Tag Archives: mistakes

Are You Selling To Please Yourself Or Your Client?

There is a lot of value in being disappointed and failing in business. Each disappointment and failure signals something that is not working in your business. Once you see what is not working then you can change it, fix it, or just plain toss it away and not do it anymore. Looking at what is not working sounds rather benign on paper; however on the playing field it can be painful for you, the entrepreneur, to face the fact that something you have put a lot of time and energy into is not working.

One of my clients had a brilliant idea. In order to stimulate sales and bring in new clients, she would reduce her fee for service by 40% for a certain length of time. She went about crafting her offer, designing special graphics, carefully composing emails about the offer and with much fanfare introduced her deeply reduced fee for service to her large list of potential clients. What happened? Nothing. The offer bombed, and all the weeks of crafting, composing, and marketing was time wasted.

Another client has been selling a product to his target market for several years. He has always told the potential buyer about the benefits and the limits of the product. Sales were increasing steadily, but not dramatically. He knew something was not working as it should. After all, he always told the potential client what the product would not do as well as what the benefits were. Why wasn’t his sales offering working as it should?

Both coaching clients came to their coaching session upset with their potential buyers. They blamed the buyer for not understanding their offers. “After all,” they said “My offer is wonderful. Why isn’t the potential buyer buying?”

The answer to both coaching clients turned out to be the same. They had forgotten WHO they were selling to. They had made the assumption that the potential client knew their product offering as well as they did, when in fact, clearly evidenced by the disappointing sales numbers, the potential client didn’t understand the offer. They didn’t see what they would be getting for their money so they declined the offer. Once my client began to look at the offer through the eyes and mind of his potential client—his specific target market who he calls The One—he could see how to change the offer so it was appealing

In the first instance, the coaching client could adjust the offer of the discounted fee for service by clearly listing what benefits the potential client would receive by accepting the offer. The benefits would be written in such a way that would speak the language of the potential target client. The potential client would want what the person was selling because it spoke to his needs.

In the second instance, the seller saw that in his quest for being honest and straight about what the product would not do, he didn’t specifically highlight what the product would do for the client. He had been emphasizing the short fall, NOT the benefits. The clients were left confused.

Do a thorough debriefing about your business failures with the intention of finding out what didn’t work. It is essential to your entrepreneurial process. Only when you see clearly why something didn’t work can you change it so that it does work. The real proving ground for the success of every offer is through the eyes and ears of your target market, the specific person, the One. If the One won’t buy the offer, find out why.

I am looking forward to hearing from you about this topic.

Do Your Emails Ruin Your Relationships?

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There are “about” 59,900,000 submissions regarding Email Etiquette on the internet, according to Google.

I suspect if you were quizzed about the proper etiquette for emails you would ace the test. That is, if you knew there was going to be quiz. However, every day the wonder of email is being abused. Feelings are hurt, people are misunderstood, and people are even being fired by email.

We see it all the time in politics, people publicly humiliated because some governmental committee has subpoenaed their emails. And there it is out in the open for everyone to see—how snarky and unprofessional the subpoenaed person is—all because of their emails.

And yet, we continue to use emails as a way to express ourselves without abandon. And email abuse continues on its merry way in our lives.

One of the times that our emails do not serve us is when we are angry. Say we have been sending emails to someone about something delicate. The money they owe you. And their only response has been silence. Often times we get angrier and angrier and so do our emails. Instead try this: pick up the telephone and call them—actually talk about the situation in real time. You may find out something has happened that prevented them from paying you. You may together find a solution that works for both of you if you talk it out.

There is something about being present, even on the telephone that can soothe hurt feelings and also give both parties an opportunity to work with each other instead of against each other.

If you think about it, world peace negotiations are done in person not via email. There is a reason for that. Face to face, person to person works. Granted you are not in disastrous situations but it may seem that way to you in your personal corner of the world. Imagine what you could work out with your staff, clients and colleagues, if you did the same thing—talk about the situation in person.

There is something about the personal touch that makes a huge difference with people. Please use it as much as you can. Think about this the next time you decide to write an angry email about some challenge or slight. It could make a huge difference in the quality of your business and personal relationships.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you about this topic. Your comments always enrich the conversation. Please write your comments below.

photo courtesy of Freedigitalphoto.net

My goals are there for me to take action…

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“My goals are there for me to take action, and if I can stay somewhat unattached to the outcome I can deal with setbacks with more grace and ease, while inventing a new course of action.” Chris Henry, Fine Art

Last week, our focus was on making mistakes instead of New Year’s Resolutions ( http://susanjamescoach.com/new-years-resolution-hack-a-guide-to-making-them-work-out/ )

I hit a nerve. Readers know that there is more to making a resolution than just making it and hoping that it will work out. In fact, in a study by University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2 out of 3 people make resolutions, but only 8% of the people who make resolutions keep them.

Look at what Chris Henry says: “I like what you said about mistakes, and for me it’s always a question of how long will I let this issue or mistake stop me? As an artist it’s a prerequisite to doing good art. I need to make mistakes and create bad art before I can create good or great art.

“I know from experience that having a support structure: a coach, or a team of people to go to when things get difficult, allows for new ideas or courses of action that I may not see on my own. Thanks again Susan for your words of wisdom! Here’s to an awesome 2014!”

Here are the cogent points.

1. How long will I let this mistake stop me? The best practice is, first of all, to know that you will make mistakes and then set a limit on how long you will beat yourself up for making one. 5 minutes? One day? Your lifetime?

2. Know that making mistakes and correcting them leads to making something great. You might have to “pivot and switch” what you are doing. Really, if it works great by changing aren’t you happier?

3. Have a support structure: a coach, a team of experts, a person who is committed to your success. Trust them; ask them what they would do. Allow them to point out what you haven’t thought of on your own.

4. Try new things, know they might work out, or not. Your intention to succeed is more important than the mistakes you make. Most of our greatest inventions were the result of a mistake. Penicillin was a lab accident. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, said: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

I am looking forward to hearing from you regarding making mistakes and what you have learned!

art courtesy of Chris Henry, Fine Art http://chrishenryfineart.com

New Year’s Resolution Hack – A Guide to Making Them Work Out

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This New Year, 2014, stands shiny and bright before you. It’s the time when you are prodded to by coaches, gurus, wise persons of every ilk, to make resolutions, new plans for your future. There are even free courses on the internet about how to design your new game plan, your new 2014 business.

And all of that is good, I think. BUT… I notice a certain desperation, a certain hopelessness, already creeping in around the edges of the new year, even with the promise of a brand new beginning. I hear from some of my clients, in a breathless voice, “I must get in shape!” Or, “I will make $100k this year—No, that’s a promise . . . or at least a go for.” Then the hopelessness creeps up.

When I saw this quote from author Neil Gaiman: I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes… you’re Doing Something. I said to myself, “Finally someone who is making sense of this nerve wracking season of new goals and resolutions.” I couldn’t agree with him more. This is what I wish for you too. I too hope that you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes… You are doing something.

I am all for setting intentions which are conditioned by measurements similar to promise numbers and go for numbers. Your intentions, promises and go fors are even more powerful if you share them with someone who is committed to your success. But I want you to be realistic. It will probably not be smooth sailing. You are going to make mistakes, but instead of finding that part of the process to be humiliating and frustrating, have it be the best part. The most useful part of your process. Be prepared to pivot and switch to a new way to solve the challenge. Reach out for help if you need it. It is refreshing to hear, “Hey, I was going to start a new store front on the web. Then I found out…someone else beat me to it using the same idea that I had.” Now what? Yes, indeed now what. You have no time for a pity party. Seriously, now what?

How can you pivot and switch your idea to be even more powerful? Even more compelling? If you cannot figure out your new path, talk to someone who can help you. Do not even try to do this alone.

I invite you to think about what mistakes you will make in 2014. I am all ears!

photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net