There’s a tipping point in our businesses.
On one side is the life of the solo entrepreneur, who’s a jack of all trades…capable of designing marketing materials, while answering sales calls, training clients and running a household {I’m told this person exists, but I still question whether or not she does this with sanity}.
And, on the other side is the golden possibility—a business complete with a strong team, the ability to make money through your team’s work as a whole {so you’re not seeing clients from 5 AM to midnight} and the chance for you really live the life of a business owner {as in days off, vacation and the ability to trust your team will care for your business if you need time}.
The struggle comes in where we land when we start to wobble on this tipping point. And, rest assured, you will land somewhere and it will be based entirely on what you prioritize and what you let go of.
In the early stages of your business it’s completely acceptable to be the end all and be all. Let’s face it…this is the fine art of bootstrapping our way to success and it has been practiced by more than a few billionaires in their dorm rooms and parent’s garages.
But to get the golden land, your mentality {and your workload needs to take a serious shift}.
And, you can do this if you start with the money.
Your job as a business owner is simple. You need to bring in revenue…serious real revenue that grows and sustains your business. Here’s my top two priorities to make this happen.
1. The Sales {and Retention} Quotient:
After teaching thousands of clients, I can honestly say the mind body and coaching world has a serious sales problem. We’re lost between the world of online sign ups and old school hard lined sales and we’re missing the middle ground where we can actually reach our client’s and teach them how to hit their goals.
Your priority here is simple. You need to be in front of your clients {and not just when you’re in front of a classroom}. This can be meeting with new clients and taking the time to set them up on a program that will generate success or keeping in contact with existing clients, ensuring your team is holding the high standards you have. The key is ensuring your client’s are on the right path and they have the motivation to stay there.
2. The Training Investment:
“My clients want me…they’re not satisfied with anyone else…they know I have something special.” I hear this a lot. And, while I’ll be the first person to invest in technology that could clone me, I’m not thinking that’s coming anytime soon.
So we’ve got to make sure our team is teaching a harmonious style and class type. This all comes down to training. If I teach five hours, I want to spend five making sure my staff is giving the most awesome experience our clients have ever had.
So what does this look like:
The willingness to pour continuing education into your instructors on a daily basis {one of the most powerful examples of this is my favorite studio here in Charlottesville…when they introduce a new tool you’ll see it across all of their classes regardless of the instructor or type of class}
Real Customer Communication and Customer Service Systems and the follow-up to make sure they’re being used {this can be as simple as your instructor calling to introduce themselves before their first session or as complex as customer touch points your instructor must fulfill}
Followup with each and every inactive client to see what your sessions really look like from the inside. These are client who will poor information into you, because they want to be transparent.
