a “Yes” to themselves and “Yes” to working with you. We call that moment the point of conversion. This is a really really exciting moment whether you have had just a few of those you’ve had a lot of them. You know that until you get that “Yes” and somebody’s willing to pay you money to work with you, you really don’t have a business. You have a hobby.

Now on the last couple of videos and articles we talked about first having a big vision and being really ready to play. And when you have an exciting vision often your inner “gremlins” or the inner voices in your head that tell you you’re not good enough, you’re not ready or you can’t do that. They really start getting riled up and so we gave you some tips for how to neutralize those gremlins. And hopefully you’ll neutralize those gremlins and you’re pretty clear about what it is that you want to accomplish.

Now you want to get clear about your Point of Conversion. The place you want to focus on getting as many people as you need to that point so they can make that tipping point – that turning point to say yes.

There really are 3 possible Points of Conversion if you’re a coach or holistic practitioner. And when I share this with you it’s going to seem so simple and yet I want you to consider that if you aren’t clear about this it makes it very, very difficult to create a marketing plan that’s something simple so that you know exactly what to do.

Alright so the first way is in a private one-on-one conversation. Just you and this person heart to heart. We call this Heartselling™ conversations. It’s when you’re having a conversation with a potential client. It’s an inspiring conversation. It leads to action and if you’re really good at this and you’re masterful at the Five Elements of Heartselling™ which we talked about in some other videos, your potential clients will practically talk themselves into working with you if it’s a good match.

So that’s the first thing that you want to master. And if you know that, this is your business model. That conversation is the point of conversion that you want to get as many people to and then you just get crystal clear about “Okay, how am I going to get more people to these conversations? Is it going to be through networking ? Is it going to be through speaking? Is it going to be through asking for referrals and being intentional about that (which I talked about in another video)?”

Once you have that it’s very, very easy to get crystal clear on your marketing plan.

The second way that people might say yes to you is during some kind of a virtual event like a free teleseminar or free webinar. And one of my best recommendations when you’re first starting is to offer some kind of a strategy session or free consultation so that you can have a one-on-one conversation and discover about what people are looking for to see if it’s a good match.

Once you get more skilled at that and you feel more confident leading teleseminars and webinars then you can move on to making a straight offer on your teleseminar or webinar.

(Now for a lot of people that sounds really scary but don’t worry ... you can get there eventually.)

It does take some time to master this but as long as you’re good at those one-on-one conversations you will still be golden here. This is a great way to get clients. Even just the teleseminar or webinar to a free consultation that can be a powerful way to get to six figures very quickly.

So the third way that someone might say yes is when you are speaking in front of a group of people. Now when I say speaking in front of a group of people most people get a little nervous and start thinking about talking to hundreds of people. But you can start with ten people at your local Rotary Clubs or Kiwanis or something like that.

When you’re speaking you have the opportunity to make an offer. An offer for somebody to continue to work with you and if you wanted to go ahead and do a paid offer you can. Most people start doing something free. Again the free consultation is a really great way to get started.

Alright so if you decide that this third way is how you are going to find that Point of Conversion and find enough people to say yes then you just have to get crystal clear about how many people do you need to speak to every month so that you get enough free consultations and people saying yes to your program to make your business work.

Now this seems simple, I understand, and yet once you make this decision it’s so clear about what actions you need to take. Now if you are not sure yet or you’re not quite sure what those steps are then we want to invite you to be our guest at an upcoming Client Attraction Summit.

Tell us what you think

February 22, 2017 by Sharla Jacobs

What To Say To New Clients When They Ask You What You Charge

If you’re like most coaches and holistic practitioners (and me when I started out!) you feel anxious talking about your rate with potential clients.

You may “anticipate…” Trying to guess what they’ll think about your rate while you’re connecting with them, starting to waver.

But guess what?

That’s not the best way to get an aligned YES.

There’s a simple way to stay in your value, overcome that sense of anxiety, and stay connected and present with your client during the conversation. Connection is one of your gifts and will help you with enrolling your ideal clients, especially when you know a few key things to say which is what today’s video is all about.

Recently, I was interviewing one of our members of our $10,000 Month Club who mentioned how Heartselling™ helped her hear YES more often.

She gets quite a few calls from her Yelp page using principles we teach about how to write so potential new clients are interested before they even pick up the phone.

She said when people call they often immediately ask, “How much do you charge?” She figured out when people are just “price shopping” they’re not likely to say Yes.

After over 12 years of teaching Coaches and Holistic Practitioners how to attract more clients, we’ve heard this over and over again.

There’s a way to handle this question that will help you create an authentic connection and understanding necessary to create a Yes, get repeat clients, and turn away those who aren’t the right fit.

Watch this short video to learn how to gracefully transition from the potential of a lost client into an opportunity to get a YES.

Feel free to ask your questions or make your comments below after you’ve watched the video.

Tell us what you think...

September 22, 2015 by Jesse Koren

Why You Should Never “Close” Another Sale

If the story I’m about to tell you makes you even a little uncomfortable, I invite you to continue reading because eventually it has a happy ending...

Imagine you’re at a used car lot and you feel a presence lurking. Yes, you need a car but you’re not really finding “your” car in this lot. Suddenly, here he comes sauntering towards you. You notice the way he looks at you, almost like a coyote ready to sink his teeth into the “sale.”

As he approaches, you almost feel him breathing down your neck. You wonder, has he forgotten you are a human being or does he just see you as one big dollar sign?

He approaches with his bright shiny smile (aka baring his teeth) and launches into why this car is the perfect car for you. You want to run and hide, but instead you politely listen to him talk about this “perfect” car you aren’t even interested in. Finally, you use one of your agile maneuvers to distract him for a moment and you make your getaway…phew, that was close!

Okay, so this is a little extreme but I imagine you’ve felt this way at some point in your life…a victim to the salesman who didn’t see you as a person, but instead you became a “sale” and that person’s sole agenda was to “close the sale.”

I know you’re not a used car salesman and I know you’re not ready to sink your teeth into your next victim. But you’ve no doubt felt the impact of this “close the sale” energy at some point. And it is because of these types of experiences that most coaches and holistic practitioners avoid selling at all.

And yet if you want to be successful in your practice you’ve got to learn how to sell. But most sales trainings will tell you that you have to “close the sale.” Let’s take a look at the energy behind “the close” and why you should never “close a sale” again...

First, when you think of “closing a sale,” how do you feel?

For me it conjures up ideas of hunting a “prospect” down just like the coyote metaphor in the story above.

When you’re “closing,” you’re bringing an end to something. When you’re referring to your “prospect” as a “sale,” you’re missing the humanity of the person who’s standing right in front of you or who is on the other end of the phone.

In Heartselling™, you never close a sale. Instead, you support your potential clients to commit to investing in themselves. In essence, you’re helping them open vs. closing them.

For example:

-What if they could be pain free and enjoy picking up their grandkids again?

-What if they really could achieve the dream they’ve been thinking about for years?

-What if they could have 10 times more energy than they have now?

Do you feel the difference in “closing a sale” vs. “opening your potential client?”

Here’s an example of how this works:

At every Client Attraction Summit we do a live Heartselling™ demonstration with a participant. A few years ago at one of our events, I looked out at the hands of volunteers and I was immediately drawn to work with a beautiful, vibrant woman with short red hair and exotic clothes.

As she approached the stage, I realized we had met before at a Tantra workshop, so that’s how we started the conversation. During the course of the conversation, I discovered she had a Vision to help a LOT of people by leading Tantra retreats. I could see her inspiration…and I could also see her frustration with not having the next steps to see her Vision come to life.

First we uncovered what a LOT really meant (in numbers of people and dollars) and I supported her to feel what it would be like to have this dream come true. And she opened and then opened some more. It was like witnessing a flower blooming.

And then I shared with her that we had a step-by-step system to help her earn tens of thousands of dollars leading her retreats…and she opened even more. By the time we were done with the conversation, she was in tears of joy at the excitement of what was possible for her and for her clients to come. By the end of the weekend, she said “Yes” to herself by signing up for the programs that will help her achieve this dream.

It’s conversations like these that remind me why I love selling. Yes, I really said “I love selling.” Because when I have a Heartselling™ conversation with a potential client, I know her life will never be the same. She will see something is possible that she had previously missed, or worse…even felt resigned to never being able to have. It’s about opening her up to deeper parts of herself and having her say “Yes” to what her higher self wants for her.

Do you see how the energy of a Heartselling™ conversation is so different from “closing a sale?”

This is what makes it so powerful and has you become a magnet for the perfect clients.

The next time you are having a conversation with a potential client, remember you’re there to Open them up and notice how different that feels. I bet you’ll be so pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to help them say “Yes” to your services and to say “Yes” to themselves.

In next week’s blog post, you’ll hear from a Thriver who does a beautiful job of opening potential clients and how she thinks about it. If you’ve got any reservations about selling, you’re going to love next week’s post.

Would love to read your comments below.

September 9, 2015 by Sharla Jacobs

How to Go From Lost Client to Loyal Client

It was 2003, when I first started my coaching and acupuncture practice...before Jesse and I started Thrive Academy.

I'm at a local networking event and I’m feeling pretty anxious about getting some new clients because the amount of money I was making wasn't even covering my bills.

I start talking to a woman who asks me what I do. I tell her I’m a licensed acupuncturist and she starts “leaning in." (You know that feeling when someone seems genuinely interested?)

Then she asks me, “How much do you charge?”

And everything comes to a screeching halt...

I sort of stand there like a deer caught in the headlights and then blurt out, “$60/session.”

I can tell she senses my awkwardness and just like that, it's all over...

No more leaning in and the connection we had begun to build is instantly gone.

She asks for my business card and hands me hers and then she walks away and, of course, I never hear from her again.

If you’re a coach or holistic practitioner and you’ve ever gone to a networking event, I bet this has happened to you at least once or twice.

After so many years of trial and error in our own businesses, Jesse and I have since taught over 25,000 coaches and practitioners how to gracefully transition from the potential of a lost client into an opportunity for a loyal client.

First of all, you should know that when this happens it’s actually a REALLY good sign. It’s likely they’re a good potential new client and interested in what you have to offer them. But if you handle the conversation poorly, you’ll lose them.

What’s the solution?

#1 Look for the Match

At the Client Attraction Summit we teach our signature system called, Heartselling™, which allows you to have an authentic conversation with a potential client that has them asking to work with you, rather than “hard-selling” them into a “yes”.

Taking the time to find out what they’re looking for is key to this successful approach. But when they ask, “How much do you charge?” before you’ve had the chance to see if you’re really a match, it can be awkward.

They don’t have all the information they need to make a decision…and you don’t want them making their decision solely on price.

The problem is that if you answer the question right away there isn’t any context for them to hear an answer that makes sense to their needs.

This is especially true for businesses that provide several offers or options for their services.

You have no basis for an answer and the potential client has no basis to make a decision.

If the person is just bargain shopping they’re not going to be a good client for you anyway, right?

However, this doesn’t mean the person CAN’T be a good client.

But if you answer their question about price right away, you may never know.

#2 Here’s how to go from lost client to loyal client

When you get this question too early in the conversation, here is what you can say: “It depends. I find that different people require different levels of support, so I’d like to discover a little bit more about what you’re looking for, so I can make the best recommendation.”

And then you schedule a free or low-cost consultation with them in which you can talk with them more deeply about what they’re looking for, where they are now and what’s missing for them in their life (or business or whatever is relevant to the service you provide).

You then share with them how you can help them, and make a recommendation based on your experience.

This is where the graceful transition from lost client to loyal client comes in.

With this approach you are able to find out if it’s a match for you and this potential client to work together. You’ll have ample time (and their full attention because they’ve committed to a session with you) to explain how you can help them, so that once they hear the price they can make an informed decision – one that is much more likely to be a “YES.”

#3 Now it’s your turn...

Can you see yourself answering a potential client in this way? How does it feel when you say these words?

It might feel awkward or evasive at first, but remember, you are simply opening the door for a more in depth conversation so that you can truly discover whether or not you can help this person.

Here are a few recommended action steps if you’re ready to give this a try...

1. Pick an upcoming networking event and circle it on your calendar

2. Practice saying the answer I’ve provided above out loud until you are completely comfortable with it

3. Role play this scenario with a mentor, buddy coach, or friend

4. As you’re getting ready to attend the event, release any attachment to the outcome. You don’t want to feel anxious or needy before you even walk in the door!

5. Relax and have the intention of being of service

Post a question or comment below to stay in community and share your experiences.

July 2, 2015 by Jesse Koren

How to Prevent Unnecessary Cancellations

Picture this.

It’s 13 years ago and I (Jesse) am attending my first weekend of Coaches Training. I am so excited because I finally found my true calling. I know in every fiber of my being that I was called to be a coach. I felt at home for the first time in my adult life.

As I'm getting ready to leave the weekend, a woman I had coached in a practice exercise approaches me. “You’re an amazing coach,” she says. “I want to hire you. How much do you charge?”

“What???”

Suddenly, everything comes to a crashing halt. (I was not prepared to answer that question. I was a coach in training. I “wasn’t ready” to start charging for my services.)

But luckily, even back then, I had just a glimmer of business sense... and so rather than explaining to her all the reasons I wasn’t prepared, I somehow let the words, “$250 dollars” come crashing out of my mouth.

“Per hour... per month???” she asks.

“Per month?.”

“Okay! It’s a deal.”

What?!!? I just got a new client? Without even trying???

I was so excited, I wanted to run around the room and do cartwheels. But instead I simply thanked her and gave her a hug and told her I would send her an agreement to sign (I made a mental note to write up an agreement to send to her).

At our first session, my brand new client handed me a signed agreement and a check for $250. I could feel my fingers shaking as I received the check. Was I worthy of this money? Could I really help her? I sure hoped so.

Our first session was amazing. Riding on her excitement and my adrenaline, we busted through some of her biggest blocks to success and love. At the end she thanked me and I could tell that she felt she had made a great decision for herself. I relaxed.

A few months went by. Her life was transforming before our eyes. At the end of every session, she thanked me with a big smile and a hug. Her appreciation felt amazing. It boosted my confidence. I left every session feeling unstoppable. I’m born to do this, I told myself.

But then after one session, her smile wasn’t quite as big and her hug felt a little forced. It wasn’t our best session together, but I didn’t think much of it. Our next session, she rescheduled. And, our next session just felt flat. I left feeling deflated. “What’s wrong with me?” I thought.

The next session she told me she wanted to end our coaching contract. All my confidence (that she had helped me build) went out the window and I felt like the worst coach in the world.

What I see now is that the problem was NOT my coaching... the problem was the question I asked... and the person I asked the question to.

What if, instead of asking myself “what’s wrong with me?” I had gotten curious with HER? (Curiosity is the quality of the Water Element in our Heartselling System.)

What if I had said: “You seem a little different today. I’m curious, is something going on for you?” This would have given her the space to share what was weighing on her heart.

You see, thoughts have momentum, and what starts off as a little concern can become bigger and bigger over a few weeks if it’s not addressed. Big enough to have her cancel... which she did.

If only I had used the Water Element of curiosity back then, I would have saved a lot of heartache and would have kept a bunch more clients.

But since I can’t rewind the clock, I am doing the next best thing which is sharing the power of curiosity with our clients.

Here’s a concrete example of how curiosity can increase the commitment of your clients.

One of our Lifetime Members Crystal Henderson posted this in our Private Facebook Group and gave me permission to share it with you:

“I am so excited!!! I just got a client from my workshop! She was so leaning in after our strategy session. I gave her three options. She chose one on one coaching! I heard a concern in her voice even though she said yes so I said ‘I know you've said yes but I still hear some hesitation.’ And she said she was concerned about the money. So I had the money conversation and told her how hard it was for me to invest in myself etc. she was so grateful after that conversation that she said ‘I have to invest in myself I can't keep going on like this.’ I am so beyond thrilled! Thank you Thrive community and thank you, Jesse and Sharla!”

The key point in this post was when Crystal had the integrity to say: “I know you've said yes but I still hear some hesitation.”

In that moment of not rushing to “close the deal,” she went from having a client who likely might have cancelled before her first session, to a client who will be much more likely to stick with her and trust her more deeply.

We encourage you to explore curiosity this week with both your clients and potential clients.

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